Dairy Focus AUGUST 27, 2019
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PAGE 7 FOCUS ON HINDS SELWYN
Linda Clarke
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SENIOR REPORTER
A visit to the dairy farm owned and operated by Brent and Jenny Geddes at Burnham this month was a privilege. The Geddes family has been milking cows over the generations for 80-something years and it is clear their family includes those related by blood and marriage and those who have worked at the farm for a long time. The banter between them is happy and there is obvious respect for each other, and the animals. The work-life balance is good for business clearly, with the farm achieving Legend status with Fonterra for 10 continuous years of grade-free milk. It is a status that will pay off, literally, for them. There is a lot going on for dairy
farmers at the moment on-farm with calving and winter grazing, and off-farm and out of their control in Wellington. There is Mycoplasma bovis and milk payouts to plan for or around. But Canterbury dairy farmers are amongst the best in the business and happy to share the secrets of their success. We have farmers using their agscience skills to reduce greenhouse gases and using their maths skills to gather and analyse data about their operation from the myria d technology employed on farm. I was lucky to be in Auckland to see the All Blacks thrash Australia, but the day started on an interesting note when hundreds of people holding signs encouraging people to be vegan and kind to animals, or calling for slaughterhouses to be banned, marched down the street near our hotel. I doubt any of them have stepped foot on a farm like Dryden Lodge, run by the Geddes family. Ignorance is not bliss, it’s dangerous.
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Legend status for Burnham farm By Linda Clarke Burnham dairy farmers Brent and Jenny Geddes recently joined an exclusive club of Fonterra Legends, by achieving 10 years of grade free, top quality milk. Only 34 of the cooperative’s 10,000 farms currently hold legend status and the Geddes are the only dairy farmers in Canterbury to hit the milestone. The couple, who farm in partnership with Brent’s mother Barbara, and milk 830 cows with the help of four full-time staff, were recognised at a Fonterra regional award evening recently, along with 21 farmers who achieve a gold status, which represents grade free milk for more than four years. Brent says happy cows and happy people, who pay attention to detail and follow proven processes in the dairy shed and around the farm, are key to producing consistently high-quality milk. He was proud of the farm’s grade free achievement, which started 10 years ago with
The Dryden Lodge team (from left) Rogene Wilson, Kendall Ward, Logan Thornley, Brent Geddes, Wilf Vigers, Jenny Geddes and Barbara Geddes. PHOTO LINDA CLARKE 0708-LC-0005
his late father Rob and had involved moving the herd to a new farm and shed. The family has been milking cows through the generations for 80 years. Fonterra Canterbury boss Charles Fergusson said legend status was hard to achieve. “Farmers who reach legend status have to have great processes and procedures
and be consistent in applying them. Basically, you can’t afford to make any mistakes over that 10-year period.” He said the Geddes had a passion for sustainable farming and a high level of skill when it came to producing quality milk. “Raw milk is the perfect environment to grow bacteria. It is down to the skill of the
whole operation to ensure milk quality is maintained through the harvesting and storage process.” He said a strong focus on milk quality brought a heap of benefits across the farming operation and that all farmers would learn from the co-ops legends. The Canterbury region had the lowest somatic cell
count in the country last season. “Many of our farmers produce exceptionally highquality milk and manage to avoid having any issues with producing hundreds of thousands of milksolids a year with many different factors to control, like animal health, available feed or cooling issues. At the end of each season we recognise those farmers who go that extra mile to achieve milk quality excellence.” The co-op will this season introduce a new Cooperative Difference scheme, recognising farmers who are grade free, keep their fat evaluation index at A level and maintain a somatic cell count of below 150,000. “Farmers like Brent and Jennifer are on the right track to achieving recognition.” Farmers who complete all the steps outlined in the Co-operative Difference, and achieve milk quality excellence, will be recognised with Farm Source Reward Dollars.
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Attention to detail produces quality Burnham dairy farmer Brent Geddes says his late father Rob was a great fan of the phrase, if something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly. At Dryden Lodge, just west of the military camp, Brent and wife Jenny, and his mother Barbara, milk 830 cows with that philosophy in mind. Brent says his father’s attention to detail was a key part of their goal to produce top quality milk, with a low somatic cell count. When Rob died in 2012, the family farmed on – moving from Greenpark to Burnham – and not missing a beat on Fonterra’s grade free achievement scale. A wall of the dairy shed office features their certificates of milk quality excellence and now they are Legends, representing 10 years grade free. The family has been milking cows over the generations for some 80 years. Brent said relocating the dairy business four years ago was a challenge as the herd and staff got to grips with a new rotary milking shed and other technology. He says looking after the staff, who follow time-tested processes and procedures on the farm, is half the secret to their success. Happy cows do the rest. “Dad used to say if something was worth doing, it was worth doing
properly and that is how I operate. Everything is done properly, from the stock to the staff.” Keeping, and valuing, staff is paramount and these long-serving team members teach new ones the processes and expectations. Wilf Vigers has been dairy farming all his life and came on board after Rob’s death. He has semi-retired this season, which means he starts at 9am instead of 4.30am. He says it was great to be able to
offer his experience to the family and he has enjoyed teaching the younger team members. “It was a big challenge coming here, with the technology, not having worked in a rotary shed before and putting procedures in place.” Wilf began his dairy farming career 40 years ago, milking 130 cows in a small herringbone shed. “Everything is a lot bigger now and I have enjoyed working with the young people and teaching them what I know.”
The “young people” are senior leaders Kendall Ward and Logan Thornley, and comparative newcomer Rogene Wilson. Kendall started as a relief milker at Greenpark while she was studying at Lincoln University and is now in her fourth season full-time. She sees opportunities at the farm and has aspirations of farm ownership one day. The new Burnham property has made the most of new technology, in the shed and on the farm and she has embraced it.
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milk at Dryden Lodge Left – Kendall Ward (left) and Rogene Wilson go over the procedures in the milking shed.
Right – Logan Thornley gets the afternoon milking under way.
