Country-Wide Dec/Jan 2024

B AC K I N G FA R M E R S

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2024

L OV I N G O U R L A N D

A STEP TO THE RIGHT:

Protect your farm from weather harm

Rural blue vote eroded

Celebrating the H U N TAWAY at the 25th Shemozzle

SPECIAL REPORT

tough times Getting through

DOG FOOD GUIDE

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EDITOR'S NOTE

FA R M I N G U N D E R P R E SS U R E

B

alancing the books while costs spiral and sheepmeat and beef prices plunge is going to put lots of farmers under pressure.

I remember the long nights my Dad spent at his desk trying to pay the bills when all the subsidies came off in the 1980s – farming goes in cycles and you need to build the war chest in the good times to get you through the lean ones.

The meteorologist’s outlook for an El Nino change putting the East Coast into a drought has many farmers worried, and in the meantime it keeps raining.

Our Gisborne contributor Louise, (who won a prize for her fabulous photo of Rayna Grace throwing a fleece into a wool press on the East Coast published in Country-Wide earlier this year) was telling of maize farmers who lost their crop to a fungus in the wet weather and burned the whole crop, how Cedenco are walking away from growing tomatoes on the Poverty Bay flats this season because they are still flooded and how the water table is so high bodies have not been able to be buried at the Gisborne Cemetery because they just won’t stay down. And every time the locals are forecast 10mm of rain, about 70mm arrives.

It’s damp, demoralising and damn hard to turn a profit!

But farmers just pick themselves up and keep on going – like those who suffered from Cyclone Gabriel, lost trees, hillsides, bridges and culverts

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and riparian plantings. After the immediate cleanup the questions begin - how can we do things differently? Can we remediate and build back better to limit the damage next time?

In our special report we look at strategies for just that – the use of space-planted poplars, where natives are best, how to recover from the storm and what to concentrate on next time.

Rebecca visited Awapapa Station where slipping damage was 71% reduced compared to others because of their planting regimes. (p50) In our cost control feature we have some strategies from farm consultants as to where to cut costs while minimising the effects on production.

Know your risk and work line by line to mitigate them. There are three strategies: take on more debt, cut costs, or sell something (or a combination of the three). (p80) The dog food guide has been updated for another year and is a great place to compare products and ensure your hard-working team’s dietary requirements are met (p38).

Remember, pressure makes diamonds!

JAC K I E H A R R I GA N jackie@countrywidemedia.co.nz 027 359 7781

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CONTENTS

D E C E M B E R /J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 4

38

@ COUNTRYWIDENZ

ANNUAL DOG FOOD GUIDE

FEATURE 12 Dave and Rebecca Buick: Reaping rewards at Pongaroa

45 Trialling: Head-to-head with the neighbours

SPECIAL REPORT: COST CONTROL

47 Summary of dog food

80 Planning for tough times

SPECIAL REPORT: LAND CARE STRATEGIES

87 Making those fertiliser decisions

84 Learning from failure BUSINESS 22 Rural NZ takes a step to the right 26 Forest owners balk at ETS fee

52 Right tree, right place

SOCIAL

28 Checking IMF on the chain

56 In the wake of Gabrielle

90 Mental health: Breaking the stigma 94 Out on a limb – Impact of plantation forestry on communities

30 Price challenge in China

62 Tapping into markets for poplar

32 Aussie market collapsing while China slumps

64 Emguard: Defying the status quo 67 Natives nurture community spirit

34 SFF targets premium market

70 The day the lake returned

36 Trevor Cook: Time to soak up the blame

75 Potential for native shrubs

DOG FOOD GUIDE 38 Four-legged assets 40 On a roll with nutrition 43 Sheep measles: A risk to markets 44 Finding forever homes

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96 25 years of Shemozzling at Hunterville

ARABLE

REGULARS 6 BOUNDARIES 8 HOME BLOCK

76 Soil nitrogen to reduce maize growing costs 77 Online checks for soil moisture 79 Research: Agyields database seeks users

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C O U N T R Y- W I D E . C O . N Z

PUBLISHED BY COUNTRYWIDE MEDIA PO BOX 669, ASHBURTON 7740 0800 224 782 COUNTRY-WIDE.CO.NZ EDITOR

Jackie Harrigan 027 359 7781 jackie@countrywidemedia.co.nz DEPUTY EDITOR

Rebecca Greaves 027 320 9111 rebecca@countrywidemedia.co.nz SUB EDITOR

Andy Maciver andy@countrywidemedia.co.nz DESIGN

Emily Rees

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DIGITAL & AD DESIGN

Jo Hannam jo@countrywidemedia.co.nz

IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENC E

CONTRIBUTORS

Sandra Taylor, James Hoban, Jo Cuttance, Joanna Grigg, Glenys Christian, Annabelle Latz, Louise Savage, Tony Leggett, Sarah Horrocks, Trevor Cook

Dave and Rebecca Buick are reaping the rewards of years of hard work on their Pongaroa farm.

SALES

Viv Montgomerie 027 370 6922 viv@countrywidemedia.co.nz Janine Aish 027 890 0015 janine@countrywidemedia.co.nz Donna Hirst 027 520 0466 donna@countrywidemedia.co.nz

COVER PHOTO Toby Proude, Taylor Hill and Sam Duncan from Otairi Station won the Station Challenge at the 25th Shepherds’ Shemozzle in October. Photo: Sarah Horrocks.

Cook: Time to 36 Trevor soak up the blame

SUBSCRIPTIONS

country-wide.co.nz/shop 0800 224 782 subs@countrywidemedia.co.nz Printed by Blue Star, Petone ISSN 1179-9854 (Print) ISSN 2253-2307 (Online)

NZ takes a 22 Rural step to the right Country-Wide |

health: 90 Mental Breaking the stigma

David Paterson 027 289 2326 david@countrywidemedia.co.nz

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Defying 64 Emguard: the status quo

This publication uses vegetable based inks and environmentally responsible paper produced from Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified, Mixed Source pulp from Responsible Sources.

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BOUNDARIES

B I G F E E D I S B AC K

Photo: VP Photography

The Big Feed rural telethon is back for a second year and the ultimate goal is for no one to go hungry.

Hosted by farmer-led charity, Meat The Need, last year’s event raised 1.2 million meals for foodbanks across the country. Meat The Need facilitates donations of livestock and milk from farmers, as well as cash, to turn into meals and distribute to more than 110 food banks across the country.

Donations for The Big Feed can be made on the day by farmers pledging their livestock (sheep, beef and deer) or milk through the Meat The Need website.

Cash donations can be made through the website, an 0800 number or a text number to make a $3 donation. 100% of all donations will be turned into mince and milk and donated to food banks.

WHAT: The Big Feed telethon WHEN: Thursday, December 14, from 6am.

WHERE: The telethon will be live streamed from the hub at Lincoln University and distributed through Meat the Need’s website and YouTube channel.

RO B U ST, Z E ST Y, B U T T E RY A N D C R E A M Y - A N D T H AT ’S J U ST T H E ST E A K !

Alliance Group’s coveted Pure South Handpicked 55 Day Aged Beef has been crowned the best grass-fed steak and the best ribeye steak in the world.

The grass-fed steak and ribeye triumphed over entries from across the globe at the World Steak Challenge awards ceremony in London.

The steak has a robust, zesty, buttery, and creamy flavour that gives it a deeply satisfying savoury presence, along with caramelisation of marbling, which builds on the flavour.

Pure South Handpicked is aged craft meat as nature intended. From free range pastures in New Zealand, the animals are carefully selected and graded by internationallyaccredited assessors based on a range of criteria including marbling score, fat colour, fat cover, meat colour, and pH. From there, the meat is aged in a vacuum bag for up to 55 days, allowing the natural enzymatic processes to enhance tenderness and develop exquisite flavours. The beef is sourced from prime cattle of any breed.

The ribeye was selected at the co-operative’s Pukeuri plant in Oamaru.

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Shear determination Four more rural men will put themselves through a gruelling 24-hour Shear 4U shearathon for the second year running, all in the name of charity.

Organiser Dan Billing is back again. This time he’ll be joined by his son, Will, along with Mauriceville sheep and beef farmer, Mark Buick, and Tinui sheep and beef farmer, Nick Balfour.

The four will shear for 24 hours at Matt and Lynley Wyeth’s Spring Valley Enterprises farm, just out of Masterton starting at 7am on January 13, 2024.

This year’s chosen charities are the Rural Support Trust Wairarapa, Gumboot Friday and Farmstrong, selected by the shearers themselves.

“Charities were chosen for how they have interacted and supported the region through some very dark days, plus how they have been involved or influenced the shearers personally over a longer timeframe,” Dan says.

The event is about community supporting community, and raising the profile and some money for the chosen charities.

Each of the shearers has been through, or seen firsthand the impact of these times of pressure, and what happens when there is no support, Dan says.

The first Shear 4U event, held at Pukemiro Station just outside Dannevirke in January 2023, raised nearly $130,000 for the Rural Support Trust, Hear 4 U and the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ. WHAT: Shear 4U 24-hour charity shearathon WHEN: January 13, 7am & January 14, 3pm WHERE: Spring Valley Enterprises, 934 Upper Plain Road, Masterton

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ANIMAL

HEALTH COVERED

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Helping grow the country

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HOME BLOCK

No longer the outlaws Charlotte Rietveld relishes the opportunity to dress for an awardwinning occasion.

I AM OFFICIALLY ROUNDING out the year on a high. In keeping with the nation, I have placed second in a competition. No need to travel to France for this grand occasion, more like an hour or two north to Amberley, bustling though it was.

By now you’re most likely thinking it was the Middle-Aged Miss Canterbury beauty pageant, and who could blame you. But no, this was in fact far more illustrious; I came second in a wool category at the Amberley A&P Show. It was in the halfbred category to be precise, but I always think that makes us sound somewhat dim-witted (heaven forbid you poor quarter-bred farmers), so I’ll leave it at wool.

For some, second place may have been an opportunity to embrace shortcomings, to learn, grow and perfect. But not for me, take the money and run.

Back in my schooling days The Boss once foolishly told me 51% was one hour’s too much study and I have lived my life by that mantra ever since. Average is just fine, thank you. Who needs the TAB when you can take a punt on your own everyday efforts to see if an input combo of mediocrity

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and hope result in seemingly successful output.

It seems the Labour Party had much the same mantra. Only this year their vacuous virtues were finally exposed. In fairness, they got second too, but ol’ Chippy didn’t look nearly as chipper as I did with my podium finish. Who needs a new flame Toni to put a spring in your step when you can win second prize at the Amberley Show.

Any capitalist childhood worth its sibling-scrapping salt – even the dim-witted, half-baked, woolblind ones – hardwires the $10 prize for coming second place in a beauty contest (not to mention the free trip to Go to collect a coupla’ hundy) so I had lofty expectations. Take it from me and hold fire on the fruit cake entries, the year’s rampant inflation has dealt a harsh blow to any A&P windfall.

Rakaia Gorge

“FOR SOME, SECOND PLACE MAY HAVE BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO EMBRACE SHORTCOMINGS, TO LEARN, GROW AND PERFECT. BUT NOT FOR ME, TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN.” My $4 bounty was highly anticipated nonetheless. That was, until I realised I had naively ticked the ‘gift entry’ box. At the time I was quite sure this meant a placing would result in a Ballantynes hamper, not that I was forgoing any loot.

In a year where Countdown ironically changed its name to something suggesting wool was valuable, I concluded my net loss was negligible. Bally’s hamper or not, it wouldn’t rain on my grand parade.

Having spent considerable pre-departure time selecting

my navyest of navy frocks for the occasion, one that perfectly accompanied Vince’s checkiest check shirt – no small feat given they’re all checked - it was time to mingle.

I was well aware the crowds would indeed want to behold a wool sub-section secondplacegetter and did not wish to disappoint.

As it turned out, the awaiting hoards were queuing for bouncy castle tickets for their equallynavy, checked or navy-checked miniatures. Our own navychecked (with some token taupe) little darlings got wind of this and insisted we queue too.

Clearly unaware of my ‘gifted fleece’ foible, the wee mites were negotiating hard. Not quite Foreign Affairs and Finance, but certainly fighter planes and ferris wheels.

My expectations of a tickertape parade morphed into tickettaking reality as we merged into the navy sea.

Navy check is rural New Zealand’s covert gang insignia heading dogs tattooed on to our foreheads probably wouldn’t look all that menacing. While second prize has got me grinning, 2023’s greatest feat is that farmers are no longer the outlaws.

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First up, best tractor With the onset of lambing and calving, Suzie Corboy has taken leave from her other job as an ambulance officer.

NOVEMBER ALREADY AND the Owaka Valley is looking good, but the weather is still variable. We had snow last week, then 20C a day or two after. We were fortunate that over lambing and calving we had no extreme weather events that caused excessive lamb or calf losses.

We lamb from mid-September to mid-November by the time the hoggets finish lambing, so we usually catch at least one miserable weather event.

We haven’t tailed yet, but aren’t expecting great results.

Although scanning was high at 198% this means more triplets which have a higher percentage of losses than twins. Also, like many in our area, ewe losses were high. This was mainly due to milk fever and bearings, although our ewes did not have many bearings in comparison to some local farms. I heard horrendous reports of some flocks having 150 to 200 bearings.

We had 147 in-calf heifers this year and at the time of writing it has been one of the easier calving seasons I can remember. Calving has been slow, obviously some issues back at mating, unsure if

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this was due to heifers or bulls, but the in-calf rate at scanning was about normal, so the only issue from this is the average calf age will be younger.

We have so far had no down or dead heifers, have not had many calving problems, and only a few dead calves. A younger, alive calf beats a dead calf any day.

I had six weeks off from my other job as an ambulance officer, for lambing and calving. We typically have to calve about 5% of our heifers due to difficulties with presentation or just the calves being a bit big, so it is easier when there are two of us on the farm. Also, it is a busy time of year, so I think my being here is appreciated.

We do not really have a quiet period on the farm, so I could be here full time without running out of work, but ambulance work gives me a different challenge and a lot of contact with people.

“I ENJOY HELPING OTHERS AND WE SEE PEOPLE USUALLY HAVING A BAD DAY, AND IF WE CAN MAKE THAT SITUATION BETTER THEN I GET A SENSE OF FULFILMENT, AND PEOPLE TEND TO THANK YOU MORE THAN ANIMALS.” I enjoy helping others and we see people usually having a bad day, and if we can make that situation better then I get a sense of fulfilment, and people tend to thank you more than animals, although you can shout at animals and swear when things aren’t going so well. This is not appropriate behaviour with people and tends to lead to complaints, not that I have tested this theory, despite being

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Owaka

tempted on more than one occasion.

Tractor work is the main priority from now until Christmas. Paul bought me a newer tractor, hoping all the fancy buttons and bluetooth radio will tempt me to spend more time driving it. It has worked, but I am sure he will have stolen it before you read this, and I will be back to the smaller, older tractor.

We have about 63 hectares to sow in grass, most of which was in winter feed, and 47ha to be sown with swedes or fodder beet.

Half of the winter feed will be strip-tilled by a contractor. This has produced excellent yields for us previously and reduces our workload with a one-pass operation.

Best wishes for a restful Christmas, hope you all have a good season and that we all get rain when it is needed.

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HOME BLOCK

All quiet around the Beehive Relishing the lack of politics in the void after the election, Carterton farmer Mark Guscott has enjoyed a good lambing, and reveals his regenerative move.

I’VE JUST BEEN HAVING A look through some news websites and realised we’re in this wonderful utopia of NO POLITICS. Isn’t it wonderful! The election is over, the results are yet to be confirmed and the news media doesn’t have anything to report.

The question needs to be asked, do we even need politicians?

There are stories about another war overseas, hospital waiting line dramas, so-called celebrities on reality TV and most importantly a rugby final against the Saffas. I’ve been quite invested in this World Cup, more than others I think.

The Irish game was something to remember and I needed a lie down after it due to the extreme tension.

That’s the way sport should be. Does anyone else remember the old school rugby tours that stopped when the game went professional? How good was it watching France vs Wairarapa Bush in Masterton in 1994? I know they’re probably unaffordable now, but they were awesome.

How’s the farming in your area? Our little valley is finally growing some spring feed after

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what seems like a long early spring, with lots of hope and “next week looks good” but not much actual growth.

We’ve had our best lambing for a few years and the lambs look to be enjoying the sun on their backs.

There’s definitely a tail-end in our ewe flock after a tough late winter and they will require a bit of TLC over summer.

Our cows are coming to the end of calving and they are mostly pretty good. We send them grazing to our neighbours for the winter and he’s done a good job again, even though they stayed longer due to a slow spring.

The last of our trade lambs are heading out next week and that’s been hard work. Our summer sale price was $10/head higher than our winter price. Not something that is very palatable for the finances and hopefully won’t be a regular thing.

a bit dry. Good riddance to the last couple of years.

Overall, I can’t complain too much about physical farming right at the moment. It would be nice if Carterton the beef and lamb schedules were showing some signs of life, but maybe 2024 will be better.

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it in these columns, but we’ve been certified regenerative for almost four years now. It’s a bit of a triggering thing for some farmers.

Contrary to popular belief about “SOME OF THOSE NEW IDEAS AREN’T regen farming, we’re still putting THAT NEW. FARMERS STILL DOING THE on conventional fertiliser and SAME THING THEY DID 10 YEARS AGO spraying paddocks as necessary.

It’s not a prescriptive thing like PROBABLY NEED TO RETHINK THINGS.” organics. The lack of an actual definition is good as it means you Our direct-drilling contractor can adapt the thinking to fit your has just got going a couple of days system. ago. He’s busy planting chicory, There’s definitely some kale and rape mixes that we use scaremongering around about to supplement the expected pinch what you can or can’t do if you’re periods in summer and late winter. regenerative, but I think it’s just an It’s quite nice to have the fertiliser introduction of new ideas. Some bills a little lower than last year. of those new ideas aren’t that new.

If only the rates and insurance Farmers still doing the same thing would go down! they did 10 years ago probably We’ve finished planting peas need to rethink things. And we’ve managed to get paid more for and maize a little earlier than some of our products. normal. That ground is all The additional returns are far irrigated so an early planting more than what it’s costing us to usually means a little earlier implement any changes. Perhaps harvesting and that will allow an some people should challenge early start for the following crop. their thinking a bit more?

Cropping is much easier when it’s

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Kerry Chittock, Royal Canin® Ambassador

FUEL YOUR WORKING DOGS NEEDS When Kerry isn’t mustering the hills around Central Otago with his dogs, he also trains the local Polytechnic students and Fairlight Foundation cadets in dog training, making an impact in the lives of young farmers.

“I have been using Royal Canin® Energy 4800 for well over 15 years now as I have always been really impressed by the way my dogs perform on it and the way they keep their condition even after big days on the hill. I wouldn’t use anything else!

I also feed my young the Royal Canin® Maxi Puppy Active, as I find it’s a no brainer for me when rearing my pups and gives them all the energy they need to grow into superb working dogs.”

royalcanin.com/nz Country-Wide |

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Dave and Rebecca Buick are reaping the rewards of years of hard work on their Pongaroa farm.

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O N FA R M

FEATURE

In pursuit of excellence Dave Buick doesn’t do participation. His attention to every little detail is evident from the high-performing farm to his rise to the very top of shearing sports in New Zealand, and his remarkable recovery from a horrific onfarm accident that almost killed him.

Rebecca Greaves reports.

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PHOTOS BY BRAD HANSON

hen it comes to the numbers, Pongaroa farmer Dave Buick and his calculator are closely acquainted. He is constantly fine-tuning, running scenarios on where money is to be made, and he’s not afraid to try something new – if he thinks it might improve his system.

Dave and Rebecca Buick, along with baby Michael, first graced the front cover of Country-Wide magazine almost 20 years ago, on their way to first farm ownership. It was meant to be a stepping stone, before they moved somewhere closer to town.

The Buicks still own that farm, and they’re still in Pongaroa.

The couple are a team, and their enthusiasm for

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the agriculture sector and the pursuit of excellence is uplifting. At a time when farming can seem a daily battle, Dave’s genuine enjoyment from being on his farm is a tonic.

Dave subscribes to the saying that behind every great man is an even better woman. He might be the hands-on grunt, but he’s quick to give full credit to Rebecca, who he describes as the glue that holds everything together.

“The most important thing is having a good wife.

Behind every good man is an equal wife.”

Son Michael is now 20 and a fourth Buick family member was added after Country-Wide visited, Gemma, now 15.

There are many moving parts to the Buicks’ business, which includes the shearing contracting

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O N FA R M

business Shear Exhaustion, which employs up to 20 people in peak times and has more than 200,000 sheep on the books. Rebecca also works four days a week at the local school, as well as doing the books and wages for the shearing business.

Dave is the first to admit he is competitive, and it’s that drive to succeed that took him to the top of the competitive shearing scene in NZ. In 2021 he was at his peak, winning both the North Island and South Island Shearer of the Year, among other titles.

The only big one to elude him is the one everyone dreams of, the Golden Shears Open title.

But October 20, 2021 was the day everything changed.

While undertaking onfarm drainage a newly dug ditch collapsed on Dave, burying him up to his chin under tonnes of sodden dirt.

He was airlifted to hospital with an eye-watering list of injuries, not least being that his pelvis was mashed –

there was basically nothing holding the top of his body to the bottom. All his internal organs had shifted 4cm.

Hard to believe, but Dave says the accident was a blessing, as it made him take a hard look at what was most important in life. Shearing all day, working all night was not sustainable.

“You can pile as much money and time into a farm as you like and it will just take the whole lot. Rebecca used to say – you’ll burn out, I want to retire with you. It’s how we got to where we have got to, but it became the norm.

“I’m a doer. When I was in hospital the psychiatrist came round and she said David, here’s my card, you’re going to need it. You’re what I call an active relaxer.”

For an active relaxer, the idea of spending two months lying flat on your back, dead still, sounds like a nightmare. But in typical Dave style, he maintained a positive attitude throughout the whole ordeal.

“I knew that a second earlier I was

Left: Dave (right) and John Kirkpatrick at the Golden Shears.

Dave made it to the very top in shearing sports, representing New Zealand. Photo: Pete Nikolaison.

Above: Dave is committed to better work life balance after an on-farm accident.

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bent over and I would have been dead.

That was my motivation.”

Rebecca says his mental health was good throughout, if he had gone to a dark place, it would have made things much tougher.

On leaving hospital, Dave was transferred to a retirement home, which he loved. He made Rebecca bring weights so he could work on his upper body strength.

“I loved the oldies; I had a ball. They used to wheel me outside on nice days

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and I’d joke that I was the bouncer. You make it what it is. When I got there, they asked me if I wanted the door to my room shut, no way, I wanted to wave to people and talk to people.”

He was pencilled in to enter rehab until February. Dave had other ideas; he was determined he was going home for Christmas.

The mental toughness that had taken him to the top in shearing came into play. “In any sport you have to be fit, but to go that next step it’s all about the

top two inches. I was doing workouts every night with shearing; I was used to it. I had the motivation, I just needed them to give me the tools to move my body.”

As long as he wasn’t doing damage, he pushed the envelope to speed up his recovery.

At one point, the orthopaedic specialist offered to sign Dave off, if he never returned to work. Rebecca says that was the only time he got angry.

“He said you can’t just write me off, I’m

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The Buicks bought Te Rau three years ago and have undertaken an extensive development programme. Opposite page: Dave and Rebecca make a great team, and have always supported each other.

not going to accept that. He could have accepted that and sat on the couch for the rest of his life.”

