Waikato Farming Lifestyles, June 2023

June 2023 edition

Decision-makers and winners at Fieldays Pages 6–7

Young wāhine flourishing

Embracing a rural lifestyle

P3

More than a century of shearing

P4

P8

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JUNE 2023 WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

QUICK INDEX

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WAIKATO FARMInG LIFeSTYLeS

Young wāhine flourishing

June 2023

3

For the first time in the history of the Ahuwhenua Young Māori Grower competition, three wāhine Māori have been selected as finalists.

Grace Rehu, winner of the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Grower Award 2023 with her grandparents and partner Layton Beckham

Grace Rehu was announced as the 2023 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Grower earlier this month with Alix Te Kere and Erica Henare. At 21 years old, Grace, from Rangitāne, Taranaki, is a leading hand for Turners and Growers in Puketapu, Hawke’s Bay. Thirty-year-old Alix is Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Tu, Ngāti Maru, and Ngāti Maniapoto is the Health and Safety adviser for Rockit Management Services and Erica, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Maniapoto at 27 years old is the Pipfruit and Kiwifruit manager at Kono.

The announcement was made by Te Hāmua Nikora, Pou Tikanga, Te Tumu Paeroa at the Ahuwhenua Trophy awards dinner held in Tauranga on Friday, June

9. Te Hāmua Nikora said Dr Charlotte Severne, the Māori Trustee and CEO of Te Tumu Paeroa, has a very special place in her heart for other wāhine.

“The way we see it at Te Tumu Paeroa is that if we help this younger generation, particularly the women in this business, then they are going to do better for the land. When the land is healthy, the people are healthy,” he says.

Grace said being part of the competition was an amazing experience and opportunity, and she could never have done it without the support of the two other finalists by her side. She entered the competition without really knowing what was involved and fell in love with the kaupapa.

Left to right: Alix Te Kere, Grace Rehu and Erica Henare

Judge Aaron Hunt, says the industry is in good hands with these three wāhine toa.

“As part of the judging process, the finalists attended an intensive three-day study tour designed to provide a range of insights, inspiration, and experiences across the horticultural sector.

“This included a trip to Zespri, a visit to Matakana Island to see Whai Orchard, a kiwifruit operation, Opure ra Trust, an avocado orchard, and a berry orchard, which is a joint venture with five Māori Trusts.

“All three finalists are amazing. The growth in them over the course of the judging programme was phenomenal.

They were all taken out of their comfort zone over the course of the

study tour, but all of them took in absolutely everything.”

“Grace demonstrated the three values of the judging criteria: Manaakitanga: looking after others; Whānaungatanga: engagement; and Mana Motuhake — being authentic. She was well supported by the other two finalists, her partner, whānau and employer throughout her Ahuwhenua journey. Although Grace is only 21, clearly, age is not a barrier to her maturity.

“It was wonderful that Maatutaera Akonga, the inaugural Ahuwhenua Young Māori Grower winner and his partner Margaret could be there to support all the entrants and finalists.”

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June 2023 WAIKATO FARMInG LIFeSTYLeS

EMBRACING

A RURAL LIFESTYLE

BY AMY FIFITA

Dave Rowlands was first introduced to goat breeding 20 years ago while working on a dairy goat farm and grew a passion for the animal, including creating a mini Anglo-Nubian in New Zealand.

“W

e moved to a rural community in the late-80s when I was a child,” Dave says.

“My parents allowed me to have a horse on the property, and I have always had livestock in my life. I milked cows and had calves for Calf Club and always wanted to be a farmer when I grew up.

When I left school, I tried various farming jobs with horses, goats and cows and worked at a saddlery in Matamata and with Sir Patrick Hogan with horses.

“I became a school teacher, and eventually, my partner, Richard Forsyth, and I bought a lifestyle block, and I got back into goat breeding in a big way. I am more rurally orientated and he is a city person, but has embraced country living.

I do all the goat stuff, and Richard is an accountant in Auckland.

