Deadline looms for Farm Environment Awards

Deadline looms for Ballance Farm Environment Awards

Canterbury farmers are being strongly encouraged to enter this year’s Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

Entering the Ballance Farm Environment is a great opportunity for farmers to improve their farming operations, and to demonstrate the sustainability of farming to the wider community.

The organisers of the 2008 awards for Canterbury are looking for more entrants before the closing date on October 15.

It is the showcase event for sustainable farming. Many previous entrants have found the feedback from the judges invaluable for improving their farming systems.

Farmers do not have to wait until everything is 100 per cent right on their farms before entering the awards. The judges see it as a work in progress and judge accordingly.

Canterbury Judging co-ordinator and Mid Canterbury farmer Joanne van Polanen says that the awards assist in giving wider publicity to the good things farmers are doing.

``I know the awards are achieving their aim of promoting sustainable land and water management because I have seen other farmers adopt innovative practices of previous winners.’’

An example of this, she says, is the practice of using sawdust to decompose dead livestock.

``Farmers taking part in this year’s awards are encouraged to discuss their goals, achievements and future plans with a team of three independent assessors, and to draw on the expertise of the assessors on any topic they want to discuss.’’

A former supreme winner of the awards in Canterbury, Ashburton dairy farmer Andy McFarlane urges farmer to enter, saying entering the awards is a positive experience for farmers.

``It is positive from a networking point of view with like minded people, and for seeing what other people are doing in similar situations.’’

For information on the innovative and sound management that is happening in New Zealand farming visit www.ecan.govt.nz/bfea or www.nzfeatrust.org.nz. Read about farmers who have been recognised for their contribution to sustainable farming.

ENDS

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