Coast & Country News - July 2019

Kiwi champion dirt bike rider Rachael Archer is following fast in her father Kevin’s tyre tracks. Usually working and training on the family’s 610-cow dairy farm at Ngaroma in the Waikato, Rachael’s currently racing on the US east coast, from New York to Florida, in her first full Grand National Cross Country Championships. Read her story on pages 6-7.

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

How to make progress The key word at Fieldays this year certainly was ‘sustainability’.

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and horticultural seasonal staff, may lessen employers’ time spent finding workers amid labour shortages. See page 35.

Future Post founder Jerome Wenzlick was absolutely And while our Government is aiming to introduce legislation to encourage farmers, growers – and anyone mobbed from the get-go at Fieldays, about his fence posts made of recycled soft plastics. Learn more about working the land for that matter – to start what their made of on page 29. thinking about how they operate in a more And two university students, who won sustainable manner, the drive is also coming a Fieldays scholarship, are conducting from outside. Namely consumers – both research to see if pathogenic bacteria, domestically and internationally. particularly Psa-V, can be treated naturally.

And so many goods, services and products See page 30. featured at Mystery Creek this year aimed to A solution for the dairy industry’s surplus take the mystery out of how we operate in a bobby calves could be found in bringing a way that’s kinder to the environment back new beef product to market. See what New at home on the farm or orchard.

Generation Beef is about on page 22.

In this edition, we take a look at only Plus a group of Year 13 students have a few of the many and wide-reaching created a very worthy invenconcepts, inventions, programmes and tion to keep animal trough products that were on offer at Fieldays. drinking water clean, and But we also came away thinking that more are now working to get it ideas are needed. Yes, there were a lot on to market. See page 33. show at Fieldays. But more is needed if This edition, we also catch we want to meet some ambitious targets up with ecology architect Steve in the way we farm and grow produce in Hart, who believes permaculture this country in future – no matter who is Dr Nicola Schreurs served setting them. So here’s a brief look at what up some tasty morsels of New could play a huge part in future we saw last month. And what we should Generation Beef at Fieldays – farmscape planning on page 11. yearn to see more of. and a possible solution to phase Zespri is to make decisions this Minister of Agriculture Damien out the slaughter of bobby calves. December on if it will release new varieties on page 5.

O’Connor launched a new $25.68 milWe talk to a dairying couple lion innovation programme for NZ’s who’ve been recognised for their employment practices dairy industry to drive improvements in health and on pages 8-9. And we go back in time with a Katikati wellbeing of our national dairy herd and provide a family that’s still growing kiwifruit four decades later – step-change in sustainable milk production. and it’s still an intergenerational, family operation.

See page 39.

See pages 16-17.

PICMI, a cloud-based software programme designed Merle Foster Happy reading folks. to simplify the employment process for agricultural

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 3

An incursion will happen at some point A Brown Marmorated Stink Bug incursion will happen in New Zealand – but what is critical is authorities identify it early enough to eradicate it, says a Ministry for Primary Industries expert on the bug.

“But they were being parked outdoors right next to at MPI to be well-prepared as we can for thing about BMSB is it’s a hitchhiker corn fields at the time when the bugs were leaving those pest – it has no biological association a possible incursion.” crops and searching for somewhere to overwinter.

Catherine says MPI first looks at ways with the pathway of entry, so it’s very “They’d crawl inside cars’ door-frames, engine bays difficult to predict which particular com- to minimise the risk of imports of the etc where they couldn’t be seen, then be transported. bug. “Secondly, we look at protecmodities imported are going to be risky.

“So anything being packed up and shipped through tion methods, so what traps will be “So we need to know much about the the Northern Hemisphere point of origin and surrounding envimost effective, and we’ve done a lot of winter period and has research and trials into trapping systems; ronment – that’s where the challenge been in the right environ- comes in.” and what chemicals we have availment to be infested with able if we do need to respond, and the For example, Catherine says with BSMB could potentially Environmental Protection Agency has fruit flies it is widely known fruit are arrive in NZ.” approved use of the Samurai wasp. hosts. BSMB is quite different. “But Catherine says the real “So we have a lot of tools in our toolit is worth mentioning there’s a huge threat comes when you’ve amount of effort across MPI, and box – because there is no silver bullet got a large number of the* Terms Hopefully, we fiapplies nd an incurcoordination with industry partners & Conditions: $5,000 worth ofsolution. accessories offer only bug. “So while we’ve seen and many overseas experts to prevent a sion early enough that we can ensure to Highlife and Limelight Taurangabecause Superstore them brought to NZ in eradication, there willOnly. be an BMSB incursion – this has been aModels. longpeople’s suitcases or things standing project for the last eight years BMSB incursion in NZ at some point.” posted, because it’s only one or two bugs that poses very little risk of the bug A Brown Marmorated Stink Bug on an MPI expert, establishing a population apple tree in the US. Catherine Duthie. in NZ. “What we can all do is have our eyes open. * “The risk comes from MPI has done a number of BMSB campaigns when you get 10 or more and have had a huge increase in reports of bugs on the same thing something suspicious to our 0800 number. that arrive in the same And we investigate all of these,” says MPI location. incident controller Dr Catherine Duthie.

“What we know from “We ask people to report anything suspilooking at the invasion cious because we have people specially in the US and its spread trained to identify insects. So phone the 0800 rapidly throughout Europe number no matter what it is. Even if you is the bug tends to establish don’t think it’s a concern – phone anyway – first in an urban environthat’s what the number is there for.” ment then will make its Catherine, who is currently focused on the It’s predicted a stink bug incursion way out to the rural enviMycoplasma Bovis eradication programme, is will happen in NZ at some point. ronment. They trip along considered a subject matter expert for BMSB slowly, eating ornamental within MPI after working on preventing its entry to NZ plants as they go – it generally takes 10 years from first for the last eight years. establishment of a population in an urban environment She says BMSB is a bad crop pest but its method of until you start seeing them impacting horticulture. * Terms & Conditions: $5,000 worth of accessories offer applies only to Highlife and Limelight Models. Tauranga Superstore Only. getting into NZ is not associated with plant material.

“It spreads out along transport routes due to plantings “The risk exists where this bug has the behaviour of alongside that the bug hatches a ‘lift’ from.”

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

It’s not the cow, it’s the how “We’ve been on an 80-year chemical kick, with our frightening health statistics being the result,” says econutritionist Phyllis Tichinin.

“Now is the time to take the driving seat in restoring soil and agricultural integrity, using farm and pasture diversity to make produce the world has forgotten.”

Phyllis has a passion for regenerative farming practices. Combined with qualifications in environmental and soil management, she has a wealth of both academic knowledge and hands-on practical experience of running her own organic farm near Havelock North.

At the 2019 Organic Dairy and Pastoral Group conference, she presented a compelling argument based on facts, figures, and research, explaining how a deficiency of vitamin K2 in our diets can lead to most of the current human health problems.

Vitamin K2 is found almost exclusively in animal fats, in products such as milk, cream, cheese, eggs and meat.

Butter consumption has slowly decreased since 1909, and later it was widely believed that saturated animal fats were linked to cholesterol levels and heart disease.

In the last 20 years extensive Phyllis says diversity begets research and re-analysis docudiversity – and super diverse pastures, with height ranges ments show there is no valid both above and below link to animal fats, says ground, are the key to Phyllis. superior nutrients in “As health issues organic milk, and prodescalate to speciesthreatening levels, it ucts from animals. has been revealed that “For example, 28 to 40 species in a pasture processed carbohydrates like sugar, would double the carbon and nitrogen agrichemicals and common vegetable oils content in the soil, are major contributing reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers. factors to heart disease, diabetes, stroke and “We need to farm mimicking nature – and cancer.”

The lack of animal fats in an organic farm is in nature’s image.” our diets, leads to a deficiency Phyllis says the number of in vitamin K2. This vitamin ensures calcium ends up in the cows we farm in NZ is not the Eco-nutritionist problem. right places in our bodies.

Phyllis Tichinin.

Vitamin K2 supports the health “The problem lies with how Photo: Catherine Fry. we’re fertilising and grazing our of many different areas and functions of the body, and combats many of the pastures. It’s not the cow, it’s the how.” conditions we suffer from today.

She says the message is clear – “cut processed carbohydratess, ditch the sunscreen, “With a shift to A2/A2 genetics, fat’s going to be where it’s at,” says Phyllis. drop the drugs, ditch the weed killer, and eat butter”.

“The way forward is butter and ghee from Catherine Fry organic, diverse green pastures.”

Industry introduces egg tracing to stop rogue traders A new nationwide egg-stamping programme is being introduced so consumers can trace their eggs right back to the farm they were laid on.

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The aim is to prevent rouge traders, with consumers being able to verify that the eggs they want to buy are the eggs in the carton, according to the New Zealand’s Egg Producers Federation.

EPF executive director Michael Brooks says true source assurance comes from authenticity across multiple platforms “and for that reason, we see this as the most ambitious primary industry-led programme available”.

He says NZ’s egg industry has world-class farming practices and a unique disease-free status, yet a few bad eggs have threatened its reputation in recent years.

“To help prevent this from reoccurring we have a purpose-built a

programme specifically for NZ that provides consistent source assurance across the industry and puts control back in the hands of the consumer.”

Called Trace My Egg, the voluntary programme encourages egg producers to stamp the shell of each egg from their farm with a fivedigit code.

The stamps have two parts – a two-digit alpha code for easy recognition of the farm production method and a three-digit numerical farm code, which takes traceability beyond carton branding and is used to identify the exact farm the egg was laid at and its location. All participating farms must stamp at the farm source.

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Zespri to make call on new varieties this year Zespri will decide near the end of this year if it will commercially release two new varieties to market after years of research into each via its plant breeding programme.

Page 5

chief grower and alliances officer David Courtney says the details are still being developed. “We haven’t decided how we’ll release, let alone if we release it,” says David, who says the current price of SunGold licence reflects its current return and the fact it’s a proven variety.

Meanwhile, the aim of a new Zespri Green variety, which is also being considered for commercialisation, is to start the season with a green that’s best meeting the needs of consumers and is available earlier, ready-to-eat earlier and provides a better taste when picked earlier. “It’s a sweeter flavour that’s ready-toeat, which Haywards struggles to deliver early in the season. So getting that early window to sell a green is the opportunity we’re chasing, and then transition into Hayward as the season goes along.”

Grow the market

Zespri chief executive Dan Mathieson holding a green variety of kiwifruit currently being trialed.

Zespri chief executive Dan Mathieson says a red kiwifruit variety the kiwifruit marketer has been trialing in its export market of Singapore for the last few seasons, and in New Zealand supermarkets this year, has seen an exceptional consumer response.

“It’s gone particularly well in our trial market in Singapore – we sold out within a couple of weeks this season,” says Dan, who gave a media briefing at Zespri’s tent at Fieldays last month. “And we had 30,000 trays for NZ consumers this season – that’s gone very well with a very strong response to the taste and colour. It is quite significantly different when you see it and this has driven a greater level of interest for some time in the kiwifruit range, which is exciting.”

Dan says Zespri is currently gathering all data around the possible commercialisation of a red variety and hopes to make a decision about its future this December. “A couple of challenges still exist around storage and that when the fruit is stored at ambient temperature it tends to ripen more quickly than our other varieties, but we believe these can be overcome in future.” Asked if a red’s licence fees would fall into a similar field as that of the SunGold variety, Zespri’s

Dan says Zespri consumers have been telling them for a long time they went ready-to-eat green kiwifruit.

“They love the health and nutrition but they want it in the most convenient format possible – ready-toeat when they buy it off the supermarket shelf. This is one reason SunGold has done so well – and why weekly sales run rates for green aren’t as strong.”

Asked if a red variety would cannibalise Zespri’s green or gold varieties in the market, Dan says the aim of such a release would be “to grow the market”.

David says when the Zespri brand began in 1997 it sold around 50 million trays of green fruit. “This year we’ll do around 70-odd million trays of gold and 60-odd million trays of green, so we’re doing three times as much volume.

“And yes there’s some interaction between the two – some consumers switch from one variety to the other.

But it doesn’t happen one-for-one.

“So with red we imagine it will be the same – it may have a small impact on the other two varieties but it will bring new consumers into the fruit category that have never tried it before. That’s the strategy.”

Dan says one benefit of the red variety is it comes early in the season – “so there’s real opportunity to start the season with a lovely red and then transition through to SunGold and green”.

“Ultimately, the answer is – if the red is released commercially, the consumer will decide,” says Dan. “What we need to do is ensure we have a range of products available for consumers that meet different needs.

“Then the consumer will tell us what they prefer through their purchase behaviour.”

A decision on whether to commercialise red kiwifruit will be made this December.

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

From the Waikato to the US New Zealand’s first woman National Motocross Under 200cc two-stroke Cross Country Champion Rachael Archer is currently enjoying her biggest adventure yet, a season in the US racing in the women’s grade of the Grand National Cross Country Championships.

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beef and dairy cattle, a run-off farm, and an earthmoving business.

Combined, the three properties offer Rachael and Kevin 2000ha to practise over.

“We’ve got quite a few tracks we’ve made through the bush,” says Kevin. “All of our neighbours are pretty into riding too, so we get together and ride over all the farms.”

Very adaptable

Kiwi riders feature highly on the international scene, a fact Kevin puts down to the conditions offered back home. “We have the best riding available here in NZ, with Rachael, 17, is the daughter of Kevin fewer restrictions. With bipolar weather Archer, 51, a Waikato dairy farmer and and rugged terrain, our riders are very veteran motocross rider himself with adaptable to different conditions.” numerous titles under his belt. He’s still Kevin works full-time overseeing mangoing strong and is the current Over 45s agers put in place across the businesses, Super Veterans Cross Country Champion. however he’s away a great deal competing While Kevin came relatively late to the with Rachael. Lynne and their “awesome” sport, starting at 21, Rachael and her three farm team take over the reins while older brothers started young. they’re away.

She remembers getting her Rachael works on the first motorbike at age three. family farm and around the “It was a little two-stroke district during busy times, from The Warehouse and I and rides three to four used to hoon around the padtimes a week between comdocks and the tennis court.” petitions. She maintains her Her older brothers have fitness with crossfit, mo given up the sport, but tain biking, swimming and Rachael has gone from running. strength to strength. “I did Rachael’s petite stature my first cross country when belies her ability. Kevin and I was 10, riding a KLX 110, Lynne are clearly impressed and I came fourth. I’ve been at their daughter’s titles in hooked ever since!” several disciplines across Parents Kevin and Lynne the sport – motocross, cross are farmers at Ngaroma in country and enduro races. the Waikato, with a 610-cow Kevin Archer in action.

The self-confessed adrenadairy farm, grazing for 1400 Photo: Supplied

Rachael Archer on her way to the top in the US. Photo: Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com lin junkies love the thrill of the gruelling enduro races.

“Last year I won the overall title in the bronze class in the NZ extreme Enduro series,” says Rachael.

The first woman to win the title, Kevin is quick to point out his daughter competes in men’s classes nowadays as she has no competition in NZ’s women’s classes.

The duo have also been part of the NZ Husqvarna Off-Road Team, with KTM/ Husqvarna sponsorship.

Beating dad

Rachael is consistently in the top 10 for men in NZ and for the first time in 2018, started to beat her dad, which does not faze him. “She’s very skillful, and has amazing mental and physical stamina.

“I’ve watched her compete for hours on tracks that grown men have withdrawn from in tears.”

Kevin’s competed in Extreme enduros all over the world, winning the Silver class at the 2016 Red Bull Romaniacs, the hardest enduro ralley in the world spanning five days. Both he and Rachael want to enter one together in future. “I’ve tried some gold tracks and they are insane in places,” says Rachael, who is the first to admit she loves “beating the boys” and knows they try extra hard to beat her. ...continued

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continued...

Kevin Archer and daughter Rachael Archer at home on their Ngaroma farm. Photo: Catherine Fry.

The Future of Farming

She finished her schooling at St Peter’s School, Cambridge, at the end of Year 12 when the opportunity to compete full-time in her beloved sport became a reality.

South Carolina

In January Rachael headed to South Carolina in the US to spend a season competing for AmPro Yamaha, in the Women’s GNCC competitions, and the American National Enduro Championships.

As part of American cross-country legend Randy Hawkins’ team, she’s been training full-time, riding and marketing herself. Her accommodation, three customised bikes and mechanics are provided by Yamaha, and she’s already picked up several other sponsors.

As of last month she was fourth overall after seven of 13 rounds in her first full GNCC season, an internationally-renowned series with races all along the US east coast, from New York to Florida.

“I’m really happy with the progress I’m making and my focus is getting a championship in my first season, which is definitely on the cards if I keep going the way I have been.”

She has two more GNCC races and two enduro nationals events before summer break, when she’ll

Lynne and Kevin Archer, proud parents of champion dirt bike rider, Rachael Archer.

Photo: Catherine Fry.

return home in August. Then she’s back to race the last four GNCCs and four enduro rounds. “It’ll all be wrapped up by the start of November and I’ll be back home for my 18th birthday and Christmas.

“My plan is to come back again next year with bigger and better ambitions for the 2020 season.”

One thing for sure is at the first opportunity, this father-and-daughter duo will compete together again.

Catherine Fry

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Getting work/life balance right With a new dairy season and calving looming, how operators approach staffing and employment can be one of the most effective strategies they can utilise to ensure things run smoothly on-farm.

The Jaydee Partnership: Jenny Buckley and Dave van den Beuken on their Tauwhare sharemilking property.

Here, Coast & Country News writer Catherine Fry talks to a Waikato dairying couple who have been recognised for their employment practices.

At the first ever MPI AGMARDT Primary Industry Good Employer Awards, the Jaydee Partnership of Jenny Buckley and Dave van den Beuken received a Highly Commended in the Innovative Employment Practices Award section.

They were nominated by Phil Irvine from DairyNZ. This is not the first time the couple have been recognised for their employment practices. They won the Federated Farmers’ Presidents Award for Employer of the Year at the 2013 AgITO Awards.

Jenny and Dave are 50/50 sharemilkers on a 200ha dairy farm in Tauwhare, milking 530 cows yearround. Farm owners Trish and Paul Jones live in Pongakawa and are described by Jenny and Dave as “top owners and very supportive”.

The initiation of their employment practices started back in 2007, when the business grew to the point where the couple couldn’t do all the work themselves.

“We completed a staff management course through Fegan and Co Recruitment and HR, and then started to put a new strategy in place,” says Dave.

Overstaff farm

The strategy was to overstaff the farm, enabling them to be totally self-contained and sustainable.

“If one of us is sick, or on time off, we can cover one another and never be short-staffed, even during calving,” says Jenny.

In June 2015, the Jaydee Partnership stepped away from the conventional every second weekend off roster, and implemented a 7/2, 7/2, 7/3 roster.

“Looking at our own experiences, we felt that 65 hours a week wasn’t safe, and there was no work/life balance for the team.

“Our farm owners were supportive of our plans to do split calving, so we now only milk peak numbers for seven months of the year,” says Dave.

Dave is on the roster, with staff Dennis Dangaran, 36, Jan Baybayan, 28, and Lloyd Uy, 31. Jenny works full-time but concentrates on the twice-yearly mating and calving.

The workers average 45 hours a week during the year, and accident/incident reports have reduced by 90 per cent.

All staff are from the Philippines, partly due to difficulties in attracting appropriate staff from within NZ. The couple have previously successfully employed New Zealanders, but they have left after around three years.

“When staff leave you have to look at why they are leaving and learn from it. Ours left so they could progress up the dairy management ladder.

Filipino employees

“It’s a huge time investment in training someone from scratch and then they leave, and you have to start again with someone new,” says Dave.

Filipino farm employees are usually very well educated, and experienced, having completed the pre-requisite two years on a dairy farm to work in NZ. They make a massive sacrifice, leaving family and friends in order to work here and support their extended families over in the Philippines. Failure is not an option for them. ...continued

Dave van den Beuken and Jenny Buckley receive their Highly Commended Innovative Employment Practices Award from the Minister of Agriculture, Damien O’Connor.

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 9

Good Employer Award winners discuss strategies Jenny and Dave try to create career progression and responsibility within the business, and “let go” a bit.

Emotionally, staff have plenty of time off to rest, spend time with friends and family, and pursue recreational activities. “These values create a highly motivated team who give their best and are happy,” says Jenny.

