Finding Her Way Back: The farming journey of Cheyenne Wilson
- Claire Inkson
- Jan 16
- 4 min read
Southland’s Cheyenne Wilson never planned on a career in dairying or agribusiness leadership.
Raised in the small settlement of Ohai, she grew up alongside her father on sheep and beef farms, learning early how to read stock, ride motorbikes and tractors, and work hard for what she wanted.
Her parents met in the shearing sheds, and work was simply part of life.
“If we wanted to play sport or go on a school camp, we had to pay for it ourselves,” she says.
Her first job was delivering newspapers at twelve.
From there came wool handling, nannying, cooking, bar work, and painting, often four jobs at once.
“We didn’t have much, but we knew how to work.”
Accidental beginnings
Wilson’s shift into dairying was almost accidental.
She was nannying for a local family who had converted a 1200-cow farm. After seeing her work ethic, they offered her a full-time role.
“I just thought it would be one job instead of four.”
At first, she saw it as a paycheck, until Primary ITO training changed her perspective. “Once I understood the why behind what we were doing, it clicked that dairy could actually be a career.”
In 2016, she moved to Mid Canterbury for an assistant manager role.
She did not know anyone, but Young Farmers quickly became her anchor.
She was elected secretary at her second meeting and chairperson the following year. Governance was familiar territory, having held similar roles back in Southland, but it confirmed a growing interest in leadership.
Recognition came early.
Wilson was a finalist in the Dairy Industry Awards and, in 2018, a finalist in the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Farmer of the Year.
But a move to a farm manager role in Culverden soon became one of the most difficult periods of her career.
A defining low point
The Culverden farm was only three years post-conversion and problems were constant. Team dynamics were strained, and resistance to a young female manager made daily work difficult.
“My assistant manager had a problem with reporting to a woman. I was told to tough it out.”
Without strong support around her, the isolation and ongoing pressure began to erode her confidence.
What kept her going were the connections she had built, especially through Young Farmers and a nearby farming family she met after the Kaikōura earthquake.
“Having people close by kept me grounded.”
Eventually, she knew she needed to reset. Encouraged by a mentor, Wilson stepped back from full-time farming and enrolled at Lincoln University.
Rebuilding at Lincoln
Wilson moved into a small farm cottage ten minutes from campus and took on a calf-rearing role while studying full-time.
It proved to be exactly what she needed.
“That job honestly saved my life. It brought the light back. My boss trusted me, valued my experience, and rebuilt my confidence.”
University was demanding. She failed three papers in her first semester while juggling study with long hours on-farm, but she persisted.
She completed a Bachelor of Environment and Society, served as chair of the Young Farmers regional committee, and helped deliver regional and grand finals through the COVID disruptions.
After graduating she accepted a fixed-term Māori relationship manager role with DairyNZ.
While she valued supporting Māori farmers, the fit was not right.
“Relationship roles don’t work well as fixed-term contracts. It didn’t sit well with me, and I struggled with some cultural misunderstandings.” She chose not to renew the contract.
Then, just as she set up her own business, Cyclone Gabrielle hit.
A year in Te Tairāwhiti
Wilson drove to Gisborne as soon as the roads reopened.
What she expected to be a few days of helping out turned into a year of work.
She assisted in warehouses sorting donated goods, helped coordinate stock feed into isolated coastal properties, and supported local efforts wherever she was needed.
“I thought I’d just be shovelling silt. It was nothing like that. It was chaos, but people needed help.”
A year later, after an injury forced her to pause, she returned home to Southland to regroup and spend time with family. It became a natural breathing space after several demanding years.
A growing governance footprint
Despite the challenging period, Wilson continued to expand her governance experience. She is a trustee for Meet the Need, has served on the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge council, was part of the Food and Fibre Workforce Development Council, and recently joined the WellSouth PHO board.
She also completed the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme, focusing her project on building a food and fibre sector where young Māori can thrive.
Her business now centres on cultural capability, facilitation, project work and supporting organisations across the primary sector.
She is intentional, however, about pacing herself.
“I needed time to get my feet back under me before pushing too hard again.”
Catching herself before the fall
Wilson is known for her openness around mental health and the strategies she uses to stay well.
She journals regularly, sends voice notes to friends when things feel heavy, and relies on a simple wellbeing agreement created with a friend: “If either of us is struggling, we ask, ‘Do you have eight minutes?’ and we talk.”
She also follows the maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar, using moon phases to understand energy patterns and when to slow down.
“It’s like a muscle. You build it over time. I’ve been fortunate to catch myself when I’m slipping into that dark hole.”
Looking forward
A long-held goal is now taking shape: creating a national network for young Māori in food and fibre, especially those who do not see themselves reflected in existing pathways. “I’ve been thinking about it for years. I don’t know exactly what it looks like yet, but that’s where I’m heading.”
At just 32, Wilson has already packed significant experience into her journey.
Through challenge, study, leadership and service, she has remained anchored by the values she was raised with: work hard, contribute to your community, know who you are, and back yourself.
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