“The owner of the dairy goat farm I managed had been breeding pedigree

Dave says that they were lucky enough to use a blue-eyed Nigerian Dwarf stud, which is a unique feature in New Zealand when they were beginning to breed Mini Nubians

goats for a long time, and he inspired me to become passionate about it. It is

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Dave Rowlands has prize-winning goats and has competed and won in the New Zealand Champion Buck of the Year and Best of All Breeds

Richard Forsyth with the first-born Mini-Nubian kid as part of Dave’s project of establishing the breed in New Zealand

“I love their inquisitive nature. They are almost like dogs; even the hand-reared ones are quiet and easily managed.

Recently, I brought in some Nigerian Dwarf genetics from other breeders, and I am crossing that with my Anglo-Nubians.”

Dave says the dwarves are hearty, have good feet and are easy to keep.

“We are starting from scratch and breeding them to look like a Nubian but smaller and, hopefully, heartier than the Anglo-Nubians. Since doing that, we have begun establishing a new mini dairy goat club for registering them and creating a miniature Nubian in New Zealand.

“They are established overseas but not here. A few of us are breeding them with Anglo-Nubians and want to keep track of the parentage. We are in the third generation with some of them. It will take a total of five generations before we get to the purebred Mini-Nubian.

“It is tricky because the Nigerian Dwarf is where the little genetics come from with short upright ears, but Anglo-Nubians have big pendulous ears. We are trying to take those characteristics but have them in a smaller size goat.

“Currently, they are two-thirds the size of a standard Anglo-Nubian. Fully grown, we are aiming for between 60— 70 centimetres tall. Nigerian Dwarves are normally under 60 centimetres.

“The first Nigerian Dwarf buck I used had blue eyes, which is uncommon in New Zealand. He was available and small, and I have embraced it now because it sets my herd apart from the others. To get that gene, one parent has to have it to be passed on, so we have managed to accumulate some does in the breeding group with blue eyes.”

Around the time of the pandemic, Dave started making soap from goat’s milk

June 2023

Dave Rowlands with his partner Richard Forsyth showcasing their goats at a goat show

and it became a popular product at his friend’s petrol station.

“I was still teaching in a school at the time and had always wanted to do cheesemaking, but because I worked off the farm, soapmaking worked better.

I became interested in making soap from videos on TikTok. Watching people cut coloured soaps with swirls inside appealed to me and I thought it was a good use of goat’s milk.

“We were also trying to promote the importance of washing your hands because

of the pandemic. It all fit in quite nicely, and soapmaking kept me more sane while we were locked down for so long.

“I make a high-end soap with products like shea butter and coconut oil. They are vibrant and colourful soaps with a range of different fragrances. It is hard making a living on a lifestyle block, and the soap is like a hobby, but the goal is to produce an income so that I don’t have to work off the farm and become more sustainable.

Our plan is to get a bigger property and expand what we are doing.”

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June 2023 WAIKATO FARMInG LIFeSTYLeS

DECISION-MAKERS AND WINNERS AT

FIELDAYS

Fieldays was “a wonderful four days” as the largest agricultural event in the Southern Hemisphere completed its 55th event, according to New Zealand National Fieldays Society CEO Peter Nation.

“W

hen the gates opened for the first winter event with the international borders open since 2020, Fieldays brought together individuals, business leaders and decision-makers from various corners of the globe to create invaluable relationships and partnerships that will facilitate knowledge-sharing and champion New Zealand-led innovation. In the face of economic and regulatory changes ahead for the primary sector, there was a profound spirit of camaraderie and buoyancy.”

Politics, as always, was a farming topic of conversation, and an

BY PAUL CAMPBELL

appearance at Mystery Creek from the Taxpayers’ Union highlighted rural concerns over such changes, including the Resource Management Act. Union campaigns manager Callum Purves with some support from Federated Farmers, was on a 30-town roadshow opposing rural over-regulation and said he had met directly with thousands of farmers and people working in the rural sector about what the proposed reforms would mean for New Zealand’s primary industries.

