Testing Young

Farmers

May 2015 No.177

Bay of Plenty & Waikato Farm, Orchard & Rural Lifestyle

AQUAPONICS PAGE 8-9 SHEEP & BEEF PAGE 16 RURAL DRIVER PAGE 29-31 FIELDAYS PAGE 32-38 HERD OF COWS PAGE 39-41 AVOCADOS PAGE 47-49 RETIREMENT PAGE 54-57

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Jono Singer, 28, of Morrinsville is more familiar with cows than sheep but gave estimating their age by checking teeth his best shot when he represented the Hauraki Young Farmers Club in the Regional Final of the ANZ Young Farmer Contest in Paeroa see story pages 4-5. Photo by Elaine Fisher.

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Page 2 COAST & COUNTRY

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That we live in a global village is very clear, from the effect good times or

bad in other parts of the world have on our own fortunes.

New Zealand dairy farmers have done extremely well to return a production just two per cent down of the previ-ous season, despite droughts in many regions.

However, they arent being rewarded for their efforts because interna-tionally other farmers have also been produc-ing lots of milk, and theres confl icts in Europe, the Middle East and West Africa, all of which are forcing milk prices down.

So low in fact Fonterra chair-man John Wilson says at current global milk prices dairy farming in not sustainable for farmers anywhere in the world.

Thats pretty disturbing talk. New Zealands dairy industry has been expanding at the phenomenal rate and large conversions continue, including around the Central Plateau.

Its to be hoped the confi dence farmers are showing in the future of their industry is well-founded but it could be some time before theres an upswing in returns.

Milk is a wonderful food. And cheap milk, it could be argued, is good for consumers but the fact is if it

costs more to produce than it earns, then an abun-dance of it wont be around for long.

The same is true for most fresh foods. Consumers complain about food prices and increases, but about one-sixth of our household spending has been on food, according to Statistics NZ.

About $21 of every $100 spent by households on food is spent on eating out or takeaways.

About $17 is spent on meat, poultry and fi sh, and about $14 on fruit

and vegetables. Non-alcoholic beverages such as coffee, soft drinks and fruit juice account for $10, and the remaining $38 is spent on grocery food.

Fresh food is a small part of the household budget but a very big part

of family health, so its good value for money.There are few places in

New Zealand where its not possible to grow food but thats

not the case in many parts of the world and aquaponics research underway at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic might help see story

on pages 8-9.Morrinsville is creating a little cow

envy with a clever new community project, painting cows, not the town red, but

every other hue see pages 41 to 43.The descendants of Lone Pine, a chilling landmark

at Gallipoli, are now growing throughout New Zea-land thanks to a Scion Anzac project see page 43.

No bargain in falling milk prices

have on our own fortunes.

New Zealand dairy farmers have done extremely well to return a production just two per cent down of the previ-ous season, despite droughts in

However, they arent being

Africa, all of which are forcing

So low in fact Fonterra chair-man John Wilson says at current global milk prices dairy farming in not sustainable for farmers anywhere

Thats pretty disturbing talk. New Zealands dairy industry has been expanding at the phenomenal rate and large conversions continue, including

Its to be hoped the confi dence farmers are showing in the future of their industry is well-founded but it could be some time before theres

complain about food prices and increases, but about one-sixth of our household spending has been on food, according to Statistics NZ.

About $21 of every $100 spent by households on food is spent on eating out or takeaways.

About $17 is spent on meat, poultry and fi sh, and about $14 on fruit

and vegetables. Non-alcoholic beverages such as coffee, soft drinks and fruit juice account for $10, and the remaining $38 is spent on grocery food.

part of the household budget but a very big part

of family health, so its good value for money.There are few places in

New Zealand where its not possible to grow food but thats

not the case in many parts of the world and aquaponics research underway at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic might help

on pages 8-9.Morrinsville is creating a little cow

envy with a clever new community project, painting cows, not the town red, but

every other hue see pages 41 to 43.The descendants of Lone Pine, a chilling landmark

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Page 3COAST & COUNTRY

Farmers income at mercy of geo-politicsto manage those impacts. Thats a bit of a wake-up call for everyone, says Tim.

DairyNZs Tactics for Tight Times events are being held around the coun-try. For details, see www.dairynz.co.nz

Dairy farmers could be in for a tough couple of years as global markets remain volatile, warns Derek Spratt of the Bay of

Plenty Rural Support Trust.So far we havent heard of any major issues for

farmers, but now the low milk prices are going to start hurting.

The message from Rural Support to farmers everywhere, is dont bottle up your problems, seek help and if youre okay but you think your neighbour might not be, pay them a visit.

Derek says the unique circumstances of rural life, and in particular the uncertainty around milk payouts, can only be truly understood by rural people who share the same challenges, so farmers are often the best people to talk to.

However, sometimes its best to talk about anything but farming, just to give yourself a chance to clear your head.

Derek, who has weathered many climatic and fi nancial storms in his decades of farming, says its also vital to talk to accountants and banks about the issues that may be facing a farming business.

Banks are pretty good, they take a long-term view but you have to keep them in the picture. Not telling them what is going on is not wise.

Its good to hear most farmers seem to be keeping their banks and accountants well informed.

Provisional taxWith provisional tax payments looming, Derek

suggests reviewing fi nances with accountants as it may not be necessary for some farmers to make the May payment.

Financial and global market volatility is expected by farmers, but they once went in yearly cycles. Derek says now the volatility is almost month to month, which makes planning very hard.

He wouldnt be surprised if dairy companies make a further drop in payout predictions before their fi nancial year ends.

New Zealand farmers are affected by events across the other side of the world, including the confl ict in Ukraine which has led Russia to embargo dairy imports from Europe and the removal of EU milk quotas some predict will see the markets saturated

with milk, forcing a further drop in price.Its hard to gauge the effect of the removal of

quotas. It could ultimately result in the drop in pro-duction as it becomes uneconomic to continue with cut and carry farming where feed is cut and taken to the cows.

World confl ictsThat could ultimately benefi t New Zealand farmers

but the impacts could take time to be felt.Fonterra CEO Theo Spierings is also concerned

about international confl icts and political unrest, saying geo-political situations in Russia, the

Middle East and West Africa are all having an impact on international milk prices.

The geo-political situation in many ways is worse than at the end of World War II in terms of refugee numbers. All this has an impact on

demand. Theo believes the uncertainties caused by confl icts and political tensions are unlikely to be resolved any time soon.

Fonterra chairman John Wilson says at current global milk prices dairy farming in not sustainable for farmers anywhere in the world.

However, he expects falling prices to result in decreased production but he

too believes the markets will remain volatile.Volatility used to be a fi ve to seven-year cycle but

its a lot shorter cycle now.DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle says the chal-

lenge for farmers will be working through their cash fl ow position for the coming season.

Tight timesWhat we are concerned about is that the low milk

price this season coupled with a low retrospective payment this winter about one-third of what was received last year will see many farmers dip into the red this spring.

For many, they may not pop back up into the black for some time, says Tim. Banks are telling us that many farmers will hit $1.50-$2 kilograms of milksol-ids in overdraft this September.

Knowing those winter payments will drop in this next season will be second nature to many farmers.

But the ones who have already forecasted their cash fl ows are surprised at how long they stay low. They are now taking steps to put strategies in place

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Page 4 COAST & COUNTRY

Managing thousands of sheep is just part of his day job for Dwayne Cowin. And its the

practical skills hes gained in livestock farming which

helped the 29-year-old win the Waikato/Bay of Plenty regional fi nal of the 2015 ANZ Young

Farmer Contest.

