PLATE TO PASTURE FARMER CONFERENCE

18-20 JULY 2023

TE PAE CONVENTION CENTRE, CHRISTCHURCH

FREE TO ATTEND FOR SUPPLIERS AND SHAREHOLDERS AND THEIR WIDER ON-FARM TEAMS

It’s time to get together and get inspired for the season ahead. Join Silver Fern Farms at our Plate to Pasture Farmer Conference.

The world needs you. That's right, we're talking about you. Now, more than ever, the world needs more natural, nutritional, sustainable goodness. And every day, you work hard to create just that.

You're the farmers the world needs.

That's why this year's Silver Fern Farms Farmer Conference is all about you.

It's an opportunity to recognise the good you do, plan to do more good stuff together, and catch up with your fellow farmers.

There'll be guest speakers and industry leaders. There'll be the Boning Competition National Finals, and of course the Plate to Pasture Supplier Awards. We'll also be celebrating 75 years of Silver Fern Farms!

So, whether you're an owner or manager, a stock hand or shepherd, young or old or would rather not say - this one's for you. Because you're the farmers the world needs.

Register now

Agenda:

Day 1 (evening only) - From 5:30pm

Cooks on Fire Welcome Barbeque Showcase
- featuring competitors from the first season of the hit TVNZ1 show

National Boning Competition Finals

 

Day 2 - From 8:00am

Session 1

- Welcome and Introduction - Simon Limmer, Chief Executive

Session 2 - Market Insights and Customer Stories

- Global Insights with Kantar - Dan Robertson-Jones
-  Leading the Way:Sustainability Panel: iconic brands discuss the challenges and opportunities that all businesses are facing into. Facilitated by Chief Sustainability & Risk Officer Kate Beddoe
- Keynote Q&A: International Chef & Restauranteur Peter Gordon

Session 3 - Silver Fern Farms’ Strategy and Investment

- Delivering Enduring Value - Our Executive
- New Forms of Value - Nicola Johnston, General Manager - Growth, & Justin Lawrence, Group Manager Fifth Quarter
- International Customer Presentation - Sainsbury's UK

Session 4 - On-Farm Initiatives, Investment and Technology

- Preparing for a Digital World of Connected Ecosystems - Dan Boulton, Chief Supply Chain Officer
- Farm Mapping - Greg McSkimming, Agribusiness Strategic Solutions Manager, with Matt Lythe, MD Lynker Analytics
- Dairy Beef Value Streams- Vinnie Booiman, Agribusiness Programme Manager
- Silver Fern Farmers on the couch with Ryan Macarthur, On-Farm Sustainability Manager, and Imogen Brankin, Livestock Graduate

Session 5 - Breakout Workshops

Mapping Your Farm For the Future: Join Silver Fern Farms and Lynker Analytics to understand how carbon mapping works, the benefits to you on farm, the opportunities in market, and learn how these digital tools will help you with Land Environment Planning.

Future Proofing Your Farm through NZFAP Plus: A Deep Dive into the requirements of NZFAP Plus - what to expect and how Silver Fern Farms will support you through the journey, plus the premiums and market opportunities that this programme is helping to create. 

The World Needs Innovation: Join our customer innovation team as they share how new products are developed, plus a glimpse at some exciting new developments.

Understanding Consumer Insights: Join Silver Fern Farms’ Take a deep dive into the mind of the consumer with Silver Fern Farms’ own Global Insights team. Develop a deep understanding of key consumer trends, preferences, and behaviors, as well as actionable strategies for leveraging these insights to create more compelling products, marketing campaigns, and customer experiences.

The Fifth Quarter: From pet food to wearables to cosmetics, this is a significant growth area for Silver Fern Farms. Our Fifth Quarter team have some transformative plans to share, plus interesting insights about all the animal products that aren’t meat.

Session 6

- Economics Panel: Rt Hon. Sir Bill English, Cameron Bagrie, Toddd Charteris, Vicki McColl, facilitated by Madison Reidy
- Co-op Update - Clark Taylor, Silver Fern Farms Co-operative
- Closing Remarks - Simon Limmer, Chief Exective

 

Day 2 (evening) - From 6:15pm

- 75th Anniversary Gala Dinner
- Plate to Pasture Supplier Awards
- Youth Scholarships

 

Day 3 (Optional) - Masterclasses and tours

Farm Tour: Silverstream Charolais – Brent & Anna Fisher

The Silverstream Charolais Stud operation is situated 20 minutes from Christchurch, and is widely recognised as a leading provider of Charolais genetics.

Silverstream Charolais was established back in 1968 by Bruce and Maureen Fisher, and is now owned by Brent and Anna Fisher. The Silverstream bloodlines trace back to the Brookfield Charolais herd.

Today the Silverstream herd consists of 300 registered Charolais cows and 70 Hereford registered cows across two properties, and they also run 500 finishing steers and heifers, and 8000 lamb.

The flat block is 510ha and sits about 2 metres above sea level. During the summer months 440ha is irrigated by a centre pivot and roto-rainer irrigators. The hill block sits only 4km from the boundary of the flat property. This block is 540ha and rises to 350 metres above sea level.

Silverstream Charolais has been GHG Sequestration-mapped with Silver Fern Farms, and is working towards NZFAP Plus certification.

