Canterbury Farming, September 2015

September 2015 Edition

29,200 copies distributed monthly – to every rural mailbox in Canterbury and the West Coast

International exposure for Aorere

Saffron’s spicy secrets

P2

Sowing the seed

P8

P26

Returning to basics Page 10–11

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September 2015

CANTERBURY FARMING

International exposure for Aorere New Zealand Landcare Trust’s Aorere River Project won the inaugural Morgan Foundation NZ Riverprize at the International Riversymposium in Brisbane.

“This is an amazing result given the strength of the competition. It underlines the value of this project and the work carried out by NZ Landcare Trust,” said Chair of NZ Landcare Trust’s Board of Trustees, Richard Thompson.

The Aorere River Catchment is home to over 13,000 cows and 35 dairy farms.

The river suffered from serious bacterial contamination which in turn had a negative impact on aquaculture, including the mussel and cockle farms in the Ruataniwha estuary.

“I think this is a real victory for community-led grassroots river management in New

Zealand. Without the Aorere river community, the story wouldn’t have happened,” said NZ Landcare Trust CEO Dr Nick Edgar who accepted the award on behalf of the Aorere River Initiative.

“I’d like to congratulate Barbara Stuart, NZ Landcare Trust Regional Coordinator for the Top of the South, for the incredible job she has done to bring together the Aorere community and encouraging them to solve problems and take positive action.”

Chief Executive Officer of the Inter national RiverFoundation, Dr Nick Schofield said this is the first time they have awarded the Riverprize in New Zealand.

NZ Landcare Trust’s Dr Nick Edgar, Barbara Stuart and Richard Thompson, with Morgan Foundation’s Andrew Gawith

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“It is fantastic to be able to recognise institutions in this region for their immense efforts in sustainable river basin management. It is a tribute to be recognised on an international scale for their collaborative approach to restoring the health of the river.

We look forward to working with the initiative to share their knowledge and expertise with communities around the

world.” Farmer spokesperson and dairy farmer Sue Brown was pleased and a little surprised to hear the Aorere project had won, given the scale of the other projects in the final four.

“Our project is a community approach to catchment wellbeing. It’s a story of the dairy and the shellfish industry coming together and looking at the catchment as a whole,” she said.

Twenty-four farms developed farm plans and over $1.6 million was invested in on-farm best management practices.

It not only improved the ecological health of the river and coastal environment but also created community cohesion, assisting dairy and marine farmers to coexist and maintain their livelihoods sustainably.

The Trust would like to acknowledge the outstanding

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work carried out by the three other NZ Riverprize finalists — Lake Taupo — Waikato, the Manawatu River — Manawatu, and Project Twin Streams — Waitakere.

The project received a $20,000 prize and automatically qualified for the second stage of the prestigious Thiess International Riverprize in 2016 to compete for the world’s top award in river restoration, protection and management.

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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

Management plan for lifestylers With an increasing amount of lifestyle properties appearing in the Canterbury region, Environment Canterbury has announced a lifestyle block management template for properties under 10 hectares.

The plan will measure the environmental impact that these properties have on the land in an easy to use format as Environment Canterbury chief executive Bill Bayfield says these properties are low nutrient leechers.

Mr Bayfield also says the user friendly template meets all the requirements of Schedule 7 of the Land and Water Regional Plan.

“While small holdings are not significant contributors to water quality issues, they make up a reasonable proportion of rural Canterbury, so collectively t h ey do contribute.

“I hope the use of this template results in more understanding of the environmental risks associated with smaller landholdings and the benefits of recording and acting on farming information,” Mr Bayfield said.

“We encourage all farmers to prepare farm environment plans and this is a simplified version tailored specifically to smaller properties.”

Farm consultant David Ashby encourages use of the lifestyle block management plan. “You have an effect on the environment whether you have four or 400 hectares,” he said.

“This template will help lifestyle block and small land owners take responsibility for their onfarm actions.

“55,000 people live in Waimakiriri District and a large number live on small blocks. There are even 728 lifestyle blocks in Ashburton. If the landowner can see what the problem is and identify and understand the issues then environmental outcomes are more likely to be achieved.

“It could be as simple as making sure you don’t over irrigate, keeping rainfall records and looking for daily Evapotranspiration figures.

“If you look after the environment your lifestyle block will grow more grass/crops and also look better and be a pleasure to work and live in,” Mr Ashby said.

Landowners can use an approved, industryprepared template and guidance material under Schedule 7 of the Land and Water Regional Plan, or they can use their own template, provided they follow Schedule 7.

The Environment Canterbury Lifestyle Block

September 2015

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Gauging water access after earthquakes Guidelines to help communities realise what water access and service people may have after an earthquake have been established through Water New Zealand with Opus and the University of Canterbury QuakeCentre.

“The Christchurch earthquakes highlighted the fragility of water infrastructure in the event of a major quake — and taught us more than a few things about the importance of seismic resilience of water pipes,” said CEO of Water New Zealand John Pfahlert.

Mr Pfahlert said it is something many people take for granted until the water system is disrupted.

“This paper will be the first in a series of guidelines on assessing system vulnerability, estimating the how long it will take to restore service and what is CEO of Water New Zealand John Pfahlert needed to be done ahead to help “The current replacement of any incidents to improve m e a s u r e s communities start thinking value of the water pipeline resilience,” he said.

“Building a resilient water about what assets exist and assets in New Zealand is delivery service begins with a how they will be affected about NZ$45 billion. The wastewater network has the clear understanding of what from an earthquake.

Mr Pfahlert said that as highest replacement service is expected.

The first Agrichem is an innovative world leader in technology and the production of high value quality part of building resilience around step in this that is a are document fertilisers sourced globally and formulated inas theirat own customNZ$18 facility.billion, defining Levels of Service as these assets are upgraded followed by drinking water The diverse product range covers everything assets at NZ$16 billion and well as bythe costs, risks and needed todays demanding growers.

From or replaced, many difficult Organic and Biological associated products to chelates, decisions will need to be storm water at NZ$11 billion. compromises plant activators, seed dressings, suspen“One key lesson from the made regarding trade-offs with providing this,” said sions, complex and sulphate micros – the is extensive. between Levels of Service, Canterbury Earthquakes is Mrrange Pfahlert.

Whatever your goal is Agrichem can help by capital costs, operating that insurance cannot be The document outlines selecting the right product and advising the relied upon as a sole risk a right framework of Levels time of application to give you the costs and management you want. performance of risk. mitigation strategy,” he said. of result Service

A Green Perspective with Steffan Browning, Green Party spokesperson on Agriculture

NZ farmers deserve a choice New Zealand food producers who are committed to producing safe, organic and GE-free foods will be scratching their heads over a Western Australian Court of Appeal decision this week.

Organic farmer Steve Marsh lost 70% of his organic certification because GE canola blown over from the neighbouring farm contaminated his crop.

But the court ruled that the GE farmer was not liable — there was no obligation for them to ‘limit their farming activities on their own land so as not to interfere with that use of the appellant’s land’.

Fe d e r a t e d Fa r m e r s president Dr William Rolleston used the court’s decision to push his pro-GE agenda in New Zealand once again.

He commented that ‘genetic modification has been used extensively around the world, to the benefit of farmers and the environment’.

In making that statement, be successful through timely and profesMr Rolleston seems to have sional services and knowledge in dealing missed news that a group with events outsidethe the norm. of with Hawkes Bay producers Agrichem, over 20 years’ service to the farming community. and their community have Ourconvinced Products the Hastings − Soluble Solids Council to implement District

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a 10-year ban on GE crops or trials in their region.

The group, called Pure Hawkes Bay, produce hundreds of millions of dollars of product, and see being GE free as an important part of their export branding.

Mr Rolleston in his capacity as Federated Farmers’ president and in his former role as spokesperson for Life Sciences Network, is one of the loudest voices in New Zealand’s pro-GE camp, pushing for widespread acceptance of GE in this countr y, and using the Western Australian court ruling as an opportunity to push the GE agenda once again.

I have stayed on Steve Marsh’s farm, as I have another in Victoria that was contaminated by a waterborne GE crop during a big rain event. Contamination is inevitable once GE crops are in.

Rolleston is disingenuous to suggest that the West Australian cour t ruling should somehow apply here. The court there found that farming GE canola according to ‘Standard

Practice’ met ‘duty of care’. Marsh is left with no apparent recourse.

Rolleston is happy about that, it seems — happy to have heavy herbicidedependent cropping and GE food become the norm, over sustainable farming systems that make sense from both an economic and environmental viewpoint.

Rolleston is suggesting that organic farmers should take the burden of care from protection from neighbouring GE crops should they ever happen here.

However, what he chooses to miss is that conventional farmers choosing not to plant GE crops will also lose their price advantage over the lowest commodity price crop which is GE. Non-GMO is the fastest growing food label in the home of GE cropping in the United States, with organic behind that.

Increasingly international consumers are reaching for non-GMO/GE. New Zealand farmers deser ve choice, not contamination.

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From the Minister Nathan Guy, Minister for Primary Industries

Biosecurity is important Biosecurity has always been my number one priority and will be as long as I’m minister.

The reason is obvious — because the primary sector is the backbone of our economy, but very vulnerable to unwanted pests and diseases.

That’s why this year’s Budget featured $27 million in new funding for biosecurity.

By December we will have 20 new detector dog teams, five new x-ray machines, a new mobile x-ray machine, and new communications to target passengers more who could be carrying fruit fly host material.

New threats are always emerging, like the Queensland Fruit Fly and the Brown Marmorated Stinkbug.

This is why we have to keep planning and preparing.

Arriving air passenger volumes have grown by more than 18 per cent over the last five years and are expected to continue growing at around 3.5 per cent each year.

A good example is the massive boom in cruise ships. This summer we are expecting to see a record season with passenger numbers forecast to jump 33

percent to nearly 270,000.

As a result there will be more detector dog teams to screen passengers from cruise ships for food and plants, and a portable x-ray machine at North Island ports to scan hand luggage coming off ships.

A lot of work has gone into intelligence, working out which vessels need targeting based on their history, where they are coming from and the passenger profiles.

Raising awareness is also important — for example, the captain giving a biosecurity awareness message to passengers has proven to be very effective. It’s pleasing to see good support from

the cruise ship industry who recognise they have an important role to play.

We are also bringing in a committed passenger border levy as a fairer way to fund these services.

It is expected to raise around $100 million per year and will fully meet the costs of passenger border clearance by 2017/18.

It also means that foreign travellers who make up around 55% of passenger numbers will be directly contributing, rather than the New Zealand taxpayer picking up the full tab. The final cost per passenger will be a small price to pay to help protect our borders.

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Country Matters with Rob Cope-Williams

Positivity still rules The old saying ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going’ is proving very true at the moment.

Talking with a variety of farmers and sharemilkers there is still a lot of positive attitudes within the industry.

One, for example, said simply that they are learning to farm within the low payout and once that is achieved he knows how tight he can run the operation when the times are better.

A case of going faster and faster around a corner in a race track until you spin then knowing how fast you can get through it.

I don’t need to tell you how tough farming can be and that your income is governed by others who don’t care about how much debt you have to service or what your personal situation may be. That is simply the case.

The other old adage of ‘farmers buy at retail prices and sell at wholesale plus pay the cartage both ways’

still rings in our ears. So options are totally in the hands of the farmers. Cut costs, reduce stock numbers and work cleverly rather than working harder. There are few farmers who don’t work very hard as it is.

The bottom line is that despite the future being in your hands, there are those in your corner.

Accountants, lawyers and bankers are all very willing to help you make the right choices when it comes to the crunch. They know what is available as far as help is concerned and what options there are to make your business work.

Thankfully I am getting lots of repor ts about people arranging a round table discussion with their advisers and walking out of the room feeling about six inches taller. We all

Pay attention!

know that you will be very attached to your stock if you are a sharemilker or dairy farmer, and to sell them at the bottom of the market seems like a no go, but sadly there are times when emotion has to make way for practicalities. The resulting increase in per head productivity and reduction in costs will certainly help the heart to heal.

I’m full of sayings today, but the other one that does come to mind is that ‘when you are up to the seat of your trousers with alligators, it is hard to remember you are there to drain the swamp’.

Yes others do understand and others do want to help.

If you are down, you will feel a lot better for sharing your problems. It’s very OK to do so and then you will be joining the ranks of those positive types.

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Country Law

Money Talk with Andrew Wyllie

with Ronald W. Angland & Son

The flag There are a number of pressing social issues in New Zealand, but democratic considerations of our national flag must surely rank foremost amongst them.

Do we stick with that staid old symbol of colonialism at the southern periphery? Do we recognise our bicultural heritage and our aspirations as a nation? Do we jump on a bandwagon exercise of corporate branding kitsch?

Do we actually care? While these sorts of deep and meaningful meditations on national identity usually feature as topics of NCEA Level 1 English essays, the nation itself will now be able to weigh in. The legal ducks are in a row in this thoroughly democratic exercise. Not a single professional design invoice has been sighted, with New Zealanders old and young of all walks of life having opportunity to present proposed new flags and all having opportunity to comment on each proposal via myriad social media participatory platforms. From this fulsome bounty of proposed flags the Flag Consideration Panel — a wholesome and demographically diverse mix of high-profile New Zealanders (each being paid approximately six hundred and forty dollars per day John Angland Leeston (03) 324 3033 john@anglands.co.nz Craig Wakelin Leeston (03) 324 3033 craig@anglands.co.nz

first-past-the-post postal vote where the punters get to decide whether to adopt the new flag or the stick with the old one. All up, for the paltry sum of twenty six million dollars, there will be some kind of answer emerge.

The process is electorally expansive and one must be cautious around both voting and maintaining the integrity of the voting process itself, democracy being a fundamental tenet of our system. There are fines and punishments should one try to influence the vote of another, compromise the secrecy of another’s vote, impersonate another, bribe another or otherwise unduly influence their decision. Such provisions having secured the integrity of the democratic vote one must be careful in each referenda to clearly indicate one’s preferences and decisions — for example, merely scrawling ‘that ferny thingy’ on the first referenda voting paper risks the vote being declared informal, whereas writing ‘who cares’ would make a vote invalid. Too many of our grandfathers died fighting for democracy under our national flag for us not to prudently exercise our democratic freedom in deciding issues of national significance.

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

worked) — whittled the options down to a ‘top forty’ long list. Following further social media mastication and newspaper navel gazing the Flag Consideration Panel whittled further, leaving us the ‘top four’ — three ferns and a koru (a koru being a representational shape based on a new unfurling fern frond).

The ferns have it.

From this point the process is to be further democratised by way of two binding referenda instituted under the New Zealand Flag Referendums Act 2015, which received royal assent on the August 14 this year. A first referendum conducted by way of postal vote is to occur late November/early December this year. This referendum will enable each New Zealander to rank the ‘top four’ flags in order of preference, on the basis of a preferential voting system. Once these votes are tallied the top flag from the top four flags will face a sudden death round against the 1902 old faithful in a second postal referendum, expected to occur around March next year. The second referendum will be a good old

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Investment markets’ update Covering the three months ended 31 August 2015 Global Equity Markets Fundamentally, the global economy looks sound, based on accommodative monetary policies and gradual acceleration and broadening growth in the developed economies. Weaker energy prices should also bolster the spending power of global consumers. The United States continues to lead the developed economies, with domestic growth driven by the housing market strength along with ongoing resilience in the labour markets. This culminated in +3.7% growth in United States Quarter Two GDP, with authorities now debating when to begin raising their near zero interest rate policies.

Global sentiment however remains subject to anxiety attacks, previously focussed on a double-dip in United States growth and disintegration of the Eurozone. Now sentiment is focussed on a potential hard-landing in China. China, a major driver of global growth since 2009, is experiencing a transition from a manufacturing/export-based economy into a service/ consumer based one.

This is different to being in economic decline. Clumsy regulatory intervention in the Chinese equity market and subsequent falls in Chinese equity prices has attracted attention to their weak export activity, electricity demand and manufacturing data, whereas the expansion of their services sector has tended to be less acknowledged.

Looking at equity markets, we saw increased volatility in response to the Chinese

hard-landing related anxiety.

However, a weaker New Zealand dollar (NZD) over the period meant, in most cases, that the equity market weakness was more than offset. Of the equity markets we monitor the weakest quarterly performer was Hong Kong. This market was the most directly impacted by the Chinese equity market declines and mainland China growth rates. The Hong Kong and Chinese equity markets clearly ran up too far in the first part of 2015 but the recent retracement has erased most of these gains.

Notwithstanding this, Hong Kong equities still showed positive returns over the year, measured in New Zealand dollar terms.

Australian and New Zealand Equity Markets While major developed equity markets declined over the quarter in local currency terms, most have delivered double-digit (New Zealand dollar) returns over the 12 months and even positive New Zealand dollar returns for the quarter. Japanese and United States equities provided the strongest gains with Japanese equity returns bolstered by significant monetary policy stimulus.

Returns from United States equities were largely currency driven with the positive domestic economic data reflected in the stronger United States dollar (USD).

Australian equity returns under perfor med most markets with the resource sector and in particular energy companies declining along with commodity prices.

Banks were under pressure

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Disclosure Statements are available on request and free of charge.

after the major banks moved to raise equity and hybrid capital to meet the expected higher regulatory capital requirements. The repor ting season was generally disappointing, with more c o m p a ny earnings downgraded than upgraded. The healthcare sector and companies with foreign earnings were the strongest performers.

The New Zealand equity market also succumbed to the weaker global sentiment backdrop while the reporting season didn’t provide sufficient upside with revenue growth weakening and analysts’ downgrades outpacing upgrades by an 8:5 ratio.

Fixed Interest Market Looking at the fixed interest markets, New Zealand interest rates were dominated by cuts to the Official Cash Rate, weaker global sentiment and slower Chinese growth statistics.

The Reserve Bank here has also not ruled out the chance of further cuts going forward. This is great news again for borrowers, but it becomes harder still for those investors relying on a regular income stream.

Recent bond issues that come to the market have been highly sought and we expect that demand to continue over the coming months. Globally, both United States and United Kingdom monetary policy is expected to tighten at some point in the coming months, signalling a rise in their short-term interest rates. Conversely the Euro region, Japan and China are all expected to maintain low short-term interest rates as well as undertake purchases of debt securities. While this is the case longer-term bond yields are expected to remain low.

