Real Farmer Autumn 2021 by Ruralco

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AU T U MN 2 0 2 1

Speckle Park breed joins the dots for success

Farm reinvented as wedding venue AU TU MN 2021

Farmer plots a regenerative journey

Big challenges align for 2021

RealFarmer Farmer FO R E VE RY THING FA RMIN G A ND FA MILY

RURALCO

From the Group CEO Welcome to the Autumn edition of Real Farmer. This issue’s cover story features Robbie and Anna Clark’s Speckle Park cattle breeding operation at Culverden, North Canterbury. The distinctively marked cattle are one of the country’s fastest growing breeds and are helping dairy farmers meet the challenges of reducing calf wastage, while also providing some valuable new genetics to the country’s beef sector. After doing Shorthorn cattle for many years, the couple decided to take a chance on the Speckle Park breed and it’s paid off with results being too good to ignore. Staying in Canterbury, we also catch up with Ryan Cockburn and Alan Tindall—a successful nephew and uncle Ashburton farming partnership, which is taking the family’s long-time cropping and livestock farm down the regenerative farming pathway. At its simplest level, regenerative farming involves maintaining a good level of ground cover with minimal tillage, growing multispecies pasture swards, and building plant biodiversity on farm. It’s a system which is gaining acceptance and provoking wide discussion, and Ryan shares an insight into how the operation has come about. Once one of Canterbury’s grandest farming estates Bangor Farm is back on the map as a thriving wedding venue and function centre. Mark and India van der Wilt were drawn to the former deer farm five years ago and have set about transforming the old deer shed and its surrounds, creating a successful business venture. The couple fell in love with the 70 hectare property, and share their story with us. Agricultural reporter, Richard Rennie takes a look at the latest Rabobank data following the turmoil Covid-19 has created, and it makes for positive reading despite the dire predictions made at the onset of the pandemic. While the impacts of Covid-19 are far from over, there are also other issues and challenges directly impacting on farmers. Richard talks to industry leaders about three of these challenges—labour shortages, weather volatility and carbon reductions. March sees the staging of this year’s South Island Agricultural Field Days at Kirwee and it promises to be an exciting and welcome event following the many disruptions Covid-19 created in its wake last year. Ruralco has long supported this important event, and once again we will have a site showcasing the many services Ruralco has to offer— including information on how farmers can become members so they can access Ruralco’s many and varied farming services and products. We look forward to seeing you there.

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CONTRIBUTORS Annie Studholme Rachel Rickard Richard Rennie

FMG Tel 0800 366 466 www.fmg.co.nz

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Horticulture NZ Tel 0508 467 869 info@hortnz.co.nz www.hortnz.co.nz

Annie Studholme Elise Rutherford TECHNICAL ARTICLES

Irrigation NZ Tel 03 341 2225 admin@irrigationnz.co.nz www.irrigationnz.co.nz

Agricom Tel 0800 787 256 ruralco@ruralco.co.nz www.ruralco.co.nz

Nestle Purina Tel 0800 738 847 www.purina.co.nz

Ballance Agri-Nutrients Tel 0800 787 256 ruralco@ruralco.co.nz www.ruralco.co.nz Beef + Lamb Tel 0800 233 352 enquiries@beeflambnz.com www.beeflambnz.com DairyNZ Tel 0800 4 324 7969 info@dairynz.co.nz www.dairynz.co.nz

NZ Pork Tel 0800 697 675 info@pork.co.nz www.pork.co.nz Seales Winslow Tel 0800 287 325 www.sealeswinslow.co.nz

FAR Tel 03 345 5783 far@far.org.nz www.far.org.nz

ON THE COVER:

Rob Sharkie robert.sharkie@ruralco.co.nz

Robbie and Anna along with their two children, Will and James run Parkvale Speckle Park Stud just outside Culverden

Contents

AUT U MN 2 0 2 1

Interest

Cover Story

2 Speckle Park breed joins the dots for success 8 Farm reinvented as wedding venue 11 New Ruralco membership opportunities on offer at SIAFD 16 Farmer plots a regenerative journey 22 Big challenges align for 2021 40 Primary sector powers NZ through tough times

Technical

15 Catch cropping to reduce nitrate leaching

Speckle Park breed joins the dots for success

29 When every kilo counts 35 Filling the gap 37 Four more years for Tiwai 45 B+LNZ launches beef genetics programme 48 Irrigation improvements benefit environment and production 57 Digestive health for your cat 59 Climate focus highlights the need for water 61 Do glyphosate additives improve efficacy?

Farm reinvented as wedding venue

New Ruralco membership opportunities on offer at SIAFD

63 NAWAC reviewing mating crates and farrowing stall regulations 66 Giving 2021 some certainty

Lifestyle 24 Autumn Spirit

Wellbeing 52 Meeting the need 54 Keeping families safe from fire

Card

Farmer plots a regenerative journey

Big challenges align for 2021

DISCLAIMER: All information contained within Real Farmer is to the best of the author’s knowledge true and accurate. Opinions expressed are those of the author and not of Ruralco. Items herein are general comments only and do not constitute or convey advice. This publication is issued as a helpful guide to cardholders.

31 New workshop engineered for top quality service Humm Engineering

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Speckle Park breed joins the dots for success

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Surrounded by dairy farms in Culverden, Robbie and Anna Clark could be forgiven for feeling under siege by the industry, but instead have managed to turn their situation into an opportunity, both for them and their dairying neighbours. WORDS BY RICHARD RENNIE, PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELISE RUTHERFORD

The Clarks have established Parkvale Speckle Park Stud, home to one of the country’s fastest growing cattle breeds that is helping dairy farmers meet the challenges of reducing calf wastage, and providing some valuable new genetics to New Zealand’s beef sector. The dairy sector has transformed the Culverden-Amuri district into a thriving, fertile centre for North Canterbury. The sector’s demand for quality genetics that fit into dairy farmers’ needs has proven to be the foundation of Parkvale’s success in the past seven years. Robbie and Anna along with their two children, Will and James run their cattle stud on an irrigated block just out of Culverden, along with a grazing block nearby. “We had been doing Shorthorn for many years but as dairying increased, we were struggling to sell Shorthorn bulls to the dairy sector. The calves were too hard to identify at calving time, and the market preferred clearly marked breeds, particularly Herefords,” says Robbie. A conversation with Masterton breeder Bruce McKenzie about the potential of the Speckle Park breed prompted them to give it a go. “Bruce said to give the breed a go. It has the colour markers in it that make the calves stand out, which was a trait we knew dairy farmers wanted.” Typically, dairying clients had ben opting to Herefords, with the whiteheads making them easily definable in the busy throng of

calving mobs at springtime. At sale yards, rearers also tended to prefer the traditional whiteheads with their strong beef content. “We put the Canadian sourced semen into our Shorthorn stud cows, and the results were simply too good to ignore.” The Speckle Park (see accompanying article) markings were distinct, but the calves also ticked other boxes for both beef and dairying clients. “They were easy to identify, were a moderate birthweight, but also were quick to be up and drinking once born, often in only 10 minutes or so and their growth rates were impressive too.” The couple realised they had stumbled on genetics that offered something new and

ABOVE: Robbie and Anna with sons, Will and James BELOW: For the past seven years the Clark’s have been

supplying Speckle Park semen into the dairy industry and have seen a surge in the breed’s popularity

useful to the dairy sector—an ideal package with moderate birthweights, vigorous growth rates, and gutsy calves that easily adapted to the competitive environment of mob feeding for calves on dairy farms. They also offered a valuable finishing alternative to the vexed problem of bobby calf “wastage” on dairy farms, something the sector is acutely aware of, and keen to minimise in coming years. From a beef finishers’ perspective, the calves’ fast growth rate meant they can be finished in 18–22 months. “That holds a lot of appeal to rearers if they can be finished over only one winter, rather than two. It also answers one of the environmental challenges farmers are having to face, about having heavier stock on over winter and wanting to minimise that where possible.” Robbie emphasises they are not looking to compete with the other big breeds, rather aiming at a clear niche in the dairy sector, and doing what they do well. “All breeds have their place. The likes of Angus, you have to take your hat off to them, they have done the promotion, branding and marketing very well with the breed and the final product.” So convinced about the breed’s potential, they decided to start their Parkvale stud in 2010.

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In the interim they were using artificial insemination (AI) on their commercial cows, building a commercial herd along-side the stud. “It proves an expensive exercise, but you really cannot take short cuts and you have to keep onto it, every animal is different, every trait is critical. “It has taken 10-plus years to develop our herd to the stage we can now offer proven genetics. Alongside semen sales we have yearling and two-year-old Speckle Park bulls for sale.” For the past seven years they have been supplying Speckle Park semen into the dairy industry and have seen a surge in the breed’s popularity. “In the past season demand for Speckle Park genetics has gone up 50%.” It may surprise many to learn Speckle Park genetics is now the third most popular beef breed semen used in breeding companies, coming after Hereford and Wagyu. The break-through in market penetration came when they started supplying CRV Ambreed, through Xcell Breeding Services at Woodend. “At first, we felt lucky to sell 1000 straws a year, but now demand has increased, and we now have three sire bulls just used for AI collection” Feedback is that the markings are popular for dairy farmers, and particularly those with larger operations employing migrant staff who need to be able to communicate a simple, quick means of identification that is 4

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ABOVE: From a beef finishers’ perspective, the calves’ fast growth rate meant they can be finished in 18–22 months

recognised, regardless of language issues. Parkvale has a strong Canterbury client base which for the past two seasons includes the large Rakaia Island Dairies operation, as well as local clients in the Amuri Basin Typically, the Speckle Park genetics would be put over a herd towards the end of AI, once herd replacements numbers have been largely met. But with the advent of sexed semen, using Speckle Park Genetics earlier in the mating season is also an option, utilising its quality beef opportunity on cows where a replacement heifer may not be the preferred option. “Some will use Speckle Park genetics at the end, and then finish off with a short gestation Hereford.” Robbie believes the silver lining from the devastating M.bovis outbreak has been farmers are more aware of farm biosecurity, and have a desire to use more AI rather than bulls where possible, minimising the risk of disease. “It’s been a devastating one for the dairy sector, particularly here in Canterbury. It is great to be able to offer valuable genetic option that helps lower that risk, and retain some value for farmers as a good rearable calf.” Parkvale’s Speckle Park genetics have been in Breed Plan right from the start, and Robbie has played a key role in that. Until recently he was on the Australasia’s Breed Society’s Board - Speckle Park

International Ltd, the breed’s Society based in Australia. He was part of the Board that pushed to have Breed Plan adopted by the Speckle Park breed. “You really need to have the numbers. The first thing any dairy farmer will ask you is ‘what is the calf’s birthweight?’” Parkvale’s stud bulls visit the Xcell Breeding Services centre at Woodend for semen collecting, often spending more time there than at home in Culverden. The relationship ensures fully certified collection conditions, and provides access to latest genetic technology including embryo transfer services to help fast track gains from the purebred females. That genetic information gathered through Breed Plan has been further strengthened, thanks to their relationship with Rakaia Island Dairies. Having a large herd allows us to get some very valuable data back about the bulls that we supply especially around calving ease and birthweights. Robbie cautions breeding requires vigilance, which the data is invaluable in reinforcing. “Even when you think you have it nailed, you don’t want to take your eye off the ball. Traits can vary within a line of animals as much as they do between lines. We try a bull ourselves first before putting his genetics out there—if you would not use him yourself, then we would not be selling it.” Anna spends four months a year rearing calves nearby and knows full well the need to have the right beef genetics in a dairy herd. Robbie admits that as a new breed to New Zealand, they have come up against some traditional views about what constitutes a “good animal” for crossing in dairy herds. “But the people who come to us, they are really looking for a solution, not just for a

ABOVE: Anna and Robbie say that being affiliated as a Ruralco Supplier provides another valuable avenue to market for Parkvale BELOW: The breed’s carcass can deliver a Wagyu like marbling effect through the meat, adding to the highquality eating experience

change. We have found those who do and see the results, are happy to come back, and pass it on.” When he looks across to Australia he is heartened to see how the breed has taken off there in beef circles, and the couple have genetic interests from operations there using the breed. Accessing good bulls in Australia is now possible, and the couple acquire semen rights for New Zealand, a good option when animal imports are expensive and restrictions likely in light of the M.bovis issues. Robbie is concerned the impact M.bovis, market volatility and the Covid epidemic have all had on calf rearers’ opportunities as the next link in the beef supply chain over the past year. He hopes this coming year will see more stability. The couple enjoy the contact they have with their dairying clients, and Robbie says he has come to appreciate the proactive, innovative approach New Zealand’s dairy industry is taking to its biggest challenges. “We are fortunate to be providing part of the solution to one of the sector’s issues around calving. Having a beef breed that goes so well in the dairy sector is just one way of

helping bring the entire farming sector together in helping deal with the challenges by providing a new opportunity, one farmers may not have had before.” Anna says being affiliated as a Ruralco supplier provides another valuable avenue to market for Parkvale. “And by buying through Ruralco, customers get a discount. For those Ruralco members who use LIC, it is a simple process to get semen into their tanks.” “We will be at the South Island Field Days at Kirwee this year in the West Section at Site 180 and welcome anyone who is interested in Speckle Park to come and see us.”

Robbie Clark says he has seen the cattle in Canada living outdoors in -35ºC temperatures, and in 35ºC plus in Australia. “They have this incredible ability to go well across a wide range of climates.” Australian farmers are finding that Speckle Park genetics is delivering a better-quality beef animal when crossed with their dry-climate cattle, with minimal calving difficulties and robust calves. The resulting beef has long time Australian cattle growers singing the praises about better eating quality, despite the tough drought conditions recently experienced. As a finishing animal they are renowned for their good grass to meat conversion ratio, producing well marbled, high-quality meat off moderate sized carcases, with a welcome tendency to finish earlier than many more traditional breeds. A Future Beef competition in 2018 had a Friesian-Speckle park carcass yield an impressive 68%, with yields of up to 70% claimed. The breed’s carcass can deliver a Wagyu like marbling effect through the meat, adding to the high-quality eating experience. Rearers report the calves display a gutsy attitude when it comes to feeding time, a welcome change for anyone who has been left trying to teach sulky Kiwi-cross calves how to feed over the busy spring period. Meantime, once up and growing Robbie says the calves offer consistent even growth rates as growing calves, rather than a “stopstart” pattern. Feedlot results from Australia over five years suggest Speckle Park genetics are beating other common dairy cross breeds by providing a consistently good yield with well marbled-tender meat. The dressing out percentage here in New Zealand suggests that is transferring well to our grass-fed environment.

Speckle Park growing fast As attractive as Speckle Park calves may look, they also offer a new alternative to the dairy sector looking to better integrate with beef breeds that deliver a “win-win” for both sides of the calf rearing equation. The breed originates from Canada, one of the few cattle breeds to do so and originally consisted of a blend of Shorthorn-Angus and White Park, and only recognised officially as a breed by the Canadian government in 2006. As a breed they have proven to be highly adaptable, literally capable of living between sub-zero and tropical temperatures.

