The Farmlander - June 2021

SPECIAL OFFERS AND INFORMATION FOR FARMLANDS SHAREHOLDERS

JUNE 2021

Valid from 1 — 30 June 2021

The FARMLANDER A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK PAGE 8

FINDING SOLUTIONS FOR WOOL FARMERS PAGE 6

STEADY RISE OF THE ORGANIC MARKET PAGE 25

AMAZING OFFERS RIGHT WHERE YOU WANT THEM, FOR A LIMITED TIME The best deals are waiting for you in-store, online, ® at National Fieldays and through a huge range of Farmlands Card Partners. Whether it’s bundled, discounted or for one-day-only, these deals aren’t going to stick around long.

FAR_10145

.nz Shop now at ww w.farmlands.co

*Terms and Conditions apply.

Discover the FULL VALUE of your Farmlands Card outside the store.

PLUS many more Card Partners nationwide!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

JUNE

INTEREST

PLAN365

5 Farmlands staff profile

Plan365 Nutrition

5 From the Acting CEO

37 Keep your calves from feeling blue

6 5 minutes with Logan Williams

39 Horses for courses

8 Special Feature – A chip off the old block

41 Consistency in a changing world

14 Buying Power Promise

43 Calf experts on tour

WHAT’S ON

2-3

15 Buy any time, from anywhere 16 Plan to grow

Plan365 Animal Management

19 Voting for a stronger future together

45 Effective calving transition

21 A friendly competition

47 Pre-lamb vaccinating your ewes

23 Fresh flavour with Farmlands and Fieldays

49 Where do mid-acting drenches fit at pre-lamb?

25 The steady rise of the organic market 27 Your chance to be heard

53 Revolutionary safety in the shearing shed

29 Safety around chemicals vital 31 Planning for winter health and safety 33 Staying on top of employer responsibility 61 Century Farms – Havelock Haven 62 Property Brokers update

51 No more milk fever theft

Plan365 Forage and Arable 55 Maintaining soil health

JUNE

Horticultural Field Days The National Horticultural Field Days event is the only nationwide event exclusively dedicated to the horticulture sector. For two full days, industry professionals, owners, staff and enthusiasts will gather to network, conduct business and share the latest trends in education and innovation.

Plan365 Rural Infrastructure 57 A better way to feed

16 - 19

59 Rodent baiting and trapping techniques SPECIAL OFFERS AND INFORMATION FOR

FARMLANDS SHAREHOLDERS

JUNE 2021

Valid from 1 — 30 June 2021

The FARMLANDER A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK

PAGE 8

FINDING SOLUTIONS FOR WOOL FARMERS PAGE 6

STEADY RISE OF THE ORGANIC MARKET

JUNE

Fieldays® The Southern Hemisphere's largest agricultural event and the ultimate launch platform for cutting edge technology and innovation.

ON THE COVER Rangiwahia sheep and beef farmer Heather Gee-Taylor is stepping up to take ownership of part of the family farm this year in Manawatū.

PAGE 25

The information contained in this publication is given in good faith and has been derived from sources perceived to be reliable and accurate. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and correctness of the information, Farmlands gives no warranties, express or implied, regarding the information nor does it accept any liability for any opinion or information (including the accuracy or completeness thereof) or for any consequences flowing from its use. The information and views expressed in

4 | THE FARMLANDER

this publication are not necessarily the views or opinion of Farmlands, its editorial contributors, freelancers, associates or information providers. Independent advice is recommended before acting on information or suggestions contained herein. Readers who rely on this information do so at their own risk. Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service whether by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Farmlands.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Prices and offers apply only in the month stated on the front cover of this publication and while stocks last. Not all products are available at all Farmlands stores. All prices include GST unless otherwise stated.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

40

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FARMLANDS STAFF PROFILE Malcolm Wyllie Technical Field Officer, Farmlands Rangiora

Q: What do you enjoy most about your role?

A: Working with shareholders and being a part of their farming solutions.

Q: When did you start working for Farmlands?

A: I joined the company as a Technical Field Officer in November 2015. Before that 35 years of farming – sheep and cropping initially and then 15 years of dairy after that.

Q: What are your main interests or hobbies outside of work?

A: Time with family and friends. I am involved with the Rangiora A&P show and was president in 2019. We have a bach in Kaikoura and like to go out fishing before getting our fillets battered at a local chip shop. I also play the drums.

Q: What’s one of the more challenging aspects of being a TFO? A: Being accessible for your shareholders and getting what they need, when they need it. My approach to working for Farmlands is the same as what it would be if it were my own company, or in other words, providing the service that I would expect as a shareholder.

Q: What are some of the major considerations for farmers in your patch in June?

A: They are busy getting their sheds set up with rubberware and milk liners again for next season. I'll also be making sure they have all the necessary animal health and calving products like Magnesium, DCP (Di Calcium Phosphate), metabolic supplies etc.

Q: Tell us about a problem one of your farmers had and how did you help them solve it?

A: I had a shareholder having problems with milk fever. Using my practical experience with having the same problem, we altered what happens around the first 24 hours after calving.

Easy Self

crusting Quiche Method Ingredients • 1 onion and 2 garlic cloves chopped.

• 1 Tbsp butter

1.

Heat oven to 220 degrees

2.

Cook onion and garlic in butter and cool

3.

Layer the potatoes, vegetables (and any meat) into a well-greased pie or quiche dish

4.

Spread grated cheese on top

5.

Combine eggs, milk, seasoning, flour and mix until well combined

• Salt and pepper

6.

Pour evenly into the dish

• A dash of sweet chilli sauce or some chopped parsley

7.

Cook for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting

• 1/2 cup self-raising flour

8.

Serve hot or cold with chutney, relish or salsa and crusty bread

• 4 eggs • 1 cup milk

• 2 potatoes cubed and cooked (or kumara, or pumpkin) • 1 or 2 cups cooked vegetables • 1 cup grated tasty cheese

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Variations: tinned fish, leftovers such as diced roast vege or sliced sausage, salami, bacon or ham.

FROM THE ACTING CEO Welcome to the June edition of The Farmlander magazine.

Winter has arrived – and it brings with it a welcome return to the farming social calendar. All going well (and keeping COVID in check) National Fieldays will return to Mystery Creek this month.

Farmlands is planning its usual strong presence at the event so if you are visiting Fieldays this year, please pop in to our tent.

The team have organised a fantastic proposition and are keen to meet, listen and help. You can learn more about Farmlands at Fieldays on page 23.

While we are looking forward to seeing many of you in person at Mystery Creek, we are also in the process of reaching out to all shareholders about an important couple of changes taking place over the next 2 months with statements and cheques.

From 1st August, we are moving to electronic statements delivered by email. Paper statements will remain available for those of you wanting them, but you will need to confirm your preference with us by opting in. Communications over the next 2 months will explain clearly how you can do this and your options for support.

Paper statements are a significant and rising cost to our co-operative, particularly given postal charges. For this reason, we will also be introducing a nominal charge of $2 per paper statement designed to recover our printing and posting costs. For more information, you can visit www.farmlands.co.nz/statements.

With our new and much-improved MyFarmlands portal, electronic statements are now far easier for you to retrieve and interact with. You can register for access to the portal at the Farmlands website. This will allow you to access your current and historic statements as and when suits you.

From this month, we will no longer be accepting cheques.

Banks are in the process of phasing out cheques completely as a method of payment, and we are compelled to follow. We are working with the small number of shareholders who pay us by cheque to explain the other forms of payment available and to support them with using the option that works best for them.

These are changes we must make as we seek to strike the right balance between delivering a great ongoing experience for you, modernising the co-operative, and positively managing increasing costs.

We do appreciate that for some of you this will also mean disruption to your routines when you least need it.

You have my assurance that our team is committed to making this transition as easy and hassle-free for you as possible.

Take care for the month ahead.

Kind regards,

Kevin Cooney Acting Chief Executive Officer Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 5

5 minutes with Logan Williams

Inventor of Keravos and NZ Merino Company Director of Technology and Innovation What is your background and how did your interest in wool technology emerge?

I’m personally attracted to crises. So growing up in Timaru, dairy and wool are common staples in South Canterbury.

I’ve seen first-hand the entire collapse of the wool industry. It now costs more to shear the sheep than you get for the wool. I’ve created a range of inventions that help solve other real-world problems in a lot of other industries. The collapse of the wool price is a tragedy

| Logan Williams

6 | THE FARMLANDER

and I felt like I could develop a product

method of combining PLA from corn

that would really be able to channel

starch with coarse wool.

value back to the farmers.

So we find a product that we think is

What is Keravos? How did you come up with this idea and when?

really cool, we approach the brand and

I joined New Zealand Merino with the sole

(to elevate its performance and improve

purpose of trying to create an invention

its story) and we make the pellets and

from strong wool. After about 6 months I

put them into their factory and they don’t

had developed the invention.

have a change a single thing.

There is 220,000 tonnes of wool

There is no barrier to entry and they are

produced in New Zealand each year.

just using the same infrastructure that’s

The only market that can deal with this

already there. They don’t have to spend

volume is plastics. They use millions and

money to change their factories at all.

millions of tonnes a year.

At its very core Keravos makes pellets

What do you think the biggest drawcard for Keravos is?

by combining wool and a plastic

The first is that the wool and polymer

substitute called polylactic acid (PLA),

improves the strength. Another is

and those pellets are the building

its weight, so it’s lighter. It’s more

blocks of all materials. So I invented a

sustainable, even if we are bonding

say ‘we want to put wool in your product’

| Keravos pellets combine wool and polylactic acid (PLA), a plastic substitute.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

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FARMLANDS 5 MINUTES

wool to plastic, we are offsetting the amount of plastic being produced in the world. Our idealised product is a biodegradable polymer with wool, but some customers just don’t want it. The wool fibres disperse randomly and it creates this natural look that you can’t create synthetically.

that solves a problem that people are willing to pay for and then go out and engage with customers to develop and refine it further. This kind of market-led innovation is really the key. Essentially your customers need to have helped you create it, that’s the only real way to be sure that they are going to even want it.

If anyone wants to try our material, they just give us the specs (of their current material), we put wool in it and send the material back to run in their factory via injection moulding.

What has the response been from sheep farmers and wool suppliers?

They’ve been incredibly supportive. One of the philosophies of this company has been to set the wool price higher than the market. We don’t even need to touch fleece, because fleece will hopefully solve itself with carpet. We take any type of wool including dags and sidepieces and farmers are very supportive of that.

We’ve built a factory and we have a manufacturing agreement with Maisey Group in Hamilton. We are already producing about 4 tonnes of these pellets a day and we are in a good position to scale that up now. The idea is that this facility will supply all of Australasia. Our goal is to sell 50,000 tonnes of material a year and to have about 50 core customers across hopefully 25 different industries.

At the moment we have about 10 core customers and we are nailing down a whole bunch of different industry applications, so everything from cladding for buildings, to a boat and even a cooler bin.

For farmers out there with a genuinely great idea for a useful product, where do they start and what are the challenges in developing it from concept to market?

The three things you need to satisfy to make sure your idea works are feasibility, scalability and desirability. The best way is to create a minimal viable product

What are some of the most exciting things you’ve seen in the last 2 years in the agricultural technology space and why did these get your attention?

There is a company called Abodo — founded by Daniel Gudsell — that is taking pine waste and using it as a cedar replacement which is pretty impressive.

Moving away from the low value commodity space and moving towards innovative, high value products is the future of New Zealand. We have so many amazing commodities in New Zealand, but if we don’t find ways to transform our milk and food and fibre into high value products…we will get disrupted.

How does New Zealand compare to other countries when it comes to developing useful farm-produce based technology?

We are good at creating new on-farm

systems to optimise production but disrupting whole market categories is something that we don’t do very well in New Zealand – that is happening more in Hong Kong and Silicon Valley.

What has been the biggest challenge for you in the development of Keravos, how did you tackle that and what was the outcome?

The technology is very precise. So every pellet that we make has to have the exact same amount of wool in it and even the same dispersal.

What country is the most innovative in the space you work in (other than NZ) and where is there the most demand for this kind of product currently?

Long term I think the most demand will come from China and America but because of COVID-19 it has to be Australia and New Zealand for now.

How important do you think it will be for primary producers to find new uses and markets for their produce over the next decade?

Essential. The story of wool in New Zealand is a cautionary tale! It used to account for 50 percent of our GDP. Let’s just say that tomorrow someone invents a synthetic milk, that can be made at scale, is more nutritionally dense and more easily available and is half the price. That’s close to what happened with the invention of nylon in the 1960s and the wool price just collapsed by 80 percent. What’s to say that that’s not going to happen to all our commodities.

If we don’t innovate and build research and development, this country will fail.

| Keravos pellets are the building blocks for all types of materials.

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Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 7

A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK

8 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

| Father and daughter Mike and Heather make a solid team on the farm.

Rangiwahia sheep and beef farmer Heather Gee-Taylor is stepping up to take ownership of part of the family farm this year in Manawatū.

