Chair, Beef + Lamb New Zealand

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.