March 25, 2025 • 38 mins
Jamie Mackay talks to Christopher Luxon, Graham Mourie, Steve Wyn-Harris, and Stephen Crossan.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McGue Thanks to Brent You're specialist in
John Deere machinery.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
That's good and.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Jem see ja to jag.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Good.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
A good afternoon, New Zealand. I'm Jamie mackay. This is
the Country brought to you by Brant. Michelle's come up
with the music theme. Don't know why, but she said
songs from nineteen sixty eight. The Old Monkeys weren't bad,
were they? Earlier this morning I caught up with the
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. We accidentally stumbled upon Winston's health
(00:57):
and his diet. Interesting story in the Herald today. On
that one, Graham Murray was yesterday re elected to the
board of the Q two National Trust for a third term.
We're going to catch up with the man who does
a lot of good work with the Q two National Trust.
He's got a very high profile corporate dairy farming career.
And in a week when we paid tribute to Gris Wiley,
(01:20):
we'll see what Graham Murray has to say about a
blokey no doubt came across on the forty field, Steve
Wyn Harris. There's a blast from the past, central hawks
Bay farmer, broadcaster and one of the co founders of
Fireballs atl Rower. Has he found his missing meteorite? He's
been trudging around the hills of Hawks Bay looking for
(01:41):
it and has he found his farming mojo? In his
semi retirement. Steve, of course, was well known as a
weekly columnist in The Farmer's Weekly and Stephen Crossen this
month's Farmstrong Farmer is actually a Bay of twenty Kiwi
fruit spraying contractor. He organizes an annual game between the
dairy farmers and the Kiwi fruit farmers to get farmers
(02:04):
and growers off the farm for a day. It's all
coming up on the Country Wednesdays on the Country. The
Prime Minister kicks off the show. I ring them at
quarter to eight religiously this morning. This is obviously a
(02:25):
pre record. He was running late, so I just started
reading the Herald website and there was a story on
Winston Peter's health and his diet. I went to phone
up the Prime Minister at eight o'clock, as instructed, I
phoned the wrong number. I had Winston on my mind.
I got him. I had to apologize Prime Minister for
ringing the Deputy Prime Minister. But I'm very impressed. I'm
(02:47):
very impressed by Winston's diet. How's yours.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
It's a constant struggle weight given you've got so much on.
But Winston is really decent, really really good at it,
and he's very disciplined, so you know, he's got a
limited number of desserts he has. He's in great shape,
so he's managed it very well well.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
He puts it down to a decision he made on
the fifth of June nineteen eighty. Some of his fellow
politicians their waistcoats. Waist coats were bursting at the seam,
so he thought, I'm not going to do that. So
I'm going to eat lots of fish, protein, lots of veggies,
get rid of the carbohydrates. He doesn't mention in this
story written by I think Audrey Young and the Herald
(03:28):
the Whiskey, though.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
All the smoke he's doing it whatever, he's it's suddenly
working so done. He's managed it really well, and he's
got a big travel schedule he's got. Parliament's not the
easiest place to throw and get food at the right
times and to manage all of that. So they say
every year he had five kg's But yeah, it's a
constant battle. But now he's a great example. But more important,
he's been out in the world doing some good stuff
(03:52):
for us over the last year. So and just last
night here and I were hosting obviously promister of Papa
new Getti as well in town of Atris.
Speaker 5 (03:58):
Good.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
So it's really good. He's in good shape.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Well, he's not the only one out and about in
the world doing good work for New Zealand. Look, in
the past couple of weeks since we last charted, you've
had your India FDA trip, You've had your investment summit,
You've produced much needed changes to the RAMA. Even while
you were away, the GDP went up point seven percent
for the last quarter of twenty twenty four. Christopher Luxen,
(04:20):
why don't more New Zealanders like you?
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Well, look, I mean it's not about that. It's really,
frankly about getting this country sort of getting it in
the right direction. And you're right, it's pretty encouraging actually
to see those GDP numbers come back in that last
quarter of last year. That's really good. What's also really
good to see what the outlook is for the agriculture sector.
Dearie's looking strong. You've got Nathan guy who was away
with me in india're actually tooking red meat. You know,
(04:44):
talk about an extra one point two billion coming into
that sector over the coming year. And you've even got
war guys that I've spoken to in farmers I was
down at the wannicer Amp shown at the Canary Amp
show tomorrow and they're telling me they're actually doing better
and they've ever done for a while. So that's good.
Still still we had, but it is agriculture once again
leading us out. Good to see tourism up. Tourisms are
(05:05):
twenty three percent, services manufacturing growing for the first time.
You've got interest rates down, I think for the retail
interest rates down for third month in a row. So
you know, there's really you know, we've turned the corner.
There's some really encouraging signs. Now we've got to push
on and ultimately, as I said to the investors, you know,
shape the country we want to have, because we've got
a great country, great future, but we've got to get
some investment into the place so that we can actually
(05:26):
get things built for people and lift our living.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Yeah, but we're a long way from out of the woods.
Yet employment confidence latest numbers out lowest since the lockdown
September twenty twenty. Unemployment has yet to peak.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Well, that's the last thing that gets faxed, right. I mean,
if you spend eighty four percent more of your money,
you borrow a lot, you spend a lot, you end
up driving inflation. That drives interest rates. Interest rates drives
into a recession. Recession drives into unemployment. So that's the
history of economics, and that's what we've had to relearn
as a country. And that's what the last lot didn't know.
We've fixed. We've got spending a constant job to make
(06:02):
sure we're discipline of government's spending, getting value for money.
Inflation's down, interest rates are down. He started to see
the economy grow for the first time in a long time,
and with that will come rising employment. So you know
that's that is certainly the lag effect, because once you've
dealt with high inflation, high costs, and suppressed demand, you're
left with very few options but to lay off people.
And that's not what we want to see. So you know,
that's that's that's due to peak in the middle of
(06:23):
the year, and then we'll start to track down from there.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
I just want to finish with Winston Peters and a
Facebook post this week he said, why are we making
a ride for our own backs being part of the
Paris Accord, punishing our farmers and our taxpayers and our
economy When China or the US could sneeze and produce
more CO two overnight than we do in a year.
You're going to have a problem convincing Winston and see
More perhaps that you need to stay in the Paris Accord.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Well, no, they both signed up for it. They both
signed up for it as a cabinet decision just recently
where we actually said, look, we you know it's in
New Zealand's and the reason they did it is because
it's in our national interest to do so. Right now,
we're not interested in punishing our farmers. We want agriculture
pumping the economy growing as fast as it possibly can.
And I'm telling you, when I was down at the
(07:08):
Wanner kerr Amp show the other day, farmers say, yep,
I can tell you there are multinational, big large multinational
companies and many other countries that compete with us. And
think about the dairy producing countries around the world who
would love nothing more than to use this as an
excuse to kick New Zealand products off our shells around
the world. I'm telling it they will do that. So
this is brutally us acting in our own national interest
(07:29):
to do so. We've been very pragmatic. The increase that
we've the fifty one percent over two thousand and five
compared to the previous fifty fifty percent is actually as
a very pragmatic increase. It puts us back into line
with our nets there are domestic numbers rather having a
different commitment internationally. That's all really good stuff. So no,
this is about brutally in our national interest. We're not
(07:50):
going to risk punishing our farmers by having their products
kicked off shells. That ain't going to happen.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
I just want to funish once more. It sounds like
I'm fixated on Winstone, but he's had a war of
words this week with Chippy Chris Hipkins. Chris Hipkins basically
called them an angry old man. This is actually good
news for you because the only pathway I could see
to Labour winning the election at the end the next year,
as if they could convince New Zealand First to change
sides No one wants to party Maori anywhere near the
(08:17):
treasury benches. Are you going to win this election by default?
Speaker 4 (08:21):
No, We're going to do everything we can to show
New Zealanders in twenty twenty six that they had better
off than they were three years ago and at this
colorship government and managed things a difficult situation well, and
they need to see results and that's why it's odd
sixteen months into it, Jamie. Frankly, we're talking about an
election with a long way to go, with a lot
to do, and I want everybody focused on my team
(08:42):
on making sure every day they show up here they
are actually in the country forward. And that's what you're seeing.
GCC deal, the UAE deal, India is kicking off, negotiations,
Investor summits improving, GDP, improving many of the sectors. It's
coming and so we're moving. That's the p and that's
the plan we had from day one. And we have
(09:02):
three years to show the New zeal On people that
they are better off under us and they are under
the last lot. And I'm telling you, yep, a Labor
Greens to party Mariu would be chaos. You've got a
whole bunch of you've just heard the Greens in the House, yes,
said they wanted to not have growth, not wanting people
to make profit. You know, just completely ideologically insane. So
I just say to you, I'm not worried about the election.
