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I have been coordinating the Certificate in Fencing Level 3 and 4 courses for NorthTec for the last couple of years. As most of you know, the courses were reviewed and reinstated in 2018 in their current format.

In 2018 we saw 11 students go through the Level 3 course. COVID hindered several courses through 2020/2021, but we still had good numbers in 2022, and roughly 70 across the country went through the training in 2023. In Level 4 (which launched again last year) we have seen one course of 12 complete and the mid-year intake of 13 is near completion with similarly good results.

The feedback on Level 4 has been excellent and the tutor David Horner is a great asset to the industry, in that he understands how contractors think. Together we try and align the timings of the courses to what will work around people’s staff and businesses. This is also the same for Level 3, the tutors across the country are an asset to the industry.

In the last 12 months, I have been working with the online development team to integrate the Level 4 learning into an online system that will help aid and give the learner confidence that what they are doing is correct. This has been a huge undertaking, and it has led the way behind the scenes for other industries.

The fencing industry has lacked a form of continued recognised training. Yes, the Association has had its eggs in this basket for a very long time, but the implementation and execution of those things has never continually lined up.

When I was in the rural banking industry, I inherently saw the very people fencers work for, downgrading the trade as if anyone could do it. Comments like “It’s just fencing, we’ll do it ourselves”. It used to annoy me, because they would be better sticking to their knitting and sorting their feed and cashflow budgets, than fencing for three months on a job that could be done in two weeks by a professional.

The industry needs to be recognised as a trade by not only the people in it, but by any member of the public. Sure, within the industry, we can tell who is a good fencer and who is a rubbish one, just by looking at their work (and sometimes just by talking to them). I can’t fence to save my life, but I sure know what a good one looks like now after travelling the country looking at fences for days. This is what we want to get out to the general public, so they can make informed decisions and know that the contractors they are hiring have invested in training and business acumen. Not someone who bought a tractor and rammer and decides they’re a fencer. In shearing if you shear the skin of a sheep, ya mate next door kicks you up the jacksie and you get a tune up. Out in the back of beyond sometimes nobody sees a terrible fencing job until it falls apart and the neighbours have a stoush about stock getting out, or on a residential/lifestyle block the client wakes up every day to look out at their fence, with twisting rails or gaps in their palings the dog and cat can fit through. This is why the training and FCANZ Pathway go hand in hand.

Sure, some contractors and staff can complete these courses with their eyes closed. Do they?? No!! The tutors and I find ourselves dragging people along to get their work done before the end of the courses. There are students that are so diligent and have awesome time management, are great fencers and are the ones to showcase the industry. There are employers putting their staff through the course and I see the dedication and diligence they have in their businesses regarding training and health and safety – these are the companies we want showcasing the industry.

The courses are numbers-driven, bums on seats. Each fully enrolled student creates a funding mechanism that allows a course to be viable and enables us to pay for tutors and materials. The fee attributed to the learner from TEC is only generated once fully enrolled and attending. Attendance is a key factor. Each week, NorthTec are noting attendance; attendance to Zoom sessions, block courses, etc. If the attendance isn’t tracked, funding is queried. If someone doesn’t attend, their funding is pulled.

To keep these courses going, we need enrolments
If we don’t have enrolments, we have no funds to keep them going. There is only so much I can do. If the industry (THAT’S YOU, READING THIS) wants to be recognised and have NZQA backing, this is the only opportunity to maintain that. This is as close to an Apprenticeship as we will get at this stage, given the changes in the Tertiary sector with the new government and the changes to skills standards. We are setting things up in the way we provide these courses to hopefully align with an Apprenticeship when the time comes.

If you’re wanting training and to align this industry with other recognised trades like building and plumbing, get on board and get training. Otherwise, it will be lost, more than likely never to return.

Article written by Donna Upton
Course Co-ordinator,
NorthTec | Te Pukenga
and FCANZ Board Member

Published in WIRED Issue 72 / March 2024 by Fencing Contractors Association NZ

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The Great Gate giveaway will provide relief for East Coast and Hawke’s Bay farmers.

Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) will be giving away 100 farm gate and gudgeon sets and 10,000 insulators to twenty farmers in the East Coast and Hawke’s Bay, still dealing with the after-effects of Cyclone Gabrielle.

