Like Fonterra, creating pathways into the dairy industry is important for Canterbury farmers Kerry and Aimee Burt.
The couple farm two properties – 580 cows on their 148ha home farm just out of Leeston and another 450 cows on a 129ha property 50 kilometres away in Lowcliffe.
In between their farming operations and looking after three young children, they also find time to host a student from the local high school, Ellesmere College, once a week, who shadows the Burts to learn about dairy farming and some tips of the trade.
It’s also a chance for the students to earn credits for the Primary ITO Gateway Programme and so far, brothers Jackson and Noah, are benefiting from this valuable experience of the Burt’s operations.
“When we first came to this farm the older brother (Jackson) came to us and said he used to do a bit of relief milking and asked would we be interested”, says Kerry.
“We were only too happy to help.”
Jackson spent a year with the Burts as part of the Gateway course and when he decided not to return to school for Year 13, the couple gave him fulltime employment for 18 months.
Now Noah is following in his older brother’s footsteps and is thriving in the farming environment.
“We just try to immerse them in what we do as dairy farmers”, says Kerry. “Jackson still comes out and splits our wood and helps with relief milking and covering the silage pits each year.
“Noah is just so keen to learn as much as he can. He’s been with us for at least a day a week for six months now.
“There are certain things he has to do and be a part of to achieve his credits, so we give him the opportunities and support to complete each task in each season”, says Kerry.
“He’s moved on from teat spraying the cows to cupping and has been helping with the calves. He’s also learnt to drive the tractor and has been doing some rolling, which gives me extra time to get on with other jobs.
“He’s learning so much and is keen to come out to the farm as much as he can. We try to give him work outside the regular Tuesday and if he wants to do more, like on teacher only days or weekends, we pay him an hourly wage. Like we did with Jackson, we give Noah the chance to learn at his own pace without the pressure of learning quickly. To see how far he has progressed in a short time, and to be part of that journey, is awesome.”
Kerry and Aimee say they find it very rewarding having someone new to the industry on-farm.
“It’s so important to try to encourage younger people in the industry”, says Aimee.
“It gives us a new perspective of what we do as dairy farmers. Unlike Jackson and Noah, I grew up on a dairy farm, but I never wanted to be a farmer.
I saw how hard my parents worked and I didn’t want that life for me. Now that I have it, I love it and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”
South Island Regional Head Mat Cullen says the couple is to be commended.
“Aimee and Kerry are very humble so wouldn’t say they are doing anything particularly special, but this type of contribution is what we need to keep our industry strong for generations to come. Both are also very active in their local community, as we know many other farmers are, illustrating how valuable farmers are to our country and our societies.”
“Like Aimee and Kerry, we want to get younger people involved in what we are doing. Fonterra is committed to providing stepping stones for young people interested in the dairying industry. These include school and public visits to farms, internships, apprenticeships and graduate programmes and we work closely with Primary ITO and others to celebrate the successes of kiwi dairy farmers and give young people the chance to experience life on a dairy farm and explore the wide range of roles in the industry,” says Mat.