Word of the day

Yawmagorp –  a lounger or idler; someone who seems constantly to be yawning and stretching wearily.

2018 Nuffield Scholars announced

The 2018 Nuffield Scholars are Simon Cook, Andy Elliot, Turi McFarlane, Solis Norton, and Kate Scott.

A media release from the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust says:

 

. . . The five new 2018 scholars join more than 140 New Zealand agricultural leaders, over more than 60 years, to have been awarded a Nuffield Scholarship – a highly respected and prestigious award in the primary sector.

The 12 month scholarship programme with up to 20 weeks spent overseas, allows participants to spend time away from their business and to travel to observe, immerse, reflect and learn about global agricultural practices and the contexts they are operating in. A research topic, which focuses on an issue /challenge for the New Zealand primary sector, will be a focus of individual travel and investigation.

Simon Cook

Simon, is a third generation kiwifruit grower from Te Puke. Simon along with his wife Katey and three daughters grows both green and gold varieties of kiwifruit and has recently planted their first Avocado trees. Simon also owns and manages a kiwifruit contracting business, Ranfurly Orchard Services, which just recently won the supreme award at the Te Puke business awards. Simon has governance roles on a number of Kiwifruit industry organisations

After completing a management degree at Waikato University Simon spent four years in Auckland working in various supply chain roles. After re-evaluating their future, Simon and Katey moved to Te Puke where Simon and his father started a kiwifruit contracting business. They also bought their first small kiwifruit orchard giving them an opening to the industry.

Andy Elliot

With 20 years’ experience in New Zealand’s aquaculture industry, Andy Elliot has a strong background in the commercial development of new aquaculture species and related businesses.

He lives in Nelson, with partner Bec and their three boys. He heads the R&D and business development activities for Wakatū Incorporation (Wakatū), a Māori-owned organisation. Kono NZ LP, their food and drinks business, exports to over 40 countries.

Andy is passionate about their aim at Wakatu to add value to existing food products through exploring high value nutrition and food ingredients.

Prior to working for Wakatū, Andy worked for the Cawthron Institute also spending several years living and working on Stewart Island developing paua hatcheries. Andy studied at Otago University where he gained a Post Graduate Diploma in Marine Science.

Turi McFarlane

A background combining farm systems and natural resource management drives Turi McFarlane’s passion to enhance the sustainability of New Zealand’s primary sector. Of Te Atiawa and Ngai Tahu decent, Turi also has a keen interest in Maori agribusiness.

Turi grew up on a small family sheep and beef farm on Banks Peninsula and now finds himself back in the district with wife Jessie and their three children Ezra, Micah and Sarai, working in a new role with Ravensdown Environmental, as Senior Farm Environmental Consultant. Turi previously worked for Beef+Lamb NZ as South Island environment extension manager.

His interest in agricultural systems and sustainable land management led to tertiary study at Massey University where he completed a Batchelor of Science with a double major in Agricultural Science and Ecology which was followed by a Master of Applied Science at Lincoln University majoring in International Rural Development.

Solis Norton

Solis hails from near Port Chalmers, Dunedin and brings a mix of academic and industry experience having completed a Bachelor in Agricultural Science at Massey in 1996, a Masters Degree in Applied Science then a PhD in the epidemiology of Johne’s disease in New Zealand dairy herds.

He joined the New Zealand Deer Industry as Project Manager for their newly established national programme against Johne’s disease. After ten years, the industry has achieved a substantial success.

He seeks to lead New Zealand agriculture toward genuinely sustainable farming systems from an energy and emissions perspective and received an Agmardt Leadership Award in 2014 which allowed travel to the US and visits to energy experts there.

Solis is married to Emily and enjoys martial arts, is a keen hunter and gardener and tries to pursue a simple, balanced lifestyle.

Kate Scott

Central Otago based, Kate is an Executive Director of Landpro Limited, a planning and surveying company she jointly founded in 2007, before which Kate and her husband Scott Levings were managing a 200ha dairy farm at Roxburgh where both were involved in the day to day operation of the farm.

Kate is passionate about the primary industries and the environment, and works across a broad range of sectors, including dairy, sheep and beef, horticulture and viticulture. Kate also has extensive irrigation experience, including as the project manager for the Manuherikia Catchment. With her scholarship she is interested in looking at ways for New Zealand to reduce its agri-enviro footprint, including benchmarking New Zealand’s environmental performance against other major agricultural nations.

Kate and Scott have three sons, George (7), Ted (3) and Henry (1 1/2), who enjoy the benefits of living so close to Lake Dunstan as well as to the southern ski fields from their home in Bannockburn.

You can read more at the Nuffield New Zealand website.

