Get 'out in the paddock' with Farm Day 2011
Get 'out in the paddock' with Farm Day 2011
With New Zealand boasting some of the highest urbanisation rates in
the world, Federated Farmers Farm Day 2011 is a chance to pull on the
gumboots and get out on the paddock on Sunday, 13 March 2011
(10am-3pm).
"This is the third annual Federated Farmers Farm Day and farmers hope
people and families will take the opportunity to get onto the paddock
to discover just what we farmers do," says Don Nicolson, Federated
Farmers President.
"Federated Farmers is focused on showing the fantastic work farmers do
as well as revealing the technical aspects of modern farm management.
"When I talk to city folk, I'm continually struck by how many don't
understand what it takes to farm or work with animals or grow crops.
There's plenty of scope for misunderstanding so instead of wondering
how, come onto a farm to ask, see and learn.
"Its been our hope that Farm Day will go some way to reconnect with
our urban counterparts and to help educate where there is
misunderstandings.
"Aside from the physical input our farming system is biological and
that means we work with nature rather than against it. Farm Day is
our chance to talk face to face and to show what we actually do. That
includes the environmental stewardship of farmers.
"One of the big changes for 2011 is a concentration on a core group of
main centres. Instead of trying to be everywhere, we've decided to
invest more time and energy with urban New Zealand.
"It's also our great hope to grow a school visits programme out of
Federated Farmers Farm Day too.
"That's why we are so grateful to have the financial backing of the
Sustainable Farming Fund with our 2011 theme being, 'Out in the
paddock'.
"Some of our venues, like Rotorua/Taupo, will combine dairy with meat
and fibre. That venue is surrounded by trout filled streams, being in
Rotorua's famous Paradise Valley Road.
"There will be an opportunity to not just learn about cheese and
butter making but to try your hand at it too.
"At Auckland's Farm Day in Papakura, we're really hoping to have some
dung beetles to showcase what these little critters could do out in
the paddock. 4WD excursions will be used in Auckland to also
illustrate the hard work farmers put into fencing as well as
environmental management. It includes conservation by way of QEII
National Trust covenants.
"With Otago's Farm Day, Federated Farmers will be providing free bus
transportation from Dunedin to make its farm as accessible as possible
to everyone. Being held at Telford means a fine opportunity to
discover what you need to become a farmer.
"We're proud and excited at the chance to show everyone just how
optimistic, progressive and innovative New Zealand's farmers really
are," Mr Nicolson concluded.
About Federated Farmers Farm Day 2011 - Out in the paddock
With New Zealand 86 percent urbanised, among the highest rates in the
World, Federated Farmers Farm Day is designed to bring farmers and
non-farmers together at open farms. It is part fun, part educational
but 100 percent based on the New Zealand Farm system. It provides
people the chance to see for themselves with a lot of scope to ask
questions of host farmers. Farm Day is a chance to go behind the
scenes on Sunday, 13 March 2011 (10am and 3pm) at:
§ Northland (Whangarei) - Denis & Lynne Anderson (Lynden Farms, 444
Kokopu Road, RD 9, Whangarei 0179)
§ Auckland (Papakura) - Bill and Lynnette Cashmore (Kiripaka
(Cashmore Farms), 389 Kawakawa-Orere Road, Orere, Papakura 2585)
§ Waikato (Cambridge) - Bill and Sue Garland (Rahiri Farm, End of
Rahiri Road, RD 3, Cambridge 3495)
§ Rotorua/Taupo (Rotorua) - The Heather Family (Heather Dell Angus
Stud, 945 Paradise Valley Road, RD 3, Rotorua 3072)
§ Manawatu/Rangitikei (Palmerston North) - James and Dave Stewart
(Stewart Dairylands, 143 Watershed Road, RD 10, Palmerston North 4470)
§ Wellington/Wairarapa (Pauatahanui) - Battle Hill Forest Park
(Paekakariki Hill Road, Pauatahanui)
§ Nelson - Ian & Barbara Stuart (Cable Bay Farm, 799 Cable Bay Road,
RD1 Nelson 7071)
§ North Canterbury (Christchurch) - David Shipley (Island Farm,
Shipleys Road, Harewood, Christchurch 8051)
§ South Canterbury (Timaru) - Andrew and Vicky Steven (494 Rolling
Ridges Road, Rosewill, Timaru 7974)
§ Otago (Balclutha) - Ian Knowles (Telford Farm, 498 Owaka Highway,
Balclutha 9240). Please register interest for bus transportation by 1
March by phoning 03 477 7353 or emailing
otagofarmday@fedfarm.org.nz.
