[Carmen]

jross, please don't class all dairy farmers in the same mold. There is a huge movement in New Zealand away from conventional farming into biological farming which uses virtually no nitrogen and does not pollute the soil or waterways. Forty percent of dairy farmers in the Hawkes Bay are now farming this way. In my own area of North Otago the system is growing every year. On my own farm and on many others trees are planted on an annual basis. I do realize that there are many dirty farmers, but there are a majority who have always farmed well and look after the land. Unfortunately its the dirty farmers who the press emphasise. The worst polluters and the hardest on land, animals and people are the corporate farmers to whom the bottom line of profit is all that matters. My own family believe that the best and most profitable farms are family farms with smaller herds. Best on land, best on stock and best farmer/staff relationships.

BTW I agree with the banning of 1080, its a ghastly poison and the reason for the deaths of so much birdlife in our native bush. For all that the introduced possum also depletes birdlife by eating the eggs. They were caught on video doing this. Previous to that it was thought that they did not eat eggs!!!

Cheers

Carmen