Coast & Country News June 2015

Page 1

WINNER BEST ASSOCIATE NEWSPAPER 2015

AVOCADOS PAGE 11-14

FIELDAYS PAGE 16 -31

WINNER BEST ASSOCIATE NEWSPAPER 2015

BOARDING SCHOOLS PAGE 46-48

WELCOME TO DISTRICT PAGE 52-67

WINNER BEST ASSOCIATE NEWSPAPER 2015

WILTSHIRE SHEEP PAGE 52-53

TE PUNA QUARRY PARK PAGE 58

FORESTRY PAGE 68

June 2015 Issue No.178

Bay of Plenty & Waikato Farm, Orchard & Rural Lifestyle

Trailblazing growers Frans de Jong of Southern Belle Orchards with capsicums and peppers ready for sale at farmers markets. Frans and his family are the winners of the Supreme Award in the 2015 Waikato Ballance Farm Environment Awards – read their story on pages 4-5. Photo by Elaine Fisher.

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Coast & Country a winner again Brian Rogers Director/ Editor

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Claire Rogers Managing Director

Elaine Fisher Editor 07 928 3046

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Lucy Pattison Motoring Specialist 07 928 3048

Sarah Adamson Graphic Designer Page Coordinator

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Coast & Country has once again taken major awards at the NZ Community Newspapers Awards, this time winning the Best Newspaper and Best Front pages trophies in the competition’s Best Associate Newspaper section. Last year the publication won the best all-around newspaper title in the same section. Judge Bruce Morris describes Coast & Country as a “big rural read. Interesting stories and quality writing across a vast range of subjects� adding the publication “must be welcomed each month down on the farm�. And it was the stunning photograph of raptor aviculturalist Andrew Thomas with the female New Zealand falcon Atareta at Wingspan in Rotorua which won the best front page award. Coast & Country’s sister publication The Weekend Sun was also recognised, being named runner-up in the best community newspaper section – and the wins just kept coming for the SunMedia team,

with the SunLive website winning the best website award and The Weekend Sun photographer Bruce Barnard named best feature/ lifestyle photographer while his colleague Tracy Hardy was highly commented. This month’s 72-page edition of Coast & Country includes its annual Welcome to the District feature where readers will ďŹ nd useful contact details for groups and organisations in the regions – see pages 52 to 67. From next year a new border clearance levy of about $16 for arriving passengers and $6 for those departing will be introduced. It means less of the cost of protecting our primary industries and unique native ora and fauna will be met by the taxpayer. Of course, a signiďŹ cant number of those paying the levy will be Kiwis – but then we are not without blame when it comes to arriving home with things which shouldn’t be in our luggage. The dairy industry is Bay of Plenty

& Waikato

facing tough times but the avocado and kiwifruit industries have both made remarkable turnarounds in their fortunes – see pages 12 to 16. For avocados it’s been largely about rationalisation and increased co-operation between exporters, brought on by grower outrage at dismal returns three seasons ago. For the kiwifruit industry, it’s been about coming back from the devastating impacts of the vine disease Psa-V. And June is also Fieldays time. It will be interesting to see how this ‘barometer’ of the farming economy fares in the new low payout environment. BEST

TE AROHA

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COAST & COUNTRY

Page 3

Farmers must be at table - not on menu conditions. Of 10 streams, four were excellent and six were good. Elizabeth says data produced last year from 29 monitored sites in rivers, 20 sites in lakes and 15 from coastal sites showed 64 per cent of rivers and 95 per cent of lake and coastal sites had water quality suitable for swimming. She also quoted a DairyNZ report which says trends in the Bay of Plenty highlight stable or improving water quality across most indicators. Tauranga waterways are largely stable or improving, except for an increase in phosphorus in most sites, especially at Omanawa. All six monitored sites in the western region are also stable or improving in quality except the Puarenga Steam at

If farmers are not at the table for regional water quality discussions, they will be “on the menu” warns Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers provincial president Chris Allen.

Water quality issues are a balancing act believes Federated Farmers senior policy advisor Elizabeth McGruddy and Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers provincial president Chris Allen. And keeping economics at the forefront of all discussions is vital. “There’s no point in having the highest quality water in the world if farmers go bankrupt and the lights are turned out in rural and provincial towns,” he told the annual Bay of Plenty Federated Farmers Conference in Edgecumbe. Throughout the country regional councils are working to meet the requirements of the Nation Policy Statement for Fresh Water Management to establish freshwater objectives and set water quality and quantity limits for all bodies of freshwater. As part of the process councils are setting up catchment committees with representatives from a wide range of sectors, which will help establish the values for fresh water quality and the rules. The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has already identified the Kaituna/Pongakawa and Rangitaiki as the first two catchments to be addressed in the region. Chris says Bay of Plenty farmers should learn from the experience of others who’ve gone through, or are going through the process – including in his own region. “Farmers need to be actively engaged all the way and ensure there are science experts involved that are respected by the primary sector. “Keep the process simple. There are three key steps: science, values and rules. Ensure your values are well heard and agree on the values before progressing. “Support those representing farmers.” Chris says working closely with all primary sector organisations including HortNZ, DairyNZ and Beef & Lamb is important as each has access to a wide range of resources and information.

Levy bodies

Surprising results

“The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has done a good piece of work on the Rangitaiki waterways. It has data going back to the 1970s and 1980s which show the aquatic life in the waterways has been stable,” says Elizabeth. The council’s 2014 report on the ecological assessment of the Rangitaiki waterways says in part: “The finding of so many streams either good or excellent was surprising, especially given that 83 were in catchments dominated by exotic forest or pasture”. Pasture streams flowing through productive farmland on the Galatea Plains in particular had good ecological

15R&R004

“Use the expertise of the primary sector levy bodies and stay together with a clear voice,” say Chris. “Keep the primary sector working as parts of a jigsaw. There will be tensions. “However, you might find you 90 per cent agree with other parties. The hard

stuff is the 10 per cent.” Chris says water allocation methods need to recognise past investment and include forward thinking to avoid effects on land values and not stifle future opportunities. “Ensure that council focus is on managing the contaminants that affect water quality – not farming directly. Don’t forget water quality improvements in recent history. Some like to conveniently forget them.” The majority of Bay of Plenty waterways, including those which run through farmland, have good stable water quality, says Federated Farmers senior policy advisor Elizabeth McGruddy. Measured against a range of tests which included those for nitrate and phosphorus, water clarity, plus swimming quality, about 80 per cent of region’s freshwater sources are of good or high quality, she told the annual conference in Edgecumbe. This puts the region in a strong position as it works towards meeting the conditions of the Nation Policy Statement for Fresh Water Management. “In this region it’s an 80/20 game and there’s a need to prioritise the ‘hotspots’. Drill back to understand the patterns and drivers [of problems]. Go back up the catchment, go back in time, and use local knowledge to understand what’s happening.

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Rotorua. In the eastern central region, seven monitored sites are stable or improving, except the Rangitaiki at Murupara and the Tarawera at Boyce Park. All five of the eastern region sites are stable or improving. All too often farming is blamed for poor water quality but Elizabeth says experience in other regions shows water quality problem ‘hotspots’ often have other causes. When it comes to deciding on the water quality in individual regions, Elizabeth says it’s about finding a working balance between the wishes of local communities, requirements of aquatic life, recreational use of waterways and the needs of farming and irrigators. By Elaine Fisher

COAST & COUNTRY

Page 4

Diverse skills prove winning formula What do you get when you bring together the skills of an analytical chemist, a florist, a farmer and a marketing graduate? Strangely enough the answer is an award winning horticultural enterprise. Southern Belle Orchard near Hinuera, the winner of the supreme award in the 2015 Waikato Ballance Farm Environment Awards, is owned by Frans and Tineke de Jong (the chemist and florist), their son Talbert de Jong (farmer) and his partner Emily Meese, (marketing expert). Not one of the four has any orcharding background, and 12 years ago no one in the de Jong family had heard of feijoas. “It appears,” says Frans, “that all

these diverse skills work pretty well together.” Frans and Tineke bought Southern Belle Orchard in 2003 after a holiday in New Zealand. “I was partner in a laboratory in Holland and while on holiday received so few phone calls from work that I realised the laboratory was running smooth and didn’t need me anymore and it was time for a new challenge.” Their children Talbert and Simone made the move to New Zealand too. Talbert, who had been dairy farming in Holland, went on to run a home maintenance franchise and maintenance for Auckland’s city theatres. Simone gained a university degree and is now working in tourism and marketing. It was through Simone that Talbert met Emily who studied marketing at Waikato University.

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In 2013 Emily and Talbert joined Tineke and Frans in the orchard business, and a 10-year succession plan was put in place. When Frans and Tineke bought Southern Belle it was growing feijoas, persimmons, nashi and blueberries as well as a wide range of glasshouse and outdoor vegetables. “The mix was too great and we decided to concentrate on a smaller range of products.” Today the orchard grows feijoas on 3.5ha of orchard, mainly for export. A range of capsicum varieties, plus a small number of cucumber and chillies grown in 3000 sq m of greenhouses are sold through farmers markets in Tauranga and Hamilton as well as on the local retail market. The existing feijoa trees are being replaced with new varieties, grown on an espalier system which is proving ideal for pollination, fruit size, ripening, harvesting, and canopy control. This year they will harvest around 20 tonnes, mostly for export, but as the young trees come into production

Emily Meese hand-labels Southern Belle feijoas, ready for airfreighting to Australia, US and Asia. the orchard should produce up to 60 tonnes. During feijoa picking and pruning season, from March until July, up to 20 staff are employed. Among them is Kim Nordstrom, who has worked on the orchard for 10 years, and it’s a job she really enjoys. “I just love the smell of feijoas – the packhouse smells like candyfloss to me.” Picking, quality checking, packing and labelling feijoas is labour-intensive. The freshly picked fruit is deposited onto a small conveyor, leading to an electronic grading machine. Each fruit is individually checked, with a blast of air used to clean the calyx of any tiny insects before the fruit is placed into trays lined in black.

COAST & COUNTRY

Page 5

Birds and mites employed to control pests “The plix liners used to be green but that did nothing to enhance the appearance of the green feijoas,” says Tineke. Labelling is also done by hand. The cartons are then ready for transport to Auckland and airfreight to Australia, US and Asia. “It’s expensive to airfreight but feijoas don’t have a very long shelf life. It would be excellent if the research done so far on extending shelf life would have given us an extra month. Till now anything that works for other fruit is not working on feijoas. There is a lot more to be done in this field, but as a small industry we don’t have the resources to fund that at present,” says Frans. Marketing and promotion is another issue for the industry which Frans believes needs more cohesion. Arlene Singgo has been picking and packing feijoas at “We won’t get a Zespri marketing Southern Belle Orchard for four months. model but we could learn a lot from the avocado industry.”

Avocado lessons

Three seasons ago, after producing a record crop, avocado growers’ incomes took a tumble when prices fell in an over-supplied Australian market. Since then there has been rationalisation of exporter numbers, an alliance between the two biggest companies, and increased co-operation between them all, which saw good returns this season, despite the biggest export crop yet. “We have to watch that the feijoa industry is not making the same mistakes and we can get our heads together as well,” says Frans.

Healthy planting

The hydroponically grown capsicums have the right mix of nutrients delivered to their roots.

Southern Belle is not an organic orchard but very few sprays are applied and there’s a strong focus on soil and plant health. “Our philosophy is simple – a plant stays healthy and productive if it is looked after and fed well in a natural way, giving it all the nutrients and micro elements nature provides. We

do regular soil, leaf and nutrient tests, to be able to keep a good balance.” Australian plant and animal nutritionist Peter Norwood of Full Circle Nutrition is consulted for advice on what the trees need to be healthy. His recommendations have included the application of 500 kg of iron sulphate per hectare. Compost is also made on the orchard, incorporating prunings from the greenhouse. When the growing season is finished, the water from the hydroponic system is irrigated onto the orchard, ensuring the water, and the nutrients it contains, is not wasted. The orchard ‘employs’ a flock of unpaid residents to keep insects under control – starlings and mynahs who live in the 200 bird boxes dotted around the feijoa trees. The philosophy of working with nature is also used in the greenhouses where plant health is maintained by ensuring the hydroponically grown plants have the right mix of nutrients delivered to their roots. They are kept warm thanks to a system Frans designed which uses recycled oil to heat air circulated through a ducting system directly to the plant roots, and then dispersed upwards through the leaves. The system has reduced fuel consumption and cost by 40 per cent. The potato physilid and thrips insects are among the biggest threats to the greenhouse crops grown at Southern Belle. But rather than use sprays a New Zealand native predatory mite (Ambleidromalus Limonicus) with the trade name Limonica, supplied by Zonda Resources and Koppert Biological Systems, is introduced to the greenhouses. “The mite can survive on pollen from the capsicums until there’s enough ‘meat’ for them to eat in the form of physilid and thrips,” says Frans. Being prepared to try new approaches like this is one of the attributes which won praise from the

environmental award judges. ‘Keen interest and curiosity for analysis and experimentation has been translated into the business with much success,’ was among their comments. The judges described Southern Belle Orchard’s owners as industry leaders who are ‘paving the way and setting examples to follow’. Judges also noted the ‘impressive analysis of production and forecasts, which prompts management to avert risk and drive efficiencies and productivity’. Winners in the 2015 Waikato Ballance Farm Environment Awards were: Supreme Award, Hill Laboratories Harvest Award, Massey University Innovation Award, WaterForce Integrated Management Award and Ballance AgriNutrients Soil Management Award: Frans and Tineke de Jong, Talbert de Jong and Emily Meese, Southern Belle Orchard, Matamata. LIC Dairy Farm Award, Waikato Regional Council Water Protection Award: John Hayward and Susan O’Regan, Judge Valley Dairies Limited, Te Awamutu. Donaghys Farm Stewardship Award: Anita and Hans Nelis, Tirau. PGG Wrightson Land and Life Award, Waikato River Authority Catchment Improvement Award: Peter and Judi Buckley and Stuart and Lichelle Morgan, Loch Carron, Te Kauwhata. By Elaine Fisher

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COAST & COUNTRY

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Russian unrest, safety, low prices – farmers’ woes Falling dairy prices, Russian unrest, increasing compliance regulations, water quality and weather are among the issues facing Bay of Plenty farmers, according to Bay of Plenty Federated Farmers’ industry leaders. The 45 per cent drop in dairy farmers’ incomes has brought home the realities of being commodity producers on the world market, says Federated Farmers’ BOP dairy section chairman Steve Bailey. “Retrospective payments from last season meant farmers were able to set a good platform for the early season. Unfortunately, as the price tumbled, out came the calculators and away went the chequebook.”

“This season we were faced with Russian unrest, 1080 threats, continuing Dairy Industry Restructuring Act obligations, a botulism challenge and the removal of milk subsidies in the European market. “This year has been a milk marketing nightmare.” Farmers are demanding better results from Fonterra, says Steve. He encourages farmers to attend the DairyNZ ‘Tactics for Tight Times’ seminars. “These are of great benefit in promoting farmers sticking together and helping one another get through.”

Remain competitive

Steve says it’s important farmers voice their concerns on the raft of regulations facing the industry. “We are at risk of losing our ability to remain competitive in the international markets through over-prescribed regulations adding unneces-

Bay of Plenty Federated Farmers Provincial President Rick Powdrell. sary costs.” Federated Farmers’ BOP sharemilkers employers subsection chairman Scottie McLeod says financial pressures caused by the low milk price payout will begin to be widely felt in the next few months. “Situations like this can result in both parties involved in a sharemilking situation doing irrational things. I must stress the importance of taking note of what has been agreed to in written contracts. If there are to be changes, these must be discussed with the other party and agreement reached.” Bay of Plenty Federated Farmers’ provincial president Rick Powdrell says all farmers have to be aware of their legal requirements around staff employment, especially in light of recent Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment inspections which have highlighted a number of farmers not meeting these obligations.

Misunderstanding

“I fear there is a degree of misunderstanding and lack of knowledge in this area. Federated Farmers and DairyNZ are presently formulating an accord to assist farmers in understanding what good practice looks like. “Other farming sectors need to remember the same rules apply to them. MBIE has, to date, only targeted dairy.” Rick says health and safety is a contentious issue at present with much debate about aspects of the regulations and the behaviour of Worksafe staff. “At farm level we need to focus on the fact that we all want everyone on farm to come home safely at night. “The focus should be on ensuring your on-farm procedures will achieve this and that all staff have ownership of the pro-

gramme. To be successful, all staff need to have a health and safety mind-set so they take responsibility for their own individual and team actions.” Federated Farmers’ BOP meat and fibre chairman Barry Roberts says the environmental debate is creating uncertainty and undermining farmer confidence.

Freight train

“Changes are coming for us at the speed of a freight train. We all need to be part of the debate and the end solution, as that solution will ultimately affect the value of our farms.” The issue is not for farmers alone, says Barry. “It affects farmers and non-farmers alike. We need the community as a whole to be on our side in order that we can keep farming. This is for our own economic wellbeing as well as that of our country as a whole.” Water and the environment are the big issues at present and Beef & Lamb has increased its spend by $1 million to focus on these, says Barry. Federated Farmers’ Te Puke branch chairman Darryl Jensen says his region fared quite well climatically compared to many parts of the country with a favourable spring, but grass growth slowed in January/February which hit farmers hard. “However, a great autumn is being experienced with well above average grass growth setting us up for the winter months.” While dairy farmers have faced a huge drop in payout and the winter months will be lean in terms of financial payments, the meat and fibre sector has had one of their better years for financial returns on beef, lamb and wool. By Elaine Fisher

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COAST & COUNTRY

Page 7

Magnesium is the Cinderella of NZ agriculture “We can no longer afford to think in terms of N P and K; we must include S and Mg.” This statement is from an article titled Magnesium – Cinderella of NZ Agriculture written 50 years ago by M.R.J. Toxopeus a scientist at the Ruakura Research Centre. The continued application of superphosphate containing more sulphur than phosphorus, and the inclusion of elemental sulphur where necessary, has largely attended to sulphur requirements since then, but little has been done to address magnesium deficiencies. The cost to dairy farmers continues to mount each year. Cows showing early symptoms, such as hyperactivity and going down in spring, incur the immediate cost of treatment and lost production. If the animal dies, the value of the cow and her production for the season is an added cost, and often there is also the loss of a valuable calf. However, the issue most often spoken of by farmers is the frustration of not knowing when a cow may be down out in the paddock, the severity of her situation, and the time required to treat and get her mobile again.

Human energy

Minutes are precious on a dairy farm in spring, so time spent treating animals is time away from another essential task, and reserves of human energy become increasingly depleted. A single cow requiring treatment almost certainly means there are several others producing below optimum, and when this cost is also added, the dollars lost through calcium/magnesium related problems in spring become considerable. Professor Tom Walker of Lincoln University in 1997 wrote, ‘What New Zealand farmers must appreciate is that Mg, like cobalt and selenium, may be necessary on many soils for the sake of animal health, rather than to improve pasture growth, and it makes good sense to correct animal deficiencies through the soil and the plant….and in my view

dolomite is the ideal material to use on acid soils low in Mg.’ There is only one deposit of dolomite in New Zealand, at Golden Bay in the South Island, and although there are an increasing range of magnesium products available to farmers, when it comes to minimising metabolic disorders in milking cows in spring, there’s nothing as effective as dolomite. The reasons for dolomite being the most effective product available are due to a number of factors. Both calcium and magnesium are involved in cows suffering in spring and dolomite contains 11.5 per cent magnesium, and 24 per cent calcium, both in the carbonate form.

Natural product

It’s also a natural product, originally a sea bed deposit containing a wide range of trace minerals, including boron, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc. Although these occur at only very low concentrations, when soils are deficient in trace minerals they are valuable. The effect of dolomite lasts at least 12 months and is typically applied at a rate between 200kg and 260kg/ha (23kg and 30kgMg/ ha). Because of the single source of supply the cost per hectare varies throughout the country. However, although it has been seen by some as expensive compared to ordinary lime, the cost benefit in pasture improvement and animal health is far greater. Because of its purity and compactness dolomite is finely ground, with 62 per cent less than 150 microns. It becomes available for plant uptake shortly after the recommended application time of a month prior to calving, which gives a marked improvement in herd health and performance. Dolomite may be added to most fertiliser products or, as is increasingly common, delivered bulk direct to farm, with a truck and trailer load sufficient for around 100ha. For more information call Peter on 0800 436 566.

Sheep and deer numbers down, dairy cows up New Zealand, once known as a nation of sheep, has around one million fewer of the animals in the most recent year surveyed, according to figures released by Statistics NZ. But sheep still far outweigh the number of people with 29.8 million sheep as at June 30, 2014. “The number of sheep fell by three percent from 2013. The last time the sheep number was below 30 million was back in 1943,” says agriculture statistics

manager Neil Kelly. For the same period the total number of beef cattle declined slightly. The number of dairy cattle increased by three per cent, to just under 6.7 million, with increases of 67,000 dairy cattle in the North Island and 148,000 in the South Island. “These increases came mainly from the key dairy regions of Waikato, Canterbury, and Southland,” says Neil. In 2014 the number of deer fell below one million for the first time, decreasing by 70,000 (seven per cent). The number of deer peaked at 1.8 million in 2004, but

this has been falling since 2009. New Zealand had 660 hectares planted in cherries at June 30, 2014, up seven percent since 2012. The main export markets for cherries were Taiwan, China, and Thailand. The 2014 Agricultural Production Survey involved farmers and foresters in New Zealand. It covered land use, animal farming (livestock), arable crops, horticultural crops, forestry, and farming practices (including fertiliser and cultivation). The survey was conducted in partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries.

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COAST & COUNTRY

Page 8

Camels may soon dine on Reporoa feed Top performing international race horses are fed on specialist products grown and produced at Reporoa – and soon valuable Middle Eastern racing camels could be eating them too. Innovative family company Fiber Fresh grow and produce the range of feeds scientiďŹ cally proven to enhance animals’ natural digestive development and function. And so good are its results now Middle Eastern Sheiks are showing interest, says Fiber Fresh national sales manager Bob Bell. While the Middle East may be half a world away, in New Zealand the company is well placed to deliver specialist camel foods. “Camels have both ruminant and equine type stomachs

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Fiber Fresh harvests crops from 1200ha of land at Reporoa. “I didn’t know what it would be or how it would happen but I believe you can achieve almost anything if you set your sights on it and are prepared to work hard,â€? says Michael. It was the decision of Bob Bell senior to move from the prime dairy region of Taranaki to the ‘backwater’ of Reporoa to develop farms for his ďŹ ve sons which was the genesis for Fiber Fresh. The land was covered in scrub and few believed it would make good grazing, but the Bell family established drystock farms there. Early on Michael had an interest in animal nutrition and especially the beneďŹ ts of lucerne and how to turn it into an even better feed source. Over time the company developed a unique system of forage

harvesting and preservation, including a Fiber Fresh proprietary fermentation process that produces superior forage feed unlike anything else in the world

Stomach ulcers

Bob says the company and its clients have always known horses perform better on Fiber Fresh products but recent studies with Massey University and other research organisations in New Zealand have conďŹ rmed its positive effects on stomach ulcers in horses. In a peer-reviewed scientiďŹ c study, when fed at recommended levels as the sole feed to spelling horses, FiberProtect provided dietary relief of symptoms of gastric discomfort, corrected an acidic stomach environment and

returned the stomach to a normal healthy condition within 14 to 28 days in 100 per cent of horses studied. FiberProtect was also shown to be effective as an aid in the management of gastric health in active horses following the reintroduction of high grain racing or competition diets.

NZ only

Fiber Fresh Feeds is the only New Zealand-based feed company with an active scientiďŹ c research and development division. The company is supported by the New Zealand Government, through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Callaghan Innovation fund and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

Get it right from the start There is no comparison between FiberStartÂŽ and straw or hay as the ďŹ bre source in the calf shed. Straw or hay only ďŹ lls up the rumen with little nutritional value and provides no real beneďŹ t for the calf’s development. FiberStartÂŽ is the only scientiďŹ cally proven forage ďŹ bre that develops the rumen producing a healthier better performing calf.

Feed FiberStartÂŽ and get:

Bigger, stronger, heavier rumens Grass ready calves in 7 weeks No weaning check Proven, better performance (2.4%) 1292 Š FIber Fresh

and we specialise in feeds for cows and horses,â€? says Bob. Founded by Michael Bell 30 years ago, Fiber Fresh has grown into a company with a strong reputation in the world of horse racing. Last year four horses fed on Fiber Fresh products took ďŹ rst place in the nine-race Dubai World Cup programme – the richest day of horse racing in the world. Amber Sky, Sterling City, Just a Way and Gentildonna collectively earned their connections US$7.9m in prize money – about NZ$9.1m. The worlds of horse and camel racing couldn’t have been further from the mind of 15-year-old Michael Bell, as he drove a TD9 bulldozer helping his family break in land at Reporoa in the 1960s. He did, however, dream of one day owning a global company.

www.ďŹ ber-fresh.com

COAST & COUNTRY

Page 9

Michael Bell founded Fiber Fresh 30 years ago at Reporoa.

Feed helps develop healthy digestive systems in calves Through a number of research trials completed in partnership with AgResearch and Callaghan Innovations, Fiber Fresh feeds have proven to play a significant role in rumen development.

Calves reared on Fiber Fresh have 18 per cent heavier rumens than those reared on conventional meal-based systems. They have greater papillae growth and better rumen wall development which results in better rumen metabolic function, enabling calves to digest and extract nutrients more efficiently once on pasture.

Rumen development

International show jumper Samantha McIntosh on her horse Estina. Samantha is sent Fiber Fresh feed for her horses when she competes in Europe.

Up-and-coming eventor Samantha Felton is one of the sponsored riders Fiber Fresh supports.

“The first 10 weeks of a calf ’s life are crucial to the development of its rumen. If it doesn’t develop fully in that time it never will, and the adult animals will never reach their full potential,” says Michael. “Our products are truly ‘fresh’. This means the crops are harvested at the optimum time to retain nutrition and avoid degradation, and then managed carefully and efficiently in order to retain critical nutrients. “In order to achieve this, we have an integrated manufacturing process whereby all our crops are grown and harvested within a short distance of our production plant in Reporoa. “We control all the different elements of the process, from planting through to manufacturing,” says Michael. Bob says many of the company’s clients claim bigger and better heifers entering their dairy herds, which go on to lift production. Fiber Fresh now employs about 50 people and harvests crops from 1200ha of land at Reporoa. It has a wholly owned subsidiary in Japan and is a long-time supplier to the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the Singapore Turf Club and the Macau Horse Racing Company. It also has Dubai-based Fiber Fresh United Arab Emirates CEO Ian Pryor, who is exploring the potential expansion of the company’s export business in the Middle East. By Elaine Fisher

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COAST & COUNTRY

Page 10

Inventive captions for ingenious device for the image on the left is: ‘The Travelling Hunter’ by Vern Wilson, published by Halcyon Press. Good company is always a handy thing on a hunting trip, someone to share the successes and disasters with. Vern manages to ďŹ nd some good Kiwi ‘buggers’ to tag along on his adventures and one irrepressible, unstoppable and frequently frustrating America called Dunc, all of who get a mention in his latest book. Other characters are the North American Indian guide who didn’t want to talk to white men, Attila (the Hun), a hunting guide in Namibia who ruins every stalk, and Rick the outďŹ tter from Wyoming who tried to teach Vern how to drink cowboy style. Vern’s latest book is a light-hearted look back at some of his more successful overseas hunting trips. He’s always on the lookout for that special trophy; after all one is all you are allowed in most hunting destinations, other than New Zealand. To be in to win a copy of ‘The Travelling Hunter’ email your suggested captions for the photo above, along with your name and address, and with Country Funnies as the subject to elaine@ thesun.co.nz Or put these details and captions on the back of an envelope and post to: Country Funnies, Coast & Country, PO Box 240, Tauranga 3110, to arrive no later than June 27. If you have a ‘Country Funnies’ photo we’d love the chance to publish it and invite readers for their caption suggestions. Post your photos to Country Funnies, Coast & Country, PO Box 240, Tauranga 3110 or email elaine@thesun.co.nz with ‘Country Funnies’ in the subject line.

O U NT R

MAJOR TEAM PRIZES 1st PRIZE – 4 x POLARIS QUAD BIKES & HUNTECH CLOTHING

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It’s in the form of a rather unusual garden sculpture featuring a wooden ďŹ gure on a tree trunk gazing out to sea, with his hand on rope, ready to ring a bell as soon as a great wave is spotted. We asked Coast & Country readers to come up with a caption for a photo

of this early warning device. For her entry – ‘If this warning bell fails, I’ll have to send a smoke signal. Now what is there around here that burns?’ – Chrissie of Te Puke has won a copy of the book ‘The New Zealand Wilderness Hunter’ by James Passmore, published by Halcyon Press. This month’s Country Funnies book prize for the best caption

C

Tsunami warning systems along New Zealand’s coast have been the subject of much debate and controversy and now someone, living just north of Opotiki, has what they believe is the answer.

Caption this photo of a unique device on display at the Woodturners Cafe near Ngatea to be in to win our book prize.

‘The Travelling Hunter’ by Vern Wilson is this month’s Country Funnies book prize.

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COAST & COUNTRY

Page 11

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AVOCADO

Page 12

Critical mass key to season’s success The executives of New Zealand’s largest avocado exporter, keen to build on the success the companyhas achieved in just two seasons, are encouraging more growers to join it. AVOCO was formed in 2013 and has already fulfilled its vision by securing healthy returns to its growers in a record crop year for the industry. Bay of Plenty growers have received orchard gate returns of more than $15 a tray on an all size average for export fruit. Director Alistair Young says the success of the 2014-15 season is down to people working together to create value for its 700-plus growers, most of whom have orchards across the Bay. “There was literally a cast of thousands as growers, harvesters, packers and marketers rolled their sleeves up and got stuck in to managing the ‘big’ one. “We have proved the worth of working as a collective when facing a big season. Primor and Southern Produce staff are now preparing to do it all again and this time we have the advantage of a big season behind us to fine tune our systems and our market planning. With another season just around the corner, we want more growers to join us.”

Out of a national export crop of 4.5 million trays, AVOCO handled 2.8 million trays, a healthy share of the volume. Two-thirds of its avocado exports were sent to Australia, with the remainder split between the US and Asia, and marketed through AVANZA. Analysis of what occurred in the 10 different international markets AVOCO and AVANZA supplied is important. But AVOCO director John Carroll says what matters most to everyone associated with AVOCO are the simple facts around what has been achieved for its grower community in just two seasons since the company was formed. It was the disastrous results of 2011-12, when exporters flooded the Australian market and values fell to less than $10 a tray, that motivated Southern Produce and Primor to listen to growers calling for an overhaul of the export sector. Agreeing that collaboration was the key to success, the two previous rivals came together in an effort to better manage the flow of fruit. “We learnt a great deal from the last heavy volume year of 2011-12,” John says. “What’s satisfying now, after another heavy crop, is that we can look back and see how much of a difference this united commercial approach can make to a season for both growers and exporters.”

He says it’s in the number crunching that AVOCO’s strength is revealed. Three years ago, Southern Produce and Primor exported close to 2.1 million of the 3.7 million trays shipped offshore, equating to 56 per cent of the volume. Coming together, AVOCO handled 62 per cent of the total export crop this season, a volume lift of 33 per cent since 2011-12. This season, AVOCO also had to contend with a bumper crop coming out of Western Australia and a high New Zealand dollar. Despite these challenges, AVOCO’s estimate of the shift in OGR between the two seasons is a lift of 50 per cent. “With critical mass, we have the ability to manage harvest volumes and fruit flow better than our competitors, especially during years of heavy volume. It’s pleasing that we’ve been able to prove that AVOCO is a business that can succeed in all market conditions in just our second season.”

Seeking Bay’s top young growers The 2015 Bay of Plenty Young Fruit Grower of the year competition has a new venue - Mills Reef in Tauranga where the region’s top young growers will go head to head for the title on Wednesday, June 24.

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Minister for Primary Industries Nathan The competition is an Guy with Patrick Malley who won excellent way to get ahead in the 2014 title of Bay of Plenty Young a fast-growing industry, and Grower and went on to win the NZ there are some great networkYoung Fruit Grower of the year. ing opportunities and fantastic prizes up for grabs, says Lara Contestants will compete in a series Harrison of the organising committee. of theoretical and practical activities The winner receives $1500 and during the day and continue in the goes forward to represent the Bay of evening with a quiz and speech comPlenty at the national final of the NZ Young Fruit Grower in August 2015 in petition at the gala dinner where Todd Muller, National MP for the Bay of Christchurch. The winner then comPlenty will be guest speaker and judge. petes against the NZ Young Vegetable For more information go to Grower for the national title of Young www.nzkgi.org.nz/events Grower of the Year.

AVOCADO

Page 13

It’s black and white. *

y a r t + / = 5 1 R $ OG *audited BOP average, adjusted for fruit sizes over 2.8 million export trays

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Page 14

AVOCADO

Tree spade ideal for moving avocados The right equipment, expertise and follow-up care are essential when it comes to successfully moving valuable avocado trees, says Paul Frowein of Tree Transplant Services who has been re-locating trees for 20 years. He’s moved avocados and a wide range of other trees and vines with the tree spade he and wife Jude bought from the USA for their business in 1995, and has perfected methods which ensure good results. These include applying an ‘anti-stress’ spray to the trees to help relieve any stress caused by removing it from the ground. This also reduces transpiration that might happen after the tree has been transplanted.

“We can transplant trees up to five or six years old and have achieved excellent results for growers by ensuring the trees can continue to be a productive part of the orchard.” Much of Paul’s work involves removing every second avocado tree in orchards which have been established with close plantings. These are then transplanted to another part of the orchard, or another location. The fact his truck-mounted tree spade is very manoeuvrable, and can work in tight areas, is a distinct advantage when operating in orchards. Whether it’s a fruit or ornamental tree, each is carefully assessed before a decision is made on when and how to move it. “Winter, when the ground is moist and trees are in their resting or deciduous period, is the ideal time for carry out transplants,” says Paul. As well as avocados, Tree Transplant Service

moves kiwifruit vines, chestnuts and other production trees, as well as ornamentals and palms. The company also has its own nursery as clients often ask if it has large screen or shade trees available. At the nursery clients can select a specimen tree ready for transporting and planting to their property, creating that instant impact that normally takes many years to achieve. Tree Transplant Services specialise in large ground grown trees up to six and eight metres tall, ideal for screening out neighbours, and, more importantly, as shade trees for schools. “We are able to offer an on-site visit to talk through what trees and options are available.” Tree Transplant Services caters for property developers and orchards, and also supplies big Tree Transplant Services has a truck-mounted tree spade which can work in tight areas. shade trees for schools and lifestyle blocks.

Social, economic benefits for growers

Many Bay of Plenty avocado orchardists are enjoying the social and economic advantages leasing or having their orchard managed by Aongatete Avocados brings. “When AAL manage an orchard, growers can continue to do the tasks they enjoy, such as mowing or weed spraying, while leaving skilled jobs to our experienced team,” says Tony Bradley of AAL. “This gives growers more time to spend off-orchard if they wish and still enjoy the income from their fruit,” says Tony. Whereas under a lease agreement, AAL undertakes all on-orchard operations, leaving growers free to concentrate on other employment or to enjoy travel and family time. Economies of scale means it’s economically viable for growers to have the specialist operator manage or lease small orchards, especially when there are several under

Revital 30 Avocado Blend

AAL’s care in one area. AAL manages and leases orchards from Paengaroa to Waihi. “We have the skills and experience to get the best out of avocado orchards and this includes using contemporary pruning techniques which are helping increase yields. Our focus is on tons per hectare and achieving the best possible harvest results for growers,” says Tony. “We understand the market in which our customers’ businesses operate and bring them the best people and technologies to deliver great results. We leave export and marketing to others,” says Tony, who is an avocado orchardist and a registered consultant New Zealand Institute of Primary Management. Aongatete Avocados’ Toni Morrison, grower services manager of the AAL team, is happy to visit focus is achieving the best possible harvest anyone interested in finding out more about the services the company offers. results for growers.

HORTICULTURE

Page 15

Strategic marketing helps preserve premiums Just Avocados has posted another satisfying result for its growers after a record season for both the industry and the company itself.

Australia with a far greater percentage of their fruit. You could argue they owe our growers a cheque.” Another feature of the added value Just Avocados delivered its growers was the flexibility around AVANZA group’s eye-catching avocado market harvest management. promotion vehicle proved very popular in Japan. By and large Just Avocados Orchard Gate Returns was able to accommoranged up into the he middate individual grower ind teens, despite a record ecord in Australia and is on preferences in harvest track to add a significant prefer strong New Zealand and timing tim and bin dollar and a heavier ier retail chain supply provolumes, somevo percentage of the gramme to its pool mix thing th growers crop placed in thee for the coming season. place real value p lower returning “Through our subon beyond the markets beyond sidiary Global Fresh OGR, whether Australia and the efforts Australia. by lessening This illustrates of Melbourne-based fruit loss from just how far general manager Ben pre-summer the industry Bartlett, Just Avocastorms or has come since dos’ growers’ fruit will allowing fruit to feature in a major retail the disastrous reach premium r single digit OGR R chain programme for sizes si across the returns of the 2015/2016 harvest. season. sea previous record 3.7 .7 “Securing this will give Steve says being Ste million tray crop in us the full deck of cards a dedi dedicated ‘avocado 2012/2013, compared pared to play in order to get the only’ onl and fully to 4.5 million justt best possible results for integrated service inte completed. the pool. Just Avocados marketing director company offers “We played a “Moving forward, our Steve Trickett says this season’s growers much strong leadership growers are going to get a results for growers are very pleasing. more value when role together with significant dividend from put in the context our AVANZA our unique investment of orchard income per hectare. partners in protecting the premiums and presence in the Aus“Simply Simply put, our avocado-centric available from the Australian market, tralian market place.” business model is designed to be by strategically placing about 35 per fairer, faster and more flexible than cent of fruit in Japan, Asia and the others and being growers ourselves, we US,” says Just Avocados marketing understand grower’s entire long-term director Steve Trickett. requirements.” “Some other Looking to the exporters and their marketplace, growers benefited Just Avocados from this when performed chasing an very easier dollar strongly in nearby

My Name is Neil Woodward. I am a director of Z-Contracting- we are family run business, our team consists of three, being myself, my son and my brother. Our organisation has been established for over 18 years. I have been involved in applying crop protection programmes within the horticultal industry since 1966. We specialise within the kiwi fruit industry, We have the equipment to spray orchards with our two Atom sprayers and one recently purchased Tracatom Formula tractor which is also available for mulching and mowing. Our Atoms are set up with radar speed sensors, this combined with fully automated sprayer controllers and three nozzle rings enhances application efficiency and accuracy. We also use a quad bike for strip weed spray applications. We hold all certificates needed to meet Globalgap compliance.

Just Avocados played a strong leadership role together with its AVANZA partners by strategically placing about 35 per cent of fruit in Japan, Asia and the US.

We look at all challenges to help ensure we protect your crop with excellence.

Page 16

HORTICULTURE

Sweet taste of success for kiwifruit Ninety-five per cent of growers support growing kiwifruit that our overseas markets want. This was evident in the recent grower referendum which sets the kiwifruit industry’s strategy for the future. The industry operates a simple but very powerful formula: give consumers what they want and they will pay a premium for it and keep purchasing it. The industry’s success has been built on this formula as 32 per cent of our kiwifruit consumers purchase 83 per cent of the kiwifruit we sell. Repeat purchases are, as can be seen from this statistic, vital for successful kiwifruit sales. One of the key drivers for repeat purchase is taste. A bad eating experience is the quickest way to turn off consumers and affect their decisions to make further purchases of your fruit. Research conducted with consumers in New Zealand, and our key overseas markets since 2004, confirmed consistently good-tasting kiwifruit is the main reason consumers continue to buy after their first purchase.

Fantastic experience

The goal is to connect consumers to the Zespri brand and good tasting kiwifruit that will always give a fantastic eating experience. It directs consumers away from competing brands of kiwifruit to the consistently good tasting Zespri kiwifruit. Taste is becoming increasingly important for retailers in Japan. Advertising the taste levels of the fruit is becoming more common and is a means to attract consumers away from competing supermarkets. Comments from the key Japanese retailers include: • Sweeter fruit key to Japan consumption: Japan’s fruit consumption hit a 12-year-low in 2013, but products with higher sugar levels continue to buck the downward trend and increase sales. • With the development of gold pineapples, gold kiwifruit and Highland bananas, we’ve seen that

consumption of those fruits has grown even in a situation where fruit consumption is generally declining. • Japan’s younger generation in particular displays a clear preference for sweeter fruit, and a disliking for products with a sharper taste profile, such as grapefruit.

Sweet fruit

In Korea supermarket chain Lotte Marte are planning on setting their own taste standards to sell fruits that are sweeter than the market standard. They will consider the sweetness of fruit as a criterion on whether to stock particular brands of fruit. The kiwifruit industry has launched a taste review focused on Gold3 and Hayward Green kiwifruit to ensure the industry continues to deliver what consumers will pay for and keep purchasing. The importance of repeat purchase cannot be stressed too strongly as demonstrated by the above quoted statistic: 32 per cent of consumers purchase 83 per cent of the kiwifruit we sell. As an industry, we must continue to grow tasty fruit. The review will assess the sensory data collected from consumers to see what market signals can be sent to growers. It will also identify what growing techniques can be used to grow the fruit that consumers will pay for and continue to purchase. Growers are invited to make submissions to this review to NZKGI. The outcome of the taste review will most likely be an endorsement for taste to be confirmed as a key reason why consumers buy kiwifruit. Any changes to the payment regime that rewards growers who grow tasty fruit will need to be worked through by the Taste Review Project Team and importantly, to identify ways to grow this fruit. The reviews will be concluded by Christmas having first conducted extension grower consultation for implementation in the coming seasons. The views expressed in this article are the author.

Learn while you earn in kiwifruit industry Eastern and Western Bay of Plenty those wanting to progress further High fruit production in the and Northland. at management level, developing kiwifruit industry is back with a Another option – Fruit Producthe skills needed to ensure orchard bang and there is still a great need tion for Profit – helps those who profitability. for supervisory and management have worked their way up the For those working on orchards at roles – both in the field and with horticulture ranks to develop the entry level, the practical Certificate post-harvest operations. financial, management and busiin Kiwifruit Orchard Skills Level The Bay of Plenty Polytechnic’s ness skills needed. 3 provides on the job training and horticulture cadet programme Finally, the free online National allows workers to achieve certifiallows workers to earn while they cates in harvesting, winter pruning, Certificate in Horticulture Online learn, giving them the necessary (Nursery or Amenity Horticulture) summer work, male pruning, thinskills to competently fill the growLevel 2 is a great option for those ning and young vine training. This ing number of management roles wanting to upskill. programme is available in both opening up within the industry. “You can always get a job Cadets start with the National because they need entry-level Certificate in Horticulture Level people, but you take it as far as 2, which can be completed partyou want to go in horticulture. time and fits around orchard The industry desperate workloads. for skilled people in the They can progress to the middle management Level 4 Fruit Production roles,” says BOP PolyStrand, which teaches technic horticulture higher level skills and group leader Shelley industry knowledge. Rose. Next is the The Bay of Plenty Polytechnic offers the National Applications for the Advanced Fruit Certificate in Horticulture Level 2, which can be Horticulture cadet Production Strand for completed part-time and fits around orchard workloads. courses are now open. owner-operators or

Taste the difference with a Seeka Smoothie Try the refreshing taste of top orcharding and post harvest services with your free Seeka Smoothie at Fieldays 2015 See us at site M9a Mystery Creek Fieldays 10 to 13 June 2015 www.seeka.co.nz KIWIFRUIT KIWIBERRIES AVOCADOS TROPICAL FRUITS AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND RETAIL NEW ZEALAND WHOLESALE

FIELDAYS

Page 17

Prime Minister applauds kiwifruit recovery Prime Minister John Key has paid tribute to Zespri and the Bay of Plenty’s kiwifruit industry for its “remarkable� ability to regroup and recover in the wake of Psa-V.

and sell wine, and kiwifruit, and lamb, and a million others things we are good at – or alternatively someone else is going to supply it and if they do, we will miss that opportunity.� Zespri chairman Peter McBride says it’s hard to recall now just how uncertain and dark those days were, when they simply did not know how the industry could continue after the Psa outbreak. “What was in no doubt, however, was the support of the government,� says Peter. “Within days of Psa’s discovery in NZ, the Government had committed $25 million – matched dollar for dollar by industry – into managing the disease and grower support. “Now volumes of kiwifruit are back to pre-Psa levels, grower returns are strong, orchard prices are back to and in some cases surpassing pre-Psa values, and our new higher-value gold variety Zespri SunGold (Gold3) is proving itself in the orchard

As part of a recent day-long trip to Tauranga, Key visited Zespri’s Mount Maunganui ofďŹ ce as the industry came together to thank the Government for its support in ďŹ ghting the bacterial disease. The Prime Minster, speaking to industry representatives and about 200 Zespri staff, deected praise, saying the kiwifruit industry is doing well on the back of the adversity that struck when Psa was ďŹ rst identiďŹ ed in an orchard near Te Puke on November 5, 2010. “What’s been remarkable in the kiwifruit industry is the capacity to regroup very quickly and recover from that through science and innovation,â€? says Key. “We need you guys, and we need to sell more from the world than we buy from the world.â€? According to an independent review by the Sapere Research Group, released late-2014, the industry has recovered more quickly than anticipated. The report says the industry was well served by its integrated nature, existing governance systems and the quick decision to establish a dedicated body – Kiwifruit Vine Health – to manage the response. Extremely skilled leaders operating under enormous pressure and their relationships with government and the banking sector were also important, as was the focus on managing the human impacts of the bacteria and not just the bacteria itself. Prime Minster John Key speaking to Zespri International staff.

Can-do attitude

and in the market.â€? Peter presented the Prime Minister with a kiwifruit carving on behalf of the industry as a token of gratitude for the Government's support. “Thanks to the Government’s strong support – together with our uniďŹ ed industry structure, the resilience of our growers and the support of the banks – our industry is not just back on track, we’re set for strong growth,â€? says Peter. Zespri will again be at the National Fieldays – this time at new location in the ‘Central Precinct’ at site numbers is E66 and F65. By Luke Balvert

Photo by Tracy Hardy.

The industry’s ‘can do’ attitude and ability to adapt, coupled with substantial investment in the new kiwifruit breeding programme which created the more Psa-tolerant gold variety G3, helped the recovery. “When you grow things, you are subject to unforeseen changes that can happen, either beneďŹ cial or incredibly negative, in this case the latter in terms of biosecurity risk,â€? says Key. “One of the challenges is we are just a small country with very open borders. Fundamentally, there are lots of ways biosecurity risks can come to New Zealand. “We understand that, and it doesn't matter how much resourcing there is, something is going to slip through.â€? But Key says with the kiwifruit industry set for strong growth, there is a wave of basic demand for New Zealand products, such as kiwifruit, washing over Asia and to a lesser extent the US, which needs to be capitalised upon.

Ride the wave

“And there is only two things you can do [with this wave],� says Key. “You can either ride it or get drowned by it – there is nothing in between. “Either we are going to be the people that stand up

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Sustainable thinking required for effluent management

Whichever angle you look at it from, sustainable thinking on your dairy farm is beneficial to everyone involved says Oliver Prestidge of Presco Group’s environmental infrastructure division. “It ensures you are constantly driving towards your long-term purpose, looking after your most important asset (your people), protecting our beautiful planet and maximising/ safeguarding your profit streams, even in hard times.” Nowhere in dairy farming is the need for sustainable thinking currently more pertinent than in setting up your farm dairy effluent management system, says Oliver. The stakes are high: non-compliance

IS YOUR DAIRY SHED WATER FONTERRA COMPLIANT? TURBIDITY? E-COLI? PROBLEMS WITH ŶƚŚŽŶLJ WƌĞƐƚŽŶ >ŝŵŝƚĞĚ

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issues; the substantiality of the investment; the potential cost of something major going wrong (e.g.a liner tearing or a tank leaking or bursting); and the financial returns that can potentially be realised from this naturally-derived, nutrient-rich waste. As such, the decision must be weighed up carefully and that is daunting to state the least. “However short-term, cost driven thinking can lead to decisions being made today that will have serious environmental and financial consequences tomorrow.” Oliver is noticing a larger number of farmers this year who want to ‘do it once and do it right’ when it comes to farm dairy effluent management. “This is an encouraging trend, as we have heard so many horror stories from farmers who have ended up in the ‘proverbial brown stuff ’ over issues with their effluent ponds.” The big increase in the number of Presco Group’s heavy duty concrete Prosumps being installed this season can be put down to one thing says Oliver – peace of mind. With a concrete Prosump, a farmer can put one in the ground and forget about it. It can’t rust, it can’t rip or tear, and it can’t leak. Because of its durability, the decision to install a Prosump is a non-brainer for forward thinking farmers, says Oliver. “After researching all the options, they often tell us there is nothing else that compares with the Prosump’s high strength, reinforced concrete construction. We often hear the comment, ‘you can’t compare 150 millimetres of concrete with just a few millimetres of plastic’.” When the farmer looks at the bullet proof design of a Prosump, and its specialist construction methods, it gives them the confidence it is built to last a lifetime. “Although the Prosump comes with a 50 year minimum build-life guarantee, we prefer to let the reputation of concrete durability speak for itself. We point clients to the iconic Hawera Water Tower, which can be seen from our premises. This soaring landmark was made from vastly inferior concrete [compared] to the concrete technology we use today, yet it’s just had its 100th birthday.” Any dairy farmer interested in sustainable farming, who is serious about getting their effluent storage right the first time, should give Oliver a call. Visit Presco Group at the NZ National Agri-Fieldays, Site: PB14.

