Waikato Farming Lifestyles, December 2022

by Ann van Engelen

Farmers of all ages are invited to trade the paddock for the beach and take a break on the waves as the weekly Surfing For Farmers initiative returns to areas across the country.

“Surfing For Farmers is all about getting farmers off-farm and having a bit of fun while trying something new,” says Ballance Agri-Nutrients sales manager Calvin Ball.

The initiative was started by Stephen Thomson in Gisborne. Stephen watched a documentary about American soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who were introduced to surfing as a therapy. Being out in the waves changed their lives, and he wanted to see if it could help farmers get off-farm for their mental health.

“I myself am passionate about mental health for rural people and appreciate that a farmer’s work is unrelenting, and at times, seven days a week. They face floods, drought, and other issues while working very long hours, not like me, finishing at 4pm–5pm, Monday to Friday and going home.

“The statistics of farmers’ mental health issues are high because traditionally, they don’t talk about feelings. With Surfing For Farmers, we have national and local legends that support us financially or with time, so it doesn’t cost farmers anything.

“There is a real sense of achievement in surfing. Being in the saltwater has a calming effect, and you are learning a new task with other people. You aren’t thinking

about anything else except catching your next wave.”

“Most who come along have never surfed before — we had one gentleman in his late 70s attending and older ladies as well. We encourage people to nudge any farmers you may know to join us, especially if they need encouragement.

“It is totally free, and all equipment is supplied, including wetsuits, and we have barbecues and things to socialise later. It is a great platform for people to make new friends as well or catch up with mates. The lessons start on the beach before proceeding to the water. Most people are up on their knees or catching waves the first night.

“If you want to talk, we are here, and we also have people from Rural Support Trust ready to listen.”

Surfing For Farmers Raglan is underway with Matte Kirk. If this sounds like you, your partner, neighbour, friend, staff member or anyone else you know, then pre-register on the Surfing For Farmers — Raglan Facebook page or call Matte on 027 222 2403.

For information on the Waihi Beach event, call Mike, on 027 659 0661, and for Pauanui, phone Seth on 027 230 6937. For all other regions and details, check the Surfing For Farmers Facebook page.

Farmers of all ages are catching a break at the Surfing For Farmers programme across the country every week

summer holiday season underway,

There has been a reported increase in cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a type of bacteria naturally living in the sea, in previous summer months, with 60 reported cases between November 2021 and May 2022.

Although a relatively low number, what is of concern is the high hospitalisation rate of almost 42 per cent. It is also an increase on previous outbreaks, with 24 cases reported earlier in 2021, 16 cases in 2020 and 23 cases in 2019.

“The reason for the increase is unclear at this stage,” says New Zealand Food Safety.

“It could be caused by environmental change, increased testing and reporting, or a combination of these and other factors. Still, it is clear that cooking your shellfish kills the bacteria that makes you sick.

“As we gear up for summer, take extra care when collecting and preparing shellfish, with simple food-handling tips to help keep your whānau safe. Avoid gathering shellfish after heavy rainfall or if the water is unusually dirty. Keep shellfish alive and cool to keep them fresh.

“Refrigerate shellfish as soon as possible and, ideally, eat it on the day of harvest or within two days of harvest and avoid cross-contamination. Keep hands and utensils clean to prepare raw shellfish and keep separated from cooked or ready-to-eat products.

“Don’t eat shellfish raw or undercooked. Cook shellfish thoroughly until they open and are firm to the touch, or so they get to at least 65C for one minute.”

If someone falls sick after eating shellfish, phone Healthline on 0800 611 116 or seek medical attention immediately. If possible, store and

refrigerate any leftover shellfish for testing.

“The campaign runs with the tagline, ‘Collecting shellfish? Cook it’, to encourage people to thoroughly cook any shellfish they collect, to keep safe from Vibrio bacteria this summer. As part of the campaign, NZFS has released a

series of simple recipes, created by a community chef, to show easy, tasty ways to make the kai moana you collect safe for eating.

“These recipes, as well as campaign posters and social media posts, are all available to download for free from the NZFS website mpi.govt.nz/vibrio.”

Seafood gatherers are reminded to cook shellfish properly to avoid the risk of Vibrio infection

EARLY DAIRYING OPENED WIDE FERTILE LANDS

BY PAUL CAMPBELL

From the 1880s, dairy farming was the main agricultural activity. Small towns grew near dairy factories. Settlements also grew around gold mines in the Coromandel Peninsula and coal mines near Huntly. Hamilton, on the Waikato River, became a busy centre of economic activity.

Early progress has been recorded mainly by the Ohinemuri Historical Society, which tells particularly, how dairy farms were established.

‘Fertile farms exist at the southern end of the county, of which Waihi is the centre, and there are great potentialities for further development in that part. The Waihi Plains need very much more development work before the lands are used to the fullest advantage, according to an early county assessment.

‘Dairy farming, which has made rapid progress during the past years, is still,

comparatively speaking, in its infancy. The Crown Lands Department, towards the end of 1911, subdivided about 6,000 acres, chiefly with the object of giving miners no longer fit for permanent underground work an opportunity of supplementing their earnings; the feeling was that those who took up sections would rue the day.

‘Even the officers of the department were sceptical, as on the plan drawn, the holdings were invariably described as inferior, second-class land, and the upset prices were so low that it was clear that they regarded the outlook as anything but bright. And so it proved in the case of a few of the pioneers, men with no farming experience and insufficient capital. They walked off within a few years, sadder and wiser, and, in most cases, losers; but those who held on have reaped their reward,

and today the township is surrounded by smiling fields and contented kine.

‘Butterfat to the value of scores of thousands of pounds a year is sent away to the factories, and not all of the land suitable for dairying has yet been brought

under cultivation. Standing high and dry, immune from floods, but with a bountiful rainfall, well distributed, the plains form an ideal country for this important branch of farming, and the ready response to manure treatment is nothing short of remarkable.

Milking was a hands-on job and a far cry from modern facilities

Due to early conflict, the Waikato hinterland was settled by Europeans later than most other parts of New Zealand. After the land wars, settlers cleared and developed the land, but the boggy swamps of the Hauraki Plains and the steep slopes of the Kaimai Ranges made settling and getting around difficult.

‘Established farms are carrying up to 70 milking cows to a hundred acres, in addition to dry stock, horses and pigs, and few of the settlers find it necessary to provide other than hay for the winter ration.

‘In the early stages, farmers were content to milk anything with two horns and an udder, and, as a result, the returns were comparatively small. With the coming of herd testing, and the elimination of inferior producers, the output steadily mounted up, and today, there are quite a number of herds averaging up to 350lb of butterfat per cow — some more. In a few isolated cases, it is known that cows have given up to 500 and 550lbs.

‘As returns such as these become more widely known a strong demand must set in for land about the district, and with the thousands of acres still uncultivated, there is room for many more farmers to take

up holdings on more favourable terms than in old-established dairying centres. Some have already made this discovery, while others have recently been making inquiries and, finding the prices attractive, have been buying. This is not surprising, as the holdings they have taken up at a cost of from £10 to £15 an acre can be brought in for £7 or £8, thus providing them with some of the cheapest and best dairying country in the Dominion.’

While the future of dairying was predicted with accuracy, the land prices of the time are a very distant memory. The historical society record is also prophetic, stating: ‘the end will not be reached by dairying, as there are thousands upon thousands of acres about the foothills, and running back into the bush, that will ultimately become grazing areas for sheep and cattle.’

10 Short Street, Matamata 188 Whitaker Street, Te Aroha Ph (07) 888 8333 | 0800 862 273 E info@funeralhome.co.nz www.funeralhome.co.nz

Brent Macpherson

Established farms were carrying up to 70 milking cows for every 100 acres

The New Zealand bush provided the material needed for calf rearing in the early days of farming

OF LAND AND SKY

BY ANN VAN ENGELEN

ad started dairy farming when I was five years old,” says Kelsey.

“My parents took on a few dairy jobs in Waihi and four years ago returned to manage the family farm again overlooking the Kaimai Ranges. It is bigger than it was when I was little and on a nice day it is beautiful, but if there is an easterly wind, it rains sideways.

“I help dad and also work at Waikato Aviation in Hamilton as a Health and Safety Occurrence investigator/auditor and C-Category flight instructor.

“I loved growing up on farms — your backyard for exploring is as big as your farm. My folks could always tell which were the rural kids at school camps because they were the ones who went to collect the firewood and got on with it. I wouldn’t have it any other way now, although as a teenager, I went to boarding school and went through the ‘not wanting to be near the farm’ stage. Now I know more than ever how hard my parents worked and why.

“Rearing the calves, relief milking and taking care of the records are all part of how I help my parents. It has been really good for us bonding, and we spend a lot of time together discussing our work. It is so nice when the sun is shining, and you see

the calves you fed as little growing bigger and thriving because you cared for them.

“Flying became an interest when I was young. One of the farm owners at Waihi has his own plane and airstrip. His daughter went off to flight training school, and I thought that would be nicer than sitting behind a computer every day, and I didn’t want to get up early to milk cows.”

Kelsey enrolled at Ardmore Flying School and 10 years ago, gained her commercial pilot’s licence.

Kelsey McInnes spent part of her childhood on her parents’ dairy farm in Te Aroha, before moving to several other farms around the Waikato region with her parents’ sharemilking career.

Kelsey and her dad taking a flight together over the family farm

“Flying has taken me places I never thought I would go. I am now involved in safety investigations and teaching others to fly. If something goes wrong, I explore why, and I now know a whole lot more than how to fly a plane.

“With my experience now, if there is ever a chance I cannot fly due to medical reasons, I can fall back on my other expertise. I am the training manager at Waikato Aviation and manage the diploma programme. I look back and think wow, I have been through it and help others now.

“It is beautiful being up in the air at sunset. The light reflects off the trees, and the ground, and the colours are stunning. We take people on scenic flights and teach all types of community members to fly, including farmers. We have people who receive lessons as a gift, and they are terrified of going up, but once we are in the air they settle down because our calmness eases their nerves, and that is really rewarding.

“The aspect of flying is really interesting for farmers because it is quite practical. You learn how the engine works, how lift is generated to get the aircraft up in the sky

and how to interpret weather. Dad and I talk about the weather a lot now and often compare notes on which websites we get our information from.

“When I take students up, I go over our farm and show them my animals and check what’s happening. We often see my dogs on the lawn. When you are in the air, a lot of your worries go away. You forget how beautiful our country is. I encourage people to give flying a go because the things you see up there are like no other.

“If you have a pilot’s licence, you can hire a plane if you don’t have your own and fly to

Pauanui for lunch and miss the traffic. I would love to see more farmers take the opportunity to come up and see their farms from the air. It is a great way to get off farm, and use your brain from a different perspective.

“People can contact me at waikatoaviation.co.nz or check out the Waikato Aviation Facebook page.

“I love working with my folks and really relish the time we have together. As an adult, now I see why they put in all the hard work and effort and how it has paid off. What I didn’t understand when I was younger, I understand now.”

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Letting farmers experience the views of New Zealand from above is something Kelsey loves doing, particularly farmers

Kelsey often sees her dogs on the lawn of the family home when she is in the air

“Ialways say that I survived because of alpaca and conventional medicine. I had a recurrent cancer diagnosis, but I’m healthy now,” says Sue.

BY AMY FIFITA

“Brooke hoped having alpacas would take my mind off things because they are a calming and wonderful animal to have. We had land in Houhora and were the original avocado growers up in the Far North.

“We both grew up on dairy farms, but we didn’t farm ourselves, and eventually, we wanted to farm something that didn’t need to be sent to the works.

“We started with 15 of the common Hyacaya breed, and they were all pregnant. In the end, I had 30 animals, so it certainly gave me something to think about. They would come up and eat out of my hand.

“To improve their quality, we imported a male with better fibre traits, and then Brooke

saw an article about Suri alpaca. We had a look at them and then travelled to Australia to obtain some, eventually importing some Suri that had originated in Peru, and we began to breed them. We chose the breed because they were different.

“It was difficult to sell them in the Far North because it was far away from markets or people that were interested wouldn’t travel this far.”

Haniki and Kane Richards with the Suri Alpaca at the Waikato A&P Show in October 2022

Sue Richards began breeding alpaca in 1998 as a suggestion from her husband, Brooke, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Fortunately, an opportunity arose for Sue and Brooke when their daughter, Hermione, took an interested in alpacas too.

“Hermione was backpacking in Peru and had the chance to join some alpaca people and saw Accoyo — one of the world’s most famous studs.

“She wanted to invest in them too, so we bought a property and moved closer to her, and set up our stud down in Hamurana. Relocating provided us with a fresh start, and we began importing higher-class Suri from Peru. We sourced the males from the famous Accoyo stud.

“They have an usual reproduction system, and their gestation is 11 to 12 months. They are induced ovulators and can be mated at any time. Their babies are called cria, and a good feature about them is that they usually give birth during daylight hours.

“Our preferred time for births is in the late summer or autumn. The weather is more settled during that time and better for newborns. Once they are mated, they normally sit down for the male.”

The female will spit at the male as a mechanism for showing if they are pregnant. It is called a spit-off.

“We reintroduce the male at seven days, and if she is spitting, then that is a sign that she is ovulating. At 14 days, if she is still spitting at the male, it often means she is pregnant.

“Alpacas use middens to urinate and defecate, which protects them, so they get less parasites. That grass is often longer, so you don’t get a tidy paddock like with sheep. They are selective browsers, eat any pasture and are good for low protein grass.

“They are a livestock animal and are really good for lifestyle blocks, and

can be made quite friendly and are easy-care. They are good converters of grass and produce less urea and nitrogen because of their unique digestive system.

“All I need to do is call them, and they come. They can be trained to walk to a halter. They are pretty smart and learn your property well, so they don’t get stuck behind gates. I only breed high-quality animals, and currently have 60 alpacas, although, at one stage, I had 150.

“We still live on the farm with the alpaca 22 years later, and some of our grandchildren are now starting to get interested and involved by going to the shows. One of our alpacas won Supreme Champion Suri at the Waikato A&P show — we compete often, and are usually successful. We love our alpaca.”

Sue’s grandson Kane Richards bonding with the alpacas

Sue and Brooke reared a maximum of 150 alpacas throughout their breeding journey

Check for algal blooms

Swimmers are urged to check for potentially toxic algal blooms before they dive into lakes, rivers and streams this summer.

Water users should also be aware of the potential for higher levels of bacteria in waterways following periods of heavy rain and avoid swimming for up to 48 hours.

Waikato Regional Council regularly monitors blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) levels along the Waikato River and in some of the region’s shallow lakes.

“Algae occur naturally in our rivers, lakes and streams, and flourish during hot and fine conditions,” says Waikato Regional Council’s Water Science team leader Thomas Wilding.

“Most algae are harmless, but high levels of some species may be toxic, and blooms may result in health warnings being issued. If predictions are correct and we’re going to have another hot summer, there will likely be more incidents of blooms appearing.

“November 2022 sea surface temperatures were the highest on record, according to NIWA scientists, and all that heat translates to warmer growing conditions in our lakes and rivers. Bluegreen algal blooms are often found in waterbodies throughout New Zealand during the summer months.

