Waikato AgriBusiness News June 2021

JUNE 2021 WWW.WBN.CO.NZ FACEBOOK.COM/WAIKATOBUSINESSNEWS 

Stage set for 

After a year’s absence, Fieldays is roaring 

back as big as ever in 2021, further 

enhanced by its online offering with 

Fieldays TV streaming around the world. 

bumper 

Fieldays 

Chief executive Peter 

Nation, speaking four 

weeks before the June 

16 opening, said exhibitors are 

suggesting this year could be 

“a purler” as social media buzz 

indicates high visitor interest. 

With exhibitors continuing 

to place high value on the 

four-day physical event, spaces 

were almost fully booked out 

and Nation didn’t discount 

having a record year. 

Nation said the feedback 

they are getting through social 

media and other channels is 

that it will be well attended. 

“A lot of people are 

really missing it and looking 

forward to coming. 

“A lot of our exhibitors are 

saying we could be in for a 

purler this year.” 

All that despite not having a 

full 12 months to prepare, after 

having to cancel last year’s 

event because of Covid and 

then get back up to speed in the 

aftermath. 

“This just isn't an average 

Fieldays, we've had challenges 

coming at us all ways,” 

Nation said. 

Continued on page 3 

Four weeks out from the event, Fieldays chief executive 

Peter Nation can look down on a site where the build is well underway.

2 WAIKATO AGRIBUSINESS NEWS June 2021

WAIKATO AGRIBUSINESS NEWS June 2021 

3 

Stage set for bumper Fieldays 

From page 1 

Putting in a framework 

for Covid tracing on site was 

high on the list, with Fieldays 

the largest gathering 

by numbers annually in New 

Zealand. 

Covid has also put pressure 

on accommodation, with 

up to half of Hamilton’s beds 

taken up as MIQ facilities or 

for emergency housing. 

That will see Fieldays 

creating a campervan village 

at Claudelands for a 

week for exhibitors who 

were squeezed out of 

their usual accommodation. 

The Society went to THL 

to bring the campervans down 

from Auckland in an inventive 

solution to the potential 

problem. 

“It's just been a very 

unusual year. Even though 

we're well on track to stage 

Fieldays, we've had a lot of 

other things in our way.” 

As Nation says, in a 

normal year the physical 

event would be 

enough to organise in itself, 

but they are intent on continuing 

to stage Fieldays online 

and Fieldays TV, increasing 

the scale enormously. 

“We always knew our digital 

piece was a big part of our 

future. So we put a lot of time 

into our ticketing system and 

our app, and we had Fieldays 

TV on the shelf as a strategy. 

And of course, Covid accelerated 

that.” 

Fieldays TV will have 

a highly visible presence 

on the site, operating from 

a glass cube structure in 

the Village Green. Big screens 

will mean visitors to the site 

can watch it, while it will 

also stream live over the four 

days of the event. 

“It will have a full production 

schedule, starting each 


Competitions have been brought together in one area 

IT’S A TEAM EFFORT. THERE’S 

A LOT OF THINKING GONE INTO 

THIS, AND WE’VE GOT A GOOD 

PRAGMATIC BOARD. WE KNOW 

HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO 

THE COMMUNITY. 

Health and wellbeing remains an important part of the event 

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4 WAIKATO AGRIBUSINESS NEWS June 2021 

WE ALWAYS KNEW OUR DIGITAL 

PIECE WAS A BIG PART OF OUR 

FUTURE. SO WE PUT A LOT OF TIME 

INTO OUR TICKETING SYSTEM 

AND OUR APP, AND WE HAD 

FIELDAYS TV ON THE SHELF AS A 

STRATEGY. AND OF COURSE, COVID 

ACCELERATED THAT. 

Stage set for bumper Fieldays 

From page 3 

day. And we’ll livestream 

that out across New Zealand 

and around the world.” 

Fieldays online starts 

ahead of the physical event, 

featuring material filmed last 

year, and will also continue 

after the event, with exhibitors 

able to use the medium 

for advertising space. 

Nation said last year they 

had more than 90,000 unique 

viewers across 75 countries, 

despite limited opportunities 

to market the station. 

The stats showed 

their main viewing was 

between 6pm and 9pm. 

“So we were cutting across 

primetime news.” 

While the loss of up to 

3000 international visitors 

will be felt, Fieldays is likely 

to be the largest agricultural 

show in the world this year, 

with other events closed 

because of Covid. 

Innovations are set to remain a drawcard 

Nation said the online 

presence would be important. 

“I think it does a number 

of things. It keeps our brand 

alive and our event alive 

around the world, it keeps 

the New Zealand brand alive 

and our customers’ brands 

alive in the innovation space 

and products.” 

They plan to host overseas 

speakers virtually, and Nation 

said the offering would 

include short documentaries 

on the likes of different 

farming techniques, innovations 

and alternative energy 

sources. “We’re trying to be 

ahead of the curve.” 

Meanwhile, the 

all-important physical 

event has been 

as big a drawcard as ever 

for exhibitors, with only the 

larger internationals absent. 

Nation said they remain 

focused on the core mission 

of advancing agriculture, 

which means careers and education, 

health and wellbeing, 

and the innovations hub will 

all be back. 

“It’s all about the whole 

vision of bringing people 

together and education and 

innovation.” 

Visitors will find some 

changes to the site, notably 

including the competitions 

being brought together by 

shifting the excavators. 

The app, which has 

become a feature of the event, 

is enhanced, while navigation 

will also be helped by vinylcut 

lines along the centre of 

the main roads, hopefully 

helping social distancing. 

Corners will include big letters 

denoting the street names, 

as well as arrows pointing to 

key areas including major 

precincts and toilets. 

“So you should be able to 

navigate your way just with 

your eyes,” Nation said. 

Each intersection will 

also have a Covid QR code 

for those who missed their 

chance at the entrance. 

Further change sees them 

switch to a dawn opening on 

the Wednesday, rather than 

the traditional noon, while 

Nation said they’ve parked 

a number of ideas for next 

year, given the shortened run 

they’ve had for this year’s 

event after Covid. 

“It’s a team effort. There’s 

a lot of thinking gone into 

this, and we’ve got a good 

pragmatic board. We know 

how important this is to the 

community. It will be good.” 

Family takes out top 

farm environment award 

The van Ras Family of Morrinsville have 

been named 2021 Regional Supreme 

Winners in the Waikato Ballance Farm 

Environment Awards. 

The awards, run by the 

New Zealand Farm 

Environment Trust, 

champion sustainable farming 

and growing. 

The supreme regional 

winner, Waiorongomai Valley 

Farms, is a family affair 

with two generations of the 

van Ras family, Johan and 

Kylie and Richard and Truus, 

all living on the land that 

the family bought in 2010 

after previously leasing the 

farm for six years. 

The 76ha farm has 215 

cows and has stock health as a 

main priority. The family say 

they are constantly looking to 

improve their environmental 

impact and balance sustainability 

with profitability. 

They entered the Ballance 

Farm Environment Awards in 

the hope of learning from the 

awards experience and to help 

share positive stories from the 

farming industry. 

Supreme winners Kylie, Johan, 

Truus and Richard van Ras. 

The judges said that the 

van Rases are good adopters 

of technology who understand 

the value of using accurate data 

to inform good management 

practice and sustainable business 

decisions. 

“It is evident that the van 

Ras family work well as a team 

and have an excellent succession 

plan across three generations. 

We believe that this farm 

business offers many industry 

leadership opportunities for 

the van Ras family,” the judges 

said. 

As well as receiving this 

year’s Regional Supreme 

Award, they also received the: 

• Ballance Agri-Nutrients 

Soil Management Award 

• DairyNZ Sustainability and 

Stewardship Award 

• WaterForce Integrated 

Management Award 

• Synlait Future Leaders 

Award 

This year the Waikato 

Ballance Farm Environment 

Awards included a new 

award category for Catchment 

Groups. The 2021 winners 

of this award are Pūniu River 

Care. 

When it comes to catchment 

management, Pūniu River 

Care, (PRC), are big initiators 

in the Waikato. Established in 

2015 to enable local hapū to 

be involved in the restoration 

of the Pūniu River Catchment, 

PRC work with their rural 

community, iwi, regional and 

central government to implement 

restoration work at scale. 

A main part of their work is 

training people from the community 

to propagate native 

plants at Mangatoatoa marae 

which are then planted around 

rivers, lakes, wetlands and 

erodible land. 

The organisation has grown 

rapidly since its inception and 

will deliver 500,000 native 

plants, planted into the Pūniu 

and Waipa River catchments in 

May 2021 and has the capacity 

to deliver in excess of 1 million 

plants each year in the coming 

seasons. 

The nursery and planting 

operation currently employs 

more than 30 people and the 

organisation is committed to 

building the skills and capability 

of their team, with a number 

of young staff members 

being supported into leadership 

roles. 

Encouraging the next generation 

is also a priority with 

an education programme running 

at the local whare kura 

to ensure the ongoing success 

of PRC, the improvement of 

the environment and the hope 

it gives marae throughout 

Aotearoa. 

The BFEA judges were 

impressed with the engagement 

of the team at PRC. “It 

was very evident that the staff 

believed in the vision of the 

organisation and looked to be 

really enjoying their work,” 

said the judges. 

OTHER WAIKATO 2021 

BALLANCE FARM 

ENVIRONMENT AWARD 

WINNERS 

Michael and Susi Woodward - 

Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award and 

Norwood Agri-Business Management Award 

Russell and Mavis Proffit - 

Massey University Innovation Award 

and Waikato Regional Council Water 

Protection Award 

Murray & Janet Easton - 

Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Award 

Peter Levin and Phil Barton - 

Hill Laboratories Agri-Science Award 

and Waikato River Authority Catchment 

Improvement Award

See the best of 

agribusiness at 

Fieldays 2021 

The future of the agribusiness sector is 

looking bright, with a wider range of products 

and services on offer than ever before. 

With over 1,000 exhibitors 

on site at 

Fieldays this year, 

there’s no better place to scope 

out the latest in the primary 

industries. 

As the largest agricultural 

event in the Southern Hemisphere, 

here’s just a small 

snapshot of what your ticket to 

Fieldays 2021 will get you. 

A trip to the Agribusiness 

area will indulge you with 

market leading agricultural 

specialists to learn from and 

network with, as well as an opportunity 

to check out the latest 

investments to help you maintain 

your farm. 

Whether you’re looking at 

herd management, calf nutrition, 

monitoring soil quality, 

effluent systems, irrigation, organic 

or regenerative farming, 

you’ll be able to find the latest 

in ag, alongside the tried and 

tested favourites, all within a 

short stroll of each other. 

