Surfing For Farmers

What Surfing For Farmers does

Surfing for Farmers is a New Zealand-registered charitable trust (Surfing for Farmers Charitable Trust) founded in 2018 in Gisborne that delivers free, community-based surfing experiences to the country's farmers, growers, and their families. The core offering is a seasonal program running approximately 13-15 weeks each summer (November through late March) across 25 beach locations nationwide, providing participants with surfboards, wetsuits, rash shirts, professional coaching from local surf schools, and post-session BBQ gatherings at no cost. Over eight years of operation, the program has engaged more than 8,000 farmers and growers, growing from a single Gisborne location to nationwide coverage through a network of volunteer local coordinators. Primary participants are working farmers, growers, and primary producers across agriculture and horticulture, with secondary participation from rural families and partners.

The organization operates with a lean paid team of approximately six staff, led by General Manager Dom Huxley and Chairman/Founder Stephen Thomson, supplemented by 25 volunteer regional coordinators and a board of directors. Its technology footprint is minimal: it relies on the third-party Sporty NZ mobile application for participant communications, a basic website hosted via Sporty.co.nz, and social media channels for awareness. There is no proprietary technology platform, app, or AI/ML capability disclosed. The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, with awareness generated through word-of-mouth, local coordinator networks, sponsor channels, and seasonal social gatherings rather than traditional marketing.

Surfing for Farmers is funded entirely through a diversified mix of premium corporate sponsorships, grassroots regional sponsorships, individual donations, and grants from charitable trusts. Premium sponsors include Fonterra, Ballance Agri-Nutrients, ANZ Bank, Halter, and Bayleys, while regional funders such as Trust Waikato provide grant support. The organization also generates incremental revenue through a branded merchandise line. All revenue is reinvested into equipment, volunteer training, regional operations, and nationwide expansion, with no fees charged to participants.

Name

Surfing For Farmers

Legal name

Surfing for Farmers Charitable Trust

Website

https://surfingforfarmers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Surfing for Farmers is a New Zealand charitable trust founded in 2018 that delivers free seasonal surfing sessions, equipment, coaching, and social gatherings to farmers, growers, and rural families across 25 beach locations nationwide, funded by corporate sponsorships, donations, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Community Wellness

akta.pro primary industry

Surf Schools & Surf Camps (THAAAKAC)

Keywords

• Rural mental health
• Community wellness programs
• Surfing wellbeing initiative
• Farmer support services
• Charitable surf sessions

Headquarters

HQ city

New Zealand (National)

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and corporate donations from the public and supporters provide funding for equipment, training, and operational costs. Donations enable long-term planning, volunteer training, equipment investment, and nationwide expansion.
2. Premium Sponsorship: Large corporate sponsors (Fonterra, Ballance, ANZ Bank, Halter, Bayleys) provide funding in exchange for brand association and alignment with rural community wellbeing initiatives. Premium sponsors receive prominent logo placement and recognition across communications.
3. Grassroots Sponsorship: Smaller regional businesses provide localized support, receiving recognition as grassroots sponsors. These sponsors help fund specific locations or equipment needs.
4. Funder Partnerships: Charitable trusts and foundations (such as Trust Waikato and other regional funders) provide grant funding to support operations, equipment purchases, and regional expansion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Surfing for Farmers is a charitable trust that delivers free weekly surf sessions, equipment, professional coaching, and social BBQ gatherings to New Zealand farmers, growers, and their families across 25 beach locations nationwide during the summer season (November through late March). The program is designed to support rural mental health and wellbeing by giving farmers a structured break from farm work to engage in physical activity, social connection, and community support.

Product overview

Surfing for Farmers is a community wellness program built around a single core offering: free weekly surfing sessions for New Zealand farmers and growers. The program operates across 25 beach locations nationwide during summer months (November through March), providing everything participants need at no cost—surfboards, wetsuits, professional coaching, and post-session BBQs. The core Surfing for Farmers Program is supported by the Sporty NZ mobile app for participant communications, local surf school partnerships for coaching, and a merchandise line for brand supporters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Surfing for Farmers Program A free community wellness program for New Zealand farmers, growers, and rural families offering weekly surf sessions with professional coaching, free equipment (surfboards, wetsuits, rash shirts), and post-session BBQ gatherings across 25 beach locations. The program runs each summer season (November through late March) for 13-15 weeks.
• Surfing for Farmers Merchandise

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,000+ farmers and growers have participated in the program over 8 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered premium/flagship, core and regional.

