INSIDEINSIDEDecember 2013December 2013

Issue No. 160Bay of Plenty

& Waikato Farm, Orchard & Rural

Lifestyle news

Ph 07 578 0030

Fifty years of auction

action

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Merry Christmas Everyone.

After half a century of working in the livestock industry, John Frater of Paeroa still enjoys his job and reckons its a career many young people could aspire to. Read his story on page 4.

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Page 2 COAST & COUNTRY

By Elaine Fisher

In just a few weeks, much of the country will experience the great New Zealand

summer shutdown as cities empty out and rural roads become full of holiday makers,

many towing boats or caravans.For locals living along these once quiet,

now-crazy roads it can be a stressful, instead of relaxing, time.

The risk of meeting a city driver trying to navigate a winding, metal rural road, either too slow or too fast, is a worry.

Then there are those who ask too much of their round-town vehicle and break down on the hill locals know is a killer and ask a nearby farmer to give them a tow.

Canny cockies have been known to keep their tractors handy for just such a request and charge appropriately.

Grant Wharton, of Graeme Wright General Carriers in Puriri, knows only too well how dangerous inexperienced or impa-tient drivers can be, especially on Coromandel roads. See his story on page 28.

Christmas morning might begin early for many families, as excited youngsters wake before dawn but its more likely to be the call to the milking shed which gets many dairy farmers up in the

dark this Christmas. Among those who will be doing just that are members of the Siemelink Family of Maketu, who recently opened their farm to delegates at the Grasslands Conference see page 24.

The distinctive smell of pine needles will permeate throughout homes where trees are dressed with baubles and tinsel, but its the dressing of a different kind for

pines harvested by Clearwood Te Puke Forestry Partnership see page 29.Farmers like to holiday too and it was partly its magnificent views and proximity

to the coast which decided brothers Richard and Chris Evans to buy a

farm in the hills above Ohope Beach near Whakatane and convert it

from forestry back to dry stock. Its a challenging project but the lifestyle the farm affords their families more than compensates for that. Read their story on page 35.The team at Coast & Country

has enjoyed bringing you stories of people and events from through-

out our circulation region this year and looks forward to doing so again

in 2014.We wish our readers and the advertis-ers, who help us bring this publication to your letterbox each month, a safe and happy Christmas and a prosper-ous New Year.

The winner of the November Coast & Country book prize A History of Hunting the Deerstalkers Part 2, published by Halcyon Press, is Roger Garnett of Tauranga.

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Page 3COAST & COUNTRY

The New Zealand economy would be in serious trouble without its primary

industries, yet many Kiwis fail to value what its farmers and horticulturalists produce.

More worrying is that most young people dont see agriculture as an attractive career option, believes Jacqueline Rowarth, professor of Agribusiness at Uni-versity of Waikato.

Too many college students are electing to take what have been shown by UK research to be easy subjects.

Often, they take the new sub-jects, such as media studies and photography, which will assure them of NCEA credits instead of tackling the hard subjects, such as science and maths, which will ensure them of futures in well paid employment, says Jacqueline.

The UK is now changing its system so that it is clear that the traditional subjects are the ones that are a pathway to university.

New Zealand would do well to consider simi-lar action, and make it clear which subjects lead to rewarding careers rewarding because we need them.

Jacqueline says in 2012 there were just 100 agricul-tural graduates out of 25,000 in New Zealand.

There were only 120 graduates in food science, 30 in food process engineering, 80 in farm management, but 5000 in business studies hence the new major at the University of Waikato. New Zealand needs great people working in all sections of the agri-food innova-tion value chain and because they arent coming through, salaries are increasing...market forces are at work.

The suggestion that science should become an elec-tive, rather than a compulsory subject for Year 11 college students is of major concern, says Jacqueline, who reckons a lack of profi ciency and credits in the sciences will restrict students from taking science-based degrees at university, further eroding the number of graduates with skills desperately needed by primary industries.

Jaqueline believes science should be apolitical and a refocus and re-organisation of funding for research and development is vital.

New Zealand does not invest enough of its GDP in research and development, says Jaqueline. It spends just more than one per cent of GDP, while Australia commits just more than two per cent and Israel more than four per cent.

Scientists spend a lot of time applying and competing for research funding, before they can concentrate on carrying out the research itself.

Agricultural trials are by nature long-term and there is generally little or no fi nancial benefi t from the early stages. Research costs are highest in years two to eight. But from years eight to 15, the benefi ts outstrip the costs. That trend continues until about year 25, when benefi ts can begin to decline.

If the world is to feed nine billion people in future, a step change in pro-

duction and production systems is required. Genetic engineering might be part of the answer, but thats a debate which New Zealand has not yet grappled with.

Jacqueline says the public is fi ckle. While they might demand more organic or free range foods, when it comes to the point of purchase, most consumers are driven by price and dont pay the extra cost. Cage egg sales still dominate the supermarkets over 80 per cent of purchases.

Food spending, as a proportion of income, is getting smaller yet the variety of food available is increasing.

Food prices have gone up 0.6 per cent while median income has increased by 4.8 per cent.

During the middle of last century, mothers spent almost all day cooking meals.

Now the average time taken to prepare all the meals for a day is 35 minutes. However, people are not neces-sarily making good choices. In New Zealand, Coke is the most common item in the supermarket basket and Sprite is seventh; coke zero is 10th. Fizzy pop is not food and has no relationship with primary production, says Jacqueline.

Agri-foodgraduatesin demand

2012 university graduate statistics:

25,000 total graduates100 agricultural graduates 120 food science graduates

30 food process engineering graduates80 farm management graduates5000 business studies graduates

By Elaine Fisher

Jacqueline Rowarth, professor of Agribusiness at University of Waikato traditional subjects are a pathway to university.

The challenges facing families who farm throughout the world will be high-lighted during the International Year of Family Farming 2014. Representatives of 50 organisations met at Parliament last month to gather information about the key issues facing family farming, develop plans for research and actions based on this information, and agree on programme outline for IYFF 2014.

Some of the challenges facing family farms include succession planning and the price of land, establishment costs, and upgrading plant and machinery to remain competitive in an evolving market.

The need to up-skill and stay abreast of developments in the areas of fi nancial literacy, international commodity prices and compliance was also raised, says

Rural Women NZ executive offi cer Noeline Holt.

The International Year of Family Farming is a soft landing place to talk about the hard issues, so they can be discussed within the sector with a focus on solutions.

Rural Women New Zealand has already started planning its own celebra-tions for IYFF 2014, teaming up with family farming ambassador and the 2013 Landcorp agricultural communi-cator of the year Doug Avery, who will run events next March and April.

We want to celebrate family farming past, present and future, says Noeline.

Other rural organisations are welcome to join forces with Rural Women NZ, to organise a range of activities that will offer something for everyone.

International focus on family farms

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Page 4 COAST & COUNTRY

Livestock sold on trust and handshakeIn the days of party lines Agreements were written on the back

of a cigarette packet and sealed with a handshake when John Frater began his

career as a stock agent.

John Frater has been in the livestock industry for 50 years

and still loves it especially auction days.

By Elaine Fisher

It was all based on trust. There were no cell-phones back then and to make arrangement over stock we rang clients in the evenings, if we could get through on the party lines, says John, who works for PGGWrightson of Paeroa and this month celebrates 50 years in the industry.

I was a city boy but when I was growing up in Auckland I used to spend school holidays on a farm at Glen Murray, which is where I got my love of farming.

Johns fi rst job was as a ship-ping clerk in the Auckland offi ce of what was then Dal-gety Loan. After about four years he became a trainee stock agent and began working at sale yards as far north as Kaiwaka. Many of the yards I worked at no longer exist. Papakura was my fi rst area as an agent, and the sale yards used to be where the RSA is now.

The landscape has changed too. The land around Karaka was all town supply dairy farms. Now its all pretty much houses.

