Latest news with #Acland
Times
04-07-2025
- Times
A gentle five-mile trail around Killerton Park in Devon
It was the first wet day in weeks as we set out to explore Killerton Park. We'd managed to find a break in the rain, but ragged grey clouds still peppered a blue sky, sunlight piercing through, air heady with petrichor. At the chapel, a grade I listed building built for Sir Thomas Dyke Acland in 1841, a bridleway swung off the road and into the estate. Home to the Acland family for 300 years, Killerton's distinctive peach-painted, wisteria-draped house and formal gardens — a mix of Tudor, Georgian and Victorian influences — are now part of the National Trust. But the wider woods and parkland, which is home to 1,500 veteran and ancient trees, is open access, free to wander on a sprawling network of paths. • Read more wildlife & nature stories We walked through Deer Park and Back Park, verdant vales dotted with oaks, some more than 600 years old. The still air rang with birdsong: blackbirds, thrushes, robins and wrens giving forth with heart-wrenching generosity. From the 15th-century Ellerhayes Bridge, a former carriage drive led up through Park Wood, tracing the course of the River Culm through its wide valley. The longest tributary of the River Exe, the Culm — whose name means 'knots' or 'ties' due to its meandering course — flows through floodplains north of Killerton before joining the Exe. Part of a nature recovery scheme since 2021, new scrapes and ditches provide habitat while gentle longhorn cattle graze the scrub. Nature is returning rapidly and, as we made our way along the leafy fringes of Columbjohn Wood, we spotted herons and egrets down by the water. Otters are also regularly sighted here. From the valley we climbed a path through sycamore, beech and birch; red campion and buttercup colourful against layers of green. Part-way up are the deep foundations of a lost mansion, commissioned in 1775 by Sir Thomas Dyke Acland but never completed. As we paused to imagine the scale of such a house, the temperature started to drop, the air grew heavy, the woods darkened. • We spent our honeymoon on the Salt Path — these are our top 15 walks The rain began as we neared the top, pattering at first, then gaining momentum, splashing in huge, wet drops. It was, in Terry Pratchett's words, 'the kind of rain that is so much wetter than normal rain … the kind of rain that is merely an upright sea with slots in it'. We soon found ourselves in an alpine valley, tall deodar cedars rising from its steep slopes. Inspired by the picturesque movement and foreign travel, the Aclands had intended to install mountain boulders in the valley, but these never made it to Devon. Highland cattle watched through rain-matted fringes as we crossed the Plains, heading for the summit of Dolbury Hill. Known locally as The Clump, this igneous knoll and Iron Age hillfort boasts grand views across the Exe Valley on a clear day — but was now entirely swallowed by cloud. As we made our way down the rain stopped at last and the skies began to clear, warm sunshine flooding the landscape. We walked past the house, through fields bright with buttercups and orchids, to the café where we sat with cups of tea, steaming gently. How hard is it? 5 miles. Easy: paths, tracks and minor roads Start Killerton car park, EX5 3LE (OS ref SS976001) Getting there Trains to Pinhoe, bus 1A/1 towards Tiverton, alight at Killerton turn. Road — follow signs from the M5 via the B3181. Alternative non-NT parking at Ellerhayes Bridge Walk From main car park turn left onto lane, bearing left onto larger road for short distance uphill (NT members can avoid the road by following signs to chapel). At chapel bear left through gate onto bridleway, through parkland to Ellerhayes Bridge. Turn left, following track around edge of Park Wood with River Culm on right. At path junction (961002) take sharp left uphill through Columbjohn Wood. At top bear left signed Deodar Glen, then left signed Park Wood and Ellerhayes Bridge, then right signed The Plains and The Clump. Go through Irishman's Gate and across The Plains then right, uphill to The Clump. Head downhill along edge of garden boundary, through Bluebell Gate and into Front Park Bank, following signs to Stables Café to finish. Lunch Stables Café, Killerton ( Accommodation Killerton Park Cottage (3-night min; 0344 800 2070, More information Visit Devon (
Otago Daily Times
24-06-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Care advised on farm innovations
Dairy farmers are being advised to be picky about investing in innovations, only improving their bottom line as they future-proof farms in an uncertain world. Farmers attending DairyNZ's Farmers Forum in Ashburton learned about the latest trends and innovations as experts grappled with the future direction of the sector. A range of speakers split between the venues of Waikato, Canterbury and Southland provided farmers with updates in future developments, the changing global and national landscape and emerging economic trends. Among the speakers were Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen, Dennis and Partners strategist Roger Dennis and DairyNZ economics head Mark Storey. MPI trade and international relations associate director Diana Reaich spoke about navigating trade winds and new markets. A regional farmer panel of Pamu Farms chief operating officer Will Burrett, John Falconer and Mt Somers Station farmer David Acland revealed innovations they have introduced to farms. Mr Acland has adopted technology such as Halter cow collars and solar panels on the milking shed, and has just installed automatic calf feeders, while Mr Falconer has led major infrastructure upgrades on his farm and applies data driven strategies to farm planning. Mr Falconer said he had made a few mistakes introducing innovations including flexible milking, variable rate irrigation, injecting effluent in the irrigation system and buying a mixer wagon, not always impressing his accountant. The message he had got from listening to futurists, economists and