More than 200 farmers from around Tai Rāwhiti met at the A & P showgrounds in Gisborne yesterday afternoon, to share stories of Cyclone Gabrielle, talk about what help they need, and get advice from those in the know.
While devastating weather events were becoming more common in the region, the resilience of those on the land and their can-do attitude was apparent.
Sam Hain is a sheep and beef farmer at Pehiri, in the hills 50km west of Gisborne.
His farm was hit by slips and in his words “got smoked”.
“We will make something better and that is what my parents did after [Cyclone] Bola, and if I look at what we have now, compared to what we had before Bola ... what we have now is so much better, and I get a chance to improve on it again, so we are lucky.”
He said farmers who were feeling despondent and not knowing which way to turn needed to remember not everything needed to be done immediately.
“We have got a long time ahead of us to fix things. Grass will come up again and if we don’t panic and take our time and really use our imagination we can hopefully avoid things like this happening again or if they do happen again, mitigate the damage that they do.
“Also, you end up with something that’s more functional, more profitable, and better for the environment at the end.”
Peter Reeves has been on the land for 46 years and is a seventh-generation farmer from Tolaga Bay.
He farms sheep, beef and deer and has seen it all before.
Peter Reeves said with weather forecasts being more accurate, there was a chance to move stock to higher ground when bad weather was imminent. Photo / RNZ / Andrew McRae
“The good thing about what is happening now against Bola times, which is 40-odd years ago, is predictions of weather patterns are actually more certain, so you get stock up to higher ground.”
His farm is covered in silt and forestry debris.
“All the forestry slash has come down, choked the bridges up and so the water has had to find another course and so it’s come over a lot of our flat land and debris has come with it. Full-sized logs with stamps on.”
Kerry Worsnop farms 45km west of Gisborne, also in the hills.
Her family also has a block up the coast at Te Puia Springs. Both properties have been badly hit.
Farmers have suffered a lot of damage but if they don't have mud in their homes, they are lucky, Kerry Worsnop said. Photo / RNZ / Andrew McRae
“So it just means you have got work everywhere you look.”
While overwhelming, she said most farmers were grounded by knowing others were worse off.
“You are talking about years and years of damage and for those of us, yeah, we have got culverts blown out and tracks blown out and fences ruined but just not having to wade through mud in your home, so we probably consider ourselves lucky really.
A slip reached from the hilltop down to the house, near Tiniroto, Tairāwhiti, seen during a Civil Defence flight over the region last Saturday. Photo / RNZ/ Kate Green
“We have work ahead of us, but we don’t have to pick up our belongings and throw half of them out.”
Worsnop said there was no time to stop and think: “Why am I continuing to farm?”
“You don’t really get a chance to think that because the stock need you to do things. Like a lot of people, my lambs were due for drenching the day the storm hit. So you get up the next day and crap, they are overdue.”
Daunting for new farmers
The farmers’ meeting was organised by East Coast Rural Support.
Trustee Patrick Willock said for many new farmers dealing with the aftermath of a major cyclone was a new experience.
“So it will all be very daunting for them looking at what’s out there and how they are ever going to get through it and the cost of it.
“There is some financial comfort being offered, but nevertheless just getting through winter with the isolation for some of them. A lot of those who were not at the meeting would not have been able to get here.”
He said it was vital people in rural communities looked out for one another in such trying times.