Not only has Dave returned to work, he’s picked up a handpiece and he’s even shorn in competition again, in a father/son event with Michael. Nerve damage to his right leg means it’s numb, and he can’t feel his foot. But outwardly, watching him shift bulls on the farm, you would never know.

“Rebecca is really the rock of the family. If she’d been in hospital, then we would really have been in trouble.

These goals, for me to represent New Zealand (in shearing), it’s quite selfish.

The whole family has to support you. It

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wasn’t just my goal; it became the whole family’s goal. The staff and crew had to pick up the slack if I was away.”

The fact he was able to run the shearing crew from his hospital bed, and everything still happened, shows what amazing staff he has, he says.

Michael was near the end of his final year at school, and was able to come home to run the farm, with oversight from local farmer Shaun Baxter. “I think Michael was just mature enough to handle the pressure. He had one brokenin dog and I was trying to give him the whistles for three other dogs from my hospital bed in Wellington.”

He hasn’t lost his competitive spirit,

but Dave has gained a new appreciation for what he has, and has learned to relax and enjoy life a little more.

“You think, how can any good come of it? But to appreciate the cool things we are doing here and be proud of it, to be proud of our kids. I could have continued working that hard, and what for? I’d always said I wanted to take the kids snorkelling in Fiji and to be honest, it would probably never have happened.

We went and at one stage we were snorkelling along, with all these fish and I turned around and there was Gemma, doing cartwheels. It was the best.”

Later this year Dave and Rebecca are off to Bali, just the two of them. It was

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O N FA R M

“IN ANY SPORT YOU HAVE TO BE FIT, BUT TO GO THAT NEXT STEP IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TOP TWO INCHES. I WAS DOING WORKOUTS EVERY NIGHT WITH SHEARING; I WAS USED TO IT.”

a profound realisation that they have done the hard yards, many of them, and it’s time for a bit more work/life balance.

“I still love being out there on the farm, but live a little. I used to drop sheep at the neighbours and they’d ask if I wanted a cuppa, I’d always be too busy to stop. Now, I have the cup of tea. I wasn’t here for six months and everything ticked away. A farm will take everything you have to give it.”

Trading up Taraora was the original first farm of 205 hectares, bought in 2001. The couple had looked at leasing but reasoned if they scraped under their fingernails, they were better off getting a foot in the door with ownership.

“Rebecca had shares in a house in Wellington and we were pretty frugal so if we went to a more isolated area, we could get in. This was always meant to be a stepping stone but it’s such a great community and return on investment is good out here because land is cheap, or cheaper.”

Eight years ago, they bought 400ha Pine Hills, at the top of the Puketoi Range. The idea was to lease it out for five years while Dave gave the competition shearing a serious nudge, then farm it as the breeding unit, using Taraora for finishing. Enter the march of the pine trees.

“The farm was surrounded by pines; we were the last farm left. As a business decision, we sold Pine Hills to pine trees in order to buy Te Rau three years ago.”

Since moving to Te Rau, they have embarked on an extensive development programme, 6km of fencing, fencing off

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O N FA R M

waterways, a central laneway, hundreds of loads of rotten rock, drainage and re-grassing. They borrowed money up front to fast track the development, but the majority is funded from cash flow.

The final project in the face of strong headwinds for farming is a new set of cattle yards. Dave is building them himself, of course.

High-performance stock The Buicks are breeding and finishing all progeny, unless the store market goes crazy. Dave is constantly evaluating where the best dollar is to be made, so policies are flexible, depending on the season.

They ditched cows in favour of bulls about four years ago, and that’s where the biggest bang for buck is, as well as building greater flexibility into their system.

They finish about 300 bulls annually, split roughly half and half into two systems.

The first is 18-month Friesian bulls, bought about April and carried through the winter. They start heading out the gate in November, which suits their pasture growth curve. The bulls are killed as the farm usually starts to dry out, allowing lambs or replacement ewe lambs to come down on to the flats.

The second system comprises weaner

beef bulls, usually Charolais cross and purchased from weaner fairs or sourced locally. These are gone by 18-months – nothing stays more than a year, or one winter.

Through spring the weaner bulls average 2.2kg-3kg/day in the cells, and the two-year-old Friesians are doing 3kg, Dave says.

The bulls are in one-hectare cells and shifted every two days. Mob sizes vary from 25 to 33, depending on the age of the cattle.

Everything is killed and for the last two years bulls have averaged 335kg carcaseweight, but the end result can vary. “The big Friesians, we can take

FA R M FA C T S David and Rebecca Buick, Pongaroa, Tararua District 500ha (460 effective). Te Rau (home block) 255ha. Taraora 205ha. Golf club lease 40ha.

Contour: 250ha cultivatable, balance medium hill country with some steeper sidings, 12ha planted in mainly pines, plus some natives Soil: Silt loam on the flats heading up to argillite on the hills.

STOCK Breeding and predominantly finishing all stock.

SHEEP: 2100 breeding ewes, 600 hoggets (all mated). Breed own replacements. Hoggets and B flock go to Oxford ram, everything else a Romney. 60 Oxford stud ewes.

BULLS: Two bull systems with up to 300 head. Nothing stays more than a year. System 1: 18-month Friesian bulls, buy in April start selling in November. System 2: Weaner bulls, usually Charolais cross, sold at 18-months.

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them up to 700kg liveweight. It depends on the schedule and grass covers, but it gives us options.”

At $2000-$2500/ha gross margin, the bulls are hard to beat, Dave says, but you can’t have bulls everywhere.

Complementing the bulls is a highperforming ewe flock. Scanning this year was 202%, up 10% on last year, with 22% triplets. Dave views this as a potential one third of his lamb crop, and triplet ewes are nurtured. “It’s there, what do I have to do to capitalise on it? If I muck it up, that’s a huge loss,” he says.

Triplet ewes are identified and drafted at scanning. These ewes are prioritised and put on high-quality feed.

The bull unit is sown in a mix of chicory, red and white clover and Italian ryegrass.

“This year the priority triplets, the older girls and B flock have lambed on it, and they are looking mean. I will get most of those lambs, as triplets, killed off mum.”

All hoggets are mated, with a target weight of 43kg by May 1 to go to the ram, and this year scanned at 110%.

Hoggets and B flock ewes go to an Oxford ram, while everything else goes

The Buicks have a high performing sheep flock, and the key is attention to detail.

They focus on kilograms out the gate.

to a Turanganui Romney.

Earlies (B flock) have a ram date of March 20, while mixed age and twotooths at Te Rau are March 27. Down the road at Taraora mixed age and twotooths go to the ram on April 4.

Dave double lambs on some country.

He’s just docked his earlies and put them out on the hills, swapping with the hoggets, who come down to lamb on the easier country.

On the cropping side, they plant

20ha of oats and rape. The rape is used in autumn for the lambs before being locked up for the bulls. The bulls are break-fed with twice-daily shifts through winter and are on the rape for eight to nine weeks.

It then goes into chicory and red and white clover, becoming the summer crop.

“That lets the clover get established and the following autumn, six months later, I direct-drill a tetraploid like a

Handy on a handpiece Father Christmas bought 14-yearold Dave a handpiece, the best investment he ever made.

He started out shearing his father’s sheep and never looked back. When they bought the farm, he and a group of mates would shear each other’s sheep, then other people started asking them to shear. Shear Exhaustion was born.

“That’s why the banks loaned us the money, they could see the offfarm income. Rebecca was working in Palmerston North every day, and they could see I could shear myself out of trouble. The deal was, whoever was home first had to cook tea.”

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Dave’s first taste of competition shearing came when he was at Smedley and the cadets entered the Onga Onga Tikokino competition. He won the Junior.

“Dad was a judge so I was always taught to shear clean. It’s just a passion, a huge part of our life and always will be.”

Dave went on to win countless titles and represent New Zealand, reaching the number one Open shearing ranking for the 2020/21 season. He was recently given the honour of Master Shearer by Shearing Sports New Zealand.

To show just how competitive Dave

really is, Rebecca says even in the chopper on the way to hospital he asked her if he would be able to go to the Paralympics.

Dave reckons he’s pretty much retired, though he might chuck his handpiece in as he follows Michael and Gemma around the competition scene, more of a hobby.

“No, you won’t,” Rebecca chips in quickly. “He won’t go to participate; he doesn’t believe in participation.

If you do it, you do it to win. Maybe his expectations won’t be as high, is what he means,” she says with a wry smile.

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O N FA R M

Saving lives Dave Buick is trialling a Vitamin D injection in his quest to banish the bearing.

Research has shown a link between ewe bearings and Vitamin D deficiency. Having heard about it, he decided to trial the injection this year. Though he says it’s too early to say conclusively if it’s been a success, it’s looking promising.

Ewes are given the injection at scanning.

Dave’s own research into the cause of vaginal prolapse (bearings) came about after a flood in 2004.

“There was so much feed and we fed everything the whole way through. We got 10% bearings – I had to buy an extra dog tucker freezer.”

Based on what he discovered he adopted a new system that he has implemented every year since, with good success.

After their first cycle, ewes are fed maintenance only. They feed for three hours a day and are locked up for 21 hours in a holding paddock.

“This also builds up covers for winter and doesn’t skint the paddock out. You’re only hammering one or two sacrifice paddocks. That system has really dropped the bearings incredibly.”

Dave admits this is a labourintensive process, but one he feels is worth it. They also sew up all bearings, having about a 75% success rate.

“It’s a huge cost, not just the animal and her lambs gone, but she’s not there next year or the year after. It’s the cost of replacing her, it’s an opportunity cost.

“We do a lambing beat twice a day and I say – I’m off to save lives.”

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fast-growing Italian. You get a really clover-dominant pasture for the next four years.”

This system gives him the option to put in-lamb ewes through the bull unit prior to set stocking.

Know your numbers Dave loves doing gross margins. He spends hours running the numbers and he is on Farm Focus every day.

“It’s constantly learning and adjusting, but I’m always evaluating and doing the gross margins to see if it’s on.

You always have to be playing around with the calculator. We have a lot of moving parts and I’m very in touch with our business. I know exactly what’s coming in and going out.

“We’ve got a photo of Gemma sitting on the toilet when she was about three, with a calculator – I was so proud.”

The focus is spending money in the places that deliver the greatest return – drainage, fencing and new grass.

Despite the intensive development programme, total working farm expenses are 56% of gross farm income.

This is largely down to the fact they do almost all of the work themselves, including fencing and cropping. Dave even services his own quads and tractor.

He can weld and obviously, he’s fairly useful with a handpiece.

Gross farm income has averaged just shy of $1500/ha for the last two years, though with the current climate and high interest rates, Dave expects this year to be tighter. The last two years they have averaged $156/lamb, but again, Dave says those days have gone.

It’s hard to know where the bottom will be – he’s revised his budget down more than once.

As well as Farm Focus, they use Cloud Farmer as a notebook to store all information and data and, spoken like a true farmer and shearing contractor, Dave is constantly checking the weather.

His favoured weather app is Windy.

“We do have quite intense systems, that’s where you make the money, that fine tuning. It’s in me to go hard, and I enjoy going hard but now I say every day is a holiday – I do really enjoy farming.

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Bulls are an important part of the farm system, providing bang for buck and adding flexibility to the operation. Opposite page: The Buicks have spent money where they get the greatest return - drainage, fencing and new grass.

“I do a lot of hours to get the results. No one is perfect and we make mistakes, just like the next person. The tough times we have been through are what has given us the knowledge and tools to get through the next challenge.”

Oxford stud An exciting diversification is the addition of 60 Oxford stud ewes.

The first crop of lambs is on the ground, and Dave can’t wait to weigh them.

He’s a fan of the breed, using Oxfords as his terminal sire for about 10 years now. “I drove past this guy’s ram

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paddock one day and they were big boned with a muscly back end – just what I wanted.”

The rams, which belonged to Barry and Malcom Scott, were Oxfords. When Barry passed away, Malcolm approached Dave about taking on the stud. The timing wasn’t great, as Dave was in hospital after his accident and they decided to pass on the opportunity.

After trying a few other breeds, with limited success, he picked up the phone and fortuitously, Malcolm still had the stud ewes.

“They had really good genetics and I ended up buying 60 ewes. I purchased a good sire ram, he did 400grams/day

from birth to February, so it’s some really cool genes to start my stud off with.

“The oldest lambs are four weeks old and they’re thumpers, I can’t wait to get them across the scales. The Oxford is basically a black-face terminal that grows like snot and still has a bit of wool at lambing time.”

There’s already been plenty of interest in the rams and, with Dave’s love of figures, it’s a great fit.

“I’m already doing a lambing beat twice a day so it’s really only tagging lambs that’s extra work. We’ve set the stud up properly and we’re keen to grow it.”

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BUSINESS

A TALE OF FOUR ELECTORATES RU R A L N Z TA K E S A ST E P TO T H E R I G H T While voters in rural electorates took a right turn at the recent election, the trend has been to greater diversity, Hugh Campbell writes.

E

ver since the 1930s, rural New Zealand has had a powerful political relationship with the National Party (and its two precursors – United and Reform).

For most of the 20th century, National governments could take power on the back of a string of wins in marginal electorates scattered throughout regional NZ. It has been one of the most enduring relationships in the country, outlasting even the tight relationship between Labour and the union movement which began to decline after the Rogernomics reforms of the 1980s.

Much of the talk leading into this election, however, was of a potential rupture in that enduring political relationship. So, how did the final results bear out those rumours of a change of political mood in the regions?

After examining the results in four of our most rural electorates an interesting set of shifts in voting patterns does emerge.

Election results can tell us two interesting things. First, they tell you

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what share of the vote in rural NZ is being won by different parties. But second, it can tell you how different parties perform in rural seats compared to their performance nationwide.

Both turned out to be important in this election. The first tells you who is winning rural NZ, but the second tells you how important rural NZ is to the performance of that party nationally.

The answer is that National is relying less and less on rural votes as part of its pathway to power. That process began in 1996 when MMP massively downgraded the importance of rural electorates in the ultimate formation of a government by National or Labour. But by going down this path, National is also becoming slightly less important as a party in rural NZ. In order to do a hot take on the final numbers, I decided to look at the voting patterns over three elections - 2014, 2017 and 2023 - in four rural electorates that had not had recent boundary changes: Rangitata, Rangitikei, Taranaki/King Country and Kaikoura. Based on these

electorates the pattern is quite clear: • National’s share of the rural vote has decreased by about 10%.

• ACT has surged from nowhere to now consolidating a significant block of voters on the right in rural NZ. More than 15% of rural voters are now supporting parties well to the right of the political spectrum.

• At the same time, rural NZ is also becoming more diverse across the political spectrum.

The first question is to ask who is winning rural NZ? The 2014 and 2017 elections provide a very consistent picture in those electorates. National achieved somewhere between 50-60% of the votes in both 2014 and 2017. On their right, parties like the New Conservatives achieved about 4-6% of the vote, while ACT almost entirely failed to land votes achieving less than 1% in all four of these electorates in both elections.

It is a simple story: massive National dominance, with a small fringe to the right.

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Party Votes in Rural Electorates: National and ACT TARANAKI/KING COUNTRY 2014

61.4%

0.4%

2017

57.9%

0.6%

2023

46.9%

13.4%

53.5%

0.4%

RANGITIKEI 2014 2017

51.7%

0.5%

2023

41.0%

13.6%

56.5%

0.4%

KAIKOURA 2014 2017

52.6%

0.4%

2023

40.9%

14.0%

55.3%

0.4%

RANGITATA 2014 2017

52.9%

0.5%

2023

44.6%

10.0%

Vote differential: Party vote in rural electorates vs total national vote

TARANAKI/KING COUNTRY

TARANAKI/KING COUNTRY

2014

+14.5%

2014

-11.7%

2017

+10.9%

2017

-13.1%

2023

+8.8%

2023

-9.8%

RANGITIKEI

RANGITIKEI

2014

+6.5%

2014

-6.9%

2017

+7.3%

2017

-8.1%

2023

+3.0%

2023

-5.2%

KAIKOURA

KAIKOURA

2014

+9.5%

2014

-8.1%

2017

+8.2%

2017

-7.8%

2023

+2.8%

2023

-6.3%

RANGITATA 2014

RANGITATA +8.6%

2014

-3.0%

2017

+8.5%

2017

-3.4%

2023

+6.5%

2023

-0.7%

+9.8%

2014

2017

+8.7%

2017

-8.1%

2023

+5.3%

2023

-5.5%

AVERAGE VOTE DIFFERENTIAL 2014

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AVERAGE VOTE DIFFERENTIAL -7.4%

Turning to 2023 and a different story emerges. National lost between 10-15% of its share of the rural vote in 2023, with electorates like Taranaki/King Country seeing National slide from 62% of the vote in 2014 to 47% in 2023. It is still in a strong position as the preferred party of rural NZ, but it is significantly weaker than in the past.

At the same time ACT surged, rocketing from a dismal <1% in 2014 and 2017 to achieve between 10-14% of the vote across those electorates in 2023.

New Zealand First didn’t change much, and 3-6% of the rural vote landed with the host of small far-right parties like NZ Loyal that emerged out of the pandemic and on to the voting ballots in 2023.

This has shifted the centre of gravity of rural votes. In the past, about 5% of rural voters went for far-right parties like Colin Craig’s New Conservatives. Now ACT’s surge in popularity has pushed the hard right of rural NZ up to over 15% of the electorate.

Put simply, the big change on the right is the movement of votes from National to ACT and this has trebled the number of rural voters who support strongly right-leaning parties and has directly eaten into the size of the once-dominant centre-right bloc.

The second question is to ask what is the proportional value of rural electorates to the overall vote achieved by each party? Put simply: how much did National or ACT’s share of the vote in those rural electorates run ahead of, or behind, their total vote share nationwide? And, consequently, how much did rural NZ contribute to their overall success in the election?

In previous elections, National could rely on these kinds of electorates delivering votes at a hefty percentage above their nationwide average. The average vote differential across these electorates was +10% for National in 2014. If you go back another 10 years, the differential was more than +15%.

While it has been declining over time, National could always rely on getting

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ELECTION SHIFT

“National lost between 10-15% of its share of the rural vote in 2023, with electorates like Taranaki/King Country seeing National slide from 62% of the vote in 2014 to 47% in 2023.”

proportionally more votes in rural NZ than in the rest of the country and used those votes to solidify their push for power.

But in 2023 National’s vote differential across these four electorates had dropped to only +5%. For the first time in generations, National’s rural vote is only marginally ahead of its total vote across the whole country. National’s move from being a predominantly country party prior to the introduction of MMP to a party of urban+rural NZ is not yet complete. But it is very nearly there.

The differential for ACT is even more startling. In 2017, ACT was almost nonexistent in these electorates. It was an overwhelmingly urban party. In 2023, their rural vote differential had startlingly reversed registering at +4.1% (relative to a nationwide vote of 8.68%) in the rural electorates. In other words, rural NZ has moved from being an irrelevance to ACT to now providing electorates which deliver votes significantly higher than their nationwide voting level.

A quick glance across the results for all the parties that have made it into parliament confirms this remarkable turnaround. ACT has now effectively

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drawn level with National as the parties that receive the most disproportionately large rural support. It isn’t the urbancentred party of six years ago.

So, looking at the overall effect on the right side of politics in rural NZ the trend is clear. The gains that won National the election were made in urban electorates – particularly Auckland - and the party has actually lost significant ground across heartland electorates.

Anecdotal evidence of a shift of loyalty from National to ACT that was streaming in from around the provinces over the last year was born out in the ballot box as votes on the right of rural politics consolidated around ACT. But this isn’t the only thing happening.

The share of rural vote going to Labour has also been marginally increasing, albeit from a modest base, while the Green Party also clocks in with rural votes that don’t run too far behind their national averages.

Leaving out 2020 (a very anomalous election), the share of Labour votes in rural NZ has been slowly ticking upwards for the last decade and the rural/urban differential that used to be heavily

weighted as urban for Labour has also been narrowing.

By 2023, the left side of politics had achieved somewhere between 26-31% of the votes in those four rural electorates and Labour’s vote differential in these rural electorates had narrowed to only -5.5%.

Based on a quick analysis of these four seats, this isn’t your grandparents’ electorate, or even your parents’. More detailed analysis will need to happen to confirm this, but, put simply, in the time since 2014 the blue tide that used to roll across rural NZ has been ebbing.

National has lost votes to ACT to its right, and it has also seen a slow increase of rural votes going to Labour and the Greens to its left. Rural NZ is getting more politically diverse and the most striking part of that diversification is that slightly over 10% of rural voters have taken a step to the right.

Hugh Campbell is Professor of Sociology, Gender Studies and Criminology, School of Social Sciences, University of Otago.

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FA R M F O R E S T R Y

FOREST OWNERS BALK AT ETS FEE Owners of forests registered in the Emissions Trading Scheme are challenging the introduction of an ongoing cost recovery fee, Rebecca Greaves reports.

A

new cost recovery fee to claw back the costs of running the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) could devalue farmland by more than $500 per hectare, New Zealand Institute of Forestry President (NZIF), James Treadwell, says.

NZIF and associated parties have filed a judicial review against the move, asking the fee to be reconsidered, and for industry to have input into how a cost recovery model might work.

Under the new cost recovery model, those who have trees in the ETS will pay a fee of $30.25/ha annually, in perpetuity.

“If farmers are looking to sell, a forester will model in a reduction in land value based on that. You have to continue paying that fee forever, it’s basically a tax on the land,” Treadwell said.

“Our view is that that’s not cost recovery, it’s a tax on the land – we don’t believe the way they are charging follows a cost recovery model.”

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Treadwell said the fee had the effect, for those considering entering the ETS, of considerably devaluing any potential return.

In terms of a timeframe, he said it was in the hands of the court, and could take six months to get to court. Treadwell estimated the cost of the case to be between $500,000 and $1 million.

Most forest owners in the ETS from 10 hectares upwards have pledged to help cover that cost. The action represents 80% of the hectares in the ETS, and 60% of affected parties.

Treadwell questioned the timing of the consultation period in an election year.

“Part of me feels the fact that the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) brought this out in an election process, (was) so we didn’t have a Minister to talk to, or take action. They did that on purpose to ensure we had no one to turn to, or even put a pause on it.”

Those already in the ETS had until October 19 to opt out of the scheme

James Treadwell, president New Zealand Institute of Forestry.

and avoid paying the fee. Treadwell said getting everyone around the table, especially in the case of large iwi or trust situations, to make the decision in the timeframe given, was unrealistic.

“I talked to the Labour Government at the time and they said they were too busy, and the new Government hasn’t been formed yet. Particularly for Maori or trusts, it wasn’t feasible, so they are

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MPI responds

Most forest owners in the ETS from 10 hectares upwards have pledged to help cover the cost of the court challenge.

forced into fees that were not part of people’s thought process when they entered the ETS.” Treadwell said it was now law, and invoices for the new fee would have been sent. If the judicial review is successful, the court can order the fees be paid back, which is what he would like to see happen.

The industry understood there was a need to cover the cost of running the scheme and did not expect to avoid a fee, full stop. What he would like is a robust discussion about what is fair cost recovery and a process to undertake it.

“Right now, I want them to say, this is wrong and all monies paid will be

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paid back. We need an industry and Government committee to discuss it.”

Treadwell said foresters should only be expected to pay a fee for what they used, and a fee that went into perpetuity had to go.

“Cost recovery is supposed to be on those who will benefit from the ETS. The way I see it, forestry are the good guys. The people getting the benefit are actually the emitters, and they need to pay their fair share too. That’s what the ETS was set up for.”

