Muster Newsletter
Winter 2024
What a mixed bag we’ve had so far this winter! Plenty of frosts, ice and snow in the central North Island and down south, as well as sunshine and mugginess further north. Throw in some storms and flooding and it’s hard to know what to expect for the remaining month and half of winter.
In this edition of the Muster Newsletter you can read all about the new health and safety features on the FarmIQ mobile app, plus some exciting developments in the FARMAX-FarmIQ integration.
We’ve got a case study with Tony and Michelle Roberts of Top Deck Deer and their move from dairy to beef and deer, and we catch up with Sarah Hawkins of BakerAg to hear what she’s been up to since winning the FARMAX/FarmIQ Emerging Rural Professional Award last year.
Additionally, you’ll find handy tips on FARMAX and FarmIQ, links to the latest Better Together podcast episodes, and an Out on the Farm write-up from our own Irene Le Fleming.
We’d also like to acknowledge the late Warren Parker, who was recognised at last week’s Primary Industries Summit. Warren made a huge difference to New Zealand's ag industry – especially to FarmIQ – and is dearly missed by all those who knew him.
All the best for a calm and productive winter.
The FarmIQ and FARMAX team
Out on the farm
Inbound sales and onboarding specialist for FarmIQ, Irene Le Fleming, lives on a sheep and beef station near the idyllic small town of Kurow. Here's her farming update as we move through a dry and chilly winter.
Winter is here, snowcapped hills and chilly winds cutting through us while moving break fences. Can't lie - I'd rather be feeding out in a toasty warm tractor!
Here in South Canterbury the soil is soaking up the moisture and showing...
From milk to velvet
Tony and Michelle Roberts had been long-time dairy farmers before making the transition to deer and beef. Six years ago, they sold their dairy farm and made the move to Merino Downs, just north of Gore, and now they own and operate a successful velveting and trophy deer business called Top Deck Deer.
Top Deck is a 269ha farm with two halves: Top Deck Deer on one side and a dairy grazing operation on the other. Tony and Michelle manage about 350 fallow deer and 610 red deer, along with 200 Friesian X calves and 35 beef cattle...
Meet the team:
Sarah Roberts
"Hello! I'm Sarah, the lead product designer at FarmIQ. I have been contributing my skills to this company for nearly two years now. Originally from the north of the UK, I made the move to Aotearoa New Zealand a decade ago, putting down roots in Featherston, and I have never looked back.
It's been an amazing journey, and I've developed a real passion for understanding farm life by engaging with our customers. You might have seen me around!
Tips and tricks
FARMAX tip
Did you know that you can extend a FARMAX Monitoring file by setting up the plan for the new season using an existing file as a template? This process sets up the opening numbers for the new season and brings through growth rates, mob properties and transactions file.
FarmIQ tip
With winter well and truly here, so too is the snow, ice and rain – and those farm tracks are getting bloody slippery! With plenty of hazards to look out for, don't forget to check and update your hazards in FarmIQ.
Effective communication during tough times
Sarah Hawkins, dairy and environmental consultant at BakerAg, won the Emerging Rural Professional of the Year Award in 2023. She says the award itself is awesome for the recognition, but it’s more about the connections she’s made because of it.
Part of the award prize included money to put towards research, overseas travel or professional development, and Sarah has used her funds to undertake some personal coaching to enhance her relational and communication skills and...
New health and safety features on FarmIQ app
People are the most important part of a farm business, and it's paramount to keep them safe and well. FarmIQ's new mobile features let you record health and safety information when you're out on the farm, so important information doesn't slip through the cracks.
Read more about the new injury incident, safety incident and hazard features below.
FARMAX widgets
We're working on a cool integration for our customers who use both FarmIQ and FARMAX Red Meat, where FARMAX reports can be displayed in FarmIQ as info-rich widgets. These widgets will show stats on pasture covers, GHG emissions, supply versus demand, production breakdown, production efficiency and more.
Here’s a sneak preview of what’s to come!
Mystery Creek Fieldays
It was great to be back at this year's Fieldays, partnering with ASB and Pamu to discuss our new Sustainable Progress Initiatives programme. We enjoyed catching up with local farmers and consultants, including new customers, at the fantastic networking events. The guest speakers were amazing!
The team also attended the Women in Ag event and found it inspiring to hear from women like Bridget Hawkins and Anna Nelson, and to connect with others in the industry.
Watch our Fielday's wrap up video here.
Rural professional awards
Applications for the Rural Professional Awards are now open! FARMAX/FarmIQ are proud to recognise rural professionals making a difference to New Zealand's agricultural industry and the lives of Kiwi farmers.
We sponsor two awards in conjunction with NZIPIM: The Emerging Rural Professional of the Year Award for those who have been working in the industry for less than five years, and the brand-new Rural Professional of the Year Award, for people with more than five years’ experience.
Nominate yourself or a worthy candidate you know below:
Better Together podcast
We’ve got two great new podcast episodes out now featuring two impressive young industry professionals.
Russell spoke to Ben Purua, who recently won the Ahuwhenua Māori Young Farmer Award, about his extraordinary journey from gang life to award-winning dairy farmer.
Tom chatted to Sarah Hawkins, Emerging Rural Professional of the Year in 2023, about her experience winning the award and how it has impacted her career over the past year. They also dive into her recent report, 'Learning from Farmers – On Farm Emissions Reductions,' funded by the Our Land and Water RP Fund.
Stat chat
FARMAX
As temperatures continue to drop around the country, so do pasture growth rates. FARMAX Red Meat farmers are expecting to see pasture covers decline during July as a result of lower growth, whereas FARMAX Dairy farmers are forecast to maintain cover in July while cows are mostly dry and demand for feed is lower than most other months of the year.
