The Country 24/04/25: Kevin "Smiley" Barrett talks to Rowena Duncum

We head to Taranaki to talk a bit of farming and footy with a man who knows a bit about both.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're after Tuddanacky now on the country coastal Tardanucky and
thanks there we find our farming ambassador, Kevin Smiley. Barrett.
Good afternoon, Smiley. How's it going.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Good afternoon around listen. Yeah, great day today actually after
a bit of a suddly blast yesterday, but naice call
Chris morning. But yeah, definitely ground some grassy and getting
some week done here.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
That's good. And of course you're an organic farm, so
you want to be growing as much grass on farm
as possible. A little bit more challenging to get hold of.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yeah, you would definitely wear there. Last time we talked
to you three weeks ago that grow here. We just
had some good rain, but yeah, most guys help in
South Kerinck you are still here. Could do with a
wee bit more, but yeah, most guys are ground some
good grass here, which is great, and try and get
some milk into maw here.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
Very severe frost down here parts of south and getting
snapchats of that this morning that I'll limpaid the growth
rates obviously. Have you had any frosts in the Naka yet?

Speaker 2 (00:54):
No? No, no, there's not any snow on the mountain. Yes,
I got the saw tamgein this morning. I did do
it actually, but I'm thinking right up there. We've had
no no cold rain as such, you know, so the
saw was not saturating. It's not cold, so you will
definitely grow some grass going into the winter.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
Yere Now, in terms of drying off, what are you
looking at for that?

Speaker 2 (01:14):
Turning on towards the end of my year? If we've
dried a few lights off in for your high salecounts
and last the week yesterday, so caculist and goodness with
the heats will be once today since you know February
with the dry so your volumes are down, but here
ivan keep going. Well, the conditioners are good. Year.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
We've got the head of your milk company, Myles Harrald's
CEO of Fontira and Studio, co hosting the show today.
You were giving him a bit of stick in the
air break Smiley, good favor here with Fonterra and being
an organic farmer, you get a bit of a premium.
What are you looking at this year?

Speaker 2 (01:48):
There was a midpoint here left to wake me up
on this exuy, I think it was eleven eighties at midpoint. Yeah,
so that's a good year. I'm not so sure that
the volumes haven't an update for a while, but just
been a challenging year. You had a good payert and
you know the two never go and teend of me
with the production here. But sure it might be the
teen to fifteen percent, which is which is pretty good really.
I know there's some some people have dried off, you know,

(02:09):
so that's fine and every years different and you take
a good of the bed there.

Speaker 1 (02:12):
Miles in terms of you know, organic versus conventional farmers,
what's the percentage or do you have a lot of
that around New Zealand supplying fonterra.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
We limit it to the North Island at the moment anyway,
but it's also a relatively small percentage of our book
and we try and keep it that way because trying
to build a tension there our supply demand and it's
a relatively small market for us, predominantly in the US
at the moment, but you know it's growing for us,
but we try and cap the amount of growth that
we see every year as well.

Speaker 1 (02:41):
Yeah, Smiley, are there many other organic farmers near you?

Speaker 2 (02:44):
Yes, there is. One of my neighbors is organic and
there is good and a year.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
I might transition from dairy farming and to rugby. It
was only whom we're in the ad Brak Smiley. Then
I realized the Highlanders are playing the Crusaders here in
Duneda and Saturday night seven oh five, you'll have a
son taking to the field Scott Barrett.

Speaker 2 (03:06):
Yeah, yes, godding it, doubt I haven't seen the team
of team up to the SPOSA. It's not already a year,
so he'll be I'll be looking to keep their form
going and go down there. Not upper one, but Michael
Derby down the other hand. As as you know, they're
tough at home, so I'll have to play well to
beat them.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
Yeah, it's always a good game down here and a
good crowd. It's a bit tough though when it's in
the middle of a long weekend, but they'll have their
faithful supporters down there. How's Jordy getting on in Ireland? Smiley?
He can't be too far away from coming back home.

Speaker 2 (03:36):
But the biggest thing the seasons is cranking in there. Actually. Yeah,
they had a game last week. There was a day
to remember off end for the usc so so even
played that game they rest of them, But going forward
got some big games coming up, so in the US
and the European Cup.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
Is JORDI still having a lot of support from your
old friends from when you were farming in Ireland. Are
they still heading along to all the games and sharing them.

Speaker 2 (04:00):
On They certainly are as the whole of all and you.
I don't think I'd say they'll be seriously talking about
customs over and they won't be looking at the country
that we wanted to hang on to you. That's what's sun,
mayn't you. I mean he's got to come and improve
himself by you're looking out to you. So but when
he gets in, if he's right, eb ameally if they
not yet you see developed with some super games. But

(04:21):
he does. Until you be, you'd be too treated during
the year.

Speaker 1 (04:26):
So why didn't see situation? Kevin Smiley Barrett, I know
you're in the tractor. You've just paused it to chat
to us. But hey, thanks so much on behalf of
myself and co host Myles har All. Thanks for your time.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
Yeah as a pleaser, have a good day.

Speaker 3 (04:40):
Cheers