Riponui dairy farmers Grae and Lou Roberts want to leave their land better than how they found it.

So, they have teamed up with Kaipara Moana Remediation and Fonterra to begin a journey of fencing off waterways and planting the riparian margins in natives.

Almost 6000 trees into their journey and the couple who farm on the edge of the Hikurangi Swamp, north of Whangārei, say they can’t wait to see the growth progress on the 1.29 ha plantation area in the next few years.

KMR has not only assisted with contributing to the cost of the planting but also the two wire electric fencing surrounding the area, support the couple are grateful for.

“Where we have planted is one of our favourite parts of the farm. There are some lovely stands of native trees - including a QEII National Trust covenant - and we see value in planting more areas because that will increase the quality of waterways over time,” say Grae and Lou.

While the planted area is a fraction of their 250-hectare dairy unit, it is a great start to their partnership with KMR, where there is a natural synergy given Grae and Lou’s desire to do right by the environment through their well thought out farming practices.

Despite being busy milking a 700-strong herd and raising a young family, sustainability and environmental values are at the heart of their operation which is why they have invested heavily in cutting edge effluent management.

They are immensely appreciative of being able to partner with KMR and Fonterra.

“We found out about KMR through Fonterra and pretty much left it to them to organise everything. All we had to do is help arrange the fencing and planting. We had been wanting to fence more of our waterways and bush on our beef unit, so this is a perfect opportunity.

“Our aim is to have a well-run farm that looks after our family and with strong stands of native trees which people will recognise as a nice farm. There are plenty of good farmers around here who have already been doing what we have just done, so we are just trying to do our bit. We can’t wait to see the growth of the planted area in years to come,” say Grae and Lou.

KMR Pou Tātaki Justine Daw says the ongoing partnership with Fonterra and dairy farmers across the catchment is significant.

“Under KMR’s partnership with Fonterra, over 350 dairy farmers have developed plans and associated projects. To date, the partnership has resulted in over 240 kilometres of new fencing and 94,000 native trees planted. Dairy farmers also work directly with KMR on large-scale planting projects. I’m confident that farmers like Grae and Lou will be recognised in the future for the planting effort they are putting in now,” says Justine.

“Over 70% of farmers coming to work with KMR hear about us by talking to other farmers who have worked with us. This conversations over the fence are really valuable in spreading the word and getting more people on board.”

Fonterra’s Mike Mitchell has also been working closely with the Roberts and says they have demonstrated clear commitment and consistent evolution of improvement – traits important to Fonterra.

“Grae and Lou are putting in a big effort to do things right. Working with KMR has been seamless. It goes from on the ground discussions about priorities, to action on farm in line with those priorities. Fencing and planting of this scale is rewarding for everybody,” says Mike.

To get support for fencing over summer or planting next winter, email the KMR team at hono@kmr.org.nz

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