A planting scheme helping farmers in Northland is reaping benefits with “how to do it” approach.
“What we offer is the carrot,” says the secretary of the Otamatea HarbourCare Society, Mark Vincent, well aware that many farmers believe they are being subject to “a stick” when it comes to environmental improvements.
That carrot has involved just over 24,500 plants being supplied by the society to farmers in lower Northland around the Kaipara Harbour in the past year (and approaching 100,000 over five years), with around half of those going to dairy farmers. All but 2500 were grown in the society’s own nursery, sited on Mark’s small block and run with volunteer labour.