Northern Farming Lifestyles, March 2023

The Northern Farming Lifestyles is published with pride by Integrity Community Media, a privately owned Northland company.

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Journalists: Ann van Engelen | Andy Bryenton | Amy Fifita | Paul Campbell

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Future-proofing Northland’s infrastructure

by Dr Shane Reti, MP National

Welcome to the new year, and what a wet summer this has been.

Dr Shane Reti, MP National

I can’t recall when we have been so green at the beginning of a year. The ag sector tells me the rain has made the grounds undriveable for tractors, and the weight of water has damaged the underlying crops that would have eventually been turned into silage. It will, of course, have an impact on winter feed. Local stone fruit and flower growers have also been impacted by wind and rain, which will severely affect their industry. All of this, unfortunately, looks like adding to the already crippling cost of living.

One of the more obvious consequences of the wet weather has been the impact on our roads. The ‘goat track’ that is State Highway 1 from Whangārei to Auckland eventually failed at the Brynderwyns, and we were cut off. That led to Cove Road

through Waipū and Mangawhai, Paparoa and Dargaville roads, all becoming proxies for State Highway 1.

It is not what these roads were designed for, and it is very clear from politicians that this will be a differentiating local issue in campaign 2023. Northland Labour MPs have stated, “don’t expect goldplated roads”, and “we don’t need a new highway”, while National will continue to be the voice of Northland people, saying we need four lanes — not sticks.

We know climate change for Northland will bring extremes, and so we need to be doing our best to minimise this while at the same time future-proofing its infrastructure. The economic future of Whangārei and Northland is closely tied to the rural sector. I sense a combination of weather events will likely make it a challenging year.

Dargaville hosts a show success

by Paul Campbell

Accolades are pouring in from exhibitors and visitors to the Northland Field Days event at Dargaville from March 2 to 4, which broke a two-year drought in the event because of the Covid pandemic and was also threatened by a summer of inclement weather.

“Days of sunshine were most welcome,” was one showgoer’s comment. The organising committee is still completing a show audit, but event coordinator Luciana Schwarz says members are “over the moon” with the overall success of the event.

An official post from the organisers reads: ‘A big thank you to everyone who makes Northland Field Days possible, especially to all our team of amazing volunteers, and the family, friends and employers that support them to take the time to make this special community event possible.

‘Also to our exhibitors, our attendees, our sponsors, the community groups that support us, traffic control, security, and everyone who helped in anyway, thank you.’

“After a two-year stand down because of Covid and also the flooding that the rural community has suffered, it was a great success, and the committee is still preparing the full report,” said Luciana.

As the gates opened to this year’s event, there were few spaces left with a record 300 exhibitors signed up from across the country and an event and entertainment schedule to keep interest bubbling along.

It ranged from fencing competitions to the latest in agricultural machinery, while families were well catered with food courts and fun for children with pony rides and animal shows.

The 2023 Sheep Dog Trials were held at Dargaville with Long Head, Short Head and Yard, Zig-Zag Huntaway and Straight Huntaway events.

The Northland Field Days started life in 1985 as a project run by the Dargaville Jaycees, with some 80 exhibitors. After a period of economic downturn, 1990 had a huge increase in attendance of both

For Sale

Record exhibitors spell field days success

exhibitors and visitors. The increase has continued each year until the two-year break, but it seems the event is back as the largest in Northland and the second-largest agricultural event of its type in New Zealand.

Now an incorporated society, it is a not-for-profit organisation and makes provision for community grants for scholarships and research aimed at reinvesting back into the rural sector.

SHEARING SPORTS BACK IN ACTION

BY PAUL CAMPBELL

The glamour calendar event hadn’t been held since 2020 when the three-day event’s celebration of 60 years as the world’s glamour shearing sports championships was one of the last major events to be held before New Zealand’s first pandemic lockdown.

Cyclone Gabrielle, which devastated many significant shearing catchments of Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne and crept into Wairarapa, momentarily cast some doubts over this year’s date in respect of whether some competitors would be able to even get there, with rural roads and bridges down.

which culminated with

“In many ways, the die was already cast, and with competition numbers good at most of the lead-up competitions through the country after a 2021–2022 season, which saw only a quarter of 60 A&P shows able to go ahead,” said Shearing Sports New Zealand spokesman, Doug Laing. “There wasn’t much that could stop the Return of the Goldies being a major success.“

Shearing Sports New Zealand chairman Sir David Fagan said that with more than 40 competitions held since the start of October, fears that some would not survive the two years of planning competitions and then having to cancel with barely days to spare were largely dispelled.

“There was also the hint that younger people now see the need to join committees and help run the events for fear of losing them amid age-based attrition affecting most sports at the volunteer levels,” said Doug.

“A 10-year-old shearer, Wairua Edmonds, added another layer to the multi-generational involvement in the wool industry when he shore for the first time in the novice heats in Masterton.

“One thing that lifted interest this year is the fact it’s a world championship, with Shearing Sports New Zealand sending a team of two machine shearers, two blade shearers and two wool handlers to defend and chase the titles at the Royal Highland Show in Scotland in June.

“While the first members of that team would be decided at the Golden Shears, the anticipation added spice to many competitions around the country. Masterton attracted more than 400 shearers, woolhandlers and woolpressers, many of whom would have been simply to qualify for quarter-finals or semi-finals.

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After the combined trials of the pandemic and a bizarre turn of climate

Cyclone Gabrielle, the 2023 Golden Shears in Masterton on March 2–4 were the measure of a renaissance in Kiwi shearing sports competition after two years in the doldrums.

“There was no change at the top of the roost, with Hawke’s Bay shearer Rowland Smith, who was raised on a Ruawai farm in Northland, winning glamour event the Golden Shears Open championship for an eighth time, claiming the first of the two machine shearing berths for Scotland, where brother Matt, an award-winning Cornwall farmer, will represent England.

“Smith, the 2014 world champion, and 2017 champion and four-times Golden Shears winner John Kirkpatrick had plenty on their minds. Their farms, among the hundreds, with erosion, fence and flooding damage in Hawke’s Bay and leaving them with tough decisions to make about whether to be at the Golden Shears and the

Taumarunui, Apiti and Pahiatua shears, which have become the traditional shears-week springboard into the events in Masterton.”

