Farm Forestry New Zealand

Action Group Weekend, November
 

Myland record system
 

Worksafe media release
 

Productivity and Safety
 

Farming for the Future
 

Nationals policy initiative: A small drop in the bucket?
 

Trees for Bees
 

President
Ian Jackson ijacko@xtra.co.nz
-Ashburton
-South Canterbury
-North Otago
-Sthn High Country (north)

Vice President
Dean Satchell dsatch@xtra.co.nz
-Far North
-Mid North

Newsletter editor
Dean Satchell
dsatch@xtra.co.nz

National Office
Association Manager Glenn Tims
admin@nzffa.org.nz
Phone: 04 4720432
 

Executive

Angus Gordon angusg@xtra.co.nz

-Taupo & Districts
-Middle Districts
-Taranaki
-Hawkes Bay

Neil Cullen cullen@farmside.co.nz
-Mid Otago
-South Otago
-Southland
-Men of Trees
-Sthn High Country (south)

Hamish Levack hlevack@xtra.co.nz
-Gisborne East Coast
-Wairarapa
-Wellington

Patrick Milne patrick@cypress.co.nz
-West Coast
-Central Canterbury
-North Canterbury
-Marlborough
-Nelson

Peter Berg
thebergs@ihug.co.nz
-Lower North
-Waitomo
-Waikato
-Bay of Plenty
 

Notices:

Special Council meeting: On November 5th the executive of NZFFA and the council will meet at The Forestwood Centre in Wellington, to discuss the future direction of the organisation. The reason behind this meeting is that at conference there is never enough time to develop ideas and strategy within council who are the ultimate leaders of FFA. We will discuss such things as overall strategy, the status of action groups, the allocation of subscriptions and what it covers, as well as a possible name change.
At this meeting there will be also a chance to meet with Forest Owners personnel and find out where the FFA now fits, under a forest growers levy within the forest industry.
This is the first special council meeting since 1998. It is imperative that branches are represented either with a Councillor or a proxy from a neighbouring branch so as the meeting can come to some conclusions, with a good representation of members from throughout the country.

NZ Farm Forestry Association National Awards: A reminder regarding nominations for NZFFA national awards.  Nominations may be made at any time but must be received before 1 November to be eligible for presentation at the next conference.   Nominations are submitted by branches. Criteria and nomination forms for all the above are on the NZFFA website or may be requested from NZFFA National Office.

Mystery Creek Report 2014: Waikato Branch flew the Association's flag once more. More >>

Wood Processors & Manufacturers Association of New Zealand launch. The merger of WPA & PMA is now complete. WPMA came into existence on 1st July 2014. Official Launch was on 4th September. NZFFA welcomes the merger as a reflection of the forestry industry working together

Bioenergy Association (BANZ) Conference: "Using Commercially Ready Technologies to bring biofuels and co-products to market". A showcase of innovative technologies for application in NZ, Australia and internationally, 17 October 2014, Distinction Hotel, Rotorua. More >>

Power Up NZ: Forum for Energy & Climate Change, Te Papaiouru Marae, Ohinemutu, Rotorua, September 7th. 
7.00 P.M. - Public meeting (free). Iwi representatives and the forestry sector will present on the issue of the carbon market price collapse and loss of over NZ$600 million to Iwi. Representatives will also discuss the forestry sectors  NZ $2bn plan to boost regional development by bringing 50,000 jobs to the regions. 8.00 P.M. - Rt. Hon Winston Peters (Leader, NZ First) and Hon. David Parker (Co-Leader- Labour Party) who will discuss their policies for promoting regional development and supporting both the forestry industry and Iwi.
RSVP Tanith.Wirihana@gmail.com or phone (022) 482-9344

Nominations for New Zealander of the Year: The New Zealander of the Year Awards Office is seeking nominations for the 2015 New Zealander of the Year Awards and have approached NZFFA to see whether we're interested in nominating special people from within our organisation. "Briefly, the 2015 New Zealander of the Year awards offer a chance for communities to acknowledge ordinary New Zealanders doing exceptional things. These people might not see their deeds as exceptional, but their impact on communities is undeniable. Awards will be presented across five different categories in addition to the overall Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year. Given the very strong community focus to your work, we're thinking the Kiwibank Local Heroes Awards might be of particular interest to you?  The Local Hero awards provide a unique and special way to acknowledge people doing great things in the community."
During November and December, special medal ceremonies will be held throughout NZ where these people get presented with medals in front of their friends and family, the Mayor, local politicians and other dignitaries. It's a really nice occasion of the community expressing its thanks.
Contact Head Office if you have any ideas.

