Lower North Island farmers “cautiously optimistic” heading into winter – DairyNZ
Cautiously optimistic is how DairyNZ's regional manager for the lower North Island, Mark Laurence describes the mood of farmers in his patch.
SICK AND tired of bad press about farming? Then why not enter the Ballance Farm Environment Awards?
That’s what Southland farmers Mark and Deborah Hamill did about this time last year.
“One of the key reasons we entered was because we were sick of all the negative stories about dairying in the media,” says Mark.
“The people generating these stories were basing them on emotion and not facts, and that really got up my nose…
“I know my neighbours feel the same way. If you don’t care about the environment and your stock, you don’t have a farm.”
They converted their 301ha sheep and beef farm, near Gorge Road, to dairying in 2008 and now milk about 800 cows on a 241ha milking platform.
They’d been approached about entering the BFEAs before but 2014 was their first go. “We didn’t feel we were doing anything special.”
Yet they landed three category awards, including the PGG Wrightson Land and Life Award which was notable, says Deborah.
“It recognises all the people who have been involved with our farm and all the relationships we have built up over the years. These things are an important part of our journey.”
She says the competition “makes you look back at where you have come from and where you are now, and then it makes you think about where you will be in five years.”
They included their three children in the BFEA judging process. Both sons are studying agriculture at university.
“We feel it’s vital to invest in our children and involve them in the business. They are our succession plan.”
She also says she’s “very proud” of what Mark’s achieved on the farm, which was another reason for finally entering the awards.
“We were proud to be sheep farmers and now we are proud to be Fonterra suppliers. So I thought we had a good story to tell.”
They’ve fenced and protected about 30ha of native bush, wetland and riparian areas. BFEA judges described their south coast property, ‘Folly Farm’, as “beautifully presented” and noted their passion for the ecosystems in the river, creeks, bush and wetlands on the property.
Mark says the awards are unique because they don’t focus solely on production and profitability.
“They look at the social and environmental factors that are a crucial part of the whole farming picture. That sets it apart from other competitions.
“As farmers, I think we have a responsibility to showcase what we are doing. People in town need to hear about the good things happening on the farm.”
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.
According to the most recent Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, farmer confidence has inched higher, reaching its second highest reading in the last decade.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.