Kirkpatrick, now in his 50s and bestowed the ONZM in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours, made the final yet again. He lines up with a growing list of hopefuls at the New Zealand Shears in Te Kuiti on March 30–April 1, targeting the second machines’ place in the team.

Others at the forefront of that challenge are Marlborough shearer Angus Moore, who won the PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit for a third time and was also runner-up in the Open final, fellow first-time Golden Shears Open finalist Hemi Braddick of Eketahuna, and

Northland shearer Toa Henderson, who had beaten Smith three times in finals in recent weeks but missed out on a place in the Golden Shears final.

In woolhandling, Candy Hiri of Mataura and Ngaio Hanson of Eketahuna claimed trips to Scotland, and two blade shearers

are being selected in a series in the South Island.

After the three days of shearing celebration at Masterton, it was quickly back into action for many of the competitors, with 10 competitions remaining on the New Zealand calendar.

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Angus Moore, from Marlborough, was named winner of the Golden Shears PGG Wrightson title

Shears’ novice woolhandling champion, Eleri Bradley

FARM LIFE AND FIRST AID

BY AMY FIFITA

Kate and Jeremy Mounter are 50/50 sharemilkers close to Matauri Bay who also design and distribute medical kits to New Zealand.

“Ido all of the administration and business side of it and help on the farm with calf rearing,” says Kate.

Kate met Jeremy, who was managing a farm in the Waikato at the time. However, Kate didn’t want to leave the Bay of Islands, so he moved up north.

“Originally, I was a physical education teacher, and then I retired and moved

overseas and worked on superyachts for eight years. I worked my way to be a dive guide on a private yacht based in Micronesia.

“When I came back to New Zealand, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. My mum saw an ad for ITM Hunting and Fishing Show, so I moved up to Kerikeri from Auckland and worked on that for a decade.

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“I had gone from glamming it up on superyachts, drinking champagne to living in a farmhouse. It was quite a shock to the system.

“We had no family connection to farming. Jeremy worked his way up from being a farm assistant, and now we own our herd and are 50/50 sharemilkers.

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Beau helping on the farm teat spraying the dairy cows

Jeremy

He is one of the successes of the farming industry, and now we employ a couple of staff and rearing beef calves too.

“I like that Jeremy is always there, and we can work our day around the farm. Obviously, the cows have to be worked at a certain time, but it means that we can be at school camps and go to assemblies.

“We are a once-a-day farming system, which is better for everyone. We have just done a record production in 50 years for February on the farm we are on. It had always been a twice-a-day farm, and now we’ve come in with our once-a-day herd. We have been on this farm for three years,

and we have just signed up for another three years.

“Farming has an important role in New Zealand. You feed people and do your best to look after the animals and the environment and be a good employer.

“We have three boys, Jack, Beau and Joe, who are 12, nine and six. We have been really lucky with the farms that we have never been too far from town. Where we are living now is the best one we have ever been on. It is nine minutes to one of the most amazing beaches around, we don’t live on a gravel road, and it is 16 minutes from school.

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“Their friends can come around, and they love it, and so do their parents because their children can come to the farm. It gives them a kind of childhood with freedom, and they can go off and play in the paddocks and in the bales, and they love the animals.”

Kate says that on the farm, they use Wilderness Intrepid kits from her and Amber Shaw’s business Parachute First Aid.

“It was Amber’s idea to start Parachute First Aid and she’s always been a pharmacist. I used to work with her husband, Dave, on the ITM Hunting and Fishing Show.

“Once her children reached a certain age, she wanted to spend more time

with them, and she started helping her husband produce his two television shows — The Red Stag Timber Hunters Club and South Seas Spearo.

“When Amber started putting together all the gear for the shoots, no one was keen to carry a first aid kit because they were bulky and didn’t have much use.

“She got me on board and together we started designing all the kits and what we would want in the family kits based on our own experience with our own children. We launched in October last year, and we are trying to get the word out there.”

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with his canine companion Bessy showing off one of the first aid kits Amber and Kate design

The Mounter Family — Beau, Joe, Jeremy, Kate and Jack

SCULPTURE HONOURS BIRD RESCUERS

BY ANN VAN ENGELEN

Northland Rescue Helicopter pilot and bird sculptor Sue Dinkelacker has joined forces with portrait sculptor Dell Pryor to acknowledge Whangārei Native Bird Recovery Centre founders Robert and Robyn Webb.

“We are making a sculpture in bronze called Moment of Release to honour Robyn and Robert for their lifetime of volunteer work saving birds,” says Sue.

“I am privileged to collaborate with Dell, who is a master of her art. The gift of this sculpture to the people of Whangārei has been five long years of planning. We are very grateful to Peter at Gallery Helena Bay for covering our funding shortfall, facilated by Creative Northland. Peter’s gallery hosts work from many artists across Northland.”

Moment of Release is facilitated by Creative Northland, and Sue says it is also thanks to donations from 60 individuals, one bequeath, and contributions from Robinson Asphalts and Tūtūkākā Marina Trust.

The centre takes in all injured birds, both native and non-native, and where

possible nurses the birds back to health for release into the wild. More than 60 per cent of the birds that are taken into the centre are successfully released.

“The sculpture is of Robert releasing Albert, the albatross. In 2005, Albert had a damaged wing, and Robyn and Robert fed him fish, and tended him for weeks until he was able to be released from the Coastguard launch at Tūtūkākā marina.

“Dell has captured Robert’s portrait, and I am making Albert. The moulds will be sent to a foundry and joined in bronze. The wings are sculpted in solid tōtara milled at my home from a fallen tree.”

Upon completion, Moment of Release will be installed as a public sculpture at the Tūtūkākā marina green with the blessing of the local hapū and council.

Robert Webb preparing to release Albert the Albatross from the Coastguard launch at Tūtūkākā marina

“Albatross are remarkable in many ways. With a wingspan of 3.2 metres, they need wind speed to take off. They can’t flap like normal birds because their wings would hit the ground. What inspired me is people don’t realise there is such a centre here in Maunu or that you can help an injured bird.

