Waikato Farm Advisory that's practical, financially sustainable and independent
Rich Farm Management is a Waikato Farm Advisory business led by Harry Rich. Offering a range of practical, financially sustainable, independent farm advisory services, including farm due diligence, farm governance and operational farm advisory, we have experience across a range of farm types and rural enterprises including corporate farm management, managing iwi farming interests and family farming including succession planning.
Services
Supporting your farming business to run profitable operations with long-term, sustainable outcomes.
Farm Operations / General Farm Advisory
Every farming operation should be delivering consistently profitable results that can cope with market and climatic volatility. Our operational farm advisory services start with listening to your requirements, followed by analysis and reporting on the current state of the business. From there we work with you to develop a plan that will achieve your goals, ensuring that any changes we recommend are simple and easy to implement. We then monitor to ensure outcomes are achieved.
Farm profitablity analysis
Operational cost anlysis and wastage management
Grass / feed analysis
Animal health advice
Milk monitoring and forecasting
Farm recruitment - contract milkers and share milkers
Land lease management
Operational reporting
Farm project management
Farm Strategy
Understanding where you are heading with your farming business is critical to tracking and making progress. Rich Farm Advisory are experts at providing strategic farm advice that helps you to measure where you are, where you want to go, and how you'll get there. From conducting due diligence analysis and completing feasibility studies, to ensuring you're compliant with legislative change, we'll work with you to make sure you're clear on your strategic goals and how to achieve and execute them.
Due diligence analysis
Farm assessment and modelling
Feasability studies
Asset and infrastructure planning and management
Farm environmental plans and ETS offset advice
Farm staff / people strategy
Managing changes in farming systems
Debt negotiation
Supplier strategy
Farm Governance
Good farm governance supports the farming business to succeed, through sound decision making, risk identification and mitigation, ensuring social and environmental responsibility and financial stability. Our farm governance services can provide an independent perspective to any farming business / farm ownership model, including for corporate farming groups, iwi groups and family-owned farming operations.
Management / advisory board involvement
Board reporting
Risk assessment, management and mitigation
Fiscal management
Asset protection
Legal compliance
CLIENT SPOTLIGHT
FARM SYSTEM CHANGE
5 to 2
With underperforming assets, poor on-farm and operational management engagement and high operational costs and wastage, Harry was brought in to assist. He developed a plan to move the focus from production to profit (EBITDA), reduce overheads and re-focus on on-farm performance. This included reducing on-farm wastage (LEAN Management) from over-supply, extended milking times and poor mating results, increasing staff retention and simplifying the farm system to focus on profitable pastoral dairy farming. He then facilitated a change in System 5 to System 2, reduced the number of team members on a per-cow ratio and improved staff retention from 40 to 75%. The organisation's board then decided to dispose of all assets, so Harry assisted to maintain continuity of business as usual while facilitating the entire asset sale process through to completion.
About Harry Rich
Led by Harry Rich, Rich Farm Advisory combines practical knowledge built up over a 30 year career, spanning farm ownership, equity partnership, share-milking, senior farm management and agri-business advisory and management.
Throughout his career, Harry has held a range of responsibilities across a range of farm types and rural enterprises, including corporate and iwi farming, building up significant multi-site experience and relationships.
Having been a farm owner and in an equity partnership himself, Harry's core focus is on business performance, profit, sustainability and relationships. He specialises in creating value by optimising farm systems and system change, making sure operational productivity is reflected in sustainable financial performance.
Coupled with on-farm leadership, he ensures changes are embedded and that on-farm teams are empowered to utilise their skills, motivation and enthusiasm to maintain and progress change beyond his involvement.
Harry understands the importance of relationships and is well connected and networked in the Waikato region. Working with Harry, you'll experience an operator with integrity, who is forthright and honest. You'll always be treated with empathy and respect, and walk away feeling you're in safe hands.
Why choose Rich
Farm Advisory?
Independent farm advice
Broad experience from operational level through to farm strategy and farm governance
Multi-site experience across a range of systems
Corporate, equity partnership, iwi and family-owned ownership model experience
Personal farm ownership experience
Practical, sustainable advice
We operate with integrity, we're forthright and honest and we'll always treat you with empathy and respect
Our Approach
1. Listen
First, we'll listen to your requirements and ensure we understand your needs.
2. Analyse
Next, we'll complete analysis of the business / farming operation, reporting on the current state of the business using a combo of benchmarks and intrinsic skills.
3. Plan
From there, we'll work with you to develop a plan that will achieve your goals.
4. Execute
Then, we'll help you track your progress and ensure that any change is simple, easy for those involved to execute and delivers consistently profitable results.
CLIENTS ARE SAYING....
"Harry was engaged to help us with the employment process of a new contract milker for the 2023-24 season. He sat down with us and listened to our thoughts then gave us guidance for the process that we followed. He was instrumental in the whole procedure from job ad, short list, referee checks, interviews and contract negotiations. The daunting task of employing became stress free and stream lined. We found that Harry had a deep understanding of the industry and was able to join that with what we were looking for in staff and this helped us find the right team member."
Hamish and Julie Ormond, Flaxmill Dairy Ltd
RICH FARM ADVISORY
Waikato Farm Advisory - Harry Rich