FIELDAYS

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FIELDAYS

Pond liner ideal for animal shelter flooring Pondco has found a new and innovative use for the AquaFlex Pond Liner it installs – on the floors of herd shelters. Hamish Forbes of Pondco says the company has recently provided and installed linings in a Redpath dairy shelter buildings, creating a durable surface to keep the floors dry and well drained. AquaFlex is more commonly used to line effluent and frost ponds but Hamish says the qualities which make

it ideal for use in those environments mean it’s also perfect for lining the floors of animal shelters. The liner can be installed in new or existing shelters and is laid in between two ‘underlays’ with bark spread on top. It’s quick to install with even the largest shelters lined within a day. The end result is a drier, cleaner environment for cows in which to shelter from wind and rain, or even the hot summer sun. It’s able to withstand the weight of animals and of machinery used in the shelters. “AquaFlex fills a gap in the New Zealand market not currently met by plastic or rubber liners,” says Hamish. “It has more than double the strength of other compound liners and double the punch resistance but is around half the weight so is much easier to install.” Every seam is double-welded, recorded and air-tested for water tightness before the liner is installed. “The product is a co-extruded membrane which

Pondco installed AquaFlex Pond Liner in a dairy shelter to keep the floor dry and well drained. provides high elongation tear resistance and bursting strength. Its flexibility means it conforms to challenging angles and terrain without stress cracking problems often seen in high density membranes.” The liner has a black carbon content of two per cent, which provides UV and harsh weather protection and is made from virgin resins. Pondco has the New Zealand licence for AquaFlex, which is supplied by the world’s largest lining installation company, Colorado Lining International. And the Pondco team has access to that company’s expertise, if required.

Science funding Budget 2015 allows for up to $25 million over three years to support the establishment of new privately led regional research institutes, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce says. The Government will work with regional stakeholders to identify where the best opportunities are to develop new institutes. “The proposed new research institutes would support innovation in regional areas outside of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch by maximising the unique business, technology, and economic growth opportunities in a region. “They would be funded from a mixture of public and private sources and modelled along the lines of Nelson’s Cawthron Institute, which is a specialist not-for-profit institute for aquaculture, marine biosecurity, and coastal and freshwater ecology. We envisage funding the launch of between one and three new institutes over the next four to five years depending on demand.”

FIELDAYS

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Builders for farmers and much more with local clients and will go the extra mile to ensure they experience a stress free and enjoyable building project where quality

is never compromised. “We encourage you to talk to us about your next building project regardless of size or budget,” says Chris.

Own the nectar This dairy reflects the dynamic and fresh approach Gibson Commercial brings to its commercial projects. milking platforms for cows, sheep and goats. Gibson Construction has also extended its portfolio into the housing and commercial markets, working on small, medium and large-scale building projects. “Under the umbrella of Gibson Housing and Gibson Commercial we are growing a robust presence in the residential and commercial building markets and have been involved with a number of new builds, renovations and extensions. “We work with our clients to ensure we can offer a solution to meet their needs,” says Chris. “We have grown our team and have a highly qualified and talented team of builders who pride themselves on providing the highest quality building service and products at a very competitive rate. Gibson Construction Gibson Construction undertakes a wide range of really enjoy working projects including rotary milking sheds.

Plant your Marginal Land and Riparian areas in Manuka

Te Awamutu company Gibson Construction has completed its rebranding and now has a strong presence in the Waikato, Central North Island and South Island after recently opening new branches in Taupo and Timaru.

Initially known as Gibson Rural, the company was founded in 1998 by Pat Gibson. In 2013, Pat decided to take a wellearned break from running the business, but has remained on board as the quality control manager. General Manager Chris Cliffe says Pat’s experience and expertise is invaluable to the company. “It’s great to have Pat still working with us as our quality control manager. His commitment to quality and service is second-tonone.” Gibson Construction has three divisions: Gibson Rural, Gibson Housing and Gibson Commercial. “We continue to service the construction needs of our residential, commercial and rural clients with a dynamic and fresh approach.” Known as the ‘builders for farmers’ Gibson Construction undertakes a wide range of projects including rotary, herringbone and robotic milking sheds, feed pads, silage bunkers, effluent management solutions and ancillary buildings. The firm also specialises in

Be sure to plant high-activity varieties for increased profits. Choice of 20 provenances and various pot sizes. Bulk order discounts available. Kauri Park, New Zealand’s largest supplier of Manuka plants, is now taking orders for 2015 delivery. See us on site M20 at the National Fieldays.

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Page 22

Pioneer Range on display at Mystery Creek Fieldays This year Honda will have a comprehensive showcase of farm side-by-side vehicles at this month’s Fieldays. The Pioneer Series has been a tremendous hit with New Zealand farmers with the model in very high demand, says Blue Wing Honda brand manager Damien Smyth.

“These models have been lauded for their extreme off-road capability, as well as their versatility on-farm and also their tremendous load carrying and towing capacity.” The full size range currently comprises of the Pioneer 700 2P and 700 4P. These two models are powered by awesome 700cc power plants and offer the option of either two-person seating or four-person seating.

Honda’s Pioneer Series have extreme off-road capability, as well as versatility on-farm.

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“Also in the family is the brilliant new 500cc family member. The model will sit between the current ATV range and the Pioneer 700 range,” says Damien. “It provides the perfect option for customers looking to move to a side-by-side vehicle, however do not need or want a full size side-by-side.” The model still offers an increased load capacity over ATVs, full 4x4 capability, and two-person seating capacity. Price is to currently $15,995 excluding GST. The vehicle is narrower and has a shorter wheelbase than the full size side-by-sides allowing it to be driven through narrow gates and access ways, meaning the unit can work in areas that would be unreachable in a full-size vehicle. “The side-by-side segment has seen impressive growth with the added capacity and safety features appealing to many farmers. “The vehicles are also very easy to operate with very little driver fatigue experienced.” For more information check out Hondamotorbikes. co.nz to find out more about the Honda Pioneer Series and to register your interest in testing one of these new machines.

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Brother-in-law under par

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Arthur is 90 years old. He’s played golf every day since his retirement 25 years ago. One day he arrives home looking downcast. “That’s it,” he tells his wife. “I’m giving up golf. My eyesight has got so bad. Once I’ve hit the ball, I can’t see where it went.” His wife sympathises. As they sit down, she has a suggestion. “Why don’t you take my brother with you, and give it one more try.” “That’s no good,” sighs Arthur. “Your brother is a hundred and three. He can’t help.” “He may be a hundred and three,” says the wife, “but his eyesight is perfect.” So the next day, Arthur heads off to the golf course with his brother-in-law. He tees up, takes an almighty swing, and squints down the fairway. He turns to the brother-in-law. “Did you see the ball?” “Of course I did!” says the brother-in-law. “I have perfect eyesight.” “Where did it go?” asks Arthur. “Can’t remember.”

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Fieldays offers chance to visit robotic milking operation cow depending on her stage of lactation, level of production or other factors. This three-way grazing system, using electronic drafting gates to control cow traffic and feed management, opens up the benefits of robotic milking solutions – even on a large grassland farm. At Fieldays 2015, DeLaval is offering farmers interested in robotic milking the chance to see John Fisher’s pasturebased robotic milking installation with tours directly from Fieldays to John’s farm, which is conveniently located nearby. For tour bookings, contact nzfieldays2015@delaval.com

Five years ago DeLaval introduced its robotic milking technology to the New Zealand market. Like all new technology it needed some pioneers to take the leap of faith. While robotic milking has been around since the early 1990s, and the technology has been well proven in the European barn environment, making it work in the pure grazing environment was the challenge. John Fisher of Cambridge is one farmer who has helped blaze the robotic milking trail on pasture, using a system known as ‘three-way grazing’. Under this system, a farm is divided into three grazing areas which are available to the cow at different times of the day, with the milking robot or robots ideally centrally located. While cows can walk towards the milking robot at any time, the farm is equipped with electronic drafting gates which read a cow’s tag and determine whether she should be allowed through to the robot to be milked, sent back to the grass she came from, or onto fresh pasture in the next grazing area. The frequency that a cow can be milked, known as ‘milking permission’, can be set individually for each

Example of a three-way grazing farm set up for robotic milking.

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‘Unworkable’ decision

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Regional and infrastructure development and green fields subdivisions nationwide could be challenged as a result of an Environment Court decision on water quality, believes Horticulture New Zealand. HortNZ says the court’s decision is unworkable and economically damaging but will not be challenged by Horticulture New Zealand because of the cost and time involved. The court’s decision to uphold an appeal from Ngati Kahungunu against Hawke's Bay Regional Council’s amendments to sections of the Hawke's Bay Regional Resource Management Plan - Land Use and Freshwater Management was based on the interpretation of the words “maintenance and enhancement” of freshwater bodies. The court says those words mean the water quality within every single water body must be managed in a way that water quality is maintained or enhanced. HortNZ believes this interpretation is going to cause huge problems because it goes against the direction the Government has taken in its national policy for freshwater, which allows local communities to decide how their water bodies are maintained. The decision could be used to challenge the development of land nationwide for any purpose. “This is simply unworkable. Land use is always changing, to meet the needs of communities. This can’t always happen with nil effect,” says HortNZ natural resources manager Chris Keenan. HortNZ estimates the cost of appealing the decision would be well more than $100,000, and with the considerable and increasing grower commitments to farm planning, environmental research and water quality tools it cannot justify the expense. “We are deeply concerned about the effect of this decision across the country, but growers can’t afford to fight it alone – and, the issue is not ours alone.” Activities such as urbanisation, farming, development of roads and other infrastructure can all have adverse effects on freshwater. “

Visit DeLaval at Mystery Creek Fieldays,® site D6-D8 or talk to your local dealer about putting the Plus+ in your farm. Call 0800 222 228 or visit delaval.co.nz *From the 2005 report “Working Time Studies in Conventional and AMS Milking Systems” from the JTI - Swedish Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering.

FIELDAYS

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HDPE liners ideal for effluent ponds The use of High Density Polyethylene to line dairy efuent ponds is relatively recent in New Zealand, but the product commonly known as HDPE has been extensively used in industrial containment facilities for more than 30 years, says Patrick Haden of Enviroline NZ.

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“It’s price compares very well to many other options, which is pretty important with dairy pay-outs the way they are right now. “Overseas and in New Zealand HDPE is the most widely used geomembrane for lining landďŹ lls, waste water treatment ponds, including dairy factory and meat works, dairy efuent ponds, irrigation dams, canals and hazardous waste containment. “It has a 20 year manufacturer’s warranty and an eight year workmanship warranty. We know before we leave a job that the liner we have installed won’t leak because we have tested it extensively,â€? says Patrick. As the owner-operator of Enviroline NZ, Patrick is the one who visits farmers to give them quotes on pond lining and he works with his team to install it. “Enviroline NZ is a privately owned

and operated company and farmers are dealing with me, the owner. This means they get personal, quality service. It is very important to me and my business that we do a ďŹ rst class job and that our clients are happy. In fact I’m happy to recommend farmers talk to any of our clients to get their opinion of the job we’ve done and the service they have received.â€? Patrick says the price Enviroline NZ quotes is the price farmers pay. “We don’t have any hidden costs or anything left out of the quote. Also, when we set a date to begin a job we’ll be there that day – not weeks later.â€? Preparation of the pond site is vital to the ďŹ nished job and Patrick works closely with those carrying out the earthworks to ensure the excavations are prepared correctly for the installation of the liner. Enviroline NZ uses HDPE because its superior performance and beneďŹ ts far outweigh other geo-membranes. It is extremely cost effective, maintenance free and has high chemical resistance, including resistance to dairy fats and oils, and common dairy shed sanitising chemicals. The liner has been evaluated and approved for use with farm dairy efuent by the manufacturer. Its unique welding process with double seams, provides greater containment security.

HDPE efuent pond liners are cost effective, maintenance free and have high chemical resistance.

Aussies, Kiwis battle for bachelor title Two Australians and six Kiwis will compete for the 2015 Fieldays Rural Bachelor of the Year title this month. The ďŹ nalists are Craig Crampton from Foxton, Daniel Rogers from Telangatuk East in Victoria, Australia, Jarred Clode from Ashburton, Matt Barr from Whakatane, Mick Pearson from Tasmania, Australia, Sam McNair from Dannevirke, Toby How from Geraldine, and Tony Peake from Te Awamutu. This really is an opportunity of a lifetime for these good, keen blokes, as not only will they enjoy an all-expensespaid trip to Fieldays, they’ll have the chance to show themselves off to future employers and industry leaders – as well as bachelorettes.

The competition again features the Mystery Race, with all ďŹ nalists beginning their journey at a secret location two days prior to Fieldays. Paired up and accommodated in Kea campervans, ďŹ nalists will need to complete challenges enroute to Fieldays. Once at Fieldays, the bachelors will be tested in a number of competitive heats, from speed fencing to speed dating, log splitting to cooking. The challenges are largely agriculturebased but will have a few fun twists thrown in to test the character of these rural men. The public can vote for the favourite bachelor via Fieldays’ website, as well as follow them on their Facebook pages.

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Are scientists working as a cabal? In every farming paper every week there seems to be articles about nitrogen and its leaching problems. As part of every article there is a comment from a sorrowful ‘scientist’ that they haven’t yet worked out how to solve it. Yet I’ve visited quite a few farms where it has been solved, and where they have documented evidence to prove it, often reaching back over a decade. These folk are generally using systems and fertiliser from a small supplier. The product ordered matches what tests have shown the soil life on that particular farm land actually needs. These people are working hand in hand with nature, and not just piling on phosphates and nitrogen, hoping things will improve. These clever ones are using their plants and soils to fix nitrogen from the air, and mostly aren’t using urea at all. Where lysimeters or similar are being used to measure rates, the leaching results are so low as to make one’s jaw drop. In recent months there has been a subtle shift in attributing blame for nitrogen leaching. No long is it anything to do with how much urea has been flung on; it’s all the cows’ fault, from what’s in their urine patches.

Back end

Well if you have a hugely high stocking rate, and you are feeding your cows with pasture that has far too much urea in it for cow rumen to digest, of course it will come out the back end. But when those small producers, and their happy farmer clients, try to pass

this on to ‘scientists’, there are invariably cries of ‘non-measurable research’, and ‘need for peer review’, and if invited to visit one of these happy farms, they refuse or claim to be too busy. So what is a ‘scientist’? The political and big business view seems to be that it must have a PhD, and generally be employed by either big business or a government funded research organization. No matter that some of the small producers have been researching, trialling and compiling data for up to 25 years, and that their clients are thrilled with how their pastures grow, how their cows stay well, and how their milk production (generally from fewer cows than before) is equal to the product of their once bigger herds, or better than ever.

Research funding

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I’ve more than once heard the ultimate putdown from ‘scientist’ to small producer; ‘You’re just trying to make money!’ Which might be funny if the ‘scientist’ wasn’t being paid a regular salary and getting research funding, while the small producer has had to find his own capital and working costs, and is regularly refused research funding. In the meantime our freshwaters get more polluted (whether from farm or urban runoff ), the urea users grow no more grass/ha than they did 30 years ago (looking at figures from Waikato Technical Institute trials run from 1979-84). So they continue to add in ever more supplement and, when the milk price dives, as at present, their farm working expenses knock any profits for six. And if they have one of the farmers using soil-lifefriendly fertiliser living near them, they can gaze over the fence at the knee high grass in winter, and perhaps mutter, ‘He must spread his urea in the dark when we aren’t looking!’ By Sue Edmonds

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

For whom the bell tolls Upon hearing that her elderly grandfather had just passed away, Katie went straight to her grandparent’s house to visit her 95 year-old grandmother and comfort her. When Katie asked how her grandfather had died, her grandmother replied, “He had a heart attack while we were making love on Sunday morning.” Horrified, Katie told her grandmother that two people nearly 100

years old having sex would surely be asking for trouble. “Oh no, my dear,” replied granny. “Many years ago, realising our advanced age, we figured out the best time to do it was when the church bells would start to ring. It was just the right rhythm. Nice and slow and even. Nothing too strenuous.” She paused to wipe away a tear, and continued, “He'd still be alive if the ice cream truck hadn’t come along.”

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FIELDAYS

Page 26

Smaller, lighter building block launched Interbloc will launch its latest product – a smaller, lighter version of its highly versatile one tonne Interbloc – at Fieldays in a move which represents significant cost savings for farmers. “We have developed a 400 block, which weighs about 250kg, in response to requests from farmers for a smaller version of our standard block,” says Jack Bright of Interbloc. “Transportation costs for the new block are cheaper and because of its reduced weight and size, most farmers

will be able to handle the blocks with their farm tractor.” Just what can be achieved with the blocks will be on display at the Interbloc Fieldays site H39 where the company will create an imaginative construction, which Jack says will be hard to miss. The new block is 800 x 400 x 400 compared to the standard block with dimensions of 1200 x 600 x 600. While it’s smaller the new product has all the engineered properties of the large block including strength and durability. “The block is also backed by our Buyback Guarantee. We understand that our customers’ needs change over time.

Because of their modular nature, structures built from Interblocs can be easily re- configured to increase capacity if required. That’s why we've launched a minimum price buyback guarantee. “We’re giving our customers peace of mind, knowing that when they no longer require their Interbloc blocks we’ll take care of them.” On farms Interblocs large or small are extensively used in the construction of palm kernel bins, fertiliser bins and for silage bunkers.

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Two good friends are among six people who’ve been awarded New Zealand horticultural scholarship of $4500 each for 2015. This means University of Waikato students Rhiannon Bond and Jack Keeys have now received more than $45,000 in scholarships combined, after the friends developed a buddy-system for applying for grants.

®

Because of their modular nature, structures built from Interblocs can be easily re- configured to increase capacity if required, or even dismantled when no longer needed. Interbloc also has an innovative sliding roof option for palm kernel and fertiliser bunkers, which means product can be kept dry and secure. “I hear about a scholarship, I tell Jack and vice versa,” says Rhiannon, who originally hails from Tauranga. “Sometimes, there’s a bit of friendly rivalry as usually only one person can get it.” This is the second time Jack, who calls Paeroa home, has won the HortNZ Undergraduate Scholarship and says it aligns perfectly with his passion for horticulture – especially in the kiwifruit industry.

FIELDAYS

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Year of Soil’s seminar success Farmers have the right to access sound scientific knowledge about cost effective biological farming systems and the right for the complex nutrition of biological farm inputs to become a mainstream option, says Tane Bradley of Agrisea. “Most farmers want to upgrade, not downgrade, the capital which is their soil. Recent discoveries have altered the way we think about how soil functions and how soil ecosystems supply plants with nutrients and water and have contributed to changing farmer attitudes towards working with natural systems.” AgriSea is committed to the notion of healthy soils, healthy plants and healthy animals and recently funded a New Zealand tour with Australian scientist Dr Christine Jones, who addressed seminars attended by up to 700 farmers as part of the United Nations 2015 International Year of Soil. Christine is a groundcover and soils ecologist who has made soil restoration her specialty. Tane says she has a wealth of experience working with innovative farmers to implement management practices that enhance biodiversity above and below ground, increase biological

activity, sequester carbon, activate soil nutrient cycles, restore water balance, improve productivity and create new topsoil. “An excellent speaker for farmers, she presents knowledge about soil microbiology plainly and clearly.” The topics covered by her seminars included why certain farming practices diminish nutrient and water availability to plants and reduce overall farm performance, especially in a variable climate. Christine also spoke about the characteristics of farming practices which maximise soil health, nutrient availability and water storage and how regenerative land management practices upgrade and improve farming systems. Tane says AgriSea New Zealand is part of the worldwide movement towards bio-stimulants as major farm inputs and clearly understands the value of providing complex nutrition to feed the soil microbiology. The company manufactures liquid seaweed concentrates from New Zealand seaweed that provide a ‘smorgasbord feast’ for soil microbes.

Australian Dr Christine Jones is a groundcover and soils ecologist.

Agrisea sponsored seminars throughout the country as part of the Year of Soils.

FIELDAYS

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Kiwi celebrity chefs are in the kitchen ful career in which he’s surrounded by great chefs and, of course, fantastic food. For Brett it’s all about getting the maximum flavour out of the wonderful produce grown in New Zealand. He’s the author of two best-selling books – ‘A Taste of a Traveller’ and ‘A Taste of Home’ – and is While growing up in their little slice of Bay of currently working on his third instalment. Plenty paradise the sisters have always dined well His love of travel has enabled him to build a wide with the people they love. repertoire of dishes that he loves to share. They've lived in Maketu their whole Michael Van de Elzen – From lives, with Karena enjoying a brief stint ‘Food Truck’ and ‘Family in Wellington while Kasey experiRecipes’ fame, restaurant enced Melbourne, which helped owner and author – is in develop their culinary knowledge. the kitchen on Thursday, The sisters’ love of June 11. food and a spur of the Michael was moment decision has captured by the seen them transiexcitement tion from typical of the food day jobs – Karena industry at working as an age 14 and auditor and went on Kasey an to work at accounting some of student Auckland’s and partlandmark Kasey and Karena Bird are among the celebrity time restauchefs cooking at Fieldays 2015. retail rants like assistant Kermadec – to the winners of Masterchef NZ 2014. and Hammerheads, then in London at the acclaimed Their cooking is rooted in their culture and their dishes are inspired by where they live and what they Bluebird and Bank, providing private catering for love to eat. some of London’s top earners and A-list celebrities. The sisters’ love using the incredible produce New Zealand has to offer from the land and sea. Their Food truck new cook book ‘For the Love of ’ has just been He and his wife Belinda, who is also a chef, opened released this year and they’re looking forward to the award-winning Molten in Mount Eden in 2003, cooking some of the recipes from it at the show. after their return to New Zealand. He sold the Karena and Kasey will be cooking the Kiwi’s Best Molten restaurant in 2011 and became the star of Kitchen marquee on Friday June 12 and Saturday the highly popular TVNZ television shows ‘Food June 13. Truck’ and ‘Family Recipes’. In 2013 Michael was inducted into the New ZeaFantastic food land Hospitality Hall of Fame. Brett McGregor – the 2010 Masterchef NZ winner Head along to the Kiwi’s Best Kitchen marquee to and author – is the chef on Wednesday, June 10. experience the finest New Zealand gourmet delights Brett has turned his Masterchef win into a wonderat Fieldays.

Maketu sisters Karena and Kasey Bird are among the celebrity chefs appearing in Kiwi’s Best Kitchen Theatre for the first time at Fieldays 2015.

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FIELDAYS

New app to find food, friends and car this year,” says Rebecca. “As well as being able to create their own schedule to visit their favourite suppliers or view their favourite events, they’ll be able to receive push notifications via the iBeacons on-site, pin to the map where their car is parked, find their Fieldays marketing manager friends and check the weather. Rebecca Wylie says when “There is also a news section visitors enter the gates in June, so users can choose to receive they will do so with the latest the latest Fieldays news direct technology at their fingertips. to their phone, and a social Downloadable for free on media function. Android, and iOS, the Fieldays “With this, Fieldays visiApp is available in five different tors, exhibitors and media languages – English, Chinese, have access to the official French, German and Spanish. Fieldays Instagram, Twitter The app uses iBeacon techand Facebook feeds, tap into nology, making Fieldays one the ‘FieldaysNZ’ hashtag and – if not the first – to apply this capture and share their own innovative event technology. moments with the Fieldays Rebecca is thrilled with the camera. app and the advance Fieldays No need to feel lost and “It really is a fantastic piece of has made to enhance its visitor alone at Fieldays this technology and we’re proud to experience. year – a new app will be able to roll out something so “Visitors that have downhelp friends find each user-friendly and innovative out loaded the Fieldays App will other with ease. to our customers.” have their fingers on the pulse

Finding the car, friends or best place to eat at Fieldays will now be so much easier thanks to a brand new downloadable app with advanced capabilities.

