Taranaki Farming Lifestyles, August 2022

August 2022 Edition

From setbacks to success Pages 6–7

Taranaki farmer’s book fit for purpose

A mushrooming business

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August 2022

TARANAKI FARMINg LIFEstYLEs

Taranaki farmer’s book fit for purpose

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

Phone: 0800 466 793 Email: info@integrity.nz Postal Address: PO Box 474, Dargaville Physical Address: 107 River Road, Dargaville Editor: Deb Wright 021 639 696 deb.wright@integrity.nz Journalists: Denise Gunn | Ann van Engelen Advertising: Braxton Epere 027 525 8217 Production: Gavin Bainbridge | Anna Fredericksen | Kelsey Hansen | Liz Clark Accounts: accounts@integrity.nz Distribution: Laurie Willetts Printed by: NZME Website: farminglifestyles.co.nz

by Denise Gunn

In his recently published book, Tools for the Top Paddock, south Taranaki dairy farmer Kane Brisco recounts his journey in the dairy industry and the founding of Farm Fit.

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Kane said writing a book wasn’t initially on his radar. “I was asked by the publisher.

He messaged me, and I thought it was a joke at first. Then realised it was real, and then thought — why not?

“The book is an autobiography of my whole life, but a lot of it leads into Farm Fit. So it gives people an understanding of how I came to be where I am, doing what I’m doing.

“It’s a self-help or a guide to getting through challenges. There are lots of lessons and tips. Every chapter is a story about a part of my life.”

Kane grew up in Bell Block, on the northern outskirts of New Plymouth, but spent a lot of time with his brothers on their uncle’s Brixton dairy farm. It was here that Kane’s passion for dairy farming grew. Now Kane, and his wife Nicole, are 50:50 sharemilkers and raising their three young children.

In 2019, Kane set up Farm Fit to help people with their physical fitness and mental wellbeing. He constructed an outdoor gym, using items around the farm, in a paddock beside his house.

“The book is a way to tell the story about how Farm Fit came to be, and to try to deliver the same messages but with more detail and understanding behind it.”

Kane began writing his book in September 2021, mostly in the evenings after a day working on the farm.

“It’s a self-help or a guide to getting through challenges.

There are lots of lessons and tips.”

Kane Brisco’s recently published book, Tools for the Top Paddock, is now available in most bookstores and can be ordered online

By early July, Kane had a copy of the book in his hand. Although the book’s launch coincides with calving, Kane still hopes to get to some bookstore signings.

The book is available at most bookstores and can also be ordered online.

“We tried to make the book not just for farmers. Farming is a big part of it as part of my life, but there is a lot in the book to suit a pretty wide audience. It’s been quite a journey.”

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Preserving the past

August 2022

3

by Denise Gunn

For almost 20 years, the Waitara Railway Preservation Society has brought smiles to the faces of the many passengers who have enjoyed rail excursions along the Waitara branch line.

Train excursions with the Waitara Railway Preservation Society are popular with people of all ages

The 7.5km-long line, which runs between Waitara and Lepperton, climbs the Waitara Valley gradient. This incline is the steepest on a preserved railway in New Zealand. Society secretary-treasurer Derek Baker said the rail line was Taranaki’s first and ran between Waitara and New Plymouth.

“In the 1860s–1870s, New Plymouth was a burgeoning town with settlers coming from other countries. There was no real safe berthage offshore, so they started to go up the Waitara River, which was safe.

“They then transferred to bullock-drawn carts to travel to the New Plymouth. There was mud in winter and dust in summer.

The railway was planned to make the region grow and overcome that difficulty.”

The original railway line opened in 1875. “Waitara became a centre of

commerce with the freezing works and other industries. Until the 1990s, the railway line was used regularly to get containers from Waitara to the port in New Plymouth.”

When the works closed in 1997, Tranzrail closed the line soon afterwards.

Two years later, a group of around 10 people established the Waitara Railway Preservation Society. With the help of grants, the society purchased the line from Tranzrail. “The land still belongs to the Crown, and we lease it,” said Derek.

Since 2003, the society has run regular excursions. “We also do charters, business trips, retirement villages, birthday parties, school trips and preschools.

“The current locomotive was just recently restored. It’s taken four years to restore from a rusting hulk. We call

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it Portland 11. It was brought to New Zealand in 1958 by the Portland Cement Company in Whangārei. We acquired it in the mid-2000s and restored to running order.

“The carriage is a 1950s NZ railways vintage model with the original red seats. The guard’s van is 1950s, and the open wagon is a 1970s wagon. It’s a very popular place for people to travel

in the open wagon. Everyone comes off glowing.”

