Harrisons Cape Runner • The world famous Cape Reinga • Tour along 90 mile beach
30,314 copies DELIVERED FREE to every farm and rural delivery address from Albany to Cape Reinga
Freshwater rules a major issue
September 2020 Edition
Survived to tell the story
capetours@xtra.co.nz Phone www.harrisonscapereingatours.co.nz 0800 22 73 73 www.ahipara.co.nz/caperunner
Seizing an opportunity
P4
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Passionate about equestrian Pages 6–7
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September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
Power pole crashes rise
Integrity community media
by Ann van Engelen
The Northern Farming Lifestyles is published with pride by Integrity Community Media, a privately owned NZ company. Phone: 0800 466 793 Email: info@integrity.nz General Manager: Deb Wright | deb.wright@integrity.nz | 021 639 696
Motorists are being urged to slow down due to the number of vehicles crashing into power poles throughout Kaipara and Northland.
Editorial: Ann van Engelen, Paul Campbell, Andy Bryenton Advertising: Betty Willetts, Devon Blair Accounts: accounts@integrity.nz Distribution: Laurie Willetts Website: www.farminglifestyles.co.nz
Distribution details Print run 30,314. ABC audited circulation 32,975, audited Jan–Dec 2014. DELIVERED FREE to every farm and rural delivery address from Albany to Cape Reinga.
BRIDGE BUILDING & PILING SPECIALISTS One of several vehicle crashes in Kaipara, which ended with a power pole being knocked down across the road in Ruawai
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Police, Northland Transportation Alliance, Northpower and Top Energy have joined together to raise public awareness on the dangers of power pole crashes. There have been 13 instances of vehicles hitting poles since June this year in Northland, including Kaipara, interrupting the electricity supply to 47,129 customers. As of last Friday week, there have been 383 power pole, street lamp and telecommunication pole accidents in Northland since 2016. One hundred and four of those were in the Kaipara and Whangarei districts. Crash analysis data from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency shows 45 per cent of crashes are in the 15–29-year-old age bracket. “A moment’s distraction can cause a lifetime of change. People living with brain injuries often live with ongoing fatigue issues. They may travel from Whangarei to Auckland and need to stop for several rests. Fatigue is real, take a break,” says Brain Injury Association
Northland liaison officer, Vikki Herdman. Northpower Network general manager Josie Boyd says: “When people take out power poles and groundmounted transformers, that creates additional dangers due to the risk of electrocution, fires and power outages in our community. “I want to urge motorists to reduce their speed in winter conditions. We are seeing too many crashes taking out power poles. During the initial Covid-19 lockdown we had virtually no incidents, but since then we have seen a spike in vehicles crashing into power poles. Our message is that if you are in a vehicle that takes down a power pole and the powerlines end up on the ground, be extremely careful. “If you can safely drive clear, do so. If not, stay in the vehicle, phone 111 and stay where you are until you are told it is safe to get out. Our crews and emergency services attend to these crashes quickly.”
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NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020
Freshwater rules a major issue The requirements around winter grazing on forage crops, low-slope land mapping and certified farm plans are the big issues being raised by farmers in relation to the new essential freshwater rules. “We have been talking to farmers since the rules were released on August 5, including a webinar with over 300 farmers, and significant concerns are being raised about the practicality of some rules,” says Beef + Lamb NZ CEO Sam McIvor. “B+LNZ is working hard to provide clarity and guidance to farmers so that you can understand your options, plan for the future, and get on with the business of farming. While we support farmers, we are also strongly advocating for changes at the national and regional level and for workable solutions with regional councils in your local areas. “Farmers’ most immediate concerns are the stringent rules around winter grazing of forage crops. In particular, the pugging rules and resowing dates, which mean it is likely winter grazing on forage crops will either need a certified freshwater farm plan or require a consent next year. “We know this is top of mind as farmers are starting to think about paddock and crop selection now. We are aiming to do a deep dive on what you need to think about for winter grazing in our e-diary. We encourage farmers to think about strategic winter grazing
principles and consider how these can be applied to your operations.” The new rules require a setback/ buffer of five metres. “Getting clarity on how regional councils will implement the rules and consenting processes is an urgent priority. “We will be engaging closely with regional councils over the next month to seek a practical approach. We are also working on resources to provide advice to farmers on what they need to do. “Most farmers have been working hard on winter grazing management. Farmers understand the environmental risks and are making changes, but time and practicalities are key considerations for successful change. “The government’s amendments of the winter grazing rules around ‘small pugging’ (meaning five centimetres deep) has provided a small point of certainty, but this hasn’t changed the overall effect. We will continue to advocate for more practical changes that still deliver better freshwater health outcomes.“ For more information, go to Essential Freshwater Consultation at beeflambnz. com.
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September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
SURVIVED TO TELL THE STORY by Ann van Engelen
Lifestyle block and deer farm owner John Vujcich has lived and worked in the rural community for many years, is a Far North District Councillor and has a story of survival to tell. PART TWO
A
fter a farming accident where he lost his right foot in September 2013, John is now very aware of the lifesaving services the Northland Rescue Helicopters provide. “I was in a wheelchair for a while and am coping well with missing a foot. I now understand the difficulties of those who are in the Paralympics,” says John. “You get an appreciation of what people live with every day — mine is an artificial foot. I can’t do the nine-second 100-metre sprint anymore, not that I could before but I can do most things. “If it wasn’t for the rescue chopper I would certainly not have survived. One of the pilots recently told my brother
Peter, a doctor, that rescue-chopper pilot Sue Dinkelacker established an exclusive club for those who have been rescued by helicopter. “It helps raise awareness and funds for the organisation. I immediately joined and became their first member. I think it is very fitting considering they saved my life. I encourage all those who have been rescued by the service to join. It doesn’t matter where in the country, or world, you were rescued. It is a great initiative — you can get more information at Haastclub.com.” The Haast Club membership is a way to commemorate a personal rescue with the logo being the Haast eagle.
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Being an amputee, John says he has a new appreciation for people who are involved in events such as the Paralympics “The purpose of the club is to offer a tangible ‘legacy-quality’ collectable to remind you of your experience, and create a talking point to share your story while raising funds for New Zealand Rescue Helicopter Trusts,” says Sue. “Many different types of helicopters have saved people over the last halfa-century. Helicopter-shaped artwork would be recognised as a specific
chopper, whereas an eagle symbolises them all. Inspired by the eagle that snatched Gandalf to safety in the Tolkien stories, the Haast Club artworks depict the largest eagle ever to have existed in the world, the extinct New Zealand Haast’s eagle.” John has been a councillor at the Far North District Council since September 2013 and lives on a lifestyle block
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NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020
Rescue-chopper pilot Sue Dinkelacker sculpted the Haast Eagle emblem when she established the exclusive club for people rescued by helicopter farming 400 deer. “We moved from beef into deer, as the property isn’t that large. What affected me most was working off-farm, I couldn’t be there when the cows were with calving to help them. Deer fawn in November and December and they go off alone and give birth and don’t need assistance. “My son went into dairy farming and won North Canterbury dairy trainee of the year. He now runs the property. Deer are lovely animals that look intelligent and are intelligent. They are lovely to be around, and young deer make fantastic pets. “You should never trust sexually mature males. “You need good sheds, fences and the proper facilities to manage them and you need proper two-metre deer fences. They are good animals for the volcanic
soil we have. We get a lot of rain, and they are light-footed, so your pasture loss from pugging is much reduced. They like to wallow in the mud and can go places cows can’t so all waterways need to be fenced, or they make a mess of your drains.” John has a very strong interest in progressing local communities. “I was involved in setting up initiatives to help communities help themselves and often looked at how technology could help,” he says. “I went into the council to try and improve the governance as I think there is some weakness in councils. I am actively involved in the governance and empowerment of communities and believe we should empower our local community boards. I look at how councils work in general and how the
John is the first member to join of the Haast Club, a club established exclusively for those rescued by the rescue helicopter services spending of rates can be better to avoid wastage. I believe in localism because it shifts the decision-making as close as possible to the affected communities. “From a farming point of view, I believe all of Northland has huge potential. Due to Covid, the importance of farming has recently been recognised for their resilience and ability to supply products to high-value overseas markets, which will be important for New Zealand’s
future. With quite a small investment, the underutilised land can become very productive. “Farmers are doing their bit and appreciate the environment. They love it as I did when I moved back. I believe small farming is still a major player in our economy. “New Zealand produces safe, goodquality food, and on the world stage we need to take advantage of that.”
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September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
Passionate about equestrian Jess Brennan grew up on Waiheke Island and at 13 years old attended Whangarei Girls’ High School as a live-in student and now is a chef, farmer and equestrian care professional. Jess Brennan has had many years experience in the equestrian industry
by Ann van Engelen
“I
sland life was fantastic, you could take your horse everywhere including the shop, the beach and the bush until dark,” says Jess. “Dad worked on an oil rig in New Guinea and was often away. I grew up learning to ride at a riding centre as my parents are not horsey at all. I would
collect the horse poo and annoy the owner, Mary Richards until she would let me ride. Later I used her ponies for shows and things. “Mary was an amazing woman, and I really appreciate all she did for us that she taught. She made a huge impact on a lot of children in my era. Some children don’t have very good family situations
and horses are such good therapy. They can be kind and very accepting. I loved to cook, and when I finished my schooling moved to Auckland and studied to be a chef at Manukau Institute of Technology. I had a milk run job and then worked at McDonalds, and a workmate took me horse riding. “Previous to that I met Heather Flynn, a racehorse trainer. She taught me to ride track work and hurdles and to work young thoroughbreds. When I was 17 years old, she got me a job in
Sydney, Australia at Muskoka Farms. I worked pre-training, breaking in and preparing racehorses. After one season I transferred to Glenn Logan Park Stud in Queensland and got the bug for moving around to upskill. I was responsible for yearling preparations and helped with the Magic Millions race on the Gold Coast. I also worked at an endurance centre with Arab horses, which was scary because they are bred for long distances in the Middle East. It was all about fitness and agility, and they go everywhere,
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NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020
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Teaching children and adults to give their horses quality care is a priority to Jess Heatley Road Riding Centre also offer pony rides and birthday parties as well as online lesson advice
including up goat cliffs. I went on to manage an equine quarantine centre for export in Sydney. There was a lot of high energy and aggressive stallions and colts. I then studied equine nursing and got my certificate and picked up work grooming for polo in a town called Elliston owned by Kerry Packer. That was an amazing experience, and I worked for some very good patrons. The royal family held their tournament there. The stables were made of sandstone with polished concrete floors and expensive artwork on the walls. I came back to New Zealand and worked at Ag Dairy. I eventually married and dairy farmed for 12 years.
