Forum attracts premier line-up

 A farmer discussion in Cheviot late last year about the spread of Chilean Needlegrass has since grown into staging a premier forum on the future of the agriculture industries in New Zealand.

'The Future of Heartland' will be held on the Te Mania Angus Stud on Conway Flat on Friday 17th of April.

Along with a number of Government speakers, the line-up also includes:

• Dame Margaret Bazley from Environment Canterbury
• Winton Dalley the Hurunui Mayor
• Peter Townsend, Chief Executive of Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce
• Award winning farmers Craige and Roz Mackenzie, and Sam and Mark Zino. Nicole Masters of the New Zealand Biological Farmers Association
• Dr William Rolleston the national president of Federated Farmers New Zealand

Organiser Charles Wiffen says he expects up to 500 attendees, with some coming from well beyond the region.

"It's just grown like Topsy. We were having a meeting of the Cheviot Needlegrass Liaison Committee. We thought it was a good idea to invite Nathan Guy down to show him how serious a weed needlegrass is. That idea kept on going to expand the discussion into a full-scale forum. Now we have set up probably the biggest agriculture event of this sort in the South Island for this year."

Wiffen says that one aim of the forum is to attract participants from outside the farm sector.

"We want town people along so we can explain to them that a profitable agriculture business is increasingly in their interests as well," he says.

"Not only that, but we want to demonstrate that the farming community are responsible stewards of the land with enduring sustainability absolutely a core belief."

Federated Farmers North Canterbury provincial president Lynda Murchison says it is a big time for events in the province.

"We've just had the South Island Field Days at Kirwee. And now there's the Heartland Forum. There's something for everyone and some great opportunities get off-farm and shift focus for a day."