8.2 Family and community issues
Adult education: That so many farmers remain is linked strongly to the age and generation of farmers in this area - many in their forties and fifties, few of whom have qualifications other than Diplomas from Massey. They have a huge practical skills base but did not realise that their capabilities, competence, resourcefulness are transferable to a number of arenas. The lack of an alternative career choice figured prominently in a number of conversations. A necessary first step is the identification and acknowledgment of this.
Education is urgently needed for farmers, and especially this age group - education in the sense of enabling people to appreciate their skills, knowledge, versatility and potential employability, and then using this to explore options so an informed decision can be made - stay, go, diversify or ? It was recognised that people in cities now see two or more careers as a norm. Farming may be heading down that track too. But what farmers and farm families who change from farming are doing is changing cultures, not just a job or workplace.
Education is needed in a number of areas such as entrepreneurial skills, interpersonal skills and management - especially with the increasing intricacies and demands of administration and legislative compliance. It would be advantageous too, to encourage lateral thinking, if only to prevent tunnel vision, a practice exacerbated by the introduction of the user pays ideology which means that many no longer utilise the services of advisors because they cost. This education may need to be done through a variety of means - the media, local discussion groups, seminars. The appointment of a catalyst to inspire, enthuse the area could help combat existing levels of negativity. The educational effort requires the use of a myriad of tools, the task being to promote the evolution of a new farming culture and community development.
Women’s roles: there is a growing body of research on women and farms, yet most of the education and focus group activity seems to be male oriented, unless the woman is herself ‘a farmer’. Research mostly focuses on farmers, male, or farmers’ wives, or issues such as off farm employment or succession; and fails to show the whole picture. That most farmers live in relationships and may be struggling to get to grips with fundamental changes in those relationships, needs to be recognised and addressed through studying farming in context.
There have been recent social changes in women’s roles as well as the 1980s changes, but there is no doubt that the ‘sinking lid’ of expectations brought about by government rural policy changes have affected women significantly. A trickle down effect means that women often bear the brunt of increasing problems and dissatisfactions, and this needs looking into.
Children and succession: the adage "the latest form of child abuse is to give your child a farm" captures one aspect of 1990s reality. Farmers are working on the farm longer and therefore ‘denying’ younger members of the family an opportunity to get into decision-making on the farm in their ‘ideal’ age - reputed to be 25.
Crippling debt servicing and barriers have the same impact; the danger of young women with agricultural degrees having old stereotypes work against them, eg in financing their way onto a farm, or preferring, with other qualifications, to stay in the cities. There is a need for open communication between generations, so all are clear about succession expectations.
Local school education: Taihape College suffers from an imbalance because a large proportion of their potential population choose not to attend the local school. This imbalance could be rectified over a number of years if a number of farm families decided to send their children to the College and agreed, with the Principal, staff, BOT and ‘the community’ that they wanted the ethos, and pattern, to change [ one school in the Wairarapa turned around this exodus - as with any mini revolution it took a decade to change entrenched beliefs, values, practices] . This is not a notion based on assumptions of children from farm families being any better, or worse, brighter or more interested, than current students. Local schooling could have a marked impact on family relationships and on the development of a number of adolescents, and on the community. "More kids, higher standards, more variation of courses offered, more staff [could] lead to a win/win situation." For some families, though, distance is always going to be a barrier to consideration of such a move.
Service provison: It is difficult to know how to address the enormous implications of this aspect of farming in context. Problems with withdrawal of services based on arguments of economies of scale are hard to combat, except on human rights and equity grounds, but better handling of matters would go a long way towards improving the situation. For instance notifying bank customers of closure rather than letting people learn of such a move through the newspaper. The manner of withdrawal of any service, the surprise move, or the suspicion and uncertainty that itself engenders, can cause strife.
Lack of leadership: the lack of local leadership in different areas needs to be be addressed, but whose responsibility is it to do this? Community Boards have a specific task or focus. So too the multiple organisations in the area. The Rangitikei A-Z lists all the many organisations and provides names or contacts, but cannot act as a coordinating centre. There are plans to set up a ‘one stop health shop’ for adolescents in Taihape. Perhaps there could be such a centre for the community, given the absence of a Citizens Advice Bureau - [this closed several years ago]. These moves would not address concerns about urban/ rural lack of contact, and issues of talking past each other, but these matters might improve if overall morale improved.
Contact for Enquiries
Rural Affairs Coordinator
Sector Performance Policy
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0675
Fax: +64 4 4 894 0745
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