Bagshot Farm, Wairarapa

Bagshot Farm, Wairarapa

Ag Matters

Michael and Kate Tosswill have run Bagshot, a 586-hectare sheep and beef property in the Whangaehu Valley near Masterton, since 2018. This case study shows how they reshaped a hill country operation to balance stock production with wetlands, native bush and mānuka blocks.

Michael and Kate walk through the changes behind the numbers: cutting nitrogen fertiliser use by more than half, planting pines on the least productive land, and working with Greater Wellington Regional Council on a farm environment plan. They close with their advice on building a team of expert support and using modelling tools to test decisions before committing to them.

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