Northern Farming Lifestyles, July 2022 by Integrity Community Media

July 2022 Edition

Peanuts — a crop for the future Pages 4–5

Farmers Celebrate Stories

Protecting the future

Ltd

Skillfully completing rescues

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July 2022 NORTHERN FARMING lIFESTylES

The Northern Farming Lifestyles is published with pride by Integrity Community Media, a privately owned Northland company. Phone: 0800 466 793 Email: info@integrity.nz Postal Address: PO Box 474, Dargaville Physical Address: 107 River Road, Dargaville Editor: Deb Wright 021 639 696 deb.wright@integrity.nz Journalists: Ann van Engelen | Paul Campbell | Andy Bryenton Advertising: Krystal Carey 027 567 9467 | Betty Willetts 027 525 8197 Production: Gavin Bainbridge | Anna Fredericksen | Kelsey Hansen | Liz Clark Accounts: accounts@integrity.nz Distribution: Laurie Willetts Printed by: NZME Website: farminglifestyles.co.nz

We demanded a rural health strategy by Dr Shane Reti, National MP

In a few days’ time, the Pae Ora health reforms will be enabled. The timing is terrible when New Zealand has 36,000 people waiting more than four months to see a specialist and emergency department wait times well beyond eight hours and, in some cases, days.

Opinions expressed in this publication and in advertising inserts, by contributors or advertisers, are not necessarily those of Integrity Community Media. All inserts delivered with the publication are not produced by Integrity Community Media.

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All of these factors are magnified for rural people who, due to the rurality of distance, have less access to an emergency department and specialist waiting lists. National demanded a rural health strategy be included in the bill, and we constructed a Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) in my name to look to force this into the legislation. The lobbying and pressure clearly worked because with an hour to go before the debate started, magically, the government produced a rural health strategy. I want to thank all the lobby groups, including the rural GP network, which brought this to bear. In 2017, a National

“What is needed is a plan and credible implementation.” government committed to a school of rural medicine. It was cancelled by the Labour government and in my view has not been replaced with a similar rural health workforce strategy. What is needed is a plan and credible implementation to provide for our rural communities.

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Farmers Celebrate Stories

July 2022

Northland farmers celebrated their stories of change at Extension 350 recognition dinners held around the region recently. The farmer-led, farmer-focussed Extension 350 programme was launched in 2016 with the intention of getting 350 farmers involved. The initiative aims to assist Northland farmers in achieving their goals and objectives, including profitability, environmental sustainability and wellbeing. Events were held across Kerikeri, Maungatūroto and Whangārei as the five-and-a-half-year Extension 350 programme concluded, providing a platform for farmers to share the positive changes they have made as a result of being involved. Ruawai farmer Luke Oud shared his story of success, growing his herd of 200 cows to a herd of 520 after finding out about the Extension 350 programme at a field day in Kaiwaka. “It has been amazing to see how you can structure a business to make it work for you, rather than control you,” says Luke. “It never used to be that your wellbeing was important; the farm always had to come first. Having been through the E350 programme, we feel we can take farming so far now. We’re so into it — it’s amazing. “We want to see something like this continue in the future. There are so many amazing things which have come from it.” Project lead Luke Beehre says the success stories shared across the events

are a reflection of the collaborative effort between agencies and regional farmers to progress the Extension 350 programme during the past six years. “The collaboration seen in E350 is something which is unique in New Zealand,” he says. “Having funder s Dair yNZ, Beef+LambNZ, Ministry of Primary Industries, Northland Regional Council and Northland Inc come together to achieve a common set of goals which benefit both the farmers and the region has been fantastic. “In addition, the premise of E350 has always been a farmer-led and farmer-focussed programme, developing networks of support across the clusters. The stories shared by our farmers at the recognition events showcase how much tangible change they have been able to achieve with this support. “With an original goal of engaging 350 farmers across the Northland region, the programme peaked at 379 farmers involved, 111 per cent of the projected programme target. “The participation result and stories of success are fantastic given the turbulence of the past two years. “The programme has had to adapt as we navigated Covid-19 and climatic challenges. However, E350’s relevance and applicability have been further

Ruawai farmers Luke and Sunny Oud share their journey through the Extension350 programme

reinforced through these factors and our farmer-led and farmer-focussed approach. “The programme’s triple bottom line lens of improved profitability, environmental sustainability and farmer wellbeing, means that farmers come out of the E350 programme having progressed towards their goals and with

the skills and a network of support to help them continue to adapt to the changing farming landscape. “Despite the Expansion 350 programme coming to a close, the journey of change isn’t going to stop now, and that sentiment is echoed by those farmers who were able to take part.”

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PEANUTS

— A CROP FOR THE FUTURE BY PAUL CAMPBELL

A Northland processing plant with significant positive impacts for the region generating jobs and supporting investment opportunities is in prospect with a continued positive outcome from a $1 million field harvesting trial for peanuts as a viable Northland crop.

he latest trials on five sites, two farms in Te Kōpuru, two on Māori land near Kai Iwi Lakes and Awanui, and one farm near Kaingaroa involved various cultivars aimed at finding the optimum variety for Northland conditions. It is “looking really good,” says Pic Picot, whose Picot Productions, makers of Pic’s Peanut Butter, the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund and Northland Inc, combined with financing the trial. Acting chief executive of Northland Inc Vaughan Cooper has said if initial indications are proven correct, he believes it will provide confidence to investors and landowners that diversifying into peanut growing is the right move for Northland.

“Not only would peanut crops provide an economic boost, but the plants themselves also restore the soil and put nitrogen back in, creating a richer environment for the next crop in the cycle. This trial allows us to assess the opportunity and potential benefits of creating a new industry within Northland while taking the risk out of diversification for our farmers,” says Vaughan. The latest harvest from five sites, two farms in Te Kōpuru, two on Māori land near Kai Iwi Lakes and Awanui, and one farm near Kaingaroa involved various cultivars aimed at finding the optimum variety for Northland conditions is “looking really good,” says Pic Picot. b a r n s s h e d s g a r a g e s

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Following a successful one-year feasibility study in 2021, the coming third trial season will see the number of sites expand to seven across Northland. Pic’s currently imports approximately 2,500 tonnes of nuts to produce its peanut butter each year. While Kiwi crops wouldn’t be able to fulfil this demand completely, Pic says even having a portion grown locally would be a real win. “We are one of the few producers in New Zealand that freshly roasts our own peanuts, so to be able to source them from our own backyard would be the cherry on top. Not to mention the huge positive impact it would have in reducing our carbon footprint,” Pic said. “The future could see a site with harvesting gear, shelling equipment and processing plant to process peanuts at

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A gathering at the plantings in Te Kōpuru