At 24 years of age, Manawatū District Council’s youngest

in Canada in 2019 — a country that, along with France and

councillor is now responsible for farming her own area of the

New Zealand, is at the forefront of Charolais breeding

family farm and she couldn’t be more ready.

innovation globally.

The home farm of Glencorran is 560ha, of which 167ha is

As part of the trip Heather also went ranching, an experience

now leased by Heather. A few kilometres up the road hosts a

that proved to be a real eye opener and highlighted the different

secondary finishing farm, adding another 110ha to the operation.

approaches people have to cattle farming internationally.

“My land is pretty much a skinny strip at the front that leads to

“The Charolais Breeders Conference itself was only a week

the steep, hilly back-county. It is also the hunting block where

long and it’s a long way to travel so I really tried to make the

all the deer are — I enjoy hunting so that’s a wee bonus!”

most of my time over there.

Heather says.

“The second part of the week involved going around Charolais studs around Saskatchewan province, looking at the genetics

Northern exposure

and what breeders do there. There is some stuff that has been

With Heather’s father Mike growing up on the property,

developed by Silverstream in New Zealand that is now being

Heather’s love for the land began early. With a special interest

used over there which is pretty cool.

in cattle, she began working on Anna and Brent Fisher’s

“There were young breeders from Ireland, Australia, North

Silverstream Charolais stud on Banks Peninsula a few years

America and Turkey and we were able to share our knowledge

ago and developed a liking for Charolais — a breed that is still

with each other as well.

relatively uncommon in New Zealand.

“I stayed and worked on a ranch that was well off the tourist-

Following her time with the Silverstream stud, Heather won a

beaten track. The owners were really nice and farmed mostly red

scholarship to attend the World Charolais Youth Breeders Tour

Angus cows and Charolais.

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Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 9

| The flock is Paki-iti Romney-based.

| Heather is stepping things up a notch this year.

“It was very interesting getting to know their commercial cow operation and even just little things like seeing how the sale yards work over there.

“Wherever you breed, you have to breed to suit your type of terrain and we have such steep hill country compared to them.

They don’t finish cattle like we do, their cows are always finished in a feed lot.”

The trip helped Heather broaden her knowledge of farming techniques, especially the way different types of cattle are used in different types of environments.

“At first it was difficult for me to understand that while I was over there (in June - July) it was warm, there was grass and it seemed like they had such an extensive stocking rate, but they don’t even look at things like stocking rate on their pastures like we do.

“With winter temperatures dipping as low as -30 degrees, everything is in the barn, so it’s unsustainable for them to have a heavy stocking rate in the summertime. It really made me appreciate the temperate climate that we have here.”

Building the breed

The advantages of this breed are that they are higher yielding and faster-finishing, compared to regular cattle.

Their calves are also much easier to recognise and that helps when it comes to creating lines for sale and ascertaining sires if you have multiples.

The other factors that must be considered are their large size — Heather budgets them as being 8 stock units each, whereas she puts a normal commercial cow as 6.

“Because they’re all recorded at birth, calving them down in an area that is accessible and contained where you’re seeing them every day can be kind of hard in hill country.”

There are not many other farmers currently breeding Charolais in the Manawatū, but there are some in Dannevirke and New Plymouth.

“I think the breed itself is becoming a lot more popular in New Zealand and farmers are starting to see the benefits here when looking to crossbreed their herd,” Heather says.

Learning and improving

“I have 10 stud Charolais cows which are now included in my operation,” Heather says.

The nature of Heather’s steep land poses a few challenges and requires a fair bit of weeding, but nothing that she can’t handle and the sheep herd is going strong.

“It’s taken a long time to build up the Charolais herd numbers. I didn't get any heifer calves for my first 2 years of breeding so it has taken a while to establish a female herd.”

“I have 160 hoggets on my block and Dad has 650 replacements. Our flock is Paki-iti Romney-based and this works well as they are a local sheep stud. Our lambing rate on

10 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

| In June the focus is on rotation and getting the ewes winter shorn.

| Well trained dogs are a must.

average is 140 percent to the ram. This is usually pretty

is very similar to ours — spread over two blocks. It’s mainly hill

stable which was surprising given last summer’s drought,”

country and he’s just trying to finish his lambs as well as he can.”

Heather says.

“I’ll be lambing down 650 odd Romney ewes on that land, which

“Our average weaning rate is around 28 kilograms, ideally we

I’ve had to buy in and calving down about 90 Angus cows.”

would like this this to be higher and it’s definitely something we need to work on. It is definitely most profitable to sell

The road ahead

stores either before Christmas or hold on until April. We have

In June the focus is on winter rotation and getting the ewes winter

culled throughout the season this year and intend on doing so

shorn. Heather says it’s a good time of the year to hook into

throughout next season."

maintenance and fencing and making sure they’re ready for the

Heather is stepping things up a notch this year, with a little help from her Fielding-based Technical Field Officer Hamish Hogg.

“Hamish has been great at recommending summer crops for

next round of calving and lambing.

“When we lamb our hoggets, these are moved onto easier country on the hill block,” Heather says.

us and this year we are using a leafy turnip and it works well,”

Lambs are finished on the block up the road with cows being

Heather says.

used to clean up the rank feed on the hill block.

With an average rainfall of about 1260mm, there’s no need for

“We keep a pretty constant stocking rate year-round. Our soil

irrigation — the properties being very summer safe usually.

types are mainly silt loams on the hill but we do have clay soils

The finishing block has a reticulated water system — this was

which tend to pug in the winter. We just judge our stocking rates

installed upon purchasing the block in 2019, due to the inability to

and age groups accordingly and have no heavy mixed age cows

graze paddocks effectively without water.

in wet areas if possible.”

The hill block is predominantly sourced from springs and

Her father Mike is also a busy man this year, as he has an

into dams. Alongside the lease land, Heather also works for

Angus stud herd of 130 cows with 1,600 breeding ewes.

local cropping contractor Richard Goodwin on his two local

“We don’t finish any cattle. This year we have kept all weaner

sheep and beef blocks.

heifers and will take these through to the spring market,”

“He has 2,000 ewes and 80 head of Hereford cattle and the land

Heather says.

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Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 11

This gives me an opportunity to prove myself and Dad wants to make sure everything’s all good before he hands over the reins”

12 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

She is beyond excited to be farming her own parcel of land and taking on some additional responsibility.

“Farm ownership is so expensive nowadays that you’ve got to do it smartly. Ideally I’d like to pick up more lease land from my parents or a lease-to-buy agreement in the years ahead. I’ve never expected the farm to be just given to me. The way I look at it is that I may as well make the most of the time that I have while I’m young.

“Personally, I’m just focussing on lifting my replacement ewe flock on the lease block and producing good weaning weights in both my calves and my lambs. Dad’s focus is the same.”

Her younger sister Lucy works in a shearing gang in the South Island, but Heather says that unlike her, Lucy has no ambition to be a farmer, leaving the land up to Heather to look after.

The community spirit Off-farm, Heather’s interest in local politics is being reinforced by her part-time study towards a Graduate Diploma in Politics through Massey University, which will add to her 2017 Bachelor of Commerce from Lincoln University.

She is genuinely interested in governance and is keen to work her way towards contributing to New Zealand agricultural policy in some way.

| Mike looks after an Angus stud herd of 130 cows and 1,600 breeding ewes.

Since being elected as a Manawatū District Councillor in October 2019, Heather has strengthened the representation of — and advocated for — farmers in her patch.

Heather says that while it can be difficult to engage with topics that don’t interest you completely, you do learn a lot about different things that need to be carefully considered on behalf of ratepayers.

“It’s made me a lot more aware of my community, more aware of what goes on behind the scenes and it’s very cool to see the passion that people have within the community at a grassroots level.”

As if all of that wasn’t enough, Heather is also very keen on spending time breaking in her dogs and horses. Both skills are important to her as she enjoys working alongside animals and watching them mature.

2021 is going to be a busy year for the Gee-Taylor clan, but with Heather forging a solid path towards farm ownership and with a clear view of the future, the years ahead look promising.

Article by: Randall Johnston.

Images by: Tobias Meads.

| Steep hill country does throw a few challenges into the mix.

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Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 13

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14 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

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CO-OPERATIVE NEWS

Buy any time, from anywhere Thought leadership from Jess Strange, Director – Customer Experience

Each Card Partner does need to

When I last wrote to you all in The Farmlander in August 2020, the co-operative was in a transition period.

We were getting back into the swing of things following the first COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown and were focused on introducing new opportunities for the Farmlands Card.

While this will limit the pace at which

Ten months on and while much has changed since that first lockdown, the capability of the Farmlands Card to provide outstanding purchasing power has continued to grow. I hinted at the potential of the Card to evolve and am thrilled to announce that we now have 10 Card Partners able to accept the Card as payment within their online stores.

shareholders the ability to access

Farmlands partnered with a leading NZ payment provider in the development of our online payment solution, creating a system that is secure and robust — providing shareholders with the confidence to transact online in a safe and reliable way with our Card Partners.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

undertake development to integrate the Card into their own online store. some Card Partners are able to update their platform to accept the Card, we will be sure to communicate with shareholders as each new Partner is able to support shopping online with the Card.

We are very excited to deliver our shareholder offers from the comfort of their homes without having to visit a physical store. Going online also means that remote shareholders will

| Jess Strange, Director – Customer Experience

be able to reach Card Partners who only operate from one region — you

Nood, Max, Eiderdown.co.nz, Manawa

can now order that outdoor gear

Honey, Baby On The Move, Fieldays NZ

you’ve been dreaming about since the

and Hamills Taupo are ready and waiting

last time you were in Taupo!

to accept your orders.

Our new payment solution has also

We would like to thank these Card

opened the door for our team to talk

Partners who have come on board

with online-only businesses – watch

and are able to accept the Card

out for some new and exciting Card

online – we are proud of the strong

Partners joining us soon.

partnerships we hold and look

So, what more can I say — get online

forward to welcoming additional

today! Repco, Topmaq, Super Liquor,

Card Partners online in the future.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 15

Plan to grow Getting ahead with riparian planting and fencing is just part of the day-today plan for Omakau cattle farmers Anna and Ben Gillespie.

a well-planned dairy grazing and beef

“We always sit down and have

finishing operation under Two Farmers

conversations about why we’re doing

Farming Ltd. With Anna holding a

stuff and we’ve planned out our winter

Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture

paddocks 2 years in advance. That way

Born and bred in Otago, Anna and Ben are both 5th generation farmers with Anna’s family touching down on their first property in North Otago in 1875. Ben’s family hail from Wanaka and are still farming next door to their original settlement.

and a Masters in Applied Science

I know if we have any extreme weather, I

(Farm Management Consultancy) and

can identify which paddocks can take a

Ben with a Bachelor of Agriculture

little more pressure because they will get

and a Masters in Agricultural Science

cropped in the near future. Any wet areas

(Pasture Science), they are a force to be

get fenced out properly in advance so we

reckoned with.

aren’t dealing with single wires that stock

While the forethought was in place

can potentially break through.”

“Both of our parents were treeplanters,” Anna says. “They started in the 1980s when subsidised plans came into effect — it was shelter belts to begin with and then natives and a whole variety of things. For both of us, it was quite a significant grounding.”

earlier, planting on the property only

For Anna and Ben, fencing was the first

really kicked off after Anna and Ben

priority when they took over the land.

purchased the farm.

“While we might not get the leaching,

“We’ve since put in 3km of shelter belts

our fencing system around our water

with irrigation over the top of them.

comes from a farm management point of

Growing trees is hard work here but we

view. You don’t want to be break fencing

are now beginning to really hook into

through a creek and if a paddock is

Since taking on the lease of the 400ha finishing property from Ben’s parents in 2011 and eventually purchasing it in 2017, Anna and Ben have combined their knowledge and are now running

the native plantings,” Anna says.

boggy at the bottom, then you don’t want

Putting posts in the ground

to be putting fencing on that anyway and

Despite the intensive grazing of the farm,

losing your gumboots.

with only a very small amount of rainfall

“We saw the [fresh water] regulations

and enviro-conscious farm management,

coming a mile away. The first job was

Anna and Ben have managed to keep

just to get the waterways fenced out — if

their nutrient leaching to a minimum.

you don’t think you should be in it, you

“We only get around 450mm of rain

shouldn’t be in it. It is harder with sheep

and put an additional 470mm of water

but as we are 100 percent cattle we can

on through centre pivot irrigation, with

put up three wire fencing — we had to be

an evapotranspiration of 620mm. There

onto it,” Anna says.

isn’t really enough going through the soil

“I think farmers will really struggle with

profile to leach too many nutrients out

these regulations, as it’s not a one size

into our waterways,” Anna says.

fits all situation with pugging rules and

“Both Ben and I are farmers with different

wet winters. I’m the Chair of the local

perspectives on how we manage our

catchment group and can see that some

stock and paddocks. I’m looking at the

farmers will end up missing deadlines

stock side of things and Ben will look at

and dates. There has to be education

the agronomy.

higher up before regulation.”

| (L-R) Milly, Ben and Will Gillespie pricking out seedlings for planting.

