Oh Holy Night

Word of the day

Hope –   to cherish a desire with anticipation; to desire with expectation of obtainment; to trust with confident expectation of good; to cherish hopes of; to entertain or indulge hope; to cherish a desire of good or to look forward to as a thing desirable, or of something welcome, with expectation of obtaining it or belief that it is obtainable; one who, or that which, gives hope, furnishes ground of expectation, or promises desired good.

.

Christmas greetings

To all of you who call here and especially those who leave the comments which enhance this blog:

Thank you.

May your Christmas, however you choose to celebrate it-  or not, be happy and may 2012 be especially kind to you and yours.

4/10

Only 4/10 in the Herald’s travel quiz.

Rural round-up

Milk of corporate kindness:

You can’t twirl a milk moustache.

Though there’s no shortage of people ready to portray Fonterra as a giant corporate villain, it deserves better than that.

The company’s trialling of free milk to schools is no less welcome for being commercially smart.

Any focus on the upside for the dairy giant, while reasonable and relevant, needs to be measured against the potential for improved health for a great many children in schools throughout the country . . .

Born with grease under finger nails – Sally Rae:

Mervyn Horrell admits he likes an “older type” of tractor.   

      “If anything goes wrong I don’t have to ring up an electrician or computer expert. I can fix it with two      crescents and a hammer.”    

And if he could not fix it, then he could always “just go up to the shed and start another one”.   

For when it comes to tractors, the Southland farmer has a  plentiful supply – 74 “runners” and another 10 projects waiting.   

 The beautifully-restored tractors are housed on the sheep and  cropping farm near Winton which Mr Horrell (71) farms in  partnership with his son Bryce .  . . 

Meat companies likely tos ustain profitability – Allan Barber:

It’s becoming harder to track meat industry performance with only two companies, Silver Fern Farms andAlliance, reporting annually within two months of the season’s end. ANZCO will continue to report to the Registrar of Companies at the end of March, while AFFCO is no longer required to publish its result. Therefore performance comparison is a matter of studying the available annual reports and gleaning scraps of information from farmer meetings and the grapevine. . .

Dairy Statistics released for 2010/11:

New Zealand’s dairy cow population is increasing at a greater rate than its resident human population, according to the New Zealand Dairy statistics for 2010/11.

Released today by LIC and DairyNZ, the document is made up of statistics sourced from the LIC National Database, dairy companies, Animal Evaluation database, Animal Health Board Annual Report, Quotable Value New Zealand Rural Property Sales Statistics and Statistics New Zealand.

In 2010/2011 the total number of NZ dairy cow increased by 132,000 to just over 4.5 million cows (4,528,736), an increase of 3 per cent over the previous 09/10 season – whereas the resident human population (at March 31, 2011) increased by an estimated 0.9 per cent to 4,403,000.

Along with the growth in cow numbers it was also a record year for the average production per cow in the country – up 5 per cent – to an average of 334 kg milksolids (comprising 190 kg milkfat and 144 kg protein) per cow . . .

Chris Auld gets shrill – Offsetting Behaviour:

Yesterday Federal Agricultural Minister Gerry Ritz uttered insane lies about dairy supply management:

I would make the argument that I don’t see those inflated prices, certainly, depending on where you buy,” Ritz told a joint news conference with Alberta Agriculture Minister Evan Berger and Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Bob Bjornerud.

I received a flyer in my mailbox last night when I got back to my apartment and I opened it up and it’s from Canadian Tire. They’ve got four litres of milk for $4.19. That’s completely comparable to the American price that we’re always being beat up over.

Canadian Tire Econometrics aside, consumers are of course harmed by high prices driven by quantity restrictions. Click here to see a graph showing how much higher our prices are than the EU, US, or New Zealand (all of which also have some sort of supply management, Canada’s is just more severe).

I’m a bit puzzled though by Auld’s claim that New Zealand has supply management. . .

Draft plan aims to reduce high work toll in agriculture:

Improving health and safety in the agriculture industry – a sector with one of the highest death and injury tolls – is the focus of a new Action Plan released for consultation today.

The draft Agriculture Sector Action Plan is part of the Government’s National Action Agenda to reduce the work toll in the five sectors where the most harm is occurring; construction, forestry, agriculture, manufacturing and fishing. . .

A meeting of science and experience – Jon Morgan:

Rambunctious is the best name for this ram. He’s a big bruiser, used to getting his own way, and he doesn’t like being manhandled.

He struggles out of Peter Tod’s grip and makes a break for freedom. But the Otane farmer’s determination is stronger and the ram is wrestled into submission for a photograph.

He is picked out from a small mob as the most photogenic because of his open face, long back, well-shaped legs, sound feet, and meaty hindquarters. . .

Water footprints what do they mean for us in New Zealand? – Dr Sarah McLaren:

• Have you heard that the water footprint of 1 kg beef is 15,500 litres, and of 1 kg cheese is 5,000 litres? Did you know that Unilever has set itself a target of halving consumer use of water associated with its products by 2020?
• Or that Walmart is in the process of asking all its 10,000 suppliers to provide information on total water use in their facilities, and their water use reduction targets?

These activities all reflect an increasing concern about the limited availability of freshwater for use in economic activities. . .

Dairy keeps title as 2011 commodity king – Jamie Gray:

The dairy industry has been a star performer for decades, but the time has come for others in the New Zealand family of commodities to share the limelight. APNZ business reporter Jamie Gray looks at some of the primary industries that didn’t make the headlines.

It’s been another great year for dairy, but several other commodities aren’t doing so badly either.

To have New Zealand’s commodities prices moving in the same direction is rare, but sheep meat, beef, wool and log prices have all done well over 2011. . .

But wait there’s more – milk production in Argentina – Dr Jon Hauser:

Argentina is the quiet achiever in global dairy industry trade.  They keep ticking along at a growth rate of about 2.5 – 3.0% and every now and then they put in a spurt. This year they are having a real crack. The chart below shows the monthly milk production for the past 7 years and our seasonally adjusted plot. The seasonal adjustment shows the extent to which milk production is ahead of or behind the long term trend line.  The percentage growth is calculated relative to this long term trend. It is not biased by unusually high or low milk production in the year prior. . .

NZ potato exports break through $100m:

New Zealand potato exports reached a record high in the past year as more than $100 million worth of produce left New Zealand shores.

Over 93,000 metric tonnes of potatoes, including 30,000 tonnes of fresh potatoes and 62,000 tonnes in frozen products, were sold overseas in the year to 30 June 2011.

In the previous 12-month period to the end of June 2010, $92 million of potatoes were exported. . .

A conference by farmers for farmers:

Dairy farmers from across the country are invited to participate in the NZ Dairy Business Conference, the 43rd annual event hosted by the New Zealand Large Herds Association and Altum.

Phil Butler, chairman of the Palmerston North team organising the event says it’s the program designed by farmers, for farmers that makes this event stand out.

“We address the topics that come up outside of the formal discussion groups, around the opportunities for progression and improvement, rather than the mechanics of cows and grass.  As the country’s biggest export earner, the dairy industry is vital to the New Zealand economy.  As participants in the industry, we need to ensure we are up with the play with research, technology and global trends, to help drive continued progress and improvement” says Phil. . .

Saturday smiles

Memo from OSH & HR:

All employees planning to dash through the snow in a one horse open sleigh, going over the fields and laughing all the way are advised that a Risk Assessment will be required addressing the safety of an open sleigh for members of the public.

This assessment must also consider whether it is appropriate to use only one horse for such a venture, particularly where there are multiple passengers. Please note that permission must also be obtained in writing from landowners before their fields may be entered.

To avoid offending those not participating in celebrations, we would request that laughter is moderate only and not loud enough to be considered a noise nuisance. . .

You’ll find the rest at Credo Quia Absurdum Est

Rustlers charged

Central Otago farmers have had an early Christmas present – two men have been charged with stock rustling and police say the case is by no means complete.

The stock thefts have been going on for a couple of years and the charges relate to the theft of about $240,000 worth of stock and equipment but it’s not an isolated case.

The investigation showed no link between the two men and other alleged stock thefts in Central Otago or further afield, Det Evans said.   

Such thefts included about 200 in-lamb merino ewes, worth  about $40,000, from Ribbonwood Station at Omarama in late September; about 160 merino wethers, worth about $13,000,  from Carrick Station in the Nevis Valley in August; and about  1800 merino ewes and an unknown number of lambs, worth about $130,000, from a Queensberry farm block at the end of 2007.   

 “Police have reviewed other stock theft files from our area  as part of this investigation and reiterate that they can  find no link between these men and those thefts. Other alleged stock thefts therefore remain unresolved.”  

The location of the properties, number of stock and other factors point to people who know the area and are used to  working with animals.

The rural grapevine is naming names with good reason but that isn’t the same as evidence that will stand up in court.

