Farming Cartoons
A selection of cartoons by Chris Slane on issues related to farming - previously published in NZFarmers Weekly magazine.
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You can't always get what you want
Cartoon depicts a shopkeeper with a 'Help Wanted in Gore' sign in his window and the mayor of Gore with a sign 'All Welcome' quoting Exile on Main Street album by the Rolling Stones song "You can't always get what you want" "But if you try sometimes"
Green Drought
Cartoon depicts the Greens party measuring soil moisture of grass on a bluff "The climate message hasn't yet sunk in deeply enough"
caption 'Green drought looms' (where there is just enough rain to make the countryside look lush, but not enough to relieve dry conditions…)
caption 'Green drought looms' (where there is just enough rain to make the countryside look lush, but not enough to relieve dry conditions…)
Cashmere Creatures
Cartoon depicts tourists looking at sheep "What are those strange creatures? asks a man wearing a stetson hat and a female comments "And why did the farmer buy them all cashmere sweaters?" Caption - Americans have other ideas about wool -news - Research shows Americans don't have a very good understanding of what wool actually is.
https://farmersweekly.co.nz/s/fw-article/new-research-shows-opportunity-for-nz-wool-in-us-MC2RCIGTZ5KVHBVK5J7SJOPCF24Y
https://farmersweekly.co.nz/s/fw-article/new-research-shows-opportunity-for-nz-wool-in-us-MC2RCIGTZ5KVHBVK5J7SJOPCF24Y
One Day All This Will Be A Lower Carbon Mix
Cartoon depicts a male farmer on a hilltop with his farmer wife & family indicating a farm below "One day all this will be a lower carbon mix of kale almonds & quinoa - plus some sheep and beef"
Covid Merry Go-Round
Cartoon depicts a covid merry go round with sickened adults begging to get off "Help - we wanna get off"
Biosecurity Bugs
Cartoon depicts bugs disguising themselves as workers to smuggle themselves on to farm crops.
Tinder 4 Barns
Cartoon depicts a farmer taking a phone photo of a lonely decrepit barn saying "A couple of filters and they'll all swipe right on you babe" - tagline - Start-up fdubbed tinder for barns.
Old Plough Horse
Cartoon depicts farmer asking an old horse " How would you like a spin around the fields for old time sake?" referring to increased cost of diesel due to Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Putin Storm Clouds
Cartoon depicts storm clouds similar to Russia's dictatorial leader Putin looming over wheat fields resembling the flag of Ukraine alarming a farmer - 'It's an ill wind - in Ukraine or NZ'
Supply Chain Issues
Cartoon depicts a frustrated farmer on the docks unable to export his products because of a lack of global shipping - throws bottles with notes inside into the sea saying 'send ships'
Low Emission Award
Cartoon depicts 'How Govt. could incentivise farmers to cut greenhouse emissions * That Farmers might choose' showing an official handing a farmer a bag of money labelled 'Tax Refund' in background 'Low emission forage' 'Once/day milking' and 'lower stock rate' 'Emission Reduction Award'
Bee Forage Zone
Cartoon depicts a cow painted with bee colours attempting to eat some of the flowers in the fenced area with a sign 'Bee Forage Zone keep out'
Record Returns Under Covid
Cartoon depicts a farmers tractor making a quick turn towards 'Record Returns' while other motorists wait at red lights for 'Events'
Golden Shears Cancelled
Cartoon depicts a sheep being shorn by shearers in a backcountry shearing shed caption 'Golden Shears Cancelled' sheep saysIt's not as fancy but I'm just grateful to get any haircut"
FOMOO 'OD
Cartoon depicts rural businessmen enviously eyeing unlocked down Australia - FOMOO 'OD - fear of missing out on overseas deals - as Australian hospitals overflow with covid cases.
Alt Protein - Alt Route
Cartoon depicts Acme Alt Protein truck is blocked by flock of sheep herded by a farmer who suggests to the driver "try an alt route".
Pickpockets
Cartoon depicts a dairy farmer accepting higher income but also higher costs as a line of men labelled 'Fertiliser' 'Transport & 'Labour' take their slice.
Alright Mate?
Cartoon depicts a white sheep asking a black sheep "Alright Mate?" "yep thanks for asking"
Country Checkpoint
Cartoon depicts a country roadside checkpoint with a sign saying 'Don't leave town until you've seen the country town' as a small town mayor interviewing young motorists "Tena Kotutu is checkpoint is just to check if you wouldn't mind taking a job, a house and living here?"
Sustainability
Cartoon depicts a politician outside a farm holding a sign saying sustainability, and a person in an EU flag suit holding a sign saying, 'what they said'. ( Many farmers think it's just the Govt pushing for reform but we're finding it's our customers who're asking for these changes as well and there's value to be had there. Processors like Silver Fern Farms are bringing in programmes to capitalise on this. )
Shearer develops jeans lined with wool
Cartoon depicts a man in his underpants shearing a sheep. S'hearer develops jeans lined with wool - news' "Now for a fresh pair of pants" says the shearer.
Shot Bro Cow
Cartoon depicts a cow dispensing covid vaccine to rural folk - 'Better Access to vaccine for rural folk - news - "Seems fair" says a farmer rolling up his sleeve.
