Dayne Paton

Dayne’s dairying journey has taken him from Tasman and back again, where he and wife Jenny are enjoying the great outdoors. His DairyNZ role gets him out amongst it too.

“I grew up near Nelson on a kiwifruit orchard, but enjoyed the interactions of animals, plants and soils in farm systems, which brought me to Lincoln University to study agricultural science. My practical experience at university included working on a dairy farm near Richmond, and another close to Collingwood in my summer holidays.”

After university, Dayne worked at PGG Wrightsons as a technical field representative for five years, then travelled overseas with Jenny. Once back in Nelson, they both got right into mountain biking and tramping. Dayne, who’s also a keen sportsman, hunter, and marathon runner, brings the same energy to his DairyNZ role.

“I connect with farmers to understand their business and goals and where they may need help. While I won’t always have the answers, I’ll find someone who does. I also facilitate engaging events to give farmers up-to-date and relevant information, plus opportunities to connect them with rural professionals to build a network of reliable support.

“Farmers are very busy people with a lot of decisions to make. Having a strong network of support is important so they can make the right decisions at the right time. Building my own network of rural professionals is also really important to me, to get a deeper understanding of the issues and opportunities facing farmers in my region.

“I really enjoy learning about what drives farmers. I also want to continue to challenge myself to develop skills that farmers can lean on to help them reach their goals.”

• Find out more about DairyNZ’s other Upper South Island regional team members.
• Check out our nationwide regional teams.