Manawatu Farming Lifestyles, October 2022

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Young Farmers launches alumni network

The launch of an alumni network by New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) will provide former members with an opportunity to keep connected with the organisation.

Officially formalised at the 2022 NZYF annual general meeting in July, the NZYF Alumni Network will also offer past members, with a channel to offer their expertise and support. It will contribute to NZYF’s goal of becoming a sustainable organisation too.

NZYF chief executive Lynda Coppersmith is excited to have the network formalised.

“New Zealand Young Farmers has been a part of the food and fibre sector since 1927, so we know there are hundreds of ex-members out there doing amazing things,” she said.

“We’re excited to now have the opportunity to stay connected and give our alumni a network to share their knowledge and offer support for the organisation on a local, regional and national level.”

More than 800 NZYF club meetings and 150 events are held around New Zealand each year, drawing members from a wide range of occupations.

Advisory group member and NZYF alumna Kate Taylor is excited for

former NZYF members to be able to stay connected to the organisation and one another, as well as pass down their knowledge and support to the generation. Kate is also the author of 50 Years Young: A History of the Young Farmer of the Year.

“Our alumni are on farms, in businesses and at boardroom tables around the country, from the big corporates and councils down to rural school boards of trustees,” she said. “It’s a vast and valuable resource for today’s Young Farmers to tap into.”

Although NZYF members currently age out of the organisation at 31, the alumni network recognises their involvement can continue. Alumni are invited to stay connected with their former clubs by acting as mentors for current members and getting involved with local NZYF events and initiatives.

Former NZYF Members can find out more about joining the NZYF Alumni Network at youngfarmers.co.nz/nzyf-alumni.

RONGOTEA

MILK CHILLING

Ice Cycle manufactures and supplies water chillers with electronic expansion valves ensuring close temperature control preventing freezing, heat exchanger failures and unnecessary use of glycol. We can supply insulated water tank/chiller and pump sets on easily transported stainless steel frames ready to connect to dairy vats or milk heat exchangers. These “plug and play” systems are also available as icebanks to maximise power savings.

Lynda Coppersmith — NZYF chief executive

Community contributions recognised

The annual awards scheme, which began in 1991, recognises individuals or groups that have made significant voluntary contributions to the community. Contributions include community service, welfare, sport, culture, the arts, recreation or education. This year’s recipients were Wayne Dear, Jimmy Vallender, Mary Ann Baskerville, Wayne Short, Graeme Jensen, Vera Hunt, and Brian and Chris Rosvall.

Wayne Dear has served in the Himatangi Beach Fire Brigade for 40 years, with the past two decades as chief fire officer. He joined the fire brigade to help people and give back to the community he lives in. Wayne has spent 11 years on the Cossie Club committee, too, nine of those as treasurer, and maintained the local skating rink since he was a teenager.

Brian and Chris Rosvall are also from Himatangi Beach, living there for the past 17 years. In that time, the couple has been involved in numerous community projects. They enjoy helping people out and improving the community for everyone.

Rongotea beef and crop farmer Jimmy Vallender is often helping others in the community. He’s served on the Rongotea Lions Club for 29 years and is a former president of the club. Currently, as the club almoner, Jimmy supports elderly and ill members. Since joining the Te Kawau Rugby Club in 1972, Jimmy has held many roles. He is the current club president and bar manager and has

Vera Hunt has unofficially become known as Rongotea’s historian. She’s written several books about the area. As a member of St Luke’s Church, Vera has previously served as treasurer and secretary for the Combined Women’s Fellowship. She’s also a foundation member of the Te Kawau Pony Club and serves as patron of the Rangitīkei Pony Club.

Feilding resident Mary Ann Baskerville was one of the founding members of the Social Issues Network Council of Social Services Manawatū Inc (SINCOSS). With a background in social work, Mary has provided hours of support and expertise. She was also one of the key figures behind

Feilding Health Care. Mary is working on a book documenting some of Feilding’s earliest settlers.

Graeme Jensen has lived in Kimbolton his entire life. He’s one of the longest-serving members of the Kimbolton Community Committee and has volunteered his time to numerous local projects for the past 60 years. Graeme is also a founding member of the Kimbolton and District Bowling Club, keeping the greens and lawns in top condition.

Stanway has always been home for Wayne Short, and he’s devoted to his community. Wayne serves as chairperson of the Halcombe Community Anzac Day committee, planning and organising commemorations each year. He also organised a scrap metal drive for the local fire brigade, raising $20,000. As a longstanding St Michael and All Angels Church member, Wayne helps out in various ways there, too. Wayne is keen to get the younger generation involved in organising events.

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Manawatū District mayor Helen Worboys presented

at

From left: This year’s Manawatū Community Honours award recipients Wayne Dear, Jimmy Vallender, Mary Ann Baskerville, Wayne Short, Graeme Jensen, Vera Hunt and Manawatū District mayor Helen Worboys. Absent from photo were Brian and Chris Rosvall

by Denise Gunn become a role model to many young Te Kawau rugby players.

THREE GENERATIONS AT PINE PARK

BY DENISE GUNN

Three generations of the Sherriff family have farmed their Rangitīkei property. Ed Sherriff and his wife Kirsty took over after farming in partnership with Ed’s parents, Philson and Judy, for 30 years.

“Dad basically started the farm. His grandfather had a cattle stud, but dad took his own cows and started from there,” said Ed.

Philson was also involved with a group of breeders at the time Professor Coop developed the Coopworth.

“He got the sheep going too with the first Romney/Border Leicester cross to create the Coopworth. We have been selling rams for 58 years, and he started selling 62 years ago.”

Pine Park’s home block, situated three kilometres north of Marton, covers 250ha of mostly flat land. A second block, with a 280ha mix of flat land and hills, is located six kilometres west of the home farm. Both blocks are generally summer-safe.

“Normally, we get a dry, late summer. In the winter, we might get half a dozen frosts but it depends on the season.”

The annual average rainfall ranges between 1,000 to 1,200mls. “We grow

winter crops, mainly kale and oats for cattle. We’ve got a lot of ram hoggets on, and being a stud; you have to retain

Workshops, Farm and Lifestyle Buildings.

a lot of animals through winter. A high stocking rate in autumn can be tough at times.”

Pine Park Partnership traces its history back to the early development of the Coopworth.

Around 800 terminal blackface ewes and their progeny are farmed on the home block

Hay and baleage are also grown for cattle and used in autumn as a backup if required. “We are pushing up around 5,400 stock units in total, split amongst cattle and sheep. It’s pretty much a 50:50 ratio of cattle and sheep.”

Breeding stock, Coopworth ewes and Angus cows are kept on the second block, with the hills providing shelter for young animals. “The cows are pretty tough, and calves tend to cope well, but lambing can get hit by the weather, especially with the rain, strong wind and chill in the air.”

Lambs and calves are tagged at birth for identification. The family has found the Coopworth to have a good mothering ability. “Maintaining fertility and good mothering are attributes that pay a lot of dividends.”

Facial eczema-tolerant rams have been used for the past 30 years. “Facial eczema is always a challenge. We are always getting spore counts at high levels, so we have to be on the ball with that.”

Ed runs 800 terminal blackface ewes and their progeny on the Pine Park home farm. “We focus on meat growth, yield and survivability, trying to produce a fast-growing animal. It’s relatively simple; we concentrate on the main attributes of those animals, growing meat as quickly as we can.

“Worm resistance is now our biggest challenge. It’s suddenly becoming a major issue. We bought some Romneys at a dispersal, so trying to push forward with those introducing those genetics.”

Straight Angus cattle were chosen for hardiness. “They are good, moderate-

framed animals with the capability of growing progeny up. I love the cows, so I make sure the cow base is right, so everything else will follow.

“We’ve had a bull sale for 48 years now that usually takes place after June. Then, I sell yearlings privately — dairy and beef. We sell quite a few yearlings this time of year. Bull sales are always a pleasure, and we look forward to those catching up with clients.”

Pine Park also holds an annual sheep sale, with this year’s set for Tuesday, November 22.

“We have a Helmsman auction for that sale. The top end is sold at that sale, and after that, we sell privately as well.