PHOTOS LINDA CLARKE 0708-LC-0009, 0708-LC-0013
“I love the technological side of things and where that is going at the moment and coming to a shed like this has presented a lot of challenges and areas for me to learn. I also love being in the outdoors, and I love the cows.” Brent says Kendall’s attention to detail is perfect for her role in leading shed and milk hygiene. Logan started relief milking 10 years ago and came onboard fulltime after leaving school. Working as a senior staff member alongside Kendall, he
enjoys being involved in all aspects of the dairy farm. Rogene is in her second season at Burnham, having started in the industry while working on a Hinds farm. A season with LIC gave her a chance to look at how different farms worked and she was quick to message Brent when she saw him advertising for staff. She enjoys bringing in the herd and giving everyone’s favourite, No777, a good scratch. Staff work a 4-2-7-1 roster that gives them a weekend and a day off during
the week during business hours. The milking roster includes three mornings one week and four the next so the early starts are spread around. Two specialist calf rearers are employed for calving, which is well under way. Brent said looking after the people on his farm was as important as looking after the cows and the grade free Legend status was shared by all. “We couldn’t have done this without the staff and everyone taking responsibility for what they are supposed to do. Cows and people are
most important. We are not a factory farm.” He said six years grade free at Greenpark and four at Burnham proved the importance of following processes that worked for the farm. “You don’t have to be a new dairy shed for hygiene to be good.” The new block has a milking platform of 205ha, with another 20ha to run the calves on. The farm is irrigated by two centre pivots using groundwater and a small allocation from Central Plains Water; like all farmers on the irrigation scheme, they must meet water and nutrient regulations, including a Farm Environment Plan. Brent said staff had apps on their cellphones to check operations and animals all over the farm. Information from soil moisture probes informs irrigation scheduling. “When we set the farm up we tried to do everything to the best of the technology at the time.” Electronic ear tags help draft cows in the shed and Brent has been looking at the potential of cow collars, which would provide individual health information about each animal. The farm has a large effluent storage pond and the effluent is spread over the farm instead of fertiliser. A programme to plant native trees is under way.
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Winter grazing taskforce no surprise Craig Hickman
ELBOW DEEP @dairymanNZ
Last week the Minister of Agriculture announced the members of his taskforce that will investigate the practice of wintering cows on crop in Southland, their brief being to “do a stocktake of the multiple initiatives that are already under way to promote good winter grazing practices and identify why those are not currently working for all”. The issue has of course been brought to a head by environmental campaigners in Southland releasing drone footage of cows up to their hocks in mud along with pictures of cows calving in similar conditions. The reaction from farmers on twitter has been starkly divided; Southland farmers believe it is an issue for their region to tackle without interference from central government or advice from outside experts, let alone from the lone environmentalist appointed to the taskforce. They are not interested in the opinions of nonfarming urbanites whose only experience with wet weather grazing was that one time they got caught in the rain during a picnic. They seem surprised by the swift reaction from the government after such a brief spell of negative publicity and feel as though they haven’t had time to address the issues before having conditions, presumably unreasonable, forced upon them. Famers from outside the
Dairy cows on winter feed. ASHBURTON GUARDIAN
region, of which I am one, expressed surprise too. Our astonishment was that anyone could be surprised by the announcement and that it was Minister O’Connor taking the lead under the agriculture portfolio rather than Parker leading the charge as Minister for the Environment. David Parker travelled the length of the country prior to the election talking about water quality, during which he showed pictures of cows in Southland collapsing river banks as they crowded to drink, and mourning the lack of willingness from regional councils around the country to use the considerable powers at their disposal. This is far from a Southland issue, it’s a farming issue. If the public perceive an
issue with winter grazing practices then we all come under scrutiny. When irrigation was under the spotlight the public didn’t differentiate between irrigated and non-irrigated farms, every farmer was tarred with the same brush, and the same is true now. If I knew prior to the election that winter grazing in Southland was a fight waiting to happen, then the Southland Regional Council must have known well in advance of that. David Parker is not the kind of man to keep quiet when something is annoying him. The whole point of regional councils is to use their local knowledge and expertise to develop guidelines specific to their unique environmental
conditions, and when they do that there is no need for central government to get involved. That it has now escalated into an animal welfare issue as well as an environmental one is not the just fault of a drone-flying busy-body, nor is it the fault of the public for forming opinions without all the facts, the blame lies largely with the regional council for not taking steps to address issues that had been clearly signalled to them for a very long time - failing all their constituents in the process, farmers and urban dwellers alike. I know too well the frustrations of wet weather wintering and calving, but the farmers who think it’s acceptable to keep cows in those conditions must also
shoulder their share of the blame. Putting aside the futility of convening a taskforce to look into a practice that is ending just as they start their investigation, I hope the people of Southland work with the team to get the best possible outcome for them, the environment and their animals.
The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the author and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of the Ashburton Guardian Co Ltd or any employee thereof
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Selwyn Hinds farmers showcase future farming practices By Virginia Serra I came to New Zealand in 2001, and, one of the things I heard about New Zealand farmers before I arrived was that they were world leading. When I settled here in Canterbury, I found what I heard to be true in many different ways. What I’ve witnessed first-hand while working at DairyNZ is the huge commitment by dairy farmers to responsible environmental management practices through fencing off waterways, carrying out riparian planting, upgrading effluent systems and looking at how they can reduce nutrient losses. Even with all this work, we all acknowledge there is more to be done, and in my community, farmers in the Selwyn and Hinds zones in Canterbury have been set some ambitious nitrogen loss targets to meet by their local water zone committees. I’m excited to be leading a project team at DairyNZ which is supporting farmers in these zones to meet the new requirements. We’ve had 30 farmers in Selwyn and Hinds join our project to trial different ways to meet the new nitrogen loss targets. It’s great to see so many farmers willing to step up to a challenge and try something new. We know that what’s happening on farms in Selwyn and Hinds will be of interest to farmers much further afield, particularly as councils are looking at setting new nitrogen loss targets in a number of areas.
So we will be sharing the ideas coming out of our partner farms with you through this column in the future. A major focus of our project is finding the right mix of solutions for each farm. Once farmers join the project, we firstly understand how they run their farm and what they want to achieve. From that discussion together we can work out potential options and look at what will best suit their farming system. We also draw on the expertise of their farm consultants. Some of the most common tools being used to achieve nitrogen loss targets are catch crops, plantain, using winter active plants, changing fertiliser use, adjusting or modernising irrigation, and upgrading effluent systems. There are also many other options farmers are trying out. One thing I like about the project is that farmers are finding and sharing their own solutions with each other. Through discussion groups and field days, they are sharing what’s working well and what’s not, and getting advice around trialling a new crop or changing their irrigation schedule. I know many of you are already ahead of the game and are using some of these strategies on your own farm. Through this project we want to help identify a wide range of options you can use
and pinpoint which options will suit different types of farms. And I look forward to sharing more information with you as we progress. And if you’re keen to be part of the project, there is an opportunity to join as part of year two. If you farm in Selwyn or Hinds and want to find out more, please give me a ring on 021 932 515 or email virgina.serra@dairynz.co.nz
Virginia Serra is the New Systems Co-Development Lead from DairyNZ.
Virginia Serra.
