Born and bred Southlander Grant Ruddenklau didn’t get to choose a profession - as the only son of a farming family, it was his destiny to be a farmer. But Grant’s lifelong habit of putting his hand up for community groups has provided a counterpoint to farming, and put him in a strong position to tackle the “urban/rural divide” present in our community.

Grant - the new chair of the Upper Clutha A&P Society’s first board - went straight onto the family farm in Dipton after schooling at Waitaki Boys and a year of shepherding in the North Island. But his assertion that he’s only been a sheep and beef farmer doesn’t cover the full picture.

“We almost had to leave Dipton to get off all the boards we were on,” Grant says of the family’s decision to move to Wanaka in 2002.

“We’ve always put up our hands to be involved - it’s great to be involved,” he said. After moving here, Grant became chair of the Mount Aspiring College Board of Trustees (he’d spent 15 years training boards of trustees for the NZ School Trustees Association); he has been president of the junior rugby club; and he’s on the steering group of community development group LINK Upper Clutha. He also became involved with the Upper Clutha A&P Society (“just helping out”) when he moved here, and five years ago became the society’s junior vice president. Last year he was voted as chair of the society’s brand new board.

The A&P Society’s constitutional change made in October last year is significant: a board structure has been formed with five board members (Grant, deputy Jan Allan, Mike Scurr, Doug Stalker, and Chrissy Stevenson - “a good, diverse team”) elected from the society’s membership.

“The A&P Show has grown so significantly as an event we needed a structure with governance,” Grant said. “We tended to spend 90 percent of the meeting talking about management.”

Former president Alan Kane assisted the process, which saw the 82-year-old committee structure make way for a governance board which will in turn give direction to the “fabulous management team”.

From left: Grant and the other Upper Clutha A&P Society board members Jan Allen, Chrissy Stevenson, Mike Scurr and Doug Stalker. PHOTO: Supplied

“I think it’s quite exciting,” Grant said. “Our first strategic plan will be prepared this year once the show has concluded.”

The organisation has had limited opportunity to plan ahead before, he said, and it will be looking at the society’s original goals and aims, such as promoting and educating about agriculture - “which is probably more relevant now than it was then”.

“One of my real passions is the rural/urban divide. I think this is an opportunity to help the rural community bridge the gap,” he said. “We’re one community, and we won’t get to achieve anything unless we work together.”

When the Ruddenklaus moved to this district in 2002 the majority of people here had had an association with farming in some way or form, Grant said, but as the township has grown there are fewer and fewer people with experience of farming life - reflecting New Zealand’s urbanisation.

“A lot of people have never touched a sheep, never been close to a cow,” Grant said. It’s important because “ignorance breeds contempt”, he believes.

“It’s got significantly worse with social media - everyone’s a journalist. You’re fighting that, but the majority of farmers are individualists, who just get on and do what they do.”

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“One of the biggest issues around here is water. One of the really frustrating things is I don’t think urban people really understand the impact they have on water quality. If more folks were aware of what goes into Roy’s Bay after a rainfall event - down the stormwater drains - I’m sure behaviour would change.”

Urban people don’t realise farmers are in the environment every day, and 99 percent of farmers care for the environment, Grant said. A case in point: Grant and Randall Aspinall of Mt Aspiring Station founded the Wanaka Catchment Group 14 months ago. It’s a group of 16 farmers, from a catchment area of 19 farms, who meet regularly to gather information, using Beef and Lamb NZ’s Land and Environment Plan 3 (LEP3).

The LEP3 aims to develop standards to monitor quality assurance and the farm environment. The group is working with Chris Arbuckle of the Touchstone Project (a direct action initiative to support those concerned about the Lake Wanaka water catchment).

“We did that willingly to understand the impact we’re having. It would be nice if the town people did the same,” Grant said.

Grant’s philosophy is that “life is about learning, educating and understanding”. That’s one reason why he’s excited about the A&P Society’s new structure.

“We can use the society to educate as well as run an event [the show],” he said. We’ve run the Golden Fleece [an annual exhibition of the best fleeces in New Zealand] - there’s no reason we couldn’t run other day events.”

Thinking outside the square could involve a school coordinator working with local schools, and other ideas as part of a “shared vision” with the board, management and members, Grant said.

“It’s a blank canvas really.”

So while Grant is “kept busy during the day” contract managing the neighbouring Mt Burke Station in the Maungawera Valley where the Ruddenklaus live, he has a lot more on his plate than farming.

“I’m probably at the stage of my career, at age 57 after 41 years of farming, where I’ve turned a corner - I’d like to give back and encourage where I can.”