Dwayne was one of eight contestants vying for the regional title in a day-long event at the Paeroa Racecourse last month.

By days end hed won prizes worth more than $10,000 including cash, scholarships and products and services from ANZ, FMG, Lincoln University, Ravensdown, AGMARDT, Silver Fern Farms, Honda, Husqvarna and Voda-fone. He also took out top honours in the Ravensdown Agri-Skills Challenge.

Drystock manager takes regional title

Dwayne Cowin will represent the Waikato/Bay of Plenty region in the 2015 ANZ Young Farmer Contest.

Fergus King of Matamata welds a gate during the Waikato/Bay of Plenty regional

fi nal of the 2015 ANZ Young Farmer Contest at the Paeroa Racecourse.

In between preparing sheep for tupping, the live-stock operations manager at Lochinver Station is now honing his skills for the grand fi nal in Taupo on July 2-4, where hell battle it out for the champions title and more than $270,000 in prizes.

At Lochinver Station on the Napier/Taupo highway, Dwayne manages 26,500 sheep, 1800 breeding cows, plus heifers and replacement hoggets.

He grew up in Tauranga. Close family members were farmers and I always wanted to go farming.

Thomas Harliwich of Te Awamutu identifi es seeds during the Waikato/Bay of Plenty regional

fi nal of the 2015 ANZ Young Farmer Contest at the Paeroa Racecourse.

Page 5COAST & COUNTRY

Young farmers skills and knowledge thoroughly tested

James Bryan of Cambridge loads silage onto a truck during one of the challenges in the Waikato/Bay of Plenty

regional fi nal of the 2015 ANZ Young Farmer Contest.

That happened after he graduated from Massey University with a bachelor of applied science degree.

Variety appeals Dwayne moved to his current position at

Lochinver from managing a 500ha drystock farm near Te Kuiti. Drystock farming has always appealed because of the variety of the work. No two seasons are the same.

Share farming or leasing a sheep and beef farm within the next 10 years is the aim but in the meantime Dwaynes working on develop-ing his management skills.

Its the second time hes won a place in the grand fi nal and both times hes represented the Reporoa Young Farmers Club.

Taking part in the competition is great for both personal development and for network-ing with others in the primary industry, says Dwayne.

Organisers of the fi nals in Paeroa did a great job in staging the event, which included some testing modules, and the venue was a good one, says Dwayne, who in his spare time enjoys fi shing and water-skiing on Lake Taupo in summer and hunting during winter.

Modules challenge The contestants were put through their paces

in a variety of challenging modules, from stock judging to engineering, touching on all aspects of farming from practical, hands-on tasks to theory and business components.

Second place went to 29-year-old Raven-sdown agronomy technical manager James Bryan of the Cambridge Young Farmers Club. He took home $2900 worth of prizes and won

the AGMARDT Agri-Business Chal-lenge.

Third place went to dairy farm owner Brady Mitchell, 30, of the Reporoa Young Farmers Club and fourth place went to 23-year-old sharemilker Josh MacDonald of the North Waikato

Young Farmers Club. The Lincoln University Agri-Growth Challenge was won by Brady and the crowd-pleasing Silver Fern Farms Agri-Sports Chal-lenge was won by 23-year-old Thomas Harliwich from the Te Kawa West Young Farmers Club. By Elaine Fisher

Wayne Hofmann of Waihi assesses young Jersey cows.

Jono Singer of Morrinsville crutches a sheep.

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Page 6 COAST & COUNTRY

and TeenAg is growing. So far this year weve had three regions hit

full capacity, which is 96 AgriKids and 64 TeenAgers.

The members we currently have are defi nitely majority rural kids, however were trying to put in initiatives to get more urban kids involved as we have a huge jobs oppor-tunities in the agriculture industry in New Zealand and it is the exposure from a young age into the different aspects on offer that we hope will start to make a positive difference.

As an urban girl originally from Welling-ton this is defi nitely a focus and passion of mine, says Isabelle.

There is defi nitely a strong connection between the numbers of entries and whether a school has a passionate teacher or parent behind the competition.

It is extremely crucial for school support, especially at the AgriKids level because eve-rything is organised and implemented by the teachers and parents.

If we want to make a difference with agri-culture in New Zealand, these programmes and competitions are a fantastic starting point because it creates a spark of interest and passion in the kids and teens which creates a ripple effect through their schools and communities.

TeenAg has grown rapidly since the fi rst clubs started

in 2009 and now there are more than 550 club members throughout

the country.TeenAg aims to introduce

and promote a positive picture about agriculture and agricul-tural careers from an early age.

The goal is to show the stimulating and fun side of agriculture to students from all walks of life.

You dont need to be off a farm, you just need to have a love of the land and be keen to get your hands dirty.

Participants can become mem-bers of a TeenAg Club through their school or can join when they compete in the TeenAg

Competitions. AgriKidsNZ is for primary

school students aged eight to 13. Membership is free and par-ticipation is largely based in the annual fun-fi lled competition series, which runs alongside the TeenAg Competitions and ANZ Young Farmer contest.

The aim is to promote the fun side of agriculture while chil-dren develop valuable skills and

make lifelong friendships. Members dont need to come

off a farm, they just need to have a love of the land and be keen to get their hands a bit dirty.

Interested in starting up a TeenAg Club or AgriKids club at your school? Get in touch with your local Young Farmers fi eld offi ce. Find out more at www.youngfarmers.co.nz

Clubs introduce young people to farming

Fun sparks interest in agri-careerFiguring out which body parts in plastic fi les came from which animals, rendering emergency fi rst aid to an injured friend

and measuring a stags antlers to calculate a Douglas Score were among the challenges facing the 80 competitors who took part in AgriKids and TeenAg

events at Paeroa.Run alongside

the Waikato/Bay of Plenty regional fi nal of the 2015 ANZ Young Farmer Contest, the events aimed to fi nd the top three teams to represent their regions at this years Young Farmer grand fi nal in Taupo.

The TeenAg com-petition was won by Shanae Hoff-man and Graham Johnson from Te Awamutu College.

The AgriKids winners were Ethan Morris, Anna Morris and Ben Pettigrew from Elstow Waihou Combined School.

AgriKids and TeenAg competitions coordi-nator Isabelle Hobbs says the turnout for the days events was fantastic with 60 competi-tors in 20 teams of three in the AgriKids contest and 20 competitors in 10 teams of two for the TeenAg contest.

Each team faced a series of timed challenges which encouraged them to use their skills at following instructions, quick thinking, practical skills, general knowledge and team work.

Cheered on by enthusiastic family, teachers and friends, the teams also completed a series of fun races to fi nally decide the winners.

Isabelle says the popularity of AgriKids

The Happy Potters from Matamata Intermediate Kaycha Bradley, Ashlyn Lee and Bessie Trower identify animal body

parts during the AgriKids contest at Paeroa.

The Returners of Matamata Intermediate: Stephen Turner, the

patient, and team mates Abel and Jerom de Wilde tackle the fi rst aid challenge at

the AgriKids contest at Paeroa.

Young Farmer grand

The Returners of Matamata The Returners of Matamata

By Elaine Fisher

Page 7COAST & COUNTRY

Because of their elevation rela-tive to councils storage system, a number of the most affected homes experience a drop in pressure or even loss of supply during times of peak water use, including for irrigation.