This year’s crops have provided further information on the cultivars most suited for potential commercial viability in the Northland climate. Final results are due to be delivered in the coming months, including an all-important taste test. Pic says he is hopeful that a half-tonne of peanuts will be available for product testing. “We have invested in some scaled-down processing machinery to do this.” Those nuts that make the grade will be roasted and crushed at Peanut Butter World in Nelson before they’re made into a very limited run. In January and February, New Zealand imported fruit and nuts to the value of $65

million. Pic’s alone churns through one tonne of peanuts every hour to produce as many as 28,000 jars of peanut butter a single day. “We spend top dollar on imported Hi-Oleic nuts, which are better for you, so we’re keen to match or better that quality. If we can pull this off and produce enough peanuts from Kiwi soil, it’d make our peanut butter just that much peanut-better.” The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is contributing nearly $700,000 to the two-year growing trial through its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund (SFF Futures), with an additional

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$300,000 in cash and in-kind support from Northland Inc, Picot Productions, Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Plant & Food Research, and local Northland landowners. “The findings of the six-month feasibility study we supported through SFF Futures late last year were encouraging,” says Steve Penno, MPI’s director of Investment Programmes. “This new project will build upon the initial findings to determine whether it’s financially viable to plant, harvest and process peanuts at scale.” Steve Penno says the project supports many of the goals set out in Fit for a

Better World, the Government’s 10-year roadmap aimed at lifting productivity, sustainability and creating jobs to drive New Zealand’s economic recovery from Covid-19. “Establishing a peanut industry in Northland would help diversify its regional economy, create employment both on and off-farm, and support investment opportunities. It will also provide another crop rotation option for local landowners. “Plus, we could eventually bring 100 per cent New Zealand grown and manufactured peanut butter to market. That’s an exciting prospect!”

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July 2022 NORTHERN FARMING lIFESTylES

PROTECTING THE

FUTURE The Macmillan family at Pipiwai are part of the Northland Regional Council biosecurity programme targeting environmental pests such as possums and rats on farms.

BY ANN VAN ENGELEN

PART TWO

“W

e work with various land owners and support them with their goals to eliminate pests on their properties,” says NRC’s Rolf Fuchs. “Council has grants available to help, and our team supports people with making plans, setting traps and sourcing the correct materials they may need. “Eleven-year-old Madison has had great training and is very competent at helping her dad Steve, uncles Michael and Douglas, and grandfather Alex with setting and servicing the traps.” The Macmillans set up their possum control system on March 25 and have since collected more than 472 possum kills with the traps. “Our farm has native trees and various heritage fruit trees, and eliminating the

pests is important for the flora and fauna to survive,” says Michael. “Since April 5, we have been sexing all trapped kills, and the ratio is 60/40 malefemale with 54 per cent of females caught having had joeys. It’s good to know how many joeys we are also removing from possible reproduction. “There has been enough bait eaten from the 23 stations that would equate to approximately 800 possums and rats. From April 5 to June 27 there were 189 male, 128 female and 69 joeys eradicated.” Madison says Rolf helped to teach her to use the traps correctly. “The traps are secured at certain places around the farm,” says Madison. “We bait the traps with non-toxic lure bait to attract the possums and rats. We then push down the release handle to set

The family are seeing significant native tree regrowth since starting the pests eradication programme in March

it, and to reset the trap, we remove the catch and reload it. “We set the traps between 50-400 metres apart depending on if they are in paddocks or bush. We usually place them in the scrub because the possums are usually amongst the trees.

“The possums reach in, and the rats stand on their hind legs to eat from them and get snapped. We hit the pests hard with the traps and follow up with bait stations. It gets to the point of only needing to fill the stations every three months as there are fewer pests.

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Madison often finds the hawks have had a meal of possum when she resets the traps

“The native plant regeneration is already quite significant as the pests are not eating the tops off them. There are kiwi near us, so it is important for them too. The traps are out of the reach of kiwi, and they aren’t interested in the traps anyway. “When I remove the possum from the traps we place them in a gully, at the native tree block well clear of waterways, and grandad puts some around the fruit trees as fertiliser. Sometimes give some of the meat to the dogs. “I like clearing and resetting the traps. When the willow trees start budding is

when the babies get their fur, and you see the joeys on the mum’s back. “The animals can smell a bit if I forget a trap, and often the hawks have a meal, and I find fur everywhere. It is the bucks who smell bad because they mark their territory with their scent. “Dad is considering getting a possum fur plucker. You get about $100 for a kilogram of fur, which takes about 10–12 possums. “After the first month of trapping, Uncle Michael found our first kauri snail on the track in the pine block. It shows eradicating the pests is giving them a good shot at life.

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“I am going to do it all year because we want to protect the kauri snail, native trees, plants, birds and grandad’s heritage fruit.” Douglas Macmillan says he spent his childhood on the farm exploring the terrain. “It was a wonderful place to grow up,” says Douglas. “Our gift to future generations is to restore part of the land to the condition before people arrived in NZ bringing invasive species — 4,500 years ago moa were foraging this land.

“This was determined by carbon dating kauri gum found next to moa gizzard stones. Maybe in our lifetime, de-extinction will be possible. Rolf has been a great help with the possum trapping allowing us to remove an order of magnitude more opossums than we thought existed. “The fencing, pest trapping and planting of natives will allow us to attract and sustain native birdlife. One of my goals is to bring visitors from overseas to show what is possible and what New Zealand looked like not so long ago.”

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July 2022 NORTHERN FARMING lIFESTylES

SKILLFULLY

COMPLETING

BY ANN VAN ENGELEN

RESCUES

Northland Rescue Helicopter pilot and base manager Steve Couchman has been flying the choppers on and off since late 2000 and has many flight hours to reflect on.

“M

y mum is a Kiwi and dad is English, and I grew up in Hastings, Hawke’s Bay,”

says Steve. “I first joined the Northland Rescue Helicopter service in late 2000. In 2005 I left for a stint in Australia before joining Westpac Rescue in Auckland. Along the way, I flew peacekeeping missions in the Solomon Islands and worked for Rescue Helicopter services in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay. “Vertical flight to me is the ultimate aircraft. I have always liked helicopters. You are able to see the countryside, and there is a real satisfaction and sensation that flying has on your body. “In 2009, I returned to the north and currently hold a number of roles, including

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“When we are flying a winch job, we are very aware things could easily go wrong, so we are constantly doing a lot of risk assessments.” Steve says ironically, he did not set out to obtain his Air Transport Pilot Licence when he left school. “I first undertook four years of what could be called an extended OE in Australia and then Europe. I returned to Australia and worked for two years saving for my pilot’s licence, and studied the various subjects for my licence by correspondence. “I completed my licence in 1995 and then worked in the Northern Territory as ground crew and flew a small helicopter stock mustering. I eventually moved to Sydney patrolling high-pressure gas pipelines from the air and eventually based myself out of Sale, east of Melbourne, as a co-pilot flying to 16 offshore oil rigs.” In nine months, Steve flew 650 hours in an S76. The next step was Northland Rescue Helicopter’s sole S76.