If you’re looking for more 

heavy-duty equipment to 

get the job done, head to the 

Heavy Equipment Precinct. 

There will be a wide range of 

tractors, forklifts, excavators, 

mowers, spreaders, and cultivators 

to choose from. 

But it’s not just about the 

latest products. It’s about the 

services you can access to 

help you work smarter, not 

harder too. 

All the major banks will be 

on site with their financial advisors 

on hand to chat through 

your banking needs over a 

cup of coffee. To help you 

bear those chilly mornings, 

there is an abundance of durable 

gear that will withstand the 

elements, which you can find 

in the Rural Living Precinct. 

From all the Kiwi favourite 

farming clothing brands to the 

woolly socks, waterproof jackets, 

sturdy footwear, and warm 

clothing that will keep you cosy 

until spring. 

Fieldays being back on site 

at Mystery Creek also means 

you get to experience the iconic 

competitions once again. So, 

when you need a break from 

shopping around, head to the 

riverside, where all the competitions 

are now in one location. 

The boy racers of farming 

world will be back, going 

head-to-head in the Tractor 

Pull. New Zealand’s top fencers 

will be back too vying for 

the coveted Golden Pliers® 

and you can catch the test of 

skill and precision at the Civil 

Contractors New Zealand Regional 

Excavator Competition. 

Whilst walking around 

Fieldays this year, you will 

undoubtedly stumble across an 

innovation or two that piques 

your interest. But if you’re 

ready to immerse yourself 

with everything that’s about 

to shape the landscape of the 

primary industries, head to the 

Innovation Hub. You’ll get a 

glimpse into the future ranging 

from prototypes to early stages 

of commercialisation through 

to ideas ready to grow and 

scale globally. 

After you’ve headed home 

with all your new ideas and 

gadgets to tackle the next job 

on the farm, remember that 

Fieldays Online is back this 

year too. You’ll be able to tune 

in to segments with This Working 

Life, Fieldays Kitchen, and 

all the latest Future Focus talks 

and more. So, you can tune 

in on demand and tune out 

to milk the cows. 

IT’S ON SITE AND ONLINE 

Tickets on sale 

fieldays.co.nz 

JUNE 

2021


Robotic asparagus harvester version 1.5 being pulled by a tractor 

Robotic asparagus harvester version 1.5 

Uni showcases 

robotics at Fieldays 

Three high-tech superheroes are making their presence known at 

this year’s Fieldays. 

The University of Waikato 

has entered three of 

its horticultural robots 

in the Prototype category of 

the 2021 Fieldays Innovation 

Awards. 

They are a robotic asparagus 

harvester, an autonomous 

grape vine pruner and a kiwifruit 

orchard survey robot. 

The robots are collaborative 

projects involving students and 

academics from the School of 

Engineering and the School of 

Computing and Mathematical 

Sciences in partnership with 

other academic institutions and 

businesses. 

“Agritech is very important 

to solving problems,” says Dr 

Shen Hin Lim, Senior Lecturer 

in Mechatronics and Mechanical 

Engineering at the University 

of Waikato and Chair of 

NZ Robotics Automation and 

Sensing (NZRAS). 

“New Zealand is considered 

a world leader in agricultural 

innovation, and I believe that 

we can demonstrate that and 

MaaraTech grape vine pruner 

have an edge using ag robots.” 

Ag robots support the 

horticulture sector in a number 

of ways, automating 

some time-consuming tasks, 

enabling people to get on with 

other work and offering a sustainable 

solution to labour 

shortages. 

Technology also helps the 

agricultural industry to maintain 

high productivity, ensure 

safe, high-quality food products 

and minimise its environmental 

footprint. 

Lim leads the team that 

developed the asparagus harvester 

which will be on display 

in the Innovation Hub. 

The fully operational prototype 

was developed with the 

support of Callaghan Innovation, 

in collaboration with 

Robotics Plus Limited. The 

asparagus harvester has a 

high-tech vision system that 

detects the asparagus spears, 

computes their base location, 

and, if it detects that the 

spear is tall enough to harvest, 

uses a robotic arm to cut it as 

the robot passes over. 

Another robot at Fieldays 

is the MaaraTech Grape Vine 

Pruner, a transdisciplinary 

co-design project funded by 

the Ministry of Business, 

Innovation and Employment, 

including researchers from 

the University of Waikato, 

Robotics Plus, the University 

of Auckland, the University of 

Canterbury, Lincoln Agritech, 

University of Otago and Plant 

& Food Research. 

Auckland University holds 

the contract for the fiveyear 

MaaraTech project, and 

Waikato University is subcontracted 

to focus on the 

hardware development and 

physical aspects of creating the 

technology. 

Teams from other universities 

have worked on different 

parts of the process which 

includes scanning and building 

a 3D model of the vine 

using cameras and sensors; 

detecting and measuring so 

the software has the necessary 

metrics to make a decision; 

Dr Shen Hin Lim 

then the mechatronics which 

take action. Dr Benjamin 

McGuinness, a research and 

teaching fellow in mechanical 

engineering at the University 

of Waikato, says the robot’s 

cutting blade - dubbed “the 

barracuda” - has evolved over 

many iterations and modifications 

of commercial secateurs 

by Waikato researcher Scott 

Harvey. Its innovative design 

helps ensure wires are not cut 

by mistake. 

“The design we’ve come 

up with has a series of slots 

in the anvil of the bottom 

blade. The idea is, the wire 

will fall into the slots but the 

cane is too big to fit in there, 

so the blade will cut the 

cane,” says McGuinness. 

WE DIDN’T WANT TO BUILD JUST 

ANOTHER SILOED SYSTEM, SO WE’VE 

DESIGNED THE ROBOT AND DIGITAL 

TWIN AS A REUSABLE PLATFORM 

TO ENABLE MANY DIFFERENT 

STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING INDUSTRY 

AND ACADEMIC, TO INTEGRATE THEIR 

SPECIALIST SENSORS, MODELS OR 

VISUALISATION TOOLS. 

The Orchard Survey 

Robot was funded by Zespri 

to advance innovation and 

research in the kiwifruit industry. 

It uses a variety of sensors 

to autonomously navigate 

around the orchard to capture 

information that can provide 

actionable insights to growers, 

says Nick Pickering, a 

systems engineering lecturer 

at the University of Waikato, 

who is leading the project. 

It can be programmed to 

capture a wide range of data 

through the life cycle of kiwifruit 

growing. 

“We’ll be initiating the 

research later in the year 

starting with flower counting 

and canopy cover, with 

plans to expand the collaboration 

into the areas of pest and 

disease detection, fruit estimation 

and plant structure,” 

says Pickering. 

“The information from the 

robot will be used to support 

growers to make complex 

decisions to optimise fruit 

quality and quantity.” 

In addition to assisting 

growers, there’s an opportunity 

to improve decision-making 

across the harvest, post-harvest, 

logistics and marketing 

functions. 

As a “common-user robot 

environment”, it will promote 

more collaboration and 

knowledge-sharing across 

the industry. 

“It’s all about being better 

together,” says Pickering. 

“We didn’t want to build just 

another siloed system, so 

we’ve designed the robot and 

digital twin as a reusable platform 

to enable many different 

stakeholders, including industry 

and academic, to integrate 

their specialist sensors, models 

or visualisation tools.” 

• Fieldays visitors can 

see the robots at the 

Innovation Hub.

The right legal advice 

makes all the difference 

It has never been more critical to have the right legal 

team on hand to tackle the myriad of challenges 

facing agribusiness, particularly with current and future 

environmental and regulatory changes coming through. 

Lewis Lawyers’ commitment 

and connection 

with the rural community 

runs deep. 

Lewis has been a leading 

law firm in the Waikato for 

over a century - four generations 

- with its first office in 

Cambridge opening in 1906. 

In the earlier days, dairy 

farming was the main type of 

farming in and around the area 

surrounding Cambridge. Sheep 

and beef farming, horticulture 

and equine grew rapidly over 

the decades. 

Today, about a third of Lewis’s 

client base comes from the 

rural sector including dairy, 

sheep and beef, goat, forestry, 

horticulture, poultry, equine, 

food production, contracting 

and other organisations in agribusiness. 

Partner Matt Makgill, says 

many of Lewis’ key clients 

have been with the firm since 

the beginning. 

“We now have third and 

fourth generations coming to 

us seeking sound legal, regulatory 

and market advice on 

matters relating to their businesses,” 

he says. 

“This is particularly common 

with our rural clients who 

have family farms for generations 

and have been working 

with us through matters like 

succession planning, farm 

sales and acquisitions, equity 

and ownership structures, and 

joint ventures,” he explains. 

Makgill sees the legal team 

as an integral part of a farmer’s 

critical team of rural advisors, 

including their accountant, 

their farm advisor and their nutrient 

specialist. 

“We believe this ensures 

legal counsel is well-across the 

overall business and is ready 

to provide another perspective 

when required, can proactively 

identify opportunities, and is 

there to offer assistance when 

things don’t go to plan,” he 

says. 

“The nature of the relationships 

we build with our clients 

allow us to foresee issues before 

they arise, so the client 

can be proactively guided 

through statutory and regulatory 

requirements, and will avoid 

running into issues,” he adds. 

Longstanding relationships 

with clients have also been invaluable 

for matters relating to 

employment law, which Makgill 

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joy when things are functioning 

well, but can also be the 

biggest headache when there’s 

a relationship breakdown. 

“Our team is well-versed 

on the rights and obligations of 

employers and employees under 

employment law. We can 

also proactively assist employers 

to meet their obligations 

under the health and safety 

law, and other laws that impact 

on the workplace.” 

He says this is essential 

at this point in time with the 

challenges farmers have been 

facing to find skilled, experienced, 

suitable workers. 

“Choices to fill critical roles 

and manage chronic understaffing 

has been extremely 

limited in some cases, and this 

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for some of our clients employing 

and retaining the right 

staff.” The use of equity partnerships 

and other equity sharing 

arrangments is one way clients 

have sought to address this 

issue, which Makgill says is an 

area his team has an enormous 

amount of knowledge and experience. 

Makgill says taking a strategic, 

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to legal issues can have a significant 

impact on productivity 

and profitability in the business, 

whether it’s for sale and 

purchases, rural leases, equity 

partnerships, equity and debt 

financing and farm succession 

planning. 

Lewis Lawyers has offices 

in Cambridge and Hamilton, 

serving the greater Waikato region 

and beyond. 

