Taranaki Farming Lifestyles, July 2022

July 2022 Edition

Feijoas prove fruitful Pages 6–7

Guardians of the environment

Ride raises funds for Daffodil Day

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Markets add community connection

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JuLY 2022 TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

Rat trapping paying off

by Denise Gunn

The Taranaki Farming Lifestyles is published with pride by Integrity Community Media, a privately owned NZ 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: Denise Gunn | Ann van Engelen Advertising: Braxton Epere 027 525 8217 Production: Gavin Bainbridge | Anna Fredericksen | Kelsey Hansen | Liz Clark Accounts: accounts@integrity.nz Distribution: Laurie Willetts Printed by: NZME Website: farminglifestyles.co.nz

As rat numbers in New Plymouth continue a downwards trend, a slight year-on-year increase comes as no surprise to experts.

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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Sam Haultain working with children during a predator-free event at Pukeiti

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bolsters their population and reduces the effectiveness of traps.

“There are traps along the walkway, and we are working with NPDC to improve their efficiency, given the availability of other food resources. A lot of wildlife lives in and around this area, including the precious kororā/little blue penguin, which makes this even more important.”

“The good news is just one of the 10 sites tracked higher this year than at the start of the programme, with six lower and three showing no change.”

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In April, every year since 2018, Towards Predator-Free Taranaki has monitored rodents at 10 sites throughout the city.

At each of those sites, 10 tracking tunnels are baited with peanut butter and left out for one fine night. In the morning, prints left in the ink reveal whether there were rats, mice or other creatures present.

This year rats were detected at 17% of the tracking tunnels, up from a record low 9.8% last year. It is still significantly less than the 33% in 2018 when the Taranaki Regional Council launched the Towards Predator-Free Taranaki programme.

Programme lead Sam Haultain said this year’s result was no great surprise to her team or regional council scientists.

“We’ve had amazing weather over the last year or two, which rodents love. They have plenty of food, and it has been warm, so last year was always going to be hard to beat. Keeping the rate at 17% is a testament to the community’s awesome trapping effort and just motivates us to keep on going.

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“The good news is just one of the 10 sites tracked higher this year than at the start of the programme, with six lower and three showing no change.”

Ms Haultain said Towards PredatorFree Taranaki and New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) will use the monitoring results to target problem areas.

They will also learn from and build on the positive gains made in several public areas across the city. These include the sites at Herekawe Stream, Centennial Park, Huatoki Domain, Brooklands, Pukekura Park and Karina Road, where there are active volunteers looking after trapping networks.

The Coastal Walkway site near Bell Block has seen an increase from 10% to 30% tracking rate since 2018. With so many people using the walkway, there is plenty of food available for rats. It

In urban areas, Towards Predator-Free Taranaki has to date focussed on rats, as they do the most damage to native birds, lizards and biodiversity and are a target species for the Predator Free 2050 goal. More than one in five New Plymouth households have a rat trap in their backyard, and NPDC maintains trapping networks throughout public parks and walkways.

The urban team has widened its focus to include possums, destructive predators that are known to live in New Plymouth and other towns. Subsidised humane traps are available for those who wish to set and maintain them in their backyards.

For information about volunteering or trapping, contact pftaranaki@trc.govt.nz or follow Towards Predator-Free Taranaki on Facebook.

TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

Gardener leaves legacy

JuLY 2022

3

by Denise Gunn

Decades of dedicated service have drawn to a close with the retirement of Taranaki Regional Council’s regional gardens manager Greg Rine.

Greg’s interest in gardening stems back to his childhood and the family garden in Marton. His appreciation of the outdoors grew through bushwalks and trips with his local scout group.

In 1989, at age 27, Greg took up a gardener position at Hollard Gardens.

Five years later, he progressed to gardens manager of Hollard Gardens and Tūpare.

When the Taranaki Regional Council took over the ownership of Pukeiti in 2010, Greg had three gardens in his portfolio.

“It was a fantastic opportunity to create experiences through the public gardens for the community and visitors to our region to enjoy,” said Greg.

Looking back over the years managing these gardens, Greg is hesitant to name a favourite.

“Transforming the regional gardens into quality public gardens that the whole community can enjoy and be proud of, and seeing people out in the gardens enjoying the fruits of your labour, so to speak, is a memory that resonates the most.

“Asking which garden is my favourite is like asking me which child is my favourite.

I don’t have one because the first time you step into a garden, each one holds a special connection, a special memory, and I hold each one with me.”

Greg oversaw significant improvements to Pukeiti from 2014 to 2016 with the building of several large treehouses, forming a children’s self-guided trail through the gardens. In recent years, other transformational projects at Pukeiti include the Rainforest Centre, elevated walkways, Pukeiti Lodge, Piwakawaka Hut in the Pukeiti rainforest and a fitness trail.

Highlights at Hollard Gardens included creating a family corner with a playground, barbecues and a kitchenette. Bernie’s Home Garden was another of Greg’s projects where vegetable gardens, chickens, beehives, compost, worm farms, bug hotels and a food forest are located has become a popular destination for school groups and workshops.

Greg was regional gardens manager for a number of decades

“I love projects, creating things and revamping things,” said Greg. “It’s been a great opportunity, and I’ve made the most of it.”

Council director-operations Daniel Harrison thanked Greg for his dedicated service and said his work has had a significant regional impact.

“Taranaki regional gardens are of the highest calibre. Gardens that are truly world-class thanks to the vision, drive and artistry that Greg has translated into action. Greg’s legacy to the Taranaki region is immense and brings joy to thousands.”

Recruitment for Greg’s role is underway, and he has some practical advice for his successor.

“Be hungry and be patient. Take your time to truly own it, and with a fantastic team supporting you — you will be able to do just that.”

Greg and his wife Sue live on their 56ha sustainable, self-sufficient property near Stratford. Based from home, Greg plans to take on consultation projects.

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JuLY 2022 TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

GUARDIANS OF THE ENVIRONMENT

During the past five years, Westmere School has embarked on an Enviroschool journey with staff, students and families joining together to take care of the landscape.

BY DENISE GUNN

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ocated just north of Whanganui, the semi-rural school is situated within a short distance of Westmere Lake, Bushy Park and Mowhanau Beach. In addition to ongoing activities on the school grounds, these vastly different environments also provide learning opportunities and projects for the students.

Teacher Amanda Engert said when the school’s Enviro Team was formed, pupils took ownership over the projects they wanted to do and how they could make a difference.

Currently, there are 15 students ranging from Year 5 to Year 8 on the school’s Enviro Team. Amanda said gaining a position on the team has become very popular.

“I have found lots of the students stay on the team for two or three years. Last year we had students move on to high school that had been on the team since we started it.”

The Enviro Team has regular commitments around the school, working on a roster system to take care of a worm farm and predator traps. Students check the worms twice weekly, feeding them with collected scraps. Predator traps, placed around the

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school each Monday, are checked during the week and brought in every Friday.

A nature walk has been an ongoing focus since the Enviro Team began.

This area was initiated by a group of former school members, The Friends of Westmere, starting with a few trees in 1994.

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TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

“We use plants from the Paper for Trees programme to continually replenish and build up the flora and fauna in the nature walk. Our long-term goal is to be able to sustain the nature walk ourselves by growing our own plants with different school classes and groups participating in the stages of growth and replanting progress,” she said.

“Thinking even further ahead, we would like to be able to provide plants for our local community projects; Westmere Lake, Mowhanau Beach and Bushy Park.

It is a slow process, but each year, we get closer to our long-term goal.”

Four trips are planned each year to Bushy Park, with tree planting usually taking place on two of those outings.

Year 7 pupil Phoenix said going to Bushy Park is a great opportunity to

give back to the environment and learn its secrets.

During Conservation Week, an annual colouring-in competition and activities are organised by the Enviro Team for the entire school.

“It’s a good way for the whole school to be involved. We usually have a whole school event, plant a tree in the nature walk and do something around conservation in our house whanau groups,” said Amanda.

“This helps to develop leadership across the school and awareness around conservation in local and world issues.”

Year 4 students Annalise and Sophia both enjoy this activity. “We like the colour competitions the Enviro Team runs because they have cool pictures of nature for us to colour in.”

5

Year 6 student Ava with a nest she created

Year 5 and 6 students Harry and Darcie watering plants in the nature walk

Last year’s Seaweek was also popular among students. “Seaweek last year was very fun and exciting as we did lots of fun activities at the beach and some at school,” said Year 5 students Andrew and Harry.

As Westmere Lake is within a short distance from the school, students have learnt about guardianship during nature days.

Year 6 and 7 students Eva and Isa said it was fun to discover more about the wildlife living near the school.

Part of the nature walk initiative is to beautify the area by adding some artworks.

“Thanks to the Pat Kelly Action Fund from Horizons Regional Council, a rate payer-funded project, we were able to begin this phase of the nature walk development,” said Amanda.