The Great Gate Giveaway is the culmination of fundraising efforts in the 12 months since the cyclone and has been made possible thanks to the support of Association Partners Gallagher, Beattie Insulators and Summit Steel & Wire. The equipment retails for over $35,000 and will be distributed at the East Coast Farming Expo, held in Wairoa from February 21-22.

“We are a year on from the cyclone, and some of these farmers are still unable to contain their stock. You can’t farm like that. As an Association, we hope this giveaway will help ease some of the financial and mental strain that these farmers are feeling,” says FCANZ President Phil Cornelius.

Recipients have been nominated by FCANZ members who work in the area and the local Rural Support Trust co-ordinator to ensure the gates and insulators make it to those who are really struggling to get on top of their farm fencing.

Family-owned New Zealand manufacturers Beattie Insulators have donated 10,000 insulators to the cause. “We are delighted to be able to work with FCANZ to help these farmers. We know it’s only a small part, but every bit helps.” Says Ivan Beattie, one of the second-generation company owners.

The Association will also host a BBQ on the evening of 21 February for FCANZ members, gate recipients and their families. FCANZ Patron Craig “Wiggy” Wiggins, and creator of the “Lean on a Gate, Talk to a Mate” movement, will be available to talk with people about their concerns for themselves or their friends.

“Some of these farmers are doing it really tough, so it’s never been more important for people to reach out to their mates and check they are ok. It can be hard to start the conversation, but Lean on a Gate has resources and people to help, no matter what you’re dealing with,” says Craig.

The Association plans to be back in the district in early autumn to deliver another two-day re-fencing event, during which time fencers will volunteer their time to reinstate essential fencing.

Originally planned for late 2023, the event has been delayed to allow the ground to dry out – a plan hampered by recurring rain events. “The reality is that the scale of damage in the area means it will be some time before permanent fencing work can be started in many areas,” says Phil. “It makes sense that we come back in autumn and assist with the reinstatement of essential fencing then.”

You may also like: Second Hawke’s Bay re-fencing event planned

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For Manawatu fencer Emile de Greeuw, completing industry training through NorthTec is a stepping stone to reaching his goals. Based just south of Pahiatua, Emile, 33, has been in the agricultural industry since he was 16 years old. He started out as a fencing contractor nine years ago, and established Omata Fencing in 2016. 

“Before that, I worked for a few different contractors in the lower North Island and in the South Island.” He developed a taste for fencing while at Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre back in 2007, and saw the opportunities it offered for self-employment. “After shepherding for 10 years, I realised if I wanted to buy my own farm, I would need to have more control over my income.” 

He said he enjoyed that fencing took him around the countryside, seeing a range of farming operations through the back gate. It was also a hugely rewarding job seeing projects come together to completion. “With fencing, there is the benefit of visual progress every day, and I enjoy being able to look back at a fence that I have done with satisfaction.” 

Emile completed the NZ Certificate in Fencing (Level 4) this year and found that once he started it and structured it into his schedule, it was easy to get through. 

“The course was completely online so really easy to complete. (There were) weekly Zoom meetings with the tutor and classmates to see how everyone was getting on with their assignments. But the tutor was always available for email and calls if you needed help.” 

Emile started the course as part of working towards being an Accredited Fencing Contractor. He had previously completed parts of the Level 3 course over the years through Primary ITO courses. He said industry training had given him valuable tools for running his business. “I enjoyed fine-tuning parts of my business that needed it. We got some really helpful resources that we will continue to use in a modern-day business, especially in the current climate.” 

With a young family, Emile said finding the time to get the assignments done had been the biggest challenge, with a busy life on the farm, running the business, and family. “I find I work best early in the morning, with a coffee, well before the kids get up, and it’s still dark outside.” 

Emile said the Level 4 tutor had brought an exceptional amount of expertise and experience to the table. “He was probably overqualified for the job. An absolute wealth of knowledge and really easy to understand. He has run both large-scale corporates and small businesses.” 

Industry training was helping to reach business goals, Emile said. “Completing the course is a step in the process of becoming an Accredited Fencing Contractor through FCANZ, which has been a goal for a really long time, and could possibly aid my position when tendering for larger corporate jobs.” 

He recommended the course for anyone who sometimes worked in their business too much and not on their business enough. “This course makes you take a step back and figure out what your point of difference is when tendering for jobs, and recruiting and retaining staff.” 