“At Fieldays, we received strong support from the rural sector who fear that the proposed resource management reforms will simply make it unworkable

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The Waikato Creative Stitchers with their winning work The Gate: From left: Katherine Fell, Sue Truman, Barbara Rosenberg, Josina Ellis, Liz Wilson, Sue Lynch, and Marianne Lock.

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Porky the Wastehater, the mascot of the Taxpayers’ Union delighted young and old at Fieldays

“These reforms would rip decisionmaking powers over planning and resource allocation away from elected councils and place it in the hands of unelected, unaccountable regional planning committees. The power these new centralised committees will have is far-reaching, right down to the level of deciding what farmers can produce and where on their own private property.

“The Taxpayers’ Union and Federated Farmers, along with the wider rural sector, have spent years advocating for a replacement to the costly and broken RMA, yet somehow (Environment Minister) David Parker has managed to make his proposed replacement even worse.”

There were more than 105,000 people through the gates at Mystery Creek.

Mr Nation said the event served as a

compelling testament to the unwavering resolve and determination of the agricultural community. Like the main event, the Fieldays Innovation Awards celebrated their 55th anniversary, proving that the sector has a huge runway for growth and driving the primary sector forward.

A hand-crafted collaborative work won the People’s Choice Award No.8 Wire National Art Award, decided by votes.

Titled, The Gate, the award-winning sculpture uses a variety of traditional and contemporary stitching techniques displayed on an adapted farm gate. It was made by Josina Ellis, Liz Wilson, Sue Truman, Barbara Rosenberg, Sue Lynch, Marianne Lock and Katherine Fell, known collectively as Waikato Creative Stitchers.

“This collaborative piece has been so much fun to work on, with each of

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us contributing slightly different stitch or textile techniques, but melding into a cohesive work,” said Liz Wilson.

“Thanks very much to the public who appreciated and voted for our piece! Made from upcycled totara battens and the ubiquitous No.8 wire, the textile components of The Gate were created from natural fibres such as wool, cotton and jute.”

Now in its 26th year, the annual Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award competition is hosted by Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato and supported by the New Zealand National Fieldays Society.

Artists are challenged to transform the

iconic farming product No.8 wire into art and compete for a share of nearly $10,000 in prizes.

Among the sites awarded accolades was The Pantry exhibitor Pure by the Barrelman family was recognised for dedication to the environment taking out the Commitment to Sustainability Award for their mission to repurpose oak wine barrels to create a range of eco-friendly products, including platters, plant stands and furniture.

Planning is already underway for Fieldays 2024, in 12 months’ time, Wednesday, June 11 to Saturday, June 15 2024.

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June 2023 WAIKATO FARMInG LIFeSTYLeS

MORE THAN A CENTURY

OF SHEARING

BY PAUL CAMPBELL With the world champion shearing competition providing plenty of international excitement recently in Scotland, it was an event marking a slice of farming history and more than a century of competition as a farm chore developed over many years into a recognised competitive sport.

T

he next industry milestone will be when New Zealand holds the 20th Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships at the home of Golden Shears in Masterton in 2026.

One of the first such contests of speed, expertise and stamina was held at a Waikato rural show sometime in the 1880s. Sheep farming started here in the early 1800s, and the first shearers had to be imported from Australia until the locals

became proficient in handling the hand shears of those days.

While they later graduated to enginepowered handpieces, in Waikato, things were very different on sheep properties in the early days. It is recorded that one Thomas Wells, then mayor of Cambridge, provided a rural service supplying farm requirements with a horse-drawn wagon after an agent on horseback had collected orders for goods.

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The opening crowd at the World Shearing Champs in Scotland

Back then, shearing gangs stayed on the properties in designated quarters, and if it was a big property they would have their own cook and meals from their own cook house. If only a couple of men were needed, the poor farmer’s wife would have to provide three meals a day as well as smoko twice a day.

In the early days, shearing was done outside. By the 1870s, large shearing sheds had become common, with slatted floors to hold the sheep, a place for each shearer to work, and portholes to push shorn sheep through. Many such sheds survive to this day on working farms.

Shearing was, and sometimes still is done, particularly in competitions, with

blades a bit like large scissors. Machines on steam power were introduced as early as the mid-1880s and finally run by electricity.

