I started my career as a vet, having spent my formative years working in the school holidays on a sheep and beef farm in the Wairarapa, which sparked an interest in working on the land. After finishing my degree at Massey University, I started in dairy practice in Eltham, Taranaki before heading overseas to work in dairy operations in the UK, Canada, and Saudi Arabia – this opened my eyes to different cultures and ways of farming in extreme environments (from 50 ̊C in Saudi Arabia to -50 ̊C in parts of Canada).
Returning to New Zealand, I worked in the vet pharmaceutical industry then headed operations for a multi-farm dairy business overseeing 29 farms around the country before joining the Co-op four years ago as a Technical Manager in the On Farm Research and Development team. About 18 months ago I took over as head of the On Farm Excellence Environment team, supporting farmers with emissions and farm efficiency, as well as freshwater management, farm environmental planning, and regulatory and policy engagement. Our team's collaborative work with farmers allows the Co-op to describe and report our environmental performance to our customers - and build on our reputation in this space.
The Co-op has been providing farm environmental plans (FEP) for quite some time now. We're now at a stage where about 90% of farmers in the Co-op have an FEP. We work closely with Farm Source's Sustainable Dairy Advisory team to build the plans, programmes and tools and provide support in this field.
It's a dynamic environment at the moment and our focus is on ensuring our farmers are recognised for the great work that's being done and to leverage this, reducing extra compliance and regulatory requirements as much as possible. Alongside planning, we're working with farmers to make sure they get the most value out of their plans.
Our team has been heavily involved in developing the on farm targets that align with Fonterra's Climate Roadmap - looking at how the roadmap applies on farm and how we support farmers to help the Co-op achieve the target. We're working with farmers to develop ways that improve the farm's carbon footprint and increase on farm efficiency.
Each region is different - physical, climatic, farm systems, and regulatory differences. One thing that helps in this space is that our team is spread throughout the country. The On Farm Excellence Environment team has staff in Auckland, Hamilton, Marton, Canterbury and Southland and we work closely with Farm Source's regional teams across the country.
Andy is just one of the many experts in the Co-op network, so don't hesitate to get in touch with your local store or contact the farmer support team to find your best point of contact.