I think it's way too early to be talking about it,
(09:24):
and I don't think about it because I actually am
here every quarter to make sure I'm doing the business
for New Zealand and make sure we're improving.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
The joint Prime Minister, thanks for your time, Well done
on und there.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
Thanks Dag had a great week.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Yeah, yes, Prime Minister Christopher Luxe and who I caught
up with earlier this morning. He'll be at kerrwe tomorrow.
Every man and his dog is at Kurwee tomorrow for
the South Island Field Days. Day one of the South
Island Field Days. Today, beautifully fine day in Canterbury, so
enjoy it. If you're heading along, we'll bring you plenty
(09:57):
of action from there tomorrow. Nineteen sixty eight, Michelle Watt
your music theme. I don't know why, but good Music
Year also assassination year.
Speaker 6 (10:09):
Yeah you brought that up. It was a big year.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
It was a big year for assassinations. Bobby Kennedy. Of course,
RFK Jr. Is now destroying the health system. Can I
say that in the States at the moment? And Martin
Luther King Junior?
Speaker 6 (10:23):
Yeah, absolutely. I mean it's interesting because isn't aren't the
files on Martin Luther King getting released as well?
Speaker 5 (10:28):
Well?
Speaker 3 (10:29):
I think Trump's going to release them all would be interesting.
Speaker 6 (10:31):
But anyway, this music thing came about because I saw
a story in an overseas paper about McKey, you know.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
From the Monkeys, Mickey Dolan's Yeah, and.
Speaker 6 (10:41):
I didn't realize he was the only surviving member.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Left of the well. I knew that Mike Nesmith and
Davy Jones, who's lead vocals on this one, was dead
as Peter talk dead.
Speaker 6 (10:52):
Yeah, apparently he died in twenty nineteen. So it's crazy.
But my interestingly, my husband actually went to university with
McKee's daughter.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
That's great trivia and name dropping. Yes, well, there's only
one Monkey left and still two Beatles, Ringo and support.
Up next, This is nineteen sixty eight. Brian Lahore was
the all Black captain in nineteen sixty eight. Ten years later,
Graham Murray was the captain. He's up next on the Country. Yes, yes,
(11:36):
news out yesterday that the Q two National Trust has
elected Marie Taylor and former All Black Captain Graham Murray
to serve as directors on the Q two board for
the next three years. No surprise to see Graham Murray
re elected for his third term. Graham, just before we
talk about the q E two, that you're involved with
the Trust and also Southern Pastures, would be remissive me
(11:59):
not to ask you, as a former All Black captain,
about Gris Wiley, who passed away in the weekend. Now,
I'm a bit of a student of the game, loved
the history of the game, and I realized that you
were a young pretender to his throne in your early days,
and I don't want to paint Gris as a saint.
I reckon he would have belted the hell out of here.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
Yeah, well, I was probably you know, I was lucky.
I played off the back of the lineout. I know
that I think we played during your All Blacks against
the All Blacks and than Eden and Grizz was working
his way along the line out, trying to teach the
young guys. You know, they shouldn't have actually bothered turning
up and I was actually getting further and further into
the the middle of the field I think as the
(12:41):
game went on at the lineups. But yeah, I mean,
obviously Griz was he was a good player, But you're right.
I mean I think he definitely had a reputation as
an enforcer and you know, not someone you'd want to
be spending too much time trying to sow flies one
on the field.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
I understand you pulled a bit of a quick one
on him during an Auckland on not Auckland Wellington you
were playing for at the time, Canterbury game.
Speaker 5 (13:11):
Yeah, I was probably a bit stupid at the time.
I was pretty young, and I think Canterbury we just
won the Ramfrewy Shield actually and from South Canterbury on
the Tuesday and played Mid Canterbury's the old days you
played four games a week, played Mid Canterbury on the
thirday and we played Canterbury on the Saturday. And it
was a pretty tight game. I think Gris was heading
(13:34):
off down the field from the back of the line
out and I sidled up alongside him. He couldn't quite
see me, I'm sure, and said, Gris, pass it to me,
and he gave me the ball and we turned around
and I ran a few meters and passed the two
Mark Sayers who scored under the post far end and
for another time. I spent the rest of the game
(13:55):
trying to avoid him.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Gone but never forgotten gris Riley.
Speaker 5 (14:00):
You know he was a servant of the game, that's
for sure.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
Yeah, and absolutely great recorders as a coach of Canterbury
and the All Blacks. Okay, so I don't think you
would be surprised being re elected. Marie Taylor's the other
one that's going to serve. She's got a good CV
as well. But tell me, what do you bring to
the q E two National Trust?
Speaker 5 (14:20):
Oh, I guess, I guess passion for the for the trust. Really,
I think I had set up my first covenants back
in the eighties when I was on my home farm.
I think I set up the covenant on the home
farm to protect We did about twenty eggs of bush
on that and I didn't want to see anything happen
to it when I moved on, So I set up
(14:41):
a covenant then. And then I've set up a couple
of more covenants on my exit and my current farm
in TARANNICKI And then obviously with the southern pastures. We've
we've also been involved in setting up covenants because you know,
I think if you look back at the history of
New Zealand, it was basically the bottleist's paradise really initially
(15:06):
and probably eighty or ninety percent covered in forest, and
over the years from the early early marriage settlers and others,
you know, we've lost it. And I think Chiwy two
is actually the one private organization which is actually protecting
enough a lot of lead. So there's small land and
(15:27):
Qie two colonists and there isn't a number of the
national parks in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Yeah, and we protect it in perpetuity. The land use
can never change. I'm lucky enough to have a covenant
my south. I think it's a wonderful institution. And I
see you got some more funding from the government. The
best thing they could do, Graham Murray, to save the
planet is give you guys heaps more money. I hope
you're still petitioning them for more.
Speaker 7 (15:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
I think we were very happy. I mean we've obviously
I think probably the history of that is that Chewy
two hadn't had any funding increase four ten years and
obviously things had changed a lot over that ten years.
And it also in that time we had protected covenant
at another over a thousand more properties, so that obviously
(16:13):
brings costs because each of those properties is inspected by
one of our guys out in the field, one of
our field workers every two years and just giving them
support and advice on how the covenants need to be maintained.
So yeah, so you're really great. I think Tama Potucker
(16:35):
down at the Bluebrigs conference took a society and we
went to one of the covenants and he announced that
they were giving us some more money and that's going
to go for another three years. So I guess we've
had a stay of execution, if you want to call
it that, And you're very grateful for that, and you're
really impressed with time of his understanding of what we
(16:57):
do and how the whole thing works.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Let me just find briefly on your farming interests. You're
the director in charge of farming for Southern Pastures. It's
an institutional, a dairy fund. You're running. How many farms, Graham.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
Murray, We've got eighteen farms in about sixteen thousand cares
at the moment.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
So at a lot of those, as I understand that
are in mid Canterbury under irrigation. But do you have
it have farms in the North Island. How are they
faring with the dry.
Speaker 5 (17:26):
Yeah, we've got nine farms in the central North Island
and they're again it's it's been pretty tough up there.
I think, you know, just for most North Island farmers
time times has time's gone on, it's sort of spread
around the place and there it's certainly you know, we
definitely made sure we've got their coals off marked pregnancy
(17:48):
test England and that I would say is going to
be a reasonably short year for many many of the
North Island farmers this year at dairy farmers particularly.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
You're Opanaki's most famous son, I think, am I say
right and saying that Graham Murray.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
But anyhow, I think Peter Snell's oh he got you there,
well he was there before me and I always you know,
I guess the one thing that I take a bit
of pride at actually's watching the all back today because
obviously coached Smiley Barrett and his brother, so they they
(18:24):
were there and obviously had those young Barrett boys who
four of them have actually played super rugby from one
firm minute. It's amazing. So they are actually young young
leads running around the side of the field. When I
was coaching Openaki and Lady Coastal.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Well well Smiley had a wee bit at Gris Wiley
and him too when it came to the lineouts. But anyhow,
I won't go there. I just I just want to
finish by asking you about the Openaki dairy farm, the
home farm. I think you've still got it. I was
talking to Smiley as Fate would have it on Friday
Show and we're talking about the drought and he was
saying his father was telling him, you know, it hasn't
(19:02):
been that dry since the seventies. What are your memories.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
Yeah, definitely I think fifty years ago, since sort of
seventy four seventy five that I remember that. And I
mean obviously in those days you probably didn't carry the
supplement that and have access to other feeds that farmers
have dairy farmers have these days. So yeah, definitely, probably
(19:26):
the seventies there were two or three pretty pretty major droughts,
but definitely again in Taranaka, I think Home found there.
