Happyhounds enjoythegoodlife
ByChrysAyley
Gisbornelocalsmightbeaccustomedtoseeingtwo brightlycolouredvanschauffeuring20-30dogslooking forwardtoanexcitingdayout.Buttheymightnotknow justwhatastimulatingtimethedogshavewithBernice David-Goodwinandherhelpers.
BernicefoundedDogsDayOut Gizzyaboutnineyearsago.She hadjustleftworkingattheSPCA whenafriendaskedifshecouldhelp exercisetheirtwodogs.Beforesheknew itBernicewaslookingaftermanymore dogsandthingsjustgrewfromthere, shesays.
It’safamilybusinesswithBernice,her husbandDerekandsonCarlosalong withJoarnaaspartofadedicatedteam. Thedoglovingfamilyownsa4.6ha farmjustoutsideofGisborne.Theyhave petdogsandacoupleofKunekunepigs, buttherestofthelandisdedicatedfor theguestdogs.
Thedogsarepickedupfromhome andaretakenonanexpeditionwhich couldbethebeachwheretheyhavea greattimeswimming,playingwithsticks andjustgenerallybeingdogs.Thenthey aretakentothefarmwheretheypretty muchhavetherunoftheplace.“The packwalkisprettyintensesoatthefarm
theyhavetheopportunitytorelaxand playwiththeirfriendsordowhatever theywanttodo.”
There’sadamforswimminganda shedwithcoucheswheretheycan retreattosleeporwatchScoobyDoo onthetelevision!“Theyloveit,”Bernice says.Naturallywhattheydecidetodo dependsontheirage,sizeandenergy levels.“It’sprettyfullonforthedogs.”
Bernicekeepsthefeesaffordable, anddogsmustattendaminimum oftwodaysaweek.Thishelpsbuild consistencywiththedog,theycanform teamsandbuildbondsasapack.
Prospectivenewrecruitswilltakepart inameetandgreet,Bernicetakesher dogCooandtheycheckifthepotential recruithasagoodtemperament,is sociableandvaccinated.Theyneedto havesomebasictrainingalthoughthe teamnurturewhat’stheresothatthey couldbebettertrainedthanwhenthey arrived.Whentheyareonexpeditions
Thedogsenjoyafrolicatthebeach.
thehelpersworkonrecallingwhich makesiteasierfortheowners.Tocome whencalledisimportantasthedogs needtobesafe,especiallywhenina publicarea.
“It’sagoodfamilybusiness-it’sagreat environment,everyoneenjoysit.It’s thebestjobever.Ittakesalotoftime, effortandenergy.It’sgreattobeoutand aboutwiththemanddoingalotoffun stuffwiththem.Yougettoseeallthe differentpersonalities.”
“Attheendoftheday,theyaresotired wedon’tgetapeepoutofthem,they’ve donesomuchforthedayandpeople appreciatethat.”Theultimategoalisfor ownerstoreceivehappydogswhenthey
aredeliveredbackhome.
DogsDayOutGizzyhasaFacebook pagewhichsharesphotosofthedogs enjoyingtheirdayout.Ownersliketo seewhattheirdogshavebeenupto. There’saspecialservicefornewowners sotheycanenjoypersonalisedphotosof theirdoghavingfunontheirfirstday. There’salongwaitinglistbutwith twobusesontheroadalreadyBerniceis notsurewhattheirnextstepsmightbe althoughsheispleasedthattheirservice issopopular.“ILoveit,absolutelylove it.”
“It’sapassionofmine.Itmakeslife awesome,helpingthemleadtheirbest lives.”
Waitingfortransporttothefarm.
Strengthening connectionswithin ruralcommunities
VickiCrosswellisawomanwithstrongruralconnections, togetherwithvastexperiencesupportingvictims.Sheisthe currentcoordinatorfortheEastCoastRuralSupportTrust.
Vickistartedworkjustthreeweeks afterCycloneGabriellestruckthe EastCoast.
RuralSupportTrust’smainaimisto “SupportRuralPeopleHeal&Recover andStrengtheningconnectionwithin RuralCommunities.RSTisafree, confidentialsupporttoruralpeople &farmersfacingchallengessuchas naturaldisasters,financialpressures, andmentalwellbeingissues.”
Currentlyshe’shelpingthoseaffected byCycloneHaleandGabriellerecover andfindnormalityfromtheaftermath ofsuchanunforgettableeventinthe TāirawhitiRegion.
Vickiwasattractedtotheroleas shebelievedintheorganisations kaupapaandfeltshehadalotto offerwithherexperience.Sheenjoys workingremotely,beingoutinthe naturalelementsandwithinourrural communitiestosupportacrosssection ofindustriesandagencies.“Iwork alongsidealotofsupportingbusinesses whocollaboratewiththesamepeople,”
shesays.
Foralmost12yearsVickiworked forVictimSupportbasedatthe GisbornePoliceStation.“IwasService CoordinatorforGisborne/Wairoa& NgatiPoroulookingaftervictim’s wellbeingandstrengtheningtheirmana ofthoseeffectbycrimeortrauma, weatheritwashomicide,suicideor sexualviolation.”
