CountryLife | 8 June 2018

CountryLife Friday June 8, 2018

Bring it on

Next Wednesday, June 13, will see the opening of the 50th New Zealand Agricultural Fieldays – the largest agri-event in the Southern Hemisphere – at Mystery Creek. See page 2 for more.

CountryLife – 1

JUNE 2018

2 – CountryLife

Friday June 8, 2018

Fieldays celebrates golden milestone

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the New Zealand Agricultural Fieldays ®, now a far cry from its humble beginnings at the Te Rapa Racecourse in 1968.

Fieldays ® quickly outgrew this venue thanks to its immediate success and organisers purchased the current Mystery Creek site in 1970, financed by a 100 per cent mortgage secured against the organising committee’s personal assets and farms. The event’s tangible assets were listed as just one coil of copper wire, but their faith in the event was rock solid.

The current Mystery Creek site has been developed over the years, with Fieldays developing into the largest agri-business expo in the Southern Hemisphere.

And it’s not just big for the rural community.

An economic impact report released earlier this year, prepared by independent economist Dr Warren Hughes and Professor Frank Scrimgeour of the University of Waikato Management School’s Institute of Business Research, highlighted a significant increase in Fieldays’ contribution to the New Zealand economy.

The report found that Fieldays broke the half-billion-dollar barrier for the first time last year, generating $538M in sales revenue for New Zealand firms – up by $108M from 2016.

And the event’s brand value has increased from $380M 2016 to $465M in 2017.

Dr Warren Hughes commented that the 2016 figures reflect the effects of two years of low dairy payouts, while 2017 showed renewed confidence and increased expenditure in the

Visitors will flock to Fieldays from around the country and overseas, as the iconic event marks its 50th anniversary next week.

dairy sector.

ANZ Chief Economist Cameron Bagrie commented on a strong rural community across the board. “It’s going to be a big economic tailwind for New Zealand over the next two to three years,” Bagrie said. This is evident in the creation of over 2,300 full time equivalent jobs in 2017, up from 2,021 in 2016. Of those, 900 were created in the Waikato alone, a 27 per cent increase on the previous year.

These jobs have been sustained either side of the four-day event, including site preparations, freight and hospitality, with the report showing that for every dollar spent during the event another $1.37 of sales revenue is generated somewhere else in the New Zealand economy.

New Zealand National Fieldays Society CEO Peter Nation said the organisation is pleased to see Fieldays create so many full-time jobs.

“We are crucially aware that many businesses and families rely heavily on Fieldays as a large part of their annual livelihood.

“The spin off to the food and beverage, accommodation and service industry, particularly in the Waikato is great. As Fieldays grows so do the service industries that supply our exhibitors and their businesses,” Nation said.

Overall the Fieldays event has generated $238M to New Zealand’s GDP, an increase of 24.7per cent over the 2016 year which was, of course, a low spending year for the primary sectors.

Since the release of the report, the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak has changed the farming landscape, and no doubt commentators will be waiting to see if it has a chilling effect on

spending at this year’s Fieldays. No doubt it will be a hot topic of conversation.

“The spin off to the food and beverage, accommodation and service industry, particularly in the Waikato is great. As Fieldays grows so do the service industries that supply our exhibitors and their businesses,” Nation said.

Overall the Fieldays event has generated $238M to New Zealand’s GDP, an increase of 24.7 per cent over the 2016 year which was a low spending year for the primary sectors.

Since the release of the report, the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak has changed the farming landscape, and commentators will be waiting to see if it has a chilling effect on spending at this year’s Fieldays. No doubt it will be a hot topic of conversation.

Economic analysis of Fieldays 2017 • For every one of the 133,588 visitors through the gate $4000 in sales was generated.

• Every entry through the gate by a visitor from outside the Waikato region generates $317 spent in the Waikato hospitality sector.

• Every dollar spent during Fieldays, whether on accommodation, equipment sales, infrastructure etc generated another $1.37 of sales revenue somewhere else in the New Zealand economy.

• Sales at Fieldays increased by 30 per cent per site in 2017.

• 81 per cent of patrons rated Fieldays as the most important or equally important annual event in New Zealand.

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Mycoplasma bovis – a local story

By Claire Castle Around 700 people packed into the Don Rowlands Centre in Karapiro recently, anxious to hear an update on the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak that has now reached Cambridge.

Understandably concerned, the crowd of farmers and other interested parties heard from a panel of experts from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), Dairy NZ, Federated Farmers, Beef + Lamb NZ and the Rural Support Trust.

Roger Smith, MPI’s chief operating officer, said it had been 309 days since the first phone call had alerted the ministry to the possibility of an outbreak. “And now, 309 days later, we’re still trying to identify where it is.

“How communities respond to this is how well communities will come out of this,” he added, stressing that it was not the fault of the farmers whose animals were affected.

Hearing first hand from the panel, which included MPI incident response controller and vet, Dr Eve Pleydell, about the difficulty of even obtaining a definitive diagnosis of M. bovis, the scale of the problem became obvious over the course of the hour-long presentation, with

farmers seemingly unimpressed by MPI’s handling of the situation.

The floor was opened up to questions, with Cambridge farmer Henk Smit first at the microphone, advising it was his Roto-O-Rangi farm that has tested positive for M. bovis. Henk talked about his journey and told of his frustrations with MPI. The outbreak has caused a number of animals to be stranded due to the restricted movement notice placed on the three farms Henk is associated with, and the farmer was scathing in his assessment of how this was handled. Henk said it was only thanks to a good relationship with a vet at MPI, who used to be his vet in Southland 25 years ago, that he was getting information from the ministry, which he described as a “black box”. He also told the audience of the paper nightmare that has unfolded since diagnosis, including some cows stranded in Te Kuiti and subsequently killed. Henk had a permit to move the animals, however his Maungatautari farm’s status changed from being under a Notice of Direction on the Thursday when the permit was issued to move stock off the farm, to being subject to a Restricted Place Notice on the Saturday – meaning no animals are allowed on or off the farm. Henk

still does not know why this status changed, but it meant that the permit became invalid and the cows could not be offloaded at Te Kuiti as planned. And under a Restricted Place Notice, cattle are also not allowed to come onto the farm, “so these cattle were in limbo”, Henk explained.

