The Farmlander April 2020

SPECIAL OFFERS AND INFORMATION FOR FARMLANDS SHAREHOLDERS

APRIL 2020 Valid from 1 – 30 APRIL 2020

The FARMLANDER LET'S TALK WINTER IS COMING PAGES 8 — 13

STILL STANDING

HISTORIC PLACES RESTORED PAGES 28 — 29

ON THE ROAD

WITH AN AGRONOMIST PAGE 20

IT’S BEEN A TOUGH SUMMER. BUT TOGETHER, WE’RE STRONGER. We’re ready to have the conversations that matter in-store, on your farm and over the phone.

We’ve got expert advice from technical specialists and competitive pricing on the products that make a difference, whether it takes you five hours or five minutes to walk the fenceline.

FAR_09618

This is Farmlands and we’re working harder than ever to make sure we prosper together.

2 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

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Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 3

LET S

TALK

AUTUMN CONVERSATIONS

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

APRIL

INTEREST

PLAN365

5. Farmlands staff profile

Plan365 Nutrition

5. From the CEO

33. Making the transition

6. 5 minutes with David Kean

35. Transitioning to crops

8. Special feature – Getting the basics right

37. Be aware of nitrate poisoning

17. Safeguarding against electrical incidents

39. Turning commodities into product

WHAT’S ON

3

19. What’s the pig deal?

20. A day in the life of an Agronomist

Plan365 Animal Management

22. Growing nature’s “miracle fibre”: meet the Reids

41. Don’t forget your in-lamb hoggets

25. Cup fans bond over rugby

45. Tag, you’re it

28. Breathing new life into historic buildings

47. Using traps on the path to a Predator Free 2050

APRIL Gumboot Friday

43. Weigh data tech supports decision making

31. Great conversations, great advice

Gumboot up New Zealand!

Pull out your Red Bands, slip them on your feet and send a few dollars over to I AM HOPE on the 3rd April.

55. Century Farms - The pioneers of Wellsford Plan365 Forage and Arable

56. Property Brokers Real Estate

Head into your local Farmlands store and dontate via your Farmlands Card.

49. New pasture can pay Plan365 Rural Infrastructure

Every cent goes to providing counselling and support for our young people.

51. Keeping your chainsaw in check 53. The real deal in duck hunting SPECIAL OFFERS AND INFORMATION

FOR FARMLANDS SHAREHOLDERS

APRIL 2020

Valid from 1 – 30 APRIL 2020

The FARMLANDER TALK LET'SCOMING WINTER IS PAGES 8 — 13

STILL STANDING

HISTORIC PLACES RESTORED PAGES 28 — 29

ON THE ROAD

WITH AN AGRONOMIST

ON THE COVER The mid-Canterbury partnership of Mark Faulks and Graham Carr has clocked up dairy conversions, deer development and product innovation.

Whether opportunities lie with their deer, cows or people, the Lindale Farming Company continue to focus on the basics. Mark (second from right) is pictured here with Farmlands field experts and Bishopdale farm staff.

See page 8 for story

PAGE 20

The information contained in this publication is given in good faith and has been derived from sources perceived to be reliable and accurate. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and correctness of the information, Farmlands gives no warranties, express or implied, regarding the information nor does it accept any liability for any opinion or information (including the accuracy or completeness thereof) or for any consequences flowing from its use. The information and views expressed in

4 | THE FARMLANDER

this publication are not necessarily the views or opinion of Farmlands, its editorial contributors, freelancers, associates or information providers. Independent advice is recommended before acting on information or suggestions contained herein. Readers who rely on this information do so at their own risk. Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service whether by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Farmlands.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Prices and offers apply only in the month stated on the front cover of this publication and while stocks last. Not all products are available at all Farmlands stores. All prices include GST unless otherwise stated.

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40

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FARMLANDS STAFF PROFILE

FROM THE CEO

Megan Hardy

Welcome to the April edition of The Farmlander.

Nutrition Specialist

While the current focus

Q: Where are you based?

A: I’m Nelson-based but I cover a huge territory – from Golden Bay to Darfield.

for our shareholders is the busy autumn season,

Q: After 6 years in the job, what motivates you?

A: There’s always something going on and I get a buzz out of helping others achieve their goals.

I like learning about different farm systems too.

in this issue we have

Q: Where are you from originally?

A: I grew up on a sheep and beef farm north of Murchison.

with best practice solutions to common challenges,

Q: What do you and your family do to relax?

A: My daughters and husband love fishing so I tag along. We enjoy relaxing on our lifestyle block with the horses, cattle and pigs – the girls and I are really into horse riding.

started to look ahead to winter planning. There is plenty of useful information in our PLAN365 articles – they provide shareholders with expert advice from our leading suppliers.

By planning ahead, we can work together to deliver more success for your business. There are no days off with farming and we have shaped our strategies

Q: Where is your favourite New Zealand spot?

A: You just can’t beat going over the hill to Golden Bay – there’s something about it.

on what our shareholders will need 5 years from

Q: What’s your focus right now?

A: Making sure cows are on target to dry off in good body condition; helping farmers get their feed plans in place for the next dairy season; getting ewes in the right body condition for mating.

The need to think ahead is more important than

Q: What tech do you use the most?

A: I use my Dairy Calculator and Blend Calculator every day to calculate animal requirements.

from Brexit, extreme weather events, upcoming

Q: Any tips for farmers to get sorted for winter?

A: They’ll need to get their supplements sorted and plan to transition animals onto crops. It’s vital to know the feed value of your winter crop – gauged through tests – to meet the energy needs of a cow in calf.

A Farmlands TFO should be the first port of call and they then get us to provide specialist advice on volume, diet and transition plans.

now, instead of what worked 5 years ago.

ever as we navigate the current period of economic uncertainty. The financial markets have flinched in the wake of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Add in the fallout elections in New Zealand and the United States and there are plenty of variables to factor into any plans.

With so much uncertainty, good planning is critical and we hope the content of this Farmlander will help stimulate you to better prepare.

By now you will have been made aware of the ending of our relationship with Toyota. We have had three good years with Toyota and I want to acknowledge

Grandma’s Butterscotcddhing Self-Saucing Pu

their contribution to our co-operative over that time.

This decision has led to our re-engagement with Ford.

During our negotiations Ford have demonstrated to us that they are our natural vehicle partner to supply the offer and vehicles we need to deliver great outcomes for our shareholders. I am very pleased with this re-engagement and we can all look forward to the ongoing benefits you will see from this

Pudding mix

Sauce

rekindled relationship.

In an ovenproof dish mix:

In a saucepan heat until melted:

I wish you all the best for the month ahead.

• 1 cup self-raising flour

• 2Tbsp golden syrup

• ¾ cup sugar

• 1½ cups water

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 30g butter

• 60g melted butter • ½ cup milk

Kind regards,

Once the sauce is combined and melted, poor gently over the pudding mix.

Bake in a moderate oven (180 degrees) for 30–40 minutes.

Peter Reidie Chief Executive Officer Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited

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Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 5

5 minutes with David Kean President, Rural Contractors New Zealand Rural contractors are a vital aspect of the $1.5 billion primary sector.

How does your organisation fit into the picture?

Rural Contractors New Zealand (RCNZ) is a national body and we have more than 500 members, spread from Northland down to my home base in Southland.

It’s a growing industry – year on year around 5 percent – which in part reflects the changes taking place in farming, including agglomeration (or clustering).

We don’t represent all contractors but our members are bound by a code of conduct and other requirements.

This gives farmers and other clients confidence in engaging an RCNZ member to do the job.

Interesting that you mention agglomeration, what does this mean for Rural Contractors NZ? Our biggest membership base is across those regions where dairying is particularly strong – Waikato/Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Southland and Northland. That is not to say we are not present in other regions, as we are, and rural contractors do

6 | THE FARMLANDER

a whole range of work including in orchards, vineyards and for councils.

But dairy farms do tend to be bigger operations, sometimes created by farm agglomeration, and they need contractors to assist with the scale of work they face.

Dairy farmers have greater demands for feed such as baleage, sileage, hay and fodder beet. A lot of our work as rural contractors is focused on producing that feed and associated activities, such as spraying for weed control in crops like fodder beet.

With challenging weather conditions, have rural contractors had to change how they operate to learn from major incidents?

The increasingly unpredictable weather is certainly making life more difficult at times for many contractors. Be it drought or flood, we can only operate when conditions are suitable for activities such as sowing, spraying, sileage and haymaking. We are having

to be ever more adaptable and work with our clients who are facing the same frustrations as contractors.

Your team monitor policies, plans and proposals – what are some of the bigger changes that impact your members’ work?

Our biggest challenge, other than the weather, remains getting sufficiently skilled machinery operators for the spring-autumn season. New immigration policies that are more employer-led may assist but we are seeking to confirm interim arrangements with the Government.

The increasing focus on health and safety, with a current focus on those of us who spray chemicals, is the other big one for us.

It’s fair to say that while most contractors provide personal protective equipment and take sensible precautions, the tougher requirements emerging do present their challenges, especially for smaller operators.

“

Self-driven machinery would certainly reduce the stresses we face in securing skilled operators!... Obviously, the technology is emerging that will reduce that need but I think it will tend to emerge first with farmers using it on their own defined properties.”

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FARMLANDS 5 MINUTES

“

It’s a growing industry – year on year around 5 percent – which in part reflects the changes taking place in farming, including agglomeration (or clustering).”

Farmers are adopting technology at varying speeds. What tech is impacting how your members deliver their services?

Smartphones, when they operate in a rural area, have had the biggest impact.

We can be in touch with clients and staff as well as use them to track where we are operating and record what we are doing.

Given we travel from property to

• regulations

property, which presents a whole

• best practice handling and storage

range of variables, I don’t think rural contractors will be the first cab off

of chemicals • minimising risks

I recently had my son operating a drone over one of our machines, to show me what it could do. Clearly drone-assisted operations are now emerging.

the technology rank. However, we

Along the same line, how do you see self-driven machinery influencing the future?

Self-driven machinery would certainly reduce the stresses we face in securing skilled operators! We bring in around 150 a year, mostly contractors from the UK and Ireland and they tend to be good workers. Obviously, the technology is emerging that will reduce that need but I think it will tend to emerge first with farmers using it on their own defined properties.

Last year, RCNZ held a road show.

their Registered Chemical

Are there any events planned for the

Applicator renewal.

next 12 months?

From there, we roll into our jubilee

Yes, the 2020 Agrichemical Afternoons

Conference, being held in Rotorua from

and Roadshows, supported by

23rd – 25th June. Our conferences

GrowSafe, Responsible Care, Nufarm

are going from strength to strength

and Croplands, start in Whangarei on

with a diverse programme and

4th May. They will head to Hamilton,

featuring brilliant speakers.

Christchurch, Gore, Nelson, Palmerston

Details of the Roadshows and

North and Napier throughout May.

