While I have tried making New Year resolutions in the past, most of them have slipped by the wayside, usually before the end of January…
But I do like the idea of trying to modify behaviours by trying to embed a couple of new habits – I figure if it’s a habit it could be more likely to stick.
I won’t bore you with the small ones…drink more water? Daily flossing anyone?
One might be to invest in your knowledge, and with that in mind I am going to get offshore and accompany the Dairy Exporter Tour to Ireland incorporating the Pasture Summit Event in late June/early July. There is a great line up of farm visits and the intellectual stimulation of attending the Moorpark Open day and special Pasture Summit research workshop where we will get up close with the latest research going on at Teagasc in the fields of environment, GHGs and genetics.
Check out the proposed programme in pg 80/81 and think about joining us. It will be interesting, and with all those cute pubs I am sure there will be the odd evening of entertainment and a good dose of the craic.
Expressions of interest are open and the final programme is close to being locked in. You can check it out at www.nzfarmlife.co.nz/upcoming-events
And while you are in Europe and have emitted all that CO2 flying over, you should really think about having a European or United Kingdom holiday… long flights for short holidays is frowned upon these day – you have to make it worth the emissions!
By June you might really be in need of a midwinter break to escape New Zealand politics for a while – it could be a rough year with the lead up to the next election. The Government will be going hell for leather to try and get sh*t done and the Opposition will be decrying their every move… I might start wearing my noise-cancelling earphones!
While 2022 was notable for a high dairy payout, the rampant onfarm inflation pushed many farmers’ cost of production up by $1/kg MS, squeezing the margin.
Some farmers would say the years of rapid land value rise were the golden years for dairy farming but equity farmers Will and Kim Grayling noted in our special report on equity partnerships, that having a profitable operation is key to equity growth.
The past five years with low interest rates, steady land values and high cash returns, along with dedicated cost control and maximising pasture eaten has enabled them to expand their equity business, increasing their overall share and taking on another partnership on another property. (pg 46).