“They were sitting on the truck for 14 hours in Te Kuiti, in the 23-degree sun, and then at night time they were shifted over the AC Petfoods and they were killed there the next day.

“That was probably the most upsetting experience for me,” Henk said, adding that he received no money for the cows and now has to work through the compensation process, which he described as a “nightmare”. Other animals, this time from the Roto-O-Rangi farm where the outbreak has been confirmed, had been sent to Northland 18 months ago and were similarly stranded on the way back.

Due back on May 1, delays with trucking the in-calf heifers meant the farms were then subject to Restricted Place Notices. Those animals, too, were sent to Te Kuiti to be culled, however due to a Cydectin (a drug for parasite control) withholding period they could not be culled.

Henk said he thought the safest place for the animals, at least some of which are likely to be infected, was back on the Roto-o-Rangi farm

where they had originated.

“It’s highly likely these animals have been reared on bovis milk…

Continued on page 5

Local Farmer Henk Smit has been open about his experience in dealing with the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak.

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Mycoplasma bovis WRC represented at Fieldays – a local story Continued from page 3 highly likely one or two of them are infected.” They couldn’t be returned to the Roto-O-Rangi farm due to the restricted notice, however they are being allowed to graze on another property.

Also, the Northland farm where they had been grazing was not subject to any sort of restrictions and grazes cattle for “a lot of people,” Henk said. From what he has seen of the disease so far, Henk said he does not “fear bovis” as he has not seen any ill-effects, however the farmer said he has spoken with farmers in the South Island, where a couple of them have had “big issues”.

Henk’s candid story of his experience was greeted with thunderous applause from the audience, who appeared to appreciate hearing his first-hand account of the situation.

The microphone was then handed around, with other people asking whether Mycoplasma bovis might be a threat to other farm animals, such as horses, sheep and goats.

The answer is ‘no’, they were told, with the bovis bacteria only targeting bovines. Only in very rare cases where an animal has a compromised immune system would a different species be at

risk of contracting it, MPI’s response incident controller, Dr Eve Pleydell, told the crowd.

Also of concern was the proportion of cows culled as a result of the outbreak that are actually confirmed as infected with Mycoplasma bovis. Roger Smith, chief operating officer from MPI, said that due to the difficulty of diagnosis, each herd has to be treated as an individual cow. “The disease can’t be traced to an individual cow, so we have to treat the whole herd as infected,” he said.

“But it is an accepted fact that there are perfectly healthy cows going to slaughter,” he concluded.

Other questions were asked, and answers given, with mixed reactions from the audience afterwards about how well the meeting – which ran for almost three hours – had gone.

Following the government’s announcement on Monday that they will attempt to eradicate the disease over the next one to two years, the MPI has increased staffing in its Cambridge field headquarters from 13 to 33. MPI staff will remain in the area for as long as necessary to manage the outbreak, a ministry spokesperson said.

By Stu Kneebone, Waikato Regional Councillor, Waipa/King Country Waikato Regional Council (WRC) will be at Fieldays again this year in the Mystery Creek Pavilion. We are sited on two adjoining sites PE 36 & PE 38. With a lot more area than last year, we are able to focus on a greater range of issues that are relevant to both farmers as well as community groups and others who interact with our land and water across a range of different activities.

The Healthy Rivers Plan change or PPC1 will be one of our focus areas, and accordingly we’ll have plenty of staff on site to help with information and advice, and discussions on how the plan change could affect your situation.

We will have a Farm Environment Plan template and guide, and also an interactive tool to assist with identifying common farm

environmental risks, and ways in which they can be managed.

Acknowledging that the hearings are yet to get underway, and that this process could result in changes to the currently proposed plan rules, we none the less are keen to constructively engage with as many of you as possible to talk about how it works, and understand your concerns, particularly around the implementation issues. While we know that there are a range of views re PPC1, we nonetheless all need to have a good understanding of what it means, and the upcoming changes we need to be working on.

Winter is, of course, the ideal time for planting trees, so if you have any questions or are simply after some ideas and/or advice about riparian or erosion control planting projects, there will be plenty of information and fact sheets to take home. We’ll have some good photo displays of different planting projects on the walls, and our catchment management staff will be on site to talk though any plans you might have, and can provide any advice or help you might need.

We are also able to help out with assistance in a range of different ways depending on the project and where in the region it is.

Noting that we also have a lot of urban visitors to the Fieldays, this is also about showcasing the good stuff farmers are doing to improve the environment.

With our larger site this year, our plant and animal pest staff will also be on our main site, rather than on a separate site with DOC as we have been in previous years. New weed incursions are becoming increasingly challenging for all of us, and it’s never been more important to ensure you are able to correctly identify problem weeds when you see them. As in previous years, we’ll have identification guides, and information on how to go about controlling the various weed and animal pests present in the region.

A range of factsheets, booklets and handouts will also be available on all this stuff, and free to take away. Look out for the WRC mailer in your mailbox, and bring it along to our site to go into the draw to win daily competitions.

And remember that there is a free bus service to the Fieldays for those with a pre-purchased ticket. It will run every half hour from Leamington and other areas around Hamilton. For details visit www.busit.co.nz.

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Record price for local dairy farm A 92.5-hectare dairy farm on the outskirts of Cambridge sold at auction recently for $11.1 million, which equates to just short of $120,000 per hectare, a record for a Waikato dairy farm.

