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Dairy Gypsies Like hundreds of other sharemilkers up and down the country, David and Kelly Fisher and their daughters Ashlyn (7) and Yasmin (10) plus their dairy herd, were on

the move on Gypsy Day June 1. Its their fourth move in 10 years and this coming season they will be milking 510 cows read their story on page 4.

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Page 2 COAST & COUNTRY

Coast & Country is among the publications from the Sun Media stable to harvest seven placings in the annual newspaper awards.Coast & Country reigned in the contest for Best

Front Page and Best Overall Newspaper categories at the 2012 NZ Community Newspapers Association Awards in Dunedin in late May.

The judges said: This farming and lifestyle title knows and serves its readership well. It is full of information and human interest stories. The design is clean and the headlines prag-matic.

Coast & Countrys two winning front pages won over the judges with eye catching and relevance to their target market. The judges were also impressed with the stories on demand for local produce; and the other on some hard decisions faced by local farm-ers.

Sister publication The Weekend Sun was a fi nalist in the Best Front Page, Community Involvement Award and Best All Round Newspaper.

The Suns Tracy Hardy was a fi nalist in the category

for Young Photographer of the Year, and won the top award in the Over 20,000 circulation category; for the second year running.

The Bays leading news website, SunLive, was runner up in the Newspaper Awards section for Best Website, behind The Aucklander. It is the third year that SunLive has placed in the top three, after win-ning the category in 2010.

Directors of the Tauranga owned and operated Sun Media, Claire and Brian Rogers, say theyre incred-ibly proud of the team in again placing highly across the board.

Their dedication and enthusiasm for the role of the Sun, SunLive and all the titles is inspiring, says

Claire, who attended the awards with staff members.The Rena incident, which Sunlive

broke to the world, was an example of a small, energetic local news team going above and beyond their hori-zons, literally, to get the news fast and accurately. That coupled with great promotional results and top service for our clients makes a well-balanced operation. The judges recognised Sun Medias

efforts to keep the community updated. We are delighted with how well the weekly paper and the daily news site, SunLive and the associ-

ate publications such as Coast & Country all mesh together perfectly to bring a well-rounded news coverage to the largest readership in the Bay.

We have a bumper 72 page issue this month, featuring the Fieldays and Welcome to the Districts. Enjoy!

Coast & Country tops in awards

Awards in Dunedin in late May.

interest stories.

headlines prag-

market. The judges were also impressed

the Sun, SunLive and all the titles is inspiring, says Claire, who attended the awards with staff members.

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efforts to keep the community updated. We are delighted with how well the weekly paper and the daily

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June 2012 COAST & COUNTRY

Maori culture is part of the success of Maori agriculture, believes Ahuwhenua Trophy

judge Tafi Manjala.

Profi t is not the sole driver and because the land will never be sold, the trustees take a very long term view, said Tafi when he visited Waewaetutuki 10 near Paengaroa, one of the fi nalists in the 2012 Ahuwhenua awards.

Although I have been in New Zealand for 10 years I had not had the opportunity to experience Maori culture in the way I have through judging these awards and its opened my eyes to a whole new aspect of New Zealand farming.

Trustees employed the best people they could as farm workers, sharemilkers and farm advisors, but also worked to train their own people to become

future farmers, Tafi said.Its a win-win for everyone.Concern about the wider

impacts of their farming opera-tions among the trustees of the three fi nalist properties also impressed Tafi .

That was reinforced when Michael Kahotea, trustee for Waewaetutuki, told those attend-ing the fi eld day that he could remember gathering kai moana from Little Waihi Beach with his family when he was a child. His hope was that by reducing nutri-ent leaching from the dairy farm, the trust, along with other farmers in the area, could contribute to an improvement in water quality which would enable future genera-tions to enjoy gathering food as he had.

That was really impressive. It shows the trustees are concerned for more than what happens on

their own land, said Tafi .Tafi grew up and was educated

in Zimbabwe but political unrest in that country and the promise of a bright future for his children brought him and wife Whitney to New Zealand in 2002.

At fi rst Tafi , who has a degree in agriculture, worked on dairy farms in the South Island but today is DairyNZ regional leader for Northland.

This is not the fi rst time Tafi has judged farming awards. He was for three years a fi nalist judge for the Farm Manager of the Year sec-tion of the Dairy Industry Awards and has judged the Ballance Farm Environment Awards and regional sharemilker competitions.

Hes impressed with what hes seen of Maori farming.

Maori farming has a bright future. Watch this space.

Zimbabwe judge for Maori awards

Tafi Manjala. Ahuwhenua Trophy judge at

Waewaetutuki 10 dairy farm near Paengaroa.

By Elaine Fisher

Pink isnt exactly a blokes colour but farmers have been putting that aside by

buying pink electric fencing on pink reels, powered by pink batteries, all in the fi ght

against breast cancer.Speedrite has produced the special coloured fenc-

ing, sold exclusively through PGG Wrightson and for every sale will donate $7 to The New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation.

In fact the company promises to make a donation of $25,000, saying on its website that 600 deaths from breast cancer a year is 600 too many.

The funding will be used to support breast cancer education and awareness in rural communities. The pink products are available until the end of June.

Shocking pink helps breast cancer awareness

June 2012COAST & COUNTRY

David and Kelly Fisher know the true meaning of Gypsy Day.They walked 230 cows eight kilometres from one farm to another

when they changed sharemilking jobs in 2009, just the way generations of farmers before them once did.

From front cover

By Elaine Fisher

Today few herds are moved on foot. Instead on June 1, fl eets of trucks carry cows up and down the country.

Gyspy Day 2012 for the Fishers was more of a logistical operation with 300 cows trucked from the couples previous sharemilking job on Steve and Dawn Con-nellys farm near Matamata to the property belonging to John and Eleanor Fraser near Tirau. A further 250 cows and yearlings arrived by truck from other locations. Then there was the furniture trucks fi lled with the familys possession, plus farm machinery too.

Daughters Yasmin, 10, and Ashlyn, 7, are enjoying their new home and happy they can still attend Matamata Primary School.

Lifestyle changeDavid was truck driving and

Kelly hairdressing in Tauranga before going farming. They had their own home on a small piece of land at Whakamarama but when Yasmin was born the couple began to question the long hours David worked and looked for a change of lifestyle.

Their fi rst position was at Waitoa where David was a farm

worker helping milk 470 cows. He completed a Level 4 NZQA farming qualifi cation and the couples next job, two years later, was managing a dairy farm near Te Aroha, before they decided to purchase a herd.

It was pretty scary at fi rst, says Kelly.

We sold our house and went into debt to buy the herd. We went from a regular weekly wage to a monthly cheque and living on overdraft.

June/July you get no income and just a small one in August, with things improving by Sep-tember, says David.

Taking the step of buying their own herd was not easy but the couple say they havent looked back since the fi rst tough year.

Its given us the lifestyle we want, with time for us together and with our girls. It means we can be involved in their school and sports. I wouldnt change it now, says Kelly.

Bigger and betterThe decision to go even

bigger was easier, but also made after careful consideration and research.

The best thing we did was go on a BNZ strategic planning

three day course, says David, who admits to initially thinking it was expensive and probably wouldnt be worthwhile.

Farm ownership is out of the question for us so once weve paid off debt well look for some off-farm investments, says David.

It is the Frasers who have given the couple the chance to expand. They moved from the 97ha Connelly farm with its 28-a-side herringbone shed to the 210ha (180ha effective) former sheep and beef property with its 44-a-side shed.

