by frog
To hear Allan Crafar tell it, he’s a victim. The courts say he’s a criminal. The media wants it both ways.
Recently convicted of dumping tonnes of cow shit into New Zealand’s rivers (again (and yes Aucklanders, you’re drinking some of that water)), and also the subject of several prosecutions as well as a TV expose, Crafar has been back in the news in the last 24 hours, saying he’s selling up.
His story is that he’s a simple farmer driven out of business by meddling environmentalists. Sorry Allan Crafar – that’s just plain bullshit. You own 22 farms valued at $200m. That’s not simple farming and it stretches credibility to suggest a $90,000 fine drove you out of business.
The DomPost may have got closer to the truth this morning:
(Crafar) would neither confirm nor deny that CraFarms owed $200 million to two banks and PGG Wrightson.
The Crafar brothers business exemplifies what’s wrong with industrialised farming: the business model is bust and it stuffs our environment.
For those who’ve come late to the story, there’s been a massive boom in dairy farming over recent years, fuelled by a big bump in prices for milk solids, etc. Expansion has been fuelled by borrowing secured on the basis that the price of milk solids would stay high forever.
Now the prices are coming down and threatening to bring down the whole house of cards too. Bankers now refer to the dairy industry as the ‘White Death.’
There are lots of responsible farmers in New Zealand with a sensible approach to business and a respectful approach to our water, land and wildlife. But there’s another type of farming too – a large-scale, heavily-industrialised, highly-leveraged, short-term profit motivated agri-business.
In which category do you think the Crafars belong?
Published in Environment & Resource Management by frog on Thu, September 10th, 2009
on the trolls and those who are unable to keep on topic
Good riddance to the crap farm. I wish environmentalists could take the credit Allan would like to give, but I’m afraid you are right frog that its just several nasty chickens coming home to roost.
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As an environmentalist, I’m happy to take the credit for ousting Crafar from the stinking mudhole in which he wallowed! All other soil and river destroyers had better change their ways as well, because this environmentalist wants more nicks in his belt!
ROOOOAAAARRRR!
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Hope the ‘environmentalists’ are as pleased with the Crafars’ quitting as the are with the new Chinese owners of the farms. Brilliant job, well done all of you!
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dageni – is it the environmental movement’s fault that the Crafars have been unable to stay within the law ans have been unable to pay the bank for all their loans? I thought you would be glad that the market had removed such an inefficient and poorly run firm from the market.
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You can blame who you like for the Crafar’s decision to exit farming in New Zealand. But this does not acknowledge the reality that their exit is to be filled by foreign enterprise (probably Chinese), and it is likely that this enterprise will have far less regard for your ideals. From my perspective your appear to have won a tiny, petty little spat in order to loose a major war. Once again, brilliant job, well done!
Obviously the decision of the Crafars to quit has been influenced, amongst other things, by the environmental issues they have faced. If you view their quitting as an indication of their failure, then we have all failed, because the most likely replacement now will not be sympathetic to environmental issues, and probably not New Zealand generally.
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Thank you dageni – Crafar’s the first of many. The ‘new Chinese owners’ however, are mythological. (How would they be worse than the Irish or the Dutch agribusinessmen anyway?)
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dageni – “, because the most likely replacement now will not be sympathetic to environmental issues”
You are suggesting that Crafar was sympathetic to environmental issues?
Tuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.
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Greenfly, whilst the Crafar’s primary motivation was probably to make a profit, (which in itself is not a crime), as New Zealanders, on some level they have the interests of New Zealand (and it’s environment) at heart. Can you say the same about some other foreign multi-national corporation that has no conscience?
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“On some level?”
You have a wicked sense of humour dageni!
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Chinese or otherwise, the new owners will probably look at the fines the Crafars got for illegal discharges, and conclude that it would make better business sense to follow the lead of the neighbouring farmers who are not making illegal discharges like that.
In that sense, it is a victory for the rivers.
