Guardian Farming - December 2016

Farming GUARDIAN

DECEMBER 2016

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EDITORIAL COMMENT

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TINWALD SALEYARDS

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YOUNG FARMERS

WINNER Congratulations to Dennis Eddy from Timaru who is the winner of this month’s giveway, Protecting Paradise.

Linda Clarke

SENIOR REPORTER

It does seem like we’ve gone in a bit of a circle with the success of the groundwater replenishment project (also known as Managed Aquifer Recharge or MAR) at Lagmhor.

Water that once leaked from borderdyke irrigation and water races has dried up thanks to the widespread use of spray irrigation and the project involves injecting water (already consented but no longer used by the Ashburton District Council) into a pond with a leaky bottom that drains into the aquifer.

Except it’s a lot more technical than that and climate change, with an expectation of steadily declining natural rainfall, is having an impact too. Water experts are tracing

the impact of the MAR water and noting improved groundwater levels in nearby wells, along with diluted levels of Nitrate.

It looks a good fix and could be rolled out around the district.

I’m pretty certain farmers won’t ease off their own efforts to irrigate efficiently and will keep watching their fertiliser use.

And there will be environmental benefits so the whole community wins. Our community makes a living when farmers make a living and irrigation has kept us from being a dustbowl, so ratepayers should expect to contribute to the MAR cause.

Almost all farmers have come a long way in their irrigation thinking. There are those using technology to run variable rate irrigation systems and monitor soil moisture, and the majority watering only when they need it.

And there are inquiring minds on groups like the Ashburton water zone committee that keep them to task.

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Saleyards symptomatic of change Linda Clarke

SENIOR REPORTER

The Tinwald saleyards, which closes next week after 138 years of trading, has two separate histories. One charts the changes of Mid Canterbury farming scene with stock numbers and prices paid, the other is a social record kept in the memories of those men and women who have worked there over the years.

PGG Wrightson’s David Bruce (standing, second from left) was just 18 when this photo was taken of all the livestock agents PHOTO SUPPLIED at the yards in 1968.

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www.guardianonline.co.nz From P3 Catering ladies June Steenson and Ann Craig have had a bird’s eye view of happenings there since they began providing food and a cup of tea or coffee for stock agents and farmers in 1992.

They share many memories and friendships; and they have been active participants in saleyard events. Ann could never beat gumboot throwing champ David Bruce (though it is rumoured Mark Wareing once did) and the ladies are custodians of the longest speech trophy that was awarded to Craig Harrison in 2001 (it is a silver-plated plastic plate tucked behind the fan in the kitchen and no-one can remember what he was talking about).

There were golf matches too, where Rabbit McLaren played both right and lefthanded) and many, many social and fun-filled nights after long days in the saleyards.

June and Ann were doing plenty of voluntary catering to raise funds for the Tinwald Family and Recreation Centre when they were approached about taking on the weekly saleyards gig. The two women, and Audrey Ritchie, started up AJA Catering but

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PGG Wrightson’s Murray Campbell has been keeping track of vendors, buyers and livestock at the saleyards for more than two 221116-LC_9_19 decades.

after six months it was just Ann and June.

They laugh now about the early days and one particular sale when they had a lot of

pies and sugar buns to dispose of after miscalculating the appetites of the agents and farmers they were feeding.

A sheep sale was their first

commercial outing and it will be their last next Tuesday, but they won’t be short of witty comebacks for any agent who asks about the age of their

scones.

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saleyards crew as well as at the annual implement sale and dog sale run by PGG Wrightson. This has meant sometimes working outside or in tents in all sorts of weather; Ann was once trapped when a marquee collapsed in high winds.

At the saleyards they are safe from the elements in a building that also houses offices for the auction staff and livestock agents.

The catering ladies’ day starts early and they are at the yards off State Highway 1 by 7.15am, filling the food cabinet with sandwiches, scones, savouries, chicken and stuffed sausages. They have served hot drinks to several generations of farming families and are firm friends with the stock agents, even the cheeky ones.

June says she will have time to work on her golf handicap after the saleyards closes while Ann sees herself spending more time at the Mackenzie Centre where she volunteers.

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The cattle yards will also be demolished after the last sheep sale on December 13.

241116-LC_9

From P5 The first recorded livestock sale in Mid Canterbury was in 1864 when monthly sales at

The Yards, at Turton’s Hotel, began.

The first official livestock sale at Tinwald was on August 20, 1878. The yards, which

John Farrell looks for bids in the gallery at a recent sheep sale.

covered half an acre, were built to hold 400 cattle and up to 40,000 sheep. The sale was held fortnightly, alternating with a sale on the other side

of the Ashburton River (before the bridge was built).

In June 1919, the Ashburton saleyards were closed and from 1920 all livestock sales

221116-LC_9_12

were held at the Tinwald site.

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the yards and included National Mortgage, New Zealand Loan Society, New Zealand Farmers, Wright Stevenson, Dalgety and Co and Pyne Gould Guinness.

In the years that followed stock from far afield would be transported to Tinwald by truck or rail. Sheep arriving by rail would be unloaded at the Grahams Road station and driven to the yards; junior livestock agents would have to crawl through the twostorey carriages to make sure all the animals were out.

Until 1966 sheep bought for local killing were driven to the abattoir over the Ashburton River bridge; this stopped when road traffic increased.

In those days butchers made up a big part of the buying gallery and few lambs were sold. Today the weekly sale is mostly lambs provided by lifestyle farmers or arable farmers with sheep on the side.

Throughout the 1980s, about 300,000 head of stock were sold per year, mostly sheep, but beef and sheep populations have decreased over the past 25 years and PGG Wrightson began reviewing its livestock facilities around the country.

In Mid Canterbury, the number of sheep at yardings dropped as farmers switched to dairy or dairy support and the company decided to close the Tinwald yards. Farmers will now take their stock to Temuka and Rural Transport boss Jim Crouchley said there were plans to build small holding yards at the transport company as part of a service to be offered north or south.

PGG Wrightson Mid Canterbury livestock manager Greg Cook said it was the end of an era for the local farming community.

While the yards had played a key economic and social role in the wider community, that had changed over the past couple of decades, he said.

The heyday sales of the yards in the 1980s were a big social event with

ED

221116-LC_9_17

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The first recorded livestock sale in Mid Canterbury was in 1864 when monthly sales at The Yards, at Turton’s Hotel, began.

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farmers, agents and buyers coming together to catch up for a yarn.

“That’s changed a lot. Nowadays only a dozen or so people attend the weekly sale as the buying is often done through livestock agents rather than by farmers themselves.”

Wakanui farmer Simon Bonifant has bought and sold thousands of store lambs through the Tinwald yards over the years. “We finish lambs off through the year and if fits with our cropping programme. We buy store sheep in the autumn and the last of the lambs are sold by the end of October.”

He said an agent would handle his stock through Temuka or Canterbury Park in the future.

Bonifant said his father sold lambs at the yards at a time when sheep outnumbered cows and while it was a shame to see the institution close, agricultural times had changed in the district.

Methven-based Philip Wareing, transport operator and owner of Mt Arrowsmith Station said it was inevitable that smaller yards like Tinwald would close.

“As a seller of sheep and cattle, I am looking for the biggest gallery of buyers possible to keep prices up and we are not getting that at the Tinwald sale any more. We do our lamb sale onfarm now, so there are other options.”

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Farming

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The time is nigh Nigh or near or nearly – that is where you are at with obtaining consent to farm. It is also about your colour, not personally, but your nutrient zone and whether you are red or orange, or more, unlikely, a green zone.

While I have used this oldfashioned word to highlight we are near or nearly to consenting your farming practice, I could/should have used (as we often do) “nigh impossible” or very difficult to accomplish.

Hopefully most of you will have a farm environmental plan completed. If so, great because they are an integral part of a resource consent to farm.

No matter how intensively you farm, you will likely need a resource consent to farm sooner than later.

You need to check: • If you are part of an irrigation scheme.

• Which nutrient allocation zone you are in.

• The size of your property.

• The amount of nitrogen Overseer model suggests you leach.

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If you are in an orange nutrient allocation zone, a land use resource consent should have been in place by January 1, 2016 - no typo error - it is January 1, 2016! The RMA provides six months grace to get these consents in place and, according to a May 2016 ECan memo, if your “farming activity has not changed in character, intensity and scale, you have six months from January 1, 2016 in which to apply”; that is the deadline was June 30, 2016!

If you are in a Red nutrient allocation zone (most of the Canterbury Plains), consent is required by January 1, 2017.

