The Country 12/05/25: Jenni Vernon talks to Jamie Mackay

The President of Fieldays was the first woman to receive a Nuffield Scholarship and to chair the Waikato Regional Council and NZ National Fieldays Trust. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
If you want a job done, ask a busy person.
Here's a very busy person. She's certainly going to be
very busy over the next month or so. Thirty sleeps
to go to field Days. The Field Day's Society board
chair and current president is Wykarto, a farmer and business
person Jenny Vernon. I was looking through your CV, Jenny.

(00:21):
If I wrote it all down on my arm, I
would run out of arm. You have got a wonderful CV.
What haven't you done? And what honor has not been
accorded to you?

Speaker 2 (00:31):
There you go, well, Jamie, I haven't done lots of things.
For example, I would love to do my PhD because
I've always wanted to do more study and I love study.
And I've never set on one of the industry boards.

(00:51):
Is in my governance role, so there's always something to do.
But actually, the one thing that I enjoying most now
is actually mentoring the next generation of leaders and people
who are coming through the system and giving them that
confidence to give it a go. Even at my age,

(01:14):
I'm still hey.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
You're still a spring chicken. I saw you in action
and we talked last year at field Days, and you're
not only running the works. You're up at three or
four in the morning cooking, providing meals for all the volunteers.
You're a true champion. Let me look at your CV.
You're the first female New Field Scholar in New Zealand,
the first woman Chair of Environments White Kadow. Your first

(01:38):
encounters with the field days date back to your young
farmer days when you were helping with the car parking.
That would have been a field days or two ago, Jenny.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
That was one or two field days ago, Jamie. But
you know, everyone laughs. If you talk to a lot
of the life members and the old volunteers we have
where did they start? And they all go car parking
and young farmers. So it's so it's a good lesson
of you know, starting at the bottom and working up
to the up to whatever level you want to. I mean,

(02:08):
I happened to be a chair, but we're all in
it together. I you know, I believe that. That's why
I still like coming for the volunteers, because I've never
forgotten where I've come from. Jamie.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
Well, you're leading from the front. Let's continue with this CV.
It's making me envious. You've got a gong, you've got
a new Zealand Order of Merit two thousand and eight.
You were awarded and this is a pretty special one,
the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal in nineteen ninety three,
obviously one hundred years on from Emily Pankhurst and nineteen

(02:42):
ninety Commemorative New Zealand Commemorative Medal. And you're also a JP.
You sit on so many boards, You've got like four degrees.
How do you fit all this in plus farming?

Speaker 2 (02:54):
Well, my kids would tell you that I'm crazy, Jamie,
but I've always liked to do one hundred and ten
descent and give everything my best, and give it a
go and give it all my give it all, and
I've never changed from probably the day I was born.
My parents would always say that I was an energetic bunny.

(03:15):
And I just think you make most of life, Jamie.

Speaker 1 (03:18):
You farming with your husband Gordon. I think your son
Simon and his partner Nicola are now running the farm.
You lease it to them. But initially you trained as
a teacher.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
I did. I trained in christ Church and then went
up and taught and White Pookero in central Brooks Bay.
Had an amazing time there, and then married Gordon in
nineteen eighty and shifted to Tamata which is on the
Ragman Coast and we were small dairy farmer there and

(03:50):
from there launched into getting involved with Young Farmers and
link Young Farmer's Leadership and was national president in nineteen
eighty four Mayor just Jamie's. Things happened and I had
opportunities and some have said no to but most I've gone,
well why not? It looks fun and it's a challenge

(04:11):
and life's about taking a hit on, isn't it.

Speaker 1 (04:15):
Absolutely thirty sleeps to go until Field Days it's going
to be incredibly busy for you. What does the next
month look like, Jenny Vernon?

Speaker 2 (04:23):
Well, for the next month, we've I've got order all
the food for the Field Days volunteers, which also includes
the police and the Fire Service and the staff, and
I always try to give them a varied menu, especially
for lunch, so it's not the same old every year.
And then it's a matter of I've got to write

(04:44):
two speeches for the opening and then the primary leaders
lunch that equally, it's about working with the team, making
sure that we've got all our ducks lined up and
everybody you know supporting the staff and particularly supporting a
new Yeah.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
Well you've got them on training wheels, not trainer weels.
I'm sure Richard wouldn't Richard Linderis wouldn't enjoy that comparison.
But he's stepping into the boots of a man who
had done a very good job. Peter Nation equal.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
I totally agree, Jamie. But you know I view that Peter,
And as Peter says, as they bought the Field Days,
what we're in our fifty seventh year, So each one
is built upon the other and got us to twenty
twenty five, and now Richard is in the position to
take us for the next five to eight years, who knows,

(05:33):
And so each one contributes their own and I'm sure
when Richard finishes it'll be the same thing. Somebody will
have to fill some big boots as well.

Speaker 1 (05:42):
And you'll still be working at Field Days in some
capacity till you draw your last breath. I reckon, Jenny. Look,
you're an inspiration. Great to catch up with you last year.
Look forward to chatting to you again in thirty sleeps time.

Speaker 2 (05:54):
Thanks Jamie.