Canterbury Farming, June 2016

June 2016 Edition

30,287 copies distributed monthly – to every rural mailbox in Canterbury and the West Coast

A labour of love

Raising stock for charity

P4

A taste of the wild

P10

P8 Photo courtesy Paul Thompson

An earthy endeavour Page 20–21

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June 2016

CANTERBURY FARMING

Planning farm burn-offs Farmers are being urged to thoroughly manage risks during burn-offs after a company was fined $72,000 and ordered to pay reparation of $107,000 following the death of an employee.

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The employee died when he became trapped by fire in a gully during a burn-off on a 13,500-hectare high country station near Cromwell on September 3, 2014.

At the Alexandra District Court, Northburn Limited was sentenced on a charge under the Health and Safety in Employment Act for failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of an employee.

WorkSafe New Zealand’s investigation found that Northburn Limited did not have an effective system for managing health and safety, and there was no documented plan in place for a burn-off — considered a highrisk task.

WorkSafe’s Chief Inspector, Keith Stewart, says there were numerous practicable steps Northburn Limited could have taken to prevent the death of the employee.

“There were various methods available to Northburn Limited, including using a sufficient number of trained people to carry out the burn-off. It is considered industry best practice that both sides of a gully should be burnt simultaneously.

“The company did not identify a safe area for employees to retreat to, or an escape route, or that the fire was lit from an ‘anchor

Keith Stewart — Worksafe’s chief inspector

point’, a safe area to start a fire from. “There was also no adequate communication system, or a person acting as a lookout. The victim was not provided proper personal protective equipment.”

The day of the victim’s death was the second day he had been involved in a burnoff — he had no training for the task and he was at times left unsupervised.

“This incident is a tragic reminder that planning and

the use of good information is essential for a safe and effective burn-off,” says Wor kSafe’s Agriculture Programme M a n a g e r, Al McCone.

“For many farmers, burn-offs are a useful and routine tool to encourage growth. What is important is thinking about the risks and thinking about what to do about managing those risks.

There is a range of guidance on burn-offs including The

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Landowners Guide to Land Clearing by Prescribed Burning from the national rural fire authority.

There is also other information available on the Safer Farms website. I also encourage farmers to get in touch with their local rural fire authority.

They can provide advice and information specific to their area. “Rural fire authorities do not charge for this service.”

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Canterbury Farming prints material contributed by freelance journalists, contributing columnists and letters from readers.

The information and opinions published are not necessarily those of Canterbury Farming or its staff.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

June 2016

3

Lower Rakaia fishery restoration project Thousands of brown trout will be released in the lower reaches of the Rakaia River shortly after the North Canterbury Fish and Game Council voted to approve the release of trout in an attempt to restore the critically damaged fishery.

Fish and Game staff researched possibilities of creating a specific enhancement programme targeting the lower reaches of the Rakaia recently. The area has historically been regarded as a prolific brown trout fishery.

The gradual demise of resident lowland brown trout and sea run brown trout populations is thought to be as a result of environmental degradation of habitat, and the dewatering of lowland streams as a result of over intensified farming practices.

Combined with low annual rainfalls over the past two years, and with little natural ability to flush lowland streams, many brown trout populations are now stressed by critically low stream levels with escalating pollution issues.

Increased pressure to provide healthy and sustainable fisheries is now dependant on a few streams that are perceived as suitable, in comparison to the once abundant historic habitats.

The recent winter fisheries closures throughout the North Canterbury region, was implemented as a measure to protect trout and salmon breeding stocks.

As a proactive aspect to this decision, North Canterbury Fish and Game are implementing a lowland and sea run brown trout enhancement programme.

North Canterbury Fish and Game chairman, Trevor Isitt says: ”buoyed by the support from local Rakaia residents, Fish and Game have leapt at the chance to rebuild the fishery.”

Staff investigated prospective sites in the lower reaches of the Rakaia and identified two spring creeks that offered the potential of a fishery restoration programme.

“These sites may also be key indicators of potential for further enhancement programmes in other catchments in our region,” Trevor said.

Bully Creek on the south side of the Rakaia, and Cold

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Fish and Game will release around 2,500 approximately 400gm brown trout in the coming weeks.

Fish and Game will implement an extensive monitoring programme of the releases not only to measure survivability, but also to learn more about the habits of lowland sea run brown trout populations in our East coast fisheries.

Anglers who catch marked fish would be encouraged to photograph, record tag details, and release them, at least during the first year of the programme.

The ultimate result of the research programme will be that brown trout numbers will be increased in coastal Rakaia area lowland fisheries, and that the initial programme will become a tool for other enhancement programmes of degraded fisheries throughout the North Canterbury region.

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Local resident Johnny Richards right, and Fish and Game Field Officer Tony Hawker check out one of the sites where 2,500 brown trout will be released in the lower reaches of the Rakaia in the coming weeks photo courtesy Richard Cosgrove/Fish and Game NZ

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June 2016

CANTERBURY FARMING

When Robin Woodsford returned to New Zealand after spending many years in New York and the Mediterranean for his work, he was determined not to live in a flat again, and began to look for a piece of land overlooking the vast Canterbury plains on which to settle.

by Ayla Miller

A

fter exploring the surrounding hillsides he found an empty 10-acre lot on Huntsbury Hill. It was warm, west facing and above the frost line reminiscent of the rolling Spanish hillsides.

He immediately recognised the land would be ideal for grapes and olives and set about tracking down the owners to do a deal.

“My ancestry goes back to Spain and I have spent a lot time in the Mediterranean teaching and travelling. Whilst in Spain I got a taste for wines made from the Rioja red grape and they got me started. Many Mediterranean vineyards are on hillsides like ours is here,” he says.

In the midst of this he met his partner Julie Richards and together they tended the hillsides with the implicit aim to plant an organic vineyard.

“We wanted to create a vineyard based on organic and biodynamic methods, not because organic makes a better product but because it’s a smarter way to work with nature. We put in over a thousand trees, mainly native plantings, and some shelter belts.

“We wanted to work with the land and nature, not overcome it, and beat it into our shape.

To leave it in better condition when we left than when we arrived was the goal.

“We are proud of the fact we

approached the site as a complete biodynamic of its own and now have bellbirds, a forest for making furniture, lots of natives and a flowering and alive hillside that is in so much better shape than when we began, at all levels of life.”

The first two blocks were planted in the season of 1998 and 1999 and they decided to plant more in the French style with smaller gaps between the rows.

“With narrower rows and being on a hillside we could rely on the wind to keep us cleaner from disease than being on the more wind protected flat land of the plains.” In 2000 they began to build themselves a homestead with views across

Robin Woodsford and Julie Richards of Tussock Hill Vineyard Christchurch

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June 2016

The passive solar Tussock Hill house the plains to the mountains.

“The sunsets are amazing and the winter storms roar up from the south. The property deserved a great building. We walked over the land again and again and kept coming back to the one site.”

Robin had always wanted to build his own house and this was the perfect time and place and he and Julie, with professional help where necessar y, designed a passive solar house tucked into the hillside.

Now they were in the midst of planting and learning about all the trials and tribulations of starting up a vineyard.

“I think we are all farmers one way or the other. I feel a natural flow when working with nature and the land, especially using organic and sustainable methods and not trying to overcome nature but

work with her,” says Robin.

“We just love working on the hillside through the seasonal journey, the hum of the city down below, the bell birds, the starlings, the silence of it all and of course the huge plains stretching out towards the mountains.

“The late balmy autumn afternoons suit the Pinot very well for ripening. What I am most proud of is starting with a completely bare block of tussock and grass and we have grown what we have done on such a short time with our own hands and good sweat.”

By 2004 there were five blocks planted in Pinot Noir and a lot of learning by trial and error. “We found that it took almost twice as long for our plants to get established up on the hillside as it did in the vineyards down on

the plains. We were not under time or economic pressure to produce and we wanted nature to run its course and the plants take their time to find their feet and develop as it best suited them. Our focus has been on quality rather than quantity.”

By 2014 they had seven blocks and they each have unique growth and production patterns.

They produce about 1,000 bottles of wine per season depending on the way the season unfolds.

This year they won a silver medal for their 2010 Pinot Noir at the Canterbury Wine Awards which as their first ever entry into a show.

“It’s a labour of love and attention to detail,” Robin says of his work. It can drive you crazy but it can also bring you joy.”

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June 2016

RURAL PROFESSIONALS

CANTERBURY FARMING

Country Law

Money Talk with Andrew Wyllie

with Ronald W. Angland & Son

Investment markets update Covering the three months ended May 31 2016 Global Environment Higher volatility has been a hallmark of 2016, with an initial steep sell-off in credit and equity markets followed by a sharp rebound. The US continues to lead developed economies and despite low first-quarter growth for 2016, forward-looking indicators of the housing market (new home mortgage applications) signal positive momentum.

Wage growth has also started to accelerate and the wider measures of unemployment are approaching pre-GFC averages, suggesting a stronger underlying economy.

In Europe, credit growth has turned more positive and stimulus in China seems to have stabilised growth in this region.

Equity Markets All the equity markets Forsyth Barr follow delivered solid positive returns for the quarter, in both local and NZ dollar terms. Australasian markets led the way with double digit returns helped by very strong returns during March. New Zealand equities continue to be supported by international buying.

This is despite the latest reporting season showing earnings growth was below expectations and positive revisions were driven by lower

interest costs rather than more positive revenue growth outlooks. Australian equities however, have begun to see some respite and a recovery in the resource sector. The building sector benefited from the A$50 billion injection into infrastructure spending announced in the budget, while banks recovered from the lows witnessed in February.

European and Japanese equity markets continue to be supported by central bank initiatives, and the purchase of both sovereign and corporate debt continues to force investors into higher risk assets to achieve adequate returns. The UK equity market was the laggard, as the EU exit debate (vote to be held on 23 June) dominated the headlines. The betting odds however are still 70% in favour of the UK remaining in the EU. Fixed Interest Markets Fixed interest returns were helped again by long-term interest rates falling over the quarter. This was a function of negative interest rate policies internationally although US 10-year interest rates were the exception. It also meant the Republic of Ireland was able to issue a 100-year bond at an interest rate of 2.35%

Ronald W. Angland & Son

and at a rate that was less than US 30-year bonds.

The Spanish followed and were able to issue a 50year bond despite having defaulted on average, every 26 years.

Domestically, issuance was very strong over the last quarter and in particular, issuance of senior debt securities.

This increase in choice has allowed investors to be more selective in participating in offerings and in positioning debt portfolios.

If you’re new to investing please see Forsyth Barr’s Introduction to Investing guide available at www.forsythbarr.co.nz/ investing-with-us/new-toinvesting or to discuss your investment options please contact Andrew Wyllie, an Authorised Financial Adviser with Forsyth Barr in Christchurch. He can be contacted regarding portfolio management, fixed interest, or share investments on 0800 367 227 or andrew.wyllie@forsythbarr. co.nz. This column is general in nature and should not be regarded as personalised investment advice.

Disclosure Statements are available on request and free of charge.

LAWYERS

Property | Family | Wills Trusts | Estates | EPAs | Rural Business | Traffic | Employment Leeston (03) 324 3033 Email: lawyers@anglands.co.nz | www.anglands.co.nz

Solicitors of Selwyn since 1965

To advertise in the Canterbury Farming Please call

03 347 2314 or email sales@canfarm.co.nz

The ombudsman Ombudsman is the peculiar Scandinavian name for the chap charged with ensuring accountability of those in public office.

The ombudsman is charged with monitoring and reviewing compliance with Official Information Act requests in relation to the entire public sector.

The introduction of this office was a significant cultural change from the post-war period during which the Official Secrets Act defined all official information government information to which citizens were not permitted access. A sea change occurred whereby there was a reversal of the prior stance, holding official information should be made available on request unless good reason existed for non-disclosure—this being a clear intent to promote public accountability, and to subject the public service, the administration and the government to scrutiny. The notion underlying this is that government is not properly accountable unless the information on which it bases its decisions is known, or at least available. All information is available unless there is good reason otherwise. New Zealand was a world leader to some extent with this shift in culture, and most developed countries now have such an office.

Today the ombudsman discharges two functions: righting administrative wrongs under the Ombudsman Act, and also under the Official Information Act the power to investigate complaints of wrongful refusal to release information. The role is ultimately to ‘guard the guardians’.

Official Information Act requests are supposed to be responded to by the civil servants within twenty

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working days. If a request is not responded to in this timeframe the response is deemed to be a refusal and the applicant can then complain to the ombudsman who will then investigate whether such refusal is justified.

There are exceptions to the disclosure requirements.

