Articles by Joyce Wyllie, from Kaihoka Farm, views from a rural woman

There was once a very devout man.One day he felt thirsty, looking up he cried out to God for a drink. Nothing happened so he called again and again for something to quench his terrible thirst. Finally God answered him . "You are standing in a river, bend down and drink the water that surrounds you !". Sometimes I wonder if that is me. Here we are working hard on this farm trying to make a profit and pay off debt. Over the years our main income has been sale of lambs and wool, but returns from those traditional products have been dismal and not improving . A bank forecast stating "The British Pound dived last
week, putting lamb and wine export at risk", headlines in a farming mag proclaiming "Meat prices picked to fall", and a meat processing company prediction of "volatility in markets and exchange rates" don't build hope and confidence for a healthy income this season . I am like that thirsty man , praying for improved prices and better returns from our sheep.

Maybe we are standing in a river of opportunities that we haven't tried "drinking " from. Which got me thinking about what surrounds us that could create useful extra dollars.
Firstly , we have a great team of working dogs and there is a good market for well bred pups. So Kaihoka Kennels breeding programme is already underway. "Smash" has a huge,pregnant belly and her litter of huntaway pups are due any day, while heading dog," Stella", is expecting a week later.

We also have spare houses since the farm used to have a larger staff than now. Kaihoka is a lovely place for a holiday ,we are happy to share our rural experience and many families return .It's a nice way to grow both our circle of friends and our bottom line. Maybe we could go more upmarket and operate Bed and Breakfast but I would need to assess whether extra income justifies extra work and commitment.

Or considering some outside-the-square ideas.Our observant daughter has found plants producing real 4 leaf clovers. She spotted them while walking to her chook-house and has dozens of specimens as evidence carefully pressed in her dictionary. Maybe there is a market for authentic lucky leaves. Or if we bred them up and sowed them into paddocks as quadfoliate plants they would produce a quarter more feed matter than trifoliate ones.There could be a fortune in cultivating "Kaihoka Klover".

And we have acres of chamomile growing in our paddocks. The seeds originally arrived by hitching a ride on machinery and the distinctive smelling plants, sporting little white flowers in autumn are now well established in the pasture. Chamomile is a herb that has been used for centuries to improve health in many ways. Benefits claimed are calming upset stomachs, helping sleep problem,treating irritation from chest colds, slow healing wounds, abscesses, gum inflammation,and skin conditions .Quantities of it are currently being eaten by our stock , which hopefully benefits their health, but maybe we could benefit too by drying, infusing, processing, bottling and selling this wonder product which is already abundant and invading further. Watch for "Kaihoka Kamomile" on the shelves.

Last year I enjoyed some painting classes with friends. Being in the "academic" class at high school I had no art experience and, as well having fun afternoons, I produced some landscape and portrait paintings . Maybe I could make "Kaihoka Kards" or have a gallery. Unfortunately it seems that to be a successful artist you need to be prolific-which I am not , or become famous after you are dead-which I would rather not.

Then there is the opportunity for our beautiful place featuring in movie scenes. Kaihoka has been used by film companies as the setting for small parts of a production, which was a new experience for us all . Very interesting and enlightening as well as financially beneficial and it would be brilliant to do more.

And my spring garden is slithering with snails. On damps evenings I crunch wandering molluscs as I walk across to feed lambs and I collected a 5 litre bucket full of slimey creatures from a few flax bushes. Instead of reaching for the poison maybe I should reach for French cookery books and start processing escargot.

Writing seems a good plan for a few bonus dollars .When I agreed to these regular columns I casually said that communication is more important than remuneration . I still think that ,but it would be nice to be paid.

We have subdivided off 3 wonderful bush sections and selling them would certainly help our budget .

But above all, we are sheep/beef farmers looking for better returns from meat and wool. Somewhere in that river of opportunities could be our own value added product . "Kaihoka Kuts" sounds good and would taste great.

