As a Co-operative, our farmers and people are the key to our success.
If you are looking for a new opportunity that offers growth and plenty of room for development, bring your passion for agriculture to Fonterra Farm Source, and you're sure to grow.
Meet Jono
For Jono Crosbie, who recently joined the Farm Source Te Awamutu team as a Sales Specialist, the role is not only proving rewarding right now but has also opened up a world of possibilities for future career progression.
Jono, who has previous experience at another rural retailer, says the Sales Specialist role at Farm Source appealed to him for a couple of different reasons.
"What attracted me to the role were the opportunities within Fonterra and Farm Source, and the connection between the two, as well as its strong focus on dairy," says Jono, who is excited about where the role may take him in future. Jono believes the Sales Specialist role is the perfect place to start.
"You get it all down on the shop floor level, you get a bit of management and product knowledge," says Jono, who is confident this will provide him with a solid foundation on which to build his career.
For now, Jono says he is learning heaps and feeling well-supported thanks to the "well-oiled systems" that are in place as well as the backing of his teammates.
"The people here have been really good, they are a really friendly team," he says, revealing the customer-centric culture at Farm Source has made a positive impression on him.
Jono says he is enjoying getting to know the local farmers as well as his team and others within the business.
"It's a big store so it is nice and busy, and there are plenty of people always rolling in. You get to meet a lot of different people outside of the business as well as in the business, so that is cool," he says.
Meet Poppy
Someone else who is also enjoying building connections with farmers is Poppy Kururangi, who has been a Senior Sales Specialist at Reporoa's Farm Source store for the past two years.
"I think we are lucky to have the connections with farmers here in our community. A lot of them are friends now," says Poppy, who gets a lot of job satisfaction from being able to assist customers in-store.
"You are learning something new every day and just by helping customers out you feel good about yourself," she says. "I have a strong sense of purpose here."
Despite having lived rurally her whole life, Poppy admits she didn't really know a huge amount about dairy farming prior to joining the Farm Source team. In fact, her lack of knowledge about farming almost put her off applying for the role entirely.
"My team were definitely supportive when I joined," she says. "And when you have a good manager who sees that you are always turning up and doing your job to the best of your ability, and they recognise you for that, it makes such a difference and is so important. You go home and you feel good about your job."
Poppy encourages others considering a role at Farm Source to not let anything, including age, deter them. Poppy says she is enjoying learning new skills through a combination of formal training and on-the-job experience, with in-store displays a newly found passion of hers.
"A key learning for me has been in visual merchandising. I have really enjoyed that side of things," says Poppy, who finds it rewarding to see her efforts with the store displays having an impact.
"By paying more attention to our aisle ends and all our promotions and applying what we have learnt, it has meant that farmers are taking more notice too."
Meet Rachael
Gaining new knowledge and skills has also been a highlight for Rachael Moody in her first year as a Sales Specialist at the Rotorua Farm Source store.
"My favourite thing is learning literally anything every single day - there is always something new to learn," she says. "I've worked in standard retail before and this is nothing like it. Learning everything about the products and seeing where your knowledge and sales skills can come together is satisfying - I do enjoy that side of things," says Rachael, who says farmers really rely on the advice of store teams.
"As a Sales Specialist, you build a lot of trust with your farmers."
Rachael describes Farm Source as a "rewarding and progressive" place to work. She is responsible for everything from managing inventory and assisting farmers, through to driving the forklift, and is able to extend her knowledge through a blend of on-the-job learning and formal training through the likes of the NZQA-accredited Kura Hokohoko retail training and development programme.
While Rachael doesn't come from a dairy farming background, securing a role at a rural retailer like Farm Source was a goal of hers.
"I wanted to work in agricultural retail for a while but didn't think I would be able to get a job like this as I didn't have any dairy farming experience whatsoever. What I've learnt is if you put yourself out there and have initiative you can definitely do well here."
Do you think a career at Farm Source could be the field for you? Find out more at nzfarmsource.co.nz/careers.