Conference can be found on the

Attendees will get the latest

RCNZ website

information on:

www.ruralcontractors.org.nz

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all have to be pretty tech-savvy

• staying accredited.

these days and your phone is just

They also get four Professional

as important as your toolbox.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

Development points towards

THE FARMLANDER | 7

Getting the basics right Mark Faulks and Graham Carr have enjoyed a pioneering journey which began when Mark took on the management of Graham’s deer farm at Mt Somers. The pair are now equity partners under the Lindale Farming Company banner.

Their focus on the basics of feeding and breeding is evident in everything they do; from wintering cows well to breeding from the best, identifying product opportunities and treating their people with respect.

| The shareholder's side-by-side dairy farms lend themselves to supplying A1 and A2 milk. Mark and Graham split the risk by supplying to different companies too.

8 | THE FARMLANDER

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SPECIAL FEATURE

For Mark and his equity partner Graham Carr, preparation is essential with two dairy farms, a support block and a deer milking venture, all run under the Lindale Farming Company banner in mid-Canterbury.

Their seasonal preparation is done and dusted as they look to sustain their 1,800 milking cows over the winter.

“It’s all pretty easy to monitor. There are so many distractions out there it is easy to get side-tracked and we prefer to stick to the basics. If you look after the stock, they will look after you.

“There is a lot of technology out there and that can be handy, but we have a more traditional approach to farming that is based off good feeding and breeding,” he says.

A recent addition, and key part of their seasonal planning, is the 230ha Pembroke pastoral block at Mount Somers, which was bought 2 years ago, plus a 90ha neighbouring lease block, with both properties supporting the Lindale stock.

“Pembroke has reliable spray irrigation that supports our ability to grow winter crops. It has enabled us to have a completely closed herd and given us more options; we don’t buy in or graze any outside stock,” Mark says.

standard we want. Really, it’s about trying to cover everything off, so we are not reliant on anyone else.”

Winter feed Mark says most of their winter preparation is done by early February.

“By then we have finished scanning so we know how many cows are in calf and how many we are culling, what numbers we will be wintering and measuring our winter feed crops to predict how much feed we are going to have. This gives us a chance to purchase extra feed if we need to.

“To get top production out of the cows they need to be wintered well. Our focus is on putting the best into the cows so we can get the best out of them.”

The herds are wintered on fodder beet baleage and straw with cows wintered in their calving date mobs for priority feeding.

Around 500 of the earliest cows are wintered on the Ashburton milking platform at Bishopdale Farm.

“High-production cows don’t get a lot of rest, they are milked for around 300 days, then only have a couple of months off so

The support block is ideally located with road, river and double fenced boundaries. Mark believes these act as an insurance against Mycoplasma bovis and gives the farming operation independence.

they need to be well looked after.

“You never know where there is Mycoplasma bovis, or any disease, so it’s just easier to fence it out.

“When we do supplement, we feed crushed barley and palm

“I like being independent, this gives us control of the business and means we can look after the stock well and to the

the cows that are producing more milk get more feed.

“During the milking season our preference is for the herd to eat all grass and we only add supplements when they are needed, to enable us to fully feed the cows every minute of the day. kernel through the shed with the automated cow tags, meaning “We don’t feed a lot of silage as there is a lot of wastage involved.

| Normanton Farm Manager Peter Chick and Bishopdale Farm Manager Rikus Scheepers chat with Farmlands Technical Field Officer Jayne Openshaw and Agronomist Tim White.

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THE FARMLANDER | 9

“Seasons vary and this year we haven’t grown as much grass, probably because we had a colder spring, so we have had to counter that with supplementary feed.

Because the pay-out has been good it has been viable to feed more supplement to maximise production.

“We are fortunate as we have good water – we’re part of a big irrigation system with water delivered under pressure, so we have the ability to grow plenty of grass by keeping soil moisture at the optimum level,” Mark explains.

To reduce carrying extra stock, this season around two thirds of the best R2 heifers have been artificially inseminated. Half of these were done with sexed semen as a trial. Mark says it means they are “breeding from the best and only carrying the stock we need.”

Passionate pair make the switch Mark and Graham have enjoyed a pioneering journey which began when Mark moved to mid-Canterbury and started working for Graham, managing his Lincoln Hills deer farm, a 720ha property at Mount Somers, in the foothills of the Southern Alps.

The pair complemented each other and bonded over their deer farming passion, and in 2006 formed an equity partnership.

Back then, Lincoln Hills was used solely for deer breeding and the Bishopdale property, just out of Ashburton, for weaner finishing. In 2008 the pair made the decision to switch to dairying and converted 300ha of Bishopdale, with the remaining 200ha left for deer and dairy support.

Mark had done a lot of deer development work in the past so he immersed himself in an intense development regime building a 60-bale rotary cowshed, three houses and 300ha of new spray irrigation including a 5ha storage pond.

“For our original herd we were very focused on buying good genetics but because there were a lot of dairy conversions on, good cows were hard to source. We ended up buying 1,200 well-bred heifers, and while production suffered in the first year due to the young herd, we had long-term sustainability and a good genetic base,” he says.

A couple of seasons later they converted the remaining 200ha to dairy, naming the second dairy farm Normanton.

A second 54-bale rotary dairy shed was built and initially a young couple took on the two manager roles with each one in charge of a dairy shed, which produced some friendly competition.

Mark says they then leased an additional 80ha next door and went on to buy that, which gave them two dairy farms, one of 350ha and one 250ha.

10 | THE FARMLANDER

| The herds are wintered on fodder beet, baleage and straw.

Mark Faulks (second from right) says that to get top production out of the cows they need to be wintered well.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

A2 milkers The commercial recognition of A2 milk provided another opportunity.

Most cow herds produce a mix of both A1 and A2 beta-casein in their milk but there is a select group of cows that naturally produce only A2 protein, which is where A2 milk, promoted for its digestive qualities, is sourced from.

Mark and Graham knew about 40 percent of cows produced A2 milk.

“Our side-by-side dairy farms naturally lent themselves to supplying that product. We DNA tested all our cows and the A2 milkers went into one herd. We had been totally supplying Fonterra but switched the A2 herd to the Canterbury-based dairy processing company, Synlait.

“We now have 1,050 cows in the Fonterra herd producing 530 milk solids per cow and 750 in the Synlait herd producing 510 milk solids per cow.

“It’s good to have a foot in both camps and it spreads our risk,” he says.

| Farm hand Amy Morris oversees milking.

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THE FARMLANDER | 11

Nourishing hind’s milk opens doors With the dairy conversion under control the duo then took on their next challenge – milking deer.

“Everyone told us we wouldn’t be able to milk deer which was probably the reason we decided to give it a go! We thought we knew a bit about deer and a bit about milking cows so why not?

“I had worked with deer most of my farming career and figured even though a hind’s udder is no bigger than a sheep’s udder, the fact that a small volume of milk could nourish a large and fast-growing fawn meant the milk must contain something pretty good.”

The deer milking side of the Lindale partnership was separated off in 2015 and a new company formed, Deer Milking NZ Limited, owned by Mark and Graham.

The dairy unit is on the Lincoln Hills deer farm with the purpose-made dairy plant built into the deer shed.

Mark converted an existing building to a 20-bale herringbone milking shed and bought a secondhand goat milking plant which he adapted using sheep milking teats. This year the operation is heading into its fifth season and will be milking 150 hinds. Again, breeding is key. The herd has been selected and built from a large pool of breeding hinds, sourced from Graham's Peel Forest Estate, plus bought-in animals with similar bloodlines.

“The hardest part of the project was selecting the right deer to milk. After assessing well over 1,000 hinds we’ve found about 400 that are capable of being milked,” Mark says.

Managing and feeding the deer milking herd is reasonably straightforward. A milking platform feeding area was upgraded with high-legume pasture mixes. Hinds are rotated around the area and cattle are used to keep the pasture in check.

“We’ve tried all types of feed options to help if pasture quality drops off and have found the hinds respond well to magnesium and calcium mineral supplements.”

The season of around 100 days starts after weaning in February and finishes in May. Last season, 120 Red hinds were milked once a day.

Mark describes deer milk as very concentrated and smooth.

“It takes 10 litres of cow’s milk to make a kilo of cheese but because deer milk is so much more concentrated, with 25 percent of the milk comprising of milk solids, while you don’t get the volume, it only takes 3.5 litres of deer milk to make a kilo of cheese.”

12 | THE FARMLANDER

| 150 hinds will be milked this season at the Lincoln Hills property.

The deer milk is supplied to Talbot Forest Cheese in nearby Geraldine which uses the milk to make cheese under The Deer Milker brand. Frozen milk is also supplied to a cosmetic company.

The milk is being tested at Callaghan Innovation in Wellington to identify the composition and qualities of deer milk. Initial trials there have shown unique health-giving properties that have considerable potential in the growing nutraceuticals industry.

“There’s been lots of learning and recording to get benchmarks and systems in place and we have had to invest a lot of time into research and development, and building up the milking numbers.

“My focus is more about getting milk into the vat whereas Graham is good at following through with the research and development side of things.”

Mark says they now have enough scale and momentum to take the project to the next level.

“Now we have proven we can do it – it’s time to crack the right market. We’re confident we can make a commercial and sustainable business from deer milking and we see it as another way of adding value to a deer farm.

“Consistently milking more than 100 deer is a huge achievement but working out how best to add value to the milk is a costly and evolving process.”

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

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SPECIAL FEATURE

People management Originally from Wanaka, Mark was raised on a farm and spent 10 years managing the vast Minaret Station on the western side of Lake Wanaka.

While Mark now oversees the farming operation, his experience means he is very conscious of letting the managers do their thing.

“We involve them in setting the budgets and all aspects of running the farms. We offer incentives for sticking to budgets and for production and our figures are realistic because the managers have sat with us to prepare them.

“For a business of this size it is all about the people. We have a total of 13 staff of different nationalities. We make an effort to find the right people for the job and treat them well.

“We find it’s easy to get reliable staff because we are only 6km from Ashburton, so their partners can work in town and we are not so isolated.

“We’re fortunate we have quality farms with reliable irrigation, in a handy location, a high standard of infrastructure and plant, and we combine that with good people,” he says.

Looking forward, the partnership is always open to opportunities but Mark says this needs to be balanced with consolidation.

“Dairying has given me the opportunity to build equity and it’s certainly been an interesting journey so far.”

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| Tim, Rikus, Jayne and Mark are joined by Milking Assistant Harinder Singh at Bishopdale Farm in Ashburton.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 13

NZ’S MOST VALUABLE CARD? YOU DECIDE.

14 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

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The additional rebate will be applied retrospectively to May’s statement. Valid 1st April to 30th April inclusive.

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Discounts are available to Farmlands shareholders when paying with Farmlands Card only.

Offers expire on 30th April 2020. While stocks last.

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Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 15

April’s Autumn Specials Exclusive prices for Farmlands shareholders.

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IS THIS NZ’S MOST VALUABLE CARD? YOU DECIDE. 16 | THE FARMLANDER

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

Safeguarding against electrical incidents Each year, around 50 people suffer electrical shocks while working on New Zealand farms – and, tragically, electrical incidents carry a high risk of fatality.

