Real Farmer Winter 2022 by Ruralco

RealFarmer

W I NT E R 2 0 2 2

Winemakers step gently with Otago vintage

Instore Days is back for 2022

Home grown challenge for NZ food supply The Whyte-way W IN T E R 2022

A little goes a long way thanks to farmer driven meat charity

RURALCO

From the Group CEO Welcome to the Winter edition of Real Farmer. We are delighted to share this issue with you and hope you can kick off the gumboots and read over our collection of stories and insights from around rural New Zealand. At the time of writing this, we have recently moved back to Alert Level Orange. This gives me much hope that we are getting back to normality and can push on with some exciting events on the rural calendar. Our cover story takes us to Central Otago where we meet the Lawrence’s, a family with their history deep within the wine industry. We learn about their shared passion for winemaking in the sometimesunforgiving Lake Dunstan area and how they have now launched their own certified organic wine label. We meet Glen Whyte from Alford Forest, Canterbury who is producing high quality venison for the national and international markets utilising three generations of deer farming knowledge. Glen also shares his bison breeding journey with the goal to branch into meat production. We also take a dive into the latest industry updates in food supply and prices which are proving to be challenging both globally and nationally. Ruralco is proud to be a silver sponsor for Meat the Need, a nationally based charity originally designed to supply much needed meat to city missions and food banks. This meat is donated by farmers, processed, packed and delivered to those most in need. Read on to find out more about their mission and the New Zealand farmers who have collaborated to donate to this great cause. We are currently in the final stages of planning for our 28th Annual Instore Days. Save the date for 7–8 July 2002 where we will be offering exclusive deals and the latest in agricultural technology at all three Ruralco stores you’ll have a chance to catch up with our many suppliers and access great deals with your Ruralco Card on site and at local retailers over the two days, plus most of our deals will be available online until midnight 10 July. You can find out more in this issue of Real Farmer or keep an eye out for the 2022 Instore Days catalogue in letterboxes.

Rob Sharkie robert.sharkie@ruralco.co.nz

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

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

Anita Body Annie Studholme Brett Haldane Richard Rennie

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

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Annie Studholme Tim Hawkins

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

TECHNICAL ARTICLES

Ballance Agri-Nutrients Tel 0800 787 256 ruralco@ruralco.co.nz www.ruralco.co.nz

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

Beef + Lamb Tel 0800 233 352 enquiries@beeflambnz.com www.beeflambnz.com DairyNZ Tel 0800 4 324 7969 info@dairynz.co.nz www.dairynz.co.nz

Rural Contractors Tel 0800 424 266 office@ruralcontractors.org.nz www.ruralcontractors.org.nz Seales Winslow Tel 0800 287 325 www.sealeswinslow.co.nz

ON THE COVER:

Based at Lowburn on the banks of Lake Dunstan, the Lawrence’s have been part of the district’s winemaking community for over 20 years.

Contents

WIN T E R 2 0 2 2

Interest

COVER STORY

Winemakers step gently with Otago vintage

Instore Days is back for 2022

16 Home grown challenge for NZ food supply 20 The Whyte-way 30 A little goes a long way thanks to farmer driven meat charity

Technical 13 The benefits of Magnesium 27 Ruralco Energy takes headache out of energy options 29 Getting your cow her A–Z’s 36 Arable crops and sequestration? 39 Give more than you take: Swanndri x ZQRX 47 Planning helps you winter well, wherever you are 48 Forward planning with Ruralco lowers spring stress 51 Ready for the new season ahead 53 The key to successful pig farming 55 Still a long road ahead for migrant workers 62 Rescue Warriors exceed all expectations for a good cause 65 The end of the irrigation season is near 69 Peace of mind straight from your fuel storage tank

Winemakers step gently with Otago vintage

71 Trial highlights importance of protecting Critical Source Areas 77 Big push on training for rural contractors

8 Instore Days is back for 2022

Home grown challenge for NZ food supply

Lifestyle 40 Warm up your winter

Wellbeing 56 Easy steps to prevent house fires with FMG 58 Workplace wellbeing is a way of being 60 Managing stress and pressure 61 Meet Tina Thompson / Customer Service Manger 61 Paper cups to keep cups

Card

The Whyte-way

A little goes a long way thanks to farmer driven meat charity

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

45 Looking for engineering solutions? Gray Engineering Solutions 51 Ready for the season ahead Mayfield Spraying

FARMER STORY

Winemakers step gently with Otago vintage 2

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Over 20,000km from her home in France, winemaker Lucie Lawrence and her Kiwi husband Brook have made Central Otago their home for the pursuit of their shared passion— crafting quality, natural wines while stepping lightly upon the environment they depend upon to do so. WORDS BY RICHARD RENNIE, IMAGES BY TIM HAWKINS

Based at Lowburn on the banks of Lake Dunstan, the Lawrence’s have been part of the district’s winemaking community for over 20 years. They joined Brook’s parents Joan and Tony who had established Aurum Wines back in 1997, only 6km from Cromwell. The talent pool for the family venture grew immeasurably when Brook returned from an overseas wine making stint with Lucie in 2004, having met her while training at a winery in Burgundy. Lucie came to a family enterprise that already closely followed her own beliefs. That was wine should be made naturally using naturally occurring yeasts, with minimal impact upon the environment. It was something Joan and Tony had pursued since the beginnings of Aurum in 1997. “I always felt we have an obligation, a requirement, to look after the land and the soil we rely so much upon. I think it is a belief that is now gaining a lot more traction, coming after such a long period when the approach to wine, and often to food production in general has been quite industrialised,” says Lucie. Therefore, it was a natural step for the family to gain BioGro certification to become fully organic 12 years ago. But rather than viewing the BioGro organic status as an end result, Lucie sees it more as a beginning, the first of many steps in a progressive journey to make the business even more in tune with the environment.

Taking a natural approach to winemaking, employing only the yeasts occurring naturally on the grapes rather than introducing them, makes it even more vital to tread carefully in the fragile dry Central Otago environment. “Every vineyard has its own profile of naturally occurring yeasts circulating. It is heavily influenced by the trees, the surrounding vegetation that harbour those yeasts. Ultimately every vintage of naturally fermented wine will have its own unique character due to that.” She says when one describes a wine’s terroir, or the characteristics of the environment

ABOVE: Based at Lowburn on the banks of Lake

Dunstan, Brook and Lucie Lawrence have been part of the district’s winemaking community for over 20 years BELOW: The Lawrence’s believe that wine should be

made naturally using naturally occurring yeasts, with minimal impact upon the environment

it comes from, the presence of the yeasts is simply another layer of terroir natural winemakers can claim. “It can be a bit of a cliché, but it is true, that the hard work making wine is done in the vineyard— the grapes come in clean and balanced with their acidity coming in the right places. If you are not looking after the vineyard, particularly the soils, then it is hard to correct problems once those grapes are harvested.” To help maintain the soils they compost all vineyard waste, with the valuable mulch helping preserve moisture over summer in a region that is one of the lowest rainfall areas in the country, receiving only 400mm a year. Additional compost includes fertiliser from an organic dairy farm in Southland and organic straw to boost soil organic matter. Being organic and not relying upon synthetic sprays and treatments to protect the vines is made somewhat easier by Central’s dry climate where lower humidity helps keep fungal blights at bay compared to further north. But the prolonged dry spells can be stressful on the vines, and Lucie and Brook focus hard on ensuring they have the best soil environment possible. “It’s really similar to how you would treat a person—you want them to be well fed, stress free and healthy, and if so, they are more R E A L FA RME R

FARMER STORY resilient and able to deal with those tougher periods that they may face.” The couple ensure there is a good level of biodiversity around the vineyard, with a good mix of various plants and shrubs to support a diverse insect ecosystem. In most respects they are practicing regenerative cropping, no different to what more pastoral farmers are starting to come around to, recognising that modern monocultural production platforms have meant more reliance upon synthetic sprays and fertilisers to maintain production levels. “And for us being certified organic was really just the beginning, you are always looking for ways to improve from there, it’s the start of the journey being certified, not the end.” The natural wine movement is one that has been around for a couple of decades, but one Lucie sees as having improved significantly in terms of quality in recent years. “In the beginning it was a bit of a fashion driven movement, and some of the quality was a bit questionable. It is a technique that demands a lot of attention and skill to do well, and the level of talent achieving that has improved over the years. It is after all how wine used to be made.” For Lucie texture is a big part of a wine’s appeal, and a focus for her as she fine tunes each vintage. “It is really about the feeling the wine gives, how it is expressed in your mouth, and it comes from the wine’s acidity and the phenolics off the skin, how that acidity feels on your tongue and gums. That in turn can determine what sort of food you match that wine with to balance it out, for example one with a higher acidity will sit well with creamier food, cutting through the fat.”

easy to leave them too long, pushing the sugars up and the acidity comes down.” She appreciates the similarities her adopted home district shares with her original home in Burgundy. Sitting at 45deg south compared to Burgundy’s 47deg north latitude, the slight difference in Lowburn is a comfortable adjustment northward to reflect the far greater maritime nature of New Zealand’s climate, compared to France’s continental influence. “And here, growing pinot noir, we are right on the edge, pushing it but that is a good thing, you always get a better wine when it is not quite as easy to grow.”

One of the strengths of growing grapes in Central Otago is the flexibility the long, typically dry autumns give her when determining when to pick the grapes.

Here in New Zealand, she appreciates the “can do” pioneering approach that Kiwi New World winemakers bring to their passion, in a region that was largely dominated by Merino sheep only 30 years ago.

“If anything, it is about restraint, holding back and picking at the right time to get that balance—it is

“This is not an easy place to grow grapes, a dry climate is great for lower disease, but the

ABOVE: The Lawrence’s ensure there is a good level

of biodiversity around the vineyard, with a good mix of various plants and shrubs to support a diverse insect ecosystem BELOW LEFT: One of the strengths of growing grapes in Central Otago is the flexibility the long, typically dry autumns give her when determining when to pick the grapes BELOW RIGHT: Lucie appreciates the similarities her adopted home district shares with her original home in Burgundy

challenges are there through summer, vines still need moisture, and we can get late frosts right up to early December.” But she appreciates the freer approach to both growing grapes and wine making, compared to the protocol and standards often required back in her home country to guide such a massive industry there. “We have rules, but they tend to be our rules, and ultimately we simply aim to make the best wine we can.” For Lucie and Brook, the ultimate expression of setting their own rules and their own style has come to pass in the past year as they have stepped away from Aurum wines to start their own vineyard and wine label—O’Naturel. Only in their second vintage, the label has the couple stamping their own distinct style upon their wines, in terms of the type and the scale of their production. “We have stepped back from the size we had at Aurum, with just a 1.3-hectare area spread between pinot noir, chardonnay and riesling plantings.” “With the smaller vineyard, we are looking forward to having the time to set our own pace for the entire process.” Without cellar door sales and the attendant demands of customer service, Lucie can see herself engaged as much in the vines as with the winemaking, enjoying hosting the occasional

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private visit to the vineyard, and overseeing the rental of their cosy cottages to visitors. Their inaugural vintage of pinot noir has been sold through the Sherwood restaurant in Queenstown by the keg. Lucie appreciates the restaurant’s philosophy of sourcing as many local ingredients as possible, with Executive Chef Chris Scott committed to a menu that reflects the region’s shorter growing season and wide variety of locally grown produce. This year’s vintage from O’Naturel will include a riesling, and chardonnay. More keg sales are one area Lucie hopes to explore further under the O’Naturel label, and she is also looking forward to spending some time experimenting with some different wine types. This includes an oxidative chardonnay, where controlling the exposure to oxygen during the winemaking process can impart special characters to the wine that the usual avoidance of oxygen exposure cannot. The process is sometimes compared to the process of dry aging meats, where a portion of the original product is sacrificed to yield and more complex final product. Very much a family affair, the couple’s two teenage daughters Mathilde and Madeleine are still to decide if they would make the fourth generation of winemakers in Lucie’s family. “They are very much aware of the hard work involved, having been part of it from a very young age. Meantime, they do have wines named after them!” While Lucie’s focus has been largely on winemaking, the couple have always shared a close understanding and communication around anything they embark on in the winery, and Lucie appreciates the importance as winemaker of not becoming too divorced from what Brook is doing with the vines. ABOVE: This year’s vintage from O’Naturel will

include a Riesling, and Chardonnay BELOW: The couple ensure there is a good level of biodiversity around the vineyard, with a good mix of various plants and shrubs to support a diverse insect ecosystem

“I am particularly looking forward now we have a smaller vineyard to being able to spend more time with him around the vines.” Brook’s close management of the vines is even more critical for a natural winemaker, and his work includes shoot thinning, bunch thinning and ultimately harvesting the grapes by hand. The couple’s venture is very much at the smaller end of the wine industry scale, where large corporates increasingly dominate volume sales. But after the past two years of turmoil that has made many aspects of the time sensitive winemaking process fraught, Lucie and Brook welcome the small scale. “We were able to harvest over lockdown thanks to the help of family and friends, and the area is small, so it makes it less onerous, it is all over fairly quickly, and its far more fun,” says Lucie. Meantime she is encouraged by the growth in consumers who are prepared to vote with their wallets when it comes to seeking out environmentally conscious winemakers. “They can see that what we are doing does make a difference, and those wineries that are making those steps, they are the ones that will succeed in years to come.”

Otago— pinot central Central Otago’s wine reputation has been founded upon the difficult to grow, but enticing pinot noir variety, one that Lucie says is pushed right to the edge in the Otago landscape. The region is a miniscule portion of the country’s total wine growing area but compresses four distinct districts into its compact footprint. The couple’s vineyard located at Lowburn benefits from its proximity to Lake Dunstan, which helps moderate the sharp Otago extremes. Compared to well-known Gibbston Valley back towards Queenstown, Lowburn’s lower elevation and more open landscape means extreme frost events are rarer around the Cromwell basin, and it enjoys a less compressed season. The Lowburn area has also developed a tight community of wineries, including Burnt Cottage Vineyard and Lowburn Ferry Winery. As a proportion of total 1,950ha in grapes, pinot noir dominates, accounting for 80% of Central’s wine variety, followed by pinot gris at 9%, with the cool climate conditions making it an ideal location for creating rieslings and chardonnays quite distinct from traditional region’s equivalent. The region was first tagged as being highly suitable for winemaking as long ago as 1895, but it was not until the 1970s early pioneers including Chard Farm, Rippon and Gibbston Valley started to change the landscape from one of dusty Merino grazing to tenacious, productive grape vines. “It can be a challenging place to grow grapes, but then again, if it was too easy, the wines would not be as good,” says Lucie. R E A L FA RME R

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INTEREST

7–8 JULY

THURSDAY 8.00AM–5.30PM FRIDAY 8.00AM–4.30PM

WITH DEALS AVAILABLE UNTIL MIDNIGHT 10 JULY* RURALCO.CO.NZ/INSTOREDAYS

Instore Days is back for 2022 The Ruralco Instore Days is a fantastic celebration of all things agricultural, focussed on bringing the rural community together and this year’s event is shaping up to be another exciting opportunity for farmers to connect with our team and our suppliers. WORDS BY ANITA BODY

This year’s Ruralco Instore Days will be held on Thursday 7 July and Friday 8 July, with deals available online till midnight on Sunday 10 July. From small beginnings in 1994, Instore Days has grown and is now likened to a “mini field days” in our Ashburton store, where you can benefit from deals across Ruralco and our suppliers. Recent years have seen around 100 supplier businesses participating, with more than 2,000 members attending the two-day event. The 2022 hybrid event will encompass a marquee at our Ruralco Ashburton store with suppliers on site to discuss your farming

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needs across many farm supplies, seed, fertiliser, fuel, energy, and service-based card suppliers, with an extensive network of retail card suppliers participating through their own retail stores.

participating suppliers between 1 June 2022 and 10 July 2022 automatically gives you one entry into the prize draw. All sales will be included in the prize draw, including all online orders placed prior to midnight on 10 July 2022.*

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet with industry players to hear first-hand about their products and services, and new initiatives and technologies which can assist your farming operation,” says Ruralco Group CEO, Robert Sharkie. “It’s also a wonderful chance for us to get together again following so many cancelled events. Opportunities for farmers to meet with other farmers are always worthwhile and we are looking forward to seeing everyone again.”

Mark the dates on the calendar and join us at Ruralco Ashburton to meet suppliers in person, get epic deals and enjoy a bite to eat from one of our tasty food trucks from 10am–3pm, with tea/ coffee available all day. Alternatively, you can visit our stores in Methven or Rakaia to get the same great deals, a bite to eat and meet suppliers, or you can visit our participating card retail suppliers at their stores for exclusive Ruralco Member deals.

While Instore Days takes place in July, members can start accumulating entries for this year’s major prizes from 1 June by spending $250 at our participating suppliers. Up for grabs this year is a 2022 Honda Pioneer 520 (RRP from $20,119), and a House of Travel voucher worth $10,000.

If you are too busy on farm to make it to the stores, or you farm outside of Canterbury, then you can still participate in our great deals by buying online at www.ruralco.co.nz/ instoredays. More information is coming your way, so keep an eye out to find out more about Instore Days and this year’s deals.

