Waikato Farming Lifestyles, December 2016

Waikato

FARMING Lifestyles

December 2016 Edition

29,458 copies DELIVERED FREE to every rural delivery address in Waikato and King Country

Protecting a piece of history

A passion for poultry

Calling for all dairy women

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DECEMBER 2016

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

Confidence in banks firm

The Waikato Farming Lifestyles is published with pride by NorthSouth Multi Media Ltd, a privately owned NZ company.

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While the dairy industry continues to recover after a tumultuous two-year downturn, some sharemilkers will be feeling the heat this summer according to the latest Federated Farmers’ Banking Survey.

Email: info@nsmm.co.nz General Manager: Deb Wright | debw@nsmm.co.nz 021 639 696 Production Manager: Jessica Wright Graphic Design: Gavin Bainbridge Dylan Hansen Callum McDonald

Editorial: Denise Gunn Paul Campbell Andy Bryenton Ayla Miller Ann Morgan

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Of all sharemilkers who responded to the survey, 19% felt they were coming under undue pressure from their bank on their mortgage, 13% expressed dissatisfaction with their banks, and 11% reported poor communication.

These percentages were all significantly higher than those for farmers generally.

Bank satisfaction overall remains strong with 81% revealing they were very satisfied or satisfied with their bank, up 1% from the previous survey in August, and 7% were feeling dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.

Similarly, 77% of farmers rated their bank’s communication as excellent or good.

“These trends are underpinned by a decrease in farmers feeling ‘undue pressure’ around mortgages, down from 12.1% to 10.7%, with overdrafts following suit, from 9.2% to 8.5%,” said Federated Farmers president Dr William Rolleston.

“Those in the dairy sector were perhaps feeling less pressure than in August, but their industry counterparts in the sheep and beef and arable industries experienced a pick-up in pressure, although still below dairy.

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Brexit have added more uncertainty to the sheep industry, and farmgate lamb prices have been affected by a persistent strong NZ dollar.”

Sheep and beef farmers tended to be less indebted than dairy farmers, and until now at least have mostly escaped the attention applied to dairy farmers.

“As with previous surveys, dairy farmers, including sharemilkers, are more likely to have detailed up-to-date budget plans in comparison to sheep and beef and arable farmers,” Dr Rolleston says.

“Make no mistake, the dairy industry is still going through an adjustment of sorts and it remains the most vulnerable of all farming sectors. It’s no surprise the Reserve Bank continues to highlight dairy as one of the main risks for financial stability.”

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES DECEMBER 2016

Potato industry strengthens

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Potatoes New Zealand Incorporated have signed an agreement with Government to better protect the potato industry it represents in managing biosecurity. biosecurity threats that could damage the industry. One at the forefront of people’s minds at the moment is Tomato Potato Psyllid.

“Biosecurity prevention and planning are essential to ensure the commercial wellbeing of the potato and wider horticulture industries. Potatoes are a much loved part of every New Zealander’s meals.

“We need to protect potatoes from biosecurity pests and diseases to ensure future generations to come will continue to enjoy potatoes with their meals,” says Chris Claridge, chief executive, PNZ. GIA Secretariat Manager Steve Rich welcomed PNZ on behalf of the GIA partnership saying the new addition will further strengthen efforts to deliver better biosecurity outcomes.

“It’s great that PNZ have recognised the benefits of partnering with other industry groups and Government. PNZ represents one of the larger vegetable crops and is a significant addition to the partnership,” says Mr Rich.

“The thirteen other partners wholeheartedly welcome PNZ to the GIA partnership.

“We look forward to working with them to jointly manage biosecurity readiness and response.”

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The industry group have become the 14th partner organisation to join the Government Industry Agreement for Biosecurity Readiness and Response.

The Deed was signed on Friday, December 9 by representatives from PNZ at a ceremony held on a potato farm. Attendees included PNZ and government representatives, Nathan Guy — Minister for Primary Industries and the GIA Secretariat.

Stuart Wright, PNZ chair, said they gained widespread support for joining GIA after extensive consultation with members of the potato and wider agricultural industries.

“MPI have really lifted their game in the biosecurity space, implementing a number of key initiatives to help with the early detection of pests and diseases.

PNZ considers it is important to play our part as potato farmers to help prepare for, and minimise the potential impact from biosecurity pests and disease,” says Mr Wright.