Levy at Work: We now have a new area of the website that is dedicated to levy matters. More >>

Events: Branch secretaries, please notify head office of any branch or action group events.

For more information on these events they are posted on the website >>

• Nelson field day - Happy Valley Adventures, Cable Bay Road, Friday 12 September 10.30am
   
• Wellington branch field day: Harvesting a small woodlot, Rimutuka Prison car park in Freyberg Road, Trentham, 10am Saturday 13 September
   
• Middle districts field day - Clive and Nikkie Higgies' property, Denlair Road, Fordell, Tuesday September 23rd, 10.30am
   
• Lower North field day: Gordon Perry's Forest, SH 16 immediately north of the Hoteo River bridge, Saturday 27 September 10am
   
• Far North Branch event: Pine woodlot harvesting/marketing workshop, Wednesday 24th September. Kaeo Hall, 1pm $10
   
• Mid Otago event: Workshop on Pest Control: Inside and Outside the Fence, Orokonui and Mopanui Forest, 10 am Saturday Saturday 11 October 2014, Orokonui Sanctuary Seminar Room, 600 Blueskin Road
   
• Otago-Southland Forest Products Industry Meeting, Thursday 23 October 2014, Rosebank Lodge, Ballclutha, 5.30pm
   
• 2014 Action Group Weekend, Sat 8th & Sun 9th November, Tauranga, Bay of Plenty: Growing, sawing & selling alternative timber species.
   
• Southland branch Celebrates 50 years, Sunday 23 November 2014.
   

Tauranga 8th/9th November, 2014

Host Branch :  Bay of Plenty

Weekend Topics : Taking our wood to market
 

Tauriko Sawmill: Tauriko is home to the orginal Tauranga Rimu Company. For over 20yrs the Moores Family have been running a successful sawmill & timber supply company specialising in alternative timber species; native & exotic.
Moxon Timbers: Moxon & Co Ltd. is an Australian owned business with outlets in Australia, NZ & USA. They are a wholesale timber & flooring company, who source & supply exotic and domestic timber & flooring.
Saturday evening dimnner with speaker
Summerhill, Welcome Bay. A range of  7-30yr old alternative species

More >>
 

Myland record system
 

There was an article in the last issue of Treegrower outlining the Myland software developed by Scion and sponsored by NZFFA. This online tool allows for record keeping and mapping but no link was provided to access the software. If you want to test drive Myland you can link to it here >>
 

Worksafe media release
 

In a 14 August  media release WorkSafe NZ says there’s an urgent need for a forestry sector-led Safer Forests Blueprint for Action to be developed and implemented.

In a submission to the Independent Forestry Safety Review, WorkSafe Chief Executive Gordon MacDonald says the sector must take full responsibility for putting in place systems, process and behaviours which prevent dangerous situations occurring at the bushline. See the media release >>

Stuff also released an article including an interview with Worksafe. "Complex contracting relationships with little vertical or horizontal integration, along with short-term contracts, make safety no-one's responsibility," WorkSafe said. More >>
 

Producivity and safety

I attended the online presentation on productivity and safety advertised in our last newsletter. Following are a few notes:

1. The move to more mechanised harvesting systems should improve safety.
2. The less professional the operation, the higher the risk. Example of amateur on a farm tractor hauling a log.
3. People leave when industry takes a dive. When they start coming back there are untrained personel and this is a big factor in safety.
4. Low ground-pressure machines, such as tethered machines where the winch is doing the work moving the machine instead of the tracks, means less damage and impacts to the ground and soil. Controlling these machines remotely further improves safety.
5. Culture will affect safety.
6. Forestry IS a high risk industry. The risk is decreasing as we get more people into safer environments.
7. Safety comparisons (e.g. injuries or fatalities) are best based on volumes being produced. However different countries data varies significantly in the way it is prepared and direct comparisons aren't always valid.

Dean Satchell
 

Farming for the Future
 

Intended for farming and non-farming audiences alike, this NZ Landcare Trust publication documents on-farm practices that address contemporary environmental issues such as sedimentation and water quality.
A digital copy is available for download (files size 1.7MB):
Farming for the Future.pdf
 

National's policy initiative: A small drop in the bucket?

29 August 2014: National’s Forestry Spokesperson, Jo Goodhew, has today announced a re-elected National-led Government will invest $22.5 million over five years to further encourage and support the planting of new forests. More >>
FOA have prepared a press release in response to this initiative. FOA have also welcomed Labours climate initatives.
 

