Taranaki Farming Lifestyles, January 2020

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January 2020 Edition

Volunteers needed to check traps

0800 466 793

Wagyu way to go

Early experiences set dairy career

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January 2020

TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

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by Denise Gunn

community media

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is continuing to stay connected to federal authorities in Australia as devastating bushfires affect parts of the country.

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

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Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said MPI is using an existing transTasman forum for discussions on the agricultural impact of the fires and the future recovery phase.

“MPI has offered assistance if needed in the future, and will remain in contact should any support be required.”

Although the full extent of stock losses is not yet known, agriculture market analyst company Mercardo established close to 2.3 million cattle, and 8.6 million head of sheep were in the affected areas. These figures make up around nine per cent of the national cattle herd and 12 per cent of the sheep flock. The National Farmers Federation estimates thousands of cattle and sheep perished in the bushfires.

Fires also wiped out entire crops, and downed power lines are affecting milk production. With vast areas of grazing land burnt, some farmers have resorted to shooting surviving stock to avoid their animals dying of starvation. To avoid potential biosecurity hazards, the Australian Defence Force has been called on to bury stock in mass graves.

Westpac has calculated the bushfire crisis costing Australia up to $5 billion in direct losses. It will cut between 0.2–0.5

per cent from the country’s economic growth. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said assistance is being provided to communities under the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Minister for Natural Disaster and Emergency Management David Littleproud said supporting farmers and small businesses was a priority.

“It will help life in these communities return to normal even sooner.”

He said funds could go into bridge and road repairs, so people working in these areas can get back to business.

“It will also pay part of the costs of fighting the fires and the cleanup afterwards.”

“We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with these communities and provide further assistance as it is needed,” said Mr Littleproud.

“It is an extremely challenging and distressing time for our friends in Australia,” said Mr O’Connor.

“I know that our agricultural sector, and all New Zealanders, care deeply and are concerned for their wellbeing.

“MPI has also been in contact with stakeholders in New Zealand, and has made them aware we are offering Australia our full support.”

Over the cattle stop feature What’s happening over the cattle stop? As any farmer knows, the answer is — ‘everything!’ — as you can see in our light-hearted front page cartoon. This January the Taranaki Farming Lifestyles is a little different, as we’ve matched all of the Before*

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Volunteers needed to check traps

TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES January 2020

Former oil and gas worker, Dave Watson, is restoring biodiversity in central New Plymouth, by helping to wipe out the city’s rats.

Dave and his 13-year-old springer spaniel regularly check close to 22 rat traps around the Huatoki walkway.

He answered a call to help protect the city’s native wildlife and plants from introduced predators as part of Towards Predator-Free Taranaki.

Removing introduced predators is the single most effective method residents can take to protect native birds, plants, gardens, property, as well as the region’s tourism and primary industries from pests.

Dave said he has always been interested in the outdoors.

“With a background in parks and recreation from Lincoln University and my youthful idealism, I thought it would be a useful thing I could do.

“I’m not ideological anymore, but I’m practical. I believe whatever you do to support our native environment has got to be sustainable and practical.

Otherwise, it won’t work.”

During a tramping trip to Stewart Island in 2019’s mega mast year, Dave saw the damage rats can cause.

“The birds were pretty quiet, and we were seeing a dozen rats on the tracks during the day looking for food. They had run out of food, so they started eating each other. It shows what they’re capable of.”

Inspired by his 75-year-old father, Bill Watson, who had caught about 50 rats from his home near Pukekura Park, Dave

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started trapping in his back yard last year. The 2019 winter was the first-ever that no rats or mice took refuge in the Watson’s home.

Towards Predator-Free Taranaki, led by the Taranaki Regional Council, was launched in May 2018 with the aim to make the region the first predator-free area in the country.

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January 2020

TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

WAGYU WAY TO GO

BY DENISE GUNN Since branching out from their standard dairy farming operation through introducing Wagyu, Hayden and Alecia Lawrence have eliminated all bobby calves from their system.

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ayden and Alecia are now into their 10th year dairy farming, milking 400 Friesian cows. The couple initially went into an equity partnership with Hayden’s parents, then bought out the equity and the neighbouring farm, doubling the size of the property. Their 150ha effective farm sits between Eltham and Normanby.

Two years ago, when looking for additional opportunities, which would work within their dairy operation, Hayden and Alecia made some enquiries with First Light about Wagyu. “We thought it would be a good fit,” said Hayden.