Fieldays App features: • Point of Interest: Users are able to find the closest food vendors, first aid, and other essentials. Users can also view important event information such as gate opening times, and ticket prices on the app. • Proximity-based messaging: Relevant to the location of users, the Fieldays App delivers content, offers and information that visitors want, when and where it counts. • Check Fieldays weather. • Fieldays Map: The Fieldays map allows users to see their actual location in relation to all points of interest represented by pins. Users will be able to keep track of where their car is by dropping a pin on their map in the app. • Friend-finder: The friend-finder allows users to share their location with their Facebook friends who also have the app installed on their phone. • Fieldays schedule: The schedule lets users see what’s happening at Fieldays, from seminars to demonstrations to Rural Bachelor heats. The users will also be able to create their own itinerary from their schedule of the day at Fieldays.

New anchors win industry award Baytex is celebrating a successful new product launch after the introduction of its Earth Anchor range to both the New Zealand and Australian hire industries in recent months. Both interest and sales in Baytex Earth Anchors have exceeded expectations and the new product launch culminated last month with Baytex winning the best new product award at this year’s Hire Industry Excellence Awards as part of the HRIA Hire15 Convention, the biggest of its type in Australasia. “The interest in our Earth Anchors, both at this year’s HRIA Show and across the board, has been extremely encouraging,” says Baytex design manager Andrew Lingman. “Everyone’s been really receptive to this new product and

the demonstrations we’ve shown. The sales generated so far are also encouraging and this award just tops off a successful new product launch.” As premier marquee and fabric structure designers and manufacturers, Baytex recognised the potential for Earth Anchors to revolutionise staking techniques used in the industry, and through further development to suit the needs of the hire industry this product has received a very warm reception. On the back of this success, Baytex is now promoting Earth Anchors into new markets, as the applications for the product transcend across many different industries. Baytex Earth Anchors are an ‘anchoring system’ for ‘fixing’ objects to the ground. Lightweight and reusable, they offer heavy-duty load handling with minimum effort. The anchors, for which Baytex holds exclusive distributer rights for throughout Australasia, originate out of the USA and were initially developed for the many ‘holding’ requirements of the US Military but have since blossomed across multiple industries and applications. “Our Baytex Earth Anchor range comes in many sizes from 23cm120cm and is made from high quality lightweight 356-T6 aluminum,” says Andrew. “The hex head design accommodates easy installation with an impact wrench over many applications”.

Beams & Timber Direct Ltd (BTD)

Page 29

FIELDAYS

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Book ‘choc-a-block’ with information bio-dynamic and organic farms. It is informed by effective responses to seasonal challenges and ‘constitutional’ pre-dispositions in dairy herds (and dry stock too) by using homeopathy and herbal preparations. This edition includes suggested solutions for specific current issues such as Theileria ticks and environmental stresses such as alligator weed and kikuya, as well as liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) and a nosode made from the bacteria that causes woody tongue (Acintonysis). It also gives indications for great maintenance tools developed specifically by HFS in response It has been 13 years since Susanna to the needs of farmers: natural teat conwrote the foreword to the second ditioner (and teat spray); herbal digestive edition and 18 since the first edition drench; and the classic, farmers hand of this practical and useful resource. cream. “This new edition is ‘choc-a-block’ A calendar recommends interventions and enriched extensively due to the throughout the year to help farmers stay thousands of interactions between ahead and on top of seasonal Homeopathic Farm Support and its challenges, strongly rooted clients for nearly two decades,” and grounded in experience says Susanna, who has written and feedback. the forward for the latest ediA taster of feedback from tion too. consumers is included in “It is generally wise to the endorsement section. question the process These show the great affecof ‘reinventing the tion clients have for HFS wheel’, unless you and their satisfaction from can improve upon finding natural solutions to the basic design”, real challenges with their says Susanna, animal’s health. who believes Tineke provides a unique the latest perspective as a trained book does, nurse, teacher, indeed, naturopath, herbalimprove on Tineke Verkade, author of ist, homeopath the original. ‘Homeopathic Handbook for people and The third for Dairy Farming’. specialist in animal edition is homeopathy. Her packed with experience of over references to 40 years as a health more than 50 professional in the extra animal conventional and preparations complementary in the ‘Materia realms is Medica’ (alphabrought to betical listing of bear in her ‘medical materibooks and als’ used in dairy seminars. homeopathy) and Coast & 40 additions to the Coast & Country has a copy of the revised and Country has a animal ailments secexpanded ‘Homeopathic Handbook for Dairy copy of ‘Homeotion. There is a new and Farming (third edition)’, to give away. pathic Handbook revised quick reference, for Dairy Farming and an ‘all-new-stand-alone(third edition)’ to give away. To be in to win, email yet-complementary-to-the-main-book’ section for your name and address, with ‘Homeopathic Book owners of dry stock and steers; ‘Maintenance GuidePrize’ as the subject, to: elaine@thesun.co.nz or put lines for Dry Stock’. these details on the back of an envelope and post These new and expanded materials come from to: Coast & Country Book Prize, PO Box 240, the experience of Tineke, her dedicated staff, and Tauranga 3110, to arrive no later than June 27. The their thousands of clients around New Zealand who winner will be announced in Coast & Country’s have been using homeopathic and herbal prodAugust issue. ucts to tackle acute health issues on conventional,

The new edition of the ‘Homeopathic Handbook for Dairy Farming’ by Tineke Verkade shows continuity with its heritage, but is so enhanced and packed with new innovations and improved formatting as to be nearly unrecognisable from its first ‘model’, says Retired CEO and Principal of Bay of Plenty College of Homeopathy Susanna Shelton.

HOMEOPATHY

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FIELDAYS

Garage museum full of surprises When Joan Rogers said she wanted her lounge back, husband Robbie had no choice but to convert part of the garage into a museum. Joan shares Robbie’s love of history and collecting interesting objects but she didn’t want to live in a museum. “However, we still have quite a few exhibits in the house,” says Joan. A cane doll’s pram and a pushchair Joan is restoring are among them. Robbie’s museum is a surprising find in the immaculate back garden of their Rotorua home. It’s not very big, but it’s full of well-displayed items the couple have collected over many years. Most are in original condition but Robbie has repaired and restored others. Robbie is a fencing contractor with 40 years’ experience and among his more unusual collections are a number of wire strainers – many of them very old. “I began collecting them because I’m a fencer and I was interested in the different strainers invented over the years.” Robbie has tried all of them out and is intrigued at how many ways and how many devices have been invented to achieve the same results – tightening up fence wires. The ingenuity of earlier generations also fascinates Robbie. His museum is full of objects used to perform tasks which are today carried out largely by powered equipment. A shelf in the museum holds a number of ‘Artillery Splitting Guns’ which were filled with explosives to blast apart timber. The accompanying advertisement for them claims “Every farmer, every post splitter – everyone” – should have one. Somehow using a chainsaw seems a little underwhelming in comparison to blowing up logs. Robbie delights in teasing visitors about the purpose of some of the more obscure items in his collection.

Robbie Rogers’ museum in his Rotorua garage may be small but it contains an amazing collection of memorabilia and examples of early technology. “Now this,” he says – holding up an over-sized tennis racket shaped object without any strings – “is for hitting those big mosquitos in the South Island.” Well it’s a good story but in fact the object is for beating the dust out of carpets – thank goodness for vacuum cleaners. Among the ‘labour saving’ devices on display is a beautifully restored and polished copper washing machine, which still requires a good degree of manual labour to operate the lever on the side to work its mechanism. Joan and Robbie believe it’s important to restore and protect objects from the past because technology is changing so rapidly, their significance will otherwise be forgotten. Robbie and Joan’s museum is a private one but they are happy to share it with small groups by arrangement. Phone Robbie on 0274 502 723.

By Elaine Fisher

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RURAL DRIVER

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Should there be lower speed limits in the Bay? On Saturday, May 9, three women from the same family were killed in a car crash on State Highway 2 near Ainsworth Rd at Te Puna. They were three of 10 people killed during what’s been described as one of New Zealand’s deadliest weekends on the roads. Debate is now raging on how to improve road safety There’s been a call from Road Policing assistant commissioner Dave Cliff for lower speed limits on certain open roads being made. But Prime Minister John Key says he

doesn’t support the lowering of speed limits, adding alcohol, speeding and fatigue were the key issues for road safety.

Lower speed

So what about here in the Bay of Plenty? Lower Bay speed limits? Bay of Plenty road policing manager Kevin Taylor says there’s no simple, singular answer to this the problem. But he believes if speeds were reduced it wouldn’t just be a case of putting up a sign with a new number on it. “The speed limit has to reflect the environment,” says Kevin, “Generally speaking, on the open roads we have a blanket 100km/h speed limit.

“But there are areas within the Bay that you physically cannot drive at 100km/h, not even safely.” According to Kevin, Police research suggests no matter what speed is displayed, drivers will travel at a speed which feels right to them. But unfortunately “what a lot of New Zealand drivers feel is a safe speed actually isn’t”. “We also know speed is the single biggest determiner in whether a crash will be survivable or not.”

Human error

The scene of the fatal crash that killed three women, all from the same family, near Te Puna on May 9.

Give this a go: head outside, find a brick wall and run into headfirst as fast as you can at it without putting your hands up. “No one in their right mind is going to do that are they?” says Kevin. “Of course not, because it’s stupid. “Even at moderate speeds in a vehicle you’re going several times faster than you can run, so just imagine being in a collision without wearing a seatbelt.” Kevin says there’s no way to eliminate driver mistakes

from our roads, and that is certainly not the purpose of Police’s Safer Journeys Strategy, or road safety in general. The goal is to make sure people do not pay for their mistakes with their lives or limbs. “It’s making the whole environment more forgiving; road signs, cars, speeds, crash helmets, wearing seat belts, but it’s also about changing driver behaviour.” By David Tauranga

Airbag recalls for many vehicles Faulty airbags from Japanese automotive part supplier Takata are likely to affect a number of Japanese car models, with Toyota and Nissan having issued vehicle recalls globally and with the probability that others will follow. While there have been no reported instances of the faulty airbags causing injury in New Zealand, about 26,050 Toyota Corolla, Yaris, RAV4 and Picnic models are affected, ranging between 2001 and 2007 depending on model.

pay less, get

Numbers and types of Nissan vehicles are unknown at this stage. AA Motoring advice manager Andrew Bayliss says that despite the very small risk, any safety related defect must be treated seriously, but there is no need to panic. “Manufacturers have a robust process in place and having identified the defect, will contact vehicle owners that are affected to fix the problem. “Given the numbers of vehicles affected, it’s unlikely that parts

will be available immediately, so vehicle owners should wait until contacted by the manufacturer,” says Andrew. The latest fault is thought to relate to abnormal deployment of the driver’s or front seat passenger’s airbag in the event of a crash. The current airbag fault is thought to be unrelated to recalls by Takata airbags last year, where an airbag retaining ring could potentially rupture during deployment and sent shards of metal flying.

RURAL DRIVER

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Rare Fonterra f ire truck retires Fonterra is gifting a rare fire engine, built in Rotorua, to the Wellington Fire Museum which will retire the vehicle after more than 20 years of service in the co-operative.

The 1977 Dodge fire engine is one of only two built, and is the only one still in its original condition. It’s been part of the Fonterra Te Rapa Emergency Response Team since 1992, after more than a decade in the New Zealand Fire Service.

The engines are the only ones in the world built to these exact specifications. They have a smaller engine than a standard fire truck, and were designed as a first responder. Fonterra Te Rapa ERT member David Rabjohns says the Horotui Primary School children with engine has served the co-operative well during the 1977 Dodge fire engine Fonterra is donating to the Wellington Fire Museum. the last 23 years and

is now destined for another fulfilling role at the museum. “The whole team is excited to hear that one of the longstanding members of the ERT team will be put to good use at the Wellington Fire Museum.” The fire truck will be driven from Te Rapa to its new home in Wellington, joined by a

Fonterra tanker and a New Zealand Fire Service fire engine at school visits along the way. “Keeping safe on our roads is the number one priority for our tanker drivers and part of that is helping spread road safety messages in the communities in which we operate. “This trip is a chance to speak to new generations about the importance of keeping safe on the roads,” says David. Wellington Fire Museum Curator Matt Silver approached Fonterra about donating the vehicle to the privately-funded collection, bringing the museum’s total number of fire engines to 15.

Models for every niche of ute market Toyota will have a Hilux for every niche of the ute market when the all-new eighth generation model goes on sale at the end of the year. There will be a total of 21 models in the Hilux range – nine of them new – including five 2WD variants with the ground clearance of a 4WD. “These new 2WD variants are for those buyers who want the high riding cab of a 4WD for its better visibility and tougher looks, but don’t need the 4WD goanywhere capability,” says Toyota New Zealand’s general manager product planning Spencer Morris. Utes made up 20 per cent of the new vehicle market in 2014,

making it the single most important model segment, with Toyota selling nearly 6000 Hilux utes – and 2015 sales suggest the trend will continue. “Toyota has a proud tradition of success in the ute market,” says Toyota NZ’s general manager sales Steve Prangnell. “We believe the all-new Hilux with its great range of new features and technology gives us the ammunition to regain the number one spot in 2016.” Hilux will be available in four grades, S and SR, aimed at fleet, company and business users. The higher specification SR5 and SR5 Limited offer car and SUV-like equipment features. Fifteen of the models will be powered by a new 2.8 litre diesel engine with 130kW.

The three S grade 2WD models have a slightly detuned 126kW version. The other three will continue with the four litre V6 petrol engine. Buyers have a choice of six-speed automatic or six-speed manual gearboxes. A five-speed manual is fitted to the three entry level 2WDs. The manual SR5 and SR5 Limited models have an intelligent manual transmission which is designed to avoid shift shock and ensure smooth gear changes. It also prevents the engine from stalling in first gear when the clutch is not engaged. While there is four kW more power available from the new engine, it’s the 22.4 to 25 per cent increase in torque with the new diesel engine that’s the Hilux’s main trump card.

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BUSINESS

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Fear – does this four-letter word control us? I recently had the pleasure of the company of a 93-year-old lady for coffee. She’s absolutely fearless.

Every day she walks to the top of One Tree Hill. She broke her leg not long ago and repair at that age is slow, but she used the focus of climbing One Tree Hill again to meet her recovery goals. Further conversation revealed she wanted to do a West Coast pub crawl for her 70th birthday, which she did during 10 days with friends and family with a hired bus and driver. At Lake Wakatipu she went paragliding and at Queenstown she went on the Fly By Wire at 60km/hr. She’s had intruders in her home – and she just stood up to them and told them all to “sod-off ” which they did. She has absolutely no fear. What a wonderful lady with a refreshing outlook, showing us age is no barrier. I say this because I’m sure fear is pervading all we do and say. The discussion around fear came up because were chatting about earthquakes,

rising sea levels – if you believe it – volcanoes etc. The talk then swung to riding on quad bikes and what bureaucracy will do to you if you get caught. We all agreed it was fear that society uses on us. For example, if you have an accident on a quad bike expect a $40,000 fine. Looking at the various generations, the 93-year-old lady has little or no fear. At 68 I have limited fear – they used to call me ‘Fearless Fraser’ a few years ago – and the now 40 and 25-year-olds have increased fear on us. How the heck are infants and young people going to cope? Many children today are subject to ‘helicopter’ parents, who hover over them all the time, paranoid about falls and accidents. How can a child establish values and judge what is dangerous if they have never experienced or done anything? One wonders what use they will be to society as adults because they may well be too

fearful to take on any job or risk. Service stations are full of attendants who hold degrees but are too fearful of risk let alone the commitment of marriage and a family – fearful they might fail. This quotation came out of the book ‘Think Big’. Google the word ‘fear’ and it reads: “A distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc ...whether the threat is real or imagined, the feeling or condition of being afraid…”. Note the word ‘imagined’ in there. Fear is a most necessary emotion to stop us from doing dumb stuff – and I can relate to that – but there has to be a balance. In farming we have to manage our fear to succeed. The fear of this low payout may be debilitating for some while others will just get on with it. Fear of failure is always in the back of our heads and has to be managed. In summary, the 93-year-old lady was an absolute inspiration. She shows all of us, by example, to stretch our imagination and try harder and

Health and safety law has wide implications The new Health and Safety Reform Bill has been introduced to Parliament, representing the biggest change New Zealand has ever seen in its health and safety system. The new law will affect every industry in New Zealand, including the rural sector where a large number of preventable accidents occur annually. The changes aim to address New Zealand’s poor incident rate and high record of workplace fatalities. Following the Pike River Mine disaster, the new law will also focus on responsibility. An officer of a company can no longer sit back and receive reports that say ‘health and safety is fine’. Employers will have due diligence responsibilities and officers will be personally responsible for ensuring health and safety policies are managed and implemented correctly. This will apply to business owners and directors, chief executives, financial and operations officers, and is likely to also include senior personnel responsible for strategic management and control of the business.

Positive duties and the exercise of due diligence will be imposed on all officers of the employer. The offence categories in the draft wording of the Bill represent a significant increase on current limits to sanctions for breaches. For reckless conduct exposing an individual to a risk of death or serious illness, individuals face a $600,000 fine and five years’ imprisonment (or both) and corporates face a $3 million fine. For failure to comply with health and safety duties exposing an individual to serious risk individuals face a $300,000 fine and corporates face a $1.5 million fine. For general failure to comply with health and safety duties individuals face a $100,000 fine and corporates face a $500,000 fine. The new legislation means that most business owners will need to completely review their current system to ensure they proactively manage and reduce risk across all aspects of their businesses. All employers should be reviewing their polices at this time as the changes to the law are significant. The Bill is expected to be introduced as law later this year.

Raised on a diet of hard work. We’ve worked hard to build rugged and reliable forage wagons and bale feeders. Their strong steel construction makes them tough & hard wearing. On top of that, they’re designed to be low maintenance and easy to use. Before long your livestock will be as big & strong as our engineering.

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take more risk. We need to consider the role fear has in our individual lives and step over it so we can move forward and have a complete and fulfilling life like my old friend.

These are the opinions of Don Fraser of Fraser Farm Finance. Any decisions made should not be based on this article alone and appropriate professional assistance should be sought. Don Fraser is the principal of Fraser Farm Finance, and a consultant to the farming industry. Contact him on 0800 777 675 or 021 777 675.

MAIZE

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Farm budgeting even more crucial now There’s no argument that times are tough for dairy farmers right now but there’s also no one answer – apart from a significant lift in the payout – as to how to get through. That’s because no two farmers or farming businesses are the same, which has become very clear when I’ve been visiting our clients in recent weeks.

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For some farmers it’s ‘business as usual’. They’ll continue to buy in maize, re-grass their pasture and grow silage as these systems have worked well for them in the past. Others will look at reducing costs including replacing dry forms of feed with cheaper palm kernel. However, this should be carefully considered as palm kernel is high in protein and energy but not in starch like maize. Go to the online DairyNZ feed calculator and you can calculate how much you can afford to spend on buying in feed. You may be pleasantly surprised at the cost efficiency as long as you know what you’re getting. That’s where we can help, by having bales weighed and feed analysis done so you know you’re getting the best bang for your buck. To access the calculator, visit our website www. billwebb.co.nz/links

There is no doubt on-farm grass is the cheapest form of feed and some farmers will use nitrogen strategically to grow more grass in winter and summer to feed their cows, rather than create a surplus for silage when there’s plenty of natural growth. Some may look at reducing herd numbers to reduce feed demand but this could work against them if prices turn around – which they could. There’s a two-year lead-in time to bring replacement heifers into the herds.

Do budgets

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – too many farmers aren’t doing their budgets. I attended a recent field day run by DairyNZ, as part of a series of ‘Tactics for Tight Times’ seminars and was

amazed at how many farmers admit to not having done budgets. I know it’s hard – I’ve done farm budgets myself. You have to try to second guess what the weather and payouts might do but by sitting down with your accountant, banker or DairyNZ advisor and working through it, savings can be made which won’t necessary impact adversely on production. The added benefit is you will eliminate later unpleasant surprises and having to deal with a possibly disgruntled banker. Predictions by weather experts of a worldwide El Nino is potentially bad news for some countries it could work in our favour because droughts in the US could reduce dairy production and extreme weather in Europe will increase demand for dairy products. New Zealand might be at the

bottom of the world but our production costs – even with increased use of herd barns and high input farms – are still lower than most countries, so being ready to take advantage of increased demand and prices for dairy products is vital.

Tough decisions

Just like farmers, we’re making some tough decisions about the coming season regarding how much maize to plant because it’s a crop which is too expensive to plant on spec. Many of our costs are fixed and we won’t compromise on quality by not applying fertiliser or carrying out weed control, so the only way to save costs is to plant less. Farmers should be aware most contractors and growers will be thinking the same. There will be less maize planted in the coming season, so securing supplies through contracts is the only way to be sure they have the feed when they need it.

Timaru farmers break world barley record Timaru farmers Warren and Joy Darling have broken a 25 year-old world record for the highest barley yield by producing 13.8 metric tonnes per hectare. ͘K͘W͕ t /< dK͕ , t< ^ z͕ D E t dh ^ hZ zKhZ ^hWW> D Ed &KZ d, KD/E' ^ ^KE , z Θ > ' ͕ W s/E , z͕ >h ZE , z͕ Z >Ks Z ^KZ',hD Θ Z > > ' ͕ d,Z ^, Zz 'Z ^^ Z> z ^dZ t͕ t, d ^dZ t͕ W ^dZ t͕ K d ^dZ t

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The couple’s achievement has been officially recognised and they are now the Guinness World Records holders for the highest barley yield growing the Blackman Agriculture bred variety 776. All three generations of the Darling family came together on the day of the record attempt – it was a real family affair and a momentous day for the Poplar Grove team. “The satisfaction from achieving world record status is incredible. It is outstanding that the South Canterbury region of New Zealand is recognised on the global stage for growing world record breaking crops,” says Warren. All three generations of the Darling family came together on the day of the record attempt.

MAIZE

FOR SUSTAINABLE PROFIT

Page 37

Page 38

FARM MACHINERY

New tractor efficient and easy to operate After experiencing the benefits of a Fendt Vario CVT transmission, it wasn’t a hard choice for Taranaki mowing contractor Wayne Prout to decide on a brand new Fendt 716 for his business. Wayne is an independent owner/driver based in Inglewood. He mainly does mowing as a subcontractor to Ken G Moratti Contracting, but also tows balers, ploughs, rakes and tedders when required. Wayne bought the Fendt 716 after trading in a Massey Ferguson 7480, which also had the highly regarded Fendt Vario CVT transmission. It is Wayne’s first Fendt tractor, having run Massey Fergusons for many years, but he’s thrilled with the decision. “The Massey Ferguson’s transmission was extremely comfortable to operate. I traded up to the Fendt after advice from the salesman. It’s a luxury tractor. It has all the comforts and it’s very simple to operate.

To date Wayne has only towed It will hopefully see me through his mower conditioner with until I retire.” the new Fendt 716 but Wayne says he drives already he’s impressed the Fendt 716 with “It’s probably with it. the Vario trans“It handles mission in ‘pedal the simplest the mower very mode’, meaning tractor I’ve comfortably. Once he generally only has to drive it on ever operated. you set it up in the computer system it’s the accelerator. very simple to operate. “You don’t touch the brake pedal at all. It has its own There’s very little hand movement required at all,” he says. automatic braking system. It “It’s probably the simplest holds well on the hills without tractor I’ve ever operated. It’s having to chop and change also very stable on the hills. gears like the old tractors, and It’s a 165hp tractor and has far it cruises comfortably.” more power than I need for Economic optimum mowing. I do heavy haulage in The Vario transmission the summer, carting silage, and ensures the drive train operates it should be as good as what I’m at utmost efficiency. It works in used to doing.” combination with the tractor Head room management system so the Wayne says the new 716 has Fendt 716 is always working at its economic optimum. been fantastic with the work he’s done to date and he’s lookTMS ensures the tractor drives at lower engine speeds on ing forward to seeing how it handles his other jobs during flat terrain. On slopes, the load the season. increases, so TMS increases the “I haven’t done any loader work engine speed. This means the tractor works at reduced engine with it yet but it’s simple to get a loader on and off. It should speed as often as possible – and handle all my other jobs easily.” that means better efficiency.

