The Country 13/11/25: Stu Loe talks to Jamie Mackay

We catch up with a local farmer to chat about the famous pig breeders’ social event and what's happening on-farm, as well as a bit of footy.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, where there's bear, there's farmers, and where there's farmers,
this big stew low he's in for a second dig today, Stu,
thanks for coming in. I think we're going to get
your other farmer mate, Stu Duncan. He's going to be
here tomorrow. But good rain, because I think you're going
to have to work tomorrow, are you? You will be
like a lot of farmers. There's a pretty good crowd here,
I reckon maybe because of this weather.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yeah, potentially. Yeah, there's not much to do back home
on the farm, so yeah, but a couple of last
panics to drill, so bit of moisture, so we'll get
some seed in the ground tomorrow, which a lot of
North Canbary and Canary's. Yeah, up the east coast is
really screaming out for now.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
Earlier this morning, you took me along to the Ball
Breeders Association event. Is that what you call it?

Speaker 2 (00:44):
An event?

Speaker 1 (00:45):
So all these young people, well young compared to us,
breed a pig. Does it have to be a boar?

Speaker 2 (00:52):
I think, yeah, well I assume it does. But they
might be a sa section. I'm sure there is, yes.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
Okay, so that they breed a pig but it's kind
of really just a giant booze up or social event,
to be perfectly honest, because they all get dressed up.
It is politically incorrect. Your daughter was there? Were you
worried about?

Speaker 2 (01:11):
That's due That's why I'm not there now. Yeah, so no, no,
they've I think what happens tonight with the pig Breeders
or big vet ball tonight could be interesting. So we
know we won't attend that, but we'll drop her off
and carry on.

Speaker 1 (01:25):
This is a real institution, isn't it. And for some
people would say that the ball Breeders Association competition or
event is the highlight of the show.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
Well, yeah, that seems that it's the only class I
think in the in the shee there that's growing and
there's always interested. A couple might have got turned away
by the weather, but no, no, someone started and it's cred
a lot of interest, which is cool.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
And they're in the big covered area there where all
the other the sheep and the cattle are all on display.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
There.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
There's lots of animals and I know that livestock and
that's what David, Sir David Carter was really keen about
with the show. He wanted to get back to the
future and back to showing livestock because that's what AMP
shows are all about, exactly.

Speaker 2 (02:09):
Yeah, so with the COVID and different things, ye had
a lot of shows of battle to weebit and then yeah,
waiting for a bit of interest. But now if they
can create a bit of yeah, something new, something different,
keep the people coming. I guess, how are.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
Things going on the farm, because like all of Canterbury,
you're getting a bit dry. You might get twenty five
mills out of this event, which should be most welcome,
but it's not a drought or a dry spell breaker,
is it.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
No? But what happens next? So if we get a
bit of seed in the ground tomorrow, we'll look for
a follow up and sort of week to ten days.
But no, no, We've we had a pretty like everyone,
we had a tough tough spring September. I think we
had fifteen meals of rain in a lot of cold wind.
So yeah, the clovers and stuff and so all of
the young lands that didn't really kick on. And I've
had a cup of drafts but waits it down. But

(02:59):
the money's up, so you've got to get in and
this week in my Yeah, the Skaggle Valley, there's been
store lambs leaving with traditionally fellows who finished them on
rape and stuff.

Speaker 1 (03:08):
And so when do you have your first winning draft
or if you had it.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
I've had a bit of a skim draft to skim draft,
so yeah, it'll be next end of the month. That'll
I'll have a really good tea.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
So for your skim skim draft. And you still leave
the lambs on mom deer the other.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
The rain, Yeah, just take off the big ones and
you take off the big ones.

Speaker 1 (03:25):
So what sort of money are we talking?

Speaker 2 (03:27):
Just under two hundred dollars, so yeah, it's been been
pretty good.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah, and just over the hill from you, I'll get
my North Canterbury geography correct, is like the Culvernin area
and they and they've been absolutely smashed.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
By the ones.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
We're hearing stories of some of those pivot irrigators being
out of action till March.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
Yeah, that's that's correct, because yeah that you hear of
sort of seven farms of seven pivots and five out
of action and things like that, so that they're they're
going to really struggle to grow some grass. But this
will this will be a short term fix, I guess,
but yeah, long term they're not going to get these
pivots replaced in a hurry.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
Two more questions for you Rugby, and Bear will start
with the rugby. This England Test is going to be
really it's obviously going to be the toughest one on
the tour. And you look at that England side and
they have named the side, They've got a bomb squad,
they've got a six to split on the bench, and
they've gone with all the kickers. That's going to be

(04:27):
an aerial assault. Have we got our back three right
or will we get our back three right? We don't
know the all Black team.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
Yet hopefully, and I guess I don't like to say it,
but it'll depend on who referees it too, I think,
and who officiates, because sometimes if they can slow the
game down in the reft. One of the games I
saw in angers Gard and wanted to keep the game
going might have been the French So Everything game and
he wants to keep the game going, which which will
help us if we get a referee that wants to

(04:55):
keep it moving. Those Northern Hemisphere teams just want to
slow it down and here make it make it.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
A really looking forward to What do you make of
the twenty twenty five Mikaiser You get a box for
Christmas as well for being a loyal servant and a
loyal correspondent. By the way, I mean, are you a
craft beer man or are you sort of more lion
brown man?

Speaker 2 (05:14):
No, i'd probably the green I love green bottles. Yeah,
but the you know, that's any beer that's freeze always
good beer. The shear is always like free beer when
you give it away.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
Tell what they've earned it though exactly.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
Yeah we did a week, it used to say, and yeah,
I did a lot of watching and not much doing.

Speaker 1 (05:32):
So good good luck on the farm tomorrow getting some
of that seed into the ground and hopefully you get
some follow up runs. Stu dunk Stu Duncan. Stu Duncan
will be on the show tomorrow. I think his boy
was in the competition as well. I hope he's better
behave than the old man.