Hawke's Bay Farming Lifestyles, February 2022

February 2022 Edition

A petting farm and a legacy Page 2

A glimpse of early bay farm life

A cultural journey

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FEBRUARY 2022

HAWKE’S BAY FARMING LIFESTYLES

The Hawke’s Bay Farming Lifestyles is published with pride by Integrity Community Media, a privately owned NZ company.

Phone: 0800 466 793 Email: info@integrity.nz Postal Address: PO Box 474, Dargaville Physical Address: 107 River Road, Dargaville Editor: Deb Wright 021 639 696 deb.wright@integrity.nz Journalists: Ann van Engelen | Andy Bryenton Advertising: Fiona Tohu 027 239 5791 Production: Gavin Bainbridge | Anna Fredericksen | Kelsey Hansen | Liz Clark Accounts: accounts@integrity.nz Distribution: Laurie Willetts Printed by: NZME Website: farminglifestyles.co.nz

A PETTING FARM AND A LEGACY

BY AMY FIFITA Eighteen years ago, Dyan and Cliff LeComte started Hawke’s Bay Farmyard Zoo. The farm park has many animals, including a rare breed collection and other attractions at their Haumoana farm.

Opinions expressed in this publication and in advertising inserts, by contributors or advertisers, are not necessarily those of Integrity Community Media. All inserts delivered with the publication are not produced by Integrity Community Media.

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Children enjoying themselves at Hawke’s Bay Farmyard Zoo by the coast

A

fter giving up her job as a freezing worker, Dyan, then 45, decided to open a petting zoo. The next mission was to convince her husband not only to run the farm park but also land on their property she could use for the venture.

“I dragged my husband around three other petting zoos to see what they were doing. With his and my skills, we could make a go of it, and so we did.”

There were plans to be made, pathways to be established, staff to employ and business to learn — the hard work has paid off.

Now, they house a collection of animals, including a handful of rare breeds such as Anglo-Nubian goats and Cape Barren geese.

Other attractions include pony rides, lamb feeding, picnic areas, the Birthday Barn and Farmyard Express Train. Cliff and Dyan have catered for many people with various interests and enjoy seeing the local market enjoy their land and animals.

“The reason I decided on a petting zoo was that we’re on the main route to Cape Kidnappers, which is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Hawke’s Bay.” Before they started the park, passing motorists would stop by and ask to take pictures with their farm animals.

“We had a lot of people asking to take photos of the animals in our front paddocks,” Dyan says.

A peacock shows off his colourful plumage to visitors

Almost two decades have passed since this endeavour started. Even during these tough times, they are seeing 22,000 people come through the farm gates a year. Kindergartens, kōhanga reo, retirement homes, families and couples all visit to enjoy the petting zoo.

“It’s like a park here now and exactly how I envisioned it. I enjoy the physical outdoor aspect of the work, and I love the animals. I loved the challenge of getting the business up and running. I am proud of us both.”

Currently, the husband and wife team is thinking about stepping back by passing the baton on and letting their daughter take the opportunity created.

“Our daughter is training now in a management position. She’s taking it over, and she’s grown up with it. She has all the animal husbandry skills that she’s learnt from her father.”

With that in place, another generation can share the experience of the Hawke’s Bay Farmyard Zoo and the vision Dyan had for it. With it being the foundation of her daughter’s upbringing, she is equipped to be the new farmyard queen of a place that celebrates animals, community and education.

The park can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/HBFarmyardZoo.

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by New Zealand’s primary producers “is the basis of our success. I am really looking forward to the next stages as we start to roll out technology solutions and focus on execution and delivery.”

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Originally formed at the end of 2019, TANZ was officially incorporated in August last year to combine the public and private sector. It is growing rapidly as more industry organisations see the benefits to taking a co-operative, open standards approach to addressing data interoperability and data sharing.

“Klaeri was a co-founder of the initial TANZ consortium and was instrumental in driving the start-up phase,” says TANZ chair Chris Claridge.

“She has been leading multiple work streams for TANZ members, such as digital farm environment planning. Klaeri has also been undertaking complementary work with AgriTech NZ, the Ministry of Primary Industry, DIA and MBIE. “Klaeri has worked for decades in the complexities of the food supply chain and has an in-depth knowledge of the value links across primary production, food processing and the supply chain, with a strong focus on data management, manufacturing process, and enduser engagement.

“We are delighted to have Klaeri on board, and she brings the right skill-set and experience plus a real hands-on approach making life easier for farmers and growers.”

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HAWKE’S BAY FARMING LIFESTYLES

A GLIMPSE OF EARLY BAY

FARM LIFE

BY PAUL CAMPBELL

‘I was born and bred a country boy in 1942, the youngest of four children. Our parents owned a 530-acre sheep and beef farm south of Dannevirke, at a little place called Waiaruhe. In those days, it was home to a school and a dairy factory, both now since gone.’

T

hese are the opening words from a true Kiwi son of the soil, Bruce Galloway, give a fascinating insight into the pioneer days of Hawke’s Bay farming, of a time before chainsaws and tractors and quad bikes, not to mention electricity connection and more, now mundane, additions to today’s rural experience.

Bruce has recaptured the atmosphere of yesteryear in his book The Flying Farmer, which goes on to recount a life owning 12 farming properties, and also a myriad adventures as a ‘bush pilot in the days before aviation authorities got some teeth’.

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However, here Bruce begins his comprehensive tale of with an account of his first years on the land ‘Dad Albine (Wattie — a nickname given to him due to deafness and his tendency to say ‘what’ a lot) Galloway (1896–1968) was of Scottish descent. Dad was a big man in more ways than one. He stood at 6ft 4”, and had a wonderful nature.

‘Mum, Mavis Kathleen Galloway (nee: Olsen) (1909–2003) was of Norwegian descent. Mum was a great gardener, not flowers, just vegetables. She used to say you could not eat flowers. She had a large commercial garden and supplied a local shop in Dannevirke (Mr David Patel).

‘She also milked cows, cut mānuka and raised a family. Mum was also a great cook and used only a coal range.

There was no fridge, and all the washing was done by hand, and water heated by a wood-fired copper.

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‘When a mutton was killed, there was only a short window to eat it before it went off. Mum used to preserve eggs in

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a four-gallon tin, and they would last up to a year. Some vegetables were preserved in stone crocks.

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Bruce (back left) at Waiaruhe School, now long gone

‘Dad used to cure his own bacon, and it would hang up on the back porch for months. Mum would chop some off and cook it. The bacon used to turn green but was still OK to eat. There was always plenty of bottled fruit. Mum would always have plenty of baking in tins, so we never went hungry.

‘Mum and Dad used to tell us stories of what it was like starting off in 1932. A track had to be cut through the manuka to get to the only building on the farm, a one-room bach.

‘Clearing the mānuka was the top priority, with both of them cutting it with hand slashers. Dad put a tin shelter up over a bath, and the water was heated over a fire. Mum did all the cooking

and baking on an outside fireplace in camp ovens.

‘The water was carried up from the stream in four-gallon kerosene tins. They also told us about having to take the house cows down to the neighbour’s bull to get them in calf. Mum and Dad lived like this for many months.

‘We never had a flush toilet, just a long drop that had to be cleared of large two or three-inch long weta at night before sitting down.

‘As kids, one of our pastimes was to harness a horse up, drag a couple of big wooden dray wheels up to the top of a big hill, then let them go. Those things would travel at colossal speed, sometimes jumping 15 feet off the ground and

Bruce Galloway today

end up in the swamp. They occasionally changed direction and took out a fence or two. Once at the bottom, we would ride down and start all over again.

‘Summertime was spent swimming in the Raparapawai river or the old farm dams.

