increase font size
Rob and Toni Auld were presented with the Innovation Award.
The Innovation title at last night’s New Zealand Arable Awards went to Southland’s Auld Farm Distillery.
The distillery, an enterprise from Rob and Toni Auld, makes a range of three gins from a base alcohol of oats, wheat, and barley.
Auld Farm Distillery has achieved multiple world firsts with their products, something not entirely uncommon for an arable sector seen as world-leading in several categories on the international seed market.
Also a winner was Federated Farmers arable executive member David Birkett who was named Arable Farmer of the Year.
Birkett, who farms at Leeston, Canterbury, was noted as a recognized leader in environmental and sustainable farming, with a focus on soil quality. He is open to trialling any approach to reduce synthetic inputs, like biological products, cover crops, retaining straw, and is always willing to share his knowledge and results.
Former Federated Farmers national vice president Karen Williams with her husband Mick received the Environment & Sustainability Award.
 |
|---|
|
Karen Williams (left) and husband Mick Williams (right) were presented with the Environment & Sustainability Award. |
Angela Clifford was named the 2022 Food Champion for her passionate advocacy for the arable industry. Clifford founded the organization EatNZ, which she uses to promote New Zealand-grown and produced food.
Full List of Winners
According to the latest Federated Farmers banking survey, farmers are more satisfied with their bank and less under pressure, however, the sector is well short of confidence levels seen last decade.
OPINION: Federated Farmers has launched a new campaign, swapping ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ for ‘The Twelve Pests of Christmas’ to highlight the most troublesome farm pests – a serious issue that needs some urgent attention from the Beehive.
Farmers are welcoming the announcement of two new bills to replace the under-fire Resource Management Act.
The Government has announced it will immediately roll over all resource consents for two years, with legislation expected to pass under urgency as early as this week.
Federated Farmers has launched a new campaign, swapping "The Twelve Days of Christmas" for "The Twelve Pests of Christmas" in an effort to highlight the most troublesome farm pests.
Farmer interest continues to grow as a Massey University research project to determine the benefits or otherwise of the self-shedding Wiltshire sheep is underway. The project is five years in and has two more years to go. It was done mainly in the light of low wool prices and the cost of shearing. Peter Burke recently went along to the annual field day held Massey's Riverside farm in the Wairarapa.
Applications are now open for the 2026 NZI Rural Women Business Awards, set to be held at Parliament on 23 July.
Ravensdown has announced a collaboration with Kiwi icon, Footrot Flats in an effort to bring humour, heart, and connection to the forefront of the farming sector.
Forest & Bird's Kiwi Conservation Club is inviting New Zealanders of all ages to embrace the outdoors with its Summer Adventure Challenges.
Grace Su, a recent optometry graduate from the University of Auckland, is moving to Tauranga to start work in a practice where she worked while participating in the university's Rural Health Interprofessional Programme (RHIP).
Two farmers and two farming companies were recently convicted and fined a total of $108,000 for environmental offending.
OPINION: The release of the Natural Environment Bill and Planning Bill to replace the Resource Management Act is a red-letter day…
OPINION: Federated Farmers has launched a new campaign, swapping ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ for ‘The Twelve Pests of Christmas’ to…