Held in the same family for the past 120 years, the farm, situated between Maungatautari Rd and the Waikato River, attracted considerable attention when offered to the market by Martin Lee of PGG Wrightson Real Estate, Cambridge.

“Previously the highest price paid on land and buildings for a Waikato dairy farm was a May 2016 transaction, when a 107-hectare Clevedon property changed hands, also

for $11.1 million. That equates to around $104,000 per hectare, making this sale a clear record for a Waikato dairy farm.

“Interest in this farm covered a range of different parties. We had more than 70 people in a packed auction room. This property’s appeal was increased by its proximity to Cambridge, and its potential for development,” he said.

PGG Wrightson Real Estate North Island auctioneer Sloane Morpeth, who conducted the sale last month, said bidding was lively.

“We started the auction at $4 million, and bidding progressed at a healthy pace. After our vendor confirmed the property was definitely

for sale, at $7 million, the intensity raised another notch. By the time the hammer fell, we had received 55 bids from four different bidders,” he said.

Martin Lee said a neighbour prevailed with the successful offer.

“We received plenty of interest from local dairy farmers. Sitting so close to Cambridge, developers were also in attendance, and that potential is still on the table for the farm in the long term. However, the new owner intends to continue farming this property, albeit decommissioning the dairy shed and shifting its focus to horses, running it in conjunction with his existing equine operation,” he said.

PGG Wrightson Real Estate General Manager Peter Newbold, who attended the sale, said it reflected the underlying strength of the rural property market despite the various challenges currently facing the dairy sector.

“Mycoplasma bovis, and changes to overseas ownership regulations, are making decisions around investment in dairy more complex, which is holding that part of the rural property market back as farmers work their way around those issues. However, good sales like this one demonstrate that the positivity in the wider rural sector remains, with excellent demand for properties with the right characteristics,” he said.

Lake Farm Beef makes final

By Claire Castle

This farm near Cambridge set a new record price for a Waikato dairy farm, selling for $11.1M at auction.

Carrying on their reputation as breeders of top-class livestock, Lake Farm has made it into the grand final of the annual PGG Wrightson Steak of Origin.

The 75-hectare Lake Farm overlooking Lake Karapiro, owned by Colin and Keryn Brown, has been forging a reputation for excellence – winning the Steak of Origin in 2009 and again in 2014.

This year, the Browns are competing in the Best of Breed – Crossbreed and Other category, for their Murray Grey/Wagyu steak.

The Lake Farm ethos is to breed cows that are good for eating, with standard cows bred

for short gestation times, ease of calving and low birth weights, not for eating quality, Colin explained.

“The bigger and faster it grows, the more you get paid, and there’s nothing wrong with that but at the end of the day, beef is a meat to be eaten,” he added.

The presence of marbling – intramuscular fat that gives an appearance similar to marble – more than any other factor, will affect the eating quality of an animal, Colin said. “You get more flavour from the fat, plus it melts when it’s cooked.”

It’s so important that Colin gives each cow an ultrasound before they are sent to Continued on page 12

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Friday June 8, 2018 ‘We make it easy’

Celebrating over 40 years experience in Heat Pumps and Air Conditioning

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CountryLife – 9

Reduce winter nitrogen loss

By Bala Tikkisetty

The coldest months of the year are just around the corner, so farmers should be particularly cautious when applying nitrogen fertilisers to pasture or crops.

Winter applications of nitrogen fertilisers are generally the least effective for promoting grass growth. That’s because slow growth of pasture in winter and greater drainage can result in nitrate leaching before plants can take it up. The nitrogen may make its way to waterways where it can stimulate nuisance algal growth.

Lactating cows excrete, in urine, about 70 per cent of the nitrogen they consume.

Again, the risk of this nitrogen leaching from urine patches is much higher in winter.

Nutrient budgeting using computer models such as Overseer®, combined with feed budgeting, enables farmers to understand whether they are using too much or too little fertiliser. By doing this, farmers can optimise the use of nutrients and reduce the impact on the environment by working out a pragmatic nutrient management plan.

Understanding the term “response rate” helps farmers when it comes to implementing these plans. The response rate is the amount of pasture grown in terms of kilograms of dry matter (DM) per kilogram of nitrogen (N) applied. For example, when 20kg N/ha is applied and an additional 200kg DM/ha of pasture is grown the response rate is 10kg DM/kg

N applied. The response is dependent on several factors such as soil temperature, plant growth, soil moisture, the deficiency of available nitrogen in the soil and the rate of nitrogen applied per application.

The best response to N fertiliser occurs on fast growing pasture, when other factors such as moisture and soil temperature are not limiting growth. Response rate variation also depends on the season and on nitrogen application rate. In winter, at the same application rate, responses are lower and slower than other times of the year.

Remember that the profitability of applying nitrogen is dependent on the utilisation of the extra feed. Therefore, nitrogen needs to be strategically applied to fill genuine feed deficits.

Nitrogen conversion efficiency for any farm is another key point to be remembered. This is measured by calculating total nitrogen in product divided by the total nitrogen inputs into a farm and is expressed as a percentage. A dairy farm, for example, is probably doing fine with about 40 per cent.

I am happy to say that a number of farmers, as well as industry organisations, are already doing a great job trying to increase productivity and reduce environmental impacts through more careful use of nutrients.

Bala Tikkisetty is a sustainable agriculture advisor at Waikato Regional Council. Contact him on 0800 800 401 or at bala.tikkisetty@ waikatoregion.govt.nz

Sculpture with ‘grunt’ A rurally-appropriate sculpture by scrap metal artist Adrian Worsley is set to pull them in at this year’s GrainCorp Feeds stand at next week’s Fieldays.

The work – valued at around $7,500 – draws on Adrian’s rustic “number 8 wire” approach.

It has been crafted from a marriage of discarded bits and pieces joined as one to tell a different story – in this instance, that of the increasing popularity of molasses as a dairy feed supplement.