“Beforehand, we had around 85 rising two-year-old heifers in calf to Jersey bulls. The bobby calves were effectively a waste product. So we thought, the way

photos Mark Bellringer

the world and industry are going, how do we go about minimising bobby calves in our system.”

The Lawrence’s Friesian bull calves were under contract to Silver Fern Farms and McDonalds. “In more recent years, our 100kg Friesian bulls have been sold on the open market — which obviously has uncertainty attached to it. The Silver Fern/McDonalds programme no longer exists.”

“We were already doing around 50 Friesian bulls a year,” said Hayden.

“The Wagyu has removed all bobby calves from our system. We raise them through to 90kgs, and our four-day-old Friesian bull calves are sold. Everything has an avenue to add value to our farming operation.”

From left: Hayden and Alecia Lawrence with their children Finn(6), Emelia (4) and Fletcher (8)

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TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

system, but there have been no challenges. They’ve found Wagyu calves to be slighter larger than a Jersey but similar calving.

“They are a different type of calf to a Friesian. Out by themselves, they are an interesting looking mob.”

Several people cautioned the couple that getting Wagyu calves to weight was difficult. However, Alecia takes care of the calf-rearing and hasn’t experienced any problems.

The farm sits on Egmont loam soils, providing a relatively consistent grass growth all year.

“Seasons have changed, and our systems have changed with them,” said Hayden.

“We are growing a lot more grass in the winter than previously, hence move to split-calving and beef in the autumn.”

The Lawrence’s farm is mostly selfcontained, growing 15ha maize on the milking platform. Maize grain is fed through the cowshed when milking.

Hayden holds a PhD in precision agricultural technologies from Massey University.

“While working on his thesis, Hayden developed a pasture meter, which is towed behind a motorbike to measure grass cover electronically.

“The challenge for us when we went farming was to try to adapt those technologies into dairying. It takes time and money to do those things, so

we’ve tried to follow those methods and protocols in what we do on-farm.”

Hayden sits on a Bell Booth Limited scientific advisory group, trialling Wagyu products.

He and Alecia also have their own on-farm project, trying out a different calf-rearing system with the aim of increasing the meat marbling score.

“If that works, we will try that technique across all our calf-rearing.”

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Hayden and Alecia are now into their 10th year dairy farming, milking 400 Friesian cows

Since introducing the Wagyu, all bobby calves have been removed from the Lawrence’s farming system

In addition to 400 milking cows, the Lawrence’s stock numbers currently include 85 rising two-year-old heifer calves, 85 heifer calves and 50 Wagyu calves raised through to 90kgs. First Light provided the Wagyu bulls under a lease agreement, and the Lawrences hold those bulls on-farm for three years.

As Hayden and Alecia run their dairy farm with a split-calving system, those same bulls are used in the autumn as well. All the Wagyu are sold to First Light under contract.

“Obviously, First Light pays a premium for the autumn-born,” said Hayden.

“That provides certainty. It’s a good balanced system and approach to it.”

Four-day-old bulls go to local sales or to a stock buyer who rears them through to 100kg.

“It’s a nice feeling to know all your stock have homes and no waste in the system.”

Holding bulls on-farm is slightly different from the Lawrence’s previous

January 2020

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January 2020

TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

CONTRIBUTING TO THE RURAL SECTOR

BY DENISE GUNN TARANAKI FEDERATED FARMERS PRESIDENT MARK HOOPER HAS HELD A LONG-STANDING INTEREST IN AGRICULTURE.

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arm ownership wasn’t initially on Mark’s radar when he finished secondary school. His focus at that stage was tertiary studies, enrolling at Massey University. On graduating with a Bachelor of Agriculture, and a postgraduate diploma in rural studies, Mark chose to work in farm consultancy for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

After several years in this position, he decided to return to farming and began the process towards farm ownership.

Mark’s farm in Lepperton is an extension of the original Hooper family property. His children are the fifth generation raised on the farm.

“We now run 180ha, with about 150ha in grass, milking 300 KiwiCross cows and running all replacement stock on-farm. It’s all rolling to steep

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hills, which makes it quite a tough farm for dairying.”

Mark and his wife, Merryn, have found introducing full season once-a-day milking suits the contour and nature of the farm.

“However — it does bring other challenges,” he said.

