Real Farmer Summer 2022-23

From the Group CEO

Welcome to the Summer Edition of Real Farmer. The countdown is on to Christmas and the New Year. I hope you can enjoy some time with friends and family after what has been a busy year. Take some time to relax and read this edition of Real Farmer where we cover a multitude of stories and insights from our New Zealand farmers and growers.

In this issue, we meet Sara and Stu Russell, award winning Mid Canterbury dairy farmers who are taking a holistic approach to dairy farming by reducing their environmental footprint and how they are weaving their sustainable values into their breeding systems. We look at our equestrian community and how these events not only provide an activity off-farm but how they bring our farming community together. We also get the latest global industry updates and learn how corporates are offering support to get the world closer to reducing carbon emissions. We farewell Ruralco Chair, Jessie Chan who reflects upon her time at Ruralco and we get her perspective on all things farming. We’re eternally grateful for having Jessie on the Ruralco board. Jessie’s wealth of knowledge, fresh perspectives, and leadership skills have been invaluable to our team. You can read more on Jessie’s story in this issue.

Reflecting on the year that was, it has been great to resurrect some of our events that were unable to go ahead in the last couple of years and catch up with you all face to face. We were thankful to be able to attend the West Coast AgFest in October as well as the Ashburton A&P Show and we are looking forward to attending various other local shows and events coming up on the farming calendar. Again, we will be attending the biennial South Island Agricultural Field Days at Kirwee on 29–31 March. We look forward to seeing you there.

Lastly, we are looking forward to starting a fresh year in 2023 which is also the 60th anniversary of the ATS co-operative. Keep an eye out for some exciting celebrations in the coming year.

RURALCO PO Box 433, Ashburton 7740 0800 787 256 www.ruralco.co.nz

EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES: Our team welcome your contributions, enquiries and letters. Please email to: marketing@ruralco.co.nz

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: Please contact the Marketing Department on: Tel: 0800 787 256 marketing@ruralco.co.nz

DISCLAIMER: Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of Ruralco.

CONTRIBUTORS

Anita Body Annie Studholme Indiana Roberts Richard Rennie PHOTOGRAPHERS Annie Studholme

TECHNICAL ARTICLES 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

Corteva Agriscience Tel 06 757 7812 www.corteva.co.nz

DairyNZ Tel 0800 4 324 7969 info@dairynz.co.nz www.dairynz.co.nz

FAR Tel 03 3455783 far@far.org.nz www.far.org.nz

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

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

Nufarm Tel 09 270 4150 nzinfo@nufarm.com www.nufarm.com/nz

NZ Pork Tel 0800 697 675 info@pork.co.nz www.pork.co.nz

Rural Contractors Tel 0800 424 266 office@ruralcontractors.org.nz www.ruralcontractors.org.nz

Seales Winslow Tel 0800 287 325 www.sealeswinslow.co.nz

Rob Sharkie robert.sharkie@ruralco.co.nz

ON THE COVER: Sara and Margaret Russell share a passion for Guernsey Dairy Cattle. Read more on page 2.

Smart farming for sustainability

Almost a decade ago Eiffelton dairy farmers Sara and Stu Russell, with farm owners Richard and Diana Bourke, took steps on their family farm that, even by today’s standards, were significant shifts in practice. The changes justified their nomination to enter Ballance Farm Environment Awards in 2015, with them being awarded the LIC Dairy Farm Award.

WORDS AND IMAGES BY ANNIE STUDHOLME

The award recognised efforts to future proof the farm business for the long term. The judges appreciated the couple’s holistic view, examining their use of land, labour, and capital, while considering dairying’s effects upon surface ground water and its impact on soil properties.

Since then the farm has moved in leaps and bounds from their early steps that had them opt for liquid nitrogen applications over traditional granulated N, as one of the key shifts towards more sustainable practices.

“I guess we were really just then, as now, trying to be proactive. You can’t be completely ahead of everything that is coming but if you can at least be aware of it you can try to lift the bar through the processes you use, to see what you can improve upon,” says Sara.

The couple’s awareness of their farm’s environmental footprint, and regulatory demands to come came in part from their shared experiences working on dairy farms in Ireland during their OE.

The post-foot and mouth disease environment of UK dairying dictated greater recording and monitoring of livestock and farming practices, and came to include capturing environmental impacts and fertiliser applications.

Lessons learned

They were lessons that stuck when they returned to help Sara’s parent convert the family’s deer farm to dairying, working alongside Sara’s brother James and his wife Ceri.

Today that has evolved into the couple running a 760 herd 50:50 sharemilking business on the farm, across 255 effective hectares.

When the farm intentionally moved to liquid nitrogen application it required significant investment on their behalf at a time when granular was undoubtedly cheaper and easier to apply.

Using the liquid mix required constructing a mixing bay, complete with a 30,000 litre bunded storage tank and industrial pump. The liquid option has meant their nitrogen use

ABOVE: Daughter Margaret shares Sara’s passion for animals and livestock and between them they have become obsessed with the gentle Guernsey dairy breed

BELOW: Guernseys have the highest proportion of A2 milk genetics of any breed, with almost 80% of their population producing milk with the protein

by mixing and applying themselves, a factor increasingly critical as freight/contractor costs have risen in recent months.

Healthy soil pathway

Those steps taken some time ago now mean the farm’s soil system has had time to come down off its higher level of nitrogen dependency, giving time for the pasture swards to develop better clover content which tends to decline in environments with higher levels of synthetic nitrogen application.

The move has given them something of an early mover advantage as pressure has mounted to cut back on nitrogen application, and even more so as nitrogen almost doubled in cost in only a year.

“A lot of pastures struggle coming off the higher nitrogen levels you get here, you have to wean soils and pastures off nitrogen. It can be difficult and takes some time.”

Their farm’s soil took time to adapt, like any other but now harbours fungi and bacterial populations more adapted to the lower N regime, and healthier for it with higher earthworm populations, good drainage and improved organic matter.

Not ones to stand still, today the farm have been working to step out further by trialling applications of less conventional fertiliser types like humate, molasses and fish fertiliser, alongside the increasingly expensive conventional fertiliser types.

“It is a difficult time for farmers. The cost of conventional fertilisers has soared, and pressure is on to cut back. Meantime there are outlets selling products that may or may not be fit for

purpose. Some things out there are genuinely beneficial, but there can be a lot of trial and error in finding out which.”

Sara is encouraged by the results they have seen from using some of the less conventional applications like humates and fish fertiliser, all contributing to her goal of trying to build a more circular farm system with minimal waste and a lighter footprint.

Regen brings natural touch

It is this same philosophy that has inspired them to adopt some regenerative practices upon the farm.

“We have been working with Melinda Driscoll from Ruralco who has been very good at helping us transition to some regenerative type pasture swards,” says Sara.

At a basic level this has included sunflowers and chrysanthemum sown with kale crops, with the former helping aerate the soil with their root structure, and the latter acting as an insect deterrent, thanks to its naturally occurring pyrethrums.

“We have noticed how the calves also prefer to go for the chrysanthemums over the kale, and have not had to use any insecticide on the crop against white butterfly.”

They have also built some regenerative mixed multispecies pastures into 10 paddocks on the farm. The mixes are broad and interesting, comprising the likes of chard, oats, pasture lucerne, plantain, fescue, and buckwheat to name a few. Some of the plantings are part of a multi-farm trial being conducted by AgResearch, Synlait and Danone across Waikato, Southland, and Canterbury to determine the suitability of regenerative mixed pastures on dairy units.

“We have had the mixes for four years now and do notice the cows’ production tends to lift when they are on those paddocks. They seem to enjoy the variety they get from it.”

Sara sees some continuing trial and error work in the pasture mixes as time and grazing determines the species that can endure, and those that may fall out from the varied mixes.

Guernseys win hearts

The couple’s daughter Margaret shares Sara’s passion for animals and livestock and between them they have become obsessed with the gentle Guernsey dairy breed. Sara’s Guernsey hobby now means they have 50 partbred Guernseys in their largely Jersey herd, bolstered by Sara bringing in five embryos last year from a reputable Australian Guernsey stud.

“They are a very attractive cow, with a lovely temperament, very calm and the calves are like big puppies.”

Guernseys have the highest proportion of A2 milk genetics of any breed, with almost 80% of their population producing milk with the protein. Their inability to break down beta carotene in pasture also endows their milk with a deep golden creamy appearance.

“They are also proving themselves in the herd. One of my two-year-olds is the third best in her age group in the entire herd for production.”

Pedigree breeding is in Sara’s blood, with her grandfather having founded the family’s original Taranaki based Jersey stud Ngatimaru. It is this stud she is working to revive since becoming sharemilkers in 2011.

Margaret is also passionate about showing her hard work through A & P shows and is looking forward to the return of this year’s Canterbury Show where she will be exhibiting the family’s best Jersey and Guernsey heifer calves. She then heads across the Tasman later in January for International Dairy Week at Melbourne.

Sara’s passion to revive the family Jersey stud is also based on having a keen eye on the farm’s sustainable future.

ABOVE: Richard Bourke standing next to some of the many trees planted on the property

BELOW: Stu and Sara’s son Richards passion is all about gear, keen on tractors and equipment

Right cow/right bull formula

As pastoral farming grapples with the implications of He Waka Eke Noa, she is acutely aware of what greenhouse gas implications may hold relative to cow size and production.

The couple’s efficient Jersey herd is now producing 117% of its body weight in milk solid.

“And this is critical if we base efficiency on a kilo of production basis, rather than a cows per hectare basis.”

She is also employing some cutting-edge genetic assessments for determining she is mating the “right cow to the right bull.”

“One of the key areas dairying can reduce its footprint in is by minimising the number of replacements you need and try to keep them down to about 18% of the herd.”

For the past two seasons they have been using Semex Elevate genomic mapping and mating programme. The programme identifies the best females in the herd for getting the top heifer replacements from.

“If you can get the best 18% of your herd’s replacements rather than just the first 18%, that is far more efficient and productive.”

It also helps remove some of the uncertainties that go with “old school” mating decisions where matching a bull for a certain trait can also introduce another unwanted trait.

Sara is confident that “walking the talk” as a DairyNZ climate change ambassador, one of several around the country, that she can highlight ways the sector can respond to sustainability and greenhouse gas requirements.

Stepping lightly into future

The two generations remain committed to continuously lowering their farm’s environmental footprint viewing it as part of a sustainable journey, rather than having a defined destination. This has included restructuring their irrigation system to operate as a precision system. Utilising Vantage precision irrigation system the centre pivots are capable of varying their application, determined by which of the three soil types they are operating above, soil moisture levels and temperature.

“We are also always looking at how we can minimise waste, including waste coming onto the farm as packaging.”

They switched from bringing in 24 tonne a year of calf meal in 40kg bags, eliminating the waste stream of almost 1000 meal bags, and getting the meal at a lower rate that paid for the silo in a year.

Sara’s Mum Diana also remains active on the farm, having planted over 5000 trees in the past year alone. Sara loves the family dynamic of working with her father Richard on a daily basis and they way it allows their children to work with and learn from their grandparents.

Looking to the future, Sara and Stu are encouraged by the interest their two children Margaret (12) and Richard (15) are taking in farming. While Margaret has her Mum’s interest in animals, Richard is passionate about gear,

ABOVE: Sara and Stu are encouraged by the interest their two children Richard (15) and Margaret (12) are taking in farming

BELOW: Stu and Sara are transitioning to regenerative type pasture swards

cows are so proficient at producing, by one day starting an artisanal butter label.

Celebrating our equestrian community

Horses were indispensable on farms until the advent of motor-driven vehicles and tractors in the early 1900s. By the mid-1950s, most farmers had traded up to a different type of horsepower. Though horses are rarely used today, some highcountry farmers still prefer to use them to move stock or on properties where the terrain is too tricky for four-wheel-drive vehicles, quad and motorbikes.

WORDS ANNIE STUDHOLME, IMAGES SUPPLIED

There’s no denying that equestrian continues to play a massive part in our rural communities, says Ruralco Chief Executive, Rob Sharkie. “Not only is it something to do off the farm that people enjoy, but it’s a great way of bringing people of all different ages together at many events around a common theme.”

For young people, being involved in equestrian sport, no matter the level teaches them many invaluable life skills, from learning about themselves to increasing self-awareness and discipline, all the while caring for an animal. “Underneath it all, it’s about growing them into great people,” says Rob.

As well as providing day-to-day support through our retail stores and suppliers, Ruralco is proud to sponsor many equestrian events and groups throughout wider Mid Canterbury to give back to the equestrian community. It includes the Tinwald and Millcreek Pony Club shows and Ashburton A&P, as well as events run by the Ashburton Area ESNZ Show Jumping and Showhunter Group, Ashburton Dressage Group, Rakaia Pony Club and Methven Pony Club.

“Giving back is central to the co-operative’s ethos. We take a very long-term view that these youngsters involved in the sport now, collecting prizes, may well become our future clients,” he says.

From farm girl to international equestrian star

It’s a long way from winters spent working on her family’s sheep and beef farm at Kurow to the bright lights and immaculate all-weather arenas

of the World Equestrian Centre in Ocala, Florida, for Ashburton show jumper Kimberley Bird.

Having just racked up her second big win on US soil in the FEI $37,000 Welcome Stakes 1.50m CSI3* in Tyron with her fiery 13-year-old Holsteiner mare Cera Cassina, Kim Bird knows she made the right decision.

