CONFERENCE 2008 REPORT, by Maurice Denton
(from Waikato newsletter).
The first-ever Tree Crops Conference I attended was held in Rotorua in 1981. At that stage I was a relatively new member of the Association, and I registered for just one day - an easy travel of only one hour from Tokoroa. I was tempted because I knew there were some talks and field trips on topics I was particularly interested in. However, I was unprepared for the fullness of the experience of attending a Tree Crops Conference. It was not only the information on my topics of interest - it was the experience of mixing with other treecroppers, sharing our interests, and seeing what could be grown (and how).
In short, I was hooked. Totally. Hook, line and sinker. I couldn't wait for the next conference time to come around. Christchurch, here I come! This time I booked for the full Conference. I knew this would include the Association AGM, the official opening and usual business, but was prepared to endure that. Surprise, surprise - the AGM was quick and painless because much of the necessary explanations and sparring had already taken place at the Delegates' Meeting.
So my memories of the Conference weren't tainted with the unpleasant recollection of sitting through hours of business. And I realised that I recognised a number of people present - those I had met the year before - and was developing a sense of companionship. I met and enjoyed the company of new people. Perhaps sat next to a stranger on one of the bus trips, introduced ourselves, and talked tree crops. Or shared a dinner table and meal with someone, and found common ground. Or got talking to someone else while being shown around one of the many interesting properties.
These many people I now count as friends and look forward to seeing them, though they might not be present every year (and though I sometimes need to check their name-tag before I recall their name - and know they probably are checking mine). Another thing I gradually came to realise was that many of the principles of growing one sort of tree or crop apply to others. Whether I visit a banana grove in the lush growing conditions of the Waitakeres, or intensively-planted irrigated grapes in the arid Cromwell area, there are basic horticultural lessons.
And I gain insight on how these people organise their lives, whether it be totally commercially orientated, or totally lifestyle - or somewhere in between. As Waikato Branch Delegate at the Cromwell Conference I represented the Branch at the Delegates' Meeting and at the AGM, and voted on various matters on your behalf. The results of these meetings and accounts of the thought-provoking talks and exciting field trips will be reported in the next TreeCropper (due out early June).
Many thanks to Waikato member and TreeCropper Editor Sheryn Clothier, who also attended Conference, and others she persuaded to write reports. I'm fortunate to have already seen these articles, and congratulate the various authors on their reporting.
But, you really need to be there to get the full impact. Counting back over the years I find that, such is the magnetism and adrenaline buzz of our Tree Crops Conferences, I have now attended 27, having missed only one - our very own Waikato Branch-run Conference held in Hamilton in 1985, which coincided with the wedding of my elder daughter Raewyn.
If you haven't yet experienced the fullness of "total immersion" in a TCA Conference, you haven't lived! Make it a must do to get to the next one. It will be held at Tatum Park (a superb venue between Otaki and Levin), 27-29 March 2009, and I know that the highly-motivated Wellington/Horowhenua Branch will turn on an exciting programme:
2009 NATIONAL CONFERENCE – 27-29 March 2009 –
Back to the Future: Plants, Processing, People
The Wellington/Horowhenua Branch accepted the challenge of organizing the next conference in 2009.
The organising committee is making very good progress with its planning.
The venue is Tatum Park which is an ideal central location for our proposed site visits in the Te Horo, Otaki and Levin regions.
Conference 2009 - More details...
