Northern Farming Lifestyles, March 2012

Northern

Farming Lifestyles

March 2012 Edition

Phone: 09 439 6933 | Freephone: 0800 466 793 | Fax: 09 439 6930 | www.farminglifestyles.co.nz

Page 3

Page 6

Look North to solve port problems

Driving passion for the desert’s ‘drinkers of the wind’

Liquorice so fresh, you’ll want to slap it!

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Northland Natural Horsemanship Games Page 23

tractors and machinery ACRES OF NEW & USED EQUIPMENT ON DISPLAY – CALL IN TO VIEW

Tortella RPT6-320 3.0m spike rotor hoe with Aitchison seedbox and packer roller.

Tortella E6 3.5m powerharrow with packer roller.

Celli K305 120" rotaryhoe.

Celli Pioneer 140 rotary hoe with packer roller.

Walco 1 ton, PTO, 3 pt fert spreader.

Berti Eco-Forestry, 1.8m heavy duty scrub mulcher.

Nobili BNU230 Y flail mulcher.

Tortella TP15-250, 2.5m Y flail mulcher.

Hustler CH8000, trailed multiple bale/ silage feeder.

Duncan Sidewinder, round bale feeder.

Spire hydraulic rotation bale feeder.

Feeder Leader feedlot bale feeder.

Bucktons SD83, tandem axle, side feed silage wagon.

Giltrap MSX100, tandem axle, side feed silage wagon.

Webco CF800 T/A, side feed silage wagon Sam 10m³ tandem axle, side feed silage wagon.

Peecon 15m³ twin auger mixer wagon, tandem axle.

Silage grab hydraulic.

Auger feed out bucket.

Duncan 734 triple disc seed drill, 19 row, twin box end tow kit.

Aitchison 1414 grass farmer seed drill with discs.

Moore triple disc seed drill, hyd wheels.

Connorshae 18 row trailing seed drill.

DAL-BO AXR-E300 trailed, tandem 26" discs, transport wheels, roller.

Hooper 5 aside giant and supergiant discs.

Berends 6 leg groundbreaker subsoiler.

Farmgard contractor hyd graderblade.

Kinghitter series 2, hydraulic post driver.

Abbey 9000L slurry tanker, auto fill.

Pond stirrer, pto driven.

Kumara top chopper, 2 row.

Kumara Single row harvester.

Cub 8T T/A trailer, steel deck, hyd trip.

Buckton 6t trailed fert spreader.

Sam 4T tandem axle fert spreader.

Bertolini 600L spray out.

Fuel tank, mobile 1900 litre.

Case CX80 Cab, 4WD, loader, 3500h.

Case CX70 ROPS, 4WD, pearson loader.

Case MX90C, 4WD, pearsons H/D Loader, 5300h.

Claas Arion 620, cab, 140hp, loader, 2300h.

Claas 696RZ cab, 145hp, hyd shuttle and 4 speed power shift.

International 674, 2WD, loader, 70hp.

Iseki 6500, 4wd, rops, loader, 65hp.

John Deere 2130, Loader, 2WD, 75hp, tidy.

John Deere 6300 cab, 4wd, loader, 90hp.

John Deere 8400, 250hp, 7920h, near new tyres, dual wheels.

John Deere 2850, cab, 4WD, loader.

MF5465 DYNA4 4wd cab, stoll loader.

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McCormick MTX140, speed sequencer trans, 4700h, loader.

Massey Ferguson MF3075 CAB, 4WD, pearson loader.

New Holland TM190, super steer, 4700h, tidy.

CAT 304.5 Digger, Cab, 4.5T, Blade, Swing Boom.

Kobelco SK70 digger, blade, cab, hyd tilt hitch, thumb.

Sumitomo SH100-2, ROPS frame, thumb, piped, quick hitch, rock bucket.

Sumitomo SH120-2. 12ton, aux piped.

Yanmar Vi050 ST digger, cab, blade, piped.

Takeuchi TB53 digger, cab, tilt bucket, blade.

Komatsu D20PG bulldozer, 6 way blade, tidy.

Sakai SW700 and SW25 road rollers.

Isuzu Forward 210 tiptruck 5.8 ton.

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2

March 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

The Northern Farming Lifestyles is published with pride by NorthSouth Multi Media Ltd, a privately owned New Zealand company.

Phone: 09 439 6933 or 0800 466 793 • Fax: 09 439 6930 Email: info@thelifestyler.co.nz • Postal Address: PO Box 474, Dargaville Physical Address: Lifestyler House, 107 River Road, Dargaville General Manager: Deb Wright (dw@thelifestyler.co.nz) Editorial: Annette Lambly-Robinson Paul Campbell

Graphic Design: Greer Mackay Gavin Bainbridge David Stevens Emily Stevens Janet Balcombe

Advertising: Betty Willets

Production: Jenny Crundwell

Northern Farming Lifestyles Distribution area

Managing Editor: Allan Mortensen (am@thelifestyler.co.nz) Accounts: Lesley Robinson (accounts@thelifestyler.co.nz) Front Cover: Children’s tractor race Northland Agricultural Field Days action Website: www.farminglifestyles.co.nz

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Field Days defies the weather Despite a storm front which had Field Days’ organisers contemplating a shortened programme and early closure, this year’s event once again survived the vagaries of the weather, to the extent that there was a record number of visitors through the gates on Friday March 2 Over the three days of the event, there were 25,278 people through the gate — 7117 on Thursday, 9294 on Friday and 8867 on Saturday.

“We were delighted we broke gate attendance numbers on Friday and that Saturday’s results exceeded expectations considering the weather that had been forecast,” said president Lew Duggan.

“The organisers have already put their order in for sunshine in 2013.”

Major winners at this year’s field days included the Best Indoor Site Award, to Tongue Hammer Food Ltd; Best Outdoor Site Award to Hynds Pipe Systems and Best New Exhibitor Award to Woodcraft Creations. The major gate prize winners were John Constantino, Rural, while the

Lifestyle prize went to Lana Hodges.

“The Field Days’ committee has issued a ‘thank you’ to the many volunteers and helpers that have made this event such a great success. This is our 28th event and the fifth on this site. Our thanks also to the residents of Awakino Point East Road for your patience again this year.”

Next year’s event will be held on February 28, and March 1 and 2.

The committee would appreciate feedback from exhibitors and the visiting public and comments can be sent to Northland Field Days, PO Box 103, Dargaville or email: info@ northlandfielddays.co.nz.

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Northern Farming Lifestyles March 2012

Look North to solve port problems

3

by Paul Campbell

Farmers of New Zealand President Ian Walker has summed up what seems to be a no-brainer; instead of further cluttering up Auckland harbour with expansion plans, the government should look further north

at better prices with a lot less capital investment, something that Auckland must find impossible.

“We have a massive amount of land and could streamline a lot of movement of cargo. There is also plenty of room for associated services.

We could make that land attractive to companies and investors to locate there.

We are already an export port for logs and dairy products and certainly have

Ian Walker

Mr Walker is also a Northland Port Corporation director and Northland regional councillor.

two hours from Auckland. It’s also the closest port in New Zealand to most international markets.

A majority of Northland leaders point out that Whangarei is an obvious maritime gateway for New Zealand, and Northport checks all the right boxes.

The terminal’s multipurpose facility caters for a wide range of cargoes and their associated vessel types, including timber and a wide variety of Northland’s farm produce — agricultural and horticultural products — and cement.

The deep water facility is the northern most multi-purpose port in New Zealand, and the closest port to the majority of New Zealand’s international markets.

It’s served by a good road connection to the country’s network, less than

Mr Walker points out the facility has not been considered from a national perspective. Port rationalisation would deliver more efficient port services

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the capacity to become a major export port given the right infrastructure. If we could just get the politicians to start thinking about port planning in terms of New Zealand Inc. “There needs to be clear direction from somebody who will say ‘okay, how are our ports going to deliver a service that is in the best interests of New Zealand?’’’

Septic Tank Owners

How you can save money by keeping your septic system effective and healthy Septic tanks and multi-stage septic systems are delicately balanced environments. It does not take much to upset them.

Common practice is to ignore the septic system until problems occur.

Good and best economical practice is to always keep your septic system well maintained.

A malfunctioning septic system can become a health hazard.

When a system is not maintained or operated as a delicately balanced environment, problems occur.

