Michelle and Tony Roberts didn't inherit the farming business they have today. They’ve built it from the ground up, culminating in them being named winners of the Gordon Stephenson Trophy and 2026 National Ambassadors for Sustainable Farming and Growing.
The couple from Merino Downs, near Gore in Southland, run a specialist deer unit, producing velvet and trophy bucks, alongside intensive dairy heifer grazing and a small sheep flock.
They will spend the coming year representing the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust programme, sharing their farming journey and encouraging others to celebrate continuous improvement and environmental stewardship.
Michelle and Tony were among the eleven Regional Supreme Winners of the Ballance Farm Environment Awards who competed for the national title. At the regional level, they also won the B+LNZ Livestock Farm Award for Southland.
Head Judge Karen Williams said the couple embodied everything the national ambassador role represents.
“They chased a dream, worked their way from sharemilking into farm ownership and then built the business they have today. Their story gives hope to others that this pathway is still possible."
The judges also commented on how well the couple worked together. What also appealed to the judges was how relatable the couple and their farming business is, and their strong involvement in their community.
"Their success hasn’t been at the expense of their environment or their community, in fact, quite the opposite. They've also shown you don't need to have thousands of hectares to be a national winner."
The Roberts moved from the North Island to Southland in the mid-90s, taking on a sharemilking role with a strong vision and dogged determination to create opportunities for their family.
In 2017, they purchased two adjoining properties, 269ha in total, and transformed them into a dual-farming operation. One half has been developed into a deer unit focused on velvet production and trophy bucks, while the other supports dairy heifer grazing alongside a smaller beef operation.
Over the past eight years, the family has invested heavily in infrastructure, creating internal lane systems and purpose-built paddock layouts to improve stock flow and farm efficiency.
B+LNZ Chief Executive Alan Thomson congratulated Michelle and Tony, and is delighted the national titleholder represents the wider red meat sector.
“The Roberts are a fantastic example of the rapidly growing fusion between production, profitability, sustainability and the place technology has in enabling it,” Thomson says.
As well as being among the first to trial Nedap SmartTags on deer, Michelle and Tony are using dairy technology to monitor rumination, and activity and heat detection to support their embryo transfer programme.
They also have a strong environmental focus, retiring wetlands and marginal land to improve water quality and enhanced biodiversity.
“Michelle and Tony are shining examples of working smarter, not harder. They have done the hard yards over the years but are not afraid to use technology to improve their operation and ultimately their profitability. They are also thinking beyond today, to improve the sustainability of their business and ensure it is ready to hand on to the next generation,” Thomson says.