Last December, the 26-year-old packed her bags and, together with ‘Beezie’, as she’s known at home, flew to the US on a whim to try her luck in one of the world’s most challenging show jumping environments. They initially planned to stay three months, but now Kim is working on setting up a base in Ocala, hoping to get a small team together with a possible tilt at the Olympics on the cards.

“I have no regrets. It was the best decision,” says Kim. “I was stuck in a bit of a rut with Beezie. We’d won the National Championships and a couple of World Cup rounds, but keeping her sound with the ground conditions in New Zealand was hard. I’d always thought she’d suit the competition in the US. I knew Beezie had to go overseas one way or another. It was a case of either selling her or we both go.”

New Zealand is just too small. To get competition experience and progress in the sport, your only

ABOVE: Kim Bird has had Beezie since she was a fiveyear-old. She always knew that the mare had all the talent to take her to the highest echelons of the sport

BELOW: A country girl at heart, prior to going to the US, when Kim’s not riding she can be found on the family farm

real option is to go overseas. Having spent three months at the Dutch stable CSI (Concours de Saut International) producing and competing young horses earlier in her career, Kim knew the US was where she wanted to go.

COVID-19 initially stymied her plans, but through Beezie’s Australian breeder, Kerri Parker, she got wind of a bunch of Australians heading over to Florida in late 2021. Kim realised this was her chance. “I couldn’t afford to go. But I sold my other horses Roxette ECPH and all the ducks lined up. Within a month, Beezie was on the plane.”

Kim arrived in Florida, knowing no one. She caught COVID-19 within a week, and to top it off; her horse gear went missing on the flight. “It was an absolutely terrible start. I was extremely sick. It was hard just trying to muster enough energy to go and feed my horse. I don’t think it could have gone any worse. But because of New Zealand’s COVID-19 rules, I couldn’t have even gone home if I wanted to,” she smiles. With the help of her new Australian friends, Kim managed to borrow gear. Beezie travelled surprisingly well but took time to settle. Two months after her mammoth journey from Ashburton via Auckland, Sydney and Chicago, followed by a 17-hour truck ride to Ocala, she started to feel like her old self again. “We ticked away slowly [at the beginning] and tried to read how she was going. We didn’t want to overstep her.”

As Kim predicted, Beezie thrived in her new surroundings. “She suits it over here. They ride a lot faster, and the tracks are a lot bigger and more technical.

“We’ve always known she has the potential—she has the most potential out of anything I have ever sat on—but the mindset is a problem. She

has the jump but can be very opinionated and has a mind of her own – it’s been a battle! She tends to be overly cocky at the lower heights, but really comes into her own when the jumps are up at 1.5 to 1.6m,” says Kim.

“I did not doubt that she’d do well over here. She’s always had that drive and fight. As arrogant as she is, I wouldn’t change her—she’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea.”

Their first big win came at the end of March when the pair took out the $15,000 WEC Ocala 1.45m Jumper Classic, the final feature class of the 2022 Winter Spectacular Show Series at the World Equestrian Centre at Ocala. Kim produced one of only two clears in the first round before sealing the win with a clear jump-off in the fastest time against the clock.

The win was even more special as her parents, Kate and Alan Bird, and sister Jaimee were watching ringside. The Birds described watching Kim’s success as “incredible”. They were blown away by the whole set-up. “She rode well. I can’t believe how much her riding has developed from riding in New Zealand to riding over there. She has just gone next level,” says Kate.

Kim’s latest win in Tyron in a Grand Prix class of 60 horses, which included US jumping legends Kent Farrington and Beezie Madden, is the icing on the cake. “Honestly, it was crazy,” says Kim. “I was faster than Kent Farrington in the jump-off. It blew my mind. I am certainly playing it with the big boys now. But I feel like every time I step out in the ring; I am learning something.”

Though there are times when she finds the whole experience “surreal”, Kim’s 100 per cent committed to making it work. Living and competing in the US is ridiculously expensive, but the prize money is next level. It’s hard work, though. There is a lot of pressure to make it work, she says.

“I’ve been doing it on an absolute shoestring budget. I’ve just been fumbling my way through. I still actually can’t quite believe it. It’s been a crazy rollercoaster. I try not to think about it. I keep my head up and keep charging along, doing my own thing. But the support I received from my parents, family and friends back home has been amazing and meant so much.”

She was also indebted to the help of Australian Michelle Lang-McMahon, Maleah LangMcMahon, Mia Smith, the crew at Redleaf and G&T Equestrian.

When Real Farmer caught up with Kim, she was about to board a plane home to New Zealand for a couple of weeks’ break before heading back to Ocala to get Beezie ready for the lucrative Winter Series at the World Equestrian Centre. “With Covid, we hadn’t let her fly. Now, I feel like we are really settled, and I’m really excited about the coming season.”

Kim hopes to compete Beezie at Spruce Meadows or in the Nations Cup events in the future, but for now, she’s trying not to think too far ahead.

It’s a far cry from the “feral” farm kid who refused to ride in a saddle. Kim had a busy childhood, growing up as the middle child of five children on the Bird family’s sheep and cropping farm at Chertsey, just north of Ashburton.

Mum Kate always had horses, and Kim and her younger sister, Jamiee, started on ponies at a very young age. “She has been amazing; she wanted to give us the opportunities that she never had, but I don’t think even she thought it would go this far,” says Kim.

It was all about “hooning around and having fun” initially. “I clearly remember galloping around the farm on my little Welsh pony, helping move sheep between our two blocks.”

But after joining the Rakaia Pony Club the sisters started competing in games, show hunter and eventing, and also enjoyed hunting. Kim represented Rakaia at the pony club teams’ competition, the Springston Trophy, an impressive five times, before deciding she wanted to pursue a career in show jumping.

She quickly made an impact on the South Island’s pony Grand Prix ranks with a team of selfproduced ponies, including favourites Brenwood Stevie James and Showtym Image. In all, Kim produced four ponies to Grand Prix, all passed down to Jaimee, before Kim successfully moved on to hacks.

She was fortunate to be part of the South Island Young Rider team on four occasions, including competing in Australia. She also travelled to South Africa as part of a New Zealand under-15 team that competed in the International Classique against teams from South Africa and Australia.

The first horse Kim produced through to Grand Prix was the talented bay mare, Ngahiwi Summer, who she purchased as a reasonably inexperienced seven-year-old when she was just 16. They went on to have a wonderful partnership, successfully going through the ranks at Junior and Young Rider level, before Summer was retired to the broodmare paddock, reigniting Kate’s interest in breeding.

Kim has had Beezie since she was a five-year-old. While she always knew that the mare had all the

talent to take her to the highest echelons of the sport, the question was whether or not she’d be able to tame her wild temperament. It’s taken a lot of time and patience to get where they are today. Though her parents have been a tower of support, stepping up as grooms and drivers, the family hasn’t had the funds to buy the girls ‘made’ horses. “It’s Mum’s passion too, but we could never afford horses that were already going – we made them all ourselves,” says Kim. In recent years they’ve bred several nice youngsters for the girls to produce.

Around five years ago, the Birds sold the Chertsey farm and bought a 675-hectare sheep and beef property in Kurow, which is managed by oldest son Nick. At the same time, they bought a 10-hectare block on the outskirts of Ashburton, from where the girls are able to base their horse operation, giving lessons and produces and sells horses to keep her team going.

A country girl at heart, prior to going to the US, when Kim’s not riding she can be found on the family farm. “I love the stock work.” During the winter months, Kim splits her time between Kurow and Ashburton.

Equestrians in the team at Ruralco

SOPHIE BURKIN (33)

Marketing Executive

Sophie was born into a horsey family in the UK, where her mum was an event rider and produced young horses. Growing up, she attended pony club, winning eventing and dressage competitions, before specialising in showing, producing top show horses and ponies, and competing at a high level nationwide with success.

Sophie currently coaches several riders in the Ashburton area, as well as coaching at Mill Creek Pony Club. She is part of the Ashburton A&P Show Equestrian committee and enjoys supporting a number of local shows.

Though she doesn’t currently have her own horse, in February, she was kindly offered the ride on Dayboo Rockstar (Rocky) in the Saddle Hunter classes for a friend. Sophie is also

competing The Golden Snitch (Komet) in led showing classes with hopes of getting him out under saddle as a Park Hack in 2023.

Sophie loves being around horses and believes it’s good for her well-being! Riding is a great way to unwind and relax. She enjoys getting out in the countryside hacking as much as she enjoys competing.

SALLY CHILDS (64)

Customer Services Representative

Sally’s mum firmly believed that children on farms should learn to ride. Little did she know that 60 years later, Sally would be still involved with horses. At age five, she started riding on a former top-show pony. Her next pony was from the worst market in England—that’s how she learnt to stay on! This was followed by an Anglo Arab pony club eventer that jumped anything. She brought on young horses, hunted with the Belvoir Hunt Club, and evented in one, two and threeday competitions up to Intermediate level.

Sally’s equestrian community involvement needs no introduction. She has been involved with Ashburton A&P for nearly 30 years and has served as Secretary of the ESNZ Ashburton Showjumping and Showhunter Area Group for almost as long.

She is also willing to help at both the Tinwald and Mill Creek Pony Club’s and the Ashburton Area ESNZ Dressage group when needed.

Sally presently competes in low-level dressage and show hunter on Our Spice, aka ‘Spice’. An 11-year-old former racehorse who retired with just one win to his credit in the mud at Hokitika about four years ago. She’s had him for three years. She enjoys the challenge of bringing novice horses on and seeing improvement.

BEX GLASS (36)

Retail Sales Assistant, Rakaia Store

Bex has had a lifelong love of horses. She finally got her first pony when she was eight years old. She attended Cave Pony Club during her younger years, competing across multiple disciplines, but her favourite was jumping.

For the past six years, she has been retraining and rehoming standardbreds that have finished

their race careers which she finds rewarding. They’re clever, versatile horses that want to please. She currently has three standardbreds, aged from two to six years old, competing in hand and in ridden showing classes, as well as casual hacking.

Bex is lucky to be a brand ambassador for Excel Equine, who supply Performa ride tights as well as a range of products needed for day-to-day horse care. Through her role at Ruralco, she is involved in the local equestrian community by supporting local shows and providing insight into diets.

for four years. She has also instructed and volunteered at their local competitions.

Kate is currently competing a friend’s Saddle Hunter, known as ‘Socks’ at home. Kate previously competed on the warmblood mare, Vollrath Witchcraft (Stella), which she had had for seven years, competing up to Level 4 dressage, but unfortunately, she lost her two years ago.

Kate loves the social side of the sport, meeting lots of people.

KATE WADDELL

(25) Seeds Sales Coordinator

Kate has spent her life around horses, having grown up in a really horsey family. Her mum and five siblings all rode, and she started riding at age four. She has mainly competed in showing and up to Level 4 in dressage.

From the start of her riding career, Kate has always been involved in pony club. She represented the Tinwald Pony Club at the New Zealand Pony Club Dressage Champs

HANNAH GLASSEY (22) Finance Administrator

Hannah was born into a horsey family with a background in harness racing and horse breeding. Growing up, she attended pony club and shows. She competed in everything from round-the-ring hunter events to eventing and hacking.

Hannah doesn’t currently own a horse but she often helps friends with their horses and enjoys attending and supporting local competitions. She looks forward to having another horse and continuing to compete. She enjoys being around horses and the challenges they bring! Every day is different!

ABOVE: Hannah Glassey

TOP: Kate Waddell

LEFT: Bex Glass

OPPOSITE: Sophie Burkin

Corporate support lifts for farmer carbon efforts

As the world tries to haul itself closer to a zero-carbon position, farmers are increasingly coming under scrutiny for what their role will be in helping achieve that. With 37% of global emissions accounted for in food production, the pressure is on producers to have a pathway to lowering their contributions.

WORDS BY RICHARD RENNIE

Here in New Zealand global attention is focused on He Waka Eke Noa (HWEN), the mechanism for pricing and allocating agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. It represents a world first effort to recognise the “split gas” of methane and nitrous oxide separate from carbon dioxide, and an attempt to measure, price and reduce their production.

But regardless of what government regulations will require, consumers are increasingly pushing for accountability in food sourcing. This is to the extent carbon measurement is becoming part of “business as usual” rather than an exceptional, premium offering from food producers.

This is compelling the world’s largest food processing companies including Nestle, Unilever and Danone to incorporate zero carbon targets into their corporate culture, often combining it with aims to use regenerative farming techniques and lower impact farm systems to achieve that overall goal.

Nestle has recognised 70% of its emissions lie in its raw material food production and has committed over NZ$2billion over the next five years to help farmers and growers transition to net carbon zero by 2050, and to halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

The company has a massive, complex network of 150,000 suppliers around the globe and 500,000 farmers producing crops ranging from cocoa to corn, milk to mangoes.

Acknowledging the complexity and need to work alongside those growers the company has taken a “back to the soil” approach to reengineering its food supply sources under its “sustainability promise” launched a year ago.

Technical support to help farmers move to a lower farming footprint now includes 1200 agronomists in 40 countries.

Nestle’s agriculture head Paul Chapot says the company recognises the need to support farmers in making a transition in what is a biological system, one that takes longer to shift than any other part of the food processing chain.

“We need to support farmers during this transition which may last a few years.”

The company’s work in its dairy sector highlights the investments being made, with dairying being Nestle’s largest raw material input.

“Net carbon zero” dairy farms are now demonstrating practices that will be adopted more widely in coming years.

For example, in Germany’s North Hesse region the company is working with 2800 farmer supplier co-operative Hochwald.

All aspects of farm management from the herd, feed, waste, nutrition, and energy are broken down into centres for carbon reduction, incorporating local research groups and scientists for learnings to be adopted by all supplying farmers.

In South Africa in the Western Cape Province, the company will have its first net carbon zero certified dairy farm by 2023, comprising of 1000 cows.

The fourth-generation pasture-based family farm is reporting an 11% increase in milk solids per cow, 40% lower energy use and a 45% increase in soil carbon levels.

In the United Kingdom, supermarket chain Tesco is piloting a new scheme for UK dairy

farmers where they receive subsidies for growing more sustainable feed.

Competing chain Morrisons now has a support programme for beef farmers to help them meet its net carbon zero target by 2030, five years ahead of the industry target.

While New Zealand has justifiably claimed to be an efficient carbon emitter per kilogram of production, the rest of the world is rapidly catching up, with initiatives like the Nestle work highlighting just how quickly.

Fonterra has set climate targets of a 30% reduction in manufacturing emissions by 2030, net zero from manufacturing by 2050, and no net increasing in dairying emissions between 2015 and 2030.

As pressure mounts on farmers, both through government regulations and from customers’ expectations, farmers increasingly require expertise and support to help them transition to a lower emitting future.

DairyNZ’s solutions and development leader Nick Tait emphasises there is no “one farm” solution to individual farms’ emissions reductions.

Farm environment plans are forming the first step for all farms. He points to farmers working

to reduce supplementary feeding, using genetics for lower methane emission cows and native plantings for farm sequestration as some key tools at hand.

“Methane-mitigating inhibitors have been proven to reduce methane, and some of our research is focused on their use in New Zealand pasture-based systems. We are also researching early-life use of inhibitors in calves, to reduce the production of methanogens later in their life cycles.”

Silver Fern Farms’ Net Carbon Zero Beef is now being marketed in United States and is one of the highest profile programmes in New Zealand that combines a strong, validated marketing claim with input to help farmers meet those claims.

Silver Fern’s On Farm Sustainability Manager Ryan MacArthur says the company has invested in building up a farm extension team focused on supporting farmers through Nature Positive programmes.

Part of the work includes identifying and mapping vegetation on the farm that sequesters carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

“That mapping involves utilising AI and satellite analysis. We utilise historical imagery to age the vegetation and use AI to detect areas and species and calculate how much they have aged, and how much carbon is being sequestered.”

He emphasises the carbon neutral claim is completely based off the farm’s ability to reduce and sequester emissions on-farm, rather than purchasing “offset” credits from other sources, something that makes the initiative unique at this stage.

The vegetation sequestering carbon for the programme is certified, and validation provided through Toitu Envirocare.

Ryan says the scheme has highlighted the variance in vegetation sequestration rates and opportunities across farms with large areas of indigenous scrub in hill blocks, while the flatter country comprises significant areas of shelter belts also capable of sequestration.

He says farmers’ interest in being part of Silver Fern’s scheme has been strong, supporting the market led opportunities available.

At this stage Silver Fern only markets beef in the US market, but lamb is soon to be launched, with venison also being considered. Meantime farmers receive support through company sponsored field days for the programme suppliers.

“Getting tools into the hands of farmers to reduce emissions is a key focus for Silver Fern Farms and the reason we are one of the founding partners in the recently announced Centre for Climate Action on Agricultural Emissions.”

The $330 million joint venture aims to build on the technology and tools available to New Zealand farmers, with members including all this country’s major agricultural processors, including Silver Fern, ANZCO, Fonterra, Ngai Tahu, Ravensdown and Synlait.

Confidence that farming will find a way

With significant changes underway for the primary sector, outgoing Ruralco chair Jessie Chan is urging farmers to remain adaptable. Her ascent as one of the country’s prominent rural leaders has been marked by her continued capacity to adapt and evolve. WORDS AND

STUDHOLME

After nine years of distinguished service to Ruralco, first as a director and then as Chair, Jessie has decided it’s the right time to explore other governance roles while spending more time with her family.

With an Honours degree in Animal Science from Massey University and more than 15 years of rural professional experience, Jessie’s governance journey was in its infancy when she initially joined the Board as a director in 2013.

She had previously worked in Wellington as a technical advisor for the Ministry of Agriculture (MAF) doing live animal export and imports, followed by stints with Meat and Wool New Zealand [now Beef & Lamb New Zealand] as a research and development portfolio manager, and as a dairy policy analyst for Federated Farmers. She had also been provincial president of the Wellington Young Farmers’ Club, amongst other roles.

Her relocation to Mid Canterbury coupled with her grassroots experience gave Jessie newfound prospects. Motivated by a yearning to make a difference in rural areas she first completed the Fonterra Governance Development Programme. She later gained further skills through the Food and Agribusiness Marketing Experience, the Professional Development Course for Cooperative Directors, and the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme.

Being elected to the Ruralco Board was a sign of more significant things to come. After six years as a Director, Jessie assumed the helm in 2020. In doing so, she became the country’s first female Chair of a major agribusiness co-operative.

During her tenure, she was awarded the Canterbury Institute of Directors Aspiring Director Award in 2014, crowned Dairy Woman of the Year in 2017, Most Inspiring Leader at last year’s Women in Governance Awards and made the New Year’s Honours list as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to dairy and agriculture.

Alongside Ruralco, she has also served as a Fonterra Shareholders’ Councillor, on the Board of Federated Farmers Mid Canterbury, Business Mid Canterbury, Connetics Limited, Ngai Tahu Farming Ltd, Alpine Energy Ltd, and as an associate director of Dairy NZ.

Jessie was also fortunate to attend the weeklong Te Hono Stanford Bootcamp at Stanford University in California, looking at the primary sector’s future along with 70 other major players in the primary sector. An experience she describes as invaluable in terms of understanding the primary sector and looking at it with a new perspective.

“You never stop learning,” says Jessie. “All these experiences have helped me contribute to

IMAGES BY ANNIE

the business’s future strategy. Being on Alpine Energy and Ngai Tahu Farming Limited’s boards taught me different things. I brought that experience of these larger boards in terms of risk, strategy, compliance, and people.”

From a business point of view, Jessie witnessed many changes during her time on the Board. Her first three years were dominated by ATS’s withdrawal from the joint venture with Ravensdown, buying back their shareholding, followed by the total business rebrand to Ruralco. “That was a big deal for us. We had to think of the impacts of what that meant to shareholders. There was also some new thinking about the next generation’s expectations,” she says.

Increasing board diversity continued to be a primary focus during her second term with the appointment of a second independent director. “It’s not just about how people look; diversity comes in all shapes and forms,” Jessie says. “Bringing in independent directors helps to bring in skillsets and strengths that we might not have around the Board. I have been impressed with the talent coming through the Board. We have some great talent in Mid Canterbury, but this is not a training ground for newbies. We are a high-performing team. Everyone is great in their own right. That translates down to our people as well. People want to join us. We are a family; we look after each other, but we know how to get stuff done.”

Since becoming Chair, Jessie has been leading the development of Ruralco’s financial platform to allow a new way of transactions to be rolled

out from this month (December). Not only will it ensure Ruralco complies with Government legislation, but it will open new opportunities for the co-operative, including being able to offer cardholders revolving credit.

“We know there are certain times of the year when farmers have a cashflow pinch. This [revolving credit] will make it easier for them to do business without having to go to the bank. They’ll be able to buy their products on us, and roll over their account until the following month,” she says.

They have also rewritten the constitution, putting practices in place at Board level to add further clarity.

Highlights have been winning awards for leading the way in health and safety and as a gender-diverse organisation. “But it’s not just about getting awards. It’s about doing what you say you will,” says Jessie.

In the end, she says that as shareholders, “you will be able to tell whether or not I’ve done a successful job as Chair based on where the company is in the next five years”.

“What we are seeing now is what the Board has been working on for the past 12 months. There is a lag between all the activities and what plays out in three, five or 10 years. It’s about future thinking. It’s long-term, and that’s the way it should be. We wouldn’t be doing our job properly if we were reacting to things every day as a board.”

Much has happened in the past nine years, not just at Ruralco but also in the primary sector.

“We’ve had a lot of challenges thrown at us,” says Jessie. From $3.90 milk prices, grim arable returns, and rollercoaster prices for lamb, we’ve also had to deal with localised weather events and the Covid-19 pandemic.

It has taught us that you never know what’s going to happen. “You can’t possibly account for every risk; you just have to be able to adapt.” She put Ruralco’s success during the pandemic down to loyal shareholders and a strong balance sheet. Despite the obvious challenges, there was a real willingness on the part of the Board, staff, and shareholders to roll up their sleeves and work together to get the job done. Many efficiencies and positives have come out of it.

Now, more than ever, it’s shown the value of the co-operative. “Farmers don’t want us to meddle in their businesses. They want good value for money and a partner they can trust. While the offering hasn’t changed, at our heart, we are still a farm supplies store. We have grown on that with our gift and homeware range, groceries, fuel, and energy, and in future the way we transact. Fundamentally, the reason it (Ruralco) got together almost 60 years ago hasn’t changed, but we must keep improving on that.”

While growth is a key part of improving the business’s resilience, it’s not about “growth for growth’s sake”. “It’s not just about being big,” says Jessie. “We always have our core

BELOW: Group CEO Rob Sharkie with outgoing Chair Jessie Chan at this years Instore Days event

shareholders in mind, and we won’t do anything detrimental to them. We will only do it if it makes sense, adds value, grows shareholder wealth, and reduces risk.”

Though farmers’ morale has been hit lately, with continued misinformation fueling negative perceptions of farmers around the environment and animal welfare issues, Jessie firmly believes the future remains bright for food and fibre production. “Farmers need to hold their heads up high; people are always going to need to eat,” she says.

“We must find ways to change the story because we have a good story to tell. It’s not every person for themselves; we need to stick together and be unified in what we do. We need to tell a story that resonates with people, and we need to get the people in town to see we are human too, not pitchfork-welding villains just there to make money.

Contrary to what many think, farming is about continuous improvement and outcomes for the environment, animals, and people, she says. “Farming communities are diverse in

their make-up and farming practices; they are thriving in a good way, and we need to start telling those stories.”

At this year’s Instore Days, Ruralco launched the “Farmers. We’ve Got Your Back” campaign to recognise and appreciate farmers’ contribution and promote what they do to the general population. It’s Ruralco’s way of showing our shareholders that we are all in this together, says Jessie.

“There is a story to tell around the whole country and Ruralco wants to inspire the industry to share that story. We share the same ideals and understand our shareholders’ expectations of us as a co-operative—that we are their business. As such, we support them.”

She says the real danger is that weighty compliance, red tape and feeling vilified can drive the next generation away from farming, just as we had in the 1980s. The campaign is about changing the perceptions and sharing the positives, so farming gets the kudos it deserves. It’s envisaged to run for at least a year to build momentum but probably longer

as suppliers and industry players come on board. It’s hoped that by providing awareness and momentum, the campaign will grow its own legs in the future.

At the end of the day, though, she is confident farming will always find a way. “It just takes people with bravery and determination. We might need to tweak our systems, but we will get there. Some of the brightest young minds coming through are working in the fields of research and development and innovation. It’s about how can we do this smarter, and how we apply that in a meaningful way on farm.”

Jessie says the key is to keep learning and growing in ways that sustain our businesses and our rural communities. The two are intrinsically linked, and one cannot survive without the other.

Now that her tenure at Ruralco is ending, Jessie is looking forward to balancing family life, spending more quality time with her two growing boys, Adam (9) and Noah (4), and enjoying their new life in Rakaia.

At the end of May, Jessie ceased actively farming following her divorce from business partner Hayden Dorman. Together, the couple had worked their way up from lowerorder sharemilkers to buying their own herd. Then, two years later, they were offered the opportunity to lease, farming 420-hectares at Dorie, milking 920 cows, having halved it in numbers as they moved to a self-contained system, improving their own operational efficiencies, and significantly lessening their farming footprint.

From the beginning of her governance career, Jessie’s made careful choices regarding what roles she has taken. Nothing has been done by accident; they have all been deliberate. “It’s values-driven,” she explains. “They are all important to me for various reasons. I must think, does it align with my values? I want to be able to contribute to the organisation, add value and make a difference.”

It rings true in her most recent appointment as an independent director for NZ Pork. “The pork industry and pig farmers have a lot of challenges on their plate about regulations and the growing wave of imported pork produced using practices that are illegal in this country. I’m keen to be part of the solution, raising the profile of our wonderful New Zealand pork products both here and overseas,” she says. Though small, Jessie says the New Zealand pork sector is proud and overall has a solid animal welfare record. It’s essential to ensure the industry can thrive and that pig farmers continue to provide nutritious, high-quality New Zealand-born and raised pork farmed to high welfare standards.

As well as NZ Pork, Jessie remains a Trustee of Meat the Need, which distributes farmerdonated meat to food banks, and is on the board of the mātauranga Māori-focussed, Bioprotection Aotearoa.