The team at Lewis Lawyers 

takes pride in drawing on 

their knowledge to add value 

to transactions and resolve disputes 

for clients. Lewis Lawyers 

is a progressive practice, 

a young firm in its approach, 

built on tradition. 

The firm is agile and available 

to work in whichever way 

works best for the client, and 

Makgill says it’s not uncommon 

for a meeting or documents 

to be signed in the tractor 

via Zoom or Teams. 

“We remained fully operational 

during last year’s 

lockdown, and if New Zealand 

were to have another 

COVID-19 outbreak in the 

community, it would be business 

as usual for our team. 

“We have a great team here 

and we take huge pride in the 

reputation we’ve built for being 

modern and progressive in 

our approach.” 

RURAL SERVICES 

• Farm sales and acquisitions 

• Farm leasing 

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• Joint ventures and 

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• Succession planning 

• Estate planning 

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• Resource Management issues 

and consent 

• Environmental compliance 

• Transferable development 

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• Environmental benefit lots 

• Public works 

• Corporate / commercial 

• Dispute resolution 

Lisa Ware 

Partner 

Matt Makgill 

Partner 

Lucy Young 

Partner 

Monique Medley-Rush 

Partner 

Mayuan Si 

Partner 

Simon Makgill 

Consultant 

Corner Dick and Alpha Streets, Cambridge | Ph 07 827 5147 

45 Seddon Road, Hamilton | Ph 07 848 1222 

www.lewislawyers.co.nz


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9 

Firm wins recognition for Covid response 

Cambridge firm AgDrive’s strong response to Covid has seen it 

take out two prestigious awards. 

It won Excellence in 

Emerging/New Business, 

and Innovation and Adaptation 

at the Waipā Networks 

Business Awards, held at 

Mystery Creek. 

It was well-earned recognition 

for the firm’s remarkable 

story less than a year 

after it started. 

The driver training business, 

part of the Ag Technology 

Group based at Hautapu, 

was born out of a stray comment 

over a coffee at a time 

when the company was staring 

down the Covid barrel, 

says director Andre Syben. 

Ag Technology’s engineers, 

who normally spend 

half the year in Germany 

testing and developing Claas 

machinery, were effectively 

grounded by the pandemic 

and the company was casting 

around for alternatives. 

“The AgDrive idea wasn't 

actually mine,” Syben says. 

“It was an off the side comment 

made by a friend of 

mine. He made the comment 

completely out of the blue. 

He said, ‘What’s going to 

happen to all these contractors 

when they can't get overseas 

staff?’ 

“He just went on to talk 

about something else, and I 

went, ‘aha’. So I didn't actually 

come up with the idea.” 

AgDrive was established 

to meet the gap - connecting 

people put out of work by the 

pandemic with contractors 

needing staff for the upcoming 

harvest season. 

They signed a contract 

with the Ministry for Social 

Development and began short 

training courses at Matangi at 

the end of July. 

Eight months later, they 

had placed more than 60 

people in jobs, and have 

even taken on one graduate 

themselves, a former pilot 

who is now managing their 

warehouse. 

Others have been 

employed by firms including 

Wealleans and Waharoabased 

horticulture company 

LeaderBrand. 

AgDrive not only gives 

trainees the driver training 

but also supports them in 

their job applications. 

Along with redeploying 

Ag Technology engineers, 

they have taken on four new 

staff for AgDrive, and have 

just signed a contract with the 

Primary ITO to run both tractor 

driving and motorbike and 

quad driving microcredential 

courses for NZQA credits. 

Aimed at people already 

in employment, the weeklong 

tractor course will have 

intakes of 10 or 11, while 

the bike training is set to 

become a twice-weekly, twoday 

course, with a 10-strong 

intake for each. 

General manager Janine 

Peters says the AgDrive ITO 

initiative came after they 

were looking for other avenues 

to ensure the business’s 

long-term future. 

Early signs were encouraging 

after Syben’s wife 

posted the news on their 

Facebook page. 

“All I heard all night was 

‘ping’ ‘ping’ on her phone. 

It was inquiry, just unbelievable,” 

Syben says. 

They have built an indoor 

bike training track at the back 

of their warehouse, meaning 

the training can be held in all 

AgDrive took out both Excellence in Emerging/New Business 

and the Innovation and Adaptation Award at the Waipa 

Networks Business Awards. Photo: Cornegiephotography 

weathers. It is carpeted with 

astroturf Syben bought before 

Christmas from the Cambridge 

tennis courts, with the 

planned track in mind. 

But they are also looking 

at taking the offering 

on-farm for employers such 

as iwi with a large number of 

employees on grouped farms 

Ag Technology is also 

growing its Diesel Tune 

business with the addition of 

imported TJM four-by-four 

accessories, the first time 

they have sold a physical 

product through the business. 

Meanwhile, their 2500 

sq m warehouse, a business 

which they started just 

before Covid lockdown, 

is almost full. 

Bull burps could 

hold answer to more 

climate friendly cows 

The opportunity to breed more climate 

friendly cows is one step closer for 

New Zealand dairy farmers after a 

Waikato trial has found a possible link 

between bulls’ genetics and the amount 

of methane they produce. 

The pilot trial, by artificial 

breeding companies LIC 

and CRV with funding 

from the New Zealand Agricultural 

Greenhouse Gas Research 

Centre, measured feed intake 

and methane emissions – in the 

form of burps – from 20 young 

bulls destined to father the next 

generation of New Zealand’s 

dairy cows. 

LIC chief scientist Richard 

Spelman says results from the 

pilot trial are promising. 

“Methane production primarily 

relates to how much an 

animal eats. We’ve accounted 

for this and we’re still seeing 

variation which suggests genetics 

plays a role in a dairy bull’s 

methane emissions – now we 

need more data to prove it.” 

The research will now 

progress to a larger study 

where operations have scaled 

up to collect measurements 

from 300 young bulls, the full 

intake from LIC and CRV’s 

Sire Proving Scheme. Agriculture 

Minister Hon Damien 

O’Connor attended the launch 

of the project at LIC’s farm 

outside of Hamilton. 

“What makes me so excited 

about this project is the cooperation. 

A company from the 

Northern Hemisphere and a 

company from the Southern 

Hemisphere working together 

for a common objective. There 

are lots of options for methane 

emission reduction being 

looked at, and this is a great 

one,” O’Connor said. 

“Each one of the cows we 

have in New Zealand now 

produces a whole lot more for 

the same inputs that we put in 

maybe 20 or 30 years ago. That 

kind of progressive development 

that we’ve seen in production, 

we want to now see in 

methane reduction and I’m sure 

we can do that.” 

Although methane emissions 

have been shown to be 

heritable, Spelman said LIC 

and CRV will carry out additional 

research to validate their 

findings. 

“We will be methane testing 

daughters from the bulls that 

are identified to be high or low 

methane emitters to check their 

emissions are representative 

of their father’s. 

“It’s a long-term project but 

it has the potential to deliver 

real benefits to farmers in the 

future by providing another tool 

to reduce their farm emissions,” 

Dr Spelman said. CRV R&D 

manager Phil Beatson said 

more than two and a half years 

of planning with his colleagues 

at LIC has gone into setting 

up a robust structure for the 

research project. 

“Together, we have done a 

significant amount of work to 

set up this trial, including using 

insights from overseas projects 

measuring feed intake and 

methane emissions. We believe 

we are using the best approach 

for what is enormously complicated 

work. 

“CRV and LIC recognise 

that environmental issues have 

become increasingly important 

to New Zealand agriculture. 

LIC chief scientist Richard Spelman and Damien O’Connor 

at the project facilities at LIC’s farm outside Hamilton. 

Our collaboration, with support 

from MPI, AgResearch and 

NZAGRC, demonstrates our 

commitment to keep finding 

genetic solutions that can help 

farmers future-proof their business.” 

Harry Clark, director of 

the New Zealand Agricultural 

Greenhouse Gas Research Centre, 

is delighted with the outcomes 

of the pilot trial. 

“We have been highly successful 

in New Zealand in 

breeding low-emitting sheep 

and this preliminary work with 

the bulls is a positive sign that 

we should be able to achieve 

the same for the dairy sector,” 

he said. 

Spelman said while breeding 

for more climate friendly 

cows is the focus, it’s still a 

balancing act with other genetic 

traits. 

“It’s really important that 

we understand the genetic relationships 

between methane and 

traits like milk production and 

fertility. We don’t want to find 

we are selecting against methane 

and inadvertently breeding 

cows that are less fertile.” 

The bulls involved in the 

trial are housed in a barn so 

their feed intake can be measured. 

They help themselves to 

feed throughout the day, eating 

lucerne hay cubes via feed bins 

which measures how much 

each bull eats. The bulls independently 

visit the Greenfeed 

machine (a special methane 

measuring device). They’re 

enticed to visit the machine as 

they get a small feed of pellets 

which keeps them in the 

machine for three to five minutes 

– enough time to get a 

methane measurement (ruminant 

animals burp every 1-2 

mins). Bulls are under 24/7 

video surveillance so scientists 

can monitor them remotely. 

The welfare of the bulls 

taking part in the trial is being 

monitored by LIC, with oversight 

from the Ruakura Ethics 

Committee which has approved 

the project. The bulls have the 

freedom to move around in their 

pens, and eat, drink and sleep 

when they wish.


Front Paddock founders Sarah Carty and Keir Bettley 

Family farm gets chic new look 

A piece of enduring rural Hamilton history has an eye-catching 

new chapter in the form of a refurbished shipping container 

fitted out as a cafe on the city’s outskirts. 

Think of it as a slice of 

Melbourne in Matangi. 

The brainchild of 

couple Sarah Carty and Keir 

Bettley, Front Paddock cafe 

evokes Carty’s inner- city 

Melbourne background in its 

chic container design along 

with Bettley’s long-standing 

farming family association 

with the land it stands on. 

Opened after Covid lockdown, 

the Matangi Road cafe 

is a “passion project” for the 

couple, who live just a couple 

of hundred metres away. 

Carty is an account director 

with Melbourne-based iD 

Collective, who are developing 

their New Zealand presence, 

and Bettley is a co-director 

of Signature Homes 

Waikato having bought the 

franchise with two others nine 

years ago. 

It helped that Bettley was 

able to do the build himself 

with the help of a few mates. 

The refurbishment includes 

large windows at either end, 

providing welcome light and 

warmth. Carty, who manages 

the cafe and its social media, 

says she wasn’t initially convinced 

by Bettley’s idea for 

a plywood interior but now 

thinks it works well, reflecting 

the earthy surroundings. 

