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More good news for rural New Zealand
by Barbara Kuriger, MP for Taranaki-King Country.
The creation by the National-led coalition of a Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) is welcome news, and a significant step forward for the rural sector, promising a brighter future.
Bristol Stool Chart
Headaches
Itchy skin and rashes
Excessive body heat
Auto-immune dysfunction
Frequent fatigue
Slow metabolism
Allergies - High cholesterol and or triglycerides
1–2 indicates constipation and we recommend an increase in fibre, hydration and magnesium 3–4 indicates ideal stools which are easier to pass 5–7 shows loose stools, indicative of an irritated gastro intestinal tract. We recommend digestive enzymes, an increase in fibre and avoiding wheat
Separate hard lumps, like nuts (hard to pass)
Sausage-shaped but lumpy
Like a sausage but with cracks on its surface
Like a sausage or snake, smooth and soft
Soft blobs with clear-cut edges (passed easily)
Fluffy pieces with ragged edges, a mushy stool
Watery, no solid pieces. Entirely Liquid
A combination of herbal powders to assist in detoxifying the liver, cleansing the bowel, restoring gut permeability and reinstating good bacteria back into the gastro intestinal tract after sickness, antibiotics or anti-inflammatories.
It is exactly the shot in the arm we need after years of neglect, during which our basic infrastructure was allowed to deteriorate, and much-needed projects that could have produced sustainable growth and prosperity for the provinces were either put on hold or cancelled altogether. It’s time to farewell years of neglect and welcome a new era of development and progress.
The RIF creates a 30-year pipeline for infrastructure work. This will provide a national view of projects being planned, offer an assessment of infrastructure priorities, and will be able to showcase a stable and secure pipeline of work to attract consistent investment in New Zealand. A transparent 30-year pipeline will deliver more long-term certainty, enable more effective planning and reduce project costs.
Its provision for Fast Track legislation will provide a foundational reset of how
we consent and deliver infrastructure projects for New Zealand. Don’t we need that? We all know it is hard to build things in this country. Consenting processes cost $1.3 billion a year, and the time taken to obtain a consent has nearly doubled in the last five years. We will cut red tape and make building the big stuff we need easier to reduce our infrastructure deficit.
So, the RIF is a win-win situation for the provinces — on so many levels. Let’s not forget that the announcement comes hard on the heels of last month’s announcement by minister Simeon Brown of a $4 billion pothole repair and prevention fund.
There is a lot more to the RIF than I can cover here, and I recommend visiting growregions.govt.nz/new-funding/ regional-infrastructure-fund/ to find out more. Suffice it to say, right now, I haven’t felt so good about the future of provincial New Zealand in a long, long time.
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National rural MPs out there supporting their communities; photo taken at this year’s Fieldays (from left): Tim Costley MP for Otaki, Barbara Kuriger MP for Taranaki-King Country, Melissa Lee List MP for Mt Albert, Scott Simpson MP for Coromandel and Ryan Hamilton, MP for Hamilton East
Biomethane study helmed by top minds
by Andy Bryenton
The government has appointed a panel of respected scientists and academics to investigate biogenic methane and establish a target for reducing its emission to a level consistent with no additional warming.
The biogenic methane cycle is important to calculating New Zealand’s stance on climate change. It’s sometimes been oversimplified or represented poorly. In reality, biogenic methane has complex interactions with the plants grown to sustain livestock, the atmosphere and the wider environment.
A serious deep-dive study has been called for. The government has empanelled Professor David Frame, Dr Sara Mikaloff-Fletcher, Dr Laura Revell and Professor Bill Collins, along with Massey University’s Professor Nicola Shadbolt as chair.
“Cabinet has approved five appointees to the independent ministerial advisory panel, including its chair, Nicola Shadbolt, who in addition to being a former climate change commissioner is a respected farmer, academic and director with extensive governance experience,” said Climate Change Minister Simon Watts.
“The panel’s members are highlyregarded climate and atmospheric scientists with extensive domestic and international experience on climate change and biogenic methane.”
The panel members bring extensive New Zealand and international scientific experience across atmospheric physics and chemistry, understanding and
quantifying greenhouse gas emissions, and climate modelling
They have been tasked with providing advice on what New Zealand’s domestic 2050 biogenic methane target should be, consistent with the principle of no additional warming. A report will come back to the government by the end of the year.
It’s a move welcomed by rural industry advocacy group Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
“The scientific understanding of methane, its warming impact and how it should be dealt with from a policy perspective has evolved over the past few years,” says B+LNZ chairperson, Kate Acland.
“We’ve long argued that the targets should be based on no additional warming and this review will enable New Zealand to take a proper look at what the targets should be. Farmers want to feel confident that targets are underpinned by the appropriate science.“
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says that the purpose of this research is to do the right thing for the planet and the Kiwi rural economy.
“The government is committed to meeting our climate change obligations without shutting down Kiwi farms. We
Change Minister Simon Watts has called a panel
academic and scientific minds
assess the impact
methane need to make sure our targets are fair and sustainable,” Mr McClay says.
“New Zealand farmers are some of the world’s most carbon-efficient food
producers. It doesn’t make sense to send jobs and production overseas, while less carbon-efficient countries produce the food the world needs.”
Climate
of heavyweight
to
of biogenic
Achieving career goals
by Denise Gunn
Growing up in an urban environment proved no barrier for the 2024 Taranaki Dairy Trainee of the Year Eric Fa’anoi to achieve his farming ambition.
Eric has always enjoyed the outdoors, and, as a child, would soak up the countryside views while on family road trips away from his Porirua home.
“I remember, as a kid, falling in love with the gumboot-wearing likes of Fred Dagg
and Footrot Flats. Gumboots were pretty much the footwear of choice through kindergarten,” he said. “I’ve wanted to be a farmer since I was a teenager, and watching Country Calendar got me daydreaming about working the land.”
Tagging along on farm deliveries with a family friend who worked for DeLaval, gave Eric a small taste of farming life.
“One day a farmer asked me to walk the cows up. I couldn’t get out of the van fast enough.”
During his first shot at farming as a 14-year-old, Eric kept a little scrapbook to write ideas he thought would make farming easier. Following advice from
his employer, Eric decided to go attend university, graduating with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Environmental Science and Chemistry.
“After university, I did a summer at the sheep and beef farm I had been working at throughout uni, and had my mind set on getting some dogs and chasing sheep. One day, in mid-February 2021, we were bringing a mob of cows up the road and
In April, Eric climbed the summit of Mount Taranaki
Eric with farm owner Simon O’Connell (on left) and his employer Matthew O’Connell
I asked my boss at the time whether he would give me full-time work.”
His employer explained that as Eric had paid university fees to graduate with his degree, he should go and use it first.
“So we made a bit of a deal. I would go apply for some enviro-type jobs and after that we would have another chat if I was unsuccessful.”
Eric successfully applied for a summer student three-month contract position at Horizons Regional Council’s newly-established Freshwater Fish passage team.
“I applied for it thinking I’d be down there for three months to use my degree then I’d come back up here and chase sheep. I ended up working at Horizons for almost three years in the freshwater team. It was an invaluable experience.”
In October 2023, Eric began dairy farming full-time, working on Simon O’Connell’s 98ha, 330-cow farm in Hāwera.
“I chose to move into farming because I wanted a change from council work. I later found out on a trip to Samoa in September 2023 that my grandad and his brothers were revered horticulturists. So the attraction to farming seemed to make a bit more sense after that.
“They enjoyed working the land, mainly crops of fruit and taro, and I think that’s why my heart is in working the land also.”
The 24-year-old entered the dairy industry awards after encouragement from his employer Matthew O’Connell.
“Matt encouraged me to enter as he said it would help me develop new skills and also allow for networking within the industry. It most certainly has been
management level position. He is also keen to get involved with research projects and catchment groups.
“In the future, I would like to be responsible for a team of people in some facet of dairy farming or within the agricultural industry. I would like to be self-employed and in charge of my own work streams.”
Eric is also passionate about getting more people into agriculture, particularly those, who otherwise, wouldn’t have the opportunity.
a great experience thus far.” Autumn and spring are Eric’s favourite seasons on the farm with colourful sunrises and cold, clear mornings to work in. He enjoys camping, fishing and surfing in summer.
He said the Derrynane farm in Skeet Road is the cream of the crop, in terms of grass growth and land.
“This farm is being run extremely well by Matt and his 2IC Simon. We are on the ring plain, slightly more towards the sea than the mountain, so right in the sweet spot. Although, this season, there has been a bit of a localised drought.”
Grass silage is harvested on-farm and this is supplemented with palm kernel, dried distillers grain and soya hull. Calves are sent out to grazing.
Within the next two years, Eric has his sights set on reaching a farm
Spring on Derrynane
Helping plant and harvest taro on one of his family’s plantations in Lalomauga, Samoa
by Amy Fifita
“My parents did hill country sheep and beef farming, so I grew up 20 minutes out of Stratford in the small Huiroa settlement until I was seven years old,” said Shane.
“We moved to a property 45 minutes down the Whanganui River to the
Diligence pays off
Starting at 14 years old, Shane Jordan trained for woodchopping events, a sport that took him on a worldwide journey and extended into his career.
