Coast & Country News - April 2019 by Sun Media

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Christchurch’s terror attack on March 15 has really shook our country to the core.

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I think we’re all still processing our feelings about it. But it has opened our eyes and understanding much wider of our Muslim community and how we need to embrace those of different cultures, religions, beliefs and faiths, and work with them to bring about more tolerance and acceptance in this world. NZ’s primary industries includes people from many countries, walks of life, cultural backgrounds and religions – which is one of its strengths. Our thoughts are with those affected by this tragedy. Back in February I attended the BOP Ballance Farm Environment Awards – and one guest speaker’s talk on ‘working together’ comes to mind at this time. While specifying NZ’s primary industries, I think many messages could be applied more broadly. Ballance CEO Mark Wynne started with a quote: ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together’. “Your success as farmers, as in fact the success and strength of our primary industry, depends on us working together,” he said. “Going together with nature, with the communities in which we live and work, and going together with other farmers.

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“These are people, same as us. They enjoy waterways, they enjoy food, enjoy eating, and marveling at some of the beauty we have in this country. And if we get that part right and work on this together we will also be giving our customers actually what they want. “What do they want? The messages we’re getting today is they want a kinder business – a business with a lighter environmental footprint.” Marks says social media and environmental responsibility and social responsibility is here to stay and we can use this to grow customers’ demand – “but we have to work together under strong leadership”. Mark says it’s very hard to overcome the high volume of negativity reported in mainstream media – but it is the industry’s collective responsibility to ensure its positive stories are heard. “We need to tell our story.” Mark says the journey will be bumpy, highly politicized and challenging – but hold on for the ride. “By working together we can do much more than survive. We can thrive, prosper, and be successful on the international stage where 80 per cent of NZ’s actual income comes from.” He concluded with a Charles Darwin’s quote: ‘In the long history of mankind those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed’. “Let’s do that together.”

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Zespri’s operations manager for kiwifruit new cultivar development Bryan Parkes among some red kiwifruit vines at Te Puke last season. A new variety of kiwifruit with a burst of sweetness is ready to try at local supermarkets across New Zealand. The red kiwifruit, which has been 20 years in the making, could be taking up more vines in the Bay of Plenty if all goes well. Global marketer Zespri is asking for customer and grower opinion during a nationwide sale trial of the fruit. The company has released 30,000 trays, which will be distributed accordingly around New Zealand’s national supermarket chains as well as selected retailers. Zespri cultivar innovation manager Bryan Parkes says the retail price is $7 per kg and insists it could one day become as popular as green and gold kiwifruit. “It’s a little bit like déjà vu, because we were at this point 10 years ago,” says Bryan. “But vine-killing disease Psa-V killed off the ﬁrst generation of product, so we had to go back and look for a disease-tolerant vine and breed that through the programme. “Much like when we developed the gold subcategory of fruit and got a whole bunch of new customers, we hope to do the same by creating a new eating experience with a different ﬂavour.” Bryan says the new red kiwifruit is sweeter and has a berry note to it, making it taste very different to the other two varieties. “The red colouring is from anthocyanin, which is a natural pigment,” says Bryan. “Through natural breeding processes we’ve created breeding parents.” Throughout the trial, Zespri will be looking at popularity, shelf-life and storage handling, to determine what can be improved and whether the red kiwifruit

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The ﬁrst generation of red kiwifruit will appear in certain shops during March and April. will become a contender in the industry. They are also carrying out trials in Singapore and Japan to see how the red kiwifruit will perform in international markets. “One of the challenges with the new kiwifruit is distribution, because the easiest way to move the fruit around the world is for it to stay ﬁrm,” says Bryan. “The red kiwifruit is known to ripen faster than others, so we are coming up with solutions to stop it getting soft too fast.” Zespri Red is the latest kiwifruit to come through their natural breeding programme and has been developed in partnership with Plant & Food Research. Zespri has 36 red cultivars in trials in its current programme. “We will have to look at the vine and make sure it makes great performance for the growers,” says Bryan. “We don’t want to have a great tasting product that nobody wants to produce.”

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Ian and Brian Scott at Pakarau Farm last month, with The Homestead and the Keith Hay home in the background. Photos: Catherine Fry.

About 200 relatives and friends of the Scott family of Pakarau Farm, Ngarua, came together last month to celebrate the centenary of the piece of land their ancestors tamed from wild New Zealand terrain into the dairy farm it is today.

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The story of the direct line of the Scott family in NZ starts in 1913, when Robert Scott, aged 52 at the time, and his wife, Jane (née Lockhart), at age 49, emigrated from Lesmahagow, Scotland, with their 10 children. Thwarted from owning a farm in the Scottish land ownership system, they bought the Ngarua farm that was to be known as ‘The Ranch’, in October 1913. Robert and Jane, with their ﬁve daughters and ﬁve sons – Bob, Jack, Bill, Tom and Hugh – became a well-known and respected family in the district. When World War I broke out, Bob, Jack and Bill went to Europe. Sadly, only Jack and Bill returned and started farming on land their father Robert had secured forFunctional themFunctional while theyFertiliser wereFertiliser away at war. Bill settled on land opposite Ngarua school, and supplies full nutrient supplies full nutrient Hugh worked on The Ranch, buying it his Functional Fertiliser packages based onafter packages based on supplies full nutrient Functional® Fertiliser ® packages basedfull onnutrient supplies 0800 843 809

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father’s death. Descendant, Brian Scott, who lives on the property today, remembers many stories, both ﬁrst-hand and from relatives, over the years. “It was my grandfather, Jack, who settled on the land that became known as Pakarau Farm,” says Brian. While the other three Scott farms were sold over the years, Jack’s Pakarau Farm has been in his line of Scotts since 1919.

In his first year he milked 12 Jersey cows, a breed which is still traditionally milked on the farm. Jack Jack married Taranaki-born Jessie In 1919, the then-single Jack literally Vickers in 1925 and they had six broke in his farm, which is recorded children between 1926 and 1937, four as having three-quarters of an acre of boys and two girls, including twins grass and the rest swamp and tea tree. Douglas and Thomas. He cleared and drained the land, and This family built the second house built the first house on the property, on the property, the 1930s weatherwhich is now a worker’s cottage. board home, fondly known as ‘The Homestead’, and raised their children there. From the 1920s, the farm sent its milk to the NZ Dairy Co. factory at Waitoa. Ngarua was the first area to have milk collected by tanker. Pakarau was one of 11 farms chosen by the NZ Dairy Co. to have milk collected by tanker in a pilot scheme. Scott family memorabilia for the centenary.

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

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Fourth generation recall ancestors’ toils

Brian Scott, the fourth generation at Pakarau, with the Jersey herd, and The Homestead in the background. continued... was an Allis-Chalmers WC, and in the late-1940s we had a Ferguson 28.” Douglas stayed and sharemilked on Pakarau farm. He married Joan Fausett We’ve still got the 1963 Massey Ferguson 10 baler, and we use it.” in 1956. Douglas and Joan are Brian’s Douglas was a NZ Dairy Co. commitparents, and they moved into the third tee member for Ngarua District for 10 house put on the property. years in the 1970s. Under Douglas, the “It was one of the ﬁrst Keith Hay farm tried several ventures in the 1980s, transportable homes and caused quite including an acre of blueberries, and a stir in the neighbourhood when it growing maize seed for Pioneer Yates. arrived fully built.” In 1982 the farm was one of the ﬁrst Douglas to build a stock underpass. “Crossing the herd over Campbell Rd in winter Grandfather Jack passed away in fog was extremely dangerous.” 1961 and Granny Jessie remained there for another 10 years. Douglas bought

Above: One of the ﬁrst Keith Hay transportable homes in the Waikato, May 1956. Left: Pakarau Farm was part of the NZ Dairy Co. pilot tanker collection scheme in the early-1950s.

Brian and Ian

Douglas oversaw Pakarau until his death in October 2017. After the probate process his sons, Brian and Ian, took over as the Pakarau Farm Partnership. Ian remains in Melbourne, where he’s worked in the corporate world since 1996. Brian, a retired tanker driver from Fonterra Waitoa, lives on the farm with his second wife Shirley in a modern home built in 2007. Brian oversees their sharemilker, and assists with repairs and maintenance. The modern Brian Scott and Lindsay Scott cutting the farm totals 70ha, and milks centenary cake. 230 hypo-immune vaccinated Pakarau from his family in 1966. Brian Jersey cows in the updated 1966 remembers moving up to The Home16-aside herringbone cowshed. The stead at age 12. special milk is collected for Fonterra’s “The house became too much for Stolle Milk production. The farm is in Granny Jessie and she moved into the good shape, and fully compliant with Keith Hay home.” Waikato Healthy Rivers Plan. Brian, a collector himself, remembers “The Waitoa River is very clean, the first tractors on the farm that were with sandy beaches, a swimming hole, used throughout his childhood. and freshwater eels and crayfish have “The farm’s first tractor in the 1940s returned,” says Brian. Catherine Fry

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Growing kiwifruit for 51 years

With a gold kiwifruit in one hand, petite Melva Allan follows a fruitladen cane from one side of the row to the other, occasionally reaching up to remove inferior fruit. “I pick a fruit which is of ideal size and weight and holding it in my hand, even without looking at it, helps me assess which fruit on the vines are of the right size and which are not,” says the

87-year-old grower, who for ﬁve decades has been closely monitoring fruit quality on the orchards she and her family own at Te Puna. “I love being in the orchard. It’s cooler in summer and easier work than gardening,” says Melva. When not in the orchards, she is to be found working in her 2ha garden. Melva is one of the few orchardists who’ve been consistently growing kiwifruit for 51 years – and she’s not about to stop taking an active role in the

that variety. However, Graham and Roly were convinced Hayward was a superior export variety, mainly for its keeping qualities, and it wasn’t long before other growers began switching to Hayward. It went on to become the dominant green kiwifruit variety worldwide.In 1963 Graham Bayliss sold his interest in the Te Puna orchard to Te Puke accountant Gwilym Jones and his wife Helen. It was this orchard block, now called Ratanui, which Ken and Melva, sheep and beef farmers from South Otago, purchased in 1967 – a decision even the Wahine Storm of that year didn’t deter them from. “In April 1968, prior to us taking ownership of the orchard in May, the Wahine Storm damaged the Kiwifruit industry pioneer Roly entire back block Earp with inventor John Hancock. of the orchard. The 4x4 batten and pole management of her orchards. structures collapsed For Melva it’s more than work – it’s an interest In the late-1960s, fruit was which has captured her attention since she and picked into wooden bushel boxes. domino-style, dropping canes and fruit on the late husband Ken bought their original ‘Chinese ground – not a good start,” recalls Melva. gooseberry’ orchard at Te Puna in 1967. “We were “The original orchard consisted of what we still refer looking to buy a dairy farm in the Waikato when the real estate agent suggested he show us a Chinese goose- to as ‘the 10 long rows to the water’ and was 10 acres (4ha) approximately of Hayward. There was also a berry orchard in Te Puna.” four-acre (1.6 ha) block planted in the Monty variety The orchard was part of the 50 acres (20.2ha) Hayand a cash crop of pumpkins grown to supplement ward orchard developed from bare land by industry leaders Roly Earp and Graham Bayliss in Snodgrass kiwifruit income.” Over time the couple fully planted Rd, Te Puna, just north of Tauranga, in 1959. and developed the orchard, with all the support posts dug by hand by contract workers. Melva says harvesting fruit in the 1960s was very Hayward different from today. Fruit was picked into wooden At the time Hayward fruit was not considered an economic proposition because it was more difficult to grow bushel boxes, loaded onto a trailer and transported to the family’s packing shed, where fruit was ‘pattern than other varieties such as Abbott, Monty and Bruno packed’ to firmly fit in wooden trays. – many questioned committing such a large orchard to ...continued

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Young farmers to seasoned orchardists continued...

“These trays were made using two nailing machines. Ken often worked late into the night making trays for the next day’s packing. We packed and coolstored our own fruit for many years, extending the facilities as fruit volumes increased. ﬁrst grader was an “Our fi Obit grader built by local engineer the late John Hancock. This machine threw fruit into the air and based on the weight of each fruit, it fell into a shoot and into a bin [with fruit of a similar Ken and Melva Allan and weight] for packing their children Alvin, Sue and into trays. It was a Maxine in 1967. far cry from today’s technology. “We continued to pack our own crop until the mid-1990s, by which time Apata post-harvest company, of which we were founding shareholders, was well established and took over packing.” Alvin Allan says his mother Melva has an entrepreneurial nature and it was largely because of her initiative that the family’s orchard ownership grew. “Mum is the visionary who saw opportunities when they arose. Dad was the hard working, practical man.”

Dartmoor

In 1974 Ken and Melva purchased another property, which they called Dartmoor, also in Snodgrass Rd. It was a dairy farm, with barberry hedges and a few gum trees. “It was so windy it reminded us of Dartmoor in England so that’s what we called it,” says Melva. The hedges were cleared, the old house burnt to the ground, the cowshed bulldozed before a contractor spent six weeks contouring the back of the property in preparation for planting. The cleared land was planted in Hayward vines on T-bar structures. A block at Dartmoor was planted in the then-new gold kiwifruit variety Hort16A when it became available in the late-1990s. “We also planted a block of Tomua [an earlier-maturing, green fruit] at Ratanui at the same time. However, after three years [when Tomua was discontinued as an export variety] this was abandoned and was replaced by Hort16A,

and rewards, I have no regrets about our decision to become kiwifruit orchardists,” says Melva. Today her and Ken’s

Melva Allan and her children, Alvin, Sue and Maxine. along with other areas of Hayward,” says Melva. Here, Ken and Melva began the transition from T-bar support structures to pergola systems for both orchards. In 1979 a small citrus orchard near Ratanui was purchased. Citrus was removed and Hayward planted. Today it is owned by daughter Maxine and husband Mark, growing G3.” Melva turned her love of growing plants to growing orchids and roses, to help the family through ﬁnancial crises the kiwifruit industry suffered in the late-1980s and early-1990s. Ken, who died in 1998, is remembered in the name of the orchard purchased in 2000, called Kenward in his honour. “It was a neighbour’s small block and buying it seemed the most sensible thing to do. This is now owned by my daughter Sue.” The vine disease Psa-V, discovered in the Bay of Plenty in 2010, seriously affected Hort16A vines, so the Allan orchards were grafted over to the more Psatolerant gold variety G3. Despite initial severe impacts of the disease, Melva was determined to continue orcharding and in 2014 bought another property in Snodgrass Rd, called Eastview, which is planted in avocados and G3 kiwifruit. Antrim, an 8ha orchard in Te Puna Rd, was purchased in 2018. Two-thirds is G3 and one-third is Hayward. All orchards are close to the home orchard Ratanui, facilitating the coordinated use of staff and equipment. “When we came to Te Puna we were a young farming couple from South Otago, who knew nothing about kiwifruit. Our move here was a great undertaking, but a great journey. “Our three children, Alvin, Sue and Maxine, attended Te Puna Primary School and then college in Tauranga. All are still very much involved in the kiwifruit industry. “Looking back on 51 years of hard work, challenges

legacy continues through orcharding ventures of children, Alvin, Sue and Maxine. Elaine Fisher

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Page 9 Urbanisation is the biggest threat facing vegie growers who traditionally have land on the outskirts of urban areas.

With horticultural land under threat daily from developers, New Zealand’s vegetable growers are facing disaster.