Despite being rather humbled and overwhelmed by the interest the award has generated, Dave and Jenny feel very strongly about championing a work environment model that attracts people into the dairy industry. “It’s simple – a happy team is a productive team,” says Dave.

Catherine Fry

The Jaydee team: Dennis Dangaran, Dave van den Beuken, Jenny Buckley, Lloyd Uy, Jan Baybayan, with dogs ‘Ian’, ‘Brian’ and ‘Rosco’ and horse ‘Cody’. hard to let go, but it’s not healthy to work all the time,” says Dave.

The couple have devised strategies for ensuring staff who are experienced and trustworthy stay in the job. They have three core values for making a great team in the workplace.

Remuneration

The Jaydee team: Jan Baybayan, Lloyd Uy, Dave van den Beuken, Jenny Buckley, farm owner Trish Jones, Dennis Dangaran.

continued...

“We have really enjoyed learning about their culture and values, and using this to create a better workplace,” says Jenny.

There is quite a large Filipino community in the Waikato, and the Jaydee workers enjoy basketball, sightseeing, and church during their time off.

“We understand the importance of going back to their families in the Philippines, and they’re always given the opportunity to return for a five-week break,” says Jenny.

Both Jenny and Dave readily admit that it took them a good year to get used to having time off. “We used to feel guilty, and find it

Financially, staff need to feel that their remuneration reflects their contribution.

“We ensure their salary is competitive and matches their input,” says Dave.

Professionally, staff need to feel their role is contributing to the business. All staff have certain roles and responsibilities above milking.

“Dennis is in charge of the 20ha run-off, and runs it like a little dairy farm, learning from his successes and mistakes,” says Dave.

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 10

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 11

Working with nature, not against it “Permaculture needs to play a huge role in future farmscape planning,” says ecology architect Steve Hart.

Steve is passionate about Permaculture, and understanding the need to do something about the impending collapse of agriculture in our world, has convened courses on the subject, and has a deep appreciation of it.

And so, at the recent Organic Dairy & Pastoral Group annual conference, he outlined some Permaculture design principles he uses in his work, and the way to bring them into farm management. The name Permaculture comes

from the two words – permanent and agriculture. The word was coined by David Holmgren and the ‘father of permaculture’ Bill Mollison, authors of the thesis ‘Permaculture One’, in 1974. “I try to integrate Permaculture with mainstream architecture, which is sometimes a challenge in the professional arena. Permaculture is summed up by the ethics: care for earth, care for people, share the surplus.” The aim is to work with nature not against it, using a set of principles that can be applied to any landscape.

Steve says each function of the landscape is supported by many elements. Criti-

cal functions such as water, food, energy and fire protection are supported in two or more ways.

And each element has a minimum of five uses – for example, a tree could provide wood, shelter, food, shade and habitat.

Permaculture design also uses plant stacking – different heights above ground and different depths of root systems below ground, utilising both horizontal and vertical space, all working in harmony to benefit each other.

Another principle is accelerating succession. “Instead of letting nature regenerate bare ground to a forest at its own pace, we can plant all layers of a forest at the same time, and not have to wait for each step of the process to complete,” says Steve.

Then there’s stability in diversity. “If left to its own devices, nature forms stable ecosystems from species that can grow well together, with a high degree of natural order.”

Plant guilds is where plants assist each other with health, protection from elements, and adding nutrients to the soil.

The edge effect is the boundary where two biological communities overlap, such as forest/ grassland. A non-linear edge takes up a little more space but creates a larger area for two ecosystems to overlap, and a third ecosystem to thrive in the overlap. “Applying these principles offers a sound basis upon which to restore and regenerate agricultural land,” says Steve.

Steve Hart.

Photo: Catherine Fry.

Awards call for biosecurity champions Entries are now open for the 2019 New Zealand Biosecurity Awards, which recognise and celebrate outstanding contributions to protecting our country against pests and diseases.

Biosecurity NZ head Roger Smith says the awards acknowledge people and organisations across the nation who are contributing to biosecurity – in our communities, businesses, iwi and hapu, government, in the bush, our oceans and waterways, and in our backyards.

“Some New Zealanders don’t understand that the work they’re doing is part of our biosecurity system – from trapping, to pest and disease management in our forests, rivers and oceans,

these are all biosecurity actions.

“These awards celebrate the incredible individuals and teams who are working hard to help ensure Aotearoa is safe from pests and diseases. Their magnificent mahi is fundamental in keeping our biosecurity system strong, and every day they are putting in the hard yards to ensure we continue to be world-leading biosecurity champions.”

This year there’s two tiers for the community awards. The Kahiwi Award for programmes longer than 18 months; and the Pihinga Award, for new programmes started in the last 18 months. Each winner receives a $2500 prize. See: www.thisisus.nz/biosecurityawards Entries close 5pm on July 24.

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

A healthy New Zealand food source This year’s wellbeing budget has focused on the wellbeing of every New Zealander with, in particular, $2 billion allocated to mental health.

There was also a very large cash increase for hospitals across the nation as they struggle to meet the demand for health services.

As a country, like every other in the world, we’re struggling to keep pace with the demand for health services. One statistic illustrates this point well. Global prevalence of diabetes in adults rose from

4.7 per cent in 1980 to 8.5 per cent in 2014 with the major contributor being diet.

There are massive savings to be made on health expenditure if we all change our diets and start to eat much more healthy food on a regular basis.

Ability to grow

There is a catch here – to eat healthy food, we need to be able to grow it. Across the country we’re facing increasing challenges to our ability to grow fresh fruit and vegetables. Having the right land to grow on, enough water for plants and the regulatory

approvals from councils are all necessary ingredients.

The problems we’re facing are: we’re losing land to house and lifestyle blocks – high quality land that is best for growing the most healthy produce; water consents are becoming more difficult to get and even where there is an allocation, it is being reduced in many catchments; and, councils are not recognising the need to provide for NZ to feed itself with healthy food.

We’re working on all three of these problems. Access to water is a real conundrum as paradoxically we’re facing a water supply crisis in all of our key growing areas in NZ. Unlike most of the world, our water crisis is not that we do not have enough water. Our water crisis is we do not capture, store and use our water to sustain our rural economy and meet the ever-increasing urban demands.

According to NIWA, 80 per cent of NZ’s rainfall runs out to sea, 18 per cent evaporates and only two per cent is actually used. We therefore have virtually unlimited potential to make much better use of rainfall. In many regions the prospect of water takes being compulsorily reduced is real, but unnecessary.

Then, as noted above, there’s the challenge to get new and renewed water consents. In addition we face the likelihood of increased droughts due to the impact of climate change. Water is a critical element to feed NZ. Getting this message across to government is one of our top priorities at present: water capture and storage is a must for NZ’s future sustainability.

Dual challenges

Water storage has many advantages including meeting the ever-increasing demands from urban NZ for a reliable water supply. One key advantage from water storage is its contribution to environmental sustainability. During time of heavy rainfall water is captured and stored, reducing the impacts of flooding and silting of rivers making it all but impossible for the survival of fish and aquatic species. When there is drought stored water can be used to maintain river and stream flows to enable aquatic life and fish to survive.

In addition, for horticulture it means crops can continue to be grown and quality maintained.As we meet dual challenges of climate change and feeding NZ healthy food, we’ll need to build many more water storage schemes. The cost and scale of what is required is such that only the Government working with local communities can achieve what will be needed for our very survival. We therefore should see more water storage options being supported by government as this will save on health care expenditure.

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 13

‘Pasture to trees’ policy could hurt rural NZ Over the last few weeks I’ve been at farmer meetings in the central North Island, hearing first-hand the growing concerns of rural New Zealand on the Government’s response to climate change.

risk, because for all forestry’s export receipts its direct employment and services contribution to communities completely pale into insignificance when you look are the contribution to rural NZ by the pastoral sector.

Perverse incentives

These government policies are creating perverse incentives and Forestry Minister Shane Jones would be better to stop belching on about his own magnificence for a moment and think deeply about the impact his policies are having. I’m concerned we’ll lock rural NZ into a future that looks increasingly bleak in an effort to balance the climate change books in Paris.

The Zero Carbon Bill has another sting Government constraints in the tail. It is proposing legislating a 24 But there’s no justification to have to 47 per cent reduction in gross methane a deliberate distortion that’s driving by 2050, despite the science, in our view, massive afforestation of our productive arguing for a much lesser target. pasture land. Foreign investors, wantNational will not let this slide. We ing to contribute to NZ’s economic “Even more critical is oppose the methane target and expect growth and development can only your participation in changes for our support to hold to the invest in land if it is turned to forests rather than continue farming. This the select committee third reading.

We’ve launched a primary industry disis nuts. Not only is this Government process on the proposed cussion document to explore these issues constraining foreign investment, and share ideas of how better to manage Zero Carbon Bill.” which makes no sense in an economy this topic and other more wider primary that needs capital to grow and scale industry issues. I ask you to get a copy online and our competitive advantages, but the capital it is letgive us your feedback. ting in is deliberately upending our rural landscape.

Even more critical is your participation in the select Further to this, our large-scale emitters appear to committee process on the proposed Zero Carbon be choosing a ‘pasture to trees’ strategy rather than Bill. Submissions are open until July 16. Please investing in the often more expensive and riskier submit and ask to be heard as well. It will be a fivegreen technologies to reduce their emissions. minute phone call at a time that suits. It is important The level of frustration and anger in the farmer that your voices are heard. meetings is understandably high. Communities are at First up – the one billion tree programme. No-one argues that more trees, planted where it makes sense to manage wetlands, securing some of our erosion prone challenging land, all the while sequestering carbon, makes sense.

It has an obvious landscape and climate benefit.

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EDUCATION

A home away from home Scotlands Hostel is our ‘home away from home’, where young women hope to build lifelong friendships, says New Plymouth Girls’ High School principal Victoria Kerr.

New Plymouth Girls’ High School head girl Ella Wood.

“At Scotlands we provide a safe and nurturing environment where each student can grow in confidence and independence.”

Student Sabine Volker says there’s a sense of family at the hostel. “With this comes a feeling of acceptance, which I’ll never forget.”

Victoria says the hostel sits beside NPGHS, which provides quality education with a proven record in academic excellence, sport, visual and performing arts, vocational pathways and cultural pursuits.

The school is built on traditional values with innovative approaches to teaching and learning. “Together, we offer the best of education and accommodation to support and encourage students to follow their passions and achieve to their full potential.”

“We welcome your girls to come and join our family here at Scotlands and New Plymouth Girls’ High School.”

Perfect time to study horticulture

Wairoa Rd near Tauranga, which is A NZ Diploma in Horticulture Prooperating from July.” duction Level 5 is offered as a one-year Raj says now is the perfect time to programme for mature students with industry experience at Franklin Institute enter work in NZ’s horticultural sector.

“The Ministry for Primary Industries of Agri-Technology, says Dr Raj Saini. report’ ‘People powered’ projects by “Young school-leavers and those with 2025 the sector will need 26,300 trained little or no exposure to horticulture can people to replace the natural attrition of go for the two-year programme – both workers, and 14,900 more trained with courses can be studied at our South qualifications.”

Auckland or “These requireTauranga trainments coupled ing centres.” with the industry’s Raj says ambitious plan to students attend expand tangibly classes for three have led to an acute days per week shortage of skilled and complete staff in horticulture self-study of and job oppor12-13 hours.

“The classes Visiting students from Sydney University. tunities are in abundance. start every “We offer job placement assistance, three months in first week of January, and so far a very high percentage of our April, July and October each year.” students are employed in relevant jobs The South Auckland training institute and are playing a significant role in the is located on a commercial horticultural industry.” site with 12 acres of agricultural land, To find out more about the courses, 8600m2 of greenhouses, irrigation sysincluding entry criteria, see: tems and other growing facilities. www.fiat.ac.nz “We also have a training centre on

• Access to a state school with a tradition of academic excellence for young • Access to a state school with a tradition of academic excellence for young women from outside the Auckland area. women from outside the Auckland area.

• A wide range of courses and co-curricular activities in sports, culture, arts • A wide range of courses and co-curricular activities in sports, culture, arts and leadership. and leadership.

• We encourage self-esteem and confidence with strong links between home • We encourage self-esteem and confidence with strong links between home and school. and school.

• Full board with weekend leave for young women from Year 9 to Year 13 • Full board with weekend leave for young women from Year 9 to Year 13 with caring and supportive staff in a safe living environment. with caring and supportive staff in a safe living environment.

Enrolments close: Enrolments close: • Years 10 to 13 31 August 2018 (limited places only) • Years 10 to 13 31 August 2018 (limited places only) For further information please contact: For further information please contact: Epsom House Boarding Administrator - Chris Barnes Epsom House Boarding Administrator - Chris Barnes Phone: (09) 970 6808 Email: cbarnes@eggs.school.nz Phone: (09) 970 6808 Email: cbarnes@eggs.school.nz www.eggs.school.nz www.eggs.school.nz

KIWIFRUIT

Page 15

Spain falls for NZ fruit A European country that’s fallen in love with Zespri’s export fruit has become the kiwifruit marketer’s third 20-million tray market in the world.

Zespri chief executive Dan Mathieson says while Japan and China are the brand’s biggest consumers, in last year’s season Spain came in as the third biggest customer. “Europe as a whole really grew last year – with our global supply trays sold up from 56 million trays in 2017 to 66 million trays last year with strong consumer demand for all varieties.

“And within that Europe mix – last year the superstar was Spain.

It was one of our biggest markets there where we stepped up to supply 20 million trays last year.”

Dan says the Spanish consumer

loves fruits – “they are also very focused on health and nutrition, so we saw a strong demand for kiwifruit”. “We’ve only got three 20 million-tray markets in the world – Japan, China, and now Spain.”

Giving a media briefing at the Zespri tent at Fieldays, Dan says Japan was Zespri’s superstar market last year, with very strong consumer demand there driving around five million trays of growth over both green and gold varieties. “We also saw very strong demand for organic fruit in Japan.”

And in China, Zespri’s second biggest market, sales last year grew more than three million trays to more than 27 million trays in 2018. “Over the last few years, China has continued to be our fastest-growing market.”

Pleasing growth was also

experienced in North America.

“Last year our volume going there increased by more than half,” says Dan. “We’ve opened an office in California and now have around 15 people managing our retail relationships and key accounts on the ground.”

Dan says this market had very strong consumer demand for SunGold and organics. “But we also saw more and more consumers looking for a premium quality green.

“These consumers would have been more conditioned to other origins of green in previous years, so to get them to try NZ green at its best – last year was a great opportunity to do that – saw a great consumer response.”

Zespri’s total operating revenue for 2018 was just over $2.9 billion – “and including our licence revenue it took us over the $3 billion mark for the first time”.

“So that was another milestone – which is incredibly exciting for the industry and puts us well on track to deliver $4.5 billion by 2025.”

Organic solution for orchardists and farmers A productive soil teams with life. From bacteria to earthworms, all play an important part in soil fertility, nutrient cycling, soil health and disease suppression, says Elenka Nikoloff of Revital Fertilisers.

the areas they’re applied.”

Both Maureen Rabbidge and Elenka agree there is a place for compost and other organic applications on soil alongside conventional programmes as farmers seek to reduce their chemical footprint and limit leaching of expensive fertiliser from the soil.

“At Revital Fertilisers, we understand the changing “Adding compost to productive land will increase needs of farming, orchard and horticultural environsoil organic matter and benefit soil organisms such ments. We consult in orchards and on farms to help as earthworms, fungi and bacteria, achieve a balanced programme that which feed on the organic matter in will deliver optimum yields.” compost,” says Elenka.

At it’s Mount Maunganui “Humus created by this biologicomposting site, Revital Fertilisers cal activity make soils friable, helps produces thousands of tonnes of soils retain water during dry periBioGro organic certified compost ods, drain more freely during wet that’s applied to BOP orchards. conditions and support crops to be Often blended with aged chicken more resistant to insect, pests and manure and Revital Vermicast, soil-borne diseases.

Revital Compost and compost“Compost applied to productive based blends delivers an organic land will also improve soil fertility solution to orchardists and and provide a natural way to store farmers. Revital also has compostnutrients in the soil, in a readily ing sites in Cambridge and New available form, for plant uptake.

Revital Fertilisers produces more Plymouth for ease of delivery Compost and compost blends allow than 10,000 tonnes of organic throughout the central North nutrient buffering in soil, helping Island. You can find out more at certified compost. to maintain fertiliser applications in www.revital.co.nz

My Name is Neil Woodward.

I am a director of Z-Contracting- we are family run business, our team consists of three, being myself, my son and my brother.

Our organisation has been established for over 18 years. I have been involved in applying crop protection programmes within the horticultal industry since 1966.

We specialise within the kiwi fruit industry, We have the equipment to spray orchards with our two Atom sprayers and one recently purchased Tracatom Formula tractor which is also available for mulching and mowing.

My Name is Neil Woodward.

I am a director of Z-Contracting- we are family run business, our team consists of three, being myself, my son and my brother.

Our organisation has been established for over 18 years. I have been involved in applying crop protection programmes within the horticultal industry since 1966.

We specialise within the kiwi fruit industry, We have the equipment to spray orchards with our two Atom sprayers and one recently purchased Tracatom Formula tractor which is also available for mulching and mowing.

Our Atoms are set up with radar speed sensors, this combined with fully automated sprayer controllers and three nozzle rings enhances application efficiency and accuracy.

We also use a quad bike for strip weed spray applications.

We hold all certificates needed to meet Globalgap compliance.

We look at all challenges to help ensure we protect your crop with excellence.

Our Atoms are set up with radar speed sensors, this combined with fully automated sprayer controllers and three nozzle rings enhances application efficiency and accuracy.

We also use a quad bike for strip weed spray applications.

We hold all certificates needed to meet Globalgap compliance.

We look at all challenges to help ensure we protect your crop with excellence.

216 Pongakawa Bush Road Te Puke

To contact us: Phone: 021 907 621 E-mail: zcl@zanadu.co.nz

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To contact us: Phone: 021 907 621 E-mail: zcl@zanadu.co.nz

Page 16 LTRA-PRO FABRICS

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Ella Thompson had become kiwifruit orchardists on installed, and shelter planted. “The vines were grown Wharawhara Rd, Katikati. on T-bars and we had artificial shelter to protect Across the road Robin Connelly and his parents Email : sales@cosio.co.nz them. We planted willow poles, casuarina and crypSIO 27-33 Lansford Crescent, Avondale, Auckland SIO STRIES Website : http://www.cosio.co.nz “IPhlike the0272 lifestyle, our0274 views and open spaces and couldn’t imagine living in John and Mavis had bought, in 1978, a 100-acre – tomeria as permanent shelter.”

09 820 Fax 09 820 town. I enjoy growing kiwifruit and the independence of running our own busior 40.46ha – dairy farm with plans to convert it to In 1983, Rob designed a new home for the couple ness.” a mixed orchard. “I fell in love with Rob, the ‘boy and helped Charlie Sutton with the build. Then Born in North Canterbury, Dianne’s first career was as a college teacher but that next door’ and we married in 1982.” Dianne went all changed in 1980 when she returned from her OE to find her parents Alan and relief teaching at Otumoetai College and then taught at Katikati College. Rob had spent his teenage years growing up on the family’s farm at Otorohanga so Firestone EPDM Lined Pond advantages was keen to make life on the land his career.

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ing by hand as we packed them,” says Dianne.

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Training staff, keeping the books and running the packhouse was largely Dianne’s role. “I had learnt how to grade and pack kiwifruit from Brett Henderson when I worked a season at KatiPak.” Rob and Dianne next made the significant decision to build their own coolstore in 1986, capable of holding 50,000 trays. “I remember paintThe Profe ing the lines on the floor Shade to indicate where the pallets would be stacked, HEAVY DUTY KNITTED SHADE not long before our first Enhance growth and reduce heat stress in the nursery.

Tristan born.”

New knitted shade clothson in very light,was light, medium and hea Dianne continued Standard 2m x 50m or 4m x 50m green, blacktoor white. work inshape and torun We also fabricate panels to any size or suit the your specific requireme packhouse, while raising For the best value shading solutions, contact : her 15014, two boys and Cosio Industries Ltd, P.O.Box NewTristan Lynn Auckland helped by their 27-33 Lansford Crescent, Brendan, Avondale, Auckland.

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KIWIFRUIT In September 2012 Dianne found evidence of the vine disease Psa-V in the gold vines. “The vines were flowering but we decided to cut them out and bury them. They were all gone in a day-and-a-half. We re-grafted to the new more tolerant gold G3 the next winter.”

