Looking for an A grade in your farm environment plan audit?

In this episode, Anna Heslop asks FEP auditor Sue Cumberworth how the audit process works and what she wants to see and hear during an audit visit; and learns how to shift a B grade to an A.

Seed and Grain Readiness and Response (SGRR), the arable industry’s biosecurity group, formally signed up to a Government Industry Agreement (GIA) with MPI in June last year. The GIA agreement included the mechanism to set a biosecurity levy, and FAR is currently carrying out formal consultation and notification of this process. In this episode, Alison Stewart explains how and when the levy will be activated, and who pays.

A large proportion of the wheat milled in New Zealand is imported. In this episode, FAR’s Ivan Lawrie does some myth-busting around why this is the case, and outlines a project aimed at improving grower returns by increasing consumer demand for New Zealand ‘grown’ bread.

 FEPs, Freshwater Plans, Integrated Farm Plans…there’s a lot of talk about planning at present! In this episode, Alison Stewart talks to FAR Environmental Researcher Turi McFarlane about the range of farm plans currently under consideration, how they link to regulation and what arable farmers can do now, to get ahead in the planning game!

One quick quote and a couple of video grabs highlighted. Also a couple of suggested deletions to tidy things up (if they work).

 From grassweeds to soil health and everything in between. Erica Callaghan, the National Coordinator of FAR’s Growing Leading Change programme talks to Alison Stewart about some of the Arable Growth Groups that are already up and running within this new knowledge exchange programme, and what’s coming next.

FAR’s Jo Drummond discusses the benefits of considering disease resistance ratings when choosing your autumn sown wheat cultivars, providing tips for cutting back on spending…not on yield.

SIRC, the Seed Industry Research Centre, is a grower-industry collaboration. It was formed in 2017 to ensure quality and continuity for seed research in New Zealand. In this episode, Ivan Lawrie outlines SIRC’s membership and funding model, and explains how SIRC determines which of the seed industry’s many pressing issues, to invest in.

Is the New Zealand arable industry hiding its light under a bushel? Anna Heslop talks to FAR CEO Alison Stewart about what policymakers and the public know about arable systems and products, and how FAR is working to change that.

Two grass grubs per spade square equals 60 per square metre and that’s enough to do damage emerging cereal crops! With this in mind, Alison Stewart talks to AgResearch entomologist Sarah Mansfield current and future options for grass grub control.

Welcome back to our first episode for 2021!

Late summer is the key time for an on-farm velvetleaf search and destroy mission…this season’s plants will be well established, but won’t have set seed yet. AgResearch Weed Scientist Dr Trevor James chats to Alison Stewart about ongoing research into velvetleaf management and reminds growers what to look for when checking crops.