“The Webbs have worked tirelessly for 30 years, and I have such enormous respect for the volunteering they do helping birds of all types that find themselves in trouble. The more people who know about the rescue centre and how knowledgeable they are, the better.

“They are getting elderly now and still constantly work. If there is an unwell bird, they are there for it. Robert is really good at what he does, including working with the kiwi programme, collecting eggs and returning young ones back into the wild.

“He has one kiwi named Sparky that couldn’t be released because it only has one leg. He takes it to schools and lets children interact with it. He and Robyn are such advocates for conservation they deserve to be acknowledged in a public sculpture.

“Without Peter, at Helena Bay Gallery’s sponsorship, we wouldn’t have been able to do this, and we are extremely grateful. People can follow our journey at the Moment of Release sculpture Facebook page.

“We think a sculpture depicting Albert’s release would tell Robert and Robyn’s story for many years to come. We believe they are the unsung heroes of our city.”

Dell says the bronze cast is currently with the foundry in Auckland for bronzing.

“They have a three-month window for it to be completed, and then we get it placed on an engineered base before it is positioned in place at Tutukaka,” she says.

YOUR GIFT CAN LIVE ON AT SWITZER DONATION OR BEQUEST/LEGACY

Governance of Claud Switzer Memorial Trust by community representatives defines the Trust as a community organisation. We are not corporate, and as a not-for-profit registered charity, we are grateful for any additional support.

For over 67 years, Switzer Home and Hospital has provided care to those in need in our community. This was made possible through the original generous bequest of Claud Switzer in 1954.

If you would like to consider making a donation or leaving a bequest, we will use it to enhance the care of Switzer residents by:

• Supporting our ongoing day-to-day service delivery

• Embracing new programmes and models of care

• Purchasing new equipment

• Improving and expanding our facilities

If you would like to leave a gift in your Will to help us continue providing these services and ensure the security of the Home’s future, please consult your lawyer.

If you wish to discuss gifting/bequests further, you are welcome to contact Tina Mills, CEO, on 09 408 8824 or email tina@switzer.org.nz

“I have really enjoyed getting to know Robert and Robyn on a personal level. They are amazing people and very humble. They absolutely love birds, and it doesn’t matter what type of bird it is. It can be a kiwi or a featherless baby sparrow — they will treat it.

“They have been doing it for so long, and Robert always points out Robyn has done just as much as he has. For me, hearing the story of Albert the Albatross’s release was beautiful. Robert definitely has a way with birds — he is like a bird whisperer. He picks them up, and it is instantly calm.

“It is a privilege to work with Suzie on her project. It is something that is important to us and will last hundreds of years, and I like the thought of that. Even when we are dead and gone, people are going to be reminded of the importance of looking after animals, especially the native birds.”

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WHY DONATE TO SWITZER?

A bequest/legacy is a beautiful way to support the work of Switzer beyond your lifetime. It’s a gesture of kindness that means a great deal to the people we care for. Your generosity will ensure our service remains accessible to families in the Far North.

Make a donation into the Claud Switzer Memorial Trust bank account: 12 - 3096 - 0203868 - 00 (ASB) Include ‘Donation’ as your reference.

Let us know so we can send you a receipt: Email: reception@switzer.org.nz or Call: 09 408 1480

DONATE

You’re welcome to visit us and personally bring your donation to Switzer Residential Care if you prefer. We are located at 71 South Road, Kaitaia

Sue progressing her part of the sculpture at her home studio

Sue and Dell with Whangārei Native Bird Recovery Centre founder Robert Webb

Avoca’s Agricultural Lime (AgLime) and Limestone are manufactured at our three lime quarries at Rarewa (Whangarei), Pokapu (Bay of Islands), and Port Albert (Wellsford). Both are also available at bulk stores in Dargaville and Te Kauwhata (Waikato). From all of these locations, we’re well placed to deliver Agricultural Lime products Northland and Waikato wide. Avoca also provide soil fertility testing and consulting as well as lime and fertiliser products and custom mixes.

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Reduces need for N-fertiliser; lime stimulates N-fixation by legumes, and N-release from organic matter into plant available forms.

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Improves pasture palatability allowing for more even grazing of pasture and better pasture utilisation

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reasons to apply lime to your soils: 10

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Increases water holding capacity in the dry and water drainage in the wet. Lime drives down magnesium in ‘tight, high Mg’ soils such as estuarine soils found in the Hauraki Plains.

Reduces elemental toxicities evident at low pH levels, e.g. Al, preventing subsoil acidification and improving root growth, root development, and reduces P-fixation.

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How does magnesium help heart rhythm?

by John Arts

Someone I know well has been treated by a cardiologist for atrial brillation, one of the more common heart rhythm issues. What was interesting was that the cardiologist recommended a high-grade magnesium supplement along with prescribed medications.

One paper (European Heart Journal, 2017) stated: “As such, magnesium plays an integral role in a variety of functions related to cardiovascular disorders. Reduced dietary intake of magnesium has been linked with a higher risk of hypertension, atrial fibrillation (AF), ischaemic heart disease, and new-onset heart failure and heart failure-related hospitalization. Similarly, a low serum magnesium level is associated with up to a 50% higher incidence of new AF, left ventricular hypertrophy, and is an important predictor of sudden cardiovascular death and overall mortality.”

Perhaps my friend’s cardiologist is aware of this and similar studies. The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and the European Society of Cardiology now incorporate magnesium therapy into the treatment and management of some heart arrhythmias.

As an electrolyte, magnesium has a critical role in maintaining normal electrical function in heart muscle. One study showed that patients receiving supplemental magnesium were three times more likely to get

their heart rate below 100bpm than those on a placebo.

This central role of magnesium in heart muscle is because it regulates energy needed for other electrolytes, notably calcium, potassium and sodium. If magnesium is low, these electrolytes become imbalanced and can start processes that affect heart rhythm.

