Rodway Park, Ngakuru, Rotorua, Rodway [at] xtra [dot] co [dot] nz
150 ha effective, red deer stud (around 1,000 animals) with some Angus cattle and sheep. Pumice soils broken in from bush 50 years ago. Rolling and hill country of which three paddocks are steep and vulnerable to erosion.
Water from two springs flows through the farm in a series of dams and wetlands. When Andy and Rachael came here in 2003 stock had access to all of it, the dams were breached and banks crumbling. The water that left their farm was too dirty for stock to drink and the downstream neighbour had installed a pipe to bring water directly from one spring to feed four dairy farms further down the valley.
Substantial earthworks have created a cascading series of 8 pools and dams and the whole system has been fenced off and planted with 4,500 natives. Growth has been remarkable for such a short time and it is easy to imagine how it will look in another 5-10 years. The water that leaves the farm is now clean and stock no longer have access to the main waterway.
One of the bigger hill paddocks has no access to water except for the head of one of the earlier dams, so a fence was run across its very top end to allow stock to drink. It is interesting that after the water has passed through the wetland below it is largely cleaned.
The farm eventually drains into the Ohakuri lake which is a major breeding area for native shoveler duck, so the plantings have been designed to provide habitat for them to breed and for teal nesting.
The whole project to renovate the wetlands and exclude the stock cost $140,000 and assistance was received from Clean Streams, Gamebird Habitat Trust and Waikato Catchment Ecological Enhancement Trust.
The only small area of native bush on the farm has been completely fenced off and there are many trees in all parts of the farm for shelter, predominantly in fenced off shelter belts.
A nutrient budget has been developed with Ballance Agrinutrients and annual soil tests in six paddocks contribute to a careful assessment of each part of the farm. Little N is used - about 10 kg on the flatter areas, and substantial quantities of lime.
The farm has a long standing weed problem with nodding thistle and ragwort well established. Until this is under control aerial spraying is used and so a mixed pasture of herbs and grasses is not possible. Andy made the interesting comment that if they could feed their deer plantain and chicory they would not need drenching and would produce much less methane. That seems like an idea worth pursuing.
About 300 bales of wrapped silage are brought in every year and stored in the silage pit which is close to the waterway. This pit is not used for pit silage as there is no ability to stop leakage from it into the wetland. More options for recycling the baleage wrap are becoming available but there are currently logistical and pricing issues.
The Mitchells are active in the deer industry and often host field days and overseas visitors. I appreciated their hospitality and the help of Bala Tikkisetty of Environment Waikato who suggested the visit and drove me there.
