Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles, October 2012

u t a w a n a M / i k a n Tara

Farming Lifestyles October 2012 Edition

22,300 copies DELIVERED FREE to every rural delivery address in Taranaki and Manawatu

Horse trekking fits in well with farming

Pleasant and green, but… empty!

P4

The importance of genetics

P8

P17

Check out page 5!

Farmlands Trading Society Limited FAR21395

Scottish ancestry lends link to Highland Page 6–7

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2

October 2012

Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles

Gardening grants for rural schools up for grabs

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

Phone: 09 439 6933 or 0800 466 793 • Fax: 09 439 6930

by Denise Gunn

Email: info@thelifestyler.co.nz • Postal Address: PO Box 474, Dargaville Physical Address: Lifestyler House, 107 River Road, Dargaville General Manager: Deb Wright Editorial: Denise Gunn Advertising: John Hosie

Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles Distribution area

Graphic Design: David Stevens Gavin Bainbridge Emily Stevens Jan Balcombe

Production: Jenny Crundwell Managing Editor: Allan Mortensen (am@thelifestyler.co.nz) Accounts: Lesley Robinson (accounts@thelifestyler.co.nz)

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Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) and Farmlands have teamed up for the third year to give away gardening grants to six North Island rural schools.

Each winning school will receive $2,000 in prize money from the proceeds of Farmlands Ladies’ Nights, to be used to set up, or further develop, a rural school garden or orchard.

Last year RWNZ and Farmlands presented cheques for road safety initiatives to schools in Ruatoki, Matakohe, Elstow-Waihou, Manakau and Kai Iwi. In 2010, 120 applications were received to erect shade sails in school playgrounds.

Located north of Wanganui on SH3, Kai Iwi School has a roll of 100 children. Although a Television and radio cooking personality straight stretch of road Annabelle White will tour the North Island as guest runs alongside the school, star at the Farmlands Ladies’ Nights events this month. there are two blind corners Funds raised will go towards a joint venture between Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) and Farmlands to at each end. award gardening grants to six North Island rural schools As part of a New Zealand Transport Agency trial to impose gardening grants from funds raised at a 70 kmph speed limit during peak periods these events”, said Rural Women NZ outside rural schools, electronic signs national president Liz Evans. were recently erected on the roadside.

“There’s a magic about planting seeds Kai Iwi School principal Alastair and growing your own fruit and veges.

White said a number of road safety “We’re keen to encourage children to options have been considered to use the learn the skills for what can become an $2,000 grant. enjoyable hobby and a way of providing “We are going to get some more flags healthy food for families.” to let people know there is a school here,” Winning schools will also receive a copy he said. of A Good Harvest — Recipes from the Plywood outlines of children will Gardens of Rural Women New Zealand, as also be painted and placed along the well as gardening equipment, soil nutrients front fence. and seeds.

Television and radio cooking personality Dates for the Farmlands Ladies’ Nights Annabelle White will tour the North Island and application forms for the ‘Grow Your as guest star at the Farmlands Ladies’ Own’ North Island rural school gardening Nights events this month, providing a grants can be found at www.ruralwomen. mixture of cooking tips and humour. org.nz.

“We’re delighted to be able to partner Grant applications close on with Farmlands once again to give away November 2.

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Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles October 2012

by Denise Gunn

3

More stallholders needed for Farmers’ Market Taranaki

Farmers’ Market Taranaki is seeking more stallholders, particularly those able to offer fresh produce, value added products, wine or beer “In fact just about any kind of food,” said Farmers’ Market Taranaki Trust chair Richard Sheldrake.

When stallholders have met food safety requirements, they can book their place with the market coordinator. Stallholders are provided with canopies and tables at the organised venue.

“We are also keen to look at other high quality non-food products with a farming or growing origin.”

Farmers’ Market Taranaki was first held in June 2005 through an initiative by a not-for-profit trust of the same name.

The Trust aimed to support and stimulate profitable trading and business growth of independent primary producers and associated value-adders and cottage industries. It also endeavoured to provide customers with regular supplies of fresh local food.

Mr Sheldrake said many customers visit Farmers’ Market Taranaki each Sunday to buy what they need for the week.

“Foot traffic is certainly increasing.

“It’s a little bit of a chicken or egg situation but we are convinced that if we can grow the number of stallholders and range of products, more customers will visit us regularly.”

Mr Sheldrake said the very first market started with about 10 stalls and that number remained steady for a couple of years.

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“Since those first markets, growth has been slow but steady, winter months being characterised by smaller markets, and in summer larger markets.

The markets, held every Sunday in Currie Street, New Plymouth, except when there are legal trading restrictions, offer a wide range of produce and goods.

“Growing the Farmers’ Market in Taranaki is challenging mainly because unlike decades ago, there are now few commercial growers remaining in the region — a trend driven by the needs of large-scale food distributors.”

“We are mainly a food market but will allow selected high-quality products derived from raw material or local origin,” said Mr Sheldrake.