A new, open wagon, which is twice the size of the current one, is currently being constructed. The society now has close to 40 members involved in various aspects of the heritage railway.

“We’ve got a 150-year celebration in a few years’ time — it’s a big part of Taranaki’s history.”

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August 2022

TARANAKI FARMINg LIFEstYLEs

A MUSHROOMING

BUSINESS

BY DENISE GUNN

Growing mushrooms has interested Kyle Davey for many years, but it wasn’t until 2021 that he had an opportunity to explore this further.

property nestled in the heart of the Waitotara Valley. The family concentrate on growing Pink Oyster, Grey Oyster, Coral Tooth and Shiitake varieties.

“I’m working on Enoki mushrooms at the moment.”

A large shed, already on the property, was lined out with smaller rooms to grow the mushrooms in. The rooms are cleaned every week as the mushrooms are harvested. Kyle says the mushrooms are grown in hydroponic grow tents, used as a fruiting chamber.

Grey Oyster mushrooms have thick, smooth flesh

“I built a little lab area where we inoculate the bags for the mushrooms to grow. A larger room is for incubating,

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builder by trade, Kyle took last winter off work and bought some mushroom grow bags. “I got some bags to try growing some, and it just snowballed,” said Kyle.

“I grew mushrooms, gave some away to friends and family, and started having a look into it a bit more. I thought we would grow a few and sell them at the market.

Now it’s getting bigger and bigger.”

Kyle, his wife Catherine and son Mitchell have set up a family business, Valley Mushrooms, on their 12ha

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Kyle, Catherine and their son Mitchell, set up the family business Valley Mushrooms

Inoculation is a simple method of mushroom cultivation. “It was working out the days to inoculate and then keeping the incubation area at a reasonable constant temperature, so they grow the same speed every week.

“I’ve learnt a lot and also learnt what not to do. It’s been a learning curve. It takes a little bit to set them up and control the humidity.”

Checking the humidity level is a daily task to ensure the mushrooms are fruiting

properly. Each week, Kyle makes up new grow bags to ensure a continuous supply of mushrooms.

“Getting mushrooms to fruit on time can be a challenge — also, getting that continuous supply. The Shiitake can take a couple of months to incubate so if you have a hiccup, it sets you back a couple of weeks.

“That was the most challenging thing to start with. It’s part of the learning curve of how to grow them.”

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The Davey family sell their Valley Mushrooms produce at several markets and stores around Taranaki.

“We go to Seaside Market, Beach Road Milk in Omata, Crazy Pumpkin stores in New Plymouth and Stratford, Good Score Food Store in Hāwera, and Coastal Greengrocer in Opunake.

“Going to the markets is great fun, meeting customers and yakking about mushrooms.

A couple of people are having mushroom growing competitions. It’s awesome, really.

“Our mushrooms are sold in a box. We are also doing the grow bag, which is about 2.5kg. We have a bit of everything.

“People are continually buying the grow bags and bring photos to the market to show me the progress.

“It’s going well. I’ve had a couple of restaurants approach me to buy mushrooms. It’s really coming together.

Our aim is to be able to supply to restaurants and chefs.”

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Kyle checks the humidity levels on a daily basis to ensure the mushrooms are fruiting correctly

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August 2022

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FROM SETBACKS TO

SUCCESS

Overcoming challenges in the dairy industry has been part of the journey for Taranaki Share Farmers of the Year Murray and Rachel Perks.

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he couple is 24% variable order sharemilking for Murray’s relations, Alistair, Stephen and Imelda Abbott, on their Abbott Trusts Partnership 134.45ha, 445-cow property near Hāwera. Murray has come full circle as he grew up on this farm.

“Growing up on my uncle’s and aunty’s dairy farm, I always had the desire to try my hand at farming at some point,” said Murray. “Rachel grew up on a sheep and beef station near Ohura.”

Murray studied agricultural science at Lincoln University, turning the focus in his honours year towards how maize silage affects rumen function.

“After graduating, I got the job with DairyNZ as a consulting officer and ended up based on the Hauraki Plains where I spent two and a half years before we went farming.”

Rachel studied speech and language therapy. After graduating, she secured a position with the Ministry of Education in Hamilton.

Murray and Rachel Perks, Taranaki Share Farmers of the Year

“Rachel managed to then get a transfer to Taranaki when we started our farming career and continued to work off-farm in addition to helping me with calves and relief milking.”

Murray said while consulting for DairyNZ in the Hauraki Plains, he could see a lot of young sharemilkers working hard and growing their equity.

“So I managed to get Rachel on board with the idea of going sharemilking while we were young and make a good fist of it, hopefully.”

In 2014, after two seasons of lower order sharemilking in Taranaki, the couple took up an opportunity to enter into an equity partnership near Hokitika.

