Environment
Get the best returns at the best time
Smart technology is enabling farmers and growers to not only optimise their solar electricity use, but also allows them to optimise returns from selling power back to the grid at the right time. Words Anee Lee.
Possum free farming on Banks Peninsula
When Jack and Charlotte Gibbs moved to their 235-hectare farm on the cliff-hugging Akaroa side of Banks Peninsula in 2013, possums were everywhere. They have gone from catching 2,000 possums to none. Words Allison Hess & Anna Bracewell-Worrall
Subdivision of rural land – facts and fiction
The subdivision of rural land into small/lifestyle blocks, and especially for urban use, has always been contentious. The National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Soils, is the latest attempt to control the issue. Phil Journeaux, a Consulting Agricultural Economist based in Waikato, points out that it is a castle built on sand. Words Phil Journeaux
Keep soil in its place
Heavy rain events provide an opportunity for farmers to record where water is flowing across farms and if mitigation action is needed. Words Heather Chalmers, Photos Abie Horrocks.
Smart predator control: expert advice from the field
Cam Speedy and John Bissell have spent decades helping farmers and conservation projects across the country make real headway against rats, stoats, possums, feral cats and ferrets. Words Allison Hess.
Keeping the Door Open to the EU
Silver Fern Farms, MIA and OSPRI have partnered with Prism Earth’s innovative technology to provide unprecedented insights into farmers’ natural capital that will both provide continued market access to the European Union as well as potential new revenue streams. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.
A biodiversity blueprint
In the gullies of Clinton in South Otago, the Campbells have developed an innovative new approach to native planting and maintenance that’s more affordable, has a higher success rate and could be scalable nationally. Words & Photos Sarah Perriam-Lampp.
The Future of Forestry: Time to re-establish a native tree industry?
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton is urging a “fundamental rethink” of New Zealand’s forestry policy and its role in emissions reduction in his latest report Alt F Reset which looks at the feasibility of large-scale native afforestation. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp.
TB-free milestone for Molesworth Station
A major milestone has been achieved after four decades of managing TB at Molesworth Station, marking one of New Zealand’s most determined and complex biosecurity challenges. Words Sarah Perriam-Lampp, Photos Kara Tait.
A collective voice
The newly formed Aotearoa New Zealand Catchment Communities aims to give a collective voice to catchment groups across the country, with a goal of providing security of funding for the future, and sharing the good news stories of farmer stewardship of the land. Words Rebecca Greaves.