Ashburton Guardian Farming

Farming SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 2022

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Farming

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GUARDIAN

EDITORIAL COMMENT

INSIDE

Omicron disruption

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RYEGRASS RECORD

Heather Chalmers

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RURAL REPORTER

AUTONOMOUS TRACTOR

t seems that hopes 2022 would signal a return to a more post-pandemic “normal” already look to be dashed.

With the milder, but much more infectious Omicron variant on the brink of entering our communities, as it has done overseas, it appears that things will get worse before they get better.

Dr Bryan Betty, the medical director of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, said most people will experience mild cold symptoms because the virus tends to embed itself in the throat and nasal passages, not in the lungs.

However, the sheer number of people getting infected, as has been seen in Australia and elsewhere, means New Zealand’s health system and supply chain will come under strain, at least in the short term.

For agriculture and horticulture, this is likely to coincide with the main harvest.

While dairy has passed its spring peak, meat works have entered their busy summer and

autumn export-kill season already understaffed. Apples and kiwifruit need to be picked and packed and arable crops harvested and resown.

Labour shortages – already a pinch point because of border closures – look set to get worse, with high numbers of workers unable to work and worksites possibly shut down because of sickness or self-isolation requirements.

Despite the Government announcing in December that it had provided border exceptions for key autumn harvest agricultural jobs to relieve workforce pressures created by Covid-19, rural contractors say they have not yet seen a single arrival given any MIQ space. It’s likely that the autumn harvest will be over before they can get anyone behind a wheel.

Federated Farmers and agricultural industry websites have plenty of information to assist with what to do if your staff or worksite is infected with Covid-19. Farms can’t just shut down, there are always animals and crops to tend.

The good news is the peak of Omicron infections should be relatively short-lived. Betty predicts the pandemic will end in six to 12 months and we will be living our new normal.

Then finally a relaxation of quarantine and entry requirements at the border can mean vital experienced workers can enter and families be reunited.

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Blackcurrants pack a health punch Heather Chalmers

RURAL REPORTER

E

arly starts are a necessity during the busy blackcurrant harvesting season on the Tavendale family property near Ashburton.

Harvesting machinery starts at about 3am to shake the distinctively purple/blackcoloured berries off the bushes, so they can be sorted, put into bins and into a coolstore before the heat of the day.

The blackcurrant harvest runs from the end of December until the end of January, said James Tavendale, whose family grows 200 hectares of the berries, the biggest planting in New Zealand.

The Tavendales are pioneers of the industry, growing blackcurrants at Winchmore, alongside the north branch of the Ashburton River for 40 years, with plantings gradually expanding over time. James Tavendale farms in partnership with his wife Zoe and his father, businessman John Tavendale,

Staff member Hayden Robertson with a bin of blackcurrants ready to be put into cool storage.

with the remaining 100ha of the property in mixed cropping.

Mid Canterbury is the biggest blackcurrant growing region, with most plantings in

Canterbury and some in Nelson.

While New Zealand produces only small volumes of blackcurrants compared with big overseas producers such

as Poland, it can claim that its berries are the healthiest to consume. The combination of New Zealand’s good environment, suitable climate, high ultraviolet

PHOTO: HEATHER CHALMERS

light intensity and specially-bred varieties produce berries rich in flavour, high in anthocyanins, antioxidants and vitamin C. Continued on P4

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From P3 This year the Tavendales are harvesting the first commercial crop of Ben Lewis blackcurrants, the result of more than 10 years of plant breeding to produce a variety with the highest amount of anthocyanins, “That is the direction the whole market is going in; it is moving towards the health attributes. So that is quite exciting,” said Tavendale, who is chairman of industry representative body Blackcurrants NZ. The plant breeding programme called BlackHort is jointly funded by partners BCNZ and Plant and Food Research.

“Our block of Ben Lewis is the first to be harvested. We have small volumes this harvest and have bigger areas coming on in the next two to three years.”

New Zealand blackcurrants are packed with anthocyanins, naturally occurring plant compounds that give the fruit its deep purple colouring, as well as providing health, sports recovery and cognitive benefits.

Research increasingly shows that New Zealand blackcurrants are a “super fruit” particularly for those with an active lifestyle.

Studies have shown that New Zealand blackcurrant juice consumption before exercise increases the desire to exercise for longer.

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Blackcurrants are tipped by a harvester into a small truck.

“It is used by high performance sportspeople. We know that the Tokyo Olympics gold medal winning men’s rowing eight, the All Blacks and Crusaders all use blackcurrants for sports recovery.

“This is where the new

variety fits in as it delivers the most anthocyanins.

“It is the functional benefits of blackcurrants that set it apart from all other berries.”

Previous research by Plant and Food Research has found that anthocyanin-rich extracts

PHOTO: HEATHER CHALMERS

from New Zealand-grown blackcurrants improve exercise recovery by managing exerciseinduced oxidative stress and inflammation, improving immunity and minimising muscle damage.

Most of the Tavendales’ crop

is used in nutraceuticals and by Barkers of Geraldine. Increasing numbers of exporters are using blackcurrants in functional beverages, nutraceuticals, extracts and concentrates, as well as individually quick-frozen berries.

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Blackcurrants may be small, but their purple/black colour means they pack a punch in terms of health benefits.

Japan – where blackcurrants are known by their French name cassis – China and other South East Asian markets are big buyers of New Zealand blackcurrants.

“We sell on this scientificallybacked nutraceutical health platform that we have put a lot of work and research into. We don’t sell into commodity type markets,

but for more specialist use.”

Domestically, the industry has gone through a tough patch in the last few years, with grower numbers dropping from 42 in 2015 to 12 now, after a big player changed its buying strategy. Nationally, volumes are 3000 to 4000 tonnes, compared with 7000t a few years ago.

“There is good demand at current production levels, but when the number of growers drops from 42 to 12, what does that tell you about profitability,” Tavendale said.

Plants last from 12 to 25 years. The Tavendales grow six main varieties, with 10 to 12 grown in New Zealand, all bred domestically.

Heavy Duty Cultivators

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“We are always trialling new varieties. Some do better in different climates and soils.

Some varieties are more suited to nutraceuticals and some for juice.”

Blackcurrant yields are down this harvest, due to a combination of adverse weather events.

The Tavendales also grow

Wakefield raspberries for Barkers, which are much more labour intensive than blackcurrants. “Unlike blackcurrants, which you pick once a year, you pick raspberries as they ripen, up to 15 times a year with the same machine.”

A team of up to 25, including students, is needed during the peak of the harvest.

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Omicron is upon us so prepare David Clark

H

President of MC Federated Farmers

appy New Year to you all, or at least that is the intent of the wish!

As we turn the page to 2022, we would all hope that we can screw up the last two pages that have been dominated with Covid-19.

But not so it seems. At time of writing, New Zealand is going to red in the traffic light system. Now what exactly red means and how red will slow the community spread of Omicron versus the orange setting, I’m not exactly sure. I guess in the next few weeks we will see if the whole thing is effective, or a nonsense dreamed up on the fly.

Once again, we here in New Zealand have had the privilege of time to observe, given our 4000km moat. What will be laid bare over the next few weeks is whether the leadership of this country and of the pandemic response used that time to

prepare, or whether they went to the beach for a spot of sunbathing.

It is a very busy time on farms, particularly for the arable sector with the culmination of a year’s work and expenditure to be harvested over the next six weeks.

Earlier in January, requirements for isolation were quietly introduced. Many folk do not yet fully understand the impact these restrictions will have at the time of local community transmission.

My understanding is that if you are a close contact of a positive case, you will be required to isolate in your home for 10 days and return at least one negative test. If you One positive Omicron case interaction may tip your family life and test positive during this time, business on its head for a month.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED you will then be required to isolate in your home for 14 days minimum and return at least believe that the neighbours scaremongering or over-stated. one clear test at the end. Your and support agencies will If Omicron behaves in New period of isolation will extend rock up to run your farm for Zealand like it has in New until your test is clear. you. That may be a stretch South Wales and Victoria, When you test positive for if a neighbourhood is widely it will blow through whole Omicron, your household and impacted by Covid-19 infection. communities and workplaces. close community contacts begin So, my clear message is Whilst I accept that Covid-19 their own 10-day isolation and spend some time planning a is a serious health risk, albeit the process rolls on. This could contingency if your family or hopefully somewhat diminished drag on for weeks for a family business came in contact with with the Omicron variant, the or a workplace. a positive case or had a positive sheer numbers of infections I understand that the case within your tight circle. will potentially overwhelm bureaucracy of Government This is not intended to be our health system rapidly.

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However, I’m not convinced that the new rules for isolation are in touch with the realities of rural New Zealand and farm responsibilities.

My recommendation is to close your circle down very tightly now. Do not go out to social events, or other gatherings, limit the people coming onto farm and encourage your team to keep to themselves. Remember that one positive case interaction will tip your family life and business on its head for a month.

Give serious consideration to having a booster shot of the vaccine.

Keep in touch with neighbours to see how they are going; this may be a very stressful time over the next few weeks. Do anything you can to protect your family and your business.

Equally we need to hope that the same isolation disruption doesn’t occur in meat works, dairy factories or seed stores over the next few weeks.

Hopefully after this we will be able to kick Covid-19 in the backside and put all this rubbish behind us.

As for the planning versus sunbathing, I guess time will tell.

Take care.

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7

Rural health clinics to hit the road F

ree and accessible health and wellness check-ups will soon be available in rural communities as the result of a collaboration between rural personality and wellness advocate Craig “Wiggy” Wiggins and Mid Canterbury’s Carr family, owners of agribusiness Carrfields.

Ensuring that rural communities have access to mental and physical health checks is the main objective of the mobile rural health and wellness clinics, which plan an April launch.

The initiative is being run by the Carr Family Foundation, founded by the owners of Ashburton-based Carrfields.

The health and wellness programme will be led by Wiggins, who was the recipient of the 2021 Ravensdown Agricultural Communicator of the Year Award.

Wiggins will travel around the country with health professionals visiting sale yards and other rural events encouraging patrons to check in for a check-up. The wellness checks on offer will cover blood sugar and cholesterol levels, blood pressure, BMI and a general chat about wellness and mental health.

The health professionals will provide a confidential personal assessment and offer advice on people’s general health based on their results.

“People will receive a report card that they can take to their own GP for further follow up if required,” Wiggins said.

“Our main drive is providing free health checks to our rural communities, and to just make the whole process easy. I know plenty of people who are guilty of avoiding doctor’s visits, so we just want to make it easy for them to get a quick check-up and have some peace of mind.

“The sale yards are often a hub of rural activity, so it just makes sense to set up our mobile clinics at these locations around the country.”

Regular health checks not only help identify underlying medical conditions, but they can also be a guide to options that speed up the recovery process and help maintain and improve overall health and wellbeing.

With a goal of assessing about 50 people per day, Wiggins knows he will be busy, but as a skilled communicator, he is aware of his role in the project.

“My job at the sale yards is pretty straight forward. I’ll

break the ice and have a chat with passers-by and then offer a quick health check.”

The initial concept was launched over two years ago

by Wiggins when he took his horse float and a local GP to the Coalgate sale yards in Canterbury. However, not long after this the first wave of Covid-19 hit New Zealand which shut everything down.

The time out has allowed Wiggins and trust chairwoman Stacey McKerchar to collaborate and build on the project’s origins.

McKerchar said that the foundation is a 100 per cent charitable trust that will be funded from allocations contributed annually from its parent company.

“The foundation enables the Carr family to give back and contribute to the communities around New Zealand and the world that we are active in.”

It is hoped that the programme will be launched in April, but with the recent change to a red light status across the country, a firm date for launch will be confirmed closer to the time.

Started by Greg and Glenys Carr as a Mid Canterbury agricultural contracting

Carr Family Foundation trust chairwoman Stacey McKerchar with rural personality and wellness advocate Craig “Wiggy” Wiggins are rolling out mental and physical health checks at rural events.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

business, the Carr family launched Carrfields in 2015.

It now employs about 485 people across New Zealand

and overseas in machinery, irrigation, contracting, grain and seed, livestock and technology divisions.

Farming

8

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‘Common’ ryegrass hits record price Heather Chalmers

RURAL REPORTER

D

emand and prices for Nui perennial ryegrass have reached record highs, says Methven mixed cropping farmer John McCaw who is tasked with maintaining it and other “common” varieties.

McCaw is the new Federated Farmers herbage seedgrowers’ subsection representative, replacing Hugh Wigley of Waimate who has retired from the role after many years.

This year there has been strong overseas demand for grass seed, particularly Nui. The common (non-proprietary) variety makes up 50 per cent of certified ryegrass produced in New Zealand.

Of the commons grown, Nui and Huia white clover make up 90 per cent, as both are listed in the European cultivar list and are able to be exported there, McCaw said.

