AgInEd | May 3, 2021

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FOR E FUTURIA G R R S! U E N E R P

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Volume 54 I May 3, 2021 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I w w w.farmersweekly.co.nz

This graph shows Australian beef exports in thousand tonnes.

STRETCH YOURSELF: 1 How many hectares does Caythorpe cover? The farm produces a diverse number of products. What are these? What is a benefit of having such a broad range of things produced on one farm? 2 The two brothers take care of different facets of the business. Who looks after what?

Have a go: 1 Go to www.farmersweekly.co.nz 2 Find and watch the OnFarm Story of Scott and Simon Bishell “Grow the empire larger “ and read the article “Guardians of the land “ 3 How many generations of the Bishells have been farmers? When was Caythorpe established? 4 Where in NZ do the Bishells farm?

3 They have always made top quality hay and continue to do so. What is one market that they are producing specialist hay for? What grass and legume types are in this hay? What is not in the hay? Why would this mixture suit their targeted market? 4 How much of the farm is planted in vineyards? When did they start producing their own wine? What varieties of wine do they make now? 5 Their rows of vines are spaced at greater width than is traditional. Why is this? 6 Growing cherries commercially is a difficult process with two major growth phases. What is crucial at both of these stages? What happens if either of these stages is interrupted or does not occur?

THE ORIGINS OF Why is it that we sometimes get a cold front and the temperature barely drops but other times it's so significant the mercury can fall by over 10 degrees? It's all about the origins of the airflow - or put another way, where is the air coming from? When we get a southerly, the temperature usually drops because it's coming from a colder part of the world (likewise a northerly is warmer). But sometimes we can have a "local southerly", but when you actually zoom out the weather map you can see the isobars (which mark air pressure) come from somewhere else.

AIR

But in this example (below), Southland still has a south west airflow - but when you track the origins you can see it's actually coming around a Tasman Sea high with warm northerlies out of the Australian desert. These winds then turn sou'west locally. Understanding this 'big picture' means you can appreciate there is more to a southerly than just the wind direction where you are!

Have a go: 1 What month were exports at the highest level? 2 What month were exports at the lowest level? 3 How many thousand tonnes of Australian beef was exported in March this year?

STRETCH YOURSELF: 1 What is the percentage difference between March exports in 2021 and March 2020? 2 In the year to April, the total Australian beef kill is down a whopping 1.1 million head less than the same time period in 2020. Research and discuss drivers behind low supply of Australian beef. 3 Discuss some key differences between Australian beef farms and NZ beef farms. 4 Research a common Australian cattle breed called the ‘Brahman’. What are some benefits of this breed for the Australian climate?

FILL YA BOOTS: Technology is always evolving and finding a place in agriculture.

For example, this set up (below) shows a proper south to south west change - the air is coming from a long way south of NZ which is why it's cold.

1 What are some benefits of using innovative technology? 2 Can you think of any negatives? What can humans do that robots and automated machinery can’t? 3 How are drones used on farms? 4 What is another piece of technology in farms? Hint: What is in the picture?

YOUR CHALLENGE! Your challenge this week - using the "Brief Outlook" portion of RuralWeather.co.nz (halfway down the page) to find a southerly (sou'wester or sou'easter too) that actually LIFTS the daytime temperature from the colder southerly the day before.

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!


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