Waikato Farming Lifestyles, February 2023

Issue 2 2023 Edition

Growing into cultivation Pages 6–7

Regional budget changes up

P3

Breeding bulls for lease

An oddessey for hospice

P4

P8

2

ISSUE 2 2023

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

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

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Ahuwhenua Trophy finalists

Ngai Tukairangi Trust, MIL — Whiritoa Orchards and Wi Pere Trust are the finalists in this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy for the top Māori horticulturalists.

Editor: Deb Wright 021 639 696 deb.wright@integrity.nz Journalists: Ann van Engelen | Andy Bryenton | Amy Fifita Advertising: Donna Eves 027 525 8223 Production: Gavin Bainbridge | Anna Fredericksen | Kelsey Hansen | Liz Clark Accounts: accounts@integrity.nz Distribution: Laurie Willetts

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It is only the second time the competition for horticulture has been held, and the finalists were announced by the Minister of Māori Development, Hon Willie Jackson, at a special function held at parliament.

The Ahuwhenua Trophy is the most prestigious award for excellence in Māori farming and was inaugurated 90 years ago by the great Māori leader, Sir Apirana Ngata and the Governor-General at the time, Lord Bledisloe.

The objective was and still is to encourage Māori farmers to improve their land and their overall farming performance with an emphasis on sustainability. On a three-year rotational basis, the trophy is competed for by Māori in the horticulture, dairy, sheep and beef sectors.

“The competition committee is very mindful of the disastrous consequences of Cyclone Gabrielle, not to mention the numerous other adverse weather events that have affected the sector in the past six months,” says chair of the Ahuwhenua Trophy Management Committee, Nukuhia Hadfield.

“Before Cyclone Gabrielle struck, the judges were able to visit the properties of all the entrants and selected three

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excellent finalists. The current situation means likely changes to the judging process. However, all agree that it is possible to hold the competition and determine a winner.

“We have selected three incredible finalists, all of whom could be worthy winners of the Ahuwhenua Trophy for Horticulture. Before Cyclone Gabrielle struck, they had to deal with the ongoing effects of Covid-19, shortages of labour and logistical issues. They have already proved their resilience and determination to work their way through adversity, although dealing with the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle is a much higher mountain to climb.

“The finalists, along with all the other entrants, have made a significant contribution to the economic success of Aotearoa, which is not widely known or recognised. The aim of the Ahuwhenua Trophy competition is to follow the vision of Sir Apirana Ngata and Lord Bledisloe by changing this narrative and showcasing our success to the wider public.”

The winner will be announced at the awards dinner held on June 9 at the Trustpower Baypark Stadium, in Tauranga.

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

by Paul Campbell

3

ISSUE 2 2023

Regional budget changes up

Rural ratepayers are facing a cost of living increase of between $50 and $95, with about five per cent paying more depending on property value and circumstance, with the approval of an annual budget of $197.6 million by the Waikato Regional Council.

It represents an increase in total rates revenue of 5.8 per cent for 2023/24, exceeding the 1.6 per cent forecast in the council’s 2021–2031 Long Term Plan but falls below the current level of annual inflation, which is sitting above 30-year highs at 7.2 per cent.

“In the last year or so, the world has changed on us with costs rising for councils just as they have in the supermarket and at the petrol pump,” said chief executive Chris McLay. “We were facing potential increases in the double digits but thanks to the hard work of staff and difficult decisions made by councillors, we’ve been able to mitigate those impacts as much as possible while still maintaining our ability to deliver for our communities.”

Chair Pamela Storey said the council faced a lot of tough choices in setting the budget, with inflation-driven costs and a drum-tight labour market. “Costs are going up across the board. Households feel it. Businesses feel it. These pressures on our communities were at the absolute forefront of councillors’ minds when setting this budget, and that really came through in the discussions we had.

and work associated with the rollout of freshwater farm plans pending national direction.

Consideration was also given to whether hardship-related rates remission agreed by the previous council in response to Covid-19 and a Warm Homes Clean Air scheme for the Tokoroa airshed for which uptake had slowed in recent years should continue. Councillors agreed

to continue with both but reduced the amounts funded.

A business case was also put forward for the regional expansion of Total Mobility — a subsidised door-to-door transport service for people with disabilities.

Councillors discussed delaying the $324,000 funding injection for a year, but it was passed in a majority vote of seven to six.

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“Economic conditions have changed dramatically and at pace. This is impacting everything from borrowing and procurement to insurance premiums and labour market costs, with these external pressures alone driving an increase of $7.53 million compared to our LTP forecasts.”

Councillors were presented with a number of options to achieve budget savings, including deferral of the EcoRetrofit sustainable homes scheme

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ISSUE 2 2023

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

S L L U B EEDING

E S A E FOR L

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N ENGELE

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BY ANN V

At Waikato Leasing Limited, Jayd Queenin and Zara McEwan came up with a solution for farmers to easily access breeding stock.

