Country Life: Changing times on South Taranaki dairy farm

RNZ News

23-05-2025

former South Taranaki mayor Ross Dunlop and wife Jan have lived on the home farm near Ōhawe together for 46 years.
Photo:
Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
Ross Dunlop has called the family farm near Ōhawe in South Taranaki home all his life, though in three different homes.
"Some people have moved all around the world, I've only just moved around the farm," he told
Country Life.
He and wife Jan moved into the main house over 40 years ago, and have seen the farm through many changes since.
From helping regenerate native vegetation and improve water quality on farm, to preserving parts of the farms local history, Ross said it was the "perfect farm" combining their love of both conservation and history.
Follow Country Life on
Apple Podcasts
,
Spotify
,
iHeart
or wherever you get your podcasts.
The farm looks very different now to when he first started, with about 15 percent in native bush. Ross says much of this has been achieved by just fencing off sections of bush to help it regenerate and waterways have also been fenced off
Vegetation provides shelter and shade for stock and made the farm a "more pleasant environment to work in", he said.
He said farmers were much more appreciative of the natural environment these days and it made farming more enjoyable.
"When I grew up there was very little bush, it was pretty much a sterile farm with just animals and grass.
"I've always had a real big interest in native trees and conservation. But I also want to have a productive farm so it's about getting that balance."
The property was once run as a sheep and beef farm but now supports 450 milking cows.
Photo:
Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
A small lake surrounded by native vegetation also helps reduce runoff.
Photo:
Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
The former mayor of South Taranaki for 12 years, Ross said catchment groups had been a great initiative and key part of such changes in the region. It helped locals "buy into the idea" of conservation.
He said the regional council has also been very proactive in planting waterways and acted as a sort of default catchment group.
Ross joined the Waingongoro Catchment, one of the region's first, and was also a member of the Taranaki Catchment Collective which represents 14 other catchment groups from around the region.
The farm is also involved in a bioreactor trial led by Massey University, which aims to improve water quality through reducing nitrate leaching.
"[It's] basically a whole lot of wood chips. So you put the water through the woodchips, filter the water through it and it takes the nitrates out of the water," he explained.
The bioreactor sits below a hillside lake, where the water streams down. As it does so, it is filtered throug a 10 metre by 5 metre bed of woodchips buried in the ground.
Along with Massey University, the Dunlop's are trialing a bioreactor on the farm.
Photo:
Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
Woodchips in the bioreactor will hopefully help filter out nitrates from the water.
Photo:
Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
The water is tested at the top of the hill and down at the bottom to see what the nitrate levels are like.
Unfortunately Taranaki's earlier drought has made testing challenging this year.
"Because of the drought and I've never ever seen the water dry out, but for the first time ever it's dried out just when we need it as a showcase for our bioreactor."
It's not just about preserving the environment and making improvements. Ross is also passionate about preserving the local Māori and farming history.
"Conservation, it's not just about the natural environment. It's also about the human environment, and the stories that go with it, and preserving those for the future."
By leaving bush to regenerate and helping fence off water ways, the Dunlop's have worked to improve water quality on farm.
Photo:
Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
The farm like many in the region was once run as a sheep and beef property but was converted to dairy in 1989.
Ross said it was symptomatic of landuse changes over the years, adding many of the region's sheep farms were now in dairy.
"Lamb prices and wool were not looking good. And we are sort of in a dairying area. So [today] we milk about 450 cows on about 450 acres."
A woolshed built by Ross acts as an informal museum, with a treasure trove of family heirlooms, old farms tools and pieces of history.
It's also served as a venue for many events including an exhibition documenting the region's local wool stencils which are no longer in use, a result of the changing landuses and modern technology.
A woolshed built by Ross on the farm serves many purposes, including as a venue for various local events.
Photo:
Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
Ross is also passionate about preserving history, such as these wool fadge stencils from surrounding farms.
Photo:
Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life