“Ispentendlesshourswithvictims ensuringtheirindividualneedswhere meetaftertheincident,alongwiththeir familiestoprovideemotionalsupport andhelpthemnavigatelifemoving forwardandsupportingthemthrough thecriminaljusticesystemandcoronial processifandwhennecessary.”
Shewasalsoheavilyinvolvedwiththe CrisisResponseManagementtothe ChristchurchMosqueattackandthe WhakaariWhiteIslandresponse.
Thepositionascoordinatoralsogives hertheopportunitytoexpandherskill set,experiencesandsharingwithothers whatcanbeachievedwithknowledge.
“People’swellbeingis overlookedinmanysectors –sobringingthistothe forefrontandensuringgood selfcareandawareness isrecognisedwhenand whereneededandto eliminateburnout/fatigue andworkplaceincidences/ accidents.”
“Whenthosediscussion arehadthenIknowI’ve madeadifferenceand I’mhappy.I’mapeople’s person,Ilovenothingbetter thanstandinginfrontof someoneandhavingthe conversationsandasking thehardquestions!”
“Beinginvolvedinthe CycloneRecoveryhasbeen
ahugechallengeandveryrewarding! Therehavebeenmanyhighsandlows, albeitalittleoverwhelmingattimes, laughterandtears.Findingstrengths andweaknesswithinourpeopleand helpingthemgainbacktheirconfidence, manaandnewnormalissogratifying! Thebestpartistheindividualsasking forhelp,whichisgreat!”
DuringhertenureVickihascommitted tovalidatingandacknowledging people’sexperiences,whilstsupporting andencouragingthemtoachieve positiveoutcomes.
“Thereisnobetterplacethanhelping thoseoutandensuringtheirmental wellnessandself-careisattheforefront ofeverydayliving.Ihadbridgedagap withintheirwellbeingtoensuretheir abilitytomakethebestdecisionsand theirhealthandwellbeingisatthe forefront,sotheirbusinesscontinues withoutbeinghinderedorclouded.I amaruralwoman,soIunderstandthe challengesofrurallife!”
“Iwasbornandraisedrurally,originally fromTangihangaStation,Waipaoa, wheremyparentsTrevorandAlison
Crosswellworkedonthestationin Agricultureandhorticultureformany yearsbeforemakingamovetoNgatapa inthe80’s.Inowresideonthefamily farmatKaiteratahi,northofOrmond township.”
Whenshe’snotworkingVickiloves surfcastingorwalkingalongthebeach atthewatersedge.She’skeenon mountainbikingandhuntingduringthe roar.
“Ihavethreeamazinggrandchildren whokeepmebusy,familytimeisa mustasisagoodcatchupwithfriends overagoodcoffeeorgin,otherwiseI’m travelling!”
RuralSupportTrustTollfree: 0800787254ordirectcall ortextM:021433524 www.rural-support.org.nz
BeingaruralwomanVickiCrosswell understandstherurallifestyle.
Tacklingrising drenchresistance inlivestock
ByBasVanLuijk,HeadVeterinarian,EastCoastFarmVets
Drenchresistanceisanescalatingchallengeforvets andfarmers,especiallythealarmingsurgeintriple drenchresistancecasesinrecentyears.
Thisissuenotonlyincreasescosts duetotheneedfornoveldrenches butalsosignificantlyimpactsanimal performance.Whendrenchesfail,animals divertenergyfromgrowthtobolstertheir immunesystem,resultinginreducedweight gain.
Howcanyousafeguardagainsttriple drenchresistance?
Regularfaecaleggcount(FEC)testing remainsoneofthemosteffectiveandcosteffectivewaystomonitordrenchefficacy.
•Increasemonitoringbyconductinga 10-daypost-drenchcheckonlambs regularly.Anabsenceofwormeggs afterthisperiodindicatessuccessful drenching.
•ConductFECtestingbeforedrenching ewestodistinguishworm-relatedissues fromfeed-relatedones.
•Utiliselarvalculturestoidentifycertain wormspecies,allowingformore targetedtreatment.
•Drenchstrategicallyratherthan routinelyandregularlyreassessewe drenchingneeds.Identifyhigh-risk periodsandselectivelytreatonlythose animalsthatneedit.
Ifpreviouson-farmtestinghasshown youhavesignificantresistance,including combinationresistance,consider conductingaFaecalEggCountReduction Test(FECRT)toevaluateeachdrench’s effectivenessagainstspecificwormspecies onyourfarm.
Effectivepasturemanagementplaysa keyroleinmitigatingdrenchresistance.
Adoptingaproactivestanceiskey:
•Usecropplantingorgrassrenewalto
disruptthewormcycleandreduce relianceondrenches.
•Maintainasusceptiblewormpopulation byleavingapercentageoflambsundrenchedorallowingun-drenchedewes (preferably2ths)torunwithlambs.
