August 31, 2025 • 7 mins
Nigel Johnston says dairying has a lot to look forwardto over the next few months.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Right right, Welcome back to the muster.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
The music today is the Roaring Pen and no other
song but the Roaring Pen by the Swede Aedias of
course of the Stags getting the w and the red
freely shield. Coincidentally, three point thirty pm they arrived back
at the Vcago Airport. If anybody is in the position
to go along there and take the take the family
and welcome a.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Bit of history onto south and Soil.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Nigel Johnson, he farms at Mabel Bush, joins us this afternoon. Nigel,
good afternoon, Hew's everything, Dane.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Yourself, you'll be ready for a big Saturday is coming
with you.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
It's going to be a massive game. It's Kennibury first up,
which is an ideal.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
But look, if they played anything like they did yesterday,
the sky is limit for this team. It was just
a complete performance by Southland.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yes, nice to be a part of, but unfortunately farming
carries on in front of me when it's still quite
busy and the tough going last few days.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, what's the situation like in Mabile Bush. Paint a
picture for us.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Oh, we'd had a dream run for the previous I
was going to say six weeks, but probably the previous
six months got lots of grass around us twenty eight
hundred cover growing more than average. At twenty one a day.
We had two thirds the way through carving, so it's
been a bit slower than it was last year, which
I guess is understandable based on last mating season. We
(01:27):
were ten days to get to halfway from our plans
start a mating which normally we sit around the seven
or eight, and then on Saturday it started raining. So
we've had twenty cell seven milms of rain, but it
might as well have been two hundred. Really, it's got
that sticky underfoot.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
So the last couple of days has been a bit
of a game changer as far as moisture levels.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Yeah, got I mean easy to cope with with that
much grass in front of me that we just yeah,
mostcales on and make sure everything's fully fed. And I
think there's light at the end of the tunnel. There's
some fine days later this week, and of.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Course you're milking there on a once a day system.
It does try you know as well. How do you
find that great?
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Probably it gives us some great opportunities around people. So
we've got we've got one full timer, but there's no
one on fane before eight o'clock in the morning, and
we've got a regular milk harvest, so she actually works
for a friend of mine next door as well, so
she does three milkings today. So everyone's getting jobs here,
(02:31):
inspection and enjoyment and not too stressed. And we're especially
in a good provision at the moment because the cavalry
has arrived. My daughter's home from Lincoln with a friend,
so we've got extra staff and everyone's having time off
over this mid semester break period.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
So things don't crank up on the Johnstone farm until
late am.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
The track for the calves going and going away at
four days old has arrives just after eight o'clock, so
we've got to be pretty organized. There's no sleeping in.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Oh absolutely, I mean that's part and part of well,
part and parcel all this time of.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Year, though the warreny of stating at eight o'clock is
it makes it quite hard to get away to some
of these industry type events. But I was keen to
get out last week and support the Royal Support Trust brunch,
so luckily that they hung around and till lunched on there,
which so we've managed to get to that down a
gorse road. Really good, well supported, great group responsors and
(03:29):
I must say thank you to the sponsors there seem
to see you at all those events. We're catering and
looking after our friends and neighbors. It's great to be
a part of.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Was there a good turnout?
Speaker 3 (03:41):
It good to do and probably well they ran out
of food. I had the last Hamburger, so you could
call that a win.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
It's a thing though. I mean these events like when
are the next ones coming out? And they'll just bring
them up there happening again tomorrow Hotel sal Farm Source
Lomson this Thursday at PG right, he's in Clifton on
the ninth into next week then Tiana and Glenham to
round it off. So yeah, great to see it's been
well supported. You want to talk today that you're having
(04:09):
a bit of issue issues around pest control, namely possums
are possums.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
We've got a native bush block on farm some ten
heat years or so that gets shot what for a
reasonably regularly, but the possums must have had a mess
of breeding season that's sort have come out of the
bush and out on farm and around the yards. So
I actually contacted our local pest control contractor where we're
just on the boundary of one of the environments south
(04:36):
of PCA areas where they organize like a whole catchment
of potsom control at once. So I've managed to piggyback
on that. They've come and set up base stations here
and it will have regular top ups of those bake stations.
And my theory is if we're doing it when the
rest of the community is, we will end up with
a good ongoing solution.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Just how bad is the situation where you are, Nigel, Well,
I don't know because I haven't shot them, but I
do know a friend of mine thought that he's cleaned.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Out his blocker native bush, which was similar to ours,
by shooting twenty possums around the outside. When the pest
controllers came through with actually trapped to count them, they
actually got two hundred possums out of that blocker bush.
