Selling the deer farm is bittersweet for the Burnett family but it presents a golden opportunity for others in North Otago - Page 28 Sun setting on a golden era Summer 2022 www.waterfordpress.co.nz
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Rural South accepts no responsibility for loss of photos or manuscripts. #businessrural #yourstory www.waterfordpress.co.nz Waimana Marine...................................03 Omega Seafoods ..................................04 Kotare Hops ..........................................06 Kaiora Downs .......................................08 Stephen Todd........................................10 Marr Farms...........................................12 Birkett Farming.....................................15 Rangitata Holdings ...............................16 Blair & Judy Drysdale ...........................20 Rutherford Wilson .................................21 Hindsbank Farming...............................22 Agronomy Solutions..............................24 Easington .............................................26 Oakleys ................................................27 Kauru Hill Venison .................................28 Black Forest Park..................................30 Benio Peter McIntyre.............................31 Netherdale Elite Deer ............................32 Downlands Deer ...................................33 Altrive Red Deer....................................34 Tikana ..................................................35 Melior Genetics.....................................36 Morna Downs .......................................38 Peel Forest Estates ...............................40 Benatrade Angus .................................41 Delmont Angus .....................................42 Grampians ............................................43 Johalz Angus .......................................44 Westfield Angus ....................................45 Wether Hill Farming .......................46 Braided Waters Farming.................47 Egilshay Texels ..............................48 Craigmore Station..........................50 Eernscleugh Genetics ....................51 Hampshire Ram Breeders ..............52 Highgrounds ..................................53 Jeanette Clayton Peters .................54 Leefield Station..............................58 Logan Wallace ...............................61 Matakanui .....................................62 Matarae Station .............................64 Pendella.........................................65 Mount Peel Ltd ..............................66 Moutere Downs .............................68 Tahi Ngatahi ..................................71 True Fleece....................................74 Wairua Russell Smillie....................75 Bonacord Farms ............................76 Eyrewell Dairy................................77 Tony Coltman.................................78 Sara and Stuart Russell..................79 Jack Raharuhi Landcorp ................80 Chris Sam Wech ............................81 John Tanner...................................82 Irrigation NZ...................................83 Davaar Logging .............................85 Borlase Transport...........................86 Cable Logging................................88 Dynes Transport.................................... 90 Mike Hurring......................................... 92 Puklowski Silviculture ........................... 94 Rayonair ............................................... 95 Steve Murphy ....................................... 96 Southern Wood Council ......................... 97 Summit Logging ................................... 98 FCANZ .................................................. 99 Fuller Fencing ..................................... 100 Drone Spray........................................ 101 Advantage Plastics.............................. 102 Alpine Buildings NZ Ltd....................... 104 Baz Janssen Building Ltd.................... 105 Jackson Spreading ............................. 106 Green Spreading................................. 109 Hyslop Groundspread.......................... 110 Mainland Spreading............................ 112 Midland Spreaders.............................. 114 Superior Fertiliser Specialists.............. 115 Grieves Construction........................... 116 Hurunui Helicopters ............................ 117 Renwick Transport .............................. 120 Pankhurst Contracting ........................ 123 Shed Specialists ................................. 124 Vet4Farm ........................................... 126 Welshy Contracting ............................. 128 Southern Helicopters .......................... 130 Happers Honda ................................... 133 48 | Sealing an impromptu deal with friends through an old-fashioned handshake led Texel breeder Alistair McLeod to purchasing a farm near Ranfurly. 98 | Dunedin forestry worker Spencer Horsewood takes top honours as Apprentice of the Year. 78 | Dunsandel dairy farmers Tony Coltman and Dana Carver know putting their own mental health first is vital to lead their team. 12 | Award-winning grower Hamish Marr says New Zealand is globally renowned for its herbage seed production. OUR PARTNERS: Christchurch Office 112 Wrights Road, Addington, Christchurch Phone 03-983 5500 PO Box 37 346 www.waterfordpress.co.nz Queenstown Office 70 Glenda Drive, Queenstown 9300 PO Box 2581, Wakatipu MANAGING DIRECTOR James Lynch james@waterfordpress.co.nz EDITORIAL Editor Randall Johnston randall@waterfordpress.co.nz Paul Mein paulmein@waterfordpress.co.nz Journalists Ange Davidson, Kelly Deeks, Tracey Edwardes, Russell Fredric, Rachel Graham, Richard Loader, Kim Newth, Karen Phelps, Sue Russell, Virginia Wright RESEARCH & MARKETING Adam Feaver, Chris Graves, Megan Hawkins Mandi King, Allan J Knowles, Lisa Moffat, Colin Morais, Catherine Norton, Chris Pearce, Alasdair Thomson sales@waterfordpress.co.nz PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT General Manager Luke Lynch luke@waterfordpress.co.nz Graphic Artists Connor Gosnell, Anton Gray, Francesca Hildawa, Sophie McCleary, Liki Udam art@waterfordpress.co.nz CONTENT COORDINATORS Ann-Marie Frentz, Andrea Benns OFFICE AND ACCOUNTS Helen Bourne accounts@waterfordpress.co.nz Jill Holland reception@waterfordpress.co.nz Lyn Barlow lyn@waterfordpress.co.nz
