Page 39 - 2020 NZ Hereford Magazine

BIODIVERSITY NOW FRED’S FOCUS

Herefords have competition for Fred Chesterman’s attention the farm. He has seen the soil depth visibly increase over the
these days. farm in his lifetime and is enjoying improving biodiversity as well.
The home farm of Koanui Polled Herefords, also known “Farmers in general aren’t getting the recognition for what
as Koanui, can be found high on the Maraetotara plateau in they’re doing now to restore all that biodiversity.”
Hawke’s Bay. Now run by Chris and Jennifer, the stud was Fred has been coordinating the planting of about 1000 plants a
started by Chris’ parents, Fred and the late Annette, in 1972, year for the past five years (plus the manuka) and loves the chance
with Fred still involved in the business. to return the big trees to the farm, the likes of kauri, rimu, kahikatea
The family joke Fred has moved from the boss to the shepherd and matai, as well as intermediate sized trees such as miro.
to the gardener. With a burgeoning nursery, Fred is leading the “We fence off unproductive areas and I plant trees in them.”
charge in environmental work on the farm’s waterways, which are “From a farming point of view, we’re planting areas that are
tributaries into the Maraetotara Stream. One of his recent riparian not desirable from a profitability point of view. It’s a win-win,”
planting projects is in partnership with the Hawke’s Bay Regional adds Chris.
Council. Fred has been integral in ‘beefing up’ the planting by 2020 will see the last 4.5km of waterways fenced on the
adding some of his own natives for greater species diversity. home block. Most of the work has already been done on their
“This is one small part of our ongoing efforts to plant all of neighbouring Otanui block, as well as the farm’s 2km stretch of
our waterways for better water quality, for the benefit of the the Maraetotara Stream.
community and future generations to come,” Jennifer says.
The family also planted 1000 high-UMF manuka seedlings THIS PAGE, LEFT TO RIGHT: A stream that has been fenced and
planted in partnership with the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council; Fred
last spring. Chesterman is leading the charge in the family’s environmental work.
“Hopefully they’ll do well and we’ll end up with a thriving
plantation of natives by the Maraetotara Stream.”
A former worker had visited while the manuka planting was
under way and joked the last time he was there he was cutting
it down; he didn’t think he could bring himself to plant it.
Fred says the environmental side of farming has changed
dramatically from the days of his parents and grandparents on
“THIS IS ONE SMALL PART OF OUR
ONGOING EFFORTS TO PLANT ALL
OF OUR WATERWAYS FOR BETTER

WATER QUALITY, FOR THE BENEFIT
OF THE COMMUNITY AND FUTURE
GENERATIONS TO COME.”

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