Six people with rural connections have been recognised with Queen’s Birthday honours, including Farmers Weekly journalist Hugh Stringleman.
Dairy industry leader John Monaghan has been made a companion of the NZ Order of Merit for services to the sector.
An inaugural member of the Fonterra Shareholders Council and later its chairman, Monaghan was elected to the Fonterra board in 2008 and became its chairman from 2018 to 2020.
While on the board he chaired its governance development programme, both the external relations and the co-operative relations committees, was involved in its China strategy and the launch of the GlobalDairyTrade auction platform.
He has been a director of Wellington Centrepoint Ltd and is involved in the Eketahuna community.
Professor John Hampton has been made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for his 56 years working in agricultural science, most notably with seed.
He has been a key driver in the establishment of the Seed Research Centre at Lincoln University in 2009, where he is currently Professor of Seed Technology.
His research career has focused on seed quality, production in both conventional and organic systems and bio control of pests and diseases.
Hampton has been the president of the International Herbage Seed Group, the New Zealand Agronomy Society and the International Seed Testing Association.
He has also held leadership roles with the Seed Testing Associations’ Vigour and Association Rules Committees.
Former world shearing champion,John Kirkpatrick has been made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for services to shearing sports.
Over 26 years, Kirkpatrick has earned 211 individual shearing titles including 188 open titles.
In 2017 he won the World Championship in Invercargill and has won World Teams’ titles in 2008, 2012 and 2017.
Kirkpatrick has been a NZ representative on tours to the United Kingdom and 15 trans-Tasman tests and ranked NZ’s top open-class shearer 10 times.
He is a co-holder of the World 4-stand 8-hour strong wool lamb record of 2556, with the highest individual tally of 650.
As a master shearer, Kirkpatrick has been a shearers’ delegate to Golden Shear’s World Council and Shearing Sports New Zealand.
He is also a shearing instructor.
Taranaki sheep and beef farmer Bryan Hocken has been made a member of the NZ Order of Merit for services to agriculture and the rural community.
A farmer for 50 years, he has been a provincial president of Federated Farmers and is a councillor with Beef + Lamb NZ Western North Island Farmer Council, organising events, field days and workshops for farmers.
Hocken has promoted NZ beef and lamb by hosting on his farm international visitors, politicians and diplomats.
In 2003 he led opposition to an animal emissions tax and been active in campaigns such as micro-chipping of dogs.
He organises a bi-annual ‘Beef + Lamb New Zealand Taranaki Big Dine In’ with upwards of 200 guests, guest speakers and entertainment to celebrate success and promote the wellbeing of farmers.
Hocken is active within the Tarata community.
Farmers Weekly journalist Hugh Stringleman has been made a member of the NZ Order of Merit for a 40-plus year career covering agricultural issues.
Whangarei-based, Stringleman’s work is highly-regarded for being thoroughly researched, accurate, balanced and for presenting complex issues in ways that are easily understood.
He was formerly the agricultural editor of The Press in Christchurch before being appointed the managing editor of New Zealand Rural Press for 14 years.
For the past 20 years he has been a contributing journalist for the Farmers Weekly.
In 2006 he co-authored the history of PGG Wrightson ‘Rural Challenge’ and compiled the book ‘Agricultural Heritage: Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association Inc 1843-2010’.
Stringleman was president of the New Zealand Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators (NZGAJC) in 2008-2009 and led the organising committee for the guild’s successful hosting of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) World Congress in New Zealand in 2015.
He has been a member of the guild’s national executive for 10 years and has represented New Zealand at IFAJ conferences around the world.
Stringleman has twice been awarded the NZGAJC’s top award for excellence in agricultural writing, the Rongo Award, and in 1996 was named the Landcorp Communicator of the Year.
He has previously been a member of the Professional Historians Association of New Zealand.
Sam Inder has been awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for services to the community.
Inder, from Otago, had extensive involvement in the Young Farmers Club movement while farming in Central Otago, becoming its national president in 1974 and organising a world conference in Christchurch.
He has extensive involvement in community events in the Strath Taieri and on retirement managed the Royal Albatross Centre on Otago Peninsula from 2001 to 2010.
In later years he has been a coach and administrator for the sport of curling.