The sculpture’s plump belly is a gleaming blue old 44-gallon drum with a curved door cut into it. Welded on top is an old car tyre rim turned sink, with the pump from another drum standing proud to one side. A set of sink taps sit alongside, and the sculpture straddles an old sack trolley made almost beautiful through the use of old timber power poles as cross arms.

Topping it off is a disused manhole cover from a ‘Servex’ gas station.

Not only does it look weirdly attractive, but the sculpture’s mismatched parts are robustly functional. GrainCorp plans to have molasses pumped up from its belly to an outlet pipe overhanging the sink, giving onlookers an opportunity not only to see the molasses flow, but also to taste it should they wish to.

So where do the taps fit in?

According to Adrian, those belong to the sculpture’s post-Fieldays afterlife. “Whoever wins the sculpture will be able to use it at home or at work, perhaps in their man or womancave! It can be plumbed in to the water supply anywhere and used as a working sink.”

GrainCorp marketing manager Angela Ryan said once Fieldays closes, the sculpture will go

to the winner of a draw comprising the names of those who sign a feed contract with the company.

Adrian’s largest work is a 2.8m tall, 1.9 tonne bull, commissioned by Taylor Corporation for its Napier headquarters. He’s done birds, horses, kids’ toys and copper corsets, but like the scrap metal motorbike that was his first sculpture, giving a nod to ‘grunt’ is always at the forefront of his mind.

“I’m passionate about things that have grunt,” he said, “things that depict strength and utility.

They have a special beauty about them.”

Scrap metal artist Adrian Worsley with his interactive sculpture for the GrainCorp Feeds stand at Fieldays.

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10 – CountryLife

Friday June 8, 2018

The country life of an artist

By Steph Bell-Jenkins As far back as she can remember, Nicola Jain Lewis dreamed of becoming an artist.

Nicola has been enjoying getting back into ceramic painting, using techniques learned from her father, renowned artist Rick Lewis.

With her father Rick Lewis a famous Irish painter and sculptor whose work features in Queen Elizabeth II’s personal collections, and her mother Sharon Delaney a keen potter and painter, it was always in her blood.

But, after growing up in Cambridge and moving to Ireland with her family when she was 10, when Nicola finished school the lure of a career in finance was too great.

Moving back to New Zealand in her late teens, she worked in accounting for two large Waikato Companies in Hamilton before spotting an opening with an international milking machine company based in Cambridge.

“Being a German-owned company, I was up early in the morning talking to Germany, working a full day, up at night talking to Germany; it was just go, go, go, it was starting to take its toll on me,” Nicola said.

That was when she decided to risk everything and pursue her dream.

“I’d always wanted to be an artist like my father. Always. So, I gave up work, I rented out my house, I sold my car, my sister looked after my dogs, myself and (partner) Luke went okay well this will make us or break us, ‘you stay here, and I’ll go to Ireland’. I’ve got to go and try.”

In November 2011, Nicola flew to Ireland to train as an artist with her father Rick.

“I was very excited, and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I’d learnt so much in my last job I knew it would only help me to build a business.”

Nicola’s father worked at Royal Worcester –

one of the oldest English porcelain brands still in existence today – and was apprenticed to master ceramic painter Harry Davis from 19651969, where he learnt traditional bone china and porcelain decorating techniques.

Rick taught them to Nicola, who believes she may be one of only a handful of modern day ceramic artists now using them.

Ten months sped by, and Nicola was soon on a plane back to New Zealand with a raft of new skills under her belt. She and Luke have stood the test of time and now have a daughter together, Clara, who Nicola has looked after at home while working as a part-time sculptor.

Her first sculptural commission was immortalising one of Sir Patrick Hogan’s greatest ever thoroughbred stallions, Zabeel, in bronze.

“That was my first sculpture; I’d never been taught how to sculpt, it just came so naturally,” she said. “I think it was watching my father for years and years as a child.” Her passion for horses also helped bring Zabeel to life in clay.

Tragedy struck when the foundry dropped the finished sculpture, which had taken an entire year and “hundreds and hundreds of hours” to create, and she had to start again from scratch.

“I was absolutely devastated,” Nicola said.

“But Sir Patrick was really good, he just said, ‘God has blessed us with more time’. And he liked the second one better...so it’s amazing how things work out.”

Nicola has worked on a number of commissions since, and in 2016 her Zabeel

sculpture was accepted into the Queen’s private collection to stand at Buckingham Palace next to a sculpture of Sir Tristram her father created three decades ago.

Looking out across the ever-changing Maungakawa hills from her rural home, over a green patchwork of paddocks stretching right out to Raglan, inspiration is plentiful.

She is living the country life of an artist, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Nicola’s latest sculpture, Cambridge rider Samantha McIntosh on her stallion Check-In, commissioned by Mitch and Kate Plaw, owners of Takapoto Estate.

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CountryLife – 11

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12 – CountryLife

Friday June 8, 2018

Fieldays Stories – from love to beekeeping

When Mike Short signed up for the 2009 Fieldays Rural Bachelor competition, he had no idea he would meet his future wife and go on to appear in a short film marking the 50th anniversary of Fieldays©.

Mike and his wife Ryley, who was working for Mystery Creek during Fieldays, are starring

in one of five clips available on TVNZ On Demand.

Their video – entitled Love – gives a snapshot of their story, which Mike win the Golden Gumboot and later the girl, marrying Ryley at her parents’ dairy farm in 2013.

Parents to Laney, 3, and Hudson, 1, the pair

Lake Farm Beef makes final Continued from page 6 Auckland to be killed, just to make sure the marbling is there. Also, he only breeds from the marbled cows.

“We’re first and foremost farmers trying to grow some special beef,” Colin said. “It’s more than ‘farm to plate’, and more like ‘from conception to consumption.”

And given their place at the Steak of Origin finals again this year, it seems their approach is paying off.

