Affco chair and Open Country director Sam Lewis spent the King’s Birthday on Monday moving cattle on his Waipā farm after receiving a King’s Birthday Honour.
Dry stock farmer Lewis, of Mangapiko Road, Te Awamutu, became a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and the King Country and Waipā community.
Sam Lewis
“I’m still farming,” the nearly 80-year-old said on Monday. “No one came and moved my cattle, so I had to do that,” he joked. “It keeps your feet on the ground.”
Lewis served Waikato Federated Farmers as treasurer for nine years from the mid-1980s during a time of economic reform. During this time, he supported and mentored other farmers in restructuring their business while keeping a keen eye on their mental health and wellbeing.
“It’s been a long run,” he said. “A lifetime involvement.”
So, what are his favourite Federated Farmers memories?
“There’s lots of lots of them. I’ve still got friendships there. They’re important to me and they still exist today.”
Lewis has chaired leading meat processor Affco New Zealand Ltd since 1999. It has 12 plants around New Zealand and exports to more than 80 countries.
“It’s been going for 120 years though, and I think it might be a record.”
“That’s been an interesting run with a lot of twists and turns and different challenges along the way,” he said.
Lewis is also a director of Open Country New Zealand.
“It’s a New Zealand owned company that’s doing well.”
Lewis is also a former director of FMG Insurance.
He chaired a fundraising committee that raised $2 million for a building project for Gracelands Community Trust in Te Awamutu (now Enrich Plus), which supports and enables young people and adults with disabilities to engage in employment or contribute to their communities.
“There’s a lot of other people associated with that one.”
Lewis has also supported Commsafe, a charitable trust based in Te Awamutu, through Affco and Open Country Sponsorship. Commsafe manages safer communities through Neighbourhood Support, community patrols and closed-circuit television monitoring to build a safer and healthier community.
Lewis wasn’t sure who nominated him for the honour, but expected it was someone in the local community that he interacted with.
So how did Lewis feel when he received the news of his honour.
“Totally surprised. I imagine every recipient is.”