Horticulture NZ has been “pushing back” on supermarket payments and encouraged direct supply and a sharing of the savings “but one of our Horticulture NZ chief executive Mike Chapman, biggest challenges is getting speaking at last month’s Feeding the Bay of Plenty the right money for growers forum in Te Puke, says urbanisation is the biggest with only two supermarket threat facing vege growers who traditionally have chains operating here”. land on the outskirts of urban areas. He’s looking forward to “The Auckland council is hellbent on turning Pukethe Government’s ‘wellbeing kohe’s prime vege paddocks into 50,000 houses, and budget’ that measures four pretty sub-standard houses at that. ‘capitals’ – natural, social, Horticulture NZ CEO “If we lose Pukekohe as a vege-growing area, we ﬁnancial and human. “It’s a Mike Chapman. lose 4500 jobs in a small community, national vege chance to refocus on feedproduction would decrease by 46-55 per cent and ing ourselves and take stock of our environmental there’d be an economic hit of $850 million to $1.1 health,” says Mike. billion.” He points out the largely environmentally-friendly Mike says Horticulture NZ is working with the nature of vege growing compared to dairying – proGovernment to develop a national policy statement to protect high-quality horticultural land but he wor- ducing no methane. Dairying makes up 50 per cent of our greenhouse gas emissions. Vege growing also ries it won’t come fast enough. employs 60,000 people or Full-Time Equivalents “The other thing councils do is to raise rates to nationally compared to dairying’s 50,000 FTEs, and drive people off their land. We’re trying to deal with that too but we’re losing great vege-growing land every minute of every day – and replacement land isn’t there. The only real way to stop it is for the community to stand up.” With a global trend towards plant-based diets, Mike sees enormous opportunity for New Zealand. “But we have to stop planting houses instead of fruit and veges.” Although 60 per cent of fruit grown in New Zealand is exported, almost all – 96 per cent – of the veges we grow are consumed here. “Without an export market driving higher returns, it’s difﬁcult for growers to keep ahead,” says Mike.

is far more productive per hectare than dairying. “Technology is being developed that will let us apply exactly the amount of water and nutrients

required to cut down our already low levels of leaching. But technology isn’t the answer to everything, we still need Louise Wright skilled people.”

Page 10

FARM REPAIRS

Drystock farming in the hill country Under the Healthy Rivers/Wai Ora: Proposed Murray and Heather Templeton are second Waikato Regional Plan Change 1, the property is generation farmers on the Templeton family within a priority 1 sub-catchment area. This means farm near Rangitoto in the King Country. their Farm Environment Plan must be completed by

The family have run the 320ha property since 1951. 2020, and all stock excluded from waterways. The farm’s stock is mixed and, as Murray explains, The steep rolling contour of hills, combined with wetter, lowland areas, means the farm has a varied list each animal type contributes differently to environmental issues. of environmental factors to take into consideration. The farm winters 1200 red deer, with around 550 fawns being born each season. Deer utilise all areas of the land, and they effortlessly use the steep slopes regularly. “Deer are known for tracking, using the same paths all the time, and tracking up and down fencelines, when unsettled. “Once the earth is bare, they will play in the dust in summer, and love wallowing in wet mud in the winter.” To compensate for this type of erosion, the couple have planted poplars and willows on the sidelings. While the roots bind the soil, the leaves have the added bonus of providing shade for the stock.

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Heather, Fiona and Murray Templeton in the yards at their family farm near Rangitoto in the King Country with some of the red deer. Photos: Catherine Fry. As well as starting with threemetre-high young trees, Murray has fashioned cylinders of concrete reinforcement grilles secured with three waratahs. The deer still nibble what they can reach but the trees survive. There are several waterways coursing through the property and all the main ones are already fenced off. “We graze 150 two-year-old dairy heifers, from weaning through to calving, for 18 months, with an overlap of six months from year-to-year. This stock has to be kept away from the waterways.” The economic viability of fencing the waterways in the required timeframes is also pertinent for the farm. Further fencing will be carried out, plus installation of Novacoil drain ﬂow systems. One larger waterway has been lined with willow trees. Willow-planted waterways on the Templeton’s Rangitoto farm. The 450-500 Wiltshire and composite ewes, and the 650-plus lambs each season are probably the kindest to the land. Mature stands of naturally grown kahikatea are dotted throughout the property, offering valuable shade. “As we complete our FEP, we see that it will identify all the key issues on the farm that we can work towards overcoming.” The Templetons view their FEP as an ongoing document, not one that will end at the Healthy Rivers Plan Change 1 submission deadline.

Catherine Fry

Left: Young poplar trees on the sidelings are protected from the deer as much as possible.

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

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DAIRY INDUSTRY AWARDS - BOP

Awakeri couple win top title The couple are the region’s Share Farmers of the Year – announced at the BOP Dairy Industry Awards dinner last month at TECT Action Centre Pongakawa. Here Janamjot Singh Ghuman was named 2019’s BOP Dairy Manager of the Year, and Alex Sainty is 2019’s BOP Dairy Trainee of the Year. Matt and Genna, are lease farmers for Viv Barr, on her 110ha, 410-cow Awakeri property. “Viv is an actively supportive landowner,” they say. The couple count one of their greatest challenges as one of their biggest achievements also. “Losing dad in 2014 was one of the toughest things we’ve had to live through,” says Matt. “Mum and I were thrown in the deep end to ﬁll dad’s boots and steer the farming

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The 2019 Bay of Plenty region SFOTY winners Genna Maxwell and Matt Barr. Photo Supplied.

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operation. Although it was heartbreakingly tough, we learnt so much and had huge support from our rural community to get where we are today.” Matt holds a Diploma of Farm Management from Lincoln University and Genna a Bachelor of Law from University of Otago. “Genna works off-farm as a lawyer and works on-farm in her spare time. Entering as a couple made sense as it was another great way for Genna to integrate her skillset into the business and gain a wider understanding of the farm business operation,” says Matt. The couple won $9050 in prizes and three merit awards. Matt and Genna, both aged 31, enjoy the outdoors, working with animals and the diversity each day brings. Their future goal is to fulﬁl their vision of a sustainable, diverse business and a balanced life. Runners-up in this competition are Jeremy and Melissa Shove, who won $4387 in prizes and four merit awards. They’re contract milkers on Kay and Michael Watkins 116ha Whakatane farm, milking 385 cows. Janamjot Singh Ghuman, who is 2019’s BOP Dairy Manager of the Year, came from a farming background in India and became eligible to enter the awards due to visa criteria changes. Janamjot, aged 26, won $6725 in prizes plus two merit awards and is farm manager for Rex and Lesley Brown on their 280-cow 65ha Te Puke farm. He holds a Diploma in Applied

Technology from the Wairakai Institute of Technology and Primary ITO National Certificates in Agriculture Level 4 and 5. “I’m a technology enthusiast, and I’d like to contribute to the dairy industry through farm-related technologies and innovation.” Joseph Braybrook, aged 22, was second in this competition, winning $2400 in prizes and one merit award. He’s farm manager for Henry by-de-ley on his 400-cow 135ha Paengaroa farm. Te Puke farm manager Ashley Weld, 23, placed third and won $1575 in prizes. He works on Gerard and Karen Weld’s 64ha farm, milking 180 cows. Alex Saint, aged 21, who is 2019’s BOP Dairy Trainee of the Year, won $5250 in prizes and two merit awards. He’s assistant manager for Peter Overdevest and Tania Akehurst on their 390-cow, 132ha property at Galatea. “Entering the awards has enabled me to test my knowledge and understand my strengths and weaknesses and work on them. I’ve proven to myself that I’m more capable and confident than I believed.” Runner-up in this competition was Thornton herd manager Justin Bell, aged 21, who works for Hayden Power on his 120ha, 400-cow farm. He won $1250 in prizes and two merit awards. The BOP Dairy Industry Awards winners’ field day is on April 8 at 1286 State Highway 30, Awakeri, where Share Farmers of the Year, Matt Barr and Genna Maxwell lease.

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DAIRY INDUSTRY AWARDS - CENTRAL PLATEAU

Working on weaknesses earns title A first-time entrant with a passion for dai y farming, the environment and animals, has won the 2019 Central Plateau Share Farmer of the Year.

2020 and farm ownership within 10 years. “I’ve had to overcome people telling me I am too young and inexperienced to take on a contract milking position,” says Tom.

Communication Tom Bridgens was announced as the region’s Share He believes a strength of his business lies in comFarmer of the Year at the Central Plateau Dairy munication. “The communication between Industry Awards’ annual dinner at the myself and the farm owner is crucial to Energy Events Centre, Rotorua, last ensure every decision within the month. business will maximise profi Laurence Walden was ability for both of us.” named 2019 Central And he loves everything Plateau Dairy Manager about dairy farming. “I of the Year, and Harry want my passion for Phipps the 2019 farming to grow and Central Plateau to keep absorbing Dairy Trainee of the information and Year. knowledge.” Tom, aged 22, is Runners-up in contract milking this competition 300 cows on Rex are Anthony and and Loris Bates’ Danelle Kiff, who Tokoroa 80ha won $6880 in prizes property and won and two merit awards. $15,480 in prizes and They are contract four merit awards. milkers on the Tauhara He grew up in a dairy North No2 Trust 230ha farming family, spending property at Tokoroa, milking his spare time on the farm The 2019 Central Plateau 600 cows. Anthony has entered and began relief milking at age SFOTY Tom Bridgens. the awards fi e times and was 13. Leaving school at 16, he 2017’s Central Plateau Dairy Manager of the Year. worked as a farm assisThe couple say the people in their team and the tant before going on his OE and returning to NZ ability to break down big problems into little pieces in 2018 to contract milk. are their strengths. “Our support network is of high calibre and we’re able to bounce ideas off them and Move forward talk about any issues that may arise.” Tom entered the Future farming goals for Anthony, 34, and Danelle, awards to streamline his 30, include beginning a dairy academy on their farm business and work on his for the trust, training 18-25-year-olds. weaknesses. “As it’s my Third placegetters in this category are Bruce and first ear in a manager’s Jo Husband, who are contract milkers on Bob and role, I wanted to run my Bridget Hone’s 195ha, 600-cow Ngakuru property. business the right way They won $5130 in prizes and one merit award. from the start. The Husbands find the defined c eer path of the “The awards are a great dairy industry appealing, with rewards reflecting the way to move forward in effort put in. “We love the different jobs for different the dairy industry, to get seasons, and that we can be home with our family for my name out there and breakfast.” make my CV stand out for my next step.” Lead by example Future farming goals Winner of 2019’s Central Plateau Dairy Manager include sharemilking by of the Year title, Laurence Walden, was runner-up in 2010’s Dairy Trainee category. He won $9100 in prizes and two merit awards He says benefits include becoming kn wn within the industry as passionate about dairying farming, receiving feedback on areas he could improve on and stepping outside his comfort zone. “I never knew what career path I wanted. I was a bushman for seven years but the industry was quite unstable,” says Laurence. “A rugby mate was a dairy farmer and asked me to give him a hand. I thought: ‘Wow, this is pretty cool, I could do this’ – I haven’t looked back since.” The 40-year-old is passionate about achieving high standards in the dairy industry. “I’m a proud husband and father to fi e kids – I like to think I lead by example.” Career progression

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Studying towards a Diploma of Agribusiness Management, the farm manager for the Tauhara Farms Ltd Partnership 365ha, 1040-cow farm at Taupo is in his third season and is proud of his career progression. “I’m lucky to work for Tauhara Farms, they always provide the resources to achieve high results, such as good machinery and technology.” “Next season I’ve been offered the opportunity to run both dairy farms on the Tauhara Farms Limited partnership. This is a big challenge that I’m really excited about.” Kinleith farm manager Chance Church, aged 31, placed second and won $4120 in prizes. ...continued

DAIRY INDUSTRY AWARDS - CENTRAL PLATEAU

Page 15

Bushman turns to a career in dairying 340ha, 900-cow farm in Reporoa. The Central Plateau Dairy Industry Awards winners’ field day is on pril 10 at 168 Matarawa Road, RD1,

Tokoroa, where Share Farmers of the Year, Tom Bridgens, contract milks. More details are at: www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz

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The 2019 Central Plateau DIA winners from left: DTOTY Harry Phipps, SFOTY Tom Bridgens and DMOTY Laurence Walden. Photos Supplied.

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Chance works on Richard Maxwell’s 378ha farm, milking 1250 cows. He enjoys spending time with his wife Rachael, aged 31, and their fi e children ranging in age from two to 15. “My wife and I have worked hard to get where we are, we enjoy the challenge and are always looking for new ways to improve.” Third place in this category is Bevan Samuel. The 50-year-old is farm manager on Pamu Landcorp Farming’s 334ha Reporoa property, milking 820 cows.

Benefits out eigh challenges

The benefits of dai y farming outweigh the challenges for Bevan, who says he’s seen his fair share of droughts, long wet periods and financial trials. They all build resilience and perseverance.” The 2019 Central Plateau Dairy Trainee of the Year, Harry Phipps hoped to better himself and continue to grow by entering. The 20-year-old is herd manager for Gary and Kathy O’Donnell milking 400 cows on the 140ha Rotorua farm. He won $5770 in prizes and two merit awards. Harry chose farming as a career initially just to be employed. “Then I saw the clear career pathways within the industry and the opportunities dairy farming offered to people who were motivated and wanted to be the best they could be.” Studying towards his Level 4 PrimaryITO Dairy Farming, he’s been offered a herd manager role. Runner-up is Claire Douglas, who is 2IC on the

Theland Farm Group’s 320ha, 860-cow farm in Rotorua. She won $2220 in prizes. Third place went to assistant dairy production manager Bronte Marquet, aged 24, who won $1520 in prizes and one merit award. She works for Pamu Farms on the

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DAIRY INDUSTRY AWARDS - WAIKATO

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From Wales to Waikato’s DIA winners The 2019 Waikato Dairy Industry Awards’ Share Farmers of the Year are ﬁrst-time entrants who’ve wanted to enter the awards since reading about 2012’s national winners while living in Wales. Marc and Nia Jones won the regional title at the Waikato Dairy Industry Awards’ annual dinner at the Sir Don Rowlands Centre last month. “This is the ﬁrst year we’ve been eligible to enter as we are now residents,” says Nia.

Joe Kehely became 2019’s Waikato Dairy Manager of the Year, and Matt Dawson is 2019’s Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year. This is the Jones’ ﬁrst year contract milking for Margaret and the late Ian Elliott, on their 270ha, 970-cow Tokoroa property. “We thought this was the right time to explore, learn and understand our business better, to see how we benchmark against the rest of the region and nation.” They won $13,750 in prizes and three merit awards. Marc fell in love with the dairy indus-

try on his OE in 2010, when he worked for Ian and Margaret. “Ian has been a mentor to me since then,” says Marc.

Burning desire

Returning to the UK, the couple managed a dairy conversion block in Scotland for two years before moving to North Wales to contract milk on a dairy conversion. “We both had a burning desire to come back to NZ, so in 2016 we decided to return. Marc always knew he wanted to farm but didn’t know how to enter the industry until he visited NZ for the ﬁrst time and understood the pathway to ownership was viable and realistic if you work hard and are passionate.” Future farming goals include sharemilking on a 450-cow farm. “We’re also looking to invest in an off-farm business to help grow our equity.” The Jones’ have a passion for people management and the soft skills that come with it. “We love working with people and seeing what makes them tick, and ﬁnd it very rewarding. “Our team is one of our biggest strengths, we’re so fortunate to have three great employees and a great team culture.” The couple say the opportunity to contract milk 1000 cows in the Waikato is a dream come true and their relationship with their farm owner and sharemilker is their biggest strength. “They are like our second family. We trust and respect each other and have fun!” Waitoa 50/50 sharemilkers Aidan and Sarah Stevenson, both aged 30, were runners-up in this competition, winning $5675 in prizes. They work on Sue Williams 100ha, 340-cow farm. Monique and John Dickson, both aged 25, placed third. They are contract milkers on Steve and Rachel

The 2019 Waikato Share Farmers of the Year are Marc and Nia Jones. Photo Supplied. Mathis’ 100ha Tirau farm, milking 340 cows. They won $4100 in prizes and two merit awards.

