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CLIENT NEWS: Impressive line-up for Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year 2017

Three of New Zealand's emerging dairy industry leaders are finalists in the sixth annual Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year. They are Claire Nicholson from Bay of Plenty, Jessie Chan-Dorman from Canterbury and Jolene Germann from Southland. Claire Nicholson (Ngāti Ruanui) is a Director of Paraninihi Ki Waitotara (PKW) and Chief Executive of Sirona Animal Health, Jessie Chan-Dorman is a Fonterra Shareholders Councillor and a Director of the Ashburton Trading Society, and Jolene Germann is...

CLIENT NEWS: CRV Ambreed announces “best bull team yet” for facial eczema tolerance

Herd improvement company CRV Ambreed has announced what it says is its best bull team ever to breed facial eczema-tolerant cows. New Zealand endured one of the worst facial eczema (FE) seasons in years in 2016 when spore counts ballooned in the North Island and parts of the South Island to the highest in a decade, and many herds had a large number of cows with clinical facial eczema. CRV Ambreed says that caused a tripling of orders for straws of semen from bulls with genetics for a tolerance ...

CLIENT NEWS: Rugged, rural fellas wanted for 2017 Fieldays Rural Bachelor of the Year

Are you a gallant rural gent who is more at home behind the wheel of a tractor than in the backseat of an UBER? Then you might just have what it takes to be the New Zealand Agricultural Fieldays' Rural Bachelor of the Year. Eight finalists will be selected for the popular competition, which takes place during Fieldays at Mystery Creek Events Centre from 14 to 17 June. The Rural Bachelor competition is now in its seventh year and entries close at the end of March. Finalists have their ...

CLIENT NEWS: NZ’s Dairy Solutionz launches heat-tolerant breed in US

New Zealand's Dairy Solutionz has launched its KiwipoleTM breed at the Tulare World Ag Expo event in California, in partnership with STGenetics. Slick Pathos, Slick Eros and his brother Slick Himeros are believed to be the world's first homozygous slick dairy type bulls available for export semen sales. The bulls will transmit the heat tolerance associated with the "slick gene" to all of their daughters. This slick gene allows Taurus cattle to perform in hot and humid conditions, with maintaine...

CLIENT NEWS: $1.6 million study to validate new diabetes prevention programme

The New Zealand Health Research Council (NZHRC) has injected $1.6 million into a research project to study an innovative self-management programme for people with pre-diabetes and diabetes. The programme, known as BetaMe, was developed by software company Melon Health. Pinnacle Midlands Health Network collaborated with Melon Health to pilot the programme in the Waikato in 2015. Ultimately, BetaMe was designed to equip people with pre-diabetes with the tools, support, education and confiden...

CLIENT NEWS: More than $6000 available to local community groups this March

Local electricity retailer, King Country Energy has announced it has more than $6000 worth of funding available for community groups within its operating area this month. The funding is part of the $20,000 that KCE makes available every year via it's Heartland Community Fund. The fund was established in 2014 and takes applications from community groups in March, July and November every year. KCE community relations manager Helen Peacock is this month encouraging applications from groups ...

CLIENT NEWS: Waikato businesses report strong growth and finances, despite dairy downturn

Despite the downturn in the dairy industry, businesses based at Waikato Innovation Park have reported strong growth and financial results. In the Park's annual tenant survey results released earlier this month, the gross turnover of all Park tenants in 2016 was more than $427 million, up 42 per cent from $300M in 2015. This reflects an upward annual trend with $188M reported in 2014 and $155M in 2013. "Businesses based at Waikato Innovation Park make a significant contribution to the reg...

HMC News: Is ethical PR possible?

By Monica Helbano, PR student and HMC Intern Can public relations really be practiced ethically? Having studied public relations alongside opinionated students for the past three years, I've heard quite a mixed bag of thoughts. The world of PR has evolved considerably in the past 200 years. Unfortunately, PR has a tainted past. In the 1800s, public relations' main purpose was to manipulate behaviour through one-way communication. Spin was rampant, and accuracy and credibility weren't high on ...

