Waikato Farming Lifestyles, March 2022

March 2022 Edition

Proud to be farming Pages 4–5

Biosecurity support for beekeepers

Fresh is best

P2

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MARCH 2022 WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

Biosecurity support for beekeepers

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by Paul Campbell

The country’s beekeepers are serious about working together to support a strong bee industry, according to Biosecurity New Zealand’s annual Winter Colony Loss survey results.

This year’s survey showed that some 13.6% of beehives were lost during winter 2021, says Biosecurity New Zealand senior scientist Richard Hall.

“The increase of 2.3 per cent on 2020’s results is closely attributed to a growth in varroa mite and related complications.

“While these numbers are worth exploring, we’re still seeing New Zealand’s winter colony loss rates are far less than our counterparts are finding in countries like the USA and Canada.

“Varroa mite is a pest that can be managed, and we’re looking at new ways to support industry in dealing with the ongoing challenge of varroa.”

Dr Hall says more beekeepers than ever took part in this survey, the seventh so far.

“This level of involvement and our beekeeper’s transparency in selfreporting shows how seriously they take biosecurity and how valuable Biosecurity New Zealand’s support is in strengthening the bee industry.

“Strong biosecurity systems and management of pests and diseases are essential to production. The data gathered this year will help beekeepers identify where they need to focus their management efforts.”

In responding to the survey, most beekeepers reported that their current varroa treatments are effective but that they lose colonies if they get the timing of the treatment wrong, under-dose or that they pick up varroa from reinvasion from other colonies. This year’s survey also found not all beekeepers had treated for varroa.

As a result of the survey findings, Biosecurity New Zealand has begun a collaborative education campaign with the beekeeping industry to raise awareness on how to tackle varroa mites and other biosecurity threats.

“We’re reinforcing that beekeepers need to apply treatments available to keep the mite under control, follow manufacturer’s instructions, and frequently monitor mite levels so quick intervention can be made.

Biosecurity NZ offers vital help for beekeeping care

“It’s the right season now to be alert to the needs of their bees and make a plan to combat varroa ahead of time. From what beekeepers are telling us — timing of treatment and monitoring for reinvasion is crucial.”

Dr Hall says that as well as the education campaign, Biosecurity New Zealand has funded a new research project to better understand how varroa treatments are used here and where gaps in knowledge may be.

This research will begin later this year.

“In 2021, more beekeepers were registered than in New Zealand’s history.

With this kind of growth, particularly in smaller operations and hobbyists, our support is essential to ensure this primary industry is equipped with the best information.

“This two-pronged work will help them know what biosecurity risks to look out for and how to manage them.”

The Winter Colony Loss survey is conducted by Manaaki Whenua Landcare New Zealand to provide Biosecurity New Zealand with data to ensure support is directed where it’s most useful for the bee industry.

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

Trustee joins network

MARCH 2022

The Dairy Women’s Network’s new associate trustee position has been filled by Gore dairy farmer and previous Southland hub leader Jess Moore.

Jess was one of 14 applicants who offered a variety of skills and CVs to the role but was selected based on her wide involvement with the network and dairy industry at leadership and local governance level.

“Jess has a strong alignment with the value and purpose of Dairy Women’s Network,” said Dairy Women’s Network trustee and Human Resources Committee member Jenna Smith.

“She has shown commitment and leadership within the organisation through her time as a regional leader, business group leader and hub leader, as well as her contribution to the conference committee.

“The HR committee was especially impressed with her self-awareness and the investment she makes to her community and the wider industry through New Zealand Young Farmers, New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards and the Southern Field Days.

“We felt Jess would make a tremendous associate trustee and has the determination, enthusiasm and skill set to add value to DWN and the wider industry.

“We have no doubt that Jess will make use of the opportunity to further her selfdevelopment and build on her governance and leadership journey.”

Jess brings to the board table a hands-on background and understanding of the needs of dairy women, enabling her to engage and facilitate conversation at board level with a logical and growth-focussed approach.

“I see this role as an opportunity to continue my path with DWN, but mostly a chance to give back.”

Originally working in a retail environment, she entered the industry when she and her husband managed a dairy farm in Southland before 50/50 sharemilking and eventually purchasing their own farm in 2019.

Roles within their dairy business, across multiple areas of the network and with other industry organisations alerted Jess to the importance of having robust governance practices in place and the impact of good policy settings and leadership on growth and prosperity.

“I have been working on self-development and leadership for many years. This has naturally progressed into a desire to be more involved in governance, and I crave more knowledge in this area,” she said.

“Dairy Women’s Network and the connections I have made have pushed me to drive and develop my leadership style, all in a supportive environment.

“I have seen on the ground how the policies and systems work, and can see so much more growth for the taking.”

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CPDs create a gap between the bike and the ground that could aid survival during a roll over.

Safer Farms Chairperson Lindy Nelson highlights “if farmers find themselves in a situation they did not intend to be in, roll over protection could make all the difference.”

