Coast & Country News August 2016

Gingko PAGE 4-5

WHAKATANE

Maize PAGE 12-15

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Weddings PAGE 20

Brits at the Beach PAGE 22-23

Dairying PAGE 26-31

Avocados PAGE 38-41

Forestry PAGE 46-47

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Page 2

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Simple life still possible – just I recently spent time with a friend as he reflected on 83 years of what he describes as a “simple life” in New Zealand.

Born during the depression of the 1930s and growing up through those years of World War II, he went on to work in the timber industry in the Western Bay of Plenty.

In bringing up a family of five, he shared with them his love of the outdoors, hunting and fishing.

He aimed to teach his children self-sufficiency and resilience – the ability to hunt, fish and grow their own food and develop practical skills.

He succeeded, and those attributes have now been passed on to his grandchildren.

An avid follower of the news and world affairs, he’s glad his now large family remains in New Zealand where it’s still possible, to certain degree, to enjoy a “simple life” and the pleasures of the outdoors.

“We should never take for granted what we have here, espe-

Kiwi Farmers Love Gypsum

cially in light of what is happing internationally,” he told me.

But not all young New Zealanders have the opportunities his grandchildren have.

That’s something Kevin and Jane Powell of Teacher in the Paddock at Papamoa know only too well and are trying to address– see story page 6-7.

Establishing a completely new industry takes courage, huge effort and money but that hasn’t daunted ginkgo pioneers Mavis and Graham Dyer – see pages 4-5.

Alison Gibb is a “pioneer” of another kind – she’s Jersey New Zealand’s new president, the first woman to hold that role in its 114-year history – see page 31.

A world-first DeLaval rotary dairy built at Waharoa with technology designed specifically for New Zealand pastoral farming is attracting world attention – see page 30-31.

The 2016 avocado harvest is now underway with growers and exporters hoping for a bumper crop of export fruit – see pages 38-41.

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 3

Time is right for growing organically While world demand for organic kiwifruit is growing, New Zealand’s production is declining – making now a good time for conventional growers to consider switching at least some of their production to certified organic, says Seeka’s organic category manager Hans Dirkse.

“It also appears the use of compost and retaining a longer sward between rows, as is common practice in organic orchards, may have a beneficial effect on the control of the vine disease Psa-V.” Newcomers to the industry, Tracey and Sam Kain of Te Puna bought their three hectare orchard two years ago and their purchase decision was driven both by the orchard’s location and the fact it is certified organic.

It has produced an average of 10,000 trays per hectare and Graeme puts that performance down to a number of factors, including winter pruning. “We set out to prune to 35 buds per square metre, to encourage buds inside the wire and tie the canes down flat.”

The orchard does have some Psa-V and Graeme is also big on orchard hygiene, insisting that the pruning

teams sterilise their gear with sanitising fluid carried in bottles in their aprons, between every support beam, or if they have cut out Psa-V. Graeme’s pruners have been with him for up to 12 years and operate the company called RS & HS Horticulture. They are quick and efficient and produce the results he and growers want.

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Tracey Kain, who with husband Sam owns an organic orchard at Te Puna, with Andrew Weatherley, Seeka client manager during a field day at the Kain orchard.

“Organic fruit does achieve $1.40 to $1.50 more per tray than conventional Hayward but on average organic orchards produce fewer trays per hectare, which has deterred many growers from going organic.

“However, with increasing demand for organic fruit it is worth growers considering converting at least some of their orchard blocks, as Bio Gro will certify parts of an orchard. In effect, that gives growers the chance to diversify their business.”

Hans says while organic Hayward orchards don’t have the same high production as those using conventional methods, that’s not the case with the new gold variety G3 which produces impressive crop loadings without the use of Hi-cane to promote bud burst.

Currently, there are about 120 certified organic kiwifruit growers in New Zealand with Seeka growers, or the orchards it leases or manages, yielding about 1.1 million trays – a little more than one-quarter of the industry.

“Many growers have been certified organic for decades. But the industry has also been losing organic orchards either to new owners, who have decided to grow using conventional methods, or orchards have been sold for re-development into housing.”

Young families

“We live right next to the orchard and there’s no way I’d bring up my children that close to a conventional orchard,” says Tracey, who opened her orchard for a Seeka organic field day.

The orchard, which has 2.5ha of mature Hayward vines and half a hectare of two-year-old G3 vines, is managed by Graeme Shearer of Katikati Orchard Management Limited on behalf of Seeka and the Kains.

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Most of Zespri’s organic fruit goes to Europe, the United States and Japan; and Hans says there is growing worldwide demand for organic foods, especially from parents of young families.

Growing kiwifruit organically does require a shift in thinking and practices for those new to organics.

Hans says it doesn’t have to be a daunting prospect and in fact can bring a number of advantages, including creating an environment which is more pleasant to live and work in.

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Page 4

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Ginkgo is an attractive specimen tree, especially in autumn when its fan-shaped leaves turn bright yellow.

But it’s the popularity of the fruit of ginkgo growing in urban parks and streets which got Mavis and Graham Dyer questioning whether there were other possibilities in New Zealand for the ancient species.

“We had noticed that in autumn the fruit of virtually every female tree growing in public places is harvested by local Asian people, who obviously value the nuts,” says Graham.

The couple’s research revealed the ginkgo, a tree species which evolved before insects and relies on wind pollination, produces nuts which are a delicacy in China, Japan and the Korean Peninsula.

Two-thousand trees

The nuts are used in cooking, often as part of special celebratory meals, and are believed to have a range of beneficial effects including improved circulation, cogitative function and even increasing life expectancy.

The potential to grow the nuts commercially in New Zealand for the local market, and produce an out-of-season crop for Northern Hemisphere consumers, appealed to the Dyer’s entrepreneurial

nature. So they set about establishing an orchard of the trees.

Today the couple have 2000 ginkgo biloba trees growing on their Bay Park Orchard in the Kaimai Range, in two blocks alongside green and gold kiwifruit and an arboretum of specimen kauri trees from around the Pacific.

Mavis grafted the first trees, using New Zealand bud wood, but they failed to produce nuts which were big enough to sell commercially.

The couple’s research took them to Japan, where they sourced graft wood of two varieties that Mavis re-grafted onto the existing root stock 10 years ago.

Only the female trees produce fruit, and they are slow to mature – so for years the trees have been carefully tended, pruned and fertilised in anticipation of their first crops.

A harvester “Because no one grows used for picking up ginkgo commercially in apples off the ground New Zealand, and not has been adapted to on this scale, we’ve had to harvest ginkgo research everything we can nuts. and then find ways to adapt that information to fit our operation,” says Graham.

Losing valuable skills They’ve been helped in their research by Ryoto Eguchi of Japan, Eva Oharkova, and New Zealand post-harvest scientist Dr Nigel Banks to name a few. ...continued

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 5

Ginkgo nuts hold promise as new commercial crop continued...

Pavel Hohn and Eva, from the Czech Republic, have for the last four years have worked on the orchard. “Pavel and Eva probably know more about how to grow ginkgo commercially than anyone else in New Zealand but unfortunately their work visas have expired and they don’t have enough points to qualify for residency so will be returning home – and we will be losing their valuable skills,� says Graham.

This season the Dyers have harvested enough nuts to send samples to prospective purchasers in Auckland, but the trials and tribulations of growing ginkgo commercially continue. “In Japan ginkgo are grown on a very small scale with about 20 trees to an orchard,� says Graham. “In Japan it is usually the grandmother who harvests the fruit from the ground, picking them up to wash, clean and put into punnets. “With 2000 trees on our orchard, this grandmother wasn’t about to do that,� says Mavis.

Apple harvester

So the couple imported a self-propelled, modiďŹ ed apple harvester from Germany, which is used to pick up windfall apples from the ground for making cider.

It’s proved reasonably successful at picking up the small eshy ginkgo fruit from the ground, once a smooth enough surface to operate on was provided. “It doesn’t work well if the ground isn’t at so we had to take off some humps and ďŹ ll in some hollows,â€? says Mavis.

The harvested fruit is left in picking bins for the esh to ferment, then it is tipped into A carrot washer has been a hopper with an modiďŹ ed to clean auger, which removes some ginkgo nuts of the esh, on Mavis and before being Graham Dyer’s orchard.

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passed into a revolving, wooden slatted drum, where the remaining esh is removed by a high pressure waterblaster.

This process is another example of the Dyer’s ingenuity in taking ideas from other industries to ďŹ t the peculiar requirements of ginkgo post-harvest operations. The barrel and washing system is based on a carrot washing processes.

Once washed clean the nuts are graded, washed once again to keep them food safe, graded and carefully dried before packing into punnets ready for sale as fresh nuts.

Q Q

Graham Dyer.

Right temperature

This step is carried out in a converted cowshed, where a temporary stainless steel grading table and overhead lights have been set up. “Once we ďŹ gure out what works, we’ll install permanent facilities and have the building certiďŹ ed as a food handling facility,â€? says Graham.

Imported ginkgo nuts which have been cooked are on sale in New Zealand, but the Dyers hope their fresh nuts will appeal to Asian consumers and restaurant chefs. “We are still experimenting to ďŹ nd out the right temperature and time to dry the nuts so they are an attractive white colour, but not cooked,â€? says Mavis.

The nuts need to be kept refrigerated and among the trials being carried out are those to determine the best kind of packaging and storage conditions to extend their shelf life.

Mavis says while anecdotally Pavel Hohn ginkgo have and Eva Oharkova, many health who probably know beneďŹ ts, they more about ginkgo shouldn’t growing than be eaten anyone else in NZ, by anyone may have to leave taking blood the country now thinning their visas have medication expired. without medical advice because they may thin blood even further. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not eat ginkgo nuts.

The ginkgo orchard is yet another example of the Dyer’s pioneering ventures. In 2011, when Mavis and Graham won the supreme award in the Bay of Plenty Ballance Farm Environment Awards, judges commented on the fact they had pioneered the successful production of green and gold kiwifruit cultivars

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Page 6

Discovering food from paddock to plate Two house cows, a few horses, three kunekune pigs, chickens – and a morepork that’s adopted the Powell family and lives in a tree around the back.

It doesn’t sound like much, but two tiny hectares the Powells run in Papamoa is

opening up a huge agricultural world that most Kiwi kids nowadays have no link to at all.

That’s why father Kevin Powell set up Teacher in the Paddock about 18 months ago, at their leased property on Tara Rd. “Our lifestyle is a little different and it’s doing a lot of things by hand,” says the trained teacher.

“Through doing my teaching degree I learned there’s a lot of resources online

Left: Ryan Jakich milking Amber during a Teacher in the Paddock school holiday programme.

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“And for the rural side of things there wasn’t really anything where children could come in –even if they hate animals or were terrified of them or any of those things – and have a platform to relate.

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Fast-forward nearly two years and children – six after-school and up to eight during schools holidays – get a teacher in a paddock experience.

They get hands-on on the property milking cows, horse riding, growing crops, looking after animals – and more importantly get to make that connection of how farming produces food.

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“So it’s about connecting people with their food. We’ve had comments like ‘Why isn’t the cow blue?’ Because kids only see the blue branding on the milk bottle at the supermarket,” says Kevin.

So how does teacher in the Paddock work? Put simply, Kevin and wife Jane, a gardening guru who shares her wealth of knowledge about food, together with daughter Mariana, spend their days passionately showing children, parents and community where their food comes from and how to eat nutritionally well.

The Powells moved to the Papamoa property, with 1ha, about seven years ago. The neighbours, who also have 1ha, wanted to rent their house out.

Kevin helped find tenants and keeps everything on track for the out-oftown owners in exchange for use of the 1ha.

Alternative view

“So we’ve got the two house cows, a few horses, three kunekune pigs, chickens – and we’ve got a morepork that’s adopted us and lives in a tree around the back.”

But the turning point was suffering a shoulder injury – it pushed Kevin to have re-think on his life and what he wanted to do. So he trained to be a teacher.

He completed his degree through the University of Waikato’s Kakano Rua Maori medium programme “which is very focused on learning not just from the academic perspective but through movement, dance, song and those sort of things and suited my alternative view of the education system”. ...continued

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 7

Linking children to our rural roots continued...

But there was still one problem. “I love and adore teaching – but not in a classroom situation.” And Teacher in the Paddock was born. Because – Kevin says – many Kiwi kids today are not connected to the land.

“No they’re not and many of their parents aren’t either. I’m 51 and when I was growing up everyone I knew, knew someone else or had friends or relatives who lived or worked on a farm.

“So in the holidays we’d all go out and have this rural experience. Now we have these superfarms that are so far removed from producing food – they are just producing a commodity.

Nature deficit

making workshops for mozarella and feta.

And the reaction? “They are just gobsmacked most of the time.”

“It helps connect children and adults with their food, where it comes from and how it impacts our health and wellbeing, as well as many other aspects of renewable living principles,” says Kevin.

Honey extraction

At the end of summer this year, the Powells had their first harvest of honey from beehives.

“So we had the extractor set up in the living room of our house with the

sustainability and self-sufficiency”.

Solid bookings see a waiting list to attend the holiday programmes. And Kevin says it not parents who need their kids to be somewhere while they’re at work who get in touch – it’s those who have at some point had bit of rural upbringing – and realise the validity of it.

“And they are not doing what other kids are doing at every other holiday programme – and they’re learning about growing and eating really good nutritious food.”

“And even just being outdoors these days is a real Healthier choices Then they go home wanting to make push – and we are really lucky in this country that their own bread or butter. “It’s a hard we still have a focus on case because in some way the kids outdoor lifestyle – but who really need this type of education this is a thing now and are the ones who don’t get it, or don’t it has a label. Nature come.” deficit disorder.

So what’s the difference between a kid The phrase, coined by who gets some kind of rural experience author Richard Louv or upbringing and that of a child that in his 2005 book ‘Last doesn’t?

Child in the Woods’, “Their overall wellbeing, they stay describes human healthy and don’t get sick as much, beings, especially chilthey make healthier food choices and dren, as spending less good choices about long-term living. time outdoors, result“And it also offers the opportunity to ing in a wide range of not to be afraid. behavioural problems.

“And the old Kiwi ingenuity – it The disorder is not didn’t come from looking at screens. recognised in any of It came from having limited resources the medical manuals Geovana Martelly milks Amber watched by Joel Jakich with and making do with what you had. for mental disorders.

Kevin Powell and (behind left to right) is Corban McLeod, I don’t care what kind of world we’re But Richard has stated Ryan Jakich, and Rosie Curry. going for but at some point that’s “nature-deficit disorder going to be required.” is not meant to be a medical diagnosis but rather to windows shut – to stop bees coming And Kevin says the children get a serve as a description of the human costs of alienain – and the children were extracting confidence boost. “Their whole beings tion from the natural world”. honey by hand spinning the extractor. change – and I strongly believe these Kevin, who agrees with Richard’s philosophy, says “And tasting it as it comes out of experiences set them up life’s challenges today most kids live in “concrete jungles” – “they the cone – so these types of things are for later in life.” have no wide, open spaces, and everything is focused priceless to kids.”

Now the Powells are looking for around screens”.

Kevin says their after-school and somewhere a bit bigger “so we can do holiday programmes are always base Life out there what we do” so there can be “more around food and what they do on “And we are fast-becoming that culture, where space and more people”. Merle Foster the farm, “which is all about selfeverything is done in front of a screen.

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Page 8

China’s home deliveries to refrigerated letterboxes China is a land of opportunities and obstacles, where highly sophisticated technologies and very ancient lifestyles exist side-by-side.

Federated Farmers Meat and Fibre Chairman Rick Powdrell says it is a market too big to ignore, but one which needs careful navigation.

Rick recently visited China as part of a Silver Fern Farms tour, He returned convinced that if New Zealand is to succeed in successfully selling red meat there, it needs to form alliances such as the Silver Fern Farms/Shanghai Maling joint venture proposal.

“Should the Overseas Investment Office and the Ministers give the joint venture their support it will be a huge help in regards to access to the market.”

The $261 million deal is still awaiting OIO approval; and the two companies have agreed in principle to extend the deadline for their joint venture proposal to September 30 while they await that decision. Rick says China is not an easy market to operate in as other New Zealand exporters, including Zespri, have found.

Significant opportunities

“There are a lot of barriers to the chilled meat trade because of infrastructure issues, but there are also significant opportunities.”

How people shop in China is changing rapidly and at the extreme end, the wealthy are buying fresh meat and

produce online and having it delivered to refrigerated letterboxes at their homes.

As well as importing red met, China is moving to increase its own production, says Rick, who visited a genetics farm near Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in northern China.

“They are using Australian Merino, Dorper and Suffolk genetics to improve the meat quality of the flock. The challenge is how these sheep, bred on a feedlot, will adapt to Chinese conditions, particularly the winters experienced on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia.”

The 27-strong tour group, which included Silver Fern Farms chairman Rob Hewitt, Rick Rick Powdrell. and farmer suppliers, also visited beef feed lots – which are vastly different from New Zealand’s pastoral farming systems of raising beef.

“We also saw traditional Chinese agriculture being carried out by hand on small plots of land, by farmers who lived in nearby skyscraper apartment blocks.”

Rick has concerns about how China, which is rapidly modernising, will overcome its environmental issues – especially those around water and air quality – but was also impressed at how many trees are planted in the heart of cities, the new plantinga throughout the country and the ability of the government to act to implement change rapidly if it chooses.

Meat Consumption

“One thing that is very evident when you visit China is that if the government is serious about doing something, it will be done.”

That the Chinese Government wishes to reduce its citizen’s meat consumption by more than half is just such an example and has implications for New Zealand.

“Climate change enthusiasts jumped on this news, claiming it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one billion tonnes by 2030.

“It was predicted the present rate of increased meat consumption would add 233 million tonnes during the same period.

“The Chinese Government promoted the reduction based on concerns that as meat consumption has risen, the health of the population has decreased.

“Having recently been to China and witnessed the ongoing Westernisation of the population, I ask is this goal really achievable?”

Currently, the average citizen consumes 63kg of meat per annum with the government targeting a reduction to 14kg-27kg per person.

“We need to watch this possibility as should it become a reality, it may well impact our volumes to the Chinese market,” warns Rick.

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Avoiding short cuts helps prevents milk fever

Calf requirements Normally, the cow copes with the five to eight grams of calcium the calf requires in late pregnancy. However, some cows struggle to meet the increased calcium demands for colostrum and milk production at calving, which is up to 50 grams of calcium a day.

The obvious solution to prevent milk fever is to supplement the cows with calcium in the period before calving.

But it’s near impossible to get enough calcium into the cows through supplementation.

The cow needs to mobilise calcium from her bones pre-calving to reach the desired levels. This is best done by providing the cow with a low-calcium diet pre-calving. After calving the issues with calcium mobilisation no longer exist, and we can supplement the cow with considerable amounts of calcium to ensure she gets the calcium required

Nature and Nurture Magnesium Oxide

Every year some five to 10 per cent of New Zealand’s dairy cows will fail to adequately maintain their calcium levels within the 24-48 hours after calving.

This crucial period can see them develop metabolic disease, known as ‘milk fever’, if not supplemented post-calving. So why does the cow calcium system fail? Simply put, the cow’s hormone system regulates their calcium status, which fails under the pressure of calving.