John took a year off to see the world and when he returned, re-joined the companys Waihi branch and went on to Paeroa to become the sub-branch manager for the area.

Back in those days the sales yards at Paeroa could be fi lled with up to 10,000 sheep and almost 1300 cattle. The railway siding was alongside, and animals bound for the works were loaded on trains for transport.

Now the railway is long gone and a good sale day might see 1200 sheep and 800 cattle go up for auc-tion, plus they arrive and depart by truck.

Livestock values havent really kept up with infl ation,

John believes. Back in the 1970s farmers were getting $4 a kilogram for prime cattle and they dont get much more now, even though all of their costs have gone up. Thats one of the reasons so many dry stock farmers have turned to taking in dairy grazers, because they have a guaranteed income.

In 1986 former rivals Wrightsons and Dalgety merged, and John says it was

a very amicable arrangement.There was already a lot of camaraderie between agents and we all knew each other well.

Johns farmer clients are his friends too. Ive

watched children grow up to take over the farms, and its

great to see the next generation coming through with new ideas.

Agents have always been very involved in the farming scene. We go to calf club events and A&P shows; and over the years we help farmers when times get tough. Its very personal and the relationship is based on trust.

Its people and animals which have kept John in the livestock business for half a century and its a career he recommends to the coming generation.

Theres a real need for young ones to come through because there a quite a few of my generation who are at retirement age. PGGWrightson does a great job of training young people and all the new ones are com-puter literate of course.

John is thinking of slowing down, maybe working fewer days a week, but hes not ready for the rocking chair yet. Id really miss it if I didnt continue to have contact with farmers and their livestock.

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Page 5COAST & COUNTRY

Livestock auctioneers must be right up there with

the best at reading body language because without that skill they probably

wouldnt make a single sale.To the novice observer, (thats

me), none of the people around the calf pens at a Monday Paeroa PGGWrightson sale were bidding yet pen after pen was sold to buyer 59. It was a while before I twigged that 59 was the apparently totally disinterested bloke leaning on the railing, not making eye contact with auctioneer John Anderson but occasionally moving a fi nger just a fraction to indicate his bid.

PGGWrightson livestock repre-sentative Noel Gower says once auctioneers know their clients, it doesnt take long to recognise bids.

After a while you get to read people and you know their bidding style; a fl ick of a fi nger, a little nod or something similar, says Noel.

Watching out for all those subtle signs requires more than one pair of eyes, which is why the auctioneer is supported by spotters.

It all adds to the atmosphere of sale day, and we usually like to poke a bit of fun at buyers or vend-ers, to create a bit of laughter.

Thats partly what people come along for. Every sale day at Paeroa,

we have members of the public who turn up to watch, not to buy, and to catch up with friends. Its a really social day.

Another attraction of course is the canteen, selling good old fashioned home-cooked food, with old fash-ioned wooden tables and benches at which to sit to enjoy it. Noel says the social side of sale days is one of the reasons he doesnt think online trading has taken off.

Farmers enjoy the contact with others but also they like to see exactly what they are buying. You cant see an animals temperament online, but you quickly fi nd out what they are like when they are in the yards.

The introduction of the National Animal Identifi cation and Tracing system has added to the work load on sale day, with animal ear tags

being read electronically when they are off-loaded from trucks, and again when they are sold.It was Donna Farrelly who was responsible for recording the NAIT details of cattle on Novem-ber 11, fi rst ensuring every animal entering the yards was recorded when it came off the truck. Once the auction began, with a bulky portable recorder and hefty ear tag reading wand, she joined the auctioneers on the boardwalks above the cattle pens to record the successful bidders details against the NAIT tag numbers.At the same time, yardmen Alan

McGregor, equipped with a paint can and a sponge on the end of a long pole, placed a buyers mark in blue paint on each animal for ease of identifi cation when it came time to move them back to the trucks for transport to works or farms.

November 11 was a relatively quiet sale day, because most vend-ers were saving their best stock for the fair the following Friday. How-ever, interest was strong for the 120 prime cattle and boner cows in particular; and the 100 store cattle and about 100 sheep also caught buyer interest. Noel says about 40 feeder calves were also sold and a handful of pigs. Sales are held at the Paeroa Saleyards in Corona-tion St, every Monday from about 10am.

Body language is bidders secret signal

By Elaine Fisher

It takes an astute auctioneer to pick a bidder among this group of potential buyers at the Paeroa sale.

being read electronically when they are off-loaded from trucks, and again when they are sold.It was Donna Farrelly who was responsible for recording the NAIT details of cattle on Novem-ber 11, fi rst ensuring every animal entering the yards was recorded when it came off the truck. Once the auction began, with a bulky portable recorder and hefty ear tag reading wand, she joined the It takes an astute auctioneer to

In the early 1900s, hundreds of animals from throughout

the wider region passed through the Paeroa Sale

Yards, with many arriving and leaving on foot under the watchful eye of drovers on horseback and their dogs.

The saleyards were then situated in the old Hauraki Agricultural and Pastoral Associations yards off the end of King St, near the Paeroa Domain, not in Coronation St as they are today.

Doug Powel recorded something of the sales past in the Ohinemuri Regional History Journal 39, pub-lished in September 1995.

The days of drovers and clever dogs

PGGWrightson auctioneers in action, from left is John Anderson, Noel Gower, John Frater assisted by yardmen Alan McGregor, Rob Mcduff and Donna Farrelly (NAIT reader).

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Page 6 COAST & COUNTRY

Dairy farming without nitrogen ferti-liser can be profi table, especially in years of low milk prices, says Chris Glassey, farm systems specialist with DairyNZ.

A nine-year trial of farming without nitrogen fertiliser on a small farm on DairyNZs property at Newstead also showed nitrogen leaching was reduced by 40 per cent compared with the similar size control farm, to which 180 kg of nitrogen per hectare were applied each year. Chris says not using nitro-gen resulted in a 16 per cent reduction in pasture yield, but a doubling of the clover content of the sword.

The use of nitrogen fertiliser usu-ally increases profi t but there is also the potential for profi t to decrease because of the fertiliser costs, and costs of harvesting the extra grass created.

That farming without nitrogen was profi table is promising, says Chris, espe-cially if in future farming within limits of nitrogen leaching became a reality.

The control farm was seven hectares, while the farm on which no nitrogen was used was nine hectares. Stocking rates were the equivalent of 3.06 cows per hectare on the control farm and 2.56 on the no-N block. Nitrogen was applied as urea at a rate of 80 kg a hectare for a maximum of six applications per year on the control farm. The pasture on each farm was monitored for weekly herbage accumulation and monthly samples were taken for herbage quality. Pre-grazing pasture samples were also taken for

quarterly botanical composition analysis, says Chris.

There were signifi cantly more weeds in the no-N pasture, but we also had a policy of not using herbicides on that pasture.

Cows on the no-N farm had slightly lower body condition scores at calving. Nitrogen leaching measurements were also made.

Operating costs were calculated on the actual costs of nitrogen inputs and other costs, which could be identifi ed against the individual farms. Where costs could not be identifi ed against the farmlets industry averages were used. Revenue was calculated across three milk price years, 2004-2005 when the price was $4.60, 2009-2010 when it was $6.07 and 2010-2011 at $7.52. The control farm yielded 18.7 tonne of dry matter per hectare, while the no-N farm produced 15.8. The farm to which nitrogen was applied produced 1135 kg of milk solids per hectare and the no-N farm 942. At the milk price of $4.60, the difference in profi t between the two farms was $91 in favour of the property on which nitrogen was used.

However, that difference was $187 in favour of using N at a milk price of $6.07 and more favourable again at $478 at a milk price of $7.52

# Chris Glassey was among the speakers at the 2013 New Zealand Grasslands Association Conference in Tauranga

in early November.

