August 13, 2017
"Break-Feeds" are 5 minute podcasts from Beef + Lamb New Zealand. Will Morrison was recently elected National Chair of the B+LNZ Farmer Council, which is the key group that provides advice, and a connection with other farmers, for B+LNZ directors and staff. At the National AGM 2017 he talks about the purpose and activities of B+LNZ Farmer Council and what he intends to achieve in his role. Make sure to follow Will on Twitter: @morrisonfarming
August 13, 2017
The majority of New Zealand’s beef has dairy genetics in it, and most of that comes from calves born to dairy cows. Can the industry use improved beef genetics to safely and profitably produce calves from dairy cows, improve dairy farm profit and at the same time produce a fast growing, great eating animal? Doug Lineham and Bob Thomson were part of Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Dairy Beef Integration Project and join us to talk about why the project was funded and what it found – opportunities for dairy farmers, calf rearers and beef finishers. The full report and a summary factsheet are available on the B+LNZ website.
July 30, 2017
‘Break-Feeds’ are 5 minute podcasts from Beef + Lamb New Zealand. Lynley and Matt Wyeth are well known for pushing the boundaries with their on-farm trials and running an intensive sheep and beef farm at large scale. This year Matt also nearly died from a leptospirosis infection. They join us to talk about the experience, the symptoms – and the silver lining with Matt forced to spend time working ON the business rather than in it.
For more information on protecting people on farms from leptospirosis, visit http://www.saferfarms.org.nz/guides/prevention-and-control-of-leptospirosis/
For more information on the Wyeth’s Innovation Programme projects, visit www.beeflambnz.com, call 0800 233 352 or email enquiries@beeflambnz.com
July 27, 2017
Neil Aitken is part of the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Innovation Farm Programme. In the next couple of years, he is going to trial remote vehicle monitoring (for management and for Health and Safety), virtual fencing cattle via electronic ear-tag, and electric motorbikes. On this ‘Break-Feed’ podcast, he gives a quick overview of each technology and how he hopes to use them.
July 26, 2017
‘Break-Feeds’ are short podcasts from Beef + Lamb New Zealand to let you know about interesting things happening. Scott Linklater is part of the B+LNZ Innovation Farms, and has been looking at using Fodder Beet in sheep and beef systems. He gives us a quick 5-minute overview of the positive results to date of grazing lambs in autumn on Fodder beet. For more information on this project, contact B+LNZ on 0800 233 352 or resources@beeflambnz.com
July 24, 2017
What impact will synthesised meat, from either plant proteins or animal cells, have on the market for meat from animals? At Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s 2017 FarmSmart conference, Rosie Bosworth (Pure Advantage) and Caroline Saunders (Lincoln University) joined farmers Mark Zino and Mark Warren to ponder the Future of Our Food. Disruption is coming to New Zealand’s sheep and beef farmers – how large will the impact be, and how should we respond?
June 22, 2017
Ross Monaghan, Soil Scientist at AgResearch, joined us to talk about taking care of stock, soils and water in winter. Winter grazing of forage crops is an important issue for farmers. It can be a good source of income through setting finishing animals up for high margins or through taking on grazers. It can also come at a cost from pugging, through loss of nutrients and topsoil and by pollution of water. In addition to all that, lots of animals on wet soils in winter can be a concern for the community. Recent research from the collaborative P21 programme has come up with some answers to improve animal performance while at the same time avoiding, remedying or mitigating the negative impacts.
June 7, 2017
Peter Young spent a couple of decades farming next door to the Ida Burn Dam in Central Otago, home of the Brass Monkey Rally – an area that experiences one of the most extreme climates in NZ. From hoar-frosts for weeks on end in winter, to summers with temperatures in the high 30s and months of drought. Through it all, the Youngs' were known for exceptional sheep performance. Now retired from the farm and working as a farm advisor, Peter is in demand to share his knowledge. He joined us to share some of what he’s learned and answer callers’ questions. Clear tips on getting the best out of your flock, from someone with the track record to prove them.
April 25, 2017
In 2016, 3500 sheep and beef farmers attended a Beef + Lamb New Zealand Farm Safety Management System workshop. Health and safety on farm is a hot topic, as new legislation required changes to processes on most farms, and more importantly the industry collectively wants to reduce the risk of harm to farmers, families, friends, staff and contractors. Al McCone is Sector Lead – Agriculture at WorkSafe New Zealand and he joined us on the call to discuss what farmers need to know, and to bust some myths at the same time.
December 1, 2016
If you farm beef cows, you’ll want to listen to this interview with Professor Steve Morris of Massey University, who has been the leading beef cattle researcher in New Zealand for some time. Recorded on a Red Meat Profit Partnership conference call, Steve discusses whether beef cows still have a place on sheep and beef farms, and what that role is; what are the KPI’s that farmers should set for their cows and how important is Body Condition Scoring to top performance and profitability. Many other topics are covered such as ideal cow size, what to look for when selecting bulls, the importance of identifying your target market, how to minimise calving difficulties, yard weaning in New Zealand systems and whether confinement feeding has a place.
