Northern Farming Lifestyles, August 2012

Northern

Farming Lifestyles

August 2012 Edition

Phone: 09 439 6933 | Freephone: 0800 466 793 | Fax: 09 439 6930 | www.farminglifestyles.co.nz

Pages 4–5

Pages 8–9

Page 15

Producer of the decade

A ritual for many Northlanders

Kiwi riders in world’s toughest enduro race

Check out page 5!

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Wild out in the West Pages 6–7

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2

August 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

Awards an investment in the future

The Northern Farming Lifestyles is published with pride by NorthSouth Multi Media Ltd, a privately owned New Zealand company.

Phone: 09 439 6933 or 0800 466 793 • Fax: 09 439 6930 Email: info@thelifestyler.co.nz • Postal Address: PO Box 474, Dargaville

by Andy Bryenton

Physical Address: Lifestyler House, 107 River Road, Dargaville General Manager: Deb Wright (dw@thelifestyler.co.nz) Editorial: Paul Campbell

Graphic Design: Dave Stevens Gavin Bainbridge Emily Stevens Jan Balcombe

Advertising: Betty Willets

Production: Jenny Crundwell

Northern Farming Lifestyles Distribution area

Managing Editor: Allan Mortensen (am@thelifestyler.co.nz) Accounts: Lesley Robinson (accounts@thelifestyler.co.nz)

In these modern times teaching kids about sustainability and the environment isn’t a fringe part of the curriculum — it’s seen as every bit as important as reading and numeracy, especially in parts of New Zealand where cultivating the land is the primary industry

Website: www.farminglifestyles.co.nz

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Mangakahia Area School — a recipient in the Northland Regional Council ECA Awards

Eighteen schools around Northland have been acknowledged as leading the way in teaching an environmental curriculum alongside traditional academic values — and each of them has received a cash prize from the Northland Regional Council to help expand and diversify environmental programs.

This year five of the winning schools were located in the Far North, eleven in the Whangarei region, and two in the Kaipara. They’ll each receive between $350 and $2000 to continue and improve their environmental projects, teaching a healthy respect for the land we enjoy and which we rely on.

The Northland Regional Council has had its staff and council members It’s all part of the ECAs — the out on the road presenting cheques Environmental Curriculum Awards, to the delighted winners, taking a an initiative to encourage schools to look at the projects which helped educate their pupils ‘in, about and for’ them come out on top, and meeting the region’s environment. The awards, students and teachers. The hope is with a prize pool of $20,000 annually, that this yearly award will provide the recognise not just the hard work of catalyst for environmental studies to teachers and educators, but also the become a fun, interactive and above more than 2000 Northland students all practical part of the curriculum involved in over 100 classes and extra- across Northland schools, teaching curricular environment groups. good values to a new generation.

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Northern Farming Lifestyles August 2012

3

Northland oyster farms look to the future

by Andy Bryenton

Aotearoa Fisheries, the largest Maori-owned fisheries company in New Zealand, has added a group of Pacific Oyster farms to its portfolio, in a purchase deal with previous owners Sanford And although the OSHV-1 oyster virus has severely depleted stocks of the salty seafood delicacy, the hope exists that Aotearoa fisheries may be able to join in a breeding program to produce a strain of oyster with resilience to the disease.

It is suspected that up to half of the juvenile crop of Pacific Oysters was killed by OSHV-1 in previous seasons, with a cost to the industry in the tens of millions. But future projections of an increase in the numbers of healthy oysters made the purchase of the group of 16 northland aquaculture farms a good addition to Aotearoa Fisheries’ diverse holdings.

growing and supplying Pacific Oysters will stand them in good stead to overcome the aftermath of the OSHV-1 epidemic

”

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Aotearoa Fisheries… “extensive experience in

Six farms near Kerikeri have been brought under the Aotearoa brand, along with six near Houhora and four in the Whangaroa Harbour… a total of over 120 hectares, including all the specialist vessels and equipment needed to cultivate the gourmet shellfish.

Aotearoa Fisheries are a 50 percent owner of the Sealord Group, as well as having business concerns in marine farming, lobster and commercial fishing. Their already extensive experience in growing and supplying Pacific Oysters will stand them in good stead to overcome the aftermath of the OSHV-1 epidemic.

Sanford, meanwhile, will concentrate on expanding its stake in the Greenshell Mussel trade.

Despite the sale securing the fate of all sixteen farms, one confirmed casualty of the OSHV-1 virus outbreak is the Kaeo oyster processing plant which was closed late last year by Sanford.

Aotearoa Fisheries decided after careful deliberation not to purchase and re-open the facility, though if oyster numbers bounce back robustly there may be scope for future development there in the future.

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4

August 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

Producer of the decade

by Cliff Taylor

A Northland couple farming on the rugged Pouto Peninsula have carved out a name for themselves as one of the best Angus breeding studs in the country Skip’s Supreme (USA)

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Chris and Karen Biddles — very keen on the Angus

C

hris and Karren Biddles, who farm the 1000 hectare Te Atarangi Angus Stud, have spent the past 25 years building up a herd of Angus which has won them national acclaim.

Te Atarangi won the Beef Expo Steak of Origin title in 2007 and has regularly made the finals since. At the awards in May the stud was named the Producer of the Decade, an accolade which Chris says is a reward for the years of hard work.

“The really satisfying thing is that it’s an award for consistency,” he says.

“We were rapt at first to be recognised, but then when we continued to make

the finals we knew we were on the right track.”

Te Atarangi has built its herd from just five animals to 320 Angus stud cows and also sells top quality bulls.

They began with cross-bred cattle, which they still farm, but have latterly focused on Chris’ preferred breed, the Angus.

In Fact Chris likes them so much he’s just finished 10 years on the board of Angus NZ and is chairman of PBBNZ, an organisation which promotes business and breed performance in the livestock industry.

“I retained Herefords on the farm for a long time, mainly because they were

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Helping grow the country

Northern Farming Lifestyles August 2012 my father’s cattle,” Chris explains.

“I really avoid that thing of putting one breed against another. Every breed has their niche and their ability to do well, but I am very, very keen on Angus. I’ve butchered our own meat for 25 years, and they are a very nice animal.”

So, what makes Te Atarangi so successful? Chris reckons it’s down to the type of animal they breed on the Pouto hills.

“I believe in our case the reason for our success is we farm a more moderate and quicker maturing animal, rather than a big, rangy animal. I believe a smaller frame tends to be better eating.”

Chris and his brother Kim bought the farm from their parents in 1982, and divided it in two. Chris says Te Atarangi is “not an easy farm”, with its six inches of top soil over sand and abundant growth of rushes. It’s about 8 km from one end of the farm to the other.

“It’s summer dry so you’ve got to have a hardy animal and you have to farm to the seasons. It doesn’t have high fertility, but it has a lot of character.”

The fact that the Biddles have produced something of such quality from this unpromising land is a testament to their determination to constantly improve.

“The great thing about stud breeding is that you can always do better,” says Chris. “But if you make a wrong decision you wear it for quite a while. All I care about is sending animals off the property that are going to be a good eating experience

for whoever ends up buying it. I’m not interested in sending people crap. It’s certainly not a monetary thing.”

Chris is still fascinated by the whole process of breeding Angus; choosing the bull, matching it with the best cows and seeing the end result. “It’s a challenge,” he says.

That process of improvement is likely to continue as Chris scales back his work on the national Angus boards he sits on and concentrates on Te Atarangi.

It’s a future he’s looking forward to.

“I’d like to have a bit more time to myself,” he laughs. “And a bit less flying around the country on other people’s business.”

Awards for consistency

doesn’t have high fertility, “Itbut[Angus] it has a lot of character ”

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August 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

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he man behind the 13-year-old event is Chris McGarry — beef farmer, wild cattle musterer, wrangler, and animal trainer. The birthday bash at the farm — ‘having mates around and a few horse games’ has become an annual rodeo which attracts riders from around the country.

Chris is particularly pleased with the number of younger riders entering, since a main aim is an event for rural youth.

At his Umawera farm Chris keeps twenty horses, of which fifteen are unbroken, and breeds the rodeo bulls. They are from Texas Longhorns of Fred Texiera (Kerikeri) and of Ted Tickle (Port Waikato), along with A.I. from American bulls like Houdini. Only

four of Chris’s twenty bulls can be ridden, (i.e. the rider manages to stay on for eight seconds!) Some of these bulls will feature in the Rodeo Nationals in Hamilton this November. The bulls Nutcracker and Terminator have reputations.

“A good rodeo bull starts with breeding,” says Chris. “You look for a high buck, the ‘kick’. They have to buck and turn around.” The last is the best chance to off-seat the rider. Training is “handling and more handling,” as Chris describes it. The bulls must learn to stand in the chute before entering the arena. “You have to be on your game.” The bulls are used to him and will react to a stranger or a bull from another mob. Chris doesn’t use

prodders when training. “If you use a prodder the bull will remember it and he’ll remember you.” He wants to correct misunderstandings he believes are around regarding rodeo bulls. “The flank straps — they slow him when he’s running. It gives the person on the ground more time to get out of the way. And bulls are not ‘worked up’ beforehand. They want to buck people off! Simple!”

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Northern Farming Lifestyles August 2012 These days Chris fattens bulls for the works on his farm. And he goes mustering. As AA Musterers (Anywhere, Anytime) Chris and mate Johnny Bolton are called upon from all over the North Island to round up wild cattle. They have good dog teams and also sometimes use a pair of home paddock steers, ‘coaches’, which mingle in with the wild cattle and help to settle them down to drive them.

Chris has also trained and leased out animals for film companies. He has four Ayrshire steers which he trained to the yoke and work from command.

