Coast and Country March

Bay of Plenty & Waikato Farm, Orchard & Rural Lifestyle

March 2014 Issue No.163

Bay of Plenty & Waikato Farm, Orchard & Rural Lifestyle

Hydrangea hype Patrick and Deb Thorp proudly grow hydrangea, often known as grandmas fl owers, in a range of vibrant and subtle colours for export to the world. See their story on pages 4-5 Photo by Elaine Fisher.

Mellow thoughts of autumnPage 2 COAST & COUNTRY

Mellow thoughts of autumn

The winner of February Coast & Countrys book prize, Wapiti Hunting in New Zealand by Simon Gibson, published by Halcyon Press, is Maryann ORourke of Matamata.

Autumn is one of my favourite times of the year. The evenings are cooler, but the days still warm. The garden is bursting with

fruit and vegetables. Trees put on a vibrant, short-lived colour show. Theres something mellow about this transition from summer to winter.

However, for farmers, contrac-tors and orchardists, theres not a lot of time to contemplate the beauty of the season. Theres maize to harvest, silage to make, paddocks to re-sow for pasture, feed budgets to prepare and for kiwifruit growers, fruit to pick.

Harvesting and storing autumns bounty goes back to the very beginnings of human existence; early cultures were so skilful at preserving foods and seeds, some have survived intact for thousands of years.

Ancient honey found in an Egyptian tomb in the 1800s was still edible, and famous egyptologist Howard Carter is said to have planted grain seeds found in a pyramid in the early 1900s; and 20 per cent of them germinated.

In 2005 preserved, long, thin

yellow noodles were found inside an overturned sealed bowl at the Lajia archaeological site in northwestern China.

Of course its not just humans who store food for winter. In 2003 archaeologists found a hoard of nuts in Germany, believed to have been stored 17 million years ago by a large hamster.

The fact the Chinese and Egyptian foods survived so long is probably because particular attention was paid to prepara-tion, by excluding air.

According to Bill Webb (see page 26), making a successful modern day maize silage stack relies on the same principles; although, of course, its designed to last just a few months - not several millennium.

The kiwifruit industry is gear-ing up for harvest (see pages 40-41), and with a reduced crop, thanks to the effects of the disease Psa-V, competition among post-harvest operators is strong.

However, with new varie-ties rapidly maturing, predictions are crop volumes will quickly reach and then

exceed pre-Psa fi gures. Amid the preparations for winter, some of the countrys top young (and not so young) farmers have taken time out to enter the 2014 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (see page 13), which showcase the very best in the industry.

Autumn truly a time to harvest food and expertise.

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Growing the message of embracing change

Doug Avery, the Marlborough farmer brought almost to ruin by drought, no

longer worries about the weather.I spend my time thinking about things I can

infl uence in my business, says Doug, who people call The Drought Man and The Lucerne Man for the dramatic change he made from grass to lucerne pastures in an effort to save his family farm.

It wasnt easy, but the turnaround in the farm and Dougs own thinking has been so impressive, hes been sharing his story with farmers nationwide the country through his Beyond Reasonable Drought workshops.

If you run a corner dairy, a swish car yard, farm or a hotel in Queenstown, the principles of business are the same, Doug told Coast & Country.

What happens with farmers is they work in isola-tion, and they get occupied in stuff that isnt going to help them in their future.

DramaticI call that their areas of concern. When I stopped

wasting my time on my areas of concerns, and started looking at the dot inside the big circle of concern, called your circle of infl uence, my life started to change dramatically.

A lot of my talk is around these sorts of strategies and that applies to dairy, beef, sheep, deer, goat any farmers and the service industries that support them.

Doug says people leave his seminars they dont leave talking about lucerne; theyre talking about thinking about themselves.

My message is about change; and a lot of people just dont understand what the steps are.

I didnt either at fi rst; I went through them, and change is hard, says Doug, who is 2010s South Island Farmer of The Year and 2013 Landcorp Agri-cultural Communicator of the Year.

In 1998, a depressed and disillusioned Doug had just about given up on his 1500ha farm.

Years of prolonged droughts had Doug and his wife working endlessly, unable to pay the bills and feed

their family off Bonaveree the farm in their familys ownership since 1919.

It had got to the point when I realised this has gotten beyond a joke. We had the driest decade since records began; and it was a desperate battle for survival.

In desperation, Doug attended a fi eld day where professor Derrick Moot spoke about lucerne.

That hour changed my life, says Doug. He promoted the concept of using lucerne as a primary grazing plant, when we had a ryegrass and clover-based system.

Knowing change was the only option, Doug took a risk and during the next four years implemented Derricks theory on his farm.

Things got worse before they got better; I was doing it in isolation and had no support. The only reason I kept going is I knew the road Id been travel-ling was no longer a viable option.

Doug and his family changed their entire farm process an effort not received well by the farming community.

LunacyThey called me the Lucerne Lunatic, they said:

The mans gone crazy. But few people would call it lunacy now.

From 2008-2010, Bonaverees performance dou-bled. And it has doubled again since then.

For every drop of water his farm receives, Doug gets twice the energy from the water that a typical grass-land farmer would. Dougs lambs fatten at 400 grams per day signifi cantly more than the national average of 178g. In 2002 Bonaveree had 3700 sheep and produced 25 tonnes of meat in 2012 with 500 more sheep the farm, it produced 85 tonnes of meat.

I have huge gratitude to the system and processes that saved my life. There was a lot of emotion and heartbreak tied up in those terrible years; and Im so scared of ever returning to that place again.

At age 59, last month Doug undertook a mission to spread his message of success.

I want to live in a country with higher wealth and wellbeing for its habitants. I want to be personally

involved in taking NZ agricultural systems to a higher and better place.

LegumesDoug says he had no choice, being

at the end of the barrel, but to adopt change. I believe the changes we went through are relevant to a huge number of farmers I enjoyed putting them out there in workshops and obviously, people are interested in that process.

Doug says his fascination is legumes not just lucerne.

Im pushing legumes because they fi x nitrogen naturally. Legumes effectively double the value of water, in terms of its ability to produce basic elements, like soil fertility and water into dollars.

Lucerne, if you can grow it, is the most effective one.

Doug says growing the plant, you do run into problems because theyre dif-ferent. For a lot of people, because they require a different approach, they back off and go back to grass.

In NZs case we still need nitrogen, so we put it on artifi cially; and my drive with my farm performing in the top fi ve per cent in one of most diffi cult and dry areas of the country is Ive found a way to do this stuff and as a natural part of the farm.

To learn more about Doug, visit www.beyondreasonabledrought.co.nz

By Corrie Taylor and Merle Foster

Marlborough sheep farmer

Doug Avery, in a paddock of

lucerne.

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COAST & COUNTRY

They fi gured the weather, pests and diseases and fi ckle markets would be challenging,

but Deb and Patrick Thorp didnt factor in pukeko as a risk when they ventured into

the cut fl ower business.It was so disheartening. Id spend all day carefully

putting in young plants, only to have pukeko rip them out, time and again, says Deb.

It wasnt until they discovered a fi sh-based smelly spray, which the plants liked but the birds didnt, that the pukeko problem was resolved.

That was six years ago and today it would take a bird the size of a moa to uproot the 5000 hydrangea bushes the couple has planted. However, theres always a small plot of young, new varieties which need pukeko protection.

Patrick and Deb were living on Waiheke Island when they decided to make the move to the Bay of Plenty and begin their own horticultural business near Katikati.

Patrick, who has a diploma in horticulture, was Debs boss when they both worked in the Auck-land Domain, where Deb had completed an apprenticeship in horticulture.

