Stock judge on a mission to get young people into agriculture

Brooke Flett. Photo / Yvonne O'Hara

Brooke Flett is keen to encourage young people to get involved in the agriculture sector.

After all, her passion for stock and for dairying led her to her career and to winning the 2018 Southern District Harcourts Royal Agricultural Society (RAS) Rural Ambassador Award.

She also won last year's Young Farmers national stock-judging competition and the 2017 RAS Young Judge of the Year - Dairy.

Flett attended the Royal Agricultural Society's 2019 junior judging competition at Waikaka two weeks ago, which fitted in with her desire to encourage more young people to learn about stock management, enter shows and view agriculture as a career.

"It is all about trying to get young people engaged in the agricultural and rural sectors, and keeping them engaged," she said.

"My passion comes from giving young people those opportunities to see those pathways."

She manages her parents' 350ha dairy farm at Scotts Gap, milking 850 cows, and is further developing her grandfather Jim Flett's Holstein Friesian stud, Langskaill.

She is a former chairwoman of the Thornbury Young Farmers Club, is involved in the Riding for the Disabled Centre in Otatara and is the TeenAg liaison person for Otago Southland for Young Farmers.

In addition, she is a qualified associate Ayrshire judge and is waiting to hear whether she has passed her associate Holstein Friesian judging qualification.

"I want to really focus on breeding and genetics and I enjoy talking about them to other breeders."

She hopes cattle will be reintroduced to A&P shows next year.

She stewards for the Gore A&P Show, and is keen to further her involvement with the RAS and the A&P Show movement.

As an ambassador, she has regular conference calls with other districts' ambassadors.

"From a networking point of view, it is a great opportunity to share ideas and resources."

She said one of the issues discussed frequently was how to involve more young people in the association and the competitions.