c&c 01/13

INSIDEINSIDEJanuary 13January 13

Issue No. 149 Bay of Plenty

& Waikato Farm, Orchard & Rural

Lifestyle news

Ph 07 578 0030

Island of birds

INS IDE THIS MONTHS

ISSUE

Dog ranger Betty P44

Foster family P8-9Foster family P8-9

Tititiri Matangi Island in the Hauraki Gulf provides a refuge for New Zealands unique native birds. Thanks to the efforts

of thousands of volunteers - and its a place where bird spotting is easy, even for amateurs. see story page 4

Dog ranger Betty P44

Hicks Museum P38-39Hicks Museum P38-39

HORTICULTURE 10-12 EFFLUENT 16-17 DAIRY 18-22RURAL DRIVER 24- 25 CONTRACTORS 32-33SAFETY 31A&P SHOWS 34-35COUNTRY LIVING 36-44

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COAST & COUNTRY

The Winners of last months book prizes, courtesy of Halcyon Press were: Gold Dust and Saddle Bag Tales from the Cavalcade by Sally Rae and Stephen Jaquiery Dawn Wagner

of Gisborne; The New Zealand Hunting Rifl e by James Passmore - Nick Gunter of Tauranga; Student Hunter by James Morris - Roy Stewart of Mangakino.

Tough decisions ahead for teens

By Elaine Fisher

In a few short weeks children will be returning to school, and for many the beginning of the new term will mean making subject choices which could

infl uence their future careers.Many new Year 11 students will have no idea what

career they want, which makes it doubly hard to decide what subjects to take, but the fact is, what they lock in as a 15 or 16 year old will in all probability decide the course of their tertiary education or career prospects.

Its tempting to pursue subjects these young teens enjoy and fi nd easiest but unless they include some of the harder topics such as science and maths, they may miss out on careers which are rewarding both fi nancially and personally.

Art, PE and music are fantastic but need to be bal-anced with core subjects which keep all the options open so that when it comes to Year 12 and 13 and thoughts turn to university, polytech or apprenticeships, the basics are there to build on.

In this issue we feature two young men who have made the most of educational opportunities to further their career ambitions. Daniel van de Pas has com-pleted his university education and is now a scientist with the Crown Research Institute Scion (story page 42) and Shawn Sands is about to return to Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre near Masterton to complete the NCEA Level 4 dairy qualifi cation (story page 18).

Lesley Mochan, programme co-ordi-nator for Horticulture with the School

of Applied Science at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, says horticultural graduates are in demand and urges young people with a love of the outdoors to consider the career options this offers (story page 14).

Mike Chapman, CEO of New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers, echoes her call, saying despite the Psa-V woes, young leaders are needed now and into the future to help the kiwifruit industry recover and pros-per (story page 15).

Parents and guardians assisting young people to make subject choices for 2013 should encourage them to research their options widely, through attending careers expos, visiting tertiary education facilities, careers advis-ers, and talking to people in jobs which interest them,

as well as (of course) consulting good old Uncle Google. Its

best to keep the options open because its hard to know at 15 what youll be doing at 20. I sure didnt have a clue.

By Elaine Fisher

Read more about Shawn Sands -

page 18.

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COAST & COUNTRY

The fi rst evidence of plants gaining resistance to the herbicide Roundup

is likely to mean changes to spray practices by councils, orchardists,

farmer and contractors.However, the product is also widely

used by home gardeners. Companies such as Yates sell it in ready to use spray bottles advertising it as a broad spectrum, all-purpose weed killer. It effectively controls diffi cult broadleaf and grass weeds. It has low toxicity and is inactivated once it contacts the soil.

Educating home gardeners on how to avoid triggering resistance to the chemical might be more diffi cult than getting the message out to commercial users.

The discovery of glyphosate (Roundup) resistant annual ryegrass on a Marlborough vineyard was announced in December after it was found by a project led by the Foundation of Arable Research (FAR) and funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF).

Mike Parker, Project Manager for the Avoiding Glyphosate Resistance team, says glyphosate is the most frequently used herbicide in New Zealand agriculture and although there have been some anecdotal reports of resistance, this is the fi rst confi rmed occurrence. He says the resistance fi nding should provide a wake-up call for all users of the broad spectrum weed killer.

The discovery may result in changes to the rotation of crops he grows and his management practices says Bill Webb of Bill Webb Feed Solutions, Paengaroa.

The resistance is of concern for the cropping industry and it may be that we have to look at rotating different crops but I dont see it as too much of an issue because we remove ryegrass (as silage) before it forms a seed head so any resistance it unlikely to be passed on to the next generation of plants.

The problem is likely to be greater where grass cover is permanent as in orchards and vine yards, or along fence lines and road sides where weeds are sprayed year after year with the same chemical, Bill believes.

The biggest concern is from roadside verges which are also the biggest source of weeds for farmers and cropping industry, so its important that chemicals are

rotated and the same ones not used all the time. On dairy farms paddocks are renewed on average every 10 years so resistance to the chemical is unlikely.

Roundup is a valuable tool in pasture renewal and it would be a worry if it was not

as effective.We already rotate the use of

chemicals in our maize crops and do not use the same mix year after year to minimize the risk of resistance.

I dont think theres any reason for a great panic at this stage but it is a warning that we do have to be careful with chemical use.

Dr Trevor James from AgResearch says the best way of avoiding glyphosate resistance is to ensure it is not the only chemical used on the same paddock year after year. Instead, he recommends mixing it with a herbicide from a different mode-of-action group every three or four years. This will kill any weeds that may be building up resistance.

While the resistance has developed naturally through the plants own

evolutionary traits, Monsanto, which manufactures Roundup, has used genetic engineering to deliberately induce Roundup resistance in some crops.

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COAST & COUNTRY

Tiny songsters fl itted around us, performing an aerial concert of almost overwhelming volume.

The bellbirds were drawn to that spot, not to entertain us, but to drink sugar water, sharing it with saddlebacks inside a cage only they could enter.

High volume sweet serenade Their concert can be enjoyed almost any time on the island

sanctuary which is Tititiri Matangi (commonly known as Tiri) in the Hauraki Gulf, not far from Auckland.

Ive never heard nor seen as many native birds in the bush as we did that day. In fact, a few weeks later when we walked for four hours in the Kaimai Ranges, we heard only a solitary tui, a couple of grey warblers and saw a fantail sad testament to the impacts of introduced pests.

Thank goodness then for sanctuaries like Tiri which provide a refuge for our unique birds, and the hope that one day some may be safety re-introduced to at least parts of the mainland.

Tiritiri Matangi is one of the few open sanctuaries where the public is able to freely enjoy the birds and the bush. Its remarkable not just for its friendly and vocal birds, but also for the work of thousands of volunteers who have restored it to close to its original fl ora and fauna.

The island was settled by the Kawerau-a-Maki tribe, who built the pa from which the island takes its name. Later the Ngati Paoa tribe moved in and established the Papakura pa, which was destroyed in the 1700s during confl ict between the tribes.

