ThereIwashobnobbingwiththelong craggyfaceonour$5banknote. Shootingthebreezeonthebalconyofhis HimalayanTrustinKathmandu. Yep,SirEd.Andme.
Gotthephototoproveit.I’mtheonethat’snot SirED.
Hehadbeen8848 metrestothetopof theworld.I’donly managedafewrungs upaladderina CentralOtagoapricot orchardbeforeIgot vertigo.
Butweweredrawn togetherbyamutual loveandrespectfor tractors.Yes,tractors. Redtractors,Massey Fergusontractors. Andagain,Igot stungbythebeekeeper
Tractordriving toreachtheSouthPoleoverlandsinceScotthalfa centuryearlier,andthefirstinmotorvehicles.He wasgroundbreaking.Iwasjustbreaking. Hisadventurewasaboutnationalpride,disputed sovereignty,Kiwiattitudeandmenbeingmen. Minewasabout“buggering”anexpensivetrailer withoutleavingthefarmyard.SirEd’sstorywent aroundtheworld, minedidn’tseethe lightofday,untilnow.
Ilearnedtodriveon alittleredMasseyFerguson.Itendedbadly. Icouldn’tfigure,whenbacking,thatthe trailermovedintheoppositedirectiontothe steeringwheel.
Ipanicked,confusedbrakeandclutch,andjackknifed.Therewereallsortsofexpensive,tortured, graunchingnoises.
Andbrokenbits.SixtyyearslaterIamstilla crapdriver.
MeanwhileSirEdwasrippingacrossworld’s coldestandiciestcontinentonhismodified MasseyFerguson.Itwas1958andSirEdwasfirst
Reunion YearsbeforeI waswanderingin adaydreamdown RemueraRd. Ihalfrecognised ablokepassingsoI calledout“gidday mate,howareyuh?” Inquisitively,Iturned toseewhoIhad addressedandSirEd wasstanding,looking atme,strokingaskijumpthatservedas achinandwearinga “whothehellareyou?”lookonhisface. YearsafterKathmanduIwashavingafternoon teawiththe$5faceathishomeinRemuera. Youcoulddropin.
Hewasthatsortofbloke.Iwasregalingthe greatmanwithwhatIthoughtwasarivetingstory aboutlearningtodriveonaMasseyFerguson. ThenIrealisedthatchinhadslumpedontothe chestandthegreatmanwasasleep.Hecouldbe forgiven.Hewasanolderman. Orwasminejustanutterlyboring,sleep inducing,story?
SirEEdmond d Hilaryand d me.
Timber:Toughtimesexpected Aconstructionindustry crashinChinaissending shockwavesthroughthe timbertradehere.
“There’selephantsintheforest,” saidRotorua-basedforestry consultantJeffTombleson.
Chinaisbyfarthelargest importerofNewZealandlogs–92%intheyeartoJunelastyear.
ButJeffsaidithasbeen “throttlingback”onthequantity takensinceChina’sproperty marketstartedcontractingin2021.
Mega-infrastructureprojects theresuchasnewcities,portsand railwaysarenearingcompletion, hesaid.
HesaidmostoftheNew ZealandtimberexportedtoChina wasusedonconstructionsites forconcrete-casting(boxing),a techniqueusedin60%ofthe country’smulti-storeybuilds.
Since2019NewZealand’s isolatingexportlogpriceshave occasionally“comeback”tosub$100percubicmetrefroman averageof$132.
Atthelowerlevel,hesaid harvestingformostofthesmall forests’estatesisnotviable;and becausethereislittleornodomestic demand,theyshuttheirgates.
Inhis50-yearforestrycareerhe hasnotwitnessedsucha“negative outlook”fortheindustry.
AMinistryofForeignAffairs andTradereportreleased inDecembersaidproperty investmentinChinafell10.2%in thefirstsevenmonthsof2024. Octoberdatashowedan improvementinhousing
sentiment.However,theoverall pictureremains“challenging” withbothinvestmentinrealestate andthenumberofnewbuilds droppingbytheirfastestratein Octoberyear-on-year.
Economicactivity TheMFATreportsaidstructural changeinthepropertysectorhas weakenedeconomicactivityin relatedsectorsofconstructionand furniture-making,bothofwhich importNewZealandlogsand woodproducts.
“Thisimpactsdemandandglobal pricesforNewZealandlogs.”
MFATsaidChina’stotalimports oflogshasfallen36%from 2021-2023(NZ$16.4billionto NZ$10.3billion).
Thecurrentpropertyslump hasbeena“hardmarketdemand correction”,meaningthatwhile demandforlogswilleventually stabilise,itislikelytodosoata levellowerthantheheightsof 2020-2021.
JeffsaidabulkofNewZealand’s logexportsinitiallywenttoJapan andKoreawhocompletedthe samecycleofdemandtobuild infrastructure.
“ThenChinacameinovernight,” hesaid.“Theycoulddowhatno otherscouldintermsofscale.”
Jeffsaidpredictionsofa downturninlogexportstoChina inthenextdecade“cameforward”.
Increasingdemand Onabrighternote,Jeffsaid thereisincreasingdemandfrom companiessuchasdairygiant Fonterrainitsmoveawayfrom
fossilfuelstowoodpelletsand woodchipstopowerboilers.
Hesaidregrettablytheincreasing demandforbiofuelswillnotbea substituteforthehighpricespaid byChinathatarerequiredtomake forestryprofitable,particularly formorethan4000smallerforest ownersbeingmainlyfarmers.
FellowforestryconsultantDennis Neilsonissimilarlyconcerned aboutthelogtradetoChinawhich hehelpedinitiatein1985.
Followinga“buildingfrenzy” whichstartedin2008-2009,he saidthepastfouryearshaveseen thesector“crashquitequickly” inChina.Thisstemmedfrom factorsincludinganover-supply oflogsinrelationtoprevious demand,closureofconstruction companiesthroughfinancial issues,andtheCovidpandemic. AfrequentvisitortoChinaforhis Rotorua-basedbusiness,Neilson saidhedidnotpredicttheseverity ofthedownturninthelogtrade there.“It’slikelytobesubduedfor severalyearsbeforeitcomesback.”
UStariffs
WhileChinaisnotahuge marketforsawntimberfrom NewZealand,theorganisation representingsawmillsandtimber treatmentcompaniesis“nervous” aboutthatsector’sbiggesttrading partner–theUnitedStates.
NewZealandTimberIndustry FederationCEOJeffIlottsaid proposedtariffsonexportsof sawntimberfromNewZealand totheUSarenotduetobe introduceduntillaterintheyear. “Wewillwaitandsee.”
JeffIlottsaidfortheyearto December,exportsofsawntimberto Chinaincreasedfrom210,000cubic metrestoabout250,000cubicmetres (returningaround$331percubic metre).However,hesaidthisdoes notrepresenta“bigreturn”forNew Zealand’sannualbillion-dollarsawn timberexportbusiness.
NZForestOwners’Association boardmemberMarcusMussonsaid overallitisnotalldoomandgloom fortheindustry,withsupplymatching demandthekey.
FluctuationsintheChinesemarket are“notunusual”,hesaid,withsome commentatorspredictingareboundin constructionnextyear. Marcussaidthefurnituremarket –NZlogsprocessedinChinaand exportedtotheUS–hasremained strong,buttheproposedtariffshave createdsomeuncertainty. Onthehomefront,hesaid morebiofuelopportunitiesneed tobepursued,asdoes“mass timberbuilding”intheresidential, commercialandindustrialsectors.
Lower returns for New Zealand logs mean some small forest owners may shut their gates Photo / Clint Lawson/Muse3D
JessicaCameron’sjourneytoshepherd Nineteen-year-oldJessica Cameroncompletedhertwo yearGrowingFutureFarmers studentplacementcoursein November2024andsecuredher firstfarmingjobasexperienced shepherdonaTeAkaufarmin theWaikato.
Jesswasbroughtuponasix-acre lifestyleblocknearHelensville,with “steers,sheepandgoats”,andshe studiedhorticultureatschool.
Shedescribesherlastyearatschool as“abitofashamacademically”as shewasawayalotcompetingwith theAotearoaWakaAmateam.
“Ispentafewdaysonmyuncle’s Helensvillesheepandbeeffarm throughtheGatewayprogramme atschool,andfoundIreallyliked farming,”saidJess.
Gettingintofarming
“WhenIwaslookingathowtoget intofarmingin2022,Irealisedit wasquitehardifyouweren’tborn intoafarmingfamily.
“Myunclehadastudentfrom GFF,anditlookedlikeareally goodwaytoentertheindustry andbewelltrainedandcome outwithNZQAunitstandards.”
thatreallymakesyourbrainwork andIenjoyedbeingpartofthat.”
AlastairandAnnarevery supportiveofsportathighlevels andwillinglygaveJessthetime offtocontinuewithherwaka amacompetitions.Shecompeted withtheAotearoaWakaAma Teamatthe2024World ChampionshipsinHawaii,and shemanageshertrainingusinga machineinherroom.
Farmlife
mumandsaid“shewasgreat”. Fourdaysaweek(32hours), Jessworkedonthefarmandalso attendedcoursesonedayaweek coveringtopicslikeshearing, fencing,tractordriving,equine care,ATVdriving,chainsaw anddogtraining.Shesaidthe curriculumcoversanextensive listofcoursesandskills.
GFFisNewZealand’slargest farmerledvocationalworkforce trainingprogramme.Itspans twoyearsandisfees-freewithin thesheep,beefanddeersector. Afterbeingmatchedwith AlastairandAnnReevesof WaimaiRomneyStudinTeAkau aspossiblefarmertrainersforher two-yearplacement,Jessvisited thefarmandwasofferedaplace. “Waimaiisaramstud,and theyalsohavetheirownbreed, CharaBlacks.Theyareallabout genetics,testingandselection,and
Jesslivedwiththreeother studentsfromGFFwhowereon otherfarmsinthearea.Students areallocatedtoastudentsuccess adviser,andshedescribesher SSAMorganLilleyashersecond
“Atthebeginningofthefirst yearwegetaheadingdogpup totrain,andwegetahuntaway puphalfwaythroughthefirst year.Iwasfortunateenough tobetrainedbyoneofNew Zealand’stopdogtriallists, LeoJecentho,whoalso hand-pickedmypups.
Farmer trainer Alastair Reeves with Growing Future Farmers graduate Jess Cameron
“MyheadingdogSmokehasthe geneticsofLeo’schampiondogs,and IgettokeepbothmydogswhenI graduatetheprogramme.”
FridaysalsoincludedaZoomcall withtutorsfromtheEasternInstitute ofTechnology,andcompletingher assessmentswhichJessadmitsshe sometimeshadtofocuson.