Bright option for solar on farm

IMAGE: Liam Brown from Platinum Energy, Tracey Gordon, Ruralco Energy Sales Manager, Nick Donkers from Platinum Energy and Glenn McWhinnie, Ruralco Key Account Manager - Energy

Platinum uses super capacitor ‘batteries’ for the electrostatic storage of electricity generated by the panels. These offer a number of advantages over conventional lithium-ion batteries most are familiar with.

“Super capacitors are capable of charging up more quickly, they are non-chemical and don’t degrade the way conventional batteries do and you can use 100% of whatever their capacity is, unlike chemical batteries which can be limited in their true capacity and may need to be oversized for the application.”

Ruralco has partnered up with Canterbury based solar energy company Platinum Energy to provide farms with a viable, effective energy alternative.

WORDS BY RICHARD RENNIE, IMAGES BY ANNIE STUDHOLME

In the past solar has often been seen as an energy source that is slow to deliver a return, at considerable up-front cost. However recent surges in electricity prices that are unlikely to come down, coupled to significant reductions in solar energy technology, have built a strong case for solar electricity generation on farms.

Co-founders Liam Brown and Nick Donkers say almost 90% of their business is focused on the agri-energy supply market, particularly to Canterbury dairy farms.

“We find Canterbury’s larger sized dairy farms make the economics of installing a solar system particularly appealing.

“Dairy businesses themselves are also in something of a sweet spot when it comes to utilising solar electricity. Higher production occurs over the summer months, when solar generation is at its peak, and when dried off over winter, solar is generating the least, so the seasonality and time of use lines up really well,” says Nick.

Electricity prices have taken a continuous hike along with all other farm costs in the past 18 months and more farmers are wanting to find ways to keep a lid on them.

Ruralco Energy Sales Manager Tracey Gordon has Ashburton clients who had signed on for 8-9¢/kWh looking at 12–13¢/kWh in the Ashburton district under a new contract.

The electricity futures market has prices out for the 2023 calendar year surging even further to

touch over 20¢/kWh, before possibly easing back to 17.5¢/kWh.

It is not until well into 2025 that prices show any indication of easing back to under 15¢/kWh.

In 2020-2021 season the average irrigated Canterbury dairy farm’s operating expenses amounted to $5.25 per kilogram of milk solids. Irrigation costs including electricity were 31¢/kgMS, while additional electricity use was 9¢/kgMS.

“All the retailers are looking hard at the electricity futures pricing profile, and it is not coming down,” says Tracey.

Nick emphasises that unlike some of the hard sell exerted by residential installers, Platinum will not propose a system where it does not make economic sense.

“But we are getting past a tipping point where for most dairy farmers it can offer a return on investment of 12–15%, that is appealing and within the warranty period for the panels installed. Usually we expect clients to have a payback period of six to seven years, with a warranty up to 25 years.”

Typically a Platinum installation will consist of a photo voltaic solar array, inverter and potentially also a capacitor “battery” bank for energy storage, if the use case is ideal. Every system is different, but most 40kW systems required for Canterbury dairy units will require about 500–600m2 of area to be set up in, depending on how many rows are required to face the array north, and the shape or layout of the land available.

“As the technology continues to evolve and energy density of panels continues to improve, we expect to see more of those awkward pieces of marginal/unproductive land on farms provide the opportunity for panels, areas like the centre of the tanker loop, for example,” says Liam.

Liam and Nick founded Platinum based on a mutual interest in renewable energy and particularly on the potential they could see as solar technology developed so rapidly. This was alongside emerging new battery types and the potential to “decentralise” power generation and delivery. They are looking across the Tasman at developments in Australia that could be applied here. They are particularly interested in how multiple rural solar generators could ultimately be managed via ‘virtual power plant (VPP)’ software, being directed to deliver power to the grid, to owners’ demand or to battery storage, depending upon total energy needs, spot power prices, and time of day.

“The whole industry presents a lot of opportunity in these areas and our equipment is made to be compatible with emerging control technology which opens up further income earning opportunities for solar panel owners,” says Liam. Until recently electricity supplied back onto the grid by home/farm generators has received below wholesale rates, but this is changing and making the appeal of farm based solar supply even greater. Liam and Nick see Canterbury having the potential thanks to its dairy farms’ scale to be New Zealand ’s first region with a power system that is decentralised from traditional hub and spoke supply.

“A 40kW solar system may not seem a lot on its own, but with the potential of VPP when you can link many of them up, you are looking at quite a substantial generation source –comparable to that of a utility scale solar farm,” says Nick.

Tracey Gordon says interest in solar from Ruralco shareholders is growing, prompted by electricity being far from an incidental item in the farm budget.

“We are looking forward to working with Platinum and our clients to come up with an energy solution that can really make a difference to their bottom line for years to come,” she says.

Farmers working for farmers

“If we come and spray for them we can give them exactly what they need and take care of the drums and the recycling. We know exactly at the start of the day that we’ve got the right product,” Angus says.

Wairuna Agri-Services mainly operate between the Ashburton and Rangitata rivers, from coast to hills.

They have two Mitsubishi canters fitted with Richards Custom Machinery spray packs that are capable of spraying crop protection products, liquid fertiliser and biologicals, with Topcon guidance for section control and Tracmap GPS for proof of placement.

They also have an Amazone Pantera 4503 rigged with a 24-30 metre boom, with adjustable wheel width and height clearance up to 1.7 metres (ideal for late brassica seed crop work). The Pantera is also equipped with Topcon for guidance and Tracmap advanced GPS.

Their 2800L Tow & amp; Fert machine completes their liquid fertiliser management options, capable of evenly spraying liquid fertiliser and fine particle suspension products, including seed, that can’t go through regular sprayers.

Ably led by Murrell Ruddenklau, Wairuna Agri’s operators understand a range of farming systems and are focused on helping farmers achieve their end goal of growing a good crop. “We’re farmers working for farmers,” Angus says. They operate a full fleet of spraying and drilling equipment and have invested into precision agriculture technologies, with “good systems in place for recording and proof of placement, which is a big part of modern farming,” Angus says. “We’ve got a big focus on sustainability— we have some innovative boom wash and recycling systems at our base, and we see liquid fertiliser as a big opportunity and way to improve nutrient efficiency.”

After university, Angus spent several years working for Foundation for Arable Research before going home to run Wairuna Farm, a mixed cropping farm in Lowcliffe and Eiffleton. Armed with his experience in trial agronomy, he began experimenting with soil management plans—particularly drill and fertiliser initiatives—and recognised the benefits of integrating revolutionised practices with modern agriculture.

From there it seemed only logical to invest in the gear needed to share his expertise through a contracting business.

“At uni a lot of my projects were around integrating arable with livestock, particularly dairy,” Angus says. “I guess that’s where I got quite into spraying.”

Everything Wairuna Agri-Services offers has been tried and tested. ‘‘We’re quite considered about how we approach new technologies or practices on-farm,” Angus says. “Before we take anything to the market, like in terms of the drilling or the liquid fert or the products, we’ll trial it on the farm.”

They’re currently running paddock trials to gather results on the effectiveness of liquid fertiliser on a neighbouring dairy farm.

‘‘If someone asks us to do a job, we’ll do it,” Angus says. “But if people ask for my opinion, you know, I’m not that comfortable until I’ve done some homework on it.”

Wairuna Agri maintains a selection of fertilisers and ag-chems, making supply an easy pick for farmers and agronomists while increasing the efficiency of the team.

They also provide direct drilling using a Cross Slot direct drill capable of drilling into heavy residue with minimal disturbance, a service Angus says is integral to reflecting their values around sustainability. The Cross Slot drill offers 150mm row spacing across a 3.5 metre sowing width, with drilling of 300mm and separate seed and fertiliser placement.

Angus says a new Amazone Pantera 4504 with a 36-30-24 metre boom will be joining the fleet this spring alongside an Amazone UF 2002 with a 30-24 metre boom.

Wairuna Agri’s range of equipment is designed to cater to different nutrient management plans, promoting quality crop growth while reducing soil disturbance and product wastage. “We’re obviously farmers doing contracting so we have a really good team that really cares about the end goal,” Angus says. “They trained on the farm to know what they’re looking for to help that farmer achieve the end productgrowing a decent crop.” THIS PROMOTIONAL FEATURE WAS SUPPLIED BY WAIRUNA AGRI-SERVICES

Wairuna Agri-Services owner Angus McKenzie is combining innovation and sustainability to deliver spraying and direct drilling services to farms across Mid Canterbury. He and his team work hand in hand with agronomists to provide result-driven solutions to local farmers. WORDS BY INDIANA ROBERTS, IMAGES SUPPLIED BY WAIRUNA AGRI

Quality pork reigns supreme

Foxton—but he was still surprised

2022 100% New Zealand

“We know it’s fantastic pork—because our pigs want for nothing,” says Jim.

“But you don’t usually get a lot of validation for your product as a farmer. We really appreciate that the winner made a point of making sure we knew it was one of ours—we’re absolutely delighted.”

Jim and wife Katie, along with Jim’s parents Rob and Karen, farm sheep, beef cattle and pigs over 320 hectares. They produce over 9,000 pigs for market each year. The winner came from a pig processed by Cabernet Foods in Carterton and then sold on to Westmere Butchery in Auckland, which prepared the bone in leg ham that took the top title.

Judges said the Westmere ham was a standout entrant, describing it as “insanely delicious”.

Fourth generation farmer Jim has worked with pigs all his life. His father started a small piggery in Longburn in the 1970s before establishing a larger operation when he moved to their current Castle Glen Farms location.

“I was born in 1980 and on the same day I was born, a sow farrowed for the first time on the farm,” he says.

“When I was a baby, Mum would take me to the piggery and put me in a box with my toys, under one of the heat lamps we use to keep the piglets nice and warm. I’d be happy as anything, playing, while she helped Dad with his work.”

The pigs are farmed indoors in temperaturecontrolled facilities to ensure the most comfortable living conditions.

“Our philosophy for our pigs is that they never want for anything,” says Jim. “They always have ample food, water, comfortable conditions and optimum temperatures.

“We don’t skimp on anything. That’s to the detriment of the bank balance sometimes—we get through 1900 tons of high-quality grain every year—but happy pigs, who are never stressed, are the key to really good pork. You come in here at any time of the day and you’ll find them just eating or chilling—pigs like to sleep a lot.”

Jim says he enjoys the character and personality of pigs, which makes them a pleasure to work with.

There are currently 340 sows on farm, all sourced from the world-leading Pig Improvement Company (PIC). Jim’s passion for the quality of his product is evident as he talks about “exciting developments on the horizon as PIC has a new Duroc pig breed, which produces exceptionally succulent and delicious pork”.

He’s also enthusiastic about the increasing choice for consumers around how their 100 per cent New Zealand born and raised pork is prepared.

“In the past, it has mostly been about chops and roasts required by the consumer, but now the choice of cuts are increasing which is nice to see . We supply to Cabernet Foods and they are doing good things with different cuts which is exciting for us as a producer and great for promoting the pork industry.”

“There’s a butcher in Levin doing Spanish style porchetta with macadamia stuffing with our pork. No part of the pigs get wasted nowadays and every part is delicious.”

Jim’s personal favourite pork cut is a stuffed shoulder but he’s also partial to barbecued pork.

“We have supplied barbecue restaurants in Auckland and they loved it.”

Jim employs five full time staff and says they are critical to the comfort and welfare of the pigs and the quality of the pork.

“They are so hard-working and dedicated to the welfare of the animals, we have a great team who are very skilled and experienced at what they do. Winning the Supreme title is a real feather in their caps, an accolade for them.”

IMAGE: Farmer Jim Mather takes pride in growing fantastic pork

Farmer Jim Mather takes great pride in “growing fantastic animals” on his farm near

to find a ham from one of his pigs had won the highly coveted Supreme title in the

Bacon and Ham Awards. WORDS AND IMAGE SUPPLIED BY NZ PORK.

Two products changing the game for brassica growers

Consistently producing successful forage brassicas is a juggling act; a fine balance of multiple factors, any one of which has the potential to damage your crop and derail your season. Of these varying factors, one of the most critical is weed control.

The goal of any weed control program is a relatively straight-forward one – protect the crop by reducing competition for light, moisture and nutrients. The most effective control comes from a dense crop canopy, making rapid emergence, growth and establishment a key consideration.

Corteva Agriscience has earned a reputation as the ‘Brassica Protection Specialists’, developing a full suite of herbicides designed to alleviate the stress and eliminate the guesswork involved in weed control. Two of those products in particular—Korvetto and Milestone—have become essential resources for local growers.

Korvetto—with Arylex Active—is an innovative herbicide that’s highly-effective against some of New Zealand ’s most invasive weeds, including Fathen, Nightshades, Shepherd’s Purse and Fumitory. It also delivers unparalleled flexibility, with its short plant back periods allowing farmers to plant clover just three months after application, and fodder beet after six.

Korvetto has an excellent crop safety profile across brassica varieties, and a built-in MSO adjuvant, making it easy to use with no need for the addition of wetting agents.

Milestone is the ultimate solution for hardto-control weeds, with its advanced, highstrength formulation proving devastating to the likes of Spurrey, Amaranthus, Water Pepper, and California Thistle. Improved crop safety, combined with reduced packaging and handling requirements, have helped make it a staple on farms right around the country.

