Focused group projects engaging owners and managers of Maori farm businesses were initiated on the East Coast of New Zealand. The objective was to improve productivity and profitability on-farm through enhanced capability building and collaboration. Five group projects were evaluated. Critical success factors of learning groups were identified. Leadership, communication, organisation and commitment were required from project participants and facilitators. Collaborative and interactive processes built the knowledge and confidence of farm managers. Building trust was critical. Participation of mentor farmers reinforced learning in the group. Social network building was also important. We conclude that interactive group projects are a powerful way of building confidence of farm managers to communicate issues and make clearer, more strategically aligned decisions and actions. Collaborative farm initiatives foster ownership of issues, develop farmer support networks and ultimately the confidence to change. Keywords: experiential learning, farmer group, trust.