These problems include nasty odours, leach line blockages, untreated liquid rising to the surface, toilets gurgling and taking time to empty.

At this stage your septic system is a serious health hazard to you and your children. Human waste produces faecal coliform bacteria, a source of viral and bacterial gastroenteritis as well as Hepatitis A and other diseases. Hepatitis can be a debilitating condition and cause long-term harm to children.

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One: stop using the septic system until it recovers.

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Septi-Cure is Cost effective.

By far the most cost effective solution is to pour one litre of Septi-Cure™ down each toilet bowl every six months. This simple action will help keep your system working at top efficiency by reducing solids and scum. Instead of emptying your tank frequently, the reduction in solids and scum saves you expensive pump out costs. Your irrigation field and leach lines will become clear of slimes and

b blockages so nature can handle the gradual seepage and evaporation for you. When this is happening your system will be operating effectively and not endangering you or your family’s health.

What is Septi-Cure™ Septi-Cure™ is a concentrated mixture of selected naturally occurring microorganisms. These harmless tiny organisms live and multiply by feeding on waste material. When introduced to your septic tank system, they go to work straight away digesting waste material, reducing solids and scum, allowing your septic system to start operating to its maximum efficiency. As they progress through to your irrigation field they feed on the slimes that prevent seepage and evaporation. When seepage and evaporation return to normal, you have reduced the risk of contaminating groundwater and the environment as well as reducing the chances of infection for you and your family. Eventually, they get washed out of the system and have to be replaced to continue their work. This is why you introduce Septi-Cure™ to your septic system every six months for maximum efficiency.

A satisfied customer in Hamilton has been using Septi-Cure™ for three years.

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March 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

Silverhill Alpacas Breeding excellence in colour

Photo by Cilla Taylor

by Annette Lambly-Robinson

Valerie gives some last minute advice before going into the show ring

The purchase of five acres of land near Wellsford eight years ago was a dream come true for former ‘suburbanite’ Valerie Bushell.

H

aving emigrated from the United Kingdom to Auckland 25 years ago the busy business analyst had moved around a number of times before taking the plunge of becoming a lifestyler.

Each move had taken her further and further from ‘suburbia’ and in spite of still commuting an hour each way to Takapuna each day to work, she knows she never wants to live in suburbia again.

Before she had even built her house she had

bought two alpaca wethers after having first seen them in a lifestyle magazine. “Up until then I hadn’t really known what I wanted to do with my block, but when I saw and read about the alpaca I knew that’s what I wanted to have on my farm. “I soon became ‘hooked’ on these wonderful animals and bought my first breeding female (hembra) which was already pregnant shortly thereafter.�

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The Silverhill herd has grown substantially to around 50 alpacas and in order to accommodate them all Valerie leases extra land.

All are registered, have their own names and with the exception of two white hembra, who look very similar from a distance Valerie can recognise all by name.

She calls them to shift them from paddock to paddock.

Valerie breeds huacaya alpaca with the intention of breeding fine, but densely coloured fleece, something normally attributed to white or light fawn alpaca. “I wanted to parallel the same quality of this fleece with the coloured fleece so to achieve this I am using high quality white or fawn males (machos) over coloured females in the expectation that they will pass on the fineness, density and crimp definition while retaining the colour from the dam.�

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Northern Farming Lifestyles March 2012 The fleece is suitable for felting and knitting — it is very light and soft with better thermal qualities than merino says Valerie.

She also keeps a few of the coloured suri alpaca whose fleece looks like dreadlocks. Suri fleece has higher lustre than that of the huacaya and good lock structure. It is used in the worsted process of weaving.

The alpaca are shorn once a year with Valerie preparing and grading the fleece (much the same as you would do with sheep wool). It is either carded for spinners and felters or sent to a mill where it is turned to various plys of yarn.

Valerie sells the yarn or knits it into scarves, beanies, baby booties and fingerless gloves which she sells on-line or from a small shop on the farm. She hopes to soon be able to use a machine to knit other garments.

Apart from the shearing the alpaca are drenched for worms and because they are susceptible to facial eczema they are given zinc coated pellets on a daily basis when prevention is needed.

Toenails occasionally need trimming.

Valerie participates in the alpaca show circuit with the aim of earning the stud a higher profile as well as showcasing alpaca to the general public.

“It also helps me gauge the success of my breeding programme compared to the others in the show ring and my successes have been very pleasing.”

She transports them around the shows in a ‘slightly ‘converted Hiace van. The alpaca soon learn to jump in the side door and take a ride without making a fuss.

Two poodles and thirteen ‘chooks’ share Silver hill with Valerie and while it may be ‘hard’ work juggling both a fulltime job and managing the farm Valerie has no regrets.

The only allowance Valerie makes for her busy lifestyle is to move the pregnant ‘girls’ to another stud farm a month before they are due to give birth.

“With me at work I didn’t want to take any risks” said Valerie.

May 16, is National Alpaca Day and Valerie’s farm is one of many throughout the country who will be opening their gates to the public.

“I am passionate about our alpacas and am happy to share my experience and advice with prospective, new or established

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Who could resist such a cute face — these three alpaca show some of the different coloured fleece

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March 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

N Driving passion for the desert’s ‘drinkers of the wind’

by Annette Lambly Robinson

Horses have been part of Northland’s Angela Rogers life since as long as she can remember Photo – Bonni Paul

owadays she is co-owner of one of New Zealand’s best-known Arabian studs with much sought after horses making names for themselves both nationally and internationally.

As a child her parents Heather and Laurie Frazerhurst who owned a sheep and beef farm at Pakaraka used to drive her and her ponies all round the country to compete in shows and ribbon days.

Back then Angela favoured part-bred Arabians on which she competed with much success.

Over time her passion for this desert breed — thought to be the oldest ridden breed in the world, and one Bedouin mythology calls ‘Drinkers of the Wind’, grew.

The Arabian has been prized for thousands of years for its beauty, strength, and athleticism — they have large, wide-set eyes on a broad forehead, small curved ears, and large, efficient nostrils on a small muzzle. These characteristics along with the Arab’s high crested arching neck and high tail carriage make the Arabian horse easy to distinguish from other breeds.

They have been used for centuries to refine other breeds and are the forefathers of the Thoroughbred. All registered thoroughbreds in the world can trace their lineage to four Arabian stallions.

Almost 26 years ago Angela and her husband Wi established Jameel Arabians on what used to be 50 acres of family property on Ludbrook Road, Pakaraka in the Bay of Islands. The original property was slowly developed into life style blocks and Wi and Angela have retained 16 acres on which they run the horses. Their intention is to breed purebred Arabians and their ambition is to produce horses capable of holding their own on the international market.

Northern Farming Lifestyles March 2012 The beautiful grey mare was awarded NZ National Champion Mare at the National Championships held in Christchurch in 2010 and in February of this year she was North Island Champion Mare.

A new chapter begins for Jameel Arabians with the recent sale of Photo – Mendip Farm Photography a 50 percent share in The Big Moment; Angela and handler Ben Carter-Mouet and Taralea Evita Evita being bought by *Ger when she was sashed NZ National Champion mare European interests. She will return to Europe in Angela’s parents, along with pet the new year to be bred and shown. schnoodle Albert remain her number “Evita will have the chance to be bred one helpers on the farm. It’s been a long to some of the finest Arabian stallions journey and much hard work. available today,” said Angela. “It’s hard “Breeding horses is a long slow to send the horses you have grown process and there is no quick overnight attached to overseas — but it’s all part fix. It involves early morning starts and of our wider plan. long evenings, but we firmly believe if you don’t do the hard yards you won’t get The Arabian has been prized for the rewards,” said Angela. The rewards have been countless New Zealand thousands of years for its beauty, championship titles. strength, and athleticism Nowadays they no longer prepare, show or train clients’ horses. They prefer Over the years they imported several to keep the operation small in order stallions from Australia or the United to concentrate on their own breeding States to use with their own mares or and accept only a small number of to stand at public stud. Five years ago outside clients. the American purebred stallion Aria They run a very small group of Elation was imported as a yearling after purebred mares believing it’s quality not winning the Signature colt class at the prestigious USA Scottsdale Show — quantity that matters.

One of those mares, Taralea Evita one of the biggest Arabian shows in was bred in Germany, exported to the world.