“Our aspirations are probably to keep punching to the wind really with the way the global market is at the moment. With inflation going up, we keep control of the things we can.”

Ed said long term if his three children show an interest in taking over the farm, he has set up a good base for them to start. Meantime, he and Kirsty plan to continue farming in the direction they are heading.

“If you make the right decisions, things follow on from that. We’ve got a good loyal clientele base with faith in what we are doing. Talking to clients and seeing their success is one of our farming highlights,” said Ed said.

The Sherriff family chose Angus cattle due to the breed’s hardiness

Ed Sherriff is the third generation to farm the family’s Rangitīkei property

BY AMY FIFITA

Amanda moved to Taranaki in 1994. Aaron has been a Pohokura local, excluding one year. They bought part of his family farm and have recently started leasing the remaining farm, which offers scale to their breeding operation.

“I married into the area in 2010, but I come from a farming background, so it is not

foreign to me. My parents are farm managers in different areas of the country — Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa and Taranaki,” Amanda says.

“The further you head away from the 50-kilometre sign of the town, the closer-knit the community is. We are 52 kilometres from the closest town, and our closest neighbour is about 20 minutes away, but it doesn’t feel like it.”

Amanda has close ties with working in the community and has just finished her first term as a Stratford District councillor.

“We have two girls. Ruby is 11, and Lucy is seven, so a lot of our hobbies are associated with them. The council work fills any voids in the timetable.”

Initially, they started breeding the easycare Wiltshire sheep. Amanda says they liked how they looked — at the time, they weren’t a popular breed.

“They weren’t popular until about three years ago. Regardless of their popularity, we like them as an animal, and they suited our country quite well.

“We bought our first Wiltshire ewes on our honeymoon. It was in 2010, and we have been breeding them ever since. We started small and have bred up from the original flock.”

Doug Rowan Riana Smith

Aaron had an influence in the breeding of Shorthorn cattle, and he says that he likes the variety that the breed produces.

A Shorthorn can produce calves of various colours

Aaron and Amanda Harris breed Wiltshire sheep and Beef Shorthorn cattle on their Mill Valley farm in Pohokura, complete with a bed and breakfast — Mill House.

“Aaron’s parents had some involvement with the Shorthorn breed years ago, and he liked the look of them.

“They are a minor breed, and the breed association is a bunch of good people, which has been quite supportive. We started with a small mob, and we gradually moved up to calving 48 pedigree animals this year.

“They are a maternal breed. The colours are a bonus. You don’t know what you are going to get — a white cow can have a red calf and everything else in between.”

Amanda says that while they are minor breeds, people should give them an opportunity to show their benefit.

“Sometimes minor breeds can get a lick of the brush from the breed in general. Variations within breeds can be vast. We would welcome anyone to come and have a look in their working clothes on-farm to see how they do in the situation.

“I couldn’t farm without either of them. The Wiltshires get a bad wrap for being energetic and spirited, but I could imagine it without the attributes of the Wiltshires and Shorthorns.”

Helping support their endeavours is Mill House, which they offer to the public as accommodation. The 1900s villa gives guests opportunities to learn and creates a talking point for the farms Wiltshire and Shorthorns. They have been running it for four years.

“It is on the Forgotten Highway and is a little way from anywhere, but we are finding a lot of people are travelling through or to the area.

“We’ve learned to trust our instincts. If something is not popular, continue through with what you have got. For instance, the Wiltshires weren’t for a long time. Popularity will wain with every breed, and not all farms are the same.

“A recent highlight is owning the block we are on now. We were leasing it for a while, and it has been a real achievement for us to have that landholding. It provided us with scale and an ownership badge.

“We hope to purchase our new lease block one day. We intend to retain the quality, but being able to have more so we can pick through the traits we like and put the breeds on the platforms they deserve.”

Amanda

Aaron and Amanda Harris with their children Ruby and Lucy

INVITING THE WORLD IN

BY AMY FIFITA

had already affected Dubai in December 2019, and

there wasn’t able

California for Christmas.

signed up for various Airbnb online

like yoga sessions, and

her across Asia,”

“I found it intriguing. I had never heard of online experiences, and my friend explained it to me. I bought some packages, and I thoroughly enjoyed them.”

Arthur.

The discussion sparked an idea to share his own journey and knowledge about lifestyle farming in the same way. With $200, Arthur set up his new

enterprise, New Zealand Nature Highlights and began to showcase his Turitea block on Airbnb Online Experiences in 2020.

“Living on a farm I thought people might be interested in a farm tour. I’m a bit of a sucker for pies so initially, I priced it for $5.60 — the same price as a BP pie.

“I talk about my journey as a lifestyle farmer with a Bluetooth headset, a selfie stick and a cell phone. People are always fascinated by personal journeys, and I tell them how I integrated into it and what works for me. I tell them about the ewes, lambs, kunekune pigs and my whakapapa — my way of life.”

Within a year, Arthur had become a popular online farm host. In 2021 his business was spotlighted as a finalist for the New Zealand International Business Awards (NZIBA) and New Zealand Tourism Awards. This year he

was awarded the Most Magical Experience at the 2022 Airbnb Host Awards. He is an NZIBA finalist in two categories — Brand Storytelling and Integrating Digital Commerce.

Arthur

Arthur Chin has kunekune pigs on his property; he shared the experience online for all to engage with

“It has been amazing. When I started it, people were laughing at me and didn’t think it was viable. I have demonstrated that it works, and I am excited about what the prospects mean. Everybody can showcase New Zealand to the world.

“We are a number one operator in New Zealand and worldwide. For a lifestyle farm, it would have been almost impossible to get this sort of traction in the past, but with the Internet, I can reach out to anyone with an internet connection.”

People across 32 countries have reached out to discover Arthur’s journey as a lifestyle farmer. Even significant organisations such as Tesla, Google, Obama Foundation and many others have

signed up to have a glimpse into his way of being. He has connected to more than 11,000 people.

“People love it because it is unique, and I do it even when it’s raining, and they get to be in the comfort of their homes. They get to see it on a good day and also on a good day. People are looking for authentic experiences, even if I fall on my bum or slip on the ground.

“They are moving towards technology when it comes to tourism. There are so many people around the world, and I connect with them.”

Following his success doing online tours, Arthur started an additional business called Curation to assist others

interested in expanding to the online world. He says he had been fortunate with working with various tourism operators, including the local Manawatū charity, Pūkaha Wildlife Centre.

Arthur says he has learnt a lot since being a lifestyle farmer and online host. One insight he shared was that it is a sustainable tourism option with minimal impact on the environment and that it holds educational potential for youth.

“I am originally from Singapore and have been in New Zealand for 30 years. I relocated to Palmerston North to work at Massey about 11 years ago and moved into a lifestyle block. I thoroughly love it.

“I enjoy the new knowledge and people I interact with. Farmers are an awesome bunch of people, and there is so much support I have received from neighbouring farmers and I respect them for the work that they do.”

2022 Airbnb Host Awards winner for Most Magical Experience, Arthur Chin started his journey doing online farm tours in 2020

Arthur Chin hand-feeding his flock of ewes on his property he has opened to the world

Controlling weeds the natural way

A happy accident with a spilled barrel of vinegar was one link in a chain leading to the creation of the Goulter family’s all-natural bio-herbicide — WeedX

In 2013, Charlie Goulter and his wife Trish were growing concerned about the impact of glyphosate-based herbicides on the soil life of their 10-acre block in Upper Moutere.

Charlie, who comes from a long line of New Zealand farmers, discussed the

POP’S POP’S

idea of a natural weed control product with his uncle, Timmy Goulter, a vinegar and winemaker of 44yrs. It prompted Timmy to remember the spilt barrel. “He noticed that the vinegar really took out the weeds,” recalls Trish.

Research quickly confirmed that the Goulters were on to something. “We found that vinegar’s been used for all kinds of things — weeds, cleaning, health,” says Trish. “Our forebears have been using it for centuries. We’re really excited to educate people about the natural way.”

An extensive period of research and development followed. The Goulters worked with a local scientist, John Lloyd, to formulate a natural and effective weed treatment. After four years of hard work and testing, they gained EPA approval for WeedX, the first product of its kind to be marketed in New Zealand.

