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WWW.INTA-AG.CO.NZ NOVEMBER 2018 INTA-AG IS NOW OPEN SATURDAYS - 8AM -12PM BE IN TO WIN! SOIL CONDITIONERS At the Melbourne Cup! ARE BACK!
ARTICLE
Focused Investment
Ensures Onion Quality
By Richard Crowhurst,The Vegetable Farmer, August 2018
Third generation farmers Collmart Growers have been growing onions near Ramsey in
Cambridgeshire for almost 60 years. Today the company is one of the largest independent
producers of the crop, growing some 2,000 acres a year across five counties.
“My grandfather John Collett, who was known as Jack, came to the
Fens, when they were still reclaiming them with horses,” explains
Collmart Director Nick Collett. “He took on a tenant farm from the
Crown Estate and I think he spent ten years clearing the elderberries
and hawthorns so he could actually farm it.
“The business started growing onions 57 years ago in a very small
way to supply local markets. Back then everything was done by hand,
including manual weeding of the crop which was planted in a similar
way to sugar beet. We moved to a more intensive form of growing in the
mid-70s, when we put up storage facilities as the market picked up and
consumer demand for onions increased. Our first coldstore was built at
Holme near the family farm in 1982 and it was a revelation to be able to
provide home-grown onions for such a long period.”
Irrigation is one area where the company has invested in technology
In 1997 a merger between the Collett family farming business and to improve efficiency.
local grower WL Martin, saw the formation of Collmart when the
Today the company is a true onion specialist serving numerous customers,
company moved to its current base at Pondersbridge, south east of
but in the past it has supplied a number of products direct to retailers. “We
Peterborough.
used to collate orders for suppliers and wholesalers, and at our peak we
Onions are the largest crop, but 600 acres of potatoes are also grown were handling 27 different fruits and vegetables, says Nick. “Now we are
for supply directly to packers, following harvest and grading into boxes. just focused on the one: onions. In terms of sustainability and profitability,
Cereals and sugar beet are also grown as part of the rotation on the it is about doing one job right and being able to supply for 52 weeks of the
main farm, but they are predominantly viewed as a break between year. We are still an independent grower, and unlike many other onion
vegetable crops. producers we are not a Producer Organisation (PO), so we don’t get the
same level of grant funding.”
Today, no single customer accounts for more than 12 per cent of overall
sales, and Collmart supplies supermarket packers, as well as its own Ninety per cent of the supplied crop comes from its own grown production,
retail, wholesale, food manufacturing and food service customers. “We which are grown on across Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire
can supply red and brown bulb onions in anything from a 500 gram
and Lincolnshire. “Logistically it can be difficult, as you can imagine, but we
pack to a full 25 tonne bulk trailer load of onions,” adds Nick.
do most of our haulage from the field using HGV tipping trailers, which take
the crop to a number of storage locations in the five counties. Everything
“We grow seven varieties of reds and 14 varieties of brown onions, and
we trial five or six new varieties every year.” He adds that it is interesting does come back here to be graded or packed,” adds Nick.
how the market previously moved from open pollinated to hybrid
varieties, which were fantastic for growth, but is now starting to come “We have two 4,500 tonne box stores for onions built in 2011 and 2013
back to open pollinated varieties which seem to better suited to really respectively, which both dry and cure the crop initially before being
long term storage, in part because of their tighter bulbs. used for long term storage,” explains General Manager Barry Chapman.
“When we built the first store we also installed a Tong grader outside, so
we pre-inspect all the onions before they go into long term storage. We
invested £2.5 million in state-of-the-art storage, including the Omnivent
suction wall system which is super efficient and allows us to store up to 25
boxes per row away from the wall.”
Theseimprovements in storage mean that English onions can now be kept
into August, and the company has successfully supplied UK crop for 52
weeks a year for each of the last three years.
