Environment

Taking care of our environment is a priority – explore below to find out more about what you can do to take care of your farm environment.

Managing stock near water

Agricultural and horticultural land occupy more than 40% of New Zealand, meaning there is significant pressure on farmers to manage the effects of their land use on water quality – and that includes managing stock near water.

Holding on to soil

Some soil – or sediment – in a stream is natural. But, if sediment levels get too high, it can disrupt ecosystems and kill freshwater species. It’s also a major source of phosphorus, because phosphate sticks to soil particles.

Making the most of nutrients

Nutrients are essential for both plants and animals, but too many nutrients can be a significant problem, particularly when it comes to their impact on waterways.

Improving biodiversity

Biodiversity refers to the variety of plant and animal life in a particular habitat. As a general rule - the more diversity, the healthier that environment.

Dung and waterways

Dung – particularly in water – is bad news. Faecal bacteria and pathogens can cause disease in people.

Stream health

There are a range of methods for assessing ecosystem health and quality of waterways.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand Farm Planning

Find out more about B+LNZ’s farm planning approach and access key resources.

From the Knowledge Hub