However, the boss, Bernadette van Wyk, general manager of the Stratford Press, was enthusiastic about the assignment. In fact, it was such a fabulous opportunity she was coming with me. "We will be able to get up close with the technology that is changing the way fertiliser spreading is done," she said.
Hang on. Fertiliser? That's...
Yes. I kicked my heels off.
"You are effectively spreading for free."
With that claim boldly printed on the glossy Ravensdown brochure, I must admit to having got over my disappointment at the absence of any red shiny cars and am instead watching closely as the first of two trucks is loaded up at the Stratford Ravensdown yard. This isn't just a claim wildly made by an overly keen salesperson, Caleb Dent explains. Caleb is the fertiliser operations manager of Spreading Sandford, and he and Rod Campbell, spreading operations manager for Spreading FBT, are here to let us ride in their company trucks to see just how good the technology is that Ravensdown has put into their trucks.
Caleb quickly explains how that statement, from an independent study, is backed up. In simple terms, the co-efficient variation (CV) is a statistical measure of, in this case, the dispersion of the fertiliser. The study then uses the term "in-field CV" to refer to the factors which can impact this dispersion - driving accuracy, starting and stopping positions and even the changes in flow rate as the vehicle changes speed. The impact of in-field CV on a farmer's production gains, and therefore potential revenue, was measured in a study run by Massey University. Ravensdown says that with the increased accuracy provided by their technology, the increased production gains can equal, and in some cases even surpass, the cost of the spreading, effectively spreading for free.
Watching the trucks get loaded up with the fertiliser we are going to spread onto a farm today, I see that it isn't just a case of loading until the truck is full, as my son enacts in his sandpit games, rather this is, as is everything, a carefully measured act, with plenty of checks in place to ensure that the farmer gets exactly what he pays for.
The truck sits on a weigh-bridge while it is loaded and the fertiliser is carefully put in, with the team making sure that it doesn't sit in too domed at the top; "one low branch on a driveway and you can skim it off," explains Ricki, the Sandfords driver who will be taking me out for a spin. Mike Davey, Ravensdown's sales manager for the area, emphasises the importance of this type of accuracy for the farmers they work with.
"No one wants to waste money," he says, "and that is why we have invested so much in equipping all the trucks belonging to Sandford and FBT with the best technology and we work with the two companies to ensure that we are always providing the best service possible.
"We can assure the farmers that we are minimising the risks of fertiliser going into their water," says Mike, explaining that with the differential GPS (DGPS) systems fitted in the trucks, they can claim accuracy to 20cm. Allowing the spreaders to get close, but not too close, to the waterways.
The waterways are all clearly marked on the systems and extra reassurance comes with the provision of a proof of placement map. This shows the farmer exactly where the truck has been, based on the DGPS recording of the route as the truck actually drove it.
With the trucks loaded, it is time for Bernadette and I to head out to the farm. We each leap into one of the large trucks and set off. (Ok, Bernadette leaps, I scramble, cursing the lack of high heels that might at least have given me a bit of extra reach - those trucks are high!)
On our way, Ricki gives me a quick tutorial in the technology on the truck. The dashboard wouldn't look out of place in a sci-fi movie - with a large touch screen that pulls up the details of the farm we are headed for, complete with maps, preloaded and approved by the farmer, showing exactly where we will spread and, just as importantly, where we are not to spread.
After a surprisingly smooth and quick trip to a farm in Stratford, the farmer directs us to the fields he wants fertilised. With two trucks working on it, the first field is done quickly, and Ricki explains that when working with two trucks, the technology in the trucks enables the drivers to set start and end points ensuring that they meet, not clash, in the middle.
He adds that should a farmer have a large field, which requires a truck to go and refill before completing it, it doesn't matter if it is the same driver who comes back or not. "It used to be, that the farmer would have to try and point out where the other guy had finished spreading," Ricki says, "but with the DGPS systems and the proof of placement maps, the new guy can drive straight to the starting point, accurate to 20cm."
Given my depth of knowledge (very shallow) on the subject of fertiliser, I ask Mike how a farmer knows what fertiliser mix he wants where. To answer, Mike introduces me to Julie Roberts, who is an account manager for Ravensdown.
She explains how she collects samples of the soil and sends it away to be tested at Ravensdown's lab in Napier. The results from this, she says, tell her exactly what is needed by measuring the nutrients in each sample. To further add to the farmer's peace of mind, Julie can then retest the soil from the same area after spreading, when required to monitor nutrient status.
Admitting to Caleb and Rod that I am quite convinced, should I ever find myself needing to apply fertiliser to a field or two in the future, that I now know what I would be looking for in a spreading company, they both remind me of the assurance a customer gets in the form of the regular spreadmark testing done on their spreaders.
This test, they explain, measures the spread pattern of a specific spreader and weighs the amount actually spread. With these tests performed on all their trucks, the provision of proof of placement maps along with the DGPS linked to the trucks repositioning and guidance systems, I would be assured that I would get exactly the right type of fertiliser for my soil, spread at the right distribution, in the right places, without any room for doubt.
The accuracy to 20cm provided by the DGPS makes it much easier for farmers to ensure that they meet regional council requirements. Taranaki Regional Council requires farmers to take measures to ensure that fertiliser does not get into the waterways. Using a system like this gives a farmer that extra assurance and the proof of placement maps mean that they can actually show how close to the waterway the fertiliser has gone.
Mike sees another advantage of proof of placement maps as the ability for a farmer who lives up country to see exactly where the fertiliser has been spread on his Taranaki property without having to come down and oversee it himself.
Ricki adds that with the computer screen in his cab showing him exactly where he has been, he can work later into the dusk as he doesn't have to rely on seeing the tyre marks he leaves behind to see where he has been. "It's safer too," he adds, pointing out that this enables him to concentrate more on where he is going, than where he has been.
Ricki says that the technology in the trucks makes his work a lot easier and reduces stress.
So, with fertiliser spread and my shiny gumboots truly broken in, I get ready to head back to the office. My half-a-million-dollar-ride over, I find myself as excited about the vehicle as if it had indeed been red and shiny.
In fact, I calculate as I type this out, the savings made by using this efficient technology, would mean a girl could afford to treat herself to a pair of shiny new gumboots. Does anyone know where I can get some pretty sparkly ones please?