The win comes after the awards’ major funder, Beef + Lamb NZ announced reduced funding for the Steak of Origin event this year. The group has also stopped funding the Glammies – awards for lamb producers – altogether. Beef + Lamb CEO Sam McIvor said that the move would be disappointing for some people but stressed that the organisation hadn’t taken the decision lightly.

“While we acknowledge the competitions have been successful over the years and have done a great job of celebrating New Zealand’s farmers, producers and retailers, we think there are more pressing priorities that can more directly impact farmers’ bottom lines,”

Sam said.

The top 19 steaks now move on to the PGG Wrightson Steak of Origin Grand Final to be held at Fieldays on June 13 at Mystery Creek, where both the Grand Champion and Supreme Brand Champion will be named.

Colin Brown and wife Keryn’s Lake Farm is a finalist in the Steak of Origin again this year.

are now farming west of Fielding on their 105-hectare, 200-cow dairy farm.

Also on the short film playlist is the story of Grant Engel, whose video is entitled Inspiration. Grant is the brains behind Revolutionary Beekeeping, a mobile harvester that enables beekeepers to extract honey straight from the hive, instead of transporting frames from hives to an off-site processor.

As a child, Grant visited Fieldays and was inspired by the agricultural inventions and new technology on show. He decided that when he grew up he’d someday return with an invention of his own. Years later, Grant

started dabbling in beekeeping, and he got to thinking. “I realised that taking honey away from the hive and processing it was much like getting a dairy cow and driving it to a shared facility where it was milked and then taking it back to site – it didn’t make a lot of sense.”

With a prototype under his arm, he entered the Fieldays Innovation Awards in 2013, in the Launch NZ category for products ready for commercialisation and launch to the New Zealand market – and he won.

There are five short films available on TVNZ On Demand, marking the 50th anniversary of Fieldays.

Mike and Ryley, on their wedding day (right), star in a short film in honour of Fieldays.

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Friday June 8, 2018

Many a Muddy Morning

Stories from a life off road and on the land The farm was facing financial ruin before he had started, so he set himself some hairy goals: • clear the red ink on the overdraft within three years (he did it with three days to spare); • win Hawkes Bay Young Farmer of the Year (he was one of the youngest winners at 31 years old and he did it with one of the highest profits recorded); keep an open mind and try anything.

Over the years, Mark turned his love for off road vehicles into a side-line business on the farm where he has worked with many organisations – including the police – training drivers to handle a 4-wheel drive in difficult situations. He improved the quality of his beef and lamb in an unconventional manner that soon had other farmers take notice, made in-roads into direct export of his produce and to optimise the enjoyment of his life’s work, he built an enviable off-the-grid, 4-wheel drive only access ‘man cave’ on a hill with 360-degree views of the farm and the ocean.

That he is still farming

Waipari in a profitable manner some 40-odd years later, with a son keen to ‘kick the old man off’ so he can get on with it is the measure of Mark’s success.

Mark was diagnosed with dyslexia later in life, but he says this condition has only been an advantage in how he finds unusual solutions to problems.

Many a Muddy Morning is Mark Warren’s incredible, sometimes irreverent, often hilarious story of his life. It’s a tale many New Zealanders will relate to. It’s about dreams and perseverance as a farmer, through challenging times, but always keeping an open mind.

Readers can catch up with Mark at the Fieldays, he’ll be on the FMG stand # E34-E36 on Friday and Saturday, between 11-1pm.

A portion of the proceeds from sales of the book from the FMG stand will be donated to Farmstrong.

CountryLife has two copies of Mark’s book to give away. Just email your name and contact details to sophie@cambridgenews. nz with Muddy Morning in the subject line to be in the random draw.

‘We all have a few spills in life, but it’s about how you pick yourself up again that really counts!’

– Mark Warren

Author of Many a Muddy Morning Mark Warren, with his dog, Marley.

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CountryLife – 13

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14 – CountryLife

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Friday June 8, 2018

Business profile – June 2018

Genetic Enterprises NZ

the people behind the business PHILIP WILSON

Having known Allen Donald for many years as far back as the late 1980’s when Allen was with Ambreed, Philip joined Genetic Enterprises 2 years ago after being approached by Allen, in the role initially as Dairy Sales Consultant in the Lower NI and assisting Allen as Beef Manager. Philip continues to work with the many farming folk from both Beef and Dairy whom he already knew and had done business with in the past with other companies. Philip was extremely excited to be working with Allen at Genetic Enterprises, and to be involved with a NZ family owned business.

With the business now been puchased by Genetics Australia, Philips role with Genetic Enterprises has changed to National Sales Manager, Beef Manager and Dairy Consultant.

LYN GOODALL

When it comes to the AI industry, Lyn Goodall is totally in her comfort zone. During her 30-plus years in the industry, Lyn has gained extensive knowledge and experience, dealt with various challenges, and enjoyed many rewards – the latest being her appointment as operations manager of Genetic Enterprises NZ. The company has recently undergone some major changes, with the retirement of GE founder Allen Donald and Genetics Australia purchasing GE. Lyn joined Genetic Enterprises NZ in 2016 as products and import manager. During this time, she has seen the business grow to a point where it was necessary to move to larger premises. “GE is renowned for its wide and diverse range of products, which are sourced worldwide to suit both the commercial and breeding sectors of the dairy and beef industries.”

Assisting clients with imports and unusual requests have been part of Lyn's daily life in the office. And if she can’t help clients, she usually knows where to point them in the right direction. Lyn thrives in an industry where no two days are the same. “It goes without saying that the rewards are signing off the final reports, answering the multiple queries, and packing an item for the last minute courier order to help a client out.”

She says genetics are continually evolving and that there will always be something new and beneficial for the industry to focus on, such as the polled gene or A2 milk gene, which has been popular in recent times. In terms of the merger with Genetics Australia, she believes exciting times are ahead for the company as a whole, its staff and all of GE's clients. “I see this as an opportunity to keep everyone better informed of current issues and new products relating to our industry while still working with most of our traditional suppliers for top line bulls for New Zealand farmers.”