David hopes to raise produc-tion on the Fraser farm, as he has done on his pervious jobs. Last season he achieved 127,600kgMS, a new record for the Connelly operation and one achieved with similar feed inputs.

Farm worker Juan Martins from Uruguay has joined the Fishers on the Fraser farm. Juan is contracted to the couple for three years and they are delighted with his work ethic and his keen-ness to learn.

Kelly and David are looking forward to the challenges ahead and the close proximity to Lake Karapiro for water skiing.

COAST & COUNTRY

A good move for Fisher family

Moving on cow 284 from the Fisher herd beside

Yasmins suitcase shortly before the family and herd moved to their new home.

Page 4

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June 2012 COAST & COUNTRY Page 5

The grower-owned exporter will again be at the Fiel-days offering the public the chance to learn about the industry, and a place for growers to network and hear from the Zespri board and executive on the season so far and the progress of new varieties.

While down on last years record 105 million trays, the drop in the 2012 crop volume is not all due to Psa-V but also to a normal seasonal variation which sees vines produce slightly fewer fruit in the year fol-lowing a bumper harvest.

This kiwifruit harvest has been bitter sweet for Pyes Pa orchardist Dave Goodwin.

Sweet because his organically grown new Zespri vari-ety G3 has produced a crop of good sized, well formed, sweet tasting fruit and bitter because just up the road the disease Psa-V has spelt the end of Hort16A gold vines on his other orchard.

Im very pleased at how this G3 crop has turned out and while weve had some frights, so far there have been no positive tests results for Psa-V in this orchard.

G3, a new gold fruit developed by Plant & Food and Zespri, is the industrys hoped for saviour at least in the short term, in the battle to recover from the devastat-ing bacterial disease Psa-V. Dave was among the fi rst growers to take part in pre-commercial trials of the fruit, before Psa-V was discovered in New Zealand in 2010.

Thank goodness we had this fruit and the other new varieties which appear to be more tolerant of Psa-V.

The fi rst G3 vines were grafted in Daves orchard in 2008 and a second block in 2010. Both have produced well this season and the fruit has reached maturity in a condition which should ensure consumers enjoy a sweet eating experience.

For the fi rst time Zespri has enough organically

grown G3 to market as a separate category, something which pleases Dave because previously organic volumes were so small, the fruit was sold alongside convention-ally grown fruit. Zespri will export more than one million trays of both conventional and organic G3 fruit this season and has 450 ha in production but that is expected to rise dramatically when more vines are grafted this winter.

The size and volume of fruit achieved using organic growing techniques has impressed Dave because tra-ditionally organic orchards produce smaller and lower volumes of fruit.

Hes planning to graft G3 onto root stock in his Hort16A orchard, where the vines have produced their last fruit and have been removed.

Weve done what we can with very careful bio-security protocols to try to prevent spreading infection from the Hort16A orchard to this one, but I guess its inevitable it will eventually get here.

Im confi dent we will learn to manage it but theres no silver bullet. It will be a combination of more toler-ant varieties, management and sprays.

Dave and his team have kept the organic orchard dis-ease free so far, even though, because of the orchards organic status, they have less spray options available than conventional growers.

The success of orchardists like Dave who have grown the new varieties for up to four years, have been closely watched by others in the industry deciding where their futures might lay.

The hopes are that growers who graft new varieties-can return to a level of production within two years and the Bay of Plenty and the New Zealand economy both need that to happen because the kiwifruit indus-try accounts for about 25 per cent of the Bay's gross domestic product (GDP).

Dave Goodwin is pleased with the quality of the new gold variety G3, but disappointed he has to remove his established Hort16A vibes because of the disease Psa-V.

Bitter sweet fruit harvest

Despite the ravages of Psa-V which has infected more than 1170 orchards, the majority of them in Te Puke, Zespri expects to export around 90

million trays of fruit this season. By Elaine Fisher

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June 2012COAST & COUNTRYPage 6

The two pouwhenua at the entrance to the former swamp lands were unveiled in a recent dawn ceremony by Ngai Tamarawaho kauma-tua Peri Kohu, who also offi ciated at the bridge opening later in the day.

Also being celebrated was the project obtain-ing $60,000 in Ministry for the Environment funding to replant the more than 8ha island now accessible by the new bridge.

Planting daysThe fi rst of three public planting days

planned before the end of the year was on May 27.

The money is the result of a successful application made by the Rotary Centennial Kopurererua Valley Trust, and it will pay for

30,000 trees and other plants that will restore the islands vegetation.

Guests for the Friday afternoon ceremo-nies included Tauranga MP Simon Bridges, Tauranga City Council Deputy Mayor David Stewart, councillors and CEO Ken Paterson.

Ian Wilson, Chairman of the Rotary Cen-tennial Trust and other representatives from Rotary

and Kathryn Howard from the Ministry for the Environment, Iwi members, Staff, children and caregivers from the Kids Campus childcare centre, and Council Staff, and Park Contrac-tors.

The Kopurererua Valley Redevelopment Project is the largest wetland restoration project

in the southern hemisphere. It began in 2003 and is a partnership between Tauranga City Council, iwi, the Rotary Centennial Trust and City Partners.

Progress includes: clearance of 30 hectares of land, and replanting 15 hectares with more than 150,000 plants and large species trees, and the building of six kilometres of board-walks and walkways.

It represents an $850,000 investment facili-tated through the Rotary Centennial Trust, $4M through Council and in-kind support from City Partners, which has helped pay for a partial stream realignment and 55 community planting days.

The milestones celebrated were a fi tting reward for years of hard work and dedication

by many different groups and organisations, says Tauranga City Council Deputy Mayor David Stewart.

Many to thankThe Rotary Trust and City Partners are obvi-

ous contributors to this project, but there are many more who should be recognised as well from the schools growing trees for replant-ing, to Council staff, and the clubs and families who assist on community planting days.

I would particularly like to recognise the hapu of Ngai Tamarawaho, on whose ancestral lands the reserve sits, and who have helped to provide the vision for its future.

Tauranga MP Simon Bridges is

New dawn for KopurereruaA dawn unveiling, a bridge opening, and

plantings marked out the winter projects in Taurangas Kopurererua Valley project.

Peri Kohu tells guests about the signifi cance of the pouwhenua.

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pleased the Ministry for the Environment is able to assist with the replanting of the island area with native trees and shrubs through the Community Environment Fund.

The Kopurererua Valley is receiving an extreme make-over, thanks to the work of many volunteers, and this funding will give the project an extra boost, says Simon.

Historically importantKopurererua Valley is a 300 hectare block of low

lying rural land situated between residential neigh-bourhoods in Tauranga. Running from Judea in

the north to Tauriko in the south, it is bordered by the neighbourhoods of Te Reti, Gate Pa, Greerton, Westridge and Cambridge Heights.

For many years Kopurererua Valley was inhabited by the people of Ngai Tamarawaho. Remains of pa and other archaeological sites are located throughout the valley. In terms of New Zealand history the valley is important.

During the mid 1800s it was the staging point and retreat path for two signifi cant battles between Maori and British Colonial forces - the Battle of Gate Pa and the Battle of Te Ranga. More recently the valley has suffered major environmental degradation through farmland development.

FloodingAttempts had been made to drain the swampy

valley fl oor and its streams had been altered, leaving a legacy of drainage canals and straightened water courses which carry silt and debris directly into Tauranga Harbour.

In spite of those efforts fl ooding of the valley still occurs as it still functions as a natural wetland and fl ood plain.

