West Otago farmer Allan Richardson has an exciting vision for the future of livestock farming in New Zealand. He would like to see as many farmers as possible producing organically, or at least incorporating as many organic systems as possible into their farming operations. Andrea Kydd-Law asked him why – and how.
Allan believes that New Zealand farmers will essentially have to make a choice between two paths. They can either move to large scale or factory type farming, based on high production with high inputs. This will require them to continually lift production while accepting commodity prices. Or they can look to maintaining small to large scale farms, producing products with differentiated qualities that can add value, such as those associated with organic certification.
For farmers beginning to struggle with lower prices for stock, higher input costs and competition from intensive overseas operations, organic farming makes sense for New Zealand farmers. Not only does it add value to the end product itself, input costs for production can be lowered and the overall health of the farm improved. There is also a burgeoning local and international market for organic meat products.
And if anyone has the farming and business credentials, along with the sheer passion to help turn this vision into a reality, it’s Allan Richardson.
Along with wife Sonia, Allan farms 1310 hectares of rolling hill country in West Otago. Originally developed from gorse and scrub by Allan’s father Collin, 500 hectares of their Avalon Farm is AgriQuality certified for organic sheep and beef production, and the Richardson’s are steadily moving towards organic certification for the entire farm. At this stage, the 810 hectare balance incorporates most of the farming system used under organic certification.
Allan became interested in organic production in 1997 while on a Kellogg’s leadership course. A few of the speakers mentioned the potential of organics and, keen to know more and believing it could make sense from a business perspective, Allan completed his course project on organic sheep farming.
In 1998, the Richardson’s trialed 35 hectares of their property in organic production and 125 hectares became certified in 2001 (now 500 hectares). Most of their product is marketed through PPCS, but they also sell some of their product under their Avalon Organics brand through their website and the Otago Farmers Market. They also sell directly to a number of top-end hotels. The branding of their product plays an important role in their business and there is a strong emphasis on creating an affordable, quality product that is associated with the Avalon brand.
For the Richardson’s, the lack of available information on organic sheep and beef farming on a large scale made the process more of a challenge than it might otherwise have been.
Fortunately Allan had started breeding his sheep for worm resistance several years earlier, before it had become common and before he had ever considered organic farming. Resistance to parasites is a big deal for organic livestock farmers. Although drench resistance has been a growing problem for conventional farmers for some time, Allan believes the farming industry has only recently started to seriously address this issue and look to genetics as a solution.
Avalon’s worm resistance programme has now been running for 19 years and it has provided big payoffs for the farm. Not only has it eased the conversion to organics by producing multi-disease resistant sheep, it has become a business in its own right under the Avalon Genetics trademark.
The Richardson’s have developed an ‘Ultimate’ sheep programme, breeding for key traits such as no belly or crutch wool, short tails, multi-disease resistance and longevity. The aim is to breed a super-low input sheep which cuts out all the hard work of sheep farming.
Recognition for what they are doing is evident with more and more organic farmers purchasing Avalon rams, as well as those considering the move to organics or with an interest in specialized breeds. Their ram, Bonnieview 55/01 was ranked fifth in New Zealand for meat and growth for maternal breeds.
Farm facts – Avalon Farm
The Richardson’s 1310 hectare sheep and beef farm is located near Heriot, West Otago.
Organic Farming:
– Farming organically since 1998
– 500 hectares certified organic by AgriQuality
– 470 hectares effective
– 5400 stock units at 11.5su/ha effective
– Sheep and Beef production – 3900 ewes, 850 ewe hoggets, 310 ram hoggets, 30 rams, 45 rising two year old steers and 50 one year olds.
– Stock under a maximum one life time drench policy.
Overall, Allan believes that “in order to successfully farm livestock organically, you’ve got to be a good stockman and have stock that are bred for resistance and low input. If your stock are healthy they can comfortably live with a small pest challenge”.
In terms of their overall farming practices, the Richardson’s have developed a system that incorporates holistic management based on economic, ecological and social outcomes; grazing management based on year round rotational grazing; multi disease resistant genetics; and the use of Probitas soil conditioner.
Probitas, developed by Ewan Campbell of Waihi, is a lime base soil conditioner that has been used on the Richardson’s farm for the past three years. The results of the soil and herbage tests that have been conducted before and since the introduction of Probitas have shown impressive results. Initially introduced to only 125 hectares, Probitas is now being used across the entire farm. Allan says that Probitas unlocks the nutrients from the soil and lets nature do the work, and he believes that it has the potential to “revolutionise the fertilizer industry”.
Allan says that overall New Zealand soils tend to have an excess of some nutrients and a deficiency in others. At this stage the Richardson’s add a few trace elements to complement the use of Probitas and balance things out, however Allan anticipates that this will not be required in the long term and that they will most likely only need to use Probitas every 2 to 4 years for maintenance purposes.
And bottom line according to Allan is “keeping the soil and plants healthy will give you healthy animals”. He also believes that with the right systems in place, this can be achieved anywhere in New Zealand under an array of different conditions.
