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by Barbara
The New Zealand government’s recent changes to earthquakeprone building rules are a refreshingly practical, common-sense step in the right direction.
In the past, building owners everywhere, no matter how risky their area actually was, had to meet tough, expensive upgrade standards. This put real financial stress on property owners, especially in low-risk places, and took attention and resources away from buildings that really needed work most.
The updated rules now focus on real, proven risks to public safety. Only buildings located in medium or high earthquake zones, or those that could genuinely endanger people, will be identified as earthquake-prone. For instance, buildings with unreinforced brick walls facing busy streets will still be flagged because they’re especially hazardous during earthquakes.
Conversely, large concrete buildings will undergo more targeted inspections, so owners aren’t required to pay for expensive checks unless there’s clear justification.
The definition of ‘priority buildings’ is also smarter now, focussing on things like masonry that could fall and hurt people or block emergency response. Plus, buildings like hospitals and fire stations won’t be rushed to upgrade if it risks disrupting their essential work — they’ll have more time to make plans that work for everyone.
Councils can also now give owners up to 15 years for required upgrades, making it easier and less stressful for both owners and the wider community.
Even though there aren’t many earthquake-prone buildings in our area, it has been estimated these changes could still save local businesses more than $34 million. That’s a real boost for our region’s economy, while making sure safety efforts are directed to where they are needed most.
by Paul Campbell
New Zealand’s growing horticultural sector is set to reap the rewards in a $1.6 million project intensifying research for productive sectors, including kiwifruit, avocado, blueberries, vegetables and feijoas.
Massey University has named the inaugural MSA chair in Horticultural Production and Postharvest Management as Professor Andrew East, who has international recognition for his expertise in postharvest horticulture: the science and technology systems that enable the successful global trade of fresh produce.
Professor East is particularly wellknown for his relationship with the kiwifruit industry, through Zespri, and assisting the sector with processes and technology when new cultivars are commercialised. Each release of a new cultivar creates new technical challenges with the potential to impact fruit quality and brand reputation. Technical specialists like Professor East work behind the scenes within the industry to solve these problems and provide industry with best practice guidelines.
The goals also include enabling up to 10 PhD candidates and six master’s students to graduate while conducting horticultural projects over the next 10 years. The budget includes funding for travel, conferences and collaboration with key industry and academic partners.
New Zealand’s horticulture sector has approximately tripled in value over the past 15 years, and there are big goals to double its export value again by 2035.
“It’s about building more networks and capability in the horticultural sector. Not unlike other industries, horticulture faces challenges with ageing expertise
and squeezed research funding budgets. We need to collectively work together to continue to deliver impactful research, while also developing talent in order to underpin a resilient, innovative horticulture sector.”
The project has been made possible through a donation of $1.6 million, which will be gifted over the next five years by Massey alumnus and long-time philanthropist, Matthew Abel who has gifted two chairs to the Massey Business School. This is his first gift towards primary sector education and research.
“I would describe my motivation as 50 per cent about helping the New Zealand economy. I’m hopeful my support reduces the ‘push factors’, which might lead researchers to leave New Zealand, that it gives them reasons to stay. I’m also optimistic that with more employment options in horticultural industry management and research, more young people will consider choosing the sector as a career.”
Professor Paul Kenyon, Head of the School of Agriculture and Environment, says Mr Abel’s generosity will make a tangible difference.
“It will propel Andrew and his team to not only ensure our country’s export produce reaches its destination in a highquality state, ensuring great returns for our growers, it will also help develop New Zealand’s next generation of researchers.”
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BY AMY FIFITA
In a place surrounded by farms and lifestyle blocks, Glen Massey Primary teacher Brenda Coleman desired to cultivate an understanding and interest in farming for her class.
“Glen Massey School is a fiveteacher rural school teaching students from year zero to year eight. It is an awesome school with lifestyle blocks and farms in the area. Our children are enthusiastic learners,” said Brenda.
“They are great children, who come from different little villages around us — Ngāruawahia, Waingaro, Glen Afton and Pukemiro.”
While farm visits are a fond school memory for many adults, for modern students, their farmyard experience looks a little different.
The Farmer Time for Schools programme connects year zero to eight students with farmers virtually to create discussion, and show them where their food comes from.
“It is hard to get students out on-farm now. In the past, I took my classes to farms, but it is no longer a focus in the curriculum. Farm visits are real-life experiences, and
with half the children never having set foot on a farm or run around a paddock, I thought Farmer Time would be an amazing experience for them.”
Brenda teaches year three and four students. In her second year of being part of the programme, Brenda says the connection between her class and Grant Greville, a Hawke’s Bay farmer, has helped broaden their scope on farming.
“Grant is a sheep and beef farmer. Every week, Grant updates us on what is happening on the farm. He always presents a positive farming view and answers all the children’s questions.
“At this age, there are a lot of things they don’t understand. Starting with simple questions about animals, the children relate things from the past to the present, with topics like using planes to fertilise pastures. They are starting to think about deeper questions now.”
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“We’ve been learning about using drones to spray crops. He talks about scanning the ewes, and it has made it interesting for the children. They look forward to talking with Grant.
