First time qualifier Wilton Weeks during the fifth hour of the Wiremark Golden Pliers fencing competition at Fieldays. Read about all things Fieldays 2021 on pages 17-19. Photo: MacKenzie Dyer.
Organic practice PG 6-7
Kiwifruit PG 12-15
Fieldays Followup PG 17-19
Sheep & Beef PG 20-21
Country Lifestyle PG 25-29
Fertiliser PG 34-36
Farm Vehicles & Machinery PG 42-43
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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS
Floods and mass gatherings A snapshot from the biggest ever Fieldays.
This month our thoughts are with Canterbury farmers, who will still be dealing with the aftermath of the June flooding. Many farmers in our regions will be on standby to help with feed shortages, as the flow-on effect of the flooding continues. Bill Webb from Bill Webb Feed Solutions discusses what we can learn from the Canterbury floods in his column on page 41, as well as how to mindfully spend your money as a good payout approaches. In our new Country Lifestyle feature, we meet Matamata microgreen growers Melony and Dave Bencetti who sprouted a new business during lockdown – read more on page 27. We also get unique insight into what life on Summerhill farm is like when the hikers and bikers go home, from someone who grew up there. Read Jordan Boyd’s story on page 28. If you’re an “old fart”, Don Fraser from Fraser Finance has tips on how to avoid the undertaker on page 26.
Stuck in mud We reflect on some of the Fieldays action on pages 17 to 19, which attracted the biggest turnout to date. My Fieldays started by getting the work car stuck
in the mud while parking – so a big thank you to the two kind people who offered a hand and towed me out in what felt like record time. We laughed about how the compact Kia Rio was no match for a muddy paddock… and it’s not even an EV. Mike Chapman from Horticulture NZ says the economy may also be stuck and reversing in the wrong direction if New Zealand doesn’t strike the right balance between encouraging Kiwi’s into work, while allowing more migrant workers into the country – read more on page 12. Another big thank you goes to Mike, as this is his last column for Coast & Country News after leaving the Horticulture NZ chair role last month.
Farmers from all over On page 4, meet 22 year old Pongakawa farmer Dayna Rowe who is passionate about her job, the environment and empowering women. On page 6 we travel west to the King Country, where the changing hands of an organic dairy farm doesn’t mean a change in its values. There’s something of a carrot-tastrophe happening in Ohakune as growers struggle to transport carrots and other crops due to the region’s old and unfit bridges, read more on page 44. MacKenzie Dyer
COAST & COUNTRY NEWS
Page 3
Border exceptions help fill the gap
The government has granted border class exceptions for an additional 50 general practice veterinarians and 200 dairy workers to enter the country, Agricultural Minister Damien O’Connor has announced. The New Zealand Veterinary Association chief executive Kevin Bryant says this will help alleviate the critical shortage of veterinarians that has been made worse by the border restrictions imposed due to Covid-19.
A fighting chance “We are particularly pleased by the timing of this announcement given the considerable pressure our members have been under in regard to animal welfare, biosecurity, production and surveillance. “A continued shortage has potentially significant effects on veterinary service provision to farmers and pet owners. “This announcement gives our members a fighting
chance to get the help they need,” says Kevin. Tauranga veterinarian, Phil Rennie, says the pressure vets have faced is considerably more than pre-Covid. “There are less vets and support staff on hand to service high client demand, especially here in the ever popular Western Bay of Plenty,” says Phil. “My team has been stretched to service consults in clinic and or call out requests. This means longer than normal working days; plus, with less people on the afterhours roster we are more frequently on call.” Phil says only a few vets have become available at this point but later in the year more vets are expected to arrive.
Federated Farmers immigration spokesperson Chris Lewis says the job of working through the details with Dairy NZ, Immigration NZ and the Ministry for Primary Industries will now begin, to see how these 200 spaces can be fairly allocated across the country. Since the closure of the border, farmers have been crying out for dairy workers, with almost 50 per cent of farmers surveyed saying they have work vacancies. “I have taken many, many calls from people who are struggling to
cope without their farm managers and skilled staff,” says Chris. “It has been a desperate time for many farming families.” Despite efforts to attract New Zealanders into the farming industry, the desperate need for overseas workers in some parts of the country continues. This exception process may offer some farmers some respite for the coming season, but will not solve the long-term labour shortages that so many industries are facing. Jordan Boyd
Two hundred farm workers Federated Farmers and DairyNZ are also extremely relieved the government has recognised the crippling shortage of workers in the dairy industry and believe the exception process will help workers stuck overseas to return to their jobs on Kiwi farms.
Eyeing the national title Heading to the New Zealand Young Farmers grand final on July 1 is Bay of Plenty/ Waikato representative Kieran McCahon. The grand final, held in Christchurch, will put Young Farmer regional winners from throughout the country to the test through a variety of practical and technical challenges. The 25 year old grew up on his family’s 1000 cow dairy farm near Dargaville and says his childhood was like growing up on one big playground. He has fond memories of helping
his parents out on farm and spending lots of time with extended family. Kieran gained Bachelor of Agricultural Science and a Master of Management majoring in AgriBusiness as a DairyNZ scholar, before joining DairyNZ full time as a solutions and development specialist. A large portion of his job was taking research translating that into tools and resources that can be used on-farm. Looking to the future, Kieran says he’d like to strike a nice balance between on-farm and off-farm roles as having recently moved back to Northland to be closer to the family farm, he
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has the opportunity to be more involved in practical farming. “I realise that I’m in a really privileged position to be deciding between getting started on a journey towards farm ownership and getting more involved in the science and research side of the industry,” says Kieran. “It’s a great position to be in, and I think it speaks volumes for the variety this industry offers.” Kieran is looking forward to giving the grand final his best shot and not letting the hiccups of previous competitions influence him again. “I’ll be going out there and giving it my all.”
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Page 4
COAST & COUNTRY NEWS
Putting her best gumboot forward Dayna Rowe looks every inch a farmer as she drives up on her motorbike in her black singlet, shorts and gumboots. She could almost be auditioning for a female Fred Dagg, except for the exchange of the floppy hat for a safety helmet with ‘Big D’s’ written on the front. As soon as she opens her mouth, however, Dayna sounds anything but bucolic. In fact, the 22-year-old comes across as wise beyond her years and extremely passionate about farming, the environment, animal care and rural communities. It is easy to see why the Pongakawa herd manager is all set to take on the role of farm manager this month.
Studies. However, after spending the 2018 summer break working as a farm assistant, Dayna decided she would rather be stomping through paddocks than treading the boards, and that 1000 dairy cows made a pretty good captive audience.
to make appearances in the limelight. She was named the New Zealand Diary Industry Awards BOP Dairy Trainee of the Year runner-up in 2020, and this year, after taking out the regional title, she became the national NZDIA Dairy Trainee runner-up. Dayna credits her employer, contract milker Thomas Chatfield, the 2013 New Zealand Dairy Trainee and 2016 New Zealand Dairy Manager of the Year, for entering the Dairy Industry Awards. Dayna describes the competitions as “awesome but nerve wracking” and says she “learnt so much” about herself and farming during the process.
Climate conscious
One of the topics Dayna says she continues to learn about is caring for the environment. “I grew up being involved In the spotlight in conversations where I had During her school years’ to think deeper regarding our Dayna found she was sustainability,” says Dayna. a natural on the stage, “I’m excited for future Dayna Rowe at the 2021 National Dairy Industry Awards, appearing in both dance and generations of dairy farmers in theatre productions as well as where she was named the Dairy Trainee of the Year runner-up. New Zealand as I think we are Photo: NZDIA. playing a role in the recording extremely capable of facilitating of an audiobook called ‘They “The milking shed makes a great place conversations between the right parties of Star’. to sing your heart out,” says Dayna. “I to create a more cohesive plan for So upon leaving Te Puke High School stopped performing while riding on the sustainable dairying. I plan to continue it seemed like the right fit when Dayna motorbike for a while though after I got a to be open-minded about what we can began studying towards a Bachelor of wasp sting in my mouth.” achieve and to help to encourage people Arts in Wellington majoring in Theatre While farming, Dayna has still managed to be part of the solution.” ...continued
COAST & COUNTRY NEWS
Page 5
Dayna Rowe found greener pastures on the farm She admits to spoiling the old dog including helping her up on to the motorbike and “letting her on the bed”.
Empowering women Another thing Dayna is a strong advocate for is empowering more young women to work on the land. “Farming used to be a maledominated field, maybe because they thought more strength was needed? “But today it’s okay for women to be strong and the industry is hungry for intelligent individuals and people who are good at managing animals and staff.”
To encourage other young women into employment in the primary industries Dayna is set to speak at an event organised by Rural Women NZ on ‘Empowering Rural Women’ to be held on October 15 at the WBOP District Council premises on Cameron Rd, Tauranga. The morning event, which will also include an address by the Minister for Women Jan Tinetti, will coincide with International Rural Women’s Day. For more information visit: www.facebook.com/rwnz.rimanui.5 or email: rwnztauranga@gmail.com Alex Eagles-Tully
Riding through the paddocks and working on the farm is where Dayna Rowe feels most at home. continued...
Dayna is proud of how Rowe Farm has grown and developed over the years in a sustainable way. The farm was the first in the region to install covered stand-off pads that can shelter up to 1500 cows. The shelters use sand as the base, not the usual sawdust, to absorb all of the effluent the cows produce, thus preventing run-off. “The sand comes from the dredging of the nearby Kaikokopu Canal and is replaced once a year when the old fertiliser-rich sand is spread on the paddocks.” The farm is set on around 300ha of land with a high water table which has the advantage of having more moisture in summer than other land but being wetter in winter. Although the land is lined with ditches, and excess water is pumped into the nearby Wharere Canal, it is still prone to pugging so the cows are kept in the sandy-floored shelters between grazing.
A love for animals
As well as where the environment is concerned, Dayna feels modern farmers have an unjustified bad reputation when it comes to animal welfare. “All the farmers I know live and work in the country precisely because they love animals and try to do the best by them.” Even before she has taken on the role of manager, Dayna has already been integral in the decision to use LIC ‘sexed semen’ this calving season. “Although it is more expensive, this type of AI [artificial insemination] avoids the bobby calf issue with only heifer kiwicross calves being born.” Pru, a retired cattle-farm dog that Dayna has adopted, is further testimony to her animal welfare philosophy. “The life of a beef and sheep farm dog is a lot harder than that of a dog on a dairy farm and these dogs usually retire around 8 years-old – the equivalent of 60 years-old in human years,” says Dayna.
Calving, which takes place during the winter months, is also carried out inside the shelters. Dayna explains that as well as being more pleasant for all involved calving in the sheds reduces calf death. “It is quite common for cows to hold off calving until they are moved from outside into the shed,” laughs Dayna. “The farm also has a two metre high tank which holds 2.7 million litres of effluent from the dairy shed,” says Dayna. “So we can store the waste until the water table is low enough for us to spray it out to fertilise the paddocks.”
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Page 6
Organic practice continues
Sharemilker Nick Collins and owner Max Varney at Glencoe Farm in Piopio, King Country.
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When Nick and Jo Collins took over Glencoe dairy farm in 2004, they had intended to farm using organic and regenerative principles, but weren’t planning to obtain certification immediately.
through adverse weather conditions. Six months into ownership, Fonterra announced their organic conversion incentives, and the sixyear contract was too good to turn down.
Seventeen years on, the now fully certified organic farm in Piopio has changed hands, the new owner being Max Varney, who was previously the Collins’s farm worker, and is completely likeminded in his farming beliefs. Nick, Jo and Max have a unique working dynamic, that suits them both well, supporting Max in his first years as an owner, and supporting the partnership. “I bought the farm from Nick and Jo, then employed them as 50/50 sharemilkers, and they employ me as their labourer,” says Max. “We originally chose the farm because we knew its history and owners. It had good Mairoa ash soils, good natural water supply, and excellent infrastructure,” says Nick. The farm was converted to dairy seven years prior and the Collins’s focus from day one was to build diversity in the form of pasture species selection and trees selected for fodder value, maximising year round pasture growth and building resilience
The farm is treated as one large riparian strip encouraging a deep root zone, plant diversity, maintaining a dense sword of pasture to maximise photosynthesis and soil microbial activity, but minimising soil disturbance. Pasture diversity is a major factor, and the pasture has been oversown with a diverse mix of species including clovers, chicories, plantains, cocksfoot and brome grasses. “Today the pasture is well established, with fewer weeds, deeper root systems with an abundance of worms and a healthy soil ecosystem. We minimise damage by oversowing or direct drilling,” says Max. Twenty hectares of the diverse pasture is cut for silage. Summer crop mixes of brassicas, sunflowers and chicory, plus winter crop mixes of oats, peas and grasses, are grown for variation in the cows’ diets. Five hundred organically certified, large rounds or squares are still bought in each year, as all cows are wintered on farm. One hundred bales are kept as a buffer in the event of a tough ...continued
Becoming certified
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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS
Page 7
on King Country farm after ownership swap Max has invested in a two million litre effluent pond to irrigate 35 hectares. All Photos: Catherine Fry. continued...
season. “Tree planting has been a part of our farming philosophy and planting began on a limited budget from day one, establishing both shelter belts and riparian planting,” says Nick. Apart from the shelter/shade and foraging benefits, trees support nutrient transfer, carbon sequestration, and provide habitats for insects and birds. A beekeeper has hives on the farm. After 17 years, More than 20,000 trees have been planted, lining the waterways, paddocks and races in an aesthetically pleasing way. Elders, poplars, random fruit trees, fodder willow, flax, and pittosporum and coprosma, are among the species that can be found. “Moving forward, we’re going to keep persisting with native planting, despite some previous setbacks with certain species, and I’d like to plant walnut trees and further fruit trees,” says Max. During summer, fodder willow is cut daily for the calves and fed out in the paddocks. All stock browse on shelter belts year round, adding further diversity and nutrition to the diet.
The farm today Two hundred and twenty cows are milked on a milking platform of 110 ha with the focus being on per cow performance, reducing costs through improved animal health, and adding value via the
organic milk premium. Cows are milked once a day from early January to add resilience to the system by allowing a 40 plus day rotation through the summer, which suits diverse pastures. “In the future we are looking to add red breeds into the existing kiwi cross bred herd, to maximise heterosis, longevity, and feed conversion efficiency, while minimising nitrate and methane loss,” says Nick.
Future plans Nick Collins, previous owner and Max Varney, owner of Glencoe Farm, To further future proof the system, Max has current sharemilker, who established the and committed advocate of organic invested in a two million litre effluent pond to organic certification of Glencoe Farm. and regenerative farming. irrigate 35 hectares using a Yardmaster pump and Torpedo travelling irrigator. Initially the Mairoa ash soils lacked calcium and magnesium, so an Abron solid fert mix has been applied in spring and autumn. More recently, mostly trace minerals are applied, along with organically certified liquid fertiliser containing probiotics, seaweed, fish and humates. The next big venture for the partnership is for Nick and Jo to purchase a support block to transition to organic certification, adding further resilience to the farm system, and giving more control and flexibility around young stock grazing and stored feed supply. Both Nick and Max wholeheartedly agree that the farm is a constant work in progress, and has only got where it is today due to learning through experience, involvement in active discussion groups, and learning from other organic farmers who have paved the way before them, often with no premium for their product. “Organics and regen ag are nothing new, but with increased knowledge of the benefits of farming a productive eco system, plus a growing global demand for certified product, the future is Catherine Fry exciting,” says Max.
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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS
COAST & COUNTRY NEWS
Page 9
Chair optimistic about irrigation’s future in NZ An organisation restructure, ongoing climate discussions and a pandemic has made Keri Johnston’s first year-and-a-half as Irrigation New Zealand chair pretty full on. But despite the challenges, Keri says the organisation is “in a really good place”. “It’s great to be able to say that,” says Keri. “We’re really excited about where we’re heading.” Keri says sitting on the Food and Fibre Leaders’ Forum along with other sector leaders has helped ensure that irrigating farmers and growers voices are heard. “We’ve seen advocacy change. “It’s no longer a case of banging your fists on the table or driving tractors up to parliament and saying: ‘we don’t like this’. “It’s about saying: ‘this isn’t going to work for us. Some things will, but other things need tweaking – so here’s what we’re proposing’. “I think everyone starting to realise that there are benefits of having more positive, partnership-type relationships with politicians.”
Conveying the message Keri says communicating changes across the primary sectors has been a priority. “Communicating effectively right down to the very last person who needs to know is really important. “At face value, some of the regulations can look daunting and horrible and must make farmers wonder what we’ve been doing. But actually, we have
two years, which was a big income been building those relationships and networks, and have managed to make earner for the organisation. The loss of some really positive changes. the conference due to Covid-19 made “The freshwater reforms are an us sit back and ask why does the example of this – you can see organisation exist? Does it need the difference from when to exist? And if it does, how they were first put out for do we go about providing consultation compared to value for our members in a where they landed. financially sustainable way? “We did manage to “That has been a big have an influence on the challenge for us but we outcome. It’s not perfect – got there – and I’m really there are still some things proud about that.” that could be tweaked, but In the next year, Irrigation we have the doors open to be NZ’s focus is to advocate for a able to deal with those. national water strategy. “They haven’t been slammed “Irrigation is going to be Irrigation NZ chair in our face, and that makes a Keri Johnston. critical for the country going big difference.” forward – especially with Grassroots expertise Covid-19 and climate change bearing The diverse expertise on the Irrigation down on us. New Zealand board has made a positive “The best way to achieve food security difference within the organisation, is with water. It doesn’t mean wholesale says Keri. expansion of irrigation across the country. “We have a great mix of skills from “It means doing irrigation well, and in grassroots farmers to people with a strong the areas where you get the most bang for commercial background, and we’re from your buck, as well as being able to all around the country. deliver environmental and Keri brings a diverse mix of skills community outcomes. herself. She owns a South Island beef “An example is water storage, which farm with her husband, and works we’ll need in order to be more resilient as a full-time engineer specialising in against climate change. Water storage environmental regulation. should also be about storing community She fits this in with travelling to water supplies and environmental flows, Wellington a few times a month for not just irrigation alone. Irrigation New Zealand. “It’s about focussing on the big picture She says seeing Irrigation New Zealand’s and taking a holistic approach.” progress makes it all worth it. MacKenzie Dyer “We used to hold a conference every
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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS
Page 10
Opening up about farmers’ wellbeing Marc Gascoigne remembers sitting at the kitchen table on his farm with a to-do list in front on him. He stayed there for 30 minutes staring at his list. He didn’t move. The Cambridge farmer, who has worked in the Waikato since 1992, suffered depression and anxiety six
years ago and is now taking proactive steps to protect his mental and physical wellbeing. “My experience of depression was I just couldn’t think straight,” says Marc. “I couldn’t make simple decisions. I was so stressed and fatigued that my brain went into fight or flight mode. I wasn’t coping.” He’s not alone. An ACC-funded
P ROFESSIONAL H ARVESTING S YSTEMS
study for Farmstrong shows 58 per cent of recently injured farmers linked their accident to work stress. Marc remembers one day when he could have seriously hurt himself. He was herding his cows when one of them bolted from the herd. He took after her on his quad-bike and flipped it on its side. “I was bloody lucky. These days I’d just let her go and sit back and have a breather.” He is sharing his story to help others. “I would never have talked about my depression six years ago, but I’ve realised it’s important to tell people what you’re going through so they can help.” Marc priorities his wellbeing by exercising every day and connecting with people. “A lot of farmers will tell you that they simply don’t have the time or energy for that sort of stuff. But taking a break gives
Marc Gascoigne says he connects with as many people as he can every day to help with his wellbeing. me much more energy and needs to be a priority.” For wellbeing information, visit: www.farmstrong.co.nz Marc works with the Rural Support Trust and he can be contacted on: 0800 787 254 or: marc.gascoigne@ruralsupport.org.nz
Magic season for Whakatane player Whakatane local Khiarna Williams has been having a standout season for the Splice Construction Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. Picked for the Waikato National Netball League team when she was only 14, Williams is already showing the maturity of a player beyond her 18 years, slotting goals with a calmness and accuracy many would be envious of. A member of the New Zealand Under 21 squad whose 2021 Netball World Youth Cup was cruelly cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Williams skills were on display for that side last October, squaring up against the Silver Ferns, NZ Men and a NZ A side.
With no international opportunities available, the chance to play the best New Zealand had to offer was a highlight for Williams. “It was really cool. I loved playing against the best in the world and the men’s team – they play Magic player Khiarna such a different style and Williams. they’re so athletic and it was just a really cool experience.” Playing alongside Australian international Caitlin Bassett for the Magic, Williams has spent most of her court time in goal attack this season, a position she has grown to love. Looking ahead, Silver Ferns selection is definitely something on Williams’ radar, though the young shooter isn’t pressuring herself. “I’m taking it day by day, season by season. “Because I am so young and was brought into this environment at a young age, I don’t expect anything to be coming really soon but I do hope that it comes with time.” For information about upcoming Magic games, head to: www.netballmagic.co.nz/magic/draws-andresults.html
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Solar farm development heading to BOP Plans are in place to construct the country’s largest network of solar power generating stations.
The Whakatane site is located in the Waiotahe Valley. The 85 GWh solar farm is in one of the sunniest locations in New Zealand and will contain up to 115,000 solar panels. The Edgecumbe site is a 52 GWh solar plant, the farm will include up to 70,000 panels and will supply electricity to 1700 residents and other nearby commercial and industrial users.
While the farms are designed to meet morning and late afternoon peaks in electricity demand, rapid developments in battery technology mean that in the near future the farms should be able to store electricity generated during the day for distribution in the evening peak. The Kaitaia site will be consented first. Construction is scheduled to start later this year.
The 85 GWh solar farm set to be located in the Waiotahe Valley.
New Zealand generation company Lodestone Energy will initially develop five solar farms built across the upper North Island, delivering enough electricity to power a city the size of Hamilton. The $300 million development will provide solar energy to Whakatane, Edgecumbe, Whitianga, Dargaville and Kaitaia. The farms will cover 500ha and comprise 500,000 solar panels at a height of about 2.3m in lines about 10m apart, allowing livestock to graze underneath and tractors to move in between.
Plenty of power “These farms are a game changer for the electricity market and will increase New Zealand’s current solar generation
eightfold,” says Lodestone Energy managing director Gary Holden. “Together, the five solar farms will act as one giant generation plant, using the power of the sun to inject sustainable renewable power into our electricity grid during the daytime and helping reduce the country’s reliance on fossil fuels. “Solar costs have fallen sharply in recent years and we are now at the point where grid-scale solar power, if well-located, is the most economic form of new electricity generation. Also, because it delivers power during the daytime period, it has the highest value to the market.” Combined, the five farms will generate approximately 400 GWh of clean renewable energy, enough to power 55,000 homes
or the equivalent of more than 150,000 electric vehicles. “Solar energy needs to play an increasingly important role in delivering New Zealand’s renewable electricity,” says Gary. “This is how we’ll meet our future energy needs, as well as complement the country’s hydro, geothermal and wind resources to help achieve the government’s goal of 100 per cent renewable generation by 2030.”
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Tackling challenges in the primary industries Winners at the 2021 Fieldays Innovation Awards have been announced. Although this year boasted the strongest field of high-tech entries ever assembled in this section of the Innovations Competition, this year’s winner is at the opposite end of the spectrum. SpringArm presents a remarkably simple and elegant solution to a well-defined and common problem. The judges were impressed by the thought put into the product’s design and the clear and immediate commercial opportunity it provided its inventors. The Early Stage Award winner was the Cropsy Technologies system for their combination of smart mechanical, electronic, and software AI, which delivers passive data collection during existing grower activities. The judges applauded the innovations in camera systems, sunlight removal, and sophisticated image processing.
There is potential for the system to deliver both disease management and environmental outcomes in vineyards and other fruit crops. Intelligent Growth Solutions Ltd have taken home the Growth and Scale award for their modular and scalable vertical farming system which can generate yields of 225 per cent compared with glasshouse production with the potential to reduce energy usage by up to 50 per cent, reduce chemical use, enable more efficient land use and reduce labour costs by up to 80 per cent versus other indoor growing environments. This reduces the price of produce and allows reinvestment in other areas. This year’s Young Innovator is a joint effort from a group of university graduates who have successfully solved a longstanding problem with outdoor agriculturally based vision systems – variable light intensity, colour and direction.
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KIWIFRUIT
Are we going back to inflation Inflation and economic stagnation are already being seen in the United States and our Reserve Bank is predicting its return to New Zealand but not until next year. Covid’s freeze on our economy looks to be coming off: consumer prices increased by 4.2 per cent in the 12 months to April 2021, and shares are starting to underperform here and across the world.
Everything is progressively costing more – rates across the country are on a dramatic rise to pay for infrastructure and water quality, and labour shortages are driving up salaries and wages. Mortgage interest rates will not doubt soon follow suit and increase. The Reserve Bank have warned that house prices could possibly fall. This will in effect double down the public sector wage freeze for those earning more than $100,000. As a result, we are likely to see an exit of the very people needed to keep this country up and running: doctors, nurses and teachers. Commentary on the government’s Budget is that it did not empower businesses but focused on the government’s core goals of poverty and homelessness. The concern being expressed is that without empowering businesses, the economy will suffer further and New Zealand will not be able to grow its way out of Covid. The domestic economy with less tourism is very quiet. Exporting is costing much more and there are significant shipping delays across the world. It is fortunate that our primary produce is in high demand overseas, once we get it to market. But in short, the economic outlook is not very positive at all.
Turning it around To turn around the New Zealand economy, we have the Productivity Commission’s recommendations, with one of its focus areas being lower paid migrant labour. In the drive to lift the New Zealand economy’s performance,
This is Mike Chapman’s last column for Coast & Country News, after leaving the role as Horticulture NZ chief executive in mid-June.
the recommendation is to stop New Zealand’s reliance on lower paid migrant labour. The essential problem here is that these workers help keep the businesses that generate New Zealand’s wealth running. By turning off access to this labour, these businesses will be less productive and earn fewer export returns for New Zealand. This will have the effect of reducing the tax take and the government’s ability to pay back its debt. It will also achieve the complete opposite of increasing productivity. Moving to a higher skilled and more mechanised economy is already happening. The paradox the Productivity Commission has not recognised is
...continued
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KIWIFRUIT
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and economic stagnation? continued...
that the businesses it wants to move to these new levels need to be able to finance the movement. There also needs to be research and development undertaken to achieve these productivity goals, which all costs money. If you can’t get the workers you need and your productivity drops, you either go out of business or retrench. In either case, you cannot afford to invest in any changes.
Shock treatment The Productivity Commission and the government have the target right, but not the right way to achieve it.
In my assessment, the shock treatment of removing access to migrant labour and forcing up wages will not achieve what they want. The opposite will be true. In our current situation, more than ever, we need the government and business to work closely together to lift New Zealand’s economy so we can financially climb out of the Covid recession. This would involve embracing the need for migrant labour to grow our businesses and as they grow, they will be able to transform their operations. There is one exception and that is temporary
Zespri marks record 2020/21 season
migrant labour from the Pacific. It provides much needed financial and skills support for the Pacific. It also enables horticulture and wine grapes to expand, employ more New Zealanders and enables greater mechanisation. A number of restrictions are placed on the movement of Pacific workers. As with all other New Zealand businesses that need to access
migrant labour for growth, placing a restriction on how many workers can temporarily come into New Zealand for horticulture directly limits the growth and movement to greater mechanisation. Now is not the time to limit migrant labour – we need to embrace it as the way forward for productivity and the New Zealand economy’s growth and recovery. Mike Chapman
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Zespri reports record per tray returns for the 2020/21 season across all categories. The financial results show total global revenue generated by fruit sales reached $3.58 billion NZD, up 14 per cent on the previous year, while total global operating revenue increased by 16 per cent to $3.89 billion NZD. Zespri chairman Bruce Cameron says the results reflect the continued strong demand for Zespri kiwifruit around the world, boosted by the industry’s hard work and investment to increase demand and supply. “After a season where we were forced to make such significant changes to our operations with a focus on keeping our people safe, getting our fruit to the world, and continuing to invest for the future, it’s pleasing to see such encouraging results for the industry,” says Bruce.
