September 12, 2025 • 43 mins
Andy Muir talks to Tarryn Benton, Jeff Grant, Grant McMaster, David Frame and Matt Ward.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Last night, how the stream.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Is during a very good morning and welcome along to
the best of the Muster, a collaboration of interviews during
a busy week here at Hockey New EHQ. My name's
Andy Mure, thanks for joining us. Starting off Tarren Benton.
Tarran is involved at Jeff Farm along with her husband Mike.
They're managing Jeff Farm, which is of course the Salvation
Army run farm. But the unique story as well is
(00:29):
around the Cadet ship and the cadets are going on
the farm on a yearly basis, which tarranol tells us
all about Jeff Grant talking politics. He's not too sure
about the government at the next election in the eyes
of the undercided voter.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Jeff tells us why this.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Next election could be a closer thing than we imagine.
Grand Disaster McMaster. We catch up a disaster on the
edges of Lake Wakatapu where he farms at Close Friends
Station and he talks about rural connectivity and just the
burden that it presents to rural New Zealand when it shouldn't.
David fraymer Craig's investment Partners, talking about interest rates and
(01:07):
mortgages and finally Matt Ward. Now, Matt was on the
program about four or five weeks ago and a really
intelligent individual, a young mind coming through in a farming sense,
but worth a lot of wisdom on his shoulders as well,
and just telling us how things are going on the
farm and his attitude towards Hoggitt Lambing, which was interesting
to say the least, but nonetheless really rewarding because he's
(01:28):
getting the results at the other end. So without further ado,
we'll start the hour next with Tarren Benton.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
This is the best of the muster. You you have
to say.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Now, thanks for joining us on the muster on top
of the world by imagined dragons with blue sky and abundance,
which is certainly something you want as you head into
the middle list at tea. But now I'm joined in
studio by Taran Benton and her daughter Island. Now Tarran
is involved with the husband Mike. They're managing Jeff Farm,
the Sally's Army Farm out there at Koiwera.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Welcome Taren, thanks for joining us.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Thanks and it's good to be here.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Island is in here as well. How are you either
you helping mum today? That's your first time in a
radio studio.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah, yeah, what do you think of it? A bit different?
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, Tara. Now your journey to Jeff Farm, it's a
really good story. Like yourself and your husband Michael, you've
ended up there, but you've had a varied farming experiences
over the years.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Yeah, we've moved around a bit. Yeah, I'm no stranger
to be packing up a house, but it's been good
to have a look around and learn different styles of farming,
different people, how different people operate, and kind of apply
some of those learnings back to systems like you farm.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Now you say you've looked at different systems of farming
as such, tell us a bit about what you guys
have been up to.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Yeah, well, if I go right back, like Michael started
with a deery farming background in the far North, so
that betting it south is is varied, and I grew
up down here in South and was probably exposed to
sort of large scale farming. And then once we were married,
we actually before we were married, we were working for
(03:31):
Landcorp both in the North and South Island, and then
moved to sort of the Waikaia area and Michael was
on Glen Lapper and I was on the Deer Improvement
l I see deer farm out at Belfa, and then
once we were married, we started at Kettle Flat Station
for Jeffree Young for about three or four years, so
(03:53):
that sort of Southland hill country. From there we moved
way up to Marlow Station in the Arlitry Valley up
in Blenheim, so the Marino Real high country, isolated style,
and that was an awesome experience. And from there, when
it was time to get the kids into school, we
actually moved to Hunterville in the Lower North Island and
(04:14):
managed Oda Witty Station, which is another cadet farm, taking
on about eighteen cadets for a one year course each
year eighteen. Yeah. Yeah, so it's different again but really
cool community and it probably just made us realize how
much we enjoyed that that training, the training of school
(04:37):
leavers and giving them a shot at farming and it
was quite a rewarding and satisfying type role. A lot
of fun too.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Yeah, So was that the catalyst for you coming back
to South London.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
No, we loved Odo Witty and unfortunately things just didn't
pan out there in terms of I think you know,
more than half the farm got plundered in pine trees
and it sort of just with a young family, we
weren't sure that it was for us anymore. We actually
headed to a marama after that. It's probably one of
the only Romney farms and a marama there and did
(05:11):
that for about three years. Another awesome rural community and
lovely climate. Then when John Chadagetsu, we heard that he
was looking for a two icee and I already had
an affinity with Jeff Farm from my dad was the
headship of there years ago when I was a preschooler,
(05:34):
and you know, we knew John Well, My family knew
John Well, and we're just at old Let's let's go
check that out because that could be something we're interested in.
And yeah, so that's how we ended up at Jiff Farm.
But we started in like a May of twenty twenty two,
I think, and by July we're a scratching your heads,
going what have we done? Because we'd gone from shifting
(05:56):
break fences in air jym shoes to just yeah, needing flippers.
But it's been it's been an experience and yeah, I
think we've done a lot of growing.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Yeah, Look, we talk.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
About the cadets where you guys are based there at
Jeff Farm.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
And certainly a different dynamic.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
But what did you say, you're eighteen cadets under your
wing up there.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Yeah, and it's now that we've had the now that
we've been at Jeff Farm and having you know, four
or five kidets, I find it a much more personal experience,
like you really get to know them, sort of become
part of your family type thing, and get to know
their personalities, their strengths, their weaknesses, where you can where
they need more support, and you've got them for two
(06:41):
years versus one. So I think it's a better model
that works for us anyway. But in the same breath,
we just need more more places to take on these
school leaders who want to get into farming. So without
the bigger places like Odaworthy doing what they're doing, it's
pretty Yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Tough getting young people to come along to places like
Jiff Farmer doesn't seem to be a problem, no.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
So we've just had our open day on the start
of August there and we had more than thirty kidets
come and we were only looking to take two. Wow,
and we had over twenty applications. Good solid applications, it
gets pretty hard to split them. So in the end
we've we just selected our cadets last week for twenty
(07:26):
twenty six and we've taken three. We have room for three,
so we just thought, this is what we're here to do,
so let's take as many as we can.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
So how do you get three people from a number
like that.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
It's probably the thing we disliked the most about the job,
because it's those three phone calls you get to make
and say, hey, you've made it, you know, great, But
it's the twenty odd other phone calls you've got to
make and say sorry mate, and they go, well, why
you know, what could I have done better? And it's
like nothing. So it comes down to age, but not
(08:05):
just age. You know, we prefer to take the seventeen
eighteen year olds, but age is just a number. So
more maturity and having their independence, so we want them
to have their restricted license ideally, and we're there for
people who wouldn't have a shot at farming otherwise, so
(08:26):
we probably look favorably upon people who perhaps don't come
from They might have a farming background, but not from
a farm of their own or from parents who are
sheep and beef farmers.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Do you ever get any cadets leave halfway through the
course or half way through the internship.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Or such yet.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
So we've just had in May a caidect who was
in her second year hand in her notice, which it's
a shame, but I think when people are this young,
they're still trying to figure out what's for them, so
they give it a go. But you get so far
through the course, and I mean in this situation, she
(09:06):
had a pre existing back injury and we've got big sheep,
and so she found it. She did find it tough
when it come to things like the sharing course and
things like that, and it was a decision she made
on her own after some back surgery actually, So yeah,
it's tough. And ideally that's not that we don't like
(09:27):
them to leave halfway through, but we also understand that,
you know, when you're at that age, how many career
chops and changes have we all had when we were,
you know, back at the same age.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
So so just about lambing season, you guys are all
ready for it.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
I think, so, I hope. So we're in it anyway.
The earlies, the earlies have started well into it and
everything else is spread out over the farm ready to go,
so eiler.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
What do you like most about lambing that you get
to have pets? How many pet lambs do you get?
Got one now?
Speaker 5 (10:01):
Because I want to calf this?
Speaker 1 (10:03):
You want a calf?
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Wow? Calfs are pretty cool that way. Hey, thanks for
coming in, guys. Great to catch up and just learning
about what you guys are doing out there regarding the
cadets ship and are like Arran and Ila.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Thanks for coming in, great to catch up.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Thanks for having us Andy.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Whatever's welcome back to the muster.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Jeff Krant joins us in this afternoon's political round up.
Good afternoon, Jeff. It sounds like you're up in Central
Otago as the sun out.
Speaker 6 (10:44):
Yes, there is done the sun, but you know central
major parts of it. I've had quite a bit of
rain over the last a few weeks, a bit like Southland.
Sorry for Central. That's quite good to get round at
this time of the year.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
It sounds as though there's been a lot of wind
up that way too.
Speaker 6 (11:01):
Yeah, they definitely caught the end of that front that
went through that obviously had a lot more damage in
terms of Wellington and Tasman area. But yeah, no a bit.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Of wind now you talk about when politicians arenowned for
hot lend, but nonetheless look local government restructure, your reckument's
on the cards.
Speaker 6 (11:21):
Well, the intention from what I understand is now the
RIMA legislation will come into the House probably in December,
the introduction of the changes, and then the government is,
as I understand, hopeful to have that through by July.
Those changes will be significant, especially for regional councils in
(11:45):
terms of what powers or what areas they will be
responsible for in terms of consenting etc. And how much
that will become national nationally based, and then there will
be some implications and fort of tour authorities and so
question really starts to wind up on the basis that
if you're stripping back the regional council responsibilities, well you know,
(12:07):
what are they left to look after? And as their
more logical argument to then look at the structure in
the Southland, as Rob Scott's promoted, what do you say
is there an opportunity for a single unitary authority for
the whole southend.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
The biggest issue seems to be though, as the blowback
from local government to central government regarding regarding restrictions on things.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Would you agree with that?