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-to-investing/ or contact Andrew Wyllie, an Authorised Financial Adviser with Forsyth Barr in Christchurch.

He can be contacted regarding por tfolio 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.

Rapid response reminder Fire brigades around the country are calling for residents to ensure their Rural Address Property Identification numbers, known as RAPID, are clearly visible from the road.

Four-digit rapid numbers are found on blue plastic posts and are used to help identify the exact address of a rural property. The RAPID system is a numbering system for rural properties in New Zealand and signals the distance to a property entrance from a reference point, usually the beginning of the road on which it is located.

Emergency services have access to this information to ensure faster response times.

With summer fast approaching now is a pertinent time to ensure the numbers are clearly visible from the road and that driveways are clear of foliage.

Selwyn’s emergency management officer Ryan O’Rourke says the numbers play a huge role in locating emergency situations.

“RAPID numbers are par ticularly useful for emergency services such as police, ambulance, fire department and civil defence, as they make it easier to find rural properties. It is a good idea to write your RAPID number down close to your phone so it is easy to access in an emergency,” says Mr O’Rourke.

“It is also important to ensure that your driveway or yard entrance is wider than

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September 2015

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With summer approaching now is a good time to make sure RAPID numbers and access points are clear for emergency services

four by four metres to allow enough room for emergency vehicles like a fire tanker to access your property and turn around if they need to.”

He also says that with the forecast El Nino conditions over the spring and summer period conditions may be drier than normal elevating the fire risk.

People will need to ensure they check wind conditions

and whether any burning restrictions are in place before lighting a fire.

Each blue post should show four digits, but many still show seven digits from when posts showed two sets of numbers — a three-digit ‘road ID number’ followed by a four-digit ‘property ID number’. Properties that have a seven-digit number should remove or cover the

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top three digits which were once road ID numbers to avoid confusion.

Any rural property that does not have a number can request or replace one by filling out an online form at www.selwyn.govt.nz/ rapidnumber.

Rapid numbers are not used in townships and urban properties do not need a number.

7

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8

September 2015

CANTERBURY FARMING

by Ayla Miller

Saffron, known to be found in Egyptian tombs and used for it’s medicinal properties by Cleopatra, is being grown right here in the valleys and fields of New Zealand.

C

heryl Rault and Ray Hughes are pioneers in the New Zealand saffron world. Twenty years ago the pair decided to start commercially growing saffron in Okuru until moving their successful crop to Greta Valley.

“We imported corms — bulbs to start with and had to sell our truck and buy a cheaper one,” says Cheryl.

“We started out with 7000 corms. They usually produce six to nine cormlets over

the year so we increased by three acres. Five years ago we moved to Greta Valley as we had kept poultry but we wanted to focus more on the growing.”

Saffron Valley NZ Limited now have over 40 growers all around the country that supply them with saffron all grown to the same standard as in Greta Valley.

“We are organically certified and we can tell when their saffron comes in that it is good quality as it

is a lovely deep red colour.”

Cheryl believes theirs is the highest quality in the world.

“We had it tested and our colour strength is 271. The best you can buy from Spain is 240. We believe we are the highest in the world and that would go for the growers as well.”

The colour strength measures how strong the spice is. The higher the colour strength the less is needed.

When the couple were starting out they chose

Saffron blankets Greta Valley with purple petals during harvest time

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CANTERBURY FARMING

Cheryl Rault and Ray Hughes are saffron pioneers in New Zealand growing what they believe to be the highest quality saffron saffron as it only needs a small area to grow.

“Five thousand corms fits into 200 square metres so we thought that would be the ideal crop for us to grow because you get a return. The first year the corms were a bit stressed and we had to wait for them to acclimatise after we imported them, but then they were away. You get a better return on saffron than any of the other crops we looked at.”

She says the drought was good for the plants as it does well in hot summers and cold winters.

“We used to export it to America and Germany but in the last five years we just exported it to Australia. We

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have just started to launch Kiwi saffron which is our growers’ saffron. It’s hot off the press.”

The spice is harvested by a small team usually made up of family. They get started early in the day as it is best picked before the flowers open, however they are usually picking well after the sun has risen.

“You know you have good saffron when the stigma is poking out from the petals.

“After that we bring them in and they go into a chiller because there are so many we need to keep them cool.

We have a health regulated kitchen where we do the processing which entails taking out the three red

September 2015

Friends and family help to process the spice

stigmas from the flower and putting them on the drying tray. Once they are dried then you have your saffron and joy and happiness.

“It’s a really fun time and enjoyable to do. It’s great going out picking and starting the processing. I find it most rewarding seeing the saffron build up in the container once you’ve processed it. It does take time to do. Once they have dried up they shrink quite small.

Cheryl says there has been a dramatic change in New Zealanders’ awareness of the plant over the past 20 years and hopes to increase this.

The petals are also thought to have beneficial properties as an antidepressant.

“At the moment we are looking at markets for that because it is a by-product that we can utilise.

“There are a lot of medicinal properties for saffron. They are testing it

on degenerative eye disease and it’s very promising. It is very good for coughs, colds and the flu as well.”

She says her favourite part of the job is seeing the fields covered in purple.

“The perfume is beautiful too.”

Future plans include increasing the marketing, and educating people that there is quality saffron grown right here in New Zealand.

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September 2015

CANTERBURY FARMING

BY ANN MORGAN

Camelot Dairy Farm is owned by Bryan and Annette Beeston and their daughters Frances and Stephanie.

They breed and milk Holstein Friesian and Brown Swiss cows in Ashburton on 260 hectares.

“F

irstly I love what I do. I have grown up farming, either helping out or being dragged out since day dot,” said Frances.

“My parents have taught me a lot. My mum loves her cows, cow families and breeding, and my dad runs the business side of things — they make a great team.

We have grown up all over the country as our parents progressed through the dairy industry into farm ownership.

We moved to the South Island for more opportunities.

“When I finished school, I wasn’t allowed to work at home because they wanted

me to work for other people and learn other ways of doing things and that dad wasn’t always right.

“I also studied for a Diploma in Agribusiness and this helped me with progression in the industry from dairy assistant through to sharemilking. I have had many opportunities to work and travel before coming home to the family business.

“We have always bred cows for high production, high protein, good udders, and sound confirmation. We improved their food source in the South Island and this led to increased production.

“We built a large scale

pasture based robotic milking system where we milk 580630 cows. There is nine Lely A4 Astronauts — we started with eight robots and installed the ninth in January 2013.

This is the largest Robotic Grazing System in the world “We have been operating for three years now, We started in July 2012 with 27 cows. The first cow went through perfectly, the next 26 were a challenge. After the first week, we were up to 300 and built up to 570 by that December. Every system has its good and bad points. Robots are not a miracle treatment. They are designed for barns and I have

Frances says she has learnt a lot from her parents about farming and her Diploma in Agribusiness studies helped her progress through the industry

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CANTERBURY FARMING September 2015

On returning from her overseas travels Stephanie returned to the farm to help run it with Frances discovered they work the best for that. Grazing Robotics add a lot of complication as there are lots of variables such as weather, feed availability, grass changes and cow flow.

“We feed rolled barley in the robots, a mixed pasture sward in the paddocks and kale in the winter time. All year around we offer a mix in the wagon to balance the cows’ diet, depending on the time of year. The feed can include maize silage, grass, cereal silage, straw, palm kernel, dried distillers grain and fodder beet.

“We run a four way grazing system, plus the feed pad.

Grazing gates automatically change every six hours to a new pasture destination.”

Frances says robots are different to a conventional system, so it requires more skill and staff need to be open minded and robots require 24/7 supervision.

“We have a great team of people and couldn’t do it

without them. We have five staff, plus myself.

“Robots are not right or wrong as a system choice — they are just different. I have worked with them for the last three years.

“There has been many ups and downs as technology has its issues and requires a lot of time, attention and maintenance.

“Hindsight is a wonderful thing. A barn is the perfect place for robots as it is so controlled, and you can get mega production. I achieved 707kg MS per cow last year.

Robotic barns are doing 850kg MS and getting over three milkings a day as there is no walking and nowhere else for them to go. They just eat, sleep, poop, and milk.

“I wanted a grazing system because I love the cows outside on the grass, in the sunshine, grazing and being free.

“I was scared about the barns as they were an

unknown. Barns like all things have their good and bad points. Bugs and disease can be an issue if the hygiene isn’t maintained. There is a lot of effluent and muck to deal with.

“Cows can slip on the concrete or can get wiped out by the scraper, it is not the perfect system either. I have decided to remove the robots and go back to basics. This takes planning with it being a 24/7 365 day system. I’m in the process of designing a 60 bail rotary shed.

“Once this is all built then we will want to on-sell the robots.

“Stephanie returned home just over a year ago from her OE in Canada to help run the farm.

“We do this together and it allows us both to get time off and to try and live a balanced life.

“I love having her here and wouldn’t want to do it without her.”

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September 2015

WATER

CANTERBURY FARMING

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

Be prepared Two years ago, Canterbury was hammered by a series of wind events that damaged more than 800 irrigators across the region.

To remind irrigating farmers of the steps they can take to protect irrigators, we’re partnering with FMG Rural Insurance on the September

25 to look at strategies and tactics to minimise risks to irrigation machinery.

Ashburton farmer Greg Lovett will speak about

his experiences during the storms and lessons learnt.

IrrigationNZ Project Manager Steven Breneger will host an ‘irrigator track walk’ as a practical way to highlight maintenance issues for the coming irrigation season.

“We’ll walk around one of the farm’s irrigators and look at what they should check to ensure good operation this season, as well as the more strategic decisions that protect your irrigation assets. We won’t just be talking about windstorms.

We’ll be looking at all of the factors that impact on the safety, performance and effectiveness of irrigators,” says Mr Breneger.

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As part of this, Mr Breneger will highlight water efficiency application, scheduling and measurement tools essential for farmers wanting to achieve SMART Irrigation (Sustainably Managed, Accountable, Responsible and Trusted Irrigation).

The SMART Irrigation

Programme was launched

by IrrigationNZ last year and aims to ensure all future irrigation in New Zealand is sustainably managed. FMG General Manager Advice and Insurance Conrad Wilkshire says the Friday 25 September workshop has been designed to remind farmers of ways to minimise risks to their irrigation infrastructure.

“The workshop is not just for FMG clients; any irrigating farmer in Canterbury can attend.

As well as the ‘irrigator track walk’ and presentation from Greg Lovett, FMG employees will outline changes to our products since the windstorms that offer better protection to irrigating farmers.

IrrigationNZ’s checklists and resource materials will be available and Farmlands will sponsor a barbecue lunch,” says Wilkshire.

Those wanting to register for the workshop can do so via this link https://www. fmg.co.nz/irrigator-on-farmworkshop-rsvp/ More information about IrrigationNZ’s pre-season advice and checklists can be found at http://irrigationnz. c o . n z / n ew s - r e s o u r c e s / irrigation-resources/ irrigation-system-checklist/

And don’t forget entries and nominations for IrrigationNZ’s ‘Innovation in Irrigation Award’ are now open.

New products, technologies, practices or community collaborations that reflect innovation within the irrigation sector are all eligible.

Entries for the highly prestigious award sponsored

by Aqualinc — which comes with a cash prize of $2,500 — will close at the end of October, earlier than usual, but designed to get the award judging process out of the way before Christmas.

We’d like to encourage a broader range of entries this year. There’s a lot more

diversity in the irrigation sector these days and we want to see that reflected in the applications we receive.

We’re not just about talking about innovative products — we want to recognise innovation in the way our industry goes about doing business, the way we engage with the community and the way we look after the environment and our people so the innovation criteria we hope to recognise is very broad.

More information about the Innovation Award can be found on IrrigationNZ’s website at www.irrigationnz. co.nz/events-training/ innovation-in-irrigation-award

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CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2015

13

Irrigation Issues with Dr Tony Daveron Is it time to be irrigating?

Oh how a few days of warm north westerly weather affects the minds of some people. While the irrigation season is closer than further away, is it time to be irrigating? A few think so and I iterate the ‘think’.

Interestingly I can look back through articles I have written for Canterbury Farming for the last 10 or so years and I could just reproduce any one of them.

About this time of the year if when we have a few days of warm NW weather there are those that are suddenly driven to believing they need to irrigate. On two occasions this last week I observed irrigators going: • Firstly returning from Oamaru running an irrigation efficiency workshop for North Otago Irrigation Company farm managers on Tuesday (15th) I was taken aback by K-line irrigating pastures north of the Waitaki River • Secondly returning from a meeting above Te Pirita on Thursday (17th) I was again taken back by the number of centre pivots irrigating pasture as I headed across to Bealey Road.

In the first instance we had just spent two hours talking with the farm managers about irrigation efficiency and making good management decisions.

Some simply thought because of the weather irrigation was close — this despite some having soil moisture sensors on farm they hadn’t even consulted.

Once we dialled into their data they were surprised there was only about 8mm soil moisture deficit and their soil temperatures were only 8°C at 9am on 15th.

As I was driving north I was thinking whether they would still irrigate regardless of their

soil moisture measurements and base the decision on gut feeling and that it had been NW for two to three days or whether the workshop discussion would have them reconsider. Then there was the K-line going. What was encouraging was that this irrigator had not been at the workshop because they were not in the NOIC command area. In the second instance I am hoping the centre pivots operating across Te Pirita Road might have been commissioning — some were too old for commissioning unfortunately.

I could only conclude those irrigators were driven by the same effects of the NW on one’s decision making process that the NOIC farm managers had

on the Tuesday, and were driven by gut feeling rather than an objective decision.

Certainly neither group of irrigators had listened to the weather forecast which on Tuesday was predicting cold wet weather and snow to low levels about Friday.

On Tuesday one could be forgiven for thinking the forecast could be wrong because Friday was still three to four days away, but the Thursday irrigators could not be forgiven for ignoring the weather forecast. In fact

by Thursday the forecast had deteriorated significantly and was predicting wet weather all the way through the next week till about September 24.

When I looked at all our soil moisture monitoring data coming in I could only

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conclude that to irrigate or not had been a gut feel decision.

Neither soil temperature nor moisture had reached levels that truly warranted irrigation.

Soil temperature only exceeded the 10°C base at 9am on three days — 16th, 17th and 18th and is now back well below 10°C and likely to stay there for the next week.

It took three days of NW to raise temperatures to the magical number and a few hours on Friday night to dump

those temperatures again.

How about soil moisture?

We were getting close but by Friday night there was still a 10mm soil moisture deficit — ie there was still 10mm of readily available moisture before moisture stress and there would be any yield loss.

Irrigation was not required for at least four days.

Remembering stress point is lower at this time of the year because crop demand (mm/day) is still low at 2.5mm/day. The rain

beginning on 18th has eliminated any need to irrigate (whether by gut feeling or an objective measurement) for at least eight to ten days — and longer given the current weather forecast out to September 24.

I can revise my August prediction (when I reckoned on first week of September if it didn’t rain) to at least the first week of October. Save that annual volume — you may well need it again later in the summer.

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September 2015

WATER

CANTERBURY FARMING

Weather Watch by Tony Trewinnard Like the previous few months, August saw an increased frequency of southerly quarter airflow over New Zealand, with regular southwest changes affecting Canterbury. Consequently temperatures were cool and rainfall reduced in the region.

Overall temperatures for August were a little below normal, generally by up to — 0.5deg but nearer — 1.0deg in South Canterbury. Day time

maximum temperatures were near normal overall. Night time minimum temperatures were colder than usual, and much colder in some inland

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areas which, like July, saw significant frosts. Again, like July, sunshine hours were above normal, by 15-25%.

Rainfall totals were lower than usual across the region, with totals 50-80% of normal in most parts of Mid and South Canterbury, but under 50% of normal in much of North Canterbury.

By near the end of September this month was also shaping up as colder than normal as southwesterly airflow remained dominant.

Rainfall and sunshine totals were near normal. In the tropical Pacific, ocean temperatures remain clearly in El Nino territory. A strong El

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Nino is currently in place and is responsible for the frequent southwesterly airflows over New Zealand this spring. We expect this El Nino to peak in the next month or two. All computer models predict a strong El Nino over the next three to four months but peaking before the end of the year. We still expect this current event to be peaking around October, and then slowly decaying during the summer. A strong La Nina event often follows short-lived El Ninos of this type and this looks increasingly likely later next year.

Both current computer model data and past

experience strongly suggest that El Nino events similar to our current one bring increased frequency of southwesterly airflow over New Zealand in the spring and early summer. This has been clearly seen so far this spring and is very likely to continue.

Given that we expect all of 2016 to see a steady trend from strong El Nino decaying to strong La Nina by year’s end, this raises the prospect that many months in 2016 could be drier than normal. While it’s too early to be making specific predictions about individual months next year, the

Rainfall

Temperature

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October

Near normal

A little colder than normal

Near normal

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November

Drier than normal

A little colder than normal

A little sunnier than normal

More south westerlies

December

Drier than normal

A little colder than normal

Sunnier than normal

More south westerlies

January

Drier than normal

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More south westerlies

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currently developing pattern is increasingly suggestive of dry seasons ahead.

For October and November we expect to see anticyclones dominant in the Tasman Sea with some low pressure systems over or near New Zealand, and frequent periods of southwesterly airflow. Inevitably, some of these southwesterly airflows will bring cold outbreaks with rain. Therefore we expect Canterbury to see mostly near normal rainfall for the next two months, with sunshine hours possibly a little above normal, and mean temperatures colder than usual.

From later in November or early December, we will start to experience an enhanced period of moderate westerly airflow, which may herald a prolonged period of drier than normal months. Sunshine hours are likely to be at least normal, and probably above normal through the early summer.

Temperatures are likely to be cooler than usual, particularly at night with the incidence of spring frosts higher than usual.

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September 2015

FORESTRY & LOGGING

CANTERBURY FARMING

Forestry Market Report Allan Laurie MNZIF, Laurie Forestry Ltd A challenging time As with many NZ commodities which have come to rely on the China economy, the wood trade is languishing in a period of challenge and uncertainty.

The challenges relate to how harvesting operations remain active in the face of pretty demoralising returns to forest owners.

The uncertainties relate to just how long this period of correction will last.

