Named FMG Young Farmer of the Year in July, Emma Poole has had a busy few months, and now the Waikato-based dairy farmer has stepped into a different realm, accepting a role as the first brand ambassador for New Holland Agriculture in New Zealand.
New Holland is a sponsor of the FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition, and Emma, the first woman to take the title in its 55-year history, said taking on such a high-profile role with the company was an easy decision to make.
“As a farming business we always look to support companies and businesses that invest back into our rural regions, so saying yes to an ambassadorial role with New Holland made sense as they have been supporting something close to my heart for a very long time,” Emma said.
“Investing in our younger generations through Young Farmers highlights to me that their core values are aligned with everything that's important to us in rural communities.”
Emma and husband Chris run a dairy farming operation at the base of Mt Pirongia in the Waikato region, and use a New Holland T5.105 across their two properties, where the utility tractor is in use every day, assisting with the likes of feeding the couple’s 1100 cows, loading trailers, maintaining fences and unloading trucks.
In the next few months Emma will also take delivery of a new addition to their machinery fleet, a New Holland tractor that was part of her prize for taking out Young Farmer of the Year. Emma had the choice of the tractor or an overseas trip, and once again the decision was an easy one.
“A friend said to me, ‘surely you’ll take the trip because tractors come and go’, but I said, ‘it’s quite the opposite, trips come and go but the tractor will be here to stay,” she laughed.
Emma and Chris will also have the opportunity to review a range of New Holland machinery and equipment, “putting them through their paces and offering our insights on the likes of the useability in everyday farming life”.
“Emma is a relatable and strong role model who is passionate about what she does. She represents the diversity of a rewarding ag career and furthermore, she represents our future generation of industry leaders – which is why we continue to invest in the NZ Young Farmers program,” said Murray Grant, CNH Industrial Commercial Business Manager – New Zealand.
“She’s familiar with our machinery and appreciates the benefits it brings to the family’s business, and we know farmers like to hear from other farmers about what’s working for their operations. Being a woman in the industry, too, is a different perspective to the traditional male voice associated with agriculture, which we think will resonate beyond a farming audience, and help spread the farming message to the wider community.”
Emma said since claiming the Farmer of the Year title, she’d enjoyed increased industry advocacy opportunities and multiple speaking engagements that brought her into contact with farmers, and in particular other women in the industry who saw her win as a positive reflection of the significant role women have long played in the country’s ag sector.
She said she was looking forward to continuing to advocate for farmers and industry, particularly in light of recent challenges around falling commodity prices and changing regulations, but above all sharing with the wider community the role agriculture played in the social and economic wellbeing of the nation and the many positive stories there were around the industry.
“It’s fair to say there is a lot of stress at the moment, but at the same time farmers are continuing to do what they do best, which is farming, and they’ll keep doing that because they still see, all things weighed up, that farming is a great thing to do and a great way of life for them and their families. That’s the message I want to send,” Emma said.