Coast & Country News - January 2022

Electric farm bikes are proving a winner on the flat part of the farm for Morrinsville farm manager Lloyd Odiamar, overall manager Mitchell Coombe, 2IC Roi Odiamar, and herd manager Claro Moran. Photo: Catherine Fry. Story on page 6.

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Page 2

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Putting down roots in 2022 Hopefully everyone has had a chance to swap the boots for jandals by now and enjoy spending time with their favourite people.

With the festive season disappearing fast in the rear view mirror, it’s time to look ahead in 2022 and no doubt there will be plenty to think about.

As always, it’s our job to connect people and help shed some light on the issues facing the primary sector and highlight some of the innovations that our creative farmers and orchardists are up to.

We kick it off with the impossibly cute angora goats on page 5. It’s good to see this sector still thriving after 50 years because diversity gives everyone more options.

Our cover story continues on page 6 where Mitchell Coombe – an early adopter of technology – is trying out such things as electric farm bikes and fenceless farming technology.

Proving and improving technology like this is obviously a passion for some people and it has huge spin-offs for the rest of us so definitely should be encouraged.

On page 8-9 we continue our popular Tractor Attraction series by catching up with Stephen

West from the Waikato Vintage Tractor and Machinery Club. His David Brown 770A tractor is very much part of the family history.

Over the page we find out all about Morrinsville dairy farmer Johan van Ras to discover what he was doing that saw him win the Waikato Regional Supreme Award in the 2021 Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

Then we hone in on the King Country and the White family who reflect upon the progress of Greenpark Sheep, after converting the dairy operation from cows to sheep.

And the further you go in the paper, the more you will find with our varied collection of knowledgeable and informative columnists, providing advice and a bit of food for thought.

Five pages of Country Living, a two-page travel feature and another page of events will give everyone plenty to read and plenty of ideas about how to use that spare time.

So, put your feet up, grab a cup of tea and enjoy the first edition of Coast & Country News for 2022.

Dan Hutchinson

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 3

Staying cool through Covid pallet shuttle system from Belgium, increasing site safety and minimising the need for forklift drivers.

Packaging supplier Opal is installing ATX tray making and ATS tray stacking machines, reducing the need for labour by 50 per cent.

They can handle 60 boxes every minute – up from 30 per minute on previous models.

The finish of Stage 4 means the company has completed 54,000sqm of building construction over five years.

Mount Pack & Cool has grown to encompass 54,000 square metres at its Tauriko site.

The largest packhouse and coolstore in New Zealand has been completed on time and budget despite the challenges posed by Covid-19.

Mount Pack & Cool’s Stage 4 expansion at Tauriko in Tauranga means it will now employ about 600 people and handle 24 million trays of kiwifruit when the season gets underway in March.

It includes a state-of-the-art packing line and bin curing room, 17 controlled atmosphere stores and four coolstores.

Managing director Brendon Lee says there is a sense of pride amongst growers and staff that the development had created such highquality infrastructure.

The gold standard

Industry growth and demand for the Gold variety drove Mount Pack & Cool’s Stage 4 plans to commission a packhouse purpose-built for Gold kiwifruit.

Temperature and humidity will be carefully controlled inside the packhouse to preserve the fruit quality as it moves through the facility and out of the controlled environment, ensuring there’s no humidity or sweating on the fruit, extending its shelf life.

Form NZ was the lead contractor for its Stage 1 and 2 developments, and was contracted again to project manage Stage 4.

By committing to the development as far back as June 2020, Brendon says Form NZ was able to overcome logistical challenges and supply chain

bottlenecks that so many other big construction projects are battling.

“We went really early with our ordering to ensure that we had a buffer Mount Pack & Cool managing director Brendon Lee. because we could see issues on the horizon.”

He credits Form NZ for its expertise in managing construction and juggling workflow after the snap Level 4 national lockdown, starting August 18.

“Level 4 did stop construction on site until everyone could get back to work at Level 3, but with Auckland staying in lockdown for longer that did delay the supply of our steel purlins.

“Although manufacturing of the purlins was held up for a few weeks, their team came up with good back-up plans so they could deliver the project on time.

“Re-jigging the workflow to keep projects ticking over, that’s the kind of thing that project managers are having to do – just keep shifting the plan, constantly re-shuffling.”

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In 2021, Mount Pack & Cool handled 16 million trays of kiwifruit, including seven million trays of Green and nine million trays of Gold.

Next year, it expects to pack about 19 million trays, including 7 million trays of Green and 12 million trays of Gold kiwifruit.

For a couple of weeks in early March, it will also pack about 20,000 trays of Zespri’s new RubyRed kiwifruit. Dan Hutchinson

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 4

No excuse for being grumpy Are you a grumpy and miserable old bastard?

I make no apology for my language as this seems to be the only way to describe many older and less-thansocial men.

It seems to be a trend. Men get older and it almost seems they are entitled to get really grumpy, and I am sick of it. There is a lot of talk

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about entitlement these days, but it does not give old bastards the right to be unpleasant.

You can choose how you feel and react as well. There is any amount of psychology, data and evidence out there that tells you very clearly that when you get up in the morning you can make a choice on how you are going to be. There is just no excuse for being grumpy and miserable.

Removal / chipping of whole trees On site chipping for stand off pads Wood chip for sale Orchard shelter removal Stump removal Woodlot marketing of all tree species

It seems that older men are using it as a form of control over their lovely wives. Their life is changing, they realise that they cannot live for ever, let alone on the farm forever, and they get grumpy. Somehow, they realise being grumpy gives them more control, with appalling consequences for their partner of many years.

Once upon a time

An older man with a number of relationships (little wonder) has a few million in the share market and just sold a building for another few million. He asks his mate to fix his fence and when presented with a ‘mates’ bill’ for $250, he in at isin cial Spe goes nuts.

Heggrumped the realtor, the solicitor andwhole trees of chipping ovalhe/ could • Rem everyone around the million-dollar transaction as well. ping for stand off pads site chip • On As people get older, they seem to hoard their money miserable, particularly men. for sale chipbecome d and • Woo If you have got some, or plenty, and your life is ter rem shel gettingard short, spend a bit,oval give it to your family • Orch and grandchildren. It is no use to anyone in your p rem • Stum bank. No use oval at all.

all tree species g ofon ketinbar martow dlot no • Woo There’s the hearse

In another case, a grumpy old man promised his lovely and long-suffering supporter that he would sell something in their farming portfolio to buy her a house in town. He has diminishing health but eventually says no he will not sell anything and will not go to town. Next thing she has a heart event, he goes grumpily to ground and guess what,

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it is a very sad situation.

Yes, I know it is hard for farmers to make changes and leave the farm but there is life after farming and you are going to be looking at the lid of the coffin for a long time, as the saying goes.

Just a reminder, there is no tow bar on the hearse either, so you cannot take your farm with you.

It seems that many miserable old bastards just won’t agree to anything and use grumpiness to maintain control of their dwindling situation. This is kind of understandable but totally unacceptable, particularly when it is a 50:50 partnership.

So, fellow men, we need to make a conscious decision not to become a grumpy old man.

You can choose to be happy or grumpy so there is really no excuse. It is a form of control and really mean on your partner.

Don’t be miserable either as it gives you a bad rap. Would you rather be remembered as a generous and cheerful man or a miserable and grumpy old bastard!

Ruminations of an old fart…

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 for many decades.

You can still contact him on 021 777 675

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 5

The soft luxury of mohair Michael Woodward’s father John Woodward “Worm faecal counting, supported by was one of the pioneers of Angora goat targeted drenching, and farming in the late 1970s. weekly zinc sulphate

Now, the Waikato dairy farmer sees a place for them on his own farm.

The Angora is a domesticated goat originally from Turkey, and produces a lustrous fibre called mohair, which is a sought-after, high-end commodity.

While 50/50 share milking in the South Island, Michael and his wife Susie were living on their own two-hectare lifestyle block and grew their own herd of 50 from 10 original pregnant does.

The couple now have their own 170ha farm near Otorohanga. They milk 300 cows and run 300 Angora goats.

For the goats to thrive in the wetter Waikato climate, a great deal of thought is put into breeding, bringing through traits such as good feet and low worm burdens to cope with the conditions.

“Fibre quality is important too and it’s a fine balance between all the traits as we also supply bucks back to the mohair industry,” Susie says.

The goats and dairy cows can be used

foot baths during wetter periods, are essential for maintaining the health of the goats,” Michael says.

New Zealand produces one per cent of the world’s mohair.

Above: The Woodward children love playing with the Angora kids.

From left: John, Jack, Charlie and Kylie.

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Left: Kylie Woodward with one of the cuddly Angora kids.

The Woodwards run a classing warehouse and class fibre for about 60 per cent of the country’s mohair producers.

Shearing is timed for July and January.

The peak age for good fibre is four to five years old, and the does can keep breeding until over eight years old.

“The expected return per animal is $100 to $150 per year depending on the goat’s age.

“Young goats produce less fibre, but the quality is very high,” Susie says.

Mohair fibre is hollow, dyes well and is strong, durable, and • beautiful to wear, meaning there is a buoyant market for it.

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Michael and Susie Woodward in their mohair classing warehouse.

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to aid with pasture management as they graze different levels of the grass and have different worm burdens that don’t cross the breeds.

“We time the kidding for September so that calving is out of the way, and we use the calf sheds for the kids and does,” Michael says.

Angoras have no lanolin in their fibre, so the kids are susceptible to hypothermia in wet, cold weather and need regular feeding and shelter.

The herd’s diet is mainly grass, with baleage supplement during mating, kidding and drought.

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Page 6

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Making farming life easier Twenty-nine-year-old Mitchell Coombe may not have taken the traditional path in his farming career, but he now manages five dairy farms across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

“I lived with my parents on my grandparents’ dairy farm, and while my parents didn’t farm themselves, from an early age I lived for the weekends when I could help on the farm,” Mitchell says.

“I got my first motorbike when I was six and I was relief milking from the age of 13.”

After a six-month OE in Europe, Mitchell started his first contract milking job at 18. He was also interested in aviation and gained his pilot’s licence at 19.

“By 20 I was a half owner of a flying school, with 80 international students, and 12 planes, while contract milking, and it was way too much work!”

Mitchell chose farming, but still has a half share in a Diamond aircraft with a friend, and flies at the weekends for relaxation.

Taking a different route

Feeling that farm ownership was probably out of reach for him, since he was 20, Mitchell has built up his own portfolio of two lease farms, and contract milking on another three.

“Not so many farms come on the market now, and to work on the farm and try and save for a farm at the same time took farm ownership so far into my future, that I’ve taken a different route.

“My bank manager suggested working off farms for a few years to

Mitchell Coombe manages five dairy farms across Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

All Photos: Catherine Fry.

save money for a farm, but I’m too passionate about farming to leave the industry for the time it would have taken.”

The five dairy farms have six cow sheds between them. The Bay of Plenty farm has 1000 cows and six staff, and the Waikato farms have 1500 cows and 10 staff in total over the four farms.

Apart from wages, there are lots of costs to meet on the farms and Mitchell has noticed a marked

increase since the Covid-19 pandemic started.

“Anything that has touched a truck, ship or plane has increased by 20 to 25 per cent due to the freight cost.”

Early adopter of technology

Mitchell describes himself as an early adopter of new technology if he sees benefit to it and he likes “new toys” on his farms. He’s trialling fenceless farming technology on one of the Waikato farms.

“I’m always looking for ways to make farming more appealing to my staff and keep them in farming.

“There’s been such a brain drain over the last few decades with farm kids doing degrees in things like accountancy and law, and not taking over family farms.”

Mitchell wants to bring youth and enthusiasm back to farming. “It’s a “great career if done right”.

He first saw all-wheel drive electric farm bikes on Instagram, and then kept seeing another local farmer using one, prompting him to research them further.