CLIENT NEWS: CRV Ambreed’s 2016 Lincoln scholar

Lincoln University's Georgina Lyndsay is CRV Ambreed's Lincoln University Scholarship winner for 2016. Georgina, from Dipton in Southland, is a fourth year Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Honours) student. CRV Ambreed research and development manager Phil Beatson said Georgina stood out among a high calibre group of scholarship applicants. "Georgina is an outstanding student who is very good academically and has a very wide range of interests," he said. Georgina was thrilled to rece...

CLIENT NEWS: CRV Ambreed hosts American Forage & Grassland Council

CRV Ambreed has shown members of the American Forage & Grassland Council how to get the best out of dairy cow genetics in a hybrid farming system on a client's Waikato farm. CRV Ambreed Global Product Manager Grazing Peter van Elzakker hosted 22 council members, led by University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Associate Professor Dennis Hancock, on client John Pouls' dairy farm north of Te Awamutu. Forage extension specialist Professor Hancock met Mr van Elza...

CLIENT NEWS: Volunteers provided the horse-power to Equidays 2016

An army of more than 100 volunteers worked at Equidays this year, providing essential support to New Zealand's premier equine event. "Even if you're not a horsey person, you get into it," said volunteer team leader, Stacey Tancred, who has volunteered at Equidays for three years. Back home in New Plymouth Tancred works as a property manager, and is a mother and grandmother. But she wouldn't miss coming to Equidays. "It's great fun – you met new people and you learn a lot about horses too." ...

CLIENT NEWS: More than $11,000 raised for chopper at KCE fundraiser

More than 200 members of the Taumarunui community rallied together to raise a whopping $11,200 for the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter last night (Thursday 13 October). The money was raised at a quiz night and auction fundraising event hosted by local electricity retailer King Country Energy (KCE) at the Taumarunui Cosmopolitan Club. KCE community relations manager Helen Peacock said 38 teams purchased tickets to the event to take part in the quiz and bid on auction items. "More than 30 ...

CLIENT NEWS: Mitre 10, Z Energy and New World to ‘round up’ for Waikato Women’s Refuge

Three of the Waikato region's biggest retail chains have teamed up with the goal of raising $100,000 for Waikato Women's Refuge during the week of 14 November. Mitre 10, Z Energy and New World independent retailers from across the Waikato District – 37 stores in total - will ask customers to round up their purchases during the week of 14 November. All proceeds will go to Waikato Women's Refuge where funds will be distributed to refuges in Thames, Waitomo, Tokoroa and Hamilton. CEO of Wa...

HMC News: The Force is strong with this one

HMC's Chris Gardner proved he was a force to be reckoned with when a Star Wars project he was working on won a prestigious award from Disney. Chris was one of the writers of the Build the Millennium Falcon magazine, published by De Agsotini, which guides the reader through the construction of a 1:1 scale replica of the original Empire Strikes Back movie miniature of Han Solo's hot rod starship. Chris worked on The Secrets of Space Flight section of the magazine, explaining the various compon...

CLIENT NEWS: Farmax Consultant of the Year 2016 winners announced in three categories

Three winners have been named in the 2016 Farmax Consultant of the Year Awards in Rotorua overnight. They are Trevor Cook from Totally Vets Ltd in Feilding who won the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Sheep and Beef Rural Professional of the Year title, Brent Boyce from LIC's FarmWise Consultancy Group in Wakefield who is the Dairy NZ Dairy Rural Professional of the Year and BakerAg sheep and beef consultant Ellie Cranswick from Masterton who was named New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Managem...

CLIENT NEWS: Turn your best bull calf into cash

Dairy farmers in the thick of calving are being offered thousands of dollars for their best bull calves by CRV Ambreed. The company is offering farmers who breed the best bull calves $4,000 if their bull calves are selected for the CRV Progeny Test program. That $4,000 could turn into $11,000 from graduation payments or more if royalty options are taken. CRV Breeding Program Manager Aaron Parker said with calving now underway, a lucrative source of extra income could be dropping in farm paddoc...

