Emma Crutchley

Emma is a sheep, beef and arable farmer, from the Maniototo in Central Otago. Puketoi Station is a 2900 ha property she farms alongside her husband Kyle and two primary school aged children. She is a director for Irrigation NZ and has held a variety of roles at regional and community level.

As an outgoing ‘Agri-optimist’ and big picture thinker she loves getting stuck into projects that enable a stronger primary sector and healthier rural communities. She is a member of the ‘National Lamb Day’ Campaign group. The 2024 date change initiative to the 15th of February gained national engagement, political support, and industry endorsement, from within and across the supply chain.

She has been a key visionary in the Catchment Group space, co-founding a project that secured 4.55 million dollars through the Jobs for Nature Funding for her community. The recognition of multi-stakeholder support from diverse organisations and the Otago Regional Council took the value of the project to around 6 million dollars. In late 2022 this was followed up with another $500,000 Integrated Farm Planning funded project for the entire Taieri Catchment.

Emma is also known for her work in the policy space at a regional and national level advocating for extensive grazing systems seeking best outcomes for sensitive environments such as The Upper Taieri Scroll Plain. This area was removed from the National Stock Exclusion Rules to seek local solutions in the previous term of government.

In her spare time, Emma enjoys connecting with friends, getting outdoors with her family, boating, enjoying Otago’s coastline and many lakes. She is a fitness junkie, a runner, yoga lover and enjoys a good book.