‘Ice cream was something we did not get a lot of. We used to put some cochineal, mixed with milk, in a billy and hang it on the clothesline on a frosty night. It turned out more like ice, but it was good.’

The Flying Farmer goes on to tell of Bruce Galloway’s remarkable life on the land and adventures in the air. It is available by calling 09 439 5495 to obtain a copy.

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“My dad was from the generation that didn’t acknowledge their culture as it wasn’t recognised back then, but he was a carver.

“Mum and dad had a mixed-race marriage, and Tūākau in the 1970s was a racially divided town. Dad’s carving was my only cultural identity, and I didn’t know how to find pathways into understanding what being Māori meant.

“I now live in Whakatīwai on the Firth of Thames. Growing up, it was our family weekend place to come to. In 1986 dad was in a tanker accident and could no longer drive trucks. Then we tragically lost my sister in a car accident in 1988, and my parents moved here to heal in the early 90s.

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Brody creates a variety of items from swamp kauri stumps and roots, which he was able to rescue from a new subdivision

“When I left school, I went on a colourful journey and worked in many career pathways trying to find who I am in the world. I eventually struggled with addiction and mental health issues

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Brody Runga discovered his talent of carving while on a personal journey to find where he fits in his cultural heritage

“I decided to invest in discovering who I am and what that means. I enrolled in the Manukau School of Visual Arts and graduated with a level five diploma. It was the first time I seriously applied myself to anything.

“As part of my recovery journey, I worked in mental health and addictions and had a goal to become an artist. Looking back, I realise every emerging artist in New Zealand has to have another career up their sleeve. It was quite serendipitous.

“In 2018, I lost both parents five months apart. Until then, I had been trying to support them, myself and my relationship. I explored tā moko, the permanent marking or tattoo as traditionally practised by Māori, ceramics, charcoal and carving with wood.

“I decided carving was where my passion lies as it is a calling that really speaks to me. After mum and dad passed, I needed a break, so I quit my job and gained contract work with an organisation called Blueprint for Learning — teaching on mental health and addictions.

“Three years ago, a friend heard that there was swamp kauri in the ground at a subdivision site being cleared in Auckland, and the contractors were going to burn or mulch it.

“We said we would take it and were given all the root and stump stock. We milled some into slabs, which are resting, and now when I am home, I am ankle deep in sawdust sculpting.”

At present, Brody is exploring carving a series of whale and stingray with the wood.

“2020 was the best year of my life with the lockdowns. Financially, it was difficult as my income was cut in half like a lot of other people, but it allowed me to explore who I am as a carver.

“I started creating a series of humpback whales and stingrays. I love how humpbacks work. They eat the krill, and their expelled waste feeds the plankton. Plankton creates a third of the oxygen we breathe by drawing the carbon out of the atmosphere.

“The stingray has special memories for me. As a child, I went fishing a lot, and I

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developed a love of marine life. I found stingray to be spectacular and majestic.

“Now I get sad when I see dead stingray on the beach from being caught in set nets or people fishing who don’t release them back into the water. It is almost killing for the sake of killing, and it hurts my heart.

“A couple of years ago, I did a carving of Te Wheke, octopus, and it was my first biggest piece I sold. It was inspired by a hui I attended where the late Dr Rose Pere spoke, and she had a big octopus staff.

“Dr Pere was a taonga and wrote a book around Te Wheke on an ancient holistic health model. I now do commissions of objects like taiaha and 21st keys.

“I love being able to use my own creativity to work and earn money. It is a lifestyle choice for work-life balance, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

Read more on Brody’s cultural journey next month.

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SPOTLIGHT ON HASTINGS

Marathon effort with tasty reward

by Andy Bryenton

In just over one month, participants in one of the most scenic marathons in the world will cross the finish line to the best reward imaginable; a full-fledged food and wine festival on May 14.

