The evolution of No 8 wire innovation
The “No8 wire” mentality was born from making something out of nothing. Farmers would need a gate, or equivalent, and rather than wait months for the gate to be shipped, wire was jury-rigged...
Fence Lines
Leadership is needed as sheep and beef farming face fight
Leadership is needed as sheep and beef farming face fight
In 1881, the first frozen shipment of red meat left New Zealand for the United Kingdom.
Reflecting on how we make decisions
Reflecting on how we make decisions
I love reading business books and some years ago a book was published, Your Strategy Needs a Strategy, by Martin Reeves, Knut Haanaes and Janmejaya Sinha.
Examine the whole supply chain
Examine the whole supply chain
This lockdown is a drag, there is no dressing it up I’m afraid. But ‘‘it is what it is’’ and we do what we can to make the best of it.
All manner of good happens among community from sport
All manner of good happens among community from sport
I half watched the All Blacks on Saturday night. I was a bit like the half-filled stadium, interested but not particularly engaged. Earlier that day I had my fill of community sports, watching...
Failure terrifying but not trying at all even more so
Failure terrifying but not trying at all even more so
My first Otago Daily Times column was in January 2014 — time flies.
Full of pride for mother in ute with dogs
Full of pride for mother in ute with dogs
Climate change is a global problem, a problem shared and a problem far bigger than New Zealand politics.
Differentiating NZ’s meat in flexitarian market worthwhile
Differentiating NZ’s meat in flexitarian market worthwhile
I heard about a young Australian entrepreneur, Ben Pasternak, who moved to New York at the age of 16 to start a business — he’s now 21.
Breast milk manufacturing in lab a shock
Breast milk manufacturing in lab a shock
There are several high-profile companies aiming to produce human breast milk using cellular technology.
Traditional governance inertia constrains nimble leadership
Traditional governance inertia constrains nimble leadership
"The bigger your hammer, the more every problem looks like a nail" was a phrase used in a leadership article I read recently when I was pondering the complexities of what leaders have to balance in...
Time for questioning useful Goliath
Time for questioning useful Goliath
Amazon has hit the local papers this month with news that it has secured a deal with the New Zealand Government.
Regenerative farming fight sad
Regenerative farming fight sad
The New Zealand Merino Company and wool brands Allbirds, Icebreaker, and Smartwool have announced they are working collectively with 167 sheep growers to create the world’s first regenerative wool platform.
Pandemic disruption highlights challenges looming for farming
Pandemic disruption highlights challenges looming for farming
Walk into any New Zealand supermarket and life feels pretty normal. The shelves are filled with staples of bread and toilet paper and there is the usual melee of highly packed and processed...
Time of no holds baa-ed fun rolls round
Time of no holds baa-ed fun rolls round
Every December we hold our AbacusBio annual golf tournament, ‘‘Abigba’’, a highly contested event where colourful costumes are encouraged and non-golfers are plentiful.
Not just a buzzword, paradigm shift can deliver innovation
Not just a buzzword, paradigm shift can deliver innovation
Changing paradigms became an overused phrase about a decade ago to the point where I couldn’t hear it without rolling my eyes.
Hypocrisy, hidden costs can lurk in carbon neutral goals
Hypocrisy, hidden costs can lurk in carbon neutral goals
The European Union aims to be carbon neutral by 2050 and should it achieve this, it would be the first continent to achieve carbon neutrality.
We must learn to protect our products
We must learn to protect our products
People often ask me how I fit in writing these columns — my answer is that you always find the time for doing something that is important to you or that you enjoy.
A new life for Mendel’s peas thanks to plant protein market
A new life for Mendel’s peas thanks to plant protein market
Gregor Mendel built his career around the humble pea.
Increased diversity in leadership drives innovation and agility
Increased diversity in leadership drives innovation and agility
I always enjoy reading the KPMG agribusiness agenda, which is published annually.
Parenting more about things that go wrong than successes
Parenting more about things that go wrong than successes
Parenting can be a lonely place. I remember when my children were irascible toddlers, people would say to me "Oh it goes so fast, enjoy every moment" and I remember looking at them thinking "Well...