Federated Farmers Podcast

It was a wet, muddy day in Southland in December 2018 that local dairy farmer Jason Herrick decided to take his life. Months of heavy rain, the pressure of excessive regulation, negative sentiment towards farming, and an inability to share his feelings had left him at breaking point.

To coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week in New Zealand, we’re very fortunate to be joined by a now happy and well Jason, who’s president of Southland Federated Farmers.

Hear how Jason climbed out of that hole six years ago, what changes he's made to his 'Southern Man' mentality, and what his message is to other farmers going through the same battles.   

Useful links

https://www.rural-support.org.nz/
https://1737.org.nz/
https://farmstrong.co.nz/

Our guest today is Mike Casey, CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa, who’s here to talk about the huge opportunities out there for farmers to save money and reduce emissions by electrifying their farm. 

Mike's seen these opportunities first-hand. In 2019 he established the world’s first electric cherry orchard – saving him tens of thousands of dollars a year on energy costs and creating a new revenue stream. 

He’s now on a mission to show that what he’s done on his property is possible for other farmers too.

With farm confidence at rock-bottom, what’s the Government been doing to get things back on track? Agriculture and Trade Minister Todd McClay joins us to discuss his first nine months in the job, cutting red tape, the banking inquiry, KiwiSaver for young farmers, new trade opportunities, and how he thinks we’ll double exports over the next 10 years. 

Wayne McNee, chief executive of AgriZeroNZ, joins us to discuss tools and technologies being developed to help farmers reduce their methane emissions. Find out what's in the pipeline, what reductions they could help farmers achieve and, importantly, when farmers might get their hands on these new tools, which range from a methane-inhibiting bolus to low-emissions pasture.   

Useful links:

https://www.agrizero.nz/

We all know something's broken in the way agricultural policy has been made in New Zealand, but what's the solution? How do we get farming regulations that actually work? Kerry Worsnop is a Gisborne sheep and beef farmer who's been on a mission to find answers through her Nuffield Scholarship. In this episode, Kerry explains what's wrong with the current policy-making process, what her recommendations are to fix it, and why she's moved from cynic to optimist.  

What is a trust, why might a farmer want to set one up, and what are some common mistakes to avoid? David Boyce from Perpetual Guardian joins us in this episode to give a thorough overview of trusts, including what the recent trustee tax rate rise might mean for the average farm trust. He also explains wills and enduring power of attorney. 

Where are things at with an independent inquiry into rural banking since the Government gave the go-ahead last month? Richard McIntyre, Federated Farmers banking spokesperson, explains how things are progressing, why Feds is cautiously optimistic, what we want to see covered by the inquiry, why the banks should see it as an opportunity and not a threat, and how Feds' banking petition may have been the most successful in history. 

 With a highly contagious strain of bird flu now in Antarctica, the risk of it entering NZ has increased. What could its arrival mean for our agriculture sector, and what can farmers do to beef up on-farm biosecurity? Find out from Mary van Andel, the Ministry for Primary Industries’ chief veterinary officer. Note: some statistics mentioned in this podcast have become out of date since recording. 

Our guest for this episode is Sarah Adams, Gallagher’s GM of Global Strategy & New Ventures, who explains how virtual fencing works, what benefits it offers, what problems it can solve, and some common misconceptions. Sarah also covers other emerging technologies, and how tech is helping to bring greater precision to farming, particularly to those in remote areas.  

What’s happening with live cattle exports? If allowed again in NZ, what measures would be in place to ensure animals are safe and comfortable on their journey and at their destination? Hear from Richard McIntyre, Federated Farmers national board member, and Brian Pearson, general manager at livestock export business BeefGen.