•Maintainbalancedsheep-cattleratiosto helppreventresistancedevelopment, asmajorsheepwormsdifferfromthose affectingcattle.Runningahighnumber ofonespeciescanincreasetheriskof resistancedevelopingbyupto80%.
•Implementeffectivepasturerotations tominimiselarvalcontaminationand maintaincleanpastures.
Implementinganeffectivequarantine protocolwillhelppreventtheintroduction ofmulti-drenchresistantwormsontoyour property.Administeranoveldrench(eg. StartectorZolvix)followedbya10-daypostdrenchchecktoensureitseffectiveness.
Managingalargenumberoflambs overanextendedperiodcanincreasethe risk.Considerasolidsalespolicyallowing thesaleofmorestorelambstomitigate resistance.Whenpurchasinglambs, sourcefromfarmerswithastrongdrench resistancestatus.
Addressingdrenchresistancechallenges canfeeloverwhelmingbutignoringitwill onlymaketheproblemworse.Engagein discussionswithindustryexperts,fellow farmersandvetstoshareknowledgeand implementeffectivestrategies.
Takingtheinitialstep,suchastalkingto yourvetteamandconductingapost-drench eggcount,iscrucialinunderstandingyour farm’ssituationandslowingdownthe developmentofdrenchresistance.
Sevenchangesto lightenratepayer burden
“Thefundingmodelforourcouncilsis broken,”SandraFaulkner,FederatedFarmers localgovernmentspokespersonandformer GisborneDistrictcouncillorsays.
The11.4%ratesriseforGisbornelastyear (3.5%ofitduetoCycloneGabriellerecovery work)waswellaheadofinflationbutstill belowmanyotherlocalauthorities.
Afterrampantratesrisesacrossthecountry lastyear,FederatedFarmersiscallingforthe Governmenttomakesevenkeychangesto restoreconfidenceinlocaldecision-making.
Faulknersaysrageaboutratesincreases willfeaturestronglywhenvotershavetheir sayincouncilelectionsthisOctober,butthe Governmentshouldalsodomoretoreinin costpressures.
“Centralgovernmentsovertheyearshave pointedthefingeratcouncilexcessesand failingsbutpartofthesolutionhereistofix faultylegislationandgovernmentpolicy.”
TwoofFederatedFarmers’seven recommendationscallontheGovernment tosurrendersomeofitstaxtakeinfavourof councils.
“Wesaythelion’sshareofthecostof repairingandrenewinglocalroadsshould fallonroadusers,notpropertyowners,” Faulknersays.
Outsideofthestatehighwaynetwork, councilsareresponsibleformaintaining roadsandbridges.GisborneDistrict Councilisbudgeting$84millionoverthe nextthreeyearsonroadmaintenanceand improvement.
Onaverage,councilsget53%ofthiscost viaaNZTransportAgency/WakaKotahi FundingAssistanceRate(FAR),paidfrom fueltaxesandRoadUserCharges.Therest comesfromratepayers.
“Propertyvalueratesareapoorwayto fundroadsforthesamereasonasgeneral taxation:itdoesnottiethosewhouseroads withthosewhopayforroads,”Faulkner says.
“Thesystemalsolackslogic.Inareas withalotoftourismorfreight,forexample, localsareleftpayingforroadingnetworks thatserveawiderregionalornational purpose.”
Becauseratepayersbaulkatrisingroad costs,councilsfeelobligedtoscaleback renewalandmaintenanceonroadsthatare alifelineforruralfamiliesandbusinesses.
“So,wegetdeterioratingtarseal,potholes andevenroadclosuresinruralareas,” Faulknersays.
FederatedFarmersarguestheFARrate shouldbeliftedtoanaverage90%.
Anotherchangethatwouldreduce councilfundingpressureistomakeCrown landrateable.
Currently,governmentlandisexempt fromlocalauthorityrates,apartfrom targetedratesandchargesforutilities.
In2023/24,AucklandCouncilestimated theGovernmentwasexemptfrompaying atotalof$36.5millioninratesthatyear–worth$506.40perhousehold.
FederatedFarmersalsoseekslegislation thatfocuseslocalgovernmentonproviding necessaryinfrastructure,localpublic servicesandregulation.
“Wewantcouncilstosticktocore services,”Faulknersays.
“We’reproposingthatareferendummust beheldbeforespendingiscommittedon commercialfacilities andventurescosting morethan$500per resident.”
Forfulldetails oftheseven recommendations, gotofedfarm.org.nz
BySandraFaulkner,FederatedFarmersNationalBoardMember.
SandraFaulkner
Startingtheyear onapositivenote
ByPatrickCrawshaw,Director,Beef+LambNewZealand
Twoyearsonfromthe devastationwroughtby CycloneGabrielle,our region’sfarmerscanlook backwithprideonjusthow muchtheyhaveachieved.
Itisremarkablehowfarwehavecome inarelativelyshorttimeandwhilethe scarsremain,farmershaveshown remarkablestrengthandresiliencetorebuild theirbusinesses,particularlyduringsuch challengingeconomictimes.
Thisyearhasstartedwellwithlambprices strongerthanexpectedandregularrainfall makingforagrowthyseason.
Itcertainlytakesthepressureoffwhen feedisplentifulandstockisingood condition.
Asweallknow,nutritionwillalwaystrump drencheswhenitcomestomanaging internalparasites.Whileweareveryaware ofjusthowwidespreaddrenchresistance isinsheep,arecentlyreleasedsummary ofcattlefaecaleggcountreductiontests takenacrossNZfoundworryingnumbersof wormsresistanttodoubleandeventriple combinations.
WormwiseprogrammemanagerGinny Dodunskiisurgingdairygrazersand farmersrunningR1dairybeeftocheck theperformanceoftheirdrenchesand notjustassumethatdoubleoreventriple combinationsareworking.
Ireallyencouragealllivestockfarmers tohavealookatB+LNZ’sWormwise webpages.Theycontainawealthof informationandtheresourcesweneedas wetakeamorefarmsystemsapproachto internalparasitemanagement.
Shearingpracticeshavecomeunderthe
spotlightinrecentweeks,highlightingthat it’salwaysagoodideatohaveachatwith yourshearingcontractortoensureshearers arewellsupportedandthatcutsandinjuries tosheepareavoidedwhereverpossible. There’sausefulresourceonB+LNZ’s websiteyoucanreferto–search‘shearing protocol’.
Simplepracticessuchasensuringcombs andcuttersaresharpenedregularlyand identifyingat-riskorparticularlystressed animalsandhandlingthemaccordinglycan makeabigdifference.Itisalsoimportantto putprocessesinplacetodealwithshearing cutswhentheyoccurandensuresheepare treatedswiftlyandappropriately.
B+LNZwillbehostingOuttheGate2025 nextmonthandIstronglyencourageall farmerstoattendthisinauguraleventin RotoruaonWednesday,26March. Thedayhasbeenputtogetherby
B+LNZ’sFarmerCouncilandKāhuiand featuresworld-classspeakers,handsonworkshopsanddiscussionsaround productivity,leadership,teambuildingand diversification.
Speakersincludingglobalmarketexpert SimonQuiltytalkingabouttheGlobal RedMeatInfluences,leadingeconomist ShamubeelEaqubonShapingthe FutureThroughEconomicRealities,and motivationalpowerhouseDavidLeteleon Resilience,Reinvention&CreatingNew Opportunities.
B+LNZ’sAnnualMeetingwillalsobeapart oftheevent,andthedaywillconcludewith agaladinner.
ThereismoreinformationaboutOutthe Gate2025ontheB+LNZwebsite.Ihopeto seeyouthere.
ALLYOURFENCINGSUPPLIES
PatrickCrawshaw
DavidLetelewillbeakeynotespeakerat B+LNZ’sOuttheGate2025eventinMarch.
VetEast: anewchapterin veterinarycare forGisborneand
theEastCoast
VetEastisproudtocontinuedelivering trusted,high-qualityveterinarycare acrossGisborneandtheEastCoast.
FollowingtheacquisitionofEastland VetsbyGisborneCountryVeterinary ServicesLtd-ownedandoperatedby AlexandTessaMeban-wehaveunitedtwo well-respectedveterinarypracticesunder onename.
Whileourbrandinghaschanged,our dedicationtotheanimalsandpeopleofthis regionremainsasstrongasever.VetEastis builtonthesamevaluesofpersonalised, practical,andprofessionalcarethatour clientshavealwaysreliedon.
Localvets,strongertogether
ThecreationofVetEastallowsusto expandourreachandresourceswhile stayingtruetoourroots.Wearestillthe
sameapproachableteamofveterinarians andsupportstaffwhounderstandthe uniquechallengesofanimalcareinthis region.Bybringingtogethertheexpertise ofGisborneCountryVeterinaryServicesand EastlandVets,wecanofferanevengreater levelofsupporttofarmers,petowners,and lifestyleblockowners.
AlexandTessaMebanhavededicated theircareerstoworkingwithboth companionandproductionanimals, ensuringthatclientsreceivepracticaladvice andexperttreatmenttailoredtotheir specificneeds.Whetherit’safamilypet, workingdog,horse,sheep,deerorcattle, everyanimaldeservestop-qualitycare,
andthat’sexactlywhatVetEastishereto provide.
Comprehensive,qualitycare VetEastoffersafullrangeofveterinary servicesdesignedtokeepanimalshealthy andthriving.Ourexperiencedteamprovides everythingfromroutinecheck-upsand preventativecaretodiagnostics,surgery, andemergencyservices.Withmodern facilitiesandstate-of-the-artequipment, weareequippedtohandleawidevarietyof caseswithefficiencyandexpertise. Committedtothecommunity AtVetEast,wearemorethanjust aveterinarypractice-wearepartof thecommunity.Wearecommittedto
supportingtheregion’sfarmers,families, andanimalloversbyensuringaccessible, reliableveterinarycare.Ourteamisproud tocontinuesponsoringlocaleventsand initiativesthatcontributetothewell-being ofbothpeopleandanimals.