With the same six months’ grace that is June 30, 2017.

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the “thousands” of FEPs and consents to process across the region, you need to act soon to avoid non-compliance come deadline time.

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• A completed ECan application form, including the usual planning

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• An assessment of nutrient losses using the Overseer model.

• A farm environment plan.

• ECan consent application deposit of $1725.

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ECan planners dreamed up these dates and they have little or no practical nouse (common sense or practical intelligence) and simply would have no idea that January 1, 2017 is in the busiest part of the farming season.

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Lively bidding at top-notch ram sale Merrydowns Romney and Southdown Stud near Gore had a strong sale result for its 8th annual ram sale last week.

Merrydowns Stud, which breeds pure romney and southdown sheep on 397 hectares of rolling hill country on the boundary of West Otago and Southland, held its annual ram sale with 211 two-tooth rams on offer.

These rams were selected from the top 25 per cent of lambs born on type and performance (SIL) data. The sale saw lively bidding from buyers from throughout New Zealand.

Of the 211 rams on offer, 194 were sold. The average price across the sale was $1130, with romney rams ranging from $600 to $3800 and southdown rams ranging from $450 to $3000. The top price of $3800 was for a romney ram (Lot 121) which was bought by Peter and Diane Lowe of Ashburton.

There were 11 rams sold to stud breeders around the country – seven southdown rams and four romney rams.

Blair and Sally Robertson

Southdown rams wait for the Merrydowns Ram Sale to begin.

of Merrydowns Stud have the largest southdown breeding flock in Australasia and the largest registered romney breeding flock in the South Island and they were pleased with the sale result.

“Our focus at Merrydowns is keeping the breeds pure with no cross-breeding,” Blair Robertson said.

“It has cost us a lot of money to keep the two

breeds pure and to continue to improve on what we have year-on-year.

“I started my romney stud when I was about 14 years old and my ideal romney back then was quite different to the sheep that were winning awards at A&P shows.

“The market didn’t take to my ideal romney quickly, but I stuck to my guns and here we are 28 years later with rams

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that are attracting buyers throughout New Zealand.

We restarted the Southdown stud in 1999 and over the years we have developed a real commercial grunty type of southdown.

“It was good to see a good number of potential buyers make enquiries before the sale that were new to us.

“They were all quality and fertility focused and that is

what we offer. The interest came from across New Zealand.”

The stud combines good stockmanship with modern technology to breed structurally-sound fertileefficient medium-framed DNA-tested purebred romney and southdown rams which will thrive in different environments – from Warkworth in Northland to Bluff in Southland.

PGG Wrightson genetics specialist Callum McDonald, who managed the sale on behalf of the Robertsons, said they were producing quality rams that have the performance figures which give buyers confidence from their nearly 30 years of stud operation.

“The rams not only look the part (having good bone, constitution, spring of rib, depth, open heads, a very good carcass and top wool) but they back it up with strong performance data. He is first and foremost a stockman and that shows in the high quality animals he produces year after year.”

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11

Funding available for quake relief The first farmer requests from Government’s earthquake relief fund could be processed before Christmas, says Primary Industries minister, Nathan Guy. Applications for funding from the fund opened last week.

Guy said $4 million was available for uninsurable onfarm infrastructure repairs in the Hurunui, Kaikoura and Marlborough districts.

Applications are now open and will close at the end of February.

“I’m hopeful the panel will make an initial assessment of some applications before Christmas,” Guy said.

Criteria for applications has been released which includes re-establishment of uninsurable assets like water infrastructure and opening up tracks, culverts and farm bridges.

There will one assessment panel across the three districts, including the mayor of each region and representatives from Federated Farmers, Rural Support Trusts, the Ministry for Primary

Industries, and independent farm consultants.

Any grants will be a contribution towards repairs, covering a maximum of 50 per cent of costs.

There will be an excess of $5000 and capped at $50,000 per applicant.

Applicants need to provide information including evidence of impacts and assessments of costs, ideally with photographs. Those who have already paid for work should keep a full record of your receipts and invoices.

“In these first few weeks the priority for most farmers is assessing the damage and working out what needs to be done. However people shouldn’t wait for the earthquake relief fund to make essential repairs and can apply for the fund at any stage of repair. Contact EQC for your dwelling, and your insurer as soon as possible,” Guy said.

“The process for this fund is similar to that used after last year’s Taranaki-Horizons storm, which a subsequent review found it to have worked well.

Primary Industries minister, Nathan Guy.

Application forms, criteria and full membership of the Assessment Panel can be found on the Marlborough District Council website: www.marlborough.govt. nz/Services/EmergencyManagement/EmergencyEvents/eq2016/PIERF. Completed forms should be sent to pierf@marlborough.

govt.nz and these will be coordinated prior to the panel meeting.

Three Rural Recovery Co-ordinators funded by the Government have also been confirmed – Jo Buckner (lead) in North Canterbury, Chris Faulls in Marlborough and Colin Nimmo in Kaikoura.

Anyone requiring

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information and support should call their local Rural Support Trust on 0800 787 254 (0800 RURAL HELP) or the Government Helpline on 0800 779 997.

Also Federated Farmers are co-ordinating offers of help and requests specifically for farmers via 0800 FARMING (0800 327 646).

Farming

2 12

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Chertsey trial site ready for influx Timetable

Topics 1

Precision agriculture for potatoes. Allister Holmes and Jen Linton, FAR

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Fodder beet irrigation. Elin Arnaudin, FAR

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Cultivation and cropping sequences. Nick Poole and Bryan Mitchell, FAR

4

Irrigation on stony soils. Hamish Brown, Plant & Food Research

5

Herbicide resistance. Matilda Gunnarsson & Richard Chynoweth, FAR

6

Seed growing in Oregon. Nicole Anderson, Oregon State University

7

Biosecurity 2016. Nick Pyke, FAR

8

FRNL rotations and N use efficiency. Brendon Malcolm, Plant & Food Research

9

Diverse pollination options. David Pattemore, Plant & Food Research

10 Other grasses for seed production. Richard Chynoweth & Phil Rolston, FAR 11 Agronomy, productivity and profitability of garden peas grown for seed. Joanne Drummond, FAR 12 CPT - the influence of genetics. Rob Craigie, FAR Morning 1

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7

The Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) has been busy preparing its Chertsey trial site for a mass invasion of farmers and industry people tomorrow for CROPS 2016, its key South Island field event.

The day is an opportunity to view FAR and industry trials and hear up-to-date research findings from New Zealand and overseas experts.

Chief executive Nick Pyke said the programme was

broad, touching on seed, cereal and potato productivity, biosecurity and environmental issues around water and nutrients.

Nicole Anderson, assistant professor and field crops extension agent at Oregon State University, will provide an international perspective.

She will discuss some of the parallels between seed research in New Zealand and the USA. Oregon is a major producer of cool-season

forage and turf grass seed and is globally recognised for its advanced seed industry.

Most seed production is on the west side of the state in what is known as Willamette Valley; grass and clover seed crops are grown on more than half the total harvested crop land in the valley.

The day begins tomorrow at 9am and will finish at 5.30pm.

Each talk will be presented in the morning and again in the afternoon.

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• Visit the Syngenta site and take the tour.

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Farming

2 14

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Take a break with Dave Dobbyn

PHOTO SIMON MOORE

or need help.

“We are blown away by the generosity of our local businesses,” Lye said. “People have really come on board with us and helped us keep this event free for everyone, we appreciate that you don’t

get a lot back from your money when you sponsor something, so on behalf of our team, I’d like to extend a massive thank you to everyone who gave us any amount large or small, it has all helped us immensely. “An event like

this costs over $40,000 to put on and even Dave Dobbyn and his team have discounted their fee for coming down to our town. It was great to be able to offer his crew food, accommodation and transport through the local businesses

happy to contribute to the biggest Christmas event to hit Ashburton town. Ever.”

Ashburton’s Christmas in the Park will be held this Saturday, December 10, in the Ashburton Domain Oval starting 7pm.

HC VER1715

Dave Dobbyn will headline Ashburton’s Christmas in the Park on Saturday.

Event promoter Carmen Lye said the event will be free, thanks to the support of local businesses, and will also involve three local choirs.

Music director Lisa Anderson asked a combined primary school choir, Ashburton College and an adult choir to join Dobbyn in three of his songs. The choirs have been busy practising and will have their final session with Dobbyn on the day before Christmas in the Park.

Talbot Security owner Dean Talbot is providing security for the night, assisting the Ashburton Police in enforcing a no-alcohol, family environment.