Despite how severely the disease affected Hort16A, Dianne and Alan never questioned their commitment to the kiwifruit industry. “We still had the green and never thought about leaving the industry.”

Kelly and Brendan Cook, with Dianne Connelly-Cook and Alan Cook, their grandson Lincoln, and his parents Toni and Tristan Cook. Photo: Daniel Hines.

continued...

Initially, all kiwifruit was packed into wooden trays and exported by Wrightsons. “In 1988 we bought a new two-lane Treeway grader at a cost of $87,000. We also started to lease orchards and increase our throughput.”

156,000 trays

By 1991 Omahau was packing 156,000 trays for 14 growers and in 1992, it packed 133,000 trays for 18 growers made up of single-layer trays and tri-packs. Fruit that couldn’t be coolstored on-site was sent to Mount Cool.

Rob’s health had been failing since 1990 and tragically in 1993 he died.

“It was a very tough time for us all.

Alec Cooper helped me immensely in running the business.” So too did Alan Cook, who had been involved in the refrigeration design of the new coolstore and had moved to the area to set up Katikati Refrigeration and service refrigeration equipment.

In 1995 Dianne and Alan married and together continued to run the orchard and postharvest operations.

“The year 1998 was our last year of

packing. It was a hard decision but when a grower told us he could get his fruit packed cheaper elsewhere, we took a hard look at what we were doing. It was also getting more difficult to get good staff, so we decided to close the packhouse.”

When the last fruit passed over the graders at Omahau it marked the end of an era not only for Dianne and her family, but also the kiwifruit industry.

Omahau packhouse was renowned for its friendly culture, great food, enjoyable working environment and care of staff.

Dress-up days

During the three-four week season, to lighten up what could be a monotonous job, dress-up theme days were held, including hat days, and vice-aversa days. “We would have drinks and eats most Fridays and end-of-harvest parties.”

The coolstore is still in operation today, but instead of packing, Dianne and Alan focus on growing kiwifruit.

In 1998-1999, about 0.78ha of the

Alan Cook on the family’s Katikati orchard. Photo: Daniel Hines.

orchard was planted in the new gold variety Hort16A, with one block replacing citrus trees. The new vines came from double plantings on the Vista Orchard, bought in 1997 that had been part of the original dairy farm.

Vine health

However, the impacts of the disease did lead to questions around vine health. “From 2013 we began to farm biologically, concentrating on improving soil health, stopped spraying Roundup around the vines and only mowing when necessary. Now the fruit quality has improved, and the soil has more organic matter and has better water retention.”

Page 17 Packed and coolstored by EastPack, Omahau fruit is recognised for its excellent keeping qualities.

Alan and Dianne identified pollination was an issue for their orchards, because of slightly cooler temperatures at an altitude of 100m. So, they bought a Pollen Smart artificial pollinator manufactured in Whakatane and planted one block of their orchard in males to produce pollen.

Vine work is managed by Dianne’s eldest son Tristan Connelly, who is an orchard manager for Groplus. Tristan, with wife Toni and baby son Lincoln live in Connelly Lane, on a block they own that was once part of the dairy farm. Younger son Brendan Connelly and his wife Kelly live not far away, and Brendan, a transport engineer with Fotheringhame Contractors, works part-time on the orchard spraying, mowing and harvesting.

So just as it began, Omahau continues to be an intergenerational, family orchard.

Elaine Fisher

LIFESTYLE FARMING

Page 18

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This is most notably seen with the demand for two key ‘macro’ minerals – calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg).

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Magnesium is required for production of hormones that are important for the absorption of calcium from the gut and the mobilisation of calcium from bone. Low magnesium levels can suppress a cow’s appetite as well as cause irritability in the herd and reduce milk let-down.

Fortunately, magnesium supplementation prevents grass staggers and helps the cow to mobilise her calcium stores to prevent milk fever. Cows don’t store magnesium therefore daily dosing is required.

This means during a patch of adverse weather and the cows miss out on their daily dose, you can expect some clinical cases. Lush, fast-growing spring pasture is often very low in magnesium. Calcium and magnesium demands are exceptionally high in the weeks surrounding calving for calf growth and lactation. High-producing, older cows are often most susceptible to deficiency.

It is best to avoid supplementing calcium in the three weeks before calving as the cow needs to prime her body to mobilise her own

calcium stores. So, additional lime flour should be stopped.

Magnesium supplementation should begin about one month prior to the start of calving and continue until peak milk is achieved, which is normally up to four-six weeks after the last cow has calved.

Supplementation can be achieved in a variety of ways.

Dusting pasture with magnesium oxide at a rate of around 100g per cow per day. Or drenching with magnesium oxide at a rate of 30-40g per cow per day.

Maize silage is naturally very low in magnesium, calcium and salt, so needs to be balanced by adding these elements. If cows are eating a lot of supplement, then it is possible to add magnesium to this feed at a rate of 60g per cow per day. Note the 60g is additional to the base magnesium that is added to the maize silage to help balance the ration value.

Magnesium sulphate or chloride may also be added to the water supply, but care must

be taken not to make the water unpalatable, as magnesium tastes bitter. Flavour enhancers may assist.

Slow-release magnesium capsules are also available, but these alone will not provide enough. They may be indicated for cows at grazing where dusting and water supplementation are impractical.

The options above should allow for typically no more than two-three per cent of your cows succumbing to metabolic disease.

If there’s more than that, talk to your local vet for specific management around calving to prevent problems getting out of hand.

Subdivision brings environmental gains While there’s a lot of angst building in the community about subdividing good productive land on the borders of our biggest city, all rural land is not so productive.

There are significant pockets of land either already occupied in a residential way or relatively unproductive that can provide a productive lifestyle for many.

Simultaneously, many farmers are retiring marginal land and pouring profits into native revegetation along streams and wetland areas to increase water quality. The combination can produce a win-win situation.

Many councils are acknowledging this by providing development opportunities in return for locking up this planted land for future generations. This recognises the long-term environmental benefits to the community, while providing some potential income to reimburse the landowner’s costs.

Farmers have always seen themselves as custodians of

the land and looked after it well, without a lot of recognition. As always, policy development is a slow process but over the years many councils have put in place policy to encourage protection of ecological and historic features as a major precursor to subdivision.

Popular features are regenerating native bush, wetland ecosystems, cultural sites and bushcovered stream and riverbanks. Some councils even allow for protection of prime view shafts and historic buildings.

Unfortunately, the rules differ from district to district with some councils being more generous than others. With many restricting subdivision of lifestyle blocks through other rules, this may be the only way available for many to create truly ‘rural’ lifestyle lots for sale or retirement.

WBOP, Waikato, Thames-Coromandel, Waipa, Hauraki, South Waikato, Matamata-Piako, Whakatane and Opotiki

district plans all now recognise the benefits of protecting these features to some extent.

All their rules are similar, but stipulate different areas to be set aside. WBOP has been a leader, allowing subdivision of an additional lot by protecting a wetland area as small as half a hectare. They also allow a subdivision if you protect 500m of streambank by reserving a native planting 20m in width. Established forest or regenerating scrubland also qualifies, with various size limits of several hectares, as in other districts.

It’s great to see all councils recognising the public benefit of retaining these environmentally significant features. In doing so they’re giving custodians of the land some financial reward in recognition for their contribution to the sustainability of the country.

Brent Trail, managing director of Surveying Services, specialises in resource consent applications for subdivisions across the Waikato, Coromandel and Bay of Plenty. For further information, call 0800 268 632 or email: btrail@ surveyingservices.co.nz

AVOCADOS

Page 19

The pre-flowering stage is critical With the seasonal change of lower temperatures and shorter day lengths, flower initiation in our avocado trees has been triggered.

Hormones trigger the transition from vegetative to floral buds, but it is the nutrient levels and balances that drive this reaction and the carbohydrate levels that determine the stamina of this reaction.

Firstly, ensure correct nitrogen levels. Too much of a good thing is not always a good thing!

Excessive nitrogen in the tree at this time will swing the balance in favour of vegetative growth, thereby compromising potential flowering and fruit set.

Foliar sprays of seaweed products will boost cytokinin levels as seaweed extracts are particularly rich in cytokinins. Low cytokinin levels in relation to other hormones will inhibit floral bud development.

Zinc is one of the most important elements in carbohydrate metabolism in plants. Most enzymes that play a role in carbohydrate metabolism are activated by zinc. Zinc is also an essential micronutrient for protein production in plants. One of the sites of protein synthesis is the pollen tube.

Remember to ensure compatibility when mixing your chemicals and fertilisers.

If you’re concerned about any incompatibility or phytotoxicity, contact the manufacturers or do a jar or spray test.

Boron-hungry

Growers need to ensure avocado trees have all the resources they need in order to optimise production.

This pre-flowering stage is one of those critical stages that we, as growers, need to ensure the tree has all the resources it needs in order to optimise production. The following nutrients are important to apply during this time to support the imminent flower initiation as well as the current crop.

TM

Avocados are an incredibly boron-hungry crop and their low flower-to-fruit ratio can be substantially improved with a foliar spray of boron at the pre-flowering stage.

Calcium fulfils many essential roles in the sexual reproduction of flowering plants. It is also called the “trucker of all minerals” because it directly affects all mineral uptake.

Therefore, it is advisable to apply calcium at this stage as well, not only for the flower development and fruit set but also for its role in the current developing crop. Calcium governs cell wall strength and not only improves fruit quality but also aids in resistance to anthracnose and post-harvest rots.

Potassium

"Passionate about Avocado's"

The 29.7ha property at Paparore, about 22km north of Kaitaia, was originally established

by Californian-based owners in the mid1980s. It was planted with Hass on Zutano seedling and Duke 7 rootstock on 20ha of easy rolling sandy soils.

The freehold property was bought last year by a NZ consortium of highly-experienced existing avocado growers, and during the last nine months has been completely redeveloped to ultimately increase production levels and longevity of the orchard.

The intense improvement programme at the Paparore orchard included removal of all old existing trees,

- On Orchard Technical advice - Direct to Retail Marketing Specialists - Flexible Harvesting and Packing Options

Potassium is extremely important during this fruit-fill stage. Insufficient levels of potassium reduce the yield potential and quality of the crop – and ultimately our pockets!

- Food safety C e r t i fi c a t i o n s e r v i c e s

Largest clonal avocado orchard for sale The biggest avocado orchard in New Zealand to have been completely redeveloped with new higher-yielding, higher-health clonal rootstock has been placed for sale.

Freshmax provides:

breaking up compacted sandstone pan substructure, installing raised planting rows to improve drainage for when the orchard receives heavy storm rainfall, and replanting new avocado clonal rootstock at a high density – with new clonal varieties.

Bayleys Whangarei rural sales specialist Vinni Bhula says the orchard is now planted in 5300 clonal trees with a 10 per cent polliniser ratio. The orchard is on track to produce its first harvest in the 2022 season.

“This is by far the largest clonal avocado orchard to have ever come onto the market in NZ,” says Vinni.

Production forecasts for the new plantings assess the 2021/2022 season will sustain a conservative yield of 6913 trays, growing steadily over ensuing years up to a level of 57,609 trays harvested in the 2025/2026 production cycle.

The freehold property is being marketed for sale by tender via Bayleys Whangarei. Tenders close 2pm on July 17.

JIM TARAWA

DAVID ALDERTON

AVOCADO PROCUREMENT MANAGER BOP

TECHNICAL SERVICES

+64 27 274 7076 jtawara@freshmax.co.nz

+64 21 505 814 dalderton@freshmax.co.nz

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harvest efficiency tree health return crop market returns

Talk to us about how we can optimise your orchard’s potential.

John Emett

Kyra Fielden

Orchard Management and Grower Services (Northland)

Grower Services Representative (Bay of Plenty)

027 476 9087 john@justavocados.co.nz

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AVOCADOS

Page 20

Optimise chemical application efficiency Martignani electrostatic sprayers are being used by thousands of vine fruit and veggie growers, representing one of the most important contributions into new solutions to optimize chemical application efficiency, says John Harrison of New Zealand Electrostatic Spray Systems – or N-ZESS.

For more than 50 years, Martignani has established in the best fruit companies and vineries in more than 70 countries, says John.

“Their particular efficacy in treatments with mixtures concentrated up to 10 times means savings of up to 90 per cent of water, 60-70 per cent of time-labour, 30 per cent of chemical, with no ground contamination – so no run off.”

Thanks to the electrostatic fields formed between the plants, which are good conductors – think sap, mineral salts, moisture, etc. – the chemical mist sprayed from Martignani mist blowers, with their special electrostatic charge, ensures droplets saturated with active principle are attracted by the vegetation.

“Numerous tests have shown this can reduce losses through drifting by 85 per cent, even with windy weather.

The 3000L 4 x 90 degree spray heads with a 750mm Tower extension.

These sprayers cause perfect and uniform nebulization of any liquid or normal mixture of natural products liquid at low volume of water dilution, says John. “Blocked or worn nozzles or discs are a thing of the past now thanks to their unique 4mm nozzle head, operating at only 1.5 bar, which can distribute from 50L/ha to 2000L/ha without any change of nozzles or

plates thanks to their patented Precision Metering Units with graduated stainless steel scale with instantaneous adjustment,” says John.

“The sprayers can be customdesigned for every application.

However, the principle of electrostatic drift recovery and their unique misting formula is the same on all sprayers. And they are available in tank sizes from 200L to 3000L.”

Be part of NZ’s exciting food future

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The Horticulture Conference 2019 with a theme ‘Our Food Future’ is on July 31-August 2 in Hamilton, offering a chance to join the big conversations – to see and hear about what is being done to enable and enhance our food future, and to be an active part of that future. The three-day event at Mystery Creek has a raft of speakers talking on a multitude of topics, and interactive, hands-on demonstrations showcasing exciting new technologies.

Sir Peter Gluckman, former Science Advisor to the Prime Minister, will talk on the future of science in growing smart food including genetics and Genetic

Engineering. Minister of Finance Grant Robertson will explain what the Wellbeing Budget means for NZ and its horticulture industry.

RaboResearch’s Tim Hunt will discuss the opportunities and challenges of consumer trust. A panel discussion will be on the growing popularity of plant-based diets with food writer Niki Bezzant, TV chef Brett McGregor and Plant & Food’s Jocelyn Eason. And the future of our workforce and need for diversity will be brought by GirlBoss founder Alexia Hilbertidou and Dr Charlotte Severne of Te Tumu Paeroa. See: https://conferences.co.nz/hortnz2019/

1 Can be used on a variety of both small & large fruit 2 Increase productivity up to 300% 3 Reduce damage & waste

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LOCALS WORKING FOR LOCALS

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We work Avocado to understand

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AVOCADOS

Page 21

Planning and attention to detail in July July is one of those months in the growing year when not much is happening.

It’s the calm before the storm.

At AAL, it’s the month we use to check plans and get ready for spring to arrive.

This is when we review last season and our forward plans. We take time to check we’ve done all the work on the orchards, and check our pruning programme has been heavy enough for the flower that’s forming. And we finish our

adjustment applications for any soil nutrient and fertility measures.

July is all about getting ready for the sprint to Christmas. It’s just before the main part of the avocado growing year; so we want to ensure we have things set-up.

Good planning plays an important part in the next quarter of the growing year.

By the July’s end you’ll want to have inspected trees for the next round of injecting. You’ll have applied the first round of the spring fertiliser programme. Given it takes about four-six weeks

to get a response from mid-to-late July fertiliser applications, you’ll see some action in trees in August.

It’s also time to start talking to your pickers and fruit marketers about the crop going forward. Reconfirm their plans to harvest your crop and what is the best set of actions for the fruit.

This helps to identify key deadlines for on-orchard actions and is an opportunity to change up the way you’re growing and introduce new and refreshing concepts.

For example, discuss with your apiarist hive location, hive numbers, timing for best benefits to the hive and trees.

This year’s harvest focus is on fruit quality. Harvesting fruit in the best windows to deliver the best quality. So you need to talk with your

picker. Dropped bags are a big issue, however so too is bin handling around the orchard and during trucking; also holding fruit in-store. Ensure heat is taken out of fruit quickly and protect the quality all the way through the food chain.

There’s been good discussions recently

at industry level and hopefully harvesting gangs will pick up on some of the learnings.

At AAL, we want to deliver fruit to market in the best condition. All the best with your planning, timing and attention to the small stuff.

Tony Bradley of Aongatete Avocados

Brand reputation and experience counts With New Zealand’s avocado industry poised to grow significantly in coming years, Avoco is making sure its growers are well-placed to benefit from the opportunities that lie ahead.

Australia and the rest distributed under the Avanza brand to Asia, including shipments made to China for the first time. Avanza represented 85 per cent of total industry volume exported there.

Market development in Asia, led by Avoco through Marketing decisions its Avanza brand, has been connecting growers with This season, NZ’s slightly larger national crop experienced retailers and distributors across key mar- volume means Avoco is expecting to handle 2.2 kets, including Japan, South Korea and Singapore, for million trays – a volume that once again enables the several years. The company company to think strateginow serves customers across cally about its marketing nine international markets. decisions for the benefit of Time spent in the market its entire pool. means the Avanza brand has “Other smaller export established a rock-solid repcompanies, in a bid to utation with its customers reverse their own fortunes, for reliably meeting supply are trialling new tactics programme commitments, around pool management. starting in September every “Growers should be year. Avoco’s attention to extremely wary of these supply chain excellence options and they need to ensures health-conscious look carefully at what’s Asian consumers, hungry being offered, and how it for nutritious, ready-to-eat Avanza is an established brand in Asia, with a may impact their financial food options, can rely on reputation for premium quality. situation.” the Avanza brand to meet The 2019-2020 season their needs, says marketing and communications marks the seventh annniversary of Avoco’s formamanager Steve Trickett. tion, following a merger between former export rivals “It’s that reliability that encourages consumers to Team Avocado and Primor Produce. repeat-buy, leading to an increase in sales and more consistent grower returns over time.”

Asian market strategy

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Steve says Avoco’s Asian market strategy is one that enables the company to serve the early harvest requirements of growers while future-proofing the industry from challenges in Australia, which is NZ’s largest market for avocados.

Chile is working with Australian authorities to gain market access to Australia at the same time as largescale Australian growers are ramping up their own domestic production. These changing market dynamics, combined with NZ’s fruit quality challenges in Australia last season, work to potentially undermine the value of growers’ fruit, says Steve.

“There is still plenty of upside in supplying Australia, which remains NZ’s highest paying market.

But growers serious about exporting need to seriously consider who they supply.

“Avoco is a proven performer in high and low crop volume years, and has the scale and experienced marketing staff to weather any challenges. We demonstrated this last season, with an industry-leading Orchard Gate Return following a tough season for fruit quality.”

Growers supplying Avoco also benefit from its strong relationships with Australia’s most influential retail buyers and the robust systems the company has in place to prevent poor quality fruit emerging post-harvest ever reaching the market, says Steve.

Last season Avoco handled about 1.9 million export trays of avocados, with 80 per cent shipped to

SHEEP & BEEF

Page 22

New product to solve bobby surplus?

As a delicious aroma of freshly-cooked beef wafted from Massey University’s Fieldays stand, visitors eagerly lined up to try New Generation Beef.

Here, Dr Nicola Schreurs was serving a new beef product that could help find a use for surplus

calves out of the dairy industry.

The potential new product is produced by rearing calves sourced from the dairy industry up to one year of age.

Nicola, who has been working on the product for two years, says the research has the potential to spawn a brand-new beef industry that could one day phase-out the slaughter of bobby calves.

“This new product isn’t veal; we are developing a new, grass-fed, full red-meat product that we hope will require less resource and deliver a more sustainable beef production.”

Nicola says New Generation Beef could be used to mitigate welfare concerns associated with bobby calves, while dealing with the large animal resource opportunity coming out of the dairy industry.

“There is approximately two million surplus calves produced by the dairy industry and if we grew the majority through to the traditional two or three years of age, there wouldn’t be enough land to feed and grow them.”

But processing calves before one year of age creates an accelerated system and offers benefits to farmers such as being able to get the animals off-farm before winter.

“This means you don’t need to overwinter them, which for some farms with sensitive soil would minimise pugging issues.”

It also eliminates land-owners needing to source and supply extra feed, which is often required by animals during colder

moths. And while Nicola says a negative connotation is associated with beef production – “that it uses lots of resources and water, and is quite polluting in terms of greenhouse gases” – young animals are in their most efficient growth phase. And in terms of their ability to capture nutrients and retain it in their body, this period is their most efficient.