Low maintenance and quiet

Morrinsville “home farm” manager Lloyd Odiamar, 2IC Roi Odiamar, and herd manager Claro Moran ride their all-wheel drive electric farm bikes.

“We were spending lots maintaining old, loud, clunky motorbikes. They are heavy and are harder on the body to ride, and over longer periods of use, are very noisy for the rider.”

There was no trialling, Mitchell ordered 10 and distributed them around the farms.

“They’re leased, so I don’t have to pay for maintenance, I get the newest upgrades every three years, and the old bikes get refurbished.”

There is much less that can go wrong. With farm tyre treads and comfy seats, the bikes are used to get around the farm for the usual jobs.

“Don’t get me wrong, we still need utes for bigger jobs and we still use motorbikes on my really steep, hilly farm.

“An 80-kilogramme guy going up steep hills all day draws considerable power, and the bike batteries go flat quicker.”

On the flatter farms, staff find them perfect, easily covering 40km-plus a day. The staff love the bright LED headlights on dark mornings.

“It sounds like a small thing, but these bikes are really quiet, and riding them out in the paddocks with no motor ringing in your ears is very relaxing and enjoyable.”

Mitchell has also noticed that the cows don’t react to the E-bikes, whereas they heard the motorbike engines and knew it was milking time.

Bringing the cows in is now a peaceful task, with more human to animal interaction as staff call out to the cows as they work.

“If there’s anything out there that allows my staff to work more traditional work hours, or makes their work easier and more enjoyable, then I’m open to it.”

FARM VEHICLES & MACHINERY

Page 7

Power Farming secures JCB machines agent for JCB construction equipment which includes backhoe loaders, compact track loaders, compaction equipment, dumpsters, industrial forklifts, mini excavators, skid steer loaders and wheeled excavators.

The company has dealerships across New Zealand with the following branches in the Coast and Country News distribution area – Auckland, Morrinsville, Bay of Plenty, Te Awamutu and Gisborne.

The JCB range is now backed up by Power Farming’s well-known sales and service and will be available across New Zealand.

Colin Amrein JCB equipment is now available from the Power Farming Group.

World famous JCB construction equipment joins the Power Farming Group product range on January 1 this year.

UK based JCB revolutionised the construction industry in 1953 when it developed a backhoe loader.

Demand for that loader was huge

worldwide, and led to the progressive development of a range of more than 300 machines designed to provide efficient and sustainable solutions for the wider global construction industry.

Those JCB machines complement Power Farming’s already extensive product range.

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CONTRACTING Ltd

ACC subsidy for quad bike safety device Farmers in Waikato are being urged to take extra care this summer as the region continues to lead the way for quad bike-related injuries.

ACC figures show quad bike injuries were again highest in the Waikato region – with 335 claims made to October 31.

It is the sixth year in a row the region has recorded the country’s highest number of quad bike injuries.

ACC injury prevention programme leader James Whitaker says farmers feel time pressure sometimes so might rush things or take a shortcut.

“Farmers know the safest and most logical way to go about their work

– they’ve just got to slow down a bit and think before they get stuck in.”

ACC covers about 2500 quad bikerelated injuries every year.

A recent study found 58 per cent of recently-injured farmers linked their accident to stress.

James says farmers need to “be a little bit selfish” to keep themselves fresh and take time out over summer.

There have been 74 quad bikerelated deaths since 2006, and on average one in five quad bike accidents result in a fatality.

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FARM VEHICLES & MACHINERY

Page 8

A family David Brown tractor Current committee member of the Waikato Vintage Tractor and Machinery Club Inc., Stephen West, has a small collection of tractors himself, and his favourite is a David Brown 770A which has been in his family since he was a child.

It was purchased new in 1970 for the West family dairy farm at Te Puninga.

“Our Nuffield 342 was traded in to buy the

David Brown,” says Stephen.

Stephen spent most of his childhood and teens in the David Brown’s driving seat. From the age of eight, Stephen rode shotgun with his dad, and drove it himself from the age of 12.

“I used to feed out, mow, ted, bale and plough with that tractor.

“It was used for general purpose farm work.”

Imported from England, the 770A has a threecylinder, 33 horsepower diesel engine with 12 gears, including four reverse gears.

Vintage tractor enthusiast, Stephen West, with some of his tractors. All Photos: Catherine Fry.

“It was available in a petrol version, and the diesel injector pump is where the petrol distributor would have been.”

Stephen worked on the farm throughout his college Apart from the mudguards, the 770A years, spending an intensive three weeks in summer is in original condition. tedding during haymaking.

He then trained and worked as a welder, before spending 30 years as an owner-driver in a contract fertiliser business. He now works for himself.

The 770A had a roll frame added when the new laws came in during the 1970s, The two furrow Clough plough Stephen and the sun canopy was exchanged for two bottles of rum. added later. The mud guards

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also needed rebuilding, but apart from that, the tractor is original condition.

It still lived with Stephen’s father, on his sister’s goat farm, until Stephen joined the Vintage Machinery Club, when he ‘confiscated’ it to use in ploughing competitions.

In exchange for a couple of bottles of rum, he had acquired an older, two furrow Clough plough, which makes 12-inch furrows.

“I won the novice class twice with it and it’s still in my shed. I get asked to return it, but I wouldn’t want the goats nibbling it would I?” ...continued

FARM VEHICLES & MACHINERY

Stephen West ‘borrows’ his father’s David Brown 770A, which they bought new in 1970. continued...

Stephen has a treasured black and white photo of his father’s tractor, which he took while doing the photography badge as a Cub. The tractor is still well used for feeding out the dairy heifers and hay making on Stephen’s property.

“Each year, we also take it to the speed boat events at Lake Karapiro and help with launching them into the lake.”

As an active member of the Vintage Machinery Club, Stephen takes it on tractor treks, competes in ploughing events and participates in other club events.

Catherine Fry

A treasured photo of his father’s shows David Brown in the 1970s, taken by Stephen West while doing his Cub photography badge.

Photo: Stephen West.

Page 9

Bert Quin DrDrBert Quin

Bert Quin DrDrBert Quin

Johan van Ras by the specially designed farm water filtration system. All Photos: Catherine Fry. LK0108 6 8 1©

...continued

Richard and Truus van Ras sold up in 2008 and ‘retired’ to town, and Johan was leasing a farm.

“They really missed farm life, so we waited until our farm lease expired, and my wife Kylie and I went in together with my parents and bought a 76-hectare dairy farm in Tatuanui near Morrinsville,” says Johan.

“It got us into farm ownership in 2010, and my parents were part of farm life again, without the full-time commitment.”

In the 2021 Ballance Farm Environment Awards, the partnership was the Waikato Regional Supreme Winner and took home four other sponsored awards.

Their farm grows 8ha of maize, has a 66ha dairy platform and was milking 245 Kiwi cross cows. Eleven years on, after many improvements, they are milking 215 cows with a higher production.

“Originally with 245 cows, the average annual production was 70,000 kg/MS, but now with 215 cows the changes we have made, we are seeing an average of 100,000 kg/MS.” Bert Quin DrDrBert Quin

Feed and fertiliser

Fact 1.

Ten Basic Fertiliser Facts You Must Know and Adopt to Meet 2025 Water Quality Limits: Fact 2. Fact Once1. you have Olsen P levels that are more than a third of the P retention (ASC), application of additional soluble P is very prone to loss to the

can be harvested in summer to be fed out, to improve P and N cycling.

Factstrips 8. or In alow nutshell, for maintenance of P levels any genuine RPR (not an RPR/Boucraa mix please!) can be used.

Just check the Cd content.

For low fertility situations rainfall, use a blend of RPR and high-analysis soluble P. or low rainfall, use a blend of RPR and high-analysis soluble P. In a nutshell, for maintenance of P levels any genuine RPR (not anto, RPR/Boucraa mix please!)with can be used.

Just check theN Cd For low fertility Factsituations 9. Fact For N,8. rather than granular urea, use prilled urea, sprayed immediately prior or during, the spreading urease inhibitor.

Use of cancontent. be literally Factsituations 9. For N, rather than granular urea, use prilled urea, sprayed immediately prior to, low rainfall, use a blend of RPR and high-analysis soluble P. or during, the spreading with urease inhibitor. Use of N can be literally cut in half with bigorsavings. cut in half with big savings.

Fact 10.Fact 9. For N, rather than granular urea, use prilled urea, sprayed immediately prior to, or during, the spreading with urease inhibitor. Use of N can be literally Fact 10. cut in half with big savings. annual amount you are using now.

Easy to mix with your prilled urea.

Leaching of anions like nitrate will be minimised annual amount you are using now.

Easy to mix with your prilled urea.

Leaching of anions like nitrate will be minimised as well.as well.

10.

For more info, email Bert Quin phone 021 572, or visit www.quinfert.co.nz For Fact more info, email Bert Quinon onbert.quin@quinfert.co.nz, bert.quin@quinfert.co.nz, ororphone 021 427427 572, or visit www.quinfert.co.nz annual amount you are using now. Easy to mix with your prilled urea. Leaching of anions like nitrate will be minimised as well.

For more info, email Bert Quin on bert.quin@quinfert.co.nz, or phone 021 427 572, or visit www.quinfert.co.nz

strips can be harvested in summer to be fed out, to improve P and N cycling. be harvested in summer toof bePfed out,any to improve P and cycling.

Factstrips 8. Incan a nutshell, for maintenance levels genuine RPRN(not an RPR/Boucraa mix please!) can be used. Just check the Cd content. For low fertility

Fact 7.

Fact 7.

Fact 7.

huge amounts Fact Fact 5. 5. of money!

Fact 6. It is nonsensical to give in to pressure to install expensive mitigations riparian strips, excessively large wetlands and ‘phosphorus walls’ when you have no huge amounts of money! huge amounts of money!

FactFact 6. It 6. is nonsensical to give in pressure install expensive riparian strips, excessively large wetlands and ‘phosphorus walls’ and when‘phosphorus you have no walls’ when you have no It is nonsensical totogive in to to pressure to installmitigations expensive mitigations riparian strips, excessively large wetlands

Fact 5.

Dr Bert Quin Fact 2.

Once you have Olsen P levels that are more than a third of the P retention (ASC), application of additional soluble P is very prone to loss to the Fact 1. environment.

Dr Bert Quin Once youto have Olsen levels that areanmore than a third of the P retention application FactFact 3. environment.

If2.you want build up Pyour soil P in environmentally-protective way,(ASC), simply apply R of additional soluble P is very prone to loss to the Dr Bert Quin Fact 3.fashion If you want to build up your soil P in an environmentally-protective way, simply apply R in a environment. sustained for plants.

3. If you want to build upand soil P in an environmentally-protective way,are simply R FactFact 4. in There is nothing to lose everything to gain. RPR-based fertilisers evenapply cheaper than super-based products as well! Added sulphur bentonite a sustained fashion foryour plants. in a sustained fashion for plants.

4. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain.fertilisers RPR-based fertilisers are even cheaperproducts than super-based products as well! Added sulphur bentonite FactFact 4. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain. RPR-based are even cheaper than super-based as well! Added sulphur bentonite

Johan van Ras grew up on his parents’ Te Aroha dairy farm in the Waiorongomai Valley.

they were leaving feed in the feeders, so we reduced the amount.”

Some extreme weather events in 2017 which flooded many areas of the farm, saw the cows spending extended amounts of time on the feed pad. Due to the rubber mats, they were able to lay down in comfort.

Animal comfort was also a priority when improving the 1.82km race running right through this original soldier settlement farm. The race was raised and dried out, and a stock rock base added to look after the cows’ feet during the long walks to the shed. Drainage channels were dug out and planted with sedges to filter out nutrients before they reached the waterways.

“A focus in our Farm Environment Plan, was our contribution to the Piako River Catchment, as the Waiharakeke West Stream runs through the back of our farm, with much of our drainage entering it.”

