Guardian Farming September

Guardian

farming

An Ashburton Guardian Advertising Feature

interesting • informative • essential

September 2010

$2.00

Dairy progress bridging the divide ... page 3 Planning for industry success... page 6

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Page 2

GUARDIAN FARMING

What’s inside/happening

contents Dairy progress bridging the divide ..................................................................................................................................................................... P3 Water Whisperings ................................................................................................................................................................................................ P4-5 Planning is vital for industry success.................................................................................................................................................................. P6 Winchmore update .................................................................................................................................................................................................P10 A chance to make a difference .................................................................................................................................................................... P12-13 Water, a different perspective .............................................................................................................................................................................P14 Building tomorrow’s company - optimising water management .........................................................................................................P16 No year is normal.....................................................................................................................................................................................................P17 Weather by the moon ............................................................................................................................................................................................P18 Barrhill Irrigation feature ............................................................................................................................................................................... P20-36

Guardian

farming interesting • informative • essential

Any feedback is welcome, any comments about our magazine, letters or story suggestions.

Please direct any correspondence to: Amanda Niblett, on 307-7927 email: amanda.n@theguardian.co.nz or to: Lance Isbister, on 307-7953 email: lance.i@theguardian.co.nz

or write to PO Box 77, Ashburton.

Advertising: Phone 307-7900 Email: jack.p@theguardian.co.nz Publication date: September 7, 2010.

Next issue: October 5, 2010 An advertising feature for the Ashburton Guardian. Any opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Guardian Farming or the Ashburton Guardian.

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GUARDIAN FARMING

Page 3

Dairy Progress Bridging the Divide D

Lance Isbister, Ashburton Guardian rural reporter

While borderdyke irrigation has been a fundamental part of their farm over the decades, Mr Body said a change to spray irrigation would improve efficiencies in their water usage and work better with their soil.

airy NZ is concerned by the growing divide between New Zealand’s rural and urban populations when it comes to the country’s largest industry.

Dairy NZ director and Methven dairy farmer Alister Body said urban perceptions of dairying had changed as the industry became more prominent over the years and urban people become divorced from the realities of farming.

“There is an expectation driven by the community that farmers will increase their efficiency when it comes to using water.”

Mr Body said the biggest thing he struggled with when it came to moving towards a centre pivot was getting rid of existing shelter belts on the farm, even though they would eventually replant them outside the centre pivot radius.

Mr Body has been dairy farming almost 30 years and said the industry has come to realise that the public perception is reality when it came to issues such as the environment and animal welfare.

Looking towards the future Mr Body said that in order to remain competitive dairy farmers had to continue to drive profitability and sustainability through research and changed farm practices.

“People are becoming increasingly aware of practices in rural areas, the majority of farmers have very good animal practices, why wouldn’t we when we depend on them for our own livelihood.

“We have to remember everything that we do on the land has an environmental impact, rural or urban.”

“Much of the profits made from the trade across borders comes back to New Zealand but we don’t want to be complacent about it.”

As the third generation on the family farm, Mr Body has seen huge changes in the dairy industry since his parents decided to build their first dairy shed on their mixed cropping farm in 1969.

He said Dairy NZ sought to further grow demand with research projects such as producing grasses that produced larger yields and lower emissions when digested by cattle.

Back then the family had a view to milking between 60 to 70 cows on a six aside herringbone shed.

When Alister took over the running of the family farm in 1981 he saw the potential in dairying and made the decision to

PHOTO LANCE ISBISTER 190810-LI-034

Methven dairy farmer Alister Body shows his innovative calf feeding system, the frame of which he built himself and attaches to a front end loader so it can be lowered over fences to feed his jersey calves. convert from crops to cows. The farm now sees 470 Jersey cows milked on a 28 bale rotary platform. As the dairy plant and borderdyke irrigation system show their

age Mr Body is looking towards improving on-farm efficiencies by investing in a new dairy shed and centre pivot irrigation system.

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Page 4

GUARDIAN FARMING

Water Whisperings Tony Davoren, Hydroservices

T

his time last season, we had had warm northwest weather and already looking at the irrigation season.

Have you dealt to the last of the irrigation maintenance – this month your pivot(s) and linear move irrigators.

Last month I discussed the pending 2010-11 next irrigation season and how we always plan to be ready to go this month.

I considered some of the features you needed to check to ensure your roto-rainer is serviced and ready to go.

This month it is the turn of your centre pivot and linear move irrigators.

The list is not exhaustive and you may have

already had your pivot/linear company carry out a winter service.

There is ongoing maintenance that must not be neglected – sprinkler checks, all blocked nozzles, sand trap flushing that you need to be on top of throughout the irrigation season.

That is if you wish to get the best out of your pivot and linear at all times. The last two months I have been harping on about how great the recharge is this winter.

The deeper aquifers (like K37/0388) seem to have plateau in the last month to 15 August, but the water levels are still all good for October onward.

So rainfall and groundwater recharge is all positive for an irrigation season that is looming closer. And, given you have completed all the winter maintenance of your irrigation system (can you tick of this and last month boxes), you are ready to go with reliable water and a reliable irrigator.

