This Good Farm project is a 3-year project run by Taranaki Catchment Communities and funded by MPI’s Integrated Farm Planning Accelerator Fund. Taranaki Catchment Communities works with 16 catchments across Taranaki, and about 600 farmers. The Good Farm project covers the topics of:
Some farmers will have done more planning than others, so Good Farm is set up to provide three different stages of targeted information, resources and expertise, relative to where you’re at in your journey.
Stage 1
The first step in planning is to decide where you need to head. This stage is about having a business plan and knowing where your finances are at.
This stage answers the question ‘Why Plan?’. It focuses on why planning supports business success, identifying what your goals are and where to start on farm financial planning. Once you know all your numbers and have a plan started, recording it on paper or in digital means it will be easier to share with family, staff, and industry regulators. This is a starting point to help you figure out where you want to head, and setting out actions to get there.
So what is Good Farm doing in this space?
You can get started now with some great easy to watch short videos from Farm 4 Life outlining farm business planning. They have generously shared access with us for free. Links to get started are here. Also, head to their Farm 4 Life learning hub, a goldmine of farm focused solutions, if you want more!
In 2024 Good Farm will be running live events to help Taranaki farmers keen to have a plan, get started. Details on these will be in our Newsletters and on this website as they come available.
Stage 2
This stage of Good Farm is for people looking for a source of clear advice on what is needed to meet government regulation, as a sound starting point for any planning work.
This stage helps you navigate the red tape when you are developing a plan. Spending time developing a plan, only to find endless red tape once you put it into action, is costly, time consuming, and doesn’t make for a good time.
This stage was developed by independent farming advisors, not affiliated to an industry or government group, to provide sound advice on current regulation. The advice has been checked with all relevant authorities for your piece of mind, and takes a practical approach to help you answer questions for your own farm.
So what is Good Farm doing in this space?
Perrin Ag consultants have developed a comprehensive handbook (to be available in hard copy for a small investment, and for free in digital) on what are regulated on farm activities for a farm, divided by each integrated farm planning topic. This information covers topics from Fresh Water management, to dehorning, to being a landlord. The information is broad, and aims to be an ongoing reference for Taranaki farmers. As well as the handbook, the information and how to use it, will be supported by publicly available webinars and group sessions.
Please note, this stage is not about individual industry assurance and compliance, that is entirely a whole other kettle of fish!
Stage 3
Working together with other farmers and experts to determine what is needed for your plan to happen so that you achieve your goals.
You use planning already in your agribusiness and are keen to stay ahead in farming. Societal and environmental pressures are changing, as are demands from regulation, industry and customers. Staying financially viable may take some new ways of working, too. This stage aims to work with farmers to connect them with leaders and experts, regionally and nationally, to develop solutions and ideas around where to take your farm next.
So what is Good Farm doing in this space?
This stage will run based on feedback from farmers and catchment groups as to what areas they want to focus on. It may include discussions and workshops on specific topics relevant to an area, support in setting up plans and sharing tips and solutions.
Thinking about Biodiversity actions across a Landscape
This image shows a number of actions across a landscape which can be used as a win for native biodiversity, and a win for farming communities.
Constructed wetland guidelines
Constructed wetlands are a water quality restoration tool that can reduce levels of sediment, nutrients and microbes such as E. coli. This can significantly improve the water quality exiting the wetland, and the ecology of downstream water bodies.
This guide discusses design principles and provides high-level information about the likely performance of riparian buffers.