Mr Sheldrake said a recent example is where the only remaining commercial asparagus grower and market stallholder in Taranaki sold their business and the new owner ploughed up the

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4

October 2012

Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles

fits in well with farming

by Denise Gunn

NIGEL SMITH TRACTOR & FARM MACHINERY

Fourteen years ago, Manawatu sheep farmers Jim and Sandie Warren began to offer horse-riding to people staying at Sixtus Lodge — an outdoor education centre located opposite their farm blocks Sandie enjoyed it so much that shortly afterwards the couple began advertising horse treks — Table Flat trekking.

Horses and equipment were acquired slowly to avoid a huge financial outlay on a business the couple weren’t sure would work at the time. But their horse-trek business has steadily grown and they’ve found it fits in well around the farm work.

The Warren’s run approximately 1,000 Romney breeding ewes and 340 replacement ewes on their 222ha farm, split into two blocks near the Ruahine Ranges. The farm is situated over 800 metres above sea level.

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“Our country is pretty summer safe but the winters make up for it and we get a few good snowfalls every winter,” said Sandie.

Jim was a deer culler before he went farming, buying the original block in 1979.

“I came along in 1988 and we bought the second block in 1991,” said Sandie.

The farm’s terrain is an unusual mix of terraces and hill

Jim and Sandie Warren have found their horse-trek business fits in well around the farm work

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Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles October 2012 country running up onto the Ruahine Ranges. There is also a strip of limestone running through the property with a small cave system.

5

“And some older riders find the thought of a trek daunting, so we do something a bit different for their needs.”

“The limestone caves are open to the public and are protected by a covenant that Jim established with the QEII Open Space Trust not long after he bought the farm,” said Sandie.

Special needs riders are also catered for.

Sandie has always loved horses and found them fascinating.

“This means that the caves will always be protected, even if the farm is sold.”

She said the horse-trekking business has been an incredible journey for her, discovering how much she enjoys working with people, especially those who are in some way challenged.

The couple run the farm on their own as much as possible, getting help in for some seasonal tasks.

The sheep are rotational grazed and the horses are block-grazed.

“Getting on a horse for the first time is incredibly challenging for anyone, but if you are already facing other problems, it can become a huge life challenge.

Sandie said the sheep are also cross-grazed with the horses to help keep parasite counts low and control weeds.

Children having fun at Jim and Sandie’s Table Flat trekking

All stock are wintered on the farm with haylage grown to supplementary feed the horses and ewes during the winter months.

the treks and no age restrictions. Although not everyone is capable of doing all the rides, there are still options for the less experienced riders.

“Some of the other problems people face can be as simple as a huge fear, or as difficult as a physical disability, but they are all the same for the person wanting to get on the horse.”

“

“I won’t take children under five on a trek, but I will take them for a specially tailored ride,” said Sandie.

“This is what I have discovered I really enjoy,” said Sandie.

Sandie said the sheep are also cross-grazed with the horses to help keep parasite counts low and control weeds

”

Sandie and Jim have found the horse-trekking business fits in well around the farm work as all rides are pre-booked.

“So it’s not difficult to shuffle jobs such as shearing, crutching etc around the horses,” said Sandie.

The couple have two adult children with partners who they can call on when required. Sandie also has friends able to assist with the horses.

Fourteen horses are used for the horse treks. Sandie particularly likes to use Standardbreds off the trotting track and finds them strong, sensible, placid and really tough.

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6

October 2012

Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles

Garth and Win Gadsby both have close Scottish ancestry, but it was at the suggestion of their Scottishborn daughter-in-law that the couple decided to breed Highland cattle on their 16 acre Taranaki property

“We purchased our first Highlands in early 2000s,” said Garth.

“A particularly striking in-calf heifer that we purchased became our herd matriarch.”

With a small gene pool of Heritage full-blood Highlands, Garth and Win’s first hurdle was finding a suitable bull totally unrelated to their fold.

The couple leased a young bull from Canterbury.

“We used him until we purchased an in-calf heifer who gave us a bull that we could use along with AB,” said Garth.

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In 2005 Garth and Win imported embryos from Australia with the purpose of breeding a herd sire.

“We were rewarded with magnificent heifers,” he said.

two

Around the same time, the couple

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purchased a full brother to these two heifers from the same batch of embryos. He then became the fold’s herd sire.

Imported semen was used to AB the two embryo heifers.

Garth said this herd sire matched with their original line, proving to be an ideal match producing offspring with great conformation, Garth and Win have found Highland growth rates and cattle to be easy calvers, great mothers, hardy and good foragers of rough feed temperaments.

“We kept one special bull from this match who went onto be North Island Supreme Champion Highland and also second in his class of a Worldwide Virtual Show.

“He has been rated independently by an Australasian Beef Assessor as a very worthy example of the breed and that he would add value to any Highland breeding programme.”

Garth said their breeding programme was founded on the true Heritage Highland, commonly known in New Zealand as full-blood. This means there is no other cattle breed in their ancestry. With the low gene pool of Heritage full-blood Highland cattle in New Zealand, the Gadsby’s are committed to maintaining the purity of their fold and protecting their genetics. Their herd’s ancestry can be traced back to the Queen’s Balmoral fold.

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The breed also has a long, productive life and been known to still be breeding at 20 years.

Garth and Win have found Highland cattle to be easy calvers, great mothers, hardy and good foragers of rough feed.