We’re all very pleased the police are taking this so seriously because it could happen to any of us.

Federated Farmers Otago president Mike Lord sums up the problem:

 If you go on holiday you can lock your house or lock your garage … with a farm it’s just not that simple.”   

Even when we’re not on holiday we can’t be in every part of a farm every day and rely on a combination of our own precautions, staff, neighbours and an element of luck to keep stock and property safe.

 

The five best toys of all time

Our daughter taught us a valuable lesson on her first Christmas.

She spent more time playing with the boxes and wrapping than any of the gifts they’d held.

Apropos of that Geek Dad has the five best toys of all time.

I’d add a sixth – water.

Hat Tip: Sharing the Love on Christmas Eve at the Lady Garden

 

Sing the song of Christmas

Jim Hopkins begins his column Silent Night voice of our history:

The spirituality of Christmas has been heedlessly stripped away by the Caesars of our age … It was playing on the wireless last week, Justin Bieber’s version of Silent Night, and no matter how soppy the singer, the song still cuts, every time, like love, to the quick. There are always tears in the tune and a lifetime in its lines.

Silent Night is the song of Christmas. There’s so much inside it. The melody floats and soars and lives in the Gothic nave of our imagination, stirring something in us we’d forgotten was there. . .

And concludes it:

. . . But that will happen only if we acknowledge the character and history of Christmas and allow some part of the holy day into the holiday. And that’s all but gone now. The spirituality of Christmas has been heedlessly stripped away by the Caesars of our age, who would have no rendering except to themselves. Officially, like or not, this is still a Christian country, yet our politicians – and the media they control on our behalf – cannot summon the will to make any reference to 2000 years of tradition and belief. We have come to a contrary pass when those who assert the sanctity of taonga in one breath will so casually forsake it in the next.

Still, Silent Night survives. To goad, comfort, challenge and console. As memory and star, it is the song of Christmas. Sing it.

The bits in between are worth reading too.

December 24 in history

1754 George Crabbe, British poet and naturalist, was born  (d. 1832).

1777  Kiritimati, (Christmas Island) was discovered by James Cook.

1814  The Treaty of Ghent was signed ending the War of 1812.

1822 Matthew Arnold, British poet, was born (d. 1888).

1865  Several U.S. Civil War Confederate veterans formed the Ku Klux Klan.

1880  Johnny Gruelle, American cartoonist, children’s book writer and creator of Raggedy Ann was born (d. 1938).

1893  Harry Warren, American composer and lyricist (Chattanooga Choo Choo – I Only Have Eyes for You), was born (d. 1981).

1905 Howard Hughes, American film producer and inventor, was born (d. 1976).

1906  Reginald Fessenden transmitted the first radio broadcast; consisting of a poetry reading, a violin solo, and a speech.

1914  World War I: The “Christmas truce” began.

1922 Ava Gardner, American actress, was born (d. 1990).

1923 George Patton IV, American general, was born (d. 2004).

1924  Albania became a republic.

1927  Mary Higgins Clark, American author, was born.

1941  World War II: Hong Kong fell to the Japanese Imperial Army.

1943 General Dwight D. Eisenhower became Supreme Allied Commander.

1946  France’s Fourth Republic was founded.

1948 Frank Oliver, New Zealand rugby player, was born.

1951 Libya became independent from Italy. Idris I was proclaimed King.

1953 Tangiwai railway disaster – The worst railway disaster in New Zealand’s history occurred on Christmas Eve 1953 when the Wellington-Auckland night express plunged into the flooded Whangaehu River, just west of Tangiwai in the central North Island. The accident happened after a railway bridge was destroyed by a lahar.

1955  NORAD Tracked Santa for the first time in what will become an annual Christmas Eve tradition.

1957 Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan, was born.

1961 Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, was born.

1968 The crew of Apollo 8 entered into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed 10 lunar orbits and broadcast live TV pictures that became the famous Christmas Eve Broadcast, one of the most watched programs in history.

Ed Miliband, leader of the British Labour Party, was born.

1974  Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin.

1979 – The first European Ariane rocket was launched.

1997 – The Sid El-Antri massacre (or Sidi Lamri) in Algeria killed 50-100 people.

2000 – The Texas 7 held up a sports store in Irving, Texas,  Police officer Aubrey Hawkins was murdered during the robbery.

2003 – Spanish police thwarted an attempt by ETA to detonate 50 kg of explosives at 3:55 p.m. inside Madrid’s Chamartín Station.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia.