South Canterbury

Jilly grew up on an arable and beef farm in England and moved to New Zealand in 2006. She has spent most of her farming career sharemilking in different regions, with her husband Karl and three children. In 2021 they moved to their farm near Pleasant Point, where they run deer, beef and dairy heifers. Jilly understands the many challenges facing farmers and feels privileged to offer help wherever she can.

Innes was born and raised on a sheep and beef hill country farm in North Canterbury. Following University he did 2 years of secondary school teaching. With an ambition to go farming, Innes gained experience on several farming operations and teaching night school. He applied for the Farm Ballot scheme which was abolished in 1984. He then became involved with forming the Farm Cadet scheme and Aoraki Polytechnics Adair Farm in South Canterbury in the 1980’s and was involved with Farm Education for the following 22 years, working with school Ag and Hort students, Farm Cadets and Trainees and Farm Management students. Innes owns a small holding in Kerrytown, raising dairy heifers with Helen his wife. Now retired he does part time work on local farms.

David lives on the family mixed cropping farm in Esk Valley, St Andrews. His son is now farming this land, and he is the fourth generation Hewson to farm here. David runs a seed dressing plant on farm and helps his son when required. David has been involved with Rural Support since 2006 and was the South Canterbury Chair for 13 years. He is currently serving on the Rural Support National Council.

Jo is a dedicated member of the South Canterbury Rural Support Trust, bringing extensive rural knowledge and hands-on experience to support and advocate for the local community. Having grown up and farmed in Fairlie South Canterbury, Jo has developed a deep appreciation for the resilience, dedication, and challenges faced by those in the rural sector. Passionate about strengthening the rural way of life, Jo is devoted to providing practical solutions, offering a listening ear, and helping people navigate the complexities of rural living. Whether offering support through difficult times or celebrating the successes of the community, Jo is dedicated to the wellbeing of those who make South Canterbury a special place to live and work.

Having lived in the Fairlie basin all his life, Mark and his wife Maja have leased out their sheep and beef property where they actively farmed and raised their family. Very active in his community, a lot of Marks off farm involvement is with rural sector groups. Rural Support is especially close to his heart as he believes that rural communities must be better prepared for inevitable adverse events. He is also focused on encouraging his peers to better value good mind health.

Shirley has actively farmed in the Cannington area with her husband Bill for 30 years. They have recently leased their farm to a young farming family to enable them more time to spend with their grandchildren and to support their sons in their farming careers. They have been in multiple programmes within the sheep and beef sector and continue to be actively involved with their local community catchment group. Shirley has been a trustee with South Canterbury Rural Support Trust since 2021.

Abby France grew up on a farm in Central Otago before attending Lincoln University, where she not only earned her degree but also met her husband, Dave. The couple moved to Geraldine, where they farmed deer for 10 years before selling the farm in 2020 to pursue a new opportunity. In the time since, they welcomed two daughters into their family and moved to a 12.5-hectare lifestyle block, continuing farming just on a much smaller scale! By day Abby is the Advice Product Manager at FMG Insurance, is a registered celebrant, and co-owns the Hanmer Springs and Wanaka Fetes. Her LinkedIn profile fittingly describes her as a “wearer of many hats.” Involved with the local trust for over a decade, she’s passionate about supporting the community and local farmers and growers.

Jo grew up on a sheep and cropping farm and has had a variety of connections to agriculture since. She represented New Zealand Young Farmers on exchanges to Australia and the UK. As a Member of Parliament she advocated for rural people and spent 4 years as a Minister, including as Food Safety Minister and Associate Primary Industries Minister. Since Parliament Jo has worked supporting farmers through Mycoplasma Bovis for 2 ½ years alongside the Rural Support Trust. She has been a SCRST Trustee since early 2023.

Max was raised on a Mackenzie Country sheep and cattle station and later took ownership of the farm with his wife, Liz. After the 1980s rural downturn, he became a livestock agent, working across Waimate and Northern Southland for 15 years. Max then spent 20 years working as a Technical Rep for Farm Source. Now retired, Max enjoys family life. His extensive community involvement and deep rural experience give him a strong insight into supporting the wellbeing of our rural community.

Jenny is South Canterbury Rural Support's secretary and treasurer.