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“I have enjoyed the management side of my various roles in the rapidly changing air ambulance sector. My base management and flying roster dictate my daily activities. A flying day begins at 8am, completing our aircraft safety checks to comply with regulations. “When we are on a mission, our first focus is checking the weather and getting to the location. The time it takes depends on many factors. “Sometimes we get to a scene, and the patient has been packaged ready to go by the road ambulance crews. At times we are grounded preparing the patient because there are things that can be done more easily on the ground due to the limited cabin space. “At times, we quickly scoop the patient and run because they need to urgently get to the hospital. Our flight medics get them to a level of medical stability first. “We work very closely as a team and are really proud of our staff and crews

Photo credit: Steve Macmillan

Steve has many years of experience flying helicopters in a vast range of situations

because they work so hard to keep our community safe. It is nice to see their efforts being recognised in a new reality series First Responders, which has been screening on TV1 at 8.30pm every Tuesday or on TVNZ OnDemand. “Our crews have flown more than 600 missions to the end of June, and we are in for a busy winter. With that in mind, 09 439 8048 please take extra care on the roads, in your workplaces and out on the water and look out for each other. “In late May, our 14-strong Whangāreibased clinical flight team of intensive care and critical care paramedics transitioned from St John to Northern Rescue Helicopter Ltd. “We are extremely lucky to have a strong mix of people who excel at their profession and are passionate about clinical and operational excellence. Our flight crews help care for the people in our community and visitors to the region 24/7. “Based on what we hear, we have really positive support from the public.

Most people seem to recognise the importance of having the chopper in the skies, and we really appreciate that support.” To donate and support Northern Rescue Helicopter Ltd — go to nest.org.nz.

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Steve Couchman says as a rescue chopper pilot he gets much satisfaction from helping people in their time of need

July 2022

July 2022 NORTHERN FARMING lIFESTylES

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film Rurangi and stage performance Maniac on the Dance Floor.  Georgie Tuipulotu, an emerging multidisciplinary artist, who most recently performed in the schoolkid spectacular Sau e Siva Creatives, and proudly takes inspiration from being a NZ-born Tongan.  Hamish Davies, who studied at New York’s Atlantic Acting School, and is joining the Glow Show whanau again after treading the boards for the 2021 Wonderland Glow Show.  Te Keepa Aria, Queen of the South 2020, who performed in the first Glow Show in 2017, is back, fresh from Maori Television’s Ahikaroa. They will perform at 40 venues, from Kaitaia to Invercargill, with two different shows; a concise version for under fives and a longer version with Q and A for 6 to 12-year-olds. Shows sell out, so book your tickets, fast!

Sarah Burren launched the Glow Show in 2017 after dreaming up the concept over several years. A New Zealander based in London and Toronto for 15 years, she designed and made costumes for numerous TV and theatre shows, including Basil Brush’s attire for the BBC. She also worked across Europe and in North America, making couture garments for a range of celebrities, including Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson in the mid 1980s. She returned to Auckland in 1995 and has designed for theatre, TV, film and spectacular live events, including The America’s Cup Ball, Volvo Ocean Race, Sky City opening and Rugby World Cup 2011, and designing sets, costumes and props for more than 50 children’s shows. The Matariki Glow Show is proudly presented by Little Green Man Productions.

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July 2022

ADVERTORIAL

Farmers called to play their part on electrical safety Top Energy and Northpower have teamed up to urge caution around electricity assets in rural Northland this winter. Northpower’s Network operations manager, Keith Hargood, says too many electricity-related accidents that could result in serious injury or death when machinery makes contact with live electricity happen in Northland every year. “We don’t want to see anyone hurt and would like to remind Northlanders to have a good look around them when working outdoors to identify potential electrical hazards,” says Mr Hargood. “It is also important to recognise some electricity assets like underground cables are just as dangerous as overhead powerlines. “We have numerous instances every year where machinery and vehicles damage our electricity network assets by striking underground cables, overhead lines or power poles. Not only is this a serious safety issue but it often causes electricity outages for neighbouring communities. “If people think an electricity asset is too close, then it probably is, so they should stay well clear, replan their work or contact us for advice,” he says.

Top Energy and Northpower urge caution around electricity assets

Top Energy’s Network operations manager Tony Smallman says post rammers, excavators and harvesting equipment on farms can damage electricity assets. “We have experienced people putting containers, baleage, buildings and other structures under or too close to powerlines,” says Mr Smallman.

“If people are intending to construct structures or buildings close to powerlines, they must apply for a close approach consent first from their electricity network, who will check to make sure the distances from the powerlines are safe. “We ask farmers and other primary producers not to stack winter feed under power lines. These things can be climbable, and someone could easily be electrocuted by getting too close to power lines. “I encourage farmers to check the electricity assets on their properties. If they have concerns around trees and vegetation being too close to lines, they should contact their local lines company for advice,” says Mr Smallman. “If building wiring, especially in wet areas like old cowsheds and pump sheds looks unsafe, people should play it safe and contact their electrician for an inspection,” he says. Alternatively, people can phone Top Energy at 0800 867 363 (0800 TOP ENERGY) or Northpower at 0800 104 040 if they are concerned about

working around electricity or unsure of the location of underground cables. The New Zealand Electrical Code of Practice (NZECP 34:2001) is a great reference to check minimum safe electrical distance requirements. A link to this code of practice is available on the Worksafe website. To stay safe around electricity, the companies warn people should not dig within five metres of a power pole. They should stay at least four metres away from power lines.

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Help us keep the power on for you & your neighbours this winter A reminder as we head into winter that the biggest cause of unplanned power outages are trees in lines. During winter storms and high winds falling trees and branches can break lines causing power cuts, potential fire risk, electrocution and even death. Help us to keep the power on for you and your neighbourhood – check your property for trees in or near lines. If you have network lines going over your property you are responsible for keeping trees and vegetation away from the lines. Give us a call if you have any concerns, we will send an arborist to check and work with you to ensure your trees are safely trimmed. If there are trees in or near the network lines on your property please call us on 0800 10 40 40.

It is very important that you do not attempt to trim trees near network lines yourself, it is very dangerous and under the law only an approved contractor can do it – never go within 4 meters of a power line. To avoid power cuts at your place it is also important to check for trees or vegetation near your service line (the power line between the property boundary and your house, shed or business). Call us on 0800 10 40 40 to arrange a safety disconnection before any work to trim trees goes ahead. Check our website: northpower.com for a list of approved contractors to trim trees near your service lines.

Winter energy saving tips HEATING: Choose a heater that suits the room and your needs.