The efficacy of Corteva Agrisciences’ products has much to do with the companies blend of local knowledge and global expertise. Operating for over 75 years in New Zealand, they’ve been developing and producing sustainable weed, pest and disease control solutions and gaining a peerless understanding of everything from the local conditions to the needs of Kiwi farmers.

Those insights are backed by the resources and reach of their parent company, an

international leader in seed technologies and crop protection solutions. Considered the world’s only agri-science innovator that is solely focused on agriculture, the organisation invests heavily in research and development, striving to ‘protect and preserve the source of the world’s food’.

See your local Ruralco Representative or store staff for more information on Corteva’s complete suite of Brassica Protection products.

THIS PROMOTIONAL FEATURE WAS PROVIDED BY CORTEVA AGRISCIENCE.

ABOVE: Fathen at ideal time to spray

TOP LEFT: Milestone early application

TOP RIGHT: Milestone untreated

Watch for pest outbreaks in forage brassica

Insect pests cause damage which may significantly reduce the potential of your forage brassica crop.

These pests can impact yield by reducing plant population or damaging leaf tissue and growing points, which restricts plant development and provides infection sites for disease or transmission of virus. Forage quality and palatability may also be impacted. Forage brassicas are most vulnerable during the establishment phase, but continue to be at risk throughout the growing season.

Pest populations and subsequent damage can develop rapidly in forage brassicas and in some unfortunate cases the decline from having a great crop to a replant scenario can be just 3–4 days. Crops should be walked regularly during establishment to ensure issues are identified as soon as possible. Start walking each crop every three days from planting then push out to weekly from canopy closure. Key things to observe in your brassica crop include any damage to seedlings and the presence of both insect pests and their natural enemies i.e. beneficial predators and parasitoids.

The key insect pests of brassicas in New Zealand are springtail, diamondback moth, white butterfly and aphids. Other notables include leaf miner, Nysius and cutworm. The AgPest website (www.agpest. co.nz) is a great resource for familiarising yourself with these pests and their impact. Ideally your crop will host a population of beneficial insects such as ladybirds, hoverfly, lacewings and parasitic wasps. These are worth protecting by adopting an integrated pest management (IPM) approach and using insecticides with minimal impact on beneficial insects such as Sparta TM and Transform TM from Corteva Agriscience

Sparta TM and Transform TM are ideal tools for control of key insect pests in forage brassicas. Both products have excellent environmental and toxicology profiles, providing a high level of safety for both ground and aerial based applicators. Only minimal protective equipment is required when mixing and applying Sparta or Transform—overalls, chemical resistant work boots, gloves and a washable hat. Use of a face shield or goggles is recommended when measuring and mixing. The use of a respirator is not required. Sparta works by contact and ingestion to provide ‘best in class’ control of key pests in forage brassicas including springtail, leaf miner,

diamondback moth, white butterfly and looper caterpillars. Translaminar activity ensures good control of insects feeding on the underside of leaves.

Transform is a systemic insecticide that provides fast knockdown and residual control of both green peach aphid and cabbage grey aphid. Transform can be applied as a standalone product if aphids are the only pest needing treatment, or included as a tank partner with Sparta if leaf miner and caterpillar pests are also present.

Always read the product label before using agricultural chemicals to ensure suitability for your situation and understand directions for use. For more guidance talk to your Ruralco Representative or the team in store.

THIS PROMOTIONAL FEATURE WAS PROVIDED BY CORTEVA AGRISCIENCE.

ABOVE: Sparta works by contact and ingestion to provide ‘best in class’ control of key pests such as white butterfly. Image by Paul Russell

Replacing what you reap

Replacing the nutrients removed by hay or silage keeps soil fertile and productive.

When hay or silage is harvested, large amounts of nutrients needed for ongoing pasture quality and productivity are also removed.

Nitrogen (N) is removed in the greatest amounts, followed by potassium (K) and phosphorus (P) (see Table 1). Hay removes less K than silage as it is harvested at a more mature stage, when herbage K levels are lower. Table 1: Average nutrient removal rates (kg/T DM)

cropped without doing so can deteriorate over time and become vulnerable to undesirable species such as flat weeds, brown top and poa.

Potassium is especially important for postharvest clovers, which take some time to recover from being shaded out by grasses. If any nutrient is in short supply clovers suffer first as their root system is shallower than ryegrasses’, making them a poorer competitor for nutrients. Lack of K can easily limit clover growth, which in turn can affect longer term pasture production, quality & N supply.

Soil testing annually provides an accurate picture of soil fertility status and nutrient requirements. Herbage analysis is also useful when multiple cuts are taken from a crop.

replace K removed and/or achieve the desired soil test range.

Avoid overapplying K, as growing plants take up excess K without converting it into extra growth. This could reduce the return on fertiliser investment, if the potentially elevated K herbage levels in conserved feed and/or re-growing pasture are removed when harvested.

If Olsen P levels are optimal (20-30 for sedimentary or 35–45 for pumice and peat soils) maintenance P can be applied at any time. If Olsen P is below optimal, apply P when the paddock is shut up.

If hay or silage is fed out where it was grown some nutrients are unevenly distributed back into the soil via dung and urine, but if it’s fed out elsewhere or exported off farm all its nutrient value goes with it.

Either way, nutrients need to be replaced, in addition to regular maintenance fertiliser requirements. Paddocks that continue to be

Nitrogen is best added strategically during the crop’s growing season. Applying it when the paddock is first shut up aids dry matter response, and gets the paddock back in the grazing rotation faster. If more than one cut is taken, applying N together with maintenance fertiliser after each cut, aids recovery and improves the yield of the next cut.

If Quick K test is under 5, apply K before the paddock is shut up, otherwise apply it postharvest. Post-harvest K applications can be split if large amounts of K are required to

Ensure sufficient sulphur (S) is applied annually, and magnesium (Mg) may also be needed if soil test levels are below optimal (8-10). Molybdenum can be checked via clover herbage testing and applied as required.

Pasturemag Hay & Silage has been developed specifically to replace nutrients removed in hay and silage, and supplies N, P, K (as well as S, Mg, and calcium).

For more information, contact your local Ruralco Representative or Ballance Nutrient Specialist.

THIS PROMOTIONAL FEATURE WAS PROVIDED BY BALLANCE AGRI-NUTRIENTS

Everything must line up for horticulture’s continued success

important. This plan will provide us with a platform on which to line up all our advocacy and gain cut through with governments over the next few, particularly vital years.

It is now obvious to all that growing in New Zealand will have changed markedly by the time we get to 2035. By then, it is planned that we will have doubled the value of commercial vegetable and fruit growing and more importantly, improved farmgate margins. We will also have responded to all the things that have to line up for horticulture to continue to be successful.

Much like what we said around highly productive land for several years—‘with good planning, we can have vegetables and fruit, as well as houses’—horticulture’s future success needs to be well planned and deliver to a vision.

September saw the Government finally unveil its National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land. HortNZ, like other members of the horticulture industry, has cautiously welcomed the direction to local government that the policy provides, saying that for our industry’s continued success, everything needs to line up.

WORDS SUPPLIED BY HORTNZ

That is, growers also need access to water and other inputs like fertiliser; affordable, skilful, and reliable labour; fit for purpose compliance; freight infrastructure and market access if the horticulture industry is to again prosper and reach its potential.

There is nothing more devastating for a grower to put their heart and soul into growing a crop only for it to be left to go to waste because there are not enough people to harvest it. That has been the reality for several growers, especially since Covid struck in early 2020, with its ensuing erosion of investment confidence and wellbeing. In September, we also negotiated with the Government about the cap for the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme for 20222023. In the end, we got a very positive outcome for the sector—a cap increased to 19,000, which

provides certainty to enable growers to continue to invest in accommodation facilities.

Further discussions about the future of the scheme will start early in 2023. Our industry would like to see the Pacific as well as the Government’s tripartite group of industry, unions and the Government come together in good faith, mapping out a future for the scheme that is great for everybody involved.

Our industry’s diversity – while a strength from some perspectives – can also be a weakness when it comes to advocacy in Wellington. That is why the Aotearoa Horticulture Action Plan, discussed at the Horticulture Industry Forum in late September is so

That vision is not hard to describe. It is about maintaining if not enhancing our reputation with New Zealand and international customers. This is not solely about the quality of our produce but also about how it is grown, picked, packed, transported, and sold. If one of these things is not up to scratch, we will lose our competition advantage, as quickly as overnight. Social media will see to that and no, it will not be an objective response. It will be purely subjective.

That is why Horticulture New Zealand is focusing continually on our industry’s social licence. If we lose that, we will have lost our ability to advocate for all the variables that have an impact on horticulture’s sustainability to be lined up.

As growers, you understand first-hand how the variables that affect the practice of growing must align for you to be successful. It is very similar in the policy and compliance space. That is the message we are conveying with the Aotearoa Horticulture Action Plan, so that successive governments can understand how everything needs to relate for our industry to be prosperous.

Celebrate summer

Experience Canterbury in style with Garden City Helicopters

GCH AVIATION (GARDEN CITY HELICOPTERS) HAS BEEN PROVIDING LUXURY HELICOPTER EXPERIENCES SINCE 1983 FROM ITS CHRISTCHURCH HEADQUARTERS.

The company owns bases in Kaikoura, Wellington, Nelson, and Greymouth, operating the Canterbury, West Coast Air Rescue Service, Nelson Marlborough Helicopter Rescue Service, and the NZ Flying Doctors. GCH Aviation are honored to have been looking after the South Island rural community for over 30 years.

The company has the only Diamond Safety rating of any helicopter operator for 35+ years of safe flying. In 2021 GCH Aviation won the prestigious 100% Pure Experience Tourism Award and is the only aviation company to be a supplier to the esteemed luxury network of Virtuoso.

GCH Aviation has been in the tourism business since 1983 and takes pride in creating bespoke tourism experiences.

With the NZ borders closed to international visitors, and our domestic clients seeking new things to do and see in their own back yard, GCH Aviation set about collaborating with other businesses to create memorable local experiences.

A helicopter is a time machine that can get you where you want to go much faster than driving, you get to see a lot more of our amazing region and it provides more flexibility and longer at the destination and the best thing is you have a sober driver to fly you home!

Between the vines

A five-winery helicopter wine tasting experience with the helicopters dropping down into distinctly different Waipara wineries. All wineries selected have a different personality and story to tell about their wine and the creative process that goes into their wine.

It’s such a uniquely Canterbury story and is immensely popular with guests looking for a fabulous day out without the need for a designated driver. Single Winery lunches are also very popular as a couple trip or a romantic gesture. They’ve also had plenty of proposals on mountain tops!

Akaroa Craft Distillery Heli-Gin Experience

Leave the car behind and fly across Banks Peninsula to Akaroa in the comfort of a luxury helicopter. The trip across Banks Peninsula to Akaroa gives you a bird’s eye view of the magnificent topography of the Peninsula. You get a real sense of the size of the ancient volcanic area before arriving to learn more about the story of Akaroa and Banks Peninsula through the gin experience. The launch of the Akaroa Craft Distillery’s first gin, Hector’s Long Harbour Ocean Wash, was named after the endangered Hectors Dolphin that call the harbour home. The Tasting House has been lovingly restored to become a place that feels like home; somewhere relaxing and memorable for guests to sample a range of locally made gins and learn more about the distillery’s story and vision. GCH Aviation has worked closely with the team at The Akaroa Craft Distillery to develop the Heli Gin experience with a focus on telling the story of place. The best thing is every couple comes home with a bottle of Hectors gin to share and to remember their day on the Peninsula.

Waimakariri Heli-Jetboat Trip

Head up the Waimakariri Gorge for a jet boat ride and check out Jet Boat Museum with the largest collection of early Hamilton Jets. A trip for any jet boat enthusiast!

Kaikoura Whales Heli-Tours

Enjoy a helicopter flight to Kaikoura and experience whale-watching from a unique vantage point.

Summer must-reads

With Norma Geddes, Ashburton Paper Plus

The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre

BY NATASHA LESTER

A compelling and lavish novel about a young woman striving to forget her part in the war by building life anew as the publicist at the justlaunching House of Dior in Paris 1943. A thrilling, sumptuous work of historical fiction told in three timelines: before, during and after WWII. This completely immersive story takes readers from the dangerous, intrigue-filled rooms in Switzerland where elites of both sides mingled and schemed during the war, to the glamorous halls of the House of Dior in the golden age of French fashion and journalism.

Hands Down

BY FELIX FRANCIS

A fast-paced thriller. Sid Halley, former British jump racing champion and private detective, is not having a good time. His wife Marina has decided she needs some time out of their marriage to think about the future and Sid is devastated. But then Gary Bremner, an ex-jockey trainer, calls him to ask for his help – he is being threatened by someone in the racing world and he needs a friend he can trust. However, the very next morning, Gary’s stable yard is torched, horses killed, and Gary has disappeared. Determined to uncover the truth and to help his friend, Sid starts to investigate.

Courtiers

BY VALENTINE LOW

A Royal book with a twist. Throughout history, the British monarchy has relied on its courtiers—the trusted advisers in the King or Queen’s inner circle—to ensure its survival as a family, an ancient institution, and a pillar of the constitution. Today, as ever, a vast team of people hidden from view steers the royal family’s path between public duty and private life. Courtiers reveals an ever-changing system of complex characters, shifting values and ideas over what the future of the institution should be. This is the story of how the monarchy really works at a pivotal moment in its history.

