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**Welcome Wagon:  Hello from New Zeland  |
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bubblesnz
True Blue Farmgirl
291 Posts
helen
New Zealand
291 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 10 2005 : 6:02:02 PM
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| Hi everyone, looking forward to chatting and sharing ideas with you all. I am in the North Island of New Zealand. It is winter here and it is a cold, foggy bleak day. I am so looking to summer again. We have a drystock farm, beef, sheep and I raise calves all year around. |
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quiltedess
True Blue Farmgirl
296 Posts
Nancy
Priest River
ID
USA
296 Posts |
Posted - Jun 10 2005 : 10:08:02 PM
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Helen: I feel for you. Winter can be dreary here too. I've very much happier with longer, warmer days. Since we are in the north (not far from Canada) our days can get quite short in the winter. Do you have very short days in New Zealand?
Welcome.
Nancy |
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bubblesnz
True Blue Farmgirl
291 Posts
helen
New Zealand
291 Posts |
Posted - Jun 10 2005 : 11:39:00 PM
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Hi Nancy, the days are shorter, daylight approx. 7.15 - dark by 5.30. I am in the middle of the North Island. In other areas down south they have shorter days than we do, also snow. We have fog!!! It is really depressing when it doesn't lift till later in the day.
Thank you for the welcome.
Cheers, Helen |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2005 : 1:20:24 PM
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Welcome Helen..I have never been one to want to travel out of the country but New Zealand is one place I would dearly love to see! Just beautiful from everything I have seen..and where my spinning wheel was made (Ashford) would love to see their factory. WE are having winter here in Utah today too...haha. Just tons of rain..but dosn't feel like summer..thats for sure!!
Jenny in Utah
Bloom where you are planted! |
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bubblesnz
True Blue Farmgirl
291 Posts
helen
New Zealand
291 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2005 : 8:10:43 PM
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| Hi Aunt Jenny, NZ is a beautiful country. My parents immagrated here from Holland and I am so pleased they did.Thanks for the welcome. |
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countrykat
True Blue Farmgirl
85 Posts
kathy
paola
kansas
USA
85 Posts |
Posted - Jun 11 2005 : 10:47:37 PM
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Welcome Helen. Question about the sheep you raise. Do you shear them or are they raised for meat? Looking forward to hearing about your experiences south of the equator.
Kathy in Kansas, USA |
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bubblesnz
True Blue Farmgirl
291 Posts
helen
New Zealand
291 Posts |
Posted - Jun 12 2005 : 5:32:33 PM
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| Hi Kathy, sheep are breed for both, fleece and meat. Also the butt of some very sick jokes about the kiwi males :) |
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westernhorse51
True Blue Farmgirl
1681 Posts
michele
farmingdale
n.j.
USA
1681 Posts |
Posted - Jun 12 2005 : 6:03:31 PM
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Hi Helen, sounds like a wonderful place new zealand. I cant wait to raise my own sheep. my family and I are looking for a small farm in vermont. Welcome, glad to have you with us. Michele
"she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands". Prov. 31:13 |
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bubblesnz
True Blue Farmgirl
291 Posts
helen
New Zealand
291 Posts |
Posted - Jun 12 2005 : 8:51:20 PM
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| Hi and thanks Michelle. We are going to raising sheep too. I was thinking of having a few angora goats to use their fibre for weaving, but am seriously looking aT maybe getting Alpaca's instead. Helen |
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MBurns
True Blue Farmgirl
2004 Posts
Marlene
Swisher
IA
USA
2004 Posts |
Posted - Jun 13 2005 : 2:44:27 PM
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Hi New Zealand from Iowa, Nice to meet you. I dislike winter and here in iowa we have it all with snow, rain and ice and freezing temps.
we are in the beginning of summer now with the 90 degrees and very hot
which is swimming weather. How large is your farm? Do you have other stock besides sheep? Do you raise crops? I grew up on a 160 acre farm here in Iowa and my dad raised corn and soy beans and some cows and pig.
How often do you shear sheep? Is the market good for sheep wool? |
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bubblesnz
True Blue Farmgirl
291 Posts
helen
New Zealand
291 Posts |
Posted - Jun 13 2005 : 3:09:51 PM
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| Hi Mburns, we have just bought 500 acres. NZ is known for its sheep and wool. Prices flucuate like with any stock, but generally no big problem. Sheep are shorn twice a year. However we are also getting a few dorset sheep, which you don't need to shear, they are grown for meat and their wool, just falls off. They are still rear in this country though and not cheap to buy. Farming is the backbone of the NZ economy. We will also have beef and I will raise calves all year round.Those animals will provide the income, then we will also have a couple of pigs and chickens for eggs and meat for the freezer. I am also thinking a couple of alpacas, need to find out more about them though.The coldest our days gets too is -2, but that is rareand then that is only early in the morning after that the temp rises. Fog is the worst as that chills you to the bone, plus everything feels damp. The closest snow is about 100 miles from us. Though once every few years, we get snow on the hills, but it is gone in a day. |
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greanmama
Farmgirl in Training
13 Posts
Kim
Madison
WI
USA
13 Posts |
Posted - Jun 15 2005 : 07:51:01 AM
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Hi Helen,
Greetings. My husband and I researched living in NZ. He worked (at that time) for an energy company that periodically wanted employees to relocate there. We thought that was the only way he would tolerate continuing with that job but instead, he quit (and was lucky to find a new job that is really great.)
The country is beautiful and has so much to offer. We were really impressed. We know that we also had "the grass is greener" syndrome at the time. I was excited reading about your land and work. It will be warm soon.
One never knows what tomorrow brings. Welcome and enjoy, kim
"Be the change you wish to see in the world" ~ Ghandi |
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sqrl
True Blue Farmgirl
605 Posts
Melissa
Northern California
USA
605 Posts |
Posted - Jun 15 2005 : 08:21:02 AM
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hello Helen,
Welcome, New Zealand is one of the places to could see myself living, though I haven't been there yet. I heard it's absolutely beautiful there. I understand fog, I live between the ocean and the mountains here in Arcata, Ca and the fog just just rolls in from the ocean and gets stuck. There is beauty in it but it's hard to see after it's been around for days. I'd love to hear more about New Zealand. Welcome. Blessed Be. |
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bubblesnz
True Blue Farmgirl
291 Posts
helen
New Zealand
291 Posts |
Posted - Jun 15 2005 : 9:10:15 PM
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| Hi Greanmama and Sqrl, thanks for welcome. We move onto the farm on the 10th July, so will get some pics posted.Anything you wish to know Sqrl, ask away, and I will answer as best I can. Pleased your husband found work he likes Greanmama. Not sure if I would be brave enough to do the relocation thing. Just shifting house is bad enough!!! |
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**Welcome Wagon: Hello from New Zeland |
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Hello from New Zeland