“With most types of farm workplace injuries, we see times of the year when they peak or fall – it’s often connected to seasonal conditions or tasks,” Al McCone, Agriculture Lead for WorkSafe New Zealand says. “However, while deaths and injuries due to electrical accidents are uncommon, they tend to occur at similar levels throughout the year.”

Vigilance needs to be maintained around power lines including: suspended overhead electrical fence feeder wires that span across open spaces and valleys, or across the bottom of valleys; telephone lines; power lines/radio aerials; hightension power lines and wires.

Risk factors for electric shock incidents on farms range considerably. Look out for: aerial ‘wire strike’ by crop-spraying aircraft, fencing wire flicking upwards, contact with overhead lines by high equipment, people climbing over stock trucks or high loads of hay, and through contact with fallen power lines.

“Power lines should always be treated with respect and care, especially when working near to them,” Al says.

“Your farm Health and Safety plan should identify, manage and communicate risks around these. The location of lines should be clearly marked on a property map, safe working practices around them would be discussed as part of new worker inductions and conversations with contractors or pilots should take place in the planning stage for any work that is to be carried out near lines.”

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| Electrical accident risk factors can range from fencing wire flicking upwards to people climbing over stock trucks or high loads of hay.

Managing risks • When working around power lines, maintain a safe distance at all times.

• Ensure power lines and wires are well maintained.

• Park machinery or trucks away from overhead power lines – and be particularly aware when unloading lengthy metal items, such as pipes.

• Before using or moving machinery, plan a route that keeps you well clear of power lines. Tall machinery, like elevated work platforms, irrigation pivots or tractors with raised drills or implements, carry a risk of touching lines.

• Ensure anyone fitting fencing wire is aware that it is essential to take measures to ensure it does not flick up near to, or touching, power lines. High-voltage electricity can arc without having made contact.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

• Eliminate the risk of overhead electrical fence feeder wires by lowering them to fence level.

• O verhead wires, aerials or cables are a significant threat to any aircraft flying at a low level (under 500 ft). Wires are almost impossible for a pilot to see until it is too late. Remove aerial wires wherever possible, including unused telephone lines, power lines or television/radio aerials.

Mark all wires that can not be removed on a property map.

Ensure you have a discussion with pilots prior to any work, to make them aware of any wires or poles above fence level or across gullies and consider taking a reconnaissance flight with them to point out risk areas.

Article supplied by WorkSafe.

THE FARMLANDER | 17

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INDUSTRY NEWS

What’s the pig deal?

Over 95 percent of New Zealand’s pork production is PigCare™ certified and Made in NZ labelled. However, consultation has closed on a new consumer information standard that may confuse pork lovers as to where their meat comes from.

a standard for pig farmers to maintain

Pork is taking these legislative gaps

health and wellbeing practices and is

seriously and is voicing their concerns

an assurance mark for shoppers.

on behalf of consumers and producers.

The PigCare™ label continues to grow

“It’s important Kiwis know that by

as an all-encompassing farm assurance

paying a premium for homegrown pork,

New Zealand Pork is a statutory

expertly verified (and audited) standard

industry board representing around

in the primary production sector.

100 commercial pork farmers, producing

“Our farming practices are world-

mainly for the domestic market.

leading in areas such as animal welfare

“We’re a relatively small industry but we

and the environment,” David says.

“I think that the food producers have

play a significant part in the food chain

The PigCare™ label can get confused

swayed the Government into having this

– feeding millions of Kiwis each year,”

with country-of-origin labelling.

very limited country-of-origin labelling

New Zealand Pork General Manager

A ‘Made in NZ’ label indicates to the

and I just think that it's unfortunate

David Baines says.

average consumer that the entirety

there are loopholes like this."1

On average, Kiwis eat 23.46kg of

of the produce has been bred and

A strong transparent story behind food

pork per capita annually, made up

raised in an ethical way, even if this is

production, both that which is

of 8.81kg of locally produced pork

not the case. For example, marinated

and 14.65kg of imported meat.

raw pork is not required to specify its

exported abroad and consumed

The latter equates to 62 percent of

country of origin and can go so far as

consumption and is often sold at

to present a Made in NZ label if the

cheaper prices. Labelling of these

marinating was done in New Zealand,

products is important, as no other

despite the pork itself being imported.

country meets New Zealand's animal

The Consumers’ Right to Know

welfare standards in all respects.

(Country of Origin of Food) Act passed

The PigCare™ programme was

in Parliament in late 2018 and public

developed by Massey University and

feedback was recently sought on the

supported by New Zealand Pork with

proposals. Under the Act, the

on pork products see

input from veterinarians, pig farmers

country-of-origin labelling on pork

www.nzpork.co.nz/pigcare

and the Ministry for Primary Industries

products only applies to cured meats,

Some information provided by New Zealand Pork.

(MPI). From its launch in 2010, it has set

such as ham and bacon. New Zealand

1. As reported by 1 News on 9th February.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

programme and is the only whole-ofindustry, independently managed and

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

they’re getting a cut above the rest," David says.

Consumer New Zealand Chief Executive Sue Chetwin says food labels can be confusing for shoppers.

locally, is becoming increasingly important. Industry bodies are at the forefront of that conversation, making sure that consumers are educated on all aspects, from labelling to quality assurance.

For queries about PigCareTM and Made in NZ labelling

THE FARMLANDER | 19

A day in the life of an Agronomist 8.30am Rachael Robinson loves the fact that her team are “so in it for the shareholder”.

“Everything we do is for our shareholder’s benefit,” the Farmlands Lead Agronomist for the South Island says. “We base our advice on industry research, developments and in-field experience.”

The Farmlands Grain and Seed team is made up of nine Agronomists, Grain Traders, seed stores and support staff.

General Manager Grain and Seed, Tim O’Sullivan says the co-operative’s scale, combined with his team’s technical ability, is a useful combination.

“It gives us exceptional access to products which enables us to tailor solutions for our shareholders,” he says.

Working mostly with arable farmers (about 70 percent in Canterbury) means Rachael is constantly advising which cultivars are best for the coming season.

She trains Technical Field Officers (TFOs) and works directly with clients.

The work varies greatly Tim says, depending on time of year and area of the country. For example, Agronomist Tim White has been down in Southland

With the fields in fog, we drive out to an Arable Focus Group in Dunsandel, Canterbury.

Rachael has arranged for BASF’s Seed Treatment Specialist, Colin Dunstan to brief local field staff.

Colin has lots of information to provide Farmlands’ TFOs and Agronomists and they discuss the latest seed treatment products, good agronomic practice, field trial results and farmer questions.

As a senior expert, Rachael chips in with her brand of straight-up commentary around research, cultivars and performance results over the past few seasons.

10.00am Rachael and other senior Grain and Seed colleagues discuss action points from the session and upcoming training programmes for their regional TFOs. 10.15am On the way to a Darfield farm, Rachael gets a call from Dean Jones AKA ‘Jonesy’, a shareholder down the road who is busy harvesting. He has run out of storage and urgently needs someone to take grain off his hands. Rachael pulls over and checks her latest reports – before briefing Jonesy on the Rolleston Mill’s current inventory and prices.

supporting shareholders in the wake

10.30am

of severe flooding and Rachael was

Grain testing is mostly done by TFOs but as their crop farm, Flipside, is close and Rachael knows the Jones' well, we swing by.

part of the industry group that helped develop a flood recovery programme for rural professionals in that region.

The team see that many farmers are experiencing stress and Rachael believes that rural professionals can make a positive difference by helping farmers control what they can.

Growing up on an arable farm in Ashburton, agronomy is all Rachael knows. She has been with Farmlands for 6 years now and joining the Agronomist for a day on the road, her passion is evident.

20 | THE FARMLANDER

Jonesy and wife, Tash, are in good spirits despite working until midnight. He is proud to show off the combine harvester and his companion, fox terrier Yogi.

It is clear he enjoys reaping the rewards of his hard work, one year on from planting. He discusses the fire ban and points out where fences need sorting in the coming winter months.

Jumping down we quickly test the quality of the harvest; Rachael is very happy with it. But she still needs to find a buyer for his abundance of grain. On leaving, she calls Grain Trader Carmel Burgess who had been in Dunsandel earlier.

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CO-OPERATIVE STORY

11.30am Rachael gets a call from a Farmlands Sales Manager who is checking a TFO applicant. She then points out dairy conversions and the high-ticket irrigation schemes on display in this area, just 25 minutes west of Christchurch.

“My favourite thing is being on-farm with a shareholder at harvest.

They have to wait for the seasons to change and hope like hell the weather will play ball. When it all works out there’s no better feeling.”

12.15pm We pull into another farm but they’re out harvesting. Rachael’s job, like that of her clients, is hugely seasonal following the rhythm of planting, growing and harvesting. She checks a few emails in their yard muttering “my ute is my office!”

We discuss safety in the field – making sure she pulls over to check emails and that TFOs avoid driving their utes onto dry paddocks.

As it’s so fine all the local farmers are going mad on Snapchat – posting harvest pics/videos and there is a real buzz in the ‘air’.

12.50pm A shareholder has left a grain sample in their shed and the local TFO can’t get to it – so we pop in and test what is another fine batch.

“The TFOs and I have already been testing most of the wheat the past month, so we know it’s good. I tend to leave the farmers to get on with it at this point,” she admits.

1.20pm Rachael shows me a paddock plan she is working on for a farm.

It is transforming its rotational and geographical setup and her advice plays a big part in their decision making.

2.30pm We yarn about how Rachael keeps up with the latest developments, like her involvement with the Foundation of Arable Research and a past visit to ‘cereals’ in the UK and leading chemical manufacturers in Germany.

3.00pm Then it is back to the office to do paperwork and prepare for tomorrow’s workshop on a new field app. Rachael loves technical tools that help her deliver solutions for clients across their business – including the new co-operative software.

5.00pm Rachael gets the call she’s been waiting for all day. She has found a home for Jonesy and Tash’s grain, for prompt delivery. Rachael lets her clients know so they can sleep a bit easier tonight (no matter what time they hit the hay).

To access agronomy advice contact your local Technical Field Officer.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 21

Growing nature’s “miracle fibre”: meet the Reids Swanndri has been making clothes

The Reid brothers, Doug, Ed and

“Farmers always have one stashed

with wool, one of nature's most

Willie come from a family that has

away to chuck on when the weather

sustainable fibres, for over 100 years.

been farming sheep in Otago for four

changes,” he says.

generations. They have been wearing

“Swanndri makes the best hard-

Swanndri for just about as long, as

wearing clothes and it is great to be

William Broome produced the first

working with a company that is using

woollen bush shirt back in 1913. Willie’s

so popular. Who better to supply the

the wool that we have put the hard work

earliest childhood memories are of his

raw material for trusty on-farm garments

into producing.”

grandad Ron wearing his bush shirt

than sheep farmers from Otago?

around the farm in winter.

