Farmers fight back

Speaking at the launch of the ‘Proud to be a Farmer’ group in late October, Dalley said he was probably the oldest person in the room but had never experienced such a campaign in his lifetime.

“It’s been unrelenting since January this year. It preceded that but it’s been a campaign this year. It’s been unrelenting and it doesn’t appear to have stopped yet and I’m not sure it will.”

‘Proud to be a Farmer’ was launched at a function at Greta Valley, North Canterbury.

The group has been organised by local woman Claire Inkson in response to what she called a general feeling of low morale in the industry, and the negativity often seen in mainstream and social media about agriculture.

“There seems to be so much negativity, when there’s actually so much good stuff happening that just doesn’t get so much exposure,” she said.

The group takes over from a previous campaign launched in 2015 by Allflex & Platinum Primary Producers, which Inkson said had lost some momentum. With a new website and Facebook page set up, Inkson said she’s now looking at getting some structure, membership and sponsorship to “take it to the next level” and spread it nationwide.

Inkson told the launch the scheme is to raise morale, remind farmers they have much to be proud of and help bridge the urban-rural divide, by “constantly and consistently telling our stories in a positive way”.

Also speaking at the event were local farmers Charles Douglas-Clifford and Lyndon Matthews, both former Ballance farm environmental award winners.

Dalley appropriately attended the event sporting gumboots and with a bush jacket over a collar and tie.

“I’m proud to be a farmer. It doesn’t mean I’m proud of all farmers and all that farmers have done,” he said.

“I’m not necessarily proud of everything I’ve done as a farmer, but the proud thing is that we recognise that.”

However, Dalley says as an industry, and as individuals, farmers are actually facing that and doing something about it.

“A lot of that, of course, is in the environmental area and there’s a huge amount being done by many farmers.

“It’s a very small minority now who I believe are not being responsible.”

Dalley said it is a privilege to be a steward of the land. Farmers should not take that lightly, but be prepared to share it, “particularly with our city cousins”.

“I don’t believe in the rural-city divide – or don’t want to believe in it.

“We’ve got to work hard to make sure that’s not a reality. It doesn’t need to be.”

“Farming and farmers have been part of the strength, development and wealth of this country and nothing and nobody can take that away from us.”