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Locals are in training now for the New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty Hawke’s Bay Marathon. Those wishing to challenge themselves with either the full course, a half marathon departing from just outside Hastings, or a 10-kilometre run taking in the picturesque waterfront can apply now for a spot on the starting grid.

The unique nature of this event is not just the flat, coastal vistas it traverses.

The final destination for the run is the Elephant Hill winery, just outside Napier on the seacoast — a venue perfectly suited for a food and wine celebration.

Last year, Daniel Jones completed the full marathon in just two hours 25 minutes, while Jack Moody blitzed the half marathon in one hour seven minutes, leading a pack of more than 8,000 runners.

Dave Beeche, managing director of the Ironman Group Oceania, who organised the Hawke’s Bay Marathon for 2021, was full of praise for those who made the big effort.

“It’s incredible to see so many runners and their supporters being part of this great event in the beautiful Hawke’s Bay,” said Dave.

“Congratulations to the winners.

We hope they enjoy celebrating their achievements at the finish line festival.”

What better way to celebrate completing a marathon or half marathon than with a food and wine festival hosted by a top local vineyard?

The festival will once again take place at Elephant Hill’s Te Awanga coastal vineyard, established i n 2 0 0 3 , t a ki ng a dva n t age o f the mild climate and excellent grape - growing soils the area is known for.

Proprietors Reydan and Roger Weiss first visited the coast outside Hastings in 2001 and said they fell in love with the beauty of Te Awanga. Their vision of a winery blending traditional values with cutting-edge modern techniques has helped provide a perfect backdrop to the Hawke’s Bay Marathon.

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FEBRUARY 2022

SPOTLIGHT ON HASTINGS

by Andy Bryenton

Hastings, you beauty!

Hastings has been voted the most beautiful small city in New Zealand, as the winners are announced for the 2021 Keep New Zealand Beautiful civic awards.

The victory marks a turning point for the municipality, which scored the top spot for large towns in 2020 as well as the overall supreme award. A little demographic growth and a new category saw Hastings build on its success, cinching the award for environmental excellence.

“It’s wonderful to have our amazing community recognised with another win this year. It shows the huge commitment to caring for and enhancing our beautiful city is ongoing,” says mayor Sandra Hazlehurst.

“As a council, we have been given a very clear direction on sustainability and the protection of our environment, both through submissions to our Long Term Plan and through our Youth Council.

“Our family-friendly parks, gardens and reserves, much-loved historic buildings, diverse suburbs, vibrant atmosphere and, most importantly, our passionate people and the way we all work together are at the heart of making our district beautiful.”

Judges said that part of the key to Hasting’s success was the innovative and non-punitive approach they took to ensuring litter found its way to the city’s recycling bins. Full-body mascot suits were constructed for original cartoon characters Luke the Litter Legend and Colin the Cheeky Chucker, a pair of

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The soil fixers

11

Look in any vegetable garden, and somewhere between the mix of lettuce and other vegetables will be a crop of peas or beans.

(Part two)

by John Arts

In theory, osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the simplest diseases.

For years, we thought that cartilage in our joints wore away over time.

We now know that OA is a complex disease where the processes that reduce cartilage are affected by genetics, past joint trauma and nutrition, especially levels of important antioxidants.

Cartilage is very different from other tissue types. It has no nerve or blood supply, and it appears as lifeless tissue. Cartilage is a dynamic tissue. It is a matrix of proteins (collagen and elastin), chondroitin sulphate, water and living cells called chondrocytes.

Research shows that the health of chondrocytes is central to the development of OA. Each chondrocyte looks after a small patch of cartilage, repairing damage by secreting new cartilage matrix where needed.

The problem is when chondrocytes are damaged or die. It means that the cell can no longer maintain cartilage. Eventually, the cartilage thins — leading to a (painful) bone on bone scenario.

One of the most annoying and painful arthritic joints are small hand joints. While Nutritional Therapy can help, these are among the slowest

FEBRUARY 2022

joints to respond. It seems counterintuitive, but big weight-bearing joints, especially knees, tend to respond faster.

