Manawatu Farming Lifestyles, April 2024

The Manawatu Farming Lifestyles is published with pride by Integrity Community Media, a privately owned NZ company.

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PINE PARK

Collie club clocks up 75 years

by Denise Gunn

The Ruahine-Rangiwahia Collie Club clocked up 75 years this month, celebrating in style with a two-day sheepdog trial.

A record number of entries saw 219 heading dogs and 211 Huntaways compete on two Rangiwahia properties: Glencorran, owned by Mike and Kate GeeTaylor, and Andrew and Stewart Morton’s Paki-iti. Rangiwahia farmer Josh Brennan provided the sheep for the event.

Wanganui Centre publicity officer Brenda O’Leary said the Ruahine-Rangiwahia Collie Club held its first trial on the Lands and Survey block on Mangarapa Road. The club then moved to its present site.

Long-serving secretary/treasurer Greg Clifton stopped the competition for an hour on the first day of competition to cut the jubilee cake. Current club president Hamish Hamilton got the speeches underway. A gathering of past and present club members, along with liberators, competitors and judges, attended the celebration.

Isabel Hall has had a long association with the club, attending that first trial when she was 17. Now 92, Isabel was present at the jubilee celebration. Husband and

wife Colin and Lorraine Pettigrew were the club’s president and secretary during the 1980s and 1990s.

“They swapped jobs during that period,” said Brenda.

Colin managed Hinau Station for 17 years. Local farmer Bruce Fryer was a sheep steward on the heading courses during the 1980s, helping out in various roles for 10 years. John Linton from Wairarapa placed first in both heads with his dog, Cam, Wanganui Centre men won the hunts, Hamish Mackay with Daff took out the Zig-zag, and Gavin Drake with Short placed first in the Straight Hunt.

Rangiwahia Playgroup took care of the catering for the two-day event. Brenda said dog trial clubs would not exist if it wasn’t for the many people who got them started, and the rural communities that keep them going.

“Often, many of those people don’t even run a dog. We owe them a huge debt. Big credit to them all. Long may our sport flourish,” she said.

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From left: Colin Pettigrew with Isabel Hall, who attended the first Ruahine-Rangiwahia sheep dog trial as a 17-year-old

High global ranking for university vet school

Massey University’s School of Veterinary Science has just ranked 21st globally and received the top ranking in Australasia.

Although the veterinary school at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University has consistently received a high world ranking, it has risen seven places this year.

The positions are achieved through the annually released Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Subject Rankings. Universities are evaluated across several key areas, including facilities, teaching, research, employability and sustainability. The 2024 QS World University Rankings examined 4,982 universities in 149 countries across 55 subjects and five broad faculty areas.

Head of Tāwharau Ora School of Veterinary Science professor Jon Huxley said the rise is a testament to the quality of teaching.

“Plus, the exceptional facilities available to veterinary science students who choose to study at Massey.

“I am delighted that Massey is now the most highly-ranked veterinary school in Australasia and Asia in the QS Subject Ranking. That is a fantastic achievement for our whole community, and represents the dedication and enthusiasm of our students, graduates and staff over a concerted period of time.”

The School of Veterinary Science — Tāwharau Ora advances knowledge in animal health and welfare, biosecurity, conservation, and sustainable productivity. As a world leader in the field, it works with governments, other universities, international and national

Massey

organisations, and companies to improve animal health, welfare and production, and human health. The School of Veterinary Science conducts research across a large number of species in a wide range of disciplines.

The university’s agriculture and forestry were also included among several other subjects to rank in the top 100 globally. Provost professor Giselle Byrnes said the

university’s continued performance in the QS subject rankings is great to see.

“We have been working for some time towards maintaining and lifting our performance in the QS subject rankings as part of our university’s commitment to research excellence alongside impact.

“It is wonderful to see this vision now realised,” she said. “Rankings exercises are hugely globally competitive. These results truly affirm our world-class quality and our longstanding commitment to making a difference for our communities. Congratulations to everyone involved.”

Photo credit: Massey University

University’s School of Veterinary Science is now ranked 21st globally and first in Australasia

The win comes hot on the heels of taking home last year’s Young Farmers national fencing competition trophy, which he won alongside partner Natalie Ahlborn. It was Zayn’s second attempt at the Taranaki Manawatū FMG Young Farmer of the Year. In 2023, he placed third.

ON A WINNING STREAK

BY DENISE GUNN

“Last year, I learnt the structure of the competition, and how the competition runs. I think that’s a big part of it,” he said. “You can have all the skills in the world but knowing how the competition runs is a big part of it.”

The regional final was held for two days, covering modules and head-tohead competitions.

“In the first head-to-head, we had to untwist a gate, which was a real brain jerker, and was something more practical you might come across on-farm.