Information must be withheld where it would prejudice New Zealand’s security, defence, or international relations, or if were to prejudice the maintenance of the law, the detection of offences would endanger any person’s safety, or prejudice the economy.

There are also discretionary grounds on which to refuse disclosure: to protect individual privacy, trade secrets, commercial interest, public health or safety, or if such non-disclosure is necessary to uphold our constitutional conventions.

Administrative reasons — such as where the information cannot be found or does not exist, or if considerable expense might be incurred in gathering the information, or collating a large amount of information for little purpose, or if the information is soon to be made publicly available — also exist which can justify a non-disclosure.

If the ombudsman finds a refusal is not justified on the above grounds they will make a recommendation for release. Cabinet still retains a power to veto an ombudsman recommendation, however such vetoes are virtually never used.

Over recent decades issues have arisen. In a comprehensive review undertaken at the end of last year, the then ombudsman

Disclosure Statements are available on request and free of charge.

found that applications were often vague, broad, or to multiple agencies owing to a lack of knowledge of how the information was held and that this would lead to issues and delay, resulting in non-compliance and assumptions of deliberate withholding of information. A cycle of distrust developed.

Complaints then piled up with the ombudsman and there remains a backlog of cases for the ombudsman to consider.

With high staff turnover (21% last year) and chronic under-funding issues, about 1,700 cases presently remain to be dealt with.

650 cases are over a year old. The oldest outstanding cases is six years old. This is leading to frustrations and a sense that the system of open democracy is being undermined.

A new ombudsman has been appointed this year, having previously been very effective in his role as the principal Family Court judge. With the assistance of additional funding in the recent budget, the intention is to clear the backlog within a year and, following this, to resolve 70% of cases within three months. He has recently published detailed guidelines for civil servants and the general public about the nature and extent of the public interest reasons to withhold information which are hoped to assist in clarifying application matters in advance.

Should these matters be resolved as anticipated that would lend confidence to our democratic processes. The role is very constitutionally important to our country.

This article has been prepared by Craig Wakelin, a Solicitor with Ronald Angland & Son, Solicitors, who may be contacted on Tel: 03 324 3033 or e-mail craig@anglands.co.nz

RURAL PROFESSIONALS

From the Minister

Nathan Guy, Minister for Primary Industries

CANTERBURY FARMING

ACCOUNTANCY T ASK F ORCE L

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June 2016

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Fieldays and SOPI June 2016 Fieldays has wrapped up for 2016 and was another massive success, with over 130,000 visitors including 500 international guests from 42 different countries.

I spent most of the week at Mystery Creek and was very impressed with the positive mood, the innovation and entrepreneurship on display.

On Tuesday night we kicked off with Prime Minister John Key launching the Primar y Industr y ‘Champions’ initiative. This online campaign features Kiwi icons like Richie McCaw, Rob and Sonia Waddell, Sir David Fagan and many others.

The aim is to raise awareness of the huge range of exciting careers in the primary sector, their importance to New Zealand, and encourage young people to consider a career in this broad field.

If you haven’t seen the video yet it is on YouTube and the MPI website.

As part of this campaign MPI will be releasing a series of short videos featuring e v e r y d ay champions including farmers, growers, fishers, foresters, scientists, economists, rural consultants, entrepreneurs and marketing specialists.

Along with Steven Joyce, I officially opened the Fieldays Careers and Education Hub which also gave a showcase for teenagers of some of the careers available.

I was very impressed by the eighty entrepreneurs that entered the innovation section. A lot of these ideas will be commercialised and help grow our agri-tech exports, which are currently worth over $1.2 billion per year.

The Situation Outlook for Primar y Industries (SOPI) 2016 was released at Fieldays and proves how diversified the sector has become.

Overall exports have grown by $1 billion to nearly $37 billion, more than making

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100 IT’S NOT A TARGET John Key Prime Minister and Nathan Guy Primary Industries Minister chatting with an MPI biosecurity inspector and his dog

up for recent declines in dairy prices. Strong growth in horticulture, beef, wool, forestry, food processing and seafood exports shows the primar y sector in good heart.

We also announced an extra $600,000 of funding to help strengthen local mental health networks for farmers and rural communities.

It was great to have Prime Minister John Key and Health Minister Jonathan Coleman at the announcement, showing their support for rural families.

An important message is that farmers and their families are not alone.

There is a wide range of good advice and support from organisations like Rural Support Trusts, Farmstrong, and Dairy NZ. While this season will be tough for some, it’s important to keep a focus on what we can control and to remember the long-term outlook for the dairy sector is bright.

We should be proud of Fieldays which is now the biggest event of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

It is an iconic New Zealand experience that celebrates our rural sector while also building important links with our urban cousins.

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June 2016

CANTERBURY FARMING

RAISING STOCK

FOR CHARITY

by Ann Morgan

Raising an animal to donate to charity has become a way for farmers to be involved in helping to support people with intellectual disabilities in New Zealand.

T

he idea behind the IHC Calf and Rural Scheme was dreamed up by Norm Cashmore, a Taranaki farmer who offered a pair of gumboots to every farmer donating a calf to the Taranaki branch of IHC more than 30-years-ago.

“Mick Murphy, a farmer in Marlborough visited Norm to see how his idea worked and was so impressed he decided it could be implemented nationally. He convinced the

members of the fundraising committee of the New Zealand Council of IHC to give the idea a go,” said scheme coordinator Lynda Young-Kennedy.

“Mick was involved in the Marlborough branch of IHC and was given permission for a pilot project in 1982 and by the end of the trial, 770 calves donated by farmers had raised $110,000 and the scheme was launched nationwide the following year.”

A great believer in the personal face-to-face approach he set up a network of canvassers to visit farmers and ask them to sign up to donate a calf. “Mick visited stock agents who agreed to auction the animals free of charge and he met with transport companies who offered to provide the transport at no cost. He then realised that if he wanted to go to all the branches, he needed money,” said

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CANTERBURY FARMING Ms Young-Kennedy. “First on his list was gumboot manufacturer Skellerup.

They gave him $2,500 and stock agents Dalgety came up with another $2,500 so IHC could advertise the scheme nationwide. In 1987 Wrightson, now PGG Wrightson, became the official primary sponsor of the scheme.”

Often IHC and its service arm IDEA Services is the only organisation providing crucial support for people with an intellectual disability and their families in an area.

Brian and Penny Coutts from the Hikurangi area have been donating and canvassing for the scheme for 27 years.

“We originally became involved because the local area coordinator Noel Reed asked us if we would participate,” said Mrs Coutts.

“It is a ver y good opportunity to help people locally. When we first joined everything was done with a clipboard and sheets of paper.

Technology has certainly made things a lot more sophisticated and easier.

“We find farmers are very generous and supportive around the area. Many have been onboard with us for 27 years too. The IHC are very positive to work alongside and they are very grateful for the help they receive.

“Contributors like the fact that the money they raise stays in the local area and helps families close to home. It is nice to be a part

June 2016

9

TELEHANDLERS • SALES • SPARE PARTS • LEASE • RENTAL • SERVICE Geoff McCabe 021 220 9544

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Walking around the calf sales is an experience IHC service users enjoy participating in of someone else’s life nearby.

“Farmers can be very proud that they are a part of one of the biggest fundraising initiatives for the organisation.

“As canvassers we see the satisfaction people get from raising their calves for the IHC — it is very encouraging.

Every donation makes a big difference, and it is helping those who have quite a lot of challenges in life.”

Farmers can put an animal through a sale at anytime. They inform the PGG

Wrightson person that it is an IHC donation and the funds are forwarded to them.

The scheme has since expanded to include other kinds of stock. Money raised helps to pay for services that are not funded by the government. This includes a team of advocates who will go into bat whenever people’s rights are being ignored, and a whole range of programmes designed to include people with disabilities in the lives of their communities.

“It is with thanks to Norm Cashmore’s idea that dairy farmers have been doing their bit for a long time and now the entire rural sector has the opportunity to get involved as the programme is open to include other livestock,” said Ms Young-Kennedy.

“Farmers have since raised more than $30 million for IHC’s work in rural communities around the country, and the scheme generates more than $1 million annually.”

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June 2016

CANTERBURY FARMING

T E S A O T F A the wild

BY AYLA MILLER WHILST WORKING AS A JOURNALIST, SOUTH AFRICAN-BORN DAVID STANLEY GOT TO MEET MANY PEOPLE LIVING THEIR DREAMS, INSPIRING HIM TO START UP HIS OWN BUSINESS MAKING BILTONG WITH BEEF RAISED AND GRASS-FED IN CANTERBURY.

W

hen David came to New Zealand with his wife Nicole, who is originally from Christchurch, all he wanted was some decent biltong.

When he couldn’t find any he decided to make his own.

“I used to make it in South Africa with African game animals such as kudu and wildebeest. They can be

quite tough if you cook them normally but they make really nice biltong.”

Biltong originated in South Africa by indigenous people preserving meat by slicing it into strips, curing it with salt, and hanging it up to dry.

When he and Nicole first settled in Canterbury, David was working at a newspaper and making and selling his

biltong on the weekends at markets around the region.

“I used to write advertising features for the lifestyle properties segment and I travelled quite a lot around Canterbury visiting different people living their dream.

“They knew what they wanted to do and they had gone and accomplished it. I suppose that was motivation

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DAVID STANLEY WITH HIS WIFE NICOLE AND SONS TYLER AND DANIEL to start my own business.

It was very inspirational seeing what they had done and what they created out in the country.”

Eventually something had to give and he decided to throw himself into turning his hobby into a business full time.

“A friend was going to the Wild Food Festival in Hokitika selling wild highland cattle pies and had some space on his stand so I took the biltong

along. We could see people standing in front of the stand really studying our products but not coming too close and wondered why.

“Then we discovered we were mistakenly down on the programme as selling dried bull’s balls,” Richard laughs.

When Canterbury Biltong was just starting out, not many New Zealanders knew what the product was and those that did had only heard of it because of Wilbur

Smith’s novels. “There wasn’t a lot of competition back then so it was easy to introduce it into stores. We started producing the biltong in our shed and then built a house with a purpose built garage and kitchen. When that became too small in 2007 we moved to our first commercial premises.” After the earthquake in 2011, they were forced to shut for seven months but that didn’t stop Richard. Instead he

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DAVID, NICOLE AND SOME FINE RUMP STEAK Coast farms, processed, sliced, dried and then packaged and can be sent anywhere in the world. They even supply Scott Base. “Our biltong has been up Everest and people take it to India where they can’t get beef.

It’s a really good adventure food and full of energy and protein. “A huge amount of

CANTERBURY BILTONG HAS EVEN BEEN TO EVEREST BASE CAMP New Zealand’s commodities like beef and timber is sent off shore so I’m quite pleased we are adding value to it right here.” Richard designed the drying rooms

himself with the help of a few knowledgeable friends.

“I’ve found in New Zealand there are lots of people who are willing to help you develop ideas.” In the future Richard

hopes to continue to grow the business and have fun doing so.

“I think New Zealanders are becoming a bit more adventurous with what they

eat. New Zealand is now a culinary destination. You can find any kind of food in the world made in New Zealand and people are doing it really well.”

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used the time to redesign the packaging, upgrade the machinery and move to better premises.

“From there we have grown a lot,” says Richard and they now they supply nationwide as well as 500 shops in Australia.

The beef is mainly sourced from Canterbury and West

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June 2016

WATER & IRRIGATION

CANTERBURY FARMING

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Expecting higher pressure Yet another warmer than normal month for Canterbury in May, with temperatures following the trend of February, March and April.

While the first 20 days of the month were very warm, with temperatures closer to what we might see in a typical March due to prevailing northerly winds, the last third of the month was cooler than normal with persistent southwesterly airflow.

May temperatures were +1.5 to +2.0 degrees warmer than normal overall, which was near record levels for many locations. The first three weeks of the month were well above record levels with a number of days exceeding 20 degrees and several around 25 degrees. Frosts were absent until late in the month. Rainfall was above normal with monthly totals of 150–200% and sunshine hours were near normal.

At the time of writing, the first three weeks of June have been milder and drier than usual with airflow again predominantly from the northerly quarter.

In the tropical Pacific, ocean temperatures have cooled steadily off the Central American coast,

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Rainfall

Temperature

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Near normal

Near normal

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Colder than normal

Near normal

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Milder than normal

Sunnier than normal

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Near normal

Milder than normal

Sunnier than normal

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consolidating the beginning of a La Niña event. However other indicators have been slower to shift to La Niña mode and much of the rest of the Pacific Ocean remains warmer than normal, including the oceans around New Zealand. All computer models we monitor continue to predict the evolution of a La Niña event through the next few months. This could lead to a wetter than normal spring and summer ahead.