We're hanging in there, but it'll be a shorter season
I think probably. In fact, they they've got about I
think we've got to wear the station about a kilometer
from the farm, and there was about sixty mills of
(19:48):
rain over the last week on three days. So very
fortunately get that, maybe just in time, but you never
know these days.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Graham Maurie, I could chat to you all day, but
I'm out of time. Thanks for yours today, and congrats
on being re elected as a director to the Q
two National Trust. The institution's doing wonderful work protecting some
of our best land and perpetuity. Thanks for your time.
Speaker 5 (20:11):
Thank you very much, Gret have a good day.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
Hi Will Graham Murray bang on twelve thirty you are
with the country re elected to the Q two National Trust.
Well done, very clever man. He was the All Black
captain when we won our first Grand Slam. Ever, I
think yes I'm right in saying that in nineteen seventy eight,
go back ten years to nineteen sixty eight. Great music,
(20:38):
also a great great All Black Ford pack. Michelle. I'm
going to bore you here, but this will add to
your knowledge. Possibly I've still got time for those. So
in nineteen sixty eight. Here's your all Black Ford pack.
The great V J. Lahare was captain number eight. He
was a farmer. Sam Strawn went on a couple of
(20:59):
my farming and footy towards a wonderful man locked with
Colin pine Tree Meads, both farmers cal Tremaine. Even though
I think he finished in the travel industry, I think
he might have been a stock agent at the time.
Tom Lister I reckon he might have been a stock
agent too. I might be wrong on that one. Jazz
(21:21):
Muller was a freezing worker from Altham. Bruce McLeod I'm
pretty sure was a stock agent or had some involvement.
I may be wrong again on that one. Correct me
on five nine. And Ken Gray definitely was a farmer
and probably one of the greatest all Black props ever.
What a great all Black forward pack. That one was
(21:42):
all gone. Now they've all gone. Brian Lahore I think
broke his thumb. Am I right in saying that, Yeah,
he broke his thumb. So that left the door open.
In nineteen sixty eight for the second Test against Australia
for a young blake bloke by the name of N. Kirkpatrick.
Am I to makers all black. No, it wasn't as
all black Dabot. I think he did that the year
(22:04):
before Great Times. I belong in nineteen sixty eight. Sension.
You can leave my friend Major slow loving your feedback
(22:28):
on five double O nine. This is this is the
monkeys again, monkeys, beetles, rolling stones. Who else did I have?
The doors? The casuals? Simon and Garth, Uncle, Simon and Garfuncle.
That's from the movie The Graduates. So okay, here's a
(22:50):
correction on Tom Lister. I called him a stockage. Tom
Lister was a freezing worker, then a fisherman, then a farmer.
Thank you for that another time. And here's another one.
This is Mickey de lenz As I said, the only
monkey that we figured out is left alive. He came
to New Zealand on a hunting trip as a teenager,
just gurgled it and he did with Rex Forester. I think, well,
(23:14):
there you go. And that's from Ray. Thank you Ray
for that trivia wonderful.
Speaker 8 (23:19):
Here's Rural News, What the Country's world news with Coup Cadet,
New Zealand's leading right on lawn Bower brands it steel
Ford dot Cott zid for your locals doggist.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
You realized, Michelle that talking about the great, the late
great Sir Brian Lahore bj Lahare gives me free license
to remind Steve Wyn Harris of his total capitulation on
the ekata Herna golf course in front of Rugby Royalty.
Speaker 6 (23:44):
I can't wait to hear this story.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Lit Brian said it in all his years of sport.
It was the funniest thing I'd ever seen. I think
we need to relive that story. What's in rural news
and ural news.
Speaker 6 (23:53):
Today, Jamie. The Regional Balanced Farm Environment Awards kicked off
again this week, starting last night with the East Coast
and Haste. Simon and Lou White of Ludlow Farms and
Oatane were crowned at the Regional Supreme winners for the
East Coast and will now join the others to vie
for the Gordon Stevenson Trophy in June. The next Regional
Supreme winners will be announced tomorrow for the Greater Wellington region.
(24:15):
And that's your rural news. He's Jamie wis sports.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
Have you got anything else? I can't find sport, can't
find sports? Oh no, no, hang on, I'll probably get
there I might do. Let me display the way sport
liner so I don't get the sack from Tom Young
at AFCO.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Sport with AFCO visit them online at a f CO
dot co dot nz.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
So we think Liam Lawson might be for the push.
I'll try and find that one. But actually yes, apparently, yeah, yeah,
he might be relegated to the Red Bull B team
whatever that is.
Speaker 6 (24:45):
Yeah, he's been dropped by Redbill Formula one. It's just
been announced.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
So yeah, he.
Speaker 6 (24:50):
Gets dropped to the second team, which I think as
a team he started and the cars are apparently easier
to drive to restaffin, but.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Yeah, and more timeless to stuff. Of course, his brother,
his brother John was a professional golfer. I think he
might did he finish second in the British Open or
something like that. So thank you very much for that
information as well. That's Jared from PARMI and he's a
(25:17):
good one. Graham Graham Murray is a bit hypocritical. I
think they mean hypocritical because he's against deforestation and yet
he shaved off one of the great mustachees. Nice text.
And here's one about Winston's diet. Does Peter's diet include
the number of cigarettes. He smokes an hour or a
(25:39):
day or has he been weaned off those?
Speaker 5 (25:42):
Well?
Speaker 3 (25:42):
I don't know about Winston smoking. Apparently he gave up,
but then he was. Someone caught him having a cheeky
little durry outside one of the university lecture halls here
in Dunedin. I don't know. Maybe that's what keeps Winston slim.
But you've got to say one thing about him. He's
got a cast iron constitution. We're going to take a
break on the other side of it. Steve One, Harris
(26:03):
Hawks Bay, Central Hawks Bay farmer broadcaster and founder or
co founder of Fireballs a Rower, let's relive his story
collapsing in front of Sir Brian Lahore at the Ekadahunah
Golf Club, just because we can welcome back to the
(26:31):
country twenty away from one Steve One Harris, Central Hawks
Bay farmer broadcaster he runs a rural show two days
a week on Central FM and one of the founders
of Fireballs a Rower. But because we've been talking about
the great B. J. Lawhaw, Steve, I have to relive
your collapse in front of him after three shanks in
(26:52):
a row at the Ekadahuna Golf course, and I believe
you're very close to that said same piece of turf here.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Well that's isn't it ironic?
Speaker 5 (27:00):
Jamie?
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Yes, I'm not far from Ikidhuna delivering Marlow genetic rams
into Derek Daniel's district, which has given me a great
deal of pleasure. And hopefully he's listening.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
Well, I don't think Derek will be too toughed about that.
Are you still breeding lambs rams? I thought you'd sort
of retired from farming.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Oh, my son, he's doing all of that work. I'm
you know, I'm advisor and junior shepherd, so you know
I'm still there in the fringes.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
Has farm succession worked for you pretty good?
Speaker 5 (27:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (27:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Our first year was a shaker coming out of Gabriel,
and everything that we could go wrong did go wrong.
You know, U's got Lipto, I got Lepto nearly died,
and then we've got Salomonella. I mean, stock Men and
Beast was under huge pressure and land after Gabriel and
what had preceded it, because we've had a lot of
other big weather events. But this year huh so much better.
(27:47):
And you know, I do feel sorry for the West
Coast with their drought. But you know, we're having a
good season and probably deserved to break, to be honest.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Although I look, maybe not Central Hawk's pay it up
the road, but and you know, Mainland Hawks. But if
I can call it on my drought index, Matt says,
it's getting away bit dry.
Speaker 7 (28:04):
Yeah, yeah, but we've got some feet.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
You know, we've had a few falls, and you know,
no one on the east coast of the North Island
should be complaining. We know what's happening over on the
west side. So no, no, we're pretty good. Hey, you've
been talking about nineteen sixty eight, yep, And a guy
called George Wallace stood as an independent. He had been
a Democrat and he stood in that presidential election that
Nixon won. And a commentator at the time said, America
(28:29):
is not ready for George Wallace, but there is a
super Wallace in the future.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
And that's and that's the Trumpster. Yes, hey, but didn't
George Wallace get shot? Am I Is it the right guy?
Am I talking about the same guy?
Speaker 2 (28:43):
I can't remember? With Kennedy?
Speaker 3 (28:46):
No, no, no, no, I know Bobby Kennedy and Martin
Luther King.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Ji with John Kennedy do you remember someone else took
a bote in that car too, didn't they?
Speaker 3 (28:52):
No, no, no, no, that's nineteen sixty three. We're talking
sixty eight here RFK and Martin Luther King Junior. But
I reckon that George Wallace got shot because he was
against the integration of the schools.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Yeah, yeah, I can't remember that that, but but yeah,
anyway I thought was there was an interesting little quote
from from back in nineteen sixty eighth.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Okay, but not as interesting as being a member of
Fireballs rt R.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
That's right, Jamie, And you've been pitching me as a
co founder.