So I'd suggest we're looking at something pretty similar.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
There's some incredible numbers around pests when you think about it,
and unfortunately it's just one of those things going forward
that needs to be looked at.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
I find that it's one of those things that you
tend to put it on the backburn and when you
don't see it every day. So I'm hoping by contracting
someone to come in and do it on a regular basis,
effectively put it in the diary and it will get
done and not forgotten.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
They were just finish up with this Nigel. Open Country.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
You're a supplier they acquired Maraca has just come out
this morning. Open Country in a dairy sense as well.
Fon terror as well for that matter. A lot of
good stuff happening in the dairy sector at the moment.
It can't be ignored.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
It's an exciting time to be a dairy. Yeah, it's
rewarding us in milk price on farm which helps make
decisions about what we're going to do being sustainable going forward.
But it's really pleasing to see some sustainability around there
milk supply companies as well. I am. Yeah, I'm a
proud Open Country supplier. I've done a fair bit of
(06:20):
about advertising for them if you've seeing me in the
media there, But it's it's something I'm quite proud of
how they've grown their business and then to go and
acquire these other businesses that gives at least me in
good heart. The Fontira one is an interesting one. I'll
be interested to see whether whether the lumps payout gets
(06:42):
capitalized into land there is or whether people just use
the capital going by boats and holiday.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Well there's what Kylie Fuskett suggestioned on the show last week.
There's money of ows you nothing go and spend it.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Yeah, but most of us know farming and like farming.
I think it will be. It'll be, It'll be kept
in the rules. Unity is a few bit as well.
It's yeah, it should be good and I do hope
that it continues to turn into milk frost so that
we can all be successful together.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Nigel Johnson, always appreciate your time on the muster. All
the beast out there in the paddicks this afternoon, inteed.
Nigel Johnston of Mabel Bush, ye're interesting that Open Country
forever solidifying their place in the dairy sector here in
New Zealand. Before the end of the hour, Graham Minty
(07:30):
Mead talking from a boy Keatto viewpoint about the game yesterday.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Up next, Lindberry
Right right, Welcome back to the muster.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
The music today is the Roaring Pen and no other
song but the Roaring Pen by the Swede Aedias of
course of the Stags getting the w and the red
freely shield. Coincidentally, three point thirty pm they arrived back
at the Vcago Airport. If anybody is in the position
to go along there and take the take the family
and welcome a.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Bit of history onto south and Soil.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Nigel Johnson, he farms at Mabel Bush, joins us this afternoon. Nigel,
good afternoon, Hew's everything, Dane.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Yourself, you'll be ready for a big Saturday is coming
with you.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
It's going to be a massive game. It's Kennibury first up,
which is an ideal.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
But look, if they played anything like they did yesterday,
the sky is limit for this team. It was just
a complete performance by Southland.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yes, nice to be a part of, but unfortunately farming
carries on in front of me when it's still quite
busy and the tough going last few days.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, what's the situation like in Mabile Bush. Paint a
picture for us.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Oh, we'd had a dream run for the previous I
was going to say six weeks, but probably the previous
six months got lots of grass around us twenty eight
hundred cover growing more than average. At twenty one a day.
We had two thirds the way through carving, so it's
been a bit slower than it was last year, which
I guess is understandable based on last mating season. We
(01:27):
were ten days to get to halfway from our plans
start a mating which normally we sit around the seven
or eight, and then on Saturday it started raining. So
we've had twenty cell seven milms of rain, but it
might as well have been two hundred. Really, it's got
that sticky underfoot.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
So the last couple of days has been a bit
of a game changer as far as moisture levels.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Yeah, got I mean easy to cope with with that
much grass in front of me that we just yeah,
mostcales on and make sure everything's fully fed. And I
think there's light at the end of the tunnel. There's
some fine days later this week, and of.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Course you're milking there on a once a day system.
It does try you know as well. How do you
find that great?