We knew we wanted our own business working outside, not in glass houses; and because of the cost of land at Waiheke, that wasnt going to be possible there, says Pat-rick, who still consults for the Auckland Councils parks department.

AvocadoAfter much research, and talking

to other fl ower growers, the couple decided to plant hydrangea under shelter on two hectares of land at Katikati. The balance of the 4.5ha block includes 150 mature avocado trees, left from those removed to make way for the fl ow-ers. Like many avocado orchards, it has been inconsistent in cropping. Flowers provide a more reliable income.

People often say we are growing grandmas fl owers because theyre considered old-fashioned, but we dont mind. We love them and hydrangea are enjoying a return to popularity, says Deb.

The Thorps export 99 per cent of their fl owers under the business name Growing Edge. About 50 per cent goes to the Middle East, 25 per cent heads to America and 25 per cent goes to Japan. New markets are opening up in India and China, which

offer promise. There is not a very big market for the fl owers in New Zealand, as everyone seems to have them in their gardens, says Patrick.

However, Katikatis Flowers on Main often uses the white blooms for wedding arrangements and bou-quets. Deb says it took about two years until the fi rst commercial fl owers could be cut for market.

One of our biggest learning curves was how to pack them. We were asked to put up to 50 stems in a box and just couldnt fi gure out how that would

work. In fact, hydrangea are remarkably tolerant of being gently compressed.

HydratedOnce taken out of the box, so long as they are well-hydrated, they will spring back to shape, says Patrick. The name hydran-gea comes from the Greek word hydor, meaning water, and

angos, meaning jar or vessel; and perhaps refers to the fl owers need for

water and its ability to come back from wilting when given a drink.

Water is essential to grow top quality fl owers, so the Thorps plants are irri-

gated. While they need sunlight, too much burns or bleaches them, so the shade structures protect from both wind and sun.

The plants receive regular fertiliser and spraying is carried out by a contractor to control insect, pests and disease.Initially, we grew a lot of

plants from cuttings; and while the fl owers were good, exporters told

us we would be better off with named varieties because then customers would

know exactly what to expect when they placed an order, says Patrick.

Today, they grow all colours from the well-known blues to pink, deep red and white.

One of the appeals of hydrangea is the longevity of the blooms, which can be left for up to two

weeks before picking.We pick as many as we can for

fresh blooms, because you never know whats going to happen later in the season.

But then there is a market for the antiques which come later, says Patrick.

AntiqueAntique blooms are those which begin to gently

fade or even change colour late in summer, creating an even more old-fashioned look for the classic blooms.

Grandmas flowers enjoy revivalDarryl Isaac LtdDarryl Isaac LtdDarryl Isaac Ltd

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Hydrangea are native to China, Japan, Korea, the Himalayas, Indonesia

and the Americas. Most plants grow between one and three metres

high, but some are small trees. Those called lianas and are more like vines, climbing trees up to 30 metres tall. Different varieties produce different-shaped blooms.

Best known are the mophead globe-shaped fl owers, but theres also cone-shaped fl owers known as pani-cles and the lacecap, which has a fl attened centre of tiny fl owers surrounded by a fringe of typical fl owers.

Traditionally, the hydrangea is the fourth wedding anniversary fl ower and is said to represent anything thats sincerely heart-felt.

Autumn antiques find favour in marketsTheres a strong export market

for these fl owers too, but prepar-ing them needs extra attention as any damaged or brown petals must be removed.

Debs parents Brian and Noeline Crook often lend a hand with quality control and packing, as does Patricks dad,Tom, on occa-sions.

More regular hands in the pack shed are the couples children Nathaniel (26), Zac (23), Lewis (17) and Gemma (14).

Its a real family business and the older two have often earned their university holiday funds working with the fl owers, says Patrick.

As much as they enjoy the fl ow-ers and the outdoor nature of the work, Deb says growing hydran-gea means no summer holidays. Our busiest time is through summer, when everyone else is on holiday. Its lucky Patrick loves fl y fi shing, but I may need to learn how to ski to get the most out of a winter holiday.

Flowers are picked in the early morning and at night, as it gets too hot past 10am to before 5pm. This season the couple has invested in a small chiller; and each night a courier truck arrives

to collect the blooms to take to the exporters in Auckland, ready for air-freighting off to market.

InsectsFlowers for the USA must be

stripped bare of leaves; and for all markets blooms are inspected carefully for any insect pests. However, as some are too small to be seen by the naked eye, they are again checked by entomologists

before shipment. Growing Edge has not had too many problems with insects on fl owers. But several years back, when a moth was found in one consignment, 15 boxes of blooms were destroyed.

Pruning is a crucial part of man-aging the plants. Sometimes were asked why we dont cut them with a hedge cutter because the plants seem so hardy, but if we did we couldnt get the number of fl owers

or length of stem we need, says Deb.

So each of the 5000 plants must be individually and care-fully pruned in winter.

Growing hydrangea fl owers has by no means been a get rich quick scheme for the Thorps. The start-up costs, including the extensive shade structures and irrigation, are signifi cant; it is at least three years before the plants begin

to produce a commercial size crop; the work is labour-intensive; and markets and currency rates can fl uctuate.

We started just before the global fi nancial crisis which didnt help, but it

did mean exporters began looking for other markets and those in China and India are looking promising, which is a good thing for the future, says Patrick.

Symbol of sincerity

By Elaine Fisher

Hydrangea are quite easy to pack when you know how, as Deb

Thorp demonstrates.

A cool room has been built to house fl owers.

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3 22

Drench resistance and testing to manage worms

Page 6 COAST & COUNTRY

No one has yet fi gured out what the small (about 12cm long), thin brass cylinder is. It has a screw top, which opens to reveal a wad of rolled-up fabric inside.

On the side of the cylinder is a mounted hollow tube, which can be moved up and down with a hook at the top and what looks like a fi tting for a small hose at the other end.

If you know what it is, and have a story to tell about its use, wed love to hear from you and you could win a visit for two to the Katikati Heritage Museum. Send your entry to: [email protected] or post to: Mystery Item, Coast & Country, PO Box 240, Tauranga

3110, to arrive no later than March 17. The winner will be announced in Coast & Countrys April issue. The museum,

just south of Katikati, is open seven days a week 9.30am-4pm. To fi nd out more, visit: www.katikatiheritagemuseum.co.nz or phone 07 549 0651. Last months mystery item has been cor-rectly identifi ed by Trevor Mitchell of Tokoroa, as a hand-operated domestic ice cream maker. Trevor believes a mixture of crushed ice and brine was put in the outer bucket while the beater was used to churn the ice cream mix in the inner bucket.

Isobel Nicol of Opotiki was close with her suggestion that the device was a

butter churn.

an ineffective drench decreases lamb carcass value by 14 per cent, compared to using an effective drench.

To maximise productivity in the short-term, it is important worms are adequately controlled, but what is good for worm control often selects for drench resistance. Alternatively, what is good at slowing the development of resistance may compromise worm control. So are you managing worms or managing resistance? For long-term sustainability, the ideal posi-tion is somewhere in between.

The industry initiative called Wormwise sets out agreed principles (facts about worms that most experts agree on), identifi es high risk activities that speed up drench resistance and outlines strategies for sustainable worm control.

In short this means: avoid or minimise known high-risk activities; for example, routine drenching of adult animals, using long-acting products, drenching at less than 28-day intervals. Maintain refugia; for example, avoid drenching onto clean pasture, leave some animals in a mob un-drenched. Know your drench resistance status and only use fully-effective drenches.

Many experts state a fully-effective drench should be a combination drench. However this is an over-simplifi cation, as single-active drenches can have their place if theyre still working 100 per cent. The drench resistance status on every property is different, and drench resistance is a farm-specifi c and not a fl ock/herd-specifi c issue because the majority of the worm population is on the ground.

To determine what drenches are fully effective on your property, two tools are available; a simple drench check to check the effectiveness of a drench (usu-ally 7-12 days after drenching); and a full Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT), which looks at several drenches at once. Talk to your animal health adviser to discuss further.

There is no doubt internal parasites, commonly referred to as worms, are a major cause of lost productivity in NZ agriculture.

Costs, estimated at hundreds of mil-lions of dollars per year, include lowered production, illnesses, deaths and costs

of drenching (product and labour). It is estimated 30 per cent of sheep produc-tion are reliant on worm drenches.

Now, with various worms becoming resistant to the chemicals we use, costs will only increase further. There are many fi gures quoted; for example, using

Mystery of the mystery itemThe Katikati Heritage Museum is appealing to Coast & Country readers to help identify an item which is a mystery even to its well-

informed staff and volunteers. On the side of the cylinder is a mounted hollow tube, which can be moved up and

3110, to arrive no later than March 17. The winner will be announced in Coast

just south of Katikati, is open seven days a week 9.30am-4pm. To fi nd out more, visit: www.katikatiheritagemuseum.co.nz or phone 07 549

Mystery of the mystery item

Straightforward, to the rewards of simplicityHaving spent the last 50-odd years

tearing around creating havoc with ideas, being inventive and lateral as I am, it is now time to refl ect on what was/is really important and what was/is not. I guess the single most important discovery is that we need to keep things simple. Our lives are far too compli-cated. Particularly as we age, we want things to be clear cut and trouble-free.

A great friend of mine advises me the most important thing in life is to spend less than you earn. An old saying, basic but true.

We rush off to the accountant every year to fi nd that after income, less expenses and drawings and tax, we are barely making headway.

Maybe the smell of a new cars interior or the fl ashy ad for another world trip is too much for us mere mortals to resist.

Yet with some resistance, and a better fi nancial position, we do actually feel better. Better because we feel more secure with a sense of achievement, not to mention the

marked reduction in fi nancial stress.Simple also includes everything we do. Some people love to make things

complicated, which then become dif-fi cult to manage both fi nancially and time-wise. What was simple is now convoluted

and at times hard to understand. A rural example of this might include

going from simple all-grass farming to high input and output farming.

It has great output, but do the inputs of not only money and time give you a

commensurate reward? Or have you taken a simple dairy operation

and made it complicated?I am not knocking high input farming; I

am just questioning whether it is economic and simple. The best operators make it fl y, but the average to poor do not.

In my own orchard there are many variables and opportunities. I have made decisions that have complicated a simple system.

I admit Im in the process of unwinding all of those decisions to go back to a simple input/output avocado orchard.

The results will not only be more profi t-

able, but much less cluttered in time and that word again: simple.

Another example includes involvement with bureaucracy. They add layer upon layer until nobody knows what is really happening, and to get anything done is a mission and must be signed off by all and sundry.

When dealing with people who are working for me and with me, I encourage them to make a simple executive decision and then take action.

I am a great fan of the KISS principle keep it simple stupid.

So, with the passage of a lot of time, which is refl ected in a lot of experience, the single most important thing I have learned is to keep it simple.

In everything we do, we need to strive for straightforwardness; and the rewards of more time and resultant happiness will lead to a more enjoyable and balanced life.

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.

0800 843 80907 362 7288 or go to

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COAST & COUNTRY

When paediatric nurse Julie Nicol thought shed like to make cheeses, she bought some milking goats then

borrowed library books to learn how to take care of them as well as the art of

cheese making. It was a steep learning curve,

as I got the goats before I had all the fences in place and I lost many trees to their browsing.

Today Julie produces a range of soft and hard cheeses from the milk of her Anglo-Nubian goats,

which graze on her half-a-hectare of land at Kina in the Tasman District.

The Anglo-Nubian goats are quite rare in New Zealand; and their very creamy milk with a high fat content means it is ideal for cheese making.

Julie, who has lived in big cities for most of her life, considers her-self a townie, but says she fell in love with the rural lifestyle when she visited a friend in the Tasman region.

I thought the area was magic; and [I] had an immediate sense that this was where I wanted to live.

The decision to buy a piece of land was quite a change of direc-tion for Julie, who had spent two years nursing in Saudi Arabia prior to settling in Tasman.

But its a decision she has no regrets about making.

She is still nursing in Nelson and fi ts once-a-day milking of Petal around her shifts.

Petal is the only goat in milk at present; and after shes been milked, her kid Lavender spends some time with her and the other goats Rosebud and Lilly.

From Petals milk Julie can make feta, haloumi, brie, blue cheese and hard cheeses which she enjoys

Learning goat farming by the book

By Elaine FisherJulie Nicol enjoys milking Petal, the Anglo-Nubian goat; and turning her rich milk

into cheeses. Photo by Ross Brown.

eating and sharing with friends and family.

Theres no shortage of milk as Petal can produce up to fi ve litres of milk a day and is quiet and easy to milk.

Julie admits to spoiling her goats, which not only have shelters to keep them warm in winter and cool in summer, but also receive a daily ration of hard feed made up of a mixture of lucerne hay, clover hay, goat pellets, bran, garlic, molasses, cider vinegar, seaweed meal and minerals.

Anglo Nubian goats are not as hardy as some breeds and do need extra care. They need to be kept warm, as they dont have thick coats like the Swiss breeds, and are susceptible to worms. I do drench them when I need to because they dont cope with stress very well, such as that caused by giving

birth. They need their feet trimmed too, but they are lovely goats to have.

The goats share their home with two kunekune pigs, chickens, a cat, a dog and Julies horse, which grazes the property. Julie has a big garden and orchard to tend as well.

It is amazing to have all of these animals in my life; it has been crazy, so much fun, and they have taught me so much about life, says Julie, who loves the Tasman district.

I can walk to the beach and I look at the mountains every day out of my windows.

This is a truly beautiful place; I feel it is such a privilege to live here.

#The Anglo-Nubian goat breed was originally developed in England by crossing traditional milking goats with those

from Africa and the Middle East. They have large, long ears and what is often described as a Roman nose.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is inviting residents to have their say about

how councils should manage the potential impacts of natural hazards, such as

earthquakes, fl oods, tsunami or geothermal eruptions, in the region.

BOPRC regional planner Martin Butler says everyone is invited to attend the Living with risk community sessions in Tauranga, Rotorua, Whaka-tane, Paengaroa and Opotiki during the week of March 10.

A natural disaster could happen in the Bay at any time. Fewer than 27 per cent of us are adequately prepared for that, so its important to think carefully about how we can minimise the damage of such an event to our lives and livelihoods, says Martin.

The Natural Hazards Policy of the Bay of Plenty Regional Policy Statement will guide district and city plan rules that infl uence where people live and work, and how they develop land and infrastructure.

Were currently reviewing that policy and we need information from the community to do so.

Information gathered from the community sessions will help us to ensure a good balance between indi-vidual and shared responsibility in the policy.

For session details and to register, contact Marie Radford at Bay of Plenty Regional Council; phone 0800 884 880 or email [email protected] Light snacks and spot prizes will be provided. Visit www.boprc.govt.nz/livingwithrisk to fi nd out more.

More information about how you and your family can be better prepared is available at www.bopcivildefence.govt.nz

Living with risk community sessions

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COAST & COUNTRY

Somewhere nestled in a Coromandel valley live the

quirky characters, both animal and human, who also populate

the pages of a delightfully funny and beautifully illustrated

book called When Chocolate Fish are Flying.

The author of its poems, Jan Hill, says: Some of these tellings are true; some could have happened and some we wish had hap-pened. Just like real life, some of the strangest tales are the truest, and some of the sweetest are wishful thinking. We can promise you the funniest are truly true [or should be] and we leave you to make your mind up which is which.

Her poems are illustrated by Lynda Vugler, who has captured the magic and mischief of the sometimes slightly-revenant poems theres more than a few references to farts and bums, and its guaranteed to make youngsters and adults alike laugh.

Intended for bedtime reading aloud, this hardback book is a delight and

sure to become a favourite for its catchy rhymes, enchanting colour drawings and more than colourful (and sometimes badly behaved) characters.

Thanks to Aries Publishing, Coast & Country three a copies of When Chocolate Fish are Flying to give away.

To be in to win, email your name and address, with Book Prize as the subject, to: [email protected] Or put these details on the back of an envelope and post to: Coast & Country Book Prize, PO Box 240, Tauranga 3110, to arrive no later than March 17.

The winner will be announced in Coast & Countrys April issue.

Sweet tales from a secret valley

The fi rst thing most experienced hunters check

when preparing for the roar is their rifl e - but

clothing, footwear, a GPS and personal locator beacon should also be high on the

list of what to take.

A personal locator beacon, in my opinion is a must have, if you injure yourself or become ill or have a heart attack going after your trophy stag. In fact, a PLB will save your life - and believe it or not, not only your dog but your wife or partner will be happy to see you come home.

With the GPS, the two main brands to look at are the Garmin and Magellan. Garmin has the market in New Zealand, but Magellan, the sole product that

the US armed forces are allowed to use, is worth a serious look.

Footwear is one of the most import things on a hunt, as theres nothing worse than being in the middle of the bush with sore and wet feet from an inappropriate boot choice.

Blaze - do not forget it, comes in all sorts including caps, vest, jackets etc. Modern hunting packs should have a blaze rain cover that you can pull out and pull over top of your pack. I prefer caps, as our heads normally dont stop moving and are easier to spot especially through movement.

Now to your rifl e. Go to the range or a friends farm to check to see if it is still shooting the same point of aim as the last time you used it.

I like to sight my rifl es in on a rising bullet. What I mean by that is if you sight your rifl e in dead on at 50 or 100 yards, after that point your bullet is going downhill,

and it is a lot harder to fi gure out where the bullet is going when it is dropping.

So if you sight your rifl e in 2.54cm (1.5 inches) to 6.35cm (2 inches) high at 100 yards that means youre dead on at 200 yards, (depending on your calibre and load choice).

The advantage of shooting on a rising bullet is that you know exactly where it is going. So basi-cally anywhere from 0 to 300 yards, you just aim straight at your target, taking all of the guesswork out what youre trying to do.

Things that can help with accuracy is a suppressor. I use one myself and have tried most brands out there. I prefer Hardys over barrel suppressors. They are light - only 290gms, hang over is 80mm and can reduce recoil by up to 70 per cent. We now are able to have a seven-year-old shooting a .308 without being scared of recoil, as it is softer than a .223 being fi red.

Getting ready for the roar boots and all

By Glenn Tuck

COAST & COUNTRY

Demonstrations of big machinesOne of the big attractions at this years Grasslandz show was the CLAAS Harvest

Centre site, where farmers and contractors could see and drive the new 350hp Class Axion 930 tractor

and the new JCB 435 Farm Master loader.

CLAAS Harvest Centre BOP managing director Vern Bates says the new CLAAS tractor range and the range of other CLAAS and JCB machinery and equipment on display at the companys site attracted a

good deal of attention.There are a number of agricultural

shows throughout New Zealand now, but Grasslandz is unique in that people can get in and drive these machines or at least observe them in action, rather than just a static dis-play, says Vern.

The CLAAS Harvest Centre team took full advantage of the ability to take customers for a drive in the machinery and to demonstrate it in action, with Glenn Davidson and Vaughn Carson there to show custom-ers the attributes of the CLAAS and JCB machines and equipment on display, along with the Amazone range of cultivation equipment.

The demonstration team also included a CLAAS Jaguar technical

manager from the CLAAS factory in Germany, who was able to pass on technical information and tips to drivers and owners to get maximum productivity out of the big harvesters.

Also on-site was the JCB product manager from Australia, who came to promote the full JCB range of machines, including the Fastrac and the number one selling JCB Loadall range of telescopic loaders.

He held live demonstrations of the JCB 435 Farm Master, the new model from JCB, which is a loader purpose-built for silage stacking with a new transmission for more power and improved fuel consumption.

Glenn Davidson, sales specialist with CLAAS Harvest Centre BOP on display at Grasslandz.

Thirty New Zealand Land Search and

Rescue Search Dogs will be wearing hi-tech behavioural monitoring devices when they are on search and rescue duties, thanks to a partnership with Wellington-based

Heyrex.Heyrex manufactures

monitoring units that fi t on to a collar and track the daily behaviours of a dog, so owners and handlers can keep a close eye on their overall wellbeing.

Heyrex CEO Nathan Lawrence is pleased to be able to donate 30 Heyrex monitoring devices to such a deserving cause. The Heyrex device will offer the LandSAR Search Dog handlers the ability to make sure their dogs are in optimum condition, so they can perform challenging duties.

LandSAR Search Dogs chairman Graeme Hill says the organisations dogs are highly trained to provide search and rescue support for lost, missing and injured people across New Zealand. Often, they work in severe and uncompromising conditions; in alpine, remote wilderness environ-ments, and we need to make sure they are fi t and well to be able to perform.

Using Heyrex products will help our handlers, who are all volunteers, make sure their dogs wellbeing is never overlooked or compromised.

Graeme says the donation of 30 Heyrex dog monitoring units, and additional Torus water bowls, which allow the dogs to have a continuous supply of fresh, fi ltered, clean water, will defi nitely be appreciated by them.

Nathan says hes delighted with the collaboration between LandSAR Search Dogs and Heyrex.

These highly talented dogs help save many lives across New Zealand every year; and its our job to make sure we look after them.

The Heyrex devices have the potential to extend the working lives of the LandSAR Search Dogs; including their tracking activities, fi tness levels by helping act as a safeguard from exhaus-tion and performance-related injuries.

Heyrex can operate effectively in conditions that vary between -10 and up to 55 degrees Celsius. They are also completely waterproof and durable, says Nathan.

They will help the LandSAR Search Dog handlers collate data related to their dogs behaviour, allowing them to identify behavioural changes and improve or indicate underlying health problems. Each handler will be able to read and interpret the data and take decisive action, if an issue arises.

Heyrex will also donate $20 to Land-SAR Search Dogs for every monitoring unit sold through the volunteer-run organisation and $10 from every Torus bowl sold.

Hi-tech monitoring for search dogs

Odins health and behaviour will be electronically monitored by his handler,

when hes on a search.

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COAST & COUNTRY

Like an archeologist on a dig, Terry Smith carefully sifts a sample of fi ne powder to

reveal fi sh teeth and bones that are millions of years old.

Its easy to fi nd the remains in the massive pile of phosphate, explains Terry, who is the chemical and process manager at Ballance Agri-Nutrients Tauranga, because its from the vertebrae and teeth of those ancient marine creatures that phosphate is largely formed.

This particular shipment arrived at the Ballance facil-ity via the Port of Tauranga, shipped from Morocco where it is mined from what was an ancient sea bed, now 100km from the coast.

