Many hands make light work, especially when it’s carting meadow hay bales weighing about 25kg.
Hinds Young Farmers members spent several hours last week carting bales for farmer Thomas Bailey from paddocks on Trevors Rd, on the outskirts of Ashburton. It was destined for stock food.
It was Mr Bailey’s second season harvesting from the 3ha site next to Mill Creek Pony Club.
It produced 1000 bales last year but with less rain earlier this season there had been a poorer offering with just 250 bales on site.
The bale carting was a fundraiser for the young farmers members and along with a physical workout of lifting bales and walking around paddocks, it also provided a social occasion.
Club chair Kate Maddy said it was a good fundraiser for the club and helped out around the district.
"They are quite small jobs but they help people out," she said.
Up to 10 members often turned out for any of the carting jobs, which generally took a couple of hours and usually ended up with a social catch-up afterwards.
Ms Maddy is working on a 900-cow dairy farm in Ealing, south of Ashburton.
She hails from sheep farming and meat work operations in Wales but has spent the past two years at the Ealing farm.
"I love it," she said, of being in the dairy industry in New Zealand.
Although it’s been a learning curve into the dairy industry, she has had good support.
"It’s been a really good farm to learn on," she said.
After travelling to New Zealand on her own, she has made some great friends through the young farmers group. It had provided social connection to others in the district.
Hinds members meet on the first Tuesday of each month at the Hinds Wayside Tavern and were always open to new members, Ms Maddy said.
Members did not need to work, or live, in the rural industry but many of the activities were rural-based. In the past they had included target shooting, 4WDing, industry speakers and a visit to an Angus cattle and sheep genetics operation in Fairlie. There was also a picnic at the Winchester polo and touch rugby at Hinds.
