Federated Farmers Podcast

For Taranaki sheep and beef farmer Nick Brown and his wife Sophie, farm ownership is definitely the goal – but they're taking a different route to get there. Rather than putting their capital into buying land, the couple are leasing 800 hectares and focusing their money on the productive assets that generate income.
In this episode, Nick explains why he thinks leasing is a great way for young farmers to build equity, why older farm owners should be open to the idea, and why longer leases and more ambitious bank lending could help more young farmers build a pathway into farm ownership.
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From warm cups of sheep milk in China to influencers livestreaming from New Zealand paddocks, the global demand for sheep milk is creating a surprising new opportunity for Kiwi farmers.
In this episode, Spring Sheep CEO Thomas Macdonald and Commercial Manager Operations Olivia Smith take us inside the rise of New Zealand’s sheep dairy industry. They explain how an unconventional experiment has developed into a growing industry built around Spring Sheep’s own Zealandia breed, a network of farmers and increasingly strong international demand.
We dig into what makes sheep dairying work, the economics for farmers, why developing a purpose-bred sheep was essential, and how big this emerging industry could become.

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For Quinn and Samantha Morgan, farming is about much more than cows and grass. They’re in it to create more opportunities for their family and the people who work alongside them.
From helping their team build skills and get off-farm experience to involving them in the financial side of the business, their goal is to show people what a future in farming could look like.
In this episode, the dairy farming couple talk about their journey into farming, the mentors who helped shape their careers, and why they put such a strong focus on developing the people around them.
They also share what they’ve learned about balancing farming and family life, what they’d like to see change across the sector, and, as always, we finish with a quickfire round.
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In this special 100th episode of the Federated Farmers Podcast, the Prime Minister sits down for a personal, wide-ranging conversation about the experiences and people that shaped him long before politics.
From growing up in Christchurch and Auckland to building an international business career with Unilever and leading Air NZ, Luxon reflects on the lessons he's learned about leadership, family and resilience. 
He shares the influence of his parents, the advice from his grandfather that still guides his marriage, why he banned mobile phones around his children, and the habits that helped shape his career.
Along the way, he talks about country music, studying great leaders, raising a family overseas, returning home to New Zealand, and why relationships matter more than job titles.
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Running a 2000-cow dairy operation across 524 hectares is a big enough challenge, but Jared Crawford and his wife Sara decided to add another by buying a craft brewery and restaurant.
As lower-order sharemilkers for FarmRight near Geraldine, Jared and Sara have built a high-performing dairy business with a strong focus on people, earning a reputation for developing and retaining great staff. 
Beyond the farm gate, Jared also represents sharefarmers with Federated Farmers at both the South Canterbury and national level, giving him a unique perspective on the issues facing the sector.
In this episode, we talk about building a successful dairy business, the importance of backing your team, why advocacy matters, and the story of how a few drinks over dinner somehow turned into owning a brewery. 
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