Hard work and skill bring brothers a Cameron award

Press, 11 June 1982, Page 19

Hard work and skill bring brothers a Cameron award

Two brothers. Derek and Edwin Glass of .Methven. who came to New Zealand in 1956 from Northern Ireland virtually penniless, have won the South Island section of the 1982 A. C. Cameron Memorial Award. it was announced at the annual conference of Young Farmers in Kaitaia this week. “The Glass twin brothers’ success demonstrates that even today, with all the problems that beset farming, the age-old qualities of thrift, hard work, determination and -skill can still achieve remarkable results." said the award convenor. Mr R. S. Mackenzie, of Akanui. Ashburton. The Glass brothers now have a factory supply dairy herd (350 cows), pig unit (80 breeding sows and 600 fattening pigsj and mixed cropping and grazing farm of 240 ha. Their enterprise covers 339 ha. The runners-up for the award in the South Island this year were Barry Pannett. an intensive cropping and sheep farmer, of Clinton. South Otago, and Bruce and lan Stokes, high country and light land plains sheep and cattle farmers of Lees Valley. North Canterbury. Derek and Edwin Glass emigrated from Northern Ireland in 1956 at the age of 18. having graduated from agricultural college there. They started in the Methven district without any money by means of contract carpentry, yard construction and fencing, together with potato growing on -rented paddocks. They saved sufficient money to buy their first 60 ha of land in 1961. However even with ownership of this land, no overdraft facilities were available for the following five years and money to run and develop the property was earned by shearing and fencing by day while work on the property was done at night. "It was on one occasion during this period that Edwin and Derek found themselves with a paddock of turnips for winter teed for the stock. Although they had some netting and slakes they

had no staples and no money to buy any. "So they borrowed every other staple from their boundary fence and by using these they were able to • break feed their stock." said Mr Mackenzie. Further land was purchased in 1966. 1968. 1969 and 1976. bringing the total to 339 ha of which 100 ha has been developed for border-dyke irrigation. All these purchases were made from income without refinancing existing land. The Glass brothers' enterprise now consists of a factory supply dairy herd of 350 Friesian cows plus replacements. a pig unit of 80 breeding sows plus 600 fattening pigs, and a cropping and grazing unit of 239 ha. which this year produced 190 tonnes of wheat. 60 tonnes of barley and 28 tonnes of oats and on which is run 150 breeding ewes. 500 ewe hoggets and 140 bulls for bull beef. These three enterprises are closely integrated and complementary. The cropping unit provides barley, straw and winter feed for the dairy and pig units; the dairy unit, which is the hub of the whole enterprise. provides milk for the pigs and. together with the pig unit, fertility in the form of effluent back onto the

land: the cropping and grazing unit winters young stock and some cows and fattens bull calves provided by the dairy. "The effect on the district of these two young men has been remarkable." said Mr Mackenzie, who was also one oi the four judges of the award in the South Island. "The attitude of the Glass brothers to enterprise and hard work has been an inspiration." he said. "For example in their first year of farming they dug. picked, hagged. carted and graded 16 acres of potatoes on their own. "They have been leaders in a number of fields related to their farming enterprises. They recognised the declining quality of superphosphate four vear's ago and switched to D.A.P. "They introduced the injection of iron into pigs and were the first to use biotin (vitamin Ki for the prevention of infertility in sows. "They pioneered the sale of entire pigs and the practice of buying and selling weaners on a live weight basis and were instrumental in founding the Ashburton Pig Improvement Club "They have bred a bloatfree herd of dairy cows and they have led full lives as leaders in the. community." Edwin is a lay preacher in

the Presbyterian Church, a member of Session and a church youth group leader. He is a director of the Temuka Dairy Company, chairman of the South Island Pig Co-operative, on the committee of the Ashburton Veterinary Club, member of the Board of Governors of the Methven High School and vice president of the Mid Canterbury province of Federated Farmers. He was a Nuffield Scholar in 1977. Derek is also a lay preacher, member of Session and a church youth group leader. He is chairman of the Melhven branch of Federated Farmers, is a soccer coach, administrator and selector, is a member of the steering committee oi the Methven Aged- Persons Home and .Methven Old Persons Welfare Association and district chairman of the Ash-burton-Temuka Pig Producers. Their impact on Young Farmers has been no less significant. Edwin joined in 1956 and had 12 years membership. He served as assistant secretary, vice chairman and chairman. He won the club ploughing three times, district ploughing twice and also the pasture judging. He was a member of the debating team. * Derek joined tn 1958 and had 10 years membership

without missing a meeting. He served as treasurer, vice chairman and chairman. He won the district stock judging and dog trials, was a finalist in the radio leadership contest (now Young Farmer of the Year) and won an I.F.Y.E. exchange to the United Slates. He also was on the debating team. Both have served as woolhandling judges and debating coaches. "In the opinion of the judging panel the Glass brothers and their wives, whose contribution to the success ot the enterprise has been a most important one. are worthy winners of the A. ('. Cameron Memorial Award." said Mr Mackenzie.