Another major bonus for Wayne is the extra head room in the Fendt 716’s cab, which has added considerably to his operator comfort.

Contractor Wayne Prout is impressed with the Fendt 716 tractor he has purchased.

Climate triggers parasites ILT

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are strongly influenced by climate. Parasite levels are shifting under climate change - intensity is frequently low in newly-colonised areas, but sudden large-scale outbreaks are becoming increasingly common. Outbreaks compromise both food security and animal welfare. Using a processbased modelling approach, scientists explored the potential for climate change to influence livestock parasite infections. They show that changes in temperate-sensitive parameters can result in distinct 'tipping-points' in nematode parasite burdens.

FARM MACHINERY

Page 39

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CALVING

Page 40

Preventing Rotavirus scours in calves Rotavirus is a virus found throughout New Zealand and is a common and serious cause of calf scours. The virus cannot be treated with antibiotic therapy and the only treatment is to keep the affected calves hydrated with plenty of oral electrolytes (uids). Deaths frequently occur from rotavirus scours and the disease is extremely infectious. Affected calves need to be isolated from the rest of the mob to prevent transfer of infection. Diagnosis is made by faecal sampling. Calves’ immune systems are not fully developed so in order to protect them from rotavirus scours colostrum antibodies need to be provided. Most maternal antibodies are absorbed via the intestine during the ďŹ rst six to 12 hours of life.

ously unvaccinated cattle may require two shots of vaccine at least three weeks apart. Only one shot of vaccine is required for cattle previously vaccinated. The vaccine works by boosting antibody levels in the cow’s colostrum, which calves can then absorb via the intestine in the ďŹ rst six to 12 hours of life. Vaccination provides up to nine weeks of protection. All the animals which calve in this nine week time frame will have

boosted antibody levels, which can then be transferred to their calves through good management.

Tube-feed

Some farmers choose to tube feed each of their calves as they come into the shed, regardless of whether they think they have had a feed from their mothers. This ensures all calves have sufďŹ cient colostrum and no calves go without. Surveys in New Zealand have shown a large proportion of calves lack sufďŹ cient colostral immunity from their mothers if they are left to suckle independently in the paddock. If you have any questions on rotavirus, scours or other new-born calf diseases contact your local vet for assistance.

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Feeding 1.5 to 2 litres of good quality warm colostrum is vital early on in life to boost immunity to scours. After 12 hours, antibodies are not as well absorbed via the intestine, so timing is important as to when new-borns get a good feed of colostrum. Rotavirus vaccine needs to be administered to cows at least two to three weeks before the planned start of calving. Previ-

Report into dairy industry competition Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Paul Goldsmith have asked for a report on the state of competition in New Zealand’s dairy industry from the Commerce Commission. The report is required under the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act, which allowed for the

merger of our largest dairy co-operatives to form Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited. The DIRA contains provisions to ensure contestability in New Zealand’s farm gate and factory gate markets. These provisions are intended to expire when there is workable competition in the domestic dairy market. “The dairy industry is a major part of our economy, and we’ve seen signiďŹ cant growth in recent years,â€? says Mr Guy. “This report into the state of competition is key to assessing whether the Act is effectively

promoting efďŹ cient operation of dairy markets in New Zealand.â€? “The Commerce Commission is New Zealand’s independent competition and economic regulation authority,â€? says Mr Goldsmith. “It has built up a good deal of industry expertise through its milk price monitoring functions and is therefore well placed to undertake the state of competition report.â€? The Commerce Commission will start work on the report after June 1, 2015, when the current dairy season has ďŹ n-

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ished. This process is expected to take nine months. “It’s important that those affected can have their say, so the Commerce Commission will be engaging with industry and other interested stakeholders throughout this process,� says Mr Goldsmith. Information about the process, including the terms of reference for the report, key dates, and how submissions can be made, will be made available on the Commerce Commission and MPI websites after June 1, 2015.

Banned from owning stock A Northland farmer has been disqualiďŹ ed from owning stock for 20 years and ďŹ ned $7,500 in Whangarei District Court. Lester Donald Rueben Johnstone, 82, farmer, of Maungatapere, near Whangarei, was convicted of failing to ensure that the physical and health needs of six calves were met in accordance with good practice, namely by failing to provide the calves with sufďŹ cient food. Two calves starved to death, one was put down and three were removed from the property to mitigate their suffering and improve their health. Judge Davis disqualiďŹ ed him from owning, controlling or having any authority over production animals for 20 years, ďŹ ned him $7,500 and ordered him to pay $2,379 veterinary costs and $130 in court costs. MPI District Compliance Manager Whangarei Darren Edwards says staff often try to work through issues with stock owners to improve the welfare of stock, but do not tolerate wilful negligence or cruelty. “Animal welfare is a serious matter. When we ďŹ nd evidence of offending, we look to prosecute.â€? The charge relates to several visits by Ministry for Primary Industries staff in 2014, to properties in Northland owned or leased by Mr Johnstone, to inspect skinny calves, based on a public complaint in May.

CALVING

Page 41

If it’s too expensive – change the plan This is not the lowest milk price Josh Eales has seen, but now as farm manager the forecast returns have much more significance. “As farm manager, you have to keep an eye on the budget, especially when it comes to costs. “If it starts getting too expensive you have to think about changing your plan. I’m doing the figures every day to try and find the cheapest possible way to keep the cows in milk,” says Josh. Farm owner Graeme Bonnar has faith in Josh’s ability to weather the tough times. “Josh is the brains behind the outfit, he looks after everything. We call the farm Josh’s farm,” says Graeme. Karen and Graeme Bonnar and Josh are DairyNZ Tactics for Tight Times case study farmers based in Gordonton. Farmers can keep an eye on what they do by checking out the updates on the DairyNZ website. Josh, who worked for the Bonnars as a farm assistant when he was 17, came back two years ago as a farm manager with his partner Meghan Rogers, who looks after their two children, rears the calves and pitches in as relief-milker. This is the second season the Bonnars have owned the property and under Josh’s stewardship they milk 370 cows on 130 hectares. Production increased last year to 139,700kg/MS from 132,000kg/MS – the best the farm has done in 30 years. This year the farm is on track to achieve 160,000kg/MS.

Summer safe

After last year’s drought the decision was made to put in a system to make the farm ‘summer safe’ – Josh and Graeme planted chicory, which has made a big difference this year. “Last year we didn’t have a summer crop, we relied solely on grass silage. We have better contracts on pam kernel this year, whereas last year we were spot pricing, which blew the budget,” says Graeme. Josh says the first crop of chicory was planted at the beginning of October and the second lot in the middle of the same month.

“We found that the first month on chicory didn’t change our milk production because we had good start to the season and there was plenty of grass. “But it did allow us to pull off more silage and hay. We made 400 bales of silage and a 30-tonne stack. It was a great help,” says Josh.

Against grain

Twenty per cent of the farm is in crops – with 9.2ha maize, 17.3ha chicory and during the winter Josh grew 6ha of oats which produced 18 tonnes per hectare, a figure he’s planning to double this year. The only bought in supplements are urea and PKE. “The oats were brilliant, but no one seems to use them. You’ve got to have your eggs in two baskets and it’s a great cheap bulk winter feed. “It might be going against the grain, but planting oats and putting 17ha in summer crops has paid off for us. It all comes down to cost and it means nothing if it gets too expensive,” says Josh. Another financial decision last year was to send calves off-farm. “We decided last March it was too expensive to feed them on-farm, so we sent them out for grazing. This season they left at the beginning of December,” says Josh. He’s a big fan of keeping the cows in calving condition right the way through. “It’s cheaper to maintain body condition than to put it on. The systems we put in place in the spring mean that we never took a drop in condition at calving,” says Josh.

Empty rate

This practice has certainly worked for Josh. He’s ended up with a 10 per cent empty rate, one of the lowest in the area according to the vet which says the average is 14 per cent. That’s with removing the bull three weeks early and moving calving forward four-five days. The benefits this brings are more days in milk and a longer period for mating, which gives the cows a better chance of getting in calf. Graeme and Josh consult the bank on the big decisions, especially when they changed the system last year by adding in more feed at certain times.

Karen Bonnar, Josh Eales and Graeme Bonnar are DairyNZ Tactics for Tight Times case study farmers based in Gordonton.

Josh presented a case study to illustrate how the investment would increase production. The Bonnars and Josh also consult their vet Scott Kovaleski ahead of mating and before summer. Graeme says Scott has been a farmer himself and his experience is invaluable. Josh says his second-in-charge Marcus

Partridge has a big role in the system, taking charge of the cowshed and all the odd jobs, which means he can focus on feeding the cows and keeping costs down. As for the next season, well the more milk solids the merrier. “I mean that is the best possible way. Some longevity would be good too,” says Josh.

COAST & COUNTRY

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Reducing your nitrogen/urea bill by 50 per cent With nitrification inhibitors such as dicyandiamide gone, what are the options for farmers using synthetic nitrogen such as urea, sulphate of ammonia and di-ammonium phosphate - known as DAP - fertiliser?

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Nano-Cal Nano-Cal has a very fine particle size of less than 90 microns (0.09mm) compared to 2000 microns (2mm) particle size of Ag Lime.

The small size makes the calcium in Nano-Cal available for the plant much quicker. You only require around 30% of the normal lime requirements (eg. 300-500kg/ha instead of 1 tonne/ha). Applying less will save on freight and spreading costs. Nano-Cal is 24% calcium and as a bonus also contains the following trace elements: copper, iron, manganese, zinc and boron.

The answer has been out for more than 10 years. A leading soil scientist from a prominent university in New Zealand did the trials and the results were outstanding. A 30-40 per cent reduction in ammonia volatilisation and a 35-40 per cent reduction in nitrate-nitrogen leaching. These figures basically meant a farmer/grower using this technology could halve his nitrogen bill, so why wasn’t it publicised? The only other issue with this technology was the cost of the final product was to be mixed in with the nitrogen. The product soluble humate granules cost $2500/tonne – and the recommended mixing rate was five-10 per cent – which basically increased the cost of each nitrogen application by $125-$250/ tonne of nitrogen used.

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During the Christmas break and into the early parts of this year Environmental Fertilisers had been working on this costing issue and has secured the rights to the same product –Soluble Humate Granules. They now have it available on the market for $600/tonne, saving $1900/tonne. This has significant cost savings by reducing the on-farm costs of nitrogen applications in excess of 50 per cent. The company has also developed a urea/humate

mix for growers who don’t wish to mix their own soluble humates, which is cheaper than urea, and is applied at reduced rate of 40-60 per cent of normal nitrogen applications. The key to any nitrogen applications is to apply the nitrogen with a carbon source, and this carbon source needs to be soluble like urea is when you put it into a bucket of water, so don’t get fooled by those selling humate powders. They are very slow release and not capable of giving the benefits a soluble humate can, especially with nitrogen applications. And the trials carried out were with soluble humate granules, not humates or humate powders.

Benefits

There are huge benefits here for the farmer/ grower financially and also environmentally. There are a number of soil health benefits that come with adopting this technology. Foliar feeding urea is quite possibly two to three times more efficient than soil applied urea, because soil applied urea needs to receive eight-15ml of rain after application. Environmental Fertilisers has now secured supplies of sulphate of ammonia, urea and calcium nitrate at very competitive prices to help save you money on your nitrogen inputs. For further information feel free to contact Environmental Fertilisers at www.ef.net.nz The company also has access to a Reams Soil Testing Lab, which can measure the plant available soil nitrate-nitrogen and ammonium- nitrogen levels to give you precise application rates.

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COAST & COUNTRY

Page 43

Larval culture best to monitor drench resistance early winter as well. If you have any concerns discuss them with your animal health advisor, even if the testing is not carried out for some time.

Drench resistance is now finally an accepted fact and something that we need to manage. The vast majority of farmers do not know the level of resistance on their farms. How true is the saying, ‘You cannot monitor resistance if you do not measure it’? Checking for drench resistance is carried out with a Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test. This key management tool indicates the drench resistance status of a property. The low sensitivity of the FEC count means a 100 per cent reduction on FEC does not necessarily show the drench is 100 per cent effective. Eggs can be present but not detected. The relationship between total worm numbers and FECs has only ever been validated in young lambs; in other stock classes, especially cattle, an FEC can be misleading. By using a qualitative or quantitative larval culture, better information can be obtained. With qualitative, or standard, the first 100 larvae counted are identified, so

the result is given as a percentage of each larval type making up the total of 100 per cent. Quantitative larval culture is similar to standard in that the first 100 larvae are identified and counted, but in addition the total number of larvae recovered is also calculated. The quantitative LC is more sensitive than a standard LC. If large numbers of larvae are recovered, then eggs must be present in large numbers, even if the FEC doesn’t reflect this. The qualitative LC only gives proportions not totals. In addition the quantitative test gives a more accurate indication of the worm burden than an FEC alone. The correlation between the quantitative LC count and total worm count is better than the correlation between the FEC and worm count (especially in cattle). When to test? Ideally an FECRT should be performed when all the important worm

Red meat conference The New Zealand Veterinary Association’s Sheep, Beef and Deer Conference with the theme ‘Red Meat Partnership for Profit’ will be held from June 3 to 5 in Queenstown. The conference will focus on how all three sectors can work together for the benefit of all, covering topics such as animal health, farm production, increasing profitability and much more. A keynote presentation during these sessions will be from well-known commentator Alison Dewes, who will talk on ‘Agriculture and the Environment 2015 and Beyond’. Other speakers on Wednesday, June 3 include Richard Wild from the Ministry for Primary Industries on veterinary input into the Red Meat Profit for Partnership – the $65 million programme driving sustainable, long-terms profits for New Zealand’s red meat sector. Veterinarian Mark Bryan will talk about the swede related deaths in dairy cattle last winter in Southland. Thursday, June 4 features Massey’s Working Dog Centre’s current research projects and a topical presentation from Ivan Holloway on Real time Foot and Mouth Diseases training in Nepal.

Combo

species are present in high numbers. However, with seasonal variations in epidemiology for different worm species, this is not always possible. Too early in the season may mean minimal Trichostrongylus or Haemonchus are present, while too late may mean minimal Ostertagia (Teladorsagia) or Nematodirus. The best time to carry out the test is generally late summer but with the changeable climate parasites have been a problem in

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Page 44

Effluent pond a reflection of general farm health Some years ago I wrote, “Dr Linus Pauling, winner of two Nobel Prizes, stated, ‘In my opinion, one can trace every sickness, every disease and every ailment to mineral deficiency’."

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If you accept this statement and face stock health problems, insect problems, fungal and bacterial diseases, fruit and vegetables that rot, constant re-grassing, and the need to regularly dip, dag and drench, then your fertiliser programme is not working and you need to change your fertiliser company. I can now add if your effluent pond is crusting over, smells and needs to be cleaned out every so often, you also need to change your fertiliser company. It’s quite simple. If you are running a balanced farming system, working with nature and not against it, the whole farm environment will be running at a correct pH of around 6.3 - 6.4. To achieve this the right balance of calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium is required. This environment will then begin to flourish throughout all sectors of the farm. Most importantly the dairy cows producing the effluent will enjoy healthy lives with few, if any metabolic issues.

Devour crust

As far as the effluent goes, the aerobic microbes passing through the animals gut will end up in the pond and flourish. When that correct balance is upset, the anaerobic microbes dominate. The particles in the pond are not broken down, causing extra maintenance on the pond and blocked nozzles. When the aerobic conditions are restored, the microbes basically devour the crust that forms on top

of the pond, which then clears up. A good test other than the presence of a crust, of whether the pond is not working properly, is whether the pond smells unpleasant or not. Another angle is the feed input. The greater the deviation away from clover-based pasture, the more difficult it is to maintain that balance. In other words, cow health can be compromised. That compromise also ends up in the pond. Symptomatic benefits of a fully functional pond include: greater organic matter digestion; greater effluent nutrient levels; less fertiliser required on the farm, particularly N, P and K; reduced odours; greatly reduced effluent maintenance costs; and a safer environment owing to less pollution. This is an absolute winner.

Clearer liquid

It is easy to see a pond is functioning correctly as there will be active bubbling, clearer liquid and a lot less, if any, crust. The increase in the crust can alert you to something being wrong, calling for corrective action to fix the cause, not treat the symptom. It all starts in the soil. Neal Kinsey of Missouri-based Kinsey Agricultural Services, who consults in all 50 US states and 70 other countries, will be presenting one of his last soil fertility courses to be held in New Zealand, at the end of June. These courses are always very popular and ooze with valuable information. Among those attending will be Chris Findlay, the man responsible for the

Is this a reflection of your farm? vast majority of recommendations we see in NZ, Bob Perry of Perry Agricultural Laboratories in Missouri, plus Meagan, Bob’s daughter who runs the lab. Also attending is Rob Sutherland of NSW, who crops and farms livestock on 1,200 ha, has been on the system for 16 years, and consults and recommends the techniques promoted by the Kinsey-Albrecht system of soil fertility to other farmers throughout Australia. For more information and registration, visit www.goldenbaydolomite. co.nz and www.kiwifertiliser.co.nz

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BOARDING SCHOOL

Page 46

College among top five boys schools in NZ

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Boarding has been at the heart of Lindisfarne College since 1953. From its expansive campus in Hawke’s Bay the college offers an extraordinary boarding experience to 240 full time and weekly boarders who come from local and regional New Zealand and overseas. Lindisfarne College is ranked academically in the top five boys’ schools in New Zealand. Its boarders perform exceptionally well with many at the top of the list in the classroom, on the sports field, on the stage and in serving others. In addition, the majority of their senior boarders have significant leadership roles at the college. “Perhaps the fact that they live, learn, eat three great meals a day, work, and play on campus together makes it easier for them to find their niche and grow their confidence,” says Ken MacLeod, Rector at Lindisfarne College. “They develop significant lifelong friendships with other boys in boarding, as well as dayboys, and are well supported by the academic and house staff who

LINDISFARNE COLLEGE

BOARDING Lindisfarne boarders develop core values of independence, self-esteem, resilience, leadership and an appreciation for respect and kindness in others. Boarding life offers many opportunities; boys can achieve great things in the classroom, on the sports field, on the stage and serving others. They live, learn, eat and play on campus, develop life-long friendships, supported by experienced house masters who guide them through their adolescent years. The best way to find out about us is to visit or call us.

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guide them through their adolescent years.” The college has a strong heritage in the Presbyterian Church. The special character at the heart of the college is based on Christian values, building strong core values and citizenship in young men. “We build minds, bodies and spirits through our broad curriculum founded on four cornerstones of learning: academic excellence; sporting endeavour; cultural enrichment; and spiritual growth. We offer a dynamic and motivating environment for all our boys. Boarders, however, have the added benefits of week-day supervised prep, additional tutorial support, exciting weekend activities and access to the college sporting, cultural and chapel facilities.” In a rapidly changing world Lindisfarne College’s excellent and holistic education will allow its students to be lifelong learners. They are adaptable, resilient thinkers equipped to overcome the challenges of the future, while being the best that they can possibly be. “The boarding programme at Lindisfarne allows boys to not only perform academically, but also develop core values of independence, self-esteem, resilience, leadership and an appreciation for respect and kindness in others.”

BOARDING SCHOOL

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Educating outstanding young women antee also applies. Scotlands has a warm, caring and secure environment with full access to school grounds and facilities. It caters for 150 boarders from Years 9 to 13. Homework is supervised by a trained teacher and there’s an active and supportive extra-curricular programme. High expectations of courtesy and acceptable behaviour, leadership opportunities and training and increased “It is the individual and independence is encouraged collective contribution of at all levels. many that makes it pos“The independence, sible for us to enjoy and maturity and lifelong be a part of this very friendships that boardspecial school. ing encourages are “Our hostel is a excellent foundatremendous asset tions for adult life. that offers qual“New Plymity residential outh Girls’ High accommodation School ensures for our students. the young women Scotlands Hostel entering its gates provides a caring will receive an and supportive education that environment where students are encour- New Plymouth Girl’s High School head girl Belle Moller (centre) enhances learning with deputy head girls Alicia Todd (left) and Ellie Tverdich. and is responsive aged to do well to individual needs. academically and What we offer is a unique opportunity to be educated participate fully in the sporting, cultural and social at one of New Zealand’s oldest, most prestigious state life of the school. girls’ schools committed to the education of young “The hostel is the ‘heart’ of the school and thrives women. on team work and the friendships made among the students of all nationalities.” “I invite you to join with us on the next phase Features of life at Scotlands include fee guarantee, of your educational journey by making New Plymwhich means from 2016 hostel fees are assured outh Girls’ High School your first choice in for the time a student is enrolled, and a family guarsecondary education.”

New Plymouth Girls’ High School has shaped and influenced the lives of young women since 1885. Its vision to develop and educate confident young women of outstanding character is timeless, says Principal Jenny Ellis.

More Kiwis have qualifications Nearly four in five New Zealanders have formal qualifications, according to new 2013 Census analysis released by Statistics New Zealand. The proportion of people with formal qualifications increased to 79 per cent in 2013 – up from 75 per cent in 2006 and 72 per cent in 2001. “More people have a qualification, and more are gaining higher levels of formal qualifications,” says Census customer focus manager

Gareth Meech. “Twenty percent of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher qualification, compared with 16 percent in 2006.” Wellington City had the highest proportion of people with a bachelor’s degree or higher qualification, at 41 per cent. Queenstown-Lakes district had the highest percentage of people with a level 5 or 6 diploma, at 12 per cent. More women than men have a post-graduate or honours degree, with women making up 60 per cent of this category in 2013. In fact, the percentage of women was higher in most qualification

categories. Men, however, made up 71 per cent of people with a level 4 certificate qualification, which includes trades certificates. The proportion of Maori and of Pacific peoples with a qualification is increasing. Almost 67 per cent of Maori held a formal qualification in 2013 – up from 60 per cent in 2006. For Pacific people, the proportion was 70 per cent – up from 65 per cent in 2006. Almost 15 per cent of New Zealand adults were participating in some kind of study at the time of the Census.

BOARDING SCHOOL

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Sonninghill Hostel at Hamilton Girls’ High School provides accommodation for Year 9 to Year 13 students.

Whole-person learning embraced Sonninghill Hostel provides full boarding facilities for aspiring young women while they complete their secondary school education from Year 9 to Year 13 at Hamilton Girls’ High School. “Our commitment extends beyond education and achievement and we encourage the balance of wellbeing in a genuinely caring environment,” says principal Marie Gordon. “We are committed to consolidating and raising achievement across the four cornerstones of academic, leadership, cultural and sporting endeavours. “Our young women are encouraged to achieve in the classroom and to combine this success with involvement in sporting and cultural activities.” Sonninghill Hostel works in synergy with this commitment and students have ample opportunity to achieve their educational and

other goals in a safe and supportive environment. “A balanced education embraces whole-person learning and allows them to be challenged, extended and motivated in all aspects of their life. “We employ tutors to prepare and support students in the core subjects for each year level from Year 9-12 and provide a minivan to transport students to a wide variety of sporting and cultural activities.” The boarding facilities include computer laboratories, wireless internet, a solar heated swimming pool, tennis, netball and basketball court, a games room with gymnasium equipment and a media suite. Sonninghill students develop leadership skills, time management, patience and respect, says Marie. “Our team of staff is experienced and enjoy working with young people day and night. “They understand the privilege and significance of nurturing young women through their formative years and strive to support a well-rounded education and memorable experience.”

