Word of the day

Ablaut – alternation in the vowels of related word forms, especially in Germanic strong verbs; a systematic variation of vowels in the same root or affix or in related roots or affixes especially in the Indo-European languages that is usually paralleled by differences in use or meaning; regular alternation in the internal phonological structure of a word element, especially alternation of a vowel, that is coordinated with a change in grammatical function or combination.

Breaking news – farmer works in snow

• How’s this for an example of the rural-urban divide?

An Ormondville farmer didn’t let the snow stop him from working on the farm during the inclement weather on July 13, 2017.

It’s the caption for a photo of a farmer feeding out in the snow.

As the Facebook friend whose post alerted me to it asked:

. . .  what was he gonna do stay inside and leave his stock without feed? ‬ go away to the islands on a holiday? Call the cattle and tell them that s/he wasn’t coming in today?

Sigh.

How could someone not know that farmers, like those in quite a few other occupations, not only continue to work in inclement weather, they have to work harder and often not in spite of it but because of it?

UPDATE:

The caption has been updated to:

An Ormondville farmer feeds out supplements to cattle.

Friday’s answers

Andrei gets my thanks for posing yesterday’s questions and can claim a virtual chocolate sinker should he have stumped us all by leaving the answers below.

Rural round-up

EU-Japan trade deal ups the ante – Allan Barber:

The FTA announced just before the G20 meeting in Hamburg is touted to bring substantial benefits to EU agricultural producers. It will put EU exporters on a level playing field with countries like Australia which already have an agreement, but notably it will put New Zealand at an even greater disadvantage until our trade negotiators can achieve a similar outcome.

There is great enthusiasm for what is being called the ‘most important bi-lateral agreement ever done,’ embracing some 20% of the world’s population. When the details are completed, targeted for the end of this year, there will potentially be no tariffs applying to all food exports, including beef, sheepmeat and pork products. It remains to be seen how long the phase-in period will be.

However, reading the EU comments that greeted the news, there appears to be absolutely no concern about the impact of Japanese produced goods entering the EU. That will no doubt be for non-food producers, including French, German and Italian car makers to worry about. . . 

Russia warns dairy restrictions possible after butter tests –  Alexa Cook:

Russia is warning of a potential restriction on New Zealand dairy products after finding butter from this country tested positive twice for the antibiotic tetracycline.

News agency Dairy Reporter said Russia has warned of a potential restriction on New Zealand dairy products after some butter tested positive twice for the veterinary medicine tetracycline.

Russia’s government said if it continued to find the antibiotic, it would limit the supply of milk products from New Zealand. . .

Predator Free 2050 arsenal to expand:

Predator Free 2050’s arsenal is set to expand with funding for three projects to control stoats and rats.

“The funding gives that extra push to promising projects already in the pipeline to help make them safer, more cost effective or to enlarge their scale,” Ms Barry says.

“We know new tools and technology are needed to win the war against invasive predators, so we’ve funded the newly-formed company Predator Free 2050 Ltd to support breakthrough scientific research.”

“We also know our current tools and technology need to be improved and enhanced to make a difference in the short to medium-term as we head toward a predator-free New Zealand.” . .

Birds and bats on the rise after widespread predator control:

Native species are on the rise thanks to intensive trapping and aerial 1080 operations across Fiordland National Park, latest monitoring results show.

Following widespread beech seeding across Fiordland in early 2016, and a recorded increase in rat numbers, the Department of Conservation (DOC) treated six sites with aerially applied 1080 as part of the national Battle for our Birds programme, including the Eglinton and Arthur Valleys, the Waitutu Forest and areas of the Kepler. . .

Monitoring of commercial fishing to revolutionise fisheries management:

New regulations gazetted today will help revolutionise the way New Zealand’s commercial fisheries are managed and monitored, says Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy.

The regulations require the use of geospatial position reporting (GPR), e-logbooks, and cameras across the commercial fishing industry and are being rolled out from 1 October this year. . .

