Humans of Agriculture

In this episode of Humans of Agriculture, Oli Le Lievre sits down with Blair Davies, Assistant Commercial Manager at Zentera (formerly New Zealand Merino Company), for a conversation that spans five decades in the wool industry.

Blair’s story is one of deep industry knowledge, long-term commitment, and an enduring passion for natural fibre. From working in wool stores as a student to spending 23 years with the same company, he’s witnessed firsthand the evolution of wool, from manual classing to data-driven testing, and from local markets to global brand partnerships.
Recorded in the Christchurch wool stores, this episode explores how the industry has changed, what still matters when assessing a fleece, and why, despite disruption and competition from synthetics, wool continues to hold a powerful place in the future of textiles.
This conversation is about experience, perspective, and a lifelong belief in the value of wool.
Key insights from the conversation:
Blair Davies’ 50-year journey in the wool industry
What’s changed (and what hasn’t) in wool classing and fibre assessment
The evolution from visual appraisal to data-driven testing
Why natural fibres like wool are regaining consumer attention
The role of growers and ownership in shaping the industry
How Zentera is evolving into a global brand beyond New Zealand
Why relationships with growers remain at the heart of the business
Skills and pathways for young people entering the wool industry
Chapters:
00:00 Intro & Blair’s Journey
02:10 Early Days & Industry Evolution
05:54 Working with Growers
06:54 How to Assess a Fleece
08:29 Skills for the Next Generation
09:23 The Shift to Zentera & Future Vision

(Image: Supplied)
In this episode of Humans of Agriculture, Oli sits down with Sarah McDonald, Head of Sustainable Impact at Zentera (formerly New Zealand Merino) to unpack the reality behind sustainable wool.
Sarah sits at the intersection of growers and global brands, her role is to translate what’s happening on farm into credible, measurable data that brands can trust and consumers can believe. From regenerative frameworks and biodiversity metrics to digital traceability and global legislation, this conversation explores how wool is being repositioned in a rapidly evolving sustainability landscape.
Sarah unpacks the tensions between profitability and expectations, the challenge of comparing natural and synthetic fibres, and why clear communication across the value chain is more important than ever.

This is a deep look into the systems, science and strategy shaping the future of wool.

Key insights from the conversation
Why wool sits at the centre of a complex global system connecting growers brands and sustainability expectations across continents
What ZQ and ZQ+ actually measure on farm from biodiversity and soil health to credible market ready data
The balancing act between farmers and brands navigating productivity and rising sustainability demands
Why sustainability is really about risk driven by banks insurers and legislation more than consumers
The challenge of measuring impact in agriculture with seasonality and long timelines versus short term expectations
How technology is transforming traceability by tracking wool from farm to garment using digital systems
Natural versus synthetic fibres and why emissions accounting can disadvantage wool

Chapters:
00:00 Intro & episode overview
02:15 Sarah’s role & measuring on-farm sustainability
03:13 What Zentera (NZ Merino) does
04:18 Bridging farmers and global brands
05:07 Farm reality vs global expectations
07:21 Sustainability timelines: short vs long term
08:15 How sustainability is measured on farm
09:35 Global pressure, risk & regulation
12:16 Differences across NZ, AUS & South Africa
13:53 The challenge of data collection
15:17 Food vs fashion sustainability gap
17:42 Tech, traceability & supply chains
20:48 Natural vs synthetic fibres debate
23:25 Careers in sustainability & Sarah’s journey
29:51 Animal welfare, mulesing & industry pressure
36:43 Outro & closing remarks

The Tom & Mick show continues with a practical conversation on livestock trading, grazing systems, business resilience and long-term decision making.

Tom and Mick are joined by Nigel Kerin, CEO of Kerin Ag, to unpack how his business approaches livestock trading, forward contracts, pasture management, Wagyu, and the systems that drive profitability through both dry and strong seasons.

From the role of grass budgets and forward pricing to lessons from drought, inflation and on-farm technology, Nigel shares a grounded look at what it takes to build a resilient livestock business.

In this episode:
Nigel’s background and Kerin Ag
Central west NSW grazing business based south of Dubbo
Kerin Ag founded through succession in 2007
Built around Merinos, a newer Wagyu seedstock arm, and a growing trading enterprise
How the trading business works
Trading introduced as a pressure valve for seasonal variability and cashflow
Decisions driven by grass budgets, not headline market prices
Focus on securing the sell price first, then finding the buy
Forward contracts used to remove emotion and manage downside risk
Why relationships matter
The value of strong relationships with agents, commission buyers, financiers, processors and transporters
Creating win-win outcomes across the supply chain
Why trust and consistency matter when operating at speed in trading markets
The 2020 lamb trade
Locking in a $9/kg dressed weight JBS contract as drought broke
Contracting 15,800 lambs before owning any of them
How forward pricing protected the business when the spot market later fell sharply
A defining trade that helped get the business back in the black
Should every livestock producer trade?
Nigel’s view: absolutely not
Why trading needs systems, rules, finance and discipline
The danger of trading without forward pricing or without enough grass
Technology and grazing systems
Regular pasture analysis every 10–14 days in growing periods
Using OptiWeigh, soil moisture probes and grazing data to drive decisions
The emergence of a new grazing app Nigel describes as potentially “the auto-steer for grazing”
Why Kerin Ag moved into Wagyu
Return on grass as a major driver
Lower adult cow weight and efficiency compared with larger framed alternatives
Taking a long-game view on Wagyu economics rather than reacting to short-term cycles
Inflation and on-farm economics
Nigel’s estimate that on-farm inflation has run at 7.8% annually post-COVID
Why understanding business cost inflation is critical to decision making
The importance of introducing structural change in good times, not when under pressure
Key business lessons
Systems matter more than goals on their own
Feed efficiency and speed of turnover are central to profit
In agriculture, long-term averages matter more than short-term noise
“Don’t run out of grass” remains one of the core rules of a successful trading business

