North Canterbury lifestyle block project fosters sustainability

Workshops to share knowledge have been a great help to a Rangiora family.

A North Canterbury family is reaping the benefits of being sustainable.

Daniel and Michelle Power, of Swannanoa near Rangiora, have made some positive changes on their property, thanks to the insights into best management practices they learned at last year's lifestyle block environment pilot project run by the Waimakariri Zone Committee.

There are more than 4500 lifestyle blocks in the Waimakariri district and, while they are not significant contributors to water quality issues in the area, collectively they do have an impact on the environment.

The pilot project, which was being considered for other parts of Canterbury, covered topics such as animal welfare, riparian planting, waterways, pasture growth, feed requirements and fertiliser use.

Even though we're a small drop in the bucket, everything counts when it comes to the environment.

Mr Power said the couple was pleased to have the opportunity to take part in the pilot project and would encourage other lifestyle block owners to join future workshops.

"We were both surprised at how much we got out of it and we could easily keep going every week," he said.

"Sharing knowledge is really the key to growing and developing new skills."

Interacting with other lifestyle block owners and discussing various issues while sharing knowledge among the group members was another bonus for the couple.

"It's great to take the time to really look at what you're doing and to have the opportunity to meet regularly with other lifestyle block owners," Mr Power said.

"Even though we're a small drop in the bucket, everything counts when it comes to the environment. We also found it really useful to be able to bounce ideas off each other and to learn more from other lifestyle block owners living in the area."

The couple has taken their good management skills to the next level by putting what they learned at the workshops into action.

"One thing we're doing differently now is graphing all of our soil test results, so we can see if there are any trends developing over time," Mr Power said.

"Doing the soil testing is something everyone can do and it makes sense because it gives you the facts you need to make decisions about what to use on your land."

For the Powers, soil testing was well worth the investment as it saved money and reduced any potential impact on the environment by giving them the data to show whether they needed to apply fertiliser.