Running the Farm

Keith Olsen never considered keeping a small apiary on his 10 hectare South Otago lifestyle block but when a close family friend wanted to offload his bee-keeping equipment, the opportunity suddenly presented itself.

Watching my friend labouring passionately on a windy, exposed hillside at a sloping Kaimai lifestyle block, I thought she was a little bit mad. But no, I am told this is the first stage of her new permaculture area which, she insists, will deliver fabulous produce for years to come by working with all the natural elements.

We wait to see if the summer drought predictions are going to kick in. January rain saved a lot of areas thankfully, and silage and hay contractors must be exhausted – some running six weeks late trying to catch up.

Recently announced Animal Welfare Regulations highlight certain management standards that are expected of animal owners and make them more readily and quickly enforceable.

New Zealanders spend significantly more on bananas than any other fruit. On average, each family consumes 18kg of imported bananas every year.

Persea americana

The avocado fruit has a completely unique taste and can take over 12 months to mature on the tree.

They say that firewood warms you twice; once when you burn it and once when you chop it. Chopping firewood by hand is certainly warming, but it's also hard work. A recent poll showed that over 40% of lifestyle farmers use more than 9m² of firewood a year.

While the water trough in your paddock is just a very large drinking bowl, it comes with a lot of extra bits. Most of these are to control the flow of water into the trough and thus keep water always available for your animals while avoiding overflow and water loss. The trough itself can come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and materials. Your choice will be determined by the number and kind of stock you have, and the location of the trough in the paddock.

There are at least 19 chemical elements required for plant growth. Each chemical element has one or more specific functions within the plant, which cannot be taken over by another. As the plant grows, the daily demand for nutrients increases. Of the major nutrients, Mg is essential for both plant and animal growth and health, and K and Na are often involved in animal health issues.

The utility vehicle, also called a ‘side by side’ is growing in popularity on lifestyle blocks and farms around NZ and it’s easy to see why. Like an ATV it’s small and nimble, unlike an ATV, it’s very stable and designed to carry passengers. They’re rugged, can carry and tow heavy loads, can go places your standard ute can’t but are almost as comfortable to drive as your car.

A riparian strip is the piece of land alongside a river or stream. The name comes from the Latin word ‘ripa’, meaning a river bank, and it’s an important piece of land for lots of reasons. Caring for it well can improve water quality, help with soil conservation, minimise fertiliser runoff from pasture, and provide habitats for wildlife.

This tough South African import is not the sort of immigrant that our environment needs. With its shiny, leathery, dark-green leaves and umbrella shaped clusters of purplish-blue or white flowers, it has won the hearts of many a gardener who wants a hardy plant for difficult areas with poor soil.

There's nothing that fuels arguments between the proponents of 'chemical fertilisers' and supporters of 'biological farming, organic farming and biodynamics' farming, than the subject of Organic Matter.  Then when you include the word 'Humus' into the discussion, things can get really heated.

You cannot consider fertilisers without knowledge of the soil.  The key points will only be touched on here.  In geological terms, New Zealand it's a very young country, with major ash storms from volcanos being deposited as recently as 1300AD. NZ Soils have all been surveyed, described, and mapped by what used to be the government's Soil Survey.

A very fast growing, though thankfully short lived tree - popping up on cliffs, banks, hillsides, slips and cuttings.  One of the few flowering trees around in winter, brush wattle is conspicuous now with greenish-yellow bottlebrush-like flowers. It is reasonably common in the North Island, though rarer in the south.

If you buy a bare block one of the first things to think about is your water reticulation system. You need stock water as well as house water and making the right decisions at the start will save you money. How much water will you need? Where will it come from? Where to start when planning the design?

It has been estimated that around 400,000 people in New Zealand rely on roof water and it's a fair assumption that many of them are lifestyle farmers. Living on roof water is natural and sustainable but there are issues to think about which don't affect people on town supply.

We live on the Wairua River in Whangarei. Kate lives in Helena Bay.

"I'm about to build a 7 wire fence and don't know what the spacing between the wires should be".

When July 2012 rolls around, it heralds the arrival of something all lifestyle farmers should be aware of - National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT).

At some point on your lifestyle block you'll need to join 2 wires together on a fence line.

If you've got fences, you'll need gates.

If you're building a fence the old fashioned way, you'll need to dig holes.

