64 | “Offering a reliable and friendly electrical service to Taihape and the rural communites” Commercial • Domestic • Woolsheds Rewires • Lights • Power • Switchboards callforall@outlook.com | 06 388 0333 | @callforall Boosting the health of the Rangitikei River Kelly Deeks Farming sheep and beef in the high country of the northern Rangitikei region, Plimmer & Co Farms and the rest of the Upper Rangitikei Sub-Catchment Group are investing significantly in environmental measures to improve water quality in the Rangitikei River, and continuing to manage, monitor, and measure progress towards achieving one simple vision - a river with thriving biodiversity. The Rangitikei Rivers Catchment Collective is a farmer-led incorporated society established in 2017 to help farmers to work collectively within their community catchment to collect evidence and identify the research and scientific requirements to achieve lasting environmental outcomes. The Upper Rangitikei Sub-Catchment Group is one of a growing number of groups in the collective and comprises eight large stations with a combined land area of 50,000ha, as well as interested community members, Horizons Regional Council, and NZ Landcare Trust. Simon Plimmer of Plimmer & Co Farms is chair of the Upper Rangitikei Sub-Catchment Group. He says a new story board has recently been installed on the Napier-Taihape Road, detailing the work of the group and explaining to campers and travelers just why the river looks so pristine. “I don’t think people realise the work that’s gone into it,” he says. “A lot of people camp down by the river and they can see we’re not polluting it. Providing this information shows them how.” Simon is taking water samples from the upper reaches of the river, before farmland comes into play, from four main tributaries that enter the river, and at the bottom of the catchment area to allow a benchmark to be set for water quality. “We want to understand what our water quality is like and be able to show in the future whether it is getting better or worse. Taking these water samples really motivates the farmers to fence their waterways.” This type of catchment group is a positive step for farmers who may be suffering from a bit of ‘workshop overload’ or ‘environmental burnout’. “There are more people farming farmers than farmers farming the land. It’s all come on at once. Freshwater, biodiversity, He Waka Eke Noa, intensive winter grazing, it’s all an increase in documentation and a lot of farmers just want to work the land. I think the biggest bang for buck for the environment is getting out on the farm and tactically and practically talking about what the farmer can do, and a lot of these guys are already talking about it now. They are already considering the environment.” RURAL PEOPLE » Plimmer & Co Farms Rural news is so topical at the moment and farmers are concerned about what it all means for them. Simon says the intention is right but the implementation isn’t. “It’s very top-to-bottom. With the catchment group, we’re all about bottom-up, going up the chain to the regulator. There is a willingness from MPI to give funding for catchment groups, that’s all about bottom-up and they are gaining some momentum around the country. MPI quite likes them.” Simon owns Plimmer & Co Farms along with his brother Hamish and sister Sally Fox. Hamish and Simon are both trained accountants, and they take an analytical approach to farm ownership. Their choice of career in the commercial world has followed the footsteps of their grandfather, former managing director and chairman of Wright Stephenson & Co, Sir Clifford Plimmer. Sir Clifford, or ‘Wink’ as he was better known, was the one who bought the first Plimmer Farm, Motukawa, near Taihape. Wink’s son Warren and his wife Anne eventually took over Motukawa and moved to Taihape to manage the farm. The couple made a great business partnership, and are credited with developing the four Plimmer farms, Motukawa, Kellys, Blackhill, and Northview, into the significant legacy they are today. Meanwhile, Plimmer and Co Farms’ three managers are finding it more and more difficult to get staff. Accepting this current challenge could mean an even more challenging future if left unattended, the Plimmer family is now working with the Growing Future Farmers training programme and can now offer an on-farm apprenticeship scheme. Students receive extensive practical training and formal NZQA course work to accelerate their learning from entry-level to advanced. Simon says his farm managers and other experienced staff are motivated to train apprentices for the good of the future of the industry. Segard Masurel operates out of ve locations globally and exports New Zealand wool to markets all over the world. France New Zealand Australia South Africa Belgium WOOL S I N C E 1 8 4 6 The best decisions come from honest conversations. Phil Harré is proud to have worked alongside the Plimmer family since 1996. He’s not just their farm accountant, he’s there to question, challenge and support them to make the best decisions for their business. Contact us today for a free discussion on howwe could help you achieve your goals through better financial and strategic decision making. info@allanmcneill.co.nz www.allanmcneill.co.nz 06 356 4808 (Palmerston North) 06 323 6114 (Feilding) Black Hill & Kellys Farm Manager Stephen Ponsonby and Simon Plimmer – with new season lambs being sold to market. Simon Plimmer collecting water samples from the upper reaches of the Rangitikei River (inset).
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