“Aspartoftheprogramme,our house,Wi-Fi,powerandmeat,and wegetaround$200aweekfrom oursponsorshipmoneyforfoodand anythingelse.
“I’vegotreallygoodatbudgeting, andwedidafinancialliteracycourse onbudgetingwithRabobank.”
AFutureFarmer
Jess’newrolewon’ttakeherout oftheareawhereshehasjustspent thelasttwoyears,andshewill stillbeclosetotwoofherformer housemateswhoalsohavetheirfirst jobsintheTeAkauarea.
“I’llbeona1000-hectare effectivesheepandbeeffarm carrying10,000stockunitswith a50/50splitbetweenRomney
JessCameronshadowedtheReeves’ farmmanagerTomLilleyfornearly twoyearsforherGFFplacement.
breedingsheepandAngussteers.”
Sheislookingforwardtostarting workandapplyingherskillstoareal farmingjob.
“BecauseoftheGFFprogramme I’vegotqualificationsandtwoyears ofindustryexperienceallowingme toenterfarmingatamoresenior level.I’mgoingtobeworkingwith aGFFstudentmyselfsothatwillbe reallygood.”
JesssaidshefoundthewholeGFF experiencetobeverysupportive andreallyenjoyedhertimeonthe Reeves’farm.Sheisgratefultoher farmertrainers,AlastairandAnn,but alsotheirfarmmanager,TomLilley, whosheprettymuchshadowedfor thetwoyears.
DairyNZhassetanewlevy rateof4.5cents perkilogramofmilksolidsfromJune1andaims tokeepthelevy atnomorethanthisratefora minimumofthreeyears.
Thedecisiontoadjustthelevy forthefirsttime in16yearsfollowsacomprehensiveconsultation withfarmersacrossthecountryandreceived morethan1500formalfeedbacksubmissions. ThenewratewillallowDairyNZtocontinue supportingthecountry’sdairyfarmerstolift profitabilityandsustainabilitythroughscience andresearch,policyadvocacy,andextension behindthefarm-gate.
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GrowiingFFutureFFarmersgradduateJJess Cameronwithherhuntaway‘Cam’ (left)andheadingdog‘Smoke’(right).
Photos/CatherineFry
Farmerscallformorehelptocullferalcats FederatedFarmersiscalling forcouncilstodomoretohelp farmersdealwithferalcatsto curbtheir“devastating”effecton nativespeciesandlivestock.
InGisborne,districtcouncilcallouts tostraycatincidentshaveincreased annuallyforthepastthreeyears.
FederatedFarmerspestmanagement spokesmanRichardMcIntyresaid feralcats,estimatedtobeon14% ofEastCoastfarms,posesignificant biosecurityandbiodiversityrisks.
EastCoastfarmerscullsevencatsper propertyperyearonaverage.
Hesaidtheproblemismadeworse bypeopledumpingkittensandcatsin ruralareas,orfeedingferalcatcolonies inperi-urbanareas.
“Notonlydo[feralcats]havea devastatingeffectonnativespecies, buttheyspreadtheparasitethat causestoxoplasmosisdisease,which cancauseabortionsandother problemsinlivestock,particularly sheep,leadingtoeconomiclossesfor farmers,”saidRichard.
Wildcatstendtobefitterandfaster thanpetcats,makingthemdifficult tocontrol.
FederatedFarmers’stanceisthatall feralcatsshouldbeculledhumanely.
“We’dliketoseecouncilsproviding moreresourcestohelpfarmersand communitiesdothat.”
Ongoingissue Gisbornedistrictcouncillorand formerfarmerRobTelfersaidferalcats arealong-standingissue.
“Whenwefirstboughtourfarm, wehadahellofaproblemwiththem becausetheycleanedallthechooks out,”saidRob.
CompanionAnimalsNewZealand hasalsourgedlocalcouncilsand governmentbodiestomandate microchipping,registration,and desexingofcompanionanimals.
In2023,CampaignAnimalsNew ZealandsubmittedtoGisborne DistrictCouncil’sreviewofananimal bylaw,requestingthecouncilmake microchippinganddesexingofcats mandatory.
However,Robsaidthistypeof regulationcouldpotentiallyincrease councilcostswithoutreducingstray andwildcatpopulations.
“It’speople’sbehaviourthathas tochange.
“Howdoyoutellsomeonethat theircathastobedesexediftheymay specificallywanttobreedfromit?” hesaid.
“Byregulating,younormallytarget thehonestpeople,whichwasshown withthemicrochippingofdogs.”
Hesaidmicrochippingdogshad beena“hugebigcost”,yethalfthe dogsthecounciltargetedwerenot microchipped.
Councilstrategicplanningmanager CharlotteKnightsaidwhilethecouncil holdsbylaw-makingpowerstoregulate keepinganimals,thereisnonational legalframeworkwhichrequireddesexing ormicrochippingcats.
“TheAnimalWelfareAct1999 alsodoesnotprovidecouncilswith authoritytomandatethesemeasures.”
Complianceandlegislation Implementingandenforcingsuch measuresatalocallevelwouldrequire significantinvestmentincompliance andlegislativeclarityfromcentral government,shesaid.
“Councilcontinuestomonitor developmentsinthisspaceandsupports nationaldiscussionsthataimtodeliver co-ordinatedandresourcedsolutions.”
Councilanimalcontrolteamleader RossHannamsaidthecouncil respondedtowildcat-relatedcallouts onasporadicbasis,typicallyin responsetopublicconcerns.
Thecouncilwebsitesaiditcanlenda trapforstraycatscausingproblemson aresidentialpropertyinsomeurban areasorhelpwiththeremovaland destructionofthecat.
Overthepastfouryears,thecouncil recorded115incidents,whichcost between$17,250-$25,875.
“Theaveragecostperincidentgenerally rangesbetween$150and$225, dependingonfactorssuchaslocation, accessibilityandwhetheradditional resourcesorvisitsarerequired.”
Thenumberofincidentshad graduallyincreasedovertheyears, from29reportedincidentsin2022 to42in2024.
Therehavebeen13incidents reportedthisyear.
Themajorityofcalloutsarewithin theGisbornecitylimits,withoccasional calloutstosurroundingareas.
Controlprogrammes Councilbiosecurityteamleader PhillipKaraitianasaidthecouncil’s
biosecurityteamundertookseasonalpossumnightshootingprogrammesacrossfarmland,andanyferal catssightedwerehumanelydestroyed.
Theteamhadrecorded382culledferalcatsoverthe pastfiveyears.
TheSPCAdistinguishesbetweenferalandstray cats,withferalcatslegallydesignatedaspestsinmany placesinNewZealand.
SPCAareamanagerBruceWillssaidtheSPCAis notapestcontrolorganisationanddoesn’troutinely acceptwildcats.
Gisborne’sSPCAtookin149straykittens and72surrenderedkittens,andrehomed90 duringthiskittenseasonalone(September2024 –March2025).
SPCAadvocatedforhumaneandsustainable managementstrategies,includingtargetedtrapneuter-returnprogrammes,saidBruce. “SPCAalsoprovidesdesexingvouchersforpeople willingtoallowunsocialisedadultcatstoremainon theirproperty.”
CompanionAnimalsNZgeneralmanagerDavid Lloydsaidtheysupportedlocalcouncilsand governmentbodiestorequirebothmicrochipping andregistrationforpetcatsandthemandatory desexingofallcatsanddogs.
Davidsaidbasedonregisteredmicrochipsthere were5118catsontheNZCARlistinGisborne,with 91%ofcatsmarkedasdesexed.
ZitaCampbell, LocalDemocracy Reporting
AferalcatintheDepartmentofConservation’sPureoraForest,situatedbetweentheHauhungaroaandRangitotoranges.
Photo/CraigGillies,DOCprincipalscienceadvisor.
Solarpanelsslashfarmer’spowercosts Asunnysummerhaspaid dividendsforaWaikatofarmer.
MalcolmJones’milkingshedat TePoi,nearMatamata,isentirely poweredbysolarpanels.
Running600cowson200ha, Malcolm“startedtalking”to SupremeSolardirectorSamMathis atlastyear’sNZDairyExpo inMatamata.
Hesaidhehadbeenthinkingabout
theprojecttwoyearsprior,withcostsavingthekeydriver. Anon-farmvisitbySamMathis followed,alongwithanalysisofthe farmelectricitycosts. “Itwasbuiltaroundthepowerbill,” saidMalcolm.
Mostfarmersventuringinto solarusuallyinstall70to80panels initially,buthedecidedtocoverthe entireroofofhis54-asiderotary milkingshed.
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The380panels,whichwent “live”lastSeptember,can produceupto100kilowattsof electricityduringsunlighthours.
Malcolmsaidhisprevious powerbillforthemilking shed,alongwithassociated electricalequipmentrelating toeffluentdisposal,water supplyandmilkchilling,was around$3800amonth.
“Forthelastfourmonthsithas beennothing.”
Hesaidthetransitiontosolar wasseamless,involvinggrid approvalandinstallationofa solarinverterwhichconverts DCtoACpower.
SamMathissaidalthough efficiencydipsinwinteror cloudyweather,NewZealand’s
climatestillallowssignificant yearlyenergygeneration.
Excessenergycanbefedback intothegridorstoredinsolar batteries,benefitingthefive housesontheJones’farm.
Environmentalbenefits
Malcolm,whohasbeenliving atTePoifor25years,saidthere werealsoenvironmentalissuesto consideraswellascost-savings whenmakingthemovetosolar.
“It’sacleaner,freeformof powerthatcanyieldareturnon investmentforthefarm.”
Samsaidsolarisalsoawayto improvethebusinessatlarge.
“Farmersareusingsolaras ameanstoincreasethelongtermvalueoftheirproperties
-afarmthat’sself-sufficient andproducingcleanenergy willlikelybeattractiveto tomorrow’sbuyers.
“Solarhelpspromotethe imageofaneco-smartfarm thathelpstopreservetheNew Zealandenvironment.”
Overall,hesaidthemove tosolarpromiseslongtermfinancialreturnsasthe installationshavea30-yearlife, whilealsoenhancingthefarm’s “eco-friendly”image.
Samsaideveryfarmis different,sothereisno one-size-fits-allsystemthatwill workforeverydairyfarm.
Asfarasplacementofthe solarpanels,severaloptions exist.
AnaerialviewofMalcolmJones’fullysolar-powereddairyshed. Photos/ClintLawson/Muse3D
Samsaidnormallypanelscanbeinstalled ontheroofofafarmshed.
“Iftheshedisnotideal,another possibilityisaground-mountedsystem, whichoffersverysimilarbenefitsto rooftopsolar.
