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Every year, the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust showcases the best examples of sustainable farming and growing, via its Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA), as well as showcasing catchment groups working to improve the quality of rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands. This year, two local operations are under the spotlight – a Pohuehue farmer, who is a finalist in the Auckland regional BFEA, and New Zealand’s largest landscape remediation programme, which encompasses both Auckland and Northland.
Planting seeds of sustainability
Matt Wech’s family farm at Pohuehue has seen some radical changes since his great-grandfather bought the 33-hectare hill country property off Cowan Bay Road in 1845.
The native trees covering the land were logged and milled, before the land was put down to paddocks with the aim of maximising stock productivity from pasture.
However, since Matt took over in the late 1990s, he’s taken a different approach to his forebears, working to restore the land by growing and planting thousands of native trees from seed and shifting the income focus away from just sheep and beef.
A trained commercial beekeeper, he also sells manuka honey, free range eggs and native tree seedlings, as well as renting out the farmhouse and harvesting pine trees.
He says around one-third of the farm has now been replanted with trees grown from seed at his on-site nursery, to mitigate erosion and help purify the farm’s freshwater.
His ecological efforts have long been recognised by various local conservation groups, who have regularly urged him to enter the BFEA, but it wasn’t until this year that he felt ready.
“I’ve never thought I was worthy, but we’re in all these planting programmes and council keeps reminding me how far we’ve come,” he said. “I’ve been asked to enter every year and I finally think everything’s coming together and it’s a good time to enter. It’s taken 10 years to get to this point.”
Awards judges have visited the farm twice and said they were impressed with the fencing of all the waterways to keep stock out, as well as with Matt’s deep knowledge of the property’s soil and a wide range of sustainable farming practices.
“Matt’s unique approach and entrepreneurial spirit means the farm has remained profitable while staying true to his commitment to be self-sufficient and sustainable,” they said.
Matt and partner Ana will be heading to the awards night this Thursday, March 21, together with the three other finalists from the Auckland region – a farm near Clevedon owned by NZ Young Farmers, an orchid nursery in Franklin and a dairy operation in Hunua.
One winner across two regions in 2024 catchment showcase
In this year’s Catchment Group Showcase, the same organisation has been chosen for both Auckland and Northland regions – Kaipara Moana Remediation (KMR).
KMR is a $300 million, decade-long project that aims to remediate environmental degradation by halving sediment loss into the Kaipara Harbour, supporting planting programmes, education and other activities across 6000 square km.
The Farm Environment Trust said that while KMR was not actually a catchment group, it was an influential umbrella organisation working with more than 575 landowners and supporting projects led by 54 different groups.
Communications coordinator Kat Wildy said the work being done by KMR was important and inspirational.
“Showcasing larger catchment collectives is valuable in that it inspires smaller groups and shows what can be achieved when people come together with a collective vision. It also gives people an idea of what resources are out there that they can tap into,” she said.
KMR leader Justine Daw agreed, saying it was a wonderful opportunity to share the work being done and how the scheme was supporting landowners and groups.
“We were really thrilled to be showcased,” she said. “We are a catalyst, a connector and ultimately an investor in both people and projects across the Kaipara Moana catchment.”
She said as KMR was relatively new, not everyone was aware of what it was doing, but since forming in 2020, it had facilitated the planting of about 1.4 million native plants, installed almost 600km of fencing and developed 550 sediment reduction plans for landowners. KMR has also trained and mentored nearly 60 people as field advisers.
“As Pou Tātaki, I’m so proud of the progress the programme is making and the very real results we are delivering on the ground, working with and through our many partners, suppliers and the very diverse set of people in communities who are doing the hard mahi,” Daw said.
KMR offers free advice, can fund up to 50 per cent of the cost of sediment reduction projects and can also help with the cost of engagement, coordination and project management for catchment groups and marae.