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Though I should add that it doesn’t sound like pollution fines make up a big part of the two hundred million dollar debt that has motivated the Crafars to sell up.
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Heres a farming perspective for you. Good riddance to the Crafars , they have been a bad news story from the get go. I’m not a dairy farmer but I know many . The Crafars clearly cut corners and have an attitude problem, and I know that many in the dairy industry don’t thank them for their profile.
Where I will pull you up has nothing to do with the Crafars as such, it is the way you choose to link “Industrialised Dairying ” to the Crafars shoody work.
What exactly is industrialised dairying anyway? Do you simply mean “corporate owned” dairying, with syndicates owning multiple farms.
If you want to be taken seriously , then you need to stop the wacky generalisations. Many of these so called “industrialised , or Corporate farms still run highly sustainable operations where the managers , sharemilkers are given a high degree of responsibility , and culpability as far as ensuring that their individual farm is ticking along in a responsible , sustainable manner. In that respect many of these properties are no different to the family farm down the road.
The Crafars were substandard, got big without having systems in place and didnt give a stuff. Try to resist the temptation in tarring all other large scale dairying with the same brush, it just undermines your position. And as for “bankers referring to dairying as the white death”, gee, thats responsible of you to be promoting that on your website. This is an example of why the Greens will always languish and be disregarded to a large degree in Parliament. You are irresponsible. You cant help mixing a bit of the daft with something quite legitimate.
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I like to ‘mix a bit of the daft’, but what you are postulating here doesn’t ring at all ‘legitimate’. You are a defender of ‘agribusiness’ and ‘corporate farming’ and say that ‘these properties are no different to the family farm down the road’. You must have huge families in your region. The issue is not that ‘large scale dairy farming’ is like the Crafar’s operation, it is that dairying on that scale is fundamentally destructive to the environment.
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cantab
Hmmm, a few issues here:
1. ‘Many’ is a pretty relative term… Kind of similar to ‘a few’.
2. If so many corporate farms are, as you say, ticking along in a sustainable manner, why is that I can’t go down to my local river with my children and swim in it, because it’s full off cow shit?
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Dairy in NZ has also been described as the subprime mortgage industry of NZ. Any smart businessman, be they Chinese or Kiwi, would stay the hell away from it.
It’s simply bad business.
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While I agree that dairy is the subprime disaster of NZ, I don’t think it necessarily follows that it’s bad business. When the bubble bursts, there will be incredible deals and the young farmers can finally have a life in New Zealand farming the land rather than farming the capital gains.
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Incredible deals Frog? Who will those up? Our keen young farmers will be last in line, I think. By the time they get to slap their money down on the table, our farms will be foreign owned. Remember how BIG these farms have got.
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snap. Who will snap those up.
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Hehe, I like your optimism
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Hey , I’m on a hiding to nothing trying to convert you lot but i like a challenge! Didn’t say I was a defender of corporate farming greenfly, just made the point that “many” of these so called corporate farms are made up of a number of milking platfroms that are no different to your so called family farm. I’m from Canterbury, the average herd size is about 700 cows, and you know what, I will stand behind the sustainability of those operations just as happily as I will to your north island ma and pa run dairy operation, simply because a farm of that size can afford to put in place some systems to guard against “ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION”!!! The initiatives that “most’ dairy farms, in Mid Canterbury for instance, have initiated put them in the sustainable bracket well and truly. this province was right behind the clean streams push and to date we lead the country in fencing off streams and lowland drains to cattle.
The theory that large scale dairying is damaging is such a generalisation.
If it is done wrong then yes I agree, the consequences are greater and become evident sooner. Mistakes happen occasionally, the key is learning from them and putting sysytems in place to prevent them happening again.
I have waterways running through my property that meander 10 kms through some of the most intensively farmed land in the country and those waterways are in excellent health , sport an abundance of wildlife, and my kids play in them constantly. my point is that in many cases you guys sit and snipe from a distance and seldom get out amongst it. You deal in innuendo and generalisations that damage the sensible things you say.