Europeans arrived in the mid-1850s and the island was farmed continu-

ously until the 1970s. In 1865 the Tiritiri lighthouse was built and today continues as an impor-tant navigation beacon, although it is now fully automated and powered by solar panels.

In 1984 an ambitious plan to replant the island in native bush began and a decade later more than 250,000 trees had been planted, most by volunteers, recreating a forest as close as possible to that which one grew there. Central to the project was a nursery on the island propagat-ing seeds gathered from its few

remaining trees. We travelled to Tiri on the 360 Discovery

ferry service from Gulf Harbour and spent part of the day on a two-hour,

$5 guided tour led by volunteer, Kumeu chemist Jane Thomp-

son.Together with fi ve others in our party, we took a leisurely stroll through the bush, stopping along the way to watch saddle backs, stitchbirds, tui and robins. Jane explained that after the forest was replanted,

and once cattle no longer grazed there, seeds which had

stayed dormant for decades germinated to complement the

planted bush.Tiri never had possums. Rats were

its main pest and the biggest concern for its future is the re-introduction of rats or mice, so all visitors are warned to ensure they dont have any rodents in their backpacks or lunch boxes but more seriously, aboard the boats which bring them ashore.

Today moreporks account for most of the fatalities of baby birds nature at work the way it was.

The tui, fantails, silvereyes, grey warblers, bellbirds and spotless crakes survived on the island despite the loss of bush, but rarer birds did not. Over the years the saddleback, takahe, red-crowned parakeet, North Island robin, kokako, whitehead, little spotted kiwi, brown teal, fernbird, stitchbird, rifl eman and tomtit have all been introduced and most are fl ourishing. Tuatara, Dunvaucels gecko and shore skinks have also been introduced.

As we neared the top of the Ridge Track, a pair of takahe was quietly eating grass in the sunshine. A little like over-grown pukeko, these strange birds, once thought extinct in New Zealand, are now breed-ing on the island. Another pair studiously ignored tourists gathered for lunch outside the visitor centre a short walk away.

It was as we walked on our own back to the wharf that we came across the bellbird feeding station.

Above: Takahe are now breeding on Tiritiri Matangi.

Below: The Tiri lighthouse, built in 1865, is now solar

powered.

Bellbirds are so numerous on Tiri their song can be

overwhelming.

COAST & COUNTRY

Tiny songsters fl itted around us, performing an aerial concert of almost overwhelming volume.

The bellbirds were drawn to that spot, not to entertain us, but to drink sugar water, sharing it with saddlebacks inside a cage only they could enter.

High volume sweet serenade Their concert can be enjoyed almost any time on the island

sanctuary which is Tititiri Matangi (commonly known as Tiri) in the Hauraki Gulf, not far from Auckland.

Ive never heard nor seen as many native birds in the bush as we did that day. In fact, a few weeks later when we walked for four hours in the Kaimai Ranges, we heard only a solitary tui, a couple of grey warblers and saw a fantail sad testament to the impacts of introduced pests.

Thank goodness then for sanctuaries like Tiri which provide a refuge for our unique birds, and the hope that one day some may be safety re-introduced to at least parts of the mainland.

Tiritiri Matangi is one of the few open sanctuaries where the public is able to freely enjoy the birds and the bush. Its remarkable not just for its friendly and vocal birds, but also for the work of thousands of volunteers who have restored it to close to its original fl ora and fauna.

The island was settled by the Kawerau-a-Maki tribe, who built the pa from which the island takes its name. Later the Ngati Paoa tribe moved in and established the Papakura pa, which was destroyed in the 1700s during confl ict between the tribes.

Europeans arrived in the mid-1850s and the island was farmed continu-

ously until the 1970s. In 1865 the Tiritiri lighthouse was built and today continues as an impor-tant navigation beacon, although it is now fully automated and powered by solar panels.

In 1984 an ambitious plan to replant the island in native bush began and a decade later more than 250,000 trees had been planted, most by volunteers, recreating a forest as close as possible to that which one grew there. Central to the project was a nursery on the island propagat-ing seeds gathered from its few

remaining trees. We travelled to Tiri on the 360 Discovery

ferry service from Gulf Harbour and spent part of the day on a two-hour,

$5 guided tour led by volunteer, Kumeu chemist Jane Thomp-

son.Together with fi ve others in our party, we took a leisurely stroll through the bush, stopping along the way to watch saddle backs, stitchbirds, tui and robins. Jane explained that after the forest was replanted,

and once cattle no longer grazed there, seeds which had

stayed dormant for decades germinated to complement the

planted bush.Tiri never had possums. Rats were

its main pest and the biggest concern for its future is the re-introduction of rats or mice, so all visitors are warned to ensure they dont have any rodents in their backpacks or lunch boxes but more seriously, aboard the boats which bring them ashore.

Today moreporks account for most of the fatalities of baby birds nature at work the way it was.

The tui, fantails, silvereyes, grey warblers, bellbirds and spotless crakes survived on the island despite the loss of bush, but rarer birds did not. Over the years the saddleback, takahe, red-crowned parakeet, North Island robin, kokako, whitehead, little spotted kiwi, brown teal, fernbird, stitchbird, rifl eman and tomtit have all been introduced and most are fl ourishing. Tuatara, Dunvaucels gecko and shore skinks have also been introduced.

As we neared the top of the Ridge Track, a pair of takahe was quietly eating grass in the sunshine. A little like over-grown pukeko, these strange birds, once thought extinct in New Zealand, are now breed-ing on the island. Another pair studiously ignored tourists gathered for lunch outside the visitor centre a short walk away.

It was as we walked on our own back to the wharf that we came across the bellbird feeding station.

Above: Takahe are now breeding on Tiritiri Matangi.

Below: The Tiri lighthouse, built in 1865, is now solar

powered.

Bellbirds are so numerous on Tiri their song can be

overwhelming.

Page 5COAST & COUNTRY

The way New Zealand was - recreated on Tiri

There was one for tui outside the visitor centre but the station for smaller birds is enclosed with netting too small for the bullying tui to enter, giving the smaller birds a chance to enjoy the sugar water staff put in the stations dotted around the island. Designed solely for nectar feeders like tui, bellbird and saddlebacks, the feeders consist of a sugar-water fi lled bottle inverted over a plastic, hollow disk, with tiny slots just big enough for bird tongues.

They are for sale on the island for $25 each and the two we have on the deck at home are a vast improvement on the dishes of sugar water we used to put out because the sparrows cant get their beaks through the slits and the bees stay away too, leaving the sweet drink just for the tui.

Some of those who travelled to Tiri on the ferry elected to stay the night in a DOC hostel, but we returned to

Gulf Harbour at the end of a full and thoroughly enjoyable day.

The ferry departs from Auck-land and Gulf Harbour. No food can be purchased on the island and bookings for the ferry are recommended.

