Time to think and plan
Winter can often be a quieter time where an opportunity exists to reflect on what has worked well in the past and think about improvements to help make your farming operation more efficient.
JUST IN time for break feeding during late autumn and winter is this new release from Taragate, called the Auto Fencer, seen at Central Districts Field Days.
Bolted to the front frame on a quad, it can carry electric fence reels and many standards, and also spades, shovels and tools.
The Auto Fencer can lay out one reel of tape as the quad moves forward and with a further attachment can lay out two or three reels. Meanwhile the standards can be treaded in or collected from the quad seat.
It is fully galvanised and the spring loaded clamp makes the load secure.
Also new was Taragate's end insulators made from polycarbonate.
"Previous insulators made from glass filled material grew lichen and moss, which led to power leakage," says part-owner Kerry Powell.
Also, the glass-based insulators would deteriorate over time, becoming brittle, and the wire guides would break off.
The new equipment is available New Zealand-wide from Taragate dealers.
Tel. 07 843 3859
A Palmerston North shearer has been sentenced to six months' community detention and 12 months' supervision after being found to have physically abused three lambs while shearing them.
Power Farming has launched a joint venture in Southland.
Food rescue charity Meet the Need has released its 2025/26 Impact Report, revealing a record year of growth alongside a stark warning: demand for food support across New Zealand is rising faster than supply can keep up.
As we move into the second half of 2026, the Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) reports that Year-to-Date figures ending June 30 saw new tractor deliveries hitting 1,386 units or 10.7% ahead of the same period in 2025.
The avocado sector is entering the new season with a larger crop and positive market opportunities.
New Zealand growers have always adapted to changing conditions, but one challenge is steadily gaining ground across the horticulture sector: resistance.

OPINION: The same mainstream media muppets that brought you Jacindamania in 2017 have been flat out pimping for the Opportunities…
OPINION: Your old mate reckons the atrocious way farmers in the UK are treated by their lords and masters in…