Bikinis in cowshed
OPINION: An animal activist organisation is calling for an investigation into the use of dairy cows in sexuallly explicit content posted on social media and adult entertainment subscription site OnlyFans.
The recent East Coast Farming Expo, held over two days at Wairoa, offered an insight into the current state of agriculture on the east of the North Island, at a time when the locals are remembering the second anniversary of Cyclone Gabrielle.
Despite much of the infrastructure around roads and bridges still underway, or in some cases, put in the “too hard” basket, locals were attending the event with a great deal of positivity, particularly as dairy, beef and sheep prices were now in ascendency.
While the Expo was a chance to see the latest machinery and tech for agriculture, or a chance to quiz industry advisors, it also offered a chance to catch up with old friends for a chat and a cold drink.
A packed seminar marquee tackled the issues of the day, with a range of speakers on day one including Dr John Roche, chief scientific officer for MPI, discussing emerging genetic technologies, while Cara Brosnahan, the principal scientist for Animal Health Research at Beef + Lamb NZ looking at facial eczema and on-farm parasites.
Day two quickly hit the 30-degree mark on the thermometer by midmorning, with a large crowd learning about drench resistance, followed by the topic of “Wild About Wool” with panellists discussing how to add value to a crop that continuously seems to sit in the doldrums. The speakers included John McWhirter, CE of Wools of NZ, Dan Norman of Big Save Furniture and National Fieldays Innovation Awards winner Maddie Foote from Iona College, who built a clever wool cladded study pod.
The biggest buzz during the second day was the Rural News Cadet Challenge, fought out by eight teams of three from schools and colleges throughout the Hawke’s Bay and East Coast.
Arriving without any pre-warning what their challenge entailed, the teenagers watched a demonstration of how to bone a leg of lamb by Vaughan McNabb from Affco, followed by rural butcher Taiamai Corker mincing the meat to make sausages using natural skins.
Given 90 minutes to complete the task, the teams were also presented with a table of herbs, spices and flavourings to tempt the tastebuds, when blended with the sheep mince to create the “perfect” snarler. They were tasked to produce an accompanying side dish, with salads, citrus and, of course, the staple East Coast ingredient sweetcorn, both dishes to be presented for tasting to three esteemed judges.
Certainly a hive of activity for the 90 minutes, with a few “oh bugger” moments and some “interesting” flavours presented, a close battle saw the young ladies of Woodford House School in Havelock North take the overall honours. Their prize included the Competition and Individual trophies, accompanied by a plain envelope, which we understand held a substantial cash reward.
The winners, Hannah Newman, Sophie Storrar and Chloe Williams, would certainly have a big smile on their faces on the arduous trip back west, alongside a better understanding that putting some good sausages on the dinner table is not just about a dash into a New World or Pak’n’Save store!
Holstein Friesian excellence was front and centre at the 2025 Holstein Friesian NZ (HFNZ) Awards, held recently in Invercargill.
The work Fonterra has done with Ballance Agri-Nutrients Ltd, LIC and Ravensdown to save farmers time through better data connections has been recognised with a national award.
This past week has seen another round of negotiations between India and New Zealand to produce a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries.
Cautiously optimistic is how DairyNZ's regional manager for the lower North Island, Mark Laurence describes the mood of farmers in his patch.
The Infrastructure Commission has endorsed a plan by Chorus to expand fibre broadband to 95% of New Zealand much to the delight of rural women.
Questions are being raised about just how good the state of the dairy industry is - especially given that the average farmgate payout for the coming season is set to exceed $10/kgMS.
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