“We’re currently trying to validate that – potentially there’s less nitrogen going on soils and less greenhouse gas from growing cattle to only 12 months.

“We hope that smaller animals will not produce as much excreted nitrogen and gas compared to a larger beef animal.”

Read this story in full at: www.coastandcountrynews.co.nz

Merle Foster

Bulls for heifer mating

Limehills Starter - a top bull for heifer mating.

John and Mary Allen are passionate cattle breeders. They have both Hereford and Angus studs on 400ha of rolling and hill country at Glen Murray in the northern Waikato.

The herd consist of 190 Hereford cows and 35 Angus cows. John says that the major breeding objective is to breed bulls which increase profit for their clients. “This is done by selecting for economically important traits such as calving ease and fertility,” says John. “Indexes which attempt to put an economic dollar value on a combination of profitable traits are important tools.

“These include traits such as birth weight, gestation and growth. Two of the sires used have indexes in the top one per cent in Australasia. The herd is fed at commercial levels, and in addition cattle are farmed in large mobs.”

Recognising that bulls for dairy heifers are a specialised group, some of the bulls are suitable for this purpose, says John. Others, with more growth, are suitable for beef heifer mating.

The couple hosts their annual sale in September each year, where approximately 60 bulls are offered for sale.

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FROST PROTECTION

Page 23

Frost fans made right here in NZ improving coverage areas,” says NZ sales manager Andrew Roff.

In 2014, NZFF acquired Loncel, which designs and manufactures frost fan monitoring hardware and software. Web-based monitoring of frost fans is becoming popular – and the FrostBoss controller is designed with this in mind.

“The remote monitoring option enables growers to access real-time monitoring of fans around the world, A John Deere 6068T Diesel sixcylinder Turbo engine powering a FrostBoss C59 five-blade frost fan.

New Zealand Frost Fans are in orchards around the world.

New Zealand Frost Fans owner and CEO Steve Haslett has turned a small, cottage industry he purchased in 2007 into a rapidly growing, successful exporter that’s retained its Kiwi manufacturing base.

Steve says he’s made a point of surrounding himself with smart people with amazing skillsets. “More than two years of research and development of design, prototype testing and building manufacturing processes has created world-class frost fans, with significant input from former Team NZ America’s Cup research engineer Richard Karn.”

This saw the 2009 launch of the FrostBoss C49 four-blade frost fan, which has become the best-selling frost fan in NZ and Australia, and is installed across six continents.

In 2012, NZFF acquired the assets of

Aussie Frost Fans. This business trades as Australian Frost Fans, supplying and installing FrostBoss machines throughout Australia, plus upgrading and servicing all frost fan makes and models.

NZFF also has independent distributors in Turkey, Argentina, Chile and Canada and sell direct to large growers requiring multiple fan installations in other parts of the world.

“From our customers’ perspective here in NZ, they’re dealing directly with us as the manufacturer –this offers a high level of expertise and access to the largest inventory of frost fans and spare parts in this country, through our Te Puke and other service centres plus the Hastings factory.”

NZFF upgrades and retrofits all makes and models of frost fan, including installation of composite blades, centrifugal clutches and controllers.

“It’s about upgrading to new technology to make the fans compliant and

with text alarms and historical data and graphs on temperature, runhours and machine performance,” says Steve.

Asked what the future holds, Steve says the world’s population is forecast to grow 25 per cent by 2050. “This will see a corresponding growth in global crop production area and increase in yields with more intensive farming methods.

“Climate change will also see more crops exposed to early spring frosts.

So there will be a greater incentive to protect crops from cold injury and frost damage.”

Page 24

FROST PROTECTION

Frost protection options Innovative design, smart engineering and superior craftsmanship is what has helped Orchard-Rite become the largest wind machine producer in the world, with more than 32,000 frost fans in more than 30 countries, according to Shawn Miller of Orchard-Rite.

“For more than 40 years, Orchard-Rite has been providing the New Zealand horticultural industry with high quality, dependable wind machines for frost protection.”

Shawn says after producing machines that contribute to maximum crop productivity, the next challenge for the Orchard-Rite Research and Development Team was creating a machine that kept the airflow volume but reduced the acoustic noise level and fuel usage.

“This led to the development of the M2430.

The M2430 is a tri- blade machine encompassing new blade technology, which allow the machine to produce more airflow than the current M1430 tri- blade, while being quieter and using less fuel.”

In regions of NZ where 55dB is the standard, the M2430 is 49dB at 300m. “The fan can be placed 150m from the notional boundary of a dwelling and it operates at 19.7L of fuel per hour,” says Shawn.

“This development is the result of OrchardRite and Fruitfed Supplies’ commitment and understanding of NZ horticultural industry, and the requirements of local growers.”

For more information, contact your local Fruitfed Supplies representative or store.

Nearly all the horticulturally significant frosts in New Zealand are of the radiation type.

Radiation frosts occur on nights with clear skies and little or no wind.

As heat is radiated away from the surface of vegetation, or other objects, the surface cools and draws heat from the plant material and the surrounding air. If suitable conditions persist, the temperature of the plant material falls to a point where irreversible damage occurs to the plant tissue.

Frost damaged fruit are not edible or saleable and frost damage to vines can negatively impact productivity of kiwifruit vines the following season.

A wide range of methods are used to protect horticultural crops against frost damage, and can be loosely grouped into three main classes; directly heating the vines, mixing the air to disturb the temperature inversion, and use of a radiation barrier.

Heating Actively heating the area may employ specially designed-burners known as ‘frost pots’. Frost pots are fuelled by oil, natural gas, LPG or by special solid fuel blocks or candles made from wax, compressed wood waste or other similar materials. Sprinklerbased frost protection systems are most common and use the heat released when water changes state from a liquid to a solid.

Spraying water at an appropriate rate onto a crop under frost conditions causes a layer of ice to slowly develop over the vines. Provided the surface of this ice layer is kept wet, the temperature of the enclosed plant tissue will not drop below about minus half a degree, even though the surrounding air may be at a much lower temperature.

Mixing A wind machine is essentially a large fan, with a horizontal axis, which rotates around the top of a 10m-or-so tower, located in the centre of the area to be protected. The ‘jet’ of air produced by the fan entrains the warm air from above the orchard and mixes it into the colder air closer to the ground.

Flying a heavily-laden helicopter at relatively slow speed across the orchard area can also effectively mix air and provide frost protection, but has the advantage over wind machines of being able to concentrate on selected areas if required, and to fly at greater elevations to provide added mixing capability.

Radiation barriers

The principle of a radiation barrier is to reduce the heat radiated from the vines and soil surface, and hence increase the vine temperatures. This is achieved by intercepting the outgoing radiation by means of frost cloth, fog or some other radiation barrier (Riding, 2004). (Source: New Zealand Kiwifruit Book 2016, pages 57-58).

Introducing the new Orchard-Rite® M2430 Tri Blade • Quieter: 49 dBA at 300 m, 150 m from the notional boundary of a dwelling at 55 dBA • Less fuel usage: 19.7 litres per hour of fuel • All without compromising airflow For more information, contact your local Fruitfed Supplies store.

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FROST PROTECTION

New offering of fans

Page 25

FOOTWEAR

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Fritons Ltd can install fans to isolated areas such as slopes, gullies and in troughs where frost can often pool due to lack of natural air flow.

Fritons Ltd is a new company in New Zealand supplying a technologically advanced frost protection system from Japan.

Fritons Ltd director Wal Frith says he’s bringing manufacturer Fulta Electric Machinery’s technology to NZ, which provides an efficient and effective method of frost protection.

“Fulta has been supplying their frost protection system to growers for more than 30 years and captured an unshakable confidence with all those who use it.”

Wal says the equipment provides maximum efficiency. “All orchards have different terrain and natural air flow direction. We provide an orchardspecific layout to ensure maximum effectiveness and only install our fans in frost-prone areas to ensure maximum results.”

Plus the fans are ideal for small areas,

says Wal. “Due to their size and set-up we can install our fans in small areas where traditionally it wouldn’t have been cost-effective.

“We can also install to isolated areas such as slopes, gullies and in troughs where frost can often pool due to lack of natural air flow.”

When placed, Wal says the fans give maximum effect due to the blades being directed towards the crop and canopy.

“This draws the warm air from the inversion layer and pushes it onto the crop and canopy. This also enables fans to dry the crop and canopy, which can aid in prevention of pest and disease.”

And the fans create less noise than others. “They produce 44 decibels at 80m. This is a major benefit in areas where consents may be required or potential complaints can arise from neighbours.”

For more information, see Fritons Ltd’s advert on this page.

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Page 26

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Building a woolshed and sheep numbers

Papamoa Hills Regional Park’s new farm infrastructure is part of a move to farming more sheep on-site.

A new woolshed with covered yards and adjacent cattle yards have been constructed at Papamoa Hills – known as Te Rae o Papamoa – Regional Park to allow for a transition from predominantly beef and dairy grazing to mainly sheep.

The move towards sheep farming is seen as a lower impact option for Papamoa Hills’ ridgetops and spurs, says Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s senior projects officer Courtney Bell.

“New farm infrastructure was required following a change in the park’s grazing lessee in June 2018. The former lessee used their

own farm infrastructure located on adjacent private land. This is not available for future use by BOPRC.” Courtney says farming is an important park management tool that facilitates the protection and conservation of cultural heritage features – and the aim is to now move into farming 80 per cent

Burner upgrade reminder for Rotorua Owners of homes in the Rotorua Airshed that still have non-compliant wood or coal burners are reminded this is the last winter they can operate them.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council senior regulatory project officer Marion Henton says roughly 3000 non-compliant wood and coal burners left in the Rotorua Airshed can’t be used after January 31, 2020.

“For more than 10 years we’ve been working on this complex issue with the help of Rotorua Lakes Council, the local community and other key stakeholders to upgrade and replace old, smoky fires to cleanerburning technology.

“Thousands of Rotorua homeowners have upgraded their old fires to cleaner-burning technology and have helped clean up the air. This has made a difference but we still have a way to go.”

According to BOPRC, Rotorua has a wintertime air quality problem caused by burners that burn wood or coal and emit PM10 particulate matter. The elderly, young children and those with pre-existing respiratory and heart conditions are most at risk when air pollutants are high. “Approximately 228 tonnes of fine particulates are discharged annually into Rotorua’s air. We need to reduce this by 60 tonnes to meet the safe and acceptable standards set by the Ministry for Environment.”

Marion says BOPRC has two schemes to help remove and replace non-compliant burners. The Hot Swap Scheme allows old wood/coal burners to be swapped for electric heating and low and ultralowemission wood burners – a loan is offered to

Rotorua ratepayers with properties in the Rotorua Airshed. Appliance supply and installation cost goes onto the property rates and can be paid back during 10 years. BOPRC also offers the Low Income Heating Grant, a free Ultra-Low Emission Burner or Heat Pump to owner-occupiers who meet certain criteria.

Find out more at: https://cleanairrotorua.co.nz/

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sheep and 20 per cent cattle in the next few years.

“The total park size is 175ha – and 112ha of this is effective grazing area.

Currently, we’re running 300 lambs, 200 ewes, 35 R1 beef cattle, 35 R2 beef cattle, 70 R1 dairy grazers.

“It will take a few years to build sheep numbers.”

The new infrastructure was built in the last few months, following obtaining resource consent and undertaking a visual and archaeological impact assessment to gauge how the building would look in this landscape.

In the last decade BOPRC has selectively retired the steepest and wettest parts of the farm and replanted with native species. “Native revegetation of marginal farmland is programmed to

continue for at least another 10 years,” says Courtney. “And there is further work to be done on improving the stock water drinking supply to become more resilient during summer drought.”

Papamoa Hills is a nationally significant archaeological landscape. There are 1630 recorded archaeological features associated with eight pa sites within the park boundary.

Park management involves balancing values from farming to biodiversity, archaeological and cultural to recreational and landscape, says Courtney.

“BOPRC works alongside representatives from Ngati He, Nga Potiki, Waitaha and Nga Pukenga to make decisions around management issues that may affect cultural values of the landscape.”

Merle Foster

Page 28

FIELDAYS FOLLOWUP

Merle Foster

FIELDAYS FOLLOWUP

Page 29

Plastic posts gain plenty of interest How long will they last? What are they made of? How much are they? Will weather conditions change their composition? How do you use them? Are they as strong as normal fence posts?

These were just a few of many questions hurled at the founder of Future Post, Jerome Wenzlick, from the minute his stand opened in the Innovations Tent at Fieldays on Wednesday morning, June 12.

Future Post produces fence posts made of recycled soft plastics Future Post founder Jerome from the Soft Plastics Recycling Wenzlick had a busy Fieldays. Scheme and from recycled milk

and detergent bottles. Collected in Auckland, the soft plastic is sorted and granulated, then mixed with milk bottles before going through a NZ-designed and built machine to melt and reform it into fence posts.

The equivalent of 550 plastic bags goes into making each post.

Jerome, a Thames farmer and fencing contractor, came up with the idea three years ago. “We were working on a fenceline, putting a security fence around an old rubbish dump. We kept breaking wooden posts and we had to dig holes in the ground – the holes were full of plastic. I thought: ‘Why don’t we make posts out of this’ –

Tanks that are flexible in utilisation With four extremely busy days of Fieldays behind them, the Flexi Tanks team can begin prioritising those that need urgent assistance to become compliant with their dairy effluent storage.

This can easily be achieved with a Flexi tank, says Flexi Tanks’ Anton Meier.

“Then there are those that have time and can plan their delivery of their Flexi Tank with us,” says Anton.

Water storage is also a hot topic and many discussions were had with people about a small domestic water storage solution for under their house or deck to largescale horticultural water storage for many crop and orchard types.

Anton says the Flexi Tank system can cater to a wide variety of storage needs with tanks from 1000L up to two million litres – and the ability to custom make special shaped tanks to fit available spaces has helped many customers achieve their requirement for water storage, says Anton.

“Especially pleasing for

us is the many happy customers that have had their Flexi Tank installed and in use for some years now that popped into our Fieldays stand to see us and share comments and smiles with us about how well their Flexi tank is working for them.

“They’ve all discovered the many benefits of using a Flexi Tank to store effluent and water.”

Flexi Tanks has many new customers to visit on-farm and on-site in the months ahead and the team looks forward to helping their project

become a success.

“For those that weren’t able to make it to Fieldays, we look forward to hearing from you and will pay you a visit too,” says Anton.

The Flexi Tanks team at Fieldays.

and here we are today.” Since then it’s been a two-year journey to research and create the product, which won the Fieldays Launch NZ Award in the 2019 Innovations Awards.

Jerome says the product is BioGro NZ-certified so fit for use on organic farms. “There is no tanalising treatment in our posts. We add carbon black to them to work as UV-stabiliser so they can last 50 years – but we reckon they’ll last much longer.”

Other performance advantages

include no moisture, splitting, cracking or rotting occurring to the posts, they are impenetrable by water, frosts, insects and fungi; and are as strong as a timber posts but with flexibility.

Jerome says you use them the same as a timber post. “You can post-ram them, chop with a chainsaw, drill, nail, bolt or use staples – and you don’t need insulators on them, so that’s saves farmers some money.” Once no longer used, you can return the product to Future Post to be recycled again.

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Scholarship to see if algae can fight PSA-V naturally Two University of Waikato chemistry students have been awarded a $22,500 scholarship which they intend to use to research if pathogenic bacteria, particularly Psa-V, can be treated naturally.

Claire Voogt and Taylor Farr, who are studying for Master of Science degrees, are recipients of this year’s Sir Don Llewellyn Fieldays Postgraduate Scholarship, splitting it fifty-fifty.

With New Zealand’s primary industries facing a continual threat of biosecurity breaches, the students believe there could be natural ways to mitigate the risks posed by bacterial pathogens in agriculture.

They’re investigating how natural metabolites from marine algae can be used to treat pathogenic bacteria, in particular Psa, and their research is being supported

by Zespri.

Psa was first discovered in NZ in 2010 in Te Puke and spread to cause the demise of the Hort16A variety of kiwifruit, with thousands of growers ripping out the vines and grafting to new variety G3, which is more psa-tolerant.

Ruakura. Their project comes under the umbrella of a larger project involving scientists from the university and P&FR. While Claire’s main focus will be on one specific species of algae, Taylor’s project will investigate several species to identify ones with potentially useful applications, particularly in horticulture. “Marine organisms are a rich source of useful and diverse natural products, and mostly have properties different from terrestrial organisms, making them useful for various applications on land,” says Taylor.

Natural products

“What I’m particularly interested in is identifying bioactive natural products that can be used in the horticulture industry to combat pathogens like Psa. It’s important to develop alternative control methods.

It means, in time, there may be potential for growing different algae for commercial use across a range of pathogens.”

Competitive nature

Claire says the competitive nature of coastal ecosystems has resulted in the evolution of algal compounds as natural chemical defences, and unlike natural products from land-based sources, terrestrial organisms have not encountered marine chemical defences and are therefore less likely to survive after exposure to them. “Each organism has different features and responds to different conditions or environments, so it’s possible these marine algae may be exploited to maximise the production of desired compounds and be used in commercial applications,” says Claire .

Her and Taylor will use samples collected from various locations by University of Waikato divers based in Tauranga, prepare extracts, determine their chemical profiles and then test their effects on bacteria.

The pair will split their lab time between the university and Plant and Food Research’s Psa containment facility at

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“we make farming ezy”

Chemistry students Claire Voogt and Taylor Farr are 2019’s Sir Don Llewellyn Fieldays Postgraduate Scholarship recipients.

Taylor is working towards a career in horticulture, something he’s been interested in since secondary school at Tauranga’s Bethlehem College, earning an NCEA scholarship in Agricultural and Horticultural Science. He’s attended horticultural conferences and as part of a University of Waikato summer research scholarship, he collected data on flowering manuka at sites around the North Island, identifying patterns that could allow greater control over the honey production process. Claire says for her, agriculture isn’t a career, it’s a way of life. She grew up on a dairy farm, is a member of the Hamilton City Young Farmers Club, has been a DairyNZ scholar, and worked on dairy and goat farms through industry placements. NZ National Fieldays Society president Peter Carr says the students are deserving recipients.

“In Claire and Taylor we have two fine young people, albeit on parallel paths of research, but very much diverse in their aims for end-user capabilities.

“We wish them well for their academic and employment futures.”

FIELDAYS FOLLOWUP

Page 31

Tool to help exceed average production Three years following its release in New Zealand, GrainCorp Feed’s online milk monitoring and forecasting tool, Tracker, is helping dairy farmers exceed industry average production.

Tracker uses the latest in data analytics combined with nutritional information from GrainCorp Feeds to give accurate predictions on a farmer’s average daily milksolids, including percentage of milk fat and protein. Tracker also provides live feedback on milk quality including Somatic Cell Count and milk urea when that data is available, which provides farmers with invaluable insights into their herd’s nutrition.

On average, Fonterra suppliers on Tracker are up 6.35 per cent for this year, at March 30, with an average increase of 6866 kgMS per farm as compared to non-users of the tool.

However, GrainCorp Feeds technical support manager Ken Winter says there’s more compelling evidence of Tracker’s impact for farmers using the tool for more than four seasons. “On average, a typical farm we come across stands to gain an extra 27,000 kgMS through better utilisation of feed onfarm. An average Tracker user increases milksolids by 27,000kgMS in the first season of using the tool.”

Production increase

Ken says Tracker users who install an in-shed feed system while working closely with the GrainCorp Feeds team can achieve as much as a 40 per cent production increase. “However, the most convincing evidence is when we look at Tracker users who’ve used the system for four-five seasons. The numbers show these dairy farmers consistently perform at a higher level season-after-season.”

Ken says looking at averages alone doesn’t tell the full picture of what Tracker users can achieve. “While a 10 per cent increase in production might not sound huge, it’s actually a major boost to a farmer’s bottom line. He believes a farmer’s biggest challenge in lift-

value on whether it is advantageous to change particular components of what the cows are being fed on an individual and daily basis, making an important difference to on-farm costs.”

He’s now fine-tuning things so his cows perform to their genetic capacity. Since having this focus, his herd’s health, as measured by average BCS, has improved considerably.

Hauraki Plains farmer Richard Flynn, who milks 400 cows on 120ha, has a new in-shed feed system and just

Cambridge farmer Murray Steele has used Tracker for the last two seasons. ing production is around farm infrastructure and contour, and the farmer’s own ability. “Ensuring any production gains are profitable is paramount, and this is where the GrainCorp team adds real value.”