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Teacher Brenda Coleman builds upon what Grant talks about, so the students can understand more about the industry
“Grant tells us about issues like wild deer that come in and clear the crops out, and how he goes out shooting venison for the freezer. The children are learning about cropping and how it’s used to feed their lambs.
“Children ask if he sends any stock to the works and try to figure out what his income would be, because he only gets paid when he sells something.”
The programme helps the students delve deeper into the agricultural sector, with Brenda complementing the experience by using visual aids and practical activities.
“We try to make it real for the children, so they understand what goes on. Anything we learn, I look up, print and laminate it to go with the pictures Grant sends.
“I aim to follow up on everything. We stick all of the information on the wall about topics like the ageing of sheep and
NAIT tags, so the children can remember what it is when he talks about it.
“Grant told the children that he had just got his soil tested, so I got a kit for the children to check our grounds and understand.”
Creating curiosity amongst students, Grant has recently bought a new farm and is leasing his old farm for a year.
“We asked him where his new farm was, and using Google Maps, we looked at both farms. The children are curious about comparing the two farms.
“At his old farm, he lived beside Floating Peaks, a farm that made woollen felt pots to grow plants in. Grant visited them, and they sent us felt and patterns, so we could make our own pots and plant seeds in them. The students thoroughly enjoyed cutting them out and making them.”
Students have become intrigued by aerial fertilising in hilly country, using
60-litre drones to spray for cutworm, wool processes, auctioning cattle, triplet and quadruplet lambs, and animal care.
Opening children’s minds to agriculture through Farmer Time for Schools has created interest in how farm life works.
“We enjoy discovering what happens on the farm — whether it’s a new horse,
puppies, raising pigs for eating, getting chooks and the number of eggs being laid, machinery sizes or discovering how the animals are.”
To take part in Farmer Time for Schools next year, teachers and farmers are invited to sign up now. For more information, visit farmertime.co.nz.
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BY PAUL CAMPBELL
The fifth leg of the Shearing Sports New Zealand 2026 World Championships machine shearing selection series has seen further glory for Toa Henderson to add to his international stature on the competition boards.
Fellow shearers also made new marks, leading to the Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Masterton on March 4–7.
Labour Weekend saw the Great Raihania Shears at the Hawke’s Bay A&P Show in Hastings, and Henderson’s win, when just reaching the final, was a special challenge all of its own.
“The first nine in the race to make the top six for the final, of the fifth leg of the SSNZ 2026 World Championships machine shearing selection series, were separated by just 0.55 points,” says SSNZ spokesman Doug Laing.
“Northland’s Henderson, now the winner of four of the legs and a warm favourite to be in the team for Masterton, flew from Auckland for the day, and, from a field of 28, was the only finalist who has not been a worldrecord holder.
“It guaranteed a quick pace, with Toa the only shearer to go under 16 minutes for the 20 woolly hoggets. His 15m 57s beat nextman-off and Hawke’s Bay-based Scotland international and former world champion Gavin Mutch by almost half a minute, with another 15 seconds back to world nine-hours lambshearing record holder Stu Connor, an English shearer, also based in Hawke’s Bay.”
Laing said Connor ultimately had enough quality to claim second place overall, but Henderson had done enough to win, albeit by just 0.4 points.
“Mutch was third, Southland legend Nathan Stratford, who had flown from Invercargill, was fourth, Hawke’s Bay shearer and 2014 world champion Rowland Smith was fifth, and sixth was Te Kūiti shearer Jack Fagan, who had won an open final a week earlier in Gisborne.
“The open woolhandling final provided a 59th career open win for reigning New
Zealand Shears and North Island circuit champion Keryn Herbert, of Te Kūiti. Her second open win, in 2005, was at Hastings, and she had last won the Hawke’s Bay title in 2011.”
Former New Zealand representatives Cushla Abraham, of Masterton, and Tia Potae, of Milton, were second and
third, and Logan Kamura, of Marton, was fourth.
Napier shearer Kaivah Cooper had his first senior shearing win, Michael Buick, of Pongaroa, won the intermediate final, Ashlin Swann, of Wairoa, won the junior final, and Charlie Kjestrup, from Southern Hawke’s Bay, won the novice event.
Northland shearer Toa Henderson switches off after finishing the Great Raihania Shears open shearing final’s 20 sheep in 15m 57sec and winning by 0.4 points
Open woolhandling final winner Keryn Herbert, of Te Kūiti, looks back her last Great Raihania Shears’ win 14 years ago, pictured with competition committee member Na Raihania
Maiden Elers, from Mataura, won the senior woolhandling final, and Laura Bradley, from Papatawa, between Dannevirke and Woodville, claimed the junior win that will take her into senior grade next season. Bradley then also sheared her way into the open shearing quarter-final on her debut in the top grade with the handpiece.
Despite the absence of some competitors whose travel plans were disrupted by the windy weather, and with the SSNZ team in Australia there were 132 entries across the five grades of shearing and four of woolhandling.
Across the Tasman Canterbury blade shearers, Tony Dobbs and Scott McKay, held up New Zealand’s end in a threetest trans-Tasman shearing sports series at the Australian National Shearing
and Woolhandling Championships in South Australia.