Overall the next three months don’t look too extreme in Canterbury — no indications of storminess,

temperatures generally near or above normal, and rainfall near or a little above normal overall.

The first two weeks of July also look to be settled with fairly light airflow over the country bringing settled weather with frosty nights and pleasant days, reasonable sunshine hours for the time of year, and only brief light rainfalls.

In July we expect higher pressures in the Tasman Sea and more frequent (although not necessarily stronger) southwest airflow over Canterbury. Rainfall

should be near normal and daytime temperatures too.

Plenty of frosts at night though. In August expect increased potential for cold southerly outbreaks. If any month is going to bring lowlevel snow it’s going to be August, but it’s looking less likely this winter than most.

For September, anticyclones will be more frequent over the North Island, with the usual early spring periods of northwesterly airflow affecting Canterbury. Temperatures should be milder than normal.

Probably fewer frosts than expected for the time of year.

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June 2016

13

The ‘Know to make it Flow’ Andrew Curtis, Irrigation New Zealand CEO

Dramatic improvement in water quality expected from aquifer project A project that provides fresh ways to improve water quality in New Zealand rivers opened its doors to the public last month.

The H i n d s / H e ke a o Managed Aquifer Recharge project takes clean Rangitata River water and puts this into the aquifer, helping solve current water quality issues as well as improving stream flows.

The recharge project in combination with improving farm environmental performance, through nutrient limits and audited farm environment plans, will allow waterways in the zone to regenerate and thrive. Water will come from the Ashburton District Council’s stock water allocation via the Rangitata Diversion Race and Valetta Irrigation Scheme.

Managed aquifer recharge is used very successfully in the United States and Europe to replenish aquifers for domestic and agriculture water supply, as well as for ecological purposes. This project is a first for New Zealand and IrrigationNZ is excited because a successful trial would mean other catchments could also benefit from similar projects.

It is clear the New Zealand public has an appetite for improved water quality for our lakes and rivers. This is a great example of the local community coming together to make positive change happen.

On an educational front, IrrigationNZ has entered a

new partnership with five regional councils to provide detailed information about water management in their regions. From this month, our industr y magazine IrrigationNZ News features four pages of content from Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Greater Wellington, Environment Canterbury and Otago regional councils.

As expectations of good management practice around water grow, the pressure is on water users to better understand what is required to be a SMART Irrigator. Providing direct access to what’s happening in the sector, including the regulatory environment, will support consent holders looking to grow their capability. As well as practical advice and technological information, IrrigationNZ News offers a window into the economic, environmental, recreational and social issues associated with irrigation.

Receiving print copies of the magazine is one of the benefits of Irrigation New Zealand membership. If you’re not a member you can view copies online at http:// irrigationnz.co.nz/newsresources/publications/ magazine/ F inally, the quieter winter months present an opportunity for irrigators and related industry professionals

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to pick up new skills and shore up knowledge. Two NZ Certificate in Irrigation Management qualifications will commence in the North and South Island in August.

They will be followed by the NZ Certificate in Performance Assessment qualification late August/early September.

The first two NZQA linked qualifications allow irrigating farmers and staff the chance to benchmark their achievements, while the Performance Assessment course provides industry professionals the opportunity to gain skills and knowledge to carry out assessments of irrigation systems in order to determine how efficiently they are operating. More details can be found here — www.irrigationnz.co.nz/ events

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WATER & IRRIGATION

June 2016 CANTERBURY FARMING

BUSINESS PROFILE

Providing milking solutions Canterbury Farm Services are a milking machine company servicing existing, and installing new DeLaval milking machines, as well as offering a wide range of aftermarket consumables and products including teat spray, chemicals, liners and filters.

Owned by Southland Farm Services, Canterbury Farm Services opened in October 2015 and is managed by Michael Burnett who employs eight local staff.

They also wanted to provide plumbing and pump solutions for the rural, domestic and commercial environment. Canterbury Plumbing and Pumps is the result — a division focussed

on rural customers, delivering all plumbing needs from pumps and filtration to effluent and irrigation requirements.

“The company owners are really experienced grass roots businessmen and saw an opportunity to expand their existing company last year,” said Michael.

“We are the new Canterbur y DeLaval dealership. DeLaval is a world

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leader in the dairy farming industry, providing integrated milking solutions designed to improve dairy farmers’ production, animal welfare and overall quality of life.”

The company develops, manufactures and markets equipment and complete systems for milk production and animal husbandry worldwide.

“Delaval has launched a few new products. They are at the forefront of technology when it comes to milking machinery and solutions.

“We are excited about the new body conditioning score camera which was released in conjunction with LIC. When it comes to breeding, effective feed management and animal health, BCS is a benchmark used by farmers. The fact is, technology in your dairy shed giving you a daily reading of each individual cow is a strength and another key management tool.”

Regarding the new Fonterra regulations coming into effect around milk cooling, the company has a DeLaval solution.

“We have a compact snap chiller which is a chilling unit that cools milk on farm. In the ever changing environment around milk

CANTERBURY

chilling time factors this is a very good machine.” The CFS team is focussed on providing a preventative maintenance service and operate a 24 hours on-call breakdown service.

“If there is a breakdown we are there immediately to sort the problem. Anything to do with the dairy shed is us. Our team are able to provide solutions.

“Our company is service orientated and we focus on making sure the farmer has their equipment running well to maximise output from the cow, meaning more milk

and more money. This is important, particularly in these tough times.

“Ensuring the shed works as well as it can will ensure good animal health. Having well maintained equipment keeps costs down and helps keep animals healthy.

“We have a good team of local people — a great mix of both young, keen and experienced who are all passionate about dairy and understand the Canterbury farming climate. We provide a reliable service and guarantee our workmanship.

Our business is about bringing

the advanced technology offered by DeLaval into the environment of the New Zealand farmer. They have proven their products work around the world for more than 130 years.

“We have already finished one dairy near Mayfield — a 60 bail rotary with a composite steel, rubber decking platform and are about to start work on a shed near Swannanoa for Peter Schouten. We are committed to dairy in Canterbury.”

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CANTERBURY FARMING June 2016

15

GET FARM BUILDINGS AND CONTENTS INSURANCE. BECAUSE FIRE WILL HELP ITSELF TO EVERYTHING.

Living in rural areas can increase the damage a fire can cause to your property, as it takes longer for emergency services to reach you. Which means good insurance is absolutely essential, especially for your farm buildings and their valuable contents. In fact, FMG’s Farm Contents policy doesn’t just cover items like tools and equipment, it even covers harvested items such as hay, grain, wool, velvet and milk. If that sounds like the kind of wider coverage you need, ask around about us.

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14/06/16 12:52 PM

16

June 2016

CANTERBURY FARMING

Forestry Market Report Allan Laurie MNZIF, Laurie Forestry Ltd Providing stable returns The plantation forestry sector has continued to provide stable and strong returns since late 2015 with log prices high compared to the 36 month average.

In valuing forests or woodlots, we would normally use a 24 month or 36 month average price index.

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In our most recent valuations, a long-term average gain in prices is certainly adding to values in real terms.

Of those medium to large harvest projects we have recently analysed, per hectare return yields are in excess of a 7% return on investment, well ahead of most other land use industries in New Zealand. This means average per hectare returns for a 28–30 year old Radiata pine block have been in a range $20,000 to $30,000 per hectare. Of course there are always exceptions to the rule, both higher and lower, if the forest or woodlot falls outside the ‘average’.

The period of good pricing is the consequence of a combination of key factors: • Domestic markets have been booming with demand exceeding supply in many regions • FOREX has been lower in the high 0.60s (USD v NZD refers) • Shipping rates have been much lower due the low fuel cost and poor demand • China and India prices

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actually been somewhat higher than expected. Early June daily useage was continuing to be around 55,000 to 65,000 cubic metres per day but is expected to trail off now as workers return to the homelands to help with the family harvest.

At the same time NZ and Australia suppliers have been increasing shipments which together with volumes from Russia and the United States will see inventory start to build.

As predicted last month, inventory has lifted but again not so much as most commentators had earlier predicted. Last week inventor y was heading through 3.3 million — up about 200,000 cubic metres on May levels. This certainly does not suggest an out-ofkilter over-supply and as a consequence we would not expect prices to change a great deal.

For May settlements CFR for A-grade basis most players in the game appear to have settled around US$115 CFR A-grade basis. Some have tried to talk the market up suggesting contracts at higher levels. However as is often the case, it is about smoking mirrors and egos with the final LC reflecting market reality.

have been good although certainly not high in CFR terms Across the domestic front this month, sales are buoyant with new house starts and a strong industrial construction sector adding to the pot of positivity. Sawmills are variously getting the supplies they require although at times watching the entrance gate anxiously waiting for the next load to arrive.

Across the export sector, prices at wharf gate softened marginally for June sales as a consequence of slight drops in CFR prices and the strengthening NZD. The net result is prices have remained much more stable than we were predicting for Q2.

Shipping a been a veritable pain in the proverbial this month with significantly less vessels opening for NZ charter and most playing hard ball on price. There are fewer shipments of grain, fertiliser and PKE coming to NZ so shipping companies have had to ballast down to pick up logs. The normal game of cat and mouse has prevailed with the cat (the shipping company) playing a game of feigning disinterest even though everyone knows the food has been scarce lately.

Across the China eastern seaboard consumption has

Some commentators have suggested levels at US$112– 114 for July settlements with similar drops in August. All of that is too far away to be confident it is more about talk rather than what will be our reality. Either way, continuing stability is likely to be the reality, and that is the best outcome for the China customer and the NZ forest grower.

India has continued strongly over Q2 with sales generally ahead year on year basis. Prices are holding firm even in the face of good supply and slightly higher than preferred inventory. Right at present prices net at wharf gate NZ are slightly above China comparatives but that can all change in a heartbeat.

In this case a heart beat means an extra vessel more than expected arriving in Khandla and Mundra.

So it is the commercial plantation industry continues to yield some of the highest returns of all land uses in NZ and looks set to continue for some time to come.

Prices are stable and at very good levels.

Thus it is has never been more timely to remember the only way forward for climate, country and the planet, is to get out there and plant more trees.

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O’Connor Comments with Damien O’Connor

June 2016

17

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I have just been to the Apiculture Conference in Rotorua and it was a real buzz.

The 1,200 delegates who attended were all positive and soaking up the information provided through a host of knowledgeable and inspiring speakers. Most of the delegates were directly connected to the bee industry under the new umbrella of a single industry organisation.

Such is the level of growth and potential for the beekeeping and the honey industry, that observers such as myself were very much the minority at the conference.

From hobbyists to international corporates, everyone was reminded of the massive potential for New Zealand if we keep the industry on track. The discovery of manuka honey and its incredible medicinal attributes, has fuelled growth of beekeepers, beehives and bee mania. Areas of our country are now subject to theft of hives, battles over hive locations and risky adulteration of manuka honey, such is the desperate greed of some.

It may have been dairy farmers who enjoyed the

limelight for the past decade but all indicators are that it is the humble bee and shy beekeepers who will now have their time in the sun. While science is trying to decipher the magic of manuka, demand continues to grow for a natural product that tastes great, assists health and treats incurable skin ailments. All other honey is being appreciated and valued at a level never before seen by our low-key beekeeping fraternity.

But like all New Zealand stories, there are those individuals who want to make a quick buck and chase the gold rush. What seems to be emerging is the age old Kiwi disease of building up a great little business and selling it on to someone who wants to make it a great big business. For the seller it seems like a fair reward for hard work and a bit of luck.

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For the buyer, it seems like a bargain. As the KPMG report released this week identifies, offshore investors often appreciate the potential value of our provenance and quality products more than New Zealanders, which leads them to pay more for such companies than Kiwis are prepared to. This is not a simple dilemma but one that needs careful consideration by all political parties. If not,

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I fear the lucrative manuka honey industr y will be purchased by astute offshore investors, some of whom were at the conference lining up the opportunities.

Creating value is one thing, retaining it is a lot harder, especially if control of this incredibly lucrative manuka industry drifts into the hands of astute foreign investment companies.

Watch this space.

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18

June 2016

CANTERBURY FARMING

ADVERTORIAL

Country Matters

A musical celebration Oh What a Night, a revival show celebrating the harmonies of 60s and 70s stars, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, will be back to tour New Zealand in September.

The acclaimed show will make a 15-centre tour, beginning in New Plymouth on Wednesday, August 31 and travel to Rotorua, Hamilton, Ta u r a n g a , Ashburton, Dunedin, Invercargill, Oamaru, Timaru, Christchurch, Blenheim, Wellington, Kapiti, Napier and Auckland.

