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The atmosphere was electric as over 250 invited guests gathered at the Ashburton Trust Event Centre to find out who the winners of the Ruralco Big Draw were.

Celebrations for this year’s 25th anniversary Ruralco Instore Days are set to continue well into July, with winners from the co-op’s Big Draw due to be announced later this month.

This is a very special year for Ruralco. It is 25 years since the very first Instore Days were established, and everyone has a chance to be part of the celebration.

Changing milking frequency from twice a day to once a day or going to 16 hours isn’t hard, but it requires a change in mindset. Introducing Ecotain® environmental plantain into a farm system is the same.

“Spring pasture needs both nitrogen and sulphur. A sulphur deficit limits nitrogen uptake, and therefore the response to nitrogen fertiliser,” says Ballance Agri-Nutrients Science Extension Officer Aimee Dawson.

It has been several years since the autumn period has produced a consistent spell of warmer weather. With only a couple of light frosts the soil temperature has remained high and consistent growth rates across all crops and pasture. Feed surpluses have been good with little demand for supplementary feed over the past few weeks and now farmers are looking to manage and transition on to winter crops.

A closer look at Autumn sown arable crops, Barley grass control in Pasture and Weed control in Lucerne

Celebrating more than 50 years in the bull breeding business, Mt Somers’ Okawa Poll Hereford Stud remains wholly committed to producing bulls that perform under commercial conditions producing well-grown, easy-care, profitable offspring.

It is very easy to think of beer as simply a hazy combination of water, malt and barley, but that would be leaving out the quiet heart of a good brew - the hops.

For a 26 year old Sam Juby has done much with her life, and her biggest challenge yet awaits as she kick-starts her own goat farming operation in the Waikato this season.