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Farm reinvented as wedding venue Once home to one of the country’s leading red deer herds, Mark and India van der Wilt have put Bangor Farm back on the map, transforming it into a thriving wedding venue and function centre. WORDS & IMAGES SUPPLIED BY ANNIE STUDHOLME

Driving up the magnificent avenue of 160-yearold trees to Bangor Farm with views of Mount Hutt and Mount Torlesse, it’s hard not to be blown away. Steeped in history, Bangor is reminiscent of the grandest English country estates emanating classic Capability Brown style, complete with a lake and oak avenues, as well as elms, ash, and other English trees. With all this history, it’s easy to see why Mark and India van der Wilt were drawn to the property almost five years ago. Originally from Arrowtown, Central Otago, Mark had spent many years working in the film industry before opening a small quarry on land they owned in the Gibbston Valley, while India came from a background in retail. In a bid to be closer to family and their other black-sand mining interests on the West Coast, the couple decided it was time to move north to Canterbury. Mark’s mother’s family came from Kuriheka in North Otago, a place which 8

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ABOVE: Mark and India with their children, Emma, Ella and Sam

has always held a special place in his heart. “I wanted a place that had old trees [like Kuriheka] and that would be a home for the girls and son, Sam,” says Mark. “We looked at the [Bangor] homestead but walked away from the amount of work it required. Driving up the original main entrance to the deer shed block, it just blew us away. It was the trees. It felt like a French television commercial. Weddings immediately sprung to mind. We could imagine a marquee there in the grass and thought what better way to share the special piece of history, environment and this feeling with others.” Originally covering 2,400 hectares, Bangor was once one of Canterbury’s grandest old country estates, revered for producing fine sheep and

wool, and its heavy wheat growing land. It was first purchased by the Ward brothers in 1854, who were nephews of the Viscount of Bangor in Ireland. They came with grand plans of establishing an English-style deer park. Upon their arrival they built a small stone house with earth floors and started establishing the grounds, planting many of the English trees that still thrive today. Sadly, after the ship carrying a herd of deer was lost at sea, it took more than a century for Viscount Bangor’s dream to be realised. After one of the Ward brothers tragically died in a yachting accident in Lyttelton Harbour, Bangor was sold to well-known engineer George Holmes. Holmes was responsible for building New Zealand’s first railway network, including the Christchurch to Lyttelton railway tunnel that opened in 1867. In 1870, he started work on the new classical colonial style homestead at Bangor. The homestead and 1,100 acres were later sold to A.E.G Rhodes in 1919, who gifted it to his daughter on her marriage to Major George Hutton. It remained in the Hutton family for three generations until it was sold in 1987. In the years since the Hutton’s owned it, Bangor passed through many hands. The homestead has undergone significant alterations, previously being used as a luxury guest lodge and now back into private ownership, and the property has been carved into many small holdings. The first deer park at Bangor was started in 1980 bringing Viscount Bangor’s dream to fruition but it was renowned deer breeder Clive Jermy that took it to the next level setting up Stanfield’s Stud there in 2008 with the building of the impressive deer antler museum and sales complex. Jermy had been an influential player in the fledgling deer industry since the early 1980s when he secured the franchise for genetics from great English deer parks Woburn Abbey and Warnham Park. He started out in Cambridge, before moving south to Bushey Park, near Palmerston, where he ran a large operation with 1,000 velveting stags, 750 breeding hinds for venison, 250 breeding hinds for velveting replacements, in addition to the red deer stud, an Eastern European stud, and a Hereford cattle stud. On moving to Bangor, the operation was downsized, focusing exclusively on red deer genetics, but continued to lead the market. The deer antler museum contained hundreds of heads, including some red deer world records. Unfortunately, circumstance saw the Stansfield’s

Stud at Bangor sold in 2015. The estate was bought by a developer Keith Sutton, who subsequently subdivided the estate into current blocks today. Having fallen in love with the mature oak trees which dominate the landscape, the van der Wilt’s, purchased the largest block of what remained of the estate and the deer farm of 70 hectares, dedicating 20 hectares to the Deer Shed Venue while leasing the remainder out to a neighbouring farmer where they have built a new home. Being located five minutes from Darfield and only 30 minutes from Christchurch and interest in rural, romantically rustic weddings increasing, setting the property up as a wedding venue where people could embrace nature, country, and farming influence, while enjoying a slice of history seemed like a no brainer. Initially they considered putting up a grand silk-lined marquee permanently amongst the oak trees, but later realised the honeydew from the mature trees would mean they would be constantly trying to keep it clean. Their eyes turned to the imposing deer trophy museum, function centre and deer sales complex. With the main room being 60 metres long by 30 metres wide, and more than 8 metres high, the massive space had potential. But the task in front of them was monumental, which is where India’s passion for design and attention to detail came into play. “As we weren’t going to have events that involved stock units, we had to get a resource consent. The process took around 18 months giving us time to take on the exciting challenge of converting the deer shed,” explains India. During that time the outside of the buildings were stained black. Inside, they painted the Long Dining Room to make it light and bright, fitting lights that had been rescued from St Luke’s Church in the city after it was demolished following the Christchurch earthquakes. The selling auditorium was retained and comfortably accommodates up to 200-plus guests for speeches and presentations with professional sound equipment, microphones, and projectors. Once the octagonal main deer yards were removed, the couple set about transforming the big open space into an industrial rustic barn-style room. The deer yards made way for a concrete floor complete with cracks to make it

look old, and a huge fireplace was added to give people a wonderful place to gather. Ply on the walls was also stained dark. A colossal 3-metre-high crystal chandelier now forms the focal point of the room. It can easily seat 300 with plenty of extra space for a dance floor. The entire complex is powered and heated using generators and solar power. “It’s about emotions,” explains Mark. “We want to make it more appealing and create that beautiful ambience, but at the same time we don’t want to lose the shed vibe because that’s what people like about it. We are providing people with an empty biscuit tin and how they want to dress it is completely up to them. Anything goes. We are completely flexible. They can bring a horse or a Mr Whippy van.” With his years of film experience, Mark has carefully created hundreds of ideal backdrops for photo opportunities around the grounds for people to capture their perfect day, from a wooden bridge over the ponds to the wilderness of the oak forest. Quiet horses can even be arranged on request. They also have some unique outdoor spaces for the wedding ceremony, including The Folly. “The only thing we had here was the trees, we’ve had to add it all. It’s interesting for photos, but also for people to look at. We keep adding more all the time,” says Mark. He’s also made it his mission to bring back some of the history, wherever possible reusing materials, scouring antique shops and second-hand dealers for the perfect pieces. The outside seating comes from Lancaster Park and the dilapidated iron front gates were found lying in the grass on the demolished Canterbury Breweries site, harking back to the old Wards Brewery, which brings them full circle as it was the Ward brothers that first owned Bangor last century. Neither Mark nor India knew anything about running a wedding venue when they first started, though the similarities to the film industry are not lost on Mark. He says with weddings you essentially still have a director, producer, client, catering, hair and make-up, and wardrobe. Admittedly, the van der Wilt’s have learnt a lot along the way and have made their share of mistakes. Like when they splashed out on buying rectangular trestle tables with matching

ABOVE: Looking out under the mature oak trees that dominate the landscape ABOVE LEFT: The deer shed with a new lease on life

white chairs only to find out that most brides prefer rounds. Now they offer both. They held their first weddings at the Deer Shed in 2018 and since then business has boomed. This wedding season (from the end of September to the end of April) they have more than 40 weddings booked in with two on most weekends, Friday and Saturday, with Sunday’s reserved for showings. “One of the biggest things I love starts with showing prospective clients the Deer Shed and watching the moment they fall in love with the place which results in an incredible journey for us all - that’s an absolute buzz,” says India. While the wedding business is a gigantic leap from traditional farming, like any farmer, it has its busy times, laughs Mark. India takes care of everything with the help of daughters Emma (19) and Ella (17), working with clients to liaise with their own florists, caterers, bands, and celebrants, aided by additional cleaning staff. No wedding is too big or too small. It requires a lot of dedication to provide the perfect venue especially when you’re holding weddings back-to-back, weekend after weekend, she explains. While many brides come with set ideas, India says some are just happy to go with their suggestions. The trick has been knowing what’s important, being able to help people with suggestions when they’re lost and encouraging them to come up with their own ideas, so each wedding is unique to every couple. She’s continually amazed. Though it’s all-encompassing during the wedding season, both Mark and India enjoy it. “We really try to have a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, making everyone feel welcome. It’s a lot of fun meeting all the different people. It’s not like any other business, people are always happy. It’s a real privilege to be a part of people’s special day,” says Mark. While they also offer corporate events, team building, product launches and anything in between, for now, the focus remains firmly on weddings.

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New Ruralco membership opportunities on offer at SIAFD

This year’s South Island Agricultural Field Days (SIAFD) promises to be an exciting and welcome event following the many disruptions Covid created in its wake last year. WORDS BY ANITA BODY

Farming folk missed several opportunities to network with their agricultural communities, industry leaders, and innovators, as a result of cancelled A & P Shows and other events, making this year’s SIAFD a great chance for farmers to come together again to see what’s new and to socialise with other like-minded people. This year’s event is expected to attract between 20,000 and 25,000 attendees over three days, from 24–26 March at Kirwee (about 20km from Christchurch). Ruralco has long supported this important event, and once again we will have a site showcasing the many services Ruralco has to offer— including information on how farmers can become members so they can access Ruralco’s many and varied services and products, which cover all aspects of farming. Membership Services Manager, Lizzie Redfern, will be happy to take farmers through the application process, talking you through the various membership options available to ensure you find the best membership account to fit your needs. “We are experts in agriculture, providing a complete solution with personalised advice and the latest innovations, on farm, in store or online,” said Lizzie. “Joining Ruralco gives you access to our services and products across all aspects of farming. You start saving straight away when you use your Ruralco Card, on farm supplies

“We have been experts in agriculture since 1963 and we continue to provide complete solutions with personalised advice whether it is on farm, in store or online. Our Ruralco Card is convenient, having the ability to be used online or in store, and has just one statement for consolidated spend and improved cashflow. It is a great way to transact with the carefully chosen and reputable businesses you want and need to spend with, helping you find the right product for your farm when you need it.” Ruralco works hard to negotiate purchasing options with real value on everyday items for your farm, while also supporting New Zealand agribusiness and our rural communities. “Ruralco offers competitive pricing on the products and services you need to sustainably operate your farming business, so pop into our site at SIAFD to find out more about how you can access the many ABOVE: Raewyn Maw, Stuart Marr & David Maw, SIAFD 2019 great benefits Ruralco has to offer,” said Lizzie. BELOW: Tiffany Mably & Celina Templeman at SIAFD 2019 Anyone who signs up at the Field Days will receive a $50 credit on their account. Other Ruralco site attractions and competitions include such as agricultural chemicals, animal health the chance to win a Ruralco branded Swanndri and nutrition, seed, fertiliser, irrigation, fencing, overnight bag each day of the event—just fill clothing, footwear, and farm equipment. in an entry form onsite to be in with a chance Members can also save up to 40 per cent on to win. There will also be free barista coffee products and services through our continuallyon site all day, and a Gallagher in-line fencing expanding, nationwide Ruralco Card Supplier competition. network.” So take the time to call in and find out how In addition to these great benefits, members Ruralco can help and support your farming also receive consistent savings of 12c* per litre operation. Lizzie and the Ruralco team will be off the pump prices at over 300 fuel stations at site number 376 and are looking forward to nationwide, and competitive deals on bulk fuel helping you become a part of the Ruralco family. deliveries and fuel storage options. Ruralco *No volume limits. Discount current as at 1 March 2021 and is subject provides expert advice and competitive energy to change. Discount is not available at convenience stations or in deals on electricity, LPG, and solar power; seed conjunction with other fuel discount offers excluding pump price offers. The Ruralco 12¢ discount will not be given at the point of sale and agronomy advice; and health and safety but provided as a rebate on your monthly statement. BP and Z fuel and farm advice and support from its skilled and offerings only available to ATS Shareholders and associated accounts. knowledgeable team.

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Catch cropping to reduce nitrate leaching The risk of nitrogen (N) leaching from urine patches, deposited while stock are grazing winter crops, is considerable. WORDS AND IMAGES SUPPLIED BY AGRICOM Soils that are left fallow, post-winter grazing, create a high probability of soil drainage and nutrient losses, which in turn may affect spring and annual production. Catch crops are used to cover the fallow ground and take up the urinary N deposited during winter grazing, reducing the risk of nitrate leaching. The use of catch cropping is a valuable tool to aid farmers to meet new requirements with environmental rules that are currently being implemented throughout the country. Recent research from Forages for Reduced Nitrate Leaching (FRNL) and Pastoral 21 (P21) have shown dry matter (DM) production can be significantly increased at a lower cost per kg/DM while decreasing the amount of leachable N. One study has shown that by sowing catch crops such as oats following winter crop grazing, nitrogen losses have been reduced by up to 49% compared to

leaving the ground fallow. (The magnitude of this effect may vary depending on crop management, the choosen catch crops perfromance, soil type and seasonal weather conditions). Milton forage oats and Coronet forage oats have been bred for increased yield, quality and disease tolerance as well as having a fast establishment in cool conditions. Milton oats are faster to mature than Coronet oats, making them an ideal option for catch crop sowing in late winter or early spring for green chop cereal silage or quality spring grazing before returning to another crop option. Triticale is also a good option for catch cropping, particularly for frost prone areas as it is a more frost tolerant cultivar than oats. Kudos triticale has a high yield potential making it an ideal cultivar for whole crop

cereal silage. Kudos whole crop cereal silage has similar properties to maize silage, with high carbohydrates, but with the advantage of being able to germinate and grow through the winter into the spring, to be harvested in early summer. Although Italian and annual ryegrasses are fast to establish with a high winter and early spring DM yield (typically being ready for a first grazing 4 to 6 weeks after sowing) they are not as fast or as reliable as cereals for sowing in winter and are more suited to a sowing date of either late April/May or very late August/early Septmber for catch cropping. Asset diploid Italian ryegrass is a dense cultivar that was bred from the most winter-active plants. It has a high tiller density to encourage persistence, helpful for heavy winter grazing and can then be shut up for silage production. Asset also has the added protection of AR37 endophyte. Jivet tetraploid annual ryegrass has a speedy establishment phase and produces highquality silage. It has a large upright leaf for ease of mowing and has been selected due to its exceptional rust tolerance. These crops can also be useful in providing ground cover for weed control and soil stabilisation and increase total annual production. Figure 1 below demonstrates another trial where the effect of using a catch crop to reduce N was compared to leaving the ground fallow, providing a 33% reduction of soil mineral N. Oats are an ideal species to use for catch cropping, as they establish well in cooler soil temperatures and even when plants are very small they have the ability to absorb residual soil N. Figures 2 and 3 demonstrate the benefits gained by putting Italian ryegrass, triticale and oats into a system following a fodder beet crop and a kale crop being grazed. Oats were proven to have the greatest effect as a catch crop in terms of dry matter harvested (t DM/ha) and N uptake (kg N/ha). Talk to your local Environmental Specialist at your Regional Council if you would like further information on current environmental guidelines within your specific catchment. Contact your local Ruralco Representative for more information on the ideal catch cropping cultivar for your farming system.