HOT WATER: Makes up around 30% of an average power bill

Portable electric heaters are 100% efficient, but heat pumps can be more than 300% efficient. Consider heating only the room you are in rather than the whole house.

Check your hot water temperature and turn down to 55 C at the tap (an economy temperature). Hot water for washing dishes is a good guide - if you add cold water to do the dishes you might want to turn the thermostat down.

Choose a heater with a thermostat which cycles on and off, and a timer. This helps maintain an even, constant temperature.

Showers use less water than a bath, especially when using an energy efficient showerhead.

HEATED TOWEL RAILS: Keeping a standard 80 watt heated towel rail on all the time costs 48 cents per day. That might not sound like much, but it does add up.

COLD WASH CLOTHES: Unless you have especially dirty clothes, use the cold wash cycle for the laundry. A hot water wash can use 10 times more electricity than a cold wash.

To save energy you could consider turning your heated towel rail off at the wall when you don’t need your towels warm, or you could install a timer to come on automatically at certain times.

According to the EECA, four loads of laundry washed in a cold cycle a week will save you about $60$80 a year.

ASK FOR FIBRE This large tree came down on network lines last winter, causing a six hour power outage for people in the area. Damage to neighbouring houses was also caused as the lines were pulled away from house entry points.

General enquiries: 0800 66 78 47

northpower.com

It’s usually a free installation and similar monthly cost to what you’re already paying - northpower.com/fibre

For power and hot water faults: 0800 10 40 40

July 2022 NORTHERN FARMING lIFESTylES

Black diamonds in the valley

ADVERTORIAL

Not feeling your best? (Part two)

by Liz Clark

by John Arts

I have a younger client whose mother had been using our supplements for some time. He suffered from low immunity with regular colds, low energy, and generally feeling unwell for no medical reason. Our priority was to improve his immune system. Despite what you read, you cannot ‘boost’ your immune system, despite what you read. The immune system is a complex, interconnected group of cells and tissue types. Our immune system is highly dependent on nutrients. Of these, the most important is vitamin D, which acts like a master controller of our immune responses. Then is a long list of trace minerals and some vitamins. I often talk to people who take vitamin C and Zinc for their immunity. These are important, but just two of many. That is where a well-formulated, comprehensive multimineral, multivitamin and multi-antioxidant can be very helpful as it provides all the essential nutrients — not just some of them. Having regular colds, especially in winter, can be the first sign of poor immune responses. You may have a

good immune system, but it may be half asleep or disorganised. I put my client on an initial higher dose of my multi-nutritional formula to lift critical nutrients rapidly. We also included vitamin D. He has been delighted with the response and went through last winter without a cold and much more energy. The bonus has been that the niggling low-grade depression has gone, probably from lifting vitamin D. Our bodies have a vast capacity to heal and restore, but only if we give it the nutrients it needs. Give yourself a three-month challenge — you may well be surprised. 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 all new newsletter at abundant.co.nz.

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What is in Cell eXtra? Cell eXtra contains nature’s most potent antioxidants to protect from free radical damage including grape seed OPC, Green tea, Bilberry, Goji, Hesperidin, Lutein, Lycopene, Beta carotene and vitamins C and E. Cell eXtra is a full multi-vitamin with vitamins C,D,E and a full B complex. Cell eXtra is a full multi-mineral including calcium, magnesium, potassium with trace minerals selenium, zinc, copper, boron, manganese, iron, molybdenum, chromium, silicon, iodine, vanadium and a 50+ trace mineral complex.

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THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING LOCAL

In the age of the 19th-century industrial revolution, coal was needed to power the boilers of steamers, locomotive engines and machines of the era. In Northland, the discovery of a coal seam at Kawakawa in 1864 would lead to the largest coal mine in the region. Around the same time, coal was found at Kitenikau in the Whau Valley near Kamo, Whangārei on August 24 1864, by Te Parawhau hāpu member Johnny Rake. Before long, arrangements were made for the discovery site to be developed under the financing of entrepreneurs Henry Walton and William Smellie Grahame. Veteran miners Daniel and Jeremiah Horne were tasked with opening up the mine, which ran under where the Kamo Cemetery is now located. By December of the same year, the new mine produced its first loads of coal ready for transport by dray down to the Hātea River. By mid-1866, under the management of civil engineer William Bedlington, 20 colliery workers were employed full-time to extract coal from the seam. Carpenters had been engaged to build a small worker’s village complete with workers’ houses, dormitory, workshops, butchery and bakery. Work on Northland’s earliest coal wooden tramline from the mine site to a coal chute on the Hātea River began in

The first coal mine in the Whau Valley was opened in December 1864 — by 1866, a small village was on-site along with a wooden tramline

1865. It followed the line of Kamo Road down into Donald Street, where it met up with a substantially built coal wharf and chute. The tramline came three years earlier than the Kawakawa line, which wasn’t completed until 1868. Despite significant successes in coal volume, the mine lasted a mere three years and, by 1869, was completely flooded. It was reopened in 1873 by the partnership John Dunsmuir and Alexander Love. Later in 1884, they sold out to the Whangarei Coal Company — it ceased operations at the site in 1889.

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July 2022 NORTHERN FARMING lIFESTylES

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Total Replacement Therapy was established in November 2019, to help farmers drastically reduce synthetic nitrogen initially. The foundation of this work can be simplified by explaining a rarely understood concept: the Bio-Circle. Every farm is a Bio-Circle. Each key area flows in and out of other key areas. What’s in the soil goes into the grass; what’s in the grass goes into the cow. What’s in the cow goes into the effluent pond; what’s in the pond goes into the soil — and the circle continues. A farm with a balanced Bio-Circle works in sync. The soil environment enables the biological inhabitants to function properly, converting and transporting nutrients and suppressing disease-causing organisms. The grass is more nutrient-rich, tasting sweeter to cows and encouraging better feeding. Cows are healthier, with more efficient digestion and, therefore, greater milk production. Effluent ponds are dominated by good bacteria, digesting solids and preventing a crust from forming. Although this concept is the foundation for working with your farm’s biology,

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We have over 50 courses that you could begin on the 25th of July 2022 and get a head start on your learning journey for 2023.

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BOOK A CAREERS KŌRERO Need help with learning goals and options? Book a Careers Kōrero! Visit our website to find out more www.northtec.ac.nz

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NorthTec is part of Te Pūkenga, the national organisation combining all Aotearoa polytechnics and some industry training organisations. In the future our whānau will grow to include all the other polytechnics and industry training, staff, students and programmes across the land. You’ll see Te Pūkenga next to our NorthTec logo more and more as our journey together begins. Our people will still be here doing the same thing, in the same way and in the same places, supporting our learners throughout Te Tai Tokerau. That hasn’t changed. We’ll always be here to help you be what you want to be. Noho tata, haere tawhiti – stay close, go far.