| 3 AQUACULTURE » Waimana Marine Hands-on mussel farming business Simon Pooley has two boats and a team of 12 taking care of Waimana Marine’s mussels alongside all the other mussel farms they contract out to. Virginia Wright The name for the company Simon Pooley runs out of Elaine Bay in Pelorus Sound is Waimana Marine, named after one of his grandfather’s boats. The Pooley family have been continuously operating out of Elaine Bay since the early 80’s when Simon Pooley’s father Rob arrived from North Canterbury to start a small hands-on mussel farming business. Simon was four, his younger brother Jeremy was two. 40 years later as a result of some serious succession planning the family have a presence in both places. Jeremy has taken over the family crayfish quota that Rob left behind when he came north, and Simon has taken over the mussel farming business. “I looked after Dad’s business for 15 years as a crop farming business, farming mussels and selling the crop. Since I’ve taken over the business we’ve diversified and now we’re more like a third servicing, a third contract harvesting and a third spat production. We’re harvesting about 4000 tons a year which includes our own crop,” says Simon. With an average cycle time of 21 months there is a routine to Waimana Marine’s activities, although not an annual or seasonal routine as it might be for those farming the land. As the mussels ‘come fat’ they’re harvested, along with the crop or culture ropes they grow on, leaving the anchor and backbone ropes that provide the structure for the continuous loops of growing mussels, in place. The culture rope is then brought in as soon as possible to be serviced and replaced ready for the next crop of spat which will become plump, juicy mussels in their turn, ready for eating and export 21 months later. “The crop rope comes aboard as the mussels come aboard. The mussels go one way and the rope goes the other way as we harvest. Then the mussels go off to the factory and the crop rope goes off to the yard where it gets reconditioned, then redeployed when we re-seed,” says Simon. It’s a deceptively simple explanation for the process back at the yard that requires some serious machinery to handle the 2000 or so metres of heavy, dirty, ‘fluffy Christmas tree rope’ as it comes out of its 1.6 metre-high bag to go over a wheel for stripping and reconditioning, before it can be reseeded. Back on the boat another ingenious piece of machinery means the rope goes back into the water complete with spat, held temporarily in place by biodegradable cotton. The rope is deployed through a PVC tube lined with the cotton stocking and comes out looking like a sausage with the emerging rope now covered in the spat which is covered in the cotton stocking, which holds it in place. ‘Obviously the mussels can’t hold on to the rope by themselves but they re-attach over the first couple of days and the cotton dissolves at the same time,” says Simon. From the other side of the boat at harvest time, the bags now holding up to a ton of mussels, are delivered to the wharf in loads calculated to fill a truck and trailer: a minimum load of 24 tons, and preferably a load of 48 tons making two full loads of mussels ready for processing whether for the food industry or nutraceutical sector. It’s the same work that the Pooley family have been doing since Rob Pooley first began, but now instead of a staff of six, with one boat growing, servicing and harvesting their own crop of around 2000 tons of mussels, they have two boats and a team of 12 taking care of Waimana Marine’s mussels alongside all the other mussel farms they contract out to. To further complicate, or perhaps simplify, things depending on your point of view, Waimana Marine’s crop now belongs to a third party who came along just as the succession planning was getting underway. As Simon says, everything looks the same from the outside, but in reality: Rob Pooley remains the landlord, leasing the water space to Waimana Marine with the long term passive income that generates; while Simon farms the Waimana Marine mussels for a third party, alongside all the contracting he does for others, and including his own mussel lines growing around 500 tons of crop in amongst it all. From Simon’s point of view it’s a win-win for all concerned and he encourages everyone to get creative and take their time with succession planning. “It can be very challenging and very complex with lots of boxes to tick, including the legacy box, which is why you might not want to cash it all up to split it,” he says. It took four years for the Pooley family to work their way through the various ramifications to get to where they are now: with an agreement where there is something in it for everyone, including the potential for future generations to get involved if that’s what they want to do. 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4 | Mussels from the Sue Russell A family owned and operated business harvesting sustainably grown greenshell mussels from farms around Forsyth Island on the outer of the Marlborough Sounds, has pioneered a way to preserve all the unique taste and goodness of this gift from nature. In 2003, Chris and Trish Redwood, along with Trish’s siblings Jo and Sandy O’Connell established Omega Seafood and P.H.R. Processing Ltd, named after Chris’s father Pembroke Henry Redwood, who decades before, saw the potential to commercially farm and process mussels. Today, from those humble beginnings, Omega Seafood has grown into a second generation business producing 500gm and 1kg vacuum-sealed gourmet cooked mussels and littleneck clams for export all over the world. The factory, located in Blenheim, operates 10 months a year, with a shut-down in July and August when there are no mussels available for harvest, however sufficient stocks are stored to ensure orders can be processed all year. Lizzie Redwood is Omega Seafood’s Sales and Marketing