To be in to win, every $250 you spend cumulatively across our Instore Days

*Terms and conditions apply and are available at www. ruralco.co.nz/instoredays

GET INVOLVED FROM 1 JUNE Spend $250 with our participating suppliers on your Ruralco Card to ensure you maximise entries in the draw for the 2022 Honda Pioneer 520 or $10,000 House of Travel voucher. Terms and conditions apply

BE PART OF THE ACTION 7–8 JULY 1. Join us at Ruralco Ashburton to meet suppliers in person, get epic deals and enjoy a bite to eat from one of our tasty food trucks from 10am–3pm, with tea/ coffee available all day. Or visit our stores in Methven or Rakaia to get the same great deals and grab a bite to eat. 2. Visit our participating card suppliers at their stores for exclusive Ruralco Cardholder deals. 3. Too busy on the farm to make it to the stores? Or if you farm outside of Canterbury, then you can still participate in our great deals by buying online at www.ruralco.co.nz/instoredays

$10,0

2022 HONDA PIONEER 520 RRP $20,119

$10,000

HOUSE OF TRAVEL VOUCHER

To be in to win, every $250 you spend cumulatively across our Instore Days participating suppliers from 1 June–10 July 2022 automatically gives you one entry into the prize draw. Terms and conditions apply and are available at www.ruralco.co.nz/instoredays

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Shop with these participating suppliers in the Ruralco store & marquee

ALLIED PETROLEUM At Allied Petroleum we go out of our way to be there when you need us. Want to make the switch to Allied Petroleum through Ruralco, switch today and you go into the draw to win a trip to Queenstown for two people. Find out more on how you could be going places at Instore Days.

BETACRAFT Betacraft produces hardwearing gear, fabricated using the best materials and technologies to keep you outside for longer. Secure your winter essentials this Instore Days and be sure to view the exclusive deals on Betacraft Clothing.

DATAMARS For Datamars Livestock, we believe in farmers. This means we strive to create products and services that specifically make a measurable difference to their lives. Check out our deal breakers at Instore Days.

ORION AGRISCIENCE Orion Agriscience have been supplying Glyphosate products for over 20 years, and have the largest range of generic agrichemicals for New Zealand farmers giving them choice and value. See our range and deals at Instore Days.

BA PUMPS & SPRAYERS BA Pumps and Sprayers is a New Zealand family owned and operated business. Get sorted for spring at Instore Days and see our deals on the TSX400, DM Series, Sprayers, and more. Order at Instore Days for spring delivery.

BLUE PACIFIC MINERALS It takes a trio of solutions to attain ultimate calf health. Blue Pacific Minerals’ products work hard for your calves. Spend over $500 across our Young Stock products at Instore Days and receive a free pink Opticalf Feed Trough.

MILK BAR The Milk Bar Automatic Teat is here, Drop resistant technology gives great teat performance in a typical automatic system. All Milk Bar Teats work in harmony with the digestive system to improve calf health. Instore Days specials on Teats, Fence Feeders, Meal Troughs and more.

PGG WRIGHTSON SEEDS The Super 6. A champion line up of brassicas led by the Cleancrop Brassica System. Buy any PGG Wrightson Seeds products through Ruralco this Instore Days and get a free Stanley travel mug.

Shop with this participating card supplier at their store $10,0

SMITHS CITY Head in to your local for mates rates storewide. Pop instore with your Ruralco Card and get exclusive pricing on a huge range across the store. Available nationwide.

THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF THE MANY SUPPLIERS THAT YOU CAN SHOP WITH TO GAIN ENTRIES IN THE DRAW FOR THE 2022 HONDA PIONEER 520 OR HOUSE OF TRAVEL VOUCHER WORTH $10,000 T&Cs apply

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SHOP WITH THESE PARTICIPATING SUPPLIERS IN STORE OR ONLINE FROM 1 JUNE TO 10 JULY TO BE IN TO WIN THE 2022 HONDA PIONEER 520 OR THE $10,000 HOUSE OF TRAVEL VOUCHER WWW.RURALCO.CO.NZ/INSTOREDAYS OR CALL US ON 0800 787 256

CHECK OUT THEIR GREAT INSTORE DAYS DEALS AVAILABLE IN STORE FROM 7–8 JULY AND ONLINE FROM 7–10 JULY T&Cs apply

SHOP WITH THESE PARTICIPATING SUPPLIERS IN OUR RURALCO STORES OR ONLINE FARM SUPPLIES

CLOTHING & FOOTWEAR

GIFT & HOMEWARE

CONTACT RURALCO TO SWITCH THE FOLLOWING PARTNERS’ PAYMENTS TO YOUR RURALCO ACCOUNT

CONTACT THE RURALCO SEED TEAM TO ORDER FROM THESE SUPPLIERS

SHOP WITH THESE PARTICIPATING CARD SUPPLIERS IN THE INSTORE DAYS MARQUEE

ASHBURTON

AT PARTICIPATING SUPPLIER STORES

ASHBURTON

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FERTILISER

The benefits of Magnesium There are several factors that contribute to low magnesium (Mg) levels in pasture and stock. Soil and herbage testing can provide an insight into low levels so they can be addressed before impacting farm production. for either plant growth and/or animal nutrition. For pasture, this is for one or more years with minimal leaching losses. Serpentine Super is a useful product that combines serpentine rock with superphosphate, and the acid used in the manufacturing process makes some of the serpentine rock’s magnesium more soluble and therefore plant available. This means 70 percent of the total magnesium in Serpentine Super is released in the first 12 to 24 months. In a Fertiliser and Lime Research Centre study1 Serpentine Super was applied at a rate of 100 kg Mg/ha and herbage magnesium levels measured over 30 months. Around 43 percent of the magnesium was in the topsoil by day 282 and 67 percent by day 856. Even 30 months after application, the Serpentine Super was still releasing magnesium for plant uptake, as indicated by the levels of dissolved and partially dissolved magnesium in the topsoil. Herbage from plots treated with Serpentine Super contained 57 percent more magnesium than herbage from control plots which received no application of magnesium.

Vital for stock Stock cannot store magnesium, so they need a daily intake from feed. Magnesium deficiency in stock can affect production even if the clinical signs of deficiency, such as grass staggers or tetany (hypomagnesaemia), are not apparent.

Magnesium is an essential nutrient for the process of photosynthesis (the plant’s ability to turn light into energy). The element magnesium is used in the production of chlorophyll which is at the heart of photosynthesis. Chlorophyll molecules give plants their green colour, and when photosynthesis is affected, their leaves become paler. General farming practices of livestock grazing, and crop harvesting removes magnesium from the soil. However, magnesium can also be lost from soil through other processes such as leaching. Wet conditions can enable magnesium to leach from the soil. Furthermore, so do high levels of calcium or potassium in the soil. When high rates of calcium are applied to the soil from the likes of superphosphate or lime, magnesium can be displaced from the soil colloid (surface) and into soil solution (the water in the soil) where, if it is not taken

up by plants, can be at risk of leaching. High rates of potassium can have a similar effect on magnesium levels. If magnesium is not replaced, magnesium levels can decrease, and deficiencies may start to appear in older growth. Leaves of plants with low magnesium appear marbled (yellow/ pale green in colour) while veins remain green. Quick Test Magnesium (QT Mg) measures the amount of magnesium that is readily available for plant uptake. The target range for plant growth is QT Mg 8 to 10. When soil levels drop below the target range, pasture production can become limited. When magnesium levels need to be raised, an average of 7kg Mg/ ha can be applied to raise soil QT Mg levels by one unit, over and above maintenance requirements. Ideal magnesium fertilisers release magnesium for an extended period and at the rate needed

The target range in soil for stock health is QT Mg 25 to 30. However, herbage testing is the best way to check how much magnesium stock are getting from pasture. Pasture magnesium concentrations vary seasonally and are naturally lowest in spring when animals most need the mineral. As calcium and potassium can decrease magnesium uptake by pasture and its availability to grazing stock, application in the two months prior to calving is best avoided. It can be difficult to raise soil magnesium levels high enough to protect animals from deficiency before and during calving, so additional magnesium supplementation may be needed. Options to help add magnesium to their diet can be done through drenching, dosing drinking water or dusting feed. P. Loganathan, J. A. Hanly & L. D. Currie (2005) Effect of serpentine rock and its acidulated products as magnesium fertilisers for pasture, compared with magnesium oxide and Epsom salts, on a Pumice Soil. 2. Dissolution and estimated leaching loss of fertiliser magnesium, New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 48:4, 461-471 1

THIS PROMOTIONAL FEATURE WAS PROVIDED BY BALLANCE AGRI-NUTRIENTS R E A L FA RME R

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INTEREST

Home grown challenge for NZ food supply This has taken annualised food price increase to 6%, the biggest annual increase since 2011. Significantly, in the past ten years, or 120 months, Statistics NZ has only reported 20 months where food prices fell. Rush says the lift in prices is not entirely unexpected as the world grapples with high rates of inflation, a tightening of food supplies globally in part, due to climate change and now a war waging in Ukraine. Rush says food insecurity is now a real issue in this land of plenty, where some households may pass days without any food in the house. But she also points to deeper issues including a lack of transport to access a supermarket, lack of education in how to properly prepare quality food, and insufficient time in households where often adults may hold down multiple jobs each to meet the bills. And the irony that the country producing some of the healthiest food on the planet has the third highest obesity rate in the OECD is not lost on her. “New Zealand produces a surfeit of food, more than enough for food sovereignty and selfsufficiency but we import feed for animals, most of our cereal and grain crops, and do not produce enough green leafy vegetables or legumes to enable New Zealand people to eat well locally.” Earlier work by Rush has determined the oftenmade claim New Zealand can feed 40 million people is largely true.

For generations New Zealand has prided itself on its ability to feed other countries’ citizens. From being the colonial farm supplying fat lamb carcasses and bulk butter to Mother England after World War II, to marketing SunGold kiwifruit and Sauvignon Blanc to Shanghai, millions have devoured the efforts of our primary sector. WORDS BY RICHARD RENNIE, IMAGES BY ANNIE STUDHOLME AND LANEY MAHUIKA-WILLIS

Over that time Kiwis have also tended to take it for granted that much of the food we have sold offshore is also available to us here at home. A generation ago, a “grow your own” culture supported that, with every house being on a quarter acre with a vegie garden and maybe a fruit tree. Today town houses are only required a metre each side and minimal yard space, often

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concreted over, and the loss of land to grow food on has been accompanied by a loss of knowledge on how to do so. In the past months, the ability of New Zealanders to access and afford quality fresh food has been increasingly challenging, to the point the phrase “cost of living crisis” has been interchangeable with “soaring food prices.” Covid’s effects have exacerbated the inequities academics and social workers had identified emerging prior to the pandemic, worsened by the loss of hours worked, entire jobs and businesses. Meantime, the value of the food exported has continued to soar, with the ANZ Commodity Index reaching a historic high late last year as values for all food types, dairy, red meat and horticulture all hit record peaks at the same time. Elaine Rush, Professor of Nutrition at Auckland University of Technology has noted with dismay the surge food prices took in January, up 2.7% in one month alone, with vegetables surging 6%.

In fact, her number crunching has found New Zealand can feed 39 million with dairy products, 11.5 million with red meat, 10 million for fruit and 2 million for vegetables. But work by Rush on how well New Zealand is meeting the nutritional goal of “5-plus a day” has highlighted the imbalances in our domestic food supply, compared to our exported products, and how that imbalance contributes to a deterioration in the nation’s health. Taking the average production of vegetables from 2017 to 2020, her and her colleague Fiona Curran-Cournane determined New Zealand produces 11.7 serves of vegetables per person per day, ostensibly enough to meet dietary targets. However, of this 70% is potatoes, onions, and carrots, of which a third were exported. There was inadequate production of legumes and dark green leafy vegetables, all of which amounted to a mere two thirds of a serving per person per day.

Overall, about 60% of Kiwis are not meeting their “5-plus” target, yet NZ is exporting about $5 billion in fruit and vegetables a year. “There is a need here for an environmentally sustainable and diverse supply of vegetables for domestic use, while also confronting the environmental impacts intensive conventional outdoor vegetable production can have,” she says. And while our high-quality food products are exported to the world, what is coming back into New Zealand is proving a contrast. The largest quantities of imports are wheat and sugar, often processed into lower value food products, two thirds of which are carbohydrates. Food energy sufficient to feed 10 million people is imported into New Zealand, albeit as a poorer quality of energy, reflecting greater levels of processing and fibre degradation. In light of the disparities in food types coming in and being exported, Rush maintains New Zealanders need a wider food policy that cuts across social and trade policies, in a country clearly capable of growing the food needed to feed itself well. Her work supports the much debated “sugar tax” on soft drinks, and a call for greater access to fresh tap water in public places. Considering the stresses, a reliance upon imported grains is bringing with the Ukraine crisis, it also supports a case for New Zealand’s arable sector to be better supported by processors. Rush also maintains the need for a policy that allows for the expansion of the area used for vegetables, which presently only account for 0.2% of the total land area of New Zealand. This in turn demands greater recognition of the country’s high value soils so capable of growing good greens and protecting them from the risk of being concreted over for housing and infrastructure.

Lincoln University Agribusiness Professor Dr Hamish Gow acknowledges the importance high value food exports have played in generating wealth in provincial New Zealand. But he cautions the growing cost of food poses a challenge to the farming sector’s social licence in a way never witnessed before. “From a farmer’s point of view, they have aimed to try and maximise the value of their products for the highest possible price, and don’t deal much with the domestic consumer.” “A generation ago most people had connections to farmers and understood farmers.” “Today we have larger urban populations with no connection. They may be first generation migrants, they may never have been on a farm, they don’t necessarily care about farming, but they do care about what their food is costing them.”

IMAGES: “New Zealand produces a surfeit of food,

more than enough for food sovereignty and selfsufficiency but we import feed for animals, most of our cereal and grain crops, and do not produce enough green leafy vegetables or legumes to enable New Zealand people to eat well locally.” Elaine Rush, Professor of Nutrition at Auckland University of Technology

With food prices soaring, he sees the farming sector as vulnerable to criticism from consumers for receiving high commodity prices. “But the fact you can buy New Zealand products overseas cheaper than they are sold here suggests it is not farmers at fault, but domestic distribution networks here at home.” “Farmers become easy targets when food gets expensive, but ultimately, they are price takers, whether it is sold domestically or internationally.” It is also an issue spearheaded by the supermarket duopoly, and the apparent lack of action by the Commerce Commission to undo that. “It is a huge challenge in front of us to have this discussion on domestic food affordability versus exported returns. We have this real conflict arising between the agricultural producer side, and the domestic consumer side. “There is a mis-alignment of incentives there that leaves the local food system broken. There is no place that is considered unbiased and trusted when it comes to policy debate, unlike what you may find in the European Union and United States.” In the case of the EU, it also has a culture of food security policy, having suffered devastating shortages after World War II and striving to avoid them ever since. He does take heart from greater engagement with iwi on issues of sustainability and community care, and a need to look out for family health and wellbeing. “It is quite likely they may well become our conscience on issues like this.” R E A L FA RME R

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FARMER STORY

The Whyte-way From Canterbury to the US and beyond

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Driven by producing a quality product, not commercial gain, it’s Glen Whyte’s attention to detail that sets him apart in producing world class venison. WORDS ANNIE STUDHOLME, IMAGES BY ANNIE STUDHOLME & SUPPLIED

Glen Whyte often jokes that when it comes to farming deer there’s a right way of doing things and there’s a ‘Whyte-way’ of doing things. He’s not wrong. Utilising three generations of deer farming knowledge, Glen runs a slick finishing unit on 400 hectares near Alford Forest, Canterbury, producing top quality venison for the domestic and international market. Glen undoubtedly inherited his love for deer from his father, Donald Whyte. For more than 40 years, Donald has been farming at Mt Possession in the Ashburton Gorge, after following his father, John, south from farming on the East Coast and Hawke’s Bay. Having hunted deer as a child, Donald later got involved in live capture. Together, he and his father, started one of the earliest deer farms made up of deer caught in the wild in the North Island. Donald worked as an employee at Mt Possession initially, before he and his wife, Leigh, bought 940-hectares next door, Edendale, in 1986. With help from his father, he set about transforming Edendale from a high country sheep farm to a highly productive deer unit, moving his deer off Mt Possession. John ran his deer at Mt Possession for a time, until he became ill, and Donald took over the management of both properties. By that stage, Mt Possession had been reduced to 24,000 hectares. The additional sale of the Hakatere Run in the early 2000s allowed Donald to buy a down-country property at Alford Forest, giving them more flexibility due to its reliable rainfall. Today, Ryan Hussey manages the day-to-day sheep and cattle operations on Mt Possession, while Donald still maintains an interest in the deer. Glen has recently moved back to Mt

Possession to help out. Jarrod Beatie, ably assisted by Matthew Collins, manages the finishing block, Edenview, at Alford Forest. Glen’s sister, Angela, is also involved in the industry. She and her husband, Regan Blair, run their own deer operation at Parkhurst, near Geraldine. While the three businesses are all separate entities, they all fall under the larger Whyte Farming Limited umbrella. Each year, Glen purchases 1100 hybrid weaner Elk/red deer cross from Mt Possession to finish at Edenview. Located in the shadows of Mt Alford, near Alford Forest, Edenview sits at 400 metres above sea level. Blessed with rain from all directions, its annual rainfall tops 1400mm, and it also escapes the Norwest wind. The 400-hectare property itself comprises of two halves, with 200-hectares re-fenced and set up as a specialist deer unit with lanes and a deer shed. A further 200 hectares were added later and have since been partly deer fenced.