Farmer Tony Coltman talking to other farmers about options at a field day held as part of the Selwyn Hinds project. PHOTO SUPPLIED
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ANIMAL WELFARE FEATURE
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Keeping it natural Calving comes and goes each season but the main focus of any farming year is a smooth transition from a dry cow to a milking cow, and getting her back in calf within an acceptable time frame. With that in mind we have a range of homeopathic products that can assist the animals’ recovery from the birthing process to best prepare them for the mating time. Homeopathic Arnica/Bellis to help the bruising of the internal organs sustained during the gestation period. Ignatia helps any stresses on the mental/emotional level when dealing with the separation of cows and calves, heifers in the springer mob for restlessness, agitation or upset and for their first time in the shed. It is important to deal with this stressful time effectively to support the animals’ emotional well being, enabling them to respond in a calmer manner.
Caulophyllum and Pyrogen are two products used to support the reproductive system as they both have specific actions in this area. Focusing on getting cows back in calf while supporting their immunity with no hassles going forward is the primary objective. Useful homeopathic products to support the immune system are Tuberculinum for the cows, Tub aviare for the calves, Herbal AB for all stock and people. To assist cycling and fertility we have homeopathic Sepia which balances the hormones making it beneficial for anoestrus cows, this product is used prior to mating. We have a free help desk available if you would like any further information or administration guidelines. Advertising feature
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Research aims to assist M. bovis eradication New research will determine if there is a better way of prioritising investigation of farms potentially infected with mycoplasma bovis. This would enable the M. bovis programme to more quickly identify infected farms and take action to accelerate eradication of the disease from New Zealand. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and its M. bovis programme partners, DairyNZ and Beef+Lamb New Zealand, have issued a request for proposals from organisations to undertake the Epidemiology Research on Risk Prioritisation project. “Farms potentially infected with M. bovis are currently prioritised for follow-up (casing) using several criteria. This research aims to determine if there is anything we can do to improve the current system, to enable the programme to more effectively prioritise farms at high risk of infection for urgent casing,” explains Dr John Roche, chairman of the M. bovis Strategic Science Advisory Group (SSAG) and MPI’s chief science adviser. Dr Roche says these high-risk farms are more likely to need animal movement controls applied to help slow the spread of the disease and speed up the eradication. New Zealand is the first country in the world to attempt to eradicate M. bovis, a bacterial disease that can cause significant animal welfare and
productivity issues, particularly in dairy cattle, including mastitis that doesn’t respond to treatment, severe lameness and late-term abortions. “This research has been identified as a priority in the mycoplasma bovis science plan, developed by the SSAG to ensure research projects are directed where they will have the most impact to accelerate eradication. It also supports recommendations made in 2 recent reviews into the M. bovis programme,” Dr Roche said. This will be a short-term project based on analysis of existing data. The M. bovis programme has allocated up to $30 million over two years for M. bovis research projects, guided by the science plan. This is part of the $870 million in funding allocated to eradicating M. bovis. The risk prioritisation research is the third science plan project to go out to market. A large number of proposals for a major diagnostic research programme are currently being evaluated, submitted from researchers based in New Zealand and overseas. Quotes to undertake a study into the direct impact of M. bovis on animals and herds are also being evaluated. The M. bovis Epidemiology Research on Risk Prioritisation request for proposals has been issued on the Government Electronic Tender Services (GETS). Applications must be received by September 18.
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ANIMAL WELFARE FEATURE
9
It’s trough cleaning time! Starting the new season with stagnant water, a mix of last season’s medication, effluent and mud combined with potentially toxic blue/green algae in your trough, isn’t best practice. Let’s face it, cleaning out water troughs is a smelly, wet, dirty and tedious job which more often than not gets pushed to the bottom of the ‘to-do’ list. RURAL WATER SERVICES bring to the farm the right equipment and a track record for working to the highest standard. Biosecurity is taken very seriously. Our vehicles carry water blasting equipment and approved XY12 disinfectant to remove any residue we may pick up as a result of work carried out. Dell-lane says Rural Water Services take Health and Safety seriously. We have comprehensive Health and Safety policies and procedures in place. Our Honda MUV700 side-by-side is real-time
GPS tracked, carries a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, and emergency locator for peace of mind. Water is the most important nutrient for dairy cattle. Twenty per cent of milk is made up of water. “It makes sense to have clean water available”, says Delllane. Synlait’s ‘Lead With Pride’ programme recognises the importance of clean water and the health benefits of best practise farming where it matters – your bottom line. Rural Water Services will also clean your water troughs nationwide by arrangement. By agreement we replace and repair faulty ball cocks. Rural Water Services also carry out water tank cleaning and servicing, water blasting and sales of Puretec CFS Filtration Systems. Phone Dell-lane at Rural Water Services to maximise rumen and reticulation health and milk composition from only $25 + GST per trough. Advertising feature
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ANIMAL WELFARE FEATURE
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A drop of milk result of due diligence Whether it’s bad news or a signal of resounding success, what’s possible from a drop of milk is ultimately good for the continued viability of the farm. Not to mention a good dose of peace-of-mind. That’s the story of Southland farming couple Rachel and Carl North, who are strong advocates for the convenience of regular herd tests and what their cows’ milk is telling them. “The cows are our major assets, and that’s the way we’ve always viewed them since our sharemilking days,” Rachel says. “Herd test information is really important to us, because we use it to monitor and manage the cows’ health. “Somatic cell counts aren’t a problem for us, and we want to keep it that way. We don’t have any need to do blanket treatment because when we get the report with all the high somatics on, we deal with the issue immediately by targeting the treatment with the vet.” While somatic cell counts haven’t been a problem for the Norths, a more sinister problem has haunted them in the recent past. “When we bought the herd we had a major Johne’s problem, and we were losing anywhere between 30 and 50 cows a year.
HERD TESTING AT THORNBURY, SOUTHLAND Rachel and Carl North, farm owners for four years. 32 aside herringbone 430 crossbred cows 511kg milksolids average per cow Low bulk milk somatic cell count Targeted dry cow therapy Milk test for Johnes disease and for pregnancy All-AB mating: Premier Sires (plus Alpha nominated) for first six weeks, followed by three weeks SGL.
Southland farmers, Carl and Rachel North.