He is owned by the JEK Alliance Australia and imported into New Zealand

by Euralea and Jameel Arabians three — consisting of Jameel, Euralea and Karamea studs who combined their years ago.

“

efforts and finances to bring Elation out to NZ. He has proven to be a super sire — his eldest progeny JA Eloise, a two-year-old filly has swept all before her, winning Supreme North Island Exhibit and NZ National Champion Filly in 2011. Recently Eloise won the Supreme Purebred Exhibit at the North Island Championships held in Hawera. She heads off to Australia in November to be shown by Greg Andrews of KEA Training, Sydney.

Elation is also in Australia where he is being shown successfully on the show circuit. He is not expected to return to New Zealand.

With the next set of foals not due till

7

Photo – Bonni Paul

Albert – Angela’s trusty farm helper

August it’s time to catch their breath, wean last years’ foals and make the most of the quieter winter months to play catch up on the usual never ending farm maintenance chores!

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8

March 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

by Annette Lambly-Robinson

Three years ago, when Matakohe farmer Janet Poole suggested to her husband they should be breeding miniature cattle to avoid the pugging problems they were having during wet winters, little did she realise where the remark would lead her.

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T

he couple own Riverlands Hereford Stud, farming a 340-acre farm on Oparakau Rd. Janet has always had passion for the breed. Her father a dairy farmer had used them to breed dairy beef as did her husband Ray before they were married.

“It’s been great having a common interest and we have worked as a team improving the quality of our ‘regular’ Hereford herd.”

Ray’s “that’s not such a silly idea response,” to Janet’s ‘miniature’ quip prompted her to start investigating what is relatively a new variety of the Hereford breed in New Zealand. The more she learned the more determined she was to have miniatures and now she runs around 24 registered animals as well as some dairy beef crosses.

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This photo shows the height of a full grown Miniature Hereford cow Grovenorth Patsy and her bull calf Riverlets — the fence she is near is the normal height used on farms. Her calf is only a few days old at the time.

There are only around 200 registered miniature Herefords in New Zealand and almost all of these are the horned variety.

Janet’s initial research began in America where the breed originated and she visited several studs in New Zealand before purchasing two in-calf cows and two heifers from Alistair Hargrove in Keri Keri in 2009.

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Northern Farming Lifestyles March 2012 thought to be as a result of achondroplasia (dwarfism), but this is not the case — they are genetically bred to be smaller.

“I am fascinated by genetics and By the end of the spend many hours first year Janet had studying them so three calves, one as to best plan the of the cows having matings.” given birth to a set of twins — the first set Janet travels of recorded miniature around the country twins in the southern showing her cattle at hemisphere. various A&P shows.

The “team” lines up for a photo — they are Brianna Dawson (15), Inaya Clark (14) and Michelle Clark (13) Her goal is to have “I enjoy showing, a polled miniature stud and she is breeding towards it’s a nice way of introducing these small Herefords this. She currently has a polled bull running with to the general public,” she said. Janet has a team her cows and is importing more polled semen from of three to four handlers to help her with the north-west America to use this spring. preparations and in-ring-showing.

Janet says the only difference between the “The smaller sized animals are perfect for miniatures and the regular size Herefords are their young handlers wanting to gain experience in adult size — otherwise they must conform to Hereford competitions,” she said. breed standards.

“I am rapt with them and have been lucky to “Interestingly, ‘regular’ cattle have been getting have achieved such great results, not only in the bigger and bigger over the years. Today’s miniatures show ring, but in the quality of cattle. are only slightly smaller than the regular cattle bred Future plans are to develop a ‘paddock to plate’ in the 30s and 40s,” she said. niche market, where she would sell-on her own She would like her cows to average around meat direct to customers.

109cm at the hip and her bulls 114-116cm, “I am working with other breeders to develop which would fit them into a frame score of ‘0’ in this concept. We will need to source a licenced the breeders’ standards. Known for their ease of abattoir and a licensed butcher prepared to cut calving and good foraging ability, Miniature Hereford and package our meat. thrive even in extreme conditions. She calves her “A good thing about the miniatures is the miniatures at two years old and says the average smaller carcasses fit more easily into the freezer,” calf weight (across the herd) is around 21kg. she laughs.

“Growth rate however is phenomenal.”

The meat is reported to be very tender and She said the miniature cattle are sometimes succulent.

Riverlets Miniature Hereford Stud was established, making Janet and Ray possibly the only ‘dual’ Hereford breeders in New Zealand.

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Herefords originated in England and ancestors have been in existence as early as 700AD. They are reported as being one of the oldest ‘full-blooded’ breeds in the world and stud books are strictly managed. It is thought they were originally used as draught animals.

It wasn’t until 1997 Miniature Herefords were first introduced into New Zealand through the importing of embryos from Canada and live animals from Australia.

The miniatures originated in Texas where the Largent family, who has been breeding top show Hereford cattle since the early 1930s started breeding the smaller versions.

Miniature Herefords are ‘full blood’ Herefords and have to meet the strict criteria of the NZ Hereford Association.

The NZ Miniature Hereford Breeders Group was established in May 2004. It currently has around 30 registered breeders and a number of commercial breeders as members. Prior to 2004 NZ miniatures had to be registered in Australia.

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March 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

Showcasing sustainable land management in Northland

by Bob Cathcart, Land Management Specialist, Northland Regional Council

The winners of the annual Ballance Farm Environment Awards will be announced this week. I have had the honour of being a finalist judge this year, which involved six very impressive but very different primary industry ventures.

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Northland gets a good number of entries each year, and I’d like to thank the farmers, foresters and orchardists that put their names forward and bare their souls to the judges. Thanks also to the rural advisors who recognise good practice and encourage their clients to stand up and be recognised.

The Ballance Farm Environment Awards are about the advancement, education, assistance and promotion of sustainable management of land and other natural resources on farms.

The name of the awards includes the word ‘environment’, but don’t mistake this for some greenies competition.

What the judges are looking for is a well-managed farm, orchard, vineyard, nursery or forest where careful attention is paid to financial, environmental and social management and responsibilities — true triple bottom line accounting.

The business has to be financially sustainable. One of the truisms that appeared soon after the words ‘sustainable management’ appeared in the Resource Management Act was that you can’t be green if you’re in the red!

Long term sustainability is another requirement. Good farming and forestry practices maintain or preferably improve soil quality, protect any native vegetation

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and habitat values, and ensure the land use operations do not cause water pollution.

The business must also be socially sustainable. It is not going to succeed in the long term if the manager is under too much stress, it can’t train or retain staff, or there has been no succession planning.

Your property does not have to be perfect to win an award. The important thing is to have your plans in place and have started the journey.

Many of the entrants have entered before and now, a little bit further down the track, are picking up awards. They gained a lot from having a judging team that includes a practical farmer (and former award winner) and a couple of rural professionals.

Entrants are given a feedback report which not only recognises and compliments good practice, but also offers advice on matters that will help make the business even better.

A field day will be held on the winning property on Wednesday May 2, 2012 and will be well worth a visit. The field day highlights winning features, practical solutions and showing the many ways of tackling issues.

Bob Cathcart is a Land Management Specialist with more than 45 years’ experience in land management and soil conservation. He is a registered Farm Management Consultant, a member of the NZ Institute of Primary Industry Management and the NZ Association of Resource Management.

Read the paper online www.farminglifestyles.co.nz

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Northern Farming Lifestyles March 2012

11

Do you have a plan for your financial windfall?

Check out these top tips to make the most of your lump sum A financial windfall can mean many things: winning lotto, receiving an inheritance, or selling a farm or business.

In the case of selling a farm or business, you’ll be aware of exactly what amount you are receiving, similarly with an inheritance — in some cases.

However, whether or not you have some warning that a windfall is coming, the long term success rate of people who suddenly receive a substantial payment is dismal.

Identifying certain steps in order to maximise your windfall can totally change the direction and quality of your life in the long term. We’ve mapped out some helpful tips in order to help you.

Initial feeling — Disorientation After receiving a large cash payout, the first reaction is sometimes to feel numb. That’s when irreversible financial mistakes can occur. If this is you, you may not at first feel anything, or you could be at a loss of what to think. That opens up the chance of being talked into silly decisions.

For many, the financial windfall can be so overwhelming that the windfall will be blown away within a few short years. It can be exciting being ‘Santa

Claus’ to family members and friends, or having a good old spend up, but the list of people providing ideas of what to do with your money, together with the list of spending ideas, can all too easily squander a large portion of it. You can also be a sales person’s dream — there is a better way.