“Part of the once-a-day strategy was to remain low cost with a grassonly system. However, that left us too exposed to the variability in climatic conditions we have experienced recently.

We also found the once-a-day cows tended not to bounce back in production following a dry, or too wet, period.”

The Hoopers adopted more of a low-input system. It included low, but consistent inputs of PKE, maize silage grown on the farm for autumn feed, and

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Mark and Merryn Hooper on the family farm with three of their eight children

off-farm winter grazing for at least half the herd.

Mark said dairy farming is a world of contrasts.

“I enjoy the relative freedoms that self-employment gives me to do the things that I am currently involved in.

However, it can be a long, hard road to get to that point.”

Early in the couple’s career, Mark said they found farm ownership insurmountable.

“With the benefit of hindsight, I would have committed to this goal earlier

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and had a greater focus on increasing equity. As it was, we ended up going into ownership just prior to the 2014/15 crash in milk price. The whole business was highly exposed.”

They found this event, coupled with the transition to full-season once-a-day milking, challenging. Low production for a few years also added to their financial risk. The Hoopers worked closely with their bankers and other rural professionals to find strategies to work through this. Mark and Merryn continue to implement these plans.

The Hooper’s short term goal is to keep the farming business viable with full-time staff employed. They aim to continue the low input once-a-day system as it seems to be the most sustainable option for staff, stock management and the farm environment.

After close to 18 years of homeschooling most of their eight children, Merryn retrained through the Teacher Education Refresh course, returning to full-time teaching at Ureunui Primary School in 2018.

Two years ago, Mark completed the Kellogg Rural Leadership programme and found the course effective in developing leadership skills. His research project focussed on challenges faced by Federated Farmers as an organisation, historically and into the future.

In June 2019, Mark was elected president of Taranaki Federated Farmers. Prior to this, he served as vicepresident for 12 months.

“I hope to continue in the Federated Farmers’ president role for another couple of years. The goal is to

January 2020

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Taranaki Federated Farmers president Mark Hooper

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“Nationally, Federated Farmers does an outstanding job lobbying and advocating on behalf of farmers. It’s a vital role, especially in the current political climate and is well worth our membership support. One of the reasons that Federated Farmers is so effective in this space is because it is a farmer-led, grassroots organisation with a unique nationwide provincial representation model.

Overall the strength of the national organisation is the sum of the strength of the provinces. So it is vital

that we maintain and grow a strong local presence and provide effective representation for Taranaki farmers.”

As part of Mark’s role with Federated Farmers, he is also a trustee with Taranaki Rural Support Trust and holds an additional role on the LIC shareholders’ council.

“I would also encourage others to take up similar opportunities that come their way. It’s a good way to shift the focus off just your own circumstances and look to what value, or contribution, you can add to either other people’s lives or the wider industry in general.”

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January 2020

TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

Early experiences

SET DAIRY CAREER

BY DENISE GUNN AT JUST 18 YEARS OF AGE, CALUM BLACK IS ALREADY SHOWING HUGE POTENTIAL WORKING IN THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

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rowing up in the country near Uruti, Calum was often out helping his parents, Stephen and Fiona, with their beekeeping operation Bees-R-Us. “We always had pet calves, and I would love it when the dairy cows were down in the paddocks next to our house,” said Calum.

His early dairy farm experiences came when the family stayed with friends on their Waihi dairy farm in the Coromandel.

“I would always help them with milking,” said Calum. When the Black family moved to Okato three years ago,

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Calum was keen to get some solid dairy farming experience. He asked around to see if any farmers wanted help during the September school holidays.

“James Lawn replied, and I helped him with general farm work.”

This opportunity helped Calum seal his decision to forge ahead with a dairy career. He left school, working a full season carrying out general farm work and milking for James. Calum ended up completing two seasons as a farm assistant on the Lawn family’s home farm just outside Okato. His biggest career challenge came while working on

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TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

January 2020

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Calum won Most Promising Trainee at the Taranaki Dairy Industry Awards

this farm too. James had an accident and was unable to work for three to four months, leaving Calum in charge of the day-to-day running of the farm.

“James was available for advice, and there was another worker on the farm who helped with the milking and anything else I needed help with. That was a big responsibility and I did my best to look after the farm.”

This season, Calum began working for Steve Hooker on his 124ha (110ha effective) Okato farm, milking 310 mixbreed cows in a 32-bale rotary shed.