Crops are produced predominantly from seed, although sets are used to
produce onions for sale up to Christmas. When it comes to crop protection,
Collmart Growers grow onions across five counties. like other horticultural crops, onions represent a relatively small global
02 WWW.INTA-AG.CO.NZ
ARTICLE
market for agrochemical companies, so the available chemistry depends Unlike the previous model, the new machine does not need to stop
on what is found to be suitable. “Our agronomists are very good. They are to empty the bunker, which is completely reversible. Consequently
very clever and they adapt and we seem to be far enough in front of the an increase in harvest output and the easier loading of trailers is
challenges to be able to get approvals, such as EAMUs, when we need anticipated as a result of the investment.
them,” says Nick.
“We are also looking at technology in storage too, such as ground
“Over the last 15-20 years we have tried to use as much technology source heat pumps to control both heating and cooling of our next
as possible,” adds Barry. One example includes linking irrigation generation of stores,” says Barry. “The borehole technology is almost
systems with in-field weather stations to accurately inform decisions there and we think our next 4,500 tonne store will be powered by a
on water use. “Increasingly the crop depends on optimum timing for ground source heat pump. We’re also looking at anaerobic digestion for
sowing and harvesting, as well as the application of crop protection waste management, and that too could generate both heat and power
products in order to reduce the overall amounts of pesticide used and I think we could see further technological developments in the AD
in production. At the same time machinery has also got more sector.”
automated, bigger, faster and hopefully better.”
Unlike some crops, such as potatoes, which have struggled with market
One particular problem is blackgrass, the control of which is driving a volume in recent years, onions look set to continue to be popular
move back towards mechanical weed control and hand rouging. “We with consumers for a long time yet. After all, they are still the most
need land and we are always on the lookout for more land to enable consumed vegetable crop on the planet, with India accounting for a
huge proportion of production. The UK market for onions remains as
us to expand production,” says Nick. “Onions are a great entry crop
healthy as the dietary benefits of the crop itself, and is one of the few
for the following season. They leave a lot of nitrogen in the ground
markets for vegetables which continues to show growth, helped in
and unlike potatoes and carrots are usually harvested by the end of
part the seemingly unending demand for a wide range of cuisines from
September.”
around the globe.
Despite the agronomy team’s best efforts, Mother Nature and the
weather remains the biggest influence on the crop, and the effects of
different weather patterns is something that both Nick and Barry are
acutely aware of. “Climate change is huge and is affecting producers
globally,” explains Nick. “We recently hosted some New Zealand onion
growers and they had to write-off half their crop last year because of
the worst weather in 32 years. They had heavy rain early on, followed
by drought, a bit like the conditions we have had so far this year. Spain
also had issues last year due to high temperatures. Things are going to
change and technology is going to further enhance what we do.”
Among the potential developments that the company is investigating
are the use of plant tape and transplants instead of sets for early
production. The firm has also conducted trials on the automatic
grading of onions using near infra-red technology (NIR) – a technology
which is used to grade other types of fruit and vegetables – but so far
it has not proved successful, particularly on red onions, which Nick
believes may be related to the structure of the onion bulb and its
various layers.
Collmart has just invested in a new self-propelled harvester from Collmart can supply onions in anything from a 500 gram pack to a
Grimme, taking the total number operated to seven in total. “We’ve full bulk load.
stuck with Grimme because we like their technology which we feel is
cleverer than what else is available,” comments Nick. “The machines “They are so healthy,” comments Barry. “There has been a lot of press
are gentler and we use them for both onions and potatoes. They are recently about how onions are not just healthy, but about how their
very gentle on the potatoes and you can now change everything at the consumption can also help to improve long term health.”
touch of a button.”
“Our main focus is to supply more and more to the UK market,” explains
Nick. “We have developed red onions into a huge business, and the
demand for red onions has helped overall demand, particularly as the
aesthetics of food become more important. Some of our customers take
a 25:75% split between reds and browns, while others are now up to
50:50, so there is still room for expansion.” Around a third of Collmart’s
output is now red onions in order to meet this demand.
When The Vegetable Farmer visited Collmart, the longest day was
approaching – a key date in onion growth due to the influence of day
length on the crop. After the longest day, growth rates are not expected
to exceed three new leaves per month. Ideally growers would like to
have 12 leaves per plant at harvest, but the weather conditions earlier in
the season mean that many crops will struggle to achieve this. However,
Nick’s attitude exemplifies the whole business’s approach to the crop.
