coast & country news may 2014

Building a future in dairying

Bay of Plenty & Waikato Farm, Orchard & Rural Lifestyle

May 2014 Issue No.165

Cameron Luxtons decision to leave a career in building to take up dairy farming has paid off. Not only does he love the lifestyle, hes also won the Bay of Plenty 2014 Dairy Trainee of the Year Award. Read his story on page 4. Photo by Elaine Fisher.

Page 6

Page 16-17Page 16-17

Page 61Page 61

COAST & COUNTRY

The winner of Something to Aim For by Daryl Crimp, published by Halcyon Press, is Tyrone Lawry of Te Awamutu.

Theres nothing like waiting for a teenager to come home from a night out to ruin your sleep.

Then theres the economics children are expensive from day one. Although, most parents have no regrets about the investments of love, time, energy, worry and dollars they provide their off-spring.

Increasing numbers of young professionals are turn-ing to farming and growing as a way to have more time with their children and develop a viable, profi table business.

This years Bay of Plenty and Central Plateau winners in the Dairy Industry Awards include many who have come to dairying from other careers, bringing with them a range of valuable skill-sets, but most of all, a can-do attitude and clear business plan for a successful future.

Parenthood prompted the change for some. The realisation of a better life for their children than daycares and a few precious hours with mum and dad prompted these couples to take the courageous steps of a complete career change often with little or no knowledge of dairy farming, or certainty they would enjoy it - see pages 8 and 38.

Generation Y those born between 1981 and 2001 are described as narcissistic or lacking commitment,

discipline and drive. But this technology-savvy, often well-educated generation has the skills to shape their lives in the way they wish.

If more people had this kind of drive and willingness to get out of their comfort zones, the courage to move to where the work is, and put the needs of their chil-dren fi rst, unemployment rates would fall and more children would be healthier and happier.

Could it be that Gen Y is re-discovering the values and principles of earlier generations?

What we dont want are generations of Queensland fruit fl ies settling here, because it would costs our horticultural industry millions - see page 3.

It seems although the islands of NZ drifted away from the super contentment Gondwanaland 180 million-odd years ago and avoided the evolution of mammals and poisonous insects and reptiles, humans are consciously or unconsciously reversing that trend to our nations detriment.

Its to the future that the 2014 Fieldays is looking, with the Premier Feature this year Managing Resources for a Competitive Advantage see pages 19 to 30.

Y-gen take on parenting

Parenthood is a life-changing experience usually for the better

despite the sleepless nights and not just during the baby years.

By Elaine Fisher

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COAST & COUNTRY

Releasing large numbers of an unwanted pest in order to control it might seem counterintuitive but its one strategy

used in Australia to control Queensland fruit fl ies.

In Australia, sterile males are bred and released to mate with females, which lay infertile eggs, hopefully minimising numbers of the next generation.

But New Zealands Ministry for Primary Industries deputy director-general of compliance and response Andrew Coleman says sterile males are unlikely to be used here.

The use of sterile males is reserved for situations where large populations are present, as is currently the case in Australia. We are not looking at a situ-ation like this, says Andrew, commenting on the second single male fruit fl y fi nd during three months in Whangarei.

The most recent fi nd was in April, and the MPI operation investigating it ended at Easter, after no further Queensland fruit fl ies were found.

Andrew says MPIs response to fi nding a Queens-land fruit fl y in its traps is to run a comprehensive surveillance programme to detect the presence of fruit fl ies at an early stage before any population can widely establish.

If further fl ies are found, indicative of a breeding population, MPI has a range of measures to deploy.

The fi rst activities would be putting out lure and kill bait traps, which would attract both male and female fl ies, ground spraying of insecticide to kill any pupae in the soil and spraying host trees with insecti-cide to kill any adults, says Andrew.

These sprays, applied from the ground, would be pyrethrum-based products with a similar active ingredient to household fl y sprays.

Horticulture NZ and Kiwifruit Vine health are among organisations outspoken in their calls to prevent Queensland fruit fl ies from establishing in New Zealand, saying this is vital for the future of the countrys horticultural industries, which could face losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars from market access restrictions and signifi cant extra costs

in growing fruit and vegetables. Should Queensland fruit fl y become established in Te Puke kiwifruit orchards, it could cost the industry $430 million each year, according to a February 2007 study commis-sioned by HortNZ, called Fruit fl y: Likely impact of an incursion of fruit fl y in the Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay or Nelson.

Fruition Horticulture Taurangas Ruth Underwood carried out the study but seven years on costs of a breeding population of the insect are likely to be much greater.

DismayKiwifruit Vine Health CEO Barry ONeil says the

industry is dismayed a second male Queensland fruit fl y was found in Whangarei in April, less than three months after the fi rst discovery in January.

If Queensland fruit fl y was ever established here it would have a signifi cant impact on our economy. Conservatives estimates are that it costs the Austral-ian horticultural industry $100 million a year, says Barry.

The greatest cost to the kiwifruit industry would be the restrictions many markets would place on our fruit. The industry needs confi dence the borders will keep Queensland fruit fl y out of New Zealand and that fi nds of the insect will be a rare and isolated event.

Barrys sentiments are shared by HortNZ, which states as an organisation it remains very concerned this was the third QFF detection response in 18 months.

This is not acceptable to NZ growers or NZ taxpayers. At a cost of roughly $2 million per clean-up, this is not something any of us want to be doing every six months.

HortNZ communications manager Leigh Catley says: MPI need to and we will expect them to take a good hard look at the way things are working at the border.

Queensland fruit fl y, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt), is considered a serious threat for damage caused to fruit by females and larvae. A female fruit fl y pierces maturing fruit and lays a clutch of white, banana-shaped eggs just below the skin surface.

Sterile males part of Australia fruit fly strategy

Exports of kiwifruit were unaffected by the discovery of a single fruit fl y in Whangarei

last month but had more been found, many countries would

have closed their borders to New Zealand horticultural products.

After two-three days, larvae hatch into white maggots, which tunnel into the fl esh, carrying bacteria aiding in fruit breakdown. In seven-10 days, during summer months, they leave the fruit, and pupate in soil, emerging as adults within about 10 days. The life-cycle typically takes two-and-a-half weeks during summer.

Adult fl ies gather around fruit and foliage to feed and mate. Queensland fruit fl ies can infect up to 100 varieties of fruit and vegetables, including apple, avocado, babaco, capsicum, cherry, citrus, custard apple, granadilla, grape, guava, kiwifruit, mango, nectarine, papaya, passionfruit, peach, pear, persimmon, plum, pomegranate, prune,

quince, loquat, tamarillo and tomato.Queensland fruit fl ies live in climates

ranging from temperate to tropical. Its a native of Australia, where its

considered to be one of the countrys most serious insect pests for fruit and vegetable crops.

The species is found in Queenslands eastern areas and New South Wales and the extreme east of Victoria. Queens-land fruit fl y has also dispersed into Pacifi c countries, such as New Caledonia, thanks to human activity.

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COAST & COUNTRYCOAST & COUNTRY

Dairy farming hits the mark for Cameron

Lucerne is returning to pasturelands at Galatea, and Cameron Luxton is

a fan of the plant.

Cover Story

Dairy farming didnt fi gure in Cameron Luxtons future plans, until he was

offered a job at Galatea.While I was at school I used to love spending time

on my uncles farm but was never encouraged to go farming as a career, says the 24-year-old who grew up in Papamoa Beach.

He obviously has a skill for farming, because the former builder has won the Bay of Plenty 2014 Dairy Trainee of the Year Award in a hotly-contested fi nal.

Three years ago, Cameron was nearing the end of his building apprenticeship at Papamoa when the offer to work on Andrew and Dianne Mullers Galatea farm came up.

I was spending most weekends at Galatea anyway, working for free on the friends farm and had consid-ered going to Christchurch to work on the re-build but it wasnt a hard decision to come here instead.

Fate might have had a hand in it too, as shortly after accepting the job Cameron met Susan Read at a party and discovered she was the boss daughter.

