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.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.
A tiny organism from the arid mountains of mainland Greece is facilitating a new way of growing healthier animals on farms across New Zealand.
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