“Tiltframescanbeadded,whichplace panelsatjusttherightangletoreceive directsunlight,”hesaid.
Resourceconsentsfromtherespective localauthorityarerequiredfor ground-mountedpanels,butnotfor roofinstallation.
Malcolmisinhis12thseasonmilkingin therotaryshedfollowinganamalgamation offoursmallerfarms.
Withthreestaff,hehasmilkedall year-round“forfinancialreturn”forthe pasteightyears.
Milkingsareat4amand12.30pm,freeing upstafftimeintheafternoon.
Youngstockisgrazedona45hablock neartothehomefarm.
Waikatoinstallations
Agri-solarproviderRuralEnergysays ithascompleted300installationsinthe Waikato,with1000projectedoverthenext threeyears.
RuralEnergyCEOShaheerAzizipredicts thiswillextendto3000-4000acrossNew Zealandinthesameperiod.
Byswitchingtosolar,customerscan reducethecarbonfootprintoftheirfarm andsavemoney,hesaid.
“Energyusageondairyfarmshasgrown overthepast20yearsduetouseof automatedequipment.
“Itisnowestimatedthatelectricity contributes15ctothecostofevery kilogramofmilksolidsproduced.”
RuralEnergyhasenteredintoan agreementwithFarmSourcetohelp“push out”theinitiative,withallFonterrafarmers givenanoptiontopurchaseon-farmsolar throughtheirFarmSourcestoreaccount.
Crown-ownedNewZealandGreen InvestmentFinancelastyearprovideda$10
millioncreditfacilitytoRuralEnergyto finance“solarasaservice”powerpurchase agreementsfordairyfarmsinNewZealand.
NZGIFsaidithasinvestedaround$50 millionintoseveralcompanies,including RuralEnergy,thatarehelpingNewZealand farmstodecarbonise.
InformationprovidedbyNZGIFshowed thattheagriculturalandenergysectors accountforalmost90%ofNewZealand’s greenhousegasemissions.
“Optionsavailableforfarmstoreduce emissionshavebeenlimited,butthatis startingtochangeduetoincreasingfarmer demandforsustainabilitysolutions.”
Supreme Solar director Sam Mathis, left, with Te Poi farmer Malcolm Jones P Photo / Steve Edwards
Powerlinewarningtoavocado orchard orkers Orchardworkersarebeingused to‘lookup’andstaysafe aroundpowerlines.
It’simportantforpeopleworkingin orchardswithpowerlinesoverhead torememberthe‘4-metredanger zone’safetymessage,saidaPowerco spokesperson.
Horticulturalworkershavesomeof thehighestratesofinjuryanddeath frompowerlines.That’sbecause orchardsoftenhaveoverheadlines runningthroughthem,sothere’s
significantriskoforchardistsor theirequipmentaccidentally touchinglines.
“Tostaysafe,peopleandequipment muststayfourmetresawayfrom overheadlines.
“Youdon’tevenneedtotoucha powerlinetobeindanger.Electricity canjumptoyourequipmentandto you.”
Thedistanceextendsto8.5m ifbuildingshelterbeltsorraising canopies.Followingtheserulescan ensureeveryoneworkinginthe
orchardgoeshomesafely.
-Alwayskeepatleast4maway y from overhead powerlines.
-Don’ttouchorworkonany tree or vine that istouchingornearpowerlinnes
-Lookupandknowwherepoower lines arebeforeraisingplatformsoof hydraladas, cherrypickers,elevatingworrk platforms or dumptruckbeds,andchose a route where powerlinesarehighenough to give a least 4mclearance.
-Lowerliftingequipmentbeffore moving nearlines.
-Donotusewirestotrainvinnes along the same pathasoverheadpowerlines s A broken wire flickingupwardscancomeinnto contact with nearbylineswithpotentially y fatal results
Thelookupmessagealsoappliies whenbuildingstructuresinthe e orchard, such as artificialshelterbeltsorraising g canopies – when youmustbeatleast8.5mclear r of electrical equipment.
Bylaw,orchardistsandbuilders must followtheseregulationsthatgoovern safety whenbuildingnearoverheadppower lines
Creamy ThisquickanddeliciousCreamyBasil&AvocadoPastaisaperfectgo-torecipe whenyouwantsomethingtastyandnutritiousinaflash.Thecreamyavocado saucecomplementsthepastabeautifully,andtheSuperbHerbBasiladdsaburst offreshnessto every bite.
Ingredients
1avocado
Handfulofsuperbherbbasil
½lemon
1garlicclove
Diamondpacketofspaghetti
Saltandpeppertotaste
Method PreparetheSauce: Inablender,combinethe fleshoftheavocado,freshlysqueezedlemon juice,garlicclove,salt,pepper,andthebasil. Blenduntilyougetasmoothandcreamysauce consistency.
Settheavocadosauceasideforlateruse.
CookthePasta: Boilapotofwaterandcookthe p g accordingtothepackageinstructionsuntilitreachesyour desiredleveloftenderness.
Drainthecookedpastaandsetaside.
Serve: Pourthecreamyavocadosauceoverthecookedpasta,ensuringthepastaisevenly coated.
Garnishwithsomeadditionalbasilleaves.
ServeyoursupereasyandsimpleCreamyBasil&AvocadoPastaimmediatelyandenjoythe delightfulcreaminessandfreshflavours!
Avocadoindustryexpandsit’sglobalreach Theavocadosectorisspreading itswingsaroundtheworld.
“Diversificationofourexport marketsisaprimefocusforusasan industry,”saidNZAvocadoCEO BradSiebert
“Wewanttosupplymarketsat atimewherewehaveanatural advantage.Wedon’tdealwithfruit fliesorothertrade-limitingpests.”
“Atlastcountwehadaccesstomore than80countries,unlikesomeof ourcompetitors,whoarerestricted.”
Bradsaidintheupcoming20252026seasonvolumeswillneed toberedirectedtoamorediverse marketplace,withmanyexporters exploringopportunitiesinNorth AmericaandAsia.
Market
Thisshiftinmarketfocusislikely toresultinincreasedharvestvolumes muchearlierintheseason,hesaid.
About50to60%ofthe NewZealandavocadocropis exported,primarilytoAustralia, withthebalancesuppliedtothe domesticmarket,includinglocal supermarkets.
BradsaidkeyAsianmarkets, includingSouthKorea,Japanand Thailand,arealsointegraltothe industry’sgrowth.
“Arevisedexportstrategyaims tobetteralignsupplywithmarket demand,ensuringhigherreturnsfor growersandreducingpressureonthe domesticmarketduringpeakexport periods.”
Aftersometoughrecentseasons, Bradsaidadrysummerhaslikely supportedaverygoodqualityseason.
“Dryperiodscanrestrictfruitsize sowewillhavetowaitandseeif fruitsizesaredelayedforthe20252026season.”
Pickingwaschieflycompleted lastmonth,withnewseasonfruit
“Only12%havemorethan fivehectares.Althoughwedo havesomemuchlargerorchards, there’saverylongtailoflifestyle growerswithanaverageorchard sizeacrossourindustryofabout 3.5hectares.”
Bradsaysaround50%of avocadohectaresinproduction
areintheBayofPlenty, andaround45%areinthe Northlandregion,where orchardsintheFar-Northtend tobeabitlargerthanthose elsewhereinthecountry.
expectedinJune,saidBrad.
Thisispredictedtoresultinacrop ofaround6.2milliontrays,down fromthe7.2milliontraysharvested inthepreviousseason.
“Yetwithananticipatedimproved packout,estimatedexportvolumes willlikelymatchthehighsoflast season.”
Bradsaidtheavocadoindustry, likeallotheragriculturesectors,has challengeswithextremeweather events.
“Overthelastcoupleofyears, there’sbeenanumberofcyclones, whichdowngradefruitmaking itunavailabletomeetourexport standards.
“Thesedisruptedseasonsimpacts thedomesticmarket,oftenour second-biggestvalueandvolume market,withanoversupplyand reducedreturnstogrowers.”
Bradsaidgrowersshouldbe carryingoutsoilandleaftestingnow andmakingfinaladjustmentstosoil nutrientsbeforesoiltemperatures droptoomuch.
Phosphonateapplicationto protectfromphytophthora(rootrot) isimportantatthistimeofyear, hesaid.
Pruningisalsovitaltomaintain sunlightontopartsoftreegrowers wanttobeproductive.
“Buildingcarbohydratereserves throughwinteriscriticaltosupport fruitsetinspring,”saidBrad.
Environment Avocadotreesenjoywarm,frostfreeenvironments,withtemperatures ideallybetween12°Cand28°C.
NZAvocadorepresents1500 growersacrosstheFarNorth,MidNorth,andBayofPlenty.
“Mostofour1500-plusgrowers andorchardsaresmalloperations,” saidBrad.
NZAvocadosupportsgrowers byfocusingonresearch, governmentadvocacy,export systemsanddomesticmarketing initiatives.
AVOCADOS •ExceptionalPackingFacilities
•CompleteOrchardManagement
•AvoGreenService
Contact:
HamishMcKain -GeneralManager/AvocadoGrowerServices 0272202005•hamish.mckain@dms4kiwi.co.nz
WillieHerder -AvocadoGrowerServices 0276673849•willie.herder@dms4kiwi.co.nz
IvonaKopecka -AvocadoGrowerServices 0272664901•ivona.kopecka@dms4kiwi.co.nz
Whiletheorganisationdoes notsellormarketavocados directly,Bradsaiditplays acrucialroleinoptimising growerreturnsandensuringlevy contributionsarewell-utilised.
Proudtobeassociatedwith
•HarvestFlexibility
•Newwaterblasterfacility
•TechnicalAdviceandSupport
WarrenSargent -AvoGreenManager 0279000292•warren.sargent@dms4kiwi.co.nz
MattRoyackers -AvocadoGrowerServices 0272000788•matt.royackers@dms4kiwi.co.nz
ToniMorrison -AvocadoGrowerServices 0272654469•toni.morrison@dms4kiwi.co.nz Proudlysupportinglocalgrowers
•AerialSurvey
•AerialLifting
•AgriculturalSeeding
•AgriculturalSpraying
•AgriculturalTopdressing
•ChartersandSightseeing
•FireFighting
•FrostControl
•PhotographyandFilming
�
for FacialEczema Spraying
NZAvocadoCEOBradSiebert. Photo/Supplied
Veterantruckdriverreflectsoncareer After30yearsofdrivingtruck andtrailerunits,TerryHobart hashisfairshareofdodgydrivinganecdotes–including thetimeacarovertookhim whileslidingalongonitsroof.