Cows obtain calcium from two sources, dietary calcium absorbed across the gut membranes and resorption or ‘mobilisation’ of calcium from body stores, such as bones. On top of the calcium required for normal metabolic function, calcium is required to develop the calf and produce milk.

Page 9

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for milk production and avoids milk fever.

The most routinely used method for post-calving calcium supplementation for cows is to give them a quality lime flour while they are in the colostrum mob. Lime flour can either be dusted onto pastures or included in supplementary feeds at the rate of 100-300 grams per cow a day. It contains 37-39 per cent elemental calcium and is ground to an ultra-fine powder for easy absorption.

Clear advantages

With the low milk payout, farmers may be tempted to use a lower quality, coarser, agricultural lime as the calcium supplement for their cows. While both forms of lime may chemically be the same, there are two clear advantages in using Lime Four over agricultural lime.

Finer particle size – a smaller particle is more likely to be dissolved and the calcium absorbed while passing through the digestive system. Larger particles may not be sufficiently dissolved before passing out of the cow.

Calcium content – the lower the quality of calcium carbonate the less calcium the cow can absorb.

Using a quality lime flour postcalving will help reduce the number of cows with milk fever, and more importantly the effects milk fever has on cow health, reproduction and milk production. Combining the use of lime flour with a low calcium diet pre-calving means your cows will bounce back from calving a lot quicker.

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Page 10

Message for farms in Italian tower’s lean

Everyone has seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa, either in photographs, or from travelling though Italy. From the time Bonnano Pianso began its construction in 1173, it took a full 200 years to complete.

The quality of the stone is excellent and the masonry is superb – most stones have no mortar between them because the quality

of the workmanship has created the bond. But the tower itself is useless.

Not as a tourist attraction, but as a building. By 2001, the tower leant at an angle of 5.5 degrees, meaning the top of the tower was displaced horizontally 3.9 metres from the centre. Not something I’d sleep comfortably in.

What caused the lean? Water.

Because 10,000 years ago, the location of the tower was a river estuary with tide water

constantly flowing in and out, depositing layers of soft sand and silt. The reason the tower tilts southward is because the soil under the south side of the monument is more compressible than on the north.

The lesson?

No matter how well you build something, if the foundations are weak the whole thing is compromised. Even on your farm.

No doubt you’re doing plenty of things right. You use proven grazing practices, you diligently manage the health of your animals, you employ efficient production systems, and you do your best to keep on top of the pond crust.

And yet, in spite of making money, too much of it seems to get spent on fixing problems: eradicating weeds, curing mastitis, facial eczema, foot rot, improving poor digestion, removing recurring pond crust, treating non-cycling cows, etc etc.

The Pisa problem - great tower, bad foundation, pity about the lean. The foundation of every successful farm is good management. And good management is mostly to do with forward planning.

When management problems arise, it’s often from farmers going for short-term results without anticipating the long-term costs that will come later. This fixation on the short-term gains causes everything to lean sideways.

So what’s the key to efficient farm management?

Focusing on the next three months. Here are two major issues which fit into that crucial window: Firstly, the largest profit window in your season is approaching from September to December. Secondly, mating is close.

How your cows are calving now is a signal for what mating will be like later. If they’re calving within a week of their expected calving date, that’s good.

It means your cows have the energy and stamina to go to full term. If they’re not calving on time and a lot of retained afterbirth is occurring, that’s a sign of

poor nutrition. Proper nutrition is the foundation for a good in-calf result. This includes trace elements – like copper, cobalt and selenium – and the elimination of parasites like intestinal worms and lice. A wise farmer will check the herd now and remedy any trace element deficiencies he uncovers. If you do that, your cows will recover quicker from calving, they’ll milk better, and you’ll prepare them for mating.

Another thing to test is your soil pH. If the pH is below 6.4, the calcium and magnesium levels of your cows could be too low which will result in metabolic problems. Don’t wait for these metabolic problems to show up in the animals; for every cow that presents with metabolic issues, another 10 are on the verge of the same problem.

A word of warning to farmers who are tempted to ignore testing. If you ignore the warning signals now, you’ll create three problems: 1 Lost opportunity for your cows to maximise best cost-efficient production.

2 Costly vet intervention with CIDRS and drugs to address non-cycling cows.

3 A disappointing in-calf rate creating further losses for next season.

Soil tests

Perhaps the most important management action to carry out is to apply the right fertiliser to your soil. So many problems are minimised if the soil is nutritionally correct. That’s because everything in the soil – nutrients, pH levels, organisms, whether good or bad – gets transferred around the farm. From soil to grass, from grass to cow, from cow to pond.

What’s the best fertiliser to apply? Depends what your soil is lacking. The only way to know what’s missing is to do a proper soil test – one that takes into account the 16 elements needed to grow nutritious feed. After that, choose a customised fertiliser that’s specifically designed to give your soil only what it needs.

To build your farm business on a better foundation, go to www.forwardfarming.co.nz

We can fix your crusted pond in two ways... #2: Fixing your pond PERMANENTLY #1: Fixing your pond RIGHT NOW You may not know this, but the immediate cause of your pond crust is a type of bacteria in the effluent. These bacteria are anaerobic – they hate light and oxygen. To create dark, oxygen-less conditions, these bacteria separate the effluent fibres and the send them to the surface to form the crust.

Q: How do you counter these bad bacteria?

A: With good bacteria. That’s what Slurry Bugs are – helpful bacteria that prefer light and oxygen. To get these conditions, Slurry Bugs eat the pond crust. Literally.

Not only do Slurry Bugs remove the crust, they transform the effluent nutrients into organic forms that are easily used by plants. In other words, they liquefy your pond and turn it into an effective, spreadable fertiliser.

To fix your pond without expensive machinery, use Slurry Bugs.

Go to www.slurrybugs.co.nz to find out more.

Dealing with crust-causing pathogens at the site of your pond is one thing.

But the long-term economical solution is stopping them at their point of origin.

In your soil.

What kind of soil is home to bad bacteria? A soil that has low pH levels.

When you treat your soil with a low pH fertiliser, the pH level of the soil drops.

A low soil pH helps pathogens breed since pathogens prefer higher acidity levels.

Here’s a key principle: Whatever is in the soil gets transferred: to the grass, to the animals, to the effluent, to the pond. If your soil is dominated by pathogens, it is biologically inevitable that your pond will suffer the same domination. This is why a farmer with a low pH soil will always have problems with crusting in his effluent pond. We see this correlation again and again.

At Forward Farming, we help farmers condition their soils (1) to promote the good biology that grows healthy grass, healthy animals, and full vats (2) to suppress the pathogens that cause disease and pond crust. This approach is not a quick fix, but it really works. To read more, go to www.fowardfarming.co.nz

ADVISORY SERVICES

Page 11

Fertiliser prices down – but look for value Last month both Ballance and Ravensdown announced quite big drops in prices of some fertiliser products.

As an independent fertiliser consultantbroker I need to keep my fingers on the pulse about which companies have the most competitively priced nutrients.

It’s interesting some smaller players can still be more competitively priced than the two big cooperatives. Whereas other small companies can be a lot more expensive but somehow through, guile and deceit or smoke and mirrors, convince farmers to part with their hard-earned money to buy their particular brand or blend without pricing the same nutrients or elements from the mainstream companies, which can be tens of thousands of dollars cheaper.

In particular nitrogenous fertilisers have dropped in price because of global supply and demand. And because of the lower oil and gas prices from which these products are made. Urea is now $475/tonne from both co-operatives ex-port, which is 25 per cent cheaper than one year ago. Yet I know of one smaller importer who intends selling urea from end of August for $465/tonne ex-Tokoroa.

DiAmmonium Phosphate – or DAP a its known – is the most internationally traded phosphate fertiliser and sets the world price for phosphorous. Both Ballance and Ravensdown dropped their price from $830 to $785 in June. Yet this same small importer will be selling their DAP for $695/tonne exTokoroa, which is $90/tonne cheaper, almost

15 per cent less, once cartage into the Waikato is factored in. At this price the phosphate in DAP is as cheap as superphosphate per unit of P on the ground, and the nitrogen is a free bonus.

Undercutting co-ops

Last year several smaller players in the Waikato/Bay of Plenty region were undercutting the two big co-operatives for Sulphate Of Ammonia by $30-70/tonne, depending on the company. I heard that in the South Island a company was selling SOA for $100/tonne cheaper. But Ballance and Ravensdown have now dropped their price of SOA down to $500/tonne so the difference between these other companies is now less.

Superphosphate is just marginally cheaper than it was one year ago, as manufacturing rock prices have not moved much internationally. But one importer is bringing in high analysis feed-grade dicalcium phosphate at a more competitive price than superphosphate per unit of P once cartage and spreading costs have been factored in.

Both Ravensdown and Ballance have dropped their potassium price by $40/tonne, which is good for dairy farmers because this is the most common major element deficiency I find on Waikato and BOP dairy farms.

Potash is currently cheapest from the cooperatives. It is more important to maintain any element that drops below biological optimum levels on dairy farms than to spend

money on artificial nitrogen or bought-in feed, as the cost per kilogram of dry matter for any element limiting clover production will give much greater economic returns than any other feed input at about three-five cents/kg DM. Clovers should be king, not artificial nitrogen; and if you haven’t got good clovers then something is wrong with your fertiliser programme. Sometimes it is not a major element deficiency, but a trace element lacking, such as boron or molybdenum. And unless you test for these micronutrients you will never know.

Serpentine supply

Sulphur and magnesium products have not dropped in price and I’ve recently learned straight serpentine from Rorisons quarry near Aria is running out, which is unfortunate because it has been the cheapest source of magnesium for many years.

However, they will keep supplying Ballance with serpentine to make serpentine super at the Mount. There is currently a cheap magnesium kieserite-type product on the market for less than $200/tonne, about half the price of some other kieserites. And another small company is importing what appears to be a good magnesium containing phosphate fertiliser.

Dolomite, which comes up from the South Island, contains magnesium and calcium carbonate and is cheaper purchased through

Taking the worry out of taxation the goal which way your business is going.

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a couple of local smaller companies than Ballance or Ravensdown. And trace elements can also be cheaper purchased from direct importers.

The most important thing to do though is not waste money on elements you have enough of and do not need. And focus on those nutrients which are most deficient – all 16 of them – not just six as many fertiliser reps are prone to do.

Once these have been identified, then you should seek advice as to which company or companies can provide those nutrients for the best price. Don’t just stick to one supplier as end-of-year rebates or discounts may not be enough to cover the difference some direct importer may be offering.

Just because someone has taken a soil test for you, do not feel obligated to purchase their fertilisers. Get a quote from another reputable company or person.

Robin Boom

CPAg MBSPC

Independent Agronomy & Soil Fertility Consultant

MAIZE

Page 12

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“Both of these hybrids perform very well in our local environment, consistently yielding at least 25t DM/ha. Both are big leafy plants with large cobs that handle our variable conditions without any noticeable impact on overall performance,” says James.

“Other positives that really stand out for us are the lower seed costs per bag, lower planting rates needed to achieve our target yields, the long harvest window and the high quality silage that they produce. We will definitely be growing more again next season,” says James.

Pacific Seeds are also the seeds of choice for contractors Gavin and Mike Litchfield of Te Puke in the Bay of Plenty.

“Pacific Seeds hybrids have been a main part of our hybrid mix for many years. During the last seven years we’ve been growing DKC57-83 with great results,” says Mike.

“Last season we grew some PAC 343 and planted and harvested many more acres for our key clients.

Results from these crops were consistently above the district average with some exceptional yields achieved in a number of crops.”

Gavin says this season plantings of PAC 343 have increased and PAC 432 has been put into the mix as well.

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Silage plots 33

MAIZE

Page 13

Pasture problems eased by maize silage When you ask most dairy farmers what their favourite pastime is, you don’t expect them to say “water skiing”. But, according to Andrew McLeod, that’s not unusual for where he lives –just a few kilometres south of beautiful Papamoa beach.

Andrew lives on his 127 hectare farm with his wife Robyn and their two children Ella, 12, and Connor, 10. They milk 400 Friesian cows to produce an annual average of 157,000 kilograms of milk solids. Despite his busy schedule on the farm, Andrew also takes time out for family activities such as mountain biking and coaching his children’s hockey team.

He also participates in the Federated Farmers’ Open Day initiative every March, where up to 1500 visitors get to see the workings of his dairy farm.

The main pasture problem he faces during the summer months is kikuyu, which usually dies back during autumn and is replaced by ryegrass. However, if the weather stays warm during these months, the kikuyu keeps growing enough to smother the ryegrass.

When this happens Andrew relies on his home-grown maize silage to make up for any pasture deficit.

Long maturity

Local Pioneer representative Robin Billett has worked with Andrew to help him select Pioneer brand P1636, a long maturity hybrid which can provide very high yields of high-grain content silage. For example, his most recent, yield was 31.9tDM/ha at 35 per cent harvest dry matter.

Andrew planted 3.5ha of maize, which was harvested and ensiled in a tube to minimise wastage. This small area generated about 100tDM which is enough to

Research into hybrids Maize silage and grain are cost-effective, high value, high carbohydrate crops used extensively throughout New Zealand for both animal feeds and human consumption.

Maize trials are a significant part of the Foundation for Arable Research’s research and extension strategy.

The Northern Research Crop Site is key in FAR’s maize research with many trials being conducted there.

The first Maize hybrid performance trials were established in 2014. These trials are conducted in association with the NZ Plant Breeding and Research Association and evaluate commercially available hybrids for use as silage or grain production.

cover pasture shortages, extend the lactation period and keep his herd in good condition for calving.

Another benefit Andrew has observed from planting maize is the excellent new pastures he establishes after a maize crop.

Reducing costs

Although Andrew is always looking for ways to increase milk production, in the current economic climate he’s adopting a ‘steady as she goes’ approach and is focusing on reducing costs.

This season he’s managed to reduce his farm working expenses by more than $1/kgMS – and down to $3.12/ kgMS – and readily acknowledges maize silage has helped him to achieve this.

Andrew McLeod relies on his home-grown maize silage to make up for any pasture deficit.

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Billion-dollar business

There are more than 2700 farmers in New Zealand involved in arable cropping activities, with a combined farm gate sales value of about NZ $1 billion, including cereal grains, pulses, maize grain and specialised seed crops for export and domestic markets.

Annual crops are grown from the northernmost parts of New Zealand down to Southland, with maize being the dominant crop in the North Island. While cereal grains such as wheat and barley and seed production – of grass seeds, legume seeds and vegetable seeds – is carried out mainly in Canterbury and Southland.

(Source: Foundation for Arable Research)

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Page 14

MAIZE

PGP could add $6.4 billion to GDP I recently spoke to an audience about the Primary Growth Partnership and was struck by the overwhelmingly positive effect this is having on our primary industries.

The PGP aims to boost productivity, value and profitability in the primary sector and deliver long-term economic growth and sustainability across primary industries, from producer to consumer.

It achieves this by ensuring government and industry funding for programmes that will have benefit for the primary industries including wool, dairy, fishing and aquaculture, meat, pastoral, beekeeping, forestry, wine, viticulture and horticulture. These programmes are business-led and market-driven innovation programmes to boost productivity and value across the primary industry value chain – from producer to consumer.

Aspirational programmes

A recent report by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research shows the PGP could add up to $6.4 billion to New Zealand’s Gross Domestic Product from 2025, with the possibility of a further $4.7 billion if the aspirational stretch of programmes is realised, the

innovations are taken up widely, and all the research and development is successful.

Currently, about $750 million government and industry funding has been committed to 21 PGP initiatives. These initiatives range from Precision Seafood Harvesting, High-Performance Manuka Plantations, New Zealand Avocados Go Global and NZ Sheep Industry Transformation with all of these initiatives aiming to deliver premiums for their respective sectors in order to deliver significant additional returns for New Zealand.

Prime example

The PGP is a prime example of how the Ministry for Primary Industries is helping primary industries to reach their maximum potential and to work towards goals like doubling the value of exports by 2025.

Primary growth partnerships allow collaboration between otherwise competing industries on a level that hasn’t been seen before and it gives industry links to research and development.

Research and development is vital in this day and age with technological advances fundamentally changing the way we do work and carry out our business, nationwide and across the globe.

Primary Growth Partnerships are important for the productivity and sustainability of our sectors and ensure we develop the innovative products that will have to be produced for the future, using cutting edge research.

Agbots could fill labour gaps The industrial revolution moved humankind from manual to machine labour, and brought dramatic social changes and standards of living.

The current revolution, driven by rapid advances in information and communication technologies and biotechnologies, will similarly bring massive changes in how we live and work says Professor Ted Zorn, Massey Business School Dean and Pro Vice-Chancellor. While the benefits are potentially huge, so are the dangers. New This robot caught a toddler’s Zealand will not be attention at Fieldays. exempt from automation. Two of our most important industries – agriculture and tourism – will undergo significant change in the coming decades.

Agriculture and horticulture will increasingly see agricultural robots – or agbots – automating processes such as harvesting, fruit picking, ploughing, weeding, planting and irrigation, particularly on commercial farms. Hundreds of agbots equipped with microscopic sensors could potentially coordinate and work the land with minimal human intervention within the next 10 years.The dairying industry will see robotic systems that automate the entire milking process. Drones are already monitoring farm conditions.and are able to reach hardto-access areas faster than a farmer ever could.

(Source: www.massey.ac.nz)

MAIZE

Page 15

Calculator aids feed decision-making

The total milk production response to supplement – the immediate plus deferred response – is determined by many biological and management factors which have been taken into account in the Supplement Price Calculator.

These factors include stage DairyNZ’s Supplement Price Calcuof lactation, amount of lator is designed to help farmers make purchased supplement that tactical decisions about purchasing is wasted and the amount of feed during a feed shortage. Here pasture refused (substitution DairyNZ principal scientist John of supplement for pasture).

Roche explains the science behind it.

For more information on The Supplement Price Calculator how each of these factors is uses international and New Zealand Supplements benefits should be analysed. used in the Supplement research results to estimate the milk Price Calculator, see the production response to providing extended version of this article online at dairynz.co.nz/ supplements to milking cows under different feed techseriesseptember15. deficit situations and at different stages of lactation.

Revenue and costs It estimates the likely profitability of doing this under different milk price scenarios and compares the value The Supplement Price Calculator accounts for all of proposition of different feeds. the above factors, which allows a more accurate estimation of total revenue. As well as accounting for direct Production response costs of supplements, it also includes associated costs In the Supplement Price Calculator, the milk produc- – for example, tractor running costs, depreciation and tion response to feed offered is the sum of the milk repairs and maintenance. produced when cows are receiving the supplement – The Supplement Price Calculator makes no allowthe immediate response – and milk produced later as a ance for capital costs – it is assumed the equipment result of pasture spared and cow Body Condition Score for feeding is already available – or variable costs that gained from the supplement - a deferred response. aren’t associated with feeding.

Multiple experiments have been undertaken evaluatCheck out DairyNZ’s online supplementary feed ing the milk production response to supplements price calculator at www.dairynz.co.nz/feed/feed-manunder different levels of feed deficit. agement-tools/supplement-price-calculator/ Although both the immediate and the deferred The supplementary feed price calculator allows you responses decline with increasing pasture dry matter, to determine how much you can pay for supplementhe deferred response is especially sensitive to feeding tary feed. It is based on milk price and milk company, level. post-grazing residuals, supplement composition and In severe pasture deficit situations – for example, unsupplemented post-grazing residual of 1200kg DM/ your profit requirements from using a supplement.