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Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles October 2012 “They are good for small properties as they are weather resistant and don’t bunch together to pug the ground,” said Garth.

They’ve also discovered Highland cattle to be slow developers, taking around 30 months to reach freezer weight.

“Selective breeding is winning this problem,” said Garth.

“Their meat is well worth trying and is usually available at farmers and other niche markets.”

With the low gene pool of “ Heritage full-blood Highland cattle

in New Zealand, the Gadsby’s are committed to maintaining the purity of their fold and protecting their genetics. Their herd’s ancestry can be traced back to the Queen’s Balmoral fold

”

He said the Highlands horns, which are their trademark feature, can be a drawback when culling cattle to the works.

The couple have successfully shown their cattle around Taranaki and the Manawatu. Their cattle have also placed in the Worldwide Virtual Show every year they have entered.

Although Garth and Win have recently retired from their 16 acre farm near Inglewood to a smaller three acre property, they’ve taken three cows and a yearling heifer with them.

“We are maintaining a strong interest in the cattle that we have bred and sold and are committed to encouraging others to promote better recognition of the Heritage full-blood animal,” said Garth.

7

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“We will continue our breeding programme with the cattle we hold, breeding for good conformation with true genetic purity.”

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The Gadsby’s have discovered Highland cattle are well-suited for small properties as they are weather resistant and don’t bunch together to pug the ground

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8

October 2012

Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles

P

leasant and

green, but . . .

by Paul Campbell

'England's green and pleasant land' is a catch-phrase echo from an old song, but a recent visit to the UK brought home the fact that for a large part, this green and pleasant land is empty SERVING MANAWATU FOR OVER 100 YEARS Cooper Rapley has an efficient, professional team of legal advisors who care, listen and communicate. We work with our clients to achieve their desired outcome

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My host commented that ever since mad cow disease and foot and mouth outbreaks, the English countryside has been a little bare of four-footed inhabitants.

But in conversations in a couple of rural pubs, where they have been contemplating farming over their ale for centuries, it emerged that it's an economic foe our UK counterparts are facing.

Up front in the scenario are the nations' dairy farmers.

Falling milk prices and rising feed

prices — grain, not grass — are at the Farmers in Europe, just across heart of the problem as dairy farmers the channel, do it better, not to assert the money they receive for mention New Zealand of course. The their milk at the gate has plunged open borders of Europe mean more to about NZ$0.50c per litre, but it efficient European farmers can costs 60 cents to produce. undercut the Brits.

It's not rocket science to conclude Add to that — shades of the the industry is on a hiding to New Zealand retail milk price row nowhere.

— the UK the food retail market is A glance at the news reports saw controlled by just a few big supermarket that dairy farmers were moving to try and force supermarkets to pay more for their milk, to the extent of blockading re-sellers and even opening the farm tanks to send their milk down the drain, instead of selling at a loss.

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Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles October 2012

cabals, which means strong purchasing power.a So farm produce prices are forced down, and so agriculture as an economic sector declines.

Agriculture accounts for just 1% of GDP, and Britain produces only half the amount of food it consumes. By contrast, New Zealand's agricultural GDP contribution is three times that, and of course, we export.

Last year, dairying alone saw us reap $13.2 billion in export revenue, a 25 percent increase on the year before.

But what about home market support for the UK farmers? High street shoppers might express sympathy, but Danish butter looks better to most. Protectionism is illegal in the European Economic The green and empty fields of England Community so it’s hard to see what chance UK farmers really have. of a regulating office, a sort of with what the big conglomerates There is talk among their government-appointed ombudsman are prepared to pay farmers. But associations about the creation to try and balance production costs when the new government came in a couple of years ago, supermarkets waved the collective big stick at that idea and the now embattled Conservative-Liberal Democrat rulers turned belly up. New moves would seem to be doomed to the same fate.

Agriculture accounts for just 1% of GDP, “ and Britain produces only half the amount of

food it consumes. By contrast, New Zealand's agricultural GDP contribution is three times that, and of course, we export

”

Fixed Price Forward Contracts

But all seem to agree in the UK that if the paddocks are to be filled once again, something needs to be done, and sooner rather than later, if the vestiges

of the UK's battered rural sector is ever to rise again.

And let’s face it — it is all about food supply. After six weeks in Europe, this writer returned to New Zealand pastures much of the opinion that we are a lucky country indeed.

We can turn grass into a food surplus that assures us of a thriving rural sector and excellent export earnings.

It is a future that we must strive to guard. With the utmost vigour.

Recent Chinese interest in Kiwi soil has also been echoed in the UK, where a prominent investment advisor, Detlef Schon, CEO at Aquila Capital Green Assets, commenting on the state of the dairy industry there, said New Zealand was a far more appealing country to invest in dairy farming.

"This is not because New Zealand dairy farmers are more intelligent, or their cows are prettier, it's because there's a totally different production system based on conversion of grass to milk, a benign climate, and an abundance of water supply.

"By that, you’ll find in New Zealand you can graze your cows all year round, which results in much lower costs per litre of milk produced than in the UK." Enough said!

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Some of the benefits that Fixed Price Forward Contracts offer are: • Forward Contracts provide price certainty Locking in part of your future wool clip means you are not as reliant on the spot price on the day the wool is ready for sale. This is similar to managing loans by using a mixture of Fixed and Floating Interest Rates.