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After the payout crashed while the couple was in an equity partnership in Hokitika, Murray and Rachel moved back to Taranaki

“We bought in when the payout peaked last time, then crashed $3.50 during the following season.”

With costs higher than expected, Murray and Rachel soon started heading into negative equity. The couple made the difficult decision to sell out at a significant loss and return to Taranaki to be closer to friends and family.

“Going into our first year 50:50, we have been more conservative with our budgeting and risk mitigation. We’ve fixed a proportion of our milk income to ensure our budget still works if the milk payout drops. We’ve also been very fortunate with our sponsor prizes from Share Farmer of the Year that are reducing our costs significantly in our first season.”

This year was the second time Murray and Rachel had entered the Taranaki Dairy Industry Awards. They used previous feedback from judges to learn about and address gaps in their business. Murray said winning the

Taranaki Share Farmer of the Year was a career highlight.

“It was something we’ve had our eye on for a long time. Then capping it off with third place at nationals was incredible and something we will relish forever.”

Returning to being in a position to buy cows again has been a challenge but with the support from family, Murray and Rachel achieved this. Last season, their herd produced close to 1,260kgMS a hectare and 370kgMS a cow.

The farm receives an average annual rainfall of around 1,500mm. Murray is finding the climate has changed since he grew up on the farm.

“Winters have got milder, and summers have become drier. So the amount of annual pasture production hasn’t changed much; just the timing of it has. We’re now typically growing more in winter and less in summer than 20 years ago.

“We use maize silage, a limited amount of palm kernel, and grass silage

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to fill the summer deficit. We also will look at options like culling and once-aday milking to manage this period.”

Surplus pasture is harvested as pit silage or baleage. “Depending on the season, we would usually harvest 15–20ha of silage in multiple cuts. Maize and grass silage is harvested from our lease block at Te Roti.”

The couple has set goals to pay back as much debt on their herd as possible

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within the next five seasons. That will place them in a better position to fund secondary schooling for their three children — Callum, Matilda and Jack.

“We aim to have around 20% of our equity in off-farm investments by the time we are 45. We want to grow our equity to over $1 million by the time we are 50 to fund the lifestyle we want in retirement.”

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From left: Murray with herd manager Jaymi Ngaia and Jacob Beamsley, who is now 2IC for Simon and Natasha Wilkes

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August 2022

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Are you taking a joint supplement?

(Part one)

by John Arts

They say death and taxes are the only certainties, but osteoarthritis must be close to this list. The sales of worldwide joint and bone supplements are a staggering US$11.7 billion and are expected to grow by another 50% during the next five years.

The majority use joint supplements to treat joint problems, most for osteoarthritis, with about 40% of developing knee osteoarthritis alone.

Pain is a great motivator, and people turn to joint supplements for relief — but do they help?

There has been significant research into compounds found in joint supplements, especially glucosamine, chondroitin and turmeric. It comes as no surprise that studies come to differing conclusions ranging from poor to excellent results.

While studies and research can be helpful, my criteria for assessing osteoarthritis supplements is simple.

I evaluate the effectiveness of my supplements (and others) by whether they help. An important part of my discipline of nutritional medicine is regularly reviewing progress.

When someone commences my joint supplements, I contact them after six weeks, then again at three months to see how they are doing. The measure of assessment is again simple; is it working?

“An important part of my discipline of nutritional medicine is regularly reviewing progress.”

When someone purchases my joint products, I offer a joint health assessment, which the majority adopts.

I ask questions about the problem, including its diagnosis and treatment, plus symptoms and a description of limitations in mobility. At the sixweekly review, we then compare progress to the initial assessment and modify the programme as needed.

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If there was ever a more versatile citrus fruit, the mandarin takes centre stage with its cultivar range covering most of the year for fruiting.

Mandarins were initially developed in China and later cultivated in Japan, Vietnam, the Middle East and North Africa.

The species is divided into four distinct groups, Mediterranean, originating in the Mediterranean Basin, King, originating in Vietnam; Satsuma from Japan and Tangerines, which came from Algeria. It’s from these cultivars a wide range of varieties are now available to home gardeners.

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Since it’s a citrus variety, these trees thrive in acidic conditions. The root system is close to the soil surface, so ensuring the plants are kept watered during very dry periods is essential for fruit production and robust growth.

Provide a warm sunny site, lots of compost and organic matter in freedraining soil.

The best time to plant is during the autumn. However, late winter and early spring are also viable. Add regular additions of citrus fertiliser and aged cow or horse manure to keep the tree provided with the nutrients it needs. A deep mulch around the

base, avoiding the trunk, will keep moisture levels constant during dry periods. Water when the first 10cm of the soil is dry.