“The speed shear in the second headto-head really split the competition in half. I was lucky that I’ve done a bit of shearing before, but some of the dairy guys had never picked up a handpiece.”

dairy farm manager Zayn Jones is now focussing on the Young Farmers Grand Final after winning the 2024 Taranaki Manawatū regional title.

The butchery module was Zayn’s most challenging aspect of the competition.

control of that. So I haven’t had much to do with it recently.”

“It’s something that I have been taught in the past, but Natalie normally takes

Zayn joined Young Farmers in 2022, and is the current chair of the Fitzherbert branch.

Fitzherbert branch of Young Farmers

Opiki

“Since I joined Young Farmers, I’ve been trying to put myself out there. I’m the chairman of the club and vice-chair of the region, so competing in the contest has been another way that I’ve been able to challenge myself,” he said.

“I enjoy seeing other members of the club enter and test themselves. Obviously, I enjoyed the day and the modules but get a lot out of watching others challenge themselves. We had seven from the club going into it. Our region is quite full of a wide range of skills.”

Natalie also got through to the regional final.

“She was a bit unsure about competing, but I was fully backing her. She knows her stuff.”

He encourages others to have a go in future competitions, too.

“It can be very daunting, but you get out what you put in. Make that initial step, whether it’s a skills day or a competition.”

Zayn holds diplomas in agriculture and farm management from Lincoln University. He and Natalie are working towards leasing a farm within the next couple of years and building up towards farm ownership, running drystock. From June, they will be contract milking in Opiki for the coming season.

In their spare time, the couple enjoy tramping, particularly in the Tararua Ranges. The pair’s working dogs and pet terrier are a huge part of their lives, spending time with them on-farm,

tramping or at the beach. In the leadup to winning the 2023 Young Farmers national fencing competition, Zayn and Natalie created a plan where each could use their strengths.

Zayn has found stepping out of his comfort zone is where the reward is and he is looking forward to the grand final. He intends to use his network to upskill and build knowledge.

“I’m trying to figure out a plan of what parts I can do where. I’ve had quite a few people offer to help with the right skills and the right knowledge.

“Winning a ticket to the grand final is really cool and I’m looking forward to stepping out of my comfort zone even more.”

Zayn will compete against six other regional finalists at the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final to be held in Hamilton in July.

Nicolas Verry and Jack Aitken-Cade from Palmerston North Boys’ High School took out the Taranaki Manawatū FMG Junior Young Farmer of the Year title for 2024.

The Halcombe School AgriKidsNZ team made up of Maggie Lintott, Max Ireland and Taylor Lane, won this year’s Taranaki Manawatū AgriKidsNZ competition.

New Zealand Young Farmers chief executive Lynda Coppersmith says this year’s grand final is shaping up to be one of the best yet.

Credit: Selena Rose Photos

Preparing for the butchery module

Credit: Selena Rose Photos Speed shearing in the second head-to-head challenge

Zayn with his partner Natalie and their dogs

BEEKEEPING BROTHERS’ BUSINESS EXPANDING

BY DENISE GUNN

Since taking up beekeeping as youngsters, Daniel and Matthew Mason have developed their hobby into a solid business, with more honey exports on the horizon.

The brothers began beekeeping when they were 12 and 14 years old, with one hive in their parents’ backyard. Reading books about beekeeping, attending the Manawatū Beekeepers Club meetings, and speaking with more experienced beekeepers helped to expand their knowledge.

Gradually, hive numbers increased to 150 placed in different sites around Manawatū, averaging between 10 to 20 hives a site. In the summer of 2017, Matthew and Daniel scaled up their business to provide them both with fulltime employment. Mason Brothers’ Honey now has 800 hives located in Manawatū.

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Long-term plans include potentially purchasing a property to place their hives on

In 2018, during an OE, Matthew spent time working at a large beekeeping company, Imkerei, in Worin, Germany. The following year, Daniel worked there for two months.

“While it’s winter in New Zealand, the beekeeping is very quiet, so just one of us can usually manage things at that time of year,” said Daniel.

“We learnt many European honey types and some very different beekeeping techniques. Some worked well for their conditions, but a lot would not work so well here in New Zealand, we believe.”

A large proportion of Mason Brothers’ Honey is sold in bulk to other companies and exported under those brands. Daniel and Matthew also sell their products online, at the Albert Street market in Palmerston North and are starting to export under their own brand.

“We specialise in mānuka honey, but we also produce some clover and bush honey.”

In addition to increasing hive numbers, Matthew and Daniel have set up their own export-certified honey extraction and packing facility. The business,

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Checking the hives

based on four hectares, is part of what was originally a large sheep farm on the outskirts of Palmerston North.