Johan uses computer software to monitor the inputs including stocking rate, fertiliser, effluent use and feed, and outputs on the farm, with the soils tested yearly.

Ten Basic Fertiliser Facts Facts You Must Adopt Meetto 2025 Water Quality Ten Basic Fertiliser YouKnow Must and Know and to Adopt Meet 2025 WaterLimits: Quality Limits:

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Balancing sustainability with profit NEW FROM

After finding the farm was quite wet in winter, a concrete feed pad with rubber matting was built to accommodate the whole herd. It is green-washed using water recycled from the effluent pond.

“We realised how much maize and PK was not being eaten when feeding out as LK0108 6 8 1©

ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY FARMING Page 10

NEW FROM FROM NEW

ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLY FARMING Riparian planting Alongside their commitment to planting waterways and mitigating nutrient flow into them, the van Ras family have retired a wet, low-lying area of the farm close to the Waiharakeke West Stream.

Rather than attempting the “megabucks” process to drain the 4.5ha, they are in the process of planting 8000 natives there and returning it to wetland.

Funding for the project came

continued...

Page 11

from Waikato Regional Council, and Johan says they have been amazing with their advice and support.

Johan is happy to share their farm’s environmental journey, and his main message would be to know your input and output nutrient numbers from the start.

“Then you can make your input decisions, keeping it efficient, good for the environment and good for the back pocket, it’s a no brainer.”

Catherine Fry

Wider planted banks of waterways assist with nutrient capture before the waterway.

“A baseline for nutrient figures is really important, so when you make changes, you can see the difference.

“Fertiliser is an expense, and we need to be efficient with it.”

Johan uses TracMap for recording and monitoring of fertiliser uses through GPS precision accuracy.

When he signed up with TracMap, they mapped out all paddocks and isolated out areas of high loss risk such as troughs and gate ways. Johan’s fertiliser orders are directly sent to his fertiliser spreader company. Their trucks have TracMap recording capabilities and are regularly checked against Spreadmark certification. This ensures the fertiliser that is put on farm is spread evenly and no highrisk areas are fertilised. It’s an easy proof of placement tool and makes efficient use of fertiliser.

Effluent and water

With 70 per cent of the farm reached by the effluent irrigators, it’s essential that this highly nitrate and phosphate concentrated medium doesn’t over saturate the soil.

“We use computer software which shuts the system down if there’s a breakdown or burst pipe and geo fencing ensures that effluent isn’t spread close to the waterways.”

The system also captures data on the effluent content which is used when making the overall fertiliser decisions.

The farm bore water was high in iron and manganese, contained E. coli, and was very hard causing build ups in the milking shed machinery. In 2017 the farm invested in a unique water filtration system which filters out the metals, and softens and chlorinates the water, killing the E. coli.

“Our cows now drink water that is better than the World Health Organisation standard for humans. Drinking quality water is all part of the bigger health picture.”

Races are raised and drain into planted waterways.

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KING COUNTRY FOCUS

Page 12

Waikato farming Fully immersed in their second lambing season, Brad and Kieran White, and father Paul, have had the opportunity to reflect upon the progress of Greenpark Sheep in Otorohanga, from its whirlwind start, to where it is today.

Brad, Paul and Kieran White on the farm at Greenpark Farm.

Paul and Dianne White have dairy farmed at Ngahape for 35 years, and their three sons had grown up and left home to pursue corporate careers.

In 2019 the stars aligned somewhat serendipitously for the family.

“Dianne and I found ourselves at a crossroads and we wanted to step back, and the boys’ aspirations had changed over time and they all wanted to return to farming,” Paul says. Son Andrew took up a contract to milk cows on the home farm, and Brad and Kieran were keen to be sheep milking trailblazers.

Paul “floats between the farms to whoever shouts the loudest”.

Paul believes it is important that the sheep venture is a standalone business and describes it as a “calculated risk”.

“It was a new industry, something different, but it just stacked up both environmentally and financially,” Kieran says.

“We’re one of the first to milk sheep in the area, and there’s so much potential for increasing production and quality in the business,” Brad says.

A new farm

The Whites took over the 81ha dairy farm in May 2020 and immediately started the conversion work from cows to sheep. It had to be ready for milking by August, as their initial 860 strong flock of mixed age ewes started lambing.

The family chose Maui Sheep as their dairy company, impressed with their breeding programme and higher payout. The stability of their three-year rolling guaranteed payout offered security.

With no time to build a lambing shed, all lambs were reared naturally, remaining with their mothers for 30 days. Ewe lambs were kept as replacements and ram lambs were sold to the store market once

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they reached 25kg.

Despite using natural rearing, their first season was financially successful and “better than break even”.

“We averaged 200 litres of milk per ewe in the natural rearing season, and under artificial rearing we are expecting 280 to 300 litres per ewe,” says Kieran.

The lambing shed

A purpose-built lambing shed and fencing improvements for the lamb paddocks were all in place for season two, after learning the hard way that small lambs need much more wire in the fences.

The layout of the 57 metre by 9.5 metre polyshed was carefully thought out to be as labour efficient as possible, with a capacity for rearing up to 1000 lambs at a time.

“The kitchen and newborn areas had lots of input from the ladies of the family. There’s plenty of bench space for bottle preparation, fridges, abundant hot water and cupboards and a washing machine for towels is on the wish list,” says Paul.

Kieran’s partner Jessica runs the rearing shed and organises homes for the ram lambs.

“Once feeding properly at three to four days old, they’re castrated and given away. There’s a promising demand to grow them on and finish for meat,” says Brad.

The flock is now 1050 mixed age ewes and hoggets which start lambing two weeks apart, spreading the expected influx of at least 2000 lambs into a slightly longer window of time.

“Even so, it’s been a huge learning curve and we’ve been really appreciative of the support from Maui and their sheep vet, Ginny Dodunski, and our local vets,” says Brad.

The shed is set up to receive oneday-old newborns after they have fed from their mothers’ colostrum, and the rearers teach them to bottle feed gold colostrum from either the flock or cow herd.

These smaller nursery pens with deep wood chip and shaving bedding, and heat lamps, catering for tiny lambs which Kieran describes as “so much less robust than the calves we were brought up with”.

The lambs are progressed to

...continued

Otorohanga

Phone: 07 873 8500 12 - 14 Progress Drive The lambing shed and outdoor pens, and fenced off drainways.

KING COUNTRY FOCUS

Page 13

family take calculated risk The older lambs enjoy playing in the 12 metre square, sheltered outdoor pens. continued...

the “lambateria” with weak colostrum from the colostrum flock, before moving to larger pens with powdered milk autofeeders, where milk is available adlib.

“We’ve put outdoor 12 metre square pens with riverstone bases, off the side of the shed, where the older lambs can go out and play in the sunshine and get used to being outside.

“Before weaning at around six

weeks, the lambs are introduced to grass during the day, and then put permanently in the paddocks as one flock,” Kieran says.

Future plans Brad and Kieran run the farm with Paul’s assistance, a permanent part-time relief milker, and three seasonal workers during lambing, with extras brought in for peak times.

“We concentrated on growing

flock numbers last year, and now we’re looking to consolidate the genetics and maintain a low age profile throughout.

“Sheep over five years old have more health issues,” Brad says.

Maui Sheep have created a new breed called Southern Cross, which is a French Lacaune/East Friesian cross from a Coopworth base, with Maui supplying all the rams each season.

“We’ll be looking at milk quality and production, temperament, and teat placement when deciding on the genetic direction of our flock,” Brad says.

Optimising the milking shed and more lamb proof fencing are high on the to-do-list.

The Whites have no regrets, despite some real “on the job learning”, and are looking forward to growing Greenpark Sheep.

“It’s a good thing to have -business diversity - in the current climate,” says Paul.

Catherine Fry

The layout of the 57 by 9.5 metre lamb rearing shed was carefully thought out.

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DAIRY

Page 14

A little magic from Golden Bay The cost of imported fertiliser products, particularly those containing soluble phosphorus and potassium, have lifted sharply in price in the past six months and there is a strong likelihood they will again be more expensive in autumn.

meat and milk look to remain strong over autumn the income is received after decisions on fertiliser inputs are made. With all costs continuously rising, there will be the temptation to look for a cheap option.

The most productive soil fertility programmes are those with higher-than-usual base calcium inputs.

The amount of calcium in an animal’s diet determines the size of the frame which dictates its weight, capacity, and ultimate value.

After debt servicing, fertiliser is usually the next biggest expense and when budgets are tight cutting fertiliser inputs is an easy, if misguided way to help balance the budget.

Although income from

Clover is the bee’s knees

As in all natural systems a good big one nearly always beats a good small one. There are exceptions, however it’s a useful rule of thumb.

Fastest growth rates are achieved by animals fully fed on clover dense pastures, without exception, due to clover being more digestible than other pasture plants. This means that animals in their naturally allotted grazing times can eat and fully digest more kilograms of dry matter.

That dry matter often contains three to four times the amount of calcium with mature clover often containing more than 2.0 per cent calcium.

More calcium means bigger bones resulting in more meat and increased milk production, and the really good news is that calcium is the most abundant and cheapest nutrient available.

Optimum growth rates

All dairy farms, and many intensive fattening operations, also require magnesium on an annual basis to ensure optimum animal health and performance.

Golden Bay dolomite contains both calcium and magnesium in the carbonate form. It differs to aglime only in that instead of containing 30 – 35 per cent calcium, it contains 24 per cent calcium and 11 per cent is magnesium.

An annual 250kg/ha application of dolomite provides 28kg/ha of

magnesium, enough to ensure optimum growth rates of young animals, and minimal calcium/magnesium related metabolic disorders in high performing dairy cows.

It’s a remarkably effective insurance policy for all farms requiring annual magnesium inputs. Cows down behind hedges at five in the morning become a thing of the past relieving stress on already stretched operators and their staff.

It also provides a number of other benefits. Calcium and magnesium are removed from farms with every kilogram of meat and every litre of milk. Unless replaced regularly animal and total farm performance slides, imperceptibly at first, however by the time it’s obvious, significant income has been lost.

Repairing compaction

Loss of pasture production due to compaction over winter is a genuine issue on all farms and where severe damage has occurred total pasture production for the season may be reduced by as much as 50 per cent.

Dolomite is an outstanding natural soil conditioner helping repair damage and reducing the requirement for physical aeration or cultivation.

Magnesium is also a carrier for phosphorus ensuring efficient plant uptake of this essential element. With the cost of suitable phosphorus steadily escalating reducing fertiliser costs by regularly topping up soil magnesium is a sound practice.

A 28-tonne truck and trailer load of bulk dolomite covers 112 hectare spread at 250kg/ha. On dairy farms this is best done annually, and on intensive fattening situations every second year is usually sufficient.

Because dolomite is a finely ground rock the release is steady over time and may therefore be applied at any time during the year without diminishing its outstanding impact on animal health in spring. For more information, call Peter on: 0800 4Dolomite (0800 436 566).

Mature clover often contains more than two per cent calcium.

GRUNDFOS ®

DAIRY

Page 15

Dairy trainees ready for a contest The Dairy Trainee category has received a whopping 60 per cent increase in the number of entries for the 2022 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards.

NZ DISTRIBUTOR

Pond crust is caused by pathogenic bacteria in the effluent that separate the effluent fibres and send them to the surface.

The category has been refreshed for the 2022 contest resulting in 170 entries being received - 27 in Canterbury, 22 in Waikato and 21 in Southland/Otago.

Nationally, 112 entries were received in the Dairy Manager category and 82 entered Share Farmer of the Year.

How do you counter these bad bugs? With good bugs. That’s what NZ DISTRIBUTOR Slurry Bugs are – helpful bacteria that eat the pond crust. Literally.