Welookforwardtothisnewchapter andwarmlywelcomeallEastlandVetsand GisborneCountryVetsclientstoVetEast. Withthesamefamiliarfaces,expanded resources,andanunwaveringcommitment toexcellence,weareheretoserveyouand youranimalsforyearstocome.
Formoreinformationortobookan appointment,callVetEaston068648387or visitwww.veteast.co.nz
Summersofar
ByLewisFerris,Meteorologist,MetService–TeRatongaTirorangi
YouknowwhatmakesTairāwhitihotanddry? Westerlywinds.It’seasytoguesswhathas beenmissingoverthelasttwomonths.
Meteorologicalsummerwas offtoarip-roaringstart!
Forthefirsttwoweeksof Decembersawjusttwodaysofrain (totalling7.9mm)andthreedayswith temperaturesinthe30’s.
Evidently,thiswasn’ttolast.Rain beganonDecember16thand,by theendofthemonth,tickedupto 222mm.That’sfourtimestheaverage DecemberrainfallandtookthetopspotasthewettestDecemberatour Gisbornesiteinthealmost90yearsof recordsthere.
AsthecalendarflippedtotheNew Year,IbetpeoplearoundGisborne werehopingfornewweather. However,asemi-permanentlowpressuresystemcentredoverthe ChathamIslandsruinedthatNewYear’s resolution.Windswrappingaroundthis lowledtoapersistentsoutherlyfeedof airuptheeastcoastoftheNorthIsland andanextendedperiodofchilly,cloudy andwetconditions.
Onaverage,theDecember temperatureattheairportwasmuch warmerthanits30-year(1991-2020) Decemberaverage19.8°Cverses 18.1°C!Januarywasafarcryfrom thewarmerconditionsofDecember withthemeantemperature(16.7°C) wellbelowtheusualJanuaryaverage (19.4°C),thelowestmeanatthat stationinover30years.
Historically,around15daysin JanuaryatourGisbornestationrecord amaximumtemperatureof25°Cor higher,thisJanuary,therewasameasly fourdays.SlightlybetterthanJanuary 2023,whentherewereonlythreedays!
Cloudyskieswereafeatureof Januarywithjustshyof200hoursof sunshine,about60hourslessthan usual.Thewetstarttothemonth plusanotherrunofwetdaysaround thethirdweekofJanuarypushedthe monthlyrainfallaboveaverageby almost80mm.
Februarycontinuestodeny Gisbornethosehot,drywesterlies. Coolsoutherlieshavemeantjustone
dayexceeded25°Cbymidmonth,a longshotfromthe12daysanaverage Februarywouldsee.
Takinganaverageofthepressure over60dayscangiveaglimpseinto thegeneralflavouroftheweather.In thiscase,thebluebullseyetooureast hintsatthecauseofourpersistent southerlywinds.Thismarksalonglivedareaoflowpressure,withwinds circulatingclockwisearoundit.The othermajorfeatureofthemapis highpressurebetweenTasmaniaand Aotearoawhichblockedthemovement ofweatherfeaturesmovinginfrom theTasmanSeaandanychanceof establishingawesterlywindflow acrosstheNorthIsland. WhatisnextinstoreforTairāwhiti? Warm,humidairarrivesfromthe northeaststarting17February.While thismayseethethermometerclimb, itdoeslooktobringmorecloudyskies andthepotentialforsomewetdays. Pastmidweek,theskiesareforecastto clearandthewarmtemperatureslook tostayashighpressuretakescharge again.ThefinalweekofFebruary doesn’tlooklikemuchtowritehome aboutwithacloudyandcooltasteto theweek.
Kickingintospring,long-range modelsareforecastinganothermonth ofhigherthanaveragepressure aroundourshorestothesouthand eastthroughMarchleadingtoabout normaltemperaturesandamounts ofrain.ArunofthemillMarchwill seesomerainydays,afewofthose coolersoutherliessneakinginbutthere shouldbeseveralboutsofwesterlies thatmanagetopumpthattemperature up.Marchisstillamonthtokeepan eyetoournorth-eventhoughwe’ve hadadistinctlackoftropicalinfluence sofarthissummerthetropicalcyclone seasonrunsuntiltheendofMarch. WhileaprettyregularMarchmight notsoundlikethebestnews,anormal monthmightjustbewhatthedoctor orderedafteracoupleofabnormal monthsthissummer.