Emile has a clear set of goals for the future that he said industry training had helped him work towards. Owning his own farm was at the top of that list. “My plan is to use the accreditation alongside my reputation to become a preferred contractor to more corporate or commercial primary industry businesses, and eventually work exclusively on a value-based pricing system instead of traditional hourly-rate work. 

“The fencing business will always be a vehicle for the end goal of farm ownership.”  

Article written by Rosa Watson

Published in the Professional Development Feature in WIRED Issue 71 / December 2023 by Fencing Contractors NZ

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I enjoy getting on with people and sharing knowledge; the offer seemed a great next step to take. What I enjoy about tutoring is the variety of people I meet from all ages and areas – ranging from very experienced fencers to new members of the fencing industry. You never stop learning and sharing ideas. 

Who?  John Noakes  Based in rural Motueka on a lifestyle block with my wife Carol, running a few beef and sheep.  Self-employed fencing contractor doing a variety of rural, security, industrial, residential fencing and everything in between.  I promote the fencing industry New Zealand-wide at Field Days and MC’ing Fencing Best Practice Days.

I set a high standard of workmanship and enjoy sharing knowledge, which led to me being asked if I would like to tutor one of the first Certificate in Fencing (Level 3) courses for NorthTec | Te Pukenga in the South Island, about four years ago.

At times, it can be challenging taking people from the level of work they do, to the higher quality of workmanship that is necessary to achieve Level 3 & 4 qualifications. Enhancing students’ learning, to me, is sharing ideas and treating people how you want to be treated. It goes a long way in life. 

I make mistakes as easy as anyone, but the right thing to do is to go back and put them right. When you make a mistake, learn from it and share it with others. It’s a learning curve. Work as a team. It’s attention to detail that wins out. 

Going to Fieldays and watching competition fencing will help with technique and take you to the top of your game. Make sure you attend FCANZ’s Best Practice Days, as you will get heaps out of it – there’s a wealth of knowledge to be gained from FCANZ Partners and other contractors from around the country. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. 

Some of the best moments I’ve had while tutoring have been seeing students work in all the different and amazing countryside and types of ground conditions, from drilling solid rock to silt, and everything in between. From flat land to high country, it all has its challenges. 

Memorable moments 

One of the best feelings ever is to see seven of my students (including Amanda Beckham) enter the NZFC fencing competition at the Kirwee Field Days, and to witness one of my Level 3 students, Michael Conijn of Custom Fencing (Dunedin), receive the Trainee of the Year award at the FCANZ Conference this year. Michael is a great team player, doing outstanding work. The women attending the courses show great attention to detail in their work. 

If you’re coming into the fencing industry, gaining the Level 3 and Level 4 qualifications will be a huge benefit to you and your business – it proves you have attained and demonstrated a high standard of knowledge and workmanship, with attention to detail. Setting high standards and holding qualifications has got to be great for the fencing industry. The world is your oyster; get out there and go hard (with health and safety at the forefront of all activity, of course). 

What other career offers you the ability to have a new office every day!? 

Cheers, Noksee. 

Article written by John Noakes

Published in the Professional Development Feature in WIRED Issue 71 / December 2023 by Fencing Contractors Association NZ 

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For Manawatu-based fencing contractor Wilton Weeks, completing the industry training has been an effective way to improve how he runs his business. 

Wilton Weeks, 28, is based in northern Manawatu and has been contracting full-time for three years. Before he went out fencing, he was shearing and did some fencing in the off-season, originally for a contractor and then out on his own. 

He got his first taste of fencing as a cadet at Smedley Station in Hawke’s Bay. From here, his passion for the trade grew. 

He began competing in fencing competitions, which he found a great way to develop his skills, pitting himself against fencers from around the country. 

This year, Wilton decided to take another step forward in completing the New Zealand Certificate in Fencing (Level 4) provided through NorthTec in conjunction with FCANZ. He finished the 31-week course in November. 

The course is aimed at experienced fencers and covers the whole gambit of running a fencing business, including designing and constructing fences, interpreting a livestock yard design, constructing yards to meet client requirements, and developing the knowledge and skills to lead a team and manage client relationships. 

The course is carried out online with weekly zoom meetings with the tutor, which Wilton said made it very flexible to work around. 