Not only do Slurry Bugs remove the crust, they transform the effluent nutrients into organic forms that are easily used by plants. In other words, Pond crust is caused by pathogenic bacteria in the they liquefy your pond and turn it into an effective, spreadable fertiliser.

effluent that separate the effluent fibres and send them

Using Chlorine will kill these good bugs! We to the surface. have the solution! DX50 is an eco-friendly How do you counter these bad bugs? With good bugs. That’s what chlorine-free sanitiser that kills pathogens 2.46x Slurry Bugs are – helpful bacteria that eat the pond crust. Literally. better than chlorine but leaves the good Slurry Not only do Slurry Bugs remove the crust, they transform the effluent Bugs alone.

A chlorine-free Alkali nutrients into organic formsand thatAcid are easily used by plants. In other words, completethey theliquefy cleaning system. your pond and turn it into an effective, spreadable fertiliser.

Excited about the changes

A total of 364 entries were received for all the awards’ categories.

NZDIA general manager Robin Congdon says it’s a great result considering the impact Covid lockdown had on entry events.

“Refreshing the Dairy Trainee and Dairy Manager entry criteria and judging process was definitely the right move as we have seen an increase overall in entry numbers, with entrants excited about the changes.

The Dairy Manager category has also exceeded recent years’ entry numbers.

“The numbers ensure strong categories will run in each of our 11 regions and that is great for the entrants and the programme.”

The Waikato region received the highest amount of entries with 60 in total, Canterbury has 51 entries while Central Plateau, Southland/Otago, Bay of Plenty, Manawatu received 38, 37, 36 and 30

Using Chlorine will kill these good bugs! We have the solution! DX50 isOur an eco-friendly environmental initiative to reduce Total chlorine-free sanitiser that kills pathogens water pollution2.46x is by implementing an Replacement better than chlorine but leaves the good Slurry 8-step method leading farmers from a Therapy Total Bugs alone. A chlorine-freechemical Alkali andfertiliser Acid system using synthetic Replacement complete the cleaning system.

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NEED TO KNOWwater MORE? entering the awards.” pollution is by implementing an Go to www.forwardfarming.co.nz and www.totalreplacementtherapy.com 8-step method leading farmers from a Judging will begin in the new year for to read more or call David Law on 027fertiliser 490 9896. chemical system using synthetic the 11 regional categories, with winners nitrogen applications, to a quick and profitable clover-based biological announced at dinners throughout the system that enhances feed quality, animal health and effluent. country in March next year.

NEED TO KNOW MORE? The 33 winners of those categories will Go to www.forwardfarming.co.nz and www.totalreplacementtherapy.com then progress through to the national to read more or call David Law on 027 490 9896. finals in Christchurch in May next year.

Visit www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz for more information and to view an events calendar of the regional awards.

entries respectively.

“Previous Dairy Industry Award winners continue to make an impact within the dairy industry and many are today’s leaders,” says Robin.

A big pat on the back

“All entrants can give themselves a huge pat on the back as they’ve taken an important step in enhancing their career and farm business just by

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DAIRY

Page 16

Five-year maize trials with FAR

• Ideal for Cattle Troughs • High Flow • Side/Bottom Mount • Detatches to Clean • Compact/Robust

• Ideal for Cattle Troughs • High Flow • Side/Bottom Mount • Detatches to Clean • Compact/Robust

•

Karapiro farmer Grant Dixon discusses cultivation methods in the FAR maize beds • on his farm.Id Ideal trial for C Photo: Catherine Fry • Hig • Side/Bo • • Detatch • Soil types and historical maize production five-year cover •no-till.Comp

2021 saw the start of a crop research project by the Foundation of Arable Research, with Senior Researcher for maize, David Densley, at the helm.

A ‘PREfocus’ maize research strategy encompasses profitability, resilience and environment, and the strategy has been set up to provide new knowledge on evolving maize production practices to improve financial performance and environmental sustainability.

“A growing number of global food manufacturers are requiring and incentivising their farmer supply chain to reduce environmental impacts and increase sustainability,” David says.

The trials look at four different cover crops, followed by three different maize establishment systems - conventional cultivation, strip till, and

systems vary across the five on-farm research sites.

Three of the sites have had a monoculture maize/ ryegrass production system for more than 10 years, with one site growing maize since 1975. Soil types include heavy clays, loams, and sandy loams.

Research will run for at least five years on many, as it is likely that any measurable difference may take this long to materialise.

Participating farmers

Drystock farmers Grant and Sue Dixon have allocated 1ha of their farm near Karapiro, for this particular maize trial.

The couple run 130 beef bulls for the hamburger market, 400 ewes, lambs for the meat market and rams for commercial use and 33ha are maize.

Grant has 23 years’ of experience growing maize.

...continued

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“I remember listening to a talk by the respected arable and dairy farmer Craige Mackenzie and he was comparing golf and farming.

“He said that a farmer has about 30 seasons in his working life, and that’s 30 times to get it right, but with an expectation that they would be a Tiger Woods of farmers well before that. However, if someone played 30 games of golf, they wouldn’t be anywhere near becoming a Tiger Woods.”

Grant feels this analogy is very accurate and is therefore very supportive of extensive research into anything agricultural, so farmers have the best knowledge to make the most of every season, and not lose a season due to lack of experience.

“At the moment there’s a real push back from farmers to get a balance between soil and environmental impact, and yield. It all comes down to resource use efficiency, the globe is finite and needs using wisely. The optimum economically doesn’t necessarily mean the highest yield.

“We need to get more output with less inputs.”

FAR map the land used in their trials, till and plant, and make regular pre-arranged visits to the farms, through the season.

The Dixons use minimum till cultivation and notice a difference in the organic matter of soils.

“I’ve got 20 years’ of data, and since we have used

minimum till, the percentage of organic matter in the soil has gone up. We also alternate varieties in the rows as a risk mitigator, and to make the pollination and harvest windows larger.”

“On the Dixon farm we will compare minimum till rather than conventional till to strip till and no-till methods, as that is their method.”

Page 17 Extension field days will be held at some of these on-farm sites throughout the year.

Despite Covid-19 restrictions, the first of these was able to go ahead

Regular field days

Significant research will be done at a few of these sites, with yield and forage or grain quality measured, and gross margins calculated at all sites.

Baseline intensive soil assessment will include soil water retention, soil carbon and nitrogen content, aggregate stability, and bulk density at 7.5cm increments to a depth of 120cm.

Maize planter set-up is possibly the most important principle to consider in no-till establishment. A properly set-up, fit-for-purpose maize planter will ensure proper closure of the seed trench, uniform planting depth and emergence, and within row seed spacing uniformity.

“We’ll continue to explore strip till and no-till good management practices as part of the maize PREfocus strategy. We’ve provided a significant number of planter upgrades to the FAR planter,” David says.

FAR Senior Researcher for maize, Davin Densley Photo: Catherine Fry

Supplied by:

Supplied Supplied by:by:

in September 2021 and was a great success, attracting more than 40 farmer and industry personnel (masks and all).

Catherine Fry

Page 18

FEED MANAGEMENT/HAY & SILAGE

Informed farmers make better decisions It’s a matter of keeping an ear to the ground and one eye open as environmental pressures, inflation and Covid supply issues compete.

On the flip side, a record Fonterra pay-out and good prices for beef and

lamb could offset rising costs.

The weather in December has given farms a boost. Money from heaven as some farmers would say or a very well earned Christmas present.

At our yard in Paengaroa there

was 149.5mm of rain from December 1-16, compared with 38.5mm last year and 613mm fell between July 1 and December 16, compared with 505mm for the same period last year.

Soil temperature readings tell an interesting story. For the last week of November, the average soil temperature for this year was 21.02 degC, compared with 18.1 degC last year.

Payout looking good

That’s a huge difference and it’s why we are growing so much grass.

The Fonterra pay-out is looking good with $8.40-$9.00 announced on December 1.

Farmers will want to make the most of that with feed and supplements and milk their cows for as long as they can. Make sure you have plenty of feed for a long, hot summer, while keeping your cows in good condition and not running the pasture cover low before winter.

It is easy to think you are in a comfortable position now but it can change very quickly.

At the Rangiuru sales on December 14 the 400kg steer store price was still fetching $3-$3.10/kg which is strong.

This time last year was under $3, and the beef schedule is still about $6 which is the strongest it’s ever been, for this time of year. Lamb prices are still up there at $9.00/kg which is up by $2.00/ kg on last year.

Prepare to diversify

Autumn born steers were at $3.65/kg so still fetching good money. The kill is up five per cent so potentially there could be less stock around.

There was a good penning of sheep at Rangiuru too, fetching reasonable prices as well.

Farmers need to be able to diversify. In that context there is news of a new oat milk factory in Southland being set up for this coming year by some locals. Oat growers traditionally sent their product offshore to make oat milk.

There is a bit of a swing away from barley into oats so there could be a future shortfall.

In addition to that the Green Party is putting forward a proposal to Parliament to ban palm kernel from 2026 so if they get their way there will

be no KFC for cows, no easy fix.

Farmers will have to look for alternatives and there could be more demand for home grown produce.

We can keep our carbon footprint down by producing our own.

It is interesting that the government is putting money into seaweed farming.

A lot of fertiliser is made out of seaweed. It’s low carbon and organic which everyone likes. Overseas buyers are looking at our carbon footprint.

There are interesting things coming up in the next few years so keep an eye on it. An informed person makes better decisions and does better planning.

If palm kernel can’t be used farmers will likely reduce stock numbers to have enough land to produce more of their own supplements.

There are a lot of sheep and beef and dairy farmers planting out and fencing off wetlands and steep sideling, retiring land to the Crown. The problem is they are losing ground and it’s costing money to fence off and establish these.

About 8-10 months ago I talked about the Covid Cliff where everything was going along nicely and then everything was about to fall off the edge meaning that things were going to get hard to get hold of and prices would increase.

The Covid crunch

Well, we have hit that now and we have another round of Covid lockdowns so it could get worse.

Parts, machinery, staff, labour, imported fertiliser, chemicals, materials; we are going to have to play the futures market a little bit and ensure we keep enough supplies on hand.

Machines are parked up because people can’t get parts or staff to operate them. It’s really disruptive to the economy.

I’ve still got a bit of silage and hay to be made over the next two to three weeks, then we will be gearing up for our maize harvest in February.

It’s going to be an interesting 12 months ahead but it’s looking optimistic with the weather, grass growth, pay-out, meat and kiwifruit prices looking good.

We wish everybody a happy and prosperous New Year and all the best for the coming season.

Page 19

Blow flies, maggots and more Two quite different fly species produce most of the blowfly strike in New Zealand.

Originally it was the European Green Blowfly (EGB) and more recently the Australian Green Blowfly (AGB).

The European Green Blowfly (Lucilia sericata) is important because it is a parasite of temperate regions and can survive for most of the year in New Zealand.

It attacks susceptible parts of the body, such as wounds, dags and urine stained skin.

It can complete its life cycle in other food sources, such as road kill.

Although the eggs are readily killed by heat and the soil dwelling pupae cannot hatch below 15°degC, these flies can survive in the wide variety of climatic conditions found in New Zealand.

The Australian Green Blowfly (Lucilia cuprina) in contrast, does not need an ‘excuse’ to attack.

It will lay eggs on a completely clean-fleeced sheep, with no wounds or dags, for instance ‘shoulder strike’ in a clean sheep. However, the AGB is a tropical fly in origin and cannot survive and complete its lifecycle in such varied climatic conditions as EGB. Typically, ‘tropical’ (i.e. moist and warm) conditions are required.

These flies normally start breeding in spring and reach epidemic proportions during warm humid weather. This is generally between November and March, although fly season can extend from October to June. The blowflies lay their eggs in the damp wool and maggots can start hatching within a day (eggs will

female, batches of up to 200 eggs can be laid per ovarian cycle. Sheep blowflies can live for over a month in the field. During this time three batches of eggs may be laid.