Their focus throughout this journey was on developing a product that would be safe and effective for people, animals and the environment. Moreover, because of this, the Goulters have had a great response from operators, who are concerned about the potential toxicity of other herbicides — especially when spraying around children and

animals. Their client base ranges from domestic users, market gardeners and tree nurseries to a growing number of schools.

WeedX’s combination of acetic and citric acid is fast acting, yet it allows the soil pH to rebalance within 24 hours. It kills annual and perennial weeds by contact but does not harm mature tree bark. It is fully biodegradable in soil and aquatic areas and is excellent for spraying on vegetable beds prior to planting. Where oil-based herbicides can leave a lingering and unpleasant odour, the smell from WeedX dissipates quickly.

The product is effective on broadleaf weeds such as dandelion, small gorse, small broom, scarlet pimpernel, mosses, clover and grass (particularly border edges). Though repeat spraying is necessary for larger and more resistant weeds, the Goulters believe this is a small price to pay for the peace of mind that comes with a natural product. “We want to help people do right by their land, animals and kids.”

Goulter’s Vinegar Products is currently working on a way to make WeedX systemic for the ultimate in natural, targeted weed control.

Goulter’s WeedX 750ml ready-to-spray bottle in the garden

Advanced skills in panel and paint

by Denise Gunn

Owner/managers Mark Neilson and Brent Tinetti initially set up the business on Tremaine Avenue, Palmerston North. The pair worked together in the automotive industry for many years before making the decision to form Advanced Panel and Paint.

In 2015, the decision was made to move to the current premises at 465 Rangitikei Street, Palmerston North. These premises provide more space with a larger workshop and yard, ensuring faster turnaround and coping with an ever-increasing work volume.

Although specialising in repairing and painting heavy machinery, the team also provides the same exceptional service to all types of vehicles.

The team’s highly skilled repair work also goes hand-in-hand with excellent, friendly customer service.

“We do it all, from the small jobs to the big jobs and anything in between. No job is too big or too small for

our talented staff. All our work is guaranteed,” said Mark.

A team of 13 takes care of clients’ requirements. “We have five panelbeaters, six painters, one workshop assistant and the office extraordinaire.”

Continually upskilling staff is a priority, too. Individuals attend courses through I-CAR New Zealand to learn the latest developments in automobile collision repairs. Local paint companies also provide on-site training.

“With many changes in the automotive panel and paint industry, it’s good to stay on top of it,” Brent said.

In addition to upskilling the current team, there are plans to employ more experienced staff members.

Advanced Panel and Paint is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 4.30pm and Saturdays between 8am to noon.

Phone 06 356 7191 to discuss all your machinery and vehicle panel and paint requirements. Free quotes are available.

Dealing with thecauses of osteoarthritis

by John Arts

I recently spoke with a client I have been helping with painful knee Osteoarthritis (OA) for nearly two years.

When we first spoke, he needed strong pain relief just to walk for exercise. We agreed that pain medication use would be a good measure of his progress. After six months, he said the pain had completely gone, and no longer needed pain medication. Now a year later, he is still pain-free.

Any successful programme to improve joints affected by OA should address the underlying disease process. OA is a disease that is characterised by cartilage loss due to both mechanical and biochemical processes. The major process is the loss of cartilage caused by progressive damage to specialised cells called chondrocytes. These cells live in the matrix of cartilage and are responsible for maintaining and repairing cartilage by secreting new cartilage where required.

However, these cells are vulnerable to destructive processes brought about by trauma, such as sports injury or a disease process called oxidative damage. It just means that cells and cell structures have been damaged by free radicals.

The main source of discomfort in OA is inflammation in the joint capsule resulting in pain, swelling and, in some cases, heat and redness.

While bone on bone can only be repaired by surgery, the discomfort from inflammation and cartilage loss can respond very well to nutritional therapy.

While curcumin (from turmeric) can help with inflammation, the most important joint support compound is high-grade chondroitin sulphate. Research suggests at least 800mg daily. I like to start most clients on an intensive programme delivering 1,600mg of both chondroitin and glucosamine and 400mg of a highpotency curcumin extract. That, combined with therapeutic doses of omega-3 fish oil, can make a real difference.

John Arts (B.Soc.Sci, Dip Tch, Adv. Dip.Nut.Med) is a nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health Ltd. For questions or advice, contact John on 0800 423 559 or email john@abundant.co.nz. Join his newsletter at abundant.co.nz.

“OA is a disease that is characterised by cartilage loss due to both mechanical and biochemical processes.”

Since establishing Advanced Panel and Paint in 2005, the team has put in the hard yards earning a reputation for top-quality repairs and great workmanship.

Advanced Panel and Paint is based at 465 Rangitikei Street, Palmerston North

New faces at regional council

by Andy Bryenton

at the table for Horizons Regional Council,

covering a vast swathe of the North Island.

Empowered to govern the environment and natural resources, the Horizons Regional Council (HRC) members number 14. Incumbent chairwoman Rachel Keedwell returns to represent her Palmerston North constituency, along with returning councillors Wiremu Te Awe Awe, Jono Naylor and Fiona Gordon.

Emma Clarke and Sam Ferguson will speak for Horowhenua, Bruce Gordon and Gordon McKellar for the Manawatū— Rangitīkei constituency, and Nikki Riley for Ruapehu. Allan Benbow stood unopposed to represent Tararua, while the two councillors for Whanganui were David Cotton and Alan Taylor.

The HRC also has two Māori seats, Raki and Tonga, with Turuhia (Jim) Edwards running opposed for the former and Te Kenehi Teira winning the latter in a twocandidate race.

“Our recent 2021–31 Long-term Plan introduced a new vision: To tātou rohe, taiao ora, tangata ora, mauri ora. Our place; a healthy environment where people are thriving. The council’s five

new community outcomes support this vision by placing an emphasis on the social, environmental, economic, and

cultural wellbeing of the communities we serve,” said HRC chief executive officer Michael McCartney in his preelection report.

As CEO, Mr McCartney is also aware that incoming councillors will need to be ready to adapt to changes in the structure of local governance which may be seismic in their scale.

“Just like our local government peers, Horizons is currently reviewing a raft of national reform through a regional lens,” he said. The campaigns of many of the successful candidates for regional council seats reflect an understanding of this major shift, which incorporates centralisation pushes such as the controversial Three Waters scheme.

Many local mayors of municipalities and regions within the environs of the Horizons District, retained their positions despite a wave of change sweeping through local politics across New Zealand. For example, the mayors of Manawatū, Horowhenua, Tararua and Rangitīkei will return for another term.

Michael McCartney, CEO of Horizons Regional Council, says that a new vision for the future is in place and ready for new councillors to engage with

Fun at the fair

by Denise Gunn

Meandering pathways through stunning gardens, with an element of surprise around every corner, awaits visitors to this year’s Cross Hills Gardens Country Fair.

Set amongst a backdrop of spectacular rhododendrons and azaleas, the event is set for Saturday, November 19.

Cross Hills Gardens, on the outskirts of Kimbolton, was founded by Eric Wilson when he purchased the property in 1938.

Alongside the sheep and beef operation, Eric and his wife Merle developed 18 acres of gardens in stages, including a spectacular waterfall with ornamental pools set below a clematis-covered bank.

The couple built up a collection of rhododendrons and azaleas, which now number in the thousands. Further additions to the property include a maze, plant nursery and cafe.

When Eric and Merle passed away, their son Rodney and his wife Faith took over the garden business and the 240ha farm. Rodney and Faith’s son, Scott, and his wife, Angela, now own Cross Hills Gardens and the farm.

Angela organised the first fair 14 years ago, following the birth of their son Henry.

“The garden has been open for nearly 45 years now. Scott and I knew we had to

take this asset and have another use for it. That was the other drive; to use the venue.”

The fair now attracts 200 stallholders from around New Zealand, selling topquality products — visitor numbers average around 6,000.

“We have stallholders from as far as Waiheke Island, a stallholder from Fairlie and everywhere in between. We have lots of locals, too,” said Angela.

“The criteria is really well-made, highquality products. Stallholders love being amongst other high-quality stalls. We get good clientele.”