“There is no point trying to predict the future, or the outcome of the
The company has invested £2.5 million in state-of-the-art season,” he stresses. “Instead we try and control everything that is
storage facilities. within our influence.”
INTA-AG MAG | NOVEMBER 2018 03
ARTICLE
Why one Sussex farmer is
changing his crop rotation
Farmers Weekly, July 2018
Making changes to the rotation can help in the battle against blackgrass, but
which are the right options? Louise lmpey looks at one West Sussex farmer’s
search for the best cropping mix
Sussex farmer Mark Chandler is searching for the best cropping CROP CHANGES
combination for his farm near Petworth that will deliver blackgrass “We are already looking at alternatives to spring beans,” Mr
benefits and enable his first wheats to achieve double-digit yields. Chandler says.
While winter wheat and oilseed rape yields have been satisfactory in “This year we have started growing soya to see if it has potential on
most years, Mr Chandler is less pleased with recent results from his this farm, and next year we are thinking about including some winter
spring crops. barley, to find out if it can help with our grassweed pressure.”
Both spring beans and spring barley are currently not performing Soya, which is being grown for the first time, has the advantage of
well enough or giving the consistent results needed to secure their being a legume and a good break crop, with its late drilling date
place in next year’s rotation on the 1,450ha farm Mr Chandler runs in making it suitable where blackgrass is a problem.
partnership with his father, Richard.
“Only time will tell if it’s too big a risk,” he says. “The intention is to
Only some of it can explained by the variability in soil types and continue with the crop for three years to see if it has a place here.”
seasonal growing conditions.
With a four-course rotation in place at Moor Farm, there is a heavy
However, as both crops bring rotational and grassweed control emphasis on winter wheat, which accounts for half of the 1,230ha
benefits, with the spring beans also providing a good entry for winter cropped. With a proportion grown for seed, it is all first wheat and
wheat, he accepts there is a need to consider the bigger picture consists of Group 1, 2 and 3 varieties Skyfall, Zyatt, Illustrious, Lili
before making a change. and Scout.
04 WWW.INTA-AG.CO.NZ
ARTICLE
YIELD PERFORMANCE
“We are aiming for 10t/ha,” Mr Chandler says. “Last year we saw yields
range from 11.74t/ha down to 9.36t/ha, so there is quite a bit of variation
both across and within the 163 fields farmed.”
Moor Farm is among the batch of six new AHDB Monitor Farms
launching this year and he hopes to look at this wheat yield variation as
part of his three-year stint.
Oilseed rape has performed as expected, although Mr Chandler is less
confident about this year’s crop. Having grown high-oleic, low-linolenic
acid (Holl) varieties in the past, as well as hybrids, he is planning to
stick with conventional varieties this autumn.
“We have Campus, Elgar and Barbados in the ground. We’re going to SOYA PROGRESS
keep seed rates up and make certain we get a decent plant stand – The lack of nodules on the roots of his soya plants is a concern for
something which is difficult to guarantee with hybrids.” Mark Chandler.
Having dipped in and out with hybrid varieties, with mixed results, he is Having drilled 16ha of the crop in early May at the recommended
also mindful of grassweed pressure when growing oilseed rape. seed rate of 60 seeds/sq m, with the hope of establishing 40-50
plants/sq m, he has ended up with 25-29 plants/sq m.
“If we’re not careful, oilseed rape can become part of the blackgrass
problem. We need good crop establishment and an even plant stand to “It’s a bit thin,” he reports. “The ideal is to get 100% ground cover
prevent any gaps which grassweeds can exploit.” within six weeks of drilling, but we found that bean seed fly had
other ideas.”
FARM FACTS: G CHANDLER FARMING,
MOOR FARM, PETWORTH Although there is an approved insecticide for use in soya, larvae
could be found within two days of drilling – so the pest was already
• 1,285ha of combinable crops present in the soil.