To fi nd out more about Tiritiri Matangi and how to get there go to: www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz or ww.doc.govt.nz (search for tititiri) or www.360discovery.co.nz

North Island Robin are friendly

and u

nafra

id.

Stitchbirds are frequently seen by visitors t

o Tiri

tiri M

atan

gi.

The Tiri Kat entering Gulf Harbour to take passengers

to Tiritiri Matangi.

Tui gather round a

sugar water feeder.

What weve lostBotanist Joseph Banks travelled with Captain James Cook

on his fi rst expedition to New Zealand in 1769-70. This journal entry describes the dawn chorus he heard

on 17 January 1770, while the Endeav-our was anchored in Queen Charlotte

Sound, Marlborough Sounds: This morn I was awakd by the singing of the birds ashore from whence we are distant not a quarter of a mile, the numbers of them were

certainly very great who seemd to strain their throats with emula-tion perhaps; their voices were

certainly the most melodious wild musick I have ever heard, almost imitating small bells but with the

most tuneable silver sound imaginable to which maybe the distance was no

small addition. On enquiring of our people I was told that they

have had observd them ever since we have been here,

and that they begin to sing at about 1 or

2 in the morn and continue

till sunrise, after which

they are silent all day like our

nightingales. (Source: www.teara.govt.nz)

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COAST & COUNTRY

The new Ohaaki Wetland wont be wet all the time, but it will be man,

not nature, who decides the ebb and fl ow of its waters.

John Meikle, Fish & Game Offi cer, Eastern Region says annual draining of the wetland is the one critical difference between the Ohaaki wetland and most others in New Zealand and will be an important aspect of its management, pest control and provision of food for birds and aquatic species.

The wetland, which will eventually cover 35 ha of land near Reporoa, was offi cially opened by Minister of Conservation, Kate Wilkinson in November.

Its development had been a two-year project which has transformed previously unused land into a natural resource that will help restore an ecosystem providing irreplaceable benefi ts

for the area, Dennis Barnes, chief executive of Contact Energy said at the opening.

Contact Energy gifted the land for the wetland and funding for the $1 million devel-opment was provided through the Waikato Catchment Ecological Enhancement Trust and the Wairakei Environmental Mitigation Chari-table Trust. WEMCT was created by Contact as part of the companys efforts to mitigate the environmental impacts of its Wairakei opera-tions.

John, who went to the US on a scholarship to look at wetland management there, led the project. He says there is now recognition that it is not always possible to accurately re-create wetlands the way they were before mans inter-vention. Instead they should be managed to achieve the best outcomes within the modern environment.

For Ohaaki this means a management pro-gramme beyond normal spraying of emergent

plants (such as willows). We have the abso-lute ability to manage water. By draining the wetland we can control aquatic pest plants, disk the site, feed seeds throughout the site for specifi c grasses and tubular plants so they can grow while the site is dry, then gradually re-fl ood to provide ample plant seed food sources for waterfowl.

Once full, the plants will then decompose and the waterfowl will eat the insects feeding on the decomposing vegetation. This system is very common in the US but not regularly used in New Zealand, especially to this scale.

Draining will be slow and carefully controlled to give birds and aquatic life the chance to move on. The management is not unlike what happens in natural ephemeral wetlands, those which are sometimes dry, sometimes wet.

John says because of pest plants and aquatic species, fl ooding wetlands and leaving them fl ooded doesnt always produce the best results.

One aquatic weed of particular concern for the Ohaaki wetland is hornwort, a dark green, free-fl oating weed with dense growth which is already in the Waikato River system. We know its there and cant do anything about that but at Ohaaki we can control it by draining the wetland and spraying it.

As the land beneath the wetland continues to subside, it will eventually cover 35 ha. It was this instability, plus the ramping up and down of fl ow in the adjacent Waikato River for power generation which added complications to the design and construction of the wetland.

The land is subsiding at differing rates and has variable water head pressures dependent upon wetland and Waikato River levels. This made the bund design especially complicated.

The wetland is open to the public, with hides for bird watching and walking tracks. It will also be open to hunters during duck season on a permit system, managed by Fish & Game.

It wasnt quite mission impossible but it was certainly mission diffi cult designing a wetland on subsiding land, adjacent to a river with water fl ows which rise and fall like the tide.

That was the task assigned to engineer Steve Everitt, of Waterline Engineering Consultants Whakatane by John Meikle, Fish & Game Offi cer, Eastern Region.

Three years ago John asked us to provide a feasibility study on whether or not he could create a wetland at Ohaaki where the land is subsiding because of the draw off of geothermal steam, says Steve.

The proposal was to build a bund between the land which had previously been grazed, and the Waikato River, creating a wetland, which could also be drained on a regular basis.

Steve employed a specialist geotechni-cal engineer, Marianne OHalloran of Papamoa, to examine the soils to fi nd out if they would hold water, because if not the wetland would need to be sealed.

However, despite the predominance of pumice in the area, it was established that the soils would hold water.

The next issue was the stability of the site. The land is still subsiding and will continue to do so and the wetland will increase in size over time. The bund between it and the river had to be of the right height to prevent the river fl ooding the area in future, and the river level rises and falls because of the operation of hydro dams.

John wanted to be able to drain the wetland and coming up with a solution to that wasnt too diffi cult. Some systems rely on electrical methods of opening and closing values but we opted for a more simple one John in his waders opening them manually.

Steve says the project was great to work on as the emphasis was on achieving the desired result within reasonable time-frames. Hes pleased with the completed wetland and says its an excellent example of what can be achieved, on a much smaller scale, by private land owners who want to re-create an area for aquatic life on their land.

The irony is that engineers such as Steve were designing schemes last century to drain swamps and turn them into pasture, but now some of the more marginal areas are reverting to wetlands.

John says Fish & Game employed on the ground engineers, and contractors well known to us.

There is a big difference, he says in employing people with a proven track record in wetland works, rather than general civil construction. In other words, playing in the mud is very different to playing in the dry as compli-cations can occur very quickly.

Playing in mud requires special skills

Above: Controlling the fl ooding and draining of the wetland is crucial to its long term health.

Draining part of wetland management

A bund was built between the Waikato River and the wetland.

COAST & COUNTRY

Enhancing the habitat for waterfowl and native fauna was the primary purpose of the planting at the Ohaaki Wetland, says

Dave Dalton, Operations Manager of the Taupo Native Plant Nursery which

supplied the plants.Food sources (seed, fruit and fl owers) are usually

what people think of fi rst but shelter is very impor-tant as it not only offers protection from the weather elements but also provides places to rest, nest and hide from predators.

The plants used at the Ohaaki Wetland site are basi-cally some of the core species for wetland. One plant supplied that is not commonly used in the riparian mix was Pennatia corymbosa. This has great bird attracting properties and proved resilient in this demanding site.

David says the site, like many in the Central North Island has cold winters, hot, dry summers and late/

out of season frosts. Plant selection is important but the sourcing can have a big infl uence on how success-ful a planting is (especially on cold sites). There was very little existing native vegetation on this site. Plants which were locally grown such at the Taupo Native Plant Nursery, increase the odds in the establishment and survival of the re-vegetation.

Plants provide food and shelter

elements but also provides places to rest, nest and hide

supplied that is not commonly used in the riparian mix was Pennatia corymbosa. This has great bird attracting properties and proved resilient in this demanding site.

and survival of the re-vegetation.

Planting the right species, in the right soil type, plus regular

maintenance is vital for wetland success.

By Elaine Fisher

Island has cold winters, hot, dry summers and late/

Soil type on the site is wide ranging with areas of waterlogged sediment through to virtually straight pumice. The wet sites will do well with the likes of Phomium tenax but in the pumice sites planting the right species eg. Hebe stricta needs a fertiliser tab or two.

Like all native re-vegetation it is important to allow for maintenance. It is crucial to release the plants for the fi rst two years as objective is to get coverage (canopy closure) which will shade out most weeds and provide a nursery for the next generation of native plants says David.

The main species planted at Ohaaki are: Cordyline australis, Phormium tenax, Coprosma propinqua, Aus-troderia toetoe, Leptospermum scoparium,Plagianthus regius) and riparian (eg Coprosma robusta, Hebe stricta, Pittosporum eugenodes, P. tenuifolium) reveg-etation. For more information on plants check out www.tauponativeplant.co.nz

Minister of Conservation, Kate Wilkinson and Eastern Fish & Game Council chairman Barry Roderick at the tree planting ceremony at the

opening of the Ohaaki Wetland.

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ATERLINEW

COAST & COUNTRY

If we had a dollar for everyone who has said how much they love the view of our farm, wed be quite wealthy, says Marie Foster, who with husband George farms the land which has been in the Foster family since 1877.

The Foster farm begins in the hills at around 396 metres, and ends at sea level, nearly all of it hill country, broken in from native bush by the late William and George Foster in the 1870s. The original family holding surrounded all of the horse-shoe shaped Kirita Bay, a secluded inlet of the Hauraki Gulf.

Today George and Marie and daughter Rebecca are the last remaining Fosters on the land but others in the family, including Georges cousin Bill Foster, still retain strong connections to the farm and are frequent visitors to the place where they grew up.

George and Marie own 263 hectares of the original 1198 acres (484.81 ha) where George and Bills great grandparents, William Kerrin Foster and his wife Mary Cole-Moss settled in 1877.

I believe the place was bush right to the waters edge. There was no road, only a track up hill and down dale between Thames and Coromandel. Their only access was by boat, says George.

Once they got settled they got to work cutting fi rewood, posts and caps and props for the mines. The cutter, a type of sailing boat, would come in and take all the mining wood to Thames and fi rewood to Auckland. They used to get their tucker and supplies brought in by boat.

William Foster came to New Zealand in 1850 and is believed to

have fought in the land wars under von Tempski as part of the 58th Regiment. Mary, his wife, who was 19 years his junior, came to New Zealand aged seven in 1849.

After the couple married they moved to Great Barrier Island where William worked in the copper. From the island the family moved to Thames to Manaia and then to Waitotara, directly over the hill from Kirita Bay. There they cut fi rewood and mining timber.

They paid the Maori an agreed price for the timber on each block of land then cut it and shifted on.

Today I think people are too harsh in their criticism of the pio-neers. If they did not mine the gold or fell the timber they would have had no income and their families would have starved. Once the land was cleared, they could then farm it to provide a more sustainable income, says George.

When George senior was 16, the family moved to Kirita Bay but still did not own the land. They did however, build a home of kahikatea with a big open fi replace about 12 feet (almost 4 metres) wide. There was a door in the back of the chimney which opened to timber jack in a three foot diameter log, running the length of the chimney. This was called the back log and it would burn day and night, heating water in a couple of big boilers. Cooking was done in camp ovens and on wet days clothes, which had been washed in the creek, were dried in the chimney.

After some years the Maori owners agreed to sell the land.

By Elaine Fisher

COAST & COUNTRY

Fosters have farmed the land for 135 years

have fought in the land wars under von Tempski as part of the 58th

Its one of the most admired farms on the Coromandel. Most who drive up the steep hill from the Thames Coast on the way to Coromandel, look down, with

some envy, at Kirita Bay.

land for 135 years

116 Hewletts Road,Mt Maunganui, Tauranga CityTel: 07 578 6017 www.farmerautovillage.co.nz Follow us on Facebook

OPEN: Monday-Friday 8.00am-5.30pm Saturday 9.00am-5.00pm

116 Hewletts Road, Mount Maunganui. Tel: 07 578 6017 www.farmerautovillage.co.nz

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116 Hewletts Road,Mt Maunganui, Tauranga CityTel: 07 578 6017 www.farmerautovillage.co.nz Follow us on Facebook

116 Hewletts Road,Mt Maunganui, Tauranga CityTel: 07 578 6017 www.farmerautovillage.co.nz Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Facebook

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COAST & COUNTRY

George decide to raise the money to buy it and he went to work in the kauri bush around Coromandel and Whangapoua, using a bullock team to haul the logs out of the bush.

Bullocks were also used on the family farm and you can still see the bullock tracks today, says Bill.

William Foster lived at the bay until he died aged 87 in 1901 but even though she was younger, his wife died 10 years earlier in 1891, aged 49.

By 1901 George had raised enough money to buy the land and the property, registered in his name, is believed to have been one of the fi rst surveyed in the area. The kauri which grew near Kirita Bay could not be cut until the land was in his ownership so once it was George began to work his own bush, employ-ing quite a few men at two pound a week plus their keep, working 10 hours a day fi ve and half days a week.

George used his bullocks to haul timber to the beach along tracks made by hand. The biggest logs were 10,000 super feet and on the beach all the logs had holes drilled in the end, through which chains where threaded to lash them together, forming rafts which were towed to St Marys Bay in Auckland.

As the land was cleared it was disked and sown with English grasses to create pasture on all but the steepest gullies where native bush was left to help protect water courses and reduce erosion.

In 1907 George built the homestead

which still stands on the farm, from timber he had felled.

On January 8, 1908, George Foster (then 46) married Jeanie Bell McCor-mick aged 30. The couples children were Doris, Ernie (father of George) Frank and Tup (father or Bill).

George Foster died aged 65 in 1926 but Jeanie lived until 1950, caring for her family through the depression and war years.

They were very frugal and self-suffi cient growing their own vegetables and meat and dairy products so my

father said they really didnt notice any hardships during the depression, says Bill.

The land belonging to Doris and Tup was eventually sold and Tups

land is now owned by a syndicate with holiday homes built around the original Foster homestead. George and Marie bought Franks farm.

George and Marie are happy

for Foster family members to visit and rekindle their links with the land and the bay, but they too wonder how long they will be able to keep farming the land they love so much.

The wool and lamb sale cheques are not keeping up with rising costs and each year it is more diffi cult to service farm fertiliser and other needs, says George, the passionate farmer who works his land every day, keeping it weed-free, caring for stock and mend-ing fences.

Marie who works alongside him has a large vegetable garden and chickens, milks a house cow each day and makes a small amount of butter each week, keeping the family as self-suffi cient as possible, just as Grandma Jeanie Foster did back in the 1930s.

Their daughter Rebecca and her hus-

band Len live and work on the farm too.Its a sad fact that in the 135 years since

William fi rst settled on what was a substantial holding, the economics of farming have changed so radically that what once comfortably sup-ported a family, now struggles to do so.

Coast & Country is keen to learn of other farming families in its circulation area who have been on their farms for generations email [email protected] with brief background information and contact details.

Kauri rafted to Auckland

COAST & COUNTRY

By 1901 George had raised enough money to buy the land and the property, registered

name, is believed

been one of the fi rst surveyed in the area. The kauri which grew near Kirita Bay could not be cut until the land was in his ownership so once it was George

suffi cient growing their own vegetables and meat and dairy products so my

father said they really didnt notice any hardships during the depression, says Bill.

Tup was eventually sold and Tups

for Foster family members to visit and

Cousins George and Bill Foster on the porch of the homestead their grandfather built in 1907.

Holes were drilled in the ends of

kauri logs, through which chains where

threaded to lash them together,

forming rafts which were towed to St

Marys Bay in Auckland.

George Foster logged

kauri from the bush

above Kirita Bay in

the early 1900s.

Family ties Bill Foster (left) with his cousins George and

Marie Foster and their daughter

Rebecca on a high point of the farm, overlooking Kirita Bay.

By Elaine Fisher

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HORTICULTURE

So has the attitude that all individuals who set up small companies and produce products, which they claim work as they say, are snake oil salesmen.

Pipfruit New Zealand were warning in their news-letter in September 2006 that any Supplementary Products (what they called SOs) which had not been through their data review process must automati-cally be suspect, and any use by growers would be at their own risk. They also had the gall to claim that many suppliers of such products simply claimed they couldnt afford the trial work involved to provide sufficient data. Given the inflated trial charges for acceptable trials, they probably couldnt.

The Zespri Kiwifruit Journal of July/August 2011 was on the same theme. Anything not trialled to their specifications was automatically suspect. They claimed that while some growers, when offered free product, would say it worked well, others would claim negative effects. The journal article was entitled Buyer Beware - dont put you or your neighbour at risk. For some, who are currently refusing to take their advice on what to use, there have been consistent put downs and suspicion by other growers.

And yet these same people may have been hiding New Zealand data on the presence of Psa in the coun-try and in kiwifruit for years.

Research papersBack in 2003 a paper (Genetic Basis of Copper Resist-

ance in New Zealand Strains of Pseudomonas syringae) written by J L Vanneste and M D Voyle (then of Hort Research) found that of 21 strains of P.syringae initially tested for DNA, eight strains were found to be copper resistant, and of a further 44 strains tested, eight were also streptomycin resistant. In both cases fragments were discovered to be 98 per cent similar to a DNA sequence from P.syringae pv. actinidiae.

Given the behaviour of bacteria and their ability to change, multiply and become virulent, it might be said that the basis for Psa to cause problems was in the coun-try in 2003. However, the focus at that time found that with the potential for the use of either streptomycin or copper, there was a risk that either spray could cause resistance to both.

However, even now the authorities are pressing growers to repeatedly use copper sprays, and even streptomycin sprays to try to combat Psa. MPI has even issued a temporary approval for the use of the latter, while further data is gathered to try and prove

that it works.In March/April 2012 KVH and Zespri reported on

tests conducted using four brands of copper sprays to control leaf spotting on kiwifruit (Psa-V product testing - field trial report. Copper efficacy - Hort16A). None were more than partially successful. Phytotoxicity was a large problem, and fruit crops were severely diminished. Shoot dieback from Psa was reported as higher in the copper pre-treated plants than in the control (which received no copper).

In 1989 a Japanese report (Occurrence of Bacterial Canker in Kiwifruit in Japan: Description of Symp-toms, Isolation of the Pathogen and Screening of Bactericides) published in the Annals of the Phytopath-ogenic Society gave very clear descriptions of what the new bacterial canker looked like (leaf spots and orange bacterial ooze) and its two season progress on kiwifruit vines, and likened it to similar circumstances arising from P.syringae pv.syringae found in pipfruit. (This paper was checked and acknowledged by a New Zea-land scientist, John Young, who is still protesting at the continued funding and promotion of products which wont work by KVH.)

In March/April 2009 J L Vanneste and M Manning (now of Plant & Food Research) visited the Latina region of Italy, where they were shown orchard examples of the disease by then known as Psa, and their May 2009 paper (Bacterial canker on Hort16A kiwifruit in Italy: report on a visit to Latina, 30 March - 7 April 2009) was prepared for Zespri. The report comments that the defining source of symptoms specific to Psa was copious production of a red exudate from canes, leaders or trunks, with or without presence of a canker. They also commented that varieties Hort16A, Kiwi Gold or JinGold and Hayward were affected.

However, the visual memory of M Manning must have been short. In March 2010 he produced a paper with three others from Plant & Food Research for Zespri (Reducing the threat from New Zealand vine diseases) with a strong focus on fungi. On page 12 they reported on findings from mapping 13 Hort16A and six Hayward orchards, undertaken in 2008/9 and 2009/10.

In one case, an orchard at Te Awamutu they com-mented 5 per cent of the vines (including the dead vines) were showing symptoms of disease in 2008 and 3 per cent of the 758 vines in the orchard block have died since 2008. Symptoms included small cupped leaves and poorly developed fruit. A distinctive orange-col-oured ooze was observed on one severely affected vine, which also had a strong fishy/bacterial odour.

How long has Psa been here?The attitude that nobody in this country who isnt actually

employed by levy and government funded organizations such as Zespri, KVH and Plant and Food Research couldnt

possibly be doing reputable scientific research has been around for a while.

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HORTICULTURE

This orchard was visited by the project team many times and other scientists with experience in bacteriol-ogy and virology. Despite tests, they considered the bacteria remained unidentifi ed. What did they think they were looking at? And yet offi cially Psa didnt appear in New Zealand until 2010.

AgrizestAgrizest came onto the New Zealand market for

woody plants (including kiwifruit) in 2006. Since 2008 its labels have described it as an elicitor, a product which switches on the plants immune system (label on 1 litre container).

In April 2009, following the visit to Italy, Kiwitech Bulletins Nos. 168 and 170 both recorded subdued warnings over elicitors. No. 168 stated Elicitors (products that induce plant defence mechanisms) have not given consistent results for bacterial diseases. Fur-thermore, too much elicitor can induce the vine to shut down resulting in decreased plant growth. No. 170 stated Elicitors. These are compounds which induce a reaction in the plant leading to production of com-pounds which would either prevent infection or even kill the pathogen. Those compounds in general have not been shown to provide consistent and reliable level of control for bacterial diseases.

Since 2010, some kiwifruit orchardists in the Latina district in Italy have been using Agrizest on vines, where their orchards have been hit with 70/80 per cent Psa on the trunks, which is still active. In one orchard the farmer has provided fi gures showing that when it fi rst appeared they picked 90 tons from 7ha. The following year, after only two sprays after fl owering they picked 230 tons, and in 2012 with two sprays pre-fl owering and two post-fl owering they were expecting a harvest of 280 tons. Not only has production increased (despite PSA still being very much there), but because the plants are coping with Psa by themselves, the farmers water usage for irrigation has reduced by 50 per cent, saving the same amount on electricity, and a reduced cost of 500 Euros/ha just for water.

In New Zealand, a brochure put out by Agrizest in 2011 quotes six orchardists who have been using Agrizest since 2006 reporting consistent increases in their gold kiwifruit harvests, despite Psa being present, and showing increased Orchard Gate Returns of up to $17,741/ha last year. Five orchardists growing Hayward (green) have consistently, over several seasons, reported increases of over $5,000/ha in OGR, with one reporting an increase of up to $6,626/ha last year.

However, a report prepared by Plant & Food in July 2011 (Short report on commercially available elicitors, natural products and microbes for evaluation against

Pseudomonas synringae pv. actinidiae by T Reglin-ski et al) does not include Agrizest at all, despite its being advertised and known as an elicitor. Where did they get their list?

Zespri and Kiwi-fruit Vine Health have included Agrizest in a trial conducted in 2011, but have not been willing to either reveal the trial protocol, nor any results achieved. They did not seek approval to do the trial from the manufacturer. Their media comments have consistently purveyed the view that products such as Agrizest have not been proven, and that they are now conducting an extensive global research and development programme involving multiple leading research partners.

Off the cuff comments from government research people have been along the lines that these people are just out to make money. There seems to be no thought that these people may also be trying to solve a signifi cant problem for part of our export industry. Or that they may have spent many thousands of their own money in research to achieve a useful product, which is doing its job.

Well if protecting your comfortable job, and persuad-ing the Government to pour yet more money into research projects which may well not be needed is what they are aiming for, Zespri, KVH and Plant & Food Research are certainly winning hands down at present. Despite previous government millions having been poured into developing new varieties, it has recently been reported that the Biological Industries Research Fund is to put a further $6,900,000 over six years into not only breeding Psa resistant kiwifruit vines, but also into fi nding or creating an elicitor to assist. They seem to have changed their minds on the effi cacy of elicitors of late.

Given the apparent cover ups of when Psa actually arrived here, the money spent looking for the wrong needles in the haystacks (fungi rather than bacteria), and the current promotion of products which have been proven not to help or solve the problem, surely it must be time for a Royal Commission investigation into the whole Psa debacle. The process must be taken away from the industry itself, and conducted by a neutral set of people.

Psa-V probably arrived in New Zealand around 18 months before the fi rst symptoms of the vine disease were found in Te Puke in 2010 says Plant & Food

Corporate Communications Manager Roger Bourne.He was responding to claims that the disease may have been in this

country for much longer. (See article by Sue Edmonds, free-lance sci-ence and rural writer and Nathan Balasingham, owner of Indigo Ltd, which manufactures Agrizest on page 10).

The question of when Psa may have arrived in New Zealand was considered by the Ministry for Primary Industries in its Psa Path-way Tracing Report, published in December 2011. MPI analysis found Psa V most likely arrived in New Zealand no more than 18 months before the fi rst symptoms were observed in October 2010. MPI concluded that the initial infection probably arose from a single

point of introduction at or close to the area where the fi rst infected vines were identifi ed, he says.

Replying to claims by the authors of the same article that research by companies working outside government funded organisations is not recognised, Zespri communication manager David Courtney says outside of meeting Zespris market and quality requirements, grow-ers can decide to manage their orchards in a Psa environment how they choose.

David says the Psa research and development programme is focused on delivering practical and proven tools to growers to protect their orchards from Psa. The programme draws on the expertise of scientists and growers around the world, and any recommendations made as a result of this work are tested before being given to growers and in many cases subject to ongoing research. Ultimately, it is for growers to choose if they want to take this advice when managing their orchards.

Psa-V probably arrived in New Zealand around 18 point of introduction at or close to the area where the fi rst infected

Psa arrived in 2009?

# Sue Edmonds is a free-lance science and rural writer and Nathan Balasingham is the owner of Indigo Ltd, which manufactures Agrizest.

Call for Royal CommissionPseudomonas synringae pv. actinidiae by T Reglin-ski et al) does not include Agrizest at all, despite its being advertised and known as an elicitor. Where did they get their

Zespri and Kiwi-fruit Vine Health have included Agrizest in a trial conducted in 2011, but have not been willing to either reveal the trial

By Sue Edmonds

New Zealand kiwifruit growers saw fi rst-hand the destruction Psa-V had caused to Italian orchards when they

visited Latina in 2011.

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Te Puke

HORTICULTURE

Although we are in the midst of the Psa crisis we continue to plan and

prepare for the future. The kiwifruit industry has been built on innovation

and quality people. Innovation starts on the orchard and that works through to the research providers and is complemented by the breeding programme.

On orchard practices and a new more Psa tolerant variety will be the ultimate solution. Unfortunately that is some years away. But the other key component of the industrys eventual recovery is quality people and quality leaders. NZ Kiwifruit Growers is implement-ing a leader development programme. This article reports on our progress.

First what makes a leader? Many believe that leaders are born not trained. However potential leaders need to develop credible skills. Also what is needed for effective leadership is absolute passion for the indus-try. As an industry we need to train and develop our upcoming leaders for their leadership role by using the following strategies.

We need to have talent scouts searching for poten-tial leaders. We need to train and equip the talent scouts so that they can fi nd people with the right make-up and a potential to be developed.

Choosing a career in horticulture can open up a world of opportunities, says Lesley Mochan Programme

Co-ordinator, Horticulture, School of Applied Science at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic.

Horticulture is not just about picking and packing fruit and vegetables. There are opportunities across a wide spectrum of careers within horticulture from growing and managing crops, to fi nance, marketing, research and development and more.

School students who wish to study horticulture at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic need to be aware that horticulture is in fact a science.

Students would be advised to study science at college if they want to take horticultural courses at the polytech and they also need good numeracy skills so maths is important too.

Bay of Plenty Polytechnic horticultural programmes focus on the science behind growing plants, soils, pests and diseases, and practical skills that every horticulturalist requires.

Maths is needed in many aspects of study including working out percentages for application rates for fertilisers and pesticides.

Like virtually every work place today, computer skills are also becoming an essential part, says Lesley.

But most of all horticulture is a career for people who enjoy the outdoors and have a good work ethic.

Every year school students are given a taste of the kind of careers horticulture can offer at the Horticulture ICE Expo (Innovation, Celebration, Education) which is held in conjunction with the Young Horticulturalist of the Year competition in the Bay of Plenty.

