Production increases on fewer hectares

Billie Herries with what might well prove to be Taramoa's last stoat. Photo / supplied

An East Coast farm is enjoying a dramatic increase in productivity, despite retiring 10 per cent of the land, graphically demonstrating that farming sustainably doesn't have to come at an economic cost.

Since taking over management of the Puketitiri sheep and beef farm Taramoa in 2015, Dan and Billie Herries have continued the previous managers' devotion to enhancing its biodiversity, and their hard work was recognised at the 2020 Ballance Farm Environment Awards, where they won the soil management, livestock farm, agri-science and innovation categories.

The farm now boasts more than 20,000 native plants, all waterways have been fenced, and a comprehensive predator trapping network now covers the entire property.

"We often think that if we do all this stuff, we'll lose productivity. However, the combination of these things all add up, meaning our financial performance has increased dramatically," Dan said.

For example, fencing off waterways not only created a riparian corridor for native species but also reduced stock losses from drowning. And creating robust shelter belts of native plants had the bonus of boosting young animal survival rates.

"It's pretty daunting at first, and we've made plenty of mistakes along the way – we've learnt by doing. But it's been worth it. It's amazing now, and gives us a great sense of satisfaction. You can't let it overwhelm you, and it's important to take breaks from it," he added.

"A good approach is to pick the highest priority area to retire and just do that one. We didn't do a whole farm plan to start with, we just did it year-by-year. It's not so daunting now that we've broken it down."

The key drivers were Taramoa's location, between the Kaweka Forest Park and Ball's Clearing Scenic Reserve, and the fact that kiwi and other rare native species were living on the property.

The couple felt obligated to create a riparian corridor to connect the two reserves, enabling safe travel back and forth, and also creating a crucial part of their trapping network.

"It's a pretty big motivator to keep trapping when you're out on the farm with the kids at dusk and you hear the kiwi calls," Dan said.

The family had trapped rats, mustelids and feral cats, and the hard work was paying off. From 80 mustelid traps, just one stoat was caught in the past month.

"Stoats are the biggest threat because they kill a lot of birds, including kiwi chicks, and cause a lot of disturbance. Birds won't even nest when they're around," he said, adding that he had learned a lot about farming from podcasts,particularly Beef + Lamb New Zealand's.

"We need our hands when we're working, and don't want to be stuck too long in the office. You can listen to podcasts when feeding out on the tractor and pick up little tips as you go. I've been absolutely blown away at the resources available."