Auctions often comic actThe drovers of the day were

the real characters. We had Fred Jackson, a very stout man, who could not whistle but used to command his dogs by shouting at the top of his voice, using some very choice language. He owned some good dogs but had one outstanding animal named Roy, a black kelpie who could lead, head or hunt and knew all the gardens without gates and all the side roads, writes Doug.

There was Mr Jim Capitt, who did small local jobs and always seemed to be tying up his bridle or saddle with copper wire; Dave Clotworthy and Hori Martin, who collected cattle from Hikutaia and Komata areas. Mr Clotworthy also had a clever dog, a blue Australian heeler. Fences were not what they are today and if the mob strayed his dog could almost count and would usually arrive back on the road with

the correct tally plus one.There was also George Lanfear,

who worked mainly for one client, and then we had Reg Rad-ford arriving with a mob through the gorge from Waihi, and George Campbell, who would ride from Te Aroha over the range to Katikati, start picking up his cattle from various properties as far as Te Puna and follow his boss Joe Wright and add to the drive as the cattle were brought to arrive on time for the sale at on Paeroa Monday morning.

John Paul would gather cattle up from round Netherton and was gifted with a marvellous memory. He would perhaps have 70 cattle belonging to 40 vendors and would only briefl y see the animals turned out from the farmers gate and yet he would be able to identify everyones animals without error on arrival at the yards.

No-N farming can turn a profit

Mr Stan Foote was the auctioneer and he would motor down from Auckland and bring a clerk with him, along with a buyer or two. When the auction got underway Fred Jackson would do the branding with a long stick and tar. Fred, with his quick Yorkshire wit and Stan Fosters sharp command of words, was as good as going to a play. The description of the animals, their pedi-grees, real or unknown, and sometimes comments on the owners was a real comic act. Lunch was available in a small tea room and Mrs McMillan, Mrs Mac to all, used to provide this service for many years.

The full article can be found at: www.ohine-muri.org.nz/journal/39/paeroa_sale_day.htm

Dave Stuart, John Anderson, Noel Gower and John Frater.

By Elaine Fisher

Donna Farrelly prepares to record the NAIT numbers of cattle as they leave a truck at the

Paeroa saleyards.

Sheep about to be penned before the auction begins at

the Paeroa sale yards.

Page 7COAST & COUNTRY

Some of New Zealands top musical acts will come together for an inaugural festival at

Mount Maunganui this New Years Eve.

Tickets to the R18 Mount Vibes festival at ASB Baypark are selling fast and at the end of November, 50

per cent of the camping spots had gone.

Organisers have secured some top names for the inaugural festi-val, including The Black Seeds, Homebrew, Aaradhna, I Am Giant, Blacklistt and Sons of Zion.

Organiser and promoter Pato Alvarez says the Mount is the ideal place for the overnight festival; and with Coromandel Gold and Papa-moas Exodus on hiatus this year,

the gig is attracting audiences from throughout the upper North Island. At the close of the event, buses will run from ASB Baypark to Papamoa, Greerton, Mount Maunganui and into Tauranga.

Theres a surprise planned for midnight, but Pato cant give too much away. Tickets available online at: www.mountvibes.co.nz or from Brewers Bar and Satori Lounge in Mount Maunganui.

COAST & COUNTRY

New Year vibe for Mount

Air rifl es or BB guns are a great way to get kids or adults into using and handling

fi rearms in a safe manner, as they are a cheap and cost effective way to learn and understand the safe use of a fi rearm says

Ben Tuck of Broncos Outdoors.Like anything if used incorrectly, bad things can

happen. Always treat the gun as if loaded and point in a safe direction, says Ben.

Getting started does not require a huge outlay, with air rifl es and air pistols starting from $80. The better and more accurate rifl es start from $150 to $199.

If youre into more high powered air rifl es, these start from $199. If you enjoy this sort of thing, there are plenty of clubs that are available to join, for exam-ple, small bore clubs.

Ben says there are three at TECT Park (situated

off SH36, the main road link between Tauranga and Rotorua); the Tauranga Pistol Club, NZ Deer Stalkers, and Bay of Plenty Clay Target Club.

All of these clubs are able to show you the correct way to use a fi rearm and the best way to take care of one. Otherwise, contact your favourite fi rearm store and they will be able to help.

Anyone in the Tauranga area interested in learning how to shoot a shotgun should contact Ben, as he is an Australasian recognised coach and is more than willing to help and share his wealth of knowledge.

When it comes to storing air rifl es (or any gun), Ben advises always locking them in a secure place as well as the ammunition required for them. Please keep them separate. For better safety measures, you can purchase a gun safe for a small investment. This keeps them out of the way from small hands and people that are not meant to use them, or see them.

These safes are also a great way to store your valu-ables when you are away on holiday.

Clubs offer excellent introduction to firearms

Mount Vibes promoters Morgan Dynes and Pato Alvarez are ready for the New Years Eve gig at ASB Baypark in Mount Maunganui.

Page 8 COAST & COUNTRY

After 105 years, the Rotorua A&P Show is having

a face lift.With a new site layout, new

themed areas, an ultimate outdoor barbecue kitchen, and a full and exciting entertainment stage, the 2014 show is set to wow.

It was decided by the association that changes needed to be made in order to keep the New Zealand icon of A&P shows going 105 years is a very long time and we are not ready to let it go, says Rotorua

A&P Lifestyle Expo president Ann Howard. With some fresh faces and fresh ideas, the 2014 show truly has something for everyone.

The 2014 Rotorua A&P Lifestyle Expo from January 25 to 26 will be a great day out for all of the family, with heaps of free fun-fi lled activi-ties for the children. Adults can try their luck at the horseshoe throw-ing competition for the chance of winning a brand new Toyota Hilux Ute. (Conditions apply).

Each day, three lucky visitors will win one prize each from the impres-

sive prize pool, which includes a Supreme Grande Masport barbecue, 50 inch television, Stihl chainsaw, Lawnmaster mower, Stihl line trimmer, and a portable Raglan barbecue. Packed goodie bags will be given away to the fi rst 100 paying adults through the ticket booth daily.

Jax Hamilton and Brett McGregor are coming to the show as celebrity guest chefs. They will be offering barbecue cooking demonstrations during both days, and will chat to the public in between demonstra-

tions. Of course there will be all the usual animal events and competi-tions with horses, cattle, alpaca, sheep and dogs. For the axemen, there will be two world event chopping competitions; plus the Agrodome Shears, New Zealand versus Wales test, wool handling competition and the King and Queen of the Mountain will be great draw cards.

For more information, please contact A&P event coordinator Gemma Antoniadia by emailing: greengrassgems@gmail.com

Injun Joe - The legend of Smoking Joe Collins by Marion Day is the story of one of New Zealands best known and notorious pioneer helicopter pilots and

hunters, the late Joe Collins.Born Wellwyn Harris Collins, Joe was a talented

young man with a wild streak and a love of adven-ture. He became an elite hunter-helicopter pilot during what is often described as the last great adventure the era of live-deer capture, using helicopters.

His name is inextricably linked to the exploits that typifi ed the early days of aerial hunting in New Zealand when the industry was wild and young and anything could happen; when helicopters and cockpits replaced horses and saddle.

His partner of 16 years, Marion Day, says Joe was an imperfect hero who lived life with a single-minded passion that sometimes led to obsession, but his courage, steel nerves and kindness gave him a compelling quality that appeals to something deep-

rooted in the average person. Joe was a poet too and the book features many poems he penned. It begins with his unfi nished autobiography after which Marion takes up his story.

To be in to win Injun Joe - The legend of Smoking Joe Collins by Marion Day; email your name and address, with Smoking Joe as the subject, to: elaine@thesun.co.nz

Or put these details on the back of an envelope and post to: Coast & Country Book Prize, PO Box 240, Tauranga 3110, to arrive no later than December 17.

The winners will be announced in Coast & Countrys January issue.