For The Hobbit movie Chris was asked to train a large six-year-old boar to pull a cart — which took some persuading! In June he’ll be working with entirely different animals when he goes to Africa to help build a game reserve. After that it’s back to bull raising and cattle mustering.

Chris with a couple of his yoked Ayrshire steers

Chris has a strong held appreciation of life since spending two years on crutches as a twenty-four year old and nearly losing his leg. He was meat hunting and fell over a cliff in the dark. Like the Wild out West rodeo, he has built up his other enterprises from scratch. On his previous farm at nearby Happy Valley he would go logging and mustering in summer and rear calves in spring. He established a Friesian Hereford herd (and later used a Simmental bull) by raising four calves on each cow. “The cows would come through the yards to feed each particular calf by its number that I called.

They went on the tone of my voice.

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8

August 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

A ritual for many Northlanders

by Cliff Taylor

Celebrating its fifteenth year, Whangarei Farmers Market has grown from modest beginnings into Northland’s biggest produce outlet, catering to thousands of people every Saturday

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n summer, up to 7000 people do their weekly shop at the market in a car park in Water Street. Customers and vendors travel from Mangawhai in the south, and from as far north as Cape Reinga. The number of stalls selling everything from olive oil and fresh fruit and vegetables to honey, sausages, mushrooms and seafood, has grown from an original 11 to around 40.

Robert Bradley, launched the market at its original site near the town basin back in 1998. As a grower of hydroponic vegetables, Murray says he was disturbed at the way big supermarket chains were ‘squeezing out’ small growers who were creating high quality, healthy produce and desperately needed an outlet to sell it.

“The food we can produce in Northland, because of our climate, is the best in the world.

Today the market is a ritual The endless summer provided by for many Northlanders, a place supermarkets comes at a huge to meet and shop, drink coffee, environmental cost. It’s so much hang out, listen to buskers and better for us growers to be able catch up with far-flung friends and to sell direct to the public. And produce growers. as consumers you should be One of the market founders getting to know the person who is Murray Burns. He, along with grows your food. The single most

Market co-founder Murrray Burns

important choice you make is what you buy to eat.” Murray says it wasn’t easy in the early years. “Some local businesses couldn’t wait to get rid of us.” But, with the support of the council and loyal customers, the market has become

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Northern Farming Lifestyles August 2012

A caffiene hit for the early risers

lot of young “Apeople want good food for their families.

And for some people it’s about price. But sadly there are some people who need to come but don’t come

”

an integral part of Whangarei and Northland’s commercial and cultural life. Many people buy all of their week’s fruit and vegetables there and only visit supermarkets for what they can’t get at the farmers’ market.

Murray says the market’s customers come from all walks of life. Because it opens so early — 6.00am to 10.30am — it appeals to shift workers from the nearby hospital.

“A woman fainted here once and she had two nurses and a doctor with her

for all your lifestyle insurance requirements

before she hit the ground,” Murray laughs. “This is a great place to have a heart attack.”

He is especially encouraged to see so many young people shopping amongst the stalls. “A lot of young people want good food for their families. And for some people it’s about price. But sadly there are some people who need to come but don’t come. And they are in the poorest areas. There’s still plenty of scope.”

Buskers add to European immigrants the market atmosphere are especially keen on the vibrant market atmosphere. Not only because they are used to shopping this way, but also because they have a keen awareness of food quality, says Murray. “People who have had food scares are far more aware. The trouble in New Zealand is we think it’s only happening overseas.”

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Looking after your blood vessels Blood vessels are a lot more than pipes to hold blood.

They are living tissues and can be greatly affected by disease. If the lining of blood vessels becomes damaged by free radicals or inflamed, the surface of vessels offers greater resistance thus increasing blood pressure.

Research by Rodrigo, R et al. (Hypertension Research, 2007) concluded that free radical damage to blood vessels is one cause of essential hypertension. In a following paper they conducted a double blind placebo trial on 110 people with essential hypertension and found a close relationship between antioxidant levels and blood pressure. Of real interest they noted significant decreases in blood pressure after giving antioxidant supplements. I have found that many people with essential hypertension can respond well to intensive nutritional therapy aimed at restoring the health of our blood vessels.

I am regularly contacted by people with various problems caused or worsened by poor circulation in their legs. These include general muscle weakness and pain, cramps, swollen ankles and feet, restless legs, and chilblains. People with cardiovascular disease, diabetes or people who smoke are at much higher risk of these common circulatory problems.

The most important nutrients to help blood vessels are some antioxidant vitamins especially vitamin C and vitamin E and a wide range of botanical antioxidants including flavanols found in grape seed extract, ginkgo biloba, acai berry, bilberry, resveratrol and citrus bioflavonoids such as hesperidin. These nutrients help blood flow by reducing blood platelet aggregation and additionally help to maintain the integrity of blood vessel walls. These antioxidants strengthen the walls of blood vessels by ensuring that the proteins collagen and elastin are protected from destructive enzymes and from free radical damage.

Circulatory problems can respond very well to increased nutrient intake through careful food selection and appropriate supplementation. Once you have had medical advice it is worthwhile considering a complementary nutritional programme to help restore healthy circulation and in doing so you may gain a real improvement in your quality of life.

Give me a call if you need help.

John Arts is the founder of Abundant Health Ltd. If you have questions or a free health plan contact John on 0800 423559 or email john@johnarts.co.nz. You can join his weekly email newsletter at www.johnarts.co.nz or visit www.abundant.co.nz.

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10

August 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

Holding it together

by Bob Cathcart, Land Management Specialist, Northland Regional Council

It was an extremely wet and fairly windy July in Northland, according to Niwa’s latest climate summary report. And where there’s water and wind, there’s an increased risk of erosion

These poles are easy to handle and are best planted with a combination of a 750mm deep augured hole of slightly less diameter than the base of the pole and a modified or specially constructed post rammer.

Poplars and willows are ideal for helping to prevent or control erosion, so it’s no surprise that the popularity of these soil-binding trees has increased dramatically over recent years.

Many varieties available now have been specially developed for their soil

Poplars produce a network of heavy roots that penetrate well down into the subsoil and hold hillsides together and in place. Willows have fibrous roots that armour the bed of drainage channels and streams, and hold lower stream banks, preventing or controlling gully and streambank erosion.

conservation properties — better strike and growth rates, better root systems, and higher tolerance to disease and pests.

Both species are best planted as clean poles, the leaders of trees pruned of all side branches and with no roots.

Hilders Northland & United Livestock Divisions of Stan Semenoff Livestock Ltd

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HEAD OFFICE – All Enquiries Ph: 0800 800 585 Fax: 09 437 9109 Email: livestock.sem@xtra.co.nz

Native trees are an option if land is to be retired from grazing, however they are only an option in this case. They are grown as seedlings — so are much slower growing than poplars and willows — and grass and weeds must be controlled until they are well established.

An option worth considering on actively eroding sites where the area is being retired to native trees is to first plant poplars and willows to stabilise the land, then under-plant with natives when the soil has stabilised. The poplars/ willows can eventually be poisoned or harvested for timber or firewood.

Like all plants, poplars and willows

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need to be managed. It is also common practise to plant more trees than will be eventually required — as the trees grow they should be pruned and thinned.

Prunings of poplars and willows can be fed to stock, particularly during droughts, and trimmed branches make good firewood.

The regional council’s land management advisers can help out by providing free advice — from sourcing plant material, to species selection, siting of plants and post-planting care. For more information call us on 0800 002 004.

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37)

Northern Farming Lifestyles August 2012

Stimulating soil biological activity — how and why?

Part 2 Dr Bert Quin, fertiliser and soil fertility consultant

I concluded Part 1 of this article by asking whether increasing the rate of cycling of soil organic matter — in other words, increasing soil microbial activity — can increase pasture or crop production, and if so, how can it be done?

In an ideal situation, where plant-available levels of all nutrients in the soil are already optimum for plant growth, simply increasing soil microbial activity is unlikely to increase production. But few soils have optimum nutrient levels all of the time. A high proportion of many nutrients are either held in forms in the soil that are difficult for plant roots to access, or are easily leached out of the soil.

Simply swamping the soil with more and more nutrient to overcome these problems is an expensive process, and can cause harm to the environment.

Soil microbes are the drivers of nutrient cycling. They are present in three main forms — bacteria, fungi and archaea. They act as decomposers, breaking down plant, animal and microbial residues, releasing plant-available nutrients in the process. This gives plant roots far more frequent ‘chances’ to obtain nutrients. Think of them as changing a bank deposit account where the interest is paid annually into one where it is paid monthly or daily. There is less chance of running short of cash in the latter case.

Bacteria are easily the most numerous.

Some fix atmospheric N to make it available to plants. Archaea have both similarities to and differences from bacteria. Some produce methane, others nitrify ammonia. Fungi are

more closely related to plants. Some, such as mycorrhizal fungi, exist in mutually beneficial associations with plants. The plant receives soil nutrients via the fungus, and the plant supplies sugars to the fungus.

Soils contain an incredibly diverse range and number of microbes. The total fresh weight of organisms in a temperate grassland soil such as New Zealand’s can be as high as 50 tonnes per hectare, up to five times the fresh weight of pasture foliage at any one time! A cubic centimeter — about the size of a sugar cube — can contain 100 million microbes, not to mention a hundred or so mites and nematodes, and the odd earthworm, beetle and centipede.

How do they get there? The smallest — the microbes — are naturally distributed very easily, in wind, in and on animals and vehicles.

Because of this, there are very few proven cases where artificial introduction has proven necessary or beneficial. The classic exception to this is the bacteria which colonise the clover root nodules, making it possible for the allimportant fixation of atmospheric N. Because this bacterium lives only in the root nodule, it is unlikely to survive in a soil where there is no clover. So like clover was itself, it had to be introduced.