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Farmer plots a regenerative journey 16

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Canterbury is becoming a hub for growing commitment to regenerative farming. The region’s tapestry of farming regimes and a new generation of farmers keen to try alternative approaches mean regenerative practices are becoming more commonly accepted, and widely discussed. WORDS BY RICHARD RENNIE, IMAGES BY ANNIE STUDHOLME

Ashburton farmer Ryan Cockburn is part of the movement, taking the family’s longtime cropping and livestock farm down the regenerative pathway. Ryan farms in partnership on the 240ha farm with his uncle, Alan Tindall. The partnership between nephew and uncle is uncommon,

but also one that is uncommonly successful—even more so when a third generation is added to family farming mix, in the form of Ryan’s grandparents Annette and Les. The success has been recognised in the past—the partnership has claimed Supplier of the Year status in 2019 for their efforts with their First Light Wagyu cattle, and they have picked up the Premium Milling Award in the same year in the United Wheat Growers competition. Alan and Ryan’s crop of Reliance wheat yielded 10t a hectare on average, with an exceptionally high protein level. In recent years Ryan has become interested in farming to produce higher value crops, and food that delivers a denser nutrient profile, earning them a value-add premium for their efforts. With livestock operations including growing Wagyu for First Light and lamb trading, he has started to recognise the foundation of

ABOVE: With livestock operations including growing Wagyu for First Light and lamb trading, Ryan has started to recognise the foundation of good soil and plant health can deliver high quality, healthy red meat as a result BELOW: Ryan flanked by his uncle Alan Tindall and grandfather Les Tindall

good soil and plant health can deliver high quality, healthy red meat as a result. “Livestock are a big part of our operation, and if you can look after them, they will always look after you, and healthy feed inputs are part of that.” The interest got Ryan looking harder at regenerative farming practices, a phrase he admits he did not even know existed only two years ago. At its simplest level, regenerative farming involves maintaining a good level of ground cover with minimal tillage, growing multispecies pasture swards and building plant biodiversity on farm with crop and plant combinations that can naturally counter pests and diseases. Its non-prescriptive, flexible options hold appeal in regions like Canterbury where cropping is often an intrinsic part of farm business, and no two farms in any district run the same rotations and crop types in any given year. Ultimately regenerative systems aim to help ease farmers’ use of synthetic inputs of fertiliser and sprays, and with that their input costs. Ryan also acknowledges he had a level of weariness around modern farming techniques where the focus can tend to be on utilising the quickest approach to manage fertility or pests. It often requires a necessary dollar return within the window of a single season, rather than over an entire farming lifetime.

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His first tentative steps into regenerative farming came last winter when he planted a paddock of kale and added in some chrysanthemums and phacelia to the crop mix. As a plant, chrysanthemums contain natural pyrethrins, a mix of chemicals toxic to insects, and often used to control a range of pest species. The phacelia provide good ground cover to suppress weed growth. “The idea was the beneficial bugs would be encouraged to increase in numbers and deal to the harmful bugs. It got close to the point where I thought I would have to spray, but ultimately the good bugs won out.” The first steps were a success and prompted Ryan to look harder at work done by fellow Canterbury farmers working on regenerative options. Farmers have picked up on assorted regenerative techniques re-incorporating stubble into soil, growing cover crops and inter-planting, all helping boost soil organic matter and farm resilience. “Thanks to their work, there is now enough information out there that is specific to Canterbury and to New Zealand farms, and I can see how it benefits both short and long term farming outcomes.” 18

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LEFT: This harvests milling wheat, grown without any need for pest or fungicide applications BELOW: “Livestock are a big part of our operation, and if you can look after them, they will always look after you, and healthy feed inputs are part of that.”

Often in regenerative systems, a mix of crop and livestock provide a good balance for introducing nutrients through dung and stubble and helping integrate pasture into breaks in crop rotation. Ryan and Alan’s commitment to First Light Wagyu over the past nine years has fitted well with his later regenerative aspirations. “What we particularly liked is the certainty of having a contract price set almost a year

earlier, knowing what you will be paid well before you receive it.” Alan was also keen for them to somehow shorten the gap between the paddock and the plate, with closer contact to the processor and ultimately the final customer. They buy in 100–120 weaner calves consisting of both heifers and steers, running them for two winters to their final weights for processing. The valued marbling score that is central to Wagyu’s taste premium required some tinkering in the early years to get right, but now Alan and Ryan have it nailed down, regularly achieving a 5.5–6.0 average score on the 0-9 scale. “And we will still manage to get a couple of 9s each year across the entire mob.” That success puts them among the top 10 First Light suppliers nationally, and rightful winners of the Supplier of the Year 2019. The First Light contract also ensures a regular cash flow as the stock are processed over eight—nine months as they finish, with the pasture a valuable four to five year feed source that also helps build organic matter between crops. Just as Alan and Ryan looked to First Light for value added premiums, Ryan believes a similar option may open with the regenerative cropping. This year they managed to grow a 6ha paddock of high-grade milling wheat using regenerative practices and doing away with the need for any pest or fungicide applications. “Ultimately we would like to find someone keen to sign us up on a spray free contract— we are pretty optimistic there will be takers out there for the wheat, possibly as an ingredient for high quality artisan bread products, for example.”

The process involved growing a crop of crimson clover with the wheat, drilling the two crops at the same time. He also added phacelia as a cover crop. Phacelia, known for its ability to suppress weeds due to its rapid establishment, also prevents nitrogen leaching and helps lay a good layer of ground cover. It also tends to attract insects like the hoover fly, known to predate on pests like aphids. “These are the useful bugs that really become collateral damage when you start a spray programme.” Recent news about glyphosate residues has made headlines in New Zealand, with Japanese authorities detecting miniscule levels in New Zealand honey samples. As a spray it is ubiquitous and central in many cropping programmes, with its annual value to the New Zealand economy estimated to be about $500 million a year. As a means of reducing tillage, it is an invaluable tool and like other regenerative farmers Ryan says he would be loath to drop the herbicide at this stage. “But we do need to respect its use. We avoid feeding the stock anything that’s been sprayed with it and ensure whatever is to be sprayed is well chewed down first.” Future crop rotations based off the success of the wheat are being considered for this year. That includes looking at a bean-lupinlegume mix, rolling and then drilling it in, and this could come after their radish crop. Crimson clover also sown would be allowed to come through with the autumn wheat that would follow. Ryan says historically the farm has never been a big recipient of nitrogen fertiliser,

given 50–60% of the pastures sown have a strong legume base to them and are already fixing nitrogen. However, this year for the first time he has started using a humate-urea blended product, and he has been impressed by its success. Research on urea-humate blends has shown the humate content can help lift dry matter grown by 10–15% compared to urea-only. Adding the humates has also shown to extend the urea’s longevity. Early research is also indicating the humate addition may help to lower nitrate losses from nitrate fertilisers. Ryan is excited about the opportunities blending crops offers, including across the variety of seed crops they grow, including pak choy, linseed, and parsnip. “We see the regenerative practices as being compatible with the export seed crops—as long as we remain mindful of what we are putting in alongside those crops. You would not use wild radish for example if your neighbour were going to be putting in an export crop of radish seed.” The blended cropping approach is also one he is applying to pasture for lambs and the Wagyu cattle. This year he grew their first multi-species pasture sward, with 18 different seed types in the mix. “And it was inspiring to see the plants growing together with that level of variety, and then to see the animals going through getting stuck into what was on offer, it is virtually a buffet of options for them.” He felt the cattle grew even better than he had hoped for, easily hitting the 700g a day growth rate target they set to optimise even marbling over their lifetime.

ABOVE & LEFT: Ryan is excited about the opportunities blending crops offers, including across the variety of seed crops they grow, including pak choy, linseed, and parsnip

While not doing faecal egg counts at present, Ryan is not seeing any signs of undue parasites, and is easing back on drench inputs, substituting with the likes of seaweed-based supplements. In the longer term he is looking forward to folding a greater proportion of the farm under regenerative practices. “We are really trying to seek out those spray free contracts if possible, while also cutting back on our cost inputs if we can.” As keen regenerative convert, Ryan has interestingly but not unusually never considered going down the organic pathway on the farm. “What we like about this practice is you can really tailor it to what works for you. There is no set prescriptive time frame or practices for conversion. You can try things and see what works, drop it if it doesn’t—there is a good level of flexibility.” His advice to anyone considering their regenerative options is to expect things to take some time, and don’t go looking for the “quick fix” answer. “There are also three questions worth asking yourself. One is ‘what are my reasons for doing it?’, secondly ‘what are the limitations while I do it?’ and thirdly, ‘what is the outcome I expect from doing it?’”

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Get what you need, when you need it with Ruralco, including a mixed four pallet deal on magnesium, lime, salt & DCP with the option of deferred payment until November 2021. Visit our website or call us to find out more about our dairy products.

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INTEREST

Big challenges align for 2021 For many people around the world, farewelling 2020 came with the hope that 2021 would somehow bring a break to the gloom and depression of the Covid-19 epidemic. But many in Europe and North America may well have felt 2021 has so far offered little such respite, particularly as winter descended. BY RICHARD RENNIE

Meantime in New Zealand the sense of being a lifeboat country amid the tumultuous global epidemic continues. This was only heightened amid the swirl of festive events and holidays as the country enjoyed its summer break. It was easy to forget the grief and stress engulfing much of the rest of the world. But for New Zealand farmers the business year has rolled on, and a collection of factors are lurking on the horizon demanding every farmer’s attention. As big as the issues like Brexit, the new US presidency and even the epidemic itself are, all are less likely to be within the control of farmers here compared to some of these more immediate events that must be grappled with much nearer to home. 22

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Labour The most immediate issue to kick off the list of concerns for many growers and farmers has been the issue of labour. With seasonal crops like apples, pears, grapes and kiwifruit all hanging ripe and ready, this year is again a challenge for sourcing sufficient staff to harvest it all. The industry’s reliance upon the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme has become an established and successful part of the horticultural sector that Covid crippled last year, and the impact continues to reverberate for this year’s harvest. After a mammoth effort by growers, farmers, orchardists and processors last year’s harvest was managed despite the expected 12,000

RSE workers being sliced back to only 8,000 as a result of the travel restrictions. Many of those 8,000 have returned home, with about 5,000 remaining for this season, often retained by their seasonal employers who were desperate not to lose them before this year’s harvest. This year’s numbers will be no where near the 16,000 workers the industry had been aiming for a year ago. However, there were cheers in later January when the first flights of RSE workers from the Pacific Islands arrived with 150 workers on board. This represented the first major opening of New Zealand’s borders to any single group since the travel restrictions began. In all 13 flights mean eventually 2,000 extra workers will join the 5,000 still here. While much less than hoped, their arrival was welcomed by Apple and Pear NZ chief executive Alan Pollard who says the valuable workers will be spread among industries and regions in coming weeks. The workers’ isolation costs have been met by industry and a minimum wage of $22.10 an hour is paid, including while in isolation. Just before Christmas, immigration minister Kris Faafoi announced visa changes that have also provided some more hands to harvest. A six-month extension on working holiday visas now means anyone on a working holiday visa can work in any job without restrictions. This opens the door for up to 13,000 working holiday visa holders, and has been welcomed by the primary sector. However, competition for staff will remain strong, and job vacancy figures released in January revealed job vacancies were almost back to pre-covid levels, with some provinces reporting higher job vacancy rates than before the pandemic. The dairy sector has also been hit hard by Covid’s effect on staff. Many skilled foreign workers are struggling to get back to New Zealand, often an attractive country to work in due to good pay, conditions and respected employers. Estimates made by DairyNZ last year were that even if all migrant workers were retained, New Zealand will still be at least 1,000 staff

short, intensifying competition for locals who often may not have the skills needed to start working straight away on farms. The six-month extension beyond September last year on working visas was welcomed by Federated Farmers employment spokesman Chris Lewis. “It makes sense as we seek to rev up the post-covid economy to keep the services of migrant workers already in New Zealand while we train more kiwi workers,” he said. The Fed’s “getkiwisonfarms” programme has also helped boost local interest in dairying, and hopes are it can be extended.

Weather volatility Summer fruit growers had a well-managed programme to recruit staff that was successful, at least until the next major issue for 2021 hit home—namely the weather and the increasingly extreme events it is bringing. Cherry growers have had as much as 6,000t or half their crop wiped out by hail in Nelson and some of the heaviest rain for 40 years in Otago. This event is likely to have cost over $50 million in lost cherries alone, and a similar value for lost kiwifruit, hops, stonefruit and apples. The weather’s volatility has become more intense in recent years, and the past 12 months have only highlighted the growing vulnerability of the primary sector to increasingly extreme weather events that would have once been labelled “one off.” This includes the searing drought through Hawke’s Bay, intense flooding in Northland and most recently the devastating storms that wiped out large portions of Nelson and Otago crops. For a region like Hawke’s Bay, the latest drought is the second major dry period in a decade, and has left aquifers and water systems vulnerable to continuing dry weather this year. The declaration of a “climate change emergency” may have been scoffed by some in December, but for farmers and growers at the sharp end of weather, it is proving real. Phil Duncan, director and founder of WeatherWatch says it is undeniable the planet is getting warmer, and while this is a longer-term trend it is bringing some immediate impacts to the primary sector, some already witnessed this year. “I do think one of the things definitely being experienced is more extreme weather events,” he said. The most recent example is the Nelson hail event that inflicted almost $100 million worth of crop damage on the region on Boxing Day. “Ironically, when you add a bit more heat, heat makes hail with increased cloud build up causing more water, and more water freezing leads to more hail.” Philip maintains New Zealand is witnessing more extreme, localised weather events, like the Napier floods late last year.

These events are exacerbated by Kiwis choosing to live and farm on areas already vulnerable to flooding, such as the Taieri Plains where the land sits 2m below the sea surface. “And the intensity of drought is also increasing too, we are getting drier dries, but also extreme events like snow in summer.” One particular area of concern he is tracking is the occurrence in the past two years of more intensive high-pressure systems dominating New Zealand’s weather systems. “These have a real effect upon the upper half of the North Island in particular, but it remains too early to know if this is just part of a cycle, or a longer-term shift that has major implications for growers and farmers through all of New Zealand.” A Ministry for Environment risk assessment report on climate change impact released last year highlighted Canterbury’s exposure as two-fold. Reduced snow days are already being experienced, reducing the level of stored water in the Alps, while drought is predicted to increase in frequency and severity, particularly along the eastern side of the Southern Alps. The two developments work together as more dry weather demands more water, which in turn is less available due to lower snow fall water storage. This year efforts are likely to ramp up efforts to buffer farms and crops from more severe weather and climate events. Some examples already in the market include a variety of apple commercialised by T&G capable of being grown in hotter, drier environments and now found in Spain and France. Work is continuing on AgResearch’s genetically modified rye grass that demonstrates not only improved drought resistance, but also lower methane losses. Meantime the government’s Covid recovery funds have delivered an unexpected opportunity for water storage schemes, with a Northland project fast tracked in only two months, and work is continuing apace on the Waimea dam project near Nelson.

Carbon reductions Inevitably linked to climate change and weather, the government’s move to lower New Zealand’s carbon footprint may complete the triumvirate of concerns for farmers this year. In 2019 the government announced plans for agriculture to be folded into the emissions trading scheme (ETS) by 2025, with the time in between to be used to develop a farm level pricing mechanism separate to the ETS. The aim has been to give government and industry time to measure and reduce agricultural emissions, with incentives for farmers to review practices and adjust accordingly.

This is aimed to be more direct than simply placing a carbon charge on final stage processors as is the case at present. While this means the sector does not have to pay any emissions levies or climate change taxes until 2025, the clock is ticking faster this year on farmers to demonstrably show they are reducing emissions within the farm gate. Already over 10,000 farm environment plans containing GHG assessments for the first time have been sent to farmers. The He Waka Eke Noa partnership between government, industry and Maori intends to equip growers and farmers with the ability to adapt to green-house gas limits. The “big stick” the government is waving requires the scheme to prove it can reduce its emissions, with progress to be reviewed next year, or agriculture be forced to enter the ETS and buy carbon credits like other emitters. While water quality regulations have crept up over time for the farming community, the ETS pressures have come relatively quickly, and demand farmers attention from a government compelled to reduce emissions as a signatory to the Paris Accord. With the bulk of greenhouse gases emitted by dairy cows, dairy farmers will be particularly feeling the pressure. Early work by DairyNZ has shown some positive progress with one trial farm reducing gas emissions by 8%, or about a tonne a hectare while farm operating profit actually lifted by 14%. Less bought in feed, a 5% reduction in stocking rate and lower nitrogen applications all played a big part in achieving this. They should give farmers some focus as pressure lifts to prove reductions have been made in the coming two years. The “low hanging fruit” of supplement reduction and lower nitrogen application are likely to be the first stop for many farmers, but getting further gains beyond this may prove difficult for those already at that point. The DairyNZ work has shown further reductions would require reducing stocking rates, possibly by 7% and building feed pads to capture nutrient losses and make it possible to add cereal crops like maize to the system may help achieve further gains. This year will see the pastoral sector in particular calling out for more tools to help mitigate green house gases, with scientists still working on developing vaccines and boluses. Harry Clark, leading green house gas researcher has likened the reduction efforts to making dozens of minute improvements on farm. Meantime methane inhibitors are well down track to being commercialised, and may even be available over the next 18 months.