Speaker 6 (12:33):
Yeah, I look, there's a bit of that in there too.
But if you looked at what the economy has done
over the last three years in terms of reduction in
employment and redundancies, public service reforms, etc. You wouldn't have
said that the local government had stretched itself in this area.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
And erasing as well.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Regarding the government, we're not far away now from the
general election, you said as well, just over a year away.
But all of a sudden, we're saying Wiston Peter's at
the weekend going into campaigning mode from the word get go.
But you're not convinced that there won't be a change
of government.
Speaker 6 (13:11):
Well, I think that you'd have to say, when you're
doing the scoreboard and putting the points on the table,
there's still a wee way to go because while the
coalition government I think has done well in terms of
holding themselves together and making some of those reforms, the
implications from those reforms. So let's take something like you
(13:31):
can now builder, we're about to be able to build
a house under seventy square meters without getting consent. Those
sort of things they haven't filtered through the interest rates
in terms of mortgages haven't yet filtered through to where
people have more cash and in their weekly pay. So
there are, without any doubt my view, still some things
(13:54):
that they would need to get that people would start
to feel that the wind was behind them, that things
were starting to look good, and you know there's always
by Elections can be turbulent and you never know the result.
But the one in Auckland with the Mari seat showed that,
you know, the minority parties are still very.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Strong, but there's no voter engagement, Jeff. The turnout for
that was well below fifty percent. This is a concerning
issue heading into local body politics as well as the
bigger picture is that nobody wants to be engaged with
the process.
Speaker 6 (14:31):
Yes, well, democracy is a very thin thing when it
comes to societies being very upset about where they stand
in terms of the community and I think that's a
classic situation where people tend to get turned off and
that's that could filter through to the central government in
(14:51):
terms of the election later and probably October next year.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
What do you make a former labor in peace Stewart
Natt changing as colors and going with Winston.
Speaker 6 (15:00):
New Zealand First Teams to collect these people, don't they.
Jane Jones came out of Labor administration, so and I'll
see one of the national MPs that I didn't even
realize that existed as an MP from Wrong and he
obviously has joined up to New zeald Fest. Look, I
think Winston, even at eighty is going to be an
(15:22):
impact in this next election.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
The Alliance vote is going to be crucial to understand
the impact of what this has on the writer remeat
industry as well.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Jeef, what are you thinking is going to occur?
Speaker 5 (15:34):
Well on the.
Speaker 6 (15:35):
Current information and that's pretty limited until we see the
pack that comes out with all the information in terms
of what is the sixty five to thirty five percent
going to look like. They talk about negative pledges, which
mean that the majority or the one hundred percent of
the board have to agree. They talk about the shares
(15:58):
that we currently hold is in the corporate one dollar
will be on a secondary market in some prediction by
the chairman that they'll be worth a dollar twenty six.
I'd have to say, unless you are required to need
to have shares to supply, I don't see how they
would be at a dollar twenty six, because why would
(16:19):
you need old shares, so there are a number of questions.
I think the issue of third party is still not
being dealt with, and so unless there is some comfort
around the sixty five percent takeover, it's not a joint venture.
I don't know where that word came from, but unless
there is some comfort around how that will work going forward,
(16:43):
I think the vote's going to be hard until farmers
get and the shareholders get a copy of proposal and
being able to understand what that actually means in terms
of implications. There are a lot of unanswered questions in
a vacuum. Then people start to get theories about what
(17:03):
that may have impact on. But I would have to say,
on the current information, I would struggle to vote for it.
And I think that the sort of plan be oh, well,
the banks will step in and take it over, and
you know there might be anything left. Well, the reality
is somebody will buy it.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
That sounds like the Paris Agreement. The more information we learned,
then we can make a more informed decision right exactly.
Speaker 6 (17:25):
Exactly, and so looking venus to the board and the process.
Until that information is in the hands as shareholders, I
think it's just speculation what the final outcome may look like,
but on current information I would struggle to see what
the advantage was as a shaeholder reliance.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Good on you, Jeff Grant. Always appreciate your time. Cheers
Grant does as mcm asked to farms on the edges
of lake Walker type at closer in Station and joins
(18:04):
us thanks to abby rural disaster.
Speaker 5 (18:06):
Good afternoon, afternoon everybody that that song is quite fitting
today because yeah, I'm able to talk to you from
from out one of the waksheads, something I have not
been able to do for a long time now.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Rural connectivity is a real big issue for a lot
of people gradually. Me and I spoke to Bob Dylan
the other day at Prague, for godness sake, and I
spoke to him like he was only two meters away
from me. You don't get that option when you live,
really unfortunately in New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
No.
Speaker 5 (18:34):
So I'm like that at mok Lake and you know
other times I've I've got to get out back to
the road which is about seven k's or back to home,
so I've got the Wi Fi. Well it's just the
old landline, but yeah it's Sydney come ahead and leads
by leaks and leaks and bound sorry. And there's quite
a few options out there for connectivity now and I've
(18:55):
managed to get onto one, and yeah, it's sort of
I've got more calls and cables in the truck then
they're having a DC ten I think. But I've got
the I've got a plug for the for the feeding
out growing, one for the fine and one for what
we're doing now. So I think we're going to get
it hard hardwired, because I've just been tiling it for
a week and we'll get it hard wired and that
(19:16):
will that will sort everything out. So I just got
a little a little mounted a little mounted box on
the on the roof of the off the truck really
and you pack up the satellites going along and it
gives you your Wi Fi and you can talk. So
it's yes, it's pretty good. Really. Yeah. I think it's
going to be about twenty meters away from the from
(19:37):
the truck and still talk. So yeah, it's mounted on
the roof and it's yeah, it's a pretty good set
up at this stage.
Speaker 6 (19:47):
And you know, you look at.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
The safety issue and just a pact of of you know,
like being able to talk to you or examples, you're
out here waiting for the transport. Thing must must have
could have happened, and they haven't arrived, where you know,
he's got to go all the way home or try
and get somewhere. So you know, this is this is
good And yeah, I'm pretty happy with at the moment as.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Far as rural connectivity where you are, especially for sound
fighting coverage, just how bad is it.
Speaker 5 (20:12):
It's actually got better. But it is one of the
point of where the lake comes sort of straightens up
and goes Tork to Gonorkey. So you're looking sort of
opposite Mount Nicholas and what we call rat Point on
this side. That's it's quite a bad area in there.
So that's always been a bit of a bit of
a bit of a problem. And there are different you know,
(20:36):
repeaters and tars around the lake on different sides and
you can you can pick up on that, but we're
tucked away in a sort of a little valley and
it makes it a bit more difficult. So but this
seems to be this seems to be working quite well now.
I know further up the Mount Kride and the providers
they have said we're not putting any more copper wire
(20:57):
in for the for the old for the old land line,
and so they're on all cell phone up at Canaky.
You're right, and as long as I'm in the house
near the Wi Fi, we can now get the cell phone.
So it is getting better. But up until a couple
of days ago, anywhere around the station, you're a bugging Mary.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Do you still use a landline quite a bit?
Speaker 5 (21:19):
Yeah, yeah I do because a lot of people don't
realize we can get cell phone coverage now, but we're
still got the old index beside beside the phone that
you just push it.
Speaker 6 (21:29):
Up to a for andy.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
Some will go in from here, but I don't. And
where you go, and it's good to teach a grand
because they think, what's that old thing on the bench,
But you've still got that. But you know, and seeing
us now, you've got everything on you on your cell
phone from the agents to the transport to whoever, and
you just go into the contacts and the where you go.
(21:51):
So yeah, think of the past.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Dad's still got as not a diary, but as I
don't know, is that at a businesses from back in
nineteen nine and he's still got it to this day.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
And it's just gone through the annals of time.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
But yes, for a lot of eilderly folks, especially at
landline is still highly relevant.
Speaker 5 (22:09):
Oh, I know it is, indeed.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
And the.
Speaker 5 (22:12):
It's like the cards and business cards you had, and
I just went through some of mine the other day,
you know, and the folder type thing, and and well
half of those businesses at around now will been taken
over and and you just and like to try. And
I think the problem is if you're trying to get
hold of somebody that has a cellphone, don't have the number,
you can't sort of look on the telephone book. But
(22:34):
you know, that's getting pretty bloody small now to it's
like the Italian Book of War here is hero is
not much on it.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
And there's like a certain radio host of the Field
days he went announced a couple of influencers for their
business card, not realizing that they only had their own website.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Who's he who shall remain nameless.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
But look anyway, great ground conditions up there at the
closer and bit dodgy.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
Yeah, and it's it's been a bit of a poor
week since we spoke last seventy five mills of rain
on Friday night and Saturday night, so there was actually
there was fifty and one go and then the rest
of over two more bits and we've had some pretty
hard frosts and just just crap weather really. So snow's
right down and it's it's saying ten degrees today, which
(23:20):
started off about negative minus three this morning. So yeah,
the stock haven't been liking it too much. It was
not on Sunday when it stopped raining. At the sun's
come out, you know, it's been a bit better, so
they've picked up again. But yeah, it's just it's pretty
it's a bit rough at the moment, and well, I
mean it's just going really but not a lot of
(23:43):
gracier as you could imagine. And said before that it's
about four and a half degrees of soil temperature, so
it that's not looking like changing anytime shortly. A lot
of surface water about coming out of the out of
the well, coming down the creeks and out of the
gullies and the various place springs. Very quite similar to
last year, but certainly not the rain. We had a
(24:04):
lot more rain last year.