Hamilton Girls’ High School principal Marie Gordon. Sonninghill Hostel head girl Harriet Gaudin has been boarder since 2011. “Being a Sonninghill student has provided me with an endless number of opportunities. Joining a family of 130 girls may sound daunting but in reality, I am really glad I did.” Families are welcome to visit or stay overnight in parent accommodation and share the hostel experience first-hand. For more information, see the school website www.hghs.school.nz

“A wise woman shapes her own destiny” Our Vision: Each young woman aspires to achieve

Sonninghill Hostel

of the 21st century to support our girls to become

ǢŸŘŘÞضÌÞĶĶ ËŸǣǼsĶ Þǣ ŎŸ_sNjŘ EŸ Nj_Þض ÌŸǣǼsĶʰ ɠÌÞOÌ ƼNjŸɚÞ_sǣ ǣ ¯sʰ ǣȖƼƼŸNjǼÞɚs sŘɚÞNjŸŘŎsŘǼ ¯ŸNj ¶ÞNjĶǣ ǼǼsŘ_Þض Ë ŎÞĶǼŸŘ µÞNjĶǣ˅ ËÞ¶Ì ǢOÌŸŸĶʳ ǻÌs ÌŸǣǼsĶ Þǣ ĶŸO Ǽs_ ÞŘ ō Nj Ŏ ǢǼNjssǼʰ ǣÌŸNjǼ ɠ ĶĨ ǼŸ Ë ŎÞĶǼŸŘ µÞNjĶǣ˅ ËÞ¶Ì ǢOÌŸŸĶʳ

ǼÌŸȖ¶ÌǼ¯ȖĶʰ OŸŘʩ_sŘǼ Ř_ NjsǣÞĶÞsŘǼ ɴŸȖض ɠŸŎ Řʳ

For more information, please contact:

her personal best. Hamilton Girls’ High School embraces the challenges

Hamilton Girls’

High School

Hamilton Girls’ High School ɟ Nj_ ǢǼNjssǼʰ ƻŷ Dŷɭ ˠˡ˥˦ʰ Ë ŎÞĶǼŸŘ ˢˡ˟ˣ Phone: 07 839 1304 Fax: 07 834 1394 ɠɠɠʳ̶ÌǣʳǣOÌŸŸĶʳŘʊ _ŎÞŘÞǣǼNj ǼÞŸŘ˔̶ÌǣʳǣOÌŸŸĶʳŘʊ

Director of Boarding Sonninghill Hostel PO Box 512 ɟ ÞĨ ǼŸ ō ÞĶ NsŘǼNjs Hamilton 3240 Telephone: (07) 839 0074 Email: _ÞNjsOǼŸNj˔ǣŸŘŘÞضÌÞĶĶʳǣOÌŸŸĶʳŘʊ Fax: (07) 839 5287

COUNTRY LIVING

Clock’s time was up in 1984 Two generations of New Zealanders have grown up never knowing the ‘joys’ and frustrations of communicating via telephone party lines, but for decades shared lines were the norm, especially for rural residents. Memories of those days were rekindled for Coast & Country reader Lesley Doran of Hamilton when she saw the mystery item featured in the April issue. “I knew exactly what it was and have memories This clipping from the Whakatane dating back to the 1960s Beacon of March 15, 1984 shows a clock of these gadgets,” she This clock is on display in the similar to the one in the the Opotiki says of the device from Opotiki Museum. Museum, which featured as the mystery the Opotiki Museum. item for April. “It is a clock that was used for punching cards [to record toll admission for two to the Opocalls] during power cuts at the tiki Museum. telephone exchanges before the This month’s mystery item automatic dialling system came is from the Morrinsville into operation. Rural communiMuseum. It’s not too hard to ties relied on these exchanges for figure out what it is, but we’d love their link to the outside world,” to receive reader’s memories of says Lesley. using a device like this. You could What’s more, she has a clipping be in to win a visit for two to the from the Whakatane Beacon of Morrinsville Museum. Send your March 15, 1984 with a photo entry to: elaine@thesun.co.nz with of just such a clock, alongside ‘Mystery item’ in the subject line, an article with the headline ‘No or post to Mystery Item, Coast & more party lines in Taneatua’. Country, PO Box 240, Tauranga The caption under the 3110, to arrive no later than photo reads, ‘The clock June 27. held by Mrs Gayle Rini has The winner will be been in use since 1921. Along announced in Coast with the candles pictured, it was & Country’s August used to punch cards in times of issue. The museum, power cuts’. at 41 Canada Street Lesley has a further article Morrinsville, is open which appeared in the Beacon Tuesdays to Fridays on March 21, 1984, marking from 12.30-4pm, and the opening of the new Saturdays from 9am-2pm. $1.3m Taneatua exchange This month’s mystery replacing the manual one item from the Morrinsville Heritage Centre To find out more visit www. which had been in operation won’t be hard for many readers to identify, morrinsvilleheritagecentre. org.nz or phone since 1921. but we’d love to hear your stories of using (07) 889 4190. For her entry Lesly has won such a device, or something similar.

(;&(//(1&( ,1 '(50$72/2*<

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Visionary theme for SMASH conference ‘Farming with Vision’ is the theme for the 2015 Smaller Milk and Supply Herds conference on June 19 at the Don Rowlands Centre, Cambridge. Commonly known as the SMASH conference, it’s billed as a positive, vibrant and interactive day organised by dairy farmers for dairy farmers, with plenty of time for informal networking aimed at generating ideas, methods and inspiration to make the shift to a whole new level. ‘Meeting heifer growth targets: Turning the vision into reality’ is one of the topics on the agenda. Sarah Dirks from DairyNZ will lead a local farmer panel discussing the impact of undergrown young stock and local challenges and management to grow animals well. This is an opportunity to get all your burning questions about managing heifers after weaning answered. ‘Learning to read cow signals’ is an interactive workshop run by Marloes Levelink with lots of cow pictures, and

Cosmetic Medicine

is full of practical examples and tools to take home to your herd. It will look at cows, their behaviour and what they are telling us. Learn how to interpret the signs your cows and herd are displaying to improve your stock sense, and increase cow longevity and productivity. ‘The New Zealand Dairy Industry through the eyes of a geriatric journalist’ is the title for the workshop by Frank Torley, of Country Calendar fame. After sharing his own dairy farming experiences Frank will explore some challenging questions, such as: Has Country Calendar ignored dairy farming, and if so, why? Why does dairying get such a hard time from the media and is it fair? Is a poor dairy payout the biggest problem facing the industry or something more insidious? Registrations close June 14. Register at www.smallerherds.co.nz/ event/2015-smash-conference-waikato or email smash.registrar@gmail.com

Page 50

COUNTRY LIVING

‘Please don’t ostracise farmers with TB herds’ Bovine tuberculosis isn’t as common in New Zealand as it once was but outbreaks still occur – and when they do it’s both ďŹ nancially and emotionally stressful, says Sara Russell-Muti of OSPRI New Zealand.

what TB looks like and what to do with a carcass if they shoot an infected animal. “TB can’t survive outside a warm, moist environment for very long, but freezing infected meat won’t kill it.� Once thawed the bacteria “revives� which is why it’s essential to cook frozen meat before feeding to dogs.

“I urge farmers to support those who have TB in their animals as they can often feel ostracised and isolated at what is a very stressful time,â€? Sara told the Bay of Plenty Federated Farmers’ annual conference. Human TB OSPRI was established in July 2013 to manage the TB is a bacteria disease causing solid TBfree New Zealand and National Animal IdentiďŹ cation abscess in lymph nodes, lungs and body and Tracing – known as NAIT – programmes. OSPRI cavities caused by mycobacterium bovis, a ofďŹ cers are the ones who visit farms where reactors have close relative of the human form of TB. been found. It probably arrived in New Zealand with “We are often not the most popular people at the time, European colonists in 1830 or 1840s. but as we work more closely with farmers we ďŹ nd out Compulsory testing for TB in dairy cattle groups like Federated Farmers and Rural Women have been began in 1961. In 1967 it was found in a quietly giving them support which is excellent.â€? possum. Sara says some farmers are worried they may pick up the In 1970 compulsory testing of beef cattle began. disease and transfer it to their own animals if they visit an In the years from 1986 to 1998 the disease spread infected farm. However, research shows that doesn’t happen. throughout the country. TB is not spread by vehicle tyres or human footwear TB is spread by possum, but ferrets can and tests have shown the bacteria cannot grow on Sara Russell-Muti of OSPRI New pasture after four days. Zealand is urging farmers to support also spread it. It spreads directly in cattle through prolonged close contact including The Bay of Plenty region currently has no infected those who have TB in their herds herds, although there is one at Atiamuri. Plus, seven through what is a very tough time. from cow to calf immediately after birth or through milk in the case of an infected herds owned by one business entity in the Waikato udder. currently have TB. Each infected cow is likely to infect two to four others each year but Six of those herds are considered high risk and are made up of four latent cows can harbour TB for years without spreading it or reacting dairy herds and two drystock herds. In the Waikato case 106 animals have been killed to date but not all to testing. There are some cows with prolonged infections which don’t react to had TB. “Our test is on a scale of one to 100 and anything over 70 is slaugh- testing. Other cows are referred to as ‘super shedders’ which excrete large numbers of bacteria. tered to reduce the likelihood of re-infection,â€? says Sara.

Gypsy week

The animals had been moved between several farms owned by the same enterprise and although stock can be moved 20km without notiďŹ cation this applies to the ďŹ rst movement only. In the Waikato case some stock had subsequently moved 84km from their ďŹ rst location. “TB is never far away. New Zealand farmers are great traders and like to move stock around.â€? Sara says there are thousands of animal movements each year with a spike around Gypsy Week in early June, when farmers often move to newly-purchased properties or to start new jobs before the new season begins. As well as cattle spreading the disease, the risk of infection from possums and feral pigs continues to be high. OSPRI is working with hunting clubs and the organisers of hunting competitions such as the Te Puna Big Four to educate hunters about

HUGE SAVINGS

NAIT help

The NAIT system can help in tracing animal movements. “We can look at movements into a herd from risky herd areas and to look for the source of infection. In future, NAIT data will enable us to change to risk-based surveillance.� Sara says the best way to protect herds from TB is to keep up-todate with TB testing and take care when purchasing stock. “The lowest risk is to buy from closed C10 herds in vector-free areas. Check the animal status declaration form for the last TB test date and be sure the animals purchased were in that test. “Newly-assembled herds are a risk. We now suspend them from registration until they’ve completed a test. Ensure new herds are registered,� says Sara. If selling a herd, ensure any tests are organised well in advance to give time to complete blood tests and slaughter inspection in case of reactors. By Elaine Fisher

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COUNTRY LIVING

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Yellow is the ‘in’ colour for registered dogs It’s nearly dog registration time and this year’s canine fashion accessory in the Western Bay is yellow, says Western Bay of Plenty District Council compliance and monitoring manager Alison Curtis. “Current registration expires on June 30 and dog owners should look out for a reminder coming to letterboxes soon. “This will have information

about the registration process. It’s really easy to do. You simply update the details on the registration form and return to council along with the fee. Once you’ve done this we’ll provide you with the stylish yellow tag for the 2015/16 year.� The registration pack includes news on the new animal services team at Western Bay council and the services they provide. These include microchipping, education, and enforcement. There will also be updates on registering and

adopting dogs online – and details about where you can exercise your dog in the district. Western Bay Council’s animal services team responds to complaints about dogs and stock, monitors the behaviour of dogs in the community and educates dog owners and the wider public. The ultimate aim is to keep our community safe around dogs and ensure dogs are well looked after. “You can do your bit by making sure your dog is wearing yellow this July,� says Alison.

These dogs are among the hundreds who will be sporting new yellow registrations tags from next month.

Subdivision - will it supply much-needed cash? With the dairy payout looking grim for the next couple of years we’re getting increased enquiry from farmers wanting to inject some cash into the system. There are a number of ways we can help, but every farm and title situation is different. Obtaining subdivision consent is still possible but becoming more restricted in many districts. Many farms are made up of a number of existing separate titles. This can be either a historical situation, where they have gradually purchased surrounding titles to build up the farm, or by careful planning. As the rules have allowed subdivision during the years, many have taken advantage during the good times. They’ve created several titles to give them exibility and options for the future. These options can include retaining a retirement block or having a block for young family to build on if they want to stay on the land. Obtaining additional titles can also be a means of increasing the valuation of the property to enable additional capital to be borrowed for development, or separating a title from the business for security.

Additional titles

These additional titles can also provide exibility to sell when ďŹ nancial conditions become tough. It’s not the best option – selling land when things get tough – but sometimes it might be the only option that enables you to stay on the farm. Often boundaries can be rearranged so you’re selling a smaller lifestyle-size block that takes little production land from the farm. Sometimes it might be an awkward corner that pro-

vided management difďŹ culties anyway and the cash is more useful. Selling some land to neighbours is always an option and can be the only way if you don’t have any spare titles and your council allows only limited subdivision opportunities. Subdivision by boundary adjustment is commonly accepted by council as a legitimate means of subdivision. Provided additional titles are not produced, we can normally keep them happy. Some farmers own pieces of land which they cannot easily access due to separation from the farm by roads, railways or rivers. These paddocks can readily provide some cash ow from either sale or lease. Now is a good time to look at this.

More difďŹ cult

Creating additional titles by subdivision is generally getting more difďŹ cult across the country but it’s still a possibility in many areas. In Waikato an older title over 20 hectares in size can often be subdivided to create a lifestyle block. Matamata-Piako, South Waikato and Western Bay of Plenty districts still allow subdivision depending on the size and productivity of the land. In these and other districts subdivision can also be achieved through protection of wetland, bush and other ecological and cultural features. If you’re interested to ďŹ nd out what opportunities might exist for your land, feel free to give me a call and discuss your situation. Brent Trail, managing director of Surveying Services, specialises in resource consent applications for subdivisions across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. For further information call 07 838 1571 or email btrail@surveyingservices.co.nz

Before

After

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Page 52

WELCOME TO EASTERN BAY OF PLENTY

Breed’s links with Romans An ancient breed of sheep, which doesn’t need shearing, dagging or drenching, is ideal for small blocks, according to Gaylee and Rob Mason of Waimana.

Both ram and ewe Wiltshire sheep can have horns, but some among the Mason’s flock are polled.

What’s more Wiltshire sheep have a quiet temperament and produce great tasting meat, say the couple who bought their first Wiltshire ram 20 years ago. Over time they have developed a small pure-bred flock which grazes on their 1.21 hectare lifestyle block at Waimana, near Whakatane “Wiltshire are ideal for lifestyle blocks which don’t have the facilities to shear and dag sheep, and they are very easy to handle,” says Rob, who as well as managing the sheep is also owner/operator of the business About Water.

Gaylee is a district nurse whose work involves travelling throughout the region to care for patients in their own homes. With such busy lives, easy-care livestock are important. The ancestors of Wiltshire sheep, sometimes referred to as ‘self-shearing sheep’, are believed to have been introduced to Britain by the Romans. Today they are large white sheep which naturally moult wool in spring and summer. Their heads, bellies, legs and perineal regions are free of wool. “They don’t get fly strike, and recently I’ve stopped docking them because there doesn’t seem to be any benefit in doing so,” says Rob.

Good mothers

Gaylee says the ewes are good mothers and frequently have twins. “One even gave birth to quads, but did so in such bad weather, none of the lambs survived.” The breed lost favour in Britain when wool

prices rose and by the early 1900s the Wiltshire was almost extinct. In an attempt to save the breed, the Wiltshire Horn Breed Society was formed in 1923 and today the breed is no longer considered as rare in the UK. Introduced to New Zealand in 1972, there are now a few thousand in the country and a number of stud farms. The Mason’s flock includes polled and horned sheep, and both rams and ewes can have horns. Because of their quiet nature, the couple say having sheep with horns is not a problem. Currently the flock is small because most of last season’s lambs, the majority of which were rams, have been sold. “Because we have so few, I think these are the best fed sheep in the district right now,” says Rob. Their grazing includes the home orchard where they enjoy windfalls, as well as grass, clover and buttercup.

Trust, expertise retains loyal clients Graeme Lee & Associates may be based in Whakatane, but it has loyal clients all over the country. That’s because many farmers and sharemilkers have decided, even after leaving the Whakatane district, to remain with the firm which knows their businesses so well and has the expertise to provide the advice and guidance they need. “We have clients throughout the Bay of Plenty, Waikato and as far away as Gore,” says Graeme Lee. Now Graeme, who established the firm 26 years ago, has been joined by accountants Wayne Abbott, Sam Bufton and Barry

The Graeme Lee & Associates team are from left: Niki Bridge, Sheryle Feek, Kirsty Lee, Adam Greene, Helen Richardson, Toinette Lockyear. Seated: Graeme Lee, Wayne Abbott. Lane in the company. As a result, the company’s skill sets and client base has grown even further. “It’s important for farmers, horticulturalists, contractors and those in agri-business to have accountants who understand their businesses and the industries in which they operate,” says Graeme. “That’s especially true now with the volatility in the milk price. For instance we are able to advise farmers on how the forecast pay out may affect their provisional tax payments. We can also help them, through our relationships with the banking industry, to work through any issues.” Graeme Lee & Associates is also proud to have among its clients several who have been winners in the annual dairy industry awards, including Jodie Mexted of Edgecumbe, winner of the 2015 Bay of Plenty Farm Manager of the Year award. “We were thrilled with Jodie’s win and helped her prepare for the national finals too.” Wayne says farmers are increasingly aware of the need for succession planning and that’s an area in which Graeme Lee & Associates has considerable expertise. “We are able to give impartial and expert advice on how to put succession planning in place, helping families to achieve the best possible outcome for themselves and their businesses.” Graeme Lee & Associates works with the major banks and insurance companies, has expertise in corporate audit work and works with many Maori Trusts who have farm operations.

WELCOME TO EASTERN BAY OF PLENTY

Page 53

‘Self-shearing sheep’ are ideal for small blocks “They also eat leaves that fall off the poplar trees, which I believe they get minerals from. I think, like humans, it’s good for livestock to have variety in their diets.” Despite being well fed, the meat from the Mason’s sheep is not fatty. “It’s full of flavour and great tasting meat,” says Gaylee. Together with Rob, she has introduced many guests, both Kiwi and international, to Wiltshire mutton and lamb. Since their children were little, Gaylee and Rob have hosted young international visitors through programmes such as Help Exchange and Willing Workers on Organic Farms. “With a young family to raise we couldn’t afford to travel but having international visitors stay with us was a way of experiencing other cultures and it was great for our children too,” says Gaylee, who has photo albums

full of pictures of guests from around the world. All have enjoyed the hospitality of the Mason home and the experience of rural New Zealand life in exchange for a few hours’ work each day. It’s become something of a tradition for Japanese visitors to paint their names in large Japanese characters on the wooden wall of an outbuilding.

Kayaking rivers

A goose - called Go adopted one of the ose - has Wiltshire sheep in Gaylee and Rob Mason’s flock at Waimana.

handling, y the ease of aimana enjo who in turn enjoy a W of on as sheep, Rob M Gaylee and ture, of their Wiltshire d windfall fruit. an and quiet na of home-made bread – taste

Eastern Bay 2015

Federated Farmers contacts Bay of Plenty Rick Powdrell 07 573 7481 / 027 489 4075 rrpow@xtra.co.nz Young Farmers Eastern Bay Josh Cozens 027 814 4218 E: joshandshaz@vodafone.co.nz Whakatane District Council Civic Centre, 14 Commerce St, Whakatane 07 306 0500 www.westernbay.govt.nz

Opotiki District Council 108 St John St, Opotiki

3122 07 315 3030 www.odc.govt.nz Bay of Plenty Regional Council 5 Quay St, Whakatane 0800 884 880 www.boprc.govt.nz Whakatane i-Site Cnr Kakahoroa Drive and Quay St, Whakatane 0800 942 528 Opotiki i-Site 70 Bridge St 07 315 3031

Gaylee, whose maiden name is Wardlaw, grew up on the family farm next door. The home where she and Rob now live, and where they brought up their three children Sarra, Sam and Carmel, belonged to her great aunt Abba Hewitt, her grandfather’s sister. “I haven’t gone far, but I love living here.” Among Gaylee’s favourite activities is kayaking local rivers and camping out in huts along the way. For many years Rob was a full time possum hunter, supporting his family with the good income earned in the heyday of the fur trade. He

Young Japanese guests of Gaylee and Rob Mason have a tradition of painting their names in large Japanese characters on the wooden wall of an outbuilding.

still enjoys hunting, shooting and tramping. Rob and Gaylee are well placed to introduce guests to unique aspects of New Zealand rural life, and to the delights of meals of Wiltshire lamb and mutton. By Elaine Fisher

WELCOME TO CENTRAL PLATEAU

Page 54

Central plateau contacts 2015 Federated Farmers Rotorua Taupo Provincial President: Alan Wills 07 333 8528 027 281 8626 alanandalisonwills@xtra.co.nz

Young Farmers Reporoa Chairman: Matthew Fitzgerald 027 432 9945 matt_fitz@windowslive.com Taupo District Council Story Place, Taupo 07 376 0070 www.taupodc.govt.nz

Taupo i-Site 30 Tongariro St, Taupo 07 376 0027 Turangi i-Site Ngawaka Place, Turangi 07 386 8999

Six trucks cleaned at once in new truck wash

Authorised Dealers

s Dairy Shed installations and upgrades s Service and parts for all types of milking machines s Drench pumps, teat spray systems, hoses and supplies

Bo Hay and Steven Hay of Steven Hay Electrical, and Nathan Paul and Dave Goddard of Camco, in the new Central Transport truck washing facility at Broadlands.

s Machine Testing s Effluent and Irrigation Supplies s Pumps & Water fittings – Galvanised, PVC and Alkathene s Rubberware s Stainless Steel manufacture and repair s Trenching

www.facebook.com/KineticElectricalRotorua

Truck washing at Central Transport is now fast, efficient and state-ofthe-art thanks to a new dedicated facility built at its Broadlands depot. Six truck and trailer units can be washed at once in the covered facility and key to its efficiency are the pumps and electrical systems installed by two local businesses – Camco Dairy Services Ltd and Steven Hay Electrical. “Only one truck could be washed at a time through the old wash site, which while compliant, wasn’t up to modern standards,” says Dave Goddard of Camco. CTL owner Brendon Cane wanted a facility which would free his drivers from queuing up to clean their vehicles, and at the same time meet modern effluent management requirements. “One of the issues we faced was that water for the wash has to come from a stream 1200 metres away, and that CTL only has consent to take 20 cubic metres of water from it a day,” says Dave. To ensure the wash doesn’t run out, five 30,000 litre water storage tanks have been installed to hold water from the stream and water harvested from the roofs of buildings at the depot site. Nathan Paul of Camco was tasked with finding the pumps for the new facility. These included a pump to extract the stream water, which shuts off

automatically once the daily limit is reached and pumps to the depot site. Other pumps were required to provide the pressure needed to ensure each of the six hoses in the wash area operate at the same time, without loss of pressure. This was achieved with a Lowara Hydrovar Dual booster SV33 variable speed pumping system supplied by Brown Brothers Engineers Ltd and installed by Camco. Then there are the pumps for the effluent system which passes through a solids trap, draining bunker and two settling sumps before it’s transferred to the 200m3 capacity concrete storage tank from which effluent is irrigated onto neighbouring pasture. Steve says the electrical side of the project required careful planning, especially as the project is unique. “Brendon told us what he wanted to achieve and we figured out how to do it. We also had to keep the old truck wash operational while we worked on the new one.” This presented some challenges, especially when the existing power supply had to be up-graded. Because the trucks are generally washed at night, lighting is important and Steve and his team installed power-saving LED lights in the truck wash. Among the hi-tech features of the new truck wash are a number of automatic safety systems which include those that will shut off the effluent if there is a burst pipe, pump failure or a blockages.

WELCOME TO CENTRAL PLATEAU

Page 55

Small Taupo dairy’s raw milk in big demand

Taupo Raw milk owners Kees and Mariane Tanja with from left Ben Wright of Built Wright Construction and Matt Nash of ARC Engineering Taupo.

Fresh, raw milk is becoming increasingly popular with Taupo residents and visitors ever since Taupo Raw Milk opened late last year. The venture is owned by Kees and Marianne Tanja who have built a brand new dairy and a dedicated shop to sell the milk on their Oruanui Road farm. After 12 years of farming at Tirohanga the couple decided to sell their property to embark on a new enterprise. “Ultimately we want to give disabled people the opportunity to work on our farm, growing fruit and vegetables and caring for animals, selling the produce through the store,” says Kees. However, the first step was to establish a reliable income. Research led the couple to the idea of selling fresh raw milk, something which has only recently become

permitted in New Zealand. The concept appealed, especially as their new 50 ha farm is just eight kilometres from Taupo and they have the knowledge and expertise to farm healthy cows to produce top quality milk.

Gas heating

Ben Wright of Built Wright Construction thought Kees was kidding when he asked him to build a 14-aside herring bone dairy for the raw milk farm. “It’s certainly a lot smaller than we usually build but we got out some plans from 25 years ago and incorporated all that modern dairies have now.” The design is a tried and true Don Chapman dairy. The milking area is protected by a low-pitch roof over the pit, which can easily handle a small herd and be operated by one person. “It has an easy-flow seven-eighths round yard with water driven back-

ing gates to bring the cows into the bail area.” The dairy has a fully enclosed vat room which includes all the pumping and electrical systems required for its operation. What is unique is that the power is supplied by a generator and water is heated by gas. That’s because the dairy is some distance from an established power supply and the cost of installing lines would have been significant. Ben says construction of the dairy began mid last year, during a busy time for Built Wright Construction. It may have been small but every aspect of the dairy had to meet modern building codes.

