Friesian Cows - Facts And Figures

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With the definitive origins of Friesian cows being undetermined, the traces of the breed have been tracked back to Jutland where herds of cows with the characteristic black and white colourations grazed the fields. These Friesians were imported into Holland in the 1700's to replace fallen stock that became victim of floods and disease. This stock was then cross bred with the remaining Dutch cattle to form the beginnings of what is now recognised as Friesians, which became the mainstay of stock in the modern world. However, during the mid-1900's in the United States, the popularity of this breed declined as emphasis was placed on the purity of colour.

The common place breeding of Friesians with Holsteins has resulted in the majority of modern breed being a cross-breed, which is perfectly suited as a grazing animal which is adaptable for a wide range of grassland while exhibiting high levels of lactation over sustained periods. Being selectively bred over hundreds of years, this breed are now the preferred dairy cow in New Zealand and as a result, there are a number of reputable agents that specialise in Friesian cows for sale.

The typical characteristic of these cattle are the two patched colour types, being either white and black or white and red. Being similar size to the Holstein breed, Friesian cows for sale in New Zealand have become the mainstay of the New Zealand dairy industry exhibiting high protein levels, higher fat levels as well elevated lactation levels and frequency. Additionally, they are renown for their ability to calve more frequently, calve more often in their lifetime, require less replacements, have lower cell counts and exceed other breeds in respect to the quality of milk produced. As a result, Friesian cows for sale in New Zealand are noted for their high lifetime yields, high quality and lean meat they deliver as well as the superior milk they produce.

With the need to increase dairy productivity, farmers are coming under increasing pressure to get the most out of their land. The use of fertilisers, feed additives and other performance enhancing methods are now commonplace in an effort to increase lactose production, calving and productivity per acre. The quality of the stock on the farms is one of the key factors in increasing this production, with the ability of the stock to effectively react to these inputs. Friesian cows are renowned for the ability to positively react to these farming investments, and as a result, are always in high demand within the New Zealand dairy industry.

Kelly Livestock is the largest independently owned livestock Company in the Taranaki Region. If you are looking for cattle, dairy cows / herds for sale take a look at Friesian Cows for sale online here: http://www.cows4sale.co.nz/

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Aronia Planting Guide Part VI - Pruning, Pest, Landscaping, Harvesting, and Yields

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Pruning

After establishment, the oldest stems should be pruned to ground in late dormant season. Restrict bush height & increase bushiness by cutting back upright stems.

After berries have dropped or been harvested prune to shape the plant. Pruning the Aronia plants while the plants are young will also encourage branching. The best time to prune is in the late winter or spring before growth starts. By pruning in the early spring just before growth starts. This means there is only a short time before new growth begins and for the wound sealing process to take place. It does not seriously harm plants in the long run to cut plants back so that they may produce a dense growth of new shoots This is called "pollarding". As the plants grow larger prune to thin the plant so all parts of the plant receive sunlight.

Pest

Japanese beetles and other insect pests generally will leave the aronia plants alone. Blueberry Croft farm and nursery has not had problems with Japanese beetles.

For long-term pest management, a good defense against Japanese beetle involves improving the soil in your property so that the beneficial micro organisms that live there are active and numerous. The micro organisms eat Japanese beetle eggs under the grass in around plant roots. Mulching and using aerated compost tea made using worm casting is a good approach to improving your soil and the number of beneficial micro organisms in the soil.

Aronia berries are more resistant to microbial invasion than other fruits.

Aronia berries will provide food for deer; rabbits and songbirds in the fall after the berries are fully ripe if left unpicked. Before they are fully ripe they are so bitter that songbirds will avoid them.

In summary the major pest are as follows

DeerRabbitsSongbirds (in the fall after fruit is ripe)Japanese beetles (usually not a problem)A few maggots from Spotted Wing Drosphila have found in a few berries in some sites. A possible solution is to try putting some traps with molasses, brewer's yeast, etc to try to lower populations around Aronia and other berry plants.

