"I thrive on competitions," she said. "The end goal is to make the Shearing Sports New Zealand (SSNZ) team within five years."
SSNZ teams contest an annual home and away test series against Australia, and also the World Championships every two to three years, the next being in Christchurch in 2017.
Feeding less of a choreThe annual toil of calf rearing just got a whole lot easier with the launch of a mobile calf feeder range designed to save farmers time, money and effort.
New Zealand company Stallion Plastics has created the 2020 MG and OT mobile feeder range in response to feedback from dairy farmers.
Farmers, especially women, told the company what they needed most to make back-bending, time-consuming calf rearing work easier, says Stallion CEO and dairy farmer Grant Allen.
"We've spent a lot of time talking to seasoned dairy farmers and I look at what works -- and what doesn't -- on my own farm. In particular, we get feedback from time-challenged farming women heavily involved in calf rearing and cleaning feeding equipment," says Allen.
"They've told us they want mobile feeders with increased stability and strength, a greater tank capacity, more accessibility and easier cleaning. So we've researched, designed, developed, trialled -- and launched a range that's proven to make calf rearing easier, cleaner, quicker, safer and more efficient than ever before.
"I know first-hand the pressures the low milk payout is placing on farmers' budgets and we're confident this range takes mobile feeders to the next level of innovation in providing a top-quality, user-tailored product for excellent value for money. Farmers who've trialled the range have given excellent feedback."
Swede caution issued
DairyNZ is advising farmers to focus on managing a number of factors involved in feeding swedes this season, including the proportion of swede that makes up the diet of their cows.
In the wake of preliminary analysis of an in-depth farmer survey, DairyNZ's Southland/South Otago regional leader Richard Kyte says farmers have been advised of its key findings, including that cow ill-health increased last season as the proportion of swedes fed as part of the total diet increased. Feeding swedes on the milking platform (farm) in spring when cows approached calving and early lactation also increased the incidence of ill-health.
"We also found in spring 2014, there was a higher incidence of ill-health for Herbicide Tolerant (HT) swedes compared with other varieties of swedes. However, the reason for the increased incidence of disease is still unknown. Nevertheless, farmers should apply caution regardless of the swede variety being fed.
"The survey has additionally identified a departure from the 10-year climate average in 2014. The warmer air temperatures and fewer frost days may have enhanced both leaf growth and maturity," he says.
DairyNZ carried out the survey between November 2014 and February 2015 to help understand the factors that caused some cows in Southland/South Otago to die or become ill. In total, 134 affected and unaffected farmers and 34 graziers were interviewed.
"We think the increased incidence of ill-health in spring relates to the farming trend whereby cows come home from grazing off-farm to feed on more mature and higher risk crops planted on the milking platform (farm)." says Kyte. "All swedes carry a risk of adverse health effects when cows graze crops that are bolting -- getting mature, growing longer stems and flowering."
"Both crops are planted at the same time -- but are, therefore, fed at different stages of maturity and growth. As the swedes mature and reach the reproductive state they are known to have a higher concentration of glucosinolates (GSLs). These are the naturally-occurring compounds that have been associated with the issue."
Kyte says the next update for farmers will be when plant analysis results are available. "This update is expected to be available to farmers in late July and that will be an important piece in the puzzle. We can then focus on pulling together our final consolidated report on all the elements of the work we have done on the issue."
Kiwis in Aussie Porangahau brothers Jovan and Jerome Taiki have earned a big fan following at a speed shear event in Longreach, Queensland.
They were neck and neck through the rounds of the competition last weekend and an extra round had to be held to sort it out before Jovan Taiki got the nod, with shearer Turei Hokianga in third place.
Jovan , 27, moved to Australia to shear in 2008 and hasn't been "home" to Central Hawkes Bay since 2011. He's usually based in Longreach but does a lot of work in Mt Gambier, South Australia, from September to Christmas.
Competitions have been severely disrupted by drought in Queensland, but he has in the past twice made the final of the local show, one of the biggest in the region.
Looking after farmers A new initiative to promote well-being for all farmers and growers across New Zealand has been launched in a joint initiative between the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand and rural insurer FMG.
Farmstrong will help shift the focus of mental health from depression and illness to one of well-being.
FMG chief executive Chris Black says it will help to highlight that farmers are the most important asset on the farm and that by taking proactive steps to look after their mental and physical heath, they're better prepared to run their business and support their family, staff and community.
The resource, motto "Live well, farm well" emphasises time out, fitness and healthy thinking.