“Itwasontheflyingmile atPahoia,comingupthehill Iwasdoingabout40km/hrand acarovertakingmemusthave caughtmybacktrailertyreand itflippedhim.Ilookedinmy mirrorandsawhimcomingpast meupsidedown.”
Heretiredthreeyearsagoatthe ageof68,butstillmissesthejob thattookhimallovertheBayof Plenty,WaikatoandAuckland. “Ilovedit,”saidHobart.“Seventy hoursaweekonthechipliner.If youenjoyit,it’snotwork.”
Workinglife Hestartedhisworkinglifeas anelectrician,butgothistruck licenceearly.Afterastintinwell drillinganddairytransport,he
headedtoAustraliatoworkfor aminingcompany.Fiveyears later,HobartwasbackinNew Zealandandbehindthewheelat TaylorBros.Hebeganwithlocal workbeforeshiftingtolinehaul. “Iwasdoingtworoundsaday fromtheMounttoAuckland. Therewerenologbooksbackthen.
Fullboreat5am,loaded withpavingforFirth,unloaded beforesmoko,thenback withGibboard.Kevinand GarryTaylorweregreatbosses. Ifyouworkedhard,youmade
“Mydaughterwasabout2 whenshefoundmehomeat 2amandstartedcominginto talktomethen.Mywifeonly knewI’dbeenhomeifthe dinnershemadewasgone.I
Life-changingcrash So,heboughthisowntruck andtrailertoworkcloser tohome.Acrashin2012, though,changedeverything. “Iwasdoing80km/hrover theMamakuRangeswhena
carcomingtowardme missedaturninthe road.Thedriverhad glancedathisphone andwentstraight underthefrontof mytruck.”
Thedriversurvived, buttheincidentleft Hobartdevastated.
“Idon’tblamehim, itwasamomentof inattention,”hesaid. “Buttheaccident spoiledthehappy, relaxedfeelingIhad whileIwasdriving. Whenyoustart watching,it’samazing howmanymotorists youseedriftingacross thecentreline.”
Orchardwork
Now71,Hobart’s timeisspentonhis kiwifruitorchardat Matahuiandstill lendingahandwith oneofhis13tractors. Butnothingquite comparestotheview hehadfromatruck cab4mup.
“Itwasagoodlife. Iwouldn’tchange athing.”
Terry Hobart on his property at Matahui
Photo / Debbie Griffiths
Photo/DebbieHobart
Low-emissionskiwifruitcharter Thefirstkiwifruitcharterpoweredbya low-emissionsfuelhasbeencarriedout, withthevesselKowhaidockingat NangangPortinShanghai.
TheKowhaiisZespri’sfirstchartershipmentfor theGreaterChinaregionforthe2025/26seasonand arrivedlastnightafterdepartingTaurangainmidMarch.ItcontinuesthetrialworkZespriandFresh CarriersCo.Ltdareundertaking,followingonfrom atechnicalperformancetrialundertakenlastyear. WithbiofuelnotavailableinNewZealand,the vesselbunkeredthebiofuelinHongKongbefore sailingsouthtoTaurangawhereitwasloadedwith 1.2milliontraysoraround5400tonnesofZespri SunGoldKiwifruit,aswellas16containersofZespri RubyRedKiwifruitforcustomersinGreaterChina.
Cookingoil Onitsjourneynorth,theKowhaiwaspoweredbya blendofbiofuelmadefromusedcookingoil.
AlongwithFCC,thesuccessfulbiofuelcharter hasbeenmadepossiblewithsupportfromPFS ColdChainLogisticsCoLtd,andVXColdChain Logistics,Zespri’slogisticspartnersinChina.
ZespriCEOJasonTeBrakesaidit’sanexcitingstep forwardtotakeZespriKiwifruittomarketforthe firsttimeonacharterpoweredbybiofuelwithlongtermshippingpartnerFCC.
“Shippinghasthelargestcarbonimpactacrossour supplychain,makingupmorethan40%ofZespri’s emissionsforfruitsoldglobally.
Ambitions “WithZesprideliveringfruittomorethan50 marketsaroundtheworldeachyear,we’refocused onefficiencymeasuresaswellascollaboratingwith shippingpartnerssuchasFCCtotriallow-emissions
The Godmother of the Kowhai Gill Cameron at the Port of Tauranga to commemorate the first biofuel charter.
solutions.Thiswillhelpusreduceourcarbonimpact pertrayoffruit.”
FCC’spresidentandCOOToshiyukiKogasaid: “FCCiscommittedtoreducingemissionsinorderto assistZesprimeettheircarbonreductionambitions andmakeprogresstowardsourownInternational MaritimeOrganisation(IMO)alignedgoals”.
“Thisisbeingachievedbythebuildingofnew ships,dedicatedtotheNewZealandkiwifruittrade.
“Theseshipsincorporatethelatestengine technology,whichprovidessignificantfuelsavings andareabletorunonbiofueltofurtherreduce carbonemissions.
“Thisvoyageisthefirstcommercialshipmentof Zesprikiwifruitusingmodernenginesburning biofuelfortheentirevoyagefromTauranga toShanghai.”
M9540 ROPS
M5111 ROPS
Playingthelonggame Maungataperekiwifruit growerMikeCrumhasspenta lifetimeintheindustry.
Here’swhathe’slearntabout navigatingitsupsanddowns. Tellusaboutyouroperation.
Wegroworganicgoldkiwifruit. Whilewestillowntheorchard,my daughterandson-in-lawhavetaken overwhatusedtobemybusiness–amanagementcompanyoverseeing about15orchardsandtheymanage ourorchard.
Howdidyougetstarted?
Ibeganmyjourneyin
horticultureattheageof15and retiredaround55.
Youmusthaveseenplentyof changesalongtheway?
Yes,likeanyindustry,therewere goodtimesandbadtimes,always presentingnewchallengestotackle. Whatwasthemostchallenging time?
Forus,itwasactuallywhenwe grewavocados.Wepurchased anavocadoorchardin2001 andalsoinvestedinabuilding inChristchurch.However,the 2010earthquakedestroyedthe building,andsimultaneously,
ouravocadoswereafflicted withphytophthora,ceasing production.Thatwasprobably ourlowestpoint.
Howdidyougetthrough?
Tomaintaincashflow, weexpandedourorchard managementbusinessand integratedbeekeeping,as growerswerestrugglingtofind beekeepersforcroppollination. Howdidthatgo?
Inanunexpectedway,it wasalmostacareerhighlight becauseitwassochallenging. Itforcedustoknuckle downandpivot.Despitethe uncertainty,itwasalsoagreat time–welearnedalot.
Soundslikeyoureallyleaned intothepressure?
Yes,itwasanopportunity thatalsobroughtustogether asafamily.Weremovedallthe avocadosandgraduallyplanted kiwifruit.Thisprocessallowed ourchildrentogainexperience indevelopingorchardsand fosteredagenuinelovefor theindustry,whichwaspretty cool.
Whatsortofmindsetdoes ittaketodealwithsomuch changeanduncertainty?
Maintainingperspective iscrucial.I’vetravelled extensivelyandwitnessedthe vastdemandforqualityfood andproduce,with NewZealandplayinga significantroleinmeeting thatdemand.Thisprovides
immenseconfidence.
I’vealsovisitedplaceslike BoliviaandPeru,wherethe standardoflivingislow,yet peopleremainhappy.Ibelieve thataslongasyoucanprovide foodandcareforyourfamily, happinessisattainable. OneofthethingsI’velearned isthatthehumanspirithas thecapacitytofindhappiness regardlessofcircumstances–youcanchoosetobehappy. Sometimes,it’saboutputting lifeinperspective. Whataboutthoseyearswhen nothingseemstogoright?
Fromabusinessstandpoint, it’sbeneficialtoviewyour operationsinfive-yearchunks ratherthanannually.Growing foodisayear-longendeavour, andtherewillbeyearswith minimalprofits.However, duringthosetimes,you’re
notpayingtaxes,whichisa significantsaving.
Overfiveyears,thebadand goodyearstendtobalance out,andit’stheaveragethat counts.Overtime,you’restill progressing.
After40yearsinthebusiness what’syourmaininsight aboutkeepingwell?
Youhavetoappreciateboth thehighsandthelowsbecause youdon’texperiencethehighs withouttakingrisks,which ofteninvolveborrowingmoney withoutguaranteedsuccess. It’salsoimportanttoaccept thatover20or30years,you’ll facetoughtimesandcometo termswiththat.
Irecallfrommysportsdays thatyoudon’talwayswin, andIwonderifit’ssimilarin businesstoo.
pp y there’salwayssomethingyoucandotopivot; you’renotpowerless.Nowadays,therearevast employmentopportunitieswithinthekiwifruit industry,whetherit’srunningpackhouses, managingotherpeople’sorchards,orworkingin post-harvestandsupplysectors.
Farmstrongencouragesfarmersandgrowers tolookafterthemselvesaswelltheirlandand produce.Howdoyouachievethatoverthe courseofacareer?
Ithinkyou’vegottoplaythelonggame. Thekiwifruitbusinessisonarealhighat themoment,butyouhavetorealisethatthe industryoperatedatnoprofitforextended periods,andalltheindividualsdoingwellnow probablywentthroughthosetimes.
collected,andappreciatewhatyouhave.We probablyliveinthemostbeautifulcountryin theworld,withthebestairqualityandfriendly people.Ontopofthat,yougettheopportunity torunyourownbusiness.
IfthefarmerinthedepthsofBolivia,living at4000metreswith20sheepandacoupleof horses,canbehappy,surelywecanbehappy heretoo.
‘Farmstrongisanationwide,ruralwellbeing programmethathelpsfarmersmanagetheups anddownsoffarmingandgrowing.Lastyear, 15,000farmersandgrowersimprovedtheir wellbeingthankstoFarmstrong.
Tofindoutwhatworksforyouandlockitin, visit:www.farmstrong.co.nz.
HortiiculltureNNewZZealland d welcomesthedecisiontoliftcontrols onthemovementoffruitand vegetablesinanAucklandsuburb afternofurtherevidenceofthe Orientalfruitflywasfoundin thearea.
AsinglemaleOrientalfruitflywas detectedinasuburbanbackyard inBirkdaleontheNorthShore inFebruaryasaresultofroutine s surveillance
HortNZ chief executive Kate Scott said the organisation strongly
supported d thheBBiosecuriityNNew Zealandresponseandthanked residentsandbusinessesinthe affectedareafortheirsupportof movementcontrols.
“WithnofurtherOrientalfruit fliesidentifiedthroughtheongoing surveillance,wecanbeconfidentthis wasanisolatedincident.
