Three women join NZ Young Farmer Board

Hannah Cameron

Three women have joined the NZ Young Farmers Board, meaning half of the eight-member board is female.

The three women are Ash-Leigh Campbell, Hannah Cameron and Rebecca Brown.
Ash-Leigh is a technical farm manager with Ngai Tahu in Canterbury.

She helps oversee the management of the iwi corporation's eight dairy farms which milk about 8000 cows.

Ash-Leigh Campbell.

Ash-Leigh joined NZ Young Farmers in 2011 and is a previous Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer Award finalist.

The Dunsandel Young Farmers member is studying a Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) at Lincoln University.

"I signed up for one year of university in 2014. I completed a Diploma in Agriculture, then a Diploma in Farm Management and am currently completing my degree part-time."

"I'm hugely passionate about the organisation and I want to continue giving back while I still can."

The 27-year-old was one of two NZ Young Farmers members elected to the board at its annual general meeting in Invercargill.

Rebecca Brown

She has been joined by Wellington-based airline pilot Hannah Cameron, 28, who grew up on a dairy farm in the North Waikato.

"I ran for the board because governance has always interested me and NZ Young Farmers is a huge part of my life," Hannah says.

Hannah holds a Diploma in Aviation and is completing a Bachelor of Business Management Studies through the University of Waikato.

She moved to Wellington last November and was chair of the Waikato/Bay of the Plenty Region from 2016-2017.

"It's an incredible organisation because it allows me to connect with like-minded people in a sector I'm passionate about, despite not working in it."

Woodville farmer and banker Rebecca Brown, 34, and a mother of five, has also joined the board.

Rebecca chairs the contest committee which oversees running the prestigious FMG Young Farmer of the Year.

She is the first woman to hold the role.

"I'm really honoured. It's a cool feeling and shows women can do anything," she says.

"I love being on this side of the contest. My husband Angus Brown was a grand finalist in 2010."

"I've been around the contest for 15 years and we even convened a couple of regional finals as well."

The changes mean half of NZ Young Farmers' eight-member board are now women. The fourth is appointed Dunedin-based director Sharon Angus.

NZ Young Farmers Board chairman Jason Te Brake said the changes show the organisation is leading the way in ensuring its board reflects the evolving membership base.