Take ‘time out’ and get insights that make you think ‘Time out’ is needed to control the impulses and counter the effects of the inner voice, saying ‘Spend, spend, spend!’ This period is when you should make no decisions about the money. It is a time to map out the building blocks for a permanently successful future. Taking ‘time out’ effectively, means giving attention to three main aspects: 1. Share the goals you have for yourself and your family with someone who can help you set priorities and provide guidance; The impact of dealing with a windfall, can raise conflicts with one’s personal values and beliefs. Rather than trying to deal with it all yourself there are real benefits in setting up an appointment with someone who is experienced in mapping out a sequential investment plan for such situations.

Get help so you can make informed choices and help quantify your wish list of dreams and goals. This process can involve a reality check for unrealistic expectations.

2. Map out the path from today onwards. This can be a great learning experience; Making gradual changes to your life, means they are usually more likely to be changes that stick. Going through a structured process of setting yourself up for a healthy long term future may Sue Richards (left) and Leah Watson be less exciting than the big spend up. Yet isn’t it better to replace 3. Understand the value of having a lying awake at night worrying about the financial plan and guidance while you money with an inner confidence that retain overall control; helps a sound sleep?

An adviser will show you projections of An adviser will also create a tailored funds for net income to co-fund your long investment strategy, to help you turn term lifestyle and help you to understand your windfall into a lifetime financial the investment tax effects, the costs and resource. They’ll discuss how to deal benefits. This includes showing you how with prior commitments, steps that can to keep overall control of your money, at assist you and also your family over the the same time delegating the day-to-day years, as well as provide a context and technical stuff. understanding of possible risks and any Next month we discuss Risk vs potential challenges that lie ahead.

Return.

Leah Watson and Sue Richards are Authorised Financial Advisers with Spicers. If you have any questions about this column or would like to speak to them about your situation phone Leah or Sue on 09 407 7250.

This column provides general information and cannot be considered personalised financial advice. Leah and Sue are not liable for any loss suffered by those who follow the advice provided in this column. A disclosure statement is available on request, free of charge.

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March 2012 Northern

Farming Lifestyles

4m high gorse…

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Clearing this hillside at the back of Warkworth shows the steepness of the terrain and just how dense the gorse was. The final result is impressive when you consider that in a little more than a day we were able to make such a transformation. No matter how big or how small, 2 acres or 2,000 acres, we can mulch any size gorse, all other noxious weeds and trees to below ground level while preserving native vegetation.

Using track grips fitted to our digger means our machinery can reach almost anywhere. The major difference is that the mulcher gives an instant result, the gorse is there one moment and gone the next. The mulch is able to rot down and put nutrients into the soil while stopping soil run off when it rains.

I have added a new service to our list. Ex-Forestry blocks – turning these back into pasture blocks. We mulch the stumps in place, leaving the root ball in place so as not to damage the soil structure by mixing clay with topsoil or leaving any soft holes where stumps have been pulled out. Mulching up all the stumps and slash so it can rot down into the soil structure is far better for the soil and the environment than burning, which damages the soil structure with the heat and all the nutrients from the wood, well that floats away.

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Northern

FARM

Wheels March 2012

Born in the U.S.A.

by Andy Bryenton

Dodge have given us some unforgettable icons of power motoring over the years — the unrestrained Viper SRT-10, the classic Challenger and Charger muscle cars — even the world’s fastest pickup truck

ease of a car, while retaining the loadbearing practicality and off-road chops of a 4x4.

Under the hood the Nitro boasts a 90 degree V-6 powerplant churning out a competent 151 kw of power — but a beefy 314 Newton-metres of torque as well. And while purists will pine for a 7 litre hemi version, your wallet will thank you for choosing the Nitro over a V8 Range Rover Discovery.

Safety is top-notch, and a full suite of electronic toys and gadgets await, but the forte of the Nitro is really it’s presence on the road. In a world of softedged, friendly SUVs this is an edgy reminder that 4x4s are not meant to be safe or cuddly. Dodge have once again produced a vehicle which is striking and original — a little bit gangster, a little bit urban combat — and a lot more fun than the competition.

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When questioned about his fondest memories of various vehicles, the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai didn’t talk about Ferrari or Bugatti — he remembered the Dodge Power Wagons which US oilmen brought to the Gulf in his youth.

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oozes Detroit attitude, this is no thirsty V8 monster.

Smaller, more manoeuvrable and lighter than the big SUVs it resembles superficially, the Nitro has more in common with MacGyver’s Jeep Wrangler than Arnold’s Hummvee. This means that you can turn, park and zip from lane to lane in cities with all the

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March 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles – Farm Wheels

FA R M W H E E L S

Licence changes to counter road toll

by Paul Campbell

Tough new tests for young people going for their driving licences are now in effect, with a major impact on rural residents, who will have to travel to larger urban centres for the tests This has prompted criticism that will have a new restricted test introduced urban areas are rather different from in October. rural roads, more seal The restricted car than gravel, and driving test will now take one More than 700 conditions are not quite hour, with 45 minutes the same.

Kiwi teenagers of driving, while the However, those full test will be 30 died in road defending the new regime minutes. point out that the tests are crashes in the NZTA chief executive, more stringent, and getting Geoff Dangerfield, said past decade ready for them leaves no both tests would be room for lax preparation. harder to pass than Young drivers are in fact expected previous versions and drivers would to fail the new restricted licence tests need to have done at least 120 hours unless they put in some serious practise, of supervised practise first. say driving instructors.

“A higher standard of driving will be The New Zealand Transport Agency needed to pass — that is the whole defends its new hard line approach, point, and we make no apologies for saying one teenager dies on the nation’s that. This is about making new drivers roads every week. safer drivers by encouraging them to Restricted and full car licence tests take the time to develop their skills. have now changed and motorcycle tests “The more experience that drivers

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gain in the learner licensing phase, the less likely they are to crash when they begin driving alone. We are doing young people no favours with a ‘onceover-lightly’ approach.”

More than 700 Kiwi teenagers died in road crashes in the past decade, and New Zealand had the highest road death rate in the OECD for 16–17 year olds.

Research showed young drivers who completed 120 hours of supervised practise on their learner licence had a solodriving crash rate 40 per cent lower than those who did only 50 hours.

To prepare for the tests, young drivers should be practising in all possible conditions, including on seal and gravel, in wet weather and at night.

The new tests have the endorsement of V8 Supercar driver and youth driving advocate, Greg Murphy.

“The move to a longer, more exacting test is a good one. New Zealand’s death and injury statistics are a terrible witness to the fact that we have too many young drivers on our roads who have had very little supervision or training, and as a result, lack the key skills necessary to become safe drivers.”

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Farm Wheels – Northern Farming Lifestyles March 2012

15

FA R M W H E E L S

by Andy Bryenton

Seventeen years of stable, reliable performance oil cooling system and a change to the gearing made the DR200 — named the Trojan — more practical for the kind of gruelling work it was being engineered for. A big 12 volt headlamp surrounded by protective bars was fitted to beat low light conditions, and a front-to-back anti-corrosion regime prepped the bike for a life semi-submerged in mud and water on the job.

Kiwi farmers are known to demand a lot from their machinery, and none takes more hard knocks than the trusty farm bike With rugged landscapes to traverse and hard work to be done the two-wheeled workhorse of New Zealand’s rural sector has Suzuki DR200 — able to handle the toughest farm conditions replaced actual horses in most areas, tackling Suzuki may have begun their conditions which one would think were almost unimaginable DR200 project with a road-legal dirt to the big overseas bike manufacturers.

That’s why when Suzuki (famous, of course, for their bike as the template, but numerous stable of speedy race and road bikes) wanted to design changes were made along the way the perfect machine for the Kiwi back-country they didn’t as the true demands of the Kiwi farm try to put it together in a Japanese laboratory. Instead they made themselves known. Innovations turned to New Zealand Service Manager, Tom Peck, who and additions like a higher redline, an had a fair idea of what Kiwi farmers wanted in a bike. The formula contained a big helping of rugged dependability, and this was put to the test around Wanganui’s hillsides and rough terrain — a much tougher proving ground than any test track.