Kelvin says if tanks were installed, they would still be fi lled from councils mains to ensure residents had suffi cient supply and so were not affected by peak demand situations and a loss of water supply. Hes also keen to see growers encouraged to use irrigation at night, when domestic demand is lower.

No restrictionsCouncil draws its water from

aquifers which were able to meet demand this summer, without the need of water restrictions.

We were fortunate because

other neighbouring districts did have to impose water restric-tions. However, we did ask that people be more conservative with water to ensure this situa-tion did not occur.

Every summer council puts up water use signs in its rural communities and Kelvin says these, together with advertising, helped make people aware of the need to conserve water.

Water metres and the charges council makes have also had a positive effect on water use.

However, people dont pay for water. Council charges to extract, treat and deliver it, but not for the water itself; and its good value for consumers.

A 1.5 litre bottle of water costs between $2 and $3 while 1000 litres of councils water delivered to your property costs around $1.

Western BOP water does not have fl uoride added however a small amount of chlorine is added to treat any bugs which may be in the reticulation pipes. In areas such as Pongakawa, where the bore water has high natural levels of iron and magnesium, it does need extra treatment and fi ltration.

One hundred yearsWater from the aquifers is

more than 100 years old. At no stage this summer, did the supply drop to levels which would have meant bringing in water restrictions.

However, Kelvin says its unknown what the long-term effects of drier summers, changes in annual rainfall and increased draw-off will have on the underground resources.

We do know, from research

conducted by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council that water resources, including from bores, are reaching over-allocation in parts of the bay, rural areas south of Te Puke in particular.

And this is an area which is forecasted to experience popula-tion growth and an increase in the horticultural industry.

Legal responsibilityWhile council has a legal obli-

gation to supply clean drinking water to its residents, Kelvin is a fan of urban and rural home owners installing small rainwa-ter tanks for garden watering, as its better for the environment in the long-term.

Kelvin recently completed a thesis on water supply within the Western Bay of Plenty district and his research showed water safety quality and safe-

Water storage option ensures supply

By Elaine Fisher

ness to drink is top of the publics list of priorities for the water they consume.

Other factors, such as uninterrupted supply, smell and taste came next, with cost well down the list. Having fl uoride in the water was of little concern to the wider community and his research in fact con-fi rmed consumers prefer minimal chemicals be added to water supply.

Providing their own water storage is likely to become more common for rural home owners as water

demand increases in the Western Bay of Plenty.

Western Bay of Plenty District Councils utilities manager Kelvin Hill says while council didnt have to impose water restrictions this summer, sup-plies to some areas were tight.

We are encouraging property owners in some areas of our rural district, particularly on the fringes of our water supply system, to have their own water storage and pumping systems but they wont need to be com-pletely self-suffi cient from the council system.

Western Bay of Plenty District Councils utilities manager Kelvin Hill says water from the regions aquifers is more than 100 years old.

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Fish fertiliser is well recognised as a great plant food but at the

Bay of Plenty Polytech live not dead fi sh are fertilising plants

which return the favour by improving the water quality in

their tanks.Tutor and researcher Denise Briggs

has established an aquaponics system in a small shade-house growing strawber-ries and a range of leafy vegetables and herbs, with the help of two tanks each containing about six goldfi sh.

Aquaponics offer such exciting pos-sibilities, especially to help provide food security for nations without much fertile land or those with harsh growing conditions, says Denise, who has been experimenting with aquaponics at the polytechnic for about two years.

The fl exibility and relative simplicity of aquaponics appeals to Denise, who

says home owners can build small units in their backyard and produce both vegetables and protein.

On a larger scale the system could feed a village and be big enough to provide income from selling fi sh and vegetables. Or it can be upscaled to commercial operations.

The concept is rapidly gaining popu-larity worldwide. In Detroit and New York, and in Berlin people are setting up aquaponic systems in unused buildings or small warehouses.

In Australia a group of scientists are using a solar-powered desalination plant to provide water for an aquaponics system, which is growing tomatoes in the desert.

Added benefi tsAs the name suggests, aquaponics is

the marriage of aquaculture and hydro-ponics, with added benefi ts.

With hydroponics, plants grow in cir-culating water enriched with nutrients.

Symbiotic relationship benefits fish, plants and people

In aquaculture, snails, shellfi sh, crayfi sh, prawns and fi sh are raised in tanks, with water needing constant changing or fi ltering because of toxicity caused by excretions.

The beauty of aquaponics is that tank water circulated to plants provides them with nutrients and their roots fi lter the water, improving its quality when its returned to the fi sh tank.

Once the system is working properly, you never need to replace the water although it does need topping up because of evaporation and transpiration.

Its estimated an aquaponics system uses one to 10 per cent of the water in terrestrial-based systems for growing vegetables.

Year-round foodSystems dont have to be indoors but because the

plants arent rooted in soil, some form of wind protec-tion is required. An aquaponics system set up in a greenhouse could provide out-of-season food year-round.

The system at the polytechnic consists of two high benches holding long, relatively shallow tanks.

On one side vegetables including lettuce, silverbeet and herbs grow in pots fi lled with medium such as bark.

On the opposite bench strawberries grow in a medium of small clay balls. Both media provide the habitat for bacteria essential to help the plants access nutrients in the water, which fl ows through their roots.

Water is pumped from the fi sh tanks every three hours to fl ood the roots, then drained back into the

tanks. It is important the roots are not constantly saturated in

water or else they will rot.The ideal ration of fi sh to plants is

dependent on the type of plants growing and the species of fi sh used.

The fi sh are fed with an organic food, which Denise and her students have developed. It has to be organic, with no artifi cial additives because they could kill the plants.

In turn, no sprays are used on the plants, as they pose a risk to the fi sh.

Koura experimentWhile its goldfi sh which are currently feeding the

plants, theyre not a suitable edible species so Denise is experimenting with koura, New Zealands freshwa-ter crayfi sh.

We have been working with the iwi at McLaren Falls near Tauranga and have permission to take some koura from there. Weve been experimenting on making food for them, including pellets made from soya beans.

Koura grow to a good size and come in a range of colours which commercially could have appeal to Asian markets.

The beauty of aquaponics is that tank water circulated to plants provides them with nutrients and their roots fi lter the

properly, you never need to replace the water although it does need topping up because of evaporation and transpiration.

Its estimated an aquaponics system uses one to 10

tanks. It is important the roots are not constantly saturated in

water or else they will rot.The ideal ration of fi sh to plants is

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Denise Briggs with a native freshwater crayfi sh, part of the

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By Denise Briggs

Page 9COAST & COUNTRY

However, they are inclined to escape and fight each other so we have to keep them in separate cages under water.

Freshwater shellfish are also being trailed, and Denise has them placed, not in the fish tank, but under the plants. Overseas tilapia freshwater fish are used in an aquaponics system.

These are ideal because they are relatively easy to raise, have a delicate white flesh and are well-known throughout the world, especially in Asia and the USA. McDonalds has used tilapia in its fish burgers.

However, because of our strict biosecurity standards, were not allowed to import them to New Zealand even though its unlikely they would survive should they escape into our waterways because they cant live in water cooler than 21 degrees Celsius.

Trout outDenise says trout would be the ideal commercial

aquaponics species in New Zealand but currently Fish & Game has exclusive rights for raising trout.

New Zealands native freshwater fish are too small to be economically viable and while eels are another possibility, rules around taking them from the wild are getting tougher and they are very hard to contain, says Denise.

Eels are great at escaping. You pretty much need an electric fence around a tank to keep them in.

