A farmers’ field day on 18 April at Wakanui, 11 kilometres east of Ashburton, will give South Island irrigation users an opportunity to learn from an award-winning farming couple.
Hosting the field day are the latest Lincoln University Foundation/Rabobank Farmer of the Year winners, Eric and Maxine Watson, who won the title under the 2006 competition category “Irrigation”.
The field day starts at 1.30pm on the Watsons’ farm and there will be signposting to the property from the Wakanui School, Beach Road, which is an extension of Moore Street, Ashburton.
Eric and Maxine farm 490 hectares at Wakanui in an intensive arable operation, with a considerable part of their property in high value crops. They have 28 hectares under a towable centre pivot irrigator and 455 hectares under a lateral system, with water supplied from three wells.
The 2006 Farmer of the Year competition was open to farmers who recognise that water is a scarce, multi-use resource and requires careful husbandry in order to capture the opportunities it provides for a variety of production systems.
At the Watsons’ field day the programme opens with an introduction to the farm, then participants move off for a tour with three stops at which speakers will make contributions.
At the first stop soil water monitoring, irrigator efficiency and deep nitrogen will be discussed. At the second, ploughing and direct drilling and vegetable seed production are the topics, then at the last stop the role of cull cows in contributing to the cash flow of the farm will be examined. The tour then moves back to the starting point for a concluding talk and a barbecue courtesy of Canterbury Meat Packers.
“Innovation and the careful use of water were the key factors that carried Eric and Maxine to success in the Farmer of the Year competition,” says Neil Taylor, Chair of the Lincoln University Foundation. “At their Wakanui farm they are constantly upgrading the irrigation systems to increase further the efficiency of water use and at the same time make them more labour efficient and user friendly.”
The Watsons monitor the nitrogen levels in the soil for their wheat crops to minimise the effects on groundwater and this monitoring gives them a saving on fertiliser. They are looking at doing the same monitoring for pasture as well.
Eric says of that irrigation should “work for you, and not you for the irrigation”.
The couple pay tribute to the dedication of their two staff members.
“It is pleasing to see such progressive farmers win this award and I wish them well with the overseas travel part of it,” says Rabobank Rural Manager Gerard Murphy, who encouraged the Watsons to enter the competition.
The day will be held wet or fine. No RSVP is necessary; simply turn up at 1.30pm on the day at Watsons’ property. There will be a cup of tea available from 1.00pm. The farm will be sign-posted from the Wakanui School and it is about 20 minutes east from Ashburton.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Ian Collins, Journalist
Lincoln University, Canterbury
Tel: 64 3 325 2811 ext 8549
Email: Ian Collins