Dear all He mihi nui ki a koutou
In this edition:
The Sustainable Farming Fund has received 215 applications in the 2007/08
funding round, which closed on 12 February. As in previous years, the Fund
continues to be oversubscribed by more than 300 percent.
What happens now?
Over the next few weeks, SFF will seek commentary and rankings on the
applications from a wide range of primary industry groups and independent
experts. The Phase 1 assessment panel will meet on 27 and 28 March to consider
the proposals. This panel will recommend to SFF:
1. which of the small SFF proposals (projects requesting under $20,000 of SFF
funding) merit investment;
2. a short list of the remaining projects to be invited to submit a more
detailed application in Phase 2.
Applicants will be advised in early April as to the success, or otherwise, of
their application.
The Phase 1 panel consists of MAF staff, two representatives from the external
Phase 2 panel, and a representative from the Ministry for Environment. Six to
seven external experts then assess the Phase 2 applications.
In addition, SFF has been fortunate to secure the services of Mr Pat Garden to
chair the 2007/08 assessment panels. Pat is a highly regarded pastoral farmer
from Central Otago and an experienced chairperson. Pat previously served on the
Foundation for Research, Science and Technology Animal Industries Assessment
Panel.
Pat will be the first independent chairperson for the SFF. His appointment not
only adds to the robustness of the fund's governance, but also serves to
reinforce its commitment to being a 'grassroots-up' fund.
Phase 2 applicant workshops in early April
The SFF will be holding a series of workshops in early April to assist new
applicants with the preparation of their Phase 2 application form.
Anyone is welcome to attend, however, the workshops are particularly aimed at
first time applicants to SFF. The session will cover how the SFF operates, how
to prepare the Phase 2 application form, and the application and contracting
process. This year, there will be a particular focus on trial design, and
setting milestones and budgets. Project advisors will be on-hand to answer
specific questions about your project.
Workshops are 9:30 am - 12:30 pm finishing with lunch
The dates and tentative locations for these workshops are:
17 April - Dunedin
18 April - Christchurch
19 April - Lower North Island
20 April - Hamilton
There will be further details to follow. For more information, or to book a
place at a workshop, please contact Amanda Hall (phone 0800 100 087).
Communications Training for Project Teams
The SFF will be providing a free development/training opportunity for all new
and existing SFF project teams.
Following the Phase 2 applicant workshops, a communications professional will
run an an afternoon session in each region on Internal and External
Communications. Topics to be covered include:
- communciations strategies - do you need one? what should it include?
- dealing with the media - getting your story across;
- presenting information to ensure a wide uptake;
- websites and electronic communications - what can and can't they do?
The afternoon session will run from 1:00 pm - 3:30pm (approx) - or arrive
early and catch lunch with people from the Phase 2 workshops.
There will be further details to follow. For more information, or to book a
place at a workshop, please contact Amanda Hall (phone 0800 100 087).
Attention project managers: Changes to SFF progress reporting and request for
payment forms
We indicated in the December E-news that SFF would be improving the SFF
reporting and request for payment forms in time for the next payment round.
All current project managers should have received a letter from Craig Grant,
Fund Manager, explaining these changes. In summary:
Request for Payment Form
The new form is based on an Excel spreadsheet. SFF project advisors will be
emailing the new form to the project manager and/or financial manager of the 05
and 06 projects (i.e. projects funded in 2006 and 2005) shortly. Projects funded
in 2004 and 2003 may elect to use the new form or continue "as is", as in most
cases these projects are nearing completion. The forms will already contain the
budget details for the project and will record any expenditure/ income to date.
Please check these figures carefully to ensure they match your own records.
Teams need only enter their actual expenditure and income data from the last
reporting period - the form will automatically calculate all other figures (this
should reduce typos and carry-over mistakes). The forms track finances from one
reporting period to the next. This will provide a year-on-year record for the
project, and ensure a project team's financial records match those of the SFF.
We've trialled this form out on some existing project teams and have received
favourable comments. We are expecting the new form will simplify financial
reporting and record keeping, however, we value your further feedback and
comments. To download a copy of the guidelines for completing the request for
payment form click here.
New progress reporting template
In the past SFF has not used a standard template for progress reporting - as
a result we receive reports that vary greatly in detail and quality. To help us
better understand the progress of your project against the contracted
milestones, we have developed a template (as a Word Document) to use for all
progress reporting .
This new template is to be used by all project teams for the next reporting
round (March 2007). As in the past, we also require teams to include a web
summary for the SFF website. We are also interested in any additional
information (e.g technical reports, copies of popular articles, media coverage
etc) related to your SFF project - if appropriate we will also publish this
information on our website.
