Wednesday, 22 June 2016 11:55

Would-be journalists get a taste of the real country

Written by 
Dairy farmer Doug Easton fronts up to questions. Dairy farmer Doug Easton fronts up to questions.

A special press conference with the Minister for Primary Industries, at Parliament, and a look at research projects at Massey University.

These events were part of a field day for a dozen journalism students from Massey University's Wellington campus.

Organised by Rural News Group reporter Peter Burke and Massey journalism lecturer Cathy Strong, the day-long bus tour gives the students insights into the agribusiness sector. Also along were Leigh Catley, HortNZ and Jason Dawson, DairyNZ.

The students heard from Dr Penny Back on Massey's Number One Dairy Unit, which emphasises environmental management and is on once-a-day milking. They also visited the university's horticultural research centre and saw new pasture species being developed on Kebble farm.

The students quizzed Federated Farmers' Andrew Hoggard on issues affecting farmers including animal welfare and the need for farmers to comply with health and safety and employment laws.

Later they visited the dairy farm of Doug Easton, near Levin, to see cows being milked. Doug's father was a chancellor of Massey.

At the horticultural research centre senior lecturer Huub Kerckhoffs talked about the kiwifruit industry's geat recovery from Psa, and at Kebble Farm Dr Rene Corner and Dr Lydia Cranston showed the students new pasture species and talked about livestock body condition scoring. The students also met Westpac agribusiness manager Dave Hutchison.

The finale of the day was a special news conference held for the students at parliament, where they questioned Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy on subjects including wool, animal welfare and climate change – to name a few.

Burke helps set up this day for student journalists – along with a similar one for teachers – as part of a move to help bridge the gap between rural and urban communities. This is the second year he has helped run the journalism day out and he has run three similar events for careers advisors at secondary schools in the North Island to achieve the same goal.

"It is just one event and I acknowledge other people are working hard to achieve a similar goal. I have been an agricultural journalist for much of my career and I believe it is important that journalists entering the news media have a basic grasp of the size and scope of agribusiness, and the abundance of great stories about the sector," he says.

Burke's comments are echoed by Dr Cathy Strong who says the initiative by Rural News Group and the other supporters – DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, HortNZ, Fed Farmers, Westpac and Massey University – will give the young journalists fundamental understanding and hopefully a positive perspective of agriculture journalism.

"This is an opportunity to take our students out into the real world to see what they are in for in media work. This day was a serious exercise for them and they all produced video news stories about what they observed... and met some key people they are likely to deal with when they write a story in the future."

Strong says trips are valuable learning modes: nothing beats getting out in the field and seeing and experiencing things. The trip, like last year's exercise, is popular with students and resulted in some excellent stories, she says.

"Our journalism school being in mid-Wellington means students rarely get opportunities to get out to the rural sector. Everyone involved in organising this event has helped them take a huge step towards a better understanding of the farming sector."

Rural News Group general manager Adam Fricker says the company is proud to support the journalists' and teachers' trips as they help build better understanding between town and country.

He says the trips also help break down the misconception that farming is a career for 'dummies'.

"The reality is that the agribusiness sector is probably the greatest user of technology in the country. Few people can imagine, for example, some of the technology in the typical dairy shed. We in the industry tend to take this for granted, but city folk are often surprised at what they see."

More like this

From Sky Tower to cowshed

Every morning dairy farmer Sam Waugh sees the Auckland Sky Tower through his window. It's a great reminder of one of his key life goals - giving young people from towns and cities insights into farm life.

Celebrating dairy farmers this International Women's Day

Siobhan O’Malley is a dairy farmer, innovator, businesswoman and community volunteer, an example of the thousands of Kiwi dairy farming women throughout New Zealand who multi-task every day to contribute positively to their communities.

Featured

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

Editorial: Passage to India

OPINION: Even before the National-led coalition came into power, India was very much at the fore of its trade agenda.

National

Knowing bugs means fewer drugs

A mastitis management company claims to deliver the fastest and most accurate mastitis testing available at scale for New Zealand…

Machinery & Products

100 years of Farmall Tractors

Returning after an enforced break, the Wheat and Wheels Rally will take place on the Lauriston -Barhill Road, North-East of…

JD unveils its latest beast

John Deere has unveiled its most powerful tractor ever, with the launch of the all new 9RX Series Tractor line-up…

Biggest Quadtrac coming to NZ!

In the biggest announcement that Case IH Australia/New Zealand has made around its tractor range, its biggest tractor is about…

A different shade of blue for Norwood

Norwood and ARGO Tractors, the Italian manufacturer of Landini and McCormick tractors, have announced an agreement that gives Norwood exclusive…

Kubota tests diesel engines

Kubota last month used the UK LAMMA Show to test the water with its new 200hp, four-cylinder 09-series diesel engines.

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Why?

OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents…

Fat to cut

OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter