WHEN MANY farms are resorting to immigrant labour to solve staffing issues, Mid Canterbury contract milker Shane Edwards is taking a different tack with an all-homegrown policy.

GETTING PASTURE and feed management right after calving was an essential part of a successful mating, Phillipa Hedley, DairyNZ business developer, told farmers at a field day held on Alistair and Lynn Candy’s Northland monitor farm in Okaihau on September 25.

WAIRARAPA ONCE-A-DAY (OAD) dairy farmer Leo Vollebregt is planning to expand his operation six years after going OAD. Vollebregt told this to a recent OAD DairyNZ discussion group on his farm.

Rabobank Australia and New Zealand country banking division head Neil Dobbin has been appointed to run Rabobank's US agri banking business, Rabo Agri Finance (RAF).

Lincoln University PhD student, Richard Sim, was awarded the Agronomy Society of New Zealand International Crop Science Congress Travel Award enabling him to travel to ISCS in Brazil.

Massey Agriculture staff and students celebrated the year's student achievements at a dinner in Palmerston North on Friday.

Farmers were among those thanked for their part in helping reduce nitrogen levels at Lake Taupo.

With cattle keeping on top of feed, demand has been flat in the North Island. Store prices in the paddock have eased slightly although good quality cattle continue to sell well.

Despite a softening in the NZ dollar in recent days, export beef slaughter prices are still being hammered at the expense of the exchange rate.

Farmers wanting information about planting and managing trees in the working landscape will soon be able to access a new online – and free – database.