“We have almost completely funded this by utilising the honey sales each year as investment capital. There have been a couple of very tough years recently as the industry has been going through some huge changes due to the massive growth beekeeping has experienced because of the mānuka honey market.”

Reaching the stage where their factory is Risk Management Programme (RMP) certified through the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is a substantial business highlight for the pair. Matthew said this involves a fairly large amount of ongoing paperwork, which means what they process is export-grade.

“Also, additionally to that, packing honey from our own hives and sending it overseas has been an incredibly exciting milestone for us.”

Sustainability is of paramount importance to the brothers to ensure bees thrive and New Zealand’s natural environment remains pristine.

“We have planted a lot of shelterbelts on-site and plan to continue this planting on the steep hillside portion of the property.”

Daniel said honey is packed into glass jars, although they also pack their products into plastic.

“We are using a screw-top jar made from recycled plastic known as rPET or basically recycled PET. This is perfect for export products in many cases as freight is a large

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Among the short-term plans, Matthew and Daniel hope to continue to make their current investments work.

“Slowly growing where it is logical and developing a good foundation for our business,” said Matthew.

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“Long term, we hope to grow sales and production, be able to take on some employees and ultimately sell our whole crop, more or less, under our own brand.

“Also, potentially purchase a bush or scrub farm where we can place our hives and enjoy the great outdoors.”

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HOLIDAYS SEAL CAREER CHANGE

TBY DENISE GUNN

oko was working for Allflex Limited New Zealand in Palmerston North at that time but two of his brothers were dairy farming.

“My older brother Kristin asked me to come and stay for a holiday, throw some cups on with him, and see if I liked it or could picture myself milking cows.

“The lifestyle was what I fell in love with, being outdoors and coming home for breaks, and being able to be around family and take my family out on the farm.”

Toko applied for a job on a neighbouring farm to his brother and went for an interview while he was in the area.

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“During the interview, I was told I got the job as a dairy assistant.”

Toko gives credit to his brother for the opportunity, experience and practical help. On returning to Manawatū, he handed in his resignation and began organising the move to Tokoroa with his wife, Shani.

Two years later, the couple and their three sons, Royall (12), Elioenai (9) and Asher (5), decided to move back to Palmerston North to be closer to family and friends. Since then, Toko has worked for Pamu Moutua (Landcorp) on their

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Egmont dairy unit. He has found Landcorp helpful and supportive in upskilling his dairy career through Primary ITO, DairyNZ and a

Twice Toko has won Dairy Assistant Manager of the Year at the Moutoa Farm Awards

The 2023 Manawatū Dairy Manager of the Year runner-up Toko Wilson was first introduced to milking cows while on a holiday in Tokoroa.

Toko is dairy assistant manager of Pamu Moutoa’s Egmont dairy unit Toko and his wife Shani

While working as a dairy farm assistant, Toko successfully applied for a 3IC role within the Egmont dairy unit.

“I was in the 3IC role for about six to seven months. When the 2IC role became available, I applied for that role, knowing that I had areas to work on. I managed to get the role, with opportunities to be trained and work on those areas that I needed to work on.”

For the past two years, Toko has worked in this role as dairy assistant manager helping with the farm’s daily operations. He’s also in charge of staff and delegating jobs, which ensures farming operations run smoothly and finish on time. The Egmont dairy unit milks 463 cows on the 194ha effective property.

A herd of 463 cows are milked on the Egmont

dairy unit

“Our peak herd size is 520 if all things go well throughout the season. Our herd consists of Friesian, Kiwi-cross and a few Jersey cows.”

Toko said the current calving plan is to start filtering out stock to achieve a more Friesian-based herd of a F12 or greater.

“The decision is based on going bobbyfree with the value of Friesian calves being more valuable and easier to sell than Jerseys or Kiwi-cross. This is not taking into account beef calves which are still a great selling point when wanting to just get a cow in calf.”

At the end of each season, Pamu Moutoa holds an awards dinner. During his first season working on the farm, Toko won the Rising Star award. He has since

won the Dairy Assistant Manager of the Year award twice. The Egmont dairy unit also won the supreme farm award for the Pamu Moutoa complex.

Last season, Toko’s manager was running two farms simultaneously, which gave him more responsibilities.

“I had the opportunity that season to basically run the farm and experience what it’s like to manage a farm and people. This really helped improve my understanding and knowledge of dairy farming and managing people. It really helped me to become more confident under pressure when making decisions throughout the season.”

The experience also assisted Toko when preparing his Dairy Manager of the Year presentation for judging. He said being awarded the 2023 Manawatū Dairy Manager of the Year runner-up award was a career highlight. The award came as a surprise to Toko as he had only entered to find out what the awards were all about and what was involved.

