November 07, 2022
Maramataka better for farm lifestyle
A Māori dairy farmer in the Bay of Plenty says moving to organics has changed his life for the better.
Mohi Beckham runs nearly 500 cows at Pukehina.
He says biodiversity on the farm has exploded since he turned away from fertilisers and other intensive dairying practices three years ago and explored sustainable Maori practices.
“It’s just been thriving like all the old stuff from back in the day is coming back, mushrooms, frogs, we’ve got these little lizards running around, just life again, it’s pretty cool. It’s all that circle of life and it started from old school farming techniques and then we’ve introduced the maramataka when we’re planning and when we’re harvesting,” Mr Beckham says.
Mohi Beckham says while the farm is making less profit, the quality of life for his whanau has vastly improved.