Anna Mills 
Rule 1: Never set stock on lucerne Rule 2: If you want to set stock on lucerne – read Rule 1. Rule 3: If you have a large area of lucerne (more than 15% of your farm) and are running out of lambing area you may need to set stock for a short period (up … Read more
It was great to have some rain last week – it allowed Fraser Avery some time to write about his planning for lucerne and sub clover after the first autumn rains – and to reflect on missing the opportunity to host us all at Bonavaree last week. On the farm Yes it is raining! When … Read more
After my last blog post Andrew Peters from Taihape responded with his experience of increasing sub clover on farm. About 20 years ago he started putting “some” sub clover in with his fertiliser. I asked Andrew what that meant? “The loader driver was given a rat bait container and told to put one in each … Read more
The recent rain across the country may cause pastures to green up. Stay off them if you want to have feed in spring. At this time of year it is important to get a canopy of green leaves covering the ground extensively before winter temperatures cause growth rates to slow. For dryland farmers the rain … Read more
In his report on Overseer the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has indicated that in its current state it does not meet the standards required of a regulatory tool (access the report here). He has recently followed this up with comments about the lack of activity by the current Government to address the issues raised. … Read more
Note: Numbering error in title. This is Update 13 originally posted January 2020. Greetings everyone, It has been just over a year now since we first released the horehound moths, so it must be a good time to assess where they are at. Plume moth – no big news yet This one was supposed to … Read more
It is hard to remember, here in December, what’s happened to end this decade Is it just me, or is it harder to see, that truthful news is a luxury beginning to fade Say what you like, the main tactic of the right, to boldly lie is no longer a crime Do a Donald the … Read more
Presentation on Hill Country Management by Professor Derrick Moot (Dryland Pastures Research team, Lincoln University) to the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science (NZIAHS) forum on the “Impact of changing landscapes on primary production” held at Lincoln University, New Zealand on 23/10/2019. (approx 26 mins including questions). An accompanying PDF of the presentation … Read more
Posted on Behalf of Prof Derrick Moot: I recently provided peer review for the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environments report on “Farms, forestry and fossil fuels: The next great landscape transformation?“. It rightly points out that the greatest source of greenhouse gas emissions is from turning fossil carbon (oil and coal) into atmospheric carbon dioxide. … Read more
Professor Moot was pleased to see the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, has outlined his concerns about Overseer being used in a regulatory context. Prof Moot has critiqued that report and believes there are also further issues related to the use of this model in farm environmental plans. He believes Overseer is a … Read more