The biggest challenge facing organic livestock farmers from Allan’s perspective is the need to be proactive rather that reactive – it’s about anticipating problems before they arise.
Allan likes to see any challenges he faces as opportunities and points out that during the good times people tend to be less innovative. He also notes that the things he thought were going to be the bigger challenges, such as gorse and lice control, turned out to be more manageable that he expected. The use of lime and Probitas has had a significant impact on limiting gorse growth. He has also discovered that there is a direct correlation between worm and lice resistance that has big implications for the whole industry.
Getting Started
The biggest weakness facing the organic livestock farming according to Allan is that “there is no one organization which is really focused on helping people convert and that has the hands-on experience to do this”.
For farmers wanting to start out, Allan recommends that they contact a commercially focused organic farmer in their own area as a starting point, as well as the certifying organizations such as BioGro, OrganicFarmNZ, and AgriQuality for information on their organic standards.
Allan currently offers some of his Avalon Genetics’ clients advice about going down the low input track with a view to going organic and also fields calls from people considering conversion. He believes that “the greatest potential is for giving advice to conventional farmers on how to maintain performance but reduce their cost structure. From that position many farmers will discover that going organic is not that hard to achieve”.
Allan also suggests that farmers who want to reduce the risks associated with conversion or who are not entirely confident with the processes consider converting part of the farm to organics initially to get comfortable with what is required and then finish the conversion process later on. He says that there have been instances where farmers have blamed their failure to make the conversion on organic methods, but believes that this is most likely because they have not taken the time to fully understand the processes involved or adequately prepare themselves for the conversion.
In hindsight, Allan says that it would have been preferable for them to convert the entire farm to organics in one go.
Productivity Comparison
One of the most exciting aspects of the Richardson’s operation from a commercial point of view is the level of productivity being achieved on the farm, a big issue for any conventional farmer considering a conversion. From the outset they had aimed to achieve 90 – 95 percent of what was being achieved conventionally. They are now at 90 percent and well within reach of their 95 percent target. The number of stock units per hectare on the organic portion of their farm is 11.5, the same as for the conventional portion. Their long term average organic unit lambing rate is 119 percent, only 6 percent below their 125 percent average conventional lambing rate (their organic unit lambing rate has been as high as 131 percent). When considered in conjunction with lower input costs and higher premiums, it makes organic livestock farming a worthwhile business proposition.
“There was a perception that the organic farm was the ‘worst farm in the district’, but that perception is starting to change and there are organic producers of all types around the country running really successful commercial operations”.
Allan says that in order to meet growing demand, at least “1000 New Zealand farms need to start making the conversion to organics now, with another 1000 coming on board when the others attain certification”. He believes that there has been a misconception that if too many farmers were to convert to organics now the market would be saturated. From Allan’s perspective and with a sound understanding of the organic meat market, he says this isn’t the case and this message needs to get out to farmers.
The signs are promising. The Richardson’s have fielded more enquiries about their operation in the past year than they have done in the eight years since they made the conversion.
In the meantime, they will continue working hard to develop and evolve their farming systems, genetics, marketing and the Avalon brand to meet the challenges and opportunities organic farming presents.
For consumers, Avalon Organics has recently created two organic ready-made meals which are available to customers through the website and they intend to continue exploring other opportunities to add value to their product.
Their other big focus now is expanding into overseas markets under their own Avalon brand, a step Allan believes will be made easier by the experience and expertise they have gained from dealing with the local market – “if you can’t succeed at a local level, then you can’t expect to succeed at an international level”.
Organic Conversion Service
To help address the shortage of good information and support for livestock farmers converting to organics, and to help achieve their vision for New Zealand farming, the Richardson’s have developed Avalon Farming Systems.
This is designed to take conventional farmers right through the process, from conversion planning, including pasture and stock management, animal health, choosing the right genetics and advising on marketing options once they are organic. They also hope to have an ongoing management support programme. Allan and Sonia plan to have Avalon Farming Systems available to clients within the next year.
Allan says that he believes “top conventional farmers have the skills to make the successful transition to organic farming” and he adds that what the Farming Systems will be offering “is not a rescue package for farmers who are struggling on their farms with below average performance”.
Allan presented a paper comparing conventional and organic systems to the New Zealand Grasslands Association national conference – an opportunity for the Richardson’s to provide the facts and figures supporting their organic operation to a wider audience.
—
Avalon Farm operates under three distinct brands reflecting the different aspects of their business operation:
Tea tree in NZ – Growing the good oil
/in Farming and Horticulture, Magazine ArticlesTucked away in idyllic Karamea is New Zealand’s only certified organic producer of Australian tea tree oil. Philippa Jamieson visits on a rainy West Coast day.
It’s not a place you simply pass through. Karamea is off the beaten track an hour and a half’s drive north of Westport, with a warm climate and plentiful rain that supports lush grass for dairy cows, and subtropicals like tamarillos and feijoas.
