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ACVM No’s A3977, A934, A935, A11311, A11766. Schering-Plough Animal Health Ltd. Phone: 0800 800 543. www.msd-animal-health.co.nz NZ-NLV-210500001 NZ/NLX/0518/0003e © 2021 Intervet International B.V. All Rights Reserved. 1. Baron Audit Data. March 2021. *Vaccinating ewes earlier at pre-lamb helps avoid stress associated with yarding which has been identified as a predisposing factor for sleepy sickness. Beef + Lamb NZ. Metabolic Diseases in Ewes Fact Sheet July 2019.
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EDITORS NOTE Opinion
A fight for hearts and minds
C
LARKSON’S FARM IS A WINNER dealt with such a secretive and thin-skinned for not just British farming, but agriculture Government. globally. At National Fieldays, 26 MPs and Cabinet The Amazon Prime programme follows Top Gear ministers turned up. Was it to show the urban and Grand Tour frontman Jeremy Clarkson as he audience it cares about farmers? has a go at farming his 400ha mixed cropping The Government’s lack of kindness to the rural farm. sector with irrational and costly regulations are Clarkson lampoons the idiocy of bureaucrats and hurting farming so badly it wouldn’t have washed their rules while taking the piss out of himself with with rural attendees. all his foolish mistakes. He needs no prompting to What would have been better propaganda for show disbelief at the idiotic rules farmers have to the Government was to have the ministers spend a follow. week on a farm. Then they might have also realised It screams for a New Zealand version but who how hard farming is and why their legislation is so would be our Clarkson? damaging. Farming doesn’t seem to be connecting with There has been debate over whether or not urban NZ and needs to find new ways of doing so. there are too many organisations representing I have always argued we needed a reality show farmers on advocacy, that allows the Government where we follow a smart, slightly dysfunctional, to divide and conquer. It is an important role and but funny family farming the land. I have met a there should be a unified voice but ultimately the few over the years. Government doesn’t seem to listen to the farming Clarkson’s Farm is a script that wrote itself, sector. It does listen to its urban voters. filmed during Covid-19 lockdown, a simple Ag NZ inc should fund a programme like and low cost way to make a programme. It is an Clarkson’s Farm where viewers are connected effective way to show urban people the realities of directly with farmers, their toil, problems and farming and connect with them. successes. When filling out an entry form for Farmer of The crucial battle to win is their hearts and the Year, Clarkson is asked how he has advanced minds. his business. He replied that when he makes a costly mistake, and there are many, Clarkson fronts another episode of ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’ to pay for it. Are our messages in the wrong format for urban NZ? Has Greenpeace and the Government Got any feedback? propaganda been too successful? Government Contact the editor: terry.brosnahan@nzfarmlife.co.nz ministers and ministries have an army of spin or call 03 471 5272 doctors (72 in just the LTSA) according to veteran @CountryWideEd journalist Andrea Vance. Vance says she has never
Terry Brosnahan
Next issue: August 2021
• BUILDING SCALE: A farming couple is profiting from 10 years of expansion.
• BULL CALVES: A closer look into heifer-to-bull ratios to investigate why farmers sometimes get so many bulls.
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July 2021
• AN ARBORETUM: A farmer has spent decades planting his farm in trees including 400 magnolias.
• CLOUDY DAYS AHEAD: The use of cloud computing for data storage instead of the laptop.
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Contents
34
PLAYING THE ANGLES A flexible farming system has proved a winning formula for Hawke’s Bay Farmer of the Year winners.
16
FAMILY LEGACY PAVES THE WAY The winning Tararua Farmers of the Year shared the secrets to their success.
14
HOMEBLOCK: DAVID WALSTON
68 EARTHWORMS & SOIL HEALTH
BOUNDARIES
BUSINESS
8 UK farming hits Top Gear
16 Family legacy paves the way for succession planning
9 App for body condition scoring
HOME BLOCK 10 Robert Carter has been helping to set up a ‘glamping’ experience 11 Paul Burt has advice for proponents of regen ag
22 Pace of changes concerns farmers at B+LNZ forums 23 Farmers urged to vote on levy 23 Apathy threatens B+LNZ 24 Overcapacity of cattle in marketplace
12 Gaye Coates was flabbergasted after her bank ended their business relationship 13 Jane Smith honours the Kiwi rural battlers 14 David Walston is worried about jumping through hoops 15 Timaru’s Andrew Steven goes on a drought holiday
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30
FEATHERING THE NEST
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July 2021
BUSINESS 26 Scientists debate regen ag and science 28 Live export ban based on ‘ideology’ Country-Wide is published by NZ Farm Life Media PO Box 218, Feilding 4740
30 Accessing KiwiSaver: Feathering the nest
LIVESTOCK
General enquiries: Toll free 0800 2AG SUB (0800 224 782) www.nzfarmlife.co.nz
34 Onfarm: Playing the angles 42 Successful farming is all about timing 44 AI popular with beef farmers 48 Cover story: Black to basics 54 Defend winter grazing
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57 Stock Check: Where the profit lies
DEER
A PLACE FOR LOTUS
58 Few options to reduce deer emissions 60 Hunting out a new market for venison
Pat Garden has planted his property in Maku, a variety of lotus, and is reaping the benefits.
61 DINZ board and broad view 61 Long haul winner: John Tacon
CROP & FORAGE 62 A place for lotus 68 Earthworms and soil health
Sub editor Hamish Barwick 06 280 3166 hamish.barwick@nzfarmlife.co.nz Design and production Lead design: Emily Rees 06 280 3167 emily.rees@nzfarmlife.co.nz Writers Andrew Swallow 021 745 183 Anne Hardie 03 540 3635 Lynda Gray 03 448 6222 Robert Pattison 027 889 8444 Sandra Taylor 021 151 8685 James Hoban 027 251 1986 Russell Priest 06 328 9852 Jo Cuttance 03 976 5599 Joanna Grigg 027 275 4031
72 Crop testing requires accuracy
ENVIRONMENT 74 Hanging up the shingle 79 In the black, and green 80 Why plantation forestry can outbid pastoral farming
Partnership Managers Janine Aish | Auckland, Waikato, BOP 027 890 0015 janine.aish@nzfarmlife.co.nz
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82 Good work ethic goes a long way
Publisher Tony Leggett 06 280 3162 | 0274 746 093 tony.leggett@nzfarmlife.co.nz
Jo Hannam 06 280 3168
71 Prevent toxic nitrate shock in stock
YOUNG COUNTRY
Editor Terry Brosnahan 03 471 5272 | 027 249 0200 terry.brosnahan@nzfarmlife.co.nz
WEIRD SCIENCE
Tony Leggett | Lower North Island 027 474 6093 tony.leggett@nzfarmlife.co.nz
COMMUNITY 84 Weird science: Science doesn’t say, it asks
David Paterson | South Island 027 289 2326 david.paterson@nzfarmlife.co.nz
87 On ya e-bike mate 88 Success down to Kiwi attitude
Subscriptions nzfarmlife.co.nz/shop | 0800 224 782 subs@nzfarmlife.co.nz
89 SOLUTIONS
90 FARMING IN FOCUS
Printed by Ovato Print NZ Ltd, Riccarton, Christchurch ISSN 1179-9854 (Print) ISSN 2253-2307 (Online)
OUR COVER David and Lidewij Black in the Hawke’s Bay are achieving good results by doing the basics well. More p48. Photo: Brad Hanson.
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July 2021
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@CountryWideNZ
HANGING UP THE SHINGLE Richard Gardner reflects on his work with Feds and his family farm.
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BOUNDARIES
LONG LIVE PUBLIC AUCTIONS Two pieces of legislation on the US Senate agenda highlight how important our public auctions are for genuine price discovery in cattle markets. US beefmagazine.com reports that one bill proposes a “50-14” rule requiring processors to buy 50% of their cattle in the open market and slaughter those within 14 days. Meanwhile, the Cattle Market Transparency Act would require public reporting of cattle numbers received and creation of a ‘contracts library’. Both stem from concerns US farmers don’t get a fair deal in privately negotiated contracts, particularly from large-scale processors. Contract supply has a place, but the US situation highlights that it can go too far. Here’s hoping New Zealand never reaches that point.
JOKE
UK farming hits Top Gear OF ALL PEOPLE, JEREMY CLARKSON IS PROVIDING an insight into the future of NZ farming. It is not pretty. The UK star of motoring shows Top Gear and The Grand Tour, has a new television show on Amazon Prime, Clarkson’s Farm, in which this complete agricultural novice runs a 400ha arable and livestock farm in the Cotswolds. Typically, there is much humour, but Clarkson reals at the endless rules, regulations and faceless bureaucrats that we have long mocked UK farming for, but there are comparisons with the direction NZ is taking. In one incident a host of scientists are called on to conduct a study of natural flora and fauna before Clarkson is allowed to restore a modified wetland. The area is littered with red flags denoting significant natural areas (you may have heard of them). Later, his farm consultant berates him for disturbing large areas of topsoil with tractors and diggers as he works on the restoration project, warning that inspectors could see and take legal action. Similarities with intensive winter grazing rules? When filling out his mountain of paperwork to qualify for subsidies his consultant warns they have to be accurate because the Government monitors his land by satellite. Similarities to the Government’s intensive winter grazing rules? Despite this, the programme is a great advertisement for farming and the pressures both man-made and natural that they face to produce food. After his first year his net profit from his cropping operation was 40p a day. Despite that, he proclaims that he has never been happier. Google ‘Clarkson’s Farm’ and have a laugh.
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Above: Jeremy Clarkson has a new show called Clarkson’s Farm. Picture supplied.
A government employee is sitting in his office and out of boredom decides to tidy out his filing cabinet. He finds an old brass lamp that he takes home with him that evening. While polishing the lamp, a genie appears and grants him three wishes. “My first wish - I wish for an ice cold CocaCola, right now.” He gets his coke and drinks it. He then states his second wish: “I wish to be on a beautiful tropical island!” Suddenly the man is on a beautiful island in the Tropics. He tells the genie his third and last wish: “I wish I’d never have to work another day in my life!” And poof! He’s back in his government office.
IN THE CROSSHAIRS
OIL
A New Scientist article headed The Methane Mystery (May 22, 2021) says about half of anthropogenic methane comes from the fossil fuel industry, and half from agriculture and waste sites. Methane is 28 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, so cutting it could be “a huge lever” to mitigate global warming, it reasons, concluding that finding leaks in oil and gas infrastructure would be the best way to achieve that. So you’d have thought the article might have been illustrated with at least one picture of a refinery, pipeline, rig or similar infrastructure. Sadly no. New Scientist chose to illustrate the article by running a big picture of cattle captioned “Where is all this greenhouse gas coming from?”, then illustrated the story itself with another picture of cows. Little wonder agriculture is continually in environmentalists’ cross-hairs.
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July 2021
JAIL FOR FARM’S ACCOUNTANT
Former Te Kuiti accountant Sharon Bradley has been jailed for four years and five months after she was found guilty of fraud in the Te Kuiti District Court earlier this year. The Court ruled that Bradley was guilty of 12 representative charges of theft by a person in a special relationship; the charges represent 61 different transactions over 12 years. Bradley, who had name suppression until June 9, stole $2 million over a period of 12 years from her employer, Eight Mile Farms Ltd, a sheep farming operation near Te Kuiti running about 5000 ewes and 8000 lambs. Her offending began in 2007 when she paid an invoice of $17,445.80 for shearing services using Eight Mile’s internet banking. Bradley then reloaded the invoice and transferred the same amount to her personal bank account. According to court documents, Bradley used this method to steal the $2 million. She resigned in March 2018 to pursue other interests. Bradley’s offending was not discovered until over a year later by the accountant who replaced her. In January 2021, she told a probation officer that Eight Mile Farms “had it easy” and that “someone was not doing their job” in relation to the approval of payment of invoices. Bradley’s assets are frozen by the High Court under a separate civil case.
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July 2021
WARTS AND ALL Talk turned to a warts and all discussion at the recent deer industry conference in Invercargill. The topics had an environmental sustainability emphasis with lots of the presenters overviewing new greenhouse gas (GHG) and biodiversity rules and regulations in the pipeline. Not surprisingly there was palpable frustration within the room (especially around GHG emissions) and a few farmers vented their frustrations about the broadening definition of sustainable farming. But Solis Norton, general manager of DeerPro, had a different take. He said farmer pushback to environmental moves and concerns about encroachment of privacy as part of proposed consent processes for winter cropping was like the reaction he faced when trying to get the industry to face up to the problem of Johne’s Disease in deer. To paraphrase, he said it was like a male noticing a wart on his private parts, knowing it wasn’t right but frightened to speak out for fear of drawing attention to the problem and likely prognosis. “I think that there’s real power in having something (like FEPs) in your back pocket to show how you’re making progress.”
DID YOU
KNOW ?
Mark Ferguson of Nextgen AGRI using the Lifetime Ewe Management app.
APP FOR CONDITION SCORING Taking and recording a quick sample of a mob condition score can be done on a smart phone. Rather than writing on paper, and adding and averaging the results manually, there are plenty of digital options. At the Marlborough Merino Association Two-Tooth Ewe Competition, Mark Ferguson, Nextgen AGRI, was using the Lifetime Ewe Management app, developed by Australian Wool Innovation. He used it to quickly assess the sample mob and provide the results to the judges. After a quick feel to assess condition, he tapped the phone pad which offered a range of scores. It vibrates to show it has recorded and keeps a running tally and average. The app has many more flock management features to it but this one feature is quite handy. It can be saved and tracked. For cattle, Dairy NZ has the BCS Tracker app to record and track cow condition score. It also offers an app to train staff in assessing cow body condition (BCS Calibration).
WHAT’S IN A TITLE?
The largest recorded chicken was a Californian rooster, named Weirdo (pictured). He weighed in at 10kg – about four times the size of an average rooster – in 1973 and was reportedly so aggressive that he killed two cats and maimed a dog.
Two South Island livestock broking companies have joined forces. Hazlett will buy all of Peter Walsh & Associates (PWA) except the finance arm. But what will the staff job titles be? Both companies are refreshingly down to earth. PWA livestock staff are simply called brokers and Hazlett, rural blokes. One staff member has the honour of being called an old rural bloke.
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HOME BLOCK
Taumarunui
King Country’s posh pioneers Kirikau’s Robert Carter has been helping his friends set up their ‘glamping’ place on the Whanganui River.
Posh Pioneers consists of six luxury pioneer huts, next to the Whanganui River.
H
ARD WORK AND DETERMINATION always get my vote and support and so over the last three or four years I have been helping my friends Fritz and Heather Bonk establish their extraordinary place to stay on the Whanganui River. Fritz is a New Zealander of Dutch descent and his surname, Bonk; whilst creating mirth at times, is the Dutch word describing a fence made of whale bones, a legacy of invention and economy on the coast of Holland. Heather is a Kiwi lass and together she and Fritz have made Maharanui their home, a place on the river not far downstream from Kirikau where I live. Fritz had a career in Engineering based in various locations around the Bay of Plenty while Heather was a technology teacher at schools in Tauranga. Fritz is free with his advice and has become a good solid friend. And so has Heather of course! I put him through the paces to become a commercial jet boat skipper, he did not need much tuition having spent plenty of time in boats over the years. Heather is the “craftiest” woman I have ever met, there is nothing this girl can’t turn her hand to. She manufactures all sorts of neat things from soap to Rongoa (Maori medicines), woollen articles, quirky artworks, and it is fair to say that she is extremely creative. At an age when most of us would be looking for a peaceful retired existence they have relocated to the King Country and created “Posh Pioneers”. Posh Pioneers is what I call a hard shell glamping experience, hard shell because you do not stay in a luxury tent, your accommodation is in one of six ‘olden days’ themed luxury pioneer huts supported by a genuinely nice ablution block and a cunningly designed warm outdoor restaurant. The backstory of this enterprise is worth relating. Some time ago Fritz and Heather became aware of a 300-acre reverted farm for sale, located on the banks of
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“Better to wear the ‘beeping’ hire company ute out matey!”
the Whanganui River, 65 kilometres downstream from Taumarunui. There was a friend connection and along with Heather’s love of history and the river itself, serendipity occurred, and they became the proud owners of the block. Maharanui has no road access although there is a public road available on the other side of the river. Fritz and Heather set to work, building at first, a lodge, with parts and material flown across the river by helicopter. This has been and is a true family affair with their four sons Craig, Marcus, Scott, and Erik all weighing in with help (and unsolicited advice to Fritz mainly). Then back at home in Tauranga Fritz and their prefabricated team of sons got busy and pre-built and finished the huts and ancillary buildings, transporting them with a specially built trailer to a paddock on our farm. I had to laugh as Fritz hired a 4wd ute for the big towing job even though they own a healthy Toyota Prado. When I asked him about this he said, “Better to wear the ‘beeping’ hire company ute out matey!” From our place a further transport operation took place to George Te Kere Ngataierua’s block of land at Tawata (A flat piece, rare in these parts), where on a certain day an almost military operation took place. Kahu Helicopters turned up with their Black Hawk machine and the huts and buildings were airlifted across the river and dropped onto their pre-built foundations and verandahs. Fritz was a little stressed that day, there’s nothing like $165.00 plus GST a minute to get a Dutchman excited, but due to all his good planning everything literally dropped into place. And now? 18 months later, they are open for business, entertaining people from all walks of life to a taste of off grid living, jet boating, canoeing, fishing, eeling, crafty things, knife making and forging. For more visit www.poshpioneers.co.nz
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July 2021
HOME BLOCK
Matata
Regen ag: Not as easy as claimed
Feel-good versus realism.
Paul Burt has advice for proponents of regen ag.
M “Can we afford feel-good production systems that don’t maximise output from increasingly scarce resources?”
R. BURT, I NORMALLY DON’T WASTE energy on non-believers but you need to be challenged. Your continued negativity even makes it difficult to address this letter. I’m disinclined to begin with “Dear” but I imagine your type is not culturally prepared for Kia ora. It is tiresome to keep being told RA won’t cut the mustard (mustard is not part of our 37 variety seed mix). I can only conclude that you have a problem with change, yet your way of doing things has produced glaring examples of why change is so necessary. Degradation of our waterways is in large part due to high stocking rates and leaching of phosphate and nitrate fertilisers. I can’t think of too many examples of desertification (degradation of dryland ecosystems) in New Zealand but there are lots overseas I could point to because of the practices of farmers like you. You’ve lost 50% of sheep farming income because you never progressed from selling raw wool by the tonne. Mainstream agriculture doesn’t understand the regenerative push is not as a more productive alternative, it’s much greater than that. We are responding to what consumers are asking for and taking the story of food and fibre and its production through to that level. Your dismal failure with wool leads me to believe you have no concept of the term “psychological premium”. In an organic nutshell it is the extra money that can be enticed from the consumer because they are convinced the product and its production meets or exceeds their expectations. The holistic nature of our systems is what the modern consumer feels good about. I acknowledge we sometimes have a problem with our radical fringe but they are busy at the moment trying to rehome the Australian mouse plague. You have my sympathy, clinging to your treadmill while it slowly grinds away environmental, social and financial returns. I only hope you see the light in time. Reg Agro. Hi Reg, thank you for your insights. We could probably be good mates in another life because we are both passionate about the land although you probably don’t work it. We both care about the wider environment and in common with every other first
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July 2021
world citizen we both over consume. The difference is that I am a realist. Agriculture has bigger forces at play than the science/art of nurturing plants and animals. For a start, there is social geography. The total area of land is fixed and the world population is growing. Then there is economics. The scarcity factor gives land a steadily increasing value which must be paid for. In addition, there is physics. Land is needed to produce food, food is energy and the building blocks of that energy must be kept in balance, it can’t be conjured from nothing. With the mounting implications of global warming we’ve forgotten that clean water and adequate food are more pressing needs for many. Can we afford feel-good production systems that don’t maximise output from increasingly scarce resources? I assume your outputs are less than the conventional model because I have yet to see benchmarked physical and financial data from an RA farm that tells me otherwise. Hill country pasture farming in NZ (comparatively little artificial N) couldn’t have achieved its production gains if the science behind them was faulty. Unintended consequences are another issue but we are learning and taking steps to mitigate our mistakes. Another thing you are right about is psychology. In the future more and more people will have to be convinced to eat factory food because pressure on resources will not let present agricultural systems cope. Food production, especially from animals, is under threat. So where does this leave the best pasture farming country in the world? We are good at what we do but we could do better. Take ideas from both camps and ensure every gram of food and fibre that leaves these shores reflects the prestige and price of a Swiss watch. We can’t feed everyone but we can feed the discerning, while caring for the environment and keeping the nation's head above water. Regards, Paul
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HOME BLOCK
Haupiri
For richer or poorer Gaye Coates was flabbergasted after her bank of nearly 20 years decided to call time on their business relationship.
S ‘We were told that they were there to still work alongside us, that our exemplary behaviour would ensure that commitment remained. In the end, this wasn’t so.’
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CIENCE TELLS US THAT HUMANS ARE genetically conditioned to make attachments and it seems the DNA of farmers is especially wired to form enduring bonds, connecting us to our land, our animals and to the people and institutions that impact on our businesses. Almost two decades ago we bonded in a relationship, vowing to honour and obey, committed together for richer and for poorer. We entered this relationship for the long term, believing in the greater strengths of working in partnership. So, it came as an unpleasant surprise when after almost 20 years together, our financial partner seemingly woke up one morning with the realisation that they did not love us anymore and out of the blue advised that it was best if we look for a new bank to work alongside. As with many divorces, the disconnect came down to wanting different things, or in our case we wanted more – more lending to take on a rather large project to address some of our big environmental challenges. This wasn’t a dream concept, but a project well planned with conscious and clarified thought, discussed from the outset and clearly fenced by us with the pragmatism that comes with knowing exactly where our business sits in financial terms. In the background, adding to this disharmony was the geographical context that we cohabited with the bank. We are in the unenviable ‘best house in the worst street’ situation and bank confidence in the security of West Coast land is remarkably pessimistic despite our better than average return on equity. Quite simply and delivered in an equally impersonal manner, our bank felt they were no longer able to do the ‘We Do How’ with us. This hurt. Farmers face no shortage of difficulties in achieving a sustainable farm that is productive, profitable and resilient. At the heart of effectively meeting this goal is our relationship with our bank. Ours had partnered alongside us during some of our most challenging times in business. They were with us over the process of our dairy conversion and we achieved more from this than we ever promised. Together, we have worked through some difficult financial scenarios presented by drought, low milk
prices and a struggling dairy company. We survived and continued to grow, despite the circumstantial odds against it. And, we stuck by them despite their naïve fumbling with that ill-advised financial derivative – swaps. We forgave and moved on, both learning I hope that while ultimately the power lies with the larger institution, sound judgement doesn’t necessarily follow in quite the same unilateral way. Like any long term marriage, the success of the relationship had always been in the commitment to honesty and communication. We had never been afraid to have brave conversations and to have them early. We didn’t expect our view points to always be the same, but we did expect there would always be robust processes of discussion, deliberation and consensus to work on our financial “how’s”. Last year, when the rumours heightened around changes in agribusiness lending, we sat down with our rural manager and asked what those changes meant for us. We expressed concern that the commentaries were suggesting that the implications of bank sentiments were going to impact negatively on farmers. We were open and honest about our goals for the future. We were told that they were there to still work alongside us, that our exemplary behaviour would ensure that commitment remained. In the end, this wasn’t so. Our relationship with a bank is one of necessity. We need a financial partner and we are fortunate to have a choice in selecting who that new partner will be. And while we have a list of “must-have” criteria such as a commitment to our TEAM (together everyone achieves more) mantra and two-way communication, we will try to look through a prenuptial lens of realism. Banks are large inanimate institutions who sell a product with a priority on mathematical matrixes and insensate policies established in a concrete building far away. Their business predisposition is genetically not inclined to enduring attachments with people. I will try to remember this less than human response as I put together the soup and scones for the inevitable lunchtime visit by the next personable rural manager.
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July 2021
HOME BLOCK
Five Forks
Choose your allies wisely Jane Smith honours the Kiwi rural battlers.
Henry Smith, 12, jumping for joy on Gumboot Day, a NZ mental health initiative.
A
WISE PERSON ONCE TOLD ME THAT you don’t have to be brilliant at everything, or anything – you just have to be willing to stand up for what you believe in and put yourself in the firing line. A family ethos of ours has always been to choose who you would like to align with in life, using this one litmus test ... if our country went to war tomorrow, would you want them in your battalion? I have met some amazing people in my time that I would be honoured to stand alongside - and particularly so in the past six months. Thank you to those that are battling against irrational methane calculations, irreversible land zoning changes, unworkable water and land use regulations and hypocritical large scale carbon plotting – not because they are paid to do this (they aren’t), but because it is the right thing to do. It is this ‘courage under fire’ tenacity that New Zealanders were once known for – we were never a nation of fence-sitters, apologists, appeasists or agreers. We became known as innovators, risk takers and opinionators. However, during the last year we have crept into a twilight zone of celebrating only the extreme end of society, and conveniently relegating into perpetuity previously ‘mainstream’ views as some sort of perverse and irrelevant sector of society. Give it 20 years and we will be looking for middle aged right wing white male capitalists to sit on boards to fulfil a quota as a rare sector of society. Recycling internal taxation, locking up land and water, coupled with printing money will not enable us to pay our nurses more, show a proof of life on our mental health system or sort out an education system that rewards good teachers. So thank you to those that have been willing to stand up for what is right, at great personal expense of time and opportunity cost. I was honoured to facilitate a forum for a number of these entities and individuals in late June. It was a pretty inspiring moment to muster up those people who will gain no ego or knighthood on their journey to fight for what is right for rural NZ. It's been a bloody challenging 12 months behind the farm gate with mother nature dishing us up two
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July 2021
“It is this ‘courage under fire’ tenacity that New Zealanders were once known for.”
droughts and two weatherbombs (mild in comparison to the poor buggers in Canterbury) in the space of a year - served with a very cold side dish of substantial re-zoning in the Waitaki District by two wayward landscape architects using binoculars, a child’s red crayon and a few aerial maps. We were very fortunate that we were pre-warned by Groundswell and a clever guy called Jamie McFadden that this tsunami of bureaucratic bollocks was heading our way after previous occurrences in North Canterbury and the West Coast. On the brightside, stock performance has been outstanding this year. Our ewes were not surprised to see another non-existent autumn. We are bloody thankful that our genetics make us and our Perendale and Romdale ram clients proud at scanning time despite the annual lack of any tupping feed throughout the South Island and beyond. Our Fossil Creek Angus bull sale was another great event – celebrating 21 years of Fossil Creek onfarm sales. It has been heartening to see the depth of knowledge that beef farmers around the country now have on estimated breeding values – focusing on traits both on paper and in the paddock, not just going to bull sales that offer the best BBQ and beer afterwards! We are stoked to have three graduates from the Waitaki Boys’ High School Fraser Farm agriculture programme at Newhaven – Jack Price and Ben Paton are full time with us, with Jared Mee on high school work experience (photo p91). Thank you to those leading such brilliant local initiatives up and down the country in farm cadetships programmes, despite the Government's best attempts to destroy the fabric of apprenticeships. Speaking of socialist control, the three Smith offspring have learnt over the past decade that I run a dictatorship, not a democracy. While I demand total compliance when it comes to household tasks, it was still a wake up call when youngest child George re-quoted me the other day when he said “oh Mum, this is supposed to be North Otago, not North Korea”. Blair’s reply to him was “George, you are wrong, North Korea releases its weakest male captives after 10 years, I’m still here after 15”.
