Toko family farmers win at Taranaki Ballance Farm Environment Awards

(From left): Charlie and Anna Smith and Carol and Peter Gane of Gane and Sons with Amanda Burling from Baker Tilly Staples Rodway.

What started as 60-hectare block bought in 1919 has grown into a 430ha sheep and beef farm for the Gane family.

In partnership, Peter, Carole and Tony Gane now farm the 410ha effective property that has gradually grown over the years from their grandmother’s original land purchase. They recently won the NZFET Innovation Award at the Taranaki Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

Peter says the family is pleased with the win.

“It was good recognition for what we do. I believe the win came from Charlie’s inventions, such as the self-feeding commercial hay bale wagon and the lamb feeding system - it runs like a traditional cow shed, but for lambs, with each lamb put into a separate bay, given the correct lamb feed and then let out the other side.”

He says they entered the Ballance Farm Environment Awards as a way of sharing the improvements they have made, while also creating an opportunity to learn from other entrants.

“It was a good evening, and we enjoyed meeting the other entrants and chatting to them about their farms and where they’ve been and where they’re going. It was also good meeting the sponsors, MPs and mayors as well.”

The Taranaki farm has excellent working facilities and machinery, along with healthy livestock. 90 per cent of the farm’s income is split equally between sheep and beef, with a further 10 per cent coming from dairy grazers.

One of the family’s biggest sustainability initiatives was taking part in a three-year trial of fine particle fertiliser. As a result of the trial, the Ganes have a good understanding of the farm’s fertiliser needs and can tailor application rates to different soil types.

Gane and Sons are developing two new water ponds with the help of a Fish & Game New Zealand grant, while planning is under way to create stock exclusion zones around waterways.

Work is under way to fence streams and drains, and the team is continuing to add more water reticulation in paddocks.

Infrastructure investments include constructing modern and covered sheep yards that feature dust suppression sprinklers.

Biodiversity is being enhanced, with the active control of possums, ferrets and stoats. In addition, there’s a strong focus on thistle control across the farm.

As well as carefully managing day-to-day farming projects, this family-focused partnership always keeps one eye on the future.

Through succession planning, they want to ensure a successful farm is handed to the next generation.