The drizzle turned into steady rain as I walked to Otumahana, Margaret and Hamish Macbeth’s property just
south of the township, near where I was staying. It’s a 3.2 hectare narrow strip of flat land between the Otumahana Estuary and the road. On the east side of the road is a small market garden and a planting of tamarillos, and immediately beyond them the hill rises steeply, with canopies of rata and the umbrellas of tree ferns standing out amongst the thick bush.
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Moves to send complementary health control offshore
/in Magazine Articles, RegularsLate one night in December the Government finally tabled legislation intended to make a reality of its proposal to base control of New Zealand complementary health in Australia, under a trans-Tasman Therapeutic Products Agency (ANZTPA).
The move had been blocked for three years by widespread opposition on this side of the Tasman. There are two main concerns.
Alternative health groups say it would hand control of the New Zealand complementary health sector to an off-shore body, set up under Australian law, based in Canberra, and dominated by Australians. It has been suggested that under the current proposal all but seven percent of the agency’s staff would be Australian.
The other point of contention is that the new regime would regulate low risk, traditional remedies and dietary supplements as if they were drugs – effectively delivering the entire sector over to the pharmaceutical industry, who can afford the high cost clinical trials and licensing requirements.
This is despite the absence of any demonstrated risk to consumers health (See “What’s the risk?” below) Opponents say compliance costs under the regime in place in Australia have rocketed at 15 percent or more per year (28 percent last year by some accounts), and small companies are being driven out of business.
The trans-Tasman move has been in limbo as the Government’s plans failed to win support from any of the other political parties in Parliament.
The bill was finally introduced only after tinkering to enable NZ First to backtrack on Winston Peters’ categorical assertion that his MPs had stopped the move. (Little over a month earlier Peters had told National Radio, “For those people that believe in natural medicines, they have stopped the therapeutic bill that would have included all natural medicines being run by a trans Tasman agency. That’s stopped.”)
However, as we prepare for printing, it appears NZ First has changed sides, and the 494 page Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill is set to have its first reading in Parliament, with groups on both sides of the debate expecting it to pass to the next stage.
United Future leader Peter Dunne has also backed the compromise deal. National, Act, the Maori and Green parties all remain opposed.
The key changes to the original proposal appear to be a five year transition phase during which the taxpayer will subsidise steep annual charges for licensing health products under the new regime.
Natural health products will initially be exempt it seems, but will be able to be brought under the legislation later without further scrutiny by Parliament.
The NZ Health Trust, lobby group for small complementary health providers says tabling of the bill came without prior warning to other parties in Parliament. “We can only take from that that the Government knows full well how strong the public opposition to this plan is and are hoping to get it through at a time when everyone is already busy and before too many people really notice what is happening.
NZHT says it’s important to remember what this fight is about. “It’s about ensuring NZ has a system of health laws that focus on the best interest of consumers, not the protection of off-shore corporate interests.
NZ Health Trust research earlier this year showed 62 percent of New Zealanders used natural health products. “This is not about the industry not wanting regulation, we have always supported a sensible NZ based system of regulation specific to natural products,” the Trust says. “This is not about enhancing consumer safety – there is no evidence that this system in Australia has made the public any safer, in fact quite the reverse.”
NZHT is calling on people to phone NZ First MPs and explain “how strongly you feel about this issue and asking them not to support ANZTPA under any terms that include natural products.”
“We cannot stand back and do nothing while the Government looks to impose schemes on us so clearly detrimental to NZ that Select Committees have twice rejected it.”
How widespread is the opposition?
Response to earlier requests to email MPs over the proposed trans-Tasman controls was so strong that within a few hours Parliament’s server had crashed. Some MPs complained about the number of emails they were getting, but the NZ Health Trust that called for the email campaign says “whether they like it or not, that is the voice of democracy in action and if the people who they represent want to tell them how strongly they feel about stopping ANZTPA then they should have every right to do so.”
The Trust’s David Sloan says that over the last few weeks of November the activity behind the scenes on this issue was frantic “but as usual the Government and Medsafe were only consulting with their supporters.”
Meetings are reported to have included representatives from large companies like Healtheries, Nutralife and Alaron, but excluded the NZ Health Trust or any of the companies that have been strong in opposing the joint agency.
“The package will be presented as if natural health products are not included, trying to look as if she [lead Minister, Annette King] has given the opponents of this scheme what they wanted. That is not true,” says Sloan.
“The scheme is still pharmaceutically based and in our view, pharmaceutically biased, and there is no increase in consumer safety as a result. If a scheme doesn’t make the public any safer then what justification can there be for it?
It appears that by the time ONZ hits the streets, the Bill will have been referred to a Select Committee for consideration. Which Committee is as yet unknown but the NZ Health Trust says, “in another act of manipulation… Government has decided that this is no longer a health matter … and will instead send it to a select committee on which they control a majority of the members, to ensure they finally get a select committee obedient enough to give the Government the report it wants.”
“Like everything else in relation to this matter, the decisions and timeframes are all being designed to suit the Government and kept behind closed doors until the last possible moment to avoid public scrutiny of their indefendable actions (sic).”
What’s the risk?