ABOVE: Glen was fortunate to go to the United

States with Mountain River Venison to help promote New Zealand farm raised venison, discussing the environment, sustainability, and welfare with Michelin star chefs from New York to Denver BELOW: Glen Whyte often jokes that when it comes

to farming deer there’s a right way of doing things and there’s a ‘Whyte-way’ of doing things

Mt Possession essentially runs a closed deer unit, breeding specifically with the chill trade in mind. It selects their top growth rate stags from their finishing deer, using the weights from weaning until the start of the chill trade. They sort through these, use the top 20 as spikers and again at two years old, before selling the best in an on-farm Elk and Wapiti terminal sire sale. “We do buy in occasional genetics, but mainly we don’t need to,” says Glen. The hinds give birth on the hills of Mt Possession each December. The fawns are weaned in March/April and sent down to Edenview. “They come down in March with a live weight in the mid 60kgs. We take them through to the end of September, early October, to 140kg live weight, or about 80kg on the hook,” explains Glen. “When they come down off the hill, they all run as a group initially. Deer are not domesticated like sheep or cattle. Elk have only been farmed for 30 to 40 years, so they are still very much wild animals. We try to let them display their natural behaviour as much as possible.” Alongside the deer, Glen also puts 850 composite ewes to Southdown/Poll Dorset rams each year with the resulting lambs (usually) going before Christmas. He also rears 400 R2 Angus Angus/Hereford cross steers through to 630-650kg live-weight for ANZCO purchased from Mt Possession. A further 450 calves will also arrive this month (June). They also grow about 20 hectares of barley annually for their own use, selling any excess. R E A L FA RME R

FARMER STORY The sheep and cattle are an integral part of the finishing operation, helping with parasite management as young deer are notoriously susceptible to parasites. Glen works on a 28day grazing rotation for the weaners. “Deer are browsers more than grazers, eating a bit of this and a bit of that. To keep the quality up, they get to pick the eyes out of the pasture, then we bring in a mob of cattle or sheep behind them to tidy it up and keep the residuals up. As deer and cattle have the same parasites, the sheep help to clean the paddocks of these,” explains Glen. Years of experience have also taught Glen to stick with mixed pastures, cross drilling paddocks in two directions with a mix of long rotation and short rotation ryegrasses, red and white clover, and chicory. They also put in 70-hectares of winter feed crops, usually a range of kale, swedes, and fodder beet. “We will pick the beet initially and feed it to the weaners on the grass, supplementing it with baleage so they have that ability to choose what they want to eat, and are not being forced to eat just one thing.” With deer, it’s the little things that make all the difference, he says. “As an industry, we have had to be innovative all the way through. You must stay one step ahead as it’s hard to make up ground. It is all about prevention rather than cure. As a rule, to be able to finish them and to get the potential out of them, you have to be on your game. You need an eye for detail to see what’s going on and be on the case seven days a week.” For both Glen and Jarrod, it’s not about the paycheck though. “We are getting out of bed in the morning because we like to go out and farm. There is nothing better than putting quality animals on the truck and having people really appreciate what we are producing at the end of the day. We have been with them the whole way through. We know the effort that has gone into getting them there. Quality on the farm translates to quality on the plate,” says Jarrod.

Glen understands first-hand that their finishing business is just one part of the chain from pasture to plate. In 2019, he was fortunate to go to the United States with Mountain River Venison to help promote New Zealand farmraised venison, discussing the environment, sustainability, and welfare with Michelin star chefs from New York to Denver. “It was great to be able to share our story. They get to see where the venison comes from. The fawns that come down here are born on the hill, with the wild ones living across the fence. It is as close to wild as they can be. We are putting in all this effort here and to be able to see it used in some of the top restaurants was a huge privilege.” Jointly, Whyte Farming are one of the largest suppliers to Mountain River Venison, supplying more than 2000 deer annually. Founded by Doug Hood in 1994 aiming to make the industry more integrated from farm to market, Mountain River Venison has worked tirelessly throughout industry fluctuations over the past 28 years to connect deer farming with chefs’ tables both here and abroad. It now has more than 100 suppliers nationwide, processing on average 30,000 deer a year. The Whyte’s have a long history with Mountain River Venison. It’s a successful relationship based on a shared passion for the industry. “We have stuck with them because of the relationships and the effort they put into it. We are not into commodity trading. We want to see our venison go into niche markets,” says Glen. Though Covid-19 has had a big impact on venison prices over the past two years, the foodservice market around the world has largely recovered, says John Sadler, Mountain River Venison Marketing Manager. While it’s hard to predict what the future will be with Covid still around and a new set of challenges with rising freight costs and inflation, the industry is looking positive.

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ABOVE: Years of experience have also taught Glen to

stick with mixed pastures, cross drilling paddocks in two directions with a mix of long rotation and short rotation ryegresses, red and white clover, and chicory BELOW: To be able to see our venison used in some of the top US restaurants was a huge privilege

Covid hadn’t been all negative though, says Glen. Local uptake of farm-raised venison is on the rise, with businesses such as Christchurchbased Merchant of Venison, which sells predominantly venison processed through Mountain River Venison, reporting an increase in sales as Kiwis get a taste for the healthier red meat option and its sustainable farming story. It is fast becoming the protein of choice for health-conscious consumers. Merchant of Venison started out targeting the foodservice and hospitality trade more than 25 years ago, but in recent years owner James Petrie has been trying to push it to the masses, getting it into supermarkets and launching his own sales website. He’s also been educating chefs about its endless possibilities, constantly looking for new ways to use venison. “My aim is to get people thinking of farmed venison as a weekly protein. It’s very different to wild venison. It’s like talking about rugby union and rugby league. New Zealand is the only country with a farmed venison industry, it is totally unique. It’s about changing people’s perception on how it can be used.” James is in awe over just how far the industry has come in such a short time. ‘“It is a real credit to those farmers that produce the product. I feel very honoured to be able to sell it. It has been a slow burn but it’s definitely on the rise.” Like James, Glen hopes more and more people will soon realise what they have been missing out on. “It has taken time but it’s starting to take off. We have a great product here. New Zealanders should be taking advantage of it,” he says.

Branching into bison As a sideline to their deer and beef finishing enterprise, Glen is breeding a herd of bison with the goal of one-day producing enough for meat production. Bison is currently the fastestgrowing meat market in the United States. For health-conscious consumers, it is red meat providing more protein but significantly fewer calories and less fat than beef. It is also seen as a more natural and sustainable food source and is highly popular with paleo diet followers. Glen first had the opportunity to work with bison on a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada, in the early 2000s. “I just loved them,” he says. A native of North America, about 150 years ago 30 million bison roamed the Great Plains, spanning from Canada to Mexico, but by the turn of the 20th century, they neared extinction due to rampant hunting. A small herd of 24 wild bison was found in the Yellowstone National Park, and together with those held on private ranches, numbers were slowly built back up to well over 1 million today. There are two subspecies of bison in North America – Wood and Plains, with some differences between the two. Bison are also incorrectly referred to as buffalo but are not to be confused with water buffalo, indigenous to South Asia, and Cape buffalo, native to Africa. Bison stand at some five to six feet and tip the scales at around 1000kg. They might be big, but they are quick. They can run up to 60km per hour. Plus, they are extremely agile for their size, able to pivot on a sixpence and clamber over high fences if they want to. Unlike sheep and cattle, they don’t follow each other or go in single file, they move as wide as they can. “If there’s 300 in a herd, they’ll run 100-wide and three deep,” explains Glen. When Glen returned to New Zealand, he had further experience working with bison,

but numbers were limited to small herds on lifestyle blocks or in zoos. Just when bison arrived in New Zealand is up for debate. There are some rumours that eight were gifted to New Zealand by Teddy Roosevelt in the early 1900s about the same time as the moose, but that’s never been confirmed, says Glen. Records show Auckland Zoo received its first bison in 1924 from Elk Island National Park in Canada; just two cows, after the bull sent died in transit. Two years later, a bull and cow arrived. Later that year, a bull and cow were also sent to Wellington Zoo. Small shipments of bison continued until the 1950s. Two bulls were later imported from Australia in 1980. But essentially all those in New Zealand descend from those original imports. Glen purchased his first bison in 2010 after being in the right place at the right time, starting his NZ Bison business. He started with two bulls and three cows and embarked on building up his herd from there, buying anything he could get his hands on. His herd now tops 120. It’s largely been through line-breeding though, as bringing in any new genetics is virtually impossible.

ABOVE: As a sideline to their deer and beef finishing

enterprise, Glen is breeding a herd of bison with the goal of one-day producing enough for meat production BELOW: Bison stand at some five to six feet and tip the scales at around 1000kg. They might be big, but they are quick. They can run up to 60km per hour

“It’s basically a no-go,” says Glen. It is not that artificial insemination isn’t possible (research has had mixed results), there are good logistical reasons to let bison do it naturally; they’re big, they can be aggressive and because they are not technically domesticated, they don’t usually do well with confinement and human contact. Farming bison comes with a host of challenges though, not least finding someone that can kill and process the meat, says Glen. “As long as you handle them right, they are fine. They are a lot like deer in that respect. They have the same kind of personality. If you’re going to get it wrong, you will get it really wrong. They are herd animals, and you can’t have one by themselves. There is no way you could leave them in the yards. People are killed by bison in North America every year.” They are also highly susceptible to Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF), an infectious viral disease caused by a group of herpes viruses, carried by sheep and goats. Although cattle are resistant to MCF, it is usually fatal in bison and deer. But despite the barriers, Glen is determined to make a go of it. “We have finally got to a point where we have the numbers, they are going to have to start earning their keep. Until now, they’ve been nothing more than a very expensive hobby.” He has already had interest from restaurants and chefs keen to get Kiwi bison on the menu. Glen’s next step is to invest in a better set of yards to handle them. In the future, he hopes to supply a niche market with a couple of beasts a fortnight. “It’s very much a work in progress.” R E A L FA RME R

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ENERGY

Ruralco Energy takes headache out of energy options Businesses with “spikey” usage patterns can incur higher network charges regardless of the actual consumption on farm. “For anyone who may be a low, intermittent user of a connection, possibly with a backup irrigation pump for example, these are increases they can’t avoid. It can really change the economics of some connections and require alternatives, such as solar and gas, to be considered,” says Tracey. Increasingly the Ruralco team are not just looking to get the lowest price for members, they are taking a more holistic “all energy” approach to the farm business’s energy needs. Advances in energy profiling means Tracey and Glenn can drill down into a farm businesses particular usage pattern, often quite different from a conventional processing or manufacturing business, with pronounced seasonal peaks and distinct low points which correlate with weather events and particular seasons. The New Zealand electricity market has long been rightly viewed as a complicated one where billing and contracts can prove hard to understand. The Ruralco Energy team has worked hard with their energy partners to make accounts simpler and easier to follow for Ruralco Members.

The options for farmers wanting to re-assess their business’s energy use, and even its energy sources for the new farming year have never been greater as technology and systems advance rapidly. WORDS BY RICHARD RENNIE, IMAGES BY ANNIE STUDHOLME.

The Ruralco Energy team have doubled down on their efforts to help Members navigate the obstacles to keep farm energy costs down and choose smarter options by offering members choice on their suppliers and energy packages. Ruralco Energy Sales Manager Tracey Gordon and Key Account Manager Glenn McWhinnie collectively bring over 30 years of experience to the co-operative’s energy business, providing shareholders with an invaluable resource, offering unbiased informed advice on getting the best energy options possible. “The energy sources farmers can consider has advanced rapidly in the past few years, particularly with the options solar can bring to larger farm businesses. For many members, it

IMAGE: Ruralco Energy Sales Manager

Tracey Gordon and Key Account Manager Glenn McWhinnie collectively bring over 30 years of experience to the co-operative’s energy business

can be a case of stepping back and considering not only their energy use, but also their energy sources to get the best solution,” says Tracey. Ruralco’s partnership with Canterbury based solar providers is an invaluable resource to tap into the growing solar energy sector, with larger farms, in particular, having the opportunity to supply their own energy needs. Such partnerships are only undertaken after careful scrutiny of a company’s integrity and quality, giving Ruralco Member’s peace of mind without having to undertake the due diligence themselves. Other emerging opportunities include the possibility of gas supply to dairy farms in bottled form, providing a highly efficient, cost-effective option to traditional electrical heating systems. Some networks have seen huge increases in network charges with drops in electricity volumes, meaning farm electricity capacity and analysis is an area of demand for larger users.

“Our bill checking service is becoming popular with members, every month doing an assessment of charges to ensure there are no surprises there, and the pricing structure is what it’s supposed to be,” says Tracey. Determining the type of contract for the sharply seasonal nature of irrigation energy is a complex one, with the wrong choice likely to add thousands to an operation’s cost centre. With costs on the rise across all irrigation operations including dairying and arable, having some expert, unbiased advice to call upon can literally save thousands once that contract is locked in. Tracey and Glenn’s extensive network of contacts within the sector means they have good insights into upcoming issues that are likely to affect members’ contracts and pricing, whether that is impending hydro lake shortfalls, or changes in legislation around electricity contracts. “The New Zealand electricity market is not the simplest, and we want to ensure our members have a lot of those headaches removed, with us doing the leg work for them so they can focus on doing what they do best, being good operators,” says Tracey. R E A L FA RME R

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Getting your cow her A–Z’s

ANIMAL NUTRITION

Understanding the mineral and vitamin requirements of transition cows.

The transition period of a dairy cow is defined as the period three weeks pre-calving, to three weeks post-calving. It is the most important period of the season, as the management of transition has direct impact on cow health, milk production, reproductive performance and environment sustainability. It is crucial to provide nutritional support to achieve success. The supplementation of macro minerals, trace elements and vitamins throughout the transition period is part of this process

Magnesium Magnesium (Mg) plays a fundamental role throughout the entire season; however, it is arguably most important pre-calving. The main role of Mg pre-calving is to aid in the mobilisation of calcium from the bones, to support lactation and prevent hypocalcaemia (milk fever). This interaction is important because milk fever is considered the ‘gateway disease’ to many other potential issues1. If a magnesium deficiency occurs, there is an increased risk of milk fever, which may lead to other diseases, including ketosis, mastitis and/or retained foetal membrane. Additionally, there are longer term costs associated, due to an impacted immune system, reduced milk yield, and compromised reproductive performance.

A close-up dry cow requires 0.45% of their dry matter intake as elemental Mg 2. For example, a 500kg cow, eating 9–10kg of dry matter, requires 40–45g per day of elemental Mg.

Trace Elements Copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se) all play key roles in immune function, reproduction, and milk production 1. They are especially important pre-calving as this is when the cow is under the most stress, and therefore her immune system is under the most pressure. • Cu is required for many roles in the body, and has an impact on milk production, immunity, fertility and calf viability—it is a very busy element. • Se is an antioxidant, used by the body to prevent oxidative stress, and boost immunity. • Zn plays a role in soft tissue health, and can aid in udder and teat health, and hoof hardness.

Vitamins Vitamins D and E are fat-soluble vitamins that are essential nutrients for all dairy cows, especially transition cows. Vitamin E and selenium work closely together as antioxidants to boost immunity. Vitamin D plays a vital role in the regulation of calcium mobilisation, and therefore mitigating milk fever3.

