A “shop window” for the district

Press, 30 October 1981, Page 8

A “shop window” for the district

This year's president of the Amberley A. and P. Association is Mr John Harris, a third generation farmer at Omihi, just north of Waipara.

Mr Harris has been working for the association, first in the sheep section then in the horse section, since he left school.

Over the years, he has also been showing Ryeland pure bred sheep and a few fat lambs, and he became an association committee member in 1965.

The Harris family moved to the block on which Mr Harris now lives back in 1913, but he has also had experience of other employment. Shortly after leaving school he bought a contracting business and was haybaling for 16 years in the Omihi and Waipara area.

After that, Mr Harris was managing the family farm. In 1970 he bought the lOOha farm adjoining it and leased the “home block” of 131 ha until last year, when he bought it. - The Harris property is flat to hilly country, with about 80ha of “improved native,” too hilly to plough.

Stock consists of 1900 Corriedale ewes, 400 hoggets. 30 head of fat cattle and, since 1923, some Ryeland stud sheep, run as a hobby.

Between 4ha and 12ha of barley is grown and stored as stand-by supplementary feed.

Farming “Fernbank" is a family effort, with all involved for periodic chores such as lambing and tailing. Some casual labour is also employed for haymaking and shearing.

John Harris and his wife, Gail, have five children, the three eldest being girls. Nicki, 19, is nurse-aiding in Christchurch, Jo-Anne, 18. is general nursing, and Michelle, 16, is in the fifth form at Hawarden Area School.

Andrew, 14. and Craig. 11, are at the same school and both boys show some interest in farming. Apart from his involvement with the A. and P. Association, Mr Harris has had long and wide involvement with the local community.

In his younger days he was very keen on the Young Farmers organisation, especially for stock judging, and'’these days he is a member of the Ryeland Breed Committee.

Mr Harris was on the working committee of the now long established Waipara County rural water •scheme, as it was formerly called, and he remarks that types of farming new to the district will appear when the

large and long awaited Glenmark irrigation scheme comes into operation. Mr and Mrs Harris arc both involved with groups concerned for the welfare of young people. Mr Harris has been on the Omihi School Committee as secretary. treasurer and chairman at various times. He was also a scout master a few years back and is still on the committee of the Glenmark scouts.

Mrs Harris is involved with both Guides and Brownies. at one. stage being president and secretary of the Glenmark Giri Guides and secretary for the Weka District. She also takes scripture classes in the junior room at Omihi School and is involved in local church affairs.

As telephone warden for the Omihi Fire Service over the last 11 years, Mrs Harris is a crucial co-ordinating link in the event of a local fire.

Mr Harris’s wider community involvement encompasses membership of the Omihi Hall Committee, for which he has served a term as chairman, and membership of the recently formed Glenmark Lions Club.

On the sporting side, he used to play rugby football for Glenmark in the 1950 s and has played for North Canterbury. At present, he enjoys miniature rifle shooting with the Glenmark club. He has reprsented North Canterbury on a few occasions and is club captain this year.

The horse section is by far the strongest for the Amberley Show in the local domain tomorrow.

Entries are down by more than 300 on last year but still number 1325 — well ahead of the 346 entries for sheep, the next biggest section. To keep the entries of heavy' hacks and hunter classes to manageable numbers, this year’s hunter entries must have attended three hunts this season to qualify. Ano’ther innovation for this show is the inclusion of an Appaloosa section. It is for led animals in five classes, an impressive start when compared with the two Appaloosa classes at the Rangiora Show last week-end.

A new cup has been donated for best district pony by Mr and Mrs Hide of the Birchdale Stud, and any wellmannered district saddle pony from the three size groups. A. B and C. is a contender for the trophy. Sheep entries have dimiished by about a sixth of last year’s number, partly because of higher transport costs but also because of a difficult season.

The Amberley area is predominantly dry sheep country: without irrigation, the sheep farms have been much affected by the dry winter, late spring and mainly dry conditions still prevailing. Pure bred sheep entries are dominated by the Corriedale class, for which there are 56 entries. Border Leicester entries are next strongest of the 14 pure-bred classes, followed by Poll Dorset and Dorset Horn.

This largely reflects the district's flock sheep preference. which this year's president, Mr John Harris, says is mainly for Corriedales, though there are also Border Corriedale flocks and some Coop worths. Flock sheep entries are down from 38 to 20. but prime lambs are up to 55, an increase of 16. Within this division,'are a dozen entries in the gift lamb class, judged on the hoof and in the carcase. All the proceeds from these animals go to the association. There is an increase, too. in the dog trial entries, which number 82 and are increasingly popular with the general public.

