By Dr Clive Dalton Future demand for trained staff The Minister of Primary Industry expects New Zealand agriculture to double export earnings by 2025, which will be in a climate of relentless costs rises, increasing international competition from subsidised farmers, and increasing food safety standards. There were no instructions from the politicians as to how … Read more
By Dr Clive Dalton Class learning This needs to be cut as it’s seriously out of date. Traditional class teaching is, and always has been, a massive time waster, as tutors/teachers/lecturers have to deal with the wide range of student abilities. So their teaching skills (both good and bad) are spread over many students, and a lot … Read more
History Photo of ‘Old Hemp’ bred in Northumberland (UK) and now has his DNA in dog trial and working dogs around the world. Dog trials have been part of New Zealand life since the establishment of sheep farming. The late Neil Rennie’s research found that the first NZ trial was probably held at Wanaka in 1867 … Read more
By Dr Clive Dalton A new approach is URGENT New Zealand’s primary industries should be screaming for a new approach to education, using every possible aspect of the Internet access aided by ultra fast fibre. What we are using today is already old technology. The big problem for our future exports is that we are … Read more
By Dr Clive Dalton I was interested to read the recent 2013 compliments for our border security from a visiting Australian, and see his assurance that increasing visitor numbers will not increase threats of exotic disease incursions. But then I heard former Grasslands scientist John Lancashire argue the opposite, and say that more visitors and increasing … Read more
HistoryThe Whatawhata Hill Country Research Station was purchased by the New Zealand Department of Agriculture (later to be the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries) from private oweners when the need was seen after the second world war by Research leader Dr C.P. McMeekan at the Ruakura Animal Research Station, to have an area of typical … Read more
It’s good to see in 2013 that sheep and beef farmers have been complimented for raising productivity, while at the same time limiting pressure on the environment. It’s a pity that they didn’t get rich at the same time! As capital rich and cash poor, many have been lifestyle farmers for years, as being first in … Read more
Before a well earned retirement to Waihi Beach, George Clark was a Waikato hill country farmer all his life, taking on the challenge with his brother to finish off the development of steep hill country at Te Pahu near Hamilton started by his parents. He is the father of New Zealand’s highly respected former Prime … Read more
Sheep as land developers Up to the 1960s, New Zealand sheep played a vital tool in converting native bush to productive pasture, so performance levels and especially fertility were not considered major issues. The national ‘lambing percentage (number of lambs docked/100 ewes to the ram) was around 90%, and if a farmer got 100% then … 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