Ron Law is an independent risk and policy analyst and former clinical biochemistry lecturer, who was a Health Ministry appointee to a government working group on strategies for reducing medical error in New Zealand’s healthcare system. He is also a former executive director of the New Zealand Nutritional Foods Association.
Ron offers the following overview of risks related to natural health products, published on the website:www.laleva.cc/petizione/english/ronlaw_eng.html
* Over 26,000 times more people die from preventable medical misadventure and regulated, properly prescribed and properly used drugs than from dietary supplements.
* Regulated, prescribed and properly used drugs are the fourth most common cause of death. Forty six people die every day from aspirin alone in the USA.
* Avoidable medical misadventure is the sixth most common cause of death. In Australia, 9,000 people die every year from avoidable medical misadventure, and 50,000 people are maimed.
* In the US. food poisoning and adverse reactions cause 5,000–9,000 deaths per year. Dietary supplements average fewer than five.
* There have been no deaths known to be caused by dietary supplements in NZ.
* Dietary supplements are consumed by over 50 percent of the population in both the USA and New Zealand (Source, NIH/MOH).
* You are more likely to die from a bee sting, sports injury, lightning, animal bite, horse riding, or radon gas exposure than from taking a health supplement.
The Government view
Minister Annette King’s press release on the ANZTPA Bill’s introduction claims “a significant step towards better protecting the health and safety of consumers”.
In relation to natural health products it says “the joint scheme will require all therapeutic products to undergo pre-market safety approval and licensing and post market surveillance and monitoring.”
Among reasons identified for the move are “minimal regulation of medical devices and complementary medicines in New Zealand, which is out of step with international best practice and this has led to therapeutic products being excluded from the trans-Tasman trade agreement.”
The Agency would be charged with “regulating the pre and post-market safety and quality of therapeutic products, including complementary medicines such as herbal and traditional medicines, homoeopathic medicines and aromatherapy products, vitamins, minerals and dietary and nutritional supplements.”
Sheep, beef and organics – the path to success
/in Farming and Horticulture, Magazine ArticlesWest Otago farmer Allan Richardson has an exciting vision for the future of livestock farming in New Zealand. He would like to see as many farmers as possible producing organically, or at least incorporating as many organic systems as possible into their farming operations. Andrea Kydd-Law asked him why – and how.
Allan believes that New Zealand farmers will essentially have to make a choice between two paths. They can either move to large scale or factory type farming, based on high production with high inputs. This will require them to continually lift production while accepting commodity prices. Or they can look to maintaining small to large scale farms, producing products with differentiated qualities that can add value, such as those associated with organic certification.
For farmers beginning to struggle with lower prices for stock, higher input costs and competition from intensive overseas operations, organic farming makes sense for New Zealand farmers. Not only does it add value to the end product itself, input costs for production can be lowered and the overall health of the farm improved. There is also a burgeoning local and international market for organic meat products.
And if anyone has the farming and business credentials, along with the sheer passion to help turn this vision into a reality, it’s Allan Richardson.
Along with wife Sonia, Allan farms 1310 hectares of rolling hill country in West Otago. Originally developed from gorse and scrub by Allan’s father Collin, 500 hectares of their Avalon Farm is AgriQuality certified for organic sheep and beef production, and the Richardson’s are steadily moving towards organic certification for the entire farm. At this stage, the 810 hectare balance incorporates most of the farming system used under organic certification.
Allan became interested in organic production in 1997 while on a Kellogg’s leadership course. A few of the speakers mentioned the potential of organics and, keen to know more and believing it could make sense from a business perspective, Allan completed his course project on organic sheep farming.
In 1998, the Richardson’s trialed 35 hectares of their property in organic production and 125 hectares became certified in 2001 (now 500 hectares). Most of their product is marketed through PPCS, but they also sell some of their product under their Avalon Organics brand through their website and the Otago Farmers Market. They also sell directly to a number of top-end hotels. The branding of their product plays an important role in their business and there is a strong emphasis on creating an affordable, quality product that is associated with the Avalon brand.
For the Richardson’s, the lack of available information on organic sheep and beef farming on a large scale made the process more of a challenge than it might otherwise have been.
Fortunately Allan had started breeding his sheep for worm resistance several years earlier, before it had become common and before he had ever considered organic farming. Resistance to parasites is a big deal for organic livestock farmers. Although drench resistance has been a growing problem for conventional farmers for some time, Allan believes the farming industry has only recently started to seriously address this issue and look to genetics as a solution.
Avalon’s worm resistance programme has now been running for 19 years and it has provided big payoffs for the farm. Not only has it eased the conversion to organics by producing multi-disease resistant sheep, it has become a business in its own right under the Avalon Genetics trademark.
The Richardson’s have developed an ‘Ultimate’ sheep programme, breeding for key traits such as no belly or crutch wool, short tails, multi-disease resistance and longevity. The aim is to breed a super-low input sheep which cuts out all the hard work of sheep farming.
Recognition for what they are doing is evident with more and more organic farmers purchasing Avalon rams, as well as those considering the move to organics or with an interest in specialized breeds. Their ram, Bonnieview 55/01 was ranked fifth in New Zealand for meat and growth for maternal breeds.