It's full steam ahead for Lyn Goodall, who, together with a dedicated team, looks forward to capitalising on the success of Genetic Enterprises NZ and shaping its future.

ALLEN DONALD

Allen Donald, founder of internationally renowned Genetic Enterprises NZ, has an outstanding reputation for bringing New Zealand dairy farmers the best of proven and genomic sires from around the world. With his career spanning over five decades, Allen has fine industry pedigree.

After training as an LIC AI technician in 1964, he worked for the Wellington-Hawkes Bay Herd Improvement Association.

Branching out with a partner in 1971, starting an insemination service that covered a large region of the lower North Island. “We inseminated mainly beef cows, with the newly introduced European breeds.”

During this time Ambreed, NZ Sire Services and the South Island Breeding Centre started having both New Zealand dairy and beef bulls available. “It was a first to have semen available outside the Herd Improvement (LIC),” said Allen.

In 1976, Allen took the position as sales manager for the southern half of the North Island. As part of the role Allen trained in excess of 500 DIY AI technicians.

Twelve years later he transferred to Ambreed headquarters in Cambridge to set up Intergene to cover the importing of overseas semen and exports.

During this time, Allen developed good relationships with Companies in the USA, Canada and Europe, and with the change to the NZ import standards it meant semen and embryos from these Countries were available to NZ where previously it was only available from Australia, Canada & UK. Allen developed a relationship with Bill Pettit of Peticoate Holsteins in New Jersey, that resulted in Ambreed receiving 11 live yearling bulls for progeny testing. “Amongst them, Peticote Midnight emerged as the number one bull BI sire in New Zealand, and another bull from this group was the very good breeding sire Peticote Dalem from the famous Pencol D Family.” Ambreed also imported embryos from Bill Pettit, resulting in Peticote Magley. Peticote Magley did a lot for the New Zealand dairy industry in production and leaving good sons.

The heifers were sold at a record breaking sale held at the National Fieldays.

Allen left Ambreed in 1995 to take on an international consultancy role with ABS Global and after two years decided to go out on his own and set up Genetic Enterprises Ltd. Genetic Enterprises Ltd is born In 1999, following approaches from overseas genetic companies, Allen set up Genetic Enterprises Ltd. The first overseas supplier and one of the company’s first distributors was Cogent UK. This resulted in the first sexed semen arriving in the country in 2003, with 100 straws of Cogent Courier.

Genetic Enterprises currently purchase product from Australia’s largest AI company, Genetics Australia; UK Sires Services; Alta Genetics USA , Canada, Australia and Holland; OHG Germany; Italy’s Semenzoo & Imseme; and Evolutions France, plus numerous others.

Allen has had a full and rewarding career. He was a founding member, chairman and executive committee member of the Importers & Exporters Group, now known as LAGTA (Live Animals Germplasm Trade Association). He has also worked very closely with New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries on improving health protocol and import systems.

Friday June 8, 2018

CountryLife – 15

Business profile – June 2018

Working together for greater growth and efficiency

A STRONG WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO LEADING AUSTRALASIAN COMPANIES HAS LED TO A BUSINESS ACQUISITION. Genetic Enterprises NZ has been purchased by Genetics Australia in a mutually beneficial decision that will bring genetics and technology on both sides of the Tasman together for nextlevel service.

The businesses have worked closely together over the years and collectively have a huge depth of knowledge. “Our farming systems are comparable,” says Genetics Australia’s chief executive officer, Anthony Shelly. “We have similar grazing systems and are the best grazers in the world.”

Shelly believes the combined strength of the two enterprises will allow for greater growth, efficiency, diversification and enhanced technologies. “We’ll have a lot more grunt in the market place and be very customer-focused.” Over the past three years Genetics Australia has systematically placed more salespeople in the field in an effort to create more person-to-person contact.

The Australian cooperative is delighted to merge with Genetic Enterprises NZ. “GE has diversity of product which no other company in New Zealand has,” says Shelly. Genetics Australia also inherits a loyal customer base, with wide overseas interest, plus knowledgeable and experienced staff,

all of which provide a great springboard for future growth. Various specialist projects are on the horizon, including growth and development in goat and equine genetics.

After many dedicated years in the industry founder of Genetic Enterprises NZ, Allen Donald, has put himself out to pasture. Former GE products and import manager, Lyn Goodall, has stepped into the role of operations manager for New Zealand. She is excited to be part of a company in the vanguard of the AI industry.

cooperative as it embarks on its next journey.

Over the years the farmer-owned cooperative has developed and blended the world’s best bloodlines to produce animals that profitable for the many management and farming systems found throughout Australia.

New Zealand can now take advantage of this long-term development.

As the largest artificial breeding

supplier, Genetics Australia supplies half of the Australian genetics used

by Australian dairy farmers to improve their herds. In addition to genetic improvement, the co-operative also offers merchandise and bull collection.

“Our aim is to meet the needs of dairy farmers, who demand efficient adaptable cows capable of producing milk profitably,” says GA chief executive officer, Anthony Shelly.

Genetics Australia – celebrating 60 years

Australia’s number one supplier of elite genetics, Genetics Australia, recently celebrated its 60th year. To mark the occasion, the cooperative held an open day in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. The day showcased GA’s current leading bulls Holstein Maebull, Jersey Tahbilk, and Australian Red ARBscarebear, as well as a host of genomic sires. Guests also had the opportunity to hear about the day to day operations of the local bull farm, discover the latest innovations taking place and the behind the scenes work being done to ensure the best possible dairy genetics are available from the

Artificial breeding

to improve productivity and profitability ARTIFICIAL BREEDING IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFICIENT TOOLS ACCESSIBLE TO DAIRY FARMERS TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITABILITY OF DAIRY ENTERPRISE, AND IN A COUNTRY LIKE NEW ZEALAND, IT BRINGS MANY BENEFITS TO ALL LIVESTOCK BREEDING PROGRAMS. “Because of New Zealand’s geographical location in relationship to other livestock breeding countries, the importation of new genetics from other countries can mean advanced genetic gain over time,” says beef and dairy expert, Philip Wilson. “Although we can use a lot of our own New Zealand breed genetics within the country, imported semen and embryos can mean quicker genetic gain and complement our own genetics.” The advancement of sexed semen and genomics here and in other countries means genetic gain can be maximized.