Speaker 6 (24:05):
And we've had have had now.
Speaker 5 (24:07):
But yeah, sort of it's but trying.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
Really, but you're still getting these heavy frosts.
Speaker 5 (24:13):
Yeah, we have been. Yeah, and you know hard frosts
which has been it's been quite good after the rain
because it's sort of you can get across it. You know,
it's going to losing so much seed and wasters, so
that's and that sort of drives it out of it too.
But yeah, it's certainly not it's not very good for
grass gloth handy.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
So you're about three weeks away for three weeks away
from landing yet.
Speaker 5 (24:38):
Yeah, but more than that, I see, I've got work. Yeah,
about three weeks andy, So I think I've got to
get another about fifteen vowels of bailergion and which I
can get. So we're just down the last year there.
Town is up on Monday to put us over the
conveyer to give them the five and one and what
have you, and a lot of those will be spread out.
Might just keep the twodoo's back for a double week
(25:00):
or so. And they blocked freshen up a bit more.
But he was sort of punting the straws.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Really, did you get seventeen bottles of bay let's have
a couple o your sleep.
Speaker 5 (25:10):
Yeah, I've allowed for that because the balls the balls
will lead a few more too, so there's not much
tug over them to to. You know, they've been on
hay at the moment, but yeah, just get another truck
road out and that'll still get a bit of barley there.
And you know, the stock are looking okay, but they
could certainly, yeah when the sun comes out there enjoying it.
(25:31):
Bet a bit tricky for the cows on the hills
at the moment, had a one slipped off the other day.
Just you know, they're up quite high and condition's not right,
so that's that's never good. And yeah, a couple of
lost a couple of calves from the heffs that are
sort of just started the carve over at the Eratown block,
and that weather on tidy a couple of them up.
(25:53):
So it's been pretty bloody horrific really, you know, it's
sort of we've just struck that at the wrong at
the wrong time as well. They's never right time, is it.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Well, disaster.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
We hope the next week's better for your weatherwise than
the likes and things start get you start seeing a
little bit of growth. We always appreciate your time. We
always appreciate you keeping it real.
Speaker 5 (26:13):
Oh, No, there's what it is. And I'm not complaining
at all of just the way, guys, and that's farm
and that's why we do it. And you know, the
when the guy gets tough to talk, keep going. And
that's why we've got good pirand old sheep and angus
caws and just spit, a good manage, total health, some
stays along the road and the saddle shine, and we'll
be knocking the tails off the lands and drinking beer shortly.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
David Fray, mer Craig's Investment Partners, joins us this afternoon.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
David, Good afternoon.
Speaker 7 (26:44):
Good afternoon, Andy, And to the listeners.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
How's everything been. Oh, Heaven's spoken to you for a while.
You've been ticking touring around the world.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
I have been.
Speaker 7 (26:51):
I been visiting relatives in Europe that we probably should
have seen over the last few years. But time catches
up on you and you think you'd better just go
and do it.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Before we kick off.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
What's the mood like over in the Europe and the
EU Europe and the lights.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
I'd say it was mixed.
Speaker 7 (27:06):
I didn't talk economics to many, but I know say
the tourist attractions in Rome, they said it was far
quieter than this time last year, and to be fair,
I thought it was busy enough, but everyone seemed to
say that the tourist numbers were down.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
Why do you reckon that is?
Speaker 7 (27:23):
I think maybe people are still feeling the pinch awe,
but after inflation, there's not a lot of spear cash
in most households, and I guess, you know, people joked
to me that I was going near a war zone
and they're probably right, so maybe that puts some people off. Yeah,
we still enjoyed ourselves.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
We're kicking off of interest rates at the moment and
a resting scenario for people, especially if you coming off FAXT.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
What do you do?
Speaker 7 (27:48):
I think you have a good think about interest rates
and where they are. I know, Andy, we spoke at
the start of the year and homeland rates dipped just
below five percent.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
They they haven't.
Speaker 7 (28:00):
Really moved much since then. Some of the short term
rates are down below five percent now. I guess when
you fix your locking in some certainty, I'm not convinced
they're going to drop much more. There are some good
mortgage brokers around Corkor and Smith and Town are pretty handy,
So if someone wants to know about intrat straits. They
can probably walk in there with their home loan details.
(28:23):
Accountants are good for farmers, I think to talk about
risk and spread, spreading your interest rate risk across your loans.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Are you seeing more cuts to the ocup we are?
Speaker 7 (28:35):
I think they'd probably be a couple more.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
So.
Speaker 7 (28:37):
There's one announcement on the eighth of October. I think
that most of those cuts are already baked into the
interest rates in the market. So you'll see term deposits
maybe go down a little bit more, floating interstraates go
down a little bit more, but raally there's not much
meat left in it.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
What are you seeing people do investors and the likes.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
Are they going for long time security or are they
thinking we'll just ride the market and float.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Well, what's the mindset you take?
Speaker 7 (29:06):
We spread our risks so we diversify. I'd be crazy
to say, Look, interest rates will stay here for five
or ten years, or they'll be one percent higher or lower.
So we do take a balanced approach depending on the investor.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
We talk about returns on farm At the moment, daring's
looking pretty good, red meats looking pretty good as well.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Arable's a bit touch.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
And go to be fair, but on a whole, everything
seems pretty positive heading into the new season.
Speaker 7 (29:31):
Yeah, I think it's good because inflation really took its toll,
like the costs on farm of skyrocketed as you'll know
and the listeners, so to see a few good seasons
in a row is great. I think things like the
Fontira payout will be quite a good bonanza for dairy farmers.
Even the sheep and beef guys are seeing good surpluses,
(29:51):
so it's far more positive now.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
But even like the open country of their acquisition of
MVM Fonterra with the purchase of their consuming brands as
such as well, and if it goes through talk of
two dollars coming back per share, that's big money.
Speaker 7 (30:09):
It is big money, and I think people, whether it's
stairy farmers, the Fonterra payout, sheep and beef having surpluses
this year is great and I think it's important that
they talk to their accountant and see where those surplus
is the best pot. So some people have debt they
can probably take care of. Some people have deferred maintenance,
(30:31):
but a lot of that cash will probably end up
invested or spent, so it's quite important that people talk
to their professional advisors and get a good gauge as
to what should help them over the next few years.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Perhaps a good chance to consolidate debt.
Speaker 7 (30:46):
Yeah, I think so. I mean some farms and you'll
know this better than I do. Some still have a
hefty amount of debt on them. Other people seem not
too concerned, and that's where the accountant probably is a
good person to gauge whether someone should be retiring debt
or not. I mean the other factor to that is
interest rates are getting lower, so the debt is getting cheaper.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
And that brings us on to surplus on farm this year,
if the budget's going to look pretty positive, and just
diversifying what you want to do with this money that
comes in, I suppose you guys, you'll be seeing a
lot of clients at the moment thinking what's the best approach.
Speaker 7 (31:21):
Yes, and we're happy to talk to clients or even
new clients. There's no cost to that initial advice, just
to see how they can best use that cash. Maybe
diversify off farm. Traditionally a lot of farmers have diversified
off farm into property. Now property has its pitfalls as
well as its opportunities but financial markets can provide quite
(31:45):
a good, fluid, liquid solution to their investment needs.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
So you're encouraging people just to pick up the phone
and have a conversation, right.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
Yes, definitely, yep.
Speaker 7 (31:54):
And it's a busy time of year, so if they
can't get off farm, we can come out and visit.
So I think the important thing is that people will
look at their options and have a good plan. Otherwise,
sometimes it's just left in the bank and I easily
interest rate, or it just gets spent on something you
don't actually need.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
We'll finish up with this as well. Sad New Smith's
city going into liquidation. The doors are all closed. It's
just another blow to a town like good. We talk
about H and J. Smith's a couple of years ago.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
David.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
We look at what we've got now and it makes
you wonder what's happening in the applecart next.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (32:31):
I think it's really sad, particularly for small town like Gore.
There's a lot of unseen value in buying locally, so
it's not always the cheapest place to spend your dollar,
but it's probably the best place to spend your dollar.
A lot of mouths families relying on that dollar and
you can rely on those people if you've got a
warranty claim or something like that. Now Smith's City have
(32:53):
sort of been stuck in a bind where it's sort
of product and price for a lot of their goods
at the moment, and people are buying online. A lot
of people spent up three or four years ago when
interest rates were cheap and everyone had a lot of
free money from the government. So at the moment there's
not a lot of money being spent on the TVs,
the beds, the sofas because there's not a lot of
(33:13):
discretionary dollar available. But if you have got it, it
is best spent locally. And it's a shame for Smith
City nationwide that they just haven't been able to fight
through this.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
Would you say this is a victim of COVID, the
COVID times and people just went online to shop.
Speaker 7 (33:32):
I would do for several factors. I think twenty twenty
one everyone pretty much went and upgraded anything they wanted,
or they bought an extra rental house, or they bought
a new TV. The last few years interest rates have
shot up. People haven't had the money available. If they
have had the money available, they probably updated their goods.