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MARCH 2022 WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

PROUD TO BE

FARMING

BY AMY FIFITA

2022 Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year Edward Roskam says farming is his life and passion and has made it his career.

“I

was born and bred on a dairy farm.

Both my parents are third-generation farmers, so it is pretty cool to be the fourth generation,” says Edward.

“I’ve always been interested in dairy farming and helping dad out on the farm after school and on the holidays. I love the diversity dairy farming has every day.”

Edward’s journey to becoming a dairy trainee involved overcoming challenges, one being the decision to leave school and enter the industry.

“I tried a lot of different careers through the Gateway programme at school. My parents didn’t want me to leave school, but I had a big passion for dairy farming and decided that’s what I wanted as my career.

“One challenge I overcame was the perception that I should attend university.

Everyone expected me to be the head boy at school. I was top of the class and getting good grades, but the pressure to prove myself as a top student was getting too much for me.

“A lot of people were shocked that I left school, but they didn’t see how much I enjoyed the farm and how I was hanging out to milk the cows after school every day.

“I have proved to myself and teachers that farming is a valuable industry, and there is a ladder to climb that doesn’t include university.

“My ultimate goal is to build enough equity to go sharemilking on the family property leading towards farm ownership.

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Edward with his dog Beverly enjoying the outdoors

“Also, I would like to promote what a worthwhile and rewarding career and lifestyle dairy farming can be for anyone willing to put in the hard work.”

Edward says he loved his farm upbringing and has many fond memories.

“Some that stick are getting a 50cc Honda for my sixth birthday and being excited to get the cows in for mum and

dad. Another is calving my first breach cow by myself and having a healthy mum and heifer calf at the end.

“I suppose the one that sticks the most is being younger when there has been a cracker frost and breaking the ice in the puddles on the way down to the cowshed, the red fingers that were so cold and then the sun would come out.

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

Edward has a lifelong passion for dairy farming

“We would all go as a family after milking and collect the new calves and cows, having bets, on the way, how many there were. I loved these times as a family being outside with the animals.”

At 18 years old, Edward can think back to when farming was different, and he recognises the change and enjoys the lifestyle that it brings.

“There are different practices like the milking routines. It has become more attractive for the employees because it has become a more balanced lifestyle. It has developed throughout the years.

“It’s a tricky and manageable balance of work time and helping family out. I enjoy it. You can have a good lifestyle if you get your jobs done.”

Aside from his job, Edward’s hobbies keep him active and outdoors. He enjoys beekeeping and trail running.

“I love trail running and am lucky enough to be by Kaimai Ranges. I do that in my spare time exploring that area.

“I was keen to learn a new hobby that would fit in with farming and saw an advertisement in the newspaper for a beekeeping course during the weekends.

“What I didn’t realise is what complex creatures they are and have loved learning about them, how they breed and look after themselves and the importance they have in the environment.

“I’ve learned the hard way about disease management and the effects of heat stress on bees on my body and also the effects of stings on my body.”

On a dairy farm his entire life, Edward is venturing out towards determining his future.

“It is time to spread my wings and to keep growing.”

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Edward encourages other young people to pursue a career in farming

2022 Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year Edward Roskam celebrating the win with his parents, Angela and Michael

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MARCH 2022 WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

FRESH IS BEST

BY ANN VAN ENGELEN David Ruan worked for a government agriculture department before moving to New Zealand from South China in 2003.

“I

heard through colleagues that New Zealand was very good for vegetable production and a great place to live, so I decided to come here with my family and see,” says David.

“I studied agriculture to grow rice and fruit in China. I completed an Ag Science degree and worked in management. When I moved to Auckland, I worked for growers in Kumeu and Karaka for five years and gained more skills and knowledge.

“We have grown our own vegetables here for 15 years now. I began in South Auckland in 2015, and we moved to Whatawhata when we bought this property.

“I work with my wife, daughter and son.

We grow a variety of vegetables including zucchini, capsicum, carrots, beetroot and broccoli, cabbage, bok choy and Asian greens.”

The family take their Suncake Gardens produce to the Howick, Clevedon, Waikato and Claudelands Farmers markets.

“We have one more year to complete our BioGro’s Organic Standards certificate. We don’t like using sprays and chemicals on our food, and with the organic standards, we have an annual audit.

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David likes that the soil is sandy and loose as this produces better quality vegetable growth

“To us, food is most important for people’s health. If we use chemicals, when you eat food that has been sprayed, you take in the chemical.

“My favourite vegetables are my greens such as silverbeet and bok choy. I also like carrots and onions.

“As well as selling at the farmers’ markets, we supply a supermarket wholesaler and some customers drop in when they pass our property.

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“I have grown spray-free since 2007, and I applied for BioGro’s organic standards certificate in 2019. We are in our third year and will be fully certified in one more year.”

David says he purchased his current 10-acre property due to the good growing soil.

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compostingtoilet.nz Anita Grant • 027 462 1339 Attending various farmers’ markets with their freshly harvested, organically grown produce is a weekly occurrence for the Ruan family

David and his family grow a large variety of vegetables on their 10-acre property in Whatawhata

“We had 30 acres previously. The soil here is loose and sandy, which is good draining and helps plants grow healthy roots. I was growing in clay in Auckland, and some vegetables struggled because roots need loose soil, moisture and air to grow.

“If there is too much clay they suffocate because the roots can’t spread. We grow one acre with asparagus, one acre of blueberries and five acres of mixed vegetables.

“The other three acres are used for grazing cattle and a couple of our friends’ horses. I love growing vegetables all year round to provide food for people.

“Asparagus love this soil, but it is difficult as we don’t spray the weeds. It is not such a popular vegetable to grow but it is good in between seasons. We harvest a couple of crates a week, which is just enough to supply the markets.

“Capsicum is also difficult to grow outdoors due to the rain and wind damaging the crops. If you grow 100 plants, you may only get 40 per cent good fruit.

“We also grow beans, potatoes, courgettes, and beetroot. I rotate my crops and enjoy changing what grows where. Vegetables like to be rotated rather than growing in the same place year upon year. They grow better this way.

“When you buy vegetables, the best way to keep them fresh varies. With potatoes, we keep them in a paper bag in a dark, dry area. Spring onion and leek are good kept in a jar with fresh water if they still have roots on.

“Carrots and leaf vegetables are good in a paper bag kept in a cool area at around four to five degrees. Winter isn’t so much of a problem as they dehydrate very slowly.

“When the room temperature is 25 to 30 degrees, that is when they dehydrate very quickly, that is why cool and moist is good.

“When we go to the farmers’ markets, the vegetables are picked the day before.

When you buy from a supermarket, produce may have sat for a week before you purchase. That is why, at times, they go bad quickly if not purchased from a market.

“The best vegetables are brought weekly and used within a week. Keeping them moist helps them stay hydrated, so they keep fresher longer.

“It is a good little family business. Our daughter has helped since she was 10 years old, and our son helps us pack and clean when he can.

“We love living in New Zealand. The people are friendly, and it is a good environment.

We have made lots of friends, and the soil is beautiful for growing vegetables.”

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

MARCH 2022

9

FREEDOM OF

SPIRIT

BY LIZ CLARK

Since the 1870s, bands of wild horses descended from colonial cavalry mounts have roamed freely across the tussock expanse of the North Island Central Plateau — they are the Kaimanawa.

I

n 1993, the Department of Conservation began the first musters, which have continued to the present day and this year, at the end of April, 150 Kaimanawa horses will be gathered in by helicopter and removed from the range.

Working in conjunction with DOC, the Kaimanawa Heritage Horses Welfare Society, formed in 2011, finds suitable homes for the animals yarded from the muster.

“The horses are mustered by helicopter to central yards within the Kaimanawa Ranges for assessment by the on-site vets as to their suitability for rehoming,” says KHH committee member Marilyn Jenks.

“Once all of the horses are in the yards, a final count and age breakdown is completed before being provided to KHH to begin assigning horses according to applications received.

“The horses are then drafted into suitable delivery loads and sent off to their homes or another central point for further drafting and delivery to more remote areas.

STOP

“Once delivered to their new homes, applicants are encouraged to allow them time to settle and to approach them quietly over the first few days before beginning the process of taming.

“Due to their natural inquisitiveness and innate need for family and connection, patience in those first weeks will reward new owners in the long run with a loyal, trustworthy and honest horse friend.

“Kaimanawa horses are incredibly loyal and bond with their owners in a way not often seen in domestic born horses, which often translates into a horse with a willingness to do anything asked of them once trust is established.”

Applications for rehoming suitable horses are now open at kaimanawaheritagehorses. org/applymusterhorse and close on Sunday, April 2.

The KHH advises strong cattle yards, and a loading ramp with a minimum height of at least 1.8 metres are required for any horses being rehomed.

FEED GOING TO WASTE

Kaimanawa horses have been recorded running wild in the range since the late 1870s

Grass, hay and plenty of clean water are required. The trust emphasises wild horses are not used to lucerne or grain feeds and should be introduced slowly over time. New arrivals should be grazed with or alongside other horses to reduce stress.

Marilyn said animals could also be sponsored by anyone who is unable to take one themselves. The trust currently has several horses in its care.

“Kaimanawa Heritage Horses has a policy that any horse that is abused, neglected,

or is no longer wanted will come under our care — we currently have 23 horses.”

Many horses from past musters have gone on to successful careers as showjumpers, eventers, dressage mounts and for pleasure riding.

“We are now seeing Kaimanawa horses in the higher grades of dressage and showjumping and competing, and winning, against some of the top equestrian talents with purpose-bred horses,” Marilyn said.

For further information, visit kaimanawaheritagehorses.org/about-khh.

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

MARCH 2022

11

ADVERTORIAL

Bolt selections increase productivity From a background in farming, the directors of Stronghold Fasteners are fully aware of the frustration caused by not having the right bolt, nut or washer when you need it. When a breakdown happens, and you’re under pressure, time is money!

