The council mows the land for about six months of the year from about early December to May or June when the ground becomes too wet. The grass is then left, starting to hit its growing stride as temperatures warm up in spring. By late October/early November it's ready to be mown and made into bales.
Brett Ferguson, operations manager for Whangārei's Clements Contractors which makes the baleage, said the Pohe Island cattle feed's production created a lot of interest from passersby.
"It's pretty cool. I haven't seen it done anywhere else," Ferguson said. "Lots of people stop, look and watch."
Grass that becomes baleage is cut, wilted, raked, baled and wrapped to ferment, bringing a distinctive rural feel to the land alongside the Hātea River and next to Te Matau a Pohe, Whangārei's distinctive bascule bridge across the river.
About 320 bales of baleage, weighing up to 600 kilogrammes each, have been produced this year. They will be put on a truck this week
and taken to Kaitea, Ngunguru where Brett's father, Michael Ferguson, farms.
Michael Ferguson baled the grass, the other production steps were done by Brett.
Once on the farm, it's used over winter to feed about 400 beef cattle from about June to late August.
The Pohe Island production costs the council nothing. It's done for free by the Fergusons, who in turn get to take the balege, also at no cost, to Michael's farm.
Jellyman said the system is a win:win situation. He said cutting the grass to put into baleage meant it was then manageable for the council to start mowing immediately afterwards and recommence the annual management cycle again.
Jellyman said it solved what had become a grass management challenge for the council, due to the wet winter ground.
About 1.8 tonnes of grass have gone into the 320 Pohe Island bales this year.
Brett Ferguson said the plastic used as an essential part of the production process wasn't ideal but it was the current best option. The wrapping created ideal heating for fermenting the grass as bales sat in the sun, thereby boosting the food value for the cattle.
He said his father collected the waste wrapping after feeding out. It was then brought to the Resort Whangārei resource recovery park.
The Fergusons don't sell the bales, but they would currently be worth about $70 each if sold off the back of the truck now, their value increasing to $120 a bale if sold in the winter.
Brett Ferguson said Whangārei had once been a rural city but was no longer, meaning many residents had not had the opportunity to be exposed to what was a normal on-farm process.
"A lot of city people have never seen anything like this. It's a bit of an unknown. It's great for them to see how [the bales are] made."
