The Northern South Island farmer director from Mid Canterbury was elected chairwoman by the board at the end of the industry body’s annual meeting in New Plymouth.
She replaced former chairman Andrew Morrison who left after a turnover win by Geoffrey Young in the election for the new Southern South Island farmer director.
Mrs Acland said she was humbled to be appointed.
"This is an exciting opportunity to represent farmers and the sector I’m enormously passionate about," she said.
"I’m personally optimistic about the future. New Zealand has a great history of innovating and adaptation, but right now farming is tough, and farmers are facing unprecedented challenges and change. I look forward to leading the organisation that helps farmers through that change."
Mrs Acland said farmers had to keep fighting for sensible and practical policy settings.
"The annual meeting process has underlined the need for deeper conversations with our farmers about some of the key issues we’re advocating on and why the board has taken the positions it has."
She thanked Mr Morrison for his mana, leadership and service to the industry over the past nine years.
His farewell speech was followed by a standing ovation.
Mrs Acland has been deputy chairwoman since midway through last year in a role re-established because of the increasing workload on directors during a phase of hefty change for farmers.
Before moving to her husband David’s family farm, the self-starter developed her own vineyard and winery — Sugar Loaf Wines — export business in Marlborough.
The couple have three children and employ 30 staff over the station and other businesses including cafes. They run a large Romney sheep flock and Angus and Hereford beef herd on about 2400ha of the station and an 870-cow dairy herd on a dryland 330ha dairy platform with another 270ha set aside for forestry and 480ha reserved for native bush.
Mt Somers Station has a standalone honey operation based in the native vegetation and beech forest supporting 400 hives that produces manuka, honeydew and clover honey.
The couple feel strongly about representing their sector with Mr Acland the acting Mid Canterbury president of Federated Farmers.