The polytech aims to broaden its students career choices through a trip to Gisborne to see other horticulture crops, post-harvest opera-tions, high tech vegetable production and an arboretum.The trip is a real eye opener for our students. Even in these tougher economic times, and with the problems the kiwifruit industry is facing with the disease Psa-V, Lesley says there are still jobs available for graduates. To fi nd out more about whats on offer part time or full time at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic go to: www.boppoly.ac.nz

Developing industry leaders

More than fruit and vegetables

Next we need to put our potential leaders onto courses and get them to events that will up skill and enhance their natural leadership skills. We need to run networking events with role models and give each candidate a mentor. We need to get our candidates around the country and the world; we need to expose them to how other industries and how other growers do their business.

To allow leaders to develop we need to have a Reserve Bench (like in rugby) that allows those

with promise to step away from their job so that they can observe and learn from

leaders with more developed skills. To achieve this industry employ-ers need to have understudies available to release those with promise for development.

NZ Kiwifruit Growers has an elected Forum, very similar to Parliament, and what the industry needs NZ Kiwifruit

Growers to do is involve the potential leaders in our Forum meetings, develop their skills and get them to stand for election

to the Grower Forum in the future. NZ Kiwifruit Growers is taking responsibility for coordinating the industrys leadership devel-opment by leveraging off all existing events, courses and resources.

What the kiwifruit industry needs to develop is world class leaders for our success-ful future and the only way we can achieve this is to put in place and coordinate the programmes ourselves. We need to start now and see if even in the current Psa environ-ment (where employees and workers are being laid off ), we cant have an effective but modest programme targeting anyone with promise whether employed or not.

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FORESTRY

Forestry is an ever-changing and multi- faceted fi eld offering a diverse range of career

opportunities says Keri-Anne Tane, group manager of human resources for Scion.

Our forest industry is dynamic and technologically sophisticated. Already the third largest export and the employer of more than 27,000 people, it faces a positive future as the world confronts the need to fi nd solutions to shortages of wood and energy, mitigate and adapt to climate change and use land resources sustainably.

Scion is a New Zealand Crown Research Institute, with its head offi ce in Rotorua, that provides the scientifi c evidence to support forests, wood products and composite manufacturing industries. Keri-Anne, says its scientists are involved in a broad range of programmes.

Our research is aimed at driving innovation in all aspects of the forest industry supply chain. From providing evidence for new and public policy to work-ing in partnership with iwi to help them realise their economic and social development aspirations.

We also pride ourselves on being at the forefront of building new industries based on renewable technolo-gies derived from trees.

Self-employedForestry offers a huge range of opportunities from

relatively unskilled jobs right through to highly special-ised research careers. From a business perspective, there is plenty of potential for skilled workers to become self-employed and very prosperous. Equally, Keri-Anne says people working within corporate forestry compa-nies have access to career paths extending right up to executive management.

Working in forestry not only provides variation in what type of role, but where. Some jobs are based in the forest itself, but others are in offi ces, research libraries, universities, laboratories, or customer environments. Jobs can be locally, nationally or inter-nationally focused.

Another huge advantage of forestry is that it provides jobs in almost all regions in New Zealand.

In regards to the careers available at Scion, Keri-Anne says the roles are as diverse as the industry and team work is an integral part of achieving results.

We have of scientists spanning disciplines that include forest ecology, resource monitoring, pathology (forest diseases), entomology (insects), molecular biol-ogy, material sciences, chemistry, engineering, statistics, microbiology and so many more.

ComplexA lot of the research problems associated with

forestry are highly complex and solutions require the combined effort of multi- disciplinary teams.

To ensure it is an industry New Zealand continues to lead in, moving skilled professionals into forestry is imperative. Keri-Anne says that because of the signifi cance of forestry in the world and our countrys economy, as well as the environmental future driving a growing industry, it is important the talent pool can meet the demands. And there are plenty of areas of speciality to suit any interests.

The career choices are exceptionally varied whether

you are an economist, GIS specialist, pathologist, chemist, botanist, communication professional, soft-ware specialist, business development manager, project manager or accountant. The list is endless.

And the diversifi cation of roles will only continue as the future itself creates challenges to overcome.

In a world that urgently needs alternatives to fossil fuels, plantation forestry offers a renewable resource of suffi cient scale that it can supply future energy and material needs without displacing food crops.

Bio-fuelsAdvances in technology also create new opportuni-

ties and in particular over recent years there has been a massive global push towards the concept of bio-refi nery processing. This technology moves wood processing beyond the traditional timber, pulp and paper manu-facturing says Keri-Anne.

A bio-refi nery is essentially the same as its oil coun-terpart, but instead of petroleum it uses mostly plant material as the feedstock. End products include heat, electricity, bio-fuels, chemicals, materials such as bio-plastics and bio-fi bres.

This technology, along with growing worldwide demand for solid wood from sustainably managed for-ests, creates huge opportunities for New Zealand. The increasing ownership of forestry land by iwi enables New Zealand to add a unique proposition on a global scale, says Keri-Anne.

Forestry should be a career path on most peoples minds. New Zealand took a pioneering lead in planta-tion forestry at the end of the 18th century. Our forest management approaches were adopted in many other parts of the world. We have continued to take a leading

The forestry sector will remain squeezed over the next few years,

due to subdued demand from major export markets according to the Ministry for Primary Industries.

Export volumes are expected to hold up, but some product prices will not, the ministry says in its half-year update to the annual Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries report.

Deteriorating global economic conditions are having a signifi cant impact on returns across the board for New Zealand's primary products.

The update shows there has been strong pas-toral production so far in the 2012/13 season. "This is partly due to favourable climatic

conditions during the previous season which left breeding stock in good condition, and also on-going expansion of the dairy herd," says Chris Jones, the Manager of Economic Information and Analysis for MPI Sector Policy.

However, MPI reports the continuing economic slowdown, particularly in the traditional markets of the European Union, is causing weaker demand for some New Zealand products such as lamb.

DollarAnd the strengthening of the New Zealand

dollar against most major trading currencies in recent months is having a dampening effect on farm-gate returns for primary produce.

As a result, total primary sector export rev-enue for the year to June 2013 is forecast to

be around $27.5 billion, down 5 per cent on the previous year's income ($29.2 billion).

Key points for the main sectors: International dairy prices are expected to

recover over the remainder of the 2012/13 dairy season and beyond.

Europe Lower lamb prices are expected, result-

ing from weaker demand in key European markets.

Beef prices are expected to remain fi rm over the next two years, following a major drought in North America affecting production there.

Horticultural exports are on track to reach $3.5 billion in export earnings in the year to March 2013, with higher in-market prices expected to offset lower volumes of kiwifruit and wine.

Forestry squeezed says reportThe bacterial vine-killing disease Psa-V has spread to

nearly all kiwifruit growing regions, and will adversely impact gold kiwifruit exports in the year to March 2014.

For more information, go to the full, 12-page half-year update report in the Publications section

of the MPI website.

role in the utilisation of fast-growing softwoods to meet a growing range of consumer needs, says Keri-Anne.