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HOME BLOCK
Cambridgeshire, England
Jumping through too many hoops Cambridgeshire farmer David Walston is worried about having to jump through UK regulation hoops when selling his grain while overseas farmers don’t have to.
D ‘‘The hoops to jump through range from the mundane to the onerous, and probably add up to around a week’s worth of work annually.”
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A Tiger Moth bi-plane force-landed in one of David’s wheat fields recently.
ARE I SAY IT, THINGS LOOK GOOD on the farm. As now seems to be the new normal, we had a wet winter, which segued into a spring drought. Not only was it dry, but the weather stayed very cold as well - not an ideal setup for spring crops to get going. However, for the first time since 2018, we had rain in May; 60mm here, more in most other parts of the country. May and June are probably our most critical crop development months, and so this was very, very welcome. After the rain came sun, and warm temperatures. Crops are growing like mad, trying to catch up to where they should be, and we are feeling generally optimistic. We aren’t totally out of the woods yet though, we really need another batch of rain in June to finish the job off. Of course, it’s not just the crops that we worry about. Top of the list for farmers to consider this year has been farming standards - not just at home, but also abroad. Most of us here are members of an assurance scheme called Red Tractor. Although technically voluntary, it’s almost impossible to sell non-assured grains to anyone, so in practice it becomes mandatory. The hoops to jump through range from the mundane to the onerous, and probably add up to around a week’s worth of work annually. Recently it was announced that Red Tractor were looking to ratchet up all of the standards that we are expected to work to, prompting a bit of an outcry from farmers. Why, we asked, was it necessary for UK farmers to follow all of these rules - going above and beyond what is legally required - and provide assurance and traceability down to farm level, when imported grains come off a boat and it all gets mixed in together? We have no doubts about the safety of this imported wheat, it gets sampled and tested, and I’m perfectly happy to eat it. But it is hypocritical, and demonstrably false, when a buyer insists that he or she can only buy highly assured UK wheat after they
have just bought a load of Ukrainian oilseed rape or Canadian wheat, that they don’t know anything about. In my mind, there are only two solutions for keeping UK farming going sustainably. Either we insist on any imported goods being produced to the same standards that we have to use (and that includes not allowing pesticides banned here to be used), or we allow UK farmers to farm to the same standards as you guys out there in the big, wide world. The first option has been discounted, it’s just not going to happen, and in fact I wrote a column on this subject in this magazine a year or two back.* So that leaves the second option. Looking realistically, no one is going to roll back banned pesticides, such as neonicotinoids - and nor should they - but in areas such as assurance, why saddle us with ever increasing requirements, when that is clearly not needed by the buyers? This issue has been hitting the mainstream media a bit in the last month, as our government looks to try and sign a trade deal with Australia. They want to allow unlimited imports of beef and sheep into the UK, even if it is produced using techniques that aren’t allowed here (growth hormones, we are looking at you). Again, I’m not afraid of eating Australian food, it’s certainly safe and good quality. But why set a terrible precedent for future deals with other countries, all for a measly 0.02% GDP gain, from the Government's own figures? The real reason, of course, is that having torn up a free trade deal with a bloc of half a billion people on our doorstep earlier this year, they need to be able to show a “win” by signing a deal - any deal at all - with a country of 25 million on the other side of the planet. Transparent? Yes. Short term-ist? Yes. Politicians? Yes. *Time’s up for sugar, Country-Wide March, 2019.
Country-Wide
July 2021
HOME BLOCK
Timaru
On a drought holiday Timaru’s Andrew Steven has found that going away on holiday seems to please the weather gods.
Andrew Steven and his family enjoyed a relatively rain free holiday with amazing scenes like this.
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OING ON HOLIDAY SEEMS LIKE A good drought management strategy. When you return, conditions are bound to be much improved. We tried it twice; it didn’t work. I was optimistic enough to make wagers on a rain event exceeding 20mm. After paying out on a bottle of gin, plus a top shelf wine, I lost interest in gambling. We had a trip to the West Coast so we could enjoy some rain, rain tourists if you like. The West Coast is beautiful and with no tourists, now is a great time to go. It means simple pleasures for us; walking, cooking on the beach fire, ocean sunsets and driftwood trophies. While tourists were absent, we did meet interesting people every day. There were gold miners, possum trappers and hunters, bagpipe players and a certifiable conspiracy theorist. We travelled against a dreadful forecast and we did experience some rain, but mostly the weather was fine and sandflies minor.
Hauling wood for a bonfire on a West Coast beach in the South Island.
Country-Wide
July 2021
“I was optimistic enough to make wagers on a rain event exceeding 20mm. After paying out on a bottle of gin, plus a top shelf wine, I lost interest in gambling.”
Our camper had a very long gestation in the workshop. It was going to be a quick build, no problems. It took so long that it got used as a rubbish skip for a while. The pop top mechanism and windows all took a lot of thought. There was input from our children such as “Hey Dad, you will need a wood burner.” A good idea and an air cylinder from an old truck converted into a twig burner. The kids now refer to the camper as the dog box for the parents. Talking with other farmers, the conversation often moves to how do you make any money farming? It can often be high performers who are posing the question and it is against a background of increasing climatic uncertainty and compliance cost. The only contribution that I can make is that low expectations help. I was once told by an elderly farmer, that in the course of a farming career, you only get two good years. I think we’ve already had them. With these thoughts in mind, we attended the South Island field days. A great day out and so many spending temptations. How do farmers pay for so many big ticket items? We weren’t much used to the circular economy, and thanks to Silver Fern Farms, we didn’t even have to buy lunch. The rain did finally arrive at the end of May and we were treated to 140mm which doubled our year total to date. Most of the rain soaked in and we did not experience any problems. It is a great relief to have soil moisture, but spring still seems a long way off, especially when you’re already sick of rationing out feed. With stock numbers depleted, thoughts go to options for generating some income in the new season. Two easy options for us would be growing more barley and rearing more calves. These are proven slow ways to make a small amount of money. One final thought: Is every Ford Ranger driven by a maniac in a hurry?
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BUSINESS
SUCCESSION
FAMILY LEGACY PAVES THE WAY Strong family history and a deep connection with the land, coupled with a farm succession story, capture the ethos at Shaun and Fiona Fouhy’s Pahiatua sheep and beef farm. The winning Tararua Farmers of the Year shared the secrets to their success with Rebecca Greaves at their field day. Photos by Brad Hanson.
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espect for the legacy created by the family members who have worked Glanworth Farm before them has paved the way for Shaun and Fiona Fouhy to create a business with outstanding physical and financial performance, while running a low impact livestock model that is kind to the land. That’s why they are this year’s winners of the Tararua Farmer of the Year competition. Shaun, 38, and Fiona, 35, along with their three young children, Thomas, 5, Isla, 3, and Harry, 18 months, are the fourth generation to farm Glanworth. Shaun’s parents, Joe and Lea, were winners of the same competition in 1994. The couple met through Young Farmers and Fiona, who was born on a dairy farm in Scotland, came to New Zealand after qualifying as a physiotherapist. She still works one day a week as a physio, and her skills built in her chosen career are being utilised on the administration and HR side of the business, as well as improving best practice. Sheep performance is strong at Glanworth, with a five year lamb survival to sale (STS) average of 147% but cattle
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performance is a real highlight of the business, bringing in $182/cattle SU in 2021 and a five year calf STS average of 94%. Competition judge Sean Stafford described their financial performance as phenomenal. “They are doing it with a low impact livestock model that’s friendly to the farm and its class of land, all the while generating phenomenal financial performance. They have a cool story around inter-generational thinking. There’s 100 plus years of family history and these two are doing a great job of honouring that.” The Fouhy’s five-year average gross farm revenue (GFR) sits at $1495/ha, with standardised total farm expenses at $736/ ha (49% of GFR) and an economic farm surplus of $759/ha.
Cattle a highlight The couple operate Glanworth Angus, established in 1952 by Shaun’s grandfather Pat. While the stud is a key driver of the business’s performance they emphasise it has to fit with the rest of the farming system – not the other way around. Feeding young stock well is key. “Certainly, my bull calves and heifers are
running with lambs at the moment,” Shaun says. After weaning cows go to the bottom of the priority list. At weaning they weigh and condition score. The cows average a tick over 600kg. He says if it is a tough winter they will come out 70-90kg lighter. They expect to put it back on when the feed comes away and to get back in calf. “There’s no free lunch.” The breeding philosophy has remained much the same. Breeding a moderate, fertile, maternally-based cow that lasts and, effectively, makes money. Carcase premiums have become a major focus in recent years too. They calve 285 cows, including twoyear heifers. Calves are tagged, weighed and DNA sampled at birth, while cows are scored for temperament and udder structure. All yearling heifers above 300kg live weight are mated on November 20, with surplus in-calf heifers sold privately to repeat buyers. The remaining heifers are finished at 2.5 years with a target of 260+kg carcaseweight (CW). This gives Shaun a
Country-Wide
July 2021
Country-Wide
July 2021
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The Fouhy’s are running a Romney breeding flock of 3700.
FARM FACTS • Glanworth Farm – Shaun and Fiona Fouhy • Pahiatua • Area: 890ha (785ha eff) • Contour: 1/3 flat, 1/3 easy-rolling, 1/3 steep • Annual rainfall: 21002200mm - summer safe, spring can be cold and wet. PAHIATUA
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good indicator of how their cattle measure up grading wise, as well as adding value. Two onfarm bull sales are held annually. The October sale comprises yearling bulls suitable for heifer mating, and Shaun sees this sale as a prime area for future growth of their business. The June sale is R2 bulls. Between the two sales 70-75 bulls are sold, with any surplus bulls finished at 18 months, with a target of 270-300kg CW. Due to the increased biosecurity risk, particularly M bovis, the Fouhys have moved to a closed gate cattle policy, with only breeding bulls coming on to the farm. “We did it to ring fence the stud. We were doing a summer trade on Friesian bulls, which worked well and was profitable. But it was a risk we were not willing to take, so we’ve knocked all that on the head.” With a steep feed growth curve in late spring, this has created some issues controlling feed quality in late spring and early summer. “It would be nice to have
some flexibility around the cattle policy, but at the moment it’s a risk we won’t take.”
Hoggets hit 112% lambing Sheep are also good performers for the Fouhys, notably they have succeeded in lifting their hogget lambing percentage – recording 112% lamb STS this year. Their average lamb CW for the last three years sits at over 17kg. Glanworth runs a Romney breeding flock of 3700. Earlies (mostly five and six year olds) are mated to a Suftex ram on March 15. The remainder are mated on April 20, 2ths to a Suftex and mixed age to a Ngaputahi Romney. About half the hoggets are mated. Teasers are used for 6-8 weeks prior to mating, with a minimum mating weight of 40kg. Suftex cross ram lambs are retained and used over the hoggets to bolster the ram ranks, as well as Suftex rams. The ram ratio is 1:30 and hoggets are mated for 28 days. Hoggets are something Shaun has focused
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July 2021
“If you want to be an intergenerational business, the sooner you start thinking about the succession process, the better.”
Shaun’s parents Joe and Lea Fouhy. Joe spoke at the Fouhy’s field day about the importance of having a farm succession plan.
on in recent years. “We’d been doing hogget mating for a fair while, but not that well. They weren’t grown out well enough.” When staff member Cody Webster came on board he was given responsibility for the hoggets, which Shaun credits largely for the 112% lambing result this year. A visit from an RMPP group focused on hoggets gave some valuable insight too. “The take homes for me were to tease for 6-8 weeks and a low ram to hogget ratio. I knew the ability was in the sheep, but those two things – teasing power and length, and ram ratio – are key to repeating it consistently. Our goal is to scan 110115% so we were chuffed last year. Credit to Cody.” Their aim is to wean all lambs at 32kg average and kill at 17.5kg CW. Surplus Romney ewe lambs are sold store in the autumn. “We’re trying to breed something nice and efficient, not too big, highly fertile, that hangs up relatively well.” Often they find themselves selling lambs on a sliding market, so they take advantage of any opportunity to optimise the schedule
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July 2021
SUCCESSION KEY MESSAGES: • The sooner you start thinking about succession, the better. • Business growth gives you options when it comes to succession - where there is profit, there are options. • Think transition, not transaction. • Get independent advice. • Take your time to get it right. • Involve all parties and find out what their expectations are. • Ask yourself – are we an intergenerational business?
and get cull ewes out the gate before Christmas. While he is not trying to drive fertility further, Shaun believes there are still gains to be made in the sheep enterprise, particularly around deaths and missing, reducing lamb wastage and stabilising the lambing percentage. “There are big gains to be made around lamb weight, CW killed. It
comes down to ewe condition at lambing and having the right feed quantity under them.” In a tight season, the pinch time for feed demand is early spring, hoggets are the lever to pull, hence the decision to mate only half. As well, Shaun has utilised spring fertiliser on the main lambing country, as needed. This is likely to become an annual policy. With plenty of cultivable country the Fouhys typically have in 10-12ha of kale direct drilled, which is fed to yearling heifers, while 10ha of oats is fed to R2 and R3 heifers pre-calving. There is 10-12ha of rape, autumn sown, which is used for the hoggets in early spring. Shaun says it is expensive, and plans to move to spring sowing. Finally, there is 35-40ha in a plantain and chicory clover mix for lamb finishing, to provide consistent feed quality and consistent weight gains. They have also increased the use of short-term ryegrass (about 25-30ha) on the easy country in a bid to bring the spring forward.
Transition to the next generation A highlight of the Fouhy’s field day was the open discussion on their successful farm succession, which occurred in 2016 after a three year process. Key to the transition was starting discussions early, involving all family members and getting independent advice. Shaun’s father Joe spoke about the process, saying farm succession was the elephant in the room for many farmers. “My father obviously had a plan for farm succession, but he never told anyone. I was fortunate to get an opportunity to buy 145ha off my uncle when I was 22.” Joe and Lea worked hard over the years to grow their business and land holding, buying out the family farm as well as several neighbouring blocks. They knew Shaun was keen on a farming career and, while he was on his OE, an adjoining block of land came up for sale in 2006. Shaun’s Trust was formed and bought the land, which was leased back to Joe and Lea’s partnership. “The lease covered the debt servicing. The block was really one paddock – there were
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fences but it was never stock proof.” Development has always been a high priority at Glanworth, looking after the asset, even in tough times. Joe got stuck in and by the time Shaun returned home his father had spent $300,000 knocking it into shape. Shaun then spent several years farming alongside his parents. Joe was 60 and not ready to give up active farming. But he was also aware he’d been given an opportunity early at 22, and Shaun was 34 by this stage. “I thought he needed to get on and get involved. The best years of your farming life are 25-45 in terms of enthusiasm and drive.” It was also important to Joe and Lea that they were able to support their children with whatever they wanted to do in life. They sat down with Shaun and their two daughters to ask what their expectations were. Luckily, everyone’s vision was aligned, and all wanted the farm to stay in the family.
Had to be fair Taking into account several million dollars of debt and the need to provide Joe and Lea with an on-going income, farm succession could not be equal, but it had to be fair. “It was about how to work out what was fair and equitable. Fortunately our children all said we had worked very hard in our career and it was up to us. They had very little expectation.” At this point they brought in Geordie McCallum as an independent facilitator, to put together a succession plan. “It was important that if Shaun got a bigger share of the total package perhaps the girls got some capital early on in the piece. I had a thought about what I hoped was possible, but I also knew it was important that Shaun and Fiona weren’t burdened with such a debt that it stifled their drive and enthusiasm, but enough to make them efficient and want to get out of bed and work hard.” Because they had three land owning entities at the time succession occurred, the farm was independently valued, which was the basis of the transaction. Then it was a matter of working out how the debt in each entity would be structured. Shaun and Fiona pay interest on money left in by Joe and Lea, which provides them with a regular income. When they are no longer around, a debt equivalent to that will be paid to Shaun’s sisters. Shaun and Fiona took over all of Joe and Lea’s debt, plus what was borrowed to pay his sisters out. In terms of what they would do differently, Joe says they should have
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Table 1: Time Series Analysis 2019-20 Glanworth – Farm class: 3 Semi finishing - summer wet Description
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
Average
Physical Data Effective hectares
820
820
820
820
820
Total SU at open
7882
7520
7524
7787
7678
SU per ha at open
9.6
9.2
9.2
9.5
9.4
% Sheep SU at open
56%
58%
58%
59%
58%
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
2.5
Lamb STS
147%
146%
152%
145%
147%
Calf STS
94%
94%
91%
95%
94%
Sheep D&M
4.6%
7.1%
7.5%
5.1%
6.1%
Cattle D&M
0.9%
0.3%
3.9%
2.8%
2.0%
5.7
4.1
5.7
3.6
4.8
$531,574
$583,462
$686,173
$663,330
$616,135
Labour units, FTE
Wool Produced (kg) per Sheep SU Adjusted Total Revenue, Expenditure and EFS Sheep revenue Cattle revenue Gross Farm Revenue
$564,386
$703,418
$562,930
$575,071
$601,451
$1,105,809
$1,293,218
$1,259,914
$1,243,154
$1,225,524
Standardised Total Farm Expenses
$551,113
$610,288
$640,206
$644,397
$611,501
Economic Farm Surplus
$554,696
$682,930
$619,709
$598,757
$614,023
Cash Expenditure Wages and Keep
$82,126
$65,792
$76,227
$82,786
$76,733
Animal health and breeding
$62,109
$64,249
$81,358
$71,785
$69,875
Shearing
$41,128
$39,578
$45,280
$51,086
$44,268
Fertiliser and Lime
$92,838
$132,632
$113,266
$100,206
$109,736
Feed, Nitrogen, Grazing and Forage Crops
$38,107
$40,606
$54,389 $
$64,494
$49,399
Repairs and Maintenance
$23,090
$97,896
$70,906
$98,175
$72,517
Vehicles and Fuel
$27,779
$41,475
$35,385
$28,158
$33,199
$0
$0
$0
$0
Irrigation Freight
$8,936
$13,150
$11,867
$9,953
$10,977
Weed and pests
$19,833
$23,016
$16,726
$13,348
$18,231
Farm Working
$16,057
$12,775
$9,560
$11,625
$12,504
Administration
$9,783
$15,956
$20,371
$20,385
$16,624
Rates and Insurance
$49,456
$58,549
$44,918
$46,090
$49,753
Debt Servicing
$354,209
$345,923
$274,340
$262,582
$309,263
Gross Farm Revenue
$1349
$1577
$1536
$1516
$1495
Standardised Total Farm Expenses
$672
$744
$781
$786
$746
Per ha Standardised
Standardised Total Farm Expenses (% GFR)
50%
47%
51%
52%
50%
Economic Farm Surplus
$676
$833
$756
$730
$749
Farm Cash Revenue
$1485
$1554
$1489
$1524
$1513
Total Farm Cash Expenditure
$1007
$1160
$1042
$1050
$1065
Cash profit/loss before tax, drawings, depreciation, CAPEX & principal
$478
$394
$447
$474
$448
6.2%
5.8%
5.2%
5.0%
5.6%
6.9
8.0
8.2
8.3
7.8
Per ha Cash
Sundry Return on Capital Ratio of GFR : Land value
Table 2: Economic Analysis Capital
per ha
per SU
Ratios
Standardised analysis
per ha
Land and building value: $10,291,000
$12,550
$1322
Return on Capital 5.0%
Gross Farm Revenue:
$1516
$194
Gross Revenue/Land Value 8.28
Standardised Total Farm Expenses:
$786
Economic Farm Surplus:
$730
Plant and vehicles: $165,000 Total value stock: $1,512,865 CV as Going Concern: $11,968,865
$14,596
$1537
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July 2021
Top: Panorama of the Fouhy farm and surrounding farms. Above left: Some of the Fouhy’s sale bulls. Above right: Three generations together: The Fouhys: Left to right: Shaun’s parents Lea, Joe, together with Thomas, 5, Isla, 3, Shaun, Harry, 18 months, and Fiona.
involved their lawyer and accountant from the outset, and not rushed at the end, to get the succession completed at the close of a financial year. Judge and former bank manager, Sean Stafford, said succession was tough for both sides of the table. “Joe has spent most of his life being immersed in this business, and extremely passionate about it, so it was a hard process for him. He knew it was the right thing, but it wasn’t easy to hand the keys over.” Stafford said people focused on succession as a transaction, but he likened it more to a transition. “If you want to be an inter-generational business, the sooner you start thinking
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July 2021
STOCK • 3700 Romney breeding ewes • 1000 hoggets • Glanworth Angus stud • 285 Angus cows • 265 Yearling cattle • 50 R2 wintered about the succession process, the better. He says Joe spent a lot of time growing this business. “The bigger the business, the more you’ve been able to grow it, the more options you have when it comes to succession. Stafford says succession was three years,
but it was a lifetime of effort that created the opportunity for an inter-generational transition. For Shaun and Fiona’s part, their first five years farming on their own account have been about lifting performance and profitability and dumping as much as possible on debt reduction. Succession coincided with the chance to buy 40ha next door, which they did. “I certainly had no trouble getting out of bed in the morning,” Shaun says. He says their long term vision is that if one of the next generation wants to take the business on, “that’s brilliant”. They want to be in a position to do the same thing and facilitate it properly.
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BUSINESS
Referendum
wanted discussed, the broadly happy, and the apathetic. He said every vote counted and each vote must pass on two counts, with one farmer one vote which needed more than 50% of eligible livestock farmers to pass, and the weighted vote based on production units which also needed 50% to pass. B+LNZ had identified 9000 farms above 750su and 17,000 farms below 750su eligible to register for voting.
Stronger together
How will farmers vote in the B+LNZ levy referendum which opened June 1 and closes July 12?
Pace of changes concerns farmers BY: JO CUTTANCE
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he pace of change within the agricultural sector is a concern for farmers. This was a theme expressed across the Beef + Lamb New Zealand regional roadshows by attendees, who wanted to know what the levy body’s role in those changes were, chair and director southern South Island Andrew Morrison said. The roadshows, held throughout NZ in June, aimed to raise awareness about B+LNZ’s levy vote. A referendum had to be held every six years as required under the Commodity Levies Act 1990. Farmers chose whether or not they supported the continuation of the sheepmeat and beef levies. A “no” vote meant B+LNZ would be wound up. Voting opened June 1 and closes July 12. Numbers at meetings Country-Wide attended were low with some only about 12 people. Morrison said he would have loved more people to attend the roadshows. He felt farmers fell into three groups with regards to B+LNZ and the levy vote; those with real
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issues they wanted discussed, the broadly happy, and the apathetic. “Any farmer voting ‘no’ means they don’t support B+LNZ continuing.” Morrison said the roadshows gave farmers an opportunity to ask questions, hear how B+LNZ supported farmers, and to find out more about planned programmes of activity for the next six years. Topics raised at the roadshows included: how B+LNZ worked with other advocacy groups, the potential restrictions on farm management, validity of some of the science being used, how carbon balance was calculated, the need for more internal parasite research funding, and further research opportunities. Catlins farmer Peter Wilson, who was one of 22 at the Clinton roadshow, raised his concern about the reliability and credibility of some of the scientific methodology being used within the agricultural sector, and asked if B+LNZ could ensure integrity. Morrison accepted farmers were busy but would have loved more people to attend the roadshows. He felt farmers fell into three groups with regards to B+LNZ and the levy vote; those with real issues they
Support was shown for B+LNZ to continue their advocacy work but farmers wanted them to work more closely with other organisations when advocating for the rural sector. “The reality is, the challenges agriculture is facing are too large for one organisation, and we need to work together,” Morrison said. B+LNZ worked with other advocacy groups including Federated Farmers, and grassroot groups like 50 Shades of Green and Farmers for Positive Change. “An important part of having influence is having many voices asking for the same thing,” Morrison said. He said advocacy by B+LNZ had not affected their ability to gain government funding for a range of initiatives, this included the confirmed funding of a new seven-year beef genetics programme. “What is important to remember is that without B+LNZ, individual farmers would be unable to leverage government funding on that scale,” Morrison said. B+LNZ had respect, trust and the expertise and capabilities to invest in research such as the sequestration report, which enabled us to convince officials and Government to fix flawed proposals,” Morrison said. Priorities over the next six years included rolling out a new free farm plan covering water, climate change, biodiversity and soils, investing in improved genetics and continuing to support catchment communities and action groups. Attracting, training and retaining people across the sector was also a priority. B+LNZ would advocate for improved market access, particularly in the UK and EU and planned to ramp up the Taste Pure Nature country of origin brand. “We will also be lifting our research and development investment in key areas, particularly the control of internal parasites and facial eczema,” Morrison said.
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July 2021
Farmers urged to vote
APATHY THREATENS B+LNZ BY: PENNY CLARK-HALL
Hamish Murray, Bluff Station, urges sheep and beef farmers to vote before July 9 on the future of Beef + Lamb NZ.
BY: JOANNA GRIGG
H
amish Murray, Bluff Station, was one of only 17 that attended Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s (B+LNZ) Roadshow on the levy referendum in Blenheim during mid-June. He is hoping that voting before July 9 by sheep and beef farmers is far greater. “The higher the number of famers voting in the referendum, the more unified the message we send to the Government that B+LNZ is our voice on issues.” “It’s fine to have differences of opinion – that is where change happens – but we still need to show we are unified behind B+LNZ being a voice for farmers.” He is using his 20,000 stock units of voting power to vote yes for compulsory levies to continue, and a yes for a five-cent increase on the sheep levy, to $0.75. “As a Merino lamb producer, I feel we must continue to invest in the future of our product.” He said it was good to hear about the strategic direction at the roadshow and that it resonates with his own view. “I like the vision of profitable farming, thriving communities, valued by all New Zealanders– especially the resilient community aspect.” He was interested to hear about the rollout of B+LNZ’s Taste Pure Nature programme and that government leverage is being sought to fund it further. “It tells the story of our ingredients, which
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July 2021
sits alongside the consumer brands owned by the meat companies. “ He said it was like the NZ Merino Company ZQ brand that sat alongside commercial brands like (clothing manufacturer) Icebreaker. “I believe we must invest in markets, and understand our consumers and make our products relevant and known to them.” Questions from the floor to Sam McIvor, B+LNZ CEO, included the potential restrictions on management from mapping SNA’s, the methane issue, the need for more internal parasite funding and how the organisation works with Federated Farmers and other national farmer groups on advocacy. McIvor said there is no doubt in his mind B+LNZ needs to do advocacy work. “We have decided to divide up the advocacy work issues with Federated Farmers.” “We believe in the value of individual voices but also the power of one.” One farmer at the meeting suggested pasture-fed rather than grass-fed, should be the description for sheep and beef farming systems, especially given Marlborough’s love affair with lucerne and clovers. Another farmer queried whether farmers can seek funding for research using the farm innovation trial model, although it was not listed. McIvor said any on-farm research idea would be considered, whether it be an action group, farm innovation or monitor farmstyle project.
A MESSAGE TO SHEEP AND beef farmers at a B+LNZ referendum roadshow meeting is apathy will kill the organisation. The straight-shooting talk was coming from the newly minted Northern South Island Director, Kate Acland. She said that the organisation loses its impact when they go in to bat for farmers without their validation of showing up and voting. At Omihi’s meeting about 11 levy payers showed up. It seems ironic that at a time when the sector’s need for support seems bottomless, the levy vote is gaining little engagement. The vote to keep B+LNZ in existence for another six year term is not the only consideration for farmers. There is also a proposal to increase the sheep levy by 5c to 75c and whether to raise the levy ceiling from 75c to 95c for sheep and from $5.40 to $5.95 for beef. The reason? A once in a generation peak in issues facing the sector and a need to maintain its social licence to operate. This involves investment in market access development, the environment, industry training, advocacy, R&D and capturing hearts and minds through telling the story e.g. Trust Pure Nature. The levy is being used to support B+LNZ’s vision to ensure farmers are sustainable and profitable, rural communities are thriving and the sector is valued by New Zealanders. That $35 million dollar pie is divided up like so: • Supporting farming excellence = 41% • Championing the sector = 26% • Increasing market returns = 25%. Of note was the emphasis to increase the focus on beef genetics and dairy and beef integration (bobby calves). The waters remain murky on where environmental policy will land as the government is yet to release details on what is required in Farm Freshwater Farm Plans, amongst other things.
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BUSINESS
Calf rearing
Market place overcapacity BY: KERRY DWYER
O
ver the past seven months there have been over 10,000 dairy-sourced calves, born spring 2020, sold at the Temuka saleyards, at an average price of $335/head. Steers have averaged $385/head, heifers averaged $320/ head, bull calves averaged $330/head while some mixed sex lots averaged $290/head. Last year I wrote an update on calf rearing, calculating the costs of rearing calves on milk powder to be around $350/ head to get them to 100kg liveweight. The calves sold at Temuka have mostly been over 100kg; the steers and heifers have been mostly beef cross while the bull calves were mostly Friesian. Over half the calves sold were bulls, which were sold mainly in three special sales on November 26, December 10 and February 11. These figures show that most of the calves sold incurred a loss for a calf rearer, unless they had access to cheaper calves or cheaper milk and feed than my budgeted figures. The calf rearers I have talked with lately say they have lost money in the past two seasons, some of it big coin. Late last year I summarised that it would be a punt rearing calves in spring 2020, depending on how the grass grew. Well, it didn’t grow well enough for much of New Zealand, resulting in limited demand for store stock of most descriptions. Dairy-sourced calves and cattle seem to be at the bottom of the value heap, even though there are good margins to be made from finishing them to slaughter weights. I have been pondering the calf rearing ecosystem and see that a few key changes have occurred in the past 10 years, which have had a profound effect on the business. Maybe these have had more effect on South Island calf rearers than North Islanders because the NI prices for dairy-sourced calves are markedly higher than down here: • Mycoplasma bovis stopped a lot of calf trade when it appeared. Many farmers buying dairy-sourced calves have been so hurt with MPI testing and culling cattle
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Calf rearers are hoping for good sales in 2021 after poor returns last year.
that they have become wary of what and where they buy. Whether it has stopped some farmers buying cattle is difficult to assess, but it has changed behaviour. Dairy farmers have also changed, with more care taken when sourcing bulls for mating and any heifers or cows brought into herds. • Some dairy farmers have gone a step further and gone to all artificial insemination mating, with no bulls coming on farm. They have used a mixture of dairy and beef semen, with the net effect of more beef cross calves being born, and more of those appearing earlier in the calving pattern.
• Cow induction ceased in NZ in 2015, which has resulted in more calves being reared or sold as bobby calves. Inducing was phased out over four years as a result of public pressure, to improve the perception of NZ dairy farming. In our area I see a longer duration of calving on many dairy farms, beyond the availability for bobby calf slaughter for some calves. • Onfarm calf culling of calves was a kneejerk reaction to inducing being phased out. There are no industry wide figures for the prevalence of this, and anecdotally it seems to be decreasing. The economic fact is that many calves are not worth the time and cost of getting to the criteria
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sharing in future profits from the calf sales. The accompanying photograph showed a few Jersey calves which may have low value but that may be of secondary importance to their business plan. Also, I often read of the supposed benefit to the beef industry of more beef cross calves coming out of the dairy industry. Part of the “benefit” is the need to sell less bobby calves. Having more beef cross calves is a generalised opinion because it does not take into account the whole ecosystem. There are about 4.8 million milking cows in NZ. At an 80% calving with a full uptake of sexed semen to breed heifer replacements along with all the remaining cows being bred to beef bulls, that could produce over 2.5m beef calves to enter the beef herd.
There is not enough slack in the NZ beef industry to handle many additional cattle at any age.
Calf rearing for 2021 Calf rearing figures for the coming season might look like those below, and compare that to the prices for last season’s calves sold at Temuka. Calf rearing costs
Per calf
Calf price
$60
Cartage
$20
Calf milk replacer
$75
Meal – 20% protein
$22.50
25kg @ $900/t
Meal – 16% protein
$37.50
50kg @ $750/t
Animal health
$10.00
Dehorning
$8.00
Bedding
$6.00
Housing
$6.00
Straw – feed
$10.00
Grazing
$25.00
Power & fuel & machinery
$12.00
Interest
$4.50
Losses @ 3%
$12.00
Total
$298.50
Contract sale price
$380
Net profit
$71.50
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July 2021
1 bag @ 20kg
Overdraft of $200/calf for 120 days 3% of $400 calf
$400/calf contract less 5% commission
set for bobby calf sale today, but the alternative does not present a good image for our industry. • Sexed semen has become better and cheaper over time, as new technology does. The sales of sexed semen are said to increase again this year and it may well become the main dairy-breed semen sold as farmers target heifer replacements from their best cows. A side effect of this market change has been the complementary use of more beef semen on cows with lower genetic value, giving more beef cross calves from some herds, and earlier in the season than if using beef bulls after an AI programme. • The next logical step of sexed semen is to provide beef breed straws to produce bull calves, as against dairy breed straws to produce heifer calves. I am not sure what technology is involved but it is a logical option when quality and value is right. • Social opinion of selling bobby calves has resulted in more calves being reared rather than sold as bobbies. I don’t quite grasp why this opinion has developed and proliferated but it certainly has. The fact is that many calves are not economically worthwhile rearing but some zealots think every calf should be kept alive.
“Dairy-sourced calves and cattle seem to be at the bottom of the value heap…”
Too many cattle
Statistics show an average of 1.8m calves are sold as bobby calves. There is not enough slack in the NZ beef industry to handle many additional cattle at any age. • Fewer contracts have been available for 100kg calves in the past two years. Buyers for these have learnt they are able to source calves cheaper with no commitment until they want them. If there is an increasing number of dairy sourced calves hitting the market that trend is unlikely to change. • There has been a constant decline in pastoral area in NZ, with pine plantations and housing taking area out of production. Beef cow numbers have eased annually but not to the extent of increasing demand for dairy-sourced calves. My take on the calf rearing industry is that we are seeing more calves being retained and reared, largely by dairy farmers, and sold into a marketplace that does not have the capacity to handle them. The marketplace has been affected by droughts, M bovis, change of land use and beef price fluctuations. Some of the effects and consequences noted have a detrimental impact on calf rearing profitability.
I read recently of a business set up to rear as many calves as possible, with the dairy farmers providing calves and milk and
• Kerry Dwyer is a North Otago farm consultant and farmer.
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BUSINESS
Science
Scientists say farm soils do not provide an endless supply of nutrients.
Scientists debate regen ag and science BY: JO CUTTANCE
F
arm adviser and scientist Graham Shepherd felt the white paper on regenerative agriculture (RA) was not perfect but was a start, and he encouraged the need for research which had a biological component. Shepherd, author of the Visual Soil Assessment Method, emailed through his response to comments made by New Zealand scientists who questioned aspects of the white paper on RA in the April issue of Country-Wide. He said the initiative had to work within a budget which imposed limitations in terms of scope and thoroughness, but it was a start. Shepherd is an independent farm adviser with his consultancy BioAgriNomics. He
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said he doesn’t hold a PhD, but has a Masters in Science from Waikato University and was employed by DSIR and Landcare as a scientist for 27 years. He disagreed with Ravensdown chief scientist officer Ants Roberts' claim that research in soil biology was still in its very early stages and its science was yet to be developed. Shepherd said there were many peer-reviewed text books and over 20 biological journals with a high impact factor, citing mycorrhiza and the European Journal of Soil Biology as examples. “Many of our ag scientists are ‘chemically’ trained and such material was outside their area of interest and are unaware of their content,” Shepherd said. Roberts said Shepherd was correct to call him out on the statement. Soil biology had been the subject of research for many
decades, and with some notable outcomes such as the legume/rhizobia symbiosis, plant growth regulators like gibberellic acid and epichloë fungi (endophytes) which farmers and growers had been able to use successfully in their businesses. “My comment was more related to the increasing understanding of soil microbiome and phyto microbiome functions and interactions which have yet to yield ‘fruit’ in terms of reliable, usable technologies,” Roberts said. Roberts said it would be good to know who was researching soil, what they do and how we could utilise this to assist in sustainable food production. NZ Institute of Agriculture and Horticultural Science president Jon Hickford felt the many peer-reviewed text books and 20 plus biological journals should not be
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taken as evidence that we know a lot about soil biology. Rather, he said the number of journals and growth in interest in this area suggested we had a lot to learn. “I also think science will play a key role in furthering our knowledge of soil biology and health,” Hickford said. Shepherd said the soil is a triune - physical, chemical and biological, regrettably the chemical properties received too much emphasis in NZ. “NZ is way behind many parts of the world in its understanding and appreciation of the role and benefits of the biological composition of the soil and it costs our farmers and the environment dearly,” Shepherd said.
Important role of soil biology Agricultural scientist Doug Edmeades said Shepherd’s suggestion that NZ scientists have overlooked the important role of soil biology is nonsense. In 1990, a group of NZ scientists developed a workable definition of soil quality. It included three soil tests to measure soil biology, two to measure the soil physical properties and two measuring soil chemistry. These seven tests were used in soil surveys throughout NZ to assess soil quality. From 2014 to 2017, 461 samples were collected covering the major land uses and soil groups throughout NZ. The results showed 83% of the soil samples were within optimal target ranges. In the context of regenerative agriculture, all the tests used to measure soil biology were in the optimal range. Shepherd said it was a question of the solubilisation of nutrients by soil microbes. There were many soil microbes that solubilised nutrients, for example P, which made them more plant available. He said if we invoked this understanding, farmers would not need to apply so much P which would be a cost saving. A critical assessment on the ability of phosphate solubilising microorganisms (PSM) to enhance plant production was published in New Phytologist. Raymond et al. (2020). It reviewed 81 scientific papers on the ability of PSM to enhance plant production and concluded that PSM did not mobilise enough P to change the crop’s nutrition on farm. While these microbes solubilise P to meet their own needs it was the subsequent turnover of the microbial biomass which provided P to plants in the longer term. The authors also pointed
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out that PSM are unlikely to use energy to solubilise P in excess of their own needs when in a soil environment under intense competition from other microorganisms. Roberts said it would be fantastic if farm soils provided an endless supply of nutrients. Soils which never had to be supplemented with any fertiliser nutrients and yet were highly productive and resilient. Producing highly nutritious, healthy plant and animal products with little environmental impact while profitably sustaining the farming family and local community. “Unfortunately, this utopian vision and reality did not always align,” Roberts said. Shepherd said there was overwhelming evidence, which showed the negative effect of dairying on the environment. But it was not dairying that was the problem, rather the advice given to dairy farmers.
“...if they don’t earn enough money to pay their bills, then they don’t have a business.” Farmers are business people and ultimately have to make their own decisions. They have to balance the impact of their operation against many other things, not least the viability of their businesses, Hickford said. “...if they don’t earn enough money to pay their bills, then they don’t have a business,” he said. Hickford agreed with Shepherd, it was likely true that the chemical properties of soil received most attention, potentially because of the impact particular chemicals, namely derivatives of phosphorus and nitrogen, have on our waterways. While it was convenient and easy to blame the dairy industry for the problem, that was a massive over-simplification, Hickford said.
Increasing use of nitrate Phosphate use, especially in highly soluble forms like superphosphate, had been in decline since 2005. Nitrate was different and there had been an increase in the use of nitrogen-based fertilisers in farming, along with an increase in dairy cattle numbers and the associated urinary nitrogen output. In that respect measurements of total
Farm adviser and scientist Graham Shepherd.
nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen, and ammoniacal nitrogen varied across NZ. From 2013-2017 median measured total nitrogen concentrations were 10 times higher in urban areas and six times higher in the pastoral areas, median nitratenitrogen concentrations were 22 times in urban areas and 11 times higher pastoral areas, and median ammoniacal nitrogen concentrations were seven times higher in urban areas and two times higher in pastoral areas, compared to undeveloped native land cover. These figures are available (see www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/riverwater-quality-nitrogen). Shepherd said there had been many criticisms of the effects of doing things a bit differently on farms, “Farmers, however, are very good at making observations. They know if something works or not,” he said. This observational evidence was often dismissed as anecdotal but “seeing is believing,” Shepherd said. Many things could be observed, but the progression of science was never based on a single observation, Hickford said. Science required things to be repeatable and reliably so, and good science progresses based on the ‘weight of evidence’. Shepherd felt attempts to publish material of farmers doing things differently on their farms had been stymied. Hickford said, if this was true, he would hazard to say that the material was of sufficiently poor quality as to have been deemed unpublishable. He did not think there was a conspiratorial approach to blocking certain types of science, with the exception of those things that are deemed too unethical. Shepherd’s original email: nzfarmlife.co.nz/regen-ag-white-paper-isgood-research/ • Next issue: What is a scientist?
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BUSINESS
Live shipments
The ban on live cattle exports is estimated to cost up to $300m/year.
Ban based on ‘ideology’ not welfare BY: HAMISH BARWICK
O
n April 14, the Government announced that live cattle exports overseas would be banned from 2023 sparking dismay from beef/dairy exporters and delight from animal welfare groups. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said that at the heart of the decision was upholding New Zealand’s reputation for high standards of animal welfare. “We must stay ahead of the curve in a world where animal welfare is under increasing scrutiny,” he said in a statement. According to O’Connor, live exports by sea represented only about 0.2% of NZ’s primary sector exports revenue since 2015. “I acknowledge the economic benefit some farmers get from the trade, but I also note that support for it is not universal within the sector,” he said. The move was widely condemned by beef breeders such as Patrick Lane of Whangara-based BeefGen, who told The Gisborne Herald in April he would be rallying other breeders to fight the ban. National Party spokesperson for primary industries, David Bennett, told Country-
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Wide that before the 2020 election, the Labour Party put a moratorium on live cattle exports in order to take pressure off the party. According to Bennett, the Green Party wanted a long-term ban as part of their confidence and supply agreement.
“Their true intent was always to ban, and they weren’t upfront with farmers at the election.” - David Bennett Bennett said Labour also didn’t want to upset farmers by indicating that they were banning live cattle exports. “Their true intent was always to ban, and they weren’t upfront with farmers at the election.” He said they had given a two-year process which was just time for contracts to work themselves out. “..it’s really just a contractual mechanism so they don’t have any liability for anybody that may have entered into a contract.” Bennett said there would be a hit on gross
domestic product (GDP) and pointed out it was an income earning cashflow for many farmers. Act spokesperson for primary industries, Mark Cameron, who runs a dairy farm in Northland, said the ban was based on “virtue rather than the facts.” “As an active farmer, I understand full well kilogrammes of livestock gain and scoring.” He said that in their travels from NZ to China, cattle are putting on “somewhere in the vicinity of half a condition score.” “I don’t think there is an animal condition or animal welfare issue.” He said the ban was introduced on the premise that “somehow” at the journey’s end in China, the animals were emaciated and were being given to their new owners and abused. Cameron added that he “can’t abide” by the expected loss of GDP, and pointed out that NZ has a contracted economy. He also said that the value of live cattle exports was worth about $200 million last year. “This year, there were proposals for up to 150,000 animals to go. That’s somewhere in the vicinity of $300 million odd dollars.”
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July 2021
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BUSINESS
Property ownership
Feathering the nest Farm workers living in provided accommodation can’t withdraw their KiwiSaver funds to boost a deposit on a house. Phil Edmonds investigates the campaign to correct this anomaly and looks into what can be done to improve farm property ownership rates.
I
n case anyone needs reminding, it’s not only the young and urban-based who are being disadvantaged in their bid to get on the property ladder with house prices continuing to spiral to the sky. Ironically, also disadvantaged are those who might otherwise be considered protected from the predicament – those with jobs that have service tenancies (housing provided), of which many are working onfarm. It isn’t that those working onfarm are any worse off financially than people in town. However, those looking to buy a house to live in can withdraw their accumulated KiwiSaver to fund a deposit. Meanwhile, people living in accommodation provided as part of their job don’t have this option because they are unable to live in a house they buy. Federated Farmers are out to do something about this anomaly. First, before the why and how, a quick step-by-step on the rules as they stand. The KiwiSaver First Home Withdrawal scheme is designed to help first home buyers buy residential property. To be eligible for the KiwiSaver First Home Withdrawal Scheme you must be purchasing your first home, have been a member of KiwiSaver for a minimum of three years, have your KiwiSaver account with a KiwiSaver provider that allows saving withdrawals, and (frustratingly for farm workers), intend to live in the property for at least six months. So, what’s the basis of opposing the rule? Most significantly, it’s deemed to be unfair. Federated Farmers National Board Member Chris Lewis says those working on, and living in farm houses, simply don’t have the same opportunity to invest in the housing market. The rule also assumes that those working onfarm are going to be doing it forever. However, there’s just as much uncertainty in
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farming jobs as there is any other. There will be times where the job might end and you’ve got no fallback. In addition, part of the desire to buy a home is to reach a stage where you have a debt-free property to retire in. If people do have successful farm working careers with long-term service tenancies, they may well be behind when they retire, having not been able to buy a house as early as others, with the benefit of having access to KiwiSaver funds.
Legislative review required The Government position has always been that KiwiSaver is designed to assist first-home buyers who have modest incomes and provide an incentive for the development of affordable housing. To change this mandate will require a legislative review – the KiwiSaver Act 2006 and associated KiwiSaver regulations do not provide any ability to make individual exemptions to the rules. The need to change the legislation is a daunting starting point for any cause, but it shouldn’t be considered a lost one. The discrepancy was discussed by Federated Farmers at the end of last year and it resolved to work on a proposal to take to the Government. Encouragingly, Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor listened to these initial pleas and asked for more detail. With that in mind, Lewis says “Federated Farmers is looking at a process. Most people will appreciate there will be a long time to sort through fine print, put up a sensible proposal and for officials to review it – it might take years.”
Service tenancy rule not just a farming problem Ordinarily, this prospect of a wide ranging review might consign a campaign to the dustbin. However, there are external factors that could provide some encouragement. For a start, it isn’t just farm workers who are disadvantaged by the rule stating you must live in the home you use your KiwiSaver funds to help buy. Aaron Passey, chairperson of Federated
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Chris Lewis, Federated Farmers National Board Member.
“Federated Farmers is looking at a process. Most people will appreciate there will be a long time to sort through fine print, put up a sensible proposal and for officials to review it – it might take years.” Farmers sharemilkers section says, “The rule applies to anyone who has a service tenancy. This is likely to include school principals and teachers in rural schools and rural police officers.” It also might impact vets, and Department of Conservation workers living in remote locations. It will be a question of assessing the extent of the problem beyond farm workers and managers, sharemilkers and shepherds, and how those affected can be brought together to speak with a single voice. Engaging with other sectors will be important, and Federated Farmers have already acknowledged the benefit in not simply highlighting it as a farming problem. As for those other groups of workers on service tenancies, there’s some work to be done on raising awareness. While they may be equally disadvantaged, it doesn’t mean they have realised it yet. The New Zealand Veterinary Association has not, to date, been questioned on it by its members while
the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) and the Post-Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) both acknowledged it could impact their members (and would welcome engagement), though neither organisation had received any calls to investigate it. Even if the weight of a broad coalition of voices is not immediately apparent and able to unite with a compelling case, it might end up being wider dissatisfaction with the way the Government is enabling KiwiSaver funds as a policy tool to address both the housing shortage, and the difficulty for first home buyers getting on the ladder, that helps farmers in service tenancies.
Real estate, retirement advocates to the rescue They might not be everyone’s closest ally, but real estate firms have made calls over the past year for the Government to allow KiwiSaver withdrawals for investment properties as a way to boost home ownership. This logic has been advanced to assist those renting, for example in Auckland, who are unable to generate a deposit big enough to buy a house, but could do so to buy a cheaper property elsewhere. In theory, this would boost home ownership but would do little to fix the more pressing current conundrum – runaway house prices across the whole country – not just in Auckland. Another ally might be those advocating for retirees. Prior to Covid-19, then acting retirement commissioner Peter Cordtz told the Government it should make it easier for people to access KiwiSaver first-home withdrawals, suggesting it would improve home ownership and reduce taxpayer liability. This recommendation was made as a way of addressing declining rates of people owning their own homes. At the time, Cordtz noted that while there are around 12 percent of over 65s still renting, the basis for NZ Super payments assumes people are homeowners. The Commission for Financial Capability, which advises the Government on retirement income policy, acknowledges its mandate is not to manage New Zealand
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July 2021
house prices, but to help New Zealanders build up their assets. As part of that, it is likely to be at least an interested participant in a groundswell of interest in addressing the issue raised by farmers in service tenancies – particularly if the focus was on them being disadvantaged in making investments for retirement. More recently, there have been instances where people who have tried to be innovative in finding a solution to home ownership have been tripped up, and failed by the KiwiSaver withdrawal rules. These include those wanting to build tiny houses and possibly site them on leasehold or family land; those seeking a second chance at using their KiwiSaver funds for home ownership, after a previous relationship had ended with the sale of their house. Some economists have also suggested rules could be relaxed for those specifically wanting to build, as a means to help address the shortage of housing supply. So there clearly exists a range of potential collaborators even if their agendas are not necessarily aligned.
Farm ownership also out of reach For the farming community though, the anomaly in the KiwiSaver withdrawal rule is part of a bigger story of the ever-increasing difficulty of attaining farm ownership, not just home ownership. The inability to access KiwiSaver funds is the latest focal point among various attempts to help enable young farmers to make steps towards farm ownership. Opening up, or re-creating pathways to farm ownership has attracted political support in the recent past, without making noteworthy progress. In the previous coalition Government, NZ First was a champion, with its Otago-based MP Mark Patterson vocal in exploring policy settings that could help young people buy a farm without a family connection. During last year’s election campaign he advocated for Pamu Farms (previously Landcorp) to provide equity funding for selected young farmers, and enter a partnership, which would help farmers into sharemilking and allow them to build up capital. At the end of the NZ National Party’s last term of government, then Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy pitched for the sale of Landcorp farms to young people after a lease period of 5-10 years, which would have allowed them to build a business to the extent they would have been able to seek finance for a full farm purchase.
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July 2021
The ability to use their Kiwisaver to boost a house deposit should not be shut to those with supplied accomodation as part of their employment.
Both these bids have come to nothing, but the idea of tapping Pamu for help still resonates. Federated Farmers Dairy Industry Group vice-chairperson Richard McIntyre believes Pamu could play a role by retaining sharemilkers on their farms rather than employing managers, and in doing so continue to support the traditional transition pathway. Getting some traction with those in the hot seat now will be critical. At least Minister for Agriculture Damien O’Connor has acknowledged the problem. In the meantime, young farmers wanting to get on the farm ownership ladder will have to continue being as innovative as those wannabe homeowners identified above, in building a stake towards a deposit. Both Passey and McIntyre see this as essential. Passey says the gap between those who own farms and those who don’t is continuing to widen. Bridging
that gap is “all about being creative and thinking outside the square. It’s not really about managing, to lower order, to 50/50 sharemilking, to buying a farm. It’s not as easy as it was. It’s more likely to involve taking on multiple jobs, leasing farms or seeking equity partnerships.” Richard McIntyre says “You always had to have and will always need to have certain personality traits to buy a farm. You need to work hard and invest in other things – property being one of them. There’s no set model anymore. You’ve got to look for diverse opportunities, and this does loop back to the KiwiSaver issue.” Like everyone else, buying a property is more than just a house to live in, it’s part of investing in your future. • First published in NZ Dairy Exporter, April 2021.
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LIVESTOCK
ON FA R M
Careful attention to land use capability to utilise the best pockets of land, a tight rein on costs and a flexible farming system has proved a winning formula for Hawke’s Bay Farmer of the Year winners Andrew and Maddy McLean.
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n astute understanding of where they make their money, and the markets they operate in, has stood Wallingford sheep and beef farmers Andrew and Maddy McLean in good stead. Running a high performing business, with a lean cost structure, means the couple generate consistently high profits – but not at the expense of the environment. Andrew’s parents, Hamish and Janine, had the foresight to begin environmental initiatives on the farm early, as well as being forward thinking when it came to farm succession – giving the next generation an opportunity early. At just 33 years-old, Andrew and Maddy have been farming on their own account from a young age. Grabbing the chance with both hands, they have shown they have level heads on their shoulders, and the ability to work hard, as a team. The couple both work on the farm, and have two young children Olivia, 4, and Oscar, 2. Their average gross farm revenue (GFR) for 2019 and 2020 was $1398/ha and exceptionally low total farm working expenses, at just 33% of GFR, gives the business an impressive earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
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Maddy mustering some of the 2750 breeding ewes.
FARM FACTS • Andrew and Maddy McLean • Wallingford, Central Hawke’s Bay • Own 941ha. Lease 77ha and 18ha • Rainfall 900-1000mm • Wanstead clay loam hill soil and Atua silt loam hill soil • 2750 breeding ewes • 880 Hoggets (all mated) • Up to 5000 trade lambs bought and finished (dependent on season and money) • About 400 R2, mainly Friesian, bulls wintered WALLINGFORD 36
amortization (EBITDA) of $933/ha. Their lambing percentage sits at 133%, with 93% hogget lambing. A highlight is the cattle revenue, at $188/stock unit, driven by bull finishing. John Cannon, from Challenge Consultancy, provided the financial analysis for the day, as well as acting as MC. He praised the couple for their agile approach and smart use of land – understanding their classes of land and what classes of stock to run on it. “What I see here is patience, planning, and exceptional budget control.” Cannon suggested the couple could look forward to the future with high expectations. “They have a profitable business, and early farm succession completed. They have a long runway ahead of them in terms of their opportunity to grow capital.” Andrew grew up on a sheep and beef
in Hawke’s Bay while Maddy was raised on a dairy farm in the Waikato. Maddy’s background in land management at the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, prior to working on the farm, provides excellent knowledge on land use and environmental initiatives. The couple were given the opportunity to get in at a young age, by leasing the family farm off Hamish and Janine in 2015, when they were 27. They bought stock from Hamish and Janine, which allowed them to begin building equity. In 2020 they bought the farm at Bush Road from Andrew’s parents. As well, they lease 77 hectares at Lindsay Road in Waipukurau (which Hamish and Janine own and now live on) and in 2016 they began leasing the Eparaima block, also on Bush Road, under a nine-year lease agreement with Te Tumu Paeroa. Recently, they bought a neighbouring
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Andrew and Maddy McLean run a high performing business, with a lean cost structure, generating consistently high profits. The couple have made it top priority to protect all existing native bush on their farm and retire all permanent and intermittent streams on the farm over time.
property Bush Road (385ha) and sold the back title of the original farm at Bush Road (212ha), bringing their land total to 1036ha (950ha effective). The reason was to improve the scale and quality of land. It also enabled the couple to take on a full-time staff member with the addition of a second house. The goal is for Andrew to take a step back from day-to-day operations and spend more time on better farm decision-making. Hamish and Janine are still hugely involved in the business, and provide a valuable set of eyes on the ground every day at Lindsay Road. Andrew paid
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tribute to his parents at the field day. “We wouldn’t be standing up here if it wasn’t for them. A lot of what you see today is testament to their hard work.”
Flexible system gives options An open mind when it comes to stock policies, and a willingness to adapt their farming system according to the season and market challenges, are hallmarks of the McLean’s business. With roughly 60% of their business trading stock, Andrew and Maddy are not locked solely into capital stock, and have plenty of levers to pull in a tough season.
For example, on the back of a prolonged drought in Hawke’s Bay they opted not to buy trade lambs, as usual, last autumn. This set them up come spring to buy bulls earlier than normal and make up some of the shortfall from the lambs. With its heavy clay soils, the home farm is prone to erosion and pugging. As Andrew put it, everything moves. The couple try to work within the limitations of the farm and utilise LUC maps to identify pockets of better country, then prioritise it. To ensure soils are looked after, lambs are wintered on the better country (class
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Financials 3-year average Effective area 770ha 2018 to 2021 Stock units
Opening
Closing
Sheep
4303
4718
Cattle
1854
2256
6157
6975
8.0
9.1
Lamb Value $/hd
152
Wool Value $/kg
$1.86
Cattle Value $/hd
$1,738
Cattle Purchases $/hd Gross Income
$825 $
Sheep Sales
$980,248
Sheep Purchases
($405,636)
+/- Stk No. Value
$62,457
Wool Sales
$36,320
Gross Income Sheep
$673,389
Cattle Sales
$641,979
Cattle Purchases
($370,827)
+/- Stk No. Value
$104,004
Gross Income Cattle
$375,156
Crop Income (net) Other Farm Income Gross Income
$/ha
$0 $19,739 $1,068,284
$1,387
$
$/ha
Non farm Income Farm Expenses Wages
$25,870
$34
Animal health
$28,317
$39
Fodder Crop N Grass
$34,762
$39
Feed Grazing
$6,881
$0
Fertiliser
$75,022
$75
Freight
$25,786
$30
Shearing
$32,089
$26
Electricity
$5,959
$10
Weed & Pest
$1,570
$2
Other
$4,577
$1
R&M
$27,175
$27
Vehicles
$27,041
$31
Admin
$13,572
$22
Rates
$23,680
$32
Insurance ACC
$12,100
$20
Total Farm Exp
$344,400
$447
EBITDA
$723,884
$940
32% Return on Capital
6.5%
Development
$21,811
$28
Depreciation
$40,869
$53
Debt Serv
$6,434
$8
Rental
$191,592
$249
Wages for Mgt
$63,000
$82
Capital
$20,653
$27
Total
$344,359
$447
Surplus / (Deficit)
$379,525
$493
$
$/ha
Land
$9,650,000
$12,532
Stock
$1,185,434
$1540
Plant
$226,430
$294
Total
$11,061,864
$14,366
Asset Value
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3-4) before bulls are finished on it in spring, pre-Christmas, as soon as it’s dry enough. Breeding ewes never go anywhere near the better country, Andrew says. They are around the edges on the class six land. “We use what we see as the most profitable and productive classes of land for lambs and bulls, and the rest of the stock fit around the edges.” The two lease blocks, which are predominantly flat, compliment the main farm well and allow the couple to finish stock to high standards. Although flat, Eparaima also has heavy soils and they have an agreement with the owners to keep cattle off the block from May to September. It is used mostly to finish stock and to lift replacement ewe lambs. Bulls are finished there in spring. A goal is to buy more finishing country to intensively fatten stock, while reserving the hills to primarily store and breed more stock.
Above: Trees and plantings at Andrew and Maddy McLean’s farm in the Hawke’s Bay. The couple have made a commitment to protect and improve the freshwater on their property.
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The McLeans have an open mind when it comes to stock polices, and a willingness to adapt their farming system according to the season and market challenges.
Bull finishing a winner Key Performance Indicators for McLean Farming HB Ltd *Average 2019/2020
NET PRODUCT 2019-2020
$913
FEW as % GFI*
$281kg/ha
33%
EWE DOCKING*
133%
566
270
LAMBS BOUGHT
(HEAD)
July 2021
4899 (HEAD)
168
20 20
20 21
11.3 21
20
114%
6.7
HOGGET SCANNING*
20
SHEEP
20 19
(SU/HA)
$
$148
CLOSING SU
20
430,630
133%
20
CATTLE
$188
9.2
GFI/ labour unit
HOGGET LAMBING*
19
REVENUE/SU*
4143
*(AVERAGE 2019/2020)
EFFECTIVE AREA
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3-year average
20
$464/ha
506
$933
BULL MARGIN/HEAD
(HEAD)
20
FWE*
15.2%
CATTLE BOUGHT
19
EBITR*
Scanning to wean
20
$1398/ha
LAMB LOSSES*
20
GROSS FARM REVENUE*
Each year about 400 R2, mainly Friesian, bulls are wintered. Hill country is locked up for the bulls to winter on from May 1, which they are rotated around regularly in mobs of 50. In spring, once it is dry enough, they are split into mobs of 25 and finished on the best feed. They stay in these mobs of 25 until they go on the truck. Andrew never boxes up mobs. The McLeans start killing from November and all R2 cattle are killed before the end of January, with a target carcaseweight (CW) of 320kg. Mobs are monitored carefully through spring to ensure their 2kg/day weight gain target is on track. Their average CW for cattle killed in 2019 and 2020 was 321kg. Once the trade lambs have gone they start trucking bulls to Lindsay Road from September onwards, when the pasture covers are trending up. “When the grass starts growing we get them in there as quick as we can.” A mob of bulls is usually finished at Eparaima prior to Christmas too. “Growth rates and yields diminish after Christmas, and they (bulls) become a pain in the arse.” In the past, they have break fed cattle
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Maddy and Andrew with Olivia, 4, and Oscar, 2.
on crops through winter, but are moving away from that as Andrew believes it is not sustainable on their country. This year they have no winter crops in, instead setting aside more hill country blocks for the bulls. Replacements are purchased from September to mid-November, with an average buy-in weight of 270kg, at just under $2.90/kg. Some are up to weight and will be killed by June. Once they get through summer they may top up with further replacements from February to May, depending on the season and money. “We buy a percentage in spring, get through February and then reassess. We look at covers and decide how many we can take through winter. The last couple of years has cemented why we are running this system. It’s very tempting to buy more ewes, and it would be nice to have cows to make the farm look nice, but this flexibility we are really appreciating.” In terms of animal health, bulls receive a drench on arrival and in autumn, and get copper and selenium. In the past, twoyear-olds have been given a multi-mineral coming into spring.
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Sheep policy Finding the right balance between their trade lamb component, while not taking away from the breeding ewes, has been a challenge. The McLeans run a flock of 2750 breeding ewes (all on Bush Road), of which 1500 go to a Coopworth ram for replacements. The remainder go to a Suffolk ram. The mating date for terminals is March 5 and for mixed age, April 15. All hoggets are mated April 15 to a Wiltshire ram, with a minimum hogget weight of 42kg for mating. Up to 5000 trade lambs are bought and finished annually, depending on the season and money. All lambs are finished between Bush Road and Lindsay Road, with the goal to kill 1000 lambs off mum and a target of 20kg CW. Replacement ewe lambs go on to a rape crop in the first week of January for two months. The tension between the ewes and the trade lambs has been a struggle, Andrew admits. “We started buying (lambs) too early,
had them on too long and there was a worm burden. The genetic potential of these ewes has never been reached, in my opinion, they haven’t been in good enough condition going to the ram.” Lifting ewe performance has been a focus for the couple. This season they have prioritised getting ewes to better weights. Early and mixed age ewes averaged 71kg pre-mating this year. Questioned on the issue of drench resistance with the trade lambs, Andrew agrees it is a huge threat to the business. In accordance with best practice everything coming on has a drench and they have quarantine paddocks, but it is something he sees as an issue. “We’re trying to manage that by not
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Andrew’s parents, Hamish and Janine, who the couple bought the farm off, had great vision to begin protecting and enhancing the land early.
drenching our ewes, keeping condition on ewes is key. If they’re fat and healthy, that will be positive. Having bulls through the country the trade lambs are going on to in spring helps as well. Keeping condition on the ewes so we don’t have to drench them is something we are working on.” Andrew says he is not feed budgeting, but it is something he might look at. Questioned about the strategic use of nitrogen, Andrew does not believe it is right for them. “We only use it strategically on the brassicas. We have used it in the past when we wanted to concentrate on growing clover, and we just seemed to grow a heap of thistles. On this hill country I don’t think nitrogen is for us.”
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Experimenting with shedding sheep In keeping with their forward thinking approach to farming, the McLeans are exploring the genetics of shedding sheep to reduce costs and labour associated with shearing, crutching and dipping, and to improve the meat yield of their lambs. Shearing costs are about break-even, but that’s down to Andrew doing some shearing himself, and all the crutching, something he’s not keen to do forever. In November 2020 they bought five Kaahu White rams to put over their earlies this season. As well, they bought 60 capital stock Wiltshire ewes from the McMillan shedding sheep dispersal sale, which have been artificially inseminated with an Aussie
White ram semen. The idea is to get some of their own rams to breed from in the future. It’s early days, and the proof will be in the pudding. “The Kaahu White is a high yielding, meaty sheep and low cost. We see an opportunity there, so we’re experimenting with that,” Andrew explains. “The big question mark is the soundness of the sheep. We’ve got to see if they can handle these conditions. We’ve been putting a Wiltshire over our hoggets for five years and are pleased so far. In 10 years’ time we could have a shedding flock.”
• More p79.
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LIVESTOCK
Management
STOCKING RATE
LAMBING
BUY/SELL
Successful farming is all about timing BY: DR KEN GEENTY
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inter is the period when maintaining good ewe and cow body condition is paramount as is good feeding of young stock. Both should be prioritised with saved pasture, specialist crops or supplements. It becomes a balancing act to: • Effectively ration feed resources until spring growth kicks away • Keep breeding stock in good condition, just above mid-way of the body condition score scale, and avoid under or overfeeding to prevent metabolic disorders • Avoid bearings in ewes • Keep young stock growing If winter crops like swedes or kale are used, or supplementary feed, they ideally make up any shortfall with pasture due to seasonal supply.
Key issues being: • Stocking rates that have been a compromise between efficient feed usage and adequate animal performance
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• Timing of lambing, calving and buying/ selling of stock • Mix of stock classes that complement each-other • Optimum timing of winter grazing rotations in relation to pasture growth. As a top farmer once said: “successful farming is all about timing”. This rings very true in context of the above key points, particularly regarding matching of feed supply with animal demands.
Seasonal pasture growth The influence of seasonal climate on pasture growth is shown in Figs. 1 & 2. Overriding variables like contour, location and region precludes use of recipes meaning managers need to be flexible regarding their particular circumstances. Generally pasture supply varies less between years over winter than summer and autumn due mainly to more predictable winter rainfall. That is why breeding systems with ewes or cows are generally stable each winter. Flexibility in stock numbers is more applicable over summer and autumn.
GRAZE/GROWTH
Pasture production is dependent on soil fertility as well as climate as shown in fig. 1. More fertile soils give relatively better growth rates going into winter or dry conditions in early spring. Soil fertility not only influences pasture growth but importantly results in better nutritive value of feed.
Biologically efficient system The most biologically efficient farming system is one which maximises animal utilisation of pasture grown. The seasonal feed demand of breeding ewes shown in Fig. 2 better matches pasture production than that for breeding cows. Winter stock carrying capacity and lambing percentage mostly determine feed demand by ewes and lambs in spring. Higher lambing percentages better utilise spring growth for breeding ewes whereas cows and calves have feed demands which don’t match seasonal pasture growth so well due to relatively longer gestation and lactation periods. Sheep and lamb finishing systems have more uniform feed demand and are better suited to high fertility soils with greater productivity in winter and early spring. With breeding stock you can’t ‘bend’ feed demand to better match feed supply. Sometimes the most profitable farming systems are not necessarily the most biologically efficient. For example, a high proportion of finishing stock doesn’t cope as
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well with the spring surplus as do breeding ewes. Some ways of coping better with matching pasture supply and demand are: • Buying and selling stock at key times • Manipulating stock performance to match pasture growth • Conserving surplus feed as supplements to cope with deficits • Using animal body condition as a buffer • Purchasing feed supplements if deemed cost-effective • Manipulating winter stocking rate and calving and lambing dates • Using some paddocks for forage crops
The most biologically efficient farming system is one which maximises animal utilisation of pasture grown.
Fig. 1: Example pasture growth rate curve for a low fertility (Olsen P level less than 12) and a high fertility farm (Olsen P level greater than 20). Growth will vary depending on season and location.
Pasture growth (kg DM/ha/day)
These factors can alter feed demand more in line with seasonal pasture supply.
60 High fertility
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20 Low fertility
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Source: Guide to NZ cattle farming, B+LNZ
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Fig. 2: Pasture growth on easy North Island hillcountry and feed demand of ewe and cow breeding systems.
Growth Cow Ewe
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Pasture growth can also be manipulated by changing soil fertility as shown in Fig. 1. Regular fertiliser applications are a good investment with ongoing beneficial effects. Successful management is knowing which of the above options are profitable and which are not for your particular situation. Lateral thinking is often required for the best solution and to utilise as much of the pasture grown as possible. Optimum feeding of breeding ewes during winter and early spring is critical to avoid metabolic disorders such as pregnancy toxaemia or milk fever and to ensure good lambing performance and early lamb growth. If ewes hold good body condition during pregnancy it will mean an overall increase in liveweight 8-10kg to lambing, allowing for weight of foetus and body fluids. Maintenance feeding of ewes during winter at 1-2cm pasture length then increasing this 4-6 weeks before lambing to 2-3cm is ideal. Exercise of both ewes and cows during late pregnancy helps muscle tone and ease of lambing/calving. Cows on hill country generally get this but a conscious effort may be needed with ewes. There are major benefits from running beef cows on hill country farms because of their flexible feed demand which can be better aligned with the seasonal pasture growth curve. An additional benefit is their ability to assist in the management of pasture quality. They can play an important role on kikuyu pasture in Northland and with brown-top dominant swards elsewhere. An appreciation of the pasture growth curve on your farm is fundamental to management of your pasture-based system. If lambing or calving before the spring pasture flush of growth, animals are placed in a more competitive than complementary position with other livestock classes that may be able to utilise that same scarce feed. To seek guidance on seasonal pasture growth for your farm, google ‘District forecast – Farmax’.
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• Dr Ken Geenty is a primary industries consultant.
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LIVESTOCK
Breeding
AI popular with beef farmers The use of artificial insemination has increased in popularity with commercial beef and sheep farmers as a way to improve genetics. Sandra Taylor spoke to farmers around the country to find out more.
Whangara was using AI over 1100 cows over a three-day period in a beef progeny trial.
I
ncreasing numbers of commercial beef farmers are using artificial insemination (AI) as a tool to accelerate genetic progress in their herds, especially as bull prices continue to climb. Angus Gibb, a vet with Canterbury-based Xcell Breeding and Veterinary Services, says over the past five years, there has been a significant increase in the number of commercial breeders using AI, in line with an increase in the price of bulls. He says AI gives farmers the opportunity to use proven, high genetic merit bulls without the high capital outlay, while others are using AI as a way to get the genetics they want to breed their own bulls. He says there is a perception that AI is difficult in a commercial beef situation and
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while the process itself is straightforward, it does mean cows and calves need to be kept close-by for three yardings. Heifers are easy, says Angus, and in theory, they should be the best genetics on the farm. “But a big factor in the decision to use AI is the value people place on genetics.” AI conception rates average 60-70% in mixed-age cows and 50-60% in heifers. Angus says AI costs around $120/head and that price includes everything - the CIDRs, the semen and the insemination. Another advantage of AI is the tight calving pattern and some farmers are also using AI in a once-bred heifer programme, so retaining 50% of the heifers and their progeny and selling the balance prime. He says the vast majority of commercial
Whangara Farms general manager Richard Scholefield says they have been using AI for seven years and are sold on the practice.
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Left: Shepherd John Oliver at Whangara Station. Below: Over the past five years Xcell vet Angus Gibb has seen a significant increase in the number of commercial breeders using AI.
farmers using AI are running Hereford and Angus herds, but dairy cross heifers are particularly suited to AI with conception rates of 60-70%.
Whangara Station’s AI success Whangara Station near Gisborne has embraced the use of AI in a portion of their 2500 commercial Angus cows. General manager Richard Scholefield says they have been using AI in commercial cows for seven years and he is completely sold on the practice. “I was brought up thinking that the only people using AI were dairy farmers and stud breeders.” “Through AI, farmers can have access to some of the best genetics in the world and it’s definitely a viable option. “You can AI a lot of cows for $10,000 which is roughly the cost of a good bull.” At a strike rate of 50-60%, bulls are still needed, but it is a cost-effective way to significantly speed-up genetic gain. The cows need to be yarded three times for the AI procedure, but one of these yarding’s is calf-marking, so it is two extra yardings - but for Richard it is well-worth the effort. When they were part of Beef + Lamb New Zealand Genetics progeny trial, they were AIing up to 1100 cows over a three-day period. “If we can do it, anyone can.”
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Difference in the AI calves Last spring, the first lot of Hugh and Lucy Dampier-Crossley’s AI calves were born and they have since gone through another round of AI with 110 cows and 50 heifers. The first year they used AI, they inseminated 80 heifers and 70 cows. Hugh, who farms Koromiko, a 1200ha hill country farm in North Canterbury, says the cost of bulls was the biggest driver in their decision to AI a proportion of his Angus cow herd.
“You can AI a lot of cows for $10,000 which is roughly the cost of a good bull.” By using AI, they have been able to access the genetics they want and the technology gives them more control over the genetic direction of their herd. Hugh says what has surprised him most is the difference in the genetically superior AI calves. “The difference in the calves was much more than we expected it to be, right the way through from birth through to weaning. “I’m really stoked with the calves we’ve got.” He says the decision to AI more mixed-age
cows last summer was the better conception rate they got in the cows compared to the heifers the previous year. This was 65% compared to 45% in the heifers. “We just get more bang for our buck with the mixed-age cows.” Hugh says they have always run an A and B mob of cows, so naturally it was the A mob they went through when selecting the cows to AI. Although they are a commercial Angus herd, these cows, along with their progeny, are all recorded so Hugh is able to follow their on-going performance. He admits using AI does add an extra layer of complexity when it comes to mating, but he says he’s always enjoyed working with the cattle and is interested in the continued genetic improvement and performance of their herd. “You’ve really got to be interested in it as it is three trips through the yards.” He says while the heifers are obviously a lot easier to deal with as they don’t have calves at foot, the extra work involved with the mixed-age cows is rewarded with superior conception rates. From a practical viewpoint, Hugh says you do need to have feed available around the yards so the cows and calves are able to be kept close by during the AI process. But from his perspective, it is well worth the extra effort.
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“SPRAYFO SOLVED OUR ABOMASAL BLOAT ISSUES STRAIGHT AWAY.” Lynley Wyeth rears 350-500 lambs annually. In her first few years she had consistent trouble with abomasal bloat. Yoghurtising milk was sometimes successful, but not always. Another challenge was weaning lambs from milk onto concentrates.
Ad-lib feeding with Sprayfo.
Searching for a solution, Lynley came across AgriVantage’s Sprayfo Primo Lamb in 2013. Roll onto 2021 and Lynley remains a firm Sprayfo and AgriVantage advocate. In addition to Sprayfo, her rearing toolbox includes Launchpad18 colostrum, Biopect prebiotic and Stalosan F biosecurity aid.
“Sprayfo is easy to mix manually and easy to clean” she explains. “It goes through the automatic feeders easily and is easy to clean out too. There’s no blocking of tubes; even if a tube doesn’t get sucked, the milk doesn’t solidify in the tube.”
Lynley and her husband Matt own Spring Valley Enterprises near Masterton. 80 per cent sheep and 20 percent Angus breeding cattle, they run 15,000 stock units. The orphan lambs are a collection of triplets, quads, quins, any that are mismothered or have lost their mothers, plus those affected by severe weather.
Lynley concludes with a comment that support AgriVantage’s support has been invaluable to their operation.
For Lynley, Sprayfo Primo Lamb was a game changer.
Choose Sprayfo Primo Lamb this season. Ask your reseller for the pink bags or call AgriVantage on 0508 64 55 76.
“Switching to Sprayfo solved our abomasal bloat issues straight away” she says. “I haven’t lost a single lamb to bloat since we started using it. There was also a considerable drop in nutritional scours cases and weight gain was more consistent and higher than before.”
Once Lynley is happy that a lamb is thriving, it moves into the rearing shed and an automatic feeding system. Ad-lib feeding was only introduced a couple of years ago, prior to that they used calf feeders adapted for lambs. Lynley notes that Sprayfo Primo Lamb has worked well with both systems.
“AgriVantage had huge input into our shed setup and constantly feed us good information, tips and tricks… If I have a question about rearing, I only have to pick up the phone and call AgriVantage.”
Lynely notes the lambs gain 200-220g/day on average pre-weaning. She adds that transitioning the lambs onto a pellet became so much easier too. That’s because Sprayfo Primo Lamb helps to enhance rumen development - being whey-based and quickly digested, the animals seek out concentrates sooner. The orphan lambs initially come into nursery pens where they are closely monitored. Most are fed Launchpad18 colostrum on arrival, followed by Sprayfo Primo Lamb supplemented with Biopect for days 2, 3 and 4.