Farm facts – Avalon Farm
The Richardson’s 1310 hectare sheep and beef farm is located near Heriot, West Otago.
Organic Farming:
– Farming organically since 1998
– 500 hectares certified organic by AgriQuality
– 470 hectares effective
– 5400 stock units at 11.5su/ha effective
– Sheep and Beef production – 3900 ewes, 850 ewe hoggets, 310 ram hoggets, 30 rams, 45 rising two year old steers and 50 one year olds.
– Stock under a maximum one life time drench policy.
Overall, Allan believes that “in order to successfully farm livestock organically, you’ve got to be a good stockman and have stock that are bred for resistance and low input. If your stock are healthy they can comfortably live with a small pest challenge”.
In terms of their overall farming practices, the Richardson’s have developed a system that incorporates holistic management based on economic, ecological and social outcomes; grazing management based on year round rotational grazing; multi disease resistant genetics; and the use of Probitas soil conditioner.
Probitas, developed by Ewan Campbell of Waihi, is a lime base soil conditioner that has been used on the Richardson’s farm for the past three years. The results of the soil and herbage tests that have been conducted before and since the introduction of Probitas have shown impressive results. Initially introduced to only 125 hectares, Probitas is now being used across the entire farm. Allan says that Probitas unlocks the nutrients from the soil and lets nature do the work, and he believes that it has the potential to “revolutionise the fertilizer industry”.
Allan says that overall New Zealand soils tend to have an excess of some nutrients and a deficiency in others. At this stage the Richardson’s add a few trace elements to complement the use of Probitas and balance things out, however Allan anticipates that this will not be required in the long term and that they will most likely only need to use Probitas every 2 to 4 years for maintenance purposes.
And bottom line according to Allan is “keeping the soil and plants healthy will give you healthy animals”. He also believes that with the right systems in place, this can be achieved anywhere in New Zealand under an array of different conditions.
The biggest challenge facing organic livestock farmers from Allan’s perspective is the need to be proactive rather that reactive – it’s about anticipating problems before they arise.
Allan likes to see any challenges he faces as opportunities and points out that during the good times people tend to be less innovative. He also notes that the things he thought were going to be the bigger challenges, such as gorse and lice control, turned out to be more manageable that he expected. The use of lime and Probitas has had a significant impact on limiting gorse growth. He has also discovered that there is a direct correlation between worm and lice resistance that has big implications for the whole industry.
Getting Started
The biggest weakness facing the organic livestock farming according to Allan is that “there is no one organization which is really focused on helping people convert and that has the hands-on experience to do this”.
For farmers wanting to start out, Allan recommends that they contact a commercially focused organic farmer in their own area as a starting point, as well as the certifying organizations such as BioGro, OrganicFarmNZ, and AgriQuality for information on their organic standards.
Allan currently offers some of his Avalon Genetics’ clients advice about going down the low input track with a view to going organic and also fields calls from people considering conversion. He believes that “the greatest potential is for giving advice to conventional farmers on how to maintain performance but reduce their cost structure. From that position many farmers will discover that going organic is not that hard to achieve”.
Allan also suggests that farmers who want to reduce the risks associated with conversion or who are not entirely confident with the processes consider converting part of the farm to organics initially to get comfortable with what is required and then finish the conversion process later on. He says that there have been instances where farmers have blamed their failure to make the conversion on organic methods, but believes that this is most likely because they have not taken the time to fully understand the processes involved or adequately prepare themselves for the conversion.
In hindsight, Allan says that it would have been preferable for them to convert the entire farm to organics in one go.
Productivity Comparison
One of the most exciting aspects of the Richardson’s operation from a commercial point of view is the level of productivity being achieved on the farm, a big issue for any conventional farmer considering a conversion. From the outset they had aimed to achieve 90 – 95 percent of what was being achieved conventionally. They are now at 90 percent and well within reach of their 95 percent target. The number of stock units per hectare on the organic portion of their farm is 11.5, the same as for the conventional portion. Their long term average organic unit lambing rate is 119 percent, only 6 percent below their 125 percent average conventional lambing rate (their organic unit lambing rate has been as high as 131 percent). When considered in conjunction with lower input costs and higher premiums, it makes organic livestock farming a worthwhile business proposition.
“There was a perception that the organic farm was the ‘worst farm in the district’, but that perception is starting to change and there are organic producers of all types around the country running really successful commercial operations”.
Allan says that in order to meet growing demand, at least “1000 New Zealand farms need to start making the conversion to organics now, with another 1000 coming on board when the others attain certification”. He believes that there has been a misconception that if too many farmers were to convert to organics now the market would be saturated. From Allan’s perspective and with a sound understanding of the organic meat market, he says this isn’t the case and this message needs to get out to farmers.
The signs are promising. The Richardson’s have fielded more enquiries about their operation in the past year than they have done in the eight years since they made the conversion.
In the meantime, they will continue working hard to develop and evolve their farming systems, genetics, marketing and the Avalon brand to meet the challenges and opportunities organic farming presents.
