In some cases paying the necessary outgoings such as winter grazing and feed expenses is not possible until the income starts to filter through so many a farmer, dairy or sheep, will ask why we do what we do.
This time of year is hard enough to get right without the external pressures over which our control is minimal but the effect has consequences beyond our gate as the flow of revenue slows to a trickle.
The kids still need funds for schooling and the tractor needs fuel to feed out and the wife says the cost of Friday night fish ’n’ chips has become way to expensive so now even the smallest of pleasures has become a luxury less affordable.
Then there is the dam heifer with a breach at 7pm on Saturday night just as the Hurricanes kick off to really put the boot in.
Once again why do we do it?
The answer is that we have passion for what we do and through thick and thin we believe our role is important.
Passion for what we do drives success, sees us through the hard times and gives us resilience when required while letting us savour success, humble in the knowledge that we did it against the above odds and many more.
This passion is in our genes and will continue in the genes of our children. They might not choose the path we have but a work effort driven by passion will be instilled in most of our youth.
“We have passion for what we do and through thick and thin we believe our role is important.”
Over the past 20-plus years I have been witness to and commentated on such passion in the many events I do as an emcee.
I get emotionally involved in it and to my embarrassment have shed a tear or two as I witness the success of the people who have chosen to test themselves against their peers and in turn taste success.
The emotion is evident in many as they compete in the competitions or in the back stories behind the accolades received in industry awards.
Let’s take the father and son competing against each other in the Wiremark Golden Pliers or the husband and wife team who run a small butchery in Thames Valley, winners of the best bacon in the country at the 100% NZ Pork awards.
Both of these examples had so much pride involved for what they achieve it is obvious to all watching and is hard not to be wrapped up in it.
Back to it being in the genes of our children. This year the TeenAG and AgriKids prizegiving at the FMG Young Farmer of the Year had the intensity and suspense of test match.
The theatre in Timaru was filled with young rural people and their families or teachers from all over New Zealand waiting to find out who had won awards and who were to be 2016 champions.
As the awards were given out the pride of the winners was evident but more proud and really only visible from my privileged position on stage were those parents and teachers who had committed to give their wards a chance at success.
There were a few tears from mums, dads with beaming grins with the answer to the question I posed in this article, “Why do we do it?”
Because it’s in our blood and has been passed to us in our genetic make-up as we pass it to our future farmers.
I made the decision eight years ago to sell our farm, scale down that side of things and do more commentary.
I couldn’t do justice to both and as I have both options on either side of my genetic make-up it was always going to be hard to get a balance I could make work when the closest airport was just not practical and the workload of both facets clashed.
This led me to be asked to take on my dream job as compere of the Young Farmer of the Year competition six years ago. I had big boots to fill with the departure of Jim Hopkins.
I took this role to heart and gave it all I could, ensuring the stars of the show were those who competed and that they all could feel they had a chance to go the whole way to be grand final winners.
This role, sadly, has come to an end as the contest looks to revamp itself again.
I’ve been lucky to have had the opportunity to see the best in rural NZ, commentate and question them as they take part in this iconic competition. I am sure I have met future leaders in rural NZ and again have enjoyed the experience immensely.
Through this article I’d like to thank all those who have been a part the contest in my time as compere and never once have I asked the question “Why do I do what I do?”