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So, heres an offer to you . Get some of your Green Mps together, put em on a bus or a bike , or a kombi or wateva. Send em to the south island, put em in touch with Feds in Mid Canterbury and we will give you an unbiased, detailed look at all you want to see as far as sustainable , Irrigated,large scale dairying goes. Be my pleasure.
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All joking aside cantab – Jeanette is doing a tour of farms just like yours. Drop her an email at parliament and make your offer – she might just take you up on it. And you are right about scale not being the primary issue with regards to sustainability. Intensity has it’s issues, but scale, corporate or small holder, can be either good or bad from a sustainability standpoint.
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Check out the story over on interest.co.nz
http://www.interest.co.nz/ratesblog/index.php/2009/09/09/chinese-firm-in-talks-to-buy-nzs-largest-dairy-farming-group/#comment-36104
Check out Miguels comment its priceless.
This is just the tip of the Iceberg, the rural debt levels in NZ are unsustainble. This really is our version of sub-prime, of course when it fails and debt bubbles always fail, I expect to see a lot of people hat n hand to the government for some kind of bailout.
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Hi frog, thanks , I’m aware of Jeanettes visits to our patch and the feedback Ive had from those involved was very positive. And I’m only trying to inject a bit of constructive criticism, your voice is important , just needs to be tempered with common sense sometimes. Quite serious on my offer, the only condition would be that we get to pick the farms for the sole reason of showing that even the percieved most intensive farms are still capable of incorporating extremely sustainable practices. Intensive farming done well is not neccesarily the villian its painted to be.
Enjoy the blog, hats off to you and labour for making yourselves accessible to all viewpoints in this way.
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cantab – you say you’re not a dairy farmer. You sound like a farm consultant. You make soothing sounds about agrifarming in Canterbury,
“I have waterways running through my property that meander 10 kms through some of the most intensively farmed land in the country and those waterways are in excellent health , sport an abundance of wildlife, and my kids play in them constantly.”
but I remain very doubtful. If you will, tell us more about your waterways – the fish that swim in them, the plants that grow alongside of them and the rating they hold.
As for:
my point is that in many cases you guys sit and snipe from a distance and seldom get out amongst it. You deal in innuendo and generalisations that damage the sensible things you say.
I can only speak for myself, in saying that I spend time every week on farms, usually dairy, and walk around with my eyes (and nostrils) open.
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Good on you Greenfly , perhaps I was guilty of generalising a bit as well.
No consultants in this family Greenfly , practising Arable farmer for 25 years. And I only make soothing noises because I’m such a laidback , mellow kind of guy, perhaps there’s a bit of green in me after all.
The waterways on this property originated 100 to 130 years ago when a large swamp was drained ( long time ago , and not my relations that did it), hence the waterways flow well and all year round. These waterways have been assessed by Ecan as being in good health and some have been part of Ecan programs encouraging plantings and good practices as far as stock management goes.They have been used over the decades to provide trout for fishing lakes, they have varying degrees of plantings alongside them but in virtually every case they have well grassed riparian margins, that are left unmaintained to act as an effective buffer zone. These are substantial waterways and cant be planted in the same manner that a meandering stream could be.
I’ve tryed tickling trout in these drains since I was a boy and can testify that they still maintain an abundance of fish, cockabullies , eels , lamppreys , frogs , whitebait etc, and associated insect life as well as being home to plenty of birds including the odd visit from a white heron.
I know there are some lowland streams in Canterbury that aren’t as fortunate, but the often quoted myth that all our lowland streams are in trouble is just innacurate. Come and have a splash in one of them sometime Greenfly.
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Thanks for your contribution to this topic, cantab
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I’m sure there are many streams that are fine. But have you seen the waikato river? Or the rivers in Hawkes Bay?
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cantab – thanks for the invitation. I will keep you in mind when next I travel through Canterbury. I’ve some comments and questions, if I may. Your streams sound healthier than most. Sorry to hear about the wetland, that’s a great loss. Does most of your farm’s water originate there? Trout are a bonus..unless you are a galaxid. Are the grasses alongside of your waterways native or introduced? It’s curious to have trout and frogs co-existing – do you have ponds and wetlands as well? Have you eaten lamprey? They are a delicacy here (kanakana – tino pai te kai na!)As an arable farmer, you’ll have to use considerable amounts of pesticide and other ‘cides as part of your management programme – have you monitoring in the streams to assess the effects on fish and other inhabitants? (If you are an organic arable farmer, all is forgiven
You must be running stock also – are they fenced from the waterways?
Do you think your practices are typical across the industry (all conventional farming in NZ?)
Cheers
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Having personally worked along side the Crafar family and been diretly involved in their effluent operation I can tell you their systems are among the best in the country. This label that has been placed on them is due to the repeated targeting of regional councils and serious victimization. I have witnessed first hand some of the “spills” that have resulted in prosecution and can assure you all they have been very minor. The Media, Regional councils and various officials with very little information about the matter have been persistent with sensationalism, false and misleading information that has lead to the labels that have been given to the Crafar’s as a result.
I have known the Crafars for 25 years and can tell you they are some of the nicest, loving, hard working people I have ever met! Their passion for farming has absolutely no parallel in this country and their innovation in the farming sector has helped improve the industry in many ways. For those of you ill informed people who like to speculate about subjects you know next to nothing about, or know someone who knows someone who said they knew something, I suggest you either refrain from your misguided claims and comments or get some first hand information before you spout your mouth off. Also, before you celebrate about cutting down another tall poppy so you can feel better about your own insignificance, how about you take a look at your own life and see how much you are actively helping the environment. Do you drive a car? do you live in a city? do you shop at a supermarket? do you wear designer clothes? do you have a cell phone? All of these industries are far worse for the environment than farming. Also, are you growing enough food to fully support yourself and your family? If not, where do you get it from and what indistries are you supporting? Change cannot be acheived by pointing fingers and yelling abuse, it must come from within. You MUST BE the change you wish to see before you can start telling others how to be.
I agree the dairy industry is in dire need of a new direction. I would also agree any style of monoculture farming needs to be re-thought. I have personally been experimenting with Permaculture approaches to living and am looking at ways I can make it cost effective for farmers to convert to various permaculture systems. The reason I left the dairy sector, among other reasons, was because I could see it was an inefficient use of land. So, instead of pointing fingers and making a fuss, I have gone out to figure out a BETTER way to benefit EVERYONE. We are all brothers and sisters in this world. Casting people out or writing them off is as bad as turning your back on your own family. To bring change we have to work together.
I say lets drop these silly games that are fueled by the system we are trying to fight in order to distract us from our own potential. Lets get outside and plant some food. Lets put our hearts and our minds together and work for a better future. Lets show some love for our brothers and sisters of the world!
Remember, we ARE nature. We are neither above or below it. We are IT! Lets start acting like we fit in!
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The_fire_inside said:
alot of things and might be correct about many of them. Certainly your ‘call to arms’
Lets get outside and plant some food. Lets put our hearts and our minds together and work for a better future. Lets show some love for our brothers and sisters of the world!
is one that should find favour here. As a Permaculturalist involved in a large-scale dairying operation, is it your observation that size was a major factor in the Crafar’s demise? And monocultural practices? And the focus on livestock?
I wonder also, knowing that amongst the green movement is where you are most likely to find people who are doing those things you would regard as ‘helping the environment’, whether we are justified in ‘pointing the finger’ and calling bad practice when we see it. A common theme of the ‘non-green’ commenters seems to be ‘hold your counsel, greenies, until you are a perfect example yourself’. Hardly a valid call, imho.
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I heard Crafer on the National radio today making out that “these bl@#$ environmentalists picking on him have never done a days work in their lives.”
Where have I heard such comments? Is he right and the courts wrong?
Poor old Crafers maybe they will be more at home in the Appalachian Mts where they can shoot em gaddamned enviro- pinko’s.