Live music is performed throughout the day as visitors wander through the fair set within the gardens. “There are three big sections of stalls. Visitors get a tour of the gardens and can shop on the way through.”

Most of the gardens are wheelchair and mobility scooter accessible. A variety of food stalls are also on-site. The farm’s airstrip is used for the weekend of the fair as a campsite for motorhome

and campervan owners. Bookings are essential, and vehicles must be selfcontained. A courtesy van shuttles guests between the campsite and the fair.

Entrance to the fair is $20 a person. Under 16s are free. Angela suggests visitors have $20 cash ready for speedy admission through the ticket box.

“Lots of stallholders have Eftpos machines but have cash on hand. We

are a rural destination, and cash is king. It makes everything way quicker.”

The fair runs between 9am to 4pm at 339 Rangiwahia Road, Kimbolton. Enquiries and campsite bookings can be made through crosshillsfair.co.nz.

“The fair is huge to organise, but we have family and people who work for us. It’s a very small, well-oiled machine. It’s a destination and a day out,” Angela said.

professional

of

On November 2nd 1997 Chris and Gail Torr opened their first

store

This November is our 25th Anniversary. You will find their flagship store centrally located at 16 The Square, Palmerston North.

With our Feilding store being conveniently located in the heart of Feilding (102 Fergusson Street), you are never too far away from a Health for Life store. You will always get a positive experience when you visit our stores. We deliver on commitment and find the right solutions. We research and pick products for our shelves with our customers in mind and some of these products you will only find at your nearest Health for Life store.

Join us to celebrate 25 years in business with 25 days of fun packed activities starting on the 2nd of November. There will be something exciting happening @healthforlife every day.

Look out for giveaways, sampling, a great little competition for kids, prizes, super promotions... you will not want to miss out. And yes, there will be cake.

Spotless Glass for the Future

Visitors can shop as they wander through the gardens

Solutions in business support

New Zealand business owners are renowned for doing it all themselves; sometimes, it doesn’t work, or they don’t have time. Summit Business Solutions was created after seeing a need for business support or people wanting to contract out some of the tasks they cannot do or don’t want to spend time doing.

Summit Business Solutions is owned and operated by Heidi Hitchman, who has 25+ years of experience in business management, ownership and administration. The business was created during the first lockdown of 2020. Heidi, a former general manager, has

an extensive background in business management and administration in various industries, including legal, finance and corporate farming.

She saw a need for businesses to have access to business support for their business without having to employ a person in-house or someone coming in and coaching and clipping the ticket. The benefits of this service are that it is cost-effective, has 100% productivity and scalable support. The business can leverage a team of experts and streamline your processes and business.

Summit Business Solutions is based in Manawatu. It now has clients around New Zealand since lockdown taught us that we could work remotely and be effective. We offer as little or as much support as your business needs for the time it requires or ongoing support. Every business is different, so we tailor our support to your business specifically.

We offer a range of services such as payroll, bookkeeping, meeting or board minutes and administration, director or CEO executive assistance, event coordination (awards dinners, team days, etc), strategic planning and business plans and even support with your compliance or HR. Summit Business Solutions supports NZX-listed companies, commercial and retail businesses, farmers and associations and we travel if you need us.

The support that Summit Business Support has to offer you and your business allows you time to focus on your core business instead of feeling overwhelmed by the administration or

Heidi Hitchman — Summit Business Solutions’ founder

compliance. Get in touch to chat further on 027 620 0296 or email heidi@ summitsolutions.nz.

Cockery OWNER

feedsHigh-quality for

Premier Stockfeeds Ltd has been producing stock food for more than 25 years. With our friendly staff and easy access, we focus on shorter timeframes between manufacturing and product consumption.

We give personal service and quick responses to any questions or advice required. Premier Stockfeeds mixes and produces customised feed for a wide range of farmyard animals. Raw ingredients include grain, proteins, vitamins, minerals and molasses.

By maintaining fewer types of production, such as pellets, meal and textured feeds, we provide a diverse range of options within these products for multiple species and classes of stock, including calves, cows, horses, sheep, goats, pigs and chickens.

With more than 25 years of oncall support, Nutritech provides

all our minerals and vitamins, including diet formulation working with our available raw ingredients.

Raw ingredients are locally sourced where available, and selected being mindful of the ‘bang for their buck’ of the consumer. Our intention is to provide the best and most effi cient product for our consumers, not necessarily using the cheapest input.

Our product is made to order, so it is always fresh. The product can be packed in 25kg bags, half-tonne, one-tonne bulk bag, or delivered in a bulk truck. We can organise delivery or pick up from our centrally-located factory on request.

Call us on 06 323 2353 (24-hour answerphone available) or email us at premierstockfeeds@xtra.co.nz for all your stockfeed requirements.

Calf feed products from Premier Stockfeeds’ extensive range

Forty years on four wheels

Henry Ford famously replaced the horse as a means of on-road transport by introducing the affordable Model T. Still, it wasn’t until 1982 that the farmer found a better way to tackle tough terrain.

The quad bike is 40 this year, and it’s come a long way since its introduction way back in the era of denim on denim and big moustaches. However, it was a torturous path through some hit-and-miss ideas which led to the quad layout becoming so successful.

It all began back in 1893 with a brand that’s still around today. Royal Enfield created a quadricycle, or four-wheeled motorbike, back when Queen Victoria was still in charge and gentlemen dressed like Sherlock Holmes. It was meant to replace light horse-drawn buggies of the kind the Amish people of Pennsylvania still utilise, but it never took off, and Enfield went back to bikes.

During the second world war, bikes were popular for speeding messages to the front, sidecar-mounted machine guns were a strategic asset, and the king of the battlefield was the tank. Combining all the worst properties of all three, the German Sonderkraftfahrzeug was an odd attempt to solve the problem quad bikes would handle many decades later. Steering with handlebars but driven by tracks like those of a

During the years, many tried to come up with a way to make a motorcycle work in truly rugged terrain; the Germans did not really nail it during the 1940s Panzer, the machine had neither the nippy speed of a bike nor the oomph of a battle tank. Also, the name was impossible to pronounce.

Things were quiet for a time until an unassuming Japanese auto engineer from Honda, Osamu Takeuchi, was

given a very open-ended design brief by his bosses. ‘Make us something that uses a motorcycle engine but will sell well in winter’, they told him and he obliged.

Honda’s chief Soichiro was perhaps expecting a snowmobile, but instead

Pasture

he got the ATC90, a balloon-wheeled trike with a seven-horsepower engine and a tiny price tag of $600 at the time.

Honda dealers in the US sold them as fast as they could get them, mainly for recreation, although farmers in other parts of the world where the mud was a winter problem took note. Some of those farmers were New Zealanders.

Suzuki came to the Kiwi backcountry to develop a new project in the early 1980s, an attempt to make a safer, more stable off-road bike. They avoided the German idea of treads, added one more wheel, then put the resulting machine through its paces. Thus the Quadrunner LT125 was born, and the rest is history.

Other companies, seeing the utility and practicality of the basic idea, all put their own spin on the quad concept. They developed memorable names of their own, engaging in a war of horsepower and safety, grip and torque that has greatly benefitted the Kiwi farmer. Cheers to 40 great years, quad bikes! Who knows how they will evolve next?

Cridge

Stuart

Cridge

of farmers throughout New Zealand which they intend to continue.

Cridge Seeds is known to provide seed to you with high quality dressing, top quality ryegrass, superior growth, amazing results, word of mouth sightings, and high priority customer service which all have seen a large demand for orders to suit varied pasture requirements.

They grow and sell their own brand of seed, but are more than competitive in sourcing and supplying all proprietary and common seed to be sown alone or in mixes to suit all farming requirements.

For spring sowing options, prices or suggestions;

Cridge Seeds Ltd Office: 03 324 3951 Nick: 022 0833 579 | Julie: 027 324 4431 08004seeds (473 337) Website: www.cridgeseeds.co.nz

The king still reigns

by Andy Bryenton

Heavy is the head that wears the crown, they say, or, in other words, it’s hard to stay at the top when you’ve been given the title of king.