Eggs are not laid indiscriminately. Female flies seek out susceptible sheep. To continue reading this column, head to: www.coastandcountrynews.co.nz

hatch in just 12 hours) and then start to eat the sheep’s flesh. Flystrike can occur rapidly, and sheep should be checked at least once a day in hot weather.

Sheep blowflies cannot lay eggs until they have consumed a protein meal. They then mate and the female flies develop eggs. Depending on the size of the

Heading for the hills down south NZ Adventures is a self-drive back country tour company owned by Southland couple Robbie and Connie Crickett offering tours throughout the South Island.

Travellers enjoy vantage points far beyond and above the usual tourist routes.

The tours have proven very popular for the 2021/22 season and all available places have sold out but the 2022/23 tours are open for bookings.

The tours run from November to May and are centred around high country farming and work in with the seasons of those farms, starting after lambing in late spring and finishing in late May.

High Country Heritage Tour

Either six or seven days (seven in March) down the eastern side of the Southern Alps from Blenheim to Cardrona with overnights along the way in Hanmer Springs, Methven, Fairlie, Omarama and Cromwell. There is 1250km of some of the best scenery New Zealand has to offer, from vantage points far beyond and often well above the main tourist routes.

The April tour finishes in Cardrona on the eve of the biennial Wheels at Wanaka.

West Coast Explorer

Five days, from Hanmer Springs to Greymouth by the back tracks. Golden tussocks quite suddenly give way to deep green rainforests and plenty of history and challenges in between. Highlights include the beech forest lined tracks around St Arnaud and Murchison, coal and gold mining heritage in both the Denniston and Reefton areas and the spectacular tracks inland of Ahaura.

46 South

Follow an imaginary line across the far south from the Catlins to Fiordland and into Central Otago. Large sheep and cattle stations and even larger mountains. Views that stretch forever across the greenest of green and the bluest of blue.

Highlights include the coastline of the Catlins, the

vast stations of northern and western Southland, a drive into Fiordland and the southern end

of Lake Manapouri.

For details on all nine trips, head to: www.nzadventures.co.nz.

Page 20

FIRST

HOUR

FREE

Anna loves using concrete mesh to make features around the property.

In 2012, Te Miro drystock farmers Anna and Dan Bodle, decided to convert the 100-year-old wooden woolshed on the family’s 270-hectare farm into accommodation, and Anna’s creative streak came to the fore.

Serious machinery for serious work.

She found she had a real knack for rustic and vintage upcycling, re-purposing and re-cycling.

The venture expanded into a small wedding venue business, and by 2020, she and husband Dan made the decision to build a bigger venue and expand.

“We said yes to the build the day before the March 2020 Covid-19 lockdown which was a little stressful,” says Anna.

The new woolshed is a five-bay, steel and wood framed, 17 x 8 metre farm building with a 5.3 metre stud and clad in flaxpod Coloursteel.

Only three bays have roller doors.

The couple was able to put in all the modern comforts which the draughty old woolshed didn’t have, including a grunty woodburner.

...continued

0800 022 044 Tree Chipping • Stump Grinding • Land Clearing Mulching • Waste Processing • Orchard Removal

Anna Bodle.

Page 21

continued...

The brand new five-bay farm shed is internally clad in old, corrugated iron. All Photos: Catherine Fry.

“It’s got fully insulated walls and ceiling, polished concrete floors, and aluminium double-glazed windows.”

The inside walls are clad with “old school” rustic corrugated iron that had been sitting on the farm for years. The roof of the old stables was replaced, and its iron used inside the barn.

Haybarn round poles have been used as vertical supports both inside and for the 3.6m x 17m covered lean-to area outside.

“Dan and I are the second generation family owners of the farm, so there are old posts, iron, chains, nail boxes and other interesting things in the sheds and lying around the yards.” Anna painstakingly cut roof iron into the bunting that is

strung on copper wire above the outdoor area, along with the vintage style festoon lights.

Concrete mesh has been used to make a suspended ceiling in the barn.

Anna made the two large drum ceiling lights from old hot water tanks, and all the lights are vintage style. Re-cycled doors have been used internally, and rustic barn doors specially made for the outdoor area.

Anna keeps an eye on Trade Me and Marketplace for vintage items that are suitable. She uses large electrical reels as tables and has old schoolroom furniture as chairs.

Due to all the hard landscape work carried out by Anna, Dan, family and friends, the shed looks like it has been where it stands for years and

Anna upcycles, re-purposes, and collects rustic and vintage objects to decorate the shed.

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blends seamlessly into the landscape.

Despite being new, it has a comforting air of nostalgia about it and every piece has a story.

Catherine Fry Right: The covered outdoor area has windows and doors made from rustic planks.

Tauranga - Taupo - Gordonton

Page 22

Te Awamutu berry farmer Murray Flay knew when he left school that he didn’t want to follow in his father’s footsteps and be a dairy farmer.

Instead, he spent a year on a sheep farm and two years at Lincoln College, before being drawn into horticulture when his father, Gaidyn, diversified into berries at the end of the 70s.

“We’d had a 40-hectare run-off block down the road from our main farm as a run-off and we grew maize there through the 70s, and used it for winter grazing, hay and silage,” says Murray.

With it’s free draining, silt loam soils, and flat contour, the run-off was suitable for a berry growing venture, and Gaidyn started off with strawberries and boysenberries. Murray joined him in 1980 and after

25 years in partnership, took over the operation.

“I loved growing things and saw a great opportunity there.”

Growing brambles

Throughout the 80s, the pair reduced the maize growing and expanded the berry side.

They stopped growing strawberries, as the area is susceptible to late frosts, and can be too wet in the spring.

Murray Flay in one of the raspberry polytunnels. All Photos: Catherine Fry.

“The peak of the strawberry season also clashed with the time the boysenberries needed the most attention, causing a very high workload.”

They turned their attention to growing raspberries, boysenberries, and blackberries, which Murray still grows today.

These bramble fruits need training over post and wire frames. During the winter, Murray has about 12 staff who work through until August.

“Most brambles produce fruit on the one-year-old canes, so during the winter we prune out all of the spent canes and train the new canes onto the wires ready for the new season.”

Autumn raspberries are the exception to this and fruit from the current year’s growth.

Spring is when most of the staff have a break, with four of the fulltime staff remaining. During spring, the new growth is sprayed for leaf roller and bud moth, and fertiliser is applied after soil testing.

“The berries need nitrogen and potassium, but not much phosphorus.”

Some orchards have two metre grass strips between the berry rows, but

...continued

Page 23 it is less of an issue than one might think in a commercial setting.

“Most of the birds that want the berries are too heavy to land on the flimsy plants, so they fly at the bush and hope for the best. Sometimes a berry drops, but usually they just get a bite.”

The pickers discard bird bitten berries on the ground, so the birds get them that way.

Murray says there’s enough to go round for birds and people, without it impacting the crop to any great significance.

The summer peak

“We start picking fruit in late November and then it’s full on, with around 80 seasonal staff working.

“We take Christmas Day off, and sometimes New Year’s Day, and that’s it. The berries don’t stop ripening because it’s a holiday period!”

To meet the Christmas demand, raspberries are grown in long polytunnels, complete with automatic irrigation systems. Fertiliser is added to the water for an all-in-one application via drip irrigation. The raspberries are handpicked as when pulled, their core remains on the plant, making the fruit very delicate.

Murray Flay demonstrates where the staff stand The boysenberries ripen from mid-December to when the machine picker is operating. early January and are half hand-picked and half continued... machine picked during the peak.

“The boysenberries are picked with their core Murray’s orchard has three metre strips because that is how they were initially placed, and all their intact, so are less fragile than raspberries and we tractors and machinery fit that width. can use our harvester. We hand pick the fresh “We have to spray with fungicide during berries, and machine harvest for our purée berries.” flowering, to protect against downy mildew and The harvester is an unusual looking, modified botrytis fungi.” grape picker, which Murray bought from a local The orchard depends on natural pollination by grower. The French made, Braud machine sits bees, and the orchard has a few beehives. astride the row of canes and is driven slowly forward.

Nowadays, Murray says they are lucky enough As the shakers vibrate, the ripe berries fall off to have several neighbouring properties with bees, onto the machine. Two staff are on each side of the that come to the brambles. tractor body, hand grading the fruit as it comes While birds seem to get the majority of the down. The unripe berries remain on the bush, berries when we try and grow them in a backyard, totally undamaged.

“We’ve got machinery onsite for puréeing the fruit which is then used for products like yoghurts and ice cream.

“We can also blast freeze berries onsite and package as free-flow frozen berries.”

The blackberries are the last to fruit in the summer, but Murray grows autumn fruiting varieties of blackberries and raspberries.

“Then the cycle starts all over again as we go into winter,” says Murray.

Looking into the jaws of the The machine picker straddles a Catherine Fry modified Braud picking machine. boysenberry row.

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Controlling insects in forage brassicas Crop protection technology that is more commonly used in horticulture, is now available to help dairy farmers keep high value forage brassica crops growing well.

the surface of sprayed leaves, even wrapping around the underside.

Two things can make pest control in forage brassicas quite challenging.

The first is that by this stage of crop development, there are many places for pests to hide in, including deep inside the crown of the plant, and on the Flume, the new super spreader from underside of the leaves that are supposed Nufarm, makes discrete droplets to feed your animals. That means pests of water and insecticide flatten out are often protected from the spray, and spread in a thin film all over A new super spreader simply because it doesn’t reach them.

The second challenge is the nature of the plants themselves. Brassicas are notoriously hard to wet, thanks to a waxy coating on leaf surfaces.

After rain, droplets of water perch like little individual bubbles on brassica leaves. Technically, these are ‘discrete’ droplets. Discrete droplets are prone to bouncing or rolling off the plant surfaces due to the angle of the leaf, movement of leaves during spraying, or if conditions are windy.

This is the opposite of what you want when spraying your crop to control insects.

Combining Flume with insecticide allows the active ingredient to have a much better chance of getting into all the hard-to-reach places where pests like to hide.

A minimum of 50 per cent water reduction is typical, but it’s important to talk to your local Nufarm territory manager.

Concerns over machinery operator shortage

Federated Farmers is welcoming Government border class exceptions for a number of international agricultural workers for early 2022.

The border exceptions will allow approved workers to assist with the shearing and arable sectors over their peak busy period. The Government has also made some changes to the current dairy worker border exception, allowing more dairy farm assistants to meet the high demand for entry level staff around the country.

“For seasonal work such as shearing and the

arable harvest, it is essential that we bolster our local workforce with talent from overseas,” Federated Farmers immigration spokesperson Chris Lewis says.

In November, the federation raised concerns about the serious shortage of experienced agricultural machinery operators.

“The shortage is leaving both contractors and farmers in the lurch and we have serious concerns for the coming season. These are complex machines that require experienced operators,” Chris said at the time.

“This is not going to be an ordinary season on the farm.”

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Escapism is a concept that seems to suit the Bay of Plenty. Distractions from everyday life dot the landscape like stops on a train line – some celebrated and well-trodden, others less established but equally adored.

A site that straddles both sentiments is the sprawling Whakarewarewa Forest Park – a The Redwood Forest is one of 5500ha playground that clips the Rotorua’s more well-known edges of downtown Rotorua. attractions. All Photos: Dan Sheridan.

The beginning of each of Whakarewarewa’s five colourWaitawa Walk, which comes in at coded trails is deceiving. Starting 3.4km and includes stunning silver from the Redwoods Visitor Centre and mamaku ferns. and i-Site, beneath the hugely Both take less than an hour. popular Redwoods Treewalk, the A variation on the Waitawa Walk is The serenity of the forest also first steps on your chosen trail are the Quarry Lookout track (4.8km), affords views of its urban often tourist-heavy. which ambles further into the forest surroundings.