When Denise decided to study marine biology in Newcastle as an undergraduate and complete a Masters in aquaculture at Swansea, she never expected it would lead her to growing vegetables.

I do like to garden at home but I know very little about plant biology but plenty about the biology of

fish, which is why its great to have the horticultural team here at the polytech.

Denise had an adventurous childhood travelling the world with her parents. My father was with the Gur-khas, a famous part of the British Army made up of soldiers from Nepal. Later he became a sugar and coco trader in West Africa.

When she left home Denise travelled extensively competing semi-professionally and teaching windsurf-ing in between university studies.

Pacific IslandsI had heard what a wonderful place New Zealand

was, with an ethos of sustainability, so decided to come here. Her first position was with NIWA at its Bream Bay aquaculture research centre in Northland. Then three years ago, she took up her current role as a member of the Bay of Plenty Polytechnics marine studies academic and teaching staff.

Having lived in Africa I can see the opportunities aquaponics could offer people for who food security is becoming an increasingly pressing issue.

It also has great potential for Pacific Island nations, especially where there is limited fertile ground for growing vegetables and reefs are in danger of being over-fished.

The aquaponics system at the polytech is an impor-tant teaching resource for students but also a working experiment designed to help establish the best aquatic food species to use in New Zealand, as well as develop food for the fish or koura and discover what range of plants will grow well.

For more information about aquaponics, search the internet or email Denise Briggs at Denise.Briggs@boppoly.ac.nz

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Growth media (where bacteria grow)

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Basic set up of an Aquaponics system

Plants: lots of leafy greens

Water flow: from tank contains ammonia. Is converted by

bacteria.

Fish: Variety of species used. E.g. Tilapia, goldfish

or even freshwater

crayfish

Feed: Only input into the system

Harmful to fish

Harmless to fish.

Absorbed by plants

Water pump on a timer. Pumped into

grow bed. Periodically drains from grow bed.

Fish waste (left over feed and poo). Produces

ammonia

Growth media: such as clay balls/river stones/coconut husks

Fish tank

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Page 10 COAST & COUNTRY

Weve trained up a wallaby indicating dog and tested infra-red trail cameras. When we get fresh reports we can deploy the dog and cameras pretty quickly. We need to find these animals as soon as possible before the trail goes cold.

Main areas of concern are anywhere west of Rotorua, east of Kawerau or south of Rainbow Mountain.

So if youre outdoors in the Bay of Plenty this winter and see a wallaby dead or alive, or their sign outside the feral range, note the location, take a photo if you can and call the regional council on 0800 STOP PESTS (0800 780 773) quickly to let them know.

Dale says work is also underway to control known outlier wallaby populations.

Weve developed a new paste bait that well be using with encapsulated cyanide later this year, to control a wallaby popula-tion near Te Puke.

Weve also had good success with night shooting to eradicate a group of wallabies near Okere Falls.

Find out more at www.boprc.govt.nz/pestanimals

Small and shy, dama wallabies are slowly spreading outside

of their feral range around the Rotorua Lakes forests.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council biosecurity officer Dale Williams says hunters and farmers can help stop the spread by keeping watch and calling in

any wallaby sign they see. Wallabies are a threat to farms, for-

estry and native bush so were working with Waikato Regional Council and the Department of Conservation to keep them contained.

Dama wallabies are different to any other pest the agencies have managed before, so a new set of surveillance and control tools has been developed.

Sightings of wallabies outside their feral range as shown on this map

should be reported to the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

Introduced wasps are estimated to cost New

Zealands economy more than $130 million a year, according to a new study, with the biggest economic

impacts on farming, beekeeping, horticulture

and forestry workers.

The study An evaluation of the cost of pest wasps (Vespula species) in New Zealand by the Sapere Research Group was jointly funded by the Department of Conserva-tion and the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Wasps are one of the most dam-aging invertebrate pests in New Zealand. They harm our native birds and insects and compete for food with our native species.

If you put together all the wasps in honeydew beech forests they would weigh more than the weight of birds, rodents and stoats com-bined.

This new study has found wasps also have a major financial impact on primary industries and the health sector.

This includes more than $60 million a year in costs to pastoral farming from wasps disrupting bee pollination activities, reducing the amount of clover in pastures and increasing fertiliser costs.

Almost a $9 million-a-year cost to beekeepers from wasps attacking honey bees, robbing their honey and destroying hives.

Wasp-related traffic accidents estimated cost $1.4 million a year and more than $1 million each year is spent on health costs from wasp stings.

On top of the direct costs, almost $60 million a year is lost in unreal-ised honey production from beech forest honeydew, which is currently being monopolised by wasps. Honeydew is also a valuable energy source for kaka, tui and bellbirds.

DOC scientist Eric Edwards says these numbers are conservative. The actual cost of wasps is much higher especially if you take into account the impact on tourism and our love of the outdoors, which this study wasnt able to measure in full.

Its hard to put a dollar value on peoples attitudes to wasps and to what extent wasps prevent them from visiting conservation land

or taking part in outdoor tourism activities, says Eric.

But we know that wasps are a massive annoyance and their multi-ple stings can cause a lifetime effect of making young people reluctant to return to forests and parks.

The Ministry for Primary Indus-tries Dr Erik van Eyndhoven says reducing wasp abundance would produce major flow-on benefits to pastoral farming and horticulture through increased bee pollination services.

This study shows that it makes economic sense, as well as environ-mental sense, to invest in research to control wasps, says Erik.

MPI is working with DOC to encourage the science commu-nity, and their funders, to further explore a range of tools needed to control wasps in the long-term.

The MPI Sustainable Farm-ing Fund has recently supported investigations into the bio-control potential of a new mite discovered in wasp nests.

The Department of Conserva-tion has been actively working on a programme to better control wasps and has been piloting a targeted bait station method on conserva-tion land.

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than we needed so started selling them at local markets at Waihi, Thames and Katikati, says Sue.

Demand was strong but the economics and time demands of travelling between so many markets was questionable, so today Little River concentrates solely on the Tauranga Farmers Market, where this year it won the Farmers Market New Zealand 2015 Summer Producers section of the annual Producers Awards.

They also won the organic section for their fi ve varieties of heritage potatoes Pink Fur, Kowiniwini, Whataroa, Ureniki and Karoro, and were organic runner up for their golden beetroot.

The plan was always to grow organi-cally and the path to Organic Farm NZ certifi cation began the day Sue and Gordon purchased Little River. Now, four years later, their produce is fully organic certifi ed.

Early soil tests revealed it needed improving and the application of up

to 150 cubic metres of compost each year to growing beds, directly or as a compost tea, has made a signifi cant dif-ference. But essential trace elements and minerals were lacking, so small amounts of Probitas products are also used.

A series of old baths on raised frames make up the Little River worm farms, fed by kitchen scrap and producing worm tea which is used as a foliar spray for the garden. Sea weed teas are also brewed.

Compost enthusiast Compost, however, is at the heart of

the Little River system and that Gordon is a compost enthusiast is evident by the way he whips back the cover on a large compost mound and digs his hands into the rich dark, not-quite-ready brew.

Its all about enhancing soil biology, he says.

The compost heaps are constructed from wood chips bought from arborist

Little Rivers thriving organic vegetable gardens owe, in some

way, their existence to the Christchurch earthquakes.

The hectare of land under cultiva-tion near Waihi is a long way from the city so hard hit by earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. But it was those devastating events which reinforced the determina-tion of Sue and Gordon Boyd to create a self-suffi cient lifestyle.