Trusting the shirt on your back to keep you warm and dry in the harshest of weather conditions is what makes wool

The Reid family has been supplying Swanndri with wool for over 6 years.

From the very beginning, it was clear how much they care about the land and their animals that produce the core ingredient of so many of the company’s garments.

Sustainable fibre Doug Reid observes that, as the demand for sustainable clothing increases, the wool industry is experiencing a renaissance.

“Wool is the most natural fibre out there – it regenerates year in, year out.

It’s hard wearing, biodegradable and takes minimal processes to turn it into a usable product,” he says.

As part of their contract with ZQ, the Reids ensure that their wool is premium quality. This comes from adhering to high standards of farming and care for their 10,000 ewes on the family property, Traquair Station, situated 40km south west of Dunedin.

Inspired by the values and processes passed on by their father and uncle, all the brothers believe that putting the hard work into an animal — providing shelter, consistent nutrition and protection from injury or disease — produces the highest standard of fibre at the other end.

Simply put, a happy sheep makes the best wool.

22 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

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FARMER PROFILE

| Reid brothers, Doug, Ed and Willie, come from a family that has been raising sheep for generations. They now supply wool to Swanndri and ZQ to produce the sort of hard-wearing clothes their forebears wore.

Care for the environment

“It’s in our best interests to look after

The brothers are proud to be

the land. We want to be here for more

following in the footsteps of previous

than five minutes, so we’re aware

generations, who took care of the land

of today’s impact on the future of

in ways that were ahead of their time.

farming,” Doug explains.

Starting with their grandfather in

It is clear when you talk to the Reid

the 1960s, Ron Reid fenced off and

brothers that they are passionate about

planted forestry on marginal land that

their wool; from the land their animals

was unsafe, or scrub-prone. This was

live on, to the heavy fleece they shear

continued by their father and uncle,

at the end of the winter months. Their

who also began fencing off major

commitment to quality is what makes

waterways from the intensive aspects

them one of Swanndri’s preferred

of farming.

suppliers of wool.

“It is our father, Charles, and uncle,

The result is clothing that lasts through

James, that really must take the

the generations and keeps each

credit for the scale of forestry and

member of the Reid family — as well as

environmental care we are responsible

families across the world — warm and

for today,” Doug says.

dry, whatever the weather.

As the Reid brothers grew up, they were

To learn more about the Reid brothers’ story visit www.swanndri.co.nz/blog/ meet-the-reids

taught to do the same and have added their own improvements, using processes for winter cropping and pastural renewal that minimise soil erosion.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

Article supplied by Swanndri.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 23

Let Us

RE - I N T R OD U CE OU R S E LV E S

EUROSTEEL WILL NOW BE KNOWN AS SUMMIT STEEL & WIRE

This proudly 100% New Zealand owned business has come from humble beginnings and now employs more than 350 people that service both the Rural and Construction sectors.

Formally known as Eurosteel, Summit Steel & Wire is a trading division of Euro Corporation Group.

Founded in New Zealand in 1997, Summit Steel & Wire have become recognised for their expertise in both the domestic and international rural markets and have been instrumental in major offshore projects to prevent badgers from transferring TB to livestock in the UK, large scale predator exclusion fences in the USA, and to keep wild monkeys out of native flora and fauna enclosures in various parts of Asia.

Employing a team of 350 in New Zealand, Summit Steel & Wire have a state of the art plant in Christchurch where they manufacture ProFenceTM and XTMFence®, two of their well-known brands available throughout the Farmlands Retail network.

These well-known and trusted products will continue to be distributed under these popular brands.

Both the ProFenceTM and XTMFence® are manufactured using only the highest quality feed wire and are protected using XtraLife Zinc/ Aluminium coating ensuring you receive finished goods that can be trusted and will last in the harshest environments.

Summit products available fromlocal yourFarmlands local Farmlands store today!

For more details pop into your store today!

SUMMITSTEEL.CO.NZ 24 | THE FARMLANDER

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CO-OPERATIVE NEWS

Cup fans bond over rugby A friendly neighbour can be a godsend in winter if it comes to pulling a stranded tractor out of the frozen mud or rescuing ewes from a heavy snowfall. Events such as the Farmlands Cup in the south, bring people together and cement community pride.

On 24th January the Farmlands Cup took pride of place at the Upper Clutha club, reflecting iconic Lake Wanaka and the staggering hill country that cradles Wanaka township.

The original pre-season match between the Crusaders and the Highlanders was played on a Waimumu paddock 5 years ago and has turned into something special for southern communities.

The relaxed event encourages shareholders to chat over a couple of cold drinks and cheer on their favourite team. Local charities also benefit, as each team plays for a cause dear to their hearts. The winner’s charity takes home $5,000 donated by Farmlands.

The Upper Clutha club recognised a fundraising opportunity and organised an auction the night before the game. This was complete with a Q and A session, speeches from ex-All Blacks and a very entertaining MC who sang Elvis, recited poems and splashed beer into his hair. The antics worked, with the club raising over $40,000 to complete the last stages of their clubroom rebuild.

Nathan “Blue” Simon from the club was very proud to host the Cup. “There is always a lot of work that goes in behind the scenes... We had a great relationship with the Highlanders through the whole process…as well as the fantastic support from Upper

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

| Wanaka A&P Showgrounds hosted the Farmlands Cup between the Highlanders and the Crusaders in front of 7,000 fans.

Clutha Transport who helped create the viewing platforms with their fleet of trucks and trailers.”

the Highlander’s heroic defence to

The Highlanders had the first taste of an immaculate pitch for their Captain’s Run before local rugbymad kids were treated to a skills session with some of the players and hosted them for a dinner.

Crusader’s chosen charity, the Rural

Highlanders CEO Roger Clark was present at both the auction night and the game.

Crusaders CEO, Colin Mansbridge says

“These games possess a special and unique quality…that simply cannot be replicated in big stadiums.

This year’s game in Wanaka was an excellent example of a community working together to host what has become a very significant annual event,” Roger says.

in Wanaka was no exception.

Both teams fielded relatively inexperienced sides, but hopes were high among the 7,000 fans. Coming off a three-peat in the Super Rugby league, the Crusaders had their tails up and pummelled their way through

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

take out the match 41–7. Farmlands was delighted to award $5,000 to the Support Trust.

Food trucks kept shareholders well fed and the drinks flowed until after half time, as did the light-hearted banter, depending on which team scored. the Farmlands Cup is a highlight of the Super Rugby pre-season and the game “It was fantastic to see the match so well supported at the A&P Showgrounds, and we're pleased to have raised important funds for Rural Support Trust," Colin says.

No matter the scorecard, grassroots rugby and the local community were the biggest winners on the day.

“We still have a strong rural background so it’s great to be able to connect through rugby and have a beer,” Blue says.

THE FARMLANDER | 25

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THE FARMLANDER | 27

Breathing new life into historic buildings New Zealand’s farms are home to some of the country’s oldest structures.

When faced with disaster – be it earthquakes, fires, floods or storms – farmers must decide whether to repair any damaged infrastructure. Along with time and money, the restoration of aged structures requires passion and partnership – as illustrated by two shareholders who were impacted by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the Kaikoura region on 14th November 2016.

One of the country’s oldest and largest woolsheds still in use, Highfield has been a Category One Historic Place for 40 years. The shed had withstood big winds, snowstorms and earthquakes however that night, the jolt was too much. The quake’s epicentre was 1km away and the fault ruptured under the shed.

“It was shaken off its piles, buckled, bent and twisted onto the ground,” Michael Northcote recalls.

“The whole front of the shed got shunted to the north, the back wall fell

Highfield Woolshed, Waiau (North Canterbury)

in and the two wings twisted to the

The Northcote family took on an

The Rimu trusses in the roof held

immense task when deciding to repair their farm’s quake-damaged woolshed.

The woolshed is primarily built of original Rimu wood that was shipped to Lyttelton from the Marlborough Sounds before being barged to Saltwater Creek and carted up by horse and cart to Highfield.

In 1892 the Highfield shed became one of the first in New Zealand to install shearing machines and the annual Amuri Show used it from 1908–1945.

Three and a half years on from the quake, Michael has learnt so much about restoring a heritage building.

apart to leave big holes.

The first 12 months were taken up with meetings – with Heritage New Zealand who provided some funding, along with insurance companies, structural engineers and builders. The Northcotes worked with Dave Pearson, a Conservation Architect, along with Barney Bevan Builders.

“As soon as we knew that it was fixable,

The 12-month rebuild included key steps.

there was never any doubt that we

• Instead of splitting it up, Heritage House Re-levellers were employed to lift the woolshed as one whole building – 1.8m up into the air using steel beams and 44 hydraulic jacks.

north by about 500mm.” strong but they pushed through the wall and ceiling plates. The heavy woolpress tipped over and wool-bins broke while shearing floorboards cracked

would fix it,” he says.

Highfield Woolshed was built in 1877 with 24 stands. It was designed to blade shear 50,000 sheep annually.

Today, Highfield Farm is 720ha and 4 stands are used for 6,000 sheep.

• As the woolshed sat on an old stock driving route from Nelson to Canterbury, anything found under the shed of archaeological interest could have prevented the rebuild going ahead. Luckily the old dancing shoes, shearing gear and whiskey bottles that were uncovered were not enough to prompt an archaeological dig.

• 326 new wooden piles were installed underneath and bearers were tied down.

“On the day the shed was lowered there was another 4.2 magnitude quake which rattled a few nerves!”

28 | THE FARMLANDER

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HISTORIC PLACES • Builders took 4 months to complete inside – strengthening beams, replacing the floor and installing 194 panes of window glass.

• Replacing weatherboards and painting took a few more months.

• The wool press was straightened up and, with oil, ran like new again.

“The biggest challenge was not having a working shed for two years!”

Michael and Solveig reckon the shed is now stronger and straighter than ever.

The family invited the community to celebrate its official re-opening on 10th November 2018.

“If you’re going to do something, make up your mind and just do it. It’s amazing what is possible with the technology and advice out there,” Michael advises.

“This shed was very important to my late father and my family and my gut instinct was to do it.”

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (Heritage NZ) Heritage NZ get that farm buildings and technology were not created simply for historic record. Dr Christine Whybrew, Area Manager Canterbury/ West Coast says the best thing farmers can do to maintain their heritage sites is to keep using them; whether that is for farm operations or to cater for visitors.

“Keeping rural heritage alive preserves our links to the past and shows that we value those special places. Activities centred on this can bring economic,

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

Molesworth Homestead, Linkwater (Marlborough)

_ Pamu says they recognised straight away that repairing the Homestead

Molesworth Station is New Zealand’s largest high-country station. It is part of the Department of Conservation’s estate _ and is farmed by Pamu (previously known as Landcorp Farming).

rather than demolishing it was the right

The historic Molesworth Homestead was reopened at the end of November 2019, after an extensive rebuild prompted by the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. It is one of the property’s many heritage buildings that date back to the 1880’s and which run public tours.