Dream career

Waikato’s 2019 Dairy Manager of the Year Joe Kehely, who won $9125 in prizes and ﬁve merit awards, is farm manager for Craig and Jan Tomalin’s 106ha farm, milking 240 cows in Putaruru. He’s held a passion for the outdoors and farming from a young age and always knew he’d make it his career. He believes a strength of his business lies in strong communication between him and wife Danielle. “We work very well as a couple, day in and day out. It makes our team so much stronger and the farm easier to run.” Morrinsville farm manager Daisy Higgs, aged 23, placed second in this competition, winning $3800 in prizes and one merit award. She works on Gavin and Maree Haddon’s 91ha, 300-cow farm. Morrinsville farm manager Gursimran Singh Jhalli, aged 24, placed third and won $2775 in prizes. He works on Andrew and Michael Moir’s 85ha Tatuanui farm, milking 232 cows.

No day is the same

Waikato’s 2019 Dairy Trainee of the Year, Matt Dawson, aged 21, grew up on a dairy farm and always helped with calf-rearing, young stock and relief milking. “Farming consists of so many different jobs, no day is the same and I get to work with animals, machinery and technology all on the same job.” Matt is assistant manager for Neville Henderson on his 229ha, 620-cow property at Horsham Downs and won $6550 in prizes and one merit award. Runner-up in this competition is 19-year-old farm assistant Crystal Scown, who won $3050 in prizes and one merit award. She works on Euan Reeve’s 260ha, 370-cow Waitomo property. Herd manager Jonathan McBride, aged 24, placed third, winning $1400 in prizes. He works on Matt and Laura Clausen’s 50ha, 154-cow Hamilton farm. The regional winners’ ﬁeld day was on April 3.

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DAIRY

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How to feed maize silage strategically Maize silage is not just a ﬁller you throw to cows willy-nilly when feed gets low – it is a valuable, quality feed that when fed correctly can make a big difference to your bottom line.

Alan Law, Forward Farming’s David Law and Brandon Law.

Other farmers I spoke to found it an acceptable level of milk production in a dry spell, but given how much money I’d spent on maize, in my opinion it wasn’t enough. I hired a nutritionist and asked if there was any way we could get more production out of the cows. We calculated the protein levels in the cows’ diet and the result was 12.5 per cent protein – too low to produce well. To balance the feed and achieve the ideal protein level, we decreased the amount of maize silage, at eight per cent protein, increased the amount of spring grass silage, 20 per cent protein; and added soya meal at 48 per cent protein. Within three days, the cows were producing 1.5kgMS per cow per day – an increase of 50 per cent. Although farmers gulp at the price of soya meal – we paid $750/tonne then, although it has dropped in price a bit now – we only needed 1kg per cow per day to lift protein levels to 16 per cent, making it an economical option. With this year’s maize harvest over, it’s worth considering your yield. Was your investment wise? If you only yielded 18 tonne/ha, you may have been better off to buy maize in. But if you came away with 30 tonne/ha,

Working on a good yield of 28 tonnes/ha, a 10ha crop of maize produces 280,000kgDM. At a cost of .32c/ kg in the stack, you have a feed worth $89,600 at your disposal. A 25ha maize crop has a value of $224,000. With a crop worth a substantial amount of money on hand, it’s important to feed maize silage strategically so it’s utilised to its full potential. To get the full beneﬁts of maize silage, it’s helpful to ﬁrst understand what it is made up of nutritionally. Maize is a high carbohydrate, low protein feed, which works well to put weight on cows or balance out a feed too high in protein – such as spring grass, at 25 per cent protein. However, simply adding maize to your cows’ diet is not enough to increase milk production – it’s a bit more complicated than that. Cows milk best when fed a diet with an average protein percentage of around 16 per cent; this is enough to help her milk well while maintaining a good Body Condition Score. Too little protein and she’ll put on weight but not milk well; too much protein and she’ll milk for Africa but will drop weight rapidly. The easiest way to achieve optimum protein levels is to measure everything you feed your cows and adjust accordingly. For example, if you feed 18kgDM per cow per day – comprising 9kg of maize at eight per cent protein and 9kg of dry grass at 12 per cent protein – you end up with a diet with an average of 10 per cent protein. To increase protein levels to 16 per cent you need to add feed that contains a higher level of protein, such as DDG with 28 per cent protein or soya meal, which has 48 per cent protein. It’s also interesting to note although PK contains 17 per cent protein, it doesn’t lift protein in milk – so don’t rely on it to balance maize. I followed this calculation with excellent results when I was dairy farming 450 cows. We excitedly introduced maize on-farm in a season similar to this one – it was dry, and feed was running low. However, the cows only produced 1kgMS per cow per day with the addition of maize silage.

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In nature, there’s always a trade. When summer pasture growth has been limited by lack of moisture, after rain arrives compensatory growth can be expected. During early-autumn soil temperatures remain high, sunshine hours are adequate and there’s an abundance of nutrient available for plant uptake once litter, dung, and old root has been digested. Two lots of rain are required to spark strong autumn growth. The first starts the process of bacterial and fungal growth in the soil. Dryness and heat significantly reduce beneficial soil populations during summer and for rapid recovery it’s essential that populations rebuild as everything entering a plant is subject to natural biological processes. The build-up of microbial populations along with the degradation of organic matter provides the unmistakeable earthy smell that permeates land immediately after a dry summer. However, it is the second rain – which often arrives ten to 14 days after the first rain – that sparks rapid plant growth. Growth rates during the following 30 days may be every bit as strong as growth in October.

Why growth slows

The reason growth slows with the approach of winter is fewer and less direct sunshine hours along with a corresponding drop in soil temperatures. Keeping a log of daily soil temperatures allows accurate

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growth predictions through until the slow growth period arrives with soil temperatures reaching 10 degrees Celsius. Should enough rain not arrive until conditions are too cool for compensatory growth it will be deferred to spring, however it will arrive.

Cut off date

In cooler areas of the country Easter is often regarded as the cut-off date for strong growth. If it hasn’t arrived by then it’s not until soil temperatures reach 10 degrees Celsius again in late-winter that fears of it never arriving start to dissipate. And application of nitrogen will have little if any positive effect on total autumn and winter growth. The long-term trial work by research institutes all comes to much the same conclusion – that the application of nitrogen to permanent pastures is seldom worthwhile. This is due to the well-documented lageffect that follows a nitrogen application. Applying more N to overcome the lag effect simply defers the time when natural systems recover from unnatural stimulus. That nature always has the last say is something all of us should be mindful of, if we wish to generate our income from land long-term. There’s an old saying about burning the candle at both ends. Eventually there’s some unpleasant consequences, and continually stimulating pasture growth and depriving it of its rest and recovery periods results in a number of outcomes. Spring growth declines and there are any

number of long-term silage contractors that will attest to that, along with recorded growth ﬁgures from throughout the country. Summer growth becomes highly dependent on regular rainfall and even when abundant there’s not the bulk of pasture required, and greater inputs of supplementary feed are required. Pest and weed pressure steadily increase and the number of seasons before total pasture renewal is required lessen. Functional Fertiliser clients have pastures that haven’t been resown in more than 20 years, although they may have been renovated by undersowing at some stage. These pastures regularly grow more than 18 tonne DM/ha and contain a wide range of pasture species. Applied nutrient mixes contain the required phosphorus, potassium and sulphur based on standard removal calculations. Typically, 200kg/ha of calcium is applied annually with a mix of soft carbons containing a wide range of selected beneﬁcial fungi and bacteria. The activity of these ensure carbon is sequestered and nitrate N losses to groundwater are reduced by up to 70 per cent compared to high N input properties. Autumn, with an abundance of natural nitrogen, is the ideal time to reduce reliance on applied N and shift to a more productive, lower-cost, environmentally sustainable system. For more information, call Peter on 0800 843 809.

DAIRY

Page 19

It’s getting really dry out there... We certainly haven’t had much rain – this year or in the last month or two. In January we had 14mm, February brought 25mm and for March, as at the 20th we’d had 33mm. That’s total of 75mm in three months. We’d normally have about 40mm in January, 100mm in February and 70mm in March. So now, once cows have come off crop paddocks, everybody’s trying to resow or renovate pastures. We’ll need more followup rain to get these pastures established – and everyone is looking for a bit of rain to keep the cows milking. Our maize harvest began and finished 10 days earlier, and while we had a few challenges with maize drying out prematurely we only had two trucks get stuck in paddocks. Usually it’s 220 trucks – so harvest flowed much better compared to the last few years. According to predictions the Southern Oscillation Figure 30-day Index is at 12.5 – and has identified four of the five required consecutive measurement conditions which satisfy El Nino conditions.

El Nino conditions

With a pulse of additional warming at the end of March, we expect an El Nino to be ofﬁcially announced. Climate scientists suggest a weak El Nino pattern will last until spring 2019 and may mean neutral or weak El Nino patterns continue or develop through the medium term. So maybe late-April we’ll see some rain but they’re not predicting a lot until

spring. But they’ve been wrong in the past! The dry will impact on the payout as there’ll be less production than what was predicted. The previous seven Global Dairy Trade auctions were all up but the last one’s ﬁgures were neutral or slightly negative. The banks are starting to predict the forecast might be better than a $6.50kgMS plus dividends, and there is talk of $7kgMS next season. But this is a moving target that follows the supply-demand contour.

renovation. Keep moving on with your planned processes, otherwise there’s a backlog as everyone wants fert on at once. We’ve still got hay and silage available, and a bit of maize, plus dairy grazing at this stage. Until next time.

What to do

What can we do moving forward with climate change? There’s talk of trending drier conditions. We can irrigate but that draws a lot of water from our water tables, which isn’t necessarily a good thing. Or do you look at alternative crops, like lucerne, turnips, maize or sorghum to soften that shortfall? I suggest farmers start looking at what they were doing a few years back when we were getting drier trends. The last few years have been great summer growing conditions and you can become a little complacent. Look at crops to protect yourselves going forward, plus insects as well. The Army caterpillar and black beetle may appear once we get rain, coming out of the rougher stuff to enjoy something fresh to eat like new and existing pastures. So keep a vigilant eye out. Key is getting your crops in early for next season so you can balance a potential feed deﬁcit. Currently there’s surplus supplementary feed around – but get your orders in early before demand could

Fonterra appoints Hurrell permanently Fonterra Co-operative Group has made Miles Hurrell its permanent chief executive officer – a role he’s been filling since last August. Fonterra chairman John Monaghan says the co-operative’s Board is impressed by Miles’ leadership and commercial skills as it continues to breathe fresh air into the co-operative. “Miles has been performing well under difficult circumstances. Our performance is not something that will be fixed overnight. It’ll require the courage to make difficult decisions, be upfront with farmer-owners, unit holders, stakeholders and instill a culture of accountability and performance right across the organisation.” John says Miles has demonstrated the wisdom, skills, experience “and frankly, the backbone needed to lead”. “His permanent appointment will bring much-needed stability to the co-op and our people in a critical period of change. “His work alongside the board as

strengthen. If you need to feed cows supplements you’d saved for later in autumn or winter, you may need to rethink your feed budget. And farmers need to be get autumn fert on now too – don’t hold back on this or pasture

we progress our portfolio review to re-evaluate our investments, major assets and partnerships; and the full review of the co-operative’s strategy, has him uniquely qualiﬁed for the role.” Mile is looking forward to the challenge of re-setting the business so it delivers on its commitments. “To realise our potential we need to get the basics right and that means a full review of our strategy and ultimately, a fundamental change in direction. I’d like to thank the co-op’s farmer-owners and unit holders for their continued encouragement and support. It’s not something that I’d ever take for granted.” Miles ﬁrst joined Fonterra in 2000 and has 19 years’ experience in the dairy industry. He’ll receive a base salary of $1.95 million, with short and long-term incentive payments based on achievement of targets. His total remuneration package will be reported in the co-op’s Annual Financial Statements in September.

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Taking the lead in protecting local lakes An 18-month project developing farmspecific nutrient p ofiles and 48 customised Farm Environment Plans has seen Rerewhakaaitu farmers taking practical steps to protect water quality in their local lakes. Working with Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Fonterra, Beef+Lamb NZ, AgFirst and PerrinAg the FEPs will help the farmers minimise nitrogen and phosphorus losses to waterways. The project involved farmers in the catchments of Lakes Rotomahana, Okareka, Okaro, Rotokakahi, Rerewhakaaitu and Tarawera, plus adjoining farms in the Rangitaiki and Waikato River catchments. Project Rerewhakaaitu is the farmer group at the centre of the project. Chairman Chris Sutton says local farmers have been working together since the early-2000s because they wanted to take the lead in protecting our local lakes. “This latest project helps us work alongside industry and regional council so each farmer gets their own customised FEP with an Overseer assessment of their ‘nutrient footprint’,” says Chris.

Understand our footprint

“We know nutrient rules might affect our farmers one day, so it’s best we understand our footprint and have a set of actions farmers can implement on-farm. We also agreed to share the average nutrient loss data with regional council so they can advance the wider catchment modelling work.” Andrew Kempson from Fonterra’s Sustainable Dairying Programme says they were keen to trial their new farm plan system, Tiaki, in an area with no on-farm nutrient limits to help farmers stay ahead of the game voluntarily. “Tiaki farm plans also consider sediment and bacterial losses and how to reduce them. “Fonterra staff have worked with 32 dairy farmers, covering a bit more than 5000ha. Collectively, there were 1060 on-farm actions identified in the n w Tiaki farm plans across the Tarawera lakes catchments. “We were also able to compare nutrient losses between land use, soil types and the different catchments.” Beef+Lamb NZ environmental policy manager Corina Jordan says its national sustainability strategy, released in 2018, strongly promotes use of FEPs. They’ve been promoting farm plans for more than 10 years, since developing their three-level Land and Environment Plans or LEPs, says Corina.

Tarawera project

“We helped start the Tarawera project by running two LEP workshops and once farm consultants had prepared the plans, we collated the nutrient data across the 16 participating sheep and beef farmers. “One interesting result was that while nitrogen loss rates were linked to stocking rate, phosphorus losses were more influenced y soil type. This kind of data will help the ongoing target cost-effective of nutrient mitigations. Another interesting result to come out of the work is the degree of native vegetation and areas of non-pastoral land within these mixed and diverse sheep and beef farming systems, with overall around 19 per cent or 1280ha of the farmed area being set aside for the provision of other values such as biodiversity values.”

Complex system

BOPRC Rotorua catchments manager Helen Creagh says there is a complex system of water and nutrient movement between the seven lakes that feed Lake Tarawera, some of which are not meeting the water quality targets set in the council’s regional plan. “To identify what nutrients are affecting which lake, we need to build a catchment model. Good farm nutrient data is essential to help drive that model.” BOPRC is keen to keep working with farmers in the Tarawera Lakes catchments. “We can provide advice and funding support for many of the actions identified in the farm plans,” says elen. BOPRC land management officer Colin ates recently visited Dick and Gaylene Brough’s property for an on-farm visit and was amazed at the enthusiasm and strong level of commitment to the FEP that had been developed. “A large part of each FEP is the identification of CSAs – Critical Source Areas for phosphorous loss. “These areas can be broadly described as the

interception of overland water fl w with soil,” says Colin. “During my visit to Dick and Gaylene’s

BOPRC land management officer olin Bates with Dick and Gaylene Brough.

property we looked at various seepage springs, erodible ephemeral fl w paths and head-wall gullies, we discussed practical

solutions to mitigate CSAs and funding available for the retirement of vulnerable land.”

