Ravensdown partners with Footrot Flats to celebrate Kiwi farming heritage
Ravensdown has announced a collaboration with Kiwi icon, Footrot Flats in an effort to bring humour, heart, and connection to the forefront of the farming sector.
Ravensdown chief executive Greg Campbell has been named the 2019 Primary Industries Chief Executive of the Year at the inaugural Primary Industries Awards.
The accolade, presented at the awards function in Wellington last night, honours an outstanding chief executive working in New Zealand’s primary industries. It recognises leadership that has delivered positive change to the primary sector and promoted their organisational and reputational excellence.
Campbell says said the award is a personal honour but also much-deserved recognition of the commitment from Ravensdown’s shareholder owners and New Zealand farmers to smarter farming.
“In the six years, I’ve been at Ravensdown there has been an impressive shift toward sustainable practices, not only within our cooperative but throughout our valuable and important primary sector.
“Farmers’ are developing and adopting new and innovative technologies to tackle some of the toughest environmental issues we’re facing as a country and a planet. The leadership and excellence we see in our primary sector every day often goes overlooked, so it’s tremendous to see more attention being given to the exciting innovations being made right here in New Zealand.”
Campbell is passionate about collaboration and determined to shift perceptions of Ravensdown so that the co-operative is seen as farm nutrient and environmental experts rather than simply a fertiliser seller.
“Leadership is about listening, fronting up to challenges and welcoming scrutiny. As a sector earning $45 billion a year for New Zealand facing issues like environmental footprint, health and safety, new technology and trade disruption; the stakes are high. Of course we all can and should do better. For now I salute the real achievements being made across the primary sector and thank the judges for their kind comments.”
Award judges commented on Greg’s ability to demonstrate the important skills of partnership and relationship building as well as leading the transformation principal to the success of Ravensdown.
Farmers have voted to continue the Milksolids Levy that funds DairyNZ.
Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell has resigned after eight years in the role.
Matt McRae, a farmer from Mokoreta in Southland who runs a sheep, beef and dairy support business alongside a sheep stud, has been elected to the Beef +Lamb NZ Board as a farmer director.
Ravensdown's next evolution in smart farming technology, HawkEye Pro, was awarded the Technology Section Award at the Southern Field Days Farm Innovation Awards in February 2026.
While mariners may recognise a “dog watch” as a two-hour shift on a ship, the Good Dog Work Watch is quite a different concept and the clever creation of Southland siblings Grace (9) and Archer Brown (7), both pupils at Riverton Primary School.
Philip and Lyneyre Hooper of the Hoopman Family Trust have tonight been named the Taranaki Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

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