Amidst the turmoil of the export component of the volume harvested from forests being in the can, domestic sawmills are doing a little better on the back of a more favourable exchange rate — in particular those targeting Australia. Prices have held up well and in Canterbury at least demand and supply are variously in balance.

A review of production nationally has suggested at least 120 logging crews are at varying stages of being laid off, under production quota or on a forced holiday. Volumes

heading to ports are starting to seriously decline. Some reports are suggesting key export ports are expecting volume declines in the order of 25 – 50% in September.

In one sense, this is exactly what is needed to reduce inventory at New Zealand and China Ports thus bringing demand and supply back into the normal varying degrees of balance.

On the other hand the price and volume drops are so significant, there is a real danger there will be an equal and opposite reaction and prices could spiral back up.

Whilst some might view this as a potentially positive outcome, the reality is high prices are not sustainable in the current corrective modernisation of the China economy. Ultimately in a regime of price volatility,

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there can be very few winners. For the record, the market indicator A grade CNF settlements (landed in China in US$) have dropped from US$134 per cubic metre in September 2014 to US$85 in September 2015. In March/ April 2014 A grade was selling for a near all — time high of US$160 per cubic metre.

Shipping rates have helped NZ growers in what appears to be a massive correction.

March 2014 spot shipping rates were in the order of US$38 per cubic metre, currently US$22 – 24. The US exchange rate was $0.84c in March 2014 currently falling through $0.63.5c.

The harsh reality of all this is, A grade was worth NZ$111 per cubic metre at the wharf gate in 2014 and is currently $66 – 69, the lowest in over 10 years.

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Many NZ sawmills are also supplying industrial grade lumber into China. As a comparison, cut of log green sawn industrial grade was worth around CNFUS$200 per cubic metre in September 2014, currently US$120. If the NZ sawmill is paying the typical $100 per tonne for logs, achieving the average 55% conversion, strapping, packing and delivering the lumber to the port, it would not be difficult to work out this product is very much a loss leader!

The key issues reported last month have not changed.

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high inventory, tightening environmental policies and adverse exchange rates are all part of the pot of negativity at present.

However, in the last few days our logistics company in China report a mild mood swing has become evident.

Buyers are returning to the table suggesting most believe the market has bottomed out and cheap logs are making re-entry attractive.

Inventory levels have been steadily declining and there is a very noticeable drop in aged stock volumes at some key ports.

NZ remains the dominant player in the China Eastern Seaboard softwood log space. Therefore all eyes are

currently on NZ ports and just how much volume will be shipped in September.

By all accounts the current correction is now seeing volumes seriously dropping.

Despite the huge impact this has on all involved, it should ensure better times ahead.

Market swings are an unfortunate reality of all commodities and NZ Forest Growers can remain positive that we have otherwise had an extremely good log price profile over the last two or three years.

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FORESTRY & LOGGING

Forest safety gets a boost

by Paul Campbell

CANTERBURY FARMING

17

Waitohi

timber Town & Country Timbers

Hard on the heels of calls for a radical upgrade of forest industry safety provisions has come the unveiling of a robotic tree logger which, if all expectations are fulfilled, should radically reduce some of the dangers in felling the big trees.

Earlier this year, the safety record in the industry came to the fore at the forest safety summit in Rotorua, to keep momentum going after a reduction in forestry accidents since 2013 when 10 forestry workers died and about 170 were seriously injured.

Keynote speaker at that gathering was the chief executive of British Columbia Forest Safety in Canada, Reynold Hert whose success in reducing the accident rate there was essential knowledge for the local industry.

“We were having about 22 fatalities a year and similar to New Zealand we decided to do something about it,” he said It is now good to see action following the many words at that Rotorua gathering.

In the latest move towards the safety goal, the New Zealand forestry operators have introduced a robotic tree logger to cut deaths and injuries and boost production.

From a remote location, an operator utilises a computer radio control device which will remotely guide a large powered tree-felling machine to the cutting site. This controller then instructs the

September 2015

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device to have the machine clamp itself to the tree trunk and then guide a chainsaw to fell it and guide its fall.

Future Forests Research CEO, Russell Dale, has described the technology as a world leader which would go a long way to reducing forestry accidents.

The remote control system has been demonstrated to politicians, officials and the media at a gathering near Nelson and industry spokesmen describe it as a further step towards a fully remote-controlled system in which an operator will sit

inside a cab surrounded by large monitor screens and is expected to be working next year.

The demonstration came a year after associate primary Industries minister Jo Goodhew revealed the results from a trial using remote control technology in tree felling was showing good results.

“Much of the forestry work in New Zealand is done on steep land. The use of remote control to operate machinery on steep land will essentially remove forestry workers from hazardous

areas and prevent injuries and death — a valuable and critical step forward for the industry,” she said as the new technology was being trialled in the Steepland Harvesting programme, part of the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Primary Growth Partnership (PGP).

It has taken three years of concentrated design and engineering research by an FFR team which included Scion, Cutover Systems Limited and ADM Design Ltd, working with harvesting contractor Wood Contracting Nelson Ltd.

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September 2015

CANTERBURY FARMING

LEGACY

by Andy Bryenton

The history of one of Canterbury’s most profitable and enduring industries — the raising of sheep for their wool and meat — grew from unexpected origins, and gave the country not just an example of how the fledgling colony could surpass ‘Mother England’, but also some memorable stories, landmarks and characters remembered to this day. first cattle in the South Island at Banks Peninsula.

It would be William’s brother George who established what was to become the mighty Levels Station, and their family’s most enduring landmark.

George arrived in 1843, and staked out a block of land stretching from Sumner to Tai Tapu. He called this Purau, and local legend records how he and another Rhodes brother, Robert, paused in the middle of dipping sheep to watch the first of the Canterbury Association ships, the ‘Charlotte Jane’ sail by

with her cargo of settlers.

Perhaps this new wave of settlement spurred on the decision of the brothers to apply for a colossal stretch of land in 1850. As pioneers, we might assume that the encroachment of ‘modern civilisation’ was not to their tastes! This was to be the first of the great Canterbury sheep stations, one hundred and fifty nine thousand acres in three runs, near modern day Timaru. In an epic feat of droving, the Rhodes men took 7000 sheep from their Purau run and two others nearby, the seed for a flock

A.E. Rhodes’ stately manor house took inspiration from the original Levels, just outside of Doncaster, England - the home of his grandfather

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t all began when whaler and sailor William Rhodes came ashore in 1836, four years before the Treaty of Waitangi.

Climbing the Port Hills while the crew stocked up on fresh water for their ship, the ‘Australian’, he looked out over the expanse of the Waitaha plains and was suitably impressed.

Returning to the whaling ship, he reported that the land was ‘swamp and bog’ — perhaps a cunning ruse to deter others from staking a claim! For Rhodes was soon to return, establishing the

CANTERBURY FARMING ‘Southern Man’ in the national consciousness. In fact, the Levels was so large that the Rhodes family was forced at one point to carve off a section and deed it to a relative by marriage.

The management of the Levels also shrewdly used the laws of the day to block out competitors.

With a stipend of land ‘earmarked’ around improvements such as

sheds, fences and barns, the Levels owners were able to encircle a planned takeover bid of some prime land by the Burnett family in the 1870s.

By this point the Rhodes brothers were no longer involved with the Levels station. In 1864 George Rhodes caught a chill — likely a bad case of pneumonia with complications — and died. It was the end of the dream for the family firm, but an

employee of good standing, Mr C N Orbell, finally secured ownership of the Levels, establishing a dynasty of successful farmers who, despite the breaking up of the titanic block into farms of a modern size — still reside in the area today.

From the spark of inspiration in a sailor’s mind as he stood atop the windy Port Hills, to the establishment of our first and largest sheep station,

Son of Levels founder George, Arthur Rhodes was our first locally born MP, moving power away from England and into Kiwi hands which would graze those rolling acres.

The 1850s was a time of expansion for the brothers Rhodes, who settled inland from Timaru, taking the name of their station from that of their father’s far more modestly sized acreage near Doncaster, England. The first building raised on the Levels still stands, and is the oldest in South Canterbury.

But this small shack was overshadowed by the grand ‘manor house’ which was to become the hub of this busy farming enterprise, a building which endured until just after world war II. It was here, in the 1850s, that infamous sheep rustler and local legend James MacKenzie stole 1000 head of livestock from George, naming the wild uplands where he escaped in the process. MacKenzie’s collie dog, Friday, was banned from Canterbury soil, but eventually found her way back to the Levels, a favourite pet of George himself!

The story goes that the wily Scottish drover warned his captors that his dog would work for no other man, and history proved him right. Friday

never worked the mob with the Rhodes brothers and their staff, even when exhorted vigorously in MacKenzie’s native Gaelic language.

It was also in the 1850s that George’s wife gave birth to a son, Arthur Edgar Rhodes. A real Kiwi lad, he captained both the rugby and cricket teams at Christ’s College, and went on to found a thriving legal practice which still exists today. He was also the first natural-born New Zealander to become a member of parliament, bringing to bear not just his fine legal mind but also the lessons learned as a young man on his father’s sprawling sheep station.

At the height of its power, the Levels boasted a headcount of over 100,000 sheep — small wonder that the 1000 stolen by James MacKenzie were not immediately noticed! It stretched from the MacKenzie Pass to the sea, and from the Opihi to the Pareora Rivers.

Musterers here rode on horseback, with collie dogs at their sides, establishing for the first time the iconic image of the rugged

September 2015

through to the legacy — both in agriculture and in local history which they have left behind, the Rhodes brothers and the Levels have left an indelible mark on South Canterbury history.

They also successfully proved that this new land in the south seas was superior sheep country, surpassing even England itself and defining part of our national identity for years to come.

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SAFETY FIRST ON THE FARM

20

September 2015

CANTERBURY FARMING

SEED & GRAIN The evolution of seed treatment

by Paul Campbell

Plant disease control has long involved the use of seed treatments, particularly of small grain cereals including wheat, barley, and oats, and involves the use of fungicides that have a variety of chemistries and are low in toxicity to plant and animal life.

Because they are applied in low doses, they have little environmental impact.

Modern treatments make for successful crops, but it is worth a look back to see how these methods developed.

Three hundred years ago a ship carrying wheat grain foundered off the English coast and the tides carried part of the cargo in to the beaches, where local farmers salvaged it.

It was useless for milling, but some enterprising soul planted the seeds. When this grew to harvest, the local disease ‘smut’ was absent.

Thus began a process of brine as a seed treatment and for the next century some farmers tried treating wheat seed with salt, lye, and other concoctions. In 1807, the Swiss scientist treated smut spores with a copper sulphate solution, although

seed germination became a problem. There followed a German idea to use organic mercury compounds, — this as late as 1912. By 1917, research found copper carbonate was safer to use than copper sulfate and could be applied as a dry powder formulation. This treatment was first used in Australia and travelled across the Tasman.

A formulation of ethylmethyl mercur y (Ceresan) was developed and was also widely used in treating small grains. The use of the mercury fungicides continued until the 1970s when concern developed over their toxicity to man and other animals.

Then the first systemic fungicide was discovered and developed into a commercial formulation.

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loose smut of wheat and barley as well as common bunt of wheat. Another historical seed treatment of an entirely different nature was the use of hot water.

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the embryo of wheat and barley seeds.

In 1888, the use of a hot water treatment was suggested, which involved soaking the seed for 110 minutes in water held at 48 C,

or 95 minutes at 49 C. Today, the small grain producer has a wide array of compounds to choose from that are capable of providing excellent control of diseases, not just common bunt or loose smut.

www.mccarthycontracting.co.nz Ph 03 329 6655 or 0274 848 564

Locally Owned & Operated

Operating a Duncan AS3000 Air Seeder Direct Drill with 5 inch row spacings

LIME & SUPER SPREADING Spreadmark certified spreader Tracmap GPS certified CRT supplier

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

021 134 8514

Gary Carr a/h 03 314 8157 fax 03 314 8127

Spreadmark

certified

Mowing • Ag Spreading • Cartage • Baling Ploughing • Wrapping • Hay & Straw Sales Cultivation & Drilling • Ag Plastic Recycling

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

The cultivation season is now here. Whether you are replacing or upgrading your harrows, now is the time to contact your local agent to order.

Contact our team directly for free advice on your choice of harrow.

Phone/Fax 03 347 8516 | www.lyndonharrows.co.nz | Email info@lyndonharrows@co.nz

SEED & GRAIN

CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2015

ADVERTORIAL

Moving grain easily REL Group focusses on providing integrated farming solutions and supplies some the world’s leading farm machinery brands to the New Zealand market.

A recent addition to the REL line-up is the Canadianmade REM Grain Vac, an ideal option for moving grain in flat bottom silos and sheds. A Grain Vac can be used in a diverse range of loading and unloading situations which makes it very useful to farmers who have several grain-holding facilities.

Moving high volumes of grain and seeds from one storage unit to another creates the potential to damage the product and can disperse unhealthy dust. These problems are easily eliminated by using a vac.

They are an alternative to a conventional on-farm auger loading system and use air to draw the grain into and through the machine, which gives gentle handling of the grain.

Three critical components work together to produce the highpressure suction that pulls grain into the Grain Vac

- the fan, the air throttle, and the air lock.

High pressure air movement alone is not enough to provide troublefree grain movement because you also need to manage that suction and that is the purpose of the air throttle.

There are two models available, the VR12 can move 270 tonnes of wheat per hour using a 130 horsepower tractor and the VRX, which can move 135 tonne of wheat with an eight horsepower tractor.

Both models have an air throttle which allows the operator to manage the suction according to how much grain is flowing through the system. If you can see that the air throttle is going up then you can give it more grain but if the air throttle is down the capacity is being optimised.

The throttle also allows the user to manually set the suction to suit the situation. There may be

times when increased suction is needed during clean-up, or when a steady but reduced suction is wanted to accommodate the weight of the grain.

The lighter the grain, the less suction is needed to run at full capacity.

REM Grain Vacs were originally released to the market in 1985 and have had a number of improvements including a new air system, the introduction of chrome augers, and a new body shape that allows easier access and maximises the auger feed.

REM has also added an anti-seize compound to the VRX on all shafts and bearings so that maintenance can be done at ease.

21

22

September 2015

SEED & GRAIN

CANTERBURY FARMING

ADVERTORIAL

Establishing crops with microbes PMR GRAINsuccessful SYSTEMS

CROP STORAGE AND HANDLING SYSTEMS Growing crops is an important part of any farmer’s annual plans — allowing farmers to extend the grazing season and be more self-sufficient in home-grown feed and fodder, resulting in less off-farm expenditures and potentially greater monetary returns for small and large producers.

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Over the past few giving the plants there best improving the soil’s fertility years we have had great chance to thrive. In addition and water holding capacity. success enhancing the EM will recycle organic matter EM adds to the microbial performance and yield of to build humus, enhance population, and will stimulate crops through the application nitrogen fixation, improve resident microbes. This can of We our also microbial lead to the nitrogen root structures and reduce supplyinoculant complete feed mills designed for the small orincreasing large farmer so why not start milling your own grain today and benefit from the savings Effective Microorganism. compaction issues.

Another fixation capacity through the EM can play an integral part key area where EM can aid the increase of N fixing bacteria, in establishing successful crop is through maximising and indirectly by increasing Need a new pencil or centreless auger we stock a large range of grain crops that deliver healthy the plant’s use ofat fertiliser. augering equipment great prices clover growth, increasing plants and a good yield. The EM has shown to increase mycorrhizal activity and other way EM does this is through the plant’s uptake of nutrients fungal and earthworm activity. stimulating biological activity in the soil and help deliver Visit our website for more — enhancing soil fertility and a better response while also information www.emnz.co.nz

CROP DRYING FANS & CONSTANT HUMIDITY GAS BURNERS

MASTER DRIERS • Manual or fully automatic systems.

• Master dust extraction increased bushel weight.

• Capacities from 1040 ton.

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Available to match all sizes of fan units.

Fully automatic gas fired, with computerised control.

Single and double units available.

TIMBER DRIVE-OVER DRYING FLOORS

HARVEST INTERNATIONAL AUGERS

PMR are pleased to announce that they have been appointed the sole distributor for the range of Harvest International Augers in NZ. Harvest Augers come in sizes from 8” through to 13” diameter and 32’ long up to 112’ALSO long.AIR TUNNELS, FANS & HEATERS ETC ALL SIZES SUITABLE FOR ALL CROPS Harvest Augers are available with either hydraulic lift or winch lift, swing away hoppers or standard inlet hoppers.

GSI SILOS • Flat bottomed or hopper.

• 10 tonnes to 10,000 tonnes.

• Can be fitted with stirrers, drying floors and unload systems.

• Dairy Feed Systems now available.

GRAIN DRIERS, ELEVATORS & CONVEYORS

Microbes for Enhanced Fertiliser Performance Effective Microorganisms (EM) is a low cost microbial inoculant that will improve crop and pasture yields and enhance fertiliser and effluent performance.

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When the pressure is on to get your grain dry and moved, you can rely on Perry equipment to deliver year after year Suppliers of: Driers Belt & Bucket Elevators Conveyors Intake Conveyors

Dairy Feed and

Dairy Feed and

Crop Storage Specialists

Crop Storage Specialists

303 7266 | Web: www.pmr.co.nz Tel:Tel: 0303303 7266 | Web: www.pmr.co.nz Email: paul@pmr.co.nz | Mobile: 0274 151 Email: paul@pmr.co.nz Mobile: 0274 151 390390 Email: dave@pmr.co.nz 0275 146 Mobile: 0275 146 609609 Email: dave@pmr.co.nz| Mobile:

For product purchases and information:

www.emnz.co.nz Phone: (03) 374 6323 | Email: admin@emnz.co.nz

SEED & GRAIN ADVERTORIAL

CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2015

23

ADVERTORIAL

Hammer kills weeds fast Solutions for grain systems Hammer is a cost effective tank mix herbicide partner which is often used to bolster weed kill spectrums of Roundup or glyphosate when spraying out either pastures or crops in both Spring and Autumn.

“Up until recently one of the challenges was fitting this product into a pasture spray-out programme where farmers wanted to graze a few days after spraying,” said Etec Crop Solutions Southern regional manager, Mike Goodwin.

“We are pleased to announce there is no longer a grazing withholding period for Hammer. One important thing to remember is that the weeds being sprayed need time to absorb the herbicides for them to achieve a kill — one day for annuals and three days for perennial species.

