Bruce, Catherine and Ben Winter, Spar Bush, Winton, Southland branch July 2014
The Winters farm sheep; Bruce Winter discusses his shelter plantings, his approach to planting and managing young plantings, and how his shelter plantings benefit sheep production. A wide range of…
Michael Anderson, Hokanui, Southland branch July 2014
Michael Anderson has been planting trees for many years on this 490-hectare all-sheep farm. He now has 42 ha of woodlots, plus QE II covenants, shelterbelts and amenity plantings. Plantings…
Ann Irving, Waimatua, Invercargill, Southland September 2015
Anne Irving and her husband farm sheep and deer on this relatively exposed Southland farm where shelter is highly valued. Anne stresses the importance of establishing proven species for shelter…
Stan Rutherford, Invercargill, Southland September 2015
A small, intensive lambing unit, where shelter is vital for the high lamb survival achieved. Shelterbelts are carefully designed to minimise winter paddock shading while providing effective year-round shelter and…
Forestry and timber processing in the south: A quiet achiever (Access: unrestricted)
February 2020
With the 2020 Conference just around the corner it is an appropriate time to introduce you to the forestry scene in Southland and the rest of southern New Zealand. Forestry…
Sixteen years of passion and tree planting a formidable task (Access: unrestricted)
Bob Wishart, August 2010
The first bus full of conference attendees tried to take a short cut approaching John Purey- Cust’s property, with near dire consequences. But this in no way simulates what John…
Scottish surprise at Mt Surprise (Access: unrestricted)
Dougal and Di McIntosh, August 2010
Saturday morning of the Invercargill conference, and another sunny day in Southland. Farm foresters crowded into four big comfortable buses to head across the Waimea Plains to Alistair and Kate…
White Hill wind farm (Access: unrestricted)
Harley Gray, August 2010
After our visit to Graham and Heather Milligan’s farm we had lunch at the Dipton Hall where we had presentations from Ernslaw One and Meridian Energy. Ernslaw had a problem…
Ernslaw One Douglas fir plantation (Access: unrestricted)
Chris Bossley, August 2010
Over lunch at Dipton Hall, on yet another fine day with the usual apologies from the locals for the weather, we were told about Ernslaw One’s vision for Douglas fir.…
Eucalypts grown for seed (Access: unrestricted)
Lesley Christian, August 2010
There is probably no other member of the NZFFA as well known to our membership as Graham Milligan – his booming voice, bushy beard and bare knees make him instantly…
Processing the Southland timber resource (Access: unrestricted)
Parnell Trost, February 2009
Southland has a well established timber processing industry, with several of the leading mills operating for more than 70 years. The timber industry has been one of the reasons for…
An investment in forestry down south (Access: unrestricted)
Alistair Wilson, February 2009
For a number of years I had a desire to grow some trees. By the early 1990s my wife and I had gained the confidence and financial stability to think…
Me and trees in Southland - Earning the money (Access: unrestricted)
John Purey-Cust, February 2009
Some time in the early 1970s when working for the old Forest Service in Southland my mind turned to practising what I preached − to plant trees as a long…
An introduction to the Southland region (Access: unrestricted)
Gary Morgan, February 2009
The Southland Region covers an area of approximately 2.3 million hectares. Southland’s coastline is 3,400 km long and stretches from Brothers Point in the Chaslands on the east coast to…
Farm forestry in Southland - An introduction (Access: unrestricted)
John Purey-Cust, February 2009
As Gary Morgan’s article on page four makes clear, there are few places in Southland where the structure of the country makes forestry an absolute necessity, few places where the…
Emissions Trading Scheme fee review a relief for cost-struck foresters Thursday, February 29, 2024
The New Zealand Forest Owners Association says the review of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) fees is a relief for foresters facing excessive costs and loss of climate change action. …
Planting trees on pasture can have a positive impact on soil health Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Rather than damaging soil in New Zealand, planting trees on pasture restores soil to be similar to its original condition. A recent news story highlighting changes in soils from converting…
Forest plantation soils have benefits too Tuesday, December 19, 2023
The Forest Owners Association (FOA) says the fact that soils under plantation forests are similar to soils under native trees, does not make them damaged, as a recent Newshub report has claimed.…
Wilding Conifers - A legacy issue that needs continued, collaborative management Sunday, October 29, 2023
Forest owners welcome the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s (PCE) acknowledgement that the presence of wilding conifers across New Zealand is largely a legacy issue, but caution against placing costs…
Stock take of the commercially viable alternatives to Pinus radiata Tuesday, October 03, 2023
Scion has published a “Stock Take of the Commercially Viable Alternatives to Pinus Radiata” for MPI, which reviews alternative species, their expected growth rates, climatic range, resilience to pests or…
SNA regulations 'confusing ecological naivety' Thursday, July 06, 2023
Forest Owners say the just released National Policy Statement on Indigenous Biodiversity (NPSIB) is a classic bureaucratic formula of confusing ecological naivety which will not help rare species and likely…
Forest Owners hail ‘Biosecurity Hero’ Monday, May 22, 2023
The Forest Owners Association and Scion want more people to report suspicious imported wood products which might be infested with introduced wood and forest pests. FOA Biosecurity Manager, Brendan Gould,…
Tairawhiti land use inquiry not addressing wider issues Sunday, May 14, 2023
The Forest Owners Association says the Ministerial Inquiry into landuse in Tarawhiti has a core of practical recommendations, but has not addressed some more difficult and fundamental issues. President, Grant…
Opportunities from Trees Workshops - NZ Wide Wednesday, April 19, 2023
The NZ Farm Forestry Association (NZFFA) is running 18 extension workshops in May and June with a target audience of landowners, or people with access to land, who are potential tree…
Forest Owners back more trees for Tairawhiti Sunday, April 16, 2023
The Forest Owners Association has told the Ministerial Inquiry into land use in Tairāwhiti, that the region’s future has to include more trees for land stability. But it appreciates forest…
Forest Owners want genetic technology approved Thursday, February 16, 2023
The Forest Owners Organisation says New Zealand needs to concentrate on the safety of genetic technology on a case-by-case basis rather than persisting with blanket bans. The FOA wants approval…
Fieldays Forestry Hub to demonstrate that forestry is a solution Monday, November 28, 2022
A range of solutions to farmers’ current problems will be on display in the Fieldays Forestry Hub near Hamilton between 30 November and 3 December, says Farm Forestry Association president,…
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