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SA’s first commercial agave crop planted at Willunga

Plant-based technology company Vircura, working in conjunction with The Madgett’s Block, has planted the first commercial agave crop in South Australia, growing the hardy plants to primarily produce agave spirit. The site will grow 1200 agave tequilana plants, also known as blue agave which is the key ingredientin tequila, and only grown and distilled in certain areas of Mexico. In Australia, it can be used to make agave spirit. Vircura General Manager Adam Djekic said the plants would take between three and six years to grow, and once at maturity, they would partner with The Madgett’s Block owners Oli and Tara Madgett to find a buyer interested in distilling. “Agave crops are completely new to South Australia and we see it as an emerging commercial industry,” Mr Djekic said. “Tequila is one of the fastest growing spirits popularity-wise internationally, and it is an industry which could grow significantly in Australia over the coming years.” Mr Djekic said wine grape growers had faced some challenging times, particularly with grape gluts and with changing international markets. “Agave could provide a new direction for many grape growers who want to stay in agriculture but are questioning their future viability or wanting to diversify.” Vircura Chief Scientific Officer Professor Rachel Burton, a specialist in plant molecular biology and functional genomics, has been working on emerging plant species including agave, which can also be used to produce bioethanol. “Agave is a wonder plant that has many uses and is hardy and drought resistant, making it perfect for our climate. The tequilana plants should thrive in the soils of the McLaren Vale basin,” Dr Burton said. “There are many uses for the agave plant, including processing for bioethanol, hydrogen production or distillation for spirits. “By growing crops in South Australia and showing the agricultural community that […]

Canterbury young plant producer named the best in NZ!

Anna England from Elliot’s Wholesale Nursery in Amberley has been named as the 2024 Young Plant Producer of the Year. This prestigious award, presented at the awards dinner in Christchurch last night, celebrates Anna’s dedication and innovation in the plant production industry. The Young Plant Producer event competitors on the skills needed to run a successful plant production. It is organised by NZ Plant Producers (NZPPI), hosted by IPPS (International Plant Propagators’ Society) and supported by the Horticentre Charitable Trust. Young Plant Producers 2024 finalists l to r Ellen Ballentine Anna England (winner) Jessica Jack and Joannes Andresen. The four finalists undertook two days of challenges at Lincoln University, where they were tested on their skills in finance and dispatch, biosecurity, plant propagation and identification, tool maintenance, agrichemical use and irrigation. The judges looked for individuals who could make a difference in the industry, going beyond great skills to also include leadership, attitude and personality. Anna England is Sales Coordinator at Elliotts Wholesale Nursery. Along with her trophy, Anna has won a 12-month programme of mentorship support plus a $3000 fund to advance her career in plant production. She will also take part in the Young Horticulturalist of the Year award in November where she will compete against finalists from the entire horticulture sector, vying for a prize pool worth more than $20,000. Anna moved to Christchurch from Taranaki four years ago to study horticulture at Lincoln University then joined the team at Elliot’s in a role she loves as it “offers with both incredible plants and fantastic people.” “My time in horticulture so far has been a rewarding journey, and I’m grateful to be part of such a supportive industry. I saw the young plant producer competition as an opportunity to challenge myself to develop new skills and knowledge, as well as a great chance […]

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The global food system: we are what we eat

This glimpse of the future was crafted by Paul de Gannes To capture nature more accurately, 19th-century French painter Claude Monet often painted on extremely large canvases, many metres in length. If you look at his work up close, the brushstrokes are blurred and hazy, but step back from the canvas and the water lilies come to life, capturing the imagination. When it comes to our global food system, it’s time to think like Monet! Rather than focusing on individual elements, we must stand back to truly appreciate a broader, more inclusive perspective. This takes us beyond the standard snapshot delivered by the appetising and mouth-watering close-ups of food on Instagram, to a deeper understanding of how our food system plays a significant role in maintaining a healthy planet. According to an EAT-Lancet Commission report co-authored by Professor Walter Willet from Harvard Medical School, food is the single strongest lever to optimise human health and environmental sustainability on earth, and will be a defining issue of the 21st century. However, it seems that many don’t yet see it that way. Consumer adoption of circular economy practices hinges on convenience, availability and understanding of sustainable options offered by companies. This is in line with behavioural science studies that look into how easy, or difficult it is to teach an old dog new tricks. How will manufacturers measure up? How can manufacturers adopt wide-scale, sustainable practices that deliver benefits today – not merely cost savings – to the food supply chain, which will lead to further investment and truly deliver long-lasting value in this area? Approaching food production as a holistic challenge is also an opportunity. The production system in its entirety needs to be taken into account when trying to determine whether a product is environmentally acceptable or not. This includes […]

Podcast: At Source

https://atsource.podbean.com/ This podcast is a place for busy people who want to get to the core of health and wellness with information about the latest health advances and trends. It helps you gain useful insights direct from the source – from doctors, industry experts, wellness advocates and everything in between. Past guests on the show have included Gilbert Enoka (All Blacks mental skills coach), Lance Burdett (NZ Police and FBI negotiator), Karin Kos (Apiculture NZ CEO), Dr Rosie Bosworth (future foods advisor) and other leaders.