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March 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles – Farm Wheels

FA R M W H E E L S

New Road Rules At 5am on March 25th New Zealand drivers will be expected to comply with a new set of road rules, designed to make our roads safer.

At their most simple, the new rules mean that in every case drivers should give way to the right. This includes at junctions with traffic lights, stop signs, give way signs and when you are free

turning. So if your car is turning right across the path of a car turning left, you must give way to the left-turning car. The NZTA slogan for this rule change helps; “If you’re turning right, give way.”

This change brings New Zealand Road rules into line with rules in the UK and other countries.

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thebefore ‘T’ goes before me Top of theTop ‘T’of goes me

This rule will applywhere at intersections where This rule will apply at intersections two vehicles are two vehicles are no or signs signals, same signs or signals. facing no signs orfacing signals, the or same signsororthe signals.

Youway willto need give way to leftcoming turning vehicles coming You will need to give leftto turning vehicles the opposite direction you are turning right. from the oppositefrom direction if you are turning if right.

When you’re rightof from When you’re turning right fromturning the bottom a the bottom of a T-intersection with noyou signs signals, you will need T-intersection with no signs or signals, willorneed to give way to all at the top of the ‘T’. to give way to all vehicles at the topvehicles of the ‘T’.

This will also apply at driveways, This will also apply at driveways, including public including public such as at supermarket or hospital. driveways such asdriveways at a supermarket or ahospital.

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The second change deals with uncontrolled T junctions including driveways such as supermarket driveways or hospital car parks. Another NZTA slogan makes this one simple too; “The top of the T goes before me”. Again at its simplest, drivers will have to give way to everything on the road they are turning into at a T junction.

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Can phosphate requirements be reduced?

Dr Bert Quin, fertiliser and soil fertility consultant

Farming today faces new pressures. On the one hand, good production levels are necessary for farm profitability. On the other hand, the levels of fertiliser input this requires can lead to nutrient enrichment of streams, rivers and lakes. What to do?

We have to focus more on just what happens to fertiliser nutrients after application, and find out what loss mechanisms can be reduced.

Ironically, with phosphate (P) we have problems at both ends of the spectrum. On many soils, and particularly the allophanic ash soils, P is ‘fixed’ onto aluminium (Al) on the surface of soil clay particles. These soils used to be called highly ‘P-retentive’. It is fashionable in some quarters today to say they have a ‘high P storage capacity’, but this is a misnomer. As your dictionary says, a store is somewhere you put something until you need it, and can then take it out of.

However the P fixed on clay particles, especially allophone, just gets stuck, retained, or fixed (any of these words are accurate), more and more tightly, more and more deeply under Al, over time. Even when you stop putting maintenance P on, the rate at which P is ‘desorbed’ into plantavailable form is far, far too slow to maintain good production. ‘Stored’ indeed!

The great Joe Karlovsky from MAF’s Ruakura Research Station calculated over 40 years ago that to maintain a high level of production on a dairy farm on allophanic ash soil required 15 kg P per year more than it took to maintain exactly the same level of production on a low P-retention soil. Today, Overseer gives about the same difference in requirements. There is anecdotal evidence that the rate of P fixation is slowly declining, but if it is, it is very, very slow!

Unfortunately, while applying higher rates of fertiliser P to these soils helps offsets fixation losses, it also means a lot more fertiliser granules sitting on the surface after application. As these slowly dissolve into the soil over a few weeks,

they are susceptible to some of the P — either dissolved or as particles — being washed into waterways by rainfall-induced run-off. The more P that has been applied in one hit, the bigger the risk.

Small, frequent applications of P would greatly reduce the risk of run-off, but at prohibitive cost.

A far better solution is to find ways to reduce the amount of P that gets fixed in the soil, so we don’t have to put as much on in the first place. Very exciting research in this area is being done in several countries, with very promising results. In Vietnam for example, where I have been involved in research into improving fertiliser efficiency for eight years, the treatment of DAP with ‘anti-fixing’ additives has literally halved P requirements for rice grown on acid soils. Another option is to use

far better solution is to find “Aways to reduce the amount of P that gets fixed in the soil, so we don’t have to put as much on in the first place

”

part of the P in slow-release form such as RPR. The P from RPR is not soluble in water, so is far less prone to loss in run-off. This fact is recognized in Overseer. Another part of the solution is to apply fertiliser in fluidised form, so it quickly gets below the surface.

As in most fields of endeavour, necessity is the mother of invention. I think our environment, our water, is telling us that it is high time we took some of these ‘inventions’ a lot more seriously.

Attention all Baby Boomers Most of us can get away with poor health choices in our 20’s and 30’s but from age 40 the first signs of decline start to appear.

Raised blood pressure, cholesterol, arthritis and other problems all start to appear. Of course it is essential to get good medical advice but there are many simple, practical and effective measures we can implement to help our bodies as we age. I have seen thousands of people make real improvement using such measures built around good diet and appropriate supplements.

Our health is entirely dependent on optimum intake of essential nutrients including the 21 known essential minerals, all the vitamins and numerous antioxidants that protect our cells against free radicals.

Farmers and Vets know too well the importance of good animal nutrition. Maybe it is time we took equally good care of our bodies.

The effects of these low nutrient levels can take decades to show their effect. Most people with hypertension find that this first appears after age 50.

In most cases this is just a slow deterioration in the structure of blood vessels especially a lack of the antioxidants that protect the proteins (collagen and elastin) that make up most of blood vessels. Over time this increases the resistance of blood meaning your

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Osteoarthritis is also caused by the slow breakdown of antioxidant defences. In this case the target of excess free radicals is cartilage cells. When these cells die the result is a slow erosion of joint tissue. This attracts inflammation and we end up with sore, stiff or worn out joints. The same principle can also affect our energy where excess free radicals damage our energy conversion systems leading to a slow decline in energy levels.

If you are a baby boomer concerned about your health it is important to have a plan to help with current health problems and to ensure that your health can sustain you in your later years.

John Arts is the founder of Abundant Health Ltd. You can contact John on 0800 423 559 or email john@johnarts.co.nz. You can join his weekly newsletter at www.johnarts.co.nz.

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March 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

PROGRESSIVE RED DEVON

FIELD DAYS FOLLOW UPS

Achieving 100% live calves born

Scottish Highland Cattle at Northland Field Days Phone Lee Fulton 09 432 2724 Jean Mclaughlan 09 433 1170 John Squire 03 614 3739 (S.I.)

2403 O’Carrol Rd, Whangarei

Among the exhibits at this year’s Northland Field Days were the Scottish Highland Cattle at the L J Hooker stand; two red heifers, and the cute black calf

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These short-legged, long-haired, long-horned animals are from a fold of more than 100 cattle bred on 90ha of steep-pasture in Kaukapakapa owned by Doug and Jenny Sheldon.

A heritage breed originating from Western Scotland, the cattle has a long ancestry largely unchanged over four or five centuries, with the current Breed Standard dating back to 1885. They thrive equally well on lush pasture and rough country, steep hills and flatter areas.

Well known for the high quality of their meat — pure Highland meat contains almost 7% more protein and almost 17% more iron, averaging over 4% less cholesterol than commercial beef. Intramuscular fat, low in saturated fat and seen as marbling through the meat, gives Highland beef its tenderness, succulence and distinctive taste.

The NZ Highland Cattle Society is holding a national Open Fold day on Sunday 1 April. If you missed them at the Northern Field Days Doug and Jenny will be opening their farm. Call 09 420 4065, or visit www.eadon.co.nz for more information and directions.

Doug and Jenny to open their farm for an open fold day in Kaukapakapa

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Doug & Jenny Sheldon 108 Kanohi Rd, Kaukapakapa, North Auckland Phone 09 420 4065 / 021 938 641 email jenny.sheldon@xtra.co.nz

Northern Farming Lifestyles March 2012

Is your home ready for winter?

The end of summer hit with a bang during the Northland Field Days, but the strong squally weather with cold showers on Saturday didn’t deter the public enjoying a great show.

The winners of the Airfoam Wall Insulation competition were John and Gael Patchett of Waimauku, who are now booked in for retrofitting Airfoam into the walls of their home and being much warmer this winter.

Before you turn on your heating this winter, have you considered the basics of warming your home?

Insulation in your ceiling and walls creates the fundamental basics for warming your home.

Many homes built in NZ before 1991 have no insulation in the walls.

