Ryan Orchard - The Ag Advisor

A unique mix of big picture creative thinking and an uncanny eye for the detail that makes a real difference, Ryan is able to connect the dots to create efficient, productive performance systems for clients.

Ryan has a varied background of work experience with a common theme of strong systems thinking, creative problem solving and a focus on efficiency and performance.

A proven people leader, Ryan excels at developing united teams able to deliver performance efficiently together with a self-managing, high performance culture.

Ryan has worked in the dairy industry for over 17 years, from on-farm roles, to farm business management, to operations management leading a team of 6 large-scale Farm Managers. Ryan also had a role as a Consulting Officer with DairyNZ.

His proven ability to navigate change, see through complexity and change to create simple, methodical performance systems ensures that businesses he works with find creative solutions that work to solve challenging problems.

Ryan has hands on experience of lean management tools and systems, organic dairy farm management, Irrigated farms, once-a-day milking systems and farm conversion and development.

A current Trustee for the Taranaki Rural Support Trust, Ryan loves to help people and give back to the farming community.

Ryan lives in Taranaki with his wife Sarah and two school aged children. When he’s not working hard for his clients you might find him running the local trails, at a sports game or on stage as a musician.

Experience and Recognition

· Over 17 years of farm and farm business management and leadership.

· Dairy Farm Operations Management; leading a team of 36 across 6 farms and 7,000 cows in the Central North Island

· Dairy Farm Manager leading an Organic conversion and Once-A-Day milking system conversion. 

· Extensive experience developing farm performance plans and budgets.

· Extensive experience developing farm systems to achieve business compliance standards.

· Farm development project leadership and management.

· 2017 NZDI Awards – Winner of Manager in category, Strettons Employee Engagement Award and Westpac Financial Management and Planning Award.

· 2015 and 2017 Finalist in Central Plateau Region Farm Manager of the Year.

· Past member of the ‘DairyNZ’ People Champion CO’s Group (specialising in and nurturing People skills)

· Past member of Rural Razzle – A Taranaki initiative that encourages local farming communities to get together and get active.