For consumers, Avalon Organics has recently created two organic ready-made meals which are available to customers through the website and they intend to continue exploring other opportunities to add value to their product.
Their other big focus now is expanding into overseas markets under their own Avalon brand, a step Allan believes will be made easier by the experience and expertise they have gained from dealing with the local market – “if you can’t succeed at a local level, then you can’t expect to succeed at an international level”.
Organic Conversion Service
To help address the shortage of good information and support for livestock farmers converting to organics, and to help achieve their vision for New Zealand farming, the Richardson’s have developed Avalon Farming Systems.
This is designed to take conventional farmers right through the process, from conversion planning, including pasture and stock management, animal health, choosing the right genetics and advising on marketing options once they are organic. They also hope to have an ongoing management support programme. Allan and Sonia plan to have Avalon Farming Systems available to clients within the next year.
Allan says that he believes “top conventional farmers have the skills to make the successful transition to organic farming” and he adds that what the Farming Systems will be offering “is not a rescue package for farmers who are struggling on their farms with below average performance”.
Allan presented a paper comparing conventional and organic systems to the New Zealand Grasslands Association national conference – an opportunity for the Richardson’s to provide the facts and figures supporting their organic operation to a wider audience.
—
Avalon Farm operates under three distinct brands reflecting the different aspects of their business operation:
Organic Cheats
/in Magazine Articles, RegularsOrganic Cheats – The Commerce Commission has you in its sights.
Fine distinctions are out – Consumer expectations are now the benchmark as to what is acceptable and what is not.
Earlier this year Organic NZ was sent photos of egg carton labelling and asked how the company could get away with what seemed to be a claim of organic status based merely on using certified feed.
The “Organic” brand is bigger than any other wording on the package.
We were equally perplexed by Commerce Commission advice that the labelling did not raise issues of misleading advertising. This seemed at odds with the Commission’s recent prosecution over organic chicken sold by a butcher in Auckland. (See p16, Organic NZ July/Aug 06) Although the chickens came from certified organic farms, they were butchered at a Mt Eden butchery which was not certified. The Commission also prosecuted over honey soy chicken nibbles advertised as “organic” when the marinade was not organic. The butcher was fined $3,700.
Commerce Commission director of fair trading, Deborah Battell said then “Consumers expect both ‘organic’ and ‘certified organic’ products to be 100 percent organic through the entire chain, from farmyard to shop shelf.”
“This includes any ingredients that are added to products.”
So we asked the Commission what distinction it made between non-organic marinade and claiming organic status for eggs merely based on organic feed being used.
Our inquiry brought the involvement of Yvette Popovic, the Commerce Commission’s Chief Adviser, Policy & Compliance Strategy, Fair Trading, who says she has personally reviewed the egg labelling case and has concluded that we’re right.
“The advice that went out from our Contact Centre as to why there is no breach of the Fair Trading Act isn’t actually correct. It was seen in a narrower light. So thank you, you’ve done us a service.”
“When it was assessed originally I think it was considered that [the label] referred clearly to certified seed therefore it must be okay. When I examined I thought no, when you looked at the overall impression of the labelling, it’s not just the seed that should have had certification. It’s the eggs themselves and the whole production process to get to those eggs.
“You are right: Simply with feed being certified we wouldn’t think you could call the packaged product ‘organic’. I agree that you can’t isolate representations on a package. You have to take the overall impression.”
“But the actual finding still stands as there being no contravention. In fact at the time that packaging was out there, the whole process was actually certified – not just the seed.”
Legal niceties aren’t what counts
Yvette Popovic says the Commission finds the area of organics quite difficult.
“There is the voluntary organic standard but we don’t actually agree with parts of that standard, because the standard allows for tolerances and we take the quite firm view that organic means 100 percent organic and not 95 percent.
“We also don’t think it means as good as you can get.
“We think that if you choose to use that label (and often charge a premium) it’s important that it is correct. People often seek out those labels and people can’t verify these things themselves; they just have to rely on the labelling.”
Such statements from The Commerce Commission support Soil & Health’s position: that if you’re using the term “organic” it has to clearly mean what it says or else it means nothing.
Ultimately it’s likely to be in the broad court of public opinion where the battle will actually be won or lost, rather than in marketing semantics or judicial statements on law.
“It’s not a ruling because we can’t make one, only a court can,” says Popovic, “but at the end of the line we feel strongly enough about the issue to make statements because that’s how we believe the ordinary consumer would view these claims.”
“We take these matters to try to get judicial pronouncement. If the accused pleads guilty we don’t get that judicial pronouncement. We get a result that clearly seems to support what we’re saying, however we’re still at the point of saying that’s only our opinion.”
It would seem to be an important development nonetheless. The Commission’s stance and its public statements feed back into the public perception of what they can expect, and the Commission’s stance on behalf of the consumer connects well with the original foundation of Organics – not as a commercial movement but as a philosophical commitment to quality in food. The Commerce Commission’s stance has caused even a number of people who consider themselves stalwarts of the organic movement to pause and look over their shoulder because it is such a staunch position.