With the Bettleys well 

known in the area - Keir’s 

brother and parents also live 

nearby on the former family 

farm - once work started, 

curious locals would stop and 

ask what was happening. 

“I loved the process - 

designing it and seeing how 

it was going to work,” Bettley 

says. “It was quite a tricky 

undertaking, but we figured 

things out as we went. I'm 

really pleased with it.” 

The job was carried out 

mostly at weekends, and completed 

after Covid lockdown, 

with the cafe opening on May 

18. 

Carty says the timing was 

“probably a bit nuts” but paid 

off, providing an opportunity 

to connect with locals who 

had just come off the back of 

a lockdown. 

“As soon as level two hit, 

we took the opportunity. It 

was good because people 

were super keen to come and 

get takeaway coffees.” 

Front Paddock features 

a playground and a petting 

zoo shared with the neighbouring 

Meadows Early 

Learning Centre. 

Local suppliers are to the 

fore, with the cafe’s kombucha 

coming from Gutsy, 

which is based in Riverlea, 

and raw treats courtesy 

of Hamilton-based 

Little S and P. 

There is also a plant stall 

from The Plant Girl and 

an organic vegetable stand 

courtesy of nearby Tomtit, 

a fellow startup. 

The counter food comes 

from Volare while Carty says 

Ben, the barista, knows their 

regulars by name, along with 

their life stories. 

Through Signature Homes, 

Bettley had already built the 

Meadows centre, and he and 

Carty could see the value in 

building a cafe for parents 

dropping off their children. 

Staff from Atawhai Assisi 

Home and Hospital across the 

road are also customers, as 

are other locals. 

Carty says they have 

aimed to make Front Paddock 

a destination, particularly 

at weekends, helped 

by the petting zoo and playground. 

Long term, expansion 

of the cafe is in their 

sights including a commercial 

kitchen on site. 

While the cafe is the 

result of Carty and 

Bettley’s individual 

stories, it also reflects a wider 

Hamilton and Waikato history 

as urban settlements have 

gradually encroached onto 

their rural outskirts, changing 

the land use. 

Originally used for dairying, 

later converted to maize 

cropping and subsequently 

divided by the expressway, 

the former farm alongside 

Matangi Road is now largely 

residential with some haymaking 

and grazing, as well 

as supporting the early child- 

A photo from the early days shows the family building in central Hamilton with the Bettley daughters on the verandah 

Ben the barista knows all the regulars Inside the cafe


11 

I LOVED THE PROCESS - 

DESIGNING IT AND SEEING HOW 

IT WAS GOING TO WORK, IT WAS 

QUITE A TRICKY UNDERTAKING, 

BUT WE FIGURED THINGS OUT AS 

WE WENT. I’M REALLY PLEASED 

WITH IT. 

care and cafe businesses. 

The cafe’s name, Front 

Paddock, evokes that background, 

with Bettley recalling 

a time as a youngster when 

he would be kicking a rugby 

ball around on what was the 

farm’s front paddock and the 

only one not planted in maize. 

Family history, as recollected 

by Keir’s parents Zane 

and Sheryl, takes the story 

back to Hamilton’s early days 

when a Bettley who was an 

officer in the British army 

was allocated rural and town 

properties. 

The early Bettleys had 

two town properties. One was 

in Victoria Street and was a 

tearoom and a butchers, with 

a boarding house upstairs. 

The second was a house situated 

opposite the courthouse 

where Countdown is today. 

The rural property was eventually 

divided into three. 

A great-uncle of Zane’s, 

called Jack, had one portion 

and ran a butchery on his farm. 

It is his former land where 

Front Paddock now stands. 

Meanwhile, Zane’s grandfather, 

Arthur, had a portion that 

has now been subdivided. The 

third portion was for Jack and 

Arthur’s sisters, Maude, Lottie, 

Mabel and Nora. 

Jack did not marry, and 

left half his portion to Zane’s 

father, George, and the other 

half equally between Zane 

and his brothers Craig and 

Warren. 

The three brothers and 

their father formed a company 

in the early 1970s and continued 

to run a dairy farm of 

about 200 acres before changing 

to cropping maize in the 

late 70s. 

Further change came about 

20 years ago, when Transit 

New Zealand designated part 

of the farm for the expressway, 

which virtually cut the 

farm in half. The government 

agency purchased about 110 

acres off the company and 

eventually sold back about 30 

acres. Too small to be used as 

a farm, the excess land has 

been leased out for potatoes 

and pumpkins, and for hay 

and grazing. 

In continuing development 

of the block, about six years 

ago Keir Bettley built the 

home he and Carty now live 

in, on an 8000 square metre 

lot. Their trans-Tasman relationship 

became a Waikato 

one after Carty shifted from 

her native Australia, initially 

to Auckland and then two 

years ago to Hamilton where 

she is enjoying the lifestyle. 

Two and a half years ago, 

Bettley’s Signature Homes 

then built a house for his 

brother on the second of three 

titles on the block of land, 

while their parents are currently 

building a retirement 

home on the remaining title. 

Its use has changed markedly, 

but the block of land with its 

farming history remains solidly 

in the Bettley family. 

• Front Paddock is open 

6.30am-2.30pm weekdays 

and 8am-2pm weekends. 

The petting zoo is a hit 

+++++++ 

+++++++ 

+++++++ 

+++++++ 

+++++++ 

Procuta Associates 

Urban + Architecture 

Contact us 07 839 6521 

www.pauaarchitects.co.nz


Key questions 

on future land use 

Anyone who has tramped in New Zealand’s national parks or 

driven through jaw-dropping South Island scenery has observed 

first hand largely pristine wilderness, with millions of hectares of 

native bush and mountains left much as the country was when 

the first humans arrived. 

At the other end of the 

spectrum, urban environments 

focused on 

meeting human needs are 

concreted and tar-sealed, with 

buildings in place of trees. 

Between the two extremes, 

we have our rural areas and 

farms, where humans have 

caused some degradation, but 

there is still space for wildlife 

and nature to flourish. 

While New Zealand is recognised 

as the world’s most 

sustainable food producer, the 

release of the Climate Change 

Commission’s recommendations 

around limiting carbon 

emissions is perhaps a good 

prompt for us to ask, “What 

are the next steps for rural 

land – the land between these 

extremes?” 

In this rural area, New Zealand 

produces enough food for 

40 to 50 million people, while 

By Jamie Blennerhassett 

Innovation Leader at 

Ballance Agri-Nutrients 

at the same time keeping the 

human impact on the landscape 

to a minimum. 

As the world’s population 

increases and more focus is 

put on food production as well 

as offsetting climate change, 

we can see a growing tension 

between the need to keep people 

alive and the benefits of 

land preservation. 

One of the underlying 

drivers is the threat of overall 

biodiversity loss. Every 

country in the world is facing 

this, and there’s a direct correlation 

between people and 

the amount of land we take up 

and the loss of natural habitat, 

with 25 percent of the world’s 

species predicted to become 

extinct within the next century. 

Until now, commercial 

drivers have underpinned 

changing land use; this is 

reflected, for example, in the 

dramatic drop in the number 

of sheep farmed in New Zealand 

in the 1980s in response 

to the elimination of government 

subsidies and dropping 

wool prices. On the other side 

of the ledger, good incomes 

from dairying have spurred 

New Zealand to become the 

eighth-largest milk producer 

in the world. 

Questions to debate could 

include considerations such 

as how we work together to 

strengthen our economy and 

support Kiwis to prosper while 

protecting our natural environment 

and our climate. 

Would we change our view 

on land use from a regional to 

a national perspective? 

If we took a broader 

approach to land, would 

understanding and consideration 

of soil attributes and 

soil health impact the way we 

manage urban growth? 

Are there opportunities to 

trial more diverse farming systems 

that explore farm types 

based on an informed, considered 

use of land and water? 

It may even be useful to 

take a lesson from evolving 

approaches to city planning, 

where district and regional 

plans create zones for industry, 

high-density housing and 

apartments, and commercial 

and heritage precincts. 

This could allow land to 

be zoned into pine plantations 

and planting for carbon sinks, 

intensive farming districts for 

the production of high-quality 

food more sustainably than is 

possible in other countries, 

and more-sensitive areas for 

lighter farming. 

Land ratings could take 

into account values such as 

recreational potential, productive 

capabilities, and ability 

to protect and nurture unique 

flora and fauna. 

Perhaps land with higher 

environmental values could 

be used to offset degradation 

of land that is being used for 

higher-density food production, 

in much the same way as 

airlines use tree plantations to 

offset travel emissions. 

Acknowledging the impact 

that humans have already 

had on the land and accepting 

that much of this degradation 

cannot be undone, is 

it time to be more pragmatic 

with our attitude to changing 

land use? Would this more 

targeted approach enable 

New Zealand to focus on its 

strengths, including fertile 

farmland, a low population 

and world-leading sustainability 

practices? Is it time to 

make informed and rational 

compromises? 

The utopia of protecting 

water quality in all productive 

farmland, as stipulated in legislation 

based on the Te Mana 

o te Wai concept within the 

National Policy Statement for 

Freshwater Management, is 

unlikely to be at all possible. 

Kiwis are grappling with 

the rate of change and the need 

to balance providing carbon 

sinks and pollution-free environments 

with optimising food 

production to meet consumer 

demand and the growing 

requirement for urban land. 

Given that it’s impossible 

to have productivity without 

impact, now is a good time 

to debate how much impact 

we as a nation are prepared to 

accept, and where the pendulum 

settles. 

• Dr Jamie Blennerhassett 

is Innovation Leader at 

Ballance Agri-Nutrients. 

Ballance is a New Zealand 

farmer-owned co-operative, 

supporting Kiwis to 

farm productively, profitably 

and sustainably. 

Relationship Property and Trusts 

How much can you 

really trust your trust? 

Is your trust still protecting your 

assets including your family 

farm and business? 

Many of you will be aware that 

there have been recent changes 

to New Zealand trust law. But 

are you aware of the risks your 

trust may face with respect to a 

relationship property claim? 

There is a common 

misconception that if you have 

a family trust owning assets, 

such as the family farm, it will 

protect those assets from a 

relationship property claim. 

Unfortunately this is not always 

the case. 

There has been recent 

developments through 

the Courts that have made 

some trusts vulnerable to a 

relationship property claim. 

Picture this.... 

Mike’s trust owns a dairy farm. 