16 | THE FARMLANDER

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SHAREHOLDER STORY

From raw seedlings Education is something that Anna and Ben have taken into their own hands.

Instead of buying in all of their trees, they have begun growing natives from seedlings in their backyard to support their riparian planting.

“We do factor the cost of planting into the farm budget but if you do it yourself, you’re a lot prouder of it and put more energy into making sure the plant can grow,” Anna says.

“We have over 700 natives growing in pots in the vege garden from collecting seeds or taking cuttings.

We’ve got species such as kowhais, flax, cabbage trees and pittosporums,” Anna says.

With very cold winters, the trees need to be tough to survive.

“Anything that can survive in the garden can survive out on the farm. We’ve found about 22 species that can really thrive in the dry or irrigated zones and Ben has worked out that growing our own saves around $6,000 per year.

“We don’t really factor in the time cost but we do have a lot of help from the kids, they get right into it!”

have noticed that the bird life has started

Thanks to Ben’s passion for plant science, the family are now welcoming other farmers and growers to propagtion seminars — the first took place in late April and was tutored by Jo Wakelin from Otago Polytech with support from Ministry for the Environment funding.

the first time in the 10 years we’ve been

“We were aiming for 10 attendees but ended up with 13 and were able to have a really good session. We started with raw seeds and explained how to process them so that they’re ready to plant and so on. Everyone went home with a tray of seedlings to grow and we got some really good feedback,” Anna says.

to thrive again.

“We had a bellbird arrive at the house for here! Plus we’ve got a heap of pukekos – when we first took over there were only 5 and recently we’ve stopped counting.

“We’ve also seen more South Island pied oystercatchers and we’re hoping tuis won’t be far away. By getting the biodiversity up and running, you really feel like you’ve achieved something. It’s very exciting.”

While Anna and Ben’s planning so far has put them in good stead for the seasons to come, they aren’t letting their management practices slide and will

“We run an open-gate policy and are always willing to show people what we’re doing. It was pretty cool to see those farmers go away and starting growing.”

often sit down at the kitchen table with

The Gillespies are planning on running more seminars come spring.

have those arguments out loud instead

As a nice side-effect of growing natives around their riparian areas, Anna and Ben

so it’s really important to get those plans

highlighters and a farm map to talk about what is coming up next.

“It doesn’t have to be fancy planning, just of in your head. Each region is different down,” Anna says.

| Any plant that can survive in the garden can thrive on the farm

| Fencing off water was the first priority for Anna and Ben.

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| Anna and Ben Gillespie, Two Farmers Farming

| Anna and Ben run an "open gate" policy, welcoming people in to learn more about how they manage their farm.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 17

SUPPORT STAFF TO KEEP MILK SAFE EXPECT THE CHANCE OF MILK CONTAMINATION TO INCREASE

You may have new sharemilkers or staff on board following this year’s farm change over day. Rural insurer FMG suggests now’s a good time to go over with them how your milking shed works to avoid milk contamination.

Former Taranaki Farmer and FMG’s Head of Client Strategy and Advice, Jason Rolfe said last year FMG received over 1,000 milk claims in total amounting to $4.3 million.

“Around one third of milk claims FMG settles are due to antibiotic contamination. Other claims were for foreign objects ending up in the milk, colostrum and wash water.

“I know from my own experience the hassle of having to dump milk,” says Jason.

Almost 90% of milk contamination and spoilage claims are caused by: • Antibiotic contamination • Chiller/plant failure

• Chiller/vat not being turned on • Power failure • Wash water and detergent contamination.

Here are some tips to help bring new sharemilkers or staff up to speed with your milk shed’s systems and processes: • Make sure your milk shed’s systems and processes are documented and located in the shed so that if you or their manager isn’t around they can refer to these.

• When explaining how your milk shed operates be aware of different learning styles—some people may prefer visual charts to written policies and some may learn best by you running through in person the system and having refresher sessions. It pays to take the time to have a few versions prepared.

When it comes to milk contamination the important things to make your staff aware of include: • What the withholding period of each antibiotic product is • How you identify those cows that are under treatment • What the milking process is for these animals (for example, do they run in a separate mob milked at a different time or in the herd on a milk bucket?)

• It’s also important to have the same measures in place for your post milking washdown process, as FMG sees a lot of claims for cleaning chemicals and wash water contaminating milk as well.

To read more about running a successful dairy operation head to fmg.co.nz/milk

2020

0800 366 466 | www.fmg.co.nz

We’re here for the good of the country.

18 | THE FARMLANDER

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Voting for a stronger future together Every 6 years, New Zealand's red meat producers have an opportunity to have their say on the continuation of their levy-funded organisation, Beef + Lamb New Zealand.

“Farming is a tough business and

Andrew Morrison, Chairman, Beef

farm businesses.”

+ Lamb New Zealand says a lot has

In collaboration with other industry

changed in the farming industry over

groups, Andrew says B+LNZ has

the past 6 years and the need for an

been fighting for sensible policies

organisation to champion the needs

that work for farmers, particularly

of red meat producers has never

on water, biodiversity, climate

been greater.

change and carbon farming.

“Along with a raft of environmental

“Although we have had some wins,

legislation, today’s farmers are having

there is still a lot more work to do. At

to deal with a range of pressures

the same time, we help foster farming

such as rapidly changing consumer

excellence by providing farmers with

demands, climate challenges

the tools and resources they need

(particularly ongoing drought), skilled

to run productive businesses. Our

labour shortages, questions about the

marketing team works with processing

environmental impact of agricultural

and export companies to maximise

production and more recently,

returns to farmers through the

“A yes vote will ensure we can carry on

COVID-19 related market disruption,”

expansion of the Taste Pure Nature

working on your behalf, so we can build a

Andrew says.

origin brand.”

stronger future together,” Andrew says.

farmers can be assured that B+LNZ will continue to advocate on their behalf so they can get on with what they do best – running productive, sustainable and profitable

| Andrew Morrison, Chairman, Beef + Lamb New Zealand

B+LNZ is also investing in research and development to improve the genetics available to its farmers, lower environmental footprints and tackle diseases.

Vote in the B+LNZ sheepmeat and beef levy referendum and help ensure a strong future for the red meat sector Voting packs are hitting letterboxes in early June. Postal votes need to be mailed by 6 July – all voting closes at midday on 9 July.

If you don’t receive a voting pack, call 0800 BEEFLAMB (0800 233 352). More info at www.beeflambnz.com.

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By Farmers. For Farmers™

THE FARMLANDER | 19

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FA R M L A N D S A P PA R E L E S S E N T I A L S

WINTER

Avalilable at Farmlands stores nationwide and online at www.farmlands.co.nz Terms and Conditions apply. Pricing Valid until 31st August 2021. Products may vary between stores.

20 | THE FARMLANDER

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INDUSTRY NEWS

A friendly competition The sun came out for the Farmlands Canterbury Centre Championships near Fairlie, South Canterbury in April. With Farmlands sponsoring the sheep dog trial and many competitors being shareholders, we thought we’d have a chat to some of the participants to see what it is they love about the sport.

The sheep dog trial event drew in hundreds of people from all around the South Island across 2 days, all who share a passion for a sport that has a very strong tradition and sense of community around it and was run in conjunction with the Levels Club Trial on 11th and 12th April.

The sheep were good in the Heading dog competition but more testing for the Huntaways, with some good work from both younger competitors and the more seasoned campaigners.

Fairlie-area sheep and beef farmer and competitor Steve Kerr says there is a lot of history among participants from working as shepherds around New Zealand. He is also heavily involved in judging and promoting the sport with training days around New Zealand (also sponsored by Farmlands and Purina), which he has done in South Island locations for the last 4 years.

“We have 580ha and run about 2,300 ewes, plus hoggets and about 300 head of cattle,” Steve says.

“It can be hard to find the time to run a dog these days, but I still love it and it’s great seeing and helping the younger competitors come through and develop their skills.”

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The younger generation are shining brightly too, 22-year-old competitor Hannah Hutchison loves the sport and was only introduced to it and began competing at the start of this year.

“A relative of mine Ben Manson, who also lived on Banks Peninsula where I was based, is really good at it and took me to my first dog trial in January,” Hannah says.

She has three Huntaway competition dogs named Boy, Sparkles and Lola, as well as a few younger ones that she plans to train up. Boy, 3, and Sparkles, 6, both competed in the straight and zigzag hunts at Fairlie. “I finished both courses. The zigzag is challenging and takes a lot of concentration. It makes you want to break your dogs in to perfection so you get all the moves right. I enjoy it because it’s a sport where I can go home and practice and train my dogs and I can also take what I learn at the trials and use it at work as a shepherd.”

Mark Mallinson got me into it and taught me how to break in a dog and that’s a big part of it, you only get out of it what you put in, so you need to be prepared to put in a bit of time.”

The two Hunts and the Long Head finished in good time with the Short Head going right down to the wire with daylight fading. Sam Jamison and his dog Garry won the Zig Zag Hunt, with Steve Kerr hot on his heels — while Grant Plaisted and Herb won the Straight Hunt.

The Long Head winner was Alistair Dickson, followed closely by Barry Thompson. First place in the Short Head and Yard was Andy Clark and his trusty sidekick Girl.

On day two of the event, Club President Chris Calder gave thanks to the France family for the ongoing use of their land and stock as well as the

Hannah is now working as a shepherd near Gisborne and is in the process of getting a good team of dogs going.

judges and timekeepers, sponsors

Competitor and Lake Opuha sheep and beef farmer Sam Jamison, 46, says while day one of the event was hot and a bit challenging, day two was a bit more comfortable as he got into the swing of it.

the lead up to the event.

“I still love competing and it’s a social thing as well, as you meet some great people,” Sam says. "We have 4,000 stock units across 1,350ha so our farm is a busy operation. It gets you off the farm and chatting to people, I really enjoy it just as much now as when I started.

“I think it was 20 years ago when I started competing in sheep dog trials.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

and those that came on board for the Championship and the wider team in “We would like to thank Farmlands and Tux for their ongoing sponsorship of the Centre Event.”

Honorary Club Patron John France gave thanks to the Club for all the hard work they had put into the event and Centre President Rick Orr thanked everyone for all the work they had put in.

“I would like to congratulate the winner and place-getters, many of whom picked up those much-needed qualification points,” John says.

THE FARMLANDER | 21

get wash & dry ready

THIS WINTER

Check out our handy guide to choosing the perfect washer or dryer and grab an amazing deal in store or online, using your Farmlands Card.

PICK THE PERFECT DRYER

Vented Dryers

Condenser Dryers

Heat Pump Dryer

Washer Dryer Combo

These take air from inside, heat it and tumble it through your clothes, then push the hot wet air outside via a vent . They’re also the cheapest option.

Use a heat exchanger to remove the moisture from warm air that has heated your clothes, then store or drain away the water.

Work in a closed loop – air is heated and tumbled through the clothes and cooled with the water drained off, so no moisture is released into the air.

Perfect if you have limited space or don’t want two standalone appliances.

M A K E I T A PA I R Get amazing deals for your winter whiteware. Just head in store or add your Farmlands Card to your account and see the savings you can make.

Front Loaders

Top Loaders

Easy to use and water efficient, they use a spinning drum so are gentler on clothes and a lot more compact.

Fast, affordable and can handle larger loads so are perfect for families needing to do the washing frequently.

0800 44 44 88 22www.noelleeming.co.nz | THE FARMLANDER

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Fresh flavour with Farmlands and Fieldays From spot-ons for sheep to electrolytes for calves, Farmlands Co-operative is bringing plenty of innovation to this year’s National Fieldays.

The new innovative products, from Reliance and Donaghys, are just some of the attractions Farmlands has in store for visitors to Mystery Creek. There will be a wide variety of fresh product recommendations and knowledge from Farmlands’ suppliers and Card Partners and attendees can be confident they will leave Fieldays having picked up something useful.

Innovation starts with an idea. With the introduction of Farmlands’ in-house Growth and Innovation team in late 2020, dedicated technical experts have committed to investigating the latest legislation, trends and products and providing advice on how this will affect Farmlands’ shareholders.

Farmlands’ Director - Growth and Innovation, Andrew Horsbrugh says the primary sector has seen more change in recent times than the last

30-40 years. For the team, this means focussing on how these changes affect farmers and growers and how Farmlands can use its scale to help shareholders and customers get through new challenges.

“We have a team who are looking at all of the new trends coming down the line, including consumer and environment legislation and changes from a digital or people perspective. Against that, we are producing solutions and providing advice aligned with new ways of thinking,” Andrew says.

National Fieldays provides an excellent opportunity to put products on the ground, as is the case for the newest offering from Reliance — Blue Boost.

An exciting electrolyte mix that has been formulated to help keep calves on track and is named for its unique bright blue colour, Blue Boost has received overwhelmingly positive feedback following a pre-launch regional release last spring.

Electrolytes are a critical tool for calf rearers and correct use can take a calf rearing system from good to great.

| Donaghys’ new spot-on drench for sheep, Scorpius Elite will feature at Fieldays.