“This has worked in really well with work and other parts of life.” 

Wilton said he had originally decided to sign up to the course as it was a requirement to gaining accreditation with FCANZ. 

“But I have really enjoyed what I have learnt during the course. It has helped me to develop good bookwork habits and has taught me how to run my business in a far more professional manner. 

“It has also been good for reflection on my performance both personally and as a business.” 

He said the most challenging part of the course was getting back into studying after a number of years out in the workforce. 

“Even at school I was not very good at motivating myself for study, but by setting a time every weekday to sit down and study or do business bookwork, I have worked through the course easily. 

He had also found he was far more on top of the business work as a result. “This is a habit I intend to continue,” 

Wilton said the tutor had been instrumental in getting the course done. 

“Our tutor has been really good at teaching and helping us through the course. The weekly sessions are good for keeping everything fresh in our minds, and helping with any questions or issues the students are facing. 

“He is also readily available for one-on­ one sessions over the phone, and to help outside of our zoom sessions. David has also been a wealth of knowledge in other parts of business not covered in the course and I have taken a lot away from our discussions.” 

Wilton said it was also a chance to network and discuss ideas with other contractors in the same boat. 

“The other good aspect of being on a course with like-minded people is it is a good chance to discuss ideas and how to overcome some of the common problems faced in business.” 

Wilton is excited for the future and said with the training completed he can see the path to reaching his goals. 

“This course will and has already helped towards growing my business and carrying out the business side of my work in a more professional manner.” 

And he’s not done yet. 

“My goal is to work my way up the FCANZ qualification ladder to create a point of difference and a standard for my business, and for me this is the first step.” 

For Wilton, fencing is an extremely satisfying job that covers a broad range of skills and trades, from earthworks and machinery operation to engineering. 

“No two days (are) the same. This not only makes it a really interesting job in its own right, but is also a great opportunity for young people who aren’t quite sure what they want to do as a career to get out, learn some skills and find what they’re really passionate about.”  

He felt for many, fencing was not considered a highly skilled industry and fencers didn’t get the recognition for the broad range of skills and experience they carry.

“I really support FCANZ and NorthTec in creating an official qualification and pathway to recognise fencers and their skills. This will also set a standard for the entire industry to live up to.”

He highly recommended the training to anybody wanting to progress in the industry.

“When starting out in business or a leadership role there is a lot that this course covers that would otherwise have to be learnt by trial and error.

“I believe having the opportunity to do this course when I first started out in business would have saved me a lot of hard work and mistakes.”

Article written by Rosa Watson

Published in the Professional Development Feature in WIRED Issue 71 / December 2023 by Fencing Contractors NZ

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Hi, I’m Cory Jones. I am a 25-year old fencer from Tokoroa in the South Waikato. I have been fencing for 4.5 years – starting out in Otago with Custom Fencing, before moving home to start Jones Agri Fencing. 

I am currently completing the Certificate in Fencing Level 4 course after finishing Level 3 earlier this year. The Level 3 course is mainly directed toward the basic aspects of fencing, including tractor maintenance, health and safety, tools and standard fencing techniques (knots, stays, and different styles of fences) whereas the Level 4 course is more pointed towards people management, quoting and designing fence lines and yards, which is very helpful for new business owners. I was pleasantly surprised with some new skills I learnt from the days with reps and talking to other fencers on these courses. 

I decided to be involved with these courses to start on the pathway to becoming a Certified Fencer. Before becoming a fencer, I did my time and became a qualified builder. I see the pride and accomplishment in becoming qualified in a trade and think it’s a great way to get people into our industry. These courses are a very achievable way for people to upskill and earn qualifications for the hard work they do. 

The tutors for both Level 3 and 4 have been awesome. Greg Burton (the tutor for my Level 3 course) is a very knowledgeable man and goes out of his way to share his wealth of knowledge. He is someone I still go to now for advice with being a new business owner. David Horner, my tutor for the Level 4 course, is very helpful and also goes out of his way to offer his help. Both are happy to take time out of their days to spend time with everyone, to help with anything from basic to top level skills in the industry. 

One of my favourite things from these courses is meeting other like-minded people who have a similar passion for the industry and are happy to bounce ideas and discuss different ways to achieve the best possible job we can do. The only thing I struggled with was the time off work for the Level 3 course. 