I have been helping someone with OA in their base thumb joint at the wrist. Within three months, the pain had reduced. Now, after a year, the discomfort is really minor only when under heavy use.

I use a two-pronged approach to supporting cartilage. Firstly, we add compounds, especially chondroitin, that can support and repair cartilage. Secondly, we add curcumin from turmeric and Omega 3 fish oil to reduce inflammation.

Often the inflammation causes more pain and mobility loss than the actual cartilage damage. Thirdly, we add the antioxidants that protect chondrocyte cells from further damage.

John Arts (B.Soc.Sci, Dip Tch, Adv. Dip.Nut.Med) is a nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health Ltd. For questions or advice, contact John on 0800 423 559 or email john@abundant.co.nz. Join his all-new newsletter at abundant.co.nz.

Peas and beans are part of the extended family of legumes utilised for food consumption and provide nitrogen to the soil through nodules on the roots. The family also includes peanuts, kidney beans, lentils, scarlet runner beans, broad beans and many more.

In the ornamental range, plants include sweet peas, lupins and many more used as cut flowers. Lupins, in particular, along with clover are also used as green manure for the soil to improve nitrogen levels and improve soil texture.

Growing beans in the garden is more a matter of taste than thinking about the nitrogen-fixing side of things, and the same applies to peas. Taking a look at the vast range available from New Zealand seed suppliers the choices are mindboggling, to say the least. Gardeners will be looking for varieties that are prolific producers for a long growing season.

Climbing beans speak for themselves.

They need some support to grow upon, the same as most pea species. Use poles, strings or netting to provide your climbing varieties with the necessary support required to ensure high cropping yields. Types include Scarlet Runner, Blue

Lake Runner, Italian Flat, Lazy Housewife, Neekar Golden and Yard Long.

More popular in smaller gardens, dwarf beans are an ideal alternative to the climbing varieties. They can be planted easily in pots or between rows of corn or other vegetables to provide extra nitrogen for the soil. Prolific growers; these provide endless fresh pods for the table daily. Try out Dwarf Butter Cherokee, Roquefort Dwarf, Purple Tee Pee Dwarf, Top Crop and Borlotto Fire Tongue.

Peas need little introduction — they’re another iconic part of the Kiwi diet. Most varieties require netting for support since they have a climbing habit. Use netting to provide a solid framework for your plants to grow upon. As with beans, peas need little care other than regular watering, a little fertiliser and regular picking of the pods. Types to try are Sugarsnap, Princess, Alderman Tall, Petit Provencal and Utrillo.

For a little interest, peanuts can be germinated in small pots and transplanted into the garden. They’re especially good for restructuring difficult clay soil, which I’ve found in recent years — harvest when the plant dies back.

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HAWKE’S BAY FARMING LIFESTYLES

RURAL CONTRACTORS & SUPPLIERS New power source a renewable hit

by Andy Bryenton

One of the most contentious gases in agriculture is being harnessed for good as New Holland rolls out a methane-powered tractor, scooping the prestigious 2022 Sustainable Tractor of the Year Award.

The T6 Methane Power is the world’s first methane-powered tractor, using the gas in the same way some cars utilise LPG. Methane has come to the fore of climate change arguments, as farmers contend that methane produced by ruminant animals is locked in a cycle and does not contribute to greenhouse gas levels in the same way as its industrial equivalent.

Using the gas, which can be sourced from biodigesters or even from animal waste on the farm, is a way to create a sustainable circular economy of energy.

Cue the research team at New Holland, which developed the large and capable T6 variant tractor that has been awarded Sustainable Tractor of the Year by an international panel. Engineered at the company’s plant in Basildon, England, the T6 Methane Power performs the best trick a new, alternative-energy vehicle can; it runs and feels just like the original.

