November 4, 2025 • 7 mins
This outspoken North Otago farmer pulls no punches when it comes to Nicola Willis's "taking the piss" technology, the Bill Gates woke joke that's starting to revoke, ridiculous sheep research on the Port Hills, banning farming on the Wellington farm park, and we ask if it's getting dry on the home farm.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
She's a North Otago farmer. Her name is Jane Smith,
has a regular slot here on the country. You never
die wondering what she's thinking. I want to start with
yesterday's chat with Nikola Willis, the Finance minister who was
standing quite happily in a cow paddock in North Canterbury
with this new technology, the urine spreader plugged into the
back end of a cow. The mind boggles, Jane Smith,
(00:22):
How's this going to work?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Jamie? I always get concerned when I see a photo
shoot with a politician and a paddock flanked by overpaid
bureaucrats and suits, ties and gum boots that are probably
never seen mud nor hard work. And so you know,
I guess I'm rather than the how, I'm more concerned
about the why. So I guess you know again, it's
another venture capital stunt by the egg industry that is
(00:47):
actually using taxpayer money. And I did hear Nicholas say
it was government money? Yes, but it comes from the taxpayer, right,
And I think as a sector we need to be
very very careful that we're not asking the tax pat
it's paying for every PR stunts and the accept And
now I'm not minimizing the nitrate issue. I mean, there's
been some really good research going into that, and there
needs to be more research. But I absolutely will minimize
(01:09):
the emissions issue in terms of the notch and sox side.
I mean, you look at it as point three percent
of greenhouse gases, and water vapor itself is ninety six percent.
So gosh, we're going around around the mulbi bush spending
a lot of money, and there's a lot of people
set to make a lot of money out of methane mitigation. Jamie,
You and I have talked about this for so so long,
(01:30):
and actually we need to actually be looking at the
real issues, not these You know, it's all saying when
things go wrong at the circus, you bring the clowns
out to distract you. And you know, greenhouse gases are
a very small asue, particularly naturally biogenic greenhouse gases. We
need to look at the real issues, i e. Infrastructure,
(01:51):
second world healthcare that we have. New Zealand is fundraising
for their own cancer hospitals, the fact we can't afford
our own few fuel, food and energy Jamie, and you know,
I see. She also announced another supermarket chain, will making
it a bit easier for another supermarket chain, but that
doesn't fix the fundamental issues that continue to I guess
we continue to pander around the paras called Jamie. So
(02:13):
that is why it's been fascinating to see a bit
of a change in that globally Jamie. Even old woke,
old Bill Gates is starting to revoke his position.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
So do you think Trump has changed the narratives there?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Well, I'm not sure if it's Trump, but I think
I guess that just that whole environment around being able
to just see the woods for the trees and actually
and makes them, you know, bring some sense into this.
And you know, Bill Gates, who is again one of
the biggest climate change alarmists and has put a lot
of money into I guess making as all more alarmed,
said last week, the biggest problems are actually poverty, disease,
(02:47):
and food security, and which is what we thought all along,
you know, So this is this is the thing, bringing
it back to the biggest issues and actually adapting to
the climate change, because again the climate that was always
changed or would still be in in the by s age,
and so things like see those the corporates that were
falling over themselves to sign up to those what it's
(03:08):
it called science based target initiatives, which is again a
trojan horse for just like us righteousness. There's been eight
hundred ninety three companies pull out of that in the
last few months, and that's what we've seen worldwide. Same
thing with the taxonomy nonsense that the New Zealand government
had been caught up in. Same thing with alternative proteins,
soleb grown meat, etcetera. So that's absolutely going out of
(03:29):
favor as a consumer. Thanks. Actually, I actually want naturally produced.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Food, Okay, Jane, Just going back to the urine spreader,
because I'm fascinated by this. If they can get this
to work, and it does work, that's a good thing
because it is a major issue greenhouse scarce submissions aside
cows beeing concentrated lots of urine in one place going
into the subsoil.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Absolutely, yeah, I mean I'm not minimizing that. I am
on again a guess alarmed that there's you know, people
wanting to make a lot of money out of this
rather than she pulling back at at the real issue.