This was an important issue for all farmers, he said, even those who were not in the ETS or did not have trees, because of the impact on land values.

In a written response, a spokesperson for the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) said it cost $29.8 million a year to administer the forestry ETS. Since the beginning of the ETS in 2002, this has been almost 100% taxpayer funded.

“The Government has decided that participants will pay 63% of those administrative costs, with the remaining 37% still funded by the taxpayer.”

In March 2023 it undertook public consultation about this series of proposed fee changes and the annual charge.

“The principle behind these changes is that participants who benefit from having forest in the ETS pay for a proportion of those services and not taxpayers. We anticipate that annual voluntary emission returns submitted will claim NZUs to the approximate value of $600 million per annum at current unit prices ($67/NZU).”

The annual cost to the industry of the new fee structure was about $18 million, the spokesperson said.

MPI had been notified of the legal proceeding for a judicial review in relation to the recent changes to the cost recovery settings for forestry in the ETS. “These changes to the cost recovery settings were publicly consulted on prior to submission for Cabinet. Cabinet approved the changes, they were published on September 21, 2023, and came into effect October 19, 2023. We have no further comment as the matter is before the courts.”

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M E AT Q U A L I T Y P R O B E

Lamb probe checks for intramuscular fat content of a carcase.

CHECKING IMF ON THE CHAIN Meat companies are testing equipment that can gauge intramuscular fat in carcases immediately after slaughter.

Tony Leggett reports.

T

he potential to reward farmers on the eating quality of their lamb and beef has arrived in New Zealand.

Several New Zealand meat companies are investigating ground-breaking, meat probe technology which accurately predicts the level of intramuscular fat (IMF) in carcases at chain speed just after slaughter.

IMF is a primary indicator of eating quality and being able to group carcases at pace before they enter a chiller has eluded meat companies until the

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development of the probe by MEQ Solutions, an Australian agtech start-up based at Gundagai, New South Wales.

Alliance Group has been trialing the MEQ probes since early this year at its Smithfield and Pukeuri plants in the South Island. Silver Fern Farms has also checked out the probes, including visiting a plant in Tasmania which has been operating the probes.

Alliance Group chairman Murray Taggart says the company is satisfied with the accuracy of the probes at chain speed. Installation of MEQ probes in its

plants represents a major breakthrough in ensuring acceptable and consistent eating quality for its premium lamb and beef brands, he says.

“Our Pure South Hand-Picked lamb and beef, Silere and Lumina programmes tap into the growing demand from discerning consumers who are willing to pay significant premiums if we can deliver consistently good eating quality,” Taggart says.

“The challenge in the past has always been the (eating quality) consistency, but with these new probes measuring IMF on the chain after slaughter, we can eliminate that variability,” he says.

Taggart says that will mean better rewards for farmers who supply high IMF lambs and cattle. It will also mean the data they receive can be incorporated into genetics breeding programmes to lift IMF levels and improve its consistency.

“MEQ technology is a very exciting tool because it allows Alliance to reward farmers by helping drive improvements behind the farm gate,” he says.

The probe is inserted directly into the lamb loin area or at the beef forequarter cut and uses light to measure the level of IMF as it is withdrawn from the site.

Training in their use takes just a few hours.

The IMF data captured by the probe is stored for each carcase for relaying back to the supplier.

Taggart says the benefit of being able to operate at chain speed at the initial grading station means carcases can be separated before entering the chiller, reducing double-handling, saving labour and storage space.

“The MEQ technology compliments the ViaScan yield grading technology

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“At last, we can be rewarded for the eating quality of our cattle and lambs and for stud breeders, that IMF data will be valuable for use in our breeding programmes too.” adopted several years ago by Alliance Group and also the traditional carcase grading systems used.”

From November, Taggart says MEQ probes will be installed at two Alliance Group plants per month in time for the rise in lamb slaughter for the current season.

Bull breeder and Wairarapa hill country farmer Bryan Bendall says the MEQ probes are excellent news for farmers.

“At last, we can be rewarded for the eating quality of our cattle and lambs and for stud breeders, that IMF data will be valuable for use in our breeding programmes too,” he says.

Alliance Group chief executive Willie Wiese says IMF and ageing are the two

largest contributors to the sensory experience when eating meat.

In pasture-based livestock production systems, IMF has a strong correlation with polyunsaturated fat including Omega fatty acids. High IMF levels represent the healthy fats, which are good for nutrition.

He says the probes will provide objective, measurable data and insights to give farmers visibility about the quality of the meat from all their livestock supplied across an entire season.

“Farmers will then be able to make informed behind the farm gate decisions about on farm practices and breeding programmes to maximise returns to the farm,” Wiesse says.

A beef probe is used to check a carcase on the chain.

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Spectral analysis MEQ Solutions’ meat probe technology utilises spectral analysis to determine the intramuscular fat (IMF) percentage of meat.

The innovative technology amalgamates physics, chemistry, and biology with machine learning to provide meat processors with a benchmark to improve the eating quality of their product.

The company is based across the Tasman in Gundagai, New South Wales, and has worked closely with the local Gundagai Meat Processors plant during the development of the probe.

By providing consistently high eating quality lamb, the company was able to pay lamb producers supplying the plant an extra $325,000 in the first year after the probes were installed in July 2021.

MEQ achieved accreditation for its probes within the Aus-Meat grading system for the measurement of intramuscular fat in lamb in 2022 and for beef marbling in February this year.

The two Gundagai companies have also created a producer portal app that provides farmers with almost instant access to the readings from each slaughter mob, so they can improve or maintain their meat quality score to lift their returns.

The company recently appointed a general manager for Australia and New Zealand to oversee its operations. Keith Byrne joined MEQ in late October, about the same time the company completed a successful $6.5 million capital raise to help fund its international business expansion plans.

MEQ is also testing the capacity of its technology to capture more information from each carcase, including nutritional value.

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OPENING PRICES

CHALLENGE IN CHINA Northern Hemisphere Christmas and Chinese New Year celebrations are likely to influence the direction of lamb, mutton and beef pricing, Tony Leggett reports.

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lobal meat markets are dishing up a dog’s breakfast for sheep and beef farmers this summer.

Farmgate prices for lamb, mutton and beef are forecast to decline further over the next two months as weaker prices in the crucial market of China become embedded under a deluge of lamb and mutton imported from Australia and beef from South America.

Exporters are hoping for more positive feedback from two critical volume markets – the United Kingdom-European Christmas lamb season and the 2024 Chinese New Year celebrations in early February – before committing to any price forecasts beyond the end of January.

Alliance Group livestock manager Murray Behrent says both events are highly influential on future pricing.

“If they go well and they consume a lot of New Zealand lamb, it will create empty stores by Christmas. If they don’t, it will create downward pressure on prices for us,” he told suppliers at a recent roadshow meeting in Feilding.

With lamb schedules easing most weeks through September and October

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and weaker forecast prices from meat companies leading into summer, hill country farmers face a bigger dilemma than normal – do they hit the store market harder than usual, or hold on and attempt to finish a high percentage at home?

Behrent says Alliance Group would review the market outlook at the end of October and alert suppliers through its weekly newsletters and field team networks.

The company’s chief executive Willie Wiesse said the outlook for China remains extremely challenging with subdued consumer spending and confidence, higher inventory and greater competition from the likes of Australia producers.

“China’s Autumn festival in October, which is seen as a catalyst for the important Chinese New Year period, saw weak demand for lamb and beef,” Wiesse said.

For mutton, the El Nino weather pattern is forcing increased volumes from Australia on to the Chinese market.

“Our strategy of diversification remains a major focus as we target Taiwan,

Malaysia, the EU and North America.

However, there is reduced demand and increasing inbound supply in each of these markets, which is also limiting our ability to mitigate the impact of the challenges in China.”

In response to criticism that Alliance Group lacked competitiveness in its farmgate prices, chairman Murray Taggart admitted the co-operative’s track record in 2023 was variable.

“We’ve dropped the ball on price at times this year and we’re disappointed about that.”

He pointed to the advance payment worth about 15c/kg which is available to farmers supplying all their stock to Alliance Group and said it was often missed when prices are compared between companies.

“Our market share would be falling

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Left: China’s Autumn festival, which is seen as a catalyst for the important Chinese New Year period, saw weak demand for lamb and beef.

Table 1 First quarter pricing from Alliance.

LAMB Handpicked Standard pure south Mutton

$7-$7.50/kg $6.80-$7.30/kg $3-$3.50/Kg

BEEF Handpicked 55-day

$6.30-$7/kg

Handpicked 21-day

$6.10-$6.80/kg

Pure south beef

$5.30-$6.30/kg

Bull

$5.20-$6/kg

VENISON Handpicked range

$10.20-$10.50/kg

Standard range

$10.00-$10.30/kg

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like a stone if we were not competitive all the time, but it’s not.”

Wiesse said there was a lengthy period in February and March this year where Alliance Group was behind its competitors who were offering higher prices for lamb and beef, but those same competitors either had limited or no space available.

On the positive side, the company also made a deliberate call to create a softer landing for farmers by holding the schedule above where returns from global markets were tracking when the situation in China hit.

The decision to ease prices down seriously impacted Alliance’s profitability for the year ending September 30, 2023.

Last month, it announced a loss before tax of $97.9 million, compared with its record profit of $116.3m the previous year.

The loss triggered a major review of the entire business and included a survey of Alliance Group suppliers who highlighted concerns over price competitiveness, communication and kill sheet confusion.

Behrent says the company has listened to the criticisms and responded with several changes to its schedule pricing and loyalty payment strategy, plus a revised kill sheet design which should be in place by December this year.

It has a mobile phone app in development which will assist the company with forecasting processing demand. Experience with its bobby calf application introduced last season showed it was good for planning both

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M E AT M A R K E T

transport and plant capacity required to handle the volume coming in.

Farmers will also be rewarded next year with a 10c/kg premium for supplying shorn lambs from March to November, and a $3/head premium will also be paid for lambs supplied with bellies removed and a 12c/kg premium for ewes with no belly wool.

However, farmers sending in woolly lambs that slow the plant down will be charged an extra $1.50/head.

Suppliers were told that expanding the company’s capacity to process more beef cattle in the North Island is on the ‘wish list’ but there were no plans to build a greenfield plant. Partnering with another processor was an option as is adding another shift at the Levin site.

Taggart says Alliance Group continues to monitor global demand for carbon-neutral lamb, beef and venison. Recent market feedback suggests it is an emerging trend, but there is no need to be a leader yet.

“Our market investigation found nobody really cared that much about carbon-neutral beef. They were more worried if it was truly carbon neutral or green-washed. In other words, did someone just buy credits to offset the emissions to zero,” he says.

“When we talked with some of our European customers, they were much more concerned about our product coming off land that had been cleared from forestry than being carbon neutral.”

Taggart says Alliance will continue to promote its track record of achieving significant reductions for carbon emissions from the pipeline for its products and would also be accelerating the uptake of the NZ Farm Assurance Programme and potentially rewarding farmers for achieving registration.

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AUSSIE MARKET COLLAPSING WHILE CHINA WEAK China’s consumer confidence has slumped, putting pressure on a market flooded with Australian sheep meat ahead of drought. By Tony Leggett.

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hina’s slower-thanexpected recovery following Covid lockdowns is impacting meat and byproduct returns for Kiwi farmers.

Alliance Group chairman Murray Taggart says retail sales in China have contracted significantly after a brief revival following the end of lockdowns earlier this year.

Consumer confidence has slumped, spending has dropped and the cautious Chinese population has turned to saving more. At the same time, youth unemployment in China has been rising so sharply over the past few months that the Chinese government has stopped publishing the data.

China’s market woes combined with significantly higher exports of lamb, mutton and beef from Australia is putting massive downward pressure on prices in all markets.

Encouraged by three successive La Nina (higher rainfall) years across the Tasman, Australia’s sheep and beef farmers rapidly built their livestock numbers. Now facing a significant El Nino period of weather, they are dropping numbers so quickly some old ewes are making less than $1/kg in the saleyards.

Taggart says New Zealand lamb

producers are still receiving $2/kg more at the farmgate than their Australian counterparts. He accepts it is cold comfort for Kiwi farmers dealing with significantly higher onfarm costs and a $2/kg weaker lamb schedule compared with the previous spring.

“The El Nino is forcing the Australian farmers to sell, so that means we will likely see a flood of product on world markets at a very unhelpful time for us,” Taggart says.

Alliance Group chief executive Willie Wiesse says there has been a noticeable shift in demand for lowerpriced cuts of lamb and beef, as global consumers respond to the effects of lower disposable income.

“If they want to stay in lamb, they trade down to lower-priced items and it’s the same in beef,” he says.

In spite of the threat from Australia and weakness in China, Wiesse is optimistic there are still opportunities in specific markets for growth in sales.

“We’re seeing a lot more scope for our premium beef now into Europe and in North America, where we work in the New Zealand Lamb Company, we’re seeing opportunities for our branded portfolio of lamb.”

Wiesse says the domestic market has also grown significantly and the

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Alliance has continued to invest in robotics at its plants, such as Lorneville, near Invercargill.

“The El Nino is forcing the Australian farmers to sell, so that means we will likely see a flood of product on world markets at a very unhelpful time for us.” co-product sector is also beginning to deliver surprisingly good returns on a per kg basis for sought-after pieces of a carcase. The trick is capturing them efficiently and in marketable volumes.

A good example of early success was a recently completed sale of freeze-dried cattle reproductive organs. The total cost to produce and ship the product was $51/kg ‘end-to-end’ and it was sold for $251/kg.

Wiesse says about 17-18kg of coproducts are being collected off a carcase but the capacity to process it varies through the year depending on

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the availability of labour.

He says Alliance Group has a plan to double its sales of ‘enhanced coproducts’ over the next five years.

An internal and trans-Tasman benchmarking programme is in full swing across all Alliance Group sites.

Performance is being compared against Australian beef, lamb, and dual beef/ lamb plants to identify opportunities for cost savings and better yields of product.

“Our objective is to be a costefficient operator. In 2017 Alliance was processing 200,000 cattle and not

making much money out if it, but now we’re a dual (beef and lamb) processor and doing well,” Wiesse says.

A great example of improvement in processing cost was at the company’s Lorneville plant where in 2017 it was $7/head more expensive to process a lamb than the Dannevirke plant. Today it’s more like $0.90/head difference.

Alliance Group has continued to invest in robotics in its plants to prevent injuries and lift efficiency.

In October, it commissioned a large robotic loading and storage system at its Lorneville site outside Invercargill.

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M E AT O U T L O O K

For SFF, 14% of its lamb is sold to customers through back-to-back supply programmes.

SFF TARGETS PREMIUM MARKET When market conditions improve, prices should rebound faster for Silver Fern Farms because of its close relationships with customers committed through premium supply programmes. Tony Leggett reports.

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ilver Fern Farms (SFF) is confident its strategy to position itself as a premium meat supplier to world’s discerning consumers is on the right track.

The company’s supply chain manager Dan Bolton told suppliers at a roadshow meeting in Feilding in early November the company is not immune to the effects of lower prices in key export meat markets being felt this season. But when market conditions improve, prices should rebound faster for SFF because of its close relationships with customers committed through premium supply programmes.

Nearly two thirds of its beef and 14% of its lamb is sold to customers through back-to-back supply programmes. Bolton said SFF product is typically 20-40c/

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kg above the prices achieved in export markets for same category meat sold by other NZ exporters, reflecting its move from being heavily reliant on commodity markets to operating a ‘market-led’ strategy which is more resilient and less volatile.

Bolton said price rather than demand is the issue confronting exporters, noting the deluge of mutton and lamb heading to key markets from Australia where the threat of severe drought combined with the sharply higher national lamb crop has farmers bailing out of ewes and lambs.

“Chinese consumers are still consuming lamb, mutton and beef, but our product is competing with cheaper mutton and lamb from Australia and

beef from the likes of Brazil at present,” Bolton said.

SFF general manager livestock Jarrod Stewart forecast lamb prices at farmgate would ease from $6.80/kg down to $5.80/kg by the end of January 2024.

Mutton prices would likely ease from $3.20 to $2.50/kg over the same period.

The company was more optimistic on its beef outlook, forecasting prime and bull beef to range from $6-$5.60/kg by the end of January.

“It’s a difficult message to deliver, but we’re being transparent on where we think the market will be.”

“We are looking hard at how we grow value for our suppliers, and more than ever we would like to see additional premiums on top of our weekly operating prices,” Stewart said.

SFF has paid 10% more in premiums year-on-year to suppliers meeting its 100% programme specifications and paid more than $2 million in premiums to incentivise supply over the critical winter period, to help meet customer expectations 52 weeks of the year.

“Our programmes are critical to our strategy. We’ve grown our beef programme business by 15,000 head over the past three years, our lamb programme volume is up by 40% over that same period, and we’ve introduced a 100% programme for venison as well.”

Stewart said further investment in rolling out its strategy is being balanced against rising costs. “But technology is vital, and we’re a modern organisation so need to be using modern platforms,” he said.

Mobile phone apps for forecasting stock flows, moving store stock from hill country to finishing farms, and removing some of the challenge for farmers filling out compliance forms were examples of work receiving investment within SFF. Stewart said a team within SFF was also constantly reviewing the impact of the looming El Nino weather pattern on stock flows so it could manage the impacts at each site for staffing and further processing capacity.

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PA RT N E R S H I P S O L U T I O N S W I T H N U FA R M

Battling Brushweeds

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he Brushweed family can wreak havoc on productive farmland and it’s vital for farmers to have a tailored programme in place to control or eradicate these invasive weeds.

The most commonly known members of the Brushweed family are gorse and broom, but it includes other pesky plant pests such as heather, blackberry, bracken, manuka and kanuka.

Nufarm National Product Manager, Matt Strahan, explains that an effective control programme takes into account the species present, whether the plants are dense or scattered, method of application, time of year and which product is best suited for the situation.

“On marginal or even rolling country, these Brushweeds can invade productive land and, if left unattended, impact on production. In some worst-case scenarios people have areas they can’t farm, resulting in a reduction in stocking rate or having to buy in supplementary feed.”

There is also a lesser-known environmental impact from some species, like gorse and broom, which are nitrogenfixing legumes. Strahan says research has shown gorse can leach 40-60 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare per year – more than a well-managed dairy farm.

Best practice for farmers battling Brushweeds is to first understand what you’re dealing with by identifying what plants are present.

Strahan says for those who already have a good management programme in place, the key message is to keep going.

“For those who are new to it, know what you’re dealing with and speak to people in your area with experience, like retailers or aerial applicators.”

The second question to ask is, is it dense or scattered?

This will help determine the most suitable application method, selective or non-selective.

For dense areas, aerial application, often using a

helicopter, is usually most cost effective. For scattered plants where a farmer may still wish to graze surrounding pasture, a gun spraying method might be preferable. This could be spraying on the back of a tractor or ute, by towing a line around and targeting individual bushes.

Finally, product choice is an important piece of the puzzle, and keep the end goal in mind. How soon you plan to put the land back into pasture for grazing, and ongoing management of seedlings, is important.

For big, extensive areas where you want total kill, Nufarm’s Associate® product is cost effective, but there are restrictions on how soon you can go back into pasture (up to 12 months). The WeedMaster® Dry product is broad spectrum and also cost effective, while giving more flexibility on going back into pasture (four to five days).

Conquest® offers good control of a wide range of Brushweed and also a range of mature pasture-based weeds.

It is a good option for scattered gorse and overspray won’t impact large swathes of grass that could be utilised for grazing.

Finally, Scrubcutter® tackles a narrower range of Brushweed, but is softer on some native species and gives a grazing option, too.

Additionally, Pulse® Penetrant is a well-recognised brand of penetrant, that is essential to use in conjunction with your herbicide of choice for the majority of Brushweed.

“Certainly, for gorse and broom, it’s a must. It helps the herbicide to spread over and penetrate the plant.”

Strahan cautions to beware of cheaper, unregistered, off-label penetrants. “It’s a significant investment in the herbicide and using one of these cheaper products can result in poor control or even spray failure.”

Coverage is key, so don’t skimp on water rates and, for aerial applications, ensure double overlap spraying, to target plants from both directions. For the best results, you want to spray when plants are not flowering or dormant.

Associate, Conquest, Scrubcutter & WeedMaster are all registered trademarks of Nufarm Limited. ®Pulse is registered trademark of Nufarm Technologies USA.

®

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A N I M A L H E A LT H

TIME TO SOAK UP THE BLAME Spring is an important part of the year because of the impact it has on the rest of the year and beyond, vet Trevor Cook writes.

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ommunication is the key to almost everything we do. Which can be an obstacle for farmers who often work in isolation.

Not needing to share decisionmaking can lead to not having to justify decisions. Actions can get ingrained which becomes the obstacle to change.

When forced to engage with me or other advisers because something is going badly wrong, communication makes or breaks the success of that engagement.

At one such encounter last month I ended up getting angry because I was getting the blame for what had gone wrong. While anger never helps get a result, sometimes it can help reinforce a message. That is what I tell myself.

Soaking up the blame was what was needed. We were able to continue the conversation despite my anger. At least this conversation was about something the farmer can do something about.

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Unlike the spring.

Spring is such an important part of the year because of the huge impact on the rest of the year and beyond. Yet it is highly variable and a difficult time of the year to have control over.

Early spring nitrogen has been a standard input for many hill country farmers to underpin the pasture supply.

Feeding lambing/calving stock enough at birth can have a massive impact. It supports lactation and newborn survival.

I was asking a southern client recently about the severity of the bad weather and its impact on lambing. The news was telling me it was bad, which it was.

But my client was not concerned because he had good pasture covers under the ewes and good ewe condition. Both such powerful buffers against the bad weather.

It was comforting that the farmer had the confidence in feed and condition.

I guess how sound that confidence was is yet to be known. The way spring

has been slow to start for many, for those who chose to apply nitrogen the physical reward is evident. Translating that into a financial reward is the next challenge.

Wind is underrated in the damage it does in spring. I know of newborn calves that have succumbed to severe wind this spring. For lambs, wind can be very damaging because it interferes with the vocal connection between the newborn and its mother, an important part of mothering up. I am hearing of some terrible triplet lamb survival due to

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“When forced to engage with me or other advisers because something is going badly wrong, communication makes or breaks the success of that engagement.”

weather intrusion, but for most of those the triplets were lambing on flats.

My experience with triplets on flats is that the lack of lambing site options results in them all lambing together.

The lack of shelter as well can mean lots of losses. The best consistent triplet lambing outcomes I know are when they are lambed on the hills.

For some parts of the country there were plenty of bearings. But this is far from being widespread. I have always been fascinated by how widespread bearings and/or ewe deaths can be, as

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if there was a single factor across large areas triggering them.

Sunspots was the factor suggested to me once by someone wearing a green cardigan and wearing sandals. But the factor behind bearings in many places was an outcome of such a growthy autumn. Lots of pasture got taken into the winter and many flocks got overfed mid-pregnancy. We know that sets up the susceptibility to bearings. Other triggers come into play once nearer lambing.

Ewe deaths are a regular cost to

production and the big range suggests management factors. Even in closely shepherded flocks up to 5% of ewes die over lambing. The best I see in unshepherded hill country flocks is 5%.

Claims of much less than this I treat with caution.

More than 95% of deaths are in multiple ewes and about 70% are four years or more old. The highest risk in a sheep flock are older multiple ewes, and if carrying three lambs that risk is even higher.

Much of these losses are due to a metabolic imbalance by being on the wrong feed. One of the data conflicts discussed annually is the death and missing number in the annual accounts.