Matt worked closely with Ben, Kees and Marianne, and the other subcontractors to ensure the finished facility was functional and efficient. Once milk is chilled in the vat, Kees fills a portable 300 litre vat and transports it to the road-side Taupo Raw Milk shop. It is installed in a refrigerated dispensing unit imported from Italy, alongside another unit which dispenses reusable glass bottles customers can purchase to fill with raw milk. Both Marianne and Kees are understandably fans of raw milk, which they say is an outstanding source of nutrients including beneficial bacteria, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, essential amino acids and antibodies that strengthen the immune system.

Straight forward

Tony McLaren, of McLaren Contracting, carried out the site preparation for the dairy platform, the races, driveway and adjacent barn. “It was a pretty straightforward job with no real issues as it is on Taupo pumice soils. We removed a small hill, levelled the building site and contoured the area,” says Tony. Earthworks is just one aspect of McLaren Contracting’s work. The company, which at peak times employs up to seven staff, also specialises in cultivation of pasture, hay and silage making and transport services. The milking system and water reticulation for the dairy was carried out by Think Water Taupo. Part of an international group of more than 50 independently owned irrigation and general water

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solutions businesses Think Water can assist with client’s milking needs and designing, installing and servicing all water systems in the greater Taupo area and beyond. The yards were constructed and installed by Matt Nash of ARC Engineering Taupo, a company Matt established 18 months ago. “The yard is a standard Don Chapman configuration and the pipe work was constructed on site from galvanised steel from New Zealand Steel Mills,” says Matt. High quality materials, able to withstand the harsh conditions of a dairy unit, including pressure from cows, are used in the yards. Throughout the construction process,

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WELCOME TO CENTRAL PLATEAU

Young company with decades of experience ARC Engineering Taupo may be a young company but it has 60 years’ of expertise among its staff. The company was launched 18 months ago by Matt Nash, who has brought together a team with a wide range of skills, focusing mainly on dairy yard and animal handling areas. They also cover general engineering, certified welding, alloy and stainless steel repairs as well as construction of

truck deck liners and plastic fabrication. Matt has 22 years’ experience in engineering, with the last 12 years involved in the farming industry, and works with major dairy design and construction companies, building yards and steel works to their specifications. “Every dairy builder has their own yard design and we have built yards for a range of different identities, respecting that their design is unique and exclusive to that company,” says Matt. The company works on rotary and

herringbone dairy units of all sizes, with most of the yards fabricated on site. The remaining gear is fabricated at its Mahoe Street workshop. All materials and workmanship have to be of high quality to withstand the rigors of the weather and the animals within the dairy complex. This is why ARC Engineering uses high quality materials from New Zealand Steel mills. As well as dairy work, the ARC Engineering team have the skills to create anything from ute decks to custom designed and built residential fencing. If you have a problem they will come up with a solution to help you out. Follow them on Facebook, Arc Engineering Taupo Ltd, to keep up to date with the various projects they are working on.

Matt Nash has brought together a team with a wide range of skills to form ARC Engineering Taupo.

New quarry supplying perfect metal

The quarry on Rangiatea Station produces a 100 per cent crushed base product with no sharp points, good interlocking properties and very good weathering qualities.

Durable metal with no sharp edges, which makes it ideal for farm races and forestry tracks, is now being quarried near Turangi. John Kahu of Kahu Contracting Tuwharetoa Ltd says the quarry on Rangiatea Station produces a 100 per cent crushed base product with no sharp points, good interlocking properties and very good weathering qualities. “It is an ideal product for farm races as it is not hard on animal hooves or quad bike tyres. It is also finding favour with the forestry industry,” says John who is in the process of setting up a sister

company to his current company known as Ruapehu Civil to reflect its new role in the Turangi area. “I was approached to prepare a business model for the new quarry. We have spent 18 months testing the metal in practical situations as well as laboratory testing to find out the best uses for it and then to research the markets. Now the quarry has all its consents we are able to supply a range of products to clients.” The location of the quarry presents opportunities to save clients’ money too. “The costs of extracting and crushing metal are the same wherever a quarry is located. The additional costs are around transport and now with this quarry

clients in the area can enjoy savings through reduced cartage costs based on proximity to the quarry gate.” As well as good quality metal, the quarry has boulders from up to 1 meter in diameter for wash outs, retaining walls and landscaping. It also has GAP material in 65 mm and 40mm grades, drainage metal and rip rap, and will crush metal to specific requirements. Pumice and sandstone fill is also available. Kahu Contracting Tuwharetoa Ltd, which is opening a distribution yard in Te Rangitukehu Street, Turangi, also has the staff and expertise to form tracks and drainage systems prior to metalling.

WELCOME TO WESTERN BAY OF PLENTY

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Leasing or management attractive options A number of kiwifruit orchard owners are taking out a management or lease option on their orchard and letting Aongatete do the rest, says Tracey Chinnery, Aongatete Grower Services Manager. “Why not let Aongatete Coolstores Ltd, take care of running your orchard for you? Many of our growers endorse the concept and great crop results are the best compliment we can receive as testament to the job well done.� Tracey says running a kiwifruit orchard is a lot of work and timing is vital to optimise yields and be up to speed with the ever changing compliance requirements and

gatete. These make it attractive and viable for growers whether retired, semi-retired, investors or young growers wanting to learn the ropes. Aongatete’s experienced and knowledgeable staff will competitively and effectively run the orchard to achieve the best possible on-orchard results and ensure the long term sustainability of good returns. “Aongatete has a dedicated horticulture A kiwifruit orchard during winter pruning division working with our specialised – one of the tasks Aongatete Coolstores can technical manager to provide the complete carry out for growers. package from growth and development through to harvest, shipping and coolstorage industry approved products. of kiwifruit. Our systems are exible and “It is a full time job in itself keeping up to date with the latest knowledge and improved can facilitate total management or limited services to owners wanting to cut costs by growing methods and for many growers or undertaking some operations themselves,â€? investors this can become too difďŹ cult.â€? says Tracey. Varying options are available from Aon-

Farming smarter answer to future A Jordaan Contracting Ag-Bag silage stack on Baileys Farms Te Puke. The team at Jordaan Contracting Ltd – known as JCL – want to take the opportunity to welcome all new farmers to the region, including current farmers to a new season full of opportunities. In the volatile economic market of today, dairy farmers are constantly striving to deliver high quality forage in the most economical manner to their herds. “It is very important to work with the current economic environment rather than against it,â€? advises Japie Jordaan of JCL Contracting. “Our aim here at JCL is to work alongside farmers and industry experts to achieve economic efďŹ ciency, using latest industry knowledge and top service.â€? JCL Contracting has an extensive eet of agricultural equipment including a brand new Case square baler, with scales to weigh total silage harvested and a McHale round baler with combi-wrapper. “It is important to have well maintained equipment and tractors and to recruit highly skilled drivers,â€? says Japie.

“We are dedicated to produce top quality silage for dairy farmers. It’s therefore with great excitement that we have added a new addition to our already extensive equipment eet, an Ag-Bag Bulk Silage Bagger.â€? Storing silage crop in a bag is one of the most efďŹ cient ways of achieving high quality silage. Silage bagging is becoming increasingly popular in New Zealand due to the consistent and excellent quality of the end product. More than 20 years of research has proven that storing chopped silage and wet feed in long, horizontal oxygen-deďŹ cient tubes until feed-out will signiďŹ cantly reduce spoilage losses. It also produces an easily digestible highly nutritious feed that livestock prefer, which in turn contributes to cow productivity without expensive feed supplements. Japie agrees the Ag-Bag is the dairy farmer’s ultimate and efďŹ cient harvesting and feed-out solution. With the Ag-Bag system there is no time wasted with site preparation, rolling a stack and coverings with tyres. There is no oxygen-face spoilage or valuable nutrients seeping away. When harvesting, the bagged silagepressing machine compacts and covers the silage crop at the same time. The airtight environment prevents growth of aerobic bacteria, mold and insects. JCL Contracting strongly believes in farming smarter as the answer to the future. Japie is therefore delighted to offer this excellent but economical service to farmers. Visit www.jclcontracting.co.nz to see JCL’s full agricultural services in all Bay of Plenty regions.

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WELCOME TO WESTERN BAY OF PLENTY

Te Puna Quarry Park needs more volunteers Exquisite green ‘baubles’ studded with gold festoon the fronds of miniature palms, turning them into surreal versions of exotic Christmas trees.

Here and there hang transparent, empty baubles, from which have emerged even more splendid ‘decorations’ - bright orange and black butterflies. This is the scene inside the butterfly house at Te Puna Quarry Park where Monarch butterfly caterpillars big (and fat) enough to pupate are moved to do so in safety. For in the outside gardens where they have hatched from eggs and gorged themselves on swan plants, danger, in the form of wasps and praying mantises, lurks. Volunteers at Te Puna Quarry Park would like others to join The house is the domain of Te them in maintaining the gardens. Puna Quarry Park’s butterfly lady Mary Parkinson who, in autumn, Admiral and native butterflies. catches newly-emerged butterflies and gently Attracting butterflies is just part applies a numbered sticker to one wing. of the work of the team of It’s all part of the citizens’ science project gardeners, tractor drivers and co-ordinated by the Moths and Butterhandymen and women who flies of New Zealand Trust to discover are now in need of some where the butterflies overwinter so younger helping hands. only the late-season butterflies are “Many of our volunteers tagged. include people who have Anyone spotting a tagged butterfly been working at the quarry in their garden is encouraged to catch since the project began the insect, and record its number on almost 20 years ago, and we’re the website www.mb.org.nz obviously getting older,” says Ian Cross. Admirals too “Our oldest volunteer is Alf Monarch butterflies are tagged Renndell who is 97. We would Monarchs are not the only butterflies at the Te Puna Quarry Park so welcome some younger people in the quarry gardens. A wide range of flowering and food plants have also been researchers can trace where they to join us, maybe retired farmestablished to encourage red and yellow go, in winter. ers or orchardists with good practical skills, as well as people who enjoy gardening, landscaping and building.”

Very social

At 8.30am every Tuesday the volunteers meet at the 12 ha park and individuals or groups head off for a morning carrying out any tasks, including weeding, planting, small construction projects or moving plants and materials around the site with tractors. “It’s very social; some say the morning tea break is the best time of all. There’s no pressure to turn up every week. We just appreciate the time and effort everyone gives.” The park is popular with tourists and locals attracted to its lovely gardens, pleasant walking tracks and, from the upper levels, spectacular panoramic views over the Bay of Plenty. It is volunteers who maintain the walkways and special interest areas which include cymbidium orchids by the thousand, native tree plantings and exotics such as vireya rhododendrons and a wild garden. There are irises, cacti and succulents, bromeliads, an Australian area, a native arboretum, a bonsai corner, a South African area and a palm grove. To join the volunteers at Te Puna Quarry Park, call Ian Cross on 578 8735. By Elaine Fisher

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WELCOME TO WESTERN BAY OF PLENTY

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Sales, service for orchard and agricultural tractors Capital Tractors Tauranga is the sales and service agents for Deutz-Fahr, Same, Kioti Tractors and Hustler and Masport ride-on mowers, and a wide range of second-hand tractors and machinery.

“We offer an extensive mobile and onfarm mechanical service – at your place or ours – from to Waihi to Matata, and we welcome your enquiry,� says Reg. The dedicated team at Capital Tractors

in Pyes Pa, Tauranga, is looking forward to seeing you at Capital Tractors or at the National Fieldays at Site C31. Also Check out Capital Tractors’ new Facebook page.

“We appreciate the value of your equipment to your business,â€? says Capital Tractors’ owner Reg The Capital Tractors team is Kristal Liddell, Robert Van Lonkhuyzen, Hedges. Michelle Hedges, Hayden Riddell, Robbie Chesham, Tony Johnston and The company provides both a Reg Hedges. service and parts department to they have specialised in for the last nine years– John ensure machinery is always in top working order, says Deere, Massey Ferguson, David Brown, McCormack, Reg. Ford, New Holland, Carraro, Landini, International “Our staff are all dedicated to customer service, and (Case), etc. will be happy to provide friendly and helpful advice.â€? “At Capital Tractors we’ve been working alongside Capital Tractors’ expert ďŹ eld mechanics are experilocal farmers, orchardists and contractors for over enced in servicing and repairing all brands of orchard 20 years. and agricultural tractors including Goldoni – which

Clean dairy, healthy cows equals quality milk Tony Hooper is the local FIL area manager covering the Bay of Plenty and Paeroa regions, dedicated to helping farmers produce quality milk, and help keep your herd in good shape. “We’re extensively trained and experienced when it comes to dairy hygiene and healthy udders – and it’s our job to help you on-farm. “We want to be part of your team because we’re right into the hands-on approach, getting to the root of the any problems and putting plans in place to avoid future issues. “We believe it’s really important to arm your staff with best practice solutions for optimal dairy hygiene and animal health,� says Tony. FIL can help with managing onfarm costs with tailored teat spray and hygiene systems, empowering staff by training them on chemical safety, mixing and dilution rates, application of teat sprays, farm dairy wash procedures, and trouble-shooting hygiene or mastitis issues. “We have some new hygiene formulations, designed to clean the Checking a teat dairy and are based on what really sprayer. works on NZ farms,� says Tony.

“Our re-formulated range of specialty cleaners and detergents cater for variable plant types and on-farm conditions. “We’d be right into tailoring a cleaning routine for your set-up – taking into account plant turbulence, advising you on the right chemicals and ideal wash temperatures, while ensuring the solution has plenty of contact time to effectively clean.â€? FIL’s modern teat care products contain special agents formulated to achieve healthy udders – iodine, chlorhexidine, emollients and Manuka honey. The company’s teat sprays, teat conditioner and teat creams are designed to protect teats, helping to prevent drying, chapping and infection. “Don’t compromise on teat condition – cows with a healthy udder produce better quality milk. A clean dairy plus healthy cows equals quality milk. It’s a pretty simple formula. We’re here to help you make it all add up.â€? Speak with Tony Hooper to ďŹ nd out how he can help you to achieve quality milk. Call 021 284 2504.

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WELCOME TO WESTERN BAY OF PLENTY

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Hard workers need care for joint pain Stiff, painful joints are holding many working dogs back from reaching their full potential, and making life miserable for them along the way.

Conditions like hip dysplasia are recognised more frequently as a result of breeding combinations that accentuate the genetic condition.

Zoetis veterinary technical advisor Dr Clive Bingham has encountered dozens of working dogs suffering from prolonged pain and stiffness in their legs and backs, and he believes the problem is more widespread than farmers often appreciate. “The problems we see in working dogs can be caused by injury or genetics, but working conditions can also play a part in why a dog is suffering from joint pain,” says Clive. “Unfortunately, a lot of dog breeding is based upon bloodline trial performance rather than the dog’s physical condition, and this can result in issues surfacing during their working life.”

The stifle, or knee joint, in working dogs is a common site of injury. Injury often results from dogs getting their legs caught in fences and damaging the internal ligaments, ultimately leading to osteoarthritis of the knee joint. “I have always advised anyone looking to buy an older working dog to check their knees; and if one is thicker than the other that is a good indication of knee damage.” These initial leg injuries can have an indirect impact on other joints and limbs over time. Continuing to work with unaddressed joint pain will result in dogs favouring other limbs, which in turn causes problems from an increased work load on those joints. During time the muscles of affected limbs can atrophy or weaken, compounding the problem as more pressure is exerted on the joint surfaces. The good news is there is now a new

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anti-inflammatory drug, Trocoxil Chewable Tablets, which may benefit these working dogs. Back injuries caused by jumping up and down off quad bikes and utes can also manifest later in life as arthritis. Once this disease process has started, it is irreversible. “The sooner you address the pain and inflammation, the better chance you have of slowing down any future deterioration. “Like any valuable asset, maintaining your working dogs in premium condition will pay dividends in the future,” says Clive. A Massey University study of disease and injury in working dogs across 44 farms in the Lower North Island found 17 per cent suffered joint and leg issues including stiffness and arthritis. In semiretired dogs the problems with joints soared to 25 per cent. A common means of dealing with canine joint pain has been to use shortacting anti-inflammatory treatments, but often that results in “peaks and troughs” in the level of pain relief.

Long term

Clive welcomes the arrival of a new pain relief product, Trocoxil Chewable Tablets, from Zoetis. Trocoxil is offered in tablet form and is easily administered once a month following an initial loading dose, reducing the risk of forgetting treatment, and ensuring continuous pain relief.

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WELCOME TO WESTERN BAY OF PLENTY

Top award for Whakatane doctor A Bay of Plenty paediatrician says his receipt of a prestigious Australasian award for services to rural medicine is a reflection of teamwork rather than individual accomplishment. Consultant paediatrician John Malcolm received the Royal Australasian College of Physicians Rural and Remote Medal 2015 at a gala ceremony in Cairns, Australia, in late May. John is humbled by the award. “I feel a bit embarrassed. There is a sense of pride of course but I do feel like there’s still a lot of unfinished business. “I suppose you can look at it as a compliment to work in progress.” John – who has given 25 years’ service through Bay of Plenty hospitals in both Rotorua and, for the last eight years, in Whakatane – says the award reflects collective achievement. “My willingness to accept it is largely as recognition of the teamwork it represents. It’s a reflection of the paediatric team here and the community where we work. “Any ventures we have successfully undertaken have been down to our involvement with the community and other healthcare providers including GPs, the Eastern Bay Primary Health Alliance and Hauora.” John says the award, for which he was nominated by colleagues who also cited his contribution to Maori health, helps keep rural medicine in the spotlight. “It flags rural and provincial health needs. A lot of our work focuses on metropolitan services being accessible to rural patients – and, part of that includes measures to ensure clinical workforce recruitment and retention.” His involvement in work on acute rheumatic fever has proven a career highlight, says John – especially the early indications of a probable decline in acute rheumatic fever rates in the Bay. In 2012, John also received the Auckland University Distinguished Clinical Teacher Award. As an Honorary Senior

Lecturer at Otago and Auckland universities he’s involved in undergraduate curriculum development and teaching, as well as supervision and mentoring. Moving forward, John says his focus remains on serving rural and remote communities. “I am humbled and honoured by the award but if I was asked which I get the bigger kick out of, community recognition or peer recognition, I would say the community. “You go to Taneatua and in a crowded room you’re working with the EBPHA, public health, six iwi-based hauora and other health providers helping improve the health of school kids. “That’s very gratifying.”

Whakatane paediatrician John Malcolm has been awarded the Royal Australasian College of Physicians Rural and Remote Medal 2015.

Western Bay 2015

Federated Farmers contacts Bay of Plenty Rick Powdrell 07 573 7481 07 573 7481 027 489 4075 rrpow@xtra.co.nz Young Farmers Te Puke Chairman: Luther Siemelink 027 482 8910 luther.s@xtra.co.nz Waihi Chairman: Gisela Bach Vilumara 021 075 6290 gicatvet@hotmail.com

Western Bay of Plenty District Council Barkes Corner, Greerton, Tauranga 07 571 8008 www.westernbay.govt.nz Bay of Plenty Regional Council 5 Quay St, Whakatane 0800 884 880 www.boprc.govt.nz Te Puke i-Site 130 Jellicoe St, Te Puke 07 573 9172 Waihi i-Site Seddon St, Waihi 07 863 6715 Katikati i-Site 36 Main Rd, Katikiati 07 549 1658

We specialise in driveways, entranceways, tanker tracks, hard stands and more. We can offer you metal for farm races, shed sites etc deliver to site ex quarry.

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WELCOME TO THE WAIKATO

Lightweight 4WD kinder on pasture Ledara Spreading isn’t your normal ground spreader. Owners Jayson and Stacey Thompson are hands on in all aspects of the agricultural industry and highly passionate about the sector.

Ledara Spreading’s light weight four wheel drive fertiliser spreading truck can safely apply fertiliser to areas most other ground spreaders can’t reach. Ledara Spreading has the lightest four wheel drive fertiliser spreading truck in the Otorohanga/Te Awamutu area which is also one of the lightest four wheel drive trucks in the Waikato. This means the company can safely apply fertiliser to areas most other ground spreaders can’t reach. “The truck has a lighter tare weight, the biggest footprint [with the addition of tyre inflators] of any other in the area which means it has less impact on the ground and pastures,” says Jayson. “It is also safer and gives more stability for the driver.” This means Ledara Spreading can get the job done efficiently, in all seasons, and with greater peace of mind for clients. The company has two fertiliser spreading trucks and picks up and spreads fertiliser from all major fertiliser companies.

“We collect fertiliser from where ever our clients direct us to go. “We don’t care where it comes from, but we do care where it goes.” Spreading fertiliser when and where it is needed to achieve the best results for farmers is a major focus for the company. In addition to driving the spreader trucks, Jayson and Stacey are lower order sharemilkers and well in touch with the industry. “We understand exactly what’s happening in the industry and know the cheapest feed for dairy cows is grass, hands-down. “That’s why it is so important to get set up for winter now to make sure there is good grass growth. It is of no benefit not to put on fertiliser because the pasture will come up short at the vital time and feed will have to be brought in, at significantly more cost than applying fertiliser to grow the grass.”

NZ visit by Asia-Pacific bankers aims to help region Bankers from India and the Philippines have been in New Zealand to get a taste of how rural banking works here, and what is important to the financiers who run the sector and the farmers it serves. They visited Rabobank head office in Wellington and an olive grove and winery in the Wai-

rarapa. In Manawatu they were hosted by provincial president for New Zealand Federated Farmers, James Stewart, on his dairy farm and toured the campus of Massey University, which organised the visit along with the Asia Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association. The association’s goal is to

alleviate poverty in the AsiaPacific region by improving rural and agricultural business, particularly finance. It works closely with Massey University’s Centre for Professional and Continuing Education to organise professional development events in New Zealand.

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Keeping barberry hedges neatly trimmed Rob’s Massey Ferguson tractor is ideal for the job as it can travel at crawl speed, enabling him to achieve a precision finish to the height and width of the hedges. Rob’s services are already in demand cutting hedges throughout the district. Autumn, he says, is the ideal time to trim hedges and as well as farm hedges, his services are available for garden and driveway hedges too – provided there’s room for the tractor to operate. Rob and Sharon Klaus, who have been share milkers for several years, now own a dairy farm milking 150 cows near Matamata. For eight years Rob has worked part time for agricultural contractor Phil Hawke Hamilton City ato aik W and is well known in the Council local farming community. contacts 2015 Garden Place, Hamilton 07 838 6699 www.hamilton.co.nz

Barberry hedges are a distinctive and attractive feature of the Waikato landscape, serving as both fencing and shelter for stock. To keep them contained in height and width these hedges need annual pruning. This is why Matamata farmer Rob Klaus commissioned the construction of a hedge trimmer and mulcher and began his own business, KlausAg Hedge Cutting. “With so many hedges, I saw there was an opportunity for a hedge trimming business in this area.” Rob couldn’t find the right machine among the range of trimmers available, so commissioned Rex Barnes Engineering of Matamata to build the Rotomulch attachment for his brand new Massey Ferguson tractor. “It cuts and mulches at the same time so there’s nothing left to clean up once the job is done.” The Rotomulch is mounted on the side of the tractor and can cut on both horizontal and vertical angles. Federated Farmers Chris Lewis 07 872 4533 027 289 8942 hi.lewy@xtra.co.nz

Young Farmers North Waikato Chairman: Gavin Wolfe 027 253 0192 bigbadwolfe20@gmail.com Piarere Chairman: Bryleigh Aplin 027 355 0928 bryleigh.aplin@windowslive.com South Waikato Chairman: Simeon Ritmeester 022 610 7576 clutch.boy@hotmail.com Cambridge: Chairman: Hannah Aston 021 203 8502 h.e.aston@hotmail.com Hamilton City Chairman: Rhea Nelis 027 454 8878 rhea.nelis@beeflambnz.com5

Waikato Regional Council 401 Grey St, Hamilton 07 859 0999 www.waikatoregion.govt.nz Waipa District Council 101 Bank St, Te Awamutu 0800-924-723 www.waipadc.govt.nz Hamilton i-Site 5 Garden Place, Hamilton 07 958 5960 Te Awamutu i-Site 1 Gorst Ave, Te Awamutu 07 871 3259 Cambridge i-Site Cnr Queen and Victoria St, Cambridge 07 823 3456

Rob Klaus, of KlausAg Hedge Cutting has a specialist Rotomulch attachment for trimming hedges.