“Then we found out about the Johne’s test, using the herd test milk. It was quite scary for us, because at first we got a long list of high-positives, positives, and suspects. “In the first year we culled all the high positives and positives, and we kept the suspects because of the inkling we might cull a healthy cow. Of the suspects we kept, they all came up positive over calving and we lost them all.” The Norths now immediately cull all their
PHOTO SUPPLIED
high-positives, positives, and suspects. “It’s heart-breaking, it’s really hard to stick a cow on the cull truck when she’s in supreme condition, doing 2.5kg milksolids, she’s fed, she’s pumping, but you know she’s got Johne’s: She’s got no future, and she’s going to do damage to the herd.” Rachel says there’s good reason to hope the disease is no longer an issue. “This year our Johne’s test results came back with no cows affected. “But we’ll keep testing – for
us it’s invaluable. We’d rather any affected animal is found out and culled humanely rather than have her get to the clinical symptoms of this awful disease and die a horrible painful death.” The Norths are big fans of herd testing for another reason. “The milk pregnancy test is so simple, non-invasive, and convenient. It’s huge value for us because the cows aren’t having to stand on the yard for up to half a day, being non-productive in the heat – and it’s not normal for them to be doing that, so they can get distressed. “Last year was our first year doing milk pregnancy testing, it was amazing because the
results just came through the post or email – we never had to take the cows out of the paddock, it just happened. “Any of the suspects we had – because of the way the dates fell – we just got the vet in for them.” Ageing the pregnancies isn’t an issue, Rachel says, because her husband Carl is disciplined with mating recordings, and dates are self-evident. “All we need to know is if she’s pregnant. We only use LIC semen – no natural mate bulls. We know if she hasn’t held to what the AB technician has done, and recorded, there’s no other way she can get incalf.” Advertising feature
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Dairy Focus
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On-farm visit for uni students By Linda Clarke Lincoln University students spent a day crunching numbers on a Mid Canterbury farm recently. The 40 second-year students, studying towards degrees in agricultural science and agricultural commerce, spent the morning touring Martin and Maree Bush’s mixed farm at Carew, before settling down in the nearby Carew Hall for lunch and an afternoon lecture. Lecturer Victoria Westbrooke said the farming couple were an ideal package, with Martin’s long farming experience and Maree’s background as an accountant. The couple have been hosting university students for five years and the 40 students represented half the class. Students were able to ask the couple questions about current practices and future goals and then used real-life examples from the farm to calculate budgets as part of a module on cashflow.
Heifers on Martin and Maree Bush’s Carew farm get inquisitive while Lincoln University students tour the property.
PHOTO LINDA CLARKE 200819-LC-0034
Martin Bush said the farm was a typical mixed farm on the Mid Canterbury plains. It was dryland until the 1970s when borderdyke irrigation came along. Some borderdykes still exist, though the farm is undergoing a four-stage development to install centre pivots. Bush said pivots were tricky because of the big pylons that ran diagonally across the farm, as part of the national electricity grid.
Rules around the pylons meant the pivots had to be placed wiper-style. He said the couple were also keen tree-growers and the shelter was important for stock on the farm. During cold weather, stock behind trees were settled and pugging of paddocks reduced. The property was once predominantly sheep and deer, and grew barley, wheat and peas but has evolved into a dairy support operation.
They still grow barley, which is sold to neighbouring dairy farmers, and they run two herds of heifers for neighbours and winter graze cows for another. A small flock of breeding ewes remains, along with some deer. Bush said the property had not been affected by the cattle disease mycoplasma bovis, but like all farming properties was working to reduce nitrate leaching and greenhouse gases, and improve its
environmental footprint. The students were keen to know how he handled cows in wet conditions, given the recent nationwide focus on winter grazing. Bush said he split the cows into smaller mobs to avoid muddy conditions underfoot, and shifted them on a daily basis; twice a day in the wet. Animal welfare was an important aspect of the operation, given dairy farmers’ high expectations around weight gain, he said.
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advertisingpr The sweet smell of effluent ponds
Please check your proof carefully and approve it or submit corrections by the Final Proof Alte
As the environmental consultant of Sustainable Water 2019 Ltd, Ashburton’s Mike Harrison is on the ground every day witnessing the challenges dairy farmers encounter with their effluent ponds. And with so much riding on the ponds performing as they are intended, any issues need to be fixed as quickly as possible. “One predominant problem we are seeing is a build-up of solids in farmers’ effluent ponds,” Mike says. “As Canterbury has a high number of dual-pond effluent systems, where the solids are separated from the liquid before it is irrigated to pasture with a pivot irrigator, this issue can be particularly impactful.” Mike says the only option available to farmers is to engage a pumping contractor to empty the pond and spread it on the farm. “One client was required to pay $45,000 to have their effluent pond emptied, so you can see that the cost can be considerable,” Mike says.
You can now approve or submit changes to your ad within the ATOL system at a time that suits you. Just follow th
work Slurry hasyour ad, then click the APPROVE or CORRECTIONS button right from there - no new email in yourusing ad proof emailBugs to view left Forward Farming with a customer SUSTAINABLE WATER LTD publishing 05/03/18 booked size 12.00 X 2.0 clear idea of the composition advert ID AU-7985443AA (100%) publication NZ DAIRY FARMER dimensions 8.8X12, cms wid of good and bad effluent, and section BUSINESS DIRECTORY proofed 20/02/2018 11:1 what makes it so in the first place. We’ve found that a healthy effluent pond is clear and free FORWARD from crust, and when irrigated David Law FARMING to pasture, is light-colored-toclear with very little oudour. In contrast, an effluent pond “It’s also an ongoing cost; with crusting demonstrates you can expect to have to that the effluent within creating a crust-free pond with crust and later, the sludge. de-sludge and empty your If the good bugs aren’t is tending towards poor; clear, processed effluent that is effluent pond once every five underneath the crust is a ready for soil to readily absorb. present, you must introduce years. In contrast, a lower pH them in the short term – we section of “dead water”, and, “Around $2,000 to $10,000 pond (under 7) encourages use Slurry Bugs – and follow at the bottom of the pond, a per year is a considerable the dominance of anaerobic up with a review of the farm’s sludgy build up. sum to come up with, as it’s bacteria, resulting in crusting, biology in order to improve Poor effluent, which usually not budgeted for.” thick, undigested effluent and the conditions in which the contains elevated levels of It’s clear that the way the blocked up irrigators. good bugs thrive. methane and nitric oxide as majority of farmers are It can be hard to “read” This is a process that the unprocessed solids, is dark maintaining their effluent an effluent pond that uses a Forward Farming team and strong smelling when ponds is just not sustainable – solids separator or weeping specialises in and we are keen financially or environmentally. irrigated to pasture. wall, so in these cases a pH to help. What makes the effluent With that in mind, Mike test will determine if your “good” or “bad” is determined contacted the Forward The views, opinions, positions pond is dominated by aerobic by the pH of the pond, and Farming team to investigate or strategies expressed by the or anaerobic bacteria. what type of bacteria thrives longer-term solutions to Also, it is important to note author and those providing within those conditions. farmers’ effluent woes. A pond with a pH of 7.4 is that stirring a pond does Although farmers work with comments are theirs alone, and do ideal to create a healthy pond not change the biological effluent every day, few fully not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies in which aerobic, or “good” make-up of the pond - it understand just how much it of the Ashburton Guardian Co bacteria thrive, naturally simply disrupts the job of impacts their farm business. Ltd or any employee thereof digesting the pond’s solids and the aerobic bacteria to eat the Years of research and field
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The immediate cause of your pond crust is pathogenic bacteria in the effluent. These bacteria separate the effluent fibres and then send them to the surface to form the crust. How do you counter these bad bugs? With good bugs. That’s what Slurry Bugs are - helpful bacteria that 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.
