Bruce Wills

Trelinnoe Farm Napier, trelinnoe [at] clear [dot] net [dot] nz

1134 ha (800 effective) Hawke's Bay hill country

"Producing our way out of this - more kg per ha - is not the way out". Bruce was talking of both the current economic recession and the third severe drought in succession, a harbinger of, if not already caused by, climate change which will reduce east coast rainfall.

Bruce came back to the family farm 4 year ago after 20 years in rural banking, and he and brother Scott are adapting the farm to cope with worse droughts and more extreme rainfall events when the rain does come.

Stock numbers were reduced from 10,000 to 7,000 units after the 2007 drought. Romneys have given way to polled Dorsets and cattle have been increased from 15% to 50% of the stock mix as they do better on the longer grass cover Bruce wants over the summer. Larger culverts have been put in to protect the tracks from increasingly severe downpours.

Forty more farm dams have been dug over the four years, as the original ones were dry after just seven months. Deciduous trees have been planted on the north-west side of the dams, to reduce evaporation in the heat of the summer.

Some paddocks are left to seed and grow long in the spring, protecting the soil and shading clover. Some of the bulk of the grass is trampled which also provides soil protection and humus.

But the big thing is the trees, something Bruce is passionate about.

Some 110 ha of good native bush have been covenanted by QE II and shelter is being planted everywhere.

The farm is bisected by a gorge, the sides a 300 ft drop from the tops. With no vegetative cover a big rainfall event risked sweeping away the only bridge between the two halves of the farm, and stock often got lost over the edge. Bruce took the big step of borrowing to build 18 km of permanent seven wire fence to completely enclose the gorge and its tributary gullies and the sides have been planted with poplars and natives. They are carefully managed so that the track is not too shaded in winter and the trees don't overbalance and block the stream flow or erode the banks. The result is a delightful oasis in that bare dry country.

Over all, the farm has planted 6,000 poplar and willow poles and aims to plant another 300 every year, as well as 200 natives. Last year they planted 500 natives. Looking at the farm from the top of the ridge you can really see the difference it has made.

Risking ridicule from the neighbours, Bruce carefully prunes up the kanuka which is dotted around the pasture, to as high as he can reach. His father used to cut them out, but Bruce reckons they provide a lot of shade and shelter, but don't inhibit the grass growth as there are no camping spots and the shade patch moves around during the day, letting enough light into the pasture. The result is like park land and very green compared with much of Hawke's Bay when I visited.

Bruce is Trustee of the NZ Poplar and Willow Trust, set up last year with a grant from MAF and co-funded by the Regional Council. It aims to increase the growing of poplar and willow on NZ farms by enhancing breeding of good varieties, monitoring of pest and disease status and providing technical transfer of material and knowledge. This is part of a growing recognition that trees must be part of the answer to drought.

Even our export markets are demanding shade and shelter on the farms they buy from. I was told of one large farming operation that was turned down for export orders until they had put in shade and shelter.

Super phosphate is flown on every year but the pilot is instructed to leave a 150m margin along the gorge and any other waterways. Fertliser is too valuable to run into the stream, where it pollutes the water. The stock spread the fertility around anyway.

A legacy from the previous generation is a well tended 13 ha ornamental garden (you can see pictures of this at www.trelinnoepark.co.nz) which attracts many visitors. The tea rooms fed us traditional scones with whipped cream and there is backpackers accommodation too.

Trelinnoe is an example of long term thinking. The Wills have given away some short term profitability to create a more resilient farm that can survive in the long term, with worsening droughts. The farm is a picture of what our discerning markets want to see on our clean green brand, and the soil is nurtured for successive generations. Bruce is chair of Federated Farmers Meat and Fibre division and well placed to spread the sustainability message wider. 

We were joined on the visit by Alec Olsen, Heather Bell and Dave Kirk, local farmers who contributed their wisdom to a great discussion about drought-proofing our farming.

In particular I was moved by Dave's story of how the drought has affected his farm. Last summer he took the stock off for three months and at the end of that time there was still no grass. His rates are likely to go to $20,000 a year because the farm has been valued at the price it would fetch if cut up for lifestyle blocks, as some nearby farms have been. The valuation has to be at "highest and best value" and yet lifestyle blocks would be impracticable as there isn't the water they would need. The rates may compel him to leave his family farm. He acknowledges trees are essential to adapt to drought but that won't help in the short term - in fact they require even more capital. We clearly need some transitional policies at local government level as farmers struggle to adapt to these changes.

Thanks to Dr Gavin Kenny who organised the visit and accompanied me. Gavin has been managing a Sustainable Farming Fund project on adapting to drought in hill country Hawke's Bay - you can read more here. Greg Hart's farm is currently the focus for an in-depth case study as part of this project, to be completed in 2010.

Many thanks to Bruce for his generosity with his time, hospitality and inspiration.

Read about other visits Jeanette has made

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