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DECEMBER 2016

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

by Ann Morgan Perry Allen was originally a butcher by trade and now lives on a lifestyle property with an array of animals including sheep, muscovy ducks, beef and his much loved and appreciated Kunekune pigs.

P

erry and his wife Karen have five acres of fruit and nut trees, which he says they constantly battled to keep up with and, as far as landcare goes, they believe Kunekune pigs are the best animal for this. “Everyone should have these pigs to help maintain difficult land. They are foragers and clean around all the trees, fence lines and other areas. I don’t feed them anything other than the grass around the property and a few nuts,” said Perry.

The animals are all aptly named, there is Taimana the farm dog, Roast the sheep and of course the heart breaker, baby George Kune along with

Boris, Babe, Betty, Nudge and Screech.

“They are the only true grazing pig and my guys just keep mowing my lawns, and they do a marvellous job keeping the area well-trimmed. They love interacting with people and are reasonably clean and tidy.”

A butcher by trade, Perry says Kunekune meat is lovely to eat if they are fed this way. “I have made beautiful maple bacon in the past. The mistake people make is feeding them food scraps. They don’t need that as it makes them fat, they just need to forage on the grasses. “The pigs are fun and very social. Their favourite pastime

Perry Allen believes more people should have Kunekune pigs to help care for their land

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is to have their bellies scratched by anybody and everybody — ours even sit on command.”

The idea was to raise the pigs for meat but Perry now says they are too cute to kill. “If you raise them like we do, without scraps of food they are beautiful.

Kunekune means ‘fat bellied pig’. They get fat looking at kikuyu grass and they don’t dig up the ground like other pigs. If there are wet spots they do try and make a wallow, they are amazing.” Perry says unlike Saddleback and Wessex pigs, he finds the Kunekune not as destructive and they clean around the flax and other plants, and keep his five acres of land looking like a park.

“I have had other pigs, mainly meat pigs, but these guys are something else. In 1978 there were just 50 left in the world, I think they weren’t popular because of their size, but then a few people got together and formed the Kunekune Association and now they have made a comeback,” said Perry.

“The story that they came on Captain Cook’s ship is debatable. I think they came out with the early whalers as food and they traded with the Maori. They fell in love with them and used them for the high fat content, because back then they preserved everything in fat.”

He says the pigs are great for any property, including lifestyle blocks.

“I got told not to have them but I have found them to be amazing. They are small but good.”

Kunekunes take 116 days for gestation which is two days longer than other pigs. Like all pigs, the biggest problem is smothering by the mother, but Perry’s go into sow crates if the mother is inclined to lay on top of them.

“It is for their safety they are separated. My little white sow Babe doesn’t like babies so I take them off her now and raise them on a bottle.

“I have a blind one but no one told her she is blind and she’s running around chasing her brothers and sisters — they are so easy to look after and user friendly.”

“I am a butcher and have done a lot of hunting and eating meat, but now with my Kunekunes, raising them on my property, seeing them every day and having conversations with them, it becomes very personal and I am thinking of becoming a vegan.”

Perry says there is no such thing as a miniature pig. The standard Kunekune is 52cm at the shoulder and can get to 200kg.

“Someone started a rumour as to having miniature pigs for sale but there’s no such thing. I believe the photos were a baby Kunekune in a teacup — a very large teacup at that.

“People buy what they think is a miniature pig and it doesn’t stay miniature, and then they dump them.

“I can’t speak highly enough of Kunekune, for the lifestyle block and for people who want to care for their land.”

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DECEMBER 2016

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

BY AYLA MILLER

When Alison Sutherland decided to keep goats on her new lifestyle property little did she know this decision would completely change her life.

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oming from a research background, and as a selfconfessed workaholic, Alison spent four years learning about the Arapawa goats. The more she learnt the more she became fascinated with the part they played in early New Zealand history, and is now sharing it in a book she has written called No Ordinary Goat: The Story of New Zealand’s Arapawa Goats.

“The old English goats that came out with Captain Cook became extinct in England but they remained on Arapaoa Island. In my book I’m able to prove the dates that they arrived on the island and show they survived and multiplied.

It became a very fascinating story. There

is lots of DNA background proving they are unique in the world, so effectively they belong nowhere else but New Zealand,” she said.

It all started when Alison and her husband Alan moved from Petone to Masterton in search of a quieter life, and purchased four hectares of land on which to keep some animals.

“We had never had farm animals before so I started doing some research to see what goats might be appropriate.