There’s an exception to every rule, however. While some might opine that Elvis is the exception to this one, a better example is found in Suzuki’s ATV line-up. The Kingquad has been waving the sceptre as Suzuki’s flagship offroad machine for many years now. Rather than diminishing with age, the brand just keeps getting better, with small improvements to each generation.

Take the 2022 Kingquad 500XP, for example. Yes, it’s built on the same no-nonsense platform as its illustrious predecessors. If the formula works, why change it drastically? Four decades of feedback on stability and handling have been packed down into this big red machine. However, there have been some improvements, as told by the figures.

Start with frame tubing that’s 25 per cent thicker for more stiffness, rigidity and more ability to handle punishment from nature. Then add a towing capacity bumped up to 600kg, extended suspension travel on the independent suspension for all four wheels, and bigger brakes, and the picture begins to emerge. Power is delivered by a four-stroke, liquid-cooled 493cc Suzuki

engine, with internal tech informed by years of building bikes that win races and quads that work hard.

The Kingquad’s instrument cluster has been upgraded to be easier to read. At the same time, the power steering system on the 500XP is more responsive than ever, making for an easier day in the saddle. A smoother CVT gearbox delivers horsepower to the ground with no need for gear changes.

Suzuki got the whole ATV game started here in New Zealand back in 1982 when the mullet haircut was new, and Eye of the Tiger from Rocky was the number one pop song. From the LT125 of those days to the big Kingquads of the present, Suzuki’s story is one of constant and incremental innovation, adding new features and upgrading power and comfort with each new model. Give one a test ride this spring and find out why so many farmers say ‘hail to the king.’

Terrain Mulching

“The Kingquad’s instrument cluster has been upgraded to be easier to read.”

Aspiring tothe highest standard

by Andy Bryenton

Ryan Badger started as a keen 15-year-old with a second-hand baler and a lot of ambition; now, he’s at the helm of a thriving agricultural business, helping turn pastureland and paddocks into profits for his clients.

“I grew up on a dairy farm on the outskirts of Palmerston North, and while my parents never ran the dairy farm, I was always involved as a child,” says Ryan. “My father ran his own ag contracting business when I was younger before he returned to his engineering trade.”

However, the allure of working on the land with the great Kiwi outdoors as his ‘office’ had Ryan hooked. He worked for 14 years in engineering but never lost an affinity for farming life. When he met his wife, Trace, she was involved in dairy farming, and the opportunity arose to fulfil a common dream. Eight years

ago, RTB Agri Ltd was born, combining the initials of its founders. Ever since it’s been on an upward path.

“We have an excellent team of young guys that work for us who share the same passion for our clients and a high-quality job that we do,” says Ryan. “We believe our staff are just as important as us to our clients, as without them, we can’t do the work required.”

Ryan tries to keep everything in-house as much as possible. For example, RTB has a mechanic on the team as well as the engineering skills of Ryan and his dad.

“There’s not much we can’t fix in a hurry to keep the wheels turning and the

jobs being ticked off,” he says. It’s a case of teamwork and partnership.

“I handle all of the organising and admin as well as operating machines when I can while Trace takes care of all of the truck driving and cartage but also assists me with the day-to-day running of the business. She can jump in any of the machines to help out as well when we need all the equipment running,” says Ryan.

His parents are also an integral part of the business. Ryan’s father works on the team and helps with any engineering repairs, while his mother assists with

school runs and babysitting his children Paige and Oliver. All of this while also looking after her beef cattle on a busy farm.

With a new Arcusin baler joining the fleet to tie together smaller square bales for easy transit and a stable of machines which can see a farmer through from fertilising the soil to undersowing, crop planting, maize harvest, silage and hay, it’s never a dull day out in the field. Ryan has made a living out of taking the hassles out of the rural trade, and with his help, you can enjoy hassle-free farming too.

RTB Agri’s Ryan and Trace cover from Bulls to Pahiatua and Pohangina to Shannon, in the heartland of Manawatu

Wanting a clear path

by Amy Fifita

Farmers are anticipating a way forward from the government about the freshwater farm plan (FWFP) before late-spring planting to prepare for winter grazing.

FWFP is another step to promote a better environment and aims to improve water quality throughout New Zealand. Once in place, it hopes to decrease resource consents for farmers.

The regulations are expected to be implemented by the year’s end. It will affect farms exceeding land use — five hectares for horticulture and 20 hectares for combined and arable or pastoral.

Beef and Lamb NZ (B+LNZ), DairyNZ and Federated Farmers have spoken out in support of farmers. The organisations jointly expressed on two occasions the need for an extension until November next year to Environment Minister David Parker. A recent letter to the organisations from the minister stated that the government would not be extending winter grazing regulations.

“It is highly disappointing that Minister Parker has not listened to the sector and is pushing on with these unworkable regulations, despite freshwater farm plans not being available. We are currently working through the letter’s content with our partner organisations before determining any further action,” says B+LNZ chief executive Sam McIvor.

Community planting schemes combine with on-farm ones to have an impact

“In our view, farmers are being put in an impossible situation by the inability to get timely consent and the promised freshwater farm plan pathway.”

Current requirements expect farmers to have a certified FWFP in place by early 2023. The lack of a pathway creates uncertainty for farmers, with water grazing regulations being implemented on November 1.

There will be a webinar in October consulting the sector for anyone in the industry who has questions about the introduction of FWFP.

“We need the government to deliver a freshwater farm plan framework so farmers can use it. In the meantime, the government needs to take a practical approach to these regulations and how farmers can proceed for next

Make sure your family is safe with clean water and tank

Safe H2O purify your water and clean your tank, using innovative nano-filtration. Anything nasty is removed from your tank and water, and you do not need to replace your water

season,” says DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle.

“Most farmers are already implementing the good management practices required in the new legislation, and farmers have come through a challenging winter very well. Regional councils are reporting that farmers have widely adopted best management practices and were well set up for winter grazing this year.”

A new answer to clean and safe water

Safe H2O’s water purification and water tank cleaning service is turning the traditional model of cleaning water tanks on its head.

As CEO Hamish Grey explains, “Traditionally when cleaning a water tank you empty the tank, muck it out and then refill the tank.

Safe H2O’s innovative process cleans both the water and the tank. It vacuums the sediment from the tank and then filters the water through three levels of filtration ending in nano-filtration. This removes anything larger than 0.001 microns and renders the water safe of anything detrimental to your health. The purified water is returned to the tank ready for use.

Over time water tanks build up sediment from leaf matter, dust, pollen, sand and the like. This layer can become dense in a very short period of time. The sediment can act as a breeding ground and food source for potentially harmful bacteria that can lead to ill health. This sediment should be removed regularly, and the Ministry of Health recommends annual inspections and regular cleaning of tanks – a task often overlooked.

The Safe H20 process of treating both the tank and the water in the tank is unique in ensuring the retained water is both clean and safe to drink for the whole household.

As Grey says, “After vacuuming the water it looks clean to the naked eye. However, there are always solids in solution that can’t be seen and need to be safely removed through the filtration process. At the end of this process customers are left with both a clean tank and water fit for immediate use – and all this without having to purchase replacement water.”

The feedback from customers has been fantastic. As recent customer Peter Seers puts it, “Awesome service. Arrived on time, water is perfect... no smell or taste, just clean water. Tanks are spotless and way better than I expected.”

Water is a precious commodity and increasingly so as we experience the impact of climate change. Safe H2O has saved over 200 million litres of water, with a replacement value of over $4.5 million, to date using their process as opposed to the traditional tank cleaning method.

The Safe H2O process provides a double benefit. It benefits the environment as it preserves an increasingly precious resource – water. And it provides economic benefits through saving money by not requiring replacement water to be purchased.

Hamish says, “With the Safe H2O process retaining your water it makes cleaning your tanks and water when they are full, an excellent option.”

“Often we get calls in summer where water deliveries have been made and they have stirred up the sediment in the bottom of the tank that has not been attended to. While we have plenty of water now is a good time to prepare your water tank for the drier summer months ahead so you go into that period with both purified water and a clean full tank. We are operating locally and welcome any enquiries on 0800 723342.”

Rolling on voltage

by Andy Bryenton

Strange

newest technology in farming is introduced to the public via computer game which replicates the modern farming process.