The valley also was previously an area rich in biodiversity which had been used by Maori to gather food and other resources. The neglect of this area meant that it was almost impossible for people to access and not very safe to do so. The area became a dumping ground for rubbish and some busi-nesses and properties had encroached onto the site.

RestorationKopurererua Valley had

become a sad, polluted, neglected eyesore in the

heart of the city. And its state of abandonment had led to problems downstream from fl ooding, silt deposits into the harbour and pollution of the waterways.

The Kopurererua Valley Restoration Project is a long term project to restore the valley to close to its original state and to provide opportunities for people to use and enjoy the improved environment.

Community planting days with enhance the valley..Community planting days with enhance the valley..

TK and Joel from Kids Campus pre-school in nearby Humber Crescent were invited by Tauranga MP Simon Bridges to cut the

ribbon opening the new bridge.

June 2012COAST & COUNTRY

Humate is so important in pasture, crop and garden production

that the necessity of maintaining adequate concentrations of it in

productive soils has been recognised and emphasised by agriculturists for

many years says Dave Whitteker, sales and operations manager for

NZ Humates Ltd.Good quality humate is not just ground

up coal even though it is sourced from within coal mines. Humate is found in

seams just above good quality lignite and is very rich in carbon, humic and fulvic acids. Humates have been used since the 1930s in certain parts of the world and their value to soils are recognised as some of the most powerful tools that a farmer can utilise.

Humates can maximise the soils ability in so many ways benefi ting agriculture, horticulture, turf and the environment.

A lot of New Zealand farms lack good organic matter and microorganisms matter which can lead to increased erosion and less nutrients for plant growth, says Dave.

Compared to other organic products, humic acids enhance plant growth, the growth of soil microorganisms and soil fer-tility. Humic acids act as a soil conditioner and a stimulant for plants, enhancing their

growth and plant yield. The addition of humic acids in combi-

nation with fertiliser gets the most out of a fertiliser programme by decreasing nutrient losses and making nutrients more avail-able to plants. Humic acids also physically modify the structure of the soil, preventing soil cracking and surface water runoff and soil erosion. It increases water retention of the soil and also helps prevent drought.

Dave says humic acids can also change the chemical properties of the soil by improving and optimizing the uptake of nutrients and water, increasing buffering properties of the soil and retain fertiliser in the root zone as well as reducing sig-nifi cantly the leaching of nutrients. They also help to minimize the uptake of toxic substances by plants.

Humate plays important role in soil productivityPage 8

A new Regional Coastal Environment Plan which sets rules, policies and objectives to protect the regions coastal marine area is being

developed by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

Council has been reviewing its exist-ing Coastal Environment Plan, which also includes policies for land along the coast, including sand dunes and coastal wetlands.

The review looks at how well the cur-rent plan is working and what changes are needed to address coastal issues.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Group Manager Strategic Develop-ment Fiona McTavish says hui had been held with iwi and hapu across the region and the council has con-sulted with other councils, community groups and stakeholders in developing the Plan.

The parts that are working well include protecting high-value eco-logical sites in the coastal marine area [from mean high water springs out to sea], and identifying areas sensitive to coastal hazards.

All the regions territorial authori-ties had either completed or made signifi cant progress toward including district specifi c coastal hazard policies and rules in their plans, there is also room for improvement in several areas, she says.

Weve concerns about water quality in some of our estuaries and harbours. The community is still worried about the effects of vehicle and horse access to sensitive areas, along with the incre-mental loss and degradation of dune lands, wetlands and coastal forest. S

Some of the work being done to repair this damage is not ecologically appropriate.

Our consultation also identifi ed some community concerns that are not addressed adequately in the current Plan, including managing mangroves and acquaculture activities.

Iwi and hapu felt they were not able to exercise kaitiakitanga or guardian-ship of coastal areas, or effectively participate in decision-making.

Iwi felt that cultural values were given insuffi cient weight, and that matauranga Maori or knowledge about the coast was not recognised by decision-makers.

Well be talking to tangata whenua, stakeholders and the community to develop a draft version of the new Plan by the end of this year.

Changes to legislation

New coastal rules in plan for Bay

Humate comes from coal mines but is more than ground up coal.

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Council wants feedback on coastal marine planand national policy need to be

refl ected in the new Regional Coastal Envi-ronment Plan, particularly the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010.

The new Plan will also give effect to the new proposed Bay of Plenty Regional Policy Statement once it is operative.

To give effect to national policy direction and address current issues facing the coastal

environment, the Plan needs new objectives, policies and methods.

These will consider integrated catchment management for sedimentation, mangrove management and water quality, aquaculture, infrastructure, renewable energy generation (including geothermal) and appropriate restoration, remediation and mitigation for natural character and biodiversity.

The Regional Council will ask for feedback on the draft Plan before publicly notify-ing a new proposed Bay of Plenty Regional Coastal Environment Plan in 2013.

Information on the coastal plan review is on the Regional Councils website www.boprc.govt.nz/knowledge-centre/policies/coastal-policy-review/

Reliable, dependable and hard-working is how Darrel Williams describes the Italian range of Goldoni

horticultural tractors DP Williams of Gisborne is now

agents for.The beauty of the Gol-

doni tractors is that they are purpose built for horticulture and dont have to be modifi ed to work in kiwifruit orchards. They are well designed, reli-able, and built specifi cally for orchardists. The Goldoni is the only manufacturer to develop a tractor specifi cally for the kiwifruit growers, with a super low seat height ex the factory.

Orchardists generally dont want tractors that are complicated and the Goldoni tractors dont have comput-ers.

D P Williams has recently become agents for the Gol-doni range from Agtek in Tauranga and Darrel says the tractors are well known in the industry for their versatility and reliability. They have all the horse power to do whats required in the orchard and seldom need more than a routine service.

The tractors are available in a number of versions, but the two most popular have been the Star 3080 with a 4 cylin-der turbo 75hp with its low seat height and the best value for money tractor in its class, and the 82hp turbo inter-cooled engine of the Quasar

90, with its super low seat height of just 720mm and a top road speed of 40 kph. The features of the range include the "two-in-one" transmis-sion, with dual power and reverse shuttle, both synchro-nised, integral braking on all four wheels, the rear power lift with its generous lifting capacity and the front axle with a steering angle of over 57. The gearshift levers at the side are in an ergonomic position and make driving and the operator platform extremely comfortable.

DP Williams has the staff and expertise to sell service and supply spare parts for the Goldoni and other farm and horticultural machinery and has a fully equipped truck for repairs and servicing in the fi eld.

The Goldoni tractor has been developed

specifi cally for kiwifruit orchards.

Super low tractors for orchards

June 2012HUNT FISH EATPage 10

Big Four with Geoff Hunting for up to $80,000 in prizes

Low Level Hell by South Coast Productions

The Hughes 500 helicopter helped shape this coun-trys deer farming industry thanks to its role in both hunting and capture of wild animals.

The pilots and shooters who operated the nibble and powerful machines in rugged terrain are legen-dry among hunters and farmers but it was to hunt humans, not animals, that the chopper was designed.

The DVD Low Level Hell tells the story of the remarkable helicopter from the company of the eccen-tric and reclusive American business magnate, aviator, fi lm producer and philanthropist Howard Hughes from its beginnings in combat to fl ying New Zealand skies.

Simply known as the 500, the chopper was fl own by scouts sent by the military to seek out the enemy

and this DVD includes archival footage from Vietnam as well as very frank interviews with scout pilots who describe their experiences of the machine and the enemy.