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LIFESTYLE

Autumn YOUR TRAVEL GUIDE

spirit

15% off Flexible Rate for Ruralco members

Exploring our backyard with Millennium Hotels

Millennium Hotel Rotorua Next to Lake Rotorua, this family-friendly hotel is suitable for those wanting to experience Rotorua’s attractions right by their doorstep. Only a six minute drive to the Redwoods Treetop walk (rated no.2 best forest canopy walkway in the world by Lonely Planet) and a brief stroll to the City Centre, Polynesia Spa, Government Gardens, Rotorua Arts Village and Tamaki Maori Village. The hotel uniquely harnesses the natural geothermal resource for heating and feature an indoor garden space showcasing native plants and trees. Take a dip in the heated pool or relax at The Spa Rotorua. There is free off-street parking and child-friendly facilities including a toddler pool. 1270 Hinemaru Street, Ohinemutu, Rotorua 3010 +64 7 347 1234

CALL 0800 782 962 QUOTING “RURALCO” TO MAKE YOUR BOOKING.

Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown Lakefront

Copthorne Hotel Wellington, Oriental Bay

Experience tranquillity all year round. Copthorne Hotel and Resort Queenstown Lakefront sits overlooking the shores of Lake Wakatipu and within walking distance of Queenstown’s central shopping and entertainment area. Popular ski areas such as Coronet Peak is a 20 minute drive and Remarkables is a 45 minute drive away. The hotel is nestled within our garden-inspired property and over 80 rooms have views of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables mountain range. Selected rooms also feature private balconies or courtyards. Facilities include complimentary use of the spa (booking required), secure undercover car park and ski locker room.

If location is everything then this hotel has it all! Located on Wellington’s premier street, Oriental Parade, this waterfront hotel is just 5–10 minute walk away from Te Papa Museum and the City Centre. All rooms have separate balcony access and the majority of rooms offer views of Wellington Harbour. Each room comes equipped with all the modern hotel’s comfort that you need and facilities include a business centre, guest laundry, dry cleaning/ironing service, complimentary use of a nearby fitness facility, concierge service and leisure desk.

Cnr Frankton Rd & Adelaide St, Queenstown 9300 +64 3 450 0260

Travel in style SWANNDRI OVERNIGHT BAG $285.90 AVAILABLE IN STORE OR ONLINE FROM RURALCO

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100 Oriental Parade, Oriental Bay, Wellington 6011 +64 4 385 0279

IN THE KITCHEN

GET CRAFTY

Bacon & Blue Cheese Potato Salad

For a Rainy Day

1KG RED SKIN OR AGRIA POTATOES 5 SLICES OF MIDDLE BACON 4 SPRING ONIONS THINLY SLICED SALT & PEPPER 362 GRILLHOUSE BLUE CHEESE DRESSING Boil or steam potatoes until tender. Cool and cut into 2cm cubes. Cook bacon until crisp and cut or crumble into pieces. In a bowl, combine the potatoes, bacon, spring onions and pour over about ½ a jar of the dressing. Toss to combine, add more dressing if you like & season with salt & pepper. Can be served at room temperature immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve 362 GRILLHOUSE BLUE CHEESE DRESSING $7.80 AVAILABLE IN STORE OR ONLINE FROM RURALCO

THINGS WE LOVE

DIY Faux Ceramic Vases If you have spare vases or jugs lying around that look dated and don’t fit with current décor trends, you can use this simple hack that will make them look like a ceramic masterpiece which involves a mix of baking powder and paint. • Simply add 1 teaspoon of baking powder to a cup of paint and mix them together. • Apply the paint in sweeping strokes on the outside and inside of the vase. • Let it dry and then apply a second coat of paint. Choose rich autumnal colours such as orange, terracotta and ochre. And there you have it, a beautiful timeless addition to your décor.

WE LOVE

The Ned Collections vases We are loving our Ned Collections vases at the moment. This collection has a handcrafted feel which is very much on trend right now. Forage for dried foliage and florals from your garden and create the perfect centrepiece for your dining table, living room and around the home using different textures and colours. You can have a lot of fun playing around with different heights and colour tones.

THE FLUGEN VASE FROM 43.70

AVAILABLE IN STORE OR ONLINE FROM RURALCO

THE HARMIE VASE FROM $12.20

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LIFESTYLE

FASHION

Your Autumn Wardrobe Layer up this autumn with our range of Wild South dresses. Our viscose printed floral dresses are perfect to pair with stockings and tights as the cooler weather draws near and are the perfect autumn staple that will take you right through winter and spring for daytime and evening wear. A. VISCOSE MAXI DRESS $83.80

Our linen blend dresses and viscose striped maxi are the perfect for weekend wear, pair with white sneakers and a denim jacket for a stylish casual look.

B. LINEN BLEND SWING DRESS $119.60 C. VISCOSE PRINTED DRESS $ 109.70 AVAILABLE IN STORE OR ONLINE FROM RURALCO

LIBRARY CORNER

Autumn reads With Norma Geddes, Ashburton Paper Plus

Troy

BY STEPHEN FRY

The kidnapping of Helen, a queen celebrated for her beauty, saw Greeks launch a thousand ships against the city of Troy, to which they laid siege for ten whole years. Stephen Fry shares the heroism and hatred, revenge and regret, desire and despair of those desperate time.

T he Last Days of John Lennon .

BY JAMES PATTERSON

As early as the Beatles’ controversial 1966 American tour Lennon had complained, “You might as well put a target on me”. The Nixon administration did just that, putting Lennon under FBI surveillance, but completely missing Mark David Chapman’s powerful, evergrowing obsession with the man he’d grown up idolising

HOME INSPO

Create your own reading nook As we move into cooler temperatures, it is the perfect time to style your home for the months ahead. Creating a reading nook in your home is the perfect way to create a tranquil space to relax and unwind with a hot tea or a glass of pinot noir. Create a simple reading nook by finding a quiet corner in your home, add a comfortable chair, whether this is something you have already, or you wish to splash out on a new one, you can add some cosy elements by bringing in soft fabrics and autumn tones. Velvet cushions and cosy throws can add comfort and style to your reading corner. LE FORGE VELVET STUDDED CUSHIONS $51.80

Facing the Haka BY ANDY BURT & JAMIE WALL

The brilliant selection of photographs and stories covering crucial moments in rugby history describes what it means to stare down the most famous ritual in sport, from the perspective of those who have been there. AVAILABLE IN STORE OR ONLINE FROM RURALCO

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GREEN FINGERS

Autumn Planting With Chris Smith, Southern Woods Nursery WEED CONTROL & PREPARATION— BEFORE PLANTING

Weed control Effective weed control is essential for new plantings. The goal is to eliminate unwanted species that may compete for moisture and nutrition in the soil. Mark out your proposed planting area and clear weeds from the site prior to planting. You can spray with a non-residual herbicide. Multiple applications may be necessary, let the weeds re-grow then repeat your spraying.

Add organic matter When creating a new bed or changing an existing one, adding organic matter is a great idea. Compost is an excellent way to do this, mix with your existing topsoil when planting. You may need to alter the pH of your soil too. Check with your local nursery, as various species will prefer acid or alkaline soils.

Poor drainage? There are a number of ways to improve drainage on your site. In many cases, the easiest step is to dig over or rotary hoe your garden bed. Gypsum can be mixed with existing soil to help break up the clay. For particularly damp or heavy sites, you can raise your gardens up slightly, using mounds, rocks or sleepers for example. It’s important to allow excess water to flow away from the base of the plant.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLANT— PLANT SELECTION It is important to take into consideration the area’s conditions, such as temperature, frost, wind, soil type, drainage, irrigation, sunlight, shade and space for your mature plant. It’s worth getting a landscape architect, forestry consultant or green fingered friend to check over your plans before you plant. A well thought out planting can save you plenty of time and money down the track!

GROUND READY TO PLANT? PLANTING TREES & SHRUBS

Check your plants are moist It’s important the roots of all your plants are moist prior to planting.

Fertiliser gives your plant the best possible start Plant with a slow-release 10g fertiliser tablet (eg Grotabs) use one tablet per 30 cm of tree height, ensuring it’s not directly touching the roots. Compost & Liquid Fertilisers are great additions at this stage too.

Digging your hole & planting Dig the hole twice the width of the root ball, loosening the soil at bottom. As a general rule, trees should be transplanted no deeper than the soil in which they were originally grown.

Tip

When planting new plants, soak the root ball in a bucket of water & double strength seaweed concentrate. To ensure the water has soaked through, wait until all air bubbles have stopped. The liquid seaweed stimulates root growth and helps with transplant shock.

HERE ARE A FEW SPECTACULAR AUTUMN PLANTING OPTIONS:

Acer ‘Autumn Blaze’

A dependable maple selection with vibrant red/orange autumn colour. Ideal as a specimen tree or for feature planting along avenues. Wind-tolerant and cold hardy.

Betula Jacquemontii ‘Dazzler’

This distinctive white Himalayan Birch is a stunning specimen tree with snow-white bark. The leaves turn a brilliant gold in autumn. Another wind and cold hardy option.

Quercus Palustris

Pin oaks are a great option for damper sites and heavier soils. Their spreading habit makes them ideal shade trees. Very tough and great autumn colour.

Deciduous fruit trees LINENS AND MORE SHERPA THROW IN MUSTARD. $86.10 AVAILABLE IN STORE OR ONLINE FROM RURALCO

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Autumn and winter are great times to plant your deciduous fruit trees. With dozens of varieties to choose from, check with your local nursery for varieties that’ll work well on your property.

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FERTILISER

When every kilo counts New rules soon to come into force mean getting the most from nitrogen (N) applied is more important than ever. WORDS AND IMAGE SUPPLIED BY BALLANCE AGRI-NUTRIENTS The rules, which apply from 1 July 2021 for the 2021/22 season, cap synthetic N use at 190 kg N/ha/year on any grazed hectare of pasture (excluding forage crops). In addition, the average amount of synthetic N applied over the total grazed area (including forage crops) cannot exceed 190 kg N/ha/year. Reducing N lost via leaching and volatilisation (as the greenhouse gas ammonia) keeps N where it should be, ready for plant uptake. Applying N in the right place at the right time can reduce leaching losses, but up to 42 per cent of the total N applied can still be lost via volatilisation in pastoral situations, with losses typically between 10 and 20 per cent1. Volatilisation starts soon after urea fertiliser is applied to the soil surface. As the granules start breaking down they are ‘attacked’ by urease (an enzyme produced by soil bacteria) which converts urea into ammonium. As the urea granules dissolve, the pH of the soil in the immediate area increases, which promotes the conversion of ammonium to ammonia gas. The longer granules remain on the soil surface, the longer they are exposed to the urease enzyme, and the more N is lost. Volatilisation can happen at any time of year, including during cooler weather and in moist conditions. Moist soil or dew following application provides enough moisture to break down the urea granule and start the conversion into ammonium, but not enough to wash the N into the soil, where volatilisation is greatly reduced.

Timing urea application around rainfall or irrigation can reduce N losses by around 50 per cent, and involves applying it no more than 8 hours before at least 10 mm of rain or water is irrigated. This moves the N into the soil profile where it disperses, reducing the change in soil pH and production of ammonia gas compared to it being on the soil surface. In this case, only between 5 and 10 per cent of the applied N is likely to be lost as ammonia gas2. This approach can be inconvenient and may not be successful, whereas using a urea fertiliser with a urease inhibitor, such as SustaiN, provides flexibility of use and can be relied upon to reduce losses. SustaiN, coated with the urease inhibitor AGROTAIN®, cuts N volatilisation losses by around 50 per cent compared to standard urea3. When SustaiN is broadcast, its coating dissolves into the soil with the urea, and temporarily blocks the urease enzyme, reducing the amount of ammonium formed, and the amount of N lost as ammonia gas. SustaiN is more flexible to use, and can be applied at any time of year, exactly when a crop or pasture needs N. It also provides increased N efficiency, with research showing over a wide range of conditions the average increase in pasture yield is 5 per cent when using SustaiN instead of urea4. If sulphur is also required, it is combined with SustaiN in: • PhaSedN—a blend of SustaiN, fine elemental sulphur and fine lime to support

rapid pasture growth. SustaiN provides nitrogen for an immediate autumn boost, while the fine elemental sulphur remains in the soil over winter and releases in early spring to support that key growth phase. • PhaSedN Quick Start—contains two types of sulphur (sulphate for a quick boost, and elemental sulphur for slow-release) and two types of N (urea from SustaiN and ammonium from SOA) which are both immediately available for plant uptake. Costing about 10 per cent more than standard urea, SustaiN is a cost-effective and environmentally responsible way of protecting investment in N fertiliser, in a regulatory environment where making every kilo of N count is essential. For more information contact your local Ruralco Representative. Theobald PW, Ball PR 1984. Nitrogen lost by ammonia volatilisation, and the effectiveness of urea and ammonium sulphate fertilisers, Proc. NZ Grassland Assoc. 45: 236-8 2 Saggar S, Singh J, Giltrap DL, Zaman M, Luo J, Rollo M, Kim D-G, Rys G, Van der Weerden TJ 2013. Quantification of reductions in ammonia emissions from fertiliser urea and animal urine in grazed pastures with urease inhibitors for agricultural inventory: New Zealand as a case study, Sci. Total Env. 465: 136-46 3 Zaman M, Saggar S, Stafford AD 2013. Mitigation of ammonia losses from urea applied to a pastoral system: The effect of nBTPT and timing and amount of irrigation. Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association 75: 209-214 4 Stafford A, Catto W, Morton JD 2008. Ballance Agri-Nutrients approach to sustainable fertiliser use. Fertiliser and Lime Research Centre, Massey University, Occasional Report No. 21: 197-205 1

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New workshop engineered for top quality service Situated next to the Methven town boundary at 77 Line Road, general engineer, farm agricultural repairer and custom fabricators, Humm Engineering is now located under a huge, purpose built, high spec, future proofed workshop. This is the culmination of a year-long project, and the vision of local engineer Guyon Humm. WORDS BY RACHAEL RICKARD

ABOVE: Guyon and Rebekah Humm MAIN IMAGE: Chris Doig, Nic Ewart, Andrew Keeley,

Mark Spicer, Guyon Humm

Proudly rolling up the doors on the 5th of January 2021, Guyon, wife and business partner, Rebekah are now operating in the 1600sq metre workshop, a space that is not only safer, but allows for more efficiency, a larger inventory, new tools and machinery, and ensures the capacity to meet the engineering requirements of their customers. Guyon grew up on a farm in Mount Somers. He learned his foundation engineering skills on the farm and from his father. He said “after I completed my trade and then 20 years employed in engineering and agricultural contracting, in 2016 I took a leap and started on my own with an on-call engineering truck. It wasn’t long before demand outgrew the truck, and I needed a workshop. Then a bigger one, then today we have an even bigger one. I’m lucky to have been supported by my family, customers and being able to recruit a team with great skills with the same high standards as I do.” Rebekah has a complimentary skill set to Guyon. Her background in office administration ensures the management of the business is run smoothly. “About eight years ago we moved to Methven and since then I was fortunate to gain employment in a very busy local agricultural contracting company, where I learned from my employer all the skills and disciplines of running a successful business. Both Guyon and I have had great support and mentorship from our previous employers” she said.