Since the label extension has been in place we have

received a lot of positive feedback.” A few of Hammer’s signature weeds are mallow, storksbill — seedlings, staggerweed, nettles and water pepper.

Selecting the correct rate of between 50 to 100 milliliters per hectare is used based on the weed spectrum present. This can be done in conjunction with your local rural retailer’s field representative.

Having the combination of a ‘zero’ grazing and ‘zero’ drilling withholding period allows farmers to speed up their cropping or pasture renovating processes meaning their paddocks are

PMR Grain Systems are now in their fourth year at their purpose built Hinds site.

out of production for a shorter period of time. “Our message of ‘Hammer, Drill and Graze’ seems to be hitting the mark,” concludes Mike.

To celebrate this additional label claim for Hammer, Etec Crop Solutions is giving away a Victory Hammer 8 Ball motorcycle to one lucky purchaser from this spring or autumn.

“This 1730cc American muscle cruiser is helping us convey the hard hitting nature of Hammer herbicide,” says Etec’s Business Development manager Matt Strahan.

Full terms and conditions can be found via the Etec website www.etec.co.nz.

Specialising in the supply and installation of all types of grain storage, mechanical handling and cleaning equipment, PMR have found themselves in heavy demand over the last few years, and this is looking to continue well into the coming year.

For industrial and agricultural grain or dairy feed systems, PMR can quote, supply and install a vast range of agricultural storage and handling equipment.

We cater for small orders like a single elevator or conveyor replacement to the construction and development of new and

existing plants. Everything is designed to the requirements of the customer from tonnage per hour to total storage capacity Customer relationships is important to PMR and they offer a free on-site consultation with customers to ascertain their requirements.

Recently PMR have completed work on two seed cleaning operations from concept, design, supply and installation.

They have also installed a dryer plant for the coming season and have another one under construction.

As well as the seed cleaning

and grain handling equipment, they supply a range of dairy shed feed equipment — from the Flex flo auger, through to either a Skiold mill or Wakely roller mill, this has also kept PMR very busy.

Silo sizes are from six ton through to 5,000 ton and all our silos come complete with roof ladders, handrails and safety ladders.

For enquiries relating to grain cleaning, drying and or handling projects that you may be considering please contact Paul Whitbread on 03 303 7266 or email paul@pmr.co.nz

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Please Call Sam 027 279 1344 A/h 03 318 6542 or John 027 432 1988 A/h 03 318 6847 Now Operating: Precision Fodder Beet planter, Pottinger Cultivation Drill

Dry Hire a Taege Seed Drill - From $45/ha 0800 DRY HIRE (0800 379 447)

24

SEED & GRAIN

CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2015

Why does TAEGE AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT produce such good results?

ANSWER IS our own vibrating tyne and tungsten faced tip.

GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY BUT NOT ‘CHEAP’ SUPER EFFECTIVE BUT NOT EXPENSIVE CLEVER BUT NOT COMPLICATED CLASS WITH CLOUT

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IT REALLY IS THAT SIMPLE

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BUILT SMART BUILT TO LAST ‘CUSTOM’ BUILT FOR YOU! THE CHOICE IS YOURS…

C-D SERIES – CONTOUR DRILL AIR SEEDER

We design our drills using four principles: Accuracy, Simplicity, Durability and Reliability.

Everlasting quality is our policy and promise.

With over 12 years proven experience and five base models we have a sharp idea of what is required in an air seeder – sharp on price too!

Ranging from just $41,999.00

TOP SELLERS

• 5” or 6” row spacing • Drilling widths –3m, 3.5m rigid or 4m, 5m or 6m, hydraulic folding to 3m transport width • Various bin options: fertilizer, insecticide and slug bait T-D SERIES – TYNE DRILL • Crane options for loading up to 1000kg bags AIR SEEDER • Oil cooler/heat exchanger • Rear tow bar • Hydraulic brakes • Chain harrow bars • Camera in bin • Mud guards • Tail lights/oversize panels

If you want a drill ‘custom’ built to your requirements then don’t settle for 2nd best! Invest with confidence, invest wisely and invest in an Allen Custom Drill.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PHONE OR CALL IN AND SEE CRAIG AND THE TEAM TODAY! Find us on Facebook Badge

32 Robinson Street, Ashburton, Mid Canterbury | Ph: 03 308 4094 CRAIG ALLEN 021 861 440 | email craig@allencustomdrills.co.nz

www.allencustomdrills.co.nz

CMYK / .eps

SEED & GRAIN

CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2015

We’re here to kelp Every year the owners of New Zealand Kelp, Roger and Nicki Beattie, take on a Masters Student as an intern from the ESA University in Angers, France.

Each intern does a research project during their three month stay with the Beatties. The trial is semiindependent — the only help the intern gets is for application rates and how to use the product.

This year’s intern, Marine Bulourde, has done a trial which shows a 24 percent yield increase with just one gram of Zelp Powder per metre, the equivalent of 30kg/ha. Rates as low as 6kg/ha still showed a nine percent increase in yield. The trial was replicated five times.

M a r i n e ’s research supports previous trials which

have all indicated a ‘sweet spot’ for Zelp on crops. The optimal rate for brassicas is 2kg/ha, carrots it is 20kg/ha and potatoes it is 50kg/ha.

Marine used Zelp Powder. It is dried and ground Giant Kelp — which grows 100 times faster than rye grass.

There are several probable explanations for the yield increase. Firstly, the natural growth hormones in the kelp — Auxins, Cytokinins, Gibberellins. These hormones regulate cell growth making cells bigger faster and more of them.

Secondly, the antimicrobial properties — which act as

ADVERTORIAL

Continuing the family business

Lyndon Engineering and Harrows has been purchased by Rachelle Lyndon and her husband Elton Hyde, with all of the original production team remaining in place The business has been in operation for more than forty years and was established by Rachelle’s parents in the mid 1970s. Elton and Rachelle are proud to be taking on the family business and look forward to working with new and existing clients into the future.

“The biggest focus for us is to promote the use of harrows, as both a cost and benefit effective farming tool, so that in turn, we can help drive business through our national distribution network,” said Elton.

“We will invest further in marketing with more local print publications across New Zealand and will continue to attend agricultural shows across the country. We are

also improving our online presence with a new website being constructed, and we are developing our social media footprint along with producing regular e-newsletters.

“Our business model is based on supporting the agents and dealerships across the country that understand the importance of dealing with a high-quality and proven New Zealand manufacturer. “Due to the dedication of our staff, and many years of experience manufacturing harrows, our clients can be assured of sound advice when selecting the best harrow solution for their needs.”

For more information go to www.lyndonharrows.co.nz. Or see our advert on page 20.

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a protective barrier to fight off harmful bacteria and fungi giving the plant a more resistant and resilient start.

Thirdly, Zelp has a large number of bioavailable micronutrients which encourage plant growth and the growth of beneficial soil microbes, helping to establish crucial root symbioses.

Finally the complex sugars/ polysaccharides which help fuel soil and plant life.

Masters student Marine Bulourde harvesting Giant Kelp

25

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September 2015

CANTERBURY FARMING

SEED & GRAIN

SOWING

the seed

BY ANN MORGAN

JOHN AND VICKI MULHOLLAND ARE THE OWNERS OF DUNLEATH FARM WHICH IS A 200 HECTARE PROPERTY THAT GROWS WHEAT, BARLEY, RYE GRASS, AND CLOVER AT CHARING CROSS.

“W

e grow pea’s for Heinz/Wattie’s, carrot seed for Midland Seed Ltd and maize for a local dairy farmer. Most of our contracts are with PGG Wrightson and Farmlands.”

In the winter their neighbours graze 300350 cows on the land and sometimes 300 young cattle.

“If it’s a wet winter, it makes a bit of a muddy mess, but this doesn’t worry me, it just means you do more cultivation when it’s time to plant the spring crops,” said John.

“We have been on this property since 1992. We were the third generation on

the home farm in Darfield.

My father, Doug Mulholland and I realised after having two seasons of drought affecting our cropping regime, to keep producing crops we needed water and found this irrigated property 16 kilometres down the road.

“My grandfather was well known for wheat growing in the early days. It was something the Mulholland’s were known for through the generations.

“The peas are harvested early, which allows us to grow kale. As the season progresses the kale is changed to rape, if the season is too late for rape

we plant oats. In autumn we sow wheat, barley, grass seed and clover and keep them growing through.

“As the cows finish grazing each paddock we turn them over and sow spring barley and peas, then potato and maize crops are sown.”

This rotation is discussed with a Macfarlane Rural adviser who helps John with management.

“I have always enjoyed machinery and my father was a huge machiner y enthusiast. My cousins and uncles are the same, as were our grandfather and great grandfather. The family calls it ‘the green iron disease’. We

ACROSS THE GENERATIONS, JOHN MULHOLLAND’S FAMILY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INVOLVED IN CROP GROWING

Whatever the Season

... there’s a Bailey Trailer that meets your needs

• Combine Harvester Spares • Windrower, Fingers, Sections • Elevator Chains made to order • Kverneland Hay-Silage Tynes • Baling Twine (Poly & Sisal) • Bailey Trailers, Bulk, Flatdeck, Removable Sides • Number one in UK • Six now sold in Malvern area • Tools and lots of other stuff

91 Horndon Street, Darfield Phone 03 318 8229

CANTERBURY ROCK PICKING SPECIALIST • Vaderstad 5m Topdown • Vaderstad 6.5m Carrier • Vaderstad 6m Spirit drill with APV Broadcasting unit.

• 7 Farrow reversible Plough

• Kverneland 12row Monopill SE Beet Planter • Amazone 8row Maize Planter • Pit Silage / Balage • Trading of supplement feed.

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Allan Chapman • P:03 310 2545 • M:027 221 5264 • E:ahcc@xtra.co.nz

• Cost effective way to remove rocks • Increased production • No need to heavy roll • Perfect seed bed normally achieved • Reduces lameness in cows • Expensive irrigation better utilised

Phone 0274 555 307 or 03 312 6366 www.rockpicking.co.nz

CANTERBURY FARMING

SEED & GRAIN

TO PRODUCE MORE JOHN BELIEVES YOU NEED TO USE EVERYTHING AVAILABLE INCLUDING INSECT AND WEED CONTROL have started the beginnings of precision agriculture and starting to map out our soil types. Our new combine harvester has all the new mapping electronics and yield mapping.

“We should be able to lay the yields over the map of the soil and hopefully in a few years have enough knowledge to start looking at variable rate drilling, irrigation and fertilisation for our soil’s requirements.”

John says the basic principles of growing are the same from his grandfather’s day. “We’ve played around with direct drilling and had various successes so have gone back to conventional cultivation.

“We did a lot of years with minimum tillage — creating a seedbed with minimal cultivation and have gone back to ploughing due to grazing cows. In the early days they drilled a paddock and may have harrowed it for weeds and that was it. They used to get two ton of yield per hectare.

Now we need 10 ton because the price isn’t much different from more than 20 years ago. To survive is to produce more. To produce

more, you need to use everything available, hence comes nitrogen, insect and weed control. The harder you push things, the less room you have for mistakes.

“Once planted, time is spent monitoring plant health, watching growth stages, and targeting fertiliser and chemical input at certain stages of plant growth. With irrigation you can avoid putting crops under moisture stress.

Our soil is light to medium — we can use up to five millimetres of water a day when the crops are growing flat out.

We need to apply about 40 millimetres of irrigation every

September 2015

JOHN BELIEVES THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF CROP GROWING HAVE NOT CHANGED OVER THE DECADES

10 — 12 days. All crops are monitored by Hydro Services for water usage. “You put everything into getting it in the ground and have to look after it to get a successful final result.”

John mostly works alone.

Their son Ben works on another property and helps when he can. Vicki looks after the farm administration, helps out when required, and is the coordinator of the Darfield District Nursing Service.

“Harvest time is a family affair. Vicki drives the truck during the day, Ben takes over in the evening and on the weekend all of the children love to pitch in,” said John.

“Carrot seed is always the last crop to be harvested from the middle of March.

“As always ‘mother nature’ has a massive role to play and harvest time is not a time to go on holiday.

“She hasn’t been too kind to us at times — we were hit bad in the September 2010 ear thquake and in September 2013 with massive wind, which affected our farming operations.”

A friend once said, “when you’ve finished developing this place you’ll find another thing to get your teeth into — you can’t sit still. Maybe I just need a few more ‘off farm adventures,”

A IN &

SEED DRESSI

ID G E CRSEEDS

GR

NG

QUA LITY PASTURE SEED

Candy Seed Mix – sweet results!

Riley perennial ryegrass 7kg Canterbury perennial ryegrass 7kg White clover 3kg Red clover 2kg Strawberry clover 1kg Cocksfoot 2 kg Timothy 2 kg Plantain 4 kg Chicory 1 kg Total 29kg per hectare incl GST and freight over 100kg $235 Delivered nationwide Phone 03 324 3951 or 0274 323 834

Call Matthew Reed today 021 526 576 www.broadgateharvesting.com

Aerial Agricultural Services Services we provide: • Solid/Fine Particle Fertiliser Application • Brushweed/Crop Spraying • General Lifting – Tanks/Fencelines • Mustering • Fire Lighting/Fighting • Wilding Pine Control • Aerial Photography/Scenic Flights • Charter - Fishing/Hunting • Flight Training • 8 Wheeler Flat Deck/Hiab with 5 tonne lift

www.cridgeseeds.co.nz

or email cridgeseeds@xtra.co.nz

SKYFARMERS

Specialist in All Types Of Agricultural Aviation Applications Operating Canterbury-wide

Aerial Topdressing • Aerial Spraying • Poison Baits Suspension Fertiliser • GPS Application

Contact: Duncan Hart Phone: 03 310 6815 0800 929 246 www.way2go.co.nz

27

0274 811 915 or 03 302 8400

28

September 2015

CANTERBURY FARMING

EARTHMOVING

& MAINTENANCE ADVERTORIAL

Dairy Farm Tracks Construction & Capping - Roading - Foundations Hardfill - Culverts - Driveways - Site Works - Subdivisions - Grader Available -

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

SHAPING YOUR FUTURE

L&S Contracting servicing the Canterbury area. Lindsay Marwick has over 30 years experience in all general earthmoving and development needs.

SERVICES AVAILABLE:

• Effluent & storage ponds • Dairy Track Lime Rock • General excavation & Site works • Roading & track work • Irrigation & border dyking • Tree removal root raking A/H Ph: 03 303 7260

HINDS

Lindsay Marwick • 027 244 3498

lindsay@lscontracting.co.nz www.lscontracting.co.nz

Providing unique solutions to your region’s needs Frews Contracting is a third generation family owned business that has been operating since 1951, making them one of the oldest and most experienced contractors in the South Island.

Providing solutions for Canterbur y’s most complicated projects for over fifty years, Frews Contracting has earned a reputation for excellence. Over time the business has diversified and now offers a range of services.

Frews set the standard for efficiency and innovation in all their projects. Whether removing pools, garages or houses, or tackling large multistory commercial buildings, no feat is too big or too small.

Frews have even utilised helicopters and cranes to complete their more complex projects.

Hand-in-hand with this work, is their proficiency in civil and rural work.

Frews Contracting specialise in ground

FORESTRY - Stump removal - Root raking

- Land development - Land clearing

remediation, site-works, landscaping, carparks, and driveways, alongside expertise in trenching, irrigation, farm tracks, stump removal and land clearance.

With their range of modern plant and specialist attachments, Frews provide cost-effective and creative solutions. Cartage has always been integral to

the Frews’ operation. They maintain a modern fleet of over twenty-five GPS tracked trucks, equipped to serve needs ranging from heavy transporters, bulk trucks and trailers, to transportation of hazardous materials.

Frews Contracting are also experts in material processing and recycling.

This was developed through

a need to process their own material. They can process a range of construction materials at their quarries including hard-fill, concrete, wood, screening soil, and crushing concrete.

Their specialist processing equipment enables them to take an innovative approach when providing solutions for unusual materials.

QUARRY - Aggregate supplies - Hard fill dumping

- Crushing - Rock breaking

CIVIL AND EARTHWORKS - Ground remediation solutions - Effluent ponds - Trenching and Irrigation - Roading and diary lanes - Contaminated land remediation - Landscaping - Carparks, driveways, retaining structures

CARTAGE - Over 25 cartage vehicles - GPS tracked - Wide variety of late model vehicles - Customer focused - Cartage for all types of materials - Special waste cartage

OVER 50 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY Phone: 027 42 42 455 Fax: 03 348 8563 brendan@frews.co.nz www.frews.co.nz

To advertise in the Canterbury Farming

Please call 03 347 2314

EARTHMOVING AND MAINTENANCE

CANTERBURY FARMING

A new generation of professionals It’s a job which many kids profess to desire — the ability to drive those huge machines which shape the soil and make the foundations for our homes and industries. But what does it take to get the ‘right stuff’ in this day and age to become a heavy machinery operator?

EXCAVATION SPECIALISTS 2A filter sand | Crushed AP 20, 40 & 65 Crusher dust | 6/19mm chip| Boulders Washed Premix & More Pick up, ex river or we deliver

Phone Sandy on 027 438 9576

It takes a steady hand and mental toughness to put in the hours in the cab of a powerful excavator

their heavy vehicle licences, grades 2 to 5 depending on the vehicles they wish to command. An additional Tracks, Wheels and Rollers certification is also required.

And that’s before facing the array of hydraulic controls which allow a seasoned excavator operator to move his machine’s massive boom with surgical precision.

To then go on to achieve the required Certificate in

Civil Plant Operation level 3 (or the alternative cert to level 3 specialising in bulk earthmoving), those fresh out of high school must have a minimum NCEA english and maths level 2.

Canterbury and Auckland are the leading areas demanding more skilled operators, so this is a smart career path for those who have sharp eyes, deft hands and mental stamina.

The learning never stops in this trade, as there are always new and more specialised machines to master for the ambitious operator.

Technology moves at a fast pace, and jobs which were once the preserve of the hammer and shovel now fall to the skilled professionals whose mighty machines can do the work of a whole gang of workmen in a single scoop!

NOW OPERATING OUR VERSATILE NEW WHEELED DIGGER OPERATOR SOLUTIONS are Earthworks and Excavation specialists and use quality equipment teamed with very experienced operators to ensure your excavation project is done to your expectations and deliver a professional service throughout the Canterbury area.