Murray Steele farms 600 cows on 203ha in Cambridge and has used an in-shed feed system for 18 years – he’s used Tracker for the last two seasons.

He says the two elements working together have helped improve cow reproduction, in-calf rates and animal health, and give advantage when it comes to analysing his overall farm costs.

“We’ve achieved a 7.2 per cent MT rate and 78 per cent six-week in-calf rate, with our production ahead 10,000 kgMS this year to date.”

He primarily uses Tracker to analyse daily inputs of what his animals are harvesting. “It puts a monetary

completed his first full year on Tracker.

Spending his first season getting cows accustomed to it, he’s been focused “on getting the highest quality feed to complement the grass that we had”. His farm is 38.5 per cent up in production. Richard says it’s had a farm-wide impact and in future, information held on Tracker means he can set targets easier. Registering a farm business on Tracker is free. GrainCorp Feeds helps with the initial form set-up, making the process hassle-free.

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Fussy horses prompt fresh trough water idea

St Paul’s Collegiate Year 13 students Cate Wilson and Jana Stokes with the Bobble Trough at Fieldays.

Photo: Merle Foster.

Growing up around horses, Jana Stokes knows just how fussy they are with water and how sensitive their stomachs can be. “So drinking water with algae in it is not too good for them.”

To solve this, the Year 13 St Paul’s Collegiate student – along with classmates Cate Wilson, Pearl Lovell, Abby Bartels and Lucy Gray – has invented Bobble Trough, which is an automated trough float that prevents algae growing in troughs.

“It’s a solar panel and self-contained unit that links up to an app,” says Jana, who was at Fieldays’ Innovation Tent with her project buddies showing visitors how it works.

Jana says once inserted into a trough, the unit’s solar panel converts a harmless electrical current into an electrode, then charges the copper electrode in the bottom department of the device. “That is converted into small amounts of copper ions, which break the molecule of algae when it’s growing.”

Jana says the product is fully automated – you just pop it in your trough.

“It doesn’t need any maintenance for 12-16 months until the copper electrode needs replacing.

“It’s fully self-contained, and you can monitor copper levels, pH levels and the hours it is turned on and off via an app on your phone.”

To prevent would-be buyers having to purchase a unit for every trough on-farm, the group has programmed the app so only one unit is required, by enabling it to follow stock paddock rotations.

Jana says having small amounts of copper in animal’s drinking troughs “makes cleaner water for them to drink and improves animal health and performance”.

The group, who began working on the project in March, won their school’s innovation competition called the Crocodile Pit, which secured them a spot at the Innovations Tent at Fieldays.

Here, they won the Young Innovator of the Year award, with the judges saying they were impressed with the group’s development process, use of external expertise, understanding of IP and their solution.

Now the group is considering how they could get it to a marketable state. To follow Bobble Trough’s development, email: bobbletrough@gmail.com

Merle Foster

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FIELDAYS FOLLOWUP

Tractor-driving bachelor a catch Lewis Nichols reckons he’s taking away much more than prizes after being named 2019’s Fieldays Rural Catch.

“It wasn’t really about winning for me...The prizes are amazing, but the experiences are lifelong.

“Every one of us have got on, it’s like a family, none of us want it to end,” says the heavy machinery operator for agricultural contracting company Bradfields based in Otorohanga.

He reckons he came into the competition looking for someone who could listen to a few tractor yarns and has come away with the experience of a lifetime.

Rural catch contestants encountered a myriad of challenges during the week of Fieldays to try to clinch the title.

But for Lewis, the highlight was meeting all the other contestants, saying they made the week such a great experience. “For me it was about getting out there and having some fun. This was a way to put myself out there for future employers, a way to grow and meet new people, a week off work and something else other than tractors.”

When he’s not busy with the tractors, Lewis can be found twisting the throttle on his dirt bike, heading up north to the family farm or enjoying ac spot of fishing on the Kaipara harbour.

Lewis is also a strong advocate for mental health in the rural sector. “Knowing what it feels like to go through the tough times many people face, I know just how important it is that there is support and

campaigns to get people to speak up.”

Hamilton girl Charlotte Leach, who was crowned People’s Choice, the highlight for her was meeting everyone. “It wouldn’t have been the way it was without them.

“I just want to say thanks to everyone who came out to support me and to all the awesome people we’ve met along the way,” says the research technician for Dairy NZ, who you’d normally find partaking in an outdoor adventure, searching for an adrenaline rush or relaxing with family.

Originally from an alpaca farm, Charlotte spent her first 17 years living and breathing all things fibre but her passion now sits in the dairy industry.

Lewis took home the coveted Golden Gumboot trophy, a new King Quad worth $17,995, and Swanndri, STIHL and Skellerup vouchers.

Charlotte received Swanndri, STIHL and

Skellerup vouchers, and all competitors were gifted a $500 STIHLvoucher.

ewis h winner L Rural Catcof Otorohanga Nichols le’s Choice and peop rlotte Leach a in w ner Chamilton. of H

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corrosion inhibitors and anti-seize greases, which stop rust. They call it ‘Sheep in a Can’.

“In the New Zealand agricultural market Prolan is sprayed on tractors, quadbike and 4WD chassis, harvesters, feeders, chains, conveyors, irrigation But he has a solution – Prolan NZ has enhanced the spraying equipment, fertiliser spreaduse of lanolin in sheep’s wool to manufacture enviers, loaders, trucks and electrical ronmentally-friendly, industrial lanolin lubricants, hardware.”

Murray says once Prolan Enduro Medium grade is sprayed on the underside of quad bikes, it slows down deterioration and provides longterm protection.

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Murray says agricultural fertiliser companies are also realising a coating of Prolan’s Enduro Heavy grade protects truck and fertiliser loaders’ chassis operating in harsh environments. “Prolan is coated internally and underneath to provide protection. The savings to fleet owners are far fewer Warrant of Fitness and Certificate of Fitness failures from rust since, less downtime on maintenance, fewer part replacements and increased resale values.”

Prolan Enduro Heavy Grade protective coating being applied to a vehicle chassis.

FIELDAYS FOLLOWUP

Page 35

Making employment paperwork a breeze Three years ago Genevieve Griffin-George was flung into running her family’s gold kiwifruit orchard near Motueka, when her father Ian had a serious tractor accident.

someone.” Genevieve says PICMI removes all administration required when hiring short-term staff. “The product gathers health and safety information, bank account details, personal identification documents and can verify visas.

“It basically saves this information for each individual She’d worked on-orchard before but had never run the employee in a central zone so employers have access to entire operation, so gained “first-hand experience of this information from anywhere.” everything that wasn’t working”.

Genevieve says the secret to “One major hurdle was finding seasonal staff PICMI is it gets workers to when we needed them – log their own data in a it was so difficult. It was worker profile – taking literally me jumping in a the task away from car to go find them at the employers, thus local backpacker hostel cutting paperand all the paperwork work time. “The that came along with employer logs into it – it just took me so their portal where much time. it takes them 15 “And it was taking seconds to invite me away from the a worker. An orchard and the things I automatic emailed wanted to do.” is sent that guides There, the idea of PICMI – a a worker to create a cloud-based software designed to profile – this is then simplify the employment process shared with the grower.” for agricultural and horticultural seaGrowers pay a nominal sonal staff – was born. amount per match, while workers seeking Last month Genevieve was in the Innovations Tent at Fieldays, showing PICMI founder Genevieve Griffin-George employment can access it for free. thousands of farmers and growers at the Innovations tent at Fieldays Photo: Merle Foster.

And Genevieve says this how PICMI works for them – so is only the beginning for they spend less time on employmentPICMI. “Now we’re looking at how we might integrate related paperwork. with Xero so we can direct PAYE accounts; how we can develop monthly reports because hiring RSE workers and Three awards the documentation required by the Ministry of Social There PICMI won the Fieldays Grassroots Protoype Award, the Vodafone Innovation Technology Award and Development is very time-consuming; so we’re trying to automate that and simplify it down. From there we’ll the James & Wells Innovation Award. make a big push on building the marketplace.”

Genevieve developed PICMI after being picked as one With labour shortages declared in two key growing of 12 start-ups from across NZ and Australia out of 600 regions in NZ in the last two harvests, Genevieve says applications for a six-month intensive tech accelerator PICMI can lessen time orchardists spend on finding programme Xcelerate in 2018. “I spent six months in workers and make it easier for people wanting to work in Sydney building the web-responsive app. We’ve been this industry to get jobs quicker. trialling it with growers in the South Island – I was recently in Tauranga to begin testing it with orchardists Digitised process and orchard management businesses, which require large “Rather than having a sign outside your orchard and numbers staff for all parts of the kiwifruit season. hoping someone will drive past, we’re digitising that “These businesses can hire 300-400 people. Our proprocess. This allows people looking for the work to cess could save them hours – that’s before they even hire

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actually know where it is and plan it into their journey.” Genevieve is marketing PICMI on social platforms so would-be workers – such as foreign travellers – can secure jobs before they hit NZ soil. “This means these people can look at what work is available and when before they apply for a visa to visit and work in NZ. This way they have a plan to fund their trip and growers already know they have workers coming. We know labour shortage is a huge issue in our industry – we’re not saying we have all the answers, but we

want to work with growers to understand what their needs are.”

Orchardist feedback at Fieldays was mainly surprise, says Genevieve. “They’ve never been offered something like this to utilise before.

“Obviously there’s cultural shift that needs to happen – but once they see how the product works they are keen to use it because it’s been designed to be simple and easy to use. And we’ve designed it with growers – so it’s intuitive to what they need.”

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Merle Foster

CALF REARING

Page 36

Holistic approach to calving at organic farm For Waikato dairy farmers, Mandy and Peter Paterson, their 2018 organic status certification was simply legal acknowledgement of the beliefs and practices they’d been using for the previous 15 years. And it also means they can sell their milk to Fonterra as organic milk.

Last year they averaged 600kgMS per cow, which is pleasing numbers for an organic operation with 175-180 Friesians.

Autumn calving is approached holistically, using organic principles, homoeopathy, and natural tinctures and remedies. One of Mandy’s go-to mentors is Dr Paul Dettloff, a vet who has helped many dairy farmers on their journey to organics. “Autumn calves have better-developed guts for rich spring grass,” says Peter.

Organically-certified semen for AI is not available, but the Paterson herd is finished by

organic bulls. Maternity care starts early with a Contact Care practitioner regularly checking the posture of the pregnant cows.

“Sometimes they need re-alignment, and we do everything to help them achieve an easy birth,” says Mandy.

A careful eye is kept on newborn calves to ensure they feed from their mothers within two to four hours, or Mandy intervenes with a warm bottle of milk. “Every hour after birth without food hinders a calf’s progress,” says Mandy.

After 24 hours, new calves are separated from their mother and fed warmed up, organic colostrum from the herd. Both the mother and aterson Mandy Plast three calf are treated with homoeowith the from the pathic remedies for grief and calves calving. change, and bruising, and the autumn mother is dosed with a tincture to clean the womb out.

“Our calves have water, containing Agrisea, organic hay, humates, kelp and salt, freely available from day one.”

The calves go outside from three to five weeks old, and are not fed meal, but are introduced to the Paterson’s diverse pasture, which has about around 15 species in it.

Weaning occurs around three to four months, when they reach 120kg, but male calves go to a rearer at 10 days old.

“Hygiene around the calves is paramount, and we notice our calves are a lot more robust,” says Mandy.

If sick, they are treated homoeopathically firstly, and if required, by a conventional vet, even if it means the animal’s organic status is compromised and it then has to leave the farm.

“Organic farming is a constant balance between what is good for the planet, the animals and the human, and profit and production,” says Mandy.

It’s a way of life and a big commitment trying to produce chemical-free food – but Mandy and Peter hope they are playing a part in people becoming healthier through diet.

Catherine Fry

Vinegar products

A natural booster for animals There are plenty of benefits to using apple cider vinegar for both farm and domestic animals.

Trish Goulter from Goulter’s Vinegar Products in Nelson says studies show a small amount of apple cider vinegar given to stock on a daily basis has helped prevent worms.

“Because apple cider vinegar contains many wonderful trace elements it helps to balance the PH levels in the gut, which in turn assists with digestion.

“A healthy gut leads to healthy animals,” says Trish, who with husband Charlie were farmers for many years so have experience when it comes to raising stock.

“We like it as it’s a natural alternative,” says Trish. “It’s not like a traditional medicine and it doesn’t come out in a cow’s milk.”

Apple cider vinegar can also help with ear infections as it contains several acids with powerful antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, making it excellent for clearing ear infections, skin infections or bites. “Goulter’s Organic Cider Vinegar can be used in poultry and is said to

The team at Goulter’s Vinegar Products. increase their egg production,” says Trish.

“There are many recorded benefits of the use of apple cider vinegar for most farm animals, including farm dogs, cats, chickens and other poultry,” says Trish.

Testimonials are available online and stand as testament to the benefits of Goulter’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.

If you’re looking for a way to help boost the overall health of your stock the natural way, consider Goulter’s Vinegar Products. Bulk sales in 225L drums are available.

CALF REARING

Page 37

Design a decent transition plan In winter, dairy cows approach the most stressful period of the year.

Having been exposed to many changes during the drying, run-off and transition period, it is critical farmers to try to anticipate their needs in advance heading into a new lactation season.

Hormone secretion, metabolic changes and bone rebuilding are all changes being experienced, and these are exacerbated by added stress and low dry matter intake during the first days post-calving, says Sollus technical veterinary advisor Dr Joe McGrath.

Nutrients

“Being confronted in a short period with such huge challenges, cows have to manage this situation that will impact not only production, but also immune status and reproduction performance.”

“A dairy cow moves many nutrients to produce milk solids during lactation and as a result, she needs to rebuild her body and skeleton during the dry and transition period to start the next lactation without metabolic disorders developing.”

An animal nutrition expert and Sollus technical advisor, Joe says

at each lactation a cow can lose around 500g of calcium from her natural storage, namely her bones.

“She’s mining her skeleton to put calcium and phosphorus into milk. This situation can explain why higher-producing older cows are more susceptible to milk fever.

“It’s important to understand we need to optimise the absorption of calcium and phosphorus if we want strong healthy cows, basically putting back what we take out,” says Joe.

Different approach

In NZ conditions, knowing the dynamics of the minerals in different stages of a cow’s transition is key to designing the proper transition programme.

Joe says excess potassium affects magnesium absorption. “You also need to take into account mineral ratios, vitamin levels and understand the difference between farms to devise the most beneficial strategy on-farm.”

Based on this scientific knowledge and NZ conditions, Sollus’ approach is very different to conventional mineral company recommendations, says Joe. Sollus designs and formulates products to be the best transition supplements for NZ dairy cows.

Along with the calcium, magnesium and salt cows need, Sollus’

Sollus technical advisor Dr Joe McGrath urges farmers to consider cows’ nutrient needs in the lead-up to calving and beyond.

product Tranzsol incorporates antioxidants, magnesium and, most importantly, Rovimix Hy-D. “This combination allows cows to safely transition, even when consuming pasture,” says Joe. Rovimix Hy-D is a molecule designed by animal nutrition company DSM to manage calcium absorption.

Calcium is critical for function of the smooth muscles of the uterus, rumen and teats.

“If these muscle groups can’t function effectively, we greatly increase the risk of metabolic disorders, and prevalence of mastitis and reproductive issues,” says Joe. With Tranzsol, Sollus is helping NZ farmers reduce metabolic issues through functional nutrition based on proven science.

“We no longer need accept these diseases as a natural consequence of milking cows,” says Joe. To find out more, see: www. sollus.co.nz

DAIRY

Page 38

Land health and herd welfare are key Dairy farmers must continue to focus on the environmental impacts of their operations and animal welfare in order to keep pace with consumer demands, says Harry Phipps, who is 2019’s Central Plateau Dairy Trainee of the Year.

“The industry has made a lot of changes in the last 20 years but must change even more if it is not to get left behind,” Harry told those who attended the Dairy Industry Awards Central Plateau winners’ field day near Tokoroa in April.

The 22-year-old is herd manager for Gary and Kathy O’Donnell, milking 400 cows on a 140ha Rotorua farm. He won $5770 in prizes and two merit awards – the T H Enterprises LTD Farming

Knowledge Award and DairyNZ Practical Skills Award – in the competition.

Teenage Harry didn’t see himself going farming but was nonetheless influenced by his parents’ focus on protecting the environment on and around their farm in the ecologically sensitive Lake Rerewhakaaitu catchment.

Trevor Phipps and Jacqui Heaton are part of Project Rerewhakaaitu, which involves farmers in the catchment working together to retain and enhance the lake’s water quality.

“Dad is passionate about the environment. He instilled in me that it’s often the little things you do slightly differently that can make a big difference and I’ve taken that on board in my current role.”

During the field day Harry paid tribute to his parents and his employers Gary and Kathy, who he said had “taken me under their wing and taken the time to teach me things”.

When asked what advice he’d give to school students weighing up their career options, Harry said young people should look to what interested them and that university was not the only path to a future career.

“You can be made to feel a failure if you don’t go to university but that is not the case. There are other options,” says Harry, who has a Diploma in Sports Management.

“I was relief milking when I was offered a full-time job and initially saw it as a way to earn an income and be independent. It wasn’t long The 2019 Central Plateau Dairy Trainee of before I decided farming was pretty the Year, Harry Phipps, with his employers cool and I was enjoying it.

Gary and Kathy O’Donnell.

“Then I saw the clear career paththis time studying Level 4 PrimaryITO ways within the industry and the Dairy Farming. “The courses are excellent opportunities dairy farming offered people and cover aspects of farming which are who were motivated and wanted to be the applicable to me. It’s good to be in a class best they could be.” with like-minded people.”

Elaine Fisher He also enjoyed the return to studying,

Trainee winner holds extensive industry knowledge For 21-year-old Matt Dawson, becoming a farmer was not a hard decision.

As a small boy, growing up on the family dairy farm in Horsham Downs,

and relief milking from age 13, he knew what he wanted to do.

“I wasn’t really into school work until I took Agriculture at NCEA level 2 and

I loved it,” says 2019’s Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year.

Since then there has been no stopping him and he holds eight agricultural qualifications, and is part-way through a NZ Diploma in Agribusiness Management.

Winning the third category of the Dairy Industry Awards’ Waikato competition, The 2019 Waikato Dairy Matt also took home Trainee of the Year, the FarmRight Farming Matt Dawson.

Knowledge Award, and was commended by the judges for his extensive industry knowledge – particularly in areas of animal health, feeding, calving and mating management.

Matt has been 2IC on the 230ha dairy platform on Henri Pennings’s farm near Hamilton. “I see Henri as a mentor, and someone who is also passionate about growing grass, and fully feeding the cows,” says Matt.

And his experience milking 620 cows on this System 3 farm has put him in good stead for his next role. For the 2019/2020 season he’s returning to his family’s farm for a low order sharemilking role. He’ll be taking over from one of his older brothers, who he views as another likeminded role model.

“I’m lucky to be able to build a herd within a herd on our family farm.”

Matt, and his wife Tayla have a new baby – and a 10-year goal to obtain an 800-cow farm in equity partnership.

“For me, farming is different every day and you need a varied skillset,” says Matt. “You should strive to do what you love, you can’t put a price on happiness.”

Wise words from this ambitious 21-year-old.

Catherine Fry

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DAIRY

Page 39

Creating resilience in NZ’s dairy herd A new $25.68 million, seven-year innovation programme for New Zealand’s dairy industry will drive improvements in health and wellbeing of the nation’s dairy herd and provide a step-change in sustainable milk production, according to those who launched the initiative at Fieldays last month.

The programme, called ‘Resilient Dairy: Innovative Breeding for a Sustainable Future’ is being led by farmer-owned herd improvement co-operative Livestock Improvement Corporation, with investment and support from the Ministry for Primary Industries and DairyNZ. It will invest in new disease management technologies and advancements in genomic science to improve cow productivity, and produce better cows with improved health, wellbeing and environmental resilience.

Launched at Fieldays by the Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor, the programme is being funded

by LIC investing $11.2m, MPI giving $10.3m and DairyNZ injecting $4.2m.

MPI’s director investment programmes Steve Penno says at the heart of the new programme is innovation that aims to deliver long-term economic, environmental and animal health benefits for NZ. “For NZ to maintain its reputation as a worldleading producer of premium products, we need to further increase the value of our products in a way that improves sustainability,” says Steve.