The perfect kit for the farm workshop by Stronghold Fasteners

After a load of research and design, they came up with the perfect kit for the farm workshop, with a range of options depending on the size of your operation.

Hundreds of these have been installed in workshops throughout the country.

Some are in old sheds, others in brand new state-of-the-art workshops.

Wherever they are, they are getting used consistently for breakdowns in the season and maintenance in the off-season. By pastoral farmers, cropping farmers, horticultural farmers, and engineers. For repairing tractors, cultivation equipment, hay equipment and farm bikes.

The selections not only have bolts and nuts in length increments of 20mm but also include flat washers, spring washers, Nyloc nuts, grease nipples (metric and imperial), R-clips, Dee

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It makes life easy when reordering.

One of the founders of the company, Randall Vigis, says that what he loves most about the concept is the huge level of customer satisfaction.

“I always ask customers that phone to top-up, whether they like their purchase.

The responses are overwhelming, ranging from the best investment I ever made to wish I’d done it years ago.”

He says that the other great thing about the concept is that “We get to keep in touch with so many great people when they contact us to restock what they have used.”

ADVERTORIAL

Chondroitin sulphate for sore joints

by John Arts

Chondroitin sulphate is classified as a Dietary Supplement in NZ, but in Europe is available on prescription where It is classified as ‘a symptomatic slow-acting drug for osteoarthritis’.

The drug classification then goes on to give specific information: ‘Chondroitin sulphate, used with glucosamine, is indicated to alleviate pain and inflammation from primary osteoarthritis. This supplement is reported to improve joint function and slow disease progression’ — (drugbank.ca/drugs/DB09301).

I recently read a health store flyer in my morning newspaper. One promotion was for a glucosamine based joint product. There is no doubt that glucosamine can help joints. That is why I include it in my joint formula.

However, why is there no mention of chondroitin?

The company is a large Hong Kong-owned company that would clearly know about the benefits of chondroitin. What then could be the reason for not including therapeutic amounts of chondroitin?

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My preference is to have equal proportions of chondroitin and glucosamine and for most people to start at a double dose. With my joint product, the standard daily dose delivers 800mg of both ingredients while the double dose 1,600mg each.

That, combined with high potency curcumin (from turmeric) extract, can quickly settle sore joints. I usually add Omega 3 fish oil rather than plant Omega 3 sources (such as flaxseed or hemp oils) as only fish oil has EPA, which is profoundly anti-inflammatory.

As an example, I have been helping someone for a number of years who contacted me with sore and swollen knees caused by osteoarthritis. She is now much more comfortable and mobile and feeling so much better about life in general.

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 all-new newsletter at abundant.co.nz.

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MARCH 2022 WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

MARCH 2022

13

TO BUILD OR RENOVATE

Timber in our heritage

by Andy Bryenton

As small sawmills resurge in popularity, filling the void left by an over-extended global timber trade, it’s worth reflecting on the artisanal skills delivering durable building materials and how they shaped New Zealand.

Timber was the first and most important taonga of Aotearoa for both Māori and early European settlers. The great Māori navigators and waka builders saw the potential of the vast trees of this land’s forests, so different from those of the Pacific Islands. So, too, did European sailors, who saw in the kauri, rimu and kahikatea the bones of tall ships, masts and spars to fuel a boom in trade and naval warfare.

The very first trading ship to sail into the Hauraki Gulf, the Fancy, came in 1794 to fell kahikatea, to be milled into wood for shipbuilding. Samuel Marsen’s first batch of missionaries included master carpenter William Hall and his team of millers and sawyers.

It’s estimated that by the 1830s, nearly one-third of all European men who had settled in New Zealand were part of the timber trade. By the 1850s, a similar proportion of the nation’s total export earnings consisted entirely of milled timber exports.

Some Māori tribal groups participated enthusiastically in the trade, charging port fees to British ships and investing in their own sawing and log-moving equipment.

Steam power kicked sawmilling into high gear, and wherever forests were close to waterways, steam-powered mills were established.

By 1907 there were 411 sawmills in the North Island alone, employing 7,000 staff.

It was the peak of the Kauri trade when the monolithic Kauri Timber Company held sway over thousands of acres of forest and numerous mills. Since the 1890s, big companies like this had been in rivalry with the growing power of the sawmill and timber worker’s unions, which lobbied successfully for better safety conditions on the job. In those early days, a combination of sparse medical care and wickedly sharp tools led to some horrific accidents.

However, out of this shared adversity and the mill towns that grew up around the sawmilling centres, came a sense of pride. Woodchopping, sawing and logging

Steam allowed for bigger mills to work more efficiently, with a single giant engine working multiple saws; the centralisation saw the rise of mill towns and the clearing of farmland around them

sports grew in popularity and are still a major part of rural shows today. Many of those mill towns became gentrified. As the industry mechanised and became more modern, these towns also became hubs for farming support.