 

Rural round-up

Precision agriculture more than just boys and their toys – Gerald Piddock:

Precision agriculture is more than flashy expensive toys and tools

The uptake of this technology cannot be taken too lightly for New Zealand’s farming future as the industry looks at ways of being productive and profitable at a reduced environmental footprint.

The precision agriculture toolbox farmers have is enormous, ranging from measuring and mapping farmland, the precise use of fertiliser and water to livestock traceability using electronic identification tags. . . 

Mad about sheep – Country Life:

Now she’s here, Dayanne Almeida is on a mission to spread the word about sheep farming in New Zealand.

The Brazilian animal scientist was determined to find work on a New Zealand sheep farm so she sent 500 emails to farmers with her CV and references.

She received one job offer.

That was in 2009.

Now Dayanne is working for Wairere Rams in Wairarapa and, whenever she gets the chance, live-streams commentary and video footage about sheep farming activities to the 14-thousand people around the world who follow her Sheep Nutter Facebook page. . .

First-hand perspectives a decade of levy value:

This month marks a key milestone – 10 years since DairyNZ was formed to support dairy farmers and drive our sector forward.

Over the past decade, the dairy levy has been invested in a wide range of programmes, enabling DairyNZ and its partners to deliver the research, tools and advice farmers need to manage new challenges. Inside Dairy spoke to four farmers who have experienced the benefits of their levy investment directly.

Conall Buchanan

Paeroa dairy farmer Conall Buchanan represented farmers during the development of a 30-year marine spatial plan for the Hauraki Gulf.

Conall Buchanan can speak from a well-informed position about the benefits he’s received from DairyNZ’s commitment to more sustainable dairying. . . 

10 years of DairyNZ: #InsideDairy spoke to four farmers who’ve experienced the benefits of their levy investment. https://t.co/QAvdxffq1t

— DairyNZ (@DairyNZ) November 2, 2017

New Farm Environment Trust Chair looks forward to showcasing farming excellence:

Joanne van Polanen, the new Chair of the Trust which runs the Ballance Farm Environment Awards, says that the organisation is looking forward to working with the new Government to showcase the efforts that farmers and growers are making to balance the needs of the environment, animals, plants and people.

Mrs van Polanen was appointed the new Chair of the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust at the Trust’s recent Annual Meeting. She had previously been Treasurer and Deputy Chair of the Trust.

Mrs van Polanen commented that “the Trust is uniquely placed to work across the primary sector to promote farming excellence with other farmers and growers. Increasingly, farmers and growers are reframing environmental issues as opportunities. We would like to see New Zealand’s farmers and growers recognised as global leaders in the stewardship of land and water”. . .

Investors turn to Israeli agritech as demand for food swells – Shoshanna Solomon:

Israeli agriculture technologies for farmers have attracted some seven percent of global investment in the first half of 2017, a new report shows.

Israeli agritech firms, whose technologies are used by farmers to improve the yield of crops and better monitor produce — called on-farm technologies — raised $80 million in the first half of the year, according to data released by Start-Up Nation Central, a nonprofit organization that connects companies and organizations to Israeli technology firms. . .

Politically appointed, politically disappointed

New Health Minister David Clark is considering asking District Health Board chairs for resignation letters.

David Clark says resignations may be accepted if DHB chairs aren’t “on the same wave-length” as the new government.

Dr Clark said he was “very seriously considering” asking for resignation letters and would make a decision shortly.

“I want to be sure that the district health board chairs … are in agreement with the current government’s agenda and direction. I need them to be on board with where we’re heading.” . . 

New ministers will, sooner or later, look at appointments made by their predecessors.

They have the right, and the power, to let them continue in their roles, or to terminate their appointments.

Clark should consider whether or not he wants DHB chairs to continue but he’s made a mistake by musing about it in public.

He should be doing his considering in private and once he’s done it he should act by either confirming chairs will stay or asking them to go.

By musing publicly Clark looks like he’s pussy-footing.

He also risks chairs calling his bluff by not writing resignation letters which would then force him to sack them.

Everyone who accepts such appointments know that when they’re politically appointed they can be politically disappointed.

Public musing merely looks like ministerial vacillation.

Quote of the day

Think as you work, for in the final analysis, your worth to your company comes not only in solving problems, but also in anticipating them. – Harold Ross who was born on this day in 1892.

November 6 in history

355  Roman Emperor Constantius II promoted his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with the government of the Prefecture of the Gauls.

1479 – Joanna of Castile, was born (d. 1555).

1494 – Suleiman the Magnificent, Ottoman sultan, was born (d. 1566).149

1528  Shipwrecked Spanish conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca became the first known European to set foot in Texas.

1632   Thirty years war: Battle of Lützen was fought, the Swedes were victorious but the King of Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus died in the battle.