He has no regrets about making the career move to dairy farming, enjoying the lifestyle, which enables him to spend more time with family. Future plans include furthering his rankings in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, buying a lifestyle block and continuing moving forward in his dairying career.

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Can my joints improve?

by John Arts

I have been working with someone who has had problems with his knees; he had damaged one knee some time ago.

In more recent times, his ‘good’ knee had started to deteriorate from osteoarthritis. Eventually, his ‘good’ knee became worse than the knee damaged in an accident.

During a monthly review, he told me the results were amazing. He has much less pain and is more mobile. He has come from a position where working was becoming increasingly dif cult to now being more con dent about the future.

There are several lessons we can learn from this. The rst is that our bodies have an extraordinary ability to heal. However, this healing is dependent on the smooth operation of our healing systems.

In many cases, healing is restricted because the body system that is designed to heal the damage is somehow faulty or has just stopped functioning. The outcome of this is always disease.

In this case, we made several changes. The rst is to try and identify foods that either cause in ammation or, in some way, restrict healing.

Two of the most important groups of nutrients are fats because they govern the in ammatory pathways and antioxidants protecting our cells from damage.

We can also cheat a bit, but in a good way. I see effective joint health supplements as the ultimate cheat. We can target speci c compounds that have a direct therapeutic function in sore joints. Doing so can often reverse the discomfort and reduction in mobility by adding therapeutic levels of chondroitin sulphate to greatly impact the health and stability of cartilage. Adding water-soluble curcumin (from turmeric) can reduce in ammation and swelling in the joint capsule. Next edition, we continue this discussion and look at the second lesson we can learn.

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 emailjohn@abundant.co.nz. Join his all-new newsletter at abundant.co.nz.

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Looking toward future

Rural Women New Zealand has created a new associate board member role to develop the next generation of rural leaders.

“As we near the centenary of Rural Women NZ, it’s important that we not only look back and acknowledge how far we have come over the past 100 years but also that we look to the future,” says RWNZ president Gill Naylor.

“Creating this associate board member role is a way for us to foster emerging leaders and support the movement for more women on boards generally. As an organisation, it also supports our succession planning and helps us achieve a broader balance of skills and diversity.

“I like to think of the position as a ‘step up’ role aimed at candidates who do not have board-level experience but could succeed in leadership and governance roles if given the opportunity to prove themselves.”

The associate board member role is appointed, not elected by RWNZ members, and does not hold voting rights. The successful candidate will play a full role in board and committee meetings, helping to shape strategic planning and decision-making for the organisation.

“We’ve made some great inroads into nurturing the next generation of leaders through our various scholarships and bursaries, annual business awards and activator programme over the years. This associate board member role is a way we can continue to evolve as an organisation.”

The successful candidate will be appointed for a one-year term. While the role is not remunerated, they will be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses.

More information on the role responsibilities, personal attributes, time commitments and desired knowledge and experience is available on the Rural Women NZ website.

Applications close at 5pm on Friday, May 10, and the successful candidate is expected to be announced in mid-June, ahead of starting on the board at the beginning of July.

Chipping, Mulching & Land Clearing

Gill Naylor, Rural Women New Zealand president

by Amy Fifita

Espionage in the spotlight

Women variously showcase their resilience and mothers show it in childbirth, not to mention helping with war efforts in more ways than one.

War stories of various women throughout history have proved their worth to war efforts. Many give credit to the women who took on the jobs of their men, but for some females, their service was a little more dangerous. Take, for example, Josephine Baker, an African American lady of the arts (singer, dancer and actress) who also led a life of espionage as a French Resistance agent during the second world war.

Baker started from humble beginnings, living in squalor in St Louis. Her dance talents would take her to Paris, France when she was 19 years old to perform burlesque. Acting and singing were added to her repertoire. She created a successful career as Europe’s best-paid entertainer.

After rising to fame, Jacques Abtey sought her to be a French Resistance spy. Abtey had hoped her charm and fame would allow her to obtain secrets from the unsuspecting enemy. Her first missions included attending diplomatic parties at the Japanese and Italian embassies.

The star would put notes on her palms and under her sleeves of anything she had overheard. Abtey warned her of the dangers of how she was writing notes and she adapted her ways to hide in the bathroom and write detailed accounts to clip into her bra. At one point, she wrote information in invisible ink on her sheet music.

“From humble beginnings, living in squalor in St Louis, her dance talents took her to Paris, France when she was 19 years old to perform burlesque.”

As the war continued, her lodgings were a haven for French Resistance and those fleeing the enemy. Her entertaining career was a good cover to travel between countries. After the second world war ceased, she received honours for her war efforts in 1948.