The calculator assumes that metabolisable energy is ha for a milking cow – as much milk is produced the first limiting nutrient, but also takes into account after the period of supplementation as during the feed the type of energy provided – for example, starch, deficit when the supplements are offered. sugar, fibre – what effect this has on milk composition, When cows are relatively well fed – for example, unsupplemented post-grazing residual of 1600kg DM/ and the value of fat relative to protein.

This calculator should not be used as a ration ha – the deferred milk production is only about 10 per cent of the immediate response. balancer.

The profitability of supplement use depends on both the revenue generated from the purchased feed and how much it costs to buy and provide it.

Noxious odour is ‘unacceptable’ flash houses there. I know the argument is the farm was there first so you just have to live with it but…

I’m not so sure.”

Clive says in another community there was a major problem with an effluent pond and neighbours were up in arms. “Once the farmer stopped feeding PKE the problem of the smell disappeared.”

He wonders just how good a feed that looks like wood chips – is for cows. Asked if he had heard of PKE causing wear to cows’ teeth, Clive says he hasn’t – but he wouldn’t be surprised if it did.

“Nobody looks at the teeth of cows; you’d never buy sheep without checking their teeth but it’s not so easy with cows.”

Clive studied agriculture in UK

before teaching animal production at Leeds University. He came to New Zealand to do hill country animal research and then extension/promotion at the Ruakura Research Centre.

Before retirement he taught agriculture at the Waikato Polytechnic.

He was awarded the Landcorp Communicator of the Year Award, the Sir Arthur Ward Award for Agricultural Communication, and is an honorary life member of the NZ Guild of Agricultural Journalists & Communicators.

He’s currently an agricultural journalist and technical editor for the website www.lifestyleblock. co.nz, and can be contacted at clive.dalton@gmail.com

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Dr Clive Dalton doesn’t mind the odour of ‘healthy’ cow effluent but he reckons what’s excreted by cows fed on palm kernel extract is noxious and evidence something is not right.

One of his friends has a bed and breakfast business next door to a farm which feeds what he says are copious quantities PKE, and the smell of its cows has his guests “gagging from the pong”.

“At first we thought the smell was pig sh** and then realised that it coincided with the time the farmer is feeding PKE on a feed pad,” says Clive.

“When you drive around ruralHamilton, especially around 7pm with a westerly wind blowing, the smell is awful and there’s a lot of

Page 16

KIWIFRUIT

NZ-China team’s search for resistant kiwifruit vines Plant & Food Research has been successful in the most recent round of science investment from The Catalyst Fund, formerly the International Relationships Fund.

mated loss of $850 million in kiwifruit production in New Zealand alone.

“Plant & Food Research is a world leader in kiwifruit research, but it’s important that we work with other researchers in places like China to find out what might be present in wild kiwifruit,” says research leader Dr Mirco Montefiori.

“We have a large kiwifruit germplasm collection in New Zealand, but the diversity of kiwifruit vines in China is virtually endless.

The funds will support a new project entitled ‘Integrated Kiwifruit Industry Security Technology’.

This project will enable a joint New ZealandChina team to support new research leadership from organisations in both countries, to begin working together on a research programme aimed at identifying new sources of resistance to major kiwifruit pests and diseases around the world.

Psa-V caused losses of millions of dollars.

Innate resistance

This knowledge will be used by both countries to develop improved orchard management systems as well as fundamental knowledge that can be used to support breeding programmes working to develop future kiwifruit varieties with enhanced innate resistance to pests and diseases.

The devastating impact of Pseudomonas syringae pv. Actinidiae – known as Psa-V – caused an esti-

Future threats

“Better understanding of pest and disease threats such as Psa, how they spread and how plants develop natural resistance to them will provide valuable information to the New Zealand industry, increasing our resilience to possible threats in the future.”

The Catalyst Fund is administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and supports initiatives to strengthen international research collaborations and link New Zealand with worldclass research projects, groups and infrastructure.

The fund works to strengthen research collaborations with China in three priority areas – food safety and security, water research and non-communicable diseases.

New members for HortNZ Board

Humidity Control Units

Two new grower board members have been elected to the Horticulture New Zealand board.

Northland kiwifruit grower David Kelly has been re-elected for what will be his third and final term; and Hawke’s Bay’s Hugh Ritchie will be a newcomer to the board.

Hugh is managing director of Drumpeel Farms. He grows various crops including cereals, seed, and process vegetables.

Both have each been appointed to serve for a three-year term, which begins August 4.

“I’m thrilled with these appointments and I believe both Dave and Hugh will make substantial contributions,” says HortNZ president Julian Raine.

“Between them they have extensive governance skills, and a good understanding of what the growers want and need.

“Dave has a very sound understanding of how HortNZ operates; and Hugh will bring an infusion of new blood, which is always valuable.”

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

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FERTILISER Sprout graduate Andrew Humphries from AgriTrack shows farmers how to use his farm tracking service.

Sprout is scouting the Bay of Plenty region to find the next agritech superstar to take part in the second serving of its accelerator programme.

The national agritech business accelerator is searching the country for eight budding entrepreneurs with embryonic agritech businesses operating in the “paddock to the plate” space, and using technologies that improve yield, efficiency and profitability.

The chosen eight will receive a cash investment of $20,000 and be placed in a five-month part-time and remotely delivered programme that will see them flown around the country for mentoring and training from world-class leaders in technology, research and business growth.

The programme will culminate in an opportunity to pitch for investment to a handpicked group of potential investors, corporate partners and potential customers.

Start-ups

Sprout business strategy advisor Stu Bradbury says Sprout wants to help entrepreneurs grow their start-ups from great ideas into investment-ready, earlystage companies.

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alumni all experienced strong business growth as a result,” says Stu. AgriTrack was one of the eight companies that participated in the 2015 programme and that pitched to a broad range of investors from Auckland to Otago.

AgriTrack secured $550,000 of capital and is on track to grow sales by 80 per cent year-on-year, and has achieved a 100 per cent conversion rate from product trial to sales with Australian farmers this year.

Plan for growth AgriTrack CEO Andrew Humphries says: “When we started out with Sprout, we had a product on the market but we didn’t have a coherent plan for growth, talent strategy, working capital or a strong sales and distribution model”.

“Those five months were the hardest I’ve worked in my life, but the support and advice has allowed us to develop all areas of our business plan and now the capital we’ve raised means we’re wellequipped to take our business to the next level.”

Register to apply for the 2016/2017 Sprout programme now.

See: sproutagritech.com.register. The programme commences October 6.

The specific primary production areas covered in Sprout’s definition of Agritech include: agriculture, horticulture, forestry, pipfruit, viticulture and aquaculture.

Sprout is being supported and funded by a mix of public and private sector leaders in agritech and start-up investments.

Page 17

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 18

World’s largest milk dryer nearly completed

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Major milestones are being knocked off as construction of one of the world’s largest milk dryers races towards completion – the result of more than one million working hours on the new Fonterra Lichfield milk powder dryer.

For more than 3000 people representing 300 companies, the finish is now clearly in sight as the September commissioning date for this world-class dryer nears.

Fonterra’s South Waikato operations manager Sam Mikaere says it takes one look at the numbers behind the build to get an appreciation for its impressive scale.

“This is not just any dryer we’re building. Along with our D2 dryer down at Fonterra Darfield, this will be the biggest milk powder dryer on the planet,” says Sam. “From the hours of collaboration and planning between so many teams, to the amount of technology and stainless steel, the numbers behind the build are mindblowing.”

A brief rundown: • Construction began on October 7, 2014, and the first milk will go through the plant just one month shy of two years later – a build spanning 692 days.

• More than 76,000 truckloads of earth have been moved – equating to more than 530,000m3 of soil. This pile of soil could fill Eden Park three-and-a-half times, all the way from the ground to the top of the stands.

• Plus, 119 kilometres of stainless steel pipe have been installed at the factory. Laid flat, it is enough pipe to stretch from Auckland to Hamilton.

• The new dryer will be able to deliver up to 720 metric tonnes of milk powder per day, the weight of two Boeing 747s full of passengers.

• The dryer chamber itself tips the scales at an impressive 200 metric tonnes, the equivalent of 35 African elephants.

• The expansion will allow the site to process up to 7.6 million litres of milk daily from more than 500 South Waikato farmers. The new dryer itself will account for 4.4 million of those litres – enough milk to fill two Olympic-sized swimming pools.

• A new distribution centre spans a nine acre section of land – the same size as four rugby fields – storing 40,000 metric tonnes of product for export.

Sam says the expansion is a demonstration of strong partnerships between Fonterra and its suppliers,

delivering strong returns back to its farmers.

“It’s extremely impressive to see such a large and diverse group of people come together to deliver this project. Everyone has contributed something to the build which has allowed us to do things faster, smarter, and cost-effectively.

“With just a few short months left, the Lichfield team is excited at the prospect of turning the keys on for the first time so we can continue to make dairy nutrition available to the world.”

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Sometimes farmers apply large dollops of lime, whether the soil needs it or not. They may repeat the exercise in about five years’ time.

Liming is no different to applying fertiliser. To maximise benefits, a soil test needs to be taken and the most important nutrients to be applied need to be determined. Calcium will most likely be one of those nutrients.

It is not good policy to plonk on large amounts of lime in order to raise pH. You can’t tell how much you need by looking at pH and you can end up tying up other nutrients, namely magnesium, potassium, boron, iron, manganese and zinc. Besides, a heavy application probably means pH is far too low, meaning productivity is already adversely affected.

Another problem with liming on its own is pushing magnesium levels down. If the magnesium was present in correct amounts at the outset, the depression will be on a one per centto-one per cent basis.

In 90 per cent of cases it will be deficient, so the decrease will be less than a one-to-one basis, but still significant.

Among other things, it is a way of encouraging facial eczema, insects and stock health issues, including stock behaviour and worm problems.

Atom size

Magnesium holds water better than calcium owing to the small size of its atom, giving a larger surface area. It is the percent of base saturation that determines mineral adequacy, not the actual kilograms.

Drought tolerance will be dramatically improved when fertiliser practices are corrected. I have seen soil tests results showing 90 per cent calcium out of 68 per cent, and four per cent magnesium out of 12 per cent.

The hidden hunger in the crop was potassium, which was grossly affected.

With so much calcium there is little room on the soil particles for potassium. This result requires sulphur to decrease calcium, as magnesium is in fact present in the soil but unavailable to the plant. If the calcium was thus

decreased to 82 per cent, magnesium would increase to 12 per cent, and become available again.

Building magnesium

Dolomite will build magnesium, but we have yet to find evidence that serpentine, and mag oxide – products that have been applied for decades – actually build magnesium in the soil.

The total percent of Ca and Mg should not exceed 80 on a PAL soil test.

Crops respond in different ways when the ideal percentage is not achieved. If magnesium, a determinant of nitrogen and phosphorus efficiency, is outside the 10-12 per cent sweet spot, maize yields will reflect that by tapering away from the optimum.

On the other hand legumes will not respond in yield until that 10-12 per cent range is achieved. Urea in particular reduces calcium in the soil.

Reduced biodiversity

Consequently, legume content, quality and biodiversity of pastures will reduce during time under a high nitrogen regime. For the addition of 200kg/ha of nitrogen, 400kg of lime is required to counter calcium losses.

Add to that the natural acidifying effect of growing 15,000 kg/ha of pasture; another 450kg/ha is required.

This annual input needs to be properly managed. Magnesium requirements actually need to be calculated before calcium’s. Calcium and magnesium are vital for soils, plants and animals alike.

Deficiencies of either or both result in serious economic consequences.

Calcium is much more effective with boron and silicon added. Calcium, boron and silicon are synergists and together they represent proactive cell strengthening that will reduce both disease and insect pressure.

Strong cell walls

The two minerals that can effectively create a strong cell wall are calcium and silica. Both of these minerals need boosting in most of the crops and pastures with which we work.

The key to harnessing their full benefits is boron, as this mineral activates both calcium and silicon. Boron opens the trapdoor between the chloroplasts

and the rest of the plant.

During daylight hours plants manufacture sugar.

At night a trapdoor opens to permit the sugar to drain from the chloroplasts, mostly to be used for growth.

If the sugars cannot drain, the plant becomes weakened; and a backlog of stored sugars is also easy prey for insects.

A comparatively low Brix reading in the early morning hours indicates efficient movement of sugars into growth or maintenance processes.

For further information on all important nutrients, see our website www.kiwifertiliser.co.nz

Page 19

Page 20

WEDDINGS

Romantic venue for a wonderful day Situated next to the picturesque Government Gardens in Rotorua, the Princes Gate Hotel is the perfect venue for your wedding day.

“Many couples choose to be married on our elegant staircase, which is a beautiful setting,” says Phil Agent, of the privately-owned hotel.

“We can cater for a wedding of any size and with accommodation and menu packages to suit, this gorgeous 120-year-old hotel can meet all your wedding requirements.”

As one of the most iconic venues in Rotorua, the Princes Gate hotel features 50 rooms from standard to premium suites, outdoor heated pools, guest sauna and a private heated pool.

Built in 1897 and masterfully restored through passionate attention to detail, the 4.5 star glamorous and gracious Princes Gate Hotel is situated at one of Rotorua’s finest addresses, in the heart of the city and on the

The history of this elegant private hotel adds to its romance as a wedding venue.

doorstep of the picturesque Government Gardens and Rotorua Museum.

With a classic style that befits the elegance and romance of any wedding, this beautiful building is undergoing some major renovations.

Recently sold, the hotel is set for some exciting changes during the next few months, which will make it even more in demand as a wedding and reception venue.

Each of the hotel’s rooms is named after prominent people, who have helped shape Rotorua and their stories, and along with the hotel’s own intriguing history add to the romance of this boutique hotel experience.

For sophistication, elegance, classical style and a wedding venue for any season, including winter, look no further than the Princes Gate Hotel.

Creating cakes for all special occasions Cake My Day is all about lovely cakes and cupcakes – whether for weddings, birthdays, special occasions or cakes just because you can have cake.

Owner-operator or should that be owner-baker Sharon Devery has owned the business since January.

Sharon is under 30 and brings a young and modern point of view to her cakes. First and foremost Sharon is a baker – she loves baking.

“I just love putting pretty cakes together so this business is perfect for me.”

Sharon donates money from every

website sale to Homes of Hope, something the previous owner of the business started a few years ago which Sharon has been happy to continue. Cake My Day specialises in wedding cakes, bringing to life people’s ideas and dreams.

Sharon takes the inspiration from her customers. “Whatever they have as an idea or thought I will interpret and make it happen.” Customers bring in drawings or collections of images they like and we work together to bring their ideas to life.

All cakes are made from ‘real’ ingredients. No box mixes are used in any of her cakes. “People come to me for something they cannot do

themselves.

Anyone can make a cake from a box.”

Sharon’s fruitcake recipe has been handed down from her grandmother, who got it from her mother – so it is the real deal and full of fruit and flavour.

With weddings it is best to plan the cake three months prior to the event. Weddings can bring their own drama and Sharon says she deals well with the bride and groom, even offering tastings, well before the actual cake is created. She also has a good range of wedding cake ‘toppers’ to ensure the couple get just what they want.

Marquees bring exotic atmosphere to events Raj Tent Club NZ specialise in beautiful marquees for weddings and events.

All made with poly-cotton canvas, cotton linings with bamboo poles these marquees are ‘breathable’ giving a more natural atmosphere – no hot and sticky brides here.

Raj Tent Club NZ director Megan Church says they are quite different from normal marquees – the fabric gives a lovely soft

atmosphere.

“Most linings have little gold stars with mirrors which give a lovely night-sky – twinkly affect – which adds to the special atmosphere for a wedding.

“We also have plain cream linings for the crisp, clean look, allowing brides to add their own theme and colour a very versatile marquee.”

The marquees can be pitched anywhere – backyard, farm, or even on a beach. They cater for

intimate numbers from 10 to larger weddings of 300 people – and Raj Tent Club NZ staff deliver and put the marquee up and take it down when finished.

“Most people who choose a marquee wedding like the idea that it is a blank canvas and they can personalise every aspect – the look or theme right down to chairs to catering,” says Megan.

Check out the website www.rajtentclubnz.com

RURAL DRIVER

Page 21

championships, Darryll has seen a lot happen in his sport during the years.

And he’s always keen to put something back.

“I love motocross and I flew back home especially for the BOTC event.

I love the track at Taupo and knew it would have been prepared well.

“Being part of a team was also a bonus. I do fewer events these day, maybe a dozen races a year.”

Darryll is looking forward to racing at the annual Veterans' Motocross World Cup – called the VMX –, in The Netherlands. It’s an event at which he’s traditionally been a leading contender. He finished runner-up in both races at the VMX event last year and was forced to settle for overall

Hamiton’s Darryll King on his Yamaha YZ450F is still a contender for motocross wins after more than four decades of racing. Photo: Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.com

Former motocross Grand Prix winner and multi-time former Australian and New Zealand champion Darryll King may now be aged in his late 40s, but he still commands a huge amount of respect in all corners of the world.

And the Yamaha ace has plenty still to offer the sport, not just as a coach and mentor, but he also continues on as a feared competitor.

The 47-year-old, now living in the Philippines when he’s not at home in Hamilton, raced for the Tauranga Motorcycle Club at the recent Battle of the Clubs fundraiser motocross in Taupo, finishing as the best-performed veterans’ class rider at the event.

Darryll took his Yamaha YZ450F to finish fourth in the combined vets/MX2 race and seventh in the combined vets/MX1 race in his two outings, helping

his Tauranga crew to finish fourth overall of the 26 teams competing that day.

However, those results didn’t really matter to Darryll – it is significant for him simply in that he was able to support the event that had been created to boost funds for sending a New Zealand team to the Motocross of Nations – known as MXoN – in Italy this September.

Darryll understands more than most the international importance of the MXoN event, having himself been on the three-rider teams to compete at the MXoN on an incredible nine occasions between 1987 and 2000. He was one of the Kiwi trio that stood on the podium, at Foxhills in England, in 1998.

Twice a world 500cc motocross championships runner-up, in 1997 and 1998, before abandoning the GP scene at the end of 2000 and returning home to carry on the business of winning domestic

runner-up, behind Swedish Yamaha rider Mats Nilsson. And Darryll was championship runner-up in 2014 too, on that occasion behind Czech Republic rider Martin Zerava.

He’s determined this year to reclaim the No 1 ranking that he’d earned when winning the VMX in England in 2012.

“It’s [on the infield)] at the Assen road-race track in Holland on August 27-28. The organisers bring in sand and dump it there. It’s pretty hard to race in. It's an amazing track but you can’t practice there beforehand.

“I want to get over there early and do a few laps on sandy tracks nearby,” says Darryll.

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RURAL DRIVER

Fancy a Brits at the Beach?

Jaguar - the ultimate in British classic cars Photo: Pete Stretch Photography

It’s been an extraordinarily busy time for the organisers of the Brits at the Beach festival in Whangamata.

Main organiser Colin McCabe has just returned from a very successful Brits Job Tour – touring the United Kingdom in Minis – to find a big problem.

