Hawke's Bay farmers to open their gates to the public

Dozens of farms across New Zealand will play host to the public on Sunday as part of the Open Farms programme which aims to connect rural and urban New Zealanders. Photo / Supplied

From helping people connect with where their food comes from to highlighting the realities of the industry, four farms across Hawke's Bay will open their gates to the public this coming weekend as part of the Open Farms programme.

Started last year by Daniel Eb, the programme aims to bridge the divide between urban and rural New Zealand.

Greg Hart, from Mangarara - a 600-hectare farm near Otane - regularly holds open days of his own and was excited to be back this year.

His parents bought the property 30 years ago before it was taken over by Hart and his wife Rachel about 20 years ago.

Greg Hart, of Mangarara, hopes to help people connect with where their food comes from through the Open Farms programme. Photo / File

Since then the couple had set about transitioning it from a traditional sheep and beef property to one which focuses on regenerative agriculture growing practices.

"I see it as being an intention to improve soil, water and biodiversity."

He said the open days were an important part of helping people understand where their food comes from and connecting with the local community.

"Our whole thing is about connections.

"It's the whole reason we built the lodge is helping people reconnect back with the land."

Connecting with the locals also created opportunities for the community to get involved with the farm through activities like native planting days.

"For a farm our size, it's good to have the support of the community around."

The Mangarara open day, which runs from 11am until 3pm, will include a tour of the farm looking at different animals, milking a few cows and feeding a few pigs.

This will be followed by a workshop with Rebecca Marshall and Ben Warren to talk about the connection between food and health.

"Most of the health issues are linked to the food we eat," Hart said.

Greg and Rachel Hart have transformed their traditional sheep and beef farm to one focused on regenerative agriculture practices, including increased native plantings. Photo / Supplied

Hart also hoped to show how producing healthy food can also increase biodiversity and restore ecosystems through a native bush walk.

It would be the first time hosting for Phillippa White of Sentry Hill Organics, in Central Hawke's Bay, but she was looking forward to showing people around.

The "family farm" has been in husband Tom's family for more than 100 years.

The couple took over it 12 years ago and began transitioning the property to organics, though it wasn't until five years ago that they were certified.

"It just makes sense – it's how you want to do it," she explained.

"We believe healthy soil leads to healthy animals and that means healthy food for people."

"We wanted to share our story of how we produce food.

"Not everybody has an aunty or uncle or grandparent who's farming. That's how it used to be [that people got to learn about farm life]."

She said that people could expect to see "many, many chickens" - they roam about 20 to 30ha of the 220ha property.

Visitors will be able to collect and purchase farm-fresh eggs, ride on a trailer, check out soil life and meet their Red Devon cows during the tour with start times at 10am, 11.30am, 1pm, and 2.30pm.

Open day activities will include meeting and feeding local farm animals. Photo / Supplied

Smedley Station and Cadet Training Farm, near Tikokino, is no stranger to hosting open days, regularly hosting prospective students and their families.

The 5600ha sheep, beef an deer farm was originally bought by Josiah Howard, who gave it to the Crown when he died in 1919, to be used to provide agricultural training to young farmers.

The Howard Estate Act was passed later that year providing that Smedley Station be held by Public Trust in trust for the Crown, as a permanent endowment for the purposes of agricultural education.

More than 600 farmers have passed through its programme since the first course opened in 1931, and there are currently 26 cadets on farm - 13 in their first year and 13 in their 2nd and final year.

The Open Farms day will also be a chance for people to check out Ahuriri Station, north of Napier, a 1179-ha farm which is run by state-owned-enterprise Pāmu Farms.

- To learn more about each farm open day or to register, visit openfarms.co.nz/visit-a-farm/