20 | Plastic bale wrap alternative found Sue Russell In striving to eliminate the negative environmental and animal health consequences of using common plastic bale wrapping, Southland farmer Grant Lightfoot, had his own lightbulb moment when he began to think of sustainable, practical solutions. The lightbulb was switched on when he was deep under the water, in a submersible chamber, working as a deep sea diver around the world on rigs. Spending many hours in this space, afforded Grant the time to let his mind wander to a farming problem he had long wanted to address. When Grant talks about his journey inventing Kiwi Econet, a 100% inner-bale wrapping made of jute, his enthusiasm is palpable. “I had long been concerned about the impact the plastic wrap had on animal health, when ingested. It’s a terrible thing to see an animal having to be put down because its got plastic wrapping inside its stomach. When I hit upon the idea of using a natural product, my first thoughts turned to hemp, however it can’t be used in the States, so my thoughts turned to jute, a totally natural plant product,” Grant explains. It would seem the world has been waiting for this wonder material to be applied to baling wrap, but the journey from idea to product innovation, testing and marketing, required a good degree of stoic determination; a quality Grant has in abundance. With support from his partner Colleen, he found a way to knit up a pioneering 50m of jute into netting, then went out and assigned the precious prototype to the baler. The machine accepted the netting without any problem and presto!, a product the world had seemingly been waiting for was born. And at last year’s Southern Field Days event at Waimumu, ‘Kiwi Econet’ took out the Southern Rural Life Innovation Award, proving that this wonder invention held real traction for its potential within the sector. Wind forward a year, and Grant’s just returned from a whirl-wind trip to Switzerland and on to England, where he had the great fortune to rub-shoulders with Prince William, a keen farmer and environmentalist, at the Groundswell Agricultural Festival. “This was a case of being determined enough to make sure I had the opportunity to say hello to the Prince. Though surrounded by media and security, I made a bee-line for him and said hello!” What followed was a once in a lifetime encounter to explain to Prince William what Kiwi Econet could do and, especially what it meant. “I couldn’t believe my luck but I also made sure it happened,” Grant says. DEER » Grant Lightfoot Now, he has orders streaming in from around the world, returning from overseas with orders to fill nine shipping containers of edible baleage. “That’s the beauty of this baling. It can be eaten by the animals without any harmful impacts. I’ve sourced a factory in India to make the netting and at a local level farmers here have ordered the equivalent of ten 40-foot containers worth. It’s been quite unbelievable the response so far,” Along with meeting Prince William, on the same trip Grant also visited Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm, where producers of his TV show declared real interest in featuring Kiwi Econet in a future programme.” Fitting in trips to engage with farmers overseas, along with running his deer farm at Orepuki, near Riverton in Southland, as well as a dairy unit has been something of a juggling act. “I had no idea, all those months ago when Kiwi Econet ideas began to blossom, that it would lead to this whole new business. It’s very exciting and, if response from the market is anything to go by, it’s a huge win-win moment for farmers, animals and the environment alike.” Farm visits and sales enquiries: Tom Cruse: 027 561 7490 Hamish Cruse: 027 423 4117 PROVEN RESULTS AT THE NATIONAL VELVET COMPETITION: 2024: 1st Three Year Hard Antler (Red), 1st and 2nd Super Heavy Weight 10kgs+ Velvet 2023: 1st and 6th in the five year red class, 2nd, 5th three year red class, 4th open red class 2022: 1st four year red class, 2nd and 6th open red class, 2nd three year red class Leading Red Deer Genetics for Velvet and Hard Antler Semen sales, Stag and Hind sales www.crusedeer.co.nz FARMS IN TUATAPERE, SOUTHLAND FIRST It would seem the world has been waiting for this wonder material to be applied to baling wrap.
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