Dobbs, from Fairlie, and McKay, of Culverden, extended the black-singlet dominance in the annual home-and-away blade shearing tests by beating Australian pair Johnathon Dalla and Andrew Murray, by almost 12 points in the test at Jamestown, 218km north of Adelaide. New Zealand has won all but one of the blade shearing tests since 2010.
It was the Kiwis’ only win, with Australia winning both the machine shearing and woolhandling tests. In the shearing test, Australians Daniel McIntyre, 2025 New Zealand Merino championship winner Jamie Boothman and Nathan Meaney beat the New Zealand team of David Buick, of Pongaroa, Angus Moore, of
Seddon, and Chris Vickers, of Palmerston, by almost 46 points. It was Australia’s third win in a row in the machines tests, having won at Katanning, WA, last year, and the Golden Shears in Masterton last March.
Best of the New Zealanders was Moore, who was a surprise second finisher, shearing the 12 merino and crossbred sheep in 18m 7sec, just six seconds behind McIntyre.
The New Zealanders, having been late arrivals after the disruption of travel plans because of the storm in New Zealand, including Buick not arriving in Jamestown until more than 30 hours after leaving his farm at Pongaroa in northern Wairarapa, were hammered in shearing penalties on the board.
The woolhandling went to Australian pair Alexander Schoff and Tiffany Collins, with victory by almost nine points over New Zealanders Joel Henare, of Motueka, and Ngaio Hanson, of Eketāhuna.
In the Jamestown open finals, Dobbs and McKay were second and third, respectively, to Dalla in the blades shearing, and Henare was fourth to Schoff in the woolhandling.
The home woolhandling and machine shearing tests are usually held at the Golden Shears, but a cramped programme as the Shears hosts the 2026 world championships on March 4–7 has resulted in decisions to stage the woolhandling test at the Otago Shears, and the machine shearing at the 60th-anniversary Southern Shears in Gore, a week apart in February.
A lifestyle that started in her formative years, Dianne and Ross Appleton created True North Farms as a retreat for homesteading, traditional crafts and animals.
Growing up in a nuclear family where her mother was a homemaker and her father was a horticulturalist, Dianne lives on a lifestyle block with her husband Ross. A place abundant with animals and crafts, the duo use their knowledge learned from their childhood.
“Born in 1950, in Napier, I grew up on Puketutu Island in the Manukau Harbour, an island then owned by Sir Henry Kelliher, a beer baron amongst other things, and founder of Dominion Breweries. I grew up there until I got married to Ross, when I was 20 years old,” said Dianne.
“My dad was a head gardener with a team of workers under him for 17 years, and I think I got his gardening genes.
My mother did everything. From sewing, knitting and crocheting to home cooking and making preserves, these things were embedded in my being and became my passions as I got older.
“Growing up, Ross would go to his cousin’s sheep station in Piopio, in the King Country every school holiday, so he had an appreciation of sheep and big farm activity.”
After marrying Ross, Dianne lived in Auckland, sometimes relocating to city hubs like Rotorua and Whakatane. When an opportunity arose for Dianne to restore the life she once lived as a child, the Appletons stepped into their future.
“In 2003, we bought a small, fledgling cottage industry business making vanilla
BY AMY FIFITA
named Equagold. We imported vanilla and made extract, and sold high-quality cacao, chocolate and our own spice range.
“I got to know a lot of chefs, allowing my cooking passion to grow. Our move to a lifestyle block was a divine moment, where an opportunity presented itself for us to buy a 1.1-hectare block in Glen Murray.
“We built a house, and started off with goats and Wiltshire sheep, before buying alpacas a couple of months after. Buying alpacas was a turning point for my fibre crafts of knitting and crochet.”
With the lifestyle block purchased, Dianne’s love for crafts given to her by her mother was restored in a big way.
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Dianne milks her British Alpine goat daily, and makes cheese and yoghurt
“Suddenly, the venture took on a creative fibre ethos. The people who sold us the alpacas gave me a spinning wheel, and, unsure of how to spin, I joined the Hakarimata Creative Fibre group.
“I spin it into different types of yarn, from traditional yarn for making tops and jerseys to art yarn. Art yarn has different textures, and sometimes you put in bling or silk. Alpaca were the launching pad for me to get back into my craft. Even though we relocated to a smaller block in Huntly, alpacas still inspire all my crafts.
“Alpaca fibre is an awesome product and doesn’t have lanolin like sheep’s wool; it is classified as hypoallergenic. The fibre core is slightly hollow, so it creates
insulation for warmth in the winter and coolness in the summer.”
Passionate about doing things from scratch, cheesemaking is another hobby Dianne loves doing on their homestead. The hobby emerged after her British Alpine goat unexpectedly started producing milk.
“Normally, livestock have babies before they produce milk, but now and then, especially breeds of goats bred for milking, they can be a maiden milker.
“Somebody on a goat Facebook group encouraged me to start milking, so another friend and my cousins taught me how, and it was easy to get into the flow of it.
“Having a lot of goat’s milk, I learned how to make chèvre cheese, a French-
Already having a notion of what homesteading was,
on the opportunity to own
style goat’s cheese, and bûche de chèvre. Bûche means log, so log of chèvre, and it has the same penicillin moulds as making Camembert and a white rind and tastes quite sharp and softer than Camembert.
