Where are you based? I live on a 700 hectare sheep, beef and deer farm in Ranfurly, Central Otago with my husband, Jason, and our two girls, Millie and Emerson. I’m also pregnant, so we’re expecting a fifth member of the family in July.
You’re a vet who runs a social enterprise – is that unusual? It’s probably a bit unconventional. But only because I think we often define ourselves by the traditions of our profession. In my experience, veterinarians are open-minded and innovative. We question things and we want to play a part in creating positive change in the world. That’s what drove me to set up my own social enterprise, The Whole Story, last year, after eleven years as a mixed-practice vet.
Why did you go down the social enterprise path? I work as a vet at VetEnt in Ranfurly and love working in clinical medicine. There’s so much variety in a mixed-practice clinic like ours. I get to work with sheep, cattle, cat and dogs, horses, alpaca, deer–you name it. But I was curious about leadership, governance and business. An opportunity to sit on the VetEnt board, in an observer role, allowed me to learn new skills. One thing led to another and, with VetEnt's backing, I joined the Agri-Women’s Development Trust Escalator programme in 2019 and later set up a social enterprise based on my values and purpose.
What does your social enterprise actually do? The Whole Story aims to create more sustainable farms by inspiring people and helping them work out what sustainability means to them in practice. It’s about sitting down together, either one-on-one or in workshop groups, and figuring out how to align their farming priorities with their personal values and take action. To do that, I draw on the framework of seventeen sustainability goals set out by the United Nations. They’re actions people across the world are taking to improve things like health and education, tackle climate change and preserve our oceans and forests.
What kinds of things do farmers want to change? New Zealand farmers are wonderfully hardworking and innovative, so they want to change all kinds of things. Some are motivated by a personal desire to leave their community in a better place. Others want to improve the quality of nearby rivers. If I think of our farm, as one example, we’re committed to improving our business viability, while improving animal welfare. One practical way that we’re doing that is by farming a species of sheep that requires very little intervention and farm labour. That’s no tailing, no crutching, no shearing and less requirement on chemicals to prevent illness. The result: happy, healthy sheep and better returns for the farm. It’s a win, win.
What does an average week look like for you? I generally split my time between veterinary work and everything else – farming, family and working on The Whole Story. I'm part of the 5am club. Starting early makes a huge difference to my productivity.
What’s been the highlight of your career to date? This year, I became a finalist in the Australasian Zanda McDonald Award. The award recognises leadership and making a difference in the agriculture sector. Just entering and becoming a finalist felt like winning. During the three-day trip to Gisborne for the award presentation, we visited people involved in the agricultural industry, attended media sessions, and went to the most incredible award ceremony at Whāngārā Marae. The whole trip was really special and unique to the Zanda McDonald Award. It was like a deep dive into this innovative space in Australasian agriculture. The people that I met were very talented and ideas I encountered were amazing. I will continue to learn so much from this opportunity. I’d highly recommend applying.
Any tips on creating a career you love? I’d say don’t be defined by what you do. Instead think about why you do it. Be open to letting your values drive your career. You’ll always be inspired that way. No doubt, you’ll end up with a career that takes you to some pretty surprising and exciting places.
Becks is a 2021 Zanda McDonald Award finalist. The award is a prestigious title for those under 35 years of age working in the agribusiness sector who demonstrate leadership. Applications for the 2022 Award are open now and close on 31st August, and all finalists receive benefits and mentoring opportunities. Find out more and apply at zandamcdonaldaward.com
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