And again, I mean going back fifteen probably twenty years now,
there was a product called Eco n and that actually
slows the rate of the soul bacteria converting ammonia into
nitrate and not as oxide. And that was you know,
(04:14):
that had some real merit, but again the environmentalists didn't
like that either. So I think we need to be
very careful that what we're doing is practical, it's scalable,
it's cheap, because we again had this weird fascination of intensive,
expensive interference with our advantage which is actually a resource
advantage for New Zealand as our extensive, low input pasture
(04:36):
raised system. So we've got to be very careful we
don't turn ourselves into an EU type of scenario. And
I also think that all of these things also can
be a bit of a excuse for intensifying agriculture, and
that is not the way that we should be going
in terms of ge And I guess all of this
again technology that's disguised as something that we need, when
(04:59):
actually we need to make sure that we are promoting
everything that we do naturally first and foremost, we've done
a pretty poor job of that.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Jay on a couple to finish on I see we're
banning one of Wellington's only sheep farms.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yeah, I see, that. So the Belmont Farm Park so
one thousand heaps and it's pretty easy access for urban
people in Wellington, and now there's a ciders that due
to the stock emissions of the sheep emissions, and again
this just shows you another example of blatant misunderstanding of
biogeneic egg emissions that they're going to retire eighty percent
(05:31):
of that park despite the increased fire risks, the weeds,
the peats, and the sad fact that people won't have
access to an actual, working, living, breathing farm. So that
just seems ridiculous. Whereas down in Canterbury, I said, the
chross Church City Council are now allowing sheep on the
Kennedy Kennedy Bush track on the porthills where the fire
(05:51):
obviously started a few years ago as a trial to
see get this one will the sheep eat the grass?
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Two?
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Will they keep it short and green? And three will
that increase the fire risk? I may hopefully they can
probably they can share their research findings with DOC because
they've got a million hectares of that type of ground
that they need to actually control those things on. So obviously,
you know, again that's actually win some sense and sensibility.
I wouldn't call it a trial, but that's actually kicked
in compared to the Wellington City Council, so I see
(06:20):
all regional council. I see there's a petition going for
that Belmont Farm Park, so I wish them well because
it's absolute nonsense, Jamie.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Just to finish on, are you getting dry on your
North Otago farm? We know that Hawks Bay is getting
a bit perilously dry this early in the season.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yeah, certainly looks very very dry there, and really feeling
for those farmers up there. And we're probably better than usual,
I guess if you had to say that. So we've
had again, that's six weeks of northwesters. We had that
snow last week and things have actually been either really
hot or really cold. But we're actually we're probably not
too bad in stock are looking really good and there's
some great cracking lambs coming off the hill Jamie. So
(06:56):
you know, again, hopefully we can hang in there end
and this sort of December. If we can get this
side of Christmas in a good season, we usually both
well for a decent summer, Jamie.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Jane Smith, thanks for your time. I'll let you get
on with your beef and lamb New Zealand Field Day
on your new Haven farm today, Thanks Jamie,
She's a North Otago farmer. Her name is Jane Smith,
has a regular slot here on the country. You never
die wondering what she's thinking. I want to start with
yesterday's chat with Nikola Willis, the Finance minister who was
standing quite happily in a cow paddock in North Canterbury
with this new technology, the urine spreader plugged into the
back end of a cow. The mind boggles, Jane Smith,
(00:22):
How's this going to work?
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Jamie? I always get concerned when I see a photo
shoot with a politician and a paddock flanked by overpaid
bureaucrats and suits, ties and gum boots that are probably
never seen mud nor hard work. And so you know,
I guess I'm rather than the how, I'm more concerned
about the why. So I guess you know again, it's
another venture capital stunt by the egg industry that is
(00:47):
actually using taxpayer money. And I did hear Nicholas say
it was government money? Yes, but it comes from the taxpayer, right,
And I think as a sector we need to be
very very careful that we're not asking the tax pat
it's paying for every PR stunts and the accept And
now I'm not minimizing the nitrate issue. I mean, there's
been some really good research going into that, and there
needs to be more research. But I absolutely will minimize
(01:09):
the emissions issue in terms of the notch and sox side.
I mean, you look at it as point three percent
of greenhouse gases, and water vapor itself is ninety six percent.
So gosh, we're going around around the mulbi bush spending
a lot of money, and there's a lot of people
set to make a lot of money out of methane mitigation. Jamie,
You and I have talked about this for so so long,
(01:30):
and actually we need to actually be looking at the
real issues, not these You know, it's all saying when
things go wrong at the circus, you bring the clowns
out to distract you. And you know, greenhouse gases are
a very small asue, particularly naturally biogenic greenhouse gases. We
need to look at the real issues, i e. Infrastructure,
(01:51):
second world healthcare that we have. New Zealand is fundraising
for their own cancer hospitals, the fact we can't afford
our own few fuel, food and energy Jamie, and you know,
I see. She also announced another supermarket chain, will making
it a bit easier for another supermarket chain, but that
doesn't fix the fundamental issues that continue to I guess
we continue to pander around the paras called Jamie. So
(02:13):
that is why it's been fascinating to see a bit
of a change in that globally Jamie. Even old woke,
old Bill Gates is starting to revoke his position.
