How farmers make spring count
OPINION: Spring is a critical season for farmers – a time when the right decisions can set the tone for productivity and profitability throughout the year.
At this event a national winner will be announced and presented with the prestigious Gordon Stephenson trophy.
New Zealand Farm Environment Trust general manager David Natzke says this year's highly successful competition drew a superb line-up of entrants from a broad range of rural enterprises.
Winners in the 2012 competition included Pukekawa vegetable growers Chris and Vikki Nicholson, Hinemoa Quality Producers Ltd, who won the supreme title in the Waikato Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
The Bay of Plenty title went to Mamaku dairy farm owners Jim and Barbara Hitchcock and their sharemilkers, Rhys and Kim Meredith.
Another dairy operation, Walden Farms Oruaiti Ltd, was named supreme winner of the Northland Ballance Farm Environment Awards. Walden Farms is owned by Murray and Liz Walden and sharemilked by their son Clive and his wife Jorja.
Hawke's Bay sheep and beef farmer James Hunter won the supreme title in the East Coast Ballance Farm Environment Awards and Landcorp's Rangedale Station, managed by Paul and Donna Edwards, was supreme winner for the Horizons region.
Wairarapa hill-country sheep and beef farm, Wairere Station, owned by the Derek Daniell Trust, was supreme winner of the Greater Wellington Ballance Farm Environment Awards, and high-country farmers Dan and Mandy Shand won the top title in Canterbury.
Newhaven Farms Ltd, a North Otago sheep, beef, forestry and dairy support operation run by Blair and Jane Smith, was the supreme winner for the Otago region, and Opio dairy farmers Michael and Karen Blomfield were supreme winners for Southland.
Natzke says the calibre of entrants in this year's competition was outstanding, leaving the regional judging panels "faced with some really tough decisions".
As well as many first-time entrants, Natzke says it was encouraging to see a good turnout of previous entrants returning for another go.
"The passion and enthusiasm of these people is inspiring. All the entrants said participating in the awards was a very positive and beneficial experience for them, and that's a very good sign for the future of the competition."
Entries for the 2013 Ballance Farm Environment Awards open on 1 August 2012.
Key sponsors of the 2012 competition included Ballance Agri-Nutrients, LIC, Hill Laboratories, Beef+Lamb New Zealand, Massey University, WaterForce and PGG Wrightson.
The awards are also backed by Waikato Regional Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Horizons Regional Council, Hawke's Bay Regional Council, Gisborne District Council, Environment Canterbury Regional Council, Otago Regional Council and the Northland Regional Council.