We now have a NEW 14 ton Wheeled Excavator ready to do any of the following.

• • • • • • •

Irrigation laying Trenching Feed Pads/Shed Pads Track Work Root Raking Stump & Tree Removal Tree Work

• • • • • • • • •

Driveways House Dig Outs Irrigation Pond De silting Equestrian Arenas/Training Tracks Large Scale Landscaping/Contouring Commercial Floor Preparation PE pipe laying Drainage Water Race Cleanouts

NICK IMRIE 021 324 544 nick@operatorsolutions.co.nz www.operatorsolutions.co.nz

CAT 277C MULTI TERRAIN LOADER + 2008 | 5,415 HRS | $58,000 GST

CAT 216B SKID STEER LOADER + 2005 | 2,465 HRS | $19,500 GST

100 IT’S NOT A TARGET

SPECIALISTS IN

› Fence Lines › Forestry Roading › Farm Track Cleaning › River Protection › Stock Water Ponds › Hill Country Farm Roading

Grant Anderson

HEAVY HAULAGE

Ph: 0274 174 805

› 3 Axle Transporter with winch

HILL COUNTRY CULTIVATION › Bush & Bog Discing › Offset Discing

A/H: 03 314 3376 393 Scargill Valley Road, Greta Valley E: andersonearthmoving@farmside.co.nz

CAT 305.5E CR TRACK EXCAVATOR + 2013 | 1,788 HRS | $75,000 GST

CAT 311C U TRACK EXCAVATOR + 2003 | 6,840 HRS | $75,000 GST

CAT 320CLU TRACK EXCAVATOR + 2001 | 13,400 HRS | $65,000 GST

QUALITY USED EQUIPMENT CAT 320D TRACK EXCAVATOR + 2006 | 11,764 HRS | $110,000 GST

29

ELLESMERE EXCAVATION & AGGREGATE

by Andy Bryenton

It’s a growing industry which requires a high level of skill. In the year to march 2015 the number of trained heavy excavator and Tracks, Wheels and Rollers certed drivers rose to an unprecedented 7800 nationwide, with no sign of slackening growth. Of course the massive Christchurch rebuild is part of this figure, but roading and the needs of rural New Zealand make up a huge part of this figure as well.

That’s no surprise — increasingly, the farming sector requires big projects to meet the needs of more intensive agriculture. That means bigger feed pads, dairy sheds, barns, storage facilities, roads and races.

And the need for fresh water year round in a changing climate has seen a rise in the construction of dams, while regulations surrounding dairy effluent have required the expansion of ponds and waste systems.

Young recruits coming up in the trade must initially earn

September 2015

CAT D3K LGP TRACK TYPE TRACTOR + 2009 | 1,348 HRS | $92,800 GST

CAT 962G WHEEL LOADER + 2002 | 23,904 HRS | $55,000 GST

Contact Matt Holloway: 029 208 0423

30

September 2015

CANTERBURY FARMING

AN ESSENTIAL THREAD

BY AYLA MILLER

THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY IS LIKE A TIGHTLY WOVEN CLOTH — PULL ONE THREAD AND IT ALL BEGINS TO UNRAVEL

T

he agricultural cloth, although mostly made up of farmers, is held together by the small but equally important businesses that service farms through the good times and the bad.

Northern Tractor Services Ltd is one of these threads and with 20 years of experience in business, owners Simon and Rachel Moir have witnessed a great deal of change.

Simon chose the life of a mechanic because of his passion for problem solving and the machinery.

“Growing up as a kid I liked being a mechanic and I was lucky to get an apprenticeship with Kings Tractor Repairs in Rangiora,” he says.

Whilst seeing out his course, he worked on a variety of different machinery until he moved on to work for Advantage Ford.

“It wasn’t until I had finished my apprenticeship and worked for Advantage Ford that I realised how much I had learnt working on different machinery and how to work out different problems. I really enjoyed the

Ford franchise and what came with it. Moving on from there we started our own business, Northern Tractor Services, where we have worked on all makes and models of tractors over the years and we now have the franchise for Valtra and TYM.” Simon manages four fulltime mechanics and one apprentice at a fully serviced workshop in Fernside.

“We have three service utes on the road with which we cover all Mid-Canterbury and North-Canterbury, and we also have customers

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SIMON AND RACHEL MOIR OF NORTHERN TRACTOR SERVICES LTD

on the West Coast.” Being in business and involved in the agricultural industry for two decades means he has been able to observe the changes that the industry has undertaken.

“The biggest change is probably the extent that dairy farming has taken over. What have been sheep and beef farms for the last 70 years are now dairy.”

He has also seen first hand the changes in technology through his work as a mechanic.

“Tractors have changed so much in the last 10 years.

Technology has become a big

part of being a mechanic now, and in farming.

“It is mind boggling how farmers know exactly how much dry matter, grass and how much nutrients to put down. You think that our job is quite complicated but when you go out and listen to these farmers, the science of farming now is huge.

He has also witnessed changes to the size of farms noting that the small family run farms with 120 cows have gone.

“Everyone has 800 cows now and everything is done electronically. You’ve gone from the old herringbone type

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cow shed to the big rotaries to the robotics.”

Because of this, he enjoys visiting the high country farms and says there are still some places left where not much has changed.

“It’s good to go back somewhere where it’s a bit more laid back.”

Simon and his wife Rachel live on a block of 13 acres with their 18-year-old son Ryan and their 14-year-old daughter Jaimee.

“We have got just enough land to have a few sheep and we usually have a few cows.”

Simon hasn’t shifted far from where he grew up

in Rangiora, about seven kilometres down the road to be exact.

“I’m quite lucky really, the business is only about a 100 metre sprint from home.”

As work is a big part of their lives and since it is so close to home, it is difficult to switch off, but Simon believes he and Rachel make a good team.

“I don’t think people realise how much work you put in behind the scene. At night time and the weekends there is always a job to finish.”

The diversity and getting to meet different people is what motivates Simon to get out of

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bed each morning — if it’s not a work related phone call that wakes him up first.

He also admits he has a soft spot for the Valtra tractor.

“I just like the product. I think it is very well made and from a mechanic’s point of view, I like working on it,” he says.

“I like getting out in the field — there are a lot of good things going on. Even though they say the dairy industry is in a bit of a slump, the resilience of people and their attitudes… it’s nice to go out there, fix something and have a yarn.”

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September 2015

CANTERBURY FARMING

Disposal is a complex matter There is a new acronym in the farming lexicon. It is FDE — and as has become glaringly obvious in the wake of a raft of legal obligations over the disposal of Farm Dairy Effluent. The short form has entered casual conversations everywhere — from the milking shed to the classroom.

Fa c e d with some complexity in ensuring that a safe and efficient disposal system on-farm enhances the universal quality of life, the academic world has reached out to assist.

Massey is offering specific courses to empower those responsible to passing on advice and knowledge to the rural community.

At the core is a threeday shor t course for industr y practitioner s, rural professionals, regulatory and governance personnel and scientists engaged in providing advice relating to the design, management and auditing of FDE systems.

The course summar y advises that ‘to be up to the challenge, participants should have significant

practical or professional experience in dairy systems design and/or management’ and ‘you may need to confirm with us that your experience is appropriate’.

Par ticipants must complete two assignments, attend a t h r e e - d ay contact course and sit a written examination.

‘The three-day contact course is a mix of lectures, tutorials, working with case studies and discussion.

Typically, course size is between 20-25 participants.

The study guide, instructions and supplementar y information are sent out approximately three weeks prior to the contact course.

It is anticipated that participants may spend a significant amount of time in pre-course study to refresh

their knowledge of the study guide material.

‘To be eligible to receive a Certificate of Completion in ‘Farm Dairy Effluent: System Design and Management’ participants must attend all sessions of the contact course and be awarded a satisfactory grade for the course — inclusive of the two assignments and the exam.’

In terms of practical advice for farmers, DairyNZ have produced the Farm Dairy Effluent Design Standards and Farm Dairy Effluent Design Code of Practice which can be accessed from www.dairynz.co.nz.

It adds that professionals involved in the dair y effluent systems should adhere to these and any technical documents as released.

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Effluent and Waste Management Good practice is important Effluent is of course the bane of a dairy farmer’s’ existence, with varying approaches and methods being utilised to comply with what it seem to be ever multiplying rules and regulations.

There are no formal regulations that mean a farmer needs a ‘sticker’ on the cowshed window — unlike the rules for the on-road vehicles on the property. There is no legislation requiring a dairy effluent warrant of fitness a ‘WoF’. But it might be good practice to partake in what is a voluntary programme with more and more farmers taking part. They are able to call on a dairying assessor who can overlook the areas where effluent collects and the corresponding infrastructure, including feed pads, underpasses, storage ponds and the irrigation network pumps — in fact the whole farm system.

Getting a ‘WoF’ assessor can only be to the farmer’s advantage, especially if the effluent system has been upgraded as there are a number of updated rules

to comply with — enforced when waterways are involved by regional councils.

It is especially appropriate to have an inspection when buying or selling a farm. A complete report is money in the back when favourable and all parties have their eyes wide open as to the system being passed on to a buyer by the seller and verified by an independent source.

It is a thorough assessment and also diagnostic taking up to half a working day to thoroughly complete, involving specialist steps including flow meter tests, hydraulic pressures, pumping capabilities and so on. The assessor will take note of the effluent distribution system and ensure a full irrigator inspection and test the application depth and average rate.

He will also calculate the

amount of storage for the type of effluent management system on the farm. A comprehensive report will finally be by drawn up for the farmer, buyer, seller, or other party with a vested interest in the property involved.

The information is finally entered into a central database at Quality Control NZ which will be used by researchers to analyse trends on farms around the country to determine areas of concern which may arise for dairy industry oversight.

Farm dairy effluent is a natural, dilute liquid fertiliser.

It contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), sulphur (S) and trace elements that you’d normally pay for to have applied to pasture. For details on the warrant of fitness process, contact http://www. effluentaccreditation.co.nz/

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September 2015

CANTERBURY FARMING

EFFLUENT AND WASTE MANGAEMENT

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Soils receiving dair y effluent may build up sodium over time. There is a special case of farms receiving effluent from dairy factory processing.

These effluents can be very high in sodium levels leading to a rise in soil sodium levels over time.

Gypsum is recognised as a soil conditioner, improving soil structure, aeration and water retention. Tests show that farmland treated with it requires up to 33 per cent less water than soils without recent applications.

High sodium irrigation water applied in naturally dry conditions, and long term application of some effluents can lead to a buildup of sodium levels in the soil to the detriment of soil structure.

The mechanisms of this are well understood. High sodium levels, particularly in soils with dispersive clay, can lead to issues in soil-water and soil-air relations such as poor drainage, clay pan layers, restricted root growth and restricted plant yields.

Application of Gypsum can assist in leaching excess sodium from affected

soils. The amount required to address high sodium effluent effects may be larger than typical agricultural applications depending on the sodium adsorption ratio of the effluent.

Even at relatively low SAR values, there can be an impact on soil structure

for soils with relatively low electrical conductivity. Water use/efficiency gains, coupled to the nutrient inputs, can make Gypsum a smart choice for farms beyond the matter of sodic — soils resulting from effluent dispersal — particularly as we head into dry summers.

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September 2015

35

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Clean your pond, boost your pasture Having a healthy pond enables you to get the most from the effluent when applying it to pasture.

Impact effluent treatment allows you to do this. It digests up to 95 per cent of crust and sludge in effluent ponds, creating more plant available nutrients while removing odours at the same time.

Results from a recent grass silage lab test done on pasture that has had Impact treated effluent applied for the past three years found that dry matter was 423g/kg, with a normal average of 300g/kg and sugar was 67g/kg with a normal average of 30g/kg.

Cows require the sugar/ carbohydrates to be able to digest the protein.

Lactic acid was found to be 2g/kg with a normal average of 75g/kg and Butyric acid at 2.9g/kg with a normal average of 4g/kg. Acet and prop acid was 1g/kg with a normal average of 20g/kg.

Up to 20 per cent of nutrition in silage can be lost to acidosis which is why it’s so important to have low acidity.

Good results have been noted and farmer Shane Roberts says he planted sugar beet in the fields and has not seen anything like this growth before. “I will be able to harvest 2 months earlier,” he says.

Another customer, Mark Bon, noted the effluent came out clear and clean looking.

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has an awful stink. Getting the smell off your hands is a tough job.

Now there is no smell and a clear stream of water rather than green slushy stuff comes out of the pipes. Cows will also eat the grass a day or so after application. Impact was the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said.

Farmer Wenzel Wench said, “We haven’t touched the effluent pond at all, except for pumping out 6 or 7 times a year, but the

cleanliness of the pond is just incredible.” Some have even been able to harvest bumper crops. “Three seasons ago I started growing maize as a summer crop to get cows over the January–February feed pinches. Last season I applied Impact treated effluent to crop paddocks before sowing the seeds.

The yield from the irrigated paddocks was unbelievable.

I couldn’t get over how much maize I was able to harvest,” said farmer Grant Mitchell.

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September 2015

CANTERBURY FARMING

The punt paid off

by Ann Morgan

South Canterbury based environmental consultancy group, Irricon Resource Solutions directors Keri Johnston, a natural resources engineer and Haidee McCabe a environmental consultant, were the supreme winners of last years Enterprising Rural Women awards.

The business focuses on improving or maintaining the sustainability of natural resources, such as land, water and waste, and is also involved in irrigation and catchment management.

“We have seen that although people were aware of who we were, the awards informed people of the range of work we do,” said Keri.

“Our philosophy is ‘fitting work around family and farming life, wherever that might be’. The company name makes people think of irrigation and water but our expertise is much wider.

“Where we are today was born out of a desire to have professional careers, but on our terms where we can work from home, around our children and farming commitments.

“We trained and did the hard slog, but we fell in love with farmers so are not living in urban centres anymore.

Working in the urban areas does not necessarily fit our

lifestyles. Now we can do it on our own terms, to fit our environment.”

The company’s expertise ranges from ecology to engineering, and planning to field technicians.

“Clients really appreciate having someone visit them who knows farming and can talk to them in their language about the issues they may have.

“We can handle almost any job from star t to finish including design, consenting, implementation and compliance.”

The wor k involves nutrient management and getting a handle on nutrient losses. Overseeing the farm and developing environment plans as well as continued improvement, and implementing good management practices.

People often ask how receptive their clients are to the set up they have created.

“Our clients are great and work with us and are totally

understanding. Ninety five per cent are farmers or live rurally, yet on the same token we must do a great job for them to work around us.”

They now employ twelve staff located from Motunau in North Canterbury to Duntroon in North Otago and now Gisborne in the North Island.

“We have taken on three more staff, including Lillian Sherman up in the North Island. As a result of winning last year, we were approached

by Lillian who lives in the Matawai area, two hours inland from Gisborne. She starts managing our North Island branch in August.

“Working with us gives her the opportunity to start the business from scratch and work from home. She gets our support and knowledge, and is very motivated.”

Paul Reece has also joined the team, he has his own farm in Canterbury. He has a strong farming and technical background. “The way we work doesn’t just work for

Irricon Resource Solutions directors Keri Johnston, and Haidee McCabe

women, men find themselves in the same circumstances of needing to work from home.”

There are big projects the team work on but a lot of what they do is dealing with farmers at an individual level. “The awards gave us the chance to take a birdseye

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view of our business and to see we are on the right track by winning the awards in the first place to what we have done since then,” said Keri.

“We took a punt in the beginning, and it had to be on our terms.

It turns out our punt paid off

and we all love it. We are still wanting to get out of bed in the morning and do some work.

“For us, the values go further than what people think, it’s not silly, it works, if more people can do it thats fantastic.”

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Harnessing the power of the sun

by Andy Bryenton

One of the pleasures of owning a lifestyle block is being far from the big city with its crowds and hectic pace of life. But this also means being far away from big city infrastructure — a fact which can present its own problems and its own opportunities.

In the not too distant past, harnessing the power of the sun to get ‘off the grid’ was seen as a top option for those with great sunshine hours and an easily interrupted power supply. But recent changes to the amount of money paid back to those who can feed excess energy into the grid have reduced the pay-back time of solar photovoltaic systems. This makes them once again a choice based on ecological ethics and ideals, not one based on hard financial maths. Right?

Well, not entirely. A new generation of batteries, using the same lithium ion technology pioneered for smartphones and tablets (and more recently seen in hybrid supercars) is making the storage of those extra volts a reality. Without efficient batteries, voltage was often generated in times of the day when the homeowner was not drawing down peak usage — usually the bulk of showering, computer use and television viewing — not to mention lighting — occur after sunset.

These new batteries can store sunshine-harvested power far more efficiently than the primitive lead-acid banks of deep cycle units grouped together in the past.

And this revolution in battery technology has not been limited to the core appliances of the home.

Another great Kiwi invention, the electric fence, has been made even easier for lifestyle block owners living off the grid to deploy. With

September 2015

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Another area in which the rays of the sun reap rewards is in powering the pumps necessary to drive advanced replacements for septic systems. Composting-type eco-systems often rely on a ‘cascade’ of planter boxes as a tertiary treatment for waste runoff, meaning that all that liquid has to go uphill in some locations. The easy answer — a solar powered pump coupled to an efficient battery system.

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Solar hot water heating has become far more efficient in recent years, cutting out the need for gas or electric means of water heating for a large part of the year. Unlike photovoltaic systems, the high hot water use in many modern homes means that, power prices as they stand, the payback on solar hot water can be measured in a matter of a few years, rather than calculated as a trickle of revenue fed back into the grid. It makes good sense to investigate how far solar technology has come, across all manner of improvements for the far-flung lifestyle property. Being off the grid — or largely so — has never been more achievable.

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To advertise in the Canterbury Farming Please call

03 347 2314

We continue to stock our standard post range in the most popular sizes H4 & H5 Tanalising Available

We stand by our post material quality money back guarantee Custom & special orders usually 2-4 week lead time

Ph 03 688 2591

Email: sales@pointlumber.co.nz 48 Racecourse Road, Washdyke (beside Gordon Handy Machinery)

RRP of $1895

$1,080 Including GST

38

September 2015

LIFESTYLE BLOCK SERVICES

CANTERBURY FARMING

Little firecracker a lifestyle block hero

by Andy Bryenton

Mahindra’s range of big, powerful tractors are really making an impression in New Zealand, offering toughness that’s built to tackle the challenging demands of the Indian subcontinent alongside big value-for-money features.