It’s a good chance for a lastand takes in a view point over – you minute toilet stop before your guessed it – an old rhyolite quarry, walk of choice begins, and a while a route to consider for more chance to grab anything you’ve serious hikers is the Tokorangi Pa track. forgotten from the well-stocked Challenging in places and littered shop and an all-important map of with inclines, the 11.5km route the forest park. will take even the more experienced Within minutes you are among trekkers more than three hours. some of nature’s true giants.

After a steady climb to about 500 Native to the west coast of metres above sea level, the views of America, redwoods were planted Mount Ngongotahā and surrounding in Rotorua in 1901, and now the lakes make the effort worthwhile. largest stands at 72-metres tall and The longest route by quite some distance is the 169cm in diameter.

Whakarewarewa Circuit – a full day’s walk that covers After a short stroll spent mostly looking upwards, it more than 34km and can take anywhere up to eight is decision time. The path splits, and an array of tracks hours to complete. that vary in length and difficulty lie in wait.

Make sure you prepare well, check your chosen track Short walks include the family-friendly Redwood is open and dress for the conditions, especially in Memorial Grove track – a well-used route among winter. Read the full article at: www.sunlive.co.nz the towering trees that covers about 2km – and the Dan Sheridan

Page 27

EXPLORING NZ

A rural hilltop retreat Amy Beech and her husband Cliff are the farm managers on Taruna Farm, her family’s 288-hectare drystock farm in Whitehall, near Cambridge.

“We have a west facing, rocky outcrop on Pukemako at 382 metres above sea level. I could just see a little hut type structure up there, blending in with the environment and that diversifying into holiday accommodation would be a good option for the farm,” Amy says.

With the full family onboard, the project came to life in 2020.

“We used a South Island company to build us an 8 x 3 metre tiny home, as we couldn’t find quite what we wanted nearer to home.”

The finished home was transported over the Cook Strait, up through the North Island, and finally up and down some very steep hills on the farm to its position.

“We like the fact it’s moveable and not permanent.”

The hut has a black Coloursteel roof, and the exterior cladding is cedar which has been stained a natural grey colour.

The interior is clad completely in natural coloured batten and ply which turns a rich honey tone as the sun sets.

“We put in double glazing and used wool insulation in the walls

and ceiling, using natural materials wherever we could.”

Practical wood effect vinyl plank flooring is laid throughout. A mini wood burner provides warmth in winter, and a large ranchslider allows air flow during the summer.

The bathroom has a toilet, basin, and full-sized shower cubicle.

“I chose a classic, simple kitchen and kept the cabinets and tiles white.”

Four solar panels facing north on the hill behind the hut supply enough electricity to power the fridge and lighting and the hot water is gas.

The addition of the decks has nearly doubled the living space available.

“The view is so beautiful, and the sunsets are so spectacular, that I wanted other people to be able to share what we get to see every day.”

A stone bath, that uses the gas hot water, sits in the perfect position on the deck for sunset or star gazing soaks.

Amy furnished the majority of the interior from Citta, using fine linen bedding and wool blankets in natural, warm colours. The soft leather chairs and rustic wooden tables follow the natural theme.

“Hopefully I’ve brought the outside in, created something that blurred the lines between indoors and outdoors, and for the hut to look part of the landscape. We all love it up there.”

To stay at Te Whare Taruna, see: www.canopycamping.co.nz

Right: The stone outside bath uses hot water from the gas califont.

All Photos: Catherine Fry.

Below: A stone basin, shower and toilet grace the mini bathroom.

The fridge uses solar generated electricity in the small but functional kitchen.

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Taking time to recharge

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ensures we take the time to recharge our batteries.

We have just spent the last quarter or six months targeting our avocado orchards to make the best of the growing season.

On reflection, at times like this, when we have We have applied considerable energy to growing our feet up and are taking a more relaxed time, our our trees and fruit. Now is a good time to have a busy lives seem hectic. We look forward to these more relaxed times and it’s up to ourselves to enjoy rest. Temperatures get hotter during the next two months and we see growth rates slowing down as the time and make the most of it.

However, as with nature, it keeps going 24 hours daily temperatures peak. Nutrient programmes for a day. It seems endless but it’s all part of our living the next wee while are about keeping the trees in balance and our fruit growing. process. It is this continuous process of nature It’s also a good time to review our cash flow that makes our world liveable. So saying that, it’s forecasts. It’s a tough one this year so we have also part of our lives as growers and land owners brought our fert’ programmes back to a sustainable to help keep the processes of nature working at level, we will prune and inject as a priority. their optimum. During these times, we need to We have set a very good crop and our pruning take time for ourselves and our families to enjoy programme will lighten the load. the moment to make sure we recognise the great I’m making this a short note as I’m keen to get lifestyle we have on our orchards and to selfishly back to the lounger, my new book and some more measure that we are getting the best from it.

R&R time. I’m also going to think about the This time of the year is a great time to spend it on programme for the next half year and get setup early yourself.

I try to take a break from the orchard now AAL is a large scale independent If you need advice or management so I can get through the jobs in a timely way. This - a break yeah right - while we are between picks, of your orchard, find out more by operator of orchard management, is all about how much time I get to spend on the between irrigating, between growing next season’s growing, harvesting and packing. our team on 07 549 1809 deck chair in the shade with my family and friends. crops. Between family and friend’s social events. contacting or visit www.aaltd.co.nz a full of services It We is a supply challenge butrange staying out of the orchard also Happy New Year.

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Page 29

Myth busting future orchards A project to increase the successful adoption of a new growing system with the potential to double orchard productivity, improve environmental outcomes, and boost labour efficiency has received $1.65 million of Government funding.

Future Orchard Planting Systems is a scientifically proven fruit tree growing system. It has the potential to double yields and improve fruit quality by bringing orchard rows closer together and growing trees in a planar (two-dimensional) structure.

This maximises the trees’ use of available light.

The Government support, which comes from the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund, sits alongside the $1.1 million committed to the project by Plant & Food Research, and industry partners New Zealand Apples and Pears, Rockit Global, and Summerfruit New Zealand.

The five-year project, led by Dr Ben van Hooijdonk and Dr Jill Stanley from Plant & Food Research, is being delivered with AgFirst Consultants NZ and industry representatives. The project aims to investigate barriers in adopting new growing systems, validate and refine FOPS performance, and support uptake of emerging technologies.

Economic, social and environmental factors will be considered, with AgFirst undertaking modelling and evaluation of FOPS performance versus other emerging and conventional systems.

“SFF Futures is ideal for this type of project as it’s bringing the industry together to deliver positive outcomes,” says Dr Jill Stanley, science group leader - Fruit Crops Physiology at Plant & Food Research.

Less than 10 per cent of orchard redevelopment in Aotearoa New Zealand has transitioned to twodimensional systems such as FOPS. “Adoption of something new can take time,” Dr Stanley says.

“This project allows us to work with growers and investigate what information, data and metrics they need to have confidence in adopting a new growing system.

“For growers who have stepped up and already planted FOPS orchards, the project provides critical support.

“We want our early adopters to be successful while helping us gather data and refine system performance

compared with million per year by 2032.” conventional Dr Stanley hopes the project will growing systems. break down the barriers to growers This project will adopting the new technology. “This measure nutrient and water use to validate this research.

“Early trials look promising, with industry projections indicating that if the system was widely adopted our growers could boost their yields significantly, increasing apple and other pipfruit revenue by $159

project will enable us to do some myth-busting, and demonstrate the major benefits this next generation orchard system has to offer.”

Your Solution for all things Irrigation Call Our Experts on 0800 130 905 www.irrigationexpress.co.nz and management techniques.”

Dr Stanley says growers are facing many different issues, particularly labour shortages, return on investment, crop variability, and water restrictions.

“This project will increase productivity and resource efficiency, plus FOPS is well-suited for machine-assisted labour or automation applications, due to the narrow canopy and fruit being easily accessible.”

Steve Penno, MPI’s Director of Investment Programmes, says preliminary research indicates that FOPS orchards are expected to use water and nutrients more efficiently in producing fruit

Strong and reliable support Mr Avocado, China’s leading avocado brand, has paired up with New Zealand avocado supplier Darling Group to roll out an extensive promotional campaign for the 2021 season, for the first time in China.

New Zealand avocados gained market access to China three years ago, but there is still significant untapped potential for the fruit. Compared to Chile, Peru and Mexico, New Zealand has the advantage of a much shorter shipping distance to China.

Mr Avocado and Darling Group forged their partnership in 2021 and since the beginning of the season, Darling Group has been shipping two containers to China on a weekly basis. After ripening at Mr Avocado’s dedicated modern ripening facility, Darling Group’s avocados are distributed to close to 5000 Pagoda fruit stores across the nation. With their stable quality and consistent supply, Mr Avocado-branded avocados have already won over many Chinese consumers. Mr Avocado and Darling Group now plan to develop largerscale and more in-depth collaboration next year.

Mr Avocado recently hit a milestone of selling an average of 180,000 avocados per day. With its consistent product quality and year-round supply, Mr Avocado provides strong and reliable support to retailers seeking to maintain the presence of avocados on their shelves, and to offer high-quality avocados from around the world to consumers.

Mr Avocado is striving to develop deeper supply relationships with different avocado regions around the world, and to continue to expand its procurement network.

Page 30

FORESTRY

Seeing the forest for the trees Scientists from Tauranga’s PlantTech Research Institute are working with Crown Research Institute Scion to identify trees that grow well in specific environments.

The five-year, $9.6 million project is called ‘Seeing the Forest for the Trees: transforming tree phenotyping for future forests’.

PlantTech is working with Scion to determine the best trees for various conditions.

Researchers will explore the phenotype or characteristics of trees to identify trees that grow well in specific environments.

Breeding the right trees

The research programme is focussed on forest phenotyping using remotely sensed data and advanced concepts in data science. Combined with genomic data, Scion expects to select and breed trees with traits such as high carbon storage and resistance to disease and drought. For example, in Gisborne it may become more important to use a drought resistant radiata pine if droughts increase in severity.

Scion Data and Geospatial Intelligence principal scientist Dr Mike Watt welcomes PlantTech’s participation in the project, citing their advanced capability in hyperspectral imaging technologies.

PlantTech will use this technology to assess the attributes of trees that can’t be

seen by the naked eye, such as the tree’s ability to deal with water stress or disease.

“You can’t see those problems so easily with the eye, but hyperspectral imagery can be used to look beyond the visible wavelengths to characterise these traits,” he says.

Pick the right site

By the end of the project, Scion plans to have a climate-based deployment guideline developed for radiata pine. Effectively, this would be a map showing where each genotype can be allocated throughout Aotearoa New Zealand to optimise productivity or resistance against water or drought stress.

“We know that if you optimally allocate different genotypes to the right site, then you can get a gain of 20 per cent in productivity. That translates into quite a bit of value for radiata pine,” says Dr Watt.

Radiata pine is not the only

PlantTech chief executive Mark Begbie.

focus of the programme.

Indigenous forests will also be included, as Scion aims to explore the cultural links that Māori have to forests and taonga (treasure) species.

For example, the researchers want to find out what cultural phenotypes are important to Māori, such as a tree’s potential for carving. It is hoped that cultural phenotyping could incentivise the planting of indigenous tree species leading to more diverse forests and more opportunities for Māori to harvest indigenous trees for carving or other traditional uses.

KIWIFRUIT

Shedding light on orchard stress It was a double-funding win for PlantTech in the Ministry for Business, Innovation & Employment’s latest Endeavour Fund round.

In addition to research on plantation forests (see page 30), the institute is also leading a two-year international project that uses airborne remote sensors to discover what is causing plant stress in kiwifruit orchards. The project received $1 million in MBIE funding.

kiwifruit orchard productivity and environmental sustainability.”

Dr Orsi says although SIF has been recognised as a robust probe of photosynthesis activity, traditional techniques fail to account for the complex structure of the vegetative canopy, which impacts on the calculations.

“This project aims to leverage modern artificial intelligence techniques to deliver robust predictions by constructing a 3D virtual orchard based on data collected on real orchards.