Maungaohutu Station. We spent most of our time there until I was in high school when we moved back to our Taranaki farm.
“As a teenager, I enjoyed motorbike riding and hunting. It allowed me to be outdoors and have the opportunity to do those things, something many people don’t get to do. I’d get off the bus from
school and go straight out to shoot or to catch pigs.”
Encouraged by his friends, who were training to be woodchoppers, Jordan began learning the sport when he was 14 years old.
Masterton shows. I even went up to Auckland with Bruce.
“After that, I took a full year off to relocate and study in Christchurch, before moving to Taupō to work as a helicopter engineer and I met John McKenzie.
“John used to manage the New Zealand men’s team for about a decade, and I started training with him. Training involves a huge amount of chopping and it is a repetitive act, but it also helps you build Olive Grove and Orchard Equipment
“Many of my mates were training with Douglas-based Bruce Reichardt to compete at the local A&P shows. My friends convinced me to come and I started competing in Feilding and
Leading Edge Helicopters
Maketawa John Deere Museum
Four years ago off the back of his dairy farm, Barry Bishop started the Maketawa John Deere Museum. Barry’s Museum is full of vintage classic John Deere Machinery. He now has a collection of over 20 green and yellow beauties. The oldest tractor Barry currently owns is a 1936 John Deere BN, he imported it from the states. Take a step back into the world of John Deere.
Shane Jordan began his woodchopping experience as a 14-year-old boy and still competes today
George Jordan (pictured) and his brother Johnny went to the Redcliffe show with their father and completed their first overseas chop
has
knowledge of the equipment you need. Axes are different for different species of wood. Everywhere you go there is different wood, even in New Zealand.
“When cutting Radiata pine in Rotorua, it is completely different from cutting in Taranaki, Tokoroa or the South Island. You must learn what axe to use, what degrees to cut, what size and so on, and you tend to make a lot of mistakes in the process.
“I spent three months a year chasing woodchopping worldwide to places in Australia, Europe and America. I enjoyed winning, and in my first couple of overseas trips, I made friends with some of the Australian competitors who let me stay with them.
“I was living and breathing it. I didn’t go out much and do what normal younger
BDO
people do, but would train, go to shows and do a little hunting.”
Returning to work on the family farm, allowed Shane to compete in Australia and other international woodchopping events.
“My love for chopping has turned into a career. While working on the home farm, I bought a Lucas portable mill, then my first digger and my business evolved from there. I enjoy it because I get to be outside, and while I do big days, I get to be in the bush.
“It is an excellent family sport. As a family, you can go away for a weekend and follow different shows, and the children can win prize money, which keeps them motivated to train.
“Recently, I took two of my boys, George and Johnny to the Redcliffe Show, just
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out of Brisbane for a weekend with a North Island team. It was my boys’ first chop overseas.
“It is a pretty cool sport that can help you see the world, meet people and win prize money, too. There are not many amateur sports that allow you to do that, but woodchopping does. The harder you
work, the more you get out of it, and it definitely pays off.
“My brother, Jack Jordan, followed in my footsteps, and, at the moment, he is the best in New Zealand. I am proud of him, especially, because I know how much it took to get to where I was and he put in that hard work, too.”
Shane’s daughter, Ashlee Jordan,
also followed in her father’s footsteps
Shane’s eight-year-old son, Johnny Jordan, also competes in the sport
Services to sheepdog trials
by Denise Gunn
A long-standing and dedicated commitment to sheepdog trials has seen Brenda O’Leary presented with a life membership of the Wanganui Sheep Dog Trial Centre.
Brenda was raised on sheep and cattle stations around the North Island. Her father dabbled in sheepdog trials and Brenda used to go with him.
“I got and broke in my first heading dog at 15 years. I diverted away from dogs for a few years, then, once I started working on stations and farms, my interest grew,” she said. In 1980, Brenda moved to Whangamōmona when her father took up a manager’s position on Coxhead Estate.
“I got more into the sport and competed at my first trial with a heading dog at the old Egmont sheepdog trial ground, inland from Hāwera. I liberated sheep there for 13 years.”
Later, Brenda became secretary of the Taranaki Indoor Showring Club, holding that job for eight years before becoming entry secretary. She said this was a huge job with a lot of organisation involved. When Brenda married Keady O’Leary in 2001, the pair farmed at
Patea until moving to a small property near Whanganui 10 years later. Brenda joined the Parapara-Makirikiri Club (Wanganui Centre) and was promptly made secretary. In 2012, Brenda was selected as promotions officer for the Wanganui Centre and thoroughly enjoys this position.