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Probably it gives us some great opportunities around people. So
we've got we've got one full timer, but there's no
one on fane before eight o'clock in the morning, and
we've got a regular milk harvest, so she actually works
for a friend of mine next door as well, so
she does three milkings today. So everyone's getting jobs here,
(02:31):
inspection and enjoyment and not too stressed. And we're especially
in a good provision at the moment because the cavalry
has arrived. My daughter's home from Lincoln with a friend,
so we've got extra staff and everyone's having time off
over this mid semester break period.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
So things don't crank up on the Johnstone farm until
late am.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
The track for the calves going and going away at
four days old has arrives just after eight o'clock, so
we've got to be pretty organized. There's no sleeping in.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Oh absolutely, I mean that's part and part of well,
part and parcel all this time of.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Year, though the warreny of stating at eight o'clock is
it makes it quite hard to get away to some
of these industry type events. But I was keen to
get out last week and support the Royal Support Trust brunch,
so luckily that they hung around and till lunched on there,
which so we've managed to get to that down a
gorse road. Really good, well supported, great group responsors and
(03:29):
I must say thank you to the sponsors there seem
to see you at all those events. We're catering and
looking after our friends and neighbors. It's great to be
a part of.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Was there a good turnout?
Speaker 3 (03:41):
It good to do and probably well they ran out
of food. I had the last Hamburger, so you could
call that a win.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
It's a thing though. I mean these events like when
are the next ones coming out? And they'll just bring
them up there happening again tomorrow Hotel sal Farm Source
Lomson this Thursday at PG right, he's in Clifton on
the ninth into next week then Tiana and Glenham to
round it off. So yeah, great to see it's been
well supported. You want to talk today that you're having
(04:09):
a bit of issue issues around pest control, namely possums
are possums.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
We've got a native bush block on farm some ten
heat years or so that gets shot what for a
reasonably regularly, but the possums must have had a mess
of breeding season that's sort have come out of the
bush and out on farm and around the yards. So
I actually contacted our local pest control contractor where we're
just on the boundary of one of the environments south
(04:36):
of PCA areas where they organize like a whole catchment
of potsom control at once. So I've managed to piggyback
on that. They've come and set up base stations here
and it will have regular top ups of those bake stations.
And my theory is if we're doing it when the
rest of the community is, we will end up with
a good ongoing solution.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Just how bad is the situation where you are, Nigel, Well,
I don't know because I haven't shot them, but I
do know a friend of mine thought that he's cleaned.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Out his blocker native bush, which was similar to ours,
by shooting twenty possums around the outside. When the pest
controllers came through with actually trapped to count them, they
actually got two hundred possums out of that blocker bush.
So I'd suggest we're looking at something pretty similar.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
There's some incredible numbers around pests when you think about it,
and unfortunately it's just one of those things going forward
that needs to be looked at.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
I find that it's one of those things that you
tend to put it on the backburn and when you
don't see it every day. So I'm hoping by contracting
someone to come in and do it on a regular basis,
effectively put it in the diary and it will get
done and not forgotten.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
They were just finish up with this Nigel. Open Country.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
You're a supplier they acquired Maraca has just come out
this morning. Open Country in a dairy sense as well.
Fon terror as well for that matter. A lot of
good stuff happening in the dairy sector at the moment.
It can't be ignored.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
It's an exciting time to be a dairy. Yeah, it's
rewarding us in milk price on farm which helps make
decisions about what we're going to do being sustainable going forward.
But it's really pleasing to see some sustainability around there
milk supply companies as well. I am. Yeah, I'm a
proud Open Country supplier. I've done a fair bit of
(06:20):
about advertising for them if you've seeing me in the
media there, But it's it's something I'm quite proud of
how they've grown their business and then to go and
acquire these other businesses that gives at least me in
good heart. The Fontira one is an interesting one. I'll
be interested to see whether whether the lumps payout gets
(06:42):
capitalized into land there is or whether people just use
the capital going by boats and holiday.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Well there's what Kylie Fuskett suggestioned on the show last week.
There's money of ows you nothing go and spend it.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Yeah, but most of us know farming and like farming.
I think it will be. It'll be, It'll be kept
in the rules. Unity is a few bit as well.
It's yeah, it should be good and I do hope
that it continues to turn into milk frost so that
we can all be successful together.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Nigel Johnson, always appreciate your time on the muster. All
the beast out there in the paddicks this afternoon, inteed.
Nigel Johnston of Mabel Bush, ye're interesting that Open Country
forever solidifying their place in the dairy sector here in
New Zealand. Before the end of the hour, Graham Minty
(07:30):
Mead talking from a boy Keatto viewpoint about the game yesterday.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
Up next, Lindberry
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