Supplementation Supplementing all the required minerals and vitamins in spring can be complicated and time consuming, at a time of year that is already stressful. SealesWinslow Calver Maxx block can help. Providing two Calver Maxx blocks per 50 cows in your transition mobs, will supply cows with highly digestible sugar, aiding fibre digestion. The molasses also acts as a tasty carrier for supplemental magnesium, trace elements and vitamins to balance a typical transition diet. To be sure of the nutrient balance on farm, extended feed testing on all forages is encouraged. For more information on how the SealesWinslow Calver Maxx Block may fit your system, talk with your local SealesWinslow TSR, Ruralco Representative or visit a Ruralco store. THIS PROMOTIONAL FEATURE WAS PROVIDED BY SEALES WINSLOW 1 Lean, I and DeGracis, P. Transition cow management. [prod.] Dairy Australia. 2010. 2 Lean I and DeGaris, P. Transition Cow Management. A techincal review for nutritional professionals, veterinarians and farm advisers. [prod.] Dairy Australia. 2021. 3 Dairy Australia. Feeding Dairy Cows 5th Edition. 2015. R E A L FA RME R

INTEREST

A little goes a long way thanks to farmer driven meat charity Giving a little is reaping big rewards thanks to a farming initiative aimed at preventing New Zealanders from going hungry. WORDS BY ANITA BODY, IMAGES SUPPLIED BY MEAT THE NEED

Meat the Need was launched during the first 2020 lockdown and sees generous livestock donations from farmers turned into mince meat which is then donated to food banks across the country. Since then, over 760,000 meals of mince have been provided to families in need. The charity works on the premise that if we all give a little, it collectively amounts to a lot. The last couple of years have been challenging for many New Zealand families, and Meat the Need is a simple way farmers can help by donating a little bit of what they produce when they can. There are 26 million animals processed each year in New Zealand and Meat the Need estimate just 5,000 animal donations are needed to prevent New Zealanders from going

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hungry. That’s just 0.019% of the country’s overall meat production. In addition to Meat the Need, another initiative, Feed Out, has also been established with donated milk going to food banks across Waikato and the Central Plateau. Feed Out has seen 92,000 milk meals donated so far and plans are underway to extend this across the country. Currently, Meat the Need and Feed Out supply mince and milk to more than 80 food banks, reaching large numbers of families in need. Ruralco is proud to support this fantastic cause. “Meat the Need is a really simple way to give back and support others in our communities. It’s a great idea which has gone from strength to strength thanks to the hard-working team behind the initiative, and the wonderful generosity of farmers,” says Ruralco Group CEO, Robert Sharkie. “Knowing that your donated livestock will help feed families both close to home and further afield, is a great way to show that community-minded spirit farmers are renowned for.”

There are many examples of farmers jumping at the chance to be involved in Meat the Need from around the country. One such farmer is Dan Schat, a dairy farmer in Darfield, Canterbury. His farm is in its fourth season where he produces A2 milk from 360 cows. When he was younger, he wanted to be all sorts of things but nearing the end of high school he decided on his path to be a farmer. Growing up he used to help out on his parents’ farms and more recently the roles have been reversed, with them helping Dan set up his own farming operation. Dan first heard about Meat the Need as it got off the ground a couple of years ago and was interested in what it was trying to achieve. He had a few beef cattle set aside on the farm for the family and when he realised he had a surplus amount of beef, he decided to donate one of the cattle to Meat the Need. That was the beginning of his donation journey. “Meat the Need is a good option when it comes to choosing what charity to support. For some people, it’s difficult to give time or money

to charities, and so the option of donating livestock to Meat the Need works really well. We liked the idea of donating quietly—in that we can send our animal away and you know it goes straight to families who need it,” he says. “It also offers the chance to donate as much or as little as you want, and you know your livestock donation goes 100% to food banks. It’s a way to help people directly by giving families a helping hand, especially as mince may not be affordable for some people.” In addition to donating livestock, Dan has also signed up with the Meat the Needs’ “Champion” programme which sees him volunteer in the Darfield area, helping spread awareness about the charity and boosting donations. He wanted to help the charity in other ways and saw this recently launched programme as an opportunity to further support the cause. “Meat the Need is a charity that shows how the agricultural industry can help people across New Zealand. Sometimes farmers get a bad rap but Meat the Need helps to show the great work that farmers are doing to help our communities.” To those who might not have thought about signing up, Dan says it’s a simple process. “For us, we got in touch with our Silver Fern Farms Rep and said what we wanted to donate. It’s good for farmers to know that if you want to donate beef, let’s say, and the animal is worth more than the specified donation amount, you

get paid that surplus. Also, when you give to Meat the Need you can put that on the books as a charity donation.” Further south, Clinton farmers Lyndon and Jade McNab saw Meat the Need as great way to fulfil their desire to help others with good food. As well as farming 2000ha on Lochindorb Farm with 6000 ewes and 700 beef cows, they also own and run a café. “We also know there are families out there who are doing it tough. It’s important to us that we play our part in helping to ensure every family has good food on the table. For a while before Meat the Need launched, we were thinking about how we could help more people in our community. Other than just our neighbours, we wanted to help support more people in having nutritious animal protein. After thinking for a while on what we could do, Meat the Need was launched and that was

ABOVE: Tom Irving, the first farmer to donate to Meat

the Need with Co-founder Wayne Langford

TOP LEFT: Clinton farmers Lydon & Jade McNab saw

Meat the Need as great way to fulfil their desire to help others with good food TOP RIGHT: For Darfield farmers Dan & Amanda Schat,

Meat the Need was a good option when it came to choosing what charity to support.

the perfect platform for us to help support more people. Straight away we rang up our local rep for Silver Fern Farms, signed up to donate, and we’ve been donating since.” “Because animal protein is our business, this was the perfect avenue for us to support others. It just felt right. We have plenty of our own meat in the freezer, but when we walk past meat in the supermarket, we see how expensive it is, which we know can be really unaffordable for some families.” The McNab’s see food as one of those things that is easily relatable for everybody. “Everyone likes and wants good food. We really feel for and can understand what it might be like for other parents if they couldn’t provide their kids good food.” Meat the Need is a movement which also helps to increase positive stories about farmers. “This is a farmer driven initiative and Meat the Need highlights our industry showing what we are contributing. We’re not doing this because it looks good, but it’s a happy by-product.” The couple say signing up to the scheme was a “no-brainer”. “If each one of us makes a small contribution, together we can make a big difference. If you’re thinking of donating to a charity, this is a really good way to do it, because the meat you donate is given directly to food banks. We hope that if we were in the position where we were without food, that there would be people out there to support us. We know we’re privileged, and we also know not everyone R E A L FA RME R

INTEREST is. You can’t choose the situation you’re given when you’re born into this world. And so, Meat the Need helps to address some of those inequalities.” It’s a sentiment shared by the first farmer to donate to Meat the Need, Tom Irving. “In the world right now there’s heaps of people that are having a hard time. With Covid and everything— losing jobs, lock downs, etc—it’s now harder for some people to put good food on the table.” The Hororata dairy farmer has 176ha over three farms, with 600 Friesian Jersey cross-bred cows. “Apparently, I was one of the first people to donate. I have known Wayne (Langford, founder and Meat the Need General Manager) since Lincoln University days and when he said Meat the Need was about to launch, I mentioned I already had an animal I wanted to donate. The rest is history really—that was my first donation and I have donated since.” “Farmers can chip in by donating livestock in a way that’s really easy to do. If farmers spare just one animal for Meat the Need, then it can make a big difference to heaps of people. What we can give is a good form of protein and everyone needs something good to fill them up.” Tom’s advice to any farmers thinking about donating livestock, is to “just get on with it.” It’s a simple process—either visit their website or talk to a Silver Fern Farms Rep.

How to donate To donate, it’s really simple. You can get in touch with your Silver Fern Farms Rep, or head to the donation page on the Meat the Need website. And of course, if you have any questions or want to know more, you can get in touch with their team on 0800 632 884, or visit meattheneed.org. BELOW: Karina and Chelsea making hamburger

patties from scratch with mince from Meat The Need. Kai for Kids operates out of the kitchen at the Ashburton Raceway with new ovens funded by the Lion Foundation and AACF

Kai for Kids serves up a healthy lunch to Mid Canterbury children School lunches have dramatically changed over the past two decades. With a rise in ultra-processed foods, think packets of chips and biscuits, becoming available as cheaper options to fresh produce, at the same time New Zealand has experienced a rise in food insecurity for households. WORDS & PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY KAI FOR KIDS

Around one in five children in New Zealand live in households that struggle to put enough good-quality food on the table. In some communities, 40% of parents run out of food sometimes or often. Mid Canterbury is a stunning producer of high-quality food but sadly, not all of the local children are able to access this food every day. Founder of the Kai for Kids Charitable Trust and arable farmer, Jo Taylor, wanted to change the food landscape for the children of Mid Canterbury.

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“As a mother of five I was shocked to see a child at one of our primary schools with nothing other than a packet of rice crackers for their food for the entire day. Talking to other parents, school teachers, and principals, I found out that this is happening in every school, kindergarten and preschool where children might be bringing little or no food for their day. We all know when we are hungry that we find it hard to focus. Imagine how hard it is for a child to have little food during a busy school day.”

LEFT: Lunch time at Hampstead School—great to see

smiling, happy faces—and no-one misses out RIGHT: Every lunch is packed full of vegetables, protein

and grains to ensure a good range of macro and micronutrients are eaten each day. RMF Silva support their staff to volunteer once a week. It was Nerida Jemmet’s turn to help pack lunches

BELOW: Kai for Kids aims to be a zero waste programme

and will reintroduce reusable lunch boxes after the Covid wave, thanks to support from Mega Mitre 10 Ashburton

Research indicates that reducing food insecurity for children and young people: • improves their wellbeing; • supports child development and learning; • improves learners’ levels of concentration, behaviour and school achievement; • reduces financial hardship amongst families and whānau; • addresses barriers to children’s participation in education and promotes attendance at school; • boosts learners’ overall health. Local school Principals whose schools are part of the healthy school lunch programme delivered by Kai for Kids all comment that the programme is starting to achieve these objectives—children are coming to school because they are getting fed, helping attendance rates, and the teachers are reporting that children are calmer in the afternoons after lunch. The Kai for Kids Charitable Trust was established in April 2020 by Jo and fellow Trustees, Michelle Parkin, Jaz McCully and Fiona Ward, with a pilot lunch programme at Ashburton Netherby School funded by Advance Ashburton Community Foundation.

“

Kia Ora Kai for Kids, I have been meaning to message and express my absolute gratitude to this charitable initiative you have operating at Netherby School. Every single day my two children come home excited to tell me what they had for lunch! They are really enjoying all the food and I am loving the exposure they get to new foods that are healthy and kid friendly. The best part is it has now freed up my already hectic mornings and I am saving a fortune on lunchbox stuff. I can now spend that bit extra on buying, fresh healthy vegetables for dinners. We as a whanau are just so happy that you are doing this and hope to see it roll out over some of the other schools in the district. Well done Kai for Kids x.

”

This pilot was successful and as the Kai for Kids team learned how to produce healthy food at scale, they have been able to extend the schools and children they serve to include Hampstead School, Chertsey School, Merle Leask Kindergarten, Ashburton Borough School, Hinds School and Allenton School. Kai for Kids also supports the Homework Club at the Ashburton Library with afternoon tea and has supplied over 200 family meals to families isolating with Covid 19 in the last month. Kai for Kids now produces over 600 school lunches every day. In 2021 the team, consisting of 8 part-time staff and 10 volunteers, made over 100,000 lunches. Kai for Kids has funding for Netherby and Hampstead Schools through the Ka Ora, Ka Ako Programme, however community support is constantly required to fund the other schools and children with a healthy lunch. Thanks to organisations such a Meat the Need this has made the job of feeding hungry children in Mid Canterbury that much easier. Meat the Need provide Kai for Kids with a supply of high quality mince sourced from the donation of animals from local farmers. “We are just so appreciative

of this support,” says Jo Taylor, “as it enables us to quickly respond to the referrals we are getting from our community for help with children who are hungry.” Kai for Kids is also hoping to make a longerterm difference to food security for the children in Mid Canterbury. There are plans underway to start two vegetable gardens at a scale that can supply fresh food to the lunch programme as well as provide a learning environment for the children and their families around growing their own food. The idea is to also work with local farmers to showcase the food that is grown locally and make that connection between farming and our food supply. A pilot cooking programme will also start in Term 2 for families to go back to basics and learn how to budget, prepare and cook food for families. Kai for Kids would like to thank Wayne and the team at Meat the Need as well as the farmers who have donated both directly to Meat the Need and to Kai for Kids. As Jo Taylor comments, “Kai for Kids cannot do what we do without the huge support we receive from our community, our volunteers and partnerships. Together we are making a real difference.” R E A L FA RME R

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ARABLE

Arable crops and sequestration? As farm businesses begin to calculate their annual total on-farm greenhouse gas emissions, FAR is receiving a number of questions around annual crops and sequestration. The most common ones are: Can arable crops be included in carbon sequestration? If not, why not? How come it’s different in other countries? WORDS BY DIRK WALLACE & ABIE HORROCKS, FOUNDATION FOR ARABLE RESEARCH

Can arable crops be included in carbon sequestration? No.

Why can’t arable crops be included in carbon sequestration? Carbon sequestration is defined as the process of storing carbon in a carbon pool (IPCC, 2018). To use a banking analogy, we can think of carbon pools like a bank balance and any increases or decreases in that balance as a carbon flux (Figure 1). Growing annual arable crops is a good example of a short term carbon flux. Crops do remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow, however, much of the carbon removed is quickly returned to the atmosphere. To come back to the banking analogy, a short-term flux is similar to if I paid you $1,000 every odd week and you paid me $1,000 every even week, at the end of the year our bank balances would look the same as they did at the start.

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Sequestering carbon means storing it long term, to keep it out of the atmosphere, much like permanently increasing that bank balance. Thus, acceptable on-farm carbon sequestration typically involves taking carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in either the soil profile or in permanent vegetation. Not having it rise and fall (flux) over time. One option for sequestering carbon is to store it deep in the soil where decomposition rates are lower. Currently, soil sequestration is not part of the national greenhouse gas accounting framework. If this changes in the future, careful inventory methods will need to be developed to account for the fluctuation in soil carbon across the rotation.

How come it’s different in other countries? Internationally, some voluntary carbon markets are paying growers for soil carbon. These voluntary markets are often not aligned with national emissions reductions programmes or regulation.

Currently, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are developing a method to account for carbon sequestration in permanent pasture, wetlands and forests, however, at the same time, voluntary carbon markets are operating which are paying for soil carbon. These voluntary markets frequently produce payments for farmers by using a short term (10 years vs 100 years) view of carbon sequestration and base credit assumptions off satellite imagery and models rather than measured changes in soil carbon stocks. As far as we are aware, there are no voluntary carbon markets established in New Zealand, but if they do appear it will be important to understand what time frames they use and any associated liabilities.

Soil carbon, soil organic matter and tillage We’re also getting a number of questions around the links between soil organic matter, soil carbon and tillage. Most of these are focused on the assumption that reduced

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

NO CHANGE IN SOIL CARBON

GAIN IN SOIL CARBON

PHOTOSYNTHESIS LESS THAN RESPIRATION

RESPIRATION

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

RESPIRATION

PHOTOSYNTHESIS MORE THAN RESPIRATION

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

RESPIRATION

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

PHOTOSYNTHESIS EQUALS RESPIRATION

LOSS IN SOIL CARBON

Carbon stored in the soil organic matter FIGURE 1. The impact of plant photosynthesis and respiration on carbon in the soil vs. carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Gains in soil carbon can be related to the restorative phase of the rotation and losses of soil carbon can be related to the depletive phase of the rotation (diagram from Agmatters website www.agmatters.nz).

tillage leads to increased soil organic matter which results in greater soil carbon pools. Again, it’s not especially straight forward. • Soil organic matter and soil carbon are closely related because organic matter contains, on average, 58% carbon. Soil organic matter also includes hydrogen, oxygen and small amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous, calcium and magnesium. • Soil carbon stocks often fluctuate across the rotation time, depending on how much organic matter is entering the soil organic pool and how much is being removed via decomposition. Typically, rotations will includes restorative and depletive stages. • Optimal amounts of soil organic matter and carbon vary depending on soil type (soil texture dictates how much carbon your soil can hold), climate and management. In general, the minimum target range for carbon in New Zealand’s cropping soils is 2–3%. Soils with less than 1% organic carbon content are considered functionally impaired.

Does reducing tillage increase soil carbon and improve soil function? Different establishment methods affect how soil carbon is distributed, but reducing tillage, by itself, does not necessarily increase total soil carbon down the profile. This is because the mixing effect of inversion can result in greater soil carbon storage and protection at depth. However, if a ‘no-till

system’ includes crops which return more organic matter than is being decomposed, soil carbon may increase. Even if there are no absolute differences in carbon stocks between establishment methods, differences in how the carbon is distributed down the profile can be important. For example, having more soil organic matter at the surface can improve surface soil structure and water holding capacity, reducing the risk of erosion and runoff.

Chertsey Establishment Trial In 2021, soil carbon stocks in the top 7.5 cm (t/ha) of the no-till establishment plots at the Chertsey Establishment Trial were significantly greater than those in the inversion plots, while the inversion plots had significantly greater carbon stocks at 15–30 cm (due to the mixing effect). In absolute terms, carbon stocks down the profile did not differ between the no-till and inversion treatments, but positioning of the soil organic matter down the profile did influence some soil functional attributes such as surface soil structure and water holding capacity. These functional attributes contribute to resilience when the system is under pressure. For example, moisture monitoring from the Chertsey Establishment Trial (December 2021 to January 2022) showed that the no-till plots (NT) had greater volumetric water content (VWC) than the tilled plots (T), particularly in the top 10 cm (Figure 2). This may explain why the yields

from the autumn feed wheat in the dryland no-till plots (11.7 t/ha) were significantly greater than those from the dryland cultivated plots (11 t/ha). Reference IPCC, 2018: Annex I: Glossary [Matthews, J.B.R. (ed.)]. In: Global Warming of 1.5°C. An *IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, H.-O. Pörtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P.R. Shukla, A. Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. Péan, R. *The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.