Lambs

As I watch ten wiggling tails in a line of hungry lambs sucking on the feeder, I have some moments amongst the busy daily routine of rearing lambs to think. And it is surprising what thoughts go through my mind already quite full of things like numbers in each mob, reminders to myself to mix the next bucket of yoghurt, to work out how much more milk powder I need to order, and remembering how many ewes are in the shed with fostered lambs to be checked. Standing in the shed listening to the sounds of sucking and more rain on the roof, smelling wet wood shavings and looking at the sight of those happy lambs I think of poetry. The acrostic poem has each line starting with a letter which spells a word...
Lively, lovely and little
Amazing, amusing animals
Maa-king friends
Bleating, eating
Sucking....satisfying.

That about sums up my past few weeks and the satisfaction of "mothering" all these little lives. On bleak wet days some lambs are dropped off to the kitchen in state of cold limpness and it is quite miraculous what a warm fire, hotties and a dose of dextrose injected into the peritoneum will do.That's satisfying. Some new lambs grab on to a teat and get the hang of sucking quickly. Others roll the rubber teat round in their mouths, stick their tongue out, fight, dribble milk, gurgle, cough and splutter before finally latching on and devouring the measured amount of milk in their bottle. That's satisfying. Lambs progress from a box inside, to wooden crate in the garage, to the pen in the motorbike shed and, when healthy and eating well from bottles 5 times a day, groups are taken out into the paddock to start the 3 times- a- day on the pink feeder routine. That's satisfying too. 62 lambs through the system now and I still enjoy the many differences in them. Brown ears, pink noses or black, sucking rhythms that vary from frantic and fast to slow and strong, open faces or woolly around the eyes ones , pricky perendale ears or soft and floppy, a huge lamb that arrived in the same delivery as a tiny mini so were named "David and Goliath", odd black spots in odd places and many interesting pitches and timbres in sounds of bleating, .....all wonderful creations. Mary's favourite are the nuzzling noses finding and sucking on her bare toes.

But , wait....there are days when the poem changes...
Loud cries, laborious, long days
Agonising over failures
Mixing milk, messy house
Bottles, buckets , being filled and washed ,
Stale milk, stink, sickness, sadness and stubborn suckers.

Like many things in life the satisfaction is countered by frustrations and disappointments. No matter how hard I try they don't all survive. Some are just too cold. Others don't have a good feed of colostrum in their first 24 hours and so miss out on ingesting the essential antibodies, leaving them with a compromised immune system and susceptible to infections. We had an orphan with beautiful grey eyes and Mary realised he was blind. 2 which were born with no connection between their colon and anus . Among over 5000 born some require more care than my sawdust nursery can provide . Worst is the dreadful abomasal bloat which kills big healthy lambs so quickly. Often I head out with morning milk feeling apprehensive as I count the enthusiastic bodies clamouring at the gate. Not so satisfying. Nor is a long spell of rainy days, with smelly rain coats, soggy ground, muddy feeding , and wet dirty lambs jumping on each other, and so I keep younger ones in the shed too long which causes overcrowding and sometimes scours. Not satisfying. An inevitable trail of wood shavings spreads through the house as it drops off clothes, socks, lambs, and hands is another part of spring to be dealt with when someone has time to clean in spring .
All outweighed by good stuff. Warm, dry days with happy heaps of lambs sleeping in the sun. Healthy growing lambs skipping and stotting in evening "play times". Working with our kids in the shed feeding or shovelling out soiled shavings. And such a joy to be able to share the experience with others and enjoy the response of a child to quiet, friendly lambs which are so non threatening .One little girl,Ella, came to visit with her Nana . At first she cautiously peered through the netting, not keen on close contact . Next time she gained confidence and progressed to touching, climbing in to the pen , letting a lamb suck her fingers, holding the bottle and ,with great delight, she carefully picked one up to cuddle.

Now that is satisfying.

There is this objectionable 5 letter "R" word which I'd rather not to have in my vocabulary but one we can't avoid. It comes in our mail every few months, the size of it annoys me and it keeps getting bigger, it is compulsory but can't be justified on cost/benefit analysis, and it comes as a privilege of owning a farm.

This thing costs us $20,000 annually and we receive very poor value for that significant outlay. All landowners contribute together toward water supplies -but we have our own well and tanks; to sewerage systems - but we have our own septic tanks and pay to have them cleaned; to keep a swimming pool operational -but we live 2 and 1/2 hours away , further than driving from Nelson to Blenheim for a dip; to provide a library ; to have a rubbish collection and disposal -but we are not on the route for that ; and of course to maintain roads and bridges - more tourists drive on Kaihoka Lakes Road than locals because it is more a destination route than farm access . Plus all sorts of other "services" are supplied like bike trails, environmental monitoring, wharves, airports, beautifying cities, playgrounds, sports centres, parks, administration, offices and interest payments.

Sure, it is about being part of "community" and sharing district "good", but when it comes to some benefit for us it frustratingly turns into "user pays". Wetlands identified on our farm need to be fenced off......by us, at our expense; outstanding landscapes should be protected...responsibility and cost up to us again. It is a totally unfair system of spending "R....", which goes with an equally unfair system of fixing how much "R...." we pay . An amount set on land value has absolutely nothing to do with services provided, and change is overdue to create equity for all.

For anyone stuck in the mindset that farmers, being obviously capital rich , should pay more I invite you to the "Savour, Talk And Relax Restaurant"...fine dining STAR style. Customers here are all seated around tables in the same room. For groups nearer the door the service is good, the decorations are lovely, the waiters efficient, plates are full for a 3 course meal and cost is reasonable. Groups seated over near the window have no waiter, the food is basic , they do their own dishes and then finally are charged 10 times as much for their mediocre meal. Upset at this differential treatment while eating in the same room these disgruntled customers question why. Well, it's because the chairs those particular diners are seated on are assessed as having higher value, plus there is a nice view out the window .It is not about cost to person on the chair, but how much the chair under the person may cost. ....and you can't shift your chair. STAR dining service is all back to front ...RATS !....which is nearly that 5 letter "R" word .It's not about value to landowner but valuation of land, and we can't relocate our farm either . Challenge the restaurant manager about this ridiculous policy and he will tell you that it's the same across the whole NZ chain of STAR establishments and you will need to speak to their head office in Wellington.

Meanwhile , 4 times a day I bounce along driving Mary to the school bus, juddering over corrugations, annoying myself counting potholes, wondering how the 5 landowners along this road can be charged over $50,000 every year. Local body elections are happening now. I know this crazy regulation that decrees rates be based on capital land value is from government. Councils don't make the rules, they just take the rates. So, although I can't change the nonsensical system, I can cast my vote for who will hold purse strings for the next 3 years , and who I will be addressing again at next annual plan consultation round.

Pride

Pride in achievement is a good thing see in another and a great thing to feel oneself. The Olympic Games have just given us opportunity to watch hundreds of athletes perform with skill and incredible ability after years of dedication to training and fitness.Three in each event stood on a podium proudly celebrating their success , while others could feel pride in being there to give their best effort. Those of us at home with time to watch TV enjoyed the spectacle and sharing the satisfaction of people we don't even know.

Another time we witnessed this healthy, inspiring pride was at the Golden Shears competition in Masterton. It's annual event where shearers, wool handlers and pressers go for gold in their sport and it was great to watch. These men and women are professionals, working day after day in woolsheds of NZ. They are outstanding at what they do and are at Golden Shears to test themselves against others just as competitive. To see them walk up on the board carrying handpieces and gear in the silver box, wearing the uniform of their trade, singlets and shearing pants ,looking fit, skilled and proud was a sight I will always remember. Johnie reckons that he will be competing one day and I will be there to see him, with a big hanky handy.

I checked my Oxford dictionary to find what pride is defined as. There are 2 definitions. It can be "excessive self esteem , conceit" and there are warnings that "heart and mind may become arrogant and hardened with pride" and "pride comes before a fall". Or it is "a feeling of honour and self respect: a sense of personal worth" which is the pride I love to experience and something we need to see more in our families, schools and workplaces as much as in sports venues.

Reflecting on what gives me self worth it is firstly about family. Seeing our children growing in confidence , independence and good character makes me very proud to be their Mum. It is not just about what they do and can achieve, but more about who they are and what they contribute.

