The Agblution Solutions Team
Logan Bowler
BApplSc (Forestry)
After completing a Bachelor of Applied Science (as a crusty grey-haired student) at Massey University, Logan worked for Horizons Regional Council firstly as a compliance officer then later as Horizon’s rural advisor.
After 5 years, he moved to a role with DairyNZ as an Environmental Extension Specialist where he focused on helping farmers, and working with regional councils, milk companies and research organisations predominantly with an effluent focus.
He has an in-depth working knowledge of the RMA and strong relationships with a large number of key players in the effluent space.
His intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the Dairy Effluent Storage Calculator makes him the go to person for solving problems with difficult calculations.
Logan holds both the intermediate and advanced nutrient management certificates and is a certified FDE WoF assessor.
Logan and his wife Kathy Craw own and operate a combined dairy farm and dairy support block of 182ha near Marton. Operating a dairy farm gives great insights to the trials and tribulations of operating a farm FDE system.
Logan enjoys spending time with is 3 adult daughters and a bit of cycling and tramping.
BApplSc (Agricultural Engineering)
James Christensen
James has completed a Bachelor of Applied Science (Agricultural Engineering). Since completing this, he has spent 13 years as a Rural Contract Manager for a local contracting company. Most of his time at this company was designing and installing land drainage projects of varying scales across the Lower North Island.
Overseeing the installation of up to 150,000m of pipe every year (drainage, irrigation and stock water systems) gave him the ability to understand what his farmer clients were wishing to achieve.
James’ knowledge in designing and installing land drainage systems is well respected across the Lower North Island. James is still available to provide independent land drainage advice to farming clients.
James has built over 38 lined effluent ponds throughout the Lower North Island. Taking into account the existing effluent infrastructure and critical site levels, Agblution Solutions are able to go searching for effluent storage answers that place gravity at the top of the design criteria.
James and his wife Christine own a 143ha beef finishing farm near Feilding, where their 3 young children attend local schools.
Dr Christine Christensen
BApplSc, Hons (Agriculture); PhD
Christine completed her PhD in Soil Science in 2013 with a farm systems focus, quantifying nitrogen leaching and phosphorus losses using duration-controlled grazing of dairy cows.
Christine has had extensive Overseer experience for almost 20 years, including being involved in testing of the model prior to OverseerFM being released. Her PhD results were also used to inform the nutrient leaching science within the model.
Over several years, she has been involved in developing case studies and teaching into Massey University’s Sustainable Nutrient Management courses, which are essential qualifications for anyone wanting to become a Certified Nutrient Management Advisor (CNMA).
Joining the expertise of Logan and James, Christine is well versed to provide the technical nutrient management aspects to create solutions for our clients.
In addition, Christine is involved in Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Farmer Council. She has leadership and facilitation skills that can be utilised in various scenarios.
Christine and James also own a 143ha beef finishing farm near Feilding where their 3 young children attend local schools.
BA (Human Geography and Social Anthropology), MA (Social Anthropology)
Kathy Craw
Kathy completed her Bachelors and Master’s degrees in the early 90’s. She grew up on a small dairy farm near Rongotea, and has spent most of her life working, managing and sharemilking dairy farms both in New Zealand and UK.
Kathy was an environmental consultant and also Horizon’s rural advisor for approximately 3 years prior to buying a dairy farm with Logan.
For the past 11 years Kathy has done most of the work and been the “boss” on the farm she owns with Logan. Kathy has a real can-do attitude and a work ethic to match it. She is passionate about feeding cows well on a pasture-based system, and has a soft heart with her herd.
Kathy’s involvement with Agblution Solutions has been more of a support role and sounding board for Logan in the early years, and now with James and Chritine on board she is also involved in decision making as a director and shareholder.
Kathy also holds both the intermediate and advanced nutrient management certificates, and in the future, as time permits, she would like to become more involved with Agblution Solutions in a consulting role.