• Predominantly loam over Weald clay with some sandy clay loam
• Low-input grassland – equine and stewardship (extensive HLS At about £190/ha, seed is the biggest cost with soya. “There are no
agreement – expires Feb 2019) graminicides approved for use in the crop, but its late sowing date
• Diversification – business park, fisheries business (carp farming), allows us to remove any weed flushes ahead of drilling,” he says.
solar PV, livery yard and schooling course
Otherwise, he has applied 200kg/ha of keiserite and some liquid
• Mark and Richard Chandler, plus three full-time staff and casual
phosphite, as well as putting on boron and manganese.
labour at harvest
• Investment in grain storage – 6,000t of on-floor storage with Harvest, which takes place 160 days after drilling, is likely to be in
100t/hour intake plus 42t/hour Perry drier the first week of October.
• Farm within Western Rother nitrate vulnerable zone and part of
the Rother Valley Farmers Group “We need to get 2t/ha to break even,” Mr Chandler reveals. “At this
• Cultivations based on min-till and strip-till, according to stage, it’s difficult to know whether we will get that because the
conditions crop is so sparse.”
WINTER BARLEY
Mr Chandler has avoided winter barley to date, although he is
considering introducing hybrid six-row and conventional winter barley
this autumn.
“In this area, hybrid winter barley hasn’t really performed,” he says. “But
claims that it can have a role in suppressing blackgrass and reducing
seed return are of interest. We may give it a look-see, alongside
conventional varieties.”
The Chandlers are disappointed with the levels of blackgrass control
achieved this year and have taken the tough decision to spray off some
very bad patches of wheat.
“As reported by other farms, blackgrass control has fallen off a cliff this
year,” he says.
PETWORTH MONITOR FARM
“It was very wet when we were establishing our wheat, so we had to Mark Chandler will be hosting the AHDB Petworth Monitor Farm
cultivate ground that had been left for our Claydon strip-till drill.
for the next three years. The winter meeting series starts on 18
October 2018 and topics to be covered include soil health, labour
“As a result, we didn’t get the benefit of a stale seed-bed, so blackgrass
and machinery efficiencies, sustainable cropping regimes and
came up with the crop. We’re going to try to move ground behind the
profitable marketing strategies.
combine this year, dealing with any weed flushes before we drill.”
INTA-AG MAG | NOVEMBER 2018 05
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06 WWW.INTA-AG.CO.NZ
ARTICLE
INTA-AG SOIL CONDITIONING PRODUCTS ARE BACK
Last year we teamed up with Miles Pop and the Soil INTA-AG WILL HAVE TWO COMPOST MIXES FOR 2018/19:
Conditioner Products Company to bring you two INTA-AG – Biochar N which has N P K Mg and trace elements
products to rejuvenate your soils. After feedback from
plus a small amount of soluble calcium to offset any acidity in the
our customers it was a no brainer to promote these
compost and give a boost to soil calcium levels. Analysis available.
again this year. However there is a twist…..due to
demand supply is limited – if you are interested please INTA-AG – Biochar Compost has double the compost and no
added N (poultry manure) but does still have low levels of N P K Mg
contact one of our team to discuss your orders or
trace elements. This product is aimed at poorer soils and cropping
indicative quantities now. systems not suitable for poultry manure. Analysis available.
As we all know every cultivation or soil movement we do reduces organic
matter/carbon levels. This organic matter is a reservoir of nutrients and 1 ton Biochar
biological life which is integral to the soils health. 2 ton Poultry Manure
INTA-AG – BIOCHAR N 3-6 Tons/Ha
A healthy soil with good organic matter levels releases nutrients to plants 2 ton Compost
in times of stress when temperature or moisture levels are not at the 1 ton Sugar Lime
optimum. A healthy soil also recycles plant material and breaks down
pesticide residues helping to keep our environment clean. 1 ton Biochar
In order to help maintain and increase these processes we need to INTA-AG – BIOCHAR COMP 3-6 Tons/Ha 4 ton Compost
be proactive in our approach to soil health. By using cover crops and 1 ton Sugar Lime
applying organic matter on a regular basis we are at least trying to
maintain the soil ecosystem. For further information please contact your local Rep.