Susan was studying early childhood education; and now the couple have married shes returned home to Galatea, teaching at Murupara while Cameron is an assistant on the family farm.

The 157 hectare fl at farm, with 140ha effective land, in the Galatea valley, carries 380 kiwi-cross cows which graze on a mix of conventional pasture and lucerne.

Im a real fan of lucerne. Id like us to grow more of it. The old-timers in the valley say a lot more of the pasture here used to be lucerne but then people

went away from it for some reason.The lucerne is cut before the cows go into the

paddock, and within days of grazing its rapidly re-grown. It stayed lush green throughout this summer, says Cameron. If you look after it properly, it can last for up to 10 years.

Re-sowing pasture is something Cameron likes. Setting up the tractor and implements, plugging into his favourite odcasts and spending the last few hours of daylight in the paddock is a pleasure, not a chore. He also enjoys the cows and has a number of friendly favourites among the herd.

This is the second time Cameron has entered the dairy awards, saying the big benefi t hes received both times is the judges feedback.

They showed me, in constructive ways, areas I was doing well in and areas I needed to improve in my farming practice.

Through the support of my employers Ive moved my career forward and Im excited about going further. I want to be the best farmer I can be for my family, community and industry.

Cameron also wants to encourage other young people to consider dairy farming as a career.

The money is good when you consider the job comes with accommodation, meat, milk and the chance to grow your own vegetables. Galatea is a great place to save money, as theres nowhere to spend it round here, he laughs.

Cameron is also enjoying the rural social life, and hes joined the local rugby club.

A lot of our players are from Minginui and despite what you might hear elsewhere, theyre great people whove made me very welcome.

By Elaine Fisher

COAST & COUNTRY

Currently managing an 865-cow farm for Rere-whakaaitu Farms Ltd, one of eight farms owned by TH Enterprises, Robert is thrilled to win the title.

This experience has refreshed me and opened my eyes to the skill involved. This competition has allowed me to not only put some value on my own ability and see what Ive achieved, but also given me the drive to see what more I can do.

While Robert admits to having a few doubts during the years regarding his career-change, he now feels confi dent with both his choice and his ability.

Hard workOn my fi rst day dairy farming I slept in and missed

the start of milking, and then couldnt work out reverse on the quad bike, says Robert, who laughs about the incident.

But hard work and some excellent mentors and opportunities along the way have cemented his dairy-ing career. Today, I feel really passionate about this industry.

Leaving South Africa with visas for New Zealand, Canada and the UK, Robert arrived in Rotorua in 2001.

Robert, who was enjoying Rotorua, had never utilised his other visas, and was working in an IT shop when he met a local farmer. The pair struck up a friendship and exchanged knowledge, with Robert teaching him about computing and gaining some valuable experi-ence relief milking for him.

One day I just thought Im going to give dairying a go, says Robert, who had no prior experience.

Growing up in Durban, Robert spent weekends at his grandparents and uncles farms out of town. Between them hed enjoyed some exposure to cattle, cropping and sugar cane farming, but cows were a complete unknown.

In 2004 Robert took on his fi rst role, as a herd man-ager on a 450-cow winter milking farm for Andrew and Lois Emslie in Takapau, Hawkes Bay.

I didnt really have a clue what Id gotten myself into, says Robert, who still cringes at the thought of his fi rst day.

I was absolutely green, going from knowing pretty much nothing. Having never even come across an ATV in South Africa, Robert admits the learning curve was steep, but hes grateful for the encouragement and support he received in the role.

In my view that job gave me lots of experience and exposure Andrew was really driven, and I think a lot of the drive I have today has come from him.

In 2006 Robert returned to the Rotorua district, contract milking 300 cows in Reporoa for the late Dave Johnston and his wife Ann. Dave was a really calm, collected person and really supportive too, he infl uenced me a lot, says Robert.

After a year back in South Africa in 2007, Robert returned to a prearranged contract milking role in Rerewhakaaitu, about 30 minutes south of Rotorua. Robert spent two years on a 500-cow farm for Trevor and Harriet Hamilton, before changing farms in 2010 to manage the Hamiltons 865-cow property.

FamilyHis prior experience set him up well for challenges of

this new farm.It was great to have the opportunity to test my skills

with a larger herd, says Robert, who set himself the objectives of improving overall farm performance, employing a great team of quality staff, and continuing to meet environmental compliance.

This also had to work alongside his vision of raising healthy, happy children with his partner Ilse Pretorius. Between them they have four: Michael, 10, Alex, eight, Jayden, six, and Niysa, fi ve. With Ilse working as the farms relief milker, the couple also employ an au pair, Nicole Wieczorek, from Germany.

Roberts skill in balancing family life and manag-ing staff he has a team of four is refl ected in him scooping the Primary ITO Human Resource Manage-

ment Award. Hes also thrilled to see his 2IC Sam Travis secure the runner-up position in the Farm Trainee category.

Robert also enjoys a great relation-ship with the farm owners, with Trevor encouraging him to enter the awards and providing support every step of the way.

Further merit awards gained included the Bay of Plenty Regional Council Leadership Award, The Vet Club Best Livestock Award and the RD1 Farm Management Award. Although Robert says what he does is just industry standard, the judges were impressed.

With 80ha of the property classifi ed as steep contour, the farm is managed somewhat differently to a conventional dairy block.

Trevor and Harriet have wider com-pany policies pertinent to things such as supplementary feed and residuals, but this farm, with the hill aspect; weve had to change our strategy a bit with regard to things such as feeding out, calving and pasture control, says Robert.

The contour has led to us developing pretty comprehensive health and safety plans too.Weve also spent a great deal

of time changing fencing structures, to give us more control.

IrrigatorAn additional project included extend-

ing the effl uent irrigator. Being so close to the lake, weve put a lot of focus on getting our effl uent system right this season weve extended our spreader an additional 20ha to irrigate further away, say Trevor.

Were trying to have some foresight into managing the effl uent system effec-tively and responsibly.

After last seasons drought, Robert is thrilled to be enjoying a great season.

Weve had an exceptional season in terms of grass growth and are on target to produce in excess of 340,000 kg/ms.

Robert and Ilse are looking forward to new ones next season, with the family set to move to a new 1000-cow farm situated between Greytown and Martinborough in the Wairarapa, where theyll be contract milking. Were really looking forward to it, says Robert.

The farm has a lot of potential and I am keen to really apply myself and reap the benefi ts.

Dairy awards reignites enthusiasm for industryIts a long way from

Durban, South Africa, and a career in IT to dairy farming in

Rerewhakaaitu. A little serendipity brought about the dramatic

change in life direction for the Dairy Industry

Awards Central Plateau Farm Manager of the Year Robert Hartley.

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COAST & COUNTRY

The horses on the Saville farm will be enjoying hay made by a 60-year-old baler this winter.

The David Brown baler was bought by Katikatis Arthur Saville 43 years ago for $100 and he reckons it doesnt owe him a cent.

Its been used almost every season since then because it make bales which are ideal for feeding to horses.

All I do is take it out of the shed, give it a grease and its away, says Arthur, who says his father Fred bought the same model back in the early-1950s.

Dad was going to buy a New Holland but was told David Brown was bringing out a new model, so he waited for it to arrive. They sent the designer out from England, who showed me how to operate it and how to make any repairs. I ended up servicing others in the district, says Arthur, who was living in the Morrins-ville area at the time.

Ive still got Dads old baler, but it needs doing up.Arthur likes the David Brown baler, which he

believes may be oldest model still in use, because its well-made and simple to operate.

It can be driven by a Ferguson 35 or a David Brown 90, tractors with 35 to 45 horse power. The mecha-nism is simple and effective.

The baler is 12 foot wide when ready to operate,

but the hay shoot folds back to allow ease of access through gateways, and for storage.

In March, towed by a David Brown tractor, the baler made 80 bales of hay from two small paddocks at Tuapiro and never missed a beat.

Everything is mechanical. Its a bit like a sewing machine, you can hear when its not running right and its easy to make the adjustments needed.

