BEEF COWS are out, dairy grazers in and ewe condition a priority on the first FarmIQ demonstration farm to hold a field day this autumn.

By Jeanette Maxwell, Federated Farmers Meat & Fibre chairperson. WITH ALL THAT is going on in the red meat industry right now it is important to reflect upon how we got here and what we as farmers want for our industry. Amidst all this uncertainty and panic, rash decisions can be made. My point being, this is not a time to jump on life rafts, this is a time to assess your values before looking for a solution.

IN PLANNING a new dairy conversion in Central Hawke’s Bay, Campbell Chard wanted the operation to use recycled water as much as possible.

Matakana,   Ben Dugdale, chairman of the Matakana Winegrowers Association says the 2013 harvest was one of the easiest he has ever encountered in the region, with the exception of the ripening phase being relatively widely spaced apart.

Removing rubbish from the vineyard floor after pruning is seen as an essential part of the botrytis prevention strategy. But what about the tendrils left on canes? Are they a botrytis risk?

THE WINNERS of the 2012 Bay of Plenty Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year, Richard and Amy Fowler, thrive on diversity.

While Hawkes Bay has a long winemaking tradition, it has only been over the last few decades that its ability to grow a wide range of wine styles from an array of microclimates and soil types has been better understood.