experts was the main consistency was "inconsistency", he said. "There is so much happening in the world out there that getting a lead on what to do is really, really hard." He said farmers often excelled in this environment of no fixed direction, as they intuitively absorbed information and made a call for their own system. He said his farmer grandfather came with nothing when he arrived in Lyttelton in 1867 and had to innovate as being new to the country. "For me, I innovate in how I operate the farming of the cows. They and the staff are the priority. The other part I innovate in is — [even though] I am an introverted person and hate doing this — but I have learned over the years that unless we as dairy farmers get out there and talk and promote and do stuff, the public perception will just stay the same. So innovation is everything." Mr Acland said their new calf feeders fitted into their station's dairy and beef system. He said they took a values and multi-generational approach, with a 100-year vision towards big and small innovation, and that extended to an office built for the future. "When I was young Dad always used to let us do a job our way as long as it was faster and better than his way. If it wasn't then we had to go back to doing it his way, so it enabled us to think about how to do something and how to change." Any innovation in a farm business should be justified, he said. Mr Burrett said Pamu was reshaping its business by focusing on the principles of pasture, animals, wastage and internal optimisation though data, software and benchmarking. Pamu invested in technology as long as it delivered, he said. He said farmers should be looking at innovations adding value to the top end of their cost structure, and review them to confirm the investment weighed up, particularly if they were based on a subscription model. Mr Falconer said the innovation he was working towards for tomorrow was putting in a composting barn with a steel roof model, which had the potential for capturing methane, and this might be supported by plantain planting in heavy soils. He had just got finance approved and was halfway through the consent process for a development which could open up a "whole new world". Farmers had to do their own research and not be a sucker for a glossy brochure, he said. The government's investment boost incentive for new purchases would help, but finding finance was often the main challenge for adopting innovation, he said. Mr Storey told farmers they were dependent on overseas for dairy prices, but there were good reasons for the sector to be optimistic, as it had a competitive advantages to other nations mainly because of its low feed costs. "We have no option but to be competitive and amongst the world's best, if not the most competitive." The main drivers for being internationally competitive were the costs of milk production, productivity, dairying's environmental footprint and return on capital, he said. Over the last 20 years New Zealand had maintained a cost gap against the major milk producers because of its pasture system and low feed costs, even though they had all felt inflationary pressures. While Ireland had got its costs below New Zealand in 2013-2015, this had since reversed. Cost differences between New Zealand and the United States had not closed, he said. Mr Storey said the milk payout for the season just completed and the coming season was at a healthy level, with generally good profitable levels. "It's a good time to be farming as a dairy sector at the moment from a profitability point of view. However, of concern is that our productivity appears to have plateaued, which suggests we have efficiency losses we are leaving out there." He said improving the six-week in-calf rate and getting lower-producing farmers to top benchmark levels would increase production. Mr Olsen told DairyNZ that New Zealand's compelling case was that it could produce a variety of trusted products through the value chain. Overall, there were good and bad sides on the trade front, he said. "We know there are trade ructions going on across the world, but people are still looking for good quality products and clients they can work with and trusted partners to New Zealand, so we are in pretty good shape on that front." Bagrie Economics economist Cameron Bagrie had already told farmers at other forums to prepare for change. "What we know at the moment is there is a bit of a bun fight between the Alibaba world and the Amazon world, and that's China and the US. "We've been used to an environment for 30 years where the commercial economics of trade has dominated and trade barriers have been coming down." He said this had changed as "protectionism was rife", with geo-strategic and geo-political considerations starting to dominate commercial priorities. "So New Zealand's going to need to pivot and we are going to need to change while we are watching with a little bit of patience in regard to what's going around the world, because protectionism is here and we like less protectionism." Mr Olsen said the chance of a US recession was rising and its economy was likely to slow over the next year, particularly if increased tariffs remained, and this had flow-on effects for other nations such as New Zealand. Nations were unlikely to trust the US with signing trade agreements as they did before the tariffs because of President Donald Trump's quick removal of agreements with Mexico and Canada. "All of these tariffs are paid by the US consumers at the end of the day, and that means long story short the US is going to have higher inflation. Now that has implications for interest rates, the exchange rate and huge implications for how much the US consumer is going to be willing and able to buy. If more of their money is going to pay a tariff, that's less money they have got available to buy all the stuff we are sending them." He said it was fortunate that North and South American milk production was less than normal. New Zealand farmers were likely to go back to basics focusing on debt and costs, he said.
Scoop
13-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Farmers Still Rushing To Convert Land To Forestry
Article – RNZ Whole farm-to-forest conversions continue, according to a new report released by Beef and Lamb New Zealand. Gianina Schwanecke, Producer/Presenter Whole farm-to-forest conversions continue, according to a new report released by Beef and Lamb New Zealand. The research, carried out by Orme and Associates on behalf of Beef and Lamb, found close to 40,000 hectares of sheep and beef farms had been sold for forestry since September last year. The report also confirmed 29,518ha had sold in 2023 and 30,483ha in 2024. It brings the total amount of farm-to-forestry conversions since January 2017 to more than 300,000-ha. Beef and Lamb estimates this has resulted in the loss of more than 2 million stock units since 2017. Chair Kate Acland said the data underpinned longstanding concerns about whole farm-to-forestry conversions. 'The numbers show whole-farm sales for conversion to forestry for carbon credits are continuing at pace,' she said. 'What we're really concerned about is whole farms, really good productive land getting planted into trees.' The research showed Hawke's Bay, Wellington and Wairarapa remained preferred locations, while Southland had also seen a notable increase. There was a significant slowdown in the Gisborne region, likely due to the environmental impacts of adverse weather events such as Cyclone Gabrielle and tightened harvesting conditions being set by regional councils. Acland said they were not against incorporating forestry within farms, adding if most farmers planted 10 percent of their least productive land in trees, they could still maintain production. 'We're very supportive of incorporating trees within farms. and I think there's a real opportunity here for farmers to be part of the solution.' This week the government introduced new legislation to restrict farm-to-forest conversions on Land Use Classification (LUC) 1-6 land. Under the changes, which will retroactively take effect from December last year when the policy was originally announced, up to a quarter of farms can be planted in forestry for the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). There will also be a ban on full farm-to-forest conversions entering the ETS for actively farmed land and an annual cap of 15,000ha for forestry entering the ETS for lower quality farmland. Acland said while the government putting restrictions around whole farm to forest conversions was positive, she wasn't sure it went far enough. 'Anecdotally we're still hearing of a significant number of farms being sold this year, despite the government announcing the limits last year. 'We're concerned that some sales are continuing on the basis of intent to purchase land before the limits were announced. We urgently need the government to tighten the criteria around proof of intent to purchase.' Additionally, she was particularly concerned about class 6 land, which she said was 'some of the most productive sheep and beef breeding country'. Acland said carbon forestry had a comparatively 'short-term return' when compared to sheep and beef. 'I think we need to recognise the importance of the red meat sector for the economy of this country.' Federated Farmers national president Wayne Langford echoed some of these concerns, saying the country was approaching critical mass for sheep production. He said the new forestry conversion rules were moving 'slowly'. 'We're gonna see more processing plants close, we're gonna see a lot more communities close down unless we do something about this issue across the country.' The legislation is now before Parliament and is to come into force October 2025.