“My ex-husband and I moved to Kaiwaka and due to the bad payout season a few years ago gained work at the Three Furlongs pub. I created the original menu when they reopened the establishment. “I then took a step away from everything and worked at The Vet Centre as a nurse technician, and I met Helen Connett, who inspired me. She events every weekend and gave me her two-star mare to ride for a season and reignited my passion for horses. “I helped a few friends learn to ride and did three years volunteering with riding for the disabled, helping children with special needs such as anxiety. A
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friend suggested I teach horse riding and I started with a couple of children that had their own ponies. My partner Korey Fergus helped me purchase two horses, which I trained and they turned out to be amazing. Korey is a huge support. He helps with the maintenance, fencing and all the hard work. “Horses, in general, are awesome animals, and what they can provide people is huge. I work with retired thoroughbred racehorses, and if they are suitable, I keep them or give them a good calm base to be rehomed. I have nine horses in total and more coming to provide weekly lessons with boys, girls and adult classes. They learn everything from catching, brushing, foot care and saddling to riding. It is basic level and prepares people for
their own horse or pony. Safety and horsemanship are important as is being able to communicate with your animal and putting their gear on. They then find a more advanced instructor to further their experience. “I teach good communication, teamwork, and responsibility, not just riding and helping each other is all part of it. “I also do pony rides and birthday parties and am doing an online service through my Heatley Road Riding Centre Facebook page to offer personalised lessons. “Korey and I are finishing our arena with the aim to offer riding for the disabled. Ultimately having the right temperament horses is what makes a riding centre a success.”
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September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
Seizing an opportunity by Ann van Engelen Brandon Cross was born in Gisborne and has worked his way up to an orchard management position for kiwifruit orchard and post-harvest company Seeka through a chance meeting.
T
he 24-year-old is an entrant in the Ahuwhenua Awards and encourages other young people across the country to consider horticulture as a career. “After leaving school, I started to study at Victoria University in Wellington for a degree in commerce. I didn’t like the thought of spending another three years in a classroom and after two months left and headed home,” says Brandon. “I was introduced to Michael Franks, the CEO of Seeka, and he offered me the chance to join his company, so I did. I moved to the Bay of Plenty a few months later. The work is based around the kiwifruit capital of New Zealand, Te Puke and Paengaroa. “I grew up in the city. My parents are from up the coast, and my mum’s dad
was a farmer, but I had no experience on farms or orchards before this opportunity. I am now in my sixth year here. When I first started with another cadet Levi, I had no specific interest in horticulture but have developed a passion for the industry. As a cadet and trainee manager, I was involved in a range of tasks especially during the harvest.” That included driving tractors and forklifts and working in the packhouse. “We undertook vine management including organising sprays, fertilisers, structural maintenance and cultural plant practices. “The first couple of years were hard because I was still in school mode and wanted to chill with my mates and only worked for the paycheck.
Brandon is now a manager and as an Ahuwhenua Awards contestant is looking forward to the competition results “I am glad the company put us through the hard yards first. It gave us an appreciation for the workers who do the mundane and hard manual labour jobs. This is the only job I have had so I couldn’t compare it to other work. I just thought it was hard.” Brandon and Levi worked with the international workers, and he says they are great to compare to for working hard. “We worked in the packhouse lifting 20-kilogram boxes all day if we were stacking. You get tired and cherish your days off. In the orchard, during winter you prune every day for three months.
If you do just a week, it is easy, but pushing hard non-stop for three months is hard. “We planned to get where we are today. The cadetship started in November 2014 as a trial. We studied horticulture with Primary ITO to get advanced level four alongside our three years of training under senior managers as our mentors. “We experienced every single job, including the processing in the cool stores. We operated all the machines, graded, packed and stacked the fruit to understand every aspect of the
Chris Penk MP I have greatly enjoyed the chance to help many wonderful people since I was first elected as an MP. I’m here to help you. When you see me out and about in the area, please do stop and say hi.
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NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020
9
Brandon Cross says he took a punt when he was offered a cadetship with Seeka working in a kiwifruit orchard operation. We began supervising in the second year, including orchard pruning and quality control. In our third year, we learnt organising, making decisions and running teams of staff. We then moved into managing more staff and one block of our own under a mentor. “I had never seen a kiwifruit on a vine before. I was asking thousands of questions a day to make sure I understood everything, including pollination and cultural practices. The vines, maintenance and structural work
are also vital. To start an orchard, we do the blocks, posts, wires and ag beam. Plant a shelter hedge or use shelter cloth for wind reduction. We plant the grafted kiwifruit plants or bare and graft the variety later in the configuration of a row of female plants and then a row of males. We fertilise, condition the soil and string the vines in spring.” The vines grow up toward the sun during summer, and the leaves drop in winter. “These are pulled down to create leaders along the lead wires, and the
process is repeated the next year until the shoots grow up the strings and you get fruit. The process is repeated to create and maintain a kiwifruit orchard. “It is a fun job, and I enjoy the harvest. A big part of my success was meeting people of other ethnicities from all over the world, working together to get the job done. My favourite fruit is the green kiwifruit as it is not as sweet as
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September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
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Matt King MP for Northland
National Party Associate Spokesperson for Transport and Regional Development (North Island)
I’m your local MP and I’m here to help My job is to advocate for you in the electorate and represent Northlanders in Parliament. Please get in touch with my office to make an appointment. 09 407 7219 @ northland@parliament.govt.nz mattkingmp Authorised by Matt King MP, 93 Kerikeri Road, Northland
Authorised by Matt King, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020 ADVERTORIAL
Early detection the best protection New statistics revealed by the Prostate Cancer Foundation show that almost 300 fewer men were diagnosed in March and April this year, due to New Zealand’s lockdown, when compared to the same period last year.
Early prostate testing is a priority for rural men just as it is for those in urban areas because this deadly cancer often has no symptoms, and the PSA blood test is the crucial first indicator. In his role as medical adviser to PCFNZ, urologist Jim Duthie aims to reduce the number of men suffering from prostate cancer by expanding good testing throughout the country and encouraging early checks. “Guys don’t see enough doctors,” Jim says bluntly. “So, when they do, it’s important they make the most of that appointment.” Tackling a cancer that kills more than 600 Kiwi men each year is no small feat. According to Health Navigator NZ, men who live in rural areas are at
greater risk than those who live in urban areas because they have less access to health services. The research also points to rural men having lower rates of screening than their urban counterparts. Blue September is the Prostate Cancer Foundation New Zealand’s National Prostate Cancer Awareness month. The foundation is asking New Zealanders to hold a Blue Do to raise awareness and funds to join the fight against the disease. It has never been more imperative for Kiwis to ‘go blue’ this Blue September to join the fight and raise funds for the special men in our lives — our mates, fathers, brothers, uncles and grandfathers. Register your Blue Do or donate at blueseptember.org.nz.
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The importance of coenzyme Q10
(Part three)
I recently wrote about coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), and I was surprised at the amount of contact from readers on the subject. Especially from those wanting help dealing with the side effects of cholesterol-lowering medication. Studies show that statins can reduce circulating CoQ10 by as much as 50%. The side effects are so common they are called ‘statin myopathy’. The main side effects are muscle and tendon weakness, which can be felt as muscle stiffness and pain. The effect on nerves can impact memory and mood, and there’s comment about general lethargy. In most cases, two months of a quality CoQ10 will reduce these side effects and allow people to get the benefits of the medication without side effects. The chemical structure of CoQ10 allows it to move high energy electrons within our cell mitochondria where energy is made. CoQ10 collects these electrons and transfers them to an enzyme called ATP synthase to make the energy we need. I prescribe CoQ10 for several reasons most commonly for statin support. I also add CoQ10 for those fatigued without medical causes and for those with cardiovascular, autoimmune and neurodegenerative
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problems. For example, I include at least 100mg for those with Polymyalgia Rheumatica and higher doses for those with MS. For statins support, I use a highquality patented US CoQ10 and for inflammatory problems, my mitochondrial support formula, that includes high-grade Kaneka CoQ10 with a number of energy cofactors. It is interesting that the first improvement felt by those with these conditions is a lift in energy and general wellbeing. Those with inflammator y conditions, especially autoimmune problems, should be working to a personalised diet and supplement plan complementary to their regular medical treatment. Most people feel a real difference within three months. John Arts (B.Soc.Sci, Dip Tch, Adv. Dip.Nut.Med) is a nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health Ltd. For questions or advice contact John on 0800 423 559 or email john@abundant.co.nz. Join his all-new newsletter at abundant.co.nz.
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Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in New Zealand men, and 1 in 8 men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. Let’s help fight this by throwing a Blue Do.
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∙ CoQ10. is an important antioxidant that can protect ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol. ∙ CoQ10. is an essential part of our energy conversion – much like spark plugs in your car engine. ∙ CoQ10. levels decline with age and can be restricted by some medications and health problems.