“That must be the funniest appointment of a promotions officer ever,” said Brenda.
“The then Wanganui Centre president Paul Evans was chatting with me at the Ohingaiti Tux Yarding Challenge.
“He said ‘you are it’ to which I replied ‘I am what?’ — ‘Promotion officer’ he
said. I have thoroughly enjoyed the job,” said Brenda.
She also covers events in other centres, particularly when Wanganui Centre competitors feature and no one has a camera handy.
“I find it really rewarding promoting our wonderful sport.”
Brenda likes to include all people and their dogs, and their achievements whether they are big or small.
“Most importantly the people behind the scenes,” she said.
“Some of them have never run dogs but put in the hard yards volunteering hours setting up courses, preparing
Brenda with her young dogs Kobe and Ben
Photo: Teresa Newton Sheepdog triallist Brenda O’Leary with her husband Keady
Photo: Teresa Newton
Negotiating the Maltese cross with Kobe during a recent indoor trial in Taupō
groups, working sheep and liberating on the day.”
Brenda is a full-time competitor at hill trials and show events. She has also been a judge since 2009. She said most years she does more than three hill trials and has done her fair share of show trials. These include three Tux Yarding Challenges, two trans-Tasman trials and three centre championships.
“I’ve had some OK dogs. Tote won three opens.”
When Brenda’s father passed away she took over his dog, Tote’s mother Sally.
“Sally and I had some good trials and years together,” she said. “The first dog I won an open with was a fiery little dog called Pat.”
Brenda said her competition highlight so far was the year she qualified three
dogs for the championships when held at Omarama for the last time.
“Despite having been to a few championships over the years, sadly, I found it quite overwhelming, and let my dogs down by lacking confidence.”
She did, however, enjoy her first championship with her dog Gleam in the 1990s.
“He was such a good dog.”
Being involved in all aspects of the sheepdog trials has given Brenda a full understanding of the sport.
“I love that there are so many women involved in the sport. When I started out, it was not the norm to see women competing in great numbers as they do today.”
Keady’s first introduction to the sport was being dragged up the hill at the
Waverley trials to help liberate sheep for eight hours on a shorthead course. Brenda was a club member for 13 years. Brenda said Keady has been very supportive over the years, often scribing for her when judging and helping out at dog trials.
Centre president Bruce Parkinson presented Brenda with the life membership badge.
“It is quite an honour to be made a life member and very humbling,” said Brenda. “We don’t do these jobs for badges. We just do them because we all need to have an input if our sport is to flourish and survive.”
With two promising dogs in her kennels, Brenda plans to get them both to the North Island Championships next year.
76% of New Zealanders are concerned about “fake news” and its implications
Photo: takethemoment.co.nz
Brightening lives with daffodils
by Liz Clark
Each year, the Cancer Society holds its iconic, much-loved Daffodil Day appeal to support cancer patients and their families; the 2024 appeal is on Friday, August 30.
One in three New Zealanders will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. The Cancer Society uses the funds from its Daffodil Day appeal to help cancer patients and their families get the care and practical support they need.
Crucial help is provided for getting to treatment through its free driving service, care support such as specialist nursing and psychology support, and accommodation for those needing life-saving treatment far from home. Donations also help to protect future generations of Kiwis by contributing to the funding of worldleading cancer research and vital prevention programmes.
Can my joints improve?
by John Arts, founder of Abundant Health Ltd
I have been working with someone who has had problems with his knees; he had damaged one knee some time ago.
In more recent times, his ‘good’ knee had started to deteriorate from osteoarthritis. Eventually, his ‘good’ knee became worse than the knee damaged in an accident.
During a monthly review, he told me the results were amazing. He has much less pain and is more mobile. He has come from a position where working was becoming increasingly dif cult to now being more con dent about the future.
There are several lessons we can learn from this. The rst is that our bodies have an extraordinary ability to heal. However, this healing is dependent on the smooth operation of our healing systems.
In many cases, healing is restricted because the body system designed to heal the damage is somehow faulty or has stopped functioning. The outcome of this is always disease.
nutrients are fats, because they govern the inflammatory pathways, and antioxidants, because they protect our cells from damage.
We can also cheat a bit but in a good way. I see effective Joint health supplements as the ultimate cheat. We can target speci c compounds that have a direct therapeutic function in sore joints. Doing so can often reverse the discomfort and reduction in mobility by adding therapeutic levels of chondroitin sulphate to greatly impact the health and stability of cartilage.
Adding water-soluble curcumin (from turmeric) we can reduce in ammation and swelling in the joint capsule. Next edition, we continue this discussion and look at the second lesson we can learn.