Being a new business owner last year, it was hard to have two days at course a month. But I am glad I made it work. And the idea of being able to say I’m a Certified Fencer and give my staff the same opportunity makes it something we wanted to be a part of. 

I’m stoked with how FCANZ is helping to get the fencing industry the recognition that it deserves as a trade. For anyone on the fence about doing these courses, jump in and get amongst it. Help FCANZ push us to be leaders in our industry and get our staff the recognition they deserve for the hard work they do for us. 

Cheers, Cory.  

Article written by Cory Jones
www.facebook.com/jonesagrifencing

Published in the Professional Development Feature in WIRED Issue 71 / December 2023 by Fencing Contractors NZ

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This Certificate in Fencing Level 3 and 4 update is based on “what we have learned” and “what can be done to improve” – essentially let’s take a strategic approach and review/plan/ implement for the Certificate in Fencing. 

Industry training is not always as easy as it sounds. One of the things we must constantly do as trainers is learn from our experience and strive for improvement.  The restructure of the training organisation that is happening at present makes it all the more difficult to navigate. 

Level 3 

Course Assessment needs to focus on capturing naturally occurring evidence, so we can be certain standards are consistent across a range of job environments. A digital portfolio using the trainee’s own mobile phones has been created, which should make this easy.  Most contractors and their staff, capture their work on social media platforms already, so this serves to capture the same. 

One of the inherent problems I have found whilst coordinating the courses is the lack of self-help.  Learners struggle to ask for help if they don’t know how to upload photos or videos of their evidence for both Level 3 and Level 4 courses.  The tutors are there to aid this, and I, as the coordinator, can also help with this.  The sooner information is loaded into the system, the quicker we can grade the courses. 

Engagement and participation 

Trainees need to keep engaged in their own learning and development.  Future courses will have more time allocated for trainers to run short online sessions, to help trainees keep up with their program and form stronger trainer/trainee relationships. 

The overall enrolment for the courses has grown from 11 in the 2018 pilot to over 50 in the courses that are being coordinated at present through Level 3, and we see good numbers enrolled in Level 4, however participation is low.  

The first intake of the Level 4 course that rolled out in March is looking to have a 50% pass rate. 

Maintaining momentum 

Having the support from the industry, and two-way communication between trainers, trainees and co-ordinators, will keep the momentum going.  If people want courses in specific areas, we can arrange for that to happen, as long as we have at least 10 students to make the courses viable.  For Level 3 in the South Island, we are working on running a course in Christchurch and Dunedin and working them concurrently, so the trainers can travel through, and complete site visits up and down the island whilst travelling to the block courses. 

Apprenticeships 

The biggest issues in allowing fencing to be aligned to an apprenticeship are: 

• Both courses have to be completely rebuilt to be Unit Standards rather than Achievement Based – this is a minimum 12-month process
• Unit standards are a pass or fail. They do not reflect excellence at all.
• What often happens with apprenticeships is the student does the bare minimum to pass. Therefore, we lose the best practice standards we are aiming to achieve for the industry.
• It is very difficult to reflect a portfolio and evidence-based work for a unit standards-based assessment.
• The skills standards framework is being done and will be the next big change – there is uncertainty as to what it will look like, other than it being an amalgamation of unit standards and achievement-based assessment.
• The course would be “unified” – giving other Te Pūkenga institutes the ability to grab it and run with it – the industry then has lost control! Unification is a core principle of Te Pūkenga.
• ITOs would at that point want the course in their portfolio and it would be run as profitably as possible

Ongoing course delivery 

• Improving course delivery will just happen, as long as tutors and students are sharing ideas and issues.
• Many people don’t understand the work behind the scenes in compliance that needs to be done to run a course. Yes, much is what we consider ‘superfluous bullshit’.  But it has to be done. The more times the course is run in the same locations the easier it should become.
• It needs to be remembered that the course can always be “overtaught” – if students/tutors feel something should be added to the course, then at the next formal review it will be considered.
• We are unable to take any subject/ assessment away from the course until a formal review is undertaken.

As the course stands now and going forward 

• Courses need more students. Te Pūkenga are collating some ‘good stories’ to highlight the benefits for employers to get their people trained.
• If the industry and course providers keep pushing and highlighting the advantages of the qualification through advertising, it’ll happen.
• Certified Fencers and Accredited Fencing Contractors will be advertised more and more, as regulation in certain entities (particularly local government) becomes more prevalent, the more purpose these courses and processes will have.