“C

urrently, we have 80 hectares at Parawera with a herd of 300 Jersey, Angus and Hereford bulls,” says Jayd.

“I grew up on a cropping and racehorse farm, and Zara grew up around Te Kuiti and Cambridge. We also own an asphalt tar sealing business in town. Originally we decided to have a few Hereford bulls for our lifestyle block and ended up taking over the neighbour’s farm and grew the bull business.

“We mainly do Jersey, Hereford and Angus because they are the most predominant for dairy breeding. Jersey produces a smaller calf and is easy calving, while Angus and Hereford give you a crossbred beef animal.

You get a white-faced Friesian cross or an Angus-Friesian cross. Their offspring, rather than being a bobby calf, can be resold as a weaner for beef drystock.

“Other people steer away from breeding Jersey bulls because of their volatile

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Jayd Queenin and Zara McEwan enjoy the challenge of breeding bulls to lease to farmers

nature and perceived damage to property, but Zara and I don’t like to shy away from a good challenge. Initially, we researched rearing Jersey calves and realised through discussions with our PGG representative that we could do forward contracts for other people to rear them, and we buy them as weaners.

“A risk was a lot of milk comes from Friesian cows, but Jerseys need Jersey

colostrum milk to have the best chance to grow and be the best they can be. The best option was for farmers to grow them to 90kg and us to take them up to 300kg within 10 months. They have to be very well fed to get there, and this year, we made 600 silage bales, so they are never without feed.”

Jayd and Zara also operate a 10-tonne grain silo.

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

Jayd notes that farmers with Jersey cows generally stick to breeding with Jersey bulls

“They get 20 per cent grain until they are close to 200kg and then are solely grass-fed. We have a range of suppliers for the Hereford, and a lot are stud bulls that we buy from six months old at 180kg.

We grow them to two years old and 500kgplus to lease or sale.

“Some people lease a bull because it is easy and doesn’t require the large capital outlay of a quality beef breeding bull.

Ideally they breed an AB heifer calf in the first six weeks of mating, after that they go on to the bull. The non-AB cows are put to a Hereford for beef breed value rather than just a bobby. When they sell them to a calf rearer they become a $100–$200 calf rather than a $10 bobby truck sale.

“A farmer will 99 per cent run a Jersey with a heifer. With Herefords, you need good framed cows to handle the shoulders or physically bigger size calf, so usually, Friesian farmers prefer a Hereford bull.

“Angus are high yield, grow quickly and are good on hills and generally produce a smaller calf. People running beef breeds have Friesian or cross, while people with Jerseys generally stick to a Jersey for the smaller frame.

“We opted to lease our stock to remove stress from farmers having to rely on an agent buying something at the sales and provide its details. We guarantee our bulls have had the correct testing and vaccines. They come with their records, and we guarantee collection and delivery dates.

“Quite often, owners send their bulls to the works after being leased out because it is free freight, and they don’t want to pay to get the bull home. The works then get inundated with stock during that season and can reject the animal at the last minute, and the customer can be left with the animals on-farm for weeks.

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“Zara and I opt for the return trip back to our farm and carry them through to the next season or put condition on them for the works a year later. We collect our stock on the day requested. Picking them up on time helps with them not jumping fences, wrecking stuff and eating grass meant for the dairy cows.

“We developed an app making ordering easy to remove the burden during busy times. It is all done by

phone, and our customers receive a text confirmation for dispatch and delivery. If someone has a specific bull need, we will buy the right animal if need be.

“People can check out the Waikato Bull Leasing Facebook page or call us on 027 525 1208 for more information. We also support our local community and offer clients the option to donate $50 per bull they hire to their local rugby or sports club.”

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Growing up on a racehorse and cropping farm, Jayd now runs 300 bulls on the 80-hectare property with Zara

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ISSUE 2 2023

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

GROWING INTO

CULTIVATION

BY AMY FIFITA

Nicky Brzeska has always been fascinated by gardening and began her Raglan flower farm in 2017 with the help of a friend and family.

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“I

was born in South Africa and first became interested in growing when exploring my grandmother’s magnificent gardens,” said Nicky.

“She began living with us when I was four years old. I distinctly remember walking the grounds and house and looking at the beautiful flowers and pot plants.

“I lived in London for 16 years. My rental there had an epic roof terrace but no garden, so I turned that space into my outdoor jungle and was fascinated with the various plants you could grow in pots.

“It is where my love for container gardening became cemented, which is actually very challenging — plants and soil can dry up and get destroyed by pests and diseases. I spent my weekends visiting nurseries.