Last season the herd, which is milked once a day from December 20, produced 112,000kgMS. Temperatures in the district range between 2–30C with an average annual rainfall of 1,720mm; the farm’s coastal location expose it to westerly gales. “We get cold weather in the winter, which

means pugging and muddy paddocks and slows down grass growth. We get surface mud, but we are able to stand cows off overnight if the weather is quite bad.”

“The summers can be hot with drought conditions and these are starting to get more common. After hot summers and autumn rains, our area is prone to eczema.”

Calum is in his second year of the PrimaryITO Apprenticeship scheme. The dairy apprenticeship scheme, launched in October 2017, is a joint initiative developed by Federated Farmers and PrimaryITO. Apprenticeships are tailored to the individual, depending on work experience and qualifications, and may run for up to three years. He plans to complete his apprenticeship to at least level four and gain more experience in farm management.

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“I attend classes every month and get assessed for my work on the farm.”

His efforts were recognised this year, winning the Most Promising Trainee at the Taranaki Dairy Industry Awards.

“It was a big surprise and I was really pleased,” he said.

Meeting the challenge of different tasks required on the farm are rewarding aspects of Calum’s daily routine.

Working with stock and machinery are his main highlights. When he’s not working on the farm, Calum can often be found tinkering in the shed, making and fixing items.

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“I’ve recently made a wood splitter and parts for the tractor I’m renovating.

I want to refurbish my John Deere tractor to a usable condition.”

As a member of the Coastal Young Farmers, Calum takes part in a range of club activities.

He is club treasurer as well as the health and safety officer.

Calum is considering working as an agricultural contractor for a few years and possibly heading overseas to gain experience.

Farm ownership, however, is his longterm goal.

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The four-day concept

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The four-day week discussion is set to accelerate this year, and a number of Kiwi companies are looking to pilot the idea.

The initiative was created by Andrew Barnes and Charlotte Lockhart at Perpetual Guardian who say evidence shows very clearly how chasing productivity is good for the business.

“Maybe, more importantly, being able to free up time for employees gives them the choice to learn a new skill, spend time with family or do something for the local community,” says FintechNZ general manager and four-day week ambassador, James Brown.

“Microsoft in Japan has agreed to trial it, and the United Kingdom government is looking at a 32-hour working week.

“How high will this be on the New Zealand Government’s radar, especially with all the conversation around health and wellbeing. 2020 will see more investment from overseas into the UK now that the new government has been elected.

“That is particularly good for New Zealand as the first free trade agreement discussions will be with the UK and New Zealand, which will focus on our services offering.

“It will really help make fintech a key motivation for us. Now that Brexit is as good as done, the talent who were hesitant about relocating to the UK will now make the jump so they should see, a sharp jump in talent availability. 2020 will also be the year that fintech truly goes global with the likes of GoCardless, with the global network platform around direct debit.

“Others like Transferwise, who recently entered the New Zealand market, will continue to expand into new markets.

“Values, health and wellbeing, will become more prominent in the Kiwi conversation and how AI plays a role in diagnosis and tracking a patient.”

Green fintech will gather momentum with a large focus on how tech can tackle climate change.

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“Now, New Zealand has a chance to insert some measures and initiatives

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January 2020

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into the FTA with the UK and help lead the charge.

“Conversational AI will be adopted more by large Kiwi companies around customer engagement as we continue to streamline and automate mundane processes.

“We will see more collaboration between fintech and incumbents. We have seen examples with ASB Bank taking a stake in Trade Window, which is just the start of things to come.

“This is an election year, and we will see more investment in infrastructure, which is much needed in this country.

“Our agriculture will face challenges with the rise of meatless meats and questions around environmental impact.

“Tourism has slowed due to restrictions on overseas investors and environmental challenges around travel.

“So, what can help stimulate our economy? The short answer is fintech. We only have to look at New York, London, Singapore and Hong Kong driving the conversation

around fintech and its role in economic growth. It has all taken place because the government, the regulators and industry have all come together for the greater good.

“That is what I hope to achieve in 2020 with an industry-wide led initiative around open data.

“We must learn from the UK to help drive more competition in a dominated market and provide more transparency to help rebuild some of the trust that has been lost across our financial services sector.”

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January 2020

TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

Children deserve necessities

BY ANN VAN ENGELEN

Julie Chapman formed KidsCan NZ in 2005 after hearing children across New Zealand were going without the basic necessities of life such as food and rain jackets to get to school.