“An event like this is pretty big for the Ashburton community and it’s important for concert-goers to feel safe and well looked after,” he said.

As well as security, St John ambulance service will be present and the Mitre 10 marquee will be at the entrance again where the public can go if they are lost

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www.guardianonline.co.nz

15

We Kiwis are a lucky people We’re pretty lucky to live around here. The population density is low and there’s no shortage of wonderful natural areas to visit.

We can choose between wild coast, foothills and high country mountains, rivers or lakes.

Tourist pressure is not too bad, especially compared with other places that have beautiful scenery, like the hectic spots of Wanaka and Queenstown.

Our high country lakes are quite unique. They’re not huge like the big southern lakes but there are lots of them.

Many of them are edged with wetlands and tussock grasslands which support a wide diversity of native flora and fauna.

The views at the lakes beyond the Ashburton Gorge are superb. Even getting there is good. Firstly there’s a nice drive towards the hills that takes in the small rural villages of Staveley and Mt Somers. Then the hills are closer and we squeeze through and enter the Hakatere Conservation Park.

Mary Ralston

FOREST AND BIRD

Roadside vegetation suddenly changes; big old tussocks and native shrubs are abundant for a short stretch.

At Hakatere corner, the end of the sealed road, old farm buildings remind us of early settlers. Straight ahead lie Lakes Clearwater, Camp, Emma and the Spider Lakes backed by the stunning mountains at the head of the Rangitata River. A right turn takes the traveller up towards Lake Heron. The road is flanked on one side by the Taylor Range and passes amazing glacial landscape features softened by native tussocks and other vegetation.

Buick’s Bridge crosses the South Ashburton River; a lovely milky blue because some of the water is melt

Maori Lakes.

water from the glacier (as a glacier moves downhill it grinds some of the rock it lies on to a fine rock dust which is suspended in the water, causing the unique blue colour of glacial lakes).

Soon after Buick’s Bridge are the Maori Lakes, right next to the road. It’s a beautiful place and there’s a spot to pull in and look at the birds, have a picnic or do some fishing. On most days no-one will be there but swans and all sorts of ducks are usually at home. Raupo and rushes form a nice edge and in winter there

PHOTO SUPPLIED

is often ice on the lake and snow on the hills.

The first travellers through this area also valued the Maori Lakes highly. The route through the Ashburton Gorge up to the Rakaia River was used by Maori as a way to reach the West Coast, and especially the Arahura, which was the pounamu or greenstone capital of the Maori world.

They gathered food along the way, and the Maori Lakes were known to be rich in birds, fish and other delicacies.

The beauty and uniqueness of

the Maori Lakes is recognised by their inclusion in the O Tu Wharekai wetland restoration project.

The wetlands of the Ashburton Lakes area are considered extremely special – they are one of the best examples of an unspoilt wetland system in New Zealand.

There is a great diversity of habitats for native animals and they support an amazing array of native plants, nestled in amongst some of the biggest rivers and mountains in the country.

2 16

Farming

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Local MAR project leads the way A major groundwater replenishing project in the Ashburton District could pave the way for other regions dealing with declining groundwater and water quality.

The Managed Aquifer Recharge, or MAR, pilot project at Lagmhor is already proving successful in raising groundwater levels and diluting nitrate levels, and there are plans for more recharge sites.

Retired hydrologist and member of the Ashburton Water Zone Committee John Waugh says MARs are the future and the Mid Canterbury project will be being closely watched by other regions.

The pilot project is essentially a pond designed to leak water into underground aquifers.

Waugh said he had viewed a similar scheme near San Francisco in 1976. “It is nothing new and it does work.”

A suite of MARs across the Canterbury Plains could help improve water storage in

Linda Clarke

SENIOR REPORTER

aquifers and dilute nitrates, he said.

As farmers have converted borderdyke irrigation to spray irrigation, and stockwater races have disappeared, water no longer leaks into underground aquifers.

Combined with declining rainfall, MARs were a way to put water back into the system, he said.

The Ashburton pilot has been endorsed by the water zone committee but it will need another $750,000 to complete the five-year trial.

Expanding the project with another four sites over the next 10 years would cost around $11 million.

Mayfield farmer Rab McDowell, a member of the MAR pilot working group,

MARs are the future of groundwater replenishment in Mid Canterbury.

said it was a significant environment project and would help farmers meet new environmental targets around water use and nitrate leaching.

Farmers and irrigation companies do expect to pay a major share of the costs but targeted or general rates could be used as another funding stream as the work benefited the wider district.

McDowell said results of the pilot project indicated other sites in different parts of the district would benefit.

Sites in the upper plains would be useful for recharging

aquifers, sites in the middle plains could be used for diluting groundwater nitrates, especially around known hotspots, and sites in the lower plains could augment streams and drains.

As well as money, the trial needs water and the zone committee will write to the Ashburton District Council to ask if it can keep using a council water-take consent (previously used for stockwater races) to continue putting water into the trial site.

Zone committee member Jackie Wright said she hoped

PHOTO 030616-AK-052

farmers would continue their sustainability work on farm and not rely on the MAR to produce the lion’s share of environmental improvements.

McDowell said finding funding and water for the programme were the next challenges. With Water Conservation Orders on both the Rangitata and Rakaia Rivers, water could have to come from already-consented takes.

The working group will now look for people who could implement expansion of the groundwater replenishment programme.

LOCAL LAUGHS Q. Who takes care of the farm when the farmer is sick?

A. The pharmacist

If you have any funny pictures, jokes or comments about life on the farm which you would like to be published in Guardian Farming, please send these into Ashleigh at ashleigh.r@theguardian.co.nz

www.facebook.com/ashguardian

Farming

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GUARDIAN

Please join us for the...

COCHRANES DRIVE & DEMO DAY THURSDAY 15th DECEMBER

Cochranes of Canterbury and Origin Agroup invite you to come along to a demonstration drive day featuring Pottinger Cultivation, Grass and Harvesting equipment along with Case IH Tractors.

Pottinger Factory representatives will be in attendance to present and demonstrate a wide range of Pottinger machinery.

POTTINGER GRASS & HARVESTING EQUIPMENT 9:00am – 1:00pm

POTTINGER CULTIVATION EQUIPMENT 1:30pm – 5:30pm

Ray Mayne Somerton Road, RD2, Dromore, Ashburton

Mr Brian Leadley (Bradley Fields Ltd) 271 Stanley Road, RD2, Ashburton

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Announcement boosts confidence After Fonterra’s most recent payout announcement, farmers’ spirits lifted and the region’s rural property market shifted up a gear.

Since mid-November, when the co-operative raised estimates of its 2016/17 milk price to $6, dairy sentiment has become considerably more optimistic. Farmers are in buying mode again.

A number of sales, previously up in the air, are now much closer to confirmation, and the market should soon have some benchmarks to gauge buyer appetite.

On the cropping front, one of Mid Canterbury’s blue ribbon properties, a 228 hectare spray-irrigated farm on premium soils, changed hands in November just short of $44,000 per hectare.

Meanwhile, a 165ha dryland property sold for around $40,000 per hectare. Such farms are always in heavy demand and established Mid Canterbury cropping farmers prevailed to purchase both.

Favourable weather means excellent grass growth

Susie Williams

PGG WRIGHTSON

although, after two years of destocking, local farmers have found using the abundant pasture a challenge.

Elsewhere in the country, particularly in the eastern districts, my PGG Wrightson Real Estate colleagues are seeing the same, with farmers taking the opportunity to restock supplementary feed, filling hay barns and replenishing silage pits.

With earthquakes on everyone’s minds, the town and country theme of the recent Ashburton A&P Show seemed particularly apt. That theme and the quakes gave us a strong reminder of how interdependent we are: rural, urban, farming, retail, tourism and so on. As we see in Kaikoura, all pulled together

following the disaster, town and country people, the New Zealand Defence Force, Ngai Tahu, business and concerned individuals and organisations from far and wide.

Bringing that theme back to real estate, when a farm sells, allows the purchase of a house or lifestyle block, perhaps some capital to help

children buy property or expand a business and may fill another place in one of our lovely retirement complexes.

All this in turn creates extra employment for builders, retailers, carers and many others, while also keeping another hard-working real estate salesperson in saveloys.

As the saying goes,

“It’s a very big wheel that doesn’t turn.”

Our thoughts are with all the farming communities in the areas affected by the quakes.

Susie Williams is South Canterbury sales manager for PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited.