Ford brings nutty Raptor to UK
Farmers Weekly, September 2018
There’s some great news if you like wacky, over-the-top trucks, as the There are six different driving modes, four off-road and two for the
Ford Ranger Raptor pickup will be available in the UK from next year. tarmac, while inside there are some fancy seats designed to give the
Previously only available across the pond, the Raptor comes with a 210hp driver extra support in the bumpiest conditions.
two-litre Eco Blue diesel engine offering 500Nm of torque, which runs BF Goodrich 285/70 RI 7 tyres are uprated to give decent grip in
through U1e same ten-speed automatic box used in the popular F-150 mud, snow and sand and the sat-nav has a feature to drop virtual
Raptor in the US. ‘breadcrumbs’ when off road, so you can always make your way back
The Raptor’s chassis has been beefed up to cope witl1 the high-speed home on the path you entered on.
off-road challenges, with a bash plate underneatl1 to take majority of the We’re told it will arrive in the middle of 2019 and you can expect to pay
hits and an upgraded braking system. around £40,000 for a base model.
Mike Gordon enjoying his commute to work
INTA-AG MAG | NOVEMBER 2018 07
TIPS
Agronomy Tips
Agri Chemical tank mixing guide:
For water conditioning such as x-change add into the tank first otherwise it will
be un affective
Downy Mildew:
High incidence already this year
High risk no disease = Zorvec
High risk some disease = Reason
Thrips:
Be proactive against thrips this season, a mild winter means increased risk. Use
old chemistry early in season when numbers are low and as numbers increase
move to better.
ASN Ammonium Sulphate
Nitrate ASN 26%
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
Total Nitrogen (N) 26,00%
Ammonium Nitrogen (NH4-N) 7,00%
Nitrate Nitrogen (NO3-N) 19,00%
Anhydrous Sulphur (S) 13,00%
DEFERR
L
SPECIA ER
PAYMENED
NOVEM E
B AVAILA T
PRIC
BLE
08 WWW.INTA-AG.CO.NZ
ARTICLE Inta-Ag Dye night report Earlier this month Inta-Ag in conjunction with Syngenta held a Dye Night on Makan Dayas property in Tuakau. John Yates had a presentation on the different Syngenta nozzles for Onions & Potatoes. A static display was setup on the sprayer to compare the different nozzle output & spray pattern. After the BBQ we went out to the Onions to compare the growers standard herbicide nozzles - 110 08 & 110 10 against Syngentas 65 08 vege nozzles. These were all run at 400L/ha water rate & 1.1bar. As expected the bigger droplet size of the 110 10 provided slightly less on the Onion leaf & more on the target/weed. The 65 08 provided a similar pattern to the 110 08 but with the narrower angle it forces down through the crop more which is better suited to getting fungicides into the Crowns of Carrots for example. The Fungicide nozzles were compared next both on the Onions & Potatoes. All at 250L/ha water rate at 3bar. Syngentas Defy 3d, Amistar AI & a standard Flatfan compared with & without Actiwett. Spraying conditions were good with very little wind & the standout for best coverage was the Dedy 3d nozzles alternated front & back along the boom. The flatfans still provided a good coverage with the spraying conditions as did the Amistar AI nozzles. In marginal spraying conditions the Amistar AI nozzles would be the best choice. Nozzles can be purchased through Inta – Ag or via redemption on how much Syngenta product is purchased. Thank you to Narvin & Dee Makan for allowing it to be held on their property & Arjune for his time setting up & spraying. Congratulations AJ Munga – the prize winner of the night winning 2 x V8 tickets INTA-AG MAG | NOVEMBER 2018 09
ARTICLE
Cover crops help give structure
to light Norfolk soils
Farmers Weekly, August 2018
One big light-land farm is increasing its area of cover crops to help avoid soil
erosion in the winter, improve the soil fertility and set the ground up well for
future intensive vegetable production. David Jones reports
Richard Cobbald is more than doubling SOIL EROSION INTENSIVE VEGETABLES
his area of cover crops this summer to Mr Cobbald believes it makes little sense The estate land is growing these vegetable
put structure and organic matter into his to leave soils bare over the winter with all crops one year in every five or six years so
“structureless” Norfolk light blow-away the problems that might bring such as soil Mr Cobbald is keen to get the soil in the best
Breckland soils. erosion, while growing a cover crop can add possible condition for handing over for the
organic matter and improve soil drainage. following year’s cultivations.