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MARCH 2022 WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

TO BUILD OR RENOVATE

Virtual spaces, real results

by Andy Bryenton

There’s nothing more solid and concrete than a physical building; concrete is usually a big part of making one.

However, modern cloud-based computer technology is changing how designers and builders approach the physical stage of new construction, with the benefit of flexibility and more timely, accurate cost projections.

One example of this is the Utecture system, which claims cost savings for builders exceeding 58%. That is achieved by making the plans for a construction project digital and incorporating costing data into them. If a wall is moved, a window added or a doorway changed, the projected costs change too, in a system called ‘live pricing’. Customers have access to the same data as designers and builders, helping keep everyone on the same page.

Further gains can be achieved with augmented reality, a system using LCD screen transparent lenses to display digital information over a view of the real world.

Augmented reality systems allow surveyors to see data from satellites while they are on the ground and can measure in real-time as well, allowing for builders to match digital plans to their real-world work with utter precision.

Augmented reality can also allow tradespeople to access information on

materials, tools, safety advice and logistics on the job. It will soon be commonplace in the driver’s seats of excavators, cranes and earthmovers.

Even more advanced are tools that augment not just the information coming to tradespeople and construction workers but their physical capabilities as well.

Once the stuff of science fiction, power gloves, exoskeleton suits and tool support harnesses with artificial ‘muscles’ are being trialled now and could allow workers to wield heavy equipment with no strain or carry large loads effortlessly.

Finally, drones look set to have an even more important role in construction.

Some will be used for simple tasks such as fetching and carrying tools and consumables to tradespeople up high or in hard to reach places. Others already come equipped with infra-red and thermal cameras to scan for weaknesses, areas in need of extra weatherproofing, or areas of excessive stress and strain during the renovation of older buildings.

It all means more scope for high-tech and specialist jobs in the building industry, which is already one of remarkable growth.

New technologies are already reshaping the building industry, such as drones like the one controlled by these engineers

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

MARCH 2022

15

TO BUILD OR RENOVATE Space isn’t just the final frontier; it’s something of a premium commodity in modern homes.

Breaking down the statistics, we all want to be more efficient with space.

Still, the average home has increased in size for the last half-century, and now contains some 300,000 items, from thumbtacks up to lounge suites in size.

There is usually three times the number of digital screens in a home as people in 2022, and despite filling every drawer and cranny with things, one in ten of us have rented off-site storage.

Small wonder, then, that as people look to tiny house solutions to space and footprint worries, and also to make off the grid living or first home ownership affordable, that there’s a new focus on tall ships.

It may seem counterintuitive. The age of sail and piracy seems far away, and homes on land are not wooden vessels on the sea. However, lessons learned the hard way by large crews living in close conditions, working cleverly with wood, can help maximise space in modern homes.

The first thing modern designers and renovators have taken from our sailor ancestors is the use of one space for many things. Old ships used hammocks for sleeping in the same area as fold-down tables for dining and playing games of cards and dice. In a modern home, beds that fold up, descend from the ceiling or stand atop sets of drawers and cupboards Custom-built & eco-friendly

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make for clever use of space. Tables and surfaces that can fold, split and change their size to accommodate breakfast for one or a dinner party emulate the flexible use of space on old sailing ships too.

Everywhere is a space to stow everything aboard a ship of the 1800s. Books and charts were stored under floorboards that could be removed to reveal tight-packed libraries that would not tumble out in a storm. Cupboards and cobbies were installed everywhere, with very little wall space given over to windows or plain paint.

Vertical space was used, with storage for uncommonly used items up high, accessed via ladders and long poles on hooks.

Perhaps the most important lesson from the old sailing ships of yesteryear, which translates across into creating a more compact living space, is the assessment made when setting out on a journey in the first place. Like those olden day sailors, those looking to renovate a space to maximise its utility have to look at the things they will put in. Sometimes our modern tendencies for buying the very biggest is unnecessary or even overkill for the job.

If you’re planning to renovate a space for efficiency, take a look at how the shipwrights of nations like Britain and Holland worked smart in the age of sail and incorporate some of their top tricks into your repertoire.

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MARCH 2022 WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

TO BUILD OR RENOVATE

The house that hemp built

by Andy Bryenton

Hemp fibre technology is throwing off all those tired old jokes about hippies and cannabis smokers, and shaping up as a gamechanger in the building industry.

Banned for decades thanks to its similarity to its infamous cousin, Cannabis sativa, the hemp plant is non-psychoactive but fast-growing and incredibly versatile.

Hemp ropes made it possible for Britannia to rule the waves, and hemp paper was once close to overthrowing pulped pine products. Now making hemp into wood is a reality, and it’s shaking up the building trade.

In the United States, where the Farms Code has only been altered to allow hemp cultivation since 2018, hemp wood is being used for structural timbers, flooring and even furniture. In stress tests, it’s proven to be stronger than expensive woods like oak or hickory. The price for this rapidly renewed building resource is also competitive.

What about New Zealand, though?

