Diane Strugnell 

2025 Greater Wellington Finalists: Diane Strugnell – Beef

The woman behind this Porirua beef farm is a testament to the power of hard work, dedication, and a commitment to environmental stewardship.

Diane Strugnell has built the 265ha (198ha effective) farm’s success through a combination of hands-on experience and a thirst for knowledge. She enjoys the challenge of learning new things and seeing the positive progress she’s made over the years.

Diane purchased the farm with her husband Mike in 1997 and they initially continued running it as a sheep farm while starting to diversify into cattle. From 2009, Diane took on sole management and switched to exclusively running Angus beef breeding cows.

Today, she derives 100% of her farm income from selling weaner beef steers and heifers. She runs 115 beef cows, plus three Angus bulls, breeding about 100 calves each year. She sells all steers and some of the heifers, while keeping up to 25 heifers as replacements.

Diane has honed her skills through years of dedicated effort – mastering farm management, developing practical skills, and diving deep into freshwater science and native ecology. She does most of the work herself, with occasional help from family and contractors.

A key focus has been on environmental sustainability. With guidance from an advisor, she developed a farm plan that outlined achievable and affordable environmental goals. These included improving water security, enhancing biodiversity, and minimising environmental impact.

She’s now ticked off all her early goals that include increasing water storage, fencing sensitive areas, and implementing measures to improve water quality.

Diane is a strong advocate for freshwater protection. She actively monitors the farm’s streams, participates in local monitoring programmes, and has remediated a fish passage area.

Beyond her own farm, Diane is actively involved in sharing her knowledge with the wider community. This includes initiating the Pauatahanui Freshwater Catchment Community that holds workshops on freshwater monitoring and pest plant control.