FIGURE 2. Volumetric water content (VWC), before and after a rainfall event, at the Chertsey Establishment Trial (December 2021 to January 2022) to 10 cm depth. NT = no tillage. T = inversion tillage. R E A L FA RME R

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Give more than you take: Swanndri x ZQRX

CLOTHING & FOOTWEAR

all face and contributes to solving them by accelerating small, collective, regenerativedriven actions. ZQRX is a new collaborative action platform for people, businesses and organisations that adapt, take action, never stop learning and keep going until they get it right. It requires a collaborative approach from our ZQRX Wool Growers, ZQRX Brands, and the consumers who choose ZQRX products. ZQRX Wool Growers not only produce the highest quality, most ethical wool in the world, they also work to give more than they take from the natural world, the animals living in that world, and the human communities interacting with it. Growers use a new platform called the Regenerative Index to help them measure and improve how much they give back as they restore waterways, protect native species, offset carbon, and enhance local communities. ZQRX wool is essentially a recipe for how we might produce and consume things in the future where products will not only change our lives for the better, but they will also change our entire world for the better by giving a little more than they take. Swanndri has stood the test of time for over 100 years, producing honest hardwearing clothing that has protected people working and adventuring outdoors, whatever the weather. We have always had an affinity with the natural world and locally sourced natural fibres are still at the heart of what we do.

We are proud to partner with the New Zealand Merino Company and support the regenerative ZQRX platform which takes a big picture view of the global challenges we

For more information visit swanndri.co.nz, or discoverzq.com. THIS PROMOTIONAL FEATURE WAS PROVIDED BY SWANNDRI

We recognise the challenges that lie ahead of us, and the need to be part of a wider global regenerative, circular economy, and have embarked on a journey to map our social and environmental impacts, constructing a framework to guide us as we look to continually do better business for our customers and for the planet. In our framework plan, we have laid out our high-level goals for the next 3 years, and will set specific targets under three pillars, People, Planet and Product. We will be updating customers on our progress and reviewing our achievements, goals and targets on a regular basis. We know we aren’t perfect, (no brand is) but we are determined to always strive to do better, and to keep improving year after year in every area of our business. We are fully committed to sharing our journey with our customers, with transparency and honesty. R E A L FA RME R

LIFESTYLE

Warm up your WINTER ESCAPE

Escape to the Wild West Coast Take the train—coast to coast through the Southern Alps IMAGES AND INFORMATION COURTESY OF TRANZALPINE

Experience the South Island’s striking natural landscape by taking a train between Christchurch and Greymouth. Along this journey you’ll see epic vistas, travel the edges of the ice-fed Waimakariri River, traverse the Southern Alps, and see miles of native beech forest. Rightly described as one of the greatest train journeys in the world, the TranzAlpine covers 223 kilometres (139 miles) oneway, taking just under five hours. Hop off and explore the peaks of the Southern Alps from one of New Zealand’s highest towns, Arthur’s Pass, on the way over. A mecca for trampers, skiers, mountain climbers and nature lovers, there are many short and long walks in the area including those that start near the comfortable accommodation found in Arthur’s Pass village. If walking, hiking or skiing are your things, perhaps spend longer exploring more of this beautiful mountainous national park with peaks rising more than 2,000 metres. Set amidst a remote mountain paradise, midway between Arthur’s Pass and Greymouth, the quaint fishing town of Moana is home to the idyllic Lake Brunner and Arnold River valley. This region is stunningly beautiful and Moana is a perfect stop for a picnic and a couple of hours walking before returning to Christchurch on the afternoon TranzAlpine. Alternatively, stop a couple of days and really unwind in this idyllic retreat.

winter Hungry?

Speights Ale House Greymouth Call into the Speights Ale House Greymouth where they’re serving delicious southern modern pub fare, with a generous hand. They have a range of awardwinning traditional ales and beers with good wholesome food. The Speight’s Ale House Greymouth is situated in a category 1 historic building, opposite the railway station in the heart of Greymouth. The building, known as ‘The Brick House’, was built in 1909 by the Government to house numerous Government Departments. USE YOUR RURALCO CARD & GET 5% DISCOUNT

A spot of shopping

Greymouth Showcase Jewellers

Make your trip extra special and call into Greymouth Showcase Jewellers. Diamond specialist and also stockists of leading international brands such as Pandora, Citizen Eco-Drive, G-Shock and Baby-G as well as iconic New Zealand Fashion brands Karen Walker and Stolen Girlfriends Club. As supporters of locally sourced materials, they carry a range of beautiful greenstone jewellery featuring West Coast River Jade found locally in the mountains and rivers of the West Coast of New Zealand . USE YOUR RURALCO CARD & GET UP TO 10% DISCOUNT

Into Jeans Featuring the largest selection of denim on the West Coast. USE YOUR RURALCO CARD & GET 5% DISCOUNT

Colls Sports World Colls Sports cover all your sporting and cycling needs. Avanti bikes, Ice Breaker, wetsuits, clothing and footwear, fishing and camping equipment and much more. USE YOUR RURALCO CARD & GET 2.5% DISCOUNT

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Make a weekend of your trip Bella Vista Motel Greymouth

Individual motels within this network benefit from the same building design and colour scheme, therefore making each site easily recognisable and convenient to access. Bella Vista is proud to be New Zealand owned and operated. USE YOUR RURALCO CARD & GET 5% DISCOUNT

Winter reads With Norma Geddes, Ashburton Paper Plus

The Boy From Gorge River BY CHRIS LONG

ASURE Highpark Motor Inn ASURE Highpark Motor Inn is an ASURE 4 star motel in Greymouth, New Zealand offering you affordable luxury in a relaxing environment. Your hosts Maria and Stewart Evans promise you a warm welcome and friendly, personal service. USE YOUR RURALCO CARD & GET UP TO 10% DISCOUNT

Copthorne Hotel Greymouth Overlooking the West Coast Wilderness Trail along the Grey River, this unfussy 1906 hotel is a 5-minute walk from Greymouth Railway Station and 2 km from the Westland Recreation Centre. Warm rooms feature Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and minifridges, plus tea and coffeemakers. Upgraded rooms add balconies and/or river views. Room service is available 24/7. Amenities include a traditional bar and a warm, breakfast-only restaurant with a fireplace, as well as an exercise room. There’s also a business centre. Parking is available. USE YOUR RURALCO CARD & GET 15% DISCOUNT

In 2010 Richard Long published his memoirs about life with his family in remote isolation on the West Coast of the South Island. In 2012 his wife Catherine also published her memoir. On the West Coast of the South Island, past deep fiords, glassy lakes, forested valleys and snow-capped mountains, lies the Long family cabin. It was here that Chris Long spent the first seventeen years of his life, two days’ hike from the nearest road. In this heartfelt and captivating book, Chris describes childhood with nature on his doorstep: helping his father catch crayfish and his mother grow vegetables, dreaming of helicopter visits, playing with toys crafted from driftwood and jade, and learning to survive in the wild. It was a simple yet blissful upbringing that equipped Chris with the skills and resilience to seek new limits in the world beyond. Since leaving Gorge River he has travelled to over sixty countries and six continents from the Arctic to the Antarctic, encountering endangered wildlife, untouched environments, and people—like himself—from the remotest corners of the earth. A vivid and awe-inspiring account of Chris’s life so far, The Boy from Gorge River tells the story of how an extraordinary childhood shaped an extraordinary life. Great adventures and many travels—a great and entertaining book.

Run Rose Run

BY DOLLY PARTON & JAMES PATTERSON

What a great writing duo – two of the world’s most famous names, a musical legend and legendary storyteller team up with this thriller about a singer/ songwriter on the run and doing her best to survive. Every song tells a story. She’s a star on the rise, singing about the hard life behind her. She’s also on the run.

READING NOOK Sit back and relax in your reading corner with these great products from Ruralco Gift & Homeware

The Leonard Girls

SIT BACK AND RELAX IN THE VELVET TEAL OCCASIONAL CHAIR $483.00 LIGHT UP YOUR READING SPACE WITH THE DAHLIA TABLE LAMP $107.50

BY DEBORAH CHALLINOR

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LIBRARY CORNER

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A long awaited new book by one of New Zealand’s favorite writers. It’s 1969 and Nurse Rowie Leonard is serving a tour of duty in Vietnam caring for wounded New Zealand and Australian soldiers. Her younger sister Jo is a student at Auckland University, a folk singer and a fervent antiwar protestor. But when Jo falls for professional soldier Sam Apanui, home on leave to visit his ill father, she finds herself torn between her feelings and her convictions. Great story.

Storm Tide

BY WILBUR SMITH & TOM HARPER

The Courtneys are back—a new historical series set against the background of the American Revolution. The Courtney family is torn apart as three generations fight on opposing sides of a terrible war that will change the face of the world forever. Smith is the master of adventure fiction—this will be another bestseller. R E A L FA RME R

WINTER STYLE

Mudroom Magic First impressions are everything. Creating a stylish space in your entranceway sets the tone for the rest of the home and adds an inviting element for guests. Whether your house has a purpose-built mudroom or not, you can still create the perfect space for you or your guests to kick their shoes off and come inside from the cold. Here are our top tips to create a gorgeous entranceway in your home:

Get Comfy

Store it

Add a mirror

Add some green

Get the look

Adding cushions to your bench not only adds comfort, but also adds personality and style to the space. You can change out your cushions for a fresh look every season. We love using mismatched prints or colours.

Bins and baskets are a great way to hide that entranceway mess. Hide your shoes away in a stylish basket to keep the space uncluttered. We love natural materials like rattan, bamboo and jute for an earthy look.

If your entranceway is small, add a mirror to open up the space; it will also bring light into an otherwise dark room. Plus, it’s handy for checking your outfit before you leave the house.

A houseplant or foliage can really lift the mood in your entranceway. We are loving The Florence Pot with faux greenery for that fuss free foliage arrangement all year round.

1. BEVELED MIRROR $265.70 2. THE DAVID LONG BENCH $353.10 3. THE FLORENCE POT $118.60 4 VICHY BASKET DESIGN CUSHION $68.00 5. FLORAL EMBROIDERED CUSHION $62.50 6. THE OZZIE BASKET $42.60 7. OVAL BASKET: MEDIUM $123.00; LARGE $132.00

4& 5

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AT THE CINEMA

What’s on at the Movies this winter With David Favel, Regent Cinema

The P hantom of the Open

Tells the remarkable true story of Maurice Flitcroft, a crane operator and optimistic dreamer from Barrow-in-Furness who, with the support of his family and friends, managed to gain entry to the 1976 British Open qualifying, despite never playing a round of golf before. With pluckiness and unwavering self-belief, Maurice pulls off a series of stunning, hilarious, and heartwarming attempts to compete at the highest level of professional golf, drawing the ire of the golfing elite but becoming a British folk hero in the process.

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Where The Crawdads Sing

Kya Clark, otherwise known as the Marsh Girl by the townspeople of Barkley Cove, is mysterious and wild. Abandoned by her family, Where the Crawdads Sing is a coming of age story of a young girl raised by the marshlands of the south in the 50’s. Watching many years pass, when the town hotshot is found dead, and inexplicably linked to Kya, the Marsh Girl is the prime suspect in his murder case.

Elvis

Explores the life and music of Elvis Presley, seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).

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

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CARD

Looking for engineering solutions? Engineering Solutions Limited is a local business on the move—quite literally. Recently they purchased Gray Engineering, a firm with a 45-year history in the region and have shifted all operations to its premises. So, you’ll now find Engineering Solutions at its new home, at 20 Watson Steet in Ashburton. WORDS BY BRETT HALDANE, IMAGES PROVIDED BY ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS several unique products have been developed over time. A good example is Gray Engineering Solution’s cow handling unit, designed for strength and safety, it’s a cost-effective solution for animal care. Luke’s proud of the team’s innovative achievements, also mentioning Gray Engineering Solution’s pivot gate design. “We have a deer gate system for pivot and lateral irrigators. They’re spring loaded so open when an irrigator drives through them, and we fit each irrigator span’s wheel sets with guide fenders”.

Director Luke Maginness is excited about the business’ expansion. “Gray Engineering was well known for its heavy rollers, grain augers, and spiral welded piping. So, the acquisition means our business is getting to know new customers and now has a wider range of products to offer our existing clients.” Luke owns the business with Hayden Bonnington, and they work alongside a growing and skilled team. Hayden is a qualified fabrication engineer, while Luke is qualified in maintenance and diagnostics a well as machining and toolmaking— so between them they bring to the table different, yet complementary expertise and experience. “It didn’t take long for us to work out we should be in business together—it’s a great fit” says Luke. Gray Engineering Solutions’ workshop is fully equipped with welding, fabrication and machining capabilities, allowing them to take their customer’s specification through to component design and project completion. They also offer onsite engineering services, from repairs and breakdowns to preventative maintenance, or the installation of new equipment. It’s a full offer that Luke attributes to the business’ success. “We’re really a one stop shop these days, it’s convenient for our customers, and it means we can offer cost effective engineering solutions too.” Gray Engineering Solutions currently services four major Canterbury irrigation schemes, and recently have been intimately involved in the $17 million fish screen project for New Zealand’s biggest irrigation scheme – a 67km long race with intake and discharge along the Rangitata River. Luke explains that the gates were needed to ensure native, or sports fish were prevented from being caught in the race. “We were approached to oversee the installation of the fish screens and

were only too happy to play a part in this important Mid Canterbury project.” Demand for solutions involves their team in a variety of other sectors too. The business can engineer structural beams for commercial projects, or produce stairwells or custom balustrades for residential builds, however, perhaps it’s their work in dairy that best demonstrates Gray Engineering Solution’s versatility. Whether it’s a repair, a new yard, an upgrade or work in and around dairy sheds, the company has the South Island covered—and they’re well connected with local builders. Their experienced team can help with advice on platform design or layout and provide proven solutions for top gates and rotary backing gates—including a solar option to lower energy costs and eliminate loose cables in the yard. Through collaboration with farmers,

It’s well worth noting that the business is a pump specialist too. While they act as local agents for Southern Cross and Onga Pumps, Luke is quick to point out that they can source or service almost any pump. “Our staff are well trained, from pump install to bearing and seal replacement, and we also offer vibration analysis within a maintenance programme”. Gray Engineering Solutions Limited accepts Ruralco Card, so for members this unlocks a range of specialities in dairy, pumping, machining, and general engineering. The business’ website is an excellent show case of capability. Visit your local engineering company at their new location on Watson Street. THIS PROMOTIONAL FEATURE WAS PROVIDED BY GRAY ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS

ABOVE: Gray Engineering Solutions owners Luke

Maginness and Hayden Bonnington work alongside a growing and skilled team BELOW: The Gray Engineering Solutions workshop

is fully equipped with welding, fabrication and machining capabilities

Gray Engineering Tel 03 308 8335 Solutions luke@engsolutions.co.nz 20 Watson Street, www.engsolutions.co.nz Ashburton

UP TO 10% DISCOUNT with your Ruralco Card R E A L FA RME R

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DAIRY

Planning helps you winter well, wherever you are Wintering practices have been a focus for Southern farmers in recent years. WORDS & IMAGES BY DAIRYNZ SENIOR SCIENTIST, DAWN DALLEY

We’ve seen significant changes in wintering in Southland and South Otago—with greater recognition that farmers are making strong progress to improve environmental outcomes and animal care. But getting wintering practices right is important on all farms because every year, in almost every region, there’s the potential for ongoing wet weather over winter. Caring for your cows in these conditions is a top priority.

Setting yourself up to winter well now Winter weather differs between regions, but most farms experience sodden paddocks and mud at some stage. Cows need to lie for more than eight hours a day to stay healthy and comfortable. Research at the Southern Dairy Hub shows that during, and on the day after, heavy rain, some animals don’t lie down for up to 24 hours when soils become saturated. It’s important to consistently monitor paddocks, the weather and your animals’

behaviour throughout winter. If wet conditions persist and cows aren’t getting enough rest, it’s time to take action to make them comfortable. Having a written contingency plan will help improve animal care. If you don’t already have a wintering plan, sit down with your team to get options on paper.

Developing and actioning a wintering plan Your plan should include options to get cows to a drier, preferably sheltered, area with feed. It should also cover when to implement contingency plans. No two farms will have the same threshold for implementing their contingency plan, so make sure everyone on your team knows when to act on your farm. As a team, plan how you can carry out checks of the paddock conditions and mobs at various times of the day. Sharing what you’re seeing with each other will help with decision-making. Assessing conditions across each paddock will make it easier to predict what the paddocks might look like in the next few days, and what your options are. Consider whether conditions will improve, get worse or stay the same.