This is always higher than is recorded or guessed at. Imprecise stock counts must be a common cause of this discrepancy.

But sheep losses can be high without there being much sign. I think metabolic losses hide deaths unlike the bearing losses which are always where you see them. Why do they hide? That is another story.

Trevor Cook is a production animal consultant/ veterinarian in Feilding.

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DOG FOOD GUIDE

Fourlegged assets Your valuable working dog can suffer a range of health issues, vet Rachael Fouhy writes.

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orking dogs are among the most valuable assets on our farms and they are many veterinarians’ favourite patients to treat.

We see a range of common health issues in working dogs over summer, a selection of these are:

Heat Stress On hot days some dogs will work themselves to a standstill, onfarm these dogs can sometimes appear to have a “fit”. This happens when a dog overheats. If this happens to your dog, cool them down as fast as possible – put them in a dam or trough ensuring their head stays above the water, and get them into the clinic as soon as possible.

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Covering them in wet towels on the way to the clinic is helpful. At the clinic they need intensive fluid therapy to prevent internal organ damage. Most dogs make a complete recovery, however this is a very serious condition.

Constipation This is common in older dogs who eat a diet of bones, in particular male dogs. Older male dogs are prone to constipation as they often have an enlarged prostate which can press on the rectum and narrow the space for faeces to pass through. Many dogs often have a form of arthritis in their tail which can affect their ability to squat and defecate. If you suspect your dog is

constipated, taking the dog for a run is the worst thing you can do. This does not stimulate them to poo, instead it dehydrates them more and can make the problem worse. Constipation can be a challenging condition and can have serious complications. In bitches, being constipated can also affect their ability to pee. Act promptly if you are concerned that your dog is constipated.

GDV/bloat/twisted gut This is a life-threatening condition which can occur in Huntaway dogs.

The cases we see are often after dogs have scavenged and eaten things they shouldn’t have such as horns, ear tags, possums, and placentas. They can also

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“Do not feed large meals before a dog goes to work, but feeding a small handful of food before you let the dogs out for their morning can be very beneficial.” occur after large meals containing a lot of bones. Eating these things can prevent the stomach from emptying, leading to the stomach filling with gas and fluid and twisting. If you suspect your dog has this condition, take them to the vet asap.

Lameness and injury Due to the nature of their work, working dogs suffer a range of traumatic injuries, some more dramatic than others. These range from pad injuries to broken bones and significant ligament injuries.

Some pad injuries can be prevented by products such as Pad Aid and gradually increasing dogs’ work loads (I appreciate this is easier said than done) or having booties available for dogs that are prone to injuries. Ligament injuries are fairly common and that can be difficult to deal with if not promptly identified. Some of these are obvious, for example, the dog suddenly goes lame, while others present as an on-and-off lameness. The trick is to get them diagnosed quickly. If these are left, the joint scars and this build up of scar tissue makes surgical repair more challenging.

Nutrition is a cornerstone of any working dog health programme.

When considering what you feed your dogs it is important to look at the nutritional makeup of any food as

many of them vary greatly in terms of protein and fat – the two most important components.

It is important to consider how caloriedense different foods are, to ensure you are feeding your dog well enough. Some feeds are so bulky dogs are physically unable to eat the amount required to meet their nutritional requirements. For dogs that struggle to maintain weight during periods of high work, splitting their feeds and feeding a small amount of calorie-dense working food in the morning can be helpful.

Do not feed large meals before a dog goes to work, but feeding a small handful of food before you let the dogs out for their morning can be very beneficial.

Kennel warmth is also really important to help dogs be in optimal condition.

Conditions such as arthritis and low body weight can be greatly improved by providing a warm kennel. This can be achieved by numerous options including: • Insulated kennels • Providing dogs with coats • Warm bedding – either beds or wool or straw in the kennels • Scraps of canvas can be used to create door flaps to help prevent draughts and keep warm air in.

Arthritis is a common condition we see in middle aged to older working dogs

and when proactively recognised and treated doesn’t have to be career-ending.

Numerous products on the market can help with this including a variety of joint supplements, injectable products and foods.

Fleas can be a constant challenge. Fleas love to live in corners of kennels and can easily spread from one dog to another.

There are a variety of flea treatments on offer, the best being Seresto collars which give up to eight months protection.

If you have a flea infestation it is also important to clean the environment, including kennels and throw out any bedding.

A good vaccination programme is also important as unfortunately we still see parvo cases on a regular basis.

The standard dog vaccine also includes protection against hepatitis, distemper, a respiratory virus, and parainfluenza.

In addition we frequently see cases of kennel cough in working dogs and occasionally lepto. Kennel cough is highly contagious and lepto can be fatal.

Protection against these diseases requires vaccination.

An excellent worming programme is also essential not only for individual dog health, but also for the protection of lambs from the effects of sheep measles.

TM

Specially formulated for working dogs SOLD DIRECT TO FARMERS WITH NATIONWIDE SHIPPING

Sarah & Sam Duncan +64 27 464 2423 hello@impact4dogs.co.nz www.impact4dogs.co.nz

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39

DOG FOOD GUIDE

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with nutrition A Rangitikei couple have formulated their own dog food roll to suit busy working dogs. Sarah Horrocks reports.

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eeding more than 50 dogs every day is not only time-consuming but expensive. Sam Duncan, from Otairi Station in Rangitikei, says feeding the dogs had always been something that got him thinking.

He and his four staff were feeding various types of food — rolls, biscuits, mutton and even rams.

“We fed whatever we could get at a decent price, but nothing was up to it nutritionally,” Sam says.

The nutritional punch wasn’t big enough to meet the demands of hardworking dogs and 600-800 grams of fat ram was the best source of energy he could find, which wasn’t nutritionally balanced or viable in the long term.

“When they’re by a horse these dogs

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Left: Sarah Stevens and Sam Duncan developed their own dog food product to feed up to 50 dogs on Otairi Station, Hunterville.

Right: The dog roll contains lamb, beef, offal, fish oil, soy, minerals and honey. Below: A dog roll that was easy to feed saves time and the effort of swinging on an axe every night, meaning more family time for the Duncans.

are running 20–40km a day so they really need a lot of fat for energy as well as protein to promote muscle.”

The most important part of feeding dogs is nutrition from the right ingredients, so in 2020, utilising the skills of an animal nutritionist, Sam and his fiancée Sarah Stephens decided to start making their own, formulating a diet well suited to hard-working dogs.

Sam says they used every ingredient you can think of in the testing phase and had their fair share of failures along the way.

“We did a lot of trials with fats and the digestibility, and settled on mutton/lamb as the main ingredient.”

There is also beef fat and fish oil in the rolls. With high fat content, Sam and Sarah had to carefully balance protein levels using meats with the right amino acid profile for working dogs.

Also important was ease of feeding, as farmers don’t want to be swinging on an axe after a hard day’s work, every night of the week. So it had to be an easily fed roll.

Now branded Impact 4 Dogs, Sam and Sarah have put the idea into full-scale commercial production and invested just shy of $1 million in the business, which has a factory in Feilding.

The wider goal is to produce multiple products for various dog types, including pet dog rolls. Impact Vigour is the working dog roll and has 36% fat and 30% protein. The 3kg rolls are cooked to 70C to improve their shelf life and

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reduce the number of preservatives needed. “The key ingredients are lamb, beef, offal, fish oil, soy, minerals and honey.”

A lot of working dog foods are low in protein and fat, with the remainder of the energy made up of grains and sugar.

With sheep schedule prices tracking down, Sam says farmers are going to need to use the most cost-effective dog feed possible.

“Farmers need a product like this.”

The Duncans have encountered bump after bump in the road along the way.

There have been long nights at the factory cleaning up fat at 3am and there is certainly no glamour involved.

“Closing the oven door on a tonne of product which subsequently explodes gets very messy.”

There’s not a lot of margin in the Vigour rolls, which will sell for $3.50/kg.

The rolls are bundled into packs of six and sold directly to farmers.

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Keep them working at their peak for longer.

Nutrition that stacks up for them and works for you It’s been a long, hard day out in the paddock.

But their stamina and mental focus haven’t wavered. That’s the power of CopRice Working Dog food.

High in quality protein and fat, along with carbohydrates including 100% Australian-grown rice, it provides the fuel your dogs need to work at their peak for longer.

Available from all leading feed stores.

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CopRice.co.nz

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D E C E M B E R /JA N UA RY 2 0 24

DOG FOOD GUIDE

Sheep measles: A risk to markets

BY MICHELLE SIMPSON

S

heep measles is caused by a dog tapeworm, Taenia ovis. The reproductive potential of Taenia ovis is quite remarkable. The ingestion by a dog of a single viable cyst will almost certainly result in infection and, some dogs may carry up to three tapeworms.

The infected dog defecates up to 250,000 eggs each day on to pasture, these eggs are then ingested by grazing sheep or goats. The tapeworms migrate through the bloodstream of the ruminant where they eventually die, causing calcified lesions in the muscle, which stay for the remainder of the sheep or goats’ life.

Prior to death, the cysts are infectious to dogs for four to eight weeks.

So, what is the issue?

Although sheep measles poses no risk to human health, like the Hydatids tapeworm, the cysts are not aesthetically pleasing to our consumers.

The lesions in the muscle of the sheep meat are detected at processing by meat inspectors. However, it is estimated

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D E C E M B E R /JA N UA RY 2 0 24

only 20% can be identified. This means there is a risk of contaminated meat reaching our markets and damaging our reputation for providing quality sheep meat. Therefore, all dog owners can play a part in reducing sheep measles.

Ways to reduce the risk of infection are: • Freeze all raw sheep or goat meat prior to feeding to dogs for at least 10 days. This includes all store-bought commercial sheep or goat meat.

Freezing causes the cysts to burst rendering them inactive. Alternatively, cook thoroughly by heating to a core temperature of 72C or more.

• If farming, deter foreign dogs or request any dogs coming onfarm (whether visitors or contractors) are dosed at least 48 hours before arriving.

Any new dogs with an unknown worming status should be dosed and quarantined for three-to-four days.

During this time, all faeces will need to be destroyed.

• Ensure your home killing facility

has a self-closing door, no external uncovered drains and dog-proof fencing. Offal pits must also be dogproof.

• De-worm all dogs that reside near sheep monthly or at least 48 hours of arriving near sheep. Monthly dosing with the active ingredient Praziquantel is important as the tapeworm has a 35day lifecycle. The dose rate for sheep measles prevention in New Zealand is 50mg per 20kg of bodyweight.

Ovis Management is a not-forprofit subsidiary of the Meat Industry Association and we represent our partner processing plants to ensure NZ is supplying premium sheep meat to our markets by raising awareness and encouraging control of sheep measles among all dog owners.

Michelle Simpson works for Ovis Management.

43

DOG FOOD GUIDE

Finding When working dogs get too old to work the hills, or just don’t want to, they need a new home.

Rebecca Greaves reports.

M

an’s best friend can get a second chance at life, beyond retirement from the rigours of farm work, thanks to the team at Retired Working Dogs NZ Charitable Trust.

Working dogs are integral to life on farms, but what happens when they are ready for a slower pace of life, or if they simply aren’t interested in working?

These dogs can make wonderful pets, or enjoy assisting on a smaller block as they head towards their twilight years.

For many farmers, when a dog that has provided many years of loyal service starts to slow down, it can be difficult to leave them behind. These dogs can go on to bring joy to a new owner, and enjoy the retirement they deserve.

Set up in 2012 by Natalie Smith, who was a vet nurse in the Tararua district at the time, the trust has been working hard to help our four-legged working dog friends, including hunting dogs, find loving forever homes ever since.

Since inception, the trust has placed 1549 dogs in new homes.

Most rehoming is done by advertising

44

on behalf of farmers. These dogs go straight from farm to their new homes, and farmers talk directly with potential owners to decide the best fit for their dog.

Natalie says many of the dogs the Trust is asked to re-home are not retired in the sense that they are old. A good proportion are young dogs that simply couldn’t, or didn’t want to, work.

They make great pets, as even a ‘failed’ working dog knows basic commands and they generally have fantastic recall.

“Many of them have been outside dogs, but they soon adapt to living indoors and tend not to be hard to house-train. They love attention and cuddles and, as a rule, can be trusted around stock.

i

“Some of the dogs that we rehome come from large stations and are unable to keep up with the demands of a busy working life, but would suit a smaller farm or lifestyle block. Others are referred to us through vet clinics, after they have sustained career ending injuries. These latter dogs are taken into our foster programme, receive the surgeries and medical care they need, and are then re-homed.”

All the dogs that come through the foster service are vaccinated, microchipped, treated for fleas and worms, and (with the exception of the very young and very old), de-sexed.

The trust is a registered charity, which means donations qualify for a tax credit or a tax deduction.

Do you have a dog looking for a new home or want to know more about the Retired Working Dogs NZ Charitable Trust? Find them at retiredworkingdogs.org.nz or email retired.workingdogs@gmail.com Farmers wanting to list a dog for adoption can visit this link: retiredworkingdogs.org.nz/submit-dog-adoption/

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D E C E M B E R /JA N UA RY 2 0 24

Head-to-head

BY ANNABELLE LATZ

T

he Wayleggo Cup will stay on New Zealand soil for the next 12 months at least.

The NZ Trans Tasman test team went head-to-head with the Australians to take the Purina Pro Plan Trans Tasman Dog Trial Test Series at the Ashburton A&P Show at the end of October.

The NZ team, sponsored by Elanco, were North Canterbury’s Captain Neil Evans with Tess and Ian Stevenson with Zac, Waikato’s Leo Jecentho with Tess, and Southland’s Brian Dickison with Jake. Reserve was Lloyd Smith, with Ted. Team manager and NZ judge was Pat Coogan.

The team, announced in May after the National Dog Trial Championships, went in as underdogs, a reflection of the Australians winning the cup in Tasmania last year. Despite this, the home side claimed the series by 84.5 points, winning by 65 points in the first test and 20 points in the second.

The test was conducted over a special course with its own rules, developed specifically for this challenge.

A mix of both Australian and NZ rules, it took place in the showgrounds’ main ring. The course consisted of four obstacles – a gap, a Maltese cross, a bridge and a pen. Australian rules applied as far as the gap, followed by a NZ drive through the Maltese cross and over the bridge, then back into an Australian carry to the pen.

In the NZ section, trialists drive the sheep with their dogs, so they work as one team. In the Australian carry section for a perfect run the competitor walks in a straight line and must not vary their

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D E C E M B E R /JA N UA RY 2 0 24

The NZ team photo from L-R: Pat Coogan (NZ Judge & Team Manager); Brian Dickison & Jake; Leo Jecentho & Tess; Ian Stevenson & Zac; Neil Evans (NZ Team Captain) & Tess.

pace, keep the sheep within nine metres on their right-hand side and no more than nine metres in front or behind, and not crossing the line they are walking, otherwise the points come off.

Captain Neil Evans described the win as just brilliant, but it did not come easy.

“You had to be very clear in your own mind what you could do in each section.”

The course had to be completed in 15 minutes, one judge from each respective country, the scores were averaged.

Catching up with last year’s NZ captain Guy Peacock from Dannevirke, he said the lengthy course meant the dogs had to be able to sprint for 15 minutes, but also have enough gas in the tank to work the sheep. The longer course serves an

extra challenge on the body and the brain.

“It’s like a 400-metre runner who has to stop a few times to do a maths test,” he said.

The Romney hoggets were provided

by Mark and Robyn Copeland of ‘Westmere’, Ashburton, who allowed both teams to practise on some of their sheep at their property prior to the test.

“Our dogs are more used to working with heavier, stronger sheep, the Australians are more used to Merinos,” Evans said.

It was Evans’ second time to wear the silver fern, first time as captain. Not getting over-awed by the occasion and staying in the moment was a key team message.

45

DOG FOOD GUIDE

Summary of general information provided by dog food suppliers Ingredients list

Refrigeration needed?

Product name

Type

AAFCO status

Acana Sport & Agility

Kibble

FEDIAF

Fresh chicken (20%), chicken meal (20%), whole red lentils

N

Acana Prairie Poultry

Kibble

FEDIAF

Fresh chicken (21%), chicken meal (20%), pearled barley

N

BlackHawk Working Dog Adult Formula

Kibble

Approved

Lamb meat meal, beef meat meal, oats

N

Champ Max Biscuits

Biscuit

Formulated

Wheat, meal and bone derived from beef and lamb, animal fat

N

Cobber Complete Puppy

Kibble

Approved

Meat and meat by-products (chicken, beef, lamb and/or pork), legumes, wholegrain barley

N

Cobber Complete Puppy

Kibble

Approved

Meat and meat by-products (chicken, beef, lamb and/or pork), legumes, wholegrain barley

N

Approved

Meat and meat by-products (chicken, beef, lamb and/or pork), legumes, wholegrain barley

N N

Cobber Working Dog

Kibble

Cobber Active Dog

Kibble

Approved

Meat and meat by-products (chicken, beef, lamb and/or pork) and fish and fish by-products, legumes, wholegrain barley

Cobber Performance Dog

Kibble

Approved

Poultry and poultry by-product (including 5% chicken protein concentrate), legumes (beans and lupins), rice

N

Cobber Senior Dog

Kibble

Approved

Meat and meat by-products (chicken, beef, lamb and/or pork) and fish and fish by-products, wholegrain wheat, wholegrain barley

N

CopRice Working Dog Adult Beef

Kibble

Formulated

Beef & chicken meat with by products, rice, cereals

N

CopRice Working Dog Adult Chicken

Kibble

Formulated

Chicken meat with by products, rice, cereals

N

CopRice Working Dog Puppy

Kibble

Formulated

Chicken & beef meat with by products, rice, cereals

N

CopRice Working Dog Senior

Kibble

Formulated

Chicken meat with by products, rice, cereals

N

Eukanuba Premium Performance Sport 30/20

Kibble

AAFCO/FEDIAF Dehydrated poultry protein, brewers rice, chicken fat, corn

N

Hills Science Diet Adult Active

Kibble

Formulated

Wholegrain corn, chicken by-product meal, pork fat

N

Impact Vigour

Dog Roll

Formulated

Lamb, beef

Y

K9 Natural Frozen Beef Feast

Frozen raw

No

Beef, beef liver, beef tripe

Y

Mighty Mix Frozen Concentrate

Frozen concentrate

No

Fats, meats & products derived from meat (beef, mutton, pork) salmon, cereal

Y

Mighty Mix Large Dog Formula

Biscuit

Formulated

Cereal; meat products and fats (beef & mutton); honey

N

Nutrience Performance 30/20 Formula

Kibble

Formulated

Chicken meal, oatmeal, chicken fat

N N

Pedigree Working Dog Formula

Kibble

Formulated

Meat & meat by-products (poultry, beef &/or lamb), wheat, wheat bran

Possyum Supreme

Dog roll

Formulated

NZ possum meat, lamb & beef, semolina

O

PRO PLAN Performance All Sizes/Ages

Kibble

Approved

Chicken and chicken meal, animal fat, brewers rice

N

PRO PLAN Performance Extreme 32/30

Kibble

Approved

Chicken and fish, animal fat, oats & wheat protein

N

Royal Canin Energy 4800

Kibble

AAFCO/FEDIAF Dehydrated poultry protein, animal fats, rice

N

Superior Chunky Original

Dog roll

Formulated

NZ Beef & lamb, semolina

O

Tux Energy

Biscuit

Approved

Cereals and cereal products; chicken and beef products and fats

N

TUX Energy Extra

Kibble

Approved

Chicken and beef products and fats

N

Ultra Active Working Dog

Kibble

Exceeds

Beef meal, ground corn, dried blood

N

Wag Garlic & Rice

Dog roll

Formulated

Chicken, lamb, rice

Y

Wag Original

Dog roll

Formulated

Chicken, beef, lamb

Y

Y Yes

NZ

N No

Australia

O Once opened

France Canada USA

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Made in

NOTES • AAFCO status: Approved-has passed independent AAFCO testing, considered non-toxic, a complete and balanced diet.

Formulated-good intent to meet AAFCO standards but not AAFCO tested.

• FEDIAF:- indicates the product complies with the European Federation of Pet Food Manufacturers’ (FEDIAF) standards.

AAFCO standards.

• Ingredients are listed in order of proportion, highest listed first. Only first three are listed in this table. In general, where the first is a high-quality ingredient, the shorter the full list, the higher the food quality.

• Mighty Mix recommends feeding their frozen concentrate with Mighty Mix large dog formula, either together or alternately.

• All products listed are claimed to be complete and balanced diets

D E C E M B E R /JA N UA RY 2 0 24

47

DOG FOOD GUIDE

Summary of nutritional information provided by dog food suppliers

Product name

Fat (%)

Protein (%)

Fibre (%)

Carbs (%)

Moisture (%)

M Energy (k/cal kg)

Acana Sport & Agility

22

35

5

18

12

3725

Acana Prairie Poultry

16

27

5

30

12

3442

BlackHawk Working Dog Adult Formula

22

32

3

23

10

4090

Champ Max Biscuits

15

20

2.5 max

40

10

3200

Cobber Complete Puppy

15

30

4

10

3500

Cobber Complete Puppy

15

30

4

10

3500

Cobber Working Dog

18

26

4

10

3600

Cobber Active Dog

13

24

4.5

Cobber Performance Dog

20

30

4

Cobber Senior Dog

10

24

4.5

CopRice Working Dog Adult Beef

15

25

3.8

CopRice Working Dog Adult Chicken

15

25

CopRice Working Dog Puppy

15

CopRice Working Dog Senior

10

3300

9

3800

10

3100

37

12

3850

3.8

38

12

3850

29

3.8

36

12

3550

10

24

4.5

43

12

3200

Eukanuba Premium Performance Sport 30/20

22

32

7.1

24.28

8

4229

Hills Science Diet Adult Active

27.2 DM%

31.7 DM%

1.8 DM%

33.2 DM%

9

4211

36

30

3.51

22

K9 Natural Frozen Beef Feast

37 min

35 min

2.6

3.7

8 max

5269

Mighty Mix Frozen Concentrate

53

25

5.1

11.7

31.1

5800

Mighty Mix Large Dog Formula

12

23

1.9

42.3

11

3729

Nutrience Performance 30/20 Formula

20 min

30 min

3.0 max

23

10 max

3933

Pedigree Working Dog Formula

15

24

2.5

45

9

3600

Impact Vigour

Possyum Supreme

33

5091

8 min

21.5 min

1.09 max

65

No data

4000

PRO PLAN Performance All Sizes/Ages

21

30

3 max

31.1

8.5

3900

PRO PLAN Performance Extreme 32/30

30

32

2 max

22.6

7

4640

Royal Canin® Energy 4800

30

32

6

15.8

8

4640

Superior Chunky Original

10 min

21 min

1.1 max

62

No data

4000

Tux Energy

18

20

4 max

46.4

8.7

3750

TUX Energy Extra

20

25

4 max

36

8.5

3840

15 min

30 min

4 max

No data

10 max

3187

Wag Garlic & Rice

28

39

3.7

17

Dry basis

4400

Wag Original

28

39

3.7

18

Dry basis

4350

Ultra Active Working Dog

48

NOTES • Content of fat, protein and other ingredients may be specific i.e 20%; or vague i.e at least 20% or up to 20%.

• Fat provides the energy for endurance work. Veterinary Enterprises Group (VetEnt) guidelines say hardworking farm dogs should have at least 20% animal fat.

• Good-quality protein is needed for repair and recovery. VetEnt’s recommends a minimum of 30% animal protein.

• Fibre is the indigestible carbohydrate portion and as a general rule should not be more than 10%.