We know that America is hemp country; George Washington famously grew the stuff himself for the shipping trade. The good news is that hemp grows well here,

taking only six months to reach harvest age, as opposed to 25 years for pine trees. While both products are useful for different goals, and pine wood will always be valuable in its own right, farmers are looking closely at hemp as a cash crop that has a quick turnaround.

Additionally, hemp’s rapid growth makes for a superior carbon-capture feedstock. The plant also sequesters four times more carbon than a similarly sized forest. Hemp absorbs more than 20 metric tons of carbon a hectare, and its ability to be harvested biannually effectively doubles this quantity. According to GoodEarth Resources, an Australian eco-energy consultancy: ‘Industrial hemp has been scientifically proven to absorb more CO2 for each hectare than any forest or commercial crop and is, therefore, the ideal carbon sink.’

“With all this concern about the environment and the Paris Accord on climate change, and the focus on plastics

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With an advantage in terms of rapid replacement and carbon sequestration, strong, durable hemp wood may become a major component of future builds

and so forth, the world is changing, and it’s coming to meet us,” said Dave Jordan of Hemp New Zealand, when asked about the rise of this innovative material.

“It’s not really fringe in terms of it being something new. It’s just something that has been rediscovered. We are restoring it to its rightful place in the economy.”

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

MARCH 2022

17

AG CONTRACTORS & SUPPLIERS Warriors to workhorses

by Andy Bryenton

The years following the second world war were ones of profound change in rural New Zealand, as more land was broken in for the expansion of modern farming by the application of combustion power.

Areas, where the horse and bullock had once reigned, were tamed by the power of trucks adapted for every possible purpose, modified by small engineering firms in the provinces and set to every task from hauling bales to drilling wells. At the forefront of this advance was a brand that had proven itself during the conflict of the 1940s; the Bedford.

A division of General Motors via Vauxhall of England, Bedford’s predominant model M built on the reputation of the wartime QL model. It was nicknamed the ‘Queen Lizzie’ in an affectionate dig at the reigning monarch, who trained as an auto mechanic during hostilities.

The big QL was not unknown here as a post-war import, with its four-wheel-drive system making it a favourite for early rural contractors and fledgling fertiliser companies. It was also pressed into service to carry cranes and drilling rigs for rural construction — with more than one model turned into a fire appliance.

The more common M-series boasted a long nose and flat deck like the utes that were to come in later years. Under the hood lived the famous overhead-

valve stovebolt six, a simple but relatively powerful Chevrolet-derived motor that would be a Bedford standard, through various upgrades, for many years. Rural dwellers of the 1950s and 1960s may recall M-series buses plying the roads between small towns.

In 1960, the Bedford company launched the ‘truck that broke in New Zealand’, the legendary TK. It was destined to be in production until 1992 and adapted to almost every role imaginable, from military service to livestock transport, heavy haulage to construction. TK Bedfords helped build the motorways other trucks drive on today. Amazingly, there are still working examples out there being driven daily.

Many companies got their start with a six-cylinder Bedford or one equipped with a Perkins diesel. Rugged, reliable and (as drivers will remember) without any of the modern conveniences truck drivers enjoy today, the M and TK models, along with their heavier variants, were a driving force in building up provincial New Zealand and can still evoke fond memories to this day.

Bedford’s versatile trucks were converted into everything from buses to mobile cinemas, as well as a host of farming applications

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MARCH 2022

AG CONTRACTORS

19

Caring for your soil

by Ann van Engelen

Bryce Manderson believes it is time for farmers to rethink how they manage soil health and fertility.

Bryce is the managing director of Avoca, a leading provider of lime and fertiliser mixes in Northland, South Auckland and Waikato.

“With the rising costs of fertiliser plus so many other everyday living costs, many landowners underestimate the cost savings and benefits of lime,” he says.

“Lime itself, calcium carbonate, provides calcium to soil and plants. Calcium ensures efficient plant uptake of water and nutrients, carbohydrate storage in plant leaves, nodulation and nitrogen fixation in legumes, and encourages earthworm activity.

“With fertiliser prices at an all-time high, it makes sense for farmers to ‘sweeten’ their soil by boosting pH levels through applying lime.

“Lime maximises returns from money spent on fertiliser, reduces soil acidity and significantly increases the availability of important plant nutrients — a key benefit of liming.

“Lime increases the availability of important plant nutrients — phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium and trace elements like boron and molybdenum.

“I liken lime to being like a multipowered superhero. It fosters optimum availability of all other nutrients, so it provides great bang for your buck. You only have to talk to farmers who have a regular liming programme to understand the benefits.

“If soils are too acid or too alkaline, nutrients sitting in soil that already existed there or have been added via fertilisers

“With fertiliser prices at an all-time high, it makes sense for farmers to ‘sweeten’ their soil by boosting pH levels through applying lime.” and other soil amendments over the years will not be available to plants.

“It is important to maintain a pH of 6.3–6.5 to optimise the availability of all these nutrients.”