“The price of Nui is at an all

John McCaw in a crop of mustard for seed.

time high and there is a lot of Nui in the ground this year.”

While traditionally exported to Europe, China was now also

PHOTOS: HEATHER CHALMERS

buying Nui. “It is the go-to grass and New Zealand growers are the beneficiaries of that.”

It was good to have a strong market with lots of contract options, but demand was seasonal, McCaw said. In

contrast to ryegrass, cocksfoot was in over-supply. “Two years ago, they couldn’t get enough cocksfoot.”

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www.guardianonline.co.nz The herbage seedgrowers’ subsection represents all New Zealand growers of non-proprietary cultivars and collects a levy from them, based on the number of kilograms of ryegrass and white clover seed they grow, to ensure those varieties continue to be available for farmers in New Zealand.

Known as commons, the levied seed varieties include Pawera, Huia, Tama, Moata, Manawa, Nui, Ruanui and uncertified ryegrass, red and white clover. The levy is collected by testing stations on purity and germination tests.

There is no restriction on who can grow them, which sets them apart from proprietary ryegrass and clovers developed and trademarked by seed companies.

Overseas buyers know the cultivars and know there will be good germination and purity because it is guaranteed by the New Zealand seed testing system.

In terms of small seeds, New Zealand is well placed for counter-season production for Europe, McCaw said.

“If Europe has a poorer season, all the companies come down to New Zealand, particularly for multiplication of vegetable seed and also grass seed.

“We have a reputation for high quality, reliable seed production and companies are prepared to pay a premium to get their seeds grown in New Zealand.”

New Zealand produces 40 per cent of the world’s carrot seed, 60 per cent of its radish seed and 50 per cent of white clover seed. Ninety per cent of New Zealand’s herbage and vegetable seed is grown in Canterbury.

Ryegrass seed was a useful crop in the arable rotation as it provided multiple income streams, including grazing by lambs. “You’ve got the grazing, the straw and the seed and it is good for the soil.”

McCaw, who is married to Melanie and has three children, farms a 600 hectare mixed cropping farm near Methven. The farm was originally purchased by his parents, Peter and Erena McCaw and his father is still actively involved.

As well as growing cereals, the farm specialises in grass seed production (ryegrass and cocksfoot) and vegetable seeds. The McCaws raise young stock for a neighbouring dairy farm and winter graze their cows as well as trading 4000 to 5000 lambs a year.

The family also run a seed processing business, McCaw Seeds at Methven. “It is an independent company but adds a lot of value to what we do on the farm.”

9

Methven mixed cropping farmer John McCaw in a crop of Halo tetraploid perennial ryegrass grown for PGG Wrightson Seeds.

The McCaws bought an existing seed cleaning business on the site in the 1980s. Originally it used truck-mounted seed cleaners which the McCaws have replaced with conventional machinery. The business processes seed for other companies, rather than owning the seed.

“On the farm and in the seed store we specialise in small seeds, particularly ryegrass and cocksfoot.

“We do have the head license for Grasslands Marsden hybrid perennial ryegrass, an older variety. There is still demand from repeat customers, but it is a small part of the business now.”

The arable industry and particularly small seed production tends to go largely unnoticed by the general public, said McCaw, who won the Young Farmer of the Year title in 2006. “People talk about dairy, sheep and beef and horticulture and then they finish.

“The arable industry provides seeds that go into pasture and feed for stock, but it often goes under the radar.

“It is very complicated and hard to get your head around an arable system from a banking and marketing point of view. It is easier to understand dairy and sheep and beef.”

He remembers years ago talking to a banking representative on the phone who was querying his financial budgets versus actuals and why there was so much variance.

“I said I could think of four reasons.

When I did the budget I didn’t know what we were going to grow, I didn’t know what it was going to yield, what it was going to be worth or when I was going to be paid,” reflecting the year-to-year uncertainly around an arable farmers’ cropping programme and finances.

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Premium wagyu beef supply offer E

xport meat co-operative Alliance Group has launched a wagyu premium beef programme to farmers as it continues to build its differentiated portfolio to capture greater value and meet consumer needs across its global markets.

The new supply programme, for cattle with a minimum of 50 per cent red or black wagyu genetics, is for farmers interested in high value cattle programmes and in managing stock to optimise marbling and fat colour.

Alliance is offering farmers a supply contract premium above the ruling schedule at the time of processing for qualifying stock that meets the requirements for the range.

Carcases must meet certain marbling, pH levels, fat colour and meat colour specifications to achieve the premium, which starts at 40c per kilo and ranges as high as $3 per kilo above the schedule price.

Alliance Group general manager livestock and shareholder services Danny Hailes said the wagyu programme was the next obvious step in Alliance’s successful drive to realise its beef ambitions.

Red wagyu and black wagyu are different breeds of Japanese cattle, both known for their high intramuscular fat content and marbling ability.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Danny Hailes of Alliance Group

“Five years ago, our farmers told us they wanted a better beef solution, and we listened.

We are continuing to invest in lifting our performance in beef. This has included the $5 million project to reconfigure our modern venison plant at the Lorneville plant so it can also process cattle and boosting our capacity at our Levin and Pukeuri (North Otago) plants.

“This wagyu programme provides our farmers with an opportunity to tap into the growing number of discerning customers around the world who are willing to pay a price

premium for naturally raised beef and attributes guaranteed by a brand they trust.

“It also builds on the success of our global award-winning Pure South Handpicked Beef range’s 55 Day Aged Beef, which recently won three consecutive gold medals at the World Steak Challenge.”

Red wagyu and black wagyu are different breeds of Japanese cattle, both known for their high intramuscular fat content and marbling ability.

Red wagyu’s fat is described as more like olive oil, while black wagyu’s fat has a buttery

nature. Both are high in good oleic acid and low in cholesterol.

Alliance is partnering with Southern Stations Wagyu (SSW) for the wagyu programme. SSW will market genetics from its established Australian-based red wagyu bulls to New Zealand farmers to inseminate suitable dairy or beef cows or heifers. The DNAverified weaned calves will be sold through SSW to approved finishers participating in the programme. SSW’s strategy is to produce fast-growing, efficient converting cattle that thrive on a pastoral-based

system and produce some of the world’s finest wagyu beef.

Alliance will provide agronomy support to finishers.

Hailes said the wagyu programme was supported by the major investments the co-operative is making in its plants, technology and training.

“The wagyu programme strongly reflects our business transformation strategy, strengthens our presence in beef and will enable us to capture greater market value for our products and pass those gains directly back to farmers supplying the programme.”

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WATER AND IRRIGATION FEATURE

11

Regenerating native eco-corridors Fonterra is supporting biodiversity protection and enhancement on five dairy farms in the Waimakariri water zone.

M

ost recently, Sustainable Catchments has supported work in the Rakahuri (Lower Ashley) catchment on two dairy farms – one located in the Lower Waikuku Stream area and the other in the lower Saltwater Creek area – to carry out actions to improve riparian management and enhance native biodiversity on-farm.

These are just two of the five projects in the area supported

by Fonterra Sustainable Catchments.

The Sustainable Catchments programme has helped advance a long-term riparian management plan at the farm in the Lower Waikuku Stream.

The plan has been progressing over the last six years and will continue for another five or more years.

“Fonterra’s support has helped fund the infill planting of a widened riparian buffer zone with taller tree species along one kilometre of the stream,” Environment Canterbury northern biodiversity officer Zipporah Ploeg said.

“The farmer moved the fence to increase the riparian buffer zone between the stream and productive land. This has allowed for more planting to take place along the stream edge.

“By adding a mix of taller and medium height trees to the newly created upper bank zone, the overall effectiveness of the planting will be enhanced by the shading the taller species can provide and overall greater bank stabilisation,” Ploeg said.

“This also reduces macrophyte weed growth and water temperature.”

The programme of work has also supported some other plantings on the farm, including creating a five-metre riparian buffer zone alongside one

waterway and adding some more species into a wetland area in a bid to enhance its diversity.

Work has also been completed on a farm in the lower Saltwater Creek area. The property is a significant tributary to Te Aka Aka (Ashley Estuary) and the Rakahuri/Ashley River hapua/rivermouth and Fenton areas (set aside for mahinga kai harvesting).

“Identified in Mahaanui Iwi Management Plan as a high value tributary for mahinga kai (food gathering) sources, the area requires improved management to restore mahinga kai habitat, Ploeg said.

“Fonterra’s Sustainable Catchments programme is helping with willow and other woody weed control in a wetland on the property.”

“Controlling the willows allows native plants in the wetland to establish, with the possibility of adding more native plants to help enhance naturalising the area,” Ploeg said.

Staff have also worked with the farmer to develop a wetland action plan to help re-establish the wetland to a more natural state.

Fonterra sustainable dairying advisor Sean Spencer said the Sustainable Catchments work helps link the farms in this area to the wider natural environment. “This work will help ensure on farm practice takes into consideration the catchment wide environmental effects and enhances on farm biodiversity where possible.

This is important work and a real privilege to be a part of.”

Ploeg said Fonterra’s support for the two projects has been vital.

“It’s really amazing seeing what can be done with a bit of collaboration, these projects are

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The wetland benefitting from support.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

Before intervention - since this image was taken, the riparian buffer has been expanded by putting the fence further away from the stream, and infill planting has now been completed in that buffer.

benefiting immensely from the funding.”

“I’m looking forward to continuing to work with the farmers and Fonterra to

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WATER AND IRRIGATION FEATURE

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Fertigation for future resilience T

he introduction of fertigation to Summit farm at Oxford, North Canterbury, has been an exciting project for owner Cam Henderson who said the investment was all about providing resilience for the future to his pastoral farming operation.

Summit dairy farm is a 238-hectare property, 215ha of which is under irrigation and home to 730 cows.

Henderson, who converted the farm to dairy in 2011, has a background working in automation, so the idea of simplifying and being able to remotely control fertilising and irrigation appealed to him.

This, coupled with seeing progress on a neighbouring farm, encouraged him to install his own fertigation system.

The neighbours had installed fertigation, enabling them to reduce their nitrogen use, which had a flow on effect on spending.

“We spent a lot on fertiliser spreading every year and were finding it financially unviable to spread less than 50kg per hectare of urea by truck. We are on very light soil, so we thought a ‘little and often’ approach would be more suitable for us than large periodic applications.”

After investigation into the systems available, in January

Oxford dairy farmer Cam Henderson is already seeing savings after installing fertigation on his three centre pivots last year.

2021 Henderson installed a fertigation system on two of the three pivots on his farm.

Fertigation has now been installed on the third pivot.

All urea arrives on the farm as a liquid and is stored in a bulk tank

that is bunded and can drain to the effluent pond in case of leaks. This tank is connected directly to one pivot while the other two pivots each have their own 5000 litre bunded tanks. These smaller tanks are filled fortnightly using a 5000

litre tank on wheels.

“Each pivot has a variablespeed pump and backflow preventers installed. The pivots and pumps have remote control functionality fitted, along with proof of placement recording.

“We looked at saving on cost by having one movable tank and pump but wanted to be able to have more than one pivot fertigating at once. It also means less skill is required to operate the system.

www.guardianonline.co.nz “We can get very dry here so wanted a fertigation system that would not interrupt our irrigation patterns. This meant fertigating on multiple pivots at once. The irrigation and fertigation are controlled through the same app, with the hope that we have proof of placement for irrigation water soon. We don’t have a cleaning programme as the fertigation rates are so low we regularly check pipes, fittings and tanks for leaks.”

At this stage Henderson is just applying liquid urea through the fertigation system, at a maximum of 4.5kg of nitrogen per hectare per week which equated to 120kg of nitrogen a year. Alongside a first round of solid nitrogen fertiliser, the total annual nitrogen application is budgeted to be 150kg/N/ ha, where previously 220kg was applied per year.

Fertigation was a great tool in helping the farm comply with the new 190kg/N/ha limit, he said.

As pastoral fertigation was not common in New Zealand, Henderson said there weren’t a lot of protocols or guidelines.

He chose to be forward thinking to make sure the farm was as resilient as possible.

“Blackflow prevention was the only council regulation we had to comply with, to ensure that no fertiliser can get back into the groundwater. Bunding on the tanks is likely to become a future

WATER AND IRRIGATION FEATURE

Cam Henderson has solar panels on a small corner of land behind the rotary dairy.

PHOTOS: HEATHER CHALMERS

regulation, as if there is a spill or leak, liquid urea can make its way into the soil and aquifers much faster than solid urea.

“We were also unsure about underground piping of liquid urea, so avoided this design option too.”

Although they had not done a full season with fertigation, Henderson said they were

already seeing savings.

“We hope to save 70kg/N/ ha a year to what we were previously doing, as well as eliminating the cost of spreading, which works out at about $45,000 a year over 215ha with current urea prices.