Captain James Cook first introduced rabbits to New Zealand as an emergency food source for shipwrecked sailors.  Fortunately these first rabbits died out.  In the 1850s more rabbits were introduced from both Australia and Europe to establish and export fur trade and meat for the local market.  The rabbit flourished with no natural predators and by 1876 landowners were looking another ecological disaster in the face.  Rabbit numbers then peaked in 1890, the 1920s and in 1946.

Most lifestyle properties will need fencing. If you're keeping livestock, you'll need fences to keep them in.

The chainsaw is the most dangerous tool on the farm, and its potential for damage to life and limb is underestimated every day. Keep reminding yourself that the chain on a modern saw with it's murderous teeth travels at just over 100km/hr, so you don't have a hope of stopping it or lifting it out of the way before it has made a nice wide cut into you flesh and bone.  At this speed the chain can cut through a human limb in about a third of a second.

Lavender seems to have it all. It looks fantastic when it's flowering - painting the countryside in a haze of purple. The oil is sought after in perfume and cosmetics. Craft people love its rubbings (dried flowers) for use in all kinds of products - potpourri, drawer sachets, added to wheat bags and so on… Growers propagate plants for others to enjoy and some even breed new cultivars.

Fencing to subdivide a farm is a basic requirement to keep control of pasture growth.  This in turn controls stock performance.  Fencing is a major capital cost on the farm so must be planned and done well.  A quality well-planned programme will have minimal on-going maintenance costs.

A chainsaw is an essential tool on many lifestyle farms. You can pay someone to trim trees, chop firewood and remove unwanted trees but if you have your own chainsaw you can save yourself money and help keep yourself fit too. Buying the right chainsaw is essential. This LSB Smart Buyer's Guide gives you what you need to make the right choice.

For those people with a relatively small amount of land growing garlic may be worth considering.  Where I live, there are two stall holders at the local Farmers Markets selling garlic - both raw bulbs and smoked bulbs. It is popular with market goers - every year they sell out long before the next seasons crop has been harvested.

The Australian Brushtail Possum (Trichosorus vulpecula) was introduced into New Zealand in the late 1800s to establish an export fur trade.  Only 200-300 animals were released in about 20 locations and now the population is quoted as 70 million.  The exercise was an ecological disaster and there is no way New Zealand will ever eliminate the possum. Control is the only hope.  Possums kill native wildlife (young birds and eggs) and are vectors (carriers) of bovine tuberculosis which is an enormous threat to our meat and dairy exports.

If you have deer or cattle on your lifestyle block you need to make sure you meet Animal Health Board (AHB) regulations - even if you only have one or two animals. Bovine Tb is an infectious disease that infects mainly the throats and lungs of animals. It can be fatal and also poses a serious risk to New Zealand's meat and dairy trade. This article contains information on the Tb Programme and your responsibilities under it.

Cluster flies are large, slow moving, hairy, flies around 10-15mm with a dark gray to black non-metallic abdomen. They lay eggs on grass lawns and pasture in spring. The larvae of the flies feed on earthworms in grass pasture or lawn areas. Then in autumn and early winter the adult flies will move into homes and other buildings to survive the winter.

Animals that are not healthy are not productive, and they add cost to the business.  An animal health problem - whether it is acute or chronic is a good indicator that there is something wrong with overall farm management.  This needs investigation as it's not sustainable.  Check this by animal health costs per head of stock over the year, and when the peak costs arise.

Bees are among the hardest workers on the farm and in the garden, because they work constantly to pollinate clovers, garden flowers and many crops, and they produce marketable products such as honey. Nationwide, the benefits of the pollination they do flow on to livestock production and the meat and dairy industries.  They are extremely important to agricultural and horticultural businesses. However, their numbers are falling and this is a real cause for concern.

There are many species of fly in New Zealand. Most pose a threat to hygiene and are a nuisance to humans and animals. Flies are vectors of a large number of diseases including gastroenteritis, dysentery, typhoid, polio, salmonella and tuberculosis. Some, such as sandflies, are a direct irritant, biting humans and sometimes causing painful reactions.

Over 70% of New Zealand is privately owned, and significant but threatened habitats occur mainly on private land in lowland areas - so if you own any land that is worth protecting, consider protecting it permanently by applying a covenant. Covenanting land with the help of the QEII trust is becoming more and more common.

