5 Pastoral farming rights ‘at risk’ Vol 19 No 10, March 15, 2021
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Farmers taking the lead Colin Williscroft colin.williscroft@globalhq.co.nz
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CATCHMENT group project near Palmerston North encouraging farmers to take their own onfarm water samples is holding an open day next month. The farmer-led project “Seeing, Understanding, Believing”, is funded by the Our Land and Water Science (OLAW) Challenge and involves farmers in the Nguturoa catchment near Linton, who have been studying stream health, greenhouse gas and farm management issues. Part of the project aims to provide practical methods for farmers to measure and evaluate water quality indicators associated with their own farms, with results used for strategic planning on their own properties as well as catchment group activities. The monitoring is done using NIWA’s Stream Health Monitoring and Assessment Kit (SHMAK). The kits provide a way to assess whether land-use practices are affecting waterways, and also allows stream health to be tracked over time, so farmers can assess whether it is getting better, worse or staying the same. As part of the project, NIWA scientists have been working with landowners to carry out monthly water quality tests for nutrients, sediment and pathogen indicators in streams and waterways running through their properties. One of the project leaders, KapAg managing director Terry Parminter says often industry groups, along with central and
local government organisations, simply tell farmers what to do without providing them with ways to achieve desired outcomes. Parminter says this project is different because it’s focused not only on what the outcomes might be, but also provides farmers with information on how to achieve them. He says if farmers can see for themselves how their farms affect their catchment they are more likely to take steps to change that. The aim is to create opportunities for landowners to share results and opinions about them with others in the group rather than just relying on experts. Parminter advocates a farmer-led approach to farm management planning and that includes environmental management. Niwa scientists, including Amanda Valois, have provided science and technical support to the Nguturoa project to directly measure ecological health, nutrient and sediment status in water that drains critical source areas on the farms involved in the project. The project, which has also attracted funding from the Manawatu River Leaders Accord, began late last year. Although water testing is ongoing, initial results have shown that despite the prevalence of dairying in the catchment nitrates in the water is not a critical factor. Instead it’s phosphorus and sediment that are showing up more, which is something that those who are part of the group would not have known if they hadn’t been doing the testing. One of the best ways to manage the phosphorus is to
MEASURING: Linton sheep and beef farmer Rob Thompson and KapAg managing director Terry Parminter use a clarity tube to measure the turbidity of water from a stream on Thompson’s farm.
If farmers can see for themselves how their farms affect their catchment they are more likely to take steps to change that. Terry Parminter KapAg manage the sediment. The landowners have been talking about riparian planting,
but Valois says whatever is planted they don’t want to lose the grass because it is an effective filter. The water testing kits are not aimed at replacing more formal methods of stream health monitoring, they are instead an additional tool to empower farmers and communities to play their own role. Samples gathered can also be sent for laboratory testing, which enables the information to be included in cross-catchment NIWA data. The SHMAK equipment can be ordered through the NIWA website. Prices begin at $120 for
the starter kit. Standard kits range from $600 to $695 depending on whether water is fairly cloudy or clear, through to SHMAK-plus, which includes everything in the standard kit, as well as kits for E.coli bacteria, dissolved nitrate and phosphate. Parminter says farmers can pool their resources within catchments to share ownership of the kits. The field day is on April 8, from 10.30am to 2.30pm at 267 Millricks Line, Linton. Speakers will include Parminter, representatives from Horizons regional council and AgResearch professor Richard McDowell.
FLYING 60 BUFFALO INTO THE COUNTRY GAVE NEW MEANING TO THE TERM CATTLE CLASS. Twelve years ago, Richard and Helen Dorresteyn made the decision to import 60 water buffalo into the country to start making fresh buffalo mozzarella. It was a decision that had its risks, but it’s proved to be a good one. When you do things differently, it’s great to know someone like FMG has got your back. To hear the full Clevedon Buffalo Co. story, go to fmg.co.nz/progress
We’re here for the good of the country. FMG1032FWFPS_B