Becks Smith is on a mission to demystify the world of sustainability and bring a positive mindset to how we approach the daunting topic of sustainability on farm.
Sustainability is a loaded word that can mean many different things to different people. Becks founded social enterprise, The Whole Story, to help navigate sustainability in the agriculture sector in a way that is aspirational, equitable and practical. In her own words, she’s an agriculture sustainability coach.
As a farmer, vet and mum to three young girls, Becks admits life is organised chaos but she has a talent for communicating on sustainability in a way that is relatable and tangible to farmers – after all, she’s in the trenches with us.
She and her husband live on the 700-hectare family sheep, beef and deer farm near Ranfurly, Central Otago. Recognising the challenges they faced on a family farm, going through succession at a time of high interest rates and low farm gate returns, and juggling a young family and off farm job as a vet, Becks has a unique perspective.
“It’s hard to find practical solutions that are equitable for smaller family farms. I’m really passionate about sustainability, not the word, but the value. In 2018-19 we had a period of looking at our farm systems and noticing the rising environmental pressure. I remember thinking sustainability shouldn’t be compliance and regulatory driven, and it shouldn’t be this hard.
“I had this deep moment of reflection during lockdown and founded a social enterprise to use my strengths to help farmers navigate sustainability.”
Becks hopes to inspire sustainable change from the ground up, but she can also see sustainability has become a negative space for farmers, and wants to help shift to a positive mindset.
“We can’t innovate from a space of negativity or defensiveness. I see the New Zealand farmer as innovative and shovel ready, ready to take practical action. We need to give them the space to go out and get it done, not stifle the innovation and action of farmers. Trying to unlock that and bring that back is a big motivator for me.”
Describe yourself in 3 words: Passionate, energetic and adventurous.
Was there a lightbulb moment for you? I was listening to a podcast with Bridget Williams from Bead and Proceed being interviewed on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It hit me like a bus that there was a different way you could talk about sustainability. Learning about the SDG framework gave me a whole new perspective on sustainability and how we communicate about sustainability. I can remember where I was when I listened to that podcast and all I could think was, why the hell are we not using these in agriculture? The beauty of the SDGs is it’s a framework that already exists, and it’s not owned by anyone. It’s a set of goals that have been given to the world and there’s no intellectual property around them, which gives you a freedom. I like that it’s colourful, bright and interactive – it’s a global language.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? So many good bits from so many people over the years! One that’s stuck with me the longest was from my dad, ‘always do what people expect of you, and more’. It can serve you in a good way and a bad way I guess, but it pushes me to think about how I can go above and beyond for people.
What does sustainability mean to you? To me, it’s about legacy and pride, leaving something for the future generations in a way that’s better as a result of us being involved, and being proud of that. Being proud of what you do day to day, and the future we will leave.
What inspires you? Other people’s stories. I love podcasts, why do I listen? I get so inspired by listening to people’s different perspectives on the world around them.
Dream way to spend a day? I have all these different personalities, I’m never the same person on any given day, but I do love my morning coffee, so it would have to be getting up and having time to myself. I’d start with yoga and meditation and a beautiful coffee in silence. Then it would be spending time outside and some farm work. It fills my cup all getting out on the farm together as a family, so we’d probably smash out some farm jobs. As a family we’d go and do something adventurous, maybe a go for a walk or a bike ride, or climb a mountain. I love watching our kids explore the world around them. I’d end with a bloody good steak and chips at the pub. That would be my perfect day.
What are you reading/listening to? I do a lot of listening to podcasts and audio books. I have a stack of books by my bed but don’t seem to find the time to read them so much these days! I do a lot of driving and I’m such a lover of learning. I am usually doing some course or professional development, but I promised by husband I would take a year off, so podcasts and audio books are filling that gap. My learning style is definitely by listening or doing.
I listen to learn, and I read to enjoy and experience a story.
My favourite podcasts are Humans of Agriculture and for inspiration, Jay Shetty. He’s a bit woo woo, but I love Jay, I’ve listened to every episode and there’s always something that resonates. I listen to both podcasts religiously.
Audio books I’m listening to are ‘From What Is to What If’ by Rob Hopkins, it’s about the power of imagination, and I’m just finishing ‘Soil: the incredible story of what keeps the earth, and us, healthy’ by Matthew Evans for the second time.
A big favourite book is ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear and another one I pick up all the time is ‘Aroha’ by Hinemoa Elder. It’s more of a resource I jump in and out of, it’s a beautiful book to connect with the land and Maori culture and heritage.
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