Manager, overseeing both domestic and export sales. She is involved in the customer management side, making sure the process from order to production to them getting their product is seamless. “We export in 20ft and 40ft container lots and require a four to six month lead time to fulfil orders. Exporting is our main activity with 80% of orders shipped overseas,” says Lizzie. Domestic consumers can also purchase packets of mussels and clams through an on-line shop, accessed from Omega Seafood’s website. Harvesting of mussels is contracted out to Clear Water Mussels. Stringent consenting regulations over-ride establishment of mussel farms in the Sounds. Mussels processed are sourced from farms owned by the Redwood family as well as farms established by others in the industry. Mussels are quite fussy. They don’t thrive growing in heavy tide waters and Lizzie says that for nearly the last 20 years her parents and other AQUACULTURE » Omega Seafoods investors have been looking at submerged mussel farms, farmed under the water with huge anchors to maintain stability. The mussels are graded in Havelock before arriving at the factory, where they are scrubbed, partially debearded and then placed in USFDA approved non-BPA plastic pouches. These are then vacuum sealed and delivered to a large pressure cooker, where all the natural juices and nutrients are preserved. The vacuuming process eliminates any O² from being trapped inside. “It’s almost like a canning process and chefs love them because they eliminate cooking time, are easy and safe to handle and can be stored frozen or chilled, in the case of mussels and chilled for the clams, for extensive periods of time. All the storage information is supplied on the pack.” Lizzie’s brother Patrick also works for the business. His roles include overseeing the numerous compliances and audits undertaken by MPI and required by export customers. Omega Seafood also contracts its own food safety experts who assess all aspects of processing. Markets such as throughout Asia and the USA have proven particularly strong and newer markets such as Mexico, Canada and the Middle East are growing. Clams are sold predominantly to the local market, however Omega Seafood has long sold the product into Dubai. Lizzie’s job involves extensive amounts of travel, taking the message to market, of the unique qualities and benefits of using their mussel and clam offerings. Parents Chris and Trish have also used the business to create meaningful ways to contribute to the community through sponsorship and enabling events and programmes to take place. A good example of their generosity was funding their own factory staff to engage in numeracy and literacy courses to increase their confidence and ability to advance in the company. The company also supports the equestrian community and Seddon School. “The programme for our staff was a wonderful success and very empowering for our employees whom we value very much.” “Exporting is our main activity with 80% of orders shipped overseas.” Omega Seafoods produces 500gm and 1kg vacuum sealed gourmet cooked mussels. Trish and Chris Redwood in 2004 when they launched Omega Seafood. 45 Queen Street, Blenheim Tel: 03 578 3386 Email: support@tva.co.nz | www.tva.co.nz
| 5 AQUACULTURE » Omega Seafoods Sounds enjoyed around the globe A family affair. Back row – Vincent Redwood, Genevieve Redwood, Innes Redwood Front – Matthew Crockett, Penelope Crockett (baby), Zoe Crockett, Trish Redwood, Chris Redwood, Lizzie Redwood and Patrick Redwood.
6 | HORTICULTURE » Kotare Hops New hop varieties The hop gardens in Tapawera cover 28 hectares. Kim Newth Having the opportunity to plant promising new hop varieties from NZ Hops has been a real honour for the family behind Kotare Hops, one of Tasman’s relative newcomers to the sector. One of these varieties could end up being the next rock star hop, just like NZ Hops’ Nectaron® that was released to great acclaim in 2021. Noel and Debbie Moleta, who founded Kotare Hops, first started planting hops on their Tapawera farm in 2016. Last year, Kotare Hops took out NZ Hops’ Grower of the Year award. It has been an incredible trajectory for the farm couple and their family, who are excited to be trialling and growing new hop varieties this season through NZ Hops’ Bract Brewing Programme. Many years of research go into each new variety. “We are growing 12 varieties and two of them are brand new,” says Noel. “They don’t even have a name yet. NZ Hops, the cooperative that we’re part of, is very focussed on developing new varieties to stay ahead of the market. We’re growing one hectare of NZH-102, and have got 1200 NZH-101 plants, being the first time in the field for this particular variety. We’ll get more next year if they go well. We’re feeling very lucky to have got them first.” Sheep and beef farming runs deep in Noel’s family history. His father, Vince, first bought ‘Waitui’ at Titirangi Bay in the outer Marlborough Sounds in the 1970s. Noel has farmed stock on Waitui’s rolling hills for decades. His Italian grandfather first started farming sheep, on D’Urville Island, more than 125 years ago. When he and Debbie purchased their Tapawera farm in 2015, in the heart of Tasman’s hop growing country, their plan was to use it as a finishing block. Even though it’s an almost four-hour drive from Waitui, they liked the idea of having land somewhere that was a little less isolated. After seeing a local hop farm on the market with an asking price of $10 million, the couple were quickly convinced that growing hops offered an attractive way to diversity their sheep and beef business. Adding to the appeal was having knowledgeable neighbours and a strong master growers’ co-operative (NZ Hops) that welcomed them on board. Noel and Debbie credit a lot of Kotare Hops’ success to their family. Son Aeron runs the hop garden and lives on the farm with his partner Meli and their two young children. His brother Braden, an aircraft engineer by trade, is based at Waitui but helps keep the hop picker and other equipment running smoothly; he and partner Nicole, who have a young family too, lend a hand for harvest. Noel and Debbie’s daughter