Trail Grazers

Vineyard grazing boon for drought-stricken farmers

BRENDA WEBB

WINTER GRAZING sheep in vineyards has become crucial for many Marlborough hill country farmers facing severe drought conditions, says retired vet Pete Anderson. Vineyards are typically grazed by merino hoggets, with the green grass of the Wairau Plains the “best tucker for them” at a time when traditional feeding grounds are lean, he says.

“Let’s face it, the whole of the Wairau Valley plain was lamb finishing country before vineyards came along… Some of the first people to get into it were east coast farmers including Sandy Chaffey, who realised the benefits of finishing off their stock in vineyards. This year, with severe drought on the east coast, it has been wonderful for them.”

Pete says he struggles seeing vineyards with lush green pasture - often with an elevated content of highquality legumes - being mowed by tractors or sitting empty, particularly when farmers are struggling during a prolonged drought season. “There is such fantastic feed sitting there – I hate seeing it go to waste.”

He would love to see vineyards fenced, as some are possibly not grazed because their configuration makes it too hard. “Most farmers use portable electric fencing units, but perhaps if vineyards were set up properly with more permanent fences in place, and perhaps basic sets of yards, it would make it easier,” he says. “I can see a symbiotic relationship developing with huge benefits to both farmers and vineyard owners.”

While there are issues around spray residue, the transfer of needle grass, sheep measles and foot rot, they were all surmountable, says Pete. And the benefits of winter grazing far outweigh any drawbacks for both sheep farmer and vineyard owner, he adds. “There is lots of country out there and it’s country that is capable of keeping lambs and ewes in good condition over winter.”

Sandy Chaffey farms at Kekerengu and has grazed vineyards as part of his farming operation for more than 10 years. His lambs and hoggets are routinely drenched and put into vineyards straight after harvest, and left as long as possible through the winter, fitting in with vineyard pruning regimes.

He uses Whitehaven’s Pauls Rd vineyard for grazing, among others, and says the pasture has been invaluable this year, given the exceptionally dry conditions being experienced on the east coast. “The stock do really well there over winter.”

Sandy has a local person checking his sheep, as it is essential there’s someone available immediately should sheep get out, he says. “There is always a chance a fence could blow over or gate get left open – you need someone close by, but generally they are fine.”

As far as Whitehaven’s vineyard manager Shawn Black is concerned, winter grazing of vineyards is a win for all concerned. It means less use of diesel, with less mowing required, and the sheep eat unwanted and hard to get rid of weeds, such as mallow, meaning less frequent sprays. The sheep also provide natural fertiliser as they graze, says Shawn, who estimates that 80% of the 230 hectares of vineyards he manages are grazed by sheep in the winter months. “We like it,” he says. “The only issue in the past has been that it is hard on irrigation, but we have started to lift our irrigation wire to 500mm so it acts more like a fence, and the sheep run along it when they get a fright rather than through it. Anecdotally it seems to be working so far.”

Shawn makes sure farmers place their portable fencing so that machinery and workers can still get in to carry out essential winter tasks, such as post replacement and pruning, with minimal disruption to both sheep and staff. “It’s not a problem – our staff are all aware and for us it works really well.”

Vineyard owners with grazing to offer are encouraged to contact the Feed Coordination Service, says the Ministry for Primary Industry’s director of rural community and farming support Nick Story. The nationally run service helps connect farmers who are short of feed with people who can offer grazing or supplement feed. “Autumn has got off to an extremely dry start in multiple regions along the east coast of New Zealand,” he says. “In April, the Government boosted its drought support to new parts of the country and an extra $900,000 of funding will be used to help farmers and ensure feed support services can continue.” Contact feed coordinator Kate Wood on 027 455 5204 or kate@ruraldirections.co.nz

Withholding Periods

Anyone grazing sheep in a vineyard needs to understand withholding periods before slaughter, depending on the time of grazing and the chemicals at use in the vineyard. New Zealand Winegrowers provided information in the 2020/2021 Spray Schedule advising that when sheep or any livestock graze in vineyards they consume agrichemical residues via grape leaves, sward and soil. The Ministry for Primary Industry’s Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines advise that sheep grazing in vineyards must be considered under three different scenarios: 1. Leaf plucking prior to harvest 2. Grazing post-harvest 3. Chlorothalonil has been used (at any time in the past) To read the guidelines, go to nzwine.com/members/ sustainability/news/sheep-in-vineyards/

Chilean needle grass

There have been instances of farmers taking Chilean needle grass (CNG) from vineyards back to their own property. There have also been instances of CNG being spread from vineyard to vineyard by graziers. Vineyard managers need to be careful and contact Marlborough District Council biosecurity if they have any concerns regarding spreading CNG. See council’s rules on CNG on the A-Z of pests at marlborough.govt.nz/environment/ biosecurity