Brydone growers and farm shop – A 24 hectare block, 22 years on
/in Farming and Horticulture, Magazine ArticlesThe residents of North Otago have much to be grateful for: a wildly beautiful coastline, stunning mountain and river scenery, world-renowned Whitestone architecture and, of course, blue penguins. Added to this, as more and more people are discovering, they have Brydone Growers and Farm Shop on State Highway One, south of Oamaru.
Owned and run by Sue and Lindsay Smith, not only does the Brydone farm supply fresh organic produce, their shop sells everything from cosmetics to organic takeaway coffee and baking.
When Sue and Lindsay came to live on their 24 hectare block 22 years ago they were both working full time – Lindsay as a self-employed mechanic and Sue as a nurse. After deciding they needed to put their land to use, the crop that immediately came to mind was barley, mainly because it was easy to grow. They ended up planting the entire property in barley, but it didn’t prove to be a satisfactory or profitable crop and when reconsidering future use for the land, they decided to gradually get into the predominant land use activity in the area at the time – growing vegetables.
Both Sue and Lindsay came from mixed-farming families and they used that background to successfully establish crops such as potatoes, lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower, that were well suited to the conditions of the area. Within four years they had given up their other work and were occupied full time with the business of growing and selling vegetables. They also had the first of their three sons during that time and discovered, as many new parents do, that love and concern for children can be a powerful catalyst for changing the way we look at things.
Lindsay and Sue say they had always had some concerns about the types and quantities of sprays used for growing vegetables commercially.
When their three children came along and would spend time out on the farm with their parents, often eating the vegetables where they grew, their concerns became more personal and immediate. With one of their small boys also proving to have a taste for soil, there were plenty of reasons to consider what was going onto their vegetables and land.
They became increasingly interested in finding ways of growing their produce without chemicals and started contacting and talking to organic growers about alternative ways of managing plant pests and diseases.
The highly favourable conditions for growing vegetables and the fact that the Smiths grew their crops on a seasonal basis meant that they could comfortably make the transition to growing without chemicals. By the end of the 1980s they were selling much of their produce as spray-free, although they didn’t market it that way. They were more concerned with knowing they were growing food that they were happy to sell to others and feed to their own family – “we just care that people are eating good food”.
At the beginning of the 1990s Sue became increasingly interested in BioGro certification. The logo was beginning to appear on more products and the Smiths began to develop a vision of where their farm was headed.
Sue describes the BioGro label as the ultimate “I don’t have to worry” label for consumers. They knew then that it was a way to set their vegetables apart from other commercially grown produce and to guarantee its integrity to their customers.
In 1991 they contacted BioGro and began soil testing on their farm. The Smiths describe the certification process as fairly intimidating to start with, but say as they became more familiar with the people and processes involved, they became less anxious and the whole thing became easier.
In 1999 the farm attained full certification. Sue and Lindsay hadn’t been in a hurry to push the process along. They were happy doing what they were doing and busy raising their three boys, comfortable in the knowledge they were producing good quality food and heading in the right direction towards their vision for the farm. They focused a lot on developing the quality of their soil and that is what seems to underpin their whole operation – a fundamental sense of patience and integrity.
That is not to say it has not been challenging at times. There was a certain amount of flak received from others (especially other growers) about what they were doing. The arrival of the lettuce aphid had a devastating effect at a time when the farm was growing large quantities of lettuce.
While many other growers dealt with the problem by spraying chemicals, Sue and Lindsay had to accept that they couldn’t harvest that particular crop. Planting a variety of aphidresistant lettuce has since helped to overcome that problem.
Lindsay says that probably the biggest frustration is that there are no quick fixes and that “if you’ve got a problem it’s really too late”. In order to farm organically, he says, you need to be forward thinking and pro-active.
Brydone has a strict crop rotation programme (five-yearly). They leased another 6 hectares of land to help with crop rotation.
There was also the issue of selling the produce. Sue and Lindsay had always sold vegetables in a stall at the farm gate, but the majority was sold through wholesalers supplying to supermarkets. Not only did the Smiths find that supermarkets were selling their produce with an unacceptable mark-up, the produce was not always fresh on the shelves.
They wanted to see their produce sold at its best and also became increasingly concerned with breaking the myth that organic produce needs to be expensive. These concerns were the main impetus behind the development of the farm shop (see side-bar). It also drove them to be more selective of wholesalers. (It was also somewhat disconcerting that they were expected to wrap their vegetables when selling to wholesalers in order to prevent chemical contamination from other producers’ vegetables. They couldn’t help but wonder why it wasn’t the responsibility of those other growers to prevent contamination, given that they were the ones creating it.)
At present Brydone only supplies two organic wholesalers – Eat Your Greens and Fresh Direct – and one outlet in Dunedin.
Vegetables from the farm are harvested daily for wholesale and the shop. The standard of Brydone’s produce is such that they have people travelling weekly from as far afield as Dunedin, Timaru and Twizel. They also have a base of customers who buy their produce solely for its quality and price, not because it’s organic. For some the Smiths’ potatoes alone are considered worth a visit.