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Stuff makes every effort to create advertisements to meet your specific needs. Please note in some instances we may be unable to supply additional proofs due to complexity of the request or deadline constraints © This advertisement has been created as a service of Stuff. It cannot be reproduced without permission. If you wish to use this material elsewhere, please contact your sales support coordinator. Charges will apply.
NEW eco-friendly sanitiser
Most farmers use Chlorine to clean their sheds. Problem is, Chlorine also kills the Slurry Bugs. But now, there’s a new Chlorine free sanitiser that kills pathogens 2.46x better than Chlorine but leaves these good Slurry Bugs alone! It’s called DX50. To fix your pond without expensive machinery, go to www.forwardfarming.co.nz to read more or call Mike Harrison on 027 663 1039.
14
Dairy Focus
www.guardianonline.co.nz
Farmers working for environment I’ve noticed that whenever somebody tries to suggest that blaming farmers for the “end of the world” is misguided, there is an avalanche of venom and public backlash. What I find particularly frustrating about this criticism is the lack of rational and knowledgeable discussion based on the reality of nature - such as the process of taking carbon from the atmosphere to grow vegetation. It’s called photosynthesis and is the basis of life. When it comes to the debate about climate change it is an indisputable scientific fact that all vegetation, whether grass, crops or trees, takes carbon dioxide from the Ian Mackenzie.
PHOTO SUPPLIED
atmosphere to grow. All plant material is pretty much 50 per cent carbon and all carbon comes from the atmosphere. This means if you grow a crop that yields 20t of dry matter (DM), which is the dehydrated plant material, then that crop will have to have taken some 20t of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to make that 20t of DM. Everything from wool to leather, to meat and milk produced on farm from animals eating that vegetation, and grain, seeds and fodder is made up of approximately 50 per cent carbon. If we are exporting more carbon from our farms (in the form of food, fibre, grain, seeds, fodder and emissions) than our crops are taking from the atmosphere, then the system would collapse. Farmers understand photosynthesis because their livelihoods depend on it. Unfortunately, many people, including politicians, don’t because their livelihood
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depends on their ability to blame a minority for all the problems of the majority. Hence the venom, the taxes and all the other rubbish farmers are facing. The politicians justify their position by focussing on the emissions from agriculture (methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide) but give no credit for the carbon dioxide that these crops have taken from the atmosphere to generate those emissions in the first place. Agriculture’s net contribution to climate change is minimal at worst and many farming systems such as arable and horticulture will be in credit. So, when the government, the ICCC, Greenpeace and all the other anti-farming, anti-science, anti-reality folks blame farmers for climate change - and label us as the biggest polluters of the atmosphere - they are, to put it politely, lying. We are in fact, along with forestry, the only industries that take carbon from the atmosphere.
And yet our emissions are measured as if they are the same as those from transport, construction and manufacturing; industries that clearly do not take carbon from the atmosphere. If New Zealand is serious about contributing to stopping climate change then we have to acknowledge this and focus on the real causes of climate change - no matter how unpopular this is with the politicians. PS if you want to rate integrity of purpose in saving the world in this era of climate change emergencies, look at the uniforms organisations issue their staff. It is notable many who should know better wear nylon fleecies!
The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the author and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of the Ashburton Guardian Co Ltd or any employee thereof
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Big policy changes in the pipeline There is much policy work going on in Wellington at the moment that will impact farmers on the ground and how land, water, and farming systems are managed in the future. The proposals around lowering greenhouse gas emissions (climate change mitigation) have been widely reported in the media, but there are also other big changes coming. The Government released a discussion document recently about a proposed national policy statement for highly productive land (NPSHPL). The NPSHPL would seek to recognise the full range of benefits and values associated with the use of highly productive land for primary production; maintain the availability of highly productive land for primary production for future generations; and protect highly productive land from inappropriate subdivision, use, and development. Highly productive land is generally classified using the Land Use Capability system,
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but the proposal widens that definition to allow the inclusion of land with special characteristics (for instance special gravels for viticulture) and, importantly, water availability. It is fantastic that water availability is being recognised as an important factor in land productivity potential. Consultation on the proposed NPSHPL is open until October 10 and more information can be found on the Ministry for Primary Industries website. The Government is also consulting on the development of a new national Biodiversity Strategy. The strategy will guide the Government’s approach to biodiversity over the next 50 years.
PHOTO ASHBURTON GUARDIAN
Once the strategy is set, a proposed National Policy Statement for Biodiversity will be released later this year. The discussion document considers things like – incentives for nature protection and biodiversity restoration on private land; targeting specific land and freshwater pest species; and a work programme to investigate and implement nature-based solutions to climate change. All of these will have implications for land-owners and water users.
More information on the proposals can be found on the Department of Conservation website. Some parts of the Biodiversity Strategy are designed to work in tandem with the changes to freshwater policy that will be released sometime in the coming months, as part of the Essential Freshwater package that was announced last year. The Government has signalled that there will be changes to yet another National Policy Statement – the NPS for Freshwater
Management. More information about that can be found on the Ministry for the Environment website. National Policy Statements are important parts of the planning framework because they guide and direct what regional, district, and unitary authorities do in developing regional and local policies and regulations. Nominations have also now closed for the local body elections being held in October. It will be up to these local bodies to implement these significant national policy developments, so it is critical everyone gets out and votes, and understands what their candidates’ positions are on these important matters that will shape the future of our natural resources. The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the author and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of the Ashburton Guardian Co Ltd or any employee thereof.
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Dairy Focus
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Opt in if you’re under surveillance Mid Canterbury farmers under active surveillance for the cattle disease mycoplasma bovis are being encouraged to opt in for a call or visit from the Farmers Assistance Programme. The programme offers farmer-to-farmer help for those under active surveillance and worried about their status escalating. Farmers can talk through what happens next and be prepared. The Ministry for Primary Industries is committed to eradicating the disease, tracing infected cattle and depopulating farms confirmed as having M. bovis. As at August 9, 72 farms in the Ashburton district were under active surveillance and 25 were under notice of direction, restricting movements. There are two active farms in the district, while 24 have been cleared. The Farmers Assistance Programme was set up to help farmers understand the process that followed a call from MPI to say they are on active surveillance. Team members work with MPI, Rural Support Trust and the industry bodies to make sure farmers have the information and help they need and support them through the active surveillance stage as quickly and smoothly as possible. The programme is being trialled for three months in the Ashburton District and may be rolled out nationwide if it is successful. Programme co-ordinator Tineka Johnstone said the programme was a muchneeded link in the chain for farmers under active surveillance. “The farmer can choose to be contacted by a member of the
PHOTO ASHBURTON GUARDIAN
FAP team, who will meet with them to provide clarity over the testing process, provide them with factual information to make decisions and talk through the next steps.” She said the team could assist farmers with their NAIT system, liaise with MPI at a regional and national level, and problem solve if any issues arose during the testing process. The Farmers Assistance Programme is funded by MPI, but under the direction of Federated Farmers and supported by industry partners. It is a three-month trial and if it is successful it will be looked at being implemented nationwide. WHO ARE WE? Tineka Johnstone and her husband manage a 1100ha angus beef farm on Banks Peninsula, complemented with a fattening block at Methven.