Fixed Price Forward Contracts as at 1 July 2013

• Forward Contracts are “Bankable Documents” A Fixed Price Forward Contract provides certainty around cashflow and future incomes. These contracts will assist in obtaining seasonal finance.

• Forward Contracts provide certainty of supply Our global partners are provided with certainty of supply, thereby securing their long term commitment to New Zealand wool.

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October 2012

Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles

PASTURE management

Dealing with pests Win the battle for greener pastures With spring well and truly here, farmers are turning their attention to raising a bountiful crop of grass to fuel milk production. It’s all about maximizing that all-important DM or dry mass (pasture minus water) — the crucial

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Pests take two major forms — insects and weeds. Weeds can be insidious — many were in fact introduced species, and still flourish in country gardens, spreading their seeds via wind and birds to ruin paddocks.

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Knowing how weeds such as gorse, thistle and ragwort spread is key to eliminating these plant pests from your pastures. As well as being windblown or carried by water, the seeds of noxious plants can also sometimes be found amongst benign grass seed — check the certification of any seed you’re planting to make sure it’s weed free. Another vector, pertinent this time of year is the very machinery used to destroy weeds.

The tractors, harrows and rollers visiting

Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles October 2012

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PASTURE management

The moth Spodoptera frugiperda, who’s caterpillar life stage can be a destructive infestation to crops, known as army worm

nsects ous —your land may be carrying weed seeds pecies,in like the old ‘trojan horse’. rdens, birds to The best modern method of dealing with weeds once they rear their heads is with agri-spray chemicals — though still better is prevention. A healthy pasture carpeted in long, lush grass is its own protection in many ways, blocking weeds from even germinating or growing past a tiny sprout.

To stop weeds, take care of the land from the ground up. Cultivate with deep tines and harrows to aerate the soil, then seed a certified weed-free, hardy form of grass appropriate to the moisture content and drainage of your pasture. Pugged paddocks won’t grow the best crop, so the roller may come into play as well, before nitrogen is spread for maximum soil fertility. Regular gorse,grazing throughout the season and the key toyear helps too — your herd can do their m yourpart by nipping some of those shoots own orliterally in the bud, and by preventing oxiousovergrowth. found eck the Sometimes it’s possible to let antingnature take prevention one step nother is the weeds. visiting

further, by using biological control methods. This means introducing a new plant, insect or other living thing into the environment specifically to target a pest. While this approach can initially cost more than sprays and seems slow to get started, the long-term results of biological control are economically very viable, and of course it’s the ‘green’ option too.

Insect pests, such as weevils (these attack clover, and as such are high on the hit-list), grass grubs, army worms and the like are also best managed by taking care of the pasture from a ‘grass roots’ level. Chemicals can be effectively used to quash infestations, but even better is the more natural approach as practiced since the middle ages. Consider planting a ‘break crop’, especially in summer. Valuable dry mass for feed can be gained from, for example, a turnip crop in summer, breaking the pest’s life cycle by depriving it of its favourite food — and as a bonus, alternative cropping and rotation of the paddock has been proven to help reduce pugging damage and fix soil nutrients.

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Competitors from all over the North Island are expected to line up for this year’s tractor pull event at the Egmont A & P Show from November 16-17 Tractor pulling is steadily gaining recognition in New Zealand with the formation of Tractor Pull New Zealand Inc (TPNZ).

The motor sport, which is extremely popular in Europe, USA and Australia, tests the ability of machines and drivers

to pull a computerised weight over a distance of 100 metres.

TPNZ chairman Vaughan Coy said a number of South Island competitors are also considering making the trip north to enter tractor pull classes at this year’s Egmont A & P Show.

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Now into its fourth year at this show, the tractor pull competition caters for standard, pre-1985, and modified tractors.

The standard class, considered the ‘pull on Sunday, plough on Monday’ machines, covers agricultural tractors with no modifications; the pre-1985 section includes restored machines; and the modified class will provide plenty of grunt, smoke, noise and action.

This year’s tractor pull event at the Egmont A & P Show will include Business House and Young Farmers competitions as well as the standard, pre-1985 and modified classes

Mr Coy said a new addition to the event is a Young Farmers Club competition.

The Business House competition, held for the first time last year, will also return.

The format of this year’s event is changing slightly with the Young Farmers Club and Business House competitions, along with practise for standard, pre1985 and modified tractors, held on the Friday.

“Then Saturday is the competition for standard, pre-1985 and modified with entries able up until such time as all competitors have completed their first run,” said Mr Coy. “This allows contractors who are busy to take one day off to compete.

“We hope this will encourage more to have a day off and get bigger numbers.”

A barbecue lunch held during the event gives competitors an opportunity to socialise and network.

“Contractors can get together and chat when normally they are isolated on their own tractor and not seeing or talking with other contractors,” said Mr Coy. TPNZ is currently looking for a sponsor for the event.

“It’s wide open for a keen business to take advantage of,” he said.

“Everyone has a good time.”

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FA R M W H E E L S

Manawatu Ploughing Association celebrates 50 years

by Denise Gunn

The Manawatu Ploughing Association will celebrate its 50th anniversary this month with a qualifying match followed by a celebratory dinner dinner is a great occasion for all the association’s members.

“We do want to make it a special occasion and hope to attract ploughmen from all over the North Island.”

He said the celebratory dinner will give attendees an opportunity to discuss the events from previous years.

“We have a lot of members who joined early on.”

Club president Neville Rowe has been a member of the association for 40 years. He was also the Manawatu Ploughing Association’s first qualifying representative to go through to a New Zealand final.

Nine ploughing “ enthusiasts established the association and become affiliated to the New Zealand Ploughing Association in 1962

”

Photos: Denise Gunn

Many successful competitors

“The Manawatu Ploughing Association started 50 years ago, built up by quite a few people who have competed in ploughing competitions in New Zealand with quite a lot of success,” said Mr Rowe.

Mr Rowe said there are also plans for a display illustrating the achievements of individual Manawatu Ploughing Association members during the anniversary celebrations.

The Manawatu Ploughing Association is one of seven in the North Island.

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The qualifying event, to be held at the Henson’s property near Rongotea on October 15, will include open class, vintage and horse ploughing competitions.

Former agricultural contractor Dave Small was one of the founding members of the Manawatu Ploughing Association.

He said originally ploughing enthusiasts from the Manawatu competed in events organised by the District Young Farmers organisation each year.

But as ploughmen could only qualify for the New Zealand finals from an affiliated organisation, it was decided to form the Manawatu Ploughing Association.

Nine ploughing enthusiasts established the association and become affiliated to the New Zealand Ploughing Association in 1962. Graeme Guy was elected president and Keith Clough was secretary.

The first competition held by the Manawatu Ploughing Association was on July 6 1963 at a farm near Shannon.

“It just carried on from there,” said Mr Small.

A number of the association’s members have qualified for a national final over the years and some have gone on to represent New Zealand at World Ploughing Contests.

Mr Small said the 50th anniversary ploughing event and

14

October 2012

Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles

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For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.equidays.co.nz

Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles October 2012

Can your body heal?

Soil Matters — with Peter Burton

Without our in-built healing systems our first health problem may well have been our last! The health issues that we experience are often the result of these repair processes not working properly or at worst even working against healing. When unwell we need to make sure these repair processes are able to work as well as possible. If not you may be consigning yourself to a lifetime of poor health.

Every health problem creates its own nutritional requirements. For example, people with inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis have a lower level of vitamin and mineral absorption because their digestive system has been compromised by the disease. This is especially true of some B vitamins, notably B12 and folic acid, vitamin D, calcium and zinc. These can be obtained from a good multi-nutritional supplement.

Additionally anti-inflammatory compounds such as those in acai, grape seed and turmeric can be useful if given in the right combinations and doses.

As an example of how this works in practice, I have been helping someone with arthritis, muscular pain and low energy. After investigation we found she had long standing arthritis and had developed statin myopathy.

This is the muscular weakness and pain from long term use of cholesterol lowering medications. These can also interfere with normal energy metabolism as they restrict co-enzyme Q10 needed for energy conversion within cell mitochondria. We made sure her diet was anti-inflammatory then added a broad spectrum multi-nutritional supplement plus a high grade CoQ10 supplement.

I have just spoken to her and after only two months she has had a major reduction in muscle and joint pain and has had a significant increase in her energy levels. While her results have been excellent there was nothing particularly difficult about what we did. We just identified the healing processes compromised by disease and medication then added these from both supplements and a good diet.

If you are unwell, it maybe your body telling you things are not well.

If things are not what you would want them to be it may pay to review what you are doing and then to implement measures to re-build your healing processes. Give me a call if you need help.

How fertiliser nitrogen applied now may cause your land to devalue in the future I was approached recently by a dairy farming family passionate about their farm and dedicated to the dairy industry. Their concern was the steadily escalating cost of producing milksolids and the rapidly declining amount paid for them Specifically they were concerned about the cost of their fertiliser programme which included the cost of urea. Although they said those costs were not rising rapidly they had drawn a link between fertiliser and what seemed to be declining pasture production.

Having already voiced their concern about total pasture production to the representative of their local fertiliser company, a soil test had been taken and the recommendation was to increase the level of all inputs particularly phosphorus and nitrogen.

That didn’t sit well with them, and they didn’t see it as an answer to the increasing damage by flea and weevil each year resulting in greater areas of pasture requiring renovation or renewal in autumn.

My recommendation was to apply more calcium in the form of lime in conjunction with DoloZest the biologically active product based on dolomite. Maintenance amounts of phosphorus, potassium, and sulphur were also recommended, along with a steady phasing out of fertiliser nitrogen.

Information collected over the last eight years showing DoloZest based programmes to have increased total pasture production, improved animal performance, reduced damage by pests, as well as increasing the sense of pleasure and well-being of farming families, was presented.

Still a little sceptical they asked if they could speak to farmers using the programmes. Several clients that have been using DoloZest for more than five years were spoken with, along with customers that started within the last twelve months.

Despite having received only positive responses there was still a reluctance to place the order. The reluctance to change eventually surfaced, ‘nitrogen grows more grass, doesn’t it?’