A Heart Full of Headstones

BY IAN RANKIN

The brand new John Rebus thriller from the iconic Number One Bestseller Ian Rankin. John Rebus is in big trouble. He is on trial for a crime that could send him away for a long time. But Rebus is not new to this game even though the stakes are high. One of the must-read novels of the year.

Bar Cart Style

ADDING A BAR CART TO YOUR LIVING SPACE CAN ADD LUXURY AND STYLE AS WELL AS PROVIDING A FUNCTIONAL SPACE TO POUR A TIPPLE FOR YOUR GUESTS.

We are loving our new bar cart from Ladelle which is an ode to art deco style. With mirrored glass and a gold metallic structure, it makes for an opulent feature piece in your home.

Tiffany Mably, Ruralco Gift & Homeware’s Visual Merchandiser has compiled her top tips for styling a bar cart for your home.

Statement Glassware

Display your favourite drinkware pieces on your bar cart. We love the traditional crystal look, whether its true crystal or imitation, it still adds that wow factor to your bar at any budget.

Style and Function

Style and functionality go hand in hand. Make sure to add pieces that you love but also serve a purpose and can help you create delicious drinks and cocktails.

Use your ingredients

Style fruit or other cocktail ingredients on your cart to bring life and colour to your space. Adding a cocktail recipe book to your cart can also create an interesting element.

Create Structure

Mix different heights and group your items together on your cart. A great way to do this is displaying items in groups of three.

SHOP THE LOOK IN STORE OR ONLINE AT RURALCO.CO.NZ

WITH TIFFANY MABLY

B+LNZ builds farm emission reduction toolbox

IMAGE: Legumes overcome the need for nitrogen with minimal urea, so reduce nitrous oxide emissions and they drive animal growth rates which means reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit of product

has helped transform many dryland farming businesses, particularly along the east coast of both islands,” says Mr Brier.

Legumes overcome the need for nitrogen with minimal urea, so reduce nitrous oxide emissions and they drive animal growth rates which means reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per unit of product.

Mr Brier says greater productivity per ewe, with increased scanning and lambing percentages, has been driven by a combination of genetics and improved forages. This has meant a reduction in ewe numbers and therefore decreased total GHG emissions. It has also enabled farmers to retire poorer land to sequester carbon.

There is no single solution when it comes to reducing methane emissions on-farm, but Beef + Lamb New Zealand is developing a suite of tools to help farmers manage their emissions.

WORDS AND IMAGES SUPPLIED BY BEEF + LAMB NEW ZEALAND

B+LNZ’s General Manager Farming Excellence

Dan Brier, says rams with a breeding value (BV) for methane are now available to commercial farmers in a limited way and he is encouraging farmers to consider including low methane genetics in their selection criteria.

To date around 20,000 sheep in New Zealand have been tested for methane production and been allocated BVs for the trait.

Mr Brier says it is important other traits are not compromised when selecting for low methane genetics and research has found there to be no difference in growth rates between low and high emitting sheep.

Studies have shown that low emitting sheep grow slightly more wool, they are slightly leaner and more resistant to parasites. CT scans have shown that low methane sheep have rumens with smaller volume but have more dense papillae so have a similar surface area to the rumens of high emitting sheep.

The development of low methane genetics

Initial research on low methane genetics began nearly 20 years, but really got underway in 2007 when sheep in Central Progeny Tests

were screened to find differences in methane production.

A four percent difference was discovered between high and low emitting animals and so began a comprehensive breeding programme, breeding low emitting ewes with low emitting rams and vice-versa to determine whether the difference between the low and high emitting animals was genetic or just an anomaly. Sixteen years later, the two lines continue to diverge and there is now a 16 % difference between them.

Mr Brier says the heritability in methane production is 0.2 which is similar to the heritability of growth rates and roughly double the heritability of reproductive traits.

Mr Brier says this research is world leading and has been peer reviewed globally with a number of countries, including Ireland, the UK and Norway, now replicating what NZ scientists have done.

Other areas of work B+LNZ is undertaking to help farmers reduce their methane emissions include animal health, feed planning, drought mitigation and forage research, all of which to contribute to feed conversion efficiency and, by proxy, improved methane efficiency.

“Our work on Facial Eczema is a good example of trying to help farmers ensure the feed they grow is used for production, not to recover from disease.”

Over the years, B+LNZ has and continues to invest in farm system and forage research.

“A lot of the work on legumes, carried out by Lincoln University’s Dryland Pastoral Research Group and others, and supported by B+LNZ,

However, the fundamental challenge with efficiency research is balancing efficiency with the farm’s total methane production.

“If efficiency means animals are finished faster but then more animals are bought onto the farm then there is no reduction in methane from the farm.”

The work into driving farm system efficiencies has continued with the $8.1 million dollar Hill Country Future programme. This programme, which is a partnership between B+LNZ, The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, PGG Seeds and Seed Force, has focused on future proofing the profitability, sustainability and wellbeing of New Zealand’s hill country farmers, their farm systems, the environment and rural communities.

“The sector has already demonstrated significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, but there is more we can do by implementing the tools we have available now. As with all farm technologies, these will evolve over time in line with the science. “

He says B+LNZ’s focus is on ensuring farmers have the most emission reduction tools available to them when pricing come in.

“It will then be up to the individual farmers to decide which solutions work best for them, their farm system and environment.”

DAN BRIER B+LNZ’S GENERAL MANAGER FARMING EXCELLENCE

Dickens of a time for rural contractors

contract model to our membership with NZX’s Julia Jones as our keynote speaker.

The cost indices worked up by NZX to support the forage contract are still unfolding. Fuel and fertiliser may be primary drivers of the increases, but they are just the start. RCNZ has now met the Tractor & Machinery Association TAMA to look at adding new machinery & parts into indices.

I have to say that this is all still work in progress as are the gaps for primary producers in the Government’s green list of essential skills for fast-track entry. While it’s great to see regions can import apiarists and farm managers and industries like construction get bring in truck drivers, rural contractors still have to go through the hoops to attract temporary skilled machinery operators.

We all do need to understand that labour shortages are a worldwide issue and won’t go away soon even if we open our doors wider.

That’s one of the reasons why RCNZ is proud of the success of the HanzonJobs initiative which we championed last year. We expect it to build this season on the 100+ trainees who used it last year.

HanzonJobs became the basis of the first-ever trainee awards in rural contracting, and these will now become an annual competition.

We also established a National Training Council which has now approved the necessary next steps to build our industry training into an apprenticeship-style scheme. This will bring benefits for both farmers and contractors.

You may recall the opening to the Charles Dickens novel on the French Revolution: “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.”

WORDS BY HELEN SLATTERY, PRESIDENT, RURAL CONTRACTORS NZ, IMAGE SUPPLIED BY RURAL CONTRACTORS NZ AND WILL PROSOR

Rural contractors are now into a Dickens of a season—it really is the best of times and the worst of times all at once.

Along with our farmer clients, we are living in an environment with high world demand for NZ food—and record prices to boot.

On the flip side, the rural sector as with all others is facing the highest inflationary cost environment in recent memory and labour shortages which continue to bedevil every employer.

Like farmers, contractors are half glass full people. We are either born optimists or are

best to become one if we don’t want to end up as grumps. We get on with it—whatever is thrown at us by way of weather or Wellington. One of the best things I’ve seen happening in recent times is Rural Contractors NZ’s evolving, closer relationship with Federated Farmers. Accepting our considerable size differential, I think our two organisations can do brilliant things for rural New Zealand when we work together.

The prime example of this is the forging of forage contracts. It started as an initiative spearheaded by some Waikato Federated Farmers and rural contractors who saw that the emerging high-cost environment was damaging to everyone.

Our CEO Andrew Olsen worked on the issue with Fed Farmers CEO Terry Copeland and his team. We then developed our own set of roadshows in August to promote the forage

RCNZ is also working more closely with Growsafe, promoting the new chemical standards now in place—and it is worth reminding farmers who do their own spraying that they need to be aware of the new spraying requirements. To lift the calibre of spray operators, there are new professional development programs which we are supporting.

As part of our own development, the RCNZ Board recently approved a new three-year strategy. Our resolve is to keep working for the benefit of rural and wider New Zealand.

As Charles Dickens wrote, we have everything before us.

HELEN SLATTERY PRESIDENT, RURAL CONTRACTORS NZ

Growing great lambs

Maximising returns from weaned lambs to meet premium prices pre-Christmas requires careful focus on feed volume and quality, with the heat of the summer sun approaching and the unknown amount of rain to come. Finishing lambs as quickly as possible achieves premiums not only on the hook but also in setting up for summer.

Current average liveweight gains pre-weaning are around 240-260g/head/day with the potential to achieve 400g/head/day[1]. There are several factors to consider when driving high liveweight gains. The size of the litter can have a direct impact on the rate at which lambs can gain weight. The rate of gain is influenced by the typically higher birth weight, lower competition for feed and higher milk availability for single-born lambs over twins and triplets. The impact this has on average daily gain (ADG) is shown in Table 1 below, where the average daily growth rate exceeds the industry target of 400g/head/day. Focusing on high-energy feed options, such as quality milk from the dam and high clover content pasture, is key to driving ADG. The high 13MJME milk from the dam is easily digested. With milk production steadily dropping off after 4 weeks, the quality of the pasture becomes even more important. Increasing feed digestibility and balancing the diet can make all the difference for ewes and lambs. Depending on if irrigation is available or not, the energy of the pasture can range from 10.5-12 MJME. Where pasture quality drops off and topography can play its part, ADG can range from 240g/day on hill country up to 350g/day1. When MJME of pasture is lower, typically fibre (Neutral detergent Fibre = NDF) increases, naturally reducing dry matter intake of ewes. Driving intake for the ewe supports her milk production volume and quality, therefore providing more milk for her lambs. Meanwhile, the dam has been mobilising her own body reserves for the benefit of her young, causing her to lose weight. To best support livewight gains for the lamb and the dam during lactation, soluble sugars are key in increasing the rate of digestion and therefore better feed conversion for growth and milk production. SealesWinslow Lambermax is a dehydrated mineralised molasses supplement, with a whopping 16MJME, not only enhances digestion and delivers energy, but it’s also uniquely designed with minerals and trace elements to balance the whole diet.

At 60g intake for ewes, this delivers an additional

0.96MJME without taking up any more essential rumen space, and increasing the digestibility of the current diet, resulting in more milk for lamb growth. Lambermax is the ideal supplement to achieve high liveweight gains in lambs.

For more information on Lambermax, talk to your local Ruralco or SealesWinslow representative today.

THIS PROMOTIONAL FEATURE WAS PROVIDED BY SEALES WINSLOW

[1] Muir P.D., Smith, N.B., and Lane, J.C. (2003). Maximising lamb growth rate—just what is possible in a high-performance system. Grasslands 65: 61–63

A new solution to control insects in your forage brassicas

Crop protection technology more commonly used in horticulture is now available to help farmers keep high value forage brassica crops growing well.

Adding Flume to fungicide sprays in cereals and grass seed crops will greatly improve coverage which will help prevent disease from spreading in the crop.

“Most fungicides in NZ are locally systemic which means they are absorbed into the plant protecting the area they land on but are not very mobile in the plant. Therefore, the more product we can get to stick and spread on each leaf, the better protected the plant is,” Jeff says.

As Flume provides significant improvement in spreading, it is important to use the correct water rates which can be 50% lower than what the crop protection product label recommends.

“If standard water rates are used, the droplets can run off the plant which isn’t what we want.”

Flume ®, the new super spreader from Nufarm, makes discrete droplets of water and insecticide flatten out and spread in a thin film all over the surface of sprayed leaves, even wrapping around the underside.

Nufarm territory manager Jeff Hurst says two things can make pest control in forage brassicas quite challenging.

“The first is that as the crop gets bigger, there are many places for pests to hide in, including deep inside the crown of the plant, and on the underside of the leaves that are supposed to feed your animals. That means pests are often protected from the spray, simply because it doesn’t reach them.”

The second challenge is the nature of the plants themselves, Jeff says. Brassicas are notoriously hard to wet, thanks to a waxy coating on leaf surfaces. After rain, droplets of water perch like little individual bubbles on brassica leaves.

Technically, these are ‘discrete’ droplets. Discrete droplets are prone to bouncing or rolling off the plant surfaces due to the angle of the leaf, movement of leaves during spraying, or if conditions are windy. This is the opposite of what you want when spraying your crop to control insects.

Combining Flume with your insecticide allows the droplets to stick to the leaves and then

‘super spread’ themselves across more of the leaf surface area.

“This means that more active ingredient from the insecticide will stick and spread on the leaf and get into all the hard-to-reach places where pests like to hide.”

Better fungicide coverage in cereals and grass seed

Cereals and grass plants are considered difficult to wet given the erect standing nature of the plant, and the leaves can also be waxy.

Being able to use lower water rates has the added benefit of being able to spray more hectares per tank thus saving time and money. Also, important to note is that not all ‘super spreaders’ are created equal. Flume is a superior non-penetrating super spreader containing a proprietary blend of organo silicone and non-ionic adjuvants.

Flume is available at your local Ruralco store. If you would like to know more, reach out to your local Ruralco Representative.

THIS PROMOTIONAL FEATURE WAS PROVIDED BY NUFARM.

®Flume is a registered trademark of Nufarm Australia Ltd.