As the genetic base of some breeds of pure breed cattle and, in some

cases, sheep in New Zealand has become smaller, overseas genetics will increase the breed genetic base and consequently improve individual cow production and cow type. The impact for New Zealand farmers is ultimately genetic gain. “With genetic gain we improve the genetic traits such as feet, legs, mammary structure, stature, capacity and, most importantly, production, to name a few key areas,” says Wilson.

Improved physical traits and an increase in production can result in farms supporting a lower stocking rate per hectare, therefore improving the environmental impact. With a lower

stocking rate, the impact on pastures is less, animal health is generally improved, in-calf rates should improve and mortality rates reduce.

As animal performance improves, milk production increases. This, in turn, has a positive financial impact for farmers, providing the milk payout is higher than the cost of production.

Wilson believes the future of genetics in New Zealand will be reliant on sexed semen and genomics. “Genomics in overseas countries has been accepted far greater than has been here where farmers have been sceptical of the reliability of genomics.”

He believes the merger of Genetic Enterprises NZ and Genetics Australia has come at a very important time in New Zealand as the country experiences further improvement in sexed semen, embryos and genomics.

“Genetics Australia has been providing dairy semen to Genetic Enterprises for some time now. This will give the merged companies further strength in the New Zealand market place, as well as the ability for future growth.

“This is a very exciting time for both companies and staff here in New Zealand.”

2

16 – CountryLife

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Friday June 8, 2018

Business profile – June 2018

Dannevirke dairy farmer with a passion for breeding good cows

FARMING IS IN THE VERWAAGEN FAMILY GENES. HENNIE AND KERRI VERWAAGEN, TOGETHER WITH THEIR DAUGHTER LUCY AND SON HARVEY, ARE WELL-KNOWN IN THE DANNEVIRKE DAIRY COMMUNITY. The Verwaagens, who are originally from dairy farming families in Holland, milk 350 cows on their 140ha block at Oringi, south of Dannevirke.

“I’ve had unbelievable success with them, and am over the moon,” says Harvey, who is also delighted to have heifers due to calve this spring.

Harvey is a big animal lover with a passion for breeding good cows.

After graduating from agriculturalbased Taratahi School in Masterton, he completed a six month stint in Europe and a season on the Barclay farm in Te Awamutu before another opportunity presented itself.

His association with Genetic Enterprises NZ dates back 10 years. He particularly likes the look of Holstein Friesian bulls and says the GE advertised animals have done well overseas.

“I have a lot of confidence in them.

Genetics produce a better quality of animal and improve an animal’s longevity.”

Harvey went to work at the Luck-E Holsteins of Hampshire, Illinois, doing day-to-day jobs on the farm. Owned by the Engel family, Luck-E Holsteins is famed for its high profile dairy herd.

“They have great looking cows,” says Harvey, who had the good fortune to obtain five embryos.

From these embryos came four calves, including two bulls and two heifers. Although one of the bulls has since been sold, the other is at the forefront of genomic testing, having come through as the number one type and udder Red Holstein bull in the world. It is producing semen for Genetic Enterprises NZ which is being exported from KIX to many countries.

Known as the world’s highestproduction dairy animals, Holstein Friesians are a breed of dairy cattle originating from the Dutch provinces of North Holland and Friesland, and Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany and Jutland.

They were later introduced to North America and South America for milk production, and over the centuries have evolved and diversified. The golden age of Friesian breeding occurred during the last 50 years, greatly helped lately by embryo transfer techniques, which permitted a huge multiplication of bulls entering progeny testing of elite, bull-mother cows.

KIX

Luck E Guthrie Kleopatra

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Friday June 8, 2018

CountryLife – 17

Business profile – June 2018

4

Mahoe cheese

a successful grass-to-table operation BASED IN THE BAY OF ISLANDS, MAHOE CHEESE HAS A REPUTATION FOR PRODUCING QUALITY PRODUCTS FROM ITS OWN SMALL HERD OF COWS. The cheese factory was established on Bob and Anna Rosevear’s farm in Kerikeri in 1986 after a retiring Whangarei Dutch cheese maker sold his cheesemaking equipment to the family and taught them how to make cheese.

Simeon Gethen, a nephew of Bob and Anna, and cousin of their son Tim, the farm manager, helps oversee the breeding. The farm is mainly organic and

run as environmentally-friendly as possible. A search for quality stock with milk best suited for cheesemaking purposes led Simeon to France four years ago to research different breeds of cows. “Bringing embryos into the country was the best way to restart a herd suitable to our way of farming without antibiotics and other chemical products because the somatic cell counts are lower than usual and the cows are good foragers, if necessary,” says Simeon, who was introduced to Helene Dubarle of Jura-Betail, France by Allen Donald of Genetic Enterprises NZ. Dubarle, an export manager for Montbeliarde cattle, introduced Simeon to a Normande cattle breeder. Normande cattle are raised principally for their milk, which is high in fat and suitable for making butter and cheese. Montbeliarde cows are used to produce highprotein milk of improved quality. The cows possess additional copies of genes for two proteins, beta and kappa casein. As a result, their milk contains between up to 20 per cent more beta-casein and twice the

amount of kappa-casein as milk from ordinary cows.