The answer is, in the short term yes, and in the longer term no, depending on quantity and frequency of application. It has since been explained to me that some farmers have become conditioned to short term fixes, with a subsequent loss of long term perspective.

Increasingly local body authorities have been drawing lines on

maps and stipulating the conditions under which farmers particularly intensive dairy operations may continue to operate.

One regulation that is being put in place throughout the country right now stipulates the quantity of nitrate nitrogen permitted to leak from farms and in some instances the time by which the standard must be met.

Farmers no longer have a privileged position when it comes to their environmental footprint and should they decide not to comply with regulations on nitrate nitrogen losses they are likely to have to relocate, and eventually the net will spread.

The effect that will have on current land values could be catastrophic. There are however nutrient programmes that include strategic use of nitrogen fertiliser which may well allow intensive pastoral farming to continue in even the most sensitive water catchment areas.

These programmes are supported by long term grass growth figures, total farm production records, and most recently nitrate nitrogen leaching figures.

Not proof as that will take at least ten years of work by research institutes, but enough data to show there is a sound long term alternative.

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October 2012

Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles

Dairying

The importance of genetics

by Denise Gunn

Genetics play an important part in Philip and Susan Ingram’s Jersey herd

T

he Manawatu couple currently have 350 cows plus 70 herd replacements on their Tokomaru farm with the herd tracing back to one four-year-old cow, with a breeding index of 136, bought in 1986 for $1,000. As a daughter of the Jersey sire of the century in 2000, this cow has bred a line of high-producers for the couple’s Philsan Stud. Her offspring, all registered with

names beginning with K, include a bull, Kurathers, sold to Ambreed in 1997 and his semen used in Jersey herds nationwide.

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Philip and Susan Ingram with their highest producing cow Philsan Manhatten Deka

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Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles October 2012

17

Dairying Jersey DNA Team over the winter. All stock are grazed past two seasons — Philsan on the farm.

We host farm study trips Ideal Ollie and Philsan TH Silage is grown on the Tactician,” said Philip. runoff for stack silage and from students at Massey Over the years Philip a later cut of hay.

University and conduct and Susan have bought and Both Philip and Susan’s bred high genetic stock to trials upon request… parents were dairy farmers, complement their herd and giving them the background develop other lines. experience and skills required in the industry.

The couple’s enterprise was recognised this year by winning the Jersey The couple have also passed on their NZ Efficiency Scroll for breed promotion. This win enthusiasm to the next generation. follows on from taking out the Ambreed NZ Award Susan said all of their children have raised for excellence in Jersey farming in 2006. pet calves for school agriculture days and A & P Philip and Susan bought their Tokomaru farm Shows. in 1996. Five years ago they took the opportunity “The older girls have relief milked at home and to expand with the purchase of a neighbouring for neighbours over holiday periods,” said Susan. property, giving them a total milking area of 105 “The youngest, Brendan (age 11), is keen on hectares and a 30 hectare runoff for silage and young stock.

The couple originally chose Jersey cows for their quiet temperament and ease of handling. The breed’s tendency to have fewer lameness problems and an ability to walk faster also appealed.

Philip said the Jerseys smaller size also means they are more efficient per kilo of bodyweight.

“Production is up to 1300kgMS per hectare and been between 365 to 400MS per cow.”

The farm’s mostly peat and silt soils tend to pug in wet conditions but the couple have offset this problem with two bark stand-off pads for stock during the Susan feeding a pen of this season’s calves

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20

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farming, particularly breeding and genetics but helps out when home from school.”

Brendan recently placed second in the Holley Geck Memorial Junior Showing competition for junior NZ Jersey members showing their animals at calf club days.

The couple employ one full-time farm assistant as well as Massey University veterinary students over holiday periods.

“We host farm study trips from students at Massey University and conduct trials upon request with the university, in particular with the veterinary department,” said Susan.

Philip and Susan have set goals to build on their success by maintaining the breeding worth (BW) of their herd in the top five percent nationwide. Long term they would like to lift that to the top one percent.

DAIRY SPECIALISTS • Dairy Sheds • Farm Buildings • Structural Buildings • Galvanised Pipe Specialists • Repairs • Feed Pads • Silage Bins • House Beams Quality Workmanship Guaranteed

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Notes from the

shed

with Mike Prendergast

Winter is a fairly easy time for chilling your bulk milk. Chilling water temperatures are low and most milk volumes are small. However, it won’t stay that way for long. Summer is on its way and temperatures will rise, including water and bulk milk temperature.

In the NZFSA (New Zealand Food Safety Authority) Code of Practice it states: “Milk must be cooled to 18 deg C or less at the completion of the first milking into the bulk milk tank, and should not exceed 13 deg C at the completion of subsequent milkings and milk must be cooled to and maintained at 7 deg C or below within 3 hours of the completion of milking and kept at 7 deg C or below until it is collected or the next milking.”

This is a tough ask for a lot of dairies with primary chilling water for some at over 23 deg C during summer. It is a reality, however, that the dairy companies are quickly toughening up around this Code of Practice. Dairy companies will now not pick your milk up if it is over 18 deg C after the morning milk or above 14 deg C after subsequent milkings.