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Water Whisperings

Components Position

U-joints

t 1PTJUJPO 8BT JU QBSLFE EPXO XJOE #JU MBUF JG ZPV IBWFO U

t 8FSF ZPV BCMF UP öMM UIF QJWPU XJUI XBUFS JO UIF FWFOU PG IJHI XJOET

t $IFDL UIF DPOEJUJPO PG UIF DPODSFUF QBE GPS UIF MJLFT PG SBDLJOH MJGUJOH CPMUT BOE MPPTF BODIPS CPMUT t (SFBTF UIF TXJWFM t $IFDL UIF DPOUSPM UBCT BOE UIFJS DPOEJUJPO t $IFDL UIF V KPJOUT BU UIF UPXFST GPS XFBS BOE UFBS SFQBJS PS SFQMBDF CFGPSF UIF TFBTPO

Leaks

t %JE ZPV IBWF BOZ MFBLT UIBU OFFEFE SFQBJS VTVBMMZ BU UIF CPPUT PS øBOHFT

t $IFDL BMM UIF SVCCFS CPPUT o UIFJS DPOEJUJPO BOE UJHIUFO BOZ CBOET UIBU BSF MPPTF t $IFDL UIF øBOHFT GPS MFBLT BOE UJHIUFO BOZ MPPTF OVUT BOE CPMUT

Sprinklers

t $IFDL UIBU BMM UIF TQSJOLMFST BSF XPSLJOH PS UVSOJOH DPSSFDUMZ t $IFDL UIF TQSJOLMFST BOE QSFTTVSF SFHVMBUPST BSF UJHIU t $IFDL UIF OP[[MFT TQSJOLMFST GPS XFBS BOE PS EBNBHF t *G ZPV VTF TVSGBDF XBUFS DIFDL GPS OP[[MF CMPDLBHFT BOE CVJME VQ PG TJMU TBOE EFCSJT PO TQSJOLMFS QMBUFT

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What to check or should have been checked

t $IFDL UIF DPOEJUJPO PG UIF QJWPU QPJOU FTQFDJBMMZ UIPTF SBJTFE UP QBTT PWFS EBJSZ TIFET MPPL GPS MPPTF OVUT BOE CPMUT TUSFUDIFE CPMU IPMFT BOE UIF MJLF

Pivot point

Pressure

t *G ZPV IBWF BO JOMFU QSFTTVSF HBVHF DIFDL JU JT XPSLJOH BOE SFDPSEJOH UIF DPSSFDU QSFTTVSF t $IFDL UIF FOE QSFTTVSF BOE NBZCF öU B QSFTTVSF DIFDL QPJOU UIFSF

Wheels and Tyres

t $IFDL "-- XIFFM MVH CPMUT t $IFDL "-- UZSF QSFTTVSF o ZPVS QJWPU JT OP EJòFSFOU UP ZPVS USBDUPS PS DBS XIFO JU DPNFT UP UZSFT t 8IBU JT UIF UZSF DPOEJUJPO JOUFHSJUZ %P ZPV OFFE UP SFQMBDF BOZ UZSFT o EP JU OPX

End Gun

t $IFDL UIF BSD BOE TFDUPS TFUUJOHT o SFNFNCFS MBTU TFBTPO XIFO ZPV XFSF JSSJHBUJOH UIF OFJHICPVS QMBDF PS UIF SPBE t $IFDL UIF CSBLF TFUUJOH t $IFDL UIF CFBSJOH DPOEJUJPO t *T UIF OP[[MF TJ[F DPSSFDU BOE JT JU XPSO

Sand trap

t "O PGUFO GPSHPUUFO UBTL CVU FYUSFNFMZ JNQPSUBOU QSPCBCMZ CFDBVTF JU JT BMXBZT JO B EJóDVMU QPTJUJPO UP BDDFTT t *G ZPV VTF TVSGBDF XBUFS UIF TBOE USBQ XJMM OFFE SFHVMBS NPOUIMZ FNQUZJOH BOE øVTIJOH t $POTJEFS öUUJOH HSPVOE MFWFM ESBJOBHF GBDJMJUZ PS B TPMFOPJE DPOUSPMMFE øVTIJOH TZTUFN

Structure

t $IFDL BOE UJHIUFO "-- OVUT BOE CPMUT t 8IJMF ZPV BSF EPJOH UIJT DIFDL GPS BOZ TUSFUDIJOH PG CPMU IPMFT BOE TJHOT PG DPSSPTJPO t "SF UIFSF BOZ MPPTF XJSFT t "SF UIFSF BOZ IZESBVMJD MFBLT

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Page 6

GUARDIAN FARMING

Planning is vital for industry success

Neal Shaw, ATS Chief Executive

T

here has been plenty of coverage in the media recently about innovation and strategy developments all aimed at improving agricultural industry profitability and performance.

It is a commendable approach and is long overdue. It comes at a time when some sectors such as beef and lamb, are looking for direction and a vision for the future. Only last month Beef and Lamb New Zealand representatives came to town seeking feedback from local farmers and industry representatives on the group’s strategy and also on what was going on within the industry and where it was heading.

One of the issues raised was that of leadership – or more precisely, a perceived lack of it. This is a real concern for the meat industry which has a large number of players. It is always going to be a challenge for such a group to work together and

compromise where necessary, and effective leadership is the key to getting this right.

Generally, the dairy industry does this well because it gets buy-in and support from across the whole supply chain, and this is something the meat industry needs to work on.

Obviously there are differences between the sectors, but planning, working together and being innovative are strategies necessary to facilitate growth for the future for any business and ultimately that’s what the meat industry is looking to do – grow.

There is a real fear that if meat and arable sectors don’t go through this process and if production is reduced any further, they will be at risk of marginalising these industries to the extent that they can’t compete with other primary industries, such as dairy.