Baker was given the Resistance Medal by the French Committee of National Liberation and a Croix de Guerre by the French military. She was also named a Knight of the Legion of Honour by General Charles de Gaulle.

Josephine Baker lived a double life during the second world war — a celebrity entertainer and a French Resistance agent

The farming women of the Kiwi home front

by Andy Bryenton

When the second world war broke out, 140,000 New Zealand men enlisted to fight, and many of them were the farmers who were needed to fuel the war effort for both the Anzacs and their allies.

It was a conundrum for the government of the time and one that afflicted manufacturing and processing as well. While society in the late 1930s was very divided along gender-role lines, a willing, capable and determined workforce was ready to step into the gaps left by departing servicemen. They were the women who, by 1944, 80 years ago, would number 147,000 strong in the workforce.

“This is your opportunity to back up New Zealand’s gallant fighting men!’ exclaimed a missive by Ford, calling for ‘200 more women and girls for munitions work’. It was not just bullets and bombs the women of New Zealand produced. An

“The concept of a Women’s Land Corps (WLC) was discussed in the late 1930s.”

army marches on its stomach, and Kiwi farms needed assistance to feed the entire war effort.

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The concept of a Women’s Land Corps (WLC) was discussed in the late 1930s, but opposition to the idea was surprisingly vehement. It would not be until 1942, the darkest days for the Allies, that such a corps came to its final fruition. Prior to this date, there had been volunteerbased local schemes, such as one which formed in Matamata in 1940. There was, perhaps, more of a resistance to the idea of women doing the ‘man’s work’ of farming than there was to employing women in factories.

A total of 2,711 women would sign up to serve on farms during the war years. While the Farmers’ Union initially agitated against the concept, the value of these volunteers was soon to become apparent. Issued a uniform consisting of coveralls,

an overcoat, gumboots, leggings, and thick woollen socks, Women’s Land Corps members often surprised their farming hosts with their willingness and grit. The toughest, dirtiest rural jobs didn’t phase them, and opposition turned to respect.

At harvest time, the army sent soldiers to help on farms. Astonished officers noted that while their men, trained and ready to go and fight overseas, were exhausted after an eight-hour day, the

are Your Experts in Rural Law

women who worked alongside them were expected to put in 12 hours for less pay. At the time, it was seen as a necessity, but the WLC years changed attitudes to women’s place in farming indelibly. By winning the fight to prove themselves and to learn far outside the roles and norms of that earlier era, those women who volunteered made a major contribution to overall victory and changed future attitudes.

Doug Rowan Riana Smith

They were called the ‘land girls’; the volunteers of the Women’s Land Corps helped win victory over the Axis but also achieved a change in attitudes to women’s role in agriculture

FISHING, HUNTING & OUTDOORS

by Denise Gunn

Geared up to process wild game

With the roar in full swing and duck shooting just around the corner, A1 Meat Processors is available to process wild game animals.

Owner/operator Lee Cook has decades of all-round experience in the meat industry, working as a meat inspector and operating his own butcher shop. Growing up on his parents’ sheep, beef and deer farm in the central North Island also cultivated an interest in hunting wild game.

Lee and another butcher, Kym Whale, work full-time at A1 Meat Processors. Kym has 20 years of experience in the trade, previously managing a small goods factory at AE Preston in Wellington. He also worked in Pak’nSave’s butchery department.

“We have a good crew on at the moment,” said Lee. “Kym and myself work full-time. We are better set up than we were this time last year with the extra staff.”

A1 Meat Processors is centrally located on Lee’s Milson Line property, just outside the Palmerston North city boundary.

“I make myself available right through this time as hunters are coming through

all times of the day and night. Generally, they ring up when they’ve shot their deer or returned to the vehicle.

“I’m also available at weekends, but phone rst to make an appointment. A lot of

people can’t go hunting until the weekend. Some people ring me in advance, and if they get something, they bring it in.”

Lee said the most important thing when hunters shoot an animal is to dress

it out and cool the meat down as fast as possible.

“Some people make the mistake of leaving the skin on and the meat heats up.”

When hunters arrive at A1 Meat Processors with their animals, Lee chats with them about what they want from it.

“I make notes, give them a rough time frame when it will be ready, then hang it in the chiller with their name on it. We process all different species of deer. We also process wild pigs into smallgoods and bacon. We make a lot of salami,” said Lee.

“Next month is duck shooting, so we process quite a bit of wild duck as well into sausages and salami.”

A1 Meat Processors also process tahr and chamois when people return from successful hunting trips to the South Island. “We get a bit of goat meat, too.”

Lee said he can also put people in contact with different services centred around hunting, including taxidermy. For further enquiries, phone Lee on 027 416 9006.

