Entries open for 2014 Ballance Farm Awards

Media Release
22 August 2014

Entries open for 2014 Ballance Farm Awards

Entries are now open for the 2014 Canterbury Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

The Awards, which have been running in the region for 11 years, celebrate responsible land stewardship and sustainable farm management practices.

Jocelyn Muller, the Canterbury Regional Coordinator for the Ballance Awards, said the awards continue to go from strength to strength in Canterbury.

“The Awards recognise and celebrate that best practice on-farm management is good for business and good for the environment.

“By entering the Awards, farmers have the opportunity to have their farms assessed by a team of skilled judges, all with expertise in their particular area.

“Many farmers believe the judging process itself makes entering the awards a worthwhile experience. Farmers can use the judging process to discuss their ideas and business practices with the team of highly experienced and knowledgeable judges.

“It also provides an opportunity for farmers to benchmark the sustainability of their farm practices and see where they can make improvements,” she said.

Craige and Roz Mackenzie, 2013 Supreme Award winners and winners of Environment Canterbury’s Water Efficiency Award, said the awards help promote sustainable and profitable farming and provide learning opportunities.

“It’s important to be positively sharing what we do, farmers need to be profitable in the long-term and that means making sure we all look after the land and keep costs down,” said Roz Mackenzie.

As winners of the 2013 Canterbury Regional Supreme Award, the Mackenzie’s will hold a Field Day at their 200ha cropping unit in Methven on 18 October.

The Field Day will give people a chance to see how the Mackenzies utilise state of the art technology to maximise production in a sustainable manner and ensure any associated environmental risks are carefully managed.

In 2014 the Environment Canterbury Water Quality Award will celebrate the strategic importance of water to Canterbury and recognise farming practices which limit the impact their operation has on water quality

The period for entering the Canterbury Regional awards is open until 1 October 2013, with the awards evening to be held in March 2014.

Entry forms for the 2014 competition are available from the NZFE website at www.bfea.org.nz .

The website also includes information about past-winners, representing a range of farming sectors, including details of their farm management practices.

Environment Canterbury Water Quality Award
This award is for farm practices which reflect the strategic importance of this natural resource to Canterbury and the connectivity between land-use practices and water quality.

To be considered for the award, entrants need to demonstrate they are aware of the impact their operation has on water quality, and have taken deliberate steps to manage this.

Examples may include taking action to reduce nutrient loss (e.g. riparian planting, fencing of waterways, good soil management and fertiliser management), efficient irrigation management and farming practices which recognise the environmental limitations of the property.

Visit www.bfea.org.nz for further details on the awards and the award categories.

ENDS

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