Ravensdown Named Naming Rights Sponsor of A&P Show
Farmer owned co-operative Ravensdown has signed a two-year naming rights sponsorship of the Canterbury A&P Show.
Corey Ferguson, with daughter, Maddison, 8, and Ferdon BStone Vienna, a descendant from Ferdon’s influential Viyella family.
Waikato contract milker Corey Ferguson has been named as the judge for the New Zealand Agricultural Show’s on-farm competition in November.
Ferguson is a well-known face within Ferdon Genetics’ exceptional Jersey operation at Otorohanga. He contract milks 235 cows on an 80ha farm in Te Awamutu.
He will be the third generation to officiate at Christchurch Show.
Ferguson has worked in Australia preparing cattle and in Semex’s Hall of Fame at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Canada. His long-term goals include returning to Ferdon.
“I love seeing good cows, no matter what breed they are,” Ferguson said.
“A good cow is a good cow, regardless of her colour.”
The on-farm concept has been successfully run in the Waikato twice. Canterbury will welcome Holstein, Jersey, Ayrshire, Milking Shorthorn, and Brown Swiss entries this year. Geographically, the competition will encompass exhibitors from the greater Canterbury region, who will get their cattle show-ready at home on their properties.
Ferguson will visit the farms involved, with the exhibitors will parade their cattle as they would at the show but without the rest of the competition standing side-by-side.
Placings will be decided by pointing the cattle within their breed and age-groups. A junior, intermediate and senior champion will be awarded in every breed. And, a supreme champion of all breeds will be announced at the competition’s completion.
Prize giving will be held at a public event in the Sheep Breeders’ Bar at Canterbury Agricultural Park, on November 13.
New Zealand's citrus growers were challenged to build their future on the value embedded in their fruit rather than the volume they produce, at Citrus New Zealand's annual gathering in Gisborne on 17 September.
Leading John Deere technicians and apprentices from New Zealand and Australians were recognised at the recent sixth annual JD Technician of the Year Awards, held in Brisbane.
In Dacre, near Invercargill in New Zealand’s South Island, Bruce Dinnington is running a dairy operation unlike any other.
A free online platform aggregating governance vacancies across rural and regional New Zealand has been launched.
Environment Minister Nicola Grigg has announced details of a new rural plastics recycling scheme.
Agricultural drone operators say that a government decision to allow lower-risk drone work without certification won’t lower standards but drive innovation and efficiency.