I use magnesium supplementation in two ways. Firstly, I add it to my multi-mineral/vitamin/antioxidant complex. The levels in this are suf cient for a healthy person. However, for those with arrhythmia, we need to add therapeutic levels. For this, I have combined three bioavailable forms of magnesium (natural marine, glycinate and citrate) in one supplement. I then allow a dosage range of between one to four capsules daily to meet individual needs.

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

Channel selection among factors to maximise pro ts

Darling Group and its avocado supply arm, Just Avocados, have completed the New Zealand avocado export season and released a summary of returns to their growers for the early season pool.

Although returns as an industry are lower for a second season in a row, Jacob Darling, Darling Group’s chief operating of cer, says a positive for their business and Just Avocados suppliers is they could pick, pack, and sell all their growers’ fruit across all grades and sizes. He added that not all packers/ exporters were able to achieve this.

Class 1 fruit volume this season was low at an industry figure of approximately 45%. Process grade was particularly high across the board at 22%. Darling says Just Avocados’ process gure was only 12%. He said diversity in their business allowed them to mitigate the worst impacts.

This season, Darling Group was the leading exporter by volume for diverting lower-quality grades to higher-value offshore channels.

Darling Group comprises JH Leavy & Co, based in the Australian market, and Zeafruit, which focusses on domestic sales. They also have plans underway to set up an of ce in Asia to support the growth of their avocado sales in China and Hong Kong.

Looking ahead to the 2023–24 season, Darling says the focus is to continue to

maximise total crop value by nding value for all their growers’ fruit, improving tonnage a hectare and quality levels onorchard to improve class 1 pack-outs and monitoring costs across the supply chain, including those on the orchard. Darling Group is also keen to keep growers engaged amid mounting compliance. Of future seasons, Darling says market dynamics have shifted and that there are many new norms that growers should start considering.

“The future of export for the New Zealand avocado sector is not the traditional late Australian window. We see ongoing challenges in that space with continual production growth in Australia, Chile targeting the postChristmas window in wholesale, and the early Shepard crop chasing a bigger slice of the early new season window.

“As an industry, our export window will tighten, and we have to have the capability to pick, pack, ship and market larger tray volumes in tighter timeframes.”

Darling says this will require growers to partner with companies that offer a simpler, integrated service from orchard to consumer.

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Supporting people through Cyclone Gabrielle

by Willow-Jean Prime, Labour MP for Northland

It’s been a really tough few weeks for Northland and Cyclone Gabrielle is

this century.

The severity and the breadth of the damage haven’t been experienced in a generation, and I know the events have taken a huge toll on many New Zealanders.

For only the third time in our history, the government declared a National State of

Emergency. That enables us to support the affected regions, provide additional resources as they are needed, and help set the priorities across the country for the response.

Here in Northland, we’ve seen whānau, friends and neighbours pulling together to keep each other safe, warm and fed. The resilience and community spirit shown by Northland have been remarkable but I know there’s still a long road ahead for many.

An all-of-government response is already well underway, and we will continue to support communities through this unprecedented event, as well as the recovery and rebuild.

Community organisations have moved quickly to provide flood relief and to support whānau, and our government’s recent $11.5 million community support package will help to provide immediate relief for individuals, families and households.

Anita Grant • 027 462 1339

We’ve also put in place funding to help farmers, growers, whenua Māori owners and rural communities mobilise and coordinate recovery efforts from Cyclone Gabrielle. We’re expecting to provide even

Willow-Jean

more support once we know the full extent of the damage caused.

It is a difficult time for many, with thousands of people’s homes and businesses affected. Still, we’ve also seen people from all walks of life coming together and stepping in and lending a hand.

We will get through this together, and our government will continue to provide support.

Finally, I’d like to acknowledge our emergency responders. They’ve put in the hard yards and put their lives on the line in the service of their communities. We all owe you enormous gratitude — thank you.

Marja Lubeck

office 0800 957 7463 (0800 WJPRIME) office.willow-jean.prime@parliament.govt.nz 77 Gillies Street, Kawakawa PO Box 237, Kawakawa 0210 For appointments and assistance please phone: 0800 582 325 (0800 LUBECK) marja.lubeck@parliament.govt.nz

62-64 Queen Street, Warkworth

Authorised

Hon Kelvin Davis

0800 KDAVIS (0800 532 847) Office.davis@parliament.govt.nz Whangarei office

the most significant weather event New Zealand has seen

Emily Henderson MP, Chris Hipkins prime minister, Willow-Jean Prime MP and Kelvin Davis MP during their recent Northland visit

Rural broadband gets a boost

by Dr. Emily Henderson, MP for Whangārei

The government recently marked the successful completion of the Ultra-Fast Broadband roll-out, one of New Zealand’s largest infrastructure deployment projects to date.

Fast, reliable connectivity has been especially crucial in recent weather events. More than 38 towns and cities and a whopping 31,763 premises are now connected to fibre across Northland, including the majority of Waipū, Maungakaramea, Maungatapere, Kerikeri and Hikurangi.

We proudly rank high on the world stage when it comes to access and uptake of digital connectivity, and we are firmly on track to ensure 99.8 per cent of the population has access to improved broadband by the end of 2023.

While there are a number of digital connectivity programmes aiming to cover large parts of New Zealand, there are still more households remaining to be covered. These are in some of the most remote areas of the country and are difficult to find a solution for.

That’s why we recently announced the Remote Users Scheme and further investment into the Rural Capacity Upgrade programme to reach the most remote homes and lift Internet speeds in rural areas.

The new Remote Users Scheme is focussed on increasing the availability of broadband connectivity where broadband is not currently available, and there is only access to voice calling and text services.

That is great news for Northlanders living in remote and rural areas of the country who still have poor connectivity, and I encourage you to apply or get in touch for more information. AERIAL WORK & HELICOPTER LIFTING • Bulk or Bagged Fertiliser • Weed Spraying • Helicopter lifting • Frost Control • Gorse & Blackberry spraying • Liquid Fertilisers • Competitive Prices • Precision GPS Spreading & Spraying SEE US AT THE FIELD DAYS SITE J19

Dr Emily Henderson, MP for Whangārei

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No nails — only computers

by Andy Bryenton

The practice of making an entire building without using nails is an ancient one, dating from when wooden frame construction didn’t have the luxury of cheap steel on hand.