I thought we would go for the smallest goats we could find because we don’t know goats. I happened to read a book called Arapawa: Once Upon an Island

by Betty Rowe and I thought they would be perfect.”

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Not only would they be able to have some goats on their property Alison was excited to know they have a significant history and belong to New Zealand.

“Two years later I got my first pair of Arapawa goats, a beautiful unrelated pair that came to us on a truck in a box, and so it began.”

From that moment on Alison was hooked and wanted to share this unique breed with the rest of the country.

She decided to set up a registry and founded the New Zealand Arapawa Goat Association. Her two original goats, Maana and Dobby, are first on the list.

Now the goats can be found in almost all parts of New Zealand including the Waikato.

Marion Rogerson owns and operates Sam and his Farmyard Friends, a mobile farmyard experience based in Hamilton.

She keeps two Arapawa Goats and was drawn to them because of their size and their temperament. She first purchased three triplets, one of whom has passed away, from a doe in Waihi so that her children could raise them for calf club.

“I wanted to have something a little different that we could have as part of the mobile farmyard after calf club.

They also have a decent history behind them,” said Marion.

However the Depar tment of Conservation considers the animals a pest and had programmes in place to eradicate them from the island.

Alison says she understands DOC’s

position, however, believes there are other options.

With a little talking she managed to convince DOC to remove some of the goats instead of killing them and these were then added to the registry on the mainland.

There are currently 217 fertile Arapawa goats on the registry in New Zealand.

“They are recognised as being critically endangered in the rest of the world but not in New Zealand. Six were sent to the United Kingdom and six sent to the United States of America. In the United Kingdom they can’t survive as there is not enough gene spread. In the US they are doing everything they can to keep the genetics.”

Alison was motivated to write the book and put the facts out there, so that other people will want to do something about ensuring the breed does not disappear.

“This is New Zealand’s early European history and for someone who just has a little bit of land, even an acre or two, they are the most wonderful paddock pets.”

As for the future of the Arapawa goat? Alison would like to see them officially recognised by the New Zealand government as endangered, and the eradication programmes changed to being just about controlling the population on the island.

“I want them to survive. To me that is the most important thing. We have no right to eradicate an animal, because they belong to future generations.”

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DECEMBER 2016

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

FOR POULTRY

by Ayla Miller

Being dubbed the ‘mad chicken man’ by his children didn’t stop John Halliday following his passion, saying goodbye to a career in the electronics industry to breed quality rare heritage poultry.

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he passion for poultry began when he and his partner Karyn decided to delve into the world of heritage breeds.

“We started with a couple of heritage breed birds and got the bug trying to find good ones,” John says.

When he was made redundant he decided he was over the stress of the corporate world and wanted to try something new and so Feathered Friends — Home of Quality Heritage Breed Poultry was ‘hatched’.

“When we first set out to get some heritage breeds we got burnt by buying

a couple from what we thought were reputable people. The birds didn’t turn out too flash so I spent some time going around New Zealand getting good examples of different breeds.”

The couple have a four-and-a-half-acre lifestyle block just out of Te Awamutu where John is in charge of looking after and breeding up to 10 different breeds of birds.

Karyn owns and manages Tall Poppies Landscape and Pool Centre full-time so is restricted to helping out in the evenings and the weekends. She has been on the lifestyle block for 18 years

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Karyn and John endeavour to keep only the very best heritage breeds at Feathered Friends and John joined her when they combined their families a few years ago.

“We began with sheep and cattle and a few chickens but now we have a lot of chickens. We have about 60 breeding birds and at any one time we have several hundred young ones,” John says.

John originally grew up in town but says he loves the rural lifestyle now and couldn’t go back.

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES DECEMBER 2016

John’s day is filled with a variety of tasks including mucking out the coops the chickens coops and rotating through his cleaning schedule.

On Mondays and Tuesday John packages up hatching eggs and ships to customers with broody hens or incubators to hatch their own chicks and loads Feathered Friends’ incubator or transfers eggs to the hatcher for the final three days of incubation.

Throughout the day customers arrive to collect birds they have ordered, or come to have a look and discuss the different breeds’ characteristics to help get the best birds for their situation.

“I enjoy spending time with people helping and showing off our beautiful breeding birds,” John says.

“I also have the nasty job of looking at the chicks as they grow and sorting out which ones are male. There is no market for them so I have to dispose of those.”

This is a job John says he will never get used to but “if I didn’t do it we would just get over run with birds,” he says.