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September 2020 NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020
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TYING THE KNOT A wedding checklist Your wedding is one of the happiest days of your life, but the planning can be daunting and many who have gone through the process before would say, it is best to begin the process early. Whether you have two years or two months to plan, starting in advance will help eliminate some of the stress as you build up to your special day. Don’t make endless lists in your head or on a piece of paper, but use a step-by-step wedding planning timeline to help you document and prioritise the things you need to do. The essential items include booking a marriage celebrant, wedding venue and caterer if needed. Check out photographers and the various styles of photos they take, decide on the cake you like, the style of wedding dress, men’s suits and bridesmaid’s outfits. Organise your guest list and plan your honeymoon if you are having one. Three months before your wedding arrange the legalities if our celebrant doesn’t do that for you. When looking for your wedding dress, remember a lot of bridal boutiques consider anything less than six months a rush order. Bridesmaids no longer have to be in matching outfits. Many brides now have a chosen colour with the bridesmaids choosing their own style dress for the day. Although each wedding is different, brides can organise their whole wedding in just 10 weeks. Once you draw up your
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Your wedding day is often classed as one of the most important days of your life
budget, try to stick to it. Although it is your special day, you do not want to be paying for it for years to come. It is common nowadays to hire a wedding planner as they help create weddings every week and eliminate a lot of pressure. On the day of the wedding, they ensure all runs to plan for you. Remember, there are many people who have married before you. Call them for ideas or advice but it is your day, and ultimately you need to ensure you have it your way.
Your wedding day is the first day to the rest of your life, to new adventures and often a fresh beginning. It is a day that you may choose to hold family traditions in one way or another or do something totally unique. There is no right way or wrong way to start your married life together. What matters most is that you and your partner enjoy your day so that in years to come, you can look back and say — yes, it was a great day.
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Want to get married in a rural setting that feels like home, but with less hassle? Book Barge Showgrounds Events Centre. Set within one of Whangarei’s most beautiful park-like settings, Barge Showgrounds Events Centre offers a flexible, spacious venue with an ‘at home feel’. Chairs, tables, linen, crockery & glassware for 180 guests. What are you waiting for? Book today!
WEDDINGS • CONFERENCES • EVENTS www.bargeshowgrounds.co.nz 09 438 3109 • 474 Maunu Road, Whangarei
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September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
Greg Campbell Wedding Photography is husband and wife team Greg and Cat. We are full-time wedding photographers and videographers based in Mangawhai. As Northlanders, we know all the local venues and have close relationships with the best vendors in the industry. We always strive to be relaxed and professional in doing the thing that we love most... photographing amazing, happy people in beautiful locations on their special day.
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NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020
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TYING THE KNOT A homegrown wedding Weddings on a budget are not uncommon throughout the world today and picking grandma’s flowers are becoming a popular sight in wedding bouquets and buttonholes. Wearing grandma’s or mum’s wedding dress that may have been altered has also added to the romance of many wedding occasions. It is not uncommon to have grandma’s dahlias or roses as the main flower in the bouquet, or on the tables at the reception. An outdoor event can be just as spectacular as a church or function room ceremony. People choose garden settings, beachside locations and even the family farm for their special day. If your budget is tight, get a few friends to bring their camera along, with one having the main camera. Add your favourite farm animals, whether that be cows, dogs, horses or sheep, utilise hay bales, the tractor or the family homestead as a backdrop. Research ideas for photos online; there are many stunning shots that have been taken by amateur photographers. A graffiti wall in your local community can add colour. Also check for school students or hobby photographers in your local area who may like the experience at a low cost to you. Contact of local theatre group if you want an unusual theme, or hire your bridal outfits, although it is not uncommon to go to the op shops or retail outlet stores to find beautiful suitable attire. Choosing your reception food can also be just as much fun on a budget. Local restaurants can at times deliver your chosen menu, or BBQs, bring a plate and hangi are still an acceptable way to cater. Choose your menu and request each guest to bring an item off the menu — this is a fun way to include everyone with the feast.
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If children are coming along for your special day, to help everyone enjoy the celebrations even more, consider hiring a children’s entertainer. Have a special area set aside where they have their own activities. Hire a few local youth to help babysit them and have a children’s food table set up. Face painting, balloons and old-fashioned games, such as pin the tail on the donkey will help make your wedding a treasured memory for the children attending. Don’t forget older people in your life may love to bake the cake. Gone are the days of a wedding cake being fruit, you can have chocolate, carrot or lemon meringue pie if that is what you want. Cake is now also considered a fine dessert item too.
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Ramada Resort by Wyndham Reia Taipa Beach, Doubtless Bay For a total tropical wedding experience and honeymoon, without leaving New Zealand, the Ramada Resort by Wyndham Reia Taipa Beach is the place to go. For superb accommodation, award-winning chefs, stunning ceremony locations, your own wedding coordinator and fantastic service, nothing is too much trouble. Relax by the beach the team at Ramada will take care of the rest. Ramada Resort by Wyndham Reia Taipa Beach 22 Taipa Point Road, Doubtless Bay. Freephone 0800 142 TAIPA (82472) Email reservations@ramadataipa.co.nz | www.ramadataipa.co.nz
If you have a million dollars or a very tight budget for your special day, there are ways to make your wedding day memorable and just the way you like it.
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Visit Botanica Whangarei to experience lush tropical jungle, dry arid desert, a superb New Zealand native fernery with a specialised filmy fern house, Japanese style garden and a shade garden. Free admission to all areas. Wheelchair accessible. Available for weddings and other functions. Next to Cafler Park and the Whangarei Rose Gardens, just a short walk to the City Centre. First Avenue, Whangarei | P 09 430 4200 | www.wdc.govt.nz
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September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
Vivid memoir takes flight by Andy Bryenton
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THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING LOCAL
If you’re reading this publication, it’s a fair bet that you enjoy a true tale of Kiwi farming adventures. Through the years we’ve brought you a fair few, but none, perhaps, with the scope of the life story of the ‘flying farmer’, Bruce Galloway. In his recently published memoir, Bruce lays out a life full of rural adventures, on horseback, motorcycle, tractor, truck, and ultimately in the air. As befits his nickname, Bruce has plenty of stories to tell about traversing the rural countryside on wings. He’s survived some hair-raising scrapes in the process, including the devastating crash of his Cessna 182. Here you’ll find a colloquial chronology from childhood through to adult life, spanning 11 farms and an enormous cast of colourful family and friends as characters. Reading through this volume is like talking to an old mate over a few cold pints; informal, humorous and sometimes touchingly nostalgic, but with a core of irreverent Kiwi good cheer. The photos, which bracket the text, seem taken right from a family photo album, and likely were. Fans of early Barry Crump will hear some echoes here, if only in the way that each adventure is neatly encapsulated and laid out in simple terms with a clear and warm ‘voice’. People who religiously tune into Country Calendar will find an equivalent here in text
REMARKABLE RECOLLECTIONS ...a book you won’t put down! Bruce Galloway looks back at a series of adventures, scrapes, achievements, anecdotes and escapades which span a lifetime of Kiwi farming, 11 farms and the view from a tractor, truck and aeroplane! Bruce, the ‘flying farmer’ recounts the funny, touching, nostalgic and exciting times from a remarkable life in a way that will keep you turning pages til the small hours.
The ‘flying farmer’, Bruce Galloway, at home with a copy of his mercurial and entertaining memoir
which paints a picture as vivid as any video. Those who have worked the land in New Zealand in the post-war years will certainly find some resonance with the ‘flying farmer’ and his tale of trials, triumphs, family and farming spanning everything from shearing to kiwifruit and, of course, cattle. ‘The best memoirs are told without the need to self-aggrandise, and seek to entertain on the surface while educating with little truths between the words’. That was the opinion of the publishers of Theodore Roosevelt’s autobiography, and it’s as true today as it was when that tome was written. The Flying Farmer
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may not tackle matters of state, but its warm and down-to-earth tone, and real-life quality makes it a proper pageturner. Broken up into short anecdotes and reminiscences; it’s easy to get lost in Mr Galloway’s writing and realise that the hands of the clock have slipped a fair way along. To say too much more of the content of this memoir would spoil the surprises. However, suffice to say, that it’s a tremendous achievement to have committed so much memory to paper, and a tremendous read for those who are fortunate enough to leaf through a copy.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT’S AROUND THE CORNER
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Government gets its way with water pressure
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020
by Matt King, Member of Parliament for Northland
Thousands of Northlanders can expect to pay more for their drinking water if the government manages to railroad, or bribe, our local councils into accepting its so-called Three Water Reforms. Whilst reforms are often positive, this government’s attempts to have councils throughout the country agree to have the three waters, drinking water, stormwater and wastewater, services amalgamated into half a dozen giant entities will more than likely drive up the consumer cost of those services without materially improving them. In fact, we may well see a reduction in those services if, for example, Northland’s three waters are run and controlled by Watercare in Auckland. As a first step in the government’s plan to take control, Northland’s three district councils have signed up to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work on Three Waters reform. The ‘sweetener’ is a $28 million infrastructure grant from the government split between the councils. The rider is that to get the grant the councils have to agree to what the government wants. No agreement — no money. There is no doubt that three-water infrastructure in Northland needs to be upgraded. There is also no doubt that local councils don’t have the money to make any significant changes. That $28 million would come in handy. However,
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at what cost? Why is there a rider there at all? Why do we have to sign away our local services to a remote entity such as Watercare who, when we look at their record, haven’t done such a crash-hot job in Auckland. Who’s to say they would do any better up here — or even be interested in up here? Kaipara Mayor Jason Smith says there is a sense of being strong-armed
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by the Government. Mayors John Carter (Far North District Council) and Sheryl Mai (Whangarei Council) have expressed their concerns. They are right to do so. They are trying to protect ratepayers. To me it is a case of the Labour leopard showing its true spots. Yet one more case of their pre-election lolly scramble coming with conditions. In this case, our way or no way.