• Carbohydrates are needed for sprint type energy.

• Energy: Farm dogs get most of their energy from fat. Energy may be quoted as “energy”, “gross energy”, “digestible energy” or the most relevant, “metabolisable energy (ME)” which is the energy available to the dog. Energy requirements should consider the intensity, frequency and duration of work.

• The consensus of most veterinarians is that a working dog’s diet should be based on high fat and protein and “low” or “low to moderate” carbohydrate.

• Nutritional data is presented on a drymatter basis.

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Summary of daily rations recommended by dog food suppliers 25kg highly active dog required/day

Product name

Pack/price details

Grams of food/day

$/day

Pack size (kg)

RRP ($)

Acana Sport & Agility

455

6.31

17

$236.00

Acana Prairie Poultry

335

4.22

14.50

$183.00

BlackHawk Working Dog Adult Formula

465

3.86

20

$166.00

Champ Max Biscuits

510

1.33

25

$54.99

Cobber Complete Puppy

Puppy food/ Age dependant

Puppy food/ Age dependant

8

$59.99

Cobber Complete Puppy

Puppy food/ Age dependant

Puppy food/ Age dependant

20.00

$119.99

Cobber Working Dog

295

1.47

20

$99.99

Cobber Active Dog

320

1.60

20

$99.99

Cobber Performance Dog

415

Cobber Senior Dog

270

1.35

20

$99.99

CopRice Working Dog Adult Beef

400

1.59

20

$88.00

CopRice Working Dog Adult Chicken

400

1.59

20

$88.00

CopRice Working Dog Puppy

Puppy food/ Age dependant

Puppy food/ Age dependant

15

$69.99

CopRice Working Dog Senior

400

1.59

20

$88.00

Eukanuba Premium Performance Sport 30/20

536g

5.27

19

$ 187.00

Hills Science Diet Adult Active

297

2.75

20.4

$188.99

Impact Vigour

320

1.12

18

$63.00

K9 Natural Frozen Beef Feast

500

4.87

20

$194.99

Mighty Mix Frozen + Large Dog

288.5

1.36

25 + 20

$101+$103

Mighty Mix Frozen Concentrate

225

1.08

25

$133

Mighty Mix Large Dog Formula

352

2.09

20

$128

Nutrience Performance 30/20 Formula

390

3.89

15

$149.90

Pedigree Working Dog Formula

500

2.38

20

$95.53

Possyum Supreme

400

2.45

2

$13.50

PRO PLAN Performance All Sizes/Ages

508

5.33

20

$209.99

PRO PLAN Performance Extreme 32/30

543

6.33

18

$209.99

Royal Canin® Energy 4800

550

5.36

20

$ 195.00

Superior Chunky Original

400

2.10

2

$10.00

Tux Energy

490

2.35

25

$120.00

TUX Energy Extra

410

2.46

20

$120.00

Ultra Active Working Dog

200

1.35

20

$135.00

Wag Garlic & Rice

1200

3.20

3

$7.99

Wag Original

1200

3.20

3

$7.99

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D E C E M B E R /JA N UA RY 2 0 24

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NOTES • A dog’s nutritional requirements vary with size, age, workload, reproductive status and climatic conditions.

• Daily rations quoted are those recommended by suppliers and may be based on different nutritional assumptions.

• Monitoring body condition is the best way to fine-tune ration sizes for a particular food.

• Farm dogs should ideally have a condition score of four on the Nestle Purina Body Condition System: • Ribs easily palpable, with minimal fat covering.

• Waist easily noted, viewed from above.

• Abdominal tuck evident.

• Recommended retail prices from suppliers may vary from those seen at retailers, and bulk purchasing and specials reduce costs. Prices may vary from those in this table.

• Prices include GST. PRICES CAN BE MISLEADING • Different bag sizes make the price for each bag irrelevant.

Price per kilogram also has little relevance because daily rations vary widely between products. The calculated cost for each dog per day must be balanced against food quality, which should be the major consideration for working dogs.

• For hard-working farm dogs, energy is an important factor in assessing rations. A 25kg dog has a resting energy requirement (RER) of about 820kcal per day. For dogs’ mustering, it’s more likely to be three to five times their RER, equating to about 2500kcal4000kcal.

• This is a wide range but then so is their workload. Knowing the ME of a specific food means a daily energy requirement (DER) can be used to determine the daily ration of a food needed to provide this energy.

• Daily ration (kg) = DER (kcal) / ME (kcal/kg) • For example, the daily ration of 4000kcal/kg to provide 2500kcal: DER = 2500 / 4000 = 0.625kg or 625g.

49

Cam Bain, West Otago, New Zealand

Farm life is unpredictable 50

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D E C E M B E R /JA N UA RY 2 0 24

With the right food, you can rely on your dogs every day.

Cam Bain was born and raised on a sheep and beef farm.

He knows only too well how uncertain farm life can be.

Black Hawk® Working Dog has been developed specifically for New Zealand working dogs. Packed with 32% real meat proteins and 22% high quality fats, the formula supports strong, lean muscles and provides sustainable energy throughout the day.

® Black Hawk and other associated trademarks are registered trademarks of Masterpet Australia Pty Ltd.

Since Cam has been feeding Black Hawk Working Dog to his dogs, he’s noticed a real difference - “When it comes to fuelling my working dogs, Black Hawk is the real deal.

I’ve been feeding Black Hawk for about 2 years now, and there’s never any left in the bowls - they really enjoy it!

They bounce out after a hard day’s work, and I can tell they’ve recovered faster. Their muscle tone is impressive, especially in my heading dog. Black Hawk speaks for itself; it’s worth a shot.”

Available at your rural vet clinic.

Proudly supporting

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D E C E M B E R /JA N UA RY 2 0 24

workingfarmdogs.co.nz

51

SPECIAL REPORT

Land care After the storm comes the cleanup, and then the questions: How do we avoid it next time?

Change things up to reduce the damage? We have asked the experts and survivors to share their expertise and experiences.

52

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D E C E M B E R /JA N UA RY 2 0 24

Right tree, right place An extensive tree planting programme on Awapapa Station, near Gisborne, is bearing fruit. Trees and stock co-exist in a system that benefits the land and the animals. Rebecca Greaves reports. Photos

by Louise Savage.

T

he right tree in the right place is well demonstrated at Awapapa, where trees provide a multitude of benefits, protecting the property in adverse events, without compromising the bottom line.

Alex and Megen Campbell have planted thousands of trees on the hill country station over the last 30 years, and Cyclone Gabrielle only served to reinforce the value of their approach on this erosion-prone land.

It’s not uncommon for the Campbells to plant 1000 poplars a year and, in their biggest year, they planted 2500.

Grazing areas are protected with space-planted poplars. More than 10% of the property is retired in woodlots,

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D E C E M B E R /JA N UA RY 2 0 24

Alex Campbell with flood debris caught in a poplar two metres above head-height, with the Hangaroa River bed a full 6m below.

predominantly pine, with a balance of alternative species such as redwood, macrocarpa, acacia and Douglas fir. This is complemented with regenerating native bush.

Awapapa has about 30% tree canopy and is regularly producing above the district average Gross Farm Income (GFI) per hectare. In the 2022 financial year, Awapapa achieving GFI above the top 10%.

The poplars are generally pruned, allowing sunlight on to the pasture for stock to graze, and giving the option to mill the trees.

“They are planting whole farms with pine for carbon. This seems a disaster for what it is doing to the fabric of rural New Zealand, the environment and the future

prosperity of the country.

“At Awapapa we are 30% tree canopy, we have substantial food production under that and we integrate the younger generation with a variety of activities associated with farming, both economic and social. It’s a great mix.”

Negative comments regarding trees and their tendency to restrict pasture growth have always been floating around, but Alex prefers to let the results speak for themselves.

“To come through Cyclone Gabrielle with a farm relatively intact from major damage is huge, particularly when viewing comparable land in the district with much less or no planting. We have a property which still has structure and a sound platform to move forward on.”

53

Report analyses slips Beef bulls on Awapapa station, grazing beneath established, tended poplars.

Alex says tree spacing is an ongoing challenge to get the balance right.

Protecting topsoil and infrastructure is the critical issue.

“Make no mistake about it, Awapapa took a pounding from the cyclone and it is a huge task to restore full functionality, however we can see our way forward.”

Like many, Alex is questioning the sustainability of pine trees, particularly the blanket planting of pine.

“They are a great cash crop, but we have pines here that have been an absolute disaster, they tipped over in the cyclone. Some of our pine blocks, we have lost 25%. It’s completely unsustainable to continue planting a lot of our less-productive land in pines.”

For this reason, they are moving towards replacing the pine woodlots (as they mature) with longer-term alternative species.

Planting trees is something Alex continued from his father, who came to Awapapa from Southland with a broad, open mind, after drawing the farm as a ballot block.

54

Dr Ashton Eaves, a senior land scientist with the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, published a report analysing the slips on Awapapa and Dumgoyne after Cyclone Gabrielle. The Campbells had continued their planting policy on Dumgoyne, but the plantings on that block are much younger than those on Awapapa.

The cyclone provided the opportunity to assess the efficacy of poplar poles at reducing the number of land slips on the two properties.

The study found the presence of trees at Awapapa likely influenced a reduction in slips by 71%, when adjusting for farm size and slope. Adjusting for farm size alone, vegetation reduced slips by 45% across the two farms. Grassland was the dominant cover in which slips occurred on both properties.

Awapapa had less than half the rate of slips per hectare, at 1.63/ha.

Dumgoyne had 3.66 slips/ha.

The report found slope also had a discernible influence on slipping and was a “critical contributing factor” to land slips. It said space-planting slopes above eight degrees in trees was effective to reduce the likelihood of erosion during severe weather events.

When his father arrived, there wasn’t a tree on the place and only six or seven paddocks. “He could see the East Coast being a great farming region, but also the hills and the erosion.

“He knew the value of trees as part of the ecosystem and set out to get the natural balance right. He saw timber, aesthetics, shelter, all the benefits of trees. He laid the foundation.”

When Cyclone Bola hit in 1988 it

highlighted the value of the trees. And Cyclone Gabrielle has reinforced the belief they are on the right track.

“The morning after Gabrielle I came down to the river and saw how high it had come. I looked at surrounding massacred hillsides. This was quite obviously a moment that would change history in the region and change many livelihoods. There was no power, no connection, the rivers had smashed

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D E C E M B E R /JA N UA RY 2 0 24

L A N D CA R E ST R AT E G I E S

“I LOOKED AT SURROUNDING MASSACRED HILLSIDES. THIS WAS QUITE OBVIOUSLY A MOMENT THAT WOULD CHANGE HISTORY IN THE REGION AND CHANGE MANY LIVELIHOODS.”

Alex and Megen use their Awapapa-bred horses for farm work.

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a path of destruction, it was mayhem everywhere.

“Then there was this warm feeling when casting an eye over Awapapa.

We know this (the trees). The forward planning has worked, big time. All the hard work, all the foresight, has paid off.”

The way Alex sees it, planting trees is a form of insuring the land. They budget $10,000 to $15,000 annually for soil conservation.

“We willingly spent the same amount insuring all our toys and infrastructure do we have insurance on the land? Our annual tree planting programme is our insurance on the land.”

Alex sees a threefold benefit from trees: practical soil conservation, commercial opportunities, and aesthetics.

The property produces significant supplementary income from the trees that have been planted.

Cyclone Gabrielle is not the only storm the Campbells have weathered.

They lost their farming enterprise in a mortgagee sale around the time of the Global Financial Crisis. They had expanded Awapapa from 350 hectares to 1600ha, with adjoining properties.

Alex says they never had any capital behind them at the outset and simply were not able to consolidate before hard times unfolded. When asked about regrets, Alex says there are none.

“Part of progression is exposure to risk.

It is easy to look and talk in hindsight, however we only get one life and a cosy number is not our style. The country is built on progression and we take that on board. “We are now moving forward without any substantial equity but it has been a great period to reflect on some of the most important aspects of life. Money cannot buy everything and we have been able to retain a sound foundation.”

The Campbells stayed on to manage Awapapa and neighbouring Dumgoyne for the new Swiss owners. When the Swiss arrived, they asked why Alex had planted so many trees. He showed them

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a photo of the damage from Cyclone Bola, which answered the question, no words needed.

“What goes up eventually comes down, we need options for when the tree reaches expiry. Willows are no good, I’m poisoning every one I can get my hands on. They are a growing mess, planted in the gullies to solve erosion – 20 to 30 years on, what happens?”

Ideally, a 50-year-old poplar will yield 10 tonnes of pruned saw log.

Alex says it is important to maintain and look after the trees so they can be utilised as a commercial product.

“Here you see pruned trees, clear so the sunlight can get in underneath.

We have carbon, 30% tree canopy and stock grazing, all existing together.

This is applicable on any farm.”

One of the biggest challenges is the lack of a sustainable market for poplar here. He says there is as much poplar milled in the United States each year as there is pine in NZ. Poplar is an extremely versatile wood, used worldwide for timber.

“There’s no sustainable supply of poplar in New Zealand to feed a sustainable market.”

Alex says it is never too late to start planting trees, and it is possible to make meaningful change within a generation.

“We have to produce food, you can’t eat the poplars. It’s prosperity.

We have to be practical and we have to eat. This is a dual-purpose system.

But we need to invest in looking at these alternative species and finding a sustainable market.”

Read about Alex and Megen’s stationbred breeding programme, Hangaroa Landcruisers, in the next issue of Country-Wide.

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In the wake of Gabrielle Hawke’s Bay farmers are showing a heightened interest in protection and remedial work following the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle and climate predictions. By Tim McVeagh.

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e need to prepare for the future more and do some intelligent planting,” Tim Forde told a field day recently. The aim for his 230-hectare property is for 180ha in trees, comprising 60ha in pines, and 120ha in poplar agroforestry. The balance will remain in pasture, and wetland.

Advertised as “warts and all”, and supported by the NZ Landcare Trust, the field day was held at Tim and Cathie Forde’s Elsthorpe, (Central Hawke’s Bay), farm, on September 16. Attended by 60-plus farmers, farm foresters, and

those interested in land management, the aim was to look at the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle, and what remedial work could be done.

The Fordes have owned the farm for 14 years, and are grateful for the work the previous owners did in terms of tree planting. It is a bull beef unit, with about 40 sheep. During Cyclone Gabrielle, 528mm of rain fell in 24 hours.

“I had a funny feeling we were in for a real one, so moved stock to higher ground,” Tim said. They had no stock losses.

The nearby Maraetotara Plateau

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ERODED NORTH-FACING HILL, WITH YOUNG PINES:

This erosion-prone hillside was planted in pines three years ago.

Pines were chosen as it was pretty dry at the time. Some died as a result of planting being too late, with root establishment problems. This block has been “blanked”, (replanted where trees have died), twice; most recently after Gabrielle. This has been an expensive exercise for the Fordes, with $9000 spent on the 2.8ha area.

than 80% of that site pre-slipping.

(Braaksma).

“Planting hillsides like this with eucalypts would be another possibilty. There is a promising potential market for ground-durable eucalypt timber” and from a soil conservation point of view, they have the added advantage of being a coppicing species. (Hesketh) One advocate of eucalyptus suggested this country should be planted in eucalypts such as the hardwood species E. globoidea. He claimed better growth, form, disease resistance, and coppicing from the stump. And the timber is stiffer, stronger, and more durable than radiata.

“Eucs can be planted on slip faces where the topsoil has been removed, but they will be slower growing on skeletal subsoils. (Braaksma).

Poplars are a best fit where deeper soils exist or in the debris tails of eroded slopes.“ (Braaksma) Poplars would hold the eroded land if they can be grown out to six to 10 years old, although there’s a higher risk component, compared with pines”. (Braaksma) Being clear of waterways is a big advantage in terms of harvesting.

•

•

What can we learn?

Eroded north-facing hill, with young pines.

received 700mm. One neighbouring farm lost 46% of some slopes, while 140,000 slips due to the cyclone have been mapped over the affected areas.

With the recent devastation, and climate predictions, farmers are showing a heightened interest in protection and remedial work.

The field day sites visited, included valuable lessons, with input from a number of people recognised for the knowledge and experience. Apart from Tim, the people quoted here are • Warwick Hesketh, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Catchment Management Adviser; • Stan Braaksma, retired Soil Conservator and Akura Nursery Team Leader; • Nathan Burkepile, Regional Coordinator, NZ Landcare Trust.

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• Pines are the best option for sites like this where the land is steep and the soils are quite skeletal.

• In a young plantation, blanking with the same species, (pines) won’t compromise the age class at harvesting. From a production forestry aspect, blanking with pines is the best option.

• Economies of scale are important.

Although this is a small block, there’s always a market for pines.

• “In the Wairarapa, we would lose about 20% of pasture production on eroded hillsides per major weather event. We found it took some 40 years for the site to recover back to 80% of original productivity. If an event arrived on average every 20 years, this leads to an overall decline in site production over time. One saviour is that these potential losses are bolstered by improvements in fertilisers, pasture species, grazing patterns, further subdivision and new technology gains. But if you did nothing, drymatter production on the slipped area would slowly recover over time, but never yield more

•

•

•

•

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MATURE POPLARS:

These 50 to 60-year-old unpruned Deltoides x Nigra poplars are on gentler mudstone country which weathers to a heavy clay, and is erosion-prone.

“In the dry it cracks open; in the wet it slips. It has reasonable high natural fertility so slips tend to grass over okay,” (Hesketh).

“There was no damage at all through

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Mature unpruned poplars on the hillside have been selectively harvested, netting $1000 per tree. Pruning would have increased their value.

• Clear the block and replant in pines.

From an economical point of view, putting it into the permanent ETS category is the most viable thing to do. (For production forestry, there must be economy of scale, and this block is too small).

• Transition into natives. This could be put into the ETS. “From a biodiversity point of view, it would be great to have a native bush block there overlooking the wetlands”, (Hesketh).

• Clear the block and replant in eucalypts or redwoods. Smaller blocks of these species are more viable than smaller pine blocks, though predicting marketability such a long way out is difficult.

4

Gabrielle, and there has been no significant effect on pasture production.

Some trees from this site were milled, with each netting $1000. They may have netted $2000 if pruned.” (Forde).

What can we learn?

• Widely spaced, specific clones of poplar can help prevent erosion without reducing pasture production greatly.

• Poplars like these are in demand for furniture, and with CCA treatment onfarm for the likes of truck decks and stock yards. New thermally modified wood treatment is chemical free and exterior resilient.

• Selectively harvesting like this requires a contractor who is prepared to harvest a small number of trees, and who has the experience with the species.

• Poplars will coppice after harvesting.

• This is an opportunity to add the new, improved selections of clonal material on form, straightness and wood qualities.

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3

TOPPLED 21-YEAROLD PINES:

These have been thinned once, to about 400 stems/ha. It was too late for the Fordes to prune when they took over the farm. Log prices tumbled after they were appraised, and harvesting, which would have returned about $5000/ha, was not a viable option. With an area of two to three ha, and a cost of about $8000 to get the logging crew on site, it did not stack up. A minimum size of about 10ha makes the set-up of the logging crew viable.

What can we learn?

The options for blocks like this are...

• Leave the block as is. This would probably end up as a block of native trees and pines.

• Milling by a local contractor. Tim estimates a yield of 400 tonnes/ha.

But immature trees like these may not be readily marketable.

WETLAND

Nathan Burkepile was instrumental in the wetland development, with funding from the Game Bird Habitat Trust. During Gabrielle, it reduced the water flow and trapped silt and sediment which otherwise would have gone downstream into the Tukituki River.

The wetland construction cost about $8000. Fadges were filled with clay from a block wall. Very small islands improve biodiversity and help to break up any wave motion that could erode the banks.

Native sedges were retained, with some moved to more suitable places. After two years, waterfowl and dabchicks have taken up residence. Bitterns may come too, once the raupo takes off.

What can we learn?

• With only 0.4% of the original wetland area in Central Hawkes Bay remaining, there is a strong argument for reinstating more.

• They have more than aesthetic appeal. They trap silt and sediment which would otherwise go downstream.

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• Some land may be taken out of production. Here, this land was wet most of the year. Now, in winter the area cannot be grazed, but in summer it retains moisture and pasture production on the boundaries exceed other areas on the farm.

• “I believe within five years, wetlands will be included in the ETS. One of the issues to be sorted is the ETS values for different types of wetlands. A lot of research has been done in the last few years. The net carbon sequestration from wetlands outweighs the methane emissions.

And carbon sequestration from a wetland is constant, whereas with trees it reduces as they mature”, (Burkepile)

5 Above: Three-year-old pines were also badly affected by the Gabrielle winds.

All is not lost.

Below: The wetland has aesthetic and practical benefits. Beyond this is a stand of 21-year-old pines which were devastated by the Gabrielle winds.

3HA BLOCK WITH THREEYEAR-OLD TOPPLING PINES:

These trees are a similar age to those on the north-facing eroded hillside, but have grown much better. After Gabrielle many of the trees were flat on the ground, with some breaking their roots.

“We propped a lot of the toppled trees up, and rammed behind them. This is

partially a feelgood exercise, in that we did something!” (Forde).

Anything that had tap root problems, or was too big to prop up, had its leader cut off, and all branches except one on the lowest whorl removed. This branch is trained as the new leader. The wetter area in this block will be planted with poplars.

What can we learn?

• Anything with a lean of less than 15 degrees needn’t be touched as they will straighten, with butt sweep undetectable after about five years.

• “Wairarapa experience with these young trees is to take to them with the loppers or chain saw, leaving one branch on the windward side of the lowest whorl. Do your crying or whatever you want to do, but walk away. There will be the odd one that will die due to root damage. At year 28, these are the best trees, are the biggest and have the best form. We have one stand of 40-metre trees with a very small definition of where the wobble was.” (Braaksma) • Sail pruning, by cutting off the leeward branches, and ends out of all the other branches, will reduce the wind loading and overall plant growth, enabling the consolidation of root growth to occur, and reducing toppling.

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VERONESE AND KAWA STAND:

This area is a template of how about 70ha of the Fordes’ farm will be developed. Eight years ago, rooted poplar cuttings from their nursery were planted, 10m apart. The area was quite wet and with rushes.

Veronese were planted on the drier sites, Kawa in the wetter areas. Tim believes rooted cuttings produce a better formed tree than poles, and his experience is that they have better survivability. Untreated poplar battens

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holding a hot wire last about four years.

The bulls have not damaged the trees.

The area has dried out and the rushes are disappearing. Individual trees are protected from sheep with a section of split novacoil anchored by two fibreglass rods. These are reused three or four times before they split and break down.

These trees will be harvested at 25 years.

What can we learn?

• Poplar agroforestry can provide benefits in erosion control, grazing, ETS credits, and timber, simultaneously.

• Young trees must be protected from stock browsing and bumping for about four years. This may be done for cattle with a hot wire as a block; or individually with sleeves for sheep or cattle.

• Sleeves can be bought, or made.

Woollen sleeves are being trialled and are showing promise.

• Rooted cuttings can be produced onfarm, sourcing material on hand.

Good quality poles must be bought, unless an onfarm nursery is set up.

• Akura Nursery’s substantial work on pole survivability shows the 3m pole grown out to diameter winning out over rooted cuttings.

• Poles fitted with a dynex sleeve are quite resilient with respect to cattle bumping.

• “The secret to successful pole production is their youth, meaning poles are produced on a two or three-year rotation. Bigger diameter = more resilience. Do not accept skinny slow-growing poles. They won’t do as well.” (Braaksma) • Poles cost about $12 and sleeves $8.