Arthur is now teaching his son Graeme to operate the baler. If its looked after, it will go on for many, many more years, says Arthur.

Arthur no longer lives on the family dairy farm near Katikati, but visits most days. He and his extended family are well-known for the Christian camps they run, based around horse riding and farm life.

We have about 54 horses of our own and now the grandchildren of teenagers who came on our early camps are coming here, which we love to see.

Too many children dont get to experience farm life and dont know hay is made from grass, or that milk comes from cows, says Arthur.

If you have an old piece of farm machinery, or farm vehicle still in use, wed love to hear from you. Email a photo and information about the machinery to [email protected] with Farm machinery in the subject line, or post to Elaine Fisher, Coast & Country, PO Box 240, Tauranga 3110.

The horses on the Saville farm but the hay shoot folds back to allow ease of access

Age not an issue for baler

By Elaine Fisher

COAST & COUNTRYCOAST & COUNTRY

The 60-year-old David Brown baler,

owned by Arthur Saville, may be the oldest still in use in

the country.

COAST & COUNTRY

Lloyd Franklin turns old car springs into knives and if that sounds like some form of alchemy in a way it is.

For 27 years hes been using the ancient techniques of a blade smith, heating, cooling and ham-mering, to transform modern steel spirals, not into gold, but into razor sharp knives.

Car springs are made from modern high tech steel, which is freely available and can be heated and shaped using traditional meth-ods, says Lloyd, who makes and sells knives from his roadside work-shop at Kuaotunu near Whitianga.

Were full of clichs round here like making a silk purse from a sows ear keeping the nose to the grind stone and striking while the irons hot but they are all true of this business.

People like the fact Im recycling steel and many of my sales are prompted because of that fact.

Lloyd was a cabinet maker before he taught himself to forge knives. Teaching yourself means you dont learn anyone elses bad habit; and youre not limited by their tech-

niques either.While the steel source is modern,

almost everything else about Lloyds knife making is traditional. He burns West Coast coal in his forge, heating it until impurities are burned off and it becomes coke, so achieving temperatures suffi cient to heat the steel to a point where its malleable.

I work with the extruded grain of the steel, working in the round to draw out and build a spike, and then draw the blade out of the spike. The rounded edge of the rod forms the top and cutting edge of the knife.

While some smiths work up to white-hot steel, Lloyd doesnt need to achieve those temperatures.

As the knife gets closer to being fi nished, I work within the lower heat range but initially start at orange working down through the red and fi nishing at dull red.

He uses fi ve different hammers to shape the blades on an anvil, alternatively and repetitively put-ting corrugations in the steel and

smoothing it out, working with the grain to achieve the shape he wants.

A series of accidents not in the workshop have left Lloyd with a number of injuries, including one to his shoulder.

I was supposed to have surgery but was told if I did, Id never forge again; and if I cant make knives, how do I make a living?

So he puts up with the pain and continues to hammer out knives for chefs, for carving; for fi lleting fi sh; and for hunting.

Some have silver and pounamu (greenstone) handles. Whale bone, beef bone and deer antler are also used.

Fifty per cent of my work goes overseas. Thats one of the reasons I decided to make knives, because they are small enough to fl y around the world, says Lloyd, who not only delights tourists and locals alike with his craftsmanship, but also his ready wit.

Ill never make my fortune in this job but I fi nd myself con-tinually socially entertained by the people who visit me. They often thank me when they leave, because theyve had a good laugh, and so have I.

Cutting edge alchemy for car springs

Pictured: From an old car spring to a high quality knife the craft

of Lloyd Franklin. Photo by Brian Rogers.

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COAST & COUNTRY

With three boys under the age of fi ve, Stacey Lepper and Thomas Blackett are pretty busy but increasingly theyre

sharing both farming and parenting roles.The plan is for me to catch up to where Thomas is with his farming

qualifi cations and knowledge, so we can share more fully in both family and the farming business, says 27-year-old Stacey.

Its a formula which works. The couple, who won the NZ Dairy Indus-try 2014 Bay of Plenty Farm Manager of the Year Award, have a strong partnership focus on parenting and their farming careers but it wasnt the paths they initially planned.

Sharedroles aim

Thomas, 28, son of Rob and Mary Blackett of Te Puke, left school to com-plete an engineering degree and went to work as a design engineer for Fisher & Paykel in Dunedin.

Stacey, who also attended college in Te Puke, is the daughter of David and Maria Lepper, now sharemilking on the East Coast. She completed a bachelor of science in animal sciences and worked for the Poultry Industry Association and later as a lab technician for AgResearch in Dunedin.

When Jude was born in 2009, the couple re-assessed their lives and decided farming would give them the fl exibility to combine a happy family life with a sound career path.

We love the lifestyle. Nearly every day we sit down together with the boys for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We can also inter-change our roles. Im just as likely to be out doing tractor work while Thomas is with the boys. Its great, says Stacey.

Jude, age four, and brothers Willem, three, and Theo, one, are thriving on the close relationship they have with both parents and their outdoor lifestyle.

Since the couple went farming, Thomas has concentrated on learning as much as he can about the industry and business, attending courses and fi eld days, gaining qualifi cations.

Now the times coming when Stacey can do the same.

We want to reach a point where our roles are completely interchangeable and either one of us can run the business, or the home.

Currently they contract-milk 409 cows

for 2GR Ltd, a sharemilking company comprised of three of Clark brothers, on 187 hectares (on 180ha effective) owned by Malcolm Clark.

The contour is steep to rolling to fl at on the farm at Nukuhou North, near Whakatane, and the soil ranges from kaharoa ash to peat. Being close to the hills, the farm generally enjoys good rainfall.

Thomas and Stacey are assisted by Josh Hedley in managing the farm and milk-ing in the 30-aside herringbone shed.

Josh is a fantastic young farmer and were very lucky to have him work for us, says Thomas.

We feel our employees are the biggest asset of our business and we treat them as valued contributors.

We also communicate clearly and effectively with the farms shareholders to ensure we are all on the same page with how the farm is going, and the future aims and goals for the farm.

The outside skills the couple bring to farming are proving very useful.

Stacey has a strong understanding of animal health and Thomas hasnt lost the art of looking at problems with an engineers eye.

Wash-down time in the shed is ideal for fi guring out new solutions.

Thomas and Stacey know their future lies in dairy farming, but not necessarily farm ownership.

We want to have $1.5 million in equity by the time were 50. Herd ownership and sharemilking are realistic pathways to achieving that goal and educating their three sons, they say.

By Elaine Fisher

Thomas Blackett and Stacey Lepper and their sons Jude, four, Willem, three, and Theo, one,

have found dairy farming offers the ideal blend of family life and career.

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COAST & COUNTRY

them shelter from sun or rain.They tend to graze from fi rst light and

then at about 9am head for the shade and shelter of the bush, coming out to feed again at about 6pm.

Their ability to do well on rougher pas-ture is a bonus in dry years, says Dean.

The farm has several pockets of native bush, including stands of mature kauri, rimu and totara.

The Hansen family takes pride in the property also being home to native birds, including wood pigeon, kaka and morepork. Shags are often seen too, feeding on the kura (fresh water crayfi sh) in the streams.

The property ranges from 60 metres to just more than 400 metres above sea level, with magnifi cent views from its highest point overlooking the Firth of Thames, the Coromandel Ranges, Mount Te Aroha, Mount Pirongia and Hunua Ranges.

It gets pretty cold in winter and we often have sleet. In the 22 years weve been here its snowed four times, but the snow didnt last, says Dean.

Hukaroa also grazes about 2000 Romney-Coopworth, mainly to keep the pastures weed-free.

Theres no money in their wool any-more, says Dean.

Page 9COAST & COUNTRY

them shelter from sun or rain.They tend to graze from fi rst light and

The property ranges from 60 metres to just more than 400 metres above

Big bull unfazed by attention of 101 fans

The arrival of 101 members of the hereford fan club registered little more

than a passing interest from Koanui Boulder, the one tonne bull in a small

enclosure at Hukaroa Station.