Local artist Tina Drayton was commissioned by the school to complete the murals. Three children from the team worked together to research and sketch ideas on birds, flora and fauna to provide a base to work from.

Year 7 student Asher enjoyed teaming up with an artist to paint the murals. “It was messy but worth it,” he said.

Two murals were created to communicate the local area and environment, including Mount Ruapehu and Mount Taranaki.

“Weaving our Māori perspective has been an important part of the process, linking stories kaupapa to the whenua, and recognising our roles as kaitiaki, said Amanda.”

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Artist Tina Drayton and Enviroschools regional leader Sarah Williams with a mural painted for the nature walk

July 2022

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JuLY 2022 TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

FEIJOAS PROVE

FRUITFUL

BY DENISE GUNN

Matt Low and Melissa Burleigh-Low’s successful organic juice business began after buying 10 acres with 500 feijoa trees.

T

he couple started searching for a lifestyle block in 2012 when their vegetable garden began to outgrow their urban Bell Block section.

“Our vegetable garden was getting big, so we started to look for something bigger,” said Matt.

“This property came up, and it was just the land that had been subdivided from a 20acre block. It gave us options to build a new house and grow a bigger vegetable garden.

“We bought the land and inherited 500 feijoa trees that were about 10 years old, in full production, so we had a crash course in feijoa growing.”

Feijoa growers Trevor and Linda Swan previously owned the property, growing several feijoa varieties, including Unique, Barton and Den’s Choice.

In 2016, after discussions with a nashi juice producer, the couple considered

making their own feijoa juice to utilise the fruit on their property. The feijoa orchard was already BioGro-certified.

Matt said they were originally aimed for straight feijoa juice but received recommendations to combine it with apple. “We’ve got 40% feijoa and 60% apple, which seems to be going down a treat.”

Last year, the couple ramped up production. “We’ve done juice with a couple of producers with apples supplied.”

Matt and Melissa contacted the owner of Apple Quarters orchard in Otaki.

Organic apples from the orchard are used to make apple juice.

“We got hold of him, and he was happy to combine our feijoas with his apples to make feijoa and apple juice,” said Matt.

The couple coordinates transporting feijoas to Otaki for the fruit to be pressed

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During the feijoa season, it’s all hands on deck to harvest

and blended with the apples. Recently, they replaced plastic bottles with glass, which are filled with juice and given the couple’s Kahu Glen Farm label.

“We’ve done one batch out of that product,” said Matt.

Marketing of the juice began at Farmers’ Market Taranaki, where the couple also sells feijoas during the season and home-grown vegetables.

“We are just debating whether we go more frequent with the juice,” said Matt.

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The couple’s lifestyle block provides plenty of space for a large vegetable garden

As the couple, both work off the property and have young children, producing fresh feijoa and apple juice is a balancing act.

Matt is a civil engineer working for a consultancy firm, while Melissa works part-time as a school teacher.

“It’s a fine balance for us as we are a small producer. Do we keep it small or go bigger and look at other suppliers to give us more feijoas. There always seems to be a challenge each year.

“Airspresso at the airport has been selling our juice for quite some time. We

are looking at a few other options around Taranaki at the moment. Lepperton Cafe is going to trial it for us. We also supply Peihana Farm, where they are putting our juice on their weekly food hamper order form.”

Kahu Glen Farm organic feijoa and apple juice is sold through Down to Earth Organics in New Plymouth and an organic co-operative in Wellington.

New Zealand’s only certified organic winery, Lothlorien Winery in Puhoi, purchases feijoas from Matt

July 2022

Feijoa and apple juice with the couple’s Kahu Glen Farm label

and Melissa’s orchard. These feijoas are used to produce a range of feijoa fruit wines.

“It provides an additional income to pay for the lifestyle,” said Melissa. “At the moment, it’s utilising what we are producing off the land and getting a return off it without getting too busy.”

The feijoa season runs for close to six weeks with relatively intense harvesting work. When the season ends, the trees are pruned for the next couple of months. Sheep, then graze

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underneath the trees for the remainder of the year.

“We apply an organic fertiliser each year to return nutrients to the soil,” said Matt. “They are a pretty hardy tree. You can cut them back hard, and they keep growing back. The trees are all 20 years old now.”

In addition to the feijoas, a paddock filled with daffodil bulbs is gathered as an annual fundraiser for a local playcentre.

“We bought the land to have a lifestyle,” Melissa said.

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JuLY 2022 TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

RIDE R

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Y A D L I S FOR DAFFOD

Cyclists from around the North Island are gearing up to take part in the annual Cycle of Hope around Mount Taranaki on Daffodil Day.