Jim and Tracey Ward have managed the 185,000ha farm for two decades.

logical call to reinstate the Homestead _ for future generations,” Pamu’s Head of

“The Homestead plays an important role in the operations on the farm,” Jim says.

path to take.

“Given our long-standing commitment to the restoration of the land and improvements on the station it was a

Communications, Simon King says.

Jim and Tracey moved into staff accommodation during the extensive rebuild which commenced in 2017. The project was undertaken by Hayward Construction Ltd whose crews stayed on-site, given the remote location.

The Wards were happily back home to see in the new year and Jim says it

“We will never forget the night that the earthquake struck, and it was immediately clear that we could not stay in the Homestead which was badly damaged.”

was a great moment when they finally

social and cultural benefits to the owner and the local community too,” Christine says.

5 percent are agricultural buildings

The Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014 has archaeological

“As shown by the Northcote’s and

requirements that must be observed where earthworks are done at a site that was occupied pre-1900.

buildings can be challenging, but it’s

The team also administer the NewZealand Heritage List, which includes Molesworth and Highfield stations. For a building or site to make the List itmust first be nominated. Of the 5,737 places on the List, roughly

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

returned to the Homestead.

“We have modernised the place quite a bit but the feel is still very much the same,” he says.

which means most of our rural heritage has no formal protection.

Ward’s stories, restoring heritage definitely doable,” Christine says.

Based in offices throughout the country, Heritage NZ can give you advice on funding options, repair techniques and experts to contact.

Visit www.heritage.org.nz for more information.

THE FARMLANDER | 29

BE REWARDED FOR MORE OF WHAT WE DO TOGETHER WITH CHOICES REWARDS. Earn Points across virtually anything you buy through Farmlands — from fertiliser and on-farm fuel to Card Partner spend and culvert pipe, plus heaps more.*

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INDUSTRY ADVICE

Great conversations, great advice Farmers love to get relevant, specialist advice for different areas of their business. And insurance is no different. An advice-led insurance service reflects the varying needs of rural operators What is an advice-led insurance service?

In a nutshell, an advice-led insurance service works to understand your farm or business operation and helps you to manage the risks you face. Preventing something from happening in the first place is just as important as having the cover to protect you should the unexpected happen.

FMG’s Head of Client Strategy and Advice Services, Jason Rolfe informs people around insurance and risk.

“It’s really important to remember that you don’t have to insure everything and that not all risks are insurable. This is why FMG helps you to manage the risks that you choose not to insure, or risks that can’t be insured.

We receive a claim for a quad rollover or accident on average of one per day and over the past 5 years we’ve received 2,000 of these claims worth over $8.1 million,” he cites.

“When we see trends like this we know that we can help our clients avoid this happening to them. This is why we’re rolling out practical quad bike safety field days this year as well as the customised advice we already provide.”

Jason says the advice they provide is just as varied as the rural sector.

How does FMG provide advice to clients?

“Our advice is tailored to our clients.

We work with you to identify and avoid interruptions to your farm, your business or your personal life. The team at FMG understands rural life and the business of farming — in fact, chances are the person you’re talking with has a pretty close connection to farming.”

FMG has a team dedicated to identifying risks in the rural sector and working with experts to bring together advice that helps manage risk.

FMG shares advice in different ways to cater to different learning styles. For example, they provide tailored advice reports, videos, claims benchmarking and offer practical learning opportunities through on-farm workshops.

“One example of this is advice on how to avoid quad bike rollover accidents.

“We recognise we don’t know everything which is why we partner

with experts so that we’re providing advice you can trust,” Jason says.

What are some of the common on-farm risks?

“When you’re talking with us we discuss your physical risks, your operational risks and your personal risks.

“Physical risks include things like tractor fires, milk contamination, building fires, theft (e.g. quad bikes) and security; operational or businessrelated risks include factors like onfarm health and safety, employment law, biosecurity and market prices.

“Personal risks consider how you can avoid financial loss if you suffer an injury or illness or business debt.

While no one wants to think about the worst happening to them, not thinking about how your family, livelihood or staff would cope or operate without you either for the short-term or permanently, can be just as worrying,” Jason explains.

Why is providing advice as well as insurance cover so important?

“We want to help you identify, assess, manage and review your risks so that you can maximise the on going profitability, continuity and sustainability of your farm or business,” Jason says.

As a mutual insurer, mitigating risks helps FMG to keep insurance premiums sustainable so that it can be around for another 115 years.

For further information, contact 0800 366 466 or visit www.farmlands.co.nz/FMG Article supplied by Farmers' Mutual Group.

FMG was started in 1905 by farmers, for farmers and today we're still 100% New Zealand-owned by our rural clients.

Giving rural New Zealand a better deal is our core purpose and we live by an advice-led approach to help you identify and avoid interruptions to your farm, business and in your personal life.

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THE FARMLANDER | 31

32 | THE FARMLANDER

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Articles in the Plan365 section allow Farmlands suppliers to share best practice and the latest advances in rural technology, to help shareholders with their farming needs all year round.

Making the transition As highly developed herbivores, ruminants are generally resilient and adaptable. They have an amazing symbiotic relationship with microbes which allow them to utilise low-nutrient, dense, fibrous forages but they can perform very well on high-grain diets. They are however, vulnerable to rapid dietary or production changes.

For example, ruminants may struggle adapting to a diet rich in readily fermentable energy – from starch or sugar – or coping with the mineral demands of early lactation, when appetite is suppressed.

Unfortunately, every winter we get phone calls or hear about farmers that have lost cows to acidosis on fodder beet, either going onto the crop or in mid-winter because of a break-out. The exact mechanism that causes acidosis is still unclear but if excess sugar or starch is consumed before the rumen is adapted to it, sugar and starch-digesting bacteria produce an excess of acid which overwhelms the normal buffering and acid-removal mechanism of the rumen.

The pH in the rumen drops rapidly to the point where rumen function becomes disturbed (pH 5.5 or below) and appetite drops because the fibre-digesting bacteria function most effectively within a pH range of 6.2–6.8.

The key risks are: over-allocation of fodder beet or sudden under-allocation of supplement during the transition phase.

Accurately assessing the crop yield, the face length and depth of the break – relative to the number of cattle in the mob – is critical but difficult.

Fodder beet is a high-yielding but variable crop which needs to be

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| Ruminants can struggle adapting to a new diet or production change. Unfortunately, every winter farmers lose cows to acidosis on fodder beet.

carefully measured to avoid overallocation. Full rumen adaption may take 2 weeks; the 7th day can be a critical time because beet can gradually accumulate under foot when daily allocation exceeds daily intake and some cows can gorge on fodder beet as forage levels are reduced.

Some cattle may be at risk if they have become accustomed to moving to fodder beet a short time after receiving supplement because they like the fodder beet more and wait for it to come. Feeding supplement at least 4 hours before fodder beet during the transition phase may lessen the risk of acidosis. When fodder beet is fed at restricted levels (e.g. 6–8kg/DM) an increase of as little as 2kg/DM per day is associated with some increased risk. Attention to detail is therefore vital throughout the transition period – and beyond when feeding at restricted levels – because the risk of suddenly eating more fodder beet is ever-present.

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Another risk for dairy cows is metabolic conditions related to calcium and magnesium, either when demand suddenly increases (as at the start of lactation) or supply suddenly falls (as when rain washes dusted minerals from pasture or when bulling activity reduces grazing time). Transition feeds before calving can markedly reduce the risk post calving. Downer cows associated with phosphorus deficiency in lactating cows that have been wintered on fodder beet is more of a long-term deficiency which can be corrected by providing supplementary phosphorus throughout the period on crop.

Acidotic and downer cows are normally the tip of the iceberg with many more animals experiencing sub-clinical issues which are less visible but can have long-term consequences.

For further information, contact your local NRM Nutrition Specialist.

Article supplied by Dr Rob Derrick, NRM Lead Nutritionist.

THE FARMLANDER | 33

IVE EXCLULSANDS

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NUTRITION

Transitioning to crops As the winter period approaches, hopefully with a good amount of winter feed in front of your animals, it is time to start thinking about how your animals are going to be transitioned onto your winter crop of choice.

You can help stock (especially young animals) adjust to a different feed more effectively by making sure that they have light parasite burdens going on to crop. This will enable them to graze longer and better utilise the energy and protein that you are offering during winter. To decrease the chance of parasite resistance, it is a good idea to drench a couple of days before the transition begins, as a pure population of resistant parasites in young animals can continually spread resistant larvae through the winter.

If you are yarding stock to provide a drench, a significant benefit can be gained by incorporating a pre or probiotic product with the drench. This provides the rumen with a population of beneficial bacteria, or the substrate for the beneficial bacteria, to develop on.

Trial work has indicated that this can significantly help with the transition to a different diet; one trial of a Donaghys probiotic extract on treated lambs showed approximately 50 percent greater weight gain per lamb per day, compared to control, over the first 10 days of transitioning from grass to brassica. There was no noticeable compensatory growth in the untreated animals for the following month of the trial i.e. the untreated lambs did not catch up with the treated group.

Many of the plants in the brassica family contain goitrogenic compounds, which interfere with the absorption of iodine and therefore the formation of metabolic hormones in the thyroid gland. Lambs and calves born to dams with low iodine levels may present with an enlarged thyroid gland (goiter) or more commonly, may be slow to get up and drink and have an increased risk of hypothermia; more newborn animals could therefore die due to starvation or exposure.

Copper is stored in the liver and generally depletes over the winter period as many of our feeding methods

| Help stock adjust to a different feed by countering the parasite burden, providing the rumen with beneficial bacteria and ensuring mineral levels are up for winter.

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supply minimal copper at this time.

There is also an increased risk of

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ingesting compounds which interfere with copper absorption. It is well worth having the liver’s copper levels assessed prior to winter, so you know if supplements may be needed during this time.

A product like Donaghys ProEwe Gold can provide the added iodine, selenium, cobalt, zinc and vitamins required for ewes, as well as providing probiotic extracts to help the beneficial rumen bacteria. ProEwe Gold has no additional copper, as sheep have fewer issues with depletion than cattle and over-supplementation can be detrimental and even toxic.

For cattle, it may be worthwhile offering a trace element supplementation through the winter period and this decision should be made in conjunction with an animal health expert who has significant knowledge of your farm and farming system. Mineral supplementation through water supplies can be variable during winter and is routinely avoided.

Donaghys provide two loose lick products: FodderBeet DMX is formulated for cattle on fodder beet and contains added phosphorus and calcium, while DairyMin DMX is targeted at cattle on other crops or grass, should supplementation be required during winter.

For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Ben Finlayson BVSc, Technical Veterinarian, Donaghys Limited.

THE FARMLANDER | 35

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NUTRITION

Be aware of nitrate poisoning Cloudy days and cooler temperatures are usually welcome in a drought year but if they follow some rain over the autumn-winter period they can be a herald to deadly nitrate poisoning for livestock grazing on rapid-growing green feed.

Nitrate poisoning is probably one of the worst, and most widespread causes of poisoning reported in livestock because affected stock can die quite suddenly, and at times in multiples. Nitrate poisoning affects cattle, sheep, deer, goats, and pigs (which are the most susceptable).