Dairy farming offers opportunities for Kiwis

Kiwis are being encouraged to consider joining the dairy sector, with lots of on-farm jobs available now. Through the 2023 GoDairy campaign, DairyNZ is looking to connect Kiwis with the latest farm assistant vacancies across New Zealand. Waikato farmer John Gibson started his dairy career in 2021, leaving his sales job in Wellington to become a farm assistant near Hamilton, and was recently promoted to second in charge on his current farm. “I love the outdoor aspect of farming, along with being able to work with animals. My favourite thing is learning new things, and setting myself goals, targets and challenges to overcome,” says John. “Before starting my first role, I had no farming experience and had never even stepped foot on a farm. Everything I have learnt has been on the job, with the support of my manager while I adjusted to the new lifestyle. “Dairy farming gives you the opportunity to get involved in everything from dealing with animal health, operating heavy machinery, pastoral care and aiding in the calving process. If you’re looking for a career which will help you grow as a person, challenge you, and increase your experience, then dairy farming is the job for you.” DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle says now is a great time to get a foot in the door and start a career in dairy, with plenty of farm assistant roles available across the country. “A dairy career is unique, providing the ability to work outside and with animals, while allowing you to join a world-leading sector that contributes to the health and economic wellbeing of Kiwis and people around the world,” says Dr Mackle. “Our farmers care about their people, their animals, and the environment and many are looking to support new people who join the sector […]

Ellen Ballentine of Rainbow Park Nurseries in Drury, Auckland NZF

New Zealand’s young plant producers compete for national title

Five of the country’s most successful young plant producers are taking part in the 2022 Young Achiever competition in Christchurch from this Wednesday, vying to be named Aotearoa’s best. The competition, organised by NZ Plant Producers (NZPPI), hosted by IPPS (International Plant Propogators’ Society) and supported by the Horticentre Charitable Trust, tests competitors on the skills needed to run a successful plant production business including finance, biosecurity and health & safety. It is the chance for young plant producers from nurseries around the country to receive an invaluable boost of experience, industry insight and mentorship, plus the chance to win a $4000 fund to advance their career. The winner also gains automatic entry to the Young Horticulturalist of the Year award where they will compete against finalists from the entire horticulture sector, vying for a prize pool worth more than $20,000. Since 2016, Young Achiever winners have placed first or second in the Young Hort competition. “The Young Achiever competition showcases our industry’s most talented young plant producers. We’re proud to support the development of our industry’s future leaders and see them putting their knowledge and skills to the test,” says NZPPI People Capability Advisor Alice Schofield. “Every year the standard increases and we’re looking forward to seeing who among our five competitors takes home the winning trophy.” The Young Achiever Challenge Day is being held at Lincoln University this Wednesday (July 27th) followed by a Business Breakfast in the CBD on Thursday where the finalists will present their speeches before judges decide on then announce the winner. This is the first year Young Achiever is being held at Lincoln University. “We very much appreciate the opportunity to host at Lincoln, as it’s the perfect venue in which to encourage young people to further their career through professional development.” The […]

NZ’s apiculture industry honours outstanding achievements

New Zealand’s best honey producers have been named at the Apiculture New Zealand National Honey Competition as part of the industry’s annual conference in Christchurch. The conference hosted more than 750 delegates from the apiculture industry at the Te Pae Convention Centre, Christchurch on 30 June and 1 July. The National Honey Competition, held the day before the conference, featured products across a range of honey categories from creamed honey to chunky honey and cut honeycomb. The 2022 Supreme Award winner was Timaru-based Jarved Allan of The Mānuka Collective, who took away the award for the second year in a row. “There was consistently high quality across the board,” said head judge Maureen Conquer. She said the judges were impressed with the quality of honey, that is improving every year, and it was very difficult to choose the winners. The honeydew honeys, in particular, were of much higher quality this year, said Maureen Conquer. All entries were blind tasted, and an international scale of points was used to determine the winners across 12 main categories. For the first time the honey tasting was opened up to conference attendees and a People’s Choice award given. This section boasted an interesting range of flavours including thyme, pumpkin and lavender-infused honeys. Hawkes Bay beekeeper Robyn Gichard’s liquid honey proved to be the favourite in this category. The Apiculture New Zealand Conference also was an opportunity to celebrate other successes within the industry with awards presented to those making outstanding achievements in apiculture science, innovation, sustainability and photography. Dr Linda Newstrom-Lloyd (and the Trees for Bees team) was awarded the Peter Molan trophy for exceptional contribution to apiculture science for their work on strategic plantations of bee feed that will maximise bee health and survival. Canterbury-based family-owned business Heathstock Apiaries received the ApiNZ Sustainability […]

