North Canterbury News: August 06, 2020

RURAL LIFE
The North Canterbury News, August 6,2020
27
Built to your budget!
Regional win
... Lacey
Agate is the
Corteva North
Canterbury
Young
Viticulturist of
the Year.
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
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Lacey'swine skills to be
tested on national stage
By ROBYN BRISTOW
Lacey Agate, from Waipara winery
Bellbird Spring, has won the Corteva
North Canterbury Young Viticulturist of
the Year title.
After atough day in the vineyards at
Greystone in Waipara, Lacey took the
honours from three other contestants.
Will Bowman, from Black Estate, was
runner­up, followed by Brigitte Allan
from Pyramid Valley, and Lucas Percy
from Pegasus Bay.
The young viticulturists were tested
on all aspects of vineyard management,
including trellising, pruning,
machinery, pests and diseases, and
budgeting. There was also an interview.
Fruitfed Supplies provided a
lunchtime barbecue, followed by the
quiz round and the BioStart Hortisports,
which was won by Will.
Lacey took out the Ecotrellis trellising
prize.
The awards dinner was held at the
new cellar door at Greystone.
The contestants’ last challenge of the
day was to give athree­minute speech to
the audience, covering topics such as
regenerative agriculture and tractorless
vineyards.
Lacey will go on to represent North
Canterbury in the national final in
Martinborough in October.
It is being held in conjunction with the
15­year celebrations of the Young
Viticulturist competition.
The practical day is on October 7.
The national finalists will give their
speeches at the conference the
following day, with the winner
announced at the celebration dinner.
The national winner will not only
become the Corteva New Zealand Young
Viticulturist of the Year 2020, but will
win an prize package which includes the
use of aHyundai Kona for ayear, an
Ecotrellis Travel Grant, aCorteva
educational trip to Australia, Bahco
golden secateurs, aleadership week and
cash.
There are also cash prizes from
AGMARDT for the top three national
finalists’ research projects.
Irrigation body to move
By DAVID HILL
Irrigation New Zealand is settomove its
headquarters from LincolntoWellington.
The lobby groupplans to appointanew
chiefexecutive in Wellington,asCovid­19
forces arethink of its operations.
Existing chief executive Elizabeth Soal
will remaininthe roleuntilafter the
election, beforebecoming regional policy
and planning manager to work with
members andlocal authorities to offer
advocacy in the regions.
“As anation we are embarkingonthe
recoveryphase of Covid­19 and the
dependability of irrigated production
systems willbecentral to this,’’
chairwoman KeriJohnston says.
“Yet, the general misunderstanding of
the benefitsand positive impacts of
irrigationpersist.’’
Irrigationhas avaluable role to playin
ensuring NewZealand has an
environmentally and economically
sustainable future,MsJohnston says.
“Irrigationisacritical component of a
vibrantand environmentally sustainable
agriculturaland horticultural economy,
andwewill workhard towardsensuring
that irrigation remains an integral part of
ahealthyand thriving Aotearoa New
Zealand.’’
Students to fill summer roles
Lincoln University studentsare set to
plug the gaps in the rural contracting
labour pool this summer.
With the rural sector strugglingtofill
vacancies because of alack of migrant
workers, the university is relaxing its
rules around compulsory practical work
requirements to include contracting.
Agribusiness lecturer Dan Smith says
large numbers of British and Irish
workers traveltoNew Zealandeach
summer, but their expected absence
over Covid­19 could leave big gaps.
“Given the current global pandemic it
is unlikely these workers will have the
freedomto come here, which will place
alot of pressure on these businesses,
and this was puttingpressure on
contractors to fill their needs.”
Contractorwork could include hay
balingand silage­making, as well as
spraying, muck spreading, shearing,
ploughing and other tractorwork.
“Allowing the students to count rural
contractingwork towards their practical
work requirement, we hope, will
alleviate some of the pressure on these
contractors.’’
Did you know...
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Service -Richard Bowler 027 478 7682
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2301272
1972001
1996974
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