Southland Farmers Named 2026 Sustainable Farming Ambassadors
Michelle and Tony Roberts didn't inherit the farming business they have today. They’ve built it from the ground up.
John Ladley, Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) general manager South Island, says the BFEAs are an opportunity for farmers to showcase the work they are doing to minimise their environmental footprint while producing protein for New Zealand’s consumers and export markets.
“As an organisation, we are pleased to support these awards and it’s even more exciting when red meat producers are so well represented in the regional supreme winners,” Ladley says.
“We warmly congratulate these winners who are demonstrating outstanding environmental stewardship and thank them for the fantastic work they are doing both behind the farm gate and within their communities.”
He says 24% of this country’s total native vegetation lies on sheep and beef farmland and many of supreme winners are actively protecting and enhancing the native vegetation and biodiversity on their farms.
“These farmers are running highly productive and profitable businesses while investing significant time and money in conservation work to protect the health of their soils, water and native biodiversity,” says Ladley.
Each supreme winner will host a field day on their farm and Ladley encourages farmers, rural professionals and the wider public to get along to these field days.
“The fieldays are a great opportunity to see how these businesses tick and how these winning farmers successfully strike a balance between profitability, productivity and sustainability.”
Regional Supreme Winners
- Northland: Geoff and Jo Crawford, Crawford Farms (beef and dairy)
- Auckland: Rick and Shirley-Ann Mannering, Waytemore Farms (sheep, beef and dairy)
- East Coast: Mark and Jane Johnson, Alcuin Station (sheep and beef)
- Bay of Plenty: Helen Scott (manager), Whitiora Orchards
- Taranaki: David and Samantha Turner, The Grange (sheep, beef and dairy support)
- Horizons: Richard and Suze Redmayne, Tunnel Hill (sheep, beef, maize, forestry)
- Greater Wellington: Patrizia Vieno and Rod Clutton, Rewa Rewa Station (sheep and beef)
- Canterbury: Phillip and Jocelyn Everest and Paul Everest and Sarah Hayman, Flemington Farm (dairy and beef)
- Otago: Byron Vollweiler and Amanda Snow, Berriedale Farm (sheep and forestry)
- Southland: Kevin Hall, Hollyvale Farms (dairy grazing and beef finishing)
