DairyNZ: How dairy environment leader Ewan Mathieson helps his community

Ewen and Diane Mathieson on their farm. Photo / DairyNZ

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Ewan Mathieson is committed to improving the environment, not only on his Southland dairy farm but also in his community.

Mathieson, who is also a dairy environment leader for DairyNZ, is involved in various projects that enhance the biodiversity of the area.

Recently, his work has helped endangered whitebait to thrive in a tributary running through his farm.

Mathieson was able to take advantage of funding from Environment Southland, through Jobs for Nature, for fish passage remediation.

He was surprised by the results, he told The Country Sport Breakfast’s, Craig Cumming.

“It was quite staggering as to the numbers of native fish and the variations of species.”

He’s also busy with environmental work off-farm, including a local Pourakino catchment group, which is contributing to good numbers of the endangered native fish, the kanakana.

Mathieson was keen to point out it wasn’t just dairy farmers involved in the project.

“[There’s also] sheep and beef [farmers] it’s actually the whole community really - that’s what a catchment group model is about.”

The Pourakino catchment group is part of Aparima Community Environment (ACE), which was granted funding through Thriving Southland’s Change and Innovation Project.

It’s made up of six farmer-led catchment groups of the Aparima river catchment. Mathieson is also on the board of Thriving Southland.

ACE supports farmers to identify and action steps to reduce their environmental footprint and the project is supported by a range of partners including DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb NZ, as well as Thriving Southland.

DairyNZ set up the dairy environment leader network 14 years ago as another way to support farmers with their environmental work.

Being a dairy environment leader allowed Mathieson to help out other farmers, as well as the community.

“We are given the opportunity to better understand the framework we’re operating in - whether it be regulation...[the] markets...[or] the challenge, or opportunity, we see around green finance going forward.

“Also, through that mechanism, to understand... what actions we can take on-farm and in our community to help support engagement around that particular direction and support our fellow farmers and community as a whole, in understanding and moving forward.”

Find out more about DairyNZ’s dairy environment leaders here.