Josh Collier

Learning something new – and seeing others do the same thing – motivates Josh to share those “little lightbulb moments.” For him, it’s all about connection.

“I enjoy watching the new generation of farmers and all the exciting technology coming through,” says Josh. “It’s great to see how they’re embracing it. At the same time, I’m enjoying learning from our farmers. I feel like I’ve learned more from talking to farmers in my region over the last few months than I have in my previous 10 years of farming!”

Josh says his role connects farmers with DairyNZ by sharing research and highlighting what DairyNZ is doing on-farm. “Our regional team also feeds back to DairyNZ about the challenges farmers see coming.”

He says he’s focussed on connecting with everyone involved in the region’s rural sector. He believes that working together helps farmers get better value—with timely, relevant and consistently aligned information and advice.

“The face of farming is changing so fast, it’s hard for everyone to keep track of everything,” explains Josh. “That’s why it’s important for us to support our farmers as change happens. By being innovative, our sector is more likely to remain a global leader.”

When he’s not working at DairyNZ, Josh and his whānau enjoy the outdoors—from the ocean to native forests and bush. He also enjoys sharing his love of dairy farming with others in DairyNZ’s regional teams.

“I think our people have a real passion for the sector. Many of us are still actively involved in farming operations, while others come from a farming background. That gives us a breadth of experience and practical knowledge to call on as we support New Zealand’s dairy farmers.”

• Find out more about DairyNZ’s other Upper North Island regional team members.
• Check out our nationwide regional teams.