The latest Farm Simulator edition delves deep into

makes

models of harvesters, tractors and trucks you can deploy on your virtual farm. It requires players to micro-manage their operations to a degree of precision real farmers might find baffling. It’s like the attention to detail motor racing fans would find on the latest Gran Turismo via Playstation, and this time, there’s an all-electric tractor option to play.

The Rigitrac SKE 50 is not virtual reality fiction, however. It’s an on-farm fact, hailing from Switzerland. The small utility tractor boasts 68 horsepower and absolutely stump-pulling torque thanks to five electric motors, one for each axle, one for each PTO coupling, and one for dedicated hydraulics. Battery tech cribbed from high-efficiency autos ensures that even when all five motors are spinning, the little Rigitrac can work hard for five hours on a single charge.

That alone was enough to win the SKE 50 a Swiss innovation award. Previously, battery tractors were dismissed as a practical improbability due to the need for heavy batteries. With concerns about deep soil compaction, the real monsters and heavyweights of farming may not ever be able to be battery-powered.

There’s a cruel curve of mathematical correlation between horsepower and the weight to hold a powerful enough charge to generate it. In 2018, for example, John Deere was experimenting with an autonomous electric tractor that ran on an extension cable up to a kilometre long, busting the battery problem.

Keeping things small and playing its position as a utility tractor means that the Rigitrac all-electric machine tips the scales at a mere 2.8 tonnes — less than some big sports utilities. The Swiss engineers behind the project have even

added a Toyota Prius-style regenerative braking system, which can help recharge the battery during road trips. Its on-road speed is approximately 40km/h.

The Swiss offering is not the only one in this growing segment of the market, which has leapt ahead of the electric ute, another promised future tech Kiwis have been waiting to see reach fruition. Fendt produces a Vario model with a five-hour operation time, while US company Solectrac

has an eight-hour battery life on their small orchard and vineyard tractors. Case has even embarked on the fantastically titled Project Zeus to create an electric backhoe for the construction industry.

Will electric power fill the utility and small tractor gap on future Kiwi farms? Only time will tell. Alternatively, you could log in to Farm Simulator 22 and have a go with the Rigitrac, as a kind of virtual test-drive.

The Rigitrac SKE 50 is an all-electric tractor offering of five hours run-time, and five powerful motors for dual PTOs and massive torque

Grader Hire

Bulk Spreading Specialists with GPS Mapping

WOOD IS GOOD

Forestry news and events: October

10 Forestry Myths Busted

1. Myth – Pines ruin the land – they take a lot of moisture and nutrients out of the soil.

Soils in planted forests are in better shape than soils supporting any other primary industry. Over 50% of land planted in forests assessed between 2009 and 2013 met the soil health measures for fertility, organic reserves, pH and physical status. Only 13% of dairy sites and 18% of drystock sites met all criteria. In both cases, soil compaction was a major problem.

2. Myth – Pine planted on large scale destroys the quality of the land it is growing in. Radiata pine can improve soil quality. Stimulated root activity can lower water tables by recharging bedrock with and aquifers with water, improving the physical condition of clay soils. Radiata pine on coastal dunes has been known to accelerate the development of topsoil.

3. Myth – Pine forests lower the PH of the soil and make it acidic.

All forest soils tend to be acidic, and as New Zealand was almost entirely covered in forests for 40 million years most of our soils are naturally acidic, even after the forests were cut down. Grass prefers a neutral to alkali PH which means farms are often top-dressed with lime and fertilizer to increase the PH. Pasture that is allowed to regenerate into native forest, or is converted into a plantation, naturally reverts to an acidic state.

4. Myth – Repeated rotations of forestry depletes the soil of nutrients.

There is no decline in nutrients if the forest floor is left behind after a 30-year rotation along with a third of small branches. Trees draw nearly all their nutrients from the atmosphere in a process called photosynthesis. As long as there is not significant topsoil disturbance at harvest and slash is left to protect the soils from heavy rain and water movement, there is no change in nutrients. And in some cases, the nutrients have increased.

5. Myth – Pine trees suck the water out of the ground and deplete streams.

Trees hold the soils together, slow landslides, decrease erosion and drain and improve clay soils. Forests may be better at recharging bedrock than pasture. Forest root growth can increase recharge to aquifers, and dry season water flows compared with cropping. Trees will reduce shallow slips and local flash floods but are not likely to reduce major scale flooding or

landslides associated with major weather events. Trees also improve air humidity with a process called transpiration which means clouds of moisture and rainfall increases in areas of large forests.

6. Myth – Pines are bad for water quality.

The quality of water in mature planted forests is high, similar to native forests. Both forest types reduce sediment and nutrient loss compared to scrubland or pasture. Afforestation of farmland has seen significant improvements in a wide range of water quality attributes. Shade in mature forests keeps water cool, providing habitat for water life. Water quality can suffer for the short time at harvesting, especially with clearcutting up to a water’s edge. Riparian buffers and moderate qualities of slash left to filter runoff reduces negative impacts.

7. Myth – There’s no biodiversity in pine forests.

The surprising level of indigenous species living among radiata pine is due in part to planted forests functioning as a haven for some species in highly modified landscapes where often these are the only forest habitat. These forests can become parts of corridors that facilitate species movement between otherwise isolated native forest patches. Forest certification systems like FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certify that plantation forests meet verified standards of management including maintaining, conserving and enhancing biodiversity. Forest activities are scheduled around kiwi and karearea breeding seasons, fish spawning, and maintain riparian buffers during logging for example. Biodiversity levels in planted forests are higher than those on in pasture, agricultural and horticultural land but lower than indigenous forests. Birdlife was found to be the same, and in some cases, higher in plantation forests. Forests are not all harvested at the same time, and this biodiversity moves around.

8. Myth – Pine trees fall if left to grow over age 30.

There are many old-growth stands of pine trees all over New Zealand. The oldest Radiata Pine is at Mt Peel station in South Canterbury, it is 161 years old. In their natural habitat of California, they can live up to 500 years. Our sawmills are not equipped to saw logs that have got too big, so in New Zealand, we do not let our pine trees grow to this age. (They are just too damned profitable.) But with some carbon farms now planning on leaving pines to mature, we will see

how these giants will develop. They are shortlived compared native forests, but if left in a forest will slowly fall over time allowing natives to flourish in the light wells. So far Carbon Farms account for 4.8% of new pine plantings in the year to 2019. (Dana Consulting 2020)

9. Myth – forestry employees fewer people per ha than farming.

In fact, in almost all cases forestry employees more people. This is not the case in “carbon farming” but we have very little of these examples in New Zealand so far to compare and only 4.8% of new plantings are considered Carbon Farming. Studies and statistics produced by New Zealand Forest Owners Association put forestry figures way ahead of farming, and this is not counting downstream processing. These are hard comparisons, as agricultural jobs tend to be constant over time and as there is more agriculture in New Zealand than forestry, economies of scale and movement apply to their staff. As one industry increases in scale, the jobs become more permanent, people move less for work, and new communities spring up around this industry.

10. Myth – Wood on our beaches all comes from plantation forests.

In areas of New Zealand with retained mature native bush, like the West Coast of the South Island, there are high levels of driftwood on the beaches. This is due to the natural attrition of branches and trees from forests washing down rivers, especially in storms. This provides much needed habit for birds and beach dwelling insects. In highly modified areas of New Zealand where there are typically few trees, people have got used to seeing clean beaches. Often driftwood is carried for many kilometers by the sea and riparian plantings and riverbank species such as poplar and willow contribute to wood coming down rivers. Slash and logs in waterways are seen as a normal part of a natural woodland environment and often this is what stops sediment eroding.

References

“Forestry Myths Busted” M Harnett, Tree Grower, 2019.

A Comparison of the Employment Generated by Forestry and Agriculture in New Zealand –J Fairweather, P Mayell, S Swaffield. August 2000

Forestry Events Calendar

The Southern North Island Wood Council provides a collective voice for the forestry sector in Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu, Wairarapa, Tararua and Wellington. Members have a common interest in ensuring the long-term success of the sector. Membership is open to any company or individual with an interest in the local wood industry.

The Southern North Island Wood Council provides a collective voice for the forestry sector in Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu, Wairarapa, Tararua and Wellington. Members have a common interest in ensuring the long-term success of the sector. Membership is open to any company or individual with an interest in the local wood industry.

Erica Kinder, SNI Wood Council CEO, can be contacted for more information.

Erica SNI Council contacted for

Crowning the king of tractors

by Andy Bryenton

The competition is hot, and the rivalry fierce, as a collection of top models compete to be 2023’s Tractor of the Year under the eye of 26 seasoned judges in Milan, Italy.

Milan is more famous for judging the cutting-edge of fashion. Still, since 1998, an international panel of agricultural implement specialists and critics has met in Europe to decide which of the next model year’s tractors is a cut above the rest. This year, the announcement of finalists was made back in July, as manufacturers debuted their future tech for the next season and judges put them through their paces.

On November 9, at the huge EIMA International trade show and expo, the top machines will receive their awards, setting up a year of excellent publicity and sales for the front runners. New Zealand tractor dealerships eagerly await the news, as a top award in Europe translates to serious bragging rights across all of the national field days and rural show events.

The contenders are lining up with a variety of core points, which they hope

will gain the gold. There are five tractors in the race for the best overall machine.

JCB is a surprise entry with the Fastrac 4220 iCON. The famous manufacturer of construction machinery has stepped up with a speedy tractor boasting impressive horsepower. John Deere’s 8RX 410 weighs in as a giant of the plains, able to handle the biggest implements with ease, and the option of geometric treads aids floatation over the soil to cut back on compaction.

Valtra is represented by the advanced Q305, offering driver comfort and cuttingedge digital technology as well as power. Fendt is also very active in this space, with its Vario DP Gen 7 flying the flag for a model range, which has already won tractor of the year in previous iterations.

New Holland’s T7 300 also comes from an award-winning range. It boasts upgrades in power, comfort and efficiency,

Three utility tractors compete for the title in the ‘lighter weight’ division, which is always keenly observed by Kiwi farmers. These mid-size machines are the backbone of local farming. While the monsters of the open fields will sell well in places like Australia and the US, it’s these three which typify the local experience.

McCormick’s X6 414 P6-Drive goes head-to-head with the New Holland T5 100 S in the utility category, and both excel as all-rounders. The third name in

the utility face-off is the Basak Traktor 5120, a Turkish-made offering from a company going back as far as 1914. Its utility tractor has already placed well at the German IF Industrial Design Awards, which recognises clever engineering.

Add to this a selection of specialist tractors for tasks as varied as steep hillside mowing, orchard spraying, olive grove tending and vineyard operations, and the competition for the title of Tractor of the Year is going to be fierce. All of the contenders are well worth a closer look just for the prestige of reaching the final cut.

John Deere’s 8RX is up for the top award in farming machinery, the title of Tractor of the Year — but the competition is tough indeed presenting as an all-around heavy-duty tractor suitable for multiple roles.

Flowing with the seasons

Back in the early 1930s Kerry Ploen’s father Albert started a contracting business in the Manawatu, joining forces with the Buchanan family to become Ploen and Buchanan.

Forty years later, Kerry took over from his father. In the late 80s, he employed a keen young lad with a great work ethic named Peter Fullerton-Smith.

By 1995, Peter and Kerry had gone into business together, renaming it KP Contracting. The company had grown from Albert Ploen’s initial Farmall tractor to owning a fleet of four, and the core business had changed.

“Dad grew a few spuds,” says Kerry. “Then he ended up helping out other farmers, and it grew from there: ploughing, cultivating and planting and gradually building up the machinery to do it efficiently.”

KP Contracting can still be found about 10km south of Palmerston North. Their clientele reflects the changing land usage around them with many dairy farmers, plus sheep, beef, cropping farmers, and, more recently, a steady flow of lifestylers.

The company fleet now numbers more than 20 tractors ranging from 60hp to

300hp, combine harvesters, maize planters, spray trucks and the necessary accompanying implements to complete the scope of work they are used for.

“Everything’s got bigger over the years,” says Kerry. “The number of machines, the size of the implements,

and the clientele we service with them.”

In the last 20 years or so, they’ve extended their scope to include the trade and supply of grass and baleage between farmers. “There was a demand out there, and we have such a broad clientele it

was natural to put them together. We were always looking for more work to keep the machines out working, and it’s just part of what we do now,” says Peter.

Clients vary from lifestyle blocks to large dairy units needing enough paddocks of hay to be converted into big rounds or squares to get through the winter. KP Contracting’s work flows with the seasons and mirrors the fluctuating demands made by the cycle of growing and harvesting of various crops. Haymaking happens in the hottest part of the year and dovetails in with the wheat and barley ready for harvest in February and March. Green crops are ploughed back into grass, and by May, it’s time for the maize harvest.

Technology like GPS tracking, automatic boom-cutoff, auto-steer, mapping and managing jobs in realtime with a team of 10-plus machinery operators saves a lot of paperwork and means no jobs get lost.

Contractors

KP Contracting Ltd provides ag-contracting services using the latest technology for all rural sectors

All agricultural

covered by Amy Fi ta

Guthrie Agwork is a family-owned

run agricultural contracting business in

harvesting, excavation, supplement supply and

Andrew Guthrie started the endeavour in 2005 and has since been joined by his two sons, Chris and Bevan. In peak season, they manage a team of 10 loyal and experienced workers. The contractors cover a broad scope of services, such as grass and maize harvesting, spraying, spreading, cultivating and planting.

“We’ve been around a long time. Dad started the business in 2005, doing cultivation in the area. We have dealt with many of our customers for a long time,” says manager Chris Guthrie.

“There is a lot of attention around our maise and harvesting. We do a lot of maize planting and are particular with that service. We keep it simple for everyone and will pick up the seed and fertiliser with our crane truck — it saves the customer time.”

Its team has a wide range of experience, with some being trained personally by the

work.

company. The staff are committed to the job at hand to provide you with the best possible service available.

“Everyone knows what they are doing, and are experienced. They are versatile, and we can put anyone anywhere. You have your own tractor for a season, and all of our tractors are similar, between 180 to 250 horsepower.”

The company is ready from the start of a job with its fleet of machines, including trucks, diggers and harvesters. It keeps up to date with modern technology and can provide you with an optimal and informed service.

“We cover everything and keep the services we supply in-house. Our harvester has a moisture and tonnage sensor, so we can give our customers a yield of what they have in the stack.

“We quality test the vegetation we chop, so the farmer knows what they have. Our

planters have all the bells and whistles, so it saves seed and fertiliser where they can be saved. We are as efficient as possible with the size of our gear.”

You can contact the team at 027 522 2889. For more information about its services, go to guthrieagwork.co.nz or facebook.com/GuthrieAgWork.

The team at Guthrie Agwork has a fleet of machines at the ready to complete the job

Summer Fieldays a fine prospect

by Paul Campbell

From farmers eager to get their annual rural event fix to townies looking to get a taste of what’s on offer, Fieldays 2022 at Mystery Creek will showcase the food and fibre journey from farm to plate.

There’s to be the added spice, of course, of all the fun of the fair for families, with top entertainment, exotic food and beverages, new products on offer and a great way to welcome in the summer and festive season.

As New Zealand and the world begin to look back on the stresses of the pandemic with its opening borders and dropped gathering restrictions, the New Zealand National Fieldays Society is on track to open from Wednesday, November 30, to Saturday, December 3.

The event was scheduled to run in June. CEO Peter Nation says the new dates this year ensure the Fieldays operate to its full potential. Around 13,000 contractors come and go in the lead-up to the event, building the small city that is Fieldays, which was not possible under the red traffic light setting.

“Our aim is to run a safe, secure, and successful event, ensuring Kiwis can come together and reconnect, enjoying

the best of what Aotearoa’s primary sector has to offer,” he says.

Based on a 114-hectare site at Mystery Creek, 10 minutes from Hamilton, it’s the largest agricultural event in the Southern Hemisphere. On-site this year will be the Innovation Awards, a launch platform for primary Innovation with a total prize package of more than $60,000 worth of cash, services and products.

