A bustling club of young people who are actively rolling up their sleeves to help out their own community and attract members from much further afield: That’s Ōpiki Young Farmers.
They have just held their 83rd AGM and the club, all 31 paid-up members are under 30 years of age, is raring to go. Not all of them are farmers, but many have jobs associated with the rural sector and the Ōpiki club attracts members from as far away as Feilding. They are the only young farmers’ club in Horowhenua and you do not have to be a farmer to belong.
New treasurer Jasmine works in administration for a company involved in primary industries, and other members are truck drivers, contractors, work for insurance or a real estate agent. “It is about enjoying the rural lifestyle,” said 2022 president Richard.
He said many members are keen to teach others their skills, such as how to drive a truck. The age of 30 is the cut-off for membership. Any older and you are an alumni, such as local farmer and now district councillor Paul Olsen.
It is a very friendly, welcoming club. They are inclusive and we’ve gained many friends.
Sarah, who is also the district chairwoman and has been a member for the past seven years, said her sister got her involved. “I wanted to do more than be a name on a piece of paper. I wanted to get stuck in and you can do that in this club.”
Others said the club gave them a sense of belonging. “It is a very friendly, welcoming club. They are inclusive and we’ve gained many friends through it,” were some of the comments members offered about their club.
If you are a farmer, which can be a lonely occupation at times, the club gives you a chance to get off the farm. “It is good for mental health to get out and here there is enough diversity to interact with and take your mind off the daily grind.”
Sheep and beef farmer Kurt works on his parents’ farm in Feilding and finds the monthly trip to Ōpiki more than worth it. “I chose this club as friends of mine were members,” he said. “It is a very active club. We do a lot of fundraisers and members take part in competitions, such as Young Farmer of the Year, clay shooting, fencing, and stock judging.”
He said the best aspect of the club is that it allows anyone to build a network of contacts within the industry.
Ōpiki Young Farmers showing off the new NZYF logo on their new billboards ... but unveiling of the billboards will come later ... once they are in place.
The club’s raised funds this year for a club shirt, using those contacts, and the donors were thanked with a party.
The top event for Ōpiki Young Farmers is the annual ball, where other clubs and the locals are invited to join in. They also hold a netball tournament and participate in the annual Horowhenua AP&I Show, where they help out with the small-animal exhibition.
Throughout the year they do hay pick-ups, silage stacks and firewood cutting/storing to raise funds. They sponsored the local school bus, donated to Farmstrong, an organisation many Ōpiki Young Farmers feel strongly about. They are also working through the details to donate money to the local fire brigade and the rescue helicopter.
Some new trophies were handed out that AGM night for breakthrough member of the year (Jasmine and Sheldon), member of the year (Pete), and unsung hero (JR).
At their AGM they made plans for involvement with their community such as helping out at the Ag Day of the local school and they organised a working bee to put their new billboards up.
The club is about to unveil new billboards, that will arise on a local farm situated on a main road, to advertise the club to the wider community. The boards were designed by Colleen Ware and contain a number of photos of the Ōpiki region, some taken by the members during a photo competition held last summer.
The Ōpiki boards are the first ones featuring the brand-new New Zealand Young Farmers logo, which became available in July.
The boards should go up in the next week or two, but until then they remain under wraps as the photo shows.
Tokomaru RSA staff received a woolly jumper from the Ōpiki Young Farmers for their ongoing pampering of club members.
The club meets on the first Wednesday night of the month at the Tokomaru RSA, whose members were thanked at the AGM for their enthusiasm - with woolly jumpers.
They also elected a new committee: Chair: Sheldon Mayo, secretary: Tegan Pope, treasurer: Jasmine Phippen, primary vice-chair: Danielle Sinkinson, secondary vice-chair: Daniel Mears, publicity officer: Olivia Nitschke, member liaison: Colleen Ware, health and safety: Matt Phippen, club event co-ordinator: Peter Ware, club advisers: Tim Calow and Charlotte Wilcock.
If you live rurally or want to get stuck in with a group of young folk, get in contact. You can find Ōpiki Young Farmers on Facebook.