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uring the past six years, each ride has raised more than $12,000 for the Taranaki Cancer Society. The Cycle of Hope began around 1992 when former National Bank rural manager,

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Tony McKeage, came up with the idea to cycle from Auckland to Wellington for three days.

Ride coordinator Kevin Taylor said the National Bank was the principal sponsor of the Cancer Society. “It was expected that all staff and branches would be involved in fundraising in whatever manner that they saw fit.”

Kevin said due to traffic management and health and safety, logistically, it became too difficult to continue with the ride in its original format.

Former Cycle of Hope organiser Kara Northcott’s involvement saw the ride change direction to travel through Taranaki and become a regional event. The ride covered 200km around the mountain in a single day, calling into every National Bank branch in Taranaki, including a detour to Waitara. The National Bank later became the ANZ bank and continues as a principal sponsor of Daffodil Day.

BY DENISE GUNN

Funds raised on Daffodil Day will go towards the Cancer Society New Zealand’s support services and research

With the growing amount of traffic on the road and cyclists’ safety as a priority, the ride no longer goes through to Waitara.

“This year’s ride will be a 185km circumnavigation of our maunga. The

ride normally takes about 10 hours to complete. This includes the stops along the way to give the legs a rest and talk with the community and volunteers helping out on Daffodil Day.”

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JuLY 2022

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Daffodil Day volunteers collecting for Cancer Society New Zealand

This year’s Daffodil Day will be on Friday, August 26

Kevin said this year’s ride would include cyclists from Auckland, Waikato and Manawatū. “At last count, we had 40 riders that are keen to participate in the ride this year. The youngest being high school boys and the eldest in their late 70s.”

Kevin said it is expected that every participant raises or donates a minimum of $200 to participate as they are catered for the entire trip and at the conclusion of the event.

The ride leaves New Plymouth at 6am, with cyclists heading out to the coast and various stops along the way. As cyclists travel through Manaia, doughnuts bought from Yarrows Bakery are a welcome treat 90km into the journey. Morning tea is provided by the Cancer Society when they reach Hāwera.

Ngaere School has become an annual stop-off point since the event became a regional ride in 1997. “We always

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have a wonderful welcoming from the students and staff. The school is proud of encouraging their students about giving to their community and have welcomed us with a beautiful song, and then handed over the money that they have raised.”

After lunch, supplied by the Cancer Society in Stratford, the Cycle of Hope heads towards New Plymouth, travelling through Inglewood towards Devon Road, past Bell Block to finish at Tasman Toyota in Fitzroy.

Kevin said there are many stories cyclists hear or have experienced with cancer. “We have all been touched in one way or another. For me, I felt that putting myself through the challenge and discomfort for one day was nothing when compared to what a lot of cancer patients were or have been going through.

“Last year, our nephew was fighting Hodgkin’s Lymphoma here in Taranaki. So

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when we rode into Manaia, we stopped at the Waimate Hotel for a coffee with jam and cream scones. It was great to see Kieran there with his family, and it was quite emotional for me personally.

“It is incredibly rewarding to be able to give back to an organisation that receives minimal government funding and yet does so much for cancer patients.”

Cyclists interested in participating in this event can contact Kevin on 021 243 2510. Supporters are most welcome to cheer cyclists on as they ride around the mountain on Friday, August 26. Donations

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The majority of funds raised locally will be used within the region. A small amount goes towards research. Taranaki Cancer Society fundraising and events coordinator Lisa Grigg said money raised goes towards the society’s support services for clients and their families.

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JuLY 2022 TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

Potted tranquility

ADVERTORIAL

Not feeling your best?

(Part two)

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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by Liz Clark

It’s rated in the top ten indoor air-cleansing plants, providing yearround beauty and pure-white flowers during the warmer months.

Spathiphyllum or peace lily is native to South America and is found growing in the shade of trees in tropical and subtropical regions. While its flowers resemble the canna lily, it isn’t classified as a true lily. Rather, it’s a member of the Araceae family. The showy white blooms or spathes appearing during the warmer months resemble the white of a peace flag — hence the reference.

Peace lilies have an upright growing habit, reaching up to one metre in height depending on the variety.

However, regardless of type, they thrive in medium to low-light conditions and will tolerate partial shade. Plants given more light will flower more often than those given less exposure.

It makes them the ideal choice for rooms with small windows or blocked from the sun by fences or trees. They fit well into any decor, including commercial office environments providing living colour through their richly coloured bronze-green foliage and white spathes. The best thing is they are lowmaintenance plants that can take some neglect from time to time.