Meanwhile in Canterbury where I live the bulldozers are hard at it trying to clear and burn virtualy every wind break and turn it into dairy before the Kyoto Protocol kicks in. Thats where I think Kyoto made a mistake it should have been announced a few years ago as a ‘fait a accompli’.
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I would say the pressures of being singled out and targeted personally for many issues that are symptoms of a failing system is what has forced the Crafars to give up. Allan has endured almost 6 years of legal battles and media abuse and has obviously run out of patience. As far as monocultural farming goes, I would say they have been leading players in the NZ style of farming for most of their time farming (over 30 years) and have been innovators of making what has been very unproductive land useful for the dairy sector. Unfortunately they have been following a model (like all business owners) that is based of a fundamentally flawed economic system that requires profit to function at the expense of the resources of the planet. Personally I fail to see how monoculture is more profitable than a food forest but it seems that is the way society works. As for the financial side of the business, it is obvious that they have become yet another casualty of a system that is about to collapse. We should all be making preparation for a total system failure by learning survival skills and gathering resources that are hard to produce locally.
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Greenfly , I agree that on todays terms the loss of a wetland area is not a good look. I guess the development that occurred more than a hundred years ago took place in a different age. I cant turn back the clock.
So, subsequently that land has been , still is , some of Canterburys most productive farmland with a very strong history of grain and seed production and some dairying that goes way back. One could argue that this land has always been farmed to its potential and certainly farmed intensively for the last 40 years. And I continue to farm that way today whilst respecting and being patient with its very definite characteristics.
The water in our streams/ drains comes from tile drains, not springs as such and flows into the manmade streams that were dug 130 years ago. These drains themselves due to their year round flow have their own distinct ecology, and a number flow into wetlands at the coast and in one case a lagoon, so the wetlands aspect isnt completely lost. Also should be noted that the waterways themselves along with their riparian margins maintain a certain amount of biodiversity in amongst intensive farmland, corridors if you like.
The grasses on the banks are probably a mix of native and introduced , but the main point there is that they are an effective buffer and protection to the waterway regardless of species.
Don’t get me started on the standing trout and salmon have in the RMA ( i’ll save that one for fish and game)
And the frogs tend to exist in the smaller slower moving creeks that feed our larger drains and yes the frogs do well in these waterways which exclusively carry water from tile drains that run under highly productive Arable land.
Yes , as part of our management program we utilise a full range of herbicides and pesticides. But like the vast majority of arable farmers we very selectively match chemicals to the job at hand. The range of chemicals at our disposal have become much more targeted in there efficacy and as a rule the ones that have in the past been shown to be particularly risky to bees , and non target insects etc have fallen by the way side.
It should also be said that New Zealands Arable farmers are regarded around the world as being among the most competent and are very receptive early adopters of new improved techniques, and I think this has benefits environmentally as well as production wise, reducing chemicals and nitrogen based fertiliser applications significantly without losing any production. And the practice of making sure these products go nowhere near waterways is widely accepted and adhered to.
What else, stock? Sheep access the waterways , well known sheep don’t pose the same risks as larger stock types, they drink from the bank and they appreciate fresh water straight from the source as we do.
And don’t get me started on organics. I know an organic cropping farmer or two. they got into it as a commercial niche and do fine and I respect that.. But do I belief we will feed a growing world popualtion on Organics , no.
The Canterbury plains has some of the best arable soils in the world, add nutrients in a controlled measured fashion , add water to ensure those nutrients are taken up by a healthy crop and to ensure the growing season is successfully completed and you have an extremely sustainable industry. Add a moral obligation to utilise those conditions to their potential to feed that growing world and you have all the reasons you need to endorse modern , high production , sustainable agriculture.
And yes I do think all of this is duplicated around most of the farms i know of, and I see quite a few. We take a great deal of pride in ensuring this land will continue to produce this way for generations to come.
I’ll leave it at that for today, nice to interact with you all, must do it again sometime.
