Domini:
I grew up in Hauraki between Thames and Paeroa and have always been involved in the rural world. I started off working on horse farms and was an apprentice jockey for five years. My father worked for Fonterra in Te Rapa and suggested I join the Co-op after I couldn’t ride professionally anymore. I got a job as a Sales Specialist and loved it. I’ve now been with the Co-op for 20 years, working face-to-face with farmers. Over that time I’ve managed five Farm Source stores throughout the Waikato and Hauraki. Since August 2023, I’ve been Regional Manager of Hauraki.
I love working with farmers – they’re the salt of the earth, very real people. I get a real kick working for the Co-op.
I don’t consider this a job. It’s actually something that gets me up every day because I love the people, making a difference, and seeing what the work does. I deal with such amazing people – the farmers in my area and the people in my team.
There is no typical day in this role. I can be working with the retail managers in stores, or in the field on farm. I look after a really broad team covering retail, technical, advisory, and sustainability. In one week I could be in all four of my stores, out on farm, and working with the sustainability team completing a farm environment plan. Every week is very different.
My role is to bring together a local team in the Hauraki that can provide the whole Farm Source offer. It’s really important for me to be able to have conversations with farmers, provide reassurance on Co-op policies and compliance, and get feedback directly from them about initiatives and any challenges they may be facing that we can help with.
From the on farm visits we’re able to bring in other support they might need, whether it be environmental or compliance help, or technical and retail help.
We’ve got 420 farms in the Hauraki catchment. Each has their own different challenges. Our Coromandel farms have faced a lot of weather events and they’re quite isolated up there. On the Hauraki Plains, the land can go from soup to brick real quick.
It’s not easy farming, and this is the whole reason why Farm Source has changed the way we work to be more collaborative and give farmers a more consistent approach. Farmers now have access to a whole Farm Source experience and they can choose who they want to deal with. If a farmer shares with me who their trusted source is, who they want to deal with, and what challenges they have, I can pull the services and support from all our roles – not just in our team but the wider Farm Source team – and provide a package of support for them.
Get in touch to find out more
Domini is just one of the many experts in the 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: 0800 65 65 68.