And its testament to the stud bulls temperament he tolerated the attention of the two bus-loads of people, hosted by Dean and Lisa Hansen as part of the 2014 National Hereford Herd Tour.

The visitors, however, were impressed with Koanui Boulder and other herefords on display.

Hukaroa is one of 14 Hereford stud farms visited by those taking part in the Gallagher Coast to Coast National Hereford Herd Tour, organised by the South Auckland Hereford Club.

Hereford breeders from all over the country were on the tour and the feedback weve had from them and the sponsors is it was one of the best organised and friendli-est tours theyve been on, says Noel Smith, one of the organisers.

Noel, who with wife Betsy owns Newcastle Stud near Ngaruawahia, says participation in the tour is testament to the enduring popularity of the Hereford breed.

Herefords are a hardy breed able to withstand tough conditions, as evidenced by the way theyre coping with this summers dry in the Waikato.

In the snow storms of 1995 in the South Island high country, hereford also came through better than other breeds, says Noel.

Temperament is another important factor and its one Hukaroa Station ranks highly.

The fact guests were able to walk freely among young bulls, cows and calves and even enter pens of Koanui Boulder and other stud bull Hukaroa Jaggar without the animals panicking or showing signs of aggression to evidence of the success of the Hansen familys breeding programme.

Both Dean and Lisa work closely with their animals and their well set-up yards are designed for handling stock and showcasing them during the studs annual bull sale in September.

Every year about 80 two-year-old and yearling bulls are sold to beef and dairy farmers, many who are repeat clients.

Our bulls are sold to all regions of the country and they are renowned for their ability to shift, breed and work well, says Lisa.

We regularly support the National Beef Expo Sale, both as purchasers and vendors. In 2012 our entry in

the North Island Super Sires Group Hukaroa Item was placed fi rst in his class, and purchased for stud duties, topping the sale at $28,000.

The family aims to continue increasing the stud herd to just a little more than 200 cows, to market and supply the demand for hereford bulls.

This is not a quick task, as our mantra is to never compromise quality for quantity. We are passionate about hereford cattle and its important to us to like the type of herefords we breed here at Hukaroa, so we are constantly mindful of maintaining a sound base to achieve this.

It was Deans parents Peter and Glennis who estab-lished the stud in 1968 in Ardmore, South Auckland, where they still reside.

The stud, and Dean and Lisa, moved to Waerenga near Te Kauwhata 22 years ago, where the operation continues.

The 520 hectare farm is in the Hapuakohe Range and Dean and Lisa describe it as very strong hill country, which is a great test of the durability and constitution of our stock.

Dean says even big bulls handle the steep terrain well and appear to enjoy the contour, which affords

Dean and Lisa Hansen work closely with the Hereford animals they breed at Hukaroa Stud.

By Elaine Fisher

COAST & COUNTRY

Adventure is what most imaginative young boys long for and back in 1969 there

wasnt much to stop those with an inclination to go

to sea in home-made boats, or spend school holidays

trapping possums (and the occasional pet cat), from

doing just that.It was part of the growing up Phil

Walsh enjoyed, endured and sur-vived, inspired by his older brother Desi, who led him into a number of doggy situations, and excite-ment, on the way to manhood.

Its also a growing up few chil-dren and teens experience today, in a world which has become over-anxious about safety and scared of

giving too much freedom to youngsters.

Phil recounts those boyhood and young manhood experi-ences from another era in his book Fur, Fish and Phan-tom Reds, illustrated by his 17-year-old daughter Shevaun, whose accurate and appealing line drawings, based on pho-tographs, enhance the text.

Phil writes with an easy and engaging style, which quickly draws the reader into his world of possums, eels, fi sh large and small, ducks and deer; and most of all, the great outdoors.

Thanks to publishers Halcyon Press, Coast & Country has a copy of Fur, Fish and Phantom Reds to give away.

As a teenager in the 1970s, Linda Lees was fascinated by the maimai

in the Maungatapu Estuary.Back then you could see heaps of

maimai when you travelled between Tauranga and the Mount and I used to think it would be a neat experience to be out there at duck shooting time, says Linda.

Decades later, and thanks to friend Rodger McDowell, Linda is to do just that.

I happened to mention to Rodger that Id love to learn to shoot a gun, and to go duck shooting, and I was thrilled when Rodger said hed give me the opportunity, says the Tauranga Bayleys residential real estate agent.

But Rodger, who Linda describes as a hunter-gatherer from way back, made one stipulation. First, Linda had to learn to handle and fi re a gun safely.

I thought the best thing to do was take Linda to Loaded NZ in Pyes Pa, where she could learn in a safe environment.

At Loaded NZ, New Zealands largest shooting fi eld, Linda was instructed by Kade Wurster.

I cant speak highly enough of the professionalism of Kade and everyone at Loaded NZ and the time Kade took to coach Linda, says Rodger.

She is naturally left-handed but he assessed that her right eye is dominant,

so had her shooting comfortably and accurately with her right hand.

Linda is also impressed with the tuition she received. I had to listen and con-centrate hard; but found if I did exactly as Kade told me to, I could hit the clay birds.

Several of Lindas friends have now expressed an interest in learning to shoot, but Rodger says Linda will be the fi rst to accompany him duck shooting this season.

Im pleased to see women taking an interest in the sport and Ive always been keen to encourage others to take part, says Rodger.

I was given the opportunity as a youngster and that got me interested in hunting so Im keen to pass that on.

Linda is excited at the prospect of open-ing morning in a maimai.

I dont even mind if I dont get a shot. I think Im privileged Rodger has even invited me to be there.

A hunting path to manhoodPhil recounts those boyhood

17-year-old daughter Shevaun,

A hunting path to manhood

To be in to win, email your name and address, with Book Prize as the subject, to: [email protected]

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 May 17. The winner will be announced in Coast & Countrys June issue.

Maimai wish comes true for Linda

By Elaine Fisher

Kade Wurster of Loaded NZ taught Linda Lees to handle and shoot a fi rearm

safely, in preparation for her fi rst-ever duck shooting experience.

Fur, Fish and Phantom Reds is the Coast & Country book

prizes for April

COAST & COUNTRY

Morton Shorthorns of Katikati holds its fi rst bull and heifer sale on the family farm in decades this month. Craig Morton says buyers from throughout the country are expected to attend the sale, which is the fi rst the family has hosted since dairy shorthorns were sold at the

Morton Rd farm in 1948.After selling at the national sale

in Palmerston North almost every year since 1975, weve decided to have our own on-farm sale, says Craig. Twenty-two animals will be auctioned from 1pm Thursday, May 22.

Cows are responsible for more injuries to farmers than bulls, and their offspring will

potentially inherit their temperament, says Tracey Neal of Potawa

Simmentals, Piopio.The Simmental Breed Society has acknowledged

the issue of poor temperament in beef cattle breeds, including their own, and has taken the initiative to introduce temperament tests for the benefi t of their stud breeders and clients, says Tracey.

All Simmental stud breeders have been encouraged by the Simmental Herd Society to submit calf docil-ity scores of one to fi ve, with one being extremely docile, based on either of two tests.

At Potawa Simmentals, we are performing both tests, with crush testing for weaners, followed by yard testing with 18-month-old cattle, says Tracey.

This is giving us a very good indication of any animals which may exhibit less than perfect tempera-ment and it is our policy to cull both females and males which do.

While it is early days, the results are already show-ing the differences in some family lines that we have in our herd, and confi rming our observations of our cattles behaviour.

Thanks to the tests both commercial and stud breeders will be able to make more informed deci-sions about temperament of the animal theyre buying.

As more animals are scored and the information analysed by BREEDPLAN, the beef recording system which produces Estimated Breed Values, the accuracy

of the information will also increase.All cattle farmers should be trying to utilise the

tests to assess the temperament of their own cattle, and act on the information by culling animals which score badly, says Tracey.

