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FOR E FUTURIA G R R S! U E N E R P
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Volume Eight I May 25 2020 I email: agined@globalHQ.co.nz I www.farmersweekly.co.nz
National Lamb Week!
If you don’t already know, National Lamb Day commemorates the first shipment of frozen sheep meat in 1882 from Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand on the ship Dunedin, heading for London. Originally it was celebrated on the 15th of February (the day that the ship left Port Chalmers), but was then amended to the 24th of May to mark the day that the shipment arrived in London. The first voyage was instigated and organised by William Soltau Davidson, who had significant land holdings in New Zealand and a large interest in refrigerated experiments.
In New Zealand we observe National lamb day on the 24th May so we thought we might go one better and have a National Lamb Week!
Along with Thomas Brydone who helped to improve the existing refrigeration technology to a point that the shipment could be undertaken. When the Dunedin left Port Chalmers they had approximately 5,000 carcasses on board, with only one carcass needing to be discarded upon arrival, giving them superiority over Australian shipments at the time. This technology was the start of allowing family farms in New Zealand to become an internationally viable commodity, and essentially establishing the New Zealand meat export industry.
FILL YA BOOTS:
Painting of the Dunedin by Frederick Tudgay
1 How would you have kept the meat frozen on board the ship? Remember it is 1882! 2 Create a plan/picture of your 1882 “freezer” 3 Share them on our Facebook page or email to agined@globalhq.co.nz
STRETCH YOURSELF: 1 How long did it take the Dunedin to arrive in London from Otago? 2 Why is the meat export industry so important to farmers and New Zealand? 3 Send your response to agined@globalhq.co.nz We may choose your letter to feature in Ewe said!
Have a go:
1 There were also other refrigerated products on board the Dunedin, can you find out what these were?
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DIGGING DEEPER...
AgriHQ Average North Island lamb slaughter price
$/kg
2 The Dunedin sailed its final journey in 1890, why was this its last voyage?
winter lamb shanks
Here is a delicious winter favourite for you to try (if it is possible that you haven’t had this super dish before) - 8 Lamb Shanks - 12 pickling size onions - 2, 6cm long branches rosemary (dried rosemary is fine) - 1 cup beef stock - 2 cups red wine - Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper - ¼ cup redcurrant jelly - 2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard - 24g button mushrooms (optional) - Chopped parsley for garnish if wanted
Place the shanks in an ovenproof dish and brown at 200C for 20 minutes. Peel onions and wash rosemary. Drain any fat from roasting dish. Add onions, rosemary, stock, red wine, salt, pepper, redcurrant jelly and mustard to dish, stirring to combine. Return to oven and cook at 160C for 2 hours. Wipe mushrooms and add to pan 20 minutes before the end of cooking. Serve garnished with chopped parsley. There are so many ways to enjoy our delicious homegrown New Zealand lamb, show us pictures of your delectable lamb dishes. Send them to agined@globalhq.co.nz
1 Go to www.farmersweekly.co.nz 2 What is this week’s North Island Lamb price? 3 Is this better or worse than last week? 4 How does it compare to last year?
STRETCH YOURSELF: Look at the ‘AgriHQ Average NI Lamb Slaughter Price’ graph. - Can you give a reason for the drop in the average lamb price in April? Hint: Could workers at the processors continue doing their job as normal during the lockdown? - The supply of lambs in the North Island is predicted to be low through winter. Discuss with your teachers or parents, what could you expect this to do to the lamb price provided things like demand remain normal? Share your AginEd photos on our Farmers Weekly facebook page Remembera to use the hashtag #AginEd Letters to: agined@globalhq.co.nz
1 Go to www.farmersweekly.co.nz 2 Find and watch the OnFarmStory of Harry De Lautour, “Show the world how we’re doing things” and read the accompanying article “It’s all about the bloodline” 3 What size is Te Whangai Station and where is it located?
STRETCH YOURSELF: 1 Harry and Kate De Lautour are carrying on their families’ focus of natural parasite resistance of sheep; how do they do this? 2 They run around 7800 mixed-age ewes. How many stock units per hectare did they run in 2018? 3 What message is being well received in the United States, that is benefiting the De Lautours and others that are using similar farming methods. Why do you think there is an interest in this?