BOPRC land management officer olin Bates with Dick and Gaylene Brough identifying critical source areas on their property. Photos: Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

EFFLUENT & IRRIGATION

Page 22

PC1 hearings begin Hearings for the Healthy Rivers/Wai Ora: proposed Waikato Regional Plan Change 1 have begun in Hamilton and will be held in three blocks, concluding in August.

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The five-person independent panel is hearing submissions from landowners around the region – including farmers and growers – on what is a bold plan to improve the health of the Waikato and Waipa rivers. Plan Change 1 is the start of an 80-year journey, developed alongside iwi and stakeholders, and one of the largest plan changes of its kind in New Zealand, with it applying to about 10,000 properties and covering a land area of 1.1 million hectares within the two river catchments. The proposed plan seeks to reduce the amount of contaminants entering into Waikato and Waipa catchments to achieve Waikato Regional Council’s Vision and Strategy/Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato of making the river swimmable and viable for food collection along the entire length of the river. This Vision and Strategy was adopted by the Government as part of Treaty Settlement legislation. It also gives effect to the Proposed priority areas in the Healthy Rivers catchment. National Policy Statement for Freshwater Photo: Waikato Regional Council. Management 2014. WRC has a legal main contaminants will have less to do. requirement to give effect to both of these. The hearings are being held in three blocks. RecordPanel chair and independent commissioner Greg Hill ings of each day’s presentations is at: waikatoregion. says hearings will take some months “and while it is a govt.nz/the-hearings. challenging task, it’s one we’re not shy of ”. Block one will focus on high level policy framework, He acknowledges there are parties who support and with blocks two and three considering detailed rules others who oppose some parts of the proposed plan and implementation methods within the plan, such as change, and there are “quite strongly held views”. “[In response to this] We propose running an inquisi- stock exclusion, FEPs, sub-catchment planning and cultivation, slope and setbacks. torial process and to make recommendations that give This format and the overall timeframe for deliberaeffect to national direction on freshwater managetions has been designed by the hearings’ commissioners ment and the Vision and Strategy – a unique guiding to ensure appropriate consideration is given to the high document in the Waikato – as well as the Resource number of submissions that have been received, and to Management Act.” provide all submitters with an opportunity to be heard As part of the plan change all the sub-catchment areas in the Waikato region have been ordered in terms at least once. WRC chief executive Vaughan Payne says the council of priority for cleaning up the waterways. Prioritisation is based on the size of the gap between the current has a submission that “supports the overall intent of the plan” but acknowledged he doesn’t “know of any water quality and where the water quality needs to be plan that would be perfect”. in 80 years. “I can’t stress enough that the hardest part of a jourThe plan proposes to encompass or include all ney is taking that first step,” says Vaughan. landowners with more than 2ha within the two river “Our submission seeks to refine the plan to help us catchments – as of March 31 these properties will have implement it. The submission and hearing process will been registered with WRC. ensure there is additional sector and community input Farm Environment Plans will identify risk areas on to improve the plan change. properties for loss of four key contaminants – nitro“My primary interest as council’s CE is that the gen, phosphorus, sediment and bacteria – and state resulting plan change is both pragmatic and implehow they will be managed and reduced within a specimentable. This is critical,” says Vaughan. fied timeframe on each property. At conclusion of the hearings, the panel will make Completion of FEPs will be staggered to reflect the priority of the area they are in. Farms that have already recommendations on the plan change for consideration by the regional council. Catherine Fry taken steps to manage risks associated with the four

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Ensuring water is never wasted For 10 years the Growsmart Precision Variable Rate Irrigation system has been recognised around the world as the leading precision irrigation solution on the market, says Lindsay NZ’s business manager Denis Gavin.

producers and agricultural contractors to achieve better results, driving efﬁciencies and saving money.” Find out more by visiting your local Zimmatic dealer or phone 0800 438 627.

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“Since its 2004 inception, the Precision VRI system has gone from strength-to-strength, becoming the world’s most environmentally-savvy precision irrigation system.” Its uniqueness lies in its Kiwi-developed Precision VRI – variable rate irrigation – technology, which allows farmers to irrigate specific areas that need it, while avoiding watering unproductive land, and applying the right amount of water and nutrients needed to grow sustainable crops. “To get the most out of the technology the irrigated area can be EM – or Electro-Magnetic – surveyed, which provides an indication of the spatial variation in water holding capacity of the soil,” says Denis. “This information can then be used as a basis for the irrigation plan in which the Precision VRI technology will individually control each nozzle, allowing customised irrigation within a field. There is such a thing as too much and too little, and Precision VRI ensures not a single drop of water or nutrients are wasted to produce the crops we rely on for our food, over multiple soil types and terrains, says Denis. “From growing seeds we rely on to grow vegetables, to the maize we plant to feed stock, efficient irrigation makes sure every drop counts. “Precision VRI has enabled NZ farmers, food

New technique of applying fertiliser A new guide on offer will assist Kiwi farmers and the irrigation industry to adopt the use of fertigation – a new way of applying fertiliser, which is likely to reduce nitrogen leaching and save labour on farms. Fertigation allows irrigators to be used to apply liquid fertiliser or liquid soluble fertiliser in small quantities at the same time as water. In NZ, most fertiliser currently used is solid and applied through ground spreading or aerial top dressing. Internationally, fertigation is increasingly being adopted as good environmental practice, says former IrrigationNZ chief executive Andrew Curtis. “In September, IrrigationNZ organised a study tour to Nebraska. Twenty-ﬁve members joined the tour including farmers, irrigation designers, environmental consultants and irrigation scheme representatives. “Farmers in the US state were encouraged by authorities to use fertigation as a tool to help reduce fertiliser use and reduce nitrogen leaching and also save costs by reducing the labour involved in applying fertiliser. Our tour group were very excited about the opportunities to adopt fertigation here,” says Andrew. He says the new guide is to provide farmers and those working in the irrigation sector with advice on how to correctly use fertigation. The guide is at: www.irrigationnz.co.nz Plus, Pamu – formerly Landcorp – is working with IrrigationNZ to trial the use of fertigation in NZ over two irrigation seasons to see whether the practice results in less nitrogen leaching, and has other beneﬁts on farms through cost or labour savings. The trial focuses on reducing Pamu farm’s nitrogen consumption and loss to the environment on irrigated Canterbury dairy farms. Ballance Agri-Nutrients is also a partner in the trial, which has a Sustainable Farming Fund grant.

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DISCOVER KING COUNTRY

Farming with environmental empathy Third generation hill country farmer Shaun Carter and his veterinarian wife, Kate, are the custodians of land that’s been in Shaun’s family since 1942.

The couple run their Pio Pio farms with two staff, Nigel Keightley and Jack Grifﬁn. Shaun’s parents, John and Judy Carter, are also part of the partnership with John still actively involved.

In addition to the However, the limestone 503ha home karst scenery, with its farm, the rocky outcrops, tomo partnership has and underground cave a 300ha block, systems, is a challengand a 140ha ing environment to lease block close farm. by. While there Shaun acknowledges are effectively the work that his father two farms run started 25-30 years on the land, the ago demonstrated an operations are empathy to the envione business, ronmental factors that with staff pulling faced him. “He was together as a big making decisions that team to achieve were ahead of the time Shaun Carter, with some of the farm’s bulls. the larger tasks, and more in line with business, but takes responsibility eliminating the need current ideas. He fenced for extra hands during busy times. for the health of all stock on the off limestone areas that were a farm, has her own farm responsiTwo gravel pits on the farm danger to stock, and planted bilities, and is also a busy mum to buffer areas around them.” ensure all races can be well the couple’s three sons. maintained, allowing year-round John’s forward thinking also Lachie, 9, Leo, 8, and Mac, 7, access to most areas. Stock moveled to stands of pine trees absolutely love farm life, wholement can be controlled using being planted around some of heartedly helping out on the farm the non-grazeable areas, and quad bikes and members of the at every opportunity. 12-strong team of dogs. waterways, and the last of these The farm runs around 4700 are now being harvested. While Limestone challenge Romney Coopworth sheep, and Shaun’s choice will be to return around 920 cattle of mixed age these areas to native bush, he The mainly rolling land with and gender, focusing on rearing appreciates how the project has some ﬂat and some steep areas, bulls and lamb for meat. been a valuable ﬁnancial asset to is stunning, with 360 degree Kate has her own veterinarian the farm so many years on. views from the higher points.

Third generation hill country farmers in Pio Pio, Shaun and Kate Carter, with some of their breeding cattle. All Photos: Catherine Fry.

DISCOVER KING COUNTRY

Page 25

Juggling production with respect for land The farm falls under the Mangaotaki sub-catchment area. Shaun and Kate plant 600-1000 plants a year and these include riparian areas, and areas with the highest run-off and nutrient loss readings. “Making focused natural wetland areas slows water movement, reducing soil particle movement, and phosphate leaching into the waterways,” says Kate.

Constant review They are constantly reviewing areas that may need retiring or protecting. Their Farm Environment Plan contains goals the farm is committed to meeting. “We’re aiming to fence all our waterways in the cattle areas by 2020,” says Shaun. Utilising natural spring water on the property, and three electric pumps,

most paddocks have troughs. “Our Grazing Management Plan ensures we avoid having cattle where creeks are unfenced, and these areas are sheep only blocks,” says Kate. Their soil types are identiﬁed in the FEP, and the information is helpful for deciding where to crop. Mainly chicory and plantain are grown for ﬁnishing lambs. The Maeroa ash soil is forgiving in winter and light in summer. Shaun is focused on managing erosion issues on the property, especially where the cattle are concerned. “Technically, under our business plan, we could raise 1000 bulls on the land, but if we did that the damage would be irreparable. “Hormonal young bulls dig up the ground, it’s like having 500kg

puppies destroying an area.” The choice to run less of the stock line that gains weight the fastest does cost the farm ﬁnancially, but they enjoy rearing their own calves, and having different lines of stock. “Older cattle are a good pasture management tool. They carry a much lower worm burden to pass onto the younger stock, and they eat the older grass,” says Kate. “We put the younger sheep

through after to eat the lush young regrowth.” Ongoing environmental measures put in place earned the partnership the Beef + Lamb NZ Livestock Farm Award and CB Norwood Distributors Ltd Agri-Business Management Award at 2017’s Waikato Ballance Farm Environment Awards. The partnership also won 2018’s Western North Island region Silver Ferns Farms ‘Plate

to Pasture’ award, proving quality production and environmental awareness go hand-in-hand. The partnership seeks to continue with John’s approach, in unison with current environmental laws and requirements. “We aim to integrate animal health, with the health of the environment,” says Kate. “It’s an ongoing balance between high production and respecting the environment,” says Shaun. Catherine Fry

Shaun Carter moving some of the Romney Coopworth ewes.

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LIFESTYLE FARMING

NZ muster led by new head shepherd When pedestrians and cars gave way to sheep in the normally quiet King Country town of Te Kuiti on March 30, head shepherd Fred Bryant was ensuring all the action unfolded without a hiccup.

The 27th Great New Zealand Sheep Muster saw hundreds of sheep herded down the town’s main street under the watchful eye of Fred, a local sheep and beef farmer. He’s been involved with the muster almost since it began, and this year took over head shepherd duties from long-serving volunteer Peter Bird. Fred manages a 650ha sheep and beef farm at nearby Puketutu, and has lived and worked in Te Kuiti and surrounding areas for almost 20 years.

Fred Bryant with his dogs ‘Chime’, ‘Bell’ and ‘Slash’.

Fred, his dogs ‘Chime’, ‘Bell’ and ‘Slash’ and a few other local sheep farmers and their dogs had the job of keeping the notoriously unruly sheep on course, which ends at Te Kuiti’s stockyards. While it is “bloody busy on the day”, the muster is just another day at the office so to speak for the experienced shepherd, who has been a sheep and beef farmer for the last 18 years. The sheep arrived by truck from one of Reon and Wendy Verry’s properties situated 15km south of Te Kuiti before being offloaded. Then they were released in groups and followed down the road by a shepherd and their dogs. Animal welfare is important, and all mustering is done on foot with the assistance of 10-12 dogs. Barriers separate the sheep from the crowd, but in the event’s early days it wasn’t all smooth sailing, says Fred, although things have been largely trouble-free in recent times. “We’ve had some fun and games over the years,” says Fred, who recalls times where sheep have broken through barriers and run over the railway lines or broken through local shop windows. The team has the process refined down pretty well now – but the hardest part is getting the hundreds of sheep started down the road, which has barriers on each side. “Once the lead sheep heads off, it’s usually all go and the others quickly follow,” says Fred. “It’s a great fun day for the town and good exposure for sheep farming, which has a lot of history in Te Kuiti.” Josephine Reader

LIFESTYLE FARMING

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autumn, in different types of paddocks. In contrast ‘grass staggers’ – due to a lack of magnesium – is mainly seen in winter and spring in older cows and sheep. The key to treatment of both diseases is to slowly and quietly remove animals from the affected pasture and to provide supplementary feed such as hay, silage or nuts. Anecdotally treatments such as Nutrimol and Summer Tonic can be given to help affected animals. If removed from the toxic pasture and left quietly for a while, the animals will usually fully recover. Read this column in full at: www.coastandcountrynews.co.nz

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Keep an eye on livestock for staggers Both rye grass and paspalum plants can cause similar neurological conditions – commonly referred to as staggers. As opposed to ‘grass staggers’ which relates to low magnesium in livestock soon after birth, these two fungal-neurotoxininduced diseases can cause generalised tremors in all ages of cattle, sheep, deer, alpacas and horses. Ryegrass staggers occurs when animals grazing perennial ryegrass eat large amounts of a toxin, lolitrem B, produced by ryegrass endophyte, a fungus that grows inside the plant. This endophyte also produces another toxin that protects the plant from destruction by insects, in particular the Argentine stem weevil. Toxicity is increased as the animals graze lower, if they are forced to eat short grass they are more at risk of ryegrass staggers. Paspalum staggers occurs when animals eat seed heads of paspalum that have been infected with an ergot fungus. These can be seen as dark masses that are larger than the normal seeds. Clinical signs of these poisonings are similar and usually seen when animals are disturbed and forced to move. Initial symptoms are subtle head tremors and skin twitching. These can become more pronounced as head nodding, swaying, with a staggering motion that can become a stiff-legged, jerky walk and eventually the animal will collapse. Deaths tend to be accidental following injury such as drowning after a fall into water or being caught in fences. Recognising affected animals and taking preventative steps against ryegrass and paspalum staggers is important to prevent accidental injuries. Plus, affected animals can show poor growth rates and reduced milk production. Both diseases are usually seen late-summer to early-

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FARM VEHICLES, MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

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Sam’s values align with tractor brand Formidable lock, All Black, captain of the Canterbury Crusaders – and third generation dairy farmer – Sam Whitelock is Massey Ferguson’s new brand ambassador for New Zealand. Massey Ferguson, a worldwide brand of AGCO Corporation, says Sam shares the same values and passion for agriculture as the iconic farm machinery brand and will be the face of their 2019 advertising campaign. “We’re delighted to be partnering with Sam, who is a bona fide champion on the field with an impressive track record and is just as highly regarded off the playing field as someone who has a strong interest in farming and the rural community in general,” says AGCO NZ manager Peter Scott. Last year Sam led the Crusaders to backto-back titles in the highly competitive Super Rugby. He’s played more than 100 tests for the All Blacks since his 2010 debut and is the youngest New Zealander in history to reach 100 tests – he’s also captained

the national side in five of his appearances. gives his all. It’s this and his commitment He holds the record as the fastest player to others and the community around him ever to reach 100 international appearthat makes him an exemplary individual.” ances, was a key member of 2011 and In particular his involvement with Farm 2015 Rugby World Cup-winning teams, Strong, a not-for-profit organisation and was crowned 2017’s NZ Rugby Player focused on providing farmers with skills of the Year. and resources needed to live well and A third generation dairy farmer from the keep well. Manawatu, Sam is no stranger to the land “We find Sam’s work with Farm Strong with farming in his blood. Peter says it’s particularly admirable,” says Peter. “At this connection and his lead-by-example Massey Ferguson and at AGCO more mentality that makes Sam a perfect ambasbroadly, we believe strongly in integrity, sador for Massey Ferguson. “Hard work and reliability is something Sam and Massey Ferguson have in common and there is never any doubt that both are 100 per cent committed to the tasks ahead of them.” “Sam is exactly All Black Sam Whitelock is what you look Massey Ferguson’s new brand for in a leader – ambassador for 2019. honest and always

respect, and team-spirit and this is something we see Sam display both on and off the ﬁeld.” As brand ambassador for Massey Ferguson Sam will feature in media campaigns and promotional events throughout 2019. “We’re thrilled for the Kiwi farming community to have an opportunity to connect with one of our national icons through a shared love of the land and we’re very excited to welcome Sam to the Massey Ferguson family,” says Peter.

