Mauricio Castellano and Maria Puig (Maulen Partnership) at Northland College.
Northland College in Kaikohe sits within a 480-hectare working landscape of dairy farm, forestry and wetland. It is a place where farming, learning and environmental restoration come together in practical ways that will bring lasting benefits.
Mauricio Castellano and Maria Puig (Maulen Partnership) are contract milkers on the farm. Originally from Uruguay, they moved to Aotearoa to pursue a life in farming, bringing with them a strong belief that productive agriculture and care for the environment can, and should, support one another. They have lived on the farm for four years, during which time they have had two sons.
Mauri and Maria are supported by the volunteer Northland College Farm Management/ Governance Committee. This group of eight experienced and successful Northland farmers and rural professionals oversee the farm on behalf of the College.
For Northland College, the farm is more than a business; it is also a classroom. Students play an active role in farming life, from helping with the 335-strong herd to learning about pest trapping, fencing, water quality and native planting.
Mauri and Maria’s environmental ethos sits at the heart of their work. Their philosophy is simple: “leave it better than you found it”. On the ground, that means making decisions that care for the land, waterways, animals and people, while still running a resilient farm business.
In 2025, Northland College Farm successfully applied for a two-year project through Northland Regional Council’s Tāngata Whenua and Community Catchment Fund.
In the first year of the project, the farm completed fencing, planting, SHMAK water quality testing and an education day with Hokianga Harbour Care. Whilst the funding helped pay for materials, it also brought kaitiaki training, shared learning and practical skills that will keep benefiting the farm, students and local environment long after the project is complete.
A planting day in June brought together 50 Northland College students, community volunteers and Hokianga Harbour Care. Around 1,500 native plants, including kahikatea, mānuka and kānuka, were put in the ground. Hokianga Harbour Care’s experience in restoration and plant knowledge proved invaluable, especially after heavy rain the night before made conditions challenging.
Maria says their sustainability focus is about finding the right mix: “A farm needs to work well environmentally and financially. The cows need to be well cared for, and so do people, the environment and the business. Sometimes it feels like those things are pulling in different directions, so farming becomes an exercise in balance.”
That balance is already delivering biodiversity benefits. Northland College Farm includes wetland areas that have been important to recent studies of the Northland mudfish. This threatened species is unique to Taitokerau and is found only in rare, low-fertility wetland fragments within a 25km radius of Lake Ōmāpere. Completing fencing around wetland areas is a future priority for the farm, helping protect undisturbed habitat for this special taonga species.
Maria says: “We’d advise anyone thinking about combining this kind of environmental project into their farming system to go for it – there’s never a “right time! If the project only works when the farm is quiet, there’s no calving, or there’s the right weather then it won’t happen. Don’t wait for it to be perfect! Just go for it. We’re excited to be on this journey and to keep learning on our way through it.”.
For other landowners and catchment groups interested in improving freshwater quality in Taitokerau, contact the NRC Land Management team to find out how we can support you.