Tineka is proficient in farm accounting and compliance software and has worked with farmers teaching them how to use computers through the RMPP programme. Tineka also has an event management business and coordinates South Island Agricultural Field Days every second year. Her and her husband Tony have three children and live in Wainui. Jodie Loos, Equity Dairy Farmer together with her husband, run a 200ha farm and 100ha run-off based in Hororata with 700 cows and young stock. Jodie is hands-on within their farming business working within their team on a daily basis. Jodie has a healthcare background with experience in mental health, IT, and administration. Jodie has a strong focus on community, and is heavily involved in her local area
community groups, and together with her husband has two boys. Emma Bedford and her husband George live in Dorie on their 350ha farm, predominantly farming sheep, crop and dairy support. Emma has an administration background, managing the administration side of the farm, and lending a hand on the farm when needed, along with running her own small business part time, and looking after their three young children. Emma also has a strong community focus, being involved in community groups including being a member of the local preschool board. Monica Mattushek and her husband are hands-on equity partners in a 1050 cow dairy farm at Te Pirita, Canterbury. Prior to hands-on farming Monica used to be an Agri Bank Manager for National Bank and ANZ and she
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is currently completing a Governance and Leadership Development course through Westland Milk Products. Monica’s key strengths are finance, compliance and NAIT. Monica and her husband Shaun have two children. Katie Flett and her husband Hamish are 50:50 sharemilkers on a 625 cow farm near Temuka, South Canterbury. Katie’s 15-year involvement in dairying started by learning the industry from the ground up and now is actively involved as a handson farmer and business administrator. Katie has been involved in dairy industry groups as a convenor, farmer participant and advocate over the years. Katie’s strengths are problem solving, is a good communicator and has good practical dairy knowledge of most farming systems. Katie and Hamish have four children.
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Growing heifers for the long term Well-grown heifers produce more milk, compete better with mature cows and survive longer in the herd, so food and nutrition is vital from a young age. Well managed ryegrass pastures are a complete diet for heifers at all stages of life, including leafy kikuyu pastures. DairyNZ says heifers should be fed diets of 10.5MJ ME and the appropriate protein to ensure that they meet liveweight targets. Heifer liveweight gain is the best indication of meeting nutritional requirements as well as adequate minerals and water provision. Farmers should focus on meeting key weight-for-age liveweight targets for heifers rather than a particular pattern of weight gain. Nutrition pre-puberty (before 50 per cent mature liveweight) is where skeletal growth is influenced, if R2 heifers are significantly shorter than mature cows pre-calving it will be due to feed management prepuberty.
fed for the past 6-8 weeks where body weight relative to liveweight targets is how well the heifer has been fed over her life.
The required protein percentage of the diet declines as the heifer gets heavier because the relative weight gain slows down. For example, a heifer would double her liveweight in her first three months of life, but typically it takes another nine months before she doubles her weight again. Nutritional stages Weaning to nine months of age: Focus on lean growth (muscle and skeletal) and not overly fat heifers, achieving
30 per cent mature liveweight at six months. Lean growth results in increased frame size while maintaining a consistent body condition score. Improved skeletal development results in taller heifers that experience fewer calving difficulties. Rumen capacity can limit at this age so high energy and high protein diets are critical. Try to capitalise on energy efficiency when heifers are young. From nine months to mating at 15 months of age:
Focus on heifers achieving puberty (43-47 per cent mature liveweight) one to two months pre-mating and continued growth to mating (60 per cent mature liveweight at 15 months) to improve conception rates. 15 months of age to 24 months: Liveweight should be gained over this year targeting 90 per cent of mature liveweight at 22 months and 5.5 body condition score pre-calving. Cow condition reflects how well an animal has been
Heifers and crops or supplements Supplementing pasture may be required to maintain heifer growth. If pasture is limited, it is cost effective to feed heifers crops and supplements. Supplements for pasture diets should contain at least 11 MJ ME/kg dry matter and crude protein suitable to meet the animal’s nutritional stage. Animals may gain slightly more weight from supplement feeding, but the weight gain is rarely economical. Supplementation may be justified if heifers are behind liveweight targets and need to achieve weight-for-age targets before the end of a contract. Short-term supplement feeding can also be beneficial if it helps increase pasture growth rates to fill feed shortfalls and reduce the amount of supplement needed overall.
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18
Dairy Focus
FEED AND NUTRITION MANAGEMENT FEATURE
www.guardianonline.co.nz
Ryegrass at the right time
Growing good heifers builds your herd for the future.
Want more high quality pasture? Get to know the biology of ryegrass and learn the finer points on how to grow it well, says DairyNZ. A perennial ryegrass pasture is made up of a population of individual plants, each plant is made up of a number of tillers. Each tiller can only maintain three live leaves. Each leaf will develop from the growing point at the base of the tiller. The ryegrass growing point is at the base of the plant where it is not damaged from grazing. Each tiller is capable of producing new or daughter tillers. These daughter tillers produce a new plant. Sunlight provides the basic food for ryegrass plants.
Light energy is captured and used by leaves for photosynthesis, providing energy for plant growth. Grazing or harvesting pasture removes the ryegrass leaves and deprives the plant of light energy, the plants primary food source.
“
ASHBURTON GUARDIAN
any time, when the next leaf appears, the previous leaf has stopped growing. How quickly do leaves grow? The time it takes for a tiller to produce a new leaf is largely dependent on temperature and moisture.
The growing point is found at the base of the tiller, close to the soil surface where it won’t be damaged during grazing, allowing the tiller to regrow. Perennial ryegrasses mainly reproduce through daughter tillers which become
Spring and autumn are key periods of tillering. Every time a new leaf is produced, a new tiller bud is produced
However, ryegrass leaves have a limited lifespan regardless of grazing. Ryegrass is termed a ‘three leaf plant’ because each tiller generally sustains a maximum of three live leaves. There is always only one leaf growing in each tiller at
Ryegrass grows best in the range 5°C-18°C. In midspring a new leaf may grow every eight days while in midwinter this time will increase significantly. A ryegrass tiller has a growing point from which new leaves grow.
separated from the parent tiller and result in a new plant. Each tiller must leave behind one offspring. Few new ryegrass plants emerge in established pasture through seed germination under existing management.