We were living in Christchurch at the time of the earthquakes and what happened afterwards made us realise how dependent we have all become on food being delivered to supermarkets, and water and power supplied to our homes, says Sue.

Fortunately, their home wasnt in an area affected by liquefaction and when the opportunity came they sold up and returned north, seeking a piece of land on which to begin a self-suffi cient, off-the-grid lifestyle.

Kaimai ForestThey found it on 25 hectares in

Woodlands Rd, Waihi, tucked in close to the Kaimai Forest Park. The land was a grazing block, a little run-down, but fi lled with potential.

We had always been interested in organics and in fact considered organic farming when we were managing a family dairy farm, says Gordon. At the time there wasnt a premium for organic milk nor as much information or support for organics as now and

we thought it was too much of risk, so never went ahead.

However, the couple, who later exchanged a backpacker business in Tauranga for property in Christchurch, used their time in the south to learn from keen growers in the region. Then studying through Agriculture New Zealands Go Organics courses, Levels 2, 3 and 4.

Knowing what I know now, I would have converted the dairy farm to organics. If there had been any drop in production, it would have been more than offset by the low costs of the sys-tems and the improvements in animal health, says Gordon.

Kauri millThe farm they call Little River was

originally the site of a kauri timber mill, where logs from the native bush were processed before being trans-ported along Woodlands Rd. This then linked with Katikatis Woodland Rd to the Port of Tauranga.

Initially, Sue and Gordon lived in the former mill mangers villa but sub-sequently brought in a transportable home, placing it on a high point with excellent views of the adjoining native bush and their farm.

In keeping with the self-suffi cient ethos, the house has solar electricity and a large solid fuel range for cooking, as well as water and area heating.

Initially, we set out to grow all our own vegetables but produced more

Earthquakes prompt sustainable lifestyle

Gordon Boyd is a compost enthusiast, who makes up to 150 cubic metres of it a year.

Flowering plants encourage benefi cial insects into the garden.

Sue Gordon with Peruvian ground apple, or yacon, which she says is delicious.

Grazing dairy cows is another side to the Little River Organic Farm business.

Page 13COAST & COUNTRY

companies, with the addition of just about anything which will add to its nutritional value, including possum carcasses. We trap possums in the bush for their fur and bury the bodies in the compost. It gets so hot in there that they break down in no time.

Gordon and Sue are moving towards no-till gardening which means the soil isnt dug or rotary hoed methods which interfere with the natural soil structure and its fl ora and fauna.

Instead, they lay down rows of compost on top of undisturbed ground, cover it with a thick layer of grass clippings and plant seedlings directly into the new bed.

Weve had a great result from beetroot grown this way and so far its out-compet-ing the weeds. The system of deep mulch also retains moisture an added benefi t in the recent dry summer.

Combat pests Improving plant and soil health is the best way to

combat insect pests, Sue and Gordon believe, as is encouraging benefi cial insects which prey on pests.

Flowering plants providing nectar and habitat for predators grow among the vegetables.

In a year Sue and Gordon grow up to 30 varieties of vegetables, many well-known, others not so familiar, including the Peruvian ground apple or yacon, which has a crisp, sweet tasting tuberous root that Sue says doesnt need cooking. Its delicious just as it is.

The couple also grow edible weeds well the weeds grow and Gordon and Sue harvest them for customers who love their mix of chickweed, yarrow, clover, creep-ing mallow, dandelion and more.

This all started because I took some dandelion to the market and then people began to ask me for mixed weeds, says Sue.

She researched what was good to eat with the help of Julia Sich, of Julias Edible Weeds, who now holds workshops at Little River in identifying which weeds

Pink fur, ground apples and weeds

are safe to eat and how to use them. The next workshop, Foraging For Wild Edible Weeds

and Green Smoothie Workshop, is at Little River on Sunday, May 3. For more go to www.juliasedibleweeds.com

Kings Seeds, which has an extensive range of organic and heirloom varieties, provides most of the seeds from which Sue and Gordon grow their plants. And they also harvest their own seed too.

We love to grow produce which is different from the norm. Especially those with colour, unusual shape and those that are heritage and old fashioned, varieties.

These products make for a colourful and inviting stall at the market. It is very satisfying to see costumers try something new and also great to see folk reacquaint-ing themselves with long forgotten varieties.

For us, it makes coming to the market a very worth-while experience.

Sue and Gordon Boyd of Little River Organic Farm with ureniki potatoes and beetroot, among

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Ducks are the unpaid pest patrollers at Little River Organic Farm.

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Page 15EFFLUENT

Pond stirring is more important than most people realise. The valuable organic matter

contained in the effl uent must be agitated in a way that brings it into suspension prior to pumping, so a homogenous effl uent mixture

can be applied to pasture, says Nevada consultant Michael Prestidge.

Synthetic lined ponds and above ground tanks are becoming more common, making pond stirring even more critical.

There have been situations where inferior stir-rers have been installed on lined ponds, resulting in damage to the liner.

Such situations could have been avoided if a proper Nevada shore-mounted stirrer had been installed, complete with a pond liner protection kit.

Nevada shore-mounted electric stirrers are rigidly mounted to a substantial foundation, eliminating the risk of harm to your pond.

All the sediment in a lined pond must be mixed into the effl uent to allow it to be pumped out.

This is no problem to the Nevada Typhoon propeller,

which quickly creates a strong horizontal fl ow across the pond, bringing all the solids into suspension.

The depth and angle can be adjusted to ensure no areas are missed. The effortless rack and pinion hand winch provides infi nite adjustment from the safety of the shore.

Many farmers have installed elaborate and expensive separation systems, only to fi nd they still need a stirrer to mix the sludge accumulating in their pond. The best time to install a stirrer is when the pond is built.

It is easier and better to avoid sludge accumulating than to try to remove a build-up. In many instances these farmers would have been more prudent to install a stirrer and not a separator, says Michael.

With Nevada pond stirrers its perfectly acceptable to leave the solids in the effl uent stream.

Safety and reliability are of all importance on the dairy farm. That is another reason why Midwest Machinery recommends only Nevada pond-stirrers.

Midwest Machinery specialises in farm dairy effl u-ent equipment and are accredited effl uent designers through the Dairy NZ approval process.

The Midwest team is proving time and again the importance of thorough effi cient pond stirring. What-ever the pond or tank, Nevada have a system to suit.

Pond stirring is more important than most which quickly creates a strong horizontal fl ow across

Proper pond stirring gets resultsNevada shore-mounted electric stirrers are rigidly mounted to a substantial foundation,

eliminating the risk of harm to effl uent ponds.

Lely Group in the Netherlands and New Zealand-based Livestock Improve-ment Corporation have entered into a new partnership aimed at accelerating developments in sensor technology and increasing utilisation on farms world-wide. The partnership includes the acquisition of Lely Sensortec by LIC.

Lely Sensortec is the Hamilton-based research and development division of Lely Group. The relationship between Lely Group and LIC will also result in joint research and development to develop new sensor technology, and support wider global distribution of LICs inline milk sensors, developed by subsidiary business Dairy Automation Limited known as DAL, which is soon

to become LIC Automation.Integrated and reliable automation

and information technology solutions have the potential to revolutionise farm-ing worldwide and sensor technology is an essential component of this, says LIC chief executive Wayne McNee.

The big data the systems can deliver, while a cow is being milked, big gains in productivity and profi tability for a farm-ing business.