Landscaping

The practice of growing aronia as a landscape plant is increasing. One of the reasons is because it can handle both wet and dry soil in addition to being a very ornamental plant. It is attractive in each season and not effected by most diseases and pests. These are outstanding landscape plants. They have attractive white flowers in the spring and beautiful glossy green leaves all summer long. The dark berries in the fall at the end of the year and are a plus by providing healthy fruit.

Their ability to withstand wet situations makes aronia plants appropriate for growing along the edges of ponds, streams or other similar conditions. Aronia works well as a riverbank stabilizer, or in fields in the path of water runs to control erosion or in any large-scale planting in which a growing mass is needed. Aronia plants are especially useful in roadside ditches or a moist low tract of land that is a natural landscape feature or a human-created one. Consider using the cultivar Nero if you enjoy seeing heavy production of larger and longer lasting black fruits on a more compact plant 3 to 4 feet tall. If youare planning to have a productive plantation with high-quality fruit Nero or the taller growing Viking plants are good choices.

Harvesting

For more than 1/2 to 1 acre mechanical harvesting is more efficient, faster and less costly than hand harvesting.

Aronia fruit stay good for a relative long period of time and can be stored unharmed in the containers even for a few days. "This means they can also be shipped to customers' right after picking without refrigeration. This is a significant opportunity and benefit because it also makes it possible to deliver the fruit harvested from a large area to the processing facility all at the same time.

The processing of fresh aronia is not hard to accomplish. Although the fruit is soft their shock-resistance allows them to be stored for a longer time than other more fragile berries.

Fruit Yields

The second year after planting 2-year-old nursery aronia plants in the field they usually are reported to produce about 2 pound of fruit per plant. The third year after planting in the field they are reported to produce about 10 pounds of fruit per plant. The four to fifth year after planting they are reported to yields about 20 pounds of fruit per plant. Fruit production is reported to be as high as 35 pounds per mature plant. In terms of the growth of aronia plants the saying is "First they sleep, then they creep and then they leap".

At 20 pounds per plant, 1000 plants per acre would be expected to produce 20,000 pounds of berries.

Purchase your pesticide free aronia and blueberries from (Blueberry Croft Farm and Nursery). We understand both the theory and practical applications of growing aronia and blueberries. The farm is a reputable source for quality aronia and blueberry plants. Over 30 varieties of blueberries are grown and sold. Viking aronia plants are available for sale. Purchase your plants and get more information from http://www.blueberrycroft.com/. Get free S/H on orders of $75+. © 2011 May be reproduced in entirety with live link

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Biodynamic Vs Organic In Farming, Agriculture, And Food Production: Yield And Resilience

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This article explores the distinction between organic and biodynamic agriculture. Most people are more familiar with the term "organic", when applied to food or farming, as this term has entered the mainstream. The term "biodynamic" is less familiar, although it is most familiar in the area of wine. Both of these systems of farming aim to promote sustainability by reducing the use of synthetic, chemical inputs which can potentially be harmful to the environment and to human health. However, as this article explains below, biodynamic agriculture goes a lot farther than organics towards achieving this goal.

Both organic and biodynamic have certification systems:

Biodynamic certification is carried out primarily through a single organization, called Demeter International, an umbrella organization that has member organizations in the individual countries where certification is carried out. Because the certification is run by a single organization, biodynamic certification is more standardized globally than organic certification.

Organic certification is run by a variety of different agencies. In most industrialized countries, including the U.S., Canada, the European Union, and Japan, the organic label is defined and regulated by the government. In other countries, organic certification can be carried out by non-profit organizations. Because there are different certifying agencies in different countries, the standards for organic certification differ. However, there are still some basic similarities in common between these different systems.

