ABOUT
Circular Solutions
“After our forefathers first arrived in 1823 and brought such innovative breeds as the Angus Cattle here in the late 1860’s, initial exports of frozen meat shipments in late 1880's and were foundation leaders within the New Zealand Dairy Industry! Our vision for the future is an eco-friendly farming system which feeds the world, employs our people, and tells the New Zealand story with every meal”
– Ben Smith – Circular Solutions
“the farm of the future concept is now a reality as dairy farmers seize the opportunity to embrace technology that will ensure safe, sustainable and profitable milk production. Ben Smith’s ‘circular farming’ approach is a clear example of how a new generation of farmers will be able to contribute more to a growing world from seed to feed to farm and food”
- TP Lyons – President Alltech Inc.
Our Team and Associates
Ben has 7 years Rural Banking experience specialising in horticulture, aquaculture and large scale dairy operations along with 15 years hands on Dairy Farm ownership and operational experience, both in New Zealand and overseas. Ben has recently sold his own Dairy Farming business but remains an active non- shareholding director in another.
With a background in Agricultural Science, Farm Management systems and strategic planning of integrated farming and waste management systems, Ben offers strong new thinking in Sustainable Agricultural, Aquaculture and Horticultural Practices.
Ben, through his family Farming business J V Farms Limited, has been the recipient of ECCA development funding for Renewable Energy ventures and has gone forward to be considered for Callaghan Funding of a major bio energy project involving the Multiplex Design which initiates energy streams directly from farm and municipal waste.
Ben’s governance experience includes elected local school representation, various philanthropic organisations and government appointed member of Ministry of Business and Innovation advisory boards.
Specialist Associate Directory
Director of Lucas Associates Limited, Christchurch, a Registered NZILA Landscape Architect and Fellow member of NZILA (1987), Di works in community-friendly planning and design processes for creative and sustainable solutions. Having skills in landscape assessment, landscape ecology and restoration, natural character analysis, community consultation, heritage values, sustainable resource management, creative problem solving and documentation, Di works on a range of projects around Aotearoa New Zealand. Projects vary in scale from broad frameworks for regions, districts and towns to planning development or restoration for specific sites, working for community, industry, landowners, iwi and government agencies.
Di has undertaken landscape assessments for a wide diversity of projects and locales, utilising an holistic approach. She has undertaken assessments and prepared plans and proposals under various conservation statutes as well as the RMA.
The Lucas Associates team has twice been awarded New Zealand’s premier landscape planning award, the NZILA Charlie Challenger Award, the only recipient of this award in the decade to 2005. Di received a NZILA landscape planning 2008 Gold Award for evidence to the Environment Court.
Assessment and Planning
Di Lucas is a qualified Resource Management Act decision maker.
Landscape assessment, reporting and preparation of evidence, including to council and Environment Court hearings, regarding landscape, natural and amenity values of rural and urban areas, terrestrial and marine environments, and sites, working variously for individuals, landowners, community groups, iwi, councils and government departments.
Community Plans
Facilitation of rapid community-based workshops ranging nationwide, town and/or country, with on-site immediate follow up preparation of community plans and documentation - typically a week or a month from “go to whoa”.
Biodiversity and Land
Collation and communication of complex scientific data through the interpretation of land, geomorphology and biodiversity, enabling restoration via easy to understand field booklets, brochures and plans.
Sustainability
Sustainable management plans recognising natural and cultural values, land use practices and alternative markets, through enhanced landscape management.
Dr Waldron started working in the animal feed industry in 1991, after completing a BSc degree at the University of Lancaster, UK, where she studied biological sciences, specialising in animal physiology, biochemistry and microbiology. From 1992 – 1995 she completed a PhD at Harper Adams University College, in the UK where she developed methods for modeling digestion of cereals in monogastric animals, developing and comparing in vivo and in vitro methods for assessing energy release from starches.
After working as a commercial trials officer running research involving various species of farmed animals, she was employed as a technical manager within the newly flourishing feed enzymes business. Other commercial roles held during the following decade included the development and commercialisation of active plant-derived feed ingredients, and involvement in all aspects of nutrition within a variety of animal species –poultry, pigs, calves, lambs, cats, dogs and horses. Her work has taken her to more than 40 countries worldwide, giving her broad experience of feeding practices, research requirements, nutrition, diet formulation, feed raw materials and commercialisation of animal feeds.
She has been closely involved in many projects where natural or alternative solutions to potentially problematic additives are sought, as well as investigating the human health and animal welfare benefits of novel feeding strategies. She has been involved in writing numerous scientific books, and is currently the Editor in Chief of the World’s Poultry Science Journal. Her expertise and commercial experience includes pig, calf and poultry production as well as equine nutrition and companion animals.
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