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Nick Clarke
OPINION: Cyclone Gabrielle has been one of the biggest challenges farmers and growers in affected regions have faced in my lifetime and for one of the districts I am working in, Tararua, this is no exception.
I’m a regional adviser based in the lower North Island with On Farm Support, MPI’s new service for farmers and growers. I’d only been in my new role a few weeks, when I found myself sitting at a kitchen table with a farmer from the Pohangina Valley who was dealing with significant flood damage from the cyclone.
Silt had inundated the cow shed, calf and hay sheds. Logs and debris were strewn across the farm. Fences were significantly damaged.
With the skills and networks that I have established through prior industry experience, I was able to assess the situation and help this farming family move forward.
Collaborating with industry partners and others in the community, I set up a support network to get their 300-cow herd back milking and the farm operational.
We mapped out a plan to ensure the right assistance, like contractors and electricians, came at the right time and now they are getting back on their feet.
It’s been incredibly satisfying to see things turning around for the family heading into winter.
Our wider On Farm Support team has assisted a number of farmers and growers as they navigate the recovery process following the cyclone.
We are also out there clearing debris from fence lines and helping fix farmers’ fencing. On Farm Support, in association with other MPI teams, has stepped up support for farmers in the region to start a weekly fencing working bee, with assistance from industry partners, to help those farmers who requested assistance.
Outside of one-to-one assistance, we have also ensured farmers and growers have information about MPI recovery grants and wider support available.
I’m proud of the way the On Farm Support team has responded to support farmers and growers through Cyclone Gabrielle and recovery.
I’m passionate about working with farmers, growers and the wider industry into the future to meet these challenges as they arise.
Nick Clarke is an MPI On Farm Support regional adviser in the lower North Island
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