Official shearing competitions began at A&P shows in the 1870s. It wasn’t until 1961 the Golden Shears competition started in Masterton and has become New Zealand’s biggest shearing event.

Kiwi shearing competitor Hugh McCarroll NNZM who won intermediate fame at the 1967 Golden Shears, is one of about 12 people who’ve received Royal NZ Honours for their involvement in shearing. He’s secretary of the World Sheep Shearing Records Society and says New Zealand has been a world leader in establishing competition.

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“I guess the real contest in what is now an international competition circuit was the Golden Shears at Masterton,” he says.

“Of course, prior to this, there were rural events at shows and anyway, shearers were always competing with each other as they worked in the sheds.

“When the contests started, the New Zealand Wool Board had a good training programme underway led by the likes of Godfrey Bowen and Gavin Rolland.

This resulted in a good grounding for the industry, and New Zealanders have gone on to excel in competition.”

Kiwis also came to the fore as interest spread overseas and had a major input into the rules governing international

contests. “We contributed to judging standards and established the rules and the competitions have grown from New Zealand to see top shearers today competing in Australia, the United Kingdom and other countries.”

Shearing Sports New Zealand spokesman, Doug Laing, says while the world champs have ended recently in Scotland, “a blades shearing competition in Hawke’s Bay is the first written record we’ve been able to find of a shearing competition.

“Then, in 1902, a machine-shearing competition was held at the Hawke’s Bay A&P Show and won by Rimitiriu Raihania, known as The Great Raihania. We claim

STOP

Alan Oldfield tackles a championship sheep

this as the first machine-shearing competition in the world, and it beats by four years a competition in Wyoming which claimed that honour.

“The first World Shearing Championships were held in England in 1977 to mark the 200th anniversary of the Royal Bath and West Show. A formal Golden Shears World Council was formed, and now known as the Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships, the event has been held 19 times in nine different countries,” Doug said.

In 1993, Sport and Recreation New Zealand formally recognised shearing competition as a sport — the first country in the world to do so.

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Helping to provide strong financial direction, vision and profitable management, Robyn Marsh is thrilled to bring her experience and enthusiasm for agriculture to her new role as the new DairyNZ chief financial officer.

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DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says he is delighted to have Robyn, an experienced sector finance leader, as the chief financial officer and general manager of corporate services at DairyNZ. “We are privileged to recruit an individual with such depth of knowledge and expertise, along with solid understanding and appreciation of our sector,” he says.

“Robyn grew up on a South Taranaki dairy farm, and being part of a rural agricultural community is an anchoring motivator in her career and way of life.

“As a chartered accountant, Robyn started her career with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu before moving to Fonterra in 2002. There she held several financial leadership roles, including general

“Robyn’s breadth of experience will be a great asset to DairyNZ.”

Robyn Marsh, newly appointed DairyNZ chief financial officer

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“Robyn’s breadth of experience leading cross-functional projects and teams will be a great asset to DairyNZ as we continue building a collaborative, highperformance culture for the benefit of our dairy farmers.”

Robyn’s initial focus will be the execution of the strategic plan for the

coming year to help align priorities and overall strategy and progress a positive future for New Zealand dairy farming.

She is excited to be taking her career in agricultural finance to the next level and having the opportunity to be part of positive progress for the dairy industry and our farmers.

“There are significant challenges and opportunities facing the dairy sector today and into the future,” she says.

“Collaborating with our farmers and sector partners on innovative solutions is an effective way to drive a positive future for dairying. Working at DairyNZ provides a great opportunity to be a part of this journey. I look forward to progressing my work in the sector to date with this new role.”

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WAIKATO FARMInG LIFeSTYLeS

Immigration concerns remain

June 2023

11

Federated Farmers says it welcomes changes to the recently announced immigration settings, but some concerns still remain that need to be addressed.

“Extending the Accredited Employer Work Visa from three to five years is a really positive step that will give both employers and employees a lot more certainty moving forward,” says Federated Farmers of New Zealand Dairy chair Richard McIntyre.