Nitrate itself is naturally present in plants and is not toxic to animals, unless the associated risk factors and the right conditions exist where rumen micro-organisms cannot convert ruminal nitrate fast enough into ammonia from its precursor, nitrite. Consequently, larger quantities of nitrite enter the bloodstream and bind to the oxygen-carrying molecule, haemoglobin. Then, without oxygen supplied to vital organs and body tissues, an affected animal can quickly suffocate, collapse and die anywhere between 1–24 hours after rapidly grazing forage containing high levels of nitrate. Other observed symptoms include: abdominal pain, diarrhoea, muscle weakness/tremors, staggering, salivation and ‘open-mouth’ rapid breathing. In cases of suspected nitrate poisoning, immediately call for the vet (seconds count in saving lives), move stock off affected feed quietly and calmly, and offer hay or a highcarbohydrate feed.

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Risk factors: • Animals rapidily consuming feed high in nitrates is the greatest risk factor.

• Physiologically stressed stock (e.g. hungry, pregnant or sick).

• Grazing ‘at-risk’ forage too hard or low down the sward.

• ‘ Risk’ forage species: maize, fodder beet, turnips, kale, re-growth brassicas, rape, ryegrasses and immature green oats.

• W hen it rains after a drought, rapidly growing plants quickly uptake nitrates from soil to become ‘toxic’.

• S tressed plants (when in dry or low-moisture conditions) with higher nitrate levels.

• L ess sunshine hours, cloudier and colder weather, can induce elevated plant nitrate levels that persist into July/August.

• P lant age (e.g. young, immature plants).

• U se of high rates of nitrogenous fertiliser later in the season. | Nitrate poisoning is one of the most widespread causes of poisoning and can affect cattle, sheep, deer, goats, and pigs.

This year’s weather could increase the risk.

Prevention is key. If you can test for it, you can manage it. Fortunately there are economical test kits available.

Make sure you test all winter feed crops before feeding to livestock and test every break — because poisonings have occurred at the 3rd and 4th break but not prior. High nitrate levels in crops may not come down quickly but can take over 6 weeks to become ‘safe’.

Also, if a plant containing high nitrate levels becomes wilted or is made into baleage/silage, the risk of nitrate poisoning remains unchanged.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

When grazing ‘at-risk’ forages, avoid grazing when stock are hungry by feeding hay/silage beforehand. Feed newer pastures later in the afternoon on a sunny day, use wide but not ‘deep’ breaks, limit grazing time to 2 hours, provide plenty of fresh clean water, and closely monitor stock for 1–2 hours after releasing them onto a new break.

For further information, contact your local NRM Nutrition Specialist.

Article supplied by Tiffany Menzies, NRM Technical Product Manager.

THE FARMLANDER | 37

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NUTRITION

Turning commodities into products For years Farmlands has been helping shareholders to fill the feed gap and maximise their yield by investing in compound feed mills to deliver the best possible solutions in a dynamic environment.

Farmlands’ mills are based at Winton in Southland and Rolleston in Canterbury.

They utilise shareholder-produced grains and legumes combined with the knowledge of our expert nutrition team to develop a wide number of feed solutions. These range from bagged equine and poultry feed to bulk custom dairy blends.

visit but for those of you that are unable to tour a Farmlands mill – here’s a little insight into the attributes of a compound feed mill.

Ingredient storage and processing • They have to store a range of base feed commodities so need lots of silos and/or bunkers.

• Wholegrains have to be processed to maximise their utilisation by ruminants.

• Dry processing can create fines and flour which may limit intake and irritate stock, equipment and people in the dairy shed – pressing the ingredient into a pellet traps the fine material and stops it causing problems.

For our shareholders the economies of scale delivered by Farmlands’ network mean our in-field teams can deliver both cost-effective pricing and technical solutions, no matter what the farm objectives may be.

Producing compound feeds

Compound feed mills process and blend commodity inputs together in a way which delivers benefits for the end consumer. Just as farmers are increasingly opening their gates to the public, customers benefit from a mill

• Each batch is made of multiples of 1–1.5 tonne mixes – depending on the size of the mixer. Like a super-sized food blender, the mixers are very efficient and process times have been fine-tuned to prevent over

• Mills operate most efficiently with long runs of a single product.

| Compound feed mills process and blend commodity inputs together in a way which delivers benefits for the end consumer.

or under-mixing. The result is a very accurate distribution of even the smallest ingredient.

• Because the mix is pressed into pellets or nuts there is no risk of segregation during subsequent transport or storage.

• The conditioner uses steam and pressure to soften the meal before it is forced through the press and formed into pellets.

• Conditioners gelatinise the starch - softening it up so it helps bind the pellets together and increases digestibility.

• Friction generates heat when the mash is forced through the die which helps to kill many of the bacteria which colonise grains and can cause deterioration during storage.

End consumable • Formulations have been developed to deliver the nutrients required by the target class of animal. Animals cannot select or reject different ingredients within a pelleted feed, so they are better than blends for delivering nutrients evenly each meal.

Plant and raw materials are routinely tested for salmonella to ensure feeds are safe. Pelleted feed typically has a longer shelf life than textured feeds because many microbes have been killed by the heat and pressure and the surface area for spoilage organisms is much smaller.

For further information, contact your local NRM Nutrition Specialist.

Article supplied by Dr Rob Derrick, NRM Lead Nutritionist.

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THE FARMLANDER | 39

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ON THIS LABEL

ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Don’t forget your in-lamb hoggets As we come to the end of autumn and most of the fattening lambs are gone, farmers are getting set up for their winter rotations. One group of young stock still on the farm and requiring special attention are the hogget replacements, whether in-lamb or yet to go to the ram.

The good conditions and pasture growth that we have had in the autumn are ideal for the survival of gastrointestinal parasites and this can cause considerable build-up of infective larvae on pasture. Heading into the winter, grazing heights and pasture allowances are reduced causing higher intakes of these gastrointestinal parasites. In-lamb or soon to be inlamb ewe hoggets are more prone to the effects of this.

Losses from parasites are often underrated and by the time you see the clinical signs, such as scouring, a parasite burden may have already caused a considerable reduction in

growth rates. As cattle and sheep do not share the same parasites, pasture grazed with cattle will have reduced numbers of infective larvae for sheep.

Grazing in-lamb hoggets behind cattle is one option to reduce the parasite challenge that they face.

Where drenching is required all farmers should be using an effective, combination drench. Farmers can find out what drenches are working by completing a Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test or FECRT. If a farmer is unsure of their drench resistance status, they should use a triple combination such as Alliance®.

Combination drenches also have the benefit of reducing the selection for drench-resistant parasites.

Another thing to remember with in-lamb ewe hoggets is what vaccinations they have had for the common clostridial diseases including pulpy kidney (entertoxaemia), tetanus, black disease, malignant oedema and blackleg.

In-lamb hoggets will require vaccination pre-lamb but if they have not been previously vaccinated or the vaccination status of these hoggets is unknown they will require two shots: a sensitiser followed by a booster. A pre-lamb booster vaccination should be 4–6 weeks after the initial sensitiser and at least 2 weeks before lambing starts.

This programme often needs to be planned to start before the mixed-age ewes need their pre-lamb annual booster and is one of the reasons why it is often forgotten. Vaccination of in-lamb hoggets is even more important if they are going to be grazing a crop over winter.

An ideal vaccine for in-lamb hoggets is Multine B12®. Every 2ml dose of Multine B12 contains 2mg of vitamin B12. The period of raised vitamin B12 levels depends on the animal’s liver storage levels and the ongoing dietary intake of cobalt. Injected soluble vitamin B12 can persist for up to 1–3 months in young sheep.1 Between Multine® (which is also available with vitamin B12 or selenium), Nilvax® and Lamb Vaccine, MSD Animal Health provides farmers with the only range of clostridial vaccines researched, developed and manufactured here in New Zealand, for New Zealand farmers.

For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by MSD Coopers.

Mulvaney C., Hodgson B., Cuttance W. – data on file.

ACVM Numbers: A010249, A000934, A000935, A011311, A003977, A001009 ®Registered trademark.

Schering-Plough Animal Health Ltd. Phone: 0800 800 543. www.msd-animal-health.co.nz

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THE FARMLANDER | 41

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Weigh data tech supports decision making Lifestyle farmers Maree and Jason Furniss say they can confidently make decisions on when to keep stock or sell it on because of the technology solution they started using in August, and they expect improved returns as a result.

“If you can address these issues in the early days they will have good health right through and it will affect what you are going to get at the end,” she says.

The couple are using a Tru-Test by Datamars solution that includes the new S3 weigh scale indicator, which is designed for smaller farms, calf rearers and lifestyle properties. The couple say they would not be without it in the future because of the smart decision-making support the indicator gives them.

They are also using the Tru-Test SRS2 stick reader, Tru-Test 2.2m weigh platform and MP600 loadbars, along with their weigh data being entered into the Datamars Livestock Cloud software via the free Datalink mobile app.

The Warkworth lifestylers rear a herd of 35 Angus-Friesian cross calves from 5 days old, selling some for processing during the year and taking the remainder through to 18 months, before their second winter.

Maree and Jason say that having never used smart technology for capturing livestock data before, it took a bit of learning in the beginning, but now they love having all the information at their fingertips with the new software.

“It has opened up opportunities and you can definitely make decisions with confidence,” Maree says. Another benefit is being able to identify and bolster struggling calves.

Maree says instead of using visual assessments to select stock for holding or moving on, they can now drill down into the performance of each individual calf.

”We can target specific animals; for example just this week we’ve started putting more supplements into some of them – we would not have known that before from simply looking at them.”

“

By the time you get back to the house for a cup of tea all the information is in the Cloud and you can call it up on your PC, tablet or smartphone.”

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“We get our calves in batches and so we have different ages across the herd.

We can now monitor each one from each group and see in the Datamars Livestock software how their Average Daily Gain (ADG) is going and how they are tracking. From this, you can make decisions to hold some back and keep them longer to gain more weight.”

The stick reader scans the calf’s EID number, giving a pre-entered Visual Identification (VID) and the farmer enters this VID into the phone. The phone is connected, through Bluetooth, to the S3 scales via the Datalink app. From there the calf’s weight and associated indentification is uploaded to the Datamars Livestock Cloud software.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

| Technology allows farmers to drill down into the performance of each individual calf.

“By the time you get back to the house for a cup of tea all the information is in the Cloud and you can call it up on your PC, tablet or smartphone,” Maree says.

The pair have found the technology is bringing certainty to their operation that they never had before; their decisions to offload stock are no longer based just on weather and feed conditions.

For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Datamars.