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September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
So much at stake
by Lockwood Smith
For the first time in my life, I’m actually frightened of my country’s government. For someone who spent 29 years in parliament, and a minister for almost a decade, that may sound a bit odd, but I am. It’s scary when a government chooses heavy handed-regulation when cost/benefit analyses aren’t robust, where implementation has been given scant consideration, and where the government just doesn’t have the experience to understand the risks around perverse outcomes. The banning of offshore hydrocarbon exploration in 2018 was one example. While reducing fossil fuel use makes good sense, hydrocarbons are used for a myriad of other purposes in our modern economy. More focus on banning fossil fuel subsidies globally, could have done more good, but, of course, it wouldn’t look so bold.
If it was just that one decision, it might not be so frightening. However, the recent Action for Healthy Waterways regulations makes it clear that this government is more focussed on being seen to act, rather than doing what is really effective. Again, no one denies the need to improve the health of our waterways. However, it’s how it’s done that’s so important. While this government is clever at politics, it’s demonstrated repeatedly its inability to implement policy effectively. The freshwater decisions not only ride roughshod over property rights that have underpinned economic success in western democracies for generations,
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but they’re so impractical that they’d be laughable if the costs of implementing them weren’t so serious. These regulations would make the EU proud, but they’re not the New Zealand way. Our approach is spelt out in the CPTTP Trade Agreement in the chapter on good regulatory practice — that is outcome focussed and based on sound
Wash your hands
risk management. We wrote it, but have then ignored it. Our government has chosen instead to dictate what you can do on your land. For example, I farm beef cows in a dairying area, but these regulations would prevent me from milking cows on my land like my neighbours. I couldn’t even sell land to a dairy farming
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NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020
neighbour without a resource consent, which would be impossible to get. Somehow, I’ll also have to get a resource consent for my sheltered sawdust pad that I’ve used for 20 years to calve my cows. It’s a valuable animal welfare asset, enabling them to calve in warmer, drier conditions. However, now, no drain will be allowed within 50 metres — with Northland’s rainfall! Not sure, either, how I’ll measure the minimum surface permeability requirement of 10 to the minus 9 metres a second. I doubt whoever wrote this stuff has ever been near a farm. Little wonder some farmers are threatening to ignore the whole ridiculous mess. Moreover, threats from ministers won’t make their deeply flawed regulations any more workable. The frightening list goes on. How agriculture’s biological emissions are to
be brought into New Zealand’s carbon emissions reduction programme is also critically important. If the government decides He Waka Eke Noa has made insufficient progress and brings agriculture into the existing Emissions Trading Scheme, the consequences could be dire. The way the legislation is currently framed, it risks failing to reduce carbon emissions for each kilogram of agricultural product at all. Instead, it would just make New Zealand agriculture less competitive globally, and see higher global emissions from less carbonefficient food produced elsewhere. Ruminant methane emissions are more significant in New Zealand than any other developed economy. Yet the government sticks to a flawed accounting system shown by the IPCC’s leading scientist in this area, Prof Miles
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Allen, a physicist at Oxford, to seriously overestimate the global warming potential of methane. An irrational government is frightening. They keep repeating the mantra that New Zealand has one of the higher carbon emissions profiles per capita of any country. The paradox is that if our economy was based on the export of oil, rather than food, we’d have one of the lowest. You see, oil emissions are accounted for in the country that consumes it, while food emissions are accounted for in the country that produces it. To add to their scrambled thinking, they allow fossil fuel emissions to be offset by blanketing good hill country farmland in pines. The environmental catastrophe of silt and slash that destroy our waterways at plantation harvesting are an affront to those who love and care for our land. Ministers in significant portfolios, to do their job properly, have to work extraordinary hours. They are paid good money to do it. It means they should be right across the detail of how their policies will be implemented. Relying on officials isn’t good enough. They rarely have the practical experience needed. Anyone attending freshwater consultation meetings last year could see that. It’s why we have ministers in a democracy. They are meant to have the knowledge, experience in the wider world brings. For farming right now, there’s so much at stake.
Wear a helmet. A helmet is a must while riding a quad bike around the farm.
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September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
A Reason To Put Your Feet Up. “Other farmers don’t believe me when I say there is only one in the shed during mating, I tell them the collars do all the hard work for me.” Thomas Scheres, Equity Partner in Scheres 420 cow family farm in Putaruru.
Allflex Smart Collars allow Thomas time off the farm during busy periods such as mating, allowing him more time with his family. From people to animal health, management to mating, you’ll have a bunch of reasons why you need Allflex smart Collars. Just know that no matter what your ‘why’ is, we have got your back.
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For more information about Allflex Smart Collars visit www.thegamechanger.farm or contact your local Monitoring Specialists: Libby Monaghan Monitoring Sales Specialist Upper North Island, Hamilton 027 227 2611 libby.monaghan@allflex.co.nz
Trevor Ward Monitoring Sales Specialist Lower North Island, Palmerston North 027 556 7779 trevor.ward@allflex.co.nz
Jeff Hill Senior Monitoring Sales Specialist Upper South Island, Ashburton 027 585 4400 jeff.hill@allflex.co.nz
Grant Vickers Monitoring Sales Specialist Lower South Island, Dunedin 027 535 0934 grant.vickers@allflex.co.nz
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020
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September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
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Avocado harvesting for the 2020-21 season has kicked off in Northland. Quality is top of mind for exporters this season and Just Avocados is making sure their growers are reminded of best practice in the field and its impact on export packouts. During a grower workshop held at Just Avocados’ Katikati packhouse in August, technical manager Erica Faber said that any damage caused to fruit during harvest affects fruit cosmetically and creates an entryway for pathogens, which can end up as postharvest rot and diseases. “You have worked hard the whole season and put a lot of effort and investment into the fruit to ensure the best possible quality, your best packout and your best return. So you want to make sure you maintain that quality and that you don’t, at the last hurdle, negatively impact your packout by poor handling at harvest time.” Erica said a major cause of reduced packout is lenticel damage, which happens when there is rain preceding harvest and fruit has not fully dried out. “During rain, the cells around the lenticels take in water and swell up, almost like a balloon blown up to the point of bursting. Any bump or abrasion is going to cause that balloon to burst,
and that’s exactly what happens with those cells around the lenticel. They burst during handling, causing browning and further quality problems at market. “Lenticel damage manifests over a couple of days. At the end of a picking day, you may have seen about two per cent damage. By the time it gets to the packline, it can account for 20 per cent reduced packout.” The NZ Avocado guideline is to avoid harvesting if more than five millimetres of rain has fallen in the last 24 hours. Erica cautioned that if drying conditions have been poor with overcast skies, fruit may still be vulnerable to damage and a roll test should be carried out. “If there has been heavy rain and the fruit cells have absorbed a lot of water, it takes time for the fruit to respire and lose that moisture and for the cells to shrink back. You have got to wait until the fruit has not only dried off but has dried out.”
Visit thetruthaboutOGR.co.nz to find out more about our flexible marketing options and how harvest decisions impact on return crop.
To improve drying time in your orchard, Erica recommends having an open canopy to allow air movement. “Pruning is important. Make sure your shelterbelts are well-trimmed and not too high, causing shaded conditions in the orchard.” Just Avocados has created a video of the tips for maintaining quality through harvest, which is available in the Just Avocados Growers Facebook group.
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NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020
23
HORTICULTURE Season workers get extended stay by Paul Campbell
Uncertainty about the availability of seasonal workers, particularly those from the Pacific, in the horticulture industry has been alleviated with a decision by the government to extend the stay of those already in the country. In light of the coronavirus pandemic, recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) visas are to be extended by six months. Allowing these workers to stay and work in New Zealand and Immigration New Zealand will contact all RSE employers whose workers visas are running out. The visas have been extended with effect from August 18 for all RSE workers whose visas are expiring between that date and December 31. In a further advantage workers who wish to continue to work in New Zealand for the same purpose after this additional six months will also be able to apply to stay longer. The requirement to return to their home country between seasons has been lifted in light of Covid travel restrictions. Industry groups have been working with the government on visa flexibility for both RSE workers and renewing Working Holiday Visas. The latter are understood to be limited to a six months’ extension The RSE decision will be some certainty for Pacific workers who have been stranded by coronavirus beyond
their visas, experiencing a lack of work opportunities, new locations, the introduction to new jobs, systems of online shopping as well as social isolation from home. New Zealand communities have responded and supported RSE workers in various ways. The new extension will, however, provide some economic certainty for them. If, however, any worker needs to or wants to go home should be registered with their relevant High Commission, as the priorities and flight control is being run by the Pacific governments. Horticulture New Zealand says it will be running another survey to get accurate as possible numbers for those who need to and want to return to the Pacific and those who are willing to remain in New Zealand. The potential of getting a Pacific Bubble or movement with quarantine in employer designated facilities has been made more difficult with the communitytransmitted Covid cases in Auckland although industry groups continue to push for a Pacific Bubble.
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Meanwhile, HortNZ’s complete annual report for 2019–2020 is available on its website, now that accounts, delayed by the level four lockdown, have been audited. The complete report covers financial performance and position
as well as what the organisation has achieved for horticulture in New Zealand in the past year. The Annual General Meeting is at 12.30pm on Friday, 25 September in Pukekohe.