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July 2022 NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES

NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES

July 2022

July 2022 NORTHERN FARMING lIFESTylES

Northland rural health and wellbeing counts by Colin Hannah — Federated Farmers Northland president

It has been a busy time on the health front in more ways than one in recent months, and this activity has been really important for rural folk in Northland. On July 1, our District Health Boards, as we have known them, were disestablished as the health system moved to more centralised control. I was part of Rural Health Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand, and our reason for being was advocating for rural health outcomes. In this space, there were other organisations all advocating, and I would suggest that often our individual voices were lost in our messages to the government of the day. I was pleased on July 1 when an organisation that has been many years in the making was officially launched as Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network was born.

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It is where nine different organisations morphed into nine chapters of the rural Health network under the banner of Hauora Taiwhenua. This new organisation is now a very loud voice for change and health outcomes and was launched at parliament in late June with full crossparty support from the rural caucus. The chapters making up the Rural Health Network are Rural Communities Aotearoa; Rural General Practice; Rural Health Research and Education; Rural Hospitals; Rural Midwifery and Maternity; Rural Nurses New Zealand; Rural Scientific, Technical and Allied Health; Students of Rural Health; Te Whare Taumata o Whanau Whanui. Fiona Bolden, the interim chair of Hauora Taiwhenua, is a rural GP with extensive experience serving rural communities. The other board members also have immense knowledge in the world of health. Hauora Taiwhenua will continue to strive for healthy and thriving rural communities. It will advocate for equitable access to health and disability services for all rural New Zealanders.

Colin Hannah — Federated Farmers Northland president

This is very important if our rural communities and businesses are to continue to successfully have a huge economic impact on New Zealand’s health and wellbeing. While Covid was not a pleasant experience for many New Zealanders locked up at home, those involved in the land continued to work to ensure there was food for all. Hauora Taiwhenua recognises the shortfall of GPs and healthcare nurses in rural New Zealand and is working hard in the background to address and ensure

that rural New Zealand has an adequate level of health services. Federated Farmers of New Zealand is an organisational member of Hauora Taiwhenua and is looking forward to working with the combined team for better health and wellbeing outcomes for all rural New Zealand. It is an exciting journey. As a rural community, I think we are in good hands. I am personally looking forward to the change as I continue to remain an advocate for better health and wellbeing for rural Kiwis and Kiwi farmers. For more information — go to htrhn.org.nz.

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Local sawmills bust timber crisis by Andy Bryenton

For Charlie Person and the team at the SH16 Ecotimbers Sawmill, not a week goes by without hearing from some frustrated builder or homeowner finding it increasingly difficult to get hold of good quality timber for their construction and landscape projects. With a perfect storm of factors colluding, including a global construction boom and Covid-related shipping delays, it has been harder than ever to find good quality timber. This crisis comes at a time when an increasing awareness and appreciation of the benefits of timber construction has led to a significant resurgence in demand. The answer, as with many things in these tumultuous times, is to focus on local skills, in this case, the skills of local sawmillers. For many years we have all heard news of smaller regional sawmills closing down, small towns losing valuable employment opportunities, and mass job layoffs, but that trend is reversing. Specialist skills in timber milling are now considered heritage knowledge. They can’t be automated, replaced or outsourced overseas because we need them right here.

Local sawmills are taking up the challenge as timber becomes a commodity in tight supply

Here in the mid-north, Charlie and his team are busier than ever. He has been communicating with other sawmillers from around New Zealand and Australia, the United States and Britain. They all report a similar demand for locally grown and sawn timbers. Those who make the machinery to mill wood are also working double-time.

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WOMEN IN BUSINESS ALTOGETHER Since 2009 Tina has held a variety of management roles across the health sector. Appointed as the CEO of Claud Switzer Memorial Trust in November 2019, Tina has utilised her wealth of knowledge and experience to help ensure Switzer continues to be a sustainable, and high-performing not-for-profit Trust that is focused on delivering the best care and support to elderly and their families across the wider Far North region. In addition to a host of qualifications, including a Master of Business Administration, Advance Leadership, Change Management, Management and Leadership in Nursing Practice, Bachelor of Nursing and Diploma in Business Accounting, Tina has completed the Eden Alternative training to further enhance Switzer by making it a truly compassionate and loving home for residents. Tina is an energetic advocate for culture change and supports the decision of the Switzer staff and community to embrace the Eden journey.

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Bringing significant experience with managing building and redevelopment projects, as well as implementing new systems and processes within the health sector, Tina is passionate about growing the organisation to ensure the Trust can serve as many elders in the local community as possible. This drive to enhance and expand has become a large part of her role at Switzer. Tina is open for opportunities for Switzer to engage with the local health community and encourages residents and employees to have a voice on strategies to support future-proofing Switzer goals. Tina Mills Chief Executive Officer “My grateful thanks to all who have recently supported our work by generously donating your time, bequests, and kind donations. If you would like to support Claud Switzer Memorial Trust Board with a donation to go towards creating the best aged care for our community, I would love to hear from you”. Tina

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LIFESTYLE Christine provided continuous updates on the sale and purchase agreement and dealt efficiently with our queries. Her experience shows through – highly recommended. – Richard

HELPING YOUR BUSINESS MIND BE FREE FROM ENDLESS NUMBERS My name is Roseann, and I am the Sole Owner of Tranquil Bookkeeping & Accounting. I started Tranquil Bookkeeping at the start of the pandemic in New Zealand in April 2020. It was a tough time for many businesses, and was not the ideal time to be starting a business. In saying that I never gave up on my dream to be a business owner. The first year was tough, and it was after that first year that I decided that I wanted to focus on being a taxation accountant. And that is exactly what I have done. Now in 2022, I have wanted to give up more than once. But I kept on going. Now in my 3rd year of business I went from having zero clients to having close on fifty clients that I help every year. The new goal is to double this and have 100 clients by July 2023. I help in a variety of areas accounting, taxation, bookkeeping, accounting software, payroll, and IRD compliance. I have also helped in a variety of industries; farming, retail, professional services, automotive and the trades.