• Fonterrapremium/flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Fonterra is committed to caring for rural communities by improving access to wellbeing and resilience services for farming families. Along with partnership with the Rural Support Trust, Fonterra supports Surfing for Farmers as part of their Doing Good Together community initiative to care for people, the environment, and their Co-op for generations.
• Ballance Agri-Nutrientspremium/flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Ballance has been investing in rural health initiatives for many years including the Surfing for Farmers programme since it started in Gisborne in 2018. They are proud to be part of a great initiative that gives farmers an opportunity to step away from their all-consuming business, get fresh air, exercise and interact with other farmers, rural families and industry professionals.
• Halterpremium/flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerHalter is revolutionizing livestock management by combining cutting-edge technology with practical farming solutions. Their mission is to empower farmers to work smarter, not harder, through innovative tools that improve animal welfare, optimize pasture utilization, and enhance farm efficiency. Supporting Surfing for Farmers aligns with their commitment to sustainability and farmer wellbeing.
• Bayleyspremium/flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerAs New Zealand's number one rural real estate brand with over 100 rural and lifestyle salespeople nationwide, Bayleys Country team is committed to delivering the best possible results for clients. They are a premium sponsorship partner supporting an initiative that backs the rural community and is passionate about mental health.
• Rural Support TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRural Support Trust continues to be a community partner, and collectively with Fonterra they reach more people in communities by encouraging them to get off farm and support their wellbeing with sun, surf, and a good yarn. The Trust and Surfing for Farmers align in their mission to support rural community wellbeing.
• Local Surf SchoolsregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerSurfing for Farmers collaborates with local surf schools that offer coaching and facilities to help get farmers into the waves. These partnerships provide professional instruction during weekly sessions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand: National NZ charity working on mental health promotion and farmer-specific wellbeing initiatives. Comparable as a broader mental health incumbent that addresses the same pain points (rural stress, isolation) for the same audience.
• Surfing Australia: Australia's national governing body for surfing, delivering community programs including Learn to Surf and wellbeing initiatives. Comparable as a broad incumbent in surf-based community programming, though it operates nationally and is sport-development rather than rural-wellbeing focused.
• Surf Life Saving New Zealand: NZ organization delivering surf education, water safety, and community programs across NZ beaches. Comparable as a beach-based community programming operator in NZ with coastal activation model.
• R U OK?: Australian-originated suicide prevention charity with growing rural and farming community campaigns. Comparable mission in mental wellbeing promotion, but broader community focus rather than rural-specific surf delivery.

Regional players

• Australian Farmers Fighting Depression: Australian non-profit focused on mental health support for rural communities. Highly comparable in mission (farmer mental health) but operates trans-Tasman in Australia, offering a relevant benchmark for potential cross-border expansion.
• Outback Mind (formerly Royal Flying Doctor Service Mental Health): Australian initiative providing mental health services to remote and rural communities. Comparable as a regional player addressing farmer/rural mental health, primarily serving Australian geography.

Others

• Halter: NZ agtech company and listed premium sponsor of Surfing for Farmers. Relevant as an ecosystem enabler within the NZ rural tech community and direct partner, though its core business is livestock tech rather than wellbeing.

Direct peers

• Rural Support Trust: National NZ network supporting rural communities through adverse events and wellbeing. Directly comparable in mission and audience; SFF explicitly partners with this organization, making it the closest mission-aligned peer.
• Farmstrong: New Zealand-based rural mental wellbeing initiative funded by farmers, government and industry. Highly comparable as it targets the same NZ farmer audience with mental-health-focused programming, though via different delivery formats (online tools, events, ambassador network).

Emerging players

• Willowbean (Mind Your Head / Farm Safety): Provides mental health and wellness programs tailored to agricultural communities. Comparable in mission and audience though currently smaller in scale and focused on North American markets rather than NZ.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/surfingforfarmersnz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/surfing-for-farmers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Surfing For Farmers