Thanks to South Coast Productions, the company which produces DVDs to capture and preserve New Zealands Heritage, Coast and Country has a copy of Low Level Hell to give away.

To be in to win answer the following question: What is the name of the owner of the company which produced the 500? Send your entry along with your name, address and phone number to [email protected] or include these details on the back of an envelope and post to DVD Competi-tion, Coast & Country PO

The 500 story from combat to deer recovery

your name, address and phone

The biggest of the Big 4 wont necessarily take home the major prize in this years Quarry Tavern Community Sports Club Hunting and

Fishing competition.Ken Griffi n says the major team

prize will be based on an average weight, giving every competitor a chance at the big prize a Polaris Ranger 500 in the Polaris Big Four Hunting the Fishing Competition.

There will still be prizes for the heaviest stag, heaviest boar, heaviest trout and best pheasant but awarding the top prize based on average weights makes it fairer for everyone.

Now in its second year, the Big Four is the already the biggest contest of its kind in New Zealand and up to $80,000 in prizes are up for grabs.

Weve had interest from teams from the South Island up North and even Australia.

Support from our sponsors has been fantastic and there are plenty of opportunities to win something.

The prize pool for Big Four

2012 includes a Polaris Ranger 500; Hunt-ing Hutt; Portable Chiller and the chance to win a new Toyota Hilux.

Prizes will be awarded to the fi rst three teams based on a points system. The three heaviest in each of the specie categories will also be awarded prizes and there will be prizes for the best antlers and the best tusks.

Theres also a raffl e to win a Polaris Sportsman 400 H.O. worth $10,000 which is open to the public.

Its not necessary to attend the briefi ng on Wednesday June 20 but Ken says those who do have the chance to win prizes and learn more about the competition.

Once the contest offi cially begins

teams will be heading for their favourite hunting and fi shing spots, locations which will be close kept secrets. Planning where to go and what to do goes on months in advance. Even if they bag the Big Four early in the contest, most people will keep going until weigh-in which is between 12 and 4pm on Saturday at the Quarry Tavern.

Ken says as well as contestants, their families and friends will attend the weigh-in. The marque will still be up and well have a band. It will be a good time to unwind. Entry costs $200 for each team of four and numbers are limited to 100 teams.

Box 240 Tauranga 3110 to arrive no later than June 18, 2012. The winner will be announced in the July Coast & Country.

teams will be heading for their

Hunting for up to $80,000 in prizesHunting for up to $80,000 in prizes

12 pointer shot last year in the Big Four

Competition.

Will this year be bigger and better?

Hunting and fi shing competitions such as Te Punas Big Four are an important refl ection of a largely unrecognised slice of New Zealand life, says television per-sonality Geoff Thomas who will again host the event this month.

People living in the city often dont realise

that one million Kiwis regularly hunt and fi sh and enjoy the outdoors, says Geoff, who, with his crew, will be fi lming the event for the popular TV programme Outdoors with Geoff.

Its not an easy event to cover because we cant follow every member of every team so we have to hope we pick the ones who are going to see some action, but in

hunting and fi shing nothing is guaran-teed.

Geoff applauds the decision to use an

average weight system to decide the winner of this years event. That gives everyone an equal chance to win.

The Big Four contest begins on Wednesday June 20 and ends with the weigh in and prize-giving on Saturday June 23.

One of this countrys most experienced fi sher-men, Geoff has fi shed all his life. After training as a journalist on the Auck-land Star newspaper he made a living from fi shing as the fi rst profes-sional fl y fi shing guide based in Rotorua.

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June 2012 HUNT FISH EAT Page 11

Its one of the most rugged, yet safest all-wheel drive

vehicles around and every team which enters this years

Polaris Big Four has the chance to win a

Polaris Ranger 500.The Ranger is easy to manoeu-

vre, park and store and fi ts on a trailer or the bed of many trucks. The model automatically engages all four wheels when needed for more forward traction and reverts back to 2WD automatically too.

Plenty of ground clearance keeps the ride smooth, clearing obstacles and reducing high-centering on rough terrain and the Ranger can tow trailers and wheeled equip-

ment with ease. The model is powered by a 500 Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) Single Cylinder

32 HP engine which delivers big power in a midsize chassis.

Cab ergonomics have been designed to deliver outstanding

driver and passenger comfort, with extra legroom and easy cab slide-through design so two adults can

get in and out quickly.The Polaris has smooth

Independent Rear Suspension (IRS) with fi ve-point adjustable preload to stiffen the suspension for heavy loads. A black ignition key maximizes engine power and top speed, while a yellow key lowers the top speed to 23 mph.

The 500 EFI power plant has standard equipment that includes a new speedometer and an instrument cluster with an electronic fuel gauge.The mid-size chassis and lighter

overall vehicle weight deliver easier handling and manoeuvring on turf, trails and rough terrain.

UFO cooking at the Big Four

Polaris prize for lucky team

Just to prove how good the cookers are contestant will also be able to buy a hot roast pork roll fi lled with deli-cious, tasty and tender meat cooked in UFO.

The team from UFO will be on site at the competition roasting some sensational pork and selling it with a gourmet bun from Pukeko Bakery. These rolls were available recently at Central Districts Fieldays and sold out fast.

UFO team is sponsoring the Big Four this year and has offered up two UFO Roaster/smokers and two Shane Cameron Universal Cookers which make every day cooking an absolute breeze. Thanks to their steaming and smoking capabilities theres no more kitchen mess to clean. Prizes are to the value of $2000 and there will some spot prizes to.

Everyone who enters the Polaris Big Four Hunting and Fishing Competition will be in to win

one of four prizes from the UFO cooker range.

Gary Mitchell of UFO cooking

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June 2012HORTICULTURE

The regions brightest young fruit growers compete for the title of Bay of Plenty Young Fruit Grower of the

year at a day-long event on June 20.Designed to test their practical skills, industry knowledge and

leadership potential, the event at Bay Park Stadium, Mount Maunganui has a fi rst prize of $1500.

The contestanrs are Adam Bond, Cody Bent, Chris Jennings, Tim Webb, Greg Brown and Joel Wanhill.

The winner has the opportunity to compete for two prestig-ious national titles, the New Zealand Young Fruit Grower of 2012 and the Young Grower of the Year for 2012. Runner up will receive $1000 and the second runner-up $500.

However, its not all about winning as all contestants share the opportunities the contest offers.

Robert Humphries who took part in 2006 and 2007 and went on to represent the region at the national Young Grower of the Year competition is now helping organise the event. ``Taking part gives you the chance to test your skills and knowledge alongside your peers and to meet new people, including lead-ers in the industry.

For Campbell Wood the last 12 months have been exceptional. Not only did he win the 2011 Bay of Plenty Young Fruit Grower of the Year title, but he was also awarded the Zespri-funded Bruce Stowell Schol-arship for three months in Italy.

Its been fantastic. Ive learned so much about myself and the industry and even now I dont think I fully realise how much Ive gained, says Campbell who returned from Italy in late April.

The 22-year-old is vine manager for organic and conventional kiwifruit orchards owned by Kathy and

A small group of table grape growers and researchers have set up a national

association to represent them and work on promoting and developing expertise for

New Zealand table grapes. New Zealand grows plenty

of grapes, but almost all of them end up in wine bottles. Lincoln University viticul-ture lecturer Glen Creasy says the group believes there is a lot of potential in newer varieties that are better suited to New Zealand condi-tions. North island grower and organisation founder Robin Janson says his initial trials show the potential is there to develop a sustain-able industry, given that New Zealand imports $50 million in table grapes every year.