Reliance Blue Boost strikes a balance of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and chloride) to help water more effectively cross the gut of calves and to give an energy boost. An addition of a nutritionally-effective dose of Vitamin B12 to boost appetite and glycine — an amino acid that aids sodium and glucose absorption from the intestine — means calves are receiving intense hydration when they need it most.

Farmlands’ own “Calf Experts”, Nutritionist Stacey Cosnett and Technical Specialist Karen Fraser contributed to the formulation and advice for Blue Boost. Designed to be the fence at the top of the cliff rather than the proverbial ambulance at the bottom, Blue Boost works best when used to help hydrate calves before sickness develops.

With the addition of Farmlands supplier Donaghys’ new spot-on drench for sheep, Scorpius Elite, plenty of Card Partner offers and fresh ideas, the final missing piece to finishing a project or overcoming a challenge may just be found in the Farmlands tent on site

| Blue Boost will be among the innovative products showcased at this year’s National Fieldays.

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Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

F103 – 109 at National Fieldays.

THE FARMLANDER | 23

Get the winter blues… and whites and reds… at Mitre 10 Exclusive prices for Farmlands shareholders.

10 Up to

Interior % off Paint

10 Up to

Up to

15 Paint Accessories % off

Exterior % off Paint

FCBMI03737JUN

Offers available in-store only.

Go to mitre10.co.nz to find your nearest store.

Not in conjunction with any other offer or discount.

IS THIS NZ’S MOST VALUABLE CARD? YOU DECIDE. 24 | THE FARMLANDER

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INDUSTRY NEWS

The steady rise of the organic market Thought leadership from Gaz Ingram, Head of Future Land and Food

consumers surveyed reported buying organic products at least fortnightly.

Since 2008, the New Zealand Organic Sector Market Report has been commissioned by Organic Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ), an organisation that aims to make the world more sustainable through organics. The 2020/21 market report was released in late April and shows that the growth in the sector is strong, indicative of exciting change in the primary industry.

The top three reasons for these purchases are:

The report is informed by a bi-yearly gathering of organic sales information as well as New Zealand production data. It is considered to be the best source of accurate data relating to the national organic sector as organic consumers, producers, retailers, exporters and certifiers come together to share their data.

This year the report was launched in an online format and addressed all aspects of the organic market, including production statistics, exports and imports, consumer data, land use and sector components.

The report highlighted huge areas for potential growth within the sector but was fundamentally positive about the direction the organic market is going in. The sector was worth around $723 million in 2020, up from $600 million in 2017, with an increase of $123 million or 20 percent – an average growth rate of 6.4 percent a year.

However, it is the people power that has really impressed over the last few years. As consumers become far more savvy with what they are putting into their bodies, traceability and awareness around the sector is improving. The report has found that 81 percent of

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

1. Organics are more natural (74 percent), 2. Seen to be free of residues and sprays (70 percent), 3. To protect and promote family health (68 percent).

Farmers and growers that are seen to be going one step further within their operations are also ensuring that they are producing quality, safe products to match consumer demand. While total land area under organic certification has dropped by 3.41 percent (3,029ha) compared to 2017, there are now 198 more certified organic operations than there were in 2017 – up 12 percent.

There has been a significant 54 percent increase in operations converting to organic in 2020/21 compared to 2017.

Consequently, softer (but effective) chemistry is also improving to match consumer demand. A significant shift seems to be occurring within agrichemical and fertiliser companies as they become aware of the consumer interest, creating investment into the research and development of gentler, organic-certified products that also support maximum production.

Farmlands has recognised this shift and is continually seeking to build, not only its current range of input products but importantly its knowledge base and involvement in the New Zealand organic industry.

When comparing this year’s report to the 2017 version, the Organic Sector Market Report gives an extremely

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

| Gaz Ingram, Head of Future Land and Food.

positive indication of where the market is heading. Looking back at where we have come from, both within Farmlands and the wider industry, I am proud of our team and our shareholders. There are a lot of clever people in this industry and through their commitment and engagement with organics, we are seeing strong growth in the industry.

Download the full report at www.oanz.org.

Key points of interest from the Organic Sector Market Report: • 58 percent of sector output (worth $420.4 million) is exported and 42 percent (worth $302.5 million) is consumed domestically.

• Organic dairy products are now the largest part of the sector with exports worth $153.8 million, up 55 percent on 2017. In 2020 organic dairy farmers received a payout of $10.19 per kilogram of milk solids (vs $7.19 for non-organic) – a market record for New Zealand.

• Fruit and vegetables (worth $143 million – up 6 percent from 2017) and organic wine (worth $65 million – up 40 percent from 2017) are the second and third largest sector components respectively.

THE FARMLANDER | 25

26 | THE FARMLANDER

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Your chance to be heard | New Zealand’s primary industry is so diverse there isn’t a one-size-fits-all story.

Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research is keen to hear from farmers as part of its 2021 nationwide Survey of Rural Decision Makers.

The survey is run every 2 years to collect feedback from farmers on a wide range of topics, the results of which have become an important communication tool between Government and farmers in New Zealand. With between 3,000 and 5,000 farmers, foresters, growers and lifestyle block owners from Cape Reinga to Bluff taking part in each wave, the survey records current practice and future planning across the breadth of the primary sector.

Manaaki Whenua’s Principal Economist Dr Pike Stahlmann-Brown, who co-ordinates the biennial survey, says the questions are regularly updated to reflect sector trends and emerging issues. “Farm Environment Plans will be a big topic of interest for 2021, along with regenerative agriculture, new ways of collaborating within the sector and farmers’ wellbeing,” Dr Pike says. “In addition, the survey is currently trying to get a

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better handle on the amount and types of livestock on lifestyle properties.”

and hyperspectral imaging to tackle

The survey began in 2013 as a partnership between AgResearch and Manaaki Whenua, seeking to make the scientific modelling of land use and landuse change more realistic, particularly as new approaches to freshwater policy and regulation were then starting to take shape. It began by surveying dairy farmers in just three regions but was quickly extended to all primary industry including lifestyle block owners across the entire country.

crops,” Dr Pike says. The survey

The results are now used by the industry and Government to help them understand what makes the sector tick, to analyse what drives decision making on-farm and to assist in policy formation. Interestingly, the survey’s findings are often somewhat counter-intuitive and more nuanced than might be expected. For example, age does not appear to be a barrier to technological adoption.

“Kiwis are tech-savvy producers, having adopted technologies like robotics for fruit picking, soil and moisture mapping for pasture planning

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

weeds and chemical processes in shows that some rural decision makers are reluctant to move away from the tried and true, but also that older farmers are often at the leading edge of agricultural innovation.

“There isn’t a one-size-fits-all story for primary industry in New Zealand, so we really want to hear from every farmer, forester, and grower in the country, whether commercial or lifestyle,” Dr Pike says. “This helps us tease out regional, demographic and sectoral differences and understand the decision-making frameworks that farmers work within.”

Those interested in participating in the confidential survey can do so by visiting www.landcareresearch. co.nz/srdm-signup until 31 July 2021. The survey has some great prize draws in recognition of the time spent by contributors. Manaaki Whenua also makes a contribution to charity for each completed survey it receives.

THE FARMLANDER | 27

YOU COULD SAVE WITH BROADBAND

WIRELESS

We’ve expanded our Unplan Wireless Broadband to 30,000 rural addresses.

Check your address online to see if you could save up to $71^ per month on Wireless Broadband with Unplan.

No long term contracts.

No long wait times.

Easy, no-fuss set up.

SPARK.CO.NZ/WIRELESS Plus, you can bill your Spark Mobile, Broadband, or Landline through your Farmlands account, when you do, you earn Choices Rewards Points.

To bill your Spark through Farmlands simply call Farmlands on 0800 200 600 or visit farmlands.co.nz/Spark to fill out the form. *Wireless broadband not available everywhere. Data caps or fair use policy apply. Spark modem required for all Wireless plans, and are not included in plan pricing. ^Savings are based on comparison between Spark’s standard rural wireless broadband plan and highest tier of Unplan.Unplan & Spark T&Cs apply.

IS THIS NZ’S MOST VALUABLE CARD? YOU DECIDE. 28 | THE FARMLANDER

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HEALTH & SAFETY

Safety around chemicals vital With many farmers preparing for winter spraying, whether for gorse or weed control in lucerne stands, it’s a good time to review health and safety planning around agrichemical use.

“Exposure to pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers is a common health hazard on farm,” WorkSafe New Zealand Agriculture Lead Al McCone says.

“There’s considerable evidence that long-term, low-level exposure to agrichemicals can be toxic to the nervous system – affecting mental processing and memory and increasing the risk of anxiety and depression. It’s a good idea to review your chemical use and talk to your supplier about what products may be available that are less toxic to people and the environment.”

Research among New Zealand agricultural workers found 63 percent had come into contact with pesticides but only half used gloves. The numbers for using safely goggles or a respirator were lower still.

“Everyone working with agrichemicals should be provided with the correct PPE,” Al says.

“Training should be provided by a suitably experienced person or industry courses are available. For some very hazardous chemicals, you will need to be certified to use them.

“Even if you’ve already gone through the processes with workers around using PPE and applying chemicals safely, it’s good to provide a refresher – to remind them why it’s important to use their PPE and read instructions on product labels and safety data sheets (SDS) before using agrichemicals.

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They also need to be reminded to change their overalls, put them in the wash, clean PPE and wash themselves thoroughly, immediately after spraying work.”

You should also be aware of local

Proper training around correct use of equipment for spraying, along with being aware of weather conditions that are most suitable for spraying – or when application should be avoided – will help minimise the risk of spray drift.

“If you are using contractors to do

“That will also be economical, because agrichemicals drifting out of the area they’re intended for isn't going to benefit your business," Al says.

“It’s also important to ensure that others on-farm, or people in neighbouring areas are aware that spraying is being done and could potentially be affected by spray drift.

Let people know when you plan to spray and also put up signage to flag areas where spraying is underway or which have recently been sprayed.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

authority regulations around spraying in certain areas. Many regions will require you to have a property spray plan. spraying, have a chat with them beforehand to ensure the person doing the work is fully trained and they know everything they need to about risk areas for spray drift on your land.

“Last but not least, before setting out to do spraying, think about the best vehicle for the job. Serious and fatal accidents have occurred when towing spraying equipment. For instance, if you are thinking of using a quad bike or ATV to tow spraying equipment, then check the manufacturer’s instructions around weight limits. If it's looking too heavy, switch to the tractor instead.”

Article supplied by WorkSafe

THE FARMLANDER | 29

IS THIS THE LAST ENVELOPE YOU’LL RECEIVE FROM US?

THE CHOICE IS YOURS

The shift to digital communications is part of our journey to build a more sustainable co-operative for all of us. So is this the end of envelopes for you?

Stick with printed statements

Switch to email statements

You can still receive paper statements, however we are introducing a $2 monthly fee from 1st August.

Electronic statements have the same information, at no cost to you.

FAR_10097

We will be reaching out via email and letter over the coming months to explain these options in more detail.

To learn more, visit farmlands.co.nz/statements before 31st July.

30 | THE FARMLANDER

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HEALTH & SAFETY

Planning for winter health and safety The winter months are a peak time for accidents on New Zealand farms.

Injuries caused by slips/trips, hitting moving objects or being hit by a moving object, being hit or bitten by an animal and injury from lifting or carrying, all peak between June and September.

Vehicle accidents on farms also climb steeply during August.

Al McCone, Agriculture Lead for WorkSafe NZ, says seasonal conditions are clearly a factor in the increase in a number of farm workplace accidents over winter.

“Muddy or slippery surfaces, driving in dark wet conditions, working closely with cows during calving, lifting winter feed – these are all among risk factors,” Al says.

“However, you can mitigate these with good planning and good communication. Now is a good time to talk through the risks on your farm – including specific seasonal ones – with your team, to decide the best ways to manage those and keep communicating those messages.

“You’ll be looking after your people and yourself and helping ensure productivity doesn’t take a hit from people being crook at critical times.”

Good points to discuss include: • Places that shouldn’t be accessed at certain times or in particular circumstances, such as steep wet slopes or crossing rivers/using underpasses.

• Vehicles and equipment should be well maintained, cleaned and checked regularly. Always take a few minutes to think about/ discuss the best vehicle and safest route for the job. Where a vehicle has a seatbelt fitted, use it, including on tractors.

| Winter conditions are risky but can be mitigated through good health and safety planning and communication.

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• To minimise the risk of slips, trips and falls, ensure everyone has suitable footwear with good tread, that are in good condition. Always use three points of contact on ladders or when mounting/dismounting tractors or a mobile plant.

• Arrange work areas to minimise tripping/slipping hazards, clean up

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spills as soon as possible, keep walkways clear of obstacles and use slip-resistant floor coverings such as rubber mats for slippery areas – for example, calving shed floors.

• Provide training in correct lifting/ manual handling techniques and make clear that if something might be too heavy to lift safely alone, then always seek help.

• Manage risks around zoonotic diseases. Leptospirosis can be contracted through contact with urine of infected animals.

Waterlogged paddocks and waterways are a particular risk.

