The annual round of regional Ballance Farm Environment Awards has wrapped up, with sheep and beef farmers winning five of the ten regional Supreme Award.
Dairy farmers took out three regional Supreme Awards and kiwifruit and produce growers won two.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Chief Executive Officer, Alan Thomson, says it is heartening to see sheep and beef farmers so well represented in the Awards which recognise and showcase good growing and farming practices.
“Sheep and beef farmers have a long history of environmental protection and enhancement, with 24 percent or 2.8 million hectares of this country’s native vegetation growing on sheep and beef farms.”
He says all five sheep and beef regional Supreme Award winners have demonstrated outstanding land stewardship. They have protected wetlands, carried out extensive waterway protection and riparian planting, enhanced their biodiversity, planted natives and protected stands of native bush through QEII Trust covenants.
“Like many sheep and beef farmers, they are continuing to invest significant amounts of time and money in protecting their natural resources for future generations.”
Thomson says the Ballance Farm Environment Awards give farmers the opportunity to tell their story to a wider audience and showcase the great work going on behind farm gates to drive efficiencies and reduce farming’s environmental footprint.
He says the carbon footprint of NZ beef and lamb from farm to plate is amongst the lowest in the world and absolute emissions from sheep and beef farms have reduced by 35 percent since 1990.
“It is timely that we recognise all the winners in this year’s Ballance Farm Environment Awards in the same month that we celebrate Earth Day.
“Our farmers are amongst the world’s most efficient producers of high-quality protein, and through the Ballance Farm Environment Awards, they are able show that productivity can go hand-in-hand with the environment.”
He says B+LNZ is proud to sponsor the Livestock Award in the regional Ballance Farm Environment Awards and says it was pleasing to see deer and dairy farmers as well as sheep and beef farmers win this Award given how interconnected the sectors often are.
“This Award recognises livestock farmers who demonstrate a commitment to long-term land and animal stewardship and I congratulate all the winners for the exemplary care they take of their livestock and their land.”
B+LNZ Livestock Farm Award winners:
- Will Wilding, Te Mania Angus, Cheviot
- Cousins family of Hiamoe Farm, Feilding
- Brent and Antonia Mountford, Mountford Puriri Farm, Whakatāne
- Rob and Mandy Pye, Mangere Falls Farm, Kokopu
- Troy and Karin Everson, Hermanus, Rodney
- Tom and Anna Tennent, T & A Tennent Trust, Takapau
- Monte and Anna Warren, Ruawaka Hills, Martinborough
- Tor Pedersen, Broomore Farm, Raglan
- Craig and Mary Dorn, Stratford
- Francois and Shelley Tillard, Clydesdale Dairy, Windsor
- Cam Nelson of Nelson Farming Company, Awarua
The Supreme Winner from each of the ten regions involved in this year’s awards will go through to be considered for the Gordon Stephenson Trophy at the Trust’s National Showcase in Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre Wellington in June. The recipients of the Gordon Stephenson Trophy then become 2025 National Ambassadors for Sustainable Farming and Growing.