The possibility of having to cancel New Zealand’s largest British motoring event.

“The Williamson Park upgrade – where Brits at the Beach festival is held annually – would definitely not be completed in time for this year’s festival!”

The festival is set to kick off in Whangamata on September 29, offering for four days’ of entertainment including organised drives to Grahamstown in Thames, Tairua and Pauanui, plus musical events and a huge village fete, with profits going to local junior sport.

Sun Media – which publishes Coast and Country News – is a major sponsor of event and encourages people young and old who loves cars to get along to Whangamata from September 29 to October 2.

But back to the site dilemma, Colin says originally the council had advised the organisers the park would be completed by the end of September. But now he’s been advised it would now be November – so at festival time in September the park would be a building site.

“So the rush was then on to

find a suitable alternative.” One option was to cancel the event. “But this was quickly disregarded as the event, in its seventh year, brings about $2 million to the local economy at a time when it’s desperately needed – so, as they say: ‘the show must go on’.”

The local rugby grounds was considered as a new site, but that wasn’t deemed beachy enough. “Then Island View Park was next looked at and discounted for having too few services and being quite a distance from the town centre.”

Then moving the event into Whangamata’s main street was considered, similar to the hugely popular Beachhop festival. “But getting permits, traffic management plans authorised – and dealing with objections and the huge costs involved – was seen as too big a mountain to climb in under 100 days.”

Then Thames-Coromandel District Council’s Whangamata area town manager Garry Towler suggested that Beach Rd and Titoki Park down by Whangamata’s wharf might work.

After a quickly-arranged visit, it was agreed this is the best option. “The best part is that we really are taking Brits to the beach,” says Colin. ...continued

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New site for event this September

continued...

“Any closer and we’d be in the water. I envisage this year being a Brits Picnic At The Beach. And who knows, if successful down here, maybe we’ll stay.”

Now Colin says it’s just a matter of arranging where 550-plus cars will fit in the venue, making it safe for entrants and the public “and organising extra entertainment, food and a safe traffic management plan”.

“The council has really stepped up to the plate in assisting us to find an alternative site so we can bring another fantastic Brits at the Beach festival to Whangamata.

“I’m sure the entrants will love it and all we need now is a lovely weekend's weather.”

So British - beautiful cars and Maypole dancing.

Photo: Pete Stretch Photography

The festival is set to kick off in Whangamata on Thursday, September 29, and runs for four days offering organised drives, musical events, a huge village fete and much much more.

Sun Media urges all readers to get along this fantastic family event and be part of it. Full details are online at: www.britsatthebeach.co.nz

Was match made in Heaven?

On their way to get married, a young couple is involved in a fatal car accident and find themselves sitting outside the Pearly Gates waiting for St Peter to process them into Heaven.

While waiting, they began to wonder: Could they possibly get married in Heaven? When St Peter shows up, they asked him. St Peter says: “I don’t know. This is the first time anyone has

asked. Let me go find out”, and he leaves.

The couple sit and wait, and wait. Two months passed and the couple are still waiting.

While waiting, they begin to wonder what would happen if it didn’t work out. Could you get a divorce in Heaven?

After yet another month, St Peter finally returns, looking somewhat bedraggled. “Yes,” he informs the couple.

“You can get married in Heaven.”

“Great!” they say. “But we were just wondering, what if things don’t work out? Could we also get a divorce in Heaven?”

St Peter, red-faced with anger, slams his clipboard down. “What’s wrong?” asks the frightened couple. “Oh, come on!” St Peter shouts. “It took me months to find a priest up here! Do you

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TRAVEL

Page 24

Exploration with authenticity Southern Exposure Tours is a New Zealand-owned, small group tour company, offering unique cultural and active holidays to those 40-plus.

“As we are experts in South America, you’ll have genuine interactions and can be sure your pesos and dollars are supporting the local economy, not the corporate supply chain. We offer experiences of a

lifetime, not just holidays,” says Silvana Gottini co-owner of Southern Exposure Tours – known by the abbreviation SET. “Would you like being taken off the well-worn streets and into hidden alleyways, tapas bars and flowering alpine meadows?

Or walking along ancient stone pathways trodden by the Inca for centuries, or wild and windswept trails of Patagonia?

“Then it’s time to experience travel with SET, where the world is laid bare. We know the areas we travel to like no other, and have formed long standing relationships with all our local friends, who make the trips so special.”

Silvana says “don’t take our word for it…there are many previous SET travelers who’d love to share their experiences with you and you’ll find out what made their trips exceptional”.

“So why not join us to hike in Patagonia, where

Southern Exposure Tours are the experts in guided tours of South America. immense glaciers and landscapes are complimented with superb wine and food at the end of a spectacular days’ hiking. Or explore the white washed

villages and ancient pathways of our Southern Spain or Greek Islands Walking tours.”

Visit www.southernexposuretours.co.nz

Enjoy the roads less travelled – with experienced guides Are you looking for a holiday and fancy a good time visiting the South Island? Or what about checking out the North Island and all its great spots?

Then Margaret’s Golden Tours is the one for you.

Margaret has 30 years of experience touring the South Island. She previously owned a South Island tour business and after a break, started a new tour business which caters for the more mature and

retired travellers and takes in the North and South islands.

Spokesperson Jean Linn, who has had first-hand experience of the tours, says Margaret goes out of her way to take you to places you have never been.

A comfy tour bus with an enthusiastic, friendly driver will become your home for the duration of the tours. This enables you to feel safe, secure, comfortable; and gives you a chance to meet and

A comfy tour bus with an enthusiastic, friendly driver, is a feature of Margaret’s Golden Tours.

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make friends with the other 40 like-minded people on the tour.

Jean says the tours take in places you wouldn’t go by yourself – off the beaten track.

“With Margaret’s wealth of knowledge you get to experience each stop, each passing interest point and she has the background information to ensure you come away richer about the New Zealand landscape.”

Morning and afternoon tea stops, and the allimportant toilet stops, ensure the trip is relaxing and enjoyable.

“This type of tourism is easy, safe and fun. There is never any worry about where you are going to stay each night or where the next meal is coming from. It is all taken care of,” says Jean.

The comprehensive 21-day South Island tour takes in popular tourist stops along with the out-of-the way places; and the North Island tour goes right to the top of New Zealand and then winds its way back south.

Both tours start and finish in Palmerston North.

Check out the itinerary on Margaret’s Golden Tours website for more information.

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TRAVEL

Page 25

Plan for a relaxing spring holiday at Ohope Beach You don’t have to run away overseas to enjoy a little holiday.

There’s a perfect spring getaway, nestled in the heart of Ohope.

Felicity and Edgar Johl from Beachpoint Apartments say with better weather and plenty to do, Beachpoint Apartments is a great place to escape to, especially in spring.

“We have a microclimate here, so it tends to be nicer weather

than other places,” says Felicity.

“All of the apartments have beautiful sea views, so if the weather’s not great you can still curl up with a book or sit inside and look out at the sea.”

Felicity says there’s plenty to do outside as well, including

walking treks, walking and cycling on Ohope beach; or for the brave, surfing and paddle boarding.

The apartments have Sky TV, Wi-Fi, DVD and CD players and are self-service with fully equipped kitchen with oven, microwave, dishwasher, fridge/ freezer and waste disposal. There’s a laundry with washing machine and

dryer and all linen including beach and pool towels is provided.

Beachpoint offers a heated swimming pool, gym, library, barbecue area and on site undercover car parking.

“We are directly across the road from the beautiful Ohope beach and 150m stroll to the local village shops, licensed restaurant, dairy and cafés.”

Views from the apartments are perfect to inspire a cosy day in or a walk on the beach.

Memorable holidays with a touch of luxury Beginning with trips to Mount Cook more than 20 years ago, Christchurchbased Reid Tours now run tours throughout New Zealand and Australia.

The New Zealand tours include iconic tours of the South Island and New Zealand as well as specific location and event-based tours such as World of Wearable Arts.

Tours to Hokianga and Cape Reinga, Stewart Island and The East Cape and Nelson/Marlborough are also a part of the menu.

Mike Brown of Reid Tours says the company has found many New Zealand travellers have seen much of the world, but are yet to see key parts of New Zealand.

Australian tours began with a trip to the ever popular Tasmania and then expanded to include Cairns and Far North Queensland and now Adelaide and the Murray River.

“Reid Tours policy is that you

Cape Reinga - to everywhere. should have a memorable holiday experience, not just a long bus trip.

“A large number of clients from across New Zealand and overseas have come from customer recom-

mendations, which is a testament to the quality and enjoyment of the tours.”

Listening to feedback from valued customers, Reid Tours has developed tours to satisfy customer demand and offer the very best in boutique rail and coach travel experiences. This has seen the additional service of home pick-ups and return airfares from anywhere in New Zealand for overnight tours.

“Careful attention is paid to the pace and comfort of the tours.

The inclusion of shorter days and multi-night stays into the schedules and limiting numbers on coach tours, keeping 20 per cent of seats free, makes for a more pleasant journey.

“Additionally, providing high quality, late model coaches and quality accommodation, such as the three nights at Hilton Queenstown on our New Zealand tours, means a few touches of luxury along the way. Enjoy a Reid Tour for yourself,” says Mike.

Reservations phone 0800 BEACHPOINT www.beachpoint.co.nz

DAIRY

Page 26

When will the grass growth stop?

The unseasonably warm and wet autumn and winter have provided the unexpected bonus of grass, which just keeps growing. In fact, the pasture hasn’t stopped growing for seven months.

Farms I visited in early-July in Reporoa and Taupo had 2300kg to 2400kg dry matter average cover, which is unusual for them for this time of year. That’s been a bonus for farmers who’ve kept more stock than usual on their home farm instead of sending them out to graze.

“The seasons seem to be out of kilter at the moment.”

And the grass that’s grown through the winter has been of quite good feed quality. Although most farmers are topping it up with grass or maize silage to ensure the cows get the energy balance they need and are fully fed.

Even though the grass is doing well, it still pays to follow cows with an application of nitrogen.

But you have to wonder when will the grass stop growing? The seasons seem to be out of kilter at the moment. And the downside is unless we get some colder weather and frosts soon, the normal spring flush of new grass might not happen.

Weeds issue

Low lying farms more heavy stocked than normal this winter will likely be struggling with the wet conditions causing pugging. Even in higher paddocks the soil is so wet cows are making a mess and these damaged areas could be slow to recover.

If you’ve got grass you can grow grass. But if grass has been damaged by pugging then weeds become an issue in spring in those bare patches. The worst of the winter paddocks, including those which have been used as stand-off or sacrifice paddocks, are the ones to consider for re-sowing or for planting crops.

They will have high fertility thanks to the transfer of cow effluent, and cropping is a good way to get those areas back into improved pasture.

Calving time However, a few good stiff frosts would be welcome now to kill off any bugs and diseases that may have survived so far, to stop them becoming a problem in spring or later in the season.

Farmers are now well into calving, which is always a hard time of year. But crisp, clear, frosty mornings are more pleasant to be out in for farmers and calves than heavy rain, wind and mud.

We still have plenty of high quality supplementary feed on hand and we also have round bales of good quality wood shavings for sale. They contain about four cubes of wood shavings and are easy and convenient to handle, either for spreading in or topping up calf pens. Also for duck or chicken farms as well.

These are the personal opinions of Bill Webb.

DAIRY

Page 27

Taking action for bobby calf welfare Now the dairy industry’s spring calving has kicked off, the Bobby Calf Action Group is reminding everyone who handles calves of the important role they have to play.

“It’s up to everyone across the supply chain to meet the required standards of care for bobby calves this season,” says Ministry for Primary Industries Deputy Director General, Scott Gallacher.

Eight organisations make up the BCAG, which was formed at the end of 2015 to accelerate and add to existing measures aimed at ensuring everyone involved with bobby calves applies best practice in their handling and care.

The BCAG is made up of DairyNZ, Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand, Meat Industry Association, Federated Farmers, New Zealand Petfood Manufacturers Association, Road Transport Forum, New Zealand Veterinary Association and the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Scott says farmers, industry and the Government have been working for some years on lifting the standard of care for bobby calves.

“We would like to acknowledge the majority of farmers, transporters and processors, who care for and handle bobby calves appropriately. But we urge those who need to make improvements to step up this season and demonstrate that as an industry, we care about bobby calf welfare.”

The BCAG organisations are ready to

work together should any issues arise this season.

“We encourage people who are aware of bobby calf welfare issues to call the MPI hotline 0800 00 83 33 so we can investigate.”

Actions and improvements delivered by the BCAG include: • DairyNZ has led consultation with farmers to develop practical solutions such as updated bobby calf handling guidance resources. This has been supported by online resources and ‘fit for transport’ education posters distributed to all dairy farmers.

• DairyNZ, the New Zealand Veterinary Association and the Society of Dairy Cattle Veterinarians have delivered more than 60 training workshops and programmes to dairy farmers throughout • The Petfood Manufacturers Association has updated its code of practice for managing bobby calves and established a verification regime to ensure requirements are met. They’ve also put in place a voluntary agreement for its members to install CCTV to monitor the unloading and slaughter of bobby calves at all petfood premises and developed a pre-season training programme for processing staff.

• The Meat Industry Association is working closely with industry partners to ensure consistent messaging for farmer suppliers and transporters to improve animal welfare outcomes.

In addition they are working closely with MPI to better understand the causal factors across the value chain that are influencing animal welfare

in order to ensure continuous improvement.

• Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand member companies have reviewed their individual terms and conditions of supply for farmers with respect to animal welfare, and collaborated with other organisations to support the flow of information to farmers for calving.

• The Road Transport Forum has reviewed the NZ Livestock Transport Assurance Programme to ensure it remains fit for purpose, has engaged constructively through the Bobby Calf Action

Group to improve calf holding and loading facilities where necessary and has communicated the requirements of the new regulations to the road transport sector.

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• Federated Farmers is communicating with members about new rules so requirements are clear.

DAIRY - LANSDAAL

Page 28

Take a

view of your farm.

Your milking platform has always been the engine room of your farm, and with a new DeLaval 360° solution it can also be the control centre. With the very latest technology either built-in or easily integrated, a DeLaval 360° Dairy System will allow you to manage everything from fertility to productivity and animal health from one central point. We’d love to show you just how good your farm can look when you take a 360° view of it.

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DAIRY - LANSDAAL

Page 29 Christine and Peter Lansdaal enjoyed having a ‘United Nations’ of visitors during the installation of their DeLaval milking hardware and IT systems.

Building a brand new dairy is an exciting project for its owners – but it’s not often their enthusiasm and interest is shared by experts from around the world.

However, that’s exactly the case for the dairy built by Peter and Christine Lansdaal on their Waharoa farm.

“When the milking plant was being installed we had what felt like a ‘United Nations’ of visitors coming to check on progress and be part of the installation,” says Christine.

That’s because the combination of the DeLaval milking hardware and IT systems that operate the 54-bail rotary are a worldfirst.

There is significant interest in this prototype dairy which is designed specifically for an allgrass farming system, says DeLaval business development manager, conventional milking systems, Luke McKee. When Christine and Peter approached DeLaval to provide the rotary platform and milking system for their new dairy, Luke says the company saw an opportunity to upgrade the system to incorporate new technologies which DeLaval wanted to trial in New Zealand.

Many functions

The need for a new dairy arose from the couple’s purchase of an adjoining property and increasing their herd to 620 cows, which are now milked in two hours by just one person, thanks to the DeLaval technology.

From the platform control centre at the cups-on position, contract milker Dave Martin can operate the entire milking process through the use of a touchscreen console displaying information automatically gathered as

the system reads the EID ear tags of each cow All the data the system gathers during each entering the platform. milking is also accessible from the computer “Among its many functions, the system in the dairy’s office linked to the DeLaval will adjust the speed of the platform if a DelPro integrated dairy management system, cow who takes a little longer to milk than which provides Peter with detailed informanormal comes on,” says Luke. “There is also a tion about every aspect of milk production speaker, which will and animal health. alert the milker if In the Lansdaal dairy, for example a cow DeLaval has installed being treated with milk quality systems antibiotics enters which exceed those curthe platform and rently required by the should not be dairy industry and can milked.” deliver, to the vat, milk The programme cooled to four degrees also allows Dave Celsius by a sophistito automatically cated heat exchange draft cows out of system. Water heated the herd for attenby the cooling process DeLaval business development manager, tion after milking. can be returned to the conventional milking systems, Luke McKee The concrete dairy’s hot water system explains the use of a touchscreen console. platform is fitted at 65 degrees Celsius, with a DeLaval where it needs minimal central swivel which carries the milk, delivelectricity to bring it up to the required wash ers vacuum, electricity and air to the milking temperatures. plant, and captures data from it.

Animal health It also has an automatic teat spray system “The technology in this dairy provides savwhich ensures each teat receives a carefully ings in electricity and labour, brings benefits directed spray at the end of milking. “The for animal health, gathers data for optimal unit is designed to spread the cow’s legs to herd management and maximises milk harensure she stands in the optimal position for vesting. milking, and for teat spray application,” says “It is another example of DeLaval’s commitLuke. ment to provide solutions which benefit the whole farming system,” says Luke.

Cow comfort The dairy was commissioned just before The DeLaval milking clusters are designed Peter and Christine’s herd was dried off, so with cow comfort and udder health in mind. only half of their Jersey cows were milked Each is attached to its own console which using the new system. not only houses the sophisticated technology “We have already got a lot of information gathering milk and cow information, but also from the DelPro system but that will build opens to reveal the DeLaval automatic cuponce the entire herd is being milked,” says washing system.

DeLaval Oceania sales and marketing executive Sharon Yeeles demonstrates how the consoles on the platform open to reveal the DeLaval automatic cup-washing system.

Peter, who has been bringing himself up to speed with the computer systems and the data now available. DeLaval’s IT staff have assisted Peter and are on-call to answer queries if required.

The technology has the ability to capture more information than Peter currently believes he’ll need. But Luke is confident that once Peter becomes familiar with the programme and the data it captures, he will find it invaluable in assisting decision-making and planning for the day-to-day running of the farm.

High quality

Christine and Peter, who are pleased with their new dairy, are looking forward to milking their entire herd through it. Their decision to choose DeLaval includes the high quality of the company’s products, service and data collection, the energy efficiencies of the plant and that the dairy can be operated by one person.

They’ve also enjoyed the ongoing international attention and the people they’ve met during the construction and commissioning of this “world first at Waharoa DeLaval dairy”.

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DAIRY

Page 30

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PITGATES

My article last month, started with, ‘the European Union has just refused to grant Monsanto a new license for Glyphosate’.

On June 29 in the United Kingdom’s ‘The Guardian’ there was an article headed ‘Controversial chemical in Roundup weedkiller escapes immediate ban’, followed by “Glyphosate, key ingredient in Monsanto’s bestselling herbicide, has its European licence extended for 18 months despite warnings from the International Agency for Research on Cancer it is ‘probably carcinogenic’”.

Further digging through articles in ‘The Guardian’ revealed the European Commission had submitted to the demands of various countries’ regulatory agencies for a continuance, despite it being revealed that countries such as Germany had actually had their papers written by representatives of agrichemical companies, citing ‘lack of resources’ to do the work by the regulators themselves.