There is a wide range of pests in New Zealand that damage pasture.  Insect pests seem to come in cycles.  This is because there is a build up of diseases that kill them or reduce their population, and this takes time.  Insect pests that have arrived from overseas (eg clover weevil, bee varroa mite, painted apple moth) are a major hazard as they have no natural predators in New Zealand.

New Zealand "moggies" are due for a lifestyle change, and the outrage will come from their owners and not the cats, as felines are a very adaptable species.  The message is that cats should be confined at night.  New Zealanders accept that dogs must be under control at all times, but cannot accept that the same rule should apply to cats.

At last, gin traps have been banned.  Not only that but the larger 'leg-hold' traps that can trap their victims by soft parts of their body have been banned too.  These new regulations under the Animal Welfare Act are long overdue.  I believe that gin traps and the size 1½ plus leg-hold traps are often very cruel and they have caused millions of animals intense pain and suffering.  Not just pest animals either.  Many non-target species such as hedgehogs and even cats, dogs and birds are caught in leg-hold traps every year.

Weeds are plants that grow in the wrong place, they have a big negative visual image for the property. People make assumptions that weeds mean poor management but getting rid of weeds can easily become an obsession and create a lot of stress to land owners.

Soil erosion is a natural process, where soils is stripped from the earth's surface and moved to another location. This can be caused by wind, water (rainfall, rivers or the sea) or ice. 

A report following a Tree Crops Association field day.

Tony & Chris Wilson In March our Branch held a field day near Cambridge at the property of Tony and Chris Wilson.

Although blackberry is found in most districts of New Zealand it is mainly a problem weed in Northland, Central and Eastern districts of the North Island, Nelson and the West Coast.

Chickweed (sometimes called field chickweed) is an annual that is low growing and sprawling and can grow up to 70cm across.

Scotch and nodding thistles are common in New Zealand pastures.

Giant Buttercup is a hairy perennial, with erect solid stems up to 1.5 m tall. It grows from a stout rhizome.

A perennial thistle with far-creeping root system, each plant sending up many aerial shoots in the spring, which seed and die in the autumn.

A weed that belongs to the brassica family, creeping yellow cress is found in cultivated ground, damp pasture and river beds.

Oxeye daisy is a perennial weed commonly found in poor and wetter pastures – especially where there is pugging and is common on dairy pasture sidelings in the Waikato.

The new interest in ornamental grasses is potentially bad news for Northland farmers.

Everyone needs to do their bit to control wild ginger. The name wild ginger is applied to two species. The most common and most invasive of the two is the seed bearing kahili ginger, with the non-seeding yellow ginger being less common and also less invasive.

Stinging nettle is an erect annual that grows up to 60cm tall.

Tutsan is a semi woody, semi evergreen, perennial shrub that grows upto 1.5m tall. 

Like a giant version of the much loved busy Lizzies, shrub balsam can reach up to 2m in height.

This vine from Asia first established in the wild in New Zealand as early as 1926.

There are some basic tools which are necessary to build strong, secure, reliable fences.

Strainer posts are used at the beginning and end of the fence.

A power fence is a psychological barrier that keeps farm animals in and wild animals and vermin out - even over long distances.

The question we are asked the most is "where do I start?"

An earth peg acts like an aerial and collects electrons from the ground.

It is low cost compared to conventional fencing. This is a major advantage where capital expenditure has to be controlled or reduced.

Electric fences are one of the most common causes of interference when transmitting data.

Ampere (A): Unit of current. Watts divided by voltage.

You need to find out whether the pesticides you use require you to become an “approved handler”.

Possums seriously damage our native forest. They eat the berries and flowers that are food for native birds. Birds’ eggs and chicks are also predated.

Magpies behave aggressively towards people as they defend their territory and young throughout their breeding months of July to November.

Rabbits were introduced into New Zealand from Europe in the 1830's to 1850's to provide fur, meat and game.

Clover is in the legume family along with plants like lucerne, Lotus species, lupins and gorse. They all have little nodules on their roots where bacteria called Rhizobia species live.

When applying fertilisers such as superphosphate and basic slag this spring, remember to make sure animals don't ingest fertiliser with the pasture.

When a pasture looks worn and weary, it may be time to renew it, but avoid doing it instantly – plan the job for best results.

