June 30, 2025 • 6 mins
North Otago farmer talks buoyant bull sales, woke commentators talking bull, positivity in agriculture and her family connection to Dame Lisa Carrington.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You've heard from Dame Lisa Carrington. Let's change tact and
catch up with Dame Jane Smith. Well, she's sort of
farming royalty is on this show anyhow, Jane, you're standing
atop a hill on your North Otago farm to try
and get some mobile reception. Don't move or else we
might lose you. Have you ever been compared to Dame
(00:20):
Lisa Carrington before?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Definitely not, Jamie and Dame Jane just haven't got the
same ring Jamie, and couldn't even compare myself to such
a legend. She's just truly amazing.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Yeah, well I think there's a bit of a connection
between you and her.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yes. So she obviously got helped lead the K four
over the line against the gold medal last year in Paris,
and that's one of those was Olivia Brett, our niece.
So I'm really proud of the crew, but under Lisa's
leadership that really made the difference. Jamie.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Absolutely, That's what I said to My favorite of all
her eight Olympic golds was that one. You've given me
like a flow chart, and I'm pretty thick, but I've
managed to follow yours. That was drawing quite literally on
the back of an envelope this morning. So this is
how your plan to set out your chat today. You're
starting with what the gisbine bull sales.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Oh yeah, it's really fortunate enough to spend time up
on Gisbon. Last week Blare and I went up to
particularly to go to the Tangy house sale, which had
obviously hit the headlines with the high priced balls, and
so we had some fossil correct genetics that sided actually
three of those high price balls and a number of others.
So it was fantastic and you know, just to see
the positivity in an area like that that's been through
(01:29):
some real challenges, particularly in the past twenty four months,
and it was really really good to see that. And
I know the lights of Toby Williams, you know, he's
very celebrated up there in terms of being an advocate
for that area but for farming in general, and it
was really great. And I know at one point at
the Teria Angusal, which of course is Toby's stomping ground
(01:51):
clerky the auctioneers here to imagine the genetic combination for
advocacy if you combined, I think it was Toby Williams
of Jane Smith. He must have spoted me in the room, Jamie.
But yeah, it was really really great and again really
really positive and the same track Pickue. I was happy
that I was really stoked to catch up with some
agri legends up in that area, like Nuffield scholar Carrey
Wills Notop. Of course I did a lot of work
(02:13):
with when we're trying to kick Hewoka Ikina for touch
and of course the man the miss the legend, Gibbon's
modern day version ability James. He's probably got to face
more like Barry Crump than Brad Pratt. But of course
the famous infamous farmer poet Graham Williams Jamie, and he
was great. And actually Graham and I hadn't met before,
and we've talked to the phone a lot, but the
(02:34):
first thing you said to me, Jamie was that I
look really different to what I sound like on the radio.
So I'm not sure if that was a compliment or not.
Thank you for saying I look maybe least like the
rock Wheeler and more like a hunter way or maybe
many would argue the other way around, Jamie. But it
was really great to make that connection with Jamie and
just see the positivity up there, Jamie, Well.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
You're definitely not a lap dog, let's be honest about that.
Julia Jones has written the story in the Rural News,
and you're not too pleased about it. Now. She does
a wonderful job with the Agri Women's Development Trust, but
we agree to disagree on things, probably because she said
I spread toxic vibes throughout New Zealand agriculture, which I
thought was a bit rough at the time. So Julia
(03:12):
and I don't see eye to eye. Do you see
eye to eye with her?
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Well, I think just to come home and read. You know,
I was sort of a righteous I'd call it a
corporate climate change driven firman and the Rural News that
called out the Federated Farmers Save our Sheep campaign, and
I guess others such as the methane science are called
asking for what I think has sense and sensibility and
science around things like methane targets and the Paris Accord
(03:36):
and land use change and property rights and these are
apparently no hope narratives, and I guess those three words. Really,
you know, I really struck a chord with me, and
not in a good way. And apparently we are chasing
progress off the property, and whether we should be curious
not outraged. And you know, honestly, if it means closing
the gate on meaningless methane mitigation that the poor old
(03:58):
textpayer is paying for and actually doing some genuine environmental
and production games on farm, yes I will be chasing
them off the property. And I guess what really great
me was. On the same time, I read McDonald's ie
a wealthy global junk food company, saying that New Zealand
farmers should actually be thanking them because instead of paying
as a premium for our naturally pasture raised, free range
(04:18):
red meat, they're actually investing or going to invest hundreds
of thousands of dollars and I quote, to fund projects
to help New Zealand farmers with their on farm management.