While roof and under floor insulation is widely used, unless your ceilings and walls are properly insulated up to 70% of the heat in your home is being lost.

There is a cost effective and very efficient way to reduce this problem.

Airfoam Wall Insulation has been insulating walls of existing homes for more than thirty years and over 15,000 homeowners now enjoy the basic requirement of an insulated home.

Insulating the walls will help prevent heat loss, reduce dampness and

Would you like to wake up in a warm house this winter?

If your house was built before 1991, it probably is one of the reported 960,000 homes in New Zealand that does not have wall insulation.

7 REASONS why now is a great time to insulate



FIELD DAYS FOLLOW UPS

Richard Pilkington from Airfoam (Northland) congratulating Gael Patchett, winner of the 2012 Fieldays competition for $1000 off the installation of the walls of her home

mould plus provide sound proofing, and as well as keeping your house warm during the winter it regulates the temperature during the summer.

The Airfoam Wall Insulation installers have been thoroughly trained and nationally certified to provide you with a cost effective way to install insulation into your walls without having to remove the claddings and minimal disruption to the family.Ask about their low interest easy option payment plan which is available with the help of the ‘energy saver fund’ specifically for Airfoam Insulation.

Contact Airfoam Wall Insulators (Northland) on 09 431 5223 or 0800 432 872.

You can find out more about wall insulation at www.airfoam.co.nz.

• Within a matter of days you can transform your house into a cozy home.

• Become more efficient with your heating and cooling costs.

• Create a healthier environment for your family.

• Significantly reduce condensation and reduce mould and dampness.

• Stop cold draughts in your home.

• Once Airfoam is installed you will notice significant sound dampening qualities.

• No interest or very low interest repayments available with the Energy Saver Fund specifically for Airfoam Wall Insulation

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March 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

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Across New Zealand, more and more homes and businesses and now farms, are switching to the benefits of solar and wind-powered energy.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) provides financial contributions up to $1,000 — only to residential owner occupiers — to install solar hot water heating systems.

With dairy farmers, in particular, using substational amounts of energy, at it seems everrising prices, it would seem a logical step to join the shift to the sun.

Attracting more attention in recent months have been rural wind-power systems.

Micro wind turbines are small devices intended for domestic use.

Some of the smallest are designed to be mounted on the roof of a home or building; these generally range from 200W to 2.5kW devices.

Larger turbines can be mounted on masts three to about 15m in height and range in capacity from about 600W to 20kW. The larger machines in this category could power a farm or a cluster of buildings. In fact, these systems are ideal for farms. In most urban areas they won’t operate very efficiently because the wind will be obstructed by other buildings and trees. Thus they are expected to become much more common on lifestyle

Save up to $1,300* with the natural way to a warmer, drier home Now’s your chance to take advantage of government grants of up to $1,300 to make your family’s home warmer, cosier and easier to heat. It’s a move that will not only make you more comfortable – research shows it will result in health benefits for your family too. What’s more, Eco Insulation – the awardwinning innovators behind the use of all-natural wool, the healthy and natural alternative for home insulation – can handle the whole process for you. From application to installation, they make it easy for you to provide your family with the warm, comfortable home you deserve – and look after the environment. For more information on how the Energywise scheme can help you, call Eco Insulation today.

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blocks and farms where windy sites with minimal obstruction are available and where noise is less of an issue. On the solar front there is along list of benefits from solar energy.

But of particular importance to dairy farmers is the fact that a crack in the Maui pipeline that crippled many businesses in the central and upper North Island last October — and saw farmers pouring thousands of litres of milk down the drain could be alleviated. On farm power generation is a huge insurance against such losses.

Solar in fact has been adopted by many major businesses in New Zealand.

Auckland Airport’s new international passenger terminal is one of the first buildings in New Zealand to receive world-recognised accreditation for its sustainable and energy efficient design.

The roof of the building incorporates 300 square metres of photovoltaic cells, which produce 49,000kWh every year towards lighting, as well as solar water heaters for hot water.

And if there should be any rural doubt, many of DoC’s offshore island installations have converted from diesel generation to solar.

There have been small-scale alternative power systems installed on five islands around our coast.

Northern Farming Lifestyles March 2012

21

To build or renovate Long road to full implementation for building laws Despite the change in building laws heralded by the government on the first of March, it will be a long process getting many builders up to full trade qualified status. The current schedule set out by the government for full upskilling and qualification of all Licensed Building Practitioners aims for a completion date of 2015, leaving those building in the interim in limbo, unsure of the right path to take.

Of course, any LBP can undertake the newly classified ‘restricted building work’, but a trade qualification is a stamp of approval not easily achieved and it rightly remains the benchmark of a builder’s experience in the view of most New Zealanders. After all, it’s one thing to have the paperwork, but another to have put in years of practical work constructing homes in New Zealand conditions — a track record which can be inspected for a degree of surety.

For those who wish to avoid any pitfalls and have true peace of mind when building, it’s always best to ask to see the trade qualifications of your builder. By 2015 (if all goes according to schedule) this level of qualification should be universal, but in the meantime it pays to check.

Another option — and one which appeals to many — is to deal with a group such as the Certified Builders, who can guarantee trade qualified workmanship through their own peer-driven

organisation. Unless a builder is trade qualified they cannot become a member of the Certified Builders Association. Groups like the Certified Builders are extremely dedicated to the best building practices, and boast a wealth of experience in the trade.

It’s also noteworthy that Certified Builders offer a 10 year written guarantee on their workmanship — an option which provides iron-clad peace of mind for the home owner. Other organisations and individual building companies will likely follow suit as those investing in a new home demand this level of assurance.

If all goes according to plan the changes begun on March 1st 2012 will change the building industry for the better.

Until then, insist on the highest level of qualification and experience when you build… it’s well worth investing in a future-proof outcome.

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22

March 2012  Northern

Farming Lifestyles

IMPROVABLE FAMILY DAIRY UNIT

Dargaville

Mt Wesley Coast Road

For Sale View phone for viewing times

This property is without comparison on the local market. Boasting two large executive style homes, a three bedroom cottage offers further possibiities, ideal for the larger farmily. This sustainable grass only 93.04ha dairy farm is run as a low input unit. Milking 160 cows from a milking platform of 90ha with a production peak of 57,000kgms from 70ha. You will benefit from the multiple titles, contour, exceptional location and having all capital costs met. The vendors believe the true potential to be in excess of 60,000kgms. Capable of production leaps, this property is poised to be an unmatched milking platform.

www.bayleys.co.nz/185093

Tony Grindle M 021 432 308 B 09 430 0032 tony.grindle@bayleys.co.nz MACKYS REAL ESTATE LIMITED, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

Vendors are leaving the industry.

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For Sale View phone for viewing times

Mahuta Road

For Sale View phone for viewing times

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Featuring a three bedroom A-frame style bungalow with separate garaging, the property is suitable as a development lifestyle, investment property or as a well positioned rental with grazing potential.

Tony Grindle

M 021 432 308 B 09 430 0032 tony.grindle@bayleys.co.nz MACKYS REAL ESTATE LIMITED, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

of unsurpassed free draining grazing and a private family retreat. With camping style chalets in place and woolshed with covered yard, this is a block that offers something for everyone.

Retiring vendors.

Our absentee vendors are keen to see results.

www.bayleys.co.nz

All companies within this composite are Members of Bayleys Realty Group

www.bayleys.co.nz/186240

Tony Grindle M 021 432 308 B 09 430 0032 tony.grindle@bayleys.co.nz MACKYS REAL ESTATE LIMITED, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

Northern Farming Lifestyles March 2012

23

NORTHLAND

NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP GAMES Natural equestrian games on show A second round of Natural Horsemanship Games is taking place on April 8 at Barge Park in Whangarei.

a day not to be missed by all horse enthusiasts to watch or participate,” added Leanne.

The games are held under the Parelli school of horsemanship system, founded in the US, in which humans are taught how to interact with horses.

“It all started in a market in Waipu in September 2010, I bumped into Pat Hunter, a fellow Parelli student whose idea was to organise a venue for natural horsemanship people to get together to showcase their skills, meet other like-minded people and to challenge their relationship with their horse in a safe and fun environment. Pat’s enthusiasm and passion was catchy and before I knew it, I was on the committee and given jobs to do.