Mike’s parents settled Mike’s 

trust some years ago. Mike and 

his parents are the trustees of 

Mike’s trust. Mike is their only 

child and he has worked on the 

farm since he was 15. He is a 

beneficiary of Mike’s trust. 

Mike worked hard on the farm 

and has barely had time to even 

think about meeting anyone. 

But one day Mike met Molly. 

Molly came from a farming 

family. She spent a lot of time 

on the farm with Mike. Mike 

thinks it is a match made 

in heaven. Molly moves in 

with Mike and helps with the 

fencing, milking, rears the 

calves and also helps Mike 

renovate the homestead on 

the farm that Mike lives in. 

Molly doesn’t have any assets 

aside from a couple of horses. 

Mike would like to marry Molly 

but he is not sure that he would 

want Molly to have a share in 

the farm at this early point in 

their relationship. Luckily, the 

farm is owned by Mike’s trust so 

Mike thinks it is protected from 

a relationship property claim. 

Mike and Molly get married, 

however the relationship starts 

to gradually break down. 

After about four years of 

marriage Molly calls it quits 

and moves out. Mike is 

shocked to receive a letter in 

the mail from Molly’s lawyer 

in which Molly makes a claim 

against the assets of Mike’s 

Trust. 

Mike is even more shocked 

when he sees his lawyer and 

is told that Molly may have a 

valid claim against the farm 

and is entitled to a half share 

of the homestead. 

Where a spouse or partner 

makes contributions to 

trust assets that lead to 

an increase in the value 

of those trust assets, that 

spouse or partner may have 

a claim for a share of the 

trust assets. 

Contributions can be 

income earned or work 

done and may also include 

contributions to the 

household. The homestead 

on the farm is treated as 

relationship property where 

the parties have been in a 

relationship for three years 

or more. Relationship 

property is divided equally at 

separation. 

While this is only one 

example, what is clear is 

that the mere ownership 

Georgia 

of assets in a family trust is 

not a complete protection 

from claims by your partner or 

spouse. 

You can however, protect 

yourself and your assets. 

This can be done by way of 

a contracting out agreement 

(also known as a “pre-nup”). 

If you have assets in a 

trust then you should seek 

legal advice to ensure that 

your trust is providing the 

protection you want. 

If you have any queries about 

relationship property and 

trusts, get in touch with Kirsty 

McDonald or Georgia Watts at 

Gallie Miles Lawyers. 

Kirsty 

_ Hamilton/Te Awamutu/Otorohanga _ 

0800 872 0560 

E: office@gallie.co.nz 

www.gallie.co.nz 

We speak your language


13 

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Chemical-free treatment solution saves dairy 

farmer thousands on effluent compliance 

A small family-owned and operated Matamata Company 

has been at the forefront of ground breaking water filtration 

technology for more than 15 years and have made some 

impressive moves to help farmers and industrial companies 

deal with water related issues. 

Forsi Innovations have 

spent many years testing 

and refining their 

water filtration systems to 

help farmers with water 

quality issues. Their flagship 

systems for iron and manganese 

removal have been sold 

right throughout the country 

from Mangawhai to Invercargill 

and have been installed 

in places where other filter 

system have failed; the 

Forsi Aquafier systems have 

worked perfectly from day 

one without issues. 

In 2015 Forsi Innovations 

launched their Effluent Filtration 

system at Fieldays with 

huge success nationwide. The 

biggest system is situated 

at Massey University’s No 

1 dairy at their Palmerston 

North campus. The effluent 

filter system takes the effluent, 

separates the solids out 

and filters the water to drinking 

water standards so that 

the water is completely clean 

with no pathogens, virus or 

smell. 

This means the water can 

be utilised on the farm for any 

need that the farmer wants 

without any limitations as to 

where the water can be used. 

The solids that have been 

separated out are high in 

fertiliser value and can be 

composted down in the solids 

bunker to be used later 

on the pasture or cropping 

paddocks. The big advantage 

to the Forsi Effluent filter 

system is that it eliminated 

the need for large ponds so 

FORSI slope screen. 

the need for large amounts of 

storage has been negated. 

Since 2015 the company 

have further refined the system 

to now be completely 

chemical-free, so this is a 

huge advantage to farmers 

as the only input to run the 

system is power and effluent 

– that’s it. 

The drive behind this is 

to make the system as environmentally 

sustainable as 

possible without having to 

add chemicals to produce 

clean water. They have been 

trialling the new technology 

for the past 2 years with 

huge success. They have been 

using the technology within a 

car wash plant that has all the 

water 100 percent recycled 

and saving the owner of this 

business thousands of dollars 

every year in chemical costs. 

Also in iron and manganese 

removal, this has taken 

the Aquafier filter systems to 

a whole new level that is not 

attainable from any other filter 

system. The latest plant to 

use this technology is a drycleaners 

in Papakura; they 

are able to recycle their wash 

water and reuse this in other 

areas of their dry cleaning 

business. 

This new technology has 

revolutionised the efficiency 

of all Forsi’s filtration systems 

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on all types of water, not just 

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FORSI’s R.O Membrane filtration module for water polishing


CHRISTOPHER IS THE FIRST 

PERSON THE FAMILY HAS 

EMPLOYED THAT IS NOT A FAMILY 

MEMBER. CHRISTOPHER HAS 

EARNED THEIR TRUST AND 

RESPECT AND IS GROWING WITH 

THIS OPPORTUNITY. 

Winning dairy manager 

shows attention to detail 

Waikato farmers have made a strong 

showing at the 2021 NZ Dairy Industry 

Awards, taking out Manager of the Year 

and Trainee of the Year. 

Waikato’s Christopher 

Vila became 

the 2021 New Zealand 

Dairy Manager of the 

Tractor & farm machinery 

sold & serviced across the 

Waikato & Bay of Plenty 

CAMBRIDGE 

183 Victoria Road 

07 827 7159 

Year and Ruth Connolly from 

Waikato was announced the 

2021 New Zealand Dairy 

Trainee of the Year. 

ŌTOROHANGA 

1 Progress Drive 

07 873 4004 

Manoj Kumar and Sumit 

Kamboj from Hawke’s Bay/ 

Wairarapa were named the 

2021 New Zealand Share 

Farmers of the Year. 

The 2021 Dairy Manager 

of the Year stood out 

as an immigrant who has 

come to New Zealand 

and has spent the past 13 

years in the New Zealand 

dairy industry learning and 

ROTORUA 

22 Fairy Springs Road 

07 343 1915 www.gaz.co.nz 

Jeff Bolstad 

Dairy Manager of the Year Christopher Vila 

accumulating knowledge. 

Christopher Vila is a Farm 

Manager on the JA BE Turnwald 

Family Trust 103.8ha 

farm, milking 341 cows in 

Ohaupo. 

Dairy Manager Head 

Judge Malcolm Scott, from 

Westpac, says Vila has built 

a very strong relationship 

with his farm owners and 

his family. 

“Christopher is the 

first person the family has 

employed that is not a family 

member. Christopher has 

earned their trust and respect 

and is growing with this 

opportunity.” 

“He’s on a farm that is like 

a goldfish bowl, surrounded 

by 50-odd houses and lifestyle 

blocks,” says fellow 

judge Gray Beagley from 

DairyNZ. 

“He understands the property 

is in the public eye and 

does everything on-farm 

to the absolute best of 

his ability. 

“Christopher cares about 

the neighbouring properties, 

and rather than spray 

for weeds, which risks killing 

urban plantings, he will 

pull weeds by hand near the 

boundary fences. 

“His attention-to-detail is 

outstanding and he wants to 

do everything very well.” 

The judges describe Vila 

as a humble, competent and 

passionate dairy farmer who 

sets high standards for himself 

and staff. 

“He’s completely engaged 

in his role but also understands 

the importance of getting 

off-farm and spending 

time with his wife and young 

daughter.” 

He has a good understanding 

of feed management and 

of the different feeds that are 

coming in to the farm. 

“Feed is really only used 

to fill the gaps in the deficit 

periods,” says Beagley. 

“He has extremely high 

animal performance, and a 

high-quality herd. 

“Christopher is keeping 

himself engaged with the new 

environment regulations that 

are rolling out and staying 

completely informed with 

what is happening there.” 

The Dairy Manager 

judges were impressed by 

the diverse make-up of the 

finalists. “There were Kiwis, 

Argentinians, Filipinos, male, 

female.” 

“Some of these immigrants 

in the dairy industry 

are still on work visas and 

have been waiting for some 

time to get their residency 

tidied up. Because of the current 

government inaction, it’s 

been held up and isn’t happening,” 

says Scott. 

“These people are ready 

to take the next step in their 

careers, they have contracts 

ready to sign, but can’t move 

forward in their careers 

because they are still on work 

visas and are waiting and 

waiting for their residency to 

come through.” 

The 2021 Dairy Trainee 

of the Year was awarded to 

Ruth Connolly from Waikato, 

who is described by the 

judges as a polished and 

engaging person. 

The Dairy Trainee judges 

say Connolly stood out in the 

practical and was outstanding 

in the interview section. 

“Ruth is passionate 

about dairy farming and 

is constantly pushing for 

perfection,” says Dairy 

Trainee head judge Tony 

Finch from DairyNZ. 

The judges described her 

as articulate, considered and 

concise with a broad understanding 

of different industry 

issues. 

“Ruth has a huge love 

and respect for the cows, the 

land and the people,” says 

judge Nicky Allomes from 

Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa. 

“She will lead by example 

and will bring people into the 

industry.” 

Connolly’s passion for 

the dairy industry as well as 

her work ethic and trustworthiness 

were noted by the 

judges. 

“She has an insatiable 

thirst for knowledge which, 

coupled with specific and 

high-reaching goals, will 

stand her in good stead,” 

says fellow judge James 

Courtman. 

“Ruth is thankful and 

blessed to be a New Zealand 

dairy farmer.” 

Connolly is Farm Assistant 

on the Rukuhia Holdings 

Ltd 259.6ha property at 

Ohaupo, milking 800 cows. 

The judges say all the 

Dairy Trainee finalists possess 

a strong appreciation for 

mental health awareness and 

a work-life balance and are 

seeking further knowledge 

through higher education. 