Surfingfor Sanity: How one man’s idea is re ching across rural New Zealand
By Sophie Rishworth
Every Tuesday night over summer, Stephen Thomsoncooks sausages at Midway Beach while up to 40 farmersorgrowers hit the surf in the waves behind him
Thomson heads the OG group of Surfing for Farmers (SFF) – an initiative he started in Gisborne that’s taken off across the country
When it started in 2018, he hoped they’d get a few summers out of it Six years later there’s an impressive 8,000 farmers and growers across 25 beaches from Southland to Northland who take part because of the impact it’s having on their mental health
Thomson was surprised when people started calling him from around the country saying, “ we need this in our town”
“It was amazing how many people saw what we were doing ”
The concept’s simple Once a week over summer farmers and growers gather after work for a surf Boards, wetsuits and a couple of coaches are provided as is a BBQ at the end
Gisborne grower Charli Allen has been going for more than a year
“It’s a great way to relieve stress ” He arrived at a February SFF “ grumpy as $#@*” but emerged from the surf an hour later smiling
“It’s so much fun It doesn’t really matter if you stand up and there’s no finesse out there that I’ve seen, ” he said laughing
a whole lot, but you know you ’ re helping people ” Thomson is now a Real Estate Agent but used to work as a farm consultant
“I saw a lot of hurt and stress I could see farmers needed something I was at ground zero working with them and quite often let in to things a lot of people didn’t know about in farming families People were not in good places
“It just doesn’t stop on a farm
“A lot of jobs people can knock off and go home Their job is at the office and they can shut down for a few hours a day
“A farmer lives on the job, at any time a water trough could break, cattle break a fence, you don’t get away from it ”
Dan Croskery joins SFF every week as a surfing coach, and works in mental health
“As surfers we ’ ve always known re ’ s a healing power in the ocean, it’s the oldest body of mass on our planet
“Everyone can give surfing a go no matter their ability and it takes all the cares from the land to the ocean ” Croskery said the group would like to reach more isolated farmers in Tairāwhiti to join them every week
Every Tuesday SFF is held at way Beach in Gisborne, and on Thursdays it’s held up the Coast at Kaiaua Beach by Ūawa/ Tolaga Bay
Thomson got the SFF idea after he watched Resurface – a documentary about American soldiers who’d fought in Afghanistan and used surfing as saltwater therapy to overcome PTSD and also physical disabilities
“I wanted to create an opportunity for farmers here to remove themselves from the farm for a couple hours a week and just focus on themselves
“It’s relatively simple but awesome to see how much impact we ’ re having on people’s lives “People came back and drive down windy narrow roads week in and week out because they like it so much They don’t say
SFF has a Board of seven people from around the country, one full time employee (the national coordinator) and around 150 volunteers
Thomson said the whole model runs on finances generated from their, “amazing sponsors ”
“We have six premiere sponsors and at least a couple hundred local legend sponsors throughout the country
“If it wasn’t for all these local business’ helping us out, we wouldn’t be here today”
“What sets SFF apart is its commitment to accessibility
“Jump in the ute, grab your neighbours and join us for a surf and a classic kiwi BBQ”
Allour yesterdays: onehundred yearsago
HORSEORTRACTOR. MECHANICAL,TRANSITWINSATWAIKOHU. FORBSONMACHINETOBEPURCHASED.
Atyesterday’smeetingoftheWaikohu CountyCouncil,theengineerstaledthat thegraderteamwasgettingtoooldand wouldhavetobereplaced.Theestimated costoffivehorseswas£250.
Cr.Russelladvocatedreplacingthe horseswithamotortractor.Thegreat objectiontohorseswasthattheyrequired feeding,dayinanddayout.Duringthepast month,thegradingteamhadbeeninhis riding,andhehadnoticedthattheyhad onlydoneaweek’sworkinabout30days. Feedcostabout25saweekforeachhorse. Ontopofthattherewasalltheharnessand othergear.
Theoverseerstatedthatpracticallyall thecountiesnorthofAucklandnowused tractorsinsteadofhorses,forhaulage purposes.Itwasheavyclaycountry upthere,andthetractorswereagreat success.Tractorswerebeingusedinthe ManawatuGorge.Theywerealsoused,for pullingthemetalontheHuttRoad.
Cr.TomblesensaidthattheCouncil
alreadyhadonetractor.Woulditnotbe possibletouseitforhaulagepurposes, andthussavetheexpanseofbuyinganew tractor?Headvocatedgivingthepresent tractoratrial.
TheChairman(MrT.B.Spence)stated thatthepresenttractorwastooslowfor useonsoftclayroads.Itwasacarrieras wellastractor,andforthatreasonwas notverysatisfactory.Alightermachine designedespeciallyforhaulagewoulddo theworkmuchbetter.Theonlyquestion was,wouldtheengineerhaveenough horseslefttocarryonwiththeordinary smalljobswhichwouldhavetobedoneby horses?
Theengineerrepliedintheaffirmative. Cr.McLeanthenmovedthattheCouncil takestepstopurchaseaFordsontractor, providedasatisfactoryguaranteewere obtainedfromthevendor.Themotionwas secondedbyCr.Russellandcarried.
GisborneTimes,VolumeLX,Issue9731, 14June1924,Page6
KirkHooper–02108205577
KevinHarper–021594548
TimGardner–0273555001
DarylFergus–0272092787
GlenForrest–0212282535
Newsfromthe TairawhitiGrowers Association
ByTimTietjen,ChairofTGA
TheTairāwhitiGrowersAssociation(TGA) heldanetworkingbreakfastfortheregion’s growersonWednesday12February.