“Wefullysupporttheincreased trapping,inspectionefforts,andthe l legal restrictions on moving fruit and vegetables out of the affected area that were undertaken ”
Weareexpertsindesigningandbuilding artificialorchardprotectionstructures andwindbreaksthatallowyourorchard toreachitsfullgrowingpotential.
ArtificialOrchardShelters OverheadCanopies OrchardNetting
The positive aspect of this industry is that
So, don’t get too uptight Stay cool, calm, and
Nostalggically y modelling g rurallife IncorporatingtheOOgaugetrainsintoaruralsetting.
Evenmodelvehiclesneedthegaragesometimes.
Itwouldseemthatfarmersarenotonly drawntocollectingfull-sizevintagevehicles butalsominiatureversions.
TheGreaterWaikatoRailwayModellersInchasa dedicatedmembershipfromvariousbackgrounds, includingfarming.
Groupsofenthusiastshavebeenmeetingsincethe 1960sindifferentareasofWaikato.
Amalgamationofthegroupsresultedinthe formationoftheGWRMin2015andPaulMurphy waselectedpresident.Theclubwasusingex-dairy farmerandLifeMemberBrianHarvey’shobby roomandshedbutspacewaslimited.
“Itwasalwaysthedreamtohavealong-term buildingfortheclubwherewecanallmeetand tinker,”Paulsaid.
TheoldBowlingClubclubhouseatLeamington DomaininCambridgecameupforleaseandthe clubmovedthereinDecember2020.
Englishfarming TheclubboastsalargepermanentOO-gauge layout,whichisadetailedandnostalgicrecreation ofEnglishfarminglifearoundthe1960s.Fifteen
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Anhour-longdebateonhowtobuildfencesonhillsensuedbetween thefarmersandnon-farmersoverthisnowinfamousfence.
yearsofworkhavegoneintothe displayandmembersrunmodel trainsfromseveraldifferenthistorical trainlines.
“Wehavememberscoveringa largerangeofskills,”ex-dairyfarmer HarryDavisonsaid.“Somepeople aremoreinterestedinthemodelsand runningthem,othersareinvolved intheelectronicsandothersenjoy constructingsceneryandbuildings.”
FormerdairyfarmerDickMortonis knownasabitofawizardatmaking accuratescalebuildingsfromscratch.
Publicspace Othermemberskeeptheir ownportablelayoutsattheclub. Ex-coalmineengineerAlfStubbshas builtanaccurateminiaturelayoutof MiddletonCollieryinYorkshire,UK asitwasinthe1960s.HistorianKeith Rimmerhasbuiltseveralintricate layoutsdepictinggoldminingoverthe
years.SecretaryPhilMurray’slayoutis thechildren’sfavourite. It’snotonlycreativethings happeningattheclub.
PaulhasaPhDandexperience withsocialservicesandencouraged memberstoopenittothepublicon Sundaymorningsandinvitechildren to“haveadrive”.
“Wenoticeddifferencesinhow childreninteractedwiththetrains andparentsoftenconfirmedthattheir childwasautistic.”
AfterconsultingtheUniversityof Waikato,twoMastersofPsychology studentsobservedchildrenand interviewedparentsasdatafortheir theses.Theyconfirmedwhatclub membershadobservedandidentified areasforfurtherstudy.Hopefully, withthehelpofclubmembers,two morestudentswillinvestigatethese areasduring2025.
Forpublicopeningtimes,see www.gwrm.co.nz
Deluxereclininghighbackseat,spacious operatorarea,cruisecontrolandeasyto reachcontrols *Imagewithoutmowerdeck.Price includesmowerdeck.
Ex-farmers Harry Davison, John Curtis, Brian Harvey and Dick Morton with GWRMClubpresidentPaulMurphy(centre). Photos/CatherineFry
AFordsontractoratwork.
DoIneedextraMagnesium? (Part2) Lastmonthwesawthat Magnesiumsupplements canbeveryeffectivefor cramps,especiallynight crampsandtohelp restlesslegs.
Magnesiumisrequired bymorethan300enzymes includingthoseneededfor musclecontraction,energy metabolismandmany others.
Asanutritionalmedicine practitioner,Magnesiumis oneofmymostfrequentlyprescribed supplements.ThisisbecauseMagnesium worksonproblemsquicklywithbenefits obviouswithindays,especiallywith
nightcramp. Magnesiumiscriticalfor cardiovascularfunction. Magnesiumhelpsregulate electricalimpulsesand helpssupportnormalheart rhythmespeciallyforthose withAF.Ihaveseenthose withmildarrhythmiareturn tonormalusingtargeted Magnesiumplusappropriate dietarychanges.Ialsouse Magnesium,alongside naturallyfermentedCo enzymeQ10,forthoseon statindrugstohelpprevent orreversethecommonsideeffectsoflow energy,musclestiffness,painandcramps. Magnesiumisalsohelpfulwhenpartof anutritionprogrammeforhypertension.
Magnesiumhelpsrelaxthesmooth musclethatlinesbloodvesselsthus reducingbloodpressure.Itdoesthis becauseMagnesiumisanaturalcalcium channelblocker.WhenMagnesiumlevels arelow,calciumover-stimulatesheart musclecells(fibres)resultinginheart arrythmias.AddingMagnesiumhelpsto counteractthis.
ForhypertensionIliketocombine supplementalMagnesiumwithagood multi-antioxidant,multi-mineral,multivitamincomplex.Thiscombinedwitha diethighinnitrates(especiallybeetroot) canproducerealbenefits.
IpreferchelatedMagnesium di-glycinatecombinedwithnaturally extractedMagnesiumfromseaweed. These,combinedwithrapidlyabsorbed Magnesiumcitratemeansthesupplement
HighCountrytoursfor2026 NZAdventuresoffersawiderange oftoursacrosstheSouthIslandof NewZealand.Andoneofthemost popularandlongestestablished touristheHighCountryHeritage tour,whichisrunonceasasevendayandthreetimesasasix-day duringtheseason.
TheHighCountryHeritageis essentiallythejourneydowntheEastern AlpinefoothillsfromBlenheimto Cardrona.Thetourincludesawide rangeofhigh-countrystationsand conservationestatetracksalonga1250 kmroutethroughovernightsinHanmer Springs,Methven,Fairlie,Omarama, Cromwellandfinalnightatthe CardronaHotelforthesix-daytour,say
owner-operatorsofNZAdventures4x4 4 Tours,RobbieandConnieCrickett.
“Thereisaslightvariationforthe seven-daytourwherewehaveashorter r dayonthethirddayandovernight inGeraldineandthenextovernight inTwizelbeforeweresumethe overnightsinOmarama,Cromwell andCardronafortheseventhnight.
“Accommodationisinmotelsandmeaals arepredominantlyinrestaurantswith mostlypicniclunchestoenjoyamongst thedramaticscenery,”saidConnie. “Inthecontextofa4WDtripthe tracksareeasilyenoughcoveredby competentdriversinsuitable4WD vehicles(lowrangetransmission)andall terraintyresinverygoodcondition.No otherspecialpreparationofthevehicle isrequired.
CallforFENZreview Forestownersandfarmerswanta reviewintoFireandEmergencyNZ, sayingwildfirespecialistskillsand capabilityisbeinglost.
In2017theNationalRuralFireAuthority, 12ruralfiredistricts,and26territorialrural authoritiesmergedwiththeNewZealandFire ServiceandtheFireServiceCommission,to becomeFireandEmergencyNZ.
Thechangegavethenewentity–referredto asFENZ–thelegalmandatetorespondtoa widerrangeofemergenciesandweatherevents –somethingitwaspreviouslydoingoutsideof itslegislation.
Thechangealsopromisedbetter co-ordinationacrossthecountry,centralised trainingandfundingandbettersupport forvolunteers.
But,eightyearsonforestownersandfarmers sayruralcapabilityhasbeenerodedinfavour ofthosewideremergencyresponsecapabilities aswellasaprioritytourbanandresidential firefighting.
Andwithruralpropertyownerssoonto beforcedtopayalevytowardsFireand Emergency’srunningcosts,thequestionthey haveis–what’sinitforus?
SeanMcBrideisthechairofthejointForest OwnersAssociationandFarmForestry AssociationfirecommitteeandTobyWilliams isaboardmemberatFederatedFarmers.
The6DayToursin2026willbein February,AprilandNovember. The7Daytourin2026willfinishintime forthestartofWarbirdsoverWanaka. Formoreinformation,seeNZAdventures’ advertonthispage.
canworkquicklyforfastresults.Isuggestyou avoidone-a-daysupplementsandlookforthose youcanvarythedosagesdependingon yourneeds.
JohnArts(Adv.Dip.Nut.Med)isanutritionalmedicinepractitioner andfounderofAbundantHealthLtd.Forquestionsoradvicecontact Johnon0800423559oremailjohn@abundant.co.nz
Joinhisnewsletteratwww.abundant.co.nz.
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•MarineMagnesium121mg
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•ThesehighgradeformsofMagnesiumarequicklyabsorbed
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JohnArtscomments:
“AbundantHealthrapidabsorptionMagnesiumTriplecanreally helptightorstressedmusclesandforagoodnight’ssleep.The3 doseis2beforebed.” (JohnArts,Founder,AbundantHealthLtd)
Caution:Adultuseonly.Highdosesofmagnesiumcancausediarrhoeaandmayinteractwith somemedications.Ifindoubtseeyourhealthcarepractitionerbeforeuse.
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4WDvehiclesareusedtotakepeople onatourofNewZealand.
Aconnection with horses Equine-assistedtherapist
SueCourtdidn’thavehorses asachild,butadmitsher friendchoicesmayhavebeen alittlebiasedtowardshorse ownersandmanagingthe occasionalride.
Duringheradultyearssheand herwife,Sarah,boughtasmall
farminNewZealandanddevoted alltheirsparetimetolearning howtoride,careforandhavefun withhorses.
Itwastowardstheendofthe 1990sthatSuefirstheardabout equine-assistedtherapyandshewas surprisedtolearnitwastherapyfor peopleratherthanhorses.
Atthetime,althoughworking withhorseswasamuch-loved
‘Gypsy’sharea gentle,calmand relaxedrelationship.
activity,shewasemployedasauniversitylecturer.
Achangeofcareer Previously,Sue’spassionformusichadledto herstudyingclassicalguitarinLondon,Otago andRome,ultimatelygainingaPhDinthe historyofItalianmusic.
Shethenworkedasaprofessor,followedby universitymanagement,whichtookhertoan Australianuniversity.
Becausemammalsdon’thavethelargeprefrontalcortexthathumansenjoy,theytend tobasetheirdecisionsmoreonphysicalneeds andsurvival.“Humansdotoo,butwhilewe applyourmassivebraintousefulandcomplex calculations,wealsocomplicateourmentallives byoverthinkingaboutpastandfuture.
