YOUNG FARMERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 167, 17 July 1941, Page 8

YOUNG FARMERS

AUCKLAND SCHEME

SUCCESS OF ENTERPRISE

How a co-operative scheme of farm ownership for a group of young men was brought to fruition was related to a group of business men at a luncheon held at Milne and Choyce s rooms to-day under the auspices of the Auckland Youth Farm Settlement Board. Those present included Archbishop Averill, Bishop Listnn and the Mayor. Mr. J. A. C. Allum. A welcome was extended to those present by the chairman of the board, Sir Joseph Smith. The secretary, Mr. N. G. Gribble, related the history of the endeavour, which had its genesis about seven years ago. The object was to provide for boys, properly trained in agricultural practice at Ruakura State Farm, an opportunity of becoming proprietors of their own farms. To-day there were 4S lads in the scheme and this week the admission of eight more had been approved. During the five 3 ears they had been in training, the boys had saved assiduously, and it was these funds, with other forms of finance, that had made it possible to acquire a block of -1500 acres at Ngatawiti, 25 miles south of Dargaville, on the peninsular running down from the town.

The land had all essential buildings, stock, implements and plant. It was now excellently supplied with water, fenced, and would soon bo adequately roaded. It was secured as a "going concern"' to five youths who t in the ordinary wav. would have had nothing, and little to hope for, as proprietory farmers, and was secured also to 30 or more lads yet to come into the scheme as farmers in their own right. The farm was. said Mr. Gribble. a monument to faith. It was capable of being divided into at least 40 dairy farms, the boys had a chance from a financial viewpoint, thev were of the "right stuff, - ' and had been trained in the right school. It was felt that, after the present cooperative developmental stage had been passed, the enterprise would be model of what the grit, and persistence of youth could accomplish in helping itself to the establishment of a sound, prosperous and progressive farming colony.