Guy lead the establishment of AgFirst in Southland in 2025, bringing over 35 years of hands-on farming and rural professional experience to the region. With a strong background in both dairy and drystock systems, Guy is passionate about working alongside farmers to deliver practical, tailored solutions that help businesses thrive.

Having progressed through various 50:50 sharemilking roles before purchasing a farm in Eastern Southland, Guy combines deep local knowledge with extensive expertise in farm systems, financial planning, and farm business management. His career includes senior roles at DairyNZ and the Southern Dairy Hub, where he led teams, facilitated farmer progression groups, and helped drive practice change across the lower South Island.

Guy is excited to offer independent, farmer-focused consultancy through AgFirst South, supporting clients with everything from strategic planning and KPI analysis to labour management and system optimisation.

Qualifications:
• Diploma in Farm Management, Lincoln University (1992)
• IRPNZ Certified – Dairy Farm Systems
• Member – Institute Rural Professionals New Zealand (IRPNZ)
• BCS Certification

Key Skills:
• Whole farm system design and optimisation dairy, sheep and beef
• Feed planning, reproduction performance, and KPI tracking
• Financial planning, budgeting, and strategic goal setting
• Labour management, recruitment, and HR strategy
• Land-use conversion and feasibility assessments
• Workshop facilitation and industry stakeholder engagement

Projects:
• Southern Dairy Hub Business Manager (2018–2020)
• DairyNZ Lower South Island Regional Manager (2020–2025)
• NZDIA National Share Farmer of the Year Judge (2019–2022)
• IRPNZ Southland Otago Steering Committee