Eighteen months is long enough for the merits and potential dangers of Glyphosate to hopefully be robustly debated. There will be those who will wring their hands and stridently demand that its use must cease immediately. And there will be those who sigh deeply and believe it signals that common sense has prevailed, and all is well with current farming systems.

Change is coming, of that we can be certain.

It’s the only constant in life, and perhaps we’re already well into a far reaching change period; only time will tell.

Safe quality food

What is accepted is the buying public worldwide is increasingly demanding, and are prepared to pay extra, for ‘safe’ food, particularly for their children. And these folk must be New Zealand’s future market if we are to also prosper.

KPMG global head of agribusiness Ian Proudfoot has recently written that the World Economic Forum at its annual meeting in Davos in January suggested the world has entered its fourth industrial revolution: the digital-physical fusion revolution. He claims that we’re in an era of revolutions in medical science, breakthroughs in nanotechnology, and the fusion of digital, biological and physical technologies.

He also states “there is a detectable complacency across the NZ primary sector, a reluctance to face up to global

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changes in the agri-food system” with the likely consequence that our customers will not continue to pay premiums for our products. Could it be we’ve already reached that point?

Because change is unsettling, change that rocks the foundations only takes place out of necessity. Our current lamb and dairy prices, it could be argued, already place us in that situation.

For products to receive the best possible returns, they must be of the highest quality – and that starts at the farm.

It’s in the soil

The quality of anything produced from pasture is dependent on the quality of the soil. Soil quality is not a focus of current science or farm practices and, until it is, we will continue to produce stuff suitable only for commodity markets, and remain price-takers waiting hopefully for an upturn at the next auction. Improvements at ground level can be made easily and almost seamlessly. Changes in soil fertility inputs, in conjunction with shifts in management based on the understanding of sound grazing practices, have meant cash surpluses are currently being generated by a growing number of farmers.

By embracing systems that provide all of the required major and minor elements, as well as stimulating natural soil processes, these growers and farmers are producing up to 30 per cent more than conventional operators.

Increasing yields

With increasing yields comes a lift in quality. It happens naturally as plants photosynthesise more efficiently, due to increased root depth in soils containing a steady supply of moisture and rapidly cycling nutrient.

When soils are in optimum health, pastures and crops handle weather fluctuations more easily. Pest and disease pressure reduces noticeably and animal performance lifts, with fewer animals required to maintain production levels.

The cost of these programmes is no greater, and often significantly less, depending on the amount of fertiliser nitrogen that is presently being used.

As has been proved by those using Functional Fertiliser products and programmes during 15 years of continuous use, the risk is minimal.

For more information, call Peter 0800 843 809.

DAIRY

New Zealand already has the world’s largest population of Jersey cows but Alison Gibb wants the national herd of 880,000 to increase even further – and she’s well placed to help that happen.

The dairy farmer from Taupiri has just been appointed president of Jersey New Zealand; the first woman to take that role in the organisation’s 114-year history.

One of Alison’s challenges as president is to raise the profile and advantages of the Jersey cow for New Zealand’s dairy industry.

“The Jersey cow has a number of advantages, including higher fertility and ease of calving and a lighter frame which means less pugging of pasture,” says Alison, who also likes the cows for their inquisitive and generally quiet natures.

Farm trials have shown that in grazing systems, New Zealand Jerseys are about five per cent more profitable than Holstein Friesians.

More nutritious

“Jersey milk contains more nutrition per litre than any other dairy breed. The higher fat component of the milk had been seen as a disadvantage when public perception was fat was bad for you.

“Now the public have realised fat provides flavour and is a naturally healthy choice, especially compared to sugar

which has been used to enhance flavour.

“The biggest advantage is the Jersey cow’s efficiency in terms of the milk produced per kilogram of feed and live weight, with many Jerseys producing in excess of their own live weight in milk solids,” says Alison, who with husband Russell, owns Zenith Jerseys at Taupiri in the Waikato.

Governance experience

Alison’s 24 years’ experience in governance of various organisations made her a good choice for president.

She has served on a school board, as a trustee, chair and then acting chief executive of Arts Waikato, and is a trustee for the Dairy Women’s Network, an organisation for which she’s also served as North Waikato convenor.

She’s very obviously a fan of Jersey cows and agriculture, but teaching was Alison’s career until she retired in 2008 after 25 years as a maths teacher at Fraser High School in Hamilton.

Alison and Russell milk 270 Jersey cows on their 84 hectare farm, supported by a nearby 40ha run-off.

This season daughter Natalie is returning home after five years working on other farms, to become a lower order sharemilker.

“Russell and I will still be involved in the farm alongside Natalie, who wants to make farming her future.”

In her new role, Alison will help the board to develop a strategy underpinning the Jersey New Zealand business model and delivering growth and sustainability.

“Women offer a different

Page 31

Alison Gib is Jersey N b Zealand’s ew new president. dynamic around the board table – it’s not that we are better, we think differently and hence add diversity of thought in the decisionmaking process.”

“We have a strong and diverse board and I’m looking forward to working with them.”

Elaine Fisher

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EFFLUENT

Page 32

Biological farming – what the hell is it?

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‘What the hell is biological farming?’ That’s the question a farmer asked me recently. He said: “You say ‘biological farming’ but you don’t explain what it is.” Fair call.

Here’s what I told him: Your farm is chock-full of living organisms. They’re in the soil, the grass, the gut of your animals, your milk, even your effluent pond. Some of those organisms are bad – pathogens that cause disease.

But many microbes are good. Actually, they’re better than good; they’re absolutely necessary for a farm to be healthy and productive.

Here are some of the jobs these good bugs do: They convert nutrients into plant-friendly forms. They transport those nutrients to the plants. They retain nutrients in the soil and prevent leaching. They suppress diseases by competing with pathogens. They break down pollutants. They increase root growth and ensure root architecture is structured correctly. And when inside the gut, they help cows digest their food efficiently. Heck, they even eat pond crust.

Helping good guys

So what is bio-farming? Bio-farming is simply doing things that help the good organisms do their beneficial jobs while avoiding practices that counteract these good guys.

In soil fertility, it means using fertilisers that feed the soil and help these living microbes function. Unfortunately, many off-the-shelf fertilisers grow grass in the short-term but actually help pathogens breed while stunting the good guys. That’s the opposite of biological farming. There’s another area where farmers are hurting their good biology.

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Your pond is filled with organisms, both good and bad. Pathogens are the ones creating the crust, while good bacteria are actually eating the crust and converting it into plant-friendly nutrients.

Into that pond, the typical farmer washes chlorine after cleaning his shed. The result? Like a bomb, the chlorine indiscriminately kills all of the microbes it touches. The effect? The army of crust-eating good guys is devastated while the bad army of crust-makers, while suffering losses, is bolstered with the arrival of

new recruits in the next influx of effluent. That’s why your pond keeps crusting over.

Chlorine not best

What would a biological farmer do? He has to clean the milking shed and chlorine is the best – and only – way to kill harmful microbes, right? No, it isn’t the only way to kill pathogens and, no, it’s not even the best way.

There’s a new chemical on the market called Agri-SNIPER, and it’s perfectly named.

Agri-SNIPER is chlorine dioxide, a chemical engineered to target and kill only the bad pathogens. It doesn’t harm the good guys at all.

Here’s how it works. Pathogenic bacteria are small and carry a low energy charge – 200MV. Agri-SNIPER/Chlorine Dioxide carries a voltage of 942MV. This superior voltage gives it an electrical strength that overpowers the weaker bacteria.

Lethal to bacteria

When this product comes into contact with bacteria, it seeks to give one of its four electrons to the micro-organism. Bad bacteria don’t want to make the exchange but are forced to receive the extra electron because of Agri-SNIPER’s superior electrical strength.

This give-and-take process is called oxidation and it is lethal to bacteria.

When oxidation occurs the cell wall of the bacteria is dissolved, exposing the enzymes that lie beneath the surface. These enzymes control the biochemical reactions within that cell. When Agri-SNIPER contacts these enzymes, it immediately deactivates them by breaking their chemical chains. With the enzymes ruined, the pathogenic bacteria are instantly destroyed.

Why aren’t good bacteria harmed? Beneficial bacteria are larger in size and carry a voltage of 1000-plus MV. That’s more than five times the electrical strength of bad bacteria. More importantly, this superior voltage gives the good guys enough strength to resist the electron exchange that Agri-SNIPER seeks to enforce.

Because no electron exchange is possible, the good bacteria swim happily in the product’s wash. No harm done.

How good is chlorine dioxide at killing pathogens?

Well, it’s 2.46 times better than chlorine. And it kills a wider range of harmful microbes, doesn’t leave any acidic residue, and removes dairy plant bio-films.

The future of dairy farming is bio-logical. It simply makes sense for farmers to work with the biology, rather than against it. The good news for those who are willing to embrace this way forward is bio-friendly products are already available for us to use. Keep an eye out for Agri-SNIPER. It’s registered for use as a water treatment and general sanitiser, plus a food area sanitiser for cleaning pipework and milk vats. It’ll be released later this season.

EFFLUENT

Page 33

Sustainable thinking required Whichever angle you look at it, sustainable thinking on your dairy farm is beneficial to everyone involved, says Oliver Prestidge of Presco Environmental’s Infrastructure division.

“It ensures you are constantly driving towards your long-term purpose, looking after your most important asset – your people – protecting our beautiful planet and maximising and safeguarding your profit streams. Even in hard times.

“Nowhere in dairy farming is the need for sustainable thinking more pertinent currently, than in setting up your farm dairy effluent management system.”

With such high stakes: non-compliance issues, the substantiality of the investment, the potential cost of something major going wrong – for

example, a liner tearing or a tank leaking or bursting – and the financial returns that can potentially be realised from this naturally-derived, nutrientrich waste, the decision must be weighed up carefully.

However, short-term, cost-driven

can be put down to one thing, says Oliver. “Peace of mind.”

“With a concrete Prosump, a farmer can put one in the ground and forget about it. It won’t rust, it won’t rip and it won’t leak.

“Because of its durability, the decision to install a Prosump is a non-brainer for forward-thinking farmers.

“After researching all the options, they often tell us there is nothing else that compares with the Prosump’s high strength, reinforced concrete construction.

“We often get the comment: ‘You can’t compare 150 millimetres of concrete with just a few millimetres of plastic’.

“When the farmer looks at the

bulletproof design of a Prosump, and our specialist construction methods, it gives them the confidence that it is built to last a lifetime,” says Oliver.

The Prosump comes with a 50-year minimum build-life guarantee, but Presco prefers to let the reputation of concrete durability speak for itself.

thinking can lead to decisions being made today that will have serious environmental and financial consequences tomorrow, warns Oliver.

Oliver is noticing a larger number of farmers this year who want to ‘do it once and do it right’ when it comes to farm dairy effluent management. This is an encouraging trend.

“We have heard so many horror stories from farmers that have ended up in the ‘proverbial brown stuff ’ over issues with their effluent ponds.”

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Page 34

ANIMAL HEALTH

Magnesium that’s palatable Supplementing magnesium by pasture dusting and through inclusion in water is labour intensive and presents high wastage levels, also leading to pasture avoidance and unpalatable water.

That’s why BEC Feeds country manager Trina Parker says Bolifor Mag33 is the answer to delivering the vital magnesium to your herd this spring.

“Key benefits are accurate dosing, better animal health, guaranteeing uptake, minimise wastage to the environment, and reduced labour associated with pasture dusting.”

Anyone driving around New Zealand in general, during late-winter and spring will likely see paddocks with strips of magnesium oxide in them.

“How effective, do you think

this is?,” asks Trina. Couple this with the traditionally wet and windy spring, then cow uptake is somewhat limited.

“Some days the neighbour’s paddock would get more than your own cows.”

Magnesium is an essential nutrient for all animals and is especially crucial for ruminants, in particular lactating dairy cows.

Magnesium plays an important role in the prevention of milk fever and grass staggers.

“Supplementing is essential and can be done in several ways. Adding magnesium to feed rations – from silage through to blended feed concentrates – is the more sensible option,” says Trina.

Bolifor Mag 33 is available in a granular form so problems that arise from dustiness when included in feed rations are far less likely to occur and animals take to the product freely. With a fine particle size, magnesium oxide can be

dusty making it irritable to work with in feed production/integration.

“Palatability is very important. Not only is magnesium oxide bitter and unpalatable in taste, it’s terrible to work with and hard on the machinery and the person given the job of dusting it.”

Bolifor Mag 33 contains sodium from NaCI. The slightly salty taste greatly increases its palatability.

Bolifor Mag 33 can be fed directly to livestock by including in low volume rations and will be well accepted across the herd.

Bolifor MGP+ is the sister product to Bolifor Mag33, and offers a unique combination of magnesium and phosphorus.

It’s a valuable source of phosphorus, which has been the talk of the paddock of late.

Bolifor will be delivered on-farm for free in August to farmers who mention this article.

Pre-mating health checks for cows With calving in full swing it will soon be time to think about next season’s reproductive targets and getting those same cows back in-calf.

For the New Zealand dairy industry, the national ‘in-calf ’ goal is to achieve at least a 78 per cent six-week In-Calf Rate, referred to as ICR. This is regularly achieved by the top 25 per cent of Kiwi farmers. The main drivers of six-week ICR are the three-week submission rate and conception rate. One way to improve this is by

cleaning up cows with an infected uterus – also known as ‘dirty cows’. These cows have a condition called endometritis, where the lining of the uterus is inflamed and pus produced within the uterus discharges into the vagina. White vulval discharge may sometimes be seen at milking time for instance. Cows deemed at risk of developing endometritis either had dead calves, assisted calvings, retained afterbirth, milk fever or had a twin birth. In saying this even cows that had normal non-assisted calvings with no metabolic disease can also develop endometritis.

Therefore, ideally the whole herd should be checked to ensure these cows are not missed either.

New Zealand and overseas studies have shown the following associations. Cows with endometritis have 15-20 per cent lower six-week in-calf rates than those without endometritis. Cows with endometritis have 10-20 per cent higher empty rates. If they do conceive, they have an increased calving to conception interval, typically two to three weeks later but can be up to 26 days longer. Reduced days in milk will impair herd performance.

Treatment of metricheck positive cows early in lactation provides the most benefit. Improved reproductive performance is seen in cows that are examined and treated within two to four weeks after calving.

If investigation is delayed, cows with endometritis do not tend to ‘self-cure’ and become much harder to diagnose. A proactive approach is recommended so feel free to talk to your local large animal vet for more information and discuss what the best course of action is for your herd.

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COUNTRY LIVING

Page 35

Certifying water meters no worries The company has trailer-mounted certified flow rig with the computerised software to test the water flow and carry out an assessment of the accuracy of the client’s water meter.

“If the meter is not accurate we can assist with installation of a new meter.”

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council now requires anyone who takes more than five litres of water per second to have their water meters verified.

Letters are being sent to about 144 water users throughout the region and Bay Pumps & Irrigation are among the Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s water meter varifiers.

Solar pumps

Blue Tick

“Bay Pumps and Irrigation is Blue Tickapproved for water meter verification and installation for Bay of Plenty and Waikato regional councils and we can test water meters and provide owners with verification certificates, if the pumps are accurate,” says owner Mark Cook.

A certified rig tests water flows.

Bay Pumps & Irrigation is also the Bay of Plenty agent for Franklin Electric solar pumps, which can pump water from locations where electricity is not available or expensive to install.

“These pumps can handle everything from a small flow to a big flow and operate efficiently even on cloudy days,” says Mark.

Popular saddlery store is now online Hoofcamp Saddlery, one of the largest saddlery stores in New Zealand, is now online.

“What makes us so popular is that we carry a wide range of gear for all disciplines and now with our website up and running we can cater for all of New Zealand,” says Hoofcamp Saddlery’s Kathryn Cook.

Hoofcamp has some great deals and clearance items listed online and this seems very popular to out-of-town and South Island customers.

“Our postage charges are very reasonable and treats in our orders, make for a pleasant surprise too.”

Hoofcamp is well-known for its Western and stock saddles. Several members of staff are Western riders and have done stock-work and mustering and Western

show riding so they know what people need in this area, says Kathryn.

“We also cater for the show jumping rider, dressage, endurance, the bushman or hunter and the stockman and shepherd.

“In-store now is a new range of clothing for next season with the latest colours and fashions for the discerning equestrian rider.

“We have clothing which even non-riders enjoy wearing for the casual look.”

Hoofcamp Saddlery’s large secondhand corner with saddles and everything else equestrian is very popular. They sell on behalf. This service takes all of the hassle out of dealing with buyers for the private person selling gear. “Hoofcamp deal with questions and makes the sale for you. You just collect your payment after the item is sold.

“We want your secondhand Western

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and stock saddles to sell. There is a big demand for any secondhand Western or stockman gear,” says Kathryn.

Hoofcamp's workshop is busier than ever with everything imaginable coming in for repairs. Anything that needs a heavy duty machine, stitching, rivets, domes, clips, buckles or zips, they can do. Horse cover repairs are a specialty of the workshop and they offer a rug wash and re-proof service as well.

“Hoofcamp’s Facebook page is proving very popular and we encourage people to ‘like’ Hoofcamp on Facebook to keep up-to-date with specials.”

PLA SY

TIC T E M S LIMITED

Page 36

COUNTRY LIVING

Horticulture industry needs labour to grow Horticulture is enjoying a period of growth. Kiwifruit, apples, avocadoes, cherries and onions are just some of our growth products.

The advantage with horticultural exports is they also earn a premium price in our markets.

This is a double advantage that results in more overseas funds being returned to New Zealand with growers

and their communities both benefiting from this extra money.

There are a number of key ingredients for a successful growing operation, including the best soils, the right environment, access to water, skilled labour and the right plant varieties. Then the best post-harvest and marketing operations are needed to get the product to market in the best possible condition in order to earn a premium.

Skilled and reliable labour is critical to the growth of the horticulture industry.

Our permanent labour force is made up of Kiwis and our seasonal labour force a mix of Kiwis, Pacific Islanders under the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme and backpackers.

Everyone has a role and is needed by the industry. To meet our labour demand we have many programmes underway to employ as many Kiwis as possible.

Prisoners’ new careers One of these initiatives – with the Department of Corrections – is designed to train prisoners for careers in the horticulture industry. This initiative is being piloted at Hawke’s Bay Regional Prison with industry-specific training in the prison.

Our employers have supported Corrections during a number of years through the Release to Work programme. But the advantages with this agreement is it

delivers training packages in prison that will make prisoners work-ready for employers when they are released. The employers’ offer is a permanent career.

To meet the industry’s requirements for seasonal labour to carry out harvest and pruning, RSE workers from the Pacific Island are a key source of skilled and reliable labour. The RSE workers have allowed our business to grow.

This in turn has resulted in more Kiwis being employed as permanent workers.

Each year horticulture and viticulture industries enter into a discussion with the Government to determine how many RSE workers will be permitted to enter the country. To support our growth, in recent years the request has been for modest increases in the numbers of RSE workers

permitted to work in NZ. To help determine how many RSE workers should be allowed into NZ and to balance that number against the available Kiwi workers, we are undertaking a survey to develop a model to determine that balance.

Comprehensive survey This is part-funded by the Government and industry. All our employers are being asked to complete the survey, because we want the most comprehensive information possible. If you are an employer and you have received a survey, contact info@ hortnz.co.nz When developed into a model, the results of this survey will not only work out what our businesses need, but where those workers are to come from, enabling continued growth in horticulture.

COUNTRY LIVING

Page 37

Does chocolate give you spots?

Myths and misconceptions about the cause of acne spots are common. How often have you heard ‘Don’t eat chocolate, it makes your spots worse!’ But does it?

Dr Sandra Winhoven of the Skin Centre says there is currently not enough evidence supporting a particular diet to improve acne. However, a study of non-Westernised New Guinean and Paraguayan populations showed no cases of acne compared with high numbers of acne sufferers in Western populations.

The jury is still out but there is growing evidence a Western diet with high glycaemic index – of refined carbohydrates and sugar – may play a role in acne.

Acne is a very common condition generally starting at puberty. Fortunately, most sufferers grow out of it in their late teens or early twenties but in some it persists.

There is currently no ‘cure’ available but available

treatments can be very effective in preventing the formation of new spots and scarring – but success doesn’t come overnight. “It usually take two to three months with most treatments before you see an improvement. A s they say – patience is a virtue.”

Sandra has recently joined the Skin Centre. She trained at Cologne University, Germany before moving to the UK for her postgraduate training.

She received comprehensive general medical training followed by a four year training programme in dermatology. Sandra has several years’ experience as a specialist dermatologist. Her main interests are the management of inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis and acne.

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Dr Sandra Winhoven

Helping fight colds and flu naturally Winter is definitely here and with it often comes nasty colds and the flu, which can be particularly dangerous for elderly people because their immune systems may not be strong; and for friends and family caring for them.

Jacinta Gray of Miranda Smith Homecare says there are many ways you can make sure you are well defended against these bugs, including taking echinacea, olive leaf, vitamin C and probiotics.

“Did you know that zinc is also a very important factor in the first line of defence for our body’s immunity in preventing colds and

flu? A mild zinc deficiency can lead to mood disturbances, poor memory, poor eyesight, chronic fatigue and poor general health,” says Jacinta.

It is critical for wound healing and it helps to heal and prevent scar formation. Zinc helps kill inhaled bacteria and viruses before they get a chance to take hold.

Working in your saliva it assists in killing any ingested invaders. Zinc also has a role in maintaining your vision, taste and smell.

Oysters, beef, lamb, eggs, spinach, cashew nuts and seeds such as pumpkin and sun-

flower seeds are all high in zinc.

“On the other hand, sugar can deplete the immune system so try to limit your intake. If you receive home care or meal support, speak to those who prepare them about adding some extra zinc into your and your family’s meals.

“Maybe you could try to add it into some warming winter soups?

We recently ran a seminar in the Miranda Smith Homecare office on how to cook well for clients.”

If you would like to find out if you are low in zinc speak to your local pharmacist who can provide a test, says Jacinta.

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Page 38

AVOCADOS

Getting the acid-alkaline balance right The acidity-alkalinity balance has a major impact on all facets of animal, soil and human life.

Without getting too scientific here it seems to have a lot to do with negatively charged ions – acid – and positively charged ions – alkaline.

The balance is called the pH. And is often largely related to availability of alkaline compounds or foods to increase the pH and acid compounds to increase acidity. Having got through all that, here is the interesting stuff.

Soils testing

We get soil tests done and they show pH. Less than 6 may be considered low, and 6+ may be considered high. But what is the available calcium and magnesium?

These two are the sweeteners.

More than that acidic soils tend to hold nutrients, have a layer of thatch. They often have little soil life and are generally less fertile.

Facial eczema

I well remember in my early days in the State Advances Corporation helping 50:50 sharemilkers in the Te Awamutu area, who had whole herds with bad eczema and extreme spore counts on their farms. One brave fellow applied one tonne of lime per hectare and his spore count fell by 90 per cent. Was it the calcium – the alkaline – that stopped the spore multiplying or the litter?

Avocados root rot

We have this horrible root rot disease called phytophthora,

which causes the tree to basically starve, go yellow and drop a lot of leaves. The cure and preventative measure here is to inject the trees with phosphoric acid annually to kill the phytophthora on the roots.

At a field day I came across a group of farmers who were applying lime, gypsum and dolomite and found they no longer needed to inject their trees. Was it the vast improvement in soil pH and more available calcium and magnesium that chased this root disease away?

We haven’t injected our trees for 12 to 18 months and they are looking fantastic.

Blocked artery

Dare I tell you my own story where I had a stress event about 10 years ago, which gave me a partially blocked artery necessitating a stent? After a few months someone suggested I should get a blood test done to indicate my blood pH. It showed I was very acidic.

Acidic blood causes it to clot and blood corpuscles to stick together, called sticky blood.

After some supplements and plenty of calcium and magnesium I can tell you I feel heaps better, have more energy and my blood tests show no sticky blood.

Frankly, all my problems seem to have gone away.

Balance for cows

These amazing bovine athletes rely on the farmer to carefully balance the acidity in their body and diet. Shift one way or another around calving and look out for milk fever, acidosis, mastitis, and so on. Never lime your milking pastures after the

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Calcium for worms

What about these humble little fellows beavering away in the soil? They shift tonnes of soil and live with millions of microbes. When they copulate, one worm slides under the sheath of the other – that skin that wraps around worms – but they cannot multiply without available calcium (1964 UE biology). No calcium – no worms.

So, this is a rather long-winded story on the importance of maintaining a good balance between acid and alkaline, which affects all aspects of living matter – us included – therefore warrants your further thought.

Like the animals, we cannot get it right without a ‘balanced’ diet, whatever that is. We may have to supplement with calcium and/ or magnesium to get a better balance and raise our pH. Diet, coffee, stress, genetics and lifestyle make us acidic, and it is something we need to consider.

In summary

This whole acid-alkaline question is very interesting. We only have to stop and look at what is happening across all domains to realise it is complex, but with some good indicators on what could really be happening.

The common denominator here is that by increasing available calcium and magnesium, and subsequently the pH, this may have a beneficial effect on animal, vegetable and mineral.

These are the opinions of Don Fraser of Fraser Farm Finance. Any decisions made should not be based on this article alone and appropriate professional assistance should be sought. Don Fraser is the principal of Fraser Farm Finance, and a consultant to the farming industry. Contact him on 0800 777 675 or 021 777 675.

AVOCADOS

IT’S COMING. WE’RE READY.

Page 39

Page 40

AVOCADOS

Toni Morrison, Tony Bradley and Brien James of Aongatete Avocados Ltd enjoy helping growers achieve good commercial outcomes from their orchards.

Growing support for avocado orchardists

Avocado-growing may seem challenging for absolute newcomers, but with the right help and guidance new growers can achieve good outcomes in short timeframes without missing a trick.

Providing that support is what Aongatete Avocados Ltd specialises in – and AAL’s grower services representative Toni Morrison says it’s one of the most satisfying parts of her job.

“Our team focuses on providing good, solid, growing support and advice as and when required to avocado orchardists, especially those who are new to the industry.

“We believe in our industry and are excited about what its future holds. We also believe that better

growing practices will lead to better commercial outcomes for all concerned,” says Toni.

Working alongside growers, providing the required information which is readily understood, and seeing clients grow in confidence is what the AAL team of Toni, Brien James and Tony Bradley especially enjoy.

“Our leased and managed systems provide a flexible mix of growing solutions for our customers. This allows them to pick and choose the orchard tasks they want to do and leave the rest up to us and our experienced team,” says Toni.

Optimum energy

“Our growing strategy is to consider the environmental conditions and the physiology of the avocado tree. Consistency in providing the regular inputs and tasks in time with seasonal needs is important; so ensuring they receive the required nutrition, stay in balance, store the optimum energy and therefore continue to be productive trees.

“We also work with a large number of clients with their main need being our contract harvesting services.

We maintain a fleet of orchard machinery including 16 Hydraladas.

Our harvesting team is well trained and competitive in their field.

Food safety

“We pride ourselves on being highly compliant to the industry standards for food safety and health and safety. Our contractual agreements ensure all who partner with us are covered for their grower responsibilities under the NZGAP certification process as well.”

AAL aims to ensure all its clients feel secure in the knowledge they have a good relationship with, and confidence in, AAL as their service provider.

“We want our clients to be comfortable that they are able to change their level of contribution to orchard management at any time depending on their plans. For example, an overseas trip, or in the event off illhealth or changed life circumstances.”

AVOCADOS

Page 41

Bay of Plenty growers reign supreme in avocado awards Brian and Jan Robinson from Kauri Point won the AVOCO’s Grower of the Year award at the company’s recent conference in Auckland. The couple, who have a four hectare block of mature Hass avocados, produced a two-year average of 21.7 tonnes per hectare.

Nominated for the award by their packhouse Kauripak, they also took home the Team Avocado Grower of the Year trophy.

David and Kay Wallace from Omokoroa, who pack with Apata, were runners up to the supreme award after earlier being judged Primor Grower of the Year.

The awards recognise excellence and offer public recognition for

spraying but at the same time, support many triedand-tested practices associated with feeding their trees and protecting them from phytophthora.

The Wallaces, meanwhile, have been orchardists for just nine years on their 0.8ha block in Omokoroa after moving north from Te Puke.

In-depth knowledge

Previously judged runners-up for the Apata Grower of the Year 2015-2016 title, the couple were still equally taken aback by being awarded the top Primor grower prize.

David says what their orchard lacks in size is more than made up by the couple’s in-depth knowledge of their avocado trees, which has led to them producing a two-year average of 17 tonnes per hectare.

“Management is probably easier on a smaller orchard because I know each of the trees individually.

I talk to each of them and I can see what they want.

If they are hungry, I’ll feed them and so on,” says David.

The couple undertake most roles themselves, including the pruning and picking of their 53 Hass trees planted across two blocks.

Biennial bearing

The most pleasing, yet constantly challenging, aspect of growing has been breaking free of biennial bearing which many orchards face, says David.

“Our first few seasons here saw us produce about 2000 trays one year then virtually nothing the next. But we’ve addressed this and hopefully we can keep doing it. That’s

Jan and Brian Robinson won the AVOCO’s Supreme Grower of the Year award in Auckland at the 1920s-themed grower dinner and prizegiving.

Primor Produce. Working together, the two export companies have secured supply from more than 700 New Zealand growers. In 2016-2017, they plan to export about 3.1 million trays, with 83 per cent destined for Australia.

The remaining 17 per cent will be sent to various Asian markets under the AVANZA brand.

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growers who operate at the top of their game.

However, a significant change to this year’s awards meant growers were judged on average total tonnes per hectare, export percentage and fruit size profile for the last two seasons – not their immediate last season’s production.

We love to talk avocados Call our grower support team today.

Move endorsed

It’s a move endorsed by both winners, who say the new judging criteria fairly represents orchard productivity and seasonal fluctuations.

For the Robinsons, who boast more than three decades in the industry, the win still came as a surprise.

“We were absolutely thrilled. We have been in the industry for 33 years so it was really neat, and we were rapt to get the top award,” says Jan. Purchasing their rural property, north of Katikati, in 1984, the couple have carved out an innovative success story by not being afraid to try new things and defy conventions.

With about 310 Hass trees of varying ages, they were one of the first orchardists to adopt aerial

the next challenge.”

The awards presentation in Auckland was one of the highlights of AVOCO’s conference, which attracted interest from more than 200 growers and expert technical speakers from Australia and the United States.

AVOCO is a collaborative partnership between Team Avocado and

Lynnaire Avers 021 836 579 Omokoroa avocado growers David and Kay Wallace won the Primor Grower of the Year award.

Ben Tuck 027 405 7491

Growing the industry together.

AVOCO delivers real value.

5 Grower-led 5 Future proofed 5 Delivering value Leading AVOCO Bay of Plenty growers Hugh Moore, John Schnackenberg and Ron Bailey.

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Two avocado-growing couples in the heart of the Western Bay of Plenty have claimed AVOCO’s top grower awards.

FINANCE

Page 42

Farmers need consistent profits to survive For generations New Zealanders have farmed for capital gain but they need to make a proďŹ t every year, says Te Puke chartered account Trudi Ballantyne.

The nine-year average rate of return on total assets for sheep and beef farmers is 0.97 percent and for dairy

farmers the average during seven years is 4.74 per cent return, says Trudi, who is owner of Business Results Group. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Is this good enough, especially given the risk in farming?â&#x20AC;? she asks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Volatility is a given in agriculture â&#x20AC;&#x201C; weather, exchange rates, commodity prices, biosecurity â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whatever the reason the stars will hardly ever be aligned.

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Repaying debt

The latest milk payout record of $8 saw many farmers bank a lot of their proďŹ ts by repaying debt. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sure they may have had to borrow it back again now â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but they built capacity into their system which put them in a much stronger position than if they had made other choices with that cash. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This needs to be the mentality moving forward â&#x20AC;&#x201C; make hay while the sun shines â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but be prepared to batten down the hatches when bad times come â&#x20AC;&#x201C; because they will come again.â&#x20AC;?

Despite media reports, not all dairy farmers are making cash losses. There are some that will still make money this year. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When they make money in a bad year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; guess what they do in a good year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; make lots of money. Without those proďŹ ts we are not going to see people wanting to invest in our farms,â&#x20AC;? says Trudi.

There are a number of hurdles to being consistently proďŹ table, says Trudi. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I deďŹ nitely have two types of farmers on my books â&#x20AC;&#x201C; those that are out there and are driven to continually improve their businesses â&#x20AC;&#x201C; run things like a real business with business plans, goals, budgets, group of trusted advisors around them that they consult on a regular basis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The second type would be the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;lifestyle farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not someone on a two hectare plot of land â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but a real farmer who is happy in his space and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to push the boundaries â&#x20AC;&#x201C; doing what was always done.â&#x20AC;?

However, the future lies in getting talent, the right people doing the right jobs, including farm staff, family, accountants, bankers, farm advisors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need to create pathways for people in agriculture and not just on the farm but in all other aspects including science and processing.â&#x20AC;?

Maximising resources and making the most of what you have got is also vital. â&#x20AC;&#x153;How can we do all of those things we need to in order to continue farming if we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have consistent proďŹ ts?â&#x20AC;?

Farmers may need to look at other opportunities and think about different crops, better grasses more suited to conditions now.

Think creatively

The opportunities which tourism offer and the chance to deal more directly with the consumer could also be considered. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Farmers need to think more creatively about all aspects of their farming system and to make some of the changes they are likely to need capital â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it going to come from? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Doing things the way they have always been done wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cut it moving forward.â&#x20AC;?

Elaine Fisher

Stock should be kept off stop banks in winter

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Therefore farmers need to build capacity to handle that volatility â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they need to plan for the bad years.â&#x20AC;?

There are lessons to be learned from 2009 when the milk price crashed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It had been a good year previously and was expected to be a similar year again. But how many farmers had to go to the bank manager, cap in hand and borrow on average another $1 per kilogram of milk solids?â&#x20AC;?

Stopbanks provide essential ďŹ&#x201A;ood protection for thousands of people in the Bay of Plenty.

While they can be grazed by cattle at some times of the year, especially when the ground is ďŹ rm in summer, grazing should be kept to a minimum in winter.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Principal Works Engineer Tony Dunlop says wetter soil conditions combined with heavy animals can weaken and damage the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stopbanks.

REE FELLERS BIG OR SMALL - WE DO IT ALL

â&#x20AC;&#x153;During winter it is common sense to keep cattle off the stopbanks as much as possible to prevent the pugging and damage they can cause. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Most farmers and lifestyle block owners know this and take care of our community assets. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good grass cover on a stopbank helps protect the soil structure underneath, so pugging is not just a surface problem. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It can cause much greater issues; one weak area can have a disastrous

effect on surrounding properties and stopbanks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All it takes is one breached section of stopbank to ďŹ&#x201A;ood thousands of hectares of farmland.â&#x20AC;?

Tony says it is an offence to damage stopbanks, and landowners can be held liable for any damage.

Minor offences will receive written and verbal warnings.

However, more serious offences could bring abatement notices, ďŹ nes and prosecution.

FARM MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

Page 43

FARM MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

Page 44

Custom-built tough and agile utes If farmers could, they’d custom design and build a robust farm vehicle that not only carries the loads they require across most terrain, but also keeps them warm, dry and safe.

Luckily Pete Weatherly of Evolution Custom Utes does this for them, drawing on his farming, mechanical and car racing skills to custom-build unique and rugged farm vehicles from his Whakatane workshop.

Pete’s background in farming goes back nearly 40 years, when he grew on the family farm of 880 acres in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.

Mechanic

He’s also run a limousine car service, been a mechanic for 25 years, owned and operated a mechanical workshop for 10 years, and managed a Stihl Shop for the last 10 years.

Not only that but Pete has also raced vehicles from 4X4 trucks, stock cars and speedway saloons, to a road legal V8 Mitsubishi Pajero and a Mitsubishi Triton 07 diesel, offroad racing trucks, and has a shelf full of trophies from his exploits building and racing custom trucks.

Now he’s building custom Suzuki Jimnys.

This latest passion stemmed from Pete’s time on the farm when he wanted a tough, agile and economical farm vehicle that wouldn’t break – and wouldn’t break the bank.

And being Pete, he set about building one himself. The result was the first Farm Mate, and it proved so successful – and so popular

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– he now builds them full-time, to order for customers throughout NZ. All of the range – Farm Mate, Work Mate, Z-Mate and Road Mate – have the same attention to detail that Pete puts into his own vehicles, and offer a safer, warmer and drier alternative to quad bikes as well as a far more cost-effective solution than a fully road legal utility.

Each ‘Mate’ is built to order by Peter, who has worked on the land and knows what the man on the land really needs; whether it is bull bars, side bars, tow bars, drop sides or tilt decks. Pete can build to order the perfect farm vehicle solution, or he can convert the existing Jimny you have to suit your purpose.

that when it’s service time, parts are easy to source and available off the shelf.”

In designing and building the utes, Pete is driven by what farmers have told him they want –and that includes cab space and comfort, tough decks, tow bars and light but effective bull bars.

Built stronger

“We construct the body modifications and add heavy duty 40mm by 40mm steel, box framing, welded and integrated into the body for a stronger build than any other Jimny and with larger interior cab space than ever before.

“We can even move the seats back another 12.7 cm than standard, to fit those extralong legs, “Wide floatation tyres were the main feature that our customers asked for and so we found the correct tyre specs we need and the quality our customers demand and we are the exclusive importer of these tyres.”

Pete says among the many advantages of the Mate range is driver comfort. “No helmets required, and when it’s cold or raining you’re fully covered, warm and dry, so you’ll spend less days off sick and work more efficiently.”

Made it better

“The Suzuki Jimny is a proven workhorse that’s been in production for more than 40 years. “It brings Suzuki’s proven experience in small petrol engines to a tough and dependable drivetrain that lends itself well to customisation. It’s a proven truck – we just made it better,” says Pete.

“We leave the running gear, engine and pretty much everything else just the way Suzuki built them.

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FARM MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

Page 45

Robust, functional, user-friendly vehicles Transport Maintenance and Mahindra Tractors have both been around for years.

Transport Maintenance salesperson Andy Lawson with new utes.

“Mahindra machines are designed for work. The company produces tractors, UTVs, utes and even an SUV for the New Zealand market,” says Transport Maintenance salesperson Andy Lawson.

Mahindra vehicles are practical but still have the latest technology where it’s needed. Mahindra uses robust designs which are functional and user-friendly.

“An example is the 1538 tractor which comes standard with a loader that already has a four-in-one bucket.

Coupled with four wheel drive and hydrostatic transmission, this 38hp machine is ready to work.”

Tractors range from 22hp to 100hp, and most come with loaders. Mahindra also produces UTVs, commonly known as side-by-side ATVs. “These are not toys to play in the mud,” says Andy. “They have serious pull and carrying capacity.”

The Mahindra mPACT can seat three

Busy last few months for tractor firm Capital Tractors had another hugely successful Fieldays this year with follow-ups and multiple sales – but more importantly they made valuable connections with customers, suppliers and the public.

tor’s speeches and gained a huge insight into the overall competition, their passion and dedication is inspiring,” says Michelle.

“Chris Clement from Apata won five of 11 tests to beat off tough competition from five other very capable entrants, and we wish him all the best for the National Finals.

“We were very proud to be sponsors of this event,” says Capital Tractors co-owner Reg Hedges.

Sales staff from Capital Tractors “We are keen to be even more helped man three sites this year involved with next – Powerfarming, Hustler year’s event.” zero-turn mowers and Giant On June 25 Wheeloaders.

Capital Tractors were “It was a very positive event partners at the experience, especially from Tauranga Races for a horticultural and lifestyle the Kiwifruit Cup point of view,” says Capital Day, and sponsored Tractors newest salesman the second race of James Schofield. the day.

“Kiwifruit and avocado “It was a wondergrowers and customers with ful event, which our lifestyle blocks are keen to customers enjoyed buy new machinery, but not immensely, even so much from dairying.” though it rained Fieldays attracted a crowd all day. of 136,684 people this year, Capital Tractors co-owner Reg Hedges, with a black “We had a wonderwhich is close to the record. ful view from the umbrella overhead, talking to customers at the After Fieldays, Capital sponsors lounge and National Horticultural Field Day in Hastings.

Tractors attended the Bay of Plenty Young Fruit Grower Competition with a trade exhibit on-site at Mills Reef in Bethlehem, Tauranga.

“Sadly, the insistent rain kept all but a fearless few away during the day.

“However the gala night more than made up for that,” says Capital Tractors co-owner and advertising manager Michelle Hedges. “We had an enjoyable evening listening to the competi-

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a great time was had by all,” says Michelle.

And finally on Friday July 8, Reg and Michelle attended the National Horticultural Field Days in Hastings, Hawke’s Bay. “This is horticulture’s ‘big day out’. It is a fantastic event for networking, education and a place for discussion for those working in the horticultural industry and businesses which support the industry,” says Michelle.

in comfort while pulling a 950kg trailer load and carrying tools on the back tray. With real four wheel drive and locking diffs the mPACT will go where other machines get stuck. And the mPACT is available in diesel and petrol, plus long and short wheelbase.

Visit Transport Maintenance at 100B Maleme St, Tauranga, to get a first-hand look at these new Mahindra products or arrange a test drive with Andy.

Page 46

FORESTRY

Forestry and the Emissions Trading Scheme price update The New Zealand Units market price has continued to increase and is currently trading at about $17.80-17.90 per NZU. Note that from June 1, 2015, only NZUs or New Zealand Assigned Amount Units – known as NZ AAUs – are valid units in the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme.

The EU Emission Allowances – known as EUAs – are valid units for trading within the European Union.

for one’ subsidy is viewed by the forestry sector as a more conservative approach than hoped for, there has been an immediate price response in the NZU market. The NZU price has moved from $3 in 2014 to $17.50 for today’s sell price. If you would like to sell your NZUs, or want some advice on your options, contact myself or Jo Liddell.

On budget night in May the Government announced the outcome of the stage 1 priority issues as part of the ETS review.

The priority issues of the ETS review were to consider whether transitional measures, introduced during the global financial crisis to help moderate the initial costs of the ETS, should be removed or phased out.

While this phase out of the ‘two

Figure 1: Recent Carbon Prices - NZ$/t CO2e – Real (CPI adjusted).

Matamata orchard makes TV appearances Matamata’s Southern Belle Orchard will feature on the telly screen in two shows this month, showing off their lifestyle and biological farming practices.

Southern Belle Orchard began after the lure of lifestyle block in a less crowded country – and the intriguing taste of feijoas – brought Frans and Tineke de Jong from Holland to New Zealand.

The de Jongs have embraced and developed biological growing methods – and today Southern Bell Orchard grows greenhouse capsicums and chillies, and feijoas in 13 varieties. They also make preserved products and show tour groups around their property.

The products find their way to restaurants, specialised shops and supermarkets.

But the de Jongs also make weekend morn-

ing trips to the Hamilton and Tauranga farmers’ markets. Southern Belle Orchard will be on ‘Country Calendar’ on TV One at 7pm Saturday, August 6; and ‘The Best of New Zealand’ on TV One at 4pm Saturday, August 13. And remember if you can’t watch the shows there’s always TVNZ on Demand.

Last month they appeared on TV One’s rural show ‘Rural Delivery’.

Next step in protection for Hawke’s Bay rivers welcome Iwi, environment and recreational organisations are welcoming the Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith’s decision to take the next step in protecting Hawke’s Bay’s Ngaruroro and Clive Rivers with a Water Conservation Order.

Fish & Game, Ngati Hori ki Kohupatiki, Forest & Bird, Whitewater NZ and Jet Boating NZ filed a joint application last December to the Minister to have the Water Conservation Order declared.

Such orders give rivers and lakes the equivalent of National Park-type

protection; and if successful, it will be only the 16th of New Zealand’s many hundreds of waterways to be protected by a WCO. “Our group is delighted that the Minister has decided to progress the application and refer it to a special tribunal for further consideration,” says Fish & Game chief executive Bryce Johnson.

“While the Minister has advised us that appointing the members of that tribunal may take time, we are pleased that progress is being made.

“We are also delighted to see that

the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has backed away from its initial opposition to the Water Conservation Order and is now welcoming the Minister’s decision.

“The Ngaruroro and Clive Rivers are special because of their many truly outstanding values and a WCO will protect them for the enjoyment of all New Zealanders now and for the generations to come.”

The Ngaruroro River rises high in the remote Kaimanawa Ranges, emerging onto the Heretaunga plains at Whanawhana before flowing through Hawke’s Bay into the Pacific Ocean at Clive, just south of Napier.

The Ngaruroro is culturally important to Hawke’s Bay Maori and Ngati Hori ki Kohupatiki say it is backing the application because it strengthens its efforts to restore the waterway’s ma-na and mauri.

The river is also highly valued by outdoor recreationists for its fishing, whitewater kayaking, rafting and jet boating challenges.

Forest & Bird say braided rivers are rare in the North Island and the Ngaruroro is a unique and outstanding habitat worthy of protection.

Bryce says the Water Conservation Order group will now wait to see the makeup of the tribunal, and while the initial application has been delayed, they remain hopeful that the final decision can be made soon.

FORESTRY

Page 47

Forests can aid environment New Zealand’s forests can provide some answers to issues raised in a report by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Jan Wright.

The joint Forest Owners and New Zealand Farm Foresters Associations’ Environment Committee chair Peter Weir says NZ’s plantation forests lock up millions of tonnes of carbon.

“Once we get a real carbon price going under the Emissions Trading Scheme then the area and the carbon our forests lock up will increase again. That helps address what Jan Wright calls “climate change … by far the serious environmental issue we face”.

But Peter says blanket planting on highly erodible land of short rotation pinus radiata for clear-fell is not an optimum solution.

“There is a trade-off between markedly reduced erosion for 27 to 30 years while the trees are growing and an elevated risk for the five or so years after harvest.”

Erodible land

“We have a draft National Environmental Standard sitting with the Government at the moment. I hope it’s going to be implemented very soon. In it are rules about requiring geotechnical assessments before any planting on highly erodible land, to see if that terrain can support access roads and clear-felling – otherwise a standard radiata forest can’t be planted on such land as a Permitted Activity.

“It may well be those kauri, totara, redwood, Douglas Fir or other speciality timbers are a more suitable species.”

Peter says the NES for plantation forests is a comprehensive yardstick, which will lead to consistent and defensible rules to maintain water quality.

“We have specifications for instance, which limit the number of times a logging truck can go across a ford in a stream, so as to reduce the mud washed off the tires, which might affect native fish.

“Jan Wright has correctly identified that water quality is high in forested areas, and it should

be kept that way.”

The biodiversity in the pine plantation forest also includes the bird life.

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“Along with kiwi and kokako, most of the endangered New Zealand falcons lives in our pine forests.

These forests are the main hope for survival of this apex predator. A cut over area, next to a mature stand of pines, is their habitat of choice. The falcon nests on the ground and then uses the tall trees to spot its prey,” says Peter.

“We fully support measures to control introduced animals, such as rats, possums and mustelids, which prey on falcon chicks.”

The forest production industry is also leading in reduction of transport greenhouse gas emissions.

“We have a modern logging and transport fleet, certainly in comparison with the average New Zealand car. One-third of our logging trucks are less than three years old and a high proportion of these vehicles are compliant with the most rigid United States or European Union emission standards.

“But we can do better in our transport and looking at only using shore power for vessels berthed at our log loading ports would be well worthwhile.”

Fund needs a focus on timber

The Government’s boost to home construction, through a Housing Infrastructure Fund, needs to have a timber focus.

Woodco chair Brian Stanley says the volume of housing resulting from Prime Minister John Key’s announcement can only be achieved through giving priority to timber construction.

“If we want that many houses to be built quickly, properly, and with sustainable materials, timber is the way to go. This is even more the case with the medium rise and high density dwelling construction which will be important in Auckland,” says Brian.

“Timber generally is available, builders like it and are used to using it. It’s affordable and it’s light.

“Modern timber technology gives great thermal retention and earthquake-resistant qualities.

“A not insignificant factor is that using timber for construction is environmentally beneficial, since wooden buildings continue to lock up the carbon the trees have absorbed from the atmosphere in the first place.”

The scale and speed of house construction likely to result from the Government initiative means builders in the targeted centres will want to work with materials and methods which have been well tested and are known to be reliable.

“Timber ticks all the boxes and our industry is keen to talk with anyone in the construction business, architects, central and local government about how we might get on with the job.”

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HORTICULTURE

Page 48

Stealing a march on spring with the help of a greenhouse Climatic conditions are usually the biggest factor preventing keen gardeners from growing a wider variety of plants, flowers, vegetables and fruit.

This limitation can be overcome with an Eden greenhouse or glasshouse, says Tony Bishop of Edenlite Ltd. “During the last 45 years we’ve carefully listened to our growers’ feedback to innovate and create what have become leading glasshouses and greenhouses.

“Eden Glasshouses are built sturdy, simple, adaptable and expandable so you will never outgrow them; and they will endure the test of time, offering fantastic value with minimum upkeep.

“The opportunity to bring on plants in the grey, wet days of winter to steal a march on the spring garden is a very attractive idea, and that’s what our greenhouses offer.”

Eden Glasshouses are cleverly designed to withstand the harsh and variable conditions of New Zealand.

NZ built for NZ conditions

An Edenlite American glasshouse not only helps grow a wide variety of plants, it’s also an attractive asset to the garden.

They are rigid and strong to meet AS/NZS 1170 Standards, and then tested by NZ consulting engineers for structural strength.

All Eden glasshouse kitsets come with stepby-step instructions and assembly DVDs to make putting them together much easier. However, installation services are available in most main regions throughout New Zealand.

“All Eden products come fully guaranteed,” says Tony.

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HORTICULTURE “When demand for products slowed with the 2010 economic downturn, Diane adapted to conditions, made some innovative decisions and was able to maintain production levels. Added to this, the business is rural-based, employs several rural women and gives back to the community with fundraising support.”

Two decades on Diane still loves what she does and the fact that Treeline Native Nursery is making a difference to this country’s environment and ecology.

“I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing what councils, farmers and horticulturalists are doing in re-planting areas with natives, whether they are our plants of not. It’s wonderful to see the grow-

Page 49 ing interest and understanding of our native plants by landscapers and urban residents too.”

The thousands of native trees, shrubs, flaxes and grasses grouped by species at Treeline Native Nursery clearly demonstrate there is nothing dull about New Zealand’s natives. The plants, with their distinctly different forms and textures, create a wash of hues from blue-grey to sliver, chocolate brown to bronze to copper, to all shades of green.

Treeline Native Nursery is not a garden centre, and anyone wishing to visit is advised to make an appointment, so staff can allocate time to spend with them.

Elaine Fisher

Twenty years on Diane Coleman of Treeline Native Nursery still loves her job. advance and we can grow to their specifications.

“We provide a large selection of popular natives suitable for varied uses including the home garden, farm shelter belts, riparian zone, subdivision projects to specific ecological restoration requirements.”

Twenty years on from its somewhat modest beginnings, Treeline Native Nursery has grown to “This is exactly the point where last year the conditions John, in the company’s in which we distinctively signwritchoose to grow ten and very large truck, our plants,” says delivered 220,000 trees Diane, who is the to clients throughout the founder of 20-yearBay of Plenty, Waikato and old Treeline Native Gisborne regions.

Nursery in Stewart A large new shadehouse Rd, Kaharoa, near has also been constructed, Lake Rotorua. the outdoor area for plants It might seem extended significantly and counterintuitive a new automatic potting for a nursery busiJohn Coleman delivered 220,000 trees to clients machine purchased. ness, but Diane throughout the Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Gisborne Today the nursery has deliberately chose regions with the Treeline Native Nursery truck. seven full-time and partthe high altitude, time staff, including John, exposed site, when who left his building career to join Diane full-time and she began the nursery in 1996 because she knew it drives the truck making deliveries to clients. would foster the hardy plants clients needed.

At 419m above sea level, Treeline Native Nursery is high altitude, with a cold climate ideal for the produc- Tried and true The nursery produces a wide range of native plants tion of its open-grown, healthy, robust bushy plants from grasses, to shrubs to all but the largest of the which are well rooted and free of pests and diseases. forest trees. Tree Lucerne is the only exotic the nursery Getting started wasn’t easy. Diane, who grew up in grows, because it is in demand for its ability to establish the Hawke’s Bay and has a horticultural diploma from Lincoln University, had the knowledge, skills and work quickly and provide food for native birds.

Diane describes herself as a traditional nurseryexperience to begin her own business. However, money woman, who likes to carry out the process from seed was tight so she raised calves to help fund the venture. germination, to pricking out, to final plant preparation It was her love of growing plants, natives especially, using tried and true methods, but also admits to still and her wish to spend more time with her then learning what works best. five-year-old son Sam that spurred Diane to become “We had a problem raising beech trees, until I read self-employed. something about the plants needing specific mycorrhiza in the soil so we moved the young plants to under the Riparian plantings beeches in the nursery – the success rate has been brilShe had also seen an opportunity in the market liant since then.” generated by Environment Bay of Plenty – now Bay While she didn’t go into business to win awards, of Plenty Regional Council – encouraging farmers to Diane did just that in 2013 when she became the retire and replant riparian areas with native plants. supreme winner of the national RWNZ Enterprising Husband John, a builder by trade, constructed the Rural Women of the Year. first three tunnel houses and Diane began sourcing seeds to grow 10,000 trees, shrubs and grasses each Award winning year.

At the time RWNZ national president Liz Evans said She focuses now, as she did then, on seed gathering so Diane was chosen as the Supreme Winner out of a that plants are grown from seeds true to each area – a strong field of contenders, because she displayed “skill, practice called eco-sourcing. calm confidence in the progress of her business and a “Sam and his younger brother Tom have grown up clear awareness of her market”. with the nursery, and frequent seed gathering trips – which they didn’t always enjoy. Once it took us six hours to get to Gisborne because we kept stopping to gather seeds,” says Diane.

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LIFESTYLE FARMING

Page 50

Myths around subdivision and land information In this day and age, with information abounding online as well as down at the local cafe and bar, it’s hard to know what to believe.

I’ve recently been told a few interesting tales. Like: The house is definitely built on the legal road because council said it was. In another case: There is no problem with access because I’ve looked at council’s ‘accurate’ map and it shows the road formation is not on

private land. In both cases they are simply wrong.

No, I’m not having a go at council, it’s just that considerable experience is needed when interpreting data on any map that combines information from various sources, as these systems do.

Some of the older survey information originates from survey record sheets that were digitised at a low accuracy back in the day and were never ever actually intended for the use they are now being put to.

Surveying skills

Surveyors have the skill to look at this information objectively and can often make a quick judgement as to just how ‘accurate’ this information actually is. Often, in recently developed urban areas, these maps are good quality but out in the rural areas the accuracy often falls away quickly.

As for subdivision, there are plenty of ‘experts’ on this subject too. I have people tell me: “The neighbour has done it and he says that I can do the same – all I need is for you to just come and put some pegs in so we can get the new titles”. Yeah right.

Property owners, land agents, solicitors,

farm advisers, accountants and many others have had some subdivision experience at times and may be prepared to offer some advice based on their experience. Normally, this advice is general and merely indicates that their client could look into the possibility and consult experts.

Considering subdivision

Whether the advice was intended this way or not, some will come in saying one person or another has said they ‘can subdivide’.

This is a big call because I have many years of experience and most often I need to do considerable research before I can say a subdivision is possible.

So what should you do if you are considering subdividing? Many councils now have clever websites that offer information, either relative to an individual property or on the zone your land sits in. Visiting the website and researching subdivision rules, or alternatively calling in and discussing your property with the council duty planner will give you some clues – but be careful there as well.

I’m sure that if they think subdivision is a possibility, they will say ‘Yes, you can lodge an application for this but you should seek professional advice

first’. However, what many people hear is ‘Yes, you can subdivide’. If council say that, ask for it in writing.

Subdivision is a very technical process involving firstly gaining resource consent approval following a detailed assessment against the district plan, engineering investigation and a comprehensive assessment of environmental effects.

Stringent regulations Then a legal survey needs to be carried out under very stringent regulations and data requirements for the Government.

A title is only finally issued following the completion of many conditions of consent and financial contributions to council.

Therefore, any ‘Yes’ at the outset must be well qualified.

So, if you are contemplating any subdivision or changes to your boundaries and want to get the best value out of your land, rather than talk to a friend, call an experienced surveying company for specialist advise. Feel free to give me a call and discuss your situation.

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

Law change will ‘restrict Fish & Game rangers’ Fish & Game is warning that proposed changes to wildlife legislation will severely restrict its ability to do its job and protect wildlife and the environment.

The Wildlife (Powers) Amendment Bill gives Department of Conservation staff greater powers to fight wildlife offences but specifically excludes Fish & Game rangers.

Fish & Game has appeared before the select committee considering the bill to ask for changes. Of particular concern are clauses covering the powers to seize evidence, stop suspects, prevent offending and require offenders to give their identity.

The present bill specifically excludes Fish & Game rangers from having those powers.

Fish & Game chief executive Bryce Johnson says while the organisation generally supports the bill’s

intent, it opposes efforts to exclude Fish & Game.

“It’s a mystery why Fish & Game has been excluded. We want to be treated the same as other conservation enforcement agencies.

“Fish & Game is a statutory organisation under the Conservation Act and is required to enforce conservation, fisheries and game laws.

“We are asking Parliament to acknowledge Fish & Game staff and rangers’ efforts to protect New Zealand’s unique wildlife and change this bill so they can continue to do this valuable work,” says Bryce.

“When working with Fish & Game, sworn police officers are deemed to be Fish & Game rangers.

“To specifically exclude Fish & Game rangers from the bill also excludes the Police.”

Phone: 07 362 8433

Voluntary ranger Keith Ross checks game bird hunters on opening morning this year in North Canterbury.

SECURITY & SAFETY

Page 51

Plans help in making a work-place safer The intention of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 that came into operation in April is to outline a process to provide a safer and healthier workplace so all owners, managers, staff and visitors can expect to be safe while on your farm or orchard, says Farm Osh Ltd manager Dave Woolerton.

“...has been advised and understands the risks and hazards relating to the job”

“During the last five years about 50 workplace deaths occurred annually in New Zealand, with about 20 of these occurring in the agricultural industry.

“However, this is only the tip of the iceberg with non-fatal accidents far outnumbering fatalities, resulting in lost productivity during recuperation and in some instances people being unable to continue in the industry.”

Each week on average, someone dies at work and about 40 per cent of these deaths occur in agriculture – so it is a serious issue, says Dave.

“Many of these deaths, as well as the non-fatal injuries, may have been prevented if the business owners, managers, employees, families and visitors had a thorough understanding of the risks and there was a culture in place that supported safety on the farm,” says Dave.

“It is commonly heard amongst farmers and horticulturalists that

Seeking enterprising rural women Entries are now open for the annual Enterprising Rural Women Awards, which offer women who run their own rural businesses the opportunity to showcase their innovative rural enterprise and gain recognition for their success.

Rural Women New Zealand invite entries from businesswomen who have strong entrepreneurial skills, are innovative and embrace new technology, and are active in their rural community.

The 2016 ERWA categories: • Emerging Enterprising Rural Woman Award for an inspiring business or community leader.

• Innovative Enterprising Rural Woman Award for use of new technology and adapting to rural location.

• Entrepreneurial Enterprising Rural Woman Award for business success in horticulture, agricultural, dairy, tourism or rural sector.

Each category winner receives $1000 in prize money and a trophy, with a further $1000 awarded to the supreme winner who is judged as an outstanding rural businesswomen.

“We look forward to hearing from many amazing businesswomen telling us about their achievements and how they have contributed to their rural community,” says Rural Women New Zealand national president Wendy McGowan.

To enter the awards women have to own and operate a small business with less than 10 full-time equivalent staff, based in a rural area. The business must have been running for at least two years. If in partnership, women must be an active partner of ideally 50 per cent or more in the business.

‘Latitude Magazine’ editor Joanne Taylor, winner of last year’s supreme award, encourages rural women to “just do it” and enter the competition.

“It makes you look at all aspects of your business,

from where you started, the journey of your business and seeing how far you have come. The support you get from the many people within Rural Women New Zealand is fantastic.”

Entry forms and information available at www.ruralwomen.org.nz.

Entries close August 31.

‘Latitude Magazine’ editor Joanne Taylor, winner of last year’s supreme award.

there needs to be more personal responsibility for safety at work.

“This may be a valid point, but only after those responsible for the management of the farm or orchard have firstly satisfied themselves that the person is competent to do the job safely, has been provided with the appropriate equipment to do the job safely, has been advised and understands the risks and hazards relating to

the job and understands the standard practice on your farm for completing the job safely.”

These are the types of issues that can be addressed by a good farm safety plan, which not only helps with the safety on the farm but also helps to meet your obligations under the Act. “If you don’t know where to start, or would like to discuss your options give FarmOSH a call.”

FARMOSH Helping Farmers Reduce OSH Risk

Page 52

WESTERN BAY OF PLENTY FOCUS

Home-grown feed the cheapest for stock “Nonetheless, just like spring follows winter it will happen as it has so many times in the past.”

“One of the things that’s been learned from this sustained downturn is the feed you grow inside your own boundaries is the cheapest feed you will be able to supply to your stock.

“During the last harvesting season we have noticed a return by some farmers to growing their own maize on farm as well as managed, rather than accidental, silage and hay production albeit when the climate has been favourable for this.

“Also there is some resistance to the use of Palm Kernel Extract with farmers citing quality, as well as a growing awareness of biosecurity.”

Tim says while the winter has been kind so far with the only real cold arriving in the early part of July, he’s noticed a substantial amount of pasture damage around the area that has obviously been pretty unavoidable with the amount and frequency of rain events.

“An opportunity has arisen come the spring for damaged paddocks to be planted in an interim crop

such as turnips, sorghum, chicory or maize to enable the paddocks to be worked up and then returned to pasture next autumn.

“Although at Marsh Contracting, on occasion, we do plant pasture in the spring it meets with variable results because of the weeds that germinate in the Bay of Plenty. And in general we advise that an interim crop is planted for both weed control and to maximise the opportunity of a good strike with expensive pasture seed.

“Like most contractors we will only be planting maize to order this year, so if you are planning to

buy maize it is imperative you let your contractor know early what tonnage you require.”

If you are thinking about growing maize on-farm Neville or Daniel Marsh are always available to discuss your requirements.

They have many years’ experience growing and harvesting maize, also with maize varieties, and its requirements – so you can be assured of quality service from soil testing through to harvest.

“Marsh Contracting has the equipment to be able to meet your contracting requirements for the farm in a timely fashion.”

When high fashion and farming have something in common The use of mystery items featured in both last month’s and this month’s Coast & Country News publications was probably more than a little uncomfortable for the ones on the receiving end.

However, while the bone-handled tools in the lady’s set from the Western Bay Museum was all about high fashion – this month’s mystery item from the Te Aroha Museum had a far more practical agricultural use.

Western Bay Museum manager and For her entry, Jill wins admiscurator Paula Gaelic was pretty sure she sion for two to the Western knew what the beautiful set of lady’s Bay Museum in Katikati tools were used for but wondered if which officially opens in Coast & Country News readers could August. shed further light on their past.

This month’s item is from Jill Hyndman provided this inforthe Te Aroha Museum and mation: “I believe your mystery item was probably routinely used is a set of boot hooks for hooking by farmers on some of their laces through eyelets on the boots livestock. our grandmothers used to wear.

This set of bone-handled If you think you know (I remember finding one of the tools in a velvet case is what this month’s mystery bone-handled tools in my Gran’s believed to be for lacing item is, and have a story to sewing box). I also wonder if they corsets and boots. tell about its use, you used them to lace up those dreadful bodice and corsets they wore?”

Do you know what these could be in to win Chris Hooton also remembered seeing something are? If you do, you could admission for two to similar: “The mystery item is a little wallet, it conbe in to win free admission the Te Aroha Museum. tains a lady’s hook-and-eye set for doing up corsets to the Te Aroha Museum. Send your entry to elaine@thesun.co.nz as well as a manicure tool for fingernail care. Then there’s a whale bone thimble and spare cord for fixing with ‘Mystery item’ in the subject line, or post to Mystery Item, Coast & Country, PO Box 240, a broken corset string. I remember an aged relative Tauranga 3110 to arrive no later than August 13. having one.”

www.coastandcountrynews.co.nz

It would be a brave person who predicts when the dairy downturn will be over and New Zealand dairy farms return to profitability, says Tim White, crop advisor for Neville Marsh Contracting.

WESTERN BAY OF PLENTY FOCUS

Page 53

Te Hono – New Zealand’s best kept secret?

Last month I told you about discovering Origin Green and what the Irish are up to.

During Fieldays I attended a Massey University Alumni function, where I asked one speaker how New Zealand could possibly get all its disparate, competitive and rather unrelated bits of the primary sector together given the way science research is set up here.

Claire Massey, who is director of Agrifood Business at Massey, responded by asking how many of us had heard of Te Hono.

Not one, of a largish group of science and other intellectuals, including myself had heard of it.

Since then I’ve been tracking down some of those involved in this movement, whose title means ‘The Collective’, and whose members, mostly at CEO level, are multiplying annually, with ‘alumni’ who have attended their ‘bootcamps’ now numbering 178.

The idea started with The New Zealand Merino Company CEO John Brakenridge, whose ideas and strategies have put New Zealand’s wool back among the world’s premium branded products.

Corporate lead

Te Hono began in 2012 when a group of 23 primary sector CEOs had a first week-long bootcamp at Stanford University, accompanied by the then-Minister for Primary

Industries David Carter and NZ Trade & Enterprise CEO Peter Chrisp. Other government agencies and departments are claimed to have been ‘partners’ since the start, and include the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Treasury, MPI, NZTE, Te Puni Kokiri, as well as Callaghan Innovation, KPMG, Agmardt and ANZ. Unlike Origin Green, where the Irish government led the way, Te Hono began in the corporate sector of primary production in New Zealand.

Its founding mantras were built on ‘trust and capability’ and an aim to ‘fundamentally improve the competitiveness of New Zealand, Aotearoa’s primary sector on a global stage – supporting a shift from price taking to market shaping’.

Uni bootcamps

Since then the annual bootcamps – held at Stanford University in the USA – have discussed and refined the basic principles, attitudes, investment focus and capability, leadership attributes, the discipline of deployment, and methods of connection and collaboration between agencies, companies and participants who are part of Te Hono.

They have also worked out the basic initiatives that they want to keep doing, start or do more of; and, most revealingly, what they don’t do, which includes no massive infrastructure or evolving into

an industry advocacy organisation.

And it’s working. They already have put together a number of new initiatives, both between companies and departments. For example, Fonterra and the Department of Conservation for the Living Water programme.

Shanghai office

And between competitors and allied companies they’ve gone over new ideas and products for carefully researched customer markets around the world.

A recent development has been the opening of a joint marketing office in Shanghai, via Primary Collaboration New Zealand, where present members include Sealord, Silver Fern Farms, Synlait Milk, Villa Maria Estate, seafood company Kono and horticulture collaboration Pacific Pace.

The combined export value of the products of these companies is about $3.3 billion.

The aim is for a shared point of contact for distributors, and to provide on the ground research in China. Members will be able to join or leave, as suits them.

If the world admires New Zealand for its natural environment and products, then the alumni involved in Te Hono aim to ensure both live up to the hype.

We have the design skills and the technological knowhow, as well as the good raw materials.

We are also, like Ireland, small enough to be able to put them all together to come up with new

Kiwi stud Two Toes retires Much loved kiwi breeding stud ‘Two Toes’ has been released for the last time at the Tanekaha Community Pest Control Area in Northland.

He’s now completely free of his tracking device after 10 years of close full time monitoring and huge breeding success.

Two Toes will retire with his “kiwi wife” Blinky into Tanekaha’s 800 hectares of predator controlled farmland, native bush and pine forest on the edge of the Hikurangi swamp.

The Tanekaha community pest controlled area is part of the Hikurangi Living Water catchment.

Living Water, a 10-year partnership between Fonterra and the Department of Conservation works with farmers, iwi, hapu, community groups and key stakeholders to improve the abundance and variety of native wildlife and water quality in five catchments within significant dairying regions.

In May Living Water supported the release of 12 kiwi into the Tanekaha CPCA through its regional community initiatives fund. The kiwi were moved from predator-free Motuora Island, a “kiwi crèche” in

the Hauraki Gulf.

“Two Toes and Blinky have done a wonderful job,” says Tanekaha CPCA co-ordinator Edwin Smith.

“This lovely pair has greatly bolstered the local kiwi population. They’ve produced hatchlings three times each year since we took over monitoring from DOC five years ago.”

Two Toes was originally found injured and caught in a predator trap,

then rehabilitated at the Whangarei Bird Recovery Centre before his release into Tanekaha 10 years ago.

His injury caused him to lose one of his toes, giving him the name ‘Two Toes’.

“Now that we have nine new monitored breeding males, it’s time for Two Toes to retire from monitored breeding, and for him and Blinky to live freely and safely in the area.”

In the last five years Two Toes and Blinky have produced many viable eggs at Tanekaha, which have been moved for hatching at Auckland Zoo before being released on Motuora, Matakohe/ Limestone Island.

ideas and products for which our customers will pay a premium to acquire.

One could say that Te Hono has been New Zealand’s best kept secret until recently, when they accepted the rest of us should know more.

In a country where central government can be loath to lead the charge on some complex issues, it’s good to

know they are willing to be partners, and leave the nitty gritty stuff to those who have proven their talents by being selected for leadership roles in companies where getting our products to the world markets is the primary aim.

Check out the website: www.tehono.co.nz

Sue Edmonds

EMILIO’S TIMBERS EST1981

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 54

trades & services

To list your rural event please email: julie@thesun.co.nz with Rural Event in the subject heading.

Thursday July 28

Saturday August 6 Plant Sale. From 10am-4pm, outside the information centre, Hamilton Gardens.

Saturday July 30

Saturday August 6 Saturday August 20 NZ Camellia Society

Matariki Festival.

From 9am3pm, Jesmond St, Ngaruawahia, free entry.

See matarikiwaikato.nz

real estate

Saturday August 6 Free Home Composting Workshop.

From 3pm-4.30pm, Taupo Community Gardens. Spaces limited.

Register at tinyurl.com/ gqseptb

Show, Whangarei.

From 12noon5pm. See www. nzcamelliasociety. co.nz

Saturday August 6 & August 13 Garden Makeover Course.

From 9am-3pm, Fraser High School, Hamilton, $85. Details at tinyurl. com/j5gxfzq

August 6 & 13

Native Plants & Their Medicinal Properties.

From 9am1pm, Fraser

Sunday August 14

Free Home Composting Workshop.

From 2pm-3pm, Gisborne (take home a free compost bin).

Limited spaces; register with Tairawhiti Environment Centre, ph 06 867 4708.

Fruit Tree Open Day. From 11am-3pm, Koanga Institute, Wairoa, free but please book. See www.koanga.org.nz/ guided-tours

Thursday August 25

Waikato Horticultural Society.

From 7.30pm, Wintec classroom, Hamilton Gardens (Gate 2), $5 for non-members. Speaker from Rainbow Park Nurseries. Ph Carmel 07 859 0158.

Thursday September 1-4

Australasian Native Orchid Society conference.

At Kempsey, NSW, Australia.

See www. anos.org.au

Saturday September 3

Looking at the Good Life.

From, 9am-5pm, how to produce from a small block (3.5ha), Tirau, with Sheryl Clothier, $120. Details at www. lals.nz

Saturday September 3

Plant Sale.

From 10am-4pm, outside the information centre, Hamilton Gardens.

Saturday September 3

Free Home Composting Workshop.

From 3pm-4.30pm, Taupo Community Gardens. Register at tinyurl.com/gqseptb

%(5 75 7,0 ( 6

17 0( $7

3 (33( 5

High School, Hamilton, $65. Details at tinyurl. com/hom22r5

Waikato Horticultural Society.

From 7.30pm, Wintec classroom, Hamilton Gardens (Gate 2), $5 for nonmembers.

Speaker: Martin Walker of Coromandel Cacti.

Ph Carmel 07 859 0158.

for sale

services

cars wanted WE ALWAYS PAY MORE!

$1000 CASH per week

0800 382 828 trades & services

Check it out online today...

www.coastandcountrynews.co.nz

Sunday September 4-16

Permaculture Design Course.

At Koanga Institute, Wairoa, $1900 (includes all meals). See tinyurl. com/oncr7jy

runon listings curriculum vitae NEED A C.V.? A C.V. For You can provide you with the professional touch. From scratch or alterations.

“Get the interview….Land the job” Contact via www.facebook.com/ acvforyou or 0204 037 6034

for sale PULLETS HY-LINE BROWN, great layers. Phone 07 824 1762 www.eurekapoultryfarm.weebly.com

advertise ADVERTISE YOUR PRODUCT or service in the listing every month.

Phone Julie on 07 578 0030 or email julie@thesun.co.nz

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 55

Send in your photos to win a very tasty prize pack

Frooze Balls – which contain only blended fruit and nuts and are dairy-free, wheat-free, gluten-free and caffeine-free, making a fabulous treat food for people with those allergies – are available at all Foodstuffs and Countdown supermarkets and 600 smaller stores nationwide.

Send in your favourite photographs of children enjoying life in the country for our Country Camera feature and be in to win yummy Frooze

Balls. Thanks to Kiwi company Alive Foods, Coast and Country News has a box of 10 Frooze Balls in five delicious ‘honest’ flavours – Original, Cranberry, Apricot, Banana and Peanut Butter – to give away.

To be in to win, send your high resolution Jpeg images to Kathy@sunmedia.co.nz with Country Camera in the subject line or post to Kathy, Coast & Country News, PO Box 240 Tauranga.

Each valid entry requires the child’s first name, surname, age, plus their family’s postal address and a contact phone number.

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 56

Mindful captions required for image

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“I didn’t think it was a hanging offence, did you?” wrote Lesley Ritchie of Otorohanga.

The Thomas family of Oparau obviously enjoyed the photo, with Luke sending in the caption: “All dressed up and nowhere to go” and Tawa submitting: “Waiting for a friend and just hanging”.

“I’m over this line dancing” leftBeverly Hurst of is the winning caption from Stuart Te Puke suggested: Henderson of Rotorua, who also “When Mum said we suggested “Just hanging out with the labs” for this photo of puppies on a line. could all hang out together for the day we didn’t think she meant like this!” and “Hanging round waiting for more swingers!!!” came from Bev Taylor of Drury.

“Puppy sin bin” and “JeansPups Jeans” came from SD & CJ Robinson of Atiamuri. Julie Hyde of Matamata had a number of suggestions including; “We have heard about the Three Blind Mice, the Three Little Kittens and the Three Bears but we’re the best over-all” and “If only it was a rotary line, we could have had a ball”.

“We are doggone ropable” is the suggestion from Gwen Syme of Tirau. Bill Storey of Matamata admits the photo sent his “imagination a bit wild” and he submitted “Dog gone it – we’ve been framed” and “Straight jackets for lying hounds”.

Dianne Watson of Te Puke wrote: “Hanging about on-line”.

The winning caption: “I’m over this line dancing” came from Stuart Henderson of Rotorua, who wins

FU

a copy of the book by South Island clinical psychologist Jan Marsh called ‘Harnessing Hope’ published by Exisle.

The writer of the best caption for this month’s photo (below) will win a copy of ‘Mindfulness on the Run’ by Aucklandbased psychologist, wife and mother, Dr Chantal Hofstee, published by Exisle.

“I know from first-hand experience how hectic and stressful life can be, so I have developed material that can fit in with a busy lifestyle,” says Chantal.

“The result will be less stress, a calmer and clearer mind, enhanced productivity and health and most importantly a happier, more enjoyable life.

“I started teaching the material in my mindfulness course and the response was overwhelming, with many people calling it life-changing.”

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“Whatever happens, hang in there!” by Kelvin O’Hara, of Te Puke, was among captions readers suggested for a photo of three puppies on a line, which appeared in the June edition of Coast & Country News.

To be in to win a copy of ‘Mindfulness on the Run’ email captions for the photo (left), along with your name and address, with Country Funnies as the subject, to: elaine@thesun.co.nz Or put these details on the back of an envelope and post to: Country Funnies, PO Box 240, Tauranga 3140.

Entries need to arrive

by August 26. Winners will be announced in the October issue of Coast & Country News.