“The demand for both Zespri Green and Zespri Sun Gold kiwifruit increased and we’re pleased to see growing interest in our newest variety, Zespri Red, which is a testament to our industry’s ongoing investment in innovation and finding new ways to add value for New Zealand and our international production bases.”
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Taking the pressure off when it comes to air France for training a couple of times and took over the operation here in New Zealand. “It’s gone from strength to strength over the past 15-16 years.” A team of experienced technicians now supply sales and servicing of all Hort Air is the exclusive ABSOGER products agent for ABSOGER up and down the from France – the country. They are second largest player also fully stocked in the controlled with spare parts and atmosphere equipment trained to service business while Onsite most other brands like Compressed Air is the Isolcell, Van Amerongen sales and service agent for Hort Air specialise in fruit preservation CA, Besseling, Storex and the other major brands like and controlled atmosphere equipment. Fruit Control. KAESER, DUETZ and Hort Air Services is also the Lister Petter. sales and service agents for FORIS Index (Isolcell) Owner of the two businesses Jason Anderson CA doors from Italy and carry a complete range says his relationship with ABSOGER – a French of genuine spare parts in stock. The Mount family-owned business with 40 years history – Maunganui based business services most of the goes back about 25 years when he was working in country’s main horticulture areas including the Bay of Plenty and Hawkes Bay. To find out more the post-harvest industry. head to their websites: www.hortair.co.nz or: “We just got on and over the years got to know www.onsitecompressedair.co.nz each other. I did a bit of training and I went to
Hort Air Services and Onsite Compressed Air have established themselves as the complete sales and service package when it comes to fruit preservation and controlled atmosphere equipment.
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Seeka announces capacity expansion for 2022 Seeka Limited will build and commission a new kiwifruit MAF RODA packing machine in the KKP pack house at Maketu Corner, Te Puke. 07 573 9107 4 Te Puke Quarry Road, Te Puke www.rrtractors.co.nz
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The new eight lane machine including camera grading and packing automation will replace an existing 25 year old 10 lane machine. The company expects the MAF RODA to deliver significant production efficiencies and a
commensurate increase in total trays packed. In announcing the investment, Seeka chief executive Michael Franks says the project is expected to meet increasing and committed fruit volumes and provide the company with sufficient capacity for the next two years. Minimal modifications will be made to the KKP building. The project is expected to be commissioned in time for the 2022 harvest.
KIWIFRUIT
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Give kiwifruit pruning a go Pruning in winter is the start of the kiwifruit production cycle and is vital to the success of the growing season. People interested in winter pruning are invited to participate in free training courses, which are government funded and organised by NZKGI. The training will be provided by Fruition Horticulture, which is experienced in delivering horticulture industry training throughout New Zealand.
Get experience The courses will educate and upskill workers interested in the kiwifruit industry, by teaching the basic skills and knowledge needed to confidently winter prune both gold and green kiwifruit vines. Due to border-closures and industry expansion, New Zealand is in
desperate need of workers within the horticultural sector. The programme funding is part of the government’s “fit for better world” action plan through MPI, which aims to employ more than 10,000 New Zealanders in the primary sector. Winter pruning training is one of several kiwifruit management courses NZKGI provide, with other courses including canopy training, summer pruning and thinning, harvest and packing training.
About the course Winter pruning taster courses are run over one day to introduce the basic concepts and give an overview of what the job entails. The morning is spent learning basic pruning concepts, before visiting a green and gold kiwifruit orchard to see how the pruning is done first-hand.
The afternoon in the orchard is essential for making the link between the theory and practical elements, and leaves the students with a good overall understanding of winter pruning. After completing the taster course, participants are then eligible to enrol into the comprehensive and practical five-day winter pruning course. Participants will be given a basic pruning kit and a good amount of field experience. Upon completion of the course, they will be given the appropriate contacts to start work.
Register your interest The majority of participants are either new to the kiwifruit industry or have had some experience through the packing season and are keen to work outdoors. Upcoming courses include one-day taster courses in Te Puke on July 12 and
Participants in a winter pruning taster course tending to the vines.
Tauranga on July 13, and a five-day winter pruning course in Te Puke on August 2-6. Register by email: di.holloway@nzkgi.org.nz phone: 0800 232 505 or online at: www.nzkgi.org.nz/taster-course-registrations-open Fruition Horticulture
New packhouse for Te Puke Te Puke’s economy is about to receive a $40m cash injection as DMS Progrowers Ltd unveils plans to double the size of its existing local operation – the biggest single investment the company has ever made. Construction is underway on a new 5400m2 packhouse and four new cool stores at the company’s Te Matai Road site. DMS is the first post-harvest company since 2018 to build a completely new packhouse in the Bay of Plenty, as the region continues to produce record-breaking kiwifruit crops. DMS CEO Derek Masters says the industry is growing a significant amount of fruit – estimated at 178 million trays this year – and that is only going to increase as
greenfield developments and Gold conversions continue. In the next few years demand for Gold kiwifruit worldwide will continue to rise and so DMS wants to grow its share of that anticipated industry growth. DMS currently packs 14 million trays of kiwifruit between its two sites at Te Puna and Te Puke. Once the new packhouse is completed, the company will have doubled its packing capacity at Te Puke to around 12 million trays per year, increasing overall packing capacity to 20 million trays company-wide. “Packhouses around the Bay are already working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, during the limited Gold harvest window,” says Derek. “After a year of planning and design, we’re now excited to start building the second packhouse at our Te Matai Rd site in Te Puke.”
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FROST PROTECTION
MetService’s guide to estimating your frost With the winter months upon us, frost is the enemy. If the air is cold, calm and dry enough, and the sky is clear enough, crops will radiate their heat to the night sky and keep cooling until they hit the dew point. If the dew point is below zero,
even before sunset, it’s a pretty good indicator that a frosty night is coming. In order to estimate your frost, MetService has a guide that illustrates some of the most effective methods.
Measure your dew point This is the temperature at which water vapour starts condensing, or
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in other words, when dew forms. The dew point that is measured around 3pm can be taken as a useful first-estimate of the overnight low, for those nights with no air-mass change. The air temperature can be expected to cool to this value (or lower) on a clear calm, long night. There are not many devices around that can directly measure dew point, however, one way is to measure the wet bulb temperature and then use tables. An easier way is to measure relative humidity (RH) is with a hygrometer. Hygrometers are usually least accurate when the RH is around 50 per cent, but give good readings when RH is above 80 per cent or below 30 per cent.
Use an empirical formula There are many empirical formulas around. Former Meteorological Service of New Zealand chief meteorologist, Ray Smith, wrote a Technical Note in 1973 researching an empirical formula for
forecasting the ground minimum in Canterbury on clear calm spring nights: Tg = 0.3 x (T + Td/2). Tg is the forecast ground frost for tomorrow morning, T is the 3pm air temperature and Td is the 3pm dew point. The air temperature is usually eight degrees, but in Canterbury in winter it is closer to 9 degrees. So, if it is 11 degrees Celsius at 3pm and RH is 50 per cent, then Tg is 0.3 x (11+1/2)-8 or around -4.55°C.
Be forewarned The amount of frost that occurs varies a lot from paddock to paddock and even within the same paddock, so try to build up some local knowledge of how your place varies in comparison with one of the MetService monitored sites. Get out there and start measuring to help forecast your overnight frost. Read the full Metservice frost guide, here: www.about.metservice.com/our-company/ learning-centre/frost/
FIELDAYS FOLLOWUP
Page 17
Plenty to see and do at Fieldays ‘21 As the traffic may have hinted, Fieldays 2021 smashed its attendance records once again with 132,776 people heading through the gates from June 16-19 – 4029 more than 2019. Farmers looking for a deal were far from the only demographic trudging through the mud at Mystery Creek’s 114ha site, with many selfproclaimed “townies” coming in to check out the action, and walking out with a red Swanndri and a pair of Red Bands.
Fieldays’ prominence as a social event in the rural calendar was made clear by the surprised noises, hugs, handshakes and exclamations of “what are you doing here” that could be spotted throughout the day.
Sticking to tradition For many, attending Fieldays ‘21 meant continuing a tradition interrupted last year by Covid-19. This was the case for nine-year-olds Carter Janmaat, Harrison McCormack and Marshall Bootten from Morrinsville. The trio of mates attend every year to celebrate Marshall’s birthday on June 20. “My favourite part is the tractor pull competition, and buying new clothes,” says Marshall. “I reckon it would be cool to have a truck pull, trucks are my favourite,” says Harrison. “My Dad drives trucks, so I get to ride in the truck with him all the time.” As part of the tradition, Carter, Harrison and Marshall buy matching clothing items. This year’s buy was three pairs of matching socks.
Competition action
Jeff Joins completes his final checks after five and a half hours of fencing.
From left, nine-yearold mates “since ages ago” Carter Janmaat, Harrison McCormack and Marshall Bootten at the tractor pull competition.
Patches of rain throughout the week didn’t hinder the Fieldays competitions from going ahead, or keen spectators. Father and son duo Shane and Tony Bouskill continued their winning streak by taking out their fourth Fieldays Silver Spades fencing competition as a pair. They also took the podium as individuals in the Wiremark Golden Pliers fencing
competition, with Tony coming first followed by his Dad in second. Crowd favourite, the tractor pull competition, kept the stands full throughout the week. Exhibitors provided spectators plenty to ooh and aah at, with big machinery, extravagant set ups and events galore. This included a full tent for a panel discussion about the Ballance Farm Environment Awards, where host Al
Brown shared his experiences with the awards and talked to previous entrants over a drink and bite to eat. Hubs dedicated to innovation, education and careers, health and wellbeing meant there was plenty for both adults and kids to interact with. The bustle continued throughout the week, particularly at the Fieldays bar and clothing tents, which at times resembled a Boxing Day sale. MacKenzie Dyer
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TV entertainment
When the feet of Fieldays attendees couldn’t walk any longer, they could rest up at the Village Green and watch Fieldays TV.
“If we are going to tell this healthy, sustainable story, with this dirty little secret that one in five Kiwis live in food insecurity, or that we are the third most obese nation in the world, as a marketer I can tell you The series was that story is going to livestreamed online fall flat.” during Fieldays week, so Another panel discussed people could also tune in the future of wool, at a from home. time of low demand and The Fieldays TV poor prices. lineup included cooking Third generation demonstrations by chefs Hawke’s Bay sheep farmer including Ben Bayly and and wool campaigner Tom Simon Gault, as well as O’Sullivan says in the episodes about people in 1953 wool boom, wool their daily lives working Attendees watch Fieldays TV live at the event. was so valuable his father in the primary sector, like Photo: MacKenzie Dyer. and his brothers would senior leading hand for collect it off the fences. Llewellyn Horticulture and Ahuwhenua Young “Every pound of wool was worth a pound,” Maori Grower winner 2020, Maatutaera Akonga. says Tom. A panel filmed live at Fieldays, hosted by Te In 2019, the cost to shear the sheep was more Radar and guests, covered a wide variety of issues than the total year’s revenue for their strong wool facing the sector. by about $6000. By 2020, that $6000 turned into just under $30,000. Dirty secrets “It is an absolute crisis,” says Tom. On a panel about Food Equity, Dirt Road Comms and Open Farms founder Daniel Eb Saved by innovation? shared his insights on the topic, which he is The panel discussed that the high cost of wool completing his Nuffield Scholarship on. He believes addressing food inequality through the may be an issue, but agreed that the fashion conversation turning towards sustainability may agriculture lens can solve “three of the big issues”: help its comeback. eroding social license, adding value to food and Innovations may also hold the key to boosting fibre exports and the need to recruit new farmers. demand – the discussion took place behind the “Your average Kiwi mum knows that agriculture world’s first woollen kayak, made here in New makes a lot of money, but her main priority and Zealand using wool pellets that can be used in problem is accessing healthy whole food for her place of polymer and other plastics. kids,” says Daniel. “We’re still doing the first prototypes,” says Shear “When we choose to redesign our food system Edge founder Logan Williams, who make around her needs, rather than things like increasing the pellets. “It’s very exciting.” production, that’s when we regain social license. MacKenzie Dyer
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Haircuts and climate conversations Getting a haircut isn’t exactly what one expects to be doing while at Fieldays.
appointment – what will the world look like in 300 years, the detrimental effects of the rural/urban divide and the consequences of polarising
But here I am, faced with charmingly named style options including The Mutton Chop, Riparian Plant Pixie Cut and Mitigation Mullet. I choose Conscious Consumer Curls just to be on the safe side.
understand each other’s perspective,” says Paula. “EPI cover a very broad spectrum. When it comes to the agriculture community, our regulation of chemicals and the Emissions Trading Scheme are the key issues. Understanding the impacts of these issues on
the farming community and being able to have open dialogue about them is really important for us moving forward. “While there are some challenging conversations, the nice thing about this is celebrating and sharing the really positive things people in
the agriculture sector are doing, like the innovations and the forward thinking. “The people we get in the chair all care deeply for the land. “It’s something we have in common, and is a great place to start the conversation.” MacKenzie Dyer
Environment Protection Authority general manager for engagement Paula Knaap.
Hairdresser Jason Muir spent his Fieldays cutting mullets and curling hair while getting farmers’ insights about the environment.
The makeshift salon, called The Sharing Shed, is the first appearance the Environmental Protection Authority has made at Fieldays. The EPA’s goal is to get farmers to open up about their thoughts and concerns for the environment by offering a free haircut in exchange for a casual yarn on the topic.