There are five engineers at Humm Engineering. Andrew Keeley, 2IC, is highly skilled with over 30 years’ experience, Chris Doig is a specialist fitter and turner and Mark Spicer, who has a background in sheet metal craft, stainless work and TIG welding. Apprentice, Nic Ewart, is one year into his training and grew up on a station at Alford Forest, plus Guyon, make up the team. The workshop is equipped with modern specialist precision machining tools including lathe and turret mill. They also have a panbrake sheet metal bender, plate roller, plasma, and gas cutting service. Humm’s certified staff offer steel welding, aluminium welding, custom fabrication, and specialist machining along with purpose-built pivot rut filler for hire. The inventory, which includes fasteners, every kind of bolt (imperial and metric), common parts, fittings for implements, sheet metal, linchpins, and agricultural bearings the scale will make it easier for repair work, and quicker for locals who are undertaking their own repair work. Humm Engineering have also secured partnerships with BARE-Co, the largest manufacturer and wholesale distributor of pattern agricultural tractor parts in the southern hemisphere and hose and fitting specialists

Hydraulink Mid Canterbury with parts and a press onsite at the new workshop. Building took an effort from the whole team with Guyon using his skills to hands-on build the new workshop, while concurrently operating from the old premises. Last years’ Lockdown in April and May slowed the project considerably. “We were able to get the concrete slab down, then we went home, with Guyon continuing to work and support any essential business. Once business returned to normal Guyon recommenced building and shaping the huge steel frames and bracing. The building has come together with the skills, help and support of local builder, Dan Gill and the team at DG Construction” Rebekah said. Guyon and Rebekah acknowledge both their families support, which enabled them to expand their business, and the wider Methven community. “We’re here for the long game and so we want to get it right for our customers and continue to meet their needs” said Guyon. If it’s a bolt, pin, length of steel, machinery repair, help with a one-off custom job, or a call-out service, get in touch with the team at Humm Engineering.

7 Line Road, Methven Tel 03 302 9969 office@hummengineering.co.nz www.hummengineering.co.nz

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NUTRITION

Filling the gap Balancing the ration for pre-tup ewes while considering seasonal changes can prove challenging. WORDS AND IMAGE SUPPLIED BY SEALESWINSLOW

Be proactive by accurately calculating animal requirements, in relation to feed supply. The pre-tup period is a key time of the season when we can influence productivity and profitability from the flock.

Determining the Gap The first step is to determine if there is a feed gap to fill. There may be enough of a feed supply to meet the ewe’s daily requirements, providing she is already at the ideal body condition score (BCS) of 3.5, however there may not be enough to preferentially feed those ewes below a 3 BCS. The pasture supply is determined by pasture covers and average daily growth rates.1 For example, a 65kg ewe requires 1.07kgDM/ day, providing she is at an ideal BCS of 3.5. Conversely, if the ewe is a BCS of 3, and we want to increase her liveweight at the rate of 50g/day, then she requires 1.32 kgDM/ day. Therefore, an additional 250gDM/ day is required to achieve the increase in liveweight and supply enough quantity of DM for the ewe. The nutrient requirements of a ewe changes at different physiological states. The requirements for a pre-tup ewe will be different to a ewe over the summer: in other words, we need to accommodate for the rising plane of nutrition or flushing.

The main consideration is that light ewes make significant liveweight gains and put condition on over the flushing period. Ideally condition gain for light ewes will start 2-3 weeks before the rams go out and continue for the first 3–4 weeks of mating. An improvement in ewe condition will boost ovulation, resulting in an increased number of eggs at the time of mating, optimising conception rates and increasing the lambing percentage.

Identify Limiting Nutrients Setting the ewe up for reproduction is critical. We can do this by identifying the limiting nutrients of the stock class. At pre-tup, the focus is on the increased energy needs of the ewe. The quality of the energy supplied will encourage good placental development and ensure viable pregnancies become well established. An energy dense feed like a grainbased pellet supplies starch for liveweight gain and fertility. This may be the best option if there is a shortage of available pasture, or if the feed on offer is of poor quality as determined by a pasture test. Knowing the quality and quantity of the feed on offer allows comparison to the animal requirements. In our example the 65kg ewe in optimal body condition (3.5 BCS) requires 11.5 MJME/ day, which ideal pasture quality through the autumn can provide. The requirement for

the ewe with a body condition score of 3, increases to 14.3 MJME. To achieve liveweight gain and meet increased demand, we may need to incorporate an energy dense feed for best results. Therefore, if we are feeding 1kg/ DM of pasture tested at 11.5 MJME/kg DM, the energy intake is 11.5 MJ. If we know from our feed smart calculation that the requirement of the ewe is 14.3 MJME, we can determine that the limiting nutrient is 2.8 MJ of metabolisable energy/head/day. SealesWinslow Sheep Pellets are 12 MJME/kgDM and we need 230g to fill the gap and meet the limiting nutrient energy requirements.2 Filling the feed gap and balancing the ration for pre-tup ewes requires accurate calculation of the animal demand and identifying limiting nutrients for this stock class. An energy dense feed such as SealesWinslow Sheep Pellets will provide a high energy ration, ensuring that all sheep receive a balanced, nutritious diet. For information and solutions about how to fill the feed gap on your farm, contact your local SealesWinslow technical sales representative. www.beeflambnz.com/knowledge-hub www.feedsmart.co.nz/

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ENERGY

Four more years for Tiwai The on-off negotiations over the future of Tiwai Point smelter have been like a game of board room tennis over the past decade, and heads again turned to the court over the holiday season. WORDS BY RICHARD RENNIE

After the announcement last July, the smelting company Rio Tinto would be vacating its Bluff premises in a few years, that decision has again been reversed. In mid-January Rio Tinto company New Zealand Aluminium Smelters quietly issued a statement that an agreement had been reached with its main electricity supplier Meridian Energy. Operations would continue for another four years to December 2024, rather than ending in August this year as proposed. The extension negotiated means it allows greater certainty to employees and the Southland community and for all parties to better plan for the company’s exiting of its Bluff site. Back in July finance minister Grant Robertson had described the company’s decision to exit as a sad day for Southland, while acknowledging this has been known to be coming for some years. In a similar move however, the company had been persuaded to remain for longer six years earlier, with a $30 million subsidy on its power supply bill. This time in its statement to the Australian Stock Exchange the company acknowledged discussions with the New Zealand government were progressing with respect to the transmission costs it incurred, while the new agreement had been reached with Meridian Energy on the power prices, keeping it viable for another four years. Anyone with a casual interest in the smelter’s fate could well be forgiven for muddling up their recollections on when or even if the behemoth plant was going to be shut, such have been the standoffs between company, government, and electricity companies over the past decade. Energy analyst Greg Sise has justifiably raised the question about just how valid the latest closure date even is, and whether the smelter may end up remaining even longer again.

The original reason Rio Tinto wanted to terminate the plant was on grounds of high energy costs and claimed uncertainty around the global aluminium market prices. However, after a downturn aluminium prices have lifted significantly, hitting a high note of US$2,000 a tonne late last year, and while still short of the peak of US$2,300 hit in May 2018 are still high in the context of the past eight years where the market has touched US$2,100. Analysts anticipate there has been some horsetrading behind the scenes between parties on energy cost versus transmission cost, and views remain mixed on its effect on power prices in the shorter term. Being an extension to an existing agreement, the latest agreed price is not disclosed, but back in 2018 disclosure in the Electricity Code for that contract revealed the company was paying $55 per megawatt hour (MWh). Other contract information does however suggest a price of $34.86/MWh. But along with the threats of “I will huff and I will puff” about shutting down the smelter, time has moved on for Rio Tinto and electricity generators wary of losing a large customer. The August 2021 deadline had big electricity generators supplying it considering other options to make up for what was going to become a 5,000GWh a year gap in their market. At a government policy level, the Climate Change Commission is prompting a sharper focus on electricity’s application to de-carbonise the economy and may yet determine the definitive fate of Tiwai. The commission’s report released in late January pulled no punches, warning New Zealand will miss its Paris Accord emission targets if it did not act now with strong, decisive action.

In its forecasting, the commission assumes Tiwai will close with electricity from Manapouri redirected to the national grid by 2026. If this is the case, Commissioner Dr Rod Carr believes wholesale electricity prices will fall for a period, and new generation capacity will be deferred as greater vehicle electrification gradually picks up the resulting market gap through to 2035. By then he estimates prices will be back where they are today. In the shorter term, Tiwai’s continued operation is expected to continue to provide a floor on market prices and underpin Meridian’s share price for some time yet. Tiwai’s eventual departure would deliver a 13% increase in supply capacity from the get-go, from the bottom of the South Island. With a ban on fossil fuel vehicle imports by 2035 and likely some sort of rebate/subsidy will be offered on new electric vehicles, it would appear the demand for electric vehicles will skyrocket and ultimately pick up the slack left by the smelter’s closure. The Commission is seeking new renewable energy capacity built by then, and it is looking for 40% of the country’s fleet to be electric by that time. At present there are only 20,000 fully electric vehicles in New Zealand’s fleet of almost 4.5 million. But as tempting as Tiwai’s departure may appear for meeting this need for more vehicle electricity, it will not be the only solution. Climate Change Commissioner Rod Carr says New Zealand will also need to keep an eye on the dry year problems, also increasing supply from geothermal output, along with wind and solar. “Pumped hydro” has also been touted as a Think Big type project to also help lower use of coal and gas, while large coal users such as Fonterra will also be dropping it for greater electricity use in processing in coming years. Rod Carr maintains a large portion of Manapouri’s 500MWh of power that normally goes to Tiwai could be absorbed by the South Island alone, heading into glass house heating, industrial drying, residential heating, and transport electrification. Come 2023 when Tiwai is once again up for negotiation, it is possible the smelter company finds itself in a weaker position this time around as options for electrification under climate change policy open up. If those policies reflect genuine commitment to the Paris Accord, and prove to be immune to changes in government, then the smelter may well become history if generators are in a position where they do not have to lower their prices to keep one big customer happy.

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INTEREST

Primary sector powers NZ through tough times Recent data from Rabobank provided a very upbeat overview of how well the primary sector has weathered the turmoil of the Covid-19 pandemic. WORDS BY RICHARD RENNIE

Amidst that turbulence, New Zealand growers and farmers are poised to enjoy the fifth consecutive year of profitability in 2021. Whether it is milk solids, Manuka honey, wine, kiwifruit, or red meat prospects appear sound as the world’s consumers align their diets with good quality, healthy food from a country increasingly seen as an oasis against the turmoil of their own countries’ problems. Despite a year Rabobank describes as “bristling with risk”, analysts have expressed optimism about how production, costs and market prices will all pan out in coming months. This success has been attributed to New Zealand’s ability to keep Covid largely out, and for agri-supply chains to pivot during the peak of infection, enabling them to stay open and continue to function at close to full capacity. Good trade, diplomatic and personal relationships have also played a big part in 40

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keeping vital markets open, says Rabobank analyst Emma Higgins. But the year is most definitely not without its bumps, with concerns over Brexit trade negotiations, political upheaval in the United States, Covid mutations all playing into continuing global nervousness unseen in modern times. China’s claim to being the only country to experience positive economic growth in 2020 is being welcomed here in New Zealand by exporters, acutely conscious it now accounts for almost a third of our food export market. That country’s ability to largely control Covid, and New Zealand’s ability to artfully dodge contentious issues like Hong Kong governance, mean food exporters here have avoided the bans faced by many Australian primary producers. Food market guru and KPMG partner Ian Proudfoot says there is little for our primary sector from the past that can be applied to

predictions for coming months, such is the volatility of the world’s plight. He appreciates the upbeat message some have for the primary sector’s year ahead, but tempers this with informed caution about how great the risks are for the sector to continue to grow and thrive in such challenging global conditions. “The message we are getting back from suppliers and marketers is that maintaining existing customers overseas is proving possible, through the likes of Zoom and Teams. But getting new ones is a significant challenge for many.” That absence of face to face contact, and inability to bring potential customers and clients down to New Zealand for first hand experiential contact with the product and the people who make it is significant, he says. That also extends to New Zealand’s loss of overseas tourism. The four million people a year who were visiting this country were invaluable converts to New Zealand products when visiting, seeking out those same products on their plate or pantry when they return home. Proudfoot cites the wine industry as a classic example of a sector that draws strongly upon the tourist trade where people visit a winery, sample product and maybe even meet the winemaker themselves in the process. His own first-hand experience travelling through New Zealand this summer reinforced to him that the tourism food experience was something the wine sector is doing better than most. “Places like Craggy Range have this amazing facility developed for customers to have a great experience. But if you cannot bring new customers in to have that immersive experience, how then do you make them a new customer?” Even processors like Zespri and Silver Fern Farms have made tours by overseas media and customers a regular part of their branding and marketing campaigns. He welcomes work by the likes of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise providing promotional material companies can access “off the shelf” to use to market their business overseas. The “Made with Care” campaign has been designed to help businesses make an impression virtually when Covid has made first-hand contact impossible.

Collaboration between sectors aims to enable the campaign to dovetail into existing promotions, including Beef + Lamb NZ’s Taste Pure Nature campaign running in China and the United States. Ian Proudfoot says some companies have proven adept at adapting to the new on-line demands overseas customers have driven as Covid shut down traditional retail outlets. He cites Zespri as one company that has done well, with digital sales soaring through the crisis as customers order on-line, while seeking out a trustworthy, healthy and well branded fruit product. Apple growers are also reporting continuing strong sales through the pandemic, with a plethora of licenced varieties entering the market in recent years meeting the spectrum of consumer taste demands. Large red premium Envy apples produced and licensed by T&G have had a record season with a 23% increase in international sales, generating one billion dollars’ worth. The company expects to be producing 15 million boxes a year within three to four years as orchards mature. Last season it produced five million. T&G CEO Gareth Edgecombe said Envy attracts prices between 25 and 50% over other apples and is gaining significant consumer acceptance for its sweet crunchy eating experience. Overall, prospects for horticulture remain strong, with MPI estimating a 9.1% growth in the year to June 2021, to $7.1 billion earnings. Consumer demand for fresh fruit has remained strong, despite the pandemic disruptions, and was expected to continue. Similarly, Manuka honey has enjoyed a surge in demand as customers seek out products that boost immunity and general wellbeing. Comvita, New Zealand’s largest honey producer reported late last year it had a 17% lift in revenue on the all-important Singles Day shopping event. It also recorded the third highest sales for any New Zealand brand across all categories on the online shopping giant Alibaba. Comvita CEO David Banfield attributed some of the success to a renewed focus on the company’s core Manuka honey product, and having its own team on the ground in China. Ian Proudfoot says the degree of “pivot” required by New Zealand food producers to adjust to a new world order in consumer purchase behaviour is significant. “In many cases that degree may only be 5-10%. But this is not a weatherable storm you can ride out with that. We need to plan for a 30-40% pivot. Am I seeing a lot being bold enough to take that at the moment? No.” He expects to see more digital platform sales come from the likes of the red meat, fruit and honey sectors this year as firms recognise the pandemic is unlikely to fade to insignificance soon.