Direct importer passes savings onto customers Jacks Machinery Ltd has been part of the Whakatane landscape since 1978. Their ﬁve-acre site, ﬁlled with all kinds of tractors and machinery for farms and orchards, is hard to miss on the way into Whakatane.

the sole Bay of Plenty agent for Antonio Carraro, an Italian company specialising in horticultural machinery. “The tractors have a low proﬁle so are ideal for kiwifruit orchards or conﬁned spaces such as tunnel houses, if heavy lifting is required, maintenance work or spraying. They have a reversible seat so can push or pull. There is a range of attachments available for the tractor for any type of orchard work,” says Steve. He’s travelled to Italy where the farm machinery is made and is now the direct importer of Multione mini-loaders

An exciting development for the business is they’ve now opened a yard in Katikati on the corner of Marshall Rd and Marshall Place, opposite PGG Wrightson Ltd. “We’ve had a resident salesperson in Katikati for the last three years, who has been selling farm machinery there and an association with local ﬁrm Agritech to handle maintenance work,” says Steve Jacks, owner of Jacks Machinery Ltd. “Now we have a larger area where we can display and demonstrate our range of An Antonio Carraro tractor from Jacks farm machinery.” Machinery Ltd being delivered to a customer. Jacks Machinery Ltd is

and the Seppi mulcher range for orchards and forestry. “Northern Italy is a powerhouse for good quality farm machinery as they have a stable quality workforce and similar orchards to New Zealand. “As a direct importer I can pass the savings on to customers,” says Steve. Helen Wilson

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FARM VEHICLES, MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

Aerial ‘no-till’ trial

Many came to hear about the trial of ‘no-till’ helicropping in the Southern Waikato last month.

A successful trial of ‘no-till’ helicropping showcased in the Southern Waikato last month promises a step-change in the approach to pastoral farming in New Zealand – ensuring the protection of soils while maintaining productivity. “We are effectively putting away the plough,” says Sustainable Helicropping Group chairman Colin Armer. “The aerial no-till approach means we can establish crops and renew pastures without touching the ground or disturbing precious soil, more like what happens in nature.” Colin says early results from the $1 million project have proven the potential to address the estimated 192 million tonnes of soil that are lost every year from erosion – according to the Ministry for the Environment’s Our Land 2018 report – 44 per cent of which is from pastoral land. Colin says protecting the soil is a common bond, which originally brought together seven farmers to

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trial aerial no-till on their rolling hill-country properties across the central and lower North Island. The technique involves precision use of herbicides, fertiliser and seeds applied by helicopter. While especially relevant on hill-country, the practice is cost-effective on the full range of land contour types and – when done correctly – provides a valuable source of feed without the risk of erosion.

Protecting soil

“Soil is the resource that our farming operations are based on. Soil is not renewable and it must be cared for, so we can pass our farms on to future generations,” says Colin. “We know aerial no-till works and we believe it’s a potential game-changer for any farmer wanting to grow crops and renew pasture proﬁtably with minimal soil disturbance. “This project was the next step because we can now capture learnings and develop a system for farmers which is proven, proﬁtable and sustainable across a ...continued wide range of farm and soil types.

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Precision use of herbicides, fert and seeds Ian says extension is an important part of this project, which will be delivered through a combination of ﬁeld visits, a website, hands-on and virtual tools as well a research paper and a farmer handbook. “There is existing knowledge to harness, but new science is needed around measuring the effectiveness of buffers and mitigations.” Colin says the long-term goal is “more proﬁtable and resilient farms, especially rolling and hill-country farms, the retention of soil, improved

Sustainable Helicropping Group chairman Colin Armer says the long-term goal is “more proﬁtable and resilient farms, especially rolling and hill-country farms”.

soil condition and matching grazing approaches to forage type and location”. As well as funding from the Government’s Sustainable Farming Fund, the project has been backed by a range of supporters across multiple sectors in north and south islands. Financial support has also been provided from Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Ballance Agri-Nutrients, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Nufarm, and suppliers of seed Agricom and PGGWrightson Seeds.

continued...

“And this includes showing where this approach is not suitable.” The potential of the aerial no-till approach is supported by Ballance Agri-Nutrients’ fertiliser and forage specialist, Murray Lane, whose work with the trial is captured in a joint paper on the technique with Bruce Willoughby of Ecometric Consulting to the NZ Grasslands Association Conference. Murray says aerial no-till is a far cry from the old ‘spray and pray’ practices, which delivered patchy results and were unlikely to achieve consistent environmental outcomes.

GPS-supported

“Today we have GPS-supported precision placement tools available for fertiliser and seed placement, along with sophisticated Accuflow nozzles to confidently spray without drift. “The farmers involved have been achieving profitable returns and aerial no-till also helps them meet their obligations as environmental custodians,” says Murray.

“Their success comes from strictly following a prescribed process that reduces risks both to a profitable return and to soil conservation. There are no shortcuts.” Project manager Ian Tarbotton says the priority is establishing what constitutes best practice, in both the establishment and grazing phases of the crop – so the prescribed process delivers results that are environmentally sustainable as well as proﬁtable.

Best practice

“We will be looking at grazing intensity, plant species and the role of soil bunds, vegetative buffer strips and catch crops to minimise the risk of soil loss. We have a lot of interest from regional councils who can see the clear environmental beneﬁts of getting this right. “For example, Bay of Plenty Regional Council is interested in how forage crops and pasture can be established on the rolling country around Lake Rotorua without the usual cultivation and with minimal soil and nutrient losses.”

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Page 32

Balancing each nutrient with the others Ray Shearer, who farms at Kihikihi, had been looking for a better way for 60 years and has been using the Kiwi Fertiliser for 10 years.

Ray produces bales of diverse pastures that sell for a 100 per cent premium. They cost twice as much as other bales because the nutrition is excellent. Dry matter of 50 per cent is achieved within two days of mowing almost any time of the year. Yield averages

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23 tonnes per hectare of high-quality bales. We’ve been told you cannot get high yield of high-quality produce as they are mutually exclusive. Think about it. If plants struggle to make yield it must be because they are nutritionally challenged. Supply the nutrition and the yield will increase. When crops mature, under those circumstances they can be left longer without loss of quality. The plants remain green to the ground with minimal dying leaves. Three-leaved ryegrass tillers are common, but you can do better despite what you read in the literature. Five green leaves are attained if you correctly fertilise the soil.

Tissue samples

Ray takes tissue samples of all his harvests, both as crops and as baleage. The interesting thing is they all test nominally low in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium when measured. These are the same nutrients the fertiliser industry constantly pushes at farmers year-after-year. Are yields improving? Is the quality of the pasture or produce improving? Is the animal health improving? If you are following “industry best practice” the answers will all be “no”. But that is the sales pitch. That is the mantra. At Kiwi Fertiliser we do add nitrogen, phosphate and potassium with some applications, but not at the expense of calcium, magnesium, sulphur, manganese, copper, boron, selenium, cobalt, zinc, molybdenum and even iron, sodium and chloride. Each nutrient has its place. But if some nutrients are

too high, the plant will struggle to get enough of something else. Averages or ranges have nothing to do with it. Knowing what is high or low is not as simple as looking at a tissue sample for the answers. They are simply not there, as each soil has its own correct ﬁngerprint based on its total exchange capacity. Balancing each nutrient with the others is the key. It is not how high the nutrients are in the plants that counts, but the balance of each one to the other. For example, nitrogen adversely affects boron, calcium, potassium and zinc. On the other hand, magnesium, molybdenum, phosphorus and sulphur will affect nitrogen. Copper and nitrogen affect each other. Phosphorus will affect boron, potassium, molybdenum, nitrogen and zinc. Aluminium will affect phosphorus. Calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and manganese all have a two-way relationship with phosphorus. Potassium affects calcium and zinc. Nitrogen, chlorine and phosphorus affect potassium.

Soil microbes

Boron, iron, magnesium, manganese and sodium all have a two-way relationship with potassium. Note that chlorine adversely affects potassium, yet potassium chloride is the default product for most potassium applications. Many of the fertiliser products commonly used are detrimental to the soil microbes. These creatures are another misunderstood key element to good soil nutrition, along with soil structure and pH.

Ray Shearer’s diverse pastures at Kihikihi test well over 20 brix.

FERTILISER

Page 33

The fertiliser industry 30 years ago over marketing this product, calling it Foremost Green and the price went to $15 and got to $39/ tonne at one stage. It had about $45 worth of lime, sulphur and boron. Foremost Fertilisers used it to make dicalcium phosphate products, but when the dairy factory stopped using coal from Pirongia in the late-1990s they had to go to other lime sources. This was the fertiliser industry I entered 30 years ago, and controversy and confusion over fertilisers back then was no different to what it is today – except products

This month I celebrate 30 years of running my own business doing soil testing and providing independent fertiliser advice to farmers. Back in April 1989 liquid fertilisers were commonly used. Products such as Maxicrop, Reaction, Response Black Label, Plant Plasma, Premium Black Gold, Moana Fish Fertiliser and Nitrosol had become popular alternative options when fertiliser subsidies on superphosphate-based products were removed in 1983. Some dairy farmers who had experienced animal metabolic problems such as bloat and milk fever from excesses of P and K, found after changing to these liquid products the animal health problems went away. However, these were never going to be a long term solution because these liquid products could never economically maintain soil fertility. Following the prolonged Maxicrop court case where the judge went in favour of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries scientists, their popularity started to wane.

Urea

research investigating their efﬁcacy at that time. The ﬁrst RPR on the market was Duraphos, sold by Wrightons for a couple of years in the late-1980s, which was Arad rock from Israel. Then about 14 farmers, mainly from the King Country and Gisborne region, got together and formed Norphos, which imported Sechura RPR from Peru, which was the top performing RPR from MAF trial work.

RPR fertilisers

The superphosphate companies imported the black North Carolina rock, which they also used to make up Longlife super, but as a RPR it was also a good performing rock. Due to its high cadmium content it was taken off the market in the late-1990s. RPR fertilisers sold for around $180/tonne back then, so as a form of P they were about 30 per cent cheaper on the ground. In 1990 Bert Quin started importing RPR from Egypt under the brand Quinphos. A few Hamilton-based fertiliser companies existed in the 1980s too. JD Wrights, which later morphed into Agricorp, was based in Te Rapa and made organic blends of RPR, Rotokawa sulphur, serpentine, lime and biosolid material. Natumix worked out of Matangi making a blend of burned lime from the cement work, and then there was Sechura RPR.

Spraying 20 litres/ha of an 8:5:5 NPK was only giving 1.6kg/ha N, and 1kg/ha each of P and K, so inevitably nutrient reserves were mined and pasture productivity would fall. For a dairy farmer Lime Ash producing 800kg/ha MS, maintenance Another byproduct available in 1989 P is 32kg/ha and K is 60kg/ha, so using was Lime Ash from the Te Awamutu a liquid fertiliser meant only a tiny dairy factory, which used the high fraction of maintenance was being prosulphur containing coal from Pirongia. vided. Such products were commonly Lime was put into the chimney stack sold for around $600/200 litre drum, screens to absorb the sulphur, which which at 20 litres/ha worked out to was a cause for acid rain. This product be $60/ha. was a very quick-acting lime but also Back then urea was hardly used at all, contained about four per cent sulphur but cost around $400/tonne, superand one per cent boron, and at $6/ phosphate $160/tonne and potassium tonne was very good value. Foremost chloride around $350/tonne. Today Fertilisers then started up and took urea is about 50 per cent more expensive and superphosphate and potash about double these prices. So for the liquid fertiliser with a CPAg MBSPC NPK rating of 8:5:5, when Independent Agronomy & applied at 20 litres/ha, gave about $5 of nutrients Soil Fertility Consultant compared to solid fertilisers – so were about 10 times more expensive as a nutrient source, hence the criticism by MAF soil scientist Doug Edmeades on ‘Fair Go’ in 1985 which sparked the Maxicrop court case. In the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, the main fertiliser supplier was BOP Fertilisers, whereas in the King Country, Farmers Fert, based out of New Plymouth, competed with BOP Fertilisers. Reactive Phosphate Rock fertilisers were also coming onto the scene and there was a ﬂurry of

Robin Boom

and companies have changed. Being independent I was able to sort out the wheat from the chaff, and guide clients into what their land and livestock really needed based on soil and herbage test data. For a number of loyal clients I’ve been part of their business success for more than 25 years – and I still enjoy the challenge of getting them best value for money from whatever products are in the marketplace. Robin Boom, CPAg, member of the Institute of Professional Soil Scientists. Ph: 0274448764. Email: agronomics@xtra.co.nz

COUNTRY LIVING

Keeping history alive In 2017 author Renée Hollis interviewed 120 people above the age of 100, living in every region of New Zealand.

N U O TR

Along the way she met opera singers and farmers, a politician and a racing car driver, a nun and a freedom ﬁghter with Gandhi, and even a member of Hip Operation — the oldest hip-hop group in the world. The end result is a book titled ‘Keepers of History - New Zealand Centenarians Tell Their Stories’ which was launched last month by Exisle Publishing. Renee says her goal in compiling the book was to preserve NZ history by sharing the stories and memories of our eldest citizens. She wants all people to value the elderly and to read and appreciate their stories and contribution to our society. Most importantly, she wants to ensure they are not forgotten “and do not become invisible in our communities, but instead are honoured and celebrated”. From the everyday to the extraordinary, this book shares the stories of people who have lived through history and whose message of resilience has so much to offer the generations that have followed. Thanks to Exisle Publishing, Coast & Country News has a copy of ‘Keepers of History’ by Renée Hollis to give away.

N NIE

Page 34

‘Keepers of History’ by Renée Hollis is the book prize for April. To be in to win, email captions for the photo on the left, and send with your name and address with Country Funnies as the subject line to merle@sunmedia. co.nz Or put these details on the back of an envelope and post to Country Funnies, PO Box 240, Tauranga 3140 to arrive by April 18. The winner of the February Country Funnies caption is Margaret Miers of Taupiri for her caption: “Hey Al. Did you pack a da hairdryer? I can’t do nufﬁnk wid ma hair t’day”. She wins a copy of the book ‘Cluck. A book of happiness for chicken lovers’ written by Freya Haanen.

