Growing up on a family dairy farm in the North Island of New Zealand, Jake’s future was always going to involve agriculture.
A B.Commerce in Agriculture from Lincoln University provided exposure to all the different farming enterprises in New Zealand. Summer practical work experience and trips away with Young Farmers gave a hands-on immersion into farm management systems.
Graduating from Lincoln in 2019 he then moved to Massey University to complete a MSc in Agricultural Science. This deep dive into biophysical and financial impacts of changing calving systems on dairy farms gave plenty of exposure of the science behind pastoral grazing systems.
After a brief stint milking cows back on the family farm, Jake started as a rural banker with a large NZ bank in 2021. Helping a broad portfolio of clients start and grow their agri-businesses meant the realities of balancing profit, productivity and sustainability on-farm were everyday conversations.
Volunteering with a local water catchment collective highlighted the proactive efforts farmers in the region were doing to enhance biodiversity and nature on-farm and reducing their environmental impacts, particularly with nitrates into waterways.
It was during this time Jake won the NZ Young Farmer of the Year competition.
In 2024 Jake decided to move to the UK to experience agriculture on the other side of the world. Jake believes there are a lot of parallels between the two countries but that both can also learn a lot from each other. He is excited to apply his farm systems and sustainability knowledge to problems facing farmers and agri-food businesses alike.