You can download a copy of the new progress reporting template by
clicking
here.
March reporting dates
The next set of progress reports and request for payment forms are due on 15
March 2007. As this date coincides with the current SFF funding round assessment
process there is likely to be a two week delay in these returns being processed.
Therefore, project teams may elect to submit their reports any time up to 30
March 2007.
Two SFF projects that investigated practical on-farm measures to deal with
water quality issues in sensitive catchments are now completed. The final
reports are available from the SFF website.
Lake Rerewhakaaitu is a shallow lake near Rotorua. Dairy farming is the
predominant activity in the catchment. The farmers in the catchment of Lake
Rerewhakaaitu were concerned both about the future condition of the Lake, and
the possible constraints on their farm practices that may be imposed by
regulation. So, in 2002, they set up an SFF project with the aim of reducing the
impacts of farming on the lake. The group was also supported by FertResearch,
Dairy Insight and Environment Bay of Plenty (EBOP), and was facilitated by Bob
Parker of Fruition Horticulture.
Part way through the project, an EBOP study showed that groundwater in the
catchment does not necessarily flow into Lake Rerewhakaaitu. However, the
farmers decided to continue to address farm runoff and leaching, and used the
nutrient management software tool OVERSEER as an aid to do this.
The farmers met face to face with the OVERSEER development team. This allowed
both parties to understand how personalised farm information is included in a
model; the basis for the assumptions made in the OVERSEER programme, and how new
information can be incorporated into further development of OVERSEER.
As a result of the farming group working closely with AgResearch, the farmers
have been able to make changes to their nutrient management systems that have
provided economic benefits without compromising economic production.
Changes that affected nutrient management systems included: fertiliser
management on different parts of the farm including soil analysis, fertiliser
quantity and timing, and effluent block size; considering supplements as an
alternative to nitrogen fertiliser; nutrient impacts of different supplements;
the role of feed pads, and grazing management of fodder crops.
By the end of the project, the group was keen to keep the momentum going.
They have been successful in obtaining a second SFF grant, that will be used to
look specifically at phosphorus movement and practical mitigation methods.
Interested in finding out more?
The above summary is taken from the Executive Summary of the Final Report
"Project Rerewhakaaitu". You can download the full report (pdf) by
clicking
here.
To read about the new project "Project Rerewhakaaitu: Phosphate Mitigation"
click here.
New farm management options for the Lake Taupo catchment
In May 2000, Environment Waikato announced their intention to introduce a
variation to the Waikato Regional Plan aimed at protecting the water quality of
Lake Taupo. Research and monitoring indicated that increasing nitrogen losses
from pastoral and urban land to the lake were one component of water quality
that was being adversely affected by human activity.
The farmers in the catchment needed new management options to reduce nitrogen
leaching and minimise the costs that nitrogen leaching restrictions place on
future farm development. The Puketapu Group - which has significant land
holdings in the Taupo catchment - lead an SFF project to investigate options
that :
- had a proven ability to affect nitrogen cycling;
- were adoptable at a large
scale, not as a niche applicable only to a few farmers.
The project investigated
the following options:
- growing of forage crops for sale off farm;
- removing of winter grazing of
cattle off pasture;
- forestry.
Researchers from AgResearch and Dexcel carried out
field trials on Puketapu Group farms. In addition, farm systems modelling was
used to develop a series of management options, based on case studies of local
farms and research results. These options and trial results are outlined in the
final project report which is available from the SFF website by
clicking here.
Participants at a project fieldday discussing some of the early trial
results.
While it is possible to make general farm management recommendations, there
is no "one size fits all solution", so the next step is to take the information
generated from this project and to translate it into farm plans for individual
landowners. This is happening in the follow up SFF project " New profitable
farming systems for the Lake Taupo catchment. Phase 2 building farmer knowledge
and capability"
Interested in finding out more?
Click here for more information on the SFF website:
A real opportunity exists for New Zealand mixed cropping farmers that is not
being realised - wheat crops can be grazed in early spring, providing feed and
extra income, without compromising the yield and quality of the grain crop.
A project jointly funded by SFF and the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR)
has explored ways for farmers to graze their wheat crops and provides the
answers to the following questions:
Grazing management - How late can I graze? What stocking rates can I use? How
long should I leave stock on the paddock? What is the value of feed to my stock?
How can I grow more dry matter prior to grazing with no reduction in grain
yield?
Maximising benefits in the crop - Does grazing lower the level of disease?
