Kirsty Peake

The sky’s the limit for Kirsty when it comes to her senior area manager role. That’s not surprising, given both she and her husband Tony like to jump out of planes!

“Farming is complex. It covers many different skill sets – financial, people, environmental, cows and grass. It’s also exposed to many outside influences, like weather and fluctuating market prices. It’s hard to be an expert in all those areas, so being able to support farmers, and guide them to others who can also help them, is very important.”

Kirsty enjoys bringing solutions to farmers or respectfully challenging them to think about things differently.

“That really sparks my passion for this job. It’s all about supporting farmers to be the best that they can be to achieve their goals. Every farmer is different, so I‘m always interested in learning from and hearing about what drives each farmers.

As a science-based organisation, Kirsty says DairyNZ can offer farmers the information, tools and resources needed to achieve their goals.

“Working with rural professionals and other sector organisations is another big part of this role, with all of us taking turns to run events. Connecting and referring farmers to the right people also helps to build the best relationships and trust.”

When they’re not bailing out of planes for fun, Kirsty and Tony sharemilk 1000 cows in South Otago.

“In my role, I like to be a part of farmers’ support network. I want farmers to know that I’m really keen to hear from them. If you need to know about something, DairyNZ’s area managers are all here for you.”

• Find out more about DairyNZ’s other Lower South Island regional team members.
• Check out our nationwide regional teams.