Grass Roots Media

24/07/2025

Amber here, and yep, that’s me in the latest NZ Dairy Magazine from Waterford Press Limited!

From the shed to the screen, I’ve always believed that good things happen when we tell real stories, have real conversations, and show up for the ag sector in our own way.

Running our dairy and beef operation with (my better half) Fraser, raising our boys, and leading a business that champions rural brands, it’s a life I’m proud of and grateful for every day.

Big thanks to the team for the feature, and if you fancy a read, you’ll find me on page 92 👇
https://digitalpublications.online/waterfordpress/nz-dairy-winter-25/92/

Amorangi Farms Ltd Amber and Fraser Carpenter are showing what smart rural diversification looks like. Their Mangatawhiri-based operation milks 465 cows across 200 hectares, plus 74 hectares for young stock. Alongside this, they run Grass Roots Media, a digital marketing company focused on the food and fibre sector.

With a self-contained dairy system producing 500kg milk solids per cow, and a growing dairy beef enterprise, the Carpenters are future-focused farmers helping rural businesses thrive online.

Onroad Transport, Campbell Tyson Chartered Accountants

01/07/2025

We’re big fans of Farmstrong and the incredible work they do to support mental health and wellbeing in our rural communities 💚

Their Toolbox Tips newsletter is full of real, practical advice to help farmers look after themselves, because looking after the farm starts with looking after you.

And right now, if you sign up before Sunday 6 July, you’ll go in the draw to win a $1000 Kincrome toolchest 🛠️ Thanks to Bunnings Trade New Zealand and Farmlands Hamilton for backing this one.

Jump on it here 👉 https://bit.ly/40lZj94
And check out more about Farmstrong at www.farmstrong.co.nz

23/06/2025

When someone says “organic social is dead”… this is our face 😏🐶😂

The truth is, organic still has a place and can work, when you do it right.

Here’s how to make organic social media worth your while.

⭐ Know your audience. Post what they care about, not just what you want to say.
⭐ Be consistent. Quality over quantity, but don’t ghost your followers.
⭐ Use platform tools. Reels, polls, stories, lives… they exist for a reason.
⭐ Engage like a human. Reply to comments, start convos, show up.
⭐ Track what works. Look at your insights and tweak as you go.

Organic might not be instant, but it builds trust, loyalty, and a real connection with your audience over time.

Keen to level up your organic game?
Tell us which platform you're focusing on below and what tactic you might want to try ⬇️

18/06/2025

Incoming! 🎤 Say hello to Anne Marie, aka The Social Siren.

She’s our latest word wizard at GRM, a storyteller with a mic in one hand, a latte in the other, and a scroll-stopping caption always on the tip of her tongue.

Annie’s packed a lot into her toolkit:
🎙️ Former National Comms Manager for the NZ Dairy Industry Awards
📻 Background in radio, TV, and journalism
✈️ Flight attendant by day (and sometimes night!)
👟 Trail runner, MC, celebrant, pun-lover, and clever campaign queen

We’re so excited to have Annie on board. She’s got the goods when it comes to rural storytelling, a sharp mind, a kind heart, and the kind of creative energy that lifts the whole team.

A total asset to our crew and our clients, and we’re already wondering how we managed without her.

👇 Drop a big GRM welcome to Annie in the comments!
And if you're curious about who else is behind the scenes, head here 👇
https://co.pulse.ly/cdoda0fbf6

16/06/2025

Big congrats to Philip Duncan who was crowned the 2025 Ravensdown Agricultural Communicator of the Year by the NZ Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators at Fieldays last week.🎉👏

We were there to see it happen and couldn’t be happier for someone who’s become such a trusted voice in the rural space. Whether it’s a cyclone on the way or just a patchy drizzle, Philip’s the one farmers turn to, calm, clear, and bang-on with his weather updates through WeatherWatch.co.nz.

It reminded us just how important strong storytelling is in ag. Whether it’s online, on air, or out in the paddock, it’s how we connect, inspire and keep this sector moving forward.

Big thanks to Ravensdown for supporting this award, and a shout out to all the communicators behind the scenes at Fieldays, from journos to social media crews. You’re helping the world see ag not just as an industry, but as a place full of innovation, resilience, and fresh thinking.

Here’s to the storytellers who help our sector shine 🌾
🔗 Check out the full story: https://tinyurl.pulse.ly/php1yzpp7g

05/06/2025

Say howdy to Annabelle Allott👋
Or as we like to call her, The Story Telling Drafter.

She’s our newest GRM team member based in North Canterbury, and she’s got one heck of a yarn bank. Think: wine-making in Arizona Zimbabwe & Namibia, fox hunting in Ireland, and running 100 miles around Lake Tarawera (yep, seriously). 🤩

These days, she’s juggling council comms, rural chaos, a builder/farmer husband, baby Ben, and now, your brand’s next great story.

