The FEP template has been given the thumbs-up by Environment Canterbury’s Farm Environment Plan Assessment Panel who were impressed by its quality. The foundation is now working with regional councils in other parts of the country who are interested in adopting the template.
Several arable growers were asked to test-drive the template before its release to ensure it was practical and easy to use. FAR’s chief executive Nick Pyke says feedback has been very positive.
It was FAR’s Research manager for farm systems Diana Mathers who was responsible for developing the template. She says because cropping farmers also incorporate livestock into their business the process wasn’t straightforward.
“There really isn’t any such thing as a typical arable farm.”
She adds that whatever they do or graze is likely to change from year to year or even within a year, depending on markets and weather patterns.
“This meant devising a template that would meet reasonably prescriptive regulatory requirements but was flexible enough to accommodate the ever-changing rotations of a cropping farm.”
Mathers says FAR wanted the FEP to be as short and easy to fill in as possible and the interactive template can be downloaded and filled in via computer or printed off and completed by hand.
Pyke says having an FEP designed specifically for arable farms recognises the industry’s special requirements.
Arable farms can contain several management blocks and the template allows farmers to clearly identify management risks associated with management practices such as irrigation, nutrient and effluent use as well as other potential problem areas such as silage or offal pits.
The template includes an optional farm biosecurity section.
FAR will be running workshops to introduce growers to the template and help answer any questions around filling it out.
Pick of the crop
Methven-based arable farmer Dave Grant was one of the farmers asked to test-drive the FEP template before its official launch. He says it is the only FEP that is relevant to cropping farmers and he found it reasonably straightforward and logical to use.
“The questions that it asks do make you think – but it is very straightforward.”
He believes if he was an auditor coming on to a farm he would have a very clear understanding of the whole operation by looking at the FEP.
Grant stresses the need to have accurate records and data to input into the FEP but adds that accurate farm records have become a necessity to meet regulatory requirements.
Compared to other FEPs that Grant has completed he found the one designed for the arable industry to be a more comprehensive and useful document.