The arable sector is currently working on

a grain marketing plan, and recently a similar initiative was announced by the meat industry with both the Meat Industry Association (MIA) and Beef and Lamb New Zealand joining forces to undertake a study of the issues and opportunities facing them, from the market to the farm. This will be followed up by plans to adopt and implement initiatives to drive change.

More recently the Government has also put its financial weight behind agricultural innovation through its Primary Growth Partnership (PGP). This is a Governmentindustry initiative which invests in significant programmes of research and innovation aimed at boosting the economic growth and sustainability of New Zealand’s primary, forestry and food sectors.

Business plans from FAR, the New Zealand Forest Owners Association and the New Zealand Merino Company were approved in May, and last month the PGP approved business plans from the dairy and red meat sectors.

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Director General Murray Sherwin says the PGP is not about funding industry to do what it has always done, but to invest in forward thinking visionary business plans. He says the dairy and red meat industry proposals have a strong focus on meeting market expectations, on sustainable processes, innovation and a whole value chain perspective.

Each primary sector should be encouraged in their plans and support needs to come from all players, with all demonstrating active buy-in and support.

These strategies will also provide an opportunity to further develop market research into what the consumer wants – not just what we can produce. Some subtle changes may be all that is needed to maximize returns and increase profitability.

New Zealand farmers and industry are good at production, but do we always know whether we have a strong market for the goods we produce? It is not enough to produce for the sake of production. We also need to determine what the end consumer wants and is willing to pay for if we want to maximise returns and secure future markets for our primary produce.

An easily identified example of getting the innovation and marketing right is Angus Pure. It has become a familiar brand within most households since McDonald’s began promoting its Angus range of burgers. It is a brand which equates to a quality eating experience, and this is supported by a product which is consistent in size and taste.

This is a good example of something innovative in the market place which the general population understands and wants.

The doors are now open for continued growth and innovation for our primary sectors. Farmers and industry players are in agreement that these opportunities have to be explored and developed and financial backing is in place to support the initiatives.

What is needed now is buy-in from all of the supply chain along with strong leadership to see these initiatives turned into the reality needed to grow our primary sectors in the future.

Page 8

GUARDIAN FARMING

Nitrogen management’s important role in building Soil Carbon In the atmosphere above every hectare of land sits approximately 78,000 tonnes of nitrogen gas that is unavailable in its present form for plants to use. This free nitrogen can and is being utilised by farmers who understand the complexities of how this works.

Biological fixation of nitrogen by legumes (clovers etc) provides the organic nitrogen to be released from plant residuals, soil organic matter and other inorganic materials by the activity of a wide range of soil organisms, including worms and soil insects.

The soils contain five major groups of microorganisms, these are, bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, algae and protozoa. Bacteria and fungi play a essential part in crop residual decomposition but are also crucial to life on Earth because of there ability to perform key biochemical changes, that include plant nutrient cycling.

Biological nitrogen fixation.

Diverse microbial nitrogen fixing species exist symbiotically in soils and plant species. Most people understand the role of N-fixing bacteria genus Rhizobium in the nodules on the roots of legumes but not the free-living N-fixing bacteria species that fix N in the soil close to the root system. Also the photosynthetic algae which use the sunlight to manufacture food and the endophytes which fix nitrogen in plant leaves and stems. All of these species are critical for N management in our agriculture system.

What farmer management system do we need to have in place to access this free quality nitrogen and what’s the process involved in achieving nitrogen fixation and release?

In a healthy soil, 600 million microbes exist in one teaspoon of soil and in conventional agriculture soil approximately 100 million. The soil animals and biology have to have Air, Food and Water to thrive, and there has to be a good supporting habitat in which

the microbes can live. Good soil structure and drainage to get water, and air in, plus crop litter for yet another species of bacteria the actinomycetes . These bacteria are the decomposers and give the soil that great earthy smell. Microbes also need a healthy plant above ground to supply the carbon captured in photosynthesis process to the roots, to provide the food and energy to grow and multiply.

Physics

Biology

There are other physical, biological and chemical properties and processes that we need to understand.

Photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis is the key process of getting carbon into the soil, photosynthesis is the process by which plants use the energy from the sunlight to capture carbon and produce sugars, and other compounds.

The plant releases 20-30% of the total carbohydrates (sugars-carbon) produced from photosynthesis and these are transported to the rootlets and are called plant root exudates to provide energy to the microbial population. The plant roots also provide a source of carbon.

Mycorrhizal fungi.

The plant and the Mycorrhizal fungi have a symbiotic relationship because in return for sugars from the plant root exudates, the fungi is able to obtain the quantities and kinds of nutrients the plant needs to grow. Mycorrhiza fungi are responsible for the transfer of nutrients to the plant roots in exchange for soluble carbon extracted from the plant sugars. In this process soil carbon is stored as humus in a long term form.

Chemistry ALL THREE ASPECTS IMPACT SOIL FERTILITY While conventional soil fertility programs focus on N, P, K. The balanced fertility approach considers not only the full spectrum of CHEMICAL elements necessary to optimise pasture or crop yields, but the BIOLOGICAL and PHYSICAL factors that impact production as well.

HEALTHY SOILS principal objective is to offer a range of products and services that can restore the MINERAL and MICROBIAL balance in the soil, thereby reducing the need for high analysis fertilisers and chemicals.

Also to optimise fertiliser and nutrient availability is increased with all essential soil nutrients, not just NPK, with balanced solid mineral programs and specific liquid bio stimulants and microbial food.

Including - a comprehensive SOIL or PLANT SAP test analysis, interpretation and recommendation.