A hunters story told

Prizes to be won at Rotorua show

A hunters story told

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Page 9COAST & COUNTRY

MF2635.2R 2WD

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MF4610.4R 4WD

100 hp AGCO POWER engines provide gutsy performance and reliability. Wet clutch power-shuttle transmission gives you the reliability you need and the ease of use you want.Special Mates Rates price of $63,990 + GST, complete with Stoll loader and 1/3rd service.

MF5430.4C 4WD

Legendary 92 hp engines provide gutsy performance effi ciency and reliability. Wet clutch power-shuttle transmission complete with Masseys famous 4 speed dyna-shift! Unique left hand power controller provides power shift and direction changes while leaving your right hand free.$84,990 + GST complete with a Stoll FS20 loader, bucket and 1/3rd service.

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Page 10 FARM SAFETY

Air guns are not toys and parents should not be buying them as Christ-mas presents, unless they know their children will be immediately supervised at all times when using them, says Paul McLennan, Tauranga firearms officer with the New Zealand Police.

Air guns, including those firing pel-lets, BB, soft air nylon pellets, and paint ball guns, can be lethal and can certainly cause injury so should be secured at all times and not left where children can access them.

Air guns cannot be sold to anyone under the age of 18, unless the pur-chaser has a firearms licence, says Paul.

Summer holidays may be a time when parents get out their own guns to clean, or go shooting, but as always with firearms, it is not a time to relax safety standards.

Shooting is a sport with a high risk potential. You need to be physically and mentally competent and capable of safely controlling your firearm, and that includes being unimpaired by alcohol.

Paul says everyone should be aware of the seven rules of firearms safety:

1. Treat every firearm as loaded.2. Always point firearms in a safe

direction.3. Load a firearm only when ready

to fire.4. Identify your target beyond all

doubt.5. Check your firing zone.6. Store firearms and ammunition

safely.7. Avoid alcohol or drugs when

handling firearms.It is also timely to remind firearms

licence holders to ensure they have adequate firearms security, as required by the Arms Act. If anyone has concerns about their security, give me a call and I can arrange for a security visit, or send out a document on recommended security.

Also, if you have a change of address, please notify the arms office, says Paul. For more information, phone Paul McLennan on 07 577 4412.

Police warn air guns can be lethal

Training and education cannot teach common sense or good judgement in the safe use of quad bikes, says

Coroner Brandt Shortland.However, Coroner Shortland does recommend

the continuation of training and education for quad bike users, to ensure the limitations and frailties of the machines are known, but says that no amount of education could save everyone.

Coroner Shortland has made the comments as part of his findings into five deaths related to the use of quad bikes.

Two of those who died were found to have been smoking cannabis before their accidents.

No amount of education can save everyoneThe coroner stopped short of including a ban on

the use of quad bikes, saying they are entrenched as a vital farm tool.

He has made a series of recommendations, which have won the support of Federated Farmers, after examining the Northland deaths of Carlos Mendoza (Dargaville); John McInnes (Hikurangi) and Suzanne Ferguson (Kaikohe); and the deaths of Albany man Grant Cornelius and Willem Van Der Pasch from Otorohanga in the Waikato.

The report says Carlos died after spending at least two days trapped beneath his quad bike when it over-turned during weed-spraying in September 2010. He had been smoking cannabis between 30 minutes to five hours before his death.

John was spraying a hilly slope for weeds when his quad bike rolled and crushed him to death in September 2010.

Suzanne died when trapped between her quad bike and an electric fence after trying to tow a trailer of silage up a hill in August 2010.

Grant was weed-spraying when he was found dead, pinned under his quad bike in September 2011. He had cannabis in his system, consistent with smoking a single cannabis cigarette within three hours of his death.

Willem died of a terminal head injury when his quad bike rolled on to his head in September 2011.

As a result of his investigations, Coroner Shortland has made a number of recommendations, which include quad bike riders: be trained and have the experience required to ride a quad bike in their work; always wear a helmet; and choose the right vehicle for the right job.

He also recommended that children should be prevented from riding adult quad bikes; quad bikes should not be referred to as all-terrain vehicles, as that was misleading and there should be regular test-ing of after-market attachments, to ensure they did not upset the quad bikes' stability

Jeanette Maxwell, Federated Farmers Health & Safety spokesperson has welcomed Coroner Shortlands recommendations.

The one thing we welcome in Coroner Shortlands findings is that it recognises the practical realities of using quad bikes in a farm setting. Indeed, many of the recommendations are current industry practice and that is a good thing.

We also agree with Coroner Short-land that farmers must ensure quad bike users are trained in their safe operation. Being a motorbike, quad bikes require active riding for them to be safely used over rural terrain.

There are a lot of providers of training and it is essential quad bike users know their machine and its limits.

Federated Farmers stresses that users must ride age-appropriate bikes whether that is a quad or a farm bike.

We are also supportive of restricting the minimum age of solo riders on full size quad bikes to 16.

Page 11ATV & AWD

Rabobank Group and is a well-established name in the agricultural sector.

We are pleased to be partnering with DLL to make our products even more accessible to New Zealand farmers and to be able to work with our dealers to tailor fi nance packages to suit the needs of individual farmers right across the country, says Polaris Australia and New Zealand country manager Brad Wolstenholme.

Some people out there in the agricultural market have done it tough over recent years, and retail fi nance offers a great opportunity to keep capital equipment new and fresh without the immediate cash-fl ow burden.

To celebrate the launch of Polaris Finance in New Zealand, Polaris has announced an introductory offer for approved business applicants.

All fi nance offers will be based on one-third up front, one-third in 12 months and one-third in 24 months.

All of the following Polaris models will have an inter-est rate during 24 months of only 6.99 per cent per annum:* Ranger 800 Crew and 6x6; Ranger 900 XP EPS; Ranger 900 Diesel HD; Ranger 900 Diesel Crew; Ranger 400; Ranger 500; Sportsman 400;

Sportsman X2 550 and Sportsman XP 550 EPS.A key Polaris model under this offer is the all-new

Ranger 900 XP, which has already taken the market by storm with its four-stroke, twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled 900cc ProStar engine pushing out 60 hp, class-leading torque and smooth power through the RPM range thanks to its dual overhead cam design and counter-balancing, not to mention Electronic Fuel Injection, a whopping 26.9 cm front and 25.4 cm rear suspen-sion travel, On-Demand True All Wheel Drive and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes with dual-bore front calipers.

*This introductory fi nance offer must end on December 31, 2013; offers are subject to terms, fees and lending criteria approval.

Polaris is a recognised leader in the power sports industry with annual sales exceeding $3 billion. Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets innova-tive, high quality off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and the Polaris Ranger side-by-side vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles and on-road electric/hybrid powered vehicles.

Finance package for popular off-road vehiclesPolaris is among the global sales lead-

ers for both snowmobiles and off-road vehicles and has established a presence in the heavyweight cruiser and touring motorcycle market with the Victory and Indian motorcycle brands. Additionally, Polaris continues to invest in the global on-road small electric/hybrid vehicle industry with Global Electric Motorcars

and Goupil Industrie SA, and internally developed vehicles. Polaris enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Pure Polaris apparel, accessories and parts, available at Polaris dealerships.

Polaris Industries Inc trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PII, and is included in the S&P Mid-Cap 400 stock price index.

The worlds largest manufacturer of off-road vehicles, Polaris

Industries, has continued its quest to make its

products as accessible as possible to New Zealand farmers with the launch

of Polaris Finance in New Zealand.

Established as a division of De Lage Landen, Polaris Finance will operate across the national Polaris dealer network in providing business purpose (for example, non-consumer), fi nance products. DLL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the

The Polaris Ranger 900 Diesel.

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Page 12 COAST & COUNTRY

Being a can do kind of person (he had built his own dairy shed), and drawing on his mechanical engineering background, Glenn set about designing and building a boat in a shed on the family farm.