THE FARMLANDER | 43

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Tag, you’re it Being able to identify individual animals on your property is critical to good farm management.

species and breed. If using a tag you

One of the most common methods of

provide application instructions which

identifying livestock is to apply an ear tag. It is quick and allows for visual

are unfamiliar with, ask a producer for tips on applying the tag. Manufacturers are important to follow to ensure tags stay on and problems such as ear

• One-piece wrap-around tags need to be placed much closer to the edge of the ear or they will cause damage to the ear by rubbing. This is particularly important if you apply them to young lambs as the ear will keep growing and this can cause problems. Just like the range of Allflex Tags, there are a range of applicators for every job as well.

or electronic identification of each

infections are avoided.

animal. Ear tags are available for most

Pay attention to where the tag should

livestock, including dairy goats.

be placed in the ear, what direction

The first thing to consider is the

it should go through the ear (which

One-piece tagging

most appropriate ear tag. This will

part faces the front of the animal) and

be governed, in part, by regulations.

what disinfectant protocol should be

For example, all cattle and deer

followed between tags.

must have an electronic NAIT

Some ear tags come as separate

tag before moving properties.

male and female parts, while others

The FlexiMatic and RapIDmatic are automatic taggers designed for the sheep and goat one-piece range.

These were designed to enable tagging of large flocks with a quick reload time.

Identification tags vary in size, colour,

are single tags that wrap around the

material (metal or plastic) and shape.

edge of the ear. Each requires a slightly

Application devices also differ across

different technique:

tags so your farm system should be

• In most cases a two-part tag is

taken into account when choosing a tag.

applied through the middle part of the

Before applying an ear tag, make

ear to avoid it getting caught on things

sure it is the appropriate tag for the

and torn out.

Both the Fleximatic and RapIDmatic benefit from a rinse under the tap every 100 or so animals. A mild detergent and a light scrub is recommended also. Most application environments will cause a dust or grit build-up that can hinder the job at hand. It is surprising how quickly the environment can impact on the condition of the applicator.

Two-piece tagging The Universal and Identiplier applicators are generally used for two-piece tags and both are EID compatible. A littleknown fact about these applicators is that both models contain a spare pin in the handle. Bent pins can cause incorrect application which commonly leads to the loss of a tag; a costly issue in New Zealand farming.

Reassuringly, all Allflex applicators come with a lifetime warranty.

| Before applying ear tags to your stock it is best to familiarise yourself with expert instructions.

For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Allflex.

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THE FARMLANDER | 45

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12V 150 PSI Air Compressor

Recovery Kit 8 pieces. (MTRKHDS3)

269

60

$

160L p/min. (MTAC160LPM)

256

$

87 STORES NATIONWIDE • OPEN 7 DAYS • 0800 800 878 Excludes already reduced, promotional and clearance items. Prices apply to shareholders using Farmlands Card only. Valid 1 – 30 April 2020.

IS THIS NZ’S MOST VALUABLE CARD? YOU DECIDE. 46 | THE FARMLANDER

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Using traps on the path to a Predator Free 2050 The battle for the survival of our wildlife throughout New Zealand is of national importance.

Their guidance informs trapping best practice and the choices we make when selecting a product.

Rodents including the Norway rat, the roof rat and house mice are pests when they infest properties and threaten public health. They can damage or destroy critical habitats, native plants and animals, crops, property and food supplies. Estimates of rat populations vary but because rats reach sexual maturity after 9 weeks, a population can swell from two rats to around 1,250 in one year.

An estimated 25 million native birds are lost to predators every year so it is hoped that we will all take on the challenge to save our birds and native fauna – so that future generations will hear the song of our native birds.

Trials using traps have shown that, if used in a grid pattern and monitored often, they can achieve good results and will control most rats present. If rodent numbers are high, then traps should be checked daily until numbers caught are low, then inspections can be reduced to every 2–3 weeks.

While progress is being made with new technology it is the commitment of many community groups and the dedication of individuals that is making a huge impact when it comes to reducing our predator population. Public pressure for more humane pest control tools is becoming more prevalent and means agencies, resellers and manufacturers wish to be seen to be promoting more humane traps.

The use of traps for rodent control is not new but their role in helping New Zealand achieve a Predator Free status by 2050 is. The campaign only promotes and sells humane traps that meet National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) standards.1

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Trapping in an urban setting can be effective with just one trap per property – if enough of the community are involved. In a rural setting it is important to have traps in lines with 50m between traps and 100m between lines. In difficult terrain it is best to set lines down ridges and spurs, and along contours to achieve the necessary spacing.

Two traps that meet NAWAC standards are the T Rex and Victor Professional with shroud (which is also good for stoats). These are best placed in a tunnel to both protect the trap and to direct the rodent into the trap. Traps like the above are easy to use and can be employed in both rural and urban environments. Being relatively inexpensive, a larger number of traps can be placed as a protective barrier to protect buildings or susceptible areas from rodent entry. Use of traps can assist a baiting programme if rodents have started to become bait-shy or if baits are not a considered option.

Bait and trap-resistant rats can occasionally become an issue and

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

| The conversation around the selection of traps is changing, with a focus on humane options.

a good alternative can be a live rat cage. It is important to note that rats can be neophobic and so new traps or bait stations added to their environment can take a period for adjustment and acceptance.

For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Key Industries.

1. In 2000 NAWAC adopted and developed New Zealand-specific guidelines for assessing the welfare and performance of restraining and kill traps.

THE FARMLANDER | 47

HURRY ENDS 30th April 2020

3 major prize draws for a trip for 2 to Fieldays® to

play Find Your Fortune live at the Farmlands site!

When you buy Ballance fertiliser.

Keen? Let's talk. Contact your Farmlands TFO today or ask us in-store. *Visit www.farmlands.co.nz/findyourfortune for full Terms and Conditions.

Open to Farmlands shareholders. Promotion runs 2nd March 2020 to 30th April 2020. Every tonne of Ballance fertiliser ordered during the promotional period will receive one (1) entry in the draw (†bonus entries available for new customers) to find three (3) winners to attend the Find Your Fortune event taking place at Fieldays®, June 2020.

48 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

New pasture can pay Renewing pastures is costly but can be one of the best farm investments to make.

Putting the paddock through a cropping programme is useful for controlling perennial weed species.

“With planning and care, new pasture

“We recommend one or ideally two autumn Roundup sprays, either via a summer fallow (spray in January and then in March and use the paddock as a standoff paddock to prevent overgrazing other paddocks) or a spring spray followed by a crop and autumn spray.”

establishes well and delivers production gains,” Ballance Agri-Nutrients Forage Specialist Murray Lane says.

“You can expect leafier, more palatable pasture that’s higher in metabolisable energy and grows more on the shoulders of the season. This results in more milk and faster liveweight gains than on old, weedy pasture. Renewing pasture with appropriate endophytes can also reduce pest damage and ryegrass staggers.”

Cultivating to renew pasture damages soil structure and seriously affects the predators of pasture pests. This leads to reduced pasture longevity, as roots struggle to access water, and rapid growth in pest populations such as grass grubs.

“A no-tillage approach to regrassing leaves the predators and soil structure to continue working for you,” Murray says.

Prepare for potential Murray says that prevention is better

Murray’s other top tip is to spend some time choosing grass or clover varieties, particularly focusing on the endophyte (live fungi inside the seed).

“North of Taupo, the African black beetle and Argentine stem weevil require seed with a good animal-safe, insect-toxic endophyte. Only use this season’s fresh seed, unless it has been kept in cool storage, as the endophyte dies in the seed in the bag.”

Seed rate is important too. If it is too high, clovers could be smothered and large numbers of ryegrass plants die as a result of population dynamics. A DairyNZ trial1 showed lower seeding rates result in similar plant numbers to higher seeding rates (using treated seed).

than cure.

A good start

“Often pastures for renewal are

Germinating seeds benefit from phosphorus (for early root and shoot development) and nitrogen (for tillering and leaf expansion). Di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) drilled next to the seed at 100–150 kg/ha provides these nutrients, promoting rapid canopy cover and inhibiting weed growth.

Monitoring and addressing weeds and pests are important in the first 8 weeks.

selected because of winter pugging but it’s better to prevent this from happening in the first place. Identify paddocks to renew early and address the reasons for decline, such as drainage, fertility, pasture pests and overgrazing. A soil test about 6 months before sowing enables nutrient issues to be sorted.”

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Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

Up and running Grazing new pastures early on with younger or lighter stock keeps the sward open, letting sunlight in and encouraging clovers.

Clovers take up to 18 months to establish in new pasture. To improve on this, ensure there are no herbicide residues from the (previous) brassica crop, and allow at least 3 months in crop with no clover (for nematode control). Applying nitrogen (SustaiN) at around 65 kg/ha (30 kg N/ha) after each grazing encourages tillering, reduces weed competition and promotes a healthy sward.

“Pasture is the most cost-effective form of feed, so investing in renewal can make a real difference to your bottom line,” Murray says.

For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Ballance Agri-Nutrients.

1 Chapman DF, Lee JM, Rossi L, Thom ER, Waugh D, Wynn KT 2013. Ryegrass seeding rate alters plant morphology

THE FARMLANDER | 49

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hyndsrural.co.nz

0800 496 377

* For full address details please see our website www.hyndsrural.co.nz or phone us for your nearest store.

Conditions: Exclusive Farmlands offers available, ask in store for details. Promotional pricing valid from 1st - 30th April 2020. Discounts are off Hynds normal retail price. Actual product supplied may be different to that pictured but identical in quality and price. Promotional items are strictly while stocks last. All prices include GST but exclude transport/delivery costs unless otherwise stated.

IS THIS NZ’S MOST VALUABLE CARD? YOU DECIDE. 50 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

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RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Keeping your chainsaw in check Now is the time of year folks ring and split their winter firewood; a high-performing chainsaw that runs smoothly is fundamental to this process. When sourcing a quality lubricant and engine oil, there are several aspects you should consider in order to meet the operational needs of your chainsaw.

Avoid using waste oil The use of waste oil as a lubricant on chainsaws is an old practice which should be avoided. All that makes oil dirty is dirt. Oil is normally transparent, sometimes with a dye added but still able to be seen through. Dirt will act as an abrasive on the chain which can lead to untimely wear and possible failure of the chain. Used clean oil will have lost its lubricating properties, with the same result.

Environmentally this is a disaster.

New chainbar oils have little effect on the environment; however, waste products carry dirt and chemicals.

This is a toxic mix which needs to be disposed of appropriately.

Farmlands recommends using a quality lubricant, such as Gulf Chainbar, which meets the operational needs and warranty of your chainsaw.

Two-stroke notes Equally as important to a chainsaw’s performance is the engine oil it requires.

Most chainsaws are two-stroke, so we predominantly talk about chainsaws as two-stroke. Each saw has an appropriate mix ration between fuel and oil; to ensure minimum smoke it is strongly advised to follow this ratio for the duration of a chainsaw’s life.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

It is important to read and understand your owner’s manual when making your oil selection at Farmlands.

Two-stroke oil is designed to be mixed and used. Mixing a significant batch and letting it sit allows the oil and fuel to separate. This will result in an inconsistent batch of lubricant and fuel leading to a lack of lubrication or an oversupply of oil (which will generate smoke). The manufacturer of your chainsaw has performance in mind when they set mix ratios so where we add or subtract lubricant from the fuel mix, we guarantee ourselves issues.