“We can not solve the problems of today using the same thinking that we used to create them”. Albert Einstein.

Healthy Soils Healthy Soils Biological Farming Consultant Donald Hart 0274320187

GUARDIAN FARMING

Page 9

Nitrogen management’s important role in building Soil Carbon The diagram below is a simplification of the process of transferring plant sugars in stable soil carbon Co2

Liquid Carbon

Soil Ecosystem

Solid Carbon Compounds

(from air)

(in plants)

(mycorrhizal fungi)

(in the soil)

Mycorrhizal fungi attach themselves to and penetrate the plant roots and use the energy in the exudates from the host plants to extend its hyphae into the soil, making water available and mining nutrients that the plant root by its self, cannot reach. The mycorrhiza hyphae grows, out from the plants root system. They can unlock, retrieve and transport phosphorous, free up copper, calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron for the plants use.

This extraordinary physiological process is known as ‘bidirectional’ flow because nutrients are transported to the roots at the same time as dissolved organic carbon moves though the fungal hyphae in the opposite direction. For nitrogen fixation to take place you must have an energy source e.g. some form of carbon either from root exudates or some other form of sugars.

The amount of N-fixing that occurs in the soil depends on soil ph level, (a measure of soil acidity). Plus phosphorus and a calcium supply tied to carbon (humic or fulvic acid), molybdate and iron plus cobalt. Generally the molybdenum in the soil is sufficient if the soils PH is above 6.5 to 7.

Nitrification.

In this process a different set of soil bacteria are involved to change the inorganic nitrogen in the form of ammonium to nitrite then into nitrate, a form that the plant can easily use .

Nitrogen management is the single most important factor in building soil carbon.

The aim is to keep nitrate nitrogen low in the soil in order to get the uptake of amino acid nitrogen. If we apply excess quantities of water soluble nitrogen in the form of nitrates this allows the plant to take up its nitrogen in the nitrate form first and the amino acid form second. The amino acid organic nitrogen is the preferred way as far as plant health is concerned because excess nitrate upsets the plant cells metabolic system This may cause animal health issues and encourages pest and disease to infect plants and animals. But most importantly, if there is a excess of nitrate nitrogen in the soil a signal is sent to plants to shut down the supply of liquid carbon to the microbes stopping N fixing in the soil and in the nodule of legumes .

In the soil, free living nitrogen fixing takes place outside the plant in the rhizosphere around the plant roots and surplus protein is stored in the bio-mass of the N-fixing bacteria. This is only released when protozoa along with other soil fauna digest the N-fixing microbes. They then release the amino acid nitrogen as excrement in ammonium nitrogen form, which some plants can take up but most is held in the non plant available form, in the organic matter, or immobilized in their biomass, and will

not leach from the soil.

It is very important that we understand the Nitrogen and Carbon chemistry in order to correct ,buffer or mitigate any management practices that impact on obtaining quality nitrogen and carbon sequestration.

We have in our soils a excellent Nitrogen producing factory which on a lot of farms is not producing what its able to do. Our management system have to be in place to drive this natural free nitrogen instead of buying it.

As a rule for every 1 unit of artificial nitrogen fertiliser tied up by soil microbes, 100 units of carbon is lost, which is the basis of the carbon cycle. The microbes will take carbon from the soil organic matter for their energy requirement during the decomposition process if no alternative energy is available. For example, the C:N ratio for wheat stubble can be 100:1 and with decomposition will change to about 11:1. The decrease in soil carbon depleting the water holding and nutrient storage capacity of the soil. Quite simply the microbes require energy in the form of carbon, as food to function, if its not supplied or available, they help themselves to what’s available or go dormant. I make up a stubble digester with fish, sugar, biology and a little N to provide the energy for this process.

Synthetic fertilisers require large amounts of energy taken from carbon, to enable the microbes to break down and release the nutrients in a plant available form. Again excessive nitrogen will stimulate the bacteria to feed on the surplus nitrogen, increasing in numbers to decompose even more organic mater. .

Unfortunately mycorrhizal fungi and other soil bacteria are fragile and are inhibited by modern farming practices.

The intensive use of herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and cultivation practices, plus the high levels of synthetic water soluble phosphorus and nitrogen applications to our soils, inhibits and suppresses the mycorrhizal fungi and bacteria colonisation of plant roots. This significantly reduces carbon flow. When carbon supply is limited by the loss of the primary pathway for sequestration, the physical, chemical and biological functions normally performed by a healthy soil are markedly reduced.

Soil carbon and soil biological activity are intrinsically linked. Therefore management practices that are implemented to improve soil carbon will improve soil biological activity, and vice versa.

Biological fertilisers that are slow release and microbial food, compost extract, liquid fish fertilisers, seaweed products and molasses provide a dual purpose application to restore and provide food for the microbes and balance the soil mineral nutrients.

D L Hart 2010 Soil Secretes and Healthy Soils Ltd

“The plant and the mycorrhizal fungi have a symbiotic relationship, because in return for sugars from the plant root exudates, the fungi is able to obtain the quantities and kinds of nutrients the plant needs to grow”.

Donald Hart inspecting a plant root system that had mycorrhiza fungi applied to the seed at sowing.

Some of the Healthy Soil products available PHOSPHATE. Guano - 11.5 % Phosphorus. A fossilised seabird phosphate. Citrate soluble and slow release phosphate with Ca Silica, and trace elements all available (insoluble but available) PHOSPHATE. Life Phos – 11.85% Phosphorus. A prilled rock phosphate with microbes, fish and seaweed.