To get an idea of what your cows are up to, look for ‘lying bowl’ marks left by cows in the soft crumbly soil. If you can’t see lying bowls or your cows have a lot of wet mud on their flanks, this indicates they haven’t been lying or they’ve been on a sodden, muddy surface, and you should provide them alternatives. Taking note of how your animals are behaving is useful—are they calm and content, or restless? You and your team know your farm and cows better than anyone, so you’ll know the best options for managing your animals in wet weather. DairyNZ has online resources to make wintering easier for everyone: • dairynz.co.nz/winter-plans • dairynz.co.nz/contingency-plan We can’t predict the weather, but with good planning and implementation you and your team can provide the best conditions possible to successfully winter your cows.

DAWN DALLEY DAIRYNZ SENIOR SCIENTIST

THE GUMBOOT SCORING METHOD FOR WINTERING PADDOCKS

LOW/DRY

• Boot imprint dry and sides remain formed; • Easy to walk across; • No liquid pooling; • If soil is held in hands, does not seep through fingers; • Soil is firm. NO ACTION REQUIRED

MEDIUM/WET

• Boot imprint wet, may be sticky and less defined • Mud sticks to your gumboot • No liquid pooling • If soil is held in hands, some seeping through fingers • Soil is sticky MONITOR CONDITIONS

HIGH/SODDEN

• Boot imprint disappears • Liquid pooling obvious • If soil is held in hands, seeping through fingers • Soil is liquified

IMPLEMENT PLAN B R E A L FA RME R

SEED

Forward planning with Ruralco lowers spring stress If Covid was not enough of a challenge to the primary sector for the past two years, a major conflict in Europe has only made the job of farming 18,000km away all that much harder again after a particularly tough harvest here. WORDS BY RICHARD RENNIE, IMAGES BY ANNIE STUDHOLME

This winter Ruralco is ramping up efforts to help make members’ farming year be a simpler, lower stress affair, with the co-operative’s pool of experienced staff on hand to help members

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plan their new farming year ahead of the inevitable challenges that may arise. A key part of Ruralco’s winter planning sessions will include discussing sowing options for the new season, determining crops, chemicals, fertilisers, and timing to keep the process as smooth as possible. John Scott, Ruralco’s Seed Sales Manager says this year’s harvest was one that has tried the best of operators, and he is keen to work as closely as possible with contractors and farmers to see next season be successful. “We have experienced what was one of the most difficult harvests in memory, with

conditions really working against us from the start, and we never really caught any of the warm nor-west weather you would expect, at any stage of the harvest this year,” says John. The damp, cool conditions laid down an ideal environment for disease and rust and depending upon whether treatments were used or not, combined with poor harvesting conditions there has been significant variance in crop yields reported throughout the region. “At this stage we don’t know whether there is any significant impact upon seed availability, but there are delays throughout the entire

LEFT: Ruralco On Farm Account Manager Phoebe

James discussing winter feeding with Andy Bird from Peel Forest Estate

process, with seed dressing plants running behind schedule due to the later harvest and Covid staffing shortages,” says John. Meantime, global events have layered on top of the harvest challenge. Even prior to Russia going to war with Ukraine, global fertiliser prices were soaring, in part due to shipment costs but also alongside rising energy costs, particularly for gas. In the past 12 months average costs for nitrogen-based fertilisers has risen by 70% on the back of rising gas prices. Ukraine is a net exporter of fertilisers, with one of Europe’s largest companies, Yarra, basing much of its production there. Russia, as the world’s fourth largest fertiliser manufacturer also accounts for about 10% of the global nitrogen fertiliser supply. It has slapped an export ban on products, while China has also put a stop to phosphate exports until at least June.

He agrees Kiwi farmers have probably been spoilt by a golden run of good supply quantities and short delivery times in the past making forward planning less critical than it is under the new conditions. “Particularly around springtime we are expecting a real pinch, and it is a short window.” He urges farmers to also talk to their contractors who may have made earlier visits prior to drilling, about plans and crops. A winter planning session with Ruralco staff around the kitchen table may prove to be the best investment early in the season, helping identify some of the challenges, rotation options and crop combinations that make spring a lot less stressful when it finally arrives. “And we can discuss the entire business with the people we have access to, whether that relates

to crops, fuel, energy or farm supplies, that is the beauty of a co-operative like Ruralco with the depth of experience we have,” says Craig. Globally it appears likely crop volumes are going to be compromised over the coming 12 months at least, and while costs have surged, opportunities are likely to arise that Ruralco Members are well positioned to take advantage of. “With a little time and some input from the people we have, we can work to keep those higher costs to a minimum and help capitalise on whatever margins may come from higher returns on the crops,” says Craig. To learn more and book your winter planning session, contact your Ruralco Representative on 0800 787 256.

Overall, the ongoing war, energy costs and tight supply all mean major input costs of fuel and fertiliser are unlikely to ease before the next sowing season. In addition, the major gap left by Ukrainian crops unlikely to be sown in the midst of war this northern spring has other countries scrambling to try and plant what land is available to them to try and overcome the looming shortfall ahead. Ukraine, often known as the “breadbasket of Europe” with its deep rich soil’s accounts for 5% of the world’s globally traded wheat supply and 15% of its corn supply - none of which is likely to be planted while last year’s harvest can no longer be shipped through Russian controlled Black Sea ports. The uncertainty over global grain volumes has set something of a standoff on where prices will fall here in New Zealand for contracts, but it is guaranteed that the cheap imported grain shipments of the past will not be an option in the coming year. While it may be difficult to determine just what prices will be set on contracts, some forward planning with Ruralco can help keep the inevitably rising costs of farming under control, ensuring a “no surprises” approach for farmer shareholders, contractors, and suppliers. Craig Rodgers, Ruralco’s Group Manager for On Farm Sales says every season has its pinch points, and this year, it’s likely to be worse than usual, thanks to the swirl of global supply and price challenges. “It is not so much a case that you will not get the seed or fertiliser you want, but more about when you can get it—it certainly will not be a case of being able to order up your seed the day before the drill is due to go in,” he says. R E A L FA RME R

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CARD

Ready for the new season ahead The team at Mayfield Spraying are extremely excited for the new season. Having come through one of the wettest and changeable seasons in agriculture, we want to be as prepared as possible. THE WATSON DAUGHTERS

After completing her Diploma in Early Childhood through the first Covid lockdown, our youngest daughter Grace has been in Christchurch training as a tyre fitter at Bridgestone Shirley, and came home at the start of 2022 to start work for Happy at Mayfield Service Centre. Our eldest daughter Tessa returned from two years in America and Canada last year and has been working for a spray contractor in Poolburn, Central Otago before recently accepting a job with Downers. She still manages our social media and is always keen to jump in a truck when she comes home, if there are no horse shows or hunts on!

Preparing for the new season

Being farming people we know we cannot predict what it will be like this year and as usual will be at the mercy of the weather, but with a good team on board, we are confident we can make sure our clients get what they need from us when they need it. Working alongside our clients will give the best outcome for everyone.

Meet the Team As a family-based business, the Mayfield Spraying team consists of Tony and Sharon Watson, Daniel Burston and Jason Harford. TONY WATSON

Tony has over 35 years’ experience on farms all over the South Island. After graduating from Telford, he worked on farms and contracting in Otago, working around the South Island before settling at a Bull beef and dairy support farm in Golden Bay. He spent 10 years here developing a farm that had a mixture of river flat and parkee soils and loved it. Moving back to Canterbury, he remained in Ag Management roles, and working from Rakaia, Methven to Peel Forest he learnt a lot about spraying and cropping on the plains. SHARON WATSON

Growing up in Omakau, Sharon joined the Post Office Savings Bank, which led to a 16-year career in banking, until she met and married Tony in Hokitika. While working for Tony on the Golden Bay farm, she completed her two-year diploma in Careers. In Canterbury she has

worked for Vetlife, YMCA, Primary ITO and Southfuels. Now, as well as being Tony’s office lady, she is starting her own business helping people into jobs and contracting to the Ministry of Social Development. DANIEL BURSTON

Daniel also grew up on the West Coast in Hokitika. He completed a baker’s apprenticeship, before moving to Christchurch to work as a baker. From there he tried boat building, glass balustrade installations and had a 3-year stint with Underground Brown. Apart from his family, Daniels’s passion has been rebuilding cars. This year Daniel is set to marry his fiancée, Janelle Ross.

Part of getting geared up for the season is making sure our trucks and sprayers are ready. We are using the winter quiet period to conduct repairs and maintenance. This is a good time to make sure the team have their PPE gear in the trucks, and first aid kits are well stocked. Grace is going to be a backup driver for the team during weekends and evenings. Everyone has recently completed their Growsafe Chemical Handler’s certificate together to upskill in this area, and make sure they understand the proper handling of the chemicals they will be using. Tony is in the process of working with Daniel, Jason, and Grace to make sure they are up to speed and ready to go once the new season has started. THIS PROMOTIONAL FEATURE WAS PROVIDED BY MAYFIELD SPRAYING ABOVE: Daniel Burston, Jason Harford, Grace Watson,

Tony Watson

BELOW: Grace Watson, Daniel Burston, Jason Harford

JASON HARFORD

Jason is a Geraldine boy having come through the Primary Industry Academy at Geraldine High. He loves farming, tractors and like Daniel, anything with a motor. Jason had several farm placements while at school and landed his first permanent job with Turley Farms. He is coming to us for this spray season to gain some more skills for his future.

Mayfield Spraying Tel 027 248 7045 mayfieldspraying@gmail.com

UP TO 7% DISCOUNT with your Ruralco Card R E A L FA RME R

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PORK

The key to successful pig farming Bryan Tucker’s Ngarara farm in the Wairarapa epitomises the New Zealand pork sector’s strong commitment to the environment. WORDS AND IMAGE SUPPLIED BY NZ PORK

Minimising livestock and feed transport, using pig effluent as a fertiliser source and extensive native planting are just some of Bryan’s approaches to good environmental management on the farm near Greytown. Almost half the 1,300 tonnes of barley used to feed the pigs each year is grown on the farm. The pigs are raised on bedding, which is composted as an additional source of nutrients that is applied to surrounding paddocks. Pig effluent goes into a slurry pond to be turned into fertilise —mixed with urea— for the farm’s dairy operation with 1,000 Friesian, Jersey and Kiwi-cross cows. Bryan, who is the third generation of his family to farm the land, says good environmental management combined with good genetics, high quality feed and excellent stock management is the key to successful pig farming. “That leads to contented pigs and quality pork for New Zealanders.” The New Zealand pork sector has a low environmental impact compared to other forms of livestock production. The sector currently contributes just 0.2 per cent of New Zealand’s total agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and

pigs produce much less methane than ruminant animals like cattle or sheep. The fertiliser spreading system was devised by Bryan, with pig effluent making up about half of the fertiliser used on farm. He believes it provides a more balanced fertiliser than straight urea. “We give the effluent pond a real good stir in autumn and spread that using irrigators with pivots. Mixed with urea, it’s brilliant fertiliser. Sludge from the pond is also removed every year and spread using a slurry tanker.” The planting programme on the farm began in the early 2000s, and in 2003 Ngarara won the Dairy Farm Award in the Greater Wellington/ Wairarapa Farm Environment Awards. The extensive native planting has included, among others, manuka and kanuka, olearia and totara. Space is also leased out to beekeepers, so there are a lot of hives on the land. Bryan’s son-in-law Gary Healy has managed the piggery, a farrow to finish operation, for many years. It is home to around 2,500 pigs at any one time, comprising 245 sows and the rest being growing pigs.

farrowing, when they go into the modern maternity unit to give birth and until their piglets are weaned. The sows give birth twice a year and stay in the maternity unit for up to four weeks after farrowing. They live in groups when not in the maternity unit. “There is currently no better system available than the farrowing crates,” says Bryan. “We waterblast and disinfect their ‘rooms’ for them and when we open up the gates, they literally run along the races to get to the crates because they know they are going to have their piglets there and they’re warm and happy and well fed. The system also protects the piglets. Everyone comments how contented and healthy they are.” The piglets are weaned from the sows at between 3–4 weeks of age and placed into straw based eco shelters for 6–7 weeks. They are then shifted into purpose-built buildings and fed a liquid feed barley-based diet until ready for market. “We have a nutritionist who comes in to advise us. Our focus is on caring for them in way that is best for them.”

The growers live in eco shelters and sows are kept in social groups of six until a week before R E A L FA RME R

urs,

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IMMIGRATION

Still a long road ahead for migrant workers must be in place for work visa applicants lodged after 3 July 2022. The number of employees, and type of employment relationship, dictates the type of accreditation. Those who employ up to five migrants will require standard accreditation and INZ will charge a $740 application fee. Highvolume accreditation for those employing over five migrant workers will be charged $1,220, franchise holders $1,980, and third-party employment arrangements are set at $3,870. Each has its own set of criteria. INZ has just released 24 pages of INZ Instructions, however we have been preparing our employers for months, giving them a jump start on the required documentation and offering help if their practices or policies need updating.

Job check application accepted from 20 June 2022 INZ will accept applications for the job checks, again required for AEWV work visa applicants submitted after 3 July 2022.

For the first time in over two years, New Zealanders and those with valid visas are eligible for self-isolation on arrival into New Zealand without facing extraordinary visa controls. WORDS PROVIDED BY MARY NOONAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR, HEARTLAND IMMIGRATION

To many, this provided much joy, a huge relief and another Covid recovery step. However, New Zealand is not completely open and when this happens, it will not be as it was pre-Covid.

Visa barriers Some people still can’t apply for a visa, let alone qualify for one, regardless of current health travel protocols. Those who rely on migrant staff, or who are migrant staff themselves, face two significant barriers. They must meet upcoming immigration rule changes, and then rely on New Zealand Immigration (INZ) to administer these new rules in a timely and consistent manner. Recent history with INZ is of delays, IT issues, sparse communication and inconsistent decision making. These challenges may remain for the foreseeable future and negatively impact our economy, given labour and skill shortages, sitting alongside the barriers of supply insecurity, freight disruptions and cost increases.

Immigration rules changes Not surprisingly the last two years have seen unique and consistent changes to immigration rules, logistical difficulties, and a generous one-off residence policy (2021 Residence Visa), while the upcoming implementation of the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) regime is a game changer. AEWV employer accreditation is another form of registration, designed as a three-step process to determine work visas based on job offers from New Zealand employers. Focus has been placed on greatly reducing lower paid work visas, with much attention given to protecting migrants. Every work visa employer must now demonstrate they have a genuine viable business and don’t mistreat migrants. These principles seem fair; however, it is offensive to infer that as an employer my default position is unfair or unreasonable. This is not who I am nor the employers I represent. Nevertheless, this has become our reality. AEWV: A THREE STEP PROCESS 1. Employers must hold employer accreditation. 2. The job check with specific criteria to determine if New Zealanders are available. 3. The migrant check whereby a work visa application is made.

While we know and live with labour and skill shortages, INZ won’t be easily convinced and therefore specific evidence for the various roles in the different locations is a must. Wage rate, industry, and locations matter. Be warned, in the future if your role is paid under the medium wage rate it may not be possible to gain a work visa.

4 July 2022 Employers of migrant staff and migrant staff themselves must meet new rules to gain a new or renew employer assisted work visas. The median wage will increase from NZD $27.00 an hour to NZD $27.76 an hour.

Act now My advisers are encouraging our clients to review visa expiry dates and apply now for renewals of work visas and to prepare now for AEWV employer accreditation. It is best to seek professional help from a Licensed Immigration Adviser to review your unique situation. Remember there is never one immigration question, often more than one answer, and mistakes are costly. However, we are here to help. Disclaimer: Mary Noonan is Heartland Immigration Ltd’s Managing Director. Her views expressed in this article are not intended to replace the professional service provided to individual migrants by a Licensed or Registered Immigration Adviser or Migration Agent.

Employer Accreditation applications accepted from 23 May 2022 INZ will be accepting AEWV Employers Accreditation applications from 23 May, as this

MARY NOONAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR, HEARTLAND IMMIGRATION R E A L FA RME R

WELLBEING HEALTH & SAFETY

Easy steps to prevent house fires with FMG OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, HOUSE FIRE CLAIMS COST FMG ALMOST $49.5M, AFFECTING MORE THAN 470 FAMILIES. Winter is coming, the days get cooler and the sheds fill with firewood, it’s time to check your home and the houses around the farm to avoid a potentially devastating and costly fire. While house fire claims are costly what isn’t reflected in the numbers is the trauma and emotional stress of a house fire, the potential loss of unreplaceable items, and a potentially prolonged rebuild or repair. Supply chains are under pressure and the cost of rebuild or repair has increased recently. These challenges mean restoration can be more time consuming and fraught with difficulties. Rural properties are more likely to use wood fires and pre-winter checks play a critical role in reducing the risk of house fires when it comes time to heat the house up. Your pre-winter house checks should include: • Check and if necessary, install smoke alarms. These really do save lives, so ensure yours are in good working condition. • Get your chimney swept every year. Inspecting fireplaces and chimneys for deterioration is very important. If damage is found, get a professional in to fix it before the first fire of the season.