“MPI is investing in this new programme as it aims to deliver long-term gains in a number of areas, including sustainable production, milk quality, and animal wellbeing, while importantly reducing impacts on the environment.”

LIC, the largest supplier of artificial breeding services to NZ dairy farms, states it will leverage its existing capabilities in genomic science and diagnostics to

develop innovative breeding tools and tests that support more sustainable milk production.

“We’re committed to providing farmers with the tools they need to improve their prosperity and productivity in a sustainable way, with animal health, wellbeing and the environment at the forefront,” says LIC’s chief scientist Richard Spelman.

“This programme will strengthen our existing research and development work to keep our farmers and NZ leading the global pastoral dairy system.”

DairyNZ’s strategic investment leader Bruce Thorrold says investment from his industry body will go into re-building its national evaluation system for dairy cattle to incorporate genomic information to facilitate faster rates of genetic gain.

“Resilient Dairy is our opportunity to get back in front of the world with genetic gain,” says Bruce.

“With new discoveries in genomic methods and data collection we’re now in the position to jump ahead and incorporate genomic data into our animal evaluation system – enabling the whole sector to maximise genetic gain.” Richard says this programme will address calls for resilience and sustainability on dairy farms, now

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor, LIC chief scientist Richard Spelman, MPI director investment programmes Steve Penno, DairyNZ strategic investment leader Bruce Thorrold.

and into the future.

“Through the new Resilient Dairy: Innovative Breeding for a Sustainable

Future programme, we’re investing now, to help futureproof our dairy industry and deliver long-term benefits for NZ.”

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Page 40

Smashing negativity with new ideas I attended the Smaller Milk And Supply Herds – known as SMASH – 2019 conference on June 18 at Karapiro, and it was a real breath of fresh air.

After years of listening to speakers at meetings moaning about the trouble and cost of what’s being forced onto farmers, this one was full of new ideas, and positive thoughts about changes that are proving positive and profitable when the attitudes are right.

SMASH was been set up to help dairy farmers, particularly those with smaller operations, to run successful businesses.

And while it looked so tiny not so long ago, it now holds 18 sessions per year all over the country for what are a very devoted group of small farmers.

In tune with the ‘new ideas’ theme, the first speaker was Miraka Ltd’s CEO Richard Wyeth, who explained just how differently this Maori-focused company has approached its task of processing milk from a comparatively small number of farms in a cohesive block near Taupo. They now have 108 suppliers.

Firstly, he was part of a team who raised an initial $55 million to get the basics of a processing plant up and running in time for an upcoming first season

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in 2010. And they must have done a lot right, because they made a profit from year one. A geothermal power station and then 25 acres of glasshouses growing tomatoes has been one major difference, coupled with company values of kaitiakitanga, integrity, excellence, tikanga and innovation through collaboration at all levels of hapu and iwi.

The major outside investor has been Vinamilk of Vietnam, which holds 25 per cent ownership, and their focus on UHT milk for infants sold in ‘bricks’ is winning increasing hearts and mouths in China, which is their major customer. They’re now producing 60 million litres of it.

Sustainability has been Miraka’s watchword from day one, and their

enormous worm farm copes with all their waste successfully and profitably.

They have 130 staff and their operation works to five key criteria – people, environment, cows, milk and prosperity, with a 20 cent bonus paid to those who achieve these 100 per cent.

So far they’ve won some prestigious awards, but are now focused on value add, with the products now named Taupo Pure. They’re working on three more nutritional products.

An interesting feature of their marketing is that they’ve adopted the Chinese practice of promoting their products through key opinion leaders, who tell their friends, who tell their friends; and this form of network marketing is working a treat!

Sue Edmonds

Bulk tank milk screening continues In its efforts to continue its fight to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis in NZ, the Ministry for Primary Industries has decided to continue screening bulk tank milk, with a few modifications to the regime to improve their ability to identify infected farms.

National screening will be conducted monthly, from July 1, and will continue indefinitely.

According to MPI, ongoing screen-

ing of bulk tank milk samples nationally may identify infected herds otherwise undetected due to incomplete and inaccurate movement records, and may identify infected herds faster than the tracing of animal movements, as those movements can only be traced once the source Confirmed Property is found.

See: www.biosecurity.govt.nz/protection-and-response/mycoplasma-bovis/

DAIRY

A meatless threat ahead?

The weather’s been good, nice drops of rain but not too much at once.

We’ve got about 30ml at a time, with five-seven days between falls. These intervals allow the ground to dry out, so we’ve been able to graze our swamp blocks into June without pugging, pulling the cattle off when wet weather is coming. This means less pasture damage on farms – a plus going into spring.

But mild, moist conditions mean something could be lurking in the way of fungal disease, like footrot. Farmers need to keep an eye out for lame cows, unusually we’ve had a few this year. There could be more bugs and insects around if cold weather doesn’t eventuate to knock them back. Our grass is still growing and the weeds are too – early pasture spraying might be needed so they don’t get too far advanced.

Out of kilter

Recent talk of the Reserve Bank dropping interest rates slightly is slowing farm sales. Banks have less capital value in properties and are getting nervous because things are a bit out of kilter. If there’s less money about, there’s less farm buyers – kiwifruit blocks seem to be an exception.

It makes it harder for young fellas to come in, as it’s more difficult for them to get money from banks.

Borrowing will be tighter. It’s easier for older established farmers, but new younger farmers or anyone who has gone in with high equity will face more of a challenge. All farmers need to drive debt down as quickly as they can.

The Government’s Farm Debt Mediation Bill is good news. The proposed legislation will require creditors to offer mediation to farmers who default on payments before they take enforcement action and will allow farmers to initiate mediation.

In March 2019 NZ exports rose to $5.7 billion with dairy products at $1.4 billion, so it’s looking promising despite the Global Dairy Trade being down the last auction. Most people are talking of a solid $7 kgMS payout this season. The economy can bobble up and down a bit, especially with uncertainties with China-US trade relationships, but it’s looking good generally. Be aware it could get tight if you want to borrow extra funds for feed and suchlike.

Debt mediation on way

A new debt mediation scheme to help farmers in financial distress deal with their lenders is being welcomed by agricultural industry groups since its announcement by the Government.

The Farm Debt Mediation Bill, approved by Cabinet last month, will require creditors to offer farmers who default on payments mediation before they take any enforcement action.

If passed into law, the legislation will apply to loans secured against farmland, farm machinery, livestock and harvested crops and wool.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says total farm debt in NZ is $62.8 billion – up 270 per cent on 20 years ago. “Farmers are especially vulnerable to business downturns as a result of conditions that are often outside their control, like weather, market price volatility, pests and diseases like Mycoplasma bovis.

“Farmers who operate a family business often don’t have the resources to negotiate their own protections when dealing with lenders. That’s where this piece of legislation fits in.”

DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says a 2017-2018 Economic Survey results show farm working expenses have increased for dairy farmers – with a 70 cent rise in the break-even costs that year to $5.87 per kgMS. The current break-even for dairy farmers is $5.95 per kgMS. “Our data also indicated three-four per cent of farms are struggling to meet their payments or have very high Loan to Value Ratios. Those are the farms which will really see the benefit of this Bill.”

Fieldays was interesting – there seemed to be a good turnout and some very innovative things on show, alongside well-established goods and equipment and the bargains we all love.

Men’s health was certainly pushed this year. Many entered the Health & Wellbeing Hub to get checked for diabetes and high blood pressure amongst other things. Many farmers are away on holiday in June, which is good because getting off-farm is crucial to mental wellbeing.

Not having to deal with a farm’s daily runnings for a while will give them a fresh start for when they return and calving starts.

Last month I touched on plant-based protein replacements. I’ve since read that Hollywood director James Cameron, who owns land in the Wairarapa, is promoting a meatless future and is teaming up with Kiwi director Sir Peter Jackson to create a ‘plant-based’ business. Their idea would see ‘plant-meat’, ‘plant-cheese’ or ‘plant dairy’ factories in provincial NZ towns. Cameron wants to phase out livestock farming due to its impact on the environment, saying we need to transition to a meatless or relatively meatless world in 20 to 30 years.

Industry threatened

This is a huge threat to NZ’s primary industries, which traditionally have created most of our export revenue – and still do. Dairy, Beef and sheep farmers need to be wary of growing public interest in protein-based meat and dairy replacements, as it’s a real concern for our farming industry.

Moderating this threat though is the constantly growing world population, which requires feeding.

NZ can continue to provide food, including meat and dairy products. To counter the protein-based substitutes, we need to continue to improve our environment practices to ensure our customers see our products as being as ‘clean and green’ as the alternatives.

Back on the farm demand for silage is up but hay is slow. Farmers had a good summer and were able to make their own, so the need to buy in has been slower than past years. We still have good quality silage and hay available.

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Page 42

CARTAGE & EARTHWORKS

Students solve calf-catching dilemma Three Year 13 boys used to life on-farm and problems encountered in everyday dairying have used their initiative to solve a simpleyet-frustrating occurrence during calving.

lifting and holding the animal in such a situation.

Daniel says Gate + can fit already existing calf trailers. “It eliminates the problem of having to put a calf down to slide open normal gates on these type of calf trailers, which don’t always slide very easily.

“With this gate, you walk Most farmers will admit up carrying your calf and calving is not the easiest slide it straight through the time of year – and catchspringed gates that open ing newborn calves to into the trailer, and shut take back to the milking behind the calf automatished can have its dramas. cally.

This occurrence “And with a pin holding prompted St Paul’s Colthe gate in place at one legiate students Daniel side, you can also lift this Pearse, Sanraj Dhaliwal pin and open the gate as and Douwe De Boer to you would a normal gate to come up with Gate +. unload the calves out of the Gate + is a custom-built trailer.” frame that is built to fit Daniel says the trio came any already existing calf up with the idea in March trailer. The product has for their school’s innovatwo saloon-type doors tion competition called the that open inwards with a Crocodile Pit and came St Paul’s Collegiate Year 13 students Sanraj slight gap between them, second, winning them a Dhaliwal, Douwe De Boer and Daniel Pearse which gives the farmer spot at the Innovations with their invention Gate +.

Photo: Merle Foster. ease of pushing the calves Tent at Fieldays. through the doors.

Between the trio, they designed and welded the gate The doors are spring loaded so they return shut after prototype at a garage at one of their homes. The boys the calf is loaded, so the animal cannot escape and have trialled Gate + on their families’ farms and hope farmers can efficiently get the animal onto a trailer to take it to market in the near future. without using two hands – which are usually tied up Merle Foster

Review stopbank grazing with change of season With winter fast approaching, Bay of Plenty Regional Council is again reminding rural landowners of the requirements to protect the region’s stopbanks from the effects of stock and overgrazing.

BOPRC rivers and drainage asset manager Kirsty Brown says most farmers and lifestyle block owners know the rules but the importance of maintaining the region’s flood defences can’t be underestimated.

“Council manages and maintains almost 352km of stopbanks across the region to protect people, prop-

erty and livelihoods. During winter, it is common sense to keep stock off the stopbanks as much as possible to prevent pugging and damage.

“Churned up ground is not just a surface problem, it can cause much greater issues. Good grass cover helps to ‘knit together’ the soil structure underneath, so weakening that element can have a disastrous effect on surrounding properties and potentially the wider community.”

Kirsty says pigs and horses scraping and tearing up the grass cover can also be a potential problem and bulls are never permitted on stopbanks “because their weight and behaviour can very quickly cause significant damage”.

During winter it is common sense to keep stock off stopbanks as much as possible to prevent pugging and damage.

BOPRC’s Floodway and Drainage Bylaw applies to drains, pumping stations, defences against water, river edge protection works and floodways owned by council. Under the bylaw it is an offence to damage stopbanks, and landowners can be held liable for any damage. Minor offences will receive written and verbal warnings, while more serious offences could face abatement notices, fines and prosecution.

The bylaw also requires an authority to be applied for by anyone intending to build or demolish any structure, undertake earthworks, or any groundpenetrating work in the vicinity of a stopbank.

Conditions differ across the region, so anyone intending to carry out work near a flood defence should contact BOPRC for full details.

“Our Rivers and Drainage team naturally keep an eye on the condition of our stopbanks and we always welcome contact from members of the public who may suspect a problem.

“Our Pollution Hotline (0800 884 883) is the best way to report any areas of concern,” says Kirsty.

CARTAGE & EARTHWORKS

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A national plan is needed - now!

I’ve just had that sinking feel again. About 15 years ago I was vocal in print that we needed to be aware China was and would continue to buy up strategic assets in New Zealand.

Not to mention an ever-increasing stake in our number one industry, dairying.

At the time I was ‘howled-down’ by many farmers, saying we needed the money coming in so they could sell their farms at a better price. So, I quietly shut up, which is unusual for me.

However, on June 6, 2019, in the business section of the ‘NZ Herald’ on page B2, a story was printed about China’s National Development and Reform Commission, named the NDRC for short. This commission “encourages” Chinese companies to buy foreign producers and set up production facilities overseas. And, I got that sinking feeling again.

China has now openly stated their proposal to acquire assets, many of which are food-producing – and good on them – but more fool are we for being so willing to sell to them. I’ve banged on about a national plan for agriculture, let alone a national

plan for New Zealand, but every time there’s an election we get new politicians trying to cement their position and the national interest flies out the Beehive window!

And now China is offering to pay $246 million for Westland Milk, which has infant formula-making facilities.

Currently in our dairying industry, China has a 39 per cent holding in Synlait Milk; a Shanghai-listed company called Yili owns South Canterbury’s Oceania Dairy; in Southland, Mataura Valley Milk is majority owned by China Animal Husbandry Group; and Yashili, one of China’s top infant formula makers, has a state-of-the-art infant formula plant at Pokeno.

China is looking at better food security for their nation, particularly infant formula after the melamine scare in 2008. If you’ve studied food securities, you’ll realise they’re on track to look after their nation only. There are only three good feeds between peace and a revolution.

A machine that can do what others can’t If you’ve got something that needs a tidy but your regular tools just aren’t going to cut it, give the team at Banks Contractors a call.

They’ve just started working with their new forestry-style excavator-mounted mulcher and it’s the perfect machine to tame back overgrowth.

“It’s been great for trimming shelterbelts, taking shelterbelts down to ground level, trimming avocado trees, overgrown gorse and scrub and things like that,” says Banks Contractor’s Brandon Banks.

“You can reach up about 10 metres in the air and come down and just take trees down or basically anything down to ground level.”

Brandon says the manufacturer suggests that it can do 8-10 inches – or 200-250 millimetres – in diameter all day long, but Brandon says it can do wider if needed. “It will do larger diameters, it just takes a little bit more time.”

He says it’s a great piece of machinery for work that commercial tools just won’t make a dent in.

“It can pretty much do any overgrown sidelings or banks, any hard to reach areas, long streams, creeks or rivers, anywhere a bit hard to get to, anywhere shelter trimmers don’t want to touch.

“Anything like an overgrown shelterbelt that’s too big for a shelter trimmer, I can come in and get it back to shape and then the landowners can go through and trim it and tidy it up again.”

The 17.5 tonne compact radius excavator is perfect for navigating into those hard-to-reach places.

“Because it doesn’t have the big tail on it you can sneak it through places,” says Brandon.

Banks Contractors services Paeroa to Whakatane and into the Waikato.

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Banks Contractors’ forestry-style excavator-mounted mulcher can do what other machines can’t.

During a war, attacking nations will try to cut off food supply to the country in question. Japan went through this in World War II and have never forgotten the lessons they learned.

Thank goodness for Winston Peters, who has long been voicing caution about the sale of assets. If it does get really rough, at least NZ cannot sell Maori land, including farms, or the DOC estate.

So, what can we do? What is done is done and what is sold is sold – but we need a national plan to protect our key assets and our income streams from

now on. New Zealand should retain ownership of land and only lease it to foreign interests.

This is fairly hard-hitting stuff and if it rings a bell with you, start talking about it and push for change. I’ve found if you work together you can move mountains, but on your own nothing happens.

Disclaimer – These are the opinions of Don Fraser of Fraser Farm Finance. Any decisions made should not be based on this article alone and appropriate professional assistance should be sought. Don Fraser is the Principal of Fraser Farm Finance and a consultant to the farming industry. Contact him on 021 777 675.

Page 44

FORESTRY

World-leading robotics to process logs The world’s first robotic logging truck scaler was unveiled at Mount Maunganui last month, transforming safety, efficiency and accuracy of the measurement of export logs at the Port of Tauranga.

Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker cut a ribbon to mark the commissioning of two Robotic Scaling Machines at ISO’s log scaling facility on Hull Rd.

The job of measuring logs has been a manual system, used worldwide, which requires people to hand-scan the logs and climb between trucks and trailers, says ISO chief executive officer Paul Cameron. The RSM now gathers this information with a robotic arm, which passes over the logs on a truck and a trailer. This makes the process much safer for workers. “The technology moves people off the ground from areas where they could be at risk to areas that are controlled “They can then take time to assess the detail coming from the images to get a

Above: The robotic logging truck scaler at Mount Maunganui is a world-first. Photos: Daniel Hines. far better recognition of the volume of the log, which then flows all the way back to the forest owner and for the tree that was planted almost 25 years ago.

“It’s also much faster, taking between three and four-and-a-half minutes to scan and measure a truck and trailer, no matter how many logs. In contrast, the manual process can take up to 40 minutes.”

Paul says they’ve also found the RSM to be much more accurate. “So far, we’re achieving 95 per cent accuracy in the measurement of packets of logs. This has exceeded our expectations.”

With more than 25 million logs per year coming through NZ ports, Paul’s company had been looking to improve efficiency and safety of measuring truckloads of logs as they come to the POT. The machine was initially a concept of ISO’s, and they formed a development partnership with Taurangabased Robotics Plus to develop a full-scale, commercial model complete with custom robotics and sensing systems for meet their requirements.

Robotics Plus chief technical officer Dr Alistair Scarfe says automation of the prototype provided some complex technical challenges. “Logs come in all sorts

Above: The RSM gathers information with a robotic arm, which passes over the logs on a truck and a trailer.

Above: The RSM takes three-to-four-and-ahalf minutes to scan and measure a truck and trailer, no matter how many logs. of sizes and number on each truckload. Sometimes the ends are caked in mud and light conditions vary constantly. To overcome these issues, we developed an array of cameras that take multiple images and process them into a three-dimensional representation of the load of logs. The RSM calculates accurate dimensions of the load which are uploaded to ISO’s database.”

Alistair says the way the technology is being applied and the problem-solving that’s made the log scaler work is world-leading. “We’re very proud of what our team has achieved.”

The Minister says the technology is a real example of adding value to volume. “The value here arises from not just selling the log, but from the technology that Robotics Plus and ISO have teamed together, which is world-leading technology. It reduces cost, improves efficiency and creates new jobs.”

Paul says the RSMs create new higher skilled jobs and help address a long-term, chronic labour shortage.

“We always have a number of vacancies for the manual measuring, so the new machines are helping address that. They also need highly skilled people to run the processing side. So far, we’ve employed five people to do this with six more to come.”

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Monitoring work during the last 15 years clearly shows it is possible for intensively-farmed dairy and grazing properties to steadily gain carbon.

With more carbon annual pasture production lifts with less nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients lost to groundwater, a positive outcome in all respects.

And yet for farms dependent on regular applications of fertiliser nitrogen that’s not necessarily the situation.

More nitrogen applied means slower carbon build-up and when excess N is used carbon can be steadily removed, leaving soils pale and compacted and largely devoid of life.

The question is, how much is too much? It depends, however an intensive dairy farm where regular N applications began 40 years ago is now reducing animal numbers each year due to rapidly declining pasture yields.

In recent years a little more than 300kgN/ha has been applied annually with the argument for continued input being that where it’s not applied pasture doesn’t grow.

Own programme

is negligible, and from Year 2 onwards pasture and total output steadily lifts.

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Most soils naturally contain 500015,000kg N/ha within the root zone of healthy plants. What is used each year can be readily replaced with N primarily fixed by clover. Those operators adopting well proven nutrient programmes along with sound grazing management find that annual production steadily lifts while all other costs – particularly animal ill-health costs – steadily decline.

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At face value research seems like a good thing, however when will farmers see a return on their investment? And will the benefit be worthwhile? Those of a cynical mindset are suggesting that research institutes will benefit far more than farmers.