“If we have a hot period, we stop fertigating. If we have a big rain event we stop and when

conditions look better we can apply fertiliser to the whole farm in a day rather than follow the cows. Doing this we saved about 30 per cent of our autumn fertiliser costs this year with no apparent loss in pasture growth.”

All up, the cost of installing the fertigation system was $90,000 for all three pivots. “It will pay itself back in three

13

years just with savings on fert spreading alone,” Henderson said.

Making sure the set up was right was important. The system was calibrated multiple times and written guidelines have been created for each pivot, while the remote-control system and app are still under development. “We are providing a lot of feedback about how the app could be improved. We keep a manual record of placement for back-up.”

Henderson said he had really enjoyed developing the system and managing it.

“My background is in automation, so I love this kind of technology… in my mind I wanted to press a button on an app once a week and have the fertigation system look after the fert spreading on its own and we are on our way to achieving that.

“For us, we needed to think of every scenario that could go wrong, such as if the pivot stopped and the fertigation didn’t.

Developing the technology as we go you’ve just got to be patient and think of things before they become a problem.”

Henderson was looking forward to reflecting on what impacts the system had after a full year, continuing to fine tune it and make it easier.

“Now that we are under more environmental pressure than ever before, I see it as a real tool to reduce our nutrient use.”

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Tool extends drought forecasting T

he Government is investing in the development of a new forecasting tool that makes full use of innovative climate modelling to help farmers and growers prepare for dry conditions, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said.

The new approach, which will cost $200,000 and is being jointly funded through the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), will provide daily drought forecasts out to 35 days.

Later, the project will also explore drought predictions up to six months ahead. NIWA currently provides seasonal climate outlooks each month that look three months ahead but are not drought specific.

“We are harnessing the latest in climate and data science to put information into the hands of the people who can make the best use of it,” O’Connor said.

“Knowing well in advance when dry conditions are heading your way means you can cut your cloth accordingly at critical times on-farm.

Having early warning can help determine stocking levels, water storage and feed management

A new forecasting tool will eventually explore drought predictions up to six months ahead.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

options.”

State-of-the-art data-driven techniques are being used by NIWA scientists to make these predictions more precise and more accurate for New Zealand, building on a weather model released in 2020 by the United States of America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“Droughts are a part of farming, but when they extend for many months or affect large swathes of the country, they can have a major impact on rural communities.”

The new forecast tool will be a companion to the New Zealand Drought Index.

The index was developed by NIWA in conjunction with

MPI and launched in 2017.

It is used to determine the current status of drought across the country and measures the duration and intensity of recent dryness.

A large-scale drought adverse event classification that was in place for large parts of New Zealand beginning in March 2020 was lifted on November

30, 2021.

During that time the Government responded with about $20 million of funding to help rural communities, including support for recovery advice. Other assistance was also provided through feed coordination services.

“With climate change, severe weather events are both more frequent and intense. So, it’s important we help farmers and growers get their businesses ready for future climate conditions,” O’Connor said.

Development of the forecasting tool will benefit from the input of a wide range of end users. As well as farmers and growers, representatives from local and central government, advisors and industry bodies will be consulted. The tool is expected to be available by the end of 2023.

“Improved forecasting will alleviate some of the financial and mental burden that drought puts on farmers and growers.

It will also make our primary industries more resilient, productive and sustainable,” O’Connor said.

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WATER AND IRRIGATION FEATURE

15

ECan responds to Overseer review E

nvironment Canterbury is implementing an interim solution to respond to the Government’s review of Overseer.

Science director Tim Davie said that in light of the review’s findings, it was necessary to develop an interim solution to allow consent processing and Farm Environment Plan auditing to continue with less reliance on Overseer.

“We needed to provide as much certainty as possible to farmers and the community as soon as we could. I am confident that our temporary interim solution, developed with mana whenua and stakeholders, deliver on this,” Davie said.

“We now have the means to keep working within our current regulatory framework, without compromising water quality, at least until a new land and water plan is notified in 2024.”

This follows an independent review last year which showed that Overseer, the software tool used to model and manage nutrient losses on farms was not fit for purpose.

The science advisory panel identified shortcomings with Overseer and concluded that it did not have confidence in

Environment Canterbury’s interim solution means it no longer relies on Overseer to ensure that nitrogen losses from farms with a nitrogen limit are compliant with their consent conditions.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

its ability to estimate nitrogen lost from farms. Government has committed to continue to support Overseer while it looks into providing upgraded and/or next-generation tools.

Davie said the interim solution meant ECan no longer relied on Overseer to ensure that nitrogen losses from farms with a nitrogen limit are compliant with their consent conditions.

The interim solution would be: easily understood, implementable and auditable (auditors are already working with new guidance); would uphold the intent of the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan; at least holds the line on nitrogen losses from farms; gives farms some operational and seasonal flexibility within the set limits; and

would minimise costs to the community, farmers and ECan. “For example, we anticipate that we will be receiving more resource consent applications from farmers as a result of these changes,” Davie said.

“Unless intensification is the likely result of what they are proposing, the cost to them will probably be similar to the current cost. They can also expect that if their consent

is granted, it may be of relatively short duration as we head towards a new planning framework in a few years.”

“We acknowledge the challenges farmers and the wider community are facing in the freshwater space, so we are committed to working with them to ensure a smooth transition.

“The fact remains, however, that the amount of nitrogen a farm loses to water is directly linked to significant farm management activities.

“The interim solution will allow us to track and monitor these activities, with an Overseer number being one of several lines of evidence allowing us to do this.

“We would advise farmers against making changes to their consented farming systems without strong evidence that they will be able to meet their nitrogen loss limit,” Davie said.

Consent applications and Farm Environment Plan audits have started again in most areas of Canterbury. The exceptions are in the far northern and far southern parts of the region, where discussions with the local runanga have not yet concluded.

ECan anticipates this will happen early this year.

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17

Farm sales for forestry accelerate T

he latest analysis of data on farm sales for conversion to forestry shows the increasing carbon price is continuing to drive wholesale land-use change, particularly for carbon farming.

This underlines the need for urgent Government action and amplifies the growing chorus of voices concerned about this issue, Beef + Lamb NZ chief executive Sam McIvor said.

Independent analysis of farm sales for the first half of 2021, undertaken by Orme & Associates, showed over 14,000 hectares of sheep and beef farmland were purchased with the intent of planting into trees. This data is provisional and is expected to be higher, given there is a long lag in farm sales being formalised and more sales are likely to have occurred in this period but have not yet been formally reported.

Additionally, a further 8800ha of sheep and beef farm sales in 2020 were formally finalised since B+LNZ’s previous report in August, meaning the revised amount of farmland purchased for exotic forestry in 2020 totalled 24,864 hectares, despite Covid-19 affecting sales.

McIvor said B+LNZ has been calling for changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme for some time and there are growing concerns about the unbridled ability of fossil fuel emitters to offset their greenhouse gas emissions by planting trees on productive sheep and beef farms.

“We’re extremely concerned the sale of sheep and beef farms into forestry will only accelerate as the carbon price increases.

“These policy settings are

Beef + Lamb NZ is concerned the sale of sheep and beef farms into forestry will only accelerate as the carbon price increases.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

estimated to have helped drive the loss of around 800,000 stock units and there are also worrying signs that carbon farming interests are spreading into new areas and onto more productive land.

“Based on discussions with real estate agents, land sales across 2021 are expected to surpass those in 2019 (36,824ha) – meaning the amount of exotic planting will again far exceed what the

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Climate Change Commission has projected as a sustainable amount – that is, 25,000 hectares – per annum.”

Gisborne and Wairarapa are two areas where concerns about wholesale conversion are particularly keenly felt, as well as Otago which was identified in the report as an area where clusters of sales are starting to emerge.

“There are growing calls for the Government to act urgently

– groups such as 50 Shades of Green have been doing an amazing job keeping this issue in the public eye for some time and new voices such as the Native Forest Coalition have emerged, supported by the likes of Fish & Game,” McIvor said.

“You may also have seen a recent article in CountryWide magazine outlining the growing concerns, where Minister for Primary Industries Damien O’Connor’s response

was that the forest estate is about 70,000ha smaller than it was in 2000, and that most ETS-registered forestry was primarily on Land Use Classification (LUC) classes 6,7 and 8. We’re concerned about the way his office is selectively using data to misrepresent what’s happening and will be raising this with the minister.

“We frequently hear from many farmers and others related to our sector, such as vets, who are deeply concerned about the loss of sheep and beef farmland for carbon farming and the effects on rural communities. We’re working hard to put pressure on the Government, and we encourage you to contact your local MP about this issue.

“In terms of solutions, B+LNZ is co-funding and working with a group of 14 local councils and Local Government New Zealand to identify potential policy responses. We’re hoping an initial report will be released in the next few weeks.”

McIvor said that regardless of the policy changes, a better overall approach is clear.

“There’s a much better way to increase planting to improve environmental outcomes and that’s the integration of trees on farms. Farmers know their land best.

“We’re not anti-forestry – exotic planting can be integrated where appropriate – but it’s about planting the right tree in the right place.

“We need the Government to listen – and to act, before too much more damage is done to rural communities and to New Zealand’s economy,” McIvor said.

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Disruption continues into new year Chris Murdoch

A

PROPERTY BROKERS

new year dawns and a brand new set of issues now sit in front of us.

I seriously wonder where this Government’s head space is at the moment. Our rural contractors, shearers and meat works are crying out for skilled workers to be allowed into the country and get pre-reserved slots in MIQ facilities. Apparently 200 such places were meant to be available.

In a statement made by Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi and Agricultural Minister Damien O’Connor on December 12 last year, “these workers are vital to the arable and horticultural sectors to get the harvest in”.

It now looks like these workers won’t get in before March or April and then of course you have to add on two weeks of MIQ and they should all arrive just when the harvest finishes. Fat lot of use that will be and of course here in Canterbury the meat industry faces a similar problem with insufficient numbers of halal slaughtermen being allowed into the country.

The number of slaughtermen is only about 50 overseas workers, but if they

cannot enter New Zealand we are told some of our works may need to close down and valuable overseas trade may be lost.

I believe this is only the tip of this iceberg with many more industries including the dairy industry having huge worker shortfalls to service their industry up and down the country.

I was speaking to a Mid Canterbury vegetable grower and he informs me that in a normal year there are about 100,000 foreign workers in New Zealand during this period and this year there are only 9000. No wonder rural industries are crying out.

Also, what does the threat of Omicron mean for all our essential and nonessential workforce?

Is 90 per cent of the current eligible vaccinated part of the population enough to keep New Zealand operating at a level required to make sure things run as normal? Looking at Australia’s figures and the issues they have had, I don’t believe it is. Has the Government acted fast enough to make the booster shot available and to make sure all children aged five and older are vaccinated before going back to school?

This next couple of months is going to tell a story but I am afraid it may not be a very nice story and yet it could have been so much better!

As for the real estate market, it closed off last year in a positive space and that looks to be flowing on into the New Year.

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Barn lifts production despite flood A

free-stall barn has helped a Mid Canterbury family re-angle its dairy business and sustain production through some of the worst flooding their region had been exposed to in more than 100 years.

When the Stewart family first invested in their imposing 140 metre by 75m barn back in 2013, the subsequently falling milk price turned it into a bold move that raised some eyebrows.

However, with some resilient thinking, this family – anchored

by David and Maree Stewart – weathered the challenge. The barn has now become a central part of the family’s ability to harness premium winter milk CUSTOMER CHRISTCHURCH VEIN CLINIC PUBLISHING 02/09/14 contracts, as they move towards SALES REP BERNADETTE.CHRISTIE PUBLICATION STRAIG 70 per cent autumn-calving ADVERTISING pattern on their 550-cow herd.

DESIGNER Unknown SECTION GENERA VEIN CLINIC PUBLISHING It also helped them traverseCUSTOMER CHRISTCHURCH PROOF PROOFED 27/08/2014 1:31:18 p.m.

SIZE 10X7 the region’s flood disaster in SALES REP BERNADETTE.CHRISTIE PUBLICATION late May, which has forever ERTISING AD ID 6268508AA FAX 4528 SECTION buried 14.5 hectares of their DESIGNER Unknown ROOF farm under riverbed rubble.

PROOFED 27/08/2014 1:31:18 p.m.

SIZE This is the first season that PLEASE APPROVE THIS AD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. NOTE THAT ANY ALTERAT AD ID 6268508AA FAX David and Maree’s sons TJ and Mark, together with Mark’s MUST BE FINALISED BY OUR MATERIAL DEADLINE. wife Stacey, have taken over AD AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. NOTE THAT ANY AL PROVE THIS leasing the operation.