This episode is full of practical insight for livestock producers, graziers, advisors, seedstock operators and ag businesses thinking about risk, trading, pasture utilisation and long-term business performance. It’s a valuable conversation on how to build guardrails, use data well, and make better decisions through changing seasons and volatile conditions.

Charlie Blomfield isn’t just building a farm business, he’s building a voice that agriculture can’t afford to ignore.

In this episode of Humans of Agriculture, Oli sits down with Charlie Blomfield at Boridgeree, just outside Canowindra in Central West NSW. Farmer, business owner, marketer and one of the most talked-about voices in Australian agriculture right now, Charlie shares what’s driving him, how he’s built GreatHAY, and why he’s chosen to step so publicly into conversations around ag, media and advocacy.

From growing up in a tough era for agriculture, to working across Northern Australia and the Middle East, to building a modern mixed farming and hay business from the ground up, Charlie’s story is shaped by curiosity, conviction and a willingness to back himself.

But this conversation goes beyond the farm gate.

It explores the role agriculture must play in telling its story better, why traditional industry communication is falling behind, and how humour, clarity and honesty are helping Charlie connect with audiences far beyond agriculture.

This episode is about leadership, relevance, building teams, making hard decisions under pressure, and why the future of agriculture depends on more people being willing to speak in ways the rest of the country can actually understand.

Key insights from the conversation
How Charlie went from asset management and private equity to building Boridgeree
Why water security and flexibility shaped their move to Canowindra
The evolution of Boridgeree from mixed farming into a branded hay business
Why GreatHAY was built around simplicity, clarity and cut-through
How social media became more than marketing and turned into a platform for advocacy
What agriculture gets wrong when it tries to communicate with the broader public
Why humour, character and storytelling are powerful tools for building trust
How Charlie thinks about leadership, team culture and accountability on farm
The value of coaching, perspective and creating time for what matters most
Why agriculture needs more voices that are credible, human and willing to say what they really think

Chapters:
00:02 Introduction and why this conversation matters
02:03 Who Charlie is and what drives him
05:13 Growing up in ag and forging his own path
06:21 Global experiences and gaining perspective
10:30 Starting in business and backing himself early
12:00 Moving into farming and building Boridgeree
14:16 Water strategy and evolving the farm business
17:35 Building GreatHAY and the power of simplicity
20:27 Social media, storytelling and cutting through
22:57 Building teams, culture and leadership
27:47 Coaching, performance and managing priorities
34:31 Stepping into media and why ag comms is broken
40:10 Using influence to drive change in agriculture
46:28 Momentum, opportunity and staying relevant
53:18 Decision-making, perspective and what matters most
01:00:05 Advice for the next generation and future of ag

This is a special Humans of Agriculture “radio-style” episode recorded at CommBank’s Cultivate event in the Hunter Valley — bringing together voices from across the agricultural supply chain.
Across four mini-conversations, we unpack the key forces shaping modern agriculture:
 Innovation and ag tech adoption 
 Succession and family business transition 
 Financial strategy and risk 
 Market dynamics and global demand 
This episode captures the energy of the room — where farmers, advisors, innovators, and financiers are all working toward a stronger, more resilient industry.
👥 Featured Guests
Roddy Brown (CommBank) — Why Cultivate exists and the importance of next-generation farmers 
Bill Mitchell (Optiweigh) — Turning a farm frustration into a global ag tech business 
Glenn Calder (Viridian Financial Group) — Practical realities of succession, structure, and long-term planning 
Tash Greenwood (CommBank) — Supply chain insights and why there’s still strong optimism in agriculture 
🔑 Key Themes
 Why bringing the right people together matters more than ever 
 The shift from intuition to data-driven decision-making 
 The reality of ag tech adoption — and why effort still matters 
 Succession as the most important (and often avoided) conversation in farming 
 Structuring farm businesses for long-term success and risk management 
 The role of global markets and why demand for Australian agriculture remains strong 
 The growing importance of communication, leadership, and people
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and context from CommBank Cultivate
02:10 Roddy Brown on why Cultivate exists and next generation focus
07:20 Innovation in agriculture and the role of technology
08:10 Bill Mitchell on building Optiweigh from a farm problem
12:30 Lessons in ag tech adoption and customer-driven insights
16:30 Why succession remains agriculture’s biggest challenge
17:40 Glenn Calder on structuring farm businesses and managing risk
20:40 Practical steps to start succession and investment conversations
23:00 Empowering teams and building scalable businesses
25:50 Tash Greenwood on supply chains and market confidence
28:00 Global demand, volatility, and optimism in agriculture
30:40 Reflections on community, collaboration, and the future of ag
32:30 Final takeaways from CommBank Cultivate