The reality is that the cost of environmental research, monitoring, and implementation of the resultant rules and regulations, will be ultimately be borne by landowners.

Historically, the cost of such research has been offset by a steady rise in the dollar value of rural land. However, increasingly there’s talk of properties being sold at discounted prices, with few believing that prices will rise within the next five years.

There’s always exceptions, with reports of unlimited money available for land suitable for kiwifruit development. And yet it’s pastoral land that should be the most valuable of all, because of its ability to sequester carbon.

It is under-grazed permanent pastures that carbon can most rapidly be sequestered. Historically, land was rotationally cropped until declining yields made it uneconomic – at which time it was returned to permanentgrazed pasture.

Over time soil carbon in the form of humus developed sufficiently for the cropping cycle to be repeated. Extra

carbon under pasture is well-known, as evidenced by pastoral farms in areas suitable for cropping being highly prized for their initial exceptional levels of production.

With the price of carbon credits likely to rise substantially in the near future pastoral farmers should be in a position to gain, and yet the opposite appears almost certain to be the case. Each farm owner will be paying either directly or indirectly for the loss of carbon from their property.

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Farming is quickly becoming a taxation bonanza for the Government. A tax on nitrous oxide and methane emissions is coming, even if it’s not labelled as such. Farmers ultimately will fund ongoing research that will spawn further study on other related issues.

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Know the nitrogen cycle Nitrogen plays an important role in increasing pasture and crop yields, helping to fill the feed gaps.

When used strategically, nitrogen is effective in synthesis of proteins in both plants and animals. Nitrogen is also an essential component of green pigment (chlorophyll) in plant leaves, which are vital for photosynthesis.

To get the most effective benefit of using nitrogen in farming systems, it is important to understand the nitrogen cycle.

During winter, farmers should be particularly cautious when applying nitrogen fertilisers to pasture or crops.

Winter applications

Winter applications of nitrogen fertilisers are generally least effective for promoting grass growth.

That’s because slow growth of pasture in winter and greater drainage can result in nitrate leaching before plants can take it up.

The nitrogen can make its way to waterways where it can stimulate nuisance algal growth. Lactating cows will excrete, in urine, about 70 per cent of the nitrogen

they consume. Again, the risk of this nitrogen leaching from urine patches is much higher in winter.

This nitrogen leaching, along with phosphorus run off, not only contaminates waterbodies but is a loss of economically valuable nutrients.

Nutrient budgeting

Nutrient budgeting using computer models such as Overseer, combined with feed budgeting, enables farmers to understand if they’re using too much or too little fertiliser. By doing this, farmers can optimise use of nutrients and reduce the impact on the environment by developing a pragmatic nutrient management plan.

Understanding the term ‘response rate’ helps farmers when it comes to implementing these plans.

The response rate is the amount of pasture grown in terms of kilograms of dry matter per hectare per kilogram of nitrogen (N) applied.

For example, when 20kg N/ha is applied and an additional 200kg DM/ha of pasture is grown, the response rate is 10kg DM/kg N applied. The response is dependent on several factors such as soil temperature, plant growth, soil moisture, the deficiency of available nitrogen in the soil and the rate of

nitrogen applied per application.

The best response to N fertiliser occurs on fast-growing pasture, when other factors such as moisture and soil temperature are not limiting growth. Response rate variation also depends on the season and on N application rate. In winter, at the same application rate, responses are lower and slower than other times of the year. It is better to apply N fertiliser when the pasture cover is around 1500kg DM/ha. This ensures there is sufficient leaf area for photosynthesis, leading to good pasture growth.

Fixation

Also, nitrogen fertiliser reduces nitrogen fixation by clover by about 1kg N/ha/year for every 3kg of nitrogen fertiliser applied. In addition, clover content will be further reduced if nitrogen-boosted pastures shade the clover. This effect is seen during spring. Remember the profitability of applying nitrogen is dependent on the utilisation of the extra feed. Therefore, nitrogen needs to be strategically applied to fill genuine feed deficits.

Bala Tikkisetty is a sustainable agriculture advisor at Waikato Regional Council. Call 0800 800 401 or email: bala.tikkisetty@waikatoregion.govt.nz

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Food security has to be a priority here For a country such as China, food security is somewhere near the top of a priority list. The Chinese and others buy land all around the world, but mostly in Africa. For New Zealand, food security does not even feature in the ‘top 1000’ of our priorities.

As our standard of living declines, the Government hides behind ‘cheap food’ to placate the population. But what is cheap food? In short it is a non-food, processed, sugary, fast, imported, chemically-contaminated item which contains antibiotics, Genetically Modified Organisms and/or artificial. In fact it is everything except healthy.

There are also many instances of where diseases have their origins in overseas factory-farming enterprises. These include H1H1 swine flu, numerous bird flus and mycoplasma bovis. They are manmade diseases. Food is designed for commerce, not for health.

To get cheap food, the Government has embarked on a series of Free Trade Agreements where the exporting companies are granted the right to sue a government, at our cost, if those governments legislate in a manner detrimental to the companies’ profits. But what about the rights of our citizens to have healthy and clearly labelled food? Food that will keep them out of hospital, and off legal drugs? Are the costs

of medical care, social welfare and other external costs factored into the true cost of cheap food?

Absolutely not! In the US, the highest number of bankruptcies have their origins in unpaid medical bills. Ill health cannot be separated from a poor diet.

What about our local food producers? Much of the food in NZ is produced by family enterprises and they are

New advice on winter P application With the Fertiliser Association of NZ being asked whether it is appropriate to apply phosphate fertiliser from May to August inclusive, it has produced an advisory with good management practice principles. “Our Code of Practice for Nutrient Management provides a framework for the overall management of nutrients on arable and pastoral farms, horticulture and viticulture blocks, market gardens and forest plantations; and it outlines best practices for phosphorus fertiliser use as well,” says FANZ. “In particular, the code states phosphorus should not be used when soils are saturated.

“Phosphorus can be lost in surface runoff, and on a limited number of soils by leaching, if you get rainfall on saturated soils in the period after application. The code also notes application should be limited when rain is forecast or when irrigation is planned, on lands with a steep slope, and during winter.”

FANZ has also issued a series of booklets identifying nutrient requirements for specific crops and pastoral systems. “Both the code and the booklets are intended to give farmers and growers the information and tools to manage fertiliser responsibly.”

For more information, see: http://www.fertiliser.org.nz/

severely affected when Australian-owned supermarkets flood the market with cheap imported vegetables and fruit.

Some, especially those with a mortgage, are forced to sell up and exit the industry. The supermarkets’ strategy is to flood the market with imports in the local harvest season and crash the prices, or to stop buying local produce and reenter the market with very low buying prices. The Commerce Commission approved the duopoly of Australian supermarkets in NZ. It is not a coincidence that supermarkets are the worst offenders.

For this to happen, the Government has opened the borders for inferior produce while demanding that bacteria, viruses and other potential disease organisms are excluded. Does that sound logical or even possible to achieve? To achieve this goal, irradiation and other health-detrimental processes must be employed. From a consumer’s point of view, those processes must be opposed. Border breaches by organisms are on the increase. We have seen poplar rust, cabbage tree dieback, Dutch Elm disease, myrtle rust and kauri dieback, weeds, insects, snakes and more. We’ve seen PKE-laden ships moved outside the territorial limits to be fumigated, then allowed back in. Government policy is at fault. That policy needs to change in favour of protecting NZ residents.

EFFLUENT & IRRIGATION

Page 48

Precision irrigation - every drop counts!

For 10 years the Zimmatic Precision Variable Rate Irrigation system has been recognised around the world as the leading precision irrigation solution on the market, says Lindsay NZ’s Denis Gavin.

“Its uniqueness lies in its Kiwi-developed Precision VRI technology, which allows farmers to irrigate specific areas that need it, while avoiding watering unproductive land, and applying the right amount of water and

nutrients needed to grow sustainable crops,” says Denis.

To get the most out of the technology the irrigated area can be EM – short for Electro-Magnetic – surveyed, which provides an indication of the spatial variation in water-holding capacity of the soil. This information can then be used as a basis for the irrigation plan in which the Precision VRI technology will individually control each nozzle, allowing customised irrigation within a field.

“From growing the seeds we rely on to grow our vegetables, to the maize we plant to feed stock, efficient irrigation makes sure every drop counts,” says

Denis. “During the last decade Precision VRI has enabled NZ’s farmers, food producers and agricultural contractors to achieve better results, driving efficiencies and saving money – to the benefit of our agribusinesses and their contributions to the global food economy.”

From sowing seed right through to cutting crops, Zimmatic Precision VRI helps farmers and producers save NZ’s precious natural resources while maintaining growth and production, and our competitive advantage as a global food provider. Find out more by visiting your local Zimmatic dealer or phone 0800 438 627.

Zimmatic’s remote control platform increases irrigation efficiency.

Support for water storage projects Water projects in the Hawke’s Bay are receiving a helping hand in the form of funds from the Government’s Provincial Growth Fund.

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With Growsmart® Precision VRI, you will make a positive contribution to the world’s food bowl, while saving New Zealand’s vital natural resources.

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The funding includes money for managed aquifer recharge, small-scale water storage and an aerial electromagnetic survey of Hawke’s Bay aquifers to improve understanding of groundwater depth and capacity.

Parliamentary Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau, who announced the funding last month, says the region is a significant contributor to NZ’s agriculture sector and a global producer, processor and exporter of primary sector products.

“It is therefore heavily reliant on a dependable water supply and transport to get its products to market.

“The PGF is making a major investment in water with two water storage initiatives, an aquifer mapping project, and a region-wide water assessment project to better understand the region’s wider water needs,” says Fletcher.

The Hawke’s Bay Water - Heretaunga Plains project received $12.9 million, the Regional Freshwater Assessment gained $450,000, and the Hawke’s Bay Water aquifer mapping $2,514,000.

Environment Minister David Parker says the water storage projects are of a much smaller scale than previously proposed initiatives. “Both projects will support horticultural production in the region by improving the security of water supply in dry years,” says David.

“Unlike the prior Ruataniwha scheme, which relied on increasing cow and cattle numbers, putting more pressure on water quality, these projects will assist the conversion of livestock farms to horticulture.”

New chair for agri women’s trust Agri-Women’s Development Trust has a new chair – Linda Cooper – who takes over from interim chair Mavis Mullins, who remains as patron of AWDT. Linda brings more than 20 years’ national and international executive leadership experience to the position. Governance roles have included trustee for Fonterra’s and Fisher & Paykel Appliance’s superannuation schemes, director of several Livestock Improvement Corporation subsidiaries in NZ and offshore, and board member of the National Science Challenge: Science for Technological Innovation.

Mavis says AWDT is delighted to have a leader with Linda’s background and experience to take up the role of chair. “She brings a wealth of commercial knowledge and expertise to the organisation along with a passion for supporting women to reach their full potential.” Linda is familiar with AWDT, having graduated from its flagship Escalator programme in 2013 and been involved as a programme facilitator.

EFFLUENT & IRRIGATION

Page 49

The challenge of farming on peat Waikato dairy farmers Ian and Penny Taylor run 440 cows with spring calving on a 141ha peat block near Gordonton.

in determining what kind of effluent management was required.

“We’d tested two different peat soils, putting effluent into lysimeters that went 700mm deep, which is a realistic level of most drainage systems, and testing the soils below,” says Ian. The less developed peat soils bound more nitrogen, had a higher phospho-

The peat and peaty loam soils can be challenging, as the couple found out in the spring of 2017 when circumstances brought forward their plans to build a new effluent pond.

“It was an exceptionally wet spring and the water table was close to saturated,” says Ian. He’s involved with the Waikato Focus on Peat Group, with Dave Holbrook from AgResearch, four other Waikato peat farmers, DairyNZ, Ballance, and is funded by a grant from the Sustainable Farming Fund.

The results from field research on their farm assisted Above: The old small underground effluent tank, solids storage, and new two-way valve pump system for the effluent.

rus leaching, and captured E.coli well.

The more developed peat soil leached similar nitrogen to an average mineral soil, and little phosphorus.

“However, there were issues with E.coli leaching when effluent was applied by the travelling irrigator at 15mm per run.

“In the second winter, using 10mm per run, most of it was held in the soil.”

The new pond is 2100m3, with a Viking liner, set on a clay base that goes 500mm into the ground.

The rest is above ground so the water table doesn’t rise into it.

Ian decided to futureproof the pond by building it almost twice the size recommended.

A water table indicator near the shed alerts staff to the need to start pumping effluent from the old

underground tank to the new pond. The pond stirrer runs nightly when the pond is high, helping with crust and smell.

Effluent gravity feeds back to the pump sump and only one pump is required.

The pond is emptied during the summer and the new Cobra travelling rain-gun applies at a rate varying between seven and 18mm depending on the requirements of the 15 effluent paddocks.

“It’s nice being able to utilise effluent effectively on freshly grazed paddocks in the summer when we are on 40-day rounds,” says Ian. The Taylors can now rest easy knowing they are fully compliant with Waikato Regional Council effluent requirements, and have contingency for whatever their peat soils throw at them.

Catherine Fry

New Zealand’s avocado industry has enjoyed a milestone month.

Our Prime Minister 2018’s NZ Avocado opened Industry Conferenc International August, applauding e in latethe industry for its increasing September saw success. And the of NZ avocados first shipments exported into the emerging Chinese market. See page 3 and our avocado feature pages 30-31 to on learn the China market. more about Manuela Cabelduc Pictured is for China at Apata packing fruit exporter Avoco. packhouse, for Photo: Nikki South.

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“It was sitting General Purpose out the back of Tapapa on some – in 1989. Today land and I needed a project,” says collection – all the Waikato Vintage Tractor George Gardner, he’s restored himself and Machiner about his first y Club – which many tractor – a 1943 would long for. Inc member and vintage tractor Case SC Read his story on pages 8-9. Photo: enthusiast has a personal Catherine Fry.

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Dairy farmer Ian Taylor by his new 2100m3 effluent pond on his Gordonton farm.

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FARM VEHICHLES, MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

Subsidies for CPDs on quads Quad bike users are being offered a new subsidy towards the purchase of a Crush Protection Device by ACC in a bid to lower fatality and injury statistics involving the machines at rural Kiwi workplaces.

According to ACC, each year quad bikes are a major cause of death and serious injury with many incidents associated with accidental rollovers.

“On average each year five people die, and ACC receives more than 1000 claims for work-related quad bikes accidents, costing $12 million.”

The subsidy was announced last

month shortly after Worksafe NZ made a policy clarification – that it strongly recommends a crush CPD be installed on all quad bikes used for work.

Industry groups Federated Farmers and Beef + Lamb NZ support Worksafe’s new CPD policy but the Motor Industry Association does not advise retro-fitting CPDs on quads that are not designed for them by the manufacturers. “This is not safe practice.”

Meanwhile some farmers are calling for CPDs on quad bikes to be compulsory. Currently, Worksafe says the use of CPDs will not be enforced – although discussions on the potentially life-saving devices will be taken up by WorkSafe staff when

visiting farms and workplaces as a part of their assessments activity.

Worksafe’s general manager of better regulation and legal Mike Hargreaves says CPDs fitted to a quad bike provide a survivable space should a rider be pinned underneath it. “Between January 2000 and October 2017 we know 81 people have been killed in quad bike accidents while at work. “Data reveals these accidents can happen on almost any part of the property – and to experienced and inexperienced riders. In many incidents the worker is crushed or unable to escape due to the weight of the bike, contributing to fatal or life-changing injuries. It’s our view CPDs are likely to prevent serious and fatal injuries.”

But Mike says it’s important farmers and others don’t treat CPDs as a ‘fit and forget’ solution. “The devices do not take the place of training, maintenance, protective gear, vehicle selection, or careful use of quad bikes, but they can provide some protection in the event of rollover.”

ACC’s subsidy applies to two brands of CPD – Quadbar NZ and Lifeguard – for self-employed and small to medium businesses in targeted sub-sectors at the highest injury rate, which includes beef, sheep and dairy farming. The subsidy is $180 per CPD with a maximum of two CPD purchases per business, including self-employed. The subsidy is on offer for 12 months, but ACC will review uptake after six months.

Motorcycle specialists in Taumarunui Establishing a motorcycle business in Taumarunui more than 33 years ago has proved extremely successful for Russell Josiah, whose business, Bike Torque, services the King Country and Ruapehu Bike Torque Otorohanga has been owned and regions, with an outlet in operated by Russell Josiah since 2004.

Otorohanga and a farm service workshop based in Taihape. team,” says Russell.

Russell says the company specialises in “We have finance options available with farm and motocross bikes, side-by-side competitive interest rates for successful UTVs and ATVs. applicants. We can ship nationwide and “Bike Torque Taumarunui is the main will consider ‘trade-ins’. Plus, we’re happy hub and authorised agent for Suzuki, to help with all your enquiries into sales, Yamaha, Polaris and Kawasaki brands, sell- service and accessories.” ing and servicing all their models of bikes The Bike Torque sales team currently and UTVs.” has some great in-store specials – including Meanwhile Bike Torque Otorohanga ‘one-off deals’, with big savings, ex-demo 2004 Ltd is situated on Maniapoto St and units with low kilometres and bikes with covers the greater Otorohanga, Te Kuiti added extras. and Te Awamutu region. The team there “So give the guys a ring and ask can handle all of your bike servicing them about one of our ‘top 10 deals’ – needs – “and if you want to buy new or because now is a good time to upgrade to a used, contact our Taumarunui sales new machine!”

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FARM VEHICHLES, MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

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Simulating multi-tasking on machinery Sitting in a simulator with goggles on, connecting him to a virtual world, Jayden Corbett of Te Kauwhata drove along a narrow hill country track while trying to count sheep.

The hill country sheep farm worker was doing something he does regularly – drive a side-by-side on-farm – but this time he was being watched by onlookers at the WorkSafe stand at Fieldays. “The track felt a lot narrower than in real life – it was an interesting experience. It kind of opens up your eyes to the dangers as it felt so different to real life.” And that was the idea, according to Worksafe lead of agriculture in engage-

ment and implementation group, Al McCone. “The idea is you drive across the paddock, over varying terrain, and count the number of sheep and this simulates the concurrent multi-tasking that farmers have to do.” Al says the simulator shows just how hard it is to actually stay on a typical farm track while you’re doing multiple things.

“We see, in future, a lot of training will be taking place in simulation equipment. This means people can make mistakes before they start driving on farms – and that they can learn the good way of doing things, before they get on the machines.”

Headsets to complete a virtual pre-ride check on a quad were also available to try.

Al says currently many farms have difficulty accessing training offJayden Corbett of Te Kauwhata in farm. the simulator at Worksafe’s stand. “And with uncertainty around

Kill weeds with the power of steam If weeds are affecting the way you live and how you enjoy your outdoors, it may be time to talk to the team at Weedtechnics.

“My hands are full of scars and splinters from refusing to take the shortcut of herbicide spraying, instead opting to always remove every weed manually,” says Weedtechnics’ Jess Hatton.

Now, the Weedtechnics team is introducing a better way – without chemicals and too much manual labour. “We first brought these Australian-invented machines into NZ in 2017, but the idea of using boiling water and steam to treat weeds is nothing new,” says Jess.

The crux of the issue has been getting the fatal temperature, 100 degrees Celsius, to the cells of the plant for an effective and efficient treatment.

“We’ve achieved a system that pressurises water and runs it

through a califont, superheating it to a temperature of 120 degrees Celsius, which is able to be maintained through up to 90m of insulated hose,” says Jess.

“It’s then depressurised to 12-15psi with weeding nozzles, to avoid disturbing mulch, making a mess or penetrating too deeply into the soil, preventing damage to feeder roots of desirable plants or harming worms and

soil microbiology.”

Jess says the beauty of this system is the results are immediate, you can do it in any weather, there are no additives to purchase, therefore no additives or residues being applied to the soil – it’s just water.

“It also doubles as a pressure cleaner, so once you’ve dealt to the weeds you can clean footpaths, decks, even the barbecue... retire the waterblaster, job done!”

Weedtechnics NZ managing director Sebastian Kramer with inventor of the machines, Jeremy Winer.

tertiary agricultural providers funding, who is doing this sort of training? So we’ve got to start looking at what other types of training may be useful.”

Al says setting the equipment up is expensive but they become easy to replicate.

“Worksafe funded a company called CoDrivr from Dunedin to create the background at Fieldays; the machine is theirs. This is usually used for rallying, so it’s a proper high-speed simulator that had to be detuned to replicate the farm track.”