“It will also smooth out the process for those farm staff who progress into herd management, which is a green list occupation and has a pathway to residency.

“Previously, there has been a situation where applicants need three years of experience to get on to the green list, but at the time of applying most had two and a half. That meant they had to go through the effort, expense and frustration of applying for an additional visa in between.

“While it’s great to have a pathway to residency for herd management roles, we should also be providing pathways for those who enjoy their jobs as dairy assistants and are happy to continue at that level.

“These employees are of real value to the dairy sector, and we need to ensure we don’t lose them to a highly competitive international market with the likes of Canada and Australia.

“We have a real shortage of farm staff in this country, and we need to be making

“We have a real shortage of farm staff in this country.”

Richard McIntyre, Federated Farmers of New Zealand Dairy chair

it as easy as possible for these people who have chosen to call New Zealand home to continue their farming careers here.

“We still have serious concerns about the AEWV being linked to the median wage of $29.66. Farmers simply can’t afford to pay that for entry-level staff.

We’re already seeing huge profit squeeze with declining milk prices and significant on-farm inflation.

“Some farmers are taking on staff that they desperately need, but can’t afford, which is putting them under financial pressure. Others are simply going without staff and working excessively long hours to the detriment of their own health,” Mr McIntyre concluded.

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UN praises Kiwi dairy farms

WAIKATO FARMInG LIFeSTYLeS

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The global day chosen by the United Nations to celebrate the importance of milk to the cuisine, economy and wellbeing of the world has identified New Zealand as the most efficient dairy farming nation.

“We should all be proud of our dairy farmers for helping maintain New Zealand’s success, producing more environmentally efficient products while supporting communities and the economy.

Dairy provides jobs for 50,000 Kiwis and brings in about $22 billion of export earnings a year, which leads to about $50 billion in New Zealand’s economy.”

The revelation that Kiwi dairy farmers are confirmed world leaders came on World Milk Day, June 1. By coincidence, this is the occasion formerly known as ‘gypsy day’ on dairy farms across the country, when new sharemilking contracts go live, and farmers take possession of new properties.

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“We should all be proud of our dairy farmers for producing more environmentally efficient products.”

“To continue the progress, Dairy New Zealand is investing in R&D alongside sector and research partners to build understanding of methane-reducing technologies,” said DNZ’s CEO, Dr Tim Mackle, responding to this news.

United Nations Food and Agriculture director-general Qu Dongyu has confirmed that New Zealand dairy farms are the most carbon efficient on the planet

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business by over-regulation and the creep of carbon-related non-indigenous forestation, other nations with a worse environmental pedigree will pick up the slack. The demand for milk is not decreasing. The more of it which comes from New Zealand, the better — for the economy and, it seems, for the planet.

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Dr Mackle and other pundits within the industry say that the FAO’s finding point out two truths. Firstly, the dairy industry in New Zealand has taken it upon itself, in the absence of an emissions trading scheme, to make great leaps forward in environmental responsibility.

Secondly, the FAO has reinforced the warning many in the dairy community have voiced in recent times. If Kiwi dairy farms, now confirmed to be 70 per cent more carbon friendly than some foreign counterparts, are driven out of

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ANDREW NOLA

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The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) launched world milk day in 2001, and this year they put the focus on the carbon emissions efficiency of modern dairying. With controversy swirling in New Zealand politics over regulation and taxation of our dairy herd’s emissions, one could be forgiven for thinking that Kiwi farms are a problem.

However, the FAO’s research proved that New Zealand has a carbon footprint for on-farm milk production 70 per cent lower than the global average.

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June 2023 WAIKATO FARMInG LIFeSTYLeS

Here’s to those in boots and utes

Farming, faith and politics

by Andy Bryenton

The Reverend John Morgan began his missionary career by bringing all the advancements of British farming to the Māori people of Ōtāwhao, where he established his station, making it one of the most prosperous locales in Waikato by 1850.