However, regular care will ensure a healthy, vibrant and disease-resistant house plant that will last for many years to come. Peace lilies can outgrow their pots quite quickly. Provide a slightly larger pot each time you repot your plant.

Use a good quality potting mix, preferably one formulated for house plants, for

best results. Repotting should be done at least twice a year. Split the plant if it is too large for the available root space in the pot.

Before repotting, water the plant thoroughly, allow it to drain and then place it in its new pot. Keep the potting soil on the slightly moist side. Too dry, and the plant will wilt and have issues with water uptake into the root system. Too wet, the root system will rot resulting in the loss of the entire plant.

Feed once a month with a general fertiliser to ensure good plant health and growth.

It’s essential to note peace lilies are toxic to pets and young children.

They should be kept out of reach to prevent accidental poisoning by ingesting the leaves and flowers. Visit your local garden centre or look online for availability and more plant care and advice.

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TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

SPOTLIGHT ON

JuLY 2022

11

HAWERA

Swapping crops in community

by Denise Gunn

As one of several crop swaps around the region, Crop Swap Hāwera brings together home gardeners and bakers to share their surplus items.

Crop Swap meetings offer opportunities to share surplus garden and kitchen produce

Crop Swap is popular with home gardeners and bakers

The Hāwera seed bank is also available to view and swap seeds.

“Koha if you don’t have seeds to swap,” says Michelle.

Although the numbers attending the meeting fluctuated in the first few years, particularly during winter, there are now around 20 people regularly turning up.

Among the benefits is the opportunity to access crops others may have difficulty growing.

“Growing or making what you do best and being able to swap for things you can’t,” said Linda.

“Michelle can’t grow citrus at her windy property, so she loves to swap her greens and root crops for lemons. A lot of our older crop swappers, especially those

living alone, enjoy mixing and chatting with others with similar interests.”

Crop Swap Hāwera is held in the Presbyterian Centre in Argyle Street on the second Saturday each month, except January, with a start time at 1pm.

“It’s a large, family-friendly venue with a kitchen for us to share hot drinks and room for children to play. Linda organises the hall bookings and gets us a good rate.

We ask attendees for a gold coin koha that pays for the hall hire,” said Michelle.

“We would like to encourage more people, including children and new gardeners, to grow vegetables and herbs from seeds and seedlings.”

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Crop Swap Hāwera began in November 2015 when local women Linda Howson, Michelle Busby and Lyn Stanford determined gatherings to share and swap surplus garden and kitchen produce would be beneficial for the community.

Based on the original Merrilands Crop Swap established in New Plymouth the previous year, Crop Swap Hāwera has grown along with several others in New Zealand under the Crop Swap Aotearoa umbrella.

“Crop swap meetings are a chance to get together to share our garden and kitchen surplus in a spirit of generosity and fairness, to connect with like-minded people, and foster local food production in our kitchens and backyards,” said Michelle.

“We lay our items out to swap on tables, have a wander around and a chat, then after the welcome, we browse and collect a share of what is on offer. It’s a great opportunity to discuss what is on offer, how to eat or grow it and share recipes.”

Along with the usual home-grown and produced items, Crop Swap Hāwera also receives gardening books and magazines, plant containers and labels, cookbooks, tools and even seaweed, coffee grounds and worm juice.

“There are so many options to bring something, even if there isn’t much in your garden at this time of the year.”

12

JuLY 2022 TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

SPOTLIGHT ON

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Hāwera Saturday Markets take the hustle and bustle out of shopping with a relaxed pace to enjoy at the end of the working week.

Since the markets opened more than 15 years ago, the number of stallholders has steadily grown along with the variety of products and produce available.

Bizlink Hāwera town coordinator Nikki Watson said the markets provide an opportunity for stallholders to sell homegrown produce and homemade products.

“It’s a place for community connection.

People who work all week enjoy the relaxed Saturday ambience.”

Shoppers can stroll around at their leisure, checking out the various stalls and chat with stallholders.

Nikki said purchasing from the markets supports a small business or a member of the community.

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“Anybody is welcome to come along and perform, and sometimes it is a good confidence-building platform. Most times,

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we have a young man called Campbell playing the piano, busking for piano lessons. We welcome anybody to come and entertain the community.”

There are no requirements for stallholders except the $5 fee, which is passed on to Bizlink Hāwera. This fee ensures monthly advertising and the occasional purchase of tables, gazebos, bunting, piano repairs and any other required extras. There is no charge for fundraisers.