Barwell Farm at Greenstreet MUST BE FINALISED BY OUR MATERIAL DEADLINE. is sandwiched between the north and south banks of the Ashburton River, making it one of the worst-affected areas.

The flood’s calling card also included deep layers of silt, trees and stones on another 20ha of the pastures around the dairy, which will take time to bring back into full production.

Brothers Mark (left) and TJ Stewart flank Mark’s wife, Stacey, in the barn that has allowed them to remain on track with their production this In all, 50ha was impacted and season despite the crippling floods which forever buried 14.5 hectares of their Mid Canterbury farm under riverbed rubble last May. 15km of fencing was wiped out.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED The late, cold spring compounded feed shortages for many, and ravaged other hasn’t hurt production by being looked this winter compared to old fox terrier, Max, making 180 head. winter-milk production across out of a grazing rotation. previous years.” national news as he was loaded Ealing dairy farmer Duncan the region.

The autumn calvers that went Barwell Farm didn’t lose any to leave.

Barr, who has experience of Yet, Barwell Farm’s through the flood are still on stock, but they were scrambling, Before they were evacuated, working with government production is up 3.3 per cent target to produce more than and the milking herd spent 20 the Stewarts rescued their dry agencies as a result of the in the year to date, with the 650kg milk solids per cow in hours standing in the dairy cows – who were up to their mycoplasma bovis outbreak, operation managing to stay 280 days. Their winter contract yard without feed, water or hocks in water by the time the visited and helped the family within its pre-flood feed budget. was 600kg/MS per day. milking after their owners were family reached them. They then devise a plan. Federated Because they could use the Stacey Stewart said evacuated. David and Maree’s walked the animals to Glenalla Farmers’ flood recovery barn, damaged pasture has had production sat at 700kg/MS home was flood damaged and Snowfed Farms, owned by coordinator Angela Cushnie time to recover, meaning the per day all winter. “I think leading to their evacuation, with the Gilbert family, which gave was also active in the pasture that needs more work this is the best the cows have photos of the family’s 10-yearthe Stewarts free grazing for conversations.

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www.guardianonline.co.nz The Stewarts, who will have to climb over some $150,000 to $200,000 in flood-damage costs, said community support was critical in the aftermath, and the continuing solidarity remains a high point in the horrifying experience.

Assisting the family to sustain their business and production is MilkMaP’s senior farm business consultant Cameron Burton.

Having helped balance cow nutrition with profitability for the last three years, Burton has now helped them work through post-flood feed budgets, strategies to sustain production, submitting insurance claims, and righting the farm’s ship in general. His work has allowed the Stewarts to sustain cashflow.

The farm swings between a total and partial mixed ration; whether livestock are fully pasture-fed depends on the time of the year and the weather.

“There was naturally a bit of stress around the environmental impacts at the time and there were suggestions from some to go to once-a-day milking. We quickly decided that wasn’t going to be the way forward,” Burton said.

“During the floods we talked about how to bring the cows back onto their milking ration from having only straw available for 24 hours, and we were happy to see a rapid increase in production over the 10 days post-flood with no metabolic issues or acidosis.

We did have some somatic cell count issues, which we expected with a high-production herd that had fresh and peak-flow cows who had missed a few milkings. But they’ve got through that now.”

TJ Stewart said they have been pushed and tested as they work to bring the pastures back into line, but the way the cows had coped had been incredible.

With Synlait paying up to $13kg/MS (for winter milk) the Lead with Pride producers are relieved that they have kept their production on-track.

The barn had been pulling its weight for several years, but really came into its own this season, he said.

“The carryover and autumncalving cows are usually in the barn from late April to early May for one feed a day and overnight. They are then in the barn 24/7 from late May to mid to late September. By late October, we would usually shut it down until the next autumn calving – unless the season was dry in late summer.

“What the barn does is give us options to sustain production and maintain cow comfort. It’s been a great add-on to the farm, and we wouldn’t farm without it now.”

Burton’s role has been to help the Stewarts feed cows more efficiently for the business.

They are driving the bottom line from per-cow production on the system five feeding.

For the past two years, it has included a formal lead feed to prepare cows for calving, which

has made an impact on fresh cow performance.

“With Cameron’s advice, we bought in the raw materials and we just followed his recipe to make up the lead feed ourselves,” TJ Stewart said.

“We had the mixer wagon, so we decided to use it. It was a bit more work, but the cows are milking better because of it, without question. I’d kind of done something like it before, but never as robustly as we’ve done in the last two years.”

Stacey Stewart said she’s also noticed the response in the cows.

“The cows have slick coats, they calved in really well and transitioned right. This spring calving, we had the least milk fever we’ve ever had. We calved 320 in the autumn and 270 in August and September. In the autumn, we had eight to 10 downer cows. In the spring, we got to the middle of September before we had any issues.”

Burton said refining the business has positioned the family to make the most of its natural advantages.

“I think the big gamechangers come down to a few things: probably largely around how they have set up their business by including the winter milk and reducing feed costs and including a better diet formulation to increase per cow production. It has added to the overall economics of the farm.

“We now make the most of the mixer wagon and the ability to feed different diets to each group. They worked really hard this spring when we formulated the Do-It-Yourself DCAD [dietary cation anion difference] lead feed mix.

“There is no doubt that having the barn on-farm has meant that they can continue their winter milk contract and spring calving with very little impact on their production, which ultimately controls their profitability.

“They have invested in some great infrastructure in the last few years – barns and centre pivots – and we have spent a season setting up and making some changes, which will really pay off this season.

They are now in a very exciting position,” Burton said.

The family has been able to easily complete their floodinsurance claims with Burton’s support.

“I was able to model the impact of the loss of land and infrastructure, which quantified the additional feed we could expect to buy or claim,” Burton said.

Stacey Stewart said the final wash-up has proven to them how much resilience they have, and they remain optimistic about the industry.

“This year when we took over the farm was supposed to be ‘our year’. Then the floods came, and we instead started to think, ‘Maybe next year will be our year’.

“But, no. Actually, we are now back to thinking this year can still be our year.”

21

The autumn calvers that went through the flood are still on target to produce more than 650kg milk solids per cow in 280 days.

Deep layers of silt, trees and stones on 20 hectares around the dairy will take time to bring back into full production.

An example of the devastation which is too final to ever be pulled back into production.

22

Dairy Focus

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Dairy seeks more migrant workers A

pplications are now open for dairy farmers to recruit much needed international workers including farm assistants and herd managers, under changes to a class exception scheme.

This follows months of DairyNZ advocacy requesting changes to the 2021 class border exception process which resulted in the Government announcing in December that more dairy farm assistants would be allowed across the border to meet strong demand on farms.

In June 2021, the Government provided provisional approval for 200 international dairy workers to apply to enter New Zealand under a class exception scheme. This included a limit of 50 farm assistants, with the remaining positions to be filled by herd manager and assistant managers.

“We know many farmers are having difficulty finding Kiwis to fill dairy positions, and the demand for farm assistants is particularly strong,” DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle said.

“We have been pushing hard for the Government to recognise the need for changes to the quota to allow for greater flexibility and more farm assistants to enter New Zealand.”

The Government said in December it will remove restrictions on the number of farm assistants that are part of the quota of 200 workers and allow the quota to be made up of any mix of farm assistants, herd managers and assistant

managers.

While the changes are positive, Mackle said DairyNZ was continuing to strongly advocate for another 1500 international dairy workers to be allowed into the country this year to help fill a critical shortage of dairy staff – estimated at between 4000 and 6000 workers.

“Border closures and an unemployment rate at 3.4 per cent are creating ongoing stress for dairy farmers.

“Without the right number of people on farm, it puts animal welfare at risk, constrains the sector’s ability to make environmental progress, and places a greater burden on increasingly stretched teams, with staff often having to work extraordinary hours.

“While we acknowledge the situation is uncertain, there is no point having the class exception if people can’t actually then get into the country due to border restrictions.

“We have put a number of suggestions to Government for how we could manage the health risk and the labour needs. We are exploring on-farm isolation with MPI as an option. Farms are already away from communities, and farmers are used to maintaining good hygiene standards.”

DairyNZ, Federated Farmers and Dairy Women’s Network also made a request in November 2021 for a further 1500 international workers to be allowed to enter New Zealand in 2022. Mackle

DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says on-farm isolation for migrant workers entering New Zealand is being explored.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

said that the workforce shortage was a critical issue for the dairy sector.

Alongside work to recruit international workers, DairyNZ has a range of initiatives underway to attract Kiwis into dairy, including GoDairy.

A new campaign will also give Kiwis a better understanding of what it means to be a dairy farmer.

DairyNZ is also leading the development of a Dairy Workforce Resilience Plan which will involve farmers, dairy companies, sector groups and the Government in creating an evidence-based roadmap to put the sector on a sustainable path to recruit and retain people.

Salaries for people working on dairy farms have increased significantly over the past two years, and many roles offer accommodation on site.

“There are many different job opportunities in dairy and it can offer a rewarding career path. We encourage New Zealanders to visit www.godairy. co.nz if they are interested in getting into dairy,” Mackle said Farmers can find out more about the border class exception process online at www.dairynz.co.nz/border.

To be eligible to apply to bring in an international worker, employers must show they have been unable to fill the position within New Zealand.

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23

Three Rshelps of lameness prevention Checklist be Covid-19 prepared L

ameness in dairy cows is a multi-faceted problem. It is also highly misleading, often the occurrence of lame cows is not directly associated with the cause – resulting in further confusion.

The team at Sollus put together the 3 R’s of lameness prevention. Management of these R’s is critical for success.

- Races - Rest - Ration The quality of races in NZ is second to none. There is a fantastic focus on this area in NZ. To summarise: they need to be dry, firm, smooth, wide and with little to no impediments likely to cause bunching within the herd.

Management of the cows on the race is also very important. The amount of time on a race needs to be minimized yet cows should not be hurried – cows need to travel with heads down not up.

Moving onto the less known R’s. Rest is a critical component of lameness prevention. It’s a pretty simple formula. 24 (hours in a day) minus time milking (time ex paddock) minus time eating equals rest. Rest should be equal or greater to 14h per day. Is this possible? Cows graze for about 8h (dependent on the quality and quantity of the sward), this leaves 2h for milking! Remember that is from when they leave the paddock

until when they return.

The larger the farm the longer the walk! Large farms, even geographically complicated farms, result in cows being out of the paddock for long periods of time. Rest is critical for hoof blood flow, rumination, taking pressure off the hoof and is also strongly linked to a well fed cow.

This leaves the last R (and for us at Sollus the most important). Ration, or what we

feed the cows. Acidosis is well known for causing several types lameness, including founder and white line disease. Acidosis in spring, usually caused by the combination of low fibre grass and starch based feeds, can cause a weakness in the white line that does not become a problem until it reaches the surface of the hoof, usually 3 months after the damage has occurred.

Furthermore, the quantity of the ration can also cause

problems. Hungry cows don’t rest very well. They spend excessive time grazing, waiting at the gate and even fighting for access to feed on feed-pads potentially damaging their hooves on the concrete. Cows that are hungry will often gorge when presented with feed. This further increases the risks of acidosis as the rumen undergoes massive fluctuations in digestion patterns.

Ration is one of the easiest

areas to help prevent lameness.

Numerous studies have shown the inclusion in the diet of high quality forms of Zinc, Copper and the vitamin Biotin have been very successful at aiding in the prevention of lameness.

In summary, getting to the bottom of your lameness issues is not as easy as laying some rubber in the cow shed. You need to look at your system on a year round basis and keep in mind the 3R’s!

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25

with Craig Hickman

Attitude is key for new entrants I

member leave for a similar position.

If they’re making a sideways move for no gain, then I’ve not done my job in keeping them engaged. On the other hand, it’s always exciting to see someone move on to a bigger role, it means you’ve taught them well and they’ve got the skills and confidence to move onwards and upwards with their career.

Once you’ve settled into dairy farming and are sure it’s the career you want, look at what pathways are open to you and set goals to achieve them. Do you want to be a farm manager, or is becoming a farm manager a step on the way to becoming a sharemilker? Is farm ownership your dream, or maybe the security of an equity partnership?

The opportunity to upskill through programmes like Agriculture ITO are there to be taken and putting yourself next to successful farmers is a great way to learn not only valuable skills but to make valuable connections as well. I still bump into my very first employer from 26 years ago and we exchange ideas and talk about new things we’re trying.

The New Zealand dairy industry has been built on the hard work and innovation of young, enthusiastic farmers who worked hard to achieve their goals, and while the landscape is constantly changing those opportunities are still there for people willing to look for them.

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Where possible, people new to the industry should start out on a smaller farm where they are expected to do every single task.

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W W

’m not sure when it happened but I appear to have reached an age where people seek my advice on a range of issues.