Infection can enter through cuts and cracks in skin or through the eyes, nose or mouth. Ensure everyone has the correct personal protective equipment, including gloves. Provide access to adequate washing facilities, with running water, liquid soap and paper towels to thoroughly wash and dry hands and face. A bucket of water and bar of soap in the calving shed is not sufficient.

• F inally – and most importantly – fatigue is a significant contributory factor to accidents. Winter often means working late in dark, challenging conditions. Plan rosters to ensure adequate cover and ensure everyone takes sufficient breaks and is hydrated and well nourished. Many farms provide healthy meals and snacks during challenging times like calving.

Article supplied by WorkSafe

THE FARMLANDER | 31

Grab your gumboots

JUNE

IT’S ON SITE AND ONLINE

2021

is on

www.fieldays.co.nz

32 | THE FARMLANDER

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PARTNERSHIP NEWS

Staying on top of employer responsibility With the start of the dairy farming year, it’s a good time to look at your employment documentation and arrangements, to make sure that they are fully compliant. There are a number of ways that farmers get tripped up over employment matters.

First, it’s important to make sure that your workers are engaged correctly. For example, many engage casual workers to do regular part time work. Where work patterns become regular (e.g. they work certain days or a similar number of hours), these workers can be deemed to be permanent employees, which can be a problem when the employer wants to end the relationship. If employees are working on a regular basis, they should be on a part time permanent agreement and not a casual agreement.

It’s also vital to ensure employment agreements are up to date.

There have been recent changes to the law that must be reflected in

employment contracts, plus there are lots of ‘nice to have’ clauses that assist employers.

For those in the farming community, this includes clauses relating to accommodation and allowances.

Policies are another area to look at, particularly if you are moving to a new workplace. It is important to ensure that you have a full suite of policies in place and that they adequately cover your legal obligations.

An example of a recent law change is the introduction of bereavement leave of 3 days, where the employee has had a miscarriage or stillborn baby. This applies to the partner, as well as the person carrying the baby, so employers may find that a couple could be off farm at this time.

It’s a good time to be making sure that all these matters are ‘hygiene-checked’ to ensure you have the basics covered and don’t leave yourself open to challenge from your employees.

An ongoing issue that received much publicity a few years ago is minimum wage. The minimum wage has now gone up to $20 an hour and employers need to check that each worker is paid the minimum wage for every hour that they work, in each pay cycle. During calving, the hourly rate can be eroded by the hours worked, so special attention is needed.

Don't leave your responsibilities as an employer to hearsay!

For any employment issues or queries, please contact Amanda Douglas at amanda.douglas@wynnwilliams.co.nz or phone 64 3 379 7622.

Amanda Douglas, Partner, Wynn Williams

We are delighted to partner with Farmlands in offering all Shareholders 15 minutes free advice over the phone, and a 7.5% discount on all legal fees.

Simply call us on 09 300 2600 (North Island) or 03 379 7622 (South Island) or visit www.wynnwilliams.co.nz/farmlands for more details.

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THE FARMLANDER | 33

Protect the economic health of your farm and your herd with NRM feed solutions The NRM Dairy Range has been developed to provide feed solutions that offer choice and flexibility. Rather than a bulk standard feed, options are available to suit a variety of budgets, health needs and performance targets, offering a comprehensive range of compound feeds, blends and straights.

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THE FARMLANDER | 35

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Articles in the Plan365 section allow Farmlands suppliers to share best practice and the latest advances in rural technology, to help shareholders with their farming needs all year round.

Keep your calves from feeling blue Reliance Blue Boost is the newest electrolyte on the block and has some unique features to not only hydrate calves, lambs and kid goats, but to give them an extra boost when they are feeling blue.

Electrolyte is a critical tool in the toolbox for rearers and its correct use can take a rearing system from good to great. The Farmlands Nutrition team has developed a new electrolyte with a difference and its pre-launch last spring confirmed that a winning formulation had been created. Many farmers commented that they would not use any other electrolyte after using Blue Boost — it is now on Farmlands shelves across the country, ready for you to use this season.

Blue Boost is the result of a highly experienced calf rearer, a vet and two nutritionists getting together to create a new electrolyte for young ruminants — science and practice in harmony. An easy-to-use product, we want people to reach for Blue Boost before animals become clinically unwell, so they are returned to a healthy, hydrated state as quickly as possible — the fence at the top of the cliff, rather than the ambulance at the bottom.

So what makes it so effective?

• As close to the perfect balance of electrolytes (sodium, potassium and chloride) as we could get.

• A high dextrose level to help water cross the gut of calves and give an energy boost.

• Glycine, an amino acid that aids sodium and glucose absorption from the intestine.

• A nutritionally effective dose of Vitamin B12 that is linked to stimulating appetite.

| Farmlands Nutritionist Stacey Cosnett, who helped to develop the electrolyte, tubing a calf with Reliance Blue Boost.

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• A bright blue colour to easily distinguish it on the farm.

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Tips for using Blue Boost in your rearing system: • It always seems to be 4pm on a Sunday when you need electrolyte, so make sure you have some on hand so it is there whenever you need it.

• Making sure animals are always well hydrated and have an optimal electrolyte balance ensures their overall health, making them less susceptible to infections. We call this proactive electrolyting. Reach for Blue Boost for any calf, lamb or kid that you think could do with a boost, don’t wait for them to deteriorate any further before you take action.

• One of the first signs of a glum animal is decreased appetite. We see this as slowness to get up and drink their milk feed. It is at this point that the animal should be identified and either given an electrolyte immediately (if they have not drunk any milk) or 4 hours later (if they have drunk some milk).

• Either tube the electrolyte or feed it through a teat.

• Using Blue Boost to rehydrate animals after transport works a treat too. Just replace their first feed after transport with the electrolyte Reliance Blue Boost is available in a 3kg or 12kg container to suit any scale of rearing system and can be used on lambs and kid goats as well as calves.

For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer, or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Stacey Cosnett, Farmlands Nutritionist

THE FARMLANDER | 37

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38 | THE FARMLANDER

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GOlamb WHEY and GOgoat WHEY Milk Replacers are whey-based milk replacers developed by Milligans Feeds in conjunction with our European partner in Holland, specifically for rearing Lambs and Goats in New Zealand conditions.

0800 786 253 | feedsales@milligans.co.nz | www.milligansfeeds.co.nz Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

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NUTRITION

Horses for courses Maintaining an appropriate body weight is important to equine health and nutrition. It can help minimise the risk of serious conditions and assist with overall health.

Excess body condition and obesity are common in certain breeds and can increase the chance of developing hormonal imbalances, leading to insulin resistance, equine metabolic syndrome and laminitis, as well as causing decreased athleticism. Underweight horses can experience several health problems also, including increased risk of malnutrition and anemia, poor-quality coat and hooves, increased likelihood of infection, fertility issues and musculoskeletal injuries.

Early winter is an ideal time of the year to assess body condition in horses and ensure they are in optimum condition before the colder months. Various tools can be used to routinely determine body weight and condition including weigh tapes, scales, body condition score charts and even online calculators or well-focused photographs to evaluate changes. Whichever tool you select, it's important to use it correctly and frequently in order to accurately assess condition over time. This means you can adjust the diet accordingly, to consistently achieve ideal body condition.

Body condition scoring serves as both the fastest and more economical method among the many options for measuring body fat. There are two body condition charts used for horses, a 1 – 9 chart commonly used in the USA and Europe and a 0 – 5 chart displayed here that is more common in New Zealand. Both charts are used to describe the amount of fat and muscle a horse is carrying, with either 0 or 1 signifying extreme emaciation and 5 to 9 indicating obesity.

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Body Condition Score Chart How to score your horse: 1. Evaluate the horse by feeling the neck, back, and ribs from side on, and visually assess the rump from behind; 2. Select a base score for the rump, with half scores for intermediate grades; 3. If the back and ribs or neck score differs by 1 point from the rump score adjust by half a point up or down.

Body Condition Score Chart

How to score your horse:

0 Very Poor • Very sunken rump • Deep cavity under tail 0 Very Poor tight • • VerySkin sunken rumpover bones • • Deep cavitypromiment under tail Very • Skinbackbone tight over bones and pelvis • Very prominent backbone and • pelvis Marked ewe neck •

1. Evaluate the horse by feeling the neck, back and ribs from side on, and visually assess the rump from behind; 3 Good 2. Select a base score for the rump, with half scores for intermediate grades; 3. If the back and ribs or neck score differs by 1 point from the rump score adjust by half• a point up or down.

Rounded rump

• Good Firm neck, no crest 3

except for stallions • Rounded rump Noneck, gutter along back •• Firm no crest except • stallions Ribs just covered • Nobut gutter along back easily felt • Ribs just covered but easily felt

Marked ewe neck

4 Fat 4 FatWell-rounded rump • • Well-rounded rump • Gutter along back • Gutter along back and rump and rump • Ribs and pelvis hard to feel • Ribs and pelvis hard • Slight crest to feel • Slight crest

1 Poor

1 • PoorSunken rump

• Sunken rump Cavity under tail • • Cavity under tail • • RibsRibs easily easily visible visible • • Prominent backbone and croup Promiment backbone • Eweand neck croup

•

Ewe neck

2 Moderate •

5 Very Fat

rump both sides of the 2 Flat Moderate backbone • • RibsFlat just visible rump both sides • Narrow but firm neck of the backbone • • Backbone Ribs well justcovered visible

Very bulging rump 5• Very Fat • Deep gutter along back and rump • Ribs and bulging pelvis buried • Very rump • Marked • Deepcrest gutter along back • Folds lumps of fat andand rump • Ribs and pelvis buried • Narrow but firm neck • Masked crest • Areas Backbone well covered of emphasis for body condition scoring: thickening of the neck, fat covering the withers, fat deposits along backbone, fat deposits on flanks, fat deposits on inner thighs, fat deposits around tailhead, fat deposits behind shoulders, fat covering ribs, shoulder blends into • neck. Folds and lumps of fat

1800 772 | advice@ker.com Version 0920 Areas of emphasis for body scoring: thickening of the neck, fat covering the withers, fat198 deposits along the | ker.com backbone, fat deposits on the flanks, fat deposits on the inner thighs, fat deposits around tailhead, fat deposits behind shoulders, fat covering ribs, shoulder blends into neck.

Body condition scoring takes time and

eventing, polo and racing should score

practice and involves feeling areas of

2.5 to 3. Hunters, jumpers, dressage

the horse with the fingers or hands,

mounts, broodmares and stallions in the

as well as visual assessment. Due to

off season should score 3.5 to 4.

conformational differences, it is often recommended to body condition score the horse in three sections; neck, barrel and rump, taking the average of these sections to achieve an accurate score.

Assessing weight changes and altering diets accordingly can be challenging for various reasons, including a lack of

Because each horse is an individual with regards to metabolism, workload and temperament, owners should consult a veterinarian or an equine nutritionist to evaluate their horses and recommend suitable feeding plans.

Keeping a horse at its optimum body

knowledge regarding appropriate body

condition can decrease its risk of

weight or condition, conformational

developing various diseases related to

differences and the appearance of

feed management, as well as helping to

weight changes based on breed and

ensure the horse can perform the work

higher calorie diets — due to widespread

that is required.

availability of quality feed and forage year-round.

Depending on their discipline and use, horses will have different optimum body condition scores. For example, using the 0 – 5 chart, horses used for endurance,

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

For further advice on body condition scoring and selecting the correct diet for your horse, consult a credible equine nutritionist.

Article supplied by Luisa Wood, Equine Nutritionist

THE FARMLANDER | 39

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NUTRITION

Consistency in a changing world We can feel perplexed by today’s rapidly-changing world, imagine how change can stress a young vulnerable calf. Being born with a flight instinct of the wild, newborns tend to struggle with their new environment, social interactions, the weather, the people who care for them and diet.

I know from all my hands-on years of rearing thousands of calves that the more changes we make, the more chance that we have to weaken the immune defence and severity of nutritional scour and losses in daily weight gains. Keeping everything the same every day is one of the best practises that we should use in our calf rearing, as this helps minimise negative impacts on a calf’s health and digestive track.

One thing that we can control is the calf milk replacer (CMR) that we

choose to feed. Whole milk CMRs can have some inconsistencies through the manufacturing process they go through, as well as in the raw materials that are used. Whole milk CMRs can vary from batch to batch. They can be ever so slight, but be quite noticeable for the rearer with resulting nutritional scours and health risks that can show up not long after a calf has been fed.

For farmers wanting a strong curding option, whole milk is the way to go but it can be variable and carries its own risks compared to milk replacer.

Poorly-digested whole milk protein which can occur in ‘over feeders’ or an interference in the curding process in the abomasum (the true stomach of a young calf). When undigested protein passes out of the abomasum and into the small intestine too quickly, it can feed harmful bacteria, resulting

in scours in young calves. A white scour that is often seen is usually from undigested protein and often we will see this from calves that have over-fed on whole milk.

