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Our Sustainability Journey

The Simpson family have been living and working on the land in the Mackenzie region for over 80 years, so we have a longstanding appreciation for the land and what it provides for us, and the responsibility we have to look after it. 

We understand our role as stewards of the environment and the wildlife within it and have committed to be constantly working on the farm’s sustainability and becoming a carbon positive farm. We recognise that whilst we have had success, there is always room for improvement on the journey to sustainability. 

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Grow Your Vision

Carbon Sequestration & Horses

Horses, especially naturally living ones like ours, play a major role in combatting global warming and do this in a variety of ways. One of these concerns their superior ability to sequester, or “lock away”, carbon.

They remove carbon from the atmosphere, where, in the form of carbon dioxide, methane and other heat-trapping gases, this element accelerates a dangerous, oven-like increase in temperatures on the entire planet Earth.

Much of the superior ability of the horses to sequester carbon is related to their special digestive system. This is different from the ruminant digestive system of many other plant-eaters, or herbivores. Horses possess a monogastric, cecal-fermenting digestive system that is less complex than that of the multi-stomach, rumen-fermenting digestive system of ruminant herbivores. As a consequence, these equids do not as thoroughly decompose their food as do ruminants. As a consequence, the chemistry of equid droppings is more organically intact and complex. This fact has enormously positive consequences for habitats. One of the chief advantages is that equine feces contribute to more vital soils by augmenting their humus content. As many gardeners know, humus is crucial to healthy soils, making these more nutrient-rich and water-retaining.

The health of ecosystems depends upon healthy plant life, which depends upon healthy soils. Horses create more robust soils that cause grasses, forbs, bushes and trees to flourish when adequate water, healthy air and sunshine are added into the mixture. In regions where they belong, horses have been proven to allow a much greater diversity of species of both plants and animals together with their interrelated roles in the living community. This gives greater resistance and resilience to horse-containing ecosystems. 

Horses can be better carbon sequesters than cattle, sheep and other ruminants because when horses defecate, their feces are often covered over by sediments, such as mountain erosion. Through this burial, the more intact carbon-containing molecules contained in their feces are sealed off from air and its oxygen. When conditions permit them to remain thus for long periods of time, they remain unoxidized and undecomposed, therefore they “lock up” carbon for much longer than do the feces of the ruminant herbivores, since they take longer to be decomposed. And this is a very healthy factor for ecosystems that lends them more long-term security and stability. Because of their more intact chemistry, horse droppings decompose more slowly to provide a more long-lasting fertile soil bed in which many diverse seeds can germinate. This has been proven throughout the world: We must not turn a blind eye to this great ecological service.

When we add in all the many insects, including pollinators, birds, mammals, reptiles and even amphibians and fish that benefit from these plants, it is plain to see how very important horses and their kin are in the world of nature, which they greatly enhance, bolster and even embellish. And remember that the greater chemical complexity of the equine droppings is key to understanding and supporting their major role as carbon sequesters and global warming combaters that is so crucial today.

SOURCE: Craig C Downer, Master of Science, Head of faculty at International Union for Conservation & Nature

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       Balmoral Station, the land we ride

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Balmoral Station is proud to be certified Carbon Positive by EKOS and offsets 120% of its related tourism activities. The commitment to sustainable farming and environmental care is apparent in the way the Simpsons operate the family farm. The irrigation system is customized to fulfill plant needs while reducing the potential for leaching and runoff, thereby emphasizing efficient water utilization.

Moreover, the commitment to biodiversity is demonstrated through the promotion of indigenous plant growth, which helps nurture thriving ecosystems. By prioritizing the cultivation of native vegetation, we contribute to preserving local flora and fauna while fostering sustainable agricultural landscapes for future generations.

With our dedication to sustainable farming practices, the family farm has been partnering with charitable company Te Manahuna Aoraki Project for efficient pest and weed control. We also obtained the achievement of highest grade “A” in our 2023 farm sustainability audit report. 

Plantation forestry is important in ensuring that Balmoral Station is a diverse and economically viable business and has been an important management component for many years. The Simpsons are proud to say that our businesses & farm have achieved significant carbon positive gains over the years.

In fact, Balmoral Station is a leader in environmentally sustainable high country forestry, as Balmoral Station has been actively establishing plantation forests to offset its carbon emissions for a number of years and currently sequesters around 10,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalents per year and emits around 2,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalents per year (excluding biogenic methane). 

As well as contributing to Balmoral Station being carbon-neutral, forestry can also provide an additional income stream through “carbon farming”. The forestry currently accumulates approx. 10,000 carbon units (credits) annually. 

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