It is technically autumn, but most of the country is still basking in summer. We are all feeling pretty pleased about that, but sheep and beef farmers’ grins are the widest reports Jon Morgan from the Dom Post. After three years of drought on the North Island’s east coast, its farmers are revelling in the greenness of their hills. And it’s the same all over – except for Northland, which is experiencing a drought for the first time in more than 10 years.

And even in Northland all is not lost. Farmers from further down the island are turning up at stock sales in Wellsford and Kaikohe to buy weaner steers at prices that will help lift sagging spirits. For dairy farmers, the joys of a green summer come mainly from less stress on their cows, although the slightly increased milk they are giving will mean a timely lift in profits in a high payout year. Fonterra reports milk flow is almost 2 per cent up on last year, despite the Northland drought, though a big contributor is the new South Island conversions.

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OPINION: Jon Morgans  catch-cry has always been “Follow the science”. I believe that science, with its rigid and thorough testing of ideas and experiments, followed by peer review of the methods and results, shows us the truth of a matter. Late last year, I put up the idea that to reduce nitrogen leaching in sensitive catchments perhaps organic dairying might be worth a try. Organic farmers can’t grow grass as well as conventional farmers and therefore their stocking rates are lower. But they are paid a premium by the dairy companies and the farmer converting to organics would not have lost money. The response was mixed, to say the least.

Organic industry people welcomed me with open arms. Conventional farmers abused me for falling for the tosh spouted by greenies. But I could also have followed the science. It’s a good thing I have Doug Edmeades to put me right. Dr Edmeades is a soil scientist who works independently of local and central government, crown research institutes and fertiliser, meat and dairy companies. His firm is called agknowledge.

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