Lee Cook of A1 Meat Processors is available to process wild game animals

Hunters helping the environment

by Andy Bryenton

Funding from duck hunting licences pours back into wetland rewilding, and managing introduced species of waterfowl is an important factor of the forthcoming hunting season, but there’s more to learn about ducks, and hunters can help.

“Fish and Game has been at the forefront of protecting New Zealand’s freshwater for the past three decades, with a dedicated spend of almost $3 million per annum covering engagement in national and regional policy processes and work on the ground to protect and restore wildlife habitats,” said Fish and Game CEO Corina Jordan.

Contributions from hunters also go toward restoring wetlands, providing a habitat for native species. Every licence bought helps, but there’s another service duck hunters can provide this year, which will help toward the intelligent management of the waterfowl population.

Corian Jordan has been out in the field helping staff in Taranaki to band grey and mallard ducks. It’s part of an initiative to track the birds and learn more about their habits.

“Every year, we band about 3,500 birds in Auckland and Waikato, and a further 3,000 in Taranaki and Wellington, and 1,800 in our eastern region,” says Corina. “We’ve been banding waterfowl for more than 30 years because it’s important we

have a good understanding of numbers and harvest rates so we can sustainably manage hunting.”

who know how smart and wily these waterfowl can be.

Take decoys, for example. Those casually observing the range will note the lengths decoy makers go to. That’s because the humble duck possesses eyes with two and a half times the resolution of a human, which can see three times further on average, and can also peek into the ultraviolet and infrared spectrum.

Hunters can help by phoning in the numbers of the bands they might find on ducks bagged this season. If anyone finds any game birds with a band, they should report it to Fish and Game’s 0800 BIRD BAND (0800 247 322).

The more we learn about ducks, the easier it is to agree with veteran hunters,

That makes being a convincingly welldressed hunter a little more important. All that cunning camo serves a serious purpose with the pattern recognition and visual abilities of the ducks in mind. Then there’s the science of duck calling, the focus of friendly competition among hunters, and the observation of their feeding and flight habits. Learning more will help everyone enjoy the outdoors, adding to the positive impact hunters and Fish and Game New Zealand already make to the wetland environment.

Duck hunters help environmental rewilding through their licensing and can contribute to knowledge about waterfowl by reporting leg bands this season

Like treading on air

by Amy Fifita

Farmers going about their autumn chores doing silage and other tasks can enlist the use of flotation tyres to soften soil compaction impact.

As many know, heavy machinery like tractors and trailers takes a toll on the land. They are necessary to work the land, but farmers can minimise the damage to their crops and soil when done right. Flotation tyres help distribute tractor weight across a larger area.

Crop integrity is on the mind of farmers everywhere and decreasing damage. Flotation tyres are designed to drive on soft surfaces such as fields and have a larger contact patch. Other tyre types tend to dig into the ground and cause more damage to the terrain.

The tyres also have other advantages like flexibility, grip and traction. It all comes down to tread design, which can also save on fuel usage. Many farms have more than one terrain type, and, fortunately, flotation tyres are well-suited to various fields.

Several flotation options are on the market. High-speed flotation tyres

The land will experience a higher rate of traffic with autumn pasture tasks needing doing; a flotation tyre can help minimise the risk of soil compaction provide farmers with more stability and traction force to work the machine to its optimal performance, making jobs easier to complete.

When buying them, take note of the load capacity to ensure suitability for your machine. Talk to your ag tyre specialist about your machine and the work it is required to do. There are many options and prices available for your needs.

Soil compaction happens when pressure from heavy vehicles and

Call Andrew: 027 444 9833

machines puts the terrain under pressure. The particles are compressed making the ground less healthy and decreasing pore space.

On the other hand, healthy soil should be aerated and have plenty of living organisms to promote crop health. Even though society has moved away from traditional techniques that were better for the ground, technology has provided solutions like flotation tyres to mitigate that.

Autumn pasture tips

In dairy farming, managing autumn pasture means focussing on average pasture cover and cow condition to prepare for spring.

The DairyNZ website’s autumn management page details guidelines for achieving this through consistent postgrazing residuals, body condition scoring, autumn feed budgeting, pasture renewal and rotation length management.

Strategies for whole herd body condition, autumn feed budget considerations, pasture renewal and autumn pest control are important as is managing feed on the farm.

Following certain practices that improve persistence and quality in your pastures will help you reach average pasture cover and cow condition targets ready for spring.

Good grazing management through early autumn maximises the pasture you grow and utilise, balanced with allowing pastures to recover following any dry periods in the summer.

The secret to achieving good grazing is leaving consistent post-grazing residuals and graze pastures at the right time (two and a half to three leaves). Grazing ryegrass pastures too early reduces autumn growth and too late reduces quality.

