Simon is a farm consultant with AbacusBio and one of New Zealand’s top Farmax practitioners. He is known for his ability to identify the needs of individual farming families, before helping them develop a plan that meets those needs. Simon is equally experienced in the corporate agriculture space, ensuring appropriate systems are in place and followed, so governance requirements are met alongside financial returns.
The route to AbacusBio
Simon was brought up on a 316-hectare mixed sheep, beef and arable farm in West Otago. It was assumed he would take over the farm, but he recognised that he did not feel a strong pull towards hands-on farming. It was a rural neighbour, a retired academic, who suggested university.
“Our family had no history of higher education and a full history of farming. The neighbour was a professor of chemistry in a former life and an advocate for education. She said ‘you can do whatever you want, your grades are good enough’ and steered me towards a science degree at Otago.”
After university, Simon worked on the farm alongside his father Norman for a period, before heading off farm to broaden his knowledge. His first role was with a small fertiliser company and involved a lot of soil and herbage testing for farmers. It was during this time he developed the interpersonal and system skills needed to be an effective consultant. In 2003, Simon became a farm consultant with the newly formed PGG Wrightson Solutions team in Dunedin. Four years later, he joined AbacusBio as a partner and has continued to work with farmers and corporate farms, as well as consulting to national pastoral sector programmes.
“When you start your career, you’re full of fresh ideas that you’re looking to impart. You’re a fountain of knowledge and going to change the world. Over time, you understand that things are the way they are for a multitude of reasons.
“Farm consulting is really about understanding people. What’s driving them and what do they need out of the farm? Then looking at how to deliver that outcome for them.”
Simon particularly enjoys facilitation work and was involved in the B+LNZ Innovation Farms programme, designed to overcome barriers to the adoption of new technology.
Simon Glennie BSc
Specialist areas and projects
Farm consulting:
- Grazing management
- Feed planning
- Enterprise evaluation
- Farm system review
Facilitation of farm discussion groups and industry teams:
- Red Meat Profit Partnership action groups and farm discussion groups
- DINZ Advance P arty discussion group
Evaluation of new technologies for agriculture:
- B+LNZ Innovation Farms
- Red Meat Profit Partnership subject matter specialists
Project management:
- B+LNZ Beef Profit Partnership
Career highlights
- Inaugural South Island Farmax Consultant of the Year
- B+LNZ Innovation Farms programme facilitation.
