The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Opinion: Education key to avoiding the ridiculous

The Country
1 Nov, 2018 09:45 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Federated Farmers Wairarapa provincial president William Beetham. Photo / Supplied
Federated Farmers Wairarapa provincial president William Beetham. Photo / Supplied

Federated Farmers Wairarapa provincial president William Beetham. Photo / Supplied

Farming education needs to be boosted to avoid further misconceptions about agriculture, writes Federated Farmers Wairarapa provincial president William Beetham.

It is going to fall to farmers to teach our communities about what is involved in farming.

During the recent media storm that descended on Carterton after children were reported ill following exposure to a mystery substance, (probable cause later found to be compost), the unlikely belief it was caused by aerial spraying or drop of fertiliser was floated as a plausible cause – a food production method was blamed.

The facts are that the area where the school is placed, aerial fertiliser drops are rare and aerial spraying from planes is non-existent as far as I know. The plane seen over the school was a Cessna plane which looks nothing like a top dressing plane. Why did such conjecture gain so much traction?

Could this be because people have little to no exposure to local farming practices in the Carterton area? This coupled with negative media about food production practices that is often not true or doesn't even relate to how most food is produced in New Zealand, means people jump to conclusions and the media latch on.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Read more from Federated Farmers here.

The education about what is around people in their day-to day life and how food is produced is either minimal or completely absent.

The media were forced to play the game of, 'be first, facts later', so rather than waiting for facts to be established went with any sound bite. It's not members of the media's fault entirely – they serve a public that claims its hungry for information, but what the public wants to be fed and what they're willing to pay for has changed over the years.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The sound bite the media and public went with was a mysterious plane conducting a farm operation. Minimal facts, grab a tenuous link that will sell, and run with it.

To stop this from happening again we need to boost education. People should know what can be found and what is happening in their community.

If the Ministry of Education is not delivering compulsory practical food production knowledge in the school curriculum, or if teachers are only applying a once over lightly approach, how we achieve food education may have to come down to other techniques.

As farmers we need to engage with our other rural or urban counterparts, let's get people on farms and have conversations about food production.

Discover more

How long do we risk ignoring gene technology?

04 Oct 03:25 AM

How to rebuild after tragedy on the farm

24 Oct 03:00 AM

How GM technology can help us

26 Oct 03:00 AM

Federated Farmers: CPTPP 'a significant win for New Zealand'

31 Oct 03:15 AM

There are also opportunities for suppliers, including major companies in the agronomy and fertiliser industry, to help find ways to engage the public with what is happening locally and nationally in what is all our food production industry.

When it comes to reaching children we could run sessions at school where farmers share their stories and knowledge with children.

Could the food production industry better embrace social media? The occasional farm dance video featuring my agronomist explaining what we do and why, with some cute animals in the background could go viral.

At worst, those driving around the countryside getting food stories out there improve their cardio. At best we reach new audiences and give them avenues to gain food production knowledge.

Everyone informed, but more so, we embrace the great stories of our food production communities and their invaluable contributions to the Wairarapa and New Zealand.

GET THE BEST RURAL NEWS. SIGN UP FOR THE COUNTRY NEWSLETTER
Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Family's heartbreak as pet sheep killed by dogs; council called out for delayed action

The Country

'Town meets country' in 'absolutely brilliant' night

The Country

Commerce Commission dismisses farmers' complaint against banks


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

World's major courts take growing role in climate fight
World

World's major courts take growing role in climate fight

Morning quiz: What is the botanical classification of a banana?
New Zealand

Morning quiz: What is the botanical classification of a banana?

TAB could be asked to compensate greyhound trainers amid plans to ban the sport
New Zealand

TAB could be asked to compensate greyhound trainers amid plans to ban the sport

'Slap in the face': Grieving mum decries jail term for 11yo daughter's killer
New Zealand

'Slap in the face': Grieving mum decries jail term for 11yo daughter's killer

Family's heartbreak as pet sheep killed by dogs; council called out for delayed action
Northern Advocate

Family's heartbreak as pet sheep killed by dogs; council called out for delayed action

‘Out of touch’: Just 153 families receiving maximum FamilyBoost childcare tax credit
Politics

‘Out of touch’: Just 153 families receiving maximum FamilyBoost childcare tax credit



Latest from The Country

Family's heartbreak as pet sheep killed by dogs; council called out for delayed action
The Country

Family's heartbreak as pet sheep killed by dogs; council called out for delayed action

The family was upset Animal Control didn't visit on the day.

21 Jul 05:00 PM
'Town meets country' in 'absolutely brilliant' night
The Country

'Town meets country' in 'absolutely brilliant' night

21 Jul 04:33 AM
Commerce Commission dismisses farmers' complaint against banks
The Country

Commerce Commission dismisses farmers' complaint against banks

21 Jul 04:29 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search