Just a trim The hairdresser is Jason Muir from Wellington, chosen for the job because of his experience with controversial chats and cutting hair. In the lead up to the 2017 election, Jason set up a pop-up salon called Political Cutz based on the same premise, with the goal of getting people engaged. He breaks the ice by asking what roast I would cook when having guests over for dinner, with my choice of lamb holding a strong lead in the overall tally. We cover a lot of topics in the remainder of the 45 minute
reporting in mainstream media. And, of course, how I would like my hair styled after getting a trim. Jason says feeling misrepresented in the media is a popular concern of the farmers he’s seen so far, as well as misconceptions about water quality and the incoming levy on new high emitting petrol and diesel vehicles. The EPA videos each conversation, while a representative jots down notes. Many who stop to look walk away with an appointment.
Building bridges Getting insight through conversations, rather than a debates, is the way the EPA want to engage with the rural community, says EPA general manager for engagement, Paula Knaap. It’s an approach the organisation plans to continue. “My view is that the more challenging the issue is, the more important it is that we get around the table together and try to
The Sharing Shed haircutting station in the Fieldays Pavilion.
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SHEEP & BEEF
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Growing health and safety in the shearing industry FMG Young Farmer of the Year finalist Joseph Watts says industry campaigns and growing professionalism are driving awareness of health and safety among shearers, but he still sees plenty of room for improvement.
Joseph, who is from Waipukurau, will be representing the East Coast in the national competition this month. He began his rural career as a shearer after completing a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise and playing squash professionally for several years.
Joseph is now a technical field representative for PGG Wrightson as well as farming beef cattle on a 30 acre site with his partner, Lucy Dowsett. In 2018, Federated Farmers and the New Zealand Shearing Contractors Association, with support from ACC and WorkSafe, implemented the Tahi Ngatahi programme to improve safety and performance in New Zealand’s woolsheds. Joseph says he has started to see the FMG Young Farmer of the Year finalist Joseph Watts. positive impact of the programme in the industry. that because there were sheds that literally had no “There’s good information available and I’m hand washing facilities. seeing awareness growing steadily,” says Joseph. “You have to eat to keep your energy up and you “People are starting to view shearing as a longwouldn’t want to use your water bottle to wash term professional career, where you can operate because there was nowhere to refill it, so I would and compete at a high level. “They are starting to recognise that if they be handling food with my hands covered with want to do it long term, they need to look grease, wool and worse. after themselves. “That is getting better, but every shed should “I think people have always recognised that if you have running water, liquid soap and paper towels keep your equipment sharp, that makes shearing to dry your hands,” says Joseph. easier, but there has been less understanding of While shearing full-time, Joseph was fortunate how using blunt equipment will affect your body to escape serious injury when he was knocked in the future. unconscious by the spinning bucket of an old “There are still those who can’t be bothered to wool press. put the effort into good maintenance but there is definitely more awareness around that. “I did notice things were starting to get better “You also see a growing number of shearers around the time I left shearing, largely due to bringing their own shearing machines to sheds awareness about the new regulations coming in,” to make sure equipment is in the best shape he says. for shearing.” “That included replacing old machinery, like Joseph says hygiene is another issue that is wool presses.” gradually improving but could still be better. Information about health, safety and wellbeing “I was what you could call a ‘tidy kid’ and always for people working in the sector, including very aware about good hand-washing practices, stretching, strengthening and nutrition, is available especially before eating,” he says. on the Tahi Ngatahi website. “When I started shearing, I just had to get over
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SHEEP & BEEF
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Tackle weeds safely and efficiently Weedtechnics NZ director Sebastian Kramer says the growing use of Satusteam has arisen from the need to protect human health and the environment from the “insidious” and “scary” effects of herbicides. “Chemical herbicides are used everywhere – in horticulture, agriculture, weed control in parks, playgrounds, schools, universities, medical institutions, etc. “Studies show that they even found their way into mother’s milk. The extent to how much we are exposed to them is alarming.” The Weedtechnics team have helped customers from all areas of commercial horticulture and landscape management to enjoy the experience of cooking their weeds. “Satusteam is the patented, cutting edge weed control technology developed by Weedtechnics in
Australia,” says Weedtechnics Australia managing director Jeremy Winer. “The Satusteam method wins by cooking weeds on contact with a unique blend of saturated steam and boiling water. “Using a range of engineered horticultural boom arms and applicator heads, the Satusteam achieves remarkable results which are seen almost instantly. “The efficiency of Satusteam is significantly higher (and safer) than just steam or hot water.” Jeremy says Satusteam is safe for everybody to use because it is just water and steam. “You can use the treated area immediately and help improve soil health, as the decaying material of the cooked weeds is known to increase microbial activity in the soil. “Using Satusteam also prevents herbicide contamination in stormwater catchments and reduces the national carbon footprint
New director joins Beef + Lamb Beef + Lamb New Zealand has appointed Alex Guilleux as the new industry director on its board. Alex, who began the three-year term this month, was the managing director of Balle Bros’ foods and markets divisions and has previously been a partner in a big four consulting firm in New Zealand.
He replaces Mark Clarkson, who retired from the board in March. B+LNZ’s chairman Andrew Morrison says Alex will bring strong skills to the board. “Alex has a wealth of experience in strategy, agribusiness, supply chains and digital solutions and we are looking forward to him making a valuable contribution to the industry.”
created by herbicides.” Improving our health includes choosing to eat pesticide free food, minimising exposure to toxins and living consciously, says Jeremy. “You choose a transformation into a regenerative tomorrow when you switch your weed control operations to Satusteam by Weedtechnics.”
The Satusteam in action.
™
CALVING
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Healthy gut biology: prebiotics and calf health Every farmer’s goal is to have good stock health and productivity. Threats to this goal start early, with newborn calves prone to a range of health issues from having
an under-developed gut and immune system and being exposed to a range of stresses.
Ahead of the game These stresses include receiving less colostrum from having only a short time on their mothers and from
drinking too much milk replacer quickly at once or twice-daily feeding causing nutritional scours. Housing in pens exposes them to E. coli and salmonella and rapid feed changes, like transitioning from milk to meal and grass and the weather can also cause stress. “At Biostart, we discovered 27 years ago that calves with good gut microbes were more resilient and grew faster so we decided then to focus on gut health,” says Biostart CEO and scientist Dr Jerome Demmer. “Biostart Calf was the first prebiotic before anyone knew what prebiotics were.”
Bacteria and wellbeing
Give me the best start
BioStart Calf Prebiotic for raising healthy calves BioStart Calf contains five strains of fermented bacteria to establish the best rumen microbes, boost immune function and fight disease causing organisms. It also contains rennet to reduce the likelihood of scours. BioStart Calf supports early rumen development and increases live weight gain. Call BioStart 0800 274 5243 or visit www.biostart.co.nz Available from leading rural retailers and vets
Jerome describes how gut microbes set an animal up for life: “Getting beneficial microbes established and dominating in a calf ’s gut is crucial over the first 21 days before their immune system fully develops. “At this early stage the milk bypasses the rumen and goes straight to the abomasum (the fourth stomach) and colostrum provides immunity from disease but without it the calf ’s immune system needs support.” There are numerous feed additive products on the market to help farmers achieve their goals. These additives fall into probiotic: a live microbe mix intended to establish ‘good’ bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, displacing the microbes already there and prebiotic: a stimulant for the natural microbes already in the gut from the initial colostrum.
BioStart’s Calf is a prebiotic milk additive is made up of fermentation extracts from lactic acid bacteria, prebiotic oligosaccharides, rennet and a range of nutrients that
stimulate the natural bacteria from the mother’s colostrum, reproducing its beneficial protection to improve survival rate and wellbeing of young calves.
CALVING
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Genetics may hold the secret to bulls’ methane production Breeding more climate friendly cows is one step closer for New Zealand dairy farmers after a Waikato trial finds a possible link between a bulls’ genetics and the amount of methane they produce. The LIC and CRV pilot trial measured feed intake and methane emissions – in the form of burps – from 20 young bulls destined to father the next generation of New Zealand’s dairy cows. LIC chief scientist Richard Spelman says results from the pilot trial are promising. “Methane production primarily relates to how much an animal eats,” says Richard. “We’ve accounted for this and we’re still seeing variation which suggests genetics plays a role in a dairy bull’s methane emissions – now we need more data to prove it.”
preliminary work with the bulls is a positive sign that we should be able to achieve the same for the dairy sector,” says Harry.
Balancing act Richard says while breeding for more climate friendly cows is the focus, it’s still a balancing act with other genetic traits. “It’s really important that we understand the genetic relationships between methane and traits
The next stage
The bulls in the trial help themselves to feed throughout the day. They eat The research will now lucerne hay cubes via feed bins that measure how much each bull eats. progress to a much larger study where operations have like milk production and fertility. We don’t want scaled up to collect measurements from 300 young to find we are selecting against methane and bulls, the full intake from LIC and CRV’s Sire inadvertently breeding cows that are less fertile.” Proving Scheme. The welfare of the bulls taking part in the trial is “If this genetic link is confirmed, farmers will being constantly monitored by LIC, with oversight ultimately be able to breed low methane-emitting from the Ruakura Ethics Committee, which has cows from low methane-emitting bulls.” approved the project. Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor The bulls have the freedom to move around in attended the launch of the project at LIC’s farm their pens; eat, drink and sleep when they wish. outside of Hamilton. “Each one of the cows we have in New Zealand now produces a whole lot more for the same inputs that we put in maybe 20 or 30 years ago,” says Minister O’Connor. “That kind of progressive development that we’ve seen in production, we want to now see in methane reduction and I’m sure we can do that. We are innovative, we’re creative and we’re cooperative.” Although methane emissions have been shown to be heritable, Richard says LIC and CRV will carry out additional research to validate their findings. “We will be methane testing daughters from the bulls that are identified to be high or low methane emitters to check their emissions are representative of their father’s. “It’s a long term project but it has the potential to deliver real benefits to farmers in the future by providing another tool to reduce their farm emissions.” New Zealand Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre funds the project. Director, Harry Clark, is delighted with the outcomes of the pilot trial. “We have been highly successful in New Zealand in breeding low-emitting sheep and this
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FORESTRY
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MPI forestry study scholarships are open for internships over summer so they can put their learning into action and gain practical, hands-on 2022, with nine grants up for grabs. Te Uru Rakau – New Zealand Forest Service is funding three new scholarships for the Diploma in Forest Management at Toi Ohomoi Institute of Technology in Rotorua. This is in addition to six scholarships for those enrolling in a Bachelor of Forestry Science or a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Forest Engineering at the University of Canterbury. “It is an exciting time to be studying and working in the forestry and wood processing sector and to open the 2022 scholarships to applicants across the country as a pathway to future careers,” says Te Uru Rakau service’s director, business and spatial intelligence, Debbie Ward. “The scholarships are a pathway to higher-level study and students will gain the skills, expertise, and capabilities the forestry and wood processing sector needs now and into the future. Through partnering with industry, students are offered
workplace experience.” Successful applicants receive $8000 a year for four years of the degree to help with your tuition fees and living costs, $6500 each year of a two-year diploma. In addition, successful applicants also receive four to 10-week paid internships each summer with Te Uru Rakau – New Zealand Forest Service or an appropriate forestry sector employer, and support from the scholarship coordinator and a buddy throughout the course. Continuation of the scholarship depends on successful course completion each year. Applications for all scholarships close on August 15, 2021. For more information about MPI’s Nga Karahipi Uru Rakau Forestry Scholarships, visit: www.mpi.govt.nz/forestryscholarships email: mpiforestryscholarships@mpi.govt.nz or phone: 0800 00 83 33.
ETS change risks planting targets The forest industry says the Climate Change Commission is risking forest planting rates by stating that the current Emissions Trading Scheme “will incentivise more production forestry than needed”. The Commission expects an additional 380,000ha of plantation forests to be planted in the next 15 years to offset emissions. Farm Forestry Association president, Graham West, says although he acknowledges this, owners of farmland who are considering planting exotic woodlots may have second thoughts. “Decision making about the value of carbon when planting trees is already complex enough as it is,” says Graham. “Cash flow is a critical factor and now farmers and forest investors will be looking at even more uncertainty, if carbon credits are under review and may be reduced.”
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L ifestyle
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approach a calving cow Phillip Rennie’s six-step checklist to ensure cows calve as safely as possible. Step 1: Examine the vagina. Step 2: Examine the cervix – is it fully dilated? Step 3: Is the calf alive? If not and the cow is unwell, then call the vet. Step 4: How is the calf presented? Normal is two front legs and a head and a tail and two back legs is OK. A breech is a tail and no back legs. Does it look like twins with a front and a back leg? Or does it look like a deformed calf, for example, a fetal monster?! The front legs have two flexible joints
below the elbow that bend the same way, hind legs have one flexible joint below the hock that bends the opposite way to the hock, see pictured. If you can’t convert the abnormal to normal or no progress in 10 minutes, call for help. The 10 minute rule: calving paralysis is more likely to occur in longer calvings, as pressure is placed on the nerves to the back legs as the calf goes through the cow’s pelvis. If there is very little or slow progress in 10 minutes then it is probably best to call for help.
Step 5: Will the calf fit through the pelvis? Usually, if the two front legs and head are engaged inside the pelvis the rest of the calf will fit through, too. Sometimes it can be necessary to slightly rotate the calf to make it fit better through the widest part of the cow’s pelvis. Step 6: Use gentle traction to pull the calf out and use plenty of lube! Lube can make a big difference, especially if the calf is not particularly fresh and all the normal uterine fluids have been expelled. Good luck for the upcoming calving season!
A calf ’s front legs have two flexible joints below the elbow that bend the same way and hind legs have one flexible joint below the hock that bends the opposite way.
