ABSTRACT
Agriculture is New Zealand’s biggest sector, creating a demand for basic business advice in accountancy and law, but also for the softer, more systemic aspects of farm life, such as governance and family succession. This chapter focuses on reflections following a 12-week teaching experience of 15 farm consultants in New Zealand in 2015, which was designed to meet a national shortage of trainers and was based on the expertise and experiences of one of the authors. It discusses the variety of teaching approaches used and evaluates their effectiveness in a context where client farmers seek solution-based outcomes. Inherent in the provision, therefore, is the principle that processual, systemic approaches to farm consultancy, which focus on participants learning from each other and taking ownership of problems, are beneficial in the long term. The course was marketed and delivered under the auspices of OneFarm and had evolved from previous provision and feedback from participants.
