Tokanui farm will help spread best farming practice

Environment Waikato has praised AgResearch for the vision and energy involved in the creation of a new model dairy farm at Tokanui, south of Hamilton.

EW has assisted AgResearch to get the farm operational, providing technical advice on the property’s natural resources, soil and water quality issues, nutrient and effluent management, erosion control, as well as crop and pasture management. This was aimed at helping the farm use best management practices for that particular property, and to help future proof it from an operational and environmental perspective.

“AgResearch has now laid the foundations for a really sustainable farming operation at Tokanui from an environmental perspective,” said dairy farmer and EW deputy chairman John Fisher, who is attending Tokanui’s official opening today.

Mr Fisher said the ideas and knowledge developed at Tokanui will help both the Waikato and New Zealand Inc continue to succeed on the agricultural front as farming faces a range of pressures, such as climate change and water quality issues.

“For EW’s part, we will maintain our support for AgResearch and others on the evolution of best practice.

“The use of this farm as a centre for education and knowledge dissemination will be a key part of ensuring that Waikato farmers get the up-to-date information they need to maintain our economic and environmental health.”