Autumn 2024

Bulletin

AUTUMN 2024 EDITION

A FEW THOUGHTS FROM TONY:

That age old debate is it ‘Ocean or Lake’ frames up this month’s Bulletin escape. Two poems penned to even the score, and to get our brain matter thinking about nature once more.

There are dangers lurking and solutions too, in both the ‘Ebb and the Flow’ and ‘A Green and Blue View’. I hope these engender a response for you, some pause for thought, or at least, some help planning a holiday or two!

EBB AND FLOW

Wild wind whips

White caps leap

Battalions of waves March out from the deep

Beachheads taken

Surge floods sweep

Little soldiers awaken From trenches deep

Swimmers hurry away

Avoid becoming a treat

In the flow tide sway Predators must eat

Parents guard an infant

Swept off their feet

Sometimes natures innocent End in defeat

A middle aged posse

Life’s ebbing retreat

Assisted by coffee

And the dog at their feet

And the wise old Lulled back to the deep

Know the young bold Sow what nature must reap

Alone on a sand dune

Surrounded by sea

A truce with nature

Only the moon can see

IN THIS EDITION

+ GREG’S COLUMN

+ FARMERS SHARE THEIR TALES, TIPS AND TAKES ON FARM VEHICLE SAFETY

A GREEN AND BLUE VIEW

Natures blood

Flows deep green and blue

In a gold rush town

With a golden view

Remarkable Mountains Laud

An adored Lake Wakatipu

While the partying horde Chew with a brew

Craving an adrenaline rush

Fed by raw attraction

They arrive in a crush Needing outdoor action

As a loud jet descends

Onto a manicured view

The denuded shoreline bends With cars like glue

In the bee loud glade

Airpods lodged in Natures haze fades For a new din within

And bottoms bounce

‘On your right’ in view

When E Bikes announce Lycra tights yahoo!

Freedom campers rush

Wading into the lake

Those floaters don’t flush

Nor does the tummy ache

Holiday pictures

Proudly hung on the wall

Celebrate the rush

But not natures call

Lake Wakatipu weeps

For the green and blue

As its pure blood leaks

Into the view

FARMERS SHARE THEIR TALES, TIPS AND TAKES ON FARM VEHICLE SAFETY

From 2019 to 2023, WorkSafe recorded 22 quad bike-related fatalities. The majority involved rollovers with steep grades and incorrect driving position the leading causes.

It’s prompted Safer Farms and its members (including Greenlea) to make vehicle safety on farms a priority.

Vehicles are almost always involved when someone dies as a result of a farm accident.

Lindy Nelson, Safer Farms chair and Farm Without Harm ambassador, says, “It’s time to put the brakes on vehicle-related harm.”

Earlier this month, Safer Farms launched a drive to encourage farmers to share their experiences, what is working for them and what they are doing to make their farms safer places to live and work.

“We wanted to hear from those who know farm vehicles best – the people driving them. We put the call out for first-hand and unfiltered accounts in farmers’ own words, sharing what they have learned from years of experience.

“The response so far has been phenomenal. Some have made changes to their practices

or their farm’s safety culture as a result of an accident or close call themselves. For others, changes were made as a result of others’ experiences. As a farmer myself, I think all of us will know of someone in the sector who has suffered a workplace accident.”

“By farmers bringing relevant and practical knowledge and insights to the table, we can start to design harm out of the system as a sector for good.”

Safer Farms is the industry-led organisation dedicated to inspiring a safer farm culture throughout New Zealand. Harm caused by vehicles and machinery is a priority focus within Safer Farms’ Farm Without Harm Strategythe first whole-of-sector and whole systems approach to designing preventable harm out of New Zealand’s farming systems.

The campaign is underpinned by further industry efforts under the strategy to address vehiclerelated injury and deaths.

Visit www.farmwithoutharm.org.nz to hear stories straight from the farmgate. What are you doing to protect you and your workers from vehicle-related harm?