To avoid breeding a herd of nervous, fl ighty and potentially aggressive animals, it would make sense to cull those heifers as 18-month animals, rather than breed from them.

The other emphasis should be on purchasing of replacement animals. While it isnt possible to docil-ity test cattle at a sale yard, it is practical to consider the behaviour of a pen of animals awaiting sale, with many differences being observed simply by walking around prior to a sale; especially at weaner fairs.

The same observation can be applied to replace-ment cows being purchased, especially if you are buying them in the paddock.

Tracey says the in-paddock sale gives buyers oppor-tunity to walk through the yards and even single an animal out for a yard test if preferred.

For breeders, selection of a bull for quiet tempera-ment before any other factor is paramount.

At Potawa Simmentals, Piopio, we pride ourselves on the availability of our sale bulls for anyone to inspect up close and personal, and always have a large selection of yearling bulls close by the sale venue for inspection.

We also have a policy of open invitation to anyone wanting to view any of the herd at any time of the year, and were happy to discuss and demonstrate the docility test to anyone wanting further information.

Potawa Simmentals is holding its 13th Annual Bull Sale at Wilson Rd, Piopio on May 27, 2014.

Katikati shorthorn sale

Breeding for temperament and farm safety

Hamish Neal, 12, demonstrates the quiet nature of the rising two-year-old bulls at Potawa Simmentals.

Contact: ANDREW AND TRACEY NEAL Ph: 07 877 8009 Mb: 027 366 55 14 Em: [email protected]

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has two fertiliser spreaders and machin-ery to spread dairy shed effl uent. During winter Paul often hires a digger to carry out earthmoving, including forming or main-taining races.

Most of his clients are in what Paul describes as the Rotorua basin; and its an area he knows well, with 20 years of understanding of its weather patterns and soil-type. This knowledge means hes able to advise clients on best times to cultivate and harvest. But Paul also works closely with

consultants, advising managers of the Maori trusts.

We also look after lifestyle blocks, especially if we can work for several owners in one road, as it makes it economical for us. Many contractors fi nd making hay, silage or doing pasture renewal on smaller blocks isnt worth it, but these people need the service and we pro-vide it when we can.

In addition to the fi ve hectare lifestyle block, which is both home and depot for the contracting business, Paul also leases more than 121ha of mainly neighbouring farmland for running cattle, calves and dairy grazers.

Page 12 COAST & COUNTRY

Whenever a new tractor or implement arrives in the Paul Gee

Contracting yard near Ngongotaha, its the boss who takes it for

the fi rst spin.His staff know its not that Paul wants all

the pleasure of the fi rst drive well he does a bit its more about him wanting to fully understand the machines capabilities and limitations.

That way Paul makes sure he doesnt ask too much of machinery, or men, when the equipment is put to work.

Understanding and driving machines, and taking a hands-on approach, is very much Pauls style of business, and hes had plenty of experience.

Paul grew up around farming in Kawakawa, has been a sharemilker, and owned a trucking business in Rotorua before he and wife Josie began an agricul-tural contracting business 20 years ago, which is based at the lifestyle block they own in Dalbeth Rd.

ServiceDuring the years, Pauls owned a number

of different brands of tractor but hes now a committed fan of the German CLAAS machines.

Today, 90 per cent of my tractors and machinery is CLAAS. They are very reli-able, fuel effi cient and the service back-up we get from the CLAAS boys is excellent, says Paul.

He owns eight CLAAS tractors and two JCB Telescopic loaders, all coming from CLAAS Harvest Centre Bay of Plenty, in Rotorua. Paul likes the CLAAS gear and says if there are any prob-lems, one of the service technicians from CLAAS Harvest Centre is on the scene in a fl ash, keeping

down-time to a minimum.Paul says he wouldnt buy

machinery which didnt give him a good run.

Reliable machinery is vital in contracting. You cant afford breakdowns which hold up work, says Paul, who has among his cli-ents some of the districts biggest Maori trust farms.

The size of these properties means Paul and his team clock up some impressive fi gures during harvest. Last year they cut silage from 1800ha.

This season, the new CLAAS Rollant 455 Uniwrap machine, which Paul bought in November, is driven by a CLAAS Arion 640 tractor and has made more than 6000 bales.

It bales and wraps all in one machine and we had a perfect run with it. With just one tractor driver, who can then pick up and stack the bales, it saves both time and machinery.

This season Pauls CLAAS 2100 square baler and his CLAAS round baler made about 8000 bales between them.

DiggerPaul has a permanent staff of four and

employs an additional four drivers during the seasons peak. Most of the companys work is involved in pasture renovation, cropping and harvesting. However, it also

Its hands-on for Rotorua contractor

Paul and Josie Gee run their agricultural contracting business from the lifestyle block

they own in Dalbeth Rd.

Paul Gee is a committed fan of the German CLAAS machines.

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RURAL DRIVER

Classic riders roadie

Have bike, will travel it could be the motto of the Tauranga

Classic Motorcycle Club. Its just a great excuse to get out on

the old bikes and rediscover places in your backyard, says Allan Wattie Watson, about his clubs monthly week-day run he organises, taking them off the beaten track around Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Coromandel.

Theres a group of us who just meet up and head off with a general plan, says Allan, who is usually the only member riding a true old classic.

Coast and Country caught up with the group on a recent trip to the Eastern Bay of Plenty, where theyd stopped at Matahina Dam on a typical 250km ride. Explaining what they were doing, Allan says it is just a group of guys reliving their youth.

Pretty much all of us rode back when we were young; that was just the way it was. So these days we just like getting out and having a bit of fun.

Were in no mad hurry we just head off to a prearranged point and they are usually just taking off their

helmets when I arrive, says Allan, who refers to the slightly slower pace about 80-90km/h of his restored 500cc 1949 Ariel twin, compared to later model bikes.

It is one of two Ariels he owns. He also has a 1948 model in its original condition that looks like it needs a paint job.

I think it looks great and it doesnt stop it going well, says Allan, who owned a BSA Bantam and a Francis Bar-nett he raced on club grass track events during his younger days.

But thats nothing compared to some of the racing others members have done, says Allan, who says the clubs active riders are aged up to 85, like Lloyd Baker.

The club, which also holds monthly weekend rides, will host the national classic motorcycle rally in November when at least 100 riders and bikes from around the country will join them for a celebration of the classics at Waihi Beach. Bikes must be 25 years old to be classics. For club details, go to www.sportsground.co.nz/tcmcc

Tauranga Classic Motorcycle Club

member Allan Wattie Watson (foreground) at Matahina Dam

with other members of a recent road trip.

Photo by Elaine Fisher.

By Hamish Carter

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RURAL DRIVER

Strong season finish All fi red up to make his mark in the

national motocross season, it looked like it was almost over just as it began for

Taurangas Ryan Metz.

From fi nishing eighth in the fi rst Timaru race on February 8, an accident in the second race saw him fail to complete the last two races, and end sitting 16th out of about 30. But strong results in the fol-lowing rounds saw him recently fi nish the season just off the podium.

I wasnt even thinking about making the top 10 for the series, says Ryan, 22, who got serious about his motocross last season after a few years off just to do teenage things.

But then I started hanging out with the motocross guys and I got back into it, says Ryan, who completed some national series rounds for the fi rst time last year.

After a poor start in Timaru, his season picked up dramati-cally at the second round in the four-round series in Tokoroa last month, where a focus on smooth riding helped him fi nish third overall for the day, with two fourths and a third placing.

The 22-year-old Tauranga apprentice engineer fi nished the New Zealand Motocross Champion-ships season in Taupo with a broad grin, claiming fourth place for the 125cc class for the season and fi nal round.

Im pretty stoked with that. I got a bit lucky with some of the other guys having problems and crash-ing out, but that is the way it goes in motocross.

Among those whove had their share of crashes and problems this season is Te Pukes Logan Black-burn, experiencing a patchy season that only got

worse in the fi nal round, with a crash breaking his collarbone at the start of the second race. Logan fi nished third with 190 points.