Will bugger me. I'm not sure that we need McDonald's
to be telling us, you know, how to improve our
farm productivity. And I think, Jamie, we're spending far too
much time listening to sermons from desk fitters and junk
(04:39):
food companies, not enough promoting our unique, bio diverse productivity
to the world, Jamie. And you know, these are tangible
things that we're doing not a piece of paper. And
I guess you know, I went down to the Lawrence
Winter Feed Competition on the weekend and of lucky enough
to be a speaker on the night and you know,
looking around that room and seeing an area that has
been decimated by carbon farming Jamie, which of course is
(05:02):
a symptom of the bigger, bigger issue, which of course
are things like the RMA and the Paris Accord, et cetera.
But just seeing those good buggers in the room doing
the right thing and carrying on just like the people
up in Gisbon, it really gave me hope, you know
that we can actually sort of from the ground up
to actually make a difference and actually push back on
some of these things. Jamie.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Yeah, well let's finish with a bit of positivity and
not spread toxic vides, Joan.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Well, exactly, And there's some really positive things happening at
the moment. You know. You look at that spark, the
chat thing that Hallmark Angus have done in the North Island,
the rural support Wiggy, I see Patty Gower has got
to hug the farmer day. He's actually looking to start
and mean she eyedn't want to be hugged. I just
want to be left alone as farmers do, to actually
be creative and innovative on our farms rather than being suffocated.
(05:47):
And I think we're in a you know, a real
bind at the moment that even the current coalition is
going to be doing that. However, I do have some
hope with Shane Jones, you know, calling out my local
regional council as a kremlin of New Zealand and calling
what was it, Waikato Regional Council the EWE back office
and an economic executionist. So you know that there is
(06:09):
some people that are actually calling this stuff out. So
I think if we can just mobilize farmers and small
business owners throughout urban and rural New Zealand to actually
make a bit of a call on this and actually
stop the nonsense, Jamie, I'm feeling pretty positive about that along.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
With Shane Jones rather than Julia on this one. Got
to go Jane Smith. Enjoy the rest of your day
on your North Otago farm.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Thanks Jamie,
You've heard from Dame Lisa Carrington. Let's change tact and
catch up with Dame Jane Smith. Well, she's sort of
farming royalty is on this show anyhow, Jane, you're standing
atop a hill on your North Otago farm to try
and get some mobile reception. Don't move or else we
might lose you. Have you ever been compared to Dame
(00:20):
Lisa Carrington before?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Definitely not, Jamie and Dame Jane just haven't got the
same ring Jamie, and couldn't even compare myself to such
a legend. She's just truly amazing.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Yeah, well I think there's a bit of a connection
between you and her.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yes. So she obviously got helped lead the K four
over the line against the gold medal last year in Paris,
and that's one of those was Olivia Brett, our niece.
So I'm really proud of the crew, but under Lisa's
leadership that really made the difference. Jamie.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Absolutely, That's what I said to My favorite of all
her eight Olympic golds was that one. You've given me
like a flow chart, and I'm pretty thick, but I've
managed to follow yours. That was drawing quite literally on
the back of an envelope this morning. So this is
how your plan to set out your chat today. You're
starting with what the gisbine bull sales.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Oh yeah, it's really fortunate enough to spend time up
on Gisbon. Last week Blare and I went up to
particularly to go to the Tangy house sale, which had
obviously hit the headlines with the high priced balls, and
so we had some fossil correct genetics that sided actually
three of those high price balls and a number of others.
So it was fantastic and you know, just to see
the positivity in an area like that that's been through
(01:29):
some real challenges, particularly in the past twenty four months,
and it was really really good to see that. And
I know the lights of Toby Williams, you know, he's
very celebrated up there in terms of being an advocate
for that area but for farming in general, and it
was really great. And I know at one point at
the Teria Angusal, which of course is Toby's stomping ground
(01:51):
clerky the auctioneers here to imagine the genetic combination for
advocacy if you combined, I think it was Toby Williams
of Jane Smith. He must have spoted me in the room, Jamie.