Laura manages livestock on the property and she and partner Shawn both pitch in at harvest time. Shawn, a fencer by trade, helped establish the hop gardens that today cover 28 hectares. They live on a neighbouring 11-hectare block. Noel and Debbie’s other son Nick plans to move down from Auckland soon. “Debbie and I have bought land on the other side of the farm so we’re all joined up!” Kotare Hops hit the ground running from the start with a brand new, reliable hop picking machine and other equipment made in Germany by a highly reputable company called Wolf, whose technicians also installed the gear and taught Aeron and Braden (who both speak German) how it all worked. Kotare also has a state of the art shed set up, with drying kiln. Noel says growing hops is considerably more profitable than farming sheep in their part of the Tasman District, provided the right equipment and people are in place, including a reliable harvest team. 24 Hu am Street Motueka Ph: (03) 528 0040 www.cwsnz.co.nz SUPPLIERS OF HORTICULTURAL IRRIGATION NELSON TASMAN CompleteWaterSolutions 0800 541 8512 www.hogarths.co.nz office@hogarths.co.nz For all your Fertiliser, Lime & Seed Requirements Supporting Kotare Hops to grow our region 022 1696 558 | kahurangispreading@gmail.com Proudly supporting Kotare Hops PROUD TO BE PROVIDING WORRY-FREE FREIGHT AND SHIPPING SERVICES TO KOTARE HOPS Request a quote using our online form Or Call Grant on (028) 410 8202 nzfreightingsolutionsgclimited.co.nz
| 7 HORTICULTURE » Kotare Hops Kotare Hops’ Noel and Debbie Moleta, first started planting hops on their Tapawera farm in 2016. Last year, Kotare Hops took out NZ Hops’ Grower of the Year award. show exciting potential for grower DCT .co.nz Healthy Soils = Healthy Plants Horticulture Viticulture Agriculture DCT for 0800 4 328 328 info@dct.co.nz Growing Organic Conventional, Biological or Regenerative Designed & Made in New Zealand Since 2004 NZ farmers and growers have been using our range of innovative products that feed the plant, condition the soil and improve yields, products proven in the lab as well as on New Zealand's plants and soils. 4833
8 | RURAL PEOPLE » Kaiora Downs: Jane and Mark Schwass Wool yoga mats add value to fibre Jane Schwass on the woollen yoga mat (top). Jane and husband Mark run Kaiora Downs, a sheep, beef and dairy grazing operation near Culverden (left). The 100% wool Kaiora Downs yoga mats are 18mm thick and weigh 1.4kg (right). Sue Russell It’s most often the sign of a successful farming business that an eye toward creating new opportunities and adding value to the existing enterprise is something not far from the owners’ minds. Such is the case with Jane and Mark Schwass, owners of Kaiora Down Farm near Culverden, North Canterbury. The couple purchased the 956-hectare in the Hurunui foothills in 2000, growing it with the purchase of the next door farm and today, have a farming business that extends over 1,350-hectare. Sheep and beef cattle breeding and dairy grazing are the main income bearing activities the land is put to use for, however, with a view to find a solution to a sad problem facing many sheep farmers, that of very poor wool-clip prices, the couple have created a whole new business, within a business ‘Kaiora Downs Mats’. “It really was borne out of a very sad situation in terms of what we were receiving for our wool and we felt we had to do something to improve this, so we started to think about uses for the wool and decided to investigate creating pure-wool, felted mats suitable for practicing yoga on,” says Jane. And, as if it was meant to be, son, Jono knew of someone in Christchurch who was a skilled felter and the connection was made. Proud to support Kaiora Downs Amuri Transport (1989) Ltd Livestock • Bulk Grain • Shingle • Coal • Fertiliser • Daily Freight Service 56 St Leonards Rd,Culverden Ph: 03 315 3033 – E: admin@amuritransport.co.nz Livestock - stock@amuritransport.co.nz Fertiliser - fert@amuritransport.co.nz Freight - freight@amuritransport.co.nz Kaiora Downs.
| 9 RURAL PEOPLE » Kaiora Downs: Jane and Mark Schwass Once the wool has been shorn it is sent for scouring to Timaru. Once this has happened, it is sent to Christchurch to be dyed and felted before being cut into mat size portions. Back on the farm the felted mats are edged and backed with natural latex to prevent slipping. Growth in synthetics has really struck a knife through the value of cross-bred wools, something many enterprising people, such as Mark and Jane, are beginning to do something about. “Especially for the thicker micron wool our ewes produce, they were on the brink of becoming just a waste product. When you think of how beautiful wool is, and the integrity of care for our sheep and the wonderful environment they live, that’s a very sad situation,” Mark adds. Wool mats produced overseas are very expensive and the couple both felt Kiwis would jump at the chance to own a beautifully felted mat grown by kiwi sheep. Especially finding a person here in New Zealand, close to the farm, who could dye and felt the wool, made the business model very viable. “There’s just a great feeling attached to producing a local product and transforming it locally into something people can cherish and enjoy.” Each mat is 100% pure wool, plain and simple, with the exception of the latex backing. At 18mm thick and weighting 1.4 kg they’ve been designed to provide those practising yoga or pilates with just the right level of cushioning. And with the natural lanolin of the wool, the mats come into their own mitigating moisture and odour. Best of all, once the exercise mats have ended their life for that purpose, they are ready for upcycling into pet beds or for weed matting. Once finally at the end of their days, the mat naturally biodegrades and is fit for composting. “We always had this idea of the product being cyclical, moving from one useful purpose to another before composting back into the earth.” To view the mats offered a visit to the on-line shop at kaioradownsmats.co.nz is a good starting place. We will hold a ram sale onWednesday 11th January in the Haka Valley. Feel free to call Steve or Russell anytime.