Good management leads to improved persistence. Grazing at the two-and-a-

Autumn grazing plans are important for animal health half to three-leaf stage. During May, the rotation length may be extended beyond this to start building feed for winter.

If residuals are less than seven clicks/1,500 kg DM/ha, feed supplement to maintain herd intake and protect pasture. If there is no supplement available it is recommended to stand cows off pasture once they reach the target residual.

Successful autumn grazing involves knowledge of likely winter pasture growth rates for the farm from mid-May to midJuly relative to the likely feed demand over this period.

To plan autumn rotation targets correctly, you need to determine if winter feed demand is likely to be greater than or less than winter pasture growth.

If farm cover is below where it should be to meet target cover at calving, nitrogen

fertiliser can be a great ‘circuit breaker’ to get growth back on track. Using a large part of the farm gives the best effect.

From early March, OAD milking and feeding the milkers supplements are not effective ways to gain BCS in earlycalving cows. To hit targets, cows need to be dried off based on their individual BCS, their approximate calving date, and the amount of supplementary feed available for autumn feeding.

For later-calving cows, OAD milking and supplementary feeds can form a part of the strategy for BCS management. The time taken to gain the necessary BCS must be considered. Particular attention must be paid to R2s and heifers finishing their first lactation.

For more information, go to the dairynz. co.nz — search autumn management.

WINTER FOCUS

Make

by Andy Bryenton

it a clean sweep

The fireplace is the heart of the home; it’s no mistake that the word ‘hearth’ also means ‘the family unit’ in the North European Pagan tradition.

Putting a fireplace inside a hut or making a portable hearth that one could construct a yurt or tent around must have made moving out of caves, where there’s no way to let out choking smoke, seem very attractive.

By Roman times, people had worked out how to make a chimney, placing pottery tubes inside the walls of bakeries and forges to keep the smoke away from where people worked and gathered. However, they didn’t cotton on to the possibilities for homes, and living on the upper floors of a Roman apartment building meant having to come down to street level to cook your dinner.

In Britain, the first chimneys were added to castles in the 1100s, and some of them were actually toilets. The idea of a garderobe, or a tube going down through the walls for ablutionary reasons, led to some being modified to go up as well, meaning that multiple levels in the castle had the use of bathroom facilities. Bundles of herbs were lit in these primitive lavatory rooms to get rid of the inevitable smells, and it was noticed that the smoke

went up and away. There’s still a chimney constructed in this style at Conisbrough Castle in Yorkshire, turning the idea upside down and making it possible to have a fireplace right in your bedroom.

The first chimney sweeps were likely employed in industry, not around the house. Ore smelters knew that the fumes from some of their work were toxic, so they would build immensely long, nearly horizontal chimneys leading far away from the workshop and the whole town. Some could be kilometres in length, and they would develop a build-up of valuable mineral deposits. Chimney cleaning crews were out to scrape up these valuables long before the era of Victorian youngsters pressed into service to scrub soot.

Today, it’s adult professionals who manage chimney sweeping duties, and their most common task is to ensure that soot, nesting birds and other debris are removed from the flues of people’s homes. For many homeowners, having the family fireplace checked out by the experts is also a requirement set by insurance providers.

The modern chimney sweep faces

his predecessors but still works hard

Passes Nawac humane guidelines!

FOCUS

Draped in creativity

by Amy Fifita

This year curtain trends are showing bold prints and colour, a refreshing change from the beige and plain colours popular last season.

While selecting a new set of curtains may be exciting, the economic climate allows families to get creative. For artists, the whites and beige of the previous year can be used as a canvas to brighten the home without the expense of new drapes.

All it takes is some fabric paint and some rollers or paintbrushes. This idea is great for people who want their bedrooms to represent who they are and is also fun to do with children. The design can be simple or elaborate.

While we still have some summery weather left in the kitty, it is an ideal time to fabric paint so it can dry easily. There are many methods to get a professional curtain look from hand-painting designs to masking tape techniques to tie-dyeing.

Personal taste is a must when creating how you want your house to look. Currently, colourful and bold prints are stylish, an idea that can be recreated at home with a paintbrush and some paint. Some doit-yourself designs require masking tape, especially for straight-lined patterns.

Another alternative is to dye them for a bolder colour block. Creatives could also

tie-dye them for an added effect with more hues, and dip-dyeing is an option. Tie-dyeing gained popularity in fashion in 2023 and is here to stay for 2024. Historians have traced this timeless colour blast to ancient Asia, and it gained a resurgence last year.