I assume that’s because their only interactions with me are on social media and the various platforms I frequent seem to have given the illusion I’m a wise elderly sage.

Nonetheless, I do my best to give solid advice when I can and by far the most common question I’m asked is what tips do I have for young people starting out in the dairy industry.

First and foremost, I tell people to bring enthusiasm to the job, and if they truly enjoy what they’re doing this should be easy. Attitude is the key. Most times I’ll take a great attitude over experience because that is something that can’t be taught.

I’ll forever remember interviewing a young lad for a dairy assistant role. He turned up to the cow shed a good 20 minutes late and hopped out of his car dressed in town clothes.

I shook his hand, smiled and joked that it was pity he hadn’t brought some gumboots so maybe he could have put some cups on. He looked like I’d slapped him and replied that he never put gumboots on unless he was being paid. Needless to say, the interview was brief and he wasn’t offered the job; his was an attitude I didn’t need on farm.

I also suggest that, where possible, people new to the industry start out on a smaller farm where you are expected to do every single task.

Learning valuable skills like fencing, fixing water leaks and spreading urea are just as valuable as mastitis detection and treating lame cows, but they’re skills you’re more likely to pick up in a small team instead of large one.

Along with being enthusiastic I absolutely love employees who want to learn and who ask questions.

I’ve always found people do a better job if they understand why they’re doing it rather than just blindly following instructions. Asking questions and learning why things are done is key to making decisions and moving up in the industry.

The employer has a part to play too. If a staff member is enthusiastic and wants to learn then it’s the employer’s responsibility to nurture that drive and teach them as much as possible. I always tell people that once they stop learning it’s time to start looking, and that’s one of the huge advantages of working in the New Zealand dairy industry. In a lot of industries your scope for advancement is limited to opportunities within the company you work for. In dairy farming, the whole sector is potentially your employer.

As an employer I’m invariably disappointed when I see a staff

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A spraying contractor said this sugar beet crop, which produced 30 tonnes of drymatter/ha, was the cleanest crop he had seen.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

27

Custodia revolutionises feed budgeting by reducing the stock grazing withholding period by 14 days.

Extra care of foliage pays off in beet F YOUR LOCAL ADAMA attention to detail gets results oliage, the “solar panels” driving fodder and sugar beet yields, are getting special attention from crop protection company ADAMA New Zealand. And it is paying off on dairy farms from Waikato to North Otago.

ADAMA New Zealand’s marketing manager Elisabeth Johnston said the addition of beet foliar fungicide Custodia® to ADAMA’s comprehensive beet toolbox is recognition of the attention to detail that beet crops demand. “The stakes are high, and nobody wants to risk their crop. Where we’ve been especially involved recently is in delivering proven, finely tuned products, which suit both grazing and lifting beet systems.”

Launched just a season ago, Custodia supports greener, healthier and more vigorous leaves by protecting against the devastating effects of major pathogens Cercospora leaf spot, rust, and powdery mildew.

It also revolutionises feed budgeting by reducing the stock grazing withholding period by 14 days.

Custodia has a withholding period of just 28 days compared with the previous industry standard of 42 days.

Dunedin-based ADAMA commercial manager Damian MacKenzie said that extra grazing flexibility is invaluable when feed is tight. He adds that North Otago growers particularly have seized the opportunity Custodia presented with both hands. “28 days withholding adds extra grazing flexibility which is perfect for their needs.

“With early beet sowing in North Otago, it means there is better cover over the autumn shoulder and into the early winter. Custodia seems to be performing really well and it really suits our local management systems.

An extra two weeks of feed at that time of the year is like a lifetime when paddocks are under pressure.”

MacKenzie said it was well worth

protecting the beet leaf for as long as possible. “It means green leaf growth is extended which optimises plant health and yield. And importantly it increases leaf palatability for longer which definitely benefits stock health.”

The key windows of opportunity to boost beet growth, and also the risk months for the development of foliar disease are January, February, and March. Cercospora leaf spot and powdery mildew are more prevalent in high temperature and high humidity situations and the climate predictions are for another season well suited to the development of these diseases.

Custodia also controls beet rust, which develops in the cooler and wetter conditions of late summer to autumn period.

Monitoring the crop is absolutely essential during these key risk periods.

Custodia should be applied at the first signs of disease with a follow-up application after 14 days if required.

In beet crops grown for a lifting and chipping feed system the focus is often on the bulbs. But Johnston said that since the foliage acts as the plants’ “solar panels” any negative impact on the ability to photosynthesise can dramatically affect bulb quality and yield.

Cercospora damage to leaves, characterised by grey spots with reddish edges, has been reported to cause total yield losses of up to 50 per cent.

In Waikato, leading dairy farmers were taking no chances with their crop. ADAMA’s Hamilton-based commercial manager Doug Speers said Custodia contributed to a bumper sugar beet crop for Matamata farmers Bruce and Jacquie Tiddy, which produced 30 tonnes of DM/ha off around 22ha with 15.2 ME. Speers said that in this particular case, the foliar threat came from powdery mildew. Regular and diligent crop inspections meant the fugus was

spotted early on and Custodia delivered effective control.

Speers said the timing of the application needs to be right for optimal results. “It’s much easier to control in the early stages than when it is widespread in a crop.”

The spraying contractor who worked on the Tiddy’s beet crop agrees. Charlie Pollock who co-owns Pollock Spraying Services with wife Vicki said the sugar beet was the cleanest crop he’s ever seen; something he attributes to Bruce Tiddy’s hard work and vigilance, the oversight of their technical specialist, and ADAMA’s input. “It was a real team effort with all four of us keeping an eye on it!”

Pollock adds that with beet there is a commitment. “I was available 24-hours because that can be the difference between a weedy beet crop and a great beet crop.”

Johnston said another recent addition to the ADAMA’s beet armoury, game changing Mavrik® Aquaflow Insecticide (Mavrik) has also been well received with farmers looking not only for efficacy but

for products which tread lightly on the earth.

Mavrik has as its active tau-fluvalinate.

Unlike organophosphates (OPs) or other synthetic pyrethroids (SPs) Mavrik offers strong control of major beet pests Nysius and cutworm while having minimal impact on beneficial insects foraging in beets or surrounding crops.

If uncontrolled, the economic impact of Nysius and cutworm can be significant.

Completing ADAMA’s beet toolbox are beet herbicides based around the use of a robust pre-emergence spray with a follow up to control any subsequent weeds. Spearheading the programme is Goltix® Gold with its proven efficacy in particularly hard-to-control beet weeds including fathen and wireweed. Other compatible herbicide products in the beet programme include ToreroTM, Ethosat®, and Rifle®.

For more information on ADAMA products contact ADAMA or visit www. adama.com.

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29

Report trumpets ice cream exports L

atest research into New Zealand’s premium ice cream industry suggests exporters could find new buyers in valuable overseas markets as consumers increasingly look for tip top quality in food.

Economic Development Minister Stuart Nash has released a new report for the Food and Beverage Innovation Project. The project is run by government agencies MBIE, MPI and ZTE, who have oversight of innovation, primary industries and trade development.

“The new research finds scope to expand ice cream exports to Australia, Asia and the United Kingdom. It suggests premium ice cream could potentially follow the global success of premium wine and honey exports,” Nash said.

“Ice cream is produced in almost every region in New Zealand and there are around 48 local manufacturers. The challenge is translating our strong global position in dairy exports into a lucrative global market for our ice cream and other frozen treats.

“Our first local ice cream makers started with some of the best milk and cream in the world more than 100 years ago and are still causing ripples. The frozen dessert sector covers alternatives to cow milk and plant-based indulgent treats as well.

“Consumers are interested in ice cream made of milk from sheep, deer, buffalo or goats.

Plant-based ice cream from oat milk, coconut milk or soy milk has a growing global market. Gelato and sorbet utilise the best of our abundant horticultural produce.

“The humble hokey pokey in a cone is a Kiwi icon and an

Premium ice cream could potentially follow the global success of premium wine and honey exports.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

essential part of summer. But artisan producers have innovated with organic, seasonal and rich ingredients or flavours such as A2 milk, sea salt, peanut butter, hemp, and turmeric.

“Our free trade deal with the UK agreed in principle in 2021 holds great potential for ice cream and other dairy exports.

We look forward to duty-free access to the UK market for ice cream and a level playing field as soon as the FTA enters into force,” Nash said.

“Ice cream exporters can also respond to new consumer demands arising from the global Covid-19 pandemic.

There is growing interest in healthy, sustainable, low-carbon or vegan food, and premium

products bought directly from supermarkets for consumption at home.

“Kiwi ice cream is well positioned to benefit from four global mega trends in the food and beverage sector. Consumers want easy and convenient meals; are concerned about their wellness and lifestyle; are mindful of where their food comes from and how it is produced; and like to indulge in products that are more than the bare necessities.

“New Zealand already has a global reputation as a great place to produce food. We have quality raw ingredients and low production costs; a skilled workforce and processing industry trusted by consumers;

and close proximity or open access to key markets which are set to grow further with new trade agreements.

“The report suggests ice cream producers build on existing strengths in the dairy export supply chain; target the premium market and formulate unique Kiwi flavours; and focus on a few developed countries where there is already high consumption of ice cream.

“We have the natural ingredients, skilled producers and premium products that global consumers want and we have new opportunities to drive export growth,” Nash said.

New Zealand already enjoys tariff-free access for ice cream under a number of Free Trade

Agreements (FTAs) in the AsiaPacific region, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

This includes tariff-free access to China, our largest ice cream export market, under the New Zealand-China FTA; reduced tariffs into Japan, our secondlargest export market, under CPTPP; and tariff-free access to Australia and other Asian markets (including Hong Kong, Korea, and Malaysia) through our network of FTAs. Key findings in the Food and Beverage Innovation Project report “Opportunities in NZ ice cream and frozen novelties”: • NZ ice cream exports are growing in value but volumes have been relatively flat at 10-12,000 tonnes per year for around 15 years.

• NZ exported around US$36 million of ice cream in 2020, just 0.3 per cent of the value of our total US$11.2 billion in dairy exports • China and Japan take 72 per cent (US$26 million) of our ice cream exports but NZ is only a minor player in the wider Asian region. Around US$281 million of ice cream was sold in Asia by European producers in 2019.

• Australia should be a key market given its proximity but NZ ice cream is worth just US$5 million of the US$75 million of ice cream imported by Australia in 2020. NZ has lost market share in Australia to North American and European brands in the past decade.

• The UK imported more than US$400 million worth of ice cream in 2020, almost all of it from European producers.

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Farming

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PREPARING FOR WINTER FEED FEATURE

Less is more with fodder beet

F

armers growing fodder beet are maintaining yields with significantly less fertiliser and at a much lower cost thanks to a project involving Plant & Food Research scientists and industry partners.

Fodder beet is a valuable highquality feed for wintering dairy cows and other livestock and helps achieve good growth rates in beef and lamb finishing, but gaps in understanding around good management practices for farmers resulted in highly variable crop performance.

Plant & Food Research scientists joined

up with industry partners, supported by funding from the MPI Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF), to consolidate existing agronomic knowledge information, test and refine new practices, and engage farmers in validating the results.

Farmers now have a set of good management practices, enabling them to produce consistently high yields with significantly less fertiliser, particularly nitrogen and potassium. There’s potential to reduce fertiliser costs by more than $800/ha, and ultimately, total production costs by around 25 per cent.

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Evidence that fodder beet is a lownitrogen crop is particularly valuable for farmers, including many in Canterbury and Southland who must reduce estimated nitrogen leaching to comply with regional regulations.

The researchers conducted a series of nitrogen, potassium and boron trials to establish whether standard management practices could be recommended for varying soil types and locations.

“Much of our information about the nutrient requirements of fodder beet came from European sugar beet guidelines – for example, recommending high rates of potassium to support high yield,” Plant & Food senior scientist John de Ruiter said.

“However, in every trial we conducted across many New Zealand soil types we were able to lower the potassium applications to 100kg per hectare without yield loss when compared to the standard rate of 350kg per hectare.”

The researchers also found the maximum plant response to nitrogen was achieved at 100kg per hectare – half the industry standard of 200kg per hectare.

“This means a reduction in the amount of nitrogen in the feed and a reduction in the amount of nitrogen returned to soil through excretion, which is a good result for the

environment – and is also a big saving for farmers.”

Symptoms of boron deficiency (hollow bulbs) occur on some soil types. However, trials with varying rates and timing of boron fertiliser didn’t show any effects on yield or plant health.

“Basal applications of boron at sowing are still recommended to avoid any potential boron limitations” de Ruiter said.

The researchers also examined diseases in fodder beet crops.

“When fodder beet first regained popular use 15 years ago, the disease incidence was low, and there was great potential for fodder beet as a winter crop. But in recent seasons, the incidence of fungal and viral diseases have hit hard with a major reduction in paddock yields” de Ruiter said.

