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New to the Ruralco Board is chartered accountant and farmer Rhea Booker. Originally hailing from Waikato, Rhea’s parents came to New Zealand as immigrants, working their way up the dairy industry ladder from farm workers to farm ownership while raising their six children.

Knowledge, experience, and passion for agriculture are key drivers behind new Ruralco Chair Sir David Carter.

It’s been a long, hard, slow grind, but buoyed by customer feedback, Sheffield cropping farmers Marty and Georgina Skurr’s venture into homegrown stone ground flour is about to hit a whole new level with a new mill about to come on stream.

Placing catchment communities in the Ashburton District at the centre of decisions and direction on biodiversity, water quality and the environment is now possible thanks to the Mid Canterbury Catchment Collective (MCCC).

If you ask any expert about making time to take a ‘helicopter view’ of your business, they’ll agree it’s a good idea.

For the next three months we will look at the following: fodder crops, pre-emergence sprays on autumn sown crops, grass grub control in pasture, and use of gibberellic acid to increase pasture growth.

Look back and plan ahead to get the most from your autumn sown cereal crop.

Autumn is on its way following a favourable summer, especially for cropping farmers who have been able to complete much of their harvest with limited weather delays. There have been some extreme temperatures with some regular rainfall, particularly in late February, seen in time to provide relief for dryland farmers.

Replacing the nutrients removed by hay or silage keeps soil fertile and productive.

With significant changes underway for the primary sector, outgoing Ruralco chair Jessie Chan is urging farmers to remain adaptable. Her ascent as one of the country’s prominent rural leaders has been marked by her continued capacity to adapt and evolve.