Aug 4, 2021 | Articles
Every day there are new reports proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that the world is warming at a faster rate than ever before, and although reversible we are getting close to the point of no return. The only way we’re told that the warming process can be reversed is...
Jun 10, 2021 | Articles
Jargon is a mode of speech familiar only to a group or profession. Its widely used by the scientific fraternity, particularly with respect to agriculture, and its effect, whether deliberate or otherwise, has been to limit open discussion. When you are unsure of the...
Apr 3, 2021 | Articles
What should be bothering you most, methane, nitrous oxide, nitrate-nitrogen levels in ground water, carbon sequestration, or the politics of it all? Making sense of any complex situation requires a clear vision of the big picture. With that in place the detail can be...
Mar 10, 2021 | Articles
Below is a recently taken photograph of a Functional Fertiliser client’s property from 2,500ft. The move to organic certification was made in March 2013 with all required nutrients applied annually. Without accurate rainfall data it’s not possible to know whether it’s...
Feb 8, 2021 | Articles
The last article was written prior to the release of the Climate Change Commission’s draft plan for slashing New Zealand’s emissions. From the article ominously titled, The Government will not hold back, there is a call for a 15% reduction in animal numbers, less...
Jan 14, 2021 | Articles
In the last 60 years walk through cowsheds have been replaced by step-ups, then herringbones, and now rotaries. And robots! Fifty dairy cows used to be an economic family farm in the 1960’s, and in the 1970’s a 150-cow unit was regarded as the maximum that could be...
Dec 2, 2020 | Articles
As a sharemilker, coming from an education background with only school and university holiday experience on dairy farms and hungry for information, I collected and stashed any interesting and potentially useful information. It’s been kept in boxes and added to over...
Nov 11, 2020 | Articles
There ae differences between farms. Size and contour vary, as does the type and number of animals grazed. However, whether dryland or irrigated, there is one constant, the necessity of nitrogen for pasture growth. The air we breathe is 78% nitrogen, so there is no...
Oct 16, 2020 | Articles
As I write this article pasture growth in many farming regions is restricted by a lack of moisture and a genuine spring flush has not arrived. It’s easy to say that we shouldn’t worry about stuff we have no control over, however a lack of rain this early in the season...
Sep 16, 2020 | Articles
That change is coming in the agricultural sector is not in question, the only questions are, how big and how soon? With environmental degradation heading many people’s priority list it’s almost inevitable the incoming government will grasp the opportunity to make...
