Farmers dominate inaugural LAAs

The inaugural Landcare Ambassador Awards were presented at a dinner during Landcare Trust's recent conference in Hamilton. NZ Landcare Trust chief executive Nick Edgar announced the awards which were presented by Minister for the Environment, Nick Smith, and NZ Landcare Trust chair Richard Thompson.

Golden Bay dairy farmer Sue Brown, East Coast farmer Doug Avery, Waikato dairy farmer Andrew Hayes, and Maniototo sheep and beef farmer Geoff Crutchley were the farming winners.

Brown farms 300 dairy cows with her partner John Nalder near Golden Bay. When nearby cockle and mussel farmers faced closure due to high E.coli levels in the coastal waters they blamed local dairy farmers, so Brown and the dairy community formed a farmer led catchment project to improve water quality, supported by the NZ Landcare Trust.

She told Rural News winning the award took her completely by surprise.

"I find it a little difficult to take as I am the spokesperson for a community effort, but it does commend the community in its own way.

"I think to be able to go and tell a good story about farmers, especially dairy farmers is an absolute privilege and to get the award, well, it is nice to get that recognition for we have all worked hard. I think I am really privileged to have been the one who had the free time to become the spokesperson."

Avery was recognised for seeing the need to adapt to a six year series of droughts in the 1990's which caused serious erosion. He, along with the late John Peter and fellow farmers, introduced a grazing system using direct fed lucerne to improve ewe breeding efficiency and maximise lamb growth for premium returns. He's subsequently shared his story with many dryland farmers, helping others take up similar strategies.

Hayes' dairy farm is north of Hamilton and completely surrounds Lake Kaituna, as well as bordering Lake Komakorau. His award recognises his work to stop the lakes drying up, and restore their quality, which started in 1999 with willow removal. He then fenced out stock, planted along the shores, and created silt traps. He's developed a Whole Farm Management and Environment Plan.

He says he's pleased with the award but like Brown, says it recognises work done not just by himself but by many others also. He's also a fan of Landcare Trust for its ability to pull things together and get information to farmers, and others.

"They seem to have a stronger connection with Government and people listen to them."

Maniototo Sheep and Beef farmer Geoff Crutchley received his award for his interest in irrigation and water use issues.

He's chaired a number of controlling bodies since the 1980s, most recently the Upper Taieri Water Resource Management Project, aimed at establishing a whole catchment, community based model for water allocation and use.