Dec 3, 2021
NVSB Reminder: Supervisory Visits
Now we're well on our way through the velvetting season, a reminder that all NVSB supervisory visits should be completed by 15th December.
If you haven’t had your visit yet, make sure you book it in with your vet as soon as possible to secure a date. This visit is part of your annual requirement for the NVSB Programme.
In Hindsight is a beaut read!
It’s been a few years now since anyone published a book featuring the development of deer farming in New Zealand, but with the launch of In Hindsight: 50 years of deer farming in New Zealand, it’s been well worth the wait for the complete package.
Author Lynda Gray has captured the excitement and drama of deer farming’s first 50 years with warmth and a great eye for detail.
In Hindsight is a timely reminder that the deer industry has confronted and overcome big challenges in the past and will continue to do so.
In Hindsight: 50 years of deer farming in New Zealand is published for Lynda Gray by Quentin Wilson Publishing. The book is sponsored by NZDFA, PGG Wrightson, Mountain River Venison, First Light, Alliance Group, Jeff Pearse and Provelco.
Cost is $54.95 plus P+P.
To order a copy email inhindsightnz@gmail.com
Read the full review on page 11 of the December 2021 / January 2022 issue of Deer Industry News >>
Venison feature in NZ publications
Farm raised venison has featured in the Herald's Viva and will be in the Cavas supplement on Saturday as part of a what's hot for summer list. We are also giving away two venison packs to two lucky readers.
Recipes have also featured in the New Zealand Women's Weekly and Australian Women's Weekly.
Online Climate Change Action Plan Workshops - B+LNZ
These webinars are ideally suited to those who already know their GHG numbers but you can join even if you have not calculated your numbers yet.
These webinars will cover:
- What He Waka Eke Noa is and what it means.
- How to complete your own GHG action plan with examples of farm systems, and management actions that can be taken to sustainably manage GHG emissions.
Under He Waka Eke Noa (the primary sectors climate change commitment to manage greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions), the sector is committed to a couple of milestones:
- by the end of 2021 a quarter of farmers will need to know their numbers and have a written plan to measure and manage their GHG emissions; and by the end of 2022 all farmers will need to know their GHG numbers.
- If we can achieve this, it will contribute to the industry staying out of the Emissions Trading Scheme and having a system that recognizes carbon sequestration on farm.
Contact information
Should you need help with the B+LNZ GHG calculator to get your number, please contact maria.shanks@beeflambnz.com.
Registration
Register now for one of the four webinars here (spaces are limited). Click on the links below to register.
3rd December 11am - 12pm >>
9th December 3.30pm - 4.30pm >>
13th December 11.30am - 12.30pm >>
13th December 3.30pm - 4.30pm>>
At last – recyclable packaging!
Deer Industry News has fielded enquiries over the years about the clear film packaging it’s mailed in, and whether it’s recyclable. Until now the answer has been “no”. Other options such as “compostable” packaging were very expensive and not very practical.
Now that’s starting to change. The clear film packaging we use for mailing is accepted in soft plastic recycling schemes. But there’s a catch – it’s not nationwide just yet. (It’s mainly available in the North Island so far but there are options in Oamaru and Christchurch and Soft Plastic Recycling is expanding as capacity grows.)
If there’s soft plastic recycling in your area you can include it with all the other soft plastics like bread bags, chip bags etc.
The soft plastic is recycled at Future Post and Second Life Plastics. Future Post turns the plastic into fence posts, vegetable garden frames and other products – so your magazine wrap and other soft plastics could eventually have a new life on your farm!
To find if there’s a collection point near you: www.recycling.kiwi.nz/store-locator
Soil Matters! Finding New Zealand soil information on the web
Presented by Sam Carrick, David Medyckyj-Scott and Thomas Caspari
Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research
To celebrate World Soil Day (WSD) we will launch a revitalised New Zealand Soils Portal – a one-stop destination for everything you need to know about our soils.
The Soils Portal is way more interesting than it sounds – yes it will “port” you to key datasets about soils such as S-map Online, the National Soil Data Repository and the Land Resource Information System. However, the Soils Portal is also a rich knowledge repository in its own right, supporting a wide spectrum from general public to technical users across topics such as:-
Get a better appreciation of soils: Below-ground, out of sight but home to over one quarter of all living species, the largest terrestrial carbon pool and a rich source of raw materials, soils are at the heart of a number of core ecosystem functions we rely on.
Make sense of soil knowledge: Learn about soils in Te Ao Māori and get a better understanding of the different soil classification systems that have been used over the years.
Explore our legacy knowledge: We are working to digitise and ‘save’ a treasure trove of publicly funded soil reports from previous generations of soil scientists.
In this seminar we will outline the new features – and some of the old ones you might not already know about – in the Soils Portal and how research continues to build this rich information source for policy-makers and practitioners.
World Soil Day is observed globally every year on 5th December as a means to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and advocating for the sustainable management of soil resources.
Date: Monday 6th December
Time: 10.30am – 11.00am
You can register to attend this webinar via this link:
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8464264130581767436
MetService Outlook - December 2021
Thermometers around the country certainly got the memo, meteorological summer is here. High pressure is dominating the New Zealand weather maps, and whilst it remains centred to the east of the country, our winds will maintain a northerly bias, and the humidity is here to stay. Expect a much warmer than average month across the board.
The first week of the month looks very settled bar a few showers before northwesterly rain pushes onto South Island at the weekend. High pressure then returns in a big way, especially for the South Island.
Changes in the weather patterns will be few and far between through December, with high pressure centred south and east of the country. This brings a drier than average outcome for the West Coast and lower South Island. Eastern regions of South Island will likely see a settled but often cloudy month. Upper South Island and North Island weather will be dictated by the northern extent of this high. During periods when the high waxes north, settled conditions will prevail. During time when the high wanes southwards, we open the door to the northern Tasman Sea and areas of low pressure running across the upper North Island, bringing rain to anywhere with northern exposure.
| Bottom Line: Plenty of settled, warm conditions on the cards, especially for South Island. North Island will see occasional bouts of wet and windy weather as Tasman lows sweep through. |
You can sign up for the MetService's Monthly Outlook right to your inbox - click here to subscribe.
Source: www.metservice.com/rural/monthly-outlook
Classifieds
Vet students looking for deer farm placement
Shanna Empey has just completed her first year of a Bachelor of Veterinary Science at Massey University. She is looking to complete two weeks of practical work on a deer farm, ideally around Palmerston North. If you can help Shanna, please contact her on shan_mp@hotmail.com
Kiefer Hunt is also a first year vet student looking for a deer farm to complete 2 weeks of practical placement. He notes that this is unpaid work experience, with the expectation being to help out around the farm and gain a better understanding of what farm life is like. He is looking to complete this placement in the Manawatu region and is flexible on timing (needs to be completed by Mid-Feb 2023). If you can help Kiefer out, please get in touch directly on khunt3022@gmail.com