Biodynamic goes above and beyond organic certification:

The core idea of organic certification boils down to one idea: avoiding the use of synthetic chemical inputs, which can include herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers like ammonia- or nitrate-based fertilizers. In this respect, organic agriculture is defined more in the negative than the positive sense: organic certification specifies what a farmer cannot do, but does less in terms of specifying good or healthy approaches to agriculture. Because organic certification does not specify much more than some restrictions on what farmers cannot do, there are many different ways of realizing organic farming.

Some organic farms stick to the letter of organic certification, following all the requirements and rules, but while maintaining the same fundamental approach of industrialized agriculture, using mass-production of crops in large monocultures, and applying fertilizers and herbicides or pesticides as one does in modern industrial farming, with the only change being the use of mixtures allowed under the organic certification systems. The gains of this sort of approach, from a sustainability standpoint, are minimal.

Biodynamic agriculture, on the other hand, takes a more holistic approach. In biodynamic agriculture, the farm is viewed as an ecosystem. Biodynamics, like organics, avoids chemical treatments, but goes even farther, promoting decentralization of production, using cover crops, crop rotation, livestock manure, composting, and open pollination combined with seed saving Each of these practices provides benefits in terms of sustainability, both creating a more positive environmental impact, and increasing the resilience of the farming operation.

The effects and yield of biodynamic agriculture vs conventional organic farming:

There are not many studies comparing biodynamic agriculture to organic-certified factory farming. However, there is a lot of research comparing biodynamic farming to conventional (non-organic) farming, and this research seems to find a common trend, which is that biodynamic farming results in slightly lower crop yields, but greatly increased soil quality and lessened environmental impact. Furthermore, biodynamic operations tend to be much more resilient to disturbances, such as changing environmental conditions or unusual weather or climate fluctuations. This is likely due to the use of ecological principles such as diversification and use of open-pollination and seed saving. And in the case of biodynamic wine, a specific topic that has been studied more, there is some evidence that the biodynamic practices result in greater quality of the grapes.

In summary:

Biodynamic agriculture goes above and beyond organic agriculture in embracing ecological principles. Biodynamic certification is more standardized than organic certification. Biodynamic farming results in lower crop yields, but greater resilience in the face of changing conditions, and a more positive impact on the environment.

Alex Zorach is the founder and editor-in-chief of RateTea, an online community where anyone can rate and review teas, with a searchable database of teas and herbal teas, classified by brand, style, and region. RateTea has a wealth of information about tea, health, sustainability, and related topics. Visit RateTea to learn more about organic tea production, or to read about other topics pertaining to tea production.

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Keeping Livestock Cool During Extreme Heat

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Having animals to care for in an environment that is becoming hotter can be extremely taxing. The National Weather Service has said that more than 1,000 heat records have been set or tied this last summer across the nation! Excessive heat warnings have been issued for much of the Central and Eastern United States through the summer months with temperatures having been forecast above 100 degrees, combined with humidity that could make it feel as hot as 115!

Veterinarians say farmers should do what they can to keep their animals out of direct sunlight and provide them with water - both inside and out. Although shade trees help livestock, and so does a breeze - provided there is one, keeping animals cool beyond these natural measures will be critical for farmers and handlers.

Large-scale farms, which face additional challenges with some animals housed in close quarters and unable to naturally cool off can typically use fans and water misting systems to keep animals from overheating during the peak hours of the daytime temperatures. Here's a few general tips to help keep your livestock cool when the mercury rises:

Try to choose heritage breed livestock that are better suited to your climate, less prone to illness, stress are just hardier in general.Shade is critical. Always make sure your pastures have adequate shade. There needs to be enough that your entire herd can lounge comfortably!Make sure all your animals have access to cool water and are sufficiently hydrated.Grass is cooler than dirt - animals on pasture remain cooler than ones in feedlots.Make sure pigs/hogs have mud wallows or water to cool down in as they do not use sweat as a cooling mechanism like other mammals.Make sure that caged or penned animals have plenty of ventilation.Rabbits are extremely susceptible to heat - frozen bottles of water or ice packs in their cages or runs can help significantly.When livestock are trying to metabolize their core temperature is increased - so feeding animals in the morning or evening is better than during the hottest part of the day.Provide pastured livestock with appropriate minerals to compensate for what they lose.Avoid working livestock or moving herds during the heat of the day.

