New associate director for DairyNZ
After 20 years of milking cows, Northland farmer Greg Collins is ready to step into the governance side of dairy.
Science backs what humans need to thrive, and DairyNZ wellness and wellbeing specialist Dana Carver is keen for dairy farmers to benefit from such science to stay strong and healthy.
Wellness is as much a science as the study of grass species or cow conditioning, Carver says.
Her workshop on this topic at last year's South Island Dariy Event was highly rated, many people asking for a repeat.
"Most said they knew of someone else who would benefit from coming along, and we're hoping that will happen. It's encouraging that so many people in the industry are starting to talk about wellness and resilience.
"We're keen for farmers to discuss tips from the workshop with family and colleagues in their networks."
Her talk is themed, 'The resilient farmer: keeping yourself strong amidst the ever-increasing pressures of farming'. She will talk about what it means to be healthy and how to deal with stress, with practical examples.
"The stressors aren't going away, but there are things you can do as an individual that will help you; these don't cost anything and don't need to take up a lot of time," she says.
For example, set aside time to turn off the television and play a board game with the family, get off the farm once a fortnight for three hours, or make a simple change to diet.
Carver will tell stories of changes made by some farmers who attended previous workshops, including one who now jogs the 2km from his home to the milking shed – and back – each morning. "It's made all the difference to his stress, and it's a cool example of what a small change can make."
She will speak about understanding your personality and values, and how this can help with decisionmaking, handling the unexpected, stress and burnout.
And she will remind farmers that farming should be enjoyable as well as profitable.
Recent rain has offered respite for some from the ongoing drought.
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.
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.