Timber framework is making a comeback for those who wish to make a statement with big, signature open space or architecture reflecting their ancestry. While construction time is slashed with this method, the cost of making the often large, always vitally precise pieces to build with no nails used to be prohibitive. That is changing due to two new technologies; digitally assisted cutting machines and advanced timber lamination.

While most homes of the near future will assuredly be built from traditional timber framing, the options to be expressive and creative with long arched spans of modern laminated products are enticing for designers. Moving from a three-dimensional model to a crisply computer-assisted cut means there’s more scope than ever before to do away with nails and embrace some very ancient design principles.

Some of these are by no means weaker for their lack of steel components. Some of the world’s oldest buildings were assembled using no nails, with just the woodworker’s artistry of joints, pegs and interlocking beams to see them through the centuries. A good example is the temple and

castle architecture of Japan, which almost exclusively utilised a nail-free method.

This traditional art has proven so successful that the oldest company in the world is the one with the longest pedigree of nail-free woodworking. Kongō Gumi remained strictly in family ownership for 1,400 years and still continues to repair, restore and manufacture traditional Japanese ceremonial buildings to this day. That’s 40 generations of builders, going back to 578 CE.

Other nations also embraced nailfree wooden construction. Think Viking longhouses based on that culture’s legendary shipbuilding or the entirely nail-free Pattaya Temple of Truth in Thailand. Using the strong timber joinery ideas of multiple civilisations, modern designers can make use of superior wood products, some of which can be less than 10 per cent the weight of steel and onefifth the weight of concrete but still strong enough to frame a home.

New Zealand has numerous examples of this style. One that has caught international attention is the very literally named ‘house with no nails’ in Matamata. A unique kind of farmstay, the 10thcentury style design of the house is a

Timber framing can be big, bold and beautiful, allowing for leaps of design not available using other methods source of wonder for international guests. With computer-assisted design and strong, light laminates to assist, this kind of construction may be the inspiration for the future as well as a love letter to the past.

New build options with Keith Hay

After investigating new build options, they chose Keith Hay Homes. Liz cited the company’s good reputation, competitive pricing, strong procedures, consistent quality workmanship and ability to deliver a nished home ready to live in as the reasons for their choice.

The Johnsons purchased their rst prebuilt Keith Hay Home in May 2019, and it was delivered just 12 weeks after they signed their contract. This timing was perfect for the start of the new season in June.

Liz was impressed by the fact that the homes were completed off-site with everything included, such as electricity and plumbing requirements, septic tank, carpet, paint and heat pumps.

Once the homes were positioned onsite, decking was built around them. Keith Hay Homes took care of all council work, consents, and transportation to the site.

According to Liz, Keith Hay Homes’ business is highly skilled, and the company builds to very high wind zones. That gives Liz and Dick con dence that the house will be tight and strong in the event of adverse weather. In addition, the high-quality homes have made it easier for the Johnsons to attract and retain employees, as they can offer modern and comfortable accommodations. Liz noted that the staff love their home and say, “it is the best home ever.”

Keith Hay Homes has been building homes since 1938, and they offer a range of pre-built and pre-consented homes for faster delivery. All homes come with a personal guarantee, and they are built on raised pile foundations for better protection in events such as ooding.

The company can provide a xedprice contract, and its friendly team is available to answer any questions.

Call 0800 KEITH HAY or visit keithhayhomes.co.nz.

When Liz and Dick Johnson decided to purchase a dairy farm in Tirau, they knew that the existing farm worker accommodation wasn’t up to modern standards.

Keith Hay Homes offers a range of pre-built and pre-consented homes for faster delivery

“The house will be tight and strong in the event of adverse weather.”

Communities rally for Hawke’s Bay

Farmers from around the world are banding together to support their peers in the cyclone-affected east coast region.

Te Pari marketing manager Corban Blampied, coordinating the fundraising effort, travelled to the region to speak with farmers.

“The devastation was much worse than we expected,” he says. “The clean-up will be nearly insurmountable, and local farmers will be hurting for a very long time. We’re asking farmers and people in other rural communities from around the world to band together and offer these guys some financial support to help get the sector moving again.”

A Give-a-Little page has been established by global AgriTech company Te Pari, based in Oamaru, to raise money for the region’s agricultural sector. The funds will go directly to the Rural Support Trust for distribution.

“One hundred per cent of donations will go to impacted communities,” says East Coast Rural Support Trust chairperson Clint Worthington.

“These donations won’t just go towards the next month or two but will be helping farmers set up for the long-term as well. The process of recovery from an adverse event like this is in three stages — response and ensuring safety during the first few weeks; recovery, which can take three to four months, and then rebuilding.

“There is massive damage, and it will take years to recover from, so we need to have that long-term focus. Many Hawke’s Bay farmers share similar stories of devastation. While the community is resilient, they do need support, especially during this rebuilding process.”

Dave Martin, who runs a 2,200-hectare sheep, beef and crop farm in Wairoa, had only just recovered from the damage after the March 2022 floods when cyclones Hale and Gabrielle hit.

Repair costs from Cyclone Gabrielle are expected to exceed $13 billion. Te Pari has instigated successful crowdfunding campaigns before, having raised more than $15,000 for a Victorian farmer after the 2019 Australian bushfires.

It is the second consecutive year that flooding has destroyed ready-to-harvest crops in Hawke’s Bay.

Farm manager Dave Martin says: “Contractors will do the best they can to try to see what can still be harvested, but obviously, the corn cobs will have silt all through them, so it remains to be seen if this is able to be processed.

“Our squash was already picked before the cyclone hit, but because of the power outages in Gisborne, it sat in crates for 10 days. So now we’re throwing that crop out. It is just devastating.”

To view the videos of farmers telling their stories go to tepari.com/au, or to donate, visit givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/ give-for-cyclone-gabrielle.

A damaged Hilux covered in debris on a farm

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Rede ne is tailor-made for anyone who wants the bene ts of cocksfoot without the clumpy, aggressive behaviour and clover suppression often associated with older varieties.