Virtual orchard

Sensing the sun

“The virtual orchard will Research started in simulate how sunlight November on an airborne interacts with the kiwifruit remote sensor project. canopy, including the Researchers want to photosynthesis process and determine how a sensor the chlorophyll fluorescence can measure sun-induced emission.

This simulation will fluorescence (SIF) – an indicator deliver an accurate prediction of of photosynthetic activity and canopy reflectance and fluorescence plant stress, such as a lack of spectrum that can be compared water, high temperatures and Principal research scientist against real measurements.” nutrient deficiency.

Dr Alvaro Orsi is leading He says they also plan to use Principal research scientist Dr a project to improve information from kiwifruit Alvaro Orsi is leading the project knowledge of what’s orchard yield maps. and says data from multiple aerial stressing kiwifruit orchards “By comparing these maps with and ground sensors will be used to the 3D virtual orchard simulation, generate maps showing the photosynthetic our technology will reveal the impact of plant activity of kiwifruit. stress and photosynthetic efficiency on orchard “These maps will help kiwifruit growers productivity.” understand what regions in their orchards are The result will allow for localised orchard photosynthesising less efficiently and pinpoint the management practices to address specific cause of this plant stress. sources of stress.

“Such capability will allow growers to improve

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Kiwifruit companies to amalgamate Gisborne growers have been given the choice of accepting a proposed amalgamation of NZ Fruits and Seeka Limited.

In an agreement announced December 10, NZ Fruits shareholders are being offered Seeka shares and cash for their NZ Fruits shares.

Seeka chief executive Michael Franks says the amalgamation will deliver a strong service to Gisborne growers at a time when the region

is experiencing tremendous growth in kiwifruit production.

It is a $21 million investment by Seeka, paid half in cash and half in Seeka shares issued at $5.2455 per share.

The amalgamation was conditional on Seeka completing due diligence by December 17 and required NZ Fruits shareholder approval, grower commitment to the transaction and regulatory approvals.

KIWIFRUIT

Page 32

Rural diplomat’s fight for life In October 1994, Tauranga man Murray Denyer was a young, newly qualified lawyer who’d recently landed a plum job.

She left with Murray’s number and the rest, as they say, is history.

“I went to the other side of the world on a diplomatic posting, and I came back to New Zealand with an Australian wife.”

He’d been posted to New York as a diplomat working for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Falling in love with the Bay Trade, when New Zealand was serving on the Later, back in New Zealand, Murray took up United Nations Security Council. a role with law firm Minter Ellison Rudd Watts Fresh off graduating with a BCom and an LLB before Zespri, the world’s largest marketer of from Auckland University, he found himself kiwifruit, came knocking at his door. Zespri was witness to a remarkable moment in history.

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Page 33

your kids. I told them removal is the only cure, and we’ve just got to hope the cancer hasn’t metastasised anywhere.”

The next week, Murray had a radical nephrectomy. His kidney was removed along with the tumour and the lymph nodes along his aorta.

On the day he arrived home, the urologist phoned.

“He said: ‘I’ve got some really good news. We’ve got it all’.”

“It was an incredible, emotional rollercoaster.”A year later he had another checkup.

He was on a Partner’s Retreat with his colleagues when the urologist called with the results.

“He just said: ‘I have some bad news. It’s back’.”

The scan revealed Murray had 16 small tumours in his lungs.

Story continues at: www.coastandcountrynews.co.nz

Rachel Smalley

All Photos: Alice Veysey.

continued...

Much has happened since then. Murray left Zespri after six years to become a partner at the Tauranga law firm Cooney Lees Morgan, he’s on the board of Horticulture New Zealand and is a passionate advocate, supporter, and investor in Rockit, a start-up apple exporter that’s becoming a global success story.

However, last year, Murray stepped down from his full-time role. In the winter of 2017, when Murray was 47, he misdiagnosed himself with having a flu that he “just couldn’t shake”, and suddenly found himself facing his own mortality.

He had a dry, non-productive, nagging cough and was always “running out of energy”.

“I would wash the car, and I’d have to come inside and sit down because I was so tired.

“It didn’t make sense.”

Murray says “like all Kiwi blokes”, he dragged himself off to the GP and thought he probably just needed some antibiotics. Instead, the GP sent him off for a CT scan.

“I was just pulling into my driveway and the doctor rang and told me to come back, and to bring Lisa.”

Lisa was tied up with the kids’ sport, so Murray decided to go back on his own.

“That was the longest ever drive into town that day.”

A rough road ahead

The doctor told Murray he had a 9cm tumour on his left kidney and his nearby lymph nodes were inflamed.

“He was pretty up front with me. He said: ‘you’ve got a rough road ahead’ and those were quite challenging words to hear. It was the hardest day of my life.”

In the meantime, Lisa was texting Murray, concerned and worried.

“I got home and we went into the bedroom and I told her. That was tough, really tough.

“We had a bit of time together and then we knew we had to tell the kids.”

Murray’s children were 14, 11 and 8 at the time.

The youngest would turn nine the following day and host a birthday party.

“I told them Dad’s got cancer and he’s got to have his kidney out. You can’t hide the truth from

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Page 34

CARTAGE & EARTHWORKS

Sand quarry project will meet demand

A proposed sand quarry near Cambridge is expected to meet the demand from the Waikato and Bay of Plenty and replace several quarries that are coming to an end.

The project is operated

by RS Sands, which is a joint venture between landscape supplies retailer Revital and established quarrying company Stevenson Aggregates.

Sand is a key ingredient in concrete and local supplies are preferred to keep transport and construction costs down.

The quarry location is at 77 Newcombe Rd, about 2km from Cambridge.

It is near the new motorway which will help with cartage of the expected 400,000 tonnes of sand annually.

A resource consent application had yet to be lodged by mid-December but a spokesperson for RS Sands confirmed details of the proposal.

The quarry site will employ up to 10 people and has a likely life of 25 years. The processing area will cover four hectares with a total excavation area of 23ha. Only a fraction of this will be operational at any one time, the spokesperson says.

“The consenting process involves significant consultation with immediate neighbours, iwi and other affected parties. We believe this is a critically important part of the process, and welcome the input of the community.”

Progressive rehabilitation to pasture will occur once the sand has been excavated.

“Expert assessments have been carried out to determine the effects of the operation, and the best ways to manage and mitigate these.

“The proposed quarry will employ the most environmentally sensitive management techniques, and reflect major gains in quarry development technology over recent years.

“We are committed to listening to any concerns, as a means of ensuring an outcome that, as far as is practicably and reasonably possible, addresses the needs of all stakeholders.”

The location of the proposed RS Sand quarry has been chosen for its high quality resource, its central location between major markets, and its easy access to State Highway 1.

“This access minimises the longer-term presence The location of the proposed sand quarry near Cambridge. Google Maps.

of trucks on the road in more densely populated areas,” the spokesperson says.

South-bound traffic will leave the site directly onto State Highway 1. Only northbound traffic will go through Cambridge, and only until the northern on-ramps to SH1 are constructed.

The RS Sand quarry proposal includes a threemetre high bund planted with native plants to screen the site.

“In addition, it proposes more than 10ha of native forest planting, wetland rehabilitation and riparian protection along the Karapiro Stream that will improve biodiversity, sequester carbon, and improve water quality.”

Water and dust suppression systems will be designed to minimise dust, and contain it within the site.

The operation will not encroach on the Karapiro Stream, with a newly-created native forest and bunding between the quarry and the stream creating a buffer.

“As the quarry is located in sand and above the groundwater table, water run-off will be minimal.

“Storm water will be discharged from the site into treatment ponds, before being returned to the stream in accordance with water standards set out in resource consents.”

Dan Hutchinson

Phone: 07 362 8433

FERTILISER

Page 35

Sulphur: the unsung hero Kiwi Fertiliser has many clients throughout the North Island, and it greatly pleases us that when we increase sulphur from sub optimum to optimum levels, both plant and animal production increases including more and better pasture, milk in the vat, higher lambing percentages and greater carcass weights.

Why are most of our soils so sulphur deficient? Lack of awareness of true soil fertility can be harmful and can create a multitude of problems from soil nutrient excesses to plant deficiencies and animal health issues. This is a cost to the grower or farmer by limiting economic prosperity.

Of course sulphur cannot act alone and must be in balance with all other nutrients. We invariably add sulphur to Sechura RPR, or other phosphate sources. This leads to natural acidulation in the soil and enhances the Sechura RPR effects.

Where phosphate is not applied, sulphur is still required.

Sulphur is indispensable

Rarely is sulphur found in excess; more often it is deficient. This usually occurs because insufficient is applied. It is also dependent upon organic matter in the soil. We often hear you cannot build sulphur levels, but we find the opposite is true.

Sulphur is an anion and attaches to the positively charged organic matter. This is true of other anions.

Organic matter is important to be able to build anion levels in the soil.

Sulphur is indispensable for many reactions in living cells. It plays vital

OM % 2.85 3.29 3.67 4.06 5.37 8.83

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roles in plant and animal nutrition.

It is a constituent of amino acids, vitamins, protein, enzymes (90 per cent of total S in plants). Legumes for nodulation, brassicas, onions, garlic and similar plants have a high sulphur requirement.

Often, sulphur deficiency is masked by superphosphate applications, with the response seen owing to sulphur, not phosphate.

and minimise sulphur leaching?

We at Kiwi Fertiliser have many farmers and growers doing exactly that. The top five per cent of farmers and growers use long-term thinking to plan for the future. Correct soil

The benefits of sulphur

We need to see more than 25 parts per million of SO4 of plant available S; on dairy and intensive units it’s 50ppm.

There are many farmers and growers that already understand the importance of sulphur, so they add good quality elemental sulphur.

They know the benefits of correct soil sulphur levels.

Sulphur can strip out cations from soil. Some soil chemists in New Zealand say there is no economic benefit in liming soils.

They do not understand commercial fertiliser applications.

We are often disappointed when a farmer or grower may say they have an optimal pH of 6.3 only to find the pH is “correct” but the cations are not.

The more anions introduced to soils the more cations will be displaced. This needs to be properly managed and corrected. An example of this is the “blind” application of Gypsum. In some circumstances, the sulphate will actually reduce total calcium in the soil.

That’s fine if it is the intention, but counterproductive if calcium needs to be increased.

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fertility is part of that strategy.

A soil fertility plan will improve the soil, plants, animals, and profit for 10 or 20 years and more. Please get in touch with us for a discussion, soil tests and follow up recommendations.

FERTILISER

Page 36

Robin Boom

CPAg MBSPC

Independent Agronomy & Soil Fertility Consultant

Down-stream consequences At the beginning of December, both Ballance and Ravensdown lifted their prices on many base fertiliser products.

Superphosphate, Muriate of Potash and Urea all went up about 10 per cent, compared to July 2020. Superphosphate is now 20 per cent more expensive, sulphur and muriate of potash are up 30 per cent, sulphate of ammonia 40 per cent.

DAP and triple super are 70 per cent more expensive and urea has almost doubled in price. Some private importers are selling products cheaper but once rebates and logistic issues are factored in, the price differential narrows or disappears.

Some farmers have suggested that these price lifts are driven by high milk and meat prices, but this is not the case.

There is no price-gouging by the fertiliser companies, but rather the price lifts are due to the increased international fertiliser prices, partly driven by lack of supply, and also the increased shipping costs.

Ravensdown have made the call that they will not be putting up their prices again until at least May 2022, so this should take the pressure off hill country farmers in particular, trying to get their annual fertiliser on earlier in case prices go up in the interim.

The best option

Nitrogen boosted pasture was costing about 10c/kg DM in 2020, but now it is about 20c/kg DM, but it is still probably the cheapest additional feed that can be purchased compared to PKE, grains, hay or silage. Even summer crops, while providing important stock feed in dry conditions will be costing 15-35c/kg DM depending on the crop.

