Beyond Reasonable Drought Fielday

Focus and energy beat drought despondency
By Penny Wardle
A small farming community in one of the driest farming districts of New Zealand, this month shared their journey towards farming through climate change.

The ‘Beyond Reasonable Drought’ field day on May 14, attracted 420 people to Marlborough’s Starborough-Flaxbourne district on the east coast between Seddon and Ward. In a super-sized marquee on the Avery family’s Bonavaree Farm, they heard about the challenge issued by since deceased farmer, John ‘JL’ Peter, to acknowledge damage being done to their dryland hills through drought and discover sustainable ways of farming.

A drive through Bonavaree’s flats and downs was confirmation that John’s challenge was acted on. After a mercifully moist autumn, the property was a picture of productivity.

Bonavaree operations manager, Fraser Avery, was anticipating a record scan in the ewes; a prediction which came to pass the following week when two tooths grazed on lucerne recorded 175% and the main mob (mated on the hills) 171%.

Just across the road at the Grassmere saltworks, the 481mm average rainfall from 2001 to 2007 was likely to be lower than all decadal averages since 1890, Alan Porteous of NIWA’s National Climate Centre told an audience of farmers and agricultural industry representatives from Northern Hawke’s Bay to South Otago.

“Adaptation is an interesting process,” says Fraser’s father, Doug. “You don’t know how good it is until you get there.”

First step was acceptance
Doug’s first step towards tackling the impact of drawn-out drought on Bonavaree, was accepting that to farm on as usual risked destroying not only the family’s farm business but ultimately, their land. That provided plenty of incentive for the next step, of sitting down with farmers in the district and calling for outside help.

First on the scene was then NZ Landcare Trust CEO, Don Ross, who helped the group put their ideas on paper and apply for funding to attract professionals to the project. The Sustainable Farming Fund accepted the Starborough-Flaxbourne Soil Conservation Group’s application, and the project kicked off.

The field day was a bringing together of the expertise and inspiration. Guest speakers included consultants involved with the project and primary sector visionaries who encouraged dryland farmers facing climate change to look forward to opportunities including irrigation and carbon farming. Information ranged from advice on recognising climatic risk periods and shifting farm production to the most reliable months, to a eulogy to the native plants that had survived not only the heat and wind of this dry coastal district but also root-raking and fire.

A highlight for many was a rigorous question and answer session between Professor Derrick Moot of Lincoln University and Fraser Avery. The wonderful results achieved by changing management of lucerne was their theme, from harvesting seed and supplements to direct rotational grazing by multiple birth ewes through winter until finished lambs are trucked to the works.

It’s a regime that’s seen triplets growing faster than singles, said Fraser.

There’ve been plenty of challenges along the way, especially loss of ewes to bloat as they adjusted to the new feed. In the first year 100 died, mostly two tooths, and Doug was more than ready to walk away from the experiment. However, this year losses were down to 10, which should be seen in the context that drought too causes sheep deaths, said Derrick.

Red gut had been a minor problem in this dry climate but could be worse in wetter districts, Derrick cautioned.

Bonavaree now follows an annual cropping rotation, from grass to Omaka barley to fallow to lucerne. The key to establishing the barley crops is a summer fallow, taking some spring moisture in the soil to autumn.

Some take-home lessons from Fraser also included taking a proactive rather than reactive approach to farming, and understanding that less ewes can mean more lambs. The Bonavaree Corriedale flock has been crossed with Highlander rams, for a greater focus on meat and to maximise spring growth rates.

Human response impresses
“What impressed me the most about the field day was the positive human response to a seemingly desperate situation, particularly since it’s yielded so much” says Hawke’s Bay Regional Council land resources officer, Peter Manson. “Focus, energy and perseverance - what an inspiring family to be involved with.
“Secondly, there are solutions to severe climate and soil challenges. The Averys have applied new thinking to establishing and managing old tools – fodder plants and crops - better, for the purposes of livestock production.”
The third lesson for Peter, was the apparently successful use of saltbush and tagasaste fodder crops as part of a high performance system along with erosion control on north-facing slopes.
“I'll be interested to watch that space and see how they develop the system to a point where the steeper, erosions prone hills also become relatively productive on a larger scale, at the same time fitting in with the lucerne/pasture/cereal feed crop system on the easier country.”
Doug acknowledged that at current costs ($1680/ha for raising plants, ripping and planting but excluding fencing), saltbush is not yet a viable option for restoring hill country. However, he’s now looking into broadcasting saltbush seed as an alternative.

“Saltbush is the only plant I’ve ever seen which likes our impoverished faces,” says Doug. “Our sheep love it and under its canopy grows the next generation of restoration. We are still two ticks short of the answer, but this ‘halimus’ plant is the one to work with.”

Fittingly, Don Ross was given last word at the field day, urging the wider farming industry pick up on the progress made through a positive approach then to “think smarter about how to work with and support farmers.”

Summaries of all papers given at the field day are available on the Marlborough District Council website, www.marlborough.govt.nz/enviromonitoring/awards.cfm and a booklet summarising project findings will be posted at the end of July.