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WORDS PROVIDED BY SPOKESPERSON ANGELA HOGG FMG ADVICE SERVICES MANAGER

• Check electric heaters prior to use for dust build up and electrical wiring issues. For extra certainty, ask your electrician to complete the ‘test and tag’ process. • Check electrical wiring, switchboards, and appliances. Significant fires can start behind appliances so it’s a good idea to check the cords, plugs and sockets of large appliances like dishwashers, ovens, and fridges. We also suggest checking smaller appliances like electric blankets, heaters, irons, and toasters (don’t forget to empty these regularly). If you find any issues, it’s time to call the electrician. • Check that you’ve connected one appliance only to each socket: whether to a single power point or a multi-board, and that you’re not overloading power points with double adapters • Install a fireguard. These prevent embers, sparks, and logs rolling onto the floor and causing significant damage or starting a fire. These simple checks and calling in the professionals could mean a warmer happier winter with no disruption. We can replace a house, but we can’t replace a home; take the time now to prepare yours for winter.

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HEALTH

Workplace wellbeing is a way of being “TAKE CARE OF YOUR EMPLOYEES AND THEY WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR BUSINESS, IT’S THAT SIMPLE.” RICHARD BRANSON ORIGINALLY SAID THIS, AND FOR ROB SHARKIE, RURALCO’S CEO, THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS. “For Ruralco, the mental health and wellbeing of employees is integral to our strategy. The Ruralco leadership team have been working on how to ensure we make meaningful progress in this space and have it ingrained within the future of our business. We know that getting this right is the key to both supporting our teams and driving productivity and ultimately the return for our farmer shareholders.”

“For Ruralco, the mental health and wellbeing of employees is integral to our strategy.” Mental health and wellbeing is a critical part of workplace health and safety. Work Safe NZ is taking a stronger focus on mental health and over the next few years we will see wellbeing form an integral part of the Health and Safety compliance framework. Ruralco’s aim is to be well ahead of this. Health and safety has long been part of the backbone of the culture at Ruralco; accidents and incidents are kept to a minimum and preventative measures proactively recorded. That is the safety bit ticked, but what about the “health”? The issue of workplace health isn’t just about a walk around the block and providing some fresh fruit for employees, it is about providing a framework that supports their total wellbeing at work. It starts with the right resourcing to support realistic workloads, clarity around roles and responsibilities, and healthy boundaries to retain work/ life balance. It is also about having capable leadership with a clear vision, purpose and cultural principles that are understood and shared by everyone. It is also about good communication and ensuring that every team member feels appreciated for the value they bring to the business. “Mental health and wellbeing is a leadership mindset that is fostered throughout the total business from the Board to the front-line teams—it is part of our culture.” says Ruralco’s Group Manager People and Capability, Sarah Green. “We have been on a journey for the last three years, layering up and building on our compliance framework and expanding this

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to include psychosocial hazards. By including all of our existing practices within that framework, we were then able to pull the threads together to create robust wellbeing practices which are now part of our everyday business,” she says. “Wellbeing is part of our leadership philosophy. This puts us ahead in the market, making Ruralco an employer of choice.” It is playing a significant part in recruitment, with many prospective employees looking for an employer who values wellbeing. It is also important for staff retention, with good wellbeing practices creating resilient staff who are best placed to experience personal career success and development, which in turn helps to improve overall profitability and sustainability, says Sarah Green.

“Mental health and wellbeing is a leadership mindset that is fostered throughout the total business from the Board to the front-line teams—it is part of our culture.” Ruralco has done some in depth work on developing its vision, purpose and culture over the past few years, and the Executive team have also reviewed resourcing requirements and made changes where necessary to take the business into the next stage of its growth phase. “We have a robust foundation for this work and a strong internal communications programme built from regularly asking and listening to understand our people’s needs. We are happy to share our learnings and the best practices that we have taken on board as wellbeing should be central to every business.” says Rob Sharkie. One of the first steps in the process is to look in the mirror to recognise what the business is already doing. At Ruralco, staff surveys are regularly conducted to gauge impressions of wellbeing in the workplace. Healthy eating, physical activity and mental health were identified as the staff’s top three priorities, and from that, dedicated policies were created which now form some of the basis for the work carried out by a staff led Wellbeing Committee. The committee consists of staff from all layers and sections of

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OUR PURPOSE

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the business, which helps embed wellbeing across the whole team. “It needs to be bottom up as well as top down. Wellbeing won’t succeed if it is being driven only one way,” says Sarah.

It’s not about fixing or putting a band aid on; it’s about creating an environment where staff feel supported and empowered.” She acknowledges it can be difficult terrain to navigate. “We need to provide tools to create knowledge and understanding to enable our teams to be better equipped to cope with workplace and personal challenges. It’s not about fixing or putting a band aid on; it’s about creating an environment where staff feel supported and empowered” To this end, as well as providing all the usual health care benefits such as flu vaccinations, hearing, and eye tests, EAP and such, Ruralco also provides access to financial sessions, information on how to set up a will and estate management as well as traditional information on how to access a variety of services. Ruralco has invested in training a number of staff in Good Yarn, an evidencebased, peer-delivered mental health literacy programme. It’s aims are to increase awareness of signs and symptoms of common mental illnesses; build confidence around having conversations; and improve knowledge around how to get help. Ruralco also provides support for employees to proactively build resilience within the organisation, stemming from the definition set out by the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand to ensure our teams are “Feeling Good and Functioning Well”.

Ruralco has been working closely with Author, Executive Coach and Trainer Kathryn Jackson which has led it to be the first organisation in the country to internally facilitate her “Let’s Talk” programme. A philosophy shared by Let’s Talk and Good Yarn is that we shouldn’t only rely on external experts to facilitate discussions on mental health and resilience in the workplace. Using best practice content combined with local knowledge, Ruralco is empowering its staff to generate these discussions. “Filling the void between thriving and burning out means employees will be greater equipped to handle the challenges of everyday life. They will have bigger toolkits and more confidence to support themselves and their teams before they hit rock bottom. The way we work is changing, and all of us (employers and employees) have an opportunity to review and gently disrupt the way we are navigating stressful things at work,” says Kathryn Jackson. Ruralco has achieved Bronze accreditation with Work Well a DHB led programme supporting businesses to establish wellbeing programs in the workplace “It’s a great place to start, especially for businesses who have no formal framework in place,” says Sarah. Ruralco is now working its way towards Silver and then on to the ultimate Gold accreditation with Work Well. Sarah concludes “For us our wellbeing journey is now about sustainability, taking what we do to the next level, looking at ways to support our communities and other businesses to ensure the tools are available to so many more people in workplaces across New Zealand. We want to protect what we have at Ruralco and ensure it continues to be part of our BAU (business as usual) and our culture well into the future.”

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HEALTH

Managing stress and pressure WORDS AND IMAGE PROVIDED BY FARMSTRONG

FARMSTRONG AMBASSADOR SAM WHITELOCK PASSES ON HIS INSIGHTS ABOUT HOW TO MANAGE WHEN YOU’RE FEELING ‘UNDER THE PUMP.’

Recognise the signs It’s important to recognise when you are ‘under the pump’ so you can do something about it. We all have only so much coping space and when we have multiple things coming at us, that gets squeezed and shows in different ways for different people. Some people become irritable. Others go silent and withdraw. What are your tell-tale signs? The ‘Under The Pump’ checklist on the Farmstrong website is a good place to see where you’re at.

Prioritise workload There’s always a to-do list as long as your arm on a farm. That’s why it’s important to prioritise your work especially during busy times. What are the top two or three tasks you need to work on today? Once you’re feeling back in charge of your schedule your stress levels will go down.

Look after the basics When we’re really busy, the things that go out the window are often the things that keep us well and help us cope. So, make sure you eat well, get enough quality sleep, keep active and do the hobbies or activities you enjoy. Anything that boosts your mood and energy levels will help you manage busier periods.

Schedule recovery time It’s really easy to just put your head down and just keep going when you are facing challenging times. But actually that’s not in your best interests. You need to build in time to rest and recover. Have cut-offs at the end of the day and spend some time with your family or doing something simple that will give you a sense of accomplishment, like sorting you’re your shed. By taking time to rest and recover you are increasing your ability to cope with pressure and make decisions. I head home into a different world after rugby, so I make sure I’m not just focusing on one thing. If you’re only thinking about rugby or farming all day, every day, of course it will start to get on top of you. Taking time out can make a big difference to how you feel. If you’re working long hours, you need to take time to freshen up and get that balance back in your life. If your current workload won’t allow that, build mini-breaks into your day. Even a fifteen minute break to ‘reset’ mentally and physically can make a big difference to how you feel.

Maintain perspective during challenging times Many people only know me as a rugby player and rugby is a big part of my life, but the reality is I also have other things going on in my life so when a setback happens on the field, I don’t let that define who I am as a person.

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Yes, losing a rugby game still hurts but I’m also a father, a husband and a son with a great family. That’s the most important thing. Sometimes you’ve just got to accept your setbacks and move on. Remember, a setback also offers an opportunity to learn and do better next time.

Stay connected with mates I know through the work I do for Farmstrong, just listening can be a huge help to someone who is feeling ‘under the pump’. So, if you see someone struggling, start that conversation, ask them how they’re going and make time for a proper catch-up, whether it’s over a coffee or at the pub. Visit the Farmstrong website to brush up on your listening skills beforehand.

Make your wellbeing a priority Treat yourself and your team as your farm’s biggest asset. Make wellbeing a business priority and invest in the simple habits that make people more resilient – connecting with mates, learning new things, keeping active, enjoying simple pleasures and helping out friends and community. There are real advantages in investing in what keeps you well. In the long run, it makes you more productive. Farmstrong is a rural wellbeing programme that helps farmers and growers live well to farm well. To find out what works for you and ‘lock it in’, check out the farmer-to-farmer videos, stories and tips on www.farmstrong.co.nz. Sam Whitelock

THE RURALCO WAY

Meet

Tina Thompson / CUSTOMER SERVICE MANGER 1. Tell us about your career journey with Ruralco? With a background in retail and auditing, I was lucky enough to join the Ruralco team as the Gift & Homeware Manager looking after the gift, homeware, clothing and footwear departments. Ruralco was an organisation held in really high regard—people wanted to work there, and I was one of them. I have now been with the business for eight years; it has been somewhere I have really grown myself, my position and been able to focus on the things that I’m passionate about. I have not only learnt a lot about farming, I have also developed a deeper knowledge of total business, from supply chain to marketing. Last spring, I was internally promoted to the Customer Service Manager position while still managing my current position. I am really excited about this new opportunity and being involved with the Customer Service team. I am also looking forward to focusing on how we can continue to deliver exceptional customer service across the business as a whole. 2. What encourages you to continue working for Ruralco? The support and encouragement I have received as an employee at Ruralco is incredible. Not only am I personally growing within the business, but I am growing my team and departments as well. Being part of a forward focused business, we are continually offered many learning opportunities and really encouraged to give things a go, even when they might be outside our comfort zone. The most important part for me is our people—our team, our members and our suppliers.

3. How has Ruralco supported your career progression? Ruralco has an encouraging learning and development environment. Ruralco really listened to where I wanted to take my career progression. They have then challenged me, encouraging me to investigate ideas which have opened new opportunities. 4. What’s your favourite part of your job? The people and relationships you make at Ruralco really are what makes it special. Supporting and developing my team is definitely a favourite part of my role. Watching them grow as individuals and then celebrating their success’s that I’ve been lucky enough to help bring to fruition, is truly rewarding. 5. What does “the Ruralco way” mean to you? Our culture and values are huge – we’re one team and I along with the whole team really stand by this. This culture has meant I challenge myself, always daring to be better as does the wider business. We truly do strive for the best, going the extra mile both internally and externally every day. We also make sure we own what we’re doing and where we are, making sure we stand up and say ‘‘that was me.’’ The support that we’ve all been given as individuals and teams in the current environment is a credit to Ruralco—we really do stand out from the crowd.

Paper cups to keep cups LOOKING AFTER OUR ENVIRONMENT IS IMPORTANT TO RURALCO AND SO WHEN ANNABELLE LILL FROM THE GIFT & HOMEWARE STORE (WHO’S ALSO STUDYING A BACHELOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AT LINCOLN UNIVERSITY), TOLD US ABOUT HER RECENT WORK, WE WANTED TO SHARE IT WITH YOU. “Environmental repercussions and mitigation techniques is something that I am very passionate about. The mitigation of coffee cups is a topic that is highly prevalent in today’s society. Like the majority of individuals, you are likely to begin your day with a cup of coffee. When you’re on the move, though, you’ll most likely find yourself in your local coffee shop, where you’ll be served a regular paper cup. You probably didn’t realise but these paper cups are coated with a plastic substance called polythene. This not only keeps your coffee warm in the cup, but it also keeps it from being recycled! Every year, almost 20 million trees are felled to make single-use paper cups. The

manufacture of every four paper cups is expected to emit one pound of CO2, therefore raising the levels of CO2, which is compounded by declining tree populations to re-capture it. Because the majority of paper cups wind up in landfills, they generate methane, a more damaging gas than CO2 that traps large amounts of heat in the atmosphere and therefore, increasing the rate of global warming. However, the good news is that tiny adjustments to everyday life can have a large impact and help to mitigate additional environmental damage.” Ruralco’s commitment to our environment and our team’s wellbeing, saw the introduction of The Ruralco Flask. The whole

team is now sporting their own keep cup, keeping their hot drinks hot and their cold drinks chilled. R E A L FA RME R

SPONSORSHIP

Rescue Warriors exceed all expectations for a good cause When the Rescue Warriors set out on their 3000km cycling journey their goals were to complete the Tour Aotearoa Brevet in less than the required 30 days and to raise more than $25,000 for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust. WORDS BY ANITA BODY, IMAGES SUPPLIED

It was an idea sparked by the challenge of proving their bodies were not quite ready for retirement, and as a way of supporting a cause they see as being vital to Cantabrians. The Westpac Rescue Helicopter provides a life preserving service which has touched many lives, including some members of the Rescue Warriors – Bruce Kell, Warren Harris, Willy Leferink and David Keeley. The Tour Aotearoa Brevet is a bike-packing event where riders are self-supported for the

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entire 3000km journey from Cape Reinga to Bluff. It is not a race but follows a set course with participants having to pass through 30 photo checkpoints, with the journey having to be completed between 10 and 30 days. Setting off from Cape Reinga at 7am on February 25, the Rescue Warriors began what they describe as a life changing journey. “I would certainly encourage others to do it,” says Bruce. “It would be one of the most beneficial things I have done.” It wasn’t without its low points—the biggest being when Warren had to pull out after eight days due to an on-going knee issue. “He knew it might be a problem, but it was still pretty disappointing after all of the training and planning,” says Bruce The remaining Rescue Warriors continued their journey, arriving in Bluff mid-afternoon on March 20, just 24 days since their early

morning start at Cape Reinga. “We had aimed for 25 days as our goal. The fantastic weather we experienced throughout the event certainly helped; it was so fine we just kept biking. It would have been totally different if we had wet weather every day.” The cyclists only once had to put their jackets on due to rain, and that was only for about an hour while cycling on the West Coast. Other highlights were the people and places they met and saw throughout the journey. “One of the biggest highs was the encouragement we received from Canterbury locals, especially along the way – that was much greater than we had thought it would be.” Knowing the event was selfsupported and they would be responsible for their own equipment (including tents throughout the North Island leg of the journey), meant they didn’t have an on-theground support crew to fall back on each day,

so the encouragement shown by those along the way was a welcome bonus. “We met a great range of people, both on the course and off. One memorable character was unicyclist, Ken who was outstanding.” He biked with them from Cape Reinga at the beginning of the event. They also had wonderful support at home, especially from their wives, and from family, friends and employers, all of whom were vital components to the success of the journey. “We were humbled by the support. It was amazing and exceeded all our expectations.” Being able to experience so many of the country’s bike trails was fantastic, with the cyclists riding a variety of trails from the Far North, through to the Waikato, the central North Island and Wairarapa and on to Nelson and the West Coast before reaching Bluff via Queenstown and the Southern Traverse. Facebook posts kept well-wishers and supporters up to date along the way, despite an incident at Big River in which Bruce’s phone was damaged meaning he was unable to use Facebook. Warren was able to take over the regular posts and updates by sharing photos and information from the others. At the heart of this journey was the aim of raising $25,000 for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust. The Rescue Warriors wanted to raise awareness and funds for this life-saving service, knowing that many people will know someone or have used the service, whether it be to transfer hospitals, or as the result of an accident. They wanted to help ensure the service continues and it is clear they are not the only ones who feel the same way, with their fundraising goal well and truly

exceeded with more than $75,000 raised. A presentation of $103,318.95 was made to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust last month. Ruralco is incredibly proud to have supported the Rescue Warriors and their fantastic fundraising event, especially as the team includes three shareholders and one retired Board member. While the Rescue Warriors fundraising appeal has closed, you can still support the Trust by donating directly to the

ABOVE: A pitstop at the Cadrona Hotel OPPOSITE: David Keeley, Bruce Kell and Willy Leferink as they passed through Wanaka. BELOW LEFT: The team in Opononi BELOW RIGHT: The finish line in Bluff

Westpac Rescue Helicopter through your Ruralco Card. Bruce says it is a wonderful event which is suitable for all sorts of people. “It’s not just for elite cyclists and the ultra-fit. There was a huge range of cyclists taking part, with all sorts of levels of experience. I would encourage more people to do it. The cause was the reason to get out and do it, but the body and soul also feel better for doing it. It certainly gave you time to think about life.”