Anyone interested in being a part of the New Zea-land Table Grape Growers Association should contact Dr. Robin Janson, email [email protected].

Page 12

Dave Goodwin of Pyes Pa and he returned home in time to be part of the harvest of the new gold variety G3 which he helped graft in 2010.

During his three months in Italy Campbell saw just what the bacterial disease Psa-V can do to kiwifruit vines.

The gold Hort16A vines are virtually gone and its into the green Hayward now.

He was based in Latina with Zespris team where Psa-V research is being carried out.

By doing trials in Italy, the industry has the advan-tage of two growing seasons in one year, increasing the rapidity of results.

Despite the devastation caused by the spread of the disease in Italy, Campbell says he has every confi -dence in the future of the New Zealand kiwifruit industry.

Industrys brightest compete Campbell Wood

won the 2011 Bay of Plenty Young Fruit

Grower of the Year title.

Table grape group set up

My Name is Neil Woodward.I am a director of Z-Contracting- we are family runbusiness, our team consists of three, being myself, myson and my brother.

Our organisation has been established for over 18years. I have been involved in applying crop protectionprogrammes within the horticultal industry since 1966.

We specialise within the kiwi fruit industry, Wehave the equipment to spray orchards with our twoAtom sprayers and one recently purchased TracatomFormula tractor which is also available for mulchingand mowing.

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June 2012 HORTICULTURE Page 13

Planning for and building a shed, a new set of yards, fence or manag-ers house can take a farmer away from his core business which is why Steve Butler has established CPS Services Ltd and CPS Built.

Hard-working farmers and orchardists often cant afford time out of their business managing building or development projects which is where I can help.

C.P.S stands for Consultation/Design, Project management,

Supply materials and labour, says Steve. We can look after a project from beginning to end, or give advice or just supply the materials required at the end of the day. Well work with clients to give them the

service they need.Steve, who began

his working career in the horticulture industry, discov-ered what he really enjoyed was the construction side of any rural industry. I helped develop many kiwifruit orchards from a bare land and got a lot of satisfaction out of that, this included repairs and mainte-

nance plus the introduction of farm buildings.

He later joined two national building supply companies which gave him the extra experience he needed and helped grow their rural clientele before establishing his own

business.Because I understand the farm-

ing and horticulture industries I can put myself in my clients work boots so to speak, and look at a project from their point of view. Farmers know what they want, for example which way a shed should face, which way the prevailing wind comes from, which fence type they want to use and I know how to help them get the result they want. Its all grass roots stuff.

I have contacts and relation-ships with major suppliers and can supply material straight from the mill and factory if required. Im not aligned to any one brand so will supply clients with the fencing materials that they prefer from poles, post, timber, wire and hard-ware etc. The list goes on.

Based in Te Puke, Steve works with clients in the Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Thames, Coromandel and Taupo but also has clients and contacts from outer regions as well that have experienced the service that CPS Services Ltd has to offer.

Just as one large science company hid the knowledge of what Roundup could do for

many years, another is apparently now sitting on a widespread patent for a process which could do a lot to help feed the world, and

which is the antithesis of genetic engineering.

When a scientist friend rang me to suggest I write about what this process could do for maize produc-tion (8-12 cobs per plant), it sounded

much too good to be true. Since then Ive read more about it, seen photos and found more corrobora-tion on the internet, so I thought our readers would be interested too.

In 1988 two chemists working for what was then Ciba Geigy, Guido Ebner and Heinz Schurch exposed maize and wheat seeds and trout ova to an electrostatic fi eld, in other words to a high voltage fi eld in which no current fl ows. The results appear to have switched on primeval growth mechanisms, resulting in maize with 12 ears per stalk, wheat which grew multiple stalks and multiple ears which was ready to harvest in four to six weeks, and giant trout which had been extinct in Europe for 130 years.

The company patented the process and then stopped the research in 1992. Why? probably because these primeval cereals require hardly any

fertilizers or pesticides, and if you are a com-pany which specialises in such things, new/old discoveries are best protected and then forgotten, which is what happened.

But recently a German author, Luc Burgin, has collaborated with the sons of the original scientists (both of whom died in 2001) to document the process, and publish a full account, with photos and details of the patent. The book is called Der Urzeit-Code (The Primeval Code) - the ecological alternative to controver-sial genetic engineering. While some scientists are sceptical, others are now

speaking publicly about the results and the effects it could have on feeding the hungry of the world.

Daniel Ebner, son of Guido and himself a biologist, has been continuing the experiments on a private basis. He is now attempting to export the technol-ogy to Africa as part of an aid project with UN help, in order to make it available to local farmers free of charge, as an ecological alternative to the

By Sue Edmonds

Primeval codes may help feed a hungry worldcontroversial GE seeds sold by the agro-multinationals.

Having recently listened to Nick Pyke, CEO of the Foundation for Arable Research, speak of the potential for New Zealand to become a world leader in providing maize seed for export, just think what we could do if each maize plant here could produce 12 kernels apiece. And guaranteed

primeval and GE free.To me this seems just another

example of vested business interests putting profi ts before people, by hiding research which could materially assist in feeding the world with more product from the same areas of land.To read more about this go to http://www.urzeit-code.com/index.php?id=23

Taking the hassle out of farm projects

Close attention to detail, including the placement of water troughs, is important in

getting farm projects right.

work with clients to give them the

Close attention to detail, including the

tion (8-12 cobs per plant), tion (8-12 cobs per plant), it sounded

because these primeval cereals require hardly any fertilizers or pesticides, and if you are a com-pany which specialises in such things, new/old discoveries are best protected and then forgotten, which is what happened.

But recently a German author, Luc Burgin, has collaborated with the sons of the original scientists (both of whom died in 2001) to document the process, and publish a full account, with photos and details of the patent. The book is called

speaking publicly about the results and the effects it could have on feeding the hungry of the

KA

June 2012HORTICULTUREPage 14

Futurespread (North) ltd has released the new fertME fertiliser range, custom

designed and formulated by their consultant Dr Bert Quin of Quin Environmentals

(NZ) Ltd, for fl uidised application. The range of high solids fl uid fertilis-

ers encourages optimum nutrient uptake via the foliage and through the root zone and offers new opportunities to simultaneously provide maximum nutrient effi ciency and cost-effec-tiveness on farms, while minimising any adverse environmental effects the company says.

Using the fertME range of fl uidised fertilisers in conjunction with the fl uidising technology maximises the effi ciency of the nutrients applied by careful selection of nutrient forms. Optimisation of the particle size of each nutrient ensures leaf, root uptake and additives designed to assist plant uptake and avoid losses, both to the envi-ronment and through soil fi xation are incorporated.

The use of fertME fl uidized fertilisers and the fl uid-izing technology means the effi ciency of products increase signifi cantly.

Dusty ingredients (including lime and RPR) are no longer a problem.

Accuracy of placement is very high, minimising direct entry to waterways.

Evenness of spreading is also very high, optimising production. This even spreading and rapidly-adjustable

placement control is a perfect match with variable-rate application technol-ogy.

Additives, both dry and liquid, can easily be added, including trace ele-ments, inhibitors, anti-P fi xation and Al-toxicity control polymers, growth promotants such as gibberellic acid and weedicides.

Movement of fi ner fertiliser particles into the soil surface is faster than with granules, reducing the risk of surface run-off further.

Given that many farms are receiv-ing N four or more times per year, all

nutrients, lime and additives required can be applied with no increase in the total number of applications providing signifi cant cost and benefi t advantages over traditional fertiliser and spreading technologies.