HUMATE. A carbon source to improve fertilizer efficiency and nutrient release. Humate powder, Humic liquid, Fulvic Liquid, Carbohydrates.

MYCORRHIZAE. BIO SOL VAM (Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae) Fungi.

All seed should be sown with these amazing microbes, only requires 2kg per tonne of seed. The mycorrhizal fungi attach themselves to plant roots sequestering moisture and nutrients. They can unlock, retrieve and transport phosphorous. Free up copper, calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron. Also they are the frontline defense against soil borne diseases and pathogens.

SOIL AND BIOLOGICAL NATURAL STIMULANTS. Liquid fish fertilizer, compost liquid extract, stubble digesters, humic acid, fulvic acid, bio stimulants, seaweed and microbial foods, fertigation.

ANIMAL PROBIOTIC AND NUTRITION SUPPLEMENTS HEALTHY SOILS LIQUID FISH and the famous FOLIAFEED. Others have tried unsuccessfully to copy, but cannot even get close in terms of value and nutrients.

Check out the web site www.healthysoils.co.nz for more information on our products .

If you have an interest in Biological farming or wish to know more about our system or information on our products please call Don Hart 0274 320 187.

Page 10

GUARDIAN FARMING

Winchmore update – August F

or a start I thought this month was going to remain wet cold and miserable. Fortunately the weather has improved remarkably, to coincide with the start of our lambing. It would be good to think we could have the same lambing weather we received last year with some of our lambs quite old before experiencing any rain at all. The basic law of averages would say it will not be the case but our human thinking still lives in hope.

The rainfall to date (24th) at 72.2mm is a long way short of the highest recorded 237.2mm of rain that fell in August 2000, of that, 97.4mm also appears in my long term records as the heaviest daily (24 hour) rainfall since 1950. Also interesting is the fact that once again to date (24th) we have only had eight frosts; the long term average is 19 frosts.

Pasture growth for the last 10 days has been quite noticeable with our soil temperature averaging 6.5° C which is 2° C above normal, resulting in a pasture growth rate of almost 8kg of dry matter / ha / day, which is around the average that has been measured here at Winchmore based on a 23 year average.

The last 75 dairy cows that wintered here have gone home to calve on greener pastures. A few managed to drop their calves here but were easily walked back home while the rest could be drafted up at regular intervals in our cattle yards to take home for closer observation as their calving date drew near. We do have good facilities here on the farm and that makes most tasks stress free, particularly if rain and

John Carson

a fair amount of mud are involved. We plan to make a start grubbing the kale paddocks quite soon, and some warm breezy weather will certainly be a help in preparing for drilling again in November to give us about the same area again for next winter. As well as the kale I have two orders for some maize silage to fit in the crop programme as well.

The commercial ewes have started lambing pretty much exactly the day they were supposed to and with this warm weather, survivability has been great. With some rain forecast for later this week and a cold spell expected on the 31st it could mean making good use of the shelter belt areas we have that have been planted in flax as well as the taller trees and hedges.

Science has asked for 120 ewes and their twin lambs for a trial starting with lambs at six weeks of age. There will be a bit of work required to shed them out into manageable mobs, good practice for my young heading dog. It is always good to work with the science people from Lincoln and be allowed to contribute some practical ideas as to how they might achieve the outcome they are looking for. There is also some cattle work to be trialed as well that will start in February and run for seven months that will give us a change from weighing and faecal sampling sheep. Not that us, as farm staff, try hard to get too tangled up with that sort of carry on!

As I finish this, the wind looks to have moved around to the southeast so the chances of a shower or two later on this evening could mean wearing a coat and leggings tomorrow.

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Page 12

GUARDIAN FARMING

A chance to make a difference

M

y last month’s Guardian Farming article on discipline and role modelling apparently found strong support among readers, judging by the positive response from many sources.

This week has seen government do a partial back-down on proposals to significantly review drink driving laws.

Despite 65% of the public (by survey) supporting just such a review, it’s very disappointing that many of the proposed changes have been delayed two years to gain further evidence.

How much more evidence is needed to bring New Zealand in line with what is law in most overseas countries?

Is it not enough that police data released on August 3, this year showed that of vehicle drivers killed in the five years from 2005 – 2009 a whopping 45% had drugs or alcohol in their systems?

Is it not enough that 85% of people detained in Christchurch prison cells each weekend are there as a result of drug or alcohol fuelled crime?

Is it not a fact that most civilised countries in the world treat recidivist alcohol offending with complete disdain?

Is it not enough that the number of drink driving convictions in the 17-19 year age group doubled in the 10 years from to 1996 to total 4616, in 2006.

Is it not a fact that genuine medical cases wait for weeks for hospital admission because many beds are occupied by patients selfish self imposed maladies due to alcohol or drug fuelled excesses, or the victims of the crimes they commit.

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Last Tuesday a Blenheim District Court Judge, sentenced 20 year old Frances Stubbs, who fled a drink drive checkpoint, smashed into another car instantly killing the driver, to eight months home detention and a few hours community work. Pathetic!

This morning (Sunday Aug. 15) I attended the final event of the annual duathalon series organised by John Moore and his willing team of volunteers at the Ashburton Racecourse.

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Page 13

A chance to make a difference Well done to every participant and to the great band of voluntary organisers.

Contrast that with the unmotivated delinquent and “hung-over” young (and not so young), still in bed late morning after a night on drugs and/or alcohol, or in some instances in a police cell or hospital ward.