“I love making cheese and gelato. I make Camembert and cheddar with cow’s milk I get from a friend, or combine the cow and goat milk for yoghurt.”
With skills passed down from her parents, Dianne has also done her part to ensure the traditional knowledge is known by generations after her. Her daughter
Deborah lives on a lifestyle block, and enjoys making creations from knitting to ice cream, chocolates and preserves.
“What you learn never goes away, and it is all part of a jigsaw puzzle, and you can pick it up again at any time. Everything has value; it is all part of your being and the picture of your life.”
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by Andy Bryenton
New Zealand has sent a delegation to the World Dairy Summit in Chile, South America, to take a closer look at the cutting edge in dairy technology, and keep local farmers and scientists up to date with the state-of-the-art.
Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard, who also holds the governmental portfolios for biosecurity and food safety, travelled to Chile to represent national interests at the summit, which was attended by luminaries from the world’s leading dairying nations.
“The World Dairy Summit is the leading event in the annual global dairy calendar, bringing together farmers, processors, scientists, marketers, and policymakers from more than 60 countries,” said Mr Hoggard.
Part of his mission was also to champion the efficiency and innovation of the New Zealand dairy industry he said sets global standards that others seek to emulate.
“More than 80 per cent of people around the world rely on dairy to meet their nutritional needs. The sector is also estimated to contribute to the livelihoods of more than 600 million people.
“The dairy sector will play a significant role in doubling the value of New Zealand’s exports by 2034, and the government is committed to growing our $27 billion dairy sector. Attending the World Dairy Summit reinforces our commitment to opening doors for our
dairy sector to support the success of Kiwi farmers and processors.”
As well as visiting Chile to promote New Zealand’s dairy sector and to gain insights into what other nations are doing to improve their own dairying efficiency and profits, Mr Hoggard visited neighbouring Argentina to meet with New Zealandbased agribusinesses operating there, and to Uruguay to open a new serum factory built by Auckland Biosciences.
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by John Arts, Abundant Health Ltd
Mitochondria are our cell engines that take the energy from food and change this into the energy our bodies need. At the end of the line is the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to provide the energy that makes our bodies work.
Free radicals, especially nitrogen radicals like peroxynitrite, can damage delicate cell structures causing less energy to be made. Some diseases can damage mitochondria. Studies show that chronic fatigue syndrome weakens mitochondria resulting in significantly less energy than in healthy people.
The result is always tiredness, but other symptoms are determined by the type of disease. For example, in MS mitochondrial changes occur leading to nerve myelin damage.
The first step to improve energy is to add coenzyme Q10. Be aware that most of the CoQ10 on the market is low-cost semi-synthetic material. I prefer high-grade naturally-fermented material despite its higher cost. There is no such thing as a good, cheap CoQ10.
The most important component of nutritional therapy for fatigue and inflammatory problems are adding a
range of mitochondrial nutrients and co factors. These include CoQ10, PQQ and other compounds, such as resveratrol, grape seed extract, acetyl L-carnitine, N acetylcysteine, Alpha Lipoic Acid. These help to increase energy output, support flagging energy processes and reduce free-radical damage by actively targeting the free radicals that damage delicate energy systems. We then add a full B vitamin complex, as these are needed in most of the steps to make energy. A combination of a good diet and these beneficial supplements can make a real difference in life quality for those with low energy. Most people feel a real difference within two months.
John Arts (Adv.Dip.Nut.Med) is a nutritional medicine practitioner and founder of Abundant Health Ltd. For questions or advice contact John on 0800 423 559 or email john@abundant.co.nz. Join his newsletter at abundant.co.nz.
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by Amy Fifita
With numerous building projects on farms, from fencing to erecting a shed, it is often the small things that bring joy — such as birdhouses and gardens.
Spring is no walk in the park. Yes, the weather begins warming up, but the season often comes with spring rains, and with birds migrating to warmer locations, a refuge is a welcome space.
Adding a birdhouse to your garden is a gift that keeps giving. Not only do people get the pleasure of seeing birdlife up close and personal, but it also provides a safe and secure place for avians in tumultuous weather.
First, source some solid untreated wood to begin your masterpiece, and gather together some galvanised or stainless steel nails, a rubber strip and tools for cutting out holes. Linseed oil is a good protectant that can prevent the wood from becoming dry. Use this oil in lieu of wood preservatives, which can be toxic to birds.
With many plans online for birdhouses, styles are endless, but the basics are having enough wood for two sides, a roof, a back, a front and a hole for entry. Once the birdhouse is complete, place it in a high spot to deter predators.
With a house in place, landowners can enjoy the sound of birdsong and the sight of fluttering wings. Watching nature is a good way to relax, especially with the upcoming Christmas stress.
Gardens are another place of solace from the burgeoning of life. Constructing planting boxes is a good start for a garden hideaway. Good for sparse and large places, recycling unused pallets, preferably heat-treated ones, is a wonderful way to repurpose the wood. Pallets are easy to come by, if you have none, too.
With a few pallets, a hammer, a saw, a crowbar bar and a staple gun, you can knock up a bed for plants to thrive. After denailing the pallets and taking the required wood, hop online for a planter box plan.
These builds are easy to achieve for people with or without experience. They are also great activities to do with the children, and a way of teaching them to be resourceful.