Unfortunately, the solutions are not cheap. They have to be designed to

suit your dairy and your milk load to ensure your milk gets into the vat and is maintained at the right temperature. Any cooling system has to be maintained properly to be cost effective. It is the long term solution that you need to focus on when upgrading your cooling systems.

At Milfos we have the iCONVERTER Cooling Solutions that can snap chill the milk into the vat at around 5 deg C, maintain the vat temperature and supply free hot water up to 85 deg C in abundance. It can also save you around 35% of your electricity costs.

You don’t need to have a Milfos dairy to enjoy the benefits, so check out our website www.milfos.com for details or a consultation. You will find a lot of details about Cooling options available in the market in our new catalogue on the website.

18

October 2012

Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles

Dairying Treating Calf scours! Rotagen and Vetsan the combined approach this spring!

Calf scours may be all bad, but there’s a good option at hand for clients who end up battling with sick animals this spring The Rotagen Combo range remains unique as non-toxic, non-withhold vet only antibody treatment for calves affected by common pathogens like Rotavirus 6 and 10, Coronavirus, Salmonella, Cryptosporidium, and or E.coli (K99).

New Zealand is the only country in the worldwhere specific antibodies against specific pathogens — (Rotagen Combo) — is a registered animal remedy.

Roaring mad about Johne’s disease in your deer?

So are we!

The Rotagen Combo range is based on Globigen, a spraydried egg yolk powder derived from vaccinated chickens which contains IgY’s specific to a particular organism — rotavirus 6 and 10, coronavirus, salmonella, cryptosporidium, and E.coli (K99).

Globigen is made by vaccinating high health status flocks against a specific pathogen. The hen then passes maternal immunoglobulins from serum to the egg yolk which is collected, then spray-dried, heat-treated and standardized to a determined IgY titre. This is then formulated into a Rotagen combination product

by Vetpak here in NZ. Any Rotagen combination of the above IgY’s can be produced on request to meet a specific challenge.

IgY antibodies provide a passive immunity effect in the gut in the same way bovine colostrum would. Studies show that IgY’s successfully pass through the gastro -intestinal tract in an active form and are not altered by the digestive process. Their ability to bind to antigens is maintained within the local gut.

Treating the calves with Rotagen is one part of the equation, reducing the effects of environmental contamination is also important in reducing the effects of an outbreak within your calves, this is where another Vetpak product Vetsan can help, Vetsan is a santiser and disinfectant that is effective against all major organisms including Rotavirus, Coronavirus, E Coli, Salmonella Sp and Cryptospordium.

A recent addition to the range is Rotagen Crypto, a cryptosporidium specific treatment for calves.

Approved by the ACVM as an aid in the prevention and treatment of calf scours caused by cryptosporidium, this is available as a stand-alone product without the addition of rotavirus. This is particularly useful in cases where the herd has been vaccinated for rotavirus, but the farm has a history of cryptosporidium parvum scours in their calves.

A litre of Vetsan will cover 36m2 compared to many products on the market only covering 3m2 per litre of product and Vetsan also has residual activity over 7-14 days meaning the product keeps working longer.

The product can be used with calves of any age and treatment can be initiated at any stage of infection.

It can be used to both prevent and treat specific calf scours.

Know your status? Find out!

Call JML on 0800 456 453 or visit www.johnes.org.nz

Appropriate rehydration is essential and Rotagen can be used in conjunction with electrolytes or milk feeding.

One of the major benefits of Vetsan is that it is a very safe product which can be sprayed around and over your calves without any affects to them and it is also non toxic to humans. Vetsan comes in two forms, one is a ready to use product and the other is a concentrate mixed at a 1to 4 ratio, Vetsan should be used with a fine nozzle or mist sprayer or it is suitable for use with a fogger.

As the Rotagen products are based on a local gut immunity provided by immunoglobulins, there is no issue with toxicity and no withholding period.

We have the Johne’s Consultant Network to help you plan an on-farm JD control programme and we’ll even pay to blood test up to 100 of your deer.

Calves of any age or weight can be treated at the same dosage rate. For prevention, the recommended dose is 10 grams per calf per day for five days. For treatment, dose calves with 10 g twice daily for the first day, then 5 g twice daily for three to seven days.

Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles October 2012

Volunteers help protect Whio

19

An initiative set up by the Manawatu branch of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association to protect the endangered Blue Duck (Whio) in the Ruahine Ranges continues with a new volunteer co-ordinator

by Denise Gunn

Late last year keen tramper, caver and Land Search and Rescue member Janet Wilson took on the role of coordinating volunteers who check, rebait and maintain the traps on the Oroua stoatline.

“I am also running occasional training trips to give people an introduction to the project and also to check if they are suitable and if it is something they will enjoy,” said Janet.

Blue Duck are a nationally endangered species inhabiting clean, fast flowing river systems in the upper catchments of New Zealand rivers. It is estimated that around 640 pairs of Blue Ducks remain in the North Island and just under 700 pairs in the South Island. The species have been classified as ‘nationally endangered’ — similar to the Kiwi and Kokako.

Deerstalkers worked in partnership with the Department of Conservation (DOC) on the project for several years, setting stoat traps to capture both stoats and rats. These predators attack female Blue Ducks as they sit on their nests, devouring eggs and young ducklings.