Lely chief executive Alexander van der Lely says the partnership reinforces the impact of the Lely team in New Zealand. With LIC as a strong partner Lely is now able to further focus on devel-oping its sensor technology for herd management.

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There seems to be a real shortage of quality beef cattle entering

the system, and those breeding them are reaping the rewards, with no sign of it slowing in the near future, says Andrew and Tracey Neal of Potawa

Simmentals of Pio.This year has brought a much-

welcomed continuation of stronger beef prices. Its great to see farmers who have persisted with breeding cows being rewarded at last.

If there was ever a time to go back to breeding cows, now is it.

The 15-month-old cattle fairs in January were pretty hot, price-wise. However, the weaner sales have rewarded producers even more.

A recent supplementary weaner sale at Te Kuiti saw a client of ours achieve $910 and $850 for her weaner steers and heifers respectively.

This client has a herd of dairy cross nurse cows, mainly Hereford/Friesian, and for four years has been using Potawa

Simmental bulls as sires. She constantly praises the quietness of

the Simmental bulls shes used, and their offspring, and makes frequent mention of the outstanding growth rates of her weaners.

These comments have been echoed by most of our clients, to ourselves and more pleasingly, to other farmers.

Andrew and Tracey can vouch for the growth rates and yield of Simmental-cross cattle. As commercial farmers on 600 hectares, they had run a large commercial cow herd prior to taking on their Simmental stud 13 years ago.

In that time we trialled many dif-ferent beef breeds over our Hereford/Friesian herd and constantly came back to the Simmental as the most productive beef sire we could fi nd.

Simmental cross cattle outgrew and out-yielded every other breed we used.

According to the Simmental NZ website, and based on research both here and in USA, when used as a terminal sire over traditional or dairy cross beef cows, a Simmental sire will breed prog-eny renowned for:

Page 16 SHEEP AND BEEF

Accelerated weight gain First cross Simmental cattle demonstrate rapid weight gain. They will fi nish heavier than other breeds at an earlier age.

Superior carcass Simmental genetics produce highly muscled cattle, resulting in higher carcass yields.

Market fl exibility Simmental cross cattle are highly sort after as four day old calves, weaner calves, store cattle, and at slaughter, so cre-ating a variety of profi table options for your stock.

Andrew says this last factor is very important. Flexibility in farming systems owing to climate is becom-ing a major requirement for many of us.

Our local stock agents make no secret of the fact that Simmental cross cattle will fetch a premium across every class in the sale yards.

The only argument we have

found in recent years from farmers against using Simmental was poor temperament.

It is true, there has been an issue with some breeders selling poor docility bulls, and the Simmental Society is well aware of the prob-lems it has caused.

Andrew says the introduction of a docility trial Estimated Breeding Value is the start of addressing the problem.

However, as always it depends on the person putting in the data like any information input crap in, crap out.

Potawa Simmentals is extremely strict on bull selection for sale. Besides testing them individually Tracey and Andrew employ Bill Austin, who is a qualifi ed BeefClass assessor to give a truly independent judgement on the bulls.

Bill travels all over the country, assessing all beef breeds in the same

manner, and is audited regularly to be certain he is as accurate as possible.

Bull buyers can be assured that a BeefClass assessed animal has been tested for temperament and structure.

This information should be readily available in the sale cata-logue, so you can make a decision based on as much information as possible.

Recent reports indicate there is a worldwide shortage of beef and short-term prospects are good.

Now is the time to breed cows and the best sire for profi table options and production is a Sim-mental. Potawa Simmentals has the only auction of fully recorded rising two-year-old Simmental bulls between the Bombay hills and Lake Taupo, visitors are welcome anytime.

Improved prices see breeders finally rewarded

Rising two-year-old Simmental-cross heifers, mostly Potawa bred, just prior to being sorted for Greenlea Meats.

in more than 50 years of artifi cial breeding in New Zealand.

In a special presentation to the breeders, Mint-Edition was praised for well and truly living up to his name since debuting on the co-ops Premier Sires team in 2009.

Mint-Edition very quickly took his place at the top of the team and proved very popular with farmers who consistently told us he is the best bull they have ever used, says LIC bull acquisition manager Simon Worth.

Over four consecutive years as a Premier Sire, Mint-Edition averaged nearly 155,000 insemina-tions each season, and will go on record with a truly impressive lifetime tally of just under 800,000 inseminations.

An elite artifi cial breeding bull thats delivered a signifi cant contribution to dairy farms nationwide will forever be recognised as one of the very best after being inducted

into LICs prestigious Hall of Fame.Fairmont Mint-Edition, a Holstein-Friesian sire

bred by Barry and Linda Old of Morrinsville, is the 53rd animal to be recognised on the Hall of Fame

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Page 17CALVING

Getting a premium on calves he would otherwise be placing on the bobby calf truck

is a seasonal bonus Waikato sharemilker Markus Ruegger will appreciate even

more this calving season.For the last four years Markus has been putting

Wagyu bulls over his Kiwi Cross heifers he grazes off the farm at Matawai in the Gisborne region.

Markus was encouraged to try the different genetics by his grazier who had run Angus cattle and crossed them with Wagyu. Markus was also keen to seek out a breed that would be an easy calving option, and also deliver higher value calves.

The reality is that when you put a Jersey bull over a Kiwi Cross heifer, you are not going to get a calf that is worth very much from it; it will usually be the lowest grade weight.

After much fact-fi nding Markus was convinced using Firstlight Wagyu bulls was a good option to tick all the boxes for value adding, easy calving and secure purchase contracts once the calves have reached four days old.

Our options around mating are relatively limited. We cant go down there to do Artifi cial Insemina-tion on the heifers, so the Wagyu arrangement has provided a really good option to earn more from those calves without compromising our in-calf rate or having any calving diffi culties you sometimes get from beef breeds.

He has enjoyed 85-90 per cent calving rates within

three weeks in the 60-65 heifers he puts to the Wagyu bulls every year and calving issues have only been typical of what he had with Jersey bulls.

Markuss wife Esther rears the calves every year from their 310-head herd, and she hasnt experienced any issues with the Wagyu-cross calves, and appreciates the regular collection at four to six days thats part of the contract with Firstlight Wagyu.

They learn to drink quickly and like any calf need that colostrum at the start to get going well.

Typically the premium on the four day calves is up to three times what they would get as bobby calves, and this has been underpinned by the strong demand for Wagyu beef in Firstlights overseas markets.

Firstlight director Gerard Hickey says market demand for grass-fed Wagyu is gaining momentum every year for a brand thats been quietly establishing itself during the last decade.

We now have our own global sales force in place, with staff in the United Arab Emirates, California and the United Kingdom.

The Firstlight Wagyu story of absolute premium quality, antibiotic-free, and grass-fed is one that has found a strong following among high income earners in the United States. Premium supermarkets like Bristol Farms located throughout the Los Angeles County are enjoying strong demand for the beef.

Not a week goes by when we dont have buyers or consumers tell us this is the best beef they have ever tasted. Its easy to market a product that is as good as this, says Gerard.

Hes hoping more dairy farmers will appreciate the

Beef calves offer treble premiumFirstlight quality story and want to become part of the supply chain by making Wagyu an option for their non-replacement calves.

We are keen to talk to dairy farmers of both spring and autumn calving herds who want to generate some more cash fl ow this season, and who may enjoy being part of a really exciting, established premium beef brand.

Typically payment premiums will be up to three times what calves will get as Kiwi Cross bobbies, with guaranteed

collection at four days and payment at 21 days. Markus says he enjoys the extra income the calves generate, but has also had a chance to enjoy some Wagyu steaks.