With a premium whey-based, noncurding CMR specifically formulated for our New Zealand calves, the curd process has been taken away and we are left with a very consistent by-product that is not dependent on something going wrong in the dairy factory. A whey-based calf milk replacer like Reliance Power Whey is one that has been manufactured from a consistent and inevitable whey supply from the cheese industry and made to a human food standard that eliminates variability for those calves that are facing challenges daily.

A premium non-curding whey milk replacer does not need to curd and is easily digested, so is a reliably safe, consistent and economical option for both the rearer and dairy farmer — especially when milk payouts are strong.

For rearers looking for more consistency and less variability, Reliance Power Whey can be a very good economical option. It goes handin-hand with best practises on farm to produce a healthy, happy calf that reaches targets and with the perfect complement of a high-quality calf feed, you have a great recipe for success.

For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer, or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

| Keeping everything the same every day is one of the best practises in calf rearing.

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Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

Article supplied by Karen Fraser, Technical Specialist

THE FARMLANDER | 41

42 | THE FARMLANDER

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NUTRITION

Calf experts on tour We all scroll google for medical information and sometimes we can find advice that can be really helpful, while other advice leads us to thinking we have a serious brain tumor when in reality it was only a headache through lack of hydration.

With that in mind it was decided that there are the same issues when it comes to calf rearing and so two Farmlands staff members started a calf page on Facebook to help ‘myth break’ and offer some advice.

You may have seen this dynamic duo on their Facebook page ‘The Calf Experts’ where they are on a mission to cut through the misinformation by delivering accurate and easy to understand advice.

Karen Fraser and Stacey Cosnett are passionate about calf rearing and love to support New Zealand farmers to grow the best calves possible — helping improve industry averages during this critical time of life along the way. With their combined technical knowledge and practical experience, there isn't much these two don't know about calf rearing.

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The Calf Experts will be coming to a town near you in the lead up to spring calving, offering public seminars up and down the country. They have dedicated a big chunk of their lives to helping calf rearers.

Stacey is Farmlands' in-house Ruminant Nutritionist and Karen is a Farmlands Nutrition Specialist, who specialises in all things young stock and has considerable practical experience running large scale calf rearing units.

The Calf Experts Tour will focus on colostrum, animal health, rumen development and hygiene — and will include plenty of time for audience questions. Karen and Stacey are all about getting the basics of a calf rearing system right and you can expect to pick up some simple tips and tricks to really get your calf system humming.

Whether new to rearing, or with years of experience, there is something for everyone. Owners and managers should take this opportunity to send their teams to up-skill and learn best practise, from day one pick-up, through to weaning off milk and beyond.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

If this sounds like something that interests you, follow ‘The Calf Experts’ on Facebook. Stacey and Karen will start the tour in Northland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty in early June, followed by visits to Taranaki, Masterton and Hawke's Bay. The South Island tour will cover Canterbury, Southland and Otago in early July and Tasman and West Coast in mid to late July. Dates and locations are still to come so watch this space.

If you are after calf equipment, calf milk replacer and calf feed or need some help and advice, contact your local Farmlands store, Technical Field officer or Nutrition Specialist and they will help guide you through all your calf rearing needs.

Article supplied by Karen Fraser, Technical Specialist

THE FARMLANDER | 43

MYFARMLANDS JUST GOT EASIER Set up your NEW MyFarmlands account to: •

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Visit www.farmlands.co.nz to learn more.

44 | THE FARMLANDER

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Effective calving transition Last month’s article focused on transitioning cows from a milking diet onto a winter diet. This month’s article will focus on bringing cows back to the milking platform after the dry period and the best way to support the cow through this phase, for optimal productivity throughout the season.

Physiologically speaking, a springer cow has a lot to do in a short space of time.

She needs to adapt from a winter diet to a milking diet (which may be vastly different) and allow parturition of a calf, all while adapting to making milk. If this process fails, she may be a downer cow or she may just function sub-optimally — affecting her season productivity and ability to get back in-calf.

Let us look at the diet of a springer cow.

A critical component is ensuring she is on a low potassium (K+) and low sodium (Na+) diet, with adequate magnesium for at least 14 days prior to calving and that any dietary changes are completed before this critical period.

Looking at the K+ component, this is typically a paddock that does not get effluent and has high pasture covers. Older, long and rank pasture has reduced uptake of potassium and so springer cows may be better on pastures with higher pasture covers, rather than younger shorter grass. It is a good idea to get some pasture analysis done, to ensure they are optimal for the springing cow.

Grass can still be risky if it is the predominant diet. Consider reducing the grass component and using other feeds that consider the K+ and protein components — if your herd has a high milk fever risk. For example, maize can reduce the protein and K+ component

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Three important points for effective calving transition: 1. Use feeds that are low in potassium (K+) and low in sodium (Na+) for at least 14 days prior to calving.

2. Magnesium should be supplemented for at least 14 days prior to calving.

3. Any dietary changes should be made over a period of days and should be completed before the critical 14 day springer period.

of the diet, which are both useful for milk fever prevention. Cereal forages and silages and silage made from poorer quality grass can also be useful to reduce the K+ component of the diet.

A cow needs to be primed with adequate magnesium for at least 14 days prior to calving, to allow her to mobilise calcium effectively at calving.

In many situations, farmers will pull out cows from the dry mob and into the springer mob, based on visual assessment of the udder but unless this is done using predicted calving dates as well, some cows will be in the springer mob for less than 14 days. A very strategic approach is needed here, to ensure cows get effective mineralpriming for a minimum of 14 days prior to calving.

Maintaining rumen health is a critical component of effectively transitioning a dry cow to a milking cow. Cows must be transitioned from their dry cow diet and onto their springer diet

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at least 3 weeks before calving and over a period of days, to allow the rumen microbes time to adapt to a new diet.

Any sudden dietary change shocks the rumen and compromises the cow’s ability to function. An example of bad transitioning would be having cows on kale one day and then pasture the next and then expecting the cow to calve 10 days later without compromise. If the transitioning process fails, there will be downer cows. Unfortunately this will be the tip of the iceberg in terms of compromised productivity for the season. ProDairy probiotic extract can help support your herd’s rumen health and support transitions to calving.

For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer, or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Donaghys

THE FARMLANDER | 45

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All prices quoted are exclusive to Farmlands shareholders and include GST. Prices valid until Saturday 31 July 2021 or while stocks last.

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Pre-lamb vaccinating your ewes Lambs are born with very few antibodies and rely on the ewe’s colostrum for protection against clostridial diseases including pulpy kidney and tetanus. Clostridial vaccination of the ewe just prior to lambing is utilised on most New Zealand farms to boost the level of antibodies lambs receive in colostrum. The more antibodies they receive, the higher their chances of survival if they face disease challenge. It is therefore vital to get pre-lamb vaccination right – both with the timing and the level of antibodies produced.

For timing it’s about stimulating the ewe at the right time, so her antibody levels peak when forming her colostrum.

Ideally this is about 2 weeks ahead of lambing, but different farms have different management systems and lambing spread varies so the flexibility to vaccinate earlier can be important.

For antibody levels, it’s about ensuring sufficient antibodies are available for transfer into the lamb. How much is sufficient can vary, depending on whether a ewe has one, two or three lambs suckling and how much disease-challenge a lamb may face.

The gut of the newborn lamb is best at absorbing these antibodies within the first 12 hours of life, so it’s crucial this

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colostrum is at the best quality and

Higher antibody levels provide

volume possible.

protection for up to 16 weeks (4 weeks

If it is convenient to vaccinate the flock

longer than other 5 in 1 vaccines2),

2 weeks ahead of lambing and you

vaccination can also happen earlier –

have a large number of single bearing

from 6 weeks pre-lamb (2 weeks earlier

ewes, then you may choose a pre-lamb

than other 5 in 1 vaccines2).

5 in 1 vaccine like MULTINE –it gives

Plus NILVAX can also be suitable as a

a really good antibody response and

short-acting, priming drench ahead of

when used closer to lambing

pre-lamb capsules or in combination

(2 to 4 weeks), it provides protection

with other long acting drench products.

®

for the lambs for up to 12 weeks.

New Multine B12 also contains a dose of vitamin B12, meaning you can supplement the ewe (and her lambs via colostrum) with B12 in a single injection.

However, if your flock has a higher number of multiple bearing ewes or you vaccinate earlier (for example, to reduce the likelihood of sleepy sickness), or you want longer protection of lambs to reduce losses through until weaning, then NILVAX® would be a much better choice for your farm.

NILVAX is the specialist prelamb vaccine, formulated with a powerful 5 in 1 plus an

Whether NILVAX or MULTINE is the right choice for your farm is up to you.

Both are developed and manufactured in New Zealand to the highest standard, for New Zealand farming challenges.

They both have excellent local field data, showing that NILVAX produces the highest antibody levels in ewes at pre-lamb, and MULTINE also produces high antibody levels2.

For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer, or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

immune booster — Levamisole. Used at pre-lamb, NILVAX boosts the protective

Article supplied by MSD Coopers

antibody levels of ewes, preparing them

1. Prelamb vaccination – Comparing Apples with Apples, J R Moffat. Soc. Sheep & Beef Cattle Veterinarians, NZVA 2004

to produce antibody-rich colostrum available to their lambs.

With NILVAX more ewes respond with higher antibody levels than with other 5 in 1 vaccines.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

2. ACVM Approved Label, Nilvax A3977, Multine A0934, Multine B12 A11311 Registered Trademark. Schering-Plough Animal Health Ltd. ACVM Registration numbers: A3977, A0934, A11311. Phone: 0800 800 543 www.msd-animal-health. co.nz NZ/NIL/0418/001

®

THE FARMLANDER | 47

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SURVIVING AND THRIVING IS LESS THAN YOU THINK.

When your lambs thrive, so does your bank balance.

A little planning and care today can pay dividends tomorrow. The Farmlands team has a wealth of knowledge at your disposal - our experienced agronomists, nutrition experts and teams in the field are here to help provide you with a full-package solution.

Talk to Farmlands about your pre-lamb plan today.

SHEDS

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• Extra girts – 5 rows of girts to keep walls stronger for longer • Barge flashing – add $180 +GST • Zinc, for coloursteel add $2,140 +GST

High wind, 0.9kpa snow, good ground assumed. Kitset materials and councilready plans included. Concrete, council fees and assembly not included. Extra freight may apply for remote locations. GreenWood T&C’s apply. Photo illustration only. Hundreds of other specifications and dimensions are available.

Contact us on 0800 347 259 or visit greenwoodinfo.co.nz

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Where do mid-acting drenches fit at pre-lamb?

Winter is setting in which means scanning and pre-lamb is not far away. It’s a good time to consider which pre-lamb treatment your ewes will need this year and when to give it to them.

By removing the parasites in the ewes

Regardless of feed, body condition or

condition and therefore milk production.

the number of lambs on board, all ewes

The length of worm control that is given

need a 5in1 vaccination to protect them

depends on how much protection is

and their lambs. After that, you need to

required. A clean-out drench has very

think about the other challenges they

little production impact1, as it is the

will face, such as how robust the ewes

ingestion of thousands of larvae daily,

are, their ability to cope with health

that does the damage2. The longer

challenges and whether you can tip the

the worm protection, the better the

balance in their favour leading up to and

production-response will be. However,

during lambing.

this does need to be balanced with the

If ewe immunity is compromised due

risk of drench resistance. With this in

to poor body condition, lowered feed

mind, farmers should only treat ewes

quantity or quality, or an increased

with a long-acting drench that really

challenge of parasites, supporting their

need it. If they are in good condition,

immune system with an effective drench

or have plenty to eat, then a 5in1

can be very beneficial.

should be fine by itself. Ewes should

and protecting them from incoming larvae, the ewe doesn’t have to divert and waste protein and energy to fight off the worms. Instead this protein can be used to support the foetus or her body

be treated ‘as individuals’ according to their needs, which enables the right drench to be used for the right purpose, minimising use and delaying drenchresistance.

Eweguard® and Cydectin® Injection are good choices for ewes that need a few weeks of worm protection around the lambing period. They both offer up to 35 days protection against Teladorsagia circumcincta, arguably the most common and problematic parasite affecting sheep at this time of year. Removing parasites has been shown in pre-lamb trials to increase ewe production with heavier lambs at weaning and less daggy ewes1, 3.

If labour is an issue on the farm, Eweguard has the benefit of also containing a 5in1 vaccine component, as well as a vaccine for cheesy gland (lympho), cutting down considerably on workload. It is available with or without therapeutic doses of selenium, helping to prevent weak lambs at birth and white muscle disease.

For more information on Eweguard, Cydectin Injection or selective treatment of ewes, talk to your local Farmlands Technical Field Officer, or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Zoetis Zoetis New Zealand Limited. Tel: 0800 963 847; www. zoetis.co.nz. Eweguard and Cydectin are registered trade marks of Zoetis. ACVM Nos. A5979, A7302, A9122 1. CM Miller, S Ganesh, CB Garland & DM Leathwick, Production benefits from pre- and post-lambing anthelmintic treatment of ewes on commercial farms in the southern North Island of New Zealand. NZVJ 2015

| Removing parasites has been shown in pre-lamb trials to increase ewe production with heavier lambs at weaning.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

2. Leyva, V. Henderson E, Sykes A. The effect of daily infection with O. circumcincta larvae on the performance of pregnant and lactating sheep. Proceedings of the NZ Society of Animal Production, 41, 1981 3. Zoetis data on file

THE FARMLANDER | 49

50 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

No more milk fever theft Mangawhai based Hokonui Farms owners, Innes and Tania Anderson and contract milkers Miles and Tash Harrison milk 555 crossbred cows on a 200ha platform in Northland.

