Federated Farmers new board has more urban experience than its predecessors :
The new president, Bruce Wills spent 20 years as a banker, returning to the family farm only seven years ago.
Mr Wills said that with agriculture being an important part of an economy coping with a massive debt burden, the federation had “a real part to play – bigger than just being part of the rural community”.
“We’ve got to embrace the urban community. We’re small in number but large in significance.”
His vice president is Dr William Rolleston:
. . . a biotechnologist who runs a business on his South Canterbury farm collecting sheep blood sera for medical research.
He is also chairman of the Innovation Board of the Science and Innovation Ministry.
He said his company was an example of how farming could add value to the economy. “We’re good at biology because we’re good at agriculture, and that’s where we need to go.”
A former Hawkes Bay Wairarapa provincial president and former New York investment funds analyst Anders Crofoot, has also joined the board. He and his wife Emily farm Castlepoint Station.
Other new board members are new dairy section, chair Ashburton farmer Willy Leferink; the first woman leader of the meat and fibre section, Jeanette Maxwell who farms at Mt Hutt; and grains and seeds section chairman Ian MacKenzie, of Ashburton.
That’s a good mix of skills – farming, business and science – and the mix of urban and rural experience makes it well placed to bridge the town and country divide.
Homepaddock 
Anders Crofoot was the Wairarapa President
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Thanks Ross – I knew that and have visited Castell Point – just had a blonde moment when typing.
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