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The perennial nature of ryegrass depends on tillering as a tiller only lives for one year. Spring and autumn are key periods of tillering. Every time a new leaf is produced, a new tiller bud is produced. It stays dormant until the right conditions come for it to grow. Autumn tillers are the one that will grow your winter and summer pastures. The spring tillers will grow your spring, summer, and autumn pastures. The live ryegrass leaf is the nutritious and most easily digestible part of the plant. It is easily digested by the cow and can therefore sustain high levels of milk solids. Advertising feature
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FEED AND NUTRITION MANAGEMENT FEATURE
19
Roll out the red carpet
Morrow and Shogun, three years after sowing.
High-energy red clover delivers a double gain for farmers looking to improve both animal performance and soil nutrient management this season. That’s the advice from a pasture systems specialist as soil temperatures warm up and spring sowing approaches. With the best nutritional value of any forage, plus the ability to naturally fix 200kg/ha nitrogen (N) a year, red clover is indispensable for legume-rich, environmentally friendly pasture, Blair Cotching says. Now a new multi-stemmed red clover is available that combines high yield with improved grazing tolerance. Morrow has been bred and tested in New Zealand by Barenbrug Agriseeds, where Blair leads the pasture systems team. Morrow comes from a tough family. Most red clovers would not last long under intensive rotational grazing on light, summer dry North Island soils. But Morrow’s parents did. Over time, they adapted, survived and stood out as good growers, even after drought, Blair says. Plant breeders at Barenbrug Agriseeds selected the best of these genetics for improved yield, persistence and flowering to create a multi-stemmed red clover for good production and very good persistence under grazing. “Like all red clovers Morrow will persist best on free-draining soils under a longer summer grazing round,” Blair says. It has topped Barenbrug Agriseeds
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plant density trials, which measure how many red clover plants are left after two to three years in intensively grazed trials. “In addition, Morrow fixes its own nitrogen, feeding it naturally into pasture systems in a slow and continual way. This will be ever more important to provide N on farm, as fertiliser comes under increasing environmental scrutiny.” Morrow can fix over 200kg N/ha per year, based on its yield (25-30kg N/ha per tonne of DM grown). Another important benefit of red clover is the increased clover root weevil tolerance over white clover, improving species diversity and legume content in farm pastures. For best results, Blair recommends sowing 6kg/ha coated Morrow seed. “Red clover doesn’t spread like white clover – the number of plants you establish at sowing determines your total red clover content, so it’s better to sow one paddock at 6kg/ha than two paddocks at 3kg/ha.” It has an excellent fit with a wide range of other pasture cultivars, including Shogun hybrid ryegrass, Captain CSP plantain and perennial ryegrasses such as Trojan and Viscount. It can also be planted as a straight sward. Morrow is available now for spring sowing.
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20
Dairy Focus
FEED AND NUTRITION MANAGEMENT FEATURE
www.guardianonline.co.nz
Treat your cows like sports stars Enerpro Feeds calf specialist Julie French likens cows to elite athletes, training begins early and they need to eat well to perform at high levels. Calving is always a busy time of the year so it was vital farmers and calf rearers had a plan from the start, she said. “If you want to achieve an elite athlete in the herd, you need to treat them like one growing up. No one runs a one-minute mile without training for it and what we ask of our cows is high production. They need to be at peak performance to be profitable. “You cannot expect to have an underachieving calf, not achieving optimum growth, to then be a productive cow in the milking herd.” Julie has had first-hand experience of farm life and raising calves. She grew up on a high country station at Tekapo and has been involved in the calf rearing business, from small mobs to large operations. “I really honed in on the growth and special needs of calves every day.” She sees raising elite calves as a way to influence the future of the herd over many years, not just as a seasonal job. “You get the opportunity to raise milkers for the future and to make them profitable and there are not many industries where you can do that. My focus has always been on the performance of calves and making sure they are fed well for development and growth, so they can step forward in the herd and be strong.” Enerpro Feeds makes a special calf meal that is available in two protein levels
Julie French joined the Enerpro Feeds team in April as a calf specialist and territory manager.\
(20 per cent and 16 per cent protein). The calf meal is suitable for feeding to calves from day one through to after weaning. The company makes feed for all dairy cows and is able to customise blends to suit stock and pasture conditions throughout the season. “We can make up a blend to suit cows’ needs that season,
ENERPRO Calf Meals have been developed to provide a highly palatable and well balanced calf feed supplement. Our premium quality calf meals have been manufactured to the highest standard using top quality ingredients to ensure that early Rumen Development and optimal growth is achieved.
so there is no lag.” Julie said maintaining feed levels was vital for cows to consistently produce high levels of milk. Feed blends were useful to deal with climate extremes. “In a wet spell or a dry spell, production of milk will drop. Farms can add an Enerpro customised blend to keep production up.”
She said the value of lost milk production during these times could be offset by the gains made by using animal feed. “If you know your grass is dropping you can add more oomph through a quality blend. Once a cow starts to drop it is hard to get her back up again.” Enerpro Feeds uses locally
PHOTO LINDA CLARKE 230819-LC-0299
grown wheat, grains and barley along with imported ingredients in its animal feed, which is manufactured at its Ashburton plant. The company was set up by husband and wife team Noel and Nikki Dew in 2014 and can supply feed all around the South Island. Advertising feature
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21
Mediation cost worries sharemilkers The sharemilkers’ section of Federated Farmers strongly supports the Farm Debt Mediation Bill (No 2) but would like to see changes to ensure a borrower isn’t shut out of the process because they can’t afford it. The legislation could make it compulsory for lenders to make funds available to farmers to fund their share of mediation costs, sharemilkers chairperson Richard McIntyre told the Primary Production Select Committee recently. Alternatively, it could require the lender to fund the mediation, “which we, as a sector, would no doubt fund indirectly through increased fees”. McIntyre said experience showed that the formal dispute resolution process in sharemilking contracts is not always followed due to the financial imbalance that often exists between a farm owner and sharemilker, with the latter unable to afford their share of the cost. “Sadly, the resulting outcome is often less than fair.”
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right to mediation with their lender due to an inability to fund their required share of the mediation. As a result, the process may in effect become voluntary on the part of the lender, as in most cases they hold the purse strings and therefore decide whether or not to make the money available to pay for the mediation,” McIntyre said. NZ First MP Mark Patterson said the average cost of mediation was around $6000. Sharemilkers may be “first cab off the rank” if banks look to rein in their exposure on agricultural debt, McIntyre said. “Sharemilkers are future farm owners, but higher risk. When banks are looking to increase their market share in the dairy industry, they will gladly take on sharemilker debt. However, when they are feeling over-exposed and are looking to reduce their level of dairy debt, it’s the sharemilkers who feel it first.”
