When the numbers talk


Confidence, conversation, and the quiet power of understanding your farming business

Some people teach spreadsheets. Others teach confidence.
The difference matters.

After more than three decades working alongside farming businesses, agri business accountant Alister Stevenson has learned that financial knowledge is rarely just about figures. It’s about participation, ownership, and having a voice in decisions that shape families, livelihoods, and futures. Through his work at Alexanders with farming clients and in the room as an AWDT facilitator, he sees the same pattern play out again and again.

And sometimes, it begins with a simple realisation that if you have ownership, you also have responsibility.

That sounds obvious. But on farms across Aotearoa, it is surprisingly common for two people to share a business equally and understand it very differently.

 

The invisible gap in farm ownership


In many farm businesses, partners share risk, debt, and long-term commitment. Yet often, not everyone around the table feels confident reading the financial statements.

Alister sees it often. A 50:50 ownership where the understanding is anything but equal. When loan documents appear or strategy shifts are discussed and decisions must be made, opinions are voiced by some while the others listen quietly. This isn’t out of disinterest – it’s more from uncertainty. And that’s why Understanding Your Farming Business (UYFB) exists – to close that gap.

From Alister’s perspective, you do not need to become accountant to understand your farming financials, but you do need to be able to ask questions. And to do that, you need some knowledge of what the numbers mean. That’s where he comes in.

 

Financial statements are not a tax bill


One of the biggest mindset shifts Alister works toward during UYFB is reframing what financial information actually means.

Many people see their accounts as a yearly event that delivers one outcome – their tax bill. But accounts are not just a compliance exercise. They are a performance story – they explain what worked, what didn’t, and why.

Once you start treating financial statements as insight rather than obligation, conversations open up. Instead of “How much tax do we owe?” the discussions become richer:

What drove that result?
Why did working expenses rise?
What could we change next season?

And with those conversations comes confidence to challenge assumptions, to contribute ideas, and make decisions.

 

The complexity unique to farming


Farming businesses carry financial nuances most other industries never encounter. Livestock valuation, deferred fertiliser, and income equalisation schemes can dramatically change profit outcomes even when cash in the bank looks strong.

You can have a cash surplus and still make a loss. Or appear profitable without liquidity.

Without understanding those differences, it becomes almost impossible to meaningfully participate in strategic decisions.

Alister’s goal is not perfect technical knowledge. It’s about reaching about seventy percent understanding, which is enough to follow the conversation, know what matters, and have your say at the table.

 

Confidence changes relationships


The impact of this knowledge is not just financial. When both partners understand the business, discussions shift from instruction to collaboration. Decisions are no longer handed down. They are worked through.

Diversity of thinking strengthens businesses. Often, someone new to farming brings observation rather than assumption. Instead of continuing things how it has always been done, farms begin exploring how it could be done better. That understanding and insight is powerful.

 

Why this matters beyond the course


Farms are not just businesses. They are intergenerational commitments. And so, when there is someone at the table who doesn’t understands the numbers, decision making can be fragile. But when everyone understands enough, resilience grows.

UYFB isn’t about turning farmers into accountants. It’s about creating conversations and enabling women to feel confident and capable to contribute.

Participants often arrive thinking they need financial literacy. And while this is true, they leave with so much more: the quiet power of understanding.

Not mastering spreadsheets but changing how decisions are made.

And ultimately, changing how farm businesses grow together.

We are incredibly grateful to have facilitators like Alister supporting UYFB. His depth of experience, generosity with knowledge, and genuine care for participants creates a space where people feel comfortable to ask questions, grow in confidence, and step more fully into their role within the farm business.

Thank you Alister, and thank you to the many facilitators who give their time and energy to help wāhine build capability, connection, and confidence across Aotearoa.

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