He aims to drill 200ha of these cover crops “We see a lot more earthworms in the land Ahead of an intensive run of vegetable
to give a good entry to next year’s spring after a cover crop and we find we can get on crops, he is looking for cover crops to give
crops and also increase soil fertility on the the land much earlier in the season when strong root growth suited to breaking down
3,000ha South Pickenham Estate, where he other fields may still be waterlogged,” he compacted soils so the follow-on crops
is estate manager. adds. can use the ready-made root chambers to
explore deep into the soil.
A “cheap and cheerful” mix such as oats He is yet to see any clear yield increases
and vetch is used to provide a cover crop after his two years of cover cropping, but
Here, he is using a cover crop mix using
expects future improvements as he sees the
over winter ahead of sugar beet, and more deeptill radish, sunflowers and other species,
soils looking much better with more organic
complex mixes for soil improvement ahead of which is drilled after early lifted carrots
matter and earthworms.
range of spring-planted vegetables. before going into a following crop of potatoes
The simple oat/vetch mixture is used on or onions.
He tried 80ha of cover crop last season in his very lightest land ahead of spring-sown
his first year managing the estate with good sugar beet, vining peas or barley, with the “This is particularly useful after these early
cover crop being sprayed off with glyphosate lifted vegetables when we need a tap root to
results on light land that can wash away in
before spring drilling. try a give the soil some structure and better
seconds in heavy winter rainfall and can very
drainage,” he says.
easily slump and compact badly.
A key part of the estate’s business is renting
out about 550-600ha of land for vegetable The roots from deeptill radish make a big
“After cover crops the fields were drier, production, primarily potatoes and onions, difference to the soil, helping it to drain
and following a hard winter there was less but also carrots and parsnips, and providing well as run-off on bare land after harvested
ponding on the surface of these structureless these crops with water from the estate’s vegetables can be significant on this light
Breckland soils,” he tells Farmers Weekly. reservoir and bore-holes. land, he adds.
10 WWW.INTA-AG.CO.NZARTICLE
COVER CROP COSTS
The cost of the cover crops varies between £10/ha and £20/ha with
the oat-vetch being the cheapest mix moving to the deeptill radish
mix at the higher end.
Most of the cover crops are established using a Vaderstad TopDown
light cultivator with a Biodrill attached, and this year all the cover
crop are expected to be drilled by the first week in September.
“We are building up knowledge about cover crops and know we
are putting something back so they should benefit the soils and
eventually yields,” he says.
The summer drought hit yields across the estate so the effect of the CULTIVATION CHANGE
cover crops was difficult to assess this summer, but Mr Cobbald
remains confident about their success on the farm. The Norfolk estate is looking to improve establishment on its light soils
by switching to strip–tillage for drilling oilseed rape this summer to
restrict soil disturbance to a minimum.
The estate, three miles south-east of Swaffham, consists of about
2,300ha of arable cropping, growing wheat, barley, oilseed rape, James Brown, farm manager at the estate, is trying out the new
sugar beet and vining peas along with the vegetable crops. strip-till technique this summer to improve establishment on the light
Breckland soils.
In addition, there is permanent grassland and water meadows along
the River Wissey grazed by a 600-strong Aberdeen Angus cross With 250ha of rapeseed to drill, he is using a cultivator with a disc and
Charolais suckler herd and followers. heavy tine ahead of each drill coulter of a Vaderstad Tempo precision
drill this year rather than the min-till approach of the past.
