Focus Activity Farm Plans
One of Selwyn Earwaker's biggest concerns used to be stock losses to waterways on his 227 hectare Tokanui sheep farm.
The Tokanui River forms one of the farm's boundaries, which meant sheep could cross on to neighbouring property in summer, and in winter, with higher water levels, stock were becoming trapped. Fencing was the obvious solution.
I had been working at it myself and called Environment Southland about possible funding to help, Selwyn says.
He spoke to land sustainability officer Sam Dixon who explained that if he completed a Focus Activity Farm Plan he could then apply for funding to assist with the cost of implementing the recommendations in the plan.
The plan that Sam developed, at no direct cost to Selwyn, provides recommendations that are focused on good management practices for winter grazing, riparian management and nutrient management.
The recommendations aim to keep sediment and nutrients on-farm and out of waterways - providing benefits for farm sustainability and efficiency while also improving water quality.
As part of the plan, Sam walked and drove all the waterways with GPS mapping on the Collector app.
Sam says there are approximately 10km of waterways on the Earwaker property. Selwyn had already completed over 7km of fencing which is fantastic.
Recommendations in the plan included completing the fencing as well as some riparian planting suggestions, implementing strategic winter grazing, fencing and planting around a sediment pond, and getting underway with a nutrient budget.
Selwyn says it's still early days for getting into the recommendations of the plan, but he's already done one season of strategic winter grazing and has similar plans for this year.
He's no longer concerned about losing stock to waterways or to his neighbours either, now that fencing along his Tokanui River boundary is complete. As well, he's fenced a small wetland area, all with the help of a successful funding application to Environment Southland.
In the future, Selwyn plans to fence a stunning 20ha patch of native forest on his property and applying for a QEII covenant to protect it.
