August 26, 2025 • 9 mins
We discuss the Ravensdown director election and the state of the red meat industry with a North Otago farmer and award-winning environmentalist. Plus, her recent photo with Damien O'Connor.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We love your feedback here on the country, especially when
you send us a nice farming pack. I got one
a couple of days ago from our next guest. It
looked like something from the pages of Woman's Weekly or
the Woman's Weekly. Man and woman, arm and arm standing
on the farm. Quite beautiful and picturesque. Let's welcome the
female part of the component onto the show. Jane Smith,
(00:23):
north Otago farmer and a former owner of the Balance
Farm environment towards The only problem is in the photo, Jane,
it's not your hobby Blair. It's Damian O'Connor. Have you
two kissed and made up?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Good afternoon, Jamie. Yeah, it was quite the photo, wasn't it.
So next, let's taken on Damien's spine. And who would
have thought, Jamie, Who would have thought this, you know,
six or twelve months ago, that I'd be welcoming Jamien
into onto the farm, you know, scones in hand and
for a cup of tea. But look, you know, I
often think time spent with those that may have opposing
(00:55):
views is a lot more valuable than an agreement session.
And I've matured a lot of political allegiances, I guess,
and I care not for the color of the political
rosette that you wear, but for the beast outcomes for
our country and our countryside, Jamie. And this was this
was part of it. And Damien was keen to you know,
he asked to pick Ad come up and I said
bare and I said yes, and blaz here as a mediator,
but wasn't needed at all, actually, And I do like
(01:17):
about one thing I really like about Damien is if
he disagrees with you, he'll tell you straight up, and
because there's nothing worse than sort of a vanilla sort
of vanilla tones and sort of simply appeasing you because
it's the easiest thing to do. And what if Muhammed
Gardani say, honest disagreement is often a sign of good progress, Jamie.
And you know that Ste's where Jamie and I've got
to Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Does he realize that you, in the past and on
the show have called him an inverted Commas wormy weather?
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Yeah, well it's been well out in the open, Jamiene.
He didn't actually ask me to apologize for that, and
you know, at that time, and I was pretty straight
up with him, you know, between twenty seventeen and twenty
twenty three. We had a constant barrage of submissions that
we had to put in. You know, business owners around
the country, whether you're a farming or manufacturing or mining
or fisheries were hunted down by the labor of Green's
government and framed, you know, without trials, So you know,
(02:08):
hundreds of hours will put into submissions. And one thing
I did talk about was, you know, let's had the
submission process before regulation, not afterwards, and give those that
are most affected by it involved up front. There. It's
the most efficient and effective way, and you know everybody wants,
including textpayers, because it saves the hell of a lot
of money too. So you know, we really we put that,
(02:29):
you know, durw a line under that, I guess and
hopefully onwards and upwards. And I know it's really easy
when you're in the opposition to be you know, quite congenial.
But we had, yeah, a lot of discussions around you know,
things like pasture raised the fact that you know, we're
not really pushing that far enough. G. Three it's never
been pushed beyond sort of a background noise, and you know,
(02:50):
these are key tenets of our unique pasture propositions in
New Zealands and we've jumped straight to the Bytech Lab
and he was very he absolutely agrees with that. So
you know, that's something I want to see day and
champion championing over the next couple of years, and as
well as you know the holes in the moment at
the moment in the carbon forestry scenario, and I know
the Windham Warrior Dean Rabbit has been quite vocal on
(03:13):
this in the last couple of days. But you know
that class seven and eighth land is still very concerned
about that. That is, you know, literally the breeding ground
for our youth and our cows that produce the carbs
and the lambs that are getting such great prices around
the world at the moment, Jamie, and also the guardians
of the two point six million hectares of native biodiversity,
and so they seem to still think that that sort
(03:34):
of an expendable figure on a spreadsheet. These are real
communities and those you know, they really needs to be
a tightening down of that because it's still happening in
those classes of land, Jamie.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
So in your Woman's Weekly photo shoot with Damian O'Connor
on the North Otago Farm, were you cuddling up to
them sort of to get us political smarts. Now that
you are kicking off your own political career, Jane Smith,
you're standing for the position of South Island Director for Ravenstown,
which is interesting because when I first met you many
many years ago down on Southland, you were working for
(04:07):
Ravenstown as a field rep.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah, that's right, Jamie. I've been sort of approached by
a number of farmers over the past few years to
stand and I just probably had enough that I was
juggling at the time. But I think I'm particularly interested
in the fertilizer sector at the moment because over the
next you know, two to two to five to ten years,
is it's going to be a really challenging I guess
time for the fertilizer sector and the pastoral and an
(04:30):
arable sector as well, and horticulture. And I guess I
just see that possibly I've got some strengths that I
could put around the table, and actually it's a it's
a company that I'm really passionate about, and I guess
I do have a fullthright manner around the board table.
