Simon Lee, a manager of Glenaray Station and an accredited farm trainer, says there is a shortage of on-farm trainers for the Growing Future Farmers programme due to the high demand.

He is taking on his fourth trainee through the programme.

Growing Future Farmers says demand from students for the next intake is high. Lee says training young people is critical to the industry, and the whole team benefits.

“We get so much satisfaction out of it.”

He says trainees bring back skills and networks from their classwork, fencing and shearing courses, and the farm learns alongside them.

CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp is our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch/listen or download the CountryWide CONNECT mobile app, available on Apple iOS and Android.