Business Rural North Summer 2021

| 9 RURAL PEOPLE » Emerald Hills Building on an ecological foundation 130 weaner steers, purchased by Emerald Hills early November, are grazed through two winters. Russell Fredric L ike many farmers, the synergy of concern for the environment and constantly seeking to improve farm practices is nothing new for Rick Powdrell. Rick is the third generation, with his wife Rose, on their 446/362 hectare effective dry-stock Te Puke property, Emerald Hills. The foundation of the farm was established by Rick’s grandfather in 1939. The couple have a son, who is a surveyor, along with his wife and two children also live on the farm on a separately surveyed block, making five generations of the family who have lived or are living there. “The environmental work started here with my grandfather and my father carried it on. They were doing it more for management reasons because our waterways here on this property are all basically on our boundaries,” Rick says. The environmental work completed by Rick and his forebears culminated in multiple accolades in the 2019 Bay of Plenty Ballance Farm Environment Awards which included recognition of the family’s ongoing commitment to environmental manage- ment practices. Nearly 30 years ago, the Powdrell’s developed the farm’s first soil and water plan in collaboration with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Initiatives have included tree planting projects for erosion control, riparian planting, run off control, and retiring non-productive land to encourage the regeneration of native bush. Emerald Hills carries 2000 Romney breeding ewes, about two thirds of which are mated to a Romney ram and a third to a South Suffolk ram, with lambing starting late July. About 500 unmated hoggets are retained for replacements. The farm also grazes 135 dairy heifers and takes in the same two clients’ dairy weaner calves in De- cember. These two clients raise 130 weaner steers purchased by Emerald Hills early November and are grazed through two winters. Of the 446ha, 84ha is not grazed, comprising 20ha of pine trees, with the balance being in regen- erating native bush and manuka. Much of the contour is easy rolling with gullies and plateaus but it also includes deeper gorges on some boundaries. “The first significant environmental work was fencing off those gorges because they were unsafe to animals. That was the first level of protecting waterways.”Another feature of the farm is its natu- ral spring heads in the gullies which create wetland areas below them.“We are in a natural spring belt, so we’ve got a lot of springs that bubble out of the hills.”From the mid 1980’s dams were created below the springs. These now number about 30 and as well as being once used for stock water they capture sediment. In 2016 Rick undertook a programme to install reticulated water over 75% of the farm, sourced from a 230 metre deep bore which has been essential to be able to carry stock over dry periods, especially during the past three years. With the assistance of Bay of Plenty Regional Council, biological control work has been undertak- en through the introduction of the Nodding Thistle Receptical weevil and Gall fly. Rick has been actively involved in the wider farming community including previously serving as national meat and fibre chair for Federated Farmers, on Primary ITO’s stakeholder council and board, as a trustee on the Campaign for Wool New Zealand Trust, and a member of the local catchment group. “The first significant environmental work was fencing off those gorges because they were unsafe to animals. That was the first level of protecting waterways.” Craig & Tina Alexander Buckland Road, RD2, Matamata P 07 888 1703 M 027 774 6644 E calexander@outlook.co.nz PROUD TO SUPPORT RICK & ROSE POWDRELL AT EMERALD HILLS Proud to support Rick & Rose Powdrell at Emerald Hills