Coast & Country News - May 2024

It was a right old shindig, a high country hootenanny for the times.

And I almost missed it because of a bout of bloody mindedness. I do bloody-minded bloody well. e invite said “…woolshed party”. And I thought great! – a greasy, smelly, cold woolshed. Why would you?

a harmonica and Jew’s harp.

Half a hay barn of bales, party balloons, crepe streamers, more Speights, kegs of Speights, and a pig and a lamb or three on the spit. ere’s hooting and hollering, kissing and cuddling and dancing and eating and spinning and twirling. What’s with all the yeeha-ing. And hadn’t they heard of the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan?

You know – real music. Civilisation as we knew it was broke down.

Like

a duck out of water

Anyhow, that Saturday evening I found myself sitting in one of three railway carriages with 150 other partygoers. ey tried to cheer me with a Henry Ford type aperitif – I could have any beer I wanted, as long as it was Speights. Lovely! Everyone was zzing, but I steadfastly refused to enjoy. I was steaming more than the old AB locomotive that was going to drag me from Dunedin to dam near Middlemarch for more Speights and a burnt BBQ sausage.

All aboard!

Fifty-seven minutes later the train stops at… well, nowhere. Its pitch black, cold as charity and the 150 partygoers are already nicely oiled thank you. Just over the fence in front of the loco is that greasy, smelly and cold woolshed. But the place is going o . e girls are all gussied up in gingham dresses and sti petticoats, the guys in jeans and check shirts, ruddy faced country types, and there’s a band banging out weird stu called bluegrass. A ddle, ve string banjo, guitar, steel guitar, mandolin, string bass and occasionally

Interesting chat with a Ranfurly land girl – that’s what she called herself. No, I didn’t know what a two-tooth was. No, I had never owned a pair of R.M. Williams. No, I didn’t own pig dogs. And I worked nine to ve, not every hour God gave me. But she got me up line dancing…or was I square dancing?

I was chucked around like a rag doll, and was even yeeha-ing with joy. Whatever happened to men leading on the dance oor? And shortly after midnight I was back on the steam train for a small Speights digestif with all the other “tired little teddy bears” and marveling at an extraordinary nights events. If you ever get invited to a bash in a woolshed, do it.

A few years later, I even bought some R.M. Williams. It must have been great, because 50 years later I am still talking about it. I wonder whatever happened to the land girl?

Find sparks warning

e discovery of velvetleaf on two new properties in the Waikato region has sparked a renewed call from Waikato Regional Council for robust biosecurity measures on farm.

e rst new detections of the highly invasive pest plant in the region since 2019 have been found in a commercial maize block, as well as in a maize paddock.

“ ere is a signi cant amount of work that has gone into controlling velvetleaf in this region since it was rst discovered in 2011, so it is extremely disappointing to have these two new outbreaks,” says Waikato Regional Council’s biosecurity pest plants team leader Darion Embling.

Common vectors

“We can’t be certain how velvetleaf has spread to these two properties. However, tracing has historically identi ed machinery and infested maize silage as the most common vectors, which demonstrates the need for continued vigilance by farmers and growers, as well as rigorous machinery hygiene protocols by the cropping sector.

“Our focus is on tracing machinery and crop movement, which is critical to ensuring the risk of spread beyond these properties is e ectively managed.”

As a declared pest in the Waikato there are strict rules.

Velvetleaf can’t be spread, landowners are responsible for destroying the pest, and all machinery leaving an infested property must be cleaned.

“We’re working closely with the owners/managers on the a ected properties to develop

biosecurity farm management plans. We are also liaising with the cropping industry, in particular, with a reminder around the ongoing risk of velvetleaf in the Waikato region and the importance of good hygiene practices.

“ e discovery of velvetleaf on a property can signi cantly impact farming businesses, as paddocks are unable to be cropped for some time.

“So we are doing what we can to support these landowners.”

Discovery

Velvetleaf was rst discovered in the region in 2011, but the scale of nds escalated in 2016 with the arrival of infested fodder beet seeds imported from overseas.

e majority of the infested properties are in the north Waikato, Matamata-Piako and south Waikato districts.

Pest plant o cers have been working with landowners/ managers to develop biosecurity farm management plans to manage the risk of spread on 60 properties.

Velvetleaf is one of the world’s most invasive pest plants, damaging crops by competing with them for nutrients, space and water. In New Zealand, it is an unwanted organism under the Biosecurity Act.

It is an annual broad-leaved herb that grows between one and 2.5 metres tall. It has buttery-yellow owers about three centimetres across. It owers from spring through autumn. Leaves are large, heartshaped and are velvety to the touch. A mature plant can have as many 15,000 viable seeds.

Seedlings are vigorous and the plant grows rapidly in the rst few months after germination. Seeds remain viable for up

to 60 years. e seeds are spread by water, farm machinery when harvesting grain, through livestock and as a contaminant of grain. See: waikatoregion. govt.nz/velvetleaf for more information on this pest.

Velvetleaf with a blackened seed head.

Velvetleaf is a highly invasive pest plant that can a ect maize.

Sustainable, healthy homestead living

Rebecca and David Stewart have put their hearts and souls into creating an o -grid lifestyle for their family in a remote valley in the central North Island.

ey are four years into their journey of regenerating the property and managing their soil and livestock to enable them to live seasonally from their land.

Both were born into rural families, met while working in town and later owned a green grocers.

“We became interested in healthy eating and the concept of using food to nourish and heal the body,” says Rebecca.

“David became very sick with a digestive issue, he needed to break his sugar addiction and found changing to a low carb diet, high in meat, helped.

“Our rst daughter is severely intellectually disabled and needed us both around, full-time, as I was incredibly sleep deprived and exhausted.

Growers Twine

“We needed more land to continue living in a more basic, self-su cient way on a low income.”

A fresh start

After taking the time to sell their two acres on ve titles as three properties, the couple were able to buy a 6.2 hectare block in a remote Ruapehu valley.

rainfall and lots of leaching. ere’s also a layer of hard packed volcanic material about 30 centimetres down that roots need to break through to the fertile volcanic soil below.”

• 2kg spool approx. 1600m

• 32kg breaking load

• 5 ply, 3 strand PE twine, soft twist

“Remote was what we wanted. It had a creek and a gravity fed spring for water, beautiful trees, a 1920s bungalow that we loved, and it was already o -grid. We’ve added more solar panels and have a petrol generator as back up.”

• Blue or Red colours available

• Re-usable twine for growing replacement canes on

e regenerating pine land has been re-grassed mainly by feeding out locally sourced hay and having the animals trample it in with some bene cial seeds added. It’s a diverse mix including clover, plantain, chicory and lotus.

• Often used in high wire training systems

Four hectares of pine on the property wasn’t so favourably viewed but was harvested early in the piece. David worked hard clearing and refencing, and three years on the land is back to pasture.

• UV stabilised for 4 years life expectancy in normal growing conditions

“Our soil is a work in progress. We get high

Lotus and much of the tree fodder they use is high in tannin, and combined with culling known worm carriers, has removed the need for drenching stock.

“We manually remove weeds using a weed eater before they ower and seed. We get willow weed, foxgloves, blackberry, thistle, inkweed, ferns and dock on the ex-pine block.”

Self-sufficiency

e couple have planted many young fruit trees in addition to the ones already there, added berry bushes

and have extensive veggie gardens. Rebecca has experimented with preserving and pickling and other ways to store food for longer periods. Nothing is wasted, with the animals also getting fruit and veggies in their diet.

twine

• 3.5kg spool approx. 4900m

• 30kg breaking load

“We follow natural farming practices and use homemade compost, vermicasts from our worm farm, comfrey, seaweed and a fermented brew of manure, grass and water.

• PP tape yarn, soft twist

• Orange colour

• Often used in high wire training systems

• UV stabilised for 2 years life expectancy in normal growing conditions

“We use lime if required, woodchips from our trees and sawdust from milling happening in our valley. Our stock have salt licks which adds minerals into our soil via their manure.”

Rotational planting of crops like lupins to x nitrogen or mustard to cleanse soil that has had diseased plants all helps with soil health. While their low carb diets made great improvements to their health issues, it produced great challenges in the kitchen.

Wiltshire sheep are bred for meat. Photos: Summer Stewart.

David and Rebecca Stewart of Fodder Farm.

“Having been raised on good old farm style cooking, it takes a huge e ort to leave most of that behind and walk another food path.”

A recent shift to a carnivore-ish diet has made further improvements to both their health and waistlines, but they missed vegetables and have added selective seasonal ones back into their diets, along with some fruit.

Managing livestock

e property currently supports four breeding ewes, their lambs and a ram, two beef cattle, two kunekune sows, their piglets and a boar, Indian game birds for eating, and chickens.

“We have a dairy cow that we’re hoping to milk again once she’s had her calf.”

e Stewarts only raise what they need to sustain them. David kills and butchers the lambs, pigs and chickens himself, but the cattle are professionally shot, skinned and gutted and returned to the family as a carcass which David butchers.

Mindful that “you are what you eat”, thought is put into the animals’ diet, including fodder trees for browsing and cutting tree hay.

Tree lucerne on the property makes nutritious tree hay. Mahoe trees bring up precious selenium from the soil and the livestock love it.

e nal approval of New Zealand King Salmon’s Blue Endeavour open ocean aquaculture project is a signi cant step for New Zealand’s aquaculture, and a win for the economy, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says.

e Blue Endeavour project will develop salmon farming in the open sea o the north Marlborough Sounds and is expected to produce 10,000 tonnes of

An article in the March edition of Coast & Country News titled “Orchardists embrace regenerative practices” included a quote suggesting previous owners of a Katikati orchard had neglected part of the land and did not include comment from the previous owners. Coast & Country News accepts this line should not have appeared in this article. e previous owners have advised they always applied the recommended fertilisers, used the prescribed sprays as recommended by pest monitoring programmes and undertook regular pruning of the orchard. Coast & Country News regrets this error.

David and Rebecca’s dedication to their lifestyle and their willingness to adapt and keep going when things don’t quite go to plan, is documented in free blogs on their website.

Information on their experiences and methods can also be found on their Facebook and Instagram pages. Rebecca has written three books with a fourth coming out in 2024.

harvested salmon annually, with export revenue of up to $300 million per year.

“While this is a huge step that will contribute to the government’s goal to grow aquaculture to a multibilliondollar industry, it’s taken far too long to get to this point,” says Jones. New Zealand King Salmon submitted its application in 2019. Consent was granted in September 2023, following an Environment Court decision.