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SPOTLIGHT ON

August 2022

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NEW PLYMOUTH

Lights a firm favourite New Plymouth’s TSB Festival of Lights has been crowned New Zealand’s favourite event.

The festival, run by the New Plymouth District Council, was recognised at the recent New Zealand Events Association (NZEA) Awards, taking out the Best Local Government Event title and award. A public vote decided the festival was also New Zealand’s Favourite Event of 2021.

It was one of 40 events nominated across 17 categories.

New Plymouth District Council venues and events lead Helena Williams said the awards are recognition that the community festival remains an important asset for the district.

“This award is proof that we have a world-class event in our own backyard.

The TSB Festival of Lights is much-loved by local residents but also attracts visitors from throughout the world, so it is a major boost for our economy.

“Our team put in the hours year-round to deliver world-class events and have worked hard for this recognition.”

The council also took home the Best Event use of Technology title for Oxfam Trailwalker 2021 for a custom GIS

“This award is proof that we have a world-class event in our own backyard.”

Photo — Charlotte Curd

TSB Festival of Lights named New Zealand’s favourite event

mapping solution created for Oxfam Aotearoa. Although Covid-19 restrictions impacted both events, preparations are underway to make a strong comeback.

In June, the TSB Festival of Lights held its first Winter Pop-Up event in New Plymouth’s city centre, which saw more than 15,000 visitors braving the cold during the four days. The first lights in Pukekura Park were installed in a new fountain on the lower lake in the early 1950s, marking a visit by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. Christmas lights, installed four years later, became an annual attraction for the public to visit and view.

In 1970, multi-coloured lights lit up the waterfall beside the main lake. Live entertainment and family activities were also added to the festival. Since then, the light display has developed further to cover a large area of the 52ha park.

When TSB came on board as a major sponsor, the event was renamed TSB Festival of Lights. It is now the longest-running light display, attracting up to 150,000 people during the six-week period each summer. At the last festival, 41% of attendees travelled from outside of the New Plymouth district.

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August 2022

TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

TARANAKI FARMINg LIFEstYLEs

August 2022

ADVERTORIAL

Staying connected on the farm On a farm, you could be miles apart from your team at any given time. The team at sheep and beef farm Palliser Ridge know this all too well, with a farm manager and five workers spread across 1,500 hectares.

To manage effective communication, the Palliser Ridge team has implemented a suite of digital communication tools.

The seasonal nature of farming means everything needs to stay organised, and Palliser Ridge, with support and guidance from Digital Boost, has managed to keep on top of its business by adopting cloud-based software.

Using the direct messaging service Messenger, a group chat helps the team communicate the goings-on around the farm. It’s a simple way to assign jobs that need doing, and read-receipts keep the team in the loop, eliminating the need for daily morning meetings.

To keep the company directors up to date on the latest happenings on

the ground, the team uses Zoom, a video conferencing service, to call them wherever in the world they may be each week.

To ensure that all information is organised and accessible by the whole team simultaneously, Palliser Ridge uses Dropbox, a cloud-based file sharing service, to house its record-keeping spreadsheets and documents. When information is stored on the cloud, the team doesn’t have to worry about losing any data if their phones or laptops run out of battery.

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“The seasonal nature of farming means everything needs to stay organised.”

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August 2022

TARANAKI FARMINg LIFEstYLEs

HOME&LANDSCAPING Roofless ambition

by Andy Bryenton

Spring is just around the corner, and with supply chain issues and New Zealand’s mercurial weather combined, planning a roofing mission well in advance is a must.

Those who scale the scaffolds and repair holey house-tops say that patience is the keyword for 2022, as they have a lot to do when the sun shines. Getting on the books now means you can make plans to do it all in one swoop, however, and there’s a possibility that a well-planned roofing quest can save you money. Here are the top five things to do when the covers come off up top.

Insulation top up — When there’s no crawlspace to navigate, and the roof is peeled aside, it’s a good time to make short and easy work of insulation top-ups.

Some materials sag, degrade and crumble over time, and it’s easy to spot areas where coverage isn’t one hundred per cent when there’s plenty of room and light.

Ventilation and extraction tech — Installing bathroom and kitchen extractors and home ventilation units, heat transfer tubing and other ducted vents can be a real game of Twister when the roof is on tight. Small crawlspaces make it a stuffy and difficult job for installation techs.

However, with a few roof panels off, it’s easy to run ducts and place fan units. Sort all these out during roofing time, and you might save a bundle on the installation time and cost.

