New Year Honours: Farming stalwart's simple reason for success

In his historic Canterbury homestead, overlooking Mt Hutt and scented with the wild Himalayan lilies that grow in the garden, John Acland is hosting the media.

The stalwart of the farming industry is now a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, and with the honour comes the obligation to submit to interviews.

Acland explains how the honour came about. It was simple. "I have a very supportive family that have enabled me to do all the things I have."

There is his wife of 42 years, Rosemary, their six children - three boys, three girls - and 12 grandchildren.

And Acland's 92-year-old mother, Lady Katherine Acland.

"They have been very, very supportive," John Acland says.

Reservations about accepting the award were sidelined because, says Acland, it was shared with so many brilliant people, through work and family.

And that is his strength, he says.

"I choose the right people ... and then I just sit around."

Officially, the honours list says Acland was recognised for his services to farming and the community.

The homestead and land have been in the Acland family since 1855.

Acland, like his father, has always been active in farming politics.

He was chairman of the Meat Board for five years, on its board for 15, has been a director of a variety of companies and chairs the Geraldine Aged Welfare Association.

Acland also chaired the Land Access Ministerial Group, which works to make sure New Zealanders can access private land for recreation.

Acland is joined on the honours list by businessman Warren Larsen, also made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Larsen, described by industry commentators as a trusted and charismatic leader, is the former chief executive of the New Zealand Dairy Board.

He was a pivotal player in the creation of Fonterra, producing stirring speeches that swung the farming vote - previously on a knife edge - in favour of creating the industry monolith.

From Ohope yesterday - after a day of fishing - Larsen said he was "very surprised" by the honour.

He gave credit to his wife and their daughter for their support.

Larsen remains a director of companies including Fletcher Challenge Forests, Richmond and Owens Group and was recently appointed chairman of the New Zealand Racing Board.

Athol Hutton, 71, of the Bay of Islands and the former chief executive of meat company Waitaki International, was named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for "services to business and the community".

As chief executive of Waitaki in the 1980s, Hutton "had to make about 7000 people redundant". Many used their redundancy payouts to start businesses - but many of those businesses struggled.

Hutton started Company Rebuilders, a trust for former senior executives to mentor small and struggling businesses around the country.

He is also known for cancer charity fundraising.

Another new officer of the order is Peter Berg, honoured for services to the forestry industry in a career stretching more than 30 years.

Berg is the president of the Forest Owners Association, one of a broad range of senior roles he has held in the industry.