Ice-dyeing fabric is a similar technique. Instead of using liquid dye, crafters put the material under ice before placing coloured powder on top. When the ice melts, it leaves vibrant hues on the curtains. Drapes can add a splash of colour to a home and can be more easily changed when the patterns or colours go out of fashion.

For something unique, macrame curtains can be made with dyed rope. This technique can be used over a drape and can add pattern to your drapes if layered on top of a window hanging. There are patterns for different macrame styles online. The great thing about doing DIY is that you can make your own designs to the style and colours you want. It is often a cheaper option for many wanting to achieve a look on a budget.

Genuine Briggs & Stratton.

Start. 2 Years Factory Warranty.

right up to the fenceline. Cutting width 1200mm. Cutting height 22-300mm.

Homeowners can brighten their space with trendy vibrant hues and patterns this season for a current style

WINTER FOCUS

Seal it up

by Amy Fifita

Part of owning a property is general maintenance, so as we near mid-autumn, there are some tasks we should do before winter arrives.

With any luck, we still have some fine weekends ahead to tick off some general home maintenance. Now is an ideal time to get the bigger jobs out of the way so the house stays warm in the winter months.

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After the intense weather of last autumn, some people may not have had the opportunity to do regular house maintenance. Since we are still getting clear skies, now is a chance to get jobs done. If you make a weekend of it, the house can be sorted in no time.

Starting outside, clearing the gutters, cleaning the roof, unblocking drains and ensuring that paintwork is up to scratch are on the to-do list for many at this time of year. Having the gutters and roof clear of debris can help ensure well-flowing water during rain. It will help protect the home from water damage and mould.

Homeowners may also want to do some weed control and aerate compacted areas to promote a healthy lawn. Having the chimney cleaned is another important task. Chimney sweeps will clear out any unwanted bird nests and materials, thus reducing the risk of fire. Many insurers expect the chimneys to be cleaned at least once a year.

Checking doors and windows is another task. One handy tip is to look at the outside of a house at night to ensure it is sealed. Any light shining through will

provide an insight into where you need to replace wood or apply sealant. If doors and windows need to be replaced, completing this before winter is desirable.

After ticking off the weather-dependent tasks, the inside work will be easier to manage. Thick curtains are good to install to keep out the winter cold. Placing rugs down on wooden floors and

cleaning existing carpets can make for more comfortable living in the damper months, too.

Cleaning vents is another shoulddo to prevent dust and dirt from circulating through a home. By the end of your weekend, you will have a sealed home better suited to resist dampness and draughts.

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DRAINAGE

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FILTRATION

Clearing the gutters allows rainwater to flow nicely and helps protect your house from water damage and mould

Fuel up your immune defences

by Andy Bryenton

Our front line of protection against winter ailments is our immune system, and it’s a good idea to give this amazing natural army a boost as the weather turns cold.

There are any number of supplements and over-the-counter medicines to assist with this. Health professionals agree that these five factors, which you can try at home, are both inexpensive and effective.

Swap out energy drinks and coffee for water. Having a morning pick-me-up of the dark roasted kind is a ritual for many, but overindulgence can lead to a lack of sleep and excess sugar from artificial drinks is also detrimental. Water helps out in its own way by promoting lymph production. That’s the fluid transporting white blood cells and other aspects of the ‘military forces’ of your immune system. Cutting down on late-in-the-day caffeine and sugar boosts also helps.

Try to catch a little more sleep. The longer nights mean we are predisposed to want to sleep longer. Some animals hibernate all winter long, and while that seems tempting, a slight uptick in hours of rest will help the immune system, as much of our healing happens while in a sleep state.

Take care of good bacteria. Almost 80 per cent of your immune system lives in your digestive tract, and the front line is made up of beneficial bacteria. You

can help these along by eating probiotic foods, such as yoghurt, Japanese miso soup or Korean kimchi to name but a few. Also, don’t fall into a common winter trap and take antibiotics to fight a cold. The common cold is viral, and antibiotics will harm the good bacteria on your side, leaving the virus untouched. If you do have a bacterial infection of the bad kind, your doctor will prescribe the right antibiotic to deal with it, but always consult first.

Other foods that boost immunity can be found everywhere. Lean meat or fish high in omega-3 cooked with spices like turmeric, garlic and cayenne pepper. Veggies like capsicum, beans and fruits high in vitamin C are all winners. Cut back on artificial sweeteners and processed sugars, if possible, or replace them with honey in your hot drinks.

Despite the weather, get out and walk in the sunshine when you can. Vitamin D and a bit of exercise are a great immunity boost when sedentary and gloomy days have your system at a low ebb. Between all these easy-to-implement methods, you’ll be better prepared when the cold comes calling, and your immune system can show it the door.

Have an active, healthy winter by helping your immune system to beat seasonal illnesses