Considering the staggering amount of livestock that can be lost in serious heatwave conditions - having an Environmental Alarm and Control System to monitor environmental conditions, offer alarm notifications, alarm history reviews, and remote control capabilities can be essential for many farmers and handlers.

Whether monitoring temperature, humidity levels, unauthorized entry, water seepage, power or HVAC system failure, Environmental Alarm and Control Systems have been used and trusted on large scale farms and hobby farms alike for years. These units keep watch around the clock - calling you with reports in the event of a problem. You can also call in to the units any time for a status report.

Considering the cost of significant loses - it only makes sense to have precautionary measures in place. The weather should never be under estimated - always be prepared. Most importantly, whether you do it personally or use modern techno keep an eye on your livestock for signs that the heat is becoming overwhelming. Despite the fact that we'd rather sit in the AC or the pool, it is important to regularly check on our livestock!

Renée Laurin
Absolute Automation Inc.
http://www.absoluteautomation.com/

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Benefits Of Using Tractors In Modern Farming And Agriculture

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A tractor is a farming vehicle traditionally used to mechanise agricultural tasks such as tillage. However, the tractor has come a long way since its humble beginning as a steam engine on wheels during the early 19th century. Today, tractors are used for ploughing, tilling and planting fields. Modern tractors can be used for a variety of tasks including routine lawn care, landscape maintenance, moving or spreading fertiliser and clearing bushes.

Whether you own a small farm or would simply like to work on your lawn and garden, you will find that using a tractor will make these chores easier for you. In this article, we discuss the top advantages of using tractors to mechanise your farming, gardening or even excavating tasks.

Wide Range

There is a wide range of tractors available today, each suitable for a specific task. If you need to work on a large garden or an extensive area of field or pasture, a subcompact or compact tractor will fit heavy duty landscaping jobs and tasks like digging, hauling or ploughing. A subcompact tractor is a smaller version of a compact tractor. It has the power and versatility to perform a large range of gardening tasks including mowing, moving mulch and tilling gardens. A compact tractor is a smaller version of the utility tractor and is ideal for landscaping tasks. Subcompact and compact tractors have a horsepower that ranges from 15hp to 40hp.

If you have a small farm and need to mechanise more complex farming tasks, then you will need a utility tractor. Utility tractors come in different models and offer a horsepower that ranges from 45hp to 110hp. Utility tractors are also known as diesel tractors because diesel is typically used to fuel these large tractors. There is also a wide range of farming implements that can be attached to utility tractors to help you accomplish a variety of tough jobs on the farm.

Versatility

Tractors are now designed and manufactured to be versatile so that a single tractor can perform a wide range of tasks. For instance, a compact tractor can accomplish tasks that range from gardening to simple farming jobs. You can also attach implements to a compact tractor such as front loaders or back hoes to perform an even wider range of jobs.

Power and durability

Tractors are also typically designed to run over rough terrain and pull extremely heavy loads. The engine generates a large amount of force to get the tractor to run and perform its tasks, making it effective in tough farming or landscape tasks. Modern tractors also come with cast iron front axles for extra strength and durability, so you can rely on your tractor to perform under tough conditions.

Ease of transmission and operation

You might find a manual transmission on a tractor difficult to use, but features of modern tractors such as powershift transmission and hydrostatic transmission make operation much easier. Powershift transmission facilitates smooth shifting through 8 gears in low range and 8 gears in high range while hydrostatic transmission allows for effortless changes in direction. Modern tractors also provide power steering to make turning much easier. Some more advanced models are also able to reduce operator fatigue with exclusive shift controls and an automatically responsive transmission.