“P

eople were telling me that due to the cost of living many families were going without food and children didn’t have jackets to stay warm on wet or cold days,” says Julie.

“These children don’t want to shame the family, so they stay home, which means they miss out on education. I asked 80 low decile schools if they had children lacking the basics of life.”

That included small rural schools, and the results were so high that Julie immediately took action to help.

“In the early days, it was about making sure whatever we did was practical, like introducing food and raincoats because the lack was impacting the children’s ability to learn. They can’t concentrate on an empty stomach or being cold.

From Kaitaia to Invercargill, north to

2

south, east to west, KidsCan NZ now distributes raincoats, food, health and hygiene products and much more to 740 decile one to four schools and preschools. Thanks to our distribution partners, we reach deep into rural communities who are also affected. It can be due to seasonal work or families have to travel long distances to shops, and if they have transport issues, it is hard to put food on the table. It is not budgeting badly. It is the reality of how difficult it is on low incomes with high living costs.

“We believe every child deserves to live with dignity, and it is unfair and unjust for them to miss out on the basics of life. Education equals the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty in the future and providing food, clothing and shoes enables them to participate and

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learn.” In 2019 KidsCan NZ provided 30,000 children a day across New Zealand with food.

“We distributed more than five million food items, added 4,000 hot meals in winter, provided 40,000 raincoats, 25,000 pairs of shoes and 50,000 pairs of socks. Our health and hygiene programme provided more than 30,000 feminine hygiene packs.

“The majority of poverty simply comes down to the high cost of living, including housing prices and a low wage economy.

It isn’t bad budgeting — many families are paying 50–60 per cent of their income to keep a roof over their head.

Parents have to decide to pay for power, car registration and petrol to get to work or buy food. It is actually no one’s fault.

They have done nothing wrong — the cost of living is just too high.

“People move to the country for affordable housing. It is often some distance to school and because of transport children are at school at 7.15am.

“They are often tired from waking up early and haven’t had time to eat, let alone get food ready if there is any. Our breakfast programme supplies baked beans and fruit, and the teachers sit the students down to eat and chat before starting their school day.

“We increased our food programme for school camps — so all children have a better chance of attending.

Rural schools have smaller rolls, and we provide whatever it is they need. So they can use their funds for other educational things such as a school trip showing

Rural children are supported as much as urban students with breakfast often being the start to their school day

children the outside world. Some older children go to higher decile schools for boarding but are from a low decile area.

“Some are born for farm work and thrive on the outdoors, but others are not that personality type but don’t realise what they can aim for careerwise at first. Prior to us partnering with a school, the food often came from the school budget.

“We have stories of children sharing one sandwich between four at lunch, a child wearing her mother’s oversized shoes for a nature walk because she had none. Her teacher taped the footwear

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Julie Chapman established KidsCan NZ to help provide basic necessities such as food and rain jackets for children

have changed the lives of thousands of children. To help counteract the needs of families in our very own country, for as little as $30 a month, you can provide food, a raincoat, shoes and socks and basic health and hygiene items for a New Zealand child living in poverty. We appreciate every penny we get to help these families. To join us on our mission, go to kidscan.org.nz.”

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on to the girl’s feet so she could walk in them. With us helping, schools don’t have to worry about where the food is coming from.

“They put the money back into positive experiences and helping encourage the children with options. We have seen and heard many positive outcomes that have happened as a direct result of KidsCan sponsorship. Together we

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Tax hit unfair

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January 2020

Federated Farmers is seeking ministerial support for a change to tax legislation, so farmers whose breeding stock are culled as part of the Mycoplasma bovis eradication effort are not disadvantaged by the tax regime.

“Currently, farmers whose dairy or beef breeding cows are valued on their books under the National Standard Cost scheme and whose cattle are culled as part of the Mycoplasma bovis response will most likely end up with a hefty tax bill.

“That is not a fair outcome for affected farmers, and we believe it’s an unintended consequence of the tax legislation,” says Federated Farmers economics spokesperson Andrew Hoggard.

“Farmers owning cows culled under a Notice of Direction from MPI will be liable for tax on the difference between the total proceeds received (slaughter returns plus top-up compensation) and their book value. For farmers on the Herd Scheme, there should be no significant tax issues.

