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Award-winning sustainability growing from the ground up at Kukuwai Farms

For Bobby and Anna Dean, sustainability at Kukuwai Farms is built one practical step at a time.

On their Bay of Plenty farm near the Maketū Estuary, the couple have planted around 2,500 native trees along drain margins, wet areas and waterways, helping stabilise banks, improve biodiversity and strengthen the long-term resilience of their farming system.

“We’re still young, and we’re going to have the farm for a long time,” says Bobby. “If you plant the seed now, you’ll see the growth and payback in the future.”

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Their approach reflects a bigger philosophy at Kukuwai Farms: small, consistent improvements that deliver lasting results.

“It’s all small things,” says Anna. “But they all work together to create a bigger impact.”

Alongside riparian planting, Bobby and Anna have embraced practical changes such as allowing native vegetation to regenerate naturally around drains and continually refining their farming system to reduce waste and improve environmental outcomes.

Their efforts have not gone unnoticed, the Deans were recognised at the Bay of Plenty Ballance Farm Environment Awards, taking out the Norwood Farming Efficiency Award, DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award, and the Bay of Plenty Farming for the Future Award.

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Kukuwai Farms is just one example of how Open Country suppliers can get ahead through the Open Country and Nestlé tree planting partnership, which helps reduce the cost of native planting by funding a second tree for every tree planted on eligible farm areas such as gullies, riparian margins, wetlands and other unproductive land.

With planting season running from May to September, the programme is designed to help farmers strengthen biodiversity, reduce environmental impacts and prepare for the future.

Interested in getting involved? Talk to Nicola Wanden on 021 804 897 about how the Open Country and Nestlé tree planting programme could support planting on your farm or email us at [email protected].

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