Help for osteoarthritis: cartilage In theory osteoarthritis is one of the simplest diseases. For years we thought that cartilage in our joints just wore away over time. We now know that OA is a complex disease where the processes that reduce cartilage are affected by genetics, past joint trauma and nutrition especially levels of important antioxidants. Cartilage is different from other tissue types. It has no nerve or blood supply and it appears as lifeless tissue. Cartilage is actually dynamic tissue: a matrix of proteins (collagen and elastin), chondroitin sulphate, water and living cells called chondrocytes. Research shows that the health of chondrocytes is central to the development of OA. Each chondrocyte
looks after a small patch of cartilage repairing damage by secreting new cartilage matrix where needed. The problem is when chondrocytes are damaged or die. This means that cell can no longer maintain cartilage. Eventually the cartilage thins, leading to a painful bone on bone scenario. I use a two pronged approach to supporting cartilage. Firstly we add compounds, especially chondroitin, that can support and repair cartilage. Secondly we add curcumin from turmeric and Omega 3 fish oil to reduce inflammation. Often the inflammation causes more pain and mobility loss than the actual cartilage damage. Thirdly we
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add the antioxidants that protect chondrocyte cells from further damage. One of the most annoying and painful arthritic joints are small hand joints. While nutritional therapy can really help, these are among the slowest joints to respond. It seems counter-intuitive, but big weight-bearing joints, especially knees, tend to respond faster. I have been helping someone with OA in their base thumb joint at the wrist. Within three months the pain had reduced, and now after a year, the discomfort is really minor only when under heavy use.
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COUNTRY
L ifestyle
Keeping ahead of the undertaker As an old fart and nearing 75, I seem to be surrounded by people who are having a failing or frail existence and all they seem to be doing is existing and just ‘keeping ahead of the undertaker’. While I am no expert on the elderly, (no I am not one, yet!) it seems these ‘existers’ have a few things in common.
Loss of confidence
a coffee group that meets on a regular basis and opening up, building a bridge and getting over our expectation of how we think our family should be and maybe get more involved (an apology might be all that is required). You can also consider getting some help from a professional to assist us to get a more balance view of our world. Many years ago, I had to get professional help and it made a huge difference to my life. Get a check-up from the neck-up. Going to see your medical professional and voicing your concerns so you again get a more balanced view of your health issues is also a good idea. Take a list. If you do not connect with your doctor, find someone with whom you do.
This comes in many forms but may follow an event or a series of events, which may include: a fall, a fall off a bike, a car accident or a health issue. Or it may be what they are telling themselves.
Medical conditions It seems that several of the drugs that really slow us down are there to prolong our lives. It is looking like a trade-off between living a bit longer
and not feeling so great, and as a result, not being able to do as much. In other words, our quality of life is compromised.
Loss of connection Loneliness is another tough issue. Many people go days, if not weeks without a visit, talking to or having human contact. It must be miserable. Also, relationship issues seem fairly common as we age. We are often pushed up against a partner in a modest home with maybe not a lot in common, then we need to make a lot more effort.
Beating limitations I have listed a few ideas of what limits us as we get older, but we really need to be more proactive to ensure we are keeping well ahead of you know who. These might include joining a club or community-based activity, joining a group that has exercise as its base such as cycling, walking, or tramping – all low impact of course, forming
Putting in the effort And finally, do a realistic calculation of how many ‘decent’ years you have left and start living them like you will be losing one every year. Around 86 most people slow dramatically. Realise as we get older, we need to make more effort in every way, as a warm chair is probably more inviting than being out and about, particularly if it is cold. Also think about your diet. Eat adequate meals, and no, a sandwich and a beer does not cut the mustard. In summary, to keep well ahead of the undertaker we need to do some of our own research on ourselves. We need to get and keep more involved in our community. We need to get a more balanced view on ourselves. We need to live every day like it is our last because it may well be true! Disclaimer – These are the opinions of Don Fraser (an old fart). Any decisions made should not be based on this article alone and appropriate professional assistance should be sought. Don Fraser is the retired Principal of Fraser Farm Finance and was a consultant to the farming industry. You can still contact him on 021 777 675.
COUNTRY
The
Nutritious eating
“Numerous studies have shown that depending on the variety, microgreens are four to 40 times more nutritious than the fully grown vegetable. “They grow in 10 days, are more sustainable, use less space, and less Instead, as Covid-19 hit the world, they found water, it’s a no-brainer really.” themselves unable to procure some of the The growing room is lined with equipment they needed, and were faced with weeks reflective insulation and has no natural when no workmen could come onsite. light. Low energy specialist LED “Our 156 square metre warehouse was already growing lights simulate sunlight at the built, so using the materials we had, Dave and touch of a button, utilising the best I did as much as we could ourselves during electricity cycles. lockdown,” say Melony. “We’ve got excellent air flow, with The warehouse contains a growing room, distribution ducting throughout and processing room and office. whirly birds in the ceiling. Extra fans “We also decided to work with what we had, and an air extraction system combat and grow microgreens, instead of waiting to fluctuating external temperatures.” grow hydroponically. We were in production by January 2021.” Melony is a fan of the highly nutritious, few day old seedlings.
Melony and Dave Bencetti and a tray of radish microgreens. All Photos: Catherine Fry.
Page 27
of the microgreen The seeds germinate and grow under manually timed artificial light.
When Melony and Dave Bencetti bought their 1600 square metre Matamata property in November 2019, they expected to have their hydroponic plant and vegetable business up and running soon after.
L ifestyle
Organic growing Melony uses Daltons organic seedling mix, putting one centimetre of soil in the bottom of small, plastic punnets, which are returned by customers and re-used. Regularly researching the most current nutrition value information, Melony experiments with different seed varieties and mixes to find the tastiest options. “All my seeds are organic or untreated, from Kings or South Pacific.” Large new water tanks collect from the warehouse roof, and the water is filtered before use. To produce 40 regular seed trays of microgreens weekly, around 60 litres of water is used. The microgreens are sold in their punnets of soil.
Timely eating “Cutting a microgreen means their nutrient content drops away after two or three days, but all the time it’s still growing, it retains its nutrient value. “They are harvested by the customer, and can be stored in their fridge and watered.” Plant health and hygiene are essential, and the correct growing
room conditions ensure mould, disease or bugs are not allowed to thrive. Melony’s growing cycles are timed to have the microgreens ready for each weekend’s Farmers Markets. She uses refrigeration, and light or darkness to stall or accelerate growth as required. Catherine Fry
Page 28
COUNTRY
PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY KEEP YOUR SPOUTING CLEAR
L ifestyle
I remember sitting at the dinner table as a young girl during mid-September; a steaming roast lamb before me and my father angling the carving knife just right to get the perfect slice of meat.
jumping the fence with a horse body brush in hand that I begged my mother to buy for me during a trip to Cambridge. I didn’t own a horse, but our neighbour over the hill, David Blackley, did.
Living with horses I would walk five steps towards Opal, and she, five steps away from me. The half wild Kaimanawa pony would keep me in her sights, the girl with the grazed knobbly knees and the hair that almost definitely needed a brush. For weeks I would go out in search for Opal through the large paddocks that lay amongst the Papamoa Hills. Sometimes I would get to stroke her – no more than once. Other times she would give a brisk warning kick into the air as I approached, causing me to watch from afar; a sketch book in one hand, my journal in the other. ...continued
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I would try to drone out the calls of the lambs that surrounded our home, and look away from the orphaned lamb that we took in as our own whose face was pressed to the ranch slider glass wanting to come inside – his tail wagging profusely and his small little legs stomping repeatedly on the front deck. My father would give a speech on the cycle of life whilst I heaped my plate with peas and roasted kumara, leaving no room for a slice of meat. My mother didn’t mind my sudden love for vegetables. I remember throwing my Red Bands on and
THE
ORIGINAL
COUNTRY
continued...
Summerhill forest.
I won’t mention that the body brush was also bought with a halter, lead rope and a hoof pick, which I would use on my little sister. When I say use on my little sister, I mean that I would literally tack her up and make her run around in circles whilst I would try and whack her with an old piece of flax. I definitely won’t mention how old I was at the time, or whether my little sister was happy with this game.
Nature’s Silence
flow of cars creating clouds of dust would become more frequent. I saw new fences go up, and the overnight huts open for weekend stays. It wasn’t until I left Summerhill that I realised just how important it was. It is a piece of nature that is shared with a large community and welcomes anyone who decides to drive up the winding road. Summerhill is a spot for sunrises and sunsets, for picnics and time out from busy lives. It is a place I come often to clear the noise and listen, once again, to nature’s silence. Jordan Boyd
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A meeting place for Summerhill visitors. Photo: MacKenzie Dyer.
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Saying goodbye
FIRST
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Photo: MacKenzie Dyer.
I got to experience this place in a way that the public did not. Summerhill was my home, and when keen mountain bikers, walkers or people who just wanted to look at the view would go home, I would stay. I got to see the early mornings where the land below would be covered in a dense layer of fog, the orange light of the rising sun turning it a pale pink colour. I spent my evenings listening to the quiet, or, I guess you could say; the noise. The occasional murmur from sheep, the constant drone of crickets and morepork in the trees. My father would call it ‘nature’s silence’. I had adventures through creeks and swamplands and through growing pine forests. I built huts and collected four leaf clovers. I biked through the trails on my pink speed bike, which used to hold training wheels, amongst pro mountain bikers who zipped and flew by me. I watched as Summerhill Farm was opened up to the public in 2014 by David and Cloie Blackley. I watched as the roads got paved over, and the
L ifestyle
Nights at Summerhill. Photo: Jordan Boyd.
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AVOCADOS
Page 30
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Changing hands: Darling Group has purchased avocado and citrus marketer, Zeafruit.
Katikati based horticulture company Darling Group Holdings Ltd has recently increased its shareholding in domestic avocado and citrus marketer, Zeafruit, from 50 to 100 per cent. Darling Group’s managing director Andrew Darling says Just Avocados (Darling Group’s NZ avocado supply arm) and Zeafruit (who markets 25 per cent of avocados supplied to the domestic market) have a long-standing relationship. “Early in the development of Just Avocados we recognised our marketing expertise lay in the export sector,” says Andrew. “Ownership in Zeafruit gives us the ability to partner more closely with their domestic market capability.” Darling Group initially purchased 33 per cent of Zeafruit in 2015, then increased that to 50 per cent before making this final step in June this year. The Darling Group team, comprised of local businesses Just Avocados and Avoworks, as well as Brisbane-based JH Leavy & Co. (warehousing,
Thermo Max
conditioning, logistics and Australian sales provider) is excited to welcome the team from Zeafruit into their family of horticulture businesses. “We see a lot of synergies between our businesses and efficiencies that can be made in our processes going forward,” says Andrew. “Just Avocados has built up a great relationship with Zeafruit over the last seven years. The acquisition of the final 50 per cent allows Just Avocados and Zeafruit to align even more closely to ensure value is captured and fruit is placed into the markets that are optimal for the grower.” For Zeafruit’s clients and staff, it is business as usual with some exciting advantages for the team. Previous managing director of Zeafruit Glen Dunseath, who will continue to head up the Zeafruit business as CEO, says being part of a wider team will bring opportunities across a larger range of activities and better career pathways for their staff. “There are added opportunities with being part of a bigger industry group with positive growth aspirations.”
Record season for New Zealand avocados New Zealand’s avocado industry value eclipsed $227m in the 2020-21 season, with $167m delivered by avocado exports and $60m in sales in the New Zealand market.
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“This is an extraordinary result for the avocado industry” says NZ Avocado CEO Jen Scoular. “Facing the season with Covid lockdowns, significant freight disruption, an inability to meet face to face with customers and a small fruit profile, it is a credit to the entire value chain to achieve this record result.” The 2020 New Zealand avocado season produced a record export volume and total crop volume – 44,000 tonnes of avocados were harvested, with 5.1 million trays (5.5kg) exported to 11 export markets, an increase of 10 per cent on the previous season. Fifty four per cent of New Zealand’s avocado production came from the Bay of Plenty region in 2020 with 39 per cent coming out of Northland. “Returns to growers for export and domestic avocados were very pleasing given the uncertainty at the beginning of the season around the impacts of Covid on our markets, and the disruption to global freight and logistics,” says NZ Avocado Growers’ Association chair Linda Flegg. “Our avocado exporters and NZ marketers did extremely well to achieve successful outcomes for growers despite the challenges.”
AVOCADOS
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Making it easy to put down roots Orchardists eying a move north should really take the time to get down to grass roots with Vinni Bhula.
Vinni Bhula uses his own experience as an orchardist to help others find the perfect property.
Vinni is a Bayleys rural real estate agent based in Whangarei with some serious rural credentials to boot. He has a background in wine making and orcharding, and is developing his own 32ha avocado orchard near Whangarei. “When you are dealing with new people to the industry or new buyers, it is good to be able to talk to them in
a bit of detail about how to go about managing or growing an existing orchard, or planting a new orchard, and I can put them in touch with the right people.” He sees a lot of people moving into Northland from Auckland for a complete lifestyle change. Others are relocating from the Bay of Plenty, where commercial-sized properties for avocado production are hard to
Almost through the winter It’s the time to lock in It’s that time of the year: we’re coming out your picking contractors the other side of winter and the shortest day and review your has been and gone. arrangements with other We had some cold weather in May but June shaped up to be wet. For avocado growers, the focus is getting through winter as unscathed as possible so the trees head into spring in the best condition. Last month I talked about planning and now we’re ready to action that plan because we are on our way to spring and summer. If July is warm, start getting the fertiliser on early – use a little, and often. It takes about four to six weeks for the nutrients to get through the soil system and into a useful place for the tree. At AAL we are starting early; we want our trees in the best position possible to grab nutrients and grow. As well as the planning don’t forget to put your feet up and enjoy the bottom of winter.