It turned out pretty well; and after testing the public reaction at boat shows, Glenn decided it was worth taking the next step. He employed the services of well-known designer Scott Robinson, who came up with a range of hull designs featuring the now distinctive deep-V.

Extreme Boats have the deepest V-Hull design on the market, which has been developed based on proven hull technology. Our boats boast fi ne entry for high-speed head sea performance, while retaining a high chine with full shoulder for excellent sea-handling.

By 1998 Extreme Boats was manufactur-ing a small number of craft each year, from a factory on the dairy farm. During the 2004 fl oods, the factory was about the only part of the farm which didnt go under water, so I was using one of our boats to pick up staff and ferry them to work, says Glenn.

As the popularity and reputation of Extreme Boats grew, so did the need for a purpose-built and bigger factory. In 2012, Glenn, assisted by his son Todd took a year out to build the 33 metre by 88 metre fac-tory on Thornton Rd near the turn off to the Whakatane Airport. We had planned to get a roofi ng company to do the roof, but when they didnt turn up on time, we did that too.

The building has a show room and offi ces, a mezzanine fl oor where the upholstery for the boats is produced, and a factory set out with bays; one where components are router cut from 3 mm to 8 mm sheets of high quality imported European alu-

minium, and others where the boats are assembled.

Glenn is the designer, creating plans for boats from 4.6 to 11 metres, using a high tech computer design system and his trained boat builders eye. Much of build-ing a successful, safe boat which performs well is still instinctive, says Glenn. It has to look right, be in balance. Thats a skill he may have got from his grandfather Bill Dippie, who was closely associated with Bill Hamilton, devel-oper of the famous Hamilton Jet Boats.

Its not just looks which count of course. The boats must perform well on the water and also have all the refi ne-ments modern boaties require. Extreme Boats has been the most awarded boat in New Zealand for the last fi ve years, and the most awarded alloy boat in New Zealand for the last seven years.

Once Glenn is happy with a new design, he then begins planning the most eco-nomical and effi cient way to cut the pieces from each sheet of aluminium. The fi nal templates are fed into a machine, which automatically cuts the components up to 115 for each boat ready for assembly.

The fl at pieces of aluminium are stacked in a cradle ready for the boat builders to work their magic assembling, fi t-ting, bending and folding all of the pieces together to create a new water craft. Then its the fi t-out teams turn to install the wiring, glaziers to fi t windows and the

upholsterers to add the squabs and other soft furnishings.

Once complete the boats go to Had-dock Spray Painters in Whakatane for a high quality fi nish. Its not easy painting aluminium boats and Haddocks do an excellent job, says Glenn.

All Extreme Boats are built to survey standards and are New Zealand Boat Building Standard Compliance Plate Cer-

tifi cation (CPC) certifi ed, meaning they not only meet stringent qual-

ity and safety standards but can also be used

by commercial operators, such as harbour masters or commercial fi shers. We are the only

aluminium boat manufacturer to do

both CPC and build to survey on all hulls. It costs a

lot more to meet survey standards, but its worth the investment, says Glenn.

Extreme Boats, already popular in New Zealand (they also feature on the Big Angry Fish TV show), are growing in repu-tation in Australia too with 30 per cent of exports being shipped to that market. The boats are also exported to New Caledonia and French Polynesia; and Glenn has plans to expand into Europe too.

The factory, with its staff of 30, has orders for new boats of all sizes until May next year and already Glenn is talking of expanding the factory, and maybe, at some time in the future, building launches.

They may not be milking cows, but Diane and Glenn havent turned their backs on farming. Farming is in our blood. We love the land and lifestyle.

...owes beginning to dairyingIt is dairying which fl oated one of New Zealands most successful boat design and manufacturing companies.

There is no doubt that without the income and assets of our dairy farm, Diane and I would never have been able to fi nance the start-up of Extreme Boats, says Glenn Shaw.

He and Diane are still dairy farmers at Thornton, near Whakatane, but today

someone else milks the cows while the couple run Extreme Boats from a purpose-built factory not far down the road.

Now Extreme Boats has far out-stripped the farm in terms of turnover and value, but the beauty of dairying is that it gave us the opportunity to ven-ture into another business, says Glenn.

It all began when Glenn decided he wanted a boat but couldnt fi nd any-thing which exactly met his needs.

Successful boat business...

By Elaine Fisher

Up to 115 individual pieces of aluminium are used to

construct the Extreme boats.

Page 13COAST & COUNTRY

Natural diseases in the soil, which help control insect pests,

are disrupted by cultivation, says Dr Sue Zydenbos of

AgResearch.

Newly-developed, young or dis-turbed pastures are most at risk from three native insects grass grub beetle, manuka beetle and porina moth but the microbes which help control them will re-establish during time.

However, the time after cultivation is a key factor for decision making about pest control, says Sue.

Key to making the right decisions is awareness, and the identifi cation of which pests are likely to cause problems. Accurate identifi cation of the pests can be aided by referring to the PestWeb website: www.pestweb.co.nz, which has a new mobile phone-friendly format and will send farmers pest alerts when the risk of infestations is increasing.

Farmers should use the paddock selec-tion tool to identify which paddocks are most likely to be damaged by grass grub, and decide how to actively control the pest. This is an on-going process, start-ing from sowing of a new pasture, with a Winter Health Check to identify when grass grubs are starting to cause damage.

The critical decision time is around how many grass grub larvae there are in mid-February to mid-March. This can be determined by sampling 10 or more

20 cm spade squares per paddock. Four larvae per spade square equal 100 per square metre. If between four and 12 larvae are found, biological control by introducing a natural enemy or disease into the soil is the best option. If 12 or more grubs per spade square are present then a chemical pesticide treatment, followed by biological control the next year, is required.

Using a simple pasture value score tool , pasture that is less than three years old, has high genetic merit cultivars and is considered a high value pasture, is at risk from grass grub damage and is a clear candidate for treatment. However, a pasture which is of low value should be considered for complete renewal.

Sue says manuka beetle has the ability to cause major and rapid damage to pasture. Paddocks with more than 300 larvae per square metre are candidates for chemical pesticide treatment.

Porina moth larvae can be hard to control because their size affects the effectiveness of the growth regulator difl ubenzuron.

Applying the product eight to 12 weeks after the peak fl ight of the moths is an insurance approach to control, because at that stage caterpillars are too small to detect.

Another approach is to wait 16 weeks from peak fl ight and count caterpillars, but that may be too late for difl ubenzu-ron to be effective and a conventional insecticide may be needed.

# Dr Sue Zydenbos was among the speakers at the 2013 New Zealand Grasslands Association Conference in

Tauranga in early November.

Maurice and Meree Yorke operate a 1200 ha sheep and beef farm in an isolated

part of Southlands Catlins region but they are far from out of touch

with modern farming.The couple keep up to date with the latest scientifi c

research and management techniques through regular attendance at New Zealand Grasslands Association conferences and through the organisations newslet-ters and technical papers.

We also really enjoy the people we meet at confer-ences and seeing how farmers farm in different parts of the country, says Meree, who with Maurice attended Taurangas NZGA conference in November.

Pests a threat to disturbed pastures

Catlins couple dedicated association membersAs well as sheep and beef, the Yorkes also have a yellow-eye penguin

colony on their farm.In 2012, in recognition of his signifi cant contributions to the

NZGA, Maurice was made life member of the association.Maurice thinks he has only missed two conferences since becoming

a member at the Invercargill conference in 1978, as the representa-tive of the Progress Valley Farm Discussion group that won a regional award for grazing excellence. He maintained a keen interest in the progress of NZGA and was voted onto the executive committee in the early 1990s, culminating with his offi cial service as president in 1997. Maurice has always supported research and had early winter grazing management trials on his farm Waikawa, in the Catlins.