That means you can add diversity and climatic resilience to summer-dry pasture mixes because cocksfoot is tougher than ryegrass with more summer growth. Even ner

Since Kara was released back in 1980, we’ve made great progress developing finer, more tillered cocksfoot cultivars.

Rede ne is another big step forward. At more than 5,000 tillers a square metre, it has more than twice as many tillers as Kara. You can clearly see the difference between it and other cocksfoots.

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Rede ne is a better neighbour for clovers than older cultivars, and clover returns the favour by feeding it with naturally- xed nitrogen.

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don’t enjoy eating it, and their performance is affected.

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Rede ne and ryegrass are ideal partners, giving more reliable pasture establishment than sowing cocksfoot as the sole grass.

Rede ne sown with ryegrass will be faster to grazing than cocksfoot only, with fewer weed issues, and it will provide more feed during the rst year. Good against grass grub

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Seed for Rede ne is available now for autumn sowing. Order yours from your seed merchant today.

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Harrowing experiences

by Andy Bryenton

The traditional wisdom in farming is that there are only four ways to deal with a pasture that needs remediation in autumn; and only one when it needs to be saved from pugging and compaction.

A legendarily wet summer season is now turning to autumn. While many paddocks will be ripe for undersowing, there will be those which have suffered flood damage and the problems of unseasonal mud under-hoof. While a spray and drill approach, conventional undersowing or an oversowing method may be right for a normal autumn, there will be many farmers out there thanking Ole Ringness for the invention of the disc harrow.

Regular harrows are ancient. The first picture of one comes from the Bayeux Tapestry, which shows the conquest of England by the Normans 1,000 years ago. Even then, it was important enough to make the cut and be left in the image. Norman farming practices were set to revolutionise Britain, and they wanted everyone to know about it.

Fast-forward to the 1850s, and Norwegian expatriate Ringness, who moved to the area outside Fort Worth, Texas, with his extended family. A bout with fever made him think about doing more work with less muscle power. In his job as a mail coach

A disc harrow is put through its paces in 1948 at New Zealand’s Agricultural College Farm; mechanised farming boomed in the post-war period, leading to new practices in the field driver, he noticed how the wonky, angled wheels of the old coach turned over the mud when he crossed the Rio Brazos.

Cue a bright idea, a whole line of metal ‘wheels’ that could slice deep into the ground and turn it over, aerating and repairing the soil after it had been rumbled over by herds of cattle, a Texas speciality. He made it work. In 1872 he set off cross-country to Washington to manually file the patent. It was a huge journey and one he never completed. Ole was carrying all the money he’d need to set up a disc harrow company, and in those days bandit,s roamed the roads of the south, following the American Civil War. Waylaid by thieves, he was shot dead. However, his invention lived on. Adding power to the harrow was an Australian concept, and led to the

invention of the rotary tiller to bust root remnants and clods. Arthur Howard developed the rotary tiller to be towed behind his father’s huge traction engine as a method of tilling without soil packing. His work led to powered harrows as we know them today and the smaller rotary tillers used by gardeners. Cleverly, Howard’s product name, Rotavator, references the fact that it has both forward and reverse gears. The name itself is spelt the same, whether it’s read backwards or forwards.

Full cultivation with harrows has its downsides in that it takes a long time between turning the soil and resuming grazing. There are few other practices combining the de-pugging and aeration benefits of full cultivation with the ability to control weeds, level the ground and add lime.

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It all starts in the soil

In the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, Northland farmers are encouraged to focus on farm health and resilience by adopting regenerative agriculture practices.

The timing couldn’t be better with so many farmers forced to regrass after ood and silt damage to pasture and crops, says Northland and Avoca director Bryce Manderson.

Natural Performance’s Jono Frew and Greer Manderson are teaming up to run two-day workshops in Morrinsville and Whangarei this month to help farmers learn how to regenerate soil and boost the resilience of their farming operations.

The pair said the workshops offer practical tools and solutions around the what, why and how of soil health, resilience and regeneration.

“Wherever you’re at on your farming journey, we want to help farmers make powerful, positive changes on their properties.

“That starts with relying less on inputs while creating resilient, pro table, regenerating and functional agroecosystems. It can be easily and cost-effectively done, and farmers are increasingly realising this. There is a growing movement in this direction.”

Jono and Greer want to give farmers a clear understanding of the functions and

processes at play above and beneath the soil, so they can enable the regeneration of their soils and surrounding ecosystems. They say that changing perspectives can help identify limiting factors

hampering productivity and assist with seeing the changes and tools that can be used on-farm to create better ecological and environmental outcomes, which can lift productivity and pro tability.

“Being able to create positive outcomes for your land, people and business is not just good business sense, but also rewarding, and we hear that from lots of farmers going down this route,” Jono and Greer said.

The workshops are at the Morrinsville Rugby and Sports Club on March 22 and 23 and at Barge Showgrounds Events Centre in Whangarei on March 29 and 30. People can register at naturalperformance.co.nz/shop.

Natural Performance’s Jono Frew and Greer Manderson

to avoid delays this season

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Urgent cyclone recovery funding advice

by Colin Hannah, Federated Farmers Northland President

I am encouraging Northland farmers to not be shy and take advantage of the government’s funding to help in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle.

The government has set aside more than $50 million to help farmers, growers and whenua Māori owners to re-establish their businesses in the wake of recent adverse weather events. Farmers can access up to $10,000, and horticulturalists and orchardists up to $40,000.

This funding is not first-come, firstserved. Rather, it is allocated on a perfarm basis, so don’t be concerned you’ll be denying others in greater need by applying. If you meet the criteria, you’re eligible, so please apply and take some pressure off yourself.

However small or big the impact of the flood, farmers need to understand that they contribute to this funding through their taxes, so make use of it.

Plenty of other residents and businesses are applying, so farmers should because if it is not used, there is a risk that the decision-makers in Wellington will judge the flood impact low and stop future funds.

Its vital farms become operational quickly and use every resource to do it. There’s no need to struggle financially to reserve more of the fund for others.

