Meat the Need expands offerings
Farmer-led charity Meat the Need has expanded its offerings, following a new partnership.
Nominations are open for the 2015 Lincoln University Foundation South Island Farmer of the Year competition, and organisers are hoping for another record year.
Foundation chair Ben Todhunter says last year it received record entries, then the best-attended winner's field day in the history of the contest: at least 400 people turned up to tour Patoa Farms.
The top prize is a $20,000 travel grant towards farm study or to fund farm business opportunities, plus four $5000 awards for the best performers in resource management, consumer awareness, innovation and human resources.
Lincoln University Foundation and the competition sponsors find that a "key to getting good numbers and a high quality of entries is nominations," Todhunter says.
"Traditionally it has been hard to get farmers to put their own hand ups, but when they're nominated that seems to take the 'tall poppy' factor out of it and they let their nomination go forward.
"We're looking for leadership, innovation and farming excellence, which can be found equally in small family-owned farm businesses and in large commercial agricultural entities."
Todhunter says previous entrants are also encouraged to re-enter.
Recent rain has offered respite for some from the ongoing drought.
New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
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