“Blooms have been recorded in the Waikato River hydro lakes and Lake Taupō. Some of the shallow lakes, such as Waikare, experience more frequent blooms. It is important to use your own judgement before getting into the water. Algae can accumulate rapidly around the

shore, despite it being clear the last time we sampled.

“If the water is bright green like pea soup, stay out. Extra care should be taken with toddlers and dogs as they like to put things into their mouths, and even a small amount the size of a 50-cent piece can be enough to cause serious harm if eaten.”

Te Whatu Ora Waikato Medical Officer of Health Dr Richard Wall recommends that where cyanobacteria health warnings are in place, lakes should not be used for any activity that involves skin contact with the affected water.

“Swallowing water from lakes affected by blooms should also be avoided. Scums are a particular risk because they contain a high level of toxins. If contact with scum does occur, skin should be rinsed clean, and clothing changed as soon as possible. This warning is particularly important for children.

“If people still choose to use the lakes when warnings are in place, or any other lake where there are visible changes to water colour, they should shower and change their clothing as soon as possible afterwards, even if no symptoms are noticeable.

Symptoms can include rash, skin and eye irritation, allergy symptoms such as hay fever, asthma and stomach upsets, including diarrhoea and vomiting. If you become sick after swimming, contact your health professional, and let them know where you went swimming.

Check lawa.org.nz/explore-data/ swimming before deciding where to go swimming.

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Waikato Regional Council staff collecting a water quality sample at Lake Ohakuri

“November 2022 sea surface temperatures were the highest on record, according to NIWA scientists, and all that heat translates to warmer growing conditions in our lakes and rivers.

Junior

by Piper Robson

When it comes to buying your little ones their first dirt bike, there’s a lot to take into consideration. You want to know that the machine you’re investing in will provide hours and hours of fun, and as few tears as possible. When approaching which bike to pick, two options unanimously agreed upon as the best bikes for your young ones.

A tried and true classic, the Yamaha PW50 is a peewee staple that has given many motocross riders their start in the sport. Introduced in the 1980s, the PW50 has seen very few changes throughout the years, making finding parts for it relatively easy. Boasting an automatic two-stroke engine and super low seat height, this bike is easy to maintain and even easier to ride.

The low weight of 40kg and throttle stop screws add to the machine’s safety, and the children will have an easy time figuring out the bike’s balance when starting out. The fully automatic twospeed transmission takes the distractions out of learning to ride the bike. A clear layout and lack of foot controls make it even easier to concentrate on driving without compromising overall safety. This bike is great for young and small riders just starting out.

Another classic bike, the Honda CRF50, has been a family favourite since 2004. Also largely unchanged during the last decade, this little bike is robust and reliable. The engine is 50cc with a key start ignition and adjustable throttle limiter, making it safe and easy to supervise.

The CRF50 has a smoother fourstroke engine than the PW50 and an

automatic clutch. This bike is quiet and reliable and isn’t intimidating for young riders.

The only drawback to the PW30 and the CRF50 is the kickstarter, which may be difficult for smaller riders to use. It does, however, come with the added bonus of not worrying about dead batteries as you would with electric start models.

This bike makes it easy to transition into more powerful bikes with front and rear brakes, front brake on the right handle and rear brake underfoot. These things are built to last, so even secondhand models are worth investing in this summer.

Both of these tried and true classic bikes strike a balance between safety, fun, and durability. They’re easy to use and make the perfect beginner bike for your first-time rider.

Young riders love the Honda CRF50

The Yamaha PW50 is a classic beginner’s dirt bike

Small rural water supplies

by Andy Bryenton

Part of the debate swirling around Three Waters reform issues has been the impact on small water suppliers; many of these are farms with a bore or dam supplying two or three dwellings.

The biggest hurdle for farmers and rural people, which will be thrown up by Three Waters reforms does not concern the monolithic entities posited to run all municipal water amenities. Instead, the issue comes from water safety watchdog Taumata Arowai, which initially appeared to require all water sources serving two or more houses to meet stringent new testing requirements at a level akin to municipalities.