The show will highlight Frankie Valli’s falsettos and feature solo hits from the rock’n’roll nostalgia of Grease. During the 60s and 70s, the number one hits Sherry, Rag Doll, Walk Like a Man and Big Girls Don’t Cry saw the Four Seasons and Valli propelled to superstardom. Selling 100 million

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Tickets are now on sale.

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with Rob Cope-Williams

Passion sells It is interesting that an overseas ‘foodie’ has come out and said that farmers should be more passionate about their produce if they want to sell it for better prices.

That set me thinking and he is probably right.

New Zealand farmers are fantastic at producing top grade meat, vege and crops of all kinds, and thankfully the marketing gurus are adding value so it is becoming niche rather than commodity, however there is still room to get the end user excited.

We as a nation are inclined to think we export our top produce for other nations to enjoy leaving our home consumers to eat ‘what is left’’.

Thankfully those days have gone, and while a lot of top line produce, wine and whatever does go overseas, the local ‘foodies’ are enjoying amazing meals.

With a full-time cooking channel on SKY TV and a raft of cooking books on the market there is no excuse for the locals to miss out.

However how often do we experiment in the kitchen?

Some farmers I know of are very happy with three vege and meat every night, usually swimming in gravy.

The same farmers will complain when they do go out for dinner in a restaurant that

the serving was far too small so they will go back to the place where you get a plate full rather a smaller helping that tastes amazing.

However there is now a very strong swing for people of the land to become ‘foodies’ in their own right.

By doing simple things like serving a paw-paw salad with fish and chips you can take an average meal and turn it into something that is very enjoyable to eat.

It isn’t what you put on the plate, it is what you put onto the food you put on the plate. In my opinion gravy should only ever be served

with bangers, mash and peas. It is very easy to knock up a sauce with yogurt and mayonnaise with fresh mint for your potatoes, or add in a finely cut red onion if your mint isn’t growing well.

Think outside the square and enjoy the kitchen. Once you eat as though you are in a restaurant you will be wildly enthusiastic about what you produce and that will take you well beyond the farm gate.

Well done to the Angus stud breeders who produced the book called ‘A cut above’ it tells everyone how to cook the best beef in the world, New Zealand beef.

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June 2016

CANTERBURY FARMING

An earthy

endeavour THE LIMESTONE HILLS TRUFFIÈRE IS SITUATED IN THE FERTILE HILLS OF WAIPARA IN NORTH CANTERBURY AND WAS ESTABLISHED BY GARETH AND CAMILLE RENOWDEN IN 1997.

BY AYLA MILLER

G

areth and Camille met in London in the 1980’s and became interested in wild mushrooms in the woods of southern England.

When they returned to New Zealand they got into truffles completely by accident.

“I knew what truffles were but I’d probably only eaten them once or twice before we came to New Zealand,” says Gareth.

“We were looking for a property to buy around Christchurch and I saw an advert for a house with 450 truffle trees attached.

A lightbulb came on and I thought that would be interesting.”

They didn’t end up buying that place but the spores were spread, so to speak, and they ended up

GARETH SNIFFS THE NEW ZEALAND RECORD BURGUNDY TRUFFLE. PHOTO CREDIT: PAUL THOMPSON purchasing Limestone Hills instead.

Limestone Hills produce four different species of

truffles; the Périgord black truffle, the bianchetto white truffle, the Burgundy truffle and the black winter truffle.

Truffles are underground fungi and spread their spores by being eaten by animals in the wild such as pigs, rabbits

Gypsum is one of those rare materials that performs in all categories of soil treatment: an amendment, conditioner and fertiliser.

It is useful in the transition period in dairy cows 2 – 4 weeks pre & post calving, and can be used as an anionic salt to counteract the effects that high potassium & sodium concentrations have on increasing hypocalcemia.

Gypsum, a readily available form of calcium, is 100 times more soluble than lime and is more suitable for the digestive system during this period.

Gypsum in fertilising Soil tests for many areas in New Zealand show that sulphur deficiency is wide spread. Although the importance of this element is often overlooked, sulphur is needed in at least equal quantities to phosphorus. Many responses in crops are sulphur responses arising from the sulphate radical (SO4‑‑), rather than phosphate responses.

• Readily dissociates into free calcium ions (Ca++) and sulphate ions (SO4‑‑), major elements in plant nutrition • Has an approximately neutral pH and can be used in heavy applications without causing undue alkalinity in soils Gypsum in water savings • Promotes water infiltration, retention and conservation • Allows water to penetrate the soil without forming puddles or water logging • Conserves water by stretching intervals between irrigations • Tests show that farmland treated with gypsum requires up to 33% less water than soils without recent gypsum application Gypsum in soil conditioning • Breaks up soils compacted by sodium and clay, and compounded by farm animals and machinery • Reduces cracking and compaction following irrigation and retards soil crusting • Allows soil to dry more quickly after rain or irrigation so that it may be worked sooner • Decreases energy requirements for tillage • Binds organic matter to soil and checks soil erosion • Enhances friendly bacterial action and discourages plant diseases related to poor soil aeration • Conditioned soil allows for deeper, healthier root development and water penetration Gypsum in amendment • Displaces sodium binding clay soils • Reduces high soil aluminium levels • Suppresses the soil acidification effects of growing crops and the prolonged use of acidifying fertilisers

For further information please contact your local farm supplier or Telephone: 0800 100 442 Visit our website at www.gypsum.co.nz

CANTERBURY FARMING “An awful lot has happened in the last 10 years,” Gareth says.

Now there are more than half a dozen truffle producers in the Waipara and Waikari areas of North Canterbury, and more with young trees planted that are not yet producing.

The truffle industry has begun to take off in New Zealand and Gareth says they have had to adapt to the changing supply and demand.

“When you have a very small quantity of a product it is very easy to sell. You don’t need to do any promotion.

When New Zealand was only producing a few 10’s of kilos per year there was never any trouble selling them. Now there are people producing truffles all over the country in reasonable quantities so we have to think about reaching the right restaurants, developing the right markets and getting more of a gourmet image going.

“All those things are important to build our public awareness so more people will come to expect truffles to be on the table in winter in the best restaurants in the country.”

Gareth has been instrumental in starting up the Canterbury Truffle Festival which will be held from July 23 until August 14 this year.

“We wanted to show that

21

ALL TRUFFLES GO REALLY WELL WITH EGGS — SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH PERIGORD BLACK TRUFFLE Canterbury truffles were the best in the country. We can be quite red and black about it.

“Restaurants need to be guaranteed a steady supply of good quality product through the truffle season, so they can confidently put it on their menu, and promote it to their customers.”

Now there are around 20 truffle producers in Canterbury from Ashburton to Christchurch to Waipara and

Waikari. “We are in a much better position to provide our product to restaurants for the winter season. That’s another reason why we started the truffle festival. We want to build relationships with the best restaurants in our region and also around the whole of New Zealand.”

For more information on the Canterbury Truffle Festival visit canterburytrufflefestival. nz

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and mice. To attract animals they have evolved to emit a strong odour and flavour and are considered to be one of the top ingredients in French and Italian cuisine.

When a truffière is established, trees inoculated with spores are purchased from a nursery and planted.

After five to fifteen years, depending on the type, they have matured enough to produce and the truffles can then be located by a specially trained truffle dog.

Limestone Hills was originally a sheep farm and had been around since the early 1900’s.

“We bought the farmhouse and 25 acres. The soils here are very high in limestone.

Farmers will appreciate the pH levels of our soils which are seven-and-a-half to eight.

These are naturally high so it is good for all species of truffles.”

He says most truffles are grown in soil that has been modified with the addition of lime so doing so in natural soil is a little unusual.

“We deliberately chose this property because of the limestone and it made it easier for us to dig the trees in. It has its advantages and disadvantages but for us it meant we could start quickly.”

In the mid 2000’s there were only a handful of truffle producers in New Zealand.

June 2016

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22

June 2016

CANTERBURY FARMING

ATTENTION SEPTIC TANK OWNERS Save money by keeping your septic system effective and healthy

Septic tanks and multi-stage septic systems are delicately balanced environments. It does not take much to upset them. Common practice is to ignore the septic system until problems occur, such as nasty odours, leach line blockages, untreated liquid rising to the surface or gurgling toilets taking time to empty. Good practice is to always keep your septic system well maintained.

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GRASS ISSUE #1: When plants can’t access the food Calcium is the Transport Truck Calcium is known as the King of Minerals. That’s because it is the nutrient that transports all the other minerals up the roots and into the engine room of a plant.

Calcium is the mineral truck which is why plants and animals use it more than any other nutrient (by weight/volume).

interconnected system that includes microorganisms, organic matter, water and air flow, and the right balance of minerals to feed the whole soil food web.

The second mistake is thinking Calcium is the only mineral that lifts pH, where in fact Magnesium, Potassium and Sodium all lift pH more than Calcium, 1.6x, 2x and 4x respectively.

It is therefore important to have these minerals in the correct base saturation percentages to achieve the optimum 6.3 pH.

What else does Calcium do?

Apart from transporting nutrient food up into your grass, Calcium performs these other curcial functions: • Calcium enhances the uptake of many other nutrients., making them available to plants.

• Calcium promotes healthy root, stem and leaf growth.

• Calcium improves the soil environment for micro-organisms • Calcium flocculates the soil • Calcium allows Nitrogen fixation to occur on the root nodules of legumes • Calcium is important for microbes – fungi and bacteria rely on calcium for their reproduction

Golden Bay Dolomite has Organic Calcium Dolomite is a 59% calcium 39% magnesium carbonate occurring as a completely natural rock deposit found in New Zealand only at Mount Burnett, Golden Bay. Dolomite’s slow magnesium release makes it the perfect fertiliser. As plant root acid secretions in the soil work on dolomite, its rate of breakdown accelerates in demand to plant requirements, releasing both magnesium and calcium in quantities sufficient to meet requirements, something even a mixture of lime and MgO can’t do.

What are the advantages?

Can you have too much Calcium?

SORRY. The food wasn’t transported this week.

Healthy, nutritious food has been produced.

It’s packaged up and ready to eat.

It’s even close by.

But what good is that if you can’t get your hands on it?

Something like this happens every day on farms throughout New Zealand. Farmers spend hard-earned money on fertiliser that’s meant to feed and grow their grass. But a lot of the minerals within the fertiliser isn’t making it to the plants – they’re close by but not within reach.

Grass needs 16 nutrients In spite of the fixation with NPK, grass actually needs a combination of 12-16 nutrients if it’s going to add healthy weight to your animals. Among them are Calcium, Magnesium, Nitrogen, Potassium, Sodium, Phosphate, Sulphur, Zinc, Boron, Copper, Manganese, Iron, and Selenium.

Some of these minerals directly impact plant growth. Others help plants by feeding the soil microbes that convert nutrients into forms that plants can uptake. Some minerals condition the soil and suppress plant diseases while others promote root development.

• • • • • • • • • • •

Applying to much Calcium can create as many problems as not having enough.

Calcium works in partnership with Magnesium to determine soil structure. Calcium loosens soil by flocculating soil particles together and increasing air space, while Magnesium decreases particle size causing less air space and tighter soils. You need a degree of space to allow for water, air, and nutrient movement and enough compactness to enable these crucial elements to be retained in the soil.

What happens if too much Calcium is applied? The soil structure becomes too loose allowing water to flow through unimpeded which washes vital elements away from plant root systems. It also causes soils to dry out more readily.

It is therefore important to have between 60-70% Calcium and 10-20% Magnesium base saturation to achieve the desired structure, depending on your soil type. Once we have achieved these levels we can be assured to have provided the ideal environment for the soil biology to thrive.

.

Significant reduction in animal metabolic disorders Improved mating performance.

Improved worm and microbial activity.

Increased nutrient storage and availability.

Stronger, more vigorous clover and plant growth.

Continual improvement of soil structures.

Stronger roots which grow further down into the soil.

Reduced reliance on nitrogen inputs.

Reduce or eliminate the need for pasture dusting of MgO. Healthier disease-and pest-resistant crops.

Consistently lower fertiliser input prices.

Call us for a FREE soil consultation

Contact Golden Bay Dolomite on 03 5259843 or email sales@goldenbaydolomite.co.nz .

The Calcium - pH Mistake

The problem is transportation.

It is the combination of these minerals, working together, that causes grass to grow in a nutrient-rich fashion.

Many farmers are familiar with Calcium and use it primarily to shift the pH levels of the soil. There are a couple of misunderstanding behind this practice.

Before we explore the issue of nutrient transportation, we need to talk about the range of foods that plants need in order to thrive. It’s more than you think.

But it’s not enough for these nutrients to be in the soil, or even around the roots (micro-organisms bring the minerals there).

Something has to transport the food up into the plant.

