B+LNZ Ladies' Long Lunch is back!
Save the date and mark your calendars! Our much loved B+LNZ Ladies Long Lunch is happening on Thursday 18 June 2026 at the Gore Town & Country.
Join us for an inspiring Southern Ladies Long Lunch featuring keynote speaker Hilary Barry and an exceptional panel of women leading change across farming, business, governance and innovation.
From the farm gate to the boardroom, from woolshed to world stage, women are shaping the future in powerful and often unexpected ways.
Together, we’ll explore what it means to own your story, stepping confidently into leadership, navigating modern ownership pathways, creating value from the land, and leaving a legacy that matters.
An afternoon of insight, laughter and connection, celebrating women who lead with purpose.
Guest speakers
Hilary Barry: Broadcaster | Media Personality | Advocate for Confident Leadership
Hilary Barry is one of New Zealand’s most trusted and recognisable broadcasters, with a career spanning television, radio and digital media. A born and bred Wellingtonian, she began her career in radio in the Wairarapa, gaining an early introduction to rural reporting in the wool sheds and milking sheds around Masterton.
After roles at TV3 in Christchurch and Auckland, Hilary moved to TVNZ, where she has spent the past decade presenting Seven Sharp alongside co‑host Jeremy Wells. Known for her warmth, authenticity and ability to connect with audiences across generations, Hilary is a respected voice in public conversation and leadership.
Hilary will reflect on owning your voice and your story, navigating confidence and visibility, and stepping into leadership with authenticity, even when the pathway ahead feels uncertain.
In her keynote, Hilary will share reflections on owning your voice and your story, navigating confidence and visibility, and stepping into leadership with authenticity even when the pathway ahead feels uncertain.
Kate Acland: Chair, Beef + Lamb New Zealand | Farmer
Kate Acland is Chair of Beef + Lamb New Zealand and farms Mount Somers Station with her family. Alongside sheep, beef and dairy, the farm has diversified into honey production and lambswool products. With leadership experience spanning farming, entrepreneurship and national advocacy, Kate brings a thoughtful perspective on stewardship, influence, and shaping a resilient future for the sector.
Rural Women New Zealand Panel: owning our stories – women on-farm, leading with purpose
This panel brings together women who know that every farm, every family and every business has a story and focuses on those who are choosing to own theirs. Their paths are different, but what connects them is courage: to speak up, to step forward, and to build legacies that matter.
Hear something that resonates with your own journey and sparks confidence to take the next step.
Tara Dwyer: Sheep & Beef Farmer | Co Founder, Landify | Breeding Manager, Headwaters
Tara Dwyer is a North Otago sheep and beef farmer based in Middlemarch with her family. She is co‑founder of Landify, a platform creating partnership pathways to farm ownership and succession. Tara also works as Breeding Manager for Headwaters and brings a background in agricultural science, farming and rural services, with a focus on practical solutions for family farming.
Kate Faulks: Farmer | Engineer | Director, Ravensdown
Kate Faulks farms in North Otago with her husband Adam and their five children, while also serving as a director of Ravensdown, where she chairs the Health, Safety and Wellbeing subcommittee. With a background in engineering and operations, including early career experience with ExxonMobil, Kate brings strong systems thinking and stewardship to governance. She is passionate about shaping the future of New Zealand’s primary industries and encouraging others particularly women to step confidently into leadership, governance and influence.
Charlotte Bell: Founder, The Clip | Farmer
Charlotte Bell is a Hakataramea Valley farmer and founder of The Clip, a New Zealand‑made wool coat brand born from the Bell family’s Romney wool. Farming over 4,000 Romney sheep alongside Simmental/Hereford cattle, Charlotte created a timeless garment that connects farm to fashion. Her work champions natural fibres, sustainability and ethical production, while telling the story of wool and the land it comes from.
Meet our MC
Becks Smith: Farmer | The Whole Story Podcast
Becks Smith believes farming is about community, environment, economy and legacy. A trained vet, Becks founded The Whole Story podcast in 2020, inspired by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and a desire to move sustainability beyond compliance and box ticking. Becks, her husband Jason and their three daughters live and work on a 700‑hectare sheep, beef and deer farm in the Māniototo, Central Otago.
Tickets sales opening soon
Tickets will be released Monday 26 May at 12.30pm.
A pre‑sale ticket link will be sent to all Beef + Lamb New Zealand levy payers and farmers in the Southern South Island region.
Please ensure your contact details are up to date on the Beef + Lamb New Zealand website to receive the pre‑sale link.
Contact B+LNZ Theresa Laws for more info at: [email protected]