• No cattle should be put in with unprotected poles or rooted cuttings for the first four years.

• Poles are more labour-intensive to plant and take longer to plant.

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The future for the Fordes’ farm, in the early stages. Agroforestry Polars with benefits of erosion control, grazing, carbon credits, and timber.

Tim’s experience with pole survivability is somewhat different to the Akura research. This may be due to differences in pole quality, clones selected, planting time, planting technique, soil type and moisture, weather conditions, or some other factor.

7

NURSERY:

Tim grows rooted cuttings in his nursery, in a flood irrigation system. Cuttings are planted into PB8 containers, with the bottom 100-125mm lined with dags, which retain moisture and provide fertility. Potting mix tops up the containers. The tip from the planted cuttings becomes the next round of cuttings in the nursery. Failure rate for planted rooted cuttings has been 2%.

“Rooted cuttings have a six-month head start on bare poles, as they have well-formed roots. We don’t have to get them in the ground by the end of

September thinking a drought is coming.

They just take off”. (Forde). He estimates $5 for a rooted cutting, plus $3.28 for planting, and protection.

What can we learn?

• While there is a significant labour component, poplar rooted cuttings can be grown onfarm, sourcing material on hand.

• The details above provide a successful means of growing rooted cuttings successfully at minimal cost.

• Kawa poplar grow better as rooted cuttings, and Veronese better as a graded pole. Most poplars are leaderdominant so a rooted cutting needs little coercion to hold leader form.

Poplar poles, however, need a form prune back to single leader status at about year 3, usually selecting the growth on the windward side of the tree and removal of all other shoots or branches.

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OTHER GENERAL INFORMATION GLEANED FROM THIS FIELD DAY INCLUDED: Poplar Post

Harvesting efficiency

Willows

The Fordes have had some Deltoides X Nigra poplar posts milled and tanalised.

They were rammed in, unpointed, in February, without any problems.

Durability has yet to be determined.

During one harvesting operation, Tim took 4500 battens out of material rejected by the harvesters.

“Willows generally can get bad press, but there are good and bad willows.

‘Bad’ willows include crack and grey willows. But the bred-for-purpose tree willows, like the Matsudana hybrids with the brilliant root system will stop a lot of waterway removal of sediment. And they do not revegetate and spread freely like some others.

Willows have a future in replacing bioplastics.” (Braaksma).

Chipping Chipped forestry slash will eventually rot and become as good as metal on farm tracks, according to Tim. Chippings are also being used as an energy source for burners instead of coal or oil.

Overseas, chips are being spread lightly over paddocks to increase fertility. In Australia, chips are spread in orchards as mulch, reducing irrigation requirements.

And, of course, converting slash to chips is environmentally better. There are legislative changes regarding forestry slash. Poplar chip takes longer to break down than radiata chip.

Regional council subsidies Hawke’s Bay Regional Council subsidises cost-effective erosion control. It doesn’t necessarily mean taking land out of production. The subsidy is on poles and their planting as applied to qualifying erodible land.

Other councils may have similar schemes.

Long Term Effects of Gabrielle: Cyclone Bola also left large areas of land in such a condition that farmers were tempted to walk away. These have grassed over and are back in production, though unlikely to produce more than 80% of the unaffected land.

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61 COR-CTA0053

Tapping into markets for poplar Potential markets and uses for poplar timber are being investigated. By Rebecca Greaves.

W

ork is being done to identify the right clones and open up timber markets for poplar in

New Zealand.

Stan Braaksma, trustee of The New Zealand Poplar and Willow Research Trust and member of the newly formed Poplar Action Group, says there is great unrealised potential for poplar, but much work to be done before we can tap into it.

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The New Zealand Poplar and Willow Research Trust was formed to ensure financial funding for research in breeding and applied science for poplars and willows, for the public good of NZ. Braaksma devoted his career to land management service in the Greater Wellington region, with vast expertise in using poplars and willows to minimise erosion on hill country. Although technically retired, he admits he’s never been busier – he’s got unfinished

business and is keen to advance the cause.

“If we can use poplar for a practical purpose (erosion control) and at the end of its life cycle cut it down and harvest it, if we can get an end use on the product, that makes it so much more palatable.”

Currently, provided you have tonnage, poplar can go to the wharf for export.

Poplar is an internationally traded timber, though in NZ most people are

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L A N D CA R E ST R AT E G I E S

used to radiata pine and tend to shy away from alternative species, he says.

Some poplar growers have found their own niche markets for the wood, for purposes like cattle yards or truck decks.

But these are predominantly small operators and Braaksma says the big brands don’t want competition for what he calls mainstream timber – radiata.

There is enthusiasm to get poplar timber tested, and to screen through the various clones to identify those with the best qualities, hence the formation of the action group.

Braaksma has spent much of his life looking at the breeding of poplars and identifying clones that work best on hillsides in the Greater Wellington region. Tolerance for the dry is a big one in Wairarapa, as is brittleness.

“I’ve spent a lifetime on the lowbrittle, non-shade-casting clone and I’m pretty proud of the poplar we grow in

Greater Wellington because they hold their form – I expect these poplars to go for 80-100 years.”

As an industry, what’s needed is to advise farmers on the best clones and gain building approval for poplar timber. Strength testing is being done for structural building purposes. Once this is obtained, it could be a game-changer.

“Once we have the figures, hopefully we can push to get into the building code of practice. The building code is really restrictive on alternative species, it’s hard work getting them through the system.”

Once this is done, the goal is to show NZ what a poplar product would look like as a finished timber. As a ply, he says, it blows pine out of the water in terms of aesthetic appeal and could go into a house as a finished product for internal walls – it looks that good.

Another opportunity for poplar is

in the tiny cabin or portacom space.

Buildings under 30 square metres do not require building consent, so poplar could be used in these structures.

Furniture giant Ikea moving into NZ is a possible win for poplar, he says.

“They make lots of furniture and wood components. Being Scandi they are used to white wood, which is the natural colour of poplar. We haven’t even approached that yet. We need a resource to present to them first.”

Braaksma is on a mission to have different clones of poplar recognised.

At the moment, every poplar milled is simply classified as poplar. Not all varieties are equal though. He names three clones that stand out for their qualities suited to building – Kawa, Yeogi (a silver hybrid) and Weraiti.

If he has his way, poplar could become the building material of choice for Kiwis.

Watch this space.

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Defying the status quo Millions of young native plants have benefitted from the protection of EmGuard, a cardboard tree guard, predominantly made of recycled pulp. Annabelle Latz reports.

E

mma Fryer was in her mid-teens when she had a significant ‘I’ll show you’ moment.

In the Nelson region’s Marsden Valley, while planting native trees with her dad Rob, she questioned why they were using plastic tree guards.

She did not accept the answer that ”it was just the way the industry did it”.

That was eight years ago. Today, more than two million young native plants across New Zealand, and in Rarotonga, Tahiti and Samoa have been planted out with the protection of an EmGuard. This is a cardboard tree guard, predominantly made of recycled pulp.

“I could definitely see the potential for change,” 24-year-old Emma says, sitting at her parents’ kitchen table in Hira, just outside of Nelson.

She has noticed a substantially stronger growth rate in young plants protected by this natural product, rather than plastic.

Emma says it’s about providing the

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young plant a light well, which is achieved with the cardboard.

“We expect a root trainer grade plant to grow twice the height of the guard in the first year and we tend to get a 90% more strike rate, compared to around 40% to 60% we have seen in plastic guards.”

EmGuards have in turn changed the expectations around success for our clients too.

“We just realised how badly our industry had been doing this, the plants were turning crispy in the plastic because they were cooking in the heat.”

Planting trees is what Emma has been surrounded by her whole life, being very involved in her family business FuturEcology, operated by her parents Jan and Rob Fryer. Launched in 2014, FuturEcology is a consultancy for businesses and individuals undertaking restoration projects, mostly wetlands and riparian plantings.

The Fryers are involved in the entire process, from ground and

Above: Creating and restoring wetlands is a big focus for Emma. Right: Emma Fryer among her hard work, which is now seen all over New Zealand.

site preparation, to planting, weed control and continued project support.

EmGuard is now part of this picture.

During her final two years at Nelson College for Girls, Emma was part of Young Enterprise where she began to create the concept of EmGuard. At the end of 2017 as she was finishing school, her mum Jan came across a waxed cardboard flooring.

“I bought some, and on the floor, I cut up 34 samples. I then installed them and the flaxes thrived, that was a really interesting learning curve for me.”

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EmGuard was launched in 2018, and after a year overseas upon completion of school, Emma undertook a Bachelor of Commerce at Wellington’s Victoria University, majoring in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Rob says at the time of inception, there was no other product like it on the market, so it was a tough task to set a price which would both look after the customers but also make EmGuard a viable business.

“It almost didn’t take off, but we got there. The turning point was larger scale, volumes, and people’s realisation that plastic was not the right product,” Rob says.

EmGuard is manufactured in Hamilton.

Rob believes as a family they would never have got there if it hadn’t been for Emma pushing it.

Emma says a lot of it was down to good timing.

“And I am quite stubborn,” she admits with a grin.

She is still involved in Young Enterprise, mentoring.

This year Emma was nominated as a Young Enterprise Alumni in the environment category, she was thrilled to make the finals, a special inspiring acknowledgement.

The Fryer family is not one to rest,

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“IT ALMOST DIDN’T TAKE OFF, BUT WE GOT THERE. THE TURNING POINT WAS LARGER SCALE, VOLUMES, AND PEOPLE’S REALISATION THAT PLASTIC WAS NOT THE RIGHT PRODUCT.” Above: Emma and her parents Jan and Rob make a great team, they offer each other huge support with the day to day running of the two businesses. Right: A heat well is formed within the sustainable guard, which significantly helps the young plant to develop.

Rob says they are in the final stages of creating the app ‘Pocket Restoration Aotearoa’ which will support people with their own restoration projects.

Currently web-based, there are quizzes to help with plant choices, and modules with activities to assist with learning.

“Activities lead into plans, plans can then be submitted to councils for funding, or they can implement their own. It includes anything from a small area to big one,” Rob says.

They take it for granted that people know how to plant a plant, but it is increasingly obvious that this is not true.

“We want to educate people to know the difference between a spade and a shovel and how to help their plantings thrive. The app will help people with the whole lot.”

Providing people with the knowledge and ownership is vital for the progress

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of land restoration throughout NZ. The Fryers’ skill for planting was proven during the Tasman floods of August 2022. They had 30,000 plants under water, but lost just 10% where an entire bank slipped.

“It comes down to good planting.

Restoration is not just about plants in the ground, it’s as much to do with the preparation and after care,” Emma says.

She is the first to admit she does not like being told she can’t do something, or that an idea won’t work.

“Figure out your why, figure out your passion, and be authentic.”

The Fryers know they are fortunate to work together, and be closely involved in some really positive projects, with a great team of staff and inspiring clients.

“We have got to be involved in some really cool stuff tucked away that no one knows about. It’s also pretty neat working alongside Emma, I often say ‘how lucky am I,’” Rob says.

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Natives nurture community spirit In a tiny pocket of rural Wairarapa, a native tree nursery is flourishing and all the proceeds are going back to the community thanks to the dedication of a band of volunteers, led by local farmer Kelsey Shannon.

Rebecca Greaves reports.

N

o experience growing native trees, no problem for Wairarapa farmer and mum of two, Kelsey Shannon.

Kelsey is at the helm of a budding native tree nursery at Wainuioru, near Masterton, where plants are being grown for farmers, and all the profits are going back to the community.

Kelsey and her husband Ben, along with their boys Fergus, 4, and Jake, 2, are local sheep and beef farmers on the family property, alongside Ben’s parents.

With no farming background and studying towards an arts degree, Kelsey was a complete townie, by her own

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Kelsey Shannon and son Jake (2) checking out some of the natives at the Wainuioru School and Community Nursery.

admission. She wasn’t enjoying the degree and dropped out to go dairy farming – she’s never looked back.

“I was dating a guy and his parents were dairy farmers. I loved working outside with the animals and once I’d done that, there was no going back.”

The Wainuioru School and Community Nursery was established in 2020 and is staffed almost entirely by community volunteers. Kelsey is the chair.

The initial seed was sown when the catchment group, the Wainuioru Community Rivercare Group, of which Kelsey was a member, secured $50,000 in

funding to establish a native nursery.

“We were really lucky our council representative for Greater Wellington Regional Council put in a bid for some funding to establish a native nursery, which we got. It’s crazy how far $50,000 doesn’t go when you’re trying to do something large scale like this,” she says.

The dream was made possible thanks to a stock drive and the enormous support of local businesses, who provided labour and cost-price materials to create a suitable site and build the necessary infrastructure.

They invested in a good watering system with a timer and were fortunate

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to be donated water units from the Wainuioru Water Scheme.

“A couple of locals had some spare units, which they generously donated to us. Without water, we wouldn’t be able to grow plants.”

Once the initial funding was secured, they quickly had to figure out how to grow trees. There was one catch – the catchment group was unable to buy and sell plants to itself using the same funding pot. This meant they needed to create the nursery as a separate entity and sell plants locally to get started.

For the last two years they have been able to sell large numbers of plants to the catchment group.

“The catchment group itself was started out here because of all the legislation coming and everyone was concerned about how it would affect us.

There was a dire need to get ahead of the game, and we well and truly are now.

Most farmers in our catchment are on board, and lifestylers as well.”

The catchment group has received more than $2 million in funding over the last three years thanks to a lot of hard work. Kelsey says there are many hoops to jump through and securing funding is a massive job. She pays credit to the group’s chair, Richard Johns, describing him as a key person who dedicated a tremendous amount of time towards the catchment and community.

“It pretty much looks after itself now.

There is a working group, an operations manager and an admin support.”

She is quick to deflect praise from herself when it comes to the nursery, saying everyone is number one. “We

Last season over 50,000 plants were grown at the nursery. Opposite page: The nursery was made possible thanks to generous support from community and local businesses.

wouldn’t be here without the group of ladies that turn up every week to help out and do the watering roster. Everyone pulls their weight.”

One of those women is Jane McKay, who enjoys connecting with the next generation.

“We’re all local. My kids have long finished school and I would never have

TOP TIPS FOR NATIVE PLANT ESTABLISHMENT

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Water is number one – ensure you have a reliable water supply and a good set-up to apply it.

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Shade is vital, especially in the early days for young plants.

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Potting mix – ensure you use a good quality product as not all potting mix is created equal. Although more expensive, switching to a better-quality potting mix has been a gamechanger.

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People – if you’re growing on a large scale, it is labour-intensive.

got to know Kelsey otherwise. It is connecting the community.”

While most of the work is done by volunteers, they do have one paid position for 5-15 hours per week for a nursery manager - Marilyn Hunt, who used to own a nursery in Lansdowne, but they are on the hunt for the next Marilyn.

“Marilyn has so much knowledge around growing plants and she’s a key person for us.”

Kelsey herself had no experience growing trees and it’s been a steep learning curve. “There’s been lots of research, lots of stopping at nurseries and asking questions. The Department of Conservation has lots of information.”

They quickly discovered that native plants were hardy and reasonably easy

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care. “As long as you keep them watered and nurtured, they do their thing. We haven’t had any pest issues, yet. Natives have proven quite resilient.”

Species that grow well in the district include flaxes (they always run out), cabbage trees, toetoe, totara and manuka. Damage from pests like deer and hares mean people tend to go for the hardier species. Manuka is especially popular as it is cheap and easy to get established.

Last season was their biggest yet, with more than 50,000 plants grown, of which 36,500 went to the local catchment group. The nursery has

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also picked up contracts with Akura, the main native tree nursery in the Wairarapa, to contract-grow 10,000 plants for the next two years.

The overheads to set the nursery up were not cheap, but now the initial costs have been weathered the nursery is starting to turn a profit. Recently, they donated $40,000 to Wainuioru School. “That was an amazing milestone.”

Wainuioru principal, Spencer Pallister, says the money will go towards developing the school’s Forest School and outdoor learning and play spaces more fully, providing additional teacher

aide hours to provide extra assistance to students, as well as being able to offer a greater range of Education Outside the Classroom opportunities.

As the funding stream for the local catchment group comes to an end after next winter’s planting, they are looking to diversify and sell to a wider audience.

Kelsey’s focus is turning to spreading the word that anyone can buy trees from the nursery and qualify for the Greater Wellington Regional Council subsidy.

They are able to cater for specific requests farmers have and contract-grow to exact specifications.

Kelsey says the process is to purchase the seed and outsource the initial germination.

Once the seed has been germinated and grown to a viable plant (it depends on the species how long this takes) it comes back to the nursery in a tiny plug.

The busiest period is October through to Christmas, when the plants come into the nursery.

Volunteers spend countless hours potting the baby trees into larger pots or root trainers, depending on client specifications, to allow them to root out better. They are exploring more sustainable potting options to cut back on plastic waste.

Plants start going out the door to be planted onfarm about May, season dependant. Several of the slower growing species, like totara and kahikatea, stay for two years. These are repotted into larger pots after one year.

“It’s a pretty cool initiative for our community and being able to see the benefits is amazing. I love being outside and being around people. Being a stayat-home mum, I didn’t get that. The kids get to come along and they love it. Ferg is at kindy now, but this is like Jake’s second home,” Kelsey says.

“For us, being able to have plants on hand when needed and not cart them out from town is a huge benefit. Akura is struggling to keep up with demand.

Native plants will be needed more and more and it’s great to hone in on that in our community.”

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The day the lake returned Despite six years of native planting on their farm being destroyed by Cyclone Gabrielle, the McBains have been busy replanting. By Rebecca Greaves.

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rees are an important part of the farming landscape at Miles and Megan McBain’s Central Hawke’s Bay farm, Kahotea, integrated into the property to maximise cash crops, aesthetics and improve water quality.

It’s been a challenging year for many in the Pukehou valley, which was turned into a giant lake when the Waipawa River burst its banks during Cyclone Gabrielle, diverting the river through the valley, washing away all in its path and covering the flats in more than three metres of water.

Thousands of native plants the couple had painstakingly planted over the last six years were smothered by the silty water and died. Undeterred, they have already replanted 2000 natives, and are committed to their riparian planting programme.

Miles is the fifth generation of his family to farm Kahotea, at Pukehou, returning to the property 10 years ago with wife Megan and their three girls

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PHOTOS BY TUKITUKI LAND CARE

Lucy, 10, Emma, 8, and Georgia, 6.

“I worked pretty hard once I left school, travelled overseas and made some money. When I came home, I worked for a contractor, Mark McCutcheon, before going out under my own name.”

Kahotea Farming, the contracting business, which they operate alongside the farming operation, grew quickly and enabled Miles to put a proposal on the table to the family for farm succession.

“I was lucky that my brother and sister were doing their own things and dad was looking to retire.”

The contracting arm of the business is spring and autumn cropping focused, with two full time staff and up to eight employees during the busy season.

Their big clients are squash growers, neighbours Brownrigg Agriculture and Nuco Produce, both large-scale squash growers. They do up to 1500 hectares of cultivation annually, including 100ha of their own.

With no irrigation, Miles aims to keep his own cropping system simple, with

easy-care crops. “We’re so busy doing everyone else’s work, it’s good to keep it simple. We can’t be too intensive because we simply don’t have the water. The performance of our summer crops is in the hands of the gods, but our excellent soils usually mean they do well.”

They still like to have a variety of crops, to spread the risk, and typically grow squash for export to Japan, maize for Nuco Produce dairy farms, fresh peas for McCains, and grass seed for themselves and other local farmers.

“In theory, we should be at the front of the queue but, in reality, we get left to last. Having our own gear has made us a lot more efficient and we are able to get more production from the hills by direct drilling the easier slopes.”

The stock system is entirely trading, providing flexibility and again the McBains try to keep things simple given the number of different activities in their enterprise.

They recently entered a partnership with Te Whangai, finishing all of their

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Miles and Megan McBain are replanting natives after Cyclone Gabrielle wiped out the majority of plantings on their farm.

lambs. “We take all their lambs, fatten them and kill them under their name.

We buy them at a set price, but we don’t actually pay at the time. When they are killed, we get the margin.”

Miles says they aim for a margin of $40 net/head on lambs, which come on to the farm through summer and into autumn at a weight of 30kg. Lambs are killed from winter through to midOctober at an average of 24-25kg carcase weight.

“We finished about 4000 for Te Whangai last year and we’re looking to up that this year. We do 6000 all up, so sourced others from elsewhere to make the numbers up.”

On the cattle side, the Friesian bulls are bought in as R1s at 250-300kg, fattened

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and then killed when they reach 650kg.

They are on for 18 months and the aim is a $1000 margin/head.

Integrating trees Trees have long been part of the landscape at Kahotea, with Miles’s father a keen farm forester, and past winner of the Hawke’s Bay Farm Forester of the Year award.

Miles and Megan have shifted the focus towards smaller, more manageable trees, predominantly natives. They have integrated trees that complement the farming system and do not affect crop yields in terms of shading crops or taking moisture from them.

However, they still plant poplars on the hills to provide shade for stock in

summer. Miles says they are fortunate erosion is not a problem.

Three pine woodlots of varying ages on Kahotea are grown for harvest on the northerly facing, less-productive areas.

These provide a cash crop and another source of income.

On the flats they are focused on riparian planting, mostly flaxes and grasses.

“We had done six years’ worth of planting, between 1000 and 1500 natives a year. Obviously, in the cyclone the majority, all but about 1000 plants, were written off.”

When Gabrielle struck, the Waipawa River burst its banks, flooding four farms in the valley and creating a giant lake that took nearly a month to subside.

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Left: Flooding in the valley after Cyclone Gabrielle hit. Below: Georgia McBain helps with planting. Natives are the focus on the flats, mainly flaxes and grasses. Opposite page: Miles drafting Te Whangai lambs.

The flats were under 3-3.5 metres of water, which suffocated and killed all the vegetation it covered.

“Everything was under this murky, silty water. We do traditionally flood here as it’s an old lake bed, so we’re used to going under water, but generally it comes up and goes down fairly quickly. This time it just kept coming.”

All the McBains could do was watch from their house on the hill, as the entire valley below slowly filled – almost over the roof of the haybarn. Fortunately, all stock had been moved to higher ground and most of the crops had been harvested. They did lose 30ha of wheat, and 400 bales of balage.

“If it was going to happen, for us, it was probably a good time for stock and crop reasons. It came and went in time that we could get autumn grasses back in ready for winter, which was a miracle.”

Lake Rotoratara had previously sat in the valley, and was drained by Miles’s great, great, grandfather, who built a structure to block the Papanui tributary of the river. It was here the river burst its bank, and the structure, built back in the 1800s, was revealed.

“You could see the old totara posts; we’ve got a couple here now. My father gave me a painting, done in 1886, of the structure Samuel Williams built. It’s unreal.”

The fact the river blew where the tributary used to flow to the lake is not lost on Miles, but he says there are houses and thousands of hectares of cropping land in the valley, and many people who rely on it for business.

When the water did eventually recede, what it left behind was a wasteland. The best course of action was to get in and replant the natives. They try to support local companies, particularly those who

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L A N D CA R E ST R AT E G I E S

have also been impacted by the cyclone, like Marie Taylor at Plant Hawke’s Bay, and Tree Guys in Otane. They were also lucky to win 1000 natives through Restore Native in Cambridge.

“We just wanted to make it look nice again, or try to,” Miles says simply. “I was down there just a few days before the cyclone weed-eating around all the plants. It was just heartbreaking. We’ve had some subsidies in the past and we’ve got an application in for funding for more plants at the moment.”