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Got it in one! The Crafars belong in Deliverance country. Talk about monumental greed and folly.
Most NZ dairy farmers will be pleased to see them go. Hardly a great contribution to the clean and green image. Although the Crafars did turn the rivers green!
Federated Farmers are always whingeing about the RMA and ‘compliance costs’ – so presumably they support these people? Any statement from them?
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It is debt that is driving the Crafters out of business.
It is not because of a financial system that is about to collapse. It isn’t.
It is because the Crafters were greedy and expanded too fast carrying too much debt. Then milk prices fell (to the long term average! They have not crashed)
When a business that has expanded using debt encounters a downturn in their cash flow they are in deep shit. Cashflow really matters and I expect that is close to the root of their problem. Even if they have assets worth $200 million (probably less now the price of dairy land is following the price of milk) the $90,000 fine would really hurt.
As for the Chinese buying the farms. That is because we have lunatic capital control policies. You try buying $100 million of Chinese productive assets and see how far you get (probably get as far as a Chinese jail). We Greens have policy on that.
Blissfully
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Nice summation Bliss. However, rumour has it that it was us marijuana-tokin’ greenies that drove a good man from his life’s work. I think the Crafar scalp looks good on the wall of our local tofu bar.
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Well well well – at last we see signs (green shoots) of realization that the current dairy economy in New Zealand is tottering on the brink.
I have been involved in the dairy industry since I was a child; in Australia, NZ, the UK & elsewhere, in one way or another, and was shocked to see the bubble economy so rampant in the NZ industry that was evident when I came to live in NZ in 06. (as compared to the state if affairs in the mid 70′s when I knew it better).
Whilst apportioning blame, if that’s the game now, don’t forget Fonterra. A near monopoly cannot be good for any industry. The power inherent in such an arrangement usually leads to no-where. A comparison with the Wall St. debacle is valid here in my view, but a bailout is not on the cards.
Perhaps a reformation of Fonterra into a Green Energy Company, as outlined in my Blog, ( some thoughts on the NZ dairy industry ) IS on the cards.
ww.cox.org.nz
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The fire inside tries to minimise pollution issues. Please have a look at the video on this previous post.
http://blog.greens.org.nz/index.php?p=5485
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Point taken.
What I am ultimately trying to emphasize is that regulation won’t stop this happening. Laws are like sticking plasters that simply cost hard working people money. What we need to do is get those hard working people to direct their efforts in a productive manner. Fines will not do this. Bitching and moaning and pointing fingers will not do this. Undermining a system (however flawed it is) that currently sustains the economy will not do this.
Working alongside these systems and introducing better systems to replace them will help. Developing environmentally friendly, yet high yield forms of farming will help. Gradually replacing the current monoculture with more effective, bio diverse systems will work.
How do we make these ideas work?
With Co-operation! We MUST work together! I am currently making a proposal to put to the Crafars to setup a permaculture food forest next to one of their dairy sheds to utilize the effluent to produce food. If anyone has any other ideas of how we can gradually introduce bio diverse systems into the dairy sector I would love to hear them!
There is a saying I am fond of… “Love those who deserve it least for they are the ones who need it most”
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The_fire_inside asks for suggestions for ideas to increase biodiversity on the Crafar’s farms… how about releasing dung beetles to clean up the cr*p and wolves to tidy up the source of the afore-mentioned. Creatures higher up the chain (the Judiciary) have already knobbled the Alpha males and their minions, so there is potential for a more balanced environment on a score of farms in the region. This is good news!
A food forest bseide a dairy shed is novel and not exactly suitable, in my opinion, and I live in the middle of one (food forest, not cow byre). The excessive effluent and water coming from a cow shed need specific management and your best bet might be aquaculture of various sorts (though it might be more appropriately titled ‘crapriculture’)
There are some very interesting trials being done with duckweed. I’d look at that. Reeds, rushes, raupo and the likes are also potentially exciting. If the Crafar’s are willing to change their ways and utilise some ‘appropriate technologies’ they could use plants grown in their dairy sludge to thatch the rooves of their buildings
btw fire, please ensure your food forest contains a core of leguminous trees. I think our native kowhai is a vastly under-rated tree for our ‘natural’ garden/orchard systems.
