Canterbury couple host a local student on farm once a week.
A Canterbury dairy farming couple are helping to create a farming future for the next generation.
Creating pathways into the dairy industry is important for Kerry and Aimee Burt. The couple farm two properties – 580 cows on their 148 hectare home farm just out of Leeston, near Lincoln, and another 450 cows on a 129ha property at Lowcliffe, south of Ashburton.
Early this year they reached Te Tihi, the highest ranking under the Fonterra Co-operative Difference Programme towards strengthening future dairy farming practices.
In between their farming operations and looking after three young children, they find time once a week to host a student from the local high school, Ellesmere College, who shadows the Burts to learn about dairy farming.
It is also a chance for the students to earn credits for the Primary ITO Gateway Programme.
So far brothers Jackson and Noah Laffey are benefiting from the valuable experience.
“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 would we be interested,” Kerry Burt said.
“We were only too happy to help.”
Jackson Laffey spent a year with the Burts as part of the Gateway course and when he finished school, the couple gave him full-time employment for 18 months.
Now Noah Laffey is following in his elder brother’s footsteps and is thriving in the farming environment.
He has moved from teat spraying the cows to cupping and also drives the tractor to give Kerry extra time for other jobs.
“He’s 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, we pay him an hourly wage.
“To see how far he has progressed in a short time, and to be part of that journey, is awesome.”
The Burts find it a rewarding experience.
“It’s so important to try to encourage younger people in the industry. 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,” Aimee Burt said.
“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 Fonterra regional head Mat Cullen said the Burts are to be commended.
“They 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.”
Cullen said Fonterra is committed to providing stepping stones for young people interested in the 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.”
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