Remember, the sooner we are all you are back up and running without putting

ourselves under financial pressure, the sooner, the wider community recovers. It might even free up some time to help others.

Let’s face it, while Northland was not impacted as badly as other parts of the North Island, the loss of pasture and crops due to flooding, fence damage and slips has been dire in pockets of Northland.

Areas impacted badly include Kaitaia, Hikurangi Swamp, Waipū, Tangiteroria, Tangowahine, Kokopu, Ruawai, north of Dargaville around the Kaihu River and parts of the Mangakahia catchment. The government will be drawing on data from this funding round to inform future amounts earmarked for disaster relief. Applying sends a message that this event is not insignificant and help is needed. You can apply at mpi.govt.nz.

Please also remember that other help is available, including advice, manual labour or heavy machinery. The government has funded Enhanced Taskforce Green in Northland. Where skilled labour or heavy machinery is required, then check out facebook.com/ FarmyArmy.

Meantime, if you or someone you know is in a crisis, please call Rural Support Trust on 0800 787 254.

Colin Hannah, Federated Farmers Northland president

This Deere’s a robot

by Andy Bryenton

John Deere has scooped a fourth consecutive award for design and automation at the Consumer Technology Association’s CES show in Las Vegas, this time by turning an entire full-sized tractor into a robotic farmhand.

When you think of robots helping out on the farm, you may picture the two famous droids Luke Skywalker bought to help his uncle Owen in the first Star Wars movie. However, the reality of farm automation has leaned away from humanoid robotics

and toward fully autonomous machinery. John Deere took home the prestigious CES award this January by gaining top honours in the Best of Innovation Robotics and Vehicle Tech and Advanced Mobility categories.

The modified 8R tractor was kitted out with fully integrated cameras for a 360-degree view, sensors to determine distance and move around obstacles, and ultra-fast GPU processors loaded with next-generation artificial intelligence programming. The upshot is a full-sized tractor that can navigate in the field with no operator in the cab. In a rural sector with staffing shortages, this kind of thinking could be the way of the future.

“Autonomy offers the next major stepchange in productivity, profitability and sustainability gains in agriculture, and John Deere strives to continually invest in autonomy and automation to support our customers in the adoption of industryleading technology,” says John Deere Australia and New Zealand managing director Luke Chandler.

“We’re incredibly proud of our innovation being recognised at the prestigious CES Awards. It also offers a

reflective moment in John Deere’s 185year history to celebrate its continuous transformation of agriculture machinery.”

The idea of a fully autonomous tractor is not new, but this latest breakthrough from John Deere represents a turning point in the practical application of the technology. That’s borne out by the combination of awards the modified 8R took home. The CES robotics category is all about intelligent machines which can do human jobs, while the advanced mobility prize goes to machines which improve safety, efficiency or navigation using technology. Add them up, and you have a tractor that’s unique in all of John Deere’s 185 years of history.

Giving the 8R a brain is only one way that the team in green and yellow have been winning awards. They’ve also taken home an AE50 engineering award for the new eight series EVT transmission system, a new kind of drive that does more than put power and torque to the ground. By swapping out hydrostatic motors for an electric generator set-up, John Deere has given its eight series tractors the ability to generate power as well as drive.

The future of agriculture may be in robot hands if advancements like these continue to stack up, and while a fully automated tractor is not available just today, it’s a distinct possibility tomorrow.

Silo deliveries of Stock feed and Fertiliser. Bulk deliveries of palm kernel, woodchip, sawdust and post peelings.

John Deere’s popular 8R was the platform for an award-winning experiment in automation that delivered a fully autonomous tractor to CES awards judges

All-terrain forklifts

In the aftermath of the havoc of the

cyclones, Northern Forklifts

forklifts available throughout Northland.

In particular, our rough terrain and four-wheel-drive units are ideal for rural recovery and reconstruction work on wet and silted-up sites. They’re pretty popular right now, so it’s the early birds who are getting a result.

We do have more on the way from the factory so will be able to supply a bit later on for anyone who can see an ongoing need for this type of machine. Talk to us about buying or long-term leasing and we can put you name on some of our incoming stock.

Our Hangcha product is the eighthbiggest in the world. It is a major global brand, offering advanced engineering and design on all types of forklifts — diesel, LPG, highperformance lithium electric and all warehousing equipment like walkies and pallet trucks.

Our service team is also on the job to help if your existing forklifts have been flood-damaged. We can provide repair or replacement estimates for insurance claims, or if the damage is minor, hopefully, revive Old Faithful at a reasonable cost. Of course, all our normal servicing, hire and new and used sales are going as usual.

So if you think we can help, call in and see Tony Rouse at 5 Herekino Street in Whangarei. Email him at tony@northernforklifts.co.nz or call on 09 483 8047.

Matt Clifford

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Northern Forklifts in Whangarei offers a range of forklifts to suit clients’ needs

The power to go anywhere

by Andy Bryenton

When flooding and cyclone winds battered the north, rescue workers and convoys offering material aid had a tough road to get where they were going; often, it was no road at all.

As first responders tried hard to get through to those with no electricity, no supplies, medical issues or (in one memorable case) a baby on the way, it was the workhorse of the armed services that saved the day.

Seeing a military Unimog truck on the road is a frightening occasion, as it brings home the fact that you are watching a real

Real Deal Tyres

crisis unfold. Nothing says ‘this is serious’ like several tonnes of all-terrain military hardware heading out to rescue people from nature’s fury. It’s also a reassuring sight because it means that the heavyduty gear is on its way and help is at hand.

The Unimog’s name stands for Universal Motor Gerat, a German term coined by engineer Hans Zabel, who invented the hard-working truck in 1948. The name works in English, too, as ‘gerat’ means ‘gear’. Zabel was tasked with helping rebuild farming in Germany after the disaster of the second world war, and his idea was to package everything a farmer needed into one machine.

While Kiwi farmers wanted a ute that could drive produce to market on Saturday and take the family to church on Sunday, German farmers of that era needed a tractor, truck, 4x4 and stationary engine combo to turn battlefields back into pastures and crops. The Boehringer truck company started building Unimogs by late 1948, and by 1951 the project was such a success that it was bought out by Mercedes-Benz.