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2 20

Farming

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Meet our two new Ashburton Guardian rural media sales consultants, Ashleigh Ridge and Penny Shearer.

Both from a farming background, they are passionate about Mid Canterbury and all things rural and look forward to working with businesses to achieve the best results for their clients today and in the future.

Name: Ashleigh Ridge

Name: Penny Shearer

Age: 23

Age: 34

Are you a Mid Canterbury native?

If so, what makes Mid Canterbury a good place to live? Yes, born and bred just out of Methven. I love the community feel and the amazing scenery/landscapes and outdoor activities we have available to us in our backyard.

Are you a Mid Canterbury native?

If so, what makes Mid Canterbury a good place to live? I was born and bred in Winchmore (halfway between Ashburton and Methven).

I lived in Guatemala and travelled the world extensively so love how safe, easy and accessible everything is here.

Does your family live here? Yes, my family lives in Highbank, Methven, on a crop and sheep farm.

Does your family live here? Yes, related to everyone with in a 40km radius (joking).

When did you start at the Guardian? Middle of September.

When did you start at the Guardian? End of September 2016.

What’s your farming background? I have lived on the family farm most my life. School holidays as a kid consisted of rouging wheat and barley paddocks and in winter holidays being on the spud digger. Before starting at the Guardian I worked on the farm for a year helping out with the potato harvest and general day to day jobs.

Why were you chosen for rural ad rep role? Sales experience in the travel industry and a family history in farming means I have experience in both parts of the jobs.

Why are you passionate about farming? Because there is always something to learn and something to get involved in. There are so many different kinds of farming and I find it all so interesting.

What do you like about Guardian Farming and Dairy Focus? Both publications are very informative and they both have a great readership. I feel very privileged to be able to be involved in such great publications.

What’s your aim for Guardian Farming/Dairy Focus? My aim is to help the publications be filled with the best farming stories and relevant information for the time of year.

What do you love? Farming, animals, hiking, the outdoors.

What’s your farming background?

Grew up on a sheep and crop farm, family converted to dairy approximately eight years ago, which is now run by my sister and brotherin-law.

Why are you passionate about farming? Love the outdoors, physical work and looking at the stars while getting the cows in the morning.

What do you like about Guardian Farming and Dairy Focus? I feel that these are both first-rate publications and it is great to be involved in something so widely read and informative.

What’s your aim for Guardian Farming and Dairy Focus? To help keep it relevant to the farmers reading them and continue to showcase my business’ advertising to give them the maximum reach to those needing their services/products.

What are your strengths/passions?

A love of meeting new people, the outdoors and learning new things.

MIKE PRESTON R U R A L & L IF E S T Y L E S P EC IA L IS T

Considering Selling? Call Mike who has proven rural expertise and the marketing reach to achieve the best result for your property.

Mike Preston M 027 430 7041 | B 03 307 2400 mike.preston@bayleys.co.nz | www.mikepreston.co.nz WHALAN AND PARTNERS LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

2 22

Farming

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Set up a worm farm this Christmas It’s fun looking after worm farms. My Dad was fascinated by the way they acted as a barometer. Open the worm farm lid and if the tiger worms are all up the top mating, the weather is blowing nor’west -- or about to. If the worms have all dived down into the food scraps and bedding, there’s a sou’west change on the way. How amazing is that?

I say tiger worms are the ultimate pet. They don’t bark at night, you don’t have to buy them pet food or take them for a walk. In fact they eat all the things that you don’t want; your food scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds, and paper or cardboard boxes with food waste still attached and the list just goes on.

How many of us actually know how worms reproduce?

That they are actually hermaphrodite but do need to mate with another tiger worm or composting worm to reproduce. That’s when you see them threaded together with one worm looped through the saddle or clitelum of another worm they are

Sheryl Stivens

ECO EFFICIENCY

not just “getting knotted” but actually exchanging eggs and sperm.

The egg is fertilised within the egg sack and the worm actually wriggles the egg free and the egg then sits in the soil until conditions are just right. Then the tiny drawstring type sack on the egg opens and out wriggle 5 to 20 baby tiger worms that begin devouring your food scraps and turning them into worm juice and vermicast for your garden.

You can even remineralise your soils by feeding your worm farm additional trace elements, sea weed, woodash etc.

The results of using worm juice and castings can be profound. A couple of years

ago an Australian farmer stayed with us on a speaking tour of New Zealand. He had bought a block of land in NSW and found he could not grow enough pasture to graze his cattle.

After soil tests were carried out he was told by farm advisors that it would cost $22,000 to fix his soils. Instead of taking this advice he set up two bathtub worm farms and a trailer lined with plastic as worm farms and began collecting cafe waste and cow manure to feed to the tiger worms.

He harvested the worm juice or vermiliquid and began spraying it onto his farm at varying levels of dilution and within two years he had transformed his soils with support from Australian soil scientists. He has won a number of awards for his practical work with soil regeneration.

in what you can buy from hardware stores with some being easier to harvest from and feed than others. Having a good cover under your lid is a must as worms are very light sensitive as they breathe through their skin.

The Hungry Bin; designed and made in New Zealand is a clever design.

It’s so easy to feed and harvest from; is on wheels so can be moved around and can process up to 2kg of waste per day. Apparently Prince Charles even has a New Zealand Hungry Bin and the Auckland prison have several hundred of these to process their food scraps.

Getting started

There are many DIY ways to get a worm farm working on your farm or at home.

There are also many choices

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The Can O Worms is the Australian true blue worm farm. This system has three working trays for worms and food scraps. A tap on the bottom layer allows for easy harvesting of the vermiliquid or worm juice and it can be managed very easily.

If you need help setting up a worm farm or a bokashi bucket or composting your lawn clippings, come along to the December free compost workshop on Monday, December 19, 12 noon to 1pm, at the Eco Education Centre, Ashburton Resource Recovery Park. All welcome.

Phone 0800627824 or email sherylstivens@gmail.com.

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Europe 2017. If you have the plans, we have the deals.

Madrid

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Stroll through evening-lit streets

On a Madrid Tapas & Wine tasting Tour from $108pp

Experience Madrid’s surge of creativity With a Street Art Tour from $29pp

All flights are from Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch flying Cathay Pacific

Bring your ideas in to House of Travel and we’ll help you get there.

The best holidays are created together.

1 9 6 E A S T S T R E E T, A S H B U R T O N I 0 3 3 0 7 8 76 0 I A S H B U R T O N @ H O T.C O. N Z CONDITIONS: Valid for new bookings only or until sold out. Cathay Pacific valid until 14 Dec 16. Travel dates vary by destination, see houseoftravel.co.nz for full details. Madrid Accommodation is a standard room twin share based on dynamic pricing as at 23 Nov 16.

This can change without notice and is dependent on room availability. Iberian Inspiration Tour is based on set departures 06, 20, 27 Apr, 05, 12, 19 Oct 17 and includes 5% earlybird discount when paid by 15 Dec 16. Amendment, cancellation and credit card fees apply.

Further terms and conditions apply. For more information see instore or visit www.hot.co.nz

www.guardianonline.co.nz

23

AORANGI REGIONAL FINALISTS FMG Young Farmer regional final It’s one heck of a road to make the grand final of the FMG Young Farmer of the Year if you come from the Aorangi region this year.

Traditionally a strong region with six grand final winners in the past 14 years, this year looks to be just as tough with eight extraordinary young men vying to get through. The regional final will be held in Methven on February 25.

The North Otago District Contest and Skills Day provided the final two contestants recently with Arjan Van’t Klooster and John Mehrtens taking out first and second.

Van’t Klooster came fourth at last year’s regional final where the winner, Athol New, went on to become the FMG Young Farmer of the Year.

And at only 25, the hot favourite to take out the Aorangi regional final has a lot of expectation on his shoulders.

“Particularly from my parents,” he jokes.

Van’t Klooster and his fiancée Kelsie Chamberlain bought a 164 hectare 600 cow farm in Glenavy last year and are also lower order share milking 1200 cows on his parents’ farm.

Overseeing eight staff and managing two properties and holding a Bachelor of Commerce and Agriculture means Van’t Klooster will be a major threat to the other contestants.

However, Mehrtens is considered to be another front runner with his all-round experience - having worked on dairy, arable and pig farms.

He also competed in the regional final last year where he finished sixth, and in his last eligible year in the contest he wants to give it his all to get through.

Currently working on a 650 hectare Waimate dryland cropping farm, Mehrtens has previously worked on a Mid Canterbury dairy farm, harvested in America and worked on a large cropping and pig farm in the United Kingdom.