“When I was on maternity leave, I pursued a flower and garden design

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Nicky Brzeska cutting some flowers from her garden to be ready for display and sale

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

ISSUE 2 2023

Finn with a display of Nicky’s vibrant flowers

Johnny Brzeska helps out on the farm by doing the crop’s irrigation systems and other jobs

“Johnny and I gave up our London flat and jobs and moved to New Zealand following a dream and a whim. We loved the strong community aspect of the areas we lived in. In 2016, a week before Christmas, there was a house on show in Raglan. We stepped out of the car and walked up the driveway and around the grounds, and ended up in the potting shed. That was when I knew we would buy the property.

“We had only been in the country for three weeks, and my business, CROP Flower Farm, wasn’t an idea yet. We wanted land to do something with but didn’t know what that was yet.”

Johnny was working in Auckland during the weekdays, travelling to Raglan on the weekends. The plan was to rent the house out, but after spending time renovating it, Nicky wanted to stay.

“I believe there is value in believing and knowing that you are going to get what you

want. We had faith that he would get a job here in Raglan and that we would be reunited in our home again. In a short time frame, he got a job transfer to Hamilton, and our dream came true.

“I then wrote to the Raglan Flower Company, a small wedding business, and asked for employment. One of the co-owners, Crystal, suggested that I grow flowers for them, but I didn’t feel confident.

“One day, Crystal arrived unannounced at my farm with metres of black landscape plastic and an abundance of dahlia tubers and seeds. She asked where I wanted it farmed and threw me in the deep end.

“We put down the black plastic to kill the grass, positioning it close to the workshop where I could process flowers.

We prepared a 100-metre area, and she showed me how to sow seeds. It was like a flower farm booster package, and now we are close friends.

Jack helping his mum Nicky plant flowers for the garden

“It was a massive switch. I went from being in the corporate world to being out in the field with my hands dirty, although gardening was always a passion that I wanted to make happen. It took me five months before I had my first crop ready.

The longest part of the process was building the soil.”

Nicky has expanded her garden twice and has a no-dig and organic approach, although she is not certified and sells her flowers to various florists and clients.

“My favourite flower is the strawflower. It works hard, produces year-round and holds its colour when dried. My grandmother used to grow them in her garden. We always loved the outdoor lifestyle New Zealand offered. Johnny and I had visited here previously as part of a world tour before we got married. It feels like the land of possibility.”

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ISSUE 2 2023

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

AN ODDESSEY

FOR HOSPICE

BY PAUL CAMPBELL Some 12,000 kilometres on a bicycle, a broken wrist, illness, weather, a number of repairs and maintenance stops, some magnificent scenery, and Waikato rural builder Kieren Powell is home again, with hospice the richer.

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ieren has successfully overcome trials and tribulations and sheer effort to circumnavigate New Zealand to raise money for Hospice Waikato, inspired by his 97-year-old grandmother, who passed away with terminal bowel cancer last year.

Kieren says it was “the amazing care and support which she has received from Hospice Waikato” that inspired him to give back with a journey he acknowledges was nothing compared to what his nana had to go through.

A previous triathlete, Kieren trained for the ride on rural roads before setting off in December, first north to Cape Reinga and then off down the east coast to the South Island to complete a giant figure eight.

He finished his ride as New Zealand battened down for the disastrous Gabrielle, as his last Facebook post reported:

Kieren reunited with his partner Ainslie and their dog Bella

“Hey, team, I hope everyone has kept safe through the cyclone. I’ve been holed up in New Plymouth to escape it, and my thoughts are with everyone who has been affected! I’ll be hitting the road again with only two days to go before I

finish. I’ll finish up in Raglan on Thursday, the 16th (of February.) We’re at $9,595 raised for Hospice, so we’re not far off our target! Again thank you to everyone who has donated and supported me along the way.”

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

A pause on the road

Back home in the King Country, Kieren nursed a cold beer and said the ride was “amazing. It was a lot harder than I had first anticipated, but it feels good to have completed it in one piece (kind of), haha.

It’s so good to be back home with my partner and dog.

“The highlights for me were seeing all of the beautiful New Zealand countryside, especially the ride into Milford Sound and back out again.

“If there was a low point, it was riding from French Pass to Nelson over 110km with food poisoning and earlier taking a fall and a broken wrist. As for the most challenging aspect, it was working out the route as there were road closures and logistics of where to stay each night.”

Kieren’s support team had great praise for his fortitude, with his sister Erin commenting on the last stage of his journey: “Keiren has just 1,000km

ISSUE 2 2023

At Cape Reinga early in the long ride

to go! He’s finished the South Island, landed back in Wellington and hoping to smash out the last 1,000km up the West Coast to Raglan before the cyclone hits. We’ve bumped into Kez in Mahia, Wairoa, Picton and Christchurch. After 72 days on the road, he still had a smile on his face.

He hasn’t complained or moaned once throughout this whole journey or even contemplated giving up.”

Kieren says he travelled as light as possible, knowing any additional weight would make the ride a whole lot tougher, taking a tent, a backpack and some vital supplies.