Phosphorus is vital for plant growth and health, but in this form plants cant use it, says Terry. The amount of phosphorus it contains is also inconsistent.

Creating a plant-available fertiliser, which contains a consistent amount of nutrients, is what happens at the Ballance Tauranga plant.

Every day thousands of people drive by and others fl y over the facility on the Mount Maunganui-side of the harbour bridge, but few have any idea what happens there.

According to Terry, the facility is part of the food industry and he makes a pretty compelling argument to support his claim. Much of what we eat, he says, relies on animals cows, sheep, deer, even goats converting grass into protein in the form of milk or meat. To do that they need to eat grass, which is itself well-nourished by fertilisers.

We cant keep taking from the soil without replacing what plants extract. Each year we export hundreds of tonnes of nutrients in milk and meat which will never be returned to our soils, so we have to replace them.

Its not just through exports that nutrients are lost. Every day New Zealanders are depositing phospho-rus in our sewerage systems or septic tanks, which dont generally end up back in the soil.

One litre of adult human urine contains about 1.4 grams of phosphorus salts, which amounts to about

Sea creatures which lived eons ago nourish todays soils

0.11 grams of pure phosphorus so thats a lot of phosphorus that is out of reach of pasture plants.

New Zealand soils are also defi cient in a number of elements needed for healthy pasture growth.

Terry is fascinated by the history and chemistry behind fertilisers. He recounts how it was German scientist Henning Brand, who in 1669 discovered phosphorus when he boiled urine until it produced a liquid which gave off a pale green glow and he

called phosphorus a Greek word for light-bearing.He was looking for the philosophers stone, to turn

base metals into gold, says Terry, who reckons the scientist in fact discovered something much more valuable. At the Ballance facility its another element, also with a distinctive colour, which is required to help make phosphorus into a form which plants can use. A mountain of high-visibility yellow sulphur, this time mainly a by-product of the Marsden Point oil refi nery, fi lls a bunker.

It is destined to be heated in a furnace to produce sul-phuric acid, which once combined with the phosphate forms the fertiliser known as superphosphate.

How to make superphosphate was discovered in the 1840s and though its been refi ned, we pretty much use the same principles today, says Terry.

Converting sulphur to sulphuric acid produces extreme heat more than 1000 degrees Centigrade and water is used to cool the gases produced.

As a by-product of the process, Ballance runs steam turbines which produce electricity for the plants own consumption and also feed power back into the grid enough to supply 2000 homes.

The superphosphate formed from phosphate rock and sulphuric acid passes through a further stage to refi ne its particle size for easy application by ground or aerial spreaders.

Terry, more correctly Dr Terry Smith, who has a number of degrees including a Doctor of Philosophy, Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry from Wai-kato University, says without the petroleum industry, the worlds food supplies would be under threat.

Sulphur is mainly a by-product of the petro-chem-ical industry. Some comes from volcanic sources [like the long defunct mine of White Island] but thats rare. While its easy to say we could stop producing so much meat and milk, the fact is much of our farmland isnt suitable for cropping, so we need to grow pasture to feed animals who collect nutrients for us.

Even if we all turn vegetarian and grow and eat lots of crops, we eat because the food is nutritious; and to produce nutritious food you need nutrients, and that is what fertilisers provide.

An aerial view of the Ballance facility at Mount Maunganui.

Finding fossils - Terry Smith, chemical and process manager at

Ballance Agri-Nutrients Tauranga sifts fi sh teeth from phosphate.

Fish teeth, millions of years old, are easy to fi nd in

phosphate imported from Morocco.

By Elaine Fisher

Powerco is your local distribution network provider. Many power cuts are caused by things outside Powercos control such as storms and vehicles hitting poles. But we also need to occasionally shut off your electricity supply for network maintenance or upgrades. These are planned power cuts. You receive advance notification about them from your energy retailer allowing you to make alternate plans. They are necessary to keep our networks up to standard to provide you with reliable supply.

We understand that all power cuts are frustrating planned or not. We always try to schedule planned power cuts at times that suit the majority of affected customers. Thats never easy because all customers are different. Of course, we have absolutely no control over the timing of unexpected power cuts. But the work we do on the networks during planned power cuts significantly reduces the risk of unexpected power cuts.

WIN a $3,000 credIt ON yOur eNergy bIll*We want to know what you think about planned power cuts. It will take only about 10 minutes of your time to give us feedback. To say thanks were giving you the chance to win a $3,000 credit on your energy bill*.

HoW?Watch a short video explaining why we have planned power cuts and the process for scheduling them, then complete a quick survey.

Visit www.powerco.co.nz and click on the Planned Power Cuts survey. Watch the video and complete the survey before 1 April 2014 and your name will go in the draw to win a $3,000 credit on your energy bill*.

Help us to Help youWe work hard to keep power cuts unexpected and planned to a minimum, but they are a fact of life. Please take the time to provide your feedback about planned power cuts. The better we understand your expectations and priorities, the smoother the process will be.

*See website for terms and conditions. Powerco Limited 2014. All rights reserved.

Powercos electricity networks are in the Western Bay of Plenty, Thames, Coromandel, eastern and southern Waikato, Taranaki, Whanganui, Rangitikei, Manawatu and the Wairarapa.

If you are not prepared for power cuts, they can affect the bottom line your livelihood. Lost production, demerit points, electric fence breaches, animal welfare issues and veterinary bills the list goes on. The modern farmer is heavily reliant on a reliable supply of electricity.

pOWer cuts tO FarMers tHeyre MOre tHaN Just aN INcONVeNIeNce

HORSE OF THE YEAR

When NRM Horse of the Year Show director Kevin Hansen promises to

raise the bar, hes not joking.The 2014 show is lining up to be a cracker, with New

Zealands best onshore riders keen to claim crowns, the Mitavite Trans Tasman test match, the Country TV Tri Nations including Australian, New Zealand and emerging equestrian nation China, the return of Sir Mark Todd, VIP volunteer Te Radar, fashion icon Annah Stretton, the Hall of Fame Dinner, a slew of media, plenty of celebrities and more.

Its going to be a good one all right, says Kevin. There is so much going on at this show.

The premier JB Olympic Cup which this year will be designed by John Vallance (Australia) is likely to include former champs Maurice Beatson and Katie McVean, along with other top names, and probably a few new ones too.

The shifting of the John Nicholson-designed cross country to the show grounds for the eventing promises to be a real highlight. Riders are looking forward to it, while behind the scenes plenty of time and effort has gone into planning to ensure everyone is safe. The whole show will grind to a halt to watch the spectacle between 2pm and 5pm on Saturday.

The Mitavite Trans Tasman showjumping test, being held at part of the McMillan Feeds Silver Fern Stakes on Friday evening, is stacking up to be another epic battle.

Kevin is particularly excited to be playing host to a delegation of about 30 Chinese, who are here as a result of his recent trip to the Asian nation.

China is the emerging equestrian market in the world and increasing at a rate of knots that no other country can match. It is great to have riders, offi cials, owners and breeders at HOY this year.

A team of three riders will compete on borrowed horses in the Country TV Tri Nations, which will run two 1.25m rounds a day on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. It is hoped the New Zealand team will be captained by Sir Mark Todd.

It is a while since we had a tri-nations competition

Chinese riders in equestrian event

WHAT: NRM Horse of the Year Show

WHEN: March 18-23

WHERE: Hawkes Bay Showgrounds

A judge runs an eagle eye over a young competitor and her pony one of 2700 combinations expected

to compete at the NRM Horse of the Year Show. Dreamwater Photography

here, and this new-look one should be a good battle. Its always great to have Mark [Todd] at the show.