(33:53):
Three or four years ago. Even cars were difficult to get,
but a lot of people still got them during that period.
So the spending of those large ticket items has really
slowed down because of COVID.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
Craig's investment Partner's David. The best way to people to
get in touch with the team.
Speaker 7 (34:10):
Just come and see us at one twenty main Street
and Gore, or visit us online at craigsip dot com.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Good on your David. Always good to catch up with
the team. Thanks Andy.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
Matt Ward Farms at Moreton, Mainz and joins us this
afternoon on the Muster and now Met was the twenty
twenty four Beef and Lamb Young Development Young Farm and
Development Scholarship winner. He chose to follow a path ship
a path along the Calogg Rural Leadership and we had
him on the show well about a month ago. I
suppose some really interesting insights, especially regaining New Zealand agriculture
(34:59):
overseas and joins this afternoon down on the cold Face
on the Lemming Beat. Matt Good afternoons, how's everything and
more to Mainz?
Speaker 6 (35:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (35:06):
Good Andy?
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Hell are you yeah? Pretty good? This story, this story that.
Speaker 4 (35:10):
We're chipping away. Not too bad down here. It's cold,
but sunshine and when starting to blow to dry things out.
But I'll tell you what those heated hand grips this
morning we're getting they are on double time then they're working. Wonders.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Heated hand grips for probably the best, one of the
best inventions for for a motorbike, especially with the hand mites.
Speaker 4 (35:28):
Oh with the mets on as well. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah,
there's nothing better, nothing better than catching the year and
getting cold hands and put them straight back in the
midst to forget about it again.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
And if you're lucky, you had a screen as well.
But nonetheless, mate, how's thing's been anyway over the last
couple of weeks.
Speaker 4 (35:45):
She's been wet, Yeah, she's definitely been wet. But it's
sort of like we've had such a good run through winter.
It was always going to happen, so you need to
get that rain eventually, and it's just a shame it
happens during lemon. But in my opinion, that's why that's
why you're plant shelter, and especially here in more to mains, like,
there's not much stopping it unless you've got to make
(36:06):
a carp a hedge or something to go hide behind.
So it's yeah, so that is just what it is.
You just got to keep working with today.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
So shelter for the years isn't a problem on your phone.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
No, No, it's not. I've only probably got maybe one
to two three pedics lifted or planted a bit of
shelter since I've been home, and luckily managers before me
and my father before me as well. Head But for
sight two plots, well a step like Maker Carper hedges,
and then I sort of think there's a bit of
a cost and the upkeep of them. But God, when
(36:36):
you see you standing standing there this morning, I would
have had five or six years to them under a
hedge with sets of twins on each of them, happy airs,
and then one youth standing over it dead, sit in
the middle of the peddock sort of like the hedge
just pays for it. South pretty quickly, really.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
So how far through labbing would you be, Matt?
Speaker 4 (36:54):
Uh? You were over halfway now? Yeah, mixtagues are over
halfway and the hogots start next Friday. They'll start chipping
into it, so that would pretty yeah, cruising through pretty quick? Really?
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Are you pretty intensive on the laming beat.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
I try not to be. Yeah, I know, there's definitely
people a lot more intensive than me. I still mother
the odd lamb on and mark around, but I'm trying
to avoid it as much as I can. I'm I'm
pretty I take my black pigs lost me everywhere, and
anything that I need to give a hand to or
mother wrong gets a black pig. And if I see
her again while she goes straight into my baemart, and
(37:29):
if I see her again and she's on the bus.
So yeah, but then it's actually quite cool. This year
is the first year you can see it's paying dividends.
Like my younger sheep, like I billy have to touch any
of them, whereas my older sheep. There's still a few issues.
And but yeah, gradually telling all that all.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
That stuff, so hang heads and the lights hasn't been
and the lights hasn't been too much of an issue
so far.
Speaker 4 (37:52):
Nah here hasn't been too bad. He hasn't been too
always like already this morning, like the odd one, I
had a couple coming backwards. There's all that sort of stuff.
You can't really do much a beut. But no, they're
not not too still having some big lambs, but I've
got big us too, so you sort of what you
sort of hope big news are going to produce big lembs,
(38:13):
and one gets stuck. It sort of is what it is,
hard and pass all of it.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
So obviously your arms back up and running. Last time
we spoke, you're in a car, so things are back
to normal.
Speaker 4 (38:24):
It's not an I got my past off Friday week
ago and with lens on the ground next Saturday, the
next day. No, I've been yeah, but it's been lucky.
I've had someone working with me for the past couple
of weeks giving me a hand, which has been good.
And it's slowly, yeah, slowly getting better and better. But yeah,
the old crooking, the heading dog's been working overtime, catching
(38:47):
cheap and mucking around. But we're getting there.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
And I suppose the best thing about when you're starting
to get midway through landing, you can start doing shedding
out and just rebuilding things down the streamlining what you're doing.
Speaker 4 (38:57):
Yeah, yeah, this afternoon I'll start getting around shedding the
odd more about that's got not much left innered and
start boxing a few mobs using lambs up the start
of next week. And then all of a sudden you're gone.
You go from guard around every peddict to four or
five picks, and then the hogits they only take up
a handful of peddocks. That's just gets quicker and quicker
(39:17):
and easier. So yeah, definitely over the over the worst
of it now, I think.
Speaker 1 (39:21):
Anyway, So labing hoggets, you've always done that.
Speaker 4 (39:26):
I've always done it at home here, well they yes,
for the last I don't know how long I've been
doing it here. When I first moved back home three
years ago, I hadn't lamb a hoggit in my life.
So I've definitely learned a bit about it socially around
the whole mating and the whole the whole process. And
I still haven't quite got it mastered, but I sort
(39:46):
of have the opinion. Blade of grass and more maat
is quite an extensive blade in every mouse that's eating
it has to do something. So if the hoggets are here,
they've got to be producing a lamb. Otherwise what's the
real point of having them.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Well, it goes back, it goes back to tapping. I
suppose what forty five forty eight kg for a hogot
going to the ram will take it?
Speaker 4 (40:06):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I try. I try to work on
about something like sixty percent of the adult weight, so
mine really need to be up around sixty around fifty
kilos sorry, And this year they went to the RAM
about forty eight, so they're not far off. But I
don't pamper them either. I sort of don't believe I
(40:26):
should be pampering you lambs like they need to be
able to survive and they need to. Yeah, I find
if you pemper them and get them all in lamb
and they scan really well, and then if they have
a tough winter or a tough spring or something and
they all start and fall the bits, I never have
that pressure but on them. So I try to put
my mind under pressure and if they get a lamb
and survive, then you don't really run into any issues
(40:49):
from now on.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
That's a massive animal going to the RAM. Fifty kilos.
Speaker 4 (40:53):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, they are. They are big like they yeah,
and like shit, they'll be god sixty yell that big
hogits but they need but they'll go.
Speaker 6 (41:05):
And they've killed.
Speaker 4 (41:09):
The lambs off man lass waiting at nineteen and a
half kilos, so they're producing good lambs for me. But yeah,
they do they mow through some fee you.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
There, So the case of you playing rugby is more
or less training for laming. I spose for catching us.
Speaker 4 (41:24):
Yeah, well that's why probably been a bit a bit harder.
I've been a wee bit under done coming into lembing
this year. Definitely caring a few extra skin folds and
what I normally would be. But but we're yeah, we'll
get in there.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Nothing wrong with installation at this time of year.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
On the body mate, hey, just before we go as well,
talking to a lot of farmers over the week last
week or two, just little tip bets they do, as
far as little life hacks for the matter of September
and the likes when you're doing the laming beat, what
do you do to try and deviate away from the mainstream?
Speaker 1 (41:54):
Why do? It's good question.
Speaker 4 (41:57):
I'm a big fit of a big game six you're
in the trenches and it's pretty hardly on a weekday.
I'm I quite enjoy getting in my truck at lunch
time and going for a bit of a drive. I
know it's pretty hard to find the time, but where
I am here in Morte Mains, we've got a real
good shot down in Woodland's here the grocer, So I
normally sneak down there, grab a pie and a softy
(42:17):
roll and take the long way home and just have
a look around and what everyone else is up to.
And sometimes you see even especially around the dairy farmers
around us here, let you see how hard it is
that you're doing it. Some people are sometimes unfortunately doing
it tougher, and just that bit of a break from
your own pedics and stuff. Yeah it works, wonders. And
(42:37):
you get home at night and my partner, I saw
a busy day. You haven't been in for lunch of me.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
Yes to you.
Speaker 4 (42:44):
I've being flared out all day.
Speaker 2 (42:46):
And that is the one farming prerogative. No matter where
you go, more often than not, the other half has
to drive because you're too busy looking at the landscape
and they're getting grumpy because you're doing about sixty clocks right.
Speaker 4 (42:57):
Yeah, yeah, it's whole part. And passer, wasn't it got.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
Dan didn't want to know.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
On Matt Ward Dear wrapping up the best of the muster,
Thank you very much for your company.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
I'm and Y Muir. Enjoy the weekend.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
Go the A b's go the stags catch up Monday,
enjoy the weekend,
Last night, how the stream.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Is during a very good morning and welcome along to
the best of the Muster, a collaboration of interviews during
a busy week here at Hockey New EHQ. My name's
Andy Mure, thanks for joining us. Starting off Tarren Benton.
