A rural legend has been recognised in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours.

Former Fieldays chief executive Peter Nation, 64, was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to agricultural industry and governance.

Nation, born in the Rangitikei district into a longstanding farming family, has contributed to the rural sector since the 1980s.

“My mother had me exposed to business and commerce from the age of 10,” Nation told the Waikato Herald.

“We had a beef farm and a sawmill and I was helping out in the sawmill office.

“While I never became a farmer directly, I always supported farmers in other ways.”

Nation has been involved in the New Zealand National Fieldays Society since 2004, first as a member of the board and, from 2016 until his retirement last year, as chief executive.

While serving on the Fieldays board, he managed the New Zealand Animal Management business unit as National Sales Manager of the Gallagher Group.

Throughout this time until 2012, he was also heavily involved in the New Zealand Farm Environment Award Trust.

From 2020 until 2022 he was a council member of Agritech New Zealand and he also served several years on the St Paul’s Agribusiness in Schools programme advisory board.

“A lot of things in my life are built on giving back.

Peter Nation.

“My mother and my father were very community-minded and I think you often replicate your parent’s values.”

Originally from Hunterville, Nation went to boarding school to get an education.

He said he returned to his community at the age of 17 instead of going to university.

One of the first steps on Nation’s agenda: getting Hunterville a Squash Club.

“I played squash at school, but when I came back home, we had no court in town.”

So he rallied his friends and set up a committee.

At the same time, he started working at the local ANZ and got involved with the Chamber of Commerce.

Peter Nation, University of Waikato Management School Professor Frank Scrimgeour, independent economist Dr Warren Hughes and ANZ chief economist Cameron Bagrie at the Fieldays 2017 Economic Impact Report breakfast.

Nation spent significant time with ANZ, moving around several branches, including Hawera, Paeroa, Thames and Hamilton.

“It was the only way to get ahead in those days.”

It was through his job as ANZ’s Regional Manager - Rural, that he got involved with Fieldays as he was a sponsor representative.

“Advancing agriculture always meant a lot to me.

“I’ve seen the issues rural New Zealanders face, because I lived in rural New Zealand.”

That’s why he was very proud of giving farmers a place to go through Fieldays and setting up the health and wellbeing hub.

Another job close to his heart was his work with the New Zealand Farm Environment Award Trust.

“I didn’t invent the concept [of the Ballance Awards], but we picked it up and took it national.

Peter Nation when he was Gallagher's National Sales Manager.

“Now it’s in 13 regions and one of New Zealand’s most prestigious awards.

“It ... has grown leaders out of it and showcased families that have been beavering away quietly for years.

“I feel really proud of what I’ve done - with others - to get it to this point. You leave a heritage and people can build on that.”

In 2019, he joined the Waikato Chamber of Commerce board - a full circle moment for him.

While he had been a busy man, he said none of it had felt like a chore.

“Opportunities arose and I put myself forward to help.

“I haven’t done any of it for the accolades... I just get on and do it.”

Nation said receiving his King’s Birthday Honour still hadn’t fully sunk in.

“I got the call from the Prime Minister’s Office two months ago... [but] I’m still sitting here a bit numb.

“A lot of people that get those awards - it’s obvious. When you read these things it’s always someone else, so it’s humbling and appreciated to be recognised.

“It got me reflecting ... I don’t live in the past, but I know where I come from.

“We only went to town once a year, my primary school had 30 people. Now here I am in New Zealand’s fastest-growing city.

“I’m also reflecting on who is not here to see it. I lost my mum when I was 18, so she missed a lot of my milestones - including [today]. But she would be just so... ecstatic.”

Nation said he was still working through how to tell his family.

“I’m thinking about leaving the letter and the newspaper out on the kitchen counter for someone to find it.”

He said while he didn’t want to work fulltime anymore, he wasn’t fully going to retire.

“What is retirement - you can contribute until the day you leave this earth.”

Danielle Zollickhofer is the Waikato news director and a multimedia journalist. She joined NZME in 2021 and is based in Hamilton.