Two worlds of farmer turned lobbyist

Ten years ago NZ Federated Farmers was struggling, often seen by those they represented as out of touch with reality, and with leaders that had the biggest mouths and poorest farms.

Today the rebranded organisation has a professional and energised look, and a big increase in membership as its leaders ask the hard questions, and lobby strongly on most of the issues farmers think are important.

The leaders seem to have successful farming operations and are visible and active promoting agriculture . And it now seem, even with less political leverage than they have had in the past, the economic importance of agriculture and the way it is sold, is listened with respect by the countys leaders.

In a sixth-floor office of a central Wellington building, a man pecks away on a computer, trying to explain what impact the emissions trading scheme will have on farmers. In a paddock on the outskirts of Invercargill, a farmer and his dog herd a mob of ewes into the shearing shed reports Stuff.

The two roles appear to be worlds apart, but they are two that Don Nicolson is comfortable in and can easily flit between.The Federated Farmers national president was elected for a third year-long term at the organisation's annual meeting in Invercargill last week.

Always involved in Federated Farmers, he had held various farming political roles since the mid-1990s, developing a high profile in Southland and slowly moving through the ranks with stints as provincial chairman, as well as on the national board. He was elected national vice-president in 2005.

Being involved with Federated Farmers was a logical move, not just because he was a farmer but because, by his own admission, he was "quite opinionated" when he was younger. If opinionated people did not do anything about it, they tended to moan and complain, usually over a beer, he says. "But that wasn't me. So I figured I had to do the job. If you want to have input and discussion, then you have to be at the cutting edge."