“We will have demonstrations including Parelli professionals Russell Higgins and Jane Cook, horse related stalls and the games themselves. This is

“Over the next six months we designed 16 games which were put into a booklet, found sponsorship, fundraised, advertised, scouted for

de Ne sig w ns !

“The inaugural event last year was a resounding success, with over 1,000 spectators coming to watch 35 participants compete in games specially designed to challenge the relationship between horse and human,” said a founding organiser, Leanne Cameron.

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Northern Farming Lifestyles

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I have recently attended meetings with other rural managers from around the North Island — effectively we are all in a similar market — the challenges that face Tony Grindle our vendors and purchasers in Northland are typically the same the country over. Some of the extracts from our recent meeting are listed below. While there are regional variations around the country, some common themes are emerging.

“Some of the well established, larger farming operations of around 3,000 hectares are building up big cash surpluses given the better returns,” says James MacPherson, Bayleys Gisborne principal. “They are keen to buy more property but they are constrained at the moment by a limited supply of farms for sale, particularly larger holdings.

However, there is no doubt they will be investing back in rural property when the right opportunity comes along which will be very positive for the market.”

‘Shortage of stock’ is a common catch cry amongst property agents around the country, with demand outstripping supply.

“It’s good to see banks out there competing quite vigorously with each for new business again,” says Bayleys Canterbury director, Bill Whalan. “But they — like purchasers — are relatively cautious. Banks are lending on cashflow

and on farming expertise and not on assumed capital growth in land values which is where they ran into problems in the past.”

In the dairy sector, the Waikato and Taranaki continue to set the benchmark for farm prices and Bayleys Waikato and King Country sales manager Mark Dawe says there has been clear evidence over the spring and summer sales period that prices are nudging up again on the back of a good level of activity.

“We’ve actually seen a bit of a lift in the Waikato dairy market since Christmas — in the order of 5 to 10 per cent. That’s a combination of a wet summer which has been great for pasture growth and confidence and a shortage of quality properties for sale after an active spring and early summer market cleaned out a lot of the supply.”

On the local front, we are continuing to experience repeat viewings of our dairy farms and at the time of writing am waiting for the results of two very good offers on dairy farms that are being currently marketed. As outlined in last month’s report, the sales statistics from our recent sales is available to purchasers who are looking to assess values of rural property or conversely to vendors who may be looking to get a market indication of value before deciding to put their farm on the market.

In any event feel free to call for a chat about the market.

Notes from the shed with Mark With the payout McKewen high and interest low, it’s a really good time to

fix the things that are causing some grief around the Dairy.

Before you upgrade to new Milfos cup removers or a Milfos Variable Drive Vacuum System it would be sensible to evaluate things that could impact on your proposed upgrade.

Sparkies generally do a great job, however, we regularly come across wiring of all sorts that has been installed incorrectly.

For instance we see the right cable used on say, a milk pump controller, but still bundled with everything else so it creates interference with the controller and bingo, a slightly crazy controller. Unless you know what to look for it can be a painful process to find as it looks like a faulty controller. hopefully and it’s great have a goodfrom ThisWhile is important for alltosorts of systems pulsationavoiding controllersaggravating to cup removers and the more sophisticated the more you have to be. We costlycareful breakdowns. season, it’s important to the looksystem at the recommend data cables far away from power possible. coming drykeeping off when most as people To go oneasbetter, talk with your local We have all heard about stray out. voltage, yes itMilfos does exist and can cause all sorts have machine tests carried Service Partner and get them of issues, we have found a major source is the cable and terminations between to tell you about the iCARE Scheduled What tends to happen is that Variable drives and Motors. everyone wants their machine tests Maintenance Programme.

There around is a lot ofthe documentation drives with regard to the done same time.supplied While with variable This programme will allow you to cable to be used and metal glands for terminations etc, these are minimums and a service partners try to accommodate tailor make a programme to suit your good Sparky will follow manufacturer’s recommendations or better. If in doubt everyone, along with other major requirements and budget. get it checked. project work and upgrades, sometimes The Milfos iCARE Don’t forget the effluent or water pump, same deal, and move theprogramme electric fencetakes delays can happen with the high the stress out of shed maintenance, unit to the implement shed, they can be an interference nasty in the dairy. workload. rightMilfos down to ormaking you For sensible advice on Upgrades, find your local dealer Area Salessure Manager have filter socks on hand when you There’s really no reason why the at www.milfos.com.

There are a lot of things happening in the farming business, and as per usual the weather has dictated, with a bumper season for a lot of areas.

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machine tests can’t be done during the year between milkings, while it’s not so busy.

The service partners are good at working around your milking schedule. Also, the upside of getting work done during the year is that the service partners will have the time to carry out routine maintenance to keep your machine in top working order,

need them.

If you are considering an upgrade to your dairy, it would be a good idea to talk with your local Milfos Service Partner to arrange an evaluation as it is getting quite busy out there.

To check out Milfos products and services or to find your local Milfos Service Partner go to www.milfos.com.

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Northern Farming Lifestyles March 2012

Dairying Inoculant reduces maize silage heating Most farmers have observed heating in their maize silage. Recently published New Zealand research shows that applying the right bacterial inoculant can keep silage cool for longer improving silage quality and reducing feed losses. It also allows farmers to feed out their maize silage up to one day in advance.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the New Zealand Grasslands Association1, measured how long it took maize silage to heat when it was exposed to air after ensiling.

It compared the performance of three commercially available silage inoculants with an untreated control when applied to eight different maize crops.

The untreated control heated within an average of 39.3 hours after the maize silage was exposed to air. Pioneer® brand 11C33 inoculated maize silage stayed cool for more than two days longer than the control. Two other commercially available inoculants (Products A and B) did not differ significantly from the untreated silage (Figure 1).

“Maize silage contains high levels of sugars and starch which makes it prone to heating at feed-out time” says Dr Jakob Kleinmans, Forage Products Manager for Pioneer® brand seeds and a co-author of the paper. “Our study mirrored overseas research which shows silage inoculants can reduce maize silage heating at feedout time but some products perform better than others.”

Inoculants will only deliver a benefit if they contain enough live, beneficial bacteria to outcompete naturally-occurring species and strains.

Independent researchers recommend inoculants should apply at least 100,000 colony-forming-units of bacteria per gram of crop.

“Guaranteed bacterial counts on the product label is a first indication of

product quality” says Kleinmans. “Good inoculant purchase decisions should also be based on the results of published trials which have been conducted according to scientific protocols.”

As well as reducing quality and drymatter losses, Pioneer® brand 11C33 has practical farm management advantages.

“11C33 treated silage that has fermented at least 30 days prior to feed-out can be fed out up to a day in advance of the cows eating it” says Kleinmans. “Many farmers enjoy the benefits of being able to fill the feed-out waggon or feed bins the night before rather than having to do it first thing in the morning.”

For more information on maize silage harvest management or a copy of the Grasslands paper call 0800 PIONEER (0800 746 633) 1Kleinmans et al, 2011. Using silage inoculants to improve the quality of pasture and maize silage in NZ. Proceedings of the NZ Grassland Association 73: 75-80. For maximum aerobic stability benefits, silage must ferment at least 30 days before feeding.

Figure 1: Time before heating when maize silage is exposed to the air

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Nutrition through Autumn Autumn is a good time to try new feed blends without the added production or calving pressures that come with spring, says Ravensdown Nutrition Business Manager Stephen Fink.

“It’s a good time to try something different without having to worry about factors affecting peak production, so we’re reducing the price of our high energy blends to encourage farmers to try a blend and confirm the response — to try it and find they’ll like it.

“It also means farmers know their cows are comfortable with the change well before spring.”

Anecdotally, farmers are confirming the pricing of blends are hundreds of dollars a tonne cheaper than pelletised feeds and the response is just as good, particularly on farms with shed-based feed systems.

Mr Fink says there are two crucial steps farmers should take at this time of year.

“One is to do body condition scores and the other is to make sure they’re looking at the lowest 30% of the cows when they score them, not just the top. It’s always the bottom third of the herd that gives farmers problems. Cows should be at body condition score five at dry-off as well as calving.”

Grass, in most areas is plentiful at the moment and the main topic of discussion is how to best utilise the feed grown and keep quality through the autumn, he says.

“Adding high energy blends such as Dairy Hi Carb 27, Dairy Energy Boost or Dairy Hi Carb Plus will help maintain energy levels in the diet and offer the best chance to maximise production opportunities and put condition on cows.