Some companies promote microbial

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mixes that are claimed to supply valuable microbes that are missing from the soil. In my observation, few if any of these are identified, let alone demonstrated to be not already present, and beneficial if supplied artificially. In my view, if a soil has inadequate biological activity, it is not because a certain microbe is not present, it is because some man-made influence is preventing it from flourishing. This can include many things, such as pugging and lack of aeration induced by over-stocking, excessive use of fertiliser (especially N) and agricultural chemicals, and poor or excessive drainage.

A vast array of soil microbes are competing with each other for optimum micro-sites to live in the soil. Removing the abundance of these sites makes it harder for microbes to survive.

Simply adding a few more microbes is unlikely to help.

11

Earthworms are different. They are much larger, physically vulnerable, and are far less likely to survive transfer from one farm to another, say in soil on an animal’s hoof than are microbes. Once introduced to a new site, studies have shown than the most useful pastoral soil earthworms colonise new ground at the rate of only 2-10 metres per year. They do need our help. It amazes me how few conversions of forestry land to dairy farming bother to include introduction of surface, shallow and deep earthworm species as part of the conversion process.

“I will be holding two information days in the Northland area late September. Watch for the dates and come along you are most welcome.”

(Prilled Fine Particle) Introducing “PFP Lime Prills”

At PFP Fertilisers we use our vertical Roller-mill to grind high purity Limestone, (96% Calcium carbonate), into an ultrafine powder, (Lime flour), with an average particle size of <= 38 micron.

Our specialised technology then turns this Lime flour into PFP Lime (Prilled Fine Particle Lime).

PFP Lime’s high Calcium carbonate purity combined with the ultra-fine particle size mean that, dependant on soil type, an application rate of only 250kg/ha can be ex-pected to raise soil pH by 0.2.

Low Application Rates Cost Effective Easy to Spread Excellent Results Great on Hill Country

The low application rates of PFP Lime make it a very cost effective method to apply Lime by any ground-spread or aerial method as the transport and application costs are drastically reduced when compared to conventional Lime.

After application, even heavy dew will start the break-down of the Lime Prills and they enter the soil as fine particle lime. The huge surface area of the fine particles raise pH and importantly make Calcium readily available to both plants and microbial life.

It’s becoming increasingly recognised by New Zealand soil scientists, that when it comes to Lime, the higher the purity and the finer the grind the better the results.

Phone Charles McDermott 021 792 805 Email limedistributors@xtra.co.nz

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12

August 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

Base saturation explained

by Brett Petersen

Under our current system of soil fertility, we are being encouraged to under-fertilize.

This state has existed for many years, but the degree of under fertilizing is getting worse. Applying so called maintenance levels of nutrients is not even ensuring soil fertility is static — it is declining

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NORTHLAND SERVICE CENTRES Servicing local farmers’ fertiliser needs and continuing to provide outstanding service for both Ballance Agri-Nutrients and Altum customers

Kaikohe: Carey Road, Kaikohe

Contacts: Derek Guerin, Ngawhau Lawrence Ph (09) 405 2119 TSR: Louise Shepherd Ph 027 497 9646

Waipapa: Main Road, Waipapa

Contacts: Derek Guerin, Bruce Day Ph (09) 407 9847 TSR: Louise Shepherd Ph 027 497 9646

Dargaville: Edward St, Dargaville

Contact: Bruce Dawes Ph (09) 439 3078 TSR: Julie Fox Ph 027 439 0996

Whangarei: Port Road, Whangarei

Wellsford: Centennial Park Rd, Wellsford

Brett’s Owhakatoro Kale

Base saturation is simply the percentage of exchangeable cations.

Cations are the positively charged soil fertility elements. Base saturation is used to identify and measure the % of each cation to determine the soils’ available relative mineral makeup.

Total Exchange Capacity is the sum of the total exchangeable cations. A light soil — eg Volcanic -having a smaller sum than heavy, alluvial silt loam.

The balance of cations determines soil structure, nutrient holding capacity, and fertiliser requirement for optimum production. Economic decisions can then easily be made to prioritise fertilizer applications.

Some cations are: calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, manganese, cobalt, copper, iron, zinc, hydrogen, and ammonium.

What we try to achieve (according to a Perry Agricultural Lab test), is calcium to be about 68%, magnesium 10-12%, potassium 2-5%, sodium 0.5-3%, hydrogen 10-15%, and other bases to be about 5%.

Don’t try to fit these numbers around another test — it won’t work.

If the cation balance is close to this ideal, we will get good soil structure, moisture movement and retention, drainage, and maximum crop and pasture production and quality. All elements work together without antagonism, with pH

NORTHLAND SERVICE CENTRES Servicing local farmers’ fertiliser needs and continuing to provide outstanding service for both Ballance Agri-Nutrients and Altum customers

Northland Field Consultants Kaikohe: Carey Road, Kaikohe

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Northern Farming Lifestyles August 2012

being ideally constructed.

Pasture and crop palatability and consequently, animal performance will all excel.

Calcium When calcium is present in the correct amount with other cations, the soil is at its most productive and efficient state. If calcium is deficient, other cations — eg Potassium — will dominate Cattle standing on the last break the herbage to the detriment of animal health. If Ca is in excess, soil of cases, it is the other way around. That will drain and dry out faster. Phosphorus, situation leads to excess sodium uptake. trace element and, magnesium availability Plant cell walls can then burst on hot will be low. Crops and pastures may days, leading to dehydration. Perhaps show clinical symptoms of magnesium, that situation arises if farmers neglect iron, manganese and zinc deficiency. An the potassium, but apply sodium to raise application of ferrous sulphate will help. pasture palatability. That is attacking the problem from the wrong end and will never Magnesium solve it. Always try to solve a problem Magnesium excess is not common in by removing the cause, not by removing NZ. However, too much or too little in the symptoms. soil results in too little Mg in the plant.

Nitrogen efficiency is also affected, taking pH The above four cations influence pH. more N to achieve the same result. Soils stick to machinery when wet and set hard The closer they are to balance, the closer when dry. They take more HP to work. It the pH will be to the optimum, being what is far more common to find Mg deficiency it should be. Say that is 6.4, however, a in the soil, particularly as a result of 6.4 pH may be obtained by cations out of balance. For this reason, never use over liming. fertilizer to change pH. Only add it to Potassium change the proportion of the cations.

If potassium dominates, pasture pH should be the result of your fertilizer palatability will be poor. Stock will require programme, not the cause of it. salt to compensate or metabolic problems will develop. Leaf carbohydrate can also break down, leading to lower yields. High K suppresses manganese, cobalt and magnesium. Potassium causes the most angst among farmers who are reluctant to apply it. The dilemma they have is high K in the herbage, while at the same time it is low in the soil. Most farmers are used to potassium chloride, not potassium sulphate. Potassium sulphate should be used instead. Low soil K leads to lower pasture production. Keep calcium, magnesium and potassium soil levels up, and high plant K will not be an issue.

Some areas of NSW have very high K, but growers following this system manage to grow high yielding crops by getting Ca, Mg and Na to the correct levels. The soil under those crops is as hard as concrete.

Sodium Sodium must always be lower than potassium. We find in a surprising number

Why use the Base Saturation percentages?

• They give a logical explanation of your soil.

driven system. You are advised to apply an unbalanced fertilizer to an unbalanced soil to sustain a state of imbalance, which will then require constant chemical intervention. After 20 years of doing that, the chances are you will be no better of in year 20, than you were in year one.

Many farmers are complaining they are worse off.

Balancing will require extra fertilizer.

For some, the way to approach that is do a portion of your farm at a time. Hill farmers need to look at their flats, flat farmers, their silage paddocks, or parts of the property not doing so well. Over time your farm performance will increase, while eventually, your fertilizer applications will

13

decrease. The point at which the fertilizer spend will decrease, depends on how long it takes to reach that balanced plateau.

Once there, it is plain sailing down the other side.

The system we use at Kiwi Fertiliser is proven all over the world. This system has produced a world record yield of wheat in NZ, best quantity and quality wheat in Germany, 37-42t+/ha maize silage in USA, best quality and quantity raspberries, best quality and quantity bananas in Guatemala and South Africa, 20t+/ha of lucerne all over the world, and growers being paid US$10/kg for their high yielding grapes by wineries in California, to name just a few successes.

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Practical considerations In the short term, balancing the BS can be an expensive exercise. The alternative is to put on fertilizer to get your crop or pasture through the season. Remember, chemical agriculture is a self-serving, input-

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14

August 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

Spreading the word about better pasture management Modern farming relies heavily on science and technology as the backbone of healthy pasture growth It’s not enough simply to hope for a good crop of grass each year when herd sizes are bigger, farming is more intensive and margins are calculated with economic precision unthinkable to the farmer of yesteryear.

All this means that fertiliser must be applied as efficiently as possible to ensure maximum yield – without

costly doubling up of application, or indeed wasteful runoff which can harm waterways and streams.

The answer to better fert application lies with Spreadmark, a voluntary programme of exacting standards adhered to by New Zealand’s fertiliser spreading professionals. Signatories to the Spreadmark Code of Practice for the

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of constant high standards. To ensure top quality all the way from the lab to the depot to the truck and onto the paddock, Spreadmark is run in conjunction with the Fertmark quality assurance scheme – the other ‘link in the chain’ ensuring healthier pasture growth.

With a wealth of recent studies highlighting the need for even fertiliser coverage (an initiative spearheaded by Lincoln Technology, AgResearch and Agriculture New Zealand), it’s good to know that the industry standard as epitomised by Spreadmark is so exacting.

