Vincent A. Ashworth: Corran's Youngest Brother

Vincent Alexander Ashworth was born in Alexandra, New Zealand, on 9 December 1931. He was the 11th - and now, only surviving - child of Arthur and Edna Ashworth. He was educated at Alexandra District High School (ADHS), Otago Boys High School (OBHS), and Massey and Lincoln Universities.

In 1951 Vince gained a Rural Field Cadet Scholarship with the then State Advances Corporation. The five-year programme was preparation for service in one of the many government departments serving the rural sector. It involved study at Lincoln and Massey as well as practical experience on a range of farming systems.

Vince graduated from Lincoln in 1955 with a Diploma of Valuation and Farm Management, passing with credit. He was posted to the then Department of Lands and Survey as an Assistant Field Officer. Two years later he resigned from the State Service and joined a farm improvement club in Te Aroha as a professional agricultural adviser.

In 1960, Vince established in Morrinsville what was to become the successful firm of Ashworth and Associates, Farm Management Consultants - the first of its kind in the country. During the early 1970s he participated in a number of international consulting assignments in places like Afghanistan, Yemen Arab Republic, Samoa, Tanzania, and Somalia.

Vince moved to Washington, DC, with his family in 1976 after receiving an invitation to become a senior agriculturalist on the World Bank's permanent staff. He worked at the bank's East Africa branch in Nairobi for two years after spending ten years in Washington. During his time he did assignments in Eastern Europe (Romania, Yugoslavia), the Middle East (Yemen, Saudi Arabia), Central Asia (Afghanistan), and East Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia).

Upon taking early retirement in 1987, Vince went deer farming at Te Aroha. He also continued his professional career with consulting assignments - mostly for the World Bank - in Yugoslavia, Macedonia, China, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Tanzania, Australia, and South Africa. He also did volunteer work for Save the Children (SCF) in Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea as well as chairing the SCF Overseas Project Committee for some years.

Vince is a Fellow of the Institute of Agricultural Science as well as a Fellow and Life Member of the New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management. In 1980 he was awarded the Lincoln University Bledisloe Medal for distinguished services to New Zealand agriculture.

As a keen sportsman, Vince represented his schools and universities at cricket and rugby. He also represented Manawatu (1956-57) and Thames Valley (1958-59) in provincial rugby. He enjoys a game of golf, and takes a keen interest in New Zealand and international affairs.

Vince married Edna May Young in Palmerston North in 1955. They have four children, 10 grandchildren, and a handful of great-grandchildren. He is a keen gardener and enjoys writing.

Having already completed two biographies on his brothers—’For Our Tomorrow He Gave His Today’ (2009) about Flying Officer Corran Perry Ashworth, and ’Artie - Bomber Command Legend’ (2014) about Wing Commander Arthur ‘Artie’ Ashworth DSO, DFC and Bar, AFC and Bar, MiD - Vince wrote his autobiography ’A Full Life’ (2017). A fourth book, detailing his family’s history ’The Ashworths of Central Otago’, was published in 2019.

Following the death of his beloved wife, May, Vince released his fifth book, ’The Life We Shared’ about their nearly 70 years of marriage, family, travels, and adventures.

Vince was named a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (awarded for a prominent national or international role, leading role in regional affairs, or distinguished contribution to an area of activity) 'for services to agriculture' in New Zealand's 2024 King’s (Observed) Birthday Honours List:

Mr Vincent Ashworth has contributed to agriculture in New Zealand and internationally since 1970.

As a Senior Agriculturalist with the World Bank, Mr Ashworth led missions to help farmers with food production in more than 30 developing countries. Notably, he did major work to improve farming practices for countries with harsh environments for agriculture, including Afghanistan, Yemen and Ethiopia. Recognising the lack of support for farmers on best practice farming, he established Ashworth and Associates in 1960, a farm management consultancy practice, the first of its kind in New Zealand. He led international work through the consultancy to Afghanistan and Western Samoa.

Following his consultancy success, he launched the New Zealand Society of Farm Management in 1969, serving as inaugural President, with thousands of farmers benefitting from research findings to improve their practices. He is a published author of six books since 2009 and has been recognised with two medals from Lincoln University for his contributions to agricultural consultancy and the university’s cultural heritage. He was a member of Save the Children New Zealand Overseas Projects Committee from 1978 to 1988, serving as Chair for three years. Mr Ashworth is a Life Member of the New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management and the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural Science.