Rabbidge Farms Sustainable Farming

Sustainable farming covers not only what is done through management practices on farm that impact on livestock, environment and income, but also raises the question of whether the next generation will follow in a farming couple’s footsteps.

Dean and Sarah Rabbidge are addressing all these questions as they manage both farming and family on their Southland property that has been in the Rabbidge family’s care since 1889.

Self-described ‘food producer from Southland’, Dean accepts that the definition of ‘best practice farming’ is forever changing but he’s determined to adapt as required. When it comes to managing operations on farm, he uses a mapping and process technology, developed in New Zealand by a group of like-minded farmers, called Resolution, which helps to keep track of feed plans, animal health, growth records, and the like.

“When I shift the sheep, I just take photos and upload them to the app, so if someone comes back later to question us after the animals have left the paddock, I can quite comfortably show them how I’ve done it. If it was wet and miserable, then I shift the stock and can show how I’ve been grazing, saving your standing green areas till the very last minute. So, there’s way and means.”

Dean is aware of regional and national environmental rules that are meant to limit the harm of over-stocking during winter grazing. He admits he was never a fan of the ‘10 degree’ slope regulation and has chosen his own way to farm sustainably.

“I’ve probably been in a little bit of a rebellion against that and have exceeded the 10-degree slope regularly, but I believe with my management plans, mitigation factors and wide buffers, I’m quite comfortable in proving that what I’m doing doesn’t have any adverse effect on water quality or sediment loss.”

Doing it their way, Dean and Sarah won a Ballance Farm Environment Award: in 2019. Dean explains entering the BFEA regional award was an opportunity to get some feedback and direction about where the farm was sitting environmentally – “we have always made conscious decisions to make sure we’re not doing anything detrimental to what is a pretty awesome asset in fresh water and soil – and riparian plantings are obviously a part of that – how winter crops are grazed, where they are planted, putting slope buffer zones in place to reduce sediment and nutrient runoff.” He reports they have had good success with cabbage trees, ribbonwoods and manuka, as well as flax, and have a large area of native bush on the property.

The riparian plantings around the numerous water bodies on the property are becoming increasingly established. There is a significant amount of native bush on the farm, with only 3 small forestry blocks planted in pines in areas that are difficult to access for stock. Dean says he plans to slowly shift the remaining blocks back to natives as and when time and finances allow.

Having grown up in the Southland region stronghold of sheep and beef, Dean is concerned about how much land in the area is going out of livestock and into forestry. His concerns are around the impact on community groups, schools, sports teams and the businesses that have traditionally supported livestock farming. As well, there are concerns around the weed and pest infestations, impacts on water uptake from the catchment, and shading of grazing land because of large-scale forestry plantings.

And, Dean notes, that while land was sold and developed into forestry during a recent dip in commodity prices, now sheep and beef prices have bounced back to be competitive with that land use, so he is hopeful that may encourage other farmers to stick with some version of livestock production.

Dean and Sarah are raising three children who may or may not take over the farm. Sarah grew up in South Canterbury and became a kindergarten teacher. She met Dean while they were both experiencing their ‘OE’ and has been farm-based since the children arrived. Dean and Sarah feel a responsibility to look after what has been passed on to them.

They say it will be up to Ray (6)  Ida (9) and Ted (who is 11) in the end  - but report their three are all very involved on farm at the moment and keen to help out when they can, however, there is no pressure from parents to children on their chosen future paths. They are open-minded about whether there’s going to be another generation of Rabbidges farming the property.

“None of them may want to go down the agriculture avenue, but at the end of the day it’s no dramas, we’d still have a very good position and we’d be able to do something else – we could lease the whole property or sell it to somebody else and exit quite comfortably.”