Showcase Event Honours 2010 Farm Environment Award

Showcase Event Honours 2010 Farm Environment Award Winners

Bay of Plenty farmer John Mackintosh was named winner of the New Zealand Farm Environment Award Trust and MAF Study Scholarship at an event celebrating the 2010 Ballance Farm Environment Awards on June 28

The announcement was one of the highlights of a Sustainability Showcase held in Christchurch to honour supreme winners from the eight regions participating in the 2010 awards.

New Zealand Farm Environment Award Trust general manager David Natzke says the event was a huge success and "well supported by Canterbury people who are committed and passionate supporters of the Ballance Farm Environment Awards".

He says a key aim of the annual event is to bring together supreme winners so they can find out more about each other's business operations and then communicate what they learn to the wider farming community

The winner of the New Zealand Farm Environment Award Trust and MAF Study Scholarship was announced by the Minister of Agriculture, David Carter.

Open to previous supreme winners, the $15,000 scholarship allows the winner to undertake a major study relevant to sustainable and profitable farming in New Zealand.

John Mackintosh, who farms near Whakatane, will study the cost/benefits of farm forestry and look at ways in which trees can be planted for production, shelter and erosion control.

Speaking at the Sustainability Showcase dinner, NZFEA chairman Jim Cotman thanked the sponsors and supporters of the annual awards which have become a crucial part of the farming calendar.

He welcomed the new East Coast region to the awards and also announced plans for a new award in next year's competition when, for the first time, a National Winner will be chosen from the nine regional supreme-award winners.

Supreme award-winners honoured at this year's showcase were:
• NORTHLAND - Brian and Gaye Simms
• WAIKATO - Wynn and Tracey, Tom and Barb Brown
• BAY OF PLENTY - Bruce and Tessa Calder
• HORIZONS - Ken and Sue Ballantyne
• GREATER WELLINGTON - George and Sarah Tatham
• CANTERBURY - Dugald and Mandy Rutherford
• OTAGO - Ronald and Carol Alderton, David Alderton and Paula Kastner
• SOUTHLAND - Elliot and Janine King

David Natzke says the supreme winners gathered the day before the Sustainability Showcase dinner to meet and outline their farming operations. They were addressed by leaders from the dairy and sheep and beef industries and also participated in a sponsors' forum, facilitated by Professor Jacqueline Rowarth of Massey University.

This forum provided sponsors and supreme winners with a valuable opportunity to brainstorm sustainability issues.

"It was an excellent evening and a great way to cap off what has been another very successful year for the awards," said Mr Natzke.

Sponsors of the 2010 Ballance Farm Environment Awards included Ballance Agri-Nutrients, Massey University, LIC, Hill Laboratories, PGG Wrightson and the New Zealand Farm Environment Award Trust.

The 2010 awards were 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.

ENDS

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