More than 20 hectares of native bush planted in the Moutere Hills has earned Philip and Jenny Leith the Trees on Farms category at the 2026 Growing Native Forests Champions Awards at Fieldays.
“We’re very humbled by the fact that we’ve been recognised,” Philip says.
“It’s a pleasure to do it, it’s wonderful to see the growth, and the results of what we’ve been doing.”
Minister for Forestry Todd McClay said they were recognised for their resilient farming through native planting of gullies and wetlands, and opening the farm to the public for lasting environmental and community benefit.
The land had gullies stripped of native vegetation through generations of forestry, with little to no seed source left in the ground, Philip says.
“I think if you went back 100 or so years, you’d find that that’s why it went into pine trees – the settlers would’ve given up on trying to keep this land clear.”
He spent 30 years growing blackcurrants and apples on the valley flats before working the hill blocks.
“This clay is very unforgiving; it’s very deep clay, and there’s very little topsoil, especially after the bulldozers have taken the stumps away.”
He says mānuka and kānuka go in first, with podocarps including totara, kahikatea and matai interplanted as the canopy develops, with blanket or spot spraying used to clear each block before planting in June and July.
“The main thing I find is to get rid of as much of the gorse first.”
One of their goals is to create a better habitat for birds.
“We’ve got about 150 traps around the place, so we’re catching a huge number of predators, from mice right through to cats and possums, and we are seeing and hearing more birds.
“We’re now at the stage where we’re able to join up some of our gully plantings to create continuous corridors.”
The full list of award winners can be found here.
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