Being Northland Sharemilker of the Year in 2012, Miles is very focused on improving efficiency and productivity and has been very keen to improve the herds performance as quickly as possible.

One of those improvement areas was preparing the herd for calving.

“If things don’t go right, we can waste a lot of time and money, getting frustrated and loading the entire team with stress,” Miles says.

“In 2019 we had at least 16 cows with

1)

clinical milk fever (2.8 percent of the herd) and lost five very good cows. I have no doubt that there were many more subclinical cases, so we had a terrible start.

“We noticed a drop in milk production, peak milk was slower and the whole herd just didn’t hit their potential.”

Miles and Innes spoke with Warwick Dowse from Phibro Animal Health to

| Tash, Noah and Miles Harrison are focused on preparing their herd for calving.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

investigate how the farm could deal with metabolic problems, specifically milk fever in May 2020.

compared to previous years. “The Animate

Phibro has a new product called Animate, an anionic feed additive that was used on Hokonui for the springer cows, under a proper transition-feed program.

return on investment.

“We looked at a range of options, but Phibro had an actual program that we could follow and monitor during the transition period for the springer cows,” Miles says.

met and Animate dealt to our metabolic

“Warwick provided us with options, we knew the cost up-front and could monitor its effectiveness by measuring the cow’s urine pH over the transition period. This indicated that the cow’s metabolism was getting in-shape for calving and her calcium reserves and magnesium requirements were on track. The cows loved to eat the maize silage with Animate blended into it.

significantly reduces milk fever and

“This year we only had one case of milk fever and there were no deaths, we hit peak production earlier, but most importantly, individual milk solids per-cow were up

Article supplied by Phibro Animal Health Corporation

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

programs cost has easily been accounted for in increased milk production, with a 4:1 “My overall goal of increasing our herd’s production through increased milk solids and days in milk has been issues very effectively,” Mike says.

Animate is a proprietary anionic feed supplement that helps prepare a cow’s metabolism prior to calving that other calving related issues.

Animate can be mixed with a range of feeds during transition either directly or in a pellet form.

For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer, or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

1. Getting the Basics Right 2021 https://issuu.com/ruralnewsgroup/ docs/gtbr_2021_issue_20

THE FARMLANDER | 51

JOIN FARMLANDS AT

Make the most of your day off farm by dropping into the Farmlands site for a space to relax, knowledge, insights and deals.

WHEN:

16th - 19th June 2021

WHERE:

125 Mystery Creek Road, Ohaupo

SITE:

F103 - 109

YOUR SHAREHOLDER BENEFITS: • Buy your Fieldays ticket online or at the gate with your Farmlands Card • Shareholder storage, hospitality and WIFI on site • Knowledge and advice from our expert team • Great deals and savings And loads more!

Visit NRM at site PC24 - 25

We look forward to seeing you there!

52 | THE FARMLANDER

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Revolutionary safety in the shearing shed With safety at the forefront of all farm activity, there is no better time than now to assess the safety of your shearing shed. Due to the busy nature of shearing sheds, the opportunity for an accident to happen is high. You can minimise the risk of accidents, by reviewing the current safeguards your shearing machinery offers.

Important aspects to consider include if your shearing plant has safety cut-out, in case of lock-up, if your shearing plant is isolated from electric shock, if your woolpress has safety guards and if your woolpress is safe to operate.

Injuries that are preventable cost farmers, contractors and the wool and shearing industries time and money.

Due to advances in technology, shearing machinery now incorporates more advanced safety features. The cost of upgrading to a higher quality machine is a small price to pay for superior safety in a busy, high-stress work environment.

Heiniger New Zealand National Sales Manager Kevin Thirkell says it’s important to highlight what the risks looks like in a real-world context.

“Shearers, contractors and farmers increasingly demand tools that provide them with function that doesn’t compromise on safety,” Kevin says.

“For example, in the past when there has been a lock-up, the hand piece can spin around at approximately 3,500RPM

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

– making it an incredibly dangerous and life-threatening weapon – leading to the possibility of serious injury.

“A safe and light shearing machine, with the advantage of a downtube isolated from all electrified components, reduces any risk of electric shock.”

The Heiniger Evo Shearing Plant has fast become a market-leader, as the first shearing plant in the world with an electronic safety switch stopping the machine, in the event of dangerous handpiece ’lock-ups’. It is also extremely light, at only 7.8kg (machine only).

The TPW Xpress Woolpress is widely used by farmers, shearing contractors and many woolstores, where the features are demanded. This machine has long been renowned for its speed and toughness. It has been proven as the fastest press on the market, with a cycle time of 12-16 seconds in high yielding wools, when pressing bales up to 200kg.

Heiniger offers innovative, safer solutions for your shearing shed. With the Evo Shearing Plant and TPW Xpress Woolpress on the market, there are now few excuses for farmers not to better protect themselves and their employees.

For further information, contact the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Heiniger

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

Upgrading your woolpress?

Look for these features: • Safety: A fully fitted and approved mechanical safety screen and safety device for operator safety.

• Toughness and durability: For intensive use season after season and ensuring expensive servicing is reduced.

• Speed: To ensure high yield and efficiency when pressing bales.

• Ergonomics: Such as a low filling height to avoid stress and strain on an operator’s back.

• Robotics: High-tech machines offer a fully automatic bale ejection system to help your shearing operation.

THE FARMLANDER | 53

PROVIDED BY:

BUY STONEY CREEK AND BE IN TO WIN!

Includes scenic Helicopter flight courtesy of Te Anau helicopter services

For every $100 spent on Stoney Creek products throughout June & July, receive 1x Entry into the draw to win!

FOR MORE INFORMATION ASK THE STAFF AT YOUR LOCAL FARMLANDS STORE Terms and conditions apply. for more details See instore or online at www.stoneycreek.co.nz/ultimate_experience 54 | THE FARMLANDER Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Maintaining soil health “A single teaspoon of soil is teeming with around 5 billion microbes. But soils can have far fewer microbes than this depending on the soil type, location and what we do to it,” Ballance Agri-Nutrients Forage Specialist Murray Lane says.

“New Zealand is blessed with great, high organic-matter soils. But if we do what others have done and ignore our impacts on soil organisms, our soils are going to look very different someday,” Murray says.

Murray cites the example of soils in the mid-west of the United States, which used to have a similar level of organic matter as New Zealand soils (12 to 15 percent) but are now just 2 to 3 percent organic matter.

“Misuse has caused this decline. This doesn’t need to happen in New Zealand.”

He says monitoring soil health, in order to make any management changes, can help to prevent such a decline.

| Keeping an eye of soil health is vital to the productivity of your land.

hold together in water) and comparing

“At $50,000 per hectare, 1.0m2 of healthy

the target soil to ‘virgin’ soil (e.g. directly

topsoil on your farm is valued at $5. If it

“Monitoring the health of your soils can be relatively easy. Simply take a spade and get started. Dig a few holes and take a few notes on what you see.

beneath a fenceline) on the farm can be

Graham Shepherd has made the assessment easy by developing a standard scorecard for Visual Soil Assessment. Essentially, you give a score to a range of soil variables, add them up and relate the score to a standard chart.

with a specially collected sample

“It is very useful to do a Visual Soil Assessment because you get a comparative number. However, taking the time to dig a hole and see what you see is also a valuable starting point.”

to observe a growing interest in

quite revealing,” Murray says.

“A healthy soil is 25 percent air and 25 percent water. This can be measured

is compacted, eroded, or lacking organic matter, then it will be worth less than this.

More probably, it will not be enhancing your farm’s productivity,” Murray says.

allowing a true measure of bulk density and soil porosity, which is the presence

Information on Visual Soil Assessment

or absence of air-filled macropores.”

is available by scanning the QR Code.

Leaving soil undisturbed also helps to maintain and grow your soil.

“In recent times it has been tremendous cropping with no-tillage and strip-tillage techniques,” Murray says. This shows

For more information, contact your

that farmers are working to maintain

Ballance Nutrient Specialist, your

soil health.

Farmlands Technical Field Officer,

Further assessments can give an even greater understanding.

Keeping soil covered with vegetation,

or the friendly team at your local

“Doing a soil water infiltration test, or a slake test (how well do the soil particles

maintaining a good level of fertility are

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

growing a variety of species and also beneficial for soil health.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Ballance Agri-Nutrients

THE FARMLANDER | 55

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Contact your local Hynds branch for details and pricing. Farmlands discounts apply from 1st – 30th June 2021. For full address details please see our website or phone us for your nearest store.

IS THIS NZ’S MOST VALUABLE CARD? YOU DECIDE. 56 | THE FARMLANDER

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RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

A better way to feed Continually finding new and innovative ways of improving calf rearing is one of the reasons Stallion is the leading manufacturer of calf rearing products around the world.

Stallion’s mobile feeder range has been designed for maximise ease of use, as it’s no secret that calf rearing comes with long and busy days.

The transition between feeding out in the pens and in the paddock is unique for every farmer and in most cases, involves the physical strain of carrying around buckets of milk.

The Stallion team thrives on its ability to develop and create new products and designs that benefit farmers.

The Stallion Ute Tanker is one of a kind.

Being a safe and secure option, the ‘drop on a flat deck ute’ option features a Honda pump motor that can transfer

either 500 or 1,000 litres of milk from the milk vat into the tanker via a one-way side valve. This option gives farmers the ability to mix and transport milk from farm to farm and on the road, making it the safest mobile feeder transport option available.

The Ute Tanker also features tie down hooks to attach safety chains, an electric start option and 5m hose and forklift pockets for loading. Being able to utilise existing features of your ute such as lights and brakes is also a plus, helping further provide the safest option when tackling rough terrain.

Farmers generally use small tow behind motorbikes making the general Stallion mobile feeder collection work perfectly. The only catch is that they’re not designed for 5 to 10km distances on the road. They’re also not registered and they don’t have lights, making them

| The Ute Tanker gives farmers the ability to mix and transport milk from farm to farm safely.

dangerous to cart early in the morning or late at night. The Ute Tanker on the other hand has been specifically designed for utes in mind to be able to feed animals in multiple locations up to 10km away.

You can take the guesswork out of milk and colostrum feeding too, with the digital flow meter add-on. It lets farmers know exactly what they’re feeding to the calves and has the ability to reset at each pen.

There is nothing on the market right now with a design, or a mobile feeder that promotes good health and safety practises for staff on the farm, like the Ute Tanker.

Add the Ute Tanker to your calf rearing collection today and know you’re using a product that is made to the highest quality and built to last.

For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer, or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Electric start option available.

Article supplied by Stallion | The Honda pump motor can transfer either 500 or 1,000 litres of milk from milk vat into the tanker via a one-way side valve.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 57

UNBEATABLE EVERY DAY DEALS EXCLUSIVE TO FARMLANDS

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0800 80 20 80 bridgestonetyres.co.nz/farmlands Savings on car, 4x4 and van tyres are off recommended retail tyre price, excluding fitting and balancing charges. Normal fitting and balancing charges apply. All tyres must be fitted in-store at the time of purchase. Savings on tractor tyres are off List Price. In some sizes and brands at any given time, stock may be limited, please check stock availability with your store.

IS THIS NZ’S MOST VALUABLE CARD? YOU DECIDE. 58 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

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Rodent baiting and trapping techniques Most farmers would have visited a bait station or a rat trap to find that no bait has been eaten or the trap remains set but the bait is gone.

Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC)

such as walnuts from the shed. The live

evaluation provides validation that the

catch can then be dispatched with an

trap has passed a testing process.

air rifle if you have one, or by carefully

Any trap that causes a rat to bounce

tipping it into a small sturdy sack and

A well-meaning farmer or lifestyle block owner with great intentions of making a difference to the ecosystem by ridding the property of rodents is easily discouraged by poor results.

around for several minutes while it dies

using blunt trauma.

is not humane. Even though rodents

Baits and lures for traps

There are ways to get better results from the rodent control tools available to us.

T-Rex and Victor Professional.

Secondly, ensure the trap is placed

diet and the more aromatic your bait

Effective rodent control is not directly proportional to the cost of the device you purchase. Some expensive units may be very effective but a number of low cost traps or bait stations can be equally effective — if used properly.

correctly. A full-frontal strike across

is, the more attractive it will be. Make

the head between the ears or directly

sure that the bait is checked regularly,

behind the head will ensure that the

as these may be eaten by insects such

rodent dies quickly. Placing a trap

as weta, bush cockroaches or crickets

in a trap box will ensure that the rat

— or they may become mouldy and

approaches the trap from the front. Rats

unpalatable. Sometimes mice can

Use powerful traps Make sure that you purchase a robust trap that will kill rodents instantly. The power of the steel spring-action is vital. If you can trigger the trap on your fingernail without inflicting any pain on yourself, then you can assume that a similar result will occur on rodents.

approaching a trap from the side may

delicately eat the bait from a rat trap,

just be caught by a leg. The Tomcat

without triggering the pressure plate.

