Environmental Efforts Showcased at Youth Forum

Images supplied by Brendon O’Hagan

A Parininihi ki Waitotara (PKW) farm was the showcase for environmental responsibility in the dairy industry at an event designed to encourage young people to ask the hard questions and investigate solutions to negative enviromental impact.

The Youth EnviroLeaders Forum is an annual event organised by the Sir Peter Blake Trust which brings together young people aged between 15 and 18 years for a week of adventure-based learning looking at topical environmental issues and developing strategies to address them.

This year the forum was held in Taranaki and PKW Farm 13 on Skeet Road, Manaia, was approached to host a morning of learning and discussion by the Taranaki Regional Council (TRC).

“The TRC recognised the work we have been doing with regards to environmental protection and sustainabiliy and felt Farm 13 would be an ideal place to show these young people what was possible,” says Shane Miles, PKW General Manager Ahuwhenua. “We were happy to be involved and the day was a real success.”

The group of around 55 young people were given a brief tour of the systems and processes in place on the farm, particulary the dairy shed, with an emphasis on where the environmental impact of the 430- cow operation was being minimised.

Shane spoke to the delegates, along with other local farmers, on the challenges they faced maintaining a profitable business while caring for the environment. Other representatives from Dairy NZ and the TRC also spoke about the work farming is doing to protect the whenua for future generations.

“It was great to be able to engage with these young people and tell our story from a Māori and farming perspective and our duty as kaitiaki,” says Shane. “There was a lot of knowledge being shared and the delegates really took it all on board.”

One participant was 15-year-old Jess Storey from the Waikato Dioceasan School for Girls, who says she was made to feel very welcome and learned a great deal from her visit.

Jess Storey, one of the participants at the Youth EnviroLeaders Forum 2018.

“All I knew about dairy farming and environment was from what you see in the media so I definitely had my eyes opened to the fact that farmers really do care,” she added.

“It was so great of PKW to allow us onto their farm and show us just how future-focused they are and how seriously they take looking after the land, such as how they deal with effluent and limiting how much nitrogen fertiliser they use.

“It was such an amazing experience.”