AsherAustralianemploymentwasnearingthe end,Sueretrainedasanequine-assistedtherapist andacounsellor.ThecouplecamebacktoNew ZealandwhereSarah,too,trainedasacounsellor. Theyhavesincebuiltupanequine-assisted therapybusinesstogether.
Fascinatedbyanimals Suehasalwayshadanimalsinherlifeandhas bredcattleandgoatsinmodestnumberson smallfarmsshehasowned.
“Animalswerealwaysanimportantpartofmy childhood.Theyknowwhotheyareandhowto betheirbestselves,whereashumansfindsuch self-knowledgemuchmoreelusive,”shesaid.
“Horsesmodelforushealthierlivingin thepresentmomentandhowtoviewtheworld morebroadly.Forinstance,aspreyanimalswith near-360-degreevisionfromeyespositioned onthesidesoftheirheads,theyteachusnot tobesosingle-mindedinourfocus.Thisis somethingpeoplecanlearnbothphysicallyand asusefullifelessons,showingushownarrow focusedwehavebecome.”
Horsesteachcompassionandcanbeseen showingkindnessandlookingafteroneanother intheherd,asonehorseatatimebecomesa sentinelwhiletheothersrest.
Forthisreason,horsesdonotenjoybeing paddockedalonebecausetheycan’trelax.They alsoneedcompanionshiptoparticipatein allogrooming,wheretheygroomeach
SueCourtand
Photos/CatherineFry
otherinthehard-to-reachareas.
Intheirownherdofsevenhorses,SueandSarah seehealthysocialbehavioursmodelled,where theyrespectandnurtureoneanotherwhilebeing ledbyaheadmarewhoavoidsmicromanaging.
“Iftwohorseshaveadisagreement,shelooksat themasiftosay:‘Heyguys,sortitout,orIwill’. So,theyhavealottoteachusaboutsocialliving throughobservingtheirsocialinteractions.”
Equine-assistedtherapy
Suesaidwhileobservationofhorsebehaviouris akeyaspectofthetherapywork,anotheruseful toolismetaphor,whichnaturallyariseswhena clientworksoneononewithahorse.Itallows projectionandpersonalnarrativetoariseand leadstodiscussionofthedynamicswithinthe client’slife.
Howahorsebehavesislikelytobetaken personallyinsomeway;forinstance,ahorse lookinginanotherdirectionorrefusingto walkbesideaclientmightbeinterpretedasnot wantingtobewiththem.Observingboththe horseandtheclient’sreactionsleadstodiscussion ofpersonalnarratives,openingopportunitiesfor reflectionandchange.
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Heightenedsenses “Ahorselivesinthemoment,doesn’tspend timeworrying,carriesnomentalbaggageand ifoneupsetstheother,theydon’tholdonto resentmentbutquicklygobacktograzing.Thisis onewaythathorsesbeautifullymodeltohumans howtoletgoofangerwithoutholdingonto resentment.”
Horsesareattunedtoourbodylanguage andmagicallyseemtoknowwhatweare experiencing,butintruththisisnotamagical process.Withtheirheightenedsenseofsmell (similartoadog’s),superiorvisionandhearing, plussensitivitytotouch,theyaccurately“read” otherbeings.Theysmelladrenalinandother biochemicalswithinhumans,theyreadourbody languageaccuratelyandknowouremotional statesbetter,sometimes,thanweknowourselves.
“Weareveryblessedwiththesebeautiful animalssincetheyaresokindandgenerous aroundhumansandverywillingtoleadusto healthierlives.”
Suepublishedabookonequine-assistedpractices lastyearandisnowwritingasecondbook.
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Newtooltohelpfamers optimisenutrientuse NewZealandfarmersandgrowersnow haveasmarterwaytomanageon-ground nutrientapplicationviaanewtoolthatuses AIandgeospacingmappingtechnology, withthepotentialtosavenutrient applicationbyupto10%.
Wespecialiseinhighquality,meshand PVCcoverstosuittrucks,trailersand farmbunkers.Allofourcoverscanbe easilyoperatedfromthegroundusinga silkysmoothcablesystem,eliminating
DevelopedbyBallanceAgri-Nutrients, SpreadWisehelpsmapkeyfarmfeaturessuch astroughs,gates,andwaterways,areasthat arenaturallynutrient-enrichedbylivestock movements.
BallancecustomergeneralmanagerJason MinkhorstsaysbyusinggeospatialandAI technologythetoolcreatesexclusionzoneswhere additionalnutrientsaren’tneeded,resultingin greateraccuracy.
“TheAItechnologyutilisescomputervision toanalyseaerialimageryandidentifyobjectsof interestonafarmautomatically.
“Byremovingthemanualexclusionmapping process,itsavesfarmersvaluabletime,improving nutrientefficiencyandcompliancewith environmentalregulations.
“Withfarmingmovingtowardmoreefficient andeffectiveuseofnutrients,SpreadWise enablesamoreinformed,data-ledapproach tonutrientmanagement.”
Farmtrials Trialswithlargescalefarmshaveshownthe mappingtoolhelpsreducenutrientusewhile maintainingstrongpastureperformance.
0210417052
Jasonsaidtheseresultshighlightthetool’scapacity todeliverbotheconomicandenvironmental benefitsthroughsmarterapplication.
“SpreadWiserepresentsamajorstepf orwardintheuseofdataandgeospatial technologytodriveefficiency.Beyondits currentcapabilities,there’sthepotentialfor evengreaterprecisionatapaddocklevelasthe toolcontinuestoevolve.”
SpreadWiseissuitableforfarmersusingground spreaderswithdigitalmappingcapabilityand pricedat$10perhectareperyear,or$5per hectareperyearforBallanceshareholders.
A view of the SpreadWise mapping system showing exclusion zones
Allfarminghas itschallenges.For organicfarmers,one suchdifficultyhas beenmaintainingsoil fertilitywithouttheuse ofsyntheticfertilisers.
Butiftheorganicsindustry inNZistoachieveits ambitiontocontribute$4.2 billiontoGDPby2030,thenorganic farmersandgrowersneedtonotonly maintainsoilfertility,buttoincreaseit.
Todate,therehavebeenashortage ofquality,naturalfertiliserproducts availableinNZtohelpwiththisissue. EspeciallylackinghavebeenBioGrocertifiedsourcesofmacronutrients likenitrogen,potassium,and phosphorus(NPK).
However,thingsarechanging.And thisisexcellentnewsfornotonly organicfarmers,butforthoseofalike mindwhoarelookingformorenatural fertiliserstoboosttheirsoilfertility whilelookingaftertheirsoilhealthand theenvironment.
BioGro-certifiednitrogen
Nitrogenisthenutrientthatismost indemandbyplants.Theyneeditto formtheaminoacidsthatmaketheir proteinsandtheirDNA.Plantsalso neednitrogentomakethechlorophyll theyuseforphotosynthesis.So,it’s easytoseehowadeficiencycan stuntgrowth.
Untilrecently,fishmealhasbeen oneproductorganicfarmershave turnedtoinordertomeetthenitrogen requirementsoftheirpastureand crops.Butit’snottheidealsource beingonly10%nitrogen(N:10).And that’snottomentiontheodour!
So,theavailabilityofnaturalnitrogen fertiliserslikeProtaminN13isa game-changer.Ithasahigherorganic nitrogencontent(13%),butcrucially, itdoesnotreleaseallitsnutrientsat once.Thefast,medium,andslowreleasepatternmeansthatnitrogenis availabletoplantsforalongertime duringtheirgrowth,andlessnutrients arelosttotheenvironment.
Apartfromsupplyingnitrogen,
ProtaminN13ishighin organiccarbonandhas ahigh-waterabsorption capacity,soithasa biostimulanteffecton soilmicrobes.Thisin turnimprovesnutrient uptakeandpromotes healthyrootgrowthand photosynthesis.
Beingaco-product oftheleatherindustry, ProtaminN13isexactlythekindof naturalfertiliserneededtohelporganic farmersmeettheirindustrygoals. Anotherfertiliserofthisilkisanatural BioGro-certifiedsourceofpotassium calledPhostaK.
BioGro-certifiedpotassium
Potassiumcontrolsthetransportof wateraroundplantsandregulatesthe openingandclosingofthestomata intheleavessothatphotosynthesis canproceednormally.Italsoactivates enzymeswhichtransportnutrients likenitrates,phosphates,calcium, andmagnesiumaroundtheplant. So,potassiummaintainsoptimum utilisationofanyappliednitrogenand phosphatefertilisers.
Ago-tosourceofnaturalpotassium hasbeensulphateofpotash(SOP), typicallyminedfromunderground saltdeposits.Butasmentionedabove, anotheroptionnowavailableisPhosta K,abyproductofthesugarcane industry.Beingmadefrom100% plant-basedmaterials,it’skindto soilbiology,andcontainsnitrogen, phosphorus,calcium,magnesium andthetraceelementscopper, molybdenum,sodium,manganese, zinc,andcopper.So,it’smorethan simplyasourceofpotassium.Andlike ProtaminN13,thenutrientsarenot releasedallatonce.
Sonaturalalternativesforthe‘N’and ‘K’macronutrientsarenowavailable, butwhataboutthe‘P’(phosphorus)?
BioGro-certifiedphosphorus
Plantsneedphosphorusinthe formofphosphates.It’svitalfor photosynthesis,plantdevelopment, andheredityprocesses,anda continuous,regularsupplyisbest. Twonaturalsourcesofphosphorus
whichdelivertheirnutrientsinthisway y are guano,sourcedfrommineral-richdeposits of seabirds,andRPR(reactivephosphaterrock) Whiletheseproductsaren’tnecessarily y new to themarket,they’reanaturalwayofrepllenishing phosphoruslevelswhereveranimalandplant productsareremovedfromasystem.Immportantly fororganicfarmers,bothguanoandRPPRcontain verylowlevelsofundesirableheavymettals and flouride,oftenfoundinconventionalphhosphate fertilisers.
NoneedtodowithoutNPK
Insummary,organicfarmersandgrowwers need nolongercompromisetheirsoilfertility y because naturalsourcesofNPKnutrientsaren’tavailable Andanyincreaseinsoilfertilitywillgosome way towardhelpingtheorganicsindustryacchieve their ambitiousGDPtargets.
Protamin®N13 Finally,aBioGro-approved, organicsourceofnitrogen. ProtaminN13isaco-product oftheleatherindustry.It hasaddedbiostimulants tosupportsoilhealthand afast,medium,andslow releaseofnutrients.Farewell tosoilfertilitywoes.
