Business Rural North Summer 2021

42 | RURAL PEOPLE » Smedley Station Cadets gain an excellent grounding In the first-year cadets learn fencing, building and tractor work and more (top). Rob Evans, who was a cadet in 1998 and 1999, has returned to familiar soil as Smedley Station manager (standing below). Sue Russell D ue to the foresight of Josiah Howard, the original owner of a farm in Central Hawkes Bay, hundreds of agricultural cadets have cut their teeth in farming and gone on to forge suc- cessful careers on the land. Josiah died in 1919, passing on title, through the Howard Estate Act, to the Crown with the express purpose that the farm would be held by Public Trust to further agricultural education. The first course was opened in 1931 and over the ensuing 90 years the property has grown substantially. Today, it extends over 5,600 ha, with an effective footprint of 3,600 ha, carrying 30,000 stock units consisting of 12000 Romney ewes, 400 angus cows, 500 red hinds and 800 velvet stags plus trade bulls, heifers and lambs. Rob Evans, who was a cadet in 1998 and 1999, has returned to familiar soil as Smedley Station manager. He says being back on the farm has offered a wonderful opportunity to give back, to an institution that set his journey in farming off to a good solid start. “The training programme is over two years and we take in 13 cadets each year. In the first-year cadets are learning all the general farming skills, fencing, building, tractor work, machinery and workshop skills while in the second year the focus is on stock work. Rob says the benefit of this structure is that all cadets get a really good grounding. If some-one hasn’t quite attained the required skill level then they’ll be given extra opportunities to acquire them. “Our team of staff are really good at assessing where cadets are at. This is, after all, a working farm on a day-to-day level, so the cadets have plenty of opportunities to learn.” Extending over a substantial area, Smedley Sta- tion is a mix of a little flat, mainly rolling to steep contours. A roster system applies to all trainees, providing cadets with opportunities to be stationed out on the farm for periods of time and also based at the hostel, which is home to all the cadets. And because they receive such a good ground- ing in all aspects of farming, they often find work throughout New Zealand while still completing their second year. In his role as Manager, Rob is responsible for supporting the staff and keeping everything tick- For All Your Aerial Requirements Certified Air Operators Hawkes Bay Helicopters is proud to support Smedley Station · Thistle/Brushweed Spraying · Solid/Liquid/Bulk/Fertiliser · Fine Particle Application · Specialist Agricultural Applicators with DGPS · Fire Fighting/Fire lighting · Frost protection · General Charter & Scenic Flights · Fishing & Hunting Excursions General inquiries 0800 435 442 Field Rep Murray Kenderline 021 373 426 Bruce Allen 021 808 849 Jim Guerin 021 673 426 For more information www.helicoptershawkesbay.co.nz info@helihb.co.nz 027 231 9230 clint@centralag.nz facebook/centralagspraying CLINT AND AMANDA GRAY OF CENTRAL AG SPRAYING, PROUDLY SUPPORTING SMEDLEY STATION Proud to support Smedley Station “Proud to support Smedley Station”