The first mistake is thinking that pH alone is a good indicator of soil health. When you read the list of 16 key minerals that grass requires, you can see that soil health is more complex than pH. Soil and plant (and animal) health is a complex

SOIL FERTILITY COURSE: Don’t forget the upcoming 3 day soil fertility course presented by renowned soil consultant Neal Kinsey.

Course to be held in Invercargill Mon 30th May – Wed 1 June 2016.

Go to www.goldenbaydolomite.co.nz for details.

CANTERBURY FARMING

June 2016

23

ANIMAL HEALTH & NUTRITION ADVERTORIAL

Preventing calf scours Rotagen Combo, the natural product for preventing and treating calf scours, is a very good option for protecting valuable replacement heifer calves.

With the decrease in payout, farmers are looking for ways to protect those valuable replacement heifer calves without the high costs.

It is essential that every replacement heifer calf is kept alive and performs to the best of its ability, but in the same instance, being able to do this economically is the key.

Rotagen Combo is a dried egg yolk product made from eggs laid by hens that have been vaccinated with rotavirus 6 and 10 virus antigens. The hyper immune status that these hens achieve ensures very high levels of antibodies, which end up in the yolk of the eggs. New Zealand is the only country in the world where specific antibodies against specific pathogens are a registered animal remedy.

The main cause of neonatal calf scours is rotavirus which is a disease caused by a virus, which

calves pick up from carrier cows very soon after calving.

So it is a disease of very young calves, often as young as one to four days of age, but older calves are still vulnerable until at least one month of age. Other pathogens can be involved, but rotavirus infection is present in at least 80 per cent of outbreaks. The disease is characterised by severe diarrhoea, which has a distinctive smell, dehydration, and a death rate of 20 per cent or more without treatment. Unprotected calves can result in an infection rate of 80 per cent or more in severe outbreaks.

Affected calves receive a severe setback at a young age and there is damage to the intestinal lining, growth rates are reduced. Calves that have had the scours have difficulty reaching target liveweights. A simple programme of treating calves at birth with

a drench of Rotagen Combo once a day for five days will prevent clinical cases of rotavirus.

The key to a successful regime is treating all the heifer replacement calves or any others being kept.

All non-replacement calves that are not going to be kept or treated need to be kept separate and located well away from your treated calves so there is no chance of cross-contamination.

Rotagen Combo works by coating the virus particle with antibodies which render it inactive. It doesn’t kill the virus, but prevents it from causing any damage to the intestinal lining. If the calf is later exposed to rotavirus because of a breakdown in the control of the environmental contamination, Rotagen Combo treated calves may still get rotavirus and will need to be treated again.

Rotagen “Combo”

An effective hygiene strategy using a virucide such as Vetpak’s Vetsan Super Concentrate which is effective against rotavirus 6 and 10, cryptosporidium parvum, E coli, salmonella and corona should be used to spray out the calf sheds before the season begins and throughout the season.

For more information on Rotagen Combo and Vetsan Super Concentrate please check out the website www. vetpak.co.nz or talk to your local vet clinic.

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24

June 2016

CANTERBURY FARMING

FARM EQUIPMENT & MACHINERY A precision eye in sky

by Andy Bryenton

Most farm machinery is confined to the ground, and as it’s primarily concerned with the cultivation of the soil, that’s no surprise.

But when it comes to crop spraying, pest busting and even monitoring livestock, an eye in the sky can be the farmer’s best friend.

Advances in drone technology have seen small multi-rotor electric units deployed for tasks as varied as environmental monitoring and tracking down lost animals using RFID technology. But ask any drone pilot and they’ll tell you that dust, rain and wind can all have adverse effects on these machines, which require a lightweight profile to zip through the air. Limited battery life is another factor making the uptake of drones problematic in the far-flung

hinterland areas where they are most useful.

Of course, military drones work in much more rugged conditions, but the rural need for weapons platforms and espionage is limited which is why Yamaha have combined the best of both worlds, developing an unmanned aerial vehicle for agriculture.

They call it the R-Max, and it truly must be seen to be believed.

A compact helicopter roughly one third the size of a fully manned chopper, the R-Max takes advantage of the lightweight petrol engine technology developed by Yamaha for their race-winning superbikes. By packing a

HEADER

250cc two stroke mill into a tiny airframe, the R-Max generates enough power to lift not just the traditional camera array, but also liquid and granular sprayers for precision crop dusting, seeding and weed control. It can stay aloft in conditions a small multi-rotor electric drone could never withstand, has no need for an on-board pilot, and can operate at close to half a kilometre from its earthbound operator who uses an advanced variant of traditional remote control.

Fully laden, it can operate for much longer than electric machines — up to a full hour in the air. The obvious use — spraying up to two acres in only six minutes, 100 percent on-target — opens up possibilities for rapid-

Yamaha have turned racing bike tech into aerial power for precision agricultural tasks

response treatment of crops for pests, for seeding with zero soil compaction, and for surgically precise fertiliser dispersal. Add other new technology such as infra-red cameras and it’s possible to use the R-Max for livestock

Repairs & Spares • Concaves Manufactured new for all makes

Affordable Machinery

and models. Built specially for NZ conditions.

Also repairs and alterations.

Importers of used machinery.

Christchurch

Specialising in Diggers, Tractors, Loader and Track Dumpers from Japan.

• Drums & Bars Manufactured and repaired.

All makes and models. Preseason checks done on farm.

• Sieves & Riddles Repairs, rebuilds and specially designed stepped sieves for small seed applications. Cleaner Sample - Less Loss

diagnostics in the field. Then there’s the possibility of using this small but powerful chopper for frost mitigation in a way which would cost far more with full sized helicopters. Aussie farmers could even use the R-Max for heli-herding, replacing live pilots in this dangerous job.

Yamaha have tested the R-Max extensively in difficult and dangerous circumstances, such as monitoring live volcanoes

so it’s tough credentials are more than proven. And while it does require a drone pilot’s licence to fly, there are numerous applications in both farming and forestry not to mention search and rescue where this new innovation is sure to be welcomed.

To see the R-Max in action, visit http://rmax.yamahamotor.com.au/videos — and prepare to be amazed at the next level of unmanned operations in the air.

SMOKE ALARMS

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• General Engineering Fabrication, steelwork, repairs, sheet metal.

ELLESMERE ENGINEERING LTD

PHONE: 021 890 652

(Formerly D.C. Newburry & Co, Southbridge)

Ph: 03 324 2145 • Mobile: 027 331 9821 www.ellesmereengineering.co.nz 185 Jollies Road Southbridge

ADDRESS: 82 Mowbray St, Waltham, Christchurch 8023

THE NEW GENERATION 3000 SERIES GRASSFARMER. • Ability to sow accurately from 1kg up to 350kg of seed per hectare

MK4 RANGE OF SEEDMATIC TINE DRILLS • Vibrating 25mm tines handle trash with ease

• Choice of models - available as Tine and T-Boot or Concave Disc opener

• 2.5m, 3m up to 3.5m sowing width • Seed & Fertiliser option available

• Disc coulter as standard

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233 Alford Forest Road, Ashburton 03 307 7153 www.powerfarmingashburton.co.nz

• Disc coulter as standard

3 EQUAL PAYMENTS

PLUS GST

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• 125mm or 5 inch row spacing with 14inch coulters to assist with heavy trash and matted turf

Terms & Conditions apply. See instore for details.

Find us on

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9,990

PLUS GST

FARM MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

CANTERBURY FARMING

June 2016

25

Raking in the accolades In the world of auto engineering, both the milestone of 50 years in production and the considerable achievement of selling 100,000 of a top-flight model would never go unremarked upon. It’s the same in the field of agricultural machinery — which is why Dutch farmer Frank van der Schriek got a big surprise when he ordered a new Lely Lotus tedder for the upcoming harvest season.

Water Ballast Rollers Spiral Welded Pipe Grain Augers Range of standard sizes available or made to your required size.

16 Robinson Street, Ashburton 7700 Phone/Fax 03 308 9623 Dave Stockdill

The Lely Lotus tedder promises a boost in efficiency right through to the dairy shed

crop mass to the top as the Lotus works, and that’s the key to some serious utility.

Combined with high stability, even at rapid working speeds, this all adds up to the ability to beat the weather and manage the harvest for even, uniform drying.

That matters, because a good dry matter blend could very well mean better performance at milking time.

Lely have done the maths, and reason that an increase from 30% to 45% dry matter

DENIS CUNNINGHAM LTD Your Partner in Welding since 1975

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could readily equate to a 5% increase in milk yield.

That’s a true knock-on gain, coming down the chain from harvest to tanker.

It’s backed up by plenty of practical observations from in the field. As an added bonus, the hooked tines employed by the Lotus tedder only have to flex a short distance to clear obstacles, meaning less repair and maintenance downtime.

Lely are the only factoryowned distributor for farm

machinery in New Zealand, and they maintain an R and D department here to continue honing and improving their products.

A strong showing at the recent National Fieldays at Mystery Creek has seen them raise their profile among Kiwi farmers, showcasing everything from the balers, rakes and tedders which built their name in Europe, through to fully automated milking systems which may represent the future of dairying.

DRIVE TO THE

CONDITIONS THIS WINTER

The Wait is OVER!

The OUTLANDER 570 is here. Prices starting from

$12,700

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* Outlander 570 $1000 factory rebate Call today to book your on farm demonstration.

3 year unlimited KM warranty, * Terms & Conditions apply For further info contact: Ben Stewart: 021 533 144 or 03 688 7517 127b Hilton Highway Washdyke Timaru www.timarucanam.co.nz

CanAm North Canterbury: 0800 641 146 303 Flaxton Road Rangiora North Canterbury www.canamnc.co.nz

®

64 l/min main hydraulic pump capacity

6.75L 6-cylinder engine

600 hours/12 months oil change intervals

113 l/min CCLS high flow hydraulic pump

24x24 with hi-lo + hydraulic power shuttle (40kph)

16x16 semi power-shift transmission (40kph)

Electronic high pressure common rail fuel injection

High capacity lift cylinders

Loader ready

Work light package

Terms and Conditions: Offers available for orders placed on or prior to 30th September 2016, for delivery on or prior to 31st December 2016, at participating Case IH dealers unless extended or while stocks last. Some exclusions may apply. Contact your local Case IH dealer for full details. Finance offers are subject to normal lending criteria.

Images used are for illustrative purposes only, and may differ in appearance from model advertised. Please check specifications with your Case IH dealer prior to purchase.

16COC002

It turned out that this was the 100,000th such machine produced by the company founded by Cornelius and Arij van der Lely. But the customary bouquets and heartfelt thanks from the Lely works team were not the big drawcard for Mr van der Schriek — like a true farmer, here or overseas, his eyes were on the bottom line for his herd.

“With the Lotus tedder, I can handle even wet and heavy crops and still offer the best quality feed with the correct dry matter content to my cows.”

It’s that kind of focus which has been folded back into Lely’s engineering development department from five decades of customer feedback. The figures for the Lotus tedder are impressive — starting with the fact that Lely’s unique angled tines can handle up to 50 per cent more material than straight-tined rivals. Clever engineering works to put wet

Leeston

03 324 3791

Ashburton

03 307 8027

Amberly

03 314 9055

Timaru

03 688 2179

26

June 2016

CANTERBURY FARMING

FARM MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

More efficient. Better Yield.

More choice. Better QualitY.

Why does Taege agricultural equipment produce the best results in most conditions?

Because we use our proven patented angle-mounted live tyne and tungsten faced tip system on all our ground engaging machines.

Drills – Tyre rollers – CulTivaTors – PosTDrivers – snow Plows – CusTom BuilDs Trevor Goodeve 027 222 6050

sales@taege.com

A Ground Breaking Company Since 1923

www.taege.com

FARM MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

Volts to overtake octane?

by Andy Bryenton

The electric car is a reality. From humble beginning through to the massively powerful Tesla models S, X and 3, the power of lithium ion batteries and modern electric motors has found its way onto the highways, delivering blistering torque and speed to leave even the most muscular of muscle cars in the dust. But will electricity ever replace diesel as the motive power behind farming in New Zealand?

Surprisingly, we once led the charge when it came to electric agriculture. Records exist of eight fully electric tractors working the land in Canterbury as early as the 1930s.

These ungainly contraptions drew power from an extension cable, plugged into a generator truck — so their green credentials were somewhat lacking. But their mission — to popularise electric power in rural areas — was a success. Fast forward to the present, and companies big and small are making advances in the realm of electric tractors, with challenges surmounted and others still to be overcome.