Speaker 1 (02:20):
So do you think Trump has changed the narratives there?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Well, I'm not sure if it's Trump, but I think
I guess that just that whole environment around being able
to just see the woods for the trees and actually
and makes them, you know, bring some sense into this.
And you know, Bill Gates, who is again one of
the biggest climate change alarmists and has put a lot
of money into I guess making as all more alarmed,
said last week, the biggest problems are actually poverty, disease,
(02:47):
and food security, and which is what we thought all along,
you know, So this is this is the thing, bringing
it back to the biggest issues and actually adapting to
the climate change, because again the climate that was always
changed or would still be in in the by s age,
and so things like see those the corporates that were
falling over themselves to sign up to those what it's
(03:08):
it called science based target initiatives, which is again a
trojan horse for just like us righteousness. There's been eight
hundred ninety three companies pull out of that in the
last few months, and that's what we've seen worldwide. Same
thing with the taxonomy nonsense that the New Zealand government
had been caught up in. Same thing with alternative proteins,
soleb grown meat, etcetera. So that's absolutely going out of
(03:29):
favor as a consumer. Thanks. Actually, I actually want naturally produced.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Food, Okay, Jane, Just going back to the urine spreader,
because I'm fascinated by this. If they can get this
to work, and it does work, that's a good thing
because it is a major issue greenhouse scarce submissions aside
cows beeing concentrated lots of urine in one place going
into the subsoil.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Absolutely, yeah, I mean I'm not minimizing that. I am
on again a guess alarmed that there's you know, people
wanting to make a lot of money out of this
rather than she pulling back at at the real issue.
And again, I mean going back fifteen probably twenty years now,
there was a product called Eco n and that actually
slows the rate of the soul bacteria converting ammonia into
nitrate and not as oxide. And that was you know,
(04:14):
that had some real merit, but again the environmentalists didn't
like that either. So I think we need to be
very careful that what we're doing is practical, it's scalable,
it's cheap, because we again had this weird fascination of intensive,
expensive interference with our advantage which is actually a resource
advantage for New Zealand as our extensive, low input pasture
(04:36):
raised system. So we've got to be very careful we
don't turn ourselves into an EU type of scenario. And
I also think that all of these things also can
be a bit of a excuse for intensifying agriculture, and
that is not the way that we should be going
in terms of ge And I guess all of this
again technology that's disguised as something that we need, when
(04:59):
actually we need to make sure that we are promoting
everything that we do naturally first and foremost, we've done
a pretty poor job of that.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Jay on a couple to finish on I see we're
banning one of Wellington's only sheep farms.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yeah, I see, that. So the Belmont Farm Park so
one thousand heaps and it's pretty easy access for urban
people in Wellington, and now there's a ciders that due
to the stock emissions of the sheep emissions, and again
this just shows you another example of blatant misunderstanding of
biogeneic egg emissions that they're going to retire eighty percent
(05:31):
of that park despite the increased fire risks, the weeds,
the peats, and the sad fact that people won't have
access to an actual, working, living, breathing farm. So that
just seems ridiculous. Whereas down in Canterbury, I said, the
chross Church City Council are now allowing sheep on the
Kennedy Kennedy Bush track on the porthills where the fire
(05:51):
obviously started a few years ago as a trial to
see get this one will the sheep eat the grass?
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Two?
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Will they keep it short and green? And three will
that increase the fire risk? I may hopefully they can
probably they can share their research findings with DOC because
they've got a million hectares of that type of ground
that they need to actually control those things on. So obviously,
you know, again that's actually win some sense and sensibility.
I wouldn't call it a trial, but that's actually kicked
in compared to the Wellington City Council, so I see
(06:20):
all regional council. I see there's a petition going for
that Belmont Farm Park, so I wish them well because
it's absolute nonsense, Jamie.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Just to finish on, are you getting dry on your
North Otago farm? We know that Hawks Bay is getting
a bit perilously dry this early in the season.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yeah, certainly looks very very dry there, and really feeling
for those farmers up there. And we're probably better than usual,
I guess if you had to say that. So we've
had again, that's six weeks of northwesters. We had that
snow last week and things have actually been either really
hot or really cold. But we're actually we're probably not
too bad in stock are looking really good and there's
some great cracking lambs coming off the hill Jamie. So
(06:56):
you know, again, hopefully we can hang in there end
and this sort of December. If we can get this
side of Christmas in a good season, we usually both
well for a decent summer, Jamie.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Jane Smith, thanks for your time. I'll let you get
on with your beef and lamb New Zealand Field Day
on your new Haven farm today, Thanks Jamie,
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