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Sorting the big picture - Peter Floyd - 21 May 2010
Farmers in New Zealand live with great uncertainty over markets, exchanges rates and government policies that are as unpredictable as the weather. But that’s not new – it’s always been like that. However, that should not stop us from making sure that the most productive sector of the economy doesn’t get ignored by decision makers in Wellington.

Some Farmers Thriving - Peter Floyd - 5 May 2010
Some people are doing remarkably well in spite of the drought, and a number are thriving. If you have read my columns before it will not surprise you when I say that they have worked to maintain high grazing residuals, used Brix as a measure of pasture quality, are using soil-friendly fertilisers, and have adjusted stocking rates so that their stock are fully fed – or as fully fed as the drought will allow.

Building a business with Brix – Peter Floyd – 8th April 2010
I welcome Robin Boom’s comments about brix testing in his letter published alongside my column in the last issue of Rural News. Although brix testing has been around for many years its frequent use on pasture is, as he says, relatively recent. Little research has been done on pasture brix in this country and so there is little published information that is helpful to todays farmers.

Reading the signs early – Peter Floyd – 18th March 2010
Many farmers have read the signs of chemical over-use and are heading down an alternative path. I recently visited our member business cluster clubs from Balclutha to Whangarei and as a result I am feeling highly energised.

Profit decisions in uncertain times – Peter Floyd – 21st January 2010
By now you will have a feel for whether or not it is going to be a dry summer, but of course the situation could change within just a few days. Even more changeable are the mixed messages that farmers have been getting from unpredictable meat schedules, payouts, exchanges rates, ACC levies and tax rates, and the rapid disappearance of ready finance as the banks pulled in their horns.

Plenty for farmers to take from festive season – Peter Floyd – 16th December 2009
For most farmers Christmas comes at an inconvenient time of the year. It’s right in the middle of summer when late hay needs to be baled, other crops need attention or are maturing and need to be harvested, irrigation may be up and running, and pressure is being put on water supplies.

Suffering Financial Woes? - Peter Floyd - 2 December 2009
I have had a number of calls from farmers in the past few weeks who are frustrated with the difficulties in arranging the best type of finance for the immediate future of their businesses. But while there are many things you can blame for a difficult financial situation the big questions are what can and should you do about it?

Farmers must keep pushing the boundaries – Peter Floyd – 20 November 2009
I am blessed to work with farmers who continually push all available boundaries and are innovative with management. Their achievements never cease to amaze me, like the increase in profits of 10-40% per year over the past four years. But when travelling around the country I am constantly shocked at seeing paddocks stuffed full of animals of all varieties, shapes and sizes, all struggling to get enough feed.

Selling Carbon Credits - Peter Floyd - 3 November 2009
The prospect of selling carbon credits from pastoral carbon farming is getting closer and more exciting. Results from a number of eCOGENT farms indicate significant growth in soil carbon, and as we work to confirm the numbers it appears that there could be direct financial benefits as well as indirect ones from improved soil quality.

Results to good to be true - Peter Floyd - 21 October 2009
The No 8 wire attitude has served New Zealand farmers well since farming first started here. Even before No8 wire was available the inventiveness of the Kiwi cocky was apparent, spurred on by the necessity for low cost, low technology solutions to many problems.

Massey Study Proves Profit Approach - Peter Floyd - 12 October 2009
The partnering of eCOGENT Farm Business Systems with Massey University’s Auckland-based e-centre has been a very special event for our business. This will help us grow the business and make more New Zealand pastoral farms increasingly profitable and more environmentally sustainable.

What will be your legacy? - Peter Floyd - 28 September 2009
It has been an amazing couple of weeks. Two very special events for me, and in a strange way they are linked.

Is "No 8" Wire Holding us back?- Peter Floyd - 1 September 2009
I was intrigued to read that a scientist has rubbished the “No.8 wire” approach. The CEO of Science New Zealand, a lobby group for science organisations, apparently thinks that the Kiwi farmer ingenuity mentality is well past its use-by date and could prove to be an obstacle to improved economic performance.

Managing the important measures – Peter Floyd – 18 August 2009
In my last column I talked a lot about profit and the importance of using the right measure of profit as the main driver of the farming business (see my website if you missed it). Of course, profit is not the only driver, and for some people their vision includes a lifestyle that means profit takes second place

Its the Measure that makes a difference - Peter Floyd - 4 August 2009
Around the country many farmers, some my clients included, are short of feed and are facing some critical decisions. Should they buy more supplementary feed, quit some stock, tighten up on less vulnerable stock, lease some grazing, or what? There are not any obvious solutions.

How Should We Manage Soil Carbon? - Peter Floyd - 21 July 2009
The recent Soil Carbon Conference in Napier held a very pleasant surprise for me. Originally I wasn’t going to attend because there I thought that discussions would be hampered by the out-of-date opinions of research organisations and government departments.

Is your farm working for you? - Peter Floyd - 7 July 2009
Thank goodness the Fieldays have come and gone for another year. Yes, I kicked a few big tyres and eyeballed a lot of gadgets and gimmicks but the best part, as always, was meeting familiar faces, chewing the fat with them and re-establishing our place in the scheme of things. Old colleagues are to be treasured and their wisdom is a reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Can't see the carbon for the trees - Peter Floyd - 2 June 2009
I was more than a little disturbed this week to receive an InfoSheet from the Carbon Farming Group, which rubbishes the idea that we can significantly increase the carbon in New Zealand soils. Our soils, they say, are already high in carbon and in a steady state. These well intentioned people have clearly been got at by conventional soil chemists who can not see further than 30cm into the soil profile.