Once company forging ahead has ties to the Tesla name — by being named for one of his close contemporaries. The Idvorsky Electric Tractor Company are named for Serbian-American inventor and professor Mihajlo Idvorsky Pupin, and their all-electric machine has recently made it through to the final round of the 2016

Global Entrepreneurship Summit, hosted by Stanford University in the United States, under the authority of no less than President Obama himself. While this ambitious company promote their innovation in the search for seed capital, well established agricultural giant John Deere have taken a different route, tackling what they call the ‘chicken and egg’ problem of electric tractor design — the cooperative design of implements. Any farmer will tell you that a tractor never stands alone — and today’s top implements work from a hydraulic-mechanical power takeoff, not electricity.

Deere’s design — which produces 3 phase and DC power as it goes — was presented enthusiastically at Agritechnica in Europe by top engineer, Klaus Hahn.

“Electric motor drives can be more efficient than mechanical or hydraulicpowered drives,” says Hahn.

“They are not affected by the temperature and, in the case of DC motors, offer infinitely

variable speed control. They also eliminate the need for hydraulic hoses and pto shafts.”

Arch rivals New Holland on the other hand, are looking even further forward.

Their NH2 hydrogen powered tractor uses the most abundant element in the universe as fuel, and does away with both diesel motor and gearbox, using a beefed-up hydrogen fuel cell motor like that developed for road cars by Honda.

It too has pto points powered by volts rather than hydrocarbons. Critically, it also does away with the exhaust pipe, making it a zero emission option.

The future of farming may embrace any of these technologies, but we know from the past — when the horse was king — that change is sure to arrive.

The only certainty is that no matter what drives them, a hungry population will need to keep those tractors rolling for generations to come.

DO YOU HAVE AN OVERSIZE, OVERWEIGHT PROBLEM? WE’LL TAKE A LOAD OFF YOUR MIND...

Heavy Machinery Transportation

Email natalie@canterburyheavyhaulage.co.nz

June 2016

27

ID CANTERBURY ACHINERY

We Buy, Sell & Trade Machinery

Ring to Hire Machinery!

Water Ballast Rollers ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� From $3,500 Gregoire Besson 5Mtr Discs ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� $15,000 Taege 2 Bale Feeder ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$7,250 Hustler 2000 (Done a Lot of Work) ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$3,850 Dunhill 8 Furrow on Land Plough ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$3,500 Aitchison 10ft Maxitill Tidy ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$1,900 Sulky DPX 28 Fert Spdr 2013 �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$6,900 Alo 1�5 Silage Grabs (Shipment Arrived) ������������������������������������������������������������������������������$5,000 Roller Rings 25 24”X3” Heavy ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Each $60 Cambridge Rollers 10ft,11ft & 22ft ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� From $2,000 Grubber Trailing ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$6,750 Duncan 13Tyne 1 1/4 Tyne Grubber �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$1,250 Kloughn25 Tyne Trailing Grubber (Very tidy) ��������������������������������������������������������������������� $11,250 Celli 2�5Mtrs Roto Hoe���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$6,500 Hay Feeders, 1�4 & 2�4 mtrs long ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� From $500 Hustler 8000 Bale Feeder��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� $25,500 Express Speed Disc 3000 ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� AS NEW POA Gray 10FT Water Ballast Roller �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� NEW POA Duncan 734 Direct Drill ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$9,750 Kverneland TLA 5�5 Maxitill �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$6,750 Ferguson 9Tyne Grubber c/w Moulders ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������$600 Duncan 701 Drill C/W Eclipse Box ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$4,250 Case Tractor MX100C C/W Loader ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ Sell or Hire Cattle Ramp �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$2,400 Nobili BNG 310 Mulcher �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$8,250 Grader Blades ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� From $500 Fiat 250 Tractor �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$2,000 Watson 6�3 Rollers (www�walter-watson�co�uk) ��������������������������������������������������������������� In Stock Robertson Combi Wagon �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$6,000 Pearson Silage Grab Euro Fitting ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$3,700 Duncan 5 Leg Subsoiler ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� AS NEW $6,750 Auger 4 1/2 Mtre c/w Electric Motor �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������$1,300 Fuel Tanks �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� From $300 Trimax Mulcher 1�5Mtr ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� From $1,750 Tandem Trailer 4�1x2�45 (Reg & wof) �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������$3,500 Trailer 2 Axles Turntable ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� $10,000 Kverneland NG300 H4 Power Harrow ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������$7,900 McHale Soft Hands ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� NEW $3,150 Bale Forks �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� From $650 Hustler 4000 Bale Feeder��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� $10,500 Grain Feed-out Bin ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$1,500 Uni Silage Wagon Tandem ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$6,000 Heavy Duty Quick Hitch �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������$1,050 Older 2 Bale Trailing Feeders ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ From $1,350

Just a Small Selection of our Stock • We Buy, Sell & Trade Machinery All Prices + GST • www.midcanterburymachinery.co.nz

172 Wills Street Ashburton • Tel/Fax: 03 308 9889 Mob: 0274 341 040 • E: n.stockdill@xtra.co.nz

NEED A RANGE OF BEET DE-STONERS, CLEANERS AND CHIPPERS FOR YOUR MACHINERY? Agriline has researched extensively the feeding of beet in European countries and the USA where beet has been used as a feed for many years and results from University studies show a marked advantage in fine chipping of beet for stock feed. Teagasc from Ireland have studies that show lamb weights doubling or more per week by chipping instead of feeding them whole.

Cost of harvesting, cleaning and chipping is about 7 cents a kg/Dm which is less than the extensive wastage of beet and the damage to soil structure and compaction that occurs when beet is grazed. There are also issues around leaching from grazing paddocks which will require attention as well.

Real people who get the job done in a professional way.

CANTERBURY HEAVY HAULAGE Phone 0800 88 11 88

M

CANTERBURY FARMING

As has been in several news articles recently, cows are being lost with acidosis and choking on small whole beets. The sugar rich nature of this feed makes it very likely to cause acidosis when introduced too quickly. Start feeding with about 5 kgs/head/day of wet chopped beet.

CANTERBU RY HEAVY HAULAGE

03 422 2242 www.agriline.co.nz

28

June 2016

LIFESTYLE BLOCK SERVICES

CANTERBURY FARMING

BUSINESS PROFILE

Domestic Water Wells • Free Site Consultation • Professional Job at a Competitive Price • Prompt and Efficient Team • Workmanship Guaranteed • Over 20 Years Experience • NZ Drillers Federation Member Ph GLEN DALY (Owner Operator)

027 663 9961 Daly Water Wells After hours 03 329 5625

email: dalywaterwells@hotmail.com

Continuous Group provide spouting, metal fascia and downpipes offering a variety of snow solutions across the Canterbury region and beyond.

“Living on a lifestyle block is a big move and although spouting is another cost, it is important to keep your spouting in good condition — you need to get it right.

Having good spouting with no leaks will protect not just your property but also yourself, visitors and animals,” said mid-South Canterbury sales manager, Richard Pullar. “At this time of the year with the

CANTERBURY CONTINUOUS SPOUTING LTD “Whether it’s a homestead or a farm shed CONTINUOUS has the solution for you.”

• 21 years experience installing throughout Canterbury and Westland.

• 6 spouting profiles to suit your requirements.

• Installation crews servicing your local area.

• Strong brackets and robust snow protection to handle the rural climate.

For a FREE no obligation quote phone CONTINUOUS TODAY on 0800 50 1993

www.continuous.co.nz

Reliable spouting

0800 50 1993

frosts happening, older or damaged spouting will start to drip. This is dangerous as the drips freeze on the ground and a lot of people slip and fall on the icy ground, particularly the elderly.

“As the spouting is out of sight, it is easy to ignore but once they start to drip, things can go bad very quickly. Often paint is covering rust and it is actually the paint holding it together.

“With our product the only join you will have is at the corners. We can provide very long lengths. Each corner has the join — there are none in the middle. We replace a lot of damaged products on older buildings.

“Not having joins on long lengths is a key as when you get snow weight on the spouting that is when they open up. Our own specialists install them and remove the old. Just because there are no leaks doesn’t mean the spouting is performing underneath correctly.”

Calculating the size of your spouting and downpipes can be complicated. The roof pitch, length of run, gutter and downpipe size, shape and fall are all inter-related in the determination of capacity to each other.

Continuous spouting installation specialists work on site

Continuous Group provide installations for new builds as per the specifications supplied by the customer and those that are approved for construction by the local authority.

“We do free assessments and quotes and have a variety of different styles available for houses, commercial and farm buildings. They are available in copper, stainless steel and Colorsteel,” Richard says.

“The Building Code of New Zealand does not specify a specific fall rate for eave spouting, but as a rule of thumb, Continuous Group recommend that any ponded

water should evaporate within three days with normal wind and sun conditions. This assumes that the spouting is completely clean and free of debris. “Our products are installed on award-winning homes and we attract a diverse range of customers — from homeowners and one-man builders through to National building companies.

“We believe that our customers get the best value for money through providing the right solution on every Kiwi home. This way our customers actually get better results and they tell us this every day.”

Discover the world of relocatable buildings

Whether you are looking for workers accommodation to place on your land or a Cottage you can’t wait to call home, we have the options for you. With prices starting from as little as $38k*, contact us today

Our Cottage range

Self-Contained unit range

Say goodbye to space restrictions with our portable buildings. Your need for extra space is our call to action with a comprehensive range of flexible solutions to suit your needs.

*Prices exclude GST

Portable buildings to hire or buy.

We have something for every purpose - work, home, school + more 625 Halswell Junction Road, Christchurch • 76b Hunua Road, Papakura, Auckland • 0800 668 322

LIFESTYLE BLOCK SERVICES

CANTERBURY FARMING

June 2016

29

Managing winter feed Learning how to effectively manage pasture could be the difference between an easy winter and a hard one.

A surplus autumn pasture is generally the best feed and rationing it can be achieved by grazing small paddocks or strip grazing behind electric fences.

To do this, forward planning is a must, and over time experience is the best teacher when it comes to knowing how much pasture to feed the different livestock and when to use supplements.

Advice is often given in kilograms of dry matter per hectare and sometimes fer tiliser needs to be strategically applied when pasture quality is low.

It is important to remember different types of livestock have different requirements at different stages in their lives and throughout the year.

For example in winter stock may require extra concentrated feed as well as pasture to ensure they get all the energy and protein they need.

Animals that are pregnant, lactating, or in poor body condition may also need supplements.

Animals with faulty front teeth will be at a disadvantage

Dairy Farm Tracks Construction & Capping - Roading Foundations including gravel raft, rib raft - Hardfill - Culverts Driveways - Site Works - Subdivisions - Grader Available

P: 313 3419 M: 0274 336 993 E: hurleyexcavation@xtra.co.nz

JIM BENNY FENCING LTD For all: • Conventional • Deer • Dairy Conversions • Post Driving

The “Viagra” Fencers

when it comes to feeding on short pastures.

Species like horses and sheep can generally graze close to the ground, but goats and cattle require longer pasture. These types of livestock may need

supplementar y hay and concentrates to see them through the winter. For cattle to graze effectively, pasture must be at least several centimetres long. If in doubt, observe your animals for a while.

If ruminants like sheep, cattle and goats are lying down chewing their cud they are content. If horses and ponies are idle this means they are most likely not hungry and don’t feel the need to graze.

when you want it up fast & to last

Phone Jim 0274 523 119 or 03 329 5245

Plants for all Projects Field-grown shelter & fruit trees in stock now.

DRIVEWAYS: • Chip seal • Loose chip, Limestone chip • Hot mix (asphalt) • Farm tracks and repairs

Call now for a free catalogue

EARTHWORKS:

- Native & Landscaping plants - Ornamental & Specimen trees - Firewood & Shelter trees - Fruit & Nut + truffle inoculated trees

SOUTHERN

• Sub-divisions • Site clearance, clean ups • Stump and tree removal • Ponds • Horse arenas • Landscaping • Tennis courts • Hole augering • Concrete breaking

PLANT NURSERY

FOR A NO OBLIGATION, FREE QUOTE CALL CAMPBELL STEVENSON

WOODS

1133 Main South Road - Call 0800 800 352 - www.southernwoods.co.nz

Charlies Takeaways A Division of Robsons Canterbury

LIQUID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Septic Tank emptying & maintenance - Pumps supplied & fitted All farm effluent emptied and spread

027 220 3759 | A/H 03 313 3759

Attention Lifestyle Block owners!

Learn how to quickly turn your wasted grass into CA$H!

