Ian Brennan
Ian Brennan came to drystock farming in 2006 after 22 years as a computer systems analyst. Since he and wife Trisha moved across the globe from Edinburgh to Cassie’s Farm, an 87ha block near Cambridge in the Waikato, they have added an astonishing 80,000 native trees to the property — 15,500 with the help of environmental charity Trees That Count. He began experimenting with native plantings, mostly totara, and aims to have all seven gullies on the farm returned to native forest cover by the time he retires. As a trustee of Tāne’s Tree Trust, he offers farm tours to discuss integration of forestry on marginal land.