He also has a Bachelor of Agriculture to his name and has contest history in his family with his uncle Tim Mehrtens being a former Aorangi Regional Finalist.

South Canterbury’s Toby How and Caleb Strowger and Mid Canterbury’s Cameron Black are also expected to be hot contenders to make

the grand final with early speculation that whoever wins this tough contest, could be on their way to winning the grand final for Aorangi for the third year in a row.

Black, a 23-year-old Ashburton BNZ rural bank manager and Hinds Young Farmer member, took out the Mid Canterbury final in early November. He has competed in two regional finals in the Taranaki/Manawatu region.

A graduate of Massey University with a Bachelor in Agri-Science, Black is from Western Southland where his parents still farm a sheep and beef property.

Currently the chairman of the Hinds club and vice chairman of the Aorangi region, Black is also a passionate water-skier and plays rugby for Southern.

He is planning to study hard before the regional final as he knows Aorangi is the toughest region to compete in.

Nineteen-year-old David Wards is a Methven Young Farmer who works on a sheep and cropping farm and entered his first district contest so that he could beat his sister Hayley.

Originally from the King Country, David is also known on the competitive shearing circuit. He is also a member of the Ashburton Pipe Band where he plays the bagpipes.

The line-up to compete in the Aorangi regional final on February 25 at Methven is: Cameron Black, David Wards, James Gunson, Robbie Hill (Mid Canterbury) Caleb Strowger, Toby How (South Canterbury), Arjan Van’t Klooster, John Mehrtens (North Otago).

2 24

Farming

ELECTRICITY AND SOLAR FEATURE

www.guardianonline.co.nz ADVERTISING FEATURE

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Milk price down, grain price down, lamb price down, wool price down but power price up?

As farmers know the nature of their chosen industry can be up and down and cyclic and volatile at times. Why not try and fix at least one of your guaranteed costs to a manageable level.

Power prices generally only ever go up, so why not make a move to reduce how much you need to pay the retailers by installing solar panels?

We keep hearing that if Tiwai point aluminium smelter closes power prices will drop.

The facts are it hasn’t closed, it doesn’t look like closing and if it does someone needs to pay to get that power from Manapouri to Auckland and it will be the consumer, so a close at Tiwai may in fact increase power costs.

Solar panels are a passive investment with no moving parts so minimal maintenance costs.

The purchase of a system comes with initial capital expenditure, but the quicker power goes up the quicker the system pays for itself.

Once this is achieved the savings are only accelerated.

If your property or business is a long-term venture you will experience power savings for the next 25 years plus.

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and the capital cost can be regained at this time.

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ELECTRICITY AND SOLAR FEATURE

25

Solar powered irrigators a reality Mid Canterbury farmers will soon begin trials using solar power to run their spray irrigators.

EA Networks CEO Gordon Guthrie said the cost of the components needed to generate solar power was reducing and becoming economic, and several farmers were about to trial the technology. Solar power is among challenges for the lines company in the next two decades, and Guthrie said huge-scale battery storage and electric cars would also be major developments.

EA Networks is “watching that space” carefully and preparing to change quickly.

The company has made a huge investment in the network to accommodate load growth and improve security; that would not be wasted as solar energy and other technologies came into the picture in the next 20 years. Guthrie said the district’s load growth would continue to grow, along with the population - but the company would not have to build its network of the future

051212-KG-049

for peak demand, it would be able to manage its peaks with battery power. Shorter-term influences included those farmers using solar power or pressurised piped water to run their irrigators. Within EA Networks’ catchment, there

are up to 50 “early adaptors” using solar power and more are becoming interested as the technology became affordable.

Guthrie said there was no evidence that people would defect from the grid but times were changing and some

might want to be able to sell excess energy they generated.

The company’s network is not designed for two-way traffic but it may be able to help manage surplus generation between neighbours or community groups.

He predicts that in 30 years urban houses will have large-scale battery storage in the garage, along with an electronic box controlling generation and consumption, and an electric vehicle.

2 26

Farming

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ELECTRICITY AND SOLAR FEATURE

Fonterra’s Edendale site.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Edendale ticks energy efficiency boxes Fonterra’s Edendale site is the most energy efficient dairy manufacturing site in New Zealand, according to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.

The site has become the first dairy processing facility in the country to be awarded four stars in the EECA One2five ratings.

The ratings measure energy, carbon and sustainability to give businesses a benchmark allowing them to compare

themselves to industry peers as well as how they rank nationally.

Southern operations manager Richard Gray says energy efficiency is always front of mind at Fonterra sites.

“Since the co-operative began its energy efficiency programme in 2003, the Edendale site has reduced its energy intensity by 48 per cent per tonne of product,” Gray said.

“Dairy is an energy intensive business, so this reduction is significant both for Fonterra and for New Zealand.

“We’re continually challenging our staff to find ways to reduce our energy intensity – every little bit helps and we have more than 20 different energy saving programmes under way across the site.”

He said recent additions included solar lighting and

new heat recovery technology introduced last year to capture and recycle heat from its processes, which eliminated the need for a new boiler.

These initiatives were recognised at the recent New Zealand Sustainable Business Network Awards, where the site received a judges’ commendation in the Business Energy Management category.

Fonterra director social responsibility, Carolyn

Mortland says the Edendale site exemplified what can be achieved through efficiency and sustainability being part of business as usual.

“Our co-operative has made a commitment to reducing energy intensity at sites by 20 per cent of our 2003 levels, by the year 2020.

“The results that the team at Edendale have achieved are proof that we are on the right track to achieving that goal for the good of all New

ELECTRICAL Need an electrician?

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ELECTRICITY AND SOLAR FEATURE

27

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Environmentally friendly, low cost energy Kea Energy is a Leestonbased electricity retailer using solar energy to help farmers lower electricity costs and be environmentally friendly.

Kea installs its own solar panels and the customer agrees to buy electricity they generate at a discounted price; excess energy is exported and if more energy is required, Kea has back-up supplies.

The business is the brainchild of Campbell McMath, who worked for Orion on its network management control systems.

McMath started researching generation from renewables for his family farm and it has led to a generation network rivalling some of the traditional retail electricity players.

He said he looked at wind, solar, bio-gas and hydro as options to power the family’s entire dairy farm, from houses to irrigators and the dairy shed. “I found for our situation, hydro was best suited for the farm. After installing one turbine it became slightly addictive and we built another three. Now

Campbell McMath.

PHOTO SUPPLIED

we export 80 per cent of our power.”

With the price of generating solar power falling, Kea put in a few test sites and began gathering data.

“Possibilities opened and we came up with using a Power Purchase Agreement for solar sites.” This means on some sites Kea pays for the solar generation facility and the landowner agrees to buy electricity.

The company works across the Canterbury region and has been building its assets over seven years.

“At the start there were

some very high prices for power, which made things relatively easy, but with the fall in the spot price in the last few years, we have had to look at other options to sell our power, which was worrying . . . but I looked at this as a challenge,” McMath said.

“The size we are allows us to be very agile with pricing and plans. You are constantly reviewing where your company is and how you can make it competitive and economical. You are looking for a balance.”

He said customers needed to know they had options. “As

we talk to customers about our option, they are surprised that there is more than one way of powering businesses.

It does become frustrating when the customer looks at the power bill and buys from one particular retailer because they always have.”

McMath is in charge of the whole process, from sales, contracts, engineering, installation, accounting and maintenance.

He says being an “outsider” in the industry was an advantage an allowed him to have an open mind, offering personalised service to clients.

“Each one of our customers has a different electricity demand; we match the best system for the customer and us, to maximise energy savings. Some require lots of panels, some require a backup system.

“We work in conjunction with the traditional suppliers of power as we both offer back-ups for each other. When a customer needs reliability, it is far better to have two sources than one.”

He said it was a great feeling showing customers how much power was coming from the sun and how it was powering their business.

His advice? Look around.

Things are moving quickly in the industry, in terms of products and services.

“Who would have thought that the power company, us, now takes the power station to you, at not just a cheaper rate, but also at no cost to the customer.”

He said the most rewarding aspect of his job was saving the customer money, getting a return and the bonus of reducing pollution.

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2 28

Farming

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Look at the difference There are a lot of horses that look like Archie in the before photo. Archie isn’t just lacking top-line, his whole body is in decline.

Yet he was being well-fed by his owner with kilograms of processed feeds.

Archie was suffering from a lack of quality protein in his diet, evidenced by muscle wastage, his poor coat and indifferent demeanour.

