Ministry for the Environment to sponsor Ballance Farm Environment Award
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
A new toolkit to help the development of capability and education for catchment leaders and coordinators has been unveiled.
The Catchment Toolkit, a new website, was launched last month as part of NZ Landcare Trust’s ACE programme. The ACE Programme is a NZ Landcare Trust project, funded by the Ministry for the Environment (from the Essential Freshwater Fund) and supported by Fonterra.
“The Catchment Toolkit is a go-to resource hub, designed to empower and educate community-based catchment leaders and coordinators,” explains NZ Landcare Trust chief executive Nick Edgar.
“Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just beginning your journey in catchment management, this toolkit provides a wealth of information, knowledge and tools.”
He says the website consolidates a comprehensive online library housing numerous resources and offers a one-stop shop for everything catchment-related.
“This marks a significant stride towards fostering sustainable land management practices and is particularly noteworthy for us at NZ Landcare Trust, given our unwavering dedication to championing clean waterways and sustainable land management practices for the past 26 years.”
Edgar says ACE’s commitment to knowledge dissemination spans three core pillars:
"The Catchment Toolkit is the home of the ACE programme and the portal for its online learning,” Edgar adds.
“We’ve been dedicated to the realisation of the ACE program for the past 15 years. The launch of the ACE Catchment Toolkit is a true testament to our commitment as an organisation to empowering communities.”
Edgar believes the Catchment Toolkit, with a focus on building the capabilities of catchment groups, is set to create a lasting impact on sustainable land management practices and water quality improvements for generations to come.
Registrations of interest for the programme are now open.
New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) has launched a new initiative designed to make it easier for employers to support their young team members by covering their NZYF membership.
Sheep infant nutrition maker Blue River Dairy is hoping to use its success in China as a springboard into other markets in future.
Plentiful milk supplies from key producer countries are weighing down global dairy prices.
The recent windstorm that cut power to dairy farms across Southland for days has taught farmers one lesson – keep a generator handy on each farm.
The effects of the big windstorm of late October will be felt in lost production in coming weeks as repair crews work through the backlog of toppled irrigation pivots, says Culverden dairy farmer Fran Gunn.
With the current situation in the European farm machinery market being described as difficult at best, it’s perhaps no surprise that the upcoming AgriSIMA 2026 agricultural machinery exhibition, scheduled for February 2026 at Paris-Nord Villepinte, has been cancelled.

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