10 | Built up over four generations Booker, Fergus, Lacey, Jack (cousin), Oscar, Stephen and Kim. Virginia Wright RURAL PEOPLE » Stephen Todd Running three dairy farms in the Tutaki Valley in Murchison keeps Stephen Todd busy, as does family life with his partner, soon to be wife, Kim, and their five children. Operations Manager for all three, Stephen owns Tutaki Farm and is part owner of the two family farms run under the umbrella of Toddagri, built up over four generations, and co-owned by his parents John and Debbie. Kim is actively involved in the farm, and his father John is still actively involved, alongside the 10 staff working across the farms. The combined land area of the three farms is around 2500 hectares, 1500 effective, with 550 hectares of the remainder in pine trees and the rest left in native bush. They run an 1850 strong XBreed herd with a few Jerseys and Fresians among them, producing a whole farm average of roughly 600,000 kgs milk solids, with each of the three contributing farms offering quite different numbers. “Two of the farms are quite extensive with decent walks on them, so some of the herds are once-aday and some twice-a-day,” explains Stephen. Tutaki Farm runs 10 kilometres along the valley floor, so has two herds, each on a different regime. To protect the herd with the heifers and older cows from having to walk in the heat of the day, and because they have further to go, they’re milked once a day. For the last three seasons the other 600 strong herd are milked twice-a-day through the peak production period from calving until mating, then go to three and two up until Christmas, before joining the other herd in once-a-day as summer dry kicks in. ‘We want to capture peak production with the grass growth in spring, and it’s made a big difference to our production, we’re hitting our targets now,” says Stephen. The 430 cows on one of the Toddagri farms have been once-a-day for eight seasons, but this year they’ve gone 10 in seven, milking twice-a-day on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the change in regime being for the same reason as on Tutaki: making the most of the peak production time without over-taxing the cows. “Production’s up for the year and the cows are looking good. We’ll probably go to once-a-day after Christmas,” says Stephen. On the other easier and flatter farm, the herd reward twice-a-day milking in peak production time, but as both the pasture and the cows start to go dry they too will step down in two stages to once-a-day. It’s a flexible approach that’s working, and for once the weather is co-operating. “Everything’s growing pretty well, we’ve been lucky with the rains, they’ve Proud to support Stephen Todd. Rural Service Centre • Dairy Chem & Shed Supplies • Dairy Cow & Calf Feed • Molasses • Pasture & Crop Seed • Fodder Beet Seed & Chem • Ag Chem • Magnesium & Minerals Call us for all your farming supplies & free delivery. Glen Atkin - 027 589 5558 | Mike Havill - 021 527 079 Mark Jackson - 027 589 559 | Kirsty Wilkonson - 027 589 1429 Nicole King - 027 589 5551 | Caitlin Hudson - 027 589 5540 Tasman/Marlborough/ Steve Bethell - 027 589 5522 Whataroa - 03 753 4022 | Ikamatu - 03 732 3042 Karamea - 03 782 6652 come just when they’re needed” says Stephen. Luck doesn’t come into it with the work he and others are doing for Federated Farmers though, as they do their bit for the broader industry. Having joined a few years ago Stephen soon became Regional Dairy Chair for a couple of seasons before stepping up to be the new Nelson President of Federated Farmers. “Once you get involved you find out how much work they’re really doing behind the scenes, it’s pretty phenomenal especially with all the new regulations,” says Stephen. “It’s such important representation for farmers in general, because without them, frankly, we’d have a heap of rules that we can’t farm with.” Stephen wants to see people putting in submissions about the emissions scheme currently under discussion, and any local Federated Farmers branch will give them the information to help them do it or they can find it online. Failing that he’d like to see everyone joining even if they never make a meeting. “It’s as important as it’s ever been to get Federated Farmers strong, and the work gets done whether they’re at a meeting or not, but we can’t do the work without the funds,” says Stephen. “It’s as important as it’s ever been to get Federated Farmers strong.”
Staying on top of things From a small start-up tech company with an exciting idea, Christchurch’s QuipCheck has evolved as the leading supplier of asset compliance and maintenance software, with customers throughout New Zealand and Australia. In six years, QuipCheck has established a reputation for simplifying pre-start machinery compliance checks, maintenance identi cation and scheduled servicing, using a digital platform that makes the process streamlined and reliable. Founded by directors Paul Rugg, Stephen Weir and Matthew Harker, QuipCheck’s customers include leading contractors working in agriculture, horticultural and viticulture, as well as large construction companies. “All companies using machinery as part of the business will have some level of vehicle compliance, and many use paper-based systems,” says Paul. “We wanted to make it easier for the operator on the ground to complete their pre-start vehicle compliance and then easier for the in-house machinery supervisor and mechanic back on site to get that data. Pre-start check data is entered straight into the user’s phone or tablet and that data is uploaded to the company’s own database so that the vehicle’s history can be accessed by the of ce. The beauty of the app is that any faults identi ed during the pre-start check can go straight to the workshop or supervisor and for any maintenance required scheduled.” Engine hours or kilometres travelled also migrate through to the maintenance platform. As agricultural contractors enter the busy summer months, harvesters and tractors might operate 12 – 16 hours a day, and the 250-hour service schedule rolls around very quickly. For companies operating 100 tractors, keeping track of that service schedule can be a challenge. QuipCheck’s traf c light system provides in-house mechanics with global visibility so that the maintenance schedule is maintained, minimising unplanned downtime. While customers can choose to buy an off-the-shelf version of the QuipCheck app, the team at QuipCheck offers a bespoke, fully personalised system to meet the customer’s speci c needs. “Even within the ag sector, people operate differently with different needs and machinery,” says Paul. “While it comes down to best practice, most diligent operators will do a daily check of a machine before operating it. Some of our ag customers even do a pre-and post-harvest check. The app has the exibility to cater for different check frequencies and it really comes down to what the customer requires. We just build it to meet their needs. We can also make changes to the software very quickly if the company’s business changes, as happened during Covid and the checks that were required during that period.” Throughout QuipCheck’s journey, the development team has continued to evolve the app’s features, bene ts and modules, and that has all been customer driven. “The people using the system come up with the best ideas to make the system even better. We’ve now included a training module. It’s important for companies to know that their team members are competent operators of vehicles and equipment. We’ve added a full training module into the app where a trainer can go through the training form in the app with the operator, signing off that they’re competent to operate a machine, which the manager can see in the matrix in the web portal.”
