11 August 2021 - Rural News by Waimea Weekly Archives

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Fishermen help farmers Tony Entwistle, left, Timothy Sassella, middle, and Steve Perry helping fix fences at a local farm. Photo: Gebhard Krewitt.

Jenny Nicholson

A group of fishermen are returning the goodwill they have experienced from local farmers by helping with the clean-up from recent floods. Nelson Marlborough Fish and Game employee Jacob Lucas says

they often rely on the goodwill of farmers for access to the rivers they use to fish and hunt. Now they are returning the favour with working bees on several farms that were damaged in the July floods. About 15 to 20 staff and volunteers from Nelson Trout Fishing 21 7-20 201

Ga rde ols n Po wer To

Club, Fish and Game and fishing guides from NZ Professional Guides Association have been involved with the clean ups. “It is amazing how many hands do indeed make light work,” says Jacob. “Initially it looked daunting.” A lot of the work has been re-

moving debris from fences and reinstating those that have been flattened. There is also a lot of work with native plants that were swamped and surrounded by silt. They have been dug out and replanted with guards around them. They have been working alongside the Rural Support

Trust and still have a few farms lined up to help. Farmer Graeme Orange was overwhelmed that the group helped clean up his farm, mostly helping with fences. “After the flood it was quite traumatic,” he says. “But it was brilliant that they helped.”

21 7-20 201

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CLEAN UP: As part of the ‘fishermen helping farmers’ group is from left; Don McLean. Middle is Fish and Game’s Rhys Barrier and right is a group fixing a fence as part of the project at a farm in the Motueka Valley. The productivity and enthusiasm of students from Upper Moutere School was underestimated during a mass planting last week, as Kaela, right, shows. Elliot Easton, who is heading up the project, says the planting was all over in done with in just 45 minutes. “We took along 200 plants and the kids had completed it in under an hour, so then they helped tidy up the flood damage along the river.” The students went along to plant some of the seedlings they had grown in the school-run community nursery, which has been supported by the ‘Restoring the Moutere’ project. The seedlings were planted at the Beuke Bush project site, where currently a further 17500 native plants are being put in. Photo: TET.

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The latest Federated Farmers Farm Confidence Survey shows positiveness around economic conditions but deepening concern about the ability to plug workforce gaps. The survey, carried out by Research First in early July and drawing responses from 1422 farmers, showed a net 18 per cent of respondents considered the current economic conditions to be ‘good’. That’s a 12.4 point improvement from the survey six months earlier and 46 points better than a year ago after the economy was slammed by the pandemic. Looking forward, a net 39 per cent of farmers expected general economic conditions to worsen over the next 12 months, but that was actually a 5-point improvement on the January survey result. “The survey was a month ago now and I think farmers were feeling buoyed by strong commodity prices,” Feds President Andrew Hoggard said. Asked to identify their three greatest concerns, farmers listed climate change policy and the ETS (chosen by 18.5 per cent of respondents), followed by regulation and compliance costs (17.1

WedNeSdAY 11 August 2021

RSE workers scheme a relief for labour shortage Chris Valli

further 13-point increase on the 35 per cent of farmers who cited Rural industry bosses are welworkforce shortage worries in coming the relaxing of governJanuary. ment rules which will allow RSE “Last week’s red hot labour marworkers to enter NZ without ket data, including the big fall in having to go through quaranunemployment, confirms what tine. we already knew, says FederFrom September, Recognised ated Farmers President Andrew Hoggard. Seasonal Employer workers The move has also been welfrom Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu Please check your proof carefully and approve it orcomed submit by the Fin will be allowed into the country in corrections Marlborough where without having to go into man- Marcus Pickens says the local viticulture industry is encouraged the labour shortage has hit the You can now approve or submit changes to your ad within the ATOL system at a time that suits you. aged isolation. by the Government’s recent decision to non-quarantine RES wine industry hard. yournews ad for proof to view your ad, then click the APPROVE or CORRECTIONS right from there Marcusbutton Pickens from Wine The move isingood Tas-email workers in the upcoming months. Photo: Supplied. Marlborough says booked the local man where workforce PF gapsOLSEN have customer & CO LTD (RMD) publishing 06/24/21 size C still struggled to harvest what industries to recruit workers been difficult to plug. viticulture industry is encouradvert ID CH-8994297AA (100%) publication Adv Supp NEM dimensions 1 Vailima Orchard business man- was left. Our orchard had a 15- from overseas for seasonal work aged by the Government’s reSQUARE proofed 9 when thereCUSTOM are not enough New cent decision to non-quarantine ager and director Matthew Hod- 20 per cent loss and just got section Zealand workers. dy says the news of RSE work- through.” RES workers in the upcoming ers being allowed back into the Recruiting will still be a big fo- But the scheme was hit hard by months. cus for many orchards over the the global COVID-19 pandemic “It will enable more people to country is a positive step. “It’s great news, we don’t have coming months says Matthew as many workers returned home travel here and ultimately more the details yet and we look for- but the announcement of more and others not allowed in. people here can only be a good The government announcement thing!” ward to seeing them. But the RSE is certainly welcome. “We need to continue to recruit comes as the latest Federated The government is yet to reveal news itself is very positive.” the first in-yourFarmers Farm Confidence Matthew says growers in the New Zealanders in the exact numberbyoftheadditional Please check proof carefully and approveSurit or submit corrections Final Proof Alte Tasman region struggled to pick stance and then see what else is vey shows deepening concern RSE workers expected to come You can now approve or submit changes to your ad within the ATOL system at a time that suits you. Just follow th around. ” email to view your ad, then about the to fillorjobs. their crop with some orchardsin your in.button right from there - no new emai ad proof click theability APPROVE CORRECTIONS The Recognised Seasonal Em- Almost nearly half of the July Currently there are about 7000 unable to harvest all their fruit. PF OLSEN CO LTD publishing 06/24/21said it has booked size CSQ QUART V scheme&came into(RMD) effect survey respondents in New Zealand, compared to “A lot of orchards lost a lotcustomer of ployer advert ID CH-8994297AA (100%) publication Adv Supp NEM dimensions 12.3X12.4, cm level of about their crop in the summer hail in 2007 and the policy allows been harder to recruit skilled a pre pandemic section CUSTOM SQUARE proofed 9/06/2021 12:2 storms and as an industry we the horticulture and viticulture and motivated staff. That’s a 10,000.