Patchy and uneven coverage means poor performance and the possibility of having to buy in feed. Overspreading can be just as costly in wastage, and of course with the current focus on farming’s impact on waterways it’s doubly important to keep your fertiliser on the land where it’s needed.

Make sure your spreading operator has accreditation with Spreadmark this spring, and you can look forward to lush, green pasture to ‘fuel’ your herd – as well as a healthier bottom line. After all, you can trust a Spreadmark accredited operator to get your coverage just right and that means paying no more than you really need to for bulk fertiliser, season after season.

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Northern

FARM

Wheels August 2012

Kiwi riders take part in world’s toughest enduro race

by Denise Gunn

“You get to ride in the mountains up to 2500 metres and there is no fencing so you can travel 150kms and not have to stop to open a gate.”

This year’s Redbull Romaniacs extreme enduro ride drew a group of New Zealand riders which included Waikato’s Sean Clarke and his 16-yearold son Jesse Considered the world’s toughest enduro race, the Redbull Romaniacs takes place over five days with riders covering daily distances of up to 180kms per day through the mountainous region near Sibiu in Romania.

Each year the course is designed to include difficult obstacles and extreme elements over rocks and fallen trees, through mud and rivers, and up steep climbs.

Sean has been racing dirt bikes since he was 12 years old.

“I started in motocross and then rode enduros and cross country events since I was about 16,” said Sean.

“Jesse started riding bikes when he

In 2011 Sean finished ninth in the Pro Class at the event but this year he was unfortunately hit in the leg by another rider during the prologue.

was about five and has only ridden in cross country and enduro rides.”

The pair used the forestry around Tokoroa to train in the lead-up to the event. They also undertook a lot of fitness training each night for a couple of months before they left.

Waikato’s Sean and Jesse Clarke made the trip to Romania to take part in the recent Redbull Romaniacs extreme enduro ride

Sean and Jesse were able to hire enduro bikes from a dealer in Romania — the same type of bikes they ride here.

Sean rode a Sherco 300 and Jesse a KTM 200 EXC. “We arrived about four days before the event started and had a ride on the bikes beforehand,” said Sean.

Both Sean and Jesse have taken part in similar rides in New Zealand.

“We run one each year called the ‘No Way in Hell’ extreme enduro out at Oparau near Kawhia,” said Sean.

This year’s Redbull Romaniacs drew 205 entries from all over the globe.

“That’s the best thing about going to Romania is the countryside,” said Sean.

Jesse and team mate Mark Newton came in seventh place in the Experts Class. Jesse was the youngest to ever finish the event.

Sean and Jesse are already making plans to enter the Redbull Romaniacs next year along with a number of other New Zealand riders.

“Next year, Jesse and I are going to ride together in the Experts Teams Class,” said Sean.

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August 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles – Farm Wheels

FA R M W H E E L S

Australian connection for 4x4 professionals There are few places on earth as tough on vehicles as the merciless Australian hinterland — except, perhaps, beneath ground level in that country’s booming mining industry. Both situations call for serious 4x4 hardware, and both put it to the ultimate test That’s why leading Kiwi four-wheel drive experts Waikato 4x4 are thrilled at their new trans-Tasman connection — they’ve been hand picked by one of Oz’s biggest names in off road parts as a New Zealand Stockist.

Drivetech 4x4 are a huge name in the business, with a wide range of parts for the serious four-wheel drive aficionado.

That means hard work or seriously hardcore motorsport action off road!

In a happy coincidence, the team from Waikato 4x4 are off to Melbourne soon, where they’ll meet up with other stockists of Drivetech 4x4 parts (and

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Farm Wheels – Northern Farming Lifestyles August 2012

17

FA R M W H E E L S

It’s definitely no toy Isuzu’s new D Max ute is causing quite a stir in motoring circles In a world of utes trending toward the extremes of the spectrum (either engineered to ride like a car, or built as a spartan workhorse) the D Max on first impressions appears to have a foot in each camp — it’s a good looking beast with a flash of chrome, rakishly angled headlamps and an aggressive stance emphasized by flared wheel arches and chunky alloys.

D Max “The is bigger, stronger, tougher, and visibly so

”

It’s also quite a serious contender as far as comfort goes — the four door version I took for a drive (courtesy of Moore Cars in Whangarei) more than accommodated a man-sized frame in the back without the need for extra knees, and the driver’s seat was more comfortable than that of some family sedans.

The real advantage here, however, lies deep inside the three-litre common rail turbo diesel engine of the new D Max. It’s not one you can see when appreciating the aesthetic impact of the vehicle, but it’s more important than all the chrome in the world… it’s the fact that this ute was built by a truck maker.

Isuzu know trucks. Big trucks. So while other ute makers have scaled up their cars and added a back deck (including sometimes using the same or similar engine design for utes and cars), Isuzu have scaled down a truck.

If ‘scaled down’ is the right term.

Take the turbo for example. To eliminate lag, the D Max uses a variable

geometry system as pioneered by Porsche. This gives the ute a smooth acceleration curve which slides through the gears effortlessly and without so much as a grunt of diesel exertion.

The doors shut like bank vaults, the tailgate feels like it could support a bull elephant, and as for the parts which make up the gutsy engine…

When you go to take a look at the new Isuzu (and anyone looking at a new ute would be advised to book a place), ask to see the comparisons in design and weight with the parts used in comparable vehicles. From

the cast roller rockers to the piston big ends, everything about the D Max is bigger, stronger, tougher, and visibly so. From a company which builds serious metal for the world’s trucking fleet, you’d expect no less.

So, does the D Max really have a foot in both camps? Is it neither a car with a big flat deck or a truck with less of a step up? Not at all. It’s a fusion of the best of both worlds, built very much as the dealer press emphasises as ‘a tool, not a toy’. And it’ll last far longer than most of the tools in the shop as well.

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Northern Farming Lifestyles

Equine Feature Spotted in Whangaripo

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There’s a new word in the equine dictionary — it’s Sportaloosa If you’ve never heard of the breed, then pay a visit to Petra and Bev Davidson at Sparkling Acres Appaloosa Stud.

medium to long neck, prominent withers with a short to medium back tying into powerful hindquarters.

The property, which is located on 37 acres in the fertile Whangaripo Valley, between Wellsford and Pakiri, is ideal as a horse stud.

The stud has their own breeding programme and semen is collected off the stallions on site and transported chilled for AI nationwide.

“The property is split into large paddocks which are sheltered by mature trees. The area gets higher than average rainfall so it’s not short of grass in the summer, is large enough to sustain the horses through winter and grows mixed grasses that are ideal for horses,” says co-owner, Petra Davidson.

“We have two stallions for breeding, Mighty Luminous, our founding stallion imported from Australia when he was 6 months old and Skip’s Supreme who arrived with us 3½ years ago from North Dakota, USA.”

Petra and Bev, who have bred Appaloosas for ten years, are concentrating on a new variety.

“We are one of the few studs in New Zealand with a primary focus on Sportaloosas,” says Petra.

The horses are bred to be user friendly for all the family. They are competitive in dressage, jumping and eventing as well as the showring, western events and pony club.

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Northern Farming Lifestyles August 2012

19

Dairying

Hoof Print With Fred Hoekstra I still come across a lot of people who struggle to believe what I am saying in my articles. It seems to be so ingrained in people’s mind that a bruise in the hoof comes from standing on a stone. The scientists and advisors who make that claim have done a good job in telling their story but it just simply isn’t true. There is no evidence to support that claim.

If anything I believe I have disproven it (see my previous articles) yet it is so hard to get people to take it on board.

Why is that? I can only speculate for an answer but I wonder if it just feels safer.

I guess if we have a multimillion dollar business, and we experience a high incidence rate of lameness with a high price tag attached to it, then we want to play it safe and do the things that reduce the lameness as quick as possible.

I am all for this, and I would never say that you can push your cows as hard as you like on the track or in the yard and it wouldn’t make any difference. That would be a dumb thing to say especially when it is quite obvious to see that you do end up with more lame cows when you do that.

So is that enough to prove that pushing and standing on stones causes lameness? No! If I see a person walking on a gravel road with a bit of a limp then I haven’t got enough information by just looking at this person from a distance to know what makes this person limp.

If I conclude that this person is limping because of a very uneven walking surface and so I let this person walk on a tar sealed road, then they will still be limping if an ingrown toe nail is the cause of the problem, even though they may be walking easier on tar seal.

In the same way, a cow with laminitis will walk easier on a well-drained smooth track than on a stony track, but it is still not the track that caused the problem.

It only aggravated a problem that was already there. So why then do we see a big improvement when we upgrade the tracks?

We need to ask this question: is it because of less physical force on the hooves or because of something else? I believe it is something else because I still don’t see any evidence of trauma to the foot. A cow needs about 21 hours per day in the paddock

for eating, resting, socialising and drinking.

That leaves three hours per day to walk the cows from the paddock to the cow shed, milk them and walk them back again twice a day. So that is only 1.5 hours per milking all up. Most farmers don’t manage that.

If you have rough tracks and you improve them then you also improve the cow flow on the tracks. Cows spend less time on them so there is more time in the paddock which means less stress therefore less laminitis.

I believe that this is of far greater consequence than most of us appreciate and therefore to be a much more important factor than the actual physical force.

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August 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

Dairying

Be my Guest

by Bill Guest, Farmers of New Zealand

A dairy farmer who took the law into his own hands and failed to follow the strict terms of the sharemilking agreement between he and his sharemilker was sentenced to nine months jail and the Court ordered payment of $81,000 to Sharemilkers This week in the District Court at Tauranga, Lance Maxwell Burt, a dairy farmer was sentenced to 9 months jail and an order to pay restitution in the sum of $81,000.00 to sharemilkers, who worked for him 5 years ago.

in the Solicitors Trust Account. Arbitration followed resulting in a decision in favour of the sharemilker.