Theeventwaswellsupportedwith over60growersenjoyingthefood andcoffeeprovidedbythefantastic teamatHorticentreandtheTGA.The purposeoftheeventwastogivegrowersa chancetocatchupbeforethebusyharvest seasonstarts,introducetherefreshedTGA teamtothelocalgrowersandtobuildthe TGAnetwork.
TheTGAhavespentthelastyearfocusing onthestrategicdirectionoftheorganisation withthehelpandsupportofTrustTairāwhiti andBDO.Thisyearistheyearforaction withtheteamlookingtogrowtheprofileof theTGAbyhostingeventslikethegrower breakfastandYoungGrowercompetitions, producingalocallyfocusedquarterlyupdate ontheseasonsprogressandworking withHortNZtoestablishayounggrower supportgroup.Pleasegetintouchifyou’d liketoknowmoreabouttheTGA.
Waterforirrigationhasnotbeenan issueforgrowersthisseasondueto theconsistentraintheregionhasbeen
receiving.Howeversecure,reliableaccess towaterisoneofthetopconcernsforour growers.TheTGAarekeentoadvocate andco-operatetoenablewiderandmore reliableaccesstowaterforgrowing.
Despitethestrongstarttothegrowing seasoninspringmanygrowers’crops havebeenimpactedbythewetandcold weatherexperiencedinthedistrictsince mid-December.Mostgrowersarenow expectingan‘average’season,however afterthelastfewseasonswecanlivewith average!
Appleharvesthasstartedwiththeearly seasonvarietiespackingwellatthisearly pointintheseason.Grapeharvestwillstart inthecomingweeksaswillKiwifruitwith theearlyRubyRedvarietypredictedtostart fromthe20Februaryonwardsfollowedby Sungoldfromaroundthe10March.
Growersarereportinganincreaseinthe availabilityoflabourforharvest,soweare hopefulforagoodrunofweathertoenable asmoothharvestseason.
Growersenjoyanetworkingbreakfast atHorticentreGisborne.
TimTietjen(Chair),CalvinGedye,DeanDavies,KarenFenn(Trust Tairawhiti),LiarnaWhite,JoshRowe,WayneHall(DeputyChair),Tessa Rodden(HortNZ),PeteJarratt(BDO),AbsentElliotCallandar,ScottWilson.
AndrewTeesdalecollectstractors-realonesandhas76athisorchard,lastcount,thatallstillwork.
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Foryouron-farmlivestockinspections,paddocksales/ purchases,primestockdraftingoranylivestockbusiness requirementsyoumayhave,pleasedonothesitateto contactoneourexperiencedteam.
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Preserving Tradition: the finalfamilyorchard sellingdirecttothe publicinGisborne
BySophieRishworth
“We’rethelastoftheMohicans,”remarked AndrewTeesdale,sittingalongsidehiswife Joanneintheirorchardoffice.
Thecouplehavepreservedthe hardworkandfamilylegacyof TeesdaleOrchardonBackOrmond Road,whichhasbeenofferingfreshfruit straightfromitstreesataroadsideshop onthelandfornearly70years. InGisborne,theTeesdalenameis synonymouswiththeheightofsummer. EveryJanuary,theirshopcomestolife offeringpeaches,nectarines,apples,and pearsfromthebinstheywerepickedin.
Notoncehavetheybeentemptedto selltheirorchardfruittoasupermarket chain–theyprefertokeepthatdirect
connectiontothecustomer. It’sararitythesedays,asisthe preservingandchutney-makingJoanne doestomakesuretheirfruitlastsall year.“We’retheonlyonesleftwhosell everythingdirectofftheorchardtothe public.”
AndrewandJoanneboughtthe orchardoffAndrew’sDad,James(Jim) around1981or1982–thesameyear AndrewandJoanneweremarriedbut neithercanrememberwhenthatwas either.
Backthentherewerearoundsixfamily-
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LocalExpertise: We’vebeenpartoftheGisbornefarming communityforyears,providingtrustedadvice.
HelpingYouRecover: Weunderstandthechallenges you’refacing—fromCycloneGabrielle’saftermathtouncertain commodityprices.We’reheretohelpyourebuildandgrow.
TailoredFertiliserSolutions: Whetherit’ssheepandbeef ormixedcropping,wemixfertiliserstosuityourfarm’sunique requirements,usingnutrientmappingandcarefulplanning. Ensureyourfertilisergoeswhereit’sneededmost,attheright timeandtherightrate,formaximumresults.
SueQuilter 021900311 EllaKaczmar 021906086 DanParsons 021914330
AndrewandJoanneTeesdalehavesoldhalftheir orchardbutarecarryingontheirfamilytraditionwith thefinal10acres.TwoyearsonfromCycloneGabrielle thecouplesaytheyarestilllosingsomefruittrees.
ownedorchardswhosolddirecttothe public.Nowdaystheorchardsgavegotten bigger,andtheproducehasgonestraight tothesupermarket,saidAndrew.
“Herepeopleknowtheywillgetthe goodstuff.Nothingissecondgrade.”