COVER CROPS MIXES This one-pass system will help cut costs, retain moisture by cutting
down on soil disturbance while a seed-bed with fewer clods will mean
The estate is using a TerraLife-Rigol DT cover crop mix from DSV fewer places for pests such as cabbage stem flea beetles to hide.
after its early lifted vegetables, which includes deeptill radish,
serradella, flax and sunflowers plus many other species. The mix Rain in early August came at just the right time to allow oilseed rape
is claimed to have a root structure ideally suited to breaking down drilling to start and this season’s crop was all in the ground by 25
compacted soils. August in ideal conditions with the soil “warm to the touch”.
MELBOURNE CUP
Invitation to JOIN US!
TUESDAY 6TH OF NOVEMBER
FRANKLIN CLUB FROM 4PM
Reserved Area Drinks & Platters
TAB Available
Race @ 5pm
Sweepstake
Drawer will be at
11.00am
24 horses
$30 stakes
Why not enter all your staff?
Inta-Ag will invoice your
collective entries
Speak to a member
of staff to purchase your stake,
don’t miss out!
RSVP TO alison@inta-ag.co.nz
INTA-AG MAG | NOVEMBER 2018 11WINNER!
Full Circle Question: What hours are Inta-Ag open on Saturdays?
Answer: 8am - 12pm
In 1968, Dr John Carew, head of the department of horticulture Congratulations: Simon Wilcox from AS Wilcox Ltd
at Michigan State University, East Lansing, He wins a Spot On tip cleaner and multi tool.
wrote this poem for American Vegetable Grower.
In the Beginning
There was Earth; beautiful and wild;
And then man came to dwell.
At first, he lived like other animals
Feeding himself on creatures and plants around him.
And this was called IN BALANCE WITH NATURE.
Soon man multiplied.
He grew tired of ceaseless hunting for food;
He built homes and villages.
Wild plants and animals were domesticated.
Some men became Farmers so that others might become
l11d11strialists, Artists, or Doctors. BE IN TO WIN
And this was called Society.
Man and Society progressed. Answer the following from our new Inta-Ag mag and be in to win
Question: What nozzles provide the best coverage on onions and
With his God-given ingenuity, man learned lo feed, clothe, protect, potatoes?
and transport himself more efficiently so he might enjoy Life.
Email your answers to lyn@inta-ag.co.nz
He built cars, houses on top of each other, and nylon.
And Life was more enjoyable.
The men called Farmers became efficient.
A single Farmer grew food for 28 Industrialists, Artists, and Doctors.
And Writers, Engineers, and Teachers as well.
To protect his crops and animals, the Farmer produced substances
to repel or destroy Insects, Diseases, and Weeds.
These were called Pesticides.
Similar substances were made by Doctors to protect humans.
These were called Medicine.
The Age of Science had arrived and with it came betrer diet and
longer, happier lives for more members of Society.
Soon it came to pass
That certain well-fed members of Society
Disapproved of the Farmer using Science.
They spoke harshly of his techniques for feeding, protecting, GUMBOOTS TOO HOT IN THE SUMMER?
and preserving plants and animals.
They deplored his upsetting the Balance of Nature; Try our new Hunter ankle boots, fully water proof and much cooler
They longed for the Good Old Days. to wear in the Summer
And this had emotional appeal to the rest of Society. Contact inta-ag on 09 237 0430
By this time Farmers had become so efficient, or enquiries@inta-ag.co.nz
Society gave them a new title: Unimportant Minority.
Because Society could not ever imagine a shortage of food Laws were
passed abolishing Pesticides, Fertilisers, and Food Preservatives.
Insects, Diseases, and Weeds flourished.
Crops and animals died.
Food became scarce.
To survive, Industrialists, Artists, and Doctors were
forced to grow their own food.
They were not ve1y efficient.
People and governments fought wars to gain more agricultural land.
Millions of people were exterminated.
The remaining few lived like animals
SOIL AND WATER TESTING
Feeding themselves on creates and plants around them.
And this was called IN BALANCE WITH NATURE.
Need soil or water testing done? Contact the staff at Inta-Ag Ltd
INTA-AG PUKEKOHE DEPOT INTA-AG MATAMATA DEPOT
45 Kitchener Road, Pukekohe Factory Road, Waharoa
09 237 0430 07 888 7342You can also read
