Tackling mental health, personal resilience and good management is an odd combination for any business. But for Doug Avery, rural business man, it was a fundamental necessity. Doug had taken his drought-stricken Seddon sheep and beef farm from near failure to multi-million dollar success story. He wanted others to follow the same road.

Upon meeting Doug, we were immediately struck by his “man on a mission” passion for changing the fate of New Zealand farmers.  “They’re still farming their father’s farms the same way their fathers did — and they’re suffering for it. We’ve got to change that.”

We helped Doug build a strategy for his idea and turn it into a branded platform for him to express his knowledge. We followed this up with a simple marketing plan so he could articulate his value to rural New Zealand brands and attract the right kind of sponsors to join his mission.

It took some time to prepare, but once launched, Doug quickly attracted key sponsors like the BNZ, FMG, Seedforce, and Allflex to name just a few.

40 nationwide events later, it’s been a resounding success and has had profound effects on those who attended. Plans are already afoot for next year.

www.resilientfarmer.co.nz