Collating data from NZ’s biggest ever bee study Biosecurity New Zealand experts are evaluating a huge amount of data collected from the largest and most detailed study of honey bee health ever undertaken in NZ. The organisation has completed sampling for the Bee Pathogen

Programme, with more than 60 beekeepers participating by having hives tested every six months for two-and-a-half years. BNZ senior scientist Dr Richard Hall says the research will provide a wealth of valuable information

to the beekeeping industry. “The programme will help us better understand the effect that diseases, climate and apiary management practices have on colony losses and productivity,” says Richard. Study conclusions are due late-2019.

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COUNTRY LIVING

Page 35

Proposed tax changes worry rural folk There will be a lot of worried New Zealanders as a result of the Government’s efforts to re-engineer our tax system – and we’re not talking about the wealthy. There are 403,883 properties in NZ that are larger than 4500m2 and perhaps 50,000 of those are farms. That suggests a large number are lifestyle blocks – a home on a big section with some fruit trees and a vege garden. A lifestyle, not a business. It could be the three-bedroom house on two acres in Wyndham, Southland, listed on TradeMe with an asking price of $260,000. The owner may be hoping the proceeds will be enough to secure a room in a retirement village. It could be the home on two acres at Ruatangata, near Whangarei, which is on the market for offers

above $249,000. It won’t matter that the property is a modest home in need of TLC that may suit someone who can’t afford Auckland prices. Under a Capital Gains Tax, the Government will grab 33 per cent of the gains when these modest properties are sold – even though for those families it is their family home. It will penalise people who may be more hard-scrabble than hard-nosed. At the same time the multi-million dollar family home in Remuera and Oriental Bay will be tax-free, but those New Zealanders who choose to buy a block on the outskirts of town get punished. How is that fair? Lifestyle block owners will be treated with the same disregard as farmers. Many farmers don’t feel rich after a lifetime of toiling on the soil. Any gains are likely to be the result of years of hard work. But a lifestyler won’t be thinking about the returns on a farm. They could have a palatial country estate or a modest version of the good life. The Government will take one-third of any gain either way. The Tax Working Group claimed that the family

home will be exempt but that exception is taken away for anyone who lives on a section of more than 4500m2. The reality is, that’s a little over half a rugby ﬁeld. Those people are now in the Government’s sights. Even the family home on a smaller section isn’t protected. Anyone who has taken in ﬂatmates or boarders to help pay their mortgage

could find it that much harder to make it work. Anyone running a business from home will be fretting about whether they are building a future or creating a future tax liability. National will fight the proposed tax grab every step of the way. We’ll repeal a Capital Gains Tax and we will not introduce any new taxes in our first term.

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COUNTRY LIVING

Page 36

Helping ease arthritic joints – Part 1 I’m often asked whether cartilage lost through osteoarthritis can regenerate through taking supplements. Maybe I can answer this with an example.

Last year I received a call from a man in his late-60s with osteoarthritis in his knees. This really affected his mobility and reduced his quality of life. I put him on an anti-inflammatory eating plan and added two supplements. The first was Omega 3 fish oil at therapeutic doses. I then added my

New enhanced formula

joint formula at a double dose. This meant he was taking 1600mg of high grade chondroitin and 1600 of glucosamine with 400mg of high potency 95 per cent curcumin turmeric extract. Within three months the swelling had gone down and the pain was abating. Now, six months later, he’s regained his mobility and can now enjoy the recreational pastimes he had previously stopped. The evidence that cartilage damaged by arthritis can signiﬁcantly regenerate is poor. There is evidence that high doses of chondroitin can help cartilage but it seems once your cartilage is lost then it is gone.

This, of course, begs the question as to why his knees improved so much. There is good evidence that high levels of chondroitin can help improve the function of whatever cartilage remains. It does this by giving the specialised cells, called chondrocytes, which maintain cartilage the raw materials to improve cartilage function. However, most of the improvements are likely from reducing inﬂammation within the joint capsule. Curcumin from turmeric,

chondroitin sulphate and EPA from fish oil are very anti-inflammatory. Shutting down these inflammatory processes can help reduce swelling, fluid build-up and subsequently make joints more comfortable. The best approach is to contact me for a personalised joint health programme. John Arts (B.Soc.Sci, Dip Tch, Adv.Dip.Nut.Med) is a nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health Ltd. For questions or advice contact John on 0800 423559 or email: john@abundant.co.nz Join his all new newsletter at: www.abundant.co.nz

Learn online how to identify myrtle rust

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The plant fungus can be hard to identify without training and can look different during seasonal changes. The new online training modules provide resources to better understand the fungus and its symptoms, according to Biosecurity NZ’s manager for recovery and pest management, John Sanson. “The courses are available to everyone and cover how it spreads, what to do if you find it and climatic factors that influence myrtle rust,” says John. The courses provide guidance for people interested in learning more about myrtle rust in NZ – and DOC and Biosecurity NZ have also developed a new website as a central place to house resources and information at: www.myrtlerust.org.nz “We’re trying to understand the spread of the disease so are asking staff and the public to keep an eye out for myrtle rust over the autumn months,” says John. New Zealand’s precious native myrtle plants including pohutukawa, rata, manuka, kanuka and ramarama are vulnerable to the disease. The fungus, which is mainly spread by wind, generally infects shoots, buds, and young leaves of myrtle plants. Infected plants show typical symptoms including bright yellow powdery spots on the underside of leaves but can also show other symptoms such as grey powdery spots during cooler months. DOC’s project manager for myrtle rust, Fiona Thomson, says the website is an excellent tool for the public to learn what myrtle plants look like, how to spot myrtle rust and what to do when you find infected plants. “The more eyes looking out for myrtle rust, the better we can monitor this disease and protect our precious myrtles,” says Fiona. If you think you see symptoms of myrtle rust, especially in areas where it has not yet been found, remember to not touch the plant or collect samples, but take pictures and report it to Biosecurity NZ’s Exotic Pest and Disease Hotline on 0800 80 99 66.

SHEEP & BEEF

Page 37

Champion woolhandler set to retire “Mum taught me the basics, and that ﬁrst season I got a few months of intensive training from Tina Rimene, who at the time was one of the best woolhandlers around. She taught me and others the ropes, and told us that her goal was to train the youngest world champion woolhandler.” Joel loved the work and hasn’t looked back since those early days in the woolshed. “I’d happily be in the woolshed all day watching and learning. I would’ve worked for nothing.”

World champion woolhandler Joel Henare is stepping back from competitions, so he can spend more time with his young family.

Joel felt that his boys, Keanu, 5, Hikurangi, 4, and Lee, 3), were missing out – so for 2019 he’ll only attend premier events like Golden Shears, and no longer chase regional open titles. At the Golden Shears in Masterton last month he was eliminated from selection contention for the Shearing Sports NZ team for the championships in Le Dorat, Central France, on July 1-7. But Joel, who is from Gisborne but grew up in the woolsheds of Central Otago and now lives in Motueka, says he’s done “everything I wanted to do”. “I could have gone on to set records and do more, but I felt the time was right to step back from competition. Now I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family.”

AJoel Henare scoring his 100th Open class win at Golden Shears 2018. Photo credit: Pete Nikolaison.

titles, world championships individual and teams’ titles in 2012 and 2017, and a record six consecutive Golden Shears open titles. Joel’s been around woolsheds for as long as he can remember, with mum Greta Davoren a woolhandler as well. Getting expelled from school at age 12 turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it provided the springboard for his successful woolhandling career.

100 open titles

The 27-year-old has racked up more than 100 open titles in his 12-year career – the second woolhandler to do so first competed when he – and ﬁ was just 12 years old. His stellar career includes his first open-class woolhandling win ﬁ at age 15, a record of more than 100 wins, including four world Right: Joel Henare won the Golden Shears Open Woolhandling title in 2018.

Mum

He went to work in the woolsheds with his mum, and continued his education via correspondence.

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Getting to be a world champion was the result of hard work and dedication, says Joel, who sought out the advice of master woolhandlers to “pick their brains” and organised his jobs so he could work alongside experts to see how they did things. “Woolhandling is a part of me, and something I grew to be good at. I’ve stuck at it because of all the great people I’ve met, and being on the stage and seeing the joy people get from watching us is great. I don’t do it for myself.” Josephine Reader

Page 38

SHEEP & BEEF

Ahuwhenua finalists host field days The three ﬁnalists for 2019’s Ahuwhenua Trophy contest for the top Maori sheep and beef farm will all hold ﬁeld days this month.

Whangara Farms, situated 35km north of Gisborne, has a public ﬁeld day on April 4 from 9am-3.30pm at Whangara Marae, 368 Pa Rd, Pouawa. Meet 8.30am for a 9am powhiri. Whangara Farms is a partnership of three Maori Incorporations. In 2006, Whangara B5 and Pakarae A and Other Blocks formed the original partnership. In 2015, Tapuwae Whitiwhiti joined and Whangara Farms Partnership was established.

The farm is 8500ha, with 6900ha effective, and has 75,000 stock units – of 45,000 sheep and 30,000 cattle being run on a good balance of ﬂat and steep land. The judges highlighted the partnership is “based on trusted relationships, quality information, regular contact and clear expectations provides economies of scale to achieve greater beneﬁt for all”; has “continuous process of innovation and improvement using science and technology applied to farming systems”; and “strong environmental focus with land use decisions closely aligned with farming practices”. They also said the “annual Values Day involving staff and governors builds shared commitment to the partnership’s vision and grows team culture”.

The team at Whangara farms.

Te Awahohonu Forest Trust’s Gwavas Station, 50km west of Hastings, has a public field day on April 11, from 9am-3.30pm at 5740 State Highway 50, Tikokino. Meet 8.30am for a 9am powhiri. The trust bought Gwavas Station at auction in February 2011 and it has undergone a significant development programme since. Gwavas Station is 1000ha and the trust leases a further 178ha of adjoining land, combining to provide an effective farming area of 989ha. The farm winters nearly 12,000 stock units – about 50 per cent cattle and 50 per cent sheep. Gwavas is farmed as an intensive dry land finishing property that compliments the Tarawera Station breeding operation. Between 14,000 -16,000 lambs and about 800 cattle are

finished annually. The judges highlighted the operation has: “strong governance with trustee succession strategies to maintain knowledge and develop new leaders”; “clear focus on finishing with good pasture and animal management to add value to the wider business”; “well defined business plan with clear process for budget setting, review and reforecasting in short and long term”; and “benefits of investment in soil fertility, pasture improvement, fencing programme and stock water reticulation are now being realised”. Kiriroa Station, owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Eugene and Pania King, 70km northwest of Gisborne, has a public field day on April 18, from 9am-3.30pm at 253 Motu Rd, Matawai. Meet 8.30am for a 9am powhiri.

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SHEEP & BEEF Right: The Te Awahohonu Forest Trust, which owns Gwavas Station. Below: Eugene and Pania King, who own and operate Kiriroa Station.

3800 stock units – 40 per cent cattle and 60 per cent sheep. Judges say: “Environmental leadership on farm and in their community showing what vision, collaboration and hard mahi can achieve”, that the Kings “hold family values central to the way the farming business operates now and into the future”; “very strong financial performance based on excellent management of pastures and stock” and “high level of performance achieved through good advice, sound decision making and attention to detail”. Inaugurated in 1933 by renowned Maori leader, Sir Apirana Ngata, and Governor General Lord Bledisloe, the Ahuwhenua Trophy is the most prestigious award for excellence in Maori farming. The objective was and still is to encourage Maori farmers to improve their land and their overall farmFor 12 years the Kings farmed in a whanau partnering position as kaitiaki. ship – all aiming to one day own their own farms. In On a three-year rotation, the trophy is competed for 2013 Eugene and Pania decided they’d built enough by Maori farmers in the sheep and beef, horticulture equity to finally go out on their own. After a yearand dairy sectors. long search, they found Kiriroa. In March 2014 they The trophy winner for 2019 will be announced moved to Motu. at an awards dinner at Gisborne Showgrounds and The property is 483ha, with 357ha effective, trading Events Centre on May 24. For more on the field cattle and finishing all stock on-farm and wintering days, see: www.ahuwhenuatrophy.maori.nz

Live video of bull sale at Waipukurau

C1904kdrauriki

Owners of Rauriki Charolais, Simon and Wendy Collin, have been breeding Charolais cattle since 2004 when they purchased their ﬁrst females and put them on their hill country farm just south of Waipukurau. “We’ve purchased a new sheep and cattle farm, and we decided that we could see some real potential in increasing the breeding operation of our Charolais herd,” says Simon. “We now have some scope and scale to help fulﬁl that potential.” Rauriki Charolais is holding their second annual sale at the property on Tuesday, May 28, starting at 2pm. They will be offering 25 rising two-year-old bulls for sale. Prior to the sale, they’re holding an open day on Tuesday, May 14, from 11am to 2pm. The open day will allow prospective buyers to come and have a look at the bulls and

ask any questions.“We’ve picked the top 25 bulls from a crop of 40. “They’ve been bred on the hills so are sound, hardy animals,” says Simon. The sale will be conducted via video in the sale ring and the bulls will be close by so buyers can look them over prior to bidding. The video of the bulls for sale will be up on Rairiki Charolais’

website for three weeks before the sale and live on the day of the sale. Rauriki Charolais are bred for their muscling soundness, softness of carcass, temperament and excellent weight gains. Dairy farmers crossbreed them with their cows to produce calves with heightened vigour, lower birth weights for easy calving, and greater weight gains.

Simon Collin with Rauriki Charolais cows and spring calves.

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Turning the focus towards new season With a continued focus on grower returns, Just Avocados has delivered positive outcomes through placement of New Zealand avocados in the international marketplace. “With the 2018/2019 New Zealand avocado season behind us, we’re now planning the 2019/20 season,” says Darling Group’s general manager of group sales and marketing, Jacob Darling. “We’re still awaiting an industry crop estimate to be released, but the discussion internally and in the ﬁeld suggests this year’s crop will be up on last year. “Some indicative numbers suggest 4-4.5 million export trays.” Although the overall per-tray export outcome will be below initial expectations due to a challenging tail end market in Australia, Jacob says Just Avocados is very pleased with its Orchard Gate Return for the

2018/2019 season. “In summarising, Just Avocados has achieved three strategic goals, which we believe have had the greatest inﬂuence on our ability to maximise grower returns,” says Jacob. “These are supplying retail in Australia directly; growth in new market development in Asia, increasing our supply from 20 per cent to a total of 28 per cent; and stock management control and speed to market through our new business model in Australia. “Reduced fruit age means better quality fruit at market – and happy customers!” Last season, Just Avocados had 65 per cent of its total volume go into Australian retail – Jacob says this is a milestone considering where they’ve come from in the last three years. “The season review with retail was very positive. Another very positive outcome is our average fruit speed age to retail in Australia. “Our numbers indicate an average speed to retail of 21 days – with the shortest time period being 16 days – something we

know our growers are beneﬁting from through our new third-party logistics model.

“Control of the whole cool chain is critical in delivering premium quality fruit.”

Darling Group’s general manager of group sales and marketing, Jacob Darling.