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He is also a keen photographer and takes all the photos of his birds himself for their website.

“I’m on the committee for two different camera clubs and am right into my photography. I get a lot of comments about the photos from people looking on the website.” As well as the birds,

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John and the family keep four cats, one Jack Russell, sheep and often some cows. John says his favourite part of the whole poultry breeding process is hatching the chicks.

“I still enjoy every hatch day. Watching the babies come out and seeing what we have got keeps me motivated. I get a kick out of that every time and I never get sick of it.”

To see John’s photos and to learn more about the different breeds of birds and how to keep them visit www. featheredfriends.nz

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Spacewise specialise in the lease and purchase of new and used shipping containers. With a varied range of containers including standard, high cube, side opening and refrigerated units.

TO BUY & HIRE WE HAVE WHAT YOU NEED!

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10

DECEMBER 2016

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES ADVERTORIAL

GORSE/BLACKBERRY SPRAYING

N RUSL LI

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OL

G IN

CO

Handgun spraying for gorse control, blackberry control & vegetation control within drains.

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STAY AFLOAT

THIS SUMMER

Think water safety

Healthy people, healthy planet

by John K Morris CEO of Agrissentials

While we continue to use chemical fertilisers, we will need to continue with chemical toxic sprays, which will keep us on a chemical treadmill; down the road to soil erosion and environmental destruction.

For approximately 400 million years our planet has supported many forms of life without exhausting any reserves and the main reason for that is Mother Nature’s recycling system which keeps production sustainable year in, year out.

After only a hundred odd years of chemical production we are going backwards. Chemicals have stifled and choked nature’s natural recycling system to a point that pollution on the planet is a major problem and increasing.

Here at Agrissentials Research Centre we have the answer to the problem.

The first step is to stop using chemicals, they increase their own market, but in reality they don’t work — chemicals are causing the problem!

We have reached the point where large pharmaceutical companies have run out of chemicals to fight pest, disease and weeds, and even today antibiotics are losing their power to keep people alive.

The ultimate point to start a renaissance is first and foremost the top soil — to bring health and vitality back to the soil. When the soil is right, everything above and below the soil falls into place, the sustenance of all life is taken care of. That’s how Mother

Nature’s systems work. A hundred years of pest, disease and weed eradication has not only failed, but it has increased the immunity of pest, disease and weeds.

So, in reality, that is the answer. We need to strengthen the immune systems of plants, animals and people and to do that, we need to have a full array of minerals in our diet to strengthen and build our immune system — it’s no big deal! It is the deal!

However, the corporate food industry and the agriculture food industry, over the past 50 years or so, have taken the important minerals out of our diet, in particular the trace elements which are an essential part to building immunity.

Here at Agrissentials we recognise that all health problems indicate a mineral deficiency, the hard part is trying to find out what mineral or minerals are missing in the diet.

To cover this scenario, Agrissentials have developed multi-mineral, microbial rich BioGro certified natural fertilisers that contain a full array of minerals to cover all basis.

All the mineral immunity and health is designed to come through the food chain. That is not happening and the fast food chain is a clear example of that.

To grow a strong healthy plant you need minerals, microbes, sunlight and water. Agrissentials fertility system is based on a multi-mineral, microbial rich method. The first creatures at the mineral dining table are the microorganisms. They convert the natural minerals to a plant available form. They lock the minerals in humus (organic matter), so they won’t leach from the soil. The plant takes up the minerals when needed.

The minerals are recognised by the plant at the cellular level — the ultimate level for plant uptake. The plant converts the minerals to an animal and human available form where everything is aligned to health and vitality. This is a beautiful system containing all the checks and balance for a healthy life and healthy planet.

Call us today on 0800 THE KEY for a FREE INFO PACK, that’s 0800 843 539 to find out how we can partner with you to find a better way of farming.

Alternatively you can contact your best on earth fertiliser representative Chris Storm (Coromandel/North, Central & East Waikato) on 021 738 609, Ken Pitts (South/West Waikato) 027 5023 to grab your special deal today.

Introducing Agrissentials Microbial Mascot

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Tommy weighs in at approx .0005 of a gram, with an overall height of .5 of a millimetre, almost the size of a poppy seed.

Tommy and his billions of “tardigrada” friends are at the “coal face” of soil enhancement, bringing life and vitality to the soil.

The more diversity of micro-organisms you have in your soil the more production you will gain from your soil. www.agrissentials.com 0800 843 539

rok@agrissentials.com

Best on earth Organx™ fertilisers

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES DECEMBER 2016

TRIMMING PRICES, NOT QUALITY.

11

RED HOT PRICE

122C

$194

21.7cc - 0.76kW - 4.4kg Smart Start®, Auto-return stop switch, Low noise engine, Adjustable handle, Tap ‘N Go™ trimmer head.

WAS $279

*Save up to $100 on selected models. $189 refers to model 122C. Offers valid 1/9/16 – 28/02/2017 at participating dealers only.

was $399

122LK 21.7cc 0.6kW - 4.7kg

NOW $349

was $499

525LST 25.4cc 0.95kW - 4.7kg

NOW $449

322L 22.5cc 0.75kW - 4.2kg

was $849

was $899

was $729

135R 34.6cc 1.4kW - 6.8kg

NOW $629

NOW $799

525RS 25.4cc 0.95kW - 5.0kg

NOW $749

HEDGE YOUR BETS was $549

499

$ 122HD45

save 50 $

21.7cc - 0.6kW - 4.7kg Bar length 45cm - Teeth opening 28mm, Low Vib®, Smart Start®, Auto-return stop switch, Low noise engine.

HOT OFFER

1049

$

* 226HD60s

319

$

125B

21.7cc - 0.6kW - 4.9kg Bar length 60cm - Teeth opening 28mm, Low Vib®, Smart Start®, Autoreturn stop switch, Low noise engine, 5-way adjustable rear handle.

28.0cc - 0.8kW - 4.2kg Air Speed 209kph, E-Tech® engine, Auto-return stop switch, Cruise control, In-line air outlet, Adjustable tube length.

YOU COULD TAKE IT HOME TODAY

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TS138 $ Husqvarna Series™ Intek engine 17.5hp* - 38” Cutting Deck.

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$ TS246 Husqvarna Endurance Series™ V-Twin engine 22.0hp* - 46” Reinforced Cutting Deck

Z242E TM Husqvarna Endurance Series * V-Twin engine 20.0hp 42” TM ClearCut Fabricated Cutting Deck.

5,999

R216 Briggs & Stratton Intek engine 9.6kW@2900rpm 94cm Cutting Deck,

$

Ask us about our 5 year warranty*

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Don’t wait any longer, you could take your new Husqvarna Garden Tractor home today with 30 months interest free on purchases $2,599 and over. Offer ends 28th February 2017 ^Available at participating Husqvarna Dealers only. Conditions apply, visit www.husqvarna.com or see instore for details.

MONTHS INTEREST FREE^

7,499

$

*Conditions apply, see instore for details or visit husqvarna.com.au

TAKE THE HUSQVARNA AUTOMOWER CHALLENGE! 320

A

305

O N

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FA C T I TIS

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45 G

Working area up to 500m2 Cutting width 17cm Cutting height 20-50mm - Li-ion battery 3 Cutting blades

Working area up to 6000m2 Cutting width 32cm - GPS remote module. PIN/ Alarm, Timer

2,299

$

EE

The Honda Shop Action Equipment PTS Plus Taumarunui Toolshed Tomo's Saws & Mowers Ltd

3,999

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was $5,999

5,499

$

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Call your local authorised Husqvarna Servicing Dealer, Cambridge Hamilton Putaruru Taumarunui Taupo

Working area up to 2200m2 Cutting width 22cm Cutting height 20-50mm - Li-ion battery 3 Cutting blades

07 07 07 07 07

823 5522 957 9150 883 7544 895 8582 378 6990

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07 884 9901 07 871 8838 07 886 9299

12

DECEMBER 2016

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

WATER MATTERS Life in a drop of water

by Andy Bryenton

There is a good argument to be made that all of civilisation exists just so we can have — and just because we have — a supply of pure water. Our nomad ancestors settled down to farm at oases and by rivers, which is why the oldest inhabited places in Egypt, for example, are around wells and on the banks of the Nile.

STAY AFLOAT

THIS SUMMER

Think water safety

But take a look at the quality of water in developing countries today and it’s easy to see why so many of our ancestors suffered ill health — and even death — from bad water.

Before the knowledge of germs and bacteria, tainted water was a killer which took more lives than warfare.

All that changed with the discoveries of two early scientists, back in the time when a knowledge of the workings of nature was still considered witchcraft by the credulous.

Today’s modern ultraviolet purification and filter technology relies on knowing that there are things in the water to kill or to sift out! While people knew that obviously unclean water — brown, turgid, stagnant — was bad to drink in Regency era London, nobody knew why.

The first man to peer into a droplet of water and see what he called ‘animacules’ — germs — was the polymath genius Robert Hooke. A contemporary of Isaac Newton (who he’d later argue with over questions of gravity and

calculus), Hooke had already contributed to the fields of medicine, physics, chemistry and optics before he took one of the Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens’ magnifying lenses and looked not up at the stars, but down into a puddle.

In the same year that he discovered water was full of living tiny creatures — and correctly deduced that they were a source of sickness — he also invented an improved pocketwatch, a better way to lower and raise ship’s anchors, and came up with the idea of the internal combustion engine — though he wanted to run it on gunpowder, not petrol.

However it’s his book Microscopia which allowed later scientists and engineers to work out how to filter water, making it safe to drink and slashing disease and death. Farm filtrations systems today owe all their health-giving benefits to this largely unknown genius from 400 years ago.

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This microscope was the first such tool of its kind — used by early scientist Robert Hooke to discover germs in water

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Redemption of supplier investment share Following the completion of Shanghai Maling Aquarius Co Ltd’s investment in Silver Fern Farms Ltd, and the distribution to the co-operative of $57 million from that process, the board of the co-operative has resolved to progress the redemption of the 5,371,732 Supplier Investment Shares issued by the co-operative.

The board’s intention to effect this redemption was referred to in the materials provided to shareholders calling the Special Meetings held on October 16 2015 and August 12 2016.

Following the redemption of the Supplier Investment Shares, Silver Fern Farms Co-operative will have two share classes remaining, with holders of ordinary and rebate shares retaining Rob Hewett, Silver Fern Farms Co-operative chairman their current shares.

Ordinary shares are tradable on the share registry, Link Market Services Ltd Unlisted exchange. at investorcentre.linkmarketservices.

Notices to shareholders holding co.nz, though they do not need to take Supplier Investment Shares have been any action in order to surrender their sent advising that their shares will be Supplier Investment Shares to receive surrendered to the co-operative, and the redemption payment. then redeemed and cancelled with The co-operative will pay $1 for each effect on Friday, January 13 2017.

Supplier Investment Share cancelled.

Shareholders can check their holding Payment is expected to be made on details currently held by the company’s Friday, January 13 2017.

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES DECEMBER 2016

13

ADVERTORIAL

How much better can I be?

About 500 people a year contact me for the first time. Most contact me because they have some type of health issue. The majority of these are under the care of their GP but are seeking diet, supplement and lifestyle measures that are complementary to medical treatment.

The best thing about what I do is to share with clients health improvements they never thought possible. So here is the real question. How much better can I be than I am now?

By way of example someone contacted me in May this year.

He had significant knee pain from osteoarthritis that caused discomfort and severely limited his mobility. His only medical options were heavy pain relief and a future knee replacement.

He had been proactive and was already taking supplements that helped a little.

We made a number of changes to his diet. I made changes to his supplement programme in particular initially targeting 1,500mg of high grade chondroitin, 200mg of 95% curcumin, 6,000mg of fish oil and a number of anti-inflammatory

antioxidants. The results after 6 months have surpassed what he expected. He has much less pain and in his own words just the odd twinge. He is back exercising, has more energy and just feels better.

Joint problems are the most common reason for people contacting me. Our goal is firstly to reduce the unwanted inflammation often the cause of much of the pain. Secondly we add antioxidant compounds such as curcumin (from turmeric) and the potent grape antioxidants like ActiVin® grape seed extract and its twin Resveratrol.

Thirdly we add the building blocks of cartilage to improve the function of cartilage and other joint tissues. If you have joint problems, how much better can you be? Feel free to contact me.

John Arts (B.Soc.Sci, Dip Tch, Adv. Dip.Nut.Med) is a nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health Ltd. For personalized advice, contact John on 0800 423559 or email john@abundant.co.nz. Join his full weekly newsletter at www.abundant. co.nz.

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John Arts comments:

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14

DECEMBER 2016

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

DAIRY

Hoof Print with Fred Hoekstra

HOOF TRIMMING SERVICES, EQUIPMENT & TRAINING

Can hoof trimming have a negative effect?

If so, how would you know? at all, even if the person who is doing the trimming is not well-trained.