Chimney clean sweep — Upgrading a fireplace often means putting in a new chimney stack, which must pass through the roof. Usually, your plumber and roofer are the same person, so getting both of these jobs done in one can be a bonus

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Roof off, scaffolds up — why not tackle several tasks at once, while access is easy?

for both of you. An honourable mention goes to another rooftop plumbing-related fix, which is easier with scaffolds raised — your long-serving spouting and guttering.

Add sunlight with skylights — The clever money these days is on using the sun instead of electricity, and the simplest way to do this is to let the sun into darker spaces in the home via tubular skylights.

These have come a long way since the turn of the century and can brighten up dingy corners by harvesting the light without adding heat in the summertime.

Free volts from the sun — The final thing to consider up on your roof is a proposition that’s been tantalising many

of us for the past few years. Solar hot water heaters and solar photovoltaic systems keep getting less expensive and more efficient. They are now past the point where the investment will be recouped easily over a short period of time, especially here in the sunny north. If the scaffolds are up, how about using the opportunity for a quick install, slashing those power bills down to size?

No matter what you have planned for your roof, it should be possible to bring all these tasks together if you plan well in advance. That means picking up the phone today for a more breezy renovation tomorrow.

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TARANAKI FARMINg LIFEstYLEs

August 2022

HOME&LANDSCAPING

13

Life in the summer house

by Liz Clark

It could be a garden seat inbuilt into a pergola using posts, trellis and climbing plants to a dreamy corner garden house, log cabin or large rotunda for entertaining during warm summer nights. With the rising trend in designer cabins, she and he sheds, and tiny homes, making the right choice is an exercise in taste and budget. Whatever the preference, a few considerations need to be made before going ahead with creating your ultimate special place in the backyard.

Planning is an essential part of the building process and, in some cases, may require resource consent depending on the territorial authority in your area.

Before proceeding with any construction, check with your local council about

minimum boundary requirements, height restrictions and building consent requirements. Recent legislation has now allowed structures under 30 square metres to be built without a consent.

However, they must still be built to building code standards. Regardless, check with your local authority first before going ahead.

While it seems like a complex process, pre-planning everything from start to finish will save a lot of time, money and headaches in the long term. There is nothing worse than going ahead with building your dream project, only to discover a spanner is put in the works because the homework wasn’t done in the first place. In some instances, a council

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Timber foundations should be H5 treated pine or alternatively concrete. The timber pilings are always marked with the treatment level on the piling supplied as a standard length and dimensions. If using a solid concrete foundation, engage a concrete specialist to lay the floor.

Whether it’s kitset or pre-built, do it right the first time. Now you can go and enjoy your relaxation spot for the rest of the summer.

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can require a structure without a consent to be demolished.

That all said, choosing your design is the first consideration. The most expensive isn’t necessarily the best. There are dozens of companies nationwide now manufacturing ready-built cabins and lifestyle sheds ranging in price from $6,000 to more than $100,000 for a designer tiny home.

Always check customer reviews of the products a construction company manufactures before committing. Units with electrical outlets and lights included as part of the interior fittings must come with an electrical compliance certificate.

The same applies to the building — it

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August 2022

TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

RURAL CONTRACTORS & SUPPLIERS Green power at fifty

by Andy Bryenton

John Deere’s 9000 Series harvesters are turning 50, and, like many in the rural trade, they have found that life doesn’t slow down when you hit five decades.

John Deere will launch the 9500 SPFH in Australia this month, premiering what may well become its flagship self-propelled harvesting machine for New Zealand as well. Half a century of innovation has been packed under the distinctive and traditionally green hood, with a major leap forward in engine efficiency, coming at just the right time to beat the global cost crunch.

The company is calling the new 9500 SPFH forage harvester a fitting milestone celebrating John Deere’s half-century commitment to supporting the nation’s agriculture sector.

“Farmers and contractors demand durable high-capacity forage harvesters

that consistently deliver maximum throughput to make the most of peak harvest windows,” said John Deere Australia and New Zealand production system manager Stephanie Gersekowski.

“The new 9500 is one of three models offering increased power and throughput in 2023, delivered through John Deere’s new JD18X engine, which reduces revolutions per minute while decreasing fuel and oil usage to drive further efficiency gains during operation.”

That slow and low RPM figure is the key to better fuel economy, but there’s another trick up the sleeve of this consummate harvesting machine. To

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John Deere’s big 9500 self-propelled forage harvester is debuting in Australia this month, with anticipation high this side of the Tasman as well

further optimise engine performance and synchronise it with throughput of crops, John Deere’s developers have added what they call HarvestMorion Plus to the new 9000 series line-up, which includes the 9500 and the even bigger 9600 and 9700 units.

“HarvestMotion Plus delivers an additional 18, 27 and 48kW of power across the 9700, 9600 and 9500, respectively,” says Ms Gersekowski. “This provides farmers and contractors with 10% more productivity and 10% less fuel usage per tonne harvested.”

