Farm Forestry New ZealandEvents
Alternatives to Pine on your farm - free field days
Want to grow some trees on your farm, but not pines? Come and see some great examples at free field days starting in March.
Learn about the benefits of planting alternative species.
NZ Farm Forestry members will share their experiences of what grows well and where, success and failure, costs and returns. They are showcasing farm forestry in 20 locations across the country.
Hosted by the NZFFA, with support from Te Uru Rākau – NZ Forest Service, the first 3-hour field days will be held on:
| 27 June | Hastings |
| 29 June | Gore |
Enrol here. Everyone is welcome.
Further Information here
North Canterbury Branch Field Day - Conway River
Thursday 27 June 10am
Ngaroma Farm. Follow signs from SH1 at the Conway River 6kms to the Kaikoura Coast Track Beach House by the sea on the south side of the river.
Last Field Day, 2
This North Canterbury branch field day has been re-scheduled from 22 February.
Bruce and Heather Macfarlane's sheep and beef farm, Ngaroma, is at the north end of the Hawkswood Range, bounded by Conway River and the Kaikoura coast. A joint venture pine forest on weed infested land along the river was planted in 2001 for timber, and joined ETS early on.
Regenerating bush was QE 2 covenanted and registered under the PFSI scheme through Landcare Research and EBIX21 at Lincoln. In 2017- 18 a further carbon forest was planted using Pinus radiata and E. nitens and E regnans. Issues these days include weed control, keeping a tough hill country farm viable, and planting carbon forest. Lunch will be at Skull Peak Hut, part of the Kaikoura Coast Track.
Our hosts’ contact today is Bruce and Heather, 021 1193668.
Hawke's Bay Branch Field Day - Waiwahare
Thursday 27 June 2024 10am
2024 North Island Farm Foresters of the year, Graeme and Jane, Neil and Donna Fountaine invite you to their field day at their Waiwhare properties Pleasant Valley and Tahora.
The Fountaine family were our Hawke’s Bay Farm Foresters of the year in 2019. Their field day showcased some outstanding examples of commercial and non-commercial planting, particularly the integration of trees for shelter, erosion control and the ETS.
Since that time a small on-farm milling operation has gone from strength to strength. Sawlogs have been sourced from a variety of different tree species with the milled timber destined for use on and off the farm. A well-attended portable saw-milling demonstration was hosted two years ago.
This field day will double as an alternative species workshop, with support from Te Uru Rakau (The New Zealand Forest service). TUR are sponsoring a series of events around the country to encourage discussion on alternative species, including:
- the national concern over planting too much radiata pine
- the superior properties that many alternative species have over radiata
- the available data on how much and where alternative species are grown in New Zealand
- the risks of planting species that are not yet widely grown.
- the possibility that the government will encourage the planting of alternative species, and
- where to find more information
The Fountaine family are not opposed to P. radiata and have around 36ha in first and second rotation. However, they do have a very keen interest in alternative species, especially since getting into saw-milling. The properties have well-tended blocks of macrocarpa, Acacia melanoxylon, and eucalypt as well as hundreds of mill-able poplar and oak trees.
This field day will be of particular interest to anyone who has, or is considering growing, alternative timber species. Register Here
Lunch will be provided.
What to bring: A 4WD vehicle if possible (We will likely carpool between sites), suitable clothing, snacks a drink and a couple of dollars for a raffle.
How to get there: 98 River Road Waiwhare. From Fernhill head west on the Napier Taihape Road for 36 km, turn right into River Road and continue for another 1Km. Look out for the HBFFA banner.
NZDFI Marlborough Regional Case Study webinars
12 June & 4 July 2024 2-4pm
Marlborough's Future is Durable!
Learn how investment in durable eucalypts could contribute to regional farm and forest diversification, improve wine industry sustainability, create jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions!
NZDFI has just completed a case study for Marlborough, relevant to other regions, on how a regional hardwood industry could be developed in the next 25-30 years, and the economic and environmental benefits and implications of such an industry.
We invite you to join our two up-coming webinars to discuss our findings, which bring together much of NZDFI's research and vision to date. The first webinar is hosted by the Bioenergy Association of New Zealand, a partner in the project, and the second by NZDFI.
Details and links also available on the NZDFI website https://nzdfi.org.nz/
Wairarapa Branch Field Day - Reconditioned Sawmill
Saturday 20 July 2024 2pm onwards
Bill and Lucinda Maunsell’s reconditioned sawmill, Rahui, 1237a Tinui Valley Road, Tinui.
Bill Maunsell and daughter Lucinda have been busy bringing an old sawmill on their Rahui property back to life. Bill has also recently felled some fine 80-year-old macrocarpas, which are destined to be milled.
If all the stars align, we will be able to see the mill in action on the afternoon of Saturday 20th July, and see the timber produced from the macs. If the weather is good, there will also be a chance to see some of Bill’s near-by plantings.
The Maunsells were the original settlers of Tinui Station back in the day, and amongst the very earliest farmers who diversified into forestry on their steeper hills, so there is plenty of history and experience here. Also some exciting new farm diversification activities led by Lucinda.
We can finish off either at the Tinui or Castlepoint pub.
Please RSVP to Harriet Palmer 021 02532529 harriet.e.palmer@gmail.com
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