Sally Lee
Experience Summary & Case Studies

Coastcare – Working with local community groups across the regions beaches to help protect the dunes (1998-2001).

Wetlands Protection Programme – Working with the region's wetlands, with a particular focus on preparing the management plan (1999) for Pekapeka Swamp which is now a Regional Park (1998-2001). 

National Goat Monitoring Project – Managed the project (2002-2004) which required working with approximately 20 goat famers throughout NZ to record data, evaluate it and look at the farming system with goats. This led to several factsheets being produced.

North Island Hill Country Pasture Renovation Trial in conjunction with the Northern NI Sheep Council (2002-2005) – With 4 trial sites scattered across Northland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty, involved working with the farmers, collecting data, hosting field days and compiling a report.

Fonterra Organic Focus Dairy Farm (2008-2010) – Wharepapa South farm was the focus with this, facilitating open field days on-farm and other field trips. We had approximately 150 on our mailing list with 30-60 people attending any one field day.

Farm Discussion Group (2006-2015) – Facilitated a private discussion group made up of 10-15 drystock farmers in the greater Waikato/King Country area. On-farm meetings and field trips away, meeting approximately 6 times a year. 

AgDialogue Group (Motu) – A group discussing and exploring various aspects of the agricultural emissions. This included on-farm mitigation, emissions trading, policy options, technology change, non-regulatory options and the interaction with complementary policy goals such as water quality (2011-2012)

MAF Farm Monitoring (2010-2012) – Collecting and processing on-farm statistics to compile regional and farm system analysis. In 2012 acted as ‘controller’ for the process.

www.wai-kokopu.org.nz

Working closely with landowners in the Coastal Catchment of Little Waihi Estuary at Pukehina. Facilitated the Lighthouse Farmer Group (15 forward-thinking landowners) to evaluate their farm systems using Farmax and Overseer FM, encouraging change so that they could remain profitable but with a lighter footprint.

Member of the Environmental Reference Group (ERG) for Landcorp. This involved reviewing strategy, providing advice and support around considerations and opportunities to the changing environment of farming.

Conducted on-farm analysis, such as Deep dive analysis for Pamu’s West Coast Livestock Farms with the view for them to be profitable, sustainable and resilient.

Connect Supporting Recovery was an NGO providing healthcare and wellbeing support services with a focus on mental health. Became a Board Member in 2013 and in 2015/19 Chaired the Board as it undertook to merge with Framework Trust, becoming Ember Korowai Takitini (ember.org.nz) in July 2019. Before its merger, Connect SR had an $11 million turnover with 150 FTEs.

Waikato Community Lottery Board (2017-2022) responsible for distributing funds to the Waikato community, based on supporting groups and organisations that may otherwise be disadvantaged, with a focus on youth, elderly, ethnics and rural communities.

YWCA – Hamilton (ywca.org.nz) – a NFP organisation focused on supporting young women and providing advocacy for women-related issues.

Finalist in the 2018 and 2019 Waikato Ballance Farm Environmental Awards and received the following awards:

2018:

• Ballance Agri-nutrients Soil Management Award
• Hill Laboratories Agri-Science Award
• Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Award

2019:

• Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Award
• Waikato River Authority Catchment Improvement Award

Farmax – Tested new products, prepared user manuals and organised and ran their Annual Reporting (2012 – 2016) for all clients using Sheep and Beef (approximately 120 farms)

MfE (2020-21) – Analysis of Essential Freshwater impact on farm in Southland

One-on-one clients – Assisting them in analysing their farm systems and providing support and advice.

Kelloggs Rural Leadership – Attended 2001.

Rural Mentoring Programme (2009-10) – initiated the programme that is now run by NZ Young Farmers.

Intensifying your farm – what are the effects? An MfE-funded project in conjunction with NIWA, where workshops were delivered to farmers on the issue of how to manage the potential environmental effects of farm intensification to maintain and improve water quality and stream health. These workshops were held between 2005-2006 in conjunction with the local Regional Authority.