Those first Unimogs had a power takeoff to operate mobile sawmills or power harrows and could put down the same torque as a tractor through all four wheels. Narrow, knobbly tyres made it work well in the snow and mud, and its truck-like

suspension meant that it could attain respectable on-road speeds. Farmers could use their Unimog to go and buy seed, plough the field, sow it, and then drive down to the local pub for a wellearned drink.

It wasn’t long before other groups needing maximum all-terrain power took an interest. Off-road racers took the Unimog on some wild rides, from the sands of the Sahara during the Paris to Dakar endurance race and across the deserts of Mexico, the mountains of Peru and the arctic tundra. Ski resorts began to

purchase the big machines to act as snow ploughs because their massive grip and extra power take-off made them perfectly suited for winter road clearing.

The military applications of such a truck were also clearly apparent. As early as 1955, military variants were being made, and the New Zealand armed forces have used modern Unimogs for all manner of missions through the years. While a request for a new kind of six-tonne truck was made last November, when Cyclone Gabrielle struck, it was the Unimogs which rolled out to the rescue of isolated communities.

Unimogs of the armed forces took to the streets in Northland during last month’s cyclone emergency, at a time when real off-road power was needed to help far-flung settlements

Hail to the Kingswood

by Andy Bryenton

The Holden Kingswood defined an era of Kiwi motoring as our nation’s iconic police car of the 1970s and a ‘dad’s car’ with few rivals.

Prepare to feel just a little bit antique because the Holden Kingswood and its HQ series family celebrate 50 years since their golden era this year. The heyday of this classic was 1973 when it dominated the sales charts in New Zealand and spawned memorable variants such as the Sandman panel van, the Belmont ute and the powerful Monaro coupe.

The Kingswood sat in the middle of the model range. It was a firm favourite with dads, who were very aware of the badgeprestige status conferred by the chrome work on the tail of their cars. In the HQ range, the Belmont was the base model, with the Premier sitting at the top of the tree. The Kingswood represented a cut above the usual trim level and could be further improved with the addition of one of Holden’s popular V8 engines. Not to discount the smooth, 3.3-litre straight-six lurking under many Kingswood bonnets, but the big 308 and the Chrevroletderived 5.7-litre eight-pot mills have become legendary.

US engineer and designer George Roberts wanted the HQ Holden to ride like a Cadillac, and some say he compromised the handling of the new car to promote smoother suspension manners. Understeer was a big problem, especially with a big V8 up front. Nevertheless, while

the Kingswood was wildly popular in the suburbs, the variants spawned from its HQ-series roots would light up the world of performance and motorsport.

By 1972 Holden had taken the ‘SS’ super-sports badge from Chevrolet and welded it to an HQ with alloy wheels, that big 308, and a distinctive white-painted differential. Colour choices included the weird and wonderful, such as ‘Infra Red’, ‘Ultra Violet’ and ‘Lettuce Alone’, with racing stripes and houndstooth

upholstery. Initially planned for a run of 1,800, Holden had to make more than 3,000 due to fierce demand.

Kingswoods and other HQ variants were perfect for the tuning scene. Bolton power was readily available thanks to the simplicity and durability of Holden and Chevy’s V8 motors, and cars like these hit the track and the drag strip in record numbers. Of course, plenty of owners didn’t wait for race day, and soon the police force realised that they would

need their own Kingswood patrol cars to keep up with rambunctious street racers. The sight of a white HQ Holden in the rear view mirror still quakes many people of a certain age with dread.

Today, a Kingswood from that golden era 50 years ago can set you back between $50,000 and $100,000 for a very fine example. That’s steep, considering that these classics were $3,835 when new. However, seeing as the cost to build a brand new home that same year was only $9,800, it would seem that the cost of enjoying HQ ownership has kept up with inflation. It’s still a bargain for that much vintage steel.

A beautiful example of a car that defined the childhood of many Kiwis, this Holden Kingswood is a real icon of the 1970s and 1980s

The Clean Green Effluent System came to fruition initially on a farm at Gorge Road in Southland.

From that first prototype the system has successfully been employed on dairy farms globally for 16 years.

During the process of developing an ultra-low distribution system, the concept of environmentally friendly dairy effluent management was born.

This low depth low rate application system is based on applying farm dairy effluent at levels that fall well below pasture uptake.

The system starts with a unique patented weeping wall encased in a concrete lined bunker. The weeping wall removes the solids and allows the liquid to flow into a pump chamber. Green water is then pumped to a tank for recycling.

External yarding can then be automatically cleaned with greenwater via floodwash or backing gate nozzles, effectively cleaning yards without the use of fresh water. This reduces the water take from the standard 50 to 70lt/cow to 20 to 25lt/cow.

The Clean Green Effluent System’s patented automated distribution system allows liquid to be dispersed over large areas at a super low rate ¼ mm application depth, and effluent can be safely dispersed nearly every day of the year meaning there is no nitrogen leaching and the

pasture retains all nutrients provided, thus increasing pasture growth by up to 35%.

Recent independent scientific tests have indicated that with this system negligible levels of nitrate leaching can be achieved even in the winter; better than most other systems can achieve during the summer months. Due to the ¼ mm application depth and being able to distribute all year round, no mega ponds need to be constructed and therefore minimal storage is now required.

The Clean Green Effluent System utilises as little as two 30,000 litre water tanks to provide storage for greenwash and effluent dispersed. The advantage of the water tanks is they are guaranteed not to leak and have no rainwater catchment.

Rainwater catchment in mega ponds equates to doubling the amount of effluent being stored and having to be dispersed by pump to land. Storing effluent in tanks and applying fresh at low rate, eliminates the emissions dissipated from storage ponds.

Given the current amount of focus on New Zealand’s dairy industry needing to reduce emissions, the Clean Green Effluent System is the obvious option for farmers and industry to adopt, to ensure our dairy industry continues to thrive.

Benefits of the system

• Small foot print

• No storage ponds

• Fully automated

• Low running costs

• 0.25mm application / 24 hrs

• Low man hours to maintain

• 60% fresh water savings

• Fully patented system