Conferences – the goal is always progress
OPINION: Farmers, rural professionals and scientists were together last month in Hamilton, discussing hot topics for the land-based primary sector at the New Zealand Grassland Association (NZGA) conference.
A mate of the Hound's thinks it was more than a bit dodgy when DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel recently announced the director elections for the industry good body.
In van der Poel's news release calling for candidates to stand for the board, he happened to 'forget' to mention that current director Jacqueline Rowarth was re-standing - but did happen to name other directors who were standing again.
The Hound's mate wants to know if this was a genuine error or a deliberate mistake.
He reckons it might be more of the latter than the former and surmises that because Dr Rowarth is not shy about expressing her opinion on things, perhaps van der Poel's omission was not a mistake.
Now he may very well think that, but this old mutt could not possibly comment.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change would be “a really dumb move”.
The University of Waikato has broken ground on its new medical school building.
Undoubtedly the doyen of rural culture, always with a wry smile, our favourite ginger ninja, Te Radar, in conjunction with his wife Ruth Spencer, has recently released an enchanting, yet educational read centred around rural New Zealand in one hundred objects.
Farmers are being urged to keep on top of measures to control Cysticerus ovis - or sheep measles - following a spike in infection rates.
For more than 50 years, Waireka Research Station at New Plymouth has been a hub for globally important trials of fungicides, insecticides and herbicides, carried out on 16ha of orderly flat plots hedged for protection against the strong winds that sweep in from New Zealand’s west coast.
There's a special sort of energy at the East Coast Farming Expo, especially when it comes to youth.