John and Christine Pedersen will next week open their gate to let visitors see how 35 years of tree planting and care has transformed their 232ha Parakao farm into a model of wise land use.
The couple, who this year won the Husqvarna North Island Farm Foresters of the Year title, will host a Mid North Farm Forestry Association field day at their farm at 165 Karaka Rd on October 29, starting with morning tea about 10.30am and with lunch provided.
People are advised to take wet-weather gear as walks are planned so they get to look around the farm's 100-plus grazing paddocks and 40 individual woodlots and plantations featuring a wide variety of species.
Mrs Pedersen said she and John "couldn't help ourselves" when they began planting trees on the farm in 1981 and continued annually until 1999.
"Radiata is definitely a species from which we are going to get a return, but we like planting all sorts of trees. The field day is being held to encourage others to do the same thing."