Trees for bees

Important To Increase Year Round Pollen Producing Plants to sustain healthy bee populations
In late June the Middle Districts farm forestry branch had a very interesting talk from Linda Newstrom-Lloyd.      Known locally as the "Bee Lady", she has a background in pollination science including a PhD from Berkley University.

We are all aware of how Varoa and pesticides can kill bees, what is less well appreciated is the need for good bee nutrition. Bees, like livestock, require a minimum nutrition, which comes in the form of essentially pollen and nectar. Without an adequate supply, the bees starve, and if this is not rectified, they die.

Looking ahead, as growers of trees, it is important that we provide a good diversity of plants, which can support the bee population year round. After all one in three mouthfuls of the food we eat are the result of animal pollination. Examples include fruits such as strawberries, apples and kiwifruit, seeds such as beans and sunflower kernels, and nuts such as walnuts and chestnuts. Even salad plants need pollination to produce the seeds from which they are grown! This means increasing pollen availability for the bees by providing plants with high protein pollen to feed the populations of bees and to fill seasonal pollen gaps.

The increasing importance of agricultural sustainability and food security for New Zealand is widely acknowledged. But not so the importance of the bee, they are the unspoken champion of agriculture and anchor farm viability in many instances.

Bees consume pollen as a protein and vitamin source and nectar for energy. While gathering these resources, they move pollen from one plant to another thus benefiting the farm by pollinating crops.

Availability of quality pollen resources is critical during spring when beekeepers are building up bee populations for pollination services. Any shortfall leads to weakened bees making them susceptible to pests and diseases. It also dramatically slows the queens breeding output and results in under performing pollination services.

We must try to plant species that create a good cross over between seasons. Check out the website: www.treesforbeesnz.org for more information of the planting guides that will help the bee populations.
Research was conducted in 10 regions, with on-farm practicability a consideration, as were the species planted, validated by nurseries of the region. Ninety plants were identified as effective at producing reliable pollen supplies for the bees throughout the year.

In a study undertaken in 2009 it was noted that there was a lack of pollen production in winter, June to August. However, Newstrom- Lloyd found there was also a gap in pollen availability during the key spring month of October, after the willows but before the clover. This reduced bee nutrition and the sustainability of the hive was in danger at this time of the year, in NZ, just when beekeepers are trying to build them up.

To assist the bees, through her research, Newstrom-Lloyd, identified three goals. She wished to increase the quantity and diversity of bee fodder but with a target of:

1. Protein rich pollen plants
2. Multipurpose plants for the farm
3. Create four demonstration farms

Different plants have different coloured pollen. For example, white clover pollen is brown, horse chestnut red, Roch rose orange and thyme is white. In addition, different pollens are recognizable by shape, especially after treatment with acetic acid.

During Newstrom-Lloyd’s   research   pollen   pellets were collected. Some were sent to GNS for protein analysis. Similar samples received a chemical treatment that helped to reveal the pellet make up. Newstrom-Lloyd’s   aim was to establish which particular pollens, and thus plant species, were dominant in hives in the different regions. Ironically, while many species seemed to be flowering in October, there was still a pollen dearth.

Pollen specimens from 100 species from Canterbury and Gisborne were collected. Check out http://www.treesforbeesnz.org/how-to-plant to see species seasonal flowering times.

One of the criteria that were taken into account was how easy was it for bees to collect the pollen? Did the shape of the flower make it easy to access the pollen or not? This is an important factor to consider when choosing a species to plant on your farm. There are common trees that are underutilized, but could be feeding the bees while also producing useful timber. This combination can be hard to identify though.

There are 9700 trees and shrubs which can help the bee population, but there is a need, if we are to ensure the sustainability of bee populations, for property owners, bee advisors and planting advisors to be working together.
As an example Ceonothus (Californian Lilac) can be use in mixed shelter belts and this produces high protein pollen through September and October.

You can access a wealth of further information on the importance of aiming to provide good nutrition for our bees by doing a “Google” or “Bing” search on "fat bees, shiny bee"  - an interesting read.

Our pollinators provide a crucial part to allow further growth of species, and essentially food for us to eat! There are numerous other (potential), pollinators, but the dominance of honey bees is really a matter of numbers. There may be 400 bumble bees in a colony, compared to 30,000 honey bees in a hive. There are also native bees that nest in the ground, with 100 to 200 per nest. They emerge as soon as soil warms.

Timing is incredibly important to ensure a range of nectar and pollen to sustain the bees. Therefore it is important for tree growers to spend a little time identifying and planting species which provide good quality protein, with suitable chemical composition, as well as providing a year round availability to assist the bee populations in our regions.

Fenella Grigsby (From Middle Districts newsletter)
 

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