Located in Muriwai district near Gisborne, Rob and Sandra Faulkner farm Wairakaia, a 600 ha property. The property has had a focus on high performance forages on its flatter country for some years.
As part of the Innovation Farm programme, the focus moved to increasing the quality on uncultivatable hill country. This was undertaken by oversowing with arrowleaf, allowing seed set and then further oversowing with plantain. Whilst there were significant management issues, the plantain/arrowleaf pasture produced 30% more DM and 50% more on an ME basis. Measurements are continuing under the Hill Country Futures programme.
You can read more about their Ballance Farm Environment Award here or about their Agro-Forestry project here.