topic+term+2



This term we are learning about climate and agriculture =__**OUR FARM TRIP.** __=

**DRY RIVER VINYARD.**
 At the vinyard in learnt lots and lots of stuff. There needs to be a lot more work on this page.  =SMITHS FARM.  = **What animals do you have on your farm?** 2400 ewes 312 ewe lbs 300 fat lambs 30 rams 25 cows 45 heifers 350 bulls 40 steers Warm soil. Right level of soil nutrients (fertiliser and lime ) Soil moisture Protection from weeds Protection from pests ( like beetles, aphids etc )
 * Did you know that?**
 * Grape vines dont need water and love the drought, because their roots go
 * 2-3 metre down and get all their water from the ground.
 * And when you add yeast to grape juice it turns the sugar into alcoho.
 * All of their wine sells in just two weeks.
 * Grapes hate frost.
 * Sav blanc vines last 35 years.
 * It takes three years before baby vine have fruit.
 * Roses are planted at each end of the vines to tell if mildew is coming.
 * The vines self pollinate.
 * No bugs eat the grapes.
 * 10 percent of the wine is exported to London, Scotland and a little bit to America but is mostly sold in New Zealand.
 * When you add yeast to grape juice it takes out the sugar add turns it into alcohol.
 * Once the grapes are picked they get weighed, then they go into a chiller over night, then they get pressed and put into a tank and the yeast is added after that the wine gets barreled for 12 months.
 * It takes 14 hours to bottle and everyone helps.
 * The vines don't like clay.
 * What does the farm need to grow good crops?**

**What does the farm need to grow good stock?**
 Warmth Clean water Good grass and clover Supplements for when feed is short ( hay balage silage crops ) Good animal health programme ( drench etc ) We sold as much stock as early as we could ( lambs to works, cull ewes to works, cattle to works ) We had crops to put stock on to ( pasja and lucerne ) We fed out hay and balage We found grazing on a neighbours farm We made sure stock were healthy We sold older ewes We sold lambs at lower weights than usual We delayed buying in replacement stock We fed out grape skins from a winery Long range forecasts are an indication only, not hugely accurate We plant summer crops ( pasja and kale ) We make sure we have hay and balage on hand We try to sell as many lambs as possible at weaning We aim to have all our bulls gone by Christmas The forecast gives an indication of what might happen. I like to watch the Sunday night one to get an indication for the week. The dominion forecast is good to see what will happen for next 5 days They are not hugely accurate for timing but if they say it will rain it generally will at some stage. This is useful for planning shearing and hay making etc.
 * How did the recent drought affect you?**
 * Can you plan for this?**
 * What benefit is the forecast?**

<span style="color: rgb(4, 18, 236)">**Do you irrigate?**
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive"><span style="color: rgb(4, 18, 236)"> No we don’t. All the water allocation in our area is used up Main types of irrigation are K line which is lots of pods or sprinklers in a line joined together. They are towed around with a motor bike to shift them. Big guns which travel slowly shooting water around in a circle as they move. Centre pivots. A big irrigator that travels round in a circle.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive"><span style="color: rgb(4, 18, 236)">**Do you create microclimates on your farm?**
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive"><span style="color: rgb(4, 18, 236)"> No we don’t but we plan too. We want to plant shelter belts of trees to protect paddocks from the wind and to provide shelter for stock

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive"><span style="color: rgb(4, 18, 236)">**What is the extra expense for drought properties?**
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive"><span style="color: rgb(4, 18, 236)"> The cost of supplying supplementary feed ( balage and hay ) Selling animals lighter and sooner and for less money Having lighter stock which produce less ( less lambs and lighter lambs ) Having to put weight back on animals rather than being able to fatten other animals Extra animal health requirements ( more drenching ) More thistles grow in bare ground Pasture takes a long time to fully recover Usually higher stock losses from weaker stock =<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive"><span style="color: rgb(0, 111, 255)">JR'S ORCHARD. = <span style="color: rgb(107, 0, 255)"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive"> *1500 bins have brayburn apples.
 * 350 bins in cooler.
 * There are 450kgs in each bin.
 * They have cameras that take 32 photos of each apple.
 * They have to turn off the power between 5pm and 7pm so people can cook their dinner because the chiller takes to much power.
 * The chiller room is the 2nd biggest transformer in Greytown.
 * The nets reduce 75 percent of sunlight.
 * Nothing gets sunburn under the nets.
 * The nets last for 20 years.
 * Organic orchards will go bankrupt in 10 years.
 * They have 65 bee hives.
 * They put the bees in to pollinate.
 * They have 63,000 trees and are getting 5,000 more.
 * It cost 2 million dollars to put up the nets.
 * In two years they are going to have a juice factory.
 * They put in 1500 sheep in to eat apples that have fallen off the trees.
 * Copper oxide clroride organic spray kills sheep in five hours.
 * There are 25 tons in a container.