Keeping cyber attacks at bay
Fonterra says it takes the ongoing threat of 'adverse cyber action' extremely seriously.
Cow Central's (Hamilton) Waikato Museum is looking to tell a broader story about the white stuff via its Milk Matters exhibition which opened recently.
Aimed at children aged seven-twelve, but equally valid for the ‘mature’, the exhibition is sponsored by Fonterra and DairyNZ; the theme is milk, the technologies that turn it into a vast range of products such as whey proteins and supplements, and spreadable butter, developed by Fonterra in the late 1990s. (Kaipara Co-op Dairy marketed a spreadable butter in the early 1970s. ed.) Developed by the museum science curator Salina Ghazally, the display has taken 15 months to bring to fruition and will run until April 2018.
Beyond the many uses for raw milk the exhibition looks at why dairying is important to New Zealand, why Waikato is the heart of the industry, and explains land use in terms of topography and climate. Looking beyond the practical, the visitor gets a taste of the science, and audio-visual stories of local dairy farming families.
Youngsters are encouraged to crawl inside a mock-up of each of a cow’s four stomachs to see what goes on there, are offered a display about breed types, and may learn that modern dairy cows result from 10,000 years of evolution traceable back to the DNA strings of 80 animals first domesticated in the Middle East.
No modern exhibition in Waikato would be true to form if it didn’t consider issues such as nitrate leaching, soil erosion and global warming caused by cows’ creation of methane. Possible solutions are discussed simply, allowing audiences to easily understand.
Well worth a look if you’re in town.
New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.
For Wonky Box co-founder Angus Simms, the decision to open the service to those in rural areas is a personal one.
The golden age of orcharding in West Auckland was recently celebrated at the launch of a book which tells the story of its rise, then retreat in the face of industry change and urban expansion.
Everyone from experienced veterinarians and young professionals to the Wormwise programme and outstanding clinics have been recognised in this year’s New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) awards. As part of a series looking at this year’s rural winners, Leo Argent talked with Ginny Dodunski, winner of the Veterinary Impact Award for raising the profile of the Wormwise programme.
OPINION: Should Greenpeace be stripped of their charitable status? Farmers say yes.
OPINION: After years of financial turmoil, Canterbury milk processor Synlait is now back in business.