Sharemilkers should not be shut out of mediation if they can’t afford it, says Richard McIntyre. PHOTO SUPPLIED
Federated Farmers doesn’t want to see the same thing happen with farm debt mediation, particularly when banks can have control over
a farmer’s or sharemilker’s overdraft. “Our concern is that financially distressed sharemilkers will waive their
The Sharemilkers Section and its parent body, Federated Farmers of New Zealand, want the Bill to proceed but are seeking changes, including that mediators are suitably qualified and experienced not only in mediation but also in agricultural and rural sectors, provision for multiple parties to a mediation, and for an independent party to appoint an appropriate mediator. Answering an MP’s question, McIntyre said it would be useful for a mediator to ask a borrower about their mental health. Pressure on finances can involve “a great deal of emotion, stress and sleepless nights”. The point at which compulsory mediation is triggered by the proposed legislation should be set earlier, such as an unachievable condition for example, a significant clampdown on an overdraft facility that makes it impossible for the business to pay wages and operating costs, he said.
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What causes thin soles? Are thin soles a result of too much wear or a lack of growth? This may seem a strange question. Is it not the same thing? If the wear and the growth is out of balance you will either have hooves that are too thick or too thin. So, it must be both. Too much wear and not enough growth instead of either/or. What does it matter? I think it is an important question to think about. Most people that I talk with about lameness and thin soles believe that soles are thin because the cows walk too far. When the cows walk over the tracks the hooves will wear, therefore we conclude that the further they walk the more they wear and the thinner the soles become. It is certainly possible that the hooves wear faster than they can grow. This is evident when cows are introduced to new concrete in a new barn or when bulls are introduced to the herd and the associating new life-style of walking on the track.
Fred Hoekstra
VEEHOF DAIRY SERVICES
However, I don’t believe this to be a major consideration in our pasture-based farming systems in New Zealand. That is why I would like to introduce you to a different perspective. I believe that understanding what is really going on will help us to manage our cows better. So, let’s examine whether or not the hooves are wearing too fast. If hooves are wearing too fast for the corium (live tissue in the foot that grows the hoof) to keep up with, then there should be a number of cows in the herd that have soles totally worn away, shouldn’t there? However, we only see that with those animals that I mentioned earlier who are introduced to abrasive walking
Hooves adapt to their environment, but need their share of nutrients. PHOTO ASHBURTON GUARDIAN
surfaces, we don’t see it in our cows that have been in those environments for longer periods. The reason for this, is that the corium is not limited to one growth speed. It is very similar to callus growth in our hands or on our feet. If your job is working behind the computer every day you will have less calluses in your hands than someone who is working with a shovel every day. If you start working with a shovel without calluses in your hands you are going to get blisters. However, if you keep at it, your hands will adapt to the new environment and you will grow calluses and blisters will
stay away. If you decide after a year or so that you have had enough of shovel work and you go back to working behind the computer, you will lose the calluses again. Your hands will re-adapt to the computer environment. You can see this principle of adaption everywhere in creation. Even to the point that if we poison bacteria for long enough we end up with penicillin-resistant bacteria. That is adaptation too. If cows are walking long distances the hooves will adapt to that no problem, unless there is another factor at play. My hypothesis is that the reason some farms in NZ deal with thin soles is not because
the hooves are wearing too fast but something is holding the corium back from responding properly. I don’t know for sure what that is, but I believe it may well have its roots in a lack of (certain) nutrients. If there is a limited amount of nutrients going into the cow then all the organs in the body have to go onto a rationing process. That would explain why soles go thin but they don’t wear through because the corium does what it needs to do, but only at the bare minimum. The best way to combat this would be by abandoning the idea of controlled starvation. Give it some thought and let me know what you think. I would love to hear from you fred@veehof.co.nz The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the author and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of the Ashburton Guardian Co Ltd or any employee thereof
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23
Farmers trial nitrate soil sensors By Heather Chalmers Mid Canterbury growers will be some of the first to trial United States-developed wireless soil sensors which provide continuous and realtime data on nitrate uptake and nutrient leaching. The Teralytic soil probes are being trialled in New Zealand’s potato growing regions, with 120 arriving in September. This follows a smaller-scale trial last season. Teralytic founder and chief executive Steve Ridder told the Potatoes NZ Inc conference in Christchurch that the agri-tech firm started three years ago to provide real-time information about what was happening in the soil. Until now, most soil management was based on modelling, or calendars. In contrast, the probes provide continual data before and while a crop was being grown, optimising on-farm management as well as providing aggregated data for environmental compliance. “So growers know what is happening beneath the
asualty
A Teralytic probe.
ground and can make real-time decisions.” The probes, which stand about 1.2 metres tall are simple to install and get started. “Just put the probe in the ground and turn it on.” Probes wirelessly send a range of surface, soil and air quality measurements back to growers, including nitrogen, phosphate and potassium levels, soil moisture, soil
PHOTO SUPPLIED
temperature and humidity readings, as well as pH levels. Each probe, built to remain in the field all season, has a total of 26 sensors placed at depths of 15cm, 45cm and 90cm. “The first two depths are for on-farm management, while the lowest depth is for compliance, such as measuring any leaching,” Ridder said. Probes take a sample reading
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every 15 minutes, sending the information wirelessly to cloud servers where it is analysed. Farmers receive real-time and predictive information to help in decision making. Growers pay a subscription of $US500 a sensor a year, with about two a paddock recommended. Assisting the New Zealand trials was Teralytic director of operations and Australasia Lachlan Turley, the company’s only employee outside of the US and originally from Temuka where his parents are potato growers. Ridder said Teralytic wanted the probe readings to replicate those of a standard soil laboratory report. “We are starting to do a lot of modelling to enhance decision-making, so growers can be proactive in getting ahead of nutrient deficiency problems. “The probes build a picture by the hour, day and month. You can see how nutrients in a paddock change over time, rather than possibly just one snapshot a year.” Consumers also wanted
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more transparency and were not just looking at the nutrient levels of food, but whether “the healthy food was grown in a healthy environment”. This compared with the more typical anecdotal approach of growers talking about their sustainability programme, with no way to link back to the actual crop and how much water and fertiliser was used, Ridder said. Potatoes NZ chief executive Chris Claridge said that of the 120 probes being trialled, 60 would go to Plant and Food Research at Lincoln to check their accuracy against standard soil testing and under New Zealand conditions. The other 60 probes will be deployed in the three main potato growing regions Pukekohe, the central-lower North Island and Canterbury. Probe data was owned by potato growers and would not be supplied to regional councils, Claridge said. “We are interested in aggregate data. Individual field data doesn’t tell us a lot. We are looking at the overall regional footprint in terms of nitrate emissions.”
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