Les Carr, Mangamuka, Northland branch March 2014
Les Carr describes some of the successes and pitfalls involved with forestry in his mixed drystock and 90-hectare forestry operation near Mangamuka, Northland, including a joint venture with members of…
Brian Simms, Kaitaia, Northland branch March 2014
Brian Simms' farm near Kaitaia in Northland combines grazing with high value trees. Tree species planted include radiata pine, blackwood and silky oak (Grevillea robusta). Brian plants for erosion control…
Doug Lane, Kaeo, Northland branch March 2014
On this award-winning property plantings are for timber, aesthetics and to create a pleasant working environment. Trees planted on land that was marginal for stock have made stock management much…
Peter and Nikki Davies-Colley, Titoki, Northland branch May 2014
On this 300-hectare sheep, cattle and forestry property, a whole-farm approach is taken - trees are only planted on land too steep or difficult to cultivate. Poplars are planted to…
John and Christine Pedersen, Parakao, Northland branch May 2014
The Pedersens have integrated livestock, woodlot and timber-line plantings; trees have been planted on the steepest, driest parts of farm. Main species are radiata pine and eucalypts. Trees have resulted…
Peter and Pam Kelly, Dargaville, Northland branch May 2014
This 300-hectare exposed dry coastal sand country is used for intensive beef production.40 ha of the worst land is in production forestry; 4-5 ha in shelter and amenity plantings have…
2018 North Island farm forester of the year field day - Dean Satchell Yvonne Steinemann, October 2018
Vertically Integrated Forest Operation - Horowai Trust, Purerua Peninsula, Kerikeri High value forest 150 ha, aiming for good quality timber for high end use and a good return Diverse products, harvest thinnings,…
Plantation forestry best practice for Northland March 2019
Plantation forestry best practice for Northland See also: Plantation forestry species for Northland Pinus radiata Cupressus macrocarpa Cryptomeria japonica Sequoia sempervirens Poplar, Kawa Totara Rata x Pohutukawa hybrid Cupressus lusitanica…
Field day - Doug and Janet Bogardus' farm and Northland Kauri Yvonne Steinemann and Dean Satchell, June 2019
Peter Davies-Colley introduced Doug and Janet at their house while it poured down outside. They built their mud brick and timber house themselves, with some beautiful Lawson cypress beams and…
Field day - John Dawns, Titoki Dean Satchell, November 2019
John Dawn has a “small” 44 hectare private investment forest near Titoki, west of Whangarei. After coming back to New Zealand from overseas in ‘94 John decided he wanted to grow…
Field day - Killens farm, Kaikohe Dean Satchell, March 2020
14 March 2020. Ross Killen hosted this field day with his father Bruce and Ross's brother in law Shane Tobin. The farm is 300 hectares and running sheep an beef, with mixed-age…
Field day - Noel and Christine Donelley's forest, Whareora Dean Satchell, May 2021
Peter Davies-Colley co-hosted this harvesting-focussed field day with owners Noel and Christine. The 100 hectare forest took 5 years to plant in 100,000 radiata seedlings and 25,000 other species, mostly…
Husqvarna North Island Farm Forester of the Year 2018 - Dean Satchell (Access: unrestricted)
May 2018
The winner of the 2018 North Island Farm Forester of theYear award was not born into land, money, horticulture or forestry. In fact, growing up in suburban Auckland would probably have…
Richard Davies-Colley remembered (Access: unrestricted)
Compiled by Peter Davies-Colley, Wilma Davies-Colley and Mike Smith, May 2016
Richard Davies-Colley died a few weeks after the 2015 conference in Whangarei. He and his wife Wilma took over the registration process for this conference at short notice and helped…
Trounson Park (Access: unrestricted)
Ian Brown, November 2015
When James Trounson emigrated to New Zealand from Cornwall in 1862, he moved to Northland and set about milling trees and clearing land for farming. What distinguished him from most…
Swamp kauri – a post 2015 conference visit (Access: unrestricted)
Ian Brown, November 2015
Nelson Parker, owner of the Kaihu Kauri Mill, is a larger than life character. A former champion axeman, he is built like a Sherman tank with a personality to match…
Bushman’s impressive shed (Access: unrestricted)
Nick Ledgard, August 2015
I had the Kauri Museum or Trounson Park in my sights for the last conference day, but the need to be back in Whangarei for a mid-day flight required taking…
Whangarei Conference 2015 - field days (Access: unrestricted)
Whangarei branch committee, August 2015
The annual NZFFA conference was held in Whangarei in April and as usual there were a number of field trips for attendees to take part in. Over the next few…
Good stewardship of land, water and trees (Access: unrestricted)
Brian Simms, February 2011
My parents bought half of the present farm area in 1955 for the princely sum of £2,000. This land comprised a couple of hectares of rough grass, a few hectares…
Far North field day Re-conceptualising weedy scrub (Access: unrestricted)
Dean Satchell and Doug Lane, August 2009
This ex-dairy and drystock property was purchased by Paul and Katarina Quinlan in 1996 and had already been occupied as a lifestyle block for 16 years. Being mostly rolling contour, a…
Future forests need to be multifunctional to meet climate change in Tairawhiti Thursday, March 16, 2023
The Farm Forestry Association says the just convened Ministerial Inquiry, into land-use across Tairāwhiti, needs to look closely at the tree options for shoring up vulnerable farm and former forest land in…
Forest Owners want genetic technology approved Thursday, February 16, 2023
The Forest Owners Organisation says New Zealand needs to concentrate on the safety of genetic technology on a case-by-case basis rather than persisting with blanket bans. The FOA wants approval…
Fieldays Forestry Hub to demonstrate that forestry is a solution Monday, November 28, 2022
A range of solutions to farmers’ current problems will be on display in the Fieldays Forestry Hub near Hamilton between 30 November and 3 December, says Farm Forestry Association president,…
Innovative uses of forestry and wood products unveiled at Fieldays Thursday, November 24, 2022
New and innovative uses of forestry and wood products will be on display at 35 stands in the Fieldays Forestry Hub near Hamilton between 30 November and 3 December, including…
Pine conspiracy needs reality check Thursday, November 10, 2022
Farm Foresters are saying journalists and commentators need to educate themselves about the reality of plantation forestry. The FFA President, Graham West says ‘Frequent anti-pine rants on Newstalk ZB and…
Farming’s forestry hysteria Sunday, October 30, 2022
Beef &Lamb NZ and Federated Farmers media release on recent results of an opinion survey on forestry offset adds to the misuse of information that’s building alarm and public hysteria…
Foresters ask James Shaw if the government wants more trees or not Tuesday, October 11, 2022
Foresters are saying a suggestion by Climate Change Minister James Shaw to centralise buying carbon credits in central government, and decoupling the Emissions Trading Scheme from forestry, is a message…
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…