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IRRIGATION

The end of the irrigation season is near

A year on from a similar article I wrote in this publication, and we are still embroiled in some challenging situations, into the third year of a global pandemic; on top of that we are concerned by global headlines and adapting family routines to periods of isolation and many of us still working from home. WORDS AND IMAGES SUPPLIED BY IRRIGATION NZ

In amongst this turmoil, I am pleased to say we still have the reassurance that our farmers and growers are toiling away playing a vitally important role in the stability of our communities. For our farmers and growers, the normality of routines with their animals and crops keeps the focus on realities close at hand like extreme weather events and market supply chain disruption. Irrigation and our critical water infrastructure play a key role in our resilience. As the season changes to colder mornings and wetter days our farm routines need to take the opportunity to look at what’s on the agenda for winterisation of systems. It’s a great time to undertake the check-ups to ensure any repairs and maintenance can be achieved, as well as thinking about protection against the extremes of the coming season. If you’ve been noting down damage or signs of wearing parts on your to do list, it would

be good to get on to any repairs soon so that supply chains that may be stretched and doesn’t mean you run out of time before spring rolls around again.

government agency forums that are redefining the way in which New Zealand looks to manage the value, benefits, and obligations of use of freshwater, nutrients, and water infrastructure.

Get your pumps, filters and valves checked for function and leaks, making sure you follow the processes set down by your equipment supplier. Before you start have a good read of the Practical Resources in the IrrigationNZ web page where we set out some sound advice on maintenance points. Ensure you follow any safety recommendations and if you are tempted to work around electrical equipment— you probably shouldn’t. For anything that you are not sure of I really do recommend you get a service visit booked in by your accredited service provider.

We provide pragmatic representation on many governments led working groups such as the roll out of the dam safety regulations where we are looking to ensure low risk dams and those under the size thresholds are appropriately handled, whilst also recognising the need for community certainty when these structures are larger needing suitably qualified design and assessment.

As the winter storms sweep across that land make sure any equipment that is vulnerable to wind damage is parked up appropriately or anchored down to avoid costly roll overs. Make sure you and your staff think about any changes you are making to layouts or where other farm equipment is parked or stored so you keep wheel tracks clear for when you want to get under way again. While all that on the ground activity is occurring be reassured the team at IrrigationNZ is working hard to navigate the complexities of the ever shifting and expanding policy environment. We are directly involved in representing irrigated farming issues in many

IrrigationNZ is delivering more training in both face to face and online formats as part of an overall career development pathway. Teaching skills and knowledge that can be used to keep training and upskilling available across the irrigation sector.

STEPHEN MCNALLY PRINCIPAL TECHNICAL ADVISOR

Stephen McNally is Principal Technical Advisor at IrrigationNZ bringing his knowledge of irrigation systems and water infrastructure to drive sound policy development, produce education resources and support collaboration across irrigated farming operations and water storage schemes. R E A L FA RME R

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FUEL

Peace of mind straight from your fuel storage tank

Ensuring your bulk fuel storage is fit for purpose is not just about compliance. It is also about having safe, serviceable, and secure fuel on farm readily available when and how you need it. WORDS BY ANITA BODY, IMAGES SUPPLIED BY MASTERGUARD SECURITY CAMERAS

Recent announcements around the discontinuation of fuel supply to tripod tanks due to safety concerns has highlighted the need for farmers to review how they store their bulk fuel. Aging gravity tank stands, unstable structures and access risks mean tripod tanks are about to become a thing of the past, making way for tanks which are much safer for farmers, their staff and fuel tanker drivers. There are many different options available, and Ruralco offer approved fuel tank card suppliers who can provide a range of tank configurations and sizes that fit with a variety of farm fuel needs, with tanks ranging in size from 400L to 1,995L. Replacement options include either gravity fed, stand mounted horizontal tanks or on-ground tanks that are operated using a hand pump. When planning or deciding on replacing or upgrading any fuel tank, it is important to also consider other options such as fuel locking systems, or remote monitoring technology

both of which can be installed on new and existing tanks. Ruralco Bulk Fuel Sales Manager Sarah Bennett recommends Levno as a fuel monitoring system. “Levno is a great fuel monitoring system, giving you complete visibility of fuel at all times. Levno offers the ability to set up alerts to come straight to your phone, allowing you to keep track of all fuel withdrawals from your tank. This provides security and real-time data allowing you to monitor your fuel storage levels.” Sarah says that the recent fuel price increases have seen a growing number of fuel thefts reported from rural properties. “It’s obviously the right time to look at additional security measures and Ruralco has many options to help you keep your fuel safe, whether it be through our own Ruralco stores or our Card suppliers.” Security lighting is one good deterrent for would-be thieves, as are security cameras and motion detectors. These also have the added bonus of providing good health and safety measures creating great lighting when and where you need it, and camera footage in case of any accidents or near misses. Other measures worth considering include alarm systems, signage identifying on-farm security measures in place, fencing and good old fashioned watch dogs. A barking dog can be a good deterrent and is also an effective

way to alert the household that something is amiss. Staying connected with neighbours and locals to know what is going on in your area and keeping an eye out for each other is valuable in many ways, but especially helpful if there are a spate of thefts in the area or if anyone has spotted unfamiliar vehicles or people in and around your farm. At Ruralco we have a dedicated Fuel team with Sarah and Ruralco Fuel Sales Manager, Don Joseph who can offer support and advice for your farming operation. “We can provide farmers with a range of compliant and safe fuel storage options that can help them better monitor and understand their fuel usage. There are also finance and leasing options available through some suppliers, so members can purchase outright, finance over 12 months or lease only. There is a variety of solutions which you can discuss with us.” The Ruralco Fuel team will also conduct pre-delivery site visits for new customers to ensure the efficient and safe delivery of fuel to your farm, and to discuss any additional needs you might have to ensure your fuel storage is as safe and efficient as possible. To find out more about how Ruralco can help with bulk on-farm fuel and fuel storage, contact your Ruralco Representative on 0800 787 256.

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SHEEP & BEEF

Trial highlights importance of protecting Critical Source Areas Jane encourages all farmers growing winter forage crops to work through the Forage Cropping Management Plan which is a chapter in B+LNZ’s Farm Plan Environment Module or available as a stand-alone resource. “This plan will help farmers identify their risks and plan how they will make the best use of their winter feed resources while protecting their environment and animal welfare.” “Just as a reminder, as much as possible crops on slopes should be strategically grazed from the top down, so the standing crop acts as a filter, and breaks should be long and narrow. There should be a 5m buffer between any forage crops and waterways and this buffer should increase as the slope increases.” After grazing, a catch crop such as oats, sown as soon after grazing as possible will capture any nutrients left in the paddock and use them to drive dry matter production.

As stock is transitioned onto winter feed crops, Beef + Lamb New Zealand is reminding farmers of the importance of leaving some highrisk areas in winter forage paddocks ungrazed. WORDS AND IMAGES SUPPLIED BY BEEF + LAMB NEW ZEALAND

Critical Source Areas (CSAs) are low-lying parts of farms such as gullies and swales where run-off accumulates. The run-off from CSAs carries sediment and nutrients into waterways, so managing these areas will help reduce sediment and nutrient loss and water contamination. Jane Chrystal, B+LNZ’s Principal Science Advisor – Farm Systems & Environment, says the protection of CSAs is just as important when grazing sheep as it is when grazing cattle and the interim results of a Landcare Trust/ AgResearch study ‘Understanding the impacts of sheep wintering’ reinforced the value of leaving these areas ungrazed. Under good practice winter grazing management, CSAs should be fenced off and left ungrazed until spring or summer and ideally, these areas should be left in grass which acts as a filter and sediment trap. Jane says results from the trial comparing contaminant and sediment loss on similar paddocks, one where the CSAs were grazed

while the other was ungrazed, were consistent and significant. While both paddocks were sown in kale and under a similar management regime of topdown grazing and two breaks of five days, there was a marked difference in the amount of suspended sediment in the water samples collected from each paddock after rainfall events. Even before analysing the suspended sediment data, the scientists found visually striking evidence of the immediate effectiveness of the CSA on reducing the loss of soils from the paddocks. “These differences provided an immediate indicator that the CSA was having a demonstrable impact on retaining soil and sediments eroded from the uphill portions of the paddock.”

Jane says oats are ideal as a catch-crop because they are more winter active, and therefore are growing when the bugs in the soil start turning the ammonium from the deposited urine into nitrate. Once the soil temperatures warm up enough to start the oats growing, it is exactly the same time as the nitrification process kicks into gear. Oats, with their larger seed, are also more robust and have deep roots to capture the soil N. The Forage Cropping Management Plan along with information about winter grazing management is available on the B+LNZ website. ABOVE: Critical Source Areas in winter forage crop

paddocks should be left ungrazed to reduce soil and nutrient loss and water contamination. BELOW: There was a marked difference in the amount of suspended sediment in water samples collected from paddocks in a trial comparing grazed and ungrazed CSAs.

Subsequent analysis of the suspended sediments from all rainfall events throughout the winter of 2021 supported these results. Jane says the trial, which started in the winter of 2020, is being run on a commercial farm in Waitahuna West Otago with the goal of understanding the impacts of winter sheep grazing management on several environmental indicators. “These results highlight the importance of keeping stock away from CSAs during winter and valuing these areas for their ability to prevent soil and contaminant losses.” R E A L FA RME R

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CONTRACTING

Big push on training for rural contractors IMAGE: Richard Houston—his Hanzon Jobs initiative

is at the centre of Young Rural Contractor Awards and he’s joined the industry’s new National Training Council

defining all the issues we need to work through to get a new, higher-level training regime in place for rural contracting.” “A lot of our businesses are quite small and could not easily afford to carry trainees through the off-season. Off-setting that is the fact that employers large and small need to find a way to make more provision for on job training.” Andrew says while some contractors have been able to recruit more Kiwis, it’s accepted that continuing to attract people to the industry will be improved by having good qualifications available. There was acceptance by the National Training Council that classroom-based learning is necessary but needs to be more than balanced by that on job.

A sustained focus on developing the next generation of rural contractors is underway.

hemispheres where I learned all aspects of being a rural contractor. There’s such high value in these skills which now finally are starting to be properly recognised.”

WORDS AND IMAGE SUPPLIED BY BRENDON BURNS, RURAL CONTRACTORS NZ

Richard says to date this season, 76 trainees under the age of 24 have come on board to use Hanzon Jobs, covering 3,300 days of contracting work.

Rural Contractors NZ has recently launched new awards which will recognise the next generation coming into the $2b industry as well as developing a National Training Council. Andrew Olsen, RCNZ’s CEO says his Board has backed these initiatives as a further way of cementing in the value that rural contractors place on training. The RCNZ Hanzon Jobs Young Contractor of the Year Awards 2022 have their roots in the trainee records of the Hanzon Jobs program. “We are delighted to do this in conjunction with Richard Houston at Hanzon Jobs,“ says Andrew Olsen. “With RCNZ’s and MPI’s support, Richard has developed a brilliant programme to help trainees record their daily activities. This builds a job record which advances their careers and gives contractors a good picture of what each trainee can do.” Since leaving school, Richard Houston has been involved with agricultural contracting. “That’s included back-to-back summers in both

“Some trainees have logged over 100 days, well above the average and most have done a variety of tasks, all recorded and available to them and their employers.” “We now need to create further pathways for their learning and these awards are a brilliant next step to give them further encouragement.” Andrew Olsen says a shortlist of 4 trainees from the North Island and 4 from the South Island will be made up from the best Hanzon Jobs trainee records and employer reports. Entry is limited to RCNZ members’ trainees who are enrolled in the Hanzon Jobs program. Details will be announced shortly. Meanwhile, the newly-formed National Training Council for rural contracting, with Andrew Olsen as Chair, held its first meeting. “We’ve confirmed our membership and objectives, set our priorities and made a start to

More centres of excellence equipped to deal with agricultural training would help deliver the necessary classroom components around health & safety, pastoral care, fatigue management and gaining skills and licences in heavy traffic and other machinery. Andrew Olsen says bringing together a comprehensive regime and qualification would take some time. “We need Government to recognise that you can’t whistle up a new qualification and deliver it in a few months and meantime our contractors and our country will require skilled overseas workers for the foreseeable future.” The other members of the National Training Council are: • Bob Stewart, Portfolio Manager at UCOL’s farm training base in the Wairarapa; • RCNZ President Helen Slattery; • Brook Nettleton, an RCNZ Waikato member; • Jeremy Rothery, a Morrinsville-based RCNZ member; • Gareth Wild, Managing Director, Rural Training Solutions based in the Waikato; • Richard Houston, HanzonJobs; • Ben Clarke, a Canterbury rural contractor and incoming RCNZ Board member; • John Hughes, a former RCNZ President who helped develop rural skills training at SIT’s Telford campus; • Debbie Rankin, SIT Telford campus. The Council will meet again in July.

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Co-op News Dates for your diary

AGFEST 2022 14 & 15 October We are delighted to be attending AgFest 2022 in October. Held at the Greymouth Aerodrome. Keep an eye out for us and come and visit our site to chat with our team and enjoy refreshments.

INSTORE DAYS 7 & 8 JULY Deals available online until 10 July.

Tag to win with Allflex and Ruralco Every $200 spent on any Allflex products between 1 April and 10 July 2022 gets you in the draw to win 1 of 3 Gallagher M6000i Mains Energizer, worth over $2,200.00. Terms and conditions apply.

The Kit 2022 is out now We’ve got you covered with our wide range of new season wet weather, work wear, fashion and footwear. Check out the latest catalogue at www.ruralco.co.nz/thekit

Win with your Ruralco Card Fill your vehicle using your Ruralco Card or Ruralco Mobilcard to go in the draw to WIN a $3500 travel voucher for Theroadtrip.co.nz. Purchase over $50 fuel at any fuel outlet that accepts the Ruralco Card or Ruralco Mobilcard for automatic entry into the draw. T&C’s apply, one transaction of $50 or more equals one entry. Offer valid from 1 June to 10 July 2022.

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 Hamilton

SOUTH ISLAND SUPPLIERS Ashburton Ground Work Services Up to 5% discount

CONTRACTING

Clippers Hair Studio 7% discount

HAIRDRESSING

Panthers Rock Up to 5% discount

Four Square Bluff Convenience

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

SUPERMARKETS

Christchurch ACCOMMODATION ASURE Christchurch Classic Motel & Apartments Up to 10% discount

Marshall Automotive & Tyres Up to 10% discount

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.

RESTAURANTS & LIQUOR

Bluff

Pick up a copy of the Allflex “Tag to Win” order form in store or online at www.ruralco.co.nz/tagtowin.

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

TYRES

World of Tyres (Te Rapa, Frankton) Up to 25% discount

Looking for the perfect wedding or engagement gift? Choose from our wide range of quality brands and get the perfect gift, in store or online delivered direct to you, including: • • • • • •

Fine crystal, silverware, glassware and serveware; A wide range of kitchenware; Cuisinart mixers and small appliances; Photo albums; Beautiful linens and throws for the bedroom, bathroom, living, and dining room; A wide selection of home and garden accessories.

AUTOMOTIVE

Hanmer Springs Hanmer Springs Scenic Views Motel 7% Discount

ACCOMMODATION

Cromwell Yamaha Central Up to 7.5% discount

MOTORBIKES

Rangiora Storm Baker Jewellers Minimum 5% discount

JEWELLERS

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Classifieds ACCOMMODATION

AUTOMOTIVE

PANEL BEATING SPRAY PAINTING

Insurance Work

Repairs, Refurbishment and Maintenance of…

BUILDING SUPPLIES

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

(Industrial Estate)

Ashburton Phone 307 0378

BUTCHERY SERVICES

COMPUTERS

FENCING

GLASS

MOTORHOMES

PAINTERS/DECORATORS

FLORISTS

HOSE & FITTINGS

LAWNMOWERS

PEST CONTROL

SECURITY SYSTEMS

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EQUIPMENT HIRE

for farmers. n s to meet the farmers, contractors, and support businesses in our

Real Farmer Winter 2022

Articles inside

Trial highlights importance of

The end of the irrigation season is near

Peace of mind straight from your fuel storage tank

Rescue Warriors exceed all expectations for a good cause

Managing stress and pressure

Workplace wellbeing is a way of being

Still a long road ahead for migrant workers

The key to successful pig farming

Easy steps to prevent house fires with

Planning helps you winter well wherever you are

Forward planning with Ruralco lowers spring stress

Looking for engineering solutions?

Arable crops and sequestration?

Give more than you take: Swanndri x ZQRX

Home grown challenge for NZ food supply

Ruralco Energy takes headache out of energy options

The benefits of Magnesium

Getting your cow her A–Z’s

The Whyte-way

A little goes a long way thanks to farmer driven meat charity