AgriVenture desperately seeks farming families

AgriVenture desperately seeks farming families

AgriVenture is in desperate need of farming families as the organisation urgently endeavours to meet the influx of agricultural trainees due to arrive in New Zealand.

While employment opportunities have tightened due to the economic downturn the International Agricultural Exchange Association (IAEA) believes it has an added-value employee opportunity to offer the agricultural industry.

New Zealand, as a leading global agricultural nation, is one of the most popular destinations for IAEA trainees. Its clean green reputation with good opportunity for a variety of experiences continues to attract trainees keen to work on New Zealand farms.

“These trainees can add real value to farming families and farming life as they share their working and cultural experiences and become part of the family to which they are hosted, often fostering relationships between hosts and trainees that lead to adopted sons and daughters, and even grandchildren, around the world,” AgriVenture New Zealand manager Robyn Baron said

Trainees can work either solely on the farm or some of them, both male and female, do a mix of work on farm and in the home with childcare, gardening and housework.

Some trainees have experience while others don’t.

“Even when a trainee has little experience it can be an extremely rewarding experience for both parties. But what is important is that they all come with a give-it-a-go attitude and are very keen to learn about Kiwi farming and life,” Baron said.

“The scheme is a great way for farmers to get an extra pair of hands to help over the busier summer period and also to learn about another culture and country, as well as having the satisfaction of giving a young international person the chance to learn about New Zealand’s agriculture and way of life.”

IAEA is currently looking for families across all farming sectors – dairy, sheep and beef, and arable with sheep and beef in highest demand.

Some specific requests for placement also include host family opportunities for trainees wanting landscape work with other horticultural trainees looking for placements in a nursery, orchard and vineyards.

A couple of less usual requests in the October intake are for organic fruit and dairy enterprises.

With just four weeks until the main October intake of 80 trainees arrives there are still 33 trainees unplaced. These are young folk from Canada, UK and Europe.

“Host families anywhere around the country will be just fine,” a desperate Baron said.

The International Agriculture Exchange Association NZ (IAEA) programme this year has round 120 trainees coming to New Zealand from the UK, Europe, Canada and the USA.

Trainees either live in with the family or in accommodation provided by the family with hosts encouraged to include the trainees in New Zealand family life.

There is an assistance network within the IAEA for both the trainee and the host family.

The trainee is generally placed in the programme for a minimum of four months with most in New Zealand for six months. There are a few who stay a longer period up to one year.

The IAEA has been running the AgriVenture programme since 1963, with 30,000 young people travelling with the organisation over the past 45 years.

The AgriVenture programmes run by the IAEA are aimed at young people aged from 18-30 years.

Anyone interested in further details about the IAEA programme, or willing to host a trainee, should contact Robyn Baron on freephone 0508 328000. Email nz@agriventure.com

ENDS

© Scoop Media