Costing I’ve done some analysis and in the time I’ve been involved in avocados there have been some cost increases come through, and I believe we as growers will face another round of costs. We now budget $12,000 per ha to operate the orchards (excluding fixed costs). One of the biggest impacts on this is travelling time to get to a work site and to get started. As growers, we need our contractors operating safely and carefully. Taking the time to get the health and safety processes set up is a cost we should expect to see.
Getting sorted Machine checks and documentation is a core part of daily work. I want to see our contractors taking their time, as we all have responsibilities for health and safety on our orchards.
contractors. Staffing is a bigger issue than last year, and getting, retaining and having enough staff to support our industry is a challenge, regardless of the region. And on that note it’s time to begin actioning my next growing season plans, fertilising, readying for the spring injection programme, organising contractors and getting outside between the showers to enjoy the last of the winter months.
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find and prohibitively expensive. Vinni covers the horticulture market from Whangarei to Kerikeri and the Far North and enjoys being able to use his own industry experience to help others find the right property. “This is year five for me now in the real estate industry. I’m really enjoying it and get to meet some pretty fantastic people along the way.
“I enjoy being able to connect the right people and being able to drive up that driveway again six months later. “It’s great to see people smiling and absolutely loving their new property and lifestyle.” Those wanting to find out more can contact Vinni on: 022 6320 630 or email: vinni.bhula@bayleys.co.nz
AVOCADOS
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Controlling phytophthora in avocado trees AvoJect are specialised avocado injecting syringes designed for the application of HiPK for the control of phytophthora. HiPK is a systemic fungicide soluble concentrate containing 400g/litre phosphorus acid as mono- and di-potassium salts.
The phosphonates in HiPK are injected into the tree’s trunk tissue and are carried by the xylem stream directly to the leaves and then translocated to the roots to protect against the invasion of the root rot pathogen. “For effective phytophthora control, AvoJect syringes injecting HiPK into avocado trees to control phytophthora. Photo: Katie Cox photography.
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there should be around an eight week gap to inject HiPK into avocados trees once the flush is hardened off, and before the end of May,” says Aongatete Avocados managing director Tony Bradley. “This will vary from season to season. We inject before the winter months to protect against the invasion of phytophthora through the wetter winter period when there is an increased risk of phytophthora invasion.” At the end of winter, the avocado tree appears to be dormant, but before flowering, the tree has a period of root development.
Tony says this period of root development before flowering allows a small window of two to three weeks for injecting HiPK, usually at the end of August and into early September. “Once flowering begins, the phosphate in HiPK is drawn to the flowers and any sizing fruit because those parts of the tree are growing more actively than the roots.” For more information on AvoJect and when to inject HiPK for effective phytophthora control, see the Aongatete Avocados Ltd advertisement on this page.
Embracing new ideas on the orchard A Katikati couple says there’s always something new to learn when you’re growing avocados and keeping pests at bay – even after 40 years. Don and Daryan Grayling could be excused for putting their feet up after decades spent developing their avocado and kiwifruit orchards near Katikati. But Don, who was born and raised on the Matahui Road property, says there’s always something to do. “Growing up, it was a dairy farm, and Daryan and I milked 180 cows here for a few years after we took over from my parents. “Horticulture is a lot more leisurely than milking cows, but we converted everything ourselves and still do what needs to be done to keep things ticking over. Across both crops, you never stop learning.” The growing popularity of kiwifruit in the 1980s saw land prices take off in the area, prompting the
Don Grayling and Phil Chisnall from DMS Te Puna in the Grayling’s Katikati orchard.
Graylings to sell off some of their dairy farm and use that money to invest in kiwifruit and avocados. Today they have about 500 mature avocado trees across 7ha, producing about 20 tonnes/ha on average every year. Consistently yielding well above the industry average is no mean feat, but Don says it helps when you have mature trees to work with.
Participating in research
“The improved payments are so significant. They’re optimising returns for growers… by doing that we can focus more on fruit quality.”
CC0621
Watch Wilson and Barbara’s video at
Barbara an d Wilson McGillivr ay
Early adopters of avocados in Katikati, Don and Daryan were always keen to investigate new or different ways of doing things. That approach continues today. The couple were among eight Bay of Plenty growers who participated in a three-year trial involving Plant & Food Research and NZ Avocado that aimed to develop a sustainable tool to manage leafroller in avocado orchards. The trial involved the use of a tool loaded with synthetic leafroller pheromones and hung from their avocado trees in spring. These tools, called Isomates, had the effect of disrupting communication between male and female leafroller moths to minimise their mating. Remaining active for up to six months, Isomates have proven effective at limiting leafroller numbers and the damage they can cause to fruit quality and export pack-outs. Trial results after three years were so impressive that the Graylings took the opportunity to buy the Isomates commercially for the 2020-21 season. They hung 3000 Isomates across their avocado blocks, averaging six per tree. These had the effect of keeping leafroller numbers down. They only had to spray once for leafroller in December after a bout of rain, compared to a normal season when they would typically ...continued
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Family business 50 years strong “You couldn’t get to your property because you had blocked the road. You wouldn’t get away with that now.” Hugh says they will start marking the occasion when the packing season arrives in August.
The family business includes Linda Flegg, Dorothy Moore, Hugh Moore and Jenny Gilliver.
It’s been quite a ride for KauriPak and Hugh and Dorothy Moore. He’s managing director these days but it was just the two of them 50 years ago when the company first started commercially packing fruit in Katikati. Back then it was kiwifruit, now they specialise in avocado packing, with a peak season staff of about 40. The larger part of the business are the kiwifruit orchards spread across Katikati – something they have been doing in the area since 1966. When they first started it was onions and tamarillos but then kiwifruit started moving in. Hugh says they have gained more orchards over the years. In 1971 they started packing kiwifruit for three growers, from the original Katikati plantings and it
grew from there. Methods have changed “tremendously” over the past 50 years. Initially kiwifruit would be picked by size. The largest fruit were picked first and packed on wooden trays called flats. Later, pocket packs were used which had spaces for the fruit to go. “Before that it was just individually packing fruit by their size, and even in the apple industry, it was a very skilled operation. It didn’t matter if they were tamarillos, you learned how to put them in the box in a certain configuration to fit them in.” Before the days of palletisation, trays of fruit were wired together and loaded into the cool store. “It was all hand-stacked into the cool store, all hand-stacked out of the cool store into a container, loaded on the side of the road,” Hugh remembers with a chuckle.
Adapting for improvement continued...
spray up to three or four times due to leafroller incursions. “DMS Te Puna handles all our pest monitoring and we still have to spray for six-spotted mites and thrip, but anything that we can do to save money on sprays has to be a good thing. “Plus these new approaches to pest management is where the industry is heading. “There’s a cost with the Isomates, but the end result is less leafroller damage and higher pack-out rates, which is money in our pocket. So the idea is that they pay for themselves over time.” Supporting Avoco DMS Te Puna packs the Grayling’s fruit before it is shipped offshore by Avoco to meet the needs of hungry consumers in Australia and Asia. The couple have supplied a variety of exporters over the years but Don believes Avoco’s depth of export experience
and solid in-market partnerships benefits growers the most. “Next season will be very interesting with the big Australian crop and Chilean fruit
creeping in over there. “There are also big plantings happening up north that might change a few things. “But we’re very happy with the Avoco model.”
His outlook for the coming avocado season is mixed. “Volumes look to be slightly up and it is encouraging that fruit size is going to be back to normal… last year was a terrible year for fruit size, the
worst we have ever had. “The market place is looking like it will be difficult with competition from Australia and trials and tribulations with shipping.”
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Robin Boom
CPAg MBSPC
Independent Agronomy & Soil Fertility Consultant
Deciphering snake oil salestalk from tried and true science On May 11-12, the NZ Grassland Association ran a special Resilient Pastures Symposium at the Don Rowlands Centre at Karapiro which 230 people attended.
The NZGA was formed 90 years ago, and currently has around 800 members nationwide, who are a mixture of scientists, consultants, agribusiness and farmers. The Grassland website is a wealth of information of historical research related to pastoral farming over nine decades, and accepted papers are put through the peer review process to ensure the science is robust and credible. A motto for the Association is: ‘Fuelled by science and tempered by experience’. Almost any topic to do with soils, agronomy, fodder crops, fertility, weeds, pests, and the environment has been investigated and reported to some degree, and annual conferences are a forum where new science, ideas and systems are presented and debated. At this years’ symposium, I presented the results of a lime trial I ran on a western Waikato hill country property, where summer droughts have a huge impact on annual pasture production, and this combined with the effect of low pH and aluminium toxicity, resulted in significant pasture species changes and almost a doubling of dry matter grown from the highest limed treatment compared to the control where no lime had been applied. When the economics were considered, the lower rates of lime gave greater return at four cents/kg DM, compared to the highest rate of lime at around eight cents/kg DM, but this too is still relatively cheap dry matter.
Ryegrass survival
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One of the major points of discussion at the symposium was the experience of some Northland dairy farmers who found that ryegrass plants were no longer surviving in their environment, and they had found success in using new cocksfoot cultivars which do not have the palatability and clumpiness
challenges which the old cockfoot cultivars had. If increased droughts and global warming were to continue, they believed in the next two or three decades the problems of ryegrass persistence would creep south into the Waikato and elsewhere, and that looking at alternative species like cocksfoot was a viable solution. For areas such as the Hauraki Plains which seems to be hit with summer droughts more often than not, planting cocksfoot based pastures may well pay back good dividends. The Northland farmers cautioned that cocksfoot pastures need quite different grazing management, with much more frequent grazings required to keep the pasture quality compared to ryegrass.
Gobbledegook pseudo-science Science based organisations like the NZGA, the NZ Animal Production Society, the NZ Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science, NZ Agronomy Society and the NZ Society of Soil Science are no place for snake oil salesmen to spout nonsense. From my experience of more than 30 years, these sorts of people never darken the doorway of any such society’s conferences. While writing this article, I have had two of my understudies from different parts of the country ask me about supposed soil/plant treatments, one a liquid product that is sprayed onto pastures and orchards, and the other a powdered blend of various quarried mediums which is claimed to help assist plants to take up nutrients locked up in the soil. According to the website of the liquid product, two litres of this product sprayed onto pastures or orchards will result in unbelievable increases in production. ...continued
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Chicory benefits both animals and environment brassicas, it doesn’t need insecticide sprays, and because it is tap-rooted, it is more resilient and water efficient that ryegrass in summer droughts. “Farmers in sensitive catchments like it because it establishes well via direct drill or minimum till, and can be renewed into grass in autumn the same way. “So they’re not getting the same soil N losses as they would with full cultivation.” That’s better for fragile soils, too, he says.
Fast-growing annual 501 Chicory ticks all the boxes for farmers, stock and the environment this season. That’s the advice from an experienced agronomist as spring sowing approaches. Blair Cotching says 501 Chicory in particular combines high DM yield with quick establishment, superb quality and climatic resilience to keep animals wellfed in summer and autumn. What’s more, research has shown cows grazing chicory excrete significantly less nitrogen every time they urinate, reducing the N load in the urine patch compared to ryegrass-clover pasture. Urine patches are major contributors of N loss from grazed systems, averaging 700 kg/ha N per urination in traditional pastoral farming (Mangwe et al. 2019, Animal Feed Science and Technology Volume 252: 11-22). This is a key benefit for chicory, says Blair, who heads the pasture systems team at Barenbrug. “We’ve heard a lot about plantain’s potential to mitigate N loss, but it is not the only forage herb available to help farmers improve their environmental performance. “Science has shown us chicory can be equally as helpful, giving farmers another way to balance productivity and profitability with responsible stewardship of both land and freshwater.”
Chicory study The first study to directly compare urinating patterns of dairy cows grazing chicory, plantain or ryegrass was carried out at Lincoln University Research Dairy Farm in 2018 by scientists from the university’s Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science. Milk yield was similar across all three forages for the trial period. Cows grazing chicory had substantially lower urinary N concentrations, similar to those recorded for cows grazing plantain. Blair says, like plantain, chicory diluted the cows’ urine because it is high in both water and minerals, particularly sodium, potassium and calcium. Results from this study align with earlier research showing cows grazing
“Plus animals love eating it. It’s green and leafy and consistently high in protein when pasture dries off in summer, and much cheaper than feed that arrives on a truck.” For best results, 501 Chicory should be sown early, while moisture is available for good germination (as soon as soil temps are 120C and rising), using treated seed at 10 kg/ha, drilled no deeper than one cm.
Cows amongst the chicory chicory produced more milk solids than those grazing ryegrass, reflecting chicory’s higher summer ME, which averaged 12.3 in this trial compared with irrigated ryegrass at 11.9. Blair says chicory’s nutritional advantage is much higher in summer dry situations. When it comes to incorporating these and other chicory benefits into individual farm systems, it’s worth taking a close look at the different options available. “Most chicory cultivars are perennial types. But 501 Chicory is an annual type, so it establishes quicker and can be grazed sooner. This advantage can add up to one full grazing more than other chicory cultivars over summer-autumn. “We’ve measured this dry matter yield difference in two trials, and it’s significant – for example, 501 Chicory can grow 550 kg dry matter per ha more than Choice.”
Big benefits That may not sound like a lot, but it could equate to an extra $450/ha income (based on $7/kg MS, 120 MJ ME to produce 1 kg MS). 501 Chicory’s deep roots also improve soil structure, mine deep soil N and pull up other minerals from the soil profile. It is ideal for effluent blocks, for example, because it soaks up both excess N and K, which are then re-distributed more evenly around the farm via the cows. It’s low risk for facial eczema; unlike
Fads and mysterious products continued...
As with many snake oil and muck and mystery type products, the mode of action is usually shrouded in secrecy, and there is a lot of gobbledegook pseudo-science rhetoric that the uneducated can easily get sucked in by. I have also, over the years, listened to some very charismatic and entertaining characters wax eloquent about their particular product or system and why mainstream science has got it all so wrong, and only they have discovered some new game-changer.
Spend wisely Snake oil products are normally very expensive sources of nutrients compared to conventional fertiliser products, and if there is some marvellous new breakthrough which has been discovered, it should be independently analysed with fully replicated trials which are put through statistical analysis to determine its efficacy.
