Train the LEP Trainer

Train the LEP Trainer

18 June 2013

Beef + Lamb New Zealand is ramping up the capability behind its flagship environment resource – the Land and Environment Planning (LEP) Toolkit.

In the next two weeks a range of workshop providers including farm consultants, Beef + Lamb New Zealand and regional council staff will be up-skilled to deliver workshops that will guide sheep and beef farmers in developing individual farm environment plans.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand Chief Executive, Dr Scott Champion said workshops were being run in both the North and South Islands in the next two weeks and once completed, there will be around 30 trainers qualified to deliver the LEP workshops up and down the country.

The LEP materials help farmers understand the land and environmental issues on their farms – and make a plan to manage them.

There are three different levels of planning, although this train the trainer workshop is just dealing with developing approved trainers for LEPs at level one, Dr Champion said.

“They’ll be covering everything from ways to keep stock out of water, erosion and sediment management and nutrient management.

“Many local government authorities are now focusing on these issues, so it’s really important farmers have all the information they need to manage their farms sustainably through addressing the environmental factors that make their farms unique.”

The train the trainer workshops are being led by Dr Alec MacKay, Principal Scientist -Climate, Land and Environment at AgResearch and will run at AgResearch Grasslands in Palmerston North today and at Ashley Dene near Lincoln University next week.

About Beef + Lamb New Zealand
Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ltd is the farmer owned industry organisation representing New Zealand’s sheep and beef farmers. Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ltd invests farmer levies to help develop a growing sheep and beef industry providing sustainable returns for future generations. Beef + Lamb New Zealand has four programmes – Farm, Market, People and Information – to deliver innovative tools and services to support informed decision making, and continuous improvement in market access, product positioning and farming systems for New Zealand’s sheep and beef sector.

ENDS

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