Scoop
13-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Farmers Still Rushing To Convert Land To Forestry
, Producer/Presenter Whole farm-to-forest conversions continue, according to a new report released by Beef and Lamb New Zealand. The research, carried out by Orme and Associates on behalf of Beef and Lamb, found close to 40,000 hectares of sheep and beef farms had been sold for forestry since September last year. The report also confirmed 29,518ha had sold in 2023 and 30,483ha in 2024. It brings the total amount of farm-to-forestry conversions since January 2017 to more than 300,000-ha. Beef and Lamb estimates this has resulted in the loss of more than 2 million stock units since 2017. Chair Kate Acland said the data underpinned longstanding concerns about whole farm-to-forestry conversions. "The numbers show whole-farm sales for conversion to forestry for carbon credits are continuing at pace," she said. "What we're really concerned about is whole farms, really good productive land getting planted into trees." The research showed Hawke's Bay, Wellington and Wairarapa remained preferred locations, while Southland had also seen a notable increase. There was a significant slowdown in the Gisborne region, likely due to the environmental impacts of adverse weather events such as Cyclone Gabrielle and tightened harvesting conditions being set by regional councils. Acland said they were not against incorporating forestry within farms, adding if most farmers planted 10 percent of their least productive land in trees, they could still maintain production. "We're very supportive of incorporating trees within farms. and I think there's a real opportunity here for farmers to be part of the solution." This week the government introduced new legislation to restrict farm-to-forest conversions on Land Use Classification (LUC) 1-6 land. Under the changes, which will retroactively take effect from December last year when the policy was originally announced, up to a quarter of farms can be planted in forestry for the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). There will also be a ban on full farm-to-forest conversions entering the ETS for actively farmed land and an annual cap of 15,000ha for forestry entering the ETS for lower quality farmland. Acland said while the government putting restrictions around whole farm to forest conversions was positive, she wasn't sure it went far enough. "Anecdotally we're still hearing of a significant number of farms being sold this year, despite the government announcing the limits last year. "We're concerned that some sales are continuing on the basis of intent to purchase land before the limits were announced. We urgently need the government to tighten the criteria around proof of intent to purchase." Additionally, she was particularly concerned about class 6 land, which she said was "some of the most productive sheep and beef breeding country". Acland said carbon forestry had a comparatively "short-term return" when compared to sheep and beef. "I think we need to recognise the importance of the red meat sector for the economy of this country." Federated Farmers national president Wayne Langford echoed some of these concerns, saying the country was approaching critical mass for sheep production. He said the new forestry conversion rules were moving "slowly". "We're gonna see more processing plants close, we're gonna see a lot more communities close down unless we do something about this issue across the country." The legislation is now before Parliament and is to come into force October 2025.
Reuters
25-02-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
Dassault Systèmes partners with Apple to put industrial 3D software on Vision Pro
Feb 25 (Reuters) - Dassault Systèmes ( opens new tab on Tuesday said that it has worked with Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab to integrate Apple's Vision Pro into its 3D software, which is widely used in manufacturing, life sciences and urban planning. France-based Dassault Systèmes has hundreds of thousands of customers who use its software to design cars, airplanes and factories, according to the company. It creates what are known as "digital twins" of real-world objects and places, recreating them with a high enough degree of accuracy that designers and engineers can make changes to the digital version and be confident that those changes will work in the real world. Dassault Systèmes said that starting this summer, the company will release an app called "3DLive" that will allow engineers and designers to collaborate on a 3D model in real time and remotely. Tom Acland, chief executive of the firm's 3DEXCITE unit, said possible real-world uses could be helping find potential problems in accessing manufacturing machines for maintenance long before they are installed on a factory floor, after which rearranging them could be far more expensive. "Those things tend to only get discovered very late in the process," Acland told Reuters. "But if you could allow the maintenance engineer to walk into the line of equipment before it arrives, they can start to design those maintenance procedures before the equipment ever arrives." Dassault Systèmes' app will require deep collaboration with Apple because it represents 3D models with the level of scientific accuracy required by tapping into the Vision Pro's sensors and computing power, which comes from the same chips used in Apple's Mac computers. Hashing out problems with, for example, aircraft designs requires more accuracy than other apps like video games. "It's not just a gimmick - it's actually a very powerful tool for engineers and designers to make decisions," Mike Rockwell, vice president of Apple's vision products group, told Reuters. "You're able to make these decisions earlier in the process, and that can save you huge amounts of money and time and rework."