Fruit fly update Biosecurity New Zealand is “zeroing in” on Northcote on Auckland’s North Shore to detect Queensland fruit flies and increasing their operational response after two more male flies were found in the suburb around mid-March. The two latest finds bring the total find to six as at March 20. Head of Biosecurity NZ, Roger Smith, says the latest finds mean an expansion of Zone A in Northcote and associated restrictions on the movement of fruit, vegetables and green waste. Zone A now extends south to the bottom of the Northcote Point. “Our teams on the ground will be removing fallen fruit from backyards, inspecting compost bins, and placing bait on fruit trees to attract and kill adult flies, in particular females. “The bait is made up of a protein to attract adult fruit flies, and a very low concentration of insecticide to kill the flies. It’s similar to how people bait wasps in their backyards.” Roger says no further finds of Queensland fruit fly have eventuated in Devonport since the only find there on February 14 – and no further Facialis fruit flies have been found in Otara, in South Auckland.

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AVOCADOS

Refocusing NZ on what really matters Last century, the Government’s budget reading was listened to avidly by most of New Zealand on the radio. In recent years, the budget has become something of little signiﬁcance to New Zealanders, with many of the policy announcements and changes being preannounced. Another reason the budget has become of

less importance to New Zealanders is that the Government does not have as much say in the financial viability of the country. We are a nation that relies on trading our goods overseas and as such, it is the global economy that impacts on NZ. Our Government just doesn’t have that much impact on the global economy. Our trading conditions are dictated to us by the countries we sell our goods and services to. This has the potential to change, with the first wellbeing budget to be delivered on May 30, 2019. Wellbeing budgets measure much more than just the financial. They are about us and our communities. A wellbeing budget, therefore, has the ability to have a direct impact on every New Zealander and make changes to our lives. This is a significant step away from a budget that deals with income and expenditure only, and it will be NZ’s first wellbeing budget, covering the four capitals: natural capital, social capital, financial capital, and human capital. Horticulture NZ’s vision is: ‘healthy food for all forever’. This vision links in with the

wellbeing budget and the four capitals. It enables a conversation about some of the important issues facing horticulture that are vital ingredients for sustainable growing This includes the Resource Management Act that enables fruit and vegetable growing; recognition that growing enough healthy food to feed NZ is vital for NZ’s long-term sustainability; developing a food supply/security policy for NZ; and recognising that water storage is essential. Natural capital needs to recognise our unique climate and soils, the storage and use of water, and water quality. It includes the protection of high-value growing land from urban encroachment and the recognition that healthy food needs to have a tailor-made regime under the Resource Management Act to enable sustainable production. In rural NZ, horticulture makes a signiﬁcant contribution to social capital. A large number of people are employed in horticul-

ture, more than in the dairy industry. As horticulture is co-located with towns and cities, it promotes vibrant communities and businesses. Our industry is an integral part of these communities and contributes to social stability with employment. For human capital, horticulture’s most signiﬁcant contribution is healthy food that promotes better human health, and with a healthy lifestyle, less reliance on the health system. Consumers are increasingly moving to diets with a high plant base. As more people eat more vegetables as part of their daily food intake, horticulture becomes a much more signiﬁcant force for human capital. Going forward, the skilled jobs in horticulture and our employment of New Zealanders will contribute directly to NZ’s human capital. The expectation is that Budget 2019 will promote our vision, healthy food for all forever, and refocus NZ on what really matters.

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Strict adherence to fruit quality required Asian markets continue to perform strongly for Avoco, although increased competition from other avocado-growing nations means strict adherence to fruit quality and continued promotional investment will be central to New Zealand’s long-term success there. The 2018-2019 export season for New Zealand avocados ﬁnished in February, with Avoco handling 63 per cent of the industry’s crop. The export marketing group shipped 80 per cent of its avocados to Australia with the remaining volume distributed across Asia under the Avanza brand.

Signiﬁcant demand

Signiﬁcant demand and value for avocados in Korea meant that Avoco made Korea a priority market, shipping more than 124,000 trays during a 22-week period, says Avoco marketing and communications manager Steve Trickett. “Although the USA dominated the Korean market last season with on-season Californian avocados, New Zealand’s supply still made up nine per cent of total imports and appealed to consumers who were willing to pay a premium price for largesized, high quality fruit.” Total imports reached 2.1 million trays from all origins – up 94 per cent on the previous year, which is a sure sign that Korean diets are becoming more internationally diverse, says Steve. “Using our Avanza brand, we’ve invested a lot in educating consumers on how to prepare avocados in various dishes as well as upskill fruit handlers and retail staff on how to correctly ripen our NZ avocados.

“This proven, two-pronged approach means we have quality fruit presented in store that consumers value over and above what they would pay for fruit from Mexico or the USA.” Avoco shipped 91,000 trays to Japan in 2018-2019 – up from 75,500 trays on the previous year. The volume represented 96 per cent of New Zealand’s exports to Japan and, while Avanza is the dominant NZ brand in the market, Japan remains highly competitive with avocados arriving from the USA, Chile, Peru and Mexico at various times during the season. Steve says Avoco’s main competitor is Mexico due to a seasonal supply window that sees NZ and Mexican fruit jostling for the consumer’s attention at the same time. Avocado tasting events and social media activity lifted the proﬁle of Avanza avocados and purposefully drove home the message that not all avocados are created equal. “Increasingly, we’re wanting to change perceptions that avocados from any origin are the same by highlighting how the unique qualities of NZ fruit should make them the consumer’s ﬁrst avocado of choice,” says Steve.

quality will be critical to ongoing business in Asia, especially China where wealthy discerning consumers demand the best for themselves and their young families. “For us to deliver on the Avanza consumer promise, our growers must pay strict attention to their orchard

inputs and spray programmes to be allmarket compliant. “This way, we can more reliably allocate fruit to Asian’s developing markets and generate greater returns to the pool, with everybody in the supply chain being challenged to improve performance and meet this objective.”

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Focus on our food future

We’re taking a close look. Why? Because quality matters. AVOCO is taking a close look at every step in our supply chain to improve quality and returns. From the orchard to the packhouse, to shipping and in-market handling. Our fruit needs to arrive to our customers in world-class condition.

We’re all in this together, every step of the way. avoco.co.nz

CC0219

A new website has been launched for the Horticulture Conference 2019, with the theme ‘Our food future’, on from July 31-August 2 at Mystery Creek, Hamilton. Horticulture NZ chief executive Mike Chapman says every day we hear more about how consumers worldwide are seeking a healthy diet, rich in plant-based food. “This presents fantastic opportunities for NZ horticulture, with increased demand for our premium food.” But while the industry is growing rapidly and demand for NZ’s healthy food is high, “challenges are not insigniﬁcant as we battle for growing land, access to water, and enough people to keep us growing”. “As we look at ‘Our food future’, the theme of the 2019 Horticulture Conference, we need to focus on solutions and some of them need to be found fast. “Some solutions will come from better collaboration, and others will come from being creators and early adopters of science, technology and innovation. “One thing we know for sure, is we need to be able to grow food not only for an increasing NZ population but also for an increasing worldwide population. “Our food needs to be safe, healthy, environmentally sustainable and affordable. “We want you to come to our conference to join the big conversations – to see and hear about what is being done to enable and enhance our food future, and to be an active part of that future.” Registration for the conference is now open. See more at: https://conferences.co.nz/hortnz2019/

X FORESTRY

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Turning pasture to pine for the future It’s more than 800 hectares of rolling hills that functioned as pasture out in Manawahe, and it’s now co-owned by Viv Barr and Robin Barkla.

The view of Kawerau from the possible skid site on Viv Barr’s land.

But the time has come for Viv to sell part of her stake in the pasture and turn a small section from pasture to lush pine. “In 2005 my husband Alan, or ‘AJ’, and I went into an equity partnership and bought more than 900ha of land here under four titles with two other couples, so there were six of us in the partnership,” says Viv. “We named the land ‘Vista Farms’.

Viv Barr addressing a gathering of advisors, with Bay of Plenty Farm Forestry Association’s chair Graham West looking over notes. “The land was previously, a long time ago, used for drystock. It had been covered in pine since 1981. “We quickly sold 68ha out of that 900-plus block, which was physically separated from the rest of the land,” says Viv. “The partnership changed in the coming years, and in 2011 there were only three of us sharing Vista Farms – my husband, myself and Robin. “In the ﬁrst seven years the trees were felled, the land was cleared, fenced, water was put in for stock, yards were built and the grazing pasture was restored. Stock came on as dairy grazers and Vista Farms bought its own stock as well.” But when tragedy struck in the form of her husband’s death in 2014, Viv decided it was time to take stock and look at her own options. “In 2014, leukemia took his life. He was 56. “Robin and I have continued on with Vista Farms but I’ve taken a very backseat role – Robin is the person that does all the operations here.” Viv has three children – one, she says, that is interested in farming and running the 110ha dairy farm 20km away, and two who have non-farming occupations and area “very happy about their brother being on a fourth generation dairy farm”.

The land that Viv co-owns with Robin will be split. Viv wants to hold on to about 112ha for herself, including 20ha of six-year-old pines and an additional 20ha of natives that will go into a QEII covenant, as well as a ﬂat skid site at the top of the farm for a possible house site in future. And it’s no wonder she wants to hold on to it, with it’s vista views of Whale Island on one side, and the fantastic geothermal clouds of Kawerau on the other. But the rest of the land? Well, Viv wants to turn about 50ha of her chunk of land into further radiata pines. So the investigating into turning pasture to pine begins. “I want to keep Vista Farms in the family,” says Viv, “and create a valuable asset”. If Viv does go ahead with her plan to plant pines, she has a few different options up her sleeve.

Options

Heather Miller from Te Uru Rakau says the One Billion Trees scheme could benefit Viv with it’s grants and year-round funding rounds. There are a few different ways to go about getting funding through the One Billion Trees scheme, depending on what the land that you want to plant on is like, what trees you are planning to plant, and where the land is. Carbon credits is another option for her to utilise in order to make her pines profitable. Jeff Tombleson of J.Tombleson and Associates advises that Viv wait until 2020 to begin planting her trees, and for good reason. “For plantations established after January 1, 2020, an improved carbon accounting method called averaging is proposed that will approximately double the low risk carbon but can be claimed in the first rotation only,” says Jeff. This means the carbon payout for pine changes from January next year, providing legislation is passed as planned this year. So Viv consulted with members of the Bay of Plenty Farm Forestry Association at a field on her property in March and is now weighing up her options. But at the end of the day, her intentions are pure – for the future and for her family. “I know how short life is now after losing my husband, so I do intend to be here for quite a while but what if I’m not? And how would the family dairy farm go forward to my son and successive generations, without creating off-farm investment now?” “That’s the main reason I’m trying to do something here,” says Viv. Cayla Euinton

FORESTRY

Page 45

Aiming to automate tasks after felling Boosting forest productivity, technology, safety and skills and reducing environmental impacts are at the heart of a newly-launched forestry programme in New Zealand. Te Mahi Ngahere I te Ao Hurihuri – Forestry Work in the Modern Age is a new $29.3 million, seven-year collaboration between Forest Growers Research Ltd, a consortium of forest owners and forestry machinery manufacturers, and the Ministry for Primary Industries. It has its sights on developing a new in-forest harvesting and log sorting system specific to our country’s forests, using automation and robotics – a first for NZ. Forest Growers Research chief MPI’s director investment FGR chief executive Russell Dale says technology executive Russell Dale. programmes Steve Penno. is increasingly important in improving safety, skills and productivity, and protecting the environment. forestry residue management and the associated reduc“Our industry relies on people, but labour shortages and rising costs in hartion in forest harvesting debris, delivering water quality vesting forests and transporting logs are holding the industry back and reducing management benefits, and using less chemical fumigaour ability to grow. “Our new programme with MPI aims to automate the tasks tion through introducing onsite debarking, and fewer after felling that have traditionally required substantial labour. These include log earthworks. branding, log sorting and scaling. The programme will potentially enable harvesting of “We also want boost the efficiency of forestry operations, take people away from an additional 1.65 million cubic metres of wood that hazardous harvesting roles, and give them the skills they need for the future.” would otherwise be uneconomic to harvest, valued

Sustainable beneﬁts

MPI’s Director Investment Programmes Steve Penno says at the heart of the new programme is creating sustainable beneﬁts for NZ, by delivering economic, environmental and social outcomes. “This new programme brings key industry players together to tackle common challenges facing our forestry industry, and will deliver solutions that keep people safe, and boost their skills and capability,” says Steve. “It’ll also help to bridge the gap between demand for our logs and the shortfall in labour. All of these are essential for a thriving forestry industry. “The social, environmental, and economic outcomes expected under the programme are at the core of the Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures programme we launched last year.” FGR’s harvesting programme manager Keith Raymond says as harvesting shifts to forests planted in the 1990s and onto steeper land in smaller, more isolated holdings, the industry faces the challenge of reducing costs and improving efﬁciency to maintain our international competitiveness. “Current technology and processes mean logs are handled between eight and 12 times before they’re loaded for export. This adds time and cost.

Fundamental shift

“Unless we make a fundamental shift in our forest harvesting operations, NZ may have difﬁculty meeting demand and remaining competitive. We believe our programme can deliver this shift. “It will also help to maintain good momentum in forestry innovations and keep NZ at the forefront.” MPI and the industry partners are ﬁnalising the programme’s contract, which is expected to deliver operational cost savings across industry of $27.5 million per annum by 2025, increasing to $76.8 million per annum by 2031. MPI is investing up to $11.7 million over the life of Te Mahi Ngahere I te Ao Hurihuri – Forestry Work in the Modern Age, and the industry co-investors, FGR Ltd and the Forest Value Chain Consortium, are investing around $17.6 million.

Environmental beneﬁts

The programme has four work streams: developing new, portable forest harvesting and logistics products from design through to prototype development and testing, including a new centralised log sorting hub; improving forestry residue management and debarking; identifying specialist skills and knowledge required to operate new products, and provide training and support for forest workers; commercialising and deploying the programme’s new systems and processes. Environmental beneﬁts will include better

at $190 million per annum. Te Mahi Ngahere I te Ao Hurihuri – Forestry Work in the Modern Age follows the successful Steepland Harvesting programme led by FGR, which acted as a catalyst for a new wave of innovation in harvesting on steep land. That programme delivered a range of new harvesting technologies for felling and extraction on steep land; and made signiﬁcant headway towards removing workers from the hazardous job of harvesting on steep land.

Page 46

HARVESTING & PASTURE RENOVATION

Pasture management practices at Pokuru In their early-20s, Pete Morgan, and his wife Ann, decided to go farming. They could see the life, challenges and rewards they were looking for but wanted to run a farming business based on the best scientiﬁc principles. Both have science backgrounds as Pete studied Ag Science at Massey, and Ann is a qualiﬁed veterinarian. “We were studying through a period where some really key scientists, like Arnold Bryant, were prominent and were putting forward some strong pasture management ideas and principles,” says Pete. “All subsidies had come off and full exposure to the

realities of climate and markets created a whole new world of thinking. It was a great time to establish disciplines.” After sharemilking in the King Country, the couple bought Ann’s Pokuru 125ha family farm, Morlands Farm, in 1999 and have since expanded it to become the 265ha property they run today. In 2017 the couple entered into an equity partnership with friends Pete and Jenny Sinclair. “We milk 660 crossbred cows and use a System 2 production system. The farm has a rolling contour on a light Mairoa Ash soil.” The partnership uses the System 2 model – less than ﬁve per cent bought feed – which suits their skills, interests and lifestyle. The strong focus on

pasture requires less time and effort to physically manage compared with higher input systems. Pete also warns however, that you also must be prepared to take the good with the bad when relying primarily on pasture.