Five reasons why agriculture is among the hottest growing industries – Paul Cranch:

Everyone talks about IT, energy and health care as the growing industries of the future, but agriculture should be on that list, too! This is an exciting time to be in agriculture. Here are 5 reasons why I think big opportunities await you in this often overlooked industry.

Agriculture is in the center of one of the greatest challenges of our time – achieving food security.

Long-Term Global Need.
Why is there so much opportunity in Agriculture? Let’s have a look at what is happening in the world. . .

Avocado prices near record levels and kumara hits new high:

Food prices rose 0.2 percent in June 2017, Stats NZ said today. The rise was led by higher prices for avocados and soft drinks. The average price for a 200g avocado was $4.52 in June 2017, compared with $3.38 in May 2017.

“Avocado prices tend to peak in the winter before falling in spring as new fruit become available,” consumer prices manager Matthew Haigh said. “Prices are back near the record level in June last year.”

“Fruit and vegetables prices eased off somewhat in June, from their highs in May,” Mr Haigh said. “Lettuce and broccoli prices were down, but tomato and kumara prices continued to rise. Kumara prices were at their highest-ever level – $8.18 a kilogram.” . .

StockX wins Beef + Lamb NZ Sheep Industry Innovation Award:

StockX has been announced as winner of the prestigious Beef + Lamb NZ Sheep Industry Awards – 2017 Tru-Test Innovation Award held in Invercargill last week.

Head Judge, Hamish Bielski said, “The panel’s decision was unanimous given the ability of StockX to provide transparency in the sales and purchase process, and the way it connects buyers and sellers in a cost-effective manner. The concept – which uses technology not available 20 years ago – represents a step-change in the industry and has challenged the status-quo when it comes to trading livestock.” . .

Competition Set to Find NZ’s Young Winemaker of The Year:

The battle is on again to find the 2017 Tonnellerie de Mercurey NZ Young Winemaker of the Year, with a new structure to the competition which is set to bring the North vs South rivalry back into play, the young wine making talent of New Zealand will compete for the ultimate title during the next few months.

Now in its third year, the competition is about finding the best winemaking talent in New Zealand, as well as providing education and support for those in the industry under 30. Not only that, the winner walks away with a travel allowance, training grant, full registration to the Romeo Bragato conference, a profile in Cuisine Magazine, wine allowance, plus a trip to the Tonnellerie de Mercurey France (airfares from NZ included), and of course the title of being the 2017 New Zealand Tonnellerie de Mercurey Young Winemaker of the Year. . .

Will they, won’t they

Labour NZ First Green Quadrille

(With apologies to Lewis Carroll).

 

“Will we give our vote to Labour? said a Green MP, one day

“NZ First keeps polling well but won’t usually vote our way.

“See how eagerly the media and the pundits rate the chance

“That we we’ll forget our principles and with Winston join the dance.

“Will we, won’t we, will we won’t we,

“Will we join the dance?

“Will we, won’t we, will we, won’t we,

“Will we join the dance?”

 

“You can really have no notion how delightful it would be

“If the voters up and voted for us to run the whole country.

“But NZ First and Labour, our programme won’t advance

“So I’m really not convinced we’ll want to join their dance.

“We will thank the votes kindly, but we would not join the dance

“Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.

“Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.”

 

“What matters if  we pull the plug and Labour couldn’t rule?

“It would cost, but what the heck, we’d still be feeling cool.

“With every poll the pundits show we haven’t got a chance

“Of making it to cabinet and therefore don’t want to join the dance.

“Will we, won’t we, will we, won’t we, will we join the dance?

Will we, won’t we, will we, won’t we, won’t we join the dance?”

