Priority 1: Leveraging the region’s innovation capability 

What does good look like?

• Partner organisations are seeking out opportunities to work together
• Programmes of work involving researchers, developers, extension, and agribusiness who are working with farmers to address issues and the needs of farmers in the region 
• Collaborative groups are successfully bidding for Government and industry funding to work on regional and national issues.

Outcome areas

• Collaborative multi-party approach

  Short Term 1-2 Years

  • Partners understand Dairy Tomorrow strategy and what part they can play
  • There is agreement on the challenges and desired outcomes for region
  • There is agreement on who is taking responsibility for what.

  Medium Term 2-3 years

  • Partner organisations are seeking out opportunities to work together 

  Long Term 10 years

  • Programmes of work involving by researchers, developers, extension, and agribusiness are addressing issues and the needs of farmers in the region 
  • Collaborative groups are successfully bidding for Government and industry funding to work on regional and national issues.

Priority 2: Farming to the reality

What does good look like?

• Rural communities celebrating their success in resolving environmental issues
• Farmers proud and recognised for what they have done.
• Farmers and others have demonstrated innovation and are confident in tackling problems of the future.

Outcome areas

• Water quality and community expectation

  Short Term 1-2 Years

  • The current and future status of water quality in Horizon sub-catchments is understood.
  • The Horizons general community are aware of the efforts being made by dairy farmers to improve water quality in the region.

  Medium Term 2-3 years

  • Water quality is improving
  • Community starting to acknowledge efforts of farmers

  Long Term 10 years

  • Farmers in Horizons have a positive reputation for meeting their obligations and caring for their environment
  • Water quality expectations of the community are met

  Projects involved

  • Environmental Stewardship
  • Community Engagement

• Implementation of the One Plan Change

  Short Term 1-2 Years

  • Farmers engage in One Plan plan change consultation process
  • DairyNZ provides science based evidence
  • Horizons have a pathway for non-consented farmers. 

  Medium Term 2-3 years

  • Plan Change considers the impact on farmers outside the current sensitive catchments.

  Long Term 10 years

  • New One Plan is workable for all farmers and does not have significant impact on farm viability when implemented on farm.

  Projects involved

  • Meeting Environmental Obligations
  • Environmental Stewardship 

• Farmers making required changes to meet environmental regulations and maintain or improve their viability

  Short Term 1-2 Years

  • All sensitive catchment farmers have a baseline N loss file
  • Farmers are meeting GMP
  • The capability and capacity of rural professionals and other service providers is sufficient to provide farmers with support in development of farm plans, baseline analysis and system changes to meet nutrient limits.

  Medium Term 2-3 years

  • Farmers are demonstrating N Loss reductions through GMP.

  Projects involved

  • Meeting Environmental Obligations
  • Farm Assessment and Planning

• Plantain initiative

  Short Term 1-2 Years

  • Horizons agrees to recognize contribution of Plantain to N loss reductions outside Overseer model
  • Partner farms successful implementing farm systems that maintain 1/3 of cow diet as plantain through high risk period.
  • Farmers, Extension and rural professionals have access to information for growing plantain and integrating it into the farm system.

  Medium Term 2-3 years

  • Evidence has been collected that shows Plantain is working at a commercial farm level
  • Adoption rates of plantain growing.

  Long Term 10 years

  • Widespread adoption of plantain in sensitive catchments

  Projects involved

  • Systems for Environment
  • Environmental Stewardship
  • Systems That Work
  • Meeting Environmental Obligations 

Priority 3: A test case for other regions

What does good look like?

• Well-designed on farm change initiatives including a sound evaluation framework.
• Formal processes to capture learning.
• Learning shared widely and used to inform policy discussions in Wellington

Outcome areas

• Knowledge Sharing

  Short Term 1-2 Years

  • Project designed with evaluation in mind
  • Formal processes established to capture learning

  Medium Term 2-3 years

  • Learning captured
  • Early learning shared with others

  Long Term 10 years

  • This is an embedded process in the way we do things around here