Go Adam Go !
Way back in 2009 Jayne and Mike Rattray had an idea inspired by a close friend being diagnosed with bowel cancer. The plan was to be called "The Scooter Safari" and was simple in its method, to ride a scooter (no more powerful than 50 cc) from Christchurch to Hokitika.
It's not a race nor is it a fun day out - It is designed to be the coldest, longest, hardest, most gruelling and uncomfortable test of endurance on a city scooter to raise money and awareness for cancer sufferers.
Specialty Seeds were pleased to sponsor Adam Percival in this year's safari. Adam will be known to many as one of the front people on the TV show "What Now" but to us he's just David's eldest son.
Adam was one of 200 riders in this year's recently held safari which raised a massive total of over $220,000. An incredible effort for a most worthy cause.
You can still donate money into Adams personal fund his original target was $10,000 currently sitting at about $9,000.
To make a donation please follow this link
http://www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/Adam/
Cheers for doing this Adam it was a mighty effort!
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Improving a farmer's lot in Nepal
Three years ago Specialty Seeds Ltd and a few other companies were approached by Keith Armstrong from Plant & Food Research to supply seed samples to him for a project he was involved with in Nepal. Of course we happily obliged with this request and a similar one from Keith the following year.
The project is named "Developing sustainable animal fodder systems for improving household incomes in several districts of Nepal" and the name pretty much explains the project.
I had almost forgotten about the project until Keith very kindly send me the project completion report which I read with great interest. The project was designed to improve Nepalese farmer's technical capacity with fodder technology, that is to say how to grow, preserve and use fodder crops.
The results shown in the report really took me by surprise and awe at the work Keith and his fellow project participants achieved. Things we take for granted as standard farming practice were modified and keenly implemented by the Nepalese farmers involved. The results from the project not only changed the financial situation for them but had huge social effects on their life as well.
If you are interested in these please follow the link below to view the you tube video that will explain this in more detail.
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Independent seed selection advice
When I talk to my clients about why they like doing business with Specialty Seeds the most common reason we hear, is that we can give independent advice on selecting the cultivar most suited to their farm.
In the past we have gathered our grain and seed information from several sources that include farmer comments, seed company research results, and National forage variety trial (NFVT) results. Now we have another very useful source of information available to us and you as well.
Known as the DairyNZ Forage Value Index (check out the website link on the right), it is website that has a rating system for pasture grasses based on economic performance and it is considered a significant and valuable milestone for the future profitability of the dairy industry in New Zealand.
Although this information is targeted at Dairy farmers the information contained in it is also relevant to any other farming practice as the cultivars talked about are often commonly recommended to them i.e. Sheep, Beef and Deer farming.
The Forage Value Index is a collaboration between two organisations they are DairyNZ's and NZPBRA (New Zealand Plant Breeding and Research Association) for the first time will provide an independent science and profit based evaluation system for perennial ryegrasses that will allow farmers to understand which grasses are likely to give the best financial returns for their particular conditions.
NZPBRA President Brian Patchett says the Forage Value Index will be available to farmers and rates perennial ryegrass cultivars based on seasonal dry matter production in different parts of the country. Traits such as energy concentration and persistence will be added over time as more information becomes available via DairyNZ and NZPBRA initiatives.
Initially there will be approximately 15 different perennial ryegrass cultivars ranked in the Forage Value Index, with each cultivar rated based on estimated profit per hectare (the Forage Value Index) for the region where it is grown. Additional cultivars will be eligible for a Forage Value Index later in the year after another set of information from the 2011/12 season becomes available. The Forage Value Index itself will also be strengthened over the next few years by incorporating additional traits.
Website Link: Click here to go to the
Dairy NZ Forage Value Index website page.
Contact Link: Please
click here to get independent advice from Specialty Seeds today.
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