A lowline Angus/Jersey cow will be milked once she has calved. Photo: Summer Stewart.

e 1920s o -grid homestead.

Kunekune pigs are bred for meat.

Jamie Mackay celebrates 30 years

The Country radio show has come a long way since its humble beginnings at the Gore Showgrounds in 1994.

Then, host Jamie Mackay was happily commentating club rugby in exchange for a dozen cans of DB Bitter from the Mataura Licensing Trust. But the broadcasting bug had bitten him, and he decided it would be a great idea to buy the local radio station, 4ZG, from the government of the day. Cut to 30 years later, The Country has a loyal following all over New Zealand and Mackay is a household name in rural broadcasting.

While the show has gone through many changes over the years, its host has remained a constant, so what better way to celebrate The Country’s 30th than with the man himself?

Here, Jamie Mackay answers some burning questions about The Country, his career, and rural life in general.

1. Looking back on 30 years - what are you most proud of?

Well, firstly I’m proud that I’ve survived 30 years in a pretty cut-throat industry.

I’ve always joked that 95 per cent of all radio jobs are lost when

you’re on annual leave. And that there’s always someone younger, smarter and, most importantly, cheaper, ready to take your slot. But I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve been the first to take a rural radio show nationwide on a commercial network. And the biggest one of all to boot, in the form of Newstalk ZB.

2. What made you get into broadcasting? Desperation and the frustration of being a house husband. I went to university to become an accountant, but the death of my father when I was just 19 meant I went farming. I ended

In my days at Hokonui Radio, we used to do a Sunday morning two-hour sports show, where we could do long-form interviews. My father had raised me on stories of the legend of the great All Blacks prop Kevin Skinner, and how he had “sorted out” the Springbok front row in the third test of the epic 1956 series, arguably the most important in All Blacks history. To relive that in person with Skinner is an interview I will take to my grave.

6. Who is your favourite politician to interview?

Believe it or not, from someone with a centre-right political disposition, I used to really enjoy interviewing Helen Clark. She and Michael Cullen did a good job. Bill English, who I really rated, was ultimately knee-capped by Peters. For pure entertainment, it has to be Winston, or his loyal henchman Shane Jones, the selftitled Prince of the Provinces. Damien O’Connor is wonderfully argumentative. But the best of the bunch is John Key. He is the most impressive politician of my lifetime.

7. What’s your favourite tall building?

up selling the farm because the Rural Bank wouldn’t loan me the money to buy a neighbouring block and expand the operation. I couldn’t see a way forward and didn’t want to be still shearing all my own sheep at 50 years of age. I initially got into radio as a passive investor, with no real ambition to be on air. I’m a big believer in fate. My career came about by accident, not design!

3. How has farming changed since your broadcasting career started? I sold my farm in 1992 and bought a radio station in 1994. I think the biggest change in the farming landscape has been the dairy boom of the 1990s and early 2000s. To be honest, the boom overreached and we ended up dairying on country we shouldn’t have. I think we’re much closer to equilibrium now. The other obvious big change is the technology boom. Farming is now a hi-tech business.

4. Do you have any concerns about where farming is going? Yes. It’s a tough gig at the best of times. The weather, international commodity prices and exchange rates all conspire against you. You can’t control any of them. I worry that farming will die a death of 1000 paper cuts, all inflicted by some clipboard-carrying bureaucrat. When farmers spend more time on paperwork than at the coalface; the industry is in trouble.

5. What’s your favourite interview of all time? Ironically, it’s not a farming interview.

Long-suffering listeners of The Country will know I love dams and the world’s tallest buildings. Without a (long) shadow of a doubt, my favourite has to be the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest building at 828m. Other favourites are the Shanghai Tower, the Tokyo Skytree, Chicago’s Willis Tower, the “Shard” in London and the Empire State Building in New York. I can’t wait to go to the top of the Freedom Tower in New York, which has arisen from the ashes of 9/11 when I’m in the Big Apple later this year ahead of the US election. And how good will the Jeddah Tower be when, and if, they finally build the 1km-high monster in Saudi Arabia?

8. If you had one piece of advice for a young Jamie Mackay - what would it be?

You are going to make plenty of mistakes in your life, just don’t make the same mistake twice. And don’t be too tough on yourself. You’ve done OK for a broken-down Southland sheep farmer with a stutter.

Jamie Mackay.

Mackay still going strong on the mic.

Looking after your land this winter

With winter fast approaching, now’s the time to lay the foundations for a productive and sustainable season ahead.

Good land use practices are ways you can protect your productive land in a manner that supports the health of the land and the neighbouring waterways. is then helps improve your productivity, and the quality of rivers and streams in your area.

General tips

Here’s a few general tips to get you started:

Lower e uent storage early: ere’s a few bene ts for this, but the main one is to give you room to build up your capacity when the season starts. You don’t want a full pond coming into peak winter as the ground is often too wet or too cold to absorb any e uent application to land e ciently. e grass is still actively growing in the warmer months, so any nutrients from the e uent can be taken up by the pasture – a win-win as you’re

keeping these out of the waterways, and using your own product to support good grass growth (instead of adding fertiliser).

In addition to lowering the storage, it’s a good time to do some maintenance to reduce the risk of any potential compliance issues. Check the system is working well, all ttings and pipes are in good condition and there’s no damage that may cause leaks.

Address critical source areas

Have a look over your races, feed out areas, areas around sheds and gateways, and any other high-use spots – where is any potential run-o going? If there is a risk of run-o going directly into a waterway, create a diversion into a near-by paddock where there is an opportunity for any nutrients to be ltered by the grass. Getting your race up to scratch can have positive bene ts for your animal health too, reducing the likelihood of hoof problems and reducing the expense that comes with that.

Spuds touted as ‘pick of the crop’

e humble yet versatile potato may all of a ‘spud-den’ be making a more frequent appearance on Kiwi dinner plates with a good harvest seeing potato prices fall 16.2 per cent in March compared to the same month last year, according to the latest Stats NZ Food Price Index data.

Best practice for grazing a crop (or a paddock near a waterway): Brie y, the best way to approach this is to graze your paddock from top to bottom. Once grazing is happening in the low-lying part of your land, ensure you leave a bu er next to any waterways to act as a lter or barrier for any nutrients (such as phosphorus) and pathogens (such as E.coli).

is could be assessed on a regular basis, for example if conditions are looking good, you could graze closer to the edge, or if the forecast looks like rain, leave the bu er and come back for it another day.

DairyNZ has some comprehensive guidelines available on their website: www.dairynz.co.nz/ environment/winter-grazing

Winter planting: If you have riparian or retirement planting happening, now’s a good time to control the weeds in those areas and manage the pest animals. We would also recommend spot spraying one month out from planting.

If you need some assistance speci c to your property, have a chat your local Land Management O cer. Our role is to help support and encourage better land use practices by providing you with advice and guidance (and sometimes funding) to achieve good outcomes for your farm.

“We’re seeing great potato yields in this year’s harvest and with abundant supply means good prices for our customers.

Foodstu s North Island’s produce and butchery head Brigit Corson says that spuds are a staple item in the shopping basket all year round, but good prices across all varieties mean they’re likely to become a popular option over the coming months.

“We’re a nation of potato lovers; New Zealand produces more than 600 potatoes each year for every Kiwi, which makes them one of our most popular vegetables.”

Specialising in Removal / chipping of whole trees

GM Ben Buchanan says it’s great to see the supply rebound following the signi cant impact last year’s Auckland Anniversary oods and Cyclone Gabrielle had on volumes.

On site chipping for stand off pads Wood chip for sale

Orchard shelter removal

Stump removal

Working with landowners in the Bay of Plenty for a better future

Winter is coming and with it a change in the weather. Small changes now can make a big difference to the productivity of your land, the wellbeing of your animals and the health of waterways in your area – a win-win for you and the environment.

Woodlot marketing of all tree species

Specialising in

Our teams regularly work alongside local farmers to help improve land use practices and ensure everything is compliant before it becomes an issue. Together, we can help manage and protect the region’s soils, water and wildlife for future generations.

• Removal / chipping of whole trees

• On site chipping for stand off pads

• Wood chip for sale

• Orchard shelter removal

• Stump removal

• Woodlot marketing of all tree species

A dairy cow on a Katikati farm.

A total restoration

Vintage machinery collector Malcolm Lumsden has family history around Ohinewai going back to 1912 when his grandfather, John Lumsden, and his wife Jessie, immigrated to New Zealand.

ey leased land and Jessie milked a few cows. John, a quali ed engineer, contracted and did road work with his draft horses.

“He bought his rst IHC truck in 1918 and second truck, an International Model 33 in 1924 for his carrying business,” says Malcolm.

“ e Model 33 has a four-cylinder 20hp Farmall regular tractor engine with three forward and one reverse gear.

“It has a maximum road speed of 17mph.

By 1930 the International Model 33 was parked up as newer, faster, six speed trucks became available.

While Malcom’s father Frank was overseas during World War II, relatives needing parts during war time shortages, took the chassis to make a farm trailer.

ey put all the other parts from the truck in the shed.

Post World War II, Malcolm’s parents, Frank and Margaret, continued with the family farm.

“All my grandfather’s horse drawn wagons and old trucks were left lying around and I was really interested in them as a child.

“Unfortunately my mum told my dad they had to go!”

In 1959, Frank wanted Malcolm to learn about engines, so he got him to pull the truck’s motor and gear box apart and put it all back together.

Malcolm says it started and ran well.

He remembers Frank putting a cup of oil into the carburettor before turning it o to preserve the engine.

e

at created a lot of smoke, but 60 years later it is still as good as new. In 1916, while on a trip to the South Island looking at vintage tractors, Malcolm came across a chassis from the old Opiki school bus, identical to the one missing from the family’s Model 33 truck. He happily brought it home.

Malcolm used the parts from his original truck and the old bus chassis to painstakingly rebuild the Model 33.

Using his self-taught engineering skills and his extensive collection of gear, Malcolm fabricated all the panels and missing parts needed.

“Cutting the utes on the bonnet cover needed my son and grandchildren to hold a corner each while I pressed them out.

“My grandson Jake and I built the wooden deck.

“We rebuilt a manual worm hoist to tip the deck.” e Model 33 is near to being nished, but needs some thought put into the repair of the wheel rims so it can be driven.

Catherine Fry

Malcolm has rebuilt his family’s International Model 33 truck.

Malcolm and his grandson Jake built the wooden deck.

