Couple reach Plate to Pasture finals

The winner of the Prime Beef Category - Ongaonga's Nochi Trust - Tony Jeffard, left, Rob Hewett and Brian Horton, livestock rep.

A south Wairarapa couple will represent the eastern North Island in the finals of Silver Fern Farms Plate to Pasture Awards, as a result of judging which took place at the Pacific beef plant in Hastings on Tuesday.

They are Mike McCreary and Liz Casey, of Kumenga Farm.

It is the initiative's second year and SFF communications manager Justin Courtney said "It has been a good way to celebrate everyone's critical roles in the plate to pasture strategy - from producing top quality animals, to our role in processing products consumers want, through to how we work with customers and consumers in the global market."

The awards celebrate supplier excellence across lamb, beef, bull, deer and dairy stock, and was judged on stock forwarded last year, using performance data and other critical elements such as presentation, farm assurance, direct supply and supply volume and timing.

TOP CUT: The winner of the Bull Beef category - also from Ongaonga - Jamie Gunson with Rob Hewett and Brian Horton.

The five regional winners will go before a judging panel tasked with finding out how our regional finalists farm with consumers in mind. The overall Plate to Pasture Winner for 2015 will travel to one of the major overseas markets later in the year.

Onga Onga dominated Hawke's Bay award winners on Tuesday, with the Prime beef category won by Nochi Trust (Tony Jeffard) and the Bull beef category won by J A Gunson and Co (Jamie Gunson)

Ambassador for beef

The hunt is on again to find one young beef producer to attend the Five Nations Beef Alliance conference and young leaders programme, being held this year in Mexico. This is the fifth year Beef + Lamb NZ has offered the scholarship to beef career people 23-32 years, and chief executive Scott Champion says a strong line-up of contenders is expected.

Past winners Richard Morrison (2011), Peter Fitz-Herbert (2012), Lauren McWilliam (2013) and James Bryan (2014) had all been great ambassadors for New Zealand, he said.

The Five Nations Beef Alliance is made up of the national organisations representing beef cattle producers in Australia, Canada, Mexico, NZ and the US.

Brazil and Paraguay will also be at this year's meeting as observers, and trade and sustainability are expected to be part of the alliance's discussion.

This year's conference and young leaders programme take place in Durango and Mazatlan, Mexico, on October 18-23.

Prized growers

The Horticulture New Zealand conference in Rotorua on July 27-29 will see more awards added to those already in place in the agricultural and horticultural sectors.

The President's Trophy will celebrate "inspiring leadership" and will encourage those with the commitment to develop as a business leader and successful grower, while the Industry Service Award is aimed at those who have served the industry in ways other than being a grower.

Already up for grabs is Hort NZ's own Bledisloe Cup, for outstanding and meritorious contribution to the industry.

Kaweka focus

Beef + Lamb NZ's Kaweka Focus Group's winter cropping session will take place at the Puketapu Hotel on Tuesday, from 12.30-4.30pm. The afternoon will look at on-farm results, analysis and learning to date from the outcomes, how to achieve a cost-effective crop, the next 12 months (where-to for the project?). Speakers include Allister Moorhead (Agricom) and John Cannon (Challenge Consulting).

Sausage record

A new record for sausage-making is being claimed in the UK after a triumph at the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston, Edinburgh, last weekend. It all went to plan and 36 pork sausages were cased and linked in one minute by an Inverness butcher who now awaits confirmation from Guinness (the records outfit).

Enviro foresting

National environmental standards for plantation forestry were released for public consultation, aiming to be passed into law by mid-2016.

Eight meetings were held for Farm Forestry Association members and small-scale forest owners to help shape and balance the consultation document as part of the development process.

At the launch, Taihape farm forester and NZFFA environment spokesman Angus Gordon said members and smaller-scale operators faced different issues from larger-forest owners, not least the limited access to industry experts.

"It will be easier to learn the rules and to not fall between the cracks," he said.