Eight More Champions Lauded At Environment Awards

04.05.09

Eight More Champions Lauded As Environment Awards Complete Another Successful Year

Organisers of the 2009 Ballance Farm Environment Awards are thrilled with the calibre of Supreme winners selected in this year's competition.

Held in eight regions, the 2009 awards have drawn to a close following the final regional awards ceremony in Palmerston North on April 24.

New Zealand Farm Environment Award Trust general manager David Natzke says entry numbers for the 2009 competition were up on last year and the competition again drew a diverse range of entries.

"All regions reported a very high standard of entrants and that made it a real challenge for judges to select the Supreme winners."

This year's winners included Putaruru dairy farmers Gray and Marilyn Baldwin and their sharemilkers Hamish and Jane Putt, who were named Supreme winners of the Waikato Ballance Farm Environment Awards. Galatea dairy farmers Paul and Joanna McCarthy were Supreme winners for the Bay of Plenty.

Pukeokahu mixed livestock farmers Andy and Claire Law were Supreme winners of the Horizons Ballance Farm Environment Awards and South Wairarapa dairy farmers Tim and Jo Loe were Supreme winners of the Greater Wellington/Wairarapa Awards.

Temuka arable farmers Nick and Michelle Ward won the Supreme title in the Canterbury Ballance Farm Environment Awards and Stirling dairy farmers Stephen and Rhonda Korteweg were Supreme winners for Otago.

Otaitai Bush dairy farmers Vaughan and Megan Templeton were the Supreme winners of the Southland Ballance Farm Environment Awards while Omamari beef farmers Peter and Pam Kelly took out the title in the Northland awards.

Mr Natzke says an interesting feature of this year's competition was that of the eight Supreme winners, five were dairy farmers.

"In the past, dairy farmers have been reluctant to enter, maybe because dairying seems to be under scrutiny for its environmental management. But now, at a time when the dairy industry is looking for environmental champions, we are seeing more dairy farmers keen to show that they care very much about long-term sustainability."

Mr Natzke says a common factor among all Supreme winners, regardless of farm type, is that they share a deeply held passion for sustainable farming. Their "infectious enthusiasm" has been a real feature of the award ceremonies.

The eight Supreme winners will be brought together and honoured at a Sustainability Showcase in Wellington on June 26.

The Ballance Farm Environment Awards celebrate people who are farming in a manner that is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable. Key sponsors for the 2009 awards include Ballance Agri-Nutrients, Silver Fern Farms, LIC, Gallagher Group, Hill Laboratories and PGG Wrightson.

The awards are also backed by Environment Waikato, Environment Bay of Plenty, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Horizons Regional Council, Environment Canterbury, Otago Regional Council and the Northland Regional Council.

Web: www.bfea.org.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media