8 | RURAL PEOPLE » Awapapa Station Trees save farm long-term damage Alex and Megen Campbell on horses they have bred. Awapapa Station in recent years showing the extensive planting. Ange Davidson Early adoption of farm forestry has seen Awapapa Station near Gisborne survive the worst of Cyclone Gabrielle when it made landfall in February this year along the East Coast of the North Island. The severe weather emergency event left much of the area decimated by floodwaters and landslides, leaving the rural community with excessive damage to farm and public infrastructure and livestock losses. Following the foresight of his father Jim, Alex and Megen Campbell have continued extensive plantings, up to 1000 poplars a year, since they bought the family farm after Cyclone Bola in 1988. The original Awapapa station 360 hectare farm now has 30% tree canopy through a mix of species from pine, natives and exotics. Alex and Megen manage a further 170ha of adjoining land bringing the effective grazing area to 440 hectares,supporting approximately 10 stock units per hectare. “There is absolutely no doubt that trees saved Awapapa from significant long-term damage and production loss during Cyclone Gabrielle. Currently scientists from the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council are quantifying the damage on Awapapa and preliminary findings indicate that we had 1.6 slips per hectare at Awapapa compared to our neighbouring block with younger, less established tree plantings which suffered 3.6 slips per hectare,” says Alex. “Awapapa Station regularly produces Gross Farm Income above the district average which makes Awapapa a great story. Environmentally and financially, we’re better off because of trees. It is very affirming that amongst all the chaos Awapapa had survived the worst, and that all our plantings and foresight had come to fruition,” he says. Predominantly slips occurred on Awapapa where there were no plantings. There were significant losses within some radiata woodlots on steeper areas indicating pine plantings are unsustainable on some of those steeper land classes. The most successful plantings on the farm were slower growing exotics and wide spaced poplars which are pruned in grazing areas and enhance the property’s environmental footprint by improving animal welfare, reducing soil erosion, offsetting carbon emissions and providing Alex Campbell with Texlea ST Oliver. Oliver is the only fully licensed Purebred Cleveland Bay Stallion in the Southern hemisphere recently imported by the Campbells from Australia. Proud to support Awapapa Station Power Farming Gisborne | 06 868 8908 393 Gladstone Rd PO Box 1247 Gisborne 4040 Ph: 06 869 1234 E: post@grahamdobson.co.nz www.grahamdobson.co.nz Our Services: Farm Business Administration • Personnel Recruitment Specialist knowledge in Farm Accounting • Human Resources Management Investment Advice and Business Advisory Services Your Business Our Services Your Success ‘You have the vision, let us help you get there!’ future timber income. Alex and Megan have significantly reduced stock numbers in the interim and are progressively restoring Awapapa’s grazing infrastructure of 175 paddocks. The overall plan is to be back in full production by this coming spring. Adversity is not a new experience for Alex and Megen who have farmed through many financial as well as climatic events, culminating in the sale of Awapapa to Swiss investors. Alex and family remain on the farm as managers and trading partners. “We’ve hung in and kept on going. It’s a story of resilience, you just can’t give up, there is always something positive that can be made out of any situation. Although we don’t own Awapapa anymore we have still been able to continue the legacy of sustainability, and still function very well as a family,” believes Alex. It is the environmental and family resilience story that saw Awapapa as a finalist in this year’s Ballance Farm environmental Awards. Adding to this are Alex and Megen’s efforts to preserve valuable bloodlines of station bred sport horses. The couple now have the Southern Hemisphere’s only herd of purebred Cleveland Bays, a versatile breed with a great temperament. “The Cleveland Bays have added a dynamic dimension to our farming life. Farming is work but it’s also a pleasure and a great life. It’s what you make of it,” believes Alex.
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