The Bay of Plenty Federated Farmers Farm Day will take place on 20
March 2011 (10am-3pm):
§ Bay of Plenty (Te Puke) - Noel & Marilyn McLeod & Andrew & Robyn
McLeod (1189 Welcome Bay Road, RD 7, Te Puke 3187)
Finding a Federated Farmers Farm Day
On the page of each host farm at
www.farmday.org.nz is a Google Maps
function. Below the location map of each farm is a directions box.
This will provide detailed driving instructions from anywhere in New
Zealand to the venue. Also, there is a weather guide for each farm to
ease planning for the day. Directional signage will also be erected
to the venues on the day too
With New Zealand boasting some of the highest urbanisation rates in
the world, Federated Farmers Farm Day 2011 is a chance to pull on the
gumboots and get out on the paddock on Sunday, 13 March 2011
(10am-3pm).
"This is the third annual Federated Farmers Farm Day and farmers hope
people and families will take the opportunity to get onto the paddock
to discover just what we farmers do," says Don Nicolson, Federated
Farmers President.
"Federated Farmers is focused on showing the fantastic work farmers do
as well as revealing the technical aspects of modern farm management.
"When I talk to city folk, I'm continually struck by how many don't
understand what it takes to farm or work with animals or grow crops.
There's plenty of scope for misunderstanding so instead of wondering
how, come onto a farm to ask, see and learn.
"Its been our hope that Farm Day will go some way to reconnect with
our urban counterparts and to help educate where there is
misunderstandings.
"Aside from the physical input our farming system is biological and
that means we work with nature rather than against it. Farm Day is
our chance to talk face to face and to show what we actually do. That
includes the environmental stewardship of farmers.
"One of the big changes for 2011 is a concentration on a core group of
main centres. Instead of trying to be everywhere, we've decided to
invest more time and energy with urban New Zealand.
"It's also our great hope to grow a school visits programme out of
Federated Farmers Farm Day too.
"That's why we are so grateful to have the financial backing of the
Sustainable Farming Fund with our 2011 theme being, 'Out in the
paddock'.
"Some of our venues, like Rotorua/Taupo, will combine dairy with meat
and fibre. That venue is surrounded by trout filled streams, being in
Rotorua's famous Paradise Valley Road.
"There will be an opportunity to not just learn about cheese and
butter making but to try your hand at it too.
"At Auckland's Farm Day in Papakura, we're really hoping to have some
dung beetles to showcase what these little critters could do out in
the paddock. 4WD excursions will be used in Auckland to also
illustrate the hard work farmers put into fencing as well as
environmental management. It includes conservation by way of QEII
National Trust covenants.
"With Otago's Farm Day, Federated Farmers will be providing free bus
transportation from Dunedin to make its farm as accessible as possible
to everyone. Being held at Telford means a fine opportunity to
discover what you need to become a farmer.
"We're proud and excited at the chance to show everyone just how
optimistic, progressive and innovative New Zealand's farmers really
are," Mr Nicolson concluded.
About Federated Farmers Farm Day 2011 - Out in the paddock
With New Zealand 86 percent urbanised, among the highest rates in the
World, Federated Farmers Farm Day is designed to bring farmers and
non-farmers together at open farms. It is part fun, part educational
but 100 percent based on the New Zealand Farm system. It provides
people the chance to see for themselves with a lot of scope to ask
questions of host farmers. Farm Day is a chance to go behind the
scenes on Sunday, 13 March 2011 (10am and 3pm) at:
§ Northland (Whangarei) - Denis & Lynne Anderson (Lynden Farms, 444
Kokopu Road, RD 9, Whangarei 0179)
§ Auckland (Papakura) - Bill and Lynnette Cashmore (Kiripaka
(Cashmore Farms), 389 Kawakawa-Orere Road, Orere, Papakura 2585)
§ Waikato (Cambridge) - Bill and Sue Garland (Rahiri Farm, End of
Rahiri Road, RD 3, Cambridge 3495)
§ Rotorua/Taupo (Rotorua) - The Heather Family (Heather Dell Angus
Stud, 945 Paradise Valley Road, RD 3, Rotorua 3072)
§ Manawatu/Rangitikei (Palmerston North) - James and Dave Stewart
(Stewart Dairylands, 143 Watershed Road, RD 10, Palmerston North 4470)
§ Wellington/Wairarapa (Pauatahanui) - Battle Hill Forest Park
(Paekakariki Hill Road, Pauatahanui)
§ Nelson - Ian & Barbara Stuart (Cable Bay Farm, 799 Cable Bay Road,
RD1 Nelson 7071)
§ North Canterbury (Christchurch) - David Shipley (Island Farm,
Shipleys Road, Harewood, Christchurch 8051)
§ South Canterbury (Timaru) - Andrew and Vicky Steven (494 Rolling
Ridges Road, Rosewill, Timaru 7974)
§ Otago (Balclutha) - Ian Knowles (Telford Farm, 498 Owaka Highway,
Balclutha 9240). Please register interest for bus transportation by 1
March by phoning 03 477 7353 or emailing
otagofarmday@fedfarm.org.nz
The Bay of Plenty Federated Farmers Farm Day will take place on 20
March 2011 (10am-3pm):
§ Bay of Plenty (Te Puke) - Noel & Marilyn McLeod & Andrew & Robyn
McLeod (1189 Welcome Bay Road, RD 7, Te Puke 3187)
Finding a Federated Farmers Farm Day
On the page of each host farm at
www.farmday.org.nz
function. Below the location map of each farm is a directions box.
