Todd Says Goodbye Marching to Glory
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Tuesday, July 30, 2019 Since Sept 27, 1879 Retail $2 Home delivered from $1.25 THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY Todd says goodbye Marching P17 P14 to glory STORM TROOPERS AT THE READY BY SUSAN SANDYS again tomorrow. sued after 11am yesterday predict- watchers and yesterday he was trollers will be going out to the [email protected] “Wednesday will be the one to ing 15 to 20 centimetres. keeping an eye on five different carpark avalauncher in the middle Storm troopers will be ready and watch, it could be a great day, it Anything over 25 centimetres prediction models as he sized up of the night and firing rockets into avalauncher rockets engaged as a just depends on (snow) totals. If presented more logistical chal- the snowstorm. slopes to trigger avalanches, while snowstorm approaches Mt Hutt totals aren’t too much then we will lenges in terms of avalanche con- Exact precipitation and tem- lift maintenance staff will be keep- tonight. be able to get into it pretty quick- trol and clearing the access road, perature levels in such events can ing on top of de-icing lifts. The group of skifield staff will ly,” ski area manager James Mc- McKenzie said. It would come mean the difference between be- sleep over on the ski area, but they Kenzie said. with brisk southerlies though, ing able to open the skifield the won’t do much sleeping as they And at this stage it looked like it most likely creating drifts. next day, or closing and disap- track every nuance of the weather wouldn’t be “too much” snow, with McKenzie is one of New Zea- pointing thousands of skiers. CONTINUED P2 event and aim to get Mt Hutt open the latest MetService forecast is- land’s most invested weather In the case of heavy snow, pa- Ph 03 307 7900 Make your money count. to subscribe! Literally. Earn 2.15% p.a. with Heartland’s Direct Call Account. Direct call account terms and conditions apply. News 2 Ashburton Guardian Tuesday, July 30, 2019 www.guardianonline.co.nz Farmer Keith retires at 93 Reminder BY SUSAN SANDYS around [email protected] “Never be the first to try the new, nor the last to cast the old aside.” That is a saying Seafield farmer Keith Grice suspicious has lived by throughout a successful career, one that has spanned generations. Finally at the age of 93 he is retiring, and now has time to reminisce upon the many behaviour years gone by. After sheep farming on dryland throughout his whole life, earlier this month, on July 10, he BY JAIME PITT-MACKAY sent away his stock. [email protected] As the last of the about 1000 sheep were Police are reminding anyone on their way to the Temuka saleyards, Grice who sees someone acting sus- carved a lonely figure as helpers went off to piciously after a post appeared breakfast. on social media warning peo- “I stayed in the yard when the last truck ple of an older man in a green went, I unashamedly say this, tears rolled station wagon. down my cheeks,” he said. The post said that the per- But just like that saying goes, he is not set on son had seen the man sitting being the last to cast sheep farming aside, and in the vehicle outside their realises that time must move on. house watching children play- His son Robert has now taken over the prop- ing, before driving off after be- erty, and it is being converted to crop. Keith Grice and his huntaway Nigel still find plenty to occupy themselves with each ing approached. Sheep farming is just not what it used to be, day. PHOTO SUSAN SANDYS 290719-SS-0024 A police spokesperson said he said, and there has been so many changes they were unable to find any over the years. he said. But he soon adjusted to working full- He and Betty had their farm homestead record of the incident being As an example, he said he bought a 72-hec- time on the land, and ultimately his younger built about 50 years ago, and they have no in- reported to police, but said tare block on Seafield and Hamptons Road brother Bevan joined him and they farmed in tentions of leaving. The couple have retained they understand incidents like about 50 years ago for $63,000, and about five partnership. 