Tarran is involved at Jeff Farm along with her husband Mike.
They're managing Jeff Farm, which is of course the Salvation
Army run farm. But the unique story as well is
(00:29):
around the Cadet ship and the cadets are going on
the farm on a yearly basis, which tarranol tells us
all about Jeff Grant talking politics. He's not too sure
about the government at the next election in the eyes
of the undercided voter.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Jeff tells us why this.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Next election could be a closer thing than we imagine.
Grand Disaster McMaster. We catch up a disaster on the
edges of Lake Wakatapu where he farms at Close Friends
Station and he talks about rural connectivity and just the
burden that it presents to rural New Zealand when it shouldn't.
David fraymer Craig's investment Partners, talking about interest rates and
(01:07):
mortgages and finally Matt Ward. Now, Matt was on the
program about four or five weeks ago and a really
intelligent individual, a young mind coming through in a farming sense,
but worth a lot of wisdom on his shoulders as well,
and just telling us how things are going on the
farm and his attitude towards Hoggitt Lambing, which was interesting
to say the least, but nonetheless really rewarding because he's
(01:28):
getting the results at the other end. So without further ado,
we'll start the hour next with Tarren Benton.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
This is the best of the muster. You you have
to say.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Now, thanks for joining us on the muster on top
of the world by imagined dragons with blue sky and abundance,
which is certainly something you want as you head into
the middle list at tea. But now I'm joined in
studio by Taran Benton and her daughter Island. Now Tarran
is involved with the husband Mike. They're managing Jeff Farm,
the Sally's Army Farm out there at Koiwera.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Welcome Taren, thanks for joining us.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Thanks and it's good to be here.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Island is in here as well. How are you either
you helping mum today? That's your first time in a
radio studio.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah, yeah, what do you think of it? A bit different?
Speaker 4 (02:29):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, Tara. Now your journey to Jeff Farm, it's a
really good story. Like yourself and your husband Michael, you've
ended up there, but you've had a varied farming experiences
over the years.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
Yeah, we've moved around a bit. Yeah, I'm no stranger
to be packing up a house, but it's been good
to have a look around and learn different styles of farming,
different people, how different people operate, and kind of apply
some of those learnings back to systems like you farm.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Now you say you've looked at different systems of farming
as such, tell us a bit about what you guys
have been up to.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Yeah, well, if I go right back, like Michael started
with a deery farming background in the far North, so
that betting it south is is varied, and I grew
up down here in South and was probably exposed to
sort of large scale farming. And then once we were married,
we actually before we were married, we were working for
(03:31):
Landcorp both in the North and South Island, and then
moved to sort of the Waikaia area and Michael was
on Glen Lapper and I was on the Deer Improvement
l I see deer farm out at Belfa, and then
once we were married, we started at Kettle Flat Station
for Jeffree Young for about three or four years, so
(03:53):
that sort of Southland hill country. From there we moved
way up to Marlow Station in the Arlitry Valley up
in Blenheim, so the Marino Real high country, isolated style,
and that was an awesome experience. And from there, when
it was time to get the kids into school, we
actually moved to Hunterville in the Lower North Island and
(04:14):
managed Oda Witty Station, which is another cadet farm, taking
on about eighteen cadets for a one year course each
year eighteen. Yeah. Yeah, so it's different again but really
cool community and it probably just made us realize how
much we enjoyed that that training, the training of school
(04:37):
leavers and giving them a shot at farming and it
was quite a rewarding and satisfying type role. A lot
of fun too.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Yeah, So was that the catalyst for you coming back
to South London.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
No, we loved Odo Witty and unfortunately things just didn't
pan out there in terms of I think you know,
more than half the farm got plundered in pine trees
and it sort of just with a young family, we
weren't sure that it was for us anymore. We actually
headed to a marama after that. It's probably one of
the only Romney farms and a marama there and did
(05:11):
that for about three years. Another awesome rural community and
lovely climate. Then when John Chadagetsu, we heard that he
was looking for a two icee and I already had
an affinity with Jeff Farm from my dad was the
headship of there years ago when I was a preschooler,
(05:34):
and you know, we knew John Well, My family knew
John Well, and we're just at old Let's let's go
check that out because that could be something we're interested in.
And yeah, so that's how we ended up at Jiff Farm.
But we started in like a May of twenty twenty two,
I think, and by July we're a scratching your heads,
going what have we done? Because we'd gone from shifting
(05:56):
break fences in air jym shoes to just yeah, needing flippers.
But it's been it's been an experience and yeah, I
think we've done a lot of growing.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Yeah, Look, we talk.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
About the cadets where you guys are based there at
Jeff Farm.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
And certainly a different dynamic.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
But what did you say, you're eighteen cadets under your
wing up there.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Yeah, and it's now that we've had the now that
we've been at Jeff Farm and having you know, four
or five kidets, I find it a much more personal experience,
like you really get to know them, sort of become
part of your family type thing, and get to know
their personalities, their strengths, their weaknesses, where you can where
they need more support, and you've got them for two
(06:41):
years versus one. So I think it's a better model
that works for us anyway. But in the same breath,
we just need more more places to take on these
school leaders who want to get into farming. So without
the bigger places like Odaworthy doing what they're doing, it's
pretty Yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Tough getting young people to come along to places like
Jiff Farmer doesn't seem to be a problem, no.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
So we've just had our open day on the start
of August there and we had more than thirty kidets
come and we were only looking to take two. Wow,
and we had over twenty applications. Good solid applications, it
gets pretty hard to split them. So in the end
we've we just selected our cadets last week for twenty
(07:26):
twenty six and we've taken three. We have room for three,
so we just thought, this is what we're here to do,
so let's take as many as we can.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
So how do you get three people from a number
like that.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
It's probably the thing we disliked the most about the job,
because it's those three phone calls you get to make
and say, hey, you've made it, you know, great, But
it's the twenty odd other phone calls you've got to
make and say sorry mate, and they go, well, why
you know, what could I have done better? And it's
like nothing. So it comes down to age, but not
(08:05):
just age. You know, we prefer to take the seventeen
eighteen year olds, but age is just a number. So
more maturity and having their independence, so we want them
to have their restricted license ideally, and we're there for
people who wouldn't have a shot at farming otherwise, so
(08:26):
we probably look favorably upon people who perhaps don't come
from They might have a farming background, but not from
a farm of their own or from parents who are
sheep and beef farmers.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Do you ever get any cadets leave halfway through the
course or half way through the internship.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Or such yet.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
So we've just had in May a caidect who was
in her second year hand in her notice, which it's
a shame, but I think when people are this young,
they're still trying to figure out what's for them, so
they give it a go. But you get so far
through the course, and I mean in this situation, she
(09:06):
had a pre existing back injury and we've got big sheep,
and so she found it. She did find it tough
when it come to things like the sharing course and
things like that, and it was a decision she made
on her own after some back surgery actually, So yeah,
it's tough. And ideally that's not that we don't like
(09:27):
them to leave halfway through, but we also understand that,
you know, when you're at that age, how many career
chops and changes have we all had when we were,
you know, back at the same age.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
So so just about lambing season, you guys are all
ready for it.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
I think, so, I hope. So we're in it anyway.
The earlies, the earlies have started well into it and
everything else is spread out over the farm ready to go,
so eiler.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
What do you like most about lambing that you get
to have pets? How many pet lambs do you get?
Got one now?
Speaker 5 (10:01):
Because I want to calf this?
Speaker 1 (10:03):
You want a calf?
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Wow? Calfs are pretty cool that way. Hey, thanks for
coming in, guys. Great to catch up and just learning
about what you guys are doing out there regarding the
cadets ship and are like Arran and Ila.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Thanks for coming in, great to catch up.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Thanks for having us Andy.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Whatever's welcome back to the muster.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Jeff Krant joins us in this afternoon's political round up.
Good afternoon, Jeff. It sounds like you're up in Central
Otago as the sun out.
Speaker 6 (10:44):
Yes, there is done the sun, but you know central
major parts of it. I've had quite a bit of
rain over the last a few weeks, a bit like Southland.
Sorry for Central. That's quite good to get round at
this time of the year.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
It sounds as though there's been a lot of wind
up that way too.
Speaker 6 (11:01):
Yeah, they definitely caught the end of that front that
went through that obviously had a lot more damage in
terms of Wellington and Tasman area. But yeah, no a bit.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Of wind now you talk about when politicians arenowned for
hot lend, but nonetheless look local government restructure, your reckument's
on the cards.
Speaker 6 (11:21):
Well, the intention from what I understand is now the
RIMA legislation will come into the House probably in December,
the introduction of the changes, and then the government is,
as I understand, hopeful to have that through by July.
Those changes will be significant, especially for regional councils in
(11:45):
terms of what powers or what areas they will be
responsible for in terms of consenting etc. And how much
that will become national nationally based, and then there will
be some implications and fort of tour authorities and so
question really starts to wind up on the basis that
if you're stripping back the regional council responsibilities, well you know,
(12:07):
what are they left to look after? And as their
more logical argument to then look at the structure in
the Southland, as Rob Scott's promoted, what do you say
is there an opportunity for a single unitary authority for
the whole southend.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
The biggest issue seems to be though, as the blowback
from local government to central government regarding regarding restrictions on things.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Would you agree with that?