“There is a permit required from the South Taranaki District Council if you are selling food. It’s very uncomplicated these days, just a simple form to fill in.”

Nikki said the markets are part of a community connection, that for some stallholders, is the only opportunity to talk to others.

“It’s like a family down there. The connections made can assist a new business in the form of getting their brand trusted or a new product, gathering confidence and feedback.” Bizlink Hāwera would also like to encourage a farmers’ style market.

“These are proven to add to the vibrancy of towns — a meeting place to purchase eggs, meat, honey, fresh fruit and vegetables. We invite sellers of plants, food and produce to come along and join us.

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Campbell Morris spends his Saturday mornings busking at the market to pay for piano lessons

“One day, we would like to have a dedicated coordinator that actively promotes, advertises and manages the market. Our current coordinator is Hazel Robinson, who does a marvellous job in a voluntary capacity.

There are quite a few special stallholders who all do their bit and support each other or physically assist others.”

A town-wide market is planned to support Daffodil Day on Saturday, August 27. The Taranaki Cancer Society will also be fundraising in the town square, and stallholders’ fees will be donated to the cause.

Hāwera Saturday Markets are held weekly in Hāwera’s town square from 9am – 12.30pm.

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TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

SPOTLIGHT ON

JuLY 2022

13

HAWERA

Keeping communications going

by Denise Gunn

Communicating with others nationwide, around the world and even to astronauts on the International Space Station is just part of the appeal to amateur radio enthusiasts.

Hāwera ham radio operator John Muldrock defines this hobby as self-learning, experimentation and communication.

“There are so many different areas of ham radio you can go into that it’s quite hard to define as one thing. It is a person who is licensed, and we can operate on many different frequencies.”

John is secretary of the South Taranaki Amateur Radio Club Branch 87 of New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters Inc. He became interested in amateur radio when he was a youngster growing up on the family farm near Wanganui.

“I was always mad on wires. The first aerial I made was on Mum’s clothesline.

“Back in the 60s, we only had AM, and it was all state-owned. I could get Radio Hauraki at night on 1476Mhz, but I wanted to get it during the daytime.”

By saving up for some copper wire, making an aerial and slinging it up over a tree, John could listen to Radio Hauraki, further sparking his interest in amateur radio.

Branch 87 of NZART is the amalgamation of three separate

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branches; Branch 14 Hawera, Branch 54 Patea and Branch 32 Rahotu Coastal Inc Opunake, joining together 17 years ago.

“We have around 33 members,” said John.

“Most of our members just like communicating, but it’s how we communicate that is so varied. Whilst we don’t do any activities that the public directly see, we do stuff that does benefit them in unseen ways.”

John said the first communications to come out from a disaster site are usually through radio hams.

“Our biggest project at present is the establishment of our repeater at Meremere out the back of Hāwera.

We lost our lodging for our Egmont 705 repeater at the CAA site on Mount Egmont, but have the cooperation of the Wanganui Branch 48 club and New Plymouth Branch 27, and linked the three repeaters together to form what we call the western link.

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broadcast transmitters that are on the mountain.”

The club has also helped the New Plymouth branch with communications for an annual Young Farmers motorbike ride.

“It’s needed if someone hurts themselves during the ride.”

Some members give their time and expertise to the Amateur Radio

Emergency Corps, providing message handling to police and in search and rescue situations too.

Meetings are held in the group’s clubrooms in Union Street on the fourth Monday of each month ,starting at 7.30pm. New members can borrow gear until they can get equipment.

“Our club is quite family-orientated.”

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JuLY 2022 TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

ADVERTORIAL

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We even have aircraft hangar doors on our product list.

X Span has New Zealand’s only BRANZ-approved bracket system in the steel portal shed market, engineered to connect and brace the building. So our sheds are strong with clean lines — no need for knee or apex bracing protruding into your building.

You can easily design your own shed on our website and receive an automated quote in minutes. After talking things over with our local agent, your design is verified, and your kitset is

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TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

JuLY 2022

15

Mats for cattle comfort

by Andy Bryenton

New rules, introduced in 2019 for animal welfare off-pasture in winter, have led to changes in the rural sector, with one major innovation coming in the form of season-specific matted areas.

“It is very important that dairy cattle can lie down and rest in all management systems, including on pasture, on crops, and in off-paddock facilities,” said National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee chair Dr Gwyneth Verkerk at the time of the changes to the Ministry of Primary Industry’s guidelines.