The system works by precisely synchronising the engine speed with crop flow and power output needs to ensure consistent crop throughput at lower RPMs. That means less fuel used for a

more efficient result, just what farmers need at a time of high fuel costs.

Added to this is a new spout design, which John Deere says will become standard across the entire 9000 series for the new model year. With a longer, optimised contour, the new spout offers more visibility and easier maintenance, making it easier to service.

It’s another example of John Deere’s research and development team listening to farmers in the field who suggest ways to tweak and fettle a successful formula.

Fifty years on from the inception of Deere’s big self-propelled harvester, this also means full and seamless integration with digital technology, helping deliver pertinent data for more precise land management and harvesting.

TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES August 2022

RURAL CONTRACTORS & SUPPLIERS

A meal nine thousand years in the making

forage grass from the dry southwest into a staple foodstuff. Maize silage took off as a supplement in New Zealand from the 1990s onward, swiftly achieving harvests of more than 200,000 tonnes per annum.

By 2010, maize covered more than 100,000 hectares each season, and that figure has only grown into the present day.

As powerful harvesters cut a swathe through the maize fields this growing season, it’s interesting to reflect that, 9,000 years ago, this valuable resource began with a nomadic Central American tribesperson taking note of an unusually ripe-seeded sprig of grass.

by Andy Bryenton

Farming without maize seems as strange a concept as farming without cattle today, but the history of this staple feed goes back further than many people realise.

Maize as a feed for cattle has become a pillar of the rural sector, delivering reliable feed with a superior energy content when it’s needed. Advancements in maize genetics through careful, scientific breeding have developed cultivars which grow vigorously in Kiwi conditions, producing feed with a consistently highenergy content. Research also suggests that maize or wheat grain can deliver more valuable milk solids proteins a litre.

The amazing thing about all of this is not that maize can deliver the goods as an agricultural feed or even that modern agricultural scientists can make leaps of progress through understanding the genetics of maize. What’s most astounding is that the majority of the work required to turn the ancient, hard-kernelled wild grass called teosinte into maize was done long ago, before European peoples even invented the plough.

One of the clues, which trace this 9,000-year history of selective planting and cross-breeding of strains, comes from a corn cob thrown away in a cave in

Tehuacan, Mexico, at about the time the pyramids were being built.

“Based on archaeological evidence and modern DNA evidence, we already know that maize was domesticated in Mexico some time between about 10,000 and 6,000 years ago,” says Nathan Wales of the Natural History Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen.

“What we did not know, using modern DNA or other information, is really how this process gets going and the timing of different events in the past.”

The little corn cob is only a couple of centimetres long and carries just eight rows of kernels. Someone harvested and ate this plant 5,300 years ago. However, even then, it was closer to modern maize, of the kind we have developed in recent times into both cattle feed and commercial sweetcorn, than it was to its wild ancestors.

By this point, more than 3,500 years of selective planting had already made the Tehuacan specimen develop unshelled, soft kernels and had increased the size and number on each cob. This process

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PETER SOLE TRANSPORT A statue of Xilonen, Aztec maize goddess — maize was developed over 9,000 years from wild grass in what is now Mexico, leading to both sweetcorn and the vital cattle feed of the modern era

was to continue right up until the ‘discovery’ of maize by Europeans; an event still commemorated in the United States during Thanksgiving. Those pilgrim settlers owed their survival to the strain of maize cultivated by the Wampanoag nation. Still, it was one of hundreds of cultivars across North America, all stemming from modern-day Mexico.

The changes made to maize to make it fit for agricultural feed purposes pale in comparison to the huge changes achieved during centuries by indigenous peoples to turn a marginally productive

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August 2022

TARANAKI FARMINg LIFEstYLEs

RURAL CONTRACTORS & SUPPLIERS

Shelter for calves is in cattle DNA

by Andy Bryenton

Cattle are hardy and stoical creatures, seemingly built to weather nature’s changing seasons without complaint. However, there’s a reason why shelter becomes a priority at calving time.

Ten thousand years ago, in the north of what is now India, one of the most important domestication events of the post-ice-age era happened. The aurochs, ancestor of all beef and dairy cattle, was domesticated after what scientists believe was a long period of co-existence next to nomadic human populations.

A similar thing happened in northern Europe, where the aurochs sub-breed was even bigger. These were not today’s cattle, which any farmer can tell you are

not always docile and tractable. They were bigger, meaner, and taller, with large horns.

A bull aurochs was built to take on the apex predators of ancient Europe, like the wolf and the bear. Brave indeed were those early humans who domesticated them.

