150mm rain and the ute’s slipping all over the place in usually easy to go places. Might need to invest in winch…!

Helping my grandsons make a few bucks selling possum meat to flash dog owners in Auckland. Also plucking fur for blending with merino wool. Possums damage native bush we’re trying to restore on the farm.

My grandsons (hoodie and black hat) featured today in the Te Woatu school pumpkin rolling competition. With all 4 grandparents present, much was at stake in the bragging rights. The boys won “most colourful pumpkin” and were runner up in the “biggest pumpkin” category (63kg).

It was a bit chilly on the way up to Arthur’s Pass yesterday. I’ve been talking to farmers on the West Coast about the DairyNZ elections - there’s 10 days till the voting closes

Every dairy farmer is trying to work out how to survive low milk prices, high interest rates and expensive inputs. I’m getting stuck into a few pine trees on our steep sidlings, expecting log sales to meet 100% of 130ha maize crop costs, a big help.

Too many criticisms of pine forests, including allegations that they are a “monoculture”. Here’s one of our blocks, visible natives are coprosma, black mapou, cabbage tree and carex. Pungas and hebes under the canopy. Bring on the biodiversity credits proposed by government..!

Possum fur collected by my grandsons was today airfreighted to Wanaka based Burnt Hill Yarn company. Will be blended with merino and used for high end fashion from Lisa F Design. Predator possums dealt to, native birds protected, small boys earn pocket money. Good outcomes.

No fewer than 6 machines on our lucerne blocks today, rake, baler, wrapper, stacker, truck. 285 bales from 31Ha. Cows love this stuff, will mix with maize, grass silage, PKE and minerals for a wicked winter milking brew.

Poplars and willows are a pain in the backside, clogging up our wetland. Today Daniel from AgriDroneCo came and dealt to them - pretty cool technology.

Tonight we had the Farmlands “Party in the Paddock” which rewards shareholders in the store that increased Farmlands Card expenditure the most over the festive season. Putaruru store won from 82 others, what a blast, look at those kids boogeying down.

Finally got onto grass seed drill today, did calibration and sowed small paddock in our lifestyle subdivision where neighbours can’t see stuff ups. Result - all good so headed to maize stubble, 130ha to go..! 🥵

First big night of maize harvest tonight, thank the Good Lord for plenty of hot sun and regular rain seeing huge cobs and big fat kernels. Yields significantly up on last year.

Thanks to shareholders who have voted in the Farmlands Directors elections. For those that haven’t, voting closes on Thursday. Appreciate your support, Gray

My daughter Heidi was coxswain for the mens 8 crew at the Trans Tasman universities rowing regatta this week. She guided our lads to a finals win over NSW on the Brisbane river.

New milk tanker turned up at our cowshed today, driver reckons it runs as smooth on hydrogen as it used to on diesel. Milk powder factory where he carts back to is plugged into volcano, geothermal energy to fire boilers, no gas or coal. Low carbon milk anyone?

Bought a few bags of seed potatoes at Farmlands Putaruru a few weeks ago and shoved them in in these old feed pad troughs. Christmas dinner looking very tasty 😅

Been down in the Deep South talking to Alliance shareholders, my name is in the hat for the directors elections. Where else can you find stunning native tussock, bright pink tulips and a paddock of magnificent big fat ewes grazing the flattest paddock on the farm..!

Just as well the maize planting was finished yesterday cos I’m stuffing envelopes today hehe…!

Just got back from Dunedin office to find the boys doing a mid winter oat harvest. 20kg/Ha of Jivet annual ryegrass and 60kg/Ha Milton oats down fert spout, planted together. Ryegrass tiller density looking good for second harvest in September

Baldy-bum boys (in chronological order) out for trail ride this arvo. Spot the largest whole milk dryer in the Southern Hemisphere.