“While there’s not much that can be done about viruses, some control of fungal diseases is possible. However, few chemicals for fungal control are registered for use in New Zealand.

“Experiments with timing and rates of fungicide application did not give conclusive results, so more work on the epidemiology and control of fodder beet diseases is needed,” de Ruiter said.

A “Fodder Beet Best Management Production Guide” is available following the research project.

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FARM MACHINERY FEATURE

It will be a few years before John Deere’s first autonomous tractor for large-scale production will be available in New Zealand.

31

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

First autonomous John Deere tractor T

he unveiling of John Deere’s first entirely autonomous tractor for large-scale use has placed autonomous technology at the farmgate, with the machine on course to be available to farmers in the United States as early as this year.

The tractor combines John Deere’s popular 8R Tractor, TruSet-enabled chisel plough and GPS guidance system to deliver the next iteration of farming innovation in a product that will be ideally suited to meet the demands of broadacre cropping in New Zealand, with unprecedented efficiency.

John Deere managing director Australia/New Zealand Luke Chandler said the tractor was the culmination of industry-leading technology and a dedicated vision to provide farmers with tools to

produce safe and nutritious food and fibre to a growing global population.

“With the world population forecast to increase to nearly 10 billion people by 2050, global food demand is predicted to grow by 50 per cent, meaning farmers will need to be as efficient and sustainable as possible in every phase of production,” Chandler said.

“To assist in bridging that gap, John Deere is continually advancing technology to help farmers meet this challenge and to do so while working with reduced access to land and skilled labour, changing climate and weather conditions, variations in soil quality and the presence of weeds and pests.

“This autonomous tractor is an extremely exciting innovation that will help to

ensure New Zealand farmers have the opportunity to adopt era-defining AgTech to address these challenges and to support high-performing and sustainable farm businesses.”

The autonomous tractor operates within less than 2.5cm of accuracy and is continuously checking its position relative to a virtual geofence. Six pairs of stereo cameras enable 360-degree obstacle detection and calculate distance, with the images captured by the cameras passing through a neural network that classifies each pixel in about 100 milliseconds.

This determines if the machine continues to move or stops, depending on if an obstacle is detected.

John Deere Australia/ New Zealand production systems manager Ben Kelly emphasised the transformative nature of

the technology to farming operations.

“As New Zealand farmers continue to be faced with limited availability of skilled labour, access to autonomous machinery for large-scale production has never been so important.

“With this new tractor, it is as simple as transporting the machine to a field and configuring it for autonomous operation. Then, using John Deere Operations Center, farmers can swipe from left to right to start the machine and can leave the field to focus on other tasks, while monitoring its status from their mobile device,” Kelly said.

John Deere Operations Center provides access to live video, images, data, and allows farmers to adjust speed, depth and more from the mobile app. In the

event of job quality anomalies or machine health issues, farmers are notified remotely and can make adjustments to optimise the performance of the machine.

“The tractor will be available to a limited number of US customers for purchase this year, before it is rolled out gradually to other countries, including New Zealand, over the next few years,” Chandler said.

“As the first commercially available autonomous solution for large-scale farming operations in the industry, we are excited to see the real-life impact these machines will have on the way we farm and, ultimately, feed the world.”

For more information, speak with your local dealer or visit John Deere’s CES website: www.JohnDeere.com/CES.

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Farming

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FARM MACHINERY FEATURE

No MIQ space for rural contractors S

tressed rural contractors, told in mid-December they could bring in 200 more skilled machinery operators, say most of the autumn harvest will be over before they can get anyone behind a wheel.

Rural Contractors NZ chief executive Andrew Olsen said that despite the best efforts of Ministry for Primary Industries’ staff to help find MIQ beds for the approved operators, the indications are that few, if any, will be available.

“This will mean many of them will pass on the option to bring workers in. It’s just too late, too hard and too stressful for contractors who are working their guts out trying to help farmers get in crops and ensure animals can be fed.”

As part of the Omicron response, the Government has decided to postpone managed isolation rooms for March and April.

Olsen said that his organisation and Federated Farmers, supported by MPI, have done everything they could to help contractors meet a crushing labour shortage.

“We understand and respect that the resurgence of another Covid-19 variant and border entry changes have put the

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squeeze on MIQ. That said, those risks would have been part of the assessment when we had ministerial approval just over a month ago to bring in the desperately needed 200 machinery operators.

“Now, rural contractors whose work is essential to food production and our export economy, find themselves towards the back of the MIQ queue.”

Olsen said getting MIQ space was like peeling an onion.

“It’s layer after layer and it brings tears of frustration for our members who are already working impossibly long hours and as yet have not even been able to lodge Expressions of Interest for staff positions which ministers had approved to come in.

“That’s especially so when rural contractors are flat tack and also facing the likely reality that any skilled machinery operators they might get in won’t arrive until March or April at the earliest. Add two weeks MIQ space to that and much of the autumn harvest period will be over before they can get anyone behind a wheel.”

Olsen is calling on the Ministers of Immigration and Agriculture and the Prime

Skilled overseas machinery operators are unlikely to get through the border in time to assist with this year’s harvest.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Minister’s office to meet the urgency of the situation.

“We received approval on December 12 and now more

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FARM MACHINERY FEATURE

33

Efficient repairs and maintenance A

ll Farm Engineering was founded in 2002 by Robert and Valeska Wilson.

Robert Wilson has combined more than 20 years of engineering experience with his vast understanding of Canterbury farming to develop a business that caters to the needs of large and small scale farmers in the region.

In 2013, an opportunity to expand and purchase a purpose-built retail sales and service site in Hinds saw All Farm Engineering Ltd relocate to State Highway One in Hinds. This not only provides a central and convenient place for clients to bring their workshop repairs but is a central location for All Farm Engineering to deliver efficient on-farm repairs and maintenance.

Sales A significant component of All Farm Engineering business is sales, acting as agents for superior farm machinery manufacturers such as Hustler, Walco, Marshall trailers, Marshall muck spreaders, Spartan mowers, Rutbuster, and Rata. All Farm have aligned themselves with businesses who have earned a

reputation for producing tough and reliable gear that stands the test of time.

Team Jo Broadfoot is our go to person if you need to order any parts or are looking for information about your farm equipment. With over 20 years working in the engineering administration field, Jo brings a professional element to the All Farm Engineering team.

Service manager Matt Curtis and technician Colac McEnroe operate out of the Hinds workshop, or travel on farm to carry out repairs.

Parts As agents for Hustler, Walco, Marshall trailers, Marshall muck spreaders, Spartan mowers, Rutbuster, and Rata, All Farm Engineering stock a wide range of parts. If we don’t have it in our showroom, parts can be ordered and delivered within 48 hours.

There is a full range of BareCo parts in stock plus we have a good range of nuts, bolts, bearings, consumables and other engineering supplies.

Service All Farm Engineering has been servicing Mid

See Jo Broadfoot for parts.

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Canterbury farmers for over 11 years. As the region has changed and adapted to the current agribusiness climate, we too have maintained steady growth to ensure quality workmanship and a timely turnaround.

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Farming

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Wild about herbs’ medicinal qualities Sheryl Stivens

FREE RANGE FARM

H

ere’s an interesting thought. When is a plant a herb and when is a plant a weed?

When we began establishing Free Range Farm in 1982, extending my knowledge of herbs and expanding both wild herbs and common herbs was one of the first projects in our food forest.

Using wild herbs such as dandelion, nettle, marshmallow, dock, willow, elderberry, sorrel, horehound, chickweed. comfrey and red clover soon became part of our lives.

Our goal was to spend time with our children and live off the land. So, part of our focus was to expand these plants into our pastures and windbreaks to create useful ecological diversity as well as medicinal plants for animals and people.

Many of the common garden herbs were grown from cuttings or clumps from family and friends including sage and thyme, oregano and marjoram, lemon balm, mint and peppermint. Others were grown from seed. The first perennial herb I planted was lemon verbena and to this day a sprig of this plant in the tea pot is still our favourite tea.

Calendulas became essential in our garden when a friend taught me how to make healing skin creams or balms. The addition of various herbs such as orange calendula petals to our food and the blue flowers of borage used in ancient times for gladness added variety and colour to our homegrown food and created lots of curiosity and questions from children who came to visit.

Herbs are generally hardy

Sheryl Stivens gathers lemon verbena leaves for a pot of her favourite herbal tea.

PHOTOS: SUPPLIED

and easy to grow and can be integrated into established garden areas. If you give them a good straw mulch once a year and trim them back after flowering, they will reward you with their vibrance and many uses.

So, let’s take a closer look at seven of the many garden herbs we love to grow and why.

Peppermint is a hardy perennial with dark green aromatic leaves often tinged purple. Like all mints it loves to spread, so to keep it from taking over your garden grow it

in a container or in an isolated patch. Peppermint is one of my favourite herb teas. It’s a trusted remedy for indigestion, colic and nausea and an infusion of fresh peppermint leaves may be helpful for congestion and bronchitis.

Catnip or catmint is another member of the mint family and a beautiful flowering plant for bee food. Cats are drawn like a magnet to this plant sniffing and chewing; and it is believed the main component of the volatile oil, nepetalactone resembles a feline sexual

Oregano and calendula flowering alongside lilies.

pheromone.

While catnip stimulates cats, it has the opposite effect on humans. For many centuries this plant was infused to make a calming tea. As well as being used to treat insomnia and nervous tension, catnip tea was used to settle the stomach and help with flatulence and colic.

Oregano or wild marjoram is another pretty flowering herb that bees love. The Greek name Origanum is from two Greek words oros (mountain) and ganos (joy) depicting Greek hillsides covered with bright

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oregano flowers and feeding butterflies. The pungent leaves are used in tomato-based sauces, pizza etc and promote digestion.

Echinacea or purple coneflower has large attractive daisy like flowers to brighten your garden and attract butterflies. Today echinacea is one of the most popular and researched herbal treatments used to stimulate the immune system and improve resistance to bacterial and viral infections.

Calendula, or marigold, is a hardy annual with yellow or orange blooms that brighten

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any garden. As a garnish, the colourful flower petals have been termed “poor man’s saffron”. Calendula is commonly used to treat inflammation of the skin and we have used my marigold healing balms to treat cuts, burns and inflammation and bring relief to sore skin or chapped lips for many years.

Feverfew is a hardy perennial with medium green leaves and small white daisy flowers. As its name implies it was originally used against fevers. In 1975, a Welsh doctor’s wife following the famous herbalist, Culpeper’s advice found feverfew helpful against her migraines.

Feverfew’s effect on migraines has been linked to lactones it contains and clinical trials have found this amazing plant reduces the frequency, severity and duration of migraines.

Interestingly, the fresh leaves of this herb are nibbled rather than infused.

Feverfew is a pretty fresh or dried flower and it even repels insects when dried.

Sage is a hardy woody perennial herb which grows well in dry conditions. I love the burgundy tinged leaves of purple sage and the flowers that bees love. Sage has antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and astringent properties. An infusion of the fresh leaves can be used for sore throats or tonsilitis or used as a mouthwash for mouth ulcers. Taken internally, the tea helps stimulate the appetite and soothe digestion.

For many reasons, herbs have been useful to people for centuries in food, as medicine and for pleasure. Just the smell or the beauty of many herbs as well as the oils extracted from them can be so uplifting and bring simple joy to our everyday lives.

Whatever the reason in the last few years, herbs have become more popular and many people now buy fresh herbs as part of their regular shopping. It’s so rewarding to “grow your own medicine” and create more interesting food with the addition of fresh herbs from your garden.

Invest in a pretty teapot and fill it with fresh leaves and taste the difference when you infuse your own herb teas. Have fun with fresh herbs at your place.

35

Echinacea flowers are spectacular in addition to its immune boosting powers.

Red sage with its burgundy hues.

Catnip: while it stimulates cats, it has the opposite effect on humans.

Feverfew is a renowned herbal headache and migraine tonic.

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Farming

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Dairy payout lifts buyer motivation Calvin Leen

PGG Wrightson Real Estate

P

lenty of recent activity in the local rural property market, across various farm types, has included several highprofile sales.

In the dairy sector Waybrooke, a 573 hectare self-contained Orton dairy unit milking 1650 cows sold late last year. Several other dairy farms from Rakaia south also changed hands recently, or are set to sell shortly, in a flurry of sales prior to and since Christmas as buyers improved their motivation after missing out on other properties earlier in the spring.

By slightly increasing what they were previously willing to pay, these purchasers decided it was worth taking a greater risk when budgeting to secure the properties they have taken on. This added confidence is driven by current and forecast dairy payouts.

With milk cheques higher while input costs hold steady,

Added buyer confidence is driven by forecast dairy payouts.

return on investment yields of less than five per cent are now worth pursuing, compared to previous seasons when a five or six per cent return on investment was the minimum necessary to underpin transaction values.

