FARMERS AHEAD of their time
Fencing off waterways and native bush, subdividing paddocks, using electric fencing to manage grazing, and direct marketing of produce to customers are the current practices of innovative farmers. Ursula and Erwin Eisenmann have been farming like this for over 25 years.
The Eisenmanns came from Germany and began farming in the Far North in 1993. In the intervening years, the rundown hilly farm they bought near Rāwene, by the Hokianga Harbour, has flourished under their careful organic management. They run about 250 head of Hereford beef cattle on 140 ha.
“The way we farm is good for nature,” says Erwin. “Our corridors are good for wildlife. There has been such a loss of biodiversity in New Zealand and farms need to play a role in reversing that.
“We always wanted to farm organically. When we bought the farm the first thing we did was build a fertiliser tank.