Speaker 5 (29:19):
Not true.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
I was a Johnny cum lately, but I joined a
couple of years ago when when it was getting underway.
And yeah, a big fireball two or three weeks ago,
it's seen from around the North Island. We were under
cloud here on the east coast and this fireble almost
certainly dropped a meter right. And I was in the
Marquuri district with a few willing volunteers looking for for
(29:44):
this meta right on a farm farm there called Marhoe
Station and Rick and Ally Hart Co owners and that
they were part of the search, and they were very
keen and guess what. They've joined. Fireballs are here and
they're going to get it.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
They're going to get cameras, they're going to get bored
silly by you, but literally Steve, because I know you
found one on the Mackenzie district and you were very
excited about it. It is needle and a haystacks sort
of stuff.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
Oh yeah, Well, in fact, the day after finding that
one down and it's called Takapow that met rite, you
interviewed me and apparently one of your most listen to
interviews on replay.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
Only because you only because you played it over about
six hundred times.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
Probably, But yeah, yes, I had one hundred percent success
rate of organizing search parties and then finding meta rights.
But it's just slump to fifty percent because we didn't
we didn't find this one out there but reck and
now we are continding to search, and now all the
shepherds are sort of instead of dagging sheep. I think
they're wandering around looking for it.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
But it could be a rock smaller than the size
of your fists, so they're going to have to be
lucky to come across. George Wallace, Michelle's just passed me
a note it was a victim of an attempted assassination.
Did he end up in a wheelchair? Michelle, you need
to find that out. Yeah, no, okay, I think he
might have been anyhow, Steve, Balance Farm Environment Awards, you
nearly won that in twenty twelve, pipped up the post
(31:04):
by my good friends Grant and Bernie Weller. I don't
think you've forgiven grunt of sins, have you?
Speaker 2 (31:10):
Oh? You know I'm forgiving me. It takes a few
years to know. And no, I'm all about that. But
I was at that East Coaston Farm environ Awards last night.
It was great actually because I had been the chairman
for aden nine years, so it's great just sitting in
the audience and watching and yees. Simon Simon and Lou
White won the overall one. And it's funny actually because
(31:31):
Leith Ashworth, who's one of john Sworth's sons, and Tom
Tennant they were the other finalists and I knew Leith,
Tom and Simon all his small boys. So starting to
feel old, Jamie.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
Yeah, while we all get none of us are getting
any younger. Steve George Wallace did end up in a wheelchair,
so my memory serves me well there and someone else's
texted and didn't Wallace get hit by a deflecting bullet
off Reagan? No, he didn't. Reagan's assassination attempt was in
the nineteen eighties. So there you go, Steve. I had
one more question to ask you, but I've forgotten completely
(32:04):
what it was. Are you just your reflections of that day?
Three shanks in a row? You had the game under control,
three shanks in a row, falling to the ground into
a rocking fetal position saying I hate myself, I hate
myself in front of Rugby Royalty.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
It was pretty embarrassing really because I was actually care.
I was caring Brian, he was my partner. And then
then I had I had that incident three senths in
a row in front of you know, one of New
Zealand's great sporting icons, and I completely and utterly went
to pieces for the final couple of holes. And he
looked at me at the end of it and he said,
you cost me a Heineken. And a couple of years later,
(32:45):
I was doing a big EMC job down in Marston
and I got up there. I had all these Hurricane
guys to to interview on the stage and I looked
down and the end the front row was Sir Brian
and he's just in MP and he's just looking up
at me Berg smiling his face, just quietly shaking his heat.
It really didn't help my composer at all.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Okay, Steve got to go. There we go, Steve and
Harris from Fireballs Rah. If you're getting bored or playing golf,
or you're playing golf badly, maybe you could join that
esteemed organization up next to our farm strong Farmer out
of the Bay of Plenty, and that is Stephen Crossen.
(33:26):
Monthly here on the country we chat to a farm
strong farmer, although this month's farm strong farmer is actually
a key we fruit spraying contract. There is a name
is Steve cross and he's from Tippookey. But Steve used
to be a dairy farmer. You've moved into the horticulture
industry and one of the reasons we're chatting to you
today you're the bloke behind the annual dairy farmers versus
(33:49):
hort Crowers cricket match in Tipoke. We've got a bit
of background noise, there no doubt on the road side.
So how did this game come about Stephen Crossing.
Speaker 7 (33:58):
Originally I was trying to instare ideas to bring our
rural community into the cricket club and find some I
guess filling cricketers for a struggling small country cricket club.
As the idea of snowboard what I did some brainstorming.
It pretty quickly became more of trying to find players
and I guess give guys a reason to have a
day off their farms or orchards and play some cricket.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
So the idea came about dairy farmers versus hoart growers.
You were a dairy farmer, you've changed sides. You play
a match, an annual match, I think on the last
Sunday in February. Who won this year?
Speaker 7 (34:35):
So this year I think it's a third year in
a row the horticulture guys has got the win. They
were put into field first, the horticulture guys, and they
bowled Team the Airy out for one hundred and forty
and then in reply they chase it down pretty quickly.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
So what format are you playing T twenty or surely
it's not fifty overs?
Speaker 7 (34:55):
No, we play thirty overs. Thirty overs gives every sort
of the opportunity to get a bat in the bowl.
There's a couple of drinks breaks in. They're sponsored by
one of the local pubs, so it sort of gives
I guess, a long and afgame the cricket for everyone
to get a go and sort of keeps everyone at
the cricket club for most of the day.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
Well, very important to get a day off farm. I
hear through the grapevine, the Kiwi fruit grape vine, that
you're losing dairy farmers. A lot of the dairy farms
in your Tapuki region. Of course, the Kiwi fruit capital
of the country are being converted to Kiwi fruit.
Speaker 7 (35:32):
It's getting harder to find, Yeah, dairy farmers to play
in our game. Whether it's because of the conversions or
people are not getting the message, but there is definitely
more queue for it going in the area, that's for sure.
Speaker 3 (35:44):
Tapuki must be a very positive place at the moment.
I know the dairying's going well. Kiwi fruit seems to
be on a real high at the moment.
Speaker 7 (35:53):
Yeah, the town's buzzing. The roads are busy. You can't
get a park in town and there's several trucks on
the road. Things are definitely looking good for us here
and see pockets.
Speaker 3 (36:02):
Okay, just go back to farming. How have you found
the transition from dairy farmer to Kiwi fruit contractor?
Speaker 4 (36:10):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (36:10):
Originally it was yeah, I guess from the start it
was challenging, but then your skills that you learn as
a dairy farmer translate to everything really, whether it's fixing
a leaky hose or learning how to manage a time,
they're all very similar.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
I would imagine being a dairy farmer Stephen Crosslin would
be very good training for a spraying contractor because the
dairy farmers have to get out of bed at sparrow's fart,
and I know you spraying contractors are just the same.
You want to get out and get going before the
wind gets up.
Speaker 7 (36:43):
Yeah, it's getting out before the wind gets up or
before any other people are in the orchards or out
of bed, and then really making the most out of
our day, whether it's a four am start or a
three am starts, trying to get as much out of
the day as we can.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
How do you stay farm strong? How do you look
after the top paddock? Because they've thrown you up this month,
you're obviously a bit of an ambassador for the mental
health charity, Rural Mental Health Charity.
Speaker 7 (37:08):
Running this cricket event is one of my big things
that keeps me going. I find they're helping others is
one of the key things that keeps me going and positive.
I also run the Booking Cricket Club, so that keeps
me busy as well, so it keeps in mind a
little bit off work and other stuff.
Speaker 5 (37:25):
Thank you.
Speaker 7 (37:25):
Helping others is the main part of what I do.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
Yes, having a hobby or an interest off farm is
crucial to rural mental health, no doubt about it. Steve
Crossing is this month's farm. Strong Farmer, keep up the
good work and we look forward to the Dairy Farmers
versus the Haart Growers cricket match and to Pooky again
and twenty twenty six. And that wraps the country for today.
(37:54):
Thanks for all your feedback on five Double nine, especially
on tom Listener. Graham Murray and George Wallace will be
back tomorrow. It'll be day two of the South Island
Field Days. We've got Katie mel And, Andrew Hoggard and
Chrishipkins there tomorrow. That'll be interesting to see what sort
of reception he gets we'll see you, then steamed.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Mall you catch all the latest from the land. It's
the Country Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, you're
specialist in John Deere construction equipment.
