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FOR E FUTURIA G R R S! U E N E R P
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Volume 47 I March 15th, 2021 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I www.farmersweekly.co.nz
STRETCH YOURSELF: 1 Collectively between all of the Bells properties how many hectares do they farm?
3 What are the proportions of stock units carried over all of the farms collectively?
Welcome to the ups and downs of Autumn! We’re at that time of the year where the days are shrinking and the nights are growing. In another week or so we’ll be at the Autumn Equinox, which is when we’re halfway between the longest day of the year (just before Christmas) and the shortest day of the year in late June. After the Equinox the nights become longer than the days, so we end up with increasingly cooler weather.
4 In 2019 the Bells won the Eastern North Island section of the Silver Fern Farms Plate to Pasture Awards, in part due to their environmental stewardship. What are they doing to keep improving their environment?
As you can see at www.RuralWeather.co.nz in the temperature trends, in this case for Ashburton, Canterbury, you can see the wild ride temperatures get in Autumn, Some days are hot, others are kind of cold. Some nights are warm, others are chilly.
5 Initially the Bells cattle herd were Angus but over time they changed to Angus-Hereford cross (at about 70-30% respectively) as they believe they cope better with Hawkes Bay conditions. What do you think makes this combination of breeds better able to thrive on their farms rather than straight Angus?
When you visit RuralWeather for where you live, how many days ahead are over 20 degrees and how many below?
2 The Bells farms all have different typography that dictates the best use for each property. What are the main differences between their farms? Why do these differences dictate their use at different times of the year?
Have a go: 1 Go to www.farmersweekly.co.nz 2 Find and watch the OnFarmStory of Guy Bell “Always trying to do better” and read the article “Farming through the generations”. 3 Where are the Bells based? 4 How many farms do they run?
IN YOUR CLASSROOM
AUTUMN UPS AND DOWNS!
How many nights do you have ahead with overnight lows in the single digits? (ie, below +10C).
Students from Francis Douglas Memorial College took part in a Papa Taiao Earthcare trapping course on site at FDMC at the end of last year. We thought that you would also like to see what they did.
“The two day course involved learning about the different pest animals, traps, baits, lures, the environment and health and safety concerns. The boys also built their own rat trap and set these on the school farm. We also had a local DOC worker come in and talk about career pathways within pest control - it was a full two days!
Autumn’s ups and downs are enhanced by the shifting of air pressure. With more gaps between the big settled highs, we end up with more windy westerlies blowing through - these can be warm, especially in eastern areas. However, a slight dip to the south west and suddenly you can feel that summer is over!
A neat experience where the boys had another great opportunity to learn in a hands-on way and perhaps be inspired to go down the conservation track or even make some pocket money from plucking possums on their local farms.”
Which map here is producing a colder, windier, Autumn sou’wester? A or B?
This graph shows monthly NZ beef exports for this season, last season and the five-year average to all countries.
Have a go:
STRETCH YOURSELF:
1 How does January beef exports compare to January last season and the five-year average?
1 Work out the percentage difference between February this year and a year ago
2 If following historical trends when would we expect export volumes to peak?
2 February exports to China are nearly three times above that of year-ago levels. What happened in February 2020 that significantly affected exports to this destination?
3 Which month could we expect export volumes to be at their lowest?
3 It is also interesting to note that February exports to the US are lower compared to a year ago. Linking in with the above question, why would exports to the US have been higher than typical in February 2020? 4 Australia continues to be in a herd rebuilding phase. How is this benefiting NZ beef exports on an international stage?
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Do you have a question about New Zealand’s sheep and beef markets? Send it in to us and we may get one of our analysts to answer it!
Got your own question about how the weather works? Ask Phil! Email phil@ruralweather.co.nz with your question and he could answer it on the Weather Together podcast!