Young Farmers’ jubilee

Press, 7 July 1977, Page 9

Young Farmers’ jubilee

During lis term as principal, he hoped that links between Lincoln College and the Young Fanners’ Club movement would be more strongly established, said Professor J. D. Stewart at toe opening of the jubilee conference of the New Zealand Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs. In congratulating the federation on its jubilee. Professor Stewart said he hoped that the decision to hold the meeting at the college reflected the longstanding association between the movement and the college. He recalled that the founder of the first Young Farmers’ Club in 1927, L. J. Wild, had been a lecturer at Lincoln.

Looking to the future. Professor Stewart said he would particularly like to see the establishment or re-establishment of short courses, workshops, and seminars at the college for members of Young Farmers’ Clubs.

The Young Farmers’ Clubs memorial hall at the college, he said, had been provided mainly by money supplied by them.

In opening the conference the Minister of Agriculture (Mr MacIntvre) said that in the future young farmers would face a challenge that was as great as it was for their fathers or grandfathers. But while it was still a challenge for a young man to obtain a farm of his own, he did not think it was the challenge it had been for their grandfathers and perhaps for some of their fathers.

When people thought of

acquiring a farm, it was usually in terms of a going concern, perhaps not fully developed but a't least with grass and facilities. Very few would be thinking of carving a farm out of busa or swamp, and there vould be few places in New Zealand where that could now be done. Thr Crown no longer hid land with which it could make grants. Mr Mjclntyre said he also wondered w’hether it was as dfficult to find the money today to finance a farm as it was when the Young 'aimers’ movement began >0 years ago. The Govemnent today had a huge commitment to farm settlement and deveL opmeit, a commitment growing year by year. In reviewing a whole range of challenges that yourg farmers would face, the Minister said that the most immediate one would be involvement in and adoption of new technology. After the open addresses the president of the Ro.’al Agricultural Society (Mr D. L. Ensor) presented A. C. Cameron memorial gold medals to Mr M. Buy, of Koputaroa, Levin, andiMr N. Cook, of KowhitirarEi, Westland. These meals are awarded annualy p outstanding farmers ini the North Island and] South Island, who are uider 45 and who have beenjor are members of the Joung Farmers’ movement)

Mr S. B. Hinton, district manager Pf the Bank of New ZeJand, also made presentapns to their wives. I