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WedNeSdAY 11 August 2021

Ditching plastic for corn sugar pots Jo Kent When the director of Brightwater’s Titoki Nursery heard about a brand-new potting machine which eliminates the need for plastic, oils and glues, he knew he had to get one. Tim Le Gros says he thinks their machine is the first used in the native plant industry where the end product is planted out. “There is a lot of interest coming from nurseries all around the country enquiring about how we’ve found the system,” he says. “We’re wrapped with the results of our first season’s plants.” The Ellegaard Plant Paper machines are widely used around the world for forestry and bedding plant production. The big difference is that the machine forms its own pots out of a unique ‘paper’ made from corn sugars. It’s 100 per cent free of plastic, oils and glues. Tim says the paper pots hold the potting mix which the seedlings are then pricked out into. “The paper then breaks down completely

The potting paper is made from corn sugars and is completely biodegradable. over 12 to 18 months.” The decision to reduce their plastic use at the nursery was mainly for environmental reasons, but it’s having a positive effect on the plants too. Growth rates are improved and there is less root disturbance at planting time. “The little holes allow roots to grow all the way up the pot, rather than just gather at the base, so air pruning is better which provides stronger plants,”

says Tim. He visited the Ellegaard factory in Denmark in 2019 and the machine arrived in New Zealand just before lockdown. Tim says that while the machine was a big investment for the nursery, moving away from the reliance on plastic was more important. The nursery has always used hard plastics that can be recycled for many years, some pots are 15 years old and still going strong. “But it’s great to become even less reliant on such oil-based products,” says Tim. “Especially as we have problems with recycling the product after its life due to soil residues, and the decrease in what type of plastics can actually be recycled in New Zealand now.” Titoki have used the same growing system since the early 1980s and Tim says having been there for 17 years, it was time to try something new. “It was definitely an environmentallybased decision, but producing quality plants is not something we would compromise on either, so it all had to stack up.”

Director of Brightwater’s Titoki Nursery Tim Le Gros with the new paper potting machine. Photos: Jo Kent.

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Local farmer-turned-author ‘ch o Life is richer now for Marlborough farmer-turnedauthor Doug Avery. Ahead of the launch of his new book launch next year, he tells Chris Valli how his advocacy work for mental health enriches his life.

Hope. It’s a word and a value that 2010 ‘South Island Farmer of the Year’ Doug Avery is becoming accustomed to in all facets of life. The Groundswell New Zealand protests last month from farmers across the country was a day that, according to Doug, rural people found their unity and voice. Indeed, he says, it was a day where the support on the side of the road was positive and encouraging; it was a day of hope.

In 2017, Avery wrote a book aptly named the Resilient Farmer in collaboration with Margie Thomson, author of John Kirwan’s book All Blacks Don’t Cry: A Story of Hope. Living a life of perspective, being present and listening to those in need is all the boost he needs, says Doug. “I used to think that if I could put 600 lambs on a truck and have them kill(ed) absolutely perfect and set a new record price for the farm for what I got for them, was the best day I ever had in life. “Today, if I can take a human being who is finding life really hard and in three months see them kicking goals from halfway, I’m just chuffed!” After going through his own de-

Doug says government is putting extra pressure on farmers.

pression and personal battle following an eight-year drought, Avery explains how constant internal thoughts and monologue plagued him. The passionate farmer is only too raw and honest when he reflects about his own mental health journey and battle with depression. Avery’s depression, he says, came on because he thought he was failing his land and his family. In an emotional exchange and insight, Avery shows emotion that was extremely heartfelt and touched. He likens his recovery to learning to geese working together in a v-formation. But trusting others was a steep learning curve, he says. He says that up until he was 44, he felt like he had to be the ‘male’, to own everything and be the captain. It was the wrong approach to take, he explains, especially in the field of agriculture and farming where outside influences can certainly test one’s mettle. “The reason why they (geese) fly in a group is because they often get 71 per cent more flying distance when working with others. “The front goose has to work like hell while the other’s sit back and give the other geese to sit back and rest.” Doug realised he didn’t have to

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Marlborough farmer Doug Avery is preparing to launch his new book. Photo: Supplied.

