Page 28 - AGM 2021 Booklet_Flipbook

REGIONAL FOCUS

Sue Skelton

Northland Hub Leader
Our year kicked off with a pre-calving quiz night
at the Potori Tavern, run by Whangarei Regional
Leaders Lisa Avery and myself. We had great
support from our Network Partners Ballance Agri-
Nutrients, LIC and Fonterra FarmSource, as well as
some local businesses with prizes. In December
Whangarei met for a pre-Christmas catch up
dinner at a new Mexican restaurant. This was a
great night with awesome food. Whangarei also
held a regional NAIT event with Network Partner
Allflex.

Lisa left Northland for the Manawatu in May and Robyn Wildeman and Kylie
Beatty have taken the Whangarei RL role on board. They have run a social night -
Ten Pin Bowling - and are organising their second event, Going Bananas, a visit to
a local dairy farm that has diversified into bananas.

Northland has had three Network Partner workshops. Your Farm Business Future
proved to be a really successful workshop with members travelling long distances
to hear the speakers, and lots of positive feedback. The Make Time for Your People
workshop was held in Whangarei and we worked with DairyNZ in Northland to
promote this workshop. Kaipara hosted the Successful Calf Rearing workshop.

DWN Northland are part of the Northland Collaboration Group, made up of
organisations that help to support our rural/farming communities by providing
free dinners, with a wellbeing theme. The dinners are a great way for us to
connect with women on farms who are often isolated. Three dinners were held,
with more planned for when we are in Level 1. Unfortunately Covid cancelled the
Northland Fielddays which was a huge disappointment for all involved as DWN
had planned to be in the ASB tent.

Conference was a highlight for Northland as we celebrated Kaipara RL Donna
Griggs winning the Regional Leader of the Year award, and Chevon Horsford
as a finalist for the Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year. Donna was straight into
organising a dinner and movie night in Dargaville after conference.

Another highlight was working with Beef and Lamb, AWDT, FMG and RST to bring
two Ladies Long Lunches to Northland. The first was held in Whangarei and the
second in the Far North on the goregous Karikari Peninsula. We had a range of

28 Annual General Meeting 2021