So are the donkeys. There are 28 entries this year in seven classes, including three for ridden donkeys. Other agricultural sections are wool, cattle and goats. The wool section is maintaining its strength, the cattle are nearly all Friesians and the goats are always popular

with spectators, especially children.

Two sections showing big increases are the grain and seed section and handcrafted homespun. Backed by the popularity of the clubs in the district, entries of homespun products are up by 40 to 113, which is half as many again as in 1980, while grain and seed entries have gone up by more than a third on last year’s number, to reach 60.

The junior section is slightly different this year, with the emphasis on display rather than competition, though prizes are still given. ■ The grand parade, at about 2 p.m., will be led by McAlpine's North Canterbury Pipe Band, followed by horses, donkeys, goats, cattle and pet lambs. Another highlight of the day will take place just before the parade. The final of the teams' chop, organised by the Canterbury Axemen’s Association, is scheduled for 1.45 p.m. There will be 12 chopping events through the day, with the final being a contest between North Canterbury and. Buller. The local Lions Club is running a liquor booth, Plunket. Girl Guides and Brownies will be represented. and the fair-type entertainment to cater for the whole family will include a Ferris wheel, a merry-go-round and a hoop-la — for the first time in four years. There will be a display of stationary vintage farm engines and another by the Historical Society. The secretary. Mr Julian Thorpe of the Peppermill Restaurant, says the association enjoys good support from local businesses, such as the supply of tanks and troughs and transport for the dog trial sheep. The president. Mr Harris, is also grateful for the strong and active committee which, among other efforts, itself up-graded both the cattle pens and the milking facilities at the domain for this year's show. Mr Harris says that the annual show is an important "shop window" for the district. allowing both buyers and farmers to compare stock and produce and see the standard that can be attained.

Entry to the grounds costs ?2 for adults and 50c for both children and cars.

To fit everything in, the programme starts promptly at 8.30 a.m.

Well over 40 judges will be assessing the entries at the Amberley A. and P. Show tomorrow.

They come from all parts of Canterbury and from as far away as Blenheim. Picton and Temuka.

The judges for the agricultural sections are as follow's: Group A ponies and pony hunters — Mr B. J. Frazer. Maruia: Group B ponies and heavy-weight hacks — Mrs B. Page, Okuku; Group C ponies — Mrs M. C. Power, Kaiapoi. The Junior Unity Cup will be judged by Miss C. Warren. Christchurch, and the Senior Unity Cup by Mrs B. Roberts. Woodend. Harness and led classes and hunters — Mr J. Stevenson, Hanmer; Appaloosa — Mrs S. Innes. Picton; lightweight hacks — Miss M. Kelly. Rangiora: F.E.I. (jumping) ponies — Mrs A. C. Deans, Amberley, and Mr S. McLean, Waiau; F.E.I. horses

— Mr J. R. Topp. Kaiapoi. and Mr P. Lamb, Waikari.

Sheep judges are: Merino and Halfbred - Mr P. S. Northcote, Waiau; English Leicester and Border Leicester , — Mr B. J. Clinton, Darfield: Romney — Mr D. Cameron. Springston; Corriedale — Mr R. Ensor, Rangiora; Suffolk and South Suffolk — Mr J. Gardner, Waiau; Hampshire, Dorset Down and South Dorset Down — Mr A. Dalziel, Waikari; Dorset Horn, Poll Dorset and Ryeland — Mr N. C. Greenwood, Christchurch: Perendale — Mr J. R. Wilson, Hanmer; Southdown —

Mr J. Abbott, Southbridge. Flock sheep— Mr D. B. Norrie. Culverden; prime

lambs— Mr G. J. W. Beere, Waikari; pet lambs— Mr A. W. Lundy, Amberley; black and coloured sheep— Mrs R. Calder, Hawarden. In the cattle section; Jerseys— Mr L. P. Hawke, Woodend; Friesians and other dairy cattle— Mr J. P. Hawke. Greenpark; handreared calves— Mr- J. J. Wyllie. Omihi. Goats will be judged by

Mr H, Kagle, Temuka, and donkeys by Mrs R. Bowron, Blenheim. The grain and seed judge is Mr B. A. Lysaght, Hawarden, and the wool will be assessed by a representative of Pyne. Gould, Guinness Ltd. Mr M. Miller, Amberley, will judge the dogs and Mr H. K. Barwell, Loburn, the dog trials.