Tony Finch

Once a general manager for a large corporate 6000-cow dairy farming operation in Missouri, USA, Tony’s loving his DairyNZ role back home.

That life-changing American experience was some time ago, so Tony’s been gumboot-deep in New Zealand’s dairying landscape for a while now. In more recent years, he’s been supporting DairyNZ’s regional teams by working with large-scale, complex sector organisations in each region.

“I use a fit-for-purpose engagement approach to ensure those organisations get the DairyNZ tools, resources and support they need, so they get the best value for their Levy. They often represent multiple owners, with several farms spanning different regions, our North and South islands, and even overseas.

“It’s vital that we invest our farmers’ levy to make sure they’re provided with world class science, research, extension, advocacy and leadership. This will help them – and our sector as whole – thrive into the future.”

Tony says collaboration, partnerships and collective thought is what farmers want – and need – in challenging times. By travelling across New Zealand, he makes sure he’s across what’s happening in every region. “They all have their own unique characteristics and challenges mainly revolving around regional differences including topography, dry land vs irrigated, varying soil types, weather patterns, access to labour and the service sector.

“I take that into account when working alongside other organisations and rural professionals in each region. My aim is to build relationships that help farmers achieve their goals much more effectively and efficiently – and I find that really rewarding.”

• Check out our nationwide regional teams.