My mother is a bit of an expert on beef and she swears its the best she has ever tasted, you can defi nitely taste the difference.

For me Wagyu genetics work out well, the heifers calve well and as stress-free as possible and its really the best option given they are out grazing.

Te Poi sharemilker Markus Ruegger enjoys the extra income Wagyu

calves can generate.

Page 18 CALVING

Dedicated calf rearing facilities can be provided for as little as one per cent of the cost of a replacement heifer based on an

assumed 10-year depreciation time.Proper calf housing that provide a warm and

draft-free environment with adequate ventilation and plenty of sunlight are one of the cornerstones of suc-cessful calf rearing, says Ernst Frei of FlexiTunnel.

Live-weight gains in calves reared in a dedicated facility can be up to 10kg higher at six weeks com-pared to animals reared in conventional sheds with the same fed inputs and similar management.

Additional live-weight gains in the fi rst most important few weeks of an animals life will certainly go a long way in reaching target weights at the two crucial points further down a heifers life, namely at mating with 60 per cent and at calving with 90 per cent.

Unfortunately, the reality is that calf housing often is a low priority on farms or on new conversions being built, says Ernst.

Neglecting this important part of a dairy farm business often leads to a range of pressures on the

calves, as well as on the person in charge of raising them.

Even today its estimated between 75 and 90 per cent of New Zealand farmers still use non-dedicated and woefully inadequate housing like converted wool sheds, hay barns or implement sheds and therefore risk not reaching the potential of their future herds.

Evidence suggests that the majority of the coun-trys replacement heifers fall short of reaching expected live-weight targets.

The fi nancial implications are rather far reach-ing. Heifers that dont reach the target, produce less milk.

A heifer that falls 20 per cent below the target weight is expected to produce 10 per cent less milk fat in her fi rst lactation. This can equate to an aver-age loss of about 35kg of milk solids or $175 at a $5 payout.

And this represents the loss for just her fi rst pro-ductive year. On the other hand, heifers that reach the target weights not only produce more milk, they also have a better reproductive performance, with fewer empties, a better calving pattern and remain longer in the herd, says Ernst.

New Zealand dairy farming is being confronted by climate change and Hamilton

company CRV Ambreed says its ready.

Calf s first home sets it up for life

Tropical breeds climate change beaters?The herd improvement company has recently wid-

ened the focus of its tropical dairy genetics scheme, which has sparked the interest of a handful of North-land-based farmers.

Once only common in parts of Central America, South America, Asia and Africa, CRV Ambreed introduced Sahiwal and Gyr genetics to its breeding programme to meet a growing overseas demand for heat tolerance and tick resilience, combined with the added benefi ts of NZs grazing genetics.

A number of New Zealand farmers dealing with sub-tropical environmental conditions have since started using the crossbred option to build heat and parasite resistance in their herds.

Sahiwal, a popular high merit dairy breed in Central America, South America, Asia and Africa, sires small, fast-growing calves that typically have good tempera-ments, ease of calving, heat and drought tolerance, and parasite resistance. Gyr, a common dairy breed in Brazil, displays similar traits to the Sahiwal.

CRV Ambreed genetic strategist Phil Beatson says while tropical breeds tend to have lower milk produc-tion than the temperate dairy breeds like Friesian and Jersey, their key strength is heat and parasite tolerance.

When crossed to the temperate breeds, the crossbred cattle have higher milk production than the straight tropical cattle.

As the proportion of tropical make-up decreases, its expected milk production will increase. For example, 25 per cent tropical cows will have higher production than 50 per cent tropical cows.

Results show that in Northland 34 per cent Sahiwal and 66 percent Friesian cows in a once-a-day system produced up to 1kg of milk solids per day for the fi rst 100 days of lactation.

And 20 per cent Sahiwal cows produced up to 1.3kg milk solids in the same system.

Dedicated calf rearing facilities more than pay for the investment made in them.

CostbenefitsofpurposedesignedCalfHousing

ShedhygieneandtheUV-lightdifference Sunshine,warmthandheatretention Plentyofventilationintheabsentsofdraft Deep-Litterbedding VitaminDexposure

Gentlehardeningoff Improvedcalfhealth Higherlifeweightssooner Reducingongoingfacilitycosts Highermilkproductionandbetter

reproductiveperformance Farmerstestimonials

Why not make a real success of the next Calf Rearing Season? Visit our new and informative website at

www.flexitunnel.co.nz for everything you ever wanted to know about successful calf housing!

REPOROA - spring 2014 TIMARU spring 2014REPOROA - spring 2014 TIMARU spring 2014

DAIRY Page 19

The Fiordland Conservation Trust and the Department of Conservation have

wiped out a plague population of rats using Goodnature automatic resetting traps and ushered in a long-held dream milestone for New Zealand conservation the prospect of large mainland island sanctuaries requiring no fences.

The Kids Restore Kepler Project a conservation educational programme involving the trust established a 200 hectare network of Goodnature A24 rat traps with DOC last October on the iconic Kepler Track.

DOC says after a second rodent monitor its staff cannot fi nd any rats in the area even though they remain at plague levels outside the project, where they are destroy-ing chicks and eggs.

The result is due to the design of Good-natures constant control system where each trap resets automatically to deliver up to 24 kills before needing a new CO2 canister. This means the traps dont wait for a human to clear and reset the device after dispatching each rat.

DOC predator control expert and project leader Darren Peters says the self-setting traps are a key tool for pest control because they are humane, non-toxic and reduce labour costs allowing conservationists to cover even larger areas. They have the potential to slash con-ventional trapping costs by up to 75 per cent.

With the breeding season now over native birds will already have benefi tted from the project by improved fl edging of chicks.

Fiordland Conservation Trust chairman Murray Wil-lans says keeping pests at low numbers all the time is critical to increasing our native species populations and to bringing back the birdsong to the Kepler, to have

them remain at zero density is even better.

The Kepler result comes on the back of DOC declaring Native Island rat-free by using a Goodna-ture A24 network on the island, which lies in Rakiura National Park (Stewart Island). Goodnature director Stu Barr says its the fi rst time an island had been cleared of rats solely using resetting traps and the same can be done across the mainland.

Throughout rural New Zealand there are bush blocks shared by neighbours that through pest control can become Goodnature island sanctuaries.

Our vision is to see New Zealand pest-free. We want to see more birds its achievable.

Goodnature rat, possum and stoat traps are exclu-sively available at Farmlands stores throughout New Zealand.

Trap makes pest-free NZ a possibility

Project factsTrapping area: .........................................................................................200 hectaresNumber of Goodnature A24 traps: .........................................................467Number of maintenance checks since October 2014: ..............................6 Pre-trapping monitor rat detection levels: ................................................72%Post-trapping monitor rat detection levels within trapping area: ..............0%Monitor rat detection levels outside trapping area: ..................................70%

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Page 20 DAIRY

With young stock needing to eat a lot of grass to meet their growing requirements, there will be plenty

of exposure to worms. These internal parasites do a lot of damage

to young animals in particular, which makes autumn an important time to have a worming control programme in place.

Following repeated exposure to worms, cattle and sheep generate an acquired immu-nity. This is why adults are less likely to need drenching unlike young stock that do in order to grow to their full potential.

Horses and goats, on the contrary, may

never acquire adequate immunity to worms, therefore in general need drenching periodi-cally throughout their lives.

Each species and each specifi c environment needs a worm control programme tailored to its specifi c needs. In general there are some common strategies that can be employed as follows.