Hospice Waikato reported on its website it was “blown away by Kieren and his commitment to raise funds to help ensure our services remain free for those people in our community who need our care. He is having to close his company,

KP Building, for the duration of the ride, and when we spoke, he talked about the support he will need to get through this challenge.”

In fact, Kieren was still counting as he spoke to this reporter. “We have exceeded our goal of $10,000 and waiting on a final total. I think it’s going to end up around $15,000.”

Though the ride has ended, Hospice Waikato continues to rely on support.

“If you’d like to support, you can donate through the donations page on our website: hospicewaikato.org.nz. If you’d like to host a fundraising event for Hospice Waikato, and you have a fantastic idea — please reach out to us.”

A final comment on Kieren’s ride comes from a supporter: “An amazing effort and trip of a lifetime.”

Says Kieren: “In fact, I am contemplating another adventure in the future.”

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ISSUE 2 2023

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

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The tour includes entry into Wairere Boulders, the award-winning Waitangi Treaty Grounds, Hundertwasser Park Centre — Te Hononga, Footprints Twilight Tour, Pompallier House, Manea Footprints of Kupe. The Cook to Kupe Tour offers a great mix of biking and walking.

Excellent accommodation, meals at lovely eateries, award-winning restaurants and a vineyard are some of the highlights.

Northern Spirit Tour — Takes you from Kerikeri up to iconic Cape Reinga, New Zealand’s northernmost point, and return. It encompasses magical spots with breathtaking vistas, including the fabulous 90-mile beach, and many areas of cultural significance, traversing 450km of incredible Far North coastlines and native forests with many characterfilled experiences in between.

With an eclectic combination of accommodation and local eateries, cyclists can choose how much riding they wish to do each day, with daily distances varying between 20km and 70km. The tour is on a mixture of state highway and other lesser-used back country roads, both sealed and unsealed. This Cape Reinga Loop is an outstanding memorable Northland Experience!

You just need to book — nothing more to do! Visit northlandexperiences.co.nz or email us at hello@northlandexperiences. co.nz. Call 021 124 0382 or 0800 245 364 to get in touch.

ADVERTORIAL

How does magnesium help cramp?

by John Arts

Those that experience muscle cramps know how this happens. Mostly at night, muscles can suddenly cramp with intense pain. Cramps can often be related to physical exercise, dehydration, low salt intake and other factors such as some diseases and medications.

Muscle contraction starts with a nerve impulse that arrives at muscle fibres (cells). It commences a process that results in muscles contracting and allowing movement in our body.

It is worth noting that there are three types of muscles: skeletal muscles are attached to bones to allow us to move; cardiac muscle is the special type of muscle that makes up most of our hearts, while smooth muscle lines our blood vessels and organs.

Calcium is needed for muscles to contract by controlling the nerve-muscle junction. Magnesium is needed for the relaxation of muscles by its role in maintaining muscle electrical activity.

Magnesium competes with calcium in this process as it binds to the same sites.

A calcium/magnesium imbalance can cause cramps and cardiac muscle heart rhythm issues. That is often because of low magnesium intake, especially in relation to calcium intake.

Fortunately, increasing magnesium to help with cramp is relatively simple by using quality magnesium supplements. The challenge is finding a supplement that works for you.

While some supplements use a single

“Increasing magnesium to help with cramp is relatively simple”. form of magnesium, my preference is to combine three different forms as these are absorbed differently. Some are more rapidly absorbed, while others take longer but have longerlasting effects. I suggest you avoid supplements with magnesium oxide as it can upset digestion.

There are also wide variations in the magnesium doses people need.

It is why my magnesium supplement has a dosage range of between one to four capsules daily. That allows for experimentation to get the ideal dose.

John Arts (B.Soc.Sci, Dip Tch, Adv. Dip.Nut.Med) is a nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health Ltd. For questions or advice, contact John on 0800 423 559 or email john@abundant.co.nz. Join his newsletter at abundant.co.nz.

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

ISSUE 2 2023

11

ADVERTORIAL

Turn over a new leaf

Your animals don’t know it yet, but their life is about to change, for the better — so is yours.

Twenty-two years of research, input from a leading animal scientist, intense genetic selection and rigorous testing have led to a new, easy-eating perennial ryegrass with improved nitrogen uptake.

“That means your animals don’t have to work so hard to consume the thousands of bites they need to sustain themselves each day. It also helps you utilise nitrogen fertiliser more efficiently,” says Barenbrug pasture systems manager Blair Cotching.

Bite me!

The new ryegrass is called Array.

It was bred for high intake and easy grazing with dense, erect tillers that stand tall and literally put themselves closer to hungry mouths.

“A dairy cow might take 25,000 bites a day, while a ewe might take 35,000 bites. That demands a lot of energy.

Array takes some of the physical effort out of this process,” Blair says.

In creating Array, Barenbrug sought advice from Dr Alastair Nicol, then senior lecturer in animal science at Lincoln University, renowned for his work on grazing behaviour and plant preference.