12 | Top award comes Ange Davidson ARABLE » Marr farms Hamish Marr with the 2022 New Zealand Small Seed Grower of the Year award at the Arable Awards. Winner of the 2022 New Zealand Small Seed Grower of the Year, Hamish Marr, is humbled to be taking home the top award for his cocksfoot and red clover seed. “It’s a real honour and a privilege to have been singled out by my peers and by the industry. I enjoy working closely with the people involved in the small seed industry and I feel the award is a recognition of this involvement and on-farm achievements,” says Hamish. The Marr’s family farm, Longfield, sits 450 metres above sea level on river terraces between the Rakaia Gorge and Methven in mid-Canterbury. The 500-hectare dryland farm is run by Hamish, his brother Stuart and his father Graham. Hamish manages the arable cropping and Stuart looks after the livestock. Graham is still active on the farm and does the hard yards in the office. The Marr’s all live on farm with their respective families in three separate dwellings. Hamish and his wife Melanie share their home with three daughters, Abbey, Sophie and Annabel, who are the sixth generation on the farm. Wind is a constant so close to Rakaia Gorge and limits what small seed can be grown at Marr Farm. Besides cocksfoot and red clover (both Reaper and Relish varieties), the farm produces wheat, barley, oats, peas, radish and pak choy seed. The property is managed in two distinct rotations in separation, one being based around cocksfoot seed production, the other a pasture phase, both being the same in length with standard arable crops following. Both cocksfoot and pasture are normally in the ground for five years saving both establishment costs and herbicide use. While weed control is vital for a viable small seed enterprise, Hamish is adamant that nothing can be looked at in isolation, and that if you get the basics right in your farming system, everything else will fall into place. • to page 14 “It might seem really simple but getting the right mix of crop and stock, planting the right crop at the right time, using weed and disease control when needed, not overstocking, and harvesting at the right time are essential for a successful farming system,” says Hamish. “Going out into the paddock to look at your crop rather than looking from the farm gate is what I call doing the basics right. It’s also being mindful of why you are doing something and always questioning. We do a lot of our own on farm trials and constantly try and apply the results. There are people out there who just do what they’ve always done without asking why.” Hamish travelled overseas in 2019 on a Nuffield Scholarship to look at glyphosate regulation and how New Zealand farmers could operate should the agrichemical be banned. His focus broadened while overseas to study whole farming systems rather than glyphosate in isolation. He found that most of the northern hemisphere cropping farms fell short on diversity with only two or three different crops in a system which increased reliance on herbicides and insecticides. “A mixed cropping farm in New Zealand has six or seven things plus livestock which has a measure of sustainability about it. You have to diversify. It’s something we don’t even have to think about over here, it’s in our DNA, our ancestors were sheep farmers,” he laughs. New Zealand is globally renowned for its herbage seed production and is one of the top three producers along with Denmark and Oregon. Should glyphosate be banned, New Zealand would no longer be competitive. “The world markets trade in purity and those markets would disappear. We would have to completely change what we do with our farming operation,” he believes. Hamish’s research emphasises the importance of “It might seem really simple but getting the right mix of crop and stock, planting the right crop at the right time, using weed and disease control when needed, not overstocking, and harvesting at the right time are essential for a successful farming system.” @BarenbrugNZ facebook.com/BarenbrugNZ barenbrug.co.nz - Bulk Grain, Silo & Cool Storage- Firewood & Shingle Supplies - Agricultural Spraying- Lime & Super Spreading - Precision Nitrogen Sowing - Swing-Lifting - Log, Hay & Straw, Grain, Stock & Container Cartage - l i , il l - i i l li - Agri l l i - i i - i i i i - i - i i - , , i , i PROUD TO SUPPORT MARR FARMS PO Box 28, Line Road, Methven , i , • Ph: 03 302 8616 : E: philipwareingltd@xtra.co.nz : ili i l . . •• www.philipwareing.co.nz . ili i . . www.jacksonholmes.co.nz Office 03 303 0872 · Cultivation & Drilling · Forage Harvesting · Baling and Wrapping · Slurry & Muck Spreading · Manure & Compost Supply · Supplementary Feed · Mowing & Cartage Syngenta is proud to support Marr Farms and congratulates Hamish on winning ‘Grower of the Year - Small Seed’ at the NZ Arable Awards. ® Registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company
| 13 down to ‘doing the basics right’ The Marr’s family farm, Longfield, sits 450 metres above sea level on river terraces between the Rakaia Gorge and Methven in mid-Canterbury. Besides cocksfoot and red clover, the farm produces wheat, barley, oats, peas, radish and pak choy seed. ARABLE » Marr farms We’re with you in the field cropscience.bayer.co.nz BAC 2668 Unlock the value in your crop with the dual DMI’s of Prosaro. With the power of dual DMI fungicides Prosaro® is the perfect partner for SDHI and strobilurin fungicides, which together can provide a significant return on investment at harvest. • Use Prosaro for powerful broad spectrum disease control for wheat, barley and ryegrass seed crops • Prosaro hits disease hard with two DMI fungicides, prothioconazole and tebuconazole • Use in combination with VIMOY® iblon® to safeguard your yields and deliver higher returns • Prosaro is trusted by NZ farmers to provide consistent disease control Insist on Prosaro from Bayer. Prosaro and VIMOY iblon are registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997, Nos P7662 and P9617 respectively and are approved pursuant to the HSNO Act 1996, Nos. HSR007871 and HSR101374 respectively. Prosaro®, VIMOY® and iblon® are registered trademarks of the Bayer Group. © Bayer Crop Science 2022.