Article written by Donna Upton
National Course Coordinator
www.northtec.ac.nz
Published in the Training & Events section in WIRED Issue 71 / December 2023 by Fencing Contractors NZ

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Fencing has been a very solitary vocation and still is to a certain degree, with people tucked away, working on their own in hidden away places. But then along came the New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays in June 1969, at the Te Rapa Racecourse in Hamilton, the first and now largest agricultural show in the Southern Hemisphere.  Fencing trendsetters were born.

And how could you have an agricultural show without having a fencing competition?  So, the forerunner of what we have today, the prestigious Golden Pliers™ fencing singles championship, was birthed.  Not only the first of its kind in New Zealand, but also the world. 

For the first time these gully runners, mountain men – call them what you like – had to pit their skills against other like-minded men.  I say men, as it was very much a male-dominated sport, unlike today, with many women not only in the trade but entering fencing competitions.

The exciting part about competitions and broadly speaking, any competitions, is the sharing of ideas, development of new tools and systems to both make the job easier and efficient, and more obviously, to improve the quality which happens anyway. 

Although I wasn’t there, being in my first year of secondary school, I can only imagine the talk over a ‘cold one’, at the completion of the first competition at the Te Rapa Racecourse.  Most of the guys would have met for the first time, including the Judges. 

In the earlier years, there would have been a quick succession of the implementation of new developments and slowly petering off over many years, until now, we only see real minor changes. I first arrived at the Fieldays in 1975, and what I observed then, to what we see today, was what we could probably best described as ‘a lot more antiquated’. 

The equipment has a story of its own, as Strainrite was not the household name as we know them today. 

Spades 

• The only spades commercially available were the garden variety you see at the DIY outlets.
• We all commonly scouted second-hand shops to pick up old Spear and Jackson spades, and then proceeded to weld in steel handles to our own customised specifications.
• Today we have numerous companies making fencing spades, including post driver manufacturers.

Rammers 

• The only rammers that were commercially available were a cast steel head (similar to Strainrite’s) with a wooden handle.  Well, I don’t have to tell you how long that would last before pipe handles were hastily installed.
• In those years, most rammers were self/tailor made.
• Today, along with Strainrite, there are many very functional rammers commercially made by various companies including post driver manufacturers

Post Hole Borers 

• For many of the early years of fencing competitions, the only reliable hole digger was a Mate Post Hole Borer.  This was produced by Atkinson Industries of Whanganui, and was a grunty, slow turning, noisy machine.
• Strainer holes were dug using a 250mm auger with extension.  As competitors were chasing the elusive time points, looking for ways to speed up the hole digging became paramount, and these Mate gear boxes were progressively adapted with larger and larger chainsaw power heads, which also led to larger augers, up to 300mm diameter and fully flighted up to 1.50m.  One of the biggest advantages was that the augers were high spinning which was an integral part of picking up that extra time.

The men who made the difference 

As with all trades and sports, which I regard this as, there are always people who are innovative and proactive in the development of such innovations.  Some that I believe who have made a considerable impact I would like to mention and outline below: 

Bill (Albert) Schuler 

Probably best known as the father or Godfrey Bowen of fencing.  Bill was the first to implement planing the stays, and achieve nil gaps around the mortice.  He never used a post hole borer, opting to use his trusty wooden handle ‘Zero Skelton’ spade.  His ‘claim to fame’ was setting a lot of the standards we see today. 

Felix Davy 

Felix was the first to bring on board the wheelbarrow, entering the first competition in 1969.  Felix was also controversial in installing vertical stay blocks, which worked under the pressure testing and are widely used around the country today.  He was instrumental in setting the judging rules which, by and large are still in use today. 

Bill (A.W.S.) Dawson 

Bill competed in the first competition in 1969 and soon started ‘scratching his head’ to see where he could improve, so the ‘profit stick’ (his words not mine) – a PVC rod for post spacing – was introduced.  One of his proudest moments was when he realised how brittle high tensile wire was and consequently came across how to break it off without using a wire cutter.  I remember myself demonstrating alongside him at Fieldays and being very much in the infancy of the snapping off technique and the crowd response was very much a ‘wow’, and we still see that today.  Good on you Bill. 