The fertME process provides improved accuracy and evenness of application, allowing application in the widest range of weather and ground conditions possible.

In May neighbours and friends spent a day harvesting the fruit from 300 olive trees on the couples 4.04 ha (10 acre) property, drawn by the promise of a day in the valley and Debs fi ne food.

Picking the olives has become a social event with neighbours and friends taking part, but we also have WOOFers (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) and other inter-ested people who just hear about what a fun day it is, says Deb.

The olives were originally planted

to compliment an eco-friendly retreat centre and workshop space the couple intend to build. Picking is all by hand, without using rakes or shaking the trees, so the fruit and the trees receive fairly gentle treatment, even though it is labour-intensive.

It took around 20 people all day to pick the olives, stripping them to drop onto sheets spread below the trees, before they were taken to the stone olive press owned by neighbour Stratt Peters.

The net harvest was 330 kg of olives, result-

increase signifi cantly. widest range of weather and ground conditions possible.

Age old harvest technique for ancient fruitAge old harvest technique for ancient fruitAge old harvest technique for ancient fruitAn age-old tradition of friends and neighbours

harvesting olives by hand is preserved by Deb Brock

and Rick Brown in the beautiful Kauaeranga Valley near Thames.

Harvesting olives by hand was an experience enjoyed by many on Debbie Brock and Rick Browns property in Kauaeranga Valley near Thames.

Dr Bert Quin of Quin Enviromentals (NZ) Ltd.

ing in 25 litres of top quality oil.

However, it wasnt all about work. The pick-ers enjoyed sumptuous morning and afternoon teas, lunch and dinner, all catered for by Deb, and a bonfi re to end the day.

The Kauaeranga Valley is very beautiful. It has its own micro-climate and free-draining soils, which is probably why olives do so well here.

Theres a lovely river with swimming holes, and the area is popular with trampers and cyclists.

The olive trees from which the fruit was harvested are around 16 years old and of six dif-ferent varieties, some of which include: Frantoio, Leccino, Manzanillo, and Pendolino. All were picked and pressed to make extra virgin olive oil for Debbies catering busi-ness, and to share with friends and family.

property in Kauaeranga Valley near Thames.

Strat Peters and his stone olive press.

Fluidised fertiliserplacement control is a perfect match with variable-rate application technol-ogy.

easily be added, including trace ele-ments, inhibitors, anti-P fi xation and Al-toxicity control polymers, growth promotants such as gibberellic acid and weedicides.

into the soil surface is faster than with granules, reducing the risk of surface run-off further.

Dr Bert Quin of Quin

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June 2012 HORTICULTURE

Bio-security is the hot topic at the moment with the Fruit Fly fi nd in Auckland.

The question everyone is asking is: how secure are our borders from bio-security risks from other coun-tries? After all it was only in November 2010 that we found we had Psa and then in May fruit fl y.

First some facts. Initially only one male fruit fl y had been found. Just as one swallow doesnt make a summer, one fruit fl y doesnt make a fruit fl y incursion. You need some female fruit fl ies as well. Very fortunately this is not a good time of year for fruit fl ies to breed. They appar-ently like to mate around dusk and need warm tempera-tures over 16 degrees Celsius.

But one fruit fl y is one fruit fl y too many. The loca-tion of the fi nd would indicate that this fruit fl y came in on an Australian fl ight with a passenger or in the passengers luggage. Although international air travel is a signifi -cant risk, the even greater risk is our sea ports. But thats a topic for another article. New Zealand used to operate 100 per cent x-ray procedures for passen-gers luggage this meant that everyones luggage was x-rayed for fruit. It doesnt anymore.

We also use beagles (detector dogs) to sniff out fruit, but the beagles are not always on duty. For example Wellington International Airport has not had a beagle on duty since September last year. Rotorua and Ham-ilton International Airports only have beagles on duty every so often. Not every international fl ight into Auckland is met by beagles.

Better managing risksLate last year New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers

Incorporated raised this biosecurity predicament with the Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry MAF (now called the Ministry of Pri-mary Industries). This is the Government department responsible for New Zealands Biosecurity. This is some of what he said in reply:

As you are aware, MAF is making changes at the border to better manage the biosecurity risks posed by incoming passengers, goods and craft.

Part of the changes includes the removal of the obligation for MAF to x-ray screen or physically search all international passenger baggage entering New Zealand. This change enables MAF to better target resources to biosecurity risk.

In the trans-Tasman environment in particu-lar, MAF has implemented the direct exit Lane at international airports. This allows low risk compli-ant passengers to exit the airport more quickly while MAF can focus its efforts and become more sophis-ticated at targeting passengers who are more likely to carry risk goods and toughen up on non-compliant passengers and criminal behaviour.

MAF will still continue interacting and checking all travellers from Australia but may use a range of tools and intelligence to determine if they are car-rying risk goods rather than relying only on X-ray screening or physical searches. The range of tools may

Page 15

include x-ray screening and physical searches, but also may include detector dogs, risk assessment, risk profi ling, social marketing campaigns and requir-ing passengers to declare any biosecurity risk goods

when entering New Zealand. This more targeted approach gives MAF a better

chance of fi nding items that pose a genuine high risk amongst

thousands of international passengers that enter New Zealand every day.

MAF considers these interventions effective at preventing fruit fl y from entering via the passenger

pathway at all airports. Regardless of where the

airport is located, the require-ments for passengers entering New

Zealand are the same.Once we have got through the fruit fl y fi nd this will

all be open for further review.

Disastrous effectsTo fi nish off I want to stress how disastrous a fruit

fl y incursion in the Bay of Plenty would be. In 2007 HortNZ commissioned a study into the economic impact of a fruit fl y incursion in the Bay of Plenty. It shows the potential for the loss of more than 3,400 jobs and $820 million in lost earnings in the fi rst year of a fruit fl y incursion. This is very serious not only for kiwifruit but for the entire region. So once the current fruit fl y fi nd is resolved some very hard ques-tions will be asked about our bio-security.

Hard questions to follow fly discovery

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June 2012CALF REARINGPage 16

LIC strongly supports New Zealand's dairy, beef, deer and sheep industries and recognises that there are young farmers who work hard each year to select, prepare and show young animals at these school events.

Helpful tipsLICs website provides information and guide-

lines to help select, train and show a pet - and most importantly, ensure everyone enjoys the experience.

For the fi rst three to four days of its life, a calf will normally drink colostrum which is the fi rst milk produced by a cow after giving birth. It has special ingredients that protect the calf from infection and help it become strong in the fi rst days after its birth.

When the calf's care is passed to a child, it will generally have fi nished this colostrum phase (when it will usually have been with other calves in an indoor pen drinking from a calfeteria) and should know how to suck from an artifi cial teat.

At this stage it is important to have arranged to have a pen or small paddock where the calf can be kept on its own, or with other calves which are being hand-reared. For the fi rst few days as the child and calf become friends, it will help if this is a small area so, wherever the child is are in the pen, they are close to the calf and it can hear their voice and will soon begin to trust the child. The best way to forge a friendship, of course, is by feeding it.

Right from the start, the calf will need feeding twice a day - in the morning (before school) and the afternoon.

Warm milkChildren who live on a dairy farm, will probably

get milk direct from the farm dairy in the mornings and afternoons, when it is still warm so they can immediately feed the calf. Those not on farms will mix special calf milk formula with warm water (the water-powder ratio is given on the outside of the bag of milk powder) and feed the calf.

