I'm Craig Purcell and I’m a FarmWise consultant based in the Bay of Plenty. I grew up on farms, my parents were sharemilkers in the Waikato and wider area. I went to Massey University and did a BA in Agriculture and then went farming running a thousand cows for 10 years. I became a FarmWise consultant in 2007. When I’m not working I’m spending time with family. We've got three growing kids and extended family. We do a lot of camping caravan trips down the coast, diving for crayfish. Both my wife and I play golf, so we get away and do golfing trips. Smacking a little white ball around a course relieves a little bit of life’s pressure and stress.
How does consultancy work for me?
I became interested in consultancy at an early age, around 14 or 15. I went to a discussion group where there were 30 or so farmers and this guy, a consultant, was providing solutions to everyone. I wanted to be that person so years later when my wife and I got to a crossroads of whether we went 50/ 50 share milking or followed the consultant dream, we picked the consultancy and away we went from there.
Being a consultant has its challenges. You've got to read between the lines a lot on farm. Farming is really varied and it has changed a lot in the last 10 years.
Every farm has different issues. Some of the most rewarding outcomes are from helping farms that are really struggling financially or in production. Just getting the systems in place and then over time, whether it’s a year or two, seeing the farm become profitable, or meeting its environmental goals or whatever those strategies are. I cover everything that happens on farm - the cows and grass, the people. I've still got clients I started with 17 years ago and you're still finding new solutions and better ways of doing things. The most rewarding area for me is around mental health. Helping clients turn around and see a future because of some input I’ve had. That, to me, is gold.
What is the biggest challenge?
I think as farmers we tend to isolate ourselves a fair bit. We need to look over the neighbour’s fence, see what's everyone else is doing. What's industry standard? What's best practice? There's a lot more information out there nowadays. Getting that outside information can be the difference to either saving money or increasing production, or falling behind the times. Engaging a consultant means getting a individualised solution to your specific needs. Having something that's tailor made and purpose built for your farm, especially at critical points in the year, can really make a difference in your seasons outputs. That’s what FarmWise brings to your farm.
Education
Bachelor of Agriculture, Massey University.
Sustainable Nutrient Management Certification, Massey University.
Member of NZIPIM.
Certified BCS Assessor.
Work experience
13 years managing a variety of different farming operations.
