2tapry

We use Countdown Delivery as well. We're a good hour away from a decent supermarket which, unless we have something else to purchase, would cost us at least $40 in fuel. So that decision is a no-brainer.

Noticed the "Unavailable online" change with our last shop. I don't think it is them trying to get online shoppers to pay for more expensive products, I think it means there is no stock or perhaps low stock in the physical shop. I wouldn't be surprised if online shopping is starting to strip shelves and if they don't put on some restrictions when they are low in stock, their physical shelves might be a bit bare. Which wouldn't be a good look for in shop shoppers. Just guessing.

Anyway, a quick look shows some things that were "Unavailable online" are now available - so my guess is that it's related to a stocking issue, not something nefarious.

I had originally thought it may have something to do with rebranding and stock, but I've not seen any rebranding as yet?

It’s just too bad I can never make enough of my own…

Yep, it can be tough. I've got a shredder and quite a few trees which need trimming every year - pretty much anything I can put through the shredder gets turned into compost. Grass clippings get things really going. I've had temperatures above 70C in my compost heaps. Over time, you get so much more leafy green excess that your ability to make more compost increases.

Note: I have, at times, added urine to the mix - it sounds off, but it's actually good (unless you're taking a cocktail of drugs that don't mix well with plants/worms/bugs etc.).

Dairy farmers should be planting trees on 90% of their paddocks right now or at least starting the paperwork at MSD.

But instead they are howling in protest about any farms being converted to Forestry! Apparently, if any land that can be used for Dairy, is not, it is a travesty. Just ask any Diary farmer (at least in Southland).

Trying to turn Nelson into the Gold Coast!? Just hope they build well back from the coastline...

I'll make a suggestion - take it or leave it - but I can vouch for it 👍

Go "No Dig", I've been doing this for a while now and can say it is one of the easiest and best ways to garden. To get started you need cardboard (or similar) and either buy in compost or work on making your own. Obviously, no digging is required. Simple as...

I highly recommend spending some time watching Charles Dowdings' youtube channel - he has books too, but the detail on youtube is all you need.

The soil I've developed with this method is so much better than I have ever had before, and I just don't find the need to use any chemicals/fertilizers. We buy very little/no vegetables now! The quality of our veg. has improved using this method too. (Shit, that almost sound like I'm trying to sell you something - I'm not... 😜)

Having moved to Southland around 10 years ago, I've seen the ongoing denialism of Diary Farmers and Councils that this is/will/must happen. It is near on impossible to have a discussion about it, as you simply get dismissed, usually with comments in the form "what would you know, we've been farming like this all our lives, we know what's best". Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.

The Southland District and Regional councils have been heavily weighted with dairy/sheep farmers, even though farmers make up only a small percent of the population. Their voice, at the moment is simply too loud, I'm not sure how it got so loud (money talks?), but it is very hard to tone it down, so others can be heard.

Having grown up in a different place, but on/around farming (crop based), I believe it would not take all that much to switch from Dairy to plant based farming. After all, Dairy and Sheep farming requires growing grass/swede etc., much of which is reseeded/grown each year.

The biggest issue is the will and re-education of the farming community and building infrastructure and exports to support the switch. Unfortunately, many in the farming community are not well-educated (source: Census) in anything other than the farming practices that they have learnt "on the job".

Many rely on Frontera or fertilizer companies to tell them how to best manage their farms, and most just reject whatever the Government tries to impose, even though it is typically for the betterment of all.

Personally, I think it will happen quickly. I suspect there will be a sudden collapse or forced change that will be devastating for many. Frontera, with its export strengths, may be able to lead the way to a more progressive/stepped change, but they need to get moving, and soon.

There are some innovators now, but without significant infrastructure, they struggle to get a foot hold. Many don't know that Oats were grown in quite a large way many years ago in Southland, before Sheep then Dairy took over - all driven by the almighty dollar. So when the value of milk drops (as it is right now), and another crop becomes more profitable, or perhaps becomes more acceptable in our current climate change - we will see the change that some of us are hoping for...

Bigpipe 12.5

In the just short of 10 years I've been with them I can't recall an outage (maybe one a long time ago but unsure). I've never had to contact them about any issues and they just stay out of the way.

Fairly recent switch from ADSL2 to fibre was uneventful, just had to change fixed IP address (which I get free) due to IP range change. That one contact process was smooth and informative.

I did have to ask for the SMTP port to have the filter removed when I switched to fibre - no problem and no questions asked. All online, no need to phone, with quick response.

Can't fault them and their price is fair for the service. $79/mnth unlimited. Cheaper on fibre than ADSL2 (-$10).

Exactly what value do NZ farmers bring to the world?

If you are talking Dairy, most of their production is exported and consumed as luxury food - if it disappeared tomorrow, the world would not suffer!? (~3 percent of the world's milk solids) Dairy is one of the most inefficient ways to produce "food". We could do much better producing plant based food for export.

Considering the damage to our waterways, the environment in general, and Climate Change - there is NO value in that.

Per Capita is the correct measure to use in my, and many others' opinion - there is no other fairer way to attribute the effects.

Bringing in another 5 million people into the country would see our Carbon Emissions rise... Removing a good portion of 5 million dairy cows would see a rapid and significant reduction!

I pull the NIWA UV data/graphs into a website for local UV details (by permission from NIWA). All working as it has been, so perhaps the issue was with the app. No help, but sounds like you found a solution.

And once they have gone, so has their expertise, knowledge etc. If there is repeat work or follow-up and the original consultant is unavailable, there is a significant amount of repeat work and quite often rework. It's never as simple as suggested, in my experience.

Meaning if you are going to offload all work/decisions to consultants, including using a consultant to select consultants, why have staff, why not just have all consultants... [for clarity this is tongue in cheek]

Our local council has got itself into a right mess by overuse of consultants and now have very little "in house" talent. They get consultants to do most everything. One of the biggest issues is that there are often no local consultants or, non-local consultants that undercut local consultants, so, much of the work/money goes outside the district which further exacerbates the problem. This is not a wining situation and more often than not the end result is not what the locals want.

In my opinion, the overuse of consultants is a modern day dilemma. Very difficult to go back once you head down that path...

No, I don't think it's necessarily an unpopular opinion. However, why have staff at all?