Good family role-modelling is vitally important. I don’t believe today’s announced parental responsibility role in teen drinking is an enforceable or workable solution.

I’m certainly not intending to set myself up as some sort of saint, and willingly admit to enjoying low levels of alcohol in moderation. Clearly though the abuse of alcohol and drugs by young people is a national problem that affects us all. Why wait another two years to confirm those effects.

It appears that excise tax income from the liquor industry is far more important to government than community safety.

Don’t government realise that the cost of hospital treatment, property damage, police resources, workplace inefficiencies and non-attendance due to binge drinking, far outweighs the financial gains of alcohol taxes? Note the strong youth response previously mentioned.

What other justification does government need? Binge drinking unfortunately is part of the national psyche. What we don’t need is for it to become “normal” behaviour for 14–17 year olds.

If I was an employer seeking someone to fill a job vacancy in my firm, I would certainly be favouring a person who showed energy and self motivation over someone preferring excessive partying and sleep-ins.

Only by strong and consistent enforcement of available judicial penalties can meaningful progress be made.

To succeed as a trading nation in a highly competitive world environment we need efficient businesses producing quality products at competitive prices.

To achieve business efficiency staff need to be motivated and focused, not drugged or hung-over. Employment is a privilege, not a right. Self discipline is an essential ingredient of a good work ethic.

Too often in “stretched” family budget situations, alcohol is deemed a necessity at the expense of healthy food. Ongoing effects of this often manifest themselves intergenerationally through foetal alcohol syndrome and other diseases

and dependencies in children. Can anyone tell me why the tobacco industry is required to print health warnings on all its products yet the alcohol industry seems totally unconstrained by comparison?

Surely the health and safety risks are even greater? Not a universal panacea, but certainly a step in the right direction.

While a low level approach to the issue, it would at least be a gesture to address what is a real malaise in the community.

I do find some positive changes in the new proposed legislation however.

A nil alcohol level for youth (under 20) driving should work well, but needs to be

backed by meaningful judicial penalties, prohibition and vehicle seizure.

Localising liquor licence decisions should in time enable communities to take greater control of numbers of outlets and opening hours. Quite correctly this legislation cannot be retrospective so will initially only apply to new licences and triennial renewals. It should enable local authorities to focus on problem premises.

One amendment that is totally supportable is the proposal to limit the alcohol content of ready-to-drink (RTD) products to fewer than 5% by volume.

Again in last month’s article I highlighted this issue.

One hundred and twenty-six of the 152 recommendations in the Law Commission’s document have been fully or partially addressed, which is at least token acknowledgment of the binge drinking culture that prevails.

I still feel it’s a lost opportunity for greater reforms.

Why we need to wait till after the Rugby World Cup for implementation defies common sense.

Are the 1000 people who die from alcohol related reasons each year (John Key’s figure) really that expendable, just for a few games of rugby?

I think not.

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Page 14

GUARDIAN FARMING

Optimising water management Linda Clarke, Reporter, Ashburton Guardian

M

any people’s first thoughts about their role as a company director and board member revolve around compliance and monthly monitoring, or justifying actions already taken.

Corporate governance is often compared to a visit to the dentist – you know you should do it, you want to get it over with quickly and you hope it’s not going to hurt.

The governance of irrigation infrastructure is a business that carries risk and most importantly puts community/company needs above the needs of any one individual.

Recognising the importance of effective governance, Irrigation NZ (INZ) is working alongside industry professionals to ensure boards within the irrigation industry have a clear understanding of governance given the responsibilities and liabilities associated with water management.

In partnership with Goodman Tavendale Reid Ltd and KPMG, INZ recently completed its second governance essentials course with the focus towards ensuring responsible and sustainable water management throughout New Zealand.

“If the governance is good then there is a much greater chance that the whole of community values are met – economic, culture, social and environmental,” says INZ business manager Chris Coughlan.

Farmers by the nature of their role are often sole traders and isolated on their farms. Those ‘community leaders’ that step up to fulfil the role of managing the local irrigation water on behalf of whole communities, often have little experience or understanding of the role and responsibility it carries.

“It requires vision and succession planning and INZ is committed to ensuring rural communities

have leaders well versed in what their governance role entails whether it is because they are governing now or identified as a future leader by their community,” Mr Coughlan said.

In presenting the programme tutor Richard Westlake delves into the issues of distinguishing between management roles and governance, rights and liabilities, understanding responsibilities and making informed decisions.

“This course was a huge hit and we already have a waiting list for the next one.”

Recognising the importance of effective water management in enhancing the productivity of New Zealand agriculture and the flow on benefits for the wider economy was the key driver for KPMG in partnering with INZ to present the governance training.

“We are very pleased to be partnering with INZ to provide current and future leaders of irrigation and water management schemes with the governance skills to assist them in managing these assets of national importance in a manner to maximise the benefits they provide to the scheme users, their communities and the New Zealand economy,” KPMG partner Ian Proudfoot said.

In supporting Goodman Tavendale Reid’s (GTR) three-way partnership with INZ and KPMG, GTR director Andrew Leete acknowledged governance as a key issue for water groups and schemes.

“This course provides valuable training and advice to directors taking part in them. We are very pleased to be involved with INZ in supporting the governance essentials course,” Mr Leete said.

For North Otago Irrigation Company (NOIC) chairman and former mayor of Waitaki Alan McLay the governance essentials course revealed

“a lot of gems”.

The man with much experience in the governance field said the course stood out from the usual directors’ courses.