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WELCOME TO THE WAIKATO

Kokako returns to ancient forest The song of the kokako should join the Maungatautari Sanctuary Mountain choir this year as yet another native species is re-introduced to the ecological island. Maungatutari Ecological Island Trust general manager John Simmons says fund raising to re-establish the kokako is ongoing and planning is also underway for the eventual arrival of kakapo. Kakapo are flightless, and very large parrots, but John says keeping them inside Maungatautari’s Xcluder predator-proof fence might be a challenge. “We do have a prototype fence modification to ensure the kakapo will be contained.” When Sirocco, the male kakapo, who has become the ambassador for the endangered species, visited Maungatautari, a trial to test his reaction to the fence was conducted. The bird had no problem climbing the wire from the inside, so that’s something which will have to be resolved if kakapo are ever to be released on the mountain. Also on the ‘wish list’ for re-introduction are rifleman, Chatham Island snipe, black petrel, short-tail bats and dactylanthus (wood rose). “Ecologists tell us that large numbers of sea birds nested at Maungatautari in the past and their droppings would have been an important nutrient for the forest,” says

John. The arrival of the kiore, the rat brought by Maori settlers, and later the ship rat and other predators brought by European settlers, meant they disappeared from the mountain. Meanwhile, native birds, insects, reptiles, aquatic life and plants are thriving on the mountain thanks in large part to 47 kilometres of pest-proof fence encircling 3400 hectares of ancient forest.

World’s longest

The ingenious fence is the longest predatorproof fence in the world and is key to the trust’s aims of restoring native flora and fauna to the mountain. Before it was constructed, trials of different fences were conducted, testing their ability to keep out creatures from mice to deer. The final fence had to be capable to excluding diggers, namely rabbits, squeezers – mice, rats and ferrets – and climbers, mostly possums and cats, and jumpers – deer. The fence is too high for deer to jump. The mesh is too small for even baby mice to squeeze through. Possums and cats can climb it but the overhang at the top prevents them getting in. However, these pests have discovered the overhang provides excellent shelter from rain. Rabbits are deterred from digging under the fence by a “skirt” of mesh which extends a short distance from the base and is buried just under the surface of the ground.

Kaka are thriving at Maungatautari, and often turn up to entertain visitors. The tiny and inquisitive native robin is among the birds visitors are most likely to see at Maungatautari Sanctuary Mountain. Photo by Phil Brown Photography.

Worker’s home must reflect market rents The rental property on a farm needs to reflect actual market rental value to avoid Fringe Benefit Tax, says John Brosnan of CooperAitken.

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CooperAitken staff of 93, remain family orientated and true to core values of supporting businesses and communities. “Make sure your new season employ“As a farmer and employer you may ment agreements have a higher rental currently rent your three bedroom allowance to reflect market rates. For worker accommodation to your existing employees it is a little more employee for $100pw. involved as their salary will need increas“You pay them a $100pw rent allowing to off-set the increased PAYE to ance which is part of their total allow them to maintain the same net package. The actual rental cost to your payment in their hand each pay day.” farm worker is the PAYE upon this If you need help with this or with staff allowance. management, John is happy to assist. “If the property has a real market CooperAitken has six directors and rental value of $300pw, the Inland four associates who have a diverse range Revenue will look at this as a fringe of complementary skills and an abunbenefit to the value of $200pw to the dance of talent. They are fully supported employee. At a single FBT rate of 49.25 by an exceptional team of 93 including per cent the employer potentially now has FBT of $98.50 to pay, or $5,122 per 23 chartered accountants. “CooperAitken’s continued growth is annum.” something we are very proud of,” says John says this is just an example director Peter Hexter. as FBT rates vary along with the “While we now have a team of almost employee’s income and PAYE rates but 100, we have remained family orientated the point is that the rental of the farm and stay true to our core values by supproperty must now be in line with porting businesses and communities.” market rates.

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DESIGN – SUPPLY – BUILD

WELCOME TO THE WAIKATO

Page 65

Keeping out diggers, squeezers, climbers and jumpers An electric wire running it protects includes public along the top of the fence conservation estate, is its security system. administered by the Since people began Should the fence be Waipa District arriving in NZ damaged by falling Council, and iwi one in three of its trees or limbs, staff and private land native species have are alerted to the owners. become extinct. location. The sanctuary is The aim is to restore administered by the the fence within 90 Maungatautari Ecological minutes, because it’s estimated Island Trust, which is made that’s how frequently pests attempt to up of land owners, iwi and commuenter the sanctuary. nity representatives. John says among the project’s biggest Mainland island successes has been its kiwi programme with The ambitious scheme to create a mainbirds breeding so successfully its hoped in land ecological island took its first official future they will become a source of populastep in 2001, when the trust deed was tions for other protected areas. signed. The sanctuary is thought to be large In November 2003 two areas at the north enough to support a population of up to and south of mountain, totalling 1.1 square 1000 breeding pairs of kiwi. kilometres were enclosed to demonstrate Although the public can walk the the fence’s feasibility and to test pest mountain tracks, tours with experienced removal methods. guides to the Southern Enclosure and Tari In 2004 work began on the much longer wetlands are an excellent way to enjoy the Xcluder perimeter fence and today the area mountain and learn about its flora and

fauna, and plans for the future. The walk-through Southern Enclosure includes the chance to climb the 16 metre Lions Club Tower up into the canopy.

Cheeky kaka

Birds are everywhere but the most obvious, and most cheeky, are the kaka which delight with their acrobatic antics in a clearing where they come to be fed by guides. Those who conceived the Maungatautari vision knew excluding pests would give native wildlife a chance to flourish. But some of the results have surprised and exceeded even their most ambitious expectations. These include the discovery of the rare Hochstetter’s frog in 2004 and the reemergence of a giant native moss Dawsonia superba, which was thought to be extinct on the mountain. Tuatara have been re-introduced, takahe are raising young, and freshwater crayfish, koura, inhabit the streams. Even if all the creatures and plants of the trust’s ‘wish list’ are successfully re-introduced, Maungatautari will never again be as it was in pre-human times. Since people began arriving in NZ one in three of its native species have become extinct.

Safe home

The forest and its birds are intrinsically linked, replying on each other for survival. Since the extinction of the moa, the kereru (native pigeon) is now the only fruit-eater able to swallow fruit with large seeds, ensuring future generations of trees such as tawa, miro, karaka and nikau are widely spread. Unlikely as it may seem – the moa might once again walk the mountain. Scientists have had limited success with ‘de-extinction’ through the birth of a Pyrenean

Tuatara are among species re-introduced to the Maungatautari Sanctuary Mountain ecological island. Photo by Phil Brown Photography.

Robyn Smith of Waihi feels the softness of the giant native moss Dawsonia superba, which was thought to be extinct on the mountain.

Tours with experienced guides are an excellent way to enjoy the mountain.

ibex, which had been extinct since 1989, but the cloned animal born to a surrogate mother only lived for 10 minutes. However, the trust, its eight full-time staff, at least 300 volunteers, trustees and landowners are focusing on the flora and fauna currently in existence which can find a safe home at Maungatautari. For more information about Sanctuary Mountain go to www.sanctuarymountain.co.nz By Elaine Fisher

E COM WEL

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WELCOME TO KING COUNTRY

Two brands, and great service in-store

DAIRY TECH

For the last 15 months the Bike Torque Otorohanga dealership at 4 Maniapoto St has been operating with both the Yamaha and Polaris brands in-store. Selling everything from children’s bikes to farm quads and side-by-sides to the top end road bikes, they have something to meet your needs. And when it comes to selling, servicing and giving farm bike demonstrations the team at Bike Torque Otorohanga have it covered. The Otorohanga service and sales centre that opened in 2004 is the sister store of Bike Torque Taumarunui, which is owned and operated by Russell Josiah and has been servicing the King Country since 1986. Recently, there have been some changes with the appointment of staff with more experience in the retail sector. Degan Wallace continues to lead the team, in charge of bike sales and on-farm demonstrations. Meanwhile, Isaac Lynch in the role of operations manager takes care of the service department and oversees Jet Robbins as parts manager. Both have come to Bike Torque from Repco Te Awamutu. “Yamaha and Polaris work well alongside each other. Both are renowned for offering products and services that customers can rely on and that makes it easy for customers to get tools for the job when they need them,” says Russell. “With the seasonal Fieldays promotions

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Young Farmers Taumarunui Chairman: Rebecca McKee 027 589 7679 rebecca.mckee@rocketmail.com North King Country Chairman: Matthew Blake 027 870 7473 matthewblake14@yahoo.co.nz

The Bike Torque Otorohanga are from left Isaac Lynch, Jet Robbins and Degan Wallace. now underway we head into the busy season when many farmers review their machinery, set budgets and upgrade accordingly. “In-store we are able to offer premium products including complete finance and insurance packages, genuine parts and quality accessories which make us the perfect one-stop-shop for all your motorcycle needs. “So whatever it is you’re after, two-wheelers, quads, side-by-sides or road bikes, the passionate team at Bike Torque Otorohanga are at your service.” Bike Torque Otorohanga at 4 Maniapoto St, stockists of parts and accessories and offering on and offsite servicing, is open Monday-Friday 8am-5.00pm and Saturdays by appointment.

King Country contacts 2015 Otorohanga District Council 17 Maniapoto St, Otorohanga 0800 734 000 www.otdc.govt.nz Waitomo District Council Queen St, Te Kuiti 0800 932 4357 www.waitomo.govt.nz Otorohanga i-Site 27 Turongo St, Otorohanga 07 873 8951

Te Kuiti i-Site Rora St, Te Kuiti 07 878 8077 Ruapehu District Council 59-63 Hui St, Taumarunui 07 895 8188 www.ruapehu.govt.nz Ruapehu i-Site Railway Station, Hakiaha St, Taumarunui 07 895 7494

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Saving money, increasing efficiency for farmers WRS Refrigeration’s qualified staff and their fully equipped mobile workshops are available seven days a week. Saving money, increasing efficiency and ensuring the integrity of the cool chain is vital for dairy farmers. WRS Refrigeration has the expertise and technology to help achieve those outcomes. “We understand farming and milk quality, so we aim to give our clients a reliable and cost effective quality service,” says WRS Refrigeration owner Mike Barnett. WRS Refrigeration supplies, installs and maintains all farm refrigeration equipment including chilled water packages, glycol systems, Mahana Blue hot water heat reclaim systems and direct vat cooling systems. The Mahana Blue recovery systems takes wasted heat from the refrigeration system and converts it to hot water at very low cost, improving the efficiency of the refrigeration unit. Milk quality is essential for farmers, and the WRS Refrigeration team know keeping milk at exactly the right temperature is a vital part of the quality chain. Focusing on farmers and the needs of their businesses is at the heart of everything the company does. “We are available seven days a week and have fully equipped mobile workshops and qualified staff. We

South Auckland contacts 2015 Federated Farmers: Auckland Province: Wendy Clark 09 236 3082 021 155 1094 wclark@ps.gen.nz Hauraki-Coromandel Kevin Robinson 027 286 1636 kevinandkate@xtra.co.nz Young Farmers Franklin Chairman: Chris Campbell 027 705 0063 chris_campbell118@me.com Auckland City Chairperson(s): Andy Wards 021 570 039 andy-wards@hotmail.com Kimberley Mayhead 027 447 1525 kimberley_mayhead@hotmail.com

can supply all brands of equipment and work in conjunction with electricians and milking machine technicians to provide comprehensive on-farm solutions. “We also work closely with Fonterra, so we know the rules for milk supply and future recommendations, allowing us to help farmers future proof their businesses.” WRS Refrigeration services a wide area including the old Franklin District, Hunua through to Thames, North Waikato, South Auckland and all areas in between. Previously known as Waiuku Refrigeration, WRS Refrigeration has been in business for 17 years and specialises in on-farm and commercial refrigeration.

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FORESTRY

Research into high-value wood products The new government funding awarded to a Future Forests Research-led programme is a significant boost to creating a high-value specialty wood products industry from planted forest species other than radiata pine. Research and development manager Russell Dale says this funding partnership between industry and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is great news for New Zealand and backs the forestry and wood processing industry and the Government’s strategy to grow high value export focused manufacturing industries. “The benefits to New Zealand from this investment are huge. We can expect export returns of around $350 million by 2030, growth in regional employment and opportunities for Maori forestry and wood manufacturing in the regions,” says Russell. Forestry and wood manufacturing collectively is NZ’s third largest export earner and relies largely on radiata pine, which is not well suited to some higher value applications. Plantations of species such as eucalypts, Douglas fir and cypresses already exist in New Zealand but the opportunities to turn these resources into high value products sought by global markets have been limited by processing challenges, geographic spread and lack of scale. “These species can supply markets that demand chemicalfree, stiff and attractive timbers from sustainable resources.” The aims of the FFR programme are to transform processing options for eucalypts, Douglas-fir, and cypresses to produce high-value specialty wood products; develop improved eucalypt breeding stock that will overcome the current problems of growth strain, checking and collapse; and develop a new, naturally durable eucalypt and cypress resource. The programme will benefit the country top to bottom, says Russell, and regional strategies will focus on ensuring the viability of this new industry. “There must be sustainable harvests of sufficient volume from

existing forests, or new forests planted within economic range of processing plants to support local industry. Our key investors have existing routes to market through their international market connections ensuring the research is well aligned to market needs. “Scientists, engineers, seedling producers, foresters and wood manufacturers will come together to develop new export-oriented opportunities that will make New Zealand a recognised supplier of superior, high-performance wood products.” The seven-year long research programme, which starts July 1, 2015, represents a total $13.8m investment comprising $710,000 annually from MBIE’s Biological Industries Fund, $710,000 annually from the forestry industry, $550,000 annually from Scion Core Funding and support from the School of Forestry, University of Canterbury. Major industry investors are Southwood Exports, Juken NZ Ltd, Ernslaw One, Forest Growers’ Levy Trust, Blakely Pacific, Timberlands and Proseed. Science partners in the new venture are Scion, University of Canterbury and the New Zealand Dryland Forests Initiative. Programme Steering Group Chair Peter Berg says this investment in research will deliver future harvests with predictable quality and high-value for domestic and international specialty markets. “We are looking long-term and predict annual export returns of $3.6 billion by 2050,” says Peter. Future Forests Research Limited is an industryowned company established in 2008 to facilitate collaborative research for the forest industry to create New Zealand wide benefits.

Tool for managing small woodlots Scion seeks small woodlot owners to help test a new tool that will provide simple recommendations to assist management of small-scale forest stands. Decision support tools that provide management recommendations are commonly used in large-scale forestry enterprises, but are used much less frequently in the management of smallscale forest stands. One reason for this is the availability of suitable tools to provide assistance – various expert systems and surfaces have been developed to track productivity, nutrient pools and water balance over

AIR COMPRESSORS PNEUMATICS AIR TOOLS

large areas, but these are not readily applicable over smaller land units. Scion is seeking to address this gap by developing a new tool that focuses specifically on the needs of small woodlot owners. The tool’s design has been kept simple, allowing it to be used with only basic stand information such as planting date and the rate of stocking. To test the usefulness of the tool and to help develop it further, Scion wants to engage with small block owners who are willing to provide feedback. If you’re interested in getting involved in this important project, which will provide benefits to farm foresters, please contact Samuel Damesin by email: Samuel.Damesin@scionresearch.com

COAST & COUNTRY

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Untapped potential ingredients for growth The study found the region has a solid base to build on, including its central location and infrastructure, sustainable natural resources, access to productive land, significant untapped Maori asset base and an “enviable range of economic and industry strategies and projects” already in place, developed through the likes of the Bay of Plenty’s collaborative economic development framework, the Bay of Connections. Despite these favourable factors, the economy has lagged behind other regions during recent years and there are significant economic disparities across the sub-regions.

Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy at the launch of the Bay of Plenty Regional Growth Region’s strengths Study in Tauranga. Bay of Connections chair Doug Leeder says the region has the tools The Bay of Plenty has significant and opportunities it needs for growth, with the RGS cataloguing the region’s strengths untapped economic potential and opportunities, and demonstrating how and key ingredients for growth, that growth can be achieved. according to the Government-led “The launch of the Bay of Plenty Regional Growth study marks a significant developBay of Plenty Regional Growth ment for our wider region. Study launched by Ministers Steven “We are off to a good start – as outlined Joyce, Nathan Guy and Te Ururoa in the study, we already have a strong and proven platform of collaboration across Flavell in Tauranga recently. industry, Maori and economic development The RGS was commissioned by the Minisagencies through the Bay of Connections try of Business, Innovation and Employment framework. and Ministry for Primary Industries in “We need to add to this momentum and partnership with the Bay of Plenty Regional investment by identifying and focus on the Council to identify a range of short to key priorities. mid-term opportunities that could assist in “There is no silver bullet that will transincreasing investment, employment, and form the Bay of Plenty and its economy, but incomes across the region. we have a great deal of untapped potential,

expertise, talent and significant geographic and competitive advantages to hold our own in New Zealand and the world.” The study identified six key growth opportunity areas for the region, which include: • Forestry – recognising Maori-owned land assets, developing export markets. • Horticulture – kiwifruit, avocado and apiculture (honey). • Agriculture – improve farm productivity and related processing. • Aquaculture – Opotiki Harbour development and mussel farm, and fresh water farming opportunities such as trout. • Visitor economy – tourism, health and wellness and events. • Specialised manufacturing – research and development around titanium powders and alloy products. To support these direct opportunities, enabling opportunities were identified which include improving water management, use of geothermal energy, transport infrastructure, digital technology uptake, education and skills, public agency support for the business sector and increasing the productivity of Maori land. The next step involves working with key players across the region to develop an action plan that will define the steps needed to grow the region. “The Regional Growth Study and the Government’s investment in it – and interest in us – provides us with our single biggest opportunity to create the growth we all seek and need for a prosperous and sustainable future,” says Doug. “The opportunities posed by the study are ours to grasp and it’s absolutely critical we work together to achieve them.” The RGS covers the Bay of Connections region of Rotorua, Whakatane, Kawerau, Opotiki, Tauranga, Western Bay of Plenty

and Taupo, and was written by independent consultants MartinJenkins with significant input from regional stakeholders. The Bay of Plenty RGS is one of three regional studies to be commissioned by the Government, alongside those for Northland and Manawatu-Wanganui. The Bay of Plenty RGS is the second study to be launched, after the Northland Regional Growth Study in February 2015. The regional action plan will be developed by industry, iwi, and local and Central Government stakeholders across the region. It is expected to be completed by September. The Bay of Connections is the regional growth strategy for the wider Bay of Plenty with a vision of creating a prosperous region supported by sustainable sectors; it’s simple and aspirational, with the aim of establishing and implementing sector-based strategies that generate job growth. It encourages the region to use its combined strength and work together as one to create influence and leverage on a national scale, while at the same time ensuring no one area loses its distinctiveness. The Government has committed to working with the region through the Bay of Connections, and is also committed to raising Maori economic development performance, which makes up a significant part of the Bay of Plenty’s economic potential.

COAST & COUNTRY

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Catchment meeting

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Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Grow Rotorua are hosting a free symposium in June to explore economic and environmentally sustainable farming, and business opportunities for land use change in the Lake Rotorua catchment. Council’s Rotorua catchments manager Helen Creagh says the symposium is a way to support landowners who will be affected by new nitrogen rules designed to improve water quality in Lake Rotorua. “We [regional council] want to provide a forum where we can talk about ways to reduce nitrogen discharge and also the support services that we have available for landowners,� says Helen. Speakers will come from across New Zealand from different farming backgrounds and industries. “While we encourage speakers to present innovative ideas we want to ensure that what they are presenting is credible and has been approved by Land TAG.� The free symposium will be held at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre on June 16 and 17. Anyone interested in attending can register and view the draft programme at www. rotorualakes.co.nz/symposium2015

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Fruit fly worries not over The first insects were found in February and confined to an urban area of Auckland. Because of the location and response of MPI and its partner organisations, including the kiwifruit industry, no restrictions were placed on kiwifruit imports to any of “While it’s good the country New news that no Zealand supplies. further evidence However, had the of fruit fly has insects been found been found, it’s in a fruit-growing important the region, some interprogramme is national markets reviewed again could have banned in spring to be imports, costing absolutely confithis country’s hordent there are no ticultural industries further residual millions of dollars. populations,” says MPI’s field operaa Kiwifruit Vine tions will reduce Health spokesperduring winter, son. but they won’t It’s now been stop – and KVH almost three continues to liaise months since closely with MPI any sign of the and supports their Queensland fruit ongoing approach. fly has been found The ministry The Ministry for Primary Industries in Auckland, is relaxing the says Ministry for included fruit fly information on its fruit and vegPrimary Industries’ stand at last year’s Fieldays. etable movement acting chief operacontrols for some households in the centre tions officer Steve Gilbert. “This is good news, but it doesn’t mean the of Auckland’s fruit fly zone because it’s very job is done. Fruit flies are not active in cooler confident about the exact location of the weather, so while we expect that our controls small population of the fruit fly in Grey Lynn. have been successful we won’t know for sure “Because we are so certain about the locauntil spring when any flies still present would tion of the infestation, we can now safely become active again.”

No more fruit fly have been found in Auckland but fruit and vegetable growers can’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet.

reduce the size of the higher risk A Zone,” says Steve. “This means some properties are far enough away from the population that they no longer need to adhere to the toughest fruit and vegetable controls. “It’s important to note, though, that the restrictions on fruit and vegetable movements do still remain in force.” All residents in the former A Zone will receive a letter notifying them of the change and the controls that will apply to them during the winter period. They will be able to check out where their home is on an interactive map on MPI’s website. “Residents have noticed some changes in activity such as fewer backyard visits, although some visits will still need to take place to minimise any risk of fruit flies breeding in the area,” says Steve. The baiting programme, where MPI applied insecticide bait to all fruiting trees in the Controlled Area, ceased at the end of May. However, it may need to restart in spring, depending on trapping results. Wheelie bins for fruit and vegetable waste disposal will be emptied less frequently, although this will still be at least weekly. “Our surveillance traps will remain out as there may be some days over winter which are warm enough for fruit flies to fly. The traps will be checked less frequently, but any flies caught in the traps will be found. “MPI would like to sincerely thank all residents of the Controlled Area for their help in this important response. “We know it’s been inconvenient for many people and the community support is very much appreciated by both the Ministry and New Zealand’s horticultural industry.”

To list your rural event please email: julie@thesun.co.nz with Rural Event in the subject heading.

Thursday 4 June Transition Cow Workshop

Held at Pongakawa Hall, Old Coach Rd, Pongakawa 10.30am-12.30pm. Ph: Kevin McKinley 027 288 8238. Held at Edgecumbe Memorial Hall 2.30pm-4.30pm. Ph: Wilma Foster 021 246 2147. Held at Distinction Hotel, 390 Fenton St, Rotorua from 7pm-9pm. Ph: Kevin McKinley 027 288 8238. Come along, join the discussion and have your questions answered on anything from energy nutrition to milk fever. Hear about the findings from the multi-research programme on the Transition Cow from Dr John Roche, DairyNZ Principal Scientist for Animal Science.

Friday 5 June

Tactics for Tight Times Otorohanga This is the second field day in a series. If you missed the first one, not to worry, still come along. Get the tools, tips and tactics to strengthen your business. Gain an understanding of the economic outlook for dairy. Learn cost-effective tactics from local farmers and share your ideas. Held at Alan and Briar Roigers, 500 Ouruwhero Rd, KioKio SN74339, from 10.30am-1.30pm. Ph: Sarah 021 770 859.

Wednesday 10 June

NZ National Agricultural Fieldays Mystery Creek Events Centre, 125 Mystery Creek Rd, Mystery Creek, Hamilton June 10-13 from 8am-5pm. See the industry’s latest inventions.

Friday 19 June

Smash Conference Waikato A positive, vibrant and interactive day organised by dairy farmers for dairy farmers, with plenty of time for informal networking. Get ideas, methods and inspiration to take your business and personal life to a whole new level. Held at Don Rowlands Centre, Karapiro, Cambridge from 9am-5pm. Ph: Noldy 0272 553 048. For more information email: smash.registrar@gmail.com

By Elaine Fisher

www.harcourts.co.nz ADVANTAGE REALTY LTD MREINZ

Advantage Realty Ltd MREINZ Licensed Agent REAA 2008

Tauranga Central Office – 07 578 0879 Cherrywood Office – 07 576 8770 Bethlehem Office – 07 579 2206 Mount Central Office – 07 575 6384 Papamoa Office – 07 542 9012 Te Puke Office – 07 573 4754

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