The Experts

Walking the path less trodden

9 August 2021

A risk-averse lending sector and carbon farming sales have left many of our younger generation with limited options for farm ownership. But tenacity, determination and good old-fashioned hard work have seen a young couple buy their first farm on the shores of Lake Taupō . Ravensdown shareholders Sean Nixon and Ruby Mulinder talk Ravensdown through the process of first-farm purchase, running a smart sheep and beef system in a nutrient sensitive catchment, and their venture into sheep milking.

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The Experts

New Zealand’s carbon soil stocks: what do we know?

9 August 2021

New Zealand has on average 90 tonnes per hectare of carbon (C) stored in its soils, which by world standards is high (Table 1 opposite). Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research soil scientist and research area leader Dr Paul Mudge discusses why soil carbon stocks are important and where we sit on the world spectrum when it comes to the carbon levels in our soils.

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The Experts

N-190 Heat Map: recording and reporting with HawkEye®

9 August 2021

With new nitrogen (N) limits now in place, checking your nitrogen fertiliser applications throughout the season is going to be vital to ensure you are staying compliant. To help do this, HawkEye now includes an N-190 Heat Map to help you stay on top of your N-use.

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The Experts

From farm to furniture: adding value to strong wool

9 August 2021

At the small windswept costal settlement of Ākitio, south-east of Dannevirke, a generational farming family is embracing a new direction for their crossbred wool by supplying New Zealand-owned manufacturer Big Save Furniture. Ravensdown visited the Ramsden family on the iconic Moanaroa Station to find out how their wool is transitioning from farm to furniture.

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