Burt was charged under the Crimes Act with using a computer to commit a crime. Burt sent a direction to Fonterra instructing Fonterra to divert all proceeds due to his sharemilker into his own account. Mr Burt’s Lawyers in Palmerston North then issued a Notice of Termination of the Sharemilking Agreement.

Despite being requested on numerous occasions to confirm that they held the money pursuant to the Sharemilking Agreement in their Trust Account, the NZ Law Society’s Manawatu Branch confirmed that the money was not held

The sharemilkers were devastated. It deprived them of their job and access to their money needed to finance the next season’s operations.

®

SHELTER STATION

Burt had taken the $81,000.00 and dispersed it amongst other commercial operations he was involved in.

The Judge described the offending as malicious and intended to cause harm to the sharemilkers.

The lesson for owners contemplating withholding payments to sharemilkers, is that they must adhere to the strict terms of the sharemilking contract.

Owners that direct their dairy company to pay the money to themselves and then

SHELTER and SHADE

failing to place the deductions in their solicitor’s trust account can expect to find themselves in serious trouble.

In the Lower Order Agreement there are penalties for unjustifiably and procedurally wrongly withholding payments to sharemilkers and these amount to interest rates ranging from 5% per month compounding up to 8% per month compounding.

In the High Court at Whangarei Judge Nicholson in dealing with an appeal against these interest rates commented that the punitive interest rates were justifiable and to be used in discouraging owners from withholding the proceeds due to sharemilkers.

Owners contemplating using the offset provisions in their sharemilking agreements are advised to seek professional advice before commencing such action.

40% of milk produced on New Zealand farms comes from sharemilking agreements between farmers and sharemilkers, known generally as lower order and 50/50 Sharemilking Agreements.

In 2001 a new Lower Order Sharemilking Agreement was negotiated and enshrined as a statute of law by Parliament. One of the clauses added was a comprehensive dispute resolution procedure. When the 50/50 sharemilking agreements were amended in 2007 and later in 2010, these dispute resolution

procedures were written into the 50/50 agreements.

The employer / owner has a right to offset money from a sharemilker’s proceeds subject to the dispute procedures being completed. An owner contemplating withholding proceeds due to the sharemilker must serve notices on the sharemilker setting out the contract breaches and the costs of rectification. If the parties don’t agree, they may ask an independent third party to assist them to resolve the dispute and if the dispute is not resolved within 10 working days must then go to conciliation and appoint a conciliator.

If the parties fail to agree on a conciliator within five working days of proceeding to conciliation, a conciliator will be appointed from the National Panel of Conciliators who will convene a meeting where the issues are discussed and usually resolved.

If not resolved then the owner can instruct the dairy company to withhold the proceeds due to the sharemilker with an upper limit of 75% of any sum due. That money must then be lodged in a Solicitors Trust Account, earning interest until the matter is resolved either by agreement or reference to arbitration.

Farmers of New Zealand Inc. provides free sharemilking agreements to members and specialist advice on sharemilking matters.

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� Meets even the toughest New Zealand Effluent Enviro Standards � Has the Most Even Rain Cover over wetted width in New Zealand by far � Has a Rain Rate of 5mm or less across total wetted width, not just the centre area. (please see in the independently proved graph) The new irrigator is still backed up by our very tough and well proven drive system, no blockage mast, booms and nozzles.

Applied Depth – Depth 5 4 No 0 –5 32 Overlap mm 01

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��� � ��� � �� ��� •••• �� �� •• �� •� �� • � �� � •• �� •• • �� •� •� •� • � ��� •� •� � �� •� •� •• �� � ��� •� • �• � •� •�� � •� �

–20

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0

Distance (m)

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8

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21

Dairying Treating Calf scours! Rotagen and Vetsan the combined approach this spring!

Calf scours may be all bad, but there’s a good option at hand for clients who end up battling with sick animals this spring.

The Rotagen Combo range remains unique as non-toxic, non-withhold vet only antibody treatment for calves affected by common pathogens like Rotavirus 6 and 10, Coronavirus, Salmonella, Cryptosporidium, and or E.coli (K99). New Zealand is the only country in the world where specific antibodies against specific pathogens — (Rotagen Combo) — is a registered animal remedy.

The Rotagen Combo range is based on Globigen, a spray-dried egg yolk powder derived from vaccinated chickens which contains IgY’s specific to a particular organism — rotavirus 6 and 10, coronavirus, salmonella, cryptosporidium, and E.coli (K99).

Globigen is made by vaccinating high health status flocks against a specific pathogen. The hen then passes maternal immunoglobulins from serum to the egg yolk which is collected, then spray-dried, heat-treated and standardized to a determined IgY titre. This is then formulated into a Rotagen combination product by Vetpak here in NZ. Any Rotagen combination of the above IgY’s can be produced on request to meet a specific challenge.

IgY antibodies provide a passive immunity effect in the gut in the same way bovine colostrum would.

Studies show that IgY’s successfully pass through the gastro -intestinal tract in an active form and are not altered by the digestive process. Their ability to bind to antigens is maintained within the local gut.

As the Rotagen products are based on a local gut immunity provided by immunoglobulins, there is no issue with toxicity and no withholding period.

The product can be used with calves of any age and treatment can be initiated at any stage of infection. It can be used to both prevent and treat specific calf scours.

A recent addition to the range is Rotagen Crypto, a cryptosporidium specific treatment for calves.

Approved by the ACVM as an aid in the prevention and treatment of calf scours caused by cryptosporidium, this is available as a standalone product without the addition of rotavirus.

This is particularly useful in cases where the herd has been vaccinated for rotavirus, but the farm has a history of cryptosporidium parvum scours in their calves.

Calves of any age or weight can be treated at the same dosage rate. For prevention, the recommended dose is 10 grams per calf per day for five days. For treatment, dose calves with 10 g twice daily for the first day, then 5 g twice daily for three to seven days.

Appropriate rehydration is essential and Rotagen can be used in conjunction with electrolytes or milk feeding.

Treating the calves with Rotagen is one part of the equation, reducing the effects of environmental contamination is also important in reducing the effects of an outbreak within your calves, this is where another Vetpak product Vetsan can help, Vetsan is a santiser and disinfectant that is effective against all major organisms including Rotavirus, Coronavirus, E Coli, Salmonella Sp and Cryptospordium. One of the major benefits of Vetsan is that it is a very safe product which can be sprayed around and over your calves without any affects to them and it is also non toxic to humans. Vetsan comes in two forms, one is a ready to use product and the other is a concentrate mixed at a 1to 4 ratio, Vetsan should be used with a fine nozzle or mist sprayer or it is suitable for use with a fogger.

A litre of Vetsan will cover 36m2 compared to many products on the market only covering 3m2 per litre of product and Vetsan also has residual activity over 7-14 days meaning the product keeps working longer.

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22

August 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

Dairying Soil Matters — with Peter Burton

A better outcome by spending less Below 10°C the cycling of all nutrients, of which nitrogen is one, is slow and the application of any one of them will have little if any immediate effect on the growth of permanent pastures.

The grasses in permanent pastures

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are bred to grow strongly from 10°C to about 20°C, so again the application of a single nutrient, unless it can be shown to be limiting growth, will have a negligible effect on growth rates during the winter months of June, July and August.

The major reason for slow growth at present is low soil temperatures due to fewer direct sunlight hours.

The time when nitrogen fertiliser may markedly increase permanent pasture growth rates is when the lack of plant available nitrogen is the limiting factor, most likely to occur at peak growth times in late September and October.

At that time in situations where the growth of pasture exceeds animal demand, it could be argued that the requirement for fertiliser nitrogen doesn’t exist and as it is likely to suppress clover growth its value at best is questionable.

Two reasons voiced recently for the application of fertiliser nitrogen in July were that it’s getting closer to calving and lambing and with strong growth not expected until mid-September it feels

Notes from the shed with Mark McKewen

When it’s all said and done the machine is only as good as the sum of its parts and how well it is maintained.

If you treat your Milking Machine like any other piece of complex equipment, like your tractor, it will run properly and give few problems.

If you are inclined not to maintain your Milking Machine?

Well, don’t be surprised when it costs expensive callouts, seriously.

So get your gear serviced regularly... don’t hesitate, call your local Milfos Service Partner (or other), book in the Machine Test (and remember this is a test, NOT a service) and YES, definitely book in a SERVICE!

fix what they can and lube all the important parts.

If you really want to be on to it, and take the worry out of getting the timing right yourself, get an iCARE Scheduled Maintenance programme to suit your farm through your Milfos Service Partner. This will look after your machine right down to filters and inflations.

Well, this is the last time I am writing these notes for you, I am heading off for pastures new and you will have a new Milfos face on this page, penning the notes from now on.

What your Service Partner will Thank you for your custom and do is replace the worn out stuff, all the best for the future.

good to be doing something, and it’s hard not to apply when it appears that everybody else is doing it.

Both understandable and emotionally powerful reasons but when returns from commodity markets are declining and likely to continue declining should costs be incurred without accurate measurable economic benefits.

The farming operations that will continue to thrive on lower market returns are those able to limit or reduce their costs and increase their production.

Three of the requirements for sustained profitability are well structured soils containing all the required major and minor nutrients, healthy well framed animals capable of high production, and feeding regimes that aim to fully feed every animal each day.

On intensive dairy properties the demand for magnesium increases as animals get close to calving and the requirement for calcium increases as milk production lifts.

An application of Golden Bay Dolomite direct to pasture markedly reduces the number and severity of calcium/ magnesium related metabolic disorder increasing the likelihood of each animal producing to its potential.

A single application of dolomite lifts plant magnesium levels to between 0.22% and 0.25%, depending on sunlight hours, surprisingly soon after application.