He sees the benefits of planting trees as threefold – aesthetic, improving water quality and the feeling you get from doing the right thing. Their plantings are in line with their Farm Environment Plan, as part of the overall farm plan they are required to have.

The McBains are part of the Papanui Catchment Group and their plan at Kahotea centres on fencing off waterways and planting them to minimise leaching.

They plant a variety of species but tend to stick to flaxes and grasses, which grow

well, don’t mind wet feet from time to time and can handle short periods under water if the farm does flood.

This year they are trying sleeve surrounds for the first time to protect against pests, the big ones are rabbits and hares (and the odd stray sheep). Miles says it’s handy for knowing where the plants are too, once the grass gets up, for release and weed spraying.

Natives are planted from July to August and release spraying is done in late October to November.

“Natives are straightforward and that’s the thing I like about them – you just let them go. You do lose the odd one, but we just keep filling the gaps, after four or five years they should be nice and thick.”

Building a team The team around him is crucial to Miles.

Farm manager Ian Forsyth has been at Kahotea for 46 years – longer than Miles has been alive. Ian is mainly focused on stock but can turn his hand to most things, including fencing or jumping on a tractor if needed. “He knows every square inch of the farm.”

Ian’s son Brendon Forsyth works for Miles, too, as contracting manager. Ian’s wife Michelle used to look after Miles as a child, and now she helps care for his young family, “she’s our daycare”.

Kym Blair has been with Miles since he started out, and does all the books.

“Everything is tracked, monitored and assessed. We are profitable and I guess that comes down to our experience as a team,” he says.

Costs are high, as contracting is a highinput business with gear, maintenance and wages, but it’s also a business that provides good cash flow.

“Our staff are a really important part of the business. There’s a lot going on and I know I can delegate, which keeps my stress levels manageable. If I didn’t have those people around me, I wouldn’t be where I am today, it’s quite simple.”

Following the cyclone, he worries about those people who don’t have a team around them. He’s grateful contracting affords the opportunity to

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get off farm, connect with others and learn new things.

“Everybody has been affected in their own way, but some people have been hammered. With contracting, I’m able to get off farm and see how other farmers are doing things. I’m basically on a field day, every day. I can bring things that I see back to our farm.”

Miles says, in reality, they have been able to bounce back from Gabrielle quickly compared to many. The riverbank has been fixed, but unless they extract gravel from the river, he says the chances of it happening again are probably fairly high.

Recycled plastic posts a winner Miles is a huge fan of the Future Post, which he believes is the solution to the problem of timber posts that rot in his peat soils.

Future Posts are made from recycled waste plastic, which is chipped up and turned into a long-lasting sustainable post for use in a wide range of applications, including farm fencing.

“We have a lot of trouble with the peat soil with wooden posts rotting. I saw these in a magazine and after doing some research I thought we’d give them a try. I think they’re fantastic.”

Miles is converted and plans to replace all the fencing on the flats (the peat country) with plastic posts.

“I think what the company is doing in terms of saving plastic from going to landfill is great. I’d love to see more farmers backing them.”

In terms of longevity, he believes they will last forever. “We’ve had brand new wooden posts rot in three years. Future Posts can be recycled at the end, but in theory they should be here forever.”

Future Post founder, Jerome Wenzlick, agrees. He says the only thing that can affect the posts is UV light, so a small amount of carbon is added to the recipe

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Miles is a fan of the Future Post, a recycled plastic post which lasts in the peat soils.

to stop UV light from breaking down the plastic.

“We’ve tested that to 50 years and the posts are still fine. One of the main reasons I came up with the idea was I wanted a post I could just put in the ground and not have to replace it 10 years later. These will last hundreds of years, in my opinion.”

If, for some reason, a post is damaged or broken, it can be returned, chipped again and turned into another plastic post.Miles says the plastic posts are competitive on price given the majority of his fencing is six-wire electrics, which

don’t require insulators. The main cost comes in transporting the posts from Auckland.

Jerome says in many instances, Future Posts are actually cheaper than timber and, if you consider the lifespan of the plastic post versus wooden, the saving adds up.

Miles is sold, and he hopes others will get on board too.

“It can be a major change for people to get their head around, they’re not for everyone, but I think they’re suited for Kahotea, and we’ll continue to use them.”

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Potential for native shrubs

BY REBECCA GREAVES

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oody vegetation on hill country farms provides a range of benefits, including reducing erosion, but cost remains a significant barrier to planting natives, Massey University’s James Millner says.

Millner presented to attendees at a field day at Massey’s Riverside farm, just north of Masterton, outlining the benefits of native species on hill country farms and highlighting their effectiveness in Cyclone Gabrielle.

Woody vegetation has many benefits for farmers including reducing erosion, increasing biodiversity, protecting infrastructure, aesthetic appeal and the ability to generate carbon credits.

On the flip side, the cost of establishing natives is difficult to overcome and there can be a drop in income if livestock numbers are reduced. However, Millner said the experience of many farm foresters showed planting 10-15% of the steeper country often had little to no impact on production, because of its low carrying capacity.

There is a strong relationship between slope angle and pasture production falling away. The steeper the slope, the less it grows and the higher the risk of erosion. After a slip, it takes decades to get back to maximum production.

Millner said hill country may be growing less pasture now than it was 2030 years ago.

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Coprosma repens at Tuapaka in the revegetation study.

“Some farmers are worried about production and carrying capacity. You grow less grass on that class of land and the quality of the grass goes down and we struggle to get animals to eat it, as slope increases. Why not put it into woody vegetation?”

As well, pests such as deer, goats and plant pests, like Old Man’s Beard, need to be managed.

Millner presented sobering statistics gathered following Cyclone Gabrielle, which recorded more than 300,000 landslides, an estimated 300 million tonnes of soil lost and a staggering economic cost to the country of about $1.5 billion.

“We know we can prevent erosion by having woody vegetation onfarm,” he said.

Millner provided analysis showing exotic versus indigenous vegetation and its effectiveness in reducing erosion in the cyclone. While exotic forests did their job in some regions (though indigenous performed better), in the Gisborne region, there was no reduction at all in erosion with exotic forests.

A revegetation study at Tuapaka, Massey’s hill country property near Palmerston North, is looking at the use of

native shrubs as a refuge for sheep once sufficiently grown and whether the plants can handle a light grazing.

The study includes three native species initially planted at 3200 plants/hectare.

There are challenges around establishing natives and some are slow growing, but Millner says they have achieved good results with some species, particularly Coprosma.

“The metabolisable energy content of foliage is pretty good, it’s low in protein but we know some (plants) are palatable.

If we wanted to use a block of natives as a refuge, evidence suggests animals will be pretty happy to utilise it. What we want to know is how well the shrubs recover from a light grazing.”

Millner concluded by saying the benefits from natives were tangible, but the cost of establishment and ongoing maintenance were a major barrier to widespread uptake.

The price of natives is generally >$3/ plant, plus there is the cost of planting and weed control. The total cost of planting natives at Tuapaka was $11,000$12,000/ha.

“We need to get establishment costs down for this to be viable on a large scale.”

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SOIL NITROGEN TO REDUCE MAIZE GROWING COSTS

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gronomic tools and practices are available for maize growers facing the headwinds of increasing costs of production, extreme weather events and environmental considerations, Foundation for Arable Research senior maize researcher David Densley says.

While nitrogen fertiliser prices have eased from the peaks of the last two years, these are still a significant contributor to the cost of maize production, says Densley, who led a series of FAR winter maize workshops throughout the North Island and in Canterbury.

For the 2023/24 maize production season, the projected total fertiliser cost is forecast to reduce by almost $390/ hectare compared to last season.

Fertiliser costs are projected to fall to 43% of the total cost of production, compared with 51% in 2022/23, using information from the Pioneer Maize for Silage catalogue. Nitrogen is expected to make up 40% of the total fertiliser budget in the 2023-24 season, down from 47% the previous year.

While production costs for maize silage have increased on average by $51/

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ha a year over the last 26 years, since the 2019-2020 season this rise has jumped to $270/ha/annum.

Total maize silage growing costs are predicted to be about $3438/ha, slightly down on last year.

Farmers can save money in nitrogen (N) costs as well as make environmental gains by making better

"Our research suggests that even after long-term maize production there can be a significant amount of mineral N in the soil available to the maize plant.’" use of plant-available N naturally present in the soil, Densley says.

Rather than applying a standard amount of nitrogen fertiliser, growers are encouraged to measure how much N is in the soil (using a MinN test), as well as what might become available during the growing season (Potentially Available N) and take this into account when determining crop N fertiliser requirements. As well as reducing the risk of N leaching, N fertiliser is the

main source of greenhouse gas emissions from a maize crop which government plans to tax.

“A lot of people are soil testing, but most people aren’t using this information to determine their N fertiliser application rates.

“Our research suggests that even after long-term maize production there can be a significant amount of mineral N in the soil available to the maize plant.

“Measuring mineral N ahead of side

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ONLINE CHECKS FOR SOIL MOISTURE A demonstration site is allowing farmers to check out what moisture probe readings look like on provider companies’ software platforms.

F dressing provides the opportunity to reduce input costs without compromising yield.” As soil mineral N levels are variable across a field, consideration should be given to where samples are collected, he says.

The amount of N which becomes available during the growing season can be significant, so it is also worth measuring for potentially mineralisable N. In terms of agricultural emissions, benchmarking of 20 maize systems showed average annual GHG were 2 tonne CO2e/ha for grain. Silage is higher at 3.5t CO2e because of the influence livestock have on emissions within the production system.

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armers can follow and compare the readings of different soil moisture probes following the installation of a demonstration site at the Foundation for Arable Research’s Kowhai Farm at Lincoln.

FAR technology manager Chris Smith says the project aims to look at the various soil moisture monitoring services commercially available to arable growers.

Nine providers are represented.

Growers are invited to log in to any of the providers’ portals to check out what moisture probe readings look like on the companies’ software platform.

“By familiarising yourself with each one, you will see how easy it is to understand the information that is used to make management decisions.”

Moisture probes are a valuable tool for managing the timing and application rate of irrigation, particularly at critical growth stages of a crop’s development, Chris says.

Multi-level probes add an additional benefit for monitoring the movement and penetration of moisture in the root zone after a rain or irrigation event.

Growers are encouraged to use moisture probes as part of their best practice for the irrigation audit process. “This is so they have evidence to justify application rates or timings and prove that they are not creating potential leaching issues from over-applying, as they can illustrate they are keeping the moisture within the root zone.”

Most probes also monitor soil temperature, which is useful at the shoulders of the season to make sure any irrigation events don’t cool down soils too much. Both temperature and moisture are also critical measurements for fertiliser applications or planting timings.

Probes can be calibrated, but it is important to realise most show a trend in a farm’s soil, getting proportionally drier or wetter in the

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root zone or at different depths within the soil profile, Chris says.

“It is arguably of greater value to have the field capacity and stress point for that specific probe set up correctly, taking into consideration the soil type, crop type and adjusted for growth stage (root zone depth).”

“That is why moisture probes should be installed by the providers, adjusting the graphs once the probe has bedded in and had a decent weather event. This is also the reason it is best to install them in winter, when setting these parameters is much easier, because of the opportunities to reach field capacity.”

The season’s results will be reviewed in June each year.

The providers are: Agri Water Services, Crop X, cropx.com/ resources/, OnFarm Data, Harvest Electronics, PGG Water, Primary Insight, Valley and Vantage NZ.

i

Farmers can access the moisture probe providers’ portals and logins on the FAR website.

Growers are invited to log in to any of the providers’ portals to check out what moisture probe readings look like on the companies’ software platform.

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R E S E A RC H DATA

AGYIELDS DATABASE SEEKS USERS

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central library housing all of New Zealand’s historic and future pasture and crop growth and yield data, accessible to all, was the vision for Lincoln University’s Professor Derrick Moot.

The Agyields database has come to fruition thanks to the forward thinking of Professor Moot, executed with funding from the T.R. Ellett Agricultural Research Trust.

Professor Moot, who has dedicated his career to the advancement of pasture in NZ, got to thinking about what would happen to the vast amounts of data he has amassed over his career on his retirement.

Although he says no retirement is imminent, he wanted to future-proof his work, and the work of others.

“Because I’m getting older, I started thinking, what will happen to all the data I have generated over my career when I stop?”

It began with a conversation with DairyNZ, who were trying to aggregate dairy pasture data.

“Four of us sat down and said it’s silly that New Zealand doesn’t have one place where we put our average data, why not?”

Professor Moot says there was an existing database for soils and one for

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climate, but there was nothing for what grew in between. With funding from the Trust, he set about developing a database that would act as a repository for all this information. His hope is that, in time, it will ensure we don’t have to repeat experiments.

The idea is that the database is free to access and contribute to by all, from the farmer who has a cage on their farm and cuts herbage from it, through to those who have published data in scientific literature.

“We’ve got data that is peer reviewed and published through scientific literature and have pulled data out of journal articles, and also data that has been collected but never published – there are a lot of those.”

It’s a painstaking process and an expensive one, but it’s a project he feels passionately about.

His hope is that the database will give farmers the confidence to try things.

“Farmers want to know if something will grow in their environment. For example, a seed company might have done a trial in a specific location. You might search red clover production in Hawke’s Bay and anything tagged with that will show up.

“It will be useful for farmers and

consultants to know what sort of yields they can expect in a particular place.”

Professor Moot says the Trust bought into his idea and provided funding for the initial programming and set-up of the database.

“It’s the realisation of a vision.

Without it (funding) I can’t do it. I was really delighted that the Trust very quickly saw what we were trying to do and said yes, it’s a programme we can support. There really wasn’t anywhere else I could go and the Trust allowed us to realise that vision.”

The Agyields database has officially been launched, and continues to be populated with data. Access is open and users simply need to create a login. This enables them to upload data, and to search data. Now, they are looking for users to provide feedback.

His dream result would be that all industry and government organisations view the final milestone in a project as loading their data on to the Agyields database.

He hopes commercial companies will also put their data in. “I think it’s useful, if they have done a trial in a particular area. I’m not trying to pick cultivars but there is an opportunity to enter their data and we’re happy to engage and help them put it in.”

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SPECIAL REPORT

COST CONTROL With the outlook for returns from beef, lamb and wool trending down for the season, and costs of production spiralling, we have gone to numerous experts and mined them for strategies to ride out the rough patch. Do farmers take on more debt, cut costs or sell something? Or a combination of all three? Knowing your risks and working to mitigate them is important and having a plan is key.

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PLANNING FOR TOUGH TIMES Hill country farmers face the prospect of potential losses in the coming year.

By Rebecca Greaves.

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heep and beef farmers staring down the barrel of a tough couple of seasons can put themselves ahead of the game by planning early, and deciding where costs can be cut.

‘Managing Difficult Times’ was the topic at a Beef + Lamb New Zealand Farming for Profit day at Alfredton, Wairarapa, in early October. Farmers heard from consultants from BakerAg and a farmer panel, which included former Wairarapa Farmer of the Year winners Bruce McKenzie and Royden Cooper.

A budget scenario for a typical North Island hill country farm presented by BakerAg’s Ed Harrison was sobering, with a potential $176,000 loss, based on forecast prices (and if true maintenance expenditure was maintained).

After the last three to four years, many farmers had put themselves in a strong position by either front-loading investment, paying down debt or having cash reserves to call on. This “war chest” would be needed to help ride out the next 12 to 24 months, he said.

Harrison admitted it was a tough message for those that didn’t have the war chest available, but said the three

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"There are some stressed businesses with interest rates and commodity prices. It’s a tough message to put out there, but it is what we are seeing, losses." key actions for them to consider were to take on more debt, cut costs, or sell something (or a combination of the three).

“There are some stressed businesses with interest rates and commodity prices. It’s a tough message to put out there, but it is what we are seeing, losses.”

A theme that emerged was to know your risks, and work to mitigate them.

Attendees were taken through an analysis of the budget, and possible cost cutting in areas where cost was not fixed.

WAGES Be smart with wages, while recognising a good employee and ensuring they are well or fairly rewarded for the job.

A good employee adds value to your

business and trying to cut costs here could actually have a negative impact financially. Look into apprentice schemes and wage subsidies that are available, like Apprentice Boost through WINZ to help with junior staff members.

Apprentice Boost is a payment made to employers to help them keep and take on new apprentices. You could also consider taking on a cadet through an organisation, like Growing Future Farmers.

ANIMAL HEALTH Healthy stock make you money. Have an animal health plan. Cooper said he viewed animal health as a fixed cost, and would not pull any of it in a tight year. He suggested buying product well in advance in case of shortages and

to ensure the drench resistance status was known to avoid wasting money on product that is not effective. McKenzie shared a mantra of, if you want to make a profit, keep vets and helicopters off the farm. However, he said this was no longer appropriate in the current farming climate. Harrison said farmers were stockmen and looking after animals was first and foremost, so scrimping on animal health was not the answer.

REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE On the back of Cyclone Gabrielle and two wet winters there is a backlog of work – work you wouldn’t class as maintenance. For the farm to remain functional this work needs to happen.

Grants and finance are available to help fund this remedial work. Doing your own servicing of machinery can save money, but could come back to bite you in the event of a health and safety incident.

SHEARING A huge cost with little or no return for most strong wool farmers. Consider the benefits and costs of six-month or eight-month shearing – eight-month is cheaper but there are management advantages with six-month shearing. Is moving to a breed that sheds or grows less wool something to explore? Cooper said he was moving to Wairere Nudes in a bid to cut crutching and shearing.

Wairere’s Simon Buckley said at face value it appeared a no-brainer to move to Nudes, but there was a lot of work to be done before it became mainstream.

INSURANCE AND RATES Insurance premiums have increased 20-30% and rates by up to 20%. Reassess your insurance cover annually. Harrison suggested understanding exactly what on your farm is not insured and understand what is fixed or variable.

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TAX Talk to your accountant. Looking forward to 2024, make sure you review and estimate to reduce your provisional tax bill. Forestry or farming income from 2023 can be put into income equalisation to try to smooth income, it might be worth discussing if this option would be good for you. You have four years to take the money out but the catch is that it must be left in for at least 12 months (though there are situations when you can apply to take it out early, such as hardship or adverse events).

Look at whether your stock is in the Herd Scheme or National Cost Scheme.

Is now the time to change schemes?

FIX VERSUS FLOAT? Fix to create certainty or try to beat the market? Certainty gives reassurance.

Currently longer-term money is slightly cheaper, with an Official Cash Rate announcement due in November.

BakerAg’s Chris Garland said in the event of another rise he didn’t see a lot of upside risk, but for those wanting certainty, it could be bought. McKenzie said it had always been his policy to float. “We won for years on the drops, now that it’s gone up, we’ve been caught, but we have had the wins.”

Royden Cooper was part of a farmer panel at the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Farming for Profit day.

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FERTILISER It’s one of the biggest numbers in the expense column, but it’s the figure that could have the biggest impact on your bottom line. Can you miss a year (or two) of fertiliser and get away with it?

Harrison said there were farmers who had been unable to get fertiliser on last year due to wet conditions, and this could be a second year without. They had applied lime and soil tests had not budged. Trials have shown that, off a good base, one to two years without fertiliser does not necessarily impact production hugely, but from year three onwards, the impact is substantial.

Key advice is to ensure soil tests are done and, if money is tight, to prioritise areas of your farm, such as crops or new grass. Your flat or rolling country could be growing three times as much grass as steeper areas. Soil tests will help you understand what you’re up against, and to make a plan.

• It all depends on what your background levels are – a soil test is a cheap investment • Do what you can, where you can, to get the best bang for buck – prioritise the engine room of the system.

In summary, Harrison stressed the importance of having a good plan for the next 24 months. “Unless we see some interest rate relief or a lift in commodity prices, this result is probably going to linger for another year.

“Maybe it’s time to have a conversation with the bank. Is it the right time to sell carbon, or sell the boat?

Get some clarity around your budget and make some decisions,” he said.

“If you’re doing 132% lambing and selling for $64, you will have to have some serious conversations. This is coming. Having a good plan in front of you now, I encourage. It adds true value to a business.”

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Learning from failure Keys to successfully getting through a tough season are the knowledge, skills and experience gained from previous ones. By Elaine Fisher.

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here’s often more to be learnt from failure than success, and that knowledge helps farmers navigate the tough seasons, farming consultant Rob Macnab of Total Ag believes.

“Farming in New Zealand is not in a crisis, far from it, but with low prices and high interest rates the current season is one of the bad ones,” he told the October webinar “Farming through the seasons” which was part of a Beef + Lamb New Zealand six-week series called “Sow, Grow and Thrive”.

It was Winston Churchill who first said: “Never let a good crisis go to waste” and Rob said there’s a good deal of truth there. “Tough seasons are nothing new to farming. The keys to successfully getting through a tough season are the knowledge, skills and experience gained from previous ones.

“What is often different about a tough season is perception. Your perception of your first drought is very different from that of your fifteenth drought.”

Farmers were well-versed in farming through the climatic seasons, but there were other ‘seasonal’ factors which affected farming too.

“Some seasons, like the current one, have poor product prices, high interest rates and tough economic conditions.

That’s nothing new for farming and farmers are used to dealing with the climate, markets, changing regulations and the environment.

“Focus on the things you have learnt from the past to take you through the next season. It’s like eating an elephant one bite at a time. Don’t be overwhelmed by what is in front of you.

Breaking it down will make it easier to manage.”

The first key to getting through was knowledge.

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“You need to understand your business and where the strengths and weaknesses are onfarm. Doing so can be a real eye-opener and help create solutions.

“Be up to date with factual and accurate information, especially financial information, to make decisions. Don’t dwell on what could be. Deal with what you have now.”

Skill was the second key. “Performing key tasks quickly and adroitly (skilfully) is important. Recognise when you need to bring in outside expertise. There will be another person out there who knows the challenges you are facing. Fill the skill gap before it is required. Bringing in outside expertise can save time and ultimately money.”

Knowledge and skill, Rob said, added up to experience and there’s plenty of that within the farming industry.

rates and survived. Ask about some of the strategies they used to turn that experience into success and take their advice.”

It was vital to plan, plan and plan again and not only in critical times, Rob said.

“Write down what you want to achieve and be very clear about it. When you write it down, it’s amazing how many other answers come too.”

Rob suggested making a list of wants and needs and which ones could be delayed. “Does that fence need replacing or would another two wires and battens keep it going until finances are in a better position? Do you need the same level of fertiliser as last year? Carry out soil tests to find out.”

Keeping abreast with livestock numbers and feed demand and supply would also show where challenges were.

"What is often different about a tough season is perception. Your perception of your first drought is very different from that of your fifteenth drought."

“This bad season is not farming’s first rodeo. Tough seasons have been happening for generations and among your circle of friends, family and trusted advisers will be people who have been through this before and have a wide knowledge. Shoulder-tap them.

“Interest rates are the highest they have been since 2011-2012. How do we turn this current set of circumstances into success? There are a lot of people who farmed through interest rates of 9% to 10% and some are still around who experienced 25% to 27% interest

“A plan which saves 5% here and 10% there can suddenly cut farm working expenses to 50% which makes a huge difference to your direction of travel.”

Online accounting tools which enabled farmers to quickly check on where their bank balance compared to their budget were invaluable.

However, savings could be made in other ways too. “Check when your last interaction with staff was and when was the last toolbox meeting. When did you last work alongside team members or connect with your manager? The point

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Farm consultant Rob Macnab.

of view he or she brings to the business and can communicate to other staff is worthwhile as is talking to your stock agent, even in a five-minute call.”