This allows cheese-makers to produce more cheese from the same volume of milk. The manufacturing process is also usually quicker, due to the faster clotting times associated with the higher protein levels.

Both breeds are dairy beef, with Normande beef in particular, known for its marbling and good flavour.

“Once we found good donors for both cattle breeds, Allen then organised the import of the embryos for us,” says Simeon. Being specialists, working closely with the Ministry of Primary Industries and Port Entry, Genetic Enterprises NZ was able to provide a stress-free importation service.

In 2015, the first full-blooded New Zealand born Normande calf was born in Kerikeri from imported embryos, adding to the Mahoe Cheese herd.

A herd of specially bred cows supplies milk to the Mahoe Cheese factory. As the factory adjoins the milking shed, the milk does not have to be transported. The fresh milk is pasteurised and turned into cheese the next morning in a grass-to-table operation that has proved highly successful. The artisan cheeses have won numerous awards and are sold throughout New Zealand. “We are constantly adding value to our milk in order to produce better quality cheese,” says Simeon. “We’re a unique operation.”

Lake Farm Karapiro

an intensive focus on genetics makes a great pie WHEN IT COMES TO A MOUTHWATERING PRODUCT, THE PROOF IS NOT IN THE PUDDING, BUT IN THE PIE. Colin and Keryn Brown of Lake Farm believe they’ve struck perfection with their gourmet Angus meat pies, which are tantalising taste buds nationwide, from Kaitaia to Invercargill. Each pie contains almost 90 grams of meat, making it a stand-out product packed with flavour.

The secret, Colin says, lies in using premium beef and not old culled cattle. The self-confessed perfectionist has enjoyed a long partnership with Genetic Enterprises NZ. The company

Colin and Keryn’s pies are manufactured in the Bay of Plenty and shipped around the country.

has not only been a semen supplier for Lake Farm, Karapiro, but also assisted with importation when the Browns have sourced their own semen. “We used to cross breed with Pietmontese cattle and Genetic Enterprises were agents for that semen. The company is one of the biggest importers of beef semen in New Zealand. They have a huge armoury.”

Colin says using semen is a no brainer for him. Lake Farm has an intensive focus on genetics in the quest to only have Angus cows with good marbling. Especially prevalent in red meat, marbled meat contains various amounts of intramuscular fat, giving it an appearance similar to a marble pattern. Marbling adds flavour and is one of the main criteria for judging the quality of cuts of meat. In general, the more marbling it contains, the better the cut of meat.

Colin is obsessive about the quality of his meat. From ultrasounding heifers to see if they are suitable for breeding, to being extremely mindful of how they are sent to Auckland to be killed, much care is taken to maintain the integrity of the meat, right to the end.

To reduce the cows’ stress, the animals are despatched in pairs rather than herded into a crowded truck. The chilled carcasses are then trucked back to Hamilton to be cut and packed for distribution.

“Using the semen of one of the world’s best bulls suits my perfectionist personality,” says Colin, who is passionate about the taste of his meat, and breeds accordingly. Almost all animals used in Lake Farm’s beef programme are born on the property and bred to meet the highest genetic levels for tenderness, marbling, eye muscle areas, carcass quality and docility. “This rates us in the top 20 per cent of the very best cattle in New Zealand.”

Lake Farm Angus stud is continuously developing the highest quality purebred Angus cattle for both stud and commercial use. Colin total focus is on breeding pure Angus with the marbling scores high. He is contemplating doing some Wagyu crossing in the future but that’s yet to be decided.

This oblong sirloin steak has just the right amount of marbling to hit Lake Farm’s high standard.

18 – CountryLife

5

Friday June 8, 2018

Business profile – June 2018

Hawkeye Breeders

a reputation built on trust and professionalism HAWKEYE BREEDERS SERVICE INC OF IOWA, USA, AND GENETIC ENTERPRISES NZ HAVE ENJOYED A LONG ASSOCIATION GOING BACK MORE THAN 25 YEARS. “We have worked with Genetic Enterprises for many years, and with Allen Donald even longer,” says Gloria Jensen of Hawkeye Breeders Service. “Over the years we have shared many changes in the cattle industry.”

A premier export facility, Hawkeye Breeders Service was established in 1969 to give cattlemen quality service for all of their custom semen collection and bull fertility testing needs. The company, which ships semen from qualified bulls to points all around the world, offers a full line of services for semen collection and bull reproductive service needs.

Hawkeye Breeders has built its reputation on trust and professionalism.

The business continues to grow due to its ability to incorporate the latest technology and techniques. This ensures breeders feel confident that when they use a straw of Hawkeye semen, they will have the best possible chance of conception and getting the calves they need on the ground to keep their cattle

programme on track.

All bulls are evaluated based on their specific needs and then scheduled into their own customized programme for best results. After evaluating each bull, specialists determine the best equipment, housing, and semen buffer options to custom fit the bull’s potency in order to achieve the optimal outcome.

“Our industry is relatively small and there is great cooperation among most of the members of our type of business,” says Gloria Jensen. “Allen has visited us when sourcing genetics for New Zealand for both beef and dairy.”

As a ‘custom’ collection centre, Hawkeye Breeders collects all breeds (beef and dairy) for private owners.

“Since all our residents are privately owned, they are not marketed by Hawkeye Breeders Service, but by the owner or his agent. Allen and his crew at Genetic Enterprises have always been helpful to us in the exporting of bovine semen/embryos from the USA to New

Zealand.”

Having been Hawkeye Breeders’ point person in New Zealand for many years, Allen Donald and Gloria Jensen have not only forged a strong working

Gloria Jensen the owner of Hawkeye.

relationship, but also enjoyed a warm friendship. “Genetic Enterprises is a company we can trust and recommend, with no reservations, to our US customers for handling our exports.”

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Friday June 8, 2018

CountryLife – 19

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20 – CountryLife

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Friday June 8, 2018