Each year, schools nationwide take up the cause in August to help in the fight against cancer. Such events empower youth to support the Cancer Society’s work and help raise awareness. This year, the main sponsor, ANZ, is providing
schools an extra incentive to fundraise by giving away three $5,000 sports grants — terms and conditions apply.
Nationwide businesses, too, get involved by organising team members to get out into the community and hold bake sales, sausage sizzles and other fundraising events to raise money for cancer. Raising money in your community can help via your service club or by buying daffodils on Daffodil Day. Visit daffodilday.org.nz.
In this case, we made several changes. The rst is to try and identify foods that either cause in ammation or in some way restrict healing. Two of the most important groups of
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.
“Standing with the NZCS this daffodil day.”
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(John Arts, Founder, Abundant Health)
Supporting Daffodil Day in August will help raise funds to fight cancer
Coastal walkway extension progresses
Construction to extend the award-winning Coastal Walkway from Waitara to Mangati/Bell Block is underway.
The milestone was recognised with a dawn ceremony by Manukorihi, Otaraua, Pukerangiora and Puketapu hapū at the Otupaiia Marine Park in Waitara. A tree was planted to mark the occasion.
“The tree signifies the beginning of the Te Pae o te Rangi project,” said Ngā Hapū representative Anaru Wilkie.
New Plymouth District Council and Ngā Hapu co-designed the pathway with the support of Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa Trust.
“The walkway extension will see a lot of activity with people walking, running, biking and skateboarding. They’ll be connecting with unique stories of the whenua along the pathway,” said Anaru.
New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom, representatives from New Plymouth Airport and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency were among the dignitaries at the ceremony. Members of the Waitara community and the general public also attended.
Stage one of the construction will be built from Otupaiia to the intersection of Brown and Tate roads. It is due for completion in the middle of next year. All of the project’s stages are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027.
“It’s fantastic that after our years of planning, we’ve got to this point, blessing the project right before physical works begin,” said New Plymouth District Council manager infrastructure Rui Leitao.
“Stage one has some lovely features, including native plants, rest areas and some alternative paths that connect with nature, as well as new paths within Otupaiia Marine Park to create a clear link to the Waitara River shared pathway.
“When completed, the 9.7km pathway between Waitara and Mangati will be a great experience for walkers, runners and
The name Te Pae o te Rangi — The Ledge of the Heavens has been gifted to this construction project. It refers to the pathway connecting land to the water and providing a space for people to rejoin the environment.
Otupaiia will be site of the early work of stage one as NPDC builds raised
pedestrian crossings on the park’s ring road and makes changes to the car park. Access to the beach and river will be maintained but there will be a short closure of the car park. People are asked to follow the direction of diversion signs for their safety.
The project will extend the current length of the Coastal Walkway to almost 23km.
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A dawn ceremony and tree planting marked the occasion of construction to extend the coastal walkway
bike riders taking in rich historical, natural and culturally important sites.”
Helping businesses thrive
Hipp Accounting Limited, founded in 2015 by Susi, has grown from a
Susi, who has dedicated her entire career to the world of numbers, laid the foundation of the company with a vision to provide exceptional accounting services.
As the business began to ourish, Matt joined the team part-time during the winter months, when his responsibilities on the farm were minimal due to the cows being dried off. With a decade of diverse farming experience, ranging from relief milking at high school to farm management after returning from university, Matt brought a unique perspective to the accounting rm.
In June 2021, after witnessing the profound impact of advisory services during the Covid-19 pandemic, Matt decided to transition to Hipp Accounting full-time.
“No one knew what was going to happen next, so being able to give our clients some comfort through budgeting and planning was very rewarding,” he said.
His background in budgeting and planning, honed during his agri-business
degree at Massey University, seamlessly complemented his new role.
Recognising the evolving needs of the agricultural sector, Hipp Accounting expanded its services to include business advice and farm accounting. Matt believes that staying ahead of technological advancements is crucial.
“Technology gives farmers the ability to make decisions with the most up-to-
date nancial information, rather than having to work on data from last year’s tax return that can be up to a year old,” said Matt.
With a commitment to adapting to industry changes and providing invaluable support to its clients, Hipp Accounting Limited continues to thrive, making a significant difference in the community.
SPOTLIGHT ON
A hero’s return
by Amy Fifita
Born in Hāwera, John Gildroy Grant is remembered as a first world war hero for his gallantry as a sergeant in the Second Battle of Bapaume.
Grant was born on August 26 1889. As a young man, John grew up in Hāwera with eight siblings and Scottish-born parents, George and Jane. After finishing his education at Hāwera Main School he pursued a building career and volunteered at the local fire brigade.