The cheapest feed however is addressing soil nutrient deficiencies of P, K, S, lime and trace elements.

These were costing 3-5c/kg DM, but with current prices these will now be 5-7c/kg DM as long as these are applied to soils with known deficiencies.

Where all of the nutrient levels are adequate, maintaining these is important to prevent any future drop in pasture production, so is still an economic exercise. It is only where there are excessive levels that not applying a particular nutrient or nutrients should be considered. This is where soil and herbage testing is so important in identifying which elements are low and whether capital, maintenance or sub-maintenance/nil rates of fertiliser should be applied.

The trace elements zinc and copper have increased around 25 per cent since last year, but cobalt, selenium, boron, manganese and molybdenum have remained fairly stable.

Some fertiliser companies have made health and safety decisions, and told their staff they are not allowed to meet in person with unvaccinated farmers and growers, and can only contact them via Zoom or telephone.

I have a number of clients who have not been jabbed and insist that they will not get jabbed on principle.

Although double-jabbed myself, I cannot see how the unvaccinated are a threat to the vaccinated, and I dislike the increased pressure, coercion, division and alienation it has caused in the community.

I believe a person should be sovereign over their own bodies, much like a land owner makes the ultimate decision on what is applied to their land. The farmer may listen to the advice of a professional, but not all professionals will agree, as the advice is often given with the vested interests of a particular company. There can also be down-stream consequences of what is applied to the soil as far as the environment is concerned, so there is a responsibility on the land owner on fertiliser decisions which may negatively affect the community.

So too the decision of being vaccinated or not and any down-stream consequences this has on the community as a whole. I have no qualms meeting up with unvaccinated clients. I do not believe they are a threat to me nor should they be held out as pariahs and discriminated against. We will all catch one of the Covid variants.

Hard decisions

It must be difficult being a politician these days. Whatever decision they make, there will be unhappy people. They listen to certain advisors who often have a narrow perspective focussed on one thing, such as health, whereas their advice may affect other things like the economy or unemployment.

Similarly with the environment, Three Waters, and climate change policies, the government will listen to certain advisors which will have negative consequences down-stream on certain other communities.

FERTILISER

Page 37

Earthworms improve soil health Earthworms improve the general condition of farming soils, reduce surface runoff of contaminants from pasture and prevent soil erosion.

Soils without enough of the right type of earthworms are usually poorly structured and tend to develop a turf mat or thatch of slowly decomposing peat-like material at the surface.

Old dung and dead plant material lie about the surface. These factors can naturally inhibit pasture and crop production.

Introduced earthworms are essential to the development of fertile productive soil. They act as biological aerators and physical conditioners of the soil, improve soil porosity, structure, aggregate stability and water retention.

Earthworms also increase the population, activity and diversity of soil microbes, such as actinomycetes and mycorrhizal fungi.

These microbes play a vital role in the supply of nutrients to pasture, digesting soil and fertiliser and unlocking nutrients such as phosphorus that are fixed by the soil.

Diverse selection of earthworms

Lower producing grasses are often more evident than ryegrass on these types of soils as well.

Pasture growth is slow to start in spring and stops early in autumn. Plant nutrients tend to remain locked in the organic layer and there is poor absorption of applied fertiliser.

Plant roots in such soils are relatively shallow and pastures are therefore susceptible to drought.

Water also runs off this type of pasture more easily rather than being absorbed into the soil, increasing water quality problems.

To help avoid these types of problems, soils should have a good diversity of relevant earthworm species.

The most common introduced earthworm in New Zealand is Aporrectodea calignosa, a topsoil dweller.

This earthworm grows up to 90mm long and may vary in colour from grey to pink or cream.

Burrows up to three metres deep

Another very common introduced earthworm is Lumbricus rubellus, a surface dweller. Often found under cow pats, this earthworm will grow up to 150mm long. It is reddish-brown or reddish-

purple, with a pale underside and flattened tail.

Aporrectodea longa live in burrows as deep as two to three metres below the surface.

Undertaking an earthworm count will let farmers know if they have enough of the right type.

Counts are preferably done in late winter to early spring when soil moisture and temperature conditions are ideal. Counts can be done by taking out a 20cm cube of soil with a spade. Around 30 earthworms would be ideal in a spade cube.

If soils are scoring way below that there are a range of ways to increase their populations: • Ensure soil calcium levels are near 7, as calcium promotes earthworm reproduction.

• Maintain soil pH between 5.8 and 6.3.

• Limit use of agri-chemicals.

• Reduce ammonium-based fertilisers, as they make soils acidic.

Ecological diversity

Moist soils promote earthworm spread and activity and more will remain active in topsoil during summer under irrigation. Direct drilling and no tillage cultivation methods is another way to promote earthworm numbers. Use a mould board or disc plough rather than a rotary hoe.

Cropping farms should include a phase of pasture in their cropping rotation to increase organic matter returns.

Earthworm ecological diversity is also critical to ensure soil functions are optimised. For example, the single species of Aporrectodea caliginosa alone was not able to improve water infiltration or pasture production. However, when this species was found in combination with Aporrectodea longa, there was

positive influence on soil functions despite the abundance of A. longa itself not increasing. This study highlights the importance of including a measure of ecological diversity alongside a measure of abundance to assess soil biological health.

The earthworms play a great role in farm productivity and lessen the

contaminant impact on water quality.

Remember, weight of earthworms below healthy productive pastures is approximately equivalent to the weight of animals grazing above ground – a thought provoking fact.

Bala Tikkisetty Waikato Regional Council sustainable agriculture advisor (technical)

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Soil Force Biological Phosphate Fertiliser Re-Charge/Nano-Cal/Multi-Cal Calcium-Carbon Fertilisers Stock Primer – Mineralised Carbon Drench Build immunity, suppress pathogens; e.g. Rotovirus & E.Coli for as little as 4¢ per cow per day Humates/Humic Acid/Fulvic Acid Increased water retention & nutrient release.

New Biological Controls for Cricket, Cicada, Argentine Stem Weevil, Clover Flea – all added into solid and liquid fertiliser programmes.

Biological PSA management options. Reams Soil Testing, Home Garden Fertiliser.

Telephone: 0800 867Paeroa, 6737, Fax: 07 867 6068, Email:204, info@ef.net.nz 1 Railway St, PO Box Paeroa 3640, New Zealand www.ef.net.nz Telephone: 0800 867 6737, Fax: 07 867 6068, Email: info@ef.net.nz

www.ef.net.nz

Stoc Carb Build path for a

New Cric Stem all ad ferti

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 38

classified listings curriculum vitae

CV’s THAT STAND OUT. Don’t let your C.V. get lost amongst all the others. Get the WOW factor. A C.V. For You can provide you with a personal and professional touch.

From scratch or update existing ones. Check out samples on www. facebook.com/acvforyou or Ph/text on 021 27 27 912.

for sale

4 AXLE DE-REGISTERED LOGGING Trailer - $2,500.

7X 6 METRE POLES H5 Treated $150 each. Phone Lily on 0274 977 244.

PULLETS HY-LINE BROWN, great layers. Phone 07 824 1762 www.eurekapoultryfarm.weebly.com

professional services

LIST YOUR COMMUNITY EVENT HERE! email your listing to: merle@sunmedia.co.nz with ‘Rural Event’ in the subject line.

Jan 8

Waihi Beach Summer

Fair, 10am-4pm, Wilson Park, $3. See: waihibeachsummerfair. com Rat-trap Building Workshop, 10am-noon, Motuoapa Bay Holiday Park, Taupō, free.

Village, 17th Ave, Tauranga, $10.

Guided Tour, 10am3pm, Koanga Institute, near Wairoa, $40. See: tinyurl.com/2p82kvmz

See: tinyurl.com/ yckjp5n6

Jan 9

Te Matapuna Wetland

Walk, 9am-2pm, southern Lake Taupō, koha. See: tinyurl. com/3nvv7uj3

Jan 19

Te Porere Redoubt

Jan 15

Avocado Food & Wine Festival,

noon-6pm, Uretara Domain, Katikati. See: katikatiavofest.co.nz Tauranga Fringe Festival, 10am-5pm, Historic

Cultural Visit, 9.30am-noon, near Whakapapa, koha.

See: tinyurl.com/ ypwdm8h6Jan

Jan 22

Lake Rotopounamu Walk, 11am-2pm, between Taupō and Whakapapa,

koha. See: tinyurl.com/ yw585kuu

free. See: tinyurl. com/3f4v9wyx

Waihi Dahlia Show,

Jan 30

Memorial Hall, Waihi, noon-3.30pm. Ph Jennifer: 07 863 7563.

Jan 29

Morrinsville Dahlia Show,

Farming like Grandad

& Country Fair, 10am-4.30pm, near Kawerau, $10. See: tinyurl.com/2p9f4mcz Classics of the Sky Air

11am -3.30pm, Campbell Hall, Canada St, Morrinsville.

Show, 8.30am-3pm, Tauranga Airport, $30. See: tinyurl. com/2r8ctvpp

Home Composting

Feb 18-27

Workshop, 1.30pm, Turangi and Taupō,

Hamilton Gardens Arts

Festival. See: hgaf.co.nz

Tauranga City Air Show is back with The Dawn Raid 2022 event.

Aviation displays from a mix of classic, sports, military aircraft and gliders are filling the skies above Tauranga on January 30 as the Classics of the Sky Tauranga City Air Show takes flight.

Flying over the city’s airport once again, the event features static and flying aviation displays, food stalls and children’s entertainment at Tauranga City Airport from 8.30am. There will be a mix of classic, sports, military aircraft and gliders, along with local NZ Police teams and other displays.

Tauranga City Air Show has been gracing our skies for more than a decade now with the event catering to people of all ages.

The Dawn Raid 2022 will attract people

young and old, lining up along the fence line to watch the displays in the sky.

On the ground, assisting with airfield defence, will be more than 80 classic cars on display as part of the Bay of Plenty Mustang Owners Club. Classic Flyers sales and marketing manager Cory Tyler says the day will be filled with lots of aerobatics.

“Everyone will be ‘oohing and aahing’, and there will also be DC-3 scenic flights throughout the day.”

Gates open at 7.30am with the air show commencing at 8.30am. Bring along a sun umbrella, and have brekkie and/or some lunch.

Adults $30, Children $15, Under 5’s Free, Family $80 (2 x adults, up to 3 children) Pre-sale tickets are available via Eventfinda from now.

Coast & Country News is giving away a family pass for the Dawn Raid 2022 Tauranga air show for one lucky reader.

Just tell us what plane will be doing scenic flights throughout the day for attendees.

Enter online at: www.sunlive.co.nz under the competition section.

Entries must be received by January 10, 2022.

Major Sponsor

Supporters

Partnered with the Bay of Plenty Mustang Owners Club VACCINATION PASS REQUIRED FOR ENTRY

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COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 39

FARMERS

WE

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MEET YOUR FARM’S HARDEST WORKER.

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Power Farming NZ PUKEKOHE

0800 570 571

MORRINSVILLE

07 889 5059

TE AWAMUTU

07 870 2411

TAURANGA

07 543 0021

ROTORUA

07 349 6528

GISBORNE

06 868 8908

COAST & COUNTRY NEWS

Page 40

W !

Alfie, 5, working hard to help feed the steers in Waerenga.

Ryan, the 8-year-old unicorn, says good morning to the horses in Whakamarama.

Kelsey, 10, with her pet lamb Delta in Rotorua.

Skip jumped in to the pram for a ride with baby Claire when out for a walk.

Gina with her pet cow Waimana in Whakatane.

FARM BUILDING SPECIALISTS.

CONTACT US

07 889 6314 or 021 775 310 info@oneillengineering.co.nz www.oneillengineering.co.nz 73 Thames St, Morrinsville

c1902kwO’neill

GABLE & CIRCULAR BUILDINGS.