Jersey 'right balance' field day
The future of sustainable, profitable and environmentally friendly dairying will be on full display at the upcoming 'The Right Balance' field day at NZ Young Farmers' Donald Farm in South Auckland.
Changes have been announced to the FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest.
A four-member contest board that has run the competition has been replaced with a new contest subcommittee that reports to the NZ Young Farmers (NZYF) board.
The subcommittee will consist of two sitting NZYF board members, a principal sponsor representative and three appointed members with staggered three year terms.
NZYF board chair Ash-Leigh Campbell says the changes will bring contest into closer alignment with the NZYF board, organisation and strategy.
Campbell announced a full review of the contest governance at the 2019 annual meeting.
“Since then, a full independent ‘operational and governance’ review has been completed by Sam Robinson and we have adopted a number of those recommendations,” she says.
“We want to ensure there is an adequate structure in place to support all of our amazing volunteers, enable high volunteer engagement and create clear lines of accountability and responsibility for the contest.
“I believe this new model will not only do that, but will also ensure there are still effective leadership pathways within contest and the NZYF organisation and closer align the FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest, culture and strategy for all NZYF members.”
Campbell says the changes are beneficial to ensure the NZYF contest is in the best position to keep moving forward as the flagship competition.
Among the regular exhibitors at last month’s South Island Agricultural Field Days, the one that arguably takes the most intensive preparation every time is the PGG Wrightson Seeds site.
Two high producing Canterbury dairy farmers are moving to blended stockfeed supplements fed in-shed for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to boost protein levels, which they can’t achieve through pasture under the region’s nitrogen limit of 190kg/ha.
Buoyed by strong forecasts for milk prices and a renewed demand for dairy assets, the South Island rural real estate market has begun the year with positive momentum, according to Colliers.
The six young cattle breeders participating in the inaugural Holstein Friesian NZ young breeder development programme have completed their first event of the year.
New Zealand feed producers are being encouraged to boost staff training to maintain efficiency and product quality.
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