Running the Farm

A septic tank is the main component in a small-scale sewage system that works with no connection to the main sewage pipes provided in most cities and small towns, and is common in New Zealand’s more remote areas. The term ‘septic’ refers to the anaerobic bacterial environment that develops in the tank as the waste discharged into it from the toilet and household sinks and basins decomposes.

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.

It’s an easy concept to think of the soil as a bank.  If you remove nutrients in products sold off the farm, then you need to replace them to keep a state of ‘nutrient balance’ in the bank.

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.

Despite NZ having a temperate climate with plenty of rainfall, water is still one of the most precious resources we have and we shouldn't take it for granted.
Many lifestyle farmers live with a restricted water supply including rural water schemes, trickle feed supply or roof water. For those of us who were brought up on seemingly unlimited town supply it can be a shock to even have to consider our water usage.

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.

In this first on an in-depth series on understanding fertilser, Dr Clive Dalton looks at why there is so much confusion about what fertiliser is and what is does. He also gives a brief history of fertiliser.

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.

This smelly South American scrambler is happy sneaking its way through, under and over whatever plants and trees get in its way. It has brittle stems and hairy oval leaves that are wrinkled with toothed edges.  All parts of the plant are poisonous to stock.

Climbing fences is a bad habit - it damages or weakens them a little bit every time and will eventually compromise the integrity of the fenceline.

Running a few head of livestock is one of the reasons we choose to live on a lifestyle block.

"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).

Buying a tractor, whether it's new or used, is a big investment - in terms of what you'll pay to buy it or what you'll spend on maintaining it. Or both, in some cases. There are a huge range of options when you're contemplating a tractor for a lifestyle block, options that will be influenced by individual circumstances. If you have little experience with tractors, it's easy to get confused. The most important thing is to think the purchase through before rushing in and buying.

This set of plans is for a simple set of yards, suitable for the average small lifestyle block.

If you are going to have livestock on your lifestyle block - you'll need pens or stockyards.

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.

This article contains all the standard fencing measures you're ever likely to need.

There are many good reasons to store water. Many lifestyle farms have no access to town supply water and rely on bore or rainwater. Even if you do have access to town supply water, having a water tank for rainwater is a good idea. In some areas, having a water tank may be required when building a new house. Whatever the reason, make sure you buy the right tank for your situation.

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

As an animal owner, you have certain legal responsibilities towards your animals, and these obligations are set out in the Animal Welfare Act 1999.  In summary, the Act requires you to provide all your animals’ needs, whether physical, health or behavioural.  It is an offence not to meet these needs “according to good practice and scientific knowledge”.  You must not ill-treat any animal so that it experiences unnecessary or unreasonable pain or suffering.

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.

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.

Meat sold in NZ and exported from NZ is subject to a number of standards under the Animal Products Act, which ensures that the meat is fit for human consumption. Farmers and other livestock owners often want to kill and eat their own livestock. As this homekilled meat is not subject to any standards, no guarantee can be given as to its fitness for human consumption. Therefore, homekill regulations are designed to prevent potentially unwholesome meat from being marketed.

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.

Killing possums and ferrets is a horrible job, and most of us hate it.  But it has to be done, especially if we have regenerating bush, or if our land falls within a TB control area.  We can use contractors to do the job, but we still have some choice about what method is used on our land.  Pest mammals are intelligent and sensitive creatures, so we should choose a humane method.

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.

Through the summer months the natural population of rats and mice rises as increasing quantities of food such as fruits, nuts and grains are available to them. Once autumn arrives, food sources dwindle and temperatures drop. Consequently rats and mice then begin to look for shelter and alternative food supplies. All too often they find both in our homes, sheds, chicken houses, stables and stores.

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.

Pasture grows well in New Zealand, and that's the key to our low-cost farm export business.  But pasture does not grow free of charge.  The cost of growing it is over 80% of the total cost of production.  So pasture must not be wasted and good pasture utilisation is a major goal of all grassland farmers.  Pastures are very variable - they are made up of grasses, clovers, weeds, bare ground and dung patches.

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.

Wherever you have farm animals there will be effluent (faeces and urine).  Farm effluent carries the risk of diseases and can be spread this way.  Grazing stock will spread their effluent on the paddock, but it will be in highly concentrated areas.  Effluent collected in ponds or septic tanks has to be spread on the land, and this must be done correctly.

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.

The answer to this question is usually a series of questions about the animal's liveweight, size, activity, physiological state (pregnant, lactating, etc) - all of which affect daily intake. Then of course there is the ambient temperature and humidity of the farm and the amount of shade on offer.  So all this makes you realise how dangerous an "average" figure is. But you need some kind of figure for planning water supply systems, so here are some that have been around for years.

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.

Good drainage is the basis of a healthy productive soil. 

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.

A soft-wooded, bushy and leafy perennial that grows up to 2 metres tall or more. The flowers are green and are followed by dense cylindrical clusters of dark purple berries.

Hedge mustard is also sometimes referred to as wireweed or tumble weed.

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

Most pastures in New Zealand consist of mixtures of both grasses and clovers.

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

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.

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

Topping two or three times a year, and a follow-up grazing, provides very good Californian thistle control.

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

Black nightshade is an annual to short-lived perennial plant that has white or mauve flowers followed by berries that are first green, but change to black as they ripen.

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

When fencing, various materials and methods can be combined to provide a suitable fence for any situation.

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

Keep domestic animals in. Separate different groups of animals.

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

Lightning will damage your energizer if it strikes your electric fence.

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

To denote the legal boundary of your property. This has large legal implications and a proper permanent boundary fence as defined under Fencing Law is required.

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

Its not the time to be complacent with your young trees especially in these warm conditions. Here’s a few tips:

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

New Zealand has three introduced mustelid species.

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

Nitrogen acts as a growth promoter in plants.  It’s the easiest and usually the cheapest way to grow more feed.

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.

You’ve probably heard about endophyte in pasture grasses.  Nature has created some interesting partnerships - two are now good news for New Zealand livestock farmers.

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.

The farm is constantly covered in tall grass, and weeds, especially docks and thistles, are always rampant. From a distance it looks like an over-mature hay paddock.

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.

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

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

This is the fourth 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.

In recent years there has been a marked increase in the use of cereals for supplementary grazing and silage for dairying.

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

Chicory as forage is moderately persistent and has a strong deep taproot and a rosette of broad succulent leaves.

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.

Barley grass is one of nature’s survivors.  Not only does it grow where and when other grasses fail to thrive, but it has developed a flexible seeding technique which allows it to grow unnoticed until the day length, temperature and soil moisture level is suitable for seedhead development and dispersal.

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!"

Cleavers is that maddening hairy/clingy weed which appears everywhere in early summer and climbs through, round and over grasses and low shrubs, trying to smother everything. Sometimes mistakenly called bidibidi (which is a NZ native with much larger hooked spheres as seedpods), the seeds, stems and round seed pods catch and cling to clothing and animal hair.

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.

The paddock and roadside nasties are taking advantage of the advance of more spring like weather, and the base rosettes of several types of thistle are already appearing, particularly in bare spots.  So now is the time to attack before they shoot upwards.

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’.

These days, with the heavy emphasis on achieving maximum production from our pastures, the ‘preferred’ species are perennial ryegrasses and white clover.  Yorkshire Fog (or velvet grass as it is known in the US) is generally regarded as a ‘nuisance’ grass, almost classified as a weed.

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.

Thistles were already a problem in New Zealand by the 1850s. They were probably introduced accidentally by early farmers in seed mixtures, and are now a nation-wide problem. There are over a dozen species of thistles in New Zealand,

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

Barley grass is one of nature’s survivors.  Not only does it grow where and when other grasses fail to thrive, but it has developed a flexible seeding technique which allows it to grow unnoticed until the day length, temperature and soil moisture level is suitable for seedhead development and dispersal.

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“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.

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.

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. .  Regarded as  a noxious weed in many parts of NZ, if it appears on or around your land, it would pay to check its status with your local regional council.

A guest contribution and pearls of wisdom from Lois Mundell after a lifetime in the business.

Book in early and state clearly what you want the contractor to do. For example, do you want mowing and baling, or baling only, or the whole job done including putting it in your hayshed? Once in the system don't try to jump the queue. Contractors know that all their customers want their hay in "yesterday" so they can go to the beach for Christmas.

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.

Fertiliser is the most expensive input on most farms – so you can’t afford to make mistakes or get ripped off through ignorance.  Go to the appropriate place to get the soil test kit.  Soil testing labs, fertiliser companies or stock and station produce stores have them and so do some vet clinics. In the kit will be a set of plastic bags and instructions.  They will also give you a returnable soil auger.

It is important you have a thorough knowledge of the way your bike operates before you start riding it. When you are familiar with it, you are more likely to know when something is wrong and how to go about fixing it.

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:

Feeding food waste that might contain meat to your pigs?  You must boil it for an hour first

There is a real risk that infected meat will be smuggled into this country and some of it fed to pigs, very possibly on a lifestyle farm.  So if you have a pig on your farm, please read the following – it’s very important.

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.

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

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.

Hemlock thrives in damp conditions and is commonly found throughout New Zealand in ditches and riverbeds as well as on banks and roadsides. This weed quickly establishes in waste areas where there is no other plant competition.

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. 

Redroot is the name given to a group of 3 closely related Amaranthus species and a fourth species that is similar to redroot is Amaranthus viridis – purple amaranth.

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

Although blackberry (Rubus fruiticosus complex) 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.

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?"

Soil health is not easy to define, but it is vital to the health of the plants that grow in it, and the animals that graze it. Many believe that it's also the basis of consumer health and welfare. The concept of a "living soil" is real and describes the large amount of micro organisms in the soil. For example there are 1600kg/ha of bacteria, 2000kg/ha of fungi and 800kg/ha of earthworms. Healthy soils are fertile and rich in organic matter and humus, have a good crumb structure and are porous.

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.

This question is of greatest concern to small lifestyle farmers.  There is such a wide choice of species - some of which do not have their feeding needs well established. The interaction between species is important, especially in relation to internal parasites that can affect more than the one species. Then there is the question of what classes of stock to keep within each species. Fencing and water supply must be considered. Soil type and drainage is also an important point to consider.  Livestock do not like mud, especially those prone to feet problems like sheep and goats.

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.

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.