Limestone/AgLime PhostaK
Atlonglast,anatural sourceofpotash.
PhostaKismadefrom 100%plant-basedmaterial. It’slesssolublethan otherpotashfertilisers soslowertobreak-down. Anotherwinnerifyou wanttosupportsoilhealth.
NaturalNPKfertiliserscanhelp increasesoilfertilityandpasture growthfororganicfarmers.
Guano
Lastbutnotleast,anatural dependablephosphate. Guanoisderivedfromthe nutrient-richdepositsof seabirds.Itcontainsverylow levelsofflourideandheavy metalsandreleasesits nutrientslowly.That’salso atickfortheenvironment.
FindouthowFertco’sfertilisercanworkforyou. 0800232733 | www.fertco.co.nz
Blueberrywasteturnedintosustainablepackaging Acollaborationbetween ScionandRotorua’s MamakuBluewinerycould seeconsumersenjoying theirblueberriesin sustainabletrays.
Thepartnershipisdeveloping mouldedfibretraysinfused withblueberrypomace–turningagriculturalwasteinto asustainable,compostable alternativetoplasticpackaging.
Theworkaimstoreducewaste whilesupportingNewZealand’s circularbioeconomy.
Withfundingfromthe BioresourceProcessingAlliance SummerStudentInternship, Scionresearchersareworking withpartnerstoexplorewhether incorporatingagricultural byproductsintomouldedfibre trayscanenhancetheirstrength andmoistureresistance. Theseperformancefactors currentlylimitfibre-based alternativestoplastic.
KateParker,Scion’steamlead forsustainablematerials,saidthe globaldrivetoeliminatesingleuseplasticpackaginghascreated aneedforhigh-performance,
eco-friendlyalternatives.
“Mouldedfibrepackaging isasustainable,compostable option,butitoftenfallsshort instrengthandmoisture resistancecomparedtoplastic. Byincorporatingagricultural byproducts,wehopetoimprove thefunctionalityoffibretrays andprovideaninnovative useformaterialsthatwould otherwiseendupinlandfill.”
Mission
ThisprojectalignswithScion’s missiontodriveacircular bioeconomy,repurposingorganic
wasteintovaluableproductsand maximisingresourceefficiencywhile minimisingenvironmentalimpact.
“Thehorticultureandagriculture industriesgeneratelargevolumesof organicwaste,”Katesaid.
“Insteadofseeingthesebyproducts asaproblem,weareexploringhow theycanbecomepartofthesolution. Byintegratingwastestreamsinto newmaterials,wecanhelpNew Zealandmoveawayfromplasticand supportlocalproducers.”
MichaelaFrost,ownerofMamaku Blue,whichisknownforitshighqualityblueberryproducts,saidthis collaborationisasteptowardamore sustainablefuture.
MatthewParker,ahealthsciences studentfromtheUniversityof OtagoandBPASummerStudent Internship,contributedtothework duringhis12-weekplacement.
Byproducts “Repurposingourblueberry byproductisafantasticopportunity forourbusinessandtheenvironment.
“Werepurposesomeofourwaste forcertainproducts,butnotallcan bestoredindefinitelyorprocessed intime,leadingtosomedisposal. Exploringmouldedfibrepackagingis anexcitingstepforward.”
Hetestedtwootheragricultural byproducts:avocadostonesfrom oilextractionandcabbagewrapper leavesfromfarms. Thesebyproductswere mechanicallyrefinedbeforebeing blendedwithwoodfibreandmade intotraysusingScion’spilot-scale mouldedfibrethermoformer–the onlyoneofitskindinNZ. Initialresultsshowedblueberry pulpandmicrofibresalteredthe trays’appearance,whilecabbage microfibressignificantlyimproved waterresistance. Futureresearchwillexplore blendingthesematerialstoseeif theircombinedpropertiesoffer furtherbenefits.
• Quality horticultural twine for tying and supporting vegetables in greenhouses
• White, 6kg (approx. 9000m)
• Breaking load 28kg
• 2 spools per pack
• Product code GTHE1500/1
• Compostable horticultural twine for use in Orchards or Greenhouses
• White, 6KG (approx 3600m)
• Breaking load 40kg
• 2 spools per pack
• Product code GTBE600/1
• Heavy duty black horticultural twines for tying, training or supporting
• 600/1 - 2kg - approx 1200m, B/L 66kg
• 300/1 - 2kg - approx. 600m, B/L 133kg
• 300/2 - 2kg - approx 300m, B/L 266kg
• 6 spools per pack
• UV treated
• Product code GTSISAL24X150 ULTRAPRO SISAL
• Natural, compostable twine for training or supporting
• 11 4kg spool, 24 ends x 150m
• Breaking load approx. 57kg
The fibre trays are a sustainable, compostable alternative to plastic packaging.
SmaXtec’s internal bolus system for monitoring dairy cow health helps detect
monitoringdairycowhealthhelpsdetect potentialdiseasesearly,enablingpreventive actiontoimprovehealthoutcomes andprofitability.
Thebolusprovidespreciseinsightsfromwithin thecow,operatingreliablyinthereticulum, unlikeexternalsensorsaffectedbyenvironmental factors.Itmeasuresinternalbody,trackswater intake,drinkingcycles,ruminationbasedon reticulumcontractions,andoverallactivity.This precisedataenablestheearliestpossibledetection ofpotentialdiseases,longbeforevisiblesymptoms appear,byalertingfarmersviasmartphoneor computerfortimelyintervention.
Early y detectionwithsmaXtecreducesantibiotic use, lowers treatment costs, and supports stable milk yields Hayden Lawrence, who milks 430 cows in Taranaki, shares her experience: “Using y , respectivelyandhelpedbettermanagecalving calfhealthandfreshcalvers”.
Preventionratherthancure DavidThompson,whorunsa305-cowfarm Feilding,said:“Ireceivedthreetemperatureal overthreedays.Thevetconfirmedpneumonia eventhoughthecowappearedfine.Without smaXtec,Iwouldn’thavenoticedituntil3-4days later”.SarahNeilsonfromSouthTaranakisaid: “Whenwehadacaseoftwistedbowel,wecaught itearly.Ithadjuststartedwhenwewereableto getthevettoremedyit.Hehadthethermometer inthecowandsaid;‘Iwillneverhavetodealwith thateveragain,thisissuchreliabledata’.Now,the vetchecksthedatafirstbecausethetempperature alerts are always accurate ” Visit the team at Fieldays, site PC15 in the pavilion , m in lerts a,
Themonitoringsystemis provingpopularwithfarmers.
uniquebolustechnology andprecisedata frominsidethecow! Formoreprofitability ANDahealthierherd!
Cow health is a top priority for farmers.
FarmingbroughttolifeinMinecraft NewZealandscienceand agriculturalstudentsare abouttostepintohistory–andthefuture–throughthe powerofagloballypopular computergame.
Anewresource,Mātiki Minecraft,hasbeenintroduced tothescienceandagricultural curriculum.Itpresentsindustry relevantchallengesononeof Aotearoa’smostsignificant farmswithinthevirtualworld ofMinecraft.
Theinformationandchallenges inthegameweredeveloped byateamofagriculturaland horticulturalscienceadvisory teachers.Itcomplementsnew studyunitstheycreatedforthe NewZealandYear7-10science andagriculturalcurriculum.
TheaimwastocreateaMinecraft universeforprimaryandsecondary studentstodiscoverandlearn aboutagricultureandhorticultural scienceinNewZealand,said SowtheSeedsubjectadviser SuzyNewman.
“Studentslearnabout earlyfarmingpracticesandcan thenmodernisetheonline propertyintoasustainable workingfarmcompletewith moderninfrastructure,practices, andsystems.”
Onlinefarmworld
Thereisalsoinformationand
linksrelatedtocareersinthe primaryindustries.
MātikiMinecraftdesigner AnthonyBreese,from Museograph,isaformerprimary schoolteacherturnededucational technicalspecialist.Hewastasked withbuildingtheonlinefarm worldandsettheeducationalgame atreallifefarm,TotaraEstatein Oamaru.
Thechoiceoffarmissignificant asitisaheritagepropertythat playedapivotalroleinNew Zealand’sfarminghistory.In1882, lambmeatfromTotaraEstate formedpartofthefirstshipment offrozenmeatexportedfromNew Zealand–aneventthatlaidthe foundationforthecountry’snow multibillion-dollarmeatindustry.
Tocreateacresofonline farmland,topographydataisput throughtopographic,graphicand world-buildingsoftwarebefore beingconvertedintoBlocksand importedintoMinecraft.
AnthonysayseachMinecraft blockisaboutametreinreal life.Hehascreatedothervirtual NewZealandworldssuchas TiwaiPointatBluffHarbourand historicbuildingsinDunedin.As aself-confessedtownie,headmits researchingandrecreatingthe sectiononartificialinsemination was“aneducationinitself!”
Immersiveexperience
MātikiMinecraftshowcasesbeef, sheep,kiwifruit,arablefarming, dairy,pipfruit,andforestry.The attentiontodetailinthegraphics makesthismorethanjustan educationaltool.
Thehistoricmen’squarters, cookhouse,andtopographyof TotaraEstatehavebeenfaithfully recreated.Thecharactersare dressedinblacksingletsandshorts similartoapopularNewZealand hard-wearingbrand.Additionally, there’sakiwifruitblock,whichto theirknowledge,isthefirsttime anyonehasrecreatedkiwifruit vinesusingMinecraft’sblocky, pixelatedaesthetic.
NapierBoys’HighSchool agriculturalstudentshavebeen testingearlyversionsofthegame. SuzysaidMinecraft:Education Editionoffersastructuredand controlledenvironmentfor learning.SowtheSeedwill showcaseMātikiMinecraftatthe NationalFieldaysattheCareers andEducationHub,StandE30.
NapierBoys’HighSchoolagriculturalteacherRexNewmandiscusses calfrearingwithYear13studentsRileyMullaneyandGeorgeRickey.
Transparency:Scope3emissionsunveiled TheNationalFieldaysSociety isvoluntarilydisclosingits indirectemissions,knownas Scope3emissions.
Theseemissionsarenot produceddirectlybythe organisationbutresultfromits broaderoperations,including thematerials,goods,andservices sourcedfromsuppliersfordaily businessactivities.
Forthefirsttime,thesociety hascommissionedaScope3 emissionsreportcoveringits headofficeandMysteryCreek EventsCentreforthefinancial yearendingonSeptember30, 2024.ThereportfromInstep, anorganisationsupporting businessesinenvironmental reporting,detailsthesociety’s indirectgreenhousegas emissions,offeringaclearer u understanding of its supply chain impact
Across New Zealand, a growing number of businesses
–especiallylargerorganisations –arerecognisingthecrucialrole ofScope3reportingintheir decision-makingprocessesto betteraccountforclimateimpact.
