Volume 151 – October 16, 2023
Ag&Ed Educational resources for schools & students
Read, listen to and watch what is happening in New Zealand agriculture by scanning the QR codes or following the links. Answer the questions to complete the exercises. Have a listen
In the news
Who wants sheep poo?
Why is hunting becoming a chore? Up and down the country, the talk in many districts is that feral pest populations are growing. Farmers are spending a lot of time and money on wild pig, deer, goat and possum control.
Listen to find out why Beef + Lamb are collecting sheep poo as part of a three-year study about facial eczema occurrence in New Zealand. https://bit.ly/sheep-poo Have a go: 1. How many farms do they need for the trial? 2. What can be learnt from the sheep poo? 3. What is the goal of the trial? Stretch yourself: 4. What is facial eczema? 5. What impact does facial eczema have on production? Learn more at beeflambnz.com
bit.ly/hunting-chore Have a go: 1. What percentage of Department of Conservation (DoC) land do feral deer, goats and pigs now roam? How does that compare to 2013? 2. Why are feral pests a productivity issue for farmers? 3. How are feral pests impacting environmental work like riparian planting? 4. Why does Toby Williams say that it is pointless for farmers and the DoC to work separately?
In the news
Stretch yourself: 5. What are the opportunities that could be created from this feral pest problem? For more see farmersweekly.co.nz/author/federated-farmers
Analyse this
What are lambs worth? This AgriHQ graph shows average values for heavy male store lambs sold at saleyards in the North Island. Average North Island heavy male store lamb ($/kg)
Have a go: 5.0 1. What was the latest average value? 4.5 2. How does this compare to year-ago values and the five-year average? 4.0 3. If average store lamb values followed the trend of last season and the five3.5 year average, would you expect them 3.0 to be higher or lower in December? Explain why. 2.5 4. In mid October the average weight of a heavy male store lamb is around 40kg. 2.0 07-Jul 07-Sep Using the latest average per kilogram 5-yr Ave value from the graph, what would a 40kg male lamb sell for per head on average? 5. How much would the same lamb have made last year? Stretch yourself: 6. Can you list three factors which influence store lamb prices?
How should we design ruralurban borders? Dr Shannon Davis has been studying the challenges faced by areas where town meets country, and looking at different design options. bit.ly/town-meets-country
07-Nov Last Year
07-Jan This Year
Have a go: 1. What is a “peri-urban” zone? Find an example near you. 2. What percentage of New Zealand’s total land area is classified as Land Use Class 1 (LUC1)? What is the risk if all LUC1 land becomes residential? 3. What did the urban residents surveyed in the study like and dislike about rural activities happening around them? 4. Cornwall Park in Auckland is an example of a farm within an urban park. What do local residents like about it? 5. Describe three different types of urban-rural divide models. Stretch yourself: 6. How do you think the different models fit with the Māori philosophy of māra kai and mahinga kai? For more see ourlandandwater.nz