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8/11/2019 WFP Factsheet Final

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FACTSHEET

WHOLE FARM PLANS

SEPTEMBER 2013

WHAT IS A WHOLE FARM PLAN?

The aim of a WFP is to build a farm system that is optimalfor the business, while also having the lowest impact onthe environment. Any proposed changes to the currentsystem need to be protable, easy to manage and to beable to be adapted over time.

A Whole Farm Plan (WFP) involves a stock-take of land,soil and water resources and combines key informationfrom a range of management areas of your farm intoa detailed plan. A comprehensive plan will providestrategic direction for successful and sustainable businessperformance. Assessment of the following factorscontributes to the WFP:

The impact of the current system on the receivingenvironment

Goals and aspirations of the farmer

Current capabilities and constraints of the businessfrom external and internal factors

The opportunities and threatsto the current system frompolitical and market indicators

The existing farminfrastructure and resources

A Whole Farm Plan (WFP) is avaluable business tool for thefarmer. Offering comprehensiveinformation about on-farmresources, these plans help thefarmer develop protable andsustainable farm managementsystems. Recognising bothenvironmental and businessbenets, Whole Farm Plans arenow being undertaken on farmsall around the country.

This fact sheet provides some information on

what a WFP is, what is involved, and the

potential benets farmers can gain from havinga WFP carried out on their farm.


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WHERE HAVE WHOLE FARM PLANS COME

FROM?Whole Farm Plans have developed over time from therealisation that looking at just one aspect of the farm isnot enough. WFPs can have different names dependingon who is carrying out the plan, for example, farmmanagement plans, farm environment plan, land andenvironment plan, but the aim is to understand your farmresources and risks.

WHY HAVE A WHOLE FARM PLAN FORYOUR FARM?

A WFP will provide a farmer with a way to addressthe current and future goals of their farm. It is a livingdocument, unique to the farmer and their farm andtakes into account farmer goals in relation to economic,social, personal, and environmental impacts.

Whole farm planning provides meaningful andmeasureable outcomes with which to lift performance ofthe business. Decision making is enhanced as farmersimprove the understanding of their choices, as well asthe potential consequences and effects of their actions.Farmers who undertake regular WFP's ensure they havea sound strategy to build a resilient business for the futurewhile they continue to reduce their farming impacts onthe environment.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR HAVING A WFPDONE ON YOUR FARM?

To start the process, you usually need to have a trainedadvisor working closely with you and your currentadvisors, using the information that you already have,such as your nutrient budget, or Nutrient ManagementPlan (NMP).

With the help of enough information to generate atypical year, the advisor will be able to build scenariosusing the OVERSEER model to look at different optionsthat are aligned with your goals, and aim to design afarm system that is efcient and protable, while alsohaving the lowest impact on the environment.

There are many current examples of agencies andCouncils working with farmers in the WFP process tolook for opportunities to improve not only the health andresilience of your business, but also the health of yourenvironment.

Diagram courtesy of Bala Tikkisetty, Waikato Regional Council 2011


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CASE STUDY

Andrew and Jenny Hayes, Horsham Downs,near Hamilton, farm an 88Ha effective dairyfarm. They have two peat lakes on their farmand the lakes were starting to die in 1981.Since then, the Hayes and their four sonsAlastair, Derek, Rodney and Fred, along withDOC, Waikato Regional COuncil (WRC) andothers, such as duckshooters, have cleared16ha of willows, retired riparian margins,fenced and planted native plants. Silt trapsand constructed wetlands have also beeninstalled.

Since 2008, with assistance from DOC, tohelp protect the lakes even further, the Hayesstarted having WFPs done with HeadlandsConsultants. Andrew believes WFPs aremuch more benecial than Nutrient Budgets

as a WFP tells you how you're doing andhow your farm is performing. For example,a big benet for Andrew is showing theSoluble N use/ha in relation to the PastureHarvested (TDM/Harv/Ha). You knowwhat you're putting on in relation to whatyou're getting back via the N ConversionEfciency. Therefore nothing is wastedand it tells the whole story. Compare thiswith farmers who put N on "just in case".Andrew has a progress report done everyyear and both the lakes and farm arebetter. He believes the cost of having aWFP is nothing compared to the net protgained through farm efciencies. "Im abetter farmer, that's the guts of it". Table of contents from a typical WFP


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If you are interested in nding out more about WholeFarm Plans please contact:

NZ Landcare Trust, 0800526 322or email: [email protected]

Disclaimer the information in this fact sheet is currentto September 2013 and is used and endorsed by theNZ Landcare Trust. Other organisations and/or agenciesmay have different processes for undertaking WFP's.

OTHER ORGANISATIONS:

Some agencies have their own processes for assessingfarm resources and risks, but may not call them wholefarm plans as such. Please also contact your Regional,District or City Council or your regional NZ LandcareTrust coordinator for further information.

There are a number of examples both nationwide, andregionally and include, but not limited to:

Beef + Lamb NZ Land and Environment Plan

http://beeambnz.com/lep/

DairyNZ Sustainable Milk Plan Template

www.dairynz.co.nz/page/pageid/2145879945/Upper_Waikato_Sustainable_Milk_Project

Irrigation NZ www.irrigationnz.co.nz/irrigators/irrigation-farm-

plans-and-audited-self-management/

There are also trained private consultants able to carryout whole farm plans and include, but not limited to:

Headlands

www.headlandsenviro.co.nz/

Landvision Ltd

www.landvision.co.nz/
http://www.dairynz.co.nz/page/pageid/2145879945/Upper_Waikato_Sustainable_Milk_Projecthttp://www.dairynz.co.nz/page/pageid/2145879945/Upper_Waikato_Sustainable_Milk_Projecthttp://www.irrigationnz.co.nz/irrigators/irrigation-farm-plans-and-audited-self-management/http://www.irrigationnz.co.nz/irrigators/irrigation-farm-plans-and-audited-self-management/http://www.irrigationnz.co.nz/irrigators/irrigation-farm-plans-and-audited-self-management/http://www.irrigationnz.co.nz/irrigators/irrigation-farm-plans-and-audited-self-management/http://www.dairynz.co.nz/page/pageid/2145879945/Upper_Waikato_Sustainable_Milk_Projecthttp://www.dairynz.co.nz/page/pageid/2145879945/Upper_Waikato_Sustainable_Milk_Project

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