Speaker 6 (12:33):
Yeah, I look, there's a bit of that in there too.
But if you looked at what the economy has done
over the last three years in terms of reduction in
employment and redundancies, public service reforms, etc. You wouldn't have
said that the local government had stretched itself in this area.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
And erasing as well.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Regarding the government, we're not far away now from the
general election, you said as well, just over a year away.
But all of a sudden, we're saying Wiston Peter's at
the weekend going into campaigning mode from the word get go.
But you're not convinced that there won't be a change
of government.
Speaker 6 (13:11):
Well, I think that you'd have to say, when you're
doing the scoreboard and putting the points on the table,
there's still a wee way to go because while the
coalition government I think has done well in terms of
holding themselves together and making some of those reforms, the
implications from those reforms. So let's take something like you
(13:31):
can now builder, we're about to be able to build
a house under seventy square meters without getting consent. Those
sort of things they haven't filtered through the interest rates
in terms of mortgages haven't yet filtered through to where
people have more cash and in their weekly pay. So
there are, without any doubt my view, still some things
(13:54):
that they would need to get that people would start
to feel that the wind was behind them, that things
were starting to look good, and you know there's always
by Elections can be turbulent and you never know the result.
But the one in Auckland with the Mari seat showed that,
you know, the minority parties are still very.
Speaker 2 (14:16):
Strong, but there's no voter engagement, Jeff. The turnout for
that was well below fifty percent. This is a concerning
issue heading into local body politics as well as the
bigger picture is that nobody wants to be engaged with
the process.
Speaker 6 (14:31):
Yes, well, democracy is a very thin thing when it
comes to societies being very upset about where they stand
in terms of the community and I think that's a
classic situation where people tend to get turned off and
that's that could filter through to the central government in
(14:51):
terms of the election later and probably October next year.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
What do you make a former labor in peace Stewart
Natt changing as colors and going with Winston.
Speaker 6 (15:00):
New Zealand First Teams to collect these people, don't they.
Jane Jones came out of Labor administration, so and I'll
see one of the national MPs that I didn't even
realize that existed as an MP from Wrong and he
obviously has joined up to New zeald Fest. Look, I
think Winston, even at eighty is going to be an
(15:22):
impact in this next election.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
The Alliance vote is going to be crucial to understand
the impact of what this has on the writer remeat
industry as well.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Jeef, what are you thinking is going to occur?
Speaker 5 (15:34):
Well on the.
Speaker 6 (15:35):
Current information and that's pretty limited until we see the
pack that comes out with all the information in terms
of what is the sixty five to thirty five percent
going to look like. They talk about negative pledges, which
mean that the majority or the one hundred percent of
the board have to agree. They talk about the shares
(15:58):
that we currently hold is in the corporate one dollar
will be on a secondary market in some prediction by
the chairman that they'll be worth a dollar twenty six.
I'd have to say, unless you are required to need
to have shares to supply, I don't see how they
would be at a dollar twenty six, because why would
(16:19):
you need old shares, so there are a number of questions.
I think the issue of third party is still not
being dealt with, and so unless there is some comfort
around the sixty five percent takeover, it's not a joint venture.
I don't know where that word came from, but unless
there is some comfort around how that will work going forward,
(16:43):
I think the vote's going to be hard until farmers
get and the shareholders get a copy of proposal and
being able to understand what that actually means in terms
of implications. There are a lot of unanswered questions in
a vacuum. Then people start to get theories about what
(17:03):
that may have impact on. But I would have to say,
on the current information, I would struggle to vote for it.
And I think that the sort of plan be oh, well,
the banks will step in and take it over, and
you know there might be anything left. Well, the reality
is somebody will buy it.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
That sounds like the Paris Agreement. The more information we learned,
then we can make a more informed decision right exactly.
Speaker 6 (17:25):
Exactly, and so looking venus to the board and the process.
Until that information is in the hands as shareholders, I
think it's just speculation what the final outcome may look like,
but on current information I would struggle to see what
the advantage was as a shaeholder reliance.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Good on you, Jeff Grant. Always appreciate your time. Cheers
Grant does as mcm asked to farms on the edges
of lake Walker type at closer in Station and joins
(18:04):
us thanks to abby rural disaster.
Speaker 5 (18:06):
Good afternoon, afternoon everybody that that song is quite fitting
today because yeah, I'm able to talk to you from
from out one of the waksheads, something I have not
been able to do for a long time now.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Rural connectivity is a real big issue for a lot
of people gradually. Me and I spoke to Bob Dylan
the other day at Prague, for godness sake, and I
spoke to him like he was only two meters away
from me. You don't get that option when you live,
really unfortunately in New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
No.
Speaker 5 (18:34):
So I'm like that at mok Lake and you know
other times I've I've got to get out back to
the road which is about seven k's or back to home,
so I've got the Wi Fi. Well it's just the
old landline, but yeah it's Sydney come ahead and leads
by leaks and leaks and bound sorry. And there's quite
a few options out there for connectivity now and I've
(18:55):
managed to get onto one, and yeah, it's sort of
I've got more calls and cables in the truck then
they're having a DC ten I think. But I've got
the I've got a plug for the for the feeding
out growing, one for the fine and one for what
we're doing now. So I think we're going to get
it hard hardwired, because I've just been tiling it for
a week and we'll get it hard wired and that
(19:16):
will that will sort everything out. So I just got
a little a little mounted a little mounted box on
the on the roof of the off the truck really
and you pack up the satellites going along and it
gives you your Wi Fi and you can talk. So
it's yes, it's pretty good. Really. Yeah. I think it's
going to be about twenty meters away from the from
(19:37):
the truck and still talk. So yeah, it's mounted on
the roof and it's yeah, it's a pretty good set
up at this stage.
Speaker 6 (19:47):
And you know, you look at.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
The safety issue and just a pact of of you know,
like being able to talk to you or examples, you're
out here waiting for the transport. Thing must must have
could have happened, and they haven't arrived, where you know,
he's got to go all the way home or try
and get somewhere. So you know, this is this is
good And yeah, I'm pretty happy with at the moment as.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Far as rural connectivity where you are, especially for sound
fighting coverage, just how bad is it.
Speaker 5 (20:12):
It's actually got better. But it is one of the
point of where the lake comes sort of straightens up
and goes Tork to Gonorkey. So you're looking sort of
opposite Mount Nicholas and what we call rat Point on
this side. That's it's quite a bad area in there.
So that's always been a bit of a bit of
a bit of a problem. And there are different you know,
(20:36):
repeaters and tars around the lake on different sides and
you can you can pick up on that, but we're
tucked away in a sort of a little valley and
it makes it a bit more difficult. So but this
seems to be this seems to be working quite well now.
I know further up the Mount Kride and the providers
they have said we're not putting any more copper wire
(20:57):
in for the for the old for the old land line,
and so they're on all cell phone up at Canaky.
You're right, and as long as I'm in the house
near the Wi Fi, we can now get the cell phone.
So it is getting better. But up until a couple
of days ago, anywhere around the station, you're a bugging Mary.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
Do you still use a landline quite a bit?
Speaker 5 (21:19):
Yeah, yeah I do because a lot of people don't
realize we can get cell phone coverage now, but we're
still got the old index beside beside the phone that
you just push it.
Speaker 6 (21:29):
Up to a for andy.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
Some will go in from here, but I don't. And
where you go, and it's good to teach a grand
because they think, what's that old thing on the bench,
But you've still got that. But you know, and seeing
us now, you've got everything on you on your cell
phone from the agents to the transport to whoever, and
you just go into the contacts and the where you go.
(21:51):
So yeah, think of the past.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Dad's still got as not a diary, but as I
don't know, is that at a businesses from back in
nineteen nine and he's still got it to this day.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
And it's just gone through the annals of time.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
But yes, for a lot of eilderly folks, especially at
landline is still highly relevant.
Speaker 5 (22:09):
Oh, I know it is, indeed.
Speaker 4 (22:10):
And the.
Speaker 5 (22:12):
It's like the cards and business cards you had, and
I just went through some of mine the other day,
you know, and the folder type thing, and and well
half of those businesses at around now will been taken
over and and you just and like to try. And
I think the problem is if you're trying to get
hold of somebody that has a cellphone, don't have the number,
you can't sort of look on the telephone book. But
(22:34):
you know, that's getting pretty bloody small now to it's
like the Italian Book of War here is hero is
not much on it.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
And there's like a certain radio host of the Field
days he went announced a couple of influencers for their
business card, not realizing that they only had their own website.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Who's he who shall remain nameless.
Speaker 2 (22:51):
But look anyway, great ground conditions up there at the
closer and bit dodgy.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
Yeah, and it's it's been a bit of a poor
week since we spoke last seventy five mills of rain
on Friday night and Saturday night, so there was actually
there was fifty and one go and then the rest
of over two more bits and we've had some pretty
hard frosts and just just crap weather really. So snow's
right down and it's it's saying ten degrees today, which
(23:20):
started off about negative minus three this morning. So yeah,
the stock haven't been liking it too much. It was
not on Sunday when it stopped raining. At the sun's
come out, you know, it's been a bit better, so
they've picked up again. But yeah, it's just it's pretty
it's a bit rough at the moment, and well, I
mean it's just going really but not a lot of
(23:43):
gracier as you could imagine. And said before that it's
about four and a half degrees of soil temperature, so
it that's not looking like changing anytime shortly. A lot
of surface water about coming out of the out of
the well, coming down the creeks and out of the
gullies and the various place springs. Very quite similar to
last year, but certainly not the rain. We had a
(24:04):
lot more rain last year.