✨ We’re seriously excited to have Belles on board. She’s a genuinely good human, a ridiculously talented communicator, and already an absolute asset to the GRM crew.

Belles brings a heap of heart, humour and horsepower to our little team of cow lovers, content creators, and chaos wranglers.

Check out her profile over on our page
👉 https://co.pulse.ly/4dmbfbw8ht

👇 Drop a welcome for Belles in the comments.
We reckon she’s a keeper. 💙

29/05/2025

😯 Two months. That’s all it took for ChatGPT to hit 100 million users, faster than any other app or platform in the lineup at this week’s E Tipu: The Boma Agri Summit in Palmerston North earlier this week.

That stat alone stopped us in our tracks. Because like it or not, AI isn’t just coming, it’s already here. And it’s moving faster than the neighbour’s bull when your heifers are on heat. 😉

From writing emails and wrangling to-do lists, to brainstorming business ideas, summarising meetings, or even helping the kids with homework, AI is showing up in people’s everyday lives.

In agriculture, it’s starting to help farmers interpret soil data, streamline admin, and make sense of pasture growth or weather models.
In business, it helps reduce admin time, streamline processes, support decision-making, and make everyday tasks a whole lot more efficient.
At home? It’s sorting dinner plans, writing speeches, and explaining how to fix the washing machine (again).

Some are pumped. Some are wary. Some are still not quite sure what all the fuss is about.
And that’s totally fair.

📲 But like all big leaps, the internet, smartphones, even the trusty electric fence, AI is a shift we can’t ignore.

And worth talking about.

So, we’re curious, how’s AI showing up in your world? Are you in the “using it daily” crew or still sitting on the sidelines?

24/05/2025

Last week, our very own Amber joined the incredible crew of Farmstrong ambassadors from across the country for the first-ever national get-together, a milestone moment to celebrate 10 years of championing rural well-being.

It was all about connection, kōrero, and collaboration, sharing their “why”, diving into the science behind well-being, and swapping stories about what works when it comes to supporting our farmers and growers.

What an inspiring group of people, and it was a reminder of the power of people coming together with purpose.

Big thanks to the Farmstrong team and everyone involved. Here’s to the next decade of helping rural NZ to live well and farm well 💚

22/05/2025

It’s been a minute since we popped up on your feed… so here’s a little behind-the-scenes from GRM HQ lately☕💻🐄

Between farm life, client strategy sessions and wrangling content calendars, it’s fair to say things have been full noise, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Drop a 👋 if you’re still here!
We’re back and keen to bring you along for the ride.

19/05/2025

🧐 Hashtags: Still helpful or a hangover from 2018?

They used to be the way to get seen, find trends, and join a conversation… but are they still doing the job in 2025?

When you post for your farm, agribusiness, or side hustle, are you still using hashtags? Are you strategic about them, or are you just throwing in a few ?

👇 Drop your thoughts in the comments .... are hashtags still part of your strategy?

08/05/2025

We tried to write this without getting soppy 😭......but Cheyenne's too good not to brag about 💻💬

After the best part of five years with GRM, our brilliant, straight-talking, meme-slinging Cheyenne is off on a new adventure. And while we respectfully didn't go in for a group hug (she would have bolted), we are feeling all the feelings.

🥰 Cheyenne has been a rock in our team, clever, calm and always bang on with her strategy and words. A true digital marketer and communicator with heart, humour and a sixth sense for knowing when to add a bit of sass.

She's supported clients, lifted our team and delivered the goods, always with her signature no-fuss style.

We are going to miss her fiercely, but we are also ridiculously proud and excited to see what she does next. 🦄

Thanks for being all the things!
💚 Sharp as hell
💚 Witty in the best possible way
💚 Exceptionally exceptional
💚 Not a hugger

Once part of the GRM whānau, always one of us.
(Just don't forget to keep liking our posts, it helps with the algorithm x)

16/04/2025

📦 AI Barbie has entered the chat... and she’s rocking gumboots (well, almost).

We had to jump on the AI Barbie trend to see what all the fuss was about, and honestly, apart from the Red Bands being slightly off-brand, we reckon we make a pretty solid action figure duo.

Say hello to:
💅 Barbie Amber – Social Alchemist
Turning paddock chats into powerful content and juggling gumboots with digital boots. Featuring essential accessories: flat white, GRM laptop, swanni, and loyal farm dog sidekick.

📱 Barbie Cheyenne – Social Sorceress
Master of algorithms and aesthetic feeds, with a side of fiction novels and leather-jacket-level cool. Her spellbook? A combo of Apple gear and a double-shot of creativity.

We’re all about riding trends and tractors – and couldn’t resist putting AI to the test.
Want to know what we actually do (outside of plastic packaging)? Head to 👉 https://co.pulse.ly/ngrja1eyzm

👇 Now tell us:
Have you tried the AI Barbie trend yet?
What would your action figure look like?

Share yours! We want to see!