It is very important to keep whatever utensil are used (bucket, mother udder, calfeteria) very, very clean - calves can get 'a tummy bug' called scours (diarrhoea) from dirty feeding utensils, so be very careful to clean everything in hot soapy water after each feed so it is clean for the next feed.

The farmer will be the best one to explain how much milk to feed and this will be reviewed at regu-lar intervals because the calf will grow very quickly. As a general rule, after feeding a calf will look full, his/her tummy will look round and the calf will be happy, not calling out for more milk.

Use whole milk or one of the brands of milk powder available at from local farming stores. A common rule is 10 per cent of body-weight, so a 40kg calf needs four litres each day or two litres twice a day. It is important to mix powders at the correct

levels so be sure to read the instructions on the calf milk packet very carefully, and follow them strictly.

Be sure to feed the calf at the same time each day - it will soon learn when 'dinner time' is. In addition to milk, acalf needs access to clear water and good quality, fresh, grass.

Calf mealCalves will grow quickly and will soon begin nib-

bling grass and drinking water from the trough. At around two weeks introduce calf meal to its diet so it grows well and has 'good condition' (has a good cover of fat and muscle) and is contented during the day between feeds.

Meal is fed in the mornings, after a milk feed. A large, fl at-bottomed feeder which a calf can't push around the paddock is best.

Although the supply of grass, hay and meal increases as the calf grows, it is still important to keep feeding milk as this ensures the calf keeps a shiny coat for calf club.

WeaningAt around two to three weeks, and after checking

with the farmer, the calf's twice daily milk feeds can be reduced to one - generally in the morning. The amount of milk generally increases so the calf is get-ting one larger drink of milk each day.

Calves generally remain on once-a-day milk feeds with grain until after Calf Club. Weaning then takes place when the calf returns to the farm.

To fi nd out more check out the LIC website www.lic.co.nz/lic_Calf_Clubs.cfm

Rearing calves both demanding and funEach year rural schools around New Zealand hold events that encourage children to take an active interest in the welfare

and presentation of an animal of their choice.

Originally the day was known as Calf Club even though children exhibited animals like lambs and goats, but with fewer children now having access to 'farm animals' the day has become known, in some areas, as Pet, Livestock or Agriculture Day, with events for all classes of animals, pets and handcrafts.

Grandaughter Danika helps Alex Sellars feed the hungry calves their special milk.

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June 2012 CALF REARING Page 17

Dairy cows came to New Zealand on sailing ships with early settlers during the 1800s. By the early 1900s, the industry was prospering and growing with farmers joining together to form herd testing co-operatives and dairy factories to process the milk their herds produced.

The earliest recording of the forerunner of today's calf club was in 1911, when the Boys and Agri-cultural Group began in Otago.

As the adult side of the industry grew, so too did the junior. The

natural partnership of children and young animals was encour-aged as farmers recognised the benefi ts to be gained by children having the responsibility of train-ing and caring for a young animal.

In regions around the country, the enthusiasm of farming parents combined with local schools gave life to Calf Club. And so it has been for nearly 100 years.

Many dairy farmers and their children look back with affection at the time they spent selecting, feeding and training calves for

Calf Club. The benefi ts derived from involvement in Calf Club extend beyond the dairy indus-try to personal qualities that have value in many spheres of life - motivation, commitment, responsibility and compassion.

Today Calf Club, or its modern equivalent, is held each year in a large number of schools across New Zealand dependent on the support and patronage of gener-ally rural communities and their supporting structures.

(Source LIC)

Which is an animals left ear? That question has proved so taxing the National

Animal Identifi cation and Tracing scheme has decided new compulsory tags can be fi tted to either ear.

NAIT operations manager Tony Corcoran told the Bay of Plenty Federated Farmers provincial

conference last month that specifying tags should be placed only in an animals left ear was

deemed too confusing.

Farmers asked: which is the left ear the one

on the animals left side or on the left as you look at the animal?

The NAIT scheme comes into force for cattle from July 1 this year and for deer from March 1, 2013. It is designed to assure New Zealands over-seas markets that a livestock disease can be quickly

contained in the event of any biosecurity incidents.NAIT Ltd is the industry-owned company respon-

sible for implementing the NAIT scheme for cattle and deer, designed to link people, property and live-stock. Its shareholders are Beef + Lamb New Zealand, DairyNZ, and Deer Industry New Zealand.

Added valueTony said the scheme could add value to farmers

by making available information on the condition of their livestock at slaughter.

He said farmers should ask meat processing companies to use the tag system to

give them individual carcass reports. Some (processors) dont want to

do that but the technology means they can.Farmers didnt need to purchase

the tag readers but may fi nd being able to read and record the information

contained on the electronic tags was an advantage to their operation.

Tony said every person in charge of animals at a given location must register with NAIT to get a NAIT number, which is different from an Animal Health Board number

or dairy participant code.Any properties within 20 kilometres,

as the crow fl ies, of each other where the same person is in charge of animals can be registered under the same NAIT number.

Existing stock have a three-year grace period before they need to be tagged with NAIT approved tags, unless they are being moved off the farm.

By Elaine Fisher

Farmers wonder which left is left?

First calf club day in Otago in 1911

Newborn animals must be tagged with approved tags within 180 days of birth or before their fi rst movement to another NAIT number.

Exceptions madeThere are some exemptions from

applying tags and these include bobby calves going direct to slaughter, which will continue to have the tags issued by meat processing companies.

Animals which were considered impractical to tag but already have AHB barcoded primary tags and were being transported directly to a meat

processor did not need to be tagged but would incur a levy of $13 per head plus GST.

Animal movements to NAIT-accred-ited meat processors and sale yards will be recorded by those organisations on behalf of farmers.

However, farm to farm movements such as private sales or animals sent for grazing must be recorded by the person in charge of the animals.

For more information, phone 0800 624 843 or visit www.nait.co.nz

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June 2012DAIRY

The following information will provide farmers with the ability to

grow more feed in spring. For those who dont enjoy winter, theres the

added benefi t of getting to spring in a better frame of mind.

Our fi rst few years of pastoral farming were spent close to the coast where grass usu-ally grew strongly until mid-May with signs of spring growth as early the fi rst week in September. And among those one hundred days there were periods of warmth when grass showed encouraging signs of wanting to grow.

We then spent a number of years inland at 1,000ft, and height alone meant temperatures were 3C lower. Along with being exposed to the south winters became a period to endure, rather than the relatively short time spent recharging the batteries before the bustle of spring we had enjoyed previously.

What we didnt know at that time is that

areas that are colder in winter grow more feed in spring than regions that enjoy warmer winters. It just comes a little later so when calving and lambing are adjusted accordingly, feed pressure can be lessened and total pro-duction is maintained or even increased.

Spring growth in cold regions arrives as though a switch has been fl icked, suddenly theres feed everywhere, while in the warmer regions it just creeps up, with no great excite-ment.

The reasons for the difference are largely about whats taking place in the soil, although the amount of sunlight does play a part. At temperatures less than 10C the speed at which nutrient cycles slows rapidly, and so too does grass growth.

The upside is that earthworms are busiest

over winter as their ideal operating tempera-ture is around 10C. Worms are the soils macro digesters, processing all the big stuff, old roots, along with dead grass and dung left on the surface during the season.

There are plenty of other benefi cial soil workers, with their combined weight being at least the same as the weight of stock carried above. If you want to increase the carrying capacity of your property long term, fi rst increase the number of earthworms.

