A Guiding Hand /
Rebecca Hyde is one of three Catchment Farm Advisors working for the Hurunui District Landcare Group, supporting farmers as they negotiate an ever-increasing number of environmental regulations.
Supporting farmers through an everincreasing number of environmental regulations
BORN AND RAISED IN NORTH CANTERBURY WITH
a background in farm environmental management, Rebecca Hyde is ideally qualified for her role as a Catchment Farm Advisor and sees her role as being there to serve farmers and see where the opportunities lie to protect, enhance and better utilise their natural resources. ‘We are a fresh set of eyes,’ she says, ‘and we’re on their side.’
Thanks to funding from the Ministry for Primary Industries, the farmer-formed Hurunui District Landcare Group was able to employ the three Catchment Farm Advisors (CFAs) late last year (2020) and Rebecca began working with the group’s 140-plus farmer members in October.
A core objective for the three CFAs is to build confidence amongst farmers in their ability to understand and meet current and future environmental regulatory requirements, while protecting and utilising the natural resources that underpin their land-based businesses.
Rebecca acknowledges that many farmers are understandably unsure of what they need to know and what is required of them when it comes to environmental regulations; stepping them through these is part of her role. ‘We’ve removed that barrier of having to engage a consultant or go to a meeting and ask questions as many farmers are even unsure of what questions they need to be asking.’
As well as helping farmers understand their regulatory requirements, Rebecca says a big part of their job is to point out opportunities for change and to support them through the change process if that is what they choose to do. ‘We are not there to take accountability of ownership away from farmers, but we are there to support them.’
She says trust is critical and as advisors, they have to earn that from the farmer. ‘The farmers we have engaged with already have been really positive and really grateful they have the opportunity to increase their knowledge and put an environmental management plan in place.’
Rebecca’s ability to relate to farmers comes from a lifelong involvement in the industry. ‘There has never been another industry I’ve wanted to be involved with,’ she says, ‘I always thought I would be farming.’
This love of the industry began from a young age when the whole family would be working together out on their Scargill Valley farm. Rebecca credits her family for instilling in her the work ethic for which she is known. Surprisingly for someone who has achieved so much in her career, including winning a prestigious Nuffield Scholarship and sitting on various industry advisory groups, Rebecca struggled academically. ‘Today I would possibly be diagnosed with dyslexia, but I found learning quite hard and just wanted to get out into the workforce,’ she says.
Upon finishing school, Rebecca worked at a Kathmandu retail store which paid the bills while she focused on rowing, a sport she excelled out. ‘I remember being stuck in an empty store on a beautiful day and thinking there must be something better than this.’
It was then that Rebecca decided she needed to do some study, and enrolled at Lincoln University.
It was her trademark determination and focus that ensured
she gained her Bachelor of Commerce in Agriculture. ‘Because I struggled at school I went to every tutorial and every lecture and was very disciplined.’ After finishing her degree, Rebecca travelled overseas for three years and after returning she joined Summit Quinphos (later Ballance Agri-Nutrients) as a fertiliser rep servicing the South Canterbury region.
In 2013, Rebecca left Ballance to go farming, which had always been her dream. However, circumstances changed and this change in direction proved to be a significant turning point in her life.
‘I didn’t want be farming by myself but still wanted to be involved with agriculture. It was then that I thought about how I could add value to family farming businesses.’
Thinking about the challenges farmers were facing, the largest one looming was environmental regulation. ‘I knew how to put together an Overseer nutrient budget, I understood many of the regulations and I understood farm systems, so I had a set of skills that were relevant.’
Rebecca returned to Ballance Agri-Nutrients to join the newly formed Farm Sustainability team.
About the same time, the Land and Water Plan had become operative in Canterbury which had a huge impact on the way farmers ran their businesses. ‘It was a really emotional time for farmers,’ she says.
Farmers in Environment Canterbury’s Hurunui Waiau zone were suddenly faced with what is known as the 10 per cent rule – a regulation that prevented their nutrient losses exceeding 10 per cent from their baseline. This hit low emitting sheep and beef farmers particularly hard, limiting flexibility with their management options. A meeting called to discuss the impact of this regulation, which had blind-sided many farmers, is now part of North Canterbury history and for Rebecca, it was a seminal moment as it was the catalyst for the formation of the farmer-led Hurunui District Landcare Group (HDLG).
‘I had a personal interest in the area as well as the professional knowledge about the regulations so I got involved quite quickly.’ The HDLG was set up by farmers to determine what farming means for the region, the impact it has on the environment and how farmers could work collectively to protect and enhance the environment on their farms and within their catchments.
Rebecca’s ability to add value comes from a deep interest in farming and farming systems beyond just environmental management.
HDLG became an incorporated society in 2016 with the help of seed funding from Beef + Lamb New Zealand. Rebecca says the HDLG was one of the reasons she applied for a Nuffield Scholarship as she was keen to explore how farming communities in other countries were working collaboratively to address environmental issues.
After a year-long Nuffield study she continued working as an environment consultant in the fertiliser industry before the Catchment Farm Advisor roles became established. Rebecca admits she had the right skills and knowledge for the job, but more importantly for her was this drive to add value to farmers’ businesses. ‘Delivering value is important to me, to be of use and value to the people I work with and work for.’
Rebecca’s ability to add value comes from a deep interest in farming and farming systems beyond just environmental management. ‘But I’ve found the environment space really interesting. It’s a puzzle we’re trying to solve, but the pieces are constantly changing. I like the challenge of putting the pieces together which includes the farm’s physical characteristics such as soils and water, management factors, stock and people as well as the personal limitations and strengths and the many other variables such as life stages.’
Rebecca and her two colleagues, Harry Millar and John Holmes, take all these variables into account when working with farming families and this is particularly relevant when putting together Farm Environment Plans (FEPs).
FEPs underpin much of their work and using a template, the advisors help individual farmers put together a farm environment management plan specific to their businesses and natural resources.
For those with existing FEPs, the CFAs will help pull that forward into an up-to-date template, including management changes, so they are audit-ready.
Armed with a knowledge of what grants are available for on-farm planting and fencing projects, the CFAs can help farmers with grant applications, they will organise individual farm maps, develop winter grazing plans, coordinate community projects and essentially help farmers futureproof their farms for whatever regulations come their way.