Fed Farmers enjoy food, fellowship

JOYCE WYLLIE

The newly painted Pakawau Hall was the venue for this year’s Golden Bay Federated Farmers AGM and dinner.

President Cherrie Chubb chaired the meeting before the meal and, amid applause, all office holders were returned to their roles for another year. Wayne Langford was thanked for his service as he stepped down from local executive to focus on his national role. Sue Brown read a tribute to long-standing GB Federated Farmers (FF) member and past-president Graeme Wilson, who died earlier in the year. Everyone stood for a minute’s silence in his honour, and a folder was circulated containing a collection of Graeme’s newsy newsletters over many years.

Wayne Langford, acting national president, was the first after-dinner speaker. He updated on the governance review and explained FF’s intentions to build “better relationships with other farming organisations”. Also, a wish to “get to know members better” in order to get best data for submissions.

Dairy farmer from Levin, Richard McIntyre, is FF national dairy chair, carrying responsibility for animal welfare, immigration, rural connectivity, and rural policing. He began his speech by thanking Ann Thompson for being “influential” in his career. Ann has since shifted from Wellington to live in Pakawau and continues her service to the federation in our local branch. Richard also expressed a desire to engage better with FF members, plus the Dairy Council and Fonterra, to benefit the industry. He was on the NZ Fish & Game Council as well, because he wanted to engage in discussions on water and environmental management. He believes that the “dirty dairying” label has “done its dash” and it is now time to work with farmers and improve relationships. Both FF and Fish & Game New Zealand consider habitat to be important, so working together is the effective way to bring change.

Final speaker Gavin Forrest began his FF career 36 years ago as chairman of the Hunterville branch. Elevated over time to national chair of Meat & Wool, he then wondered why he was doing voluntary work when he could be paid for it. So, he left farming and joined the FF staff. After 12 years, he moved on to working for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and said it was “good to learn to understand how government works... or doesn’t”. He returned to FF after some years in the minister’s office with David Carter and Nathan Guy.

Now only a few weeks off retirement, Gavin reflected on his career and offered some insights. “It is the power of the argument that’s important, not the weight of numbers behind it.” He also said, “Small can produce big things, so always believe that small is important.” He has found that farmers “have a strong sense of fairness and equity in the way they think and a philosophy to solve problems” and recommends that we should “seek a result that is sustainable and lasts a long time, and so get sensible legislation that never needs to be dealt with again”. He encouraged the FF to continue to be “credible and relevant and seen as the voice of reason”. His parting wisdom was, “Be proud of what you are doing, show people what you do, and they will be surprised.”

Formalities, food, and fellowship over, the Federated Farmers team packed tables, swept the hall, locked up, and headed home after a successful 2023 AGM.