It is not unusual to receive reports of a marked decline in calcium/magnesium related metabolic disorders as soon as a fortnight after application.

Because dolomite contains both calcium and magnesium in a ratio close to the requirements of spring growing grasses, calcium levels usually remain at a minimum of 0.60%, sufficient for fully fed animals with well-adjusted rumens to perform at high levels in spring.

Dolomite is an outstanding soil conditioner in its own right and therefore plays a very important role in the necessary recovery of soils from the weight exerted by animal feet particularly in wet conditions.

Dolomite may be applied at any time. There has never been a reported negative response and with this season’s production determined by performance over the next 100 days, now is the ideal time to ask for a price of dolomite delivered to your property. For more information phone Peter or Coralie on 0800 436 566.

r annual on-farm sale 91 Yearling Bulls at ou

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Northern Farming Lifestyles August 2012

A dog’s tail…

HOUND LOG

Makin’ hey ina winter Well, gidday there. Me, Billy the very relaxed Borda Colly back in tuch this week.

Lifes pritty relaxt here ona farm rite now. Sharlene and Mum bin feedin’ me so much I gotta bitta wait on too.

An’ Mum’s bin givin’ me a good brushin’ too, ‘cos she rickins my coat looks good flowin’ ina wind. Sigh. Not lika Boss wen ‘es home. Lucky if I gits a wee pat ona back if I stops a lamb breakin’ outa tha dockin’ pen eh?

But no wurries just now eh, cos a Boss is off over in Yourup an’ thass why Mum’s ‘ere wiv me an’ Sharlene, ta keep us kompiny.

Mine you, she and Sharlene bin havin’ a cool time as wellas me, cos they crackin’ a few ofa Boss’s wine kollection most evenin’s when they wotchin Koro street. Thass afta I git me own dinna cooked seperate by Mum. Had bluddy big plate of beef briskit las’ nite an’ plinty left fer tonite too.

Acherly, I’m gonna havta wotch it eh? Sharlene had emmill froma Boss tha otha nite. He wuz ina place corled Devin, in Inglind, wots next to another place corled Kornwill, where he reckins they make rippa pies corled pastees, an’ he tole Sharline he’s bin eatin’ pastees and drinkin’somethin’ corled Ginniss ina pubs, an’ was stackin’ ona few pouns as well.

Thin he tole Sharlene that hell be

rite cosa Dog — he neva corls me by me proper name of Billy eh? — would be reel fit afta lookin’ afta tha farm for ‘im an’ wood soon run tha weight off goin’ roun’ tha proppity.

Yea rite. I’m gonna keep an eye ona kalendar cos’ ifa Boss gits ‘ome an’ sees I’m eatin’ like a king an’ sleepin’ ona

couch ‘sted of me kinnil, there’ll be hell ta pay. I’ll jus’ havta do a few runs uppa back fince line an’ try an kerb me feedin’ habits a bit befor he gits back. Jeez it’s a hard life eh?

But fora nixt few weeks enyway I’m gonna take Mum’s advice eh? Shes’a rill kool lady an’ she sid ter me an Sharlene wot we gunna ‘make hey wila sun shines.’ Win she firs sed this, I shot ova ta they gear shed, but no wun had dun anythin’ about gettin’ out tha tracta mowa. Thin I figgad that why

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wood we be makin’ hey ina winter?

So Mum thin explayned wot it means is ya kick up ya heels win ya kin get away wiv it.

Soun’s fear enuff ta me.

But thin I reckin I kin soon sheda few pouns wiv a run or three up that back, an’ winna Boss comes home I’ll make shure I’m standin at attinshin in fronta me kinnil eh?

But I’m not shore If I wanta be in Mum ‘n Sharlene’s shoos, wina Boss count’s up ‘is wine kollecshin.

Thin agin, wina Boss gits a bit stroppy, Sharlene juss calls him DEAH ina loud voice. An mum juss yells CHARLES!!! ana Boss slinks off ta tha woolshed fora beer. Nah, we’ll be rite eh? Ina meantime, lets get on wiva haymakin’.

Cheers.

Billy

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24

August 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

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Our mission is to provide professional, quality service to ensure lasting customer satisfaction — to this end our plumbers and fitters are certified craftsmen and can issue compliance certificates. The compliance certificates are required by law and confirm the appliances and pipes have been tested, are proven safe, and meet the required codes and standards Another user friendly side of the

company is its comprehensive website at www.gasworksandplumbing.co.nz, where customers can get a detailed list of services, including installation and servicing of all gas appliances — a list that covers fires, water heaters, flued heaters, wall furnaces, central heating systems, stoves and hobs.

In the Whangarei showroom, there is a great selection of gas fires on ‘live display’, enabling clients to view the fires operating and choose the perfect model.

Gas Works & Plumbing are also approved suppliers and installers of solar water heating systems.

Visit the showroom or contact us on 09 438 0192.

26

August 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

e t a v o n e r r o d l i To bu Starting from scratch? by our building correspondent

I well remember a relative who had inherited an old villa in inner Auckland. It was dilapidated — past its use by date — but local council regulations were a mine field, should he demolish it and rebuild on the site.

He was a smart cookie, and after gathering the required signatories of neighbours he had known as he grew up, he was able to ‘renovate’

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The fact that the renovation went up two full stories and covered almost the entire inner city section, was moot.

It was still a renovation, that you and I would have described as a complete new home.

It is a vexed question in built up areas. But in the more rural north, for the most part, there is more flexibility.

If you are building, then the first decision is obviously, where?

It’s a decision that will last the life of the house too. The location of a new

home depends on a myriad factors, but as top priority, where is the sun, and where the prevailing wind?

Warmth and shelter areas are a major factor that will have long term ramifications in energy use for heating and cooling. This is important for positioning the bedrooms as well as lounge and kitchen for maximum weather benefits.

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An unprotected house may consume a lot of power to keep it comfortable so north-facing locations are favoured for the advantage of free solar warmth, while protected from cold winds from the south. Visit the land you intend to build on at different times of the day — and at night on different occasions and in different weathers.

The environment may be very different on these occasions and this will give you some good input into your design requirements. Property is a major investment so consider carefully and choose wisely.

While real estate agents offer thoughts, remember they are selling on commission, so make sure you get expert and independent advice.

There is also the matter of permits and council regulations. Make sure you get the paper work done. Most builders want power and water supplies available on site — even if its from a neighbouring property.

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Northern Farming Lifestyles August 2012

27

To build or renovate

Site access comes next. A concrete drive may be your first construction project, to provide access for the construction crew and materials.

Check with your local authority and plumber for which sewage systems are approved for your area.

There is an apparent trend growing, for home builders to assist by providing labour on site and of course, for DIY New Zealanders, the actual home construction might not be

beyond the realms of possibility.

near ready to start home construction.

While you are about this process, look around and compare quotes. You might be surprised at how much prices can vary for the same job requirements.

Before you do decide on a tradesman, check out the work that they have already done.

And registration is a key factor, Most builders and trades people have to be registered and it is not rocket science to ensure your contractors have the right papers.

Then there are the considerations of all the tasks required to be carried out by subsidiary trades, such as site works, bricklaying, roofing, plastering, painting plumbing and electrical. So in short, building your home can be

a great adventure — but you will no doubt be mightily relieved when it’s finally done.

Some banks may jib at financing an own-build unless the qualifications are up to scratch.

A registered builder must provide insurance cover against faulty work and materials and naturally, if you are building yourself, the bank will want to see the same thing.

It can literally take months to get the estimates of cost, permits and permissions before you are anywhere

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28

August 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

To build or renovate

Going for a great image Building a home from scratch certainly has a lot to recommend it — not least being the fact that the family moves in when the building is ready speculators, doing up old or poorly maintained houses to on-sell.

But on the other hand, renovating an existing home — unless alternative living space is available, means living with the detritus of construction and all its associated drawbacks, including incessant noise from hammers and power tools.

If you’re renovating with the intention of a return on investment, you need to look at tastes other than your own — to cater for the average buyer’s preferences.

Visiting show homes is a good way to get your finger on the market pulse.

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It is important to make improvements on those points in a house that the buyers actually notice.

The fixtures in the home are usually attention magnets.

Kitchens and bathrooms really do sell houses. Spare the expense in the living and sleeping areas, and use it to make the kitchen and bathrooms as spectacular as a small budget will allow.

Appearance sells.

Cosmetics are also important for the house to look freshly renovated when the for-sale sign goes up.

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wear rapidly so try and install them in the last weeks. Stainless steel kitchen sinks are durable, while the modern composite or plastic white or coloured sinks stain easily.

When you’re shopping for fixtures, buy the most attractive ones you can find for your price availability. You can buy quality plus appearance, or just appearance. Buy for appearance. It’s the look that will sell the house.

But then, you may be renovating for yourself, and how your home looks says something about you as the owner.

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Ph/Fax 4373936 Mob 021 932 225

www.walsholes.co.nz

Driveway StabliSation We will rotary hoe cement into the surface wet down and roll with vibrating roller.

Please phone for a quote

09 437 3936 • 021 932 225 and see it on our website

www.walsholes.co.nz

Northern Farming Lifestyles August 2012

29

To build or renovate Does your home suffer from cold and dampness?

The answer to this problem could be lack of wall insulation.

Moisture in homes is unavoidable with the daily actions of cooking, showering, and just breathing.

Although ventilation and dehumidifiers help to dry the house out, the core root of the problem in most cases is lack of insulation.

Modern fully insulated homes have far less dampness issues and occupants have much more control on the temperature inside. But older homes that are not well insulated suffer from condensation forming on cold uninsulated linings, which can develop into mould and mildew.