14 | Award-winning grower Hamish Marr says New Zealand is globally renowned for its herbage seed production and is one of the top three producers along with Denmark and Oregon. He believes New Zealand would no longer be competitive if glyphosate is banned. ARABLE » Marr Farms Agrichemicals critical for agriculture respecting glyphosate as a tool and of understanding farming systems. New Zealand’s current inputs of glyphosate are relatively low and are confined to 6% of the country. He believes farmers can do without glyphosate in isolation because there are farmers doing so but at an industry and global level, the loss of this tool would mean a loss of yield, an increase in alternative agrichemicals which may be more harmful to the environment, and greater costs to the farmers which will result in higher food prices. “We just need to be mindful as farmers that we are doing the right thing. You have to consider all the tools at your disposal to make good decisions. Farming by a ‘recipe’ reduces the ability of your farming system to be agile, especially in light of climate change,” he concludes. “Agrichemicals used in the right place at the right time are critical for agriculture, and if we abuse this privilege, we stand to lose it. This is true not just for New Zealand but globally. • from page 12 “Agrichemicals used in the right place at the right time are critical for agriculture, and if we abuse this privilege, we stand to lose it.” Get on the front foot with your ryegrass control programme. Powerful pre-emergence grass weed control in wheat (not durum wheat) that protects yield potential. • For use in wheat (not durum wheat) and triticale • Controls a range of grass weeds including annual and perennial ryegrass • Sakura followed by Othello® OD provides effective season-long control of grass weeds* and can delay the development of grass weed herbicide resistance Insist on Sakura from Bayer. *Othello OD contains Group B herbicides to which some populations of grass weeds have developed resistance. Sakura and Othello OD are registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997 Nos. P9449 and P8168 respectively and are approved pursuant to the HSNO Act 1996, Nos. HSR101273 and HSR100005 respectively. Sakura® is a registered trademark of Kumiai Chemical Industry Co. Ltd. Sakura is a Pyroxasulfone product. Othello® is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group. © Bayer Crop Science 2022. We’re with you in the field cropscience.bayer.co.nz BAC 2623
| 15 ARABLE » Birkett Farming Arable industry ‘under recognised’ Richard Loader The 2022 New Zealand Arable awards held at the newly built Te Pae Christchurch convention Centre, provided an opportunity to celebrate the innovators and heroes of New Zealand’s arable industry, and showcase the sector as a key contributor to the wider agricultural community. One of those innovators was Mid-Canterbury farmer, David Birkett, who was honoured as ‘Arable Farmer of the Year’. “You try and farm well, and I do a fair bit for the industry as well, but I felt humbled to be nominated, let alone to have won,” says David. “The other two finalists in the category were exceptional as well. When you see the other finalists, you understand how important the sector is. My wife, Justine, joined me on the night, supporting me, once again. Justine’s a very important part of the business, and it was really special to have her there.” David believes his success came down to two main reasons, the first being that he and Justine farm in a slightly different way. “We farm as sustainably as we can, using the five key principles of re-gen ag, while integrating those principles into our standard system using ag chem fertilisers etcetera. “The second reason reflected some of the work that I’ve done across the industry over the years. I was chair of Foundation of Arable Research for seven years, Federated Farmers Vice Chair for seeds in the arable section, and inaugural chair for the Seed Industry Research Centre. At a local level we have a twenty year old catchment group that I helped set up, and I’m involved in the local re-gen ag group.” Since winning the award, David has been kept busy fitting interviews and articles into his day job, reflecting an increased interest in what arable farmers do. “That was what the awards were for, getting the arable industry out there a bit more. You know; what do we do, what seeds do we produce for different Mid-Canterbury farmer David Birkett, who farms as sustainably as he can, has been honoured as ‘Arable Farmer of the Year’. areas and our role in domestic agriculture? I’m passionate about the land from an environmental point of view, but also the arable industry. I think it’s under recognised, but has some incredible people in it. I just want to help it as much as I can.” David and Justine farm 200 hectares of fully irrigated land on the Canterbury Plains near the township of Leeston, between the Rakaia and Wamakarairi Rivers. Over the years the Birkett’s focus has shifted from being commodity farmers growing standard crops like peas, wheat and barley to a much more diverse range of crops including herbage, rye grasses and clovers and vegetable seeds. Much of their market is overseas based with multiplications of grass, clover, radish, seeds going back to the Northern Hemisphere. Grasses and clovers also go into the domestic market for the pastoral industry and wheat is grown for the beer brewing industry. Peas