As the year speeds by and we watch, with a grimace, diesel and petrol prices soar, it’s a good time to take stock of how things are in Southland.
And Thriving Southland has the perfect opportunity on 6 May at the 'Everything to Gain – What Really Matters: Paddock to Markets’ event. It’s a free day of insights, real stories and straight talk about the opportunities ahead for Southern farmers.
Kate Scott will lead a stellar line-up of leading agri, trade and policy experts for conversations that matter, connecting what’s happening in the world to what’s happening on your farm. Click on the link at the end of the newsletter for more details.
One of the many great Catchment Group-led projects happening in the region is the Edendale Aquifer Group’s in-depth look into understanding the movement, interactions, and monitoring of nutrients, particularly nitrogen through the catchment. A year on from their first field day, they partnered with DairyNZ in March to revisit the case study farms and share what has been learnt across the catchment - with some interesting results. More on that below.
Elsewhere, Groups have been doing everything from putting their heads together to consider the future 4 farming, to checking out farm solar set-ups and visiting penguin reserves.
Let’s hope the last few weeks of autumn treat us as well as the first few – have a great May!
Update from our Chair, Jeff Grant
For many of us, the events in Iran have dramatically changed the way we see the next twelve months and its impact on agriculture businesses.
Thriving Southland, like all organisations, is going to have to adjust the way we operate to ensure we adapt to ever changing circumstances. For the Board, this means relooking at budgets, deciding what really needs to be done, and seeking more efficient ways to deliver programmes.
On a brighter note, farming is positive space in the commodity cycle, enabling us to ride out this hopefully short economic downturn, except for some risk around supply chain disruption.
Look forward to seeing many of you at "Everything to Gain" event on Wednesday 6 May. This is an opportunity to get a day away from the business and catch up on international trade, consumer trends and sustainable farming systems.
News
Funding opportunity Westpac Water Care Project grants
Applications are now open for the Westpac Water Care Project grants, which give six community and Catchment Groups the chance to claim $10,000 each to support an initiative in their area. The grants are available to any Group working on environmental projects that improve the quality and health of waterways – such as stream restoration, planting and pest control.
For the past four years the Westpac NZ and NZ Landcare Trust partnership has provided much-needed financial and volunteer help to passionate locals to protect their natural surroundings.
Applications for this year’s grants close on 31 May. Interested Groups can check if they meet the criteria and register their interest in funding on the website here.
Meet our Board – John White
John, together with his wife Renee and their four children, farm near Riverton in Southland, where they are actively involved in their local community. Their farming operations are dairy-based, with a focus on developing a fully self-contained system for wintering and youngstock grazing, while supporting co-operative models across both retail and processing sectors.
John has farmed across the USA, Chile and New Zealand before settling in Southland. He regards Southland’s temperate climate, strong infrastructure and community as key drivers of its success as a world-class farming region. Across the farming business, he focuses on people, livestock improvement, farm development and efficient systems, as well as community engagement and succession planning to ensure long-term sustainability.
John is actively involved in community and environmental initiatives, including Aparima Community and Environment (ACE), the Lower Aparima Catchment Group and the Aparima College Board of Trustees. On the farm, he’s particularly proud of the establishment of multiple wetlands, along with the protection and ongoing enhancement of native areas.
Recent Events
Gore Catchment Group – Planning BBQ
The Gore Catchment Group recently gathered at Wards Wetlands for a BBQ catch-up and meeting, bringing together members and the wider community for an informal evening of discussion and connection.
The Group heard an update on Stage 2 of the wetland project, including progress toward developing a 5-year strategic plan and the potential use of tools such as WETMAK to support ongoing wetland monitoring and restoration. The meeting also provided an opportunity to start shaping ideas for catchment projects in 2026, along with discussion about a future variable rate spreading field day. It was a great turnout in a relaxed setting, with plenty of valuable conversation and shared ideas for the future direction of the catchment.
Edendale Aquifer Group Nitrogen Mitigation Field Day
In March, the Group partnered with DairyNZ to revisit the case study farms and share what has been learnt across the catchment.
Last year focused on what happens when different nitrogen mitigations are stacked together. This year, we dug deeper into what is driving results on farm, with a strong focus on plantain and system decisions. With more than 60 farmers attending, the discussion was grounded in a wet spring and the real time decisions that followed.
Birgit Pemberton using the Cow Bell to move everyone along!
A different way to have a meeting!
Rather than an evening meeting in the local hall, Hedgehope Catchment Group decided to try something different for their latest get together. They switched it to daytime and everyone brought their lunch and a camping chair. They met at Mo and Simon Topham’s farm and had a look at their new solar set up, followed by a quick rural debrief after the October high winds. Tim Campbell from Ernest Energy talked them through the tech and Mo, Simon and Tim covered all the facts and figures.
Progress Valley Penguin Colony Visit
The Waikawa Catchment Group recently visited the Progress Valley penguin colony, spending an informative afternoon at Te Rere Reserve.