“I was absolutely encouraged. It was well presented and articulated in a way I had not heard before reaching into areas that a lot involved in governance do not understand.

I would encourage any one of my directors to attend,” Mr McLay said.

Not yet a director but encouraged to attend, Pleasant Point farmer Dan Kelly said he fronted

up to the course with a broad understanding of directorship.

“But I have a far more indepth understanding now. The course really honed in on responsibilities and in particular around water legislation.

I could only say it was outstanding and well worth the time to attend,” he said.

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Page 16

GUARDIAN FARMING

Water - A different perspective Kerry Maw

W

ater, water everywhere! Not a dry spot to be found. It seems to have been raining forever. I suppose it is winter and we should expect the odd drop – be rather a bad thing if there wasn’t.

But really enough is enough don’t you think? As I write this, it has rained non-stop all day. We’ve had at least 20mm. There are puddles (and mud) everywhere I look. It made me wonder just how much water in total has actually fallen.

So, out with the trusty calculator it was.

And to be honest the numbers got truly scary, and I am talking averages here. MidCanterbury covers around 6175 km2, or 6,175,000,000m2. Using the scientifically recognised equation that 1mm of rain equals 1litre per square metre, this equates to 6,175,000,000 litres of water.

That’s the same as 2,470 Olympic size swimming pools, or 228,704 milk tankers, or 2,573 10 minute showers for every single person in Ashburton. All from just 1mm of rain. But hang on – we had 20mm of rain, so the numbers will be even higher. Blimey!

And water is so heavy too. Imagine how

heavy all that water must have been just hanging around in the clouds over your head. Actually, no, I’d rather not imagine that.

But think. All those billions of litres of water. What has happened to it? A lot will have soaked into the ground, nourished plants and animals, and filled underground aquifers. And an awful lot will have gone into lakes, rivers and streams, eventually making its way out to sea. Some will say it was wasted, others will say it is fulfilling its role in the ecosystem. Either way, that extra water flow will have created changes to river beds; potentially shifting shingle, moving silt, and damaging plants and habitats.

Imagine what could be achieved if even some of that water could have been stored and used efficiently within the district during the drier months ahead. Surely we must be able to manage this rain water resource a little better, either individually by catching rainwater from our own roofs, say, or as a community through appropriate planning and water storage infrastructure.

Currently the world is midway through the United Nations Decade for Action “Water for Life” project. The aim of the decade is to work towards the Millennium Goal of reducing by half the population around the world without adequate access to safe drinking water.

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to believe and what to do for the best. Well there is one thing we can all do and it might even be a lot of fun.

Since 2005, the UN has designated the last Sunday in September as World Rivers Day. This year it will be September, 26.

This is a “global celebration of the world’s waterways. Rivers in every country face an array of threats, and World Rivers Day promotes the active involvement of citizens to ensure the health of rivers in the years ahead.”

Why not do something special to celebrate the rivers in our region? Organise a community event, do something with your family and friends, or just do something meaningful for you. Maybe you could clean up the riverside, help plant some trees for flood protection, work on restoring a habitat, do a nature walk, have a boating trip, or get the children involved with a water study project. Anything to celebrate the rivers and what they add to our district.

Water is an essential to life, and to the development of this district. We need to protect the water resource we do have, its quantity and quality, and the environment around it, if it is to serve us well in the future. But that doesn’t have to be boring or tedious. Judging by all the rain we’ve had lately, there is certainly plenty of it. So come the 26th, why not get out there and celebrate it, do something to protect it, and enjoy the luxury of it.

(Some of the information in this article is taken from www.un.org/waterforlifedecade)

management of water resources, in terms of both quantity and quality, and include measures to improve sanitation.”

“Water challenges will increase significantly in coming years. Continuing population growth will lead to greater water consumption, as well as more waste. According to the UN World Water Development Report, by 2050, at least one in four people is likely to live in a country affected by chronic or recurring shortages of fresh water.”

We know that “water is a key driver of economic and social development while it also has a basic function in maintaining the integrity of the natural environment.

However water is only one of a number of vital natural resources and it is imperative that water issues are not considered in isolation.” Around the world an Integrated Water Resource Management process is being implemented. This process “promotes the co-ordinated development and management of water, land and related resources, in order to maximise the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.”

By now you’re probably thinking this is all a bit high-brow. It can be very confusing when we’re frequently assailed by such a wide range of different opinions from urban property owners, to farmers, to industrial business, to scientists, to climate change advocates, to environmentalists, and recreational users. Hard to know who

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Page 17

No year is normal Ken Ring

W

e had a wet summer last year. This autumn has been cold. This year, if my predictions are correct, we are looking at a cold but dryish winter in S Canterbury and a cool, cloudy spring, wettest in September.

I am purposely avoiding the word average. The norm and averages are not numerically real. They are just an idea of average. Take for incidence all the phone numbers in the Ashburton directory.

Add them up to get a total and divide by the number. Is what you have reached the average phone number of the town?

Will dialing it find typically average Mr/ Mrs Ashburtonian? If it were so, how much easier it would be to compile annual consensus surveys. Simply employ that family to answer all the questions.

Temperatures that cannot be quantified as an average. Temperature is an idea, a variation from a starting point. It is not a quantity, like 3 apples. 3°C is a number on the side of a glass tube.

You cannot see 3° like you can see 3 apples. You can only feel 3° when it falls to that from 5° or warms to it from 0°.

What gets to be called the day’s temperature average is the day’s maximum plus minimum divided by two, over the 24-hr day preceding 9am.