This will provide detailed driving instructions from anywhere in New
Zealand to the venue. Also, there is a weather guide for each farm to
ease planning for the day. Directional signage will also be erected
to the venues on the day too
I like your site. Thanks! Here is a true story in return.
ReplyDeleteWARM HEARTED HAND
The cattle truck showed up an hour late but at least it did finally arrive. We grabbed a long strong rope, some feed and a four-wheel drive Ford Tractor that had a bucket loader on the front of it.. The man in the truck followed us over to the other barn which was across the road from the main barnyard.
The bull that we were after was almost as big as the tractor but he was white with some light brown spots and the tractor was blue. Many men have been mauled and even killed while trying to remove a bull from a pasture but this bull was good natured and like all cattle, loves feed.
Coaxing cattle with feed is an old trick and more often than not it serves the purpose perfectly. I've seen whole herds of heifers chase a quad down the road when a man sat on the back with a five gallon bucket of feed for them follow.
But, we weren't driving cattle this time, so we tried to lasso the bull and separate him from the heifers. The man who brought the truck was following the bull around a feed trough that was out in the middle of the pasture while trying to toss the looped end of the rope over the big bulls massive head. The first attempt failed because the rope only grabbed one-half of the bulls head so we had to wait for the beast to shake it off before we could try again.
The idea was to lasso the bull but to let the rope go once we did. Once the rope was finally around the bulls neck, the plan was to recapture the loose end of the tether and tie it to back end of the tractor while the bull was being preoccupied with the feed. It would have worked if the rope had fell just right on the first try but since it didn't the bull was spooked and wouldn't come close enough for us to try it again.
One has to be calm and quiet around cattle because they can spook easy. Seeing that we had no chance of capturing the bull under the circumstances we decided to relocate the feed trough and get a longer rope. We moved the trough from the pasture up to the lower level of the old barn and started shaking the feed bucket again. The cattle answered the dinner call and as fortune would have it the bull went into the barn behind a heifer whereupon we closed the two in by shutting a metal gate.
Once inside the barn, the bull was preoccupied with eating feed so we were able to lasso him correctly this time. The bull was tied close to the back end of the tractor and then led to the cattle truck which was parked down by the road. I held the tether tight while another fellow operated the tractor. I rode on the tractor by standing on a running board and secured the animal by wrapping the rope around a solid bar that was attached to the tractor.
The bull came quietly but at one point it seemed like the bulls massive head was going to get jammed in between the back tire and the tractor's frame so we halted and readjusted the rope. The ramp up into the cattle truck was already down and the side gates had been attached so we pulled the bull up to the ramp, loosed the rope and prodded the bull up into the truck.
Well that was one down and another to go. The second bull was back in the main barnyard. So we repeated the process again, over there. The second bull was younger but he seemed to be more dangerous which is unusual because generally it's the other way around.
I was the youngest of our crew of four. George was the oldest at 88 years old, his brother Bob is 84 and John is about 70 years old. I am 55. Bob has breathing problems and he can't walk around to good so he operates the tractor. Bob has poor circulation also. I took my glove off and held his frozen left hand in mine for a moment so that it would warm back up. I overlooked the snot that had been wiped off onto the wrist and grabbed it anyway.
We all know how cold noses can run in the winter time. It was zero today.
Hi Ed
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story thanks for sharing it. Just checked out your blog great to read too!
Liz
I'm so happy you stopped by to visit me again and wish you a successful "out in the paddock" farm day. Wish I could be there to see how you make butter and cheese.
ReplyDelete