Farmers valuing their cows on the National Standard Cost Scheme the difference between total returns each animal and their book value can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars. They cannot offset this taxable income by writing the value of the replacement cows back down to the

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value of the cows they replaced in their books.

“One solution would be to allow farmers to write them down to the same values as the animals they replaced.

Thereby, restoring the livestock values to where they would have been, had the forced cull not occurred.

“What we are requesting is not about reducing a farmer’s taxable income as any farmers who do not replace their animals will not get tax relief and those who do replace them would claw back what they paid during the next few years.

It’s about preventing an unexpected tax windfall for the government.

“The provisions Federated Farmers is seeking work on similar principles to the tax relief provided for owners of buildings destroyed in the Christchurch and Hurunui Kaikoura earthquakes. Federated Farmers has asked that the Minister of Revenue also consider whether these changes should apply to any events where animals are culled as part of a future biosecurity event as well as Mycoplasma bovis, so in the unlikely event of a future event this solution has been provided for.”

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January 2020

TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

End of the road for Commodore

by Andy Bryenton

We grew up together, went to school together, ended up being flatmates for a while in those university days; no surprise, as we both came into this world in 1978. That’s where the similarities between this writer and the Holden Commodore end, however.

Nevertheless, I’m only one of the millions who are sad to see it disappear.

Holden’s flagship sedan hit the roads as the oil crisis gave way to the decade of excess. However, it was lighter and therefore more economical than its rivals, or its HQ predecessor.

New blue series engines came in with the upgrade to the VC Commodore in 1980, with the SS badge returning the year after, and the third-generation VH seeing the debut of Peter Brock’s HDT group one, two and three highperformance packages.

Through to the VK and VL generations, motor racing legends were built and consolidated. Many a V8 Commodore was adorned with the stickers and paint jobs of racing icons from the tarmac of Bathurst.

Commodores took many of us to school and many more on holiday. Big Commodore wagons were the family hauliers of the day, before the advent of the SUV and the people mover. The shape of the distinctive VR and VS

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car’s noses, especially in white, can still cause a pang of worry in drivers of a certain age, who have developed pattern recognition in their brains that identifies them as traffic cops. It all came to an end with the launch of the ZB Commodore just a couple of years ago, with construction moving away from Australia.

Now comes the news that the Commodore badge is history, with Holden confirming that both their big sedan and the Astra will be discontinued in 2020. That will leave Holden in a position akin to Nissan, with nothing on offer but SUVs and utes, barring

hardcore sports cars. For Holden, this will mean the powerful new midengined Corvette.

Arch-rivals Ford, who axed the Falcon badge two years ago, has moved into a different position.

With a strong showing for their Fiesta compact, Focus hatch and Focus RS hot hatch, Mustang front-engined sports car and Mondeo sedan and wagon combo.

Is the sedan really dead and gone, considering the continuing popularity of powerful European four doors? Only time will tell. Time will be on the side of Commodore collectors, who now own a piece of history.

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Global cars of the year

January 2020

17

by Andy Bryenton

There’s been a worldwide trend towards the sensible and forward-thinking in the annual ‘car of the year’ sweepstakes. In a year notable for the nativity of some big horsepower and sporty new generations of classics past, the winners have universally been of a different stripe.

Take the winner of our own Kiwi Car of the Year, as chosen in December 2019. In a field, which included some major players, including the much-feted Toyota Supra, the winner was Ford’s all-new Focus hatchback — a car well within the grasp of the average motorist.

When this latest model of the Focus was launched, Ford was enthusiastic about its combination of economy, performance and safety, and Ford’s spokespeople followed through when it was shortlisted, saying: “This all-new generation has the best combination of the well-renowned Focus character, performance all with the latest technology throughout. Being a Top Ten COTY Finalist is further recognition that our Ford engineers and designers in Europe aced it!”

In North America, it was a similar story. Ford had reason to anticipate a win there too, with their Mustang continuing to dominate and a Shelby 500 sports model crushing the competition. Chevrolet’s new corvette, the first to mount its engine amidships like a supercar, has also been called ‘sublime’. The winner was the allelectric Hyundai Kona, a small SUV that runs on batteries and originates from South Korea. Finally, the last bastion of

horsepower and bombast should surely have been Europe, where the annual Top Gear top ten is awaited with trepidation by the makers of supercars. Their choice, in a list that included offerings

by Bugatti and Lamborghini to name but a couple, was another all-electric car.