“Dairy cattle like to lie down where it is comfortable and dry. They refuse to lie down on hard, wet or muddy ground and can become stressed as a result.”

Farmers had already adapted to this in many regions and in many ways, utilising shelters, paddocks which were deliberately sacrificed and slated for replanting, and areas where cattle could be sociable and comfortable thanks to good drainage and softer surfaces.

However, a very wet winter for 2022 has seen the rise of an alternative option.

Rubber matting, complete with a highgrip surface and even, in some formats, air pockets like those in top-flight sports shoes, has come to the rescue of farmers who need winter accommodation for their herds.

Cattle love to get comfortable, but they are very conservative creatures and can sometimes be resistant to change.

A system of matting that is easy on the hooves and provides a slip-free footing and ample room to lie down without surface water pooling is the key to having

less stressed animals at this transitional time of the year.

Farmers looking into this sort of solution for barn and pad coverage should check three big factors, say those who have taken the plunge. Aside from the all-important aspect of cost, the most important thing is comfort for cattle.

Sharp edges, protruding metal fixtures and sections that don’t join flush can be annoying for livestock and hence a headache for farmers. On the flip side, a uniform, grippy surface is good for hoof health.

The last thing to consider is the ease of washdown and maintenance for matted areas. Will the way the matting fits together and covers the space allow for quick, simple washdown cycles and a lack of standing water thereafter? A good matting system should tolerate the weight and wear and tear of a whole herd, as well as necessary vehicle movements and the power of a water blaster when necessary, all without fragmenting.

With new rules and best practice keeping cattle out of the mud as much as possible, perhaps rubber or synthetic matting systems are the right choices for your farm. As each installation is tailored for a particular situation, it’s best to talk to your local representatives in the shelter, barn and building industry to gauge what’s suitable for your herd.

The show ring is no longer the only place cattle can relax on custom matting; this surfacing is now becoming popular for winter off-pasture housing

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16

JuLY 2022 TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

Digital design — concrete completion

by Andy Bryenton

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For those who need solid, high-volume structures extremely fast, prefabricated building technologies have long been the way to go.

However, there’s a new wave of materials tech sweeping the world, and it’s moving from the theoretical to the commonplace almost as quickly as it can manufacture garages, sheds and barns.

Concrete 3D printing was, not too long ago, a curiosity producing only small (often oddly shaped) test houses that had more artistic appeal than functionality.

However, as the computer programs and hardware which precision-control such machines get less expensive, and their size increases we’re looking at a nearfuture developing industry in structures made in one piece, by machines.

In Florida, Printed Farms has successfully come up with a way to make rebar-strengthened, honeycombwalled concrete buildings up to 180 square metres in size and up to three storeys tall. The bonus? In this often hurricane-hit state, a concrete building is less likely to suffer damage from wind and water, leading to better insurance premiums. However, there’s another big

advantage to using a printer on the rural construction site.

Printed Farms utilise a COBOD brand BOD-2 printer from Denmark, and it’s a single unit which can be pre-programmed with the shape of any concrete structure.

A shed, a garage, a milk chiller storage unit, a milking shed or even a home — the complexity doesn’t matter. An STL file, effectively a computer model of the finished product, informs the printer of where to lay down layers of fast-drying concrete. Thus, the workforce is kept low, perfect for these labour-shortage times in the construction industry.

“Multiple features of the BOD-2 stand out from a normal 3D printer, and our competitors,” says COBOD chief Asger Almegaard Dath.

“Our printhead is equipped with sensors for levelling and tracking material status. It also has video cameras for live monitoring and a tangential nozzle that enables smooth wall finishes even if the wall curves. Furthermore the print speed

WASP does the work; a concrete 3D printer lays down walls with incorporated insulation cavities, all without human oversight

of the BOD-2 is outstanding, with up to 100 centimetres per second.”

That’s correct. One metre of finished concrete every second, meaning that buildings can go from non-existent to ready for inspection in mere hours.

Proponents say that with a set of mobile and easy-to-erect 3D concrete printers New Zealand’s housing crisis could be busted, let alone any holdups in the rural construction trade.

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TARANAKI FARMING LIFESTYLES

JuLY 2022

17

Redeeming agricultural buildings

by Amy Fifita

Beautify your barn or captivate the cowshed with creativity and convert it into a living space, hangout area or venue for you and others to enjoy.

Barn conversions are opportune in a time of housing crisis and high living costs. It could be used for extra income as a secluded rural getaway for guests to stay in or as a venue for weddings and parties. You might want it as a place for yourself or family members to stay or a hideout from your significant other. That’s your prerogative.

