Pomahaka Project Scales Up

Pomahaka Project Scales Up

Following the success of a one year scoping exercise NZ Landcare Trust has secured nearly $150,000 from MPI's Sustainable Farming Fund to facilitate a catchment scale project within the Pomahaka catchment. With support from Pomahaka Farmers Water Care Group and the Pomahaka Stakeholders Group the 'Pathway for the Pomahaka' project will utilise and showcase industry tools that demonstrate the benefits of good farm management practices on water quality.

A key component in the project is the collaboration with industry bodies such as DairyNZ, which is funding 45 Sustainable Milk Plans, and Beef + Lamb NZ which will deliver six Land Environment Plan workshops in the catchment. Key lessons learned from these activities will be showcased at Monitor Farms and other field day events, reflecting the different needs of different sectors.
Farmers themselves will be actively involved in trailing various water quality monitoring tools, aiming to develop robust monitoring protocols.

NZ Landcare Trust will engage with catchment farmers and assist disseminating information. The Trust will work with industry partners to organise field-days and workshops where industry bodies will combine to present information highlighting issues such as effluent storage and management, fertiliser use and efficiency, and cultivation and management of winter cropping.
Rabobank will provide analysis of the economic and environmental implications of the farm system options to improve winter management while fertiliser companies will showcase different tools to manage fertiliser use and reduce nutrient leaching. Fish and Game will help determine the value of waterways by conducting stream surveys.

The Trust will also carry out a range of other tasks such as undertaking surveys to determine farmer perceptions of the issues linked to water quality, facilitating a master-class on community catchment management, holding media courses for farmers and produce a short film to promote the excellent work farmers are undertaking to improve farm sustainability and water quality.

More information about the project can be found on the project webpage: www.landcare.org.nz/PomahakaProject

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