Ease of installing gardening and farming implements

A variety of gardening and farming implements including a front end loader attachment or a back hoe can be installed on to a tractor, so that it can perform a wider range of tasks. A tractor may have three-point hitches and a power take-off or PTO. A three-point hitch attaches an implement, secures it in place and also lifts and lowers the implement. The PTO is a shaft that goes from the tractor to the implement and transfers the tractor's engine power to it. Gardening and farming implements are considered heavy equipment so make sure you have the appropriate knowledge and training before you install and use it.

This article was written by Tom Jerrat for Boya Equipment. Boya Equipment is the leading Kubota and Schaffer Loaders dealership in Perth, Australia. They also provide machines including tractors, loaders, generators, mowers and utility vehicles. Please visit boyaequip.com.au for more information.

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Planning and Building a Chain Link Fence

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Chain Link Fencing for Farming and Land Management

The use of different fence types to control one's farm and livestock venture should be regarded closely. A fence design that is both intelligently and practically thought out will support ongoing farm activities and circumvent future obstacles that could result from an ill-conceived layout. Chain link fencing is used to secure and separate livestock, maintain pasture boundaries and most importantly, protect livestock from predators and thieves.

Chain link or wire fencing is an economical fencing fashioned from galvanized, coated steel wire that is linked into a diamond or zig-zag pattern by hooking the neighboring wires to each other. This process is called weaving or spiraling; the galvanizing of the steel wire helps ward off corrosion, though a chain link fence will eventually rust if it stands long enough. This construction yields a crumple-proof barrier that requires an immense effort to compromise, though it can still be cut with a pair of heavy-duty steel cutters. In the farming industry, a chain link fence is also popularly called a chicken wire fence.

Chain link fences are purchased in rolls from three to twelve feet tall; a fifty foot length is also standard for delivery and mobility. Such segments can be acquired for inexpensive amounts, less than four or five hundred dollars on average, and less for large purchases. A small fee can be added to any section for added slats for privacy, though many individuals eliminate this charge by doing it on-site, post-installation. Single person fence gates can run as little as fifty dollars, while a double-gate to accommodate a vehicle can range from five hundred to one thousand dollars. If an underestimation has occurred, the acquisition of more fence sections is a non-issue.

Wire fencing is widely used and itself is utilized in different permutations. An electric fence is used more as an offensive measure than a defensive one. Electricity is always a surefire deterrent against predators, vandals and thieves. Livestock train very quickly when it comes to the avoidance of the hot wiring. Electric fences can also be independently facilitated so that the entire farm or land perimeter is not necessarily always electrified. Additionally, the uppermost fence beam can be topped with hot wires or barbed wire to also deter the aforementioned threats, but certain larger predators - members of the large cat, wolf and bear family - have more of an instinctive drive to hunt and kill and may still penetrate the defense.

How to make a chain link fence is less important than where to make a chain link fence. Since chain link sections are easily raised and gated or extended to lengthen and secure parcels or land or livestock area, areas should be predesignated for free roaming, breeding, catching and movement - the latter is usually facilitated through alleyways or narrow areas between pens typically ten or twelve feet wide. Again, where to lay the perimeter is as important as how to make a chain link fence, and use of satellite perfectly demonstrates this. A satellite overview can reveal hilly and flat areas and potential watercourse ways better than any other method short of borrowing a low-flying aircraft and taking blurry photographs.

For decades, chain link fencing has proved itself to be an ever-reliable economical and practical resource for farming and land management. Chain link fencing is in and of itself a concept that promotes commerce and progression within the farm and land industries. Thanks to perimeter planning with free satellite imagery resources wire fence installation and maintenance has never been easier.

http://www.costmyfence.com/ is a free online resource that allows farmers and land managers to plan, estimate and budget for their fences. Simply mark out your fence's boundary on the online imagery, click on print and a full plan showing pole distances, fence runs and build lists is provided. Chain link fencing costs are also provided.

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6 Ways to Recruit Talent in the Agriculture Industry

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A major agriculture company recently complained to me that they had over 3000 jobs to fill in the Midwest and they could not find trained talent who were willing to take these jobs.