While this is great for farmers and contractors — who can rest assured that after a punishing tour of duty in India, reliability issues are well and truly shaken down — Mahindra are also famous

for their smaller tractors too.

Coming from a country where many farms are isolated family smallholdings, this has been a key market for the world’s biggest diesel engine manufacturer, and it’s opened

FOR ALL YOUR LIFESTYLE AND RURAL FENCING REQUIREMENTS Tel: 03 312 5792 Mob: 027 416 5261 andy@ruralandlifestylefencing.co.nz www.ruralandlifestylefencing.co.nz

a surprising niche here in New Zealand too.

Lifestyle block owners have, until now, been forced to make a tough call. Buy a ‘lawn tractor’ for slashing and mowing, adding on a sprayer — or save those pennies for a second hand full sized machine that may be too large to be practical on small acreage.

Then there is the need to fulfill a huge range of little tasks such as fencing and ditch digging, often meaning a call to the local contractors. Now, Mahindra have unleashed their tiny but mighty eMax series for just this niche. These small tractors are a veritable rolling swiss army knife, able to pack attachments usually only found on their bigger rivals.

The eMax 25 is a perfect example. Packing a frugal 3 cylinder diesel, this machine has more than enough get up and go to handle rural chores.

Equipped with a scoop bucket up front, it excels at feeding stock, shifting overburden or shoveling gravel and dirt. But

it’s the optional attachments which make the eMax so versatile, such as JCB style backhoe for digging, a 60 inch mower deck to tackle big lifestyle block lawns, and a post hole borer to make fencing and construction a breeze. Add to the list the ability to carry, tow, or even mount a rotary tiller, and this agile little working platform starts to quickly pay for itself.

With prices starting at under $20k, it’s also a value for money investment, replacing a host of other tools including your ride-on, auger drill and mini excavator.

For the growing number of lifestyle block owners who want the proverbial ‘good life’ on a sustainable block of land, but who don’t want to buy a whole shed full of separate machines to achieve

their dream, it’s just what the doctor ordered and with a tiny turning circle, light weight and grippy, wide tyres, the eMax can go where large tractors may find the confines a bit too tight as well. Not only a good idea for small block owners, then, but also a perfect second machine for orchardists and landscapers who must work around important existing features.

water

wells

For all your brick and block requirements

Sales and Installation of Mains Power Cable, Phone Cable and Water Pipe to suit your requirements:

Irrigation • Rural Commercial • Lifestyle

New Homes, Dairy Sheds, Fences, Foundations, Commercial and Residential

Freephone:

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0508 422 253

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

East Coast Drilling Ltd

For a free no obligation quote Email: powercable.direct@xtra.co.nz Web: www.powercabledirect.co.nz

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

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.

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

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LIFESTYLE BLOCK SERVICES

CANTERBURY FARMING

Spring chores made easy

September 2015

39

QUAD BIKE SAFETY

by Andy Bryenton

With spring well and truly here, lawns and gardens are experiencing a surge of seasonal growth. While this is part of the inevitable cycle of nature, for those with a large garden to tend it means that the countryside will once again echo to the sound of trimmers and pruners, sculpting a more refined outdoor environment.

Concentrate on the riding.

Look where you’re going, not where the stock are going.

Stihl have been ahead of this game for decades, and their range of power equipment for the lifestyle block owner or more substantial home gardener has been boosted and improved for 2015 to include some smart, time saving technology. In keeping with modern trends in computers, supercar s and even homes, this advancement is in the field of battery powered equipment.

Stihl were early adopters of battery power for outdoor tools such as chainsaws and mowers, replacing the somewhat weedy and cord-encumbered models of yesteryear with neat, trim, light and easy to start examples of cutting edge

tech. Now their battery system has been overhauled, allowing more time in the field or on the site. An optional backpack battery carries the ‘juice’ for a whole day’s work, which is a godsend on large blocks where the homestead — and 240 volts — is a long hike away.

One stand-out new member of the Stihl battery family is a powerful cutoff saw — a compact machine similar in design to big petrol concrete cutters. It’s disc cutter makes short work of even terracotta tiles, and can be water cooled from a standard garden hose. For spring, battery hedge trimmers, pole pruners and top-handled arborist’s chainsaws are a must have item.

DRIVE PHONE FREE!

Stihl offer a wide spectrum of tools for the outdoors, ranging from this expansion into powerful electrical, battery-powered equipment through to the beefiest petrol powered gear for professional arborists. As a lifestyle block owner, equipment like the models mentioned above sits

neatly in the middle of the curve, between the massive grunt of tools designed for removing whole trees and swathes of gorse, and the smaller, more economical machines which have been the making of countless urban backyards. Electrical power is here to stay.

CLARKVILLE STOCKFEEDS LTD

OPENING HOURS Mon to Fri 8:00am -6:00pm Sat 8:30am – 4:00pm Closed Sundays and Public holidays

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FOR ENQUIRIES Phone (03) 327 5127 Fax (03) 327 5172 Mobile 027 686 1922

5a Cone Street, Rangiora Freephone: 0800 426 639 Phone: (03) 313 4862, Fax: (03) 313 4863 email: newbletimber@xtra.co.nz

143 Neeves Road, Clarkville, Kaiapoi RD1.

Ride on

XE966HD Mower

Engine: B&S 875 Series Starter: Electric Start Drive System: Hydro Trans Cutting Deck: 26” (66cm) Cut Height: 3-7.5cm Manual Blade Engage Catcher Capacity: 140L

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• Vitamin & mineral supplements, Equine, Dog & Cat Wormers.

• Oaten & Meadow Chaff & Fiber Protect • MaxiSoy, Speedibeet & Equibeet.

• Whole & Rolled grains/aviary mixes • Calf & Lamb milk powders • Cat & Dog biscuits

36V 3.1kg 500mm blade No lead, no exhaust, no smell and low noise Comes with a AP180 battery and AL300 charger

Incl GST

WE CAN DESIGN ANY SIZE TO FIT YOUR REQUIREMENTS

Manufacturers & Suppliers of quality Stockfeed for many animals.

K ICK O FF T HE S PRING S EASON !

HSA66 Hedgetrimmer

sheds ‘n shelters

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FS50C 27.2cc 0.80kW Easy to start model Longer shaft model

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Linetrimmer

Was $445

$387

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Rangiora & Blenheim Rd Stores - Mon - Fri 8am til 5.30pm, Sat 9.30am til 12.30pm Northwood Store - 7 DAYS - Mon - Fri 8am til 5.30pm, Sat 9.30am til 3pm, Sun 10am til 3pm

Incl GST

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$5299

More options avaiable ask in store for details. All pricing incl GST. Images may vary from in store product. Finance is available - conditions apply. Offers valid until 30th September, 2015 or while stocks last.

STIHL SHOP Fosters - 559 Blenheim Road, Sockburn, Christchurch - Ph: 03-343-6339 STIHL SHOP Northwood - 554 Main North Road, Belfast, Christchurch - Ph: 03-974-2469 Fosters Outdoor Power Equipment - 360 Flaxton Road, Rangiora - Ph: 03-313-3398 www.stihlshopchristchurch.co.nz

LOVE YOUR LAND

Incl GST

40

September 2015

LIFESTYLE BLOCK SERVICES

CANTERBURY FARMING

ADVERTORIAL

Spring Lawn tips Spring has sprung, and despite some recent wintery weather lawn growth has taken off, together with weeds and moss.

There are a few things to be thinking about with lawns over the coming few weeks.

Grass cutting has started and those with ‘nice’ lawns should be mowing around 20mm weekly. Removing the clippings helps slow thatch buildup. This delays the unhealthy spongy effect symptomatic of a thatchy lawn.

Water is best applied in the mornings and only once or twice a week during the dry part of the year.Too much irrigation encourages soft lazy grass plants and encourages disease, pests and excessive worm castings. The soil under the turf wants to be moist, but the turf surface itself likes to be dry.

Apply a light dose of fertiliser two or three times over the growing season — Spring, Christmas and Autumn, will keep the lawn growing strongly. It is best to use a specific balanced lawn fertiliser. Around 20 grams per m2 (2kg per 100m2) is a good general rate to apply. Don’t fertilise if the lawn is particularly dry or drought stressed in the middle of summer.

The best time to treat weeds is when the lawn, and weeds are growing actively. Spring and Autumn are therefore the best times. Be careful with herbicide choice. Many lawn disasters have occurred when the wrong herbicide is used to treat the lawn. Check that the

bottle says that the herbicide is safe on lawns or consult someone who knows. Sprays like Turfix (Yates) or Turf Clean (Kiwicare) are good options for smaller lawns.

For bigger lawns and those whose owners are Growsafe certified there are plenty more options.

It’s been a big year for grass grub and Porina caterpillar damage. While the main trouble period, winter, has ended the overwintering, grubs are generally about to pupate, emerge as adults and start the process over again.

Generally the best time to treat is Autumn with products such as Yates’ soil insect killer or Kiwicare lawnguard prills. The best way to test for

Portable Milking Specialists

grub damage is to tug on the brown damaged turf.

If it easily pulls away it means the grubs have

Stainless Steel Milking Machines for cows, goats and sheep. Single or double units. Kitsets, with petrol or electric motors.

Ideal for house cows, calfrearing, cheesemaking etc. Milking time 5-6 mins per cow. Easy to use and clean. All parts and accessories available. 12 month warranty.

eaten the base of the plant.

Do the basics right and many of the potential lawn problems won’t occur. For

more information check out the Readylawn website for a lawn maintenance calendar www.readylawn.co.nz

Ph 09 283 3425 Mob 021 519 507 Email info@milkingsolutions.co.nz www.milkingsolutions.co.nz

Looking for TURF for your lifestyle or rural block?

We specialise in large scale • Turf construction and installation • Turf management • Turf renovation

For all lifestyle & rural blocks Also expert advice on seed types, fertilising, spraying & insect control.

For consultation please phone the team at

the original same day lawn

93 Conservators Road, RD6. Christchurch Ph: 03 349 6980 www.lawnworks.co.nz • www.readylawn.co.nz

BUILDING DIVISION

KITSET FARM SHEDS P. 03 313 8339 • Email: farmsheds@mcalpines.co.nz

Oi!

DON’T TXT & DRIVE

post&rail fencing

LIFESTYLE BLOCK SERVICES

CANTERBURY FARMING

Making small herds safer For many people looking at the possibility of lifestyle block living, a big part of the appeal is to reconnect with rural life.

"I need to give customers what they want," says Noel. “That means that there is much more dialogue, more understanding of family needs, whether it is all about the flavours required, the leanness of the mince or the size of the roast portions.”

Contact Canterbury Homekill Services Ltd Phone: (03) 313 4771 • Email: canterburyhomekill@yahoo.com Website: www.canterburyhomekill.co.nz

nation’s export trade. A huge registration and monitoring scheme is in place across all commercial farms, integrating farmers, meat processing and dairy companies in an organised defense. Now, as more and more people take on small numbers of animals as lifestyle block owners, that umbrella is being extended further, with every effort being made to make lifestylers part of the common cause.

The law states that each and every cattle beast and deer on private land must

Manufacturers and Suppliers of:

be registered. To make this as easy as possible, TB Free NZ has set up a free online service to achieve full compliance. They also advise that all such animals wear a NAIT approved ear tag — these can be easily sourced right here at http:// www.nait.co.nz. Animals with a herd number and ear tag are RFID equipped, which also means they are harder to rustle, should unscrupulous ‘visitors’ come calling!

Finally, TB Free NZ advise a very important point.

Commercial farmers would never risk their business and jeopardise the health of their neighbour’s herds by buying untagged, unregistered animals. If you are offered cattle or deer for sale — even just one or two — check their status before you buy.

By following simple guidelines, the fight against TB can continue to be a winning battle, and by being a responsible neighbour in the countryside you’ll be doing your bit to keep our biggest export industry thriving.

- Lightweight/High Tensile - Galvanised Steel Purlins

Monthly plans

VOIP Phone

starting from just

starting from just

$49 $5 Premium installation cost apply.

Pricing includes GST.

Beware of Imitations. Insist on materials covered by a New Zealand Steel™ Warranty.

Timaru 154 Meadows Rd Washdyke clrtim@ roofing.co.nz Ph: 03 688 7224

We travel throughout Canterbury offering a prompt, reliable service. With over 30 years combined experience in the butchering industry, Canterbury Homekill Services prides itself in offering a professional, honest service throughout Canterbury.

The range of services is designed to remove all the hassles of home kill: • Mobile fully equipped abattoir • Advice for those not sure about killing readiness • All wild game processing • Dry Curing of small goods e.g. Bacon • We hang beef for at least 7 days

• Get Connected • Stay Connected

- Long Run Steel Roofing - Flashings

41

BEEF•DEER•LAMB PIG & WILD GAME

by Andy Bryenton

Some may have come from the city with plans to establish sustainable smallholdings, just enough to provide for their families.

Others may have no intention of farming at all, but with all that wide open space, it’s an option to run a small number of animals as rural pets, or as an example of a rare breed which they find aesthetically appealing.

While many who farm for a living find this notion quaint, it’s one with real appeal, and the number of lifestyle blocks with a couple of sheep, a coop full of chickens, a handful of cattle or even other beasts such as deer is increasing. Modern vet medicine and feeds make such ownership accessible, but there’s another link in the chain which helps protect our vital primary industries from an unintentional threat raised by small-run herds.

For many years now a war has been waged on Kiwi farms against tuberculosis, a serious disease which has the potential to devastate our

September 2015

Ashburton 42 JB Cullen Drive Ashburton Business Estate clrash@roofing.co.nz Ph: 0508 453 696

Quality built chicken coop specialists, designed and built on site - Also stock laying hens, quality feeds, accessories & incubation equipment. Come on out & visit us in sunny Little River Village on Banks Peninsula.

Chicken Coops - Large range, packages for 3 hens to 24 hens, mobile & free range models from $595

0800 726 724 www.scorch.co.nz

Incubators Large range of incubators from 7 eggs to 600 egg machines from $189

100 IT’S NOT A TARGET

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Start your 2015 planting NOW! Specialists in eco-sourced native plants Prices from approx $2.50 pp plus GST based on quantity We can contract grow to spec whether you need 100 or 10,000 plants

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HARDY PLANTS SUITED TO YOUR LOCAL CONDITIONS Eco-sourced from Canterbury “The Native Plant Specialists”

48 Watsons Rd, Christchurch Mon to Fri 8am to 4pm

Phone: 03 359 2458 www.waioralandscapes.co.nz Email: soren@waioralandscapes.co.nz

• All residential, light commercial drainage • Septic Tank systems • Alterations • Excavations • Canterbury Wide • Free Quotes

Treadle Feeders No more sparrows & mice, no more wasted feed, 4 sizes from $135 New! 18L Poultry Drinker Easy fill, easy-carry, easy-clean, made in Europe From $39.90

Order online at www.chookmanor.co.nz Ph 03 325 1236 or email info@chookmanor.co.nz

NZ’s leading supplier of poultry accessories, incubators and health care products

M: 027 437 2468 | E: office@dynamicdrainage.co.nz | W: www.dynamicdrainage.co.nz PO Box 86024, Rolleston West, Rolleston 7658

42

September 2015

CANTERBURY FARMING

EXCAVATION PAUL’S PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LTD 2-20 TONN DIGGERS

EXCAVATION

LIFESTYLE BLOCK SERVICES ADVERTORIAL

Rural responsibilities

BOBCATS - LOADERS

CARPARK

4-8 WHEELER TRUCKS - ARTICS - TRUCK AND TRAILERS

DRIVEWAYS

WATER CARTS - TOOL TRUCKS

ROAD WORKS FREE QUOTES

Those of us ‘living the life’ in a rural setting understand the benefits of fresh air, less traffic, more space, and getting a return from the land through reducing our grocery bills.

COMMERCIAL BUILDING PREPS

T/A Pauls Excavation P O BOX 69198 LINCOLN CANTERBURY 7640 Steve: 021 338 247 | AH Phone: 03 325 7922 | Fax: 03 325 7923 Email: epsltd@xtra.co.nz | Web: www.paulsexcavation.co.nz

Pay attention!

HydroVac operator Chaz cleaning out an effluent pit

around road works

Alongside those benefits are disadvantages such as a lack of council infrastructure and services, reticulated water supply as well as stormwater and sewer networks. Having privately owned effluent, water and wastewater services as part of your private landholding

HydroVac

requires maintenance to ensure everything functions the way it should. HydroVac’s specialty is in servicing wastewater treatment systems, septic tanks, water tanks, pump chambers and unblocking drains. We provide scheduled maintenance services to effluent ponds, dairy sheds and stormwater culverts, and our automated scheduling and real-time transparent i nv o i c i n g

increases the amount of time available to you for enjoying your surroundings.

HydroVac is owned by Matthew and Rachel Punter who enjoy the rural life in Oxford North Canterbury and are passionate about cleaning up and disposing of messes that most people don’t want to talk about let alone look at. Servicing the greater Canterbury region from their Christchurch

yard they are locally owned and operate, and focus on response and after sales service 24 hours, seven days.

Whether you have an ongoing maintenance programme or an urgent problem that needs a resolution, HydroVac is happy to provide no obligation recommendations and pricing estimates.

Visit their website www. hydrovac.co.nz or call today on 366 9187.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUPPORT

Irrigation • Drainage • Driveways • Auger Hole Drilling Land Clearing & Development • Culvert Installation Construction Site Works •Tree & Hedge Removal • Concrete Breaker Phone Mike: 027 272 8058 or 03 324 4323 A/H

g.m.contracting@xtra.co.nz www.gmcontracting.co.nz

24 / 7 CALLOUT | SEPTIC TANKS | GREASE TRAPS EFFLUENT PITS & PONDS | BLOCKED DRAINS & CULVERTS

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• Call for a demonstration zeroturnmowers.co.nz info@zeroturnmowers.co.nz

www.hydrovac.co.nz

John Pilbrow 03 318 1112 2082 Old West Coast Rd. Kirwee, Christchurch

0800 743366

LIVESTOCK

Hindsite

CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2015

43

Canterbury Branch NZ Deer Farmers Assn Sponsored by Mountain River Processors Ltd

Science close to unlocking velvet’s secret New Zealand and South Korean scientists believe they will soon be able to identify the compounds that give deer antler velvet its immune-boosting properties.