MERIT AWARDS 

DairyNZ Employee Engagement Award 

Hayden Goodall 

DeLaval Livestock Management Award 

Christopher Vila 

Fonterra Dairy Management Award 

Stephanie Walker 

LIC Interview Award 

Mark Rivers 

Meridian Leadership Award 

Rachel Lind 

NZDIA Power Play Award 

Hayden Goodall 


2021 NEW ZEALAND DAIRY 

MANAGER OF THE YEAR: 

• Winner – Christopher Vila, Waikato 

• Runner-up – Hayden Goodall, Bay of Plenty 

• Third – Diego Raul Gomez Salinas, Taranaki 

Ravensdown Feed Management Award 

Diego Raul Gomez Salinas 

Westpac Personal Planning & Financial 

Management Award 

Karl Wood

TEMPORARYTSNZ 


17 

Slow down through 

work sites 

Driven to Upskill 

As part of their latest safety campaign, 

WEL Networks are urging the public to 

slow down through its work sites to keep 

their teams safe. 

The campaign aims to 

remind drivers of the 

importance of adhering 

to traffic management instructions 

which are in place 

to protect the important work 

that is being done on-site. 

Each year 60 per cent of 

the jobs WEL carries out are 

roadside across its 6,800km 

network. 

Chief Executive Garth Dibley 

says the company needs 

the community’s help to bring 

their teams’ home safely. 

“Here at WEL, we prior- 

itise the safety of our staff 

and our community so 

please slow down through 

our work sites. It only takes 

a speeding driver to lose 

control or a moment’s inattention 

to have tragic consequences. 

Help us keep our 

teams safe and follow all 

traffic management instructions. 

We want everyone to 

get home safe, every day.” 

Between 2015 to 2019, 

WorkSafe reports that 69 

per cent of New Zealand’s 

work-related acute fatalities 

were linked to vehicles. 

HERE AT WEL, WE PRIORITISE THE 

SAFETY OF OUR STAFF AND OUR 

COMMUNITY SO PLEASE SLOW DOWN 

THROUGH OUR WORK SITES. IT ONLY 

TAKES A SPEEDING DRIVER TO LOSE 

CONTROL OR A MOMENT’S INATTENTION 

TO HAVE TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES. 

“Upskilling is encouraged 

at WEL Networks,” 

Electrical Fitter Bernard 

Muzengeza says. 

Bernard, who joined WEL 

in July 2017, is currently 

completing his Bachelor 

of Engineering Technology 

(Electrical) (Level 7). 

“My ultimate goal is to be 

part of the engineering team. 

Whether that’s commissioning 

or part of maintenance 

services. Once I am focused 

on my goal, I will achieve it,” 

he says. 

In 2019, Bernard completed 

his New Zealand Certificate 

in Electricity Supply 

(Power Technician) Level 5 

and in 2020, his New Zealand 

Diploma in Engineering 

(Electrical) Level 6. 

“It’s a large workload but 

I wouldn’t have it any other 

way. Still working fulltime, 

you have assignment deadlines 

to meet, you’re on call 

and you have family commitments 

. . . it’s a juggling act 

but it’s a worthwhile one,” 

he says. The qualifications 

and continued learning has 

extended Bernard’s skill set 

which he applies daily in the 

field. 

“I have learned so much. 

I look at every project or job 

that I am given from a different 

perspective which adds to 

the challenge. I’d encourage 

others considering further 

studies to pursue them. Any 

other course you can do to 

benefit you in your day-today 

role, go for it. Don’t just 

settle – life has more to offer,” 

he says. 

In 2019, Bernard was 

named Trainee of the Year for 

New Zealand’s Energy and 

Telecommunications industries. 

He also won the Connexis 

ITO Advanced Trainee 

of the Year award. 

“It makes the hard work 

worth it. It was humbling. I 

didn’t expect it . . . it was a 

great achievement just to be 

recognised as a finalist. I was 

thrilled and excited. It was 

humbling. I’m really proud of 

myself and my team. 

“When you see your hard 

work recognised, you’re given 

this renewed energy to 

keep going. It gives you that 

drive to perform and do well. 

As much as you are the one 

taking the front and accepting 

the awards . . . it’s just 

as much a reflection on the 

team. They have supported 

me the entire way and they 

continue to do so,” he says. 

The challenge and 

satisfaction of achieving 

the results are just two of 

the many aspects he enjoys 

about his role. 

“Conquering those challenges 

keeps your adrenaline 

going. It keeps your job interesting. 

The people I get to 

work with are amazing. It’s a 

great team to be part of and 

everyone is really easy to get 

along with at WEL,” he says. 

Check out vacancies at 

careers.wel.co.nz. 

- Supplied Copy 

TSNZ 

30


Share Farmers of the Year Sumit Kamboj and Manoj Kumar 

Winning dairy manager 

shows attention to detail 

Dairy Trainee of the Year Ruth Connolly 

From page 16 

The 2021 Share Farmers 

of the Year are 

driven, professional and 

high-achieving siblings who 

benchmark excellence within 

the industry. 

Share Farmer head judge 

Jacqui Groves, from Westpac, 

says Manoj Kumar and Sumit 

Kamboj impressed the judges 

with glowing reports from 

current and past employers 

and employees. 

“They have amazing relationships 

with two sets of 

owners, who really believe in 

them.” 

The judges were also 

impressed with their on-farm 

presentation, which used 

drone footage from their family 

farm in Northern India 

MERIT AWARDS 

to explain their history and 

where they are from. “They 

literally took us there.” 

“We were pretty blown 

away after meeting them,” 

said Groves. “They became 

‘our boys’ and they benchmarked 

excellence.” 

The brothers are 50/50 

sharemilkers on Andrew and 

Monika Arbuthnott, Geoff 

Arends and Ester Romp’s 

285ha, 460-cow Eketahuna 

property. 

Both Kumar and Kamboj 

have entered the Awards previously, 

with Kamboj placing 

third in the 2018 Hawke’s 

Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Manager 

category. 

They say entering the 

Awards programme has created 

an excellent network 

within the industry and valuable 

feedback from judges. 

“We overcame the lack of 

2021 NEW ZEALAND DAIRY 

TRAINEE OF THE YEAR: 

• Winner – Ruth Connolly, Waikato 

• Runner-up – Dayna Rowe, Bay Of Plenty 

• Third – Mattes Groenendijk, 

Canterbury/North Otago 

DairyNZ Practical Skills Award 

Mattes Groenendijk 

Federated Farmers Farming Knowledge Award 

Ruth Connolly 

DeLaval Communication & Engagement Award 

Dayna Rowe 

Best Video Award presented by Streamliner 

Dayna Rowe 

a network by engaging more 

and more in dairy industry 

events. 

“The New Zealand dairy 

farming system is totally different 

from back home in India 

and it really appeals to us. 

To win the national title, 

Kumar and Kamboj demonstrated 

strengths in leadership, 

health and farm safety, 

business and community 

engagement. 

Fellow Share Farmer judge 

Guy Michaels from DairyNZ 

says the brothers demonstrated 

involvement and leadership 

in the local community 

and in the dairy community. 

“They have a willingness to 

work with others to achieve 

joint goals and advocate on 

behalf of others,” he said. 

An example of this was 

the brothers assisting a family 

in Wellington who had lost 

employment due to Covid-19. 

“They relocated the family 

and encouraged them into a 

role within the dairy industry.” 

The judges also noted 

that the brothers had a strong 

health and safety culture 

on-farm. “They have a long 

history of recording incidents 

and actually following 

through with changes.” 

Judge Guy Michaels from 

DairyNZ noted how strong 

the brothers were in their 

community involvement and 

leadership. 

“They have promoted PrimaryITO 

courses to everyone 

in their community and have 

offered up one of their buildings 

to ensure the training 

takes place.” 

A strong message across 

the first, second and third 

positions was that there are 

progression pathways in the 

industry. 

“The message I often hear 

is that there aren’t any progression 

pathways, it’s too 

hard,” says John Numan. “But 

there are. 

“These people are achieving 

it because they have the 

right attitude that encourages 

their employers to promote 

and back them in their 

business. 

“There are four things 

you need to progress, and 

I call it the four A’s. Attention 

to detail, ability to 

save, ambition and attitude. 

“If you’ve got those 

things, and the respect of 

the owner, you’ll go far.” 

The judges also noted 

a theme across the board 

this year relating to the 

strong connections between 

farm owners, employers, 

and staff. 

“There’s a firm link 

between farming and the 

environment. It’s a generational 

change, and the 

message is that change is 

coming, it’s normal and 

accepted.” 

“They’re discussing 

environmental matters, sustainability 

and recycling on 

a daily basis and there’s a 

general understanding of 

greenhouse gases and environmental 

biosecurity.” 

The runners-up in the 

Share Farmer of the Year 

competition, Waikato sharemilkers 

and equity partners 

Reuben and Deb Connolly, 

were described by the 

judges as the epitome of a 

young sharemilking couple. 

“They are very thorough 

and motivating,” says Jacqui. 

“They’re a young couple 

working hard and loving 

every day of their life 

with their family.” 

The Connollys have 

been 50/50 sharemilkers 

and 20% equity partners 

with John and Fiona 

Worsnop on Woolly Farm 

Ltd’s 110ha, 280-cow Otorohanga 

property for the 

past four seasons. 

The judges noted they 

have demonstrated real 

passion for their cows and 

breeding. 

“They had KPIs of capaciousness, 

fertility, udders 

and environmental footprint,” 

they said. 

2021 NEW ZEALAND SHARE 

FARMER OF THE YEAR: 

• Winner - Manoj Kumar & Sumit Kamboj, 

Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa 

• Runner-Up- Reuben & Deb Connolly, Waikato 

• Third - Andrea & Blair Muggeridge, Central Plateau 

MERIT AWARDS 

DairyNZ Human Resources Award 

Andrea & Blair Muggeridge 

Ecolab Farm Dairy Hygiene Award 

John Wyatt 

Federated Farmers Leadership Award 

Manoj Kumar & Sumit Kamboj 

Honda Farm Safety, Health & Biosecurity Award 


LIC Recording and Productivity Award 

Reuben & Deb Connolly 

Meridian Farm Environment Award 

Andrea & Blair Muggeridge 

Ecolab Interview Award 

Katrina Pearson 

Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award 

John Wyatt 

Westpac Business Performance Award 


2021 FONTERRA 

RESPONSIBLE DAIRYING 

AWARD: 

Pete Morgan and Ann Bouma, 

Waikato (see story, page 20)


19 

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Winning farmers willing to change 

Two Waikato farmers have taken out 

a prestigious Fonterra award for their 

commitment to sustainability. 

Pete Morgan and Ann 

Bouma were named the 

2021 Fonterra Responsible 

Dairying Award winners 

during the New Zealand Dairy 

Industry Awards, held in May, 

and received the John Wilson 

Memorial Trophy. 

