By Dr Clive Dalton When Britain’s chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies warns that the increasing resistance of bacteria to the most powerful antibiotics available equals the threat of terrorism and climate change to the UK public, then dairy farmers in New Zealand need to take notice – and action. She describes it as catastrophic, … Read more
By Dr Clive Dalton Interviewed August 2004 Tony Wrench grew up in Worcestershire in England where he lived on a farm and was always interested in Jersey cows. He used to write to the New Zealand Jersey Association and they’ send him information and photos which fed his appetite for the breed. Then he saw … Read more
Clive Dalton Question 1. What’s the biggest national threat facing the New Zealand dairy industry in the next 5-10 years? The low milksolids payout due to a world surplus of milk powder is the wrong answer. The correct answer is farm staff literacy and numeracy, as it’s now recognised that 50% of new recruits … Read more
By Dr Clive Dalton Alex Henderson was born on the family farm, called ‘Barelees’ near Forde in Northumberland, 30 miles from the Scottish Border where he worked as a shepherd for four years after he left school. To earn some money, as farmers’ sons only got their keep but never proper wages, he went to work for … Read more
By Dr Clive Dalton Family farm too small Former herd testers – Jim Crawford (right) and Alex Henderson Jim Crawford came from a farming family in Ireland, but there was little future for farmer’s sons who got their keep, their clothes and no pay. Jim’s brother was on the farm but there was no room … Read more