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MAIZE

Silking date is the date when 50 per cent of maize plants are showing silk at the tip of the young embryonic cob and its a date

which should be noted. Maize generally takes 50-55 days

from this time to reach two thirds milk-line, an important indicator of crop maturity.

It is vital that crops are checked for harvest maturity. The AmaizeN calculator (a yield and nitrogen-fertiliser forecaster for growers) and 50 per cent silking date will greatly aid in deter-mining when to start frequent monitoring.

Good quality maize silage is best made when the whole plant Dry Matter (DM) is between 30 and 40 per cent. If harvested at less than 30 per cent DM, silage in the stack will be wet resulting in high stack leachate and this leachate represents nutrient loss. If greater than 40 per cent DM, stack com-paction and air exclusion is much more diffi cult.

In-fi eld estimation of crop DM requires considerable experience as; changes in soil type, topography, prox-imity to trees or hedges, the hybrids cob to stover

(vegetative parts) ratio and time of day, all need to be taken into account. However, by examining plants in representative areas good estimates can be made.

One important maturity indicator is the maize kernel milk-line, where the milky liquid changes to the harder darker starch line. By simply snapping a

cob in two and examining the upper portions kernels, the milk-line can be seen. When the milk-line is one third of the way up from the bottom of the kernel the plant is in the 28 to 32 per cent DM range. However, other indicators

need to be considered (includ-ing those mentioned earlier) such as the hybrid, the husk cover colour, the greenness of the leaves and stem.Most contractors and techni-

cal advisors have experience in harvest scheduling. Dairy farm-ers would be wise to seek their advice in this area.

(Source: Foundation for Arable Research - www.far.org.nz/index.php/far-publications/entry/best-management-practices-for-growing-maize-on-dairy-farms.

Free copies of the booklet Best management practices for growing maize on dairy farms is

available by contacting FAR - e-mail [email protected] or phone 03 345 5783.

This months mystery item from the Katikati Heritage Museum is obviously a bottle but

wed like readers to tell us what it would have contained and why it has a

raised pattern in the glass.If you think you know what it is and

have a story to tell about memories of using it, you could be in to win a museum visit for two.

Send your entry to [email protected] or post to Mystery Item, Coast & Country PO Box 240 Tauranga 3110 to arrive no later than January 17.

The winner will be announced in the February Coast & Country. The museum, just south of Katikati is open seven days a week from 9.30am to 4pm. To fi nd out more visit www.katikatiheritagemuseum.co.nz or phone 07 549 065.

available by contacting FAR - e-mail [email protected] or phone 03 345 5783.

This months mystery item from the Katikati Heritage Museum is obviously a bottle but

wed like readers to tell us what it would

Milk-line maturity indicator

What was in this blue bottle?

Maize generally takes 50-55 days from this time to reach two thirds milk-line, an important indicator

It is vital that crops are checked

AmaizeN calculator (a yield and

growers) and 50 per cent silking

best made when the whole plant

30 and 40 per cent. If harvested

the harder darker starch line. By simply snapping a

bottom of the kernel the plant is in the 28 to 32 per cent DM range.

need to be considered (includ-ing those mentioned earlier) such as the hybrid, the husk cover colour, the greenness of the leaves and stem.Most contractors and techni-

cal advisors have experience in harvest scheduling. Dairy farm-ers would be wise to seek their advice in this area.

(Source: Foundation for Arable Research - www.far.org.nz/index.php/far-publications/entry/best-management-practices-for-growing-maize-on-dairy-farms.The book - Best management

practices for growing maize on dairy farms is available free from the Foundation for Arable Research.

The December mystery item from the Katikati Heritage Museum had Coast & Country readers stumped no one was able to identify it as a metronome used to time the speed of student typists. The small device, with an electric motor could be set slow or fast, depending on the skill of the students.

JORDAAN

MAIZE

An Edgecumbe dairy farmer now has the chance to compete

in the ANZ Young Farmer Contest grand fi nal.

Herd manager and Eastern Bay Young Farmers Club member Josh Cozens, aged 24, has just won the Bay of Plenty dis-trict fi nal, hosted by the Reporoa Young Farmers Club.

Im pretty stoked, it was my fi rst time entering. I thought Id try it out and see what its all about, and it is good for our club to get out there. I was shocked to take it out. Josh topped the contest above nine other com-petitors, who were representing Reporoa, Massey and Eastern Bay Young Farmers Clubs.

He will travel to Hamilton in Febru-ary to take part in the regional fi nal, the forerunner competi-tion to the grand fi nal and says the district fi nal gave him good experience to take with him.

Contest day, a combined event with the Reporoa Tractor Pull and Rural Safety, drew a big crowd of families, visitors and locals, pleasing organisers. The BayTrust Rescue Helicopter was the benefi ciary of the event.

Reporoa Young Farmers Club chair-man Alastair Neville said he was really impressed with the way the contest came together. We had a fi eld of really enthu-siastic contestants with varying ages and backgrounds. Good to see a few young

ladies in the mix, keeping their male counterparts honest.

He said the contest module challenges were designed to test various skills, both theory and practical, which kept most

contestants on their toes. There were 12 modules, ranging from welding and fencing, to cake decorating.

Running an agris-ports event (farming pentathlon), similar to what is seen at grand fi nal level sorted out the contestants physical and mental fi tness, says Alastair.

Several local businesses and organi-sations got behind the club to create, assist and judge the modules.

It was a combination of those and a lot of time and commitment from members that has made the club pull off a successful contest, which was followed by an evening show and ball at the Reporoa Memorial Hall.

For a relatively young club, we have exceeded our own expectations and it is

great to see things are moving forward a lot quicker than imagined.

Alastair says the Reporoa Young Farm-ers Club has grown from three members a year ago to 36 now.

It is a great achievement and the out-look for the club is a positive one.

The next major Reporoa Young Farm-ers event will be a raft race in February, restoring a once yearly tradition for the area. Those taking part in young farmer contest were Josh Cozens, Eastern Bay ; James Beattie, Massey ; Josie Winters, Massey ; Anthony Bolstad, Eastern ;

An Edgecumbe dairy farmer ladies in the mix, keeping their male counterparts honest.

Edgecumbe farmer to represent Bay

On the fence: Eastern Bay Young Farmers Club chairperson Josh Cozens,

right, taking on the fencing challenge, looked on and judged by former Young Farmer grand fi nalist

and Reporoa local David Chatterton.

Photo by Victoria Crafar.

Monique Mathis, Massey ; Corey Turchie, Reporoa; Nat Hawthorne, Reporoa; Brandon Sayliss, Eastern; Susan Anderson, Reporoa; Michael Ward, Reporoa.

Going hard: Contestents competing in the agri-sports race. Photo by Victoria Crafar.

By Victoria Crafar

Floats like a butterflyOnly CLAAS DISCO Contour mowers come with unique active float

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With 22 different front-mounte

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