“I'd like to be a farmer, can you teach me?” The moment that defines Hamish Marr’s career

Hamish Marr has been in the room for some of New Zealand Agriculture’s key discussions, yet the moment that he is most proud of and one that has defined his life more than any other was when a young boy asked him if he could teach him to be a farmer.

Several years on from that initial conversation, Hamish continues to mentor and coach Fergus on his family's property on the South Island of New Zealand. 

“Fergus, he's a success story. He couldn't be farming, but now he is, and our industry is very lucky to have him. And I'm hoping in 20 years time, we'll still have him somewhere. I doubt he will be with me, because one day, he will be too good for me.” 

Amongst his other roles, Hamish has been a Nuffield scholar studying the role of Glyphosate in farming, is New Zealand’s Special Agricultural Trade Envoy and previous roles with Federated Farmers.

Podcast partnership appreciation: Hamish Marr was announced as a Community and People Award recipient at the 2023 Syngenta Growth Awards in Sydney. This podcast episode is in partnership with Syngenta Australia featuring recipients of the Syngenta 2023 Growth Awards.