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24
September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
Get your waste away Technology meets ecology
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When it comes to cars, all the talk right now is about trading in the ‘old tank’ for something more modern, with less of a footprint on the environment and lower operating costs. However, under the ground near your garage or driveway, there’s likely another kind of ‘old tank’ that has been well superseded by modern thinking. It’s true that most people don’t consider their wastewater systems until it’s too late, or at least until the noxious smell points of trouble brewing below. The old way of doing things was fine in a limited context. However, today, with a more comprehensive knowledge of how bacteria break down waste and how it’s possible to use treated wastewater to complete the natural cycle and irrigate green spaces, there are options far beyond the simple concrete containment vessel of yesteryear. When renovating or building new, it’s a good idea to get things underground sorted from the get-go. Councils and builders will need to know what you’re planning to install, so get them involved from the start of planning to ensure the best outcome. It all comes down to where you want to build and how you’re going to utilise the space. A busy home for a family is different from an off the grid cabin for holidays or an additional
dwelling to bolster living room on the farm. Getting an expert in to take a look and apply their years of experience could save you thousands in the long-term. The best news for modern, ecofriendly builds is that power-free or micro solar-operated systems are now in the mainstream, as are systems designed to process waste liquids into valuable irrigating run-off. It’s all about best harnessing the different types of naturally occurring benign bacteria which thrive in waste, breaking it down into harmless byproducts. By Dig once, and do it right — modern wastewater systems require less maintenance and are more versatile than designing a system which allows antiquated septic tanks these tiny creatures to do the best possible job, efficiency is boosted, and more scope to get creative and a wider there’s less need for pumping out. Some range of spaces where modern systems systems can go between five and seven can fit. That’s why it’s a great idea to get in touch with both wastewater system years without professional attention. One of the biggest advances in waste experts and your builders or architects treatment systems above and beyond early on. You may be surprised at just the old septic tank model is the ability how compact and efficient this tech has to operate on hilly land or in areas too become, and how little it might cost to go small for a classic septic tank. This zero-power or off the grid with advanced flexibility gives designers and architects waste treatment at your disposal.
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NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020
Get your waste away Eliminating wastewater is vital by Paul Campbell
District and regional councils across the north are undertaking remedial works in many centres to alleviate stormwater and sewage problems. In a predominantly rural environment, modern on-site sewage systems are a good answer to ageing facilities, some dating back a half-century or even more. There is a wide variety of treatment systems to service a single property that has come onto the market as technology has moved forward. Whatever choice is made either to replace an ancient installation or service a new dwelling, it must be designed and sized correctly to work well. An undersized, poorly designed or under-maintained system may not adequately cope with your wastewater. This is important because it’s the responsibility of the owner to make sure on-site sewage systems are maintained and operating efficiently to treat all of the wastewater from a household. Legal restrictions mean that onsite sewage systems, such as septic tanks, are generally only found in rural or semi-rural areas. Septic tanks are the most common on-site treatment. There are various other systems as well, including single waterless toilets, or ‘aerobic’ or ‘secondary’ treatment systems. In operation, modern systems
pipe wastewater to the on-site sewage system, which consists of one or more chambers. The chambers can be made of concrete, fibreglass, or plastic. Modern aerated and advanced wastewater treatment systems (AWTS) apply a number of treatment steps. That includes separating solid waste from wastewater. Solids settle on the bottom of the chamber, and light waste such as fats and grease floats to the top. When someone’s choosing an onsite, a supplier will, of course, have and provide more detailed information about tanks, chambers and soakage treatment areas. Properly set up and installed, on-site sewage systems treat wastewater to remove pathogens and chemical residues. However, if the system is not properly maintained or is failing for some reason, then it can become a serious health and environmental risk.
Viral and bacterial infections are the most common causes of general sickness in New Zealand. The flu, colds, hepatitis and meningitis are caused by viruses. Viral gastroenteritis or hepatitis A are waterborne and can be carried in human waste.
To install an on-site sewage system, you’ll need a building consent, and you also may need a resource consent or at least need to meet regional council requirements. Finally, the sewage treatment system you choose will have to be undertaken by a qualified installer.
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26
September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
CROP & PASTURE PREP Farming really is rocket science by Andy Bryenton
In 2018, an ambitious new plan carried out in partnership between the United States Government and private company SpaceX saw the first of a new generation of GPS satellites headed for orbit. The latest flew from Cape Canaveral Space Centre in June, with more to come. However, why is this news for a farming publication? The existing network of only 31 civilianaccessible GPS satellites has changed the concept of ‘isolation’ forever, making it hard to truly get lost. It’s also had a profound effect on farming, as it’s now possible to accurately guide machinery and vehicle operations from space. Imagine playing chess from down among the pieces; it would be hard to see the whole board. That’s what it was like to try and plan a fertiliser application strategy before GPS and satellite imagery gave us an alien’s eye view
100 IT’S NOT A TARGET
from low orbit. Improved GPS, with more satellites able to accurately measure down into the millimetre range, means better control for activities such as harvesting, pasture prep, seed drilling, and of course, fertiliser placement. When you consider that New Zealand’s leading GPS guided fert placement system, TracMap, is responsible for close to three-quarters of all fertiliser application strategies, you can see where even a small increase in operational efficiency and accuracy could make a huge difference. GPS III, as the new system is called, may still be under the aegis of the US military, but it will be tougher against solar flares and radiation, and able to ‘handshake’ with the European Galileo system for even more coverage and accuracy. Add this to the data able to be gleaned from satellites like Galileo’s ‘cousin’ in space, Copernicus. It will be
CROPPING Nows The Time
Space X loft another GPS III payload into orbit, combining with other land survey satellites to provide detailed and accurate data for future farming techniques
possible to take extra variables such as soil moisture, temperature, humidity and other factors into account when looking at your land in the way only previously possible in complex simulation games. China has kept up with the west, launching another of their Gaofen land analysis satellites this year too. While in earlier times rivals to the superpower may have feared its spy capabilities, the real might of the Gaofen is in its ability
to accurately plan crop placement and harvesting for the vast population of the People’s Republic. GPS III is set to be fully online from 2022, but advancements in GPS tracking are already being felt in the local rural sector. Next time you see a ground spreading truck at work, chances are its orders came, ultimately, via helping eyes in space.
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NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020
27
CROP & PASTURE PREP ADVERTORIAL
Top tips for bumper chicory crops
K P Dreadon Ltd Ag Contracting
There’s an old saying that it costs as much to grow a high yielding crop as it does to grow one that yields poorly.
Specialising in
The key difference is that the high yielding crop provides much cheaper, and more profitable, feed than the low yielding one. So if you want to get the very best out of your 501 Chicory this summer, an experienced agronomist has a handy checklist that will help. Blair Cotching, pasture systems manager for Barenbrug, says the first step is to sow early, as soon as soil temperatures are 12C and rising. “Aim for a fine, weed-free seedbed, and remember chicory seed needs to be sown shallow, never deeper than one centimetre. If you’re direct drilling, pay close attention to depth control.” For a straight crop of 501 Chicory, Blair says the best sowing rate is 10kg/ ha, using Agricote-treated seed. Good seedbed preparation, and rolling the seed before and after sowing, helps encourage uniform germination. Not only of the crop itself, but also any weeds which might still be in the soil. That makes it easier to pick the right time for post-emergence weed control if required. Seek specialist advice before applying any crop protection to ensure you are targeting the right species. Blair says while chicory usually germinates quickly, young plants then seem to sit and look like they’re not doing much for about four weeks. “Don’t worry about this. They are putting energy into developing their deep
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021 273 2572 taproot, which helps them tolerate dry spells over summer better than ryegrass.” 501 Chicory crops should be ready to graze when the plants have seven or eight leaves, Blair says. Cows should go onto the crop when it’s 30cm high and be taken off when they have grazed it down to three centimetres. Care needs to be taken in wet conditions to avoid damaging the crown of the plant. For lambs, grazing guidelines are different. “If you’ve sown 501 Chicory as a finishing crop, we advise break-fencing the paddock into blocks and adjusting mob size so that you shift lambs at least every three to four days. As a rule of thumb, use a 20 to 25-day rotation between grazings, depending on growth rate.”
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Finishing lambs should go onto the crop when it’s 20cm high and be taken off when they have grazed it down to two centimetres. To make it easier for farmers to get their grazing management right, Barenbrug has designed a new 501 Chicory sward stick, which is available now free of charge. It’s marked on one side to show the actual on/off crop height for cows, and on the other, the on/off height for lambs. Contact your local Barenbrug area manager or your seed merchant if you would like to receive your own sward stick.
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28
September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
CROP & PASTURE PREP The engine room of spring growth by Andy Bryenton
With the days getting longer and spring officially on the calendar, things are changing all around us in nature. The obvious signs, like blooming daffodils, are one thing, but a more profound change is occurring under our feet, as the entire underground biome shifts from winter to summer mode. Human agriculture has taken note of these changes since ancient times. Still, it’s only in more recent decades that we’ve really begun to understand the science which dictates life under the soil of farmers’ paddocks. This knowledge has led to advancements in how best to aerate the soil, how best to promote healthy growth for new crops, and even how to plant seed for optimum performance.
Some of this work in creating new understanding comes from soil scientists patiently sampling cores of earth each season to measure chemicals, nutrient levels and the activity of fungi and bacteria. Other information is increasingly fed into our soil and pasture model from space, as satellites join in the task of helping provide robust agriculture for a growing and hungry population. Of course, some of the basics, such as the need to plough and turn the soil, and the importance of using crop rotation to fix nitrogen, have been known about since the Middle Ages. The threefield system, developed in those longago times, was discovered by monks
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Soil scientists take a closer look at the underlying strata beneath the surface of pasture, building up a map of the nutrients, bacteria and fungi which interact there
who didn’t have the right words to explain why it was better. They may well have gleaned information from very old texts in Greek, from the time of ancient Egypt and Babylon. The adoption of the three-field system, with its emphasis on healthy soil, increased food production is said to be a driving force behind the Renaissance, when trade, and hence learning flourished. This is all good news, but of little concern today to the farmer thinking about modern crop choices, seed placement and soil harrowing, most of which is now accomplished by machine.