I too am fond of the saying you close with. It’s tempting to say that I loved seeing the Crafar’s get theirs, but that’s not true and they are far from alone in their behaviour. I have a cluster of ‘Crafars’ in my own area and am trying hard to love them, in the way you describe. So far, no good.
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rest in peace
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There has been a push to introduce dung beetles by the dairy sector at one point. I know Allan Crafar was definitely one of the people keen on it but it was never allowed.
As for the food forest, I will admit I am only relatively new to the concept but find it very exciting so your input is appreciated. I think the aim with effluent should be to minimize the amount of water added to it as this only increases the volume you have to deal with. There have been trials of covered cow yards with grated floors that allow the dung and urine to fall through into ventilated pits, allowing it to dry and be preserved for removal at the end of the season, resulting in a relatively small amount of highly concentrated, dry fertilizer that is very easy to use and deal with. Unfortunately the regulations of Fontera do not allow this system to be used in dairy sheds due to a law that states effluent cannot be stored within 40m of the milking plant. Obviously this law is silly because effluent is created right where the milk is harvested so there is little difference between that and stored, dry effluent.
The main downfall with that system is it is more suited for new shed rather than existing ones due to the immense cost involved in replacing a yard with a covered pit and also the layout and landscape of many shed would not support it. However, if we were to cover the yards regardless and minimize the added water, we would be left with a much higher concentration of useful product. This system has already been used in the Crafar’s latest dairy shed design. (http://www.crafarms.co.nz/Gallery/) (Once again, contrary to the picture painted by the media, they are leading the way with effluent management)
Unfortunately the mentioned farm is in a very hostile climate and in a remote location which, at this point, isn’t viable for me to run trials on. However, in future, with support and resources, this may be an option.
I aim to develop a system that an be easily and cheaply applied to any dairy farm in the country and will benefit both farmer and environment, this would make it a very attractive possibility for all farmers.
The pictures I’m talking about are of the Taharua shed.
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The main problem I see for dung beetles here, is that the poor wee things can’t push the sloppy cr*p that passes for cow dung in our NZ dairy farms.
Better to import an insect that has a nozzle.
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The African Stickle back suction head perhaps?
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OK enough bashing Crafer. What we need to look at is the is how the capitalist system encourages such abuse, how the greedy get to the top, and ultimately how capital concentrates itself into fewer and fewer hands.
This is clearly happening in the dairy industry around the country. In Canterbury Mr. Hubberd owns near 20 farms and consequently canterbury is virtually a monoculture you don’t see much sheep, croping or even orchards any more.
This dairy monster has a huge demand for water one study in Australia (Holmgren via green left) found that commercial fruit and veges required 103 litres per $1.00 and dairy 680 litres per S1.00 and alternative vege farms (recycled water etc.) only 20 litres for every $1.00.
I put the above in my submission against the proposal to built a dam on the Hurunui River in north Canterbury.
I also pointed out in my submission that this huge demand for dairy could only be temporary.
Who is Fonterra selling all this milk powder to? I would say a very small elite of Indian and Chinese society who have decided to put milk in their tea and confections and other such junk food.
And once they develop their own dairy industry (plus Argentina) will the dairy farmers be able to sell their farms to those who want to go back to cropping? When you think about it, it is a very scary situation.
With the economy of scale of the dairy industry you would think that our 2litre bottle of milk be cheaper.
NO WAY
So it seems to me that they want to build a dam soley on the demands of one marcket. And who controls that market?
The shareholders and their insatiable demand for more;-
PROFIT.