Gizzy-famousfortheircrops,regulars oftenstopthemonthestreettoaskwhen thepeacheswillbeready.
In2019thecoupletriedtosellthe orchardsincenoneoftheirfivechildren wereinterestedintakingiton.Theyended upsellinghalfandaremanagingthelast 10acresontheirown,withonefulltime
employeeintheshop.
Thecouplesufferedheavylossesduring CycloneGabrielleandtheywereflooded fourtimesoverthetwo-weekperiod–it wasworsethanCycloneBola,saidJoanne.
TwoyearsonfromGabrielleandthe couplearestilllosingfruittreestoday–theirstonefruitcropswerehitthehardest withround30percentoftheirnectarine treeswipedout.
Othertreescontinuedtosurvivebut stoppedproducingfruitafterbeing waterloggedformonthsafterGabrielle. Theyhaven’treplantedanytreesasthey
Thiscollectionoflicenceplatesshows thedifferentcombinationsoflettersand numbersintroducedinNewZealandsince carsbegandrivingourroads.
aretryingtodownsizeanyway.Andrew is70andJoanne,64,andit’stimeforthe coupletosemi-retire.
AsidefromthefamilyorchardAndrew’s mancavehassprawledontotheproperty withacollectionof76tractors,andmost ofthemstillgetused,withtheearliest modelfrom1918.Hehaslicenceplates fromeverystateinAmericaplushasthe completehistoryofNZplates.
AndrewstilluseshisDad’stractor–a 1956modelhisDadJames/Jimboughtat thesametimeheboughtthebareland theorchardwascreatedonafterhearrived
fromScotlandbyboat.He’dmetAndrew’s motheronboard,andtheyraisedthree sonsattheorchard.
AndrewandJoanne’sfivechildrenwere raisedontheorchardtoo,andthecouple wouldworksevendaysaweekwiththe kidssometimessittingintheorchardbins sotheycouldbewatchedastheparents picked.
“Youdidwhatyouhadtodo,”said Joanne,whosaidbeingabletobeyour ownbossmadeupforthehardwork.
Theshopisopenforaroundsixmonths everyyearbetweenJanuaryandAugust.
Significantmilestone forpioneeringresearch
Thispioneeringresearch, rootedinanindigenous communityandguidedby mātaurangaMāori,hasreached asignificantmilestone.Recently, thefirstcohortofmarae-based participantsengagedinpreparatory andexperientialsessionswith mushroomextractcontaining aspecificdoseofpsilocybinat RangiwahoMarae,nearGisborne. Thismarksanimportantstepin PhaseIofthetrial.
Dr.PatrickMcHugh,lead investigatorandaddictions specialistatMātaiMedicalResearch Institute,explainedthethree-step processundertakenbyparticipants. “Thefirststepinvolvespreparation, followedbyanexperientialsession withthetaonga(mushroom). Thefinalandongoingphaseis integration-bringingtheexperience intoeverydaylifeoverthe comingweeksandmonths,”said Dr.McHugh.
communityareupheld”.
CollaborativeEffortrootedin TikangaMāori
Thestudy,namedTūWairua (standingwithstrengthandspiritual connectedness),representsa groundbreakingcollaboration amongRangiwahoMarae,Rua Bioscience,andotherresearchand healthorganisations.Theinitiative blendslocalMāoriknowledgewith cutting-edgescientificresearchto explorethetherapeuticpotential ofindigenousPsilocybefungi (taonga).
TuWairuaisundertaking cultivationtrialsoftaongavarieties withthesupportfromRua BioscienceandManaakiWhenua LandcareResearchandthe InstituteofEnvironmentalScience andResearch(ESR)isproviding analyticalsupport.Thepsilocybin usedinthistrialwassuppliedby CanadiancompanyOptimiHealth.
RuaBioscienceare proudtoannounce oursupportfora world-leadingclinical studythatharnesses thepotentialof psilocybin-containing mushroomstotreat methamphetamine addiction.
Learningsfromthisfirst phasewillguidethenextsteps, focusingontheintervention’s safety,acceptability,feasibility, andalignmentwithtikangaand mātaurangaMāori.Anna-Leigh Hodge,aregisteredhealth psychologistfromtheUniversity ofAucklandandresearcherinthe study,emphasisedtheimportance ofreflectionduringthisphase.
“ThroughoutNohoPuku(Phase I),wearecollectivelyevaluating whatwehavelearnedandwhat canbeimproved.Thisensuresthe wellbeingandmanaofparticipants, facilitators,andthebroader
“Thisinitiativeisaprofound exampleofthereclamationof mātaurangaMāori,”saidJodyToroa, atrusteeofRangiwahoMarae. “RangiwahoMaraeholdsthemauri forthiskaupapaaswecontribute tothedevelopmentofanoranga (wellbeing)modeltosupport whānaudealingwithaddictionand historicaltrauma.”
Marae-basedkaitieki(guides) havebeentrainedincollaboration withkaupapaMāoriandpsychedelic therapytrainerstoprovideculturally informedsupportforparticipants throughoutthetrial.
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