Prevention of disease is better than treat-ing stock that are already sick. With warm temperatures parasites grow faster and start breeding sooner, which we know allows worm populations to become plentiful both inside animals and on pasture.

Once populations reach dangerous levels,

young stock will ultimately show signs of diarrhoea, poor growth, sickness and even death. Worms typically have a life cycle of about three weeks, therefore drenching every four weeks, especially in lambs, is crucial to keep worm populations under control.

Appreciate what level of chal-lenge and type of worms are present. Whether you are new to a property or it has been a while since a check has been done, it pays to send in some faecal sam-ples to the clinic who can request

lab testing for a Faecal Egg Count. The FEC

should provide guidance

as to the type of worm control required and sampling is better prior to drenching of stock.

Use the correct drench in terms of type, dose rate and frequency to best counter worms on your property. Your local vet clinic staff are willing and able to assist you with this important challenge.

Milk well actually cream and honey were the products readers thought were processed by the mystery item from the Morrinsville

Heritage Centre.That looks like the old honey

extractor my dad had. You take the caps off the cells with a cutting wire and then place in between the bars and spin, looks like the compacted model, writes Mike Golding.

The mystery item in the Coast & Country News of March 2015, is a honey extractor. You take out a couple of

Milk, honey or dough which did it mix?supers from the beehive, take the top coating of wax off and tip them into the machine displayed. You then turn the handle and the centrifugal force, forces the honey out to the sides of the drum to drip to the bottom and out the hole says Graeme Fair.

Margaret Amor is also convinced its a honey extractor. My husband says he has in our shed one of the mystery items, and says it is a honey extractor.

Trevor Mitchell of Tokoroa believes the device is another variety of a butter churn.

These gear-operated ones always seemed to me to require more effort than the wooden type with the handle direct drive through the side.

However, I bet they were easier to clean, he writes.

But the team at the Morrinsville museum are not entirely sure what it is.

It came from the local bakery and was used in the 1920s to 1930s. However, Coast & Country News readers could well be right about it being a honey extractor, says Barbara Dalziel, manager of the Morrinsville Heritage Centre.

The centre staff had believed the metal barrel with a wire device was a bakers mixer.

For his entry, Graham Fair has won admission for two to the Morrinsville Heritage Centre.

This months mystery item from the Te Aroha and District Museum is a medical device used by one of the districts early GPs, Dr Lawrence. If you know what it is and even better, have a story to tell about seeing Dr Lawrence use it, wed love to hear from you and you could be in to win a visit for two to the Te Aroha and District Museum.

Send your entry to elaine@thesun.co.nz, with Mystery Item in the subject

line, or post to: Mystery Item, Coast & Country, Item, Coast & Country,

Send your entry to elaine@thesun.co.nz, with Mystery Item in the subject

line, or post to: Mystery Item, Coast & Country, Item, Coast & Country, Item, Coast & Country,

PO Box 240, Tauranga 3110, to arrive no later than May 27.

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

Do you know what this is? Its a medical device from the Te Aroha and

District Museum.

young stock will ultimately show signs of diarrhoea, poor growth, sickness and even death. Worms typically have a life cycle of about three weeks, therefore drenching every four weeks, especially in

for a Faecal Egg Count.

provide guidance

young stock will ultimately show signs of diarrhoea, poor growth, sickness and even death. Worms typically have a life cycle of about three weeks, therefore drenching

lab testing for a Faecal Egg Count. The FEC

should

Autumn parasite treatment

That looks like the old honey extractor my dad had. You take

the caps off the cells with a cutting wire and then place in between the bars and spin, looks like the compacted model, writes Mike Golding.

the Coast & Country News of March 2015, is a honey extractor. You take out a couple of

ADDLINETRANSPORT LTD

Page 21DAIRY

While visiting family in New Plymouth during the Easter break, I was surprised to see a sign up by a popular swimming

river, the Waiwhakaiho, saying it was not advisable to swim, play or drink water from

there due to the presence algae.When I asked my children, aged eight and 10, why

we couldnt swim here, they answered: Its because of the dairy cows.

These days everyone has heard of nutri-ent budgets where farmers and fertiliser consultants fi ll out forms of what fertiliser has been applied to the farm, what the stocking rates are, do you use stand-off pads etc in an attempt to lower the amount of nitrogen entering waterways and causing nuisance algae and health problems.

Air is 80 per cent nitrogen so why do so many people buy nitrogen in a bag? Would we need nutrient budgets if we encouraged soil bacteria species that convert atmospheric nitrogen into forms that plants can use?

Oxygenated soilA well oxygenated soil encourages good plant root

systems and encourages those nitrogen-converting bac-teria. To develop a well-oxygenated soil, active calcium is important. Calcium opens up the soil, encourages soil biology for example earthworms to create pore spaces for air and water movement.

Applying nitrogen from a bag a water-soluble form creates smaller plant root systems and soil biology populations.

Less soil biology results in further bagged nitrogen being needed to keep up productivity. Research carried out by Kansas State University in 2002 found adding water-soluble calcium, such as calcium ammonium nitrate or calcium nitrate, to nitrogen fertilisers like urea produced the highest yields and the highest nitro-gen fertiliser effi ciency.

This is because the soluble calcium reduces the ammonia volatilisation nitrogen lost to the air.

Another trial conducted by the University of Tennes-see using Urea Calcium Ammonium Nitrate applied to wheat found the optimum nitrogen application was 27kg/N compared to 54-70kg/N when using ammo-nium nitrate and urea ammonium nitrate.

Optimum yieldSo nitrogen fertilisers blended with a water soluble

form of calcium can achieve an optimum economic yield by reducing the total amount of nitrogen applied.

Who wins here? The grower wins fi nancially, by reduced

nitrogen fertiliser costs and the environ-ment through reduction in nitrate leaching into water courses and underground bore water. Who loses the chemical compa-nies balance sheets.

Remember, that the surface application of urea requires impeccable timing with rain, it requires 7mm-9mm of rain within 36-48 hours of application, or substantial loses of nitrogen occur.

In these trials a threefold increase in yield per kilogram of nitrogen was observed for the nitrogen applied with a soluble calcium source versus a straight nitrogen source like urea, ammonium nitrate and

urea ammonium nitrate.How do we identify the water-soluble calcium

content in a soil? This is where the Reams Soil Test comes into its own, developed by the famous Dr Carey Reams from the USA.

We often see soils containing 6000-10,000kg/ha of soil exchangeable calcium, but when tested by the Reams method we only have 700-1000kg/ha of water soluble calcium.

When growing high yielding crops like maize or sweetcorn we need these test fi gure at 3000-4000kg Ca/ha and for lucerne this needs to be 6000-8000kgDM/ha of water soluble calcium this is why we can grow lucerne on a Hauraki marine clay when all the so-called professionals said it cant be done.

The Animal Welfare Amendment Bill will ban the use of animals for testing fi nished cosmetic products and ingredients, says Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy.

To the best of our knowledge there never has been any animal testing for cosmetics in New Zealand, but this amendment will send an important message that this kind of testing is unacceptable to New Zealanders and will never happen here.

The new amendment bans animal

testing in New Zealand for fi nished cosmetic products and ingredients, where those ingredients are being tested for the exclusive purpose of developing a cosmetic.

Its important to note we already have a strong framework for any animal testing done in New Zea-land. Any testing for products like medicines has to be approved by an independent ethics committee and has to show the benefi ts will outweigh any harm caused.

water. Who loses th