Our story.
Two ways off the farm. One reason why. For Farmers gets farmers, farm workers and growers off the farm, into the fresh air and back home feeling lighter. No lectures. No workshops. Just waves, trails and a yarn afterwards.
It started with a surfboard.
Back in 2018, Gisborne farmer Stephen Thomson reckoned a surf after work might do a few farmers some good. Around 20 or 30 people turned up on that first evening. Nobody was trying to start a movement. It was simply a chance to get off farm, spend some time in the water and catch up over a barbecue afterwards.
That simple idea struck a chord. Today, Surfing for Farmers runs at 25 beaches around New Zealand, giving thousands of farmers, farm workers and growers a reason to step away from the farm for a few hours each week. What began on one beach has become a nationwide community, built one evening, one surf and one conversation at a time.
View Surfing For Farmers
Then came the trails.
A few years later, a similar story was unfolding inland. In 2021, Hamish Clausen founded Rural Riders after going through a difficult time himself. Coming from a farming background, he knew first-hand that life’s challenges don’t always look the way people expect. A weekly mountain bike ride with a mate’s dad became the thing he looked forward to most each week. It gave him a reason to get off farm, clear his head and spend time alongside people who understood.
So, he built the same opportunity for others. Starting with around a dozen riders in Taupō, Rural Riders was founded on a simple idea: go for a ride, then have a yarn afterwards. No pressure. No expectations. Just good people, fresh air and a reason to get out the gate.
View Rural RidersOne Crew. Same Spirit.
By 2026, it was clear both initiatives were achieving the same thing in different ways. One through waves. One through trails.
So, they came together under one banner: For Farmers.
For the people turning up each week, very little changed. The same beaches. The same trails. The same local coordinators. The same barbecues and conversations afterwards.
Behind the scenes, though, bringing the two initiatives together meant one organisation could take care of the funding, governance, coordination and administration, leaving local coordinators to focus on what they do best — bringing farmers together.
It’s still the same grassroots community. There’s just a bigger crew behind it.
Why it works.
People often ask what the secret is. The truth is, there isn’t one. A surf or a ride demands your attention. For an hour or two, you’re focused on the wave in front of you or the next corner on the trail. The farm can wait.
As For Farmers General Manager Dominic Huxley says, “When you’re in that environment, it’s a reset.” Everything else follows naturally. Fresh air. A bit of exercise. Mates. Having a crack at something new. And a proper break from the farm.
The People.
For Farmers is led by General Manager Dominic Huxley, alongside the original Surfing for Farmers trustee group, with Hamish Clausen joining the board following the merger. Kate Ward leads Rural Riders nationally, supporting its growing network of coordinators across the country.
But the real heart of For Farmers is its local coordinators. Every beach and every trail is run by someone who gives up their own time around work, family and farming because they believe these evenings matter. They’re the first to arrive, the last to leave, and the reason any of this happens.
Together, Surfing for Farmers contributes around 2,500 volunteer hours every year, backed by support from the Rural Wellbeing Fund and a group of long-standing rural partners who help keep these events running around the country.
Meet the team
Looking ahead.
From one beach in Gisborne and one trail ride in Taupō, For Farmers has grown into a nationwide community helping thousands of rural New Zealanders get off farm and reconnect with themselves and each other.
But we’re not finished yet. As we continue to grow, we also want to help lead the conversation around rural wellbeing in New Zealand, because the people having that conversation should include the people living it every day. Whether it’s on a surfboard or a mountain bike, the reason hasn’t changed.
Get off farm. Have a crack. Head home feeling a little lighter.
The good sorts.
Backing what we do and helping us make it happen. A huge shoutout to our sponsors and funders who provide the gear, support and resources that keep Surfing for Farmers and Rural Riders free for farmers.
Our premium sponsors for Surfing for Farmers and Rural Riders.