Speaker 6 (24:05):
And we've had have had now.
Speaker 5 (24:07):
But yeah, sort of it's but trying.
Speaker 1 (24:10):
Really, but you're still getting these heavy frosts.
Speaker 5 (24:13):
Yeah, we have been. Yeah, and you know hard frosts
which has been it's been quite good after the rain
because it's sort of you can get across it. You know,
it's going to losing so much seed and wasters, so
that's and that sort of drives it out of it too.
But yeah, it's certainly not it's not very good for
grass gloth handy.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
So you're about three weeks away for three weeks away
from landing yet.
Speaker 5 (24:38):
Yeah, but more than that, I see, I've got work. Yeah,
about three weeks andy, So I think I've got to
get another about fifteen vowels of bailergion and which I
can get. So we're just down the last year there.
Town is up on Monday to put us over the
conveyer to give them the five and one and what
have you, and a lot of those will be spread out.
Might just keep the twodoo's back for a double week
(25:00):
or so. And they blocked freshen up a bit more.
But he was sort of punting the straws.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Really, did you get seventeen bottles of bay let's have
a couple o your sleep.
Speaker 5 (25:10):
Yeah, I've allowed for that because the balls the balls
will lead a few more too, so there's not much
tug over them to to. You know, they've been on
hay at the moment, but yeah, just get another truck
road out and that'll still get a bit of barley there.
And you know, the stock are looking okay, but they
could certainly, yeah when the sun comes out there enjoying it.
(25:31):
Bet a bit tricky for the cows on the hills
at the moment, had a one slipped off the other day.
Just you know, they're up quite high and condition's not right,
so that's that's never good. And yeah, a couple of
lost a couple of calves from the heffs that are
sort of just started the carve over at the Eratown block,
and that weather on tidy a couple of them up.
(25:53):
So it's been pretty bloody horrific really, you know, it's
sort of we've just struck that at the wrong at
the wrong time as well. They's never right time, is it.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Well, disaster.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
We hope the next week's better for your weatherwise than
the likes and things start get you start seeing a
little bit of growth. We always appreciate your time. We
always appreciate you keeping it real.
Speaker 5 (26:13):
Oh, No, there's what it is. And I'm not complaining
at all of just the way, guys, and that's farm
and that's why we do it. And you know, the
when the guy gets tough to talk, keep going. And
that's why we've got good pirand old sheep and angus
caws and just spit, a good manage, total health, some
stays along the road and the saddle shine, and we'll
be knocking the tails off the lands and drinking beer shortly.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
David Fray, mer Craig's Investment Partners, joins us this afternoon.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
David, Good afternoon.
Speaker 7 (26:44):
Good afternoon, Andy, And to the listeners.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
How's everything been. Oh, Heaven's spoken to you for a while.
You've been ticking touring around the world.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
I have been.
Speaker 7 (26:51):
I been visiting relatives in Europe that we probably should
have seen over the last few years. But time catches
up on you and you think you'd better just go
and do it.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Before we kick off.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
What's the mood like over in the Europe and the
EU Europe and the lights.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
I'd say it was mixed.
Speaker 7 (27:06):
I didn't talk economics to many, but I know say
the tourist attractions in Rome, they said it was far
quieter than this time last year, and to be fair,
I thought it was busy enough, but everyone seemed to
say that the tourist numbers were down.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
Why do you reckon that is?
Speaker 7 (27:23):
I think maybe people are still feeling the pinch awe,
but after inflation, there's not a lot of spear cash
in most households, and I guess, you know, people joked
to me that I was going near a war zone
and they're probably right, so maybe that puts some people off. Yeah,
we still enjoyed ourselves.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
We're kicking off of interest rates at the moment and
a resting scenario for people, especially if you coming off FAXT.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
What do you do?
Speaker 7 (27:48):
I think you have a good think about interest rates
and where they are. I know, Andy, we spoke at
the start of the year and homeland rates dipped just
below five percent.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
They they haven't.
Speaker 7 (28:00):
Really moved much since then. Some of the short term
rates are down below five percent now. I guess when
you fix your locking in some certainty, I'm not convinced
they're going to drop much more. There are some good
mortgage brokers around Corkor and Smith and Town are pretty handy,
So if someone wants to know about intrat straits. They
can probably walk in there with their home loan details.
(28:23):
Accountants are good for farmers, I think to talk about
risk and spread, spreading your interest rate risk across your loans.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Are you seeing more cuts to the ocup we are?
Speaker 7 (28:35):
I think they'd probably be a couple more.
Speaker 1 (28:37):
So.
Speaker 7 (28:37):
There's one announcement on the eighth of October. I think
that most of those cuts are already baked into the
interest rates in the market. So you'll see term deposits
maybe go down a little bit more, floating interstraates go
down a little bit more, but raally there's not much
meat left in it.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
What are you seeing people do investors and the likes.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
Are they going for long time security or are they
thinking we'll just ride the market and float.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
Well, what's the mindset you take?
Speaker 7 (29:06):
We spread our risks so we diversify. I'd be crazy
to say, Look, interest rates will stay here for five
or ten years, or they'll be one percent higher or lower.
So we do take a balanced approach depending on the investor.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
We talk about returns on farm At the moment, daring's
looking pretty good, red meats looking pretty good as well.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Arable's a bit touch.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
And go to be fair, but on a whole, everything
seems pretty positive heading into the new season.
Speaker 7 (29:31):
Yeah, I think it's good because inflation really took its toll,
like the costs on farm of skyrocketed as you'll know
and the listeners, so to see a few good seasons
in a row is great. I think things like the
Fontira payout will be quite a good bonanza for dairy farmers.
Even the sheep and beef guys are seeing good surpluses,
(29:51):
so it's far more positive now.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
But even like the open country of their acquisition of
MVM Fonterra with the purchase of their consuming brands as
such as well, and if it goes through talk of
two dollars coming back per share, that's big money.
Speaker 7 (30:09):
It is big money, and I think people, whether it's
stairy farmers, the Fonterra payout, sheep and beef having surpluses
this year is great and I think it's important that
they talk to their accountant and see where those surplus
is the best pot. So some people have debt they
can probably take care of. Some people have deferred maintenance,
(30:31):
but a lot of that cash will probably end up
invested or spent, so it's quite important that people talk
to their professional advisors and get a good gauge as
to what should help them over the next few years.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Perhaps a good chance to consolidate debt.
Speaker 7 (30:46):
Yeah, I think so. I mean some farms and you'll
know this better than I do. Some still have a
hefty amount of debt on them. Other people seem not
too concerned, and that's where the accountant probably is a
good person to gauge whether someone should be retiring debt
or not. I mean the other factor to that is
interest rates are getting lower, so the debt is getting cheaper.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
And that brings us on to surplus on farm this year,
if the budget's going to look pretty positive, and just
diversifying what you want to do with this money that
comes in, I suppose you guys, you'll be seeing a
lot of clients at the moment thinking what's the best approach.
Speaker 7 (31:21):
Yes, and we're happy to talk to clients or even
new clients. There's no cost to that initial advice, just
to see how they can best use that cash. Maybe
diversify off farm. Traditionally a lot of farmers have diversified
off farm into property. Now property has its pitfalls as
well as its opportunities but financial markets can provide quite
(31:45):
a good, fluid, liquid solution to their investment needs.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
So you're encouraging people just to pick up the phone
and have a conversation, right.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
Yes, definitely, yep.
Speaker 7 (31:54):
And it's a busy time of year, so if they
can't get off farm, we can come out and visit.
So I think the important thing is that people will
look at their options and have a good plan. Otherwise,
sometimes it's just left in the bank and I easily
interest rate, or it just gets spent on something you
don't actually need.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
We'll finish up with this as well. Sad New Smith's
city going into liquidation. The doors are all closed. It's
just another blow to a town like good. We talk
about H and J. Smith's a couple of years ago.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
David.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
We look at what we've got now and it makes
you wonder what's happening in the applecart next.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (32:31):
I think it's really sad, particularly for small town like Gore.
There's a lot of unseen value in buying locally, so
it's not always the cheapest place to spend your dollar,
but it's probably the best place to spend your dollar.
A lot of mouths families relying on that dollar and
you can rely on those people if you've got a
warranty claim or something like that. Now Smith's City have
(32:53):
sort of been stuck in a bind where it's sort
of product and price for a lot of their goods
at the moment, and people are buying online. A lot
of people spent up three or four years ago when
interest rates were cheap and everyone had a lot of
free money from the government. So at the moment there's
not a lot of money being spent on the TVs,
the beds, the sofas because there's not a lot of
(33:13):
discretionary dollar available. But if you have got it, it
is best spent locally. And it's a shame for Smith
City nationwide that they just haven't been able to fight
through this.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
Would you say this is a victim of COVID, the
COVID times and people just went online to shop.
Speaker 7 (33:32):
I would do for several factors. I think twenty twenty
one everyone pretty much went and upgraded anything they wanted,
or they bought an extra rental house, or they bought
a new TV. The last few years interest rates have
shot up. People haven't had the money available. If they
have had the money available, they probably updated their goods.