DairyNZ campaign to attract more Kiwis to dairy

A young female farmer with a love of rural New Zealand is helping to launch DairyNZ’s latest campaign, which aims to give Kiwis a better understanding of what it means to be a dairy farmer. DairyNZ chief executive Dr Mackle says DairyNZ’s Join us campaign is part of a wider project – Here for the Long Game – aiming to help communities understand what drives dairy farmers, and how they are working to provide a better future for their farms, the land, their families, their communities, and New Zealand. “Dairy farmers are a core part of the economic, social, and environmental wellbeing of communities throughout New Zealand, and our wider Here For the Long Game campaign is a platform for dairy farmers to share with other Kiwis who they are and what they do in a way that’s open and fun,” he says. “Welcoming and supporting new farming talent is vital to the sector’s long game, so we’re excited to launch a new campaign encouraging young Kiwis to get into the dairy sector,” he adds. The Join Us campaign looks into daily life on a farm – from working with machinery and technology, to caring for animals and the land. “It’s about showing young Kiwis that, for those keen to get stuck in, dairying offers a truly rewarding career and lifestyle. By joining us, you’re not only securing your own future, but becoming part of creating a better one for all New Zealanders.” The Join Us campaign is fronted by Eastern Bay of Plenty dairy farmer Shannon Munro, who has been dairy farming for about 10 years. With her husband and three children, Munro says they opted to move away from urban city life to provide a different upbringing for her young family. Her husband Steve was a builder and after the birth of their first son, she says […]

DairyNZ acknowledges passing of John Luxton

DairyNZ chairman Jim van der Poel and chief executive Dr Tim Mackle have today expressed their sadness at the passing of former DairyNZ chairman, the Hon John Luxton. Hon John Luxton stepped down from the role of chairman in November 2015 after more than a decade of service to DairyNZ, and a lifetime of service to the dairy industry. Mr van der Poel and Dr Mackle say he will be remembered for his longstanding, unfaltering contribution to the rural sector, particularly dairy. “John has had a major role in the success of New Zealand’s dairy industry. John has always demonstrated strong leadership and longstanding commitment to the sector,” says Mr van der Poel. “John was instrumental in a number of significant policy and legislative changes in New Zealand, including the foundation policy work that led to the formation of Fonterra and the deregulation of producer boards. “One of his major achievements was shaping the development of DairyNZ – the first industry-good body of its kind and the largest in Australasia.” Hon John Luxton played a major role in helping guide the dairy industry through a significant period of change, which would soon become New Zealand’s number one export industry. He was instrumental in supporting a successful, viable, competitive dairy industry in New Zealand, with the sector employing 42,240 people and contributing $13.2 billion to New Zealand’s export revenue during his time as chair of DairyNZ. Dr Mackle says he will remember Mr Luxton for always being very supportive and being a statesman and diplomat who could bring people together. “John was an influential leader who unified the dairy sector from dairy companies through to local and central government departments,” he says. “He led by values, had enormous integrity, and always put the best interests of those in the rural sector […]

Fonterra and Vitakey to enhance dairy’s contribution to health and wellness

Looking to a future where it is likely that many foods will be more valued for their specific health benefits, Fonterra and VitaKey Inc. has announced a transformative dairy science collaboration to further unlock the benefits of Fonterra’s probiotic strains. VitaKey specialises in precision delivery of nutrition – an emerging area of research that seeks to deliver the right nutrients, in the right amount, to the right part of the body at the right time. Co-founded by Dr. Robert Langer, the VitaKey delivery technology platform for nutrients is based on technology licensed from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and developed at the Langer Lab, the largest academic biomedical engineering lab in the world. Utilising VitaKey’s proprietary technology and customised solutions, Fonterra is looking to design dairy products that incorporate targeted and time-controlled release of specific dairy nutrients, starting with probiotics, in a way that locks in the freshness for longer and allows the nutrients to be more active and beneficial in the body. Judith Swales, CEO for Fonterra’s Asia Pacific region, says the collaboration is part of Fonterra’s long-term strategy and ambition to be a leader in dairy innovation and nutrition science. “Our Co-op has a long and proud heritage of dairy innovation, pioneering many world firsts and, increasingly, new solutions which aim to help people live healthier and longer lives. “Home to one of the largest dairy culture libraries in the world, our Research and Development Centre contains more than 40,000 strains. Two of these strains, LactoB 001 and BifidoB 019, address key health concerns such as digestive issues and immunity and are recognised as being in the top five global probiotics. “By partnering with VitaKey, we aim to ‘make nature better’ by combining the goodness of our New Zealand milk with […]

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