INFO@TRANQUILBOOKKEEPING.CO.NZ | 021 082 06454

Enjoyed your champagne this evening with friends as we surface from box heaven. Thank you – appreciate your kindness and excellent service. – Sandra and Pat Christine was very professional. Got top dollar for our house, and it sold in four days. We would recommend her to anybody. – Alastair and Kitty

Christine Thomas AREINZ

021 560 008 | christine.thomas@bayleys.co.nz MACKYS REAL ESTATE LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008

NORTHERN FARMING lIFESTylES

July 2022

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Eclectic Boutique I am Trish Dowsett (Whitehead) & have been in the second hand trade of buying and selling, these past 20 years. Alongside of running our Eclectic Boutique, I have a small desk to continue on with the administration side of our Coast to Coast Electrical business. I Have raised 7 children all now grown & have 2 step daughters. Having been a volunteer fire fighter for 21 years, with Wellsford fire brigade rising in the ranks to a Senior Firefighter level, I joined due to owning and operating Wellsford traders because

I wanted to provide a service to the community & educate the youth with our Firewise program. My long term dream was always to bring the business home to Kaiwaka & have fulfilled the dream, by building a second hand shop at the entrance to our property. Since its opening in November I’ve been privileged enough to meet some amazing people, former customers and new residents that have moved into the Kaiwaka area. Our Shop is heavily stocked with

Well worth a look at all the old relics from the past!

99 Gibbons Rd, Kaiwaka

Open 5 days: 10am–4pm or by appointment Closed: Sunday and Monday Cash, Eftpos or Direct Debit available new supplies brought in, daily/weekly. We recently have added new stock of material for patchwork & sewing enthusiasts, along with an additional stock of Crown Lynn, Bar Collectables, Hardware & Linen. We are still in operation 5 days a week 10am–4pm or outside these hours by appointment. We have cash or EFTPOS available, a fenced in play area for children and air conditioning. We have recently been adding our own personal collection to the upper shelved mezzanine floor.

Contact Trish for buying or selling | 021 214 0522 | 09 431 2193

July 2022 NORTHERN FARMING lIFESTylES

DAIRY AND LIVESTOCK

Carbon creep devouring rural New Zealand

by Andy Bryenton

Richard Alspach is a farmer with decades of on-the-land experience residing in the Kaipara District. After a career spanning dairy and red sector livestock and participation in the leadership of Federated Farmers, he voices his concerns on the consequences of carbon credit forestation. “At $80 per carbon unit, the profit is better than farming,” says Richard. He referred to the growing trend for farmers to abandon the red meat and wool sectors

DR & BA

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What we haven’t got we can get!

to sell up and give their land over to carbon forestry. “Almost any meat and wool farm being bought right now is being bought by forestry interests, and many of these interests are offshore. Six new conglomerates were approved by the Overseas Investment Office recently to buy up New Zealand lands for forests.” Richard remembers the instigation of the Mangakahia Forest in 1982, which came with promises of local processing, internal roading, and massive employment. While none of these promises fully eventuated, says Richard, at least the joint venture by NZ Forest Products and Shell was intended to create harvested wood. This forest displaced a quarter million stock units, with economic knock-on effects, which were to the detriment of farming support industries and farming support towns in the mid-north. Now, a situation has emerged he believes incentivises farmers to leave the industry. “Nick Smith, and the government he was part of, deliberately collapsed the carbon market so that they could claim compliance with the Kyoto protocols, while doing nothing to curb our real carbon emissions,” says Richard. “This

SIS BALL COCK VALVE Price $99.50+GST EACH Freight free anywhere in NZ • Buy 10 receive 12 and 2x service kits

Richard Alspach says that carbon-credit forestry is eating up farmland to the detriment of rural communities and the long-term economy

left us exposed to the current situation where farming and rural communities are being sacrificed to avoid the country as a whole having to front up to an addiction to the burning of fossil fuels.” While Richard agrees that climate change is a real threat and that something must be done, he also opines that the farming sector here is already making changes and taking action which other sectors are not following. Farmers are being vilified when their real contribution to emissions is shrinking. One solution to mass forestation, which kills profitable farming and kneecaps the Kiwi economy to the benefit of offshore carbon investors and polluters, is to

examine a plan change adopted by the Hobson County Council in the 1980s. Scheme Change 9E classified some land as flat, productive agricultural land forbidden for forestry. Rural AF land was hilly, marginal for stock and useful for forestry. Meanwhile, Rural A land required a resource consent to be afforested. A similar rule in the forthcoming replacement of the RMA may ameliorate the carbon creep that is rapidly devouring farmland. “It is a government’s duty to protect a nation’s competitive advantage,” says Richard. “Therefore, it’s incumbent on our government to protect farming, not disincentivise it.”

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NORTHERN FARMING lIFESTylES

July 2022

Make your garden better Blowers from $345

Chainsaws from $319

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Albany

Albany Mowers & Machinery

09 415 9756

Mangawhai

Mangawhai Small Engines

09 431 5270

Dargaville

Farrand & Mason Ltd

09 439 7335

Mangonui

Mangonui Mowers & Chainsaws Ltd

09 406 0584

Kaikohe

Kaikohe Lawnmowers & Chainsaws Ltd

09 401 0151

Silverdale

Gatmans Mowers & More

09 426 5612

Kaitaia

Kaitaia Tractors Ltd

Kaiwaka

Kaiwaka Motorcycles Ltd

Kumeu

Kumeu Chainsaw & Mower Services

Wairau Valley Gardening Aids Ltd

09 444 9493

09 431 2127

Warkworth

Rodney Honda

09 945 3989

09 412 8109

Whangarei

Regent Lawnmowers and Cycles

09 408 0670

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husqvarna.com

July 2022 NORTHERN FARMING lIFESTylES

RURAL WHEELS

Treads triumphant by Andy Bryenton

Those familiar with the mud, ice and snow of the hinterland of Russia will not be surprised to learn that the first-ever tracked vehicle was invented in this often cold and hard-to-travel land.

It’s hard to imagine the worlds of construction, agriculture and warfare without tracks and treads, but there was a time when this technology was new and innovative

USED TRACTORS & MACHINERY 2021 WALCO 6-75 2014 KUBOTA M135GX PTO SPREADER $5,000 CAB TRACTOR $48,000 2019 CANAM 450 2013 FIELDMASTER OUTLANDER ATV $10,000 JUMBO SLASHER $7,850 2018 CASE IH PUMA 165 2011 KUBOTA L5240 CVT TRACTOR $89,000 4WD TRACTOR + LOADER $26,000 2016 CASE IH FARMALL 95C 2004 CASE IH JX1100U CAB TRACTOR + LOADER $39,000 CAB TRACTOR + LOADER ARRIVING SOON All prices exclude GST

PH 408 0670 or Kyle 027 481 2188 FX 408 2949 • North Road Kaitaia

EM sales@kaitaiatractors.nz • www.kaitaiatractors.co.nz

The earliest records of a tracked machine are for a horse-drawn cart that would not sink into mud and snow — Fyodor Blinov was the inventor. He first showed off his idea in 1877, while halfway around the world in Pennsylvania, USA, another inventor, Charles Dinsmoor, was entertaining similar ideas about salvaging wood from rough terrain. Both were technically beaten to the punch by the bizarre, 30-tonne Heathcote steam plough, which resembled two bandsaw blades wrapped around giant wooden drums. It was designed to plough muddy English fields. The first world war proved the versatility of tracks, with the success of the landships, what we would today call tanks. Internal combustion engines replaced steam, lightening the load, and the era of treads was born. When the ground is soft, treads and tracks stop vehicles from sinking in. That is because the weight of the machine is spread across a larger contact patch. Narrow tyres and wheels dig into mud like a knife-edge, while big tracks work like snowshoes. In this way, even the biggest tracked vehicles can move across muddy terrain with ease.