There are two things that earthworms par-ticularly enjoy, more calcium and more fresh air and dolomite from Golden Bay provides both.

Earthworm numbers and activity increase with extra calcium, and the extra fresh air is provided by dolomites unique ability to physically aerate the soil.

With an increase in both, more humus is formed and potential pasture production steadily lifts.

As well as 24 per cent calcium, Dolomite also contains 11.5 per cent magnesium and

is applied where there is a requirement for magnesium, and thats the case on nearly all dairy country.

Dolomite is the most effective magnesium fertiliser available anywhere, as the late Prof Walker said, .individual farmers will have to make their own calculations, but in my view dolomite is the ideal material to use on acid soils low in magnesium.

If the idea of enjoying the benefi ts provided by dolomite over the next twelve months sounds good well send or email an easy to understand sheet that includes all the techni-cal data along with a recommended spreading rate, and price delivered direct to your farm or spreader.

Generally we fi nd the cost of supplying dolomite for 50ha is no more than the price of one good dairy cow, and the savings are usually a good deal more than that.

Should you wish well spend whatever time it takes to discuss your queries on soil fertility and with over 20 years experience with dolo-mite theres always plenty more to add.

Winter time is a time for planning

next seasons animal health requirements,

including magnesium, lime

fl our, maize balancers and trace element

supplements. There are a lot of

differing opinions and controversy on what dairy cows need in terms of trace elements and unfor-tunately there are the usual unscrupulous com-panies selling expensive products with no proven benefi ts.

Page 18

Surviving the winter to enjoy spring

Tricky trace elements

For grazing ruminants (eg cattle and sheep), there are only fi ve trace elements that need to be considered in terms of defi ciency; copper, sele-nium, cobalt, iodine and zinc; of which the fi rst two are the main ones. Iodine is most important when cows are being fed on brassicas, and/or pre-calving and pre-mating.

Despite the fact that only a proportion of dairy farms are naturally low in one or more these minerals, it has become common practice to sup-plement the herd with a mixture containing all fi ve, as an insurance policy against produc-tion-limiting defi ciencies.

In the absence of considerable monitor-ing (ie pasture, blood and liver testing), this strategy is not unreason-able. However I have seen no evidence at all that dairy cows will benefi t from other trace elements commonly touted as

useful, such as chromium, boron, manganese or nickel.

Even if cows do require these, the levels that natu-rally occur in the diet are suffi cient. If you are being sold a product containing these other mineral (or other ingredients such as probiotics or seaweed), particularly if it costs you more, ask to see real trial data of the benefi ts (not just anecdotal evidence). And beware of people using overseas data, or even worse data from other species, to justify their product.

In terms of trace element chelates vs (inor-ganic) sulphates, there is again a lot of mixed opin-ion on the best option, but little, if any robust data showing that chelates are more cost-effective than inorganic options. Before you pay signifi -cantly more for chelated products, ask for evidence or seek advice from an independent source.

with Ravensdown Vet Gavin Goble BVSc MRCVS

vets viewTricky trace elements

vets view

June 2012 DAIRY

Many farmers have got used to the idea that when a cow gets sick, they can fi x it, frequently with the use of antibiotics. And

often it works and the cow recovers.

But how many are aware that if the cows immune system was working as Nature intended, then it would generally have been able to overcome the bugs, possibly suffer a mild dose, but be able to get better without drugs. And when you think of the diffi culties and hazards of making sure you dont get antibiotic milk in the vat, having cows which can generally do without antibiotics has got to be a good idea.

Robert Pickering, founder of Wormade Ltd, had long cared about animal welfare and looked for ways of boosting an animals immune response. He invented Oral Mineral Supplement (OMS), which is now in its seventh season of use around the country, and which hundreds of farmers are now using with their herds. A product compliant with all Food Safety Authority requirements, informa-tion on its effi cacy has been spread from farmer to

farmer by word of mouth.OMS is used as a drench and helps strengthen the

cows immune system. The cow is then better able to control the bacteria causing mastitis, facial eczema and some forms of lameness, which might otherwise proliferate until the cow sickened and possibly died.

Used as part of a regular nutrition system, OMS helps young animals to develop their own natural (genetic) immune systems, as well as helping older animals make a faster recovery from illness. Wormade has clear manuals to guide farmers in using what is now called the Mastade Nutritional Supplement Plan, which can be started at any point in the year.

Having healthy animals often means a signifi cant reduction in animal health costs.

Recently I visited two farms on the Central Plateau where long-running worries with problems like heifer mastitis had been reduced to almost nothing. On one farm a ready-charged single drench gun was kept handy during milking so that cows which seemed to need a dietary boost could be given a dose of OMS on the spot. On the second farm lameness had been a big problem, but was now reduced to an occasional minor irritation.

Getting their feet wet is what farmers do almost daily but now theres a course to help them put

their toes in `water of another kind.

Federated Farmers is offering two leadership courses for members. `Getting your Feet Wet, is an entry level course designed for people not currently active in a leadership role but keen to do so and the level two course `Shining under the Spotlight gives the chance to practice presentation skills and strategic thinking.

The courses are balanced with workshop sessions and opportunities to network with others who work on agricultural policy. The courses are popular and fi ll quickly so registering interest early is advised. The next level two leadership course is on July 11-12 and

Page 19

a level one course will be held on October 24-25. To register or for more information, contact the

Federated Farmers Events Coordinator, Hannah Williamson, on 0800 327 646 or email [email protected].

Put toe in water with these courses

Both farms had moved toward a biological farming system, and both farmers wore beaming smiles and talked about unbelievably low input costs these days and good production.

Different farms often have problems which recur every year at a particular stage in the season. These may relate to mating, pre-calving, different stages of lactation, or diffi culty getting young stock to develop fully as expected. High SCC counts in the herd may see a potential grade looming, while the com-plications presented by a variety of cows

dosed with antibiotics at different times can be a nightmare in the farm dairy.

Poor condition, stress and infections are animal health problems that com-monly arise from natural challenges. A simple biological way of helping the animals to handle these challenges is to develop their immune systems through better nutrition. OMS is proving to be one of the really useful tools available. The hundreds of farmers who have used it and the thousands of cows it has benefi tted cant be wrong.

Building and using cow immunityMatthew Ruthe, OMS user with

Neal Kinsey

By Sue Edmonds

Already beensuccessful onhundreds of farms over seven years

HAVING YOUR HERD AND FARM DAIRY ANTIBIOTIC FREE, USING AN EFFECTIVE

BIOLOGICAL OPTION!

IMAGINE...

Dont just imagine - make it happen!Start today on the OMS programmeNo withholding period!Call our team on free phone number:

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June 2012DAIRY

When it comes to the weather and farming you never know whats around the corner.

The weather experts are predicting an 80 per cent chance of El Nino weather conditions for the coming summer which could mean drier conditions from Taupo north, and from east to west.

They could be wrong but its wise to be cautious. Even though theres good grass cover now, moving stock off the farm will spell the pasture and reduce the risk of pugging.

Good farming is not all about the cows. Giving staff and owners time for holidays is important so they come back refreshed and focused for the season ahead.

Keeping cows in good condition, as most are right now, combined with good pasture cover and a good calving date should make for maximum production next season.

Achieving good production will be important

because the Fonterra pay out has dropped, on the back of the recent prices achieved from the GlobalD-airyTrade auctions. However, the dollar also dropped which might take some of the edge off the impact of falling prices.

Taking the long view of weather, we may never be able to farm for `an average year again. Experts say there has been a threefold increase in extreme weather events in the last

cc 06/12

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