Quote of the day

One baby is a patient baby, and waits indefinitely until its mother is ready to feed it. The other baby is an impatient baby and cries lustily, screams and kicks and makes everybody unpleasant until it is fed. Well, we know perfectly well which baby is attended to first. That is the whole history of politics. – Emmeline Pankhurst who was born on this day in 1858.

July 14 in history

1223 Louis VIII became King of France upon the death of his father, Philip II of France.

1698 The Darien scheme began with five ships, bearing about 1,200 people, departing Leith for the Isthmus of Panama.

1769 The de Portolá Expedition established a base in California, and set out to find the Port of Monterey.

1771 Foundation of the Mission San Antonio de Padua  by the Franciscan friar Junípero Serra.

1789  French Revolution: Citizens of Paris stormed the Bastille and freed seven prisoners.

1790  French Revolution: Citizens of Paris celebrated the constitutional monarchy and national reconciliation in the Fête de la Fédération.

1791  The Priestley Riots drove  Joseph Priestley, a supporter of the French Revolution, out of Birmingham, England.

1798  The Sedition Act became law in the United States making it a federal crime to write, publish, or utter false or malicious statements about the government.

1834  James Abbott McNeill Whistler, American painter (d. 1903).

1858  Emmeline Pankhurst, English suffragette (d. 1928)

1865  First ascent of the Matterhorn by Edward Whymper and party, four of whom died on the descent.

1868  Gertrude Bell, English archaeologist, writer, spy, and administrator, was born (d. 1926).

1872 Albert Marque, French sculptor and doll maker, was born (d. 1939).

1881 Billy the Kid was shot and killed by Pat Garrett outside Fort Sumner.

1853 New Zealand’s first general election began.

1900 Armies of the Eight-Nation Alliance captured Tientsin during theBoxer Rebellion.

1902 The Campanile in St Mark’s Square, Venice collapsed, also demolishing the loggetta.

1903 Irving Stone, American writer, was born (d. 1989).

1910 William Hanna, American animator, was born  (d. 2001).

1911  Terry-Thomas, British actor, was born  (d. 1990).

1912 Woody Guthrie, American folk musician, was born (d. 1967).

1913 Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States, was born (d. 2006).

1916 Start of the Battle of Delville Wood as an action in the Battle of the Somme.

1918  Ingmar Bergman, Swedish film and theatre director, was born (d. 2007).

1921 – Leon Garfield, English children’s author, was born (d. 1996).

1928 Nancy Olson, American actress, was born.

1930 Polly Bergen, American actress, was born.

1933 Gleichschaltung: In Germany, all political parties were outlawed except the Nazi Party.

1940 Susan Howatch, English author, was born.

1943  The George Washington Carver National Monument became the first United States National Monument in honor of an African American.

1948  Palmiro Togliatti, leader of the Italian Communist Party, was shot near the Italian Parliament.

1950 Sir Apirana Ngata died.

1958  Iraqi Revolution:  the monarchy was overthrown by popular forces lead by Abdul Karim Kassem, who becomes the nation’s new leader.

1965  The Mariner 4 flyby of Mars took the first close-up photos of another planet.

1969  Football War: after Honduras lost a soccer match against El Salvador rioting broke out in Honduras against Salvadoran migrant workers.

1969  The United States $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000 bills were officially withdrawn from circulation.

1984 – David Lange led Labour to election victory.

1992  386BSD was released by Lynne Jolitz and William Jolitz beginning the Open Source Operating System Revolution.

2000 A powerful solar flare, later named the Bastille Day event, caused a geomagnetic storm.

2002  French President Jacques Chirac escaped an assassination attempt unscathed during Bastille Day celebrations.

2003  The United States Government admitted the existence of “Area 51“.

2007  Russia withdrew from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.

2013 – Israeli Tent Protests movement launched.

2015 – NASA’s New Horizons probe performed the first flyby of Pluto, and thus completes the initial survey of the Solar System.

2016 – A terrorist vehicular attack in Nice, France killed 86 civilians and injured more than 400 others.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia