| 27 Growing people the most important job Kim Bowden Waikato farmer Keith Holmes has spent a fair chunk of his life growing both animals and crops, but he reckons growing people is one of the most important jobs out there. He says he entered the farming industry during a “golden age”, where there was no end of support to allow him to get on the land, learn, and progress. Keith was “a post-World-War-Two baby”, who grew up on Auckland’s North Shore before there was the Harbour Bridge. When he left school, he knew he wanted to be a farmer, but there was “no family fortune” behind him. “So, I had to find my own way,” he says. He entered the Farm Cadet Scheme, a then apprenticeship programme, and later Federated Farmers, which he says, “opened incredible doors in terms of leadership and personal confidence”. His first “very run down” farm was bought on “100 percent borrowing”, and multiple loans from industry-specific partners aimed at helping young people get on the farming ladder followed. “That (the ease of loans) just shows how the profitability of farming has been watered down over time,” he says. Keith is now the provincial president of Waikato Federated Farmers and, for him, it is an exciting time to be in the role. “I think we are going through a massive directional change in the economy and in agriculture. And it’s long overdue.” He reckons farmers have been “absolutely annihilated by regulation” and unfairly shouldering responsibility for some of “society’s aspirational dreams”. “The great society decided that we should pay for it all and everybody else should benefit, which is pretty good if you’re living in some nice little suburbia street but not so good when you’re trying to make a buck fighting the elements, and the gods, and Cyclone Gabrielles and droughts, as we are at the moment.” Federated Farmers’ focus is on “trying to get back to good science, good practice and using technology to our best advantage” to make a profitable enterprise. In his role, Keith is advocating for farmer-focused digitalisation of farming processes, arguing for open-source software over proprietary. “It’s something that’s going to be a massive change in the way they do business. Data recording is becoming the norm, so let’s make it easy for RURAL PEOPLE » Tuit Farm them, let’s make it cheap for them, let’s not screw them in the process, as it is going to be hassle enough to record the data let alone have multiple platforms and then discover one is being phased out, for example.” He is also passionate about supporting the next generation of Kiwi farmers, recognising the many legs up he received through his own journey in the industry. “We’re very supportive of the contract milking come share milking system, of ag training...our future as a country is our young people. Nurture them, grow them, believe in them...They could be the next owner of your land, as we’re only custodians of the land for our lifetimes.” Three years ago Keith sold his 900-head dairy farm. He jokes he is now a “pretend farmer” on a “vast estate of 53 hectares in the most beautiful spot in New Zealand”, where he tries to “maximise the number of horsepower per hectare”. He reckons he possibly grows the highest number of silage bales per hectare of anyone he knows, and he is still running a British White herd, which stems from cows reserved from his former 0800 284 3838 | anexa.co.nz KEEP YOUR FARM MOO-VING. The Anexa team provides friendly and professional veterinary care for your farm and pets. Founded by farmers in 1923, our Anexa Vet Club has a proud JOIN THE CLUB NOW. • Vets who are specialised in herd health e.g., advanced mastitis advisers, healthy hoof advisers, and body condition score assessors certified. • A team of technicians to help with a range of animal-health jobs e.g., bolusing, teatsealing, disbudding, and milk sampling. • An on-farm product and delivery service. • • Tailored and practical on-farm training and clinic workshops to improve your farm’s health and productivity. farm.“I also have my Wilshire flock, which everyone laughed at for 25 years, and now suddenly rams are worth $22,000 and I’m thinking, ‘Yes, I was right for keeping these genes going’.” Orginating in England, the sheep breed naturally sheds its wool in spring, making it a good choice for farmers wanting to reduce shearing. Keith is now the provincial president of Waikato Federated Farmers. Keith’s first “very run down” farm was bought on “100 percent borrowing”, and multiple loans from industry-specific partners aimed at helping young people get on the farming ladder followed.
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