GREG’S COLUMN

It’s been a while since my last Bulletin. I was in the US when the summer 2023 edition went out. Thanks to Aaron for filling in. One of the interesting trips I made while in the US was to visit a feedlot in Arizona. There were 150,000 Friesian steers on three different blocks, purchased as one day old calves, and contract reared off site. They are then brought into the feedlot at approx. 180 kg and remain for just short of a year. Over that time, they consume an average of 19 kgs per day of a blended ration, which the feedlot company grows and manufactures themselves, before going out at around 600 kg. All processing is done within fifty kilometers of the feedlot in Phoenix. It is very different from NZ farming practices, with not a blade of grass in sight. I must say, the cattle weren’t crammed in and seemed relaxed and comfortable with plenty of shade. Water is sourced from an onsite bore, and the troughs are emptied and refilled every day.

It was extraordinary to observe the number of burger joints and diners producing meals that require meat patties, all of which utilise a lean beef product, mostly imported, to supplement the fatty feedlot domestic beef. While in America I met with red meat importers of our product, all of whom believed demand for NZ beef would remain solid if not increase. They felt our product was resilient to global issues, and its consistency and quality made business transactions easy.

A year on from Cyclone Gabrielle, its effects are evident and will likely be far reaching and long standing. The loss of capital stock, the costs of rebuilding, and the mental strain and physical effort required to move forward, are all still very real for many in the agriculture sector. So far, the Greenlea Foundation has committed $1.35 million to the Northland, Coromandel, Tairawhiti, and Hawkes Bay areas. The Foundation is working closely with Rural Support Trust to ensure the remaining $650K, like the funds allocated so far, are utilised for real farmer related relief efforts.

The weather, as is often the case in our sector, has not followed the expected script. Predictions of a long, hot, windy, dry El Nino summer have proven to be well off the mark.

Instead, we have experienced consistent rain and warm temperatures throughout the summer months. This has kept feed levels high and allowed supplements to be stockpiled. Cattle have remained behind the farm gate to gain weight or produce milk. All of which made for an interesting February where supply could not meet capacity across the processing sector. Consequently, schedules remained stable and even rose slightly through this period, a complete reversal of previous seasons.

The store market has been reactive to the grass market so far this season. Replacement costs for bulls and prime cattle are sitting well above schedule levels, which is slightly concerning to me. I set schedules based on the markets we sell to, the movements of the NZ dollar, cattle availability, and capacity levels. I would expect the store market to be reflective of the schedule and up until this season it generally has been. However, due to the amount of available feed, and in some opinions, the scarcity of available store cattle, replacements have, at times, been 30 cpk ahead of schedule levels. My thoughts differ slightly on the scarcity of stores. I believe cattle are there, but it may require farmers to consider different weights or even different classes of cattle they replace with.

So where to from here for schedules through autumn and into the winter? Historically, bull and prime schedules have only moved by 10 cpk either way through this period. I cannot see any factors to change that for this season. Cow schedule movement is historically 50 cpk back from February levels. I believe environmental constraints, compliance, and milk price are all factors that will affect how the cull cows make their run this season. Will that affect historical schedule movement? I would suggest not.

Kayleigh, an energetic and adventurous 21-year-old was enjoying working a winter ski season at Whakapapa Ski Field, Mt Ruapehu.

“It was the first full snow day of the season, and we were so excited. The roads up to the ski area were icy and covered with a 2cm layer of snow.” says Kayleigh.

“Unfortunately, the 4-wheel-drive we were in, began to slide on the icy surface, I was sitting in the back tray of the ute and slipped and fell off. I landed on my back, hitting the back of my head directly on the icy concrete. The impact was significant, and I lost consciousness immediately, experiencing my very first seizure.” Kayleigh explains.

One of Kayleigh’s friends quickly made the call for help, but since the roads were closed due to the snowfall, it proved difficult to getting any vital help via road.

Within 15 minutes of taking off, your Greenlea Rescue Helicopter was landing near the carpark where Kayleigh lay. The highly skilled Greenlea Rescue Helicopter crew were equipped and ready to stabilise her for her timecritical flight straight to Waikato Hospital in just over 30 minutes… It would have taken hours by road

Kayleigh’s injuries were critical, she had fractured her skull which resulted in a traumatic brain injury with multiple brain bleeds. She also had a punctured lung, and on arrival at hospital was put on life-support for 12 hours.

“That day has forever changed my life. I am reminded of the luck I had, and the support I received. The rescue helicopter crew are the most incredible humans, and I genuinely owe my life to them.”

– KAYLEIGH

Kayleigh is incredibly thankful to all of the amazing sponsors and supporters who helped ensure the Greenlea Rescue Helicopter was there for her when she needed it.