A farm forestry road show rolling out across the central North Island in late May will be an opportunity for hill country farmers to find out how they can integrate trees into their farming systems.
The New Zealand Farm Forestry Association (NZFFA), supported by Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service, is holding a series of workshops in Taranaki, Rangitikei, and Wairarapa.
Subjects covered in the workshops will include species choice, how and where to grow trees, and the benefits of trees to a farming business. Each workshop will be followed by a half-day visit to a working example of farm forestry.
NZFFA president Graham West says the workshops will help farmers to make informed decisions on whether woodlots are a good fit for their farming business.
"Trees are not an alternative to farming, but a complementary land use that can help strengthen a farm's long-term growth and prosperity," Graham West says.
"Planting trees protects against erosion and increases biodiversity by providing shelter and habitat. The Emissions Trading Scheme offers additional revenue to farmers wanting to plant woodlots within parts of their farm."
"Beef and Lamb have acknowledged the importance of integrating tree planting and it's important to continue the good work," says Alex Wilson, director forest development, grants and partnerships at Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service.
"Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service are working with local communities and stakeholders to integrate trees into existing land-use and look at the potential for planting trees on unproductive, or erosion prone land," Alex Wilson says.
"Planting trees is also an important part of the Government's climate response – trees sequester carbon and are an effective means of helping meet our emissions reduction targets.
"The Farm Forestry Association are experts in combining farming and forestry, and it is great to be able to partner with them to promote these workshops," Alex Wilson says.
Workshop dates and venues
The workshops consist of a morning (8.30am to noon) and afternoon (1pm to 4.30pm) session, with a half day field trip the following morning. The workshops are free of charge and lunch is provided. Participants can choose to come to one or more of these sessions:
- Hawera, TSB Hub – Tuesday 24 May
- Bulls, Community Centre – Thursday 26 May
- Copthorne Solway Park Hotel, Masterton – Monday 30 May.
RSVP to trees@nzffa.org.nz. Spaces are limited s register today.
