Fieldays’ sustainability credentials getting greener
The New Zealand National Fieldays Society has achieved a major sustainability milestone - reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and reaching the target five years early.
DataCore, a cloud software programme, is GEA's innovation showpiece for launch at Fieldays.
DataCore expands the iCore milking point management system to allow farmers to remotely control the system and in due course access herd management data.
GEA dairy farming R&D team leader Mark Jones explains, "we want farmers to be able to record information on a cow when they notice it in the paddock, have this alerted when entering the shed and automatically have it drafted all via iCore".
Farmers will also be able to access milking information such as flow, yield, conductivity and milk analysis with all the information stored in one central place, via a smartphone/tablet web browser device that will offer a better visual display of the data than that available in bail.
Limited internet access is no barrier to using the system as it is platform independent and can run on any device. DataCore would simply store the data until it has internet access to upload to the cloud, while continually using safeguards to protect data and maintain functionality for farmers in all situations.
While the initial release will have basic functionality, i.e. control over iCore, future upgrades, such as integration with herd management systems, will mean a simple upgrade to the existing software.
In the near future the system will integrate with GEA's iDentity herd management software. There are plans to enable farmers to pass on information to third party herd management systems LIC Protrac, DairyPlan C21 and Farm 360.
Farmer interest continues to grow as a Massey University research project to determine the benefits or otherwise of the self-shedding Wiltshire sheep is underway. The project is five years in and has two more years to go. It was done mainly in the light of low wool prices and the cost of shearing. Peter Burke recently went along to the annual field day held Massey's Riverside farm in the Wairarapa.
Applications are now open for the 2026 NZI Rural Women Business Awards, set to be held at Parliament on 23 July.
Ravensdown has announced a collaboration with Kiwi icon, Footrot Flats in an effort to bring humour, heart, and connection to the forefront of the farming sector.
Forest & Bird's Kiwi Conservation Club is inviting New Zealanders of all ages to embrace the outdoors with its Summer Adventure Challenges.
Grace Su, a recent optometry graduate from the University of Auckland, is moving to Tauranga to start work in a practice where she worked while participating in the university's Rural Health Interprofessional Programme (RHIP).
Two farmers and two farming companies were recently convicted and fined a total of $108,000 for environmental offending.
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