Lean and keen Like all the company’s new grasses, Array was subjected to restricted inputs

during development to help ensure it could cope with real-world conditions on-farm.

Unlike others, however, it showed a rare ability to grow more than its peers under low nitrogen, Blair says.

A trial comparing the same cultivars sown and managed identically under high, medium and deficient nitrogen levels, confirmed Array had the edge when nitrogen was scarce because it could extract much more nitrogen from the soil.

Win-win What does this mean for your farm? First, more even pasture growth at times when soil nitrogen is deficient. Second, a win for the environment because it gives you the potential to utilise nitrogen more efficiently.

Array is the highest-yielding ryegrass Barenbrug has bred and is unbeaten in the National Forage Variety Trials for both total yield, and winter growth.

It is the only diploid perennial ryegrass in the top 5-star category for all regions of the DairyNZ Forage Value Index. It has Barenbrug’s highest ranking for pasture persistence, so you can sow with confidence. Array comes with NEA2 endophyte and is available in limited quantities this autumn.

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12

ISSUE 2 2023

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

ADVERTORIAL

Get adventurous in 2024 NZ Adventures offers multi-day back country tours throughout the South Island under the ownership of Robbie and Connie Crickett, who guide all of the tours. The tours for 2024 have just been set and these are the line-up.

The High Country Heritage Tour starts in Blenheim and travels down the spine of the island ending in Cardrona.

Available as a six-day or seven-day tour.

The West Coast Explorer is a fiveday tour starting in Hanmer Springs and finishing in Greymouth. It gives a real contrast from the brown tussocks in Canterbury to the beech forest on the western side of the island.

46 South is a five-day tour, which remains extremely popular. In 2024 it will start in Gore and fi nish in Cromwell. This tour takes in a visit to the Bill Richardson Transport World in Invercargill on the afternoon of day two.

The Big Sky is a six-day tour that starts in Fairlie, finishing in Alexandra. It is our more challenging tour and a little different in that we stay in Omarama, Cromwell and Cardrona for one night and three nights in Alexandra.

Trax of Gold is a six-day tour, new for us this year. It will be a celebration of the pastoral and mining heritage of the South Canterbury and Otago regions.

Lindis Range

NZ Adventures continues to offer a wide range of tours, and looks forward to sharing these routes with you.

For more information, please contact us on info@nzadventures.co.nz, or our mobiles 027 435 4267 Robbie, 027 550 6727 Connie.

The 2024 tour will not be available on the website for a while yet. If you would like a new information pack please email your postal address.

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

ISSUE 2 2023

CENTR AL DIS TRIC T S FIELD DAYS

by Denise Gunn

13

Field days unite town and country

This year’s Central Districts Field Days mark the 30th anniversary since the event first opened the gates.

Recognised as New Zealand’s largest regional agriculture event, the Central Districts Field Days covers more than 33ha at Manfeild Park in Feilding. The event’s central location proves an ideal hub to cater for the heartland rural sector of the North Island.

Starting with 230 exhibitor sites back in 1993, the field days has grown and developed to now accommodate more than 600 exhibitors from around New Zealand. The event draws more than 30,000 visitors each year.

In the lead-up to each event, the venue undergoes a steady transformation within just a few days. Farm machinery and tractors arrive, marquees are set up and stallholders display their products, turning the site into a village.

With the latest in cutting-edge technology, machinery, automotive and equipment on display, and stateof-the-art agricultural innovations and lifestyle products, there is plenty to interest visitors.

Top-notch regional food and local brews will be available. The destination hub will feature Brew Union as well as cuisine and lifestyle pavilions.

Demonstrations, displays, exhibits and live music will keep the crowds entertained too. The National Excavator Operator competition will return,

Event tickets can be purchased online or at the gate. Online ticket purchases are available now and cheaper than gate sales at $20 for each adult and $50 for a family of five (children up to 15 years).

Further ticket, exhibitor and visitor information at cdfielddays.co.nz.

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The Central Districts Field Days will be held from Thursday, March 16 to Saturday, March 18, 2023

along with freestyle motocross and fencing contests.

The jam-packed three-day event brings farmers and townies together, giving visitors opportunities to yarn with each other and the exhibitors.

“This is a much-anticipated event that has become a highlight of the year for the rural sector,” said Central District Field Days event manager Jonathan Paul.

“From farmers and foodies, to tech-heads and townies, there is something for everyone. We know how much people have been waiting to reconnect with the

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greater community, support local brands, and of course, enjoy some great deals.”

There’s also an ultimate prize pack up for grabs with a wide range of goodies, including a Brent Smith trailer and a Honda outdoor bundle. Entry for this is on iPads provided at the event.

The Central Districts Field Days will be held from Thursday, March 16 to Saturday, March 18, 2023. Gates open at 9am over the three days.