Pupils from Tararua College in Pahiatua constructed stoat trap boxes as part of their technology curriculum.

DOC and Horizons Regional Council also provided some of the traps and Allflex supplied numbered tags for each one.

Photo: Stephen Robson, Department of Conservation

The endangered Blue Duck (Whio) in the Ruahine Ranges continues with the help of volunteers

Deerstalker members and volunteers carried in the initial loads of traps to set lines in the upper Oroua Valley in the Ruahine Ranges. The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) has also flown traps into the Oroua Valley as part of a training exercise.

Three years ago, landowners in the northern Manawatu began to set stoat traps on their farms bordering the Ruahine Forest Park.

Monthly checks to clear, rebait and reset the traps have been made by volunteers, including hunters, trampers, school groups and keen conservationists.

Janet tramps into the Oroua Valley on a regular basis to check the traps and record the data collected.

She is looking forward to seeing Blue Duck

numbers increase in the Oroua Valley over the years.

“I would also like to see the public awareness of Whio increase — many people do not realise they are in the local area,” said Janet.

“I see it as a great conservation project to be involved with that I can do while living in the Manawatu region.”

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STOLEN QUAD-BIKES? You won’t find any listed here, but you can pre-empt this kind of thing happening and protect your fuel too.

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20

October 2012 Taranaki/Manawatu

Farming Lifestyles

83 Wallcourt Place, Normanby Phone (06) 272 8187 Fax (06) 272 8188 Trevor 027 323 2976

100% NZ owned and operated Depot Hours: 8am - 12 noon Monday to Friday

0800 RURAL D

7 8 7 2 5 3

OCTOBER 2012

Maxiculvert HDPE Pipe

New product

Incorporating the strength of corrugated outer shell with the smooth inner wall to optimise hydraulics.

oon Comini CuglvS erts

HDPE Corrugated Culvert Pipe

Max

Manufactured by Rural Direct

m, 525mm, 375mm, 450m and 750mm

Performance advantages.

• High Strength – twice as strong as Rural Direct’s solid PE Culvert.

• Impact Resistance – takes the bumps and knocks of handling and installation.

• UV Resistance – carbon black added to give maximum weather resistance.

• Chemical Resistance – high level of chemical resistance, will not crack resistance, will not crack or corrode.

• Installation Ease – weight is half of Rural Direct’s solid wall plastic pipes and 10% of masonry products.

• Fittings – each pipe has an integral joining bell and fittings such as ‘Y’s, ‘T’s are available.

Sizes available Normal ID Typical ID

110mm 160mm 300mm 600mm

Typical OD

95mm 137mm 300mm 600mm

110mm 160mm 344mm 682mm

EFFLUENT PIPE

Low density, Heavy wall 63mm 6 Bar Rating Available in 50m, 100m, 150m, 200m, and 250m Coils

Manufactured from High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

per metre

Heavy wall, suitable for above ground use and accepts camlock fittings.

Available in 50m and 100m Coils

MD PRESSURE PIPE

$

25m m x 100m 94PSI

.0 0

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Outside diameter

9 bar 130 psi $ per 100m

LATERAL TUBING

25mm 32mm 40mm 50mm 63mm

$132.00 $159.00 $210.00 $330.00 $500.00

Full range of lateral fittings

Available in 100m & 200m coils Also available in 12 Bar Full range of compression fittings

Anka & Hansen fittings available

e tr e s

C o m p a re th is p r ic e

RED LINE

ID nominal Pressure $ per 100m bore rating (PSI)

15mm 130 $73.00 20mm 116 $139.00 25mm 94 $175.00 32mm 72 $219.00 40mm 65 $272.00 50mm 50 $350.00

x6m 300m m

110mm x 100m $295.00 160mm x 45m $299.00

$1pe1r m.e5tre0

DRAG HOSE

299

.0 0

MAXI DRAINAGE COIL

a ila b le N ow av m 110m

90mm 8 Bar Rating $8.60 per metre 75mm 8 Bar Rating $6.80 per metre

LDPE WATER PIPE

$

Rubber ring seals available for watertight joins (sizes 300mm and 600mm)

• Standard pipe lengths 6 metres and 3 metres.

$3.80

$30.00 $65.00 $299.00 $875.00

Thinwall Irrigation Pipe (3 bar) NOMINAL BORE

9.5mm 13mm 16mm 19mm 25mm

PER METRE

27c 35c 45c 58c 84c

Available in 25m, 50m, 100m & 200m coils

HDPE CULVERT PIPE

ALL PRICES INCLUDE GST

Extruded from ultra tough HDPE plastic

Diameter OD

160mm 200mm 250mm 315mm 375mm 450mm

Wall

Length

Price

4.8mm 6m $79.00 6.6mm 6m $99.00 8.2mm 6m $165.00 9.7mm 6m $245.00 10.3mm 6m $335.00 14.6mm 6m $440.00 Joiners and custom fittings available

C u lv e r t

200m m x 6

$

m

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99

FREE DELIVERY ORDERS OVER $2000 CONDITIONS APPLY

All items in this advertisement are while stocks last. Phone Rural Direct for conditions of delivery.