After meeting at Mill Creek Rd, the Group travelled in convoy to the reserve, with an unexpected highlight along the way—seeing a moulting hoiho up close while it was being transported for care.
At the reserve, Brian Rance shared the history of the site, originally protected after being identified as a hoiho breeding ground, and its management during the past 40 years. He spoke about the impact of a major fire in the early 1990’s and the lessons learned through restoring the area since.
The group explored different parts of the reserve, looking at practical restoration approaches such as using flax as an early coloniser and staged native planting—ideas that resonated with members interested in retiring gullies on their own farms.
DOC’s Cheryl Pullar also shared her extensive experience monitoring hoiho in the Catlins, highlighting the pressures they face, particularly around food availability and changing ocean conditions. Overall, it was a valuable day of learning, offering both practical restoration insights and a deeper understanding of the work being done to support this threatened species within the catchment.
Future 4 Farming in the Waihōpai Field Day
Waihōpai had been keen to run an event like this for a while and in their normal style it was a great jam packed four hours. They covered a local water quality update using our data from the AquaWatch wakas, two eDNA tests and the info on the LAWA site, a discussion on the future 4 farming in the Waihōpai and for our farming businesses (full of great questions from the group, along with facilitated sessions led by Justin from DairyNZ and Sarah), a delicious BBQ lunch and planting 150 native plants!
It was amazing how many people and agencies came together to help make a great field day, and we all walked away having learnt something new. These events wouldn’t happen without your time, effort and energy, so a very big thank you to everyone for coming and taking part.
Gore Catchment Group Variable Spread Field Day
Gore Catchment Group recently hosted a Variable Spread Field Day, and it was great to hear from Ballance, Vantage, and Tabula sharing their insights on variable rate spreading, mapping, and the tools available to support smarter on-farm decisions.
It was really encouraging to see how this technology can lift efficiency on-farm while also creating opportunities to reduce costs. Thanks to everyone who came along and contributed to a great day.
Sunny day for a solar field day
Sunshine, burgers, and a fantastic crowd made for an excellent Waimatuku field day at Fairbank Farms on 23 April. Fairbank Farms owners Michael Farmer and Chris Stewart happily shared their facts and figures, lessons learned, and the steps taken to turn their dairy farm 100% solar.
There were plenty of great questions, including insurance costs, whether hail damages the panels, bank loans and interest rate options, what to do with spare power, uses for cold-snap chilled milk, recycling options for panels and batteries, and whether the panels need to be cleaned.
The quote of the day was: “Solar panels are the gateway drug to smarter tech on farms. Once you start, it is hard to stop!” And what a great story going solar is to help sell our products, powered by clean, green, renewable energy, while also helping make our communities and businesses more sustainable and resilient.
Chris and Michael also suggested there is a great cooperative community opportunity to support local schools and community facilities, such as the community hospital, with money from the spare power generated. Rather than having the money deducted from your farm bill, it could be nominated to go towards the local school, club, or other facility to help them out and do some collective good.
The format worked well, with a short and sweet one-hour field day followed by a delicious BBQ lunch by the amazing Rabobank team. Thank you also to the Great South and Southland District Council crew who came and shared their knowledge, and to all those who came or texted asking neighbours and friends to grab extra handouts and tell them all about it. It really was a great use of a couple of hours.
If you weren’t able to make it, have a look at this short video about Fairbank Farm’s solar and battery system. There's also some great information on solar on the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority webpage, including some very interesting case studies. You can also call 0800 300 643 or email solar@eeca.govt.nz if you want to talk to someone about getting solar installed on your farm.
Upcoming Events
Mini Forest Movement Native Plant Nursery drop-in session
When: First Tuesday of every month, from 4pm to 6pm
All welcome to come to our monthly native plant growing working-bee evenings at the AB Lime Nursery. Your help will go toward growing plants for the Mid Ōreti Mini Forest Movement Project, which provides native plants to the local community and landowners for their planting projects. Training is provided and all ages welcome! Stay for as little or as long as you like.
Everything to Gain – What Really Matters: Paddock to Markets
When: 9am to 3pm, 6 May
Where: Ascot Park Hotel, Invercargill
If there’s one farming event you need to attend this year… this is it! Thriving Southland presents 'Everything to Gain – What Really Matters: Paddock to Markets'. A free day of insights, real stories and straight talk about the opportunities ahead for Southern farmers. Join Kate Scott and a line-up of leading agri, trade and policy experts for conversations that matter, connecting what’s happening in the world to what’s happening on your farm. The opportunity is in the South, let’s take it.
Lunch provided. Click here to learn more.
Key topics include:
International trade negotiations – how they really shape on-farm policy
Access to global markets – beyond China
Greenhouse gases, tariffs & the Paris Agreement – where trade meets environment
Shifting consumer and market demands
Farm system resilience & viability – what sustainable systems look like
Register today at: thrivingsouthland.co.nz/everything-to-gain
