Brett grew up on a dairy farm and he says following in his Mum and Dad's footsteps "was always part of the plan."
After a stint as a mechanic, Brett's own farming journey started ten years ago when he and Ruth were sharemilkers for Ruth's parents before purchasing their own farm.
Brett says one of the great things about dairy farming is the flexibility the lifestyle offers. "With three young kids, that's important", he says. "It gives us more opportunities to spend time as a family and support our community."
Brett and Ruth have always supplied Fonterra, for a variety of reasons.
"Both of our parents supply Fonterra, and when we bought our farm, we inherited a Fonterra Share Up Over Time Contract. But to be honest we would have supplied Fonterra anyway."
"Our industry needs a strong farmer-owned co-op like Fonterra to lead the way. I've spent some time in Europe and the UK and I've seen the detrimental effects on the industry that the collapse of some co-ops has had. If we don't support Fonterra, then Fonterra won't be there to support us. It's important to us that the Co-op's profits stay in New Zealand and support our economy and communities.
"It's also reassuring that management has a clear eye on the future. The capital structure changes are a prime example of that. It would have been easy for the Board to kick the can down the road or put it in the too hard basket, but they have taken the bull by the horns to future-proof the business. The strategy seems to make a lot of sense too. Farmers want to know where the money is being spent and that every drop of milk is being used to generate returns."
At a farm level Brett says there are clear benefits of supplying Fonterra. "We get great support from our Co-operative Services Area Manager and our local Farm Source store. The Farm Source Reward Dollars programme is helpful because every little bit helps. Plus, things like the calving packs that we get make us feel valued and that's important."
Brett says he feels proud to be a Fonterra farmer when he sees what happens in the community. "Whenever disaster strikes, like floods, the Fonterra teams are really quick to jump in and help. And the Kickstart breakfast programme at our local school is a great initiative."
Success starts with your farm.
If you'd like to talk to us about your relationship with Fonterra, we'd love to hear from you. Please reach out to your local Co-operative Services Area Manager.
Or if you're considering joining Fonterra, organise a catch-up with one of our team.