Catch all the latest from the land. It's the Country
Podcast with Jamie McGue Thanks to Brent You're specialist in
John Deere machinery.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
That's good and.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Jem see ja to jag.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Good.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
A good afternoon, New Zealand. I'm Jamie mackay. This is
the Country brought to you by Brant. Michelle's come up
with the music theme. Don't know why, but she said
songs from nineteen sixty eight. The Old Monkeys weren't bad,
were they? Earlier this morning I caught up with the
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. We accidentally stumbled upon Winston's health
(00:57):
and his diet. Interesting story in the Herald today. On
that one, Graham Murray was yesterday re elected to the
board of the Q two National Trust for a third term.
We're going to catch up with the man who does
a lot of good work with the Q two National Trust.
He's got a very high profile corporate dairy farming career.
And in a week when we paid tribute to Gris Wiley,
(01:20):
we'll see what Graham Murray has to say about a
blokey no doubt came across on the forty field, Steve
Wyn Harris. There's a blast from the past, central hawks
Bay farmer, broadcaster and one of the co founders of
Fireballs atl Rower. Has he found his missing meteorite? He's
been trudging around the hills of Hawks Bay looking for
(01:41):
it and has he found his farming mojo? In his
semi retirement. Steve, of course, was well known as a
weekly columnist in The Farmer's Weekly and Stephen Crossen this
month's Farmstrong Farmer is actually a Bay of twenty Kiwi
fruit spraying contractor. He organizes an annual game between the
dairy farmers and the Kiwi fruit farmers to get farmers
(02:04):
and growers off the farm for a day. It's all
coming up on the Country Wednesdays on the Country. The
Prime Minister kicks off the show. I ring them at
quarter to eight religiously this morning. This is obviously a
(02:25):
pre record. He was running late, so I just started
reading the Herald website and there was a story on
Winston Peter's health and his diet. I went to phone
up the Prime Minister at eight o'clock, as instructed, I
phoned the wrong number. I had Winston on my mind.
I got him. I had to apologize Prime Minister for
ringing the Deputy Prime Minister. But I'm very impressed. I'm
(02:47):
very impressed by Winston's diet. How's yours.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
It's a constant struggle weight given you've got so much on.
But Winston is really decent, really really good at it,
and he's very disciplined, so you know, he's got a
limited number of desserts he has. He's in great shape,
so he's managed it very well well.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
He puts it down to a decision he made on
the fifth of June nineteen eighty. Some of his fellow
politicians their waistcoats. Waist coats were bursting at the seam,
so he thought, I'm not going to do that. So
I'm going to eat lots of fish, protein, lots of veggies,
get rid of the carbohydrates. He doesn't mention in this
story written by I think Audrey Young and the Herald
(03:28):
the Whiskey, though.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
All the smoke he's doing it whatever, he's it's suddenly
working so done. He's managed it really well, and he's
got a big travel schedule he's got. Parliament's not the
easiest place to throw and get food at the right
times and to manage all of that. So they say
every year he had five kg's But yeah, it's a
constant battle. But now he's a great example. But more important,
he's been out in the world doing some good stuff
(03:52):
for us over the last year. So and just last
night here and I were hosting obviously promister of Papa
new Getti as well in town of Atris.
Speaker 5 (03:58):
Good.
Speaker 4 (03:58):
So it's really good. He's in good shape.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Well, he's not the only one out and about in
the world doing good work for New Zealand. Look, in
the past couple of weeks since we last charted, you've
had your India FDA trip, You've had your investment summit,
You've produced much needed changes to the RAMA. Even while
you were away, the GDP went up point seven percent
for the last quarter of twenty twenty four. Christopher Luxen,
(04:20):
why don't more New Zealanders like you?
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Well, look, I mean it's not about that. It's really,
frankly about getting this country sort of getting it in
the right direction. And you're right, it's pretty encouraging actually
to see those GDP numbers come back in that last
quarter of last year. That's really good. What's also really
good to see what the outlook is for the agriculture sector.
Dearie's looking strong. You've got Nathan guy who was away
with me in india're actually tooking red meat. You know,
(04:44):
talk about an extra one point two billion coming into
that sector over the coming year. And you've even got
war guys that I've spoken to in farmers I was
down at the wannicer Amp shown at the Canary Amp
show tomorrow and they're telling me they're actually doing better
and they've ever done for a while. So that's good.
Still still we had, but it is agriculture once again
leading us out. Good to see tourism up. Tourisms are
(05:05):
twenty three percent, services manufacturing growing for the first time.
You've got interest rates down, I think for the retail
interest rates down for third month in a row. So
you know, there's really you know, we've turned the corner.
There's some really encouraging signs. Now we've got to push
on and ultimately, as I said to the investors, you know,
shape the country we want to have, because we've got
a great country, great future, but we've got to get
some investment into the place so that we can actually
(05:26):
get things built for people and lift our living.
Speaker 3 (05:29):
Yeah, but we're a long way from out of the woods.
Yet employment confidence latest numbers out lowest since the lockdown
September twenty twenty. Unemployment has yet to peak.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Well, that's the last thing that gets faxed, right. I mean,
if you spend eighty four percent more of your money,
you borrow a lot, you spend a lot, you end
up driving inflation. That drives interest rates. Interest rates drives
into a recession. Recession drives into unemployment. So that's the
history of economics, and that's what we've had to relearn
as a country. And that's what the last lot didn't know.
We've fixed. We've got spending a constant job to make
(06:02):
sure we're discipline of government's spending, getting value for money.
Inflation's down, interest rates are down. He started to see
the economy grow for the first time in a long time,
and with that will come rising employment. So you know
that's that is certainly the lag effect, because once you've
dealt with high inflation, high costs, and suppressed demand, you're
left with very few options but to lay off people.
And that's not what we want to see. So you know,
that's that's that's due to peak in the middle of
(06:23):
the year, and then we'll start to track down from there.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
I just want to finish with Winston Peters and a
Facebook post this week he said, why are we making
a ride for our own backs being part of the
Paris Accord, punishing our farmers and our taxpayers and our
economy When China or the US could sneeze and produce
more CO two overnight than we do in a year.
You're going to have a problem convincing Winston and see
More perhaps that you need to stay in the Paris Accord.
Speaker 4 (06:48):
Well, no, they both signed up for it. They both
signed up for it as a cabinet decision just recently
where we actually said, look, we you know it's in
New Zealand's and the reason they did it is because
it's in our national interest to do so. Right now,
we're not interested in punishing our farmers. We want agriculture
pumping the economy growing as fast as it possibly can.
And I'm telling you, when I was down at the
(07:08):
Wanner kerr Amp show the other day, farmers say, yep,
I can tell you there are multinational, big large multinational
companies and many other countries that compete with us. And
think about the dairy producing countries around the world who
would love nothing more than to use this as an
excuse to kick New Zealand products off our shells around
the world. I'm telling it they will do that. So
this is brutally us acting in our own national interest
(07:29):
to do so. We've been very pragmatic. The increase that
we've the fifty one percent over two thousand and five
compared to the previous fifty fifty percent is actually as
a very pragmatic increase. It puts us back into line
with our nets there are domestic numbers rather having a
different commitment internationally. That's all really good stuff. So no,
this is about brutally in our national interest. We're not
(07:50):
going to risk punishing our farmers by having their products
kicked off shells. That ain't going to happen.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
I just want to funish once more. It sounds like
I'm fixated on Winstone, but he's had a war of
words this week with Chippy Chris Hipkins. Chris Hipkins basically
called them an angry old man. This is actually good
news for you because the only pathway I could see
to Labour winning the election at the end the next year,
as if they could convince New Zealand First to change
sides No one wants to party Maori anywhere near the
(08:17):
treasury benches. Are you going to win this election by default?
Speaker 4 (08:21):
No, We're going to do everything we can to show
New Zealanders in twenty twenty six that they had better
off than they were three years ago and at this
colorship government and managed things a difficult situation well, and
they need to see results and that's why it's odd
sixteen months into it, Jamie. Frankly, we're talking about an
election with a long way to go, with a lot
to do, and I want everybody focused on my team
(08:42):
on making sure every day they show up here they
are actually in the country forward. And that's what you're seeing.
GCC deal, the UAE deal, India is kicking off, negotiations,
Investor summits improving, GDP, improving many of the sectors. It's
coming and so we're moving. That's the p and that's
the plan we had from day one. And we have
(09:02):
three years to show the New zeal On people that
they are better off under us and they are under
the last lot. And I'm telling you, yep, a Labor
Greens to party Mariu would be chaos. You've got a
whole bunch of you've just heard the Greens in the House, yes,
said they wanted to not have growth, not wanting people
to make profit. You know, just completely ideologically insane. So
I just say to you, I'm not worried about the election.
