I’m Geoff Campbell. I live in Dunedin and I service Otago and little bit of Southland. I've got a degree in agricultural valuation and farm management from Lincoln. After graduating I worked for around five to six years with Rural Finance in Mid Canterbury and Otago. Then I was approached to do consulting through Livestock Improvement Advisory which then changed to FarmWise in 1999.
What do I like to do outside of work?
My wife and I have a crib at Karitane, so we spend quite a bit of our time there through the summer just fishing and relaxing. In wintertime, we do a lot of skiing – when there’s snow about. We generally go up to Mount Dobson, Lake Ōhau and occasionally, Mount Hutt.
What do I like about helping farmers?
What I like about consultancy work is getting out, walking around the farms, talking crops and grass and cows, meeting new people, and building good relationships with them. I've worked with some farmers for 25 years if not longer. A lot of the skillset I've developed over the years is around financial management of farms. Over time as my clients have aged my skillset has developed from operational farm budgeting into strategic farm succession conversations. I find the next generation usually want to continue the relationship; a young couple recently introduced me to a new worker on the farm and they said, “This is Goeff, he's part of the furniture and part of the family, so you have to like him.” which was lovely to hear!
Why is FarmWise a good fit for me?
Consultancy can be a bit of a lonely job, but the technology we have now, video calls for example, makes it so much better. In the South Island we've always been geographically isolated. There’s at least two hours traveling distance between FarmWise colleagues, but we are always in contact. We meet quarterly and with events like on farm field days. It’s good team bonding time. A consultant’s role is built on communication - talking with your colleagues, talking with your farmers, or talking with other rural professionals.
The FarmWise team is important, as much as the individual and we always try to find the perfect fit for a farmer. Obviously, distance is a factor but within the South Island team I find there’s always a good match and that’s what sets FarmWise out among its competitors. That team approach.
Education
Bachelor in Agricultural Commerce Valuation and Farm Management, Lincoln University.
Sustainable Nutrient Management Certification, Massey University.
Member of NZIPIM.
Certified BCS Assessor.
Work experience
Six years working in rural finance.