Tim Johnstone

Having been a hands-on farmer himself, Tim is motivated by helping other dairy farmers make positive changes on their farms.

“I enjoy working with farmers who are prepared to challenge themselves, try new ideas and improve their businesses,” explains Tim. “Being able to support them through opportunities and challenges is extremely rewarding.”

Tim, who lives in the Waikato with his family, has plenty of farming experience and strong connections to the rural community. Tim understands farmers are balancing many parts of their business, from animal care and financial performance to managing people, technology and day-to-day farm operations.

A big part of Tim’s role is bringing farmers together through discussion groups, field days, workshops and other farmer events. Often this means working with rural professionals, sector partners and farmer leaders. “We each bring different knowledge and experience, which helps connect farmers with the right people, tools and information.”

“One of my favourite moments was at a discussion group. I’d spent a lot of time preparing the agenda and discussion questions. Within 10 minutes, the farmers had completely taken over the conversation. Two hours later, they were still exchanging ideas and challenging each other's thinking.

“So, the best groups aren't necessarily the ones where I deliver the most information, they're the ones where farmers learn from each other. Sometimes my role is simply to get the right people in the right paddock and let the magic happen.”

Tim encourages farmers to get in touch when they need support.

“If a farmer has a question, challenge or opportunity they want to discuss, we're here to help, and to connect them with the right people, information and support.”

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