In this case, the deservingly victorious Porsche Taycan.

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The name comes from Turkish and means a ‘spirited young horse’, but the Taycan is as far from a horse and cart as one can get in terms of modern tech. It’s been touted as ‘the best way to embarrass a Tesla driver’ with its blistering acceleration. Porsche’s styling department has, for once, hit the nail on the head with a design that

echoes the classic 911 while still being original. Three signs, then, of a changing landscape in auto appreciation.

There’s certainly more surprises in store for 2020, as the advent of a new decade is sure to make carmakers look ahead with some truly out of the box concepts for this year’s motor shows.

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January 2020 TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

ADVERTORIAL

DAIRY EFFLUENT MANAGEMENT When it comes to dairy effluent management, not one system ticks all the boxes. There are multiple considerations that can have a huge impact on how the system is designed and how it will perform over time. Such things as rainfall, soil types, contour, elevation, water tables, catchment areas, feed pads, water supply, power supply, nutrient loading/concentration, farm system type and farm management structures all come in to play when designing a new system or upgrading an existing system.

The times of digging a hole in the ground, buying a pump, some pipe and any old irrigator are over.

To achieve a fit for purpose solution, there are multiple skill sets required. It is very important to use a reputable company with the required skills to design a system that achieves industry best practice. When it comes to dairy effluent system design, the industry has developed the Dairy Effluent Accreditation Programme which was developed to ensure that companies designing dairy effluent systems have the appropriate knowledge, skills and resources to design, build and support fit for purpose systems.

These companies are audited every two years to ensure their standards are maintained. This gives farmers confidence that they are working with someone that knows their effluent not someone who just talks it. Effluent design accredited companies are recommended by Taranaki Regional Council and all regional councils across New Zealand. AgFirst Engineering was one of the first companies in New Zealand to become “dairy effluent system design accredited” and have been accredited for 8 years now. Davieth Verheij, Director of AgFirst Engineering is renowned for high quality dairy effluent builds through the country and has made a strong presence in Taranaki since 2013.

“Over this time, we have worked with many

local farmers and support companies on several great projects,” says Davieth. I have been specialising in dairy effluent system design and build for the past 15 years.

“I started on the tools which included covering breakdowns 24/7 365 days per year for New Zealand’s largest milking machine company. This was a sure-fire way to learn what works and what doesn’t,” says Davieth. AgFirst Engineering works very closely with Coastal Agri Services in Opunake. Coastal Agri Services have an excellent reputation as being a reliable service provider to Taranaki farmers.

AgFirst Engineering designs the dairy effluent system from start to finish.

AgFirst manufacture the key infrastructure and Coastal Agri install it to the design specification. AgFirst and Coastal Agri commission the system and AgFirst Engineering sign off the project with Taranaki Regional Council. There is much more to an effluent system than just pumps, pipelines and irrigators. “We believe there’s huge value in providing the full solution, everything needs to link together seamlessly. We don’t want to have to come back,” says Davieth.

With this approach, over time, we have naturally become part of a team of leading service providers to the Taranaki rural sector. Johnny Neil Building and Taranaki Precast Concrete provide concrete construction works such as sumps, sand traps, solids storage, large concrete storage tanks and pump/pond stirring system foundations. Mark Gopperth from Gopperth Contracting completes our minor site excavation work including, power supply, drainage and irrigation pipeline trenching and backfilling. “We are very impressed with Marks new chain trencher mounted behind their tractor unit.

Trenching is fast and when we encounter large rocks, they have the diggers ready to ensure there are no delays,” says Davieth.

When it comes to effluent storage, there

AgFirst’s Weta travelling rain gun in action near Hawera are many different solutions. We look at the site, shoot levels and dig test holes (check water table and land drainage levels) so we know what we are dealing with. The goal is always to achieve gravity into the storage facility (pond or tank) if possible.

This means that the farm owner and farm operator/s can manage the system at their leisure rather than the continued worry that there can be a sudden discharge.

AgFirst are ready for any situation; we are one of few companies in New Zealand that can confirm whether an existing pond is sealed or leaking at low cost with our pond drop test. If it’s a new build, some options are - Synthetically lined pond (plastic or rubber), concrete tank, above ground lined tank, Glass fused steel walled tank with concrete floor or flexible above ground bladders. All options are considered, and full system pros’ and cons demonstrated.