Photos: Catherine Fry.

condition of the International chassis Malcolm discovered in the South Island.

Connecting the agricultural community for 56 Years

e countdown is on for Fieldays 2024, with only 82 days until the gates open on Wednesday, June 12.

Preparations are in full swing as the build of the small city starts taking shape in early April, transforming the 114 hectares of Mystery Creek Events Centre into a showcase of New Zealand’s food and bre sector.

At its core, Fieldays is about bringing together the agricultural community –farmers and growers, industry professionals, Government agencies, international

delegations, researchers, and enthusiasts to celebrate a shared passion, exchange ideas, and forge lasting connections.

Connection

“Fieldays is more than just an exhibition; it’s a vital connection point that strengthens the bonds within our agricultural community,” says New Zealand National Fieldays Society CEO Peter Nation.

“For more than half a century, this four day event has played a pivotal role in fostering relationships, creating connection, facilitating knowledge transfer, and driving

progress in our primary industries.”

With more than 1000 exhibitors, Fieldays visitors can expect to see a diverse range of cutting-edge agricultural technology, innovative farm equipment, and rural lifestyle exhibits and bag themselves a bargain, thanks to our loyal and longstanding exhibitors who bring iconic brands to the event.

Opportunities

e ever-popular Fieldays demonstrations and competitions, alongside the six Fieldays branded hubs: Innovation, Hauora

Taiwhenua Health and Wellbeing, Forestry, Careers and Education, Sustainability and Digital Futures, create a variety of opportunities for visitors to experience di erent aspects of agriculture, innovation, sustainability, rural life, education and digital adoption.

Circle June 12 – 15 in your calendars for this iconic Kiwi event. It’s the place to connect with likeminded individuals and businesses explore new horizons, and contribute to the growth and development of our vital NZ agricultural landscape. Tickets go on sale early May.

FOREST GROWERS LEVY VOTE 2024

The Forest Growers Levy Trust is conducting a national round of meetings to discuss the proposal to renew the Forest Growers Levy for 2026 to the

Gates to Fieldays 2024 open on June 12.

Faithful to Fieldays, it’s in their blood

Every year, more than 100,000 people head to Mystery Creek for New Zealand’s iconic four-day agri-event Fieldays. Visitors look forward to the return of fan-favourite attractions like the various Fieldays Competitions, and a chance to see the latest innovation and technology on o er.

It’s also the perfect opportunity to reconnect with friends and family. Regardless of who you talk to, and regardless of where they come from, it seems just about everybody has a Fieldays memory or story.

Whether attending as a child on the back of their granddad’s shoulders, getting mud all over their boots during a particularly wet year or wandering up and down the streets checking out the latest utes and state of the art farming equipment. e stories are plentiful.

With many visitors coming from the surrounding upper North Island, data shows that more and more visitors are travelling from all over the country, including the bottom of the North Island and the deep South.

Regular visitors

We reached out to a few of these regular out-oftown visitors, fondly referred to as the ‘Fieldays Faithful’, to nd out why they make the journey to Fieldays every year.

Bronwyn (from Wellington) has been attending consecutively for more than 30 years now – she rst started coming down from Auckland to visit her dad who was working on site as an exhibitor. Later, as an adult, it stayed part of the tradition. Now every year the family makes the trip to Mystery Creek to reconnect with each other and with industry friends made over the years.

Spending this time together is a treasured moment as the event also happens to coincide with some key family birthdays – including Bronwyn’s. Nowadays Bronwyn ies to Hamilton and stays with her sister, who lives in Cambridge with her family. e family attends at least two of

the four days, continuing traditions and making memories. e next generation are now in tow with her nine and seven year old nephews enjoying their Fieldays visits with gumboots on and cattle sticks in hand. e family has fond memories of the former tractor drag racing, and excavator competitions. In fact, so strong are their links to this event and the rural sector they proudly have a cousin who won the excavator competition as well as another who won a regional heat in a further agricultural competition held at Fieldays.

Heavy machinery

“ e boys spent most of the time around by the heavy machinery area and had a ball.  Being able to see those massive diggers up close blew their mind. Not even a bribe of some hot chips would help move them,” says Bronwyn.

“It’s not just Fieldays in their blood, it’s diesel,” Niklaas, from Auckland moved to New Zealand as a retired farmer from South Africa.

Since selling up and relocating to be closer to his children, the 60-plus year old he says that farming will always run through his veins.

To him, Fieldays is a lifeline, connecting him with his former life and career. Having lived on a farm his entire life, he is passionate about the industry and an event like Fieldays helps him keep his nger on the pulse, keep up to date and aware of how the sector is changing, but most of all it has become a way to keep farming memories alive.

A daughter enjoying Fieldays with her father.

Farmer’s efforts to benefit community

Some people might think fencing o farmland isn’t a smart decision, but that’s where local Manawahe farmer Brent Mountfort would disagree.

Mountfort Puriri farm, located just above Matatā, is a traditional beef and sheep farm extending over 270ha of the hilly Manawahe area. Over the past three decades, Brent and his family have worked in partnership with Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council to make changes on their farm for the bene t of the environment and wider community.

Today, just under/almost 50 per cent (130ha) of Mountfort farm has been retired and planted with more than 30,000 native trees, with a goal to improve the biodiversity within the farm and the wider catchment area.

Brent Mountfort is one of hundreds of landowners around the region who are currently signed up to an Environmental Programme with Regional Council.

An EP is a management plan, developed in collaboration with the landowner, that sets out actions that will help protect and restore biodiversity, conserve soil and improve water quality. ese EPs not only bene t the individual landowners, but also whole

communities living in the area.

Brent has always been passionate about conservation work, thanks to his mum Antoinette and dad Chris.

Antoinette previously worked for the Department of Conservation and through her work began the Mountfort’s long-standing relationship with Regional Council (then called Environment Bay of Plenty).

Since then, Brent and his family have worked closely with their local Land Management O cer’s, following their guidance to make positive changes on their property.

Brent says this ongoing relationship has been the key to ensuring the right project gets done.

“Without Regional Council being on board and helping with fencing and advice, a lot less would be done.

“Our Land Management O cers have all been great. ey are good to talk to, they listen, and they come up with great ideas.”

Most recently, Brent partnered with Regional Council and QEII National Trust to deer fence and replant a remnant bush block on a section of steep erosion prone land. is project was co-funded by Regional Council through the Ministry for the Environment’s Public Waterways and Ecosystem Restoration Fund.

Regional Council Land Management O cer Kendall Smith says this work will have long-term bene ts for freshwater quality in the catchment.

“ is latest project has been a vision of Brent’s for a long time and to see it come to fruition has been incredible.

“It will be a fantastic tool for the community to show how native bush can regenerate and ourish when deer and stock are excluded.

“ is work will have massive bene ts for the environment with the new plants acting as an interception zone, ltering sediment and nutrients before reaching the stream which will improve water quality in the long term.”

While this project provides many bene ts for the whole catchment, Brent says fencing o this land also makes good sense in terms of his farm management.

“ e gully we just deer fenced has always been an issue with erosion and wandering animals.Now, I have a new raceway to take my animals across and a

great fence, so it really does work in with my farm.”

Brent’s advice for others who are consider making changes on their land is: “Change happens over a very long time. You don’t have to do everything in one go; you just have to do something.”

Land management is one of the many topics that will be discussed at this year’s Fieldays in June.

Manawahe farmer Brent Mountfort looking out over his farm.

Manawahe farmer Brent Mountfort.

Delivering hands-free turning

Precision agriculture technology specialist, Ag Leader, has introduced a fully automated end-ofrow turning option to its industry-leading guidance and steering systems.

e aptly-named TurnPath function provides precise and repeatable end-of-row turning from either straight or curved guidance patterns. Passes can be easily skipped if desired. Ag Leader sales manager – Asia Paci c, Douglas Amos, says the new function optimises turning accuracy and e ciency.

“Every farmer in Australia can relate to the frustration of turning machinery and large implements around at headlands.

“You have to disengage the autosteer system, take back the steering wheel, shut down and disengage the implement, make the turn, line up the next pass and then re-engage the implement.

“You just about need two sets of hands to manage everything.

“TurnPath makes the turn ‘hands-free’, so the operator can focus on other tasks.”

Douglas says the technology has been successfully tested on more than 60 di erent machines across four continents.

“Ag Leader’s goal has always

been to make farming easier and TurnPath is a good example of that,” he says.

“It’s easy to set up, it’s easy to use, it performs consistently and it works seamlessly across your entire eet.”

Ag Leader’s Displays are powerful tools in your operation, capable of steering and controlling up to 9 products, all with Variable Rate capability.

TurnPath is available as a onetime unlock option through the InCommand display.

SteerCommand Z2 or SteadySteer system in combination with an InCommand 1200 or 800 display.

“SteerCommand Z2 is a completely integrated guidance system that utilises CAN, integrated steering or external hydraulic valves, while SteadySteer is an assisted system that mounts to your steering wheel,” Douglas says.

To take advantage of TurnPath, the machine must be equipped with a SteerCommand Z2 or SteadySteer system in combination with an InCommand 1200 or 800 display.

TurnPath is available as a onetime unlock option through the InCommand display.

A free demonstration is available.

To take advantage of TurnPath, the machine must be equipped with a

“ ey are controlled using the InCommand 1200 universal display that controls all of Ag Leader’s precision planting, spraying, harvesting and decision support systems.

“ is high de nition, lowglare 30 cm touchscreen display has built-in lightbar guidance, four camera inputs and split-screen capability.

“It has wireless connectivity that allows you to sync and share guidance lines, coverage maps, live statistics, yield information and satellite imagery with other connected machines and remote devices.

“In combination, installing SteerCommand and InCommand are the rst steps towards improving the e ciency of all your cropping operations.”

All about Fieldays

Fieldays is based on a 114-hectare site at Mystery Creek 10 minutes from Hamilton and is the largest agricultural event in the Southern Hemisphere. Fieldays draws people from around the globe – both as exhibitors and visitors.

Fieldays is run by New Zealand National Fieldays Society, a charitable organisation founded in

1968 for the purpose of advancing the primary industries.

e New Zealand National Fieldays Society thanks their partners and premier sponsor Hyundai, One New Zealand and Case IH for their continued support.

For more information, head to: www. eldays.co.nz

Precision Agriculture Sp

GPS Guidance, Autosteer options with RTK accuracy.

• Planter Retrofit options, Clutches, Electric Drives, Hydraulic downforce and high speed metering systems, Rate and section Control.

ISOBUS, Variable Rate and SMS Data Management Solutions.