I know this might sound crazy if you are someone looking for a job or if you are in an industry where you are laying people off rather than having jobs to fill. However the media doesn't report on the jobs that are available they are more likely to report on the loss of jobs in America.

As a consultant and trainer in the agriculture industry (I grew up on a working farm so I have first hand knowledge of the mentality of agriculture people) I told the CEO on the phone that they had a PR problem. Interestingly about two weeks later there was news media coverage on CNN about jobs available in the agriculture industry.

There are a number of reasons why recruiting and retention is a challenge in the agriculture industry such as younger generations like Generation Y (those in their 20's) are shying away from labor jobs and are more attracted to technological fields and that Generation X (those in their 30's) do not want to be away from their families for long periods of time and thirdly that Zoomers (Baby boomers 50 and to about 28) are retiring.

But these reasons do not have to be seen as a negative when looking to recruit and retain specifically for the agriculture industry, rather there is an opportunity to focus and 'sell' the positives to each of the demographics so that we are providing custom lifestyle values that will entice talent to the industry.

Here are 6 ways to recruit in the agriculture industry:

#1- Build your recruitment campaigns around the values of each of the generations. For example driving a tractor today is very different than it used to be. Today's equipment is tricked out with the latest technology- users can access the web, use auto functions and have increased safety. This needs to be communicated to Generation Y's who can accept repetitive work tasks (like driving a tractor) if they are told about the positives. They can access Facebook or they can work mornings and afternoon and evenings free or some days they will be working 14 hours but they can work in a season and make as much money as they might make in a year at another job.

#2- Look at the communities and what they offer younger generations and families. Recently in Entrepreneur magazine (October 2011) there was an article about two Generation X agriculture employees who found that there was nothing for them to do outside of work in their small town, nor were their family activities that appealed to today's tech savvy kids. They set out to create weekly Wii and X Box championship gatherings and they set up a Web Cafe for brainstorming and sharing tech resources. An opportunity for an agriculture company is to find ways to add value and enhance the communities where they employ workers.

#3- Look for industries with similar values when recruiting- with many military workers returning home they are an ideal talent resource. Those who have worked in the military are typically disciplined, willing to work hard and are used to being away from family for periods of time.

#4- An obvious yet underused recruitment tool is referral incentives. Your existing talent pool is the perfect place to solicit for more workers that are exactly like them. Encourage your employees to use social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Linked In to reach out to their circles of influence to engage and invite their peers to join the agriculture industry.

#5- Use media more vigorously- You Tube is the 2nd highest search engine on the Internet- research shows that we are all drawn to video as a communication tool more than any other medium. Create modern, edgy and values focused video to tell your agriculture company story and to engage and invite talent to apply for jobs in your company. Video tape your happy workers of all ages and have them tell their story as to why they love the agriculture industry. Every one of your websites should have engaging video on your home page and on your recruitment pages.

#6- Once you have recruited you need to make sure you retain them. Most generation Y's will only stick around with any employer for a maximum of three years. Rather than see this as disloyal- see it as an opportunity to keep them for as long as you can. Positive on boarding strategies are crucial to increase retention as are recognition, rewards and good leadership. If companies are not focused on retention strategies then they will find themselves constantly recruiting because of high turnover.

It is an exciting time for the agriculture industry in 2011 and beyond- it's a great problem to have so many jobs available that other industries would love to have!

In order to recruit and retain for the agriculture industry we need to integrate what has worked in the past with new strategies that include technology, modifying hours and the way we work and matching what workers want with what your company can provide.

Cheryl is the President of Synthesis at Work Inc. and an internationally renowned keynote speaker. She provides practical tools and creative strategies for CEO's and their leaders to increase leadership skill that helps to recruit and retain top talent. Cheryl has worked in the agriculture industry for a number of years and grew up on a working farm in Saskatchewan Canada. http://www.cherylcran.com/

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