You can transform your unused barn or forgotten cowshed according to necessity or desire, and the bonus is the foundations are pre-existing. However, as with all things building, talk with a professional about regulations and consents needed.

Spend time designing and deciding what you want this space to become.

Looking at what other barn converters have done is commendable to gauge what works and the challenges that may niggle you. Make it a haven from the world for you or guests to relax in.

Lighting and practicality are other considerations before the renovations start. Plan your rooms around where you

can add windows to let in the natural light, because who wants a high electricity bill from all-day lighting these days?

A new-built house is intended with these things in mind, but a barn was built for storage purposes, not as a living quarter, venue or hideaway. There is the irony of potential storage shortages when you change the building’s use from barn to home. With no in-built cupboards, attic or basement, plan ahead. One option is to create wall storage, shelves and nooks to organise clutter.

The interior aesthetic is up to your taste.

Some people like the rustic, authentic beauty that a barn already has and is embellished upon, while others prefer a contemporary approach. You are designing for you, and although having your basic living amenities is a must, the style of the toilet, doors or kitchen sink is your choice.

If you are creating a venue, then the rules change, and you have to think about your clients and space practicality. On the opposite end of the scale, you might

NEWLAN REFRIGERATION

Barns and cowsheds can be converted from utility buildings to comfortable rural hideaways and venues

decide to create a boutique or themed venue to draw in the sort of people who appreciate what you like.

You might consider adding a bar and kitchen space to provide for wedding parties or events, and versatility is a benefit. Storage for seating and tables is ideal and can be used for most functions.

S U ’ R ‘ S E L O H DRILLING

Specialising in drilling & covering foundations.

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& ELECTRICAL SERVICES LTD

We specialise in commercial and industrial refrigeration, air conditioning and electrical, both installation maintenance and service work.

Decide on your usable space and storage area and work around that.

Whatever your conversion choice is, be practicable to create a place of comfort and usability. Sum up the positives from the negatives and revel in the possibility that an agricultural utility building can be made into a rural delight.

Manufacturers of OCTA-LOCK Rotary Dairy Parlours. Erected anywhere in New Zealand! Maize pits, feed pads BOOK NOW ready for next season.

TM

3 Kelly Street, Inglewood, 4330 • Ph/Fax: 06 756 8099 Steve: 0274 470 708 • fabishjackson@xtra.co.nz • www.fabishandjackson.co.nz

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STRATFORD

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enquiries@itmstratford.co.nz

Ph. 06 765 7800

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and knowledgeable. Our job is to guide and support you through every step of the process, from choosing the best house design for you and your family, right through to when you put your keys in the front door of your completed house.

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Platinum Homes Taranaki has built many homes in nearly every town in Taranaki — residential and rural. Our plan selection covers all wish lists, and if not — we make it happen for you.

Jim and Gloria Martin hold the Taranaki franchise and are surrounded by a great team.

Your first point of call will be sales manager Leah James. Leah says it is a privilege to be able to help so many people make their dreams turn into reality. We are very proud that our clients have trusted us with their investment portfolios and, working together, have achieved amazing results.

Platinum Homes have great relationships with property developers. It is the preferred home building company to work in the Spotswood development, which will be an 18-site subdivision. Stage one is selling now, and titles are expected out late-2022. If you want to expand your portfolio, call us today to secure a spot for you.

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FREE PICKUP & DELIVERY CAN-AM QUADS & SIDE-BY-SIDES*

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Taranaki owned and operated family business More than 20 years in the powersports industry Can-Am and Sea-Doo specialist dealership Manufacturer certified Platinum Dealer “best of the best” Friendly and knowledgeable staff Well-stocked retail showroom Fully equipped workshop Qualified and experienced service technicians Extensive stock of spare parts and accessories No-obligation 3-day ATV and SSV demos* Farmlands discount available on all ATV and SSV models* Loan bikes available* *Offer applies to standard servicing of Can-Am ATV and side-by-side vehicles only in the Taranaki region.

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337 Broadway, Stratford 06 765 6942 or 021 478 558 www.canamtaranaki.co.nz ®

WE’RE BUILT FOR THIS.

© 2020 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved.®, TM and the BRP logo are trademarks of Bombardier recreational Products Inc. or its affiliates. Make sure that all laws and regulations are respected. Ride responsibly. *Terms and conditions apply. Full details can be found at nz.brp.com/off-road/promotions. Offer available at participating BRP approved Can-Am dealerships only.