• Sprayers & Spreaders Rate Controllers.

Retractable tarps makes farmers happy

PowerTarps is New Zealand’s leading retractable tarp supplier, specialising in high-quality mesh and PVC retractable tarps for trucks, trailers and agricultural bunkers.

e family-owned and operated company has been providing services to suit any requirements and is committed to product development and customer satisfaction. PowerTarps managing director Gary Andrews founded the company in 2009 to eliminate the need for drivers to physically climb onto the back of their trucks or trailers.

“ e use of an automated system reduces the risk of driver injury and also

helps to promote a better image of our industry as professionals,” he says.

“With the introduction of the Health and Safety at

Planting native trees for future generations

Te Awamutu dairy farmers Doug, Penny, Josh and Bayley Storey have planted more than 25,000 native trees on the family farm, adding to a generations-old native forest.

e forest includes kahikatea, tōtara, rimu, pōkākā and mataī and was fenced o 30 years ago to protect it. Doug says the farm has been in the family for six generations, and his parents John and Susan are also involved in the farm’s environmental work.

“We embarked on the sustainability journey because we want to connect even closer to the land and enhance the natural beauty of the farm,” Doug says. “We want to keep eeling in the river and for future generations to play in the forest like we did.” With help from native planting specialists

Koroneiki Developments and volunteers, the Storeys have planted 2.5km alongside the section of the Mangapiko Stream running through their farm, and plan to plant another 1km.

ey planted around a wetland, which helps attract native birds and other wildlife.

Environmental practices, including tree planting, will be one of a number of di erent topics being discussed at this year’s Fieldays in the Waikato on June 12-15.

Liz Voorend

Work Act 2015, there is a real need for the use of retractable tarps and bunker covers. ese products aim to alleviate injuries in the workforce, keep products dry and make farmers happy,” says Gary.

“We also have a retractable tarping system to cover agricultural bunkers for palm kernel, fertilisers, etc. which operates from an easy-touse hand winder on the side of the bunker.” ese built-to-last tarps aim to minimise the wastage of stock

feed by keeping it dry. “Palm kernel is very expensive,” says Gary. If you put any old cover on it there may be the risk of the kernel going bad. “All of our tarps can be easily operated from inside the cab or from the ground using a silky smooth twin cable system, eliminating health and safety risks.”

If you want a tarping system that is safe and stands the test of time, see PowerTarps advert in this page.

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POWERTARPS ARE NEW ZEALAND’S LEADING RETRACTABLE TARP SUPPLIER

We specialise in high quality, mesh and PVC covers to suit trucks, trailers and farm bunkers. All of our covers can be easily operated from the ground using a silky smooth cable system, eliminating health and safety risks.

Dairy farmers Josh, Bayley, Penny and Doug Storey are passionate about environmental initiatives on their farm and in their community.

Cambridge dairy farmer Brad Payne faced escalating challenges with mastitis and other animal health issues.

Last May, Brad turned to Probiotic Revolution’s products to address his mastitis concerns. With the herds cell counts exceeding 240,000 last autumn, 25 cows with counts over 900,000 received a ve-day treatment of Bovine Boost to bolster their immune systems. ey were subsequently fed Rumicell daily. Rumicell is formulated to enhance feed conversion and support immune function, complemented by Bovine Boost for clinical

Previously relying on blanket dry cow therapy, Brad incorporated probiotics for springers to e outcomes have been remarkable, with Brad slashing spring mastitis cases and achieving a 90 per cent cure rate for clinical mastitis cases.

“Due to our peat soils providing moist soils, E-coli mastitis, acquired from paddocks or the feed pad, was a major issue. Some cows appeared cured when antibiotics were used but were re-infected

“ is season by using Bovine Boost instead of antibiotics, reoccurrences have signi cantly

re-infection cases has extended to six-to-eight weeks. Two seasons ago, we encountered 250 mastitis cases by Christmas. is season, the count is approximately 50, and we’ve experienced substantially less calving challenges and other animal health issues.

“Calving was a breeze - it’s how it’s meant to be.” e overall cost of probiotics has proven to be at least 10 per cent lower than just the mastitis costs from the previous year. Beyond health bene ts, farmers also appreciate improved feed conversion from daily Rumicell feeding to the entire herd. However, a wet spring a ected these bene ts on Brad’s farm.

“Cows continuously damaged our paddocks - it was unavoidable,” Brad remarks.

“Despite having some maize silage, we opted against depleting all our feed reserves, reducing herd numbers from 650 to 550 in August and September, instead of when that’s normally done - before Christmas. Spring production declined by eight per cent, with a projected ve per cent decrease by season-end, despite a green drought continuing into April.

“Overall, production could have been much worse without Rumicell. I am committed to

Cambridge dairy farmer Brad Payne.

Rural traditions

Cutting

Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says.

“ e coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.

“Dam safety regulations imposed by

dam red tape

the previous government came into force on May 13, 2024, requiring dams over a certain height to have a Potential Impact Classi cation.

“ e government has agreed to raise the height threshold of the dam safety regulations from one to four metres.

“ is will mean about 1900 fewer dams will be impacted by the new regulations and reducing red tape.”

Summer really feels like a long time ago now, following the recent change in Daylight Saving, with shorter daylight hours and colder days and nights.

Back over the Easter break my family and I went camping at Matata and boy, the rst night there was a bitterly cold one! Local kiwifruit orchards even had the fans on for frost protection as it got to around one degree.

My wife still thinks it is funny that when we go camping, we are e ectively paying money to go and be homeless in the name of fun!

Rainfall for March this year was 52.5mls down slightly on the 75.5mls received in March last year. But the di erence in the period January 1 to March 31 this year, compared to last, is signi cant at 268.5mls compared to 548.5mls. is reduced rainfall has really enabled the quick drying of our grain crops. Soil temps are down too at 16.1 degrees in the rst week of April compared to 17.1 in the same period last year.

Right now, many dairy farmers are deciding on what cows to dry o now and which to milk through to the end of the month, with cow condition score and availability of feed a couple of the key determinants for when this will occur. Just a reminder to pay careful attention to the milk and the meat withholding periods with the dry

cow treatments so you don’t get caught out with animals you can’t send to the works or are not able to put the milk in the vat from when they calve again.

We are approaching ‘Gypsy Day’ - June 1 when thousands of farm managers, contract milkers and sharemilkers pack their cows, gear, families and belongings into trucks and move to new farms.

One thing that I really do appreciate with rural communities is exactly that, the community; a connection and a nity you don’t always in town. is openness is never more evident than during the dairy change-over when rural locals befriend strangers and make them quickly feel like they are at home. I hope it is something that is never lost. is contrasts to the experience I had when I lived in London for ve years, more than eight million people live in London, packed into a small space in very close proximity to each other – yet this physical closeness doesn’t equate to the closeness of our rural communities, with loneliness a problem in London.

Given the great growing season we had this summer we have been able to stockpile maize silage, maize grain, as well as quality milking grass silage. We are keen to be able to cut a deal and move this so if you have a need get in touch with and we will see what we can do.

I look forward to being of assistance.

Just give me the app

It’s not an uncommon response when we talk to farmers and farm managers about pasture management.

We would if we could but that’s not possible. e upside is that there are some things which will always remain exclusive to people.

In this case it’s all about regular observation, the one thing that separates really successful farming and growing operations from the run-of-mill.

Being in the top ve per cent of operators is a real plus because those operations make money every season regardless of market returns and climatic conditions.

In fact, some of the people we’ve worked with continuously over the past 20 years have, out of income, repaid large amounts of debt and been in a situation where they have been able to expand.

Conditions

e problems of high empty rates, 20 per cent annual pasture renewal, chronic metabolic issues, weed along with clover ea and weevil infestation, just aren’t topics that come up in conversation because they don’t exist.

When the conditions that favour clover are created and pasture management allows it to fully express itself, clover becomes genuinely unstoppable.

And because it is less competitive for moisture, nutrient, and sunlight than grasses, where it ourishes higher fertility grasses and herbs steadily increase.

Management of pastures to obtain maximum performance is where most attention is required.

When working with those that have only known the xed grazing routine followed by regular synthetic nitrogen applications putting extra time and e ort into observation makes little sense.

Benefits

at is until the bene ts of stronger pasture growth particularly during periods of less than ideal grazing conditions become apparent. is is quickly followed by an improvement in weight gain and milk yield along with a reduction in overall animal health costs.

from the time taken to closely observe the pasture in every paddock prior to and after grazing.

e importance of that is that when pasture production does not exceed 10,000kgDM/ha each year it is usually almost impossible to generate a pro t regardless of debt levels.

Where carbon is steadily sequestered methane and nitrous oxide are not increased. Carbon dioxide being heavier than air sits close to the ground stimulating stronger plant growth.

Production

Extra carbon when fully digested provides the perfect lter for rain ensuring ground water is t for drinking, and it is only soil biology that allows excess nitrogen to be returned to the atmosphere as benign nitrogen gas.

e nancial margins in farming currently are slim, and although better times will arrive it is still possible to generate a healthy pro t, but attention to detail is necessary.

Grazing intervals, often referred to as rotation length, is the critical issue in turning 12,000kg of dry matter per hectare into 15,000kg or better. available at no extra cost apart

Functional Farming Systems have for more than 20 years provided farmers with soil fertility packages that are not reliant on synthetic nitrogen for exceptional performance. It quickly became apparent that some operators realised the bene ts more quickly than others and they were those that spent extra time and e ort managing their pastures.

It is under permanent grazed pasture that carbon is most rapidly sequestered, a fact not recognised in current farming models which will have to change if NZ’s pastoral industry

It’s essential if farming is to survive the coming nancial turbulence that we take heed of the past. From Soils and Manures in New Zealand (1960) by L.J. Wild comes the following.

“In agriculture, as in other callings, that man is more likely to succeed whose mind is well stored with solid facts, and whose fertile brain is productive of ideas, than he who blindly follows ‘rules of thumb’.

For more information call Peter on: 0800 843 809.

Inflation drop sets NZ subdivision scene

e good news out recently is that we are seeing the back of high in ation.

at will enable interest rates to fall in the coming months.

With the annual rate down to four per cent from more than seven per cent, the Reserve Bank will feel more con dent with its decision to hold the o cial cash rate (OCR) at 5.5 per cent and, even better, should not need to raise it further.