When your house gets cold (making life miserable), moisture is a constant problem. It can settle, like dew out doors, making carpet and furnishings damp. Cold, dampness, and mould are very bad for healthy living.

There is a solution…

By effectively insulating the existing walls of your home with Airfoam Wall Insulation the home will retain heat, and reduce mould and dampness, resulting in a warmer, dryer, quieter, healthier, more energy efficient home.

Suitable for most external claddings and internal plaster board linings.

Airfoam can be installed from the inside or outside. Airfoam is a safe no fuss one to two-day installation process.

Our team is thoroughly trained in all aspects of Airfoam.

After the first year with Airfoam in the walls of his home (2009), Bill from Whangarei, was pleased to inform us that the savings on his heating compared with the previous year means the cost of Airfoaming their walls will have paid for its self in five years. Electricity costs have soared since then.

For a free no obligation measure and quote call 09 431 5223. Or go to www.airfoam.co.nz.

Why suffer any longer?

Cut me

Was out! your house built before 1991? ... If so there is a good chance you are living in a home with no wall insulation.

You can have insulation installed into your existing walls. AIRFOAM insulation is the safest, easiest and most effective way to insulate the walls of your existing home.

Insulation is the first step to: • Increasing your comfort levels in a warm dry mould free living environment.

• Saving money on increasing power costs.

Call today for a free measure & quote www.airfoam.co.nz northland@airfoam.co.nz

09 431 5223 or 027 475 3986

Custom Wardrobes and Storage

Plumbing Roofing & Drainage

Contact us for your septic tank installations, sewer drainage and effluent systems.

We also do drainage design plans for standard 4,500 LT septic tanks.

Qualified & Reliable

| Visit us at the home show site 26. | Solid and wire shelving.

Sliding doors. | Locally owned and operated.

*House sites, farm work, effluent ponds, long reach arm available,V drains, trenching buckets (250, 450, 600mm) 3m weed, drain cleaning bucket.

*Competitive rates

Call owner/operator Doug Hanley: 0273 745 090 A/H 09 439 0069

nto oll

225

nz

021 428 388

www.innovative-interiors.co.nz

Beach Road Ph: 09 439 6577 John 027 494 2919 Harley 027 513 8623

eco drain

Collect rainwater Divert unwanted runoff Clean your spouting with ease

on

ite

09 432 2446

DREADON & KELLIHER

Sails,

ote

Proudly insulating the walls of New Zealand homes for over 30 years

For

Town & Country Work Welcome

nz

30

NOw Is the IdeAl tIMe tO INsulAte

Contact: Sheryl Clinch

ents

aRe you LooKing foR WoRKeRs accommodation/Bach/RentaL oR just anotheR famiLy home?

2nd hand pre loved homes ready to be lived in.

Prices delivered and including new foundations from $50,000 + GST Warm comfortable and made of quality building materials.

Phone anytime WoRK: 09 435 7285 moBiLe: (0274) 874 188



So once the building renovations have received their final lick of paint, it’s time to look at the interior of the house.

Textures, furniture and lighting are all important elements that will vary according to the specific rooms you’re decorating.

One of the easiest accessible venues for home decorating choice today has to be the television. There are myriad home improvement programmes and that means a free information service for doer-uppers.

We spend about 80 percent of our lives in our homes and so the environment and the ambience you create will have a huge impact on your life.

It is also a fact that you need to stick to a budget. Quality is expensive, and pushes the price of most houses out of the range of the average first-time buyer.

But one expense that must be worthwhile is for good decorating advice.

An interior designer can show you how to pull together the entire look of your home; the exterior colours, the interior wall and accent colours, the carpet and flooring colours and patterns, cabinet colours and hardware, and the layout of the rooms.

The few hundred dollars that it will cost to put your house’s package together can turn into a few thousand dollars if it attracts even one more buyer with an offer in his hand.

After all — it’s all about impressing a buyer, or just yourself?

A new innovative and easy way to clean your spouting and downpipes to prevent leaves and debris from clogging up your stormwater system. Collect rainwater, and divert dangerous runoff from entering into our precious waterways.

The ecodrain is easy to install and easy to use. for more information and orders give us a call today

freephone 0508 787 742 www.ecodrain.co.nz

30

August 2012

Northern Farming Lifestyles

Northern Rural Marketplace Acraflex Dairy Wall Coatings

AFFCO LIVESTOCK Terry North

New or existing walls

Able to be applied between milkings during summer months

Colourcrete Dairy Floor Resurfacing System Suitable for repairing damaged dairy floors or slippery areas Bruce Cameron 027 498 8412 / 09 235 8263

ATS

Phone 09 439 5902

Mobile 027 484 1823 • Fax 09 439 1320

Phone Craig 021 440 634 09 439 6465

Covering the Kaipara! Cell 0274 557 750

Less Metabolics

Home Cheesemaker Classes

Refer to the Cheesemaking page on www.homebushview.co.nz

Gift Vouchers Available phone 0800 4 DOLOMITE 0800 436 566 Bio-Gro certified

Andy Payne

• Pile Driving & Drilling • Farm & Rural Bridges • Dams • Retaining Walls • Earthmoving • Drain Cleaning • House Sites • Races & Driveways • 12 T & 5 T Diggers • 6 Wheel Tipper • Bulldozer & Sheepsfoot We dig your dirt

027 543 7244

email: anlynpiling@value.net.nz After hours & Fax 09 436 2982

Commercial • Industrial Domestic • Dairy

No jobRing tooAndrew small

Better Health

Whangarei

C&C Contract Electrical

ProPerty Maintenance & rePair

• Fences & Repairs • Flooring Repairs • Decks • Kitchen/Bathroom Fit Outs • Wet Wall Lining • Water Blasting & Chemical Washes • Windows & Latches • Plus Much More

More Milk

Anlyn Piling & Contracting Ltd

Sherryle Bennett

www.homebushviewcheesemaking.blogspot.com

Free parking and we don’t run late

Neil Johnson P: (09) 438 4273

Implements irect for tractor attachments visit us online

*Post hole borers *Box Graders *3 pt Scoops *Concrete mixers *Wood Chippers DEMO VIDEOS AND MORE PH 0800 733 355

Galvanized Towbar BUY ONLINE $195 Inc GST

www.implementsdirect.co.nz

FARMERS – How clean is your water?

Would you drink the water out of your troughs?

Now is your best time to service your water system…

Give us a call and let’s check it out.

PHONE 09 438 9103 (24HRS) CALL FREE 0800 McQUINN

0800 627 8466 148 Lower Dent Street, Whangarei

www.mcquinnpumps.co.nz

Make Your Life easier! use our services now!

• Pipe & Steel Supplies • LTNZ Approved Workshop • General, Agricultural & Structural Engineering • Mobile Welding Services • General Repairs & Maintenance • 2 Ton Gantry Crane • Plate Roller, Profile Cutter & Press Brake • de-CRAP-it®, Landplane®, Serious Incinerator® • Field Rollers, Water Carts • Kumara Gear

Newman Engineering (2004) LTD Ph 09 439 5065 Dargaville www.newmanengineering.co.nz

Northland Laser Drainage Ltd Neil Carter Trading as

Doug Wilson Manager Phone: Fax: Mobile: Email:

09 430 2934 09 430 2936 0274 302 934 dougw@nrh.co.nz

Insurance Specialists

Pumping Equipment

www.powerplantsupplies.co.nz • sales@powerplantsupplies.co.nz Ph: 0800 800 837

TOPUNI

HOMEKILL

BEEF SHEEP PIGS DEER BACON, HAM, SAUSAGES, SALAMI

Please phone to discuss your requirements PHN 09 431 2271 • MOB 021 984 886

topunihomekill@farmside.co.nz NZFSA REGISTERED

6kg of free sausages with any cattle beast processed in July/august if you mention this ad

PO Box 1174, Whangarei Ph 09 434 7741 • Mobile 027 273 6865

Contact

INSURANCE BROKERS

PORTABLE GENERATORS – DIESEL GENERATORS LOAD TRANSFER PANELS – DEEP SEA ELECTRONICS DISTRIBUTION BOARDS – DEWATERING PUMPS – PARTS & SERVICING

All Services & Maintenance Available

1279 S/H 14, MAUNGATAPERE

MARGARET & JOHN BISHOP

NEW ZEALAND DISTRIBUTORS FOR Power Generation

Specialising in Fertiliser and Metal cartage.

30 Tonne units available.

We cover your country!

Subsurface Drainage Specialists (Nth)

˚ Farming ˚ Commercial ˚ Domestic

Mark & Lisa Williamson 110 Bank Street Whangarei Ph 09 438 5457 or 0800 224 151

Trans-Tune Automotive Our Services

Mechanical Repairs New Car Servicing Petrol & Diesel Servicing Wheel Alignment Fault Diagnosis Brake & Suspension Repairs Fuel Injection Servicing

09 438 2892  147 Cameron St

Covering the Northland plus Livestock company dealing in all classes of livestock • Livestock finance available • Liveweight selling • Livestock valuations • Stock sales held the second Friday of the month at Tinopai Road, Matakohe (under cover) sales yards • NAIT compliant sales yards

Rob Stevenson Dargaville Cell 021 278 5291 A/Hrs 09 439 6847

Allan Swindlehurst Matakohe Cell 027 493 2844 A/Hrs 09 431 7081 Over 20 years combined experience

Windy Ridge ContRaCting Phone Colin 09 439 7266 ~ Mob 021 882 857 • Round Bale Hay and Silage • Medium Square Baling • Conventional Baling • Cultivation • Undersowing • 8 Tonne Tip Trailer • Mulching • Fencing

Servicing the Kaipara and Whangarei Districts

Northern Farming Lifestyles August 2012

31

NORTHERN FARMING CLASSIFIEDS Reach 33,300 Rural Homes — Phone 0800 466 793

For Sale

For Sale

Services

ATV MATS from $89 – Come in & see us at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi. Phone 0800 963 636 www.atvtyres.co.nz. Be quick offer ends 31/08/12.

