Resources to help you with integrated farm planning
Taking an integrated approach to farm planning links all parts of your business together.
It's not a single document, it's a whole-of-farm process.
Knowing where to start can seem hard. To help, you can use our templates.
The templates can be filled in as you need them.
- Basic farm plan [PDF, 1.6 MB]
- People management [PDF, 1.7 MB]
- Biodiversity [PDF, 1.7 MB]
- Biosecurity [PDF, 1.6 MB]
- Animal welfare [PDF, 1.6 MB]
- Greenhouse gases [PDF, 1.6 MB]
- Extra blank pages [PDF, 1.6 MB]
The templates will help you meet the principles set out in Good farm planning principles: Towards integrated farm planning [PDF, 1022 KB]
Note: While the templates are a good starting point, they don't meet regulatory requirements for areas such as freshwater farm plans.
How to use the module templates [PDF, 2.8 MB]
Intensive winter grazing module and template
You can find these on this web page: Intensive winter grazing
Other integrated farm planning support
Budget 2021 allocated $37 million over 4 years to increase the number of farmers adopting an integrated approach to their farm planning.
To help achieve that, we’re supporting employers to hire and train new primary industry advisers.
The Careers Pathway Scheme
We’re investing in initiatives that broaden and accelerate the uptake of an integrated approach to farm planning.
The Integrated Farm Planning Accelerator Fund
We’re expanding on-the-ground support for farmers and growers to navigate requirements around biosecurity, climate, water, and the environment.
On Farm Support
We’re supporting more than 220 catchment groups to improve land management practices.
Extension Services programme for farmers
Our dedicated Māori Agribusiness team supports Māori landowners and agribusinesses to achieve their aspirations.
Introduction to Māori agribusiness
Compliance requirements on a single website
Running a modern farming business is a complex task. It can often be difficult to know where to find up-to-date compliance or regulatory requirements. To assist, we’ve developed a dedicated website called Ground Rules. It has everything you need in one place.
Industry assurance programmes
Many primary sector groups and companies already have farm planning initiatives. They provide templates and checklists to help decision-making on-farm. Some include advisers to provide extra support.
Most of these groups have committed to incorporating an integrated approach to their farm planning initiatives. That means you can expect to see more of the IFP modules rolled out over the next few years.
Dairy
Dairy Tomorrow is the dairy sector’s strategy for meeting the challenges of today and the future. As part of this, the sector has committed to all farms implementing and reporting under a certified sustainability plan by 2025. Instead of having a single industry assurance programme for the dairy industry, each dairy company has its own system:
- Fonterra – Tiaki
- Synlait – Lead with Pride
- Miraka – Te Ara Miraka
- Westland – Farm Excellence
- Tatua – Tatua 360
- Oceania Dairy – First for Milk
- Open Country
Sheep, beef, and deer
Beef + Lamb New Zealand wants to help commercial sheep and beef farmers to have a farm plan by 2025. It provides a modular farm plan. The first module covers the environment, including biodiversity, climate change, and waste management.
New Zealand Farm Assurance Programmes are voluntary programmes that provide assurances regarding integrity, traceability, animal health and welfare, people, farm, and natural resources and biosecurity.
New Zealand Farm Assurance Programmes – NZFAP
New Zealand Merino has ZQ and ZQRX contracts available for long-term supply agreements. Suppliers must meet ZQ fibre quality, animal welfare, environmental, and social responsibility standards.
Deer Industry NZ has resources related to velvet and farm planning in its Deer Hub.
Horticulture
The horticulture sector adopts Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) schemes to promote safe and sustainable production of fruit and vegetables in New Zealand. Certification to one of the schemes is necessary for supplying many local and international markets.
Good Agricultural Practice schemes – Horticulture NZ
The Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) provides some resources for farm environment plans for arable farmers. ProductionWise, an integrated online farm management system, is also freely available to FAR levy payers.
