Future
AGRICULTURE
Farmers Program
by Paul Rowlston
A farmer for over 30 years Judy Stuart is a specialist dairy fashion with a passion for writing, photography and great need to empower young farmers from the most disadvantaged communities
Here at CSR our radar is always up and
spinning looking for stories that will inform
and inspire. When we heard about Judy's
Future Farmers project we immediately
asked her to write us a small piece to tell us
all about what she's doing and why.
Here's what she had to say:
Future Farmers came about when I realised that there were
many young people who were passionate about agriculture
but who could not get into agriculture because there were just
no real opportunities for them. Most of them have come from
impoverished communities and are unable to attend
universities or colleges. They are intelligent young people
with a huge amount of potential and yet we are wasting this
talent - simply because there is no way for these people to get
a chance to show us what they can do.
Something had to be done to create opportunities for these
passionate young people.
I spoke to a number of farmers who agreed to take them on as
Apprentices, allowing them to earn as they learn. Instead of
attending a university that costs money that they simply don't
have they work in a functioning, commercial farming
operation and are paid to do so. As they are unskilled, they
come in at the lowest level at a very low wage. It is then up to
them to learn as much as they can. Starting at the bottom, with
the menial tasks, they gradually learn more and more. Within
two years I expect them to be able to do most of the jobs on
the farm. This means driving tractors and operating
machinery, working with animals and crops and doing record
keeping and managing labour. In addition to this, they should
also learn to drive, get a driver's licence and obtain a passport.
We have also applied to Business World to introduce a one
year course in business skills at the apprenticeship level.
We do set a very high standard for our apprentices. They
must be reliable and have an excellent work ethic.
Once they have proved themselves I try to place
them overseas for a one year internship. At the
moment we have 2 interns in California and four in
Australia, and all of them are doing very well indeed.
Our sponsors, Saville Foundation and Underberg
Farmers Association, pay for them to go overseas.
However, because our apprentices are developing
and starting to earn good salaries they agree to pay
this money back and those funds are then used to
send another intern.
Here is a photo of Mzwandile Duma.
He is managing a large dairy herd and
has completed an internship in the USA.
In this way our apprentices effectively 'pay their own way' - but
I make sure that they are able to do this by placing them in
well-paid positions. These youths depend on each other. It
is only when the money is paid back, that the next one can go.
CORPORATE SOCIAL REVIEW
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