I think Blear describes me yesterday as a cross between
Margaret Thatcher and Angela Merkele. I hope he was meeting
my boardroom demeanor, not my appearance, Jamie. He might need
(04:53):
and I'm minding mess both actually, But you know, I
take no presents. But those that have worked around with
me around the table would actually say I and forthright
but collaborative. Well I hope they would. But you know
the combination of my Scottish and German genes mean I'm
absolutely focused on efficiency and effectiveness and I think our
fertilizer seator absolutely needs it at the moment, Jamie. So
(05:13):
again I just encourage people to vote, not necessarily for me.
I'm not everybody's cup of tea, but you know, voting
and using that right to vote, because I think generally
the voter turnout, especially when returns are pretty good in
the sector, tend to be pretty low and actually we
need to be really super sharp on the way forward
in the sector, and you know I want to be
part of that, Jamie.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Okay, fair enough for the Ravenstown directorship the North Island,
Jacqueline rawth Rowith elected unopposed. There another regular on the show,
and you're up against a couple of pretty high profile
women and farming or agribusiness. Nikki Hislop and Rebecca Cogan,
both with very good cvs. Got to give them a
mention here, Jane or us. I'll have to send you
(05:53):
a bill for this.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Oh absolutely, Jamien. Look their ce these are very sharp
and well beyond mind. And I know that. I know
when we hit our interviews to sort of to they
assess your governance suitability, I was, you know they now
you know, I was pretty pretty poorly scored because I
actually just told them what I thought in terms of
a governance and a way forward. And I haven't spent
(06:14):
my last few years sitting in Institute of Directors courses
or walking from boardroom to boardroom, but I think I
have enough governance experience both locally globally with a global
farmer around table and in Wellington. And also I'm still
a hands on farmer, and there's something that gives you
a really crystal clear vision on everything if you've you know,
if you've got your head down crutching lambs or on
the tractor or you know, out milking cows. And I
(06:37):
think again it's that balance between farmer directors and you know,
full time directors that we need in our sector. And
again I pull no punches, and I just think that
the sector needs someone like that at the moment, Jamie.
But yeah, absolutely the right person for the job. And
if it's not me, that's also an equally good outcomes.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
This was starting to sound like an election campaign ad here, Jane,
let me just finish with happenings in the meet and
just at the moment. I know that you're not an
Alliance Group supplier, but what do you make of what's
happening read the Dawn meats? What are they going to
spend two hundred and fifty million dollars? Look at my
numbers to get what is it? Sixty five percent of
the Alliance Group? And I know this moves a foot
(07:16):
from some of the biggest shareholders in Alliance to try
and revisit this. They want to keep control of one
hundred percent farmer co op. Is that practical these days
for the meat industry?
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Yeah, well, it's interesting, Jamie and I share the of
everybody's disappointment and the value offered to that stake and Alliance,
and it certainly doesn't none of us actually solves any
of our structural issues that we have in our sector,
and it seems to be a very much alike at
all Lumpet, So there's no Plan B or C. And
it would have been great to see sort of a
bit of a bit more dynamic options in there. And
(07:48):
it feels like that, you know, they are getting painted
into a corner. That said, it's also sounds like Dawn
meets at a very highly successful, very progressive company. I've
heard that from my Irish fire farming friends, and you know,
they might give a really fresh perspective into the sector.
And they're obviously after that New Zealand providence and that
all year round supply and that food security, which is
(08:10):
obviously what everybody wants globally at the moment. So whether
there's a balance here in terms of in terms of
percentage of takeover and and you know, there's good that
that shoeholders are really getting involved there. But I guess
that like all co ops and Alliance and now fertilizer
companies are no different. We've got to really look at
what does a co op mean? And that's you know,
(08:31):
it feels like we need to go back to first
principles because we tend to hang on to that when
instead of actually just unpacking it and thinking what does
it mean? And you talk to a lot of sub
thirty year old farmers out there at the moment, and
they say they just want a really dynamic company that
pays a good price and they can get you know,
surety of Curl, et cetera like that, and they're doing
some great things globally. So it's a balance, Jamie, isn't it.
(08:53):
So it'll be really interesting over the next few months.
And again I think it's worth fighting for, but it's
also worth having that injection. And to the end of
the seat to Jamie.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Okay, Jane Smith, thanks for your time. Good luck in
the Ravens Down director race, and good luck to all
the candidates. Can we post your photo your Woman's weekly
photo shoot with Damien on their website?