So how does this a ect subdivision and development?

e ability for people to take out a mortgage to purchase land or a house is controlled by the banks and their perception of one’s ability to pay back the loan. erefore, as interest rates track downward and repayment becomes achievable by more, demand for property will return and prices will rise over a period of time.

e increased demand and availability of nance at reasonable interest rates will allow those with saleable titles to sell.  With more con dence in the marketplace, subdividers will be able to more easily obtain nance and we will be heading for boom times again!

We are already seeing signs that some banks are more relaxed

a project manager through a local specialist subdivision company, you can position yourselves for success, ready to seize opportunities as they unfold. It will never get easier than today.

If you have considered subdividing to

create sections for sale, land banking titles while the rules still allow it for future capital returns, or providing a section for your retirement or family we are more than happy to explore the options with you, call us today!

in their attitude to lending.

e question is, ‘how long will it take for mortgage rates to fall?’ e answer is ‘about as long as it takes to carry out a subdivision’.

e nance industry is betting on about a year at present, based on the term that people are xing their mortgage for, and that is about the minimum that you would need to get a subdivision across the line with your local council.

So, those landowners getting

advice on the process now, we believe, are doing the right thing. We know that it takes precious time to design, navigate the intricacies of council rules, secure the necessary professional reports, obtain the required consents and comply with all legal requirements. To take your subdivision through that process before everybody gets on the bandwagon, as will happen, is smart. You never know, the council might be able to fast-track it even! Subdivision is a complex and time-consuming process, in uenced by various external factors. However, by engaging

Industry game-changer for farmers

A new testing regime is being dubbed an industry game-changer meaning farmers can let go of blanket dry cow therapy with con dence.

Fast, practical, cost-e ective and accurate mastitis testing – at scale – is now available for farmers looking to ‘know their bugs and use less drugs’ through DairySmart’s leading edge diagnostic system.

DairySmart, winner of the 2023 Technology Innovation title at the National Primary Industries Awards, is on a mission to transform mastitis management in New Zealand. In the process, they can make life happier and less stressful for farmers and their

sta , improve cow well-being, reduce antibiotic use and tackle antibiotic resistance – all while reducing costs.

Centred on a novel system of whole herd milk culture-based pathogen screening and the Jupiter machine, a world rst AI and machine learning software technology for sample analysis, DairySmart feeds results back to farmers and their vets within 48 hours of taking a milk sample.

“DairySmarts clever tech identi es which cows are infected with which pathogen, giving a clear picture of which cows have harmful bacteria lurking in their milk,” says a company spokesperson.

“Farmers who have implemented DairySmart say it’s been a game-changer, empowering them and their teams with hard data, enabling better decision making, and easing the frustration, stress and cost of repeatedly dealing with mastitis cows.

“On average farmers have seen up to a 45 per cent reduction in dry-cow antibiotic use compared to other strategies.”

DairySmart identi es what type of bugs (or not) are in a cows udder at drying o . is allows vets and farmers to make a plan for the correct treatment of each animal. Typically the result is less antibiotic treatments, without any detrimental e ects on udder health in the following season.For more information, see DairySmart’s advert on this page.

Knowledge is power

Every year thousands of cows get unnecessary dry cow therapy antibiotics. Not only is this costly for farmers, but it also takes us one step closer to increased antibiotic resistance.

DairySmarts’ innovative culture-based system ensures the proper identification of cows with bugs in their udders before dry-off, so you can optimise treatment and safeguard your future.

Get DairySmart today.

Talk to us today about the latest award-winning way to dry

DairySmart CEO Ben Davidson.

Goodwood sort your animal bedding this season

Bonnie the Cow Animal Bedding and Herd Shelter Stand-Off Pad readily available, as well as Animal Bedding for Compost Barns

Product available across Waikato, BOP and Central Plateau Delivered direct to you, when you need it

Made using 100% recycled untreated timber for the

Bonnie the Cow Animal Bedding and Herd Shelter Stand-Off Pad readily available, as well as Animal Bedding for Compost Barns

and comfort of your herd.

Product available across Waikato, BOP and Central Plateau

When she’s not tending her one-acre country garden at Otamarakau, near Pukehina Beach, mixed media artists Angela McKenzie is busy creating chaos in her workshop.

Experimenting with textures, shapes and colours is her passion.

“Every piece starts on paper when I lay down a whole lot of watercolours and inks then I might cut it into a shape, then attach a piece of plywood. I pour resin on top.

E ective experimenting

“It gives you a whole di erent e ect to canvas with acrylic. ey just don’t have the same magic as paper and watercolour.”

Layers of resin and paint achieve an almost 3D e ect. It’s a process that’s evolved over the last 25 years of experimenting. It was 1998 when Angela took a watercolour night class with Paengaroa artist Lois Isaacs.

“She had a studio down the back of her garden, and I was in love as soon as I saw it. Gardening and a workshop at home; I’m in heaven.”

by Angela McKenzie.

“I like to try new things and it was Lois who instilled that in me. She encouraged me to ask questions and experiment,” says Angela. “Fast forward to 2006, I decided to go study at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic. “I was nearly 40 and I thought: ‘I’m just going to do it’.”

nearly

In 2008, Angela completed the Diploma in Visual Art, achieving top student. She went on to nish her Level 7 advanced diploma in Art and Design at Waiariki Institute of Technology and in 2011, completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Whitecli e College of Arts and Design.

“I never imagined I’d go that far, but that’s just what happened,” she smiles. “So I’ve just kept painting. I worked in the creative industry for a few years but then I realised what I really want to do is to keep making. It’s not just painting, it’s making.”

“Fast

Artworks

Angela McKenzie with her artwork.

Angela’s work has been selected for several major art awards, including ‘best in show’ at the Lifestyles of the Bay Art Award.

“What I start with is the colour combinations. Having a play with things that don’t usually go together.

“As I go through the process –and it is a long process that starts on paper, mounting it on board, layering – music is a big thing that inspires me. I always have music playing loud and often as I’m working on a piece, a song becomes more obvious and then I listen to the lyrics and think about the story.”

Inspired works

A line from the song will often resonate and become woven into the art. One of Angela’s 3D works was inspired by a song by the Canadian indie pop artist Leslie Feist, ‘Intuition’.

out and think about them, they often change slightly. We build on it or lose parts of it but the memory changes over time. So I play with those ideas in my head as I’m making the piece.”

Unveiling art

It’s almost an unwrapping of a Christmas gift kind of feeling as Angela unveils her art at each stage of creation. “It’s exciting,” she laughs.

“I don’t like pumping out the same thing. I normally have three projects on the go at various stages because I like to keep busy and they take so long to dry.”

Angela juggles her art with maintaining the lifestyle block

where she lives with her artist husband, Clive Armstrong. e land represents her family’s farming legacy. She points out a kiwifruit vine that resembles a thick, twisting gate.

“My father would’ve planted that when we rst came here in 1979.

“It had been cut o to graft a new variety and it would’ve been burnt so we saved it. Clive put it near the house and it became part of our garden,” she says.

“I feel so lucky that I can work from home. We get tour groups through, so I get to meet the people and talk to them directly about my work and garden. It’s a lot of work and I absolutely love it.”

“ e line ‘a map is more unreal than where you’ve been’ really tted with the piece I was working on. I just loved that.

“It’s about your life journey with the scars and the bumps and the bruises and connections you make throughout your life.”

Angela loves getting creative with paper, wire, cardboard, wax and di erent media and sometimes the result is a complete surprise to her. “My art is based on what’s happening in my world, but also commenting or at least touching on what’s happening in the wider world and the craziness of social media and how that a ects us all.

“Not political, but us as humans and how we retain memories and how when we pull them

Growers of quality native plants

Since 1996, we have specialised in growing bulk quantities for revegetation and restoration projects, landscaping and farm plantings. Whether you are after a few plants for your garden, or extensive planting for a subdivision, we offer quality plants at competitive prices.

Angela McKenzie with her artwork.

Angela McKenzie with husband Clive Armstrong.

A couple’s twist on an arboretum

e Sculpture Park at Waitakaruru Arboretum is a regional resource that is the result of an interest in regenerating land, a love of art, and a couple’s combined experience in environmental planning and arboriculture.

Looking at the lush vegetation, thousands of carefully curated trees, thoughtfully landscaped areas and interesting sculptures around every corner, it’s hard to believe that 30 years ago the 17.5 hectares of land was a derelict, greywacke quarry overrun with gorse, pampas and blackberry.

In the early 1990s, Dorothy and John Wakeling were looking for some land that required rehabilitation, where they could plant a signi cant arboretum. An ex-quarry in Tauwhare, around 20 kilometres east of Hamilton, caught their attention in 1991.

“It was the towering cli s that really sold it to us. Add in the stream and ponds, abundance of greywacke rocks lying around, intimate treeenclosed spaces and panoramic vistas over the Waikato, and we could see the potential for a really interesting landscape,” says Dorothy.

Starting from scratch

e couple funded the project themselves from the start. John took six months o work to supervise their own ‘Task Force Green’ with clearing the site.

“Our rst planting was New Zealand native bush and it’s our largest planting with much of it still there today,” says Dorothy.

Conifers, American species, Australian species, Latin American species, South African species and Asian species have been planted.

Many are rare or endangered species.

“We’ve planted 30,000 trees and shrubs over the years with help from many volunteers and supporters. Some have been felled or died over the years, or a ected by drought and weather events, and we re-plant.”

e little rustic cottage on the site was the couple’s bach until they were able to build a home.

e cottage is now used as accommodation for those seeking a retreat in nature.

Dorothy and John Wakeling, founders of e Sculpture Park at Waitakaruru Arboretum. Photo: Supplied.

Park visitors enjoying e Out ts by Rebecca Rose.

e native bush draws native birds to the property. Tui, bellbirds, kereru, kotare, herons and ruru (which is their emblem) are some of the species that can be heard or spotted in the park.

Greywacke rocks have been incorporated into the landscaping, and used for walls, edging, and carefully placed statement rocks around the park.

e name Waitakaruru Arboretum is after the stream that runs through the park on its journey to the Waitoa River.

Waitakaruru means “place where the owl drinks” in Maori.

Opening to the public

e park opened to its rst visitors in 2003 as part of the “Window on Waikato” fundraiser for Hospice Waikato.

“We had 47 sculptures displayed here and it was a big success and we looked at having more sculptures in the park and exhibitions of sculptural works.

“Initially there was a very small charge to come to the park and money was from funding raised by a charitable trust. e park was used for charity fundraisers.

through the arboretum, incorporating original the quarry roading which gently curves through the steeper gradients, with more than 100 sculptures placed on the route.

e reusable park guides have the name of every sculpture, what it’s made of and who the artist is.