However, the important factor in our current story is this; the aurochs was not a beast of the open plains. That role was taken by the steppe bison. Instead, the aurochs lived in the forests which spanned the continent. It meant that calving season

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Attempts are being made to bring back the aurochs, the ancestor of modern cattle — these forest-loving beasts are a reason calves need shelter today

saw them retreat into the shelter of the trees, allowing for easy defence against predators and respite from the elements.

Fast-forward and the aurochs are long gone, replaced with several breeds of cattle shaped by the human need for more meat, more milk, and less homicidal rage. What remains is a necessity for good shelter for calves and calving cattle, harking back to thousands of years of evolution. Researchers have found (and farmers with on-the-ground experience can confirm) that cattle have a fairly narrow ‘thermo-neutral’ band, the temperature where they are happiest.

“Conditions outside the thermoneutral zone of certain cattle types, possibly leading to cold or heat stress and impairment of production if persistent, occasionally occur even in temperate climates,” says a research team led by Eva Van Laer in Belgium. “Such thermal stress is likely to become more common in the future, due to global warming and cattle’s decreased capacity for thermoregulation caused by selection for high productivity.”

Farmers will already know that warm, happy calves have better colostrum uptake and put on condition faster.

Shelter technology now provides a variety of options, from durable portable shelters to custom-made barns with soft rubberised flooring. In all cases, however, whether the surface underneath is dirt, bark chip, artificial or natural, what is being replicated is the shelter of those old-growth deciduous forests where the aurochs used to roam.

Just like such a natural environment, the shelter checklist contains the following: good ventilation, protection from harsh winter weather such as cold winds and driving rain, the ability of a calf to sit, lie and stand naturally without constriction, and cleanliness, including methods to keep out pests and birds whose droppings may carry bacteria and illness.

Shelter options can be tailored to your own farm, your own circumstances and your future intent with regard to herd size and replacement management. Talk to the experts in the field to ensure good coverage and give nature a helping hand.

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TARANAKI FARMINg LIFEstYLEs

August 2022

RURAL CONTRACTORS & SUPPLIERS ADVERTORIAL

Three decades manufacturing top products

by Denise Gunn

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continue supplying to our fantastic Taranaki community.”

Inglewood Timber Processors is located at 41 Cutfield Street in the township.

Contact the team on 06 756 8803 or email itpltd@xtra.co.nz.

Inglewood Timber Processors is celebrating 30 years in the timber manufacturing business supplying high-quality products to the rural and export sectors.

The family-owned company was founded by the late Trevor Jackson in 1992. Trevor’s brother Kelvin came off the dairy farm to work alongside him. At 84, Kelvin is still working fulltime together with his son Mark, who is now manager. A joiner by trade, Mark worked in construction management before moving back to Taranaki to work within Inglewood Timber Processors. The business has a team of 12 employees.

Specialising in timber manufacturing, the business offers sole plates for scaffold tubing, scaffold planks of various sizes and thickness, inner door core, which is shipped to Australia, and kiln-dried, treatment-free shavings for animal bedding.

Registration with Asure Quality, along with Bureau Veritas Certification, verifies all Inglewood Timber Processors products are of the highest international standards.

The business is audited twice a year.

Products are manufactured from New Zealand-grown sustainable timber. Mark

says the company’s scaffold planks are tested vigorously and regularly for strength and moisture content of timber.

The standard length plank measures three metres but can be cut to suit from half a metre to 3.6 metres. Planks can also be treated if required and shipped nationwide and internationally.

As the company’s wood products are untreated and kiln-dried, the baled shavings are ideal for use as animal bedding.

“Our shavings are supplied to our local farmers, Osflo, Aviagen and Tegel, so we have to have a high standard of product.

The bales are compressed packed, so they are great value for money, easy to move about, and we can deliver if needed.”

Bales measure 1,200 x 700 x 700cm and weigh approximately 120kg. Mark says 70-litre bags are also available.

“We can deliver truckloads of up to 36 bales per delivery. If ordering smaller loads for delivery, ask around your neighbours, and you can get a better delivery deal.”

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Mark said the team plans to continue providing quality products to New Zealand’s scaffolding companies and would like to move into the Australian market.

“We are also looking at providing bulk shavings options and

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August 2022

TARANAKI FARMINg LIFEstYLEs

RURAL CONTRACTORS & SUPPLIERS

ADVERTORIAL

Milk your summer crop for all it’s worth Sow the right chicory this spring, and even if the season turns dry later, you can still give your cows leafy, delicious summer grazing.

Plus, you’ll save thousands on palm kernel, with less worry about volatile prices.

It’s all to do with fast establishment, high yield and a deep tap root that keeps 501 Chicory lush and green when ryegrass turns brown.