Staying sun smart while working outdoors this summer

THE MOST COMMON CARCINOGEN OUTDOOR WORKERS ARE EXPOSED TO IN NEW ZEALAND IS UV RADIATION. RESEARCH HAS FOUND THAT OUTDOOR WORKERS, ARE EXPOSED TO DAILY UV RADIATION IN EXCESS OF THE CURRENT RECOMMENDED OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE LIMITS. DESPITE THIS FINDING, OUR NEW ZEALAND OUTDOOR WORKERS ARE NOT ADEQUATELY PROTECTED.

Many outdoor workers may not think of UV radiation as a carcinogen when compared to the likes of tobacco smoke, silica and diesel fumes. However, it’s really important to remember that just because you can’t see, smell, or feel UV radiation doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous. In many ways this makes UV more of a threat as it’s hard to know when your skin is being damaged until it’s too late. The damage to the skin and eyes accumulates over time it is not just sunburn that is damaging.

Protective equipment provision and a sun-protective workplace culture can help to reduce the risk of skin cancer. Skin cancer is New Zealand’s most common cancer, and along with Australia, our rates are the highest in the world. The good news is that skin cancer is preventable! We know that over 90% of skin cancers are related to overexposure to the Sun’s UV radiation. The Health and Safety at Work Act (2015) classifies UV radiation as a workplace hazard, and workplaces have a duty of care and legal responsibility to minimise staff exposure.

Protection is required when UVI levels are three and above. This is typically from 10am to 4pm during daylight saving months (September to April) but varies across Aotearoa. For many parts of the North Island sun protection will be required for longer. Surprisingly, UV radiation isn’t related to heat or high temperatures. Sunburn and skin damage can happen on cool, cloudy, or windy days. Download the FREE UVNZ app for android or iPhone to monitor the UVI levels in your workplace area.

Providing protective equipment and encouraging its use are important practices for workers:

WHAT EMPLOYERS CAN DO:

• Have a sun protection policy that they enforce.

• Reduce the amount of time their workers spend outdoors by scheduling indoor work either side of peak UVR and ensuring lunch breaks are able to be taken in the shade as much as possible.

• Provide and maintain sun protective clothing and equipment. Providing sunscreen is important but please keep it cool. If leaving it in vehicles its best to put it in a chilly bin with a cool pack.

• Provide information and training around sun protection practices.

WHAT EMPLOYEES CAN DO:

• Slip on a shirt with a sleeve, the longer the better and slip into the shade on your breaks.

• Slop on plenty of broad-spectrum SPF30+ sunscreen and reapply it at least every two hours.

• Slap on a hat with a wide brim or a cap with flaps.

• Wrap on a pair of wrap-around sunglasses. It’s important that outdoor workers remember to regularly check their skin due to their higher risk of developing skin cancer. Look out for new or unusual freckles, moles, sunspots, or sores that will not heal, and spots that have changed colour, shape or size or look different from other spots. See a doctor as soon as possible if you have any of these skin changes. Early medical advice and treatment can save your life.

WORDS PROVIDED BY CANCER SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND

Too much fun in the sun?

WORDS SUPPLIED BY MOLECHECK

WHILE WE LOVE TO HAVE FUN IN THE SUN, IT’S REALLY EASY TO OVERDO IT. THE NEW ZEALAND SUN IS REALLY HARSH, AND EVEN WITH THE BEST OF INTENTIONS IT CAN BE HARD TO AVOID TAN LINES AND SUNBURN.

Molecheck Manager, Sue Wood says our love of the sun can be deadly.

“We have one of the highest melanoma incidence rates in the world, with two in three New Zealanders developing a skin cancer over their lifetime. The good news is that most skin cancers can be avoided by being sun smart and getting any suspicious spots checked early,” says Sue.

Sue says just like blood pressure, mammograms, or a dental checkup, it’s important to monitor your skin’s health.

Skin cancer is more common the older you are. The risk is also higher in fair skinned people, those who spend a lot of time outdoors (work or sport), have a family history of skin cancer or have had any episodes of bad sunburn as a child.

And if a spot has changed, becomes raised, is sore, itchy, or scaly, or a new spot appears – get it checked out by a professional. The sooner skin cancers are detected the simpler the treatment and more successful it is likely to be.

Meet

Melinda Driscoll

Senior Dairy Specialist

1. TELL US ABOUT YOUR CAREER JOURNEY WITH RURALCO.

I have been with Ruralco almost six years and recently I was promoted to a new role as Senior Dairy Specialist. When I started, I was in the fuel team dealing with both bulk and card fuel for about 12 months before an opportunity to become an On-Farm Account Manager came up specialising in dairy. I grew up on a sheep, beef, cropping and commercial fruit farm near Ashburton and when I got older, started doing relief milking at the weekends which led to full-time work at a Lowcliffe dairy farm. Later on, I gained retail experience working for Repco, BNT, and within the farm supplies sector. It’s been great to be able to combine both my dairy and retail experiences since I have been at Ruralco, both in my previous On-Farm Account Manager role, and now as Ruralco’s new Senior Dairy Specialist.

2. WHAT ENCOURAGES YOU TO CONTINUE WORKING FOR RURALCO? My customers—I get a lot of satisfaction out of helping my customers with their farming needs. I love the problem solving and solution finding part of my job, and I love being part of my customers everyday farming operation. The other reason is the team that I work with and the wider Ruralco team, especially during my cancer treatment. I couldn’t work in a more supportive and caring organisation. My team and the wider organisation helped me so much. Knowing that I had work, the team and my customers certainly kept me going—work gave me something else to think about.

3. HOW HAS RURALCO SUPPORTED YOUR CAREER PROGRESSION? Ruralco has given me the opportunity to be able to move up and develop and expand my knowledge base. It’s given me the chance to keep learning and growing – no one knows everything, and I enjoy learning about new things, especially something that will benefit my customers, and I really enjoy being able to pass that knowledge and information on to them.

4. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF YOUR JOB?

For me it is the customers and my team—without either of those work would be very boring. It’s the satisfaction of helping others and the camaraderie I get from both that is important to me. The opportunity for expansion, working with the whole organisation, and to grow our dairy offering to our members are all important components for me. Part of my role involves mentoring new team members, especially in the areas of sales and dairy, and I find that really satisfying. Helping to give them confidence to do their job and to see that evolve is great. I also really like having the opportunity to grow in a new role.

5. WHAT DOES “THE RURALCO WAY” MEAN TO YOU?

Being the best I can be, whether it is personally (just for me) or for the wider business. For me it means going the extra mile, knowing I have exhausted every avenue to achieve a positive outcome. It’s not just about helping myself but also about helping others to be the best they can be. The Ruralco Way is about supporting each other, and I saw a lot of that when I was sick. There was a meal rota, staff members took me to chemo appointments, and some just sat with me which was so great. Just knowing someone was there—it was unbelievable support. I want to show my gratitude and how appreciative I am by giving back in any way possible, so I try not to say no to opportunities which support others. It’s about continuing that Ruralco Way of doing things.

Festive season tips and traditions

It’s likely more people will be moving around the country to be with loved ones, with larger Christmas and holiday gatherings on the cards compared to the Covid-impacted Christmases of recent years. Another consideration this year will be the increased cost of living for food, gifts, and fuel.

So, we decided to ask the Ruralco team for their top Christmas tips and traditions to help ensure this year’s festivities are a wonderful time for all.

• Keep it simple and enjoy some treats with family and friends.

• Plan your vege garden to be in full swing so you can enjoy lovely freshly picked produce over Christmas.

• Many hands make light work so get everyone involved and most importantly slow down and have some fun.

• Start a new tradition, last year I bought the family Christmas vests.

• When my children were younger, I started my Christmas shopping at Labour Weekend or throughout the year when sales were happening.

• Look out for any Christmas savings type clubs where you can be putting a little aside throughout the year to make that grocery or gift buying a little easier. Or use pre-purchased grocery vouchers for your summer holiday.

• When travelling to your Christmas destination or on your summer holiday, make sure you have plenty of rest stops, and if you are travelling with children map out toilet and playground stops.

• Don’t forget to check your vehicle before travelling; make sure your have secured your load and you have topped up your windscreen fluid to keep your windscreen clean and improve visibility.

• When there’s a lot of adults coming together on Christmas Day, each person buys a small gift of a nominated value (we do $30 gifts). Males buy a gift for a male,

and females a gift for a female. Then we put all of these together and each person selects a present. It means everyone gets something without going the expense of buying loads of pressies.

• Every year we place a children’s present under a charity tree from each of my children. It’s been a family tradition started when I was a child, and now I’m doing it with my children.

• I always have a set of glasses wrapped in case you get an extra person turn up on Christmas Day (glasses can be for a man or lady). For a gift for an extra child, I always have an extra book and Santa lolly sack.

• Pre plan your Christmas menu and share the menu with your family so everyone can bring something. Give each family a list of what the need to bring and then confirm with them the week before Christmas.

• If you have children coming of all ages, ask the older children to create games that can include everyone.

• Use good quality paper plates – it saves on washing up and helps with clean up.

• Set a time that lunch or dinner will be served so your guests know when they are required.

• Remember you don’t need to prepare two meals; there’s always leftovers from dinner.

• Don’t forget to leave Santa and the Reindeer out a treat.

• Make sure you take your Ruralco card wherever you go to fuel up or to shop.

But most of all, remember Christmas is a time to enjoy each other’s company, have fun, share the load, and enjoy the day!

CHRISTMAS AND THE FESTIVE SEASON ARE FAST APPROACHING, AND WHILE IT’S WONDERFUL TO CATCH UP WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS, IT IS ALSO A TIME OF STRESS FOR MANY.

Pathfinder farmer finds confidence to cut back

South Canterbury arable farmer

Andrew Darling says an on-farm trial where wheat yields were unchanged despite a significant drop in applied nitrogen rates has given him the confidence to continue to cut back.

AND IMAGES SUPPLIED BY HEATHER CHALMERS, FOUNDATION FOR ARABLE RESEARCH

Andrew says that he was looking to become more sustainable in terms of crop inputs even before the sharp rise in nitrogen fertiliser prices, which have at least doubled in the last two years. Nitrogen is now his single biggest cost. This led him to sign up as a Foundation for Arable Research Pathfinder farmer; growers who are ready to embrace new ideas and

technologies and identify sustainable pathways for the rest of the sector.

The Pathfinder initiative is part of FAR’s Growers Leading Change, which provides a farmer-led framework for arable farmers to develop, test and introduce new ideas, technologies and ways of working.

Andrew and his wife Amy lease Poplar Grove Farm at Kingsdown, just south of Timaru, from his parents Warren and Joy Darling. Andrew is the fourth generation on the farm, made up of a 250ha home block and a 250ha leased neighbouring property.

The mainly dryland rolling downs farm is fairly typical for an arable farm south of Timaru in the type of crops it grows.

The biggest area is planted in feed wheat and feed barley. Sunflowers, which attracted

numerous selfie takers when planted alongside the main road two years ago, are supplied to Rolleston-based Pure Oil, along with oil seed rape, for processing into high-value cooking oil. Turf ryegrass for seed and fava beans are also grown. The farm is all crop, with no livestock, as the heavy clay soils are not suitable for dairy grazing.

In 2015, the farm attracted headlines when Warren Darling set a world record yield for barley of 13.8 tonnes/ha. The record was overtaken last year by a Lincolnshire grower in the United Kingdom, Tim Lamyman, with a yield of 14.2t/ha.

The family has been unable to replicate the record yield since. “The year we tried, it happened to be a perfect year for growing feed barley. The recipe for growing a good crop hasn’t changed, but we have always been two

WORDS

RIGHT: Pathfinder farmer Andrew Darling is using information from a hand-held leaf nitrogen measurement tool to help cut back applied nitrogen in his crops

BELOW: South Canterbury arable farmer Andrew Darling; his family has been unable to replicate a 2015 world record feed barley yield

to three tonnes short of obtaining that record crop. Even though we set up crops for optimum yield there are always weather events such as hail, lack of sunshine or lack of rain.”

This is leading Andrew to question their highcost, high-input cropping programme in favour of an approach which is less prescriptive, more responsive to the season and better utilises the soil nutrients and beneficial insects already available on the farm.

“With a high-input programme, we are relying on a lot of chemicals that you can see are slowly getting banned around the world. We need to get more profitability out of what we are doing and maximise our inputs,” Andrew says.

“We want to understand more about what we are doing. We also want to know how far we can go in reducing nitrogen applications without sacrificing yield, as yield is always key.”

While the farm has a consistent soil type, soil testing showed that fertility levels were more variable than they realised. This led them to start 1ha grid soil sampling seven years ago, using this information and crop requirements to apply phosphate (P), potassium (K) and lime (for pH) at variable rates across paddocks. A quarter of the farm is tested every year.

“Some areas of the farm haven’t had nutrients applied for seven years, as they have a sufficient base of fertility.”

While there has not been an overall saving in phosphate and potassium so far, nutrients are being moved to where they are required to provide more even yields, although this is more difficult on a rolling downs farm compared to one on the plains, Andrew says.

Nitrogen is also no longer being applied at a blanket rate. Dual sensor cameras installed last season on the roof of their tractor automatically varies nitrogen application rates depending on a crop’s density and greenness. The cameras are calibrated to the type of crop and growth stage. This, along with soil nitrogen testing reduced nitrogen applications by 15 per cent last year, compared to the blanket rate, with no impact on yields.