Advice from the wise when asked what advice they would give to people wanting to grow organically and starting out, Lindsay says that most importantly they’ve really got to want to do it – if you have that fundamental desire, you will find ways of making it succeed. He believes that there is plenty of good advice and products available that can help with the process. He suggests that the first step is to get your soil tested. Initially they had used a lot of organic nitrosol, fish emulsion and BIOSEA (liquid seaweed) but for the past year they have exclusively used a compost tea that they produce on the farm. It is a key component of their growing process. Soil and leaf analysis is used to assist in determining the right brew for any particular requirement or problem, and they are very pleased with the results being achieved.
The long-term vision for the farm is to keep producing high quality organic produce while continuing to develop the farm shop. To meet the increasing demand generated by the shop they are now growing a wider variety of crops, many of which they are able to grow all year round. This has been enabled by the favourable growing conditions on their farm and improvements in seed availability and quality.
It has been a busy couple of years since the shop opened and Lindsay and Sue say there is no pressure at this stage to make any radical moves. They seem to have always been moving forward regardless – and it has been an enjoyable and satisfying progression.
Everything that has happened so far indicates that the Brydone farm and shop will continue to do well.
THE BRYDONE GROWERS FARM SHOP
The Smiths’ shop is located in the former Totara Community Hall on State Highway One, south of Oamaru. The name “Brydone” comes from the name of the monument on the hill adjacent to Sue’s and Lindsay’s property.
The monument marks the origins of the first frozen shipment of meat from New Zealand to Europe in the 1870s.
The shop was established just over two years ago after the hall, located on Sue’s and Lindsay’s boundary, came up for tender when the local community could no longer afford to maintain it.
Just a day before, the Smiths had been granted consent to expand their existing shop in a shed on their property. Seeing the hall come up for tender was one of those “moments” and Sue and Lindsay knew it was an ideal building and location. They won the tender, and set up shop in the hall in March 2004. The hall has been preserved as much as possible in its original condition, stage included, and has a rustic, open feel.
Over the past two years the shop has evolved into a popular destination for consumers. The Smiths are focused on turnover and try to keep their prices low enough to support this. The shop stocks an extensive range of products, including organic baking products and free-range pork produced locally by Sue’s brother-in-law. Sue and Lindsay stay responsive to consumer demand and bring in new products regularly to meet the needs of their customers. The recent addition of an organic coffee bar has been a popular move.
The Smiths tried selling at the local farmers’ market for a time, but found that the shop was enough to keep them busy and decided to focus solely on this.
Sue and Lindsay intend to continue developing the shop. They have recently installed a commercial kitchen with a view to producing products such as pickles and sauces, and are planning an application for a liquor licence this year in order to be able to sell organic beer and wine.
Growing seed for harvest 4: Carrots and brassicas
/in Gardening, Magazine ArticlesIn the final of our series Annie Wilson and Colin Walker look at growing carrots and brassicas for seed.
The Koanga Institute was established to develop a national network of growers to support the seed bank started by Kay Baxter and the team at Koanga Gardens and ensure the survival of traditional food varieties. By growing heritage seeds you can help.
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Government moves against natural remedies are Allison’s new worries
/in Magazine Articles, RegularsAllison Roe believes that a new combined Australia and New Zealand authority will severely limit consumer access to vitamin and mineral supplements in this country and destroy sectors of the New Zealand natural health industry.
Another health issue that has currently caught Allison¹s attention is the highly contentious Australian-based Trans Tasman Therapeutic Goods Agency (TTTGA) due to come into effect next July but which Allison believes will severely limit consumer access to vitamin and mineral supplements in this country and destroy sectors of the NZ natural health industry.
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Growing seed for harvest 3: Leeks, celery and cucurbits
/in Gardening, Magazine ArticlesIn the third of our series, Colin Walker of the Koanga Institute talks to Annie Wilson about saving heritage seed.
The Koanga Institute was established to develop a national network of growers to support the seed bank started by Kay Baxter and the team at Koanga Gardens and ensure the survival of traditional food varieties. By growing heritage seeds you can help.
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Growing seed for harvest 2: Beans, corn and tomatoes
/in Gardening, Magazine ArticlesIn the second of our series, Colin Walker of the Koanga Institute talks to Annie Wilson about saving heritage seed.
Now is the time to be organising the planting of the main summer crops. Here we will discuss saving the seed of three of those crops: beans, corn and tomatoes.
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Growing seed for harvest 1: Introduction & Lettuce
/in Gardening, Magazine ArticlesIn the first of a new series, Colin Walker of the Koanga Institute talks to Annie Wilson about saving heritage seed.
Koanga has received such a multitude of New Zealand’s heritage seeds over the last twenty years from gardeners around the country, that it now requires considerable resources to keep them alive. The scale of the collection is huge and maintaining the viability of all the cultivars requires growing out a certain number of lines to a certain scale, every year.
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Proudly published by the Soil & Health Association NZ
Proudly published by the Soil and Health Association NZ