He is a real inspiration to every New Zealand rider and we are really lucky to have him here in a world champs year.

All 18 disciplines are primed and ready for what each hopes will be the best show so far.

Tickets are available for the Hall of Fame dinner on Thursday evening, where VIP guest Lance OSullivan, one of New Zealands most celebrated jockeys, will entertain through an interview with national Farming Show host Jamie MacKay.

And of course it is the evening to celebrate those who have given so much to the world of equestrian, with induction to the Hall of Fame.

Trade is bigger and better than ever, and has become

By Diana Dobson

a huge draw card to the event, says Kevin.

The introduction of the Taste the Bay Evening Market on Wednesday in the Land Rover Premier Arena is an exciting addition to the show.

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Merial is a Sanofi companyMerial New Zealand Limited T/A Merial Ancare, Level 3, Merial Building, Osterley Way, Manukau City, 2241, New Zealand. EQVALAN, GENESIS & PARADE are registered trademarks and TRIUMPH is a trademark of Merial Limited. Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997, No.s A4518, A7459, A9029, A10104 & A10105. Copyright Merial Limited 2014. All Rights Reserved. NZ-12-EQU-001.

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Page 12 COAST & COUNTRY

Once upon a time it was enough to provide quality product

to consumers.

The New Zealand kiwifruit industry has done this consistently and the result has been premium returns earned in our off-shore markets in excess of that of our competition, Chile, by as much as 30 per cent; and in some markets just more than 100 per cent above the price of Chilean kiwifruit.

Led by the global supermarkets and some large fast food operations, such as McDon-alds, this is all changing.

For example, McDonalds has announced it will source sustainable beef within two years.

Although, this is a US initiative, McDon-alds is to make it a global strategy. Unbelievably, McDonalds purchase about two per cent of the worlds beef production to feed its 34,000 outlets in 118 countries.

McDonalds is working with beef produc-ers; and looking to promote sustainability for its global beef supply chain that is environ-mentally sound, socially responsible and economically viable.

One measure of sustainability being used is the carbon emissions lifecycle. Zespri, work-ing with the Ministry for Primary Industries,

using global best practice (PAS 20/50 methodology) have created a compre-hensive carbon footprint across the lifecycle of New Zealand kiwifruit.

This study identifi es the pattern of emissions across the lifecycle from the orchard to consumption in market, as a basis for prioritising reduction initiatives.

It can be seen, from the table on emissions, one of the biggest contribu-tors to carbon emissions is shipping. But importantly, orchard, packhouse and cool store operations account for roughly half of that.

Another measure is water use and disposal. This is particularly a

problem for our dairy industry. Contrasting water use in horti-

culture is instructive and offers a sustainable alternative.Research funded by Zespri and

MAF (as MPI was then), found the following facts on water manage-ment:

100 per cent of kiwifruit water use in New Zealand is from naturally-replenished sources: rainfall and underground aquifers.

Kiwifruits sustainability footprint

Blue water used for irrigation and frost protection accounts for only fi ve per cent of kiwifruits water footprint.

Grey water has been minimised by reducing orchard crop protection and fertiliser inputs.

But horticulture is not immune from the drive for sustainability.

A growing number of global supermarket chains are not only requiring their animal products to be sustain-able, but also their plant products too.

For horticulture, this translates into on-orchard water and greenhouse gas emissions management.

And, as can be seen from the data quoted in this article, this is modest and sustainable.

My conclusion is diversifi cation into horticulture is not only necessary for New Zealand economic survival, but its environmental survival; and for our exports to meet sustainability requirements.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author.

NZ DAIRY AWARDS

Te Puke may be a prime horticultural region but its also strong in dairying, which can be seen from seven farm manager

entrants in the 2014 Bay of Plenty Dairy Awards coming

from the district.Two of the six dairy trainee fi nal-

ists and one of the sharemilker/equity farmer fi nalists are also from Te Puke. Fellow entrants in the three award cat-egories are from Whakatane, Tauranga, Opotiki, Murupara and Waimana.

Judging in all sections of the awards was completed by the end of Febru-ary and winners of the 2014 Bay of Plenty Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year, Bay of Plenty Farm Manager of the Year and Bay of Plenty Dairy Trainee of the Year competitions will be announced at the regions awards dinner at the Awakeri Events Centre on March 19.

Bay of Plentys regional convenors Richard and Amy Fowler say the awards continue to attract the most talented and ambitious farmers, who are keen to have their skills and abili-ties recognised as well as progress in the dairy industry.

The entrants will be competing for cash and prizes worth $50,100 and the honour of winning the regional title.

As past regional winners, we are extremely aware of the opportunities that will be presented to the winners. Attending the national fi nal was a highlight, with meeting and getting to

know all of the other regional winners. There are some great people involved and we all look forward to meeting up when we get the chance.

The Fowlers are pleased with the level of interest in this years awards, which has attracted 45 entrants from the region. There are six competing for the Bay of Plenty sharemilker/equity farmer title, nine vying for the farm manager title and 30 contesting the dairy trainee award.

The level of interest in the dairy trainee contest is just awesome and bodes well for the future of the awards in the region, as those trainees progress in the dairy industry to managing and then sharemilking.

The awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda Motorcycles NZ, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown, RD1 and Tri-plejump, along with industry partner Primary ITO (formerly AgITO).

Richard and Amy are convening the awards for the fi rst time after winning the regions Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year title in 2012.

Weve just had a wonderful associa-tion with the awards. Convening is a new challenge and weve enjoyed the opportunity to develop relation-ships with industry professionals and sponsors associated with the awards. Working with our team of volunteers on the committee to create a great experience for the entrants has also been great. Were certainly looking forward to the awards night.

Te Pukes strong showing in dairy awardsEntrants in the Bay of Plenty Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the

Year awards.

Entrants in the Bay of Plenty Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the

Year awards.

Sefton and Katherine Hemmingway.

They say those considering entering the awards should come along to the regional awards dinner and gain an insight into the awards experience fi rst-hand.

Tickets to the Bay of Plenty regional awards dinner cost $65 and can be purchased by contacting Char-lotte Jones on 027 663 1590.

This years fi nalists in the Bay of Plenty Share-milker/Equity Farmer of the Year awards are:

Jeff and Ryn Going, who milk 344 cows on a 115ha farm owned by John and Linda Folwer of Te Puke, are aiming for a production of 115,000 kg/ms this season.

Brett and Natasha Grindrod

Grant and Karley Thomson.

James and Rachel Otto.

Bay of Plenty Farm Manager of the Year

entrants.

Caleb Lally.

Jamie Burt.

Jeff and Ryn Going.

Sefton and Katherine

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NZ DAIRY AWARDS

While there were plenty of big tractors and diggers for the

adults to try out, youngsters also had the chance to drive a digger at last months Grasslandz event thanks to Alistair McIntyre.Better known as Mr Mac, Alistair

set up his travelling Doug the Digger road show at the rural event, giving children instruction in safety, reading and machine operation.

In association with a team he calls multi-talented individuals, Alistair formed the Having Fun Company to

entertain, inspire and educate others, especially children, through his own life experiences.

You only have to look at a busy sandpit to see that children really relate to my love of machinery; the challenge of completing a project, and pride in maintaining a high standard of work.

Ive also had to overcome obstacles and challenges, including a serious work accident that really changed how I look at life. I wouldnt really describe myself as a scholastic person, so

creating the Doug the Digger book is another challenge that

provided me with the oppor-tunity to face my own fears

and fi nd the courage to turn my dreams into reality.

