Farmer fined for neglect

water.

‘‘What was present up there, and increasingly became a critical factor, was an infestation of gastric-intestinal worms,’’ Coles said.

The remoteness of the property meant the animals were not in Henson’s face every day – something Coles said made the case different from farmers who had animals under their noses at home. The animals should have had monthly drenches, and the vet saw the organic supplement ‘‘the way the medical professional views some of the supplements out there’’, he said.

Henson had since made changes to ensure this never happened again.

His daughter was having more input into operations, and he had hired six new staff to assist in Rongotea, Coles said.

As Henson was an experienced farmer, going to court on such charges had been embarrassing, Coles said.

The judge said this was a ‘‘black mark’’ against Henson, who appeared to be an experienced and able farmer.

‘‘That must be an embarrassing thing. It is unlikely it will recur.’’

Construction of the goat milking operation had become ‘‘all absorbing’’.

‘‘My assessment would be that you lost the focus that is necessary of a farmer of pastoral stock.

‘‘The job at home occupied you, and diverted your mind to such an extent that the standard of care you should have given the stock at distance was much less than it should have been.’’ Henson must also pay the Ministry’s vet bill of $4217. A small group of UCOL students are helping raise funds for children with disibilities.

About six UCOL students, studying their New Zealand Certificate in Nanny Education, manned a bake stall to raise funds for two Palmerston North families.

Nine-hundred chocolate-chip cookies and jars of lemon honey lined a stall in the UCOL Atrium on Thursday.

Programme organiser Maryanne Robertson said the students hoped to raise between $200 and $300 for two families who