Connecting rural professionals

A new rural professional group has started in the Top of the South, aimed to foster networking, sharing resources, supporting farmers and growers better, and enhancing collaboration for personal and professional growth.

Kirstie Dodds, one of the driving forces of the new group, says she moved from Canterbury to Wakefield around three years ago to take a role at ITO.

“I only knew one person here which was daunting. From that I was keen to help connect others in the rural sector and when I started talking to people about the idea of having a casual rural professionals catch up, or group, so many were interested.”

Recently, Kirstie hosted the first Top of the South Rural Professionals coffee catch-up, where attendees from the Nelson and Tasman regions gathered to share ideas and discuss the group’s direction.

“Everyone shared similar thoughts, focusing on networking and establishing a space to unwind, socialise, and explore ways to better support farmers and growers together,” Kirstie explains.

As the group expands, they plan to rotate catch-up locations to cater for everyone in the region.

Anyone interested in connecting can visit their Facebook page, Top of the South - Rural Professionals, for updates on upcoming events. Kirstie encourages anyone planning to attend to RSVP by clicking ‘going’ as she uses those numbers for table bookings.

“Join us to connect, collaborate, and grow together in the rural sector,” Kirstie says.