The class was won by Hamiltons Josiah Natze, who racked up 289 points, with runner-up Hadle-igh Knight of Atiamuri earning 215 points.

Taurangas Aaron Wiltshier also fi nished the 125cc class strongly, as the second best performer for the Taupo round with a fourth and two second plac-ings.

His great performance helped him claim sixth place overall for the season with 144 points, only two points behind Ryans riding mate Beau Yeandle from Morrinsville.

Ryan, who collected 158 points for the season, attributes his success to focussed work on his fi tness and regular training on the bike with Beau, which helped him perform strongly and consistently.

While he jokes about being the old bugger of the class, with many competitors in their teens, Ryan would love to step it up again next season.

Im going to take a bit of a break from riding over the next months, but Ill defi nitely be

back again next season to give it another good go. Maybe Ill move up to MX2 [the 250cc class], I havent decided yet.

Ryan, who rides his Yamaha with the support of family fi rm Metz Engineering and Bayride Motorcycles, downplays his long-term motocross prospects saying it is a bit harder to balance riding with full-time work.

Meanwhile, Mount Maunganuis Cody Cooper retained the MX1 crown he reclaimed last year.

The top rider, who retired from a successful inter-national career last year, dominated the four-round series winning nine of 12 races.

The class was won by Hamiltons Josiah Natze, who racked up 289 points, with runner-up Hadleigh Knight of Atiamuri earning 215 points.

Taurangas Ryan Metz made dramatic improvements during the season to fi nish fourth in the 125cc class at the New Zealand Motocross

Championships. Photo by Andy McGechan, BikesportNZ.comBy Hamish Carter

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RURAL DRIVER

After that, an effi cient petrol-powered generator kicks in, to give you extra range. It has an electric motor driving the front wheels and another on demand to drive the rear giving high torque four wheel drive performance.

The concept of having a normal car but with the advantage of being able to do most of your running on cheap electricity while still retaining the benefi ts of petrol power when needed holds plenty of appeal.

It differs from the other hybrids, in that this is the fi rst to charge off mains power, as well as its own on-board generation.

Yes there are some serious questions about electric hybrids. What is the lifespan of those big batteries? Are they as sustainable or eco-nomic to produce and replace? What about the planetary cost of their production and disposal? Are we kidding ourselves that were saving the earth, while in fact the big battery concept is a false economy? How will those

electric motors stand the test of time?Well according to the good people at

Mitsubishi, this system has the balance just right. Unlike other hybrids, the batteries are lithium ion, for better lifespan and less memory effect. The PHEV doesnt pretend to be a fully electric, its a true hybrid that can cross back to the dark side and burn a bit of fossil fuel, when theres demand.

Put simply, you plug it into a power-point in the shed overnight, do most of your day-to-day running on cheap and sustain-able electric power (a dollar or two), and the petrol only sneaks in occasionally for extra grunt, or on a longer trip. Battery gets low? The car automatically and indiscernibly starts the two-litre petrol engine, essentially a generator, when it needs to.

Or, you can dictate how and when it charges, or saves; or a combo of both.

It is very, very clever. And very, very easy to use.

Theres so much to this car, its a challenge to explain it all in one page. But its the sort of technology you can delve right into every little aspect, or simply jump in and drive. The car is clever enough to fi gure it all out, if you cant be bothered.

Switched onIts a bit disconcerting, when fi rst pulling

away in a car that makes no engine sound. Its as if the handbrake has been let off and its rolling away. Hmm.

The weirdness soon gives way to satisfac-tion. Hey, were trucking along here, using no gas. Cool.

The clever bitsSo in no particular order, here is a selection

of the witchcraft I enjoyed experimenting with.

The save and charge buttons. A simple push of the save button keeps your battery

Its possible that a rural family could fuel this vehicle for not much more than it costs to power

the farms electric fences.

The Mitsubishi Outlander Hybrid plug-in SUV is a serious piece of witchcraft. A smooth, powerful (when you need it), economic, mid-size family vehicle that runs for about 50km on a charge from a three-pin plug.

By Brian Rogers

charged and the vehicle uses the petrol engine to gener-ate power to feed the electric motors.

The charge mode means the petrol engine (when it needs to), starts seamlessly and runs, to power the car along as well as top up the battery.

Gravity also plays a part in charging the battery. You can get as carried away as you like with this nifty system. A couple of paddle controls on each side of the steering wheel allow the driver to instantly tap into downhill momentum, to put charge back to the battery. You can select fi ve stages of braking charge level, simply with the fl ick of a paddle, or cancel it all together. The dash read-outs show you when the vehi-cle is pumping juice back into the battery.

The battery can be charged from a standard house-hold power outlet. You dont need special charging stations. Any old three-pin plug will do.

We heard of one new hybrid owner who has negoti-ated with his electricity supplier to allow connection into the night store feed, so his Outlander charges overnight on even cheaper rates.

On a full battery, the Outlander will run for about 50km without little or no petrol input. Beyond that, it will use the petrol engine to send current to the drive motors and top up the battery.

So on a typical day depending on how far out in the sticks you live you could drive from the farm to town, purely on an overnight charge of power. Virtu-ally no petrol used at all.

We commuted from Te Puna to town and back for a couple of days and the Outlander easily made the return trip on battery alone, only using the petrol engine when I fl oored the pedal on a couple of occa-sions, such as merging onto expressways and the odd hill. Otherwise it glided along, silently, on its battery power.

Of course on a longer trip youd dip into the gas tank, but still less than the average vehicle because the hybrid uses energy recovery systems, such as the braking charge, to regenerate the reserves.

Its possible that a rural family could

Powered by rainfall The dashboard tells everything about the state of the power source and drive systems.

RURAL DRIVER

By Brian Rogers

The battery is being topped up when power demand is low; ready to chip in with extra boost when demand requires it.

Unleash the electronsThere are some stunning benefits of electric drive

most people dont even consider, until you get behind the wheel.

For starters, electric is smooth, torquey power. There are no gear changes. Plus the delivery of power is instant. Theres no lag for an intercooler to kick in, or that moment of hesitation while combustible gasses are doing their thing, resulting in a slight delay in action. And noticeably, its consistent torque. No power bands or surges.

Electric power is silent. So silent Mitsubishi had to manufacture a noise for safety reasons, so the Outlander didnt take anyone by surprise. It sounds a bit like a small vacuum cleaner from the outside, up to about 35km, just as a precaution to pedestrians and others who may rely on hearing approaching vehicles.

Around town the Outlander is easy going, and did

I mention silent? No emissions, great visibility when parking and excellent aids with the camera and prox-imity alarms.

The ride is exceptionally smooth. The vehicle feels very well grounded and handles with surety. No doubt helped by the 200kg of lithium ion batteries stashed low and central. This low down ballast actually improves the handling over the standard Outlander.

Quick off the blocksDont be fooled into thinking electric equals slow. We

did a quick and dirty 0-100km/h time test and found the Outlander nailed it in about 9.5 seconds, about the same as the standard two litre petrol-only model. Not bad for a two litre engine generating power to feed electric drive engines. And good to know that if you need a quick squirt for overtaking; its got legs at least as good as any other standard petrol SUV in its class.

Out on the highway the Outlander footed it well, even on some heavy duty hills. Running up the Kaimai Ranges was effortless, and the petrol engine contrib-uted from time to time. Not that youd know it, but the dash read-outs provide all the answers to the curious.

Aside from the electric wizardry, the Outlander is a delight to drive, in its own right. It would be easy to get so carried away with the whizz-bang new plug-in aspects, and not acknowledge the quality interior and features, the great ride, visibility, and the individual features that make a comprehensive package such as big screen backing camera, built-in GPS, Bluetooth, full-length roof rails, and smart rain sensor wipers.

The rear tailgate is powered open and closed with a button on the key fob. This is a very handy feature. While experimenting in the driveway, there was one very puzzled dog watching, with head cocked to one side. She looked at me, looked at the car in complete amazement. Witchcraft, I explained.

