Denis Hocking, Rangitoto Farm, Bulls, Middle Districts branch July 2014
Denis Hocking describes his farm forestry operations on sand country in the Manawatu. Drystock occupy the flats, while trees are grown on the sand dunes.Radiata pine does particularly well on…
Don Tantrum, Rangiwai, nr Taihape, Middle Districts branch July 2014
Don Tantrum's plantings comprise a wide range of alternative species, grown for multiple benefits. Species include black walnut, blackwoods, cypresses and eucalypts. Don has also harvested and milled many species…
Ian McKean Pinetum December 2021
The Ian McKean Pinetum is well worth a visit if you are traveling through the inland Manawatu region and are prepared to take a road less traveled. Heading South from Taihape on…
Goulters Gully field day (Access: unrestricted)
Julian Bateson, February 2018
The 2017 conference hosted by Middle Districts had a range of good field days. The following pages have articles two more of these − the trip to Goulters Gully and…
Waipiko - A winning property (Access: unrestricted)
August 2017
The second visit of the day was to Waipiko Farm, a property on which John and Diny Dermer were awarded the Husqvarna North Island Farm Forester of the Year in…
Longridge – half in forestry (Access: unrestricted)
Julian Bateson, August 2017
The first stop of the Feilding conference field days was Longridge, farmed by Dean and Cushla Williamson. Dean admitted that in general, the land looked after itself, probably because over…
Forestry a permitted activity? (Access: unrestricted)
Barry Gilliland, August 2014
Forestry is a ‘permitted activity’ in the Manawatu - Whanganui region now that the rule has been approved by the Environment Court. But how can forestry be a permitted activity? Those…
Horizons’ proposed One Plan Where are we? (Access: unrestricted)
Barry Gilliland, August 2013
It is a long and difficult birth is my stock answer to the perennial question – At what stage is the proposed One Plan? The fact is that the situation…
Pining in the sand hills, Episode two (Access: unrestricted)
Gwen and Chris Bossley, May 2013
In the November 2008 Tree Grower we described our progress to that date. For four years, from 1982 until 1985, we planted 13.4 hectares of sand hills which were covered…
It’s all about density (Access: unrestricted)
Angus Gordon, November 2008
Hautapu Pine Products tree farm is situated on the north bank of the Orua river east of Apiti and adjacent to the Ruahine range. The majority of the property is…
Alleviating the boredom with eucalypts (Access: unrestricted)
Denis Hocking, November 2008
The coastal sand country of the south-western North Island is probably one of the easiest places in New Zealand to grow radiata pine. There are few disease or physiological problems,…
The Gordon Trust property 60 years on (Access: unrestricted)
Angus Gordon, November 2008
The Gordon Trust property owned by John and Julie Gordon, and previously by John’s father Ron, is situated 11 km due west of Taihape in one of the upper branches…
The history and trends of land use in the Middle Districts (Access: unrestricted)
Angus Gordon and Denis Hocking, November 2008
The Middle Districts branch, along with the associated Tararua branch, is as diverse as most you will find in New Zealand. Middle Districts is bounded by the four W's −…
Trees and farming near the roof of the world (Access: unrestricted)
Angus Gordon, November 2008
Ian Cummings farms an 800 hectare sheep and beef property at Hihitahi, 9 km south of Waiouru, in what can only be described as a climatically challenging environment. His farm…
Pining in the sandhills (Access: unrestricted)
Gwen and Chris Bossley, November 2008
In the early 1980s we decided that, as urban dwellers, we needed somewhere to escape to, within easy driving distance of home. We knew very little about lifestyle farming, but…
NZFFA submission on Industry Transformation Plan Thursday, October 06, 2022
The Ministry for Primary Industries has issued a draft Forestry and Wood Processing Industry Transformation Plan. This is a welcome contribution and appears to be well researched, but we feel…
RECOGNITION FOR FORESTRY’S HIGHEST ACHIEVERS IN 2022 Sunday, September 18, 2022
This week at an awards dinner held in Auckland the New Zealand Institute of Forestry (NZIF) announced the winners of its three most prestigious awards. The 2022 recipients are acknowledged…
Wooden cities key to cutting worldwide carbon emissions to combat climate change Tuesday, September 13, 2022
The Forest Owners Association President is predicting massive increases in the worldwide demand for engineered timber construction. Grant Dodson has told delegates at the Forest Institute Conference in Auckland today…
Forestry Transformation Plan could be ‘game changer’ Sunday, August 21, 2022
Forestry Transformation Plan could be ‘game changer’ for New Zealand economy and for combating climate change The Forest Owners Association says the Forestry and Wood Processing Industry Transformation Plan has…
New campaign launches to attract more people into forestry careers Wednesday, August 10, 2022
A new recruitment campaign called ‘Find Your Fit In Forestry’ aims to draw attention to the varied career opportunities available in the growing forestry industry. A sector-wide initiative, the campaign…
Trees on Your Farm – Pilot Workshops Friday, July 01, 2022
In May, members of the NZFFA held three pilot workshops in the lower North Island aimed at encouraging hill country farmers to grow more trees. The format was a day…
Federated Farmers struggling with both the law and arithmetic Thursday, June 30, 2022
The Forest Owners Association says Federated Farmers have got their sums wrong on the rate of forest planting and don’t understand the law on overseas investment either. FOA is responding…
‘Smart spade’ one of new technologies for forest silviculture project Thursday, May 05, 2022
A ‘smart spade’ which identifies exactly where to plant a tree seedling is just one of the new technologies in the seven-year $25.5 million Precision Silviculture development project. The newly…
Forest Owners call for forest trade mission to India Monday, April 11, 2022
Forest Owners call for forest trade mission to India following approval of new fumigant for log exports The Forest Owners Association wants a delegation of government ministers to urgently go to…
Joint efforts under way after unwanted pest detected in Tauranga Wednesday, March 30, 2022
Biosecurity New Zealand is working with primary sector and Te Tiriti partners after a single confirmed egg mass belonging to the moth pest the fall armyworm was found in Tauranga.…
Forest Biosecurity update March 2022 Thursday, March 10, 2022
Check out the latest Biosecurity newsletter which gives an update on the biosecurity surveillance system, pitch pine canker, red needle cast, tortoise beetles, a new ladybird (always good) and the…
Forest Owners says IPCC doesn't back Anne Salmond Wednesday, March 02, 2022
The Forest Owners Association says highly qualified reservations in the latest International Panel on Climate Change report, do not back anthropologist Anne Salmond’s claims that New Zealand should switch exclusively…
Forest Owners puzzled at overseas investment reform Thursday, February 24, 2022
The Forest Owners Association is asking why the government needs to reintroduce more process around overseas investment for conversions from pasture to plantation forests. The Associate Minister of Finance, David…
Forest Owners tell government to look across the Tasman Monday, February 21, 2022
The Forest Owners Association is telling the government that Australia’s support of plantation forestry is in sharp contrast to the increasingly restrictive measures being promised in New Zealand by our…
The folly of the native forest carbon solution Monday, February 21, 2022
The Farm Forestry Association says anthropologist Dame Anne Salmond’s recently publicised views, that planting native forests offer the best solution to the climate crisis, is misinformed and misleading. Association President Graham West says the overwhelming…
Forestry Minister has strategic leadership opportunity in farm forestry Friday, February 04, 2022
The Farm Forestry Association says Forestry Minister, Stuart Nash, should incentivise farmers to plant more trees to combat climate change. Association President Graham West asks, “Why isn’t the government working…
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