Tuesday, 23 February 2021 15:55

Farm Environment Plans now becoming an important farming tool

Written by  Peter Burke
FEPs are a tool that have been developed to help farmers recognise on-farm environmental risks and set out a programme to manage those risks. Photo Credit: Paul Sutherland Photography. FEPs are a tool that have been developed to help farmers recognise on-farm environmental risks and set out a programme to manage those risks. Photo Credit: Paul Sutherland Photography.

Sharing knowledge and looking at ways to upskill people to prepare farm environment plans (FEPs) was the focus of a real and virtual workshop organised by Massey University recently.

More than 400 people participated in the day organised by Massey University’s Farmed Landscapes Research Centre (FLRC). Normally the FLRC workshop runs over three days, but because of Covid, the organisers decided to go with a one day event with a single theme – FEP’s.

About 50 participants came to the workshop at Massey’s Palmerston North campus, while more than 350, including several speakers, joined in via Zoom.

FEPs are a tool that has been developed to help farmers recognise on-farm environmental risks and set out a programme to manage those risks. The FEP is unique to an individual farm and the level of complexity of the plan largely depends on the farm system.

With the Government’s strong focus on improving water quality and also on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Professor Chris Anderson, who heads up the research centre, says FEPs are a huge issue now.

He says they are becoming a major tool for dealing with environmental issues.

Speakers on the webinar and workshop, which included representatives from regional councils, science organisations and industry good organisations, covered a range of topics. These included the research being done on Green House Gas Emissions and working with farmers to develop FEPs.

“It was great having more than 400 people wanting to know more about these plans. We got to a larger audience than we usually do and picked up people who don’t normally come to these workshops,” Anderson told Rural News. “For example, we had professionals in the legal space and banks that don’t normally engage with us. We are confident that what we are doing is working well and the scope is to do it more often.”

He says as the demand for more FEPs grows, Massey University, through this research group, has a big role to play in thought leadership and promoting discussion to solve some of the challenges.

“As a research organisation, we don’t want to take sides,” Anderson explained. “We are not involved in accreditation or auditing of the plans, but we are involved in discussion, training and good science that will underpin the plans.”

Anderson agrees that with social media, much so-called pseudo or inaccurate science is circulating and he says it’s important to promote discussions and get positive stories into the media to engage people.

More like this

Unsung heroes under the soil

Much of the scientific work being carried out at the Massey University led regenerative agriculture project, Whenua Haumanu, is below the ground.

Massey Research Field Day attracts huge interest

More than 200 people turned out on Thursday, November 21 to see what progress has been made on one of NZ's biggest and most comprehensive agriculture research programmes on regenerative agriculture.

New ag degrees at Massey

Changing skill demands and new job opportunities in the primary sector have prompted Massey University to create a new degree course and add a significant major into another in 2025.

Featured

New UHT plant construction starts

Construction is underway at Fonterra’s new UHT cream plant at Edendale, Southland following a groundbreaking ceremony recently.

National

Machinery & Products

GEA launches robotic milkers

Milking technology provider GEA Farm Technologies is introducing its first automatic milking system (AMS) in New Zealand.

More front hoppers

German seeding specialists Horsch have announced a new 1600- litre double-tank option that will join its current Partner FT single…

Origin Ag clocks up 20 years

With roots dating back to 2004, Origin Ag was formed as a co-operative business model that removed the traditional distributor,…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Dark ages

OPINION: Before we all let The Green Party have at it with their 'bold' emissions reduction plan, the Hound thought…

Rhymes with?

OPINION: The Feds' latest banking survey shows that bankers are even less popular with farmers than they used to be,…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter