Country-Wide December 2020

Page 14

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“I know the leadership of these bodies must walk a fine line but at times they are softer than Liberace in the Playboy mansion.”

The most common tractor was either red or green... The irony was not lost on me.

Great expectations Sharemilker Mark Chamberlain believes farmers will fail in their fight against oppressive legislation like the freshwater rules unless they become united.

G

reat expectations suit me just fine. It is just that other people always expect greater. Life being a humble sharemilker is no walk in the park. At times, having a social standing in the community slightly better than a used car salesman or being treated by some as a chattel to the farm. We also have a daily appraisal system that is shared with the farm owner, called the milk docket. It contains a lot of information along with month-to-date and season-to-date tallies of production. The season is, every day, being compared to the previous, which is by now well and truly in the rear vision mirror. So after two consecutive record seasons on this farm, expectations from some are for a third. This season, yet again, got off to a horrible start. A lethargic mating last season coupled with the use of sexed semen (lower conception rate) and horrendous weather thrown in just when the herd was ramping up; has got us on the back foot.

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The snow of late September was like nothing I have seen before; severe icy winds with a good dump of snow resulting in a wind chill factor that would rival my wife’s frostiest stare, the morning after a big night out. The herd’s peak milk turning up a week late in the first week of mating, just goes to show that the girls have spent too many days standing in the corners of paddocks, GORE sheltering from the cold. We do our best to care for them, they just had other priorities for a few days and production is not one of them. As we all know, it is not over till it is over and things are on the up, so fingers crossed. At present, I have little to no expectations of anything great from the intellectual vacuum that exists in Wellington. Great leaders (or any of substance) should look to unite the country after an election, come together and heal. Unfortunately, with the freshwater legislation, we are being constantly told to heel.

In a time when minority groups are getting more and more say and are imposing their will, farmers have themselves become a minority group – with little say. Our levy bodies are, at times, siloed and not singing from the same hymn sheet. I know the leadership of these bodies must walk a fine line but at times, they are softer than Liberace in the Playboy mansion. I am getting the impression that, at times, Beef and (mint) Lamb are trying to throw us dairy farmers under the proverbial bus with the clever old, “look over there, there’s nothing to see here” tactic. Or that is the perception anyway which can sometimes, as you know, be reality. Recently I have ticked two items off the bucket list. I have turned into quite the activist. Before the election I attended a tractor protest rally in Gore in, wait for it, an unregistered tractor. It was quite heartening to see the local shoppers treating it much like a Santa Parade, coming out on to the street to wave and cheer. On a side note, the most common tractor was either red or green… The irony was not lost on me. Just last night I attended the Agricultural Action Group meeting at a local hall. A lot of protest ideas were discussed, a couple that Guy Fawkes would be proud of. You can say what you like about some peoples’ political views, at least this group is doing something – which is better than nothing. Ultimately, we will fail in our fight as farmers - because we are not united. Down here, the winter grazing prices that are being bandied about are laughable. It smacks of opportunism and greed. We will fail. And that just leaves the fish-heads sitting around a table deciding our future. And for that, my expectations… are not so great.

Country-Wide

December 2020


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Articles inside

The right balance

2min
page 89

Emissions analysis beneficial

2min
page 88

Caring for their mates

6min
pages 65-71

Hemp trial leads to skincare export

1min
pages 88-89

Zoom without the gloom

3min
page 86

A whole new wilderness

4min
pages 84-85

More photos from Country-Wide

1min
pages 90-92

Selling the fine wool story

3min
page 87

Selling stock takes good relationships

4min
pages 82-83

Regional council seeks collaboration

4min
pages 80-81

Wean earlier and heavier

10min
pages 54-57

Concern over stock exclusion rules

7min
pages 78-79

Ram buying - what’s your genetic plan?

3min
pages 58-60

Looking back and forward

4min
pages 62-64

Lows and highs in a year of Covid-19

1min
page 64

Wiltshires get the nod

16min
pages 44-51

Stock Check: Farming’s sustainable gains poorly marketed

3min
page 61

Weaning for a successful tupping

4min
pages 52-53

Wool or meat – A bet each way?

7min
pages 40-43

Focusing on forages

9min
pages 34-37

Tips from top performers

5min
pages 38-39

Contracts give certainty for buyers, sellers

2min
pages 31-32

Opportunity knocks for strong wool

8min
pages 28-30

Produce products consumers want

3min
page 33

My challenge to you...

3min
pages 25-27

Going online for work and workers

1min
page 24

The meaning of being a ‘co-operative

6min
pages 22-23

Tragedy on the farm

3min
page 21

Great expectations

3min
pages 14-15

Shepherding, when I’m 64

3min
page 11

Snow hits tailing figures

3min
page 12

Chris Biddles has a few words of thanks for Winston

3min
page 10

Our time to give thanks

3min
page 13

Half-hearted on water

1min
page 8
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