I think it's way too early to be talking about it,
(09:24):
and I don't think about it because I actually am
here every quarter to make sure I'm doing the business
for New Zealand and make sure we're improving.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
The joint Prime Minister, thanks for your time, Well done
on und there.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
Thanks Dag had a great week.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Yeah, yes, Prime Minister Christopher Luxe and who I caught
up with earlier this morning. He'll be at kerrwe tomorrow.
Every man and his dog is at Kurwee tomorrow for
the South Island Field Days. Day one of the South
Island Field Days. Today, beautifully fine day in Canterbury, so
enjoy it. If you're heading along, we'll bring you plenty
(09:57):
of action from there tomorrow. Nineteen sixty eight, Michelle Watt
your music theme. I don't know why, but good Music
Year also assassination year.
Speaker 6 (10:09):
Yeah you brought that up. It was a big year.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
It was a big year for assassinations. Bobby Kennedy. Of course,
RFK Jr. Is now destroying the health system. Can I
say that in the States at the moment? And Martin
Luther King Junior?
Speaker 6 (10:23):
Yeah, absolutely. I mean it's interesting because isn't aren't the
files on Martin Luther King getting released as well?
Speaker 5 (10:28):
Well?
Speaker 3 (10:29):
I think Trump's going to release them all would be interesting.
Speaker 6 (10:31):
But anyway, this music thing came about because I saw
a story in an overseas paper about McKey, you know.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
From the Monkeys, Mickey Dolan's Yeah, and.
Speaker 6 (10:41):
I didn't realize he was the only surviving member.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Left of the well. I knew that Mike Nesmith and
Davy Jones, who's lead vocals on this one, was dead
as Peter talk dead.
Speaker 6 (10:52):
Yeah, apparently he died in twenty nineteen. So it's crazy.
But my interestingly, my husband actually went to university with
McKee's daughter.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
That's great trivia and name dropping. Yes, well, there's only
one Monkey left and still two Beatles, Ringo and support.
Up next, This is nineteen sixty eight. Brian Lahore was
the all Black captain in nineteen sixty eight. Ten years later,
Graham Murray was the captain. He's up next on the Country. Yes, yes,
(11:36):
news out yesterday that the Q two National Trust has
elected Marie Taylor and former All Black Captain Graham Murray
to serve as directors on the Q two board for
the next three years. No surprise to see Graham Murray
re elected for his third term. Graham, just before we
talk about the q E two, that you're involved with
the Trust and also Southern Pastures, would be remissive me
(11:59):
not to ask you, as a former All Black captain,
about Gris Wiley, who passed away in the weekend. Now,
I'm a bit of a student of the game, loved
the history of the game, and I realized that you
were a young pretender to his throne in your early days,
and I don't want to paint Gris as a saint.
I reckon he would have belted the hell out of here.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
Yeah, well, I was probably you know, I was lucky.
I played off the back of the lineout. I know
that I think we played during your All Blacks against
the All Blacks and than Eden and Grizz was working
his way along the line out, trying to teach the
young guys. You know, they shouldn't have actually bothered turning
up and I was actually getting further and further into
the the middle of the field I think as the
(12:41):
game went on at the lineups. But yeah, I mean,
obviously Griz was he was a good player, But you're right.
I mean I think he definitely had a reputation as
an enforcer and you know, not someone you'd want to
be spending too much time trying to sow flies one
on the field.
Speaker 3 (13:01):
I understand you pulled a bit of a quick one
on him during an Auckland on not Auckland Wellington you
were playing for at the time, Canterbury game.
Speaker 5 (13:11):
Yeah, I was probably a bit stupid at the time.
I was pretty young, and I think Canterbury we just
won the Ramfrewy Shield actually and from South Canterbury on
the Tuesday and played Mid Canterbury's the old days you
played four games a week, played Mid Canterbury on the
thirday and we played Canterbury on the Saturday. And it
was a pretty tight game. I think Gris was heading
(13:34):
off down the field from the back of the line
out and I sidled up alongside him. He couldn't quite
see me, I'm sure, and said, Gris, pass it to me,
and he gave me the ball and we turned around
and I ran a few meters and passed the two
Mark Sayers who scored under the post far end and
for another time. I spent the rest of the game
(13:55):
trying to avoid him.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Gone but never forgotten gris Riley.
Speaker 5 (14:00):
You know he was a servant of the game, that's
for sure.
Speaker 3 (14:04):
Yeah, and absolutely great recorders as a coach of Canterbury
and the All Blacks. Okay, so I don't think you
would be surprised being re elected. Marie Taylor's the other
one that's going to serve. She's got a good CV
as well. But tell me, what do you bring to
the q E two National Trust?
Speaker 5 (14:20):
Oh, I guess, I guess passion for the for the trust. Really,
I think I had set up my first covenants back
in the eighties when I was on my home farm.
I think I set up the covenant on the home
farm to protect We did about twenty eggs of bush
on that and I didn't want to see anything happen
to it when I moved on, So I set up
(14:41):
a covenant then. And then I've set up a couple
of more covenants on my exit and my current farm
in TARANNICKI And then obviously with the southern pastures. We've
we've also been involved in setting up covenants because you know,
I think if you look back at the history of
New Zealand, it was basically the bottleist's paradise really initially
(15:06):
and probably eighty or ninety percent covered in forest, and
over the years from the early early marriage settlers and others,
you know, we've lost it. And I think Chiwy two
is actually the one private organization which is actually protecting
enough a lot of lead. So there's small land and
(15:27):
Qie two colonists and there isn't a number of the
national parks in New Zealand.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Yeah, and we protect it in perpetuity. The land use
can never change. I'm lucky enough to have a covenant
my south. I think it's a wonderful institution. And I
see you got some more funding from the government. The
best thing they could do, Graham Murray, to save the
planet is give you guys heaps more money. I hope
you're still petitioning them for more.
Speaker 7 (15:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
I think we were very happy. I mean we've obviously
I think probably the history of that is that Chewy
two hadn't had any funding increase four ten years and
obviously things had changed a lot over that ten years.
And it also in that time we had protected covenant
at another over a thousand more properties, so that obviously
(16:13):
brings costs because each of those properties is inspected by
one of our guys out in the field, one of
our field workers every two years and just giving them
support and advice on how the covenants need to be maintained.
So yeah, so you're really great. I think Tama Potucker
(16:35):
down at the Bluebrigs conference took a society and we
went to one of the covenants and he announced that
they were giving us some more money and that's going
to go for another three years. So I guess we've
had a stay of execution, if you want to call
it that, And you're very grateful for that, and you're
really impressed with time of his understanding of what we
(16:57):
do and how the whole thing works.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Let me just find briefly on your farming interests. You're
the director in charge of farming for Southern Pastures. It's
an institutional, a dairy fund. You're running. How many farms, Graham.
Speaker 5 (17:10):
Murray, We've got eighteen farms in about sixteen thousand cares
at the moment.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
So at a lot of those, as I understand that
are in mid Canterbury under irrigation. But do you have
it have farms in the North Island. How are they
faring with the dry.
Speaker 5 (17:26):
Yeah, we've got nine farms in the central North Island
and they're again it's it's been pretty tough up there.
I think, you know, just for most North Island farmers
time times has time's gone on, it's sort of spread
around the place and there it's certainly you know, we
definitely made sure we've got their coals off marked pregnancy
(17:48):
test England and that I would say is going to
be a reasonably short year for many many of the
North Island farmers this year at dairy farmers particularly.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
You're Opanaki's most famous son, I think, am I say
right and saying that Graham Murray.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
But anyhow, I think Peter Snell's oh he got you there,
well he was there before me and I always you know,
I guess the one thing that I take a bit
of pride at actually's watching the all back today because
obviously coached Smiley Barrett and his brother, so they they
(18:24):
were there and obviously had those young Barrett boys who
four of them have actually played super rugby from one
firm minute. It's amazing. So they are actually young young
leads running around the side of the field. When I
was coaching Openaki and Lady Coastal.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Well well Smiley had a wee bit at Gris Wiley
and him too when it came to the lineouts. But anyhow,
I won't go there. I just I just want to
finish by asking you about the Openaki dairy farm, the
home farm. I think you've still got it. I was
talking to Smiley as Fate would have it on Friday
Show and we're talking about the drought and he was
saying his father was telling him, you know, it hasn't
(19:02):
been that dry since the seventies. What are your memories.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
Yeah, definitely I think fifty years ago, since sort of
seventy four seventy five that I remember that. And I
mean obviously in those days you probably didn't carry the
supplement that and have access to other feeds that farmers
have dairy farmers have these days. So yeah, definitely, probably
(19:26):
the seventies there were two or three pretty pretty major droughts,
but definitely again in Taranaka, I think Home found there.