If all night the minimum was -4°C and it reached -5°C at 8.59am, and all the previous day temperatures registered a pleasant 25°C the average would be 10°C. But if it blew a blistering NW reached

25°C for just 2 minutes at 3pm and after a freezing day, and was followed by a very warm night of a constant 20°C, cooling to -5°C for one minute as a southerly whizzed through at 8.59am, the average would still be 10°C but which would in no way reflect the true temperature of the day for future historians.

And what if a month of 29 days was like that? And what if a year?

And what of the globe itself? Around June the hottest place on the planet is Death Valley, at 47°C. The coldest is Vostock Station at the S Pole, where it reaches -90°C. Does that make the average global temperature -21°C? If so, then the S pole would be the average place to stand in the world. Average means nothing useful here.

Neither can you see a year - it doesn’t happen except as a handy measuring device to keep track of seasons.

El Nino and la Niña are also intended to be rough yardsticks. Of the two, the la Niña is the normal situation.

Trade winds flow strongly from the east to west in the Pacific and warmer waters are carried westward. La Niña is not a ‘condition’, anymore than the rotation of the earth is a condition.

All things come to a point of change and the prevaling E-W flow is unsustainable because of the build-up of sealevels, just like the pushing of water one way in a bath. About every 3 years, when the sea-

level difference is about 62cms equatorial water flows east as ‘El Nino’ and warm water and air arrive at Peru. It only does so after the previous pattern reaches a peak.

That peak is the ‘la Niña episode’.

El Nino is the restoration back to balance and is about 1.5 years. Imagine the time taken for a hand pushing the bathwater vs. allowing the water to fall back.

At the moment we have El Nino finishing, as normal rain patterns return. La Niña may become evident after next January, but not before.

So why call it anything? To say ‘la Niña is forming’, which you will read about in current news reports, is as misleading as saying normality is forming, because normality is not something that forms just the opposite - patterns depart from the idea of normal.

And while NIWA proclaims this winter is warmer than average, at the same time no one defines what this mythical average is supposed to be.

Meanwhile we are told that everything is now anomalous, and there is no norm, only a succession of imaginary mysterious departures, which is what they say is climate change.

And yet presumably they know it is a regular pattern because they still use the word average when it suits – perhaps so they can continue to be recipients of funding to sort it. Sorry lads, you cannot have both the notion of climate change and the notion of average. A changing

baseline is no longer a baseline, unless two-bob watches are now considered reliable. Scientists have just discovered that the peak hour of tornado occurrence is 5 pm. It does not mean that at 5pm you should expect a tornado, nor that a tornado will only appear then. It only informs us, in case we forgot, that afternoons are warmer than mornings.

A farming year is a bit like that. Many of the recommendations and much of the advice pertaining to farming is based on what happens in a normal year. What is a normal year depends on who is asking the question, just as two people can disagree on whether a room is cold or hot depending on clothes, age and girth. Even more pertaining, it often depends on why they are asking.

We all use averages in different ways.

Scientists convert them into real numbers that enable politicians to create policies to their advantage. Averages can’t be precisely quantified, and they are nearly always politically applied.

So will next year be a ‘normal’ year? Last year was different to this one and perhaps the past 4-5 years were not normal years either. 2011 will equally vary from 2010.

The 2011 almanac is being released in a week’s time in all bookshops. I suggest S Canterbury farmers may be jumping for joy next April and May but tearing their hair from July through to September.

At least their reactions will be normal.

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Page 18

Weather by The Moon: September Forecast

29th SEP

27th SEP

25th SEP

23rd SEP

21st SEP

17th SEP

15th SEP

13th SEP

9th SEP

11th SEP

7th SEP

5th SEP

19th SEP

19th SEP

17th SEP

29th SEP

51hrs (September average 147hrs)

27th SEP

Estimated sunshine amount for Ashburton:

29th SEP

20mm.

27th SEP

Ranfurly:

25th SEP

60mm

23rd SEP

Methven:

25th SEP

132mm

23rd SEP

Rakaia:

21st SEP

68 mm

21st SEP

Estimated precipation for Ashburton:

Sunshine daily hours

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 19th SEP

September 5th-21st

Cloudiest:

17th SEP

September 13th-15th

15th SEP

Best days for outdoor recreation:

-5 13th SEP

September 4th, 23rd

15th SEP

Sunniest days:

0

13th SEP

September 7th

5

9th SEP

Coldest minimums:

10

11th SEP

September26th

11th SEP

Warmest minimums:

15

9th SEP

September 7th

20

7th SEP

Coolest maximum temperatures:

Temperature trends, max and min

5th SEP

September 4th

0

7th SEP

Warmest maximum temperatures:

10

5th SEP

September 6th-7th, 20th-21st

Wettest periods:

20

1st SEP

September 2nd-4th, 11th-16th, 22nd-25th

Mostly dry

30

3rd SEP

September 5th-10th, 17th-21st, 26th-29th

40

1st SEP

Precipitation potential times:

September may be an unusually cloudy month, with less than 10 sunny days expected. Two major precipitation spells may deliver most snow and rain. Temperatures may be cooler than for August, especially during the second week of September, which should also bring windy conditions.

Average potential for maximums is 9C and for minimums 0-2C. At least 7-10 days may see significant precipitation. Snow in the South island over September is expected around 1st-11th, and 21st-22nd

50

3rd SEP

About 7-10.

3rd SEP

Number of rain days:

Estimated precipitation timing 60

1st SEP

Summary, outlook period

General (allow 24-hour error)

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