AbacusBio People

Simon has a passion for sheep and beef farming and this, combined with his science background and financial expertise means he can make a difference to the profitability of his farming clients.

Simon’s specialty areas include:

farm consulting
- grazing management
- feed planning
- enterprise evaluation
facilitation of farm discussion groups and industry teams
evaluation of new technologies for agriculture
project management

After completing a BSc in Zoology at the University of Otago, Simon farmed for 6 years. The farm was an intensive 315Ha sheep operation with trading beef, dairy support and cropping, which gave him a practical grounding in mixed farming systems. Following this, he worked as a fertiliser sales and advisory representative for Nitron Australasia Ltd and then as a farm consultant for PGG Wrightson. This has given Simon a wealth of experience in a multitude of farming areas and systems.

Simon joined AbacusBio as an agribusiness consultant in 2007. He works with farmer clients and on projects, specialising in the sheep and beef sector. Simon likes to work with clients to ensure their farming systems are practicable and efficient, meeting their longer term personal and financial aspirations. Along with on-farm consulting, he facilitates discussion groups in South Otago, is on the management board for the Salvation Army’s Jeff Farm, manages a number of projects ranging from water quality to Maori Onion control and writes a monthly column in the ORC climate and pasture update. He has also contributed to articles in the Country Wide. It is this diverse range of activities that ensures Simon is up-to-date with all the latest agribusiness going-ons.

When he’s not at work Simon enjoys time with family, sport (particularly cricket) and any silly project with an element of construction - just don't ask him to build a solid stable basketball hoop with backboard.

Contact Simon
P: +64 (0)3 477 6375
M: +64 (0)27 246 4630
E:

Cameron Ludemann

Cameron is keen to work with farmers and industry groups to achieve their goals. He is a graduate from Lincoln University with a Master of Applied Science in Professional Farm Management Consultancy.

Cameron’s specialty areas include:

facilitation of farmer and industry groups
farm consulting, including financial and feed, budgeting and analysis
computer modeling of farm systems
agricultural carbon emissions

Cameron grew up on his family farm near Ashburton, where he gained valuable experience in sheep, beef, deer and cropping farm systems. In 2005, he received a Lincoln University Entrance scholarship and went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Agriculture in 2007. He then undertook a Master of Applied Science (Professional Farm Management Consultancy) in 2009. During his time at Lincoln University, Cameron worked on horticultural/cropping, dairy and sheep farms and for a rural business consultancy. His Masters dissertation aimed to find the optimal ewe prolificacy for Canterbury dryland farms using a linear program. The linear program optimised farm net profits by altering livestock numbers according to their per-head energy requirements at different ewe prolificacy; constrained by the finite pasture supply.

Cameron joined AbacusBio in February 2009 and is interested in making farm businesses run more efficiently and enjoys the challenge of the conceptual thinking behind farm management. Since joining AbacusBio, Cameron has been involved with several projects relating to carbon mitigation for the sheep and beef industries in New Zealand, UK and Ireland. He has also been involved in applied work on farms as well as facilitation of farmer and industry groups.

He is keen to put his facilitation, computer modeling skills and practical knowledge of farm systems to good use to help farmers and industry groups achieve their goals.

Outside of work and study, he’s dabbled in a number of different sports and in his spare time Cameron enjoys getting outdoors hunting, tramping and running.

Contact Cameron
P: +64 (0)3 477 6375
E:

Contact AbacusBio on
+64 (0)3 477 6375