The Darlings have invested in tools and technologies including a Yara N-tester, a hand-held leaf N measurement tool used to identify the N requirements of plants. This is used as a calibration tool for sensor cameras on their tractor.

Andrew says he doesn’t just rely on the sensor reading, but also his “gut instinct” around how much to apply. He is working on overlaying his yield and nutrient maps for better decision making.

The Darlings haven’t ploughed, or burnt any crop residue for 15 years, instead working to build soil organic matter and maximising the biology in the soil.

Andrew also wants to learn more about the beneficial insects available on his farm to reduce reliance on foliar insecticides. Many of these measures, while saving costs, also have a flowon environmental benefit.

For the 2020 harvest, the Darlings relied on the N-tester for applications on two replicated strips in a wheat crop, with the remainder of the paddock receiving a standard application. The crop yielded 12t/ha across the paddock, regardless of N application rate. Grain protein

was also the same, despite 120kg of urea/ha less being applied in the trial area.

The reduced rate areas used 16.5 units of N per tonne of yield compared with 21 units under a standard application.

“That was a light bulb moment that we can cut back and since then the price of N has doubled.”

Buoyed by the results, the Darlings have done the opposite this year. Instead of trialling 2ha, they have applied N under variable rates over the whole farm, apart from a few strips in wheat and barley given a standard blanket application as a comparison.

FAR researchers, as well as other experts, will provide input and support for the Darlings’ Pathfinder project.

FAR senior cereals researcher Jo Drummond, who is the key researcher for the project, says farmers and growers associate reduced N rates with reduced crop yields and profits, but it is possible to reduce N without reducing profit. It was a matter of keeping a crop green “enough” by understanding the supply and demand requirements, knowing what N was in the soil now and what would mineralise through the course of the season.

Nitrogen fertiliser is the biggest on-farm cost, so it is important for growers to make sure it is being used in the most efficient way possible, she says.

“It’s great to see Andrew and Amy using tools and technologies to really understand soil supply and crop uptake, which can provide opportunities to cut back on fertiliser use without compromising on yield and profitability. Likewise, understanding the population dynamics of beneficial predator and parasitoid species can reduce the need for foliar insecticides, not just on your own farm, but across a region.”

LEFT: Farmer Andrew Darling and his father Warren. Dual sensor cameras installed last season on the roof of their tractor automatically varies nitrogen application rates

Staying in control of your budget, in a challenging environment

Rising costs are a concern for households and businesses across New Zealand—and dairy farmers are also feeling the impact of high inflation. WORDS & IMAGES SUPPLIED

Many farms have had cost increases in their budgets of around $1 per kg of milksolids (equivalent to around a 19 percent lift from 2020/21 average operating expenses).

Higher fertiliser, feed, wages and fuel costs are some of the key drivers of these increasing costs.

Managing your budget in times of high inflation isn’t easy. Any savings you can make in the current season will continue into future seasons, so it’s worthwhile being proactive now, before a fall in milk prices requires action.

We’ve seen farmers prioritise paying off debt in recent years. This has left farmers better positioned to cope with tougher years. Continuing to focus on reducing debt is an excellent strategy to reduce future interest costs, so you can meet higher costs—or cope with a lower milk payout.

Benchmarking your business against similar farms can help identify opportunities to save or increase your income. Focus on making incremental gains to boost your income such as improving cow reproductive performance or ensuring you receive all the premiums your dairy company is offering.

Consider if you can increase milk production from pasture – the cheapest feed source. You can compare your current pasture use with similar farms using DairyNZ’s pasture potential tool at dairynz.co.nz/pasture-potential

There may also be opportunities to use pasture, supplements or fertiliser more efficiently. Drawing on advice from farmers, DairyNZ has information on options to reduce fertiliser use without reducing production, visit dairynz.co.nz/nitrogen-use

You might find zero-based budgeting useful. It involves starting with a blank budget and reviewing each cost. Most farmers can find some savings using this approach.

If you’re finding it difficult to identify options to manage costs, it can be helpful to involve your farm advisor, or get in touch with your DairyNZ local team on 0800 4324 7969.

Contract milking in a high inflation environment

With costs rising quickly, we encourage contract milkers to run their figures for this season through DairyNZ’s contract milker

IMAGE: Increasing milk production from pasture is the most cost-efficient way to boost production

premium calculator, to check you’ll achieve a reasonable return.

If contract rates are set too low, both parties should discuss the situation as a first step. Involving professional advisors can also be useful. You might identify opportunities to review contract conditions or to agree on how cost increases can be managed.

With costs changing rapidly, it’s important to set future contracts based on up-todate figures, and ensure the contract can accommodate cost increases without penalising contract milkers.

To use the contract milker premium calculator, see dairynz.co.nz/homework

PAUL BIRD DAIRYNZ SOLUTIONS AND DEVELOPMENT LEAD ADVISOR

BY PAUL BIRD, DAIRYNZ SOLUTIONS AND DEVELOPMENT LEAD ADVISOR

Improving New Zealand’s water resilience and learning from abroad

It is hard to think about the need for water resilience when we get as much rain as we have had this year. It is something a lot of people out of the productive sector take for granted. We have good flows, and we generally get water when we need it—yes there are parts of the country that don’t get enough, but more latterly we have had a bit too much.

WORDS AND IMAGES SUPPLIED BY IRRIGATIONNZ CEO VANESSA WINNING

So how do we get people in power to understand that this is not good enough? That the biggest enabler to growing more fruit, veges, and crops is having water resilience, i.e. just enough at the right time of the growing cycle for the plants to grow.

Attending the Irrigation Conference and International Congress of Irrigation and Drainlayers in Adelaide this month highlights just how important a clear strategy on this matter is. When you hear delegates from Israel, India, Australia, and others talk about the need for precision irrigation, agritech innovation, water

capture, and investment in storage alongside the community needs and the possibility for renewable energy sources you realise how much we can learn from them. There is no doubt weather patterns are changing and rain and snow events are changing—we have an issue of the north getting warmer with less alpine melt as well as more extreme rain events at the same time as the South is experiencing unseasonable snow events just a few weeks ago and too much rain to handle—next year it could be the other way round. So, what can we do when mother nature changes course? We can build resilience and ensure we have a plan that is not so reliant on her whims.

If we want our farmers and growers to work to be more carbon neutral, to mitigate climate change with reductions in methane and nitrous oxide, more water is needed to support crops and reduce imported feed; if we want more mixed-use farming on marginal land, more water is needed to support planting; if we want to build up farmers resilience to climate change adaption, more water is needed to adapt farming systems.

IrrigationNZ’s role is to advocate for the workable application of policy, to encourage

long-term investment pathways, and to encourage a strategic approach to water storage and capture projects. Your role as irrigators is to apply your water as efficiently as you can, to continuously improve your practices, and to demonstrate how well you manage your farms and your outputs. Together we will demonstrate that New Zealand farmers are the best in the world by learning from others that do not take water for granted and by adapting and using the latest technology and looking after this precious resource.

So, get prepared for another season, ensure your systems are working right, and celebrate your successes. You can control your application and farming system and we can continue to speak of the importance of good water capture and storage. By working together to demonstrate how precision irrigation for our plants leads to positive outcomes for climate and food production we will drown out the myths and mistruths about irrigation and its importance, which hopefully will lead to more investment and understanding of its importance— like the rest of the world already recognises.

Ashburton A&P Show Junior Shearing Finals

Ashburton A&P Show Childrens Cattle Class

Tinwald Pony Club 50th Annual Show

Ashburton A&P Show Equestrian Cob Section

Ashburton A&P Show, 28–29 October

1. Barbara Davidson, Seaun Lovell, Guyon Cameron, Tilly Lovell and Sarah Lovell / 2. Children write on the Ruralco “Farmers. We’ve Got Your Back” Colouring Wall / 3. Dave Chambers, Geoff McLennan and Sarah Bennett / 4. Ruralco Members enjoying pies and refreshments in the Ruralco tent / 5. Sir David Carter and Don Joseph / 6. Len Murdoch, Robert Mangin and Lester Chambers

Ladies event: A Taste of Spring, 29 September 2022

1. Amy Breen, Helen Cunliffe, Jess Cunliffe / 2. Coryn Stephen, Maria McDonnell, Chantal Mainland / 3. Jo Meehan, Sandy Blackburn, Julie McGrath / 4. Rae Wilson, Anita Body, Karen Tarbotton / 5. Laura George, Leigh Shera / 6. Melissa Harrison, Lisa McConnell

Dates for your diary

CHRISTMAS DAY & BOXING DAY

All Ruralco stores will be closed from Sunday 25 December–Tuesday 27 December and will be reopening on Wednesday 28 December.

NEW YEARS DAY

All Ruralco stores will be closed from Saturday 31 December–Tuesday 3 January and will be reopening on Wednesday 4 January.

Customised blend to suit your livestock, delivered direct on farm

Our new Boost Mineral Custom Blend is a specifically formulated water-soluble, multi-mineral blend, providing essential trace elements for animal health. We customise the mix to suit your livestock requirements, delivering it direct to farm.

• Suitable supplement for your livestock requirements.

• Easily dissolved via addition to drinking water through a mineral dispenser.

• Flavoured with aniseed for improved palatability.

• Can be packaged as convenient individual day packs for the whole herd or as a bulk bag for selfmeasuring.

• Active ingredients are subject to livestock requirements but can include trace elements, minerals and vitamins, and other additives that may be required.

Talk to your Ruralco Representative today to discuss the best mineral mix for your livestock.

Power your business with solar

Businesses across the world are realising the great benefits of solar power. With the New Zealand sun providing free energy, now is the time to invest in this renewable energy source. Through our partners we can design and implement a system for your business, enabling you to beat rising energy costs, offset emissions, and make better use of a natural resource to produce and store renewable energy.

Not only can solar power be used for powering irrigators & dairy sheds, it can also be used to offset the cost of lighting, heating and ventilation in farm buildings and housing.

Talk to the Ruralco team today on 0800 787 256 to find out how we can help introduce solar to your business.

Is your approved handler certification up to date?

Now’s a good time to check to see if your approved handler certification is up for renewal, or if you have new staff who need to gain certification to handle hazardous substances on your farm. Ruralco can help put you in touch with the organisations to help meet your approved handler needs. Contact the Ruralco Customer Service Centre or Compliance Manager, Peter Jacob on 0800 787 256 to find out more.

Get Christmas all wrapped up with Ruralco Christmas is just around the corner and the team at Ruralco have thought of everything, so you don’t have to. Shop our fabulous range of pre-made gift hampers with something for everyone. Or, if you’re after something in particular, our gifting experts can craft your hamper to suit any budget in one of our elegant gift boxes, creating the perfect gift to send by post as a corporate gift or a treat for someone special.

Check out our Christmas Gift Guide out now at www.ruralco.co.nz/giftguide or some great gift ideas on our Facebook page @Ruralco.home.

New EV stations available at Ashburton store

Ruralco and Meridian have joined forces to install an electric charging station at Ruralco’s Ashburton store on the Burnett Street side of the premises. The EV charging station has four charging points via two charging stations and the 22kW AC chargers will be available free of charge.

Here at Ruralco we care about the environment and the wider benefits for our community, and we are always looking towards the future to provide benefits for our members.

Refer a farmer

Do you have a neighbouring farmer who would like to make the switch to become a Ruralco Bulk Fuel customer? Refer a farmer and both you and the referred farmer will receive a $250 bulk fuel credit*. To refer a farmer, call 0800 787 256 or visit ruralco.co.nz/referafarmer *T & Cs apply

New Ruralco Card Suppliers

This is just a snapshot of the many great businesses where you can use your Ruralco card and save. Visit www.ruralco.co.nz for a full list of participating businesses near you.

NORTH ISLAND SUPPLIERS

Te Puke

Hireworx Te Puke 12% discount

Te Awamutu

Rural Training Solutions NZ

Up to 10% discount

Whanganui

Mobil Turakina 12¢ per litre

2023 Animal Health Guide out now

Our extensive animal health product range will ensure you maximise production and performance on farm. Check out the latest guide in letterboxes now or at www.ruralco.co.nz/animalhealth

SOUTH ISLAND SUPPLIERS Blenheim

Mikes Mowers and Chainsaws

5% discount

The Marlborough Riverside Hotel 12% discount

Christchurch

Hynds PKS Nett 30% discount

Kennards Hire Belfast Up to 26% discount

OMC Power Equipment Wigram Up to 10% discount

Ruralco and Ballance are here to help you grow the future of your farm

Our partnership with Ballance Agri-Nutrients gives you access to local fertiliser experts that can tailor a solid fertiliser plan to maximise your on-farm production potential. Together we can bring you science backed and innovative nutrient solutions that will maximise your on-farm production potential delivering a measurable return on investment.

Make the switch to Ballance through Ruralco for all your fertiliser requirements. Talk to your Ruralco Representative today.

Ashburton

Homestead Store

Up to 10% discount

Temuka Prattley 5% discount

Timaru Hireworx Timaru 12% discount

Dunedin ASURE Adrian Motel Up to 10% discount

General Tyres Dunedin Up to 12.5% discount

Central Otago

Roxburgh Fuel Stop 12¢ per litre

Alexandra Central Lakes Automotive 5% discount

Hireworx Alexandra 12% discount