Sam Mander

Sam is an enthusiastic, ambitious, and passionate rural professional that has a vision to be a leader in the growth and development of sustainable agriculture in New Zealand. After graduating at Lincoln University, he spent three years on farm in shepherding roles in the South Island of New Zealand, in the Western Australian wheatbelt, and started a drone precision agriculture company. He’s spent the last four years working as a farm environment and carbon consultant and is a recent graduate in the Kellogg Rural Leadership programme.

Sam is recognised as an innovative leader in capturing opportunity for farmers in the carbon space. He quickly utilised his skillset in drone mapping and farm systems to develop a cutting-edge methodology approved by MPI that succeeded in registering hundreds of hectares of regenerating indigenous forest land into the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The result for his farming clients has been exceptional increases in cash flow from carbon credits and carbon zero farm systems. He’s currently busy working all around New Zealand helping farmers optimise their farm systems through understanding the ETS and utilising carbon through agro-forestry initiatives.