The key, however, remains the same as it was back in the days of those early monks. When the microbiome in the soil begins to switch from its winter mode to its more active spring and summer phase, it’s time to be out there working. Inclement weather is sure to blow over soon as we pass the equinox and head into summer. So thinking ahead to consult with soil science experts and the contractors who wield today’s powerful harrows and seed drills is smart business. In short, it’s time to take care of your soil, so it, in turn, will take care of you through what may be a long hot summer.
We operate our depot out of Kaikohe.
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NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020
29
CROP & PASTURE PREP Wildly inaccurate maps With the government already agreeing flawed aspects of new freshwater regulations will need to be changed, Federated Farmers is highlighting the case for a review of land deemed ‘low slope’ for the purposes of stock exclusion from waterways. “We are about to survey our members to get more specific information on where the Ministry for the Environment’s final low slope maps are wrong, so we can advocate for the best way forward,” says Feds water spokesperson Chris Allen. “The low slope maps take in some hill and high country that is so steep, the farmers will need to pay for helicopters to lift poles and other supplies in order to fence off the waterways. “The government requirements as written have come as one hell of a shock to low intensity/high country farmers given the obscene costs it will take to comply.” The increase in pastoral land now defined as ‘low slope’ has increased
Pay attention!
from the 3.8 million hectares consulted on by the government in 2019 to six million hectares in the MfE maps now published. That pushes the total cost to around $4.4 billion. Four times what the government estimated it would cost in their cost/ benefit analysis. “Federated Farmers supports the intent of excluding cattle, deer and pigs from waterways on intensively grazed low slope land and when strip grazed, but unfortunately, this is another instance of the final regulations being well off the mark.” Landowners can check out how much of their land is defined as low slope land via the following website — mfe.maps. arcgis.com.
around road works
Chris Allen, Federated Farmers water spokesperson
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30
September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
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NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020 BUSINESS PROFILE
31
ADVERTORIAL
The high flyer in Kaitaia by Andy Bryenton
Spring comes early in the far north, where the grass is already sprouting riotously, and the calls are coming into outdoor power equipment specialists Kaitaia Tractors; ‘help us tame the overgrowth’! It’s a good call to make, especially if a cursory glance inside the machinery shed shows a mass of rust and spiderwebs after a long wet winter. Kaitaia Tractors, as their name suggests, are experts when it comes to big agricultural machinery for farmers. They’ve built up quite a reputation for 65 years, in fact. Another big part of their business centres on outdoor power equipment, for those selfsame farmers and the regular householders of the ‘top-end’. That’s why they are proud stockists of Husqvarna, the biggest name in the world when it comes to small engines put to work in the garden. This spring sees some changes in the Husqvarna range, notably the expansion and further empowerment of their battery-operated selection. There was a time when electric versions of things like line trimmers, hedge clippers and chainsaws were a ‘step down’ option, suited only for the most lightweight of tasks. No more. The surge in battery power and lifespan that has seen the rise of electric cars has also translated into saws, brushcutters, blowers and even concrete disc cutters, which need no fuel mixing, no pull
starting and very little maintenance at all. Best yet, they pack the same grunt as their octane-sipping forebears, while being generally lighter to wield. There are a couple of other core advantages to going electric with Husqvarna. As a global leader, they have poured big research capital into making their battery tools last the distance. Lesser imitations might sputter out after an hour’s work, but the big orange machines box on, with the option of backpack mounted ‘super batteries’ for those spending maximum time away from a power socket. Batteries are interchangeable, so it’s easy to keep one charging while tackling multiple tasks with the other. That also makes it possible to invest in a couple of batteries and a charger, then buy the unpowered ‘skins’ of several devices, building a full tool kit for less. Factor in the noise, the lack of fuel bills, no fumes or smells, a better environmental profile and an everexpanding range, and there are not many reasons not to visit Kaitaia Tractors and take a look.
''FARMING DESERVES SUPPORT FROM THE TOP" Scrap the ETS Scrap the ero Car on Act Invest in pollution solutions Reduce tax & cut red tape Repeal ad gun la"s New Conservative recognises farming as one of our primary industries and values the protection of it and the hard wor ing people involved. Reduce compliance costs for freshwater and waterway management. Overhaul the Resource Management Act. Criminal charges for systemic re-offending only. and preventing further damage. Let' farmers hope.
NEWCONSERVATIVE.ORG.N
Glowing in the dark With a past audience of 36,000-plus children, educators and the public, the all-new Te Moana Glow Show is coming to Northland, a giant-scale puppet show for tamariki with magical glow-in-the-dark characters from Maori myth and legend.
This innovative, cutting-edge concept features more than 40 glow-in-the-dark puppets under ultraviolet light in a black box theatre environment. Rich in Te Reo Maori, it’s an upbeat 45-minute show with catchy music that has the audience buzzing from the onset. There’s an abundance of educational content with a question and answer session afterwards and resources online at glowshow.co.nz. An all-new show this year is ‘going under the sea.’ A courageous Kina goes on a journey of discovery across the Pacific to Aotearoa. Helped by Hiwa-i-
te-rangi she meets many delightful (and not so delightful) characters. He waka eke noa — we’re all in this together! The show will be at Te Ahu, Kaitaia, September 28–29, the Turner Centre, Kerikeri, October 12–13, at Forum North, Whangarei on November 30, December 1 and 2. Book at ticketek.co.nz. Group Bookings or schools’ invoicing call 09 307 5058. Email hello@glowshow.co.nz for more information. Please see our advert on Page 3 for further details.
OUR BUSINESS IS GROWING CLOVER
Fertiliser products for healthier stronger pastures
Fertco offers the New Zealand agricultural industry some of the most effective soil and plant nutrient products on the market today. Fertilisers that can deliver you a better return and often are kinder to our environment at the same time. For more information contact your local fertco consultant or visit our website:
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Leighton Baker PARTY LEADER Mel Taylor NORTHLAND
Authorised by K.Stitt 35 Lenore Road, Mangere, Au and
32
September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
LIVESTOCK ADVERTORIAL
Kaipara Herefords has a new look Kaipara Herefords on the Pouto Peninsula has been breeding Herefords since the 1940s. The herd was started by Hugh Biddles in the late 1940s and was continued by Hugh’s son Kim from 1982 until 2013. Kim made significant strides during this period and formed what is the nucleus of the herd today. Kaipara Herefords is now run by Sam (Kim’s son) and his wife Kate. The farm is 470ha and is supported by a 30ha runoff. The herd numbers at mating last spring were 448. Since the mid-1990s the focus of Kaipara Herefords has been on producing 15/16-month bulls for the dairy industry. “Our whole programme is dedicated to this focus and has enabled us to provide an excellent product for our clients with particular attention on using sires with a low to moderate birth weight, smooth shoulder structure and long carcase length,” says Sam. “Our goal is to produce bulls that limit any human intervention in the calving
process. Calving in 2020 has been very successful with only two cows from the whole herd having to be calved due to being presented improperly. “In addition to the structure of the bulls, we have a large focus on temperament. All calves are tagged and weighed at birth in the paddock or walked to yards. Any female that doesn’t have a sound temperament is culled. For the last few years, we have had noticeable feedback from both dairy farmers and livestock transporters about the good nature of our bulls.” In 2018, Sam implemented a closed herd policy to protect the herd
ATTENTION FARMERS BULK SILO FILL OR BY THE BAG For all of your stockfood requirements contact your local merchant or
Phone 09 433 8933 Factory Lane, Hikurangi
Sam, Kate and children
existing clients and always welcome enquiries and new buyers. “This year, we have created a website and social media account to showcase and inform prospective buyers and existing clients about our operation. Come and see us at kaiparaherefords. co.nz and follow the icon link to our Facebook page. This year’s Private Treaty Sale is on October 2. Payment and delivery are on this date. We offer free delivery across the North Island.
and his clients from Mycoplasma bovis and BVD. That means that the only cattle coming on to the property are breeding sires from other registered breeders. These bulls are transported on a clean and disinfected truck. Kaipara Herefords looks to produce 100-plus 15/16-month bulls for sale each year. Sales are by private treaty and supported by dairy farmers from around Northland and further afield. “We have a consistent and loyal following of
PRIVATE TREATY SALE Offering 100 - 15/16 Month Bulls
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Sam and Kate Biddles 170 Schick Rd RD1 Te Kopuru
09 439 5493 027 566 6558 kaiparaherefords@gmail.com
Agent Haydn Evans 021 985 863
Find us online kaiparaherefords.co.nz kaiparaherefords
Delivery and Payment 2nd October 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020
LIVESTOCK
Regenerative research boost
∙ Ph: Email:
Research announced by Beef + Lamb New Zealand earlier this year into the global market potential of regenerative agriculture has received a $390,000 funding boost from the Ministry for Primary Industries. The research, initially focussing on New Zealand’s sheep and beef products, is also broadening to include a wine industry perspective. “While Covid-19 has delayed this work, it has also acted as a wake-up call about future challenges and opportunities,” says B+LNZ CEO Sam McIvor. “Perhaps now, more than ever, the time is right to evaluate consumer and wider industry understanding and attitudes towards products produced using regenerative agriculture. “This research will provide the sheep, beef and wine sectors, as well as the wider food and fibres sectors, their first large-scale, evidence-based picture of the potential market upsides, or downsides, of regenerative agriculture. “There has been a massive global surge in interest about regenerative agriculture in the last couple of years, and major multinationals like Danone and General Mills are exploring the marketing of regenerativelyproduced products. “There are diverse views around what regenerative agriculture actually is, and many people believe our farmers are already applying some of those principles in management practices like rotational grazing. However, it’s critical we understand what consumers think and how influential players are acting. “Understanding these factors helps us to better understand potential demand, and whether there are opportunities for New Zealand to leverage it. We want to get ahead of any opportunities so farmers, and now winegrowers too can be best placed to take advantage of them.” MPI is the majority funder of the research through its Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures fund. It supports innovation in New Zealand’s food and fibre sectors by co-investing in initiatives
Beat the drought Order now!