Tunnel (available instore July 2021)

There are a few artificial lures available

places the T-Rex trap in exactly the

and these are worth a try, especially if

correct position for a kill strike. In fact,

you can’t inspect your traps often.

Traps are supposed to cause instant death by blunt trauma – not a slow one via slow strangulation. National Animal

you can also try a live cage trap for

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

are pests, they do not deserve to die a prolonged and cruel death. Some tried and true brands are Snap E, Tom Cat,

Mix it up and try different baits. Peanut butter, bacon, cheese or some white bread with jam are all tried and proven baits. Rodents are partial to a varied

you get two traps placed in opposite directions in the lockable tunnel.

If you are unsuccessful with kill traps, rodent control. You can bait these with whatever the rodents are feeding on,

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer, or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Key Industries

THE FARMLANDER | 59

Let Us

Help you with your next fencing project

ASK INSTORE ABOUT OUR WIDE RANGE OF FENCING SOLUTIONS TODAY

www.summitsteel.co.nz 60 | THE FARMLANDER

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The New Zealand Century Farm and Station Awards aim to capture and preserve the history of our country’s farming families. Each month we will share stories from Farmlands shareholders who have worked their land for 100 years or more.

Havelock Haven Sydney Higgins (Emery) purchased land at Havelock in 1885, which has now been farmed by five generations of one family.

time, the family had grown to seven

came to work every day for 12 more

children, so the house was extended

years just as his father had done.

and Eunice developed a lovely garden.

The farm was then bought by

The farm was doing well, so a thrashing

Gordon and Barb in 1986. Gordon

mill and traction engine were purchased

and Barb introduced Merinos on

and more work was taken on around

the steep hills and built up a deer

the district. In the early 1930s, a

herd, starting with fallow deer, then

steel wheeled tractor was bought.

into red Wapiti cross deer, which

The thrashing mill now resides at the

was successful for many years.

Sydney Higgins (Emery) was the sixth child of 11 to pioneer settlers, Sydney and Sarah (nee Sharp).

Brayshaw Park Museum in Blenheim.

In 2014, their daughter, Penny and

In the early 1940s, David took his sons,

her husband, Cavel King helped run

Arnold and Albie into the partnership

the farm while also building up a

Emery and Bertha (nee Russ) had seven children and farming life was busy with bush felling, fencing and seeding. The family homestead was built a couple of years later, which is still there today.

known as D.E. Higgins and Sons.

herd of dairy goats. Penny and Cavel

Arnold and his wife, Nolleen (nee

leased the farm in 2017 and continue

In 1914, the farm was handed over to their second child and eldest son, David Emery Higgins, who in 1912 had married Eunice (nee Edwards).

They moved onto the farm with their first born son, Arnold Sydney.

farm from their father and farmed

David and Eunice were good farmers and worked hard on developing the land further – purchasing more land from neighbouring farms. By this

Housiaux) moved into the family

Andrews) and their first son shifted into the family home in 1944.

to milk goats full time, supplying the milk to a cheese factory.

In 1953, Arnold and Albie bought the under Higgins Bros. David would still come to work on the farm and continued with the book work.

In 1972, Arnold and Nolleen’s second son, Gordon and his wife, Barb (nee homestead and ran the farm. Then in 1976, a partnership was formed as A.S. Higgins and Son. Arnold still | Thrashing clover, 1917.

| The homestead and farm, late 1980s.

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| Emery and Bertha Higgins.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 61

Rural market update New Zealand farm sales continue to strengthen – double the same time last year.

Commodity prices for New Zealand primary products are at the highest level ever recorded in the ANZ World Price Index and in NZ dollar terms. The history of the index goes back to 1986 when they began at 100. During March it rose to 341.6, up 20 percent on the same time last year. None of the major commodities that make up the indexes were at their record highs. The current trend reflects strength across the board – this bodes well for NZ primary sector producers who have endured significant operating constraints over the last 12 months.

We are anticipating improved terms of trade as international COVID-19 constraints ease, and restaurants and hospitality generally pick up again. Particularly for trade like venison and lamb racks, as consumer confidence returns. In short, the NZ produce story is typically in great shape, even with an appreciating NZ dollar.

This is definitely translating into confidence to invest in our primary sector. Nationally, the first quarter of 2021 saw 326 rural sales for $848m (pastoral) – up almost $400m on the same time last year. Dairy farm sales at $219m continue to underpin these results making up 55 percent of the sales value, from 26 percent of sales from January to March 2021. On the prior year, dairy sales are running at twice the value and volume this calendar year.

South Island dairy sales continue an upward trajectory. While back on North Island volumes, we continue to see strength return to this market with our most recent large scale, North Otago dairy auction, successfully selling for $15,550,000 at Otekaike, west of Duntroon.

Sheep and beef shareholders will be pleased to learn; we continue to field genuine buyer inquiry from traditional farming interests looking for properties at scale in support of both succession and investment.

We welcome inquiry now on this class of property.

So, as the nights draw closer and temperatures drop, we continue to encourage those contemplating their property options for next season to talk to us ahead of time. The opportunity to make the adjustments on farm in preparation for a sale is now, not when calving and lambing are in full swing.

We have caught up with many Farmlands shareholders in recent months through a combination of field days and in-store promotions and we always value the opportunity to connect ahead of time.

If you have not heard from us and would like the opportunity to do so, we will have our strongest presence yet at Mystery Creek this June, in addition to our normal business activities.

For rural and lifestyle property advice from a national team of committed salespeople, supported by our expert marketing team, right across New Zealand, call 0800 367 5263 or visit pb.co.nz.

Conrad Wilkshire, GM Rural for Property Brokers Ltd

National Rural Sales 20ha+ 12 months to March 2021 (Excluding Forestry and Horticulture) Period

No of Sales

Prior Year

Total Sales Value

Prior Year

Year on Year Change

Mar 2021

128

74

$362,368,049

$152,913,977

$209,454,072

Feb 2021

124

71

$315,136,871

$152,394,885

$162,741,986

Jan 2021

74

75

$170,715,600

$146,323,450

$24,392,150

Dec 2020

188

132

$460,271,310

$312,956,133

$147,315,177

Nov 2020

156

102

$400,635,214

$294,090,549

$106,544,665

Oct 2020

105

65

$251,329,431

$131,637,950

$119,691,481

Sep 2020

86

66

$153,049,892

$139,750,070

$13,299,822

Aug 2020

77

68

$145,601,250

$123,495,384

$22,105,866

Jul 2020

108

63

$238,553,107

$129,713,458

$108,839,649

Jun 2020

80

64

$136,133,260

$163,922,885

-$27,789,625

May 2020

64

94

$111,305,407

$226,412,060

-$115,106,653

Apr 2020

47

94

$101,562,324

$211,053,449

-$109,491,125

1,237

968

$2,846,661,715

$2,184,664,250

Total

62 |Property THEBrokers FARMLANDER Ltd Licensed REAA 2008 | 0800 367 5263 | pb.co.nz

Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008 | 0800 367 5263 | pb.co.nz

Opportunity is real and waiting…

ln my 35 years leading this company, the opportunity for the next generation to step up and make a difference on behalf of provincial NZ as part of the Property Brokers family has never been greater. Property Brokers remains absolutely committed to leading rural and lifestyle real estate nationwide.

The opportunities are enormous for men and women with ambition to thrive in our business; our True Team philosophy underpins everything we do. lf you are a Farm Manager, Sharemilker, Agribusiness Rural Manager, Consultant, Field Officer, Livestock Rep etc… rural real estate places no ceiling on the contribution you can make. Particularly if you are prepared to; commit work hard and place client service and knowledge above all else.

With over 80 offices servicing the NZ provincial marketplace, we are growing rapidly through our strategic partnership with the Farmlands Co-operative and our connection with like-minded rural servicing companies. Our Rural Development Programme offers more training, more support and more access to knowledge and information than ever before.

For those with the courage to run a business of their own, a career in real estate offers enormous opportunities for growth, both personally and financially, as you learn to invest in property. This can include everything from purchasing your first farm to commercial investments. lf you want to be more than average, the Property Brokers family can provide the help and support you need to succeed. lf you’d like to know more about career opportunities, please contact our Rural General Manager, Conrad Wilkshire, on 027 643 7437 or conrad@pb.co.nz or register for our careers event at National Fieldays® – pb.co.nz/ruralcareer.

Tim Mordaunt Chairman

Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008367 | 0800 5263 | pb.co.nz Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008 | 0800 5263367 | pb.co.nz

THE FARMLANDER | 63

FARMLANDS SHAREHOLDERS RECEIVE — UP TO —

10% OFF STOREWIDE*

Retailing tools, machinery and farm equipment for over 30 years.

SAVE $100

20IN CHAINSAW 54.5CC SKU: LOCH1050

FROM

NATIONWIDE DELIVERY

 FROM $18*

$169.90

incl

GST

FARMLANDS SHAREHOLDER PRICE

• • • • • • •

Plugs into 10A wall socket Fuel consumption 6L/h Heat output: 80Kw/h Air output: 2000m3/h Handy wheels for mobility Operates with diesel oil Stainless steel combustion chamber with fan cooling With flame sensor and time delay Robust and tough design

• •

SHOP ONLINE:

www.topmaq.co.nz/farmlands

FIREFIGHTING TANK 200L- 1000L SKU: FITA1000, FITA1050, FITA1100

• Forklift feet • Firefighting hose with poly nozzle • Baffle design to reduce surge when transport • Powered by 2HP 4 stroke engine

NATIONWIDE DELIVERY

 FROM $75*

$1299.90

incl GST

EVERYDAY LOW PRICE LOCKDOWN

80KW PORTABLE INDIRECT DIESEL HEATER WITH FLUE SKU: HEHE2240

SAVE 15% NATIONWIDE DELIVERY

 FROM $75*

$1,869.92

incl GST

FARMLANDS SHAREHOLDER PRICE

FARMLANDS CARD NOW ACCEPTED ON OUR WEBSITE 1. LOG IN / REGISTER 2. REGISTER YOUR FARMLANDS CARD SEE YOUR EXCLUSIVE PRICING ON OVER 2500 ITEMS!

GARAGE DOOR OPENER SKU: BUGA3900

• Suits single, double, tilting, sectional garage doors upto 2.3M high • Maximum door weight: 80kg

• Motor 120W • Pulling force 800N • Includes two remotes

$159.90

incl GST

EVERYDAY LOW PRICE LOCKDOWN

NATIONWIDE DELIVERY

 FROM $23*

TO PLACE AN ORDER  0508 867 621 Pricing is exclusive to Farmlands shareholders when transacting on your Farmlands Card. All prices are GST inclusive and subject to stock availability. Pricing is inclusive of all rebates and discounts.

Prices are valid until 30th June 2021.

Shareholder pricing is off RRP and does not include Lowprice Lockdown, drop-shipped, Clearance or non-stock items.

Additional rural shipping charges may apply for outlying islands and very remote areas. Assembly may be required.

IS THIS NZ’S MOST VALUABLE CARD? YOU DECIDE. 64 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

NITIES. MA KI MU M

TER DE CI BET SI

ND OUR CO TA NE

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

FOR OUR P LA NS O

G N

THE FARMLANDER | 65

Two strong Kiwi co-operatives, together, for you.

Exclusive to Farmlands Shareholders!

Spend $2,500 using your Farmlands card, between 1st June – 9th July 2021, at your nearest Plumbing World, and we’ll give you a FREE G-Shock Watch*.

1st June — 9th July 2021 Terms and conditions apply. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount. $2,500 incl GST spend can be across multiple transactions, during 1st June – 9th July 2021, on selected exclusive product. Freebie is a G-Shock G2900F-1V Digital Watch while stock lasts. Should prize stock run out, a similar watch will be gifted.

Branches Nationwide plumbingworld.co.nz

IS THIS NZ’S MOST VALUABLE CARD? YOU DECIDE. 66 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

USE YOUR CARD ONLINE Save yourself time and money, when you shop online with your Farmlands Card at participating Card Partners.

FAR_10022

NZ’S MOST VALUABLE CARD? YOU DECIDE. Selected Card Partners only. You may receive a text or email from Farmlands when you make an online purchase. Don’t worry, we’re just checking that it was you.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © June 2021. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 67

AMAZING ONE-DAY DEALS Shop online with your Farmlands Card

SAVE UP TO

4 DAYS OF BARGAINS, DISCOUNTS & SAVINGS AT

1/3

OFF APPAREL * & FOOTWEAR

82 STORES

Stocked and ready to help you save

SITE F103—109

FAR_10145

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR TRADER AND SAVE YOURSELF EVEN MORE THIS MONTH! *Terms and Conditions apply.

7,000+ Card Partner locations for you to shop and save