It should be noted that while values are strong, there is not significant depth in the bench of buyers.

Beyond the dairy sector, Netherton, a significant

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

837 hectare Maungati dry stock breeding property, carrying 8000 stock units and substantially deer fenced, is one of this season’s most notable sheep and beef property transactions to date, selling firm on price expectations.

In recent years, farms of this scale and calibre have been more likely to sell to corporate purchasers. However, to the great satisfaction of our vendor,

Netherton sold to a family with local connections intent on a return to South Canterbury.

Meanwhile, one of the region’s largest dryland arable farms, a 577 hectare intensive Makikihi cropping, fattening and breeding property, established following the amalgamation of three farms, is now in the process of changing hands, with multiple purchasers looking to subdivide it back into

separate components.

While these recent sales represent a flush at the end of the traditional spring rural property selling season, a selection of high-quality listings is coming to the market at present, likely to also attract plenty of interest.

Calvin Leen is Mid-South Canterbury and North Otago Sales Manager for PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited.

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37

Young farmer leads dairy campaign

Whakatane based dairy farmer Shannon Munro.

A

young female farmer with a love of rural New Zealand is helping to launch DairyNZ’s latest campaign, which aims to give Kiwis a better understanding of what it means to be a dairy farmer.

DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle said DairyNZ’s Join Us campaign is part of a wider project – Here for the Long Game - aiming to help communities understand what drives dairy farmers, and how they are working to provide a better future for their farms, the land, their families, their communities, and New Zealand.

“Dairy farmers are a core part of the economic, social, and environmental wellbeing of communities throughout New Zealand.” Here For the Long Game campaign is a platform

for dairy farmers to share with other Kiwis who they are and what they do in a way that’s open and fun,” Mackle said.

“Welcoming and supporting new farming talent is vital to the sector’s long game, so we’re excited to launch a new campaign encouraging young Kiwis to get into the dairy sector.”

The Join Us campaign looks into daily life on a farm - from working with machinery and technology, to caring for animals and the land.

“It’s about showing young Kiwis that, for those keen to get stuck in, dairying offers a truly rewarding career and lifestyle. By joining us, you’re not only securing your own future, but becoming part of creating a better one for all

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

New Zealanders.”

The Join Us campaign is fronted by Eastern Bay of Plenty dairy farmer Shannon Munro, who has been dairy farming for about 10 years.

With her husband and three children, Munro said they opted to move away from urban city life to provide a different upbringing for her young family.

Her husband Steve was a builder and after the birth of their first son, they agreed that a city lifestyle wasn’t what they wanted for their family.

They moved from Te Puke to Ngakuru, a rural community in Rotorua Lakes, where Steve found a job as a farm assistant.

With her son in tow, Munro helped with calving and rearing the calves.

Over the next decade

as their family expanded, they progressed into farm manager and 2IC roles, and then into contract milking, moving around the country as opportunities came up, including farming in Canterbury and the Waikato.

“We are now about 30 minutes from Whakatane and are in our first year leasing a 66 hectare dairy block, which was previously leased by Steve’s parents. We bought their 170 cow herd as they purchased a dairy farm.”

Munro said their three kids, aged between 3 and 11, love being on the farm, riding motorbikes and being hands-on.

They especially enjoy making huts in the bush and staying at the family’s glamping spot next to the creek.

“The kids can enjoy a lot of freedom on the farm. At the same time, they have lots to keep them busy and they’re learning life skills they may not have otherwise learned in the city,” she said.

The family is planning to stay on their farm for the next few years, but ultimately want to own their own small farm.

Munro said that as a young, Maori woman she is proud to be presenting a different face to dairy farming and to be associated with the campaign to show people what dairy farming has to offer as a career.

“Dairy farming offers really great opportunities and a great lifestyle. There are lots of opportunities for people to progress quickly and it’s very rewarding.”

38

Farming

PEST CONTROL AND CROP PROTECTION FEATURE

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No easy solution for bird damage T

he solutions may be more high-tech these days, but birds are still a problem for grain and seed growers.

It is estimated that birds cause up to $15 to $30 million in losses to cereal growers annually, with the potential for similar losses to the vegetable seed industry without good management.

Owen Gibson of the Foundation for Arable Research said the greatest economic losses from birds occur as a result of feeding at grain fill.

Radish, brassicas, sunflowers and hemp are particularly attractive food sources for birds, while early maturing cereals are also vulnerable.

However, bird damage to arable crops can occur at any time depending on the variety and species of birds present.

For example, pigeons, pukeko, ducks, shelducks (paradise ducks) and geese can be very damaging at establishment.

Non-field related bird damage from nesting in farm machinery and faecal contamination in sheds and around grain drying/ stores can also contribute to crop losses, Gibson said at FAR’s annual field day at its Chertsey research site.

Numerous options are

Scarecrows have been replaced by more high-tech controls, but birds still cause significant crop losses.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

available to reduce bird damage. Gas guns have long been used in arable cropping situations but can result in complaints when used close to urban areas during dawn and dusk when birds are feeding most vigorously.

Other sonic systems (such as bird distress or alarm calls such as hawk sounds) can complement gas guns, while

bird janglers are effective for smaller areas of high value crops and are often used in conjunction with kites, balloons and/or bright streams. However, maintenance of bird janglers can be high.

The alternative option is netting.

Netting offers the greatest protection from bird damage but is expensive at typically

$1200 to $1500/ha. The high labour cost and time associated with netting has seen a reduction in its use, with a number of seed companies opting to use lasers as their preferred option. Lasers provide a good level of control by triggering a flight response, especially in small passerine (perching) bird species such as the green finch and common

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house sparrow.

Birds will habituate (get used to) all bird deterrents over time, so good management is essential to get respectable long-term control from any deterrent device.

If possible, it is recommended to change the location of any device within the paddock every two weeks, or at least change the pattern of laser beam or sound. Rotating devices frequently, or using more than one approach at a time is also likely to decrease the rate of habituation. More generally, using high-quality sound formats and libraries and having devices set up prior to grain fill can also improve bird management, Gibson said.

FAR continues to explore how new and existing bird management options can be integrated to most effectively manage birds, while avoiding habituation.

FAR is also starting to consider landscape management, hedge and shelter species and the interactions between pest management and improving ecosystem services, such as biodiversity of birds, pollinators and predator insects, as these are not yet well understood.

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PEST CONTROL AND CROP PROTECTION FEATURE

New app to help halt invasive weed

39

Strong grower relationships key

A

new free web app has been designed to help farmers, landowners and regional councils manage a costly weed that has resisted eradication efforts in New Zealand for over a century.

Nassella tussock (Nassella trichotoma) occurs in drought-prone grasslands, mainly in the Canterbury and Marlborough regions. It is unique in that it is the only weed in New Zealand to have had its own Act of Parliament, the Nassella Tussock Act 1946. The Act legislated for the establishment of the Marlborough and North Canterbury Nassella Tussock Boards to coordinate central government-funded control programmes, a responsibility now resting with the regional councils.

The historical control programmes have substantially reduced the weed’s populations from what were, in some cases, virtual monocultures of up to 35,000 plants per hectare of the tussock, which is unpalatable for livestock.

Although eradication has proven elusive, a 17-year study in Canterbury, published in 2016, showed that the population density of the weed across 878 invaded farms in the Hurunui district of North Canterbury is stable at about 15 plants per hectare.

Grubbing of the plants (digging out) before seeding each year - the management tactic practiced on these farms - has been responsible for maintaining this ‘equilibrium’ according to on-farm experiments and modelling.

Left uncontrolled, the modelling indicates that the weed’s populations will increase, potentially reaching the economically damaging monocultures of the past which in some cases forced farmers to abandon their properties.

The new app, developed by AgResearch with funding from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment in collaboration with Environment Canterbury, provides a tool to visualise a range of grubbing strategies. The app deploys a population model that counts the

Mid Canterbury farmer Ross Smart with Cates Director and Agronomist, Corey Hastie

W number of nassella tussock plants in summer and winter in each of seven different life stages of the tussock and keeps track of their contribution to the total tussock population over successive years.

AgResearch principal scientist Graeme Bourdôt, who with colleagues has spent decades researching nassella tussock, said this app follows in the path of another similar tool for giant buttercup which AgResearch developed to support dairy farmers in weed management decision-making.

“The nassella tussock app draws on decades of research into how nassella tussock plants grow and contribute to the population growth of the weed in dryland sheep and cattle pastures. It enables the user to see how different frequencies, intensities and seasons of grubbing will affect the future number of nassella tussock plants on a block of land and on an adjacent block of land,” Bourdôt said.

ECan biosecurity officer Matt Smith said the app was a great way for land occupiers to model different control scenarios on their properties.

“It clearly demonstrates that annual control is the best method to decrease or maintain plant numbers. Applying different scenarios may also help convince some properties to move towards different control regimes. For instance, the modelling shows that for some properties controlling nassella tussock twice a year may lead to a drastic decrease in plant numbers.”

The app can be found at https:// nassella-tussock-population-model-nz. agresearch.co.nz.

ith a new brand, ambitious growth plans and an expanding research programme, Cates continues to position itself as a key player in the world’s grain and seed market.

Headquartered in Ashburton, Cates already supplies locally grown cereals, pasture seeds and pulses to international markets. It also specialises in seed multiplication, domestic supply and onsite crop advice.

The company was established by Peter and Jocelyn Cates in 1973, and since then it has become a household name in the Canterbury region, building strong relationships with farming families, some dating back generations.

“We’re country people working with country people,” says general manager Stuart Begg. “Building a bigger Cates is about expanding everything we’re good at so that we can do even more for the farmers who depend on us. It’s about telling a

bigger story than we have ever told,” One such farmer is Ross Smart who has dealt with Cates for over 30 years, growing grass seed, clover, wheat and barley. Ross says during that time he has had just two ‘reps’ and he appreciates the continuity.

“You are dealing with a company who knows you and your family - you are not just a number. They deliver professional advice, great service and competitive pricing” In addition to maintaining strong grower relationships, Cates is significantly driven by research and innovation.

The company is the principal shareholder in Plant Research NZ Ltd, based at Innovation Park in Canterbury.

It is one of the few grain and seed companies in New Zealand with its own research arm, which allows it to reinvest in new agricultural developments.

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Cates was one of the first independent grain and seed companies in Mid Canterbury.

We’ve been here for nearly 50 years. We’ve changed our name to better reflect who we are and how we work with farmers - Cates, New Zealand’s Seed Specialists.

We remain fiercely proud of who we are, where we are and the relationships we have built over generations. We see ourselves as a success partner for the farming families we work with.

Call us to discuss how we can be your success partner on 0800 900 308

cates.co.nz

40

Farming

PEST CONTROL AND CROP PROTECTION FEATURE

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Cutting stubble burning complaints

While stubble burning is a recognised option for dealing with crop residue, there are still some things that farmers can and should do before lighting up to ensure better and safer outcomes for all.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

I

t’s around this time of year that people may start to notice smoke from stubble burning in rural areas.

Environment Canterbury zone lead Brian Reeves said there were things farmers should do before lighting up to ensure better and safer outcomes for all.

Last year more than 850 smoke-related complaints were lodged with ECan. The year before that, it was nearly 900.

At around $350 per callout, the cost to the ratepayer can really add up and ECan wants to get this number down.

Many of these complaints relate to people burning rubbish and waste material outdoors, but ECan also gets plenty relating to stubble burning.

“It’s often urban people making the call. Many don’t understand that stubble burning is a legitimate and

effective way of dealing with crop residue and controlling weeds,” Reeves said.

“Having said that, the fact remains that smoke and ash from stubble burning can be a real nuisance and negatively affect the lives of neighbours and even those living many kilometres away.”

The smoke can cause respiratory issues for residents, pets and livestock; force households, schools and parties indoors; and reduce visibility on the roads. The fire itself can endanger life and property if not properly managed.

While stubble burning is a recognised option for dealing with crop residue, there are still some things that farmers can and should do before lighting up to ensure better and safer outcomes for all.

First and foremost, farmers should check that it is alright to

light. This is crucial.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand has a Check it’s alright website. There farmers will find a fantastic tool where they enter the type of burn they want to do, the specific day and address.

The tool then gives a risk profile based on things such as wind speed, temperature, and the fire danger index.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand also provides an excellent guide for stubble burning, covering things such as weather, firebreaks, the right way to light, and insurance. “I strongly recommend that you look at it,” Reeves said.

Before lighting up, it’s a requirement to have a smoke management plan, which the person controlling the fire must have on them at the time.

The plan covers things such as the material being burnt, the expected forecast, the

location of the burn, and how any negative effects will be mitigated.