Scope3emissionsoften constitutethelargestportionof acompany’scarbonfootprint, typicallysurpassingitsdirect emissions(Scope1and2).
Followingthisevaluation,itis unsurprisingthatthesociety’s carbonfootprinthasshown anincrease.
Transparency TarynStorey,actingCEOofthe society,saidcommissioningthe reportreflectstheorganisation’s commitmenttotransparency, innovation,collaborationand environmentalresponsibility.
“Byaddressingindirect emissions,we’reeducatingothers andinsppiring g industryy-wide change Taking proactive actionwell before it becomes mandatory – is a key part of our long-term
strategy,demonstratingour leadershipandvalues.”
JanineMonk,sustainability executiveatthesociety,said; “I’mincrediblyproudtowork foranorganisationthathasbeen trackingitscarbonemissions since2012,longbeforeitwas commonpractice.Now,with Scope3emissionsstilloptionalto report,we’vetakenaboldstepto befullytransparent”.
TheClimate-Related Disclosuresregimerequires certainentities,suchas insurers,andpubliclylisted companies,toreporttheir climateimpactsandrisks, includingScope3emissions, toensureclimateconsiderations areembeddedinbusinessand investmentdecisions.
Complexemissions AScoppe3 3 emissionsrepport includes both mandatory emissions – those that can be reasonably measured, such as
employeetravelandfreight-and morecomplexemissions,suchas thosefrompurchasedgoodsand servicesfromsuppliers,whichare hardertoquantifyandreduce. Calculatingtheseemissionscan beacomplexandtime-consuming process,oftenrequiringthe assessmentofthousandsofsources. Toaddressthischallenge,thesociety categorisesexpensesintobroad groups–suchasmarketing–each carryinganemissionsprofilesetby theNewZealandgovernment.More informationaboutthesocietycanbe foundontheirwebsitenznfs.co.nz
ServicingofallEffluent& Irrigationequipment. Fullsysteminstallations. NZsupplierofDODA products,wealsocarrya comprehensiverangeofDairy Effluentparts&equipment designedtoprovidearobust andtroublefreeoperation, complementingour Servicingbusiness.
Subdivisions:smartfutureplanning p g Therearemanyreasonswhy farmerschoosetosubdivide theirland–andthey’reallvalid. Butonethingiscertain:creating newtitlescanaddrealvalueto yourproperty.
Whetheryou’replanningtostay putorthinkingaboutselling,having moretitlesgivesyoumoreflexibility andoptions.
Simplyput,moretitlesoftenmean morevalue. AcrossruralNewZealand,thereare farmoreindividuallandtitlesthan youmightexpect.Theseareoften bundledintolargerfarmingblocks, soit’snotalwaysobvioustheyexist. Overtime,landhasbeen subdividedtosuitchangingneeds –smallerblocksfordifferentland usesorre-amalgamatedaseconomic demandsshifted.
It’sthisevolutionthat’sshaped thepatchworkoflandtitleswe seetoday.
Ruralland Subdivisionismanagedby districtcouncils,withtheaim ofprotectingrurallandfor farming–and,somewouldsay, topreservethesceniccharmof rurallandscapesneartownsand cities.Inurban-adjacentareas, councilsarealsoplanningfor futuregrowth.Overtheyears, many haveallowed forsmaller ‘lifestyle’blockstocaterto retiringfarmers,extendedfamily members,andcitydwellers seekingamorerurallifestyle.But thesetypesofsubdivisionsare becominghardertosecure,and in many districts, are now only permitted on less productive or more challenging land
Savvy landowners havemadethe mostofthese opportunities whentherules allowed.Some haveheldontothe titlesasalongtermstrategy g ,while othershavesold themwhenneeded toinjectcapital backintothefarm –ortohelpthe nextgenerationgetestablished Insomecases,thoseblockshave evenbeenrepurchasedwhen circumstancesallowed.
Peaceofmind Formanyfarmers,theseextra titles represent “ money in the bank” They offer peace of mind and flexibility – whether that’s
weatheringtoughtimes, buildingaretirement homeontheproperty, orcreatingaspacefor familytoremainclose, yetindependent. Today,we’reseeing atrendtowardtighter subdivisionrules,with manycouncilsmaking itmoredifficult–and moreexpensive–to subdivide.Whilesome landowners near towns orrurallifestylezonesmaystill haveuniqueopportunities,most willfaceincreasingrestrictions. Ifyou’dliketounderstandhow thesechangescouldimpactyour landandyourfutureplans,we’re here to help. Don’t hesitate to get in touch for a chat about your options
Forthoseofusgrowingupthroughthe 1960sand1970sitseemsbizarreto contemplateafuturewherepastoralfarming isacuriositycarriedoutinremotecountry enclavesvisitedmostlybytourists.
groundwatersteadilyincrease.
DrGrahamSparlinginhisNormanTaylor Lecturein2004statedthatNewZealandwasin thetopoftheOECDinonerespect–wewere thecountrywithgreatestproportionofourGDP comingfromprimaryindustries.
Itwasn’tuntilthelate-1980sthat pastoralfarmingwasnolonger considered‘thebackboneofthe country’andurbanelectorates suddenlydeterminedthe make-upofgovernment.
Soilbiology g
NewZealandhadurbanised withtheviewsoftherural communitysecondarytothose ofcitydwellers.Itwasaseismic shiftintheevolutionofthe countryanditseffectwaslargely lostintheaccompanyingturmoil offinancialrestructuring.
Research
ResearchInstitutefundingwas savagelychoppedwithextensivelossofknowledge andexpertise.The‘userpays’mantraadopted meantlong-termresearchwasreplacedbyshort termindustryfundedprojects.
Hewentontostate:“Soilbiologymay beabletohelpuscleanourwastesand protectourstreamsandrivers.Thesoil biologicalprocessofdenitrificationisthe onlyprocesswherebywecangetreactive nitrogenfromsoilandwaterbackinto benignnitrogengas…butweseemtobe headedintheoppositedirection,adding evermorenitrogenandphosphorusto oursoils”.
Theargumentisthatwhenlesssynthetic nitrogenandsolublephosphorusisapplied productiondeclines.
Theworkoverthelast25yearsby FunctionalFertiliserandsupportershas proventhatbycreatingtheconditionsthatfavour cloverthedependenceonsyntheticnitrogencan bebroken.
AcomparablefarmtrialundertakenbyDr GunaMagesonofScionRotoruarecordeda30% increaseinpastureyieldwitha70%reductionin Nitrate-Nlosttogroundwater.
Itisarealcredittosheepandbeefanddairy industriesthattheyhaveprosperedsince,although wemayponderonwherewemightbenow hadaclearvisionandaccompanyingplanbeen implemented by subsequent governments Amajorconcernforthefutureisenvironmental pressuresandhowtheymightimpactonthe industry.
Thesupplyofcleanfreshdrinkingwateris increasinglyunderthemicroscopeandalthough the planting of waterways and fencing of streams has been positive, levels of Nitrate-N in
Thetransitionprocesscanbeseamlesswithout any initial loss in performance, with the immediatebenefitsoflowerfertiliserandanimal ill-healthcosts.
Longertermtheaddedbenefitsofmoretotal pasturewithmoreevengrowththroughoutthe yearareenjoyedandappreciated.
For more information, call Peter on 0800 843 809, or 027 495 0041
utumn eather impacts We have finally gotsomeautumn rain,andit wouldappearthe droughthasnow broken.
Perfecttiming aswehavejust finishedthemaize harvest.AsIwrite thisExCyclone Tamisbearing downonthe NorthIslandandlookstobring moreraintohelpthesituation. However,whetherfarmersin theareasthatneeditmost getanautumnflushofgrass isinquestion.Afewfrostsin placeslikeCentralPlateauand suddenlythereislimitedgrass growth.Ifthishappensthe positionformanyfarmerscould continuetobedifficultuntil spring.
Rainfall 1 17 degrees Celsius anddownslightly onthe18.8degrees Celsiusrecorded forthesameperiod lastyear.Fordairy farmersdecisionson whentodrycows offarebeingmade now.Itisatough calltoo,withcow conditionscoreand availabilityoffeed beingacoupleof thekeydeterminantsofwhen thiswilloccur.Justareminder topaycarefulattentiontothe milkandthemeatwithholding periodswiththedrycow treatmentssoyoudon’tget caughtoutwithanimalsyou can’tsendtotheworksorare notabletoputthemilkinthe vatfromwhentheycalveagain.
Onthemove HereinTePuke,wehavehad 312mlyeartodatecomparedto 282mlforthesameperiodlast year.Thedifferencebeingthis yeariswehadonemajorrain eventinearly-Aprilwhereaslast yearitwasspreadout.Average weeklygroundtemperaturesas atthesecondweekofAprilwere
Lookingattheendofthe monthwehave‘GypsyDay’. Thisisexcitingforsome, movingtonewfarmsand startinganewadventure.For farmownersthiswilloftenmean newstaff.Turnoverofstaffcan beasignificantcostforafarming businessduetotheknowledge thatislostwiththeoutgoing personnelandalltheadditional
t training required to get replacementworkersuptospeed. Itpaystolookatworkersasnot justanothersetofgumboots onthefarm,butoneofthekey tothesuccessofyourbusiness. Makesuretheyfeelwelcomeand givethemtimetosettlein.
Financialmarkets Thefinancialmarketsarequite interestingatpresentduetothe impactUSPresidentDonald Trumpishaving.Ifindmyself askingthequestionofwhether heisamadmanoracomplete genius!Somewouldsayhehas afootinbothcamps.AllIcan sayisthatheiscausingvolatility infinancialmarketsnotseen sinceCovid-19.It’smakingany financialforecastforeconomists nearonimpossible.Itseemslike theonlythingthatispredictable isitisgoingtobeunpredictable. Shouldthe10%tariffbe imposedonNewZealandthis couldresultinapproximately $350millionworthoftariffs forNewZealandagriculture topaybasedonStatisticsNew Zealandfiguresof$2.6billionof meatand$883millionofdairy produceexportedtotheUSeach year.Itisaheftycost.Howthis allplaysoutwillbeinteresting tosee.
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Above:Madi,two-and-a-half, enjoyingone-on-oneanimal timeatTheOneandaHalf AcreWoodinWhakamārama.
Right:Blacklabrador‘Drake’, aged18monthsold,andhis mate#63inMorrinsville.
Wylie, seven, helping outin the milking shed inCoroglen
Zoe,five,andminiaturedonkey‘Deacon’inThames.