Many of the sculptures are donated, gifted or on long term loan, while others are part of exhibitions, meaning that there are continually new pieces to see.

“John and I are now trying to protect the long term future of the park. We o ered to gift it to the Council, but they do not need such a high maintenance asset.

“In 2019, a di erent charitable trust was formed, called the Art-in-Nature Arboretum Trust. e Trust applies for funding, relies on donations and bequests, and charges an entry fee.”

e funding pays for the ongoing maintenance and planting of the park, and the two full time gardening sta , part time arborist and sta ng for the information centre and café. John is still the curator of the trees and Dorothy still leads event planning, media and administration.

Visitors are guided through a 2km walk that winds

e trees are catalogued for those with an interest in the arboretum and a tree guide can be downloaded from the park’s website, although it’s not always completely up to date..

those with an interest in the be downloaded from the park’s website, although it’s not always

“Cyclone Gabrielle caused terrible damage and we had more than 100 trees either down or damaged. We had to close for a few weeks in early 2023 to assess the damage and clear dozens of trees and branches away.”

few weeks in early 2023 to assess the damage and clear dozens of

Since 2011, the arboretum has been protected under the New Zealand government’s carbon credit scheme and covenanted for 50 years as a “permanent forest sink”, absorbing signi cant carbon for many more years.

e Artist’s Shelter.

nishing with a visit to the Roosting Ruru Café.

Gri n by Nathan Hull.

Speed reduction planned for BOP road

Speed limits on ornton Road from the intersection with State Highway 30 to the western end of the “Blueberry Curves” will be reduced from 100km/h to 80km/h.

Whakatāne District Council’s infrastructure committee made the decision last month but the change will not be immediate, and will come into force by 2026.

e speed change replaces previous plans to improve safety on the road through infrastructure work such as widening the centre line, roadside safety barriers, and shoulder widening curve easing that was expected to begin this year.

included the area of road between the curves, all the way to West Bank Road, however, councillors agree that the reduction in speed was not necessary west of the curves.

During the meeting, Councillor Wilson James sought clari cation from sta on why the limit was not just from the corner of Luxton Road to the western end of the curves.

Costs for the project have escalated from $3.8 million to $7 million since 2022, and there has been a plateauing of crash statistics in recent years with no fatalities recorded since 2017.

He was told by the report writers that there was a lot of turning tra c on the ornton Road straight between SH30 and the curves, and during the summer there were occasions when temporary 80km/h restrictions were put in place.

Meanwhile, there has been an increase in crash statistics on other high-risk roads across the district. ese include Te Teko, Tāneatua, Galatea, Ōhope and Gorge roads.

“ e cost of undertaking all these safety interventions becomes una ordable and is a high-risk, high-cost exercise of ‘whack-a-mole’,” transport, strategy and assets team leader Joe Metcalfe says in his report.

e option of changing the speed limit to 80km/h, instead, comes at an estimated cost of $200,000, to cover the cost of replacing signs.

“ e average speed for this section is 83km/h and 90 per cent of people travel at or below 90km/h,” he says.

“ e impact on travel time for users would be less than 54 seconds, with half of drivers experiencing less than a ve-second delay.”

e initial option

e committee also discussed the proposed speed management plan for the entire district, with councillors having di ering opinions.

e plan had seen changes through last year’s consultation process, to no longer have blanket speed restriction of 30km/h in most urban streets. e 30km/h restrictions remain in place in large numbers of streets near schools and commonly used routes to schools and town centre areas such as Kopeopeo and e Strand, including after hours and at weekends.

e committee voted to adopt the plan at a full council meeting, pending any amendments agreed to, which are to be discussed at a workshop between now and then.

e Blueberry Curves, named for the nearby berry farm, on ornton Road, have been the site of over 40 crashes over the past 20 years, including several fatalities. Beacon le photo.

Diane McCarthy, Local Democracy Reporter

Pete & Marcus

Preventing a catastrophic measles outbreak

It only takes one infected dog to cause a catastrophic sheep measles outbreak.

Sheep measles is caused by the tapeworm Taenia ovis. Its immense ability to reproduce is the largest challenge facing prevention.

e tapeworm requires the dog and sheep/goat to complete its lifecycle. ere is no way of knowing if your ock is infected until slaughter, and dogs usually show no symptoms of infestation either.

“ erefore, the easiest way to prevent the disease is to routinely dose dogs that reside near sheep every month with the single active ingredient Praziquantel,” says a spokesperson for Ovis Management.

“Dogs that are visiting sheep farms should be dosed at least 48 hours before to ensure any potential tapeworms are ushed out.

“A single tapeworm can release up to 250,000 eggs each day and each egg becomes a new tapeworm.

“ ese eggs have been proven to travel up to 10

dollars. On a larger scale, meat inspectors can only detect 20 per cent of infections due to the site which cysts embed. If contaminated sheep meat reaches the market, the entire industry is at risk.

“All dog owners have a part to

play in ensuring that sheep meat produced by New Zealand farmers is free of sheep measles.

“It is important to take preventative measures seriously.”

For more information, see Ovis Management’s advert on this page.

KEEP OUR SHEEP SWEET DURING DUCK HUNTING

Cysts embedded on an animal carcass after it was slaughtered.

kilometres by wind, water, and ies. On pasture the eggs can remain infectious for up to a year.”

A sheep measles outbreak on a farming property can cost the farmer and processor thousands of

Premium beef going up for auction

Storth Oaks Angus in Ōtorohanga is the leading Angus stud in the Northern King Country.

On Wednesday, June 5 at 1pm, 87 two-year-old bulls from Storth Oaks Angus will be put up for auction.

“Visitors are always welcome to come and have a look beforehand, and we are keen to talk over what their breeding objectives are and how we can help them achieve their goals,” says Storth Oaks Angus owner Tim Brittain. “ e stud’s been going since 1991, and we pride ourselves on using all the scienti c tools available to breed cattle in a modern world.

“We were the rst stud in New Zealand to genomically test every animal that’s born on the farm.

“ is is more common now because genomics are an integral part of the Trans-Tasman Angus Cattle Evaluation.

“Every bull o ered is independently, and structurally assessed by Bill Austin. Our sales catalogue contains as much information as we have been able to collect and

is open to our customers.

“We are highly regarded for the fertility of the bulls that leave the farm and the conception rates that our customers are getting.”

Tim says the goal of Storth Oaks Angus is “to breed bulls that will increase the pro tability of our commercial customers and improve the eating experience of the end consumer”.

Tim says the trait in cattle that improves the ability of the Angus to marble is IMF which is intramuscular fat. is gene ensures the steak will be juicy and tender.

“Of the 87 bulls in the catalogue, the average IMF EBVs is positive 3.44, which is way above the breed average.

“ e breed average for New Zealand Angus is only 0.9 so, if people are interested in hitting targets of premium programs and receiving extra payments for the quality of their beef, then we have bulls that will help them achieve that.”

Dose all dogs with Praziquantel at least 48 hours before visiting the Maimai, to prevent sheep measles.

0800 222 011 www.sheepmeasles.co.nz @sheepmeasles @sheepmeaslesnz

Storth Oaks Angus Bulls.

A few summers ago, my best friend and I decided to take our seven sons (four of mine and three of hers), all aged between 12 and 15, on a camping trip to the Far North.

We were seasoned campers but hadn’t gone o -grid before.

Every last detail was planned for using Tapotupotu DOC camp as a central location for three nights with no power, no fridge, no drinkable water, long drops and cold showers.

We broke the back of the journey from the Waikato in one day and stayed in cabins at Ahipara Holiday Park.

Ninety-mile beach at sunset was ideal for seven boys to let o steam after the seven hour drive and it gave us mums the chance to refreeze the ice bricks to keep our meat meals for

the next two days frozen. Tapotupotu campground is beautiful with an estuary, sandy beach, rock pools and cli s. We took in 45 litres of bottled water, and two frozen meals, tinned mince, potatoes, rice and pasta. Breakfast was cereal with made up powdered milk and we ate bread and tinned meats for lunch. Snacks included chips, fruit and bars.

ree tents, two Toyota Estimas and a gazebo were home at Tapotupotu DOC campground.

Living with nature

The Kimberley Group Coach Tour

Every day was around 30 degrees, but the nights got quite cold. It didn’t rain once, which made living in three tents and cooking and eating outside quite idyllic. We soon learned to ensure all the y nets were closed early and there were very exaggerated discussions about mosquitoes “the size of sparrows”.

e showers were bracing, a steady buzz of ies could be heard from the long drops, and there was no mobile coverage, just board games, exploring and preparing food.

Breakfast on the rst day ended up in the bin as apparently the reconstituted powdered milk was “disgusting”.

at night, we put a water bottle under the car to get cold and before the kids were up we made up more powdered milk and announced we’d bought milk… no-one complained!

We walked the part of the Te Rerenga Wairua track that goes from Tapotupotu to Cape Reinga lighthouse. Described as an easy walk of about ve kilometres return, it felt longer and wasn’t particularly easy, but the views looking forward and behind were worth it.

Elvis Fans Group Tour

from Tapotupotu to Cape Reinga

Te Rerenga Wairua walkway lighthouse.

From small beginnings

Hugh Weir ran a school bus, race day and picture night buses in the 1940s and 50s.

But it was in the 1970s that Weir Tours, as they are today, started.

Hugh’s son Clarke and his wife Margaret have grown a family business from one bus in their driveway to a eet of 50 vehicles.

Now, 50 years later, the passion for the bus and coach industry continues in the family as Hugh’s granddaughter and grandson, Clarke’s daughter Stacy Manktelow, and nephew Callum Chapman, have joined the business alongside Clarke.

“ is continuance of the family brand ensures the teamwork, family values, and loyalty that has made

Exploring New Zealand’s northern terrain

e kids did well and had a picnic lunch by Cape Reinga lighthouse. I struggled in the heat and managed to score us all a ride on a half empty tour bus back along the road to Tapotupotu, much to the amazement of the foreign tourists.

Stunning beaches

Rarawa Beach has pure white, talc-like sand that squeaks when you walk on it and the sea looks sapphire blue. Kapowairua Beach (Spirits Bay) has pinkish sand from a distance and closer inspection reveals it’s made up of pink crushed shells.

Both beaches have a DOC campground with toilets and cold showers but no drinking water.

e boys thoroughly enjoyed sand sur ng down the giant Te Paki yellow sand dunes using boogie boards which can be hired at the kiosk. It is a huge work out climbing up, but they

Weir Tours the success it is today remains as it moves forward into the future,” says a spokesperson for the company.