A couple of things to note: Theres no spare wheel, due to the underfloor space being taken up with batteries. Instead, the Outlander is supplied with emer-gency inflation kits.

It has a low tow rating of 750kg braked. Apparently NZ is the only country to have dished out this low rating to the Outlander. Go figure.

That is likely to change, I suspect, once the electric drive has proven itself.

Overall, this is a totally clever answer to rising fuel prices, worry about emissions, and the plight of homeless polar bears; yet it doesnt skimp on the performance of a capable SUV. On top of that, its high spec, a pleasure to drive and can cross over to 4WD with the push of a button. Around town, you could run this on as little as $1.50 of renewable energy a day.

Quite feasibly you could drive this every day to town and back, to work or golf, and youll be driving an electric car all day. Demand more of it a trip out of town, towing or pushing it hard and it morphs back to essentially a garden-variety, petrol-powered SUV, albeit much cleverer behind the scenes.

The XLS prices at $59,990, but the VRX is where things get exciting at $66,990. It brims with gear satnav, forward collision mitigation, adaptive cruise control, power tailgate, heated front leather seats and the full PHEV colour display screens plus the remote app thats available for iOS and Android phones. The night before I had to return the Outlander, I lay in bed listening to the rain on the roof, imagining those streams flowing into the Kaimai hydro lakes (those big batteries in the hills) and thinking; here comes my cheap, green fuel.

Its exciting, not just for the electrons. The Outlander hybrid plug-in has left me totally amped.

Magic answer to fuel prices

RURAL DRIVER

FIELDAYS PREVIEW Page 19

The opportunity of a lifetime, and a prize pool of more than $20,000, is open to a

Kiwi or Aussie rural bloke as long as they are single.

The search is on for the 2014 Fieldays Rural Bach-elor of the Year described as a good rural bloke who can drive a digger, reverse a trailer, chainsaw a tree and still manage to rustle up a roast dinner.

Competition organisers are on the lookout for hard working, rural guys who are happy to represent their farming community while giving the watching world a fantastic demonstration of smarts, strength and skills.

The eight fi nalists, six Kiwis and two Aussies, selected for this highly popular competition will be treated to an all-inclusive trip to Fieldays.

But, theres a twist. They have to partake in a range of heats and challenges designed to test their rural-based skills. And every action is eagerly anticipated and scrutinised by judges, and a wider audience keen to support their favourite bachelor.

With all eyes on them, fi nalists should expect to receive a lot of female attention while competing at Fieldays.

For any bachelors on a quest for love the event is a great opportunity to mingle and impress fans, both at Fieldays and at specifi c night functions, by doing their thing with plenty of understated charm.

The competition once again has an Amazing Race styled element with all fi nalists beginning the event at a mystery location two days prior to Fieldays, with a Kea campervan and the requirement to complete challenges en-route to Mystery Creek.

Once at Fieldays the bachelors will have their skills, attitude and all-round charisma tested in competitive heats.

While the specifi c requirements are kept under wraps until the event, organisers say they are largely agricultural based but will have a few fun twists thrown in to challenge the boys character.

Competition is sure to be fi erce at the week-long event and the bachelors will be thrust into the lime-light as thousands of Fieldays visitors, and nationwide media, keep an eager eye on the action.

Quest for golden gumboot All fi nalists will be kitted out by Swanndri and Skel-

lerup and will get the opportunity to visit Fieldays exhibitors, attend demonstrations and evening events including the Ag Art Wear Designer in the Field Gala Dinner and awards show in Hamilton.

With a prize pool of more than $20,000 up for grabs, the competition is a serious challenge, but also a load of fun and laughter for fi nalists and fans.

The most important thing on everyones mind will be the battle between team mates for the coveted Golden Gumboot trophy and the title of 2014 Fiel-days Rural Bachelor of the Year.

Winner of 2013 Fieldays Rural Bachelor of the Year, Simon Washer from Taranaki (centre) with other contestants in the event.

PARTS SALES SERVICE

FIELDAYS PREVIEW

ences are bound to be as impressed this year as they have in the past.

Last year Joanne Bowe of Te Awamutu won the Avant Garde award for Butchered and her design Barking Mad won the Designer Traditional category and the Supreme Award.

Judge Hayley Fruish from Chaos & Harmony says Barking Mad, made largely from tree bark, was an instant wow for the judges and deserved to take out the supreme title.

Barking Mad is the over-all winner because it was an extremely well-composed garment. It showed intelligent design, creating a fashion-conscience form out of natural material with great quality construction.

The edging showed great fi nishing and attention to detail. It was a stand-out piece to all judges, says Hayley.

successful calf rearing. But even today, its estimated between

75 per cent and 90 per cent of NZ farmers still use non-dedicated and woe-fully inadequate housing, like converted wool sheds, hay barns or implement sheds and therefore risk not reach-ing potential of their future herds, says Ernst.

Rearing heifers from birth through to their fi rst lactation is a large fi nancial cost in a dairy farm business. Current fi gures put the cost at close to $1500 for the average heifer raised in NZ.

The capital expense of a FlexiTun-nel Calf Rearing Package including the purpose-designed yards with pens averages between $120 and $180 per calf space, depending on individual stocking rates and the size of the tunnel, says Ernst.

Assuming a conservative depreciation time of the facilities of 10 years, this indicates the additional cost of provid-ing a dedicated calf-rearing facility to a calf-rearing operation would add as little as $15 per calf, or one per cent, to the overall cost of rearing a heifer through to calving.

Ernst says liveweight gains in calves reared in a FlexiTunnel can be up to 10kg higher at six weeks, compared to

animals reared in conventional sheds with the same fed inputs and under the same management.

Additional liveweight gains in the fi rst most important few weeks of an animals life certainly go some way in reaching target weights at the two cru-cial points further down a heifers life; namely at mating 60 per cent and at calving 90 per cent.

Evidence suggests the majority of the countrys replacement heifers fall short of reaching expected liveweight targets. The fi nancial implications are rather far reaching; heifers that dont reach the target produce less milk.

A heifer that falls 20 per cent below the target weight is expected to produce 10 per cent less milk fat in her fi rst lactation. This can equate to an average loss of about 35kg of milk solids or $175 at a $5 payout. And this repre-sents the loss for just her fi rst productive year, says Ernst.

On the other hand, heifers that reach the target weights not only produce more milk, they also have a better repro-ductive performance [fewer empties], a better calving pattern and remain longer in the herd.

To fi nd out more, visit FlexiTunnel at site F12 at the Fieldays.

Calf housing is often a low priority on farms, or on new conversions being

built, but neglecting this important part of a dairy

farm business often leads to a range of pressures on calves,

as well as on the person in charge of raising them, says

Ernst Frei of FlexiTunnel.Proper calf housing or barns that provide a warm

and draft-free environment with adequate ventilation and plenty of sunlight are one of the cornerstones of

Page 20 FIELDAYS PREVIEW

Calf housing is often a low

farm business often leads to a range of pressures on calves,

as well as on the person in charge of raising them, says

Ernst Frei of FlexiTunnel.Proper calf housing or barns that provide a warm

Entries in this years Fieldays Ag Art Wear Awards are dramatic, stunning, innovative and only just wearable.

Each year designers fi nd yet more interesting ways to turn rural materials into garments. Some are elegant, others are entertaining, and some make a statement on behalf of the environment.

The annual awards are one of the highlights of the Mystery Creek event and audi-

Last year Joanne Bowe of Te Awamutu won the Avant Garde award for Butchered and her design Barking Mad won the Designer Traditional category and the Supreme Award.

Judge Hayley Fruish from Chaos & Harmony says Barking Mad, made largely from tree bark, was an instant wow for the judges and deserved to take out the supreme title.

Barking Mad is the over-all winner because it was an extremely well-composed garment. It showed intelligent design, creating a fashion-conscience form out of natural material with great quality

The edging showed great fi nishing and attention to detail. It was a stand-out piece to all Barking Mad designed

by Joanne Bowe.

FlexiTunnel calf housing provides a warm and draft-free environment for successful calf rearing.