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Indeed, the profit based monetary economy is fundamentally flawed. Personally I’m not too sure which way to jump over this. I don’t see politics as a medium that can deal with it very well as it is very much driven by it aswell. I have resigned to the opinion that it will collapse all on its own and we will be left to pick up the ashes which is why I am spending much of my time developing community gardens and also refining my survival skills. Its good to be prepared and its loads of fun!!
I think the primary problem facing the world is food shortage. We are lucky to have the climate we do in NZ but if push comes to shove, we have no defense and our only saving grace may be our distance from major populations.
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the_fire_inside – food, yes and don’t forget water. Drought can be upon you before you know it. Storage of rainwater is just as critical as having food growing in the garden. You’ll need it to drink and so will your plants. The Australian focus on ‘dry gardening’ is going to be appropriate for us too, so look at their work. Eco-gardening – the six priorities – Coralie Whitby, has some vey good ideas. Think too, about perennial food plants spread around your community in rarely used spots. Start them from seed now and multiply them out by division over the next few years.
I’d like to hear more on what you are doing. I’ve got similar projects running.
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I am new to the permaculture concept so for now I am experimenting on small scale with what was overgrown land beside the house where I’m staying (South karori) and also doing mass random planting of various plants in unused areas of the property. There is a large area of gorse and Kanuka on the hills surrounding the house (part of the property) which I am keen to establish as a food forest so am currently researching suitable species and figuring out the best way to get started on it. I have a vision if integrating native reforestation with the food forest concept so we keep the native species abundant aswell as food. This property is frequented by many travelers from around the country and the world so I aim to establish an abundant supply of food to sustain a small community. Fortunately for me but unfortunately for the gardens, I will be moving down south for summer as I also do sound engineering and sound systems so will be helping at numerous festivals. One I recommend taking a look at is the Luminate festival at the Canan Downs festival ground (www.nativeharmonics.co.nz/luminate)
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Drakula, are you for real. You really need to start dealing in facts. In Mid Canterbury, where admittedly a lot of dairy conversion has taken place, you may be surprised to learn that Dairying still only uses about 27% percent of the the plains . Cropping, grains , small seeds including pastoral seeds , vegetable seed for overseas markets, process vegetable production, still makes up a large proportion of the farming activity in the province. In fact it is a world renowned area in small seed production , for example 80 % of the worlds carrot seed is grown here.
All of these industries utilise irrigation to a large degree, and it underpins the security of offshore markets for these seeds because irrigation gives consistency of production and quality . Irrigation also ensures that the inputs , i.e fertiliser etc that are applied to these crops actually get utilised by a healthy crop not afflicted by drought, thus minimising the potential for the likes of nitrate leaching etc.
The assertion that new irrigation development will just add to the area of land under dairy is just a load of old cobblers. It will serve to add reliability to existing irrigators, give consistency of production to formerly dryland farms and if the storage of water occurs on the right scale , and in the right places it will actually allow readjustment of current consents and takes to deliver stored water to the upper plains , alleviating pressure on aquifers in the lower plains which should allow for enhanced flows in lowland streams etc. Simple really.
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Catnab: 25% is still a very high percentage for one industry (dairy) alone, and they want a lot more.
You get me wrong I am not against irrigation, but it seems that as we are on the dry side if the island it may be more common sense to cultivate crops that don’t demand as much water, hence the Holmgren figures.
Yes you are right we still have a rich diversity like carrot seed export et. and I hope that it will stay like that.
But I and a lot of other people in environment circles are convinced that the dairy boom will create a market distortion that will result in monoculture. When the bubble bursts the monoculture is f#$ked and that is bad for the community.
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I think the primary problem facing the world is food shortage. We are lucky to have the climate we do in NZ but if push comes to shove, we have no defense and our only saving grace may be our distance from major populations.
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What does Irish and Dutch agribusinessmen have to do with it?
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Throwing poison into any freshwater table is nuts….plus it has potential as a fertilizer.
Looks like good old expedience – damn the torpedoes hey?
But the A1 beta casein protein is much more of a concern than Crafar’s being lazy(is their behaviour the norm?)
Where is our Legislation on this noxious strain?
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