Page 32 - AGM 2021 Booklet_Flipbook

BUSINESS GROUPS

DWN Business Groups provide our members with a small group environment to
connect with like-minded dairy-women and build knowledge for success in their
businesses going forward. We have eight Business Groups currently running in
around the country: Ashburton, Coast to Coast, Gore, Pukekohe, Putaruru, Rotorua,
Te Awamutu and Three Rivers.

Hear from Rotorua Business Group Leader Paula Crafar about a three-day trip the
group took in June, filled with inspiration and opportunities for networking.

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Paula Crafar

Rotorua Business Group Leader
In June I had the privilege of leading an inspirational group of dairy business
women from the Rotorua Business Group on an amazing three day trip to the
Manawatu. I thought I’d attempt to capture and share some of the learnings and
connections we made over these packed three days. The theme of the trip was
‘Turning Challenges into Sustainable Opportunities’.

We started early on a Sunday morning with a rainy trip down through to Mission
Estate in Napier for lunch (and wine) - an oportunity for the group to pause and
celebrate the wonderful hardworking women they are. Then it was down to spend
an inspiring couple of hours with Charlotte and Russell Heald in Norsewood, and
hear about their journey into regenerative farming. Some key take homes were
the importance of being happy and enjoying what you do, to think about what we
are modelling as leaders, and how to remodel your current system to fit with your
priorities.

Monday morning started with breakfast with Brendon and Charlotte from NZAB,
a financial rural advisory firm that is aiming to fill the growing relationship gap
between banks and farmers, to ensure better banking outcomes. We then headed
to FoodHQ to look at ‘tomorrow’: what is underway, what are the possibilities, and
what’s simply out there in the world of thought. We connected as organisations
around the challenges of collaboration, of putting aside IP opportunity to ensure
greater good, of being women in Ag, political barriers, and ‘opportunity’. We then
ventured just out of Palmerston North to Three Oaks Organics in Kairanga to
meet David and Teresa, a couple with complementary skills selling raw milk and
yoghurt.

We headed down county to Ohau Gourmet Mushrooms; continuing the theme of
great partnerships, former executives Brent and Jude have created a mushroom

32 Annual General Meeting 2021