March 30, 2025 • 6 mins
A leading primary sector academic and columnist talks about young farmers and old farmers. And did she inhale at Massey University in 1977?
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Fortunately she writes an excellent column on our website Thecountry
dot co dot nz. This one is about young farmers.
But doctor Jack Willonroweth, you also want to talk about
old farmers. Not that you're old, of course, but you
did have a reunion of your massyagg science class of
(00:20):
nineteen seventy seven. How did it go?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
It was lovely seventy seven we started eighty one. Most
of us graduated, but not all. You know, there's a
bit of plus or minus and some time off in between.
But it was just a lovely time to catch up
with people and talking about the fact that having had
four years or was it three depending in class gave
us the most extraordinary network. And I feel quite sad
(00:47):
that the online generation will never have that, And of
course they don't know what they've missed, but the ability
to ring people or be wrung for information or advice
or just talking you know, life in general. What do
I do with the kids now? It's been important over
those almost fifty years, very important.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Well, heaven for having a conversation. Are you the most
famous alumni?
Speaker 2 (01:13):
No? Good, Heavens. There are lots of people who have
done lots of good things, including because they've had an
entrepreneurial bent, made good money. There are people who have
been superb farming and setting up new ventures and doing
new things that set the example for the region. So
lots and lots of activities of different types or on
(01:36):
the basis of the agricultural science degree, we've got engineers,
We've got people who carve or rock blast or Kevin
Kilsby he wasn't there, but he's one of the class
mates and he does that wonderful pottery with the putaco
and mad eyes up in Auckland. Lots and lots of
different activities, all making New Zealand a better place.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Were they crazy hazy days? Did you spend most of
your time at what's the student's pub and a parmy
called fitz Herbert?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Is it? I wouldn't dream of commenting, No, I didn't.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Did you Inhale? Jacqueline? Did you Inhale?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
I wasn't offered anything and I'm quite happy to be
keeping it that way.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Okay, let's talk about young farmers. On the weekend we
had the ara Angi final sixth out of seven. Gareth
mccirtchere getting home there, we've got the Otago Southland regional
Final on Saturday, and then we're going back to Southland
in July for the Grand Final. Going to be brilliant.
But in your column you've alluded to the fact that
we need to encourage and aid young people into farms.
(02:40):
When I was a young farmer, Jacqueline, we were aided
by the fact that the Rural Bank would give you
a special settlement loan if you owed them enough money.
But it got you a start. That avenue is no
longer available.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
And we need to be thinking about it again. So
I'm encouraged by the fact that ASB are doing something
with the innovation the dairy industry awards they've announced in
some cases with Santera and others not the one percent loan,
and I think that there should be more of this
sort of thing discussed. And of course lots of people
will then bring you up, sorry Jomie, and say we're
(03:16):
doing it as well. But the point is we're getting
behind the eight ball here and we don't want that
in New Zealand, so likefully at the cutting edge other
countries that EU in particular, are putting in all sorts
of loans to get the young on farm and one
of the things we discussed in Napier at the weekend.
We've got old farmers is how we're assisting children or
(03:39):
indeed others through equity partnerships to become farmers of the
future and do the good things that my classmates have done.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Now, Jack, well, I'm back in the late seventies when
you weren't inhiling at Messi University. We did have, sorry
to keep going on about that, we did have land corpse,
predecessor lands and survey and they used to help young farmers.
Aren't farms with ballot blocks? Are you suggesting we go
back to that?
Speaker 2 (04:05):
No, I think that would be, Johnny difficult unless we
sought out the interest rates because the barotblocks they were
actually some of them were pretty shown pretty difficult to develop,
and that's where some of our landslips have come from.
So now I think we should be looking at the
land we've got already in production and thinking about how
older farmers might like to assist, perhaps with the bank
(04:27):
assistants as well, or maybe some tax release. That's what
Ireland's doing and so good effect to allow good equity
partnerships and allow these shoulders and the breadth of experience
to be passed to the next generation, because otherwise we're
all going to be in a muddle without food production.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Back in nineteen seventy seven, Jaqueline, they also had the
Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final televised live on
TV one. We should be bringing that back.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I love it. It will be absolutely superb if we
could do that and company calendar. We know it's an
icon on Sunday night. Well let's go back to having
some of these specials on Saturdays. And in fact, they
do it for rugby, could we not do it for farming? Sure?
Speaker 1 (05:16):
No, No, I've just found this in the studio here
as we speak live. I'll give you one hundred dollars, Jacqueline,
to the charity of your choice if you can name
the nineteen seventy seven Young Farmer of the Year.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
I'm Laurie.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
No either could I. But it was a bloke by
the name of Keith Holmes, and I know in nineteen
eighty a guy.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
From down my well I should have known.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Well, there you go. You've just lost one hundred dollars
for the charity of your choice. James wat who came
from my neck of the woods down in south and
he won it in nineteen eighty. So there's some real
talk about alumni. There's some great names here that have
come through the young farmer's real industry leaders.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Yeah, Warwick Chattos and think about Murray Turley was third
I think Grand Finals from the great term Tomota district
and he's a great leader in agriculture. But also think
about John mccaur who's now Federata Farmer's Grains working there
in the Canterbury district. There'll be some terrific ones, lovely
(06:16):
lovely lad some letters. Of course, we can remember Emma
so doing good work and continuing to do so. So
let's all vote. And it would take more than one
hundred dollars to get it back on Saturday night, but
Saturday Night Lives would be great. Pet I'll give one
hundred dollars to the Heart Foundation because we does need it.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Okay, well there we go, doctor jack Lonrella, thank you
very much for your time, see you later.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Thanks by
Fortunately she writes an excellent column on our website Thecountry
dot co dot nz. This one is about young farmers.