For example, the 70-tonne Abrams main battle tank only puts down 15 pounds per square inch (psi), which is less at the points where the tank’s tracks touch the ground than the amount put down by an average road car. At the four points where its tyres touch the tarmac, a car like your family Ford or Toyota exerts 28 psi. It is fantastic for war machines, but even better for construction vehicles which must build the roads and pavements for others to roll on. Farming machinery also uses tracks to carefully traverse paddocks where crushing the soil biota is not an option. When it comes to traction, those bigger contact patches also pay dividends. Tracked vehicles for truly muddy or chopped-up terrain featured cleats and grippy treads, which dig in and provide plenty of points to put down torque. The continuous nature of the tracks also means that potholes, ditches and bumps are ironed out, giving a smoother ride over rugged ground. As a final bonus, tracks cannot be punctured or blown out like tyres. While they require special tools to fix, in certain applications, they are more durable than traditional wheels.

Toyota Genuine Parts WOF $60 with service* All makes and models serviced Capped price servicing available*

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All service enquires contact: Nick McAllister 09 425 8439 service@warkworthtoyota.co.nz

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NORTHERN FARMING lIFESTylES

July 2022

When it comes to versatility, the UFORCE 800 EPS is the pick of the bunch. Perfect for work and play, the UFORCE 800 EPS is loaded with standard equipment and is powered by CFMOTO ’s 800cc V-twin with loads of performance on hand to turn any work day into a fun day!

14,990

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*Ride away prices quoted exclude GST. Visit www.cfmoto.co.nz for more information.

Gatmans Mowers & More

Northland Powersports

Rob Titter Farm Services

Rouse Motorcycles

Silverdale | P: 0800 800 960 Kaikohe | P: (09) 401 1774

Whangarei | P: (09) 437 5451 Hikurangi | P: 0800 963 636

Maungaturoto Motorcycles

Maungaturoto | P: (09) 431 8555

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July 2022 NORTHERN FARMING lIFESTylES

ORDER NOW FOR 2023 DELIVERY ON HONDA ATV & SXS

HONDA FARM BIKES

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XRM125 $4,249 inc GST

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ULTIMA ZTX5 54”

16,499

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Cub Cadet LX42

$6,299

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ULTIMA ZTX5 48”

$15,999

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MTD 547/38

$3,999

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XR150

$4,825 inc GST

XR190

$6,319 inc GST

CT125 FARM

$6,894 inc GST

Cub Cadet RZTS42

$8,799

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Cub Cadet Z-Force SX48

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HARLEY-DAVIDSON

workshop specialist here now 20 Port Road, Whangarei, 0110, New Zealand P: 09 438 9780 E: sales@northcoasthonda.co.nz w: www.northcoasthonda.co.nz

RURAL WHEELS

NORTHERN FARMING lIFESTylES

Mastering the mud by Andy Bryenton

There are some things which are just inevitable in the world of off-road riding, whether it’s for hard work on the farm or maximum performance on the track and trails. One of those constant companions, no matter where you ride, will be winter mud. While motocross riders have a lovehate relationship with the stuff, enjoying slinging it about and the challenge of riding fast in gnarly conditions, those who slog through cold and muddy winter farm work could likely think of some unprintable words to describe it. However, if you encounter mud this time of year; there are ways to reduce its impact on your performance, fuel economy, maintenance times and grip. The first is to prevent stuck-on mud from weighing down your machine and making it hard to handle and sluggish. Every off-road rider knows the difference in weight between a clean machine and one caked with post-race clods. Getting it loose from around the engine, exhaust and moving parts is a job for a water blaster and sometimes even specialised scraping tools, but stopping it from forming up in the first place can be as easy as deploying silicone spray on your bike’s plastics. Ask any bike repairer or mechanic, and they’ll tell you that layers of caked-on mud can work their way into places where they can cause real issues; while there’s

July 2022

The biggest advantage you can gain when tackling winter mud comes from having the right tyres. Many otherwise excellent and all-purpose machines built for off-road use do not come on tyres specifically for the thick mud and deep bogs often found in the Kiwi back country, but your local off-road bike and quad expert will be able to supply ones with knobbly tread and side-biting extra grip that have been formulated for just these conditions. Get your new ‘boots’ on and put more power to the ground to get out of sticky situations this winter.

WARKWORTH

REMOVALS James Taylor 027 548 9104 | 09 425 9679 Riding in the mud can be either great fun or a hard slog; how your machine stands up to the punishment of winter comes down to preparation and maintenance

often little time for a wash-down out on the farm between big jobs on short winter days, keeping a clean quad or farm bike can be a simple way to avoid more costly maintenance down the track. Admittedly, dirt bikes and serious ATVs are made for the rough stuff. Their manufacturers test them in swamps and pits, which would cause most riders

to turn back. However, serious racers who compete in all-mud scrambles and technical trails will confirm that their machines need seals, joints, bearings, bushings, and everything else maintained or replaced on a regular basis. Booking in for a service at the midpoint of winter is never a bad idea to ensure reliability and nip any developing problems in the bud.

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July 2022 NORTHERN FARMING lIFESTylES

RURAL WHEELS

Small wonders — big savings by Andy Bryenton

Small, simple and frugal on fuel, small hatchbacks are the perfect tonic for bulky SUVs and high petrol prices. Here’s a pair of simple, light machines to make you smile. What should a car really do when it comes right down to it? There are those who say it should simply be a device to get you from one place to another, but this description ignores the fun of driving. Like it or not, this is a huge part

Ian

of the appeal of the car and the reason you likely rushed down to get your licence as soon as you were old enough. With cars getting bigger, more complex and bulkier, and fuel getting more expensive, a look at some proper stripped-down, light machines with manual transmissions is in order. However, we don’t have to get to grips with any low-volume sports cars made in foreign sheds to find them. The exquisitely inexpensive Kia Picanto and Suzuki Ignis both fit the bill, delivering the kind of fun that made the old Mini and Fiat 500 such superstars. The Picanto is Kia’s smallest offering and costs just under $20,000. In manual trim, it comes with a peppy, four-cylinder 1,250cc double overhead cam engine, good for 88-horsepower. That seems small, but so is the car. It means it’s nimble and easy to handle, buzzing up through the gears and making every corner feel like it’s been handled with deft aplomb. It comes in cool colours like ‘honey bee’ and ‘pop orange’, and you’ll even snag close to $2,000 as a clean car rebate. The Ignis claims to be a tiny sports utility, but as it boasts just four