The award was introduced 

by the New Zealand Dairy 

Industry Awards and Fonterra 

to recognise dairy farmers 

who demonstrate leadership in 

their approach to sustainability 

and who are respected by 

their fellow farmers and their 

community for their attitude 

and role in sustainable dairying. 

“We had three outstanding 

finalists. For an award that 

is choosing ambassadors for 

the dairy industry we couldn't 

have been more spoilt for 

choice,” said judge Charlotte 

Rutherford from Fonterra. 

"Each and every one of 

them had strong links the local 

community and dairy community. 

It was encouraging and 

inspiring to see. 

"Judging was quite challenging 

and we have looked 

at the industry-wide picture, 

as they could all be ambassadors." 

The judges said: “Pete and 

Ann are very well-rounded 

with a high-level of current 

knowledge, especially around 

climate change, their emissions 

profile and tracking that 

over time.” 

They noted that Pete and 

Ann know things will change 

and want to be prepared to 

change and that moral concern 

is shifting. 

“They look at what they 

do, analyse it and will do it 

differently if need.” 

Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell 

congratulated Morgan and 

Bouma, and also recognised 

the other finalists, Philip and 

Donna Cram and Chris and 

Desiree Giles. 

“People want to know 

that their milk is coming from 

farmers that care for the environment, 

animals, people and 

communities. Pete and Ann, 

along with the other finalists, 

are great examples of this in 

action,” he said. 

THEY LOOK AT WHAT THEY DO, ANALYSE 

IT AND WILL DO IT DIFFERENTLY IF NEED 

Pete Morgan and Ann Bouma, 2021 Fonterra Responsible Dairying Award winners 

Lifetime award for Morrinsville farmer 

A rural sector stalwart and mentor to many 

has been recognised for his contribution 

to the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards 

programme. 

Jeff Bolstad 

Morrinsville farmer 

Jeff Bolstad was 

presented with a 

Lifetime Contribution Award 

by the New Zealand Dairy 

Industry Awards Trust Chair 

Natasha Tere, in recognition 

for his long service and contribution 

to the Dairy Industry 

Awards and wider agriculture 

sector. 

“This is the first time this 

award has been presented. 

It’s a prestigious honour that 

is awarded to an individual 

that has provided exceptional 

service to the New Zealand 

Dairy Industry Awards.” 

“We have chosen Jeff 

as he has been a bonding 

strength behind our organisation. 

He is a quiet achiever 

who has guided and mentored 

many entrants over the 

years,” Tere said. 

“He has been a guiding 

light, a father figure and confidante 

to many while on their 

awards journey. 

“Jeff has no ego, just a 

pure love and passion for 

aspiring dairy farmers. He 

has dedicated so much time 

and energy to the awards 

programme over the years, 

through his involvement 

on the Exec and behind the 

IT’S A PRESTIGIOUS 

HONOUR THAT IS 

AWARDED TO AN 

INDIVIDUAL THAT 

HAS PROVIDED 

EXCEPTIONAL 

SERVICE TO THE 

NEW ZEALAND 

DAIRY INDUSTRY 

AWARDS 

scenes guiding, encouraging 

and mentoring.” 

Bolstad is a former Federated 

Farmers’ Sharemilkers’ 

section chairman and 

New Zealand Dairy Industry 

Awards Executive member. 

As the recipient of the 

Lifetime Contribution 

Award, he joins John Luxton, 

Sir William Gallagher 

and Professor Colin 

Holmes who are the Trust’s 

Lifetime Achievement 

Award recipients.

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Better Eggs CEO Gareth van der Heyden (left) and shareholder 

Paul van der Heyden planting trees at free range forest 

Forest free-range farm 

opens in South Waikato 

A forest free-range farm has opened 

near Tokoroa, pioneering sustainable 

egg production in New Zealand. 

The 139-hectare property 

is set to become New 

Zealand’s leading egg 

production site as it develops 

over the next five years 

to ultimately be the home 

of 320,000 laying hens free 

ranging in the forest’s 90,000 

native and exotic trees with 

eight laying sheds. The site 

will produce eggs under the 

Heyden Farms Free Range 

brand for egg producer and 

supplier Better Eggs Limited. 

Better Eggs Chief Executive 

Gareth van der Heyden 

said the forest free range 

farm is an agroforestry venture 

combining forestry and 

poultry enterprise. The pine, 

oak, poplar and eucalyptus 

trees planted on the property 

will be milled for timber or 

pulp when they mature. The 

growing trees will sequester 

carbon. 

“Better Eggs is a New Zealand 

family-owned business 

with strong family values. 

These values are what have 

led us to innovate a whole 

new way of poultry farming in 

New Zealand that will enable 

the hens to live in a natural 

environment from which they 

originated, while producing 

eggs in a sustainable manner. 

“They will be able to roam 

and scratch on the forest floor 

in the shade, shelter and safety 

provided by the trees and the 

laying sheds are specially 

designed to give the birds 

natural light and ample space 

to roam around in. We are 

providing the birds with the 

highest animal welfare and 

hen enrichment standards. We 

sought advice from Australia 

and Europe that enables us to 

exceed best practice in many 

facets.” 

The farm is highly automated, 

enabling staff on site to 

spend a greater portion of their 

time caring for the hens. Eggs 

are transported from the nesting 

boxes via conveyor belts 

to a robot that packs the eggs 

into trays and pallets which 

are then collected by trucks 

for delivery to the existing 

grading and distribution facility 

nearby in Lichfield. 

Local MP Louise Upston 

says she is delighted to have 

such a substantial and innovative 

business expansion 

in South Waikato. The forest 

farm opened with 20,000 

hens. When fully developed it 

will employ around 15 people. 

“It is fantastic to see this 

significant investment in our 

community which will bring 

new jobs and opportunities to 

THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ROAM AND 

SCRATCH ON THE FOREST FLOOR 

IN THE SHADE, SHELTER AND 

SAFETY PROVIDED BY THE TREES 

AND THE LAYING SHEDS ARE 

SPECIALLY DESIGNED TO GIVE THE 

BIRDS NATURAL LIGHT AND AMPLE 

SPACE TO ROAM AROUND IN. 

the South Waikato. With this 

long term investment the van 

der Heyden family is demonstrating 

their commitment to 

our community,” said Upston. 

Van der Heyden said the 

land for the forest farm was 

purchased in early 2018 and 

the first shed was completed 

in late 2020. The second shed 

Shed under construction 

is scheduled to be completed 

in 2022 and tree planting for 

shed three will get underway 

in September 2021. 

Better Eggs is the combination 

of three family-owned 

poultry farms, Heyden Farms 

Limited, Henergy Cage-Free 

Limited and Rasmusen’s 

Poultry Farm Limited. 

Tree planting is well underway


23


Duo on a mission: Time right for rainwater 

harvesting tank startup 

A Waikato startup is catching the 

wave of water conservation awareness 

as householders turn to its practical, 

attractive solution. 

Designer Tanks, founded 

in 2019, is poised to 

further boost sales after 

attracting investment from 

NZX-listed Just Life Group. 

The rainwater harvesting 

tanks, imported from Germany, 

come in a range of shapes and 

styles and in a complete kit 

ready for the householder to 

install. Buyers can easily connect 

the Graf above-ground 

tanks to downpipes and then 

use the gravity-fed supply to 

water their gardens. 

Co-directors Chloe Barrott 

and Ingrid Cook say they have 

been seeing people’s mindset 

changing in the short time 

since they have been operating 

from their Rukuhia base. 

The two Cambridge women 

say most customers are retro-fitting 

the tanks out of conservation 

awareness or in order 

to keep watering their garden 

during restrictions. 

Barrott describes the process 

as a change management 

exercise. “What we're saying 

is, rainwater is free! It's crazy 

how much of it goes down the 

drain when it could be saved 

and used,” she says. 

“But the solution doesn't 

have to be ugly. A lot of it is 

change management. It's about 

taking people on the journey.” 

Cook says they are seeing 

particularly strong interest 

in the Bay of Plenty, with its 

stringent water restrictions, 

and at the recent Tauranga 

Home Show they sold almost 

everything on their stand. 

Home shows have proved a 

happy hunting ground for the 

pair, who are now also set to 

support one of their partners at 

Fieldays, sharing a stand with 

tiny home company Amazing 

Spaces. 

“Each time we attend a 

show, we notice how much 

people's mindset has changed,” 

Barrott says. “Now what we're 

finding is people are saying, 

‘oh, I've been looking for you, 

this is such a good idea’.” 

Cook says that includes 

one woman who had seen 

their social media feed and 

sought them out. “She couldn't 

look at anything else in the 

show until she'd seen us. 

She bought two tanks.” 

Styles range from the 

Antique Amphora terracotta 

urn shape to the Silver and 

Lava cylindrical stone look, 

and the Barrica, which resembles 

a wine barrel. 

There is also an unobtrusive 

brick wall style that takes show 

visitors by surprise when they 

realise its function. 

Many of the tanks have a 

planter cup on the top that can 

be used to grow plants in them. 

The investment by Just 

Life, which has bought a 60 

percent stake, not only injects 

funds for increasing product 

volumes but also provides 

valuable support in marketing 

and logistics. 

The two women say Just 

Life founder and chief executive 

Tony Falkenstein has 

also given hands-on support, 

attending the Tauranga Home 

Show and talking to customers. 

“He’s genuinely really 

interested, and the whole 

management team at Just Life 

Group are wonderful, positive 

people to be around.” 

The firm sits under GOAM 

(Girls on a Mission) which is 

about women helping women. 

“There are so many women 

who leave the workforce to 

raise a family and lose their 

confidence along the way. We 

really want to help upskill and 

provide a supportive environment 

for people to grow.” 

The impetus for Designer 

Tanks came from Barrott’s 

experience in 2018 of Outward 

Bound, where as part 

Ingrid Cook and Chloe Barrott with one of their Amphora tanks. 

of the Solo Expedition the 

attendees bring their human 

waste back to Anakiwa for 

recycling so it is fit for drinking. 

One of the leaders said he 

didn’t want to be telling his 

children in 10 years’ time that 

they used to use drinking water 

to flush toilets. 

“It just sat with me for 

ages and to be honest, it still 

hasn't left me,” Barrott says. “I 

thought, there's got to be a way 

to at least contribute to this in 

a sustainable way, and a way 

that most people would want 

and can afford and is helping at 

least a little bit. I didn't see why 

it needed to be ugly.” 

That led her to sharing the 

story with Cook who, similarly 

keen on the conservation message, 

was quick to join her in 

the formation of GOAM and 

Designer Tanks. 