One fad at the moment being promoted by ‘regenerative’ agriculture is multi-species plantings of up to 30 or more different species. It’s a shot-gun approach of waiting and seeing what germinates, competes and lasts. The problem is these seed mixes are often very expensive, and although annual fodder species like sorghum and sunflowers can provide quality feed over the dry summer periods, many of the other species just will not handle the competition, and the money spent on these is wasted. A rep from a reputable seed company I spoke to recently said that usually of the 30-odd species purchased, only about half a dozen will give any financial return and the farmer is much better to purchase those individual plant species rather than wasting a whole lot of money on seeds of species that provide no benefit. Robin Boom is a Member of the Institute of Professional Soil Scientists.
admin@soilpro.co.nz
Barenbrug
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Fert facts part two a Req uest le ! p m f re e s a
Over the coming months, Brett will Boron’s role in the transfer of soluble solids to microbes. share 40 facts about and biochar. the soil life be in balance to fertiliser that will help capture this free benefit. 2. Soil fungi are responsible optimise your soil. 7. The number of for retaining 100 per Here is the second earthworms is an excellent cent of available calcium visual sign of a healthy in the soil. It is a fallacy instalment. Kiwi Fertiliser can show you how increase profitability while growing your soils. Human and humus are the same root word, “of and from the soil”. 1. Fertiliser and lime are more effective with carbon added. Most carbon is food for the microbes. Carbon sources are well-made compost, microbial inoculated aged bark, humates, aged sawdust
3.
4.
5.
6.
that one tonne of lime or another product is required to move soil pH by one point. The soil microbes can move the pH of your soil without the physical input of calcium. If lucerne, oats and other crops have hollow stems, calcium is lacking, and yield will not meet potential. Lucerne will flower when too short if not fertilised correctly. Adequate calcium also translates into better stock growth rates and weight gain from the feed they eat. Not all N, P, K, Mg, S etc. is equal. Natural forms are far superior to chemical forms, and some chemicals are worse than others. The bioavailable forms of nutrients are the healthiest options. Kiwi Fertiliser can reduce nitrogen inputs and grow more pasture or crop by using the Terragen ground-spray programme. With is product, a bacterial spray enhances microbial life including several fungal species. Fertilisers feed the microbes first, the microbes then solubilise nutrients to feed the plants. Microbes include bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, algae, ciliates, arthropods, and earthworms. Bacteria have a carbon nitrogen ratio of 5:1 which means for every six bacteria eaten by protozoa (30:1), five parts of nitrogen are released. Nematodes are 100:1, so for every 20 bacteria they eat, 19 parts of nitrogen are released into the soil. Up to 2000 kg/ha of nitrogen can be made available if all systems are functioning correctly. It is so important that
soil, and they can produce 30-300 tonnes/ha of casts per year. Worm casts from 20 worms per spade square contain five x N, seven x P, three x Mg, 11 x K and 1.5 x Ca, far more than ordinary soil (62 earthworms per square metre). Sulphur, iron, zinc, and other trace elements also increase. Pasture fibre increases bymore than 100 per cent. 8. Sixty per cent of the sugars manufactured in leaves are transferred to the roots at night. The nutrient responsible for this is boron. Because sugar content in leaves is highest then, endeavour to cut hay or silage in late afternoon or evening. Fifty per cent of that root sugar is exuded into the soil to feed the microbes. Microbes in turn make minerals available to the plant. 9. Brix levels are a measurement of soluble solids (superior nutrition). Urea-fed pastures have low Brix readings. The minimum reading for pastures able to resist pests and diseases is 12, while an excellent pasture will measure 24. A bee will not work flowers/nectar with a Brix level below seven; otherwise, it will expend more energy in collection than it will get back. Using a refractometer will aid in monitoring Brix levels. 10. There are 74,000 tonnes of nitrogen in the atmosphere above every ha. This can be sequestered in the soil by having Ca at 65-70 per cent and Mg at 10-12 per cent of base saturation, plus available phosphorus, iron, cobalt, and molybdenum. If one or more of these five requirements is out of balance, you may have to purchase nitrogen.
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Calling century farming families Applications are open for the 2021 New Zealand Century Farm and Station Awards. Families who have owned their farms since 1921 or earlier are encouraged to apply. NZCFSA’s purpose is to capture and preserve the family history which might otherwise be lost through the generations. Eligible families submit narratives of their farm history,
together with copies of related photographs and supporting documents which are then archived at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, ensuring all records are kept in perpetuity. Over 500 families from throughout New Zealand have now received awards. Closing deadline for applications is November 30 2021. For more information, visit: www.centuryfarms.co.nz
Pan Pacific Nutrients use formulate seaweed-based products to maximise soil health.
From its factory in Te Puke, a team is putting together a paddock full of goodness. With Pan Pacific Nutrients, what you get out of the land is only as good as what goes into it. Assisting with both horticulture and agriculture, the team has a range of programmes and products to ensure the best soil health. New Zealand and Australia manager Kelvin Johnson says their nutrients are seaweed-based, which keeps nitrogen levels down. It’s sourced from colder waters overseas where the seaweed holds more nutrients, and is then specially formulated at the Te Puke factory for each application. That application includes crops like kiwifruit and avocado and of course pasture. They also have a range of animal health supplements. Kelvin likes to do a soil test on the property
first and if the nutrients are already good, then he continues with a programme of liquid fertilisers. “If not we will put together a programme with solids first and then bring the liquids on. So we work with both.” Pan Pacific Nutrients has a representative in the South Island, where work includes putting the liquid fertilisers through centre pivot irrigation systems. They also have a rep in Katikati who covers Northland and another who covers Bay of Plenty and Waikato. “And I look after the rest,” says Kelvin. He has just shifted from Te Puke to Tokoroa to be closer to his grandchildren so would be more than happy to hear from any potential customers in the South Waikato area. To find out more, call Kelvin on: 027 230 4736 or: 0800 476 969 or visit: www.pacificag.co.nz
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A commitment to getting it right our upper ranked paddocks, all within this season.” They also observed that the treated paddocks stayed greener and recovered a lot faster from a dry spell between January and March 2021 than the control paddocks. There are also fewer weeds in the treated paddocks. “I’ve applied five tonnes of lime this season, which has helped increase the pH of the soil,” says Chris. “The paddocks are filling up with more favourable grasses and clover, rather than weeds.”
As an agricultural contractor, Chris Reymer witnesses a wide variety of farming practices in his travels. It also gives him pause for thought as he comes home to his own dairy farm, set on 100ha at Ngahinapouri in the Waikato and co-owned by his brother Mike. They sharemilk 310 cows on the farm, which is run by a manager while Chris operates the contracting business. The herd produces 132,000kgMS. The brothers took over the farm on June 1, 2020. With a history of elevated synthetic nitrogen use the farm’s soil pH was found to be low, and there were quite a lot of weeds; Chris approached his Kiwi Fertiliser rep, Marg Addison, to find a solution. Marg suggested Chris treat the farm with Total Replacement Therapy in order to restore the soil’s good biology, increase quality pasture growth and reduce synthetic nitrogen. “Working as contractors, we see products come and go, but we also see the benefits that some can offer,” says Chris. “We’re always keen to try something new, so we started Total Replacement Therapy on a 25ha block of the farm.”
Positive findings The 25ha is split over three areas, each with different soil types; control paddocks divide each block. It didn’t take long
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Balancing the ‘brew’
for Chris’ farm manager to report some interesting observations. “Our manager has reported an increase in pasture density in the treated paddocks,” says Chris. “Not only that, but the paddocks treated with Terragen Great Land have gone from some of our lower ranked paddocks to some of
Most excitingly, Chris has managed to reduce his use of ammonium sulphate on the treated paddocks by a huge amount. “We’ve applied two lots of ammonium sulphate this season, but instead of the 175-180 units applied on the farm last season, we were able to reduce that to 50-60 units.” Further examination of soil samples under a microscope in January found a significant increase in good bacteria and fungi. “We’ve worked with the Total Replacement Therapy team to formulate a ‘brew’ that is right for the farm,” says Chris. “David, Marg and the team are pretty good: all of my questions are answered, and they are all committed to getting it right.”
Total Replacement Therapy
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Carbon positive, naturally Jargon is a mode of speech familiar only to a group or profession. It’s widely used by the scientific fraternity, particularly with respect to agriculture, and its effect, whether deliberate or otherwise, has been to limit open discussion. When you are unsure of the meaning of technical terms there’s a tendency to say nothing so as to not look foolish. Carbon, whether lost or gained, is fundamental to the future of agriculture, not only here but world-wide. The government has a stated aim of carbon neutrality by 2050 and those able to show that their farming enterprise is gaining carbon stand to gain financially, either through paying less tax and/ or receiving higher returns for their produce. Those losing carbon will be penalised and their future limited, and yet farmers currently have no sure way of knowing which camp they fall into.
Knowing where you stand The dairy industry admits that they are responsible to some extent for the increase in nitrate nitrogen levels recorded over recent times, but are yet to explain how this issue is to be resolved. At present the blunt tool of fewer animals seems to be the accepted next step and this alone may or may not solve the problem. Farmers need to know where they stand and be able to plan for the future with a degree of certainty. Banks also require this certainty for land prices to be determined allowing the current group of owners aged 60-plus to sell their properties, should they wish. Younger folk with energy, enthusiasm, and the skill necessary to take pastoral farming to the next level are presently stymied, and without a clear pathway to land ownership will look to other industries for their futures.
Landcare Research has measured carbon on pastoral land throughout the country and I’m told that the measures show that all irrigated land in this country is losing carbon. Whether that’s right or wrong, the findings should be freely available, because irrigating land does not necessarily result in a reduction of soil held carbon. The loss of soil carbon results from farming practices, however which ones? As it is under permanent grazed pasture that carbon is sequestered most rapidly it must be a practice or input that disrupts this natural process.
Prioritising tests and samples Animals are an essential part of the sequestration process as it is their dung, urine, and treading that contributes not only to the development of soil but also the speed at which it occurs. An article published by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council in 2011 contains the following: “recent research has shown that in intensive lowland livestock systems (e.g. dairying), soils have lost organic matter by an average of one tonne carbon/ ha/yr over the last 20-30 years while in hilly land soils, organic carbon levels have increased”. What is unique to dairy land is the ongoing application of urea on a regular basis, and that started around 1990, so fits with the timeline, but alone may not be the issue. With data going back 30 years the scientific fraternity can doubtless provide a hypothesis that can be readily verified. A term that we feel should be introduced is ‘carbon positive farming’, to differentiate between systems that sequester and those that lose carbon. If farmers were told how to sample their property and what test/s to request they could develop a benchmark against which future tests could be compared. Any single test will only be accurate within quite broad parameters, it will be the trend over time that tells the full story. If we are to meet the 2050 carbon neutral target it is imperative that the tests and sampling procedures are made a top priority. For more information contact Peter on: 0800 843 809.
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Better winter weather and positive returns
The weather has definitely been milder compared to other years. The rainfall for June to date has been 64ml compared to a total of 225.5 for June last year, with 999.7ml in the last 12 months compared to 1051ml in the year prior. Usually it’s hard to grow grass in June because you’re contending with frosts but it’s growing both in front and behind the cows at the moment, which is good news for the farmers. It’s still important to avoid pugging and other winter grazing concerns by planning ahead and keeping an eye of the forecast, so you’re working well away from waterways on rainy days.
Getting covered Farmers in Canterbury got hit very hard with the extreme weather down there. It’s a timely reminder to check your insurance policies, as it’s about the time of year they are due for renewal. I encourage farmers to talk to the relevant people to make sure they have Business Interruption insurance, as well as their standard loss insurance. This is not for the stuff you can see out the window, but damage that
causes financial losses when you can’t run the business. It can be a lifesaver when you have to replace $10,000 worth of ruined feed due to unexpected weather events or can’t get stock to the processors due to lack of feed and crops. If you can’t milk the cows due to no power, it will cover generator hire. Keep an eye on the nitrates from your new grasses while everything is growing frantically in the cloudy conditions. New grasses, crops like brassicas, and winter annuals can be high in nitrates, so it pays to be mindful of that. Nitrate levels have been good so far but that’s not to say that they won’t rise in the overcast conditions. You need sunshine to lower nitrate levels, and we won’t get a lot of that if the tropical fronts we’ve been getting keep coming.
doesn’t look that great, beef and lamb are up on this time last year. So everything’s looking strong at this stage, we just hope it stays that way. Now’s a good time to talk to your consultant and plan how you can take advantage of the higher payout before the horse has bolted. This can include investing in more high quality feed to increase production. But be careful what you buy – unless it’s high-end good quality milking feed you’re wasting your money, because then the cows won’t produce on it. Poor quality feed is just a filler, whereas good feed allows you to increase milk production without spending money on additional stock and the workload and infrastructure that comes with it. Also be wary of spending too much on expensive feed – you can’t just pour a bunch
of meal in through the shed and expect the cows to perform. You need to mix it with top quality forage but grass must be fully utilised first before supplementing We still have plenty of high energy, milking-quality silage bales available
and we’ll be making more of them. It’s high-energy feed that keeps milking cows milking, not just maintaining them. Good quality feed keeps the whole farm ticking along and improves production and profit.
In the green It’s still looking like the payout will have an eight in front of it even though GDP has dropped back a bit. Organic milk prices have dropped from its record high of $10.26kgMS, but they’re still confident it will be around the $9 mark for next season. Kiwifruit and forestry are both up, and even thought the schedule
Extra value $350/ha* 501 Chicory is very fast establishing and out-yields some other varieties. This could mean an extra 50kg MS/ha worth $350/ha*.
Make more green this summer with 501 Chicory.
*Based on 550kg DM/ha extra yield and $7/kg MS milk price. Yield data based on yield info from combined trial analysis of Cambridge 11-12, and Canterbury 12-13.