CLIENT NEWS: Young Maori woman brings important cultural perspective to dairy farming

Lincoln University student Ash-Leigh Campbell, 25, is one of the bright lights of Maori agribusiness in New Zealand. Recently named as a finalist in the prestigious 2016 Ahuwhenua Young Māori Dairy Farmer Award – the first ever woman to make the finals of the dairy category – Campbell, who is of Ngāi Tahu descent, is passionate about bringing a Maori perspective to the dairy industry. She graduated with a Diploma in Agriculture from Lincoln University earlier this year, and is currently ...

CLIENT NEWS: Cambridge couple launches unique healthy pre-made meals

September is shaping up to be a month to remember for Cambridge locals, Wendy McGregor and Nick Moore. The two founders of Plate Me Nutrition have spent countless hours developing unique, delicious and nutritious pre-made meals with an 18-month shelf life. And, after lots of hard work, his month their products were officially launched into the market. McGregor and Moore say they are already blown away by early demand for their meals. "During our product validation phase we were contacted by h...

HMC News: Do you need to get social?

By Heather Claycomb, HMC Communications Social media isn't new. And chances are, your business has a few social media accounts you set up years ago. Whether your profiles are active, however, is another story. You are not alone. Many companies jumped onto social channels in the early days but enthusiasm and effective use quickly waned. If you've found yourself questioning the value of social media – or even seriously thinking of deleting your accounts because you've reaped zero val...

CLIENT NEWS: TrainMe programme helps Hamilton man secure work

Hamilton man Nikau Kelly-Goodwin, 23, has turned his life around – in part thanks to TrainMe's Training for Work programme. After spending several years in prison followed by eight months' unemployment, he was keen to make a fresh start. In April Kelly-Goodwin approached Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) who referred him to the TrainMe Training for Work programme based at Ruakura in Hamilton. The programme, which runs for up to 13 weeks, helps people find work that matches their in...

CLIENT NEWS: Ag companies form technologically robust partnership

Hill Laboratories and Ballance Agri-Nutrients have formed an exclusive partnership giving Hill Laboratories sole rights to the Ballance co-op's soil and herbage testing from 1 August. Ballance general manager of sales, Campbell Parker, says together the companies have plans to use new technology to help Ballance reps and their farmer customers make better nutrient management decisions using robust data that's now at their fingertips. "Hill Laboratories has recently developed a mobile app, cur...

CLIENT NEWS: Waikato family win farm-help for a day

Deserving local farmers, Judy and Ali Sherriff and their son Robbie, from the little Waikato town of Arohena, have benefitted from seven extra pairs of free helping hands on their busy dairy, sheep, and beef farm this month. The Sherriff's were recently selected by local energy retailer King Country Energy (KCE) as winners of the company's Holler for a Hand competition, along with two other farming couples from within KCE's operating area. Consequently, seven KCE staff members, including the ...

CLIENT NEWS: FoodWaikato spray dryer beats expectations at Waikato Innovation Park

FoodWaikato's open access spray dryer at Waikato Innovation Park is operating at capacity, helping companies using it for research and development to grow their export markets. FoodWaikato operations manager Dave Shute said the plant had been running at full capacity all year around was expected to continue doing so. The spray dryer, upgraded at a cost of $5.7 million a year ago, switched to mixing and drying formulated dairy cow, goat and sheep milk products after the fresh milk stopped flowi...

CLIENT NEWS: Turn your best bull calf into cash

Dairy farmers in the thick of calving are being offered thousands of dollars for their best bull calves by CRV Ambreed. The company is offering farmers who breed the best bull calves $4,000 if their bull calves are selected for the CRV Progeny Test program. That $4,000 could turn into $11,000 from graduation payments or more if royalty options are taken. CRV Breeding Program Manager Aaron Parker said with calving now underway, a lucrative source of extra income could be dropping in farm pad...

CLIENT NEWS: Kaivolution hits 100 tonne milestone, but needs help to grow

Hamilton food rescue organisation Kaivolution is celebrating a big milestone with a party – and a call for support. Since its inception in October 2014 the charitable trust has collected and redistributed 100 tonnes of edible food, approximately the weight of 10 Hamilton City buses. "That's 100 tonnes of good edible food successfully diverted from landfill," said Waikato Environment Centre general manager Ruth Seabright. "To reach this milestone in just 18 months is humbling and a test...