“Sustainability, getting 

back to the basics of doing 

your own garden and growing 

your own veggies, that's really 

important as we move forward 

in this day and age - and 

rainwater is the best thing for 

plants,” Barrott says 

Cook adds: “Rainwater is 

free, everyone should really be 

collecting it.” 

• You can find Chloe and 

Ingrid with some of their 

tanks while helping Amazing 

Spaces at Fieldays site 

RL58 from June 16-19. 

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25 

UNWANTED 

VISITORS 

Rural properties are fast becoming the 

main target for criminals – especially when 

the majority of farms have their own fuel 

tank to service their on-farm vehicles. 

Roger Bull, Managing 

Director of Smartway 

Security Services said 

“With the even higher prices 

of fuel now there has been a 

spike in the number of Rural 

Properties experiencing thefts 

from tanks. Luckily there are 

also a growing number of 

technology applications that 

can help prevent it”. 

WE HAVE HAD A LOT 

OF SUCCESS WITH 

THESE SYSTEMS” 

SAID ROGER, “WHICH 

GIVE THE RURAL 

OWNERS PEACE OF 

MIND THAT THEY 

WILL BE ALERTED 

WHEN THERE IS A 

PROBLEM. 

Smartway Security has 

been operating for over 18 

years and their clients and 

services range from large 

International Corporations 

to Farms, Business & Home 

alarms that are also monitored, 

along with CCTV and 

other Security Products. They 

have also installed CCTV 

into a national chain of Tyre 

Stores with over 90 branches 

mainly for Health and Safety 

purposes. 

A major growth area has been 

identified for on-farm security 

and Smartway have developed 

various methods of protecting 

farms - such as: 

• Fuel tank alert systems that 

will notify the farm house 

when someone is in the 

vicinity of or obtaining at 

the fuel tanks. In addition 

they can add a module that 

sends a txt message to the 

farmer when the hose is 

activated as an additional 

alert. 

• Our Wireless Gate Beams 

are solar powered so no 

local power is necessary, 

these report back to a base 

station in the farm house 

which can be up to 800m 

away (line of sight) – when 

connected with a CCTV 

System they can also send 

an email alert. 

• CCTV Cameras that 

can read a number plate 

regardless of headlights 

or spotlights on a vehicle 

and cameras that “see in 

the dark” and can revolve 

around the yard to cover 

implement sheds etc. 

• GPS Tracking devices that 

can be installed on tractors, 

quad bikes and other vehicles. 

• On Farm Wireless communication 

networks. 

“We have had a lot of 

success with these systems” 

said Roger, “which give the 

rural owners peace of mind 

that they will be alerted when 

there is a problem.” 

Smartway also has their 

High Tech CCTV Surveillance 

Truck they can bring 

out to you and show you the 

cameras in action. It is far 

superior to see the screen with 

the camera looking at your 

own driveway than a picture 

of that camera on a piece of 

paper! This vehicle is a one of 

a kind and well worth a look. 

So there we have it, 

whether it is for Health & 

Safety or Security, or just 

simple staff training, a good 

CCTV System can save you 

lots of money! So if you 

are interested in having one 

installed at your place, get in 

touch with us today for a free 

demo of our state-of-the-art 

systems. 

For more information contact 

Roger on 0800 93 63 63.


PUBLISHER 

Deidre Morris 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 

Mob: 027 228 8442 

Email: deidre@dpmedia.co.nz 

EDITOR 

Richard Walker 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 

Mob: 027 814 2914 

Email: richard@dpmedia.co.nz 

PRODUCTION MANAGER 

Olivia McGovern 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 

Email: olivia@dpmedia.co.nz 

Novel mitigations to minimise 

nitrogen loss 

By Bala Tikkisetty 

Sustainable agriculture advisor at 

Waikato Regional Council 

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES 

Please contact: 

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT 

MANAGERS 

Joanne Poole 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 

Mob: (021) 507 991 

Email: joanne@dpmedia.co.nz 

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EDITORIAL: 

News releases/Photos/Letters: 

richard@dpmedia.co.nz 

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25 Ward Street, Hamilton 

Ph: (07) 838 1333 | Fax: (07) 838 2807 

www.wbn.co.nz 

Winter is upon us, and while it can 

pose a significant challenge for nutrient 

management, some simple actions can 

reduce winter nutrient loss. 

Slow growth of pasture in 

winter and drainage can 

result in nitrate leaching 

directly from fertiliser before 

plants can take it up. This 

means the risk of nitrogen 

leaching from urine patches is 

much higher in winter. 

Nitrogen leaching not only 

contaminates water bodies 

but also represents a loss of 

economically valuable nutrients. 

Most nitrogen is leached 

during winter and early spring 

when rainfall exceeds evapo-transpiration. 

Generally, 

the pasture species are not 

active during low temperatures 

adding to the potential 

for nitrogen loss through 

leaching. 

Some of the research to 

mitigate the nitrogen losses 

has focused on growing pasture 

with more rooting depth 

for interception of nitrate, 

duration-controlled grazing 

for reducing the amount of time 

animals spend on pasture, and 

feeding high sugar grasses for 

reducing the dietary protein. 

In recent years, plantain was 

well researched for increasing 

dry matter production and 

reducing urinary nitrogen concentration. 

Recently, a Lincoln 

grazing study showed about 11 

per cent greater milk solids production 

per day in late lactation 

combined with a 56 per cent 

reduction in urinary nitrogen 

concentration from cows grazing 

pure plantain, in comparison 

with irrigated perennial ryegrass 

and white clover pastures. 

Further, nitrogen fertiliser 

reduces nitrogen fixation by 

clover by about one kg N/ha/ 

year for every three kilograms 

of nitrogen fertiliser applied. 

In addition, clover content will 

be further reduced if nitrogen 

boosted pastures shade the clover. 

This effect is seen during 

spring. Understanding the relationship 

between time of feeding 

and subsequent nitrogen 

excretion may enable the development 

of better farm management 

strategies to reduce greenhouse 

gas output. 

A recent research trial 

revealed that the peak urine 

volume occurred eight hours 

post feeding and the lowest 

urine volumes occurred 

immediately prior to feeding. 

Animals fed both in the morning 

and afternoon excreted 

approximately 60 per cent of 

their urine volume and total 

urea within 12 hours of being 

offered fresh feed. 

This interesting work suggests 

that shifting animals to 

new pasture late in the afternoon 

would result in more urinary 

nitrogen being deposited 

at night when lower ambient 

temperatures should lead to 

reduced volatilisation and 

lower N2O production. 

Due to the prolonged dry 

spell last season, nitrate poisoning 

can result from high nitrate 

levels in feed and it usually 

occurs in late autumn. This is 

particularly during a flush of 

growth. Nitrate levels build up 

in herbage when nitrate is taken 

by the plant faster than it can be 

converted into protein. Toxicity 

risk progressively increases 

with high soil nitrogen from 

various sources. 

It is important for farmers to 

get clear advice about the risks 

involved with winter nitrogen 

applications. 

From a technical perspective, 

all farmers need to understand 

the term “response rate”. 

The response rate is the 

amount of pasture grown in 

terms of kilograms of dry matter 

per hectare per kilogram 

of nitrogen (N) applied. For 

example, when 30 kg N/ha is 

applied and an additional 300 

kg DM/ha of pasture is grown 

the response rate is 10 kg DM/ 

kg N applied. The response is 

dependent on several factors 

such as soil temperature, plant 

growth, soil moisture, the deficiency 

of available nitrogen in 

the soil and the rate of nitrogen 

applied per application. 

The profitability of applying 

nitrogen is dependent on 

the utilisation of the extra feed. 

Therefore, nitrogen needs to be 

strategically applied to fill genuine 

feed deficits. 

• Bala Tikkisetty is a sustainable 

agriculture advisor 

(technical) at Waikato 

Regional Council. Contact 

him on bala.tikkisetty@ 

waikatoregion.govt.nz or 

0800 800 401. 

Be cohesive - look 

at the big picture 

By Jacqueline Hahn 

President Waikato Federated Farmers 

As a Federated Farmers Provincial 

President, the main part of my role is trying 

to express the majority of our members’ 

viewpoints; these incorporate many 

different businesses, and many different 

stages in those businesses. 

Our members include 

employees, farm business 

owners, contractors 

and sharemilkers, lessors 

and lessees, retirees, those 

that service our businesses 

or have business on rural 

properties or just own rural 

property. 

We consider the effects on 

our wider communities, we 

have families and partners 

working in urban centres, we 

simply must avoid thinking 

in a silo at all costs. 

We look for the most efficient 

way of getting to the 

end goal; is it a public good 

or a private good, should it be 

user pays or all contribute - 

or a mixture of the two? 

We have been doing this 

for over 75 years and I think 

we are getting good at it; the 

modern federation has protocols 

around being fact-based, 

expectations of good practices 

by members, along with 

mandated frequent change 

in leadership and succession 

helps to refresh diversity of 

thought. 

New Zealand has a poor 

record of planning future 

focussed infrastructure. The 

three waters infrastructure 

buyback may be an attempt 

- but no detail is given to 

know the real costs that are 

shifted from Councils, to 

who and how? 

The common mistake 

by government is to 

look at our income and 

UNTIL WE STOP, 

PLAN AND MAP 

OUT HOW WE FIX 

TRAFFIC, LIVING, 

COMMUNITY AND 

LIVING FLOWS, WE 

WILL NOT REDUCE 

OUR NEED FOR 

MORE LAND FROM 

AGRICULTURE. 

ignore the expenditure. 

This current generation 

of agribusiness is facing fixing 

and paying for activities 

of the past several hundred 

years of lack of planning, not 

only in our own businesses, 

but the wider general public’s 

as well. 

That comes through a 

broken rating system, unimplementable 

high-cost regulations, 

signalling of harsh 

allocation limits, and paying 

to prove you are not 

guilty. Despite good prices 

in many products, people 

are exiting farming. 

Our productive farmland 

is being swallowed by forest 

carbon schemes or urban 

sprawl that ensures that land 

is never available again for 

anything else. 

Yet another sign of abysmal 

planning, and no plan in 

the Budget to halt this; this 

simply shows the lack of 

planning continues. 

Until we stop, plan and 

map out how we fix traffic, 

living, community and living 

flows, we will not reduce our 

need for more land from agriculture. 

We will simply need more 

and more, and all the stuff 

we hope to fix by rules won’t 

happen. 

We need to be cohesive - 

look at the big picture.


27 

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Waikato AgriBusiness News June 2021

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