It recently won her the Fly Buys Mumtrepreneur of the Year Award and she won the agribusiness section of these awards.
Hawkins’ business, Regen Ltd, helps farmers manage disposal of cattle effluent. The company has developed software, Regen Effluent, which turns data including soil moisture, temperature and rainfall into a simply daily recommendation sent to the farmer by text message.
Using the same model, Hawkins company is now launching a nitrogen management service, Regen Nitrogen, and a water irrigation service is under development.
“How you join all the information science done in this country to make a difference to farmers day to day is something I have always been interested in,” Hawkins told Rural News.
With improved technology, and cellphone and internet speeds, plus the uptake by farmers of smartphones, delivering that information daily by text makes sense, she says. Farmers get key information delivered to their fingertips, whether they are on a tractor or in a milking shed.
An agricultural scientist and mother of two teens, Hawkins says when she first started working in the field her youngest child was at kindergarten. The Mumtrepreneur awards recognise the growing number of successful Kiwi women who handle the key challenges of running a business while raising a family.
Hawkins grew up on a sheep and beef farm near Taupo, attended Reporoa College and graduated in agricultural science from Massey University. After working overseas she began a career in the rural sector.
She worked for the predecessor to New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, the meat and food industries, then for AgResearch in ag science commercialisation. While doing consulting work she began the work that led to Regen.
Hawkins says with her science and ag sector background she exploited opportunities as they arose, not necessarily seeing, early on, the opportunity for her own business. Now she has further aspirations for her business.
“What we’re doing can help make a difference with some of the challenges New Zealand faces, not just in dairying but across the agricultural sector.
“With the resources we’ve got we have to show we can farm profitably and sustainably and show urban New Zealand that farmers keep changing and evolving and as opportunities present do things better.
“We want to be part of ensuring farmers have got the tools to do things differently.”
Hawkins says the Mumtrepreneur awards recognise building a business while being a mother is hard and takes extra determination and commitment. “There are a lot of awards for business itself but they don’t necessarily take into account what else you have to deal with to succeed in your business.”
Hawkins has always juggled family and work, following her passion and her goals and presenting a good role model for her children. She needs to travel at times and attributes her success to the support of her husband Anthony Cox.
She says there’s endless discussion and guilt among women about juggling family and work. “There is no right answer, but rather what is right for you or your family and what you can make work. I would never presume to judge anyone else’s choice.”
One of the Mumtrepreneur judges, Stephen England-Hall, sees agriculture as the backbone of the New Zealand economy and our international competitive advantage stemming from our clean, green credentials.
“Regen’s services provide farmers with a way to increase their profitability while improving their environmental impact.”