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FARM VEHICHLES & MACHINERY
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The story behind Police Tractors
A police tractor on tour at Roto-o-rangi School. From left, Waipa school community officer - Senior Constable Brenton Irwin, Cambridge community liaison officer - Senior Constable Deb Thurgood, Waipa rural support officer - Constable Collette Corley, and Cambridge youth aid officer - Senior Constable Wayne Dunn, with Roto-o-rangi School students.
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The tractors are New Holland T5.120, with a four-cylinder diesel engine putting out 117hp. With hydraulic steering, air conditioned closed cabs, and 16 gears, the model was designed for general agricultural use. “There was no shopping around, that was the brand on display at Fieldays. “The body shape and mid blue paint colour looks striking with the police livery, but that wasn’t planned,” says the New Zealand Police community policing co-ordinator, Alasdair MacMillan. The idea for a police tractor grew from a conversation between a stall holder and an off duty police officer at the 2014 Mystery Creek Fieldays. “The officer had seen police tractors in the UK and felt it would be a great fit for the rural New Zealand police,” says Alasdair. “They aren’t used to do physical rural police work, but are kept on the road, attending events all over the country as an ‘atTRACTOR’.” The tractors have proved to be
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Terms and conditions apply. Offer ends 31/7/2021 or while stocks last. Images may differ from product advertised. *Requires 50% deposit, on a 24 month term. GST back in month three.
Phone (07) 543 0021 | 1 Pyes Pa Road, Tauranga Reg Hedges 027 230 7000 | Owen Jessop 027 337 6963 Dave Horgan 027 555 2308 | Andrew Gibbs 027 217 3652
a very successful medium for increasing dialogue between rural communities and the police. “Children are drawn to the tractors, and are accompanied by adults, allowing the opportunity for conversation in a familiar setting with the rural community,” says Alasdair. Rural crime is often under reported, and the tractor initiative is aimed at helping to change that. The first tractor was North Island based and was delivered in 2015. A second one was delivered to the South Island in 2018, to provide better coverage, and a decrease in time and travel costs. Norwood Farm Machinery Specialists supply the tractors, loaning them to the New Zealand Police, and changing them every 18 months. The only costs to the police are the livery, sirens and lights. Independent contractors transport them, and they are securely stored at Norwood dealerships when on the road. The local rural police are very supportive of the initiative and the tractors are in high demand.
Catherine Fry
DEUTZ-FAHR 320-420F 82-95HP • 45L/min Hydraulics @ 2800PSI • Kiwi-Fruit tyre equipment 27/10-15.3, 365/70R18, • Steel guards, lowered seat base (750mm seat height) • Underbelly protection, throttle body protection • Lowered aluminium foot plates
FARM VEHICHLES & MACHINERY
Page 43
A David Brown family collection Maurice Short laughs as he blames his wife for his large collection of 31 David Brown tractors and one Ferguson.
stationary engines. The 10 crawlers were trucked up. Today they are all homed in Maurice’s large shed on his lifestyle property near Maihiihi, and groups of machinery enthusiasts often come through for a tour. Catherine Fry
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“When my son showed an interest in flying I seriously considered getting a microlite and learning myself, but the words: ‘you could be lonely milking 500 sheep’ were mentioned, so I started collecting tractors instead.” Born and raised on a drystock farm near Tokanui, east of Invercargill, Maurice spent much of his working life farming 60 acres at Balfour and running his bus company. His father claims to have had the first David Brown crawler in the South Island, in the late 1940s, preferring machinery to the extra work of horses. “He used to say: ‘why get up in the morning to tack the horses to plough a paddock, to grow the oats, to feed the horses so they could plough another paddock, to grow another crop to feed the sheep…’.” Maurice’s father was a qualified mechanic, and all four of his sons were taught to fix things that were broken around the farm. In 2003, Maurice was gifted his father’s second David Brown crawler. The bright yellow, 1962 David Brown 40 TD has been in the family since it was new, one of the several of the 300 manufactured that were imported to New Zealand. “It was bought from Hart Motors, the Invercargill David Brown dealer at that time.” The TD has a diesel, four cylinder engine with six forward and two reverse gears, and was well known for its stability. “It was used for agricultural work, breaking in steep land.” Before Maurice owned it, it had been sitting for a while with its tracks off, thankfully inside. A man with his father’s ‘can do’ attitude, and mechanically minded himself, Maurice repaired and renovated the TD. “Parts are easy to find in New Zealand and I figure if someone was able to design it, I can fix it.” Maurice’s collection is well travelled. When he and his wife moved to the Waikato in 2005, along with friends, the couple made three trips to the South
Island over three years to bring his tractor collection up. Each time five wheeled tractors were driven up over seven days, four of them pulling trailers with the crawlers and non-running tractors, or carrying his collection of
CARTAGE & EARTHWORKS
Page 44
Growers weighed down by bad bridge Something of a carrottastrophe is developing near Ohakune where a significant portion of the country’s carrot crop is stuck on the wrong side of a dodgy bridge. The Ruapehu District Council has had to place a weight restriction on the Mayor Don Cameron, centre, talks to vegetable growers Ivan and Mangateitei Bridge, a rail Scott Young, of Kim Young and Sons, at the Mangateitei Bridge. overbridge near Ohakune, following an engineering report highlighting are balancing the need to renew infrastructure safety issues. against affordability. Mangateitei Rd is one of two wooden rail overThe bridge is the only public access in or out of bridges, along with another on Ruapehu Rd (max. Mangateitei Rd, which is home to 20 per cent of 3500kg), where the council has had to introduce the country’s carrot crop, amongst other crops. new restrictions following recent engineering reports. Major grower Kim Young and Sons is one of He says the two bridges should have been replaced those affected by the bridge restrictions but it some time ago, but they have been unable to access could have been worse had they not cut a forest access road through their property 12 months ago. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s 75 per cent subsidy because of the criteria. Field manager Scott Young says the weight The council has put aside its $1.2 million share restriction is such that once the weight of their of the cost of replacing the two bridges and is now trucks were taken into account, it didn’t leave room for the huge volumes of carrots and potatoes awaiting a review by NZTA on its share. In the meantime, other solutions are being they grow up Mangateitei Rd. sought including using a temporary Bailey Bridge or installing a level crossing. “In the case of the Mangateitei Rd bridge this is a significant issue as it is the only option for the local growers, farmers and forestry who rely on it, and supply produce nationwide and for export, including 20 percent of New Zealand’s carrots and potatoes,” says Mayor Cameron. Rural bridges all over the country are coming to He says it is a nationwide issue. the end of their useful life which is starting to pose funding problems for smaller councils. Old stock “These old, aging, structures help support the “It’s quite a big impact. Forty percent of our crop rural backbone of New Zealand’s economy that is up Mangateitei Rd itself,” says Scott. feeds the nation and are critical to exports as we Fortunately they had cut a road through the farm recover from Covid-19.” and across the railway line for forestry purposes a Ruapehu has 341 old bridges including large year ago. It’s not ideal though as the harvest will culverts. Mayor Cameron says the majority were disturb stock prior and during lambing later in built about 100 years ago, across a 350km road winter and spring. network of which two thirds is unsealed. “Multiply this situation across rural New Zealand Seeking solutions there is likely to be a large bow wave of aging It is also a cost they were not expecting insofar as bridge stock vital to the economy that small the maintenance on the private road and the extra regional councils cannot afford to renew,” he says. time it takes trucks to get produce off the farm. Without further government assistance, the “We are paying rates for the council roads. It is council’s debt level is projected to grow to an more costly to us as a grower.” “uncomfortable” $100m, driven mostly by the The Ruapehu District Council says local growers government’s water quality reforms. have appealed to them for an urgent solution but “Accelerating our bridge renewal program it was an issue of funding. without the co-investment [from NZTA] at a Cameras have been placed on the bridge to time when we are already committed to meeting ensure compliance until a solution is found. legislated water quality upgrades would hasten Mayor Don Cameron says the issue highlights affordability issues for council.” Daniel Hutchinson a problem facing many rural councils where they
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CARTAGE & EARTHWORKS
Page 45
Reminder to protect stopbanks
Council says it’s best to keep all stock off stopbanks in the wetter months.
Winter is here, so the Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana is reminding rural landowners to protect their stopbanks. Over the wetter winter months, stopbanks can be damaged by stock and over grazing and landowners can be held liable for any damage. Rivers and drainage asset manager Kirsty Brown says most farmers and lifestyle block owners know and follow the rules, but it only takes one person to put the wider community at risk. “At Regional Council we manage over 350km of stopbanks and they are only as strong as their weakest link, so it is essential every landowner plays their part,” says Kristy. “While light grazing of sheep and cows is allowed on stopbanks in the dryer months, over winter it’s best to keep all stock off them as much as possible to prevent damage. Pigs, horses and bulls should never be on stopbanks.” “When stopbanks become wet, stock can churn up the ground which can create serious issues. Good grass cover helps to hold together the soil structure underneath – so weakening that top layer can have
catastrophic effects on surrounding properties. “Vehicles can also damage stopbanks, especially when the ground is wet, so please make sure you aren’t driving trucks, tractors or other machinery on them.” Toi Moana is also reminding people who live near stopbanks of the new Flood Protection and Drainage Bylaws that came into effect earlier this year. The Bylaws apply to stopbanks and other flood defences and water controls like drains. They require landowners to apply for permission if they are intending to build or demolish any structure, undertake earthworks or do any plantings in the vicinity of a Regional Council managed flood defence or drain. Bylaw conditions differ across the region so Kristy is asking anyone living near one of the region’s flood defences to go onto the Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s website for full details. “We need to protect stopbanks so they protect us in times of flooding. If in doubt please check out our website to make sure you know the rules for stopbanks and drains in your area.”
COAST & COUNTRY NEWS
Page 46
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July 4
Rose Care Demo,
1.30pm, Decor Gardenworld, Moffat Rd, Bethlehem (Tauranga), free. See: www. decorgardenworld.co.nz Fiordland Conservation talk, 7pm, Pepper Tree restaurant, Coromandel town, koha. See tinyurl. com/nt2pvnfs
July 10
Oxford St, Te Puke. Ph 07 573 9710.
Society Field Trip, Western Matata Dunes, easy. See tinyurl.com/ h4zph2x
July 17
Rotorua Botanical
July 10-11 Rose Pruning Demo,
1-3pm Saturday, 11am-1pm Sunday, Wairere Garden Centre, Gordonton, Waikato, free.
July 11
Orchid & Plant Auction,
noon, Masonic Hall,
Rose Pruning Demo, 10.30am-2pm, Palmers Garden Centre, Frankton, Hamilton, free.
July 18
Orchid Show, 9am-3pm,
Hamilton Gardens, $3 entry ($5 for two). See tinyurl.com/2x4kvzkt
July 22
Permaculture: Waikato
Horticultural Society, 7.30pm, Wintec classroom, Gate 2,
Hamilton Gardens, $5 non-members. Phone Carmel 07 855 3404.
Aug 1
Rotorua Botanical
Society Field Trip, Waimangu, Hapeotoroa, medium/ hard. See tinyurl.com/ h4zph2x Himalayas to Coromandel Photo Journey, 7pm, Pepper Tree restaurant, Coromandel town, koha. See tinyurl.com/ nt2pvnfs
Aug 7
Crop Swap, 10am-11am,
14 Jocelyn St, Katikati. Veges, fruit, seeds, baking, books, eggs, etc. all welcome. Phone 07 549 4522. Plant Sales, Hamilton Gardens.
Aug 8
Plant Sale, 10am-1pm, Te Puna Quarry Park, near Tauranga, cash only. How will our Coasts Change with Sea Level Rise? 7pm, Pepper Tree restaurant, Coromandel town, koha. See tinyurl. com/nt2pvnfs
Survey of rural decision makers Rural Women New Zealand is for women Are you a farmer, involved in any of these and so is the 2021 forester, grower or Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Survey of lifestyle block owner? Rural Decision Makers.
Changing landscape Just as RWNZ has had to move with the times to include the changing face of rural Aotearoa so too has the format of the biennial survey, which admits it has refined topics and questions
professional services
to incorporate the increasingly diverse range of land use from the traditional to the more unusual as well as the uncertain times we live in. The survey, which has been run every second year since 2013, will gather information on topics such as land use but will also have cover individual wellbeing and who you trust for information and advice when it comes to decision making.
Where to register Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research strategic stakeholder relationship manager, Christine Harper, is inviting anyone who has not already received an email to participate to register at www.landcareresearch.co.nz/discover-our-research/ environment/sustainable-society-and-policy/ survey-of-rural-decision-makers/register/ All those who register should receive an email with a link to a survey tailored to their specific land use in around a week’s time. Christine says the survey will run until mid September to allow for the various busy seasons across the different land use sectors. Unlike many surveys, whose results disappear into the filing systems of bureaucracy, all participants of the Survey of Rural Decision Makers will receive an email with a link to the results as soon as these go live. “However, that probably won’t be until December, or possibly January 2022, as it does take some time to prepare the material once the survey is closed,” says Christine.
The results Results from this survey will not just equip local government to have a clearer understanding of the primary industry in each location but also enable scientists, businesses and support services. RWNZ will be using results from the survey in order to better cater to the needs of the women in each area such as what topics to offer as well-being events or educational workshops. Every completed survey can choose for $10 to be donated to the charity of their choosing out of the Westpac Chopper Appeal, Farmstrong, Retired Working Dogs and the QEII National Trust. Also, each participant goes into a prize draw to win one of five $500 supermarket vouchers.
COAST & COUNTRY NEWS
Page 47
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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS
Above: Brianna, 18 months, playing in the leaves with her bestie Gus the blue heeler in Matamata. Top right: Rico, 4, hunting hares in Rukuhia. Bottom right: Nikora, 1.5 years, loves being on the farm feeding the chickens and collecting eggs in Mokai, Taupo. Bottom Left: Maylee, 10 months, hanging out with the chickens in Tapapa.
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