Letters of the

week Make the hub experience count

Clive Dalton Waikato

I WAS thrilled to read that the Ministry for Primary Industries is having a hub at National Fieldays to tell young folk what a great career can be made in farming.

I hope they have young folk there in dirty gumboots and overalls telling the story – not MPI Wellington staff twice to three times the young folks’ age in corporate jackets and suits and brand new Red Bands bought for the occasion.

When teaching dairy farm trainees at the Waikato Polytech some decades ago, the two pearls of wisdom I still remember from the 15- to 16-year-olds were, when going for an interview (remembering your clean overalls and gumboots), call in at the nearest shop or service station, and ask the way to the farm – taking detailed notice of the reactions and comments.

And the other one was to ask if the lady boss on the farm who ran the house was signed up on Jenny Craig. Questions still relevant for the MPI Hub, I suggest.