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14

ISSUE 2 2023

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

RURAL CONTRACTORS & SUPPLIERS

by Andy Bryenton

The men who circled the square

Round bales in pastel green wraps are a feature of the rural landscape in modern times, but it took more than half a century for the concept to cotton and replace the square bales many still think of when hay is mentioned.

While the humble haystack was supplanted by a clever invention commercialised by Cyrus McCormick in 1874, round balers never caught the public eye until they went large. A round baler powered by steam was shown off in Paris in the late 1800s, but it didn’t offer any kind of big advantage over the square bale concept.

A production baler that rolled and compacted hay went into production after the second world war, with Allis-Chalmers making a go of the concept until 1960.

However, it was just after this that the big innovation in round baling came about as part of a farming student’s dream in Iowa.

Virgil Haverdink didn’t just have a great name for an inventor. He also had a burning need to come up with something special to use for his master’s thesis on mechanised agriculture. Stuck for a project that could earn him his degree, Virgil paid a visit to Professor Wesley Buchele, who was a local authority in farming engineering. Whether or not the professor’s name, which rhymes with ‘bushel’ gave them inspiration is lost

to history. What we do know is that the master instructed the student to think laterally on round baling and why it had never taken off.

What Virgil came up with led to a group of other students and their professor disrupting the whole baling process. They thought beyond the feat of parcelling up hay and considered what happened next.

The group realised that a round bale of considerable size could be handled by a tractor with the right implements and that it would be easy to wrap and feed out with machines. The days of small bales slung by hand would be over.

Australia was all over the concept, with the Econ Fodder Roller Baler debuting there in 1969. Later that year, as the world was rocked by Woodstock, an Iowa machinery company, Hawkbilt, talked to the team led by Haverdink and Buchele, and secured the plans for their invention.

The Australians had beaten them to the punch. Still, the final word would go to another Iowan who gave the concept its final twist. Gary Vermeer switched up the machinery with belts to compact the hay,

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hashing out the design in chalk on his shed floor. Thanks to him, the first truly modern baler was created, debuting in 1972.

It wasn’t long before tractor drivers worldwide were learning to handle a bale spike or a set of grips, to tote

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Packing the equivalent of 40 small square bales, a single one of these compacted masses of hay can feed 20 to 30 cattle each day, making for more efficient farming.

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

ISSUE 2 2023

RURAL CONTRACTORS & SUPPLIERS

15

Technology for changing times

by Andy Bryenton

While the National Field days are huge, it and all other farming shows are dwarfed by the ‘mother of them all’, Hanover’s vast Agritechnica, held biannually to showcase the best in farming technology.

The next of these massive events occur at the end of this year, and registrations are already set to close as the mammoth undertaking of staging the show gets up to speed. The theme for the next of these colossal events resonates with our field days this year; seamless green productivity through uncertain times.

“We expect the world’s leading trade fair to provide answers to the question of how a seamless supply of food is possible in light of current events,” said Tilmann Köller, a spokesperson for machinery heavyweight John Deere. “With its innovative technological solutions, the agricultural machinery industry is making a significant contribution to this.”

Mechanisation and automation have played a key role in making it possible to feed a growing world population effectively. Through the destabilising times of the Covid-19 pandemic, farming was one sector that proved resilient and remained productive.

Agritechnica has seen the debut of many new technologies, from satellite navigation for fertiliser spreaders to undersowing with added precision and even hydrogen power for tractors. Now, the organisers are taking the show on the road to explore automation

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for other environments, above and beyond the pasture and croplands of Europe, which are only partially replicated in New Zealand.

While we have a lot in common with European automated farming practices, there are crops and environments in New Zealand that share similarities with places closer to home in the Asia-Pacific region.

Hence why all eyes were on the first-ever Agritechnica hosted in Vietnam late last year.

“It is necessary to boost mechanisation in agricultural production, apply smart and environmentally friendly technologies towards digitalisation and automation to increase labour productivity,” said Vietnam’s Agriculture Minister Le Minh Hoan. Everything from rice-planting aerial drones to specialist tractors for steep hillside orchards was rolled out in the city of Can Tho to a packed audience.

“Our demonstrations of the efficient irrigation systems for saving water while achieving higher yields resulted in many new ideas coming from our discussions with decision-makers and farmers,” commented Mr Klaus Ferk, Sales Director Asia, Australia and New Zealand at Röhren- und Pumpenwerk Bauer.

His company, like many others on the global stage, includes New Zealand in the

Agricultural machinery innovation is seen as the best way to increase farming productivity, and shows such as Agritechnica and the Northland Field Days deliver the cutting edge

Asia-Pacific bloc, and innovations made for the conditions of some other nations in this sphere are applicable to niche crop and farming practices taking hold in parts of our own country. Northland, currently the site of large investments in dambased irrigation for cropping of exotic new fruits and vegetables, is one area which could well benefit from modular, off-grid water saving and deployment insights.