Protein consists of nutrients called amino acids linked together in chains used to construct not only skeletal muscles but all the body tissues.

It is usually this lacking top-line look which alerts us to a lack of protein in the diet but this is really just the tip of the iceberg.

Protein deficiency affects the internal organs including the heart, lungs, skin, liver, kidneys, all the various glands, the eyes, even the skeleton and yet it is the state of the hair-coat and hooves which is most obvious and brings it to our attention.

The horse’s body, like

Jenny Paterson

BSC ZOOLOGY AND BIOLOGY

ours, is a very sophisticated chemical machine.

Hundreds of thousands of chemical reactions go on all day, every day and every single one of them requires the presence of an enzyme.

Amino acids are necessary to make all these busy little enzymes.

Different protein sources are different in their amino acid make-up (ie they have different amino acid profiles).

For instance copra-meal is high in some and not others and is not the same as sunflower seeds or linseed.

Hence the recommendation to feed multiple sources of protein in order to ensure the presence of all the amino acids in sufficient quantities.

Unfortunately the sources with the best profiles (such as lucerne and soya-bean meal) are also high in potassium and because they add to the already high potassium load the horse ingests from the forage portion of his diet they are unsuitable for horses with health and behaviour issues.

Horses do not need large quantities of protein but they do need a quality protein source, one with a profile that particularly suits horses.

There are 22 individual amino acids, 10 of which either cannot be produced by your horse or cannot be produced in sufficient quantity; therefore, they must come from the diet.

Even if only one of the essential amino acids are not available, protein synthesis cannot take place.

ShapeUp is a simple solution for you. It consists of bio-available amino acids fortified with lysine and others vital for horses and, most importantly, ShapeUp is potassium free.

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29

The changing nature of farming Maurice Myers

KPMG

It has been estimated that there are approximately 570 million farms world-wide but only 4 per cent originate from high income areas and 49 per cent from lower or middle income countries.

When you consider however that an estimated 72 per cent of these are less than 1 hectare and only 6 per cent of these are greater than five hectares you only then get to appreciate that the majority are being operated by families largely to provide food or substance living with minimal and in many cases primitive technologies.

Approximately the 339 million of these (59 per cent) are in China and India alone.

It is not surprising then that the demand for food from

diminishing resources results in approximately 795 million (11 per cent) of the world’s population still being under nourished.

This in turn leads to the search for new farming models to produce significantly more food to supply a growing and increasingly hungry population.

Farms today are changing at a much faster pace to meet the nutritional needs of a rising and more affluent population and to better utilise natural

resources.

The supply of fresh water is finite but the demand continues to increase through urbanisation, wealth and the desire to eat more complex foods. McDonald’s for example which was formed in 1955 now has 36,000 stores spread over 19 countries.

Today it is estimated that 2.3 million people across the globe do not have access to home sanitation and 650 million have no access to safe drinking water.

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T: 03 307 6355 E: ashburton@kpmg.co.nz

TRAILERS

Single and Tandem Axle

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Contrast that with the following estimations • It takes 15,000 litres of water to produce 1kg of beef • 4325 litres of water to produce 1kg of chicken • 3178 litres of water to make 1kg of cheese • 225 litres of water to make one glass of milk, and • 74 litres of water to make one glass of beer.

One may well argue that

the beer drinkers are as safe as houses.

There is no doubt that just as our dietary and food requirements have changed in the last 50 years so too will there be significant changes in the next 50 years.

This quite apart from a global population expecting and demanding a more refined eating experience.

Likewise farming systems will need to adjust to the practical implications of climate change, water restraints, health and lifestyle trends also.

Investment decisions today and long term strategic planning for tomorrow will help shape the thinking of diversification of what we eat and how that food will be produced from diminishing resources available.

Just as the primary sector led from the front 50 years ago it too can also be the first to capitalise on emerging trends and keep to the forefront of changing technology and continue to be a world leader in the agrifood sector over the next 20 years.

Introducing The decision to amalgamate the Polaris franchise with our Marine division was an easy and exciting one to make. By bringing these two divisions of our business together we saw an opportunity to create a new retail environment for this specialised “outdoor equipment”. This new division of our business will be known and branded as D&E Outdoors and is located at 153 Moore Street.

combination of strength, stability, safety, comfort, performance and unbeatable usability, Stabicraft prove their worth no matter what’s thrown at them.

Our long and successful association with Polaris sees us in a position to show case NZ’s largest range of side by side’s and NZ’s#1 side by side seller, in a retail environment that will be setting the bench mark for NZ Polaris dealers nationwide. D&E have experienced 4 years of rapid growth with Polaris and the continued commitment from Polaris shows with the introduction of new products every 12months.

Polaris is the world leader in ATVs and Side x Sides with more choices for more applications with a 30 model line-up. Work or play, there is a Polaris for everyone with features and options a mile long. From the ever popular Youth range starting from 50cc through to the lifestyle, commercial and recreational vehicles up to 1000cc.

D&E prides itself on providing quality product along with quality backup of service and parts well after the first initial sale. For D&E Outdoors this will be no different, we have specialised marine technicians that are qualified, with great workshop facilities to carry out any marine job no matter how big or small.

It won’t be until early 2017 that we will have the opportunity to have the Polaris service department being able to work out of the Moore St workshop, this also includes the large range of Polaris parts that we have in stock.

Currently we are sharing our retail space with the Gluyas Motor Group until the new home for Nissan is developed and ready for them to move into in early 2017. This will then give us the opportunity to expand our retail space to create one of the largest “outdoor equipment” shops in the South Island.

So call in and see the team at D&E Outdoors, 153 Moore Street for all of your marine requirements and for your Polaris sales enquiries. For Polaris parts and service enquires please continue to call in and see the team at D&E, 832 East Street.

Look forward to seeing you soon!

Having such a great retail space available to us also gives us the chance to expand on our product range to help support our growing Marine business. The introduction of a new range of Lowrance GPS and Fish finder products will soon be available in store. Lowrance is one of the most innovative companies in NZ for electronic boating equipment and we are very pleased to have them on board.

We have a fantastic range of Hutchwilco products, ski biscuits, water skis, wakeboards, ski ropes, life jackets + much more and if we don’t have it in stock we will happily get it in for you.

D&E Outdoors has a large selection of Yamaha outboard engines, the Yamaha outboard range comprises of over 100 engines which range from 2.5hp right through to 350ph. D&E Outdoors also has the largest range of New and Pre Used boats in Mid Canterbury. We have the franchise for Stabicraft boats which are NZ owned and manufactured in Invercargill so we have fantastic backup and aftersales support from them. Stabicraft are considered one of the world’s best designed aluminium chambered boats for business and leisure. The first to pioneer positive buoyancy life-ring protection, Stabicraft boats are a triumph of kiwi ingenuity over the elements. A breakthrough

Marine Contacts

Polaris Contacts Sales 153 Moore Street Parts 832 East Street Service 832 East Street

027 535 3538 307 9911 307 9911

Sales 153 Moore Street Parts 153 Moore Street Service 153 Moore Street

027 535 3538 307 9911 307 9911

R

Danny King 027 535 3538 153 Moore Street

www.dne.co.nz 0800 432 633

2 32

Farming

www.guardianonline.co.nz

HARVEST FEATURE

A personalised, quality service Donald Love Windrowing is owned by Donald and Kay Love, based in Mayfield, Mid Canterbury. We have been contract windrowing since 1999.

As farmers ourselves, we understand the importance of seed hygiene and getting your crops windrowed on time.

Our equipment is cleaned and maintained on a regular basis.

Donald first began windrowing as a teenager when he worked during school holidays driving an 8ft cut Owatana windrower for a local contractor and for his father on the family farm.

In 1993 Donald and Kay purchased a Gorse/hedge trimming business, then Donald and Kay began contract windrowing in 1999 purchasing a Hesston 6400 10ft cut windrower and began the difficult job of establishing a client base.

Donald worked long hours on the 6400 with no cab – it was a challenge at times. As the contract run increased,

ADVERTISING FEATURE

they progressed to CASEIH 8840s they upgraded to the then latest model MacDon M150 tractor units, various headers fronts and mower options were added to give farmers a choice of a full range of fronts to best suit their crop needs.

It is very important for the Loves to continually upgrade and improve equipment.

Five years ago son Robert started direct drilling and forage harvesting and Donald and Kay added baling to their business, which works in very well with their existing windrowing business.

They can now offer the complete service of mowing, raking, tedding, round, medium and big square baling with tube and individual wrapping as well as the complete forage harvest service.