1789   Pope Pius VI appointed Father John Carroll as the first Catholic bishop in the United States.

1844  The first constitution of the Dominican Republic was adopted.

1851  Charles Dow, American journalist and economist, was born (d. 1902).

1856   Scenes of Clerical Life, the first work of fiction by the author later known as George Eliot, was submitted for publication.

1861   American Civil War: Jefferson Davis was elected president of the Confederate States of America.

1861  James Naismith, Canadian inventor of basketball, was born (d. 1939).

1865   American Civil War: CSS Shenandoah was the last Confederate combat unit to surrender after circumnavigating the globe on a cruise on which it sank or captured 37 vessels.

1880 – Yoshisuke Aikawa, Japanese businessman and politician, founded Nissan Motor Company, was born (d. 1967).

1885 – Martin O’Meara, Irish-Australian sergeant, Victoria Cross recipient, was born (d. 1935).

1892 – Harold Ross, American journalist and publisher, co-founded The New Yorker , was born (d. 1951).

1893  Edsel Ford, president of Ford Motor Company, was born (d. 1943).

1908 Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward ceremonially opened the North Island main trunk railway line by driving home a final polished silver spike at Manganuioteao, between National Park and Ohakune.

1913   Mohandas Gandhi was arrested while leading a march of Indian miners in South Africa.

1917   World War I: Third Battle of Ypres ended: After three months of fierce fighting, Canadian forces took Passchendaele in Belgium.

1918   The Second Polish Republic was proclaimed in Poland.

1925   Secret agent Sidney Reilly was executed by the OGPU, the secret police of the Soviet Union.

1926  – Zig Ziglar, American soldier, businessman, and author, was born (d. 2012).

1928   Sweden began a tradition of eating Gustavus Adolphus pastries to commemorate the king.

1935  Edwin Armstrong presented his paper “A Method of Reducing Disturbances in Radio Signaling by a System of Frequency Modulation” to the New York section of the Institute of Radio Engineers.

1935  First flight of the Hawker Hurricane.

1935  Parker Brothers acquired the forerunner patents for MONOPOLY from Elizabeth Magie.

1938 – Diana E. H. Russell, South African activist and author, was born.

1939   World War II: Sonderaktion Krakau took place.

1941  World War II: Soviet leader Joseph Stalin addressed the Soviet Union for only the second time during his three-decade rule. He stated that even though 350,000 troops were killed in German attacks so far, the Germans had lost 4.5 million soldiers and that Soviet victory was near.

1942   World War II: Carlson’s patrol during the Guadalcanal Campaign began.

1943   World War II: the Soviet Red Army recaptured Kiev.

1944   Plutonium was first produced at the Hanford Atomic Facility.

1946  Sally Field, American actress, was born.

1947 – George Young, Australian musician (Easybeats), was born.

1947   Meet the Press made its television debut (the show went to a weekly schedule on September 12, 1948).

1948 Glenn Frey, American singer (Eagles), was born.

1949 Nigel Havers, English actor, was born.

1954 – Catherine Crier, American journalist and judge, was born.

1962   Apartheid: The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution condemning South Africa’s racist apartheid policies and calls for all UN member states to cease military and economic relations with the nation.

1963   General Duong Van Minh took over leadership of South Vietnam.

1965   Cuba and the United States formally agreed to begin an airlift for Cubans who want to go to the United States.

1970  Ethan Hawke, American actor, was born.

1971  The United States Atomic Energy Commission tested the largest U.S. underground hydrogen bomb, code-named Cannikin, on Amchitka Island in the Aleutians.

1975   Green March began: 300,000 unarmed Moroccans converged on the southern city of Tarfaya and waited for a signal from King Hassan II of Morocco to cross into Western Sahara.

1977   The Kelly Barnes Dam, located above Toccoa Falls, Georgia, failed, killing 39.

1985   Leftist guerrillas of the April 19 Movement seized control of the Palace of Justice in Bogotá, eventually killing 115 people, 11 of them Supreme Court justices.

1986   Sumburgh disaster – A British International Helicopters Boeing 234LR Chinook crashed 2.5 miles east of Sumburgh Airport killing 45 people.

1999   Australians voted to keep the Head of the Commonwealth as their head of state in the Australian republic referendum.

2004   An express train collided with a stationary carriage near the village of Ufton Nervet, England, killing 7 and injuring 150.

2005   The Evansville Tornado of November 2005 killed 25 in Northwestern Kentucky and Southwestern Indiana.

2012 – Tammy Baldwin, became the first openly gay politician to be elected to the United States Senate.

2013  – Several small bombs exploded outside a provincial office of the Chinese Communist Party in the northern city of Taiyuan, killing at least one person and wounding eight others.

Sourced from NZ History Online and Wikipedia.