Despite the impact of Covid on the hospitality sector, the New Zealand wine industry has also managed to generally withstand the pandemic’s forced shift to in-home drinking throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In what was a memorable vintage not only in terms of quality but also circumstance, 2020 wine sales experienced very solid growth through the pandemic’s first nine months. Not only did volume sales lift by 11%, but value followed it by 10%. This contrasts markedly to Argentina’s 48% lift in volume, accompanied by massive discounting and an actual drop in value by 2%. The wine industry has managed to meet consumer preferences for lighter, crisper varieties with our distinctive Sauvignon Blanc, matching the same market’s food preferences for healthier, lighter foods so well suited to it. Tourism has helped buoy its reputation, and prior to Covid it was estimated over a quarter of tourists visiting New Zealand had a winery or orchard experience while here. Ian Proudfoot says his personal experience travelling through assorted parts of the country revealed a variable food experience, and now was the time to address that. “We sort of have a period of time to sort it out before opening borders to make sure we do have a great food tourism experience to offer throughout the country. At present some are definitely doing it better than others.” ANZ has estimated total tourist spend on food and beverages prior to Covid was about $6.7 billion a year, and was the fastest growing category of all tourism expenditure types. He maintains the opportunity to cement a closer link between farmers, tourism operators and hospitality outlets has never been greater, and is essential to attract the high-end tourists most likely to be the first to visit these shores post-pandemic. After fears of a falloff in dairy prices the new year has started strongly, with analysts predicting a lift in milk solid payments over $7.00 a kg milk-solids for this season’s production. A recent DairyNZ report highlighted dairy’s contribution of $20 billion to the economy in export value, and the key role it has played in supporting New Zealand’s pandemic afflicted economy. “Importantly, dairy sector growth is supporting wage growth in regional New Zealand.” “Dairy provides long-term stability for our communities. Export earnings translate to well-paying jobs, but also support farmers and dairy companies to purchase more than $22.5b worth of goods and services from other industries,” said DairyNZ CEO Dr Tim Mackle. Dairying accounted for five percent of GDP in most regions, including almost $2 billion in Canterbury and $2.5 billion in Waikato.

“This is especially significant because of the limited scale of other high-value export sectors in rural New Zealand,” says Dr Mackle. The sector is now generating almost $3.5 billion in wages a year. Long-time claims dairying has not pushed for “value add” are also disputed by the numbers, with 2019 export value per cow being 50% higher than 10 years ago. DCANZ executive director Kimberly Crewther said since 2015 dairy export value has grown by over $5 billion, while cow numbers have remained relatively static over a volatile period in global dairy markets. “Covid-19 has highlighted the importance of reducing barriers to global trade in food. We hope 2021 will be when governments globally lean into reinvigorating the rulesbased trading system and turn statements on removing barriers to trade into real action.” BNZ senior economist Doug Steel says overall the New Zealand economy is in a far better place than he and his colleagues envisaged earlier last year. “And everyone acknowledges that agriculture has been remarkably resilient over this time. That is not only the ability to harvest, process and distribute, but also in getting goods to market and getting good prices for them.” The continuing success of primary sector exports and lower imports has had a remarkable impact on New Zealand’s trade balance over a tumultuous period. Globally he sees some more upside to New Zealand’s primary produce earnings should vaccines prove effective and economies respond to a receding pandemic threat. However he cautions that this may not feed through to even higher primary product prices. “The lift we will get in the Kiwi dollar will take some of the gloss off that towards the end of the year, the market will price that in.” Should the global economy pick up with greater confidence then a Kiwi dollar at US76c later in 2021 is quite possible. “We need to be cautious not to look at the dollar in isolation, as it is a good indicator in that as it rises our economy is doing well overall.” “It is no coincidence we saw the dollar go to over US80c when the dairy payout lifted over $8 a kilo milk solids in 2013-14.” Similarly, the Kiwi dollar will act as a buffer, should export prices drop due to any further loss in global confidence about a pandemic recovery. He also sees the recent upgrade of the New Zealand-China free trade agreement as a positive signal for our relationship with that country. “The signing of any free trade agreement is a positive signal in this age of trade tensions around the world.”

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SHEEP & BEEF

B+LNZ launches beef genetics programme B+LNZ Genetics newly launched beef programme is designed to generate more income for this country’s beef producers. WORDS SUPPLIED BY BEEF + LAMB NEW ZEALAND

In response to consumer demand for high quality food produced with a lower environmental footprint, Beef + Lamb New Zealand Genetics has launched a comprehensive future-focused beef programme. Designed to generate more income for this country’s beef producers, modelling has shown that through this programme, farmers can increase the beef industry’s income by $460 million, while improving environmental and social outcomes. Dan Brier, B+LNZ Genetics’ General Manager says with the right science and tools, farmers will be able to produce great tasting meat with a good environmental story, while maintaining and improving their production efficiencies. “Our meat companies are already moving in this direction, with several introducing quality grading systems and working under the Taste Pure Nature initiative to target the “conscious foodie” consumer.” He says the programme incorporates four areas of work which include the development of NZ-centric breeding objectives. These will be focused on this country’s pasture-based system where cows play a dualrole of supporting sheep production, while producing a high-quality product. A data measurement and collection system

will be developed to collect phenotypic and genotypic data and a new Beef Progeny Test, using Angus, Hereford, and Simmental genetics, will identify the performance of the agreed-on traits linking with international beef and dairy beef genetics. Another area of work is the use of next generation commercial genomic tools to support stud and commercial operations. Commercial farmers, who are performance recording, will be used to ground-truth these tools and provide broader-based performance data and feedback. Dan says B+LNZ Genetics will use their experience of building a genetic engine for sheep to build a similar engine for beef, combining phenotypic, genotypic, and genomic data to calculate breeding values for agreed traits. Ultimately, under the Beef Programme, B+LNZ Genetics plans to extend nProve genetics systems to include stud cattle. This would give commercial users the ability to quickly and easily source the right genetics for their environment and farm system. “The final and arguably most important part of the Beef Programme is industry uptake and we will bring a laser-like focus to this challenge, ensuring we are transferring knowledge to commercial farmers and

making cutting-edge tools and resources available to the beef industry.” AbacusBio consultant Jason Archer is the Science Lead for the Beef Programme and says the industry cannot get caught in the commodity trap. “We need to improve eating quality under our farming systems and capitalize on our strengths as a ‘natural’ producer.” He says having great eating quality is essential to underpin the branding of NZ naturally produced beef. “If the beef doesn’t eat well, there will be no repeat buyers.” The Beef Programme is about making sure the industry can produce consistently good beef, beginning with the breeding cow in the context of her role in NZ’s farming systems. But one of the main purposes of the Beef Programme is to create a data and information platform that can be accessed by everyone from bull breeders through to commercial farmers. “It’s about providing an ecosystem that will help breeders, either individually, in small groups or as a society, innovate and interact.” This innovation might be the identification of a specific trait of interest, and the system should allow breeders to pursue that trait. “It’s enhancing peoples’ ability to do new things and that’s really important,” says Jason. Jason says they would like to encourage more commercial producers to collect data for traits such as carcass quality and maternal performance. “I see an opportunity for bull breeders to work with some of their best clients, and encourage them to get into a level of commercial recording which would then provide information on the genetics of their herds. This information can be shared back with the bull breeders to help improve the next generation of cattle.” The NZ beef industry is made up of 25,000 farmers and 3.6 million beef cattle. Of these, one million are breeding cows which combine with the dairy herd to produce 1.4 million animals for processing annually. Beef exports total $4.2 billion.

Dan Brier Beef + lamb New Zealand Genetics General Manager

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DAIRY

Irrigation improvements benefit environment and production A focus on careful water management through irrigation improvements has enabled a Selwyn farming family to significantly reduce their nitrogen losses and improve their production. WORDS AND IMAGE SUPPLIED BY DAIRY NZ

Marv and Jane Pangborn originally started at Alderbrook farm near Rakaia as a 50/50 sharemilking partnership in 1987. Today, the couple own the farm. Their daughter and son-in-law Lauren and 48

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Liam Kelly are sharemilkers there, while also contract milking for the family’s dairy farm Karetu. The two dairy farms milk 1,200 cows on 338 effective hectares, and use three support blocks of 184 hectares.

Alderbrook farm is one of over 40 partner farms in Selwyn and Hinds which DairyNZ is supporting to reduce their nitrogen losses to meet Environment Canterbury requirements.

farming can have, and they are now working to reduce these impacts. “We are constantly looking for ways to reduce our environmental footprint, while maintaining a profitable business.” The Pangborns have spent around $1.7 million to date on installing modern irrigation and effluent storage systems. Improvements in irrigation mean the farm can produce more pasture, and water applications are timed to when they are needed, saving on power costs. As a result of changes the family has reduced their nitrogen losses by more than 30 percent—beyond the Environment Canterbury target of 30 percent by 2022.

“We are constantly looking for ways to reduce our environmental footprint, while maintaining a profitable business.” Marv says that being part of DairyNZ’s project provides farmers with an opportunity to get together to learn more about the science and solutions. “We always walk away with a few ideas from farmers or DairyNZ staff, which we then incorporate into our farming system.” Marv says his son-in-law Liam is a brilliant farmer and they discuss the ideas each of them brings to the table and how they will affect farm operation, and then talk through any changes with trusted advisors and other farmers. “No major decisions are made unless the science is good and it has been reviewed by our advisors,” says Marv.

“We always walk away with a few ideas from farmers or DairyNZ staff, which we then incorporate into our farming system.” Joining the project was a natural progression for the Pangborns who began making environmental improvements over 20 years ago—starting with fencing off waterways from stock and then installing soil moisture meters and flow meters.

“Joining the project was a natural progression for the Pangborns who began making environmental improvements over 20 years ago.” “We used to start watering when we saw the neighbours start,” Marv explains. “But now we look at soil moisture levels to make a decision.”

They have replaced border dyke irrigation with pivots and fixed grids, and installed storage ponds to draw water from the nearby Rakaia River in times of higher flow for use when it’s needed. They have also installed effluent storage, which the capacity to store effluent for over twenty days. Although, where they used to apply effluent every day, now they only spread it when the conditions are right - to avoid nutrient losses. “Most Canterbury dairy farms were developed using what was considered best practice at the time and our rural communities prospered from the boost this provided to our economy,” Marv explains. He says that today farmers have a better understanding of the environmental impacts

The family isn’t afraid to explore more radical solutions. DairyNZ worked with their farm team and their consultants Agrimagic to model how installing a composting barn would affect their farm system. This found a barn system would be less profitable, so they aren’t currently planned to develop one— but the family found it valuable to explore this option. More information on the project is available at dairynz.co.nz/selwynhinds

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WELLBEING

Meeting the need WELLBEING IS OFTEN TAKEN FOR GRANTED, UNLESS YOU ARE IN A RUT, THE WHEELS ARE FALLING OFF AND LIFE IS A DAILY STRUGGLE. FOR GOLDEN BAY DAIRY FARMER, WAYNE LANGFORD, HAVING THE WHEELS FALL OFF TURNED OUT TO BE ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED, NOT ONLY TO HIM, BUT TO THE HUNDREDS OF NEW ZEALAND FAMILIES WHO HE HAS BEEN ABLE TO HELP. WORDS BY RACHAEL RICKARD, IMAGES SUPPLIED

YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE (YOLO) On Wayne Langford’s 34th birthday he had, what he describes as, an out of body experience. One which made him question everything about his life. As dairy farmer, husband to Tyler and father to three boys, Lewis (14), Gordie (12) and Alfie (11), Wayne puts it “We were in a rut, and mentally, I was in a horrible spot. I thought ‘what am I doing here, I’ve got to get us out of this.” So, in 2017 the Langford family set out to change. They decided that for the next 365 days they would challenge themselves to “have ‘lived’ by the end of every day!” They embarked on a journey of self-discovery, love, giving, gratitude, pride, and learning. They launched the YOLO Farmer Facebook page and a year later they agreed they didn’t want to stop. Three years on, hundreds of adventures and over 25,000 followers later, YOLO Farmer is a thriving online community with the Langford’s sharing their stories, which link to the Five Ways to Wellbeing. The Five Ways to Wellbeing were created through the New Economics Foundation’s Foresight Project on Mental Capital and Wellbeing research report. The review of the most up-to-date evidence found that building five actions into our daily lives is important for the wellbeing of individuals, families, communities, and organisations. These are: 1. Connect, me whakawhanaunga; 2. Give, tukua; 3. Take notice, me aro tonu; 4. Keep learning, me ako tonu; 5. Be active, me kori tonu. Fast forward to day 556 of YOLO Farmer, Wayne found himself with two heifers needing to be put down and more meat than he needed. He was living closely aligned with ‘giving’ and ‘taking notice’ that he realised no one in Golden Bay should go hungry, and he knew he could do something about it. “I called the local foodbank, and a few things became apparent. Firstly, a cull cow would last the foodbank an entire year and although volunteers were incredibly grateful it was hard for them to deal with the various cuts and volume of meat from a beast in one go. Logistically hard for foodbanks to manage an unexpected one-off bulk supply of meat. Secondly, for this to make a real difference, what the foodbanks needed was the right cuts of meat and definite food security,” Wayne said. “I thought about it and there is no real reason why anyone in New Zealand should go hungry. The best gift we, as farmers, can give to any Mum or Dad who is struggling, is a hand to put a meal on the table for their kids,” Wayne said. And thus, the concept of Meat the Need was born.

WHAT IS MEAT THE NEED? Meat the Need is a national Charitable Trust designed to supply meat to City Missions and food banks. The meat is donated by farmers, processed, packed, and delivered to those most

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in need. Whilst there has been a need for a charity like this, Wayne realised that to date there had been nothing to connect the dots between a willing farmer with the livestock and the community organisations with the demand in a regular, reliable supply. If Wayne is the idea’s man, then friend, fellow Dairy Farmer and co-founder of Meat the Need, Siobhan O’Malley is across the details. Siobhan and husband Christopher had been hop growers in Motueka, crowned Share Farmers of the Year at the 2017 NZ Dairy Industry Awards and they have several private businesses. “I knew Siobhan would be the right person to run the idea by. So, I rang her one day and we meet for coffee. Siobhan didn’t hesitate to get involved and to be honest, without her, we wouldn’t have got this off the ground.” Siobhan and Wayne contacted foodbanks around the South Island and met with the team at Christchurch City Mission to see what was needed. “Ideally what they wanted 500gm packs of mince. They are easy to handle and pack, and they have a consistent value, making it simpler for foodbanks to distribute and allocate to families,” said Wayne. Having a good idea was one thing, but Wayne needed buy in from a large meat processor with a national supply chain, and thanks to an invitation to speak as YOLO Farmer at the Grow 2019 Boma Agri Summit, the was opportunity presented. Sitting in the audience at that Summit was Justin Courtney, Head of Communications and Sustainability at Silver Fern Farms. Wayne describes the meeting with Justin as a pivotal moment in the journey. “I met Justin in April 2019 and he understood the concept straight away, not only that he was 100% behind it. Then in October we applied to the Ministry for Primary Industries for a sustainable food development grant, by March 2020 we were looking to launch. Then along came COVID, which turned out to be both a blessing and curse.” “When lockdown hit, I had calls from farmers who wanted to help. Nightly on the news we were seeing that foodbanks were struggling. Statistics showed there was over four times the demand for food, with demand even higher in Auckland. Thanks to Zoom the Board of Meat the Need were able to work through the final supply chain logistics with Silver Fern Farms, so on 17 April 2020 we could officially launch.”

HOW CAN FARMERS DONATE? There are two ways to donate. Firstly, by allocating livestock—cattle, sheep, or deer—directly through Silver Fern Farms. Farmers call their Silver Fern Farms agent when they are arranging stock to go to processing, advise how many head they wish to donate, and the agent takes care of the rest. For farmers not suppliers to Silver Fern Farms, donations can easily be made through the website. Farmers can donate a virtual animal when they next supply their stock and once, they have received their kill sheet, donate the value of an animal through a cash donation via the website.

100% of farmers livestock or cash donation goes to supplying meat. Any operational costs that the charity has is sourced from other donations.

HOW DOES IT WORK? Once a donation of livestock or cash is received the Meat the Need account is credited with the value of the donation. From here the charity use the credit to draw down stocks of 500gm mince packs. Silver Fern Farms process 5 tonnes of meat into mince at a time, with the packs stacked into 12kg cartons and stored until required. Each month foodbanks put their orders through, these are collated, and then distributed by Silver Fern Farms across the country to, currently, over 35 food banks. For organisations who are feeding hungry New Zealanders, they can Request Meat through the Meat the Need website: www.meattheneed.org

ZERO HUNGER: A DECADE OF ACTION In September 2019, the United Nations SecretaryGeneral called on “all sectors of society to mobilise for a decade of action on three levels: global action to secure greater leadership, more resources and smarter solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals; local action embedding the needed transitions in the policies, budgets, institutions and regulatory frameworks of governments, cities and local authorities; and people action, including by youth, civil society, the media, the private sector, unions, academia and other stakeholders, to generate an unstoppable movement pushing for the required transformations.” The second (of 17) UN Sustainable Development Goals is Zero Hunger: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. Meat the Need is a charity, whose origins were perhaps not born of the goal of ending hunger in New Zealand, but who’s action will help enable New Zealand as a society to achieve this.

DOING THE RIGHT THING From Silver Fern Farms perspective, Meat the Need is a perfect fit for their values. They state “we believe Silver Fern Farms can create positive change for our environment, our people, and our communities. With 14 processing sites across the country, we are perfectly placed to help Meat the Need take donations all the way through the supply chain— from the farmer to the recipient. We’re proud to support Meat the Need in making that a reality.”

For Ruralco Board Chair, Jessie Chan, who is also a Board member of Meat the Need, getting involved with Meat the Need was a way to give back. “Wayne got in touch with me as we were on the National Dairy Executive together at Federated Farmers and he figured I had some of the skills they need for the Meat the Need Trust Board. I see it as a very worthy cause as we have an abundance of amazing kai in New Zealand and we have the opportunity to give a little bit of it back so that no New Zealand families go hungry.” The co-operative model is the heart of Ruralco’s foundation and Ms Chan see’s synergies between the two organisations “at Ruralco, a group of farmers got together to solve a problem—better pricing for farm supplies. Meat the Need is a group of farmers getting together to solve the problem of helping feed New Zealanders, through innovation, partnering and generosity,” she said. “It is easy to get involved and give some meat! Just go to the website and commit a beast from your farm, and you will be part of the solution—helping to feed vulnerable families and putting more of NZs great protein source in the bellies of our children.” Meat the Need has received many accolades in its short time including 2020 Sustainable Business Awards Finalist, 2020 NZ Food Hero’s Finalist and winner of the 2020 Primary Industry of New Zealand Champions Award. And the Charitable Trust is not done. In January 2021 Meat the Need announced a partnership with North Island milk processor Miraka on project Feed Out. With the goal of donating UHT milk to families in need, Feed Out begun with supply across the Central Plateau and South Waikato. Donations can be made in the same way, via the website, again with all proceeds going direct to food banks and community groups who feed those in need. In summing up the road so far Wayne says “We have now received over 720 animals, provided over 350,000 meals, have launched Feed Out (the milk version) and have connected up the dots between farmers who want to give and families who need a hand. For farmers it is about giving what we can, when we can, but for a mother who can’t feed her children it is everything”.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Meat the Need www.meattheneed.org Feed Out www.feedout.org Mental Health Foundation www.mentalhealth.org.nz Need To Talk? Free call or text 1737 to talk or text with a trained counsellor. United Nations Sustainable Development Goals www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/

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WELLBEING

HEALTH & SAFETY

Keeping families safe from fire Every year around 150 FMG clients experience a damaging house fire. These fires are often traumatic events—a home is so much more than just walls and a roof. The leading causes of house fires in rural areas differ from those in urban areas. For instance, households in rural areas are twice as likely to use wood fires for heating—and more likely to experience a fireplace or chimney fire. What’s more, the damage caused by rural house fires is often worse because of the extra time it takes for emergency services to arrive. 75% of rural house fire claims are caused by: • Switchboards and wiring; • Appliances; • Chimneys and fireplaces; • Kitchen fires.

Fireplaces Fireplaces were the leading cause of significant house fires in 2019. It’s really important to inspect your fireplace and chimney for deterioration. Now’s also a good time to give the chimney a sweep to remove creosote, soot and ash before winter. A fire guard is good idea too. Preventing fireplace and chimney fires: Inspect fireplaces and chimneys Ensure you have your fireplace and chimney inspected for deterioration and have the flue swept annually to clear out any debris and build-up of creosote, soot and ash. Sweeping out your chimney will not only help prevent chimney fires but also help to reduce fires caused by sparks from build-up of creosote. Never use accelerants Using flammable liquids, such as petrol, diesel or kerosene as a fireplace accelerant

Install a fire guard A key cause of these fireplace claims is hot matter escaping the fireplace and damaging surrounding items and furnishings. You can easily reduce the chance of items escaping by installing a fire guard in front of your fireplace. While keeping everything in that’s meant to be there, a guard can also help prevent things, like little hands, from getting too close to the flames. Disposal of ashes Even after it’s out, you face a fire risk. Ashes can stay warm enough to start a fire for up to five days so it’s important to store them in a safe way until they’re cool enough to dispose of. Place ashes in a steel bucket, thoroughly doused with water, cover with a lid and put outside for at least five days before safely disposing of them.

Fire Alarms There’s no doubt about it, fire alarms save lives. Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) found that in 80% of house fires they’ve attended, smoke alarms were either not properly installed or not working. Check your smoke alarms. Simply press the button to check they’re working and change the batteries if needed. Kitchen fires are the most common cause of house fires. Unattended cooking can be dangerous so remember to turn off the stove when leaving the kitchen. Now’s the time to clean out the fat that may have built up in your rangehood filters.

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WORDS SUPPLIED BY FMG INSURANCE

creates an extremely dangerous environment with the possibility of starting an uncontrollable fire, fume inhalation, and potential explosions. If your kindling and paper isn’t doing the trick, there are many safe alternatives, such as fire starters available from supermarkets and hardware stores.

Kitchen Fires

WE’RE EXPERIENCING COLDER DAYS AND NIGHTS SO NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO CHECK THAT YOUR HOME IS SAFE FROM THE RISK OF A FIRE.

Preventing kitchen fires. • If you’re having a few drinks, avoid using the oven or stove—prepare food beforehand, or use the microwave. • Keep any flammable items such as curtains, tea towels and oven mitts well away from the cooking area. • Don’t overload plugs and switches – one appliance per switch. • Keep a fire extinguisher close by and know how to use it. • If you need to leave the kitchen, turn off the stovetop. • If your fry pan is on fire, place a wet tea towel over the pan, or a flat object (like a chopping board) to starve the fire of oxygen.

Appliances With more of us at home, overloaded multi boards or power sockets are a hazard. Unplug appliances not in use. Check for frayed or damaged cords as these can also lead to fires. Try to stick to the ‘one socket, one appliance’ rule. For more advice about getting your house ‘winter ready’ head to www. fireandemergency.nz or www.fmg. co.nz/advice/house-fires to find FMG’s comprehensive House Fire’s Advice Guide.

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NUTRITION

Digestive health for your cat Every cat owner needs to be mindful of the health of their pet’s digestive system. Only if your pet’s gastrointestinal tract is healthy will it receive enough nutrients and energy. So, what do you need to know about cat digestion? WORDS AND IMAGE SUPPLIED BY NESTLE PURINA and provide energy for the nutritional and metabolic processes of bacteria. To summarise, probiotics are bacteria that are beneficial for the health of the digestive tract and digestion of the animal, and prebiotics fuel the probiotics, as well as assisting various cells of the stomach and intestines in the digestion and assimilation of food.

What are the benefits of probiotics and prebiotics? There are three main functions of probiotics: • Strengthening disease resistance and minimising intestinal upset. Probiotics compete with harmful bacteria for habitation in the gut and enhance the protective capabilities of the intestinal system. • Improving stool quality. A cat’s stool is about 40–50% composed of intestinal bacteria, so its quality and composition greatly depends on the microflora. • Intestinal cell nutrition. In the process of their vital activity, probiotics produce special nutrients—volatile fatty acids, which serve as food for intestinal cells—enterocytes. Prebiotics have two main functions: • Prebiotic fibres serve as food for microflora. • Insoluble fibre accompanying the prebiotic components improves intestinal motility. For cats, this is very beneficial, as it helps to remove hairballs from the intestines, preventing excessive regurgitation of hair.

How can prebiotics be provided to your cat? What is microflora? Microflora is a collection of all bacteria living in the gastrointestinal tract of a cat, which interact closely with the food consumed and with the tissues lining the intestines. The microflora of any animal is represented by both useful species of bacteria and potentially harmful ones. But they are no less important for the body: for example, to maintain local resistance of the immune system. In addition, microflora is involved in the synthesis of several vitamins and is necessary for the absorption of nutrients from food.

So, the balance of microflora is the most important thing for a cat’s gastrointestinal tract health, and foods containing probiotics or prebiotics can be used to maintain this balance.

What are probiotics and prebiotics? Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when consumed in adequate doses, provide benefits to the body. Prebiotics, on the other hand, are nutrients that can have a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora, which stimulate its growth and biological activity,

The best solution would be to choose a commercial diet containing prebiotic fibre. One of the best sources of dietary fibre for cats is inulin, a substance from chicory root. It is added to all PRO PLAN ® cat food, which provides all the benefits of prebiotics to your pet.

How can probiotics be provided to your cat? The brand-new PRO PLAN Adult Dry Cat Food products all contain guaranteed Bacillus Coagulans Probiotics for digestive and immune health.

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IRRIGATION

Climate focus highlights the need for water It has been hot, very hot, especially in the Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, Wairarapa, Canterbury, Nelson Bays, and Otago areas. Then it was cool—still dry for most of us, but temperatures dropped a minimum of 10 degrees in the space of 24 hours in the height of summer. Climate scientists tell us that these swings are expected to get more extreme all year round. WORDS SUPPLIED BY VANESSA WINNING, IRRIGATIONNZ CHIEF EXECUTIVE

This has an impact on food production, which relies on water; water is often taken from our rivers which are themselves impacted by the increasing and more intense fluctuations between rainfall, snow, and dry weather. With the recent report from the Climate Commission, and a call to move productive land from animal agriculture into horticulture the reliance on water is only going to increase. Water at the right time of the year is critical for growing fruit and vegetables, and as the climate changes, we are seeing places where traditionally water has been available naturally in sync with the growing cycle that is now having too much rain at the wrong time and not enough at others, with consequences on fruit size and volume. The more we want to move our productive sector from pastoral based activity, the more we are going to need precision irrigation to support it. Currently, about 7 percent of our farmland is under irrigation—with more fruit and vegetables, that water per productive hectare will only need to be higher, especially during critical growth months. The move suggested in the report does need to be cautioned against the growing worldwide demand for highly nutritious food; therefore, animal agriculture’s unique

qualities will continue to be a key component of New Zealand farming in the future, even if the desire is to reduce overall stock numbers where possible. If it is about moving where stock are located, or mixed farm types, again we come back to the importance of water infrastructure investment for a reliable access. While there has been a definite increase in the focus on water infrastructure, harvest, storage, and capture in the past few months with local and central government—be that due to the issues in infrastructure in the cities, an increased understanding of the value of water for food production, or discussions about basic drinking water—we are decades behind in development. Relying on councils to provide the funding is flawed, the income they earn from rates, especially smaller regions, will not cover the billions of dollars required to fix and build the necessary water infrastructure. An income-sharing option with GST could be looked at and would help the bigger townships but will still leave the smaller centres without the required resources to improve the water infrastructure required. We must think about investment in water storage and act quickly to get it in place where we need it across the country in areas that will be most vulnerable to weather fluctuations,

and particularly drought, like the East Coast. This will not only facilitate changes in land use to horticulture as recommended by the Climate Commission, but it will also prevent a collapse in our current productive sector, protect our regional communities, and indeed the wellbeing of all of us. Potentially also used to help provide hydroelectricity if done well, and further support decarbonisation. With the right environmental regulation in place, such as the National Policy Statement and National Environmental Standard for Freshwater, and with consensus on what our emissions targets are for the primary sector and a shared vision for what our future economy looks like - we should no longer be afraid of the conversation about water storage, dams, reservoirs in the right places. They are necessary for a sustainable, inclusive, productive, and decarbonised economy. The need for water investment is well past its due date.

Vanessa Winning, IrrigationNZ Chief Executive

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ARABLE

Do glyphosate additives improve efficacy? FAR trials investigating the efficacy of a number of commercially available glyphosate additives have shown little, if any, benefit from adding any of the products to the tank mix. WORDS AND IMAGES SUPPLIED BY FAR

fulvic powder reduced glyphosate efficacy, and that while liquid fulvic slightly improved glyphosate efficacy, the increase was not sufficient to recommend its use. The key learning from both years’ trials is that glyphosate rate is the most important factor in determining the level of ryegrass control. A glyphosate application of 1470 g/ai provided better control than any other treatment, whether or not any additive was included.

What does impact on glyphosate efficacy? ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

(i) At low humidity, droplets dry quickly, reducing plant uptake; (ii) Glyphosate is best applied during daylight as photosynthesis aids its movement through the plant; (iii) Temperature can affect both absorption and translocation. Optimum air temperature: 15–25°C. WATER QUALITY

FAR’s Phil Rolston says a number of products are used as additives to improve glyphosate efficacy, to provide alternatives to chemical additives, or to provide environmental benefits, but most of the evidence around their benefits is anecdotal. “For example, some growers claim fulvic acid allows them to reduce glyphosate rates while others say they use it to mop up residual glyphosate. In order to check out the first claim, in spring 2019 we set up a trial to compare the efficacy of glyphosate with different additives used by growers. “The trial was setup in what had been a ryegrass seed crop, to remove the ryegrass before transitioning to a following crop. Treatments included fulvic acid powder (50, 100 and 150 g/ha), fulvic acid plus citric acid, fish oil at 4.4 L/ha and Pulse 100 mL/ha, ammonium sulphate 2 kg/100 L water.

IMAGE: The glyphosate efficacy talk drew a lot of

interest at FAR’s 2020 CROPS field day.

This trial showed no benefit of using any additive with glyphosate, whether at label rate, or at either of the reduced rates. For example, glyphosate used alone, at half label rate (735 g ai/ha), reduced the relative average number of tillers to 100, significantly fewer than any treatments where fulvic acid was added (248 – 316 tillers) (Table 1).

Fulvic acid trial at Chertsey Arable site 2020 This trial has been repeated with modifications for the 2020/21 season. A different fulvic acid product, a liquid, has been tested in this experiment as well as the powdered product that was used in last year’s trial. This year’s trial also has two application timings; 23 October 2020 and mid-November. The trial showed that

TABLE 1. RELATIVE AVERAGE RYEGRASS GREEN TILLER COUNT 71 DAYS AFTER TREATMENT (DAT) AT CHERTSEY, 2019.

Glyphosate rate (g ai/ha)

Fulvic rate (g/ha) 0

100

150

AVG

735

100

316

296

248

241

980

184

225

133

1470

AVG

181

143

164

LSD 5%

F. prob

LSD 5%

F. prob

<0.001

(i) Glyphosate works best in acidic conditions. The ideal pH for a glyphosate + water solution is pH 4.0 - 5.0; and for most water sources the acidity of glyphosate will bring the pH into this range. (ii) Use clean water: clay or organic matter can bind to the glyphosate molecules and reduce efficacy; (iii) Hard water reduces efficacy as calcium and magnesium bind to glyphosate molecules. BIOLOGICAL FACTORS

(i) Glyphosate is more effective on young, actively growing plants; (ii) Glyphosate is not as effective on stressed plants due to reduced translocation; (iii) Understand the biology of the target weeds, not all weeds respond the same way (e.g. poor control of rhizomatous and deeply rooting weeds in early spring— Californian thistle).

Remember Glyphosate is a valuable tool for vegetation management in direct drill and reduced tillage of arable crops. However, public concern about its potential negative impacts is increasing, and several countries have restricted or banned its use. Alongside this, there is growing evidence of weed species developing glyphosate resistance. Maintaining both glyphosate efficacy, and the social license to use it, relies on appropriate and responsible use.

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PORK

NAWAC reviewing mating crates and farrowing stall regulations A High Court ruling around the use of mating stalls and farrowing crates has the potential to significantly impact New Zealand pig farming including a number of piggeries in Canterbury. WORDS AND IMAGES BY NZ PORK

In November, the High Court ruled regulations and minimum standards regarding use of the stalls and crates were unlawful and invalid. The Court directed the Animal Welfare Minister to consider recommending new regulations that provide a transition period to phase out the use of farrowing crates and mating stalls and to consider making such changes to the relevant minimum standards under the Welfare Code for pigs. The decision followed a judicial review taken by the New Zealand Animal Law Association (NZALA) and Save Animals From Exploitation (SAFE). Now, the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) is reviewing the Pigs Code of Welfare, with a sub-committee considering mating crates and farrowing stalls. It is likely to recommend further regulations.

NZ Pork Chief Executive David Baines says standard indoor farrowing systems are essentially maternity wards for mother pigs and are proven to be the most effective at protecting piglets from being crushed by their mothers “Any ban on the traditional use of farrowing crates would have a detrimental effect on animal welfare, productivity, and staff health and safety.” “It would jeopardise a significant number of pig farms – due to higher piglet mortality and the costs of installing alternative systems, which provide less protection for piglets. This would likely force New Zealanders to rely on even more imported pork that is produced using practices currently illegal in this county.” “Worldwide, farrowing crates are the most common system used to house sows and piglets until piglets are weaned. No country has completely banned their use.” “Alternative indoor systems, like farrowing pens, have not been widely adopted in any country, due to reduced piglet protection. Farrowing crates allow sows easy access to their own feed and water. They provide a separate piglet-only area that is heated, to meet their temperature needs and attract them away from the sow when she is resting,

which reduces crushing and hypothermia.” The judgement from the High Court was about failings with the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) in developing the regulations and codes of welfare—rather than specifically addressing the use of indoor farrowing systems, says Mr Baines. NZ Pork is advocating at central government level and working to increase understanding around why the industry uses farrowing crates. This includes engagement with vets, animal welfare professionals, and scientists. It’s also participating in the working group drafting the new Code of Welfare, providing input to the NAWAC sub-committee. “The Government has acknowledged there is currently no viable indoor farrowing alternatives available so we are working hard on behalf of our farmers to ensure there remains a place in our industry for farrowing crates and mating stalls,” said Mr Baines.

David Baines, Chief Executive NZ Pork

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HORTICULTURE

Giving 2021 some certainty As 2020 drew to an end and we mistakenly thought that we were coming out of the Covid chaos, Covid and mother nature doubled down on us. WORDS SUPPLIED BY MIKE CHAPMAN, HORTNZ CHIEF EXECUTIVE

The new more highly contagious Covid variants, hail storms, floods and seasonal labour supply have collectively made growing, selling and exporting fruit, berries and vegetables that much harder. It is not a great start to 2021. Looking back on 2020, some interesting trends have emerged, on which United Fresh has reported. As a result of COVID-19, these trends include: • Eating healthy food is top of the list for consumers • Food hygiene is also very important • There are fewer visits to supermarkets with shoppers doing bigger shopping trips. PreCovid, the trend had been towards more and smaller shopping trips • Online grocery shopping has surged by 25% in the US, 40% in Asia and nearly 30% in New Zealand. • Locally grown food is more sought after • 60% of shoppers worldwide want to know where food is sourced from. 66

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IMAGE: Eating healthy food is top of the list for consumers

In 2021 these trends will continue and, if there are further incidences of Covid community transmission in New Zealand, they will accelerate. This is good news for New Zealand’s growers. There are, however, a series of major issues that New Zealand growers are facing. Significant adverse weather events are destroying crops, as happened over Christmas. Of most concern is that these significant weather events are becoming more frequent and appear to be more severe due to climate change. At the same time, water shortages in the north and east of New Zealand are inhibiting our ability to grow the healthy food that is in such high demand. Border restrictions are affecting airfreight options, with 90% fewer passenger flights (that normally also carry fresh produce) leaving New Zealand. Also, the ability for exporters to visit and make deals

with their offshore customers is very restricted due to quarantine. In particular, finding new customers overseas has become very difficult. Covid has disrupted the entire supply chain, including sea freight. Getting perishable produce across the world to our offshore consumers in top quality is also very difficult. Added to this are labour problems. Prior to Covid, many specialists travelled the world providing their expertise. The wine industry is a good example, where a winemaker would work in the Northern Hemisphere and then the Southern Hemisphere producing wine. For everything that we grow, there are experts that before Covid, travelled the world. That was not possible for much of 2020 and will in all likelihood not be possible for 2021. For horticulture, access to high quality and skilled seasonal labour from offshore to supplement New Zealanders has also become very problematic. Border restrictions have seriously affected labour movement around the world and what we have seen in New Zealand (so far) is a continued shortage of workers onshore. At every turn, growers are facing increased and difficult challenges from growing right through the entire supply chain to the consumer. All these challenges are expensive to manage and in the case of the weather, destroy crops resulting in a total loss of income. We, therefore, need new approaches to get through 2021. These new processes did start last year with, for example, the Government granting the movement of 2,000 seasonal workers from the Pacific. While this number was not enough, it is a good example of what will need to become more common practice as we move into 2021: Government and industry working together to solve the challenges facing the primary sector, bearing in mind that we will not get everything we need to be able to feed people and generate offshore funds from selling our produce. We need to adapt and be flexible if we are going to be able to address the challenges and find workable solutions to them. Above all, we need to be innovative because what worked pre-Covid and what may have worked in 2020, will need to be reengineered to fit the realities of the evolving world we now live in. We are all facing some enormous challenges in 2021, and we are all working to collectively address them, in our crazy new world.

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Co-op News

Millennium, Copthorne and Kingsgate Hotels (MCK)

Working for you this dairy season Get what you need, when you need it with Ruralco, including a mixed four pellet deal on mag, lime, salt & DCP and deferred payment until November 2021. Visit www.ruralco.co.nz/ruralcodairy2021 or call us to find out more about our dairy products or this seasons pricing.

Use your Ruralco Card at the Hinds Allied Fuel Stop and save 16¢ per litre • Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; • 16¢ discount per litre off the listed pump price with a Ruralco Card; • 12¢ discount per litre off the listed pump price with a Ruralco Mobilcard; • Diesel and 91 petrol available; • Has high flow diesel and standard diesel flow pumps available; • Located in Hinds next to Hinds Mechanical Services on State Highway 1. If you need to fill up your cars for a trip, or to fill the trailer tanks or machinery during the busy harvest season you can be sure to save at the Allied Hinds Fuel stop. If you would like additional cards for your business, give us a call on 0800 787 256.

Get your animal health sorted with Ruralco Ruralco understands the importance of keeping your animals healthy. We have a wide range of products available, with March specials available now in store or online. Visit www.ruralco.co.nz/animalhealth or call us to find out more about our animal health products. 70

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There are 11 MCK hotels across New Zealand where you can save 15% off the flexible room rate, simply book by calling 0800 STAYMCK (0800 782 962), quote you are a Ruralco Cardholder, and they will apply the discount to your booking. When you check out of the hotel at the end of your stay, simply swipe your card through the EFTPOS terminal and the transaction will appear on our Ruralco Statement. Below is a list of the MCK hotels across New Zealand: Copthorne Hotel & Resort Bay of Islands Copthorne Hotel Auckland City Millennium Hotel Rotorua Copthorne Hotel Rotorua Millennium Hotel New Plymouth Waterfront Copthorne Hotel Palmerston North Copthorne Hotel Wellington, Oriental Bay Kingsgate Hotel Dunedin Millennium Hotel Queenstown Copthorne Hotel & Resort Queenstown Lakefront Copthorne Hotel & Apartments Queenstown Lakeview Kingsgate Hotel Te Anau Visit your friends and family or book your accommodation today!

The Ecotain Pack

Renovator Pack

T-ploid Pack

Endura Dryland Pack

Dip Pack

INNOVATIVE PERFORMANCE

GREAT VALUE

MAXIMUM PRODUCTION

ULTIMATE DRYLAND PERFORMER

RELIABLE PERFORMANCE

Ruralco Pasture Packs Ruralco’s Ultimate Pasture Packs provide you with the right mix necessary to produce ultimate results and ultimate pastures. Get your copy of the guide today from the Ruralco team or visit: www.ruralco.co.nz/ pasturepacks for more information.

Have any of your contact details changed? Please email membership@ruralco.co.nz so that we can update our records and your website login. Refer your friends or new neighbour to Ruralco, we welcome new members.

On-Farm Health & Safety Health & Safety plays a vital part in all business and farming operations, not just to keep family and workers safe but also to keep visitors and contractors safe and informed with your on-farm safety requirements including visitor meeting places and identified hazards. We encourage you to email through a copy of your contractor agreement so we can make it available to any Ruralco representatives that may be visiting your property. Email your contractor agreement to: Peter.Jacob@ruralco.co.nz

New Ruralco Suppliers

Dates for your diary

SOUTH ISLAND

Kaiapoi

Ashburton

Lifestyle Improvements Up to 5% discount

Canterbury Long Run Roofing Ashburton Up to 5% discount

20 March 2021 Methven A&P Show Visit the Ruralco tent at the Methven A&P Show for something from the BBQ and the a chat with the team.

Grassco Canterbury Ltd Up to 5% discount The Fine Lion Up to 7.5% discount

24–26 March 2021

Blenheim

South Island Agricultural Field Days in Kirwee Ruralco have had a presence at the South Island Agricultural Field Days for a number of years. The 2021 event at Kirwee from the 24 to 26 March looks to be another great few days. We will be at site 376 and we would love to see you, so make sure you come and find us.

PlaceMakers Blenheim 7.5-25% discount

Christchurch Cartridge World Up to 10% discount CV Specialists Up to 10% discount Finn Plumbing Up to 10% discount

SWITCH

TODAY

WIN

Hall Machinery Up to 15% discount

& BE IN TO

is powering your farm

Our obsession

$1,000

Pest Free Solutions Up to 10% discount *

*T&C’s apply

w. r u ra

sw l c o . c o. n z /

Smith’s City - The Colombo Up to 60% off

Clyde Four Square Clyde Convenience

Cromwell Our team of dedicated fuel and energy experts are here to ensure all your needs are covered for the busy season. From powering the shed, to fuelling your machinery. Our relationship with a network of leading energy providers means we’re in the best position to negotiate the best energy package for your needs. Through our fuel partners, Ruralco members benefit from bulk fuel pricing, so you’re always getting the best possible deal. We make it as convenient as possible, with fuel delivered direct to your door and we offer a large range of fuel storage tanks for purchase or lease. Get trusted advice, convenient service, and the best price. Switch to Ruralco today—we’re obsessed with agriculture.

0800 787 256 ruralco.co.nz/switch

Carters Tyre Service Cromwell Up to 32% discount

Dunedin Carters Tyre Service Dunedin Up to 32% discount Stopdigging South Island Up to 7% discount

Invercargill

Kaikoura Lobster Inn Motor Lodge Seasonal rates

Milton Supervalue Milton Convenience

Rangiora Country Lane Up to 5% discount

Temuka Laser Electrical Temuka Up to 40% discount

Timaru ACL Timaru Up to 7% discount J-Walk Up to 7% discount Nulook Morse Windows & Doors Up to 10% discount Pioneer Cabins NZ Ltd Up to 10% discount

NORTH ISLAND Cambridge Flexi Tanks NZ Up to 5% discount

Te Awamutu Fuel Storage Up to 10% discount

Te Puke Addiction Foods Up to 10% discount

Whakatane The Wrangler Up to 7% discount

Carters Tyre Service Invercargill Up to 32% discount

energy@ruralco.co.nz or fuel@ruralco.co.nz

Looking for the perfect wedding or engagement gift? Choose from our wide range of quality brands and get the perfect gift, in store or online delivered direct to you, including: • Fine crystal, silverware, glassware and serveware; • A wide range of kitchenware including Cuisnart mixers and small appliances; • Photo albums; • Beautiful linens and throws for the bedroom, bathroom, living, and dining room; • A wide selection of home and garden accessories. Let the Ruralco Gift & Homeware team help you choose a gift that will be treasured for a lifetime and receive complimentary gift wrapping on all presents purchased in store.

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Supported by Ruralco Ashburton Ladies Golf Fiona Rushton, Bev Sutherland, Sandra Quinn, and Sally Smith

Mt Somers Staveley Playcentre Ethel and Bethel bingo night fundraiser

Dorie School Community Cricket Match Ruralco BBQ & cricket

Methven Young Farmers—Young Farmers Districts Competition Penny Stilgoe (left) and Luke Duggins (right)

Hinds School Bike Track Cutting the ribbon (top) and Islabelle Taylor, James Shepard

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Mid Canterbury Cricket—South Island Primary School Cricket Tournament

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Classifieds AUTOMOTIVE

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Insurance Work

Repairs, Refurbishment and Maintenance of…

BUILDING SUPPLIES

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Trucks, Buses, Coaches & Motorhomes, Caravans, Trailers & Farm Machinery, Horse Coaches & Floats, Jet Boats & Light Engineering. 17 Range St

(Industrial Estate)

Ashburton Phone 307 0378

DESIGN SERVICES

COMPUTERS

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Classifieds DRYCLEANING

EQUIPMENT HIRE

FARM EQUIPMENT

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GARDENING

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ENGINEERING SUPPLIES

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FLORISTS

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LAWNMOWERS

MOTORHOMES

PAINTERS/DECORATORS

PEST CONTROL

PET FOOD

PHOTOGRAPHER

PLUMBERS

USE YOUR RURALCO CARD HERE

GLASS

SECURITY SYSTEMS

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REAL VALUE

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THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF THE MANY GREAT BUSINESSES AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO USE YOUR RURALCO CARD AT & SAVE DON’T HAVE A RURALCO CARD? Order one today and start saving Lizzie Redfern MEMBERSHIP SERVICES MANAGER

0800 787 256 RURALCO.CO.NZ

Real Farmer Autumn 2021

Articles inside

NAWAC reviewing mating crates and farrowing stall regulations

Do glyphosate additives improve efficacy?

Climate focus highlights the need for water

Digestive health for your cat

Keeping families safe from fire

Meeting the need

Irrigation improvements benefit environment and production

Four more years for Tiwai

Primary sector powers NZ through tough times

Filling the gap

New workshop engineered for top quality service

Farmer plots a regenerative journey

Autumn Spirit

When every kilo counts

Big challenges align for 2021

New Ruralco membership opportunities on offer at SIAFD

Speckle Park breed joins the dots for success

Farm reinvented as wedding venue

Catch cropping to reduce nitrate leaching