‘Travellers found there to their astonishment many beautiful settlements, with large fields of wheat, potatoes, and maize, and dwellings arranged in neat streets, shaded by groves of peach and apple trees,’ said James Cowan, writing about the reverend’s early achievements during New Zealand’s centennial in 1940. In those early days, Morgan had genuinely wanted to see the people of his congregation thrive, soon, he was tempted to add politics to the mix.

Morgan thought he had brought deference to the British crown along

with the benefits of agriculture.

Still, the people of Ōtāwhao had their own, more advanced political ideas. They became some of the most solid supporters of the Māori King movement and King Pōtatau Te Wherowhero. Morgan, embittered, railed against the King Movement and later served as a spy and agent against it during the 1860s. By 1863 he was forced to leave the district, leaving behind a legacy of better farming practices and a breach of trust that was never reconciled.

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by Barbara Kuriger, MP for Taranaki-King Country

If we are going to have an economy that makes and grows things, then we need to use our resources wisely.

Barbara Kuriger, MP for Taranaki-King Country

Everything we have is grazed on the land, grown in the soil and extracted from underneath. That includes mining. The general exception is fish.

In 2017, Labour announced it would ban all mining on Conservation land.

New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals has granted 52 prospecting permits, 78 exploration permits, 81 mining permits and one for special mining permits.* There are huge possibilities to make the most of our natural resources, utilising the many hectares of stewardship land with little to no conservation value.

Given we are going to rebuild roads, bridges to get our country and economy back on track, then we need to utilise our natural resources right now.

I believe we can do that, in harmony with nature.

Barbara Kuriger MP for Taranaki-King Country Backing Rural and Provincial New Zealand Boots & Utes Inglewood Office 80 Rata St, PO Box 124, Inglewood 4330 06 756 6032 • Kuriger.Inglewood@parliament.govt.nz Te Awamutu Office 53 Mutu St, PO Box 302, Te Awamutu 3800 07 870 1005 • Kuriger.Teawamutu@parliament.govt.nz King Country Virtual Office 021 856 793 • Kuriger.Kingcountry@parliament.govt.nz Funded by the Parliamentary Service. Authorised by Barbara Kuriger, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

Meanwhile, the government’s interest in conservation, seemed to have waned.

There was nothing extra in Budget 2023 for the conservation efforts by our longterm land stewards.

The pest and predator-free groups, forest and bird protectors, conservation organisations, as well as farmers do jobs for nature every day. They are the ones in boots, driving utes.

Many farmers have land under Queen Elizabeth II Trust covenants (in perpetuity), are involved in restoring biodiversity, look after thousands of Significant Natural Areas (SNAs), and have developed or are developing their own wetlands.

All off their own bat and largely out of their own pockets.

• Source: Straterra newsletter, Mined Our Business — Straterra is NZ’s mining industry association

WAIKATO FARMInG LIFeSTYLeS

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the consumer. If we want better wages paid to staff (and we all do), then give tax breaks to small and medium-sized New Zealand-owned businesses.

That would allow businesses to improve wages without passing on the cost to the consumer. Admittedly, there may be some that would possibly not pass on these benefits, so perhaps some sort of reporting via the Inland Revenue Department and the PAYE system could monitor this.

The Resource Management Act — The most restrictive document for growth; who is going to jump in boots and all and take it on? Lots of promises over the years, but all that seems to happen is it just gets more cumbersome.

Global Warming is real — Believe it or not, no one can deny there is certainly a problem with our oceans, and yes, the weather seems to have become more intense. Who is going to deal with the forestry industry and slash in relation to this? Why isn’t the industry tidying up its own mess, and who is going to address the fact that beaches close because of sewage running into them?

Emissions are a problem worldwide, but the main focus in New Zealand seems to be farming. What about the industries that operate with coal that is imported from other high-emission countries?

We have two main parties that promise the earth and deliver a spade and minor parties with lots of good ideas but are then restricted by the major parties because it’s not their idea. If only the promises given could be delivered on — because actions speak much louder than words.

You wouldn’t stay with a partner who never followed through, so why tolerate governments who do the same?