The question that could be asked is ‘if that is true, why do we trim lame cows?’

There are many possible answers to that question — such as: ‘to help the cow to get rid of her pain’ or ‘to let the cow come right’ or ‘to get the cow back to full production as soon as possible’.

Often cows improve after trimming, sometimes right away or it could take a little while.

Thus, the conclusion is drawn that the trimming must have been good because the cow came right. I would like to challenge this thinking. I believe that the main reason we trim lame cows is because we want them to come right as fast as possible. The ‘as fast as possible’ is the important part. If we just want cows to come right, then we may as well leave them in a close-by paddock and give them some rest. Most cows will come right by themselves.

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However, it is the ‘as fast as possible’ that is the challenge, but if we aim for that, we will constantly look for ways to improve. Also, if we get cows to come right as soon as possible, all the other benefits will follow — increased milk production, better in-calf rates, lower treatment costs, etc. So, the starting point is the time it takes a cow to heal by herself, because if we decide to trim a lame cow, the goal must be to speed up the healing process. If it doesn’t there is no point in trimming her. If you could accurately measure the difference your trimming makes you could ask ‘what would be the minimum number of days that we would need to speed up the healing process by to make trimming worthwhile?’

However, we can’t say that because every cow is different and every lesion has a different grade of severity. So, when we trim a cow there should be an obvious positive result. Every day that a cow is lame longer than necessary, she costs you avoidable money.

The photo shows a cow’s hoof that was trimmed by a farm staff member.

It was not done correctly resulting in

a prolonged period of discomfort and unproductivity for this cow. Yes, she was worse off after the trim than before.

The trimming cost the farmer considerably more money through loss of production and loss of body condition score and whatever other costs there may have been. Hoof trimming is a highly skilled job that you don’t learn by watching someone doing it for a day.

Even a one-day hoof trimming course is never enough to make someone a good hoof trimmer, no matter who runs the course.

An expectation like that is unrealistic.

This means that getting a professional hoof trimmer to come in to trim your lame cows creates an opportunity for the cow to heal faster and, as a result, minimise the effects of lameness on your farm and therefore, make you more money.

Another option would be to train yourself or a staff member up to the level where they could be close to professional standards, by attending an advance training course and learning how to improve the healing process more effectively.

NATURAL SPREADERS

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I guess most farmers don’t spend too much time thinking about that. To me, it seems that hoof trimming is perceived as a job that ‘just needs to be done’.

Most people would say that it is better to trim a lame cow rather than do nothing

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES DECEMBER 2016

15

DAIRY

Calling all dairy women

Dairy Women’s Network is on the hunt for an inspiring industry leader, and nominations for the sixth Dairy Woman of the Year are soon to open.

“There is no shortage of potential winners out there doing amazing things in the industry every day,” said DWN trustee Alison Gibb.

“It’s just that these women often don’t realise that what they are doing is exceptional, because they are driven by their own beliefs and passions, without knowing the effect they are having on the wider industry at the time and in the future.

Alison said the 2017 winner will be announced at the network’s conference in Queenstown in May. The judging panel comprises a DWN trustee rep, a previous Dairy Woman of the Year, a Fonterra representative and one of the network’s prime partners.

Dairy Woman of the Year has been sponsored by Fonterra since its inception more than five years ago.

“This award is an excellent way for us to encourage the capability build and

success of women in our dairy industry, and acknowledge the important role they play,” said Fonterra’s NZ Industry Affairs general manager Jo Finer.

“We’re proud of the calibre of women who have received the title so far, and confident that we will find another inspiring and talented industry leader in 2017.”

Alison says it is important to acknowledge the work that women do in the dairy industry.

“The Dairy Woman of the Year is the only award of its kind in the dairy industry. This is a unique opportunity to acknowledge the incredible and valuable role that dairy women play in this country.”

She also said anybody could nominate a DWN member for the title. Visit dwn. co.nz to find out more about the awards or to nominate someone. Nominations open February 1 2017.

Alison Gibb, Dairy Women’s Network trustee

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16

DECEMBER 2016

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES DECEMBER 2016

17

RURAL WHEELS

Half a century of rotary power

by Andy Bryenton

Innovative, high-revving, thirsty and quick — all are words to describe the rotary engine, that tiny internal combustion machine which packs V8 punch in a miniscule space. It’s been 50 years since Felix Wankel invented the rotary in Germany, and that means that 2017 might be the year for the alternative to pistons to really show us what it can do.