Butchery Masterclass: Whether you love hunting or home-kill, our experienced butchers will guide you through the entire process. Unlock the secrets of expert butchery with Silver Fern Farms' own master butchers in this interactive masterclass. You’ll learn to prepare a carcass, walk through the different cuts, and perfect your knife skills.

BBQ Masterclass with NZ BBQ champion Dean Davis. Having achieved number one in New Zealand, and representing the land of the long white cloud at the Steak Cookoff World Champs in Texas last year, local Cantabrian Dean Davis returns this year to showcase his skills, tips and tricks on how to cook to perfection. 

Cooking Masterclass: A World of Flavour. Join Cooks on Fire judge and fabulous foodie Nici Wickes as she steps through her favourite global cuisines in a celebration of flavour. Nici will delight her audience with entertaining anecdotes and more hot tips than you can shake a spatula at.

Processing Site Tour: Silver Fern Farms Pareora. Don't miss this great opportunity to see our Pareora processing site in action. See firsthand the investment into plants to streamline and futureproof our capability.

 

Cooks On Fire Welcome Dinner

Tuesday 18 July, 5:00pm

This year's Cooks on Fire Welcome Dinner is a great opportunity to spend some time with fellow farmer suppliers. The final of the 2023 Silver Fern Farms Boning Competition will also take place on this evening. 

Conference

Wednesday 19 July, 8:00am

Across six sessions we cover a company update, insights from the market, meet some of Silver Fern Farms in-market partners and customers, discuss our exciting capex programme, and learn about what's happening on-farm to support farmers to capture maximum value for their produce. 

75th Anniversary Celebration and Plate to Pasture Awards Dinner

Wednesday 19 July, 6:15pm

The Plate to Pasture Supplier Awards give us the opportunity to recognise our farmers who live and breathe food and understand what their consumers want from quality red meat and the people who produce it. The overall winner of the 2023 Plate to Pasture Awards will be announced, and we'll be celebrating 75 Years of Silver Fern Farms with a few special guests. 

The Te Pae Convention Centre, a large square building with a tiled facade in grey and white

Te Pae Convention Centre

Te Pae is New Zealand’s premium meetings and events venue, in the heart of the South Island. This world-class facility is set in a prime location on the banks of Christchurch's Avon River.

Te Pae Convention Centre can host up to 2,000 people, and includes a 1400-delegae  tiered auditorium and multiple meeting room spaces of varying sizes, across a total of 1,600 sqm.

Accommodation

Attendance at the 2023 Farmer Conference is complimentary, but attendees will need to make your own travel and accommodation arrangements. To help you, we've included some great options that are super close to the conference venue, Te Pae Convention Centre. Accommodation in Christchurch can fill up fast - we recommend booking as soon as possible. 

Wyndham Garden Christchurch

Surrounded by bars and restaurants, 10 kilometers from Christchurch International Airport (CHC), Wyndham Garden Christchurch Kilmore Street offers convenient amenities like a gym, café, and free WiFi. The hotel is also only minutes from Te Pae, the Christchurch Convention Centre.

Please Use Code: FARMERS23

Reserve now

Novotel Hotel Christchurch

This contemporary hotel in a prime central Christchurch location offers all the essential hotel amenities. Your bright, modern room gives you the space you need to work or relax. Just 20-minutes from the airport and centrally located adjacent to the Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre.

Reserve now

Distinction Christchurch

The recently renovated Distinction Christchurch Hotel is an urban escape combining sophisticated smarts and familiar warmth. This property is ideally positioned in the heart of the city only a few minutes' walk from the Avon River, and new Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre.

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Fable
Christchurch

Centered in the vibrant city of Christchurch, we welcome you with open arms. Fable Christchurch is located conveniently to our conference venue, Te Pae, only a 500 metre walk. Please use code: PLATE23

Reserve now

Ibis
Christchurch

Centrally located in the heart of Christchurch, ibis Christchurch is the ideal base for conference attendees, only a short 200m walk to the new Te Pae Convention Centre. The ibis Christchurch Hotel features 155 contemporary rooms.           

Reserve now

Crowne Plaza Christchurch

Located in Central Christchurch directly across the street from our conference centre Te Pae, Crowne Plaza Christchurch offers modern accommodation and dining options. Overlooking historic Victoria Square and the iconic Avon River, you’ll be in the perfect spot.

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Frequently Asked Questions

This is our annual opportunity to connect with suppliers and shareholders, share insights and get inspired for the season ahead. We host a great mixture of informative sessions and networking activities, plus our annual Boning Competition.

The conference is free to attend for all suppliers and shareholders, and you are encouraged to extend this invitation to your on-farm team. You can also bring an additional guest to the evening events.  

Please email Silver Fern Farms' events team at events@silverfernfarms.co.nz

You'll get the best value out of the experience by attending the entire conference, but if you're only able to attend part of the conference, that's okay. Full conference attendees can request additional tickets during registration for our celebration dinners and post-conference masterclasses and tours..

Our Plate to Pasture Awards will be doubling as a celebration of 75 Years of Silver Fern Farms. Join us for this very special event where we will reflect on how far our business has come, while looking forward to the next 75 years.

Still got questions? Reach out to our team at events@silverfernfarms.co.nz

Register now

Keynote Speakers

Our 2022 Conference Highlights