“While school transport and minivan rentals provide a base for the company’s business, it is the charters, tours and show excursions Weir Tours is best known for.

“Weir Tours proudly put clients rst in every area of their travel experience – from quality accommodation and entertainment to comfortable and safe transportation with knowledgeable and friendly guides.

all did it several times and the adrenalin rush going down fast made up for it.

We took a whole day to go via the west coast to our last two nights’ accommodation in cabins at Goat Island Camping near Leigh, which is on the east coast north of Auckland.

Our route allowed us to hug the scenic coast road around the Hokianga Harbour and use the Rawene vehicle ferry to cross

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the harbour. e drive on State Highway 12 south through the Waipoua Forest was punctuated by stopping to see the majestic kauri, Tane Mahuta, and a very worthwhile visit to e Kauri Museum at Matakohe.

e experience is still talked about by the seven boys as “the best holiday we ever took them on”, and yet it was also the most back to basics camping trip we have ever done.

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“During Weir Tours’ years of operation, Clarke and the team have built a fantastic rapport with not only tourist operators and accommodation providers but also clientele who are quick to become repeat customers.

“ eir strong supplier relationships enable them to ensure everyone has a memorable experience with Weir Tours, and for all the right reasons!

“Weir Tours is proud to have earned the reputation as the ‘Company at Gives the Little Extras’.”

For more information, see Weir Tours’ advert on this page.

Clarke Weir and Callum Chapman.

Sur ng the giant Te Paki sand dunes.

RSE workers get big welcome to Katikati

While recognised seasonal employer workers were settling into their new digs, local community organisations were busy organising a big welcome for the newcomers.

An RSE workers powhiri was held earlier this year, where about 100 newcomers were welcomed into the town with a ceremony, a few gifts and a meal.

e rst welcome was held last year and the organising team decided they’d repeat the successful event.

Te Rereatukahia marae welcomed nationalities from Kiribati and Ni-Vanuatu. Both took a turn speaking and singing a song.

About 250 welcome packs were made up and extras were given to Eastpack, Seeka and Humes workers who could not make the event.

Included in the packs were Easter eggs and a

beanie thanks to community knitters making 300 beanies last year in preparation for this year. Also included was information about churches, community services, bus timetable, useful websites, Wi-Fi info, shing rules, maps including a mural map, recreational info and things to do locally.

e organising team were Sjaan Rounds (Katikati Community Centre), Hone WinderMurray and Valarie Uilou (Te Rereatukahia Marae), Patrick Rounds (Katikati Community Baptist Church), Sam Moa (New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated) and Racheal Trimble (DMS Progrowers).

Sjaan says it was a “fantastic event that brought the RSE workers together, welcomed them appropriately to our community and showed them what a supportive community Katikati is”.

RSE workers from Kiribati and Ni-Vanuatu.

Praying for the kiwifruit harvest

Inspired by folk in a Waikato town, praying for the industry that provides much of their livelihood, has seen prayers for the kiwifruit season rise from the Western Bay of Plenty.

Te Puke is known as New Zealand’s kiwifruit capital – and now people there can also gather to pray for the wholesome fruit industry which gives so much to the community.

Coast & Country News caught wind of a gathering earlier this year of about 40 people at The Orchard Church in Te Puke, praying for this year’s kiwifruit harvest.

Organiser of the 2024 Te Puke kiwifruit prayer, James Muir, says a few years back Tauranga Church leaders heard of churches in Te Awamutu praying to God for their dairy industry and the milk delivery trucks and drivers.

“This led to Te Puke churches hosting prayer gatherings at the start of the kiwifruit harvest – as 41 per cent of NZ’s kiwifruit orchards are in Te Puke, and the BOP has 79 per cent.

“Last year we gathered at Te Puke Baptist Church; the year before we met at the Harvest Church in Te Puke.”

James says it’s obvious the kiwifruit industry is heavily significant to the livelihoods of all Bay of Plenty residents. “In the BOP we’re very aware over the years of the severe negative impact on our NZ

kiwifruit growers of Psa and other diseases, extreme bad weather, poor pollination and international economic crises, as in October 1987 for example.”

The points of 2024’s prayer were agreed to and confirmed by long-term local growers in Te Puke and a key representative from the New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Association Incorporated. “[As such] NZKGI made all 2800 kiwifruit growers in NZ aware throughout Aotearoa that Christian churches were praying and encouraged many to pray with us.”

WBOP Deputy Mayor John Scrimgeour and councillor, the late Richard Crawford, attended the March prayer meeting “with Richard thanking all and reminding us how important the kiwifruit industry was to Te Puke and WBOP’s economy”.

James says many others began praying with them in the region and nationwide – now his group will carry on their prayers until

the end of harvest.

“Regular ongoing prayer to God is needed until June/ July, until the full harvest is in, packaged and despatched to the different world export markets.”

James says people pray for the safety and welfare of the 2800 growers, their families and for the more than 20,000 workers –including the RSE workers here in NZ working in the kiwifruit industry from the Pacific.

“We also pray for the care and quality of the fruit harvest, from the orchards to the packhouses and coolstores. For cooperation/ interaction between industry players to ensure a smooth flow of product through the supply chain. For care and quality from NZ to the international markets.

“For Zespri and the Government for wisdom in monitoring national and international economic and currency matters.” They also pray for the best possible weather conditions through the harvest. “And we pray for a possible increase to a forecast of some 190 million trays in

the prayer event in Te Puke in February

more growers and contractors can be free to attend before harvest-time gets

celebration event might be arranged in Te Puke at the end of the present harvest season, come June or July.”

To know more, contact James on: 021 400 874.

Ayla

Yeoman

MyNameisNeilWoodward.

MyNameisNeilWoodward

IamadirectorofZ-Contracting-wearefamilyrun business,ourteamconsistsofthree,beingmyself,my sonandmybrother.

Ourorganisationhasbeenestablishedforover18 years.Ihavebeeninvolvedin applyingcropprotection programmeswithinthehorticultalindustrysince1966.

Wespecialisewithinthekiwifruitindustry, We have theequipmenttosprayorchardswithour two Atomsprayers and one recently purchased Tracatom Formula tractor which is also available for mulching and mowing

Our Atoms aresetupwithradarspeedsensors,this combined with fullyautomated sprayer controllers and three nozzle ringsenhancesapplicationef ficiency and accuracy.

We also useaquadbikeforstripweedspray applications.

Weholdallcertificatesneededtomeet Globalgap compliance.

Welookatallchallengestohelpensureweprotect yourcropwithexcellence.

IamadirectorofZ-Contracting-wearefamilyrun business,ourteamconsistsofthree,beingmyself,my sonandmybrother.

Ourorganisationhasbeenestablishedforover18 years.Ihavebeeninvolvedin applyingcropprotection programmeswithinthehorticultalindustrysince1966.

Wespecialisewithinthekiwifruitindustry, We have theequipmenttosprayorchardswithour two

Atomsprayers and one recently purchased Tracatom Formula tractor which is also available for mulching and mowing

Our Atoms aresetupwithradarspeedsensors,this combined with fullyautomated sprayer controllers and three nozzle ringsenhancesapplicationef ficiency and accuracy.

We also useaquadbikeforstripweedspray applications.

Weholdallcertificatesneededtomeet Globalgap compliance.

Welookatallchallengestohelpensureweprotect yourcropwithexcellence.

216PongakawaBushRoad TePuke

Tocontactus: Phone:021907621 E-mail:zcl@zanadu.co.nz

216PongakawaBushRoad

TePuke

Tocontactus:

Phone:021907621

E-mail:zcl@zanadu.co.nz

James Muir, Andy Wichens, Judy Abrahams and Scott Nicholson have all been praying for a fruitful kiwifruit season. Photo: John Borren.

Fruitful bee pollination

As the worker bees mill over hectares of land, pollinating ourishing kiwifruit and avocado orchards, their keepers collect the reward both in dollars and a sense of ful lment.

Bee First Apiaries, nestled in Whakamarama and run by partners Craig Lovell and Maree Paynter, have made pollination work their bread and butter for about the past 10 years.

Coast & Country News was lucky enough to be welcomed by the upbeat and driven duo and learn about the honey harvest as part of the Flavors of Plenty Festival. Craig and Maree taught

the group all about the inner working of hives, but as a novice to the beekeeping world, I was surprised that it’s not actually their hive’s honey that sustains the couple’s livelihood.

Busy bees

“ e backbone of our business is pollination work,” says Craig, who has always had an a nity for bees.

“We do a lot of kiwifruit and avocado pollination.

“ at’s what keeps us going.”

From October to December, Craig and Maree are as busy as their bees, shifting their hives in the early morning and late at night when the bees aren’t ying.

Continuous improvement making a difference

In recent months, the narrative surrounding the avocado industry has been largely dominated by discussions of the challenges we’ve faced and the poor outcomes for growers.

At Just Avocados and Darling Group, we recognise that while many factors in uencing these challenges lie beyond our control, our commitment remains steadfast to steering the elements we can in uence toward the “best” outcomes available

to us in a challenged environment.

e age-old analogy of doing the same thing and hoping for a di erent outcome is not the way forward. Our focus as a business is on our own continuous improvement, which is unfolding across various aspects of our operation - from our export strategies and grower engagement to internal team dynamics, packhouse operations, and logistics.

One signi cant shift in our strategy last season was the adaptation of our market focus. e forecast underperformance in the Australian market prompted our decisive pivot to take that broken record o and press play on a more promising opportunity in Canada, while continuing to nurture our presence in Asian markets. is nimble reorientation exempli es the capability of our business model to change the playlist quickly to ensure that our actions align closely with the best interests of our growers.

In our ongoing quest for innovation, we are currently exploring alternative harvesting techniques aimed at boosting e ciency and reducing costs. Our expectations are that more fruit can be harvested daily, thereby enhancing overall productivity of harvesters and the packhouse and reducing costs for growers. Stay tuned for outcomes of these trials later in the year.

In logistics, we have made signi cant strides in optimising our processes. A strategic consolidation of our packing operations at in Katikati, which boasts the leading avocado packing technology in the industry, has streamlined our timeframes from pick to pack to loading for export fruit. is enhancement not only shortens the supply chain but ensures consistent quality control, which has been instrumental in avoiding issues in both domestic and international markets.

e recent update to GLOBALG.A.P. v6 has brought a heightened focus on continuous improvement within orchards. Our Grower Services Team has been proactive in hosting workshops across the Bay of Plenty, Whangarei, and Far North regions, aimed at empowering our growers with knowledge and strategies to enable them to plan improvements they can make to their operations.