Lynley in the nursery pen with 2-day-old lambs.
“Launchpad18 is the one product that’s more consistent with ewe’s colostrum” Lynley says. “It mixes well and goes through the feeder easily, despite being quite thick. “It’s cost-effective too. One feed delivers the right amount of immunity to the lambs and they transition straight onto Sprayfo; there is no need to do half and half feeds (which saves on labour). “Biopect sits well as a preventative” continues Lynley, “it’s great for perking up any lethargic lambs.” Biopect prebiotic promotes a healthy gut and immune system. Stalosan F is spread regularly in the nursery pens. “One of the key advantages with Stalosan F is its ability to absorb moisture. Plus, a little goes a long way” says Lynley.
Spring Valley Lambs are weaned off Sprayfo at 6-8 weeks old, weighing at least 15kg.
0800 64 55 76 www.agrivantage.co.nz 46
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›› Continues from p45 AI in Wagyu once-bred heifer programme Central Canterbury farmers Dan and Gee Harper use AI across their Red Wagyu finishing heifers to increase the per hectare return on their Wagyu beef herd. The Wagyus arrive on Valehead, their 319ha finishing farm at Hororata as 90kg calves and are not sold prime until they are three years old, (after they have spent 70 days on a feedlot to get the white fat the market requires). The couple run a mix of red and black Wagyu and while the red Wagyu generally have higher growth rates, the black Wagyu have better meat quality and carcase characteristics. Because these cattle are on the farm for such an extended period of time, AIing the heifers (they use Wagyu genetics) and then selling them as once-bred prime heifers generates extra income during that time. Dan says 160 heifers were inseminated on November 30 last year, weighing an average of around 350kg LW. The AI programme was followed up with a low-weight Angus bull and the resulting scanning showed a very pleasing 98.5% conception rate. This was the first time they had used AI and Dan admits they didn’t know much about the process. “But if we can get a $600-$700 calf out of the heifers and not affect meat quality it is well worth doing.” They fed the heifers very well in spring in the lead-up to mating and while bringing them into the yards for the placement of CIDRs was a hassle, Dan says it was a simple and straightforward job that was finished within two hours. “The whole process worked really well,” says Dan. XCell did the AI and Southern Stations (Wagyu beef company) helped source the Wagyu genetics they used. The AI programme means they will have a very tight and early calving with 70-80% of the calves likely to be born within two weeks. This is a departure from the standard heifer mating programme on Quartz Hill, the family’s breeding property, which is typically drawn out. Dan says it could be a challenge identifying the Wagyu calves from the Angus calves at calving, but they will use DNA if necessary. Dan says he has been very pleased with how well the heifer mating programme has gone and for him, the use of AI is a “no-
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Angus Gibb teaching Lanercost’s farm manager Digby Heard how to AI ewes.
brainer”, particularly as the cost of bulls has increased so much. This factor alone makes AI a very cost-effective alternative.
AI trial run on B+LNZ’s Future Farm Artificial breeding will play a role in accelerating the transition of a proportion of Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s commercial ewe flock to a low methane emitting flock. This work is being carried out on B+LNZ’s Future Farm Lanercost, a 1310ha hill country farm in North Canterbury. B+LNZ’s general manager farming excellence Dan Brier, says next breeding season, the management team on Lanercost will be artificially inseminating ewes to speed up the transition to a low methane flock, demonstrating the feasibility, or otherwise, of using artificial breeding technologies in a commercial flock. “Lanercost will be a good testing ground for artificial breeding technologies such as artificial insemination and will hopefully give commercial farmers the confidence to invest in them if they are wanting to change the genetic profile of their flock,” says Dan. He says while the focus on Lanercost is transitioning to a low methane flock, artificial breeding could be used to speed the genetic gain in any number of heritable traits. “With consumer pressure increasing all the time, farmers need tools to be able to use high merit rams over a bigger proportion of their flock while keeping a lid on costs. For some farmers it might be finer wool but for others it could be health traits like facial eczema. “
This year, a team from Canterbury-based Xcell Breeding Services trained Lanercost’s farm manager Digby Heard to artificially inseminate 100 ewes, using semen collected from Lanercost’s existing ram flock. In what was a “dummy run”, the selected ewes had heat synchronising CIDRs inserted 14 days before insemination took place. The ewes come into estrus 24 to 48 hours after removal and AI takes place 12-24 hours after that. Ideally the ewes should be inseminated before they ovulate. Dan says thanks to the training, Digby is now able to synchronise the ewes, collect the semen from the rams, spin it into straws and inseminate the ewes. Xcell vet Angus Gibb says it is more common to insert the semen through the ewes’ belly using a laparoscope. This allows the use of frozen semen placed directly into the uterus and increases the conception rate to 60%-70% compared to the 50%-60% when inseminating into the ewes’ vagina. Around half as much semen is used when using a laparoscope, which is another advantage of this method. However, the advantage of vaginal insemination is that a vet is not required and staff can be trained to carry out this non-invasive procedure. There is no need to freeze the semen and one ram can be used over multiple days and multiple mobs of ewes. When inseminating through the vagina, the semen must be placed at the base of the cervix, which is unlike a cow. It does take a bit of practice to get it right, hence the trial run on Lanercost this year.
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LIVESTOCK
COVER STORY
BLACK TO BASICS Mananui Station near Ormondville, Hawke’s Bay, have achieved great results with Romney ewes and Angus cows. Russell Priest reports. Photos by Brad Hanson.
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ananui Station manager David Black has adopted the philosophy of keeping management simple but doing the basics well. It suits an environment bordering on summer dry and with soils which can pug badly in the winter. “I run a simple management system that suits the terrain, soil-type and weather.” And he doesn’t take any shortcuts. The station’s mixed-age ewes still manage to achieve a creditable lambing percentage ranging from 142% to 150% (ewes to ram/lambs sold) with 30% of the lambs killed as milk lambs at 17-19kg. The 250 Angus females put to the bull last year which included 45 R2 heifers weaned 232 calves (93%) with 250kg being the average weaning weight of the steer calves. Mananui Station (1150ha – 1050ha effective) is located near Ormondville in southern Hawkes Bay, 22km northeast of Dannevirke. Owned by the Holden family since 1885, it has only ever been run by managers. The present manager David Black and his wife Lidewij have been on the station for 13 years and have three children Haley (15), Lydia (13) and Cody (8). The station is well served by a laneway connecting woolsheds at either end of the farm which significantly reduces stock movement time. Predominantly west facing with mainly sandstone soils, Mananui is prone to drought. It can strike as early
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as October if the westerly winds and lack of rain prevail. Last summer’s drought was particularly severe with its effects still being felt in stock performance today. It also suffers badly from sheet erosion. “You’ve just got to accept slipping is part of the farm and you can’t do much about the scars.” A high percentage of the annual rainfall of 1100mm falls in the winter, exacerbating the problem. Slipping usually destroys fences so opportunities to subdivide are limited. The average size of hill paddocks is about 30ha while those flats adjacent to the river are 7ha-8ha. About 60-70ha of the station can be cropped, 130ha are rolling and the balance is medium-to-steep hill country.
Cold conditions affect growth rates The Dannevirke area is notable for its low daily temperature compared with its surrounding districts. David believes the cold conditions affect the growth rate of young stock. The 5500 Romney ewe flock produces about 8000 lambs. About 30% of the ewe flock is mated to terminal sires so as many lambs and cull ewes are sold as possible before the summer dry. He can capture the growth and other benefits of hybrid vigour as well as early-season price premiums and maximise the returns particularly from the crossbred ewe lambs. Achieving a good lambing percentage in the Romney breeding flock thereby generating enough ewe
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Lidewij and David Black.
FARM FACTS • 1150ha, 1050ha effective • Sheep and beef breeding, some lamb finishing. • Simple management system with no shortcuts. • 146% lambing and 93% calving. • 30% of the lambs killed as milk lambs, 17-19kg • 5500 Romney ewe flock and 250 Angus cows • 10,500su (June 30) at 10su/ha • Strategy of selling as many lambs and cull ewes as possible before the summer dry.
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replacements is pivotal in being able to mate such a high percentage of ewes to terminal sires. Ewes mated to terminal sires (mainly Southdowns) on March 25 include all fiveyear ewes and any ewes not suitable for breeding replacements. Rams are out for three cycles. Groups of Romney rams are progressively mated to two-tooth, fourtooth and MA Romney ewes in their age groups starting on April 5 to April 15. Staggering mating dates spreads the workload in spring, a busy time of the year. It also lessens the risk of losing a large number of lambs as the result of a major weather event. Hogget mating generates an extra 300400 lambs. The cut-off weight is 43kg with 500-550 put to Southdown rams for a cycle. Ewes are wintered in their mating groups (about 1400) in short 30-day rotations. David’s finds this delivers the best results in minimising the number of tail-end ewes. After mating, ewes are tightened up to reduce the incidence of bearings at lambing and to conserve feed after shearing in late May/early June.
“We used to have up to 30 ewes a day getting cast before we started shearing twice a year.” Scanning follows shearing with dry ewes and those bearing singles, twins and triplets identified. Ewes carrying singles are lambed on steeper, exposed country. Triplet ewes are wintered and lambed separately from the others. They always deliver over a 200% lambing but weaning weights are often disappointing. Bearings can also be a problem. “If we had more finishing country I believe I could achieve significantly better results with them.”
Breeding and feeding Towards the end of July, David starts evening out the feed covers across the lambing paddocks which also helps to reduce the incidence of bearings resulting from the ewes getting a sudden surge of feed. Set stocking for lambing occurs 3-4 weeks before lambing begins to enable the ewes to become familiar with their lambing paddocks and select their lambing sites. “We don’t do a lambing beat per say but we do travel through lambing paddocks
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Mananui mixed aged ewes.
with tracks in them and pick up the odd cast or dead ewe.” He says Bionic drench capsules to all females before lambing significantly reduces the incidence of dags. It also ensures weaning weights of most ewes are similar to their tupping weights. Weaned in the last week of November, terminal lambs are divided into three weight groups using an auto weigher. The heaviest mob representing a little over 50% of the
lambs is killed, the middle mob is sold store and the lightest mob retained for finishing. Where possible, the five-year ewes are killed at the same time to capture the early season premium. Mananui’s predominantly sandstone soils are particularly hard on teeth hence ewes do not generally last longer than five-year olds. David keeps a close eye on the lamb market to determine where and when best to sell the lambs. Most store lambs are sold
onfarm in weight ranges. “This system appeals to buyers because it offers them mobs with tight weight ranges.” Although David’s very capable of drafting by eye, the auto weigher takes the guesswork out of it. Weaning of the Romney lambs occurs around Christmas time with the same weighing and selling strategy used for the male lambs as is used with the terminal lambs. About 30% of the male lambs are killed off mum between 17-19kg while the second heaviest weight range group are usually sold store early in the New Year before shearing. Lambs get drenched at weaning and every 28 days thereafter with a triple drench. From the end of April through to hogget shearing this 28-day drench period is extended to 40 days.
Resisting drench resistance
Angus herd sire.
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David is careful to follow best practice which includes quarantine drenching the stock that are brought on to the farm (rams and bulls). Drench resistance hasn’t been identified on Mananui. All ewes and remaining lambs are shorn in early January. By the end of the month,
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Mananui has two woolsheds at either end of the station.
75% of the male lambs are sold. Ewe lambs receive preferential treatment over the summer. In March they are divided into three weight groups with the lightest group going onto a crop of Spitfire rape to accelerate their growth rate. Ewe lambs are culled whenever they pass through the yards. David selects mainly on size while culling anything unsound (bad feet, jaw problems, black spots in wool, ill-thrift) or not of a uniform type. A line of sound cull ewe lambs is sold for breeding in July. Ewes are culled after shearing with all females having their udders and teeth checked. Ewes with obvious faults go into the B flock or are killed. They keep culling simple but at the same time do a thorough job. I’m pretty fussy about feet as it can become a big problem with our muddy winters if they are not sound.” Over summer ewes are block grazed in three groups but mobbed up for mating. Any ewes that can’t maintain their condition over summer are culled. David believes strongly in maintaining
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condition on breeding females, one of the reasons he capsules all his ewes and hoggets before lambing. “I’m not into stripping weight off breeding stock because I believe it is much more efficient to maintain bodyweight than it is to take it off then have to replace it in time for mating.” Mananui Station has won the Tararua Golden Fleece award more than once in recent years. The 39,000kg of 38 micron wool yields between 76%-80% (depending upon the rainfall) and is 21,000kg less because many sheep are sold woolly. For the past 13 years the Romney rams have been bought from the Glenhope stud at Puketitiri. In the past two years half of them have been supplied by the Pahiwi stud at Waipukurau. David looks for a particular type of Romney when selecting the rams; medium framed with well-sprung ribs, a wide hind end and a strong (broad muzzle) open-faced head. All rams must be twins and have good feet. “I like the Romney breed and find it to be a good performer with a strong constitution
which suits the environment at Mananui.” Terminal sires were once Suffolks and Suftex however David is in the process of changing to Southdowns and sources these from Stephen Baker at Omakere. Early growth breeding values are the only figures David is interested in when selecting these rams.
Pasture groomers The Angus cow herd used to number 300 but was reduced. “Last year’s drought left us absolutely skint on feed and the calves this year are not as good as usual.” When there is a surplus, David sells older in-calf cows but concedes these are often some of the best cows in the herd. He’s a strong advocate for the Angus cow, its ability to perform on hill country, quiet temperament and low maintenance. “We would be lost without them at Mananui for pasture grooming.” Bull-out dates (November 20 for yearling heifers and end November for MA cows) are set to ensure maximum “eating power” is available when the spring flush arrives. Cows are single-sire mated in mobs of 30-
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35 with bulls being rotated around the mobs after one cycle. Two mobs are amalgamated with one bull for the third cycle. There are few late calving cows with most getting in calf within two cycles. Calving for the MA cow and heifers is about 95% and 83% respectively. Cows and calves are set stocked over the summer among the lambs. Weaning occurs mid-April when most of the steer calves except the tail end are sold on the place. Poor calves are left on their mothers at weaning to identify and cull underperforming cows. The bottom 25% of the heifer calves are sold at weaning with another cull in June before the balance (about 65) go onto regrowth Spitfire rape. If the ground is not too wet, they are strip grazed supplemented with hay however if it is too wet block grazing is used. Calves receive their first drench at weaning (an avermectin levamisole combo) and every six weeks thereafter through the winter. The final heifer cull is October 1 with 330kg the cut-off. Only a handful don’t make the cut. At mating, the selected heifers will average close to 400kg. Because of the farm’s tendency to pug badly over the winter the cows are set stocked in the paddocks used for ewe wintering. Rotating through these paddocks the ewes get the higher quality feed while the cows are forced to eat the roughage. About 100ha of easier country is shut up in the late autumn for calving and lightly grazed by hoggets over the winter. Before calving, MA cows and heifers receive a lice pour-on and a selenium injection. A close eye is kept on the in-calf heifers over the winter for signs of internal parasites. Calving of R2 heifers occurs behind a hot wire under close surveillance with heifers and calves being shed onto ad lib grass when the calves are mobile enough. On average several heifers require assistance with few calves and no heifers lost at birth. The MA cows are set stocked for calving in paddocks with lambing hoggets. When feed starts to come away in mid-to-late October in the ewe lambing paddocks the ewes and lambs are joined by cows and calves in spite of the feed being quite short. Mananui sources its bulls from the Mt Marble and Dandaleith studs. David looks for sound, medium-framed animals with
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Left: David and Lidewij Black at Mananui farm entrance. The station began in 1895. Below: Two Angus cows in profile.
well-sprung ribs, (a thick barrel) plenty of meat and a broad hind end. He makes limited use of indexes but likes to buy bulls with lower birthweight EBVs and good 200 and 400-day weight EBVs. He selects the animals he likes first before referring to the figures. For David the bull price should reflect the price of weaners.
Feeding the soils Fertiliser is a vital production component on Mananui. The annual maintenance dressing of 200kg/ha of a blend of DAP, Amsulf and elemental sulphur is strategically applied in August to promote early spring growth for early-lambing ewes. Soil Olsen P levels average 25 for the flats and 16 for the hills
while pHs sit at between 5.7- 5-8. “We haven’t put lime on for seven or eight years and it’s time we did.” This goes on at 2t/ha with a truck wherever possible and 1t/ha with the plane. Sulphur levels are difficult to maintain on these sedimentary soils hence the importance of this element in its two forms in the maintenance fertiliser blend. Body weights of the bottom end of the ewe lambs are lifted significantly by feeding them over the summer on 15ha of rape sown annually in the spring. In the autumn this is shut up and given a dressing of nitrogen producing regrowth of about 4t/ ha which is used to get the R1 heifers up to mating weight.
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LIVESTOCK
Restrictions
James Hoban’s dogs Mo and Blue in kale during February.
Defend winter grazing James Hoban outlines how the National Environmental Standards will affect winter grazing rules.
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inter grazing rules announced by the Government in 2020 created fear and frustration in the farming community. They were said to be heavy handed and impractical. There was a strong backlash from industry groups and after much debate, the implementation of the rules was delayed until May 2022. Viewing this delay as a reprieve would be a mistake. It is not an opportunity to carry on unmonitored with heads in the sand for a year. Instead, it is an opportunity to make sure wintering practices are defendable in the face of public scrutiny. Some regional councils have already used aerial surveys to assess wintering
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practices and it appears likely that this will be a growing trend. Various non-farming groups have claimed an interest in how farmers manage winter grazing and they will inevitably keep pressure on regulators. Despite the newest rules being delayed, farmers across the country will be watched carefully in 2021. Interestingly, both Beef + Lamb New Zealand and Federated Farmers have publicly told attendees at industry events that as well as ensuring their own house is in order, they should report any unacceptable wintering they see, to an industry group. The industry’s line is that it will only take a few to let a whole sector down. Widespread, good management will help solidify the pro-farming lobbyist’s case that
draconian rules are not required. Farmers have this winter to show they can be trusted to manage intensive grazing without heavy handed regulation. Failure to do that will see the strictest rules become law while success offers a slim hope that sector groups may be in a strong enough position to achieve some further changes. There are two areas of regulations that farmers should have a watchful eye on. One of those is the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management which will take several years to develop and will include opportunity for community involvement. It will help decide regional policy. The more pressing set of rules from Wellington is the National Environmental Standards (NES) – these were announced in 2020 and mostly came into force last
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September. The delayed winter grazing rules are part of this. When Environment Canterbury (ECAN) drafted Plan Change 5 to its Land and Water Plan, council staff stated publicly that the intention behind consent conditions around winter feed was to ensure the most intensive 10-15% of situations were captured by the consenting regime. This was on the basis that the most intensive farms largely posed the biggest environmental risk, if some of their activities were not carefully managed. So 10-15% of farmers needed resource consent because their intensity was reasonably drastic but the logic was clear.
“The NES winter grazing rules will see a large percentage of farmers needing resource consents for winter feed.” What ECan unfortunately, and to be charitable let’s assume unwittingly, wrote was a rule that could have seen over half of farmers needing resource consents just to continue operating. The backlash and lengthy submission and hearing processes influenced hearing commissioners and the council actually agreed with key parts of the submissions. This helped turn blunt, sledgehammer policy into something more in line with what the planners had actually wanted to achieve. Unfortunately what has come out of Wellington in the NES trumps all of this and renders most of the time spent by farmers and community members engaging with ECan as lost hours.
Resource consents The NES winter grazing rules will see a large percentage of farmers needing resource consents for winter feed. Resource Consents are a tool available to regulators to ensure people having a significant environmental impact have to jump through a suitably high hoop to get permission and then live under a set of conditions that help manage the impact. There is a lot of time and energy involved in applying for, processing and monitoring consents. Most consent applications are complicated enough that farmers use consultants for the application process. This
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The National Environmental Standards are one of two areas of regulation that farmers should have a watchful eye on.
inevitably adds at least several thousand dollars in consulting fees to the processing cost. Councils have occasionally mumbled publicly about streamlined, faster, smoother, cheaper consenting processes that could help when blunt rules require large numbers of consents for quite simple activities. This has been a placatory idea floated around the time of controversial new rules, such as the winter grazing rules, but in practice is yet to happen. The intricacies of the process for applying are unknown and the cost can only be assumed to be similar to what consents cost now, in the absence of any clearer information. Unless the rules change between now and May 2022, then anyone who triggers any of the following criteria will need resource consents for their winter feed. • Expanding the area of winter feed beyond what was grown on farm between 2014 and 2019. • Growing either 50ha or more than 10 percent of the farm in winter forage crops.
• Redrilling winter feed paddocks later than October 1 in most regions and November 1 in Southland and Otago. • Growing winter feed in paddocks with a mean slope greater than 10 degrees. • Not achieving a 5m setback buffer between winter feed crops and waterways. • Unacceptable pugging which is defined as pugging 20cm deep (this can be one footprint) or pugging that covers more than 50% of the paddock. Farmers have very quickly spotted the practical challenges, which Wellington experts appear not to have grasped before publicly releasing the conditions above. In fairness to regional councils, they are not excited about the practicalities of assessing slope and measuring hoof prints either. They are also grappling with a potential mass consent processing spree. It is hard to find supporters for the details in these rules outside of Wellington, regardless of whether they are on the farming or regulatory side of the fence. None of that changes the risks associated with winter grazing and the tools available
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to manage these. No farmer wants to make a mess in winter. All farmers have seen it happen.
Have back-up plans
Crops such as kale that are used for winter grazing will be affected by the National Environmental Standards.
With this in mind, the following winter grazing tips are worth consideration: • Have a plan A, B and C, as a minimum, for every paddock that is growing winter feed crops. Wet winters happen and it is important to be able to implement a plan when they do. Higher risk paddocks should be grazed when there is a period of settled weather. Factor in allowance for poorer utilisation, extra supplement, standoff areas and potentially taking the crop to stock where these can help mitigate mess. • In 2021 these plans really should be committed to paper and shared with everyone who will be involved in carrying them out – whoever shifts the break or feeds out needs to know the plan. • Consider critical source areas such as low points in paddocks and streams near crops. These should be considered as
early as crop establishment. Buffer strips of rank grass can be effective at slowing runoff and catching nutrients and sediment before they enter streams. • Use the support available. MPI, B+LNZ and DairyNZ all have freely available templates for creating winter feed management plans. • Considered grazing direction and break placements helps reduce the amount of runoff and sediment lost from paddocks. The more vegetation that is between the animals and a stream, for as long as possible, the better. So, working towards streams is best, rather than grazing stream sides first or working away from them. Working downhill is better than moving across a slope or from the bottom up. • Paddock selection is key. If a particular paddock creates risks that would not be defendable on the front page of the paper, then is it the right paddock to plant winter feed in? Consider location of waterways, access, ability to graze away from streams, slope, shelter and stock water.
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AgResearch trials at Te Waikite Valley, 2000, Mike O’Conner and Martin Hawke
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summitsalt.co.nz Country-Wide July 2021
LIVESTOCK
Stock check
coded to animal health? That is a variable that is often not accounted for. Dog costs, breeding costs and ear tags are examples of what can be in or out of animal health. They will be there as separate entities or captured under another code. My approach when looking at animal health costs is to go through the product inputs. Are these necessary and are the most cost-effective products being used? These discussions inevitably move into management, sustainability and even genetics. Often I observe the source of the products has been tested as an opportunity to spend less. Bulk buying, forward ordering, single outlet commitment or just shopping around are in that mix. I am surprised how little room there is to make gains. It is a very competitive market. Having a planned and justified product input is where a lot of gain can be made in many farming businesses.
Where the profit lies BY: TREVOR COOK
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he gap in my work from not going overseas has left room for new farming businesses to work with. I always enjoy looking at new farms, the people and structures behind them. When asked to engage with a new farming business I always have some nervousness before arriving. Seldom does the request for me to go come surrounded by what outcome is expected. It is up to me to find that out. I could do that before I go, but when trying that in the past I have found too often it did not really reflect the real reasons. Since some of those reasons can be quite personal, face to face discussion is always best. Not surprisingly, the overriding expectation for new clients is to be more profitable. But almost always that is presented as a production issue. Often, it’s a very specific production issue. Of course production and profit are well linked, but it is too simplistic to think that just increasing production will drive more profit. Where that increase in production comes from, the cost of achieving it, the overall impact of a rise in one area impacting on another and the bigger environmental effect. Which means that increasing production to drive more profit has to be well-teased out. Topics that arise when going through the
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Sustainability
teasing out process are amazingly common. Admittedly some of those topics come from me because I see that they need to. In sheep breeding systems pre-winter ewe lamb weight and body condition score, and late pregnancy feeding are almost always where there are limitations. Or more positively, where the opportunities are. In beef breeding systems it is very often around when pregnant cows need to be fed. Body condition score is often a limitation but given how cows are used as a working stock class, focusing on key feeding targets is more important. In finishing systems it is growth rates and in most cases reasons for that are not apparent.
Topics discussed
Also inevitably, there will be discussion about the challenges to farming. Often after a tirade about the unfair nature of some of the threats, a more rational discussion about those issues can be had. Sustainability is a concept accepted by most farmers, but often with frustration. I do have some sympathy for them. How do we maintain a sustainable world, that “we” being a universal “we”? We can act here but the actions of others elsewhere in the world can totally nullify our actions. Methane must come into that category. However, we cannot forever blame others and not continue to act in both local and international interests. The almost dream images of our products fetching lofty prices because we are doing things to save the world is the proposed reward for the cost of being their saviours. Given the struggle that wool has had to be sold as a premium product, a product that has none of the environmental and food tags that meat has had to deal with, suggests that big rewards are probably not as accessible as the urban elite think that they are. Nevertheless, there are exporters who are paying a premium for meat and wool based on good environmental stewardship, that includes some of the unpalatable stuff. In the end, markets will drive change more positively than regulation.
