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Horses were indispensable on farms until the advent of motor-driven vehicles and tractors in the early 1900s. By the mid-1950s, most farmers had traded up to a different type of horsepower. Though horses are rarely used today, some high- country farmers still prefer to use them to move stock or on properties where the terrain is too tricky for four-wheel-drive vehicles, quad and motorbikes.

Almost a decade ago Eiffelton dairy farmers Sara and Stu Russell, with farm owners Richard and Diana Bourke, took steps on their family farm that, even by today’s standards, were significant shifts in practice. The changes justified their nomination to enter Ballance Farm Environment Awards in 2015, with them being awarded the LIC Dairy Farm Award.

The Ruralco Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Sir David Carter as its new Chair following the decision by previous Chair and Director, Jessie Chan, to stand down from her role at last month’s Annual General Meeting.

Congratulations to all the winners at the 2022 Ruralco Supplier Awards

For the next three months we are looking at the final sprays for finishing off our cereal and grass seed crops, getting our silos cleaned up before harvest, continuing our post emergence sprays on fodder beet, pre and post emergence sprays on forage brassicas and weed control in new pasture.

A cutting-edge software tool is helping farmers reduce losses.

Ruralco has partnered up with Canterbury based solar energy company Platinum Energy to provide farms with a viable, effective energy alternative.

Spring has once again delivered a variety of weather conditions. After a prolonged wet period through winter and early spring, the latter part delivered some warmer weather drying things out to the extent that irrigation was underway earlier than it had been over the last couple of years.

Ruralco’s ability to respond quickly to farmers’ needs and current market conditions have been key to its success in achieving pleasing revenue results in the 2022 financial year.This year provided a number of challenges for shareholders and the Ruralco business as farmers continued to face regulation and compliance issues, climatically challenging weather patterns, Covid interruptions and high on-farm inflation and production costs.“While commodity prices continue to remain hi...

Ealing farmer Shayne Jones of Farmleigh Limited has taken out the best fodder beet crop in this years’ Ashburton A&P Association’s Winter Feed Competition, and also took out the Ravensdown Trophy for the overall winner.