Most farmers think they know how to manage pastures by moving stock around the paddocks, but there’s more to it than that. Pasture is the cheapest livestock feed - when it’s grazed.

The main tool for pasture managemet is the grazing animal. The animal harvests its own pasture feed, and its grazing maintains pasture plants in the leafy stage.

What to do with a feed surplus: Make hay, silage or “baleage” with pasture during the spring flush. Making hay in autumn is almost impossible, because shorter days are not hot enough for good drying.

This is the second in a series of four articles on pasture renovation by Dr Deric Charlton.

This is the third in a series of four articles on pasture renovation by Dr Deric Charlton.

If you farm livestock then you now have a range of forage plants to grow for feed as well as good pastures.

Willows are already well known for supplying timber that makes excellent cricket bats, and as a source of aspirin (along with poplars), but they are also very useful on the land.

Don’t assume that you'll get through the year without any supplementary feed. 

When you plant poplar trees on a farm in New Zealand you add beauty, feed, shelter and possibly timber.

Ranging from low weeds to large bushes the nightshades all have one thing in common – they are definitely not for eating.   Of interest is the fact that, while we are likely to refer to the small varieties as ‘deadly nightshade’, that is actually a whole different species (Atropa bella-donna) which is extremely rare in New Zealand.

There are two native nightshades (Solanum aviculare and Solanum laciniatum) both known by their Maori name of ‘poroporo’.  Tall and spreading bushes with  long and heavily veined and hairless dark green leaves, green or purplish stems, trumpet shaped mauve flowers with yellow centres, and drooping single oval green berries which turn orange as they ripen.

Famously known as the poison which killed Socrates, hemlock is alive and living in New Zealand, and is still capable of causing death or at least birth defects in pregnant animals which eat the foliage. 

Has a cheerful yellow tinge spread across the tops of your pasture in the last month?  If so, it’s just the various buttercups telling you “Here we are again!"

Hedge mustard is a sneaky weed.  Initially it grows as a flattish rosette, and may, to the uninitiated, look like a dandelion.  But the indentations (or teeth) in the leaves go right to the stem with a slight gap between each, and the stems themselves turn purple from the centre outwards.

Do you remember seeing photos of brides from the 1930s each clutching a huge and unwieldy spray of what are commonly called arum lilies?  They grew so well in New Zealand that they could be found in most gardens some years ago.

When is a weed not a weed?  Well possibly when it’s a plantain. The Saxons recorded the broad leafed variety as one of the nine sacred herbs, and migrants through the ages have taken it with them to other countries, so that in countries like New Zealand and America it has often been called ‘Englishman’s foot’.

“Write about fireweed” said a friend, “I’ve got it growing all over the place”. But ’fireweed’ is one of those all-embracing terms which attaches itself to different plants in different places.  And all these plants have one thing in common – they are the first to colonise soils exposed by forest fires or forest clearing.

Despite their alarming names these are two rather inoffensive weeds, more often found in gardens and crops rather than pasture as they prefer loose, fertile soils.

Although they have different scientific names they are both members of the Lamiaceae, and to the unitiated eye they can appear identical.

With un-mown lawns and pasture sprinkled with the cheerful yellow flowers of dandelions and other ‘flatweeds’ at this time of year it seemed a good time to investigate the various different species to find their names and characteristics.

Are you wanting to identify an unknown weed, but not sure where to start? Here are some useful information sources:

Stinking mayweed is an annual that grows up to 40cm high and flowers from December to March.  Flowers are white and yellow and 15-30mm across.  Leaves are feathery and dark green, grow up to 8cm long and are divided three times into awl shaped segments. 

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Despite their alarming names these are two rather inoffensive weeds, more often found in gardens and crops rather than pasture as they prefer loose, fertile soils.

Although they have different scientific names they are both members of the Lamiaceae, and to the unitiated eye they can appear identical.

Do you remember seeing photos of brides from the 1930s each clutching a huge and unwieldy spray of what are commonly called arum lilies?  They grew so well in New Zealand that they could be found in most gardens some years ago.

But like so many introduced plants from other parts of the world moderation was left behind in the host country, and they took off here like weeds in any damp places they could find, including pasture, particularly in the northern North Island.