The Loves are a familyowned-and-run business which enjoy doing a quality job.

For personalised service phone Donald or Robert.

Phone 03 3036300 | Mobile 0272798704 Robert - Mobile 027 304 8837 See our website www.donaldlovewindrowing.co.nz

We treat your crop as if it were our own

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Service in conjunction with Donald Love Windrowing

Direct Drilling & Cultivation For a quality job Phone Robert Love 027 304 8837

FORAGE HARVESTING SERVICE • Chop • Cart • Weigh

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HARVEST FEATURE

33

Vegetable harvesters flat out Kraft Heinz-Watties and other vegetable processors are in the thick of a busy season, working in Mid Canterbury paddocks up to 24 hours per day.

Field supervisor Dean Casey said the season for crops such as peas and broad beans ran from mid-November to late February and it carried on regardless of the weather.

“There’s only a small window of opportunity before the peas are mature. Machines just keep going for three months non-stop,” he said.

Townshend agricultural Contracting

He said Kevin Barker, a PMC technician was visiting from England to commission a new harvester.

Sparks Brothers spokesperson Andrew Sparks said 24 hectares of peas on the property were harvested

by Kraft Heinz-Watties over two days, while an additional 40 hectares would be harvested by Talley’s.

He said yield may be down on last year due to variable spring conditions.

“It’s been a tricky spring weather-wise, because of the cooler conditions,” he said.

Townshend Agricultural Contracting is a local business that has just started this year.

We are pleased to offer the following services:

Baleage:

- Mowing - Tedding - Raking - Baling BALING - Carting - Wrapping - GRASS - WHOLECROP Slurry Application -- STRAW Slurry spreading - Pond stirrer

BALING Jodan SERVICES Townshend - MOWING 0274 39 39-36BALING - CARTING - TEDDING Jodan@tacontracting.co.nz

- WRAPPING - RAKING SLURRY APPLICATION - SLURRY SPREADING - POND STIRRING Kraft Heinz-Watties harvester Corey Bestenbreur (left), with PMC technician Kevin Barker, harvest peas in rain and cold conditions at Sparks Brothers at PHOTO SUSAN SANDYS Pendarves recently.

JODAN TOWNSHEND 0274 39 39 36 JODAN@TACONTRACTING.CO.NZ

2 34

Farming

HARVEST FEATURE

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Low cost grain cooling and aeration Grain Air Tubes are perforated cylindrical tubes made from 18 gauge galvanized steel which hang from the roof of a silo and act like a chimney for the warm moist air which, if left inside the silo, will spoil the grain.

The concept came from a grain farmer in Canada.

“The results speak for themselves” says Doug Gough of Gough Agritech Ltd, located near Darfield in Central Canterbury, who has been retailing them for three years now with excellent positive feedback from customers.

“We hear of so many issues with incorrectly stored grain, it is a subject many farmers are embarrassed to speak about and so don’t ask for help.”

Well-proven in harsher climates than ours here in New Zealand, Grain Air Tubes have saved many a silo full of grain from spoiling.

Natural convection currents take the cold air on the sides of the silo and

move it towards the centre of the silo where warmer moist air is picked up and carried to the top by the Grain Air Tube.

The air must be able to escape out the top.

Whirlygig vents which create a vacuum are available from Gough Agritech Ltd. Probably the biggest advantage Grain Air Tubes have over other forms of aeration is that they don’t require electricity. This makes them low-cost to run, suitable for any silo both hopper bottom and flat bottom, and ideal for silos which are located too far from a power source, which could mean silos which have not been used for some time could be usable once more.

Many farmers install the Grain Air Tubes themselves.

The tubes come in 8’ long telescoping sections to accommodate different sized silos and come with a cap to prevent grain entering the tube when filling the silo, and a base which is determined by type of silo, either flat or hopper bottom.

TC LOVETT WINDROWING WINDROWING

MAIZE PLANTING

TIM LOVETT 0210 629 202 cazwells@xtra.co.nz ASHBURTON

Gough Agritech Ltd 2003 Coaltrack Rd, Greendale RD1, Christchurch 7671 New Zealand Phone: (03) 318-8132 | www.goughagritech.co.nz

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HARVEST FEATURE

35

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Joining forces for a complete service Methven contractors Millan Bungard and Chris Woods formed Methven Harvesting to complement their respective drilling and ploughing/ cultivation businesses.

They realised the many benefits of working together to offer a complete service to their customers.

The joint venture, heading into its fourth season, includes Chris’ parents, Maurice and Karen Woods, and Millan’s wife Michelle.

The business utilises a Claas Lexion 580 combine harvester with laser pilot autosteer and an APS threshing system. The harvester is operated with a 7.5m grain front and a grass seed pickup.

Methven Harvesting operates throughout the Ashburton District, with on farm and long-distance cartage arranged when necessary. Its clients range from farmers who can’t justify owning a modern header of their own, through to farms where breakdowns, other commitments or the weather have caused delays, with extra help needed.

Chris and Millan are both positive about working with each other and like that their individual operations are small owner/operator businesses.

“It doesn’t interest us to becoming really big. The bigger you get, the bigger the chance you can lose that attention to detail and quality,

which isn’t where we want to be.

We prefer to work with each other and other local contractors, with whom we have a strong working relationship with, to provide complementary services for our clients allowing us to specialise in what we excel at.”

Taking mobile seed cleaning to new heights

Methven Harvesting is a joint venture between Methven Contracting and Chris Woods Contracting We operate throughout the Ashburton District and our clients range from farmers who have done the maths and can’t justify a modern reliable header of their own, through to farms where breakdowns, other farming commitments or the weather has caused delays and they need a hand.

Claas Lexion 580 7.5m grain front Grass seed pick up Laser pilot auto steer APS threshing system On farm cartage available Long distance cartage can be arranged Augers available

Latest technology • R8 Norogard Automated chemical treating system Currently in Ashburton removing growth splits and sprout out of malting barley and removing the necessaries out of milling wheat to improve falling numbers for contract specifications.

• • •

Millan Bungard: 027 436 2356 Chris Woods: 027 680 3818

www.methvenharvesting.co.nz

Save time and money by utilising farm saved seed Seed treatment is your first line of defence against pests and disease Operating a high capacity gravity table to increase quality for resowing and contract specifications

J W Neill Holdings Limited

Mobile Seedcleaning & screening To find out how our service can benefit you phone Johnny 027 458 3250

2 36

Farming

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Shake, rattle and roll It never ceases to amaze me how life can change from one moment in time to another, whether it be because of health issues or natural disasters as has happened in North Canterbury over the last couple of weeks.

One moment everything is going along great – before you know it all things that you took for granted, like a loved one walking alongside you or the home you and your ancestors have lived in for generations, are no longer there and gone forever.

The power of the latest earthquake is truly amazing to behold with photos of land movements of over two metres upwards and photos of crayfish and paua left high and dry are incredible. But just for a moment think of the people who farm this area and how this quake will affect them for now and years to come.

With land slips, new valleys, new hills, no roads, no trough water systems, no fences, how do these people get back on their feet?

With homes and buildings flattened in a residential area

Chris Murdoch

“

PROPERTY BROKERS

The power of the latest earthquake is truly amazing to behold

it’s disruptive and devastating, but at least most of these people can shift homes but still go to work and have an income. However the farming families affected in some cases have lost nearly everything.

Not only have their homes been destroyed but also years of infrastructure that is not insured and how, after years of drought and some families

hanging on by their teeth over this period, will they ever be able to afford the repair bill?

The problem gets even worse for some of these families because even if they

decided they have had enough and wanted and decided to sell, who would want to buy a farm on a proven fault line such as this.

Time and values will cure

this issue but not in the short term.

Is there a moral to this story? Some say enjoy today because tomorrow could be a bloody sight worse!

Get on board with the team that will achieve your goals this summer

0800 FOR LAND

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HELLO SUMMER FEATURE

37

ADVERTISING FEATURE

All you need for a fun-filled summer Outdoor Adventure Sports are 100% locally owned and operated for over 20 years at 519 East Street Ashburton.

They have a fabulous range of summer goodies for the whole family.

There are plenty of wetsuits from O’Neill and Extreme Limits with a massive size range from 1 to 4XL. If you’re after some water toys for the family this Christmas, Outdoor Adventure Sports have all you need with a fantastic range of ski biscuits from HO, Connelly and Loose Unit which are all on display instore.

If it’s a knee board, wakeskate, paddle board, kayak or waterskis you need there is a model and size to suit everybody.

