What do 32km hikes and choosing an ag career have in common?

4/5/2015

Over the long weekend I spent two days hiking the Banks Peninsula Track. The track winds up and down a section of the New Zealand coast with 32 km of stunning views (hey - there has to be some reward for climbing to 699m above sea level and treading along sheep paths on the side of cliff!) It was an incredible experience and one that I would recommend to anyone. I hiked the track alone (except for a few parts with a fellow two day hiker) which obviously left lots of time for reflecting about my trip to date.

Surprisingly I drew a lot of inspiration from the process of the hike. As I meandered along (more slowly in some parts than others) I couldn't help equate the action of tramping through the wilderness to the process of choosing a career in agri-food. OK, maybe my mind is just so skewed with my Nuffield research that I can't think of anything else, but bear with me. What do 32km hikes and choosing an ag career have in common? Here are a few of the thoughts that came to mind. Some are ideas I have covered before, but maybe that means I am on the right track? Get it? Haha, OK you know you've been travelling alone for too long when you start laughing at your own jokes

1. Exposure is key

One of the first things that crossed my mind when I met up with the group of people for the hike was what drove them to do the activity? The common theme among them was that they either hiked on a regular basis or were self-proclaimed "outdoors" people. There is probably a segment of the population which would look at the idea of hiking 32 km and say "no thanks." The fact is that if someone hasn't been exposed to the outdoors or hiking before the concept can be foreign and the prospect may be frightening.

With this in mind I couldn't help but think of the great book Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. I drew a lot of inspiration from this book during my Masters of Education research (can be found here). Louv suggests that there is an entire generation of young people who lack an intimate relationship with the outdoor environment. In fact he coined the term "nature-deficit disorder" and points to a number of negative impacts from this divide which are evident in young people (e.g. obesity, attention disorders and mental health issues.)

One could argue that the same conundrum exists in the realm of agriculture. Do we have an "agriculture-deficit" among our young generation? I would say yes.

So what is the solution? In simple terms I think it is one of exposure. If a young person has never had an experience with agriculture, what on earth would possess them to want to learn more, or to consider a career in the sector? This comes back to the discussions I have had with several young people on my travels. The majority had either grown up on a farm, or had been exposed to agriculture through friends or family.

We need to do a better job of providing opportunities for young people to see what the agri-food sector is all about. What is the best way to do this? Is it lessons in classrooms? Is it extra-curricular clubs? Is it fun competitions or agriculture education events? I don't have the answer for this - yet. Hopefully as my research continues there will be some suggestions as to the best medium, and perhaps the optimal age, for exposure to agri-food career messages.

2) We all need a little help with direction

I cannot begin to tell you the amount of times I looked at my map on the journey around the Banks Peninsula. A glance for a general overview of the day. Checking the major sights to note along the way. What was the major marker we were supposed to look for on the hill? Looking to see how much bloody further there was to go before the pit stop. There were certainly well marked signposts for much of the way along the track. However there were still a few times I found myself standing with my map looking around for the direction I needed to go.

How similar is this to a young person choosing a career path? In order to be successful they should have some idea of where they want to end up and the general path (literally and figuratively) they need to get there. If we do the job right in step number one and expose them to the options, we need to make sure that we follow through with some direction and guidance on where they need to go to next.

Another important point is to highlight the fact that there can be detours and side tracks along the journey. Sometimes I chose to go down a side path, and ended up discovering a beautiful waterfall. Other times I got slightly off track, but ended up seeing a marker which put me back in the direction I needed to go. The same can be said for careers - let's encourage young people to explore some different experiences on the journey to a fulfilling job in agriculture and food. And if they stumble off track let's help them to see if they need a switch in direction, or need to steer back to the original course. Remember, there are many ways to get to the same destination, but a plan is needed no matter what road you are on.

3) Everyone gets there at their own pace

On the map which I referred to throughout the hike, there were suggestions on the average length each section of track would take. Some were 2-3 hours, where others could take 4-6 hours. Each walker got to the destination at our own pace. As a two day walker, I did one section in the morning and another in the afternoon each day. The Banks Track offers two options for length (4 day or 2 day). This allows people of varying ages and fitness levels to participate, and gives an option for a more intense or more leisurely experience.

The message of individual pace is often overlooked when communicating with young people about career options. Sometimes I think we put too much emphasis on a direct path from high school to post-secondary/training to workplace. Maybe that isn't the speed that all young people wish to travel at. How many times have you heard someone say "that young person better hurry up and decide what they are doing with their life." My question is, why hurry?

If we allow for and encourage young people to explore some different options before rushing them into a program they aren't really interested in, maybe there will be fewer Bachelor of Arts grads working in a Starbucks with $40,000 in student debt. Maybe, just maybe, if they have the chance to explore some different options, they will find their passion at their own pace. Isn't that better for everyone involved?

So those were the thoughts I had tracking across the Banks Peninsula. I found it a breath of fresh air to take some time away from meetings to relax and enjoy the beautiful country. My reward for my aching muscles is two nights in this gorgeous Silo Stay in Little River. How cool are these things? The silos come direct from Canada and the interiors are designed by a company called F3 Design. I strongly recommend that if you come to this corner of the world, do the Banks Peninsula Track (www.bankstrack.co.nz) and follow it up with a night or two at Silo Stay (http://www.silostay.kiwi.nz).

Next stop: Australia. I can't wait to see what adventures await me there!

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