Al says Worksafe made this the focus due to the majority of incidences onfarm happen around vehicles, about 80 per cent. “We’re seeing more and more people are having accidents because they are not controlling the vehicles; or they’re doing two things at once.

“And it’s the roll-overs that are causing the most harm – that’s why we’ve just launched a campaign to encourage farmers to put Crush Protection Devices on quads.” For their other vehicles, Worksafe is asking farmers to wear their seatbelts.

Merle Foster

FARM VEHICHLES, MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

Page 52

Devotion to David Browns takes hold Roto-o-Rangi drystock farmer Jim Gregan came to tractor collecting relatively late in life compared to some. However, he admits that when he started collecting in 2004, he went into it “in a big way”.

Jim’s dad had David Brown tractors on the family’s dairy farm, and Jim decided to collect them. He set himself an ambitious goal, aiming

Jim Gregan with his prized 1956 David Brown 50D tractor. Photos: Catherine Fry. to own every David Brown model manufactured between 1939 and 1987.

“I’ve got around 30 so far, and there’s still a few left

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to go,” says Jim. of oil a day on the His most prized journey!” tractor is a 1956 ‘Dave’ was completely David Browne 50D, restored between 2000 a CKD – Complete and 2004, and came Knock-Down – unit up for sale as part that was assembled in of a deceased estate New Zealand. ‘Dave’, in 2007. as the tractor is fondly Jim had been on the known, was one of two lookout for a 50D for that were shipped over some time and immetogether. diately picked up on “The model has no the impending auction.

Tales of ‘Pet’ Tractors hydraulics, which was In an attempt to secure & Machinery alike a downfall, but now the tractor, he tried to there are so few that put in a pre-auction they are collectible. offer, but it wasn’t “They are one of the enough to stop the auction. “There most sought-after vintage tractors in was a lot of interest in it, especially the world.” from the UK, where they are very With a four litre, six-cylinder engine, sought-after.” the 50D was designed as a pulling Jim had to fight hard to get Dave but tractor. ‘Dave’ ploughed paddocks in he got to take the coveted tractor home Canterbury until his retirement in the in the end. “Let’s just say there was a 1980s, when he was parked in a shed bit of competition at the auction.” for the next 20-odd years.

Jim has been Dave’s proud owner for He was bought around 2000 and the the last 12 years. He’s in great condinew owner drove him to tion, with gleaming ‘Hunting Pink’ Waiuku during four days. “Bearing in bodywork, and running like a dream. mind ‘Dave’ has a top speed of 12m/ Jim regularly takes the tractor hr, that was a lot of hours on the and others in his collection to agriroad,” says Jim. cultural shows, tractor treks, and the “I’ve been told he used 30L-40L annual Fieldays at Mystery Creek.

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Catherine Fry

COUNTRY LIVING

Page 53

Reviewing your joint health - Part 2 Last edition we talked of developing a simple tool for reviewing joint health.

Before you start a new joint health programme, you should think about your level of both pain and comfort and how this affects mobility and score this out of 10.

Each month you can then review and rate your progress.

This is particularly helpful when more than one joint is affected by arthritis.

Joint pain and subsequent loss of mobility can come from several sources. Firstly, there is damage caused by some trauma or injury.

Secondly, arthritic changes to joints result in cartilage loss.

The third source of pain is inflammation.

While inflammation is an essential part of our healing processes, misdirected or unwanted inflammation can result in a lot of pain.

The main function of cartilage is to allow for smooth movement of the bones in the joint.

Cartilage acts like a shock absorber, especially in weight-bearing joints and also helps to protects bones. As cartilage is lost this exposes the ends of bones.

While cartilage has no nerves, bone certainly does and can contribute to the pain we feel.

In my experience, the benefits people feel in the first three-six months are more likely to be from reducing inflammation than any structural changes in the joint.

For example, I’ve been helping someone with osteoarthritis in a knee and a thumb.

I created a personalised joint health programme that included high doses of Omega 3 fish oil and a double dose of my joint formula.

These higher doses delivered 1600mg of high grade chondroitin sulphate and glucosamine sulphate and 400mg of a 95 per cent pure curcumin extract from turmeric.

After just three months her knee had improved to becoming largely pain-free and her thumb that caused a seven-out-10 level of discomfort is now a four-out-of-10 and continuing to improve.

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 423559 or email: john@abundant.co.nz Join his all new newsletter at: www. abundant.co.nz

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“The beauty of this diaphragm airless sprayer is that it has no electronics so will work anywhere, even where there is a really poor power supply,” says Matt.

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COUNTRY LIVING

Page 54

Penguin lovers read on O U NT R

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He’s written seven books about penguins and published many scientific articles about them. He’s led 15 expeditions to Antarctica and studied penguins in exotic and far-flung locations around the Southern Hemisphere. And he maintains the website PenguinWorld.com An award-winning filmmaker and writer, his documentary ‘Meet the Real Penguins’, which he directed and scripted, won 12 international awards. His book ‘The Plight of the Penguin’ was the New Zealand Children’s Book of the Year.

His new title, ‘Waddle’, is a book of fun for penguin lovers. Seemingly upright caricatures of us, it is easy to bond with these black and white ‘little people’.

They’ve become perennial favourites of cartoonists, because they are fun. They make us laugh. ‘Waddle’ is a compendium of delightful quotes and gorgeous photographs that capture the essence of this amusement. Its intention is to put a grin on your face and a warm feeling in your heart — all thanks to these endearing creatures that don’t just walk, but waddle.

Thanks to Exisle Publishing, Coast & Country News has a copy of ‘Waddle’ to give away. To be in to win, email captions for the photo above with your name and address to: merle@sunmedia.co.nz Or put these details on an envelope and post to: Country Funnies, PO Box 240, Tauranga 3140 to arrive by July 20. Winner of May’s Country Funnies is Sharron Ruiterman of Bombay. She wins a copy of ‘Saying Goodbye to Barkley’

by Devon Sillett and Nicky Johnston.

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Professor Lloyd Spencer Davis – aka Professor Penguin – of Dunedin has been studying penguins for more than 40 years.

Waddle’ is the book prize for July.

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COUNTRY LIVING

Page 55

Rehoming farms’ retired working dogs A charitable trust that re-homes old, failed or injured working dogs from Kiwi farms to retire with new families, is trying to set up its network in the Waikato region.

Volunteers from Retired Working Dogs NZ spent four days at Mystery Creek last month – the group’s Fieldays debut – telling farmers of their work re-homing working dogs no longer needed on the land.

RWD fundraiser Karen Cox says their Fieldays stand was to publicise their service to Kiwi farmers – especially those from the Waikato – and to appeal to would-be adopters.

“We’re here to make farmers aware of our existence – to let them know there’s opportunity to re-home their dogs when they reach the end of their working life.”

Karen says some dogs just don’t like farm work, some get a bit too old for it, some have skills suited to flatter land or smaller properties; others get injured, rendering them unemployable on-farm.

“Sometimes a dog that’s come off the high country, which is no longer in use in that situation, can work on flatter-terrain such as a dairy farm.

“We help farmers to find homes for these dogs – or we take them into our foster homes and find new homes for them ourselves.”

The organisation began in 2012 when founder and president Natalie Smith met Tod, a 12-year-old heading dog who, suffering arthritis from a hard life working the hill country, was on his ‘final’ trip to the vet.

In these cases, RWD finds the dog a home after vaccinating, neutering, microchipping and giving it a health-check before it’s rehomed. And we charge an adoption fee to the new owners for those services.”

Karen says there’s about 200,000 working dogs in NZ at any given time. “We want to get established in the Waikato because it’s a big farming region with cattle and working dogs prevalent here.”

To rehome a dog, or become a fosterer or volunteer, see: www.retiredworkingdogs.org.nz Merle Foster RWDNZ receives $10 from the sale of ‘The Secret Lives of Sheepdogs: The Mangakuri Sketches’ by Anneleise Hall.

Tod

Instead Tod went home with Natalie, a vet nurse – today RWD is a nationwide movement run by 60 passionate volunteers and a growing network of fosterers. “In the last year we’ve had nearly 50,000 users on our website with 435,000 page views. “We’ve also helped to re-home about 500 dogs and we became a charitable trust last July,” says Karen.

“And Tod? He passed away at the grand old age of 17. A great mate, a legend and an inspiration.”

But while RWD has a good presence in the lower North Island it’s trying to expand its operations and presence in the Waikato.

“We really don’t have much coverage in the Waikato at all – so we don’t have the dogs being offered to us by farmers. And we don’t have a foster network established here to support it yet,” says Karen.

“Ideally, we need the foster network set up first – but we also need to get the dogs in. So worst-case scenario is we can take in dogs from the Waikato now – as we have a network of fosterers who’ll drive around the country collecting dogs to take to foster homes.”

Karen says requirements of fosterers are minimal.

“Basically, we need homes where the dog can be housed safely and securely, is able to exercise, sleep, and somewhere where they can get used to becoming a pet.”

Re-homing

Re-homing happens in two ways. “Some farmers keep the dog and we advertise to find it a home.

“Currently, we’re advertising four-five dogs a day on average and, unless, they are particularly old or unwell, they re-home in about a week.

“Alternatively, we may take the dog into foster, especially in cases where surgery or training is required.

RWDNZ fundraiser Karen Cox with retired working dogs ‘Tansie’, ‘Bell’ and ‘Jessie’.

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Page 56

COUNTRY LIVING

Tour the south with unrivalled views Whether you picnic amongst scenery off the beaten track or enjoy lunches on stations with the runholders – the views will be the same. “Unrivalled,” say owner-operators of NZ Adventures 4x4 Tours, Robbie and Connie Crickett, who operate back country tours throughout the South Island.

The only mandatory stipulation is vehicles on an NZ Adventures 4X4 Tour have all terrain-type tyres in good condition and a ‘low range’ transmission fitted. “Every vehicle is supplied with a radio so a commentary is available and two-way communication is enabled.” All accommodation is in motels and meals are in restaurants.

The Eastern Explorer Tour starts in Geraldine and heads south-east through the mountain ranges of South Canterbury. “During five days we travel through the old gold workings in the Naseby and

Ranfurly area, view Oceania Gold Mine at Macraes Flat, farmland in Strath Taieri, the Lammermoor and Lammerlaw ranges and follow the Clutha river before turning into the mountains and old gold mining routes through isolated and sparsely-settled country before arriving at Alexandra.” This tour is run in January 2020.

The High Country Heritage Tour is run as a six or seven-day tour, starting in Blenheim and traveling through iconic Molesworth Station. “Highlights are

travelling over the hills from Wairau Valley into Awatere Valley, Orari Gorge and the huge stations of the Mackenzie Basin and Lake Benmore.”

Further south travelers enjoy the Oteake Conservation Park, quaint St. Bathans and Vulcan Hotel “and the Dunstan and Pisa Ranges will not disappoint”.

The High Country Heritage six-day tour is run in December 2019, February and April 2020.

“In April 2020 the tour finishes Good Friday morning at Cardrona Hotel – a good opportunity to attend Warbirds over Wanaka.” The tour is seven days in March 2020. Information packs are available on request. See: www.nzadventures.co.nz

and is all Touring the South Isl doing it d an – ws about the vie cess scenery by 4X4 means you ac ck. tra off the beaten

Keep chooks warm, cosy and well-fed during winter Good insulation and ventilation are important for coops – and even more so on chilly winter nights, says Chris Brook, who with husband Allan runs The Chookyard NZ, stocking all poultry needs and feeds at their Franklin shop.

“At The Chookyard we’re busy raising Brown Shavers while the Heritage breeds are going through their winter regime of moulting and preparing for the spring lay,” says Chris.

“We recommend chook owners to check coops for cracks and repair any holes, which cause drafts and leaks.”

But some ventilation is needed, says Chris, as it reduces ammonia build-up in the coop from decomposing soiled bedding. “Ensure the coop bedding is not wet or damp as this can harbour growth of moulds and fungi.

“Replace with fresh dry bedding as necessary and layer it on thicker than you would in warmer months.”

All poultry needs and feeds can be catered for at The Chookyard NZ at Franklin.

Supplementing chooks with extra feeds, which are higher in fats and proteins, help recovery during moulting and through the fewer daylight hours available during winter to graze and hunt bugs, says Chris.

“High protein dog roll and mince are enthusiastically accepted. Offering kibbled maize, oats or grains in the afternoon will also offer a good source of energy overnight.”

And access to fresh water is important year-round.

“If your area is prone to heavy frosts, you need to check drinking nipple mechanisms have not iced over.”

Chris says winter also brings more risk of predator attacks. “Check traps regularly, secure holes in run fencing and encourage all birds to use proper roosting perches rather than sleeping on coop floors or nesting boxes.”

COUNTRY LIVING

Page 57

Growing food security The Kai Rotorua organisation was born out of a belief that the city’s food system was harming its inhabitants, while at the same time not serving their needs.

area had only one market garden and two pick-your-own blueberry farms – and very few opportunities to learn how to grow food.

So Kai Rotorua helped create 66 free backyard gardens for families, and followed them up every three months for a year.

“People became significantly Speaking at Feeding the more confident about gardenBay of Plenty forum in Te Zespri’s Rachel Dupree and Kai Rotorua’s ing, increased their vegetable Puke, Kai Rotorua chairTe Rangikaheke Kiripatea during a panel intake by half a serving per day woman Jasmin Jackson says and many increased the size of discussion at Feeding the BOP forum. a survey revealed 100 articutheir garden,” says Jasmin. lated trucks per day were the pantry stocked up”.

“It’s a project we want to repeat entering the city to deliver food, Rotorua is “way up there” in its in 2020.” while supermarkets held only one density of fast-food outlets with Initially known as the Rotorua to three days’ supply of food.

297 in the city.

Local Food Network, Kai Rotorua “We’re putting up with all that “Some primary school students was formed in 2016 and has also vehicle pollution but in a natural walk past 60 junk food ads in helped create the Rotorua Farmdisaster wouldn’t have enough 500m,” says Jasmin. “And fresh ers Market, which launched in food to get through,” says Jasmin, produce isn’t coming to school late-2016, worked with community “especially as a lot of our residents in lunchboxes.” fruit volunteers and has supported don’t have enough money to keep Three years ago the Rotorua gardening education in schools.

Commercial deer farm with character A unique opportunity has arisen to purchase the only commercial deer farm on the Coromandel Peninsula.

The current owners have owned the property for 32 years and are now ready to move on.

The farm is a total of 90ha with approximately 60ha deer-fenced with good raceways, with the rest suitable for sheep and cattle.

Currently running 225 breeding hinds, 30 stags, 40 sheep and 20 cattle, the farm is rolling to steep hill contour with one boundary Coromandel Forest Park.

There are magnificent stands of significant native bush that have been put into the QEII trust, and a good reliable water supply with troughs in each paddock.

The farm has a three-bedroomed contemporary house with sleepout/office attached to the house and two-car garaging. A well designed deer handling/ shearing shed with bunk house accommodation, kitchenette, shower and toilet completes the picture.

A herd of deer on the way to new pasture.

The property has bags of character and is hidden in the hills at the edge of Waikino village, right in the middle of historic goldmining history in the Karangahake Gorge, eight minutes to Waihi, and 20 minutes’ drive to Waihi Beach, close to the Hauraki Rail Trail, the historic Waikino Hotel, Waikino Station Café and the award-winning Falls Retreat.

The property can be purchased as a going concern if required and there is potential to tap into the tourist trade.

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

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July 13

Propagation Workshop,

9am-4pm, Koanga Institute, Wairoa, $290 (earlybird $261 until June 15).

July 14

BOP Orchid Society Plant

Auction, noon, Masonic Hall, Oxford St, Te Puke. Ph 07 573 9710.

July 20

Tree Sale by NZ Tree

Crops Association BOP Branch, 10am -12.30pm wet or fine, A&P Showgrounds, Katikati. Ph Elizabeth: 07 549 2795.

July 20-21

Bonsai Workshop with Tony Bebb, Hamilton. See: tinyurl. com/y4ss4jpt

July 24

Understanding Soils 1,

9.30am-2.30pm, Whakamarama (near Tauranga), $68. See: tinyurl. com/y2p76cfe

July 25

Waikato Horticultural Society:

Dri, free. See: www.greeningtaupo.org.nz

July 30

Crop Swap, 9-10am, Our Place, Willow St, Tauranga.

See: tinyurl.com/y6aafo62

Whakamarama (near Tauranga), $68. See: tinyurl. com/y2p76cfe

July 28

Understanding Soils 1, 9.30am-2.30pm,

July 28

August 4

10am-4pm, Hamilton Gardens. Ph: 07 843 8348.

Societies Field Trip, Fitzgerald Glade, Western Mamaku Range.

See: tinyurl.com/h4zph2x

Waikato Orchid Show,

Bonsai, 7.30pm, Hamilton Gardens Gate 2, $5.

Ph Carmel 07 855 3404.

July 28

Greening Taupo Planting

2-4pm, Bunnings, Te Rapa, Hamilton, free.

July 27

Day, 11am-noon, Wairakei

Bonsai Workshop,

Rotorua & Waikato Botanical

August 6

Winter Fruit Tree Pruning, 9.30am-2.30pm,

Whakamarama (near Tauranga), $68. Also August 10. See: tinyurl.com/y2p76cfe

Growing gorse to regenerate forest In 1987 Dr Hugh Wilson was considered a “fool and dreamer” by the irate farming community of Banks Peninsula when he began the reforestation of Hinewai Nature Reserve.

Today, Hugh is held in high regard for his work and respected for his commitment to regenerating 1500ha of gorse-infested farmland into healthy native forest. And Western Bay of Plenty residents have two chances to watch a new NZ-made documentary about the renowned biologist and his work on this project, when ‘Fools & Dreamers’ screens at Historic Village Cinema this month.

The 30-minute documentary comes at a critical time – as scientists, media and the public begin to understand the essential part reforestation must play in restoring biodiversity and reversing the effects of climate change. at best and outright The film offers an inspiring example of angry and disparagwhat is possible – and urgently needs to ing for the most part happen – all over the world, according to – one farmer stating its makers, Happen Films directors Jordan the plan was the sort Osmond and Antoinette Wilson. to be expected only of The duo’s documentary production “fools and dreamers”. company aims to showcase solutions to Now Hugh’s home Hugh Wilson amongst the many crises facing the world today. In at Hinewai overlooks the gorse. Photo: Jason Hosking line with the message in their films, their a valley resplendent in shoots are waste-free, they prioritise purnative forest canopy, where birds and chasing second-hand gear, and no longer fly except wildlife are abundant and 47 known annually to visit family. waterfalls are now in permanent flow.

“There are millions of hectares of hilly, unproducAn inspiring, charismatic personality, tive land in NZ being farmed inefficiently because we Hugh’s passion and enthusiasm for think it’s necessary – all of this land could be left to his life’s project come through in his naturally regenerate.” actions as much as his words.

In 1987, when Hugh advised his community of The botanist, published author and his plan to allow gorse to grow as a nurse canopy for illustrator has not driven in a car or self-sown native seedlings, the response was sceptical flown for more than 35 years due

One of 47 known waterfalls now in permanent flow at Hinewai Nature Reserve.

Photo: Jordan Osmond.

to believing fossil fuels are a limited resource. He doesn’t have a computer, internet or mobile phone and eschews most forms of modern technology, which he feels serve no purpose in a healthy community.

Hugh says Hinewai’s hilly farmland has regenerated into native forest, using a minimal interference method that allows nature to do the work, giving life to the forest, waterways, and the creatures living there. “All the serious work of natural regeneration of native forest and wildlife is being done by nature.”

‘Fools & Dreamers’ screens at Historic Village Cinema, on July 12 at 17th Ave West, Tauranga, at 6.30pm and at 8pm. Tickets are on sale at: www.eventbrite.co.nz

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 59

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Page 60

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS g Louise, 9, modellin efs ch ’s ter her sis of costume made out a’ elt ‘D feedbags, with . at go the

Above: Charlotte, 9, and her dog ‘Phoebe’ on their farm in Matamata - best friends forever!

Left: Joshua, 10, on his last morning cuddle to ‘CotCot’ before catching the bus to go to school in Matamata.

BS! PRIZandEdetUailsPcan beFemOaileRd (higGh resRolutionAjpgy,s)POto Box 240,

Pictures to Coast & Countr untry Camera” or posted every entry. kathy@thesun.co.nz “Co e a name, address and phone number with lud inc ase Ple ga. ran Tau