'Just take the plunge'
‘Just take the plunge’ - that’s the message from Hamish and Simon Guild of High Peak Station, Canterbury to anyone considering entering the 2025 Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
The Ballance Farm Environment Awards has launched a new Catchment Group Award as part of its 2021 awards programme.
The new award, which is supported by the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust and NZ Landcare Trust, is designed to commend catchment groups and the work they do across New Zealand.
“It’s a natural fit between two not-forprofit organisations partnering to support farmers and celebrate the efforts of rural communities working together to drive environmental improvements,” James Ryan, general manager of the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust told Rural News.
The award is open to catchment groups from all eleven regions in which the awards operate.
Ryan says that aside from the new honour, other awards on the programme have been updated “to ensure that it aligns with the latest sector thinking around good practice”.
He says the new criteria have been tested with both farming and rural professionals and the trust believes participants will be provided with clear guidelines of the assessment framework.
On the subject of potential winners, Ryan says the judges are looking particularly for innovation.
“We cater for farmers and growers at all stages of their sustainability journey and encourage people to get involved regardless of where they see themselves on this journey. To be successful in winning an award we expect to see examples of innovation and a commit- ment to stewardship,” he explains.
A new partnership with Farmax will see award entrants receive Farmax analysis, including greenhouse gas emissions numbers and mitigation options.
“Farmax is thrilled to be supporting the awards which showcase some of the country’s most sustainable and profitable farmers,” says Farmax chief executive Gavin McEwen.
“The awards align with the core belief of Farmax, which is that profitable and productive farms are not mutually exclusive from sustainable ones,” McEwen adds.
The CEO of Apples and Pears NZ, Karen Morrish, says the strategic focus of her organisation is to improve grower returns.
A significant breakthrough in understanding facial eczema (FE) in livestock brings New Zealand closer to reducing the disease’s devastating impact on farmers, animals, and rural communities.
Farmer co-operative LIC has closed its satellite-backed pasture measurement platform – Space.
OPINION: The case of four Canterbury high country stations facing costly and complex consent hearing processes highlights the dilemma facing the farming sector as the country transitions into a replacement for the Resource Management Act (RMA).
The 2024-25 season apple harvest has “well and truly exceeded expectations”, says Apples and Pears NZ chief executive Karen Morrish.
Through collaborative efforts with exhibitors, visitors, and industry partners, Fieldays says it is reaffirming its commitment to environmental responsibility with new initiatives for 2025.
OPINION: The Greens aren’t serious people when it comes to the economy, so let’s not spend too much on their…
OPINION: PM Chris Luxon is getting pinged lately for rolling out the old 'we're still a new government' line when…