Once you have picked out the new addition to your water toy collection then Outdoor Adventure Sports can also fit you with a brand-new HO or O’Neill ski vest or a New Zealand-made Hutchwilco lifejacket.

Look out for the new Ridgeline Summer Sizzler mailer with amazing deals on summer clothing for mum, dad and the kids or if you’re after new dive gear there is a great selection of masks, dive bags, snorkles and heaps more all on sale now!

Thinking about taking the family away camping? Outdoor Adventure Sports also has you covered for tents, cookers, chairs, tables, beds and all the other accessories you will need for a fun-filled family time.

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HO BLAST 67” COMBO

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NOW

$329

519 East Street, Ashburton - Phone: 03 308 2493

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Farming

HELLO SUMMER FEATURE

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Summer fun essentials Visit our little blues

Alpine Sports Methven is all about fun in the outdoors, changing from snow gear in winter to water action in the summer.

A dedicated ski hire and retail store during winter, Jason Pace (Jace) and Jacquie Aleman have restocked the shop floor with water sports gear and summer apparel to keep you outdoor enthusiasts busy.

If you are heading into the great outdoors to enjoy your summer watersports, Alpine Sports Methven can supply all sorts of fun inflatables, wakeboards, SUPs (stand up paddleboards) wakesurfers, wakeskates, water skis, life vests, handles, ropes and accessories.

Demo Days are held frequently by lakes throughout the summer so you can ‘try before you buy’. The locations of the demo days will be updated on their Facebook page regularly fb.com/ alpinesportsmethven The shop is open seven days (unless they are out by a lake for a demo day!) so you can drop in and check out the fabulous gear. If you don’t have time to drop in you can find most of our gear in the online store at alpinesports.co.nz There is a racquet restringing service available for all you tennis and squash fans. Plus a selection of camping, tramping and hunting essentials.

See the world’s smallest penguins, in their natural environment.

Our Blue Penguins nest close to town under the cliff along the historic harbour foreshore. The Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony is just beyond the Victorian Heritage Precinct and you are within walking distance of the town centre, close to shops, restaurants and accommodation.

During the day penguins are not active on land; they are either out at sea fishing or hiding away in their nesting burrows. Our day tours take you behind the scenes, into the penguins breeding area, where you may see the penguins up close in their nesting burrows.

Our day time viewing facility, the ‘blue wing’, makes this eaiser as you look down into the top of 10 nesting boxes through viewing tunnels. Our penguin numbers vary from day to day, so just ask one of our friendly staff how many they can guarantee you will see.

Evening viewing is when you will get to see the penguins arrive home from their days fishing, in groups that we call ‘rafts’; they will walk up the stony ramp in front of you and cross into the breeding colony back to their nesting burrows.

We have tours running from 10am to late, so stop by and visit Oamaru’s most unique residents.

Be Captivated by Nature at Oamaru s Blue Penguin Colony!

See penguins up close in their burrows during the day… and arriving onshore at night.

Discounted rates for locals

www.penguins.co.nz Waterfront Road Oamaru • P: +64 3 433 1195

Open Daily 10am until 1 hour after dusk (We are also open Christmas, ANZAC and Good Friday night for evening viewings)

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HELLO SUMMER FEATURE ADVERTISING FEATURE

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The gift of a lifetime

Top family desination

There are cool Christmas gifts and then there are Christmas gifts that blow the idea of what’s cool out of the water! Skydiving is one of those and it’s right on your door-step this Christmas.

Give the gift of a life-changing experience and mind-blowing fun to your friends and family by purchasing one of our skydiving options at very affordable prices and support a local business at the same time.

Skydiving Kiwis is located at the Ashburton Aerodrome so you might even see your house on your way up 6000, 9000, or 13,000 feet!

When you jump at Skydiving Kiwis, you become part of our local skydiving community, so just like with our mates, we promise to have your back too and make you feel right at home!

Started in 2011 by two brothers who share a passion for the sport of skydiving; Skydiving Kiwis is the biggest of small drop zones in NewZealand and one of the most fun to jump at.

Our instructors are skydivers first and foremost and their passion for the sport and community of skydiving is extremely contagious. We have stayed true to our mission to bring the sport of skydiving back into skydiving and to nurture and maintain an authentic

Hidden away on a quiet back road in the tiny hamlet of Seadown, just north of Timaru, in the South Island of New Zealand, The Shearer’s Quarters Giftshop and Cafe is a slice of retro rustic heaven offering a great day out for visitors of all ages and tastes.

Owned and operated by John and Lyn, this country cafe and gift shop has evolved into one of South Canterbury’s leading family destinations.

A rustic charm oozes from every corner of the complex making it the perfect venue for family gatherings, workplace lunches, wedding receptions

Kiwi vibe. Bring yourself, a big smile and let us take care of the rest!

We jump the smallest tandem parachutes in the world, we have the A+ safety rating and our instructors have years of skydiving experience from around the world and thousands of jumps under their belts, so you’ll be in good hands.

We have a barbecue and play area so you can bring your kids, mates and a picnic and make a day of it.

Ring Sophie on 0800 359-549 to find out more about who we are, what we do and to book your jump with us. We are open from 9am to sunset every day of the year and can’t wait to share the sky with you!

Buckle up for the ride of your life you adrenaline junkie!

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- basically any excuse at all to visit!

Open all year round, The Shearer’s Quarters is cosy and warm during winter and fresh, light and sunny during the summer season.

Nooks and crannies all around The Shearer’s Quarters, both inside and out provide the perfect hideaway for enjoying a quiet coffee or glass of wine. It also creates a fabulous environment for the children’s birthday parties that are hugely popular. Mini golf course, the farmyard animals and the gift shop all form the rest of The Shearer’s Quarters.

Country Gift shop & Restaurant Now is one of the best times of the year to pop out and visit us or re-visit if you are a regular! Our Christmas stock has well and truly arrived and already people are purchasing well ahead of Christmas so as to avoid the Christmas stampede!

Our new garden centre is a real hit. If you haven’t already been out to see the great selection of plants we have, then please do so soon!

As always our Menu at the Cafe is simply delicious and we have had many enquiries for Christmas Functions, which we just love catering. If a Christmas Function at “The Shearers Quarters” sounds like you, then just give us a call on 03 615 9043 and we are more than happy to discuss this with you.

Open Tuesday–Sunday 9am–4pm | Also available for Functions 924 Seadown Road, RD3, Timaru | Phone 03 615 9043 www.theshearersquarters.co.nz

*FINANCE FROM

Financial plans to suit your business - from just 0%

0%

*ON THESE USED

TRACTORS

*2.9% ON OTHER USED MACHINERY

CLAAS TRIPLE MOWERS

CLAAS LINER 3000

CASE IH LBX431

7 Disco 3100FC Profil & 16 Disc & 9100C Contour. PTO Driven, Active float on front mower. Steel “v” tine conditioner. $57,500

2006, Marshn Ring, Hydraulic taking height adjustment, Hazard panels.

Rakes 9.9 - 12.5m.

2002, 67,000 bales, 4x3 bale size, Rotor cut, Double tie knotter & Hydraulic tail door.

JOHN DEERE 6230

JOHN DEERE 6430 P

JOHN DEERE 6420 SE

2010, 6405Hrs, Tyres 480/65 R24, 540/65 R38. C/w JD 653 Loader & bucket. Power Quad 24x24.

2012, 3295Hrs, Tyres 480/65 R24, 540/65 R38. C/w JD 653 self levelling loader, quick coupler & bucket. $64,900

2003, 7020Hrs, Tyres 480/65 R24, 540/65 R38. C/w JD 651loader & bucket. 2 remotes & 3rd service.

$44,500

$29,000

$37,500

$37,500

CASE CX80

CASE MX285

NEW HOLLAND TS115

2002, 3983Hrs, 4WD, Power steering, Air conditioning, Tyres 440/70 R24, 520/70 R34.

2005, 8079Hrs, 40KPH, 4 Remotes, 3m Bar axle, Hazard panels, Front linkage & PTO.

2005, 2676Hrs, 115HP, 16x16 transmission, MX100 non self-levelling loader.

$27,500

All prices EXCLUDE GST *Some exclusions may apply. Subject to CFS Terms & Conditions

Call us today for more information on any of the items listed above

$39,000

FROM $57,500

CONTACTS: Ashburton - 03 307 9400 Timaru - 03 688 6900 Christchurch - 03 341 6900 Waipara - 03 314 6899 Westland - 03 755 8450