In this episode Becks gets the chance to sit down with Ben Anderson, from the Central Hawkes Bay. An ex-Army Officer with a Risk Management background who grew up on a Sheep and Beef property, Ben is currently a Velvet Producer, Tree Farmer and Dairy Farmer but going through farm systems change as we speak!

Ben is a Nuffield Scholar and his report was titled "The Green and the Black of it - Economic and Environmental Sustainability of the NZ deer industry and the case for change." It is this case for change Becks is particularly interested in, not only as a deer farmer herself, but also as an Agricultural Sustainability Coach working with other farmers to take on sustainability linked opportunities.

Ben is an avid hunter, and you get an idea of where this passion arose from as he recounts some entertaining childhood memories in this yarn. And although risk management is not always the most engaging of topics, Ben has a pragmatic way of chatting about the financial risks involved in farming. Some of his take home tips are extremely relevant at the moment as we face challenging financial times in the agriculture sector, so settle in with an open-mind for an episode where we might challenge a few commonly held beliefs, but hopefully we offer reasoning leave you with a bit of inspiration and optimism.

Episode Resources:

• Ben Anderson | ⁠LinkedIn

• Ben's 2021 Nuffield Scholar Report | Website

• Farmer's Weekly Eating the Elephant

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