Waikato start-up helping reduce the spread of disease and weeds on farm

Arriving on farm with muddy boots is well understood as a dangerous practice on New Zealand farms. The risk of spreading diseases or weeds from one farm to another has long been recognised but now, with the worrying arrival of Mycoplasma Bovis, extreme care is more important than ever.

Hamilton-based couple, Russell Knutson and Jacqui Humm, have been considering these risks for several years and, at Fieldays 2018, they will launch two innovative new products aimed at improving biosecurity practices in the rural sector, under the umbrella brand cleanboots.co.nz.

Raised on a Waikato dairy farm, Knutson has worked in the agricultural sector for 25-odd years, including visiting farms and agri-businesses in New Zealand and around the world. In 2001, supporting colleagues during the devastation of Foot and Mouth in the UK, he witnessed first-hand the emotional and financial impacts on farming communities.

“In 2016, I was again reminded of the harrowing effects of an outbreak when I met some Kiwi farmers struggling to control the spread of more common diseases like Rotavirus and Cryptosporidium between their mobs of animals. It was abundantly clear that the method and practice of cleaning and disinfecting footwear for people working within and going between properties in New Zealand needed to be a lot better,” Russell said.

Knutson said currently ag businesses are self-regulated in terms of biosecurity and rely significantly on national border controls, but that is no longer enough.  

“Consistent with the national strategy, biosecurity practice now starts at the farm gate and we’re focussed on providing biosecurity footwear solutions that put a secondary line of defence in place, for farmers’ own peace of mind.”

Jacqui, who has a communications background, including working with many ag-based clients, said messaging to the industry reminds people to clean and disinfect boots and footwear, but in reality the equipment, process and practice to do so needs to be easy, fast and safe to create the behaviour change that is needed. 

“We were determined to design something that would hit the mark for people in terms of being fast, easy and effective, while also providing good health and safety practices – so to do this right we engaged design engineers, and undertook formal market research with farmers and rural professionals.”

The result is a product range that covers both farmers and their staff, and mobile agri-business professionals and service technicians. 

The PE Boot Cleaner, imported from Europe, is a permanently-placed farm entry and exit boot cleaning unit designed to be comfortable and safe to use, and built for heavy outdoor use.

In addition, Russell and Jacqui have invented a portable, lighter-weight solution, developed with mobile rural professionals and service technicians in mind. It’s called the JacsonCube™ and will feature in the Innovation Centre at the 2018 Fieldays. 

“The fixed Boot Cleaner solution is great for major entry and exit points but, particularly on larger farm operations, people may come on site from various entry locations. Plus, sometimes farmers aren’t comfortable asking visitors to clean their boots,” Russell said. 

“The Jacson Cube™ is a footwear biosecurity system for people who visit farms on a regular basis, so they can manage their part in minimising the spread of disease and weeds themselves. 

“Biosecurity is everyone’s responsibility – actually it’s everyone’s business. Our goal is to get New Zealand to a point where it’s second nature when you walk on to a commercial rural property, whether it’s a livestock operation, orchard, market garden or even a vineyard that everyone has taken responsibility for their own biosecurity risk.” 

The Jacson Cube™ is very much a product of the Waikato. Russell and Jacqui were assisted to bring their design to life by MW Design in Hamilton and the product is assembled nearby. The metal fabrication is local from Supreme Sheet Metals, the disinfectant applicator is Waikato made at Simcro, as is the disinfection Sweet Mat which is an optional extra.

“As well as making sure we use Waikato-based engineers and manufacturers,” Knutson explains, “we’ve got incredible support and advice from local experts, including our accountant Steve Stark at BDO, intellectual property lawyers James and Wells and, in particular, Craig Purcell at Waikato Innovation Park as part of Callaghan Innovation. The specialist help for us as a start-up has been invaluable.”

“I’ve been involved with start-ups before, but when it’s your idea and your money, it’s a whole different ball game.”

Knutson credits Waikato Innovation Park for their expert guidance through the process, particularly as the bridge between small businesses to potential government funding, advice and connections. 

“They are local experts who understand the region, which is really important.”

Even though it was born in the Waikato, Jacson3 certainly has international aspirations. 

“Being an online sales business, there are no boundaries for us, and we hope eventually to be sending the Jacson Cube™ to farms and rural businesses around the world.”