The major nutrients Ca, Mg, N, P, S, K and Na, as well as the trace elements Mo and B, are most available in near-neutral soils, whilst other trace elements Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn are more available in acidic soils.

“Of course, rainfall and plant-soil chemical interactions naturally increase soil acidity. On top of that, landowners are responsible for acidification through abundant use of fertilisers on our agricultural land.

“All of these factors steer our soil pH levels below the optimum required for maximum nutrient availability.

Bryce Manderson

“Applying lime will increase the pH of your soils, creating conditions for greater nutrient availability and, therefore, increased productivity.

“Remember, sulphur is required by plants in similar amounts to phosphorus.

Liming not only increases soil pH to that which is optimal for sulphur availability but in doing so, increases microbial activity allowing for the mineralisation of OM-S, the major proportion of sulphur in most soils, making it plant available.

“Liming to increase your soil pH to at least six will optimise magnesium availability.

“Magnesium is important for plants.

However, deficiencies are most visibly observed through livestock health issues such as hypomagnesaemia. Lactating cows are most at risk of this condition resulting in reduced milk yields, and death of the animal in extreme cases.”

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AG CONTRACTORS

Scoring pasture for better undersowing

by Andy Bryenton

Autumn is here, and that means it’s time to make a practical assessment of paddock condition, with an eye to planting the right kind of grass to weather the winter.

As farmers know all too well, not all grasses are created equal. In a cycle as old as agriculture, there comes a time when pastureland needs to rotate through a period of spring cropping, giving the soil and its microbiota variety. The key to successful autumn set-up is scoring paddocks according to the amount of damage they have sustained and the kind of growth remaining as summer draws to a close.

It’s recommended that paddocks should be evaluated on a scale of one to five by eye. Veterans of the rural sector can spot the differences that define these gradations and be honest with themselves about aspects such as cracking, weed coverage and drainage.

A level five paddock will be bursting with grasses and clovers and show no bald patches or damage. Level four is defined by less vigorous grass growth and a scattering of weeds but is no cause for immediate concern. Management of these paddocks to continue healthy growth is required. However, pasture displaying characteristics below this standard is a definite candidate for undersowing.

Undersowing season is on its way, so it’s a good time to make a call on how to proceed with different types of ryegrass for different pasture conditions

Level three paddocks show dispersed areas of weeds, visible damage from animal activity and some bare patches.

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are good targets for undersowing with perennial ryegrasses, which can offer a further two to three years of good productivity.

Level two paddocks are further deteriorated and show extensive weed growth alongside poor desirable grass retention. Experts suggest undersowing with short-term ryegrasses, such as Italian varieties, which may add one and a half to two years of grazing.

A pasture that has reached level one is clearly damaged and not worth

undersowing remediation for short-term gains. Instead, it’s time for weed killing treatments and the planting of a sixmonth annual ryegrass, which provides cover and weed control until springtime planting of maize or turnip crops.

This five-point system provides a handy general rule to assess the way to lean when making a call on undersowing activities. Talk to your seed provider or undersowing contractor about specific cultivars that may work in tandem with your climate and soil conditions.

Shane Davis Bulk Spreading Ltd • Owner/Driver operated • Fertiliser spreading specialist • Cartage & spreading with loader available • Prompt, efficient service

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

VEHICLES, MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT An SOS, save our supply chain, call is going out to truck drivers to get them back behind the wheel.

“New Zealand battles staff shortages so we have launched a recruitment campaign with HainesAttract,” says Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand chief executive Nick Leggett.

“We think it is eye-catching enough to get the attention of people who can drive a truck, but for whatever reason, they aren’t at the moment.

‘The campaign taps into the current pain in the supply chain — empty fridges, empty supermarket shelves, empty mailboxes, and the last piece of toilet paper on the roll.

“While there is a bit of humour, it is really no laughing matter for those trying to keep the supply chain operating under difficult circumstances. Hence the SOS. “We know there are drivers out there with a Class 2, 4 or 5 licence, suitable for a heavy vehicle, who are currently not working as truck drivers, and we need to encourage them to help save our supply chain and get back in the driver’s seat.

“As you will be seeing everywhere, staff shortages as a result of either Omicron illness or household contact isolation are hitting businesses throughout New Zealand.

“Now, more than ever, we need every available truck on the road delivering to supermarkets, pharmacists, hospitals, doctors and everyone else who requires goods to get through this challenging time.

MARCH 2022

21

Truck drivers needed

Nick Leggett, Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand chief executive

“Since January this year, we have been collecting details of drivers who might be able to cover a shift or two here and there or who might want to get back into a truck on a more permanent basis. We had a shortage of truck drivers long before Covid hit.

“We have been working with the Ministry of Social Development industry partnerships team to recruit drivers, and MSD is helping fund this work.

“This campaign takes that out to a wider audience so we can ensure New Zealanders don’t actually have to face an empty fridge or fight over the toilet paper.

“Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand provides unified national representation for the trucking industry.

