Monitor Farms still needed

Farmer feedback suggests the Monitor Farm programme should be retained.

13-04-2009 | Not Specified

Since the Monitor Farm programme started in 1991 it has arguably been one of the better investments farmers have made with their meat and wool levies.

However, many stakeholders question the $21 benefit from every dollar invested in the programme highlighted in a 1998 study.

Some Monitor Farms have been more successful than others for various reasons including selection of farmer already performing well, a strong community group and a facilitator who facilitates.

There been criticism of facilitators being too domineering, pushing their pet projects and even promoting a ram breed.

Meat & Wool New Zealand director Andrew Fox says while the programme has been a good vehicle for technology transfer, he suspects it has run its course. Transfer of technology needs to be stepped up a level.

"Technology transfer is critical, and just because the Monitor Farm programme has worked so well in the past doesn't mean it should not be updated."

This update may include tailoring programmes for specific groups and or specific needs.

Groups could, for example, be focused on beef production, around specific sheep enterprises or breeds or on environmental issues, such as the challenges of farming in the Lake Taupo catchment.

Fox says facilitators need to have clear terms of reference as to what is expected of them and Meat and Wool should be monitoring their contracts more closely.

He also questioned field days being captured by commercial interests who provide only partial funding.

Former South Canterbury Monitor Farm owner Bill Wright says the programme was a positive experience. The frustration is not getting enough levypayers attending Monitor Farm days to take the information that is being made available.

"Every farmer should benefit from that research and development information transfer."

Wright and his wife Shirley were Monitor Farm owners in the late 1990s.

At the time the couple had only been farming their Cave farm on their own account for five years and had lot of debt.

The programme gave them the confidence to make good decisions and the opportunity to implement science and new technologies in their farm system.

Cathrine and Ashley Peter were Nelson Monitor Farm owners, 2002-2005.

She says the programme made them assess not only their business but personal lives as well.

"We knew we needed to lift our performance both productively and financially. We wanted to farm in the top 20% and have some tangible data to benchmark against."

She believes the facilitator and chairman are pivotal to the success of any Monitor Farm. Support from the community group is essential should disputes arise. Visiting other farms during the programme also took the pressure off them.

"It was a breath of fresh air for us to have a focus farm run in conjunction with our programme. We could relax."

Few women attended their field days. Feedback from women highlighted that while the programme was great for getting them focused on their business, it could be expanded to include some social issues relevant to farming such as succession, basic accounting and time management.

Peter says it is interesting Meat & Wool advertise for a facilitator which by definition is an organiser yet a lot of the work undertaken is along the lines of a consultant or was in their case.

One of the constraints of living in Nelson was the cost of getting in professional speakers. As the budget is limited she wonders if some extra funding could be made available or sponsorship sought from major companies.

The business plan created at the start of the programme became the foundation document for their business.

They still refer to it although it has been updated and changed many times.

"Ashley and I had to become accountable for our spending and decision making. We were taken out of our comfort zone many times. By the end of three years we were ready to move on. Talking to the press and standing up in front of other farmers was initially very difficult for Ashley.

Farmer attendance at the Nelson community group days dropped off towards the end.

"It was often disappointing that people you knew could benefit from attending did not. I talked to a couple of farmers who felt that as they had not attended the previous two years they would be out of their depth coming along now."

She says many farmers are also unaware that their levies are paying for this programme and everyone is welcome.

"Some even thought we were getting paid to take part."

Yet there are farmers who wouldn't miss a day as it helped them to re-evaluate their farming practices.

Talking with other farmers in the area, Peter says the programme is not "dead and buried".

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