Other solutions to meet farm financial goals could include farm subdivision and a change to stocking policy or an alternative income stream. “These could be carbon farming or tourism. Nothing should be off the table. Write it down.

It’s a good idea to have someone with you to make you think of things you might otherwise throw out.

“That person should have a set of skills or professional input, such as an accountant with a good knowledge of your numbers, a farm consultant or a trusted friend with creative thinking skills.

“Assemble the team. No man or woman is an island. No one expects you to solve these problems by yourself.

I’ve seen some fantastic family business teams of a husband and wife, parents and children, and father and daughter or son combinations. They feed off each other and thrive. The key aspect to a

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successful business is people. Build a team in which everyone has one goal in mind - that the farm will be more successful.

“Do not be afraid to include those who challenge you and make you feel uncomfortable in the team as long as they have the goal to make the situation better.

“Be accountable and report back what you have achieved and what didn’t work. Be honest about what works and what doesn’t. Every farm is different from infrastructure to soils, labour and capital structure. What works over the fence may not work on your farm.

Gather knowledge about what works for you. You learn more from mistakes than successes, especially in farming.”

Rob said it was important to celebrate progress and successes achieved along the way with the team without waiting until the perceived end. “In farming, you never get to the end.”

Above all, farmers should be their own experts when it comes to their businesses. “You should know your own

business better than anyone else. Know your numbers better than anyone else.

Master your balance sheet and know your KPIs.” Taking time to reflect on what worked and what did not and storing that knowledge away for next time was important as tough times would happen again.

Getting through was also about taking time to stop farming and enjoy social occasions and activities with friends and family such as a barbecue or surfing.

“Remember, all will be, and can be overcome. No problem is insurmountable in farming. Farmers always have and will continue to work around and through these obstacles.”

Rob Macnab of Total Ag is a consulting professional with a Master of Professional Studies Agribusiness from Lincoln University (NZ). He is an innovator in farm environment planning with a focus on farm systems and the interaction with the environment and is a sheep, beef and dairy farmer.

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inflated fuel, vehicle, labour and other costs. At any one time we are seeing the cost of cartage and spreading being from 20% to 35% of the total applied cost.

Proximity to port and depot makes for some savings.

Making those fertiliser decisions When times are tough on the farm, fertiliser may be one of the items left off the shopping list. By Kerry Dwyer.

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his financial year is a toughie for sheep and beef farmers, maybe the worst for this century. To make budgets work we look at maximising income and reducing expenditure, with fertiliser being one of the discretionary items.

Before getting to the nitty gritty of how much to apply and spend, first decide which hat you are wearing today. As a farmer you may be the landowner and/or the business owner.

Many farms are owned by the same people having different actual entities with names on each eg: a land-owning trust and a farming company. That implies different responsibilities for the landowner and the farming business. The farming business is effectively a tenant, for whatever reason being seen as the “preferred” tenant.

Sitting as the landowner first, most formal leases have some requirement for asset maintenance, for example a minimum fertiliser input per year. That may work when times are good, in an arms-length transaction, ie: unrelated

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people on both sides. But what about now, when money is tight and costs are high?

Not applying fertiliser will reduce asset value somewhat, because we place soil fertility in the capital asset basket.

How much non-application devalues a property depends on an array of factors including soil type, rainfall, pasture production and stocking rate, and general land market perception.

Secondly, sitting as the farming business person, if you haven’t the funds to apply fertiliser, that may be the definitive answer, you just don’t have the money.

Not applying fertiliser will have some effect on plant and animal production.

How much depends on an array of factors including soil type, rainfall, pasture production and stocking rate.

Total cost of fertiliser includes transport and application. Fertiliser prices have been all over the place in the past three years, rising and falling and rising again. Transport and application costs have been on a steady rise due to

JUST ENOUGH Five years farming in Australia taught me some lessons. Your average farmer there doesn’t aim to improve soil fertility, due to their soils, climate and asset valuations being markedly different to New Zealand.

Their aim is to apply just enough to get the crop grown for the year. For example, if the crop needs calcium, then spraying liquid calcium is more common than applying lime.

When you are behind on cash flow, the minimum application has some benefits to it. We call the just-enough principle “maintenance requirements”.

MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS Looking at my trusted Lincoln Tech Manual I find the maintenance fertiliser requirements shown below, as per Morton & Roberts, 1999.

P 1.3–1.8kgP/su K 3–4kgK/su S 2–2.6kgS/su P 1kgP/20–25kgMS/ha K 1kgK/10–20kgMS/ha S 1kgS/25–50kgMS/ha These calculated figures show a wide range, because of the variation in soil type, rainfall, pasture production and stocking rate throughout NZ. It is very important that you know your environment and how that impacts fertiliser requirements.

Continues ››

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IMPACT OF WITHHOLDING FERTILISER Applied fertiliser has been a mainstay of NZ farming for the past 70 years or more.

Improved transport and application methods (eg: aerial spreading) resulted in large-scale improvements in pasture and stock production in the 1950s and 1960s.

Soil fertility improved greatly as a result, in what were largely low-nutrient status soils.

Superphosphate was the mainstay of the fertiliser industry, until the mid 1980s when times weren’t so good for farming. Nitrogen fertilisers and generally a wider range of nutrient options became more normal as agriculture recovered from the 1990s onwards.

Again referring to my Lincoln Tech Manual and Morton & Roberts, the estimated decline in pasture production with no fertiliser application is 2%-4% per year for both sheep and beef and dairy pastures. Associated with that is an expected decline in soil fertility, illustrated by an Olsen P drop of around four units a year.

None of that sounds too dramatic but will depend on the range of factors such as soil type etc. More recent research tends to agree with those figures.

Dropping fertiliser application tends to have a faster impact on your ecosystem than implied at 2%–4% per year less pasture production. The farms that didn’t get any fertiliser in the late 1980s took time to get cranking again, in many cases it took new owners and substantial capital input to get them cranking.

For business recovery you want a good production base. Just maybe we have a better base of soil fertility over most of the country now than then, which will allow some fertiliser deferral?

Generally, the greatest impact of low or no fertiliser input is in those soils with low pH. Research backs that up, as most of the important nutrients become less available as pH drops. High-pH soils will

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Applied fertiliser has been a mainstay of NZ farming for the past 70 years or more.

provide some buffer against low fertiliser input.

Clover and high quality pastures are more resilient at a pH of more than 6 than below.

NITROGEN While nitrogen fertiliser is categorically a fertiliser, because nitrogen is a growth multiplier it is in effect a feed supplement. If you don’t apply it you don’t get the increased plant production.

In pastures with low clover content and soils with low nitrogen content, non-application will have an immediate impact.

Nitrogen is commonly used in growing greenfeed crops, where the growth multiplication benefit can be more than with pasture applications - for pasture application we can allow 10kg drymatter (DM)/1kg N applied, while 100kg N/ha is expected to boost a fodder beet or kale crop by more than 1000kg DM/ha.

WHAT TO DO? Sitting with farming clients, looking at projected cash losses, the fertiliser spend is one of the discussion points.

At the extreme we could head towards regenerative farming and stop applying “chemical” fertilisers. My clientele tend to be more pragmatic and want to see

that proven over the longer term rather than by shorter term enthusiasm.

As prices rose from 2020, a sensible approach was to spend the same dollar value as the previous year, which tended to trim kilograms applied, but didn’t impact asset value or production greatly.

That decision-making was aided by very good income levels due to high export values for meat and dairy products.

This year we are looking at slightly lower fertiliser costs, but far lower income levels as meat and dairy pricing has fallen. Budget deficits are common.

You all have slightly different answers to the problem.

KEY FACTORS TO CONSIDER ARE: • base soil fertility, including pH • impact on land asset value if soil fertility declines • impact on pasture quality and quantity • cashflow.

There is almost never a simple answer to a complex problem.

Kerry Dwyer is a farm consultant and farmer from North Otago.

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M E N TA L H E A LT H

SOCIAL

Breaking the stigma They say your vibe attracts your tribe, and men’s mental health warrior Krissy Mackintosh’s tribe is growing by the day. Her methods may seem unconventional to some, but the results speak for themselves. By Rebecca Greaves. Photos by Tink Lockett.

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rissy’s why is simple. Tired of losing good men, attending funerals for friends and whanau lost to suicide, she decided enough was enough.

Four years ago, she founded registered charity Hear 4 U, dedicated to breaking the stigma around men’s mental health and suicide prevention in her home region of Tairawhiti Gisborne. Her particular focus is on rural communities.

“It’s relentless. It’s a movement. I think the worst thing for people is to think, what the hell could I have done differently? If you hit it from a preventative space and you give it everything, there’s not much more you can do,” she says.

It’s difficult to put a finger on what makes Krissy special, and why people flock to her, supporting her cause. This diminutive pocket rocket is a force of nature, and she has an aura that attracts people, like moths to a flame.

Krissy battled her own mental health issues for more than 20 years. She suffered behind closed doors while her loved ones lacked the support and knowledge to help her through her battles with eating disorders, anxiety and panic attacks. She attempted suicide on more than one occasion.

It is this lived experience that makes Krissy so relatable.

Her door is always open, and there’s no judgement here.

“It’s the loneliness I felt, from a personal perspective, struggling behind closed doors for so many years, and the loneliness my loved ones felt trying to support me.

They just didn’t have the resources or education to help me. I felt isolated and unworthy of so much because there was no awareness around lived experiences when I was growing up.

“I was in a dark hole and that lasted 20 years. Eating disorders, anxiety, panic attacks, suicide attempts.

You can’t even focus on a conversation because you’re planning the next attempt, wanting to get out.”

But the most traumatic thing for Krissy was standing at the funerals of friends who had passed from suicide.

“Mum and I did a tally the other day of people we have lost, and we stopped counting at 13.”

A small-town girl from Tokoroa, Krissy doesn’t have a farming background, but what she does understand is the struggle.

“The isolation is a big reason why. These farmers are so isolated, it’s important to come in every now and again to engage with your community. I was speaking to a farmer yesterday and I said, ‘if you hide in the hills, you are not sharing, and we’re not learning from you’.”

Krissy failed her second degree due to her mental health; she knew whatever she was doing, it wasn’t

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Above: One of the pieces in the floral art exhibition. Photo: Joanna Higgins Ware. Left: Krissy providing encouragement at the latest annihilation challenge.

working. She decided to take some time out. On a whim, she pursued something she’s always had a passion for, floral art.

Her husband Mat was working in forestry at the time as a foreman. A forestry supervisor, Dan, had always been good to the family, somewhat of a mentor to Mat. Out of the blue they received a phone call that Dan’s son, Toby, had taken his life.

“The deluge behind his passing was massive. The community was in shock. I had seen it so many times before, it wasn’t new to me. I felt so frustrated. People could not understand, they didn’t have the support or education.”

Toby was the catalyst and Krissy decided to act, using her floral art as a platform.

She recruited 27 local men who she believed would be empathetic and mature enough to embrace her concept of putting on an exhibition to raise awareness around suicide prevention.

“What happened was we created a platform to talk

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Left: Reporter Rebecca Greaves and Matawai farmer Tess Shaw during the annihilation. Opposite page: The elation of finishing an annihilation.

on Tairawhiti and they provide a tailored service for primary industry workers, tradies and rural whanau. They keep the momentum up year-round, with events like a golf tournament, the Taupo half marathon, Frocks on Friday and fitness challenges.

Hear 4 U operates on three pillars of mahi.

The first is based on pure prevention through community events and advocacy, the second is on providing healing pathways, which begins with an assessment with a lived-experience mentor. From there, men are offered a number of pathways from counselling to educational resources or a gym programme.

“Basically, I’m a navigator, so we stay with them on this journey for as long as they are committed.”

Finally, the third pillar is what Krissy calls post-prevention, which involves empowering the people around someone who is working with Hear 4 U. “In order to live a really good life, they need a support unit. This is education and advocacy with the whole whanau.”

For the first four years, the programme was completely funded thanks to community fundraising efforts. More recently, Hear 4 U has received some Government funding, particularly from the Ministry for Primary Industries.

The biggest challenge for Krissy has been her critics. She’s been told to stay in her lane.

“Because it’s such an innovative approach to mental health, the critics have been harsh. Cultural boundaries mean my world view has not been accepted by others.”

Krissy has a diverse background, with a Filipina mother and a European father. Raised among Maori and Pacific Islanders, she has a unique perspective and a ‘one size doesn’t fit all’ approach.

“It’s hard to get people to take me seriously. To be a woman of my stature, advocating for men’s mental health is unusual. I’m just the girl from Tokoroa, sick of seeing good men hurt. That’s been the hardest thing, people questioning my agenda.

“What keeps me going? Monday morning when my phone goes off time and time again and they say ‘I don’t

"I felt isolated and unworthy of so much because there was no awareness around lived experiences when I was growing up."

about mental health in an uplifting way. Grass roots prevention is about getting out into their setting, engaging and making people feel safe. We went to them, we took the photos in their space and put the right support around them to speak up. And they had a laugh, because that’s important. Life is hard but we have to try to see the brighter side, even in the worst situation.”

All the money they raised went to Movember. At the time, it was the largest sum ever raised in Australasia for the charity. But it was a wakeup call – none of the money came back to Tairawhiti.

“I didn’t want to be a one-hit wonder and I started thinking, what other ways can we get them to engage and create awareness? I went in rookie as hell, I was green as green. There were so many obstacles and I was so naïve, but the boys here always supported me. It’s the community voices and input that have kept this going.”

Hear 4 U was created in September 2019 and became a registered charity in March 2022. The focus is specifically

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know where to go. I don’t want to go to the doctor and I know you get it. I can talk to you and your team’. It sounds weird, but when they come through the doors – we celebrate that. If they don’t, what happens? I would hate to know.”

Krissy’s dream for Hear 4 U is to create have an inspiring hub for the Tane of Tairawhiti to come and engage, be respected and access the resources and mentors they need to live their best life.

“I don’t want to take over the world. I just want to leave this space for them and keep within our culture that’s iconic to Tairawhiti. Well-established, well-supported and well-funded. And community-led.

“I wear my heart on my sleeve, that’s probably not always the best thing. But I wanted to raise my children in a world where they can be themselves. I felt if I could create a platform like that, I could surround them with people who are authentically happy and themselves. I guess other people have gravitated towards that. I think about my dad and he said, you only have one life, so have a bloody good time doing whatever you’re doing. Just do it your way.”

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Total annihilation One of many Hear 4 U initiatives is the eightweek blokes and wahine wellness challenge.

More than 200 people have completed the programme over the last two years.

Supported by local gym Primal Fitness, participants train two nights a week for eight weeks before undertaking the aptly named annihilation finisher, which pushes them to their limits physically.

The programme is funded by the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) and local businesses.

“The annihilation is a celebration of their commitment and hard work. Most of the people don’t know each other and the whole kaupapa is around getting out of your comfort zone and meeting like-minded humans in a safe and non-judgemental space,” Krissy says.

“The biggest success is not finishing the course; it is coming out and being vulnerable in a space like that.”

At the most recent annihilation, a group from the small rural settlement of Matawai travelled to town to take part. Trained by husband-and-wife team, Tess and ‘Cowboy’ Mark Shaw, the group did their community proud.

Mark and Tess are sheep, beef and deer farmers at Matawai. With no formal training in fitness and only basic equipment, they wanted to create something for their community, something they recognised they needed for themselves, too.

“Physically, but also mentally, I’m feeling a lot more clear-headed. It’s something other than just working, it’s a nice escape,” Mark explains.

“To be in the moment and be committed to what’s in front of you, it’s hard to put it into words,” Tess adds.

Of the Krissy factor, Mark says she makes it personal. “She makes everyone feel important and part of something so much bigger. She knows everyone and she’s just so invested in it, and every individual. She really cares.”

Tess says Krissy believes in everyone, and wants them to believe in themselves. “And I think people do, when they have someone like her backing them.”

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Out on a limb Doctoral student Kathryn Wright is researching the impact of plantation forestry on rural communities.

By Annabelle Latz.

T

he possibility of rural settlements becoming ghost towns becomes very real as traditional land use changes from sheep and cattle to trees.

As a result, small rural communities are dying, and with it so are community groups for childcare, dog trials, sports and a list of places rural people go to socialise.

Kathryn Wright, a counsellor based in Te Anau, says the toll this is taking on people’s mental health could be significant, as options for social interaction off-farm are eliminated.

While undertaking an earlier project researching why some young rural men aged 16-30 tend not to seek help for mental health issues, one of the causes of stress that kept being raised with Kathryn was the increase of forestry and the impact this was having on individuals, groups and communities.

In October Kathryn won the New Zealand Rural Women’s Health and Wellbeing Excellence Award, which ties in well with the PhD topic she has just begun -

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exploring the importance of community connection in small rural communities, through the University of Otago’s Centre for Sustainability.

“I want to find out what happens to people when there are not these facilities.”

The aim of her doctorate is to empower communities to seek funding to keep these groups running, and access mental health care for those struggling or left behind in communities with fewer traditional social options.

Also the recipient of the 2022 Educational Excellence award through Otago Polytechnic, Kathryn is adamant that getting people on board with her research to tell their story will be an avenue to tell the government that planting farms out in trees is not a good option for the heart of NZ rural life.

Raised in Te Anau and on a deer farm, her father a venison aviation pioneer, she says although her immediate back door has so far been buffered from forestry, she sees its repercussions just down the road.

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“It only takes a small number of farms in a community to disappear, to ruin a community.”

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“In Balclutha there have been at least 22 farms recently sold to forestry. In order to get funding to help people with mental health, I need to find out exactly how and why rural communities are being affected.”

She says the lack of research on this means these communities lack funding avenues like NGOs, lottery grants, or pub charities, to keep their communities buoyant to some degree. It also means there is no case to put forward to the government that forestry is not good for rural New Zealanders and their communities.

She says she would like to see a policy change at government level,.

“There is a gap there that needs to be filled.

I have the determination and the drive to do this, because it only takes a small number of

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farms in a community to disappear, to ruin a community.”

Kathryn has noted the increased tension within farming families caused by forestry, arguments over whether to sell or stay, and for what price.

“But the blame is not on the farmers selling out for massive money, it goes higher than that, it’s an issue at government level.”

Through her research, Kathryn wants to find out if communities are still trying hard to keep groups going, and for those communities that are disappearing, what are people seeing and experiencing on the ground.

“Communities are breaking down already, they need the tools sooner rather than later to defend themselves against this.”

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Taylor Hill, Sam Duncan and Toby Proude with their teams of working dogs. The shepherds from Otairi Station won the Station Challenge at the 25th Shepherds’ Shemozzle in October. Photo: Sarah Horrocks.

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H U N T E RV I L L E S H E M OZZ L E

25 years

2023 OV E R A L L WINNER

Angus McKelvie and Red. MENS 1st Luke Lempriere and Colt, 2nd Ben Wood and Lucy, 3rd Luke Walkins and Ranga.

WOMENS 1st Sarah Ulmer and Coco, 2nd Jamie Howie and Bruce, 3rd Annake van Rooyen and Jack

BY JACKIE HARRIGAN

A

fter 25 years, the celebration of station shepherds and their dogs is still going strong in the small Rangitikei town of Hunterville.

Conceived over a beer at the pub 25 years ago to draw the country folk closer to their Hunterville village neighbours, the event quickly drew attention to the role of the humble working Huntaway dog in the Rangitikei and Kiwi hill and high country, as part of the Hunterville Huntaway Festival.

Richard Horrocks was one of the instigators and remembers that fateful day in the Hunterville pub.

“We thought about how to get the country and townsfolk closer together and I suggested a shepherds’ race loosely based on the South Island Cardrona Shepherds’ Run, and one of the other guys said, ‘that sounds like a bloody shemozzle!’ and so we had a name.”

Shemozzle is a Yiddish word meaning a state of chaos and confusion - a muddle, and describes the event well. It draws competitors and crowds from miles around, to what is essentially an obstacle course, run through and around the town, wearing a wet heavy sack with a dog by their side.

Starting off in an orderly fashion with dogs

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all tied up on a long chain ready for their masters to appear, it quickly turns into a huge shemozzle. Milling dogs, whistling and calling shepherds and an enthusiastic and supportive crowd - amazed at the shepherds’ willingness to take on mudslides, a beer at the top of the steep hill, an eating challenge (this year, boiled lambs’ tongues, dyed bright green for a bit of added yuck factor and very chewy) as well as many other water and climbing-based challenges feature - all the while racing and trying to keep their dog from getting mis-mothered and lost in the melee.

A huge chilly bin of young bulls’ testicles sat in the middle of the street after the event - the testes are picked up in the shepherd’s teeth and carried down the street from one station to the next making for an interesting sensory experience and a bit more ick factor.

One wonders if they are frozen for next year’s event - and how long those testes have been doing the rounds up and down Hunterville’s main street?

With up to 125 shepherds racing in the pinnacle event, the raceday card has expanded to include up to 500 primary, intermediate children and teenagers - who avoid needing the accompanying dog and have a cut-down

MASTERS 1st Nick Tipling and Thelma, 2nd Ben Luscombe and Moose, 3rd Christian DaviesColley and Nim. S TAT I O N CHALLENGE Otairi Station: Sam Duncan, Toby Proude and Taylor Hill.

TEENS SHEMOZZLE BOYS 1st Alec Ball, 2nd Archie Giesen, 3rd Hamish Cranstone.

GIRLS 1st Hannah Byam, 2nd Sophie Crofskey, 3rd Alya Giesen.

I N T E R M E D I AT E CHILDREN’S SHEMOZZLE BOYS 1st Lane Coleman, 2nd George Gilbertson, 3rd Lachie Flower.

GIRLS 1st Maggie Lintott, 2nd Emily Cameron, 3rd Sophie Cranstone.

JUNIOR CHILDREN’S SHEMOZZLE BOYS 1st Joshua Addenbrooke, 2nd Harry O’Neil, 3rd Gus Lintott.

GIRLS 1st Elsie Giesen, 2nd Lily Wright, 3rd Bella Parkes.

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version of the obstacles in their cross-country run. The 2023 race was completely sold out with huge waiting lists for entrants and each competitor got a doggy bag with a Shemozzle t-shirt for bragging rights and a stroke of marketing genius as an incentive to get their friends and classmates to turn up next year.

Inter-school and inter-station challenges bring more competitive spirit and the crowds flock in for a taste of rural hospitality and homegrown fun, complete with BBQ and icecreams.

Ancillary events like the bark up, the shearing contractors’ speed shear challenge, food stalls, bouncy castle and face painting bring all the fun of the fair, and the band playing and bar operating in the marquee just off the main street holds the crowd of shepherds and their flocks until the wee hours.

There is a lot of pride in the community on show, with sponsors going above and beyond and a party-like atmosphere and for any town-dweller along for the first time it seems like a slice of rural life like no other. Like an A&P show on steroids minus the sponge cake competition.

It’s a huge effort for a small community to stage each year, but well worth the effort for putting Hunterville on the map and bringing a huge amount of sponsorship into the village.

Richard Horrocks says he gave up cooking a pig on a spit after 24 years, but he still turned up to help carve it this year.

“We used to get burnout quite quickly organising the affair each year, so it’s great to see the younger generation stepping up to take on the job. It’s become really embedded in the community.”

A cross between an initiation event and a badge of pride in how many times the older guys can keep up the stamina, running the Shemozzle now has a veterans’ prize pool to cater for those who simply can’t give up the adrenalin rush of the big mudslide and the pool of eels in the main street and the tasty treats on the food table.

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Photo: Sarah Horrocks

Photo: Supplied

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Photos: Supplied

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