Farmlands offers two high-quality two-stroke oils – Gulf Pride 2T and Gulf Syntrac 2T. These products are top quality and, when used within the correct mix ratios, provide the best performance for your saw. Gulf Pride 2T and Gulf Syntrac 2T meet the warranty requirements of chainsaw brands.

Performance in the field At a recent Farmlands meeting, an exercise was performed to test the performance of five lubricant brands of varying recognition and quality. The team measured the level of tackifier (the bit which makes it stick to the chain) and the viscosity (how runny the oil is). The Gulf Chainbar placed first in all tests.

Gulf users – commercial, industrial and on-farm – regularly report significant savings on chainbar consumption.

Meeting the warranty demands of topbranded chainsaw manufacturers, as well as ensuring performance standards are reached and exceeded, Gulf Chainbar can provide extended chain life with a reduction in product consumption.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

| The lubricant and engine oil you select should meet performance standards and the warranty demands of chainsaw manufacturers, with chain life and consumption benefits.

By following these tips, you can ensure yourself a warm winter and a chainsaw you can use for years to come.

For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Farmlands Fuel and Lubricants.

THE FARMLANDER | 51

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52 | THE FARMLANDER

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

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RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

The real deal in duck hunting With the duck hunting season just around the corner it is time to start gearing up for a successful season. One of the essentials is a quality duck call to make your hunting experience more productive and pleasurable.

tradition is David’s son, Derek. Derek has been working for the company since 2003. He started hand-turning custom calls, specialising in acrylic versions. These custom masterpieces have a very different effect to mass-produced molded calls.

Mallard call and is made from walnut

Consumers can choose between plastic, mass-produced products or handmade and custom ones.

With a range of duck, goose, and deer calls the DJ Illinois River Valley Calls range offers solutions for every hunt – from the traditional classic #66 Duck Call, to the R-25 Sika Deer call and the NZD-22 Paradise Duck Call that was specifically designed for the New Zealand market.

Duck. This call was developed by

David Jackson has been producing homemade calls since 1976 and comes from three generations of duck and goose call makers.

The American spent more than 27 years with the former P.S. Olt company where he earned the prestigious title of “Master Call Maker”. During his tenure, David was instrumental in the design and manufacture of many of the successful Olt waterfowl calls. He has been an avid duck, goose, and deer hunter for all his life, is a judge in calling contests and knows how a quality call should sound.

His business, DJ Illinois River Valley Calls, is a family thing. Carrying on the

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

The most popular calls in the range are the #66 Duck Call, and the NZD-22 Paradise Duck call.

Probably the most remembered call ever made is the single reed #66 Duck Call. This call was developed in 1960 by call maker Al Sonderman. To this day it is often referred to as the “Sonderman 66”. It is an easy call to blow as it requires only small amounts of air to produce an excellent raspy tone and volume. This is a great all-purpose

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

and cedar. David Jackson carries on the tradition by handcrafting this easy-to-operate and iconic call.

The NZD-22 Paradise Duck call effortlessly produces the special high-pitched sound of the Paradise David to meet the requirements of New Zealand hunters. The call body is made of walnut, with the tonal parts made from cedar for great moisture resistance.

Both #66 Duck Call, and the NZD-22 Paradise Duck call are offered to Farmlands customers in an exclusive Realtree Max-4 camo finish that is applied over the walnut body. You get a traditional hand-crafted wooden call with a modern twist.

All DJ Calls carry a limited ifetime guarantee.

For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by DJ Calls, LLC.

THE FARMLANDER | 53

This autumn boost your pasture growth and improve your milk solids production with ProGibb® SG. It’s proven to boost dry matter yield in ryegrass and clover pastures by 30-60% within just 3-4 weeks of application. Tested by New Zealand’s tough climate, ProGibb SG, stimulates rapid pasture growth so you can improve your livestock performance and condition.

Visit your local Farmlands store today and ask about ProGibb SG.

nufarm.co.nz 54 | THE FARMLANDER

® ProGibb is a registered trademark of Valent BioSciences Corporation, Libertyville, Illinois, USA.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ

The New Zealand Century Farm and Station Awards aim to capture and preserve the history of our country’s farming families. Each month we will share stories from Farmlands shareholders who have worked their land for 100 years or more.

The Pioneers of Wellsford In the shadow of Kikitangeo, the Levet family have farmed for more than 125 years.

In 1874, Joseph and Charles Levet settled on 460 acres of virgin bushland, 5km west of Wellsford, now known as “Kikitangeo”.

They, their parents – Charles Senior

| Kikitangeo farmhouse was originally built in 1879 – three additions have been kept to the original gable style.

and Keziah – together with three other children emigrated from England, arriving in Auckland in 1862. They were part of what was known as the Albertland Settlement, which settled about 2,500 pioneers who arrived on eight sailing ships after a three-month journey.

Charles Levet Senior established a vineyard and made wine on part of his property. He is now recognised as one of 10 original pioneers of the wine industry, being the first to become a viable commercial operation.

Joseph and Charles acquired their own properties in their late twenties. They felled bush on virgin land, burned it and established English grasses. Initially the grasses were good, but the fertility was soon depleted and the land would only sustain a poor nutrition native grass known as danthonia. The settlers were poor, having little market for their products. In the early 1900s, Joseph and his two sons, Gordon (known as Don) and Philip purchased Charles’ block of 300 acres, which included Mt Kikitangeo (a mere hill of 260m) but nevertheless an unmistakeable landmark and the highest point in the Wellsford area. Three other

adjoining blocks were purchased and developed. Don’s son, Gordon took over management in 1951, which was later transferred into his name and then put into a trust for his three daughters.

In 1922 Gordon Senior and Philip Levet established a Romney Stud which is now one of the oldest studs in the country. Gordon Junior developed the Romney Stud that is now the leading stud in New Zealand for the trait of worm resistance.

The advent of artificial fertilisers in the 1930s transformed the poor land into lush pastures.

In the early days before the advent of wire fences and iron for roofing, kauri and totara were split for post and rail fencing, and as a sideline, totara roofing shingles were split and sold to builders in Auckland. Another source of income was the milking of cows – by hand – and cheese making, which was sold to neighbours and a local store.

Two further blocks were purchased between 1970 and 1990 to increase the overall size of the property to 1,500 acres.

| Joseph Levet (1844-1909) as a choir boy at Ely Cathedral.

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| Joseph’s certificate from King’s School Ely 1858 prior to his arrival in New Zealand in 1862.

Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2020. All rights reserved.

THE FARMLANDER | 55

contemplate, given their driver to be 100% in control of everything in the business.

If we look at this Spring/Summer sales over the last four months (Oct 2019 to Jan 2020) we’d highlight Otago/Southland as a region that has successfully worked through a dairy pricing adjustment, total farm sales for that period equal $187m from 71 sales.

Dairy being nine of those sales for $59m with price per hectare, ranging from $17,000/ha to $47,000/ha.

Dairy market commentary

We wanted to take the opportunity to comment on the most recent Rabo bank report (Afloat but drifting backwards) as it does help to inform the market, and the headwinds challenging our dairy sector just now and flow-on impact on the property market.

The surge in dairy sales over 2013/14 season where 321 farms sold, is in stark contrast to 146 sold last season.

This year, the industry may struggle to successfully conclude 100 dairy sales by the 30th of June 2020. Noting the median sale price over the previous five years has traded between $35,000 to $40,000 per hectare and changed little, even with the dramatic drop in farm sales, the market is still holding out for 2013/14 valuations.

Dairy farmers who wish to sell their property late this season or set marketing strategies for next spring will need to assess whether holding-out for past prices is in their best interest. In our view, a downward adjustment of 10-15% on current price expectations nationally is required to reset the market back to historic farm sales volumes.

Dairy businesses continue to drive strong cash flows, and there are likely to be just as many in strong balance sheet

56 | THE PropertyFARMLANDER Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008 | 0800 367 5263 | pb.co.nz

positions looking to exit as there are those perceived to be under financial pressure.

There have been very modest levels of forced sale ultimatums, and we doubt that will change too much this season given the underlying cash flows and current pay-out. This seasons drought will not be at all welcome and will put pressure on cash flow, but farmers still have a lot more options than $3.90 pay-out of 2014/15.

Balance sheet adjustments in livestock and Fonterra share valuations are happening all the time; hence relatively modest national adjustments in land values should not reflect catastrophic outcomes for the market and instead more a return to market fundamentals.

Today when farmers factor in; sustainable production limits, a focus on cash flow and the underlying yield, the conversation will be less about the price per hectare and more about the return on capital.

Locational influences will always apply, but for many of the larger dairy systems, particularly those under shared ownership models, the fundamental drivers are all about a sustainable return. Not to say that owner/operators are not driven off returns either but they rarely value their own time and run their properties in a way, a larger business can never

Compared to the entire Canterbury/ Waitaki Districts over the same period where only $95m of property has transacted from 50 sales with only one dairy farm sold and that was in Waitaki.

So, with 1m+ cows in Canterbury alone, it is fair to say with no dairy sales concluded for the spring/early summer period, something might need to give, and that is likely to be the asking price of dairy farms.

Through the foreseeable adjustment period, more marginal dairy areas will be retired from dairying be it for; environmental footprint, access to water or alternative land use options such as beef. So, with the anticipated reduction in dairy land area, it would be a bold forecast indeed to suggest that farm valuations over the next ten years will not appreciate in value, at least in line with inflation.

Farm owners with a long-term commitment to dairying who choose to invest today with good information should stand to benefit as supply of dairy land contracts and demand for our sought-after dairy produce continues to rise. Our dairy sector is going through an adjustment like every other NZ primary sector, and we very much doubt it is going backwards!

Conrad Wilkshire, GM Rural for Property Brokers Ltd

Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008 | 0800 367 5263 | pb.co.nz

REAL ESTATE

Farming is about looking ahead, that resonates with us

As a farmer, you have an intrinsic understanding of land and buildings; as you already own significant assets. A simple first step outside of the farm is commercial property. Safeguard your investment with our Commercial Property Management division’s expertise and services.

Whether you own a small block of shops, an office building, warehouse or large shopping mall, we’ll manage every aspect of your commercial investment for you, so you can relax and enjoy the benefits.

• Rent and outgoings collection • Annual building budgets • Lease renewals and rent reviews

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For comprehensive, tailored Commercial Property Management that will suit you down to the ground, get in touch with us today on 0800 367 5263 | pb.co.nz/commercialpm

Commercial Property Management

Property Brokers Licensed REAA 2008

Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008 | 0800 367 5263 | pb.co.nz

THE FARMLANDER | 57

Protect the economic health of your farm and your herd with NRM feed solutions

The NRM Dairy Range has been developed to provide feed solutions that offer choice and flexibility. Rather than a bulk standard feed, options are available to suit a variety of budgets, health needs and performance targets, offering a comprehensive range of compound feeds, blends and straights.

For more information

0800 800 380 www.nrm.co.nz