Extension 350 participant farmers network on a farm site visit.
Extension 350 participant farmers network on a farm site visit.
If there has been one common theme to Northland's collective experience of the past two years, it must be this – change.
Change has continued at pace across the country, our region and the pastoral sector, with the impacts accentuated by uncertainty, Covid-19 and the wider sociopolitical environment which weall operate in.
Focusing on Northland's pastoral sector, change has rippled across central and local government legislation, industry regulation and evolving societal and consumer expectations across economic, environmental and wellbeing fronts.
Change has generated both immediate impacts and those which will continue well into the future.
This can be a potent brew for those immersed in it and looking to find a way through ongoing change can sometimes be a daunting challenge for those involved.
Our Northland farmers continue to deal with this fluid, often conflicting, and invariably opaque and uncertain environment, not as an abstract academic or philosophical exercise but in real time whilst continuing to manage their businesses, look after their animals, profitability, the environment as well as themselves and their whānau's wellbeing.
Luke Beehre, project lead, Extension 350 - Northland Inc.
Since its inception in 2016, Northland Inc's Extension 350 programme has worked to help the region's farmers reach their goals and objectives spanning profitability, environmental sustainability and wellbeing.
A focus since day one has been on ensuring the programme launched and remained as a farmer-led and farmer-focused initiative, connecting the dots and building mentorships and networks across our Northland farming communities.
With a goal of getting 350 Northland farmers involved across a five-year programme, we wanted to ensure that farmers would come out of the programme with the skills and a network of support to help them continue to adapt to the changing farming landscape and progress towards their goals.
There's some irony in the fact that the events of the past two years have seen the Extension 350 programme become more relevant than ever – focused on connections, support and the triple bottom line lens of financial, environmental and personal wellbeing, which we know are issues heightened by the impacts of Covid-19 – while effectively delivering a programme founded on connections and networks has been challenged by lockdowns, social distancing and the pressures such change presents to fulfilling a farm's day to day operations.
Cows on farm at a participating Extension 350 farm in Northland.
Despite this, Extension 350 recently surpassed a major milestone, with farmers actively involved exceeding expectations and peaking at more than 375, over and above the original project target of 350.
This has created a network of farmers, mentors and industry representatives, who have worked together to help our target farmers plan and work towards their goals.
Whether focused on profitability, succession planning, optimising farm systems, improving environmental sustainability, or building a work life balance, the programme has created a support system built by the Northland farming community, for our Northland farmers.
The strength of the programme has been seen through the fact that even once the groups of farmers have progressed through the formal programme structure, conversations, relationships and knowledge sharing has continued, a testament to the value of the bonds formed.
While the journey has not been without challenges and has proven to be somewhat of a rollercoaster ride, Extension 350 continues to prove its value to the farmers involved, region, section and wider stakeholders alike.
Delivered in conjunction with our partners at Beef + Lamb NZ, Ministry of Primary Industries, Northland Regional Council and Dairy NZ, final attribution for success of Extension 350 comes down to the tenacity of the farmers involved.
It is testament to the fact that while at times fatigued and knee deep in mud, Northland farmers are arguably in many ways remarkably optimistic and continue to look towards the future with hope and expectation, despite the changes to come
• Luke Beehre is the project lead for Extension 350, Northland Inc.