Inside the packhouse, we are ne-tuning our fruit handling machinery and are working with our sta to develop a shared vision and values that can continue to inspire our team. Great people who are happy and engaged that have great technology to work with can make for better outcomes for our growers and customers. At the core of our ethos is the belief that through continuous improvement in our systems and culture we can e ect meaningful change - even in the face of daunting challenges. is commitment to excellence and adaptability is what de nes us, and it is how we continue to make a signi cant impact in the avocado industry.

Craig Lovell tending to one of the hives.

Photos: Georgia Minkhorst.

Just Avocados are focusing on continuous improvement across their business in response to challenging industry conditions.

“We’re loading them onto trucks in the dark and moving them into orchards in the dark. We’re feeding them every morning and then when they’re done in the orchard, we’re picking them up in the dark, taking them somewhere else and dropping them o .”

Bouncing between more than 30 of their clients’ orchards, Craig says the pollination work is “good fun”. “It’s pretty busy.

“It’s one of those things that when you’re so ogged out, it feels good… you’re pushing hard.”

Craig says orchards can have anywhere between four and 80 of their 800 hives at a time, depending on the orchard size.

“Generally it’s about between 10 to 12 hives per hectare.”

For a conventional kiwifruit orchard, the hives will be kept on the land for about 10 days for the bees to do all their pollinating.

“Organic kiwifruit can be about two weeks, and for avocados they’re

in there for a month or 28 days.

“It just depends on the variety, the species and whether they’re organic or conventional.”

Growth rates

e reason organic orchards take longer for the bees to pollinate is because the growers don’t use Hi-Cane or hydrogen cyanamide – a plant growth regulator. “In a conventional orchard, owering is

pretty consistent. You’ll get good male and female synchronization in the owering, whereas organic is quite sporadic and scattered with the male and female opening of the ower so it takes longer.”

Rewarding job

Craig advises anyone looking to step into the bee world and pollination work, to start by getting a good mentor and beginning small.

“It’s good fun and it’s very rewarding –not nancially every time, but really rewarding when you get it right, and the weather’s good, the bees are working excellently in the orchard and the growers are happy.

“It’s a job where you’re ‘earthing’ every day. You’re involved with nature right at the grassroots level, where everything begins at pollination.

“It’s pretty special.”

Where

a handshake still means something.

Together We Achieve

• Aerial Survey

• Aerial Lifting

•Agricultural Seeding

•Agricultural Spraying

•Agricultural Topdressing

• Charters and Sightseeing

• Fire Fighting

• Frost Control

• Photography and Filming �

Craig says the pollination work is

Hundreds of Craig Lovell and Maree Paynter’s bees pollinate Bay of Plenty avocado and kiwifruit orchards.

Maree Paynter and Craig Lovell.

Raw honey.

Maree Paynter uncapping a frame with fresh honey oozing out.

Sulphur deserves equal billing with NPK

When it comes to essential nutrients for plant growth, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK), usually take the starring roles.

However, there’s another element that deserves its moment in the spotlight, and that’s sulphur. Since sulphur is found in plants in similar quantities as phosphates, it shouldn’t be left back stage, but given equal billing.

About Sulphur

Sulphur occurs naturally in the earth’s crust and is the 13th most common element. Apart from fertiliser, it is used to manufacture a range of everyday items like paint, rubber, medicines, sugar,

detergents, plastics, and paper.

Although it used to be mined, elemental sulphur is now mostly sourced as a co-product from the oil and gas industries, and is traded all around the world.

Sulphur in plants

All plants need sulphur. ey absorb it through their roots as sulphate (SO42-), although they can absorb small amounts through their leaves as sulphur dioxide (SO2). Without sulphur, plants can’t form the amino acids cysteine, cystine, and methionine that are among the key building blocks of proteins.

If enough sulphur isn’t available, plants can’t successfully produce the chlorophyll that they need for photosynthesis, so their production of starch, sugars, oils, fats, vitamins, and other compounds is compromised.

A lack of sulphur also a ects the ability of plants to make an enzyme that is required for nitrogen uptake. For legumes like clover, sulphur is needed to form the healthy nodules used in nitrogen xation.

Sulphur deficiency

Not so long ago, sulphur de ciencies in New Zealand agriculture were rare. is was due to the widespread use of superphosphate which contains sulphur along with phosphate.

However, more sulphur-free phosphate and nitrogen fertilisers are now being used, so sulphur de ciencies in our soils are more common.

Sulphur shortages are more likely to occur with high rainfall in winter because sulphates are easily leached. De ciencies are also more likely with

You won’t grow healthy pasture and crops without it

Combine these two forms of granulated high analysis sulphur to get year-round growth. Enjoy easy and accurate spreading, and less dust. They won’t leach, so wastage is reduced.

Super S

Super fine sulphur particles react quickly to provide immediately available sulphur; has nitrogen as a binding agent

Elemental Sulphur Prills

Bio-Gro approved high analysis sulphur reacts more slowly and is 100% available to plants

low temperatures, and with soils which are acidic or low in organic matter.

Sulphur de ciency in plants can look very similar to nitrogen de ciency with the same yellowing of leaves and stunted growth. However, it is the young leaves which are most a ected when sulphur is short.

As always, the best way to check for a de ciency is to soil test regularly.

Plants require a continuous and regular supply of sulphur during their growth, so the ideal sulphur fertiliser would deliver its nutrients over an entire growing season. Unfortunately, there is no single sulphur fertiliser that works like this.

While sulphur is included as a secondary constituent of some NPK fertilisers like Fertco’s KingPhos (4.3 per cent sulphur), the sulphur is in sulphate form. is form is good because the sulphur is immediately available to plants. But sulphates are easily leached so plants won’t get the regular sulphur source they need for long.

On the other hand, Elemental Sulphur, a high analysis sulphur (90 per cent), is

not in sulphate form so does not leach. But it takes some time to be oxidised by microbes to become plant available sulphate.

Another option is to apply Fertco’s Super S. Super S is a high analysis elemental sulphur which is extremely ne (75 per cent sulphur). e tiny size of the particles allows the sulphur to be oxidised quickly, even in winter or spring when temperatures are as low as 10oC. e ideal solution?

So which fertiliser should you apply? e ideal solution would be to apply Elemental Sulphur with some Super S. is would supply both quicker and slower acting forms of sulphur which would provide the vital elements for protein production and photosynthesis, but also ensure that nitrogen uptake is more e cient.

One advantage with sulphur fertilisers is that they are less expensive than other key nutrients like nitrogen and phosphates. So it’s not a costly exercise to include some sulphur with your fertiliser. Given its importance, it’s just sound practice to give sulphur star status alongside NPK.

Cows in healthy pasture.

From marine to farm studies

Ongoing scienti c research is critical to New Zealand agriculture. e Fertiliser Association of New Zealand is dedicated to funding research as well as developing New Zealand’s agricultural research capability by supporting PhD research on nutrient management.

e association is highlighting the work of Massey University student Nicola Wilson who is currently undertaking research on ‘What Hot Water Extractable Carbon and Nitrogen can tell us about changes in labile soil Carbon and Nitrogen.’

Nicola grew up on a sheep and beef farm in Northland, which she describes as her happy place.

“I grew up with a large focus on the ocean, spending a lot of my spare time sailing and I always knew I wanted to do something in my future to help the environment,” says Nicola.

Analysis

Her switch from the ocean to the land took place when she decided to study Agricultural Science and discovered an interest in soil science.

“I realised that I could do my bit for the environment within the agricultural sector. Working with farmers to better our farming practices and improve soil health felt like it was addressing the problems from their origin, and through this I was doing my bit towards soil, freshwater and marine health.”

Nicola’s research aims to provide further analysis of the ways in which Hot Water Extractable Carbon and Nitrogen relate to soil health measures and agricultural management practices and builds on current research surrounding these.

“Working on my family’s farm throughout my research as well as seeing the work other farms are

have not a ected the HWEC measured in soil.

“ is was a surprising result as increased phosphorus applications increased pasture production and other soil health aspects and thus, we would expect the HWEC pools to also increase.”

Nicola has taken samples from Massey Universities

EFFECTIVE RETRACTING COVER SYSTEMS

‘Whenua Haumanu’ project and Agresearchs ‘Mangarara’ trial.

Now the data has been collected, Nicola is focused on writing her thesis.

esis

“Once I have nished my thesis, I hope to nd a job which will allow me to work with farmers to improve their

systems and to bene t the environment.

“I also hope to continue working on and eventually take over the family farm.”

Nicola’s research is funded by the Fertiliser Association of New Zealand. Her supervisors are Lucy Burkitt, Maria Minor, Alec Mackay and Jeya Paramsothy.

doing to improve their systems from an environmental standpoint greatly inspired me to go into this research.

 Keeps feed or fertiliser dry

 Winch system for easy access

 Canvas or steel cladding options

“My hopes are that this research helps farmers to use the Hot Water Extractable Carbon and Hot Water Extractable Nitrogen measures for insight into their soils in a way which is potentially more economically viable than others.”

Knowledge

 Save time and cut waste 0800 262 788

info@slidingroofs.co.nz www.slidingroofs.co.nz

ere has been a lot of research on HWEC and HWEN measures over the past decades. Nicola’s research aims to build on the current knowledge and ll some gaps so these measures can be better implemented by farmers in their systems. A research focus on farms in Aotearoa, New Zealand means that there is more information that speci cally relates to New Zealand farmers and their systems.

Six months into her research Nicola’s ndings support earlier research.

“HWEC and HWEN have strong relationships with total carbon and total nitrogen pools in the soil which tells us that we can gain insight into these pools from the HWEC and HWEN measures. My ndings have also shown that long term phosphorus fertiliser applications

Massey University student Nicola Wilson.

Twins Anna and Simon, 10, and their chook Henrietta, who likes to sit on the skateboard while being pushed along in Paengaroa.

Ryan giving his favourite cow Norma a cuddle in Cambridge. If more people in this world gave a cow a hug, the happier we’d all be!

Madi, age 18 months, chilling with her besties - the ‘moos’ and Gizmo the rooster in Tauranga.

is is Skyla, two, who is feeding her pet goat and roosters in Whakamarama.

Shea,10, and Cayden, 12, with Caesar the pup, having a rest while they help put up fences in Pukekohe.