Rural Technical Team

BVSc

Andrew joined PGG Wrightson after a 14 year career as a farm vet. Andrew’s training and seminars for both PGG Wrightson staff and farmers reflect that animal health cannot be considered in isolation from feeding. Many of our current animal health goals on farm would be better served if animals were fed optimally, particularly adult stock. Feeding stock for performance is very different from feeding to get through and also brings its own animal health issues.

B. Farm Man

Angela Darke joined PGG Wrightson in 2020 having spent 16 years in the of fertiliser industry. She worked at Summit-Quinphos followed by Ballance Agri-Nutrients where her most recent role was as South Island Key Account Manager. Angela is a Certified Nutrient Management Advisor and her qualifications include a Bachelor of Farm Management from Sydney University. She has successfully completed programmes from the Agri-Women’s Development Trust and is currently a Red Meat Profit Partnership member for the Fairlie area.

DVM (Dist) MANZCVS

Ashleigh qualified as a vet in Ontario, Canada before heading to New Zealand in 2009 for “a couple of years”. One husband and two kids later she is still here, operating a sharemilking business on a Jersey stud farm near Riverton in Southland with her husband Mark. Ashleigh spent 10 years in rural vet practice with Otautau Vets and has also worked in roles with DairyNZ, Beef+LambNZ, and MPI. She completed her ANZCVS membership exam in Medicine of Dairy Cattle in 2017, then in Veterinary Epidemiology in 2021, and is currently completing her MVM with Massey University. She is in charge of calf rearing and animal health on the family dairy farm and enjoys the sport of extreme multi-tasking.

Ashleigh believes strongly that knowledge can only be used to full potential when people understand the “why”, and how any change will impact them directly. The stable and ongoing success of a farm has it’s roots in healthy and tended soil, plants, animals, and people; neglecting any of these will impair the performance of the others.

BSc (Hons), MSc

I have a BSc (Hons) in Agriculture/Environment and an MSc in Crop protection from Harper Adams University. Prior to joining PGG I worked as an agronomist for Agrii UK looking after 6000-7000 hectares of cereals, brassicas, pules, maize and sugar beet. I also ran one of their demonstration iFarms taking the science learned at the innovation centres out to the field for growers to visit. I moved over to NZ in 2014 where I took up a role as a Technical Manager of agronomy with Ravensdown in which I was responsible for training the field staff in all matters of agronomy. I have a real passion for agronomy and take it personally if a crop doesn’t perform!

 I joined PGG in April 2021 after 24 years in the agronomy business.

NDA (Farm Management)

Gary recently joined the technical team after 19 years as a Senior Agronomist and Regional Technical Manager at Agrii UK and has managed large farming operations throughout the United Kingdom. Gary has experience in maize, arable, pasture, vegetable and brassica agronomy and is based in Pukekohe.

BVSc (Dist)

Jason has recently joined PGG Wrightson after 24 years as a vet in practice, which included varied roles involving farm production animals across both dairy and sheep/beef/deer. Also during this time a 2.5 year role with a veterinary pharmaceutical company as a technical advisor was undertaken. Having grown up on a farm and also leased/owned farms, Jason brings a strong practical working knowledge of animal health issues and solutions.

BSc (Agr) (Hons)

Jay joined PGG Wrightson after working for Massey University as a Soil Scientist for the past 5 years; whilst also studying for his PhD. He was born on the West Coast of the South Island, however grew up in the North Island. Jay spent 15 years growing vegetables and cereals (in Cambridgeshire, UK) for England's largest supermarket. Returning to New Zealand with his family in 2010, he is now based out of Palmerston North. Jay has a passion for nutrient management and sustainability to improve New Zealand farming practices.

BVSc (Dist)

Laura joined PGG Wrightson in 2020 having worked as farm veterinarian for 10 years. Her passion is in animal nutrition having learnt during her veterinary career how good nutrition translates into great production, reproduction and animal health outcomes. Laura is a firm believer in setting good foundations of nutrition and using this base to build optimal animal performance.

BSc

Michael has recently joined PGG Wrightson after working in research and development for 8 years. Although a South Islander born and bred, he has been based in Australia for the past 7 years focusing on wheat, barley and oilseed rape. Michael enjoys the challenge of finding sustainable solutions to agronomic problems and has an interest in precision agriculture. Michael and his family returned to New Zealand in late 2020 and he is based in Dunedin.