With 9 wires introduced in the earlier competitions, this had a spin off effect around the country, with farmers wanting to do just that.  Of course, Bill didn’t mind running 7 wires but 9? (Common now!) There had to be an easier way.  So, with his flat deck Series 2 Land Rover and a 9-wire stack of Jennys, the multiple wire dispenser was birthed. 

Stan Woolston 

Stan comes from a very fencing orientated family, also being an uncle to a twice Golden Pliers Champion, and he works well under tension, being the inventor of the tension gauge. 

The earlier years of competition, the way of measuring wire tension was a little more cumbersome.  A piece of 100 x 25 timber with two nails 40 inches apart and midway, the wire is pulled back half an inch with a spring balance and you multiplied that reading by 20.  I am sure we can all thank Uncle Stan for his invention. 

Stan won the Inventions Award in 1979, and he sold the tension gauge rites to Franklin Machinery in Pukekohe, which was a large gate hardware and galvanising company which has since been sold to Gallagher.  Tension gauge manufacturing is now undertaken by Strainrite. 

Tools 

• The biggest development here is with the advent of Lithium-Ion battery powered tools.  I have seen earlier Golden Pliers Champions hanging gates using a brace and bit, which developed to petrol drills and now on to battery power.  I remember Uncle Stan having an adaptor for his post hole borer, but that was Stan.
• The pulley was first used in the earlier competitions and quickly progressed out into the field, as running two wires from one dispenser made a lot of sense. There have been many developments over the years, and they are still continuing today, albeit they’re a lot less dramatic.  It is more a work in progress now.

Article written by Nick Liefting
www.nlcontractors.co.nz

Published in Training & Events in WIRED Issue 71 / December 2023 by Fencing Contractors NZ

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The 2024 U.S. Platinum Strainer Doubles Championship is the USA’s first known farm/ranch handiwork competition. It was held in late August in Galax, Virginia, at the East Coast Fencing Rivalry (ECFR), a fencing event that was started three years ago by Derrick Cox. 

This year’s event saw twenty-five exhibitors, or ‘sponsors’ as they are termed, with attendees coming from a number of States. 

The fence line was designed to reflect the type of fencing US farm fencers undertake, taking into account local ground conditions (hard with rocks), with king posts (strainers) being pre-driven and the post holes predrilled to 24 inches (600 mms) width, backfilled and tampered. 

The Fence specifications were lines that were 100 feet in length (30 odd metres), Pre-driven king posts, driven to 50 inches in height. 8-foot long line posts were put in by hand, with post heights also 50 inches (1120 mm). 6 x strands of Bekaert brand 12.5 gauge high tensile wire with wire spacings measured from the top of the post down 10, 18, 26, 34 & 42 inches (look those up yourself) and wire tension 180 pounds (80 kgs). The brace assembly was a diagonal brace at each end with the top of the strut (stay) measuring 19 inches (48 mm) from the top of the king post down. In a homage to New Zealand fencing, oak wooden droppers with wire clips were used – to be installed evenly spaced between the posts. The king and line posts were sourced from Keystone Fence Supplies, and the oak droppers from Kencove Farm Supplies. 

There was a time limit of 3 hours. A time penalty was not applied on the competition as the intent was to focus on quality, especially for this first year. 

Three teams lined up, Alex Masser (Pennsylvania) and Jason Day (Virginia), Zachery Cordrey and David Jordan (both South Carolina), Luke Gibson (Indiana) and Sebron Jessrup (North Carolina).
Judges were Steve Sorrenson, who spent 21 years working for Bekaert, five years with Soldlock and four years with Kencove Farm Supplies; Bryce Taylor (Taylor Fencing), a one-time champion of the 2022 East Coast Fencing Rivalry machinery competition; Rory Halliburton (Halliburton Fencing), a fencing contractor from Tennessee; and Cody Cox, who worked alongside Derrick for a number of years. 

Impressive from the start was the lineup of pickups and the orderliness and range of the tools laid out behind the start line. You would think these guys were seasoned competitors, though Zachery and David admitted to picking up their post hole borer that morning.  The public was interested in what the competitors were doing and questioned the techniques, with a positive response. 