“Having a planned and justified product input is where a lot of gain can be made in many farming businesses.”
Policy discussions often come from that first visit, but the biggest opportunity is always to make the policies deliver more. Similarly the genetic make up of the breeding stock invariably comes up, that is a long term topic. Animal health is always a topic discussed. The most common reason for it raised by the farmer is because animal health costs are seen to be too high. This can be a big discussion because there are so many parts to it. For a start, in the farm accounts what has been
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DEER
Emissions
Few options to reduce emissions Environmental concerns were front of mind at the Deer Industry NZ conference held recently in Invercargill. Lynda Gray reports.
F
orewarned is forearmed was a repeated message around the frequently mentioned topic of impending environmental regulations at the recent DINZ conference. Fresh water regulation was all the talk about five years ago (and still is), and ready to go in 2025 will be an accounting and reporting system for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Beyond that there’s developing policy around the protection of native plantings and biodiversity on pastoral land, with new rules and regulation around animal welfare always in the wings.
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These mostly environment-based issues being driven at a local and global level were bringing about a “transformational change” in NZ agriculture, Blake Holgate, Rabobank, said in an opening address. While the cut and thrust of these directives was along the line of reducing and mitigating degradation of the environment, the details on exactly how to go about it were vague. But that hadn’t stopped legislators and policy makers forging ahead with deadlines and targets for farmers to meet. It was a frustrating situation but waiting for clarity was a futile exercise, Holgate said.
“I started working for the bank eight years ago advising them in the freshwater space and I don’t think we’re any closer to certainty in freshwater than we were then, I suspect that in eight years we won’t be a lot closer...” His advice was to start data measuring and recording for GHG emissions. “There’s no harm in assessing from an (environmental) risk perspective where you stand so that you can move and know what levers to pull when you need to.” He said that farmers put their business at greater risk by sitting back and doing nothing.
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Know your GHG number To ‘know your (GHG) number’ was pushed by Lindsay Fung, DINZ science manager. The catchy tag line is being pushed by He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN), of which Fung is a deer industry representative member. HWEN’s target is to have 100% of farmers with a farm GHG number by the end of 2022. “For us it’s the most pressing deliverable… whether we’ll get there is another matter.” He talked about HWEN’s progress to date in measuring GHG emissions on deer farms. Fung overviewed the results of an exercise on a Southland deer farm using three tools: Farmax, a Ministry for the Environment Excel worksheet/template, and OverseerFM. The three-way comparison resulted in a 2340kg/ha difference between the lowest total (MfE) and highest amount (OverseerFM). He suspects the variation was due to operator error. Since then, AgFirst has measured GHG emissions and carbon sequestration on four deer farms comprising different systems and land types. One of the North Island farms, an 8.7su/ha East Coast flat to steep breeding and finishing system, offset 60% of the estimated 1920 t/CO2-e. At the other end of the spectrum was a South Island high country breeding and finishing system running 3su/ha. It managed to offset about 7% of its 5035 t/CO2-e and had little scope to offset more through tree planting.
DINZ science manager Lindsay Fung.
SEPARATE SYSTEM Agriculture is not included in the Emissions Trading Scheme. Instead, He Waka Eke Noa was established in 2019 to develop a separate system for measuring and reducing GHG emissions from farms. It’s an ag sector group of 13 partner organisations including DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, Federated Farmers,
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The analysis looked at alterations to the farm systems such as changing livestock category ratios, crop type and bought in feed sources which might reduce emissions. Few did and many were impractical for some of the systems. Fung concluded that with present technology there were very few options for reducing emissions, and the only way was to produce more velvet and venison from less. “In other words, it’s about increasing efficiency and reducing wastage which is not a new message to deer farmers.” That was cold comfort news to farmers in the room such as Mandy Bell who said that farmers want to plan ahead and make decisions and needed “robust certainty” around the effectiveness of various mitigations being proposed, as well as the pricing system. “That message needs to be clearly communicated to those in Wellington.” In a follow up environmental session on the second day Paddy Boyd, Haldon Station, summed up the sentiment of many farmers. While appreciating the clear and concise overview of high level GHG discussions he was still none the wiser about how GHG was going to be accurately calculated. “Until we understand how it’s calculated we know nothing.”
What does it mean? Numbers, numbers, numbers, but what really do they mean? That’s the question from Grant Charteris, who along with wife Sally, are the 2021 Elworthy environmental award recipients. Their Forest Road Farm, a rolling to steep Hawke’s Bay velvet and deer stud with beef and a few sheep was one of the four farms modelled by AgFirst for GHG emissions and carbon sequestration. The annual emissions came to 1365 t/CO2-e of which an estimated 7% were offset.
the Dairy Companies Association, and DINZ.
TARGETS AND DATES End of 2022: All farmers to know their total on-farm GHG emissions. End of 2023: Completion of a testing system for the on-farm accounting and reporting of emissions. 2025: All farms to have a plan
Hawke’s Bay deer farmers Grant and Sally Charteris.
“Yes, we know it’s to do with inputs and outputs, but no one really knows what it means and that’s the frustrating thing,” “Yes, we know it’s to do with inputs and outputs, but no one really knows what it means and that’s the frustrating thing,” Grant says. To have confidence in the number, farmers need to have confidence in the science and data used to calculate it, he says. Other frustrations are the time and energy deliberating over “non tangible” assets such as kilograms of carbon equivalents, and the variation in GHG results from the various tools used in the farm case studies to date. “The tools appear to be clunky, and it shows that the information is only as good as the numbers entered. There’s a lot of work to be done. I’m open to more conversations, and I want to help front-foot the issues but at a practical and scientificbacked level.”
to measure and manage GHG emissions. Pricing system for GHG implemented. A good starting point for the basics of GHG emissions and measurement is: Know Your Number (AgMatters) agmatters.nz/topics/know-yournumber
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DEER
Venison
The urban living hunter gatherer market has grown over the past two years thanks to the likes of host Steve Rinella’s ‘MeatEater’ Netflix series.
Hunting out a new market BY: LYNDA GRAY
A
new and niche venisonstarved market has caught the attention of Havelock Northbased First Light. They’re North American urbanites who have switched on to the idea of hunting as a healthy and wholesome way of sourcing food. At the New Zealand Deer Industry conference Matt Gibson, First Light venison marketing manager said the urbanliving hunter gatherer market was a new phenomenon that had grown over the last two years on the back of influential media personalities Steve Rinella and Joe Rogan. Rinella is host of ‘MeatEater’ a weekly series on Netflix about game hunting, which among other things explains its role in conserving and managing game animals and unique landscapes. It also inspires viewers to taste and serve up game such as elk in new and innovative ways. Rinella hooked American comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan into hunting who regularly shares some of his adventures with a 190 million podcast subscribing audience.
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“There’s now a venison-starved audience and it’s a new opportunity. A lot are primed for venison but live in cities,” Gibson said. First Light will tap into this new market developing ready-to-eat or easy to prepare venison products with appeal to hunters such as smoked, cured and BBQ venison products.
“There’s now a venisonstarved audience and it’s a new opportunity. A lot are primed for venison but live in cities.” It’s a new frontier for First Light but familiar territory for Gibson. Prior to recently taking on the venison marketing role he spent 15 years as a hunting guide and cameraman which included time living in the United States. It gave him a good understanding of the often confused and conflicted consumer eating experience of venison. At one extreme was the elk shot
by the hunter in the household, and it’s leg hauled out from the bottom of the freezer three years later to be served up in a tough and unappetising stew. At the other end of the spectrum was the small percentage of high priced elk served at fine dining restaurants. The extremes in eating puts a lot of people off venison but the ‘cultural shift’ around hunting was good news for game meats including elk.
Join the club First Light was also using an existing consumer direct channel, The Steak Club, to make inroads with venison to the US cookat-home market. It is an exclusive meat lovers group of a similar demographic to those who joined a Country Club. Members paid an upfront monthly fee of about $US160 for a regular delivery of premium meat cuts, along with step-by-step instructions on how to cook and serve it. Venison was included in the past and will feature more prominently in a soon to be released Wild at Heart themed box, Gibson said. “We see it as a gateway to getting more people cooking venison at home.”
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DEER
Governance
Board and broad view BY: LYNDA GRAY
A
Central Otago vet wants to get a wider view and understanding of the industry. This is why Amy Watts is the new observer for the DINZ board. “I see it as a way of getting new skills to apply in other aspects of the industry,” she says. Watts is also New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) deer branch president and involved with the National Velveting Standards Body (NVSB), carrying out supervisory visits of accredited farmers. The NZVA deer branch has about 130 members and is actively trying to recruit new vets by running seminars and training days. “Vets are comfortable dealing with sheep and cattle but often shy away from dealing with deer because they can be unforgiving, especially if you stand in the wrong place.” She did her vet training as a mature student after calf rearing and shepherding work. She graduated in 2012 and since then has worked regularly with deer. She recently ventured into selfemployment establishing Black Sheep Veterinary specialising in sheep, beef, and deer. “It’s great to be working onfarm but it’s also good to be involved at an
Central Otago vet Amy Watts is the new observer for Deer Industry NZ (DINZ).
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industry level.” DINZ created the observer opportunity in 2020 and Rob Kidd, operations manager for Duncan NZ, was the first appointee. He said it was a fantastic experience, both challenging and enjoyable. “I didn’t have voting rights but was required to contribute fully, do the background reading and give my opinion. Having access to directors with experience of the industry was excellent.” He said the ‘healthy tension but excellent collaboration’ around the board table was motivating and inspiring. DINZ chief executive, Innes Moffat says the observer role is one way of giving back to the industry by providing development opportunities to members. “It means they can learn more about the work of DINZ and the issues affecting the sector. It also provides them with experience of governance of a business and brings another perspective to the matters discussed by the board to assist their decision making.” Sarah Deans from the NZ Institute of Directors says board observer or associate director roles have become more popular over the past five years. She knows of a handful of agricultural or primary industry boards that have taken on people in these positions. As well as creating a stepping stone into governance by people working in the industry, such roles create new opportunities for people with obvious talents. “I think it’s especially important in specialist fields such as agriculture,” She commends those boards that do commit to it because it's an investment of time and money in building capability.” The need for diversity around board tables extends beyond ethnicity and gender; younger people are also underrepresented, she says. Although the Institute of Directors has no statistics on national board representation by the 40-and-under age group, 11% of their membership fall into this category.
LONG HAUL WINNER BY: LYNDA GRAY
JOHN TACON, QUALITY ASSURANCE manager, Deer Industry New Zealand, is the 2021 Deer Industry Award winner. The annual award, co-sponsored by Country-Wide, is not usually given to DINZ executives, but the numerous supporting nominators said his exceptional efforts made him a worthy recipient. All acknowledged his unassuming but firm and clear leadership style and no-nonsense approach in addressing issues. Tacon has had several job titles during his 31-year tenure all in the realm of quality assurance, deer transport, and animal welfare. His involvement with deer started in the early 1980s, running a deer transport business based out of Hokitika. He was regarded as one of the best in this emerging specialist business because of his innate knowledge of deer behaviour and unruffled approach with both the animals and people he dealt with. He was contracted to the GIB, the predecessor to DINZ, as a deer transport advisor for development of the quality assurance system introduced in 1992. That led to a full-time appointment as quality assurance coordinator. In recent times he led the bedding in of the industry’s velvet removal regulatory control scheme and VelTrak, a new identification track and trace system for velvet. DINZ CEO Innes Moffat said Tacon was one of the fathers of quality assurance in NZ agriculture. The widespread adoption of onfarm quality assurance was based on the pioneering work led by Tacon in conjunction with the NZ Deer Farmers Association and processing companies.
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a place FOR LOTUS Avenel Station farmer Pat Garden has planted his property in Maku, a variety of lotus, and is reaping the benefits. Lynda Gray finds out why.
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CROP & FORAGE
Avenel Station owner Pat Garden is a big fan of Maku, a variety of lotus pedunculatus. Pat has planted his slice of hard hill country with the lotus.
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P
at Garden admits he has a “patch over one eye”. That’s when it comes to Maku, a variety of lotus pedunculatus, but understands why the scrambling clover-like perennial has never gained a huge foothold in hard hill country. “There’s no seed available; it costs a lot and it’s difficult to manage so why would you grow it…but there’s always a place for a fanatic,” Pat said at a Central Otago Farming for Profit afternoon. At the event, on the Garden family’s Avenel Station, Pat and son Nick talked about why and how they’ve persevered with the legume in their harsh hill country, and how they plan to integrate its summer growth into their wider farming system. The family’s first experiment with lotus was back in the early 1980s during the era of Land Development subsidies. Pat was farming
in partnership with his brother Eoin and the pair decided to trial the legume on 400ha of undeveloped hill country, in the hope of increasing drymatter production. “We got the bare seed and inoculated it on a shed floor with a gum Arabic paste that we mixed up. We shoveled it on the seed which had to be flown on immediately,” Pat recalls. The growth was spectacular over the first few years, but the cost of maintaining and sustaining the block with fertiliser became prohibitive once government funded land development incentives were ditched from the mid-1980s. Development of the hill country went on the back burner but was revisited after the equitable splitting of Avenel between Eoin and Pat’s families in 1990. In 2000 Pat oversowed some of the area with white clover and 2t/ha of lime. The initial growth response was encouraging but within 18 months the clover had failed due to the high levels of soil aluminum. “I realised then that lime wasn’t an economically viable solution on our high hill country and that’s when I went back to lotus.” Now, Avenel has 550ha oversown with lotus in seven subdivided blocks. It’s a harsh and unforgiving environment ranging from 700-900m asl with low fertility soils in the 4.4-5.0 pH range. The first block of 350ha was established in 2014 and followed by 200ha in 2018. Another 170ha will be flown on by helicopter at 2.5kg/ha over the next couple of years. The success and persistence of the legume is due to grazing management and a long-term “system approach”, Pat explains. “To make it worthwhile you need a decent area so that you can rotationally graze it, allowing sufficient time for recovery. The high tannin levels in lotus means it takes about a week for sheep to adjust to the taste so it’s important to plan for mobs to spend sufficient time in the lotus area to make up for that initial pause in liveweight gain.” The blocks are grazed by rising two-tooth ewes pre-Christmas and used as back-up grazing for mixed-age ewes during dry summers. Cows and calves also graze it once the growth takes off. The young ewes transition from the lower lying homestead paddocks to the high country from the third week of November. They’re rotated through the blocks from mid-December. Stock is moved on and off the blocks according to residuals; they go on a new block when the lotus is about 250mm high and come off when it's grazed down to about 60-70mm. Care is taken to avoid rank and woody
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Avenel Station ewes graze the lotus oversown high country throughout the summer.
FARM FACTS • Avenel Station (Avenel Farming Co) • Millers Flat • Owned by the Garden Family: Pat & Marcelle Garden (parents), Nick (son) & Aimee. • 2296ha (1576ha effective) and 10,593 SU rolling to steep hill sheep/beef breeding and finishing rising from 200 to 1000masl. • Rainfall: 700-900mm.
MILLERS FLAT
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growth which sheep won’t eat. The grazing pressure comes off during February to allow the build-up of energy reserves and the spread of rhizomes. Rotational grazing with two-tooth ewes continues in March before weaned cows move in during April to graze the remaining covers before the plants are frosted.
Research, costs and payback Within Avenel’s oversown lotus block are two AgResearch trial sites. The precursor to these was a conversation at the 2014 NZ Grasslands conference between Pat and AgResearch scientist David Stevens, who are both long time members and former presidents of the association. Pat asked David about fertilizer rates and grazing management for a newly established block of lotus. He also quizzed him on how to use and integrate the legume to greatest effect in the wider farming system. The discussion led to the trial work and was the catalyst for a Sustainable Farming Fund project called ‘Legumes in the high country’. It investigated the potential for legumes in
low fertility hill country sheep and beef farms. Avenel’s trial comprised caged areas in two sites. Growth along with rainfall and temperature were measured over time, and the sites harvested in late spring, summer, and early autumn to get an understanding of the pasture growth profile and stock growth rates. Another trial looking at the nutrient requirements and response to lotus from phosphate and sulphur showed that neither resulted in a significant production response. A further trial is investigating whether grazing pressure affects longevity. Measurements over three years estimated an almost fourfold increase in drymatter production from the undeveloped state, and average daily liveweight gains of 135 grams in lambs and 750g in yearling cattle. The estimated cost of establishing lotus was $300/ha (seed, oversowing, fertiliser and fencing). Pat thinks that $500/ha is a more realistic figure because it includes the subdivision and applications of fertiliser in the previous years to create a suitable growing base. The AgResearch project delved deeper
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than liveweight gains and drymatter produced. It tackled the bigger question of how best to integrate the increased feed into the wider Avenel system to make more money, while lowering costs and the environmental footprint. At the Central Otago Farming for Profit day David Stevens said the approach often taken with an increased feed supply is to add more breeding stock. With that comes more mouths to feed over winter and more crop which in a rapidly changing regulatory system could create onfarm environmental issues. Stevens said the challenge was to move away from that traditional thinking and harness the unusual properties and opportunities from the new legume country. Farmax was used to model three alternative beef and sheep scenarios, comparing them with Avenel’s existing system and based on the assumption of oversowing 276ha with lotus to provide extra summer feed.
Left: Shepherds Aisha Bain (left), Nicole Miller (right) and farm manager Angus Ross. Below: Perseverance with lotus in the hill and high country has created a new and productive land class for Pat and Nick Garden.
Overview of Avenel Station’s existing sheep and beef system Lambing % (ewes) 142 Lambing % (hoggets) 76 Ewes 4694 Hoggets 1575 Lambs weaned 6933 Lambs sold prime 4371 Lambs sold store 837 Hoggets sold prime 150 Calving % 78 Cows 250 R1 & R2 cattle 253 Stocking rate 6.8
Options of lotus use OPTION 1: Increasing breeding ewes. How: Increase the number of breeding ewes by 200, with no change to crop area, cattle policy or lambing percentage. Result/Benefit: • More lambs finished and fewer sold as store. • Stocking rate: 6.9. OPTION 2: A shift from sheep to cattle to spread enterprise risk. How: Reduce ewe numbers by 554, reduce crop area by 17ha, add another 35 breeding cows, make 135 tonnes of silage. Result/Benefit: • Fewer ewes therefore better feeding during winter and early spring resulting in improved lamb survival and weaning result of 159%.
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• Increased calf numbers for sale, therefore spreading income base. • Extra beef cows to graze surplus late spring and summer pasture. • Beef cows are more resilient to changing feed supply conditions. • Stocking rate: 6.7. OPTION 3: Shift away from breeding stock to lamb finishing. How: Reduce breeding ewes by 554, buy in 2165 Halfbred lambs for wintering, reduce cropping area by 17ha, reduce breeding cow numbers by 35, make 135t silage.
Result/Benefit: • Halfbred hogget income from wool and sale of 1388 into premium. • Silere market. • Reduced winter crop area potentially reduces environmental impact. • A more resilient system with stock that can be traded according to seasonal conditions. • Fewer ewes therefore better feeding during winter and early spring resulting in improved lamb survival and weaning result of 159%. Continues • Stocking rate: 6.6.
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Cows and calves graze the oversown lotus blocks.
“Whether we’ll trade Merino lambs or something else we’re not sure…there are choices to be made.”
Perseverance with lotus in the hill and high country has created a new and productive land class for Pat and Nick Garden.
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For each option, the estimated changes to pasture cover, animal production, costs, expenses and profitability were calculated as well as the resilience during extreme summer conditions. The results in ‘Can lotus pedunculatus over-sowing in low-fertility tussock country increase farm resilience?’ (Journal of New Zealand Grasslands 82 (2020)) concluded that tilting the enterprise from breeding/ finishing to more finishing had several advantages: fitting the lotus growth profile; reducing winter feeding costs and potential environmental issues; and the opportunity for a flexible stock buying and selling according to seasonal conditions. It’s a system Nick and Pat are working towards, but exactly what it will look like is still under discussion. “Whether we’ll trade Merino lambs or something else we’re not sure…there are choices to be made,” Nick says. Pat agrees. “We need to think about how it will affect our system and the steps we’ll need
to take such as growing more red clover for the feeding of trading stock. There’s also risk, such as drench resistance so we need to think about how we’ll deal with that. ” It will be a step by step transition and as a start they’re looking at new forage crops that might lead to a reduction in the winter crop area. Avenel’s feed crunch time is from August until October, spring growth is often slow to kick off and at the same time paddocks are taken out of the grazing system for cultivation and crop establishment. A possible solution could be autumn established Moata and rape which as well as filling the early spring feed gap would be direct drilled, therefore avoiding the potential environmental pitfalls of cultivating soil. “At this stage it’s a trial to see how and when we would graze it, and the amount of regrowth,“ Nick says. The new chapter of development at Avenel is exciting and due largely to the success of Lotus which has improved the
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protein content of the hill country pasture and changed it from relatively unproductive to productive land capable of finishing stock. “It’s given us new opportunities and potential income. Our challenge is to integrate it for the benefit of our wider system, within our own operational framework and incoming environmental regulations.” Left: Lincoln University PhD student Lucy Bell and Pat Garden prepare a trial site which will investigate the effect of high aluminum soils on the growth of various legumes. Below: Harvesting of Lotus from a trial site in mid-December 2020. Source: AgResearch.
Limited supply There are two types of lotus: L pedunculatus and L corniculatus. In dry high country oversown blocks corniculatus predominates. Seed production and availability is an ongoing problem; corniculatus is imported and there is very little if any available, but there are good stocks of the E-Tanin variety and possibly Trojan, Wayne Nichol PGG Wrightson agronomist says. Another limiting factor is achieving a pure seed crop, free from white clover which will very quickly smother out lotus. “It’s crucial that sowing rates factor in the purity and certified germination percentage. It’s also important that it’s inoculated with the correct strain of rhizobia.” On Avenel Station pedunculatus is grown because it copes better with the moist and acidic soils. It has high tannin levels making it less palatable to sheep and cattle, but Pat says a lengthy transition over about 10 days overcomes that problem. In contrast with corniculatus, pedunculatus spreads by rhizomes. “That’s a huge positive in such a harsh environment where seed production is compromised by inadequate pollination,” Pat says. He bought the entire New Zealand supply of lotus pedunculatus for the 2014 development, paying $42/kg for viable seed, then inoculating it on the floor of the woolshed. The seed for the 2018 development was inoculated and pelleted by Prebble seeds.
FORAGE • 816ha pasture, lucerne, clover paddock country. 521ha oversown hill country. 772ha oversown high country. 187ha forestry/tracks • Winter crop: 15-30ha fodder beet, 30-50ha brassicas, 5ha Italian ryegrass mixes.
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Farming from afar Overseeing the financial, planning and budgeting side of Avenel Station is a secondstring job for Nick. His primary place of employment is the NZX in Auckland where he is the derivative manager. He works with dairy farming clients around the country advising them on how they might use derivatives to mitigate risk. Nick, an economics and information science graduate, worked in financial analytical roles before managing Avenel Station from 2011 until 2018. He then took on the NZX role, moving to Auckland with wife Aimee and their children Isla and Fyfe. He keeps tabs on the financial side of the
farm business and says that the seven years of hands-on experience has given him good practical insight when it comes to budgeting and planning. He visits Avenel about every six weeks and between times has fortnightly video conferencing updates with farm manager Angus Ross. The addition of Angus and Fiona (Angus’s wife) to the Avenel team in 2020 has been crucial to the success of the remote working arrangement. Internetbased diaries, plans and budgets also help keep everyone up-to-date with farm happenings. “People often say I have the best of both worlds. It’s not always easy juggling everything but it’s really rewarding.”
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CROP & FORAGE
Earthworms
throughout the topsoil, forming semipermanent burrows to benefit water, air and root movement, and feed on the organic matter within the soil. • Deep burrowing earthworms are larger and form burrows, which extend to depth but remain open to the soil surface to improve water infiltration. They also feed on organic matter at the soil surface and incorporate this to greater depths. To get the greatest benefit of earthworms in our soil we want to see all three functional types of earthworms working together. A diverse earthworm community, containing the deep burrowing earthworm, has been shown to benefit the incorporation of dung into the soil profile. The incorporation of dung into the soil accumulates carbon in the smallersized, and potentially more stable, carbon fractions.
Earthworm abundance
Earthworms and soil health BY: NICOLE SCHON oils contain a diversity of life that is important for the functioning of soil and the provision of ecosystem services. Earthworms are a key component of the soil biology and they are recognised as indicators of soil health. With an increasing interest in soil health it is timely to recognise the contribution of these underground workers.
Simultaneously earthworms burrow through the soil, improving macroporosity and water infiltration. Earthworm burrows aid the growth of plant roots down the soil profile. With all their activity within the soil it is no wonder that earthworms are able to enhance plant growth. Research in both New Zealand and overseas has shown that their presence in the soil increases plant growth by 20%, especially when abundances are over 400/m2.
Importance of earthworms
Three different types
Earthworms benefit the soil by enhancing both the chemical and physical properties of the soil. They feed on organic matter on the soil surface and within it, helping to break down dung deposits and incorporate this carbon into the soil. The casts they produce contain a higher concentration of plant-available nutrients in comparison to the bulk soil. Earthworms break down organic matter into smaller-sized carbon fractions and improve the soil’s water-holding capacity.
There are three different types of earthworms in our soils: dung, topsoil and deep burrowing (Figure 1). The different feeding and burrowing behaviours of these earthworm types impact soil functions differently: • Dung earthworms live and feed on organic matter near the soil surface, incorporating carbon and nutrients into the soil, having little impact on soil porosity. • Topsoil earthworms burrow extensively
S
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Recent research has further explored how earthworm functional diversity and abundance impacts soil functions. The greatest benefits are seen when all three types of earthworm functional groups are found in abundance and in combination. This study had initial abundances of no, low (110/m2), medium (225/m2) and a high (570/m2) number of earthworms, of either a single species or a combination. Potentially available nitrogen was greatest in a diverse and abundant earthworm community. Water infiltration rates were greatest in the presence of the deep burrowing earthworm (A. longa), but having a smaller number of this species in a diverse earthworm community (as would be seen in a pasture setting) also improved infiltration rates.