Enlisting in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in mid-1915, Grant received initial training and joined the first battalion, Wellington Regiment of the New Zealand Division. Two years after joining the NZEF, he was promoted to corporal.
Grant engaged in notable battles, including Flers–Courcelette, Messines and Broodseinde, and his efforts at the Second Battle of Bapaume earned him the Victoria Cross.
The first battalion’s objective was Bapaume.
On September 1 1918, Grant’s platoon pressed on, despite coming under heavy fire from German forces. Grant and Lance Corporal Cecil Hil rushed forward to demoralise a
post enabling his platoon to capture the enemy soldiers.
Grant repeated the manoeuvre on another nearby post leading to his platoon and the remaining unit to nullify the others. For their actions, Hill was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and Grant was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest gallantry award that could be bestowed on a British Empire soldier.
After being promoted to second lieutenant, Grant received officer training in Cambridge, England in before returning to the front. He was wounded shortly after.
In February 1919, he received his Victoria Cross from King George V at Buckingham Palace, alongside three other NZ recipients. He also received the 1914–15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and coronation medals.
Grant returned home a hero. Upon his arrival, there were crowds, buntings and music, and the fire brigade members received him with a guard of honour.
Harry John Laurent, Leslie Wilton Andrew and John Gilroy Grant returned from the first world war with Victoria Crosses
by Liz Clark
Keeping out the chill
With midwinter kicking in, shelter use to maximise feed efficiency and the health of dry stock, dairy, sheep and other animals is not just a short-term solution. It’s an investment in their long-term wellbeing.
Many dairy farms nowadays use herd shelters as standoffs and feed pads for their herds. These shelters have a slatted concrete floor and a bunker beneath to catch the effluent. Light from above allows warmth and keeps the animals well-sheltered in adverse weather.
After being out in the paddock for a few hours, cattle will most often wander back to the shelter and remain there for a good part of the day. With paddocks easily turned to mud after the herd has grazed them, a herd shelter is a viable option.
Shelters play a crucial role in boosting feed efficiency for cattle in general. By keeping the animals warmer, shelters reduce grass consumption requirements during the colder months. More importantly, with stricter animal welfare regulations, shelters are no longer just a luxury but a necessity in modern farming practices.
In the paddock, cattle near calving need a sheltered area and will often choose to give birth under a tree or near a shelterbelt if one is available. Planting shelterbelts of mixed natives and exotics
fenced off from stock can provide a microclimate where grass will grow better and the soil potentially warmer. Stock benefits by being sheltered from prevailing winds in winter and providing shade in the heat of the summer.
Lamb survival rates are higher when ewes are able to birth in a dry, sheltered area out of the wind. For smaller blocks, a shelter with three sides will provide
protection against the elements for stock out in the paddocks. A shelter can be as simple as some stacked hay bales for walls and roofing iron or a structure using posts timber framing and long run roofing iron. Alternatively, kitsets or ready-made shelters are available for purchase from local suppliers. Ensure any shelter provided is free of sharp edges to prevent injuries.
The right shelter for your animals can make a difference for their welfare during winter
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Rural Building
History under the hammer
by Andy Bryenton
Some may say that the most important human invention was the wheel, while younger generations would swear it was the mobile phone, but builders might opine that the humble nail is what holds society together.
In the earliest days of building, dowels, dovetails, grooves and joints held wooden structures in place. Nails were an invention of the ancient Egyptians, who made them from bronze for temple building, and erect the big scaffolds used to carve their monuments. This all happened five and a half thousand years ago, but the rest of the world did without for much longer. The oldest building firm still in existence, Japan’s Kongō Gumi company, spent 40 generations perfecting wooden temple construction in this style. Famously, the great temple of King Solomon in Jerusalem was said to have been built with no nails at all; every stone and timber finished perfectly before being assembled on the site.
By Roman times, nails made of iron were commonplace, but they were still made and driven by hand. Blacksmiths poured hot metal into long, square-sided moulds, then clipped off the desired length and hand-hammered the points sharp. Nails were used as currency among the poor of rural Britain in Saxon and
mediaeval times; a silver penny from the year 780 was worth exactly 100 nails.
Modern nails and techniques began with the invention of the wire nail in the Victorian era. This innovation didn’t have building in mind but was a response to the need for pins in the growing clothing trade. Tiny nails were also needed to create cigar boxes and other wooden containers people of that era used instead of plastic containers.
The biggest change in how nails are used came from an unexpected problem, a frustrated engineer and a grandiose dream. The pneumatic nailgun was the invention of Morris Pynoos, who was called upon to build Howard Hughes’ immense wooden aeroplane, the Hercules H-4, otherwise called the Spruce Goose. Conceived as a wager to prove he was the master of aeronautics, the Spruce Goose was the biggest wooden aircraft ever to fly, and building it was a massive challenge.