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THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH US, YOUR LOCAL NORTHLAND LIVESTOCK CARRIER
Steve Penno, director Investment Programmes at MPI
that make a positive and lasting difference. “Regenerative agriculture is receiving a lot of attention lately,” says director Investment Programmes at MPI, Steve Penno. “This research will provide valuable insights into what consumers think regenerative agriculture is, and whether they are willing to pay a premium for products that are produced using regenerative practices.” Research will focus on consumers, industry and experts in key red meat and wine export markets, including the US, UK and Germany. It will also explore local attitudes toward regenerative agriculture among farmers, processors, winegrowers and others to understand their views on its potential, and how it could be incorporated within our existing value chain. Results are expected in early 2021 and will be shared across the red meat and wine sectors.
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September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
DAIRY ADVERTORIAL
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What we haven’t got we can get!
MCROBBIE DOWLING LTD Producing quality graded stone & aggregate products for your farm maintenance, roads, races and pads.
Enviroline’s new owners Jason and Roz Harrison are the new owners of Enviroline, supplying quality linings for a variety of ponds including effluent and decorative. “We wanted our own business as we have a young family. The decision came earlier than expected when I was made redundant from my last job,” says Jason. “We took ownership of Enviroline on the first of July and look forward to building ongoing relationships. Roz and I have been around farms our whole life. Roz was born on a dairy farm in Pirongia before moving to beef and sheep operations and also worked on horse studs. “I am Te Awamutu-born and bred. My dad is a vet, and we understand the needs of the farming community. I have predominantly worked in the agriculture/veterinarian industry and have spent the most part of the last 20 years dealing with dairy farmers. “Enviroline is the lining for the HPE liner. The majority of our business is in dairy effluent ponds. We are getting into the commercial sector including stormwater ponds for subdivisions and catchment ponds for industrial sites. We also line decorative ponds for lifestyle block holders and farmers. “We are happy to get involved at any stage of a project and help design the pond as well through our contacts. You
Call now for delivery direct from our local quarry to your farm!
Jason Harrison the new owner of Enviroline
need to take into account the soil type, the number of cows if it is an effluent pond, and the annual rainfall for a pond to be built correctly. “Ponds need to be constructed with the right material and lined the correct way. You need leak protection, and there are a number of technical issues to consider. It’s not like the old days where you just dug a hole and put a pipe in. “There are three layers to the lining, and it is important to understand what the end product will look like. “The earlier we are involved, the better as it also dramatically reduces potential delays. “It is good to have everyone, such as the earthworks guys around the table from day one to discuss the process. That
is better than discovering you can’t line a pond because of this issue or that issue. “I believe we have a high-quality product. There is always a cheap option, but cheap is not best. We have the backing of the supplier, can provide a 20-year liner warranty and an eight-year workmanship guarantee. “Your effluent pond is literally going to be filled with effluent. We are a small business, and I am on-site for each job and can deal with issues immediately. We believe in fair pricing and quality workmanship with adaptability. “If you are looking for quality workmanship, superior liners, successful effluent containment at realistic prices, call the team at Enviroline NZ to discuss how we can help you.”
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NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020
VEHICLES, HEAVY MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT
Swift set to shift
by Andy Bryenton
With the purely electric car still struggling to deliver the massive range which would put rural Kiwi minds at ease, hybrid solutions are looking good right now. There have been great attempts by various carmakers to design a hybrid which has the look and feel of a ‘normal’ passenger vehicle, but none have hit the mark so neatly as the new Suzuki Swift Hybrid.
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Suzuki Swift Hybrid — eco meets friendly with a normal-handling, normal-looking machine that saves money and fuel
charges up as the car decelerates and brakes (like the KERS system in a Formula One racer), adding a little extra punch every time you take off from the lights. This form of hybrid drivetrain is unobtrusive and seamless in its operation, blending electric voltage with the power from a small petrol engine to achieve another figure that takes us back to the beginning. While purely electric plug-in cars give rise to range anxiety (especially when you live
D ESELTUNE N Z
in the countryside), the Swift Hybrid outperforms petrol cars on range. $100 worth of petrol will take you 1,220 kilometres, as opposed to 1,042 in the normal Swift GS Automatic. The best part? Hybrids used to ‘value signal’ due to their price; an investment in saving the planet. With the new Swift Hybrid priced under $30k brand new, you’re saving the environment and your wallet at the same time.
T, WORK, P EA , L Y
AY
That’s because it’s basically just a Swift. One of the best selling small cars of all time, to be sure, but nothing futuristic, weirdly sculpted or finished in lashings of carbon fibre and magnesium. It’s a car that we’re all familiar with, and which, as noted when it was first launched, carries on the ethos of the old Leyland Mini; four wheels at the corners, space for some passengers, and just enough go to make you smile. Fast forward a few generations, and the new Swift is a handsome little beast, with the determinedly growly visage of puppy and the fresh, semi-disrupted glasshouse line of BMW’s i3. It’s packed with safety features like adaptive cruise control, radar brake assistance and a reversing camera, to name a few, it has full Bluetooth integration, comfy seats and a nice big touch screen as well. The extras are all in the figures, which are largely hidden under the hood. This Swift may look, drive and feel just like its entirely petrol-driven counterpart, but the addition of an electric motor changes one big number; fuel consumption. Pared down to 4.1L/100km, this is the defining characteristic of the Swift Hybrid; it will get you where you want to go, cheaper. A lithium-ion battery
35
THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING LOCAL
Providing NZ with a wide selection of Boat and Box Trailers WHEN IT COMES TO REAL VALUE – WE’LL HOOK YOU UP! Locally owned and operated
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USED TRACTORS & MACHINERY SAM 4.75T TANDEM AXLE FERT 2004 JOHN DEERE 6420 SPREADER .............................. $14,500 CAB TRACTOR ........................ $46,000 POSTDRIVER ............................ $8,500
2 x PALLET FORKS ............. FROM $600 2005 JOHN DEERE 6220 TRACTOR .............................. $40,000 BERTI TSB 200 MULCHER .......... $5,000 FIELDMASTER GMM270 PEARSON 2.4M GRADER BLADE $4,000 TOPPER .................................... $6,900 SAM 3.25 TANDEM SPREADER $13,500 BERTI 1.8 MULCHER.................. $3,500 All prices exclude gst
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EM sales@kaitaiatractors.co.nz • www.kaitaiatractors.co.nz
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Phone: 09 401 1015 Mobile: 027 549 5399 State Highway 12, Kaikohe
Service agents for
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36
September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
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Famlands shareholders get a 2.5%* discount on any new Can-Am Side-by-Side and 5%* discount on any Can-Am ATV, parts, labour, and servicing. ©2020 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc (BRP). All rights reserved. ™, ®, and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. Always ride responsibly and safely. Always wear protective gear & approved helmet. BRP reserves the right to change the promotion at any time. *Terms and Conditions apply.
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NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020
37
YOUR PARTNER IN THE PADDOCK. SAVE $500 OFF RRP ON YZ65!
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CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MASSEY FERGUSON DEALER TODAY
BRYANT TRACTORS LTD YAMAHA MOTORCYCLES WHANGAREI PH: 09 438 0804 | admin@yamahawhg.co.nz * Advertised savings amount maximum of $1000 off RRP (including GST). The discount varies for each model and available for new Yamaha YZ65L, YZ85L, YZ85LWL, YZ125L, YZ250L, YZ125XL, YZ250XL, YZ250F, YZ250FXL, WR250FL, YZ450F, YZ450FXL, WR450FL. Offer available for private buyers only on specified models, and warranty registered on or before the 30/09/20. Finance: 2.95% p.a. is available to approved personal applicants on a loan term of 24 or 36 months on YMF’s Consumer contract standard terms and conditions. Credit criteria, fees, charges and conditions apply including an application fee of $325, $10 PPSR fee and a dealer administration fee. Finance is provided by Yamaha Motor Finance New Zealand Ltd. (‘YMF’) NZBN 9429036270798. FSP 9622. Offer only available between 1/07/20 to 30/09/20 at participating Yamaha dealerships while stocks last. Accessories may differ from image shown. See your participating authorised Yamaha dealership for details.
38 Rewa Rewa Road, Raumanga, Whangarei P: 09 438 1319 | E: sales@bryanttractors.co.nz | Web: www.bryanttractors.co.nz Murray 027 490 9379 | Ivo 027 368 3920 | Nick 027 490 9826 MASSEYFERGUSON.COM.AU
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sales@actibush.co.nz | www.actibush.co.nz
38
September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
VEHICLES, HEAVY MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT
Beast from another continent
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Pay attention!
around road works
$
by Andy Bryenton
When Toyota went to Australia, it discovered a landscape where the Land Rover was king. Dust, heat, distance and rough terrain combined to make this army-bred Brit the weapon of choice for hardy outback dwellers. Its market share was absolute, its brand loyalty ironclad. Not long afterwards, the Land Cruiser was born, and all the graphs went south for the Brits. Pretty soon, it was known that the red parts of Oz were Toyota country. Replace the geography with Kiwi farmland, and the big ‘cruiser for the Hilux, and you have a recipe for how things went here in the 80s. However, in the US, it was a little different. There, the king was the Ford F150, a vehicle so popular that one is sold to a patriot of the States every half a minute. It had pedigree, simplicity, a whacking great V8 mill and good ol’ credentials to match Levi’s or Smith and Wesson. Toyota took note, then took notes. Then they answered with the Tundra. This massive ute is, in actuality, a true pickup truck, and the current model has the big 5.7-litre, high torque, 381 horsepower V8 to back up its claims. It’s the only full-sized pickup made in Texas (San Antonio to be exact). In fact, Toyota is even more precise in drilling down for some US pedigree for what is the only Japanese/American pickup. Its ‘1794’ edition is named for the colonial cattle ranch which once existed where the Toyota factory now stands. It comes with saddle brown leather seats and
The Tundra is not just the biggest Toyota you can get without an HT licence, it’s also something else that’s hard to get in the modern ute market; pure eye-catching showmanship
all the wild west trim; regular models simply make do with being as big as all outdoors. There’s the appeal of this monster in a nutshell; it’s immense. If you need to carry large loads and do so in comfort, there’s nothing quite like a top-spec American pickup. Nothing, that is, but a Japanese version which promises Toyota’s legendary build quality and indestructible nature along with improved handling. it’s a potent combination and one which is now
making its way on to Kiwi highways. The success of RAM trucks — Dodge’s big pickups — may have had something to do with this, but it’s equally possible that the appeal was purely organic; what’s better than a big Hilux? The big brother of the Hilux! Tundra New Zealand is the specialist that brings the imposing and powerful pickup here, fitting it out for righthand drive and performing other small conversion miracles and tasteful switchouts at its Queenstown facility.