Housing pays dividends in animal performance

Garments are only just wearable

TM

FIELDAYS PREVIEW

Mainline Sheetmetals Ltds Hamilton yard currently looks like a tank farm, fi lled

with tanks ready to be dispatched throughout

New Zealand by the company, which

specialises in the manufacture of mild steel tanks for petrol

and diesel.We are proud to be sup-

pliers of fuel storage tanks to many of the major fuel suppliers in New Zealand and pride ourselves on deliv-ering quality products with outstanding service to all of our customers and we continue to have our values set in steel, says company director Trisha King.

Environmental Protection Agency regulations sur-round many of our daily activities and maintaining compliance with the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act is important to us.

This ensures the Mainline tank you purchase will comply with the current regulations. Mainline Sheet-metals is an EPA-certifi ed fabricator with all fuel tanks built to our certifi ed design specifi cations.

The companys range of tanks include overhead and on-ground tanks, ute and home heating tanks and larger tanks to 10,000 litres, both single and double skin.

For diesel, we manufacture trailer tanks from 700 to 1900 litres.

Six-year-old Annie returns home from school and says she had her fi rst family planning lesson at school.

Her mother, very interested, asks:How did it go?I nearly died of shame! answers Annie. Sam,

from over the road, says that the stork brings babies.Sally next door said you can buy

babies at the orphanage. Pete in my class says you can buy babies at the hos-pital.

Her mother laughingly answers:But that's no reason to be

ashamed. No, says Annie, but I

cant tell them that we were so poor you and daddy had to make me yourselves!

Tanks built to meet certified design specificationsThese units are roadworthy and

provide our customers with the convenience of fuel on-site. We also manufacture containment bunds for stationary tanks, if required.

To complement the product range, Mainline also manufactures dog kennels in three sizes for farm or city dogs.

With dog control constantly in the news, it is reassuring to know your family pet or working dog is safely housed when you cant be with them.

There are also hayracks for farmers and lifestylers and the very popular

mobile chook houses, big enough to keep enough chooks to supply a family with fresh eggs but not so big a tractor is needed to move it.

Thank you to all of our customers. We value your business and we will look forward to seeing you at site G20 at Fieldays 2014, says Trisha.

Purchased versus home-made

Mainline 400/900 litre overhead tank.

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FANTASTICFIELD DAYS

SAVINGS!

FIELDAYS PREVIEW

expressions of interest worldwide. And at just 13 years old, Ayla Hutchinson was named Fieldays Young Inventor of the Year and also won the James & Wells IP Service Award with her Kindling Cracker innovation. Ayla has since taken her product to market and gone on to win other awards including Most Inspiring Individual at the NZ Innovators Awards and the Rising Star Award at the BUY NZ Made Peoples Choice Awards.After the competitions huge success in

2013, the centrally-located Innovation Centre has grown in size and organisers are anticipating an increased number of entries this year.

With a range of categories to enter and a competition structure that sup-ports Kiwi ingenuity at all levels, the Fieldays Innovation Centre incorporates commercial innovations and backyard creations and is the perfect place for new innovations to be launched.

Fieldays event manager Vanessa Rich-mond says offering help and assistance for entrants is a major part of Fieldays Innovations.

We are bringing partners on board to help nurture relationships with entrants while fostering entrepreneurship, inno-vation and creativity.

Entrants also receive invaluable feed-back from prospective customers visiting the Innovation Centre, and the potential to gain priceless media exposure

of their innovation.It is then no wonder that the amount

and standard of entries strengthens year after year, says Vanessa.

New to the Innovation Centre for 2014 is THE LAB - powered by Locus Research. THE LAB is an ideas booth where confirmed entrants can access knowledge from the Locus Research Team and other Innovations Partners on how to progress their innovation.

Zeolites are inorganic, insoluble minerals consisting of a three

dimensional framework of silicon, aluminium and

oxygen atoms.Their structure resembles a rigid micro-

scopic sponge that electrostatically attracts positive or polar atoms and molecules.

There are about 200 synthetic, man-made and natural zeolites with different properties. Certain natural zeolites that possess particular structural characteristics and carry particular balance of cations are shown to significantly improve milk production and properties along with improving animal health and body condition score, particularly useful going into calving.

New Zealand has some of the best zeolites suited to rumen modifica-tion.

NZ forage diets are typically high in protein. Consumed excess nitrogen in proteins is converted to ammonia in the rumen.

Excess ammonia is toxic, and detoxification requires energy. Ruminants do their best to recycle excess ammonium, but do so ineffi-ciently; and at the expense of health and productivity.

Typical dairy cows will only utilise about 20 per cent of the nitrogen they consume. Five to 10 per cent is recycled by the animal and excreted in the saliva to be re-ingested.

The rest has to be expelled from the body.Typically, more than 50 per cent is

excreted in the soluble form of urea in the

urine, resulting in not only a significant drain on the animals energy, kidneys and liver, but also environmental pollution.

Dont waste energy, turn it into milk and visit www.optimate.co.nz to find out more about zeolite-based rumen modifiers.

Also visit the Optimate stand at Fieldays, PC28. (Supplied by Optimate).

The highly regarded Fieldays Innovation Competition is back after another

groundbreaking year which saw previous entrants find fame and fortune.

The competition celebrates New Zealand ingenuity by showcasing the latest innovations, backyard inven-tions and commercial improvements to thousands of Fieldays visitors.

In 2013 the competition had 75 entrants, with many taking the opportunity to enter and pitch to investors in the inaugural Fieldays Innovation Den, powered by SODA Inc.

Winning innovators included: Patrick Roskam who, at age 12, won several awards for his Gudgeon Pro fencing system, plus a personal invitation from Sir William Gallagher for an internship at Gallaghers Research and Development department. Droidworx (now called Aeronavics) won the Most Viable Business award for their aerial robot that is now receiving

Winners find fame and fortune

Minerals to boost cow health

Zeolotic sponge-like structure.

Ayla Hutchinson was named the 2013 Fieldays Young Inventor of the Year and also won the James & Wells IP Service Award with her Kindling

Cracker innovation.

PROUDLOCAL

Page 23FIELDAYS PREVIEW

FIELDAYS PREVIEW

Josh will be taking a break from his busy schedule to appear as the celebrity chef in Fieldays Kiwis Best Kitchen, where hes looking forward to showcasing skills and recipes visitors can replicate at home.

The hugely popular Kiwis Best Kitchen, with its Kitchen Theatre and exclusive exhibition area, is undoubtedly one of the busiest marquees at Fieldays, where visitors are tempted to taste and toast New Zea-lands favourite and unique food and beverages.

Joshs sizzling shows in the Kitchen Theatre are bound to appeal to those who love to impress in the kitchen and are always looking for a few trusty tips.

The acclaimed Michelin star chef, who was bought up on a farm outside Hamilton, has very fond memo-ries of visiting Fieldays when he was a boy and hes now looking forward to returning this year, as the 2014 Kiwis Best Kitchen Celebrity Chef.

Its a very easy and very comfortable place for me, says Josh, who will also be exhibiting Chef Series, his own range of restaurant-quality, slow-cooked meats, and his new cookbook Cut.

The book features great meat recipes for the home cook and uses his knowledge and experience of what to do with every inch of an animal. When explaining the background for his book, Josh refers to the fact he was bought up on a farm and in a rural community.

It stems from the fact we always had home-kill in the freezer and so many cuts of meat sitting there; the braising cuts, the racks, loins and everything like that and wed slowly work our way through.

Im really excited to be bringing my book to sell at Fieldays, people can come and talk about the recipes, what they can do, and how they can apply them to their home life, says Josh.

Buckets aheadEach year at Fieldays theres a

stand-out give-away something everyone seems to be carrying and everyone wants.

For years, cattle prodders or more politely stock sticks have been among the popular Fiel-days take-home items, but last year bright orange buckets were everywhere even doubling as head-wear.

Lely New Zealand Ltd national sales manager Trent Finlay says the company gave away two pa

coast & country news may 2014

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