| 23 RURAL PEOPLE » Mangaroa Station Ltd The farm’s approach to livestock management is equally thoughtful. Working alongside nature and partnering with livestock, the team raises cows, sheep, and hens in a stress-free environment. Jules says this not only produces high-quality, nutrient-dense meat and poultry but also provides rich fertilizer for increasing the health and diversity of the soil mycelium network. There has also been significant planting of natives and trees on the farm - around 55,000 and counting – along with fencing off waterways and marginal land. A focus on diversity is evident in the multiple kilometres of hedgerows planted across the farm. “These hedgerows serve multiple purposes,” Jules explains. “They give shade and shelter for livestock, but if you plant more diversity in hedgerows, you get vertical grazing by stock of shrubs and bushes, and they have a lot of medicinal value for the animals. They provide bee food, nesting places, and habitat for other organisms we need for a healthy environment.” Jules says Mangaroa Farms has ambitious plans. “Ultimately, we’d like to bring more inhouse and do our own meat processing, but we’re not there yet,” she says. “We’ve set up a yurt and there is the original homestead called Woodcote, so we will look to do more workshops, education, and retreat-type events.” She stresses that Mangaroa Farms is more than just a farm; it’s a living laboratory for transitioning traditional farming practices into regenerative agriculture. “For me personally, it’s not about making ‘wrong’ the way we’ve done things in the past but learning from what has and hasn’t worked, then looking towards a better future where we create stability in our ecosystem to give more hope for a robust future.” Open farm 2024.
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