If they are successful, it will allow velvet extracts to be sold with a precise measure of the active ingredients they contain. Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) says this will be an important step in getting such products registered for sale as healthy functional foods.

“Velvet’s reputation as a health tonic goes back more than 1000 years and it is still widely used in Korea and China in mixtures with ginseng and herbs in tonics and traditional medicines,” says DINZ chief executive Dan Coup.

“But these d ay s , government regulators and consumers ever ywhere want the claims made for medicines and tonics to be supported by scientific evidence. It appears that we are on the threshold of doing this with at least one of the health-promoting properties attributed to velvet.”

AgResearch scientist Dr Stephen Haines says bioactive compounds in velvet have been of great interest to NZ scientists since research began in the 1990s.

“We had shown that velvet extracts boosted immune function both in cell-lines and in animals, but we didn’t know what was doing it. Velvet is a very complex mixture of thousands of components, making it very difficult to isolate and identify the ones that are biologically active,” he says.

Until now.

Recent improvements in mass spectrometry and

high-speed data processing have made it possible for researchers to sort through the thousands of peptides, proteins and related compounds in velvet, to find the ones with bioactive properties.

The research is being carried out by AgResearch on behalf of VARNZ, a joint venture between DINZ and AgResearch,\ with critical support from the Korean Ginseng Corporation (KGC).

“We have built a close, trusting relationship with the KGC, working together on market development and access, and now we are working together in research,” says DNZ chief executive Dan Coup.

KGC is the world’s largest ginseng company, with annual sales of $US800 million, based on 200 ginseng-based products. In recent years, the company has developed 19 products that also contain deer velvet and in so doing, has become the largest buyer of the New Zealand product.

In last two years KGC has provided the AgResearch velvet research team with samples of four different velvet extracts for further analysis. Each of them had been shown in in-vitro studies to boost immune function to varying degrees. The most active and one of the least active was then further tested

by KGC in an animal study.

The most active extract consistently stimulated high levels of activity in the natural killer cells that fight infection in an animal

before the immune system starts producing antibodies.

It also had good antiinflammatory properties.

By comparing this extract with the one with the weaker response, the researchers have identified several protein

fragments and a peptide that are associated with immune activity. These may be the active ingredients or they may be markers for other bioactive compounds.

“We are now testing them on two different types of

human cell to assess their immune boosting function.

If we identify the active ingredients, that would support the development of a standardised product for immune function,” Dr Haines says.

“This would be an important step in getting velvet products registered as healthy functional foods in China or Korea — something that would add considerable value to NZ velvet. The sky could be the limit.”

FERTILISE It all starts with fertile soil. For fast grass growth in early spring – and for high quality grazing later on – your soil needs to be at the right pH range, phosphorus, potassium and sulphur fertility at the start of lambing.

Nutrient rich soil feeds both pasture quantity and quality,

BEST PASTURE AVAILABLE FROM THE START OF LAMBING

helping you lamb ewes at the recommended pasture height of at least 3.5cm, and supplying enough grass so they can keep eating up to 4% of their own body weight in pasture DM every day and milk well right through to weaning.

Lambs can digest grass from 3 weeks old, but milk is a must to hit their peak – at no other time is it easier or faster to grow lambs at 400 g/head/day than when they’re still on mum.

In spring, the only thing that usually prevents this is pasture growth rate, and the most common cause of slow growth – apart from temperature – is soil deficient in P, S, K and N. So to make sure your pasture has the nutrients it needs this spring to get your lambs away early, call 0800 222 090.

PREVENT FIRES FAST GROWTH RATE

LOOK AFTER THE LAND

AND IT’LL LOOK AFTER YOU

Check your machinery today.

Nests are a major cause of tractor & machinery fires.

BAL0002a ImportanceOfFert_Lamb_280x172.indd 2

26/08/15 8:29 am

44

September 2015

LIVESTOCK

CANTERBURY FARMING ADVERTORIAL

Ace offal cookers for dog and pig food, also available as grain cookers for horses Available in 63Litre and 94Litre, stainless steel bin on a tipping frame.

Plugs into standard 230v socket. Fitted with 2 hour timer and neon. Have been in the market for over 30 years.

New venture for business Wayne Harper and his team at M.R. Wools, can tend to all your wool needs under one roof, having recently relocated another business to their premises in Waikuku, North Canterbury.

293 Palmerston Rd, Gisborne M 027 294 6190 | F (06) 867 2774 E mike@aceproducts.co.nz W www.aceproducts.co.nz

QUAD BIKE SAFETY

Concentrate on the riding.

Look where you’re going, not where the stock are going.

The Harper Dag Crushing team: Shane, Christine, Wayne, Cheryl and John

Wayne and his wife Christine have purchased the dag crushing plant from PJ Kinsman and Co Ltd which had been operating out of

Woolston in Christchurch and relocated it adjacent to their existing M.R. Wools premises renaming it Harper Dag Crushing (HDC).

“We saw a need for a dag crushing unit in Canterbury as the nearest large dag crushers are in Invercargill or Palmerston North, so we are right smack in the middle,” says Wayne.

“One of the key components to our operation is the automated gas fired dryer which dries the dags.

This means we are able to get the moisture content lower to

effectively crush them and recover a better quality wool fibre. In conjunction with the launch of HDC, for the rest of the year we are paying 80c/kg for dry Xbred dag that is delivered to our store at 1469B Main North Rd, Waikuku. We can pay better prices for dags because we crush them on site. If farmers deal directly with us they will get a better price.”

Wayne’s 82-year-old father is a part of the team of five and has been in the farming industry all of his life.

He has been involved with

the wool buying side of the business, M.R. Wools since Wayne and Christine bought the business five years ago.

“We think our business model has fresh and innovative ideas which are proving successful for both us and the wool growers we work closely with.

“We can sell at auction or we can broker the wool on behalf, dealing direct to the exporters which saves money in the long run. We see HDC as a good fit alongside M.R. Wools to provide the farming community with exceptional service and results.”

Parkvale Speckle Park Purebred Speckle Park Semen available

I WANT YOUR DAGS Top prices paid, $0.80/kg, dry XBD Dag until Christmas delivered to our store at 1469B Main North Road, Waikuku Phone Wayne Harper: 027 446 1977 or email mrwools@clear.net.nz

• Colour marking • Excellent terminal sire for both Beef and Dairy • High yielding – 60%-70% • High marbling quality carcass • Early maturing • Polled • Volume orders available, registered semen held at Xcell and World Wide Sires.

Enquiries contact Robbie on 0274 311 860

Email randaclark@xtra.co.nz

LIVESTOCK

CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2015

45

Kevin James Wool

Wool Perspective

The Working Wool Buyer

NO commission!

NO transport costs! NO guess work!

From Rob Cochrane GM, Procurement, PGG Wrightson Wool

Wool market alive and well Wool prices continued their bullish run at auction sales in Christchurch and Napier during the past few weeks as exporters battled against each other filling both forward sales orders and indent buying orders.

The relatively small yet stylish catalogue offerings drew extremely good interest from both domestic and offshore export houses, representing a wide range of both apparel and interior textile processors from around the globe.

The Christchurch September 10 auction catalogue contained another very nice selection of Crossbred full-length fleece and second-shear wool from Canterbury, Otago and Southland, and was greeted by exporters with enthusiasm. Crossbred fleece wool measuring from about 36 to 39 microns reached prices from between 620 and 645 cents per clean kilogram at the September 10 Christchurch auction, levels which were approximately 30 to 40 cents ahead of the previous week’s North Island auction held in Napier on September 3. Finer full-length fleece types measuring 35 microns reached between 655 and 675 cents per clean kilogram, 34 microns between 680 and 750 cents, 33 microns from 750 to 800 cents with extreme sales to 860 cents, 32 microns from

If you’re reading this, then so are your customers Please call

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

760 to 810 cents, and 31 microns from 870 to 940 cents per clean kilogram.

Second-shear crossbred wool types often reached prices close to the values of fulllength wools, dependent on length and micron. Crossbred bulky oddments continued to attract superb demand with prices again not too far away from fleece levels, as buyers bid very boldly for those on offer.

Halfbred and Corriedale wool types continued to embrace good support from exporters throughout the month with well grown and well prepared fleece wools measuring 28 microns at around 1040 to 1060 cents per clean kilogram, 27 microns around 1060 to 1075 cents per clean kilogram, and 26 microns around 1145 to 1160 cents per clean kilogram.

Halfbred and Corriedale

wools representing mainly inland Canterbury and Otago growers were once again of an excellent standard.

Merino wool types offered at the Christchurch auction on September 10 were also of a very high standard, ranging in fineness from between approximately 15 and 21 microns. The full bench of buyers, representing all major merino wool exporters and processors both here and in Australia, provided keen competition, and a good gallery of merino wool growers were able to witness first-hand the depth of buying power within the local auction room at the PGG Wrightson Wool facility. Prices for all merino types mostly exceeded pre-sale expectation and, in many cases, were ahead of those achieved at auction in Australia, during the same week, for similar types. With limited supplies of all wool

types expected throughout the September, October, and November period, it’s expected that the market in general will remain pretty solid. Some of the finer crossbred types have appeared to be a little overheated lately, and a softening in price for those maybe expected but, as eluded to often in previous editions, supply is the key. European, United Kingdom, United States and Chinese mills have remained good supporters of the New Zealand wool clip, regardless of type, because they understand how well our wool types perform in the spinning process. New Zealand wool growers have a premium product compared to much of the world and should continue to treat it as such by retaining good preparation standards in their wool sheds.

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September 2015

LIVESTOCK

CANTERBURY FARMING

Be my Guest

Bill Guest Farmers of New Zealand

Membership Services: 09 439 5219 • 09 430 3758 www.farmersofnewzealand.com Email: newzealandfarmers@xtra.co.nz

Loyalty has its own reward The resumption of Russian imports of hydrous milk fat, whey and milk protein concentrates from Fonterra sites is good news for the cooperative.

New Zealand is not on the list of Russian-banned countries and in spite of trade minister Tim Groser asking primary exporters not to exploit any possible advantage that Fonterra and others may have in dealing with Russia, the government has stated that it is important not to upset trade talks with the United States through the Trans-Pacific Partnership and also with the European Union.

New Zealand has a history of

being a good and loyal trading partner not only to Europe but also the United States, but there are numerous examples where this loyalty has not been taken into account, when Europe and America act in their own self-interest.

For more than 100 years, New Zealand’s butter and cheese had arrived in ports in Britain. During the Second World War, New Zealand supplied its dairy products under very favourable terms to

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the so-called mother country.

This trading relationship changed dramatically with Britain joining the European Community, forcing New Zealand to look for alternative markets throughout Asia, Russia and latterly China. The then NZ Dairy Board showed commercial enterprise by taking advantage of the then Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s new open ‘perestroika’ (reconstruction) and ‘glasnost’ (or openness) policies giving new trade opportunities throughout the world. Mikhail Gorbachev’s ties stem back to the Ukraine or Little Russia, along with other Russian leaders including Khrushchev, Brezhnev and Chernenko.

The Ukraine has been part of Russia for over 240 years, when Catherine the Great reached a peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire in 1774.

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under Russian rule in 1783 and is a major naval base for the Russian Navy. The region’s vast wheat fields have served as the breadbasket of the Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union.

The current American and European embargos against Russia are because the Ukraine wants to secede from Russia, with American and European support.

An interesting argument could be made — what if Hawaii, a state within America, wished to secede from the United States.

Would the Americans be so accommodating if it meant giving up their naval bases there?

Fonterra director Malcolm Bailey who is the Dairy Companies Association chairman, stated in the press last week that the industry had no intention of ramping up trade with Russia as a result of the latest reinstatement of licences or any future relaxation of market access conditions

and that the Association suppor ted the Western Alliance led by America.

With the greatest of respect, the facts are that while European and American dairy farmers are receiving between $6.95 and $8.15 per kilogram of milk solids, New Zealand dairy farmers are witnessing our so-called allies dumping their surplus dairy produce caused by their embargo against Russia, into our hard-earned markets in China and throughout Asia, without a care for our struggling New Zealand dairy farmers, who may receive $3.85 per kilogram of milk solids this year, if they are lucky. In economic terms our situation is ridiculous and completely unsustainable.

They profit while we stand naively by.

It is hypocritical that we are told that we shouldn’t take full advantage of our unrestricted access to market our dairy products to Russia.

Scottish-born Tim Groser who has acted as New

Zealand’s chief negotiator in trade for many years, once summarised that New Zealand could be screwed in areas of trade. Almost everything New Zealand exported was at the mercy of other countries.

It is ironical that in the book Till the Cows Came Home, Mr Grose reportedly states that to him, the key issues involved getting a framework for international law that would protect New Zealand from what he regarded as outrages.

Wealthy nations had to be stopped from ruining the country’s economic future with their export subsidies — even if a measure of quota constraint and import control might have to be accepted for some time to come.

It is my view that America and Europe should have kept this in mind when they unilaterally decided to place a trade ban against Russia to the detriment of small, agricultural-reliant countries like New Zealand.

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Hoof Print with Fred Hoekstra

CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2015

47

HOOF TRIMMING SERVICES, EQUIPMENT & TRAINING

What’s causing lameness?

Last month I wrote an article on white line disease, the most common hoof problem that we have with dairy cows, and I mentioned that the commonly believed theories are difficult to support and that there has to be an underlying issue.

If stones and pushing were as detrimental to the hooves as what we are led to believe then we wouldn’t be able to farm cows, and deer and mountain goats would have been extinct a long time ago.

The underlying issue that we face, with probably 80-90% of our lame cows, is laminitis.

Laminitis is by far the biggest cause of lameness and in dairy cows most of the damage by laminitis is seen on the walking surface of the claws, the sole and white line region.

The next biggest cause of lameness is nowhere near as great as laminitis. Not yet at least, even though we may potentially get one if we don’t keep Digital Dermatitis under control. DD is potentially going to be a major problem for you if you don’t manage it well and that should start now.

I will address that more in a future article, but let’s focus on this white line issue first.

Laminitis is a multi-factorial disease that basically results in unhealthy live tissue in the hoof — the predominant causes being diet and stress.

If the live tissue becomes unhealthy in both claws then the claw that is bearing the greatest share of the weight will struggle more than the claw that doesn’t bear as much weight. For example, it’s the same as if two people walk along the road — one carrying a 30kg backpack and the other carrying a 10kg backpack. After a 40km walk the person with the 30kg backpack will have to work harder than the one with the 10kg backpack.

These two people may be able to handle their

individual load for that distance if they have trained for it but when they both come down with the ‘flu’ the difference in weight will be more evident.

This explains why we see more lameness in the outer claw than what we see in the inner claw.

You will find that the outer claw is usually bigger than the inner claw, and therefore bearing more weight than the inner claw.

Even if the claws were the same height and size the outer claw would still get more fluctuation in weight than the inner claw due to the swaying of the body from left to right to left to right as the cow is walking.

So, if the outer claw is becoming bigger than the inner claw it will become more vulnerable as it will be overloaded with every step the cow takes, and even when the cows are standing still in the yard.

So, what can you do to minimise lameness? Well, the answer to that question is to minimise the effect of the factors contributing to laminitis — namely stress and diet.

If a cow has no laminitis I am convinced you can push that cow as hard as you like on a really rough track and it won’t cause any issue for her. Unfortunately, there are very few cows in New Zealand that do not have laminitis to some degree. Treatment for

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laminitis is primarily through hoof trimming. When you get a professional hoof trimmer in to do some preventative trimming for you, he or she will not be able to stop the laminitis but the trimmer should be able to trim the claw in such a way that the effects of laminitis are kept to a minimum, and therefore the productivity of the cow is kept high.

These issues are discussed in greater detail on our hoof trimming workshops, so call us if you would like to register on one near you.

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Dairy has a way to go yet

by Paul Campbell

Three consecutive rises in the Global Dairy Trade auction has boosted dairy farm hopes but despite the last price leap of 16.5 percent, there’s been a warning that the industry has a way to go before it is out of the woods.

“The increases of course are very much in the right direction,” says Farmers of New Zealand operations director, Bill Guest.

“But the price needs to increase to US$3,000 per tonne and hold there for Fonterra’s payout projection of a Kiwi payout of $3.85 to be reached. But here’s hoping that this happens — for all our sakes. The payments reflect into the overall rural economic outlook.”

The latest rise set the index at US$2568 ($4037) a tonne but some observers hope that this could strengthen as milk production eases off as the season progresses, boosting underlying demand.

Much of the increase according to dairy economists is due to less product on the auction floor, partly due to Fonterra strategy, but also because of a weaker farm production rate. Observer Nathan Penny stated: “As that information is firmed up, we expect prices to kick on.”

Production factors have included both below average

grass growth and stock slaughtering that followed weather concerns and price slumps.

“We also know that many plan to cull further once we’re fully through calving and the

peak of milk production,” Penny said.

Federated Farmers dairy chairman Andrew Hoggard was hopeful that the apparent recovery would continue, but warned of caution because

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“we are into the season now, and a lot of the product’s already been sold and forward contracted at lower prices. It’s still going to be a tight end of season payout, with any luck it’s looking better what than it currently is.”

AgriHQ analyst Susan Kilsby agreed with peers that the increase at auction stemmed from production volumes, which would be further influenced by dry El Nino summer conditions.

“Buyers are aware that a drier than normal summer will slow milk output in New Zealand, therefore we are starting to see a little more urgency from buyers wishing to secure purchases.”

Fonterra has said that it expects a lower milk collection of from 2-3 per cent. But bank economists are already raising this estimate — with Rabobank suggesting a 10 per cent decline is not unrealistic. Overall however, agreement in the industry is universal — there is still some way to go before the worry lines disappear.

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CANTERBURY FARMING

September 2015

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Soil Matters with Peter Burton Spoiling soil health to get production is dumb The argument that if coming environmental standards are too tough, production from farms will necessarily decline, factories will close, people will lose jobs and the country at large will suffer, requires careful consideration and a broad-minded approach. soil quality. Farmers blame pests for much of the decline in clover and total pasture production, however they are only the symptoms of steadily deteriorating soil health.