Free 8-Page Guide Available Now

100% Canterbury Family Owned and Operated In the waste business for 40 years

LIQUID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Christchurch: 0800 372 003 Rakaia: 0800 372 004 robsonenviro@xtra.co.nz www.robsonenvironmental.co.nz

Get your free copy of this valuable guide and find out how to convert your grass into extra cash without a heap of time or effort Call Gary now on (03) 318 1860 or email gary@lifestylefarmsystems.co.nz www.lifestylefarmsystems.co.nz

30

June 2016

LIFESTYLE BLOCK SERVICES

CANTERBURY FARMING

BENNETTS SAWMILL LTD Specialists in Oregon, Larch and Macrocarpa Oregon timber for lifestyle fencing rails.

Oregon is also an ideal untreated timber for animal shelters, hen houses, wood sheds and sheep & cattle yards from projects that are needed for lifestyle lovers to hard working farmers.

Shellie & Rodney Finnie

Corner Oxford and Bennetts Road Phone 03 312 5604

Open to public Monday – Friday and also Saturday 8.30am – 1.00pm

water

FREE QUOTES WITH NO OBLIGATION

wells

Domestic Irrigation Environmental & Investigation Drilling Pump Sales & Service Over 25 years Drilling Experience

East Coast Drilling Ltd 03 347 9337 or 027 434 1162

454 West Melton Rd, West Melton RD6 CHCH A/H 03 347 8446 Fax 03 347 8426 ecdrill@xtra.co.nz

BUSINESS PROFILE

A boutique sawmill Bennetts Sawmill is a boutique mill located in the Oxford area covering Rolleston, Darfield, Amberley, Kaikoura, Rangiora and beyond.

The mill has been operating for more than 50 years and for the past seven years has been owned by Shellie and Rodney Finnie.

“Our main line is douglas fir (oregon). We also have larch and macrocarpa. Our clients are lifestyle block owners, farmers, builders, contractors and everyone else,” said Shellie. “We do a lot of oneoff cuts, such as beams or for that particular size to fit into a house renovation.

“For lifestyle block owners I recommend oregon which is the most used timber. The oregon 150x40 millimetre fencing rail is very popular,” said Shellie.

“It is a beautiful timber that stays straight and does not twist or warp. After 10 years you will still be pleased with the straight profile when you are looking out your lounge room window.”

Shellie says there is a richness of colour in the wood with colours ranging from reds to soft oranges making it suitable for furniture and tables right through to panelling for ceilings and walls.

“You can let your mind run wild with your projects for your property such as chicken

Rodney Finnie, owner operator of Bennetts Sawmill

coops, wood sheds, pig pens and paling fences. Oregon is also superb for making wooden gates. For the kids in

the family, if dad is willing he may want to build a playhut.

“We consider our prices to be realistic and we always

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have a line of second grade timber for the budget buyer.

For the farmer, we can supply timber for sheep and cattle yards or to fix that broken rail.

There is also wood for around irrigation pivots right through to timber to build extra sheds.

“We offer a personalised service and discuss each customer’s individual needs.

Our staff offer advice on all things wood, such as the best way to use oil stains and what to do with excess trees on your block.

“We believe in honesty and helping people with their timber needs. We let people know the right and wrong way to use wood to the best of our ability. When we sell wood we want our clients to be happy with their purchase.

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DAIRY

CANTERBURY FARMING

Soil Matters with Peter Burton

June 2016

31

sheds ‘n shelters WE CAN DESIGN ANY SIZE TO FIT YOUR REQUIREMENTS

The rules have changed The European Union has just refused to grant Monsanto a new licence for glyphosate.

Whichever side of the debate you’re on, it signals the start of a fundamental change in agriculture worldwide.

Sufficient people worldwide plantain paspalum, and have taken action (protests, cocksfoot. The dominant petitions, and submissions), grass is high fertility rye, which will result in a seismic particularly over autumn shift in farming practices. The and winter, with large leafed desire by consumers to eat long stemmed clover present meat and vegetables grown throughout the year. from soils ‘uncontaminated’ The soil nutrient by weedicides, pesticides, programme is based on the and heavy metal residues will requirements for clover, and continue to change the way only a single application food is produced. of less than 20kgN/ha is However, for a significant applied each year in autumn number of New Zealand to boost ryegrass growth as pastoral farmers the the soil cools. glyphosate decision will Clover contains three change little of their present to four times the amount practices, as they already of calcium of all grasses, seldom use sprays designed and for clover to thrive in a to kill weeds or pests. sward a long strong stem is higher on the property using These farmers work on the required. Calcium provides a CalciZest/DoloZest total philosophy that ‘what grows the strength for clover to nutrient programme. is the result of the conditions access sufficient sunlight to In the intervening seven created’ and manage their fix the necessary nitrogen. years the gap between pastures to get the best The extra pasture grown the two farms has steadily performance and quality from in late spring and summer widened, as the low N input them, on the basis that ‘if it’s allows the making of high property has sequestered eaten by an animal it’s not quality hay from the genuine carbon, developed humus, a weed’. surplus. This easily covers and further increased total The first question asked the fact that without regular pasture production. by staff of this country’s nitrogen applications, in The coming changes are largest farming organisation 2008/09 measured pasture driven by a fundamental on a recent visit to one such production, compared with shift in attitude away from farm was: ‘What’s the pasture a conventional N nutrient battling the elements, renewal programme?’ The programme farm, showed fighting pests and diseases, answer was: ‘There isn’t one’. 17% less total growth in animal ill-health, and The pasture they were August/ October, but 74% environmental regulations, standing in at the time had more in November/January. to one of unhurried relaxed grown over twenty tonnes of Total pasture growth obser vation, with an dry matter in the previous for that season was 25% appreciation that the only twelve months, contained a wide variety of plants, and had not been renewed in the ® last fifty years.

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June 2016

DAIRY

CANTERBURY FARMING

Farmer of the Year nominations open Nominations and entries are open for the 2016 Lincoln University Foundation South Island Farmer of the Year competition, and organisers are expecting wide interest.

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“Last year we had excellent entries which resulted in a tie, with Omarama Station and Clearwater Mussels sharing the honours. This substantially boosted public interest and we had excellent attendance at all of our events. We anticipate this level of interest will continue in 2016,” said chair Ben Todhunter.

It’s not just the prize money that gives value to entrants.

Last year’s joint winner, John Young of Clearwater Mussels, says entering the competition has real benefits for the farmers themselves.

“The expectations from the Lincoln team to condense and tell our farming story gave us the unexpected benefit of analysing our farming strategies, our financial markers, our people, our markets, and using this to build a more robust and innovative business,” said Mr Young. “The support from Lincoln Foundation,

Joint winners in 2015 from left: Richard and Annabelle Subtil of Omarama Station, and Lyn Godsiff and John Young, directors of Clearwater Mussels

the media, industry, and the public during and after the competition, and the ability to educate a wider audience, has been immense.

“One of the keys to getting good numbers and a high quality of entries is nominations,” Mr Todhunter says.

“In earlier years it was difficult to get farmers to put their own hand up, but since we have allowed nominations,

entries have shot up as it seems to take the ‘tall poppy’ factor out of it and farmers are more willing to let their nomination go forward.”

Mr Todhunter says he is hoping that agribusinesses, agricultural societies and foundations, and related organisations really get behind the competition this year and put forward nominations to help keep both the quality and variety

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of entries to the highest level.

He added that it is not just big farming operations that the Foundation is looking for.

“We’re looking for leadership, innovation and farming excellence, which can be found equally in small family-owned farm businesses and within large commercial agricultural entities.”

Mr Todhunter says previous entrants are also encouraged to re-enter.

“The experience of entering can itself be very valuable,” he says, “because of the farm business evaluation all entrants receive. They can use the feedback provided to work on their business and re-enter in subsequent years to see if the improvements made can get them through to the finals.”

Nominations and/ or entries are open now and close on August 1, 2016. Visit http://www. lincolnuniversityfoundation. org.nz/how-to-enter/applyonline/ to apply online.

Judging will occur during September/October with the finals at Lincoln University in November. The competition is open to any form of primary production farm business including agriculture, hor ticulture, viticulture and aquaculture.

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Uncommon sense Adding value to milk What are we to make of the latest pay promise of $9.20/kg ms for organic milk?

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certified organic or close to going organic, were brave enough to significantly alter their management practices some time ago — $9.20/kg ms will be the reward for their foresight. Good for them.

But where does that leave conventional farmers? What changes are we going to have to make in the way we run our dairy farms?

The most impor tant change has nothing to do with milk solids but everything to do with grey matter. We need a shift in our thinking. When you read ‘changes in the way we run our dairy farms’, what was your reaction?

Running my farm organically will mean a drastic drop in production.

It’s impossible to run a farm without penicillin, weed sprays and pour-ons, and urea. If that was your response, I completely understand.

I thought exactly that when I first contemplated the idea 14 years ago. I was so used to managing my farm with chemicals, the idea of dropping these synthetic practices seemed ludicrous.

Like cutting off the branch I was sitting on. But I made a start and discovered some crucial things.

First, I learned that I’d become brainwashed over the years. Where did the belief come from that all these chemicals were necessary for high production and good payouts? Answer: From the companies that made the chemicals. These corporate giants with their big marketing budgets were constantly promoting a version of science that lead to one inevitable conclusion: I needed the chemicals they were selling. So I bought from them.

At some point however, I focussed on proving that good production was not determined by a high usage of nitrogen. At that time the farm was growing 14 tonne of dry matter per hectare while using 150 units of nitrogen per hectare. After adjusting my management, the farm grew 19 tonne dm/ ha from applying only 30 units of nitrogen per hectare.

A 35 per cent increase in production with 80 per cent less artificial nitrogen.

Over 10 years, I challenged and successfully changed a lot of conventional practices.

Others went even further than I did. They’re the ones that will collect $9.20/kg ms next year.

If you’re thinking of joining the trend to move away from a heavy dependence on chemicals, can I suggest you take this first step: sack your conventional thinking consultant.

33

He can’t possibly think outside the chemical square because it’s the chemical system itself that gives him an income. Second, talk to a biological adviser who has been there and done that. They understand from

experience how hard it is to think and act in new ways.

They also know what to do and how to do it.Third, be bold. Someone once said that fortune favours the brave. At $9.20/kg ms for organic milk, they’re absolutely right.

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$9.20 is a 60 per cent rise from the current organic payout and a staggering 235 per cent higher than the payout for conventional milk.

What does that mean?

It means for one thing, that there has been a massive worldwide shift in the mindset of dairy product consumers.

The fact that they’re willing to pay a lot more for organic milk is a sure sign they’re no longer comfortable ingesting the chemicals found in typical milk products.

They’re saying no to our penicillins, weed sprays and parasite pour-ons, and saying yes to clean organic milk.

Here’s what else it means.

Farmers will need to take greater responsibility for adding value to the products coming off their farms. With recent low commodity prices, we’ve been critical towards dairy companies for not producing and marketing value-added products from the milk sent to them. We’ve expected the factory to add the value and increase our return. Fair enough. I think that’s a critical part of Fonterra’s job.

But what if some of the onus is on us to supply Fonterra with a better valueadded product to begin with?

Products like organic milk.

Wouldn’t that put Fonterra in a stronger position to maximise our payout in a global market that clearly wants chemicalfree products?

A small group of farmers are discovering that it does. These farmers, either

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June 2016

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Wool commands strong attention At time of writing, the second June wool auction had just been completed in Christchurch and, whilst the offering was sparse with only approximately 4,000 bales offered compared to an original expectation of more than 5,100 bales, prices remained similar to the previous auction held in the first week of June.

With such limited quantities coming forward due mainly to weather issues in the deep south, brokers had considered cancelling the June 16 auction. The obvious quantity shortage prompted several growers to place unachievable reserve prices on their wool clips at the auction, resulting in a hefty pass-in rate of nearly 40%, causing shipping problems for exporters who’d expected to secure wool at strong market levels despite a strong Kiwi dollar.

Crossbred full length fleece wools were in strong demand in mid-June with pricing down slightly on the previous South Island auction held on June 2 but ahead of the North Island auction held on June 9.

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Despite a good market, several lines of fleece were passed-in below grower expectations. A ‘tough day at the office’ was experienced by short second-shear types as they struggled to return more than approximately 95% of previous auction values.

Longer second-shear and early-shorn types did however enjoy a slightly better day on June 16, quoted as ‘par to 2% cheaper’ than at the previous South Island auction of June 2.

Crossbred lamb’s wool reached record levels earlier this year prompting quite a number of growers, mainly from Southland, to punt for a continued strong market for those types and place quite ‘optimistic’ reserve prices on their wool. Unfortunately the lamb’s wool market did not gain further traction and prices continued to ease each week leaving many growers holding lines of wool which had been passed-in at reasonably healthy levels, now worth considerably less.

The June 16 catalogues

contained a much larger than usual (for this time of the season) lamb’s wool offering, all of which had been offered to the trade at earlier auctions, and which mostly failed to reach grower reserves yet again.

