The Country 01/05/25: Jeremy Rookes talks to Jamie Mackay

Canterbury-based lifestyle/hobby farm correspondent talks about climate change, the incessant rain, solar farms, and GE in farming. Plus, why should he need to buy a duck shooting license?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Canterbury is very, very wet at the moment. Let's go
there our guy lifestyle hobby farm correspondent Jeremy Rook's Jesser,
how bad is it?

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Oh, it's not too bad. We've had one hundred and
fifty miles but it's just been steady, so no drama
around flooding or anything for us anyway.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
Yeah, I note that they're evacuating the sale on hunts
or something like that, so there's obviously a bit of
surface flooding. Maybe the worst where there could be up
the road in Wellington a rare red level wind warning
a possible threat to life. Will keep an eye on
that one. Where do I start with you, Soul of Farms.
They've opened a big new solo farm down the road

(00:39):
from you, just sort of north or northwest of Ashburton.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yeah, have you.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Got any comments on said solo farm?

Speaker 2 (00:51):
Well, just, renewables are a waste of time unless it's hydro.
I mean, to just look what's happened in Spain and
southern France. I mean it's just it doesn't work, it's expensive,
and I mean the carbon footprint of producing panels and
wind turbines is off the chart. So you know, and
look at the power prices in England when they've gone.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
Yeah, okay, that's all very well, but you can't get
we haven't got enough hydro to sustain our energy Needsie, well,
there's no there's no bigger proponents of dams than me.
But a they take a while. You've got to get
consents to do them. Admittedly Shane Jones is going to
fast track that. But our energy needs are immediate.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, but I mean this has been an ongoing issue
for years and we're just at the mercy of the
greens and everything and it's all ridiculous. Let's get it done.
I mean wind and soul is hopeless. I mean wind
like Watson Wellington. You've got to turn the bloody turbines
off because they'll bloat the bit otherwise. And you're not
generating a lot of power in your solar panels today.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
No, but that one down the nash Burton or near
Ashburton con generator hell of a lot of power. And
I understand those solar panels are good for what twenty
twenty five years?

Speaker 2 (02:05):
Well, but you're ever it's how well they weren't when
they're actually game depending on what the weather done.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
Okay, what you're also up and well, actually you're talking
about the Greenies, you're sounding like one yourself. You don't
want a bar of this changes to our ge legislation.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
No, I don't, because I think once you open a
can of We're you know, Pandora's box, you can't put
it back. And I think it's as usual, It's been
decided by people who aren't affected directly by the consequences
of it, because we're always being told partners about what's
good for us and what's not without being actually included
in the process. And I think I think that's the

(02:43):
biggest issue I've got. And I mean, once you get
into this ge GM stuff, you behold it to mont
Santo and all these big corporates who have proprietary rights
on seeds and you and you run into issues with
chemical resistance and stuff worse than we've got now. So no,
And also the irony is we have a taste Pure
Nature brand and if you start putting in genetically modified

(03:05):
GMO stuff around, well that completely is asked about face
without national brand, isn't it.

Speaker 1 (03:10):
I will be asking Chris Russell, who's coming up shortly
on the show. I think he might have an opposite
opinion to you on this strong Jeremy.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
But if you're putting boluses like both there and stuff,
you know you're creating a problem. I mean, in Australia
they finish all their animals on grain, and we and
we finish ours on grass. And grass is a natural
you know, you know, a natural source of protein for
animals that ruminant animals have been designed to digest properly,

(03:42):
whereas on feed lots, you know, cattle aren't designed to
bloody grain. Are they speaking of grain? Because I'm really
annoyed about fish and game because you know, duck shitting
coming up this weekend. And it isn't about landowners not
having a license. We know that because you're sitting in
your own farm. But I want to know, and particularly
after the way fishing game have been carrying on in Southland,

(04:04):
why any person who is invited to shoot ducks on
a private farm should have to pay for a license.
I don't know. In all the thirty years and forty
years of duck shooting and when we shot at home
as well and feeding out grain and stuff to bring
the ducks in, I don't know any input that fish
and game have had on the duck population or added

(04:25):
to it. And in fact ducks are polluting you know,
Lake Alismere or White Aura, you know, and stuff like that.
And so what why should I have to pay for
a day license, I mean our full seconds license. It's ridiculous.

Speaker 1 (04:39):
You've got no argument with me on that one.

Speaker 2 (04:42):
Let's finish really day license.

Speaker 1 (04:44):
I know there should be an opening morning license for
a lot of shooters. They go out at seven o'clock
in the morning, they fire a few shots and anger
till nine or ten the guns have brought away, and
that's that I agree with you in opening day license.
Let's just finish on a really positive note. You sent
me a we text or a pixed this morning of

(05:05):
some Calf prices. I can't believe this on with you.
One thousand and ninety dollars for one hundred and seventy
kilo stare calf. That's huge money. IOP swear. Are you gone, Jeremy?

Speaker 2 (05:20):
But no, no, no, of the online options. A yeah,
the prices are just going mad. Like today, I think
the price of stairs will by the lock of it
will be five to eighty or something like that. Every
one's just going mad because of the price is so
really good for the guys who are stuck in with
beefcaps and stuff, and it's really good for the industry.
So that's fantastic.

Speaker 1 (05:38):
All right, Jeremy, I got to go. Thank you very
much for some of your time. Good luck on Saturday morning,
don't you