Morris was tasked with holding the entire huge hull together while the glue that secured it dried. He decided to use
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nails to pin the boards in place, but hammering them in by hand would be an impossible task. Inspired by the rivet guns of boatbuilders, he developed an airpowered gun to fire the nails in. When the glue was dry he pulled each one out, and the immense aircraft was light enough to get off the ground.
Rural Building
ADVERTORIAL
Serving Stratford for generations
by Andy Bryenton
The story of Stratford ITM is one of progress, with a proud history leading
It all started in 1933, more than 90 years ago, when Victor Henry established a timber yard on the convergence of Miranda and Regan Streets, in Stratford. The town looked rather different then, and much of the growth that came with time was fuelled by the reliable supply of good timber, machined right on-site.
A new generation joined the family business when Brian Henry came to work with his father, at the age of 15. This was in the post-war years, 1948, and it was a time of expansion. The company, under the banner of Standard Timber, moved to new premises on Miranda Street during the following decade, and from 1958 until 1970, father and son were Stratford’s trusted timber suppliers.
In 1970, Victor handed the running of the rm over to Brian, and the next big change came in 1993 when Standard Timber joined forces with the respected co-operative ITM. Today Mike Henry, the third-generation proprietor, has taken the
business to new heights while continuing on with the philosophy of his father and grandfather.
“To deliver the right product at the right price, back that up with genuine, friendly service and you’re well on the way to success.”
Nine decades as a Stratford institution have proven those words right, but there’s another factor at work that has made this family rm so enduring. As the building and home improvement world has changed, the Stratford ITM team has kept up with the cutting edge, expanding their knowledge of the best materials, practices and trends. They also have a keen eye for what’s needed and wanted out in the market.
That’s why you’ll nd that Stratford ITM, situated as it is in the rural heartland of New Zealand, has a strong farm building division, and also a wealth of equipment for hanging gates, fencing, getting livestock under cover and maintaining all that vital onfarm infrastructure.
Recently, it has also expanded its offering with bulk landscaping supplies, too, meaning that this one-stop shop has become even more versatile when it’s time to beautify and improve the homestead.
Whether you need a hammer and nails, an entire new barn or shed, or
anything in between, you’ll nd a world of choice at Stratford ITM. You’ll also nd the friendly attitude and helpful service that comes with serving their town and country neighbours for 90 years.
Come and talk to them about your next project today.
The old, original workshop in Miranda Street, Stratford, where timber was sawn into useful lengths and sizes to help build the district; this photo dates from the late 1960s
Rural Building
by Andy Bryenton
Wood waste spun into homes
Timber is the building material of choice for many Kiwi builds, used for framing, floors, exterior cladding and many more decorative tasks inside the home.
However, it’s still deployed in a way that our ancestors would recognise: sawn from logs into planks and boards, then nailed into place. It’s a tried-and-true method, but it’s one that’s being questioned by industry innovators, who seek alternatives to try and bust a worldwide housing shortage.
“People can’t find homes, they’re very expensive. We also have an ageing population, so there’s less and less people who are electricians, plumbers or builders,” says Habib Dagher, from the University of Maine, in the northeast US.
Like New Zealand, this part of the world is experiencing a housing squeeze, and like New Zealand, it’s a place that grows a large amount of pine timber. Processing large volumes of wood leads to inevitable wastage, but the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Centre (ASCC) has devised a solution. Printing homes from concrete is a
relatively new concept, but it’s happening worldwide, from a whole new 3D-printed neighbourhood in Austin, Texas, to the world’s biggest 3D-printed structure in Dubai. There are problems, though. Concrete printers work on-site and can be stalled by bad weather. They can also only print walls, with timber used for everything else. ASCC’s design prints whole houses out of wood.
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A normal 3D filament printer lays down tiny dots of plastic, layering them into elaborate and durable shapes. The machine Mr Dagher and his colleagues have crafted uses a filament made up of clear resin and particles of wood, processed from what might otherwise become waste. When the machine, the largest of its kind in the world, gets to work, it creates solid pieces of wood, and not small ones. In 2022, the ASCC unveiled a 55sqm housing module printed in one piece, with external and internal structures all included. Tradies would simply have to add windows, doors, pipes and wires to finish it off.
The machine is not up to full strength yet. A forthcoming next-phase prototype aims to produce one so-called BioHome3d every 48 hours. The modules are made indoors by the immense printer, and can be trucked out to a site and bolted
together to make a large home, or stand alone as a cabin.