Magnesium is involved in numerous body processes and can help problems in various body systems, especially muscles. I recommend it for cramps, restless legs, PMS, hypertension and heart rhythm problems. I usually recommend that magnesium be taken before bed for maximum impact on muscles, nerves and to help with sleep.

I have many clients now largely free of night cramps and restless legs. In stubborn cases, I also add an antioxidant complex or a multimineral complex to help with nighttime circulation and improve muscle function. It is rare that we cannot get improvements with these problems that can disrupt our sleep.

Unfortunately, many magnesium supplements are one a day, making dose experimentation almost impossible. In my experience, the required dosage differs a lot between people with similar problems.

Additionally, many supplements use

T, WORK, P EA L Y,

AY

Cost of living — Why is it so complicated to take GST off fresh food? Australia has done it.

Health — What has changed since the new entity was set up, at huge expense?

It hasn’t stopped strikes or given staff better conditions. Serious wait times are still a major problem, and the types of treatments that are available are still not readily accessible.

Education — For parents of two-yearolds, the Budget brought great news.

Starting in the new year, there will be 20 hours of free early childhood care, but what resourcing has been put in place for the facilities to cope with the influx of children?

So, will it really make a difference?

Youth offending — Nothing seems to be working to stop this, and I’m not sure that sending youth to a military-type establishment is the answer either. It takes a village to raise a child so where is the village? How do we get that village to work?

Our police force is dealing with repeat offenders regularly; how demoralising it must be for them to see nothing changing.

Infrastructure — What a joke! Our roads, water, power and connectivity are horrendous. If you saw a house in the same state, in all likelihood, it would be condemned.

Instead of inspecting and regulating potable water sources, which have served rural households for decades without ill effect, perhaps the central government should do a better job of supporting local governments to build resilient infrastructure fit for growth and progress.

Business — Whether it be a main street shop or a farm, what is being proposed to support them? It’s certainly not tax relief.

Instead, costs just go up and guess what happens? Those costs are passed onto

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Thunder in the dirt

by Andy Bryenton

June 2023

17

The world’s most powerful motorsport doesn’t take place on tarmac or involve sleek racing cars with millionaire drivers.

With its origins in the good-natured boasting and rivalry of wagoneers and ploughmen in the early days of farming in the US, the sport of tractor-pulling has a big following worldwide. It also boasts some of the biggest figures when it comes to horsepower.

Originally, it was literal horse-power which drove the sport. The strongest teams got more than just a celebratory beer or two. Each victory was well-watched by local farmers, and winning was the best form of advertising. As motorised tractors began to take over in the 1920s, many traditional horse-drawn plough teams took on the new machines in contests between animal muscle and internal combustion. While the writing was on the wall for the horses, eventually, they paved the way for contests between tractors.

Horse pulling is still a big drawcard at many US A&P shows. Still, its offspring, the tractor pull, has advanced to levels almost absurd in their power and noise.

The very first competitions used normal tractors and the same rules employed for horses; records state that the first time mechanised tractors went head-to-head was in Vaughnsville, Ohio, in 1929.

The National Tractor Pullers Association was founded in 1969, as tractors got increasingly powerful, and a set of rules covering the entire US was needed. The organisation supported mainly stock tractors and had the motto ‘pull on

The 1970s and 1980s saw tractor pull machines become absolute monsters; some with multiple 1,000 horsepower engines working at once

Sunday, plough on Monday’. Then, in the mid-1970s, something happened that changed the sport forever.

Back in 1963, hot rod maverick Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth had crafted a car called the Mysterion with two Oldsmobile big-block V8s. Inspired by this feat of engineering, the Bosse Brothers from Ohio created a high-power ‘crossbox’ gear train which could pump the torque from more than one tractor engine out through the back wheels. Carl and Paul deployed a twin-mill tractor and smashed

the competition. Then Bruce Hutcherson upped the ante with a triple-V8 tractor called Makin’ Bacon. Tim Engler put the capstone on this mad brilliance with his Mission Impossible machine, mounted with no less than seven alcohol-powered big blocks.