Great Kiwi Earthworm Survey Earthworm abundances vary seasonally and are sensitive to management. To determine whether you have healthy populations of earthworms (>400/m2), you can get out with a spade and take a closer look at what is in your soil. Earthworms are active during the wetter months and the best time to assess their populations is in late winter/spring. Once you have dug up a spade square you need to manually remove the earthworms from the soil and place them into a container of water, as this will make counting and identification easier. More detailed instructions on what
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Identification including common pasture species
Functional groups and contribution to ecosystem services
Figure 1: Identifying earthworm functional groups.
Dung earthworms Feed on dung and do not form permanent burrows.
Top soil earthworms Burrow through the topsoil, feeding on the organic matter here.
Deep-burrowing earthworms Feed on dung on the soil surface and take this into their deep burrows.
Plant growth, nutrient supply; greenhouse gas regulation.
Plant growth, water and air movement, flood mitigation; physical support.
Plant growth, water and air movement, flood mitigation; physical support; nutrient supply; greenhouse gas regulation.
Features: Red in colour, fastmoving, normal size
Features: Tend to be grey but colours vary, normal size.
Features: Larger, darkened head end
Lumbricus rubellus ‘dung worm’
Less common dung/ compost earthworms
Aporrectodea caliginosa ‘grey worm’
Aporrectodea rosea ‘pink worm’
Aporrectodea longa ‘blackhead worm’
Lumbricus terrestris ‘nightcrawler’
Dendrodrilus rubidus ‘bark worm’ Aporrectodea trapezoides ‘southern worm’ Amynthas corticis ‘snake worm’
Eisenia fetida ‘tiger worm’
Identify functional groups using adult earthworms Adult has a saddle
Allolobophora chlorotica ‘green worm’
Octolasion cyaneum ‘yellow tail worm’
8cm There are 200+ native species which vary in size and colour. They are not common in pastures and not included here. For a more detailed assessment of earthworm species, go to www.agresearch.co.nz/ earthworms. Photos by R. Gray.
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Immature has no saddle
to do and how to partake in the Great Kiwi Earthworm Survey, including an identification key, can be found at www. earthworms.nz. Any data, along with photographs collected, can be entered on the website as part of the citizen science project. This information will be collected by AgResearch and will help to identify the distribution of earthworm abundance and diversity across NZ. Improving our understanding of how earthworm abundance and functional diversity varies across NZ will enhance our ability to maximise the capacity of our soils to function. Although we have nearly 200 native species of earthworms in this country, these tend to be found in our less disturbed native ecosystems, and we rely on a handful of exotic species to support our primary industries. The exotic earthworms that are found in our agricultural systems arrived accidentally, being thought to have been transplanted into the environment with fruit trees and dumping of ships ballast by European settlers. The Great Kiwi Earthworm Survey builds on earlier surveys that have found that the distribution of exotic earthworms remains sporadic in NZ. Although there are still areas that lack earthworms, including those converted from pine plantations, most areas have some present. Our most common types of earthworms found in most pastoral landscapes are either dung or topsoil, while the deep burrowing earthworm is less common. It is estimated that large areas of pasture land, especially in hill country and the South Island, contain only up to two earthworm functional groups and lack deep burrowing earthworms. The addition of this third functional group to the earthworm community has been shown to benefit soil functioning, and even at low abundances their benefits are quantifiable.
Improving earthworm populations Early researchers in NZ recognised the absence of earthworms from pasture soils and set about introducing them into areas with none. By spreading earthworms across a landscape at 10m spacings it took six to seven years for them to establish. Their establishment in the environment broke down the thatch layer and improved the movement of water and nutrients into the soil, changing pasture composition and improving pasture growth. This
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HOW TO SAMPLE YOUR EARTHWORMS 1. During June to September choose a paddock. 2. Collect three spade spits (20x20cm, 20cm deep) per paddock. 3. Hand-sort earthworms by crumbling the soil onto a sheet of plastic and looking through the roots. Put the earthworms in water. 4. Take the earthworms out of water and place onto a paper towel. 5. Look at the colour and size of the adult earthworms. Using the key can you see different types? 6. Place earthworms on white paper next to a ruler and take a close-up photo out of direct sunlight. 7. Record the average number of earthworms per spade square for each paddock and x25 to get number per square meter. 8. Go to www.earthworms.nz and enter your observation. 9. Repeat in as many paddocks as you would like to get a representative sample over your farm. Ideally in a spade square you will have: Earthworm type
No. of worms
Dung
at least 25/m2
Topsoil
at least 25/m2
Deep Burrowing
at least 25/m2
Total
at least 400/m2
...otherwise the ecosystem services earthworms contribute to may be compromised.
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capital investment into earthworms remains beneficial today. More recently, the introduction of deep burrowing earthworms into pasture soils has been assessed. Earthworms were introduced across a diversity of soils and landscapes and were monitored over a four-year period. Establishment was successful over this time period, although their abundances remained too low to see a measurable benefit to soil functioning, and more time is required for their populations to cause significant benefits. Earthworm abundance and functional diversity may be a result of historical artefacts, but can also reflect current management. To get the benefits from earthworm activity in the soil, we know there is a need to increase earthworm abundances above 400/m2 and to have all three earthworm functional groups represented. If this is not the case, we can work towards improving their habitat through both increased food supply and reduced physical disturbance. We know that earthworms will respond quickly and increase in abundance as conditions are improved, resulting in a benefit in soil functioning. Earthworms respond to increases in food supply, in the form of organic matter, which ensures the populations can flourish. Organic matter may be enhanced by increasing plant growth or applying compost and manure. Fertiliser application may be one way to stimulate plant growth and earthworm populations. For example, at the long-term sheep-grazed fertiliser trial at Ballantrae, Manawatu, where farmlets have received either no, low (125kg/ha) or high (375kg/ ha) applications of superphosphate since 1980, earthworms were most abundant at high fertility. The farmlet receiving no fertiliser has low pasture production with low-quality pasture species, reflecting less palatable organic matter available for earthworms. In contrast, the high-fertility farmlet has high pasture growth and a greater proportion of dung earthworms, reflecting a readily available source of organic matter for them. The application of compost and manure can also stimulate earthworm populations,
with the application of 20t/ha of either straw or manure causing their numbers to double in six weeks in comparison to the control. Just as the supply of food is important for earthworms, so too is their physical environment. Physical disturbance of the soil (through either compaction or cultivation) makes it more difficult for earthworm populations, reducing their abundance and their ability to benefit soil functions. The impact of pugging events is moderated by soil type. As stocking rates increase, it is those soils most vulnerable to compaction that will have the greatest impact on earthworms and the soil environment. For example, as dairy cow stocking rates increased from 2.3 to 3.8 cows/ha on two co-occurring and contrasting soils in the Waikato, earthworm populations decreased only in the Gley soil (where the severity of compaction was enhanced and bulk density was higher) in comparison to the Allophanic soil. Reducing the intensity and frequency of cultivation will also benefit earthworm populations, as these may be halved during a single cultivation, and the greatest earthworm abundances are seen under permanent pastures rather than in arable soils. Exchangeable calcium and soil pH are also important, but pH appears to be more important in the first instance. The optimum pH range for pastures (pH 5.8-6.0) is also appropriate for optimum earthworm activity. Earthworms are important underground workers and an essential component of the farm landscape. Managing our soils to improve conditions for earthworms will ensure that the soil is better able to function with fewer interventions. Earthworms are not only a sign of a healthy soil, but also cause a better functioning soil.
A diverse earthworm community, containing the deep burrowing earthworm, has been shown to benefit the incorporation of dung into the soil profile.
• Nicole Schon is a Scientist (Forage Science) at AgResearch based in Lincoln. • First published in The Journal, the NZ Institute of Primary Industry Management magazine.
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CROP & FORAGE
Winter grazing
Prevent toxic nitrate shock BY: LISA WHITFIELD
N
itrate toxicity in stock is one of the most devastating acute animal health problems I have seen on farms in New Zealand. The number of animals which can be affected in a short period of time, the resulting deaths, and ongoing losses in those animals that survive put this disease as one of very high importance for prevention rather than just playing roulette with the odds that it will not happen on your farm. Fast-growing winter crops such as green oats and lower growing winter crops such as kale when grazed under the right circumstances, will pose a risk for nitrate toxicity in stock. When nitrate is consumed by ruminants such as cattle, the nitrate is converted to nitrite in the rumen (stomach compartment). This is absorbed into the bloodstream and binds to hemoglobin. This blocks hemoglobin from carrying oxygen in the bloodstream. When nitrate levels in the plant are high, and if a ruminant consumes enough of the plant, hypoxia (low levels of oxygen in the blood) can develop within an hour, and death can rapidly follow. The following situations will increase the risk of high nitrate levels in plants: • Young, rapidly growing plants such as new grass or new chicory; • Cold or cloudy weather conditions, which inhibit the ability of the plant to perform photosynthesis; • Application of nitrogen fertilisers, particularly the first grazing after its application; • A flush of growth following a dry spell. When the conditions pose a risk for nitrate toxicity, it is important to manage grazing animals closely in order to minimize their risk. • Nitrate test risky paddocks prior to grazing (see Nitrate testing); • Avoid putting hungry stock onto highrisk paddocks – give them something else to eat before they go to the risky break; • Wait until environmental conditions
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This nitrate test indicates a very high reading on green oats which means the crop is very dangerous to feed.
improve – feed high-risk breaks later in the day to give plants as much daylight as possible with which to perform photosynthesis. If it’s frosty, wait until after the frost has lifted. • Only allow stock to graze high-risk paddocks for a short time before moving them on.
Nitrate testing A nitrate test is quick, simple and cheap, and there is no reason testing cannot be performed onfarm so that results are on hand when they are needed. It is very frustrating having to wait an extended
period to receive test results when you are trying to make a grazing plan, so why not perform the test yourself? Prior to grazing a risky paddock, a small sample of the forage is collected. Testing should be performed at roughly the time of day when grazing is planned for – for convenience it might be tested the day prior to planned grazing. 1. The sample is cut into 1cm pieces; 2. A measured amount is placed in a pottle with 2% acetic acid; 3. The mixture is shaken for 1 minute; 4. The mixture is left to rest for 30 minutes; Continues
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CROP & FORAGE
Winter feed
Crop testing requires accuracy BY: TOM WARD
I
n dairying districts like Canterbury, winter feed cropping is big business and the calculation of the quantity and quality of crops is a business in itself. I spent the six weeks around May 31 cutting fodder beet and kale for a Canterbury company whose employees travel from Central Otago in the south to the Clarence River in the north. Generally we work in pairs, delivering crop samples to the laboratory for drying. Usually only the dry matter (DM) calculation is required, however occasionally we are asked for a quality calculation, perhaps metabolisable energy (ME), crude protein (CP), or starch. The work is probably equally divided between kale and beet with kale a bit easier to sample. Kale is cut at ground level, within a one square metre area, the total cut weighed, and a small sample of each cut taken to the lab for drying. The number of cuts needed is determined by the evenness of the crop, e.g. a 10ha paddock which varies 1-2 kilograms per cut would require 5-6 cuts, and 8-9 cuts if there were variations of 2-7kg per cut. The firm I work for requires beet cuts to be five square metres, hence if the rows are 500mm apart (ie metre covers two rows) a 5m length is required (5 times
›› Continues from p71 5. After the resting time has elapsed, a nitrate test dipstick is dipped into the mixture and excess liquid shaken off; 6. One minute later the dipstick is read against the colour scale. The level of nitrate is determined by a colour change on the end of the dipstick, with graduated shades from white to pink and purple as high nitrate levels are detected.
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1). Sometimes, if the rows are at 375mm centres, a 6.666 metre length is required (0.375 times two times 6.666 equals five square metres). The plants within that area are pulled or kicked out, soil knocked off the bulbs, the tops cut from the bulbs, and the two components weighed separately. Another technique is to apply a two square metre cut area. This year fresh weight yields are lower especially on unirrigated crops, however DM percentages are higher.
Tools of the trade Our tools of the trade are, for kale; secateurs, scales, sling, one metre square steel frame, backpack, pen and paper. For beet we substitute a knife for the secateurs and measuring tape for the one metre square steel frame, otherwise the same as for kale. Kale can be very wet to work in, due to both frosts and rain, so wet weather gear is essential. From time to time we are asked to sample grass pasture, which requires about six samples per paddock, cut from within a 0.25 square metre frame placed strategically across the paddock. Oats and rape are also tested, using the same procedure as for kale. Swedes and turnips are tested according to whether they are planted in rows (as for beet), or broadcast (as for kale) and the tops separated from the bulbs.
Grazing a risky paddock Don’t just leave the stock to it when they are grazing a risky paddock. Check on them an hour after you put them on the break paddock. Look for signs of nitrate toxicity, which include: staggering animals (they look like they are drunk), rapid breathing and animals lying down. Death can occur rapidly due to lack of oxygen, so if you think you are seeing animals with nitrate toxicity call your vet immediately and let them know what
is going on. They will mobilise people immediately to bring treatment to your animals. Do not panic, keep calm and in control, and follow the advice of your vet. Nitrate toxicity affects a lot of farms each year – don’t leave it to chance that you won’t be one of them. • Lisa Whitfield is a Manawatu-based production animal veterinarian. • First published in Dairy Exporter April 2021.
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“There was considerable variation between bulbs of the same fresh weight and cultivar.”
A knife is handy when testing fodder beet.
Farmers use us to test their crops where they are buying or selling it (as in a winter dairy cow grazing transaction) and require an independent assessment, or for feed budgeting. Estimating kale crop yields has some complexity, i.e. height, stem thickness and sowing rate; and estimating fodder beet is notoriously difficult with the bulb partly below ground. Fundamentally, crop testing can be hard and boring so it’s a job that many farmers like to avoid. This year many farmers deferred their testing in the hope that rain would arrive
Kale can be very wet to work in so wet weather gear is essential.
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to boost the yield, while others tested early to get their feed budgets up to date. The rain did arrive, but too late to affect yields. There is a fair amount of pressure around May 31 and we are often juggling farms just to get crops tested before the livestock get to them.
Feed samples At the laboratory, feed samples are coarsely chopped and then oven dried for 24 hours (sometimes for 48 hours to ensure the sample is dry) at 105deg to determine the DM%. Other firms might dry the sample at 65deg for 48 hours. This DM% is then applied to the fresh weight cuts to derive an average kg DM/ha) figure for the paddock. Typically, the sample will weigh 200-500g fresh. Where large stemmed kale is dried, the stalks may be dried separately from the leaves. The ovens require a strong airflow to be efficient. A separate monetary charge may be applied to drying beet bulbs due to the extra work required in preparing that sample – the beet sample must be quartered, then finely sliced. The quartering is because the beet will become progressively dryer closer to the centre (average 18.3% inner, 19.8% outer). Small beets have a higher dry matter percent than larger beets; in fact generally lower fresh weights this year (even on irrigated crops) were to some extent compensated by the higher DM %.
Where beet is sold for lifting, only a DM percent is required as the fresh weight is calculated on tractor/wagon/weighbridge scales. Where other analyses, such as a metabolisable energy, crude protein or starch, is required, the sample is first dried to 62% DM and ground. The conventional method of testing these more complex issues is called “wet chemistry” which can be time consuming, so a technique called Near Infrared Spectrography is used where there is sufficient calibration with actual wet chemistry tests. Recent studies (Judson, McKenzie et al, NZ Grassland Association paper 2014) suggest beet leaf to be on average 17% of total DM yield, however the variation is 5-40%. Leaf DM content averaged 11% (range 7-18% across 68 samples). The DM% of the beet bulb ranged from 8-28% and were negatively correlated with size. Heavier bulbs had a lower DM%. There was a one unit reduction in DM% for every 1kg increase in fresh weight. Cultivars broadly conformed to groups based on DM%, however there was considerable variation between bulbs of the same fresh weight and cultivar.
Yield from fodder beet Of interest is what drives beet yield. While I am no expert beet agronomist, I have one observation to share. Firstly, all things being equal (ie agronomy), very high yielding beet crops require well drained fertile soils, very good moisture levels and high heat units. In Canterbury all three of these are only present in the Culverden basin, where generally, the best yields occur (i.e. about 40t DM/ha). However, on the edge of Temuka on heavy river silt soils, I recently tested a beet crop where a part of the paddock (the best irrigated part), produced very close to 40t DM/ha.
• Tom Ward is a South Canterbury farm consultant.
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Richard Gardner and the Mataia Homestead which is rented out mainly to local tourists who enjoy its many walking tracks.
ENVIRONMENT
Family farm
HANGING UP THE SHINGLE
Former Auckland Federated Farmers’ policy advisor Richard Gardner reflects on his work with Feds and his family farm. Glenys Christian reports.
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R
ichard Gardner never planned to be a lawyer. But after over 20 years as Auckland Federated Farmers’ policy advisor, during which he’s walked the talk when it comes to farming with an eye on ecological management, he’s hanging up his shingle as a barrister. “It’s just the way things have evolved,” he said. Richard’s great-great-grandfather settled near Glorit on the Kaipara Harbour, northwest of Auckland in the 1860s on 3000 acres of land known as the Mataia Block. Today State Highway 16, the alternative route north from Auckland, bisects the land but back then cutters sailing the Kaipara brought in and took out all supplies. The original home was further inland but Mataia Homestead was built in 1889 closer to the water, where Richard grew up with his brother and two sisters. His great-grandfather was one of two sons and the property was split between them but in the 1980s, following the death of his father, whose interest lay in inventing
farm machinery as well as its importation rather than farming, Richard and his sisters bought back some of the land owned by the other branch of the family when it was subdivided. “We were milking cows when I was young but I couldn’t get away from the farm fast enough,” Richard said. Up to 90 cows were milked in a 12-bail walk-through milking shed in which only eight were used, and the farm carried about 1000 ewes producing around 20 bales of wool a year, and some cows. In 1962 a switch was made to run entirely sheep and beef, and land which had been cut over for kauri in the 1820s gradually fell into disuse. “Scrub marched across the hills,” he said. But in the 1970s and 1980s the Land Development Encouragement Loans courtesy of the Robert Muldoon-led Government were put to good use with hilly land re-cleared and a stopbank which had failed in the 1930s flooding mudflats rebuilt. Stock numbers increased to 10,000 or 13 stock units (SU) a hectare on the 750 effective hectares. Richard studied chemistry at Auckland
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Above: Gardner family history. Below: Richard restored the family homestead. Photos supplied.
University but after spending a year in a laboratory realised it wasn’t the career for him. But as part of his degree he’d completed a half unit in computer studies and was able to put that to good use working first in Australia then London on his OE then back home in New Zealand in the 1980s after both his parents had died and one of his two sisters, Gillian, had moved back on to the farm to run it with her husband. After a short period on the farm, Richard and his wife settled with their two children in a flat in Auckland for their education requirements and were well used to making the trip north at weekends. But the homestead was falling into disrepair. “It was a case of throw a match into it or do it up,” he said. So that’s what he took a year to do in 1989 in a break between IT positions. The seven-bedroom house is now run as a homestay by his niece Jenny, attracting mainly New Zealanders who enjoy the many walks available on tracks through large bush areas the farm including about 45ha covenanted under the Queen Elizabeth II Trust. Continues
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In 2017, friends and family of all ages came to plant 3000 trees at Mataia as part of the restoration project.
A pest management plan was put in place in 2006 which has been so successful that kiwi have been able to be reintroduced. “They had been here because I remember them from when I was very young,” Richard said. There are now over 100 kiwi on the property with some of them wandering to neighbouring bush areas as well. Extensive native planting has been carried out at the rate of around 10,000 plants a year with Auckland school children coming out for the day to help out. Fencing has been repaired and tracks maintained. “It’s a good walk when you go round it all in a day,” he said.
Running lambs and cattle A fenced and riparian planted stream which runs into the Kaipara Harbour.
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The farm, now running around 8000 stock units, is partly leased to Jenny and a neighbour after a manager had been employed for a time. Winter lambs are bought in and fattened along with cattle, some Friesian bulls. Richard chairs the board of directors of the company which
owns the farm with one third shares each held by his family trusts and those of his sisters Gillian and Jane, who take care of the homestead gardens. In 1991 with the introduction of the Resource Management Act legislation there was the risk that land below the mean high water springs mark and adjacent riparian areas would fall out of landowners’ hands. “It caught us unexpectedly and I found myself banging my head up against a brick wall trying to resolve the matter,” Richard said. So after getting involved in politics he made the decision to go back to university to gain a certificate of proficiency in resource management. “That led me to realise there was a lot that I didn’t know and I decided to follow that up with further study,” he said. So the solution was to start studying extramural units for a Bachelor of Business Studies through Massey University including land law, planning and dispute resolution. This in turn led to renewed interest in policy and the law.
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Feds and Auckland Council In 2000 he applied for and was successful in getting a 20-hour a week position as policy advisor with Auckland Federated Farmers which enabled him to take up the study of law at Auckland University at the same time. The biggest issue of the time was the move from seven different councils to become the Supercity of today which held a lot of fears for farmers. While those in the south had an arrangement with Manukau Council which saw urban and rural areas rated separately so they were funding developments in their own patch, the same was not the case to the north in what was Rodney Council. “Farmers’ rates were paying for a large chunk of the development infrastructure for the Whangaparaoa Peninsula,” he said. A survey was run by Auckland Federated Farmers with most responses in favour of the Supercity’s formation apart from some strong resistance north of Warkworth and around Wellsford. “The problem wasn’t that Rodney was growing but that Auckland was,” he said. “We were on the right side of the debate from day one.” That’s led to a relationship between the federation and Auckland Council that’s envied elsewhere. The Rural Advisory Panel was formed where rural groups can give feedback on issues affecting their members. Chief amongst those has been urban land encroachment. While the federation’s position has been that farmers should be able to do what they like with their land, Auckland Federated Farmers, along with groups like Horticulture New Zealand, backed the urban containment policy initiated by former mayor, Len Brown. “Our argument was that the main purpose of rural areas was rural production as well as ecological protection and that’s served us well,” he said. There have been instances of would-be developers buying a patch of bush close to Auckland City’s boundaries, joining Federated Farmers and expecting them to champion their future plans. “But that’s not what Federated Farmers does.” Another advantage of the Supercity’s formation has been the amount of resources which the council is able to put into research such as the Hoteo Project, which also involves Beef + Lamb New Zealand, looking into which mitigation systems work best in containing sediment loss
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Left: Richard Gardner and dog, Pip, at the entrance to Mataia in the 1950s. Below: Richard’s grandfather Peter Robertson Gardner with future daughterin-law, Mary Stephens, Richard’s mother.
“It’s been handy being able to appear in court and to write solicitor on the bottom of a letter.” to the Kaipara Harbour. But Richard says the council’s attitude to climate change is sometimes frustrating, with agricultural emissions being “well down the list” when it comes to their effect on Auckland, but still singled out for undue attention, often after lobbying by environmental interest groups. Richard finished his law degree in 2008, gaining honours. “It’s been handy being able to appear in court and to write solicitor on the
bottom of a letter,” he said. At present he’s involved in representing the federation on two Water Conservation Order applications, which the Government uses to restrict use of water. One, for the Pupu Springs in Golden Bay, being run by a local iwi group, has farmers’ support. But the other on the Ngaruroro River in Hawke’s Bay has raised local farmers’ concerns because of the restrictions being argued for by Forest and Bird. Richard has also become an accredited decision-maker under the Ministry for the Environment Making Good Decisions programme and hopes in his new career to get work as an independent commissioner from July after he leaves the federation. He’ll mostly work from home, now in central Auckland, as well as getting back to Mataia for regular meetings and a traditional family planting day, usually held in July.
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ENVIRONMENT
Stewardship
“Our goal is to protect and improve the freshwater on and leaving our property...”
In the black, and green BY: REBECCA GREAVES
C
aring for the land was a strong theme at the field day for Hawke’s Bay Farmer of the Year winners, Andrew and Maddy McLean. The Wallingford sheep and beef farmers have made it a top priority to protect all existing native bush on their farm and retire all permanent and intermittent streams on the farm over time. Achieving an environmentally sustainable farming business, working within the strengths and limitations of the land use capability (LUC) of their properties, is also high on their list of key principles. It is a goal to limit cropping to the best land use
class (1-3 only), and move away from hill country cropping. The farm has 10km of the Huatokitoki Stream running through it. The McLeans see the stream as a major part of their business, and are committed to protecting it – though they admit that comes with hard work and careful management. To date, all bar 800m of the stream is fenced off and has established native bush or willows shading it. As well as the main waterway, the couple has started retiring and planting tributaries of the Huatokitoki Stream too. “We see this as improvements on the property and it increases subdivision. We are also improving bee food sources and pollination,” Maddy says.
TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL PLANTING: • Graze prior to spot spraying • Small spot spraying • Plant hardy species you know will survive • Batten all fences where possible to protect from pushing stock • Use plant guards on leafy species – the McLeans have used coconut
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fibre guards recently • Plant as early as possible – late May in a good year is their preferred time • Source funding where you can • Keep costs down by doing your own fencing and planting.