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At David Reid Homes, building a home is about far more than materials and measurements.
It is about creating spaces that reflect the people who will live in them. In Waikato, this philosophy comes to life through a partnership with local interior designer Julia Empson, who helps clients turn architectural plans into deeply-personal homes.
Felicity and Tau, who lead the Waikato franchise, are known for their practical, clientfocussed approach.
“We are very black and white thinkers,” says Felicity. “Julia brings a creative lens that encourages clients to think deeply about how they really want to live.”
Julia’s process begins with conversation, not a formal consultation.
“I want to understand who someone is, what they love and how they live.”
Rather than imposing a style, she helps clients uncover their own, building confidence with every decision.
Many people worry that a new build might feel impersonal, more like a display home. Julia aims to change that.
She considers family routines, visitors and cherished pieces that clients want to incorporate. The result is a home that feels warm, lived-in and meaningful.
Felicity experienced this herself. “Julia helped us finish our own home. She brought
together elements we never would have thought of, and it feels so much more like us.”
Engaging a designer early helps avoid costly changes and ensures cohesion from the start. From lighting plans to furniture flow and colour palettes, every element supports both function and beauty.
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That experience now shapes how she approaches home design at G.J. Gardner Homes Waipā. Dominique knows that rural families need hard-wearing floors, generous laundries, proper mudrooms, plenty of storage and kitchens that can cater for big gatherings.
Dominique and her husband, Simon, lead the Waipā team with a balance of practical insight and professional experience. Simon’s background in the building industry complements Dominique’s design eye and local understanding, ensuring every home reflects both lifestyle and location. Together, they take pride in delivering homes that are functional, comfortable, and built to last — homes designed for real life.
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by John Cooney
Next time you’re in London, once you’ve eyeballed Big Ben, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace, you’ve got to get out into the country.
Why? Because there’s more to Ye Olde England than just London.
I mean, not far along the M4 are some of the sweetest, loveliest corners you can find in this ‘green and pleasant land’. When you wander off the beaten track, as we’re going to do in June/July 2026, you’re soon oohing-and-aahing at fairytale villages, leafy woodland lanes, thatch-roofed cottages, flower-smothered gardens, pubs with weird names, cathedrals with pointy roofs, medieval castles and knights in shining armour.
We’ll hear the call to ramble in the gorgeous Cotswolds. Fall in love with the honey-coloured village of Woodstock, explore stunning Blenheim Palace, feel the Downton Abbey vibes in old Bampton town.
Go walkabout in Hidcote Manor, overflowing with exotic plants, get all floral at Kiftsgate Court, created by green-fingered women, discover magical Broadway, its streets lined with horsechestnut trees, and relive Roman times in historic Bath.
up the seaside magic of Padstow, and we’ll roam around more bloomin’ gardens than you can shake a gumboot at: Trebah, Heligan, Sissinghurst and Great Dixter, to name just a few.
We’ll finish with a Midlife Madness flourish, crossing the English
Channel for a spectacular live outdoor concert in André Rieu’s home town of Maastricht, Holland.
Be quick! This tour in June/July 2026 is ALMOST FULL! Call us on 0800 323 333 or visit midlifemadness.tours.
We’ll meander through idyllic hamlets, like St Ives, Port Isaac, Bourton-on-the-Water, and (grisly-sounding) Lower Slaughter. We’ll soak
by Amy Fifita
A partnership between Hato Hone St John and the Dairy Women’s Network is ensuring farmers have basic medical treatment on-farm until medics arrive if needed.
Providing an opportunity to get off the farm and socialise, the day course is an opportunity for farmers and horticulturalists to broaden their medical knowledge. The course safeguards people on farms and provides practical solutions for various scenarios on and off farm.
“Dairy Women’s Network has partnered with Hato Hone St John to bring practical, hands-on On-Farm First Aid Courses to rural communities across the country,” said partner relationship manager Sarah van Munster.
The collaboration helps educate and provides updated knowledge for those in
the agriculture and horticulture sector, should first aid be needed on-site. With machinery, tools and other risks on farm, it is important to be prepared for situations where someone becomes injured or hurt.
“A four-hour course designed with the agriculture sector in mind is for anyone wanting to learn the essentials of first aid without the need for NZQA unit standards.”
From CPR to handling serious injuries, the day course will equip farmers with everything they need to know in the case of an emergency. The course also covers mental health.
First aid instructors are heading to rural areas to inform and teach rural communities about what to do if there is an injury on-farm
“During the session, you’ll learn how to assess hazards, perform CPR, use a defibrillator, and control lifethreatening bleeding. You’ll be shown how to manage serious injuries, such as amputations, crush injuries, stab wounds, impalements, fractures and internal bleeding.
“The course also covers recognising mental distress and ways to build resilience in yourself and others. By the end of the course, you’ll have the ability
to recognise life-threatening situations and the confidence to take quick, decisive action.”
Join the Te Awamutu session on Thursday, November 6. For more information or to register, visit dwn.co.nz/ events/first-aid-on-farms-course-lowernorth-island-2025.
“You’ll be prepared to provide vital assistance before emergency services arrive and leave with a strong foundation for further first aid learning.”
by Amy Fifita
From bale wrapping to empty chemical containers, waste on the farm is a given, so with the weather drying up, it’s a great time to do a clean out.
Waste is part of everyday life, and with more awareness and initiatives, farmers have the opportunity to do their bit and become environmental guardians even more than they already are.
Plasback and Agrecovery have been vital in helping farmers and horticulturalists ensure their sites remain free from plastics using recycling methods.
Plasback can take baling wrap, twine, vineyard nets, Ecolab® drums and polythene pipe. With a collector in Matamata, Waikato and Bay of Plenty, agriculturalists can call Slattery Contracting on 07 888 8647 to have their plastics picked up for recycling.
AgRecovery, on the other hand, has collection points for farm plastic and polypropene (PP) and LDPE and Elanco Metabolic solution bags. With well over 20 collection points throughout Waikato, farmers stopping in at their local Farm Source, Farmlands or other stations can drop off their plastic waste and restock their farm supplies.
Metal waste is another job on the list to declutter farm sheds and sites. What’s great about metal recycling is that it is
normally traded in for a payout. Most scrap metal recyclers will also accept and pay for batteries, too.
Some fertiliser companies have programmes where farmers can bring the bags back to the store for recycling. Sometimes, recycling doesn’t have to be an off-site job. Feedbag material can be used for weed matting in gardens, but can also be given to Plasback.
With tyres unable to be burned, farmers can choose to repurpose them to secure silage stacks or a swing for the children,
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Enquiries and inspections welcome. North Island Based. Contact Kevin Carr on 027 273 6967 or 09 412 7588 after hours
or reach out to someone to recycle them. Tyrewise and Waste Management New Zealand can recycle unwanted tyres for you.
Tyrewise has 12 collection sites across the Waikato. These are located in Tairua, Morrinsville, Thames, Waihi, Pauanui, Paeroa, Matamata, Matarangi, Hamilton, Huntly, Coromandel and at the Lincoln Street Resource Recovery.
Waste doesn’t have to be an issue. With accessible recycling initiatives, farmers can rest easy knowing the good they do for the environment they tend to.
76% of New Zealanders are concerned about “fake news” and its implications
by Paul Campbell
Rural contractors are awaiting some decisions on red tape surrounding the use of agricultural transport on rural roads from the Ministry for Regulation formed to clean up regulations to improve the country’s economic outfit — but expect it to take some time to happen.
with compliant paperwork needed to counter non-compliance notices by Police Commercial Vehicles Investigation Units. Rural contractors busy with a harvest then need special exemption permits to continue time-imperative work.
Contractors say this is where a regulatory jungle starts. They have asked Minister for Regulation, David Seymour, to reduce a complex tangle of permits, weights, restrictions, requirements and supervision for agricultural vehicles, which need, at times, to travel at low speeds for short distances on local roads and state highways.
Rural Contractors NZ vice-president Daryl Thompson says his organisation took the issue to David Seymour and “we’ve since had a welcome announcement that the ag vehicle regulations are being reviewed but in the interim, members are being knocked for six.”
He says the current regulations are years out of date and don’t reflect the size of agricultural machinery now being used.
Contractor Jacob Holdaway says a tractor and trailer unit driven by one of his staff was pulled over in a back street en route to a local dairy farm after harvesting fodder beet nearby.
He says police took the vehicle to a local transport yard and weighed. Holdaway got a ticket, which said a tractor and trailer is only allowed to carry 28.8 tonnes, and his unit was carrying 39.7 tonnes. He’s been fined $12,150.
Holdaway says the trailer was not overloaded and if it had just been moving the fodder beet within a farm property it could have safely held another three to four tonnes.
Daryl Thompson says rural contractors face a maze of requirements to run agricultural machines on short road distances, including transport licences and meeting Vehicle Dimension and Mass rules.
He says the government’s review will likely take many months and, in the interim, Rural Contractors NZ is asking for some discretion to be applied.
“We’ve been patient, followed the evolving process but we need action now. The fines are disproportionate, and we need NZTA and the government to urgently address this weight issue so our members can get on with their work for our nation’s farmers.”
by Andy Bryenton
Motorcycles built for the mud and harsh terrain are a farming tool without parallel, able to go where even their four-wheeled stablemates might fear to tread.
The history of how the ubiquitous Kiwi farm bike came to exist at all goes right back to the earliest days of motorcycling, and takes in almost every other purpose for a two-wheeler except agriculture along the way.
The tale begins with a young German engineer called Siegfried Bettmann, who moved to England in 1885, just as his fellow countryman Mr Benz was inventing internal combustion. Siegfried had no idea what was brewing back in Germany, but he did see a market for well-built bicycles as the sport took off in late-Victorian times. He founded the Triumph Cycle Company, and those who know motorbikes know how that played out. By the end of the first world war, in which Siegfried staunchly supported his adopted Britain, Triumph was the biggest bike maker in the nation.
It was during the war years that Mr Bettmann developed a bike for the muddy and dangerous battlefields of Europe. Light, nimble and with better suspension and a toughened frame, his first off-road bikes were primitive, but a step in the right direction.
Decades later, the second world war spurred off-road bike design and set the
stage for post-war sporting development.
Royal Enfield’s ‘flying flea’, the WD/RE, was designed to be parachuted to scout troops and commandos in the field, and it looked like a modern off-road motorcycle, unlike the tiny welbike, which preceded it.
The little knobbly-tyred, 125cc bikes could go where big WLA Harleys, another allied wartime bike, could not, and after the conflict ended riders used them to blast along English country lanes and tracks too small or muddy for big machines. Enfield kept building the flea for civilians until 1953.
It was a Kiwi, Cyril John Callender, who created the first farm bike, the
Mountain Goat. Callender’s goat was made for farmers from day one, and took inspiration from those war-fighting bikes of the past; it was light, had knobbly tyres and was geared for torque. Sir Edmund Hillary famously rode one in Nepal in the 1960s, gaining the attention of Suzuki in Japan, and another big name in the Far East, too.
Enter Soichiro Honda, who was looking for new innovations to boost his own growing motorcycle company. His smaller bikes were already being used on unpaved roads and in the countryside, but the introduction of the Elsinore in 1973
changed the game. Honda redefined offroad bikes with this two-stroke machine, setting the frame for both motocross racers and farming bikes for years to come.
Now there is an extremely cost effective and easy to use product that will bring back your damaged concrete floors to an approved standard.
COLOURCRETE DAIRY FLOOR RESURFACER has been specially formulated for the repair of worn or damaged concrete in the dairy industry. Dairy Floor Resurfacer is a two pack system combining a Portland cement, fine aggregate based micro concrete and sophisticated binders that provide superior, compressive, tensile and flexural strength as well as a very high level of abrasion resistance and adhesion. This product is suitable for repairing worn or pitted areas or to provide a non-slip surface where necessary.
A two pot clear epoxy sealer can be supplied to reduce the wearing effects of milk and acid.
COLOURCRETE DAIRY FLOOR RESURFACER can be supplied as a ‘do it yourself kit’ and delivered anywhere in New Zealand or applied, in most areas, by contractors.
COLOURCRETE DAIRY FLOOR RESURFACER
Part A is supplied in 20kg bags and covers approximately 3m square. Part B modifier is supplied in both 10litre and 20litre containers and approximately 4litres per 20kg bag would be required. After trowelling, the surface can be broomed or sponge finished.
by Andy Bryenton
It’s only one month until Agritechnica in Europe, and that means the short lists are out for 2026 Tractor of the Year, a sneak peek at what you’ll want to be driving into the new season.
In the high-power section, where you’ll find the tractors with the biggest torque and horsepower, the short list is a who’s who of big names in agricultural engineering. Case IH represents the big red brand with the Optum, Claas put forward the Axion, and McCormick made the grade with its X8.634 VT-Drive. The JCB company, well-known for heavyduty construction machines, has reached the pinnacle of tractor manufacturing this year, too, with its new Fastrac up for not just this award but also a sustainable accolade. Fendt’s 800 Series is also up for this double achievement of environmental responsibility and maximum power.
There are only four contenders for the three podium spots in the mid-power tractor category. This is where the machines live that are most useful for Kiwi ag contractors, and hence, this is a section that’s under high scrutiny as the judging progresses. This year, Fendt follows up the success of its bigger 800 series with a finalist’s spot for the 500 series. New Holland’s T7 is in the mix, along with Valtra’s Q265 and the Zetor 6170.
The other big section that will excite local dealerships is the utility tractor award, given to the machine that is the most useful as a Swiss army knife around the farm. Claas made the cut with its Axos 3.120, and Valtra were also shortlisted for the G125 Active. Landini represents Italy with the 6-125 RS, and there’s a new contender in this category, which has made an impact in the Kiwi sales charts in recent years, too, with Kioti in the running with its HX1403 ATC-EU.
As well as these three categories spanning the kind of tractors forming the backbone of the farming fleet, there are also awards coming up in November for specialised tractors, of the sort working hard in orchards and vineyards. Then there’s the environmental award, which is contested by both JCB and Fendt this year. In fact, Fendt managed to get two of their tractors into the final five.
Of growing importance in this age of AI and information technology, is the award for robot tractor of the year. New names in
agricultural engineering, such as Agricobots and Agxceed, will once again amaze the judges with autonomous machines that point toward an automated future.
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by Andy Bryenton
Honda has returned to its classic catalogue to reinvent one of the all-time greats, and it’s here just in time for a summer of motorcycle adventures.
The GB350 hits the streets with retro styling to match the modern trend in twowheelers, and a combination of Honda build quality and smooth throttle response to inspire confidence in novice riders. With the ability to pick up this small Honda and cruise on an L-plate, those who have long considered getting out on the highway on a motorcycle have a new choice to rival LAMS bikes with retro chops from the likes of Enfield.
There’s pedigree to this classicstyled machine, which looks simple and purposeful in its signature deep navy blue or matte black. The original GB Clubman was a mid-1980s Honda cafe racer, built from the factory to be peppy and characterful. The GB stood for Great Britain, as Honda’s designers
took a lot of cues from the street scene that centred around legendary spots like the Ace Cafe, that motorcycle mecca just around the corner from Abbey Road.
This scribe personally got about on a little CB250 in the days when Moses was in short pants, and the GB Clubman was a much-desired upgrade way back when. The new GB, if anything, looks even better, and channels a direct line from those old Brit classics with its big single-pot motor finned in black and chrome, riding stance, teardrop-shaped lamps and a chrome trumpet of an exhaust. The only nod to modernity is a set of cutting-edge alloy wheels with disc brakes; a big improvement on those old drums in the hubs.
Across the GB350 there are little upgrades and improvements tucked away behind vintage aesthetics. Those indicators and lamps are attractively classic in their lines, but pack LED illumination. The gauge cluster is a redneedle, white-number replica of Hondas of old, but it’s got a tiny digital screen in one corner to take care of figures, like fuel consumption and range. There’s even antilock braking, which you won’t find on a similarly styled machine from half a century ago.
All in all, the GB350 is a bike that allows you to have your cake and eat it, too. It’s got the classic look, which is so hot right now, in an economical-to-run, learner-approved package made by a brand known for their reliability. It’s got enough power and grunt from that big single cylinder, to make riding fun as well as practical. Finally, it’s all wrapped up in a relatively inexpensive price, at just a touch under $9,000. A first step on motorcycling adventures doesn’t get much more enticing.
by Andy Bryenton
Alongside carbon dioxide emissions, the biggest gas referenced in government efforts to manage New Zealand’s agricultural climate impact is methane.
A vigorous debate on methane, its role in global warming, and the impact of methane coming from the nation’s livestock has been ongoing for several terms of successive governments. Recently, the coalition set a benchmark for methane emissions reduction. Following cabinet approval, a target of methane emissions 14 to 24 per cent below 2017 levels has been indicated.
The coalition is calling the decision science-based and practical, and it’s
based on an independent Methane Science Review commissioned in 2024.
“We’ve accepted a range of advice and worked closely with industry to agree on a practical target that protects food production, whilst substantially reducing New Zealand’s farm emissions. Today, we’re delivering a practical, fair pathway that recognises New Zealand agriculture efficiency, protects jobs and production, and upholds our climate commitments,”
said Agriculture, Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford spoke out on the proposed targets, saying that their scientific grounding is a better result than the idealistic measures that could have been used. However, the farming advocacy group also spoke up for lower targets in the past. It’s their opinion the 14 to 24 per cent drop is achievable by 2050, and Kiwi farms are on track to hit it.
coalition states this kind of tax risks farm shutdowns, which could drive production, profits and employment offshore.
The focus of the government’s push to slash methane emissions centres on research and technology. There’s already a $400 million investment slated to speed up the development of methane-reducing tools and tech. These include innovations like EcoPond, designed to cut effluent pond methane emissions by 90 per cent.
The target comes with caveats that could help make it an easier sell to a rural sector that is far from unanimous on climate change mitigation measures. There will be a legislated review in 2040, seeking to align New Zealand’s biogenic methane target with any new science forthcoming in the interim, and to look at the parallel progress of our trading partners. Additionally, there will be no tax on agricultural methane emission. The
“It will be up to each farmer, processor and company to decide how best to meet their own commitments, using the tools and innovations that fit their business,” said parliamentarian Simon Watts.
“Our approach is clear: technology and partnership, not taxes, will deliver the reductions that we need. By investing in new tools and giving farmers practical support, we can cut emissions without cutting production or profitability.”
Facial Eczema or FE is a major issue for the nation’s wool and lamb sector, and a long-term study delving into its impact to search for ways to combat the disease is calling for farmers to get involved.
Doctor Cara Brosnahan, Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s principal scientist, says knowing more about FE is of vital importance to tackling the challenge it represents.
“We’re closer than ever to understanding where FE is occurring in New Zealand. With farmer input, we can find the tools that really work,” says Dr Brosnahan.
That involvement comes in the form of a three-year study, which has busted myths and exposed trends surrounding FE. For example, the spores causing the disease have been found as far south as Otago, meaning that this is not just a northern, warm climate problem. The bluntly titled Sheep Poo Study is part of the wider Eliminating Facial Eczema Impacts programme.
To chart the range, severity and saturation of FE, farmers have been asked to dig deep — into the small deposits sheep leave behind. By collecting samples
of excremental pellets, individual farmers can add to a growing data source, allowing scientists to develop more effective protection for Kiwi flocks. It’s no laughing matter, scatalogical humour aside. The effects of FE are thought to cost the wool and lamb sector more than $330 million a year; money that could be growing the industry and supporting rural business.
“FE risk isn’t just seasonal or regional,” says Dr Brosnahan. “We’ve seen spore activity stretch into May and June, and it’s not confined by geography. We have had reports of clinical FE in every region from Northland to the West Coast of the South Island.”
“We need more farmers to take part, especially if they’ve never had FE detected on their farm before, those results help build our understanding of this devastating disease.”
Participation is free and simple. Farmers collect sheep poo samples every two weeks from October to May. B+LNZ
• Dairy effluent liners
Wastewater ponds
Irrigation ponds
Frost protection
provides the kits and covers postage. As a thank you, farmers will receive results to better understand their FE risk, a $40 subsidy on faecal egg counts tested by Awanui Veterinary, and the chance to be
one of 25 farms selected for monthly FEC and larval culture testing from October to May.
You can get involved by visiting beeflambnz.com/sheeppoostudy.
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