Federated Farmers said that its ‘worst fears about the definition of a water supplier’ were justified after the reading of the government’s Water Services bill. It was their estimate that approximately 75,000 drinking water suppliers could be impacted, including most farms. The requirements on these suppliers went above and beyond the level of water health assurance recommended for the average rural household in both scope and cost.

“We asked for anyone supplying less than 50 people to be exempted, but in the end, we were not heard,” Federated Farmers president Andrew Hoggard said. “If water suppliers were able to treat water at the end-point by attaching treatment units to homes, it would not be so daunting. Still, that will not be an acceptable solution under the legislation.”

It would appear to be the outcome of recent changes, which fall in line with the Rural Drinking Water Programme.

It has recently passed into law as of November 2022. While this programme sets standards for water health, it also offers funding to get the job done. A sum of $20 million has been set aside specifically to upgrade water treatment systems for rural marae, kāinga and kōhanga reo. A further $10 million has been set aside specifically for private drinking water suppliers that are notfor-profit in areas of high vulnerability. The funding acknowledges the historical inequities of access to safe drinking water in rural areas.

Bill Bayfield, chief executive of Taumata Arowai, addressed concerns that small suppliers may face huge monitoring and

treatment infrastructure costs. His last day will be January 27 2023, following his resignation in late September.

“In bigger cities or towns, councilsupplied drinking water is treated before it goes into the pipes that take it to your house, but for these small communities who are supplying water, it’s equally important that we have safe drinking water, but we don’t need to treat water that, for example, is going to be used for stock or irrigation or force expensive treatment systems on small numbers of households,” said Mr Bayfield.

A CALL 07 824 8223 or 027 287 2395 to discuss your requirements

Bill Bayfield

“If water suppliers were able to treat water at the endpoint by attaching treatment units to homes, it would not be so daunting. Still, that will not be an acceptable solution under the legislation.”

Discovering what lies

by Andy Bryenton

With only a tiny percentage of the surface of the Earth suitable for farming without irrigation, the search for water has been part of agriculture since the very first days of civilisation.

In ancient times, priests were tasked with finding water sources; in places such as Egypt and Sumeria, water was considered a sacred gift, and wells were ordained by a ceremony. It’s very likely that the success of these divinations was more to do with religious leaders knowing how to read the signs of underground water, such as spots where wild palm trees grew or areas that remained green in summer.

Through the Middle Ages and into the present day, many people have sworn by the power of water dowsers, who claim to find underground water with the help of a pendulum, forked stick or pair of l-shaped wires. Some water-finders produce consistently good results, confounding sceptical thinkers, but the US National Groundwater Association opines that ‘controlled experimental evidence clearly indicates that the method is without scientific basis’. Its theory is that water dowsers, like those priests of old, have a knack for reading the lay of the land and

that their forked sticks and other tools are props.

Hydrogeologists use science alone to find water underground, relying on knowledge of how aquifers form in porous rock. Sedimentary rocks like sandstone and porous rocks like limestone are apt to hold water reserves, and the shape of hills and valleys will often suggest where underwater reservoirs can be found. Aerial maps proved a game-changer for the field when they arrived with the era of flight. Hydrogeologists could trace linear features in the landscape that could indicate fractures in the rock, the edge of different zones of minerals, and even underground streams.

While the specialist skills of such an expert are often needed to drill a successful well in uncharted territory, local well drillers will often have a good knowledge of the underground strata in the area where they work, helping them get the job done through experience more than experiment.

Well drillers can tap into hidden resources and install a bore that will last the distance, but first, they need to pinpoint the best place to drill

The ultimate tool for finding underground water is thoroughly modern. Still, it’s unlikely to be deployed to help construct a new bore or well for your farm. Ground penetrating tomography that fires waves of energy into the earth, and

records the signals which bounce back can detect water from far above. Some satellites are even sensitive enough to minor shifts in the planet’s gravity field that they can detect the movement of underground water from space.