Programme developer Steve Chappell says the prizes are designed to help innovators to accelerate the growth of their products. “We are thankful to our returning sponsors for their continued support of the awards and new sponsors on board this year, to expand the potential opportunities for our prize winners.”

Full details of the prize package for each category can be found on the event’s website, where expressions of interest are now open for the 2023 competition.

Fieldays is also partnering with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to launch a careers opportunity, which will

Visitors turn out in record numbers for Fieldays at Mystery Creek showcase the food and fibre sector, sitting under a strategic event pillar of education, for attendees to learn about food and fibre career pathways and consider joining a thriving sector.

MPI’s director says primary industries have grown despite the Covid-19 pandemic. “New Zealand’s food and fibre sector is leading the nation’s recovery from Covid-19 by keeping vital food and fibre flowing domestically and overseas. For the first time, annual export revenue reached more than $52.2 billion in the year to 30 June 2022.

“With such a key sector contributing to the New Zealand economy and the

wellbeing of our rural communities, it’s important we have the necessary workforce to meet the demand,” says Ray Smith.

“There are rewarding, life-long careers available in food and fibre right across the supply chain, ranging from work on-farm, in science, technology, business management and logistics, to animal welfare, marketing, and research and development in locations across the country.”

Tickets are available online, ranging from adults valid for one day at $30 and child at $15 to a four-day adult pass at $100 and a one-day family pass at $90.

What’s your woodlot worth?

Karts made for family fun

Having established a reputation for quality drift go-karts, the Drifta brand has been developed to include 10 different models, including single-seater and double-seater karts.

Fun for all ages, our single-seater drifta karts are ideal for lifestyle blocks, farms, orchards, paddocks, fields, and reserves. They are safe and easy to operate, having a low centre of gravity — their design enables them to drift rather than roll.

They are a great way to learn driving skills, gain confidence and have lots of fun!

The team at Go Karts Direct pride themselves on offering friendly and professional service, with backup support and technical advice. Our full range of spare parts is also ideal for building your own kart or other DIY projects.

The Go Karts come preassembled in a box, and we can

freight to main centres anywhere in New Zealand.

We offer affordable products, so children and adults can have hours of enjoyment and outdoor fun.

By eliminating high overheads and retail mark-ups, we pass the savings on to our customers.

For more information, photos and video — visit gokartsdirect.co.nz.

Go Karts Direct supplies go-karts for all ages nationwide

Stop rust with Prolan

a

friendly

and corrosion inhibitor made here in New Zealand from lanolin.

Prolan lanolin lubricants and grease lubes have a natural affinity for all metal surfaces. Once applied, it will stay on for long periods by forming a natural barrier that prevents corrosive agents from penetrating the surface.

The application of a Prolan coating can protect your vehicle chassis from rust long-term. This coating will help vehicles pass their annual WOF or COF as it stops rust forming and is recommended by vehicle testing centres. The product is being used to prevent corrosion on 4WD chassis, motorhomes, quadbikes, boat trailers and fertiliser spreaders.

A quad bike running on a dairy farm with no corrosion protection can rust out within three years if it is not continually maintained. Once purchasing a vehicle or quad bike, the best treatment you can give the chassis is a coating of Prolan. With regular coatings, the chassis will still be in excellent condition years later, increasing the resale value and making maintenance easier.

After a coating of Prolan, it is easier to remove dirt and mud off your chassis; even cold water blasting will not remove the coating. The coating is also safe on rubbers and wiring. Minimal preparation is required for the surface to be coated. If there is existing rust, Prolan can be applied, and will stop any further corrosion.

Prolan’s unique, versatile products are made in New Zealand and exported to Europe. It is used in some of the toughest and coldest environments, protecting machinery, vehicles and even wind turbines. With a growing trend for environmental friendliness and biodegradable products, Prolan ticks all the boxes — Prolan is safe to use and easy on the environment.

Prolan has an increasing number of retail outlets stocking its products throughout NZ. Check out the website prolan.co.nz or Facebook Prolan New Zealand or call 0800 PROLAN (0800 776 526). Visit us at the Mystery Creek Fieldays — Site F11/F11A.

Vehicle chassis coated with Prolan Extreme

Never quite an established fact

by Liz Clark

With ways being looked for to save labour during milking, new milking machines were being installed in the dairy sheds. Along with the new mechanical devices came problems with cows getting mastitis.

In 1903, the invention of Wellington College teacher and former dairy farmer George Hutchinson caught the attention of farmers and an intrepid reporter at the Palmerston Show. The machine was boasted to mimic the human hand when on the cow’s teats.

At the time it was on exhibition, Hutchinson was still looking for investors to see his machine revolutionise dairy farming nationwide. Hutchinson’s prospectus explained the machine’s actions.

‘The teat is squeezed by bags of water, and the milk is pressed out, no suction being employed. The water bags act on the same principle as ‘full hand milking. The bags, while exerting any desired pressure, are softer than even the human hands. It is silent in work, requires very little power, is simple inaction, and is cheap to make. So little power is required that a boy will probably be able to drive a machine to milk, say twelve cows at a time, which will suffice for herds of upwards of a hundred cows.’

By 1906, the Hutchinson Non-suction Milking Machine Company had been established with George Hutchinson as managing director. His unit was installed in the dairy shed of Southland farmer James Sinclair. Sinclair, at the time, stated he chose the invention for ‘its cleanliness, simplicity and perfect milking.’

Wyndham farmer Peter Campbell installed what was the largest milking plant system in Southland at the time, using the Hutchinson non-suction milking machine for his dairy herd. At the time, Campbell, like Sinclair, preferred the fact that the milk was extracted from the cow straight into the bucket with a strainer over it.

While the advertising declared Hutchinson’s invention was ‘an established fact’ in 1906, like many inventions, it became a footnote in dairying history. While the non-suction machine faded to obscurity, another machine invented by Hāwera-based William Hutchinson in the 1930s gained success.

There are no substitutes when it comes to Grandpas Feeders. If you aren’t satisfied in both the workmanship and the effectiveness, we will refund your purchase price in full, up to 24 months following purchase.

NEWPRODUCT

GRANDPAS DRINKER CUPS

Clean water, no training. Go to our products page on our website for more info.

GRANDPAS ORIGINAL FEEDER

Stop pests like sparrows and rodents from stealing your hens’ food. Our feeders are also weather proof, so no food is ever wasted or stolen.

“An established fact, in 1906, like many inventions, it became a footnote.”

In the early 1900s, the advent of co-operative dairying saw the rise of new inventions and patents registered with the government.

The Hutchinson non-suction milking machine in 1906 was claimed to be ‘an established fact’

Hutchinson’s milking machine mimicked the action of hand milking

A challenging year

At Paparata, the last 12 months have been a battle; high temperatures plus little rainfall in the summer and autumn have meant low feed covers going into winter.

The poor old cows are only starting to get their heads above water. The meat processors have all decided a lamb is not worth killing if it doesn’t yield a carcass above 16kg. The 16kg carcass is making at least $10 more than the 15.9kg one. Last season, we sold store a number of our second and third-cut ram lambs — these lambs averaged around 35kg live weight.

They sold for more money than we would have received if we had killed them. Some buyers kept these lambs until the spring, when they were killed at 25kg-plus. These buyers were very happy and are returning. Paparata has always focussed on growth rate when selecting rams. Some mobs of lambs at Paparata have recorded daily weight gains of more than 300gms/day.

Global warming won’t go away. We are responding. Sheep expel methane that is likely to start costing the sheep farmer in the near future. It is possible to measure the methane output of individual sheep and, by selection, lower output of the flock. While it will take time to make any meaningful flock methane reductions — we think it is worth the effort.

A trailer has been built by AgResearch that has 12 chambers to test 12 sheep at a time. Each sheep spends 45 minutes in a chamber allowing the sheep’s methane output to be recorded. We have tested 120 top-ranked ram hoggets this year. The results showed some variation in the sire groups, which would indicate progress can be made by selection.

Despite the season, this year’s sale rams are well-grown. They include some rams by Waimai sires. Please take a look at our website or phone if you would like more information.

Meeting

Methane Challenge

“Global warming won’t go away. We are responding. Sheep expel methane that is likely to cost the sheep farmer in the near future.”