On 5th June 2024 Allegrow held a field day at Brent & Antonia Mountfort’s beef and sheep farm as part of the Integrated Farm Planning Series. The Bay of Plenty couple run breeding cows and ewes on 270 ha (150 ha effective) at Manawahe, inland from Matatā.
The farm is quite steep and sometimes difficult to move stock from one area to another, so retiring less productive land and erosion prone areas has helped the Mountforts to manage the farm more efficiently while improving biodiversity of the site.
Brent has been working with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and QEII National Trust to fence off 30 hectares of their property, including gullies and unproductive land, and implementing pest control in those areas. The total amount of native bush that has been fenced is approximately 90 hectares and there is a further 30 hectares in 2nd rotation pine plantation. The protected area includes some large puriri and rimu remnant trees and has been planted with more than 30,000 nativeplants, with over 50 different varieties including puriri, kanuka, karamu, manuka, rimu and six different varieties of rata. With the deer fencing now in place, they are now able to have native plants that wouldn’t survive otherwise. A large pile of rats in and under the trap is a satisfying testament to the pest control being carried out.
Notably, the farm remains profitable and in fact has increased in profitability over the past decade.
Benefits for the environment can be seen already on the farm and these are expected to be seen long-term in the soil conservation and freshwater quality of the area. Looking forward, it would be interesting to see how native bush can regenerate when stock and deer are excluded and to compare the bush growth in areas nearby where the deer, pigs and wallabies have free access.
In addition to their environmental benefits, native bush areas offer significant advantages for mental health. When you’re having a rough day, these natural sanctuaries provide an ideal escape. The native bush offers a serene and tranquil setting that helps relieve stress and promote a sense of calm.
Although there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ recipe to integrate biodiversity on farms, there are lots of options available to promote healthy ecosystems and ensure economic viability of farm systems at the same time.
Natalia Zefferino – Environmental Consultant