But yeah, it was really really great and again really
really positive and the same track Pickue. I was happy
that I was really stoked to catch up with some
agri legends up in that area, like Nuffield scholar Carrey
Wills Notop. Of course I did a lot of work
(02:13):
with when we're trying to kick Hewoka Ikina for touch
and of course the man the miss the legend, Gibbon's
modern day version ability James. He's probably got to face
more like Barry Crump than Brad Pratt. But of course
the famous infamous farmer poet Graham Williams Jamie, and he
was great. And actually Graham and I hadn't met before,
and we've talked to the phone a lot, but the
(02:34):
first thing you said to me, Jamie was that I
look really different to what I sound like on the radio.
So I'm not sure if that was a compliment or not.
Thank you for saying I look maybe least like the
rock Wheeler and more like a hunter way or maybe
many would argue the other way around, Jamie. But it
was really great to make that connection with Jamie and
just see the positivity up there, Jamie, Well.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
You're definitely not a lap dog, let's be honest about that.
Julia Jones has written the story in the Rural News,
and you're not too pleased about it. Now. She does
a wonderful job with the Agri Women's Development Trust, but
we agree to disagree on things, probably because she said
I spread toxic vibes throughout New Zealand agriculture, which I
thought was a bit rough at the time. So Julia
(03:12):
and I don't see eye to eye. Do you see
eye to eye with her?
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Well, I think just to come home and read. You know,
I was sort of a righteous I'd call it a
corporate climate change driven firman and the Rural News that
called out the Federated Farmers Save our Sheep campaign, and
I guess others such as the methane science are called
asking for what I think has sense and sensibility and
science around things like methane targets and the Paris Accord
(03:36):
and land use change and property rights and these are
apparently no hope narratives, and I guess those three words. Really,
you know, I really struck a chord with me, and
not in a good way. And apparently we are chasing
progress off the property, and whether we should be curious
not outraged. And you know, honestly, if it means closing
the gate on meaningless methane mitigation that the poor old
(03:58):
textpayer is paying for and actually doing some genuine environmental
and production games on farm, yes I will be chasing
them off the property. And I guess what really great
me was. On the same time, I read McDonald's ie
a wealthy global junk food company, saying that New Zealand
farmers should actually be thanking them because instead of paying
as a premium for our naturally pasture raised, free range
(04:18):
red meat, they're actually investing or going to invest hundreds
of thousands of dollars and I quote, to fund projects
to help New Zealand farmers with their on farm management.
Will bugger me. I'm not sure that we need McDonald's
to be telling us, you know, how to improve our
farm productivity. And I think, Jamie, we're spending far too
much time listening to sermons from desk fitters and junk
(04:39):
food companies, not enough promoting our unique, bio diverse productivity
to the world, Jamie. And you know, these are tangible
things that we're doing not a piece of paper. And
I guess you know, I went down to the Lawrence
Winter Feed Competition on the weekend and of lucky enough
to be a speaker on the night and you know,
looking around that room and seeing an area that has
been decimated by carbon farming Jamie, which of course is
(05:02):
a symptom of the bigger, bigger issue, which of course
are things like the RMA and the Paris Accord, et cetera.
But just seeing those good buggers in the room doing
the right thing and carrying on just like the people
up in Gisbon, it really gave me hope, you know
that we can actually sort of from the ground up
to actually make a difference and actually push back on
some of these things. Jamie.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Yeah, well let's finish with a bit of positivity and
not spread toxic vides, Joan.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Well, exactly, And there's some really positive things happening at
the moment. You know. You look at that spark, the
chat thing that Hallmark Angus have done in the North Island,
the rural support Wiggy, I see Patty Gower has got
to hug the farmer day. He's actually looking to start
and mean she eyedn't want to be hugged. I just
want to be left alone as farmers do, to actually
be creative and innovative on our farms rather than being suffocated.
(05:47):
And I think we're in a you know, a real
bind at the moment that even the current coalition is
going to be doing that. However, I do have some
hope with Shane Jones, you know, calling out my local
regional council as a kremlin of New Zealand and calling
what was it, Waikato Regional Council the EWE back office
and an economic executionist. So you know that there is
(06:09):
some people that are actually calling this stuff out. So
I think if we can just mobilize farmers and small
business owners throughout urban and rural New Zealand to actually
make a bit of a call on this and actually
stop the nonsense, Jamie, I'm feeling pretty positive about that along.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
With Shane Jones rather than Julia on this one. Got
to go Jane Smith. Enjoy the rest of your day
on your North Otago farm.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Thanks Jamie,
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