6,990 FREE
RIDE AWAY
CST ABUZZ TYRE UPGRADE VALUED AT $500
*Ride away prices quoted exclude GST. See www.cfmoto.co.nz for more information. Any promotions are not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer ends 30th September 2020.
Gatmans Mowers & More Silverdale | P: 0800 800 960
Northland Powersports
Whangarei | P: (09) 437 5451
Maungaturoto Motorcycles
Maungaturoto | P: (09) 431 8555
www.cfmoto.co.nz
Rob Titter Farm Services
Kaikohe | P: (09) 401 1774
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES September 2020
39
Northern Rural Marketplace ATJ
Acraflex Dairy Wall Coatings
SELF DRIVE MACHINERY HIRE
• Rollers 1.5 - 13 tonne • Diggers 1-20 tonne • Site dumpers 1-10 tonne • Loaders, Trailers, Plate Compactors etc
Colourcrete Dairy Floor Resurfacing System
Call the team at ATJ for your hire needs
Warkworth 09 425 8845 or Aaron on 021 210 0493 4 Morrosion Drive, Warkworth
WELLSFORD SALE MONDAYS 12:00pm - Store Cattle
Andrew Simpson
Suitable for repairing damaged dairy floors or slippery areas Bruce Cameron 027 498 8412 / 09 235 8263
*TreeGuyz* Arborists & Tree Contractors
Steers | Bulls | Heifers | Weaner
• Tree Felling/Dismantling • Stump Grinding/ Chipping • Storm Damage Removal
TUESDAYS 11:00am - Sheep 12:00pm - Prime Cattle
Your Carrfields Agent for Kaipara/Rodney area
Steers | Bulls | Heifers | Boners
CONTACT Andrew Simpson
11:00am - Calves (seasonal) 12:00pm - Dairy (seasonal)
PH 027 449 1228 EMAIL andrewsimpson.ns@hotmail.com
BEEF / DAIRY / SHEEP 100% NZ owned
DARGAVILLE SALE THURSDAYS 11:30am - Feeder Calves 12:30pm - Store Cattle
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Email: treeguyz@outlook.com
www.treeguyz.co.nz
Phone ALAN 027 227 or 09 435 0399
5095
“We just love your trees to bits!”
Harrison Water Ram Pumps 4 Models
Pump water on your farm or to your house 24/7 NO Electricity Bills.
15-2 0mm price Model $895 s from .0
Also Available Solar Water Pumps (No Batteries)
0 Inc
Enquiries: harrisons@actrix.co.nz, Ph 027 483 9996 John or 022 059 5166
. GST
TREE WORK Tree climbing Tree felling Saw milling Firewood cutting & splitting Phone Daron
027 471 6927
IES CONSTRUCTION LTD. CONCRETE AND TILT SLAB CONSTRUCTION • • • •
Bridges Farm buildings Feed pads Bins
PO Box 448, Kerikeri, 0245 • PHONE: 09 407 8784 EMAIL: ies@concrete.net.nz
info@locksmart.co.nz
www.locksmart.co.nz
www.animalherbs.co.nz
Northland Laser Drainage Ltd Neil Carter Trading as
Doug Wilson Manager Phone: Fax: Mobile: Email:
09 430 2934 09 430 2936 0274 302 934 dougw@nrh.co.nz
Specialising in Fertiliser and Metal cartage. 30 Tonne units available. We cover your country!
Subsurface Drainage Specialists (Nth) All Services & Maintenance Available PO Box 1174, Whangarei Ph 09 434 7741 • Mobile 027 273 6865
We courier to your door!
A big range of Health Solutions for you, your family and animals
• Solutions for control of fleas, ticks • Consult with Pat for solutions and worms with WashBar products, to skin problems and other Diatomaceous Earth and Flee Flea health issues for your pet • Herbal and Homeopathic remedies • Orijen Organic Dog and Cat Food — no grains for you and your animals
Ph 09 432 0820
1279 S/H 14, MAUNGATAPERE
Email: homeopat@ubernet.co.nz Visit: homeopat@ubernet.co.nz to buy online
* House Wash
S
TAN
* Concrete Clean
EMENOFF LIVESTOCK LTD
* Gutter Clean * Roof Treatments
Phone: 09 407 9992
1556a Springbank Road, Kerikeri 0293 Phone: 021 473 855 Email: lthomson1703@gmail.com
Mike: 027 497 2935 OR Scotty: 027 274 3787 STAN SEMENOFF LIVESTOCK LTD P: 0800 800 585 LIVESTOCK@SEMENOFFGROUP.CO.NZ
aaron@washrite.co.nz
* Cowshed Wash
022 438 8838
NORTHERN FARMING CLASSIFIEDS Reach 33,300 Rural Homes — Phone 0800 466 793
For Sale
For Sale
Livestock
Situations Vacant
ATV MATS from $89 — Come in & see us at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi. Ph 0800 963 636. www.atvtyres.co.nz.
CHICKEN MANURE for sale in bulk or small lots - $20 cubic metre plus freight call 09 432 2444 or 027 476 5458.
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. Ph 0800 963 636. www. atvtyres.co.nz. Subject to availability.
HERITAGE APPLE Trees from $25 – Hardy root stocks – Diversify your Farm with an Orchard tree pack www.tastytrees.co.nz, call 09 408 5443.
FREE-FLOW FROZEN DOG CHUNKS / MINCE. DOG / PUPPY BISCUITS — no artificial colour or preservatives, CHICKEN FEED / BIRDSEED / RAT BAIT from Northland Seed, Okara Drive, Whangarei. Phone 09 438 0884.
FULL TIME POSITION AVAILABLE
BACK 2 Wood Demolition. We buy & sell renovation materials. Servicing Northland — Auckland. Specialising in Windows, Doors, Ranch Sliders, Kitchens, Vanities, Roofing and More! Check out our website back2wood.co.nz or Ph 0800 10 98 77.
NEW YAMAHA FARM ATVs — 5.9% interest & 3 year warranty. Only at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi — phone 0800 963 636 & Yamaha MC Whangarei. Ph 09 438 0804
Garden SEED POTATOES, New Seasons, FERTILISER – Organic Blood & Bone, Citrus, General plus more from Northland Seed, Okara Drive, Whangarei. Phone 09 438 0884
LUCERNE CHAFF plus more HORSE FEED, CALF REARERS get your Milk Powder and Meal from Northland Seed, Okara Drive, Whangarei. Phone 09 438 0884.
Farming & Lifestyle SEED POTATOES, New Seasons, FERTILISER – Organic Blood & Bone, Citrus, General plus more from Northland Seed, Okara Drive, Whangarei. Phone 09 438 0884
Varied duties, Tractor/ Machinery Operator - Mechanical skills and/or Class 5 license an advantage. Call Karl 027 493 2206
Arrive Alive... Don’t Drink and Drive
40
September 2020
NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES
LOW COST
400CC QUIET
OF OWNERSHIP
ECONOMICAL ENGINE
LOW SERVICING COSTS DESIGNED WITH SERVICING IN MIND
BUILT TO LAST 400CC ENGINE IS MOUNTED ON REAR SUBFRAME FOR UNDENIABLE TRACTABILITY
KAWASAKI
HEAVY ENGINEERING
$13,909
BUILT KAWASAKI STRONG USING KHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES TECHNOLOGY
WINDSCREEN IS NOT INCLUDED AND IS AN OPTIONAL ACCESSORY. PRICE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. WHILE STOCKS LAST.
+GST
LOW COST
700CC QUIET,
KAWASAKI
LOW SERVICING COSTS DESIGNED WITH SERVICING IN MIND
ROBUST 700CC SINGLE PACKS PUNCH LOCKABLE DIFFERENTIAL AND FULL ENGINE BRAKING
BUILT KAWASAKI STRONG USING KHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES TECHNOLOGY
OF OWNERSHIP
POWERFUL ENGINE
HEAVY ENGINEERING
$17,995
+GST
SEE YOUR LOCAL DEALER TODAY OR VISIT
www.kawasaki.co.nz
DARGAVILLE
WINDSCREEN AND WIPERS NOT INCLUDED AND ARE OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES.
KAIWAKA
C A Motorcycles - 104 Jervois St, Dargaville | 09 439 0170
Warkworth Motorcycles Kaiwaka - 1916 SH 1 | 09 431 2123
HIKURANGI
KAIKOHE
WARKWORTH
WHANGAREI
Rouse Motorcycles - 1 King St, Hikurangi | 09 433 8471
Warkworth Motorcycles - 22 Whitaker Rd | 09 425 8535
Rob Titter Farm Services - 55 Station Rd E | 09 401 1774
Shaw Motorcycles - 111 Cameron Street | 09 438 1183