There’s excellent work currently being undertaken

by AgResearch scientists that puts a value on soil, with a key indicator of its health being pore space. Pore space is important because soil is a living, breathing organism that relies on air being able to freely enter, and gases including a small amount of carbon dioxide to leave. This, in turn, is utilised by plants for steadily increasing growth.

Reducing the ability of soils to carry out this function through ongoing compaction, also causes a steady decline in the quality of pasture growth, along with the standard of the meat and milk leaving a property.

But there are farmers bucking the trend by changing their management systems.

They have steadily increasing pasture production, and the reason is that their properties

are sequestering carbon and building humus. It is under permanent grazed pasture that carbon is most rapidly sequestered. Intensive pastoral farming using these different systems ultimately provides the answer to many of our environmental issues as it removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as well as storing and filtering water.

Production from these proper ties comfor tably exceeds district average, with a more even spread of growth throughout the year.

Regular monitoring indicates that these properties grow, on average, 18+ tonnes of dry matter per hectare annually, with growth as high as 22 tonnes from some sites.

Per animal production is also exceptional, with cows producing close to their live weight in milk solids each year. This enables carrying fewer animals per hectare, which then means lower costs, fewer metabolic disorders, better mating performance, and a reduction in the requirement for worm

drenches. Nitrate nitrogen losses to groundwater are also markedly reduced. With improved friability plants are able to send roots further into the soil, intercepting nutrient before it reaches ground water. Humus itself is not well understood. It is organic matter with a biological component and regarded by some, as weight for weight, more valuable than gold.

There is no question that human survival is dependent on its existence.

Intensive pastoral farming using different management systems has the ability to store increasing quantities of carbon, produce water suitable for human consumption, and provide food of unsurpassed quality.

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Embodied in that argument is the acknowledgement that under current production models, with the focus on intensive dairying, the environment is deteriorating.

At least the realisation is there. Few would argue that continued damage, particularly the effect on water quality, can continue indefinitely. It must stop at some point and it’s not just water quality that is suffering.

Everything is interconnected and water quality is just one indicator. Careful monitoring shows other components such as soil and biodiversity are increasingly struggling to cope.

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“DeLaval as a company has always believed in iodine as the best product for keeping mastitis at bay but many New Zealand farmers were looking for alternative options to further improve mastitis prevention,” said Hamilton based DeLaval Solution manager, Brad White.

“Our mission was to bring something different to the local market and our scientists discovered the use of lactic acid was a winner for killing bugs, but it needed assistance.

“Some clever chemistry from the team solved the problem and simply unlocked the power of nature. We’ve called this technology LactiSyn.” The LactiSyn technology in Lactisan, uses an innovative combination of surfactants and lactic acid that are designed to maximise the bug killing power of lactic acid, while promoting teat conditioning.

“The result is a teat spray that gives broad spectrum bug kill, with a five log reduction in less than 30 seconds. This innovative chemistry also ensures that it has minimal

residue impact, without sacrificing its effectiveness.

“By using lactic acid, the end result is a teat spray product that does not continue to remain germicidal in milk, thus further reducing potential residue issues. Lactic acid is naturally present in milk, unlike chlorhexidine which is a synthetic material.”

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RURAL WHEELS

CANTERBURY FARMING

ADVERTORIAL

September 2015

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Ph: 0800 4x4 SPARES

Ph (03) 688 7517

www.ironman4x4.co.nz Ph: (03) 448 6826

Ph (03) 415 7040

(0800 494 772)

www.ironman4x4.co.nz

(0508 4766626)

52

September 2015

1/3

DEPOSIT

RURAL WHEELS

CANTERBURY FARMING

1/3

IN 12 MONTHS

NORTHERN TRACTOR SERVICES NOW YOUR NEW VALTRA DEALER FOR CANTERBURY!

1/3

IN 24 MONTHS

BE QUICK

OFFER EXP

!

IRES SOON

YOU CAN’T BEAT A KINGQUAD. YOU CAN BREAK UP THE COST.

170 - 220HP T3 Series models feature smart Scandinavian design and excel in the toughest conditions taking on the big jobs around the farm.

Trade in your existing bike, it could be your 1/3 deposit on a new Suzuki KingQuad and you’ll pay no interest on the balance!

Simply pay 1/3 in 2016, and the final 1/3 in 2017.

KINGQUAD 400 MAN/AUTO LT-F/A400FL5 $12,695 – DEPOSIT $4,348 KINGQUAD 500 AUTO P/S LT-A500XPL5 $15,995 – DEPOSIT $5,448

Talk to your nearest Valtra Dealer today

KINGQUAD 500 AUTO LT-A500XL5 $13,995 – DEPOSIT $4,781 KINGQUAD 750 AUTO P/S LT-A750XPL5 $16,995 – DEPOSIT $5,781

Sales: Simon Moir 0274 313 404 Service: Richard Bowler 0274 787 682 Workshop: 03 313 2133 Email: northern-tractor-services@xtra.co.nz

Prices include GST. 0% interest with $335 documentation fee and $13.00 PPSR fee. Not in conjunction with any other promotion.

Finance to approved purchasers, normal lending criteria apply. Total cost of purchase: LT-F400FL5 – $13,044, LT-A400FL5 – $13,044, LT-A500XL5 – $14,343, LT-A500XPL5 – $16,343, LT-A750XPL5 – $17,343. Offer ends 30/9/2015 or while stocks last.

*Offer ends 31st December 2015, while stocks last. 4.24% finance to approved AGCO Finance customers only who hold a current GST number. 30% deposit with 60 monthly payments in arrears, no balloon payment and GST paid in fourth month. Weekly repayment figure based on 4.24% finance on a T163EV model. Consult your local Valtra dealer for full terms and conditions. Image for illustrative purposes only.

Epsom Rd, Sockburn, Christchurch www.avoncitymotorcycles.co.nz

03 341 3490

valtra.com.au VALTRA ® is a worldwide brand of AGCO. ® 2015

LOOKING FOR A TOUGH, NO NONSENSE WORKHORSE?

• 2.2L, mHAWK CRDE TURBO DIESEL • DUAL AIRBAGS, ABS, CRUISE CONTROL & IMMOBILISER • LOAD CAPACITY 1200 KG (D/C 1100 KG) • TOW CAPACITY 2500KG • EATON LOCK DIFF • HIGH/LOW RANGE 4WD

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR ARRANGE A TEST DRIVE:

www.mahindra.co.nz

TEL: 0800

282 726

LOCAL DEALERS (PLEASE CALL TO CONFIRM VEHICLE AVAILABILITY): HAMISH’s VEHICLE SERVICES (VEHICLES & TRACTORS)- 2 Railway Esplanade, Gore - Ph: 03 208 1766 MORRISON CAR COMPANY (VEHICLES) - 1-3 Lowther Street, Christchurch - Ph: (03) 341 2020 TEMUKA AUTOCOURT (VEHICLES) -160 King Street, Temuka - Ph: (03) 615 8786 MILLARS MACHINERY (TRACTORS) - High Street, Leeston, Canterbury - Ph: (03) 324 3888 GREYMOUTH CAR CENTRE (VEHICLES) - 95 Gormack Street, Balclutha, Otago - Ph: (03) 768 5729 AG AND AUTO DIRECT - 56 Herbert Street, Greymouth - Ph: (03) 4180 555 * PHOTOS USED FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES AND MAY SHOW OPTIONAL EXTRAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE. O.R.C (Onroad Costs) additional $950. SPECIFICATIONS & PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

4 X 4 D R I V E A W AY F R O M + GST + ORC $

23,470

(SINGLE CAB CHASSIS)

RURAL WHEELS

CANTERBURY FARMING

ADVERTORIAL

53

SAFETY FIRST

Petrol tax refunds

ON THE FARM

If you use petrol in off-road equipment you could get thousands of dollars back.

If you use petrol in commercial plant or farm machinery, you may be eligible for a refund of $0.66 per litre. This is the excise duty imposed on petrol by the government.

Often, people are unaware that they can claim this tax back or they find the paperwork too time consuming and complicated.

We can help you get your refund without the hassle and paperwork and because we can make claims for two years back, our clients usually get thousands in their first refund.

To be able to claim this refund, you must meet the following criteria: you must be registered for GST, able to produce proof of petrol purchases such as an invoice from your fuel provider and be able to determine which fuel purchases are used in machinery and which purchases go into vehicles driven on public roads.

If you meet the above criteria, once we have registered you with the NZTA and made the initial claim for 24 months, we then make claims quarterly going forward.

There are no up-front costs or administration charges. Off Road Refunds receives your

September 2015

LOOK OUT FOR YOUR WORK MATES

CARS - TRUCKS - VANS - 4WDS

New + Used Lamps for Cars, Trucks, Vans, 4WD, Motorhomes, Trailers & LEDs. We can repair your existing lights including: Headlamp Adjusters, Lens Refurbishment and Plastic Welding.

refund from the NZTA, then forwards payment to you, less our fee of 15 percent.

Our clients range from small operations through to large New Zealand Nationwide’s and operate in a variety of industries such as farming,

• • • • • • • •

lawn mowing, garden maintenance, construction, civil engineering, logging, carpet cleaning, commercial fisherman, roading contractors, concreting, arborists, diving, agriculture and drilling.

Chainsaws Compressors Concrete Cutters Concrete Mixers Farm Vehicles Fishing Vessels Generators Hedge Trimmers

• • • • • • • •

If you might qualify for a refund, please contact us to discuss your situation. We will find out if you are eligible then talk you through our simple registration process and get started on your refund. Call Leanne 022 082 2810

HydroSeeders Pedestrian Rollers Plate Compactors Post Hole diggers Pumps Push Mowers Quad Bikes Ride on Mowers

0800 225 483 For all your automotive Lamp Requirements

F: 03 371 1101 E: carlights@carlights.co.nz 325 Brougham Street, Christchurch

• Rotary Hoes • Spray Rigs • Steam Cleaners • Stump Cutters • Water Blasters • Water Pumps • Welders • Wire Rope Cutters

Do you use petrol for off-road equipment? If you use petrol to power commercial equipment, you may be eligible for a refund of $0.66 per litre.

Call Leanne to find out more: 022 082 2810 or 06 880 0449 www.offroadrefunds.co.nz

Paying road tax for off-road fuel?

Get it back!

our

Use y

Card here

54

September 2015

RURAL WHEELS

CANTERBURY FARMING

Crossover king all grown up

by Andy Bryenton

The original iteration of Subaru’s go-anywhere Forester somewhat defied description. Neither a conventional sports utility, nor a standard station wagon of its day, the boxy and voluminous vehicle became a favourite for two markets.

Even today, you’ll see Foresters of that first run in either off-road spec, carrying kayaks and mountain bikes, or with gaudy 20 inch chrome rims, tinted windows and a vast sound system.

In a way, Subaru were ahead of the curve. This was a time before the term ‘crossover SUV’ existed, but the Forester filled the niche nicely, and as a model it has grown into the space with an almost organic evolution.

The 2015 Forester looks nothing like its ancestors, but that sense of rugged, upfor-it attitude shines through, even in a sector now bursting at the seams with rivals and imitators.

Some of that charm comes from its looks — this is no shrunken SUV, but stylistically appears to be more of a big, muscular wagon.

It’s certainly slick, machinegun quick six speed auto, and the Forester presents a package that’s hard to ignore

The 2015 Forester has come a long way from its square and boxy origins to become a consummate crossover

if you are in the market for a lifestyle machine. Even the simple, somewhat austere lines and colours inside the cabin speak more of utility —

FLAT OR COVERED

and being easy to clean — than lacklustre build quality.

Like the WRX Subarus of old, this is no luxury yacht, and it wears its intention to

tackle trails and spearhead adventure holidays proudly.

Hopefully the 2015 Forester is put to its intended use by its buyers, because

it is above all a supremely competent machine. It would be a shame to see all that engineering wasted making this generation, like

M elrose Offroa d Kart Fam y frieil dly fun, n fun, fun

s

A&

P show da sta ndI1 y 3

2006 ISUZU FVZ 1400 6x4, 280hp, 9 speed manual, 6-rod suspension.

Very tidy, 6.75m flat deck AND 7.35 curtain sider.

$79,000 + GST. Kim Harris Mobile 027 545 7973

0800 379 899

www.prestigecv.co.nz

kids 7- 11

$2150

12 -A

$3550dult

Ph 354 5616 www.melrosemotorsports.co.nz

Late model NZ NEW vehicle speacilists. We also hold a good selection of budget & trade in vehicles priced from $2,000 - $10,000

2004 Holden Crewman

NZ new, only 130km, auto, ready for work with canopy, towbar, tints, immaculate example

$15,999

2014 Mitsubishi Pajero GLS – “SCOOP Purchase”.

NZ new, 3.2 diesel turbo, auto, 45kms, 7 seat, selectable 4wd, balance new car warranty

$39,999

2013 Toyota Corolla GX – Several to choose 1.8lt, nz new, balance new car warranty, 69km-75km, choice colour, 7 spd auto, ONLY $16,999 2012 Ford Falcon XT series II

4.0lt, nz new, only 68kms, loaded with features, incredible buy

$16,999

New building and Facilities opening on site early January 2016 294 Flaxton road, Rangiora | www.canterburywholesale.co.nz Ph: 03 379 2382 | 0800 444 663 | 0274 733 208

Manual, 2WD/ 4WD with a front diff lock that helps this model crawl out from nearly anywhere.

Hassle free cold weather starting with fuel-injection & improved carrying & towing capacity

many of the first Foresters, into mobile discos crawling through Kiwi suburbia.

This one needs open space to really shine.

CANTERBURY FARMING

the ‘last’ word

with Rob Cope-Williams

Technology

September 2015

55

BIO FUEL

We are certainly in a changing world.

BULK LOADS

AVAILABLE Ph 027 313 7338

Pay attention!

In my own time we have gone from headers towed behind tractors and hand milking house cows, to what we have now with the advent of computers, so spare a thought for those in their 90s who were born when men were dropping bombs out of bi-planes onto their enemies and horses were still the main form of transport.

The advent of technology in those days included refrigerators instead of using a ‘safe’ and eventually deep freezers. They as it happens led to the downfall of small village grocers as people flocked to the towns and cities to buy in bulk, but that is another story.

You will remember when cell phones arrived on the scene and we marvelled at the fax machine because it could send a document to another machine in someone else’s house or office.

Irrigation was amazing as border dykes quietly guided the life blood for crops

down across the paddocks, then spray irrigation hit with a wallop.

Now we have a cell phone that is a computer and does everything a computer can, plus, ask a young person what a fax is and you’ll get a blank look.

As far as technology on the farm is concerned it seems GPS and computerisation is now compulsory.

With having to get consent to farm now days it seems to me that the equipment alone to enable you to put on the right amount of water on the appropriate soil and crops etc would bankrupt most people.

There are, I understand, people who have been farming for decades who are selling up because they can’t see how they can afford the technology required, nor do they have the inclination to learn all about it.

Really it’s a case of old dogs and new tricks, but across the board farmers are very quick to pick up on

new technology as long as it has benefits.

There aren’t many who don’t Facebook, website surf or know how to text and communicate through social media.

Go to the local A and P show and you’ll see more cell phones to the acre than rabbits in Central Otago.

Daily newspapers are complaining of dropping sales, and even Telecom, or Spark as it is now, are saying cell phones have taken over from landlines. I cancelled my landline this week.

We are definitely moving on and dropping off the old technology which is why so many people are going to vintage machinery and classic car racing meetings.

At my age, mid 60s, I am very happy to have lived when working was fun, we laughed lots and enjoyed the simple things in life.

Computers were science fiction, and you wrote a cheque and posted it.

Mind you I do enjoy the sport on TV that is live, the cars that I drive, and all the home aids that I prepare my meals with, warm my home with and make my life so comfortable, so technology is OK

around road works Agri Realty Limited, Colliers International, Licensed under 2008

LOCAL PEOPLE - GLOBAL REACH From farm gate to boardroom, we understand your business.

We are pleased to welcome Richard O’Sullivan to the Colliers Rural and Agribusiness team.

Account Managers Wanted We are always looking for account managers, we can never have enough.

Do you enjoy talking to people? Do you enjoy working in a team? Are you looking for a challenge? Then we have the perfect role for you and all the tools for you to get the job done; 1. We have a database of existing and new clients 2. We have excellent prospecting tools 3. Full training is provided Email your CV to: jobs@nsmm.co.nz

Richard comes from a strong rural background, spending the past 15 years in technical, agribusiness and banking based rural roles. He has diverse experience across finance, farm operations, development, real estate, due diligence and farm sales/syndications and brings a quality network of relationships in the rural sector.

Richard will be working alongside experienced real estate agents Shane O’Brien, Ruth Hodges and Austen Russell to continue to offer clients local expertise, backed by the extensive national and global reach of the Colliers International brand.

Richard O’Sullivan +64 27 2 923 921

richard.osullivan@colliers.com

Contact us today.

Level 1, 137 Victoria Street, Christchurch 03 365 7887 Level 1, 234 Havelock Street, Ashburton 03 308 3338 www.colliers.co.nz

56

September 2015 CANTERBURY FARMING

THE SHARPEST PASTURE BURNDOWN SOLUTION SHARPEN® IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL HERBICIDE LAUNCHED WORLDWIDE IN THE PAST 20 YEARS.

Mixed with glyphosate, SHARPEN® is a proven solution for rapid pasture burndown and glyphosate resistant weeds.

Now with a label extension, SHARPEN® also provides the benet of nil milk residue, short withholding periods for grazing (2 days) and slaughter (14 days).

SHARPEN® is the only herbicide in New Zealand to contain KIXOR®, a unique and powerful active ingredient from entirely new chemistry. It’s powerful enough to provide increased broad spectrum control of previously hard-to-control broadleaf weeds.

A reminder for maize growers!

Sharpen®, when used with acetochlor, is also registered for pre-emergent weed control in maize. Details on our website

www.agro.basf.co.nz SHARPEN®, Kixor® and the X® logo are registered trademarks of BASF SHARPEN® is registered pursuant to the ACVM Act, 1997 No. P8391

Available from your local rural supplier or call BASF on 0800 93 2273

BSF0079 02/15 P