New Zealand Grasslands Association life member Maurice Yorke and his wife Meree during a farm visit, which was part of the

annual conference in Tauranga.

Full Range of Quality Farm Machinery | www.piakotractors.co.nz

Rotorua 490 Te Ngae Road 07 345 8560Parts & Service Support: Service Manager Mark Koopal 021 245 5489

Parts Manager Elton Ngawhika 021 245 5485 Parts Support Nick Harris 021 998 824

Remember the confi dence you had in your Fendt the fi rst time you turned the key? Maintain that feeling by insisting on genuine Fendt parts. New parts to match the old original quality will ensure your machine is the long term investment you planned. Fendt are premium quality machines, so why compromise by using non-genuine parts? When you know the history of quality, dealer support and reliability you are going to get it makes sense to stay with genuine.

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Page 14 MAIZE

Compost Happens

COMPOST HAPPENS

Water

(which alreadyare in the soil)

(grass, lucerne, green waste etc.)(leaves, straw, woody materials)

MicroorganismsMacro

organi

sms

Air

Heat

BROWN GREEN COMPOST

Page 15MAIZE

Total stocks of both feed wheat and feed barley in October were down on total stocks

at the same time in 2012, according to a survey by the Foundation

for Arable Research.The Arable Industry Marketing Initiative Survey

outlines the on-farm grain stocks (sold and unsold), as of October 1, 2013, and areas of maize, wheat, barley and oats planted, or planned to be planted for harvest in 2014.

The survey shows feed wheat and feed barley stocks (estimated to be 162,000 tonnes for feed wheat and 119,000 tonnes for feed barley), are down on last year but higher than at October 1, 2011.

The survey also shows yields per hectare of wheat and barley crops are unusually high for both of the last two harvests (2012 and 2013), due to good growing conditions in Canterbury. Oat yields were low for the 2012 harvest, but more normal for the 2013 harvest. Maize grain and maize silage yields are similar and fairly average for the last two harvests; for the 2013 harvest, low yields in some regions have been off-set by good yields in other regions.

As a result of these high volumes, there are medium volumes of feed wheat and barley grain unsold at the time of the survey, although these are both down on last October. For feed wheat there was an estimated 52,700 tonnes unsold (compared to 75,100 tonnes on October 15, 2012, and 7800 tonnes on October 1, 2011). For feed barley there was an estimated 31,900 tonnes unsold (66,300 tonnes on October 15, 2012, and 23,800 tonnes on October 1, 2011). These fi gures also refl ect the effects of the autumn 2013 drought in the North Island, which was, however, followed by

good pasture growth in most regions. The tonnages for oats are low but the volumes

unsold are up compared to last year. The tonnage of unsold maize grain is estimated to be zero on Octo-ber 1, 2013 (compared to 29,700 tonnes on October 15, 2012, and 1700 tonnes on October 1, 2011).

The estimated reduction in unsold feed wheat from the 2013 harvest, between the AIMI Surveys on July 1, 2013, and on October 1, 2013, is about 32,000 tonnes. Similarly, the estimated reduction in unsold feed barley is about 27,000 tonnes.

These reductions are perhaps lower than anticipated due to the unusually good pasture growth during the winter and early spring, following the breaking of the autumn drought.

When plantings in the autumn and spring are added to the spring planting intentions (after Octo-ber 1, 2013), the areas of most crops are similar to plantings last year. The exceptions are milling wheat (predicted area up by 24 per cent), and feed wheat (area up by 17 per cent). The area of the biggest grain crop, feed barley, is predicted to be almost identical to last year (0.4 per cent drop). Although, one-third of the area was still unsown at the time of the survey.

The area sown in oats is predicted to fall by about 1000 ha, although 62 per cent was still unsown at the time of the survey (October 1, 2013).

The total area planted in maize is predicted to be eight per cent up on last year (though this estimate is within the margin of error of the survey, so in

Feed stocks down on last year FAR reportreality, there may be no change), and is almost identical to the area planted the previous year (2011). However, 95 per cent of the maize crop was unsown at the time of the survey (October 1, 2013), so these are primarily planting intentions rather than actual plantings. These fi gures refl ect the position at October 1, 2013, and there will have been changes since this time.

They are based on data from the 87 (wheat, barley, oats), plus 47 (maize), survey farms at October 1, 2013, which has been scaled up to the national level using the most recent Agricultural Production Statistics and maize seed sales. As with all surveys, there is a margin of error which needs to be considered in relation to this report. (Source FAR)

Feed supplies for dairy cows may be tight this season farmers are being warned.

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Page 16 MAIZE

The directions to Paul Masons 1600 hectare farm one hour out of Dubbo, New South Wales, were:

Just follow the road until you get to the green farm.It turned out to be

very easy. All the other farms were grey or brown and dis-mal-looking. Pauls farm stood out like a beacon. We were a group of Kiwis, pas-sionate about better soil fertility. That journey has taken us to NSW twice, Victoria, and across USA so far. Plus, Europe and South Africa are on the radar during the next few years should anyone else be interested in joining in.

We also do internal tours, the latest taking in eight farms in Canterbury during two days this November.

Paul, a lovely older farmer, is one of the best known stock fi nishers in Australia. His Hereford stock is frequently sought by competing buyers. Some 20 years ago, he was in a local book shop and came across Neal Kinseys Hands-On Agronomy. And being an astute man, he bought it. After reading

it, he phoned Neal and was soon on his way to Missouri, to attend his fi rst introductory soil course called Principles of Soil Fertility and Fertilisation.

Paul entered the local area wheat competition and won it after six years on the programme. That

was the year he fi nally convinced himself to add trace elements. Hed already found that adding lime to increase the base saturation calcium from 60 per cent to 68 per cent, on a Perry Lab test, raised his yields by 25 per cent. That winning crop was 108 bushels per acre, or 5786 kg per hectare. (Good dry land wheat crops

in Canterbury this season will be in the 6000-7000 kg/ha bracket, provided they get rain to fi ll the heads).

His farm is a cropping, sheep and cattle operation. Annual rainfall is 600 mm. The rotation is four years of cropping and six in pasture. Crops include wheat, canola and Lucerne. Pauls canola this year is almost two metres tall, and cleaned up all comers in his area. His neighbours withdrew their crops from competition, as they were damaged by frost. Pauls crop was not. Its not a fl uke; it

is just good crop nutrition, and Pauls crop yielded 3 tonne/ha, complete with frost. On average Pauls results are 25 per cent better for canola and 40 per cent better for wheat than the neighbours. The protein, once 11 per cent is now 14.5 per cent. He has left 64 ha of his farm out of the pro-gramme, to remind me of what it looked like before.

Pauls steers are a sight for sore eyes too. He buys in up to 650 steers and fattens them. Prior to changing to the Albrecht soil fertility system, as taught by Neal Kinsey, his results were 350 kg carcasses in 15 months at a 54 per cent yield.

After changing, the results are 370 kg carcasses in 12 months at a 57 per cent yield, and still increasing. Besides the shorter fattening period, the extra return on those cattle at $3.80 per kg is $76. With 650 cattle, that is an extra $49,400. The cattle are transported to Brisbane, where Paul commands a higher price for his quality product.

In addition, he now grazes 1000 wethers at $1 per week for 24 weeks. Thats another $24,000.

Paul has won the wheat com-petition many times. When he doesnt, the chances are its won by his friend Rob Sutherland, who farms about one hour the other side of Dubbo. Rob also follows the Kinsey method of soil fertility.

Run with the winners your reward is the journey

Paul Mason hidden in his winning crop of rape.

Some of Pauls Hereford cattle.

Pauls philosophy is to look from a distance, choose varieties carefully; make sure you have hay on hand for dry seasons to help you over the line

when times are tough. But more importantly: Run with the winners, so your dreams become real. Your reward is the journey.

BASE SATURATION PERCENTCalcium (60 to 70%)Magnesium (10 to 20%)Potassium (2 to 5%)Sodium (.5 to 3%)Other Bases (Variable)

EXCHANGEABLE HYDROGEN (10 to 15%)

80%}

Page 17MAIZE

This time last year the maize was Red Band-high now its nearly fence high. The growing season

so far has been phenomenal.We planted maize in late October

and by the end of November we were rushing to get the Urea on before the crops reached row cover stage. Its been a rush to control weeds too, as there is no point in spraying once you have row cover.

Warm soil temperatures and moist soils are what have brought it on so quickly and thats in stark contrast to last year, when the plants had hardly got going by mid-November.

It's been unseasonably hot during the last few weeks, with weather more like that in February than November; and what we need now is a combination of heat units and rain for the crops to con-tinue to grow and mature well. If we get that then it looks like well be harvesting in mid-February instead of late February or March.Sales of feed are probably 30 per cent

ahead of this time last year too, as farmers are realise the advantages of ordering early

rather than waiting. Planning ahead is always good business, and indications are that even if we dont have another dry summer (and heres hoping we dont), there will be shortages of feed nationwide. Part of the reason is big winter storms caused signifi cant damage to irrigators in Canterbury, which means with-out water irrigators many farmers and cropping farmers wont be growing as much feed this year.

In the Manawatu farmers are not growing so much barley as usual either, so there is likely to be a shortage of barley straw this season. Dairy farmers that rely on irrigation will be short of feed, so theyll be green feed-ing barley crops to substitute a lack of grass due to the damage to their irrigation.

The cheapest time to buy feed is straight out of the paddock, because if it has to be carted and stored, and then transported to clients, the costs go up.

We photograph most of our feed before it is har-vested so clients can see what they are getting. We have good supplies of barley, wheat straw, hay and grass silage.

Even if farmers fi nd they dont use all of the feed they buy now, this summer, good quality feed stored properly will last two to three years, so its like money

Stubble burning is an important tool for getting rid of crop residue on arable farms, but more could be done to minimise smoke nuisance, says a Foundation for Arable Research report commissioned by Environment Canterbury.

The regional council is review-ing the Air Chapter of its Natural Resources Regional Plan and is investigating current approaches to stubble burning as part of that review.

Katherine Trought, of Environ-ment Canterbury, says the next step in the Air Chapter review will be a science investigation into the impact

of stubble burning on air quality.Codes of practice for stubble

burning exist and FAR will now work with Federated Farmers to share the reports fi ndings with growers and promote good stubble burning practices.

FARs director of research and extensions Nick Poole says the report found stubble burning has a key role to play in New Zealands cropping industry, as a rotational management tool for establishment of small seeded export crops, such as grass seed and vegetable seed.

Some crops cannot be grown in paddocks containing large amounts

of residue, especially cereal resi-due, says Nick.

The report covers a lot of research on the pros and cons of stubble burning and its alternatives; and fi nds burning not only enables timely and successful establishment of high value, small seeded crops, but that those crops can be estab-lished with minimal cultivation in a more weed, pest and disease-free environment.

The research also shows burn-ing lowers the cost of production by reducing agrichemical usage, machinery costs and the amount of cultivation needed.

Stubble burning important tool

in the bank. This certainly gives peace of mind that feed is on hand if condi-tions turn bad and as I have said in the past: hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

The evidence that cows do better with a mixed diet of fi bre and grass is strong, so feeding some fi bre out even in good grass growing conditions is worthwhile. Having feed on hand also helps with

pasture management, giving farmers the option of tightening cows up when they are wanting to extend out their round if there are concerns about quality of the pasture as conditions get drier.

With another good pay-out forecast, now is not the time to take shortcuts or risk not being able to feed cows well to keep them milking and in good condi-tion for the following season.

This time last year the maize was Red Band-high now its nearly

no point in spraying once you have row cover.

soils are what have brought it on so quickly and thats in stark contrast to last year, when the plants had hardly got going by mid-November.

last few weeks, with weather more like that in February than November; and what we need now is a combination of heat units and rain for the crops to con-tinue to grow and mature well. If we get that then it looks like well be harvesting in mid-February instead of late February or March.Sales of feed are probably 30 per cent

ahead of this time last year too, as farmers are realise the advantages of ordering early

Maize far exceeds last seasons Red Band height

Page 18 EFFLUENT & IRRIGATION

As one of only 14 effl uent accredited companies

in New Zealand, Qubik TMC of Te Awamutu continues to offer an expert service that

farmers can rely on. With the Waikato

Regional Councils tight monitoring on effl uent and irriga-tion, ensuring farmers are getting the best quality service and their effl uent systems are compliant and meet industry regulations, are at the forefront of Qubiks effl uent division.

Qubiks effl uent division manager and design consultant Kyle Osborne says the accreditation programme is of great benefi t for the farmer.

The accreditation programme eliminates the cowboys and ensures that only organisations with a high skill level and knowledge of farm dairy

effl uent [FDE] and design become accred-ited.

Qubik have put a strong focus on our effl uent division over the last few years, ensuring we deliver a service that is custom-

ised to each farmers FDE requirements; and that the effl u-ent designs are compliant and delivering the best results for the farmer. We understand what is required for quality assurance

of FDE moving forward and have tailored our service

to ensure we deliver absolute confi -dence in all effl uent operations.

Effl uent accredited organisations are strongly recognised by DairyNZ, IrrigationNZ and New Zealand Milk-ing and Pumping Trade Association; and over time, dairy companies and regional councils will require the use of accredited designers as part of consent requirement.

As one of only 14 effl uent accredited companies

in New Zealand, Qubik TMC of Te Awamutu continues to offer an expert service that

farmers can rely on. With the Waikato

Regional Councils tight monitoring on effl uent and irriga-

effl uent [FDE] and design become accred-ited.

Qubik have put a strong focus on our effl uent division over the last few years, ensuring we deliver a service that is custom-

ised to each farmers FDE requirements; and that the effl u-ent designs are compliant and delivering the best results for the farmer. We understand what is required for quality assurance

Qubiks effl uent division manager and design consultant Kyle Osborne.

Peace of mind for farmers thanks to accreditation

Durability vital in effluent pond linings

HDPE liners have a life expectancy in excess of 100 years.

When considering a suitable lining material for their effl uent storage ponds, farmers

in the lower South Island are increasingly fi nding High Density Polyethylene, known as HDPE liners, provide a solution that is more than able to

meet their requirements.With their regulatory responsibilities front of mind,

it is vital to have confi dence in the compliance of their effl uent storage pond and durability of the liner.

HDPE liners have been specifi ed for containment applications in New Zealand since the early 1980s. The material is a high quality geo-membrane, pro-duced from specially formulated virgin polyethylene resin. This polyethylene resin is designed specifi cally for fl exible geo-membrane applications and con-tains about 97.5 per cent polyethylene, 2.5 per cent carbon black and trace amounts of antioxidants and heat stabilisers.

This make up gives HDPE liners outstanding UV and chemical resistance. HDPE liners have a life expectancy in excess of 100 years.

HDPE permeability rates easily achieve those standards set out by regional authorities throughout New Zealand.

As with any product, the installation process is key to ensuring a quality outcome is achieved.

This is where an Aspect Environmen-tal Lining HDPE liner really proves its worth, with very comprehensive installation and testing procedures undertaken on-site. Aspect Environ-

mental Lining constructs HDPE pond liners on-site to your unique pond specifi cation.

AEL stands by their installation by means of full workmanship and mate-rial warranties.

With such a comprehensive testing process in place during installation, Aspect Environmental Lining HDPE liners give confi dence around effective effl uent compliance.

(Supplied by Aspect Environmental Lining Ltd).

We give farmers absolute confidence in their milking operations 24/7

EFFLUENT & IRRIGATION Page 19

There was nothing private about the lives of cows involved

in an AgResearch project on nitrogen leaching.