(33:53):
Three or four years ago. Even cars were difficult to get,
but a lot of people still got them during that period.
So the spending of those large ticket items has really
slowed down because of COVID.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
Craig's investment Partner's David. The best way to people to
get in touch with the team.
Speaker 7 (34:10):
Just come and see us at one twenty main Street
and Gore, or visit us online at craigsip dot com.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
Good on your David. Always good to catch up with
the team. Thanks Andy.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
Matt Ward Farms at Moreton, Mainz and joins us this
afternoon on the Muster and now Met was the twenty
twenty four Beef and Lamb Young Development Young Farm and
Development Scholarship winner. He chose to follow a path ship
a path along the Calogg Rural Leadership and we had
him on the show well about a month ago. I
suppose some really interesting insights, especially regaining New Zealand agriculture
(34:59):
overseas and joins this afternoon down on the cold Face
on the Lemming Beat. Matt Good afternoons, how's everything and
more to Mainz?
Speaker 6 (35:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (35:06):
Good Andy?
Speaker 1 (35:07):
Hell are you yeah? Pretty good? This story, this story that.
Speaker 4 (35:10):
We're chipping away. Not too bad down here. It's cold,
but sunshine and when starting to blow to dry things out.
But I'll tell you what those heated hand grips this
morning we're getting they are on double time then they're working. Wonders.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
Heated hand grips for probably the best, one of the
best inventions for for a motorbike, especially with the hand mites.
Speaker 4 (35:28):
Oh with the mets on as well. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah,
there's nothing better, nothing better than catching the year and
getting cold hands and put them straight back in the
midst to forget about it again.
Speaker 2 (35:39):
And if you're lucky, you had a screen as well.
But nonetheless, mate, how's thing's been anyway over the last
couple of weeks.
Speaker 4 (35:45):
She's been wet, Yeah, she's definitely been wet. But it's
sort of like we've had such a good run through winter.
It was always going to happen, so you need to
get that rain eventually, and it's just a shame it
happens during lemon. But in my opinion, that's why that's
why you're plant shelter, and especially here in more to mains, like,
there's not much stopping it unless you've got to make
(36:06):
a carp a hedge or something to go hide behind.
So it's yeah, so that is just what it is.
You just got to keep working with today.
Speaker 1 (36:13):
So shelter for the years isn't a problem on your phone.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
No, No, it's not. I've only probably got maybe one
to two three pedics lifted or planted a bit of
shelter since I've been home, and luckily managers before me
and my father before me as well. Head But for
sight two plots, well a step like Maker Carper hedges,
and then I sort of think there's a bit of
a cost and the upkeep of them. But God, when
(36:36):
you see you standing standing there this morning, I would
have had five or six years to them under a
hedge with sets of twins on each of them, happy airs,
and then one youth standing over it dead, sit in
the middle of the peddock sort of like the hedge
just pays for it. South pretty quickly, really.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
So how far through labbing would you be, Matt?
Speaker 4 (36:54):
Uh? You were over halfway now? Yeah, mixtagues are over
halfway and the hogots start next Friday. They'll start chipping
into it, so that would pretty yeah, cruising through pretty quick? Really?
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Are you pretty intensive on the laming beat.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
I try not to be. Yeah, I know, there's definitely
people a lot more intensive than me. I still mother
the odd lamb on and mark around, but I'm trying
to avoid it as much as I can. I'm I'm
pretty I take my black pigs lost me everywhere, and
anything that I need to give a hand to or
mother wrong gets a black pig. And if I see
her again while she goes straight into my baemart, and
(37:29):
if I see her again and she's on the bus.
So yeah, but then it's actually quite cool. This year
is the first year you can see it's paying dividends.
Like my younger sheep, like I billy have to touch any
of them, whereas my older sheep. There's still a few issues.
And but yeah, gradually telling all that all.
Speaker 2 (37:46):
That stuff, so hang heads and the lights hasn't been
and the lights hasn't been too much of an issue
so far.
Speaker 4 (37:52):
Nah here hasn't been too bad. He hasn't been too
always like already this morning, like the odd one, I
had a couple coming backwards. There's all that sort of stuff.
You can't really do much a beut. But no, they're
not not too still having some big lambs, but I've
got big us too, so you sort of what you
sort of hope big news are going to produce big lembs,
(38:13):
and one gets stuck. It sort of is what it is,
hard and pass all of it.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
So obviously your arms back up and running. Last time
we spoke, you're in a car, so things are back
to normal.
Speaker 4 (38:24):
It's not an I got my past off Friday week
ago and with lens on the ground next Saturday, the
next day. No, I've been yeah, but it's been lucky.
I've had someone working with me for the past couple
of weeks giving me a hand, which has been good.
And it's slowly, yeah, slowly getting better and better. But yeah,
the old crooking, the heading dog's been working overtime, catching
(38:47):
cheap and mucking around. But we're getting there.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
And I suppose the best thing about when you're starting
to get midway through landing, you can start doing shedding
out and just rebuilding things down the streamlining what you're doing.
Speaker 4 (38:57):
Yeah, yeah, this afternoon I'll start getting around shedding the
odd more about that's got not much left innered and
start boxing a few mobs using lambs up the start
of next week. And then all of a sudden you're gone.
You go from guard around every peddict to four or
five picks, and then the hogits they only take up
a handful of peddocks. That's just gets quicker and quicker
(39:17):
and easier. So yeah, definitely over the over the worst
of it now, I think.
Speaker 1 (39:21):
Anyway, So labing hoggets, you've always done that.
Speaker 4 (39:26):
I've always done it at home here, well they yes,
for the last I don't know how long I've been
doing it here. When I first moved back home three
years ago, I hadn't lamb a hoggit in my life.
So I've definitely learned a bit about it socially around
the whole mating and the whole the whole process. And
I still haven't quite got it mastered, but I sort
(39:46):
of have the opinion. Blade of grass and more maat
is quite an extensive blade in every mouse that's eating
it has to do something. So if the hoggets are here,
they've got to be producing a lamb. Otherwise what's the
real point of having them.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Well, it goes back, it goes back to tapping. I
suppose what forty five forty eight kg for a hogot
going to the ram will take it?
Speaker 4 (40:06):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I try. I try to work on
about something like sixty percent of the adult weight, so
mine really need to be up around sixty around fifty
kilos sorry, And this year they went to the RAM
about forty eight, so they're not far off. But I
don't pamper them either. I sort of don't believe I
(40:26):
should be pampering you lambs like they need to be
able to survive and they need to. Yeah, I find
if you pemper them and get them all in lamb
and they scan really well, and then if they have
a tough winter or a tough spring or something and
they all start and fall the bits, I never have
that pressure but on them. So I try to put
my mind under pressure and if they get a lamb
and survive, then you don't really run into any issues
(40:49):
from now on.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
That's a massive animal going to the RAM. Fifty kilos.
Speaker 4 (40:53):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, they are. They are big like they yeah,
and like shit, they'll be god sixty yell that big
hogits but they need but they'll go.
Speaker 6 (41:05):
And they've killed.
Speaker 4 (41:09):
The lambs off man lass waiting at nineteen and a
half kilos, so they're producing good lambs for me. But yeah,
they do they mow through some fee you.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
There, So the case of you playing rugby is more
or less training for laming. I spose for catching us.
Speaker 4 (41:24):
Yeah, well that's why probably been a bit a bit harder.
I've been a wee bit under done coming into lembing
this year. Definitely caring a few extra skin folds and
what I normally would be. But but we're yeah, we'll
get in there.
Speaker 1 (41:36):
Nothing wrong with installation at this time of year.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
On the body mate, hey, just before we go as well,
talking to a lot of farmers over the week last
week or two, just little tip bets they do, as
far as little life hacks for the matter of September
and the likes when you're doing the laming beat, what
do you do to try and deviate away from the mainstream?
Speaker 1 (41:54):
Why do? It's good question.
Speaker 4 (41:57):
I'm a big fit of a big game six you're
in the trenches and it's pretty hardly on a weekday.
I'm I quite enjoy getting in my truck at lunch
time and going for a bit of a drive. I
know it's pretty hard to find the time, but where
I am here in Morte Mains, we've got a real
good shot down in Woodland's here the grocer, So I
normally sneak down there, grab a pie and a softy
(42:17):
roll and take the long way home and just have
a look around and what everyone else is up to.
And sometimes you see even especially around the dairy farmers
around us here, let you see how hard it is
that you're doing it. Some people are sometimes unfortunately doing
it tougher, and just that bit of a break from
your own pedics and stuff. Yeah it works, wonders. And
(42:37):
you get home at night and my partner, I saw
a busy day. You haven't been in for lunch of me.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
Yes to you.
Speaker 4 (42:44):
I've being flared out all day.
Speaker 2 (42:46):
And that is the one farming prerogative. No matter where
you go, more often than not, the other half has
to drive because you're too busy looking at the landscape
and they're getting grumpy because you're doing about sixty clocks right.
Speaker 4 (42:57):
Yeah, yeah, it's whole part. And passer, wasn't it got.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
Dan didn't want to know.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
On Matt Ward Dear wrapping up the best of the muster,
Thank you very much for your company.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
I'm and Y Muir. Enjoy the weekend.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
Go the A b's go the stags catch up Monday,
enjoy the weekend,
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.