Meet the Man Behind the Scenes
“My philosophy is similar to that of Winston Churchill’s: Never ever ever ever give up. That is something I honestly believe in.” This is the mentality of the captain who steadies the ship, the man who runs the show behind the scenes. Meet Peter Collocott, our farm operations manager in Australia. As our resident director onsite, Peter is our go-to guy for any of our operations in all four of our macadamia farms. Needless to say, he has many responsibilities and a lot to chew on his plate. Yet he doesn’t back down from the challenge that comes with each new day. Not only does he not back down—he faces everything with a joyful, willing heart. He admits it’s hard. “There are days when it can be very stressful. I mean, there are so many variables involved with agriculture and farming. Any sort of preparation can be lost within a moment—that’s the nature of the beast.”
But regardless of the unpredictability of each new season, Peter goes to battle with faith that he’ll win. That kind of faith also comes with experience. Having immigrated from his home in South Africa to Australia, Peter knows what it feels to lose a thriving business and start all over again from scratch. “You doubt yourself. You really do. But if you have an objective and know what you’d like to achieve, it’s only a mtter of getting those plans in place and steadying the course. You do get there. That doesn’t mean you won’t fall. Brush the dust off your knees and keep running.”
Twelve years later, Peter is still running and learning. “Learning how to run a macadamia orchard had a steep learning curve. But the journey’s been good. Someone always has my back whether it’s people at the headquarters in Korea or my family. I’m so blessed.”
