Towards Resilient Farmers in Northland.
Whether from climate cycles or climate change, we can expect more frequent damaging rainfall events, wild storms and intense summer droughts. Farming policies, practices and business structures need to minimise disruption and manage risk.
With funding from the Sustainable Farming Fund, a project team comprising NZ Landcare Trust, local farmers and the NRC have contracted AgResearch and AgFirst Northland to identify suitable on-farm adaptations.
First Year (2008/09)
A survey was undertaken to identify tactical and strategic activities adopted by farmers - an overview of the survey findings is available below:
Second Year (2009/10)
Bob Thomson from AgFirst Northland is working directly with sheep and beef farmers to identify practical strategies to increase their resilience to adverse climatic events. Tracey Payne from AgResearch is documenting and assessing the social dynamics, with the intention of applying this knowledge in the future.
Two workshops have been held on a case study farm, involving a core group of farmers linked to the project. This will be reported on soon.
Carbon farming case studies have been prepared for two Northland farms, utilising Farmax modeling to demonstrate the wider implications and opportunities for farm systems. Only a few farmers are currently able to relate the concept of carbon farming to their own farm system, despite the fact that it may be a key component in increasing resilience. The case studies provide farmers with information about opportunities to generate additional income from carbon, increase awareness of implications of climate change and encourage appropriate management changes... case studies>
AgResearch summary reports on farmer resilience in Northland (2009):
P.A. Handford & Associates - a summary of the carbon balance for Millbrook Station, Pakiri (file size 105KB):
