Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council
Reducing nitrate in the water
And slowly but surely, it’s paid off. The 221ha property with 630 cows, located on the outskirts of Culverden in the Amuri Basin, had seen a significant reduction in nitrate in the water and a dramatic improvement to the health of its ecosystem. But those results didn’t come overnight.
The team at Pukatea Dairy Farm had spent the last two decades investing in:
- draining systems
- sediment traps
- riparian planting, particularly around the wetlands.
Water testing showed that the level of nitrogen that came into the farm was reduced by 95 per cent after it was filtered through the drains and wetland.
Stuart said they wanted to be sustainable, resilient and offer a meaningful experience for everyone involved in the operation.
“I think sometimes there’s a bit too much focus on short-term profit in farming and I get that, I used to be a sharemilker, but what we’ve learnt is you can forgo a little profit to make yourself more resilient later.”
In the last few years, the weather demonstrated that. The farm produced results even in years with challenging conditions.
The farm was fortunate to have heavier soils than other parts of the basin, which meant they had greater drought resilience. But heavier soils meant keeping a careful balance with soil moisture monitoring.
“We worked out that our pasture doesn’t like being wet all the time,” Stuart said.
Reducing the farm’s carbon emissions
Another significant change was steering away from a more intensive farm system. This move was driven by a desire to prioritise animal welfare and create a more enjoyable work environment. In return, it has improved both the herd’s health and the farm’s overall sustainability.
Stuart said one of the big issues with dairy farming was intensity, which translated to how many cows and how much brought-in feed you had in your system.
“[It’s] about your carbon footprint, your environmental effects and what we are trying to do is run within the capacity of the land. I think the data is showing that we are not far away.”
Over the last ten years, Stuart reduced the number of cows in his paddock from 700 to 630. Three years ago, he took deintensification further by decreasing the number of weekly milkings from 14 to ten.
In turn, this decreased his replacement rate (the number of cows he kept as a buffer to replace the cows that couldn’t get pregnant) from 25 to 18 per cent and halved the farm’s empty cow rate.
Recognition for sustainable and ethical farming
Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA) judges commended Stuart and his team for creating an outstanding operation that consistently chose the right path over the easy one.
The judges said the farm’s long-term environmental initiatives, strategic grazing practices, and unwavering commitment to ethical, sustainable farming served as an inspiration to others in the industry.
Stuart also took home:
- The Environment Canterbury Water Quality Award
- The Dairynz Sustainability and Stewardship Award
- The FMG Risk Management Award.
Our Water and Land Northern Team Leader, Andrew Arps, said what stood out to him was the enduring nature of their efforts, as it hadn’t been a quick or easy journey.
“It’s been about consistent, thoughtful improvements, with a focus on sustainable land management that goes well beyond regulatory requirements.”
“One of the powerful things about Stuart’s approach is that it recognises how small actions, when done collectively and consistently, can make a real and lasting difference for water quality and land health. It’s a mindset that doesn’t chase short-term fixes but looks at the bigger picture, and it’s clear that this way of working is paying off.”
Award winner Stuart Neill, Water and Land Northern Team Leader Andrew Arps, Mike Hennessy from Amuri Irrigation and Ross Bishop from DairyNZ at the Pukatea Dairy Farm
Andrew said Stuart’s success reflected the input of those around him as he was open to advice, willing to consider different perspectives, and not afraid of robust discussions to find the best way forward.
“That kind of leadership and collaboration is exactly what we need more of across the region.
“All of this made Stuart a very deserving recipient of our water quality award. His work sets a great example for others.”