While this kind of tech will never replace human builders, it’s a look at a future alternative which could increase building flexibility. It’s also a fine option for a nation with massive timber processing capacity, like New Zealand.
The University of Maine’s gigantic 3D printer, designed to print entire houses from wood and resin composite, in one piece
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by Andy Bryenton
Future farming’s defenders
The self-driving car concept is one which is on the periphery of public perception in modern times, with stop-start progress towards practicality.
However, autonomous tractors and robotic agricultural machines are a more solid proposition. Working in the fields, far from pedestrians and other traffic, these machines are already out there, and they are touted by many leading companies as an emerging near-future ‘force multiplier’ for large-scale farming.
There’s just one problem, and it’s one which comes directly from the pages of ‘cyberpunk’ fiction. When your nation relies on robot tractors to feed millions, a great way to cause chaos is to target those machines with hackers. If this seems like the stuff of Star Trek, consider how many hacking attempts are deflected from New Zealand each day, from foreign powers, crooks and opportunists. All this, while we are a peaceful nation; destroying the food supply of a country during wartime would be seen as a major coup.
Due to this emerging technology, John Deere plans to host a major Cyber Tractor Challenge event this month, in Des Moines, Iowa. It’s a chance for the next generation of cyber-security geniuses to have a crack at agriculture-focussed embedded technology, in a field which is growing fast.
“We are excited to host this unique event where selected students will attend
Autonomous robot tractors need protection from hackers, and a new challenge for students in the US is looking ahead to solve future problems
an all-expenses-paid week of assessing real John Deere equipment led by experts in the cybersecurity field, learn of our student employment opportunities, and grow their network in a highly competitive field,” said Amelia Wietting, the senior software engineer leading planning for the event.
The event is such a game-changer, and a bellwether for the use of powerful IT and AI tech in farming, that one of the major players in cybersecurity, Karl Heimer of CyberMedical and CyberDrone fame,
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thought initially that John Deere had engineered the event to snap up the best and brightest minds in cybersecurity and anti-hacking.
“To be completely honest, I was deeply concerned, because I, incorrectly, it turns out, thought that any company starting such an event would hold it too closely, use it as a differentiator for hiring and eventual product development,” said Mr Heimer.
Three years later, and he’s convinced that the tractor giant’s motives are more
altruistic. This year, with his input, the Cyber Tractor Challenge has become its own entity, and other big brands in farming like AGCO and CNH are also participating in Iowa. Ultimately, defending food security from malicious hackers is a win for every farmer, and every company which supports them.
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by Andy Bryenton
A legend reborn at Fieldays
Toyota’s iconic Land Cruiser badge is
for New Zealand’s National Fieldays.
The public was given a sneak peek of the first all-new Land Cruiser Prado in 15 years, and enthusiasm was high ahead of test drives rolling out in August. The new 2024 Prado packs an extra surprise as well. Unlike previous models, this iteration takes advantage of Toyota’s extensive hybrid technology experience, as noted by Toyota New Zealand’s Andrew Davis.
“There’s been a lot of interest in Prado already as one of our legacy models, so we are really excited for our customers to come and check it out,” says Mr Davis.
“The new Prado’s rugged style has officially gone back to its roots. It holds its own as a genuine, high-quality offroader, with the benefit of modern technology, improved performance, and is the first Land Cruiser to transition to a hybrid powertrain.”
That means a 2.8-litre diesel engine pulling in tandem with a 48volt electrical boost, cutting back on emissions and improving fuel economy while still delivering the power and torque Land Cruiser fans expect. Similar advancements have been packed into the new Hilux range, another favourite of rural and regional New Zealand.
“While we all love utes and SUVs that can go anywhere, we also love this country and want to preserve our Kiwi way of life in a less impactful way. This is why we are ambitious about adopting new electrified technologies, once they become available,” Andrew says. “Hybrid Prado and Hilux can still be the best vehicles they are known for without compromising on performance.”
Toyota put a lot into the Fieldays presence this year, with four of the most well-known ambassadors of the brand coming to meet the public.
The new Prado made its debut in the presence of sporting champions Dame Valerie Adams, Cameron Leslie and Marc Ellis, and Victoria Cross recipient Willie Apiata.
In terms of technology, the nuts and bolts under the hoods of the hybrid Land Cruiser Prado and Hilux may not have been the most advanced tech on display.
A silent, efficient hydrogen generator powered Toyota’s entire site at the Mystery Creek event, with no emissions except for a few drops of pure water. This is the same hydrogen-electric technology you’ll find inside Toyota’s Mirai automobile.
Toyota’s Land Cruiser Prado made its debut at a tech-focussed Fieldays site
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