“It was a great experience, and we look forward to growing this competition and exhorting the merits of using these types of competitions to grow knowledge, and demonstrate the value of good workmanship. The aim of this competition is to bring out the best of American fencing” comments Derrick. 

The placings were: 

1st Alex Masser and Jason Day
2nd Luke Gibson and Sebron Jessup
3rd Zachery Cordrey and David Jordan 

The U.S. Platinum Strainer Doubles Championship is the United States qualifier event for an invitational line in the Fieldays® Silver Spades Doubles Competition, so the winners will be competing in New Zealand at the June 2024 Fieldays®. 

The next day, five teams competed in the East Coast Fencing Rivalry machinery fencing competition, which has been held over the past three years. Added to the previous day’s judging panel was Alex Masser. 

With a time-limit of 3 ½ hours, competitors had to start with sourcing their materials from stockpiles located at the bottom of the hill, so there was machinery movement in all directions while materials were laid and before the posting started. The fence line being erected was 135 feet (41 metres) with netting, plus a top barb wire, two end assemblies of the competitor’s own choice (the end assemblies only judged on whether they were installed correctly), and an 8-foot section of rail fencing at one end. 

The Doubles Championship placings were 

1st Luke Gibson (Indiana) and Sebron Jessup (North Carolina)
2nd Roger Rhodes and Rodney Rhodes (Indiana)
3rd Henry Shaull (Wisconsin) and Associate 

Article written by Debbie White 

Tony and Debbie White travelled to the ECFR where Tony demonstrated rail work. 

Published in Training & Events in WIRED Issue 71 / December 2023 by Fencing Contractors NZ

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While we’ve been busy as a husband and wife team running our business that we started in 2018, it has always been one of our goals to work towards becoming Accredited Fencing Contractors’ through FCANZ.  Last year, the September intake for the Certificate in Fencing (Level 3) course started in Karapiro, near Cambridge.  

We decided that this was our opportunity to get ourselves involved, and also offer this opportunity to our staff. So, before we knew it, we were enrolled with NorthTec Te Pukenga. Over the next 35 weeks, we then worked towards getting our qualifications.  

While some of you would think that it’s a risky game fencing with your husband, we actually work quite well together. In the early days, I struggled to even put on an insulator, but these days, I can just about do it in my sleep. So, it was very natural to decide to complete the fencing course together. It has its advantages as you can assist each other with taking photo/video evidence of each other’s work, and you can also plan who is taking the lead on what jobs to ensure that you document all the evidence required. 

Our written bookwork was a different story. We would often complete bookwork at the same time and share differing opinions on what the answer was, discussing where the other found the information for their answer. Doing the course has provided me with access to some excellent resources for when future staff complete the course. I printed the Power Fence Systems manual from the Gallagher website, as well as ordered a hard copy of the Fencing the Proven Way manual from WIREMARK®. I’m glad I did print these guides off, as we had a computer glitch and all our digital bookwork was lost, so I was able to help our staff member by giving him these so he could redo his bookwork. Thankfully, I’m more old school and had printed ours off, so I still had a hard copy. 

I found with the bookwork that often I would know how to do a task, but I didn’t always know the technical name or reasons behind it. Steve often had great satisfaction in telling me he already knew the answer, but that’s what 17 years in the fencing industry does to you. Steve’s had to learn to work it out as there wasn’t the training there is today. 

Getting staff involved in the course, not only helped to create a strong standard within the fencing industry but also had the bonus that staff could gain unit standards in things like chainsaws, tractors etc. Having some externally provided training is a bonus as it helps to back up any internal training we offer. 

If you’re a school lever and want to enter the fencing industry, I’d recommend calling around your local fencing contractors, mention that you want to complete this course and see if they will invest their time into your future and take you under their wing. This would give you the opportunity to gain some skills before completing the course, and it would give you a variety of work to help assist you in collating all the photo and video evidence required to pass the course.  

As for Steve and myself, we are extremely proud of ourselves and our staff member Arvind for putting in the hard work to gain the Certificate in Fencing (Level 3) qualification. Steve and I will definitely be enrolling in the Level 4 Certificate in Fencing course in 2024.  

Article written by Sarah Collins
S & S Fencing Contractors

Published in the Professional Development Feature in WIRED Issue 71 / December 2023 by Fencing Contractors NZ

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