Dion and his partner Gabriela run a busy, Alexandra-based contracting business employing up to 50 shearers at peak time.
He’s worked in the industry for over 40 years, starting as a shearer straight out of school, working his way up to elite level competition representing New Zealand and setting four world records along the way.
Dion still loves the industry but fears for its future.
“Shearing used to be a default career path for many school leavers, especially young Maori.
“But those days are gone and we are struggling to attract and train young people.”
So the industry needs to present itself in a much more positive light.
“Everything has changed since I started shearing.
“Even the sheep have changed.
“These days they’re bred for meat as much as wool and they’re a much bigger and more powerful animal.
“When I was young we were dealing with a 50 to 60 kilo ewe, now they’re 70 kilos and they are vigorous animals.
“You need to be physically and psychologically fitter to cope.
“You need better technique, you need to watch your diet, you need to stay in condition and look after your body.”
Back when he began his career people worked with little regard for their own wellbeing.
“For shearers and farmers of my generation there was often an unhealthy link between our ego and amount of work we did.
“That’s why people physically or mentally broke down.”
Dion compares the physical demands of modern shearing to competitive sport.
“Over the course of a day a shearer will burn through the same amount of kilojoules as a guy would running back-to-back marathons.
“For a person to cope with that, it’s all about how well you prepare and repair your body and mind.”
“If people aren’t sleeping well, eating well and recovering properly they get tired, they get toey with each other, they get run down and that’s when the injuries come.”
So keeping staff fit and well has become central to the way Dion and Gabriela run their business.
“We’ve learnt that if you don’t focus on wellbeing you are just breaking people down.
“Our business needs these people to come back to work for us.
“If they’ve had a good season, made money and can see we’re genuinely trying to look after them, they’ll be back.”
There’s now a host of proactive, wellbeing measures in place at Morrell Shearing.
All staff enjoy heavily subsidised access to a local gym where they work on their strength, flexibility and fitness.
They receive subsidised passes to the local pool and use the spas there as part of their recovery.
They get a free annual check-up by a GP and ongoing access to a chiropractor or physios to treat niggling strains or injuries.
Work is also scheduled so rest and recovery time is possible after a hard week in the shed.
“A lot of what Gabriela and I are doing is consistent with the main Farmstrong message,” Dion says.
“Treat people as your number one asset. It’s so true.”
It’s no surprise Dion is one of a number of well-known shearers promoting the industry’s new safety initiative Tahi Ngatahi.
“We really to need to think about how we look after these kids coming through.
“There’s no point just saying harden up. It’s a different time now. It’s not a matter of whether people can do something, it’s a matter of whether they should be doing it,” Dion says.
“We need to create the sort of working environment where young people know we value them and they can see value working for us.”
MORE:
There’s a ton of really practical farmer-to-farmer tips and videos on the Farmstrong website that will help you invest in your wellbeing so you have something to draw on when you are under the pump. So check out what could work for you and lock it in.
Visit www.farmstrong.co.nz
Dion’s top tips
Make wellbeing part of your business plan.
It helps attract and retain good staff.
Stay farm fit.
Work on your strength and flexibility.
It helps you avoid injuries and extends your career.
Look after yourself – eat well, sleep well, help your body recover.
Make sure you have the energy to do a physically-demanding job.
Make staff aware that drugs and alcohol impair concentration and judgement and can lead to serious workplace injury.