AgFirst have been fortunate to work with Karl Barn Contracting on many projects over the years. Karl is familiar with our pond/tank construction requirements and never fails to deliver above AgFirst’s expectations.

This has been supported by Viking Containment of whom we have found to

provide excellent pond lining solutions at a competitive price. Power supply and electrical control is the heart of an effluent system. This is often where systems fall down. It is essential that the pumping system design is inline with the electrical control. Failure to be on the same page as the electrician is a recipe for disaster.

Over time we have worked closely with Mark Frost Electrical and nothing has ever been a problem. Their can-do attitude and back up support has been invaluable.

Electrically powered effluent system is not the only option. PTO or generator powered pumping and stirring systems, slurry tankers or umbilical dribble bar systems are all feasible options depending on the farms environment.

AgFirst and Coastal Agri Services are very passionate about dairy effluent. Davieth from AgFirst also enjoys heading to the coast and being spoilt by Scotty from Coastal Agri Services. An evening trip to the beach for a surf cast with a beer in hand is the norm. Paua and whitebait on the ready for a snack and a hot BBQ or skillet for a T Bone is as good as it gets.

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Sustainability tops resolution list

January 2020

19

Tackling climate change, caring for waterways and reducing the use of plastic packaging, the New Zealand dairy industry, and food producers are grappling with significant challenges around sustainability.

“These challenges will continue in 2020 and through the next decade, and decades, to come,” says Fonterra’s Global Director of Sustainability, Carolyn Mortland.

“Globally, food production systems are facing a transformational challenge.

New Zealand dairy farmers feed around 40 million people globally. As the world grows, food producers will need to find new ways to feed 10 billion people by 2050.

“We need to meet these demands while protecting and restoring the environment. It is being driven by consumers becoming increasingly discerning when it comes to the products they buy and the food they eat.”

Recent market research found that 75 per cent of millennials, those 20–35 years old, are altering their buying habits with the environment in mind.

Thirty-four per cent of baby boomers are willing to change what they buy if it means purchasing more sustainable products.

“These present unique challenges for New Zealand food producers and Fonterra is no different. There is no easy or quick fix, so as a co-operative, we are deeply invested in New Zealand’s success and take a long-term view. We are a business built from farms passed down from one generation to the next, and that means ensuring the land and natural bounty of our country are preserved for generations to come.

“Agriculture depends upon a stable global climate and is particularly impacted by environmental effects. Our farmers are close to the land and will feel climate change hard.

“That is why we have put sustainability at the heart of our co-op’s new strategy. It means doing what is right and expected of us for the long-term.

It means producing dairy nutrition in

a way that cares for people, animals and the land, and brings value to our communities. That is not only the right thing to do but has become increasingly important as more consumers choose environmentally-friendly products.

“As a country, New Zealand has got a head start. We are already one of the best and most sustainable places in the world to produce milk.

Our farmers can make a litre of milk for 60 per cent fewer emissions than the global average.

“We are known for producing some of the best food in the world, and balancing this production with our green, clean reputation.

“We have got innovative people working to reduce our environmental impacts, from cutting water use through to researching world-leading science to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. No one can do this alone.

“Tackling complex issues like climate change, improving biodiversity and freshwater, and addressing plastic waste will take a collective effort by government, local and regional councils, the business community, scientists, iwi, community groups and consumers. By working together and focussing on ambitious common goals, the power of collaboration can find solutions.

“With New Zealand’s natural environment and some of the world’s most efficient farmers, we are wellpositioned to lead change.

“We must find ways to achieve food and agriculture sustainability for New Zealand and our export markets.

Fonterra doesn’t pretend to have all the answers.

“We have got a long way to go on our own sustainability journey but believe we can make positive change. We have committed to doing our bit.”

Carolyn Mortland, Fonterra’s Global Director of Sustainability

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We specialise in commercial and industrial buildings of any size and shape, rural and lifestyle buildings and sheds to meet your exact needs.

Wide Span Sheds also design and build exciting and ultra affordable lifestyle habitable shed houses.

Extremely rapid design and quoting allows you to make decisions quickly.

We can do everything for kitset only through to full turn-key build.

WE COVER ALL OF TARANAKI AND OUR SISTER FRANCHISES COVER ALL AOTEAROA

CONTACT US FOR A COMPETITIVE QUOTE Call 94 33 77today! today!

Call1300 021 939201 Visit Visitwww.sheds.com.au www.sheds.co.nz