FARM SCHOOLS POPULAR WITH MAORI FARMERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 61, 9 November 1949, Page 5

FARM SCHOOLS POPULAR WITH MAORI FARMERS

To give further encouragement to Maori farmers to increase .production and .’improve their farming methods the recent series of farm schools organised throughout the Waiariki Land Board’s District by Mr E. j( Vosper, sebretary of Bay of Plenty Federated Farmers, proved to be an outstanding success, and almost immediately the result of some of the instruction came to bear fruit. These schools were popular wherever they were held, the Maori farmers flocking to them to view and hear farming as expounded by Government instructors. The area .covered was a large one and included the farming centres of Omaramutu, Tour ere, Omaio, Te Kaha, and Waihou Bay. At the present time the Maori farmers on this coast are producing nearly 600 tons of butter each season and are increasing their production every year. They are assisted and advised by the 1 Department of Maori Affairs at Opotiki. These farm schools -were first organised by Federated Farmers some years ago, according to Mr Vosper,

and have been tremendously popular. He said that after they had held in the different Maori Centres there was a noticeable improvement in the general standard ’ of farming and also in production. This-'year the classes were held at Omaramutu, Tourere, Omaio and Te Kaha. Good Attendances At each of these settlements the ■attendance of the local farmers was excellent." In many cases all the farmers of the district wepe present. At some places senior pupils of the Maori schools attended and received expert tuition in various points on farming. Throughout the whole district Mr Vosper said the school children seemed to take a great interest in •the lecture. As a result of this Federated" Farmers have offered special prizes for the best essay written by the children on what they had learned at the farm schools. Qualified instructors gave lectures on# nearly every phase of farming. These were practical and direct and the :imple manner in which they were presented made them understandable by the majority of farmers. Throughout, instructors received very attentive' hearings and the questions produced keen and, sometimes, animated discussions. In the last few years a’ very definite improvement in the general standard of farming along this part of the coast has been evident Mr Vosper said, and the farming schools were doing much towards this. He thought that the Maori farmers were to be congratulated for their initiative in supporting the schools.