AgResearch scientist Keith Betteridge says for two weeks every move and every excretion made by nine cows was recorded as part of research aimed to improve previous estimates of nitrogen leaching and enable targeting of mitiga-tion strategies at critical source areas.

The animals were fi tted with urine sensors, GPS systems and motion sen-sors so scientists knew where they were when they urinated, moved around or lay down.

The information gathered was so accurate, scientists could record the time spent and number of urination events during fi ve days, in each of 5 metre by 5 metre grid cells, created on a map of an 11 ha steep hill paddock.

The information shows what farmers already know cows spend most of their time and like to camp (or lay down), on fl atter parts of paddocks and around water troughs. Related modelling work also reveals nitrogen leaching is 37 per cent greater in those camp areas than in the hill slopes of the paddock.

There is a lot of urine excreted in relatively small areas and these are the critical source areas [for nitrogen leach-ing], says Keith.

Using this information, farmers would be able to treat target areas with nitrifi -

cation inhibitors, rather than spreading them on the whole paddock, which would be cost effective, Keith says.

Another winter management option may be to graze crops or autumn-saved pasture for just two to four hours when excreted urine has a low nitrogen concentration. After this, stand cows off pasture for 20 to 22 hours in an area where excreted nitrogen from urine and faeces can be collected and managed for minimum losses to the environment.

During this longer period, when con-sumed pasture is being digested, urine nitrogen concentration will be some-what higher than when grazing with an empty rumen.

Keith advises that farmers shouldnt use industry average urine fi gures to estimate nitrogen leaching.

The range in volume and concentra-tion of individual events each day can be huge.

Accurate information about how much nitrogen cows deposit in pastures will become increasingly important as farming faces pressure from regional councils to reduce nitrogen leaching.

Already farmers in the Lake Taupo catchment are facing caps on the amount of nitrogen their properties can leach. There, farming occupies 19 per cent of the catchment but contributes 94 per cent of manageable nitrogen.

Keith Betteridge was among the speakers at the 2013 New Zealand Grasslands Association Conference in Tauranga in early November.

Monitoring private life of cows

By Elaine Fisher

Pre-cast products evolving with farming

Bowers Brothers Concrete supplies modular units, or a complete design and build service for storage bunkers.

Anything, from as small as a 500 litre water trough to eight tonne units for constructing under passes, is included in the range of products produced by

Bowers Brothers Concrete.Director Steve Bowers says the family-owned con-

crete manufacturing company has been serving the farming community for 80 years and the diversity of its products is constantly evolving to meet modern farming requirements.

Our pre-cast farm products include water and feed troughs, bunker and barrier walls and storage bunkers for PKE, fertiliser and silage. We are able to supply modular units or a complete design and build service, which includes supply and install.

The company supplies feed and water troughs for feed pads; builds stock under-passes; and supplies and installs septic tanks, water tanks and concrete pipes.

Bowers Brothers Concrete has branches through-out the Waikato, including Morrinsville, Hamilton, Matamata, and Paeroa Concrete and in April this year, the company purchased Andrew Begbie Readimix in Putaruru.

Having a plant in Putaruru gives us even better coverage and service to the greater Waikato Region, says Steve.

We manufacture and deliver ready-mixed concrete from each of our fi ve branches, while our new state-of-the-art Morrinsville plant also manufactures masonry blocks and precast concrete products, and can deliver via our crane trucks throughout the Waikato and beyond.

GRUNDFOS

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Page 20 EFFLUENT & IRRIGATION

In just one pass the very large and sophisticated equipment imported

from Belgium by Murray Implement Co and Farm Chief for Graham McRobbie Contracting of Otakiri at Whakatane can inject dairy effl uent, whey and daff sludge into the soil, sow seeds and apply

additional fertiliser or trace elements.The great advantage is that animals can be grazing

back in the paddock straight away, so you dont need to take it out of rotation, says Graham McRobbie.

Hed spent about six years researching equipment worldwide to do the job he wanted not only for farm effl uent but also for the Fonterra Edgecumbe factory where McRobbies contracting take care of all the fac-tory waste material. As environmental conditions are getting harder to comply to, this machine has solved many of those issues.

Slurry tankerGraham fi nally found what he was looking for in the

Joskin Vacu 20,000 litre slurry tanker fi tted with hydraulic sola disc injection system, which opens up the ground to about 60-80 mm deep and 20 mm wide with a rubber discharge tube, which runs directly behind the disc at ground level putting product directly into the roots of the plant.

All you can see after the machine has been in a pad-dock is very discrete rows of small slits in the ground.

Graham leases the Te Teko race course and despite last summers drought, has managed to get a great result by injecting Fonterra effl uent with 10 kg of grass seed and other minerals and trace elements per load.

Graham also trialled sowing a paddock of oats; injecting straight over maize stubble, the results were great the best of which the germination of seed was approximately two weeks ahead of broadcast oat seed, purely because of the moisture and fertiliser around the seed.

Sowing seed at the same time as applying effl uent, or whey and trace elements, has obvious advantages of being able to do three jobs in one pass. But it also provides the seeds with moisture and nutrients to kick start the germination not forgetting the cost saving of one machine instead of three.

Farmers that have contracted Graham to empty their ponds and spread the slurry are also impressed with the results and ability to graze pasture straight away without losing it from rotation. Farmers like employing the machine when they shut up paddocks for hay or silage, or straight after the crop has been taken off, or prior to cultivation.

HopperWhile the Joskin machine is designed with the addi-

tion of seed and fertiliser in mind, in typical Kiwi fashion Graham has come up with a simpler, more effi -cient means of adding them. Hes built a small hopper with a valve venture, which can be attached to the effl uent in-take, so the desired quantities of seed and trace elements can be added and automatically mixed.

Normally, you would have to climb to the top of the tank to add anything. I only did it once and decided there had to be a better way, says Graham. The Joskin fi rm is interested and has already taken photographs of it.

Graham says the cost of the machine would be hard to justify if it he was to rely on farm effl uent only. The Fonterra waste contract has helped to keep the machine busy and has become a real asset to the waste from Fonterra,

Graham McRobbie spent six years searching for the ideal machine and found it in this

Joskin Vacu 20,000 litre slurry tanker from Belgium.

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Page 21DAIRY

Sensitive robots, which treat every blade of grass as an individual, and delivering exactly the amount of fertiliser it requires, may soon

be part of New Zealand farming systems, says Geoff Bates of Pastoral Robotics Ltd.The sense and

respond technology will see farmers using less fertiliser and growing more grass and its not far away.

Together with fellow pastoral robotics developer and share-holder Dr Bert Quin, Geoff has been testing the Mini-ME, a urine-patch detecting robot which travels pad-docks, seeking out and treating urine patches to reduce nitrogen leaching.

It is patented technology that enables the robot to traverse a paddock immediately after cows leave, treat-ing urine patches as it fi nds them. If DCD nitrogen inhibiters were used, there would be no risk of milk contamination because it would be 28 days before the cows returned to graze the pasture.

Compare the difference, blanket treating 100 per cent of the paddock versus treating the two to fi ve per cent that actually received urine, and couple that with a mean withholding period of 28 days, by which time the inhibitor used will be fully degraded anyway, says Geoff.

Mini-ME developers are planning a limited release of the robot to 10 farms next year. The robot weighs less than 50 kg fully laden and travels at 5 km/h or less. And should it hit anything, it will stop and alert its operator. Designed to cover three metres per pass, the machine should cover 1.5 ha per hour, treating a pasture grazed by an average herd each day.

Initially paddocks, includ-ing obstacles such as trees and troughs, will need to be mapped. But once Mini-ME is programmed, it should be able to make repeat visits to each paddock with no further mapping inputs.

The robot has rechargeable batteries, a 20 litre spray tank and can cover the same