Farm Improvement Club Advice

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29892, 4 August 1962, Page 6

Farm Improvement Club Advice

Because members of the Lauriston Farm Improvement Club pay to obtain the services of their club’s advisers the executive of the club decided before the sixth annual meeting, which was held this week, that the reports of their two advisers, Messrs J W. Kinvig and R. H. N. Smith, and any discussions on them, should not be made available for publication and for the benefit of farmers generally. “The reason for this decision is based on the fact that this information has been paid for by members in hard

cash,” said the chairman, Mr R. J. Dunkley, in his report to the annual meeting. “With some of the most attractive production lines at the present time being confined to a fairly restricted field of marketing it would be foolish to spread the gospel of its success to all and sundry,” continued Mr Dunkley. “Let those who wish to share in this success join our membership." Mr Dunkley said that members were aware of the increased production and increase in percentage returns that were obtained through improvement club activities, both individually and collectively, but he suggested that business interests in the Ashburton county had not yet fully realised the benefit that had and would accrue to them also as a result of the further expansion of club activities. There was. he said, even some wariness about accepting “this new power of self-help and collective effort. “The rising tide of interest in improvement clubs throughout the South Island simply cannot be ignored. It is filling a need in modern farming practice and those interests outside the movement that imagine it is an of inefficiency among farmers could not be more misinformed" The increased knowledge of local conditions and peculiarities gained by its advisers would be of great service to farmers from other parts of the country who purchased land tn Ashburton county and these newcomers must surely be a source of new members in the future. Mr Dunkley reported that club membership was now 78. The area of farms serviced by the club was more than 41.000 acres and total capital involved on these farms was more than £2.5m. In the last year club advisers had made 823 visits to members as well as many shorter calls for quick consultations Mr D. H. Warren was re-

elected to the executive and Mr J. Cairns was elected in place of Mr J. E. Crozier, who did not seek re-election. Appreciation of the services of Mr Crozier, who was a foundation member and first secretary of the club, was placed on record.