Halfbred and Corriedale wool types commanded strong attention from the buying trade, particularly those which had been well classed and prepared in the wool shed. A good range of Corriedales were offered in catalogues throughout June and prices remained similar at each auction despite an appreciative strengthening of the Kiwi dollar. When compared to the quoted Australian auction averages from the exact same day as the South Island auction held in Christchurch on June 16, prices for Halfbred/ Corriedale types at the South Island auction were ahead, in Kiwi currency terms and, whilst those differences are not always apparent due to seasonal variances and volume availability, the trend

was welcome. Recently PGG Wrightson, at each of their Napier and Christchurch wool facilities, hosted shed classers and wool handlers at education days about wool handling best practice, and issues in regard to packaging of wool in the farm wool shed were high on the agenda.

Growers should be aware that the maximum bale weight MUST NOT exceed 200kg, as agreed by the National Council of New Zealand Wool Interests, in order to address a variety of health and safety, and transport, issues throughout the wool pipeline from farm to processor.

Poorly pinned wool bales have also been a major problem this season, and shearing contractors are asked to ensure wool pressers are sufficiently trained to pin bales correctly to alleviate possible injury.

Wool Auctions will begin in Christchurch for the 2016/17 season on July 14.

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June 2016

35

Mental wellness initiatives The CEO of New Zealand Young Farmers is applauding the recently announced rural mental wellness initiatives from Government and says it will give much needed support to younger members of the farming community who have also been hit by the dairy downturn.

Terr y Copeland says the announcement of the development of a framework to improve mental health and addiction outcomes in rural New Zealand and the continuation of the emergency response to support rural mental health was vital, particularly for those younger sharemilkers and contract milkers.

“We know it’s tough out there at the moment and we know some of our members are suffering significant financial stress.

The government’s Rural Mental Wellness Initiatives is recognition that we need to offer a wide range of support and ensure that all arms of the primary sector are catered for.” Mr Copeland said while there had been comprehensive suppor t offered to the farming community, it was important to not forget about the younger members of the industry.

“We need to look out for these younger members as they are our future. For many this will be the first time they have faced true hardship so

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Terry Copeland, New Zealand Young Farmers CEO

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June 2016

RURAL WHEELS

CANTERBURY FARMING

The call of the open road

by Andy Bryenton

Winter would seem like the last time to consider gearing up to hit the road on two wheels. But Yamaha know all too well that even now, at the cold and dark end of the year, summer is just around the corner. Their latest offerings in the learner-approved sport bike category may have arrived when there’s a chill in the air, but that just gives prospective riders a chance to appraise their options and make a tough choice between two very capable models which promise to make getting into motorcycling both easier and more attractive.

Not so long ago, the rules which governed learner bikes constrained novice

riders to 250cc machines or smaller. Initially this may have been intended to

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curb the amount of power available to those getting to grips with the intricacies and nuances of riding, but an ‘arms race’ at this low end of the displacement curve led to some seriously mad firepower hitting the streets, with high-revving four cylinder 250s like the Suzuki GSX-R and Yamaha’s own Zeal 250 offering a quick way to go from zero to several demerit points, all with the sound of a demonically possessed sewing machine.

To put no fine point on it, these bikes were also engineered with more diminutive riders in mind, with that critical riding factor — a nice, low, manageable centre of gravity — neglected in service of the 250cc restriction.

Larger riders — read as ‘proper sized’ Kiwi blokes — may actually have been safer on more substantial machines.

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A fairly recent change to the rules has seen the scope opened up to embrace bigger and more balanced rides — and while the 250cc bracket still encompasses some fine examples, the choices for a learner rider are now better than ever.

The new restriction is not so much on displacement as on raw power, which means that it’s possible to saddle up bikes which are both more adept at low-end torque delivery and sized for more than flat-out inner city sprints. A good example is the new double-whammy from Yamaha, the MT-07LA

and its little cousin, the MT03. With the aggressive, angular look of a semi-naked streetfighter bike, the MT07LA is compact and easy to handle, but packs a classleading 57.5 Newton-metres of torque from an inline twin 655cc mill, centrally mounted for structural rigidity and a thoroughly predictable centre of gravity in the bends.

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And best of all, both are proof positive that there’s no need to compromise when buying that first bike and taking the first step into a lifetime of motorcycle riding fun.

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June 2016

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AMERICAN WEIGHT SAVER

The Volkswagen Amarok has been a worthy contender in the cut-throat world of Kiwi ute sales — a market with more turns of fortune than medieval television epic Game of Thrones. Seen as the more refined and Euro-inspired alternative to rugged favourites such as Ford’s Ranger and Toyota’s Hilux, the Amarok never suffered from a lack of power.

But that hasn’t stopped the lads at the VW design facility in Germany from dialling in a more muscular power plant to complement the ute’s mid-life facelift. And they haven’t gone in by half measures, either.

While new versions of existing vehicles often feature a small tweak and fettle under the hood to deliver a touch more torque or a bit more oomph off the line, the Teutonic engineers — who we must admit share a stable with the octanedrinking masterminds of Audi and Lamborghini — have slotted in a full litre of extra displacement, creating a 3 litre diesel V6 monster.

The original was no slouch, delivering over 420 Newton metres of torque from a two litre mill. This new incarnation throws the rulebook in a wood chipper, delivering a stumppulling 550 Nm, and over 220 horsepower. Taming all this might is left to a beefed-up braking system, sophisticated computer control, and, of course, a far more comfortable driver thanks to improvements in the cabin appointments as well.

A special edition — dubbed the Aventura — will come stacked with more automotive

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Six packed — the new Amarok upgrades adds a powerful new engine choice

bling, including 20 inch mag wheels, bi-xenon headlights and special custom detailing.

But it’s the extra hardware under the hood which will really step the Amarok’s game up into the territory where it is a serious contender against the likes of the top-of-the-line Ranger Wildtrak — a prestige ute for the gentleman who likes performance and power tempered with visual headturning appeal. John Frear, head of Commercial Vehicles for Volkswagen New Zealand

had this to say about the brand’s new flagship ute.

“We are hugely excited by the addition of the V6 engine to the already powerful Amarok range.

“This will sit nicely alongside the existing 2.0L 420Nm powertrain which will remain a core part of the Amarok line-up. Now we’ve seen the early images of the facelift Amarok, including significant interior layout updates, I really believe this takes NZ’s most aspirational

ute to the next level. We’re sure this offers something new for loyal Volkswagen customers as well as plenty to attract those new to the brand when the first vehicles hit showroom floors at the end of this year.”

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June 2016

RURAL WHEELS

CANTERBURY FARMING

The king is back in the building

by Andy Bryenton

Racing legend Ken Block loves his Fords — but he has a strange way of showing it. Some collectors pamper their prized possessions, keeping them in glazed-in polished isolation. Not so the twisted genius from Hoonigan Racing, who lets his stable of blue oval racers loose on some of the wildest courses ever imagined, howling around them sideways in a thunderstorm of tyre smoke.

Now the man who has created souped-up-beyondsanity versions of both the Mk 2 Escort, the Fiesta ST and the 1965 Mustang has been asked to weigh in on creating a brand new Ford for all of us. Oh — and they’ve invited the lads at Cosworth to contribute their

two cents worth as well. The result could only be planetsmashingly fast, as blindingly blue. Welcome to the 2016 Ford Focus RS. While fans of extreme motorsport will definitely know about Ken Block, younger readers might have missed the days when the

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word Cosworth was breathed in the same sentence as the true name of God — and quite often featured on speeding tickets. The Sierra Cosworth and the subsequent Escort Cosworth were Ford’s foray into the frayed zone at the edge of automotive sanity, and they quickly became legends with both petrol heads — and the local constabulary. Racing wins piled up, as did the ink on a screed of rave reviews.

The new RS embodies that same spirit of precisely engineered lunacy — even while standing still. Input from Cosworth and Mr Block has given the Focus — which, one must remind oneself, was aggressively polymorphed from a sensible family hatch — no less than 345 horsepower and a snarling 324 foot-pounds of torque, all from a turbocharged four cylinder engine. The party piece of this machine is the way it delivers that power to the ground, through a clever four wheel drive system.

Subaru and Mitsubishi may have eclipsed the Cosworth Fords of old with their rallybred all wheel grip, but this modern Focus RS aims

Blue streak — with input from Ken Block and Cosworth, the new Focus RS was never going to be slow

to beat them at their own game, shifting power to the back wheels and judiciously vectoring it forward in greater amounts when necessary.

The result is a sense of real speed and accuracy, without the threat of imminent loss of traction.

The old Escort Cosworth of yesteryear was locked into a

34/66 per cent front to rear split in terms of all wheel traction, but the new layout pays dividends in the corners, allowing drivers to unleash not just all the blue bullet’s power, but also its satisfying exhaust note. Getting the tail right out requires a turn of the dial on the central console, selecting the frankly mental

‘drift’ mode. All in all, this has been a vintage year for Ford. GT victory at Le Mans, Mustangs selling faster than they take off from the line — and now this. A special kind of madness, tempered with world-class Ford engineering, and garnished with the kind of hot sauce only Ken Block and Cosworth could concoct.

CANTERBURY FARMING

A Green Perspective with Eugenie Sage, Green Party Primary Industries spokesperson

ECan fails to be an effective regulator and referee With more than 60 per cent of the water used for irrigation in New Zealand taken from Canterbury rivers and aquifers and water quality continuing to decline, more evidence of Environment Canterbury’s (ECan) weak approach to monitoring and enforcement is disappointing.

A new Ministry for the Environment (MfE) report says ECan was expected to monitor more than 20,000 consents in 2014/15, but only monitored 3,200.

Of the consents actually monitored, more than half the consent holders were found not complying with their conditions.

ECan’s poor performance contrasts with that of Auckland Council. The MfE report says Auckland Council monitored 81% of the more than 15,000 consents it was required to monitor in 2014/15. Bay of Plenty Regional Council monitored 70% of the consents it was required to. Yet ECan only monitored 16% of the resource consents it was required to. ECan should

be ensuring that everyone plays by the rules under the Resource Management Act to protect the environment and protect other water users who are playing fair. Instead it is standing on the sidelines far too often.

As well as failing to monitor to ensure that consent conditions are being followed, ECan is failing to take action to enforce the rules when they are breached. There have been repeated examples of stock fouling waterways, including North Canterbury’s Lake Taylor where ECan has failed to prosecute. There are more examples of ECan inaction in information released to Forest and Bird under the Official Information Act. One irrigator took 31 million

litres of water from North Canterbury’s Manuka Creek over 42 days with 40 of these days during low flow when the the stream was under most stress. All ECan did was issue an abatement notice.

ECan needs to step up and invest more in compliance and enforcement. A culture appears to have developed where the council is prepared to close its eyes to law breaking and users stealing water from rivers.

As the regulator, the regional council should be protecting our rivers and aquifers and responsible water users.

With too many e nv i r o n m e n t a l l y r i s ky activities going unchecked

by ECan, Canterbury risks being the wild west of water management.

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the ‘last’ word with Rob Cope-Williams

Tree Planting If I remember rightly, June is the best month to plant trees — it allows them to get settled before the spring invites them to grow.

As the very old saying suggests the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago or today, I think we should let our thoughts go into bringing trees into our lives.

Sadly the centre pivots have been the death of many of our trees, but I am thrilled to see how many are now being planted again.

People are thinking about what will grow under the units and also planting natives and things along fence lines. Great idea that is certainly more beneficial than long grass and weeds.

Chatting with my mate who owns a nursery we got onto the subject of trees in the farming areas and we found ourselves re-writing the book.

Flowering cherries in a corner that is never cropped

but gets the benefit of water, a grouping of silver birches looks great whatever the season, and of course areas of native bush that not only grow well look great but also attracts our native birds.

While lines of trees along fence lines look great and helps with stock protection, I really love seeing clusters of trees.

The lovely thing about people who run nurseries is that they are very happy to give advice on what to grow where.

They ask the questions and then make a suggestion.

Soil type, rainfall, irrigation, climate, frosts, winds all come into what you should grow where.

I certainly take my hat off to those who ‘lock up’ a block of native bush and

make the area predator proof. QE2 Trust blocks are on the increase and I think it is brilliant.

Those that have done it get a real buzz out of the birds and just being responsible for restoring New Zealand back to what it was pre-human.

I think it is a total dream to make the whole of our South Island predator free because there will always be cats that go feral, but any reduction in the other species such as rats, stoats, ferrets and possums will be great.

As I suggested the best time to plant trees is 20 years ago or today.

Leave the world in a better state than you found it is a wish we all have, planting trees help achieve that.

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