“We are all very satisfied with this 25th edition of Tractor of the Year,” said Fabio Zammaretti, president of the awards committee.

The New Holland methane-powered T6 may be the future of sustainable farming

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“The level of tractors competing grows constantly, and it was a very tight race.

The jury this year, once again, did an extraordinary job in evaluating all the tractors competing for the four awards.

“Our mission is to make the most of the technologies offered by tractors, without forgetting that sustainability plays a fundamental role in our industry.”

In this case, that sustainability comes with cost savings as well. The New Holland T6 Methane Power boasts the same power output and utility as a similar-sized diesel tractor but costs 30% less to run.

It’s a serendipitous case of ecological and fiscal interests aligning for better farming.

The first prototypes of New Holland’s methane technology rolled out in 2013, and now the system has come to fruition with both awards recognition and practical deployment to working farms. In the future, New Holland sees this technology as forming part of a self-contained cycle and even for biomethane fuels to contribute to road transport energy loading.

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Revolutionary tractor project

A driverless tractor able to perform up to three tasks at once is on the cards for New Zealand orchards.

Smart machine founder Nicholas Gledhill, Walter Langlois and Andrew Kersley

The government is contributing $622,360 through the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund to develop a prototype tractor.

The Robo Tractor is set to transform the productivity of trellised orchards while reducing carbon emissions. The Smart Machine Company Limited is taking the lead on the three-year project and is contributing a further $945,520.

“The tractor will be able to perform several tasks, including canopy spraying, mulching, mowing, trimming and leaf defoliation,” says MPI’s director of investment programmes, Steve Penno.

“As well as lowering carbon emissions, we could expect to see reduced spray drift and improved soil and tree health.

“By improving orchard productivity sustainably, we could increase the value of crops like apples by meeting the growing demand for products made with less impact on the environment.”

Smart Machine chief executive officer Andrew Kersley says the end goal is to develop a fully electric tractor.

“While we want to go fully electric eventually, we need to be sure it will be suitable for remote rural areas. Some orchard tractors run 20 hours a day, seven days a week, so if growers have a

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fleet that needs frequent recharging, that might not be practical.”

With this in mind, Smart Machine is working on a diesel hydraulic system with some electric components, with the view to converting to full electric further down the track.

“Smart Machine researchers will adapt the learnings and technology from the successful testing of a tractor they developed for vineyards. This tractor was developed in collaboration with Pernod, with testing taking place on Pernod vineyards.

“The transition to developing an autonomous tractor for orchards isn’t a huge technological leap, as pipfruit growing environments with their 2D canopies are close to the way grapes are grown.

“This project aligns with the government’s Fit for a Better World roadmap to boost New Zealand’s recovery from Covid-19.

“Developing this low emissions alternative for orchards will help in our goal of shifting to a zero-carbon society, boost sustainability and also has the potential to increase export earnings.”

The project is based in Blenheim, with plans to expand testing to Motueka and Hawke’s Bay next year.

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Hayden started with Brownrigg more than 15 years ago. Initially, as a summer tractor driver in the cropping operation, before signing on as a shepherd, then progressing to a block manager, and ultimately, into his current role heading up the livestock operations.

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Recently, the focus at Brownrigg has been on developing the grazing platform to provide year-round, highquality feed. Incorporating crops such as lucerne, plantain, and clover mixes into the pasture renovation programme has improved animal performance. The next stage looks at integrating technology to efficiently produce animal performance information, to continue to fine-tune the farm and forage systems.

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What’s gorgeous, nutritious, made in the North Island, happy in the sun and guaranteed to tempt the fussiest eater? Morrow red clover, that’s what.

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can see how Morrow helps keep animal growth and production humming during late spring and summer.

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If you haven’t yet treated your animals to this energy-rich palate pleaser, get some in the ground this autumn, and get ready for multiple nosh-ups next season.

Yes, that’s right — I said ‘multiple’.

Morrow is different from traditional red clovers. You can graze it more often.

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