Kate Acland

Kate Acland is chair of Beef + Lamb New Zealand, founder and owner of Sugar Loaf Wines and owner of Mt Somers Station alongside her husband David. ​ Diversification is embedded in Mt Somers Station’s business vision – to be a highly diversified, values-led, multi-generational, agri-food business that the family and staff are proud to be part of. It’s centred around three pillars of success – place, people and profit. ​ The couple also own the 148-year-old Staveley Store, which sells the farm’s produce including venison, lamb and beef as well as their popular honey, heritage lambswool blankets and Sugar Loaf wines. ​

Kate holds a bachelor’s degree in Viticulture and Oenology and a master’s degree in Applied Science, majoring in Farm Management Consultancy at Lincoln University. ​ Before moving to her husband David’s family farm, she developed her own vineyard and winery (Sugar Loaf Wines), processing and export business in Marlborough. ​ The couple have three children and employ 30 staff over a diverse group of businesses, including Mt Somers Station. They run 30,000 stock units in a mixture of sheep, beef and deer, as well as an 850-cow dairy unit. ​ The Mt Somers Station property also includes a standalone honey operation with 500 hectares of native vegetation and beech forest supporting 400 hives that produce Manuka, Honeydew and Clover honeys.