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Farm plans from a farmer perspective

Farm plans from a farmer perspective. A collaborative proposal for research with Terry Parminter of AgResearch Mairi Jay. Some background context. Originally for soil conservation under pre-1989 catchment boards;

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Farm plans from a farmer perspective

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  1. Farm plans from a farmer perspective A collaborative proposal for research with Terry Parminter of AgResearch Mairi Jay

  2. Some background context • Originally for soil conservation under pre-1989 catchment boards; • gradually extended to water quality, riparian planting, animal welfare, biodiversity etc. • In 2003 M. for E published a document by Blaschke and Ngapo summarising the role and function of farm plans and their potential for improving environmental outcomes. • Farm plans increasingly used by regional councils to get farmers to think holistically and strategically.

  3. Background context • MfE intention is to encourage self-regulation by farmers and agricultural industry; • Farm plans thought to be a useful tool for self-regulation; • Current issues: • Variable capacities of regional councils • Variable requirements of regional councils; • Variability in the complexity of farm plans; • What should be included in a farm plan? • What do farm plans mean to farmers and how useful to farmers find them?

  4. Potential issues for farm plans • Effluent disposal • Biodiversity Protection of • Pest & weed control • Nutrient management • Energy efficiency • Animal welfare • Soils and land use capability • Soils management • Control of run-off • Stream protection • Water quality • Irrigation management • Use of chemicals

  5. The problem? • Uptake of farm plans by dairy farmers is very low; • So what is stopping them?

  6. Possible reasons • For all farmers: • Another layer of complexity; • The plans don’t fit with the mental maps of the farmers; • For dairy farmers: • The complexity created by sharemilking; • Productivist ethos of the industry; • Anti-regulation and anti-council sentiments

  7. The research question: • Do farmers have personal farm plans (in their heads or in writing) that guide their farm management? • What is the nature of farm plans that farmers have? For example: • what do their farm plans relate to (spatially and functionally)? • What is the time-frame? • What degree of flexibility? • How compatible are the personal or informal farm plans of farmers with professionally constructed plans of regional council staff?

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