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h ooses hope’ opportunities and to get the fruit of the tree when I want it. “I’m 66 and when I look at my life, I’ve only had five bad years - how bloody good is that? I’ve had 61 brilliant years.” There’s always been discontent in farming, Doug says, and he believes the government is not helping, putting farmers under extra pressure. Ministers haven’t hasn’t listened and haven’t consulted at the appropriate levels across the farming community. The Howl of Protest events were a stand against unworkable regulations through climate change policies and unfair costs such as the ‘ute tax’ for the farming sector. The effects are felt throughout the community, explains Doug. Farmers should be the ones looking for solutions and opportunities, he says. “Government affiliated officials who are appointed onto these panels, don’t and won’t understand respective circumstances like planting dates in Marlborough.” Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) were brought in under the Resource Management Act in 1991 when councils were charged with identifying and protecting areas with significant habitats of indigenous biodiversity.

Doug, a self-confessed Greenie, has put 67 hectares of land into SNAs. He has a long reputation and track record with a huge contribution to emissions reductions and the efficiency of his farming ‘business’ (meat grown per unit) is as good as anywhere in the world. Indeed, he is adamant that farmers all over New Zealand have taken on the challenge to be better in all that they do. But a ‘lack of prioritising’ from the Government’ has had an impact on farmers locally and nationwide with a shortage of workers adding fuel to the fire. “This year we are between 2000 - 4000 workers short and I am expecting carnage. This is a byproduct of Covid but also the Government not being able to cope with Covid. “The problem now is we have an animal and human health welfare problem brewing in dairy farming of unprecedented proportions. How do farmers get organised without the available pool of people and or farm hands where there is a shortage?” Avery says he feels honoured to have the opportunity to talk to people about the importance of life and to live, grow and celebrate.

WedNeSdAY 11 August 2021

PGG Wrightson stock agent Peter Taylor in action at the Brightwater Stock Sales late last month. Photo: Andrew Board.

Strong stock sale at Brightwater A busy stock sale was held in Brightwater late last month and PGG Wrightson Tasman regional livestock manager Peter Taylor says all classes of stock were in strong demand. Prime ewes went from between $150 to $195 and prime lambs between $180 - $205. Heavy prime lambs went from between $165-$175 while lighter prime lambs went from between $135 and $160. Tops of store lambs

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Friesian cross steer calves made $470-$490 and two pens of Hereford Friesian cross heifer calves between $420 and $500. “With feed supply in the province, there is a genuine shortage of prime export stock going to the freezing works and store stock through the sale years,” says Peter. Next major sale will be the open spring cattle sale on September 23 at the Brightwater yards.

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were $124 and medium store lambs $106. There was a line of Hereford Friesian R2 steers, which made between $1350$1500. Two pens of Angus steers went for $1210-$1230 and good yearling red angus steers made $850. Hereford Heifers made from between $780-$880 and medium Hereford Friesian cross steer went for $670-$740. Hereford Friesian R1 yearlings sold for $600. Two pens of Hereford

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WedNeSdAY 11 August 2021

Buzz over new apiculture course Tasman is set to help meet the demand of one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing industries – beekeeping. To meet the demand for beekeeping training Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) is delivering the New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture, Level 3 from September this year. Primary Industries curriculum manager Pam Wood is thrilled NMIT is able to offer a beekeeping programme in the region as it complements the viticulture and horticulture programmes. “Beekeepers have an important connection with the vineyards and kiwifruit orchards across Te Tauihu, so there is a natural cross over with our other programmes,” says Pam. “Because the workshops are held on Saturdays, with Zoom tutorials in the evening during the week, this programme is also very accessible to learners who

need to fit it in around their employment.” Running September to May, the programme follows the natural season for bees— from getting active in spring to preparing hives for winter.

Beekeepers have an important connection with the vineyards and kiwifruit orchards across Te Tauihu... NMIT’s Pam Wood

Students will learn how to build a hive and create and care for a colony and will be able to keep their hive after the programme ends. Other topics include collecting honey, understanding bee behaviour and feeding bees. The apiculture industry offers a range of employment opportunities and graduates from the certificate

programme will be able to work as assistant beekeepers for commercial operators, as independent beekeepers with a small number of beehives or even develop their own business. There are around 900,000 beehives registered with Apiculture New Zealand and since the pandemic there has been a huge demand for starter colonies for backyard, urban and commercial beekeeping. Thanks to a history of good beekeeping practices and strict biosecurity legislation New Zealand enjoys a healthy bee population. As part of New Zealand’s COVID-19 recovery plan the New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 3) is eligible for fees-free under the Targeted Training and Apprenticeships Fund (TTAF). It is delivered with blended learning, with two Saturday block courses per month at either the Marlborough or The new training course in beekeeping will start at NMIT’s Marlborough campus next month. Photo: Bianca Ackermann/Supplied. Richmond Campus.

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