Wayne

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Contact Wayne 021 765 706, Ian 021 977 729

Phone: 425 8723 Fax: 425 9526 Email: autoglassww@xtra.co.nz or autoglassww@gmail.com

Ignis (pictured) and Picanto have faced off in the micro-car market

centimetres more ground clearance than the Kia, it falls into the same category — funky, tiny cars with attitude. It’s deliberately a bit retro and a bit futuristic, and it, too, comes with a 1.2-litre engine, stick shift and 88-horsepower. It’s grin-inducing to drive, just like the Kia, and can be optioned in both sky blue and army green. Prices start from $21,990. Here’s the best part, though. Both of these cars, with their fuel-saving small engines, expect five litres for every 100km or thereabout, their groovy colours and their no-added-

fat designs, are packed with features like touchscreens, Bluetooth stereos, cruise control and power windows. Things owners of the old Mini could only dream of. They’ll still get you from place to place like a big, bloated behemoth. Still, they’ll do so while making you smile, helping you save money, and ensuring people let you in at intersections. You’ll also be able to park in a mouse’s shoeprint. That one day a year, you need to lug eight people or a sofa, borrow someone else’s or rent a trailer. It’s worth it.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.PIAKO.CO.NZ

NORTHERN FARMING lIFESTylES

July 2022

Northern Rural Marketplace Acraflex Dairy Wall Coatings

TREE WORK

New or existing walls

Able to be applied between milkings during summer months

Colourcrete Dairy Floor Resurfacing System

NORTHLAND WIDE • Tractors & Forestry rigged diggers with rammers Contact: Phil 027 274 4188 E: info@cpcfencing.co.nz www.cpcfencing.co.nz

Suitable for repairing damaged dairy floors or slippery areas Bruce Cameron 027 498 8412 / 09 235 8263

027 471 6927

CONCRETE AND TILT SLAB CONSTRUCTION

We offer design & build for bridges including plans, permits, consents and construction. Or see us to strengthen and repair your existing bridge to ensure safe access on your property. Address: 9-11 Hewlett St, Whangarei

Phone Daron

IES CONSTRUCTION LTD.

BRIDGE BUILDING & PILING SPECIALISTS

Contact: GHK Piling Phone: 09 435 4443

Tree climbing Tree felling Saw milling Firewood cutting & splitting

Email: admin@ghk.co.nz Web: www.ghk.co.nz

• • • •

Bridges Farm buildings Feed pads Bins

PO Box 448, Kerikeri, 0245 • PHONE: 09 407 8784 EMAIL: ies@concrete.net.nz

info@locksmart.co.nz

www.locksmart.co.nz

Specialists in Fertiliser & Palm Kernel Cartage

Mobile: 0274 302 934 Phone: 09 430 2934 Email: dougw@nrh.co.nz

Doug Wilson

www.northernruralhaulage.co.nz

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Local Tree Services

We courier to your door!

Ph 09 432 0820

Email: homeopath@animalherbs.co.nz Visit: animalherbs.co.nz to buy online

* Concrete Clean

0800 933 326

A big range of Health Solutions for you, your family and animals

• Solutions for control of fleas, ticks • Consult with Pat for solutions and worms with WashBar products, to skin problems and other Diatomaceous Earth and Flee Flea health issues for your pet • Herbal and Homeopathic remedies • Orijen Organic Dog and Cat Food — no grains for you and your animals

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THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING LOCAL

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

Farming & Lifestyle

For Sale

LAWN SEED/PASTURE SEED/FENCING Reels and Standards from Northland Seed, Okara Drive, Whangarei. Phone 09 438 0884.

PRESCOTT TRAILER with sides and rear doors 3m Long; 2.3m wide; 1.2m high Versatile multi purpose trailer with drop in/lift out stock crate Trailer brakes. good all round condition. $4,000 Ph 027 278 9339. NEW YAMAHA FARM ATVS — 5.9% interest & 3 year warranty. Only at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi — phone 080 096 3636 & Yamaha MC Whangarei. Ph 09 438 0804. 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. Ph 080 096 3636. www.atvtyres.co.nz. Subject to availability.

Fencing

FENCING, ALL types of fencing, pool, stockyards, post & rail, boundary plus... call Jeff 027 476 5458.

For Sale BACK 2 Wood Demolition. We buy & sell renovation materials. Servicing Northland — Auckland. Specialising in Windows, Doors, Ranch Sliders, Kitchens, Vanities, Roofing and More! Check out our website back2wood.co.nz or Ph 080 010 9877.

For Sale

Livestock

Tree Services

ATV MATS from $89 — Come in & see us at Rouse Motorcycles, King Street, Hikurangi. Ph 080 096 3636. www. atvtyres.co.nz.

FREE-FLOW FROZEN DOG CHUNKS/ MINCE. DOG / PUPPY BISCUITS — no artificial colour or preservatives, CHICKEN FEED/BIRDSEED/RAT BAIT from Northland Seed, Okara Drive, Whangarei. Phone 09 438 0884.

ARBORIST & TREE WORK Residential/ Commercial — trimming, pruning, removal, chipping. Northland’s only Truck and Grapple Saw for large/tricky projects. CALL Team Vegetation on 0800 933 326 for FREE QUOTE.

HERITAGE APPLE Trees from $30 – Hardy root stocks – Diversify your Farm with an Orchard pack www.tastytrees.co.nz, call 09 408 5443 or text 027 346 7645.

Garden SEED POTATOES / GARLIC, New Seasons, FERTILISER – Organic Blood & Bone, Citrus, General plus more from Northland Seed, Okara Drive, Whangarei. Phone 09 438 0884.

LUCERNE CHAFF plus more HORSE FEED, CALF REARERS get your Milk Powder and Meal from Northland Seed, Okara Drive, Whangarei. Phone 09 438 0884.

Wanted to Rent WANTING RENTAL house. Phone 027 385 8209.

COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS NEWS YOU CAN TRUST

July 2022 NORTHERN FARMING LIFESTYLES

DARGAVILLE

C A Motorcycles - 104 Jervois St Dargaville | 09 439 0170

HIKURANGI

Rouse Motorcycles - 1 King St Hikurangi | 09 433 8471

KAIKOHE

Rob Titter Farm Services - 55 Station Rd E | 09 401 1774

KAITAIA

Kaitaia Tractors - 169 North Rd | 09 408 0670

WARKWORTH

Warkworth Motorcycles - 22 Whitaker Rd | 09 425 8535 09 431 2123

WHANGAREI

Shaw Motorcycles - 111 Cameron Street | 09 438 1183