Your cows will thank you. You’ll sleep better at night, knowing home-grown feed is much cheaper than truckloads of supplements.

Irresistible eating Cows love 501 Chicory — it’s tasty and easy to eat and good for them, too. Energy-rich, full of protein and packed with macro and micronutrients, it can be digested quickly, so they spend more time ruminating.

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Plus, it’s safe to graze when facial eczema makes grass high risk, and you don’t have to worry about bloat.

Graze early — earn more 501 Chicory is an annual, so it jumps out of the ground faster than perennial cultivars, and is ready to graze sooner.

That gives up to one more full grazing than other chicories or as much as 550kg extra dry matter per ha.

At a payout of $9kgMS milksolids, that equates to a potential gain of $450ha, and unlike supplement you don’t need any machinery to feed it out or rely on suppliers to deliver it, either.

Mineral miner That big tap root doesn’t just help 501 Chicory keep growing in dry weather — it also mines the soil for excess minerals like nitrogen and potassium.

Sow it on your effluent blocks, and after grazing, your cows will happily help redistribute those essential nutrients more evenly back around the rest of the farm.

Leach less We hear a lot about plantain’s potential to mitigate nitrogen loss, but science has shown us chicory can be equally helpful.

In research trials, cows grazing chicory excreted significantly less nitrogen every time they urinated, reducing the nitrogen load in the

A herd of cows grazing on 501 Chicory

urine patch compared to ryegrass clover pasture.

With urine patches major contributors to nitrogen loss from grazed systems, averaging 700kg/ha nitrogen per urination in traditional pastoral farming, this is a key benefit for 501 Chicory.

Give your grass a rest Hot, dry summers can be hard on your existing pastures, especially if you aren’t able to protect them from over-grazing.

Paddocks of 501 Chicory are the ideal antidote. When you graze these, you’re not only looking after your cows, you’re also giving stressed ryegrass a break so it can bounce back faster after rain.

What next?

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August 2022

DAIRY AND LIVESTOCK

19

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Cow

The foundation of this work can be simplified by explaining a rarely understood concept: the Bio-Circle.

Every farm is a Bio-Circle. Each key area flows in and out of other key areas.

What’s in the soil goes into the grass; what’s in the grass goes into the cow.

Grass

Farm Management Plan Feed Balancing Pasture Management Feed Budgeting

What’s in the cow goes into the effluent pond; what’s in the pond goes into the soil — and the circle continues.

A farm with a balanced Bio-Circle works in sync. The soil environment enables the biological inhabitants to function properly, converting and

transporting nutrients and suppressing disease-causing organisms. The grass is more nutrient-rich, tasting sweeter to cows and encouraging better feeding.

Cows are healthier, with more efficient digestion and, therefore, greater milk production. Effluent ponds are dominated by good bacteria, digesting solids and preventing a crust from forming.

Although this concept is the foundation for working with your farm’s biology, we needed to go deeper, and Total Replacement Therapy was born.

The eight steps that make up Total Replacement Therapy are an expansion of the Bio-Circle, from Step One: Set up a production and financial comparative monitoring plan to Step Eight: Develop

and phase in a strategic seasonal pasture management plan.

After balancing the soil, adding biology, reducing synthetic nitrogen, and activating an animal health plan, the focus turns to growing a diverse pasture sward that is harmonious to the enhanced biological soil ecosystem.

Balancing animal nutrition is a crucial part of ensuring all management aspects work together to provide the best possible outcome, ensuring we get the most out of the feed we have worked so hard to grow. Look up Total Replacement Therapy and the Eight Step Plan to change from a chemical (high nitrogen system) to a biological one.

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KIM HARRISON 027 288 6845 www.progressivelivestock.co.nz Forward Farming helps farmers work with the Bio-CircleTM Slurry Bugs are aerobic microbes that eat pond crust and sludge. Slurry Bugs also convert pond nutrients into plant-friendly form, turning your effluent into an effective fertiliser.

Reduce 67% of greenhouse gasses by using this system correctly.

DX50 and Ultimate are sanitising products that are effective and eco-friendly – better at killing pathogens than Chlorine but without harming the good microbes that work for farmers within the Bio-CircleTM.

Accurate, timely fertiliser application

• Effluent Management • Remedial Advice • Slurry Bugs Product

• Soil Testing • Fertility Advice • Fertiliser Recommendation • Total Replacement Therapy

Soil Pond

Grass

Cow • DX50 Dairy Sanitiser • DX50 Water Treatment

When you want it, where you want it

• Farm Management Plan • Feed Balancing • Pasture Management • Feed Budgeting

To read more: fowardfarming.co.nz To contact David Law: 027 490 9896

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