Kent Weston-Arnold

From ‘chips and chat’ sessions , to running specialist rural professional events, Kent gets a buzz out of seeing farmers grow their business and capabilities.

“DairyNZ’s regional teams have an amazing range of skills, experience, and passion, alongside different strengths and interests that collectively make us stronger. If a farmer has a challenge or problem, there’s always someone within each team who can provide the relevant expertise.”

Dairy farming’s been a part of Kent’s life “since the day I was born”, he says. After growing up on a Tokoroa dairy farm, he graduated from Massey University. Since then, Kent’s done everything from hands-on dairying and sharemilking, to international dairy development work in Myanmar and Pakistan.

“I’ve milked cows in multiple countries. I also drove tour buses in Europe for five years. These days, my wife and I own a small drystock farm in Raglan, but we moved into Hamilton in 2024 for the kids’ education.

Kent sees his role as providing a link for information and support to farmers, including sharing research from DairyNZ, other organisations or companies. He also brings farmers and others from the sector together to learn from each other.

“We provide a trusted, independent, and credible source of information and support. As someone who’s cupped the cows and walked in the gumboots, I really love being able to bring value to farmers. I also enjoy the buzz you get from a farmer event that’s been well run: one that’s got farmers talking and thinking about their businesses.”

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