and beans are grown under contract for Wattie’s, as well as grown for seed. Reflecting on the importance of the sector to New Zealand Inc. David says when you look at the food on your plate, it probably started its journey on an arable farm at some point. “When you follow the lifecycle back you end up starting on an arable farm. We’re a pretty integrated agricultural industry and without each other none off it would work.” P SRS 03 302 8115 email: nzoffice@spsnz.co.nz Proud to be working with Birkett Family Farms SOUTH PACIFIC SEEDS (NZ) LTD Specialists in Hybrid Vegetable Seed Production Outstanding success removing weeds, seeds such as dock, field madder, and fathen • Concrete • Fertiliser Spreading - Farm Mapping - GPS Tracking - Variable Rate Spreading • Livestock Cartage • Grain Cartage • Shingle Supplies • Daily Freight Leeston: 03 3248 070 Dunsandel: 03 3254 039 reception@ellesmere.co.nz
16 | Some of the best soils in Mid Canterbury Harvest time at Rangitata. Sue Russell Eric Watson has always been keen on growing crops, recognising that his skills and interests didn’t lie in tending stock, so when the opportunity to buy a cropping farm on some of the best soils in Mid Canterbury he sold the family mixed sheep and crop farm at Ealing in 1992 and moved to Wakanui, east of Ashburton. Extending over 490ha of flat cropping country, noted for its heavy soils that promote plant growth through retention of moisture, Eric has grown a wide range of crops, mainly for seed production. Helping Eric and Maxine on the farm is a young man who trained for a very different career, which has all but evaporated due to Covid-19. He is a great asset, very obliging and will turn his hand to almost anything – he’s great at repairing machinery too. Primarily the land produces, in equal measure, crops of wheat, assorted grass crops such as ryegrass, cocksfoot and Timothy for seed, alternative pasture species like chicory, plantain and red clover, and vegetable seed crops spinach and radish along with hybrid canola. “It really depends on the prices overseas. Everything we grow, apart from wheat is grown under contract. We’re very much part of the global seed producers’ network,” Eric says. The main tractor is a Case Quadtrac with autosteer to 2.5cm accuracy. We have our own base station for GPS correction. The sprayer is an Agrifac Enduro with 48m boom and 8000litre tank, which has auto-steer and automatic shut-down to 1.5m. It is also used for spreading liquid nitrogen, applied through Yarra’ s Chafer streambars, giving great accuracy, and evenness of spread even in windier conditions. Liquid nitrogen mix is supplied by Malloys Agriculture and the header is a Case 9250, ARABLE » Rangitata Holdings again with auto-steer. Asked how any weather-pattern changes have impacted on the cycle of activity on the land Eric says rain seems to be coming in heavier/shorter dollops. “We actually had an awful harvest last year and then, just like that, it got very dry from late February through to the beginning of June and then it got extremely wet through winter and now we’re back to dry again. Our soils mostly have very good water-holding capacity and we can grow crops where other areas might struggle - for instance, the vegetable seed crops we produce could not be grown without irrigation.” Fertiliser application is governed by individual crop requirements, knowing a certain amount of nitrogen per tonne of grain yield, and similarly for grass seed. Every August deep-soil nitrogen testing takes place to assess the available nitrogen in the soil, which is analysed by Hill Laboratories. To assess just what plants are lacking in terms of nutrients, samples are taken every two weeks or so and sent to Hill Laboratory for analysis. “We get really comprehensive information from Hill’s. Depending on the results we may add trace elements, such as boron, manganese and zinc. For the last 12 years we’ve been variable rate spreading magnesium, phosphorous, potash and lime which targets quantities to specific soil analysis. This is done by Jackson Spreading and has done much to even up soil fertility across a paddock.” • to page 18 Visit our website at: www.sgs.com : Business Manager Kathryn Greenslade 027 278 0105 Central / Lower South Island: Fay Trezise 027 706 4447 Upper South Island: Sue Young 027 541 4475 r SGS is p oud to be associated with: Rangitata Holdings SGS o ers a wide range of services to producers, manufacturers, importers and exporters • MPI Independent Veri cation agency • Statutory services for plant export certification • Field surveys for pests & disease • Horticulture industry quality management • GlobalGAP compliance certification • GRASP compliance audits • NZ GAP Compliance certification • COSTCO Compliance certification • BRC Compliance certification • Food safety auditing & compliance • Certification of quality - export/import • Certification of quantity, weight & packaging Proud to support Rangitata Holdings Office: 03 302 8098 Book online: www.molloyag.co.nz David Molloy: 0274 362 441 Henry Ross: 0275 652 661 David Mangin: 0274 802 216 Gregor Robertson: 0274 362 438 Gary McCann: 0274 362 442 Colin Woosley: 0274 362 448 Aaron McQueen: 0274 532 413 Professionals in Our Fields Since 1985 Ashburton 233 Alford Forest Road 03 307 7153 Simon Jackson 027 512 7205 Nigel Douglas 027 263 9185 Tom Wells 027 706 4147 Proudly Supporting Rangitata Holdings
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