Speaker 2 (09:11):
You might have a headstars Damien. It was taken on
his phone, Jamie and he yeah, I don't know whether.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Hell he's public property. And well done to Blair. A
cross between Maggie Thatcher and Angela Merkele maybe not a
mile away. Thanks Jane, good one for y
We love your feedback here on the country, especially when
you send us a nice farming pack. I got one
a couple of days ago from our next guest. It
looked like something from the pages of Woman's Weekly or
the Woman's Weekly. Man and woman, arm and arm standing
on the farm. Quite beautiful and picturesque. Let's welcome the
female part of the component onto the show. Jane Smith,
(00:23):
north Otago farmer and a former owner of the Balance
Farm environment towards The only problem is in the photo, Jane,
it's not your hobby Blair. It's Damian O'Connor. Have you
two kissed and made up?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Good afternoon, Jamie. Yeah, it was quite the photo, wasn't it.
So next, let's taken on Damien's spine. And who would
have thought, Jamie, Who would have thought this, you know,
six or twelve months ago, that I'd be welcoming Jamien
into onto the farm, you know, scones in hand and
for a cup of tea. But look, you know, I
often think time spent with those that may have opposing
(00:55):
views is a lot more valuable than an agreement session.
And I've matured a lot of political allegiances, I guess,
and I care not for the color of the political
rosette that you wear, but for the beast outcomes for
our country and our countryside, Jamie. And this was this
was part of it. And Damien was keen to you know,
he asked to pick Ad come up and I said
bare and I said yes, and blaz here as a mediator,
but wasn't needed at all, actually, And I do like
(01:17):
about one thing I really like about Damien is if
he disagrees with you, he'll tell you straight up, and
because there's nothing worse than sort of a vanilla sort
of vanilla tones and sort of simply appeasing you because
it's the easiest thing to do. And what if Muhammed
Gardani say, honest disagreement is often a sign of good progress, Jamie.
And you know that Ste's where Jamie and I've got
to Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Does he realize that you, in the past and on
the show have called him an inverted Commas wormy weather?
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Yeah, well it's been well out in the open, Jamiene.
He didn't actually ask me to apologize for that, and
you know, at that time, and I was pretty straight
up with him, you know, between twenty seventeen and twenty
twenty three. We had a constant barrage of submissions that
we had to put in. You know, business owners around
the country, whether you're a farming or manufacturing or mining
or fisheries were hunted down by the labor of Green's
government and framed, you know, without trials, So you know,
(02:08):
hundreds of hours will put into submissions. And one thing
I did talk about was, you know, let's had the
submission process before regulation, not afterwards, and give those that
are most affected by it involved up front. There. It's
the most efficient and effective way, and you know everybody wants,
including textpayers, because it saves the hell of a lot
of money too. So you know, we really we put that,
(02:29):
you know, durw a line under that, I guess and
hopefully onwards and upwards. And I know it's really easy
when you're in the opposition to be you know, quite congenial.
But we had, yeah, a lot of discussions around you know,
things like pasture raised the fact that you know, we're
not really pushing that far enough. G. Three it's never
been pushed beyond sort of a background noise, and you know,
(02:50):
these are key tenets of our unique pasture propositions in
New Zealands and we've jumped straight to the Bytech Lab
and he was very he absolutely agrees with that. So
you know, that's something I want to see day and
champion championing over the next couple of years, and as
well as you know the holes in the moment at
the moment in the carbon forestry scenario, and I know
the Windham Warrior Dean Rabbit has been quite vocal on
(03:13):
this in the last couple of days. But you know
that class seven and eighth land is still very concerned
about that. That is, you know, literally the breeding ground
for our youth and our cows that produce the carbs
and the lambs that are getting such great prices around
the world at the moment, Jamie, and also the guardians
of the two point six million hectares of native biodiversity,
and so they seem to still think that that sort
(03:34):
of an expendable figure on a spreadsheet. These are real
communities and those you know, they really needs to be
a tightening down of that because it's still happening in
those classes of land, Jamie.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
So in your Woman's Weekly photo shoot with Damian O'Connor
on the North Otago Farm, were you cuddling up to
them sort of to get us political smarts. Now that
you are kicking off your own political career, Jane Smith,
you're standing for the position of South Island Director for Ravenstown,
which is interesting because when I first met you many
many years ago down on Southland, you were working for
(04:07):
Ravenstown as a field rep.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah, that's right, Jamie. I've been sort of approached by
a number of farmers over the past few years to
stand and I just probably had enough that I was
juggling at the time. But I think I'm particularly interested
in the fertilizer sector at the moment because over the
next you know, two to two to five to ten years,
is it's going to be a really challenging I guess
time for the fertilizer sector and the pastoral and an
(04:30):
arable sector as well, and horticulture. And I guess I
just see that possibly I've got some strengths that I
could put around the table, and actually it's a it's
a company that I'm really passionate about, and I guess
I do have a fullthright manner around the board table.