WEED EATERS & CHAINSAWS – GET 10% OFF STOCKED ITEMS at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi. Phone 0800 963 636 www.atvtyres. co.nz. Be quick – offer ends 31/08/12.

WINDMILL WATER pumps by Ferguson Windmills Company. Phone 09 412 8655. www.windmills.co.nz. sales@windmills.co.nz.

FARM BRIDGES Phone Pat now 0800 222 189, visit www.bridgeitnz.co.nz. Bridge It NZ Ltd.

ATV SAFETY HELMETS – from $119 accessories from $15. The law has changed! Have you got yours? Come & see us at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi. Phone 0800 963 636 www.atvtyres.co.nz. Subject to availability.

BACK 2 WOOD Demolition. For your renovation needs. Servicing Northland – Auckland. Specialising in windows, doors and ranchsliders. Also kitchens, vanities, roofing and more. www.back2wood.co.nz.

Ph 09 408 7163.

BOAT TRAILERS, full range to suit 12ft to 27ft boats, very competitive prices and immediate delivery for most models now. Call us to discuss free on 0800 162 500 Xpress Trailers.

BOX TRAILERS, single and tandem axle trailers at very competitive prices, full range of sizes, 6x4 $1695, 7x4 $1895, 8x4 $2095, 8x5 tandem $2795, 10x5 tandem $3395, 10x6 tandem $3795 Ph 0800 162 500 Xpress trailers.

CHAIN & SPROCKET KITS DIRT OR FARM BIKE. SAVE 10% off RRP If you get them fitted at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi. Phone 0800 963 636 www.atvtyres.co.nz. Be quick – offer ends 31/08/12.

NEED NEW ATV TYRES? GET 20% OFF RRP & FREE FITTING at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi. Phone 0800 963 636 www.atvtyres. co.nz. Be quick – offer ends 31/08/12.

NEW YAMAHA FARM ATVs – 5.9% interest & 3 year warranty. Only at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi – phone 0800 963 636 & Yamaha MC Whangarei – phone 09 438 0804. Offer ends 31/08/12.

SINTERED BRAKE PADS – for MX & FarmBikes – from $39 at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi. Phone 0800 963 636 www.atvtyres. co.nz.

STOLEN QUAD-BIKES? — You won’t find any listed here, but you can pre-empt this kind of thing happening and protect your fuel too. Visit www.parabeam.co.nz or call 0508 727 223 for more information.

ATV SERVICE. Receive 10% discount off RRP for standard service parts* with this voucher when you get your ATV serviced at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street Hikurangi. Phone 0800 963 636 www.atvtyres.co.nz. *Conditions apply, offer ends 31/08/12.

ATV FARM BIKE MX SPARES INTRODUCTORY OFFER. New Customers Receive 7.5% discount off RRP for all stocked items with this voucher at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi. Phone 0800 963 636 www.atvtyres.co.nz. Be quick – offer ends 31/08/12. Conditions apply.

MX FARM BIKE SERVICE. Receive 7.5% discount off RRP for standard service parts* with this voucher when you get your MX / Farm Bike serviced at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street Hikurangi. Phone 0800 963 636 www.atvtyres.co.nz. *Conditions apply, offer ends 31/08/12.

HIMALAYAN SALT Lick – give your stock what pasture does not. It’s an ideal balancer for kikuyu and contains sodium + 84 minerals. For rock salt supplies call Bob 027 472 3967.

Pets For Sale PUPPIES FOR Sale. Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.

Male NZKC Registered $1500. Pets & Gun Dogs, 9wks Sept Ph 09 420 4254.

Travel GOVERNOR’S CUP Golf Tournament Norfolk Island.

Escorted tour 4–11 November 2012. International Amateur Pairs Event. Incl airfares, accommodation, entry fees, green fees, gala events. Skylark Tours 09 432 8065. www.skylarktours.co.nz.

NEPAL OCTOBER 2013. Escorted tour incl wildlife safari, white water rafting, easy grade minitrek, optional Bhutan extension. Skylark Tours 09 432 8065.

NORFOLK ISLAND JAZZ FESTIVAL Escorted tour 2-9 December 2012. Incl. fares, accom, admission to all Concerts and more. Skylark Tours 09 432 8065. www.skylarktours.co.nz.

Cars Wanted

FURNITURE MOVING Around NZ or around the world.

Single items or house lots. Pro Packing, moving, insurance. Via trucks, containers, shared loads.

Ph 0800 496 753 www.worldmoving.co.nz.

“Experience & Advice You Can Trust”.

Farm Supplies FREE SOCKS WITH YOUR WEBSITE ORDER THIS MONTH!! Novaflo, Buteline, Tanks, Pipes, Valves, Bathroomware. PLUMBING SOLUTIONS online. Value for money, Saving you Time.

Visit www.nzplumbingsupplies.co.nz or Phone 0800 428 376.

Advertise today.

Phone 0800 466 793 Wanted

HIMALAYAN SALT LICK - give your stock what pasture does not. Contact Bob 0274 723 967.

Work Wanted CONCRETE PADS, shed floors, feedout pads, house floors, driveways, footpaths, concrete cutting and drilling, retaining walls, paling fences, excavation work. Waipu, Ruakaka, Whangarei, Mangawhai & Langs Beach. Phone Mark 027 443 3130 or 09 432 0107.

FOR BULLDOZING, Roading, all general earthworks, subdivision work, house sites, landscaping, dams – 43 years experience CALL AND TALK TO MICK on 0274 983 0806.

Water Services TANK WATER TESTING. Detect ‘bad bugs’ in drinking water. Report gives results and recommendations.

Sterilisation of water/gutters/pipes and vacuum cleaning. Contact Simon on 422 9345 or at tankwater@xtra.co.nz.

STOP LEAVES, BIRDS, RATS AND HAIL FROM DAMAGING YOUR HOME Call Gutter Solutionz for their superior metal spouting screens.

BOOK YOUR FREE MEASURE AND QUOTE TODAY. Phone Phil 0800 333 101 or 027 257 4457.

Situations Vacant

Situations Vacant

Sales Representative

Graphic Designer Position Available

Due to expansion NorthSouth Multi Media is looking for an enthusiastic sales rep to join the team. Your role will involve introducing businesses to the benefits of advertising in our publication.

NorthSouth Multi Media Ltd, publishers of the Kaipara Lifestyler, the Northern Farming Lifestyles, Waikato Farming Lifestyles, Taranaki/Manawatu Farming Lifestyles and Canterbury Farming are looking for a graphic designer to join our expanding and exciting publishing company.

for the Kaipara Lifestyler

You will be able to build lasting relationships.

You will have great communication skills.

You can work in a team environment.

You can demonstrate a go-getter attitude.

If this is you come join the team Please send your CV to: NorthSouth Multi Media, PO Box 474, Dargaville accounts@thelifestyler.co.nz Ph 09 439 6933

Skills Required Excellent communication skills both verbal & written.

Computer skills – knowledge of InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop Team player.

Tidy and well presented.

Please send your CV to: NorthSouth Multi Media PO Box 474, Dargaville accounts@thelifestyler.co.nz Phone: 09 439 6933

32

August 2012 Northern

Farming Lifestyles

FOR THE SAME PRICE AS A BIG BORE ATV.

ONLY $13,475

+GST

The Ranger 400 is more affordable than many big-bore ATVs on the market. But with the Ranger 400 you can tow more, carry more and seat two — it’s a screaming bargain by comparison.

AWD Mode

KG 227/567 ON-DEMAND TRUE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE

INDEPENDENT REAR SUSPENSION

CARRYING / PAYLOAD

TIPPING DUMP BOX

UNLOCKING REAR DIFF

RANGER 400 BEATS COMPACT SXS AND BIG BORE ATVs SIDE-BY-SIDES

ATVs

COMPARE THE FACTS

RANGER 400

KAWASAKI MULE 610®*

KUBOTA RTV500*

YAMAHA GRIZZLY 700*

HONDA TRX680*

Towing Capacity

567 kg

500 kg

500 kg

600 kg

385 kg

Rear Rack Capacity

227 kg Dump Box

181 kg Dump Box

200 kg

85 kg Rack

60 kg Rack

Seating

2

2

2

1

1

Engine

455cc / 28hp

401cc / 15hp

456cc / 16hp

686cc / N.A.

675cc / N.A.

Independent Rear Suspension

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Suspension Travel (Front/Rear)

20/23cm

8/8 cm

10/10 cm

18/24 cm

18/20 cm

ALSO AVAILABLE ARE THESE GREAT RANGER MO M MODELS ODE DELS ELS S

RANGER 800 6X6

RANGER 800 HD

RANGER 800 XP

ROUSE MOTORCYCLES

HIKURANGI. PH: (09) 433 8471 or 0800 96 36 36.

RANGER 800 CREW

RANGER 500 EFI

RANGER DIESEL

RANGER 500 CREW

KUMEU CHAINSAW & MOWER SERVICES

HUAPAI. PH: (09) 412 8109.

RANGER DIESEL CREW

RANGER EV

MAUNGATUROTO MOTORCYCLES LTD

MAUNGATUROTO. PH: (09) 431 8555.

*Check with your Polaris dealer and other manufacturer dealers for latest specifications. All towing/carrying capacities are ratings for level ground. Specifications as available November 2011. *Mule® is a registered trademark of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Inc. *Grizzly® is a registered trademark of Yamaha Motor Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha. *TRX680 is a registered trademark of Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

www.polarisindustries.co.nz