100 acres, and have a few cattle and are still that can be worrying. months ago sold this for $3.4 million. Grice met wife Betty at a dance at the Radi- working in partnership with Bevan to run their “We know that reports of “So how can anybody farm sheep on land ant Hall, and the couple have now been mar- well-known standardbred broodmare opera- incidents such as these can that dear?” he asked. ried for 64 years. Both he and Bevan decided tion. cause considerable concern And then there was the example of the slide to split the property and farm independently Grice is happy with that, and it’s enough for for parents and other mem- in wool prices. after their respective children were starting to him and his much-loved huntaway Nigel to bers of our community,” the After crutching 1100 ewes recently, he was grow up. occupy themselves with each day. spokesperson said. only able to recoup $400 of the $3000 cost Grice said there had been good and bad “The three essentials for farming are a good “We would urge everyone to from the wool sold. times over the years, but he had been fortu- wife, a good dog, and a good farm vehicle,” he be alert, not alarmed, and to “One time, crutching would pay for the con- nate in that he had not been affected by the said. take the opportunity to have tractor.” 1980s recession as he had never had any debt. Betty had something to say about that, conversations with your chil- Grice grew up on the family farm, his dad And when it came to droughts, he just got chiming in “I’m glad I’m before the dog”. dren about what they should Robert having come to the property in 1906. through them by making plenty of lucerne hay And there’s another saying relevant for Grice, do should they feel unsafe. He had to leave Ashburton High School at the each year, and buying in feed when he needed one used for old farmers not really wanting to “Police want people to be age of about 16 to help when his father be- it. retire, and that is that they will “die with their safe and feel safe. If you see came unwell. “Some years you could see a mouse run boots on”. someone acting suspiciously, “I would have liked to be an accountant,” across the paddock.” “Yes, that’s about me,” Grice said. call 111.” Storm troopers at the ready on Mt Hutt skifield From P1 too many drifts. Snow flurries are to improve the snowpack in these from a relatively balmy high of 16 Snow Watch for the Canterbury expected to continue in coming areas. degrees in Ashburton yesterday, to high country and foothills, valid McKenzie said hopefully the days and temperatures will remain Its race programme is in full just seven degrees tomorrow, fea- for 37 hours from 3am Tuesday to snow would not be too dry, as dry cold on the skifield. swing, and American and Kore- turing rain and southerlies. 4pm Wednesday. Snow is expected snow may not stick as well to the Meanwhile, Mt Hutt has already an development team skiers are “It’s quite a dramatic change,” to fall as low as the level of Meth- underlying snowpack, and this reached its magic one-metre mark training. MetService meteorologist Peter ven, at about 300 metres above sea could create a higher need for av- on main trails after a significant Meanwhile, Mid Cantabrians are Little said. level. alanche control work. snowfall earlier this month. And being warned to prepare for a cold There would be a cold end to the Snow accumulations may ap- And road clearing would be eas- there is plenty of off-trail terrain week ahead with the possibility of week, with highs no more than 10 proach warning criteria about and iest if the amount of snow stayed open, however, the new snow will snow as low as Methven overnight. degrees on Thursday and Friday. above 600 metres, the MetService less than 25 centimetres without be much appreciated in being able Temperatures will plummet The MetService issued a Heavy said. 24 HOUR ON CALL EMERGENCY SERVICES Phone: (03) 693 9060 VETERINARYServicing Ashburton and South SERVICES Canterbury Districts Independent & Locally Owned. Ÿ Team of 5 experienced, dedicated veterinarians. Ÿ Personalised Dairy, Station and Livestock Services. Ÿ Small animal diagnostic and surgical clinic. Ÿ Daily farm deliveries. Ÿ Purpose oad parking. Clinic Hours: 8am - 5pm, Monday to Friday 5 Woodbury Road, Geraldine, 7991 | Phone: 693 9060 | Email: [email protected] | www.gatewayvets.co.nz News www.guardianonline.co.nz Tuesday, July 30, 2019 Ashburton Guardian 3 Busy calving season off to great start BY LINDA CLARKE kept and raised as replacements [email protected] for the herd, with most of the oth- Lowcliffe sharemilker Ralph ers sold as beef calves. Tompsett is gearing up for a busy Tompsett said the goal was to calving season with the first of an have zero bobbies, male calves expected 1150 newborn calves ar- for which there was no market, riving this week.