I think Blear describes me yesterday as a cross between
Margaret Thatcher and Angela Merkele. I hope he was meeting
my boardroom demeanor, not my appearance, Jamie. He might need
(04:53):
and I'm minding mess both actually, But you know, I
take no presents. But those that have worked around with
me around the table would actually say I and forthright
but collaborative. Well I hope they would. But you know
the combination of my Scottish and German genes mean I'm
absolutely focused on efficiency and effectiveness and I think our
fertilizer seator absolutely needs it at the moment, Jamie. So
(05:13):
again I just encourage people to vote, not necessarily for me.
I'm not everybody's cup of tea, but you know, voting
and using that right to vote, because I think generally
the voter turnout, especially when returns are pretty good in
the sector, tend to be pretty low and actually we
need to be really super sharp on the way forward
in the sector, and you know I want to be
part of that, Jamie.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Okay, fair enough for the Ravenstown directorship the North Island,
Jacqueline rawth Rowith elected unopposed. There another regular on the show,
and you're up against a couple of pretty high profile
women and farming or agribusiness. Nikki Hislop and Rebecca Cogan,
both with very good cvs. Got to give them a
mention here, Jane or us. I'll have to send you
(05:53):
a bill for this.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Oh absolutely, Jamien. Look their ce these are very sharp
and well beyond mind. And I know that. I know
when we hit our interviews to sort of to they
assess your governance suitability, I was, you know they now
you know, I was pretty pretty poorly scored because I
actually just told them what I thought in terms of
a governance and a way forward. And I haven't spent
(06:14):
my last few years sitting in Institute of Directors courses
or walking from boardroom to boardroom, but I think I
have enough governance experience both locally globally with a global
farmer around table and in Wellington. And also I'm still
a hands on farmer, and there's something that gives you
a really crystal clear vision on everything if you've you know,
if you've got your head down crutching lambs or on
the tractor or you know, out milking cows. And I
(06:37):
think again it's that balance between farmer directors and you know,
full time directors that we need in our sector. And
again I pull no punches, and I just think that
the sector needs someone like that at the moment, Jamie.
But yeah, absolutely the right person for the job. And
if it's not me, that's also an equally good outcomes.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
This was starting to sound like an election campaign ad here, Jane,
let me just finish with happenings in the meet and
just at the moment. I know that you're not an
Alliance Group supplier, but what do you make of what's
happening read the Dawn meats? What are they going to
spend two hundred and fifty million dollars? Look at my
numbers to get what is it? Sixty five percent of
the Alliance Group? And I know this moves a foot
(07:16):
from some of the biggest shareholders in Alliance to try
and revisit this. They want to keep control of one
hundred percent farmer co op. Is that practical these days
for the meat industry?
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Yeah, well, it's interesting, Jamie and I share the of
everybody's disappointment and the value offered to that stake and Alliance,
and it certainly doesn't none of us actually solves any
of our structural issues that we have in our sector,
and it seems to be a very much alike at
all Lumpet, So there's no Plan B or C. And
it would have been great to see sort of a
bit of a bit more dynamic options in there. And
(07:48):
it feels like that, you know, they are getting painted
into a corner. That said, it's also sounds like Dawn
meets at a very highly successful, very progressive company. I've
heard that from my Irish fire farming friends, and you know,
they might give a really fresh perspective into the sector.
And they're obviously after that New Zealand providence and that
all year round supply and that food security, which is
(08:10):
obviously what everybody wants globally at the moment. So whether
there's a balance here in terms of in terms of
percentage of takeover and and you know, there's good that
that shoeholders are really getting involved there. But I guess
that like all co ops and Alliance and now fertilizer
companies are no different. We've got to really look at
what does a co op mean? And that's you know,
(08:31):
it feels like we need to go back to first
principles because we tend to hang on to that when
instead of actually just unpacking it and thinking what does
it mean? And you talk to a lot of sub
thirty year old farmers out there at the moment, and
they say they just want a really dynamic company that
pays a good price and they can get you know,
surety of Curl, et cetera like that, and they're doing
some great things globally. So it's a balance, Jamie, isn't it.
(08:53):
So it'll be really interesting over the next few months.
And again I think it's worth fighting for, but it's
also worth having that injection. And to the end of
the seat to Jamie.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Okay, Jane Smith, thanks for your time. Good luck in
the Ravens Down director race, and good luck to all
the candidates. Can we post your photo your Woman's weekly
photo shoot with Damien on their website?
Speaker 2 (09:11):
You might have a headstars Damien. It was taken on
his phone, Jamie and he yeah, I don't know whether.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Hell he's public property. And well done to Blair. A
cross between Maggie Thatcher and Angela Merkele maybe not a
mile away. Thanks Jane, good one for y
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