Empty field
Cartoon depicts a scene outside a UK pub with an accent brewer crying "Co2 Co2 everywhere C02 nor any drop to drink" refers to a shortage of industrial CO2.
Sheep Farm Auction
Cartoon depicts a roadside auction for a sheep farm 'News- carbon cap rises to $70' "Ok what am I bid for this prime pasture lot? $5 million" says a sheep farmer -"$6 million" saysa forestry owner "baaa!" says a sheep dressed in farmer's clothes.
River Science
Cartoon depicts a river with two groups on either side - a river interest group is arguing the science with council science officers 'River users discuss the science of water quality in a constructive manner' while fish laugh on.
Lockdown Roundup
Cartoon depicts New Zealanders being herded into lockdown in response to covid outbreak in a manner akin to 'A Dog's Show' television show.
Climate Forecast - Next 10 years
Cartoon depicts a map of New Zealand divided in two halves by a red line West -rain & floods - east - fire & drought.
The Blair Sheep Project
Cartoon depicts a spooky campfire scene in a dark forest at night - 4 sheep sit on logs as one says "Evil trees swallowed up all the pastoral land leaving only the bones of lost sheep"
Farmers Weekly
Cartoon depicts 'Farmers' Day Parade 2030' with carnival floats full of happy farmers and rural people & interest groups celebrating reaching carbon neutrality with signs reading 'We did it' 'Cleaner waterways' 'Low nitrates' 'Greenest farms in the world' 'More customers - more farmers' 'Better Brands - higher payouts' 'World Leaders of regenerative farming' to applause from onlookers.
Clarkson Dust
Cartoon depicts two farmers coughing in the dust by a speeding car driven by Jeremy Clarkson "That’s just Clarkson - he reckons our sheep are treated pretty stink"
Farm Workers Wanted
Cartoon depicts a farmer waiting at an empty airport arrivals terminal holding a sign 'Farm workers wanted - + 2weeks free hotel stay' referring to compulsory quarantine stay.
E-ATV - the next classic kiwi farm vehicle
Cartoon depicts a farm 4 wheel bike powered by batteries - 'EATV - the next classic kiwi farm vehicle' cheaper to run #8 wire adaptable - durable -fixable - safe -quiet - green -low centre of gravity -great torque - tired batteries go to home solar -plant recycling old into new - charge on the farm.
A new ute?
Cartoon depicts an old farm truck with the driver says "Buy a new ute? Nah this one still owes me another 30 years yet."
Greenhouse Races
Cartoon depicts a horse race called 'Greenhouse Gas Reduction Races' with a New Zealand farmer riding a cow labelled 'NZ'saying to his mount "Now's not the time to be a fast follower Minnie" as horses labelled 'UK' and 'USA' threaten to catch up.
Solar Farm Sheep
Cartoon depicts two sheep charging their smart phones from a solar panel array "Thank goodness for this farm - my phone charge was down to 2%"
Farmers Weekly
Cartoon depicts a farmer standing by his help wanted sign watching a line of kids getting on a bus to Auckland.
Dogs On Strike
Cartoon depicts snooty-looking farm dogs ignoring two farmers "The dogs are on strike until their favourite brand is back on the menu" -refers to shortage of one brand of dog food.
Kombucha For Cows
Cartoon depicts a farmer spraying cow pats with kombucha while a cow says "He heard that Kombucha removes toxic bacteria - so no telling where he'll put it next"
TikTok Boy
Cartoon depicts a teenager dancing for a phone camera "When he said he wanted a career in tech this isn't what I had in mind" says his farmer father to his mother.
Fonterra Sailing
Cartoon shows New Zealand's America's Cup yacht catamaran sailing to a win with the head office of Fonterra behind with speech bubbles saying "We did it team - go us! The wind is really behind our backs now" "Turn off the TV Miles"
Kiwi Ute
Cartoon shows below Elon Musk's line of low orbit satellites a muddy 4WD utility vehicle driving up a grass slope "Thanks for the internet Elon but I dunno if your cyber truck will make it this far" says the farmer driver.
A&P Show Cancelled
Cartoon shows two locals stapling a 'cancelled' label over the top of an A&P Show billboard beside a road as a line of cars zoom past- "Better safe than sorry with all these Aucklanders around" - refers to those evading a covid19 lockdown in Auckland.
Laser Mandalorian
Cartoon shows Bobba Fett guarding grapes firing off laser pointers with a farmer telling his mate "The neighbour's using lasers to keep birds away but this guy is way cheaper.”
Rabobank Lends A Hand
Cartoon story on Rabobank's new sustainability manager - it appears banks etc are taking an active interest in getting farmers up to speed on enviro regulations as it's good for business. Maybe we could have a bank manager helping plant a wetland? not sure...
Farm Hazards
Cartoon shows a farmer's safety notice map of hazards on the farm "I made this for your protection"
Blundering in the dark
Cartoon shows Nathan Guy blunders about in the dark refers to the National governments response to an outbreak of Mycoplasma Bovis disease crying "Biosecurity is #1 priority" while a farmer with a torch says "Actually doing something is mine" while others cry "Don't panic" Who's there?"