Focus on pasture

or winter oats, followed by spring-planted maize, turnips, chicory or plantain.” The farm has contingency plans with an order of responses carefully laid out to follow, setting up for summer to react smartly. The responses are: First, slow the round as spring surplus period ends and further as autumn feed allows. Second, monitor Average Pasture Cover and intakes carefully to balance feed used with demands on the cows.

“This system requires careful advance planning, and you’re at the absolute mercy of the weather. The reality of drying off early, like this season, is something you must accept.” They’ve planted different AR37 perennial ryes and mixed in cocksfoot on some of the steeper country. The rye performs well until A recently-cut maize conditions dry out and then the cocksfoot silage paddock. sees the rest of the season through, ensuring there is some grass available. “Non-performing paddocks are rested for a year and cropped in autumn with annual rye

Dairy farmer and pasture expert Pete Morgan with ‘Coffee’ – one of his friendly dairy cows. All photos: Catherine Fry.

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2+2 YEAR

L I M I T E DL I M I T E D

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HARVESTING & PASTURE RENOVATION

Utilising System 2 A new efﬂuent pond nearing completion.

Page 47

Dry pastures dominate decisions With most parts of the country affected by dry weather, DairyNZ farm performance general manager Vanessa Winning says March 20 was the cut-off date for substantial rain before farmers consider drying off most cows to secure pasture and ensure cow condition targets are met for next season. “The key thing when managing through the dry is to have some cows in milk when it does rain. Although, there

will be exceptions to this where dry conditions have been a lot more extreme and farmers have had to dry off cows early. “A slow rotation is also needed – this will allow pasture cover to build and pasture growth to be maximised.” And if no signiﬁcant rain is received until April, nitrogen should be applied as soon as possible after rain. DairyNZ advice is at: www.dairynz.co.nz/summer Or: www.dairynz.co.nz/tillertalk

Setting up next season

Crossbred dairy cows eating silage supplement during the dry weather.

All plans and actions for the second half of the season are aimed at setting up the next season, that is achieving their APC, Body Condition Score and feed reserve goals. “These are non-negotiable and production during this period is secondary. This is a hard pill to swallow some years but it’s a critical discipline to maintain in order to have sustainable business.” When Coast & Country News visited in March, there was still some pasture growing thanks to the cocksfoot, and you only had to look at the paddocks to see the difference between recently-grazed and the slight green of the rested ones. The chicory paddocks were a vibrant acid green next to them. The silage pits were low, even with the buffer left from the previous year. “Right now, we are at number seven on the list,” says Pete. “The next decision to dry off cows so they require less food is huge, and not one to be taken lightly.” That decision will depend on BCS, predicted growth, current milk payout compared to the cost and availability of buying in feed.

Good planning

Pete and Ann Morgan, with horse ‘Tumeke’ on Morlands Farm where Ann grew up. Third, time once-a-day milking to retain production and reduce animal and human stresses. Fourth, start de-stocking as early as possible to protect remaining cows. Fifth, use forage crops efﬁciently as they are ready. Sixth, start late-season feed budget in January to plan the remaining season and update weekly. Seventh, use on-farm supplement stores when you’re sure they’ll be utilised well, minimising pasture substitution. Ensure the diet is balanced for the stock needs. Eighth, dry off cows or buy in feed according to feed budget and supplementary cost/ beneﬁt analysis.

“We’ve made the call to use all remaining grass silage with maize during the next three weeks and continue milking at this stage,” said Pete in mid-March. “It’s really important that changes in the feed budget, forecasted production and costs are regularly used to update the ﬁnancial budgets so we can be aware of the impact on income. “On the up side, we might get a few more sleep-ins this winter!” For them, they’re using the most reliable and economic system. They grow and utilise the best quality pasture, and if they get that right, they believe the rest will follow. Good planning is the backbone of the system. It gives you a great framework and helps minimise risk, says Pete. “We love the challenges and rewards of dairying and every season is a new adventure.” Catherine Fry

a iN &

SEED DrESSi

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Page 48

FIELDAYS ® PREVIEW

Fieldays is big business Each year more gumboots – of all fashions and makes – hit the paths that wind around Fieldays, lining thousands of trade sites and attractions, for four days each June.

And more cash comes out of pockets – with Fieldays continuing to make a signiﬁcant impact on the economy both regionally and nationally. A recent independently prepared Economic Impact report states a massive $492m of sales revenue was generated for New Zealand ﬁrms with an impressive $168m generated for businesses in the Waikato region alone. This equates to each of the 130,866 people that came through the gates to Fieldays at Mystery Creek last June generating more than $3700 each.

These figures lead to the event contributing a further $221m towards New Zealand’s GDP from the 2018 event, making a significant impression on the national economy. The Fieldays brand value is determined by direct sales, customer leads and event impact and was determined last year at $488m, an increase on the 2017 figure by $23m. The report also shows Fieldays leads to more than 2000 full-year jobs – both full and part-time – being sustained throughout New Zealand with 860 confirmed for the Waikato region. Overall, it is estimated that 50 years of the Fieldays event has contributed more than $18b in sales revenue and $8b in GDP to the wider NZ economy in total, supporting the event’s title as the largest agricultural event in the Southern Hemisphere. ‘The Economic Impact Report of

Fieldays 2018’ was independently prepared by Dr Warren Hughes and Professor Frank Scrimgeour of the University of Waikato Management School’s Institute of Business Research.

Fieldays 2018 statistics • 130,866 visitors over the four event days. • 1051 exhibitors across 1460 sites. • More than 300 international visitors from 42 counties attended the event. • Contributed $221m to New Zealand’s GDP. • Generated $492m in sales revenue. • Responsible for sustaining more than 2000 full year jobs.

“we make farming ezy”

Overall, it’s estimated that 50 years of Fieldays in Hamilton has contributed more than $18b in sales revenue and $8b in GDP to the wider NZ economy in total.

FIELDAYS ® PREVIEW

Become Fieldays’ next rural catch

Rural singletons – both men and women – have only days left to enter the 2019 Fieldays Rural Catch competition.

agricultural business makes them a catch for any employer, business partner and the wider agindustry. The winner walks away with the title ‘Fieldays Rural The contest offers rural Catch 2019’, an men and women the impressive prize chance to represent the pool worth more farming community in a than $20,000 week-long, all-expensesthanks to sponsors, paid trip from June and the coveted 9-15 to the Southern ‘Golden GumHemisphere’s largest boot’ trophy. agricultural event. All applicants Finalists will compete in must be NZ or daily challenges designed to Winner of the Rural Catch, Mairi Whittle, Australian resitest their skills both on and celebrating at Fieldays 2018. Photo: Supplied by Fieldays. dents, aged 21 or off the farm. above and be employed in the agricultural industry. There’s also opportunity for finalists to mingle and All finalists must have clean criminal records and charm their fans, both at Fieldays and various evenbe single – you must not currently be involved in a ing functions, during the week. Not only are the finalists a catch for any potential committed relationship. Entries close April 9. See: love interest but their rural skills and knowledge of https://fieldays.co.nz/whats-on/ruralcatch/

P3 Earthworks

Page 49 Berny Hall pushing team mate Mairi Whittle, named 2018’s Rural Catch, to victory in the ﬁtness challenge. Photo: Catherine Fry.

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for sale

KIWIFRUIT PLANTS for 2020 season. G3 and green varieties grafted to Bruno root stock. Zespri registered. Grown in greenhouse by experienced horticulturist. Phone 027 429 6090. LASERS FOR SALE, two to choose from. One classic older beach boat, perfect for cruising around the harbour/lake $1,000 ono.

Another highly spec’d Laser, former national champs boat. Been in storage for several years. Heaps of gear, several sails and spares. Also a complete Radial rig and sail, never used. Would suit aspiring racer as this boat has plenty potential. $5000 ono. No beach trailers. Both Lasers in Tauranga. May deliver in BOP-Coromandel. Ph 0274 996 747. PULLETS HY-LINE BROWN, great layers. Phone 07 824 1762 www.eurekapoultryfarm.weebly. com

house sitters

HOUSE SITTING WANTED for active retired couple. We are looking to house sit a farm, lifestyle block or similar. Phone Brian or Julie on 027 206 1605.

trades & services

April 6 LIST YOUR Taste of Matarangi, RURAL EVENT 10am-4.30pm, Matarangi, Coromandel peninsula, HERE! $20 (adult). See: email your listing to: merle@sunmedia.co.nz with ‘Rural Event’ in the subject line.

April 4

The Future of Farming,

9am-2pm, War Memorial Hall, Tirau, with Dr Christine Jones, $50/$80. See: tinyurl. com/y6cvmb6p Plant-based Nutrition for Sport, 6pm, The Distinction Hotel, Rotorua, $27. See: tinyurl.com/yyuy2qlx

April 5

Feast Waikato Progressive

April 15

Waihi. See: tinyurl.com/ y5yt6tz9

Families, 5.45pm, meet Te Aroha i-Site, booking essential. See: tinyurl.com/yysnhthe

April 27

atasteofmatarangi.co.nz

Beginners, 9.30am-12.30pm, The Falls Retreat, Karangahake Gorge, $75. See: www.fallsretreat.co.nz

April 6-7

Composting & Worm

Plant Sales, 9.30am-4pm,

Hamilton Gardens.

April 7

Aongatete Forest Walk, 10am, end of Wright Rd (off SH2 south of Katikati), gold coin. See: tinyurl.com/yy68c9k9

Garden Bites, 9.30am-4pm, edible gardening talks at Hamilton Gardens, free.

Edible tour of the gardens,

$20. See: tinyurl.com/ y45m38dq

April 5-7

Zealong & Chocolate,

10am-5pm, Waikato Show, Hamilton. See: www. homegrownharvest.org.nz

National News online.... including business, sport, politics & more!

April 6-28

Major International & Regional News updates

Coromandel to Kaimai Range. See: www.echowalkfest.org.nz

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April 13

Dinner, from 5.45pm, Victoria St, Hamilton, $175. See: tinyurl.com/y35v23s9

Homegrown Harvest,

Echo Walking Festival,

2-4pm, Zealong Tea Estate, Gordonton (Waikato), $65. See: tinyurl.com/y2eqohak

April 12-13

BOP Orchid Show, 10am-4pm,

Memorial Hall, Te Puke, $2. Ph 07 573 9710.

Hosted by the Tauranga Vintage Machinery Club, this year’s event on Sunday, April 7, has a timber theme,

BER TR TIM E

NT ME AT

Edible Gardening for

Farming, 1pm-3.30pm, The Falls Retreat, Karangahake Gorge, $60. See: www.fallsretreat.co.nz

Pauanui-Tairua Trail Night

Night Time in the Bush for

April 18

Stories in the Trees, 10am, end of Hot Springs Rd (off SH2 south of Katikati), gold coin, ages 4-7. See: tinyurl. com/y4nubbzw

April 18-21

Home Composting

Workshop, 1.30pm, Taupo Community Gardens, free but registration essential. See: tinyurl.com/ycnl6x6n

Home Composting

Workshop, 1.30pm, near Turangi, free but registration essential. See: tinyurl.com/ ycnl6x6n

Walk, 6.30pm, start in Pauanui (8.5km), koha. See: tinyurl.com/y45jppjx

National Jazz Festival, Tauranga.

April 28

See: jazz.org.nz

Short Loop Glow-worm Walk, 7pm, Puketoki

April 19-22

2pm-4pm, Bunnings, Te Rapa, Hamilton, free.

Reserve, Whakamarama (near Tauranga), gold coin. See: tinyurl.com/y2752w5c

Colville Music Festival,

April 14

April 25

9.30am, Waiorongomai car park, Te Aroha. See: tinyurl. com/yxktfv9p

Society: Lawns, 7.30pm, Hamilton Gardens Gate 2, $5. Ph Carmel 07 855 3404.

Autumn Quarryfest, 10am-

April 26

Bush Botany Walk, meet

4pm, Te Puna Quarry Park (near Tauranga), $5. Nairobi Trio plays from noon-3pm. Ph Ian 0274 874 807.

Teddy Bears Picnic,

Eastwoodhill Aboretum, near Gisborne. See: tinyurl.com/ y56uhcrg

Coromandel peninsula. Ph 027 487 5131.

Waikato Horticultural

Duncan’s Dairy Farm Walk, 9am for 3km, near Waihi. See: tinyurl.com/yyg3hzkm

April 26-28

Biodynamic Conference,

Waitawheta Camp, near

Bonsai Workshop,

Open garden and nursery,

heritage roses and perennials, 761 Kaiaua Rd, Mangatangi, North Waikato. See: www. grassrootsroses.co.nz

May 1-2

Waikato Chrysanthemum Show, 10.30am-4pm, Hamilton Gardens, free.

May 4

Coromandel Town Seafood

Festival, 9am-4pm, $2. See: www.coromandelseafoodfest. com.

Crank Up Day honours timber industry Western Bay of Plenty residents are being welcomed to get back to basics and see how vintage machinery and equipment made the world spin in bygone years at 2019’s Crank Up Day in Katikati this month.

PEPP ER

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 50

Delivering quality to you at trade rates

meaning demonstrations and items on display will pay tribute to New Zealand’s early timber industry. Milling of NZ’s extensive native forests was one of the earliest industries in the European settlement of the country. And as the new colony established, timber was the most common building material, and vast areas of native forest were cleared. Eric says the April 7 event will have

Tauranga Vintage Machinery Club member Eric Green with a Gardner pump he’ll display. machinery and equipment on display that pays homage to the early years of NZ’s timber industry – think timber jacks, saws, old axe heads and such like. “Club member Michael Cooper’s two bulldozers – a D6 and a D9 – will be doing various tasks, like winching a large hunk of gumtree we cut down the other day, and there will be different timber saws for cutting wood,” says Eric. “We also hope to have a display of old saws from the late Jim Pendergrast of Te Puke, courtesy of his family. He had a long history of working in timber. He worked hard, splitting logs for posts and battens for his own land and to sell to other farmers.” Plus all the usual vintage tractors, stationary engines and bit and pieces will be on display or doing demonstrations on the day too. “I have an old sheep shearing plant, which I got going the other day – and George Winter will shear sheep with it in on-site demonstrations,” says Eric. Club president Larry Williams will have two tractors – including a Mogul that is more than 100 years old – at the event, which is hosted on Michael’s property. Free gig and hay rides will run, plus the popular tug of war – which pits people against a small tractor or bulldozer. Eric says the club hopes to attract all ages to the event – “because there is something for everyone”. “Katikati Scouts have a barbecue on offer but people are welcome to bring their own food as well, plus we have the Legion of Frontiersmen J Troop Katikati, led by Val Baker, directing carparking for us,” says Eric. The Tauranga Vintage Machinery Club’s Crank Up Day is on Sunday, April 7, from 10am-3pm on Hot Springs Rd, Katikati – and will be signposted from State Highway 2. Admission is by donation. Children enter for free. Merle Foster

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 51

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Full Range of Quality Farm Machinery I www.piakotractors.co.nz

Page 52

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Caitlin feeding blueberries to ‘Phineas’, Grandma’s friendly wild pheasant at Lichﬁeld.

ide

r ver pony er ﬁrst e w. h s y jo n Sho d 3, e Isla, age at Katikati A&P

Alex Rasmusse n, aged 3, helping out on and Ryan Rasmussen, aged 6, their farm in Waitoa.

BS! PRIZandEdetUailsPcan beFemOaileRd (higGh resRolutionAjpgy,s)POto Box 240,

Pictures to Coast & Countr untry Camera” or posted every entry. kathy@thesun.co.nz “Co e a name, address and phone number with Tauranga. Please includ

Meyah checking out the donkeys in Katikati.

Two little tractor drivers – Holly, 10 months, and Leon, aged 2, in Rotorua.