We represent about 1,200 individual road transport companies which, in turn, operate about 14,000 trucks involved in road freight

transport, as well as companies that provide services allied to road freight transport.

“The road freight transport industry employs 32,868 people, has a gross annual turnover of $6 billion, and transports 93 per cent of the total tonnes of freight moved in New Zealand.”

For more information, regarding becoming a truck driver, go to careers. hainesattract.co.nz.

HAMILTON 5 Kahu Crescent, Te Rapa Park Hamilton, 07 838 0499 MORRINSVILLE 85 Avenue Road North Morrinsville, 07 889 7678 TE AWAMUTU 29 Kihikihi Road Te Awamutu, 07 872 0017 Toyota Personalised Finance available on all new & used Toyota models.

Accessorised Models Shown. Delivery delays expected across the Hilux Range. Contact your store for model availability information.

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MARCH 2022 WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

VEHICLES, MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

Rapturous reception

by Andy Bryenton

Ford sometimes shocks the world with the announcement of a new vehicle that’s a little bit wild and at odds with what you would expect from a well-established, global, thoroughly corporate automaker.

The Ken-Block-Inspired Focus RS with its prominent drift mode button comes to mind, as does the classic GT40, the Lotus Cortina and the recent all-electric Mach E Mustang. This time around, however, Ford has whipped the covers off a machine that creates a new category; the offroad superute.

Spurred by critics of the original Ranger Raptor, who called its twolitre turbo diesel underwhelming, Ford has responded in the same way as a staunch All Blacks supporter who has just been told that Australia is the best rugby nation on Earth. The forthcoming Ranger Raptor takes its new, twinturbocharged V6 direct from the US market’s Bronco Raptor SUV, and it’s definitely an invitation to those critics to step outside, now.

That’s because the new Raptor will boast a considerable 391-horsepower and more than 500 Newton-metres of torque, giving it the punch of a sports coupe in the

Ranger Raptor comes out swinging, with double the power of the original model and enough torque to tow a supertanker

body of a double-cab pickup. Underneath, you’ll find the same kind of smart, longtravel suspension system that made the original Raptor so nimble. However, this beast now throws down double the power, approaching the performance figures of bonkers off-road machines like AMG’s G63.

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Need more proof? One of the buttons inside activates ‘Baja mode’, referencing the legendarily gruelling race through the northwest of Mexico that pits offroad monster machines against the unforgiving desert. Ford says that its new Raptor is tough enough to warrant the monicker, and as an added bonus Baja mode keeps the twin turbos spinning for up to three seconds even when the driver buttons off the gas, allowing for lag-free pickup into the next flat-out offroad blast.

Even the engine block is made of a new, tougher, graphite-infused metal

offering more rigidity; the paddle shifters for the Tiptronic 10-speed are fashioned from cast magnesium too. If you fondly recall Lamborghini’s LM002 V12 off-roader, then this is the moment you’ve been waiting for.

The Ranger Raptor has more torque on tap than that 80s behemoth, and it weighs less.

New Zealand loves the Ranger in the same way we loved the XB Falcon back in the day. Remember how much more we wanted an XB after Mad Max gave it the once-over? That’s the response Ford is expecting for its new superute.

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WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES

MARCH 2022

LIVESTOCK AND DAIRY

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ADVERTORIAL

Trend to larger slurry tankers

by Michael Prestidge | Nevada Effluent Management Specialist

While there’s been a gradual increase in the average size of slurry tankers purchased during the past several years, the demand for large slurry tankers has ramped up in the last six months.

Tridem Slurry Tanker

Where once, it was 12,000L and 14,500L slurry tankers in hot demand, we’re now seeing a much higher demand for 20,000L tridem tanker — but why? It all comes down to efficiency.

Farms are getting bigger Overall, farms are getting bigger, or many farmers own multiple farms in proximity. With a larger area to spread over, irrigation systems are inadequate for the entire farm. A slurry tanker,

therefore, becomes the obvious choice for farmers to spread further.

Larger slurry tankers — less loads With larger farms, it inevitably becomes more efficient to have a larger tractor to handle various jobs. Having a larger tractor not only enables farmers to pull a larger slurry tanker, but a larger slurry tanker provides the efficiency of less loads, and therefore less work for the tractor.

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Fast and efficient A Nevada tridem slurry tanker has a higher capacity pump to speed up loading. It can also be fitted with a loading accelerator to speed up the process further.

Duo RainWave applicators also make emptying the tanker fast and efficient.

What holds a lot — holds a little Where weight and ground compaction are of concern — what holds a lot, holds a little. You certainly don’t need to fill the

tanker during times when the ground is wet, but the larger size provides the ability to load her up when the ground needs it most.

Larger Nevada slurry tankers have more axles combined with flotation wheels to provide a better weight distribution over the machine. Moreover, because the weight is spread over a larger area, there is less ground compaction. What’s more, carrying more means fewer loads, so less ground damage.

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MARCH 2022 WAIKATO FARMING LIFESTYLES