“Where feed is looking short, PKE will provide an economic supplement and will help maintain energy and protein levels over summer. Importantly with spore counts on the rise, Zinc oxide (for facial eczema control) and macro-minerals can also be added to our blends through our Pick and Mix capability. Often adding minerals and trace elements via feed is the most cost-effective method of delivery as well as avoiding potential wastage.”

Stephen Fink says contracting Ravensdown’s blends or PKE provides certainty of price and availability so “talk to your account manager or our Customer Centre on 0800 100 123 about the best option for your farm.”

26

Northern Farming Lifestyles

March 2012

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Northern Farming Lifestyles March 2012

Farmers oF New ZealaNd

27

Phone 09 439 5219 — Fax 09 439 5719 — P.O. Box 484, Whangarei, Northland email: newzealandfarmers@xtra.co.nz — www.newzealandfarmers.com

Continuing debt increases, unsustainable

by Bill Guest, Operations Director, Farmers of New Zealand The compulsory payment of District Council rates is now becoming the major mortgage on freehold properties and the second significant mortgage behind ratepayers’ bank mortgages.

Index. Farmers of New Zealand supports this, but there must be an alignment of councils’ financial monthly and annual reporting, so it is easier to compare the costs of one council’s activities against another.

Farmers, being taxpayers and major ratepayers, are finding the burden of rate payments on top of their payments to service $46 billion of farm debt, unsustainable.

This must also include a Fiscal Responsibility Bill for local government that gives ratepayers more say. Poll provisions should apply to all affected ratepayers for the raising of loans by special order procedures, whether under the jurisdiction of regional or territorial authorities.

The Local Government Minister the Hon. Nick Smith declared in the press that council debts are getting out of control and the average rate increases nationally are 7%. Council debt has moved from $1.8 billion to $7 billion. He is going to amend the Local Government Act to control costs and keep rate rises in line with the Consumer Price

Local government should not fund social services from rates.

Any such services should be funded by Central Government or another external source.

District councils over the next few weeks will be signalling their

rate increases in the Annual district plans. The Kaipara District council is signalling rate increases of 40% plus, six times greater than the national average.

It is time for the silent majority to stand up and take an interest in the activities of their district councils and we need to send a clear signal to Local Government Minister Nick Smith that we have had enough of councillors acting irresponsibly and using ratepayers’ hard earned money on expenses that have nothing to do with core business.

Local government exists to provide public good services that would not otherwise be provided by the public sector. Raising revenue to provide predominantly public good services should be based on a broad interpretation of benefits to the different classes

of ratepayers ie. differential rating or annual service charges on the basis of benefits received.

User charges and fees such as building permits, library charges etc are appropriate where the benefits are predominantly private and the transaction costs are low.

Annual service charges should be levied for specific services (eg. water, storm water, refuse and sewerage services) where the level of consumption of those services can be easily determined, and where usercharge fees are not practical.

Only properties that receive such services should pay for them.

Territorial authorities should use uniform annual charges (UAC’s) to their maximum to finance people-orientated

Bill Guest, Farmers of New Zealand

services, such as the costs of democracy and other nonattributable costs. Propertybased rates should not be used for these purposes.

The statutory limit of UAC’s should be increased, so that the use of valuation rating as a revenue-raising mechanism becomes less significant.

NORTHERN FARMING CLASSIFIEDS Reach 33,300 Rural Homes — Phone 0800 466 793

For Sale ATV MATS from $89 – Come in & see us at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi. Phone 0800 963 636 www.atvtyres.co.nz. Be quick offer ends 31/03/12.

ATV SAFETY HELMETS – from $119 accessories from $15. The law has changed! Have you got yours?

Come & see us at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi. Phone 0800 963 636 www.atvtyres.co.nz.

Subject to availability.

BOAT TRAILERS, full range to suit 12ft to 27ft boats, very competitive prices and immediate delivery for most models now. Call us to discuss free on 0800 162 500 Xpress Trailers.

BOX TRAILERS, single and tandem axle trailers at very competitive prices, full range of sizes, 6x4 $1695, 7x4 $1895, 8x4 $2095, 8x5 tandem $2795, 10x5 tandem $3395, 10x6 tandem $3795 Ph 0800 162 500 Xpress trailers.

CHAIN & SPROCKET KITS DIRT OR FARM BIKE. SAVE 10% off RRP If you get them fitted at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi. Phone 0800 963 636 www.atvtyres.co.nz. Be quick – offer ends 31/03/12.

CHICKEN MANURE $20 per cubic metre plus freight.

Supply, cart and can spread. Call Jeff 09 432 2444 or 027 476 5458.

NEED NEW ATV TYRES? GET 20% OFF RRP & FREE FITTING at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi.

Phone 0800 963 636 www.atvtyres.co.nz. Be quick – offer ends 31/03/12.

For Sale

Wanted

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Ph 0800 496 753 www.worldmoving.co.nz. “Experience & Advice You Can Trust”.

INTRODUCTORY OFFER. New Customers Receive 7.5% discount off RRP for all stocked items with this voucher at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi. Phone 0800 963 636 www.atvtyres.co.nz. Be quick – offer ends 31/03/12. Conditions apply.

Water Services TANK WATER TESTING. Detect ‘bad bugs’ in drinking water. Report gives results and recommendations.

Sterilisation of water/gutters/pipes and vacuum cleaning. Contact Simon on 422 9345 or at tankwater@xtra.co.nz.

ATV SERVICE.

Rural Supplies

Receive 10% discount off RRP for standard service parts* with this voucher when you get your ATV serviced at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street Hikurangi. Phone 0800 963 636 www.atvtyres.co.nz. *Conditions apply, offer ends 31/03/12.

FREE STAINLESS BBQ TOOL SET! With every order over $350.00 this month. Tanks, pipes, fittings, buteline, troughs, valves, irrigation… PLUMBING SOLUTIONS online. Value for money, Saving you time. www.nzplumbingsupplies.co.nz or 0800 428 376.

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AVON SALES Reps Wanted. No startup costs. Your own business, with free training and support. Have fun, meet people while you earn. Sales Managers also required.

Must be self-motivated, goal setters. Phone/text: Tracey (09) 436 2055 / 021 02377 501.

Work Wanted

SINTERED BRAKE PADS – for MX & FarmBikes – from $39 at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi. Phone 0800 963 636 www.atvtyres.co.nz.

BACK 2 WOOD Demolition. For your renovation needs. Servicing Northland – Auckland. Specialising in windows, doors and ranchsliders. Also kitchens, vanities, roofing and more. www.back2wood.co.nz.

Ph 09 408 7163.

WEED EATERS & CHAINSAWS – GET 10% OFF STOCKED ITEMS at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi. Phone 0800 963 636 www.atvtyres.co.nz.

Be quick – offer ends 31/03/12.

WANTED. HUDSON & Terraplane Car parts. Any condition considered (mainly 34) Contact John by email: johnbowman@slingshot.co.nz.

Wanted

Services FARM BRIDGES Phone Pat now 0800 222 189, visit www.bridgeitnz.co.nz. Bridge It NZ Ltd.

Supplies WINDMILL WATER pumps by Ferguson Windmills Company. Phone 09 412 8655. www.windmills.co.nz. sales@windmills.co.nz.

TASTE NORFOLK Island. Escorted Foodies’ tour 15–22 July 2012. Incl airfares, accommodation, five dinners and other cuisine-related activities. Skylark Tours 09 432 8065. www.skylarktours.co.nz.

VANUATU & Mt Yasur Volcano. Escorted tour 11–18 August 2012. Incl airfares, accommodation, Mt Yasur excursion and great optional extras. Skylark Tours 09 432 8065. www.skylarktours.co.nz.

GOVERNOR’S CUP Golf Tournament Norfolk Island.

Escorted tour 4–11 November 2012. International Amateur Pairs Event. Incl airfares, accommodation, entry fees, green fees, gala events. Skylark Tours 09 432 8065. www.skylarktours.co.nz.

Read the paper online www.farminglifestyles.co.nz

28

March 2012  Northern

Farming Lifestyles

BEST PRICES EVER ON SELECTED POLARIS ATVs AND RANGERS.

If you spend countless hours on an ATV seat, you want the smoothest riding ATV money can buy.

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