Welcome to the first edition of Tristar’s new newsletter, aimed at bringing you industry news and tips, plus the latest in Tristar product information.
There have been some major developments over the last 12 months that have signalled changes in the grape growing industry. As you will read below, environmental and health issues have caused a shift away from using CCA treated timber, which has huge implications for vineyards using wooden posts.
At the end of another busy year for the grape growing industry I would like to wish you a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
I look forward to hearing from you and doing business with you in the New Year.
 Regards
Bernard Bouchard
Managing Director
Tristar Fencing Australia
A significant trend among grape-growers during the past 12 months has been a move to steel posts to support trellising. More and more growers are recognising steel posts are stronger, lighter, quicker to drive into the ground and more environmentally-friendly than wooden posts – particularly in view of growing concern about the environmental impact of CCA-treated wooden posts.
Vineyards can experience up to 10 per cent of breakages a year with wooden posts and the replacement cost quickly adds up. So it’s easy to see why some of the biggest players in the industry are switching to metal posts, which not only last virtually forever but are also generally cheaper than wooden posts.
Steel posts save you work because they don’t need additional support attachments such as staples and clips. Another bonus with steel posts is they are flexible enough to avoid damage from mechanical vineyard equipment. They also allow more grapes to be harvested from around the post - giving you up to 10 per cent improvement in yield when mechanically harvesting.
Tristar™ has sold a record number of our Ramshead™ galvanised steel posts this year to grape growers throughout Australia and New Zealand. We’re working with several of Australia’s top grape growers to refine our posts to meet the future needs of the industry. Many of these big growers have decided to change from wooden posts to steel, due to their concerns about the long-term environmental impact of CCA-treated timber posts, as well as the inconsistent quality of timber.
The CCA issue should not be under-estimated, particularly as major buyers of Australian wines such as the United States and Europe may find it a convenient excuse to ban our wines on environmental grounds – which they’re entitled to do, regardless of any free trade agreement that may exist.
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority recently expressed grave concern about CCA, which has now been banned in the United States because it is believed to cause cancer due to its high arsenic levels. CCA-treated timber may well be banned eventually in Australia too.
There’s also real concern about how to safely dispose of the thousands of broken wooden posts each year that are CCA-treated. If they go to landfills the arsenic eventually leaches into groundwater.
Tristar has two types of galvanised steel posts for vineyards – the Vee-Post™, a strong, light intermediate post, and the Ramshead™, Australia’s strongest vineyard intermediate. The Ramshead™ is so tough it can completely replace timber posts in your vineyard.
Our posts have specially-designed slots, punched in the right place to hold trellis wires securely, and make it easy to lift the wires. The latest ‘Top Notch’ Ramshead™ has a slot at the top of the post to allow you to run a wire along the top of your trellis. If necessary, we can manufacture posts with the slots tailor-made to your exact needs.
Tristar has also developed a natural lubricant (LLP) that we add to all our posts. This product increases their life by an amazing 500 per cent. LLP is so effective we don’t believe there’s been anyone born yet who will see corrosion on these posts!
You can learn more about Tristar’s outstanding range of steel posts by visiting our website at www.tristaroz.com.au . We have distributors throughout Australia who can discuss your trellising needs with you.
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