Technology transfer is a fertile discussion topic amongst farmers, scientists and journalists, each with a slightly different take on what’s really required. It’s established that whatever their educational background farmers tend to learn best from other farmers who can interpret the information available and turn it to their own use.
So we’re very pleased to introduce the Dairy Exporter’s new science editor, Erin Hutchinson, to help that process along. From a Tararua sheep and beef farm her career has seen her complete stints as a trainee livestock buyer and a farm research technician. She has a Bachelor of Science degree with first class honours, majoring in geography, and over the last five years she’s managed dairy farms from 600 to 1000 cows.
She was also a senior farm manager at Massey University with responsibility for the campus farms, freelanced for NZX Agri and is now completing a Master of Management in Agribusiness.
She’ll be based in Feilding and will also handle our onfarm coverage in the lower North Island as well as attending conferences, workshops and discussion groups to pick up the pieces of information farmers really need to know.
Onfarm innovation is where the science really gets tested as seen in the results of DairyNZ’s Smarter not Harder competition. The overall winner was Graeme Heaven of Pokeno with his entry describing using a solenoid, digital timer and automatic sprinkler in the dairy yard which halved yard wash time from 30 to 15 minutes and reduced water use by 25%.
Winner in the “the way you do things” category was Paeroa farmer Matt Allen, who described how reducing his herd’s somatic cell count aim by 75% meant less stress, time spent looking for problems and cost savings.
The best entry in the “harebrained schemes” category was Kyle Brennan of Reporoa who sought to replace annoying backing gate beeping with Abba music.
Glenys Christian
Editor