Weather plays a big part in determining how much of a nuisance smoke can be. So, it’s important to choose the right conditions.

Cloudy days are some of the best for stubble burning.

They come with light and unstable winds that are good for dispersing and limiting the spread of smoke.

Cool or foggy air is generally bad for burning. The smoke sinks and won’t disperse.

Conversely, if the wind is swaying trees or blowing toward residential properties, you shouldn’t light up.

Please be aware of the rules in the Canterbury Air Regional Plan (CARP), especially schedule 7 of the plan and the resource consent requirements for burning in buffer zones

ECan zone delivery lead Brian Reeves.

around some Canterbury towns.

“Taking your time to get stubble burning right reduces nuisance smoke and the number of callouts that we need to attend, and protects life and property,” Reeves said.

If people have any questions or concerns about planning their burn, call ECan on 0800 324 636.

www.agrifac.nz

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PEST CONTROL AND CROP PROTECTION FEATURE

Farmer John McCaw with dressed pak choi vegetable seed at McCaw Seeds, Methven.

41

PHOTO: HEATHER CHALMERS

Seed certification goes digital A

major project to upgrade the seed certification system for modern use has brought the different parts of the arable sector closer together, says Methven mixed cropping farmer John McCaw. McCaw is a grower delegate on the New Zealand Seeds Authority (NZSA), which has undertaken a major overhaul of seed certification including the development of an electronic Seed Certification Information System (SCIS).

SCIS will go live about now and will effectively digitise the current paper-based certification system, improving efficiency and traceability,

McCaw said.

“It’s the biggest thing to happen in the seed industry in 20 to 30 years.

“The whole industry has pulled together for the project and it has been very positive.” The upgrade would benefit quality assurance and marketing.

The New Zealand seed certification system is used to verify varietal purity and to ensure that seed has passed minimum stands for germination and purity from weeds.

In the longer term, SCIS will provide a platform to support a contestable service provider environment in the

areas of field inspection, seed testing and auditing, McCaw said. “Competition between service providers will likely drive efficiencies and improve capacity over time to the benefit of the entire industry.”

The cost of developing the SCIS, about $3.8 million, was being met in equal proportions by seed companies, seed growers and industry organisations by way of grants, loans and levies.

Grants have also been received from the Seed Processors’ Association and the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Futures Farming Fund.

New rules and regulations being imposed by MPI meant

the previous system could no longer meet the required standards, McCaw said.

Support would be available to growers to adapt to the new system.

The system will be based on GPS co-ordinates, with each arable property’s farm map digitised. Within a farm, each production site will have a separate crop. The seed from each crop will be traceable from the paddock all the way through the processing chain. “That is not something we have been able to do until now.”

McCaw said it was an honour to be sitting at the NZSA table “surrounded by the movers and

shakers in the industry as that is where a lot of the decisions are made and you are able to make a difference”.

The relationship between merchants and growers had never been better.

“It used to be farmers banging the table at one end and the merchants banging the table at the other, but it is no longer like that.”

McCaw is one of three grower representatives on the board along with Leeston farmer and former Foundation for Arable Research chairman David Birkett and Highbank farmer and Nuffield scholar Hamish Marr.

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Farming

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Where there’s farming, there’s plastic. We need to use less, recycle more, and move to biodegradable alternatives.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Unwrapping the plastic from food Mary Ralston

FOREST AND BIRD

W

here there’s food, there’s plastic. Nearly all commercially produced food comes wrapped in it, from your humble bottle of milk to a freerange Christmas ham.

But even before food is packaged and sold, plastic is on the farm in vast quantities.

Plastic greenhouses, silage wrap, chemical containers, fertiliser bags and crates.

Plastic film to warm up the soil and provide a weed-free row is used extensively in many

countries. And who would have thought we needed polymercoated fertiliser pellets?

A Food and Agriculture (FAO) report estimates 12.5 million tonnes of plastic products were used in plant and animal production in 2019 and a further 37.3 million in food packaging.

“Despite the many benefits, agricultural plastics also pose a serious risk of pollution and harm to human and ecosystem health when they are damaged, degraded or discarded in the environment,” the report said.

Asia was estimated to be the largest user, accounting for about half of global usage.

Global demand for products such as greenhouse, mulching and silage films is expected to rise by 50 per cent by 2030.

Only a small fraction of agricultural plastics are collected and recycled. The urgency for co-ordinated and decisive action cannot be understated, the FAO said.

“The report serves as a loud call for decisive action to curb the disastrous use of plastics across the agricultural sectors,” said Maria Helena Semedo, deputy director general at the FAO. “Soils are one of the main receptors of agricultural plastics and are known to contain larger quantities of plastic than oceans,” she said.

“Microplastics can accumulate in food chains, threatening food security, food safety and potentially human health.”

New Zealand uses huge amounts of bale and silage wrap, chemical containers and

other agricultural plastics, but at least we have moved in the right direction when it comes to their disposal. Silage wrap is no longer allowed to be burnt, and agrichemicals and their containers and other farm plastics are some of the “priority products” included in stewardship schemes under the Waste Minimisation Act. Regulated product stewardship helps put the responsibility for waste and what happens to products at the end of their useful life on manufacturers, importers, retailers and users, rather than communities and councils.

AgRecovery provides New Zealand farmers and growers with programmes for container recycling, drum recovery and the collection of unwanted or expired

chemicals. Plasback, a Christchurch-based business, collects silage wrap for recycling into a New Zealandmade alternative to plywood called Tuffboard.

But is recycling the answer?

Not really – recycling is good compared to burning, burying or chucking it in a hole, but what we really need to do is use less and switch to biodegradable alternatives.

We need to keep an eye on the bigger picture: plastic is just one aspect of agriculture’s impact on the environment.

Less intensive agriculture and horticulture should be the way forward: lower chemical use means fewer plastic drums, fewer cows means less silage wrap as well as cleaner water, healthier soils and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Planting trees for bees A

handbook offering practical guidance on how to plant strategically to feed bees is now available free to New Zealand farmers.

The document brings together knowledge from 10 years of field and laboratory research by the New Zealand Trees for Bees Research Trust, with significant financial support from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and other funders.

“It’s a useful tool to assist farmers support the bees and incorporate into their on-farm planting for biodiversity and other environmental benefits that customers are now

demanding,” said Dr Angus McPherson, Trees for Bees farm planting adviser and trustee and one of the lead researchers for the handbook.

“The beauty of our approach is that farmers don’t need to set aside land specially for this planting.

“We show farmers how to incorporate a low-maintenance bee forage planting plan into planting they’re already establishing to increase production and improve their farmland.”

The handbook covers 10 different types of plantations: riparian protection; land stabilisation; shelterbelts;

paddock shade and shelter; native bush biodiversity; roads, avenues, and laneways; amenity; edible plantations; apiaries and beekeeper yards; and manuka plantations. Each plantation type is described with examples, illustrations, advice, and plant lists.

“We aim to help build more resilient and sustainable farms by taking the best possible care of our star performer – the honeybee,” McPherson said.

“Bees all around the world are facing a number of threats, including pests, disease, and pesticides. The best weapon against these threats is to provide our bees with a steady

supply of forage to help them stay healthy and strong.

“That includes ensuring a wide range of flowering plants in spring and autumn when bees are most at risk of pollen and nectar shortages.”

The handbook’s principles and guidelines can be adapted to any type of farm, from pastoral to arable and horticultural farms, McPherson said.

“The same principles can also be applied when deciding what to plant in public parks, on lifestyle blocks and in home gardens.”

MPI’s director of investment programmes Steve Penno said the ministry was proud

to support this important research. “Honeybee health is crucial because bees are the foundation of agricultural production in the New Zealand economy.

“Planting essential bee forage as part of farm management will ensure a viable and sustainable future for our bees, beekeepers, and farmers.”

Since 2011, Trees for Bees has planted over 75,000 bee forage plants in 32 demonstration farms throughout New Zealand.

The “Handbook for planting trees for bees on farms” is available as a free PDF on the Trees for Bees website

www.guardianonline.co.nz

CLASSIFIEDS

SITUATIONS VACANT

PUBLIC NOTICE

43

SITUATIONS VACANT

TALBOT SECURITY GROUP Class 5 Harvest and Tanker Drivers Hilton Haulage began trading in Washdyke Timaru in the late 1960s with 20 staff. Having been on a significant growth journey, we now have numerous locations spread throughout New Zealand.

The 2022 harvest season is approaching, and we need to dig up some new talent to help us tackle the crops. This season we will have V-Bin truck and trailer units and drivers based at Pendarves (North East of Ashburton).

We have both fixed term and permanent positions available.

The fixed term will run from mid-March to mid-May, these dates are weather, and harvest depended. The permanent positions will see you helping out with harvest until around May then you will operate a Milk Tanker out of Dunsandel.

If your application is successful you will find yourself carting potatoes to storage sheds or onions to a local packaging shed. Harvest will be on a rotating roster of one week of day shift (Monday to Saturday) followed by one week of nightshift (Sunday to Friday). Milk tanker season will see you operating on a 3 day, 3 night and 3 off roster.

If this sounds like you then please email people@hiltons.co.nz or contact Chris Newton on 027 564 9448.

SITUATIONS VACANT

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We’ve got a great position custom made for that person who wants great hours with • Car Keys a few added bonuses which include a Company Car, Cell phone and laptop.

• to House The hours of work are 6am 2.30pmKeys Monday to Friday. We’re looking for someone who’s keen to learn and• is motivated to get ahead in life, keys we also have CCTV, Alarms Electronic Car Remote & Locksmithing so on larger jobs you might get to head out with them to assist, so • Locks variety is something you must enjoy.

E - operations@talbotsecurity.co.nz P - 03 307 2409 anytime 24/7 If it sounds like your kind of job and you have the following skills then make sure you apply.

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What the job entails? We’re looking for a person to call around to businesses and farms around Mid Canterbury and service Fire Extinguishers during working hours of 8.30-2.30pm & from 6am to 8am you’ll be doing some other jobs for the for the company, nothing super difficult and we’ll explain to those that make the interviews what this entails.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Please apply via Email ONLY : info@talbotsecurity.co.nz.

No walk in’s or phone calls will be accepted.

Each application Must have a cover letter outlining why they would be a good fit for this role.

J’s Conveying & Contracting Sheep Drenching, Injecting, Jetting & more

Health & Safety Manager Grant Hood Contracting is an award-winning Ashburton-based family business that has been operating for 20 years.

We pride ourselves on our excellent staff management practices and training, and we place a high priority on Health & Safety.

Due to a change in career, we need a new star to manage our Health & Safety.

We’ve got the South Island covered.

Locally owned and operated Jimmy McAndrew 027 335 3199

As Health & Safety Manager you will play a key role in: • • • • • • • • •

Monitoring and improving our on-site safety Providing support to our Project Managers and Site Supervisors to manage H&S on site Ongoing improvement and implementation of our H&S processes and policies Monitoring the effectiveness of existing and new policies Providing meaningful H&S information, reports, and advice Managing our annual external H&S audits Maintaining and improving our Health & Safety software and systems Maintaining our pre-qual systems Actively promoting a positive Health, Safety and Wellness culture

• • •

Previous experience in a Health & Safety role A recognised Health & Safety qualification Experience in the civil construction or similar industry Experience completing JSA’s and risk assessments A good understanding and working knowledge of all relevant legislation and regulations Excellent communication skills, high attention to detail, can relate and engage with all team members, clients and sub-contractors Experience undertaking audits and inspections of work sites A drive to get things done and be well organised

This is a hands on, people-focused role which will require you to be onsite undertaking site audits, inspections, investigations and working with our subcontractors to ensure a high level of H&S compliance on site.

You will be working with our team to ensure all risks, hazards, near misses and incidents are reported and investigated promptly and all corrective actions are applied and reviewed effectively.

The successful applicant will manage annual audits, and lead our goal of continuous improvement in areas of Health & Safety, and provide support to assist with Quality and Environmental systems and procedures This is a permanent role consisting of up to 20 hrs per week.

If this role sounds like you, please contact us.

All enquiries will be treated confidentially.

Phone Carolyn on 027 209 6410 Or email to carolyn@granthoodcontracting.co.nz

We’ve got the South Island covered.

SIAFD

GUARDIAN

Dairy Focus

SOUTH ISLAND AGRICULTURAL FIELD DAYS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020

WEDNESDAY,DECEMBER16,2020

MARCH 24-26, 2021 • KIRWEE

Page 10-26

South Island Agricultural Field Days aims to give farmers and others in the rural sector the opportunity to see the latest in agricultural machinery and services that are available on the market, particularly home-grown products.

The field days is the only agricultural show in New Zealand to feature side-byside demonstrations, with 80 to 100 tractors, headers, mowers, seed drills and other machines being put through their paces each day.

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Farming

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