But doctor Jack Willonroweth, you also want to talk about
old farmers. Not that you're old, of course, but you
did have a reunion of your massyagg science class of
(00:20):
nineteen seventy seven. How did it go?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
It was lovely seventy seven we started eighty one. Most
of us graduated, but not all. You know, there's a
bit of plus or minus and some time off in between.
But it was just a lovely time to catch up
with people and talking about the fact that having had
four years or was it three depending in class gave
us the most extraordinary network. And I feel quite sad
(00:47):
that the online generation will never have that, And of
course they don't know what they've missed, but the ability
to ring people or be wrung for information or advice
or just talking you know, life in general. What do
I do with the kids now? It's been important over
those almost fifty years, very important.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Well, heaven for having a conversation. Are you the most
famous alumni?
Speaker 2 (01:13):
No? Good, Heavens. There are lots of people who have
done lots of good things, including because they've had an
entrepreneurial bent, made good money. There are people who have
been superb farming and setting up new ventures and doing
new things that set the example for the region. So
lots and lots of activities of different types or on
(01:36):
the basis of the agricultural science degree, we've got engineers,
We've got people who carve or rock blast or Kevin
Kilsby he wasn't there, but he's one of the class
mates and he does that wonderful pottery with the putaco
and mad eyes up in Auckland. Lots and lots of
different activities, all making New Zealand a better place.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Were they crazy hazy days? Did you spend most of
your time at what's the student's pub and a parmy
called fitz Herbert?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Is it? I wouldn't dream of commenting, No, I didn't.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
Did you Inhale? Jacqueline? Did you Inhale?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
I wasn't offered anything and I'm quite happy to be
keeping it that way.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Okay, let's talk about young farmers. On the weekend we
had the ara Angi final sixth out of seven. Gareth
mccirtchere getting home there, we've got the Otago Southland regional
Final on Saturday, and then we're going back to Southland
in July for the Grand Final. Going to be brilliant.
But in your column you've alluded to the fact that
we need to encourage and aid young people into farms.
(02:40):
When I was a young farmer, Jacqueline, we were aided
by the fact that the Rural Bank would give you
a special settlement loan if you owed them enough money.
But it got you a start. That avenue is no
longer available.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
And we need to be thinking about it again. So
I'm encouraged by the fact that ASB are doing something
with the innovation the dairy industry awards they've announced in
some cases with Santera and others not the one percent loan,
and I think that there should be more of this
sort of thing discussed. And of course lots of people
will then bring you up, sorry Jomie, and say we're
(03:16):
doing it as well. But the point is we're getting
behind the eight ball here and we don't want that
in New Zealand, so likefully at the cutting edge other
countries that EU in particular, are putting in all sorts
of loans to get the young on farm and one
of the things we discussed in Napier at the weekend.
We've got old farmers is how we're assisting children or
(03:39):
indeed others through equity partnerships to become farmers of the
future and do the good things that my classmates have done.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Now, Jack, well, I'm back in the late seventies when
you weren't inhiling at Messi University. We did have, sorry
to keep going on about that, we did have land corpse,
predecessor lands and survey and they used to help young farmers.
Aren't farms with ballot blocks? Are you suggesting we go
back to that?
Speaker 2 (04:05):
No, I think that would be, Johnny difficult unless we
sought out the interest rates because the barotblocks they were
actually some of them were pretty shown pretty difficult to develop,
and that's where some of our landslips have come from.
So now I think we should be looking at the
land we've got already in production and thinking about how
older farmers might like to assist, perhaps with the bank
(04:27):
assistants as well, or maybe some tax release. That's what
Ireland's doing and so good effect to allow good equity
partnerships and allow these shoulders and the breadth of experience
to be passed to the next generation, because otherwise we're
all going to be in a muddle without food production.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Back in nineteen seventy seven, Jaqueline, they also had the
Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final televised live on
TV one. We should be bringing that back.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
I love it. It will be absolutely superb if we
could do that and company calendar. We know it's an
icon on Sunday night. Well let's go back to having
some of these specials on Saturdays. And in fact, they
do it for rugby, could we not do it for farming? Sure?
Speaker 1 (05:16):
No, No, I've just found this in the studio here
as we speak live. I'll give you one hundred dollars, Jacqueline,
to the charity of your choice if you can name
the nineteen seventy seven Young Farmer of the Year.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
I'm Laurie.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
No either could I. But it was a bloke by
the name of Keith Holmes, and I know in nineteen
eighty a guy.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
From down my well I should have known.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Well, there you go. You've just lost one hundred dollars
for the charity of your choice. James wat who came
from my neck of the woods down in south and
he won it in nineteen eighty. So there's some real
talk about alumni. There's some great names here that have
come through the young farmer's real industry leaders.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Yeah, Warwick Chattos and think about Murray Turley was third
I think Grand Finals from the great term Tomota district
and he's a great leader in agriculture. But also think
about John mccaur who's now Federata Farmer's Grains working there
in the Canterbury district. There'll be some terrific ones, lovely
(06:16):
lovely lad some letters. Of course, we can remember Emma
so doing good work and continuing to do so. So
let's all vote. And it would take more than one
hundred dollars to get it back on Saturday night, but
Saturday Night Lives would be great. Pet I'll give one
hundred dollars to the Heart Foundation because we does need it.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Okay, well there we go, doctor jack Lonrella, thank you
very much for your time, see you later.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
Thanks by
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