We're hanging in there, but it'll be a shorter season
I think probably. In fact, they they've got about I
think we've got to wear the station about a kilometer
from the farm, and there was about sixty mills of
(19:48):
rain over the last week on three days. So very
fortunately get that, maybe just in time, but you never
know these days.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Graham Maurie, I could chat to you all day, but
I'm out of time. Thanks for yours today, and congrats
on being re elected as a director to the Q
two National Trust. The institution's doing wonderful work protecting some
of our best land and perpetuity. Thanks for your time.
Speaker 5 (20:11):
Thank you very much, Gret have a good day.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
Hi Will Graham Murray bang on twelve thirty you are
with the country re elected to the Q two National Trust.
Well done, very clever man. He was the All Black
captain when we won our first Grand Slam. Ever, I
think yes I'm right in saying that in nineteen seventy eight,
go back ten years to nineteen sixty eight. Great music,
(20:38):
also a great great All Black Ford pack. Michelle. I'm
going to bore you here, but this will add to
your knowledge. Possibly I've still got time for those. So
in nineteen sixty eight. Here's your all Black Ford pack.
The great V J. Lahare was captain number eight. He
was a farmer. Sam Strawn went on a couple of
(20:59):
my farming and footy towards a wonderful man locked with
Colin pine Tree Meads, both farmers cal Tremaine. Even though
I think he finished in the travel industry, I think
he might have been a stock agent at the time.
Tom Lister I reckon he might have been a stock
agent too. I might be wrong on that one. Jazz
(21:21):
Muller was a freezing worker from Altham. Bruce McLeod I'm
pretty sure was a stock agent or had some involvement.
I may be wrong again on that one. Correct me
on five nine. And Ken Gray definitely was a farmer
and probably one of the greatest all Black props ever.
What a great all Black forward pack. That one was
(21:42):
all gone. Now they've all gone. Brian Lahore I think
broke his thumb. Am I right in saying that, Yeah,
he broke his thumb. So that left the door open.
In nineteen sixty eight for the second Test against Australia
for a young blake bloke by the name of N. Kirkpatrick.
Am I to makers all black. No, it wasn't as
all black Dabot. I think he did that the year
(22:04):
before Great Times. I belong in nineteen sixty eight. Sension.
You can leave my friend Major slow loving your feedback
(22:28):
on five double O nine. This is this is the
monkeys again, monkeys, beetles, rolling stones. Who else did I have?
The doors? The casuals? Simon and Garth, Uncle, Simon and Garfuncle.
That's from the movie The Graduates. So okay, here's a
(22:50):
correction on Tom Lister. I called him a stockage. Tom
Lister was a freezing worker, then a fisherman, then a farmer.
Thank you for that another time. And here's another one.
This is Mickey de lenz As I said, the only
monkey that we figured out is left alive. He came
to New Zealand on a hunting trip as a teenager,
just gurgled it and he did with Rex Forester. I think, well,
(23:14):
there you go. And that's from Ray. Thank you Ray
for that trivia wonderful.
Speaker 8 (23:19):
Here's Rural News, What the Country's world news with Coup Cadet,
New Zealand's leading right on lawn Bower brands it steel
Ford dot Cott zid for your locals doggist.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
You realized, Michelle that talking about the great, the late
great Sir Brian Lahore bj Lahare gives me free license
to remind Steve Wyn Harris of his total capitulation on
the ekata Herna golf course in front of Rugby Royalty.
Speaker 6 (23:44):
I can't wait to hear this story.
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Lit Brian said it in all his years of sport.
It was the funniest thing I'd ever seen. I think
we need to relive that story. What's in rural news
and ural news.
Speaker 6 (23:53):
Today, Jamie. The Regional Balanced Farm Environment Awards kicked off
again this week, starting last night with the East Coast
and Haste. Simon and Lou White of Ludlow Farms and
Oatane were crowned at the Regional Supreme winners for the
East Coast and will now join the others to vie
for the Gordon Stevenson Trophy in June. The next Regional
Supreme winners will be announced tomorrow for the Greater Wellington region.
(24:15):
And that's your rural news. He's Jamie wis sports.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
Have you got anything else? I can't find sport, can't
find sports? Oh no, no, hang on, I'll probably get
there I might do. Let me display the way sport
liner so I don't get the sack from Tom Young
at AFCO.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Sport with AFCO visit them online at a f CO
dot co dot nz.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
So we think Liam Lawson might be for the push.
I'll try and find that one. But actually yes, apparently, yeah, yeah,
he might be relegated to the Red Bull B team
whatever that is.
Speaker 6 (24:45):
Yeah, he's been dropped by Redbill Formula one. It's just
been announced.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
So yeah, he.
Speaker 6 (24:50):
Gets dropped to the second team, which I think as
a team he started and the cars are apparently easier
to drive to restaffin, but.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Yeah, and more timeless to stuff. Of course, his brother,
his brother John was a professional golfer. I think he
might did he finish second in the British Open or
something like that. So thank you very much for that
information as well. That's Jared from PARMI and he's a
(25:17):
good one. Graham Graham Murray is a bit hypocritical. I
think they mean hypocritical because he's against deforestation and yet
he shaved off one of the great mustachees. Nice text.
And here's one about Winston's diet. Does Peter's diet include
the number of cigarettes. He smokes an hour or a
(25:39):
day or has he been weaned off those?
Speaker 5 (25:42):
Well?
Speaker 3 (25:42):
I don't know about Winston smoking. Apparently he gave up,
but then he was. Someone caught him having a cheeky
little durry outside one of the university lecture halls here
in Dunedin. I don't know. Maybe that's what keeps Winston slim.
But you've got to say one thing about him. He's
got a cast iron constitution. We're going to take a
break on the other side of it. Steve One, Harris
(26:03):
Hawks Bay, Central Hawks Bay farmer broadcaster and founder or
co founder of Fireballs a Rower, let's relive his story
collapsing in front of Sir Brian Lahore at the Ekadahunah
Golf Club, just because we can welcome back to the
(26:31):
country twenty away from one Steve One Harris, Central Hawks
Bay farmer broadcaster he runs a rural show two days
a week on Central FM and one of the founders
of Fireballs a Rower. But because we've been talking about
the great B. J. Lawhaw, Steve, I have to relive
your collapse in front of him after three shanks in
(26:52):
a row at the Ekadahuna Golf course, and I believe
you're very close to that said same piece of turf here.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Well that's isn't it ironic?
Speaker 5 (27:00):
Jamie?
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Yes, I'm not far from Ikidhuna delivering Marlow genetic rams
into Derek Daniel's district, which has given me a great
deal of pleasure. And hopefully he's listening.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
Well, I don't think Derek will be too toughed about that.
Are you still breeding lambs rams? I thought you'd sort
of retired from farming.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Oh, my son, he's doing all of that work. I'm
you know, I'm advisor and junior shepherd, so you know
I'm still there in the fringes.
Speaker 3 (27:23):
Has farm succession worked for you pretty good?
Speaker 5 (27:26):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (27:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
Our first year was a shaker coming out of Gabriel,
and everything that we could go wrong did go wrong.
You know, U's got Lipto, I got Lepto nearly died,
and then we've got Salomonella. I mean, stock Men and
Beast was under huge pressure and land after Gabriel and
what had preceded it, because we've had a lot of
other big weather events. But this year huh so much better.
(27:47):
And you know, I do feel sorry for the West
Coast with their drought. But you know, we're having a
good season and probably deserved to break, to be honest.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
Although I look, maybe not Central Hawk's pay it up
the road, but and you know, Mainland Hawks. But if
I can call it on my drought index, Matt says,
it's getting away bit dry.
Speaker 7 (28:04):
Yeah, yeah, but we've got some feet.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
You know, we've had a few falls, and you know,
no one on the east coast of the North Island
should be complaining. We know what's happening over on the
west side. So no, no, we're pretty good. Hey, you've
been talking about nineteen sixty eight, yep, And a guy
called George Wallace stood as an independent. He had been
a Democrat and he stood in that presidential election that
Nixon won. And a commentator at the time said, America
(28:29):
is not ready for George Wallace, but there is a
super Wallace in the future.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
And that's and that's the Trumpster. Yes, hey, but didn't
George Wallace get shot? Am I Is it the right guy?
Am I talking about the same guy?
Speaker 2 (28:43):
I can't remember? With Kennedy?
Speaker 3 (28:46):
No, no, no, no, I know Bobby Kennedy and Martin
Luther King.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Ji with John Kennedy do you remember someone else took
a bote in that car too, didn't they?
Speaker 3 (28:52):
No, no, no, no, that's nineteen sixty three. We're talking
sixty eight here RFK and Martin Luther King Junior. But
I reckon that George Wallace got shot because he was
against the integration of the schools.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Yeah, yeah, I can't remember that that, but but yeah,
anyway I thought was there was an interesting little quote
from from back in nineteen sixty eighth.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Okay, but not as interesting as being a member of
Fireballs rt R.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
That's right, Jamie, And you've been pitching me as a
co founder.
