It takes awhile to adapt to change. One fellow said it takes a day for each our for your body to adjust and Ohio is 18 hours behind New Zealand.
We made it to the hotel after a nerve wracking first drive. Everything is opposite of our country, even the turn signal is on the right. Making right hand turns is tricky. We missed three of them even with the help of Garmin.
Everything is so very expensive in New Zealand. A common meal is $60 New Zealand with tip and the exchange was around 76 cents yesterday I think.
The petro is $1.70 per litre. Seed is double the price of the states. My host is paying 10 times more for laboratory tests for soil and tissue than I am. A bearing for his mower was over $100. Fertilizer is like buying gold.
The island country is held captive. There is no competition. One company dominates most industries.
The people are happy though and go about their business. We miss our hosts already, what a fantastic family, our new friends. They did so much for us but we just got along so well. They sure would be great neighbors like the ones I miss at home.
Today I learn more about cropping on the islands and how cover crops might fit in. You can see from the plane the earth is pounded to death. Soil quality has went downhill just like it has for us in the states. I am 30 years plus into rebuilding and revitalizing soil and only the innovators like my host have just started.
They need to wake up and make a change. As consultant David said crop production here is easy queasy and no incentive to change. But he did agree with me change is needed.
I hope I can bring about a dash of a thought of needed change in farming practices here.
I also hope it is not pie in the sky thinking.
Ed
We made it to the hotel after a nerve wracking first drive. Everything is opposite of our country, even the turn signal is on the right. Making right hand turns is tricky. We missed three of them even with the help of Garmin.
Everything is so very expensive in New Zealand. A common meal is $60 New Zealand with tip and the exchange was around 76 cents yesterday I think.
The petro is $1.70 per litre. Seed is double the price of the states. My host is paying 10 times more for laboratory tests for soil and tissue than I am. A bearing for his mower was over $100. Fertilizer is like buying gold.
The island country is held captive. There is no competition. One company dominates most industries.
The people are happy though and go about their business. We miss our hosts already, what a fantastic family, our new friends. They did so much for us but we just got along so well. They sure would be great neighbors like the ones I miss at home.
Today I learn more about cropping on the islands and how cover crops might fit in. You can see from the plane the earth is pounded to death. Soil quality has went downhill just like it has for us in the states. I am 30 years plus into rebuilding and revitalizing soil and only the innovators like my host have just started.
They need to wake up and make a change. As consultant David said crop production here is easy queasy and no incentive to change. But he did agree with me change is needed.
I hope I can bring about a dash of a thought of needed change in farming practices here.
I also hope it is not pie in the sky thinking.
Ed
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