Beetles to the rescue

Karen Morrison has bought a pack of dung beetles for her 240-cow family dairy farm at Linkwater, with the first of the four-season pack arriving this summer.

She is part of the Linkwater Catchment Group that is now part of the wider Te Hoiere/Pelorus Catchment Project and says it is a group that wants to get ahead of the rules. Six dairy farms are involved with the Linkwater group who work together on ideas and resolving problems. All have either bought packs of dung beetles or plan to buy packs as they become available because they view them as another tool to use for the environment. Karen has a few dung beetles already burrowing their way into dung after hosting a field day where they were released to show farmers.

Most farmers have been positive about the project which she says will provide the information and support going forward, such as funding. It can be hard for farmers to know what funding is available, whereas one of the benefits of the project will be the easy access to information and making that funding readily accessible.

On her family farm, 15 sites have been mapped and measured and will now be monitored. In Karen’s view, the sooner they have the information, the sooner they can make improvements.

She is third generation on the farm and the family has been proactive with fencing and plantings over the years, including planting a wet area on the farm with 2,500 native trees. Since the farm has been mapped and measured, another wet area has been identified for similar planting, with advice provided about planting. She says there have been a few areas on the farm highlighted by the project, with suggestions for change, but it hasn’t felt pressured.

Not far away in Canvastown, Michael Shearer says the best part about the project is getting more information about the water coming onto a property and then when it leaves the property.

“You need to know what is there beforehand and what impact you are having. Then once you know, you can find ways to fix it.”

He and his wife, Cheryl, bought their first farm three years ago and milk 180 cows, plus sharemilk with an equity partner on a nearby farm. They have all the main waterways fenced and he knows there will be more to do.

The catchment project is a lot more detailed than Fonterra’s environmental plans and more targeted because it has more information on a large number of sites. He says farmers are generally keen to get things done where it is needed and the way it has been done is creating good healthy relationships with council.

He says it is great to get the financial help for fencing and planting but finding the time to do the work is always hard and the reality is that farmers will do the work.

Getting paid contractors to maintain any plantings will be a huge help because that work usually needs to be done at the busiest time on the dairy farm calendar.

Karen Morrison wants to be environmentally proactive.