Farming needs people with many practical skills. Many learn skills from their parents  – usually, it’s best to learn from others.          We once had many solid training schemes from Young Farmers Clubs to farming cadet schemes. I started my career as a farm cadet working for the Taranaki Farmers Cooperative.          In those…

        How old should you be to vote for a council or parliamentary representative? This topic is being debated at present.         Take your mind back to when you were 16 could you have made a sound decision at that time?         At 16 I had left home. I was working on farms as a…

         One day the phone rang. It was a call from Noeline Holt, the Administration Officer at the Citizens Advice Bureau, Head Office. Would I join them for a morning tea meeting as they had a request to make.          It turned out they wanted to improve the CAB clubs.            Would I be…

OPPORTUNITIES What ifs?          “Things come, and things go, and we are never quite sure which way to flow.” After retiring from working we have time to explore our memory and ask ourselves; “What if?”  My grandmother use to say; “Waste no time with vain regrets.”          I am very happy with the career path…

GOOGLE before GOOGLE AgLinks Recently I was asked; “What was your greatest work achievement?” A hard question to answer.          I have had a lot of fun during my career.          I explored America as an Eisenhower Fellow. Lectured at the University of the South Pacific. Trained doctors in Vietnam in training ways, and I…

The Fleet Air Arm Our Contribution          I wonder how many people fully realize the important role played by the New Zealand Navy Fleet Air Arm during the Second World War just over 80 years ago?          Five hundred and eighty NA2s were given their basic training on ‘The Rock’.          An NA2 was a…

Soil & Water (Mud and Slush) When will we learn?          We should not forget our history, otherwise, we will repeat our mistakes.          This is not the first time we have had soil and water problems in the Esk Valley region of Hawke’s Bay. In 1938 we had bad floods in the Esk Valley. …

Memories At the Wellington Cenotaph on 25 April I accepted the wreaths on behalf of the City Council and the Wellington Returned Servicemen’s Association. This was the 19 th yesr I had carried out this duty.          This year we had wreaths from 39 groups of people in memory of thousands who died in the…

MANAGEMENT TIPS (M T) 50 topics                This set of topics was taken from the 26 books written and published by Moss Associates Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand. These books were written for new managers,  communicators, and trainers in the Pacific Region.          Eight-six editions have been published by 31 publishers in 18 countries and in…

         Most people are self-motivated, enjoy developing their skills and work best when they are given the freedom and the responsibility to get on with the job.          Poor management and supervision or the use of inferior resources and equipment can prevent an organization from giving clients the best service possible.          Quality can always…