Things only got more brutal in the race for power. Tractor builders took the motors from Russian military helicopters, navy torpedo boats, the giant V-12s from vintage warplanes, and more. One tractor packed the engine from an M103 battle

tank. Another used a 54-litre, 18-cylinder bomber engine. Rules were reframed to prevent literal rocket and jet tractors from being fielded.

Today, there are multiple classes of tractor, from vintage and stock machines to absolute monsters with multiple turbochargers and methanol fuel. In New Zealand, most tractor pulls use the kind of machines farmers use, though watching the mad spectacle of the US championships is an eardrum-shattering thrill ride.

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WAIKATO FARMInG LIFeSTYLeS

June 2023

19

ADVERTORIAL

Case IH Farmall’s centenary celebrations Case IH’s well-loved Farmall turns 100 this year, its reputation for toughness and versatility standing the test of time.

This year’s centenary is a chance for the brand, Farmall owners, and collectors of the iconic tractor to celebrate the long history of the machine and honour its place in the advancement of agriculture around the world.

Major historical milestones for the Farmall include:  1923: International Harvester engineer Bert R Benjamin designs the first Farmall prototype  1931: The F series is presented for farmers with more acreage  1939: Second-generation Farmall designed by Raymond Loewy  1941: Farmall introduces the world’s first diesel row crop tractor  1947: The 1 millionth Farmall rolls off the line  1958: The most popular tractor in the U.S., the Farmall 560 is introduced  1965: Farmall is the first 2WD row crop tractor to exceed 100 horsepower  1974: Case IH sells its 5 millionth Farmall — the first tractor to ever reach that number  2003: Case IH continues to expand the line-up of products spanning from 31 to 105 horsepower

The legacy of Farmall continues today with more than 30 models to choose from.

This iconic tractor series will continue to evolve alongside the customers who made this milestone possible.

“The Farmall is a much-loved tractor right around the world, including Australia and New Zealand, where it fulfills a range of tasks in so many different farming operations. Whether it’s a utility tractor for a broadacre operation, or the principal tractor for a small horticulture business, its importance and relevance across so many decades is really unmatched for any other tractor model,” said Seamus McCarthy, Case IH Australia/New Zealand product manager for mid-Horsepower and compact tractors.

Its history and significance also makes it a highly-collectable piece of farm machinery, with hundreds of Farmall collectors across Australia and New Zealand.

Tom Horwood, based in Inverell, NSW, runs Rural Wrecking Co Pty Ltd, a tractor buying, dismantling and spare parts specialty business, but in what spare time he has, he’s also a passionate Farmall collector, and has been for the past 40 years.

The well-loved Farmall celebrates its centennial this year

Tom said his passion began as a teenager when he started a mechanic apprenticeship with Inverell Harvester, the local International dealer, with his work bringing him into contact with a lot of International tractors, including the Farmall. His interest in the International brand was ignited, and in his 20s he started his tractor collection.

“I worked on a lot of Farmalls during those years and just developed a real fascination for them. They have such a rich history, so when I started to collect tractors, they were high on my list.

Collecting them just gets into your blood and I won’t be stopping any time soon,” he said.

Tom now has a collection of tractors, of all brands, that numbers in the hundreds at the family farm at Inverell, from where he runs his business. He has many old Farmalls, 40 of them in working order, with his oldest a Farmall Regular from the late 1920s.

His collection will feature as part of a centenary event Case IH is holding in Inverell later this year to celebrate the Farmall’s special milestone.

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June 2023 WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

TIME TO HARVEST A REAL DEAL 0.9% FINANCE* 3YR / 3000HRS WARRANTY

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caseih.co.nz

Finance provided by CNH Industrial Capital Australia Pty Ltd trading as CNH Industrial Capital New Zealand to approved business applicants and is subject to credit approval. *Finance from 0.9% p.a subject to maximum term of 36 months and minimum 30% deposit, GST payment in month 3, monthly repayments, no balloon. Deposit is a % of RRP. Finance offer available on new Case IH Tractors purchased by 30 June 2023 for delivery by 07 July 2023. For further information, please contact your local Case IH dealer or go to www.caseih.co.nz.