Alistair travels the country visiting schools, pre-schools and public events, teaching children the value of reading, writing and paying attention to whats important, and at the same time giving them the thrill of operating a digger.

This has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Seeing the satisfaction on childrens faces as we enjoy Doug the Digger together is just incredible.

To fi nd out more go to www.dougthedigger.co.nz

Dairy awards to honour regions top farmersBrett and Natasha Grindrod, who milk 440 cows

on 140ha owned by Barry and Yvonne Richardson of Whakatane, are aiming for 165,000 kg/ms.

Sefton and Katherine Hemmingway, farming 229 cows on 82ha owned by Andrew Hodge of Tauranga, are aiming for 82,000 kg/ms.

James and Rachel Otto, farming 535 cows on 160ha owned by Fraser and Gillean Mclead Searle of Whakatane, are aiming for 168,000 kg/ms.

Grant Thomson, farming 418 cows on 140ha owned by Bremna Farms of Opotiki, is aiming for 140,000 kg/ms.

Bay of Plenty Farm Manager of the Year fi nalists are:Tony Baker, who is managing 694 cows on 242ha

near Tauranga; Thomas Blackett and Stacey Lepper, managing 409 cows on 180ha at Whakatane; Jamie Burt, managing 297 cows on 100ha at Te Puke; Simon Davis, managing 349 cows on 77ha at Te Puke; Caleb Lally, managing 690 cows on 163ha at Te Puke; Luther and Jessica Siemelink, managing 460 cows on 112ha at Te Puke.

The Bay of Plenty Dairy Trainees of the Year fi nal-ists are: Andrew Cameron of Te Puke; Josh Cozens of Whakatane; Josh Hedley of Waimana; Cameron Luxton of Murupara; Jodie Mexted of Whakatane; Jeff White of Te Puke.

Bay of Plenty Farm Manager of the Year

entrants.

Bay of Plenty Farm Manager of the Year entrants.

Children dig machinery too

Richard and Amy Fowler are convening

the awards for the fi rst time, after winning Bay of Plenty Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the

Year title in 2012.

Tony Baker.

Simon Davis.Thomas Blackett, with partner Stacey Lepper.

Luther and Jessica Siemelink.

In association with a team he calls multi-talented individuals, Alistair formed the Having Fun Company to

creating the Doug the Digger book is another challenge that

provided me with the oppor-tunity to face my own fears

and fi nd the courage to

Alistair McIntyre helps fi ve-year-old

Fletcher Rogers operate Doug the Digger at Grasslandz.

Value yourselfand your team!

A disclosure statement is available on request, free of charge.

Triplejump, proud national supporters ofthe New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, congratulates all finalist and entrants. People after all are the heart of farming.For leading wealth protection and risk management advice for farm and family,call the team on 07 378 8075 for areal discussion.

Triplejump Taupo 07 378 8075 | [email protected]

NZ DAIRY AWARDS

This year the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards celebrates 25 years of the New Zealands longest

running and most recognised dairy farming competition; the Sharemilker of the Year (now

Sharemilker/Equity Farmer) competition.

The Bay of Plenty region is a strong and well established dairy farming region, so the fact we have yet to win a national sharemilker title just demonstrates how tough it is to win; and how prestigious it is for those that are successful, say BOP regional convenors Richard and Amy Fowler.

We are pleased to say the region has had success in the newer farm manager and dairy trainee competitions.

Bay of Plentys Shannon Wadsworth was the inaugural

winner of the New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year compe-tition in 2003; and in 2009, Mark Nicholas was successful in claiming the New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year competi-tion for the region.

The 2014 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards national final will be held in Auckland on May 9, with about $160,000 in cash and prizes on offer, as well as the honour of taking out a national title.

A large prize pool and further recognition await the three 2014

Bay of Plenty Dairy Industry Awards winners, who will progress to the national

finals in Auckland on May 9.

The trio will line up against 30 other sharemilker/equity farmer, farm man-ager and dairy trainee regional finalists to determine who will take home the prizes, worth nearly $160,000, and the national honours.

The prize pool for the 2014 New Zealand Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year is valued at $89,000, with the winner taking home prizes worth nearly $41,500. The runner-up will receive $16,000 in prizes and the third place-getter will take home prizes valued at $11,000. A further $20,000 in cash and prizes will be won by the winners of the nine merit awards.

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, Ecolab,

Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda Motorcycles NZ, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown, RD1 and Tri-plejump, along with industry partner Primary ITO (formerly AgITO).

The 11 regional finalists competing in the New Zealand Farm Manager of the Year will compete for a total prize pool of about $46,500, with the winner taking home about $24,500 in prizes. The runner-up will receive prizes worth $8500 and the third place-getter will win $3500 in prizes. Five merit awards are worth another $10,000 in cash and prizes to the win-ners.

A total of $22,400 is on offer to those competing for the New Zealand Dairy Trainee of the Year title, with the winner collecting prizes worth more than $16,000. The runner-up receives $3000 and the third place-getter receiving $2000 in prizes. One national merit award worth $1000 will also be presented to a trainee.

Further information, on the prizes and awards, is available on www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz.

Sharemilker awards 25-year milestone

Impressive prize pool

Get Qualified. Better Business. Better Careers.

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Nadine and Russell Meade were the 2013 Bay of Plenty Sharemilker/Equity Farmers of the Year.

PASTURE RENOVATION

Developing, growing and supplying quality grass seed

is a family tradition for Cridge Seeds Ltd of

Doyleston, Canterbury.Stuart Cridge formed the company

in 1982 and has more than 40 years experience in the seed industry. As well as the companys own decades of research and development, Stuart and wife Julie travel overseas to inspect grass and forage seed trials to keep up with the latest international trends.

We have experienced and long-established local farmers who grow our own brands of grass seed for us, which are cleaned at our company site to a high standard, with purity and germination tests available on request, says Julie.

Cridge Seeds deals directly with its customers and Stuart is available to discuss their specifi c needs.

We have a good understanding of

what grows well in different regions of the country so are able to help farmers with their choices, says Julie.

In fact their website provides general recommendation for species, which will do well in different regions. Delivery is fi ve days from ordering but as now until April is very busy, Julie advises clients not to leave order-ing until the last minute.

The company has a range of annual, perennial and fodder species. Among it is Canterbury - Riley and Enticer long rotation/perennials. Annuals include Cutter Tetraploid Italian and Striker Diploid Italian.

All of the seed can be used alone, or in sow downs mixed with clovers or brassicas.

Julie, who visited Bay of Plenty cli-ents in February, says as a result of last summers drought many farmers are questioning the pasture species theyve used and are returning to tried and true varieties with the ability to endure tough conditions.

Autumn is a good time to look at pasture renovation, as pasture renewal

or renovation is an effective means of keeping it performing

to its maximum. Pasture renewal needs to be done on a more

regular basis if legumes are present. Legumes provide ideal forage and diversity, but they have a relatively short lifespan and can disap-pear quickly in less than ideal conditions, such as drought, overgrazing or competition from either grasses or weeds.

New pastures will provide a number of benefi ts; the main one being more growth annually. It will improve feed quality by increasing protein content and quality; and will provide more metabolisable energy, or more energy per hectare, and should cut down the need for nitrogen applica-tions. It will also offer higher mineral concentrations, especially calcium and magnesium, which will help prevent animal health problems leading to improved animal performance in both mating and production.