Speaker 5 (29:19):
Not true.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
I was a Johnny cum lately, but I joined a
couple of years ago when when it was getting underway.
And yeah, a big fireball two or three weeks ago,
it's seen from around the North Island. We were under
cloud here on the east coast and this fireble almost
certainly dropped a meter right. And I was in the
Marquuri district with a few willing volunteers looking for for
(29:44):
this meta right on a farm farm there called Marhoe
Station and Rick and Ally Hart Co owners and that
they were part of the search, and they were very
keen and guess what. They've joined. Fireballs are here and
they're going to get it.
Speaker 3 (29:56):
They're going to get cameras, they're going to get bored
silly by you, but literally Steve, because I know you
found one on the Mackenzie district and you were very
excited about it. It is needle and a haystacks sort
of stuff.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
Oh yeah, Well, in fact, the day after finding that
one down and it's called Takapow that met rite, you
interviewed me and apparently one of your most listen to
interviews on replay.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
Only because you only because you played it over about
six hundred times.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
Probably, But yeah, yes, I had one hundred percent success
rate of organizing search parties and then finding meta rights.
But it's just slump to fifty percent because we didn't
we didn't find this one out there but reck and
now we are continding to search, and now all the
shepherds are sort of instead of dagging sheep. I think
they're wandering around looking for it.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
But it could be a rock smaller than the size
of your fists, so they're going to have to be
lucky to come across. George Wallace, Michelle's just passed me
a note it was a victim of an attempted assassination.
Did he end up in a wheelchair? Michelle, you need
to find that out. Yeah, no, okay, I think he
might have been anyhow, Steve, Balance Farm Environment Awards, you
nearly won that in twenty twelve, pipped up the post
(31:04):
by my good friends Grant and Bernie Weller. I don't
think you've forgiven grunt of sins, have you?
Speaker 2 (31:10):
Oh? You know I'm forgiving me. It takes a few
years to know. And no, I'm all about that. But
I was at that East Coaston Farm environ Awards last night.
It was great actually because I had been the chairman
for aden nine years, so it's great just sitting in
the audience and watching and yees. Simon Simon and Lou
White won the overall one. And it's funny actually because
(31:31):
Leith Ashworth, who's one of john Sworth's sons, and Tom
Tennant they were the other finalists and I knew Leith,
Tom and Simon all his small boys. So starting to
feel old, Jamie.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
Yeah, while we all get none of us are getting
any younger. Steve George Wallace did end up in a wheelchair,
so my memory serves me well there and someone else's
texted and didn't Wallace get hit by a deflecting bullet
off Reagan? No, he didn't. Reagan's assassination attempt was in
the nineteen eighties. So there you go, Steve. I had
one more question to ask you, but I've forgotten completely
(32:04):
what it was. Are you just your reflections of that day?
Three shanks in a row? You had the game under control,
three shanks in a row, falling to the ground into
a rocking fetal position saying I hate myself, I hate
myself in front of Rugby Royalty.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
It was pretty embarrassing really because I was actually care.
I was caring Brian, he was my partner. And then
then I had I had that incident three senths in
a row in front of you know, one of New
Zealand's great sporting icons, and I completely and utterly went
to pieces for the final couple of holes. And he
looked at me at the end of it and he said,
you cost me a Heineken. And a couple of years later,
(32:45):
I was doing a big EMC job down in Marston
and I got up there. I had all these Hurricane
guys to to interview on the stage and I looked
down and the end the front row was Sir Brian
and he's just in MP and he's just looking up
at me Berg smiling his face, just quietly shaking his heat.
It really didn't help my composer at all.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Okay, Steve got to go. There we go, Steve and
Harris from Fireballs Rah. If you're getting bored or playing golf,
or you're playing golf badly, maybe you could join that
esteemed organization up next to our farm strong Farmer out
of the Bay of Plenty, and that is Stephen Crossen.
(33:26):
Monthly here on the country we chat to a farm
strong farmer, although this month's farm strong farmer is actually
a key we fruit spraying contract. There is a name
is Steve cross and he's from Tippookey. But Steve used
to be a dairy farmer. You've moved into the horticulture
industry and one of the reasons we're chatting to you
today you're the bloke behind the annual dairy farmers versus
(33:49):
hort Crowers cricket match in Tipoke. We've got a bit
of background noise, there no doubt on the road side.
So how did this game come about Stephen Crossing.
Speaker 7 (33:58):
Originally I was trying to instare ideas to bring our
rural community into the cricket club and find some I
guess filling cricketers for a struggling small country cricket club.
As the idea of snowboard what I did some brainstorming.
It pretty quickly became more of trying to find players
and I guess give guys a reason to have a
day off their farms or orchards and play some cricket.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
So the idea came about dairy farmers versus hoart growers.
You were a dairy farmer, you've changed sides. You play
a match, an annual match, I think on the last
Sunday in February. Who won this year?
Speaker 7 (34:35):
So this year I think it's a third year in
a row the horticulture guys has got the win. They
were put into field first, the horticulture guys, and they
bowled Team the Airy out for one hundred and forty
and then in reply they chase it down pretty quickly.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
So what format are you playing T twenty or surely
it's not fifty overs?
Speaker 7 (34:55):
No, we play thirty overs. Thirty overs gives every sort
of the opportunity to get a bat in the bowl.
There's a couple of drinks breaks in. They're sponsored by
one of the local pubs, so it sort of gives
I guess, a long and afgame the cricket for everyone
to get a go and sort of keeps everyone at
the cricket club for most of the day.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
Well, very important to get a day off farm. I
hear through the grapevine, the Kiwi fruit grape vine, that
you're losing dairy farmers. A lot of the dairy farms
in your Tapuki region. Of course, the Kiwi fruit capital
of the country are being converted to Kiwi fruit.
Speaker 7 (35:32):
It's getting harder to find, Yeah, dairy farmers to play
in our game. Whether it's because of the conversions or
people are not getting the message, but there is definitely
more queue for it going in the area, that's for sure.
Speaker 3 (35:44):
Tapuki must be a very positive place at the moment.
I know the dairying's going well. Kiwi fruit seems to
be on a real high at the moment.
Speaker 7 (35:53):
Yeah, the town's buzzing. The roads are busy. You can't
get a park in town and there's several trucks on
the road. Things are definitely looking good for us here
and see pockets.
Speaker 3 (36:02):
Okay, just go back to farming. How have you found
the transition from dairy farmer to Kiwi fruit contractor?
Speaker 4 (36:10):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (36:10):
Originally it was yeah, I guess from the start it
was challenging, but then your skills that you learn as
a dairy farmer translate to everything really, whether it's fixing
a leaky hose or learning how to manage a time,
they're all very similar.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
I would imagine being a dairy farmer Stephen Crosslin would
be very good training for a spraying contractor because the
dairy farmers have to get out of bed at sparrow's fart,
and I know you spraying contractors are just the same.
You want to get out and get going before the
wind gets up.
Speaker 7 (36:43):
Yeah, it's getting out before the wind gets up or
before any other people are in the orchards or out
of bed, and then really making the most out of
our day, whether it's a four am start or a
three am starts, trying to get as much out of
the day as we can.
Speaker 3 (36:56):
How do you stay farm strong? How do you look
after the top paddock? Because they've thrown you up this month,
you're obviously a bit of an ambassador for the mental
health charity, Rural Mental Health Charity.
Speaker 7 (37:08):
Running this cricket event is one of my big things
that keeps me going. I find they're helping others is
one of the key things that keeps me going and positive.
I also run the Booking Cricket Club, so that keeps
me busy as well, so it keeps in mind a
little bit off work and other stuff.
Speaker 5 (37:25):
Thank you.
Speaker 7 (37:25):
Helping others is the main part of what I do.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
Yes, having a hobby or an interest off farm is
crucial to rural mental health, no doubt about it. Steve
Crossing is this month's farm. Strong Farmer, keep up the
good work and we look forward to the Dairy Farmers
versus the Haart Growers cricket match and to Pooky again
and twenty twenty six. And that wraps the country for today.
(37:54):
Thanks for all your feedback on five Double nine, especially
on tom Listener. Graham Murray and George Wallace will be
back tomorrow. It'll be day two of the South Island
Field Days. We've got Katie mel And, Andrew Hoggard and
Chrishipkins there tomorrow. That'll be interesting to see what sort
of reception he gets we'll see you, then steamed.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Mall you catch all the latest from the land. It's
the Country Podcast with Jamie McKay. Thanks to Brent, you're
specialist in John Deere construction equipment.
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