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With advanced mechanisation, the driving force behind local agricultural contracting businesses, all eyes are on the world’s biggest showcase of new, greener tech, both at home in Hanover and now in the east.

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16

ISSUE 2 2023

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

RURAL CONTRACTORS & SUPPLIERS

Rolling into the future

by Andy Bryenton

Tyre tech is more important to tractor and machinery operation than many outside the agricultural industry know, with its impact on soil compaction, fuel usage and pasture management.

Recent years have seen major advances in tyre design, with increased flexion, smart technologies to manage internal air pressure on the fly, and even tread patterns designed to mimic evolved grip ideas from nature. Where the rubber meets the turf is a vital zone. The more science tells us about the importance of the biota just beneath the surface of our fertile fields, the more tyre technology adapts to let heavier, more powerful machines make a lighter footprint.

There’s some irony to the fact that innovators at the cutting edge of tyre manufacture envision a full circle of the ‘wheel of ideas’, back to an era when inflatable tyres are missing from the machinery shed. Of course, in earlier

times, tractors were fitted out with cleated steel wheels, providing excellent grip but no cushioning for the soil or the posterior of the operator either.

A new generation of airless tyres has been posited by companies like Bridgestone and Michelin, which have been working on the concept for roughly a decade now. While it seems counterintuitive to move away from recent advancements in flexion, strength and durability in air-filled tyres, the engineers behind this new, airless concept have some good points in their favour.

Bridgestone, for example, says that as well as eliminating the possibility of a flat, its concept airless tyres will provide reduced carbon emissions, as close

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Airless tyres are already appearing on some heavy equipment and ride-on mowers; how long before this tech can catch up with the latest knowledge on soil compaction in agriculture?

to 90 per cent of rolling resistance in conventional tyres comes for the repeated deformation of the tyre’s shape as it rolls.

It is exacerbated by heavier machines, so Bridgestone hopes that it can slash overall CO2 by taking the air out of tyres.

Michelin has taken things a step further with a series of airless tyres for zero-turn mowers. While these are not the same weight class as big agricultural machines, lessons learned in this arena are transferable. It has found that air-free tyres mean a far more even cut, a steadier, smoother ride, and importantly, for future

farm innovations, the ability to ride smoothly over stubble. With new cultivars of forage and food crops bred to have former stalks, stubble resistance is something farmers are looking for in their machinery tyres today.

Computer modelling and even AI design may be the key to developing airless tyres that are strong and reliable enough to cut it in the world of agriculture. When that time comes, current tyre manufacturers and local installers will no doubt lead the way, tackling the new challenges associated with the shift toward a whole new way of rolling.

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

ISSUE 2 2023

RURAL CONTRACTORS & SUPPLIERS

17

Biofuel mandate up in smoke

by Andy Bryenton

The government’s planned biofuels mandate is set for the political scrapheap, with some calling the decision literally ‘cheap and dirty’, while others praise its pragmatism and the end of a possible new cost for farmers.

Prime minister Chris Hipkins admitted that scrapping the biofuels mandate would leave a hole in the nation’s carbon budget, which would have to be ‘plugged’ by other means.

“We’ve got work to do to identify how we fill a hole that’s created by the decision around biofuels, and we will do that with haste,” Hipkins said.

“The mandate would have increased the price of fuel, and given the pressure on households, that’s not something I’m prepared to do,” he said in making the announcement.

The rural sector in New Zealand uses more than 295 million litres of diesel each year, at a cost approaching $1 billion. Even a small percentage point lift in per-litre costs could equate to major expenses for farmers. That’s aside from the possible need to tune, alter or otherwise upgrade machines to run smoothly on the new mix.

Conventional bioethanol can be cost-competitive with petrol on a perlitre basis, but its energy content is about 50% lower than mineral petrol, according to the Ministry of Transport.

In the United States, the retail price of biodiesel in neat form is about 20 cents higher per litre than that of mineral diesel. The energy content of biodiesel is about 90% that of mineral

diesel. It would all contribute to a higher cost of operations for dieselpowered machinery and vehicles, which would place additional pressure on a rural sector already hit by regulation and compliance costs for environmental reforms.

Those costs may have been exacerbated by the need to import fuels thanks to the closure of Marsden Point oil refinery. Biofuels are not a major crop for New Zealand; hence these, too, would be subject to import and the whim of global markets.

The Motor Trade Association submitted against the Biofuels Obligation Bill last month. It said in a statement following the prime minister’s announcement that they had foreshadowed major price hikes. However, they admitted that measures still must be taken against climate change.

The biofuels mandate would have reduced carbon emissions by one million tonnes by 2025, with a further 7 million tonnes in the following decade.

Now, all eyes are on whether or not the scrapping of the bill, backed not just

by Labour but also by Greens leader James Shaw, will lead to a further tranche of alternative taxes and fees to offset carbon.