Before renovation, soil needs to be tested and then fertilised based on test results. It is good to use a biologically active fertiliser that will assist the plant

Those who go down in the woods at the TECT All Terrain Park near Tauranga on Sunday, March 2, wont fi nd bears but they will fi nd musi-cians and Lions, as thats the day the Lions Clubs of Bay of Plenty hold an afternoon of Music Under The Trees.

The Rotorua Symphonic Band will be entertaining between 1pm and 3pm; and while everyone is invited to bring along a picnic, there will be a sausage sizzle too.

The picnic is a chance for the public to see the work done by Lions clubs towards creating the Lions Tree Grove at the park, by transforming a pine forest back into native bush; and a gold coin donation is requested to help with the project.

The TECT All Terrain Park is on State Highway 36 between Tauranga and Rotorua. For more information on the afternoon, call 07 349 2450 or email [email protected]

Music under the trees

Grass seeds tried and true

Time to renew pastures

in establishing a good and healthy root depth, which translates to improved pasture performance and less likelihood of pulling, pugging and associated prob-lems. If legumes are present in the new pasture, do not initially apply nitrogen as this will only promote grass growth and inhibit legume establishment. Legumes need to be well-established before grazing if they are to endure in pasture.

Revital Fertilisers offers a full testing service and rec-ommendations, based on biologically active fertilisers (vermicast and composts) that will provide a plethora and diversity of microbial life, assisting pasture to get the very best start by offering the plant all essential nutrients in a plant-available form. Scientifi c results show humic acid from vermicast enhances root exten-sion and formation of denser roots; and will improve seed germination and seedling growth, increasing plant productivity.

Revital has production facilities in Cambridge and Mount Maunganui. Ive been with Revital Fertilis-ers for 14 years and recently became the principal Cambridge representative. I look forward to meeting with Waikato farmers to discuss improvements to pastures. An inspection tour of our facility is most welcome and can be arranged by contacting me: Maureen Rabbidge on 0274 408881.

Stuart Cridge, with new season ryegrass hot off the header and

ready to be cleaned at Cridge Seeds Canterbury facility.

0800 843 80907 362 7288 or go to

www.esi.org.nzEco-Logic Soil Improvement

DoloZest

Calc iZes t

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Top quality ryegrass High priority customer serviceWebsite http://www.cridgeseeds.co.nz for information

Phone Stuart 027 432 3834 or 03 324 3951

DAIRY

Exhibition preparation for a rural show normally involves putting up a marquee, sorting out signs and

staff and planning demonstrations but for the PGG Wrightson team,

preparing for Grasslandz, efforts began months earlier and defi nitely

at a grass roots level.The team cultivated part of their site, by

planting nine small plots of different pasture species, to give farmers a chance to examine them when attending the show near Eureka in late January.

Matamatas PGG Wrightson technical fi eld representative Mark Enevoldsen says the real

live demonstration of individual pasture species, and a sample of a mixed pasture, attracted a lot of attention.

It was an opportunity to showcase PGG Wrightsons extensive experience in agron-omy, animal health and nutrition and its focus on providing quality inputs and advice for farmers to help them lift productivity, says Mark.

Its great for farmers to be able to see the plants growing and to discuss what would suit their feed requirements and climate best.

Mark says there was a lot of interest in plantain because of the live weight gain it offers and because of how it stood up to last summers drought.

The plantain variety called Tonic offers excellent winter growth, high dry matter pro-

duction, good milk production in summer dry periods and high trace element content.

It can be added to all pasture mixes and is a valuable pure stand option for early feed to increase lamb and ewe live weight at weaning. Mark says farmers are also showing renewed interest in chicory; and the variety called Choice is a perennial with good persis-tence, improved dry matter production, high summer quality and is ideal for short-term fi nishing or milking pastures.

Clovers, fescue and rye grasses, including new varieties, also featured in plots outside the PGG Wrightsons site.

Combining a number of pasture species to create a mix not only gives animals grazing it a varied diet, but can also help with pasture persistence in adverse weather, says Mark.

University of Waikato science student Zach McLean has been awarded a

$5000 Patrick Shannon Scholarship from Livestock Improvement

Corporation. The scholarship will go towards a Bachelor of Science

(Honours) (BSc(Hons)) research project, working alongside Dr Bjorn Oback and the Reproductive Technologies group at AgResearch.

The project will involve investigating genes associated with the genetic network regulating pluripotency in bovine embryos. Pluripotent cells are able to produce all cell types in the body and emerge during early pre-implantation development.

My project will contribute to the aim of capturing this population of cells within the early embryo. Once captured, we wish to derive so-called embryonic stem cells from this cell population, says Zach. With these cells, valuable genetics of elite cows could be stored in a petri dish and used to speed up the breeding process. In the future, this accelerated breed-ing will lead to animals with desirable traits such as a higher milk yield or reduced methane production.

Zach completed his Bachelor of Science (Technology) (BSc(Tech)) with a double major in Chemistry and Biologi-cal Sciences last year at Waikato University, and will continue this year with a BSc(Hons) focusing solely on Biological Sciences.

During the BSc (Tech), he completed two work placements. In my fi rst placement I was in a

water-testing laboratory at SGS in Waihi, during which I used analytical techniques to analyse a number of samples from the Waihi gold mine.

In my second placement I undertook a project at AgResearch, in the Reproductive Technologies group. This involved research using a number of molecular biology and embryology skills and ultimately led me to my post-graduate research topic.

A former Tauranga Boys College student, Zach decided to study at Waikato following an impressive visit to the Faculty of Science and Engineering.

Zach says fi nancially it was also the best option, due to the School Leavers Scholarships available.

In the future Zach plans to undertake a PhD, before venturing into a career as a research scientist in the area of molecular biology.

Accelerating breeding enhances traits

Mark Enevoldsen, technical fi eld representative with PGG Wrightson of Matamata, with samples of plantain and chicory planted

on its Grasslandz site.

Grass roots preparation for agricultural show

this population of cells within the early embryo. Once captured, we wish to derive so-called embryonic stem cells from this cell population, says Zach. With these cells, valuable genetics of elite cows could be stored in a petri dish and used to speed up the breeding process. In the future, this accelerated breed-ing will lead to animals with desirable traits such as a higher milk yield or reduced methane production.

Zach completed his Bachelor of Science (Technology) (BSc(Tech)) with a double major in Chemistry and Biologi-cal Sciences last year at Waikato University, and will continue this year with a BSc(Hons) focusing solely on Biological Sciences.

During the BSc (Tech), he completed two work placements. In my fi rst placement I was in a

Waikato University student

Zach McLean. Biological Biological FertilisersFertilisers

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

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DAIRY

Alice is her name, and when she arrived she was in more than 20

containers of parts to be assembled into the 10th largest machine of its kind in the world and the

largest in Australasia.Alice is the tunnel-boring machine

currently worming its way underneath Auck-lands suburbs, creating what will become two three-lane tunnels.

With each tunnel 2.4km long, and up to 45 metres below ground, it will connect the Western Motorway at Point Chevalier to the rest of the Western Ring Rd.

The Cutting Head Diameter is 14.4m and is 87m long with a top speed of 0.0005km/h, or 80mm per minute.

Smartway Security Services is helping Alice and the team, which operate it, to get the job done.

The company has been contracted to install closed circuit television cameras to help with the construction project.

The cameras are currently being installed on Alice and the conveyer belt system that carries more than 800,000m3 of earth out of the tunnels, as she moves through the next 4.8km.

This is just one of the many exciting jobs that Smartways technicians get to work on, says Roger Bull, the companys managing director.

Another recent installation saw the technicians install a network of cameras, wireless links and wi-fi access points at Waikato Stud in Matamata to help ma

Coast and Country March

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Transcript of Coast and Country March