Simon Hales is a fourth-generation farmer who, alongside his wife Trudy and their two young boys, owns and operates the 950-hectare Kereru Farm Weber Ltd in the Tararua District. Since 2010, Simon has transformed Kereru Farm Weber from a traditional hill country farm into a diverse enterprise, incorporating forestry, honey production, and agritourism.

In recognition of their efforts, Simon and Trudy won the Horizons Balance Farm Environment Awards in 2019 and were named the Tararua Sheep and Beef Farm Business of the Year in 2020. Simon is deeply involved in industry advocacy, having served for six years on the Beef + Lamb NZ Eastern North Island Farmer Council and Environment Reference Group, and currently chairs the Beef + Lamb NZ Tararua Farming for Profit steering committee.

Simon is also a facilitator for the Tararua Rural Support Trust, and has enjoyed taking on roles such as post-Cyclone Gabrielle on-farm cleanup coordinator and farmer representative for the Tararua District Cyclone Recovery Programme.

Passionate about his community, he is a member of the Weber Volunteer Fire Brigade, Chairperson for Puketoi JAB Rugby, and serves on the Dannevirke JAB Rugby Committee.