I am extremely proud to be a farmer. No fancy titles like rural resources manager, agricultural technician or livestock specialist but farmer, with my head held high, responsible for this beautiful land we live on, caring for livestock, adapting to the different seasons, operating within a tight budget, managing pastures and feed , working hard with varied challenges and always learning new skills. Today wasn't a good time for me to ask Jock if he was proud to be a farmer. He was too busy to even consider the idea. Ewes are well into lambing with usual stuff to deal with like picking up mismothered lambs , some which are fostered and 21 in my pen now, occasional cast ewes and ones with mastitis , and the odd unusual issue like a newborn lamb which slithered down a bank and his first walk was up a culvert pipe where he was stuck. So far only 3 of the dreaded "bearing" problems, when the vagina prolapses and appears as a big red protuberance when it should be all tidily internal.

It gives me satisfaction seeing paddocks of ewes with lambs and looking forward to this seasons crop growing. Also good to look back at last season's client supply summary from our meatworks and be proud that our lambs, when killed, averaged 17.5 kgs with 64 % having leg, loin and shoulder yields over threshold producing desired cuts. That is 435,575 kgs of excellent meat feeding people overseas and contributing to NZs balance of trade . Sure am proud to be a primary producer and exporter, earning money from something real and valuable.

Being able to take this opportunity to communicate and write this column ?....feelings of trepidation , vulnerability and yes,...quiet pride !

August 20th - Counting Blessings

A little girl cuddling a plastic bottle enjoying playing mothers, like small girls do all round the world. Children kicking a plastic bag full of rubbish, even a stone , around in the dust and laughing with the fun of their game of soccer. These wonderful images from time spent in countries less "wealthy" than ours last in my memory. People who have so little materially and yet seem happy with what they do have. Maybe that young girl would have loved a nice doll, and the soccer players a real ball, but they were making the most of what they did have and, for me, there is a challenge in that. To be thankful and focus on good things doesn't change circumstance but does alter outlook and impact on others. So here goes with some positives.

Last week we did 2 days of shearing and bales of beautiful clean white wool were carted to the wool store. Payment received was disappointing, with low prices due to high dollar, uncertainties with BREXIT, fashion and markets . But our sheep are already growing the next crop of the most environmentally-friendly, sustainable natural fibre ever created.

Winter and frosts are passed and spring is here. With soil temperature now up to 12 degrees the grass will be growing. The first lambs are born and my nursery has 5 healthy orphans already settled on the feeder. One set of quads have arrived with all 4 lambs big and strong. 2 of them are with their mum and 2 are fostered onto a ewe which lost her lamb.

I have the first calf in my herd of house cows. The mother, "Darling" , is 12 years old. Offspring are given names starting with same letter as the dam so we now have "Dorothy" as she came down in a storm. She has black hooves on green grass, not red shoes on a yellow brick road.

Our kayaker, Lyn , who almost became a local waiting for weather and water to become favourable, has finally got back to her "eat,sleep, paddle, repeat" routine and has not only left Kaihoka behind but has travelled around the Sounds and departed the South Island. Her mission to paddle around NZ raising funds and awareness for families facing mental health issues is back on track.

A most important positive is that we are all fit and well, which is not something to be taken for granted.

Good news of a clear result from my mammogram last month makes me very happy. Mammograms are no fun. They are not comfortable either physically or emotionally as I know what they are looking for. 2 years ago a routine mammogram showed abnormalities, so I chose to have a mastectomy and am grateful we live in a country with a great breast screening programme and follow up treatment.

We have had a celebration in our family for our son, Johnie. He had a goal to shear 200 a day before his 18th birthday and he achieved that big milestone in his career. We are very proud of his effort and glad that he has found something which he loves and good people supporting him in it.

We have so much more than a plastic bottle "doll" or a rubbish bag "ball" and the words of the old hymn remind me to "count your many blessings, name them one by one , and you'll be surprised at what the Lord has done". It would be great to have a positive budget ,to be dealing with positive people and processes but I can still choose a positive attitude.

Rather than focus on frustrations, irritations of increased costs, preoccupation with paperwork and politics , be satisfied with seasons and sunrises and above all for me to be grateful for family, faith, farm and friends and going down to the mudflat collecting fresh fish in my net.

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Kaihoka Farmstay
Kaihoka Lake Road
Golden Bay
West Coast
New Zealand
kaihokablablabla@xtrablablabla.co.nz

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