'Dirty dairying' farmer tofulfil unusual sentence

The Piopio dairy farmer who received the unusual sentence of speaking at up to six effluent management field days will probably only appear at four of them.

Ben Watson received the sentence from Judge Jeff Smith in the Hamilton District Court after he pleaded guilty to four breaches of the Resource Management Act, after an over-application of effluent on paddocks polluted a tomo and tributaries of the Mokau River.

Watson was also ordered to publish a quarter-page apology in the Waitomo News and fined $3000.

Watson said he was not the headline speaker at the field days, which start tomorrow.

Instead he would be answering questions.

"It's really about farmers going and learning and not about me.

"I am going in a learning capacity."

The first is tomorrow at Gifford McFadden's farm in Jay Rd, Reporoa.

Field days will also be hosted by Greg and Gerry Glover, of Drumlea Farms, 1873 Kakaramea Rd, Hamilton, on Wednesday; Tony and Sally Wilding, of 543 Rangitanuku Rd, Okoroire, on Thursday; Brian and Julie Pirie, of 133 Central Rd North, Ngatea, on Friday; John and Pat Finlayson and sharemilker Anson Clapcott, of Piopio, on November 10; and Richard and Teena Cornes, of 234 Manawaru Rd, Te Aroha, on November 11.

The field days will start at 11am and finish at 1pm.

- © Fairfax NZ News