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18

ISSUE 2 2023

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

VEHICLES, MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

Who pays for pothole pain?

by Andy Bryenton

Should the people who fix our roads have to pay for pothole damage? It’s a question other countries address in different ways.

In the famously litigious US, the liability for pothole damage varies from state to state and city to city. New York transport authorities will pay out if they were told in writing about a pothole and failed to fill it within 15 days. Meanwhile, Chicago residents need an insurance claim and two quotes to fix the damage before they can file for just half of the cost.

The British Automobile Association advises drivers that they should make a claim with their local council, but councils don’t have to pay out if they didn’t know the pothole was there. It’s the same in Australia, where under the Civil Liberties Act 2002, councils cannot be held liable for damage caused as a result of road failure or a pothole, unless the pothole resulted from council negligence.

It provides a neat double loophole; if you reported the pothole but then later on were damaged by it, why didn’t you avoid it? Additionally, potholes caused by rain, floods, subsidence or other ‘acts of God’ are not (strictly speaking) there due to ‘negligence’. Despite this weasally

argument, the British government shelled out UK£2.5 million on pothole repairs to private cars last year.

So much for the rest of the world; what about New Zealand? Waka Kotahi has a website which allows you to file a claim for pothole damage on state highways.

They say you should contact your insurer first and that they will only consider a claim if they haven’t taken ‘reasonable care’ to repair the road. Legal sources say this means you could indeed get some justice.

“Waka Kotahi is charged under the Land Transportation Management Act with the responsibility for maintaining roads,” said lawyer Angela Parlane, speaking on television about the issue late last year.

“I would argue that they do have a duty of care to keep that maintenance going and ensure users of the road do not sustain damage while doing so. In my understanding of the law, they would be liable.”

That’s just one legal expert’s opinion. Still, there’s a big caveat. Making a claim means fighting a huge government bureaucracy at

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Gone to pot — if a pothole damages your car, there is the hope of compensation from those who fix the roads, but it’s a hard road to get there, say lawyers

what could be a hefty expense and taking months out of your life to do so. Excuses also seem to be a valid reason for denying claims.

One claimant received a letter in 2021 which argued that Waka Kotahi was ‘constrained by available funding and resources’.

“We do our best but do not guarantee that the entire network will

be in perfect condition at all times,” said the missive.

Would this argument work for a dangerous lawn mower or fire-prone washing machine? One rule for all the services we pay for would be nice, especially considering the cost of car repairs in the age of inflation.

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

ISSUE 2 2023

VEHICLES, MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

by Andy Bryenton

19

Yellow is the new green for JCB

It’s world-famous for making big construction machines, but JCB is a force to be reckoned with in farming, taking out the coveted title of Sustainable Tractor of the Year in the 2023 international awards.

While the Tractor of the Year award has a decades-long pedigree, the top prize for a sustainable tractor is only four years deep.

Previous winners have included machines designed to run on methane and others which squeeze every drop of power from diesel. This time around, JCB’s Fastrac iCON won praise as much for its interaction with the soil as for its innovative twin-turbo common rail-injected engine.

Fabio Zammaretti, chair of the panel which awards the prize, says that while the six-cylinder, 335 horsepower plant was impressive and frugal, the Sustainable Tractor of the Year is not just about fuel economy.

“This is not an award to the greenest tractor. It’s all about how new technologies are making tractors more connected, more efficient, more reliable, safer, more effective on soil protection and less polluting,” said Mr Zammaretti.

The whole picture was taken into account, not the least part of which was the light tread of such a big and capable machine.

“Despite the generous dimension JCB Fastrac iCON is very agile thanks to the numerous steering options, including the ‘crab mode’ that makes this tractor gentile on soil,” said the judges.

Also noted were the advanced GPS systems, and integrated connectivity services such as fleet management and predictive

maintenance, which judges described as ‘a new level’ of quality. JCB is happy to fully customise a Fastrac iCON for its customers’ needs. That allows for a very versatile platform, seeing the big yellow tractors deployed across a multitude of farming roles.

“Creating a fully customisable experience was a top priority for JCB with the Fastrac iCON,” says Shane Coates, vice president of agricultural sales for JCB. “In addition, our engineering team worked hard to integrate electronics technology such as ISOBUS and GPS guidance along with refining the driving comfort that the Fastrac offers.”

Last but not least, the maximum speed on-road was noted. With the ability to traverse from field to field at up to 60km/h, operators can spend less time en route and more on the job.

Shane’s team are not resting on their laurels. Less than a month ago, the company unveiled plans for hydrogen technology following the successful launch of a specialist hydrogen refuelling vehicle that could revolutionise construction sites and farms in the near future.

JCB’s range of machines for agriculture is available in New Zealand. This latest big win has cast a halo on the entire product range, making them a very attractive proposition for those looking to upgrade their fleet.

JCB’s powerful Fastrac iCON tractor has won a major international award for its sustainable credentials

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ISSUE 2 2023

WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

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