Andrew’s parents, Hamish and Janine, who the couple bought the farm off, had great vision to begin protecting and enhancing the land early. In 2006 they fenced and retired 13ha of riparian lowland forest to the QEII Trust, about 2.5km of the Huatokitoki Stream (a total of 17.3ha is now retired adjacent to the QEII). In 2012 they retired another 6.2ha of native forest to QEII. Maddy described both QEII covenants as beautiful established podocarp forests, with mixed broadleaf species underneath. “A lot of the work started when they were part of the local catchment group. Our goal is to protect and improve the freshwater on and leaving our property, and enhance biodiversity. The existing bush remnants are our biggest priority. In my opinion it’s almost impossible to recreate those pockets of bush.” The existing bush is home to an array of bird life and is an excellent seed source. The farm is prone to erosion and 150200 poplar and willow poles have also been planted annually for the last 25 years. Hamish and Janine did a huge amount of pole planting, particularly in eroding gullies. They have also gradually retired eroding gully heads and steep hill faces to native reversion or pine plantations with the help of government funding, notably the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) erosion control scheme and the Ministry for Primary Industries afforestation grant scheme. Andrew and Maddy’s lease block at Lindsay Road, Waipukurau, is part of the Tukituki River catchment and therefore farmed under a nutrient limit. A farm plan has been completed, including a nutrient budget, to ensure the Nitrogen leaching remains under its limit of 23kg N/ha/yr. The McLeans have completed a planting project every year from winter 2016 – planting nearly 7000 natives and pines over this time. Maddy’s experience in land management at HBRC, prior to working on the farm, means she’s adept at planning, applying for funds and seeing a project through. They plant a basic list of native species that will establish easily, with a small number of larger tree canopy species, incorporating species that provide food for bees in early spring. Maddy shared their top tips for successful planting, learned from trial and error. Maddy’s top species to plant: Carex, Flax, Pittosporum, Ake ake, Toetoe.
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ENVIRONMENT
Timber production
Why plantation forestry can outbid BY: KERRY DWYER
W
e spent three weeks of May driving around the east side of the North Island and the upper South Island. The scale of existing pine plantations and the new plantings had me thinking – why the move from pastureland to forestry? How come foresters can outbid pastoral farmers for land? Most of the area that has been and is being planted in forestry was originally forest; that was cleared for the timber then developed into pasture. Generally it is sloping land, so when it was cleared there would have been some loss of fertility with erosion, on already lower fertility soils. Pasture establishment would have used the
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remaining fertility and pastoral farming has not always been able to improve those levels. Pine trees are not classed as a restorative crop, so does planting pine trees give any long term benefit to soil structure and fertility? How does selling timber at 10c/kg (or $100/t) make sense compared to selling beef at $5/kg or lamb at $7/kg? It might make sense compared to selling wool at $1.50/kg, and maybe that is part of the equation in the flurry of new planting on pasture land. The other part of the equation may be the increasing value and tradeability of carbon credits. I am not going to discuss that because the base economics must be timber production versus animal products. Having said that, a client of mine has sold their farm in North Otago to a “carbon farming” forestry operation, which has
caused much debate in this area. I am not an economist so I will try to keep the calculations simple. It seems to me that pine timber production is not more profitable than pastoral farming, rather it is about the availability of capital and compounding of income that makes it feasible.
Pastoral farming vs. forestry When pastoral farmers buy a farm they want an annual cashflow to maintain or improve the property and it’s infrastructure. They want a profit or economic farm surplus (EFS) sufficient to cover their living costs and to service any debt incurred in establishing their business. So, they spend most of the income derived each year. Forestry owners buy a farm knowing they are not going to generate any income until
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they harvest the trees in 25-30 years time (as I said above, ignore the carbon credits). They front up with funds to plant the trees, to thin and prune them, and to cover the rates incurred annually. They are not funding any infrastructure as the pastoral farmers do, or annual living costs, taxation or debt servicing. They have to fund the total outlay until harvest, which implies no limitation of capital funding sufficient for that time. Because forestry does not require the same infrastructure (fences, houses, woolshed, stock yards, water reticulation etc) as pastoral farming, the forest owners are not looking for the same capital appreciation of the land as pastoral farmers are, they are focused on the timber harvest as the primary return. Note that if the forestry venture is not fully funded then it is unlikely to be profitable; and forestry land increases in value on a different basis to pastoral land. (See Table A). Pastoral land values for land which can be bought for pine planting in much of the North Island seems to be about $12,000/ ha. I assume the forestry owners fund that totally, with no expected annual debt servicing, and are not expecting any great change to land value in future. Pastoral farming in similar country may be returning an annual economic farm surplus of about $600/ha. Note that this is after maintenance of infrastructure, and supporting whatever labour and service industries provide inputs to the business. That EFS is spent annually paying the owner-operators living costs, capital improvements, debt servicing and taxation, hopefully along with some profit to increase their net capital value. To compare pastoral farming with forestry we could assume that EFS is compounded in its entirety over the same 26 year period, which at 5% p.a. means the $600/ ha/yr becomes $30,600. That is similar to the forestry profit. Note that it includes maintenance/improvement of the asset and infrastructure over that time. I am neutral on forestry taking pastoral land into trees, if pastoral farming cannot compete with pines that shows the weakness of pastoral farming in environmental sustainability as well as economic returns. My base question was how do the economics of forestry make it work? The answer has to be the availability of capital to fund a 25 - 30 year investment, seeking no return until harvest, with minimal return expected from the land
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Table A: To compare forestry with farming, it is sensible to compound forestry costs over the rotation time, to come off the income at harvest. Using 5%/year as a sensible cost of capital charge, the figures look like: Compounded forestry costs Tree planting etc
$2500/ha @ 5% for 26 years
$8900
Thin and prune
$1500/ha @ 5% for 15 years
$3100
Rates and insurance
$60/ha/yr @ 5% for 26 years
$3100
Income
$45,000/ha
Profit Margin
$29,900/ha
Annual income
$1150/ha
Note that these figures will not fit every situation, they are a general picture so before setting up your own forest get costings relevant to your situation.
Forest owners are not looking for the same capital appreciation of the land as pastoral farmers are.
asset either during the term or after harvest. If pastoral farmers could operate on the same basis their economics would be totally different. Note that compounding cost of capital on $12,000/ha land at 5% over 26 years comes to $30,600ha. If forestry has an annual debt charge to fully fund itself, it isn’t economically feasible. It is a long term investment for capital, whereas pastoral farming is an investment for a mixture of debt and capital, expecting an annual surplus to be spent. The use of that compounding income from forestry can be a useful tool for farmers as much as non-farmers. My
clients that have planted and harvested trees have benefited greatly from that investment, both in trading income and succession options. Having an increasing asset in forestry can be used to fund the farm succession, by providing capital for one generation leaving the business or younger family members being paid out of the estate. The addition of valuable carbon credits has made forestry investment even more attractive by providing some income in the years before harvest, or an addition to the compounded value of the forest. • Kerry Dwyer is a North Otago farmer and farm consultant.
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Good work ethic goes a long way Hard work and personal drive led Joe McCash to take out the Hawke’s Bay Shepherd of the Year competition recently. Rebecca Greaves reports.
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emonstrating a high level of personal drive helped Joe McCash over the line in a Hawke’s Bay shepherd competition. Combined with his experience across multiple farming systems, it set him apart from other competitors to win the Rural Directions Hawke’s Bay Shepherd of the Year competition. Joe, 25, has been shepherding at Te Aratipi Station, a sheep and beef farm in the Maraetotara Valley, near Waimarama Beach, in Hawke’s Bay for 18 months. Employed by Ed and Ro Palmer, Joe is focused on the stock side of the business. “I’d say it’s 90% stock work, all the handling, rotations, general yard work.”
Also living at Te Aratipi with Joe are his partner Danielle Rose and two young sons Jake, 2, and Max, 2 months. Growing up on a farm in Patangata, Central Hawke’s Bay, Joe always knew he wanted to make farming his career. He might not have finished his Lincoln University diploma in agriculture, but this has not been an obstacle to success. Instead, a good work ethic and passion for the industry have stood Joe in good stead. After successive droughts, his parents decided to put their farm at Patangata on the market and, one week after starting his first full time job as a shepherd, it was sold. Joe’s first job was on a bull fattening and breeding farm in Pahiatua. After two years
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Opposite page: Hawke’s Bay Shepherd of the Year winner Joe McCash with his son Jake, 2. Above: Joe with his trusty working dogs.
he moved to a steep breeding block near Makuri. “I did a year there and thought I’d try something different. I went to a major lamb fattening farm at Hunterville for two years. I got a bit of responsibility there organising some staff and having a shepherd under me, but it wasn’t for me. I wasn’t really enjoying the straight fattening side of things.” The realisation that breeding was his passion, seeing your own progeny doing well, rather than trading stock, brought him to Te Aratipi. “I’ve always wanted to farm, it was always the plan. I just like the lifestyle. Growing up as a kid on a farm you appreciate what’s around you, and just seeing stock do well. I enjoy the country life.” Now, he’s relishing being able to give his own children that same experience. “Jake has the same sort of passion, he’s obsessed with the farm and comes with me a lot. He was up at 6am this morning to go get the woolshed ready for the shearers – he’s right into it.”
“(My son) Jake has the same sort of passion, he’s obsessed with the farm...”
Solid shepherding Rural Directions manager, Gretchen Palmer, who judged the competition, along with farmer Danny Angland, said they were impressed with the high quality of this year’s finalists. Joe has demonstrated a solid track record in shepherding across multiple farming systems. He
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is focused on building his career towards higher achievements in the industry and he is grounded and focused in his personal life also. “He has put good building blocks in place and shows good personal drive.” With an ultimate goal of owning land, Joe’s aim is to move up the ladder in his next job, to stock manager. “Owning land is a big step.” He wants to lease land to get started and build his own dagging trailer and operate it. The dagging business could boost his income. “The ultimate would be to lease to buy, but initially lease to build equity.” This was his first crack at the Shepherd of the Year title, though he had previously considered entering the Tararua or Wairarapa competitions, and he was “stoked” to hear his name read out as winner. “(For) my next job I don’t want to be just a shepherd, so I talked to Danielle and she said go for it. He signed up for the competition on the last day. “I’ve always wanted to have a go at one.” He had a couple of mates win it before and they have both jumped into managing jobs since. “I do think it’s a massive thing to have on your CV.” One big plus for Joe was competition judge Danny Angland encouraging him to look into taking a free online course on farm management, something he is planning to take up.
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WEIRD SCIENCE
SCIENCE DOESN’T SAY, IT ASKS Nicola Dennis has unearthed some strange animal science stories.
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COMMUNITY
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’ve been spending a bit of time on social media lately. So, the algorithms that drive these websites of torture have had plenty of training on how to antagonise me. One surefire way to grind my gears is to make a bold statement about what “the science says” . . . usually, in regard to someone’s favourite or leastfavourite politician, diet, or ideology. No! Science doesn’t “say” anything. Science isn’t some weighty tome of certified facts that you can strike down upon your opponent’s head. Anyone who has spent any time with scientists or the literature that they generate, will tell you that scientists are adept at avoiding definitive statements. It may actually be physically impossible for scientists to write a conclusion that doesn’t include wiggle words like “may”, “might” or “could”. And there is a reason for this - as you study something, the list of things you don’t know grows rather than shrinks. No self-respecting scientist, upon discovering a population of homosexual rams, stands up on the soapbox to announce that “science says that some sheep are gay and we trust that there will be no further questions on the matter”. Although, as we will later learn, that might have been an advisable approach for the “Barnyard insights into sexuality” research group. Science doesn’t “say” things, science “asks” questions. Science is a systematic pursuit of knowledge via an ever growing collection of questions. And, man, can those questions be strange. I’ve been trawling the internet for weird animal science. Let me share what I have found so far.
then it’s probably because you have successfully introduced a jellyfish gene into their DNA, other reasons are very unlikely. These days GFP and a few other visual genes are used more precisely in genetic experiments. Instead of randomly shotgunning the whole genome with glowing protein, it will be slotted in place of a particular gene that is being studied so that scientists can see where this gene is being activated and under what circumstances. When I worked with transgenic mice for my PhD, my friends were disappointed with my pictures of ostensibly normal mice. “Trust me”, I would say, “under the right circumstances I can make this little guy’s kidneys turn bright blue and that means we don’t know everything about the hormonal control of kidneys!”. Of course, glow in the dark kittens did pave the way for the more practical transgenic creatures. For example the Canadian goats that produced super-strong spider’s silk in their milk at McGill University. Or, closer to home, AgResearch’s transgenic dairy cows that can lactate hard-toproduce protein medicines such as Herceptin.
What’s going on with gay sheep? Nothing screams “recovering academic” like sitting alone on a Saturday night watching an hour long lecture on homosexual sheep. However, “Barnyard insights into sexuality” by Dr Charles Roselli of Oregon Health and Science University is edge of your seat stuff for endocrinology. This field of science is usually
Can we make glow in the dark animals? Creating fluorescent animals was all the rage in the late nineties and early noughties. The gene for the aptly named ‘Green Fluorescent Protein’ (GFP) from jellyfish was spliced into pretty much any creature that scientists could breed in the lab. Mice, cats, dogs, pigs, cattle, sheep, fish, and many other creatures could be found fluorescing under blue lights in laboratories throughout the world. “Wait a minute”, discerning Country-Wide readers may say, “if science is about a growing list of questions, this sounds a bit off-piste”. Bear with me. Glowing animals were not the end game for this research. Scientists were asking how genes work. They chose the green fluorescent protein gene in their early work because of its very obvious effects. If your kittens start glowing
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extend the lifetime of livestock chompers. This includes UV hardened protective coverings and glued in false teeth. You can’t fault the ambition of these researchers and their dedication to applied science. But, the line of farmers that are looking to take up backyard dentistry in their threadbare ewes is probably very short. And, I don’t think your fingers belong inside the mouth of a cow that has been studying how to escape the head bail for the past decade. However, I don’t know for sure and that’s what makes this a legitimate science question.
Can we train sniffer bees?
Dr Charles Roselli received death threats after activists erroneously stated that his research group was drilling electrodes into the brains of live sheep to find a method to reverse homosexuality.
dull graphs, not videos of copulating rams. Through careful observations over two years of each ram’s life, this research group identified that 8-10% of commercially bred stud rams only ever mate with other rams. The research group asked themselves if there was something anatomically different about the brains of the homosexual rams and then set about trying to answer that question. They found that, yes, there was some evidence that parts of the gay ram’s brains were more comparable to ewe’s brains than heterosexual rams. There was some evidence that this might be due to hormonal levels when the fetal brain was developing in gestation. But, in true science fashion this was largely inconclusive and each answered question led to a bunch of new questions and theories to test. This research provides fascinating observations about how the brain works. In gay sheep and in activists. Dr Roselli received death threats after activists erroneously stated that his research group was drilling electrodes into the brains of live sheep to find a method to reverse homosexuality. There were no electrodes or drills, and the researchers were trying to make more, not fewer, gay sheep during their quest for understanding. The researchers also found a larger population of bisexual rams that they seem to have left alone.
Can we give farm animals false teeth? Since the dawn of time, probably, man has wondered what would happen if we gave our geriatric farm animals dentures. This idea resurfaces and then dies on a fairly regular basis. As recently as 2016, there were patents filed on false teeth for cattle and sheep. Researchers have tried all sorts of ways to
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Honey bees have a wonderful sense of smell that is on a par with trained sniffer dogs. From tuberculosis to narcotics and explosives, there are plenty of “proof of concept” science papers on training sniffer bees. This isn’t as onerous as training a sniffer dog since it seems like any honey bee can be grabbed at random and trained to detect a given scent within half an hour. However, man’s best friend gets a better deal than the sniffer bee who is usually subdued inside a freezer and stuffed into some kind of restraint. Each time the target scent is presented to the honey bee, it is given sugar water. Once trained, the bees will show a Pavlovian response to the scent by reaching out their tongues (I know this isn’t the right word, but I’m not guessing the plural for “proboscis”) in anticipation of the sugar water. They are then, apparently, released back into the hive to live their lives in peace. Or, I guess, until they try to eat explosives or narcotics out in the wild. The sniffer bee brigade were quick to roll out their training for Covid-19 detection which provided promising results in the lab, but as far as I know, sniffer bees are not the cornerstone of anyone’s pandemic plan.
I have chewed up my word count and I didn’t get to the bit about sending cattle embryos into space, the wobbly possum project or the curiously contentious subject of cattle magnetism. Do cows prefer to align themselves with the earth’s magnetic poles? It wouldn’t be science if you weren’t left with some questions.
• Nicola Dennis is an agricultural analyst and scientist.
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COMMUNITY
Hunting
Using an electric mountain bike can be a great way to access rugged hunting terrain.
On ya e-bike mate BY: PETER SNOWDON
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is one of the drawbacks of this mode of transport for the backcountry. The river was thigh deep and could easily be waded. Fixing webbing straps to the bike made it easier to carry across the river slung over the shoulder. We then returned for the gear which included a cycle trailer that would carry my mate’s gear. I choose to use a set of panniers and a pack.
he walk in and out of hunting areas is often the most arduous aspect. Yet, there are locations that can easily be accessed by electric mountain bikes (e-MTBs). With motor vehicle access prohibited in many parts of the conservation estate and vehicle barriers present on many forestry roads e-MTBs offer an access solution. They save time and energy for hunting and fishing and also make hauling gear and meat a great deal easier. In late 2020 we used e-MTBs on a multi-day hunt on a Department of Conservation block. The bikes carried my companion and I and our camping, hunting and fishing gear about 10 kilometres to our campsite. The route was mostly on river terraces and followed a four-wheel drive track. This was a no vehicle access block. Patience gave us the first of three pigs. E-MTBs can travel at over 30km/ hour. They weigh about 22kg unladen, about three times the weight of most Apart from dismounting several times conventional mountain bikes but have a to get across creeks and pushing the heavy choice of modes and gears that can handle bikes up a narrow steep bank and over a a lot of country. Of course, the motor short saddle, travel was straightforward. provides assistance, you still have to pedal – E-MTBs have a power walk function which this is no electric motor bike. gives assistance when walking alongside Our first barrier was a river. Submerging the bike. We nipped down to the campsite the motor is not recommended which in half the time it would have taken us to
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walk. No aching shoulders or feet but the backside complained. Padded lycra bike shorts are definitely not part of this hunter’s wardrobe! We sighted goats high up as we approached our campsite. By the time we had set up our camp among scrub they had obligingly moved downhill to 400 meters away opposite the camp. A short stalk and five goats were dispatched. The afternoon was spent on the river. We landed three trout, the biggest about two pounds. On the return to camp several more goats appeared on the banks of a creek. We did not pass up the chance to reduce the population. The walk back to camp was nearly over when the sight of three pigs added to the excitement. They were just a little far for a shot and difficult to approach given the wind. We decided to leave them for the morning and hopefully better conditions. When the heat of the day had eased, we climbed to the next creek. A young stag in velvet grazed among ribbon woods, matagouri and flax below us. We quickly but cautiously dropped down to within 150 metres. He fell to a well-aimed .243 round to the chest. He was in superb condition carrying plenty of fat. What a day, goats and a deer on the ground and fish caught and released. At first light we sighted the pigs again, they had not moved far. It had been a good call to leave them undisturbed as the morning wind allowed an easy approach. We added a sow to the tally after a climb and shot from a good rest. Several more goats were taken later in the day and two more young pigs added to the tally. We headed home earlier than planned, with the cycle trailer and panniers loaded with meat. The verdict on e-MTBs bikes for hunting and fishing. Riding with heavily laden panniers takes time to adjust to. Over rough ground the bike can feel unstable. A cycle trailer takes some negotiation on tight narrow tracks but is fine especially on well-formed ones. A trailer can carry a load of meat and gear. Keeping the weight off your shoulders while riding makes for a much more stable and comfortable ride so try to avoid carrying a laden backpack. Biking against the wind is no problem as the motor boosts you along. Don’t forget your cycle helmet, spare inner tube and pump. Overall, the bikes allowed us to carry more weight with less discomfort. This hunter will definitely be using the e-MTB again.
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COMMUNITY
TB testing
One of the favourite parts of the job for Mel Brooker is getting out to the high country stations like Mt Algidus.
Success down to kiwi attitude BY: ANNABELLE LATZ
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oming from a farming background, TB testing seemed a logical career move for Mel Brooker. It was back in 2014 and Mel had recently moved to Oxford, North Canterbury, from Hawarden. A change in personal circumstances meant she had to find a new way to make a living for her and her three children. Her new direction came down to good timing, and who she knew. “It was just chance really. I knew I had to make a change, and one of the TB testers rang me and asked if I’d like to try.” What followed was an intense training three month module involving written, legal and practical aspects, all under the umbrella of the Ministry of Primary Industries and OSPRI. Mel enjoyed the training because it was hands on. Her first job was with Vetent, who was the contracted TB testing company to OSPRI at the time. “I’m really blessed to be able to get around the countryside and see some amazing places. Going into Lees Valley brings back fond memories (I had) as a kid.” Her job has seen changes over the years, from the frequency of testing, to her job
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role, to what company she is contracted to. Mel is working for AsureQuality now, who has the TB testing contract with OSPRI. Her testing area of North Canterbury runs from north of the Waimakariri River to south of Amberley, and from the Main Divide to the east coast. Lifestyle blocks and high country stations such as the iconic Mt Algidus make up part of Mel’s territory, although she is predominantly dairy farms. “I enjoy beef farms the most. You get the privilege to visit other people’s lovely properties” When Mel started testing, farms were monitored annually, now it’s tri-annually. All animals over 12 months old used to be tested, now it’s everything over 24 months. “The frequency of testing works a bit like a dart board, with the risk of TB at the centre – the further out you go, the less risk therefore the less testing required.”
Lifting tails part of the job Mel is also an assessor, training future TB testers. The assessment method has not changed over the years; The skin test involves putting the left hand under the tail, injecting 0.1ml of tuberculin into the caudal fold of the tail, and returning three
days later to see if there is any reaction. A reaction is a lump, which can be the size of a piece of rice to a golf ball. This lump means the cattle beast has a reactor tag inserted into the ear, and 10-30 days later the assessor returns to take a blood test underneath the tail. It’s not unusual for skin tests to return positive, but it’s less rare. “I’ve never had a positive animal in my area, but have had positive blood tests.” Mel injects on Mondays and Tuesdays, and reads the tests on Thursdays and Fridays. When dairy sheds are busy she’ll do up to four a week. On average one dairy shed takes four hours, some as big as 1400 cows. She said TB cases are in general tracking downwards in NZ, thanks to vector control with possums, ferrets and stoats, surveillance and robust testing. “There are still a lot of autopsies being done on possums, and the culling has helped a lot.” Live exporting and farm assurance are other parts of Mel’s job. “Lifting tails is still 90% of my job though.” Compared to other countries, she said NZ is progressing well on the TB front. “It’s about our good Kiwi attitude, with good systems in place.”
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SOLUTIONS
What constitutes a quality milk replacer?
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oth research data and practical experience has shown that preweaning nutrition impacts lifetime performance. For animals which are going to be breeding stock, pre-weaning nutrition has a dramatic impact on lifetime milk production. For meat producers, faster growth rates mean animals make more efficient use of available feed and are ready for market sooner. With so many different milk replacer options available, there are key factors to consider in selecting a quality product:
Ease of use An important consideration for any milk replacer is ease of use - from easy-to-follow instructions right through to mixing and feeding. Sprayfo milk replacers are made with manufacturing technology which reduces the size of the fat molecules in the milk replacer and then encapsulates these with protein. This makes the milk powder soluble and helps to ensure that the tiny molecules stay in suspension – so you know that the animal is leaving nothing behind. This also means equipment is easy to clean.
Fat source and processing for high energy digestibility
BOOKS
As one of the more expensive components in a milk replacer, fat content is typically declared on the bag (e.g., 20% fat) and it seems easy to compare milk replacers based on their fat content. However, it’s better to assess fat quality and digestibility. Choose a milk replacer that contains high quality fat sources like milk fat, palm fat or coconut oil – to ensure the fat is highly digestible. High quality milk replacers will often contain more than one high-quality fat source. Homogenisation also helps to increase fat digestibility; the tiny particles are more easily absorbed from the digestive tract.
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Vitamins, minerals, and osmolality A good quality milk replacer will contain added vitamins, micro minerals (like selenium and zinc) and macro minerals (like calcium and phosphorus). Any added vitamins and minerals should be formulated to complement the nutrients provided by the other ingredients in the milk replacer. The balance of macro minerals and lactose relative to other nutrients should be such that the osmolality of the milk replacer is close to maternal milk. Too high or too low osmolality can affect digestibility and increase the risk of nutritional scours. • More: www.agrivantage.co.nz
Sprayfo particles, similar in size to whole milk have the valuable protein on the outside, with fat contained inside. This unique fat processing method ensures optimal digestibility.
We have a range of books for sale on our website:
Go to: www.nzfarmlife.co.nz/shop
July 2021
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FARMING IN FOCUS
Top left: Hawke's Bay farmers Andrew and Maddy McLean. Top right: A sheep takes flight at David and Lidewij Black's farm, Mananui Station, in Tararua. Centre left: Earth moving at columnist Gaye Coate's farm on the West Coast of the South Island. Centre right: A pensive Olivia McLean, 4. Above left: Autumn colours on Andrew and Maddy McLean's farm. Above right: A bird’s eye view of the Posh Pioneer huts.
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Top left: Thomas Fouhy (5) hangs out at Glanworth. Top, centre: Fishing took place during the heat of the day on Peter Snowdon’s hunting trip. Top right: Spring Outs growing quickly in the sun at David Walston’s farm in Cambridge, England. Centre left: Jack Price, Ben Paton and Jared Mee are helping out on Newhaven farm. Centre right: A sling helped Peter Snowdon carry his e-bike on the river crossings. Above left: Columnist Andrew Steven’s camper is referred to as the “dog box for the parents.” Above right: Joe Fouhy with granddaughter Isla.
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HONEST, HARDWORKING, NZ MADE LEGENDS
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PROUDLY AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL PARTICIPATING VETERINARY CLINIC Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health New Zealand Limited. Level 3, 2 Osterley Way, Manukau, Auckland, New Zealand. BIONIC® is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, used under license. Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997, No. A011825. See product label for full claim details and directions for use. © Copyright 2021 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health New Zealand Limited. All rights reserved. NZ-OVI-0021-2021. Country-Wide
July 2021