Does it remove disease/ infested leaves? What is the best disease/ pest
management strategy for grazed crops? Should I apply nitrogen after grazing to
get faster re-growth? Will sheep reduce weeds so that herbicide usage can be
reduced? Will grazing be as effective as straw-shorteners in preventing crop
lodging?
The practical recommendations are presented in the user-friendly booklet
"Grazing of the Wheat Grain Crop" (prepared by Anton Nicholls).
In the words of the farmers
"My experiences grazing wheat confirms to me it makes sense. Canopy and straw
length can be managed in high background N situations, perhaps a small degree of
weed suppression is possible, and of course, there's a wee bit more in the feed
budget when everyone's looking for it" Stephen Jack, Seadown, South Canterbury.
"Grazing my wheat is a good option when pushed for feed in late winter. I've
seen little downside in yield from grazing. The opportunity for grazing depends
on the ground being dry enough, of course. Drilling has got to be early if you
want to programme grazing into the system - you've got to ensure that you get
the bulk. Otherwise you can got for the straight speculative opportunity if
late- winter is right for it" Jim Macartney, Tai Tapu, Central Canterbury.
"I've been grazing my ryecorn and triticale with rising 1-year old cattle.
There's plenty of feed, they do well, and close it up and still take a good
grain crop off it. I don't put the seed rate up too high because I reckon
grazing encourages the plant to tiller more, the crop is plenty thick enough at
grain fill. I take them off when it looks like it'll pug up too much. Yep I'm
going to keep doing it - wheat also with sheep when the time is right" Dave
Mitchell, Ashwick Flat, Fairlie.
(Quotes from "Grazing of the Wheat Grain Crop", copyright Foundation for
Arable Research)
Interested in finding out more?
The booklet can be downloaded as a pdf from the SFF website by
clicking here.
Hard copies are available from the Foundation for Arable Research at a cost of
$10.00. Contact FAR on 03 325 63 53.
Click here for more information about this project on the SFF website
Dexcel, along with the Morrinsville Animal Health Centre and associated dairy
farmers, have just completed an SFF project that was set up to quantify the
economic impact of a herd's reproductive performance (as measured by its calving
pattern) on farm profitability. In particular, the aim was to provide farmers
with information to help them reduce the number of induced calves in their herds
in line with industry requirements.
Project outcomes
- Good herd reproductive performance is achievable without inductions.
- Commonly
used induction practices are unlikely to be benefiting farms that use them.
- The
findings suggest that moving away from current induction practices is not likely
to damage farm profitability, provided management effort goes into improving
overall reproduction performance through well-known management practices.
- The
condition score of cows prior to calving was lower than the industry target of
5.0 in approximately 40 percent of cows.
- There is an opportunity to improve the
body condition score of all cows to greater than 4.0 early in the breeding
programme to improve the 8 week in-calf rate and decrease the final empty rate.
Industry outcomes
Dairy farmers are responding to the industry call to reduce, and if possible
eliminate, induction practice. Data collected for the Economic Survey of NZ
Dairy Farmers shows:
- a downward trend in total numbers of cows induced.
- an upward trend in the
number of herds not using induction at all.
Dairy farmers eliminating induction
from their farm practices are contributing to improved social and animal welfare
conditions on dairy farms, and helping to improve the community perception of
dairy farming. The economic cost associated with not inducing cows is likely to
have been overestimated within the industry. However, the cost of less than
optimal performance within the dairy industry remains significant. The industry
is continuing work on addressing other factors that contribute to poor
reproductive performance.
Interested in finding out more?
Click here for more information about this project on the SFF website
Managing internal parasites: information resources and farmer training
workshops to be developed
A number of recent surveys have shown that resistance to anthelmintic
drenches is increasing, with one survey showing that two-thirds of sheep farms
and 94 percent of beef farms have shown resistance to at least one of the drench
families. Farmers have identified that they need quality, reliable information
about the management of internal parasites.
A project jointly funded by SFF and Meat and Wool NZ as part of the National
Wormwise Strategy, will result in a series of resources and tools to assist
farmers to manage internal parasites in a sustainable manner. The information
will be delivered via workshops, a website and brochures. Initially, the project
team will run a series of farmer focus groups to determine the type of
information required and most effective way to present this information. A
series of farmer workshops targeting 2-3000 sheep and beef farmers are likely to
be held during the 2007/08 and 2008/09 seasons.
Interested in finding out more?
Ending
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Kia rongo korero ano matou i a koutou
Kind regards Amanda, Craig, Diana, Fiona, Katherine and Helen