Ranging from low weeds to large bushes the nightshades all have one thing in common – they are definitely not for eating.   Of interest is the fact that, while we are likely to refer to the small varieties as ‘deadly nightshade’, that is actually a whole different species (Atropa bella-donna) which is extremely rare in New Zealand.

There are two native nightshades (Solanum aviculare and Solanum laciniatum) both known by their Maori name of ‘poroporo’.  Tall and spreading bushes with  long and heavily veined and hairless dark green leaves, green or purplish stems, trumpet shaped mauve flowers with yellow centres, and drooping single oval green berries which turn orange as they ripen.

The horror of last year's drought is still very much in the memory of anyone who had to buy silage - when a $60 bale sold for $200, without any question about feed quality.

Feed budgets are needed to make sure there is enough feed on the farm to meet the needs of the stock.  Doing a budget gives you the confidence to know what's going on - and if you have a feed deficit coming up, you can see it in good time and are not caught out.  In a grazing situation, start a regular monthly feed budget in autumn from the date when the animal feed needs exceed pasture growth on your farm.  Stop when your feed supply exceeds the animal needs in spring.

The following information should help you as a lifestyle block owner, to make an informed decision when purchasing a new or used ATV.

Machinery and Equipment you will need or want on a lifestyle block is directly related to the jobs you are likely need it for. Here is a basic list of the jobs you are likely to carry out on your lifestyle block:

When planning a lifestyle change in 1992 Mark and Caroline Eastmond purchased a house and 20 acre paddock just outside Waiau township in North Canterbury.

There are a number of matters that an owner should consider and record when planning the development of his or her land. This is of particular importance if it is proposed to move into a commercial phase at some time in the future.

Ragwort is often a problem on cattle and horse properties as it is very poisonous. Sheep are less susceptible to ragwort poisoning but can suffer liver damage, which can eventually lead to death.

Spurrey is an erect or sprawling annual plant that can grow very densely and effect crop establishment. This weed is commonly found in cultivated land, gardens, roadways, bare ground and sand dunes. It is sometimes referred to as Yarr.

Also commonly referred to as “Amaranthus”, these weeds are widely spread throughout New Zealand, and get their name from the reddish colour towards the base of the plant and tap root. They are commonly found in arable crops and can grow up to 1 metre high.

Fathen is very common throughout New Zealand but is especially abundant in arable districts. Growing mainly in spring and summer, this erect weed can grow up to 2m tall.

There are several species of dock that are commonly found in New Zealand pastures and crops.  Broad-leaved dock is the most common, however curled dock and fiddle docks are also very prevalent. 

Gorse (Ulex europaeus) is a spine bearing, nitrogen fixing bush.  Originally from southern Europe, gorse is now easily New Zealand’s most widespread and problematic brushweed. 

A perennial that is often found in damp pastures. The flowers are purple and will appear in late summer (Jan-Mar)

Gorse (Ulex europaeus) is a spine bearing, nitrogen fixing bush.  Originally from southern Europe, gorse is now easily New Zealand’s most widespread and problematic brushweed. 

The first in a new series on Sustainable Farming - what it is and what you need to understand to know you're doing the right thing. This article looks at the question "What is sustainable farming?"

In a nutshell, the soil is the basis of all farm productivity. The soil is where you start planning your sustainability programme. New Zealand has a wide range of soil types (more than 1000), and it's important to know what kind of soil you have.

Pugging happens when grazing animals tread wet soils and sink in to the pasture surface and leave large holes.  Continual pugging will lead to the paddock looking like brown soup. The delicate crumb structure of the soil is broken down.  The crumbs are smeared by the pounding action of the feet, and the soil air is squashed out.

It is good advice when looking at a new property to inspect the water supply before  you look at anything else.  Water is needed for domestic use, for livestock to drink, for yard washing and cleaning farm dairy equipment, and for irrigating pasture or crops. The requirements for all these uses are different.

Grass is a wonderful thing. On a lifestyle farm we usually either have too much or too little and the grass that does grow is often not where we need it - on the lawn, not the paddock! This article covers the things you need to consider when buying a ride on and lists the 9 really important things you should discuss with your salesperson.

One good thing about a serious drought is that it makes people in both town and country realise that if it doesn't rain, how very vulnerable we humans are, especially farmers who rely on pastures to make a living. Suddenly people are realising that water is a lot more important than oil - and that it too has a cost.