Not that other rotaries have been shrinking violets, of course. While the engine itself — an inside-out take on regular piston-and-crank combustion where a triangular rotor operates inside an oval housing to create power — may have been a Teutonic invention, it was the Japanese auto giant Mazda who picked it up and ran with it.

2017 also marks 40 years since the advent of their Cosmo rotary car, the first of a dynasty which has grown to include some of the most iconic JDM sports cars of all time.

Mazda’s RX series has a string of greatest hits, but most of us will know the latest two — the RX7 and RX8.

The venerable 7 came to us in the 80s with a shape similar to the then-cuttingedge Porsche 928 and C4 Corvette, but with a block under the hood that those used to massive displacement struggled to find.

Finding the gas pedal, however, unleashed a storm of high-pitched

noise, screeds of tyre smoke and revs up in the racing motorbike range.

The subsequent ‘Savannah’ and ‘Batmobile’ body redesigns became staunch favourites with the kind of young man who likes his autos brightly coloured, fast and sideways. Then came the RX8, a slightly more sensible rotary with a de facto four-door set-up and a 1.3-litre engine that still outpaced the big fours and sixes of its day.

Now, as we approach the double milestone for the rotor, Mazda have caused a stir by showing something wild and sleek at the Tokyo motor show and calling it the RX-Vision. Like most concept cars it may never reach production, but there have been rumours that the 2017 Tokyo show will be the venue for the reveal of the ‘real’ RX9.

Japanese mag Holiday Auto claims a weight of just 1,300kg for a car packing a 1,600cc, turbo-boosted 400hp rotary.

That’s superbike fast — and a fitting continuation of the Wankel legacy.

Five decades ahead of the game — the new RX-Vision hints at a rotary future

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18

DECEMBER 2016

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

South Waikato Garage Doors For ALL your garage door and automatic opener needs

• Professional service “guaranteed” • Reputable products • Local knowledge • Great advice Contact Gary Ph:07 888-8715, 0274 960 715 enquiry@swgd.co.nz

STAY AFLOAT

THIS SUMMER

Think water safety

Boost for genetics

In a landmark trans-Tasman collaboration, Beef + Lamb New Zealand Genetics and Meat & Livestock Australia are committing a total of $5.2 million over three years towards major joint beef research projects.

New Zealand beef genetics research is about to get a ‘shot in the arm’, thanks to the landmark trans-Tasman collaboration. All projects within the collaboration — regardless of which side of the Tasman they fall on — will be overseen by B+LNZ Genetics. B+LNZ Genetics general manager Graham Alder says the collaboration means every one dollar of New Zealand farmer levy investment translates to $3.50 of research funding.

“The research and development needs of New Zealand and Australian producers are well-aligned. It makes sense for scientists on both sides of the Tasman to work together to solve common problems,” Mr Alder said.

“Beef genetics research in New Zealand has been underfunded for 30 years. This partnership means research can progress and the results communicated out to breeders and commercial farmers many years earlier. For Australia, it means faster progress and an opportunity to advance projects that may not have otherwise gone ahead.”

The partnership centres around the trans-Tasman Beef Cow Profitability Programme, which aims to balance desirable maternal traits in beef cows, with the finishing performance of the calves and their ability to meet

quality carcase specifications. The programme will develop genetic measures for better describing the important physical attributes of the cow — such as size, body condition and her ability handle fluctuations in feed availability, fertility indicators in heifers, and selection tools for easy decision-making.

It will also investigate how different environments and farm systems in both countries impact on the balance of traits required to produce an economically efficient cow.

This research will also help underpin advancements in genomic technology.

Who is involved? In Australia: the University of Adelaide and the University of New England’s Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit. In New Zealand: AbacusBio and Massey University.

Commercial beef farmers and bull breeders will also be heavily involved, along with Angus New Zealand and the New Zealand Hereford Association.

The research will draw on existing projects already underway in commercial farm settings. In New Zealand, B+LNZ Genetics’ Beef Progeny Test and Maternal Cow Project will feed into the research. In Australia, inclusion of the

Graham Alder B+LNZ Genetics general manager

Angus Sire Benchmarking Programme and Hereford Progeny Test are being considered by the respective breed associations, with solid initial interest.

The programme kicked off with a joint meeting of Australian and New Zealand beef breeders, farmers and science providers on November 14–15 in Albury-Wodonga.

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