Securing the future, April 2014

Beneath every long term successful business is a foundation, something that regardless of the inevitable ups and downs ensures not only survival but prosperity. Underpinning the dairy industry is the steadily increasing demand for protein in the form of milk, cheese,...

Sorting spring starts now Feb 2014

What’s happening, or not happening right now on farms, is a result of actions taken over the last 6 months, therefore what occurs in spring is influenced by management over the next three months. Some properties have little pasture cover, while others have sufficient...

Building something better takes effort, December 2013

It’s easy to criticise people, organisations and systems but it takes time and real effort to build something better. The superphosphate industry has been heavily criticised for producing crude out dated product, the performance of which has required the short term...

One small step in the right direction, Nov 2013

The lead article in The Press on the 22nd of October was headed Nitrate Risk to Infant Health, with a warning from Canterbury District Health Board medical officer Alistair Humphrey that, “a baby could die if nitrate levels are not more tightly controlled”. The term...

Bugs can’t handle big clover, October 2013

An article on the development of clover by AgResearch published in November 2003 starts with following.  “If there is one thing New Zealand couldn’t do without, it would have to be white clover. While it doesn’t seem like an obvious one for the top 20 list of...

Why all growing systems are essentially ‘biological’ July 2013

Over recent times there has been much debate around the topic of ‘biological farming’.  As little if any nutrient enters a plant without first going through a biological process, all growing systems regardless of the label applied to them are essentially biological...