Entries are open for the 2018 Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
Massey University is encouraging the cream of the crop in sustainable farming to put their best foot forward with entries for the 2018 Ballance Farm Environment Awards now open in 11 regions around New Zealand.
The awards are organised by the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust to promote land stewardship by showcasing sustainable farming. Farmers and horticulturists, including orchardists, vegetable growers and viticulturists, are all encouraged to enter.
Massey’s Professor Mike Hedley, of the Institute of Agriculture and Environment says entering the competition is a great opportunity for farmers and growers to meet with a group of enthusiastic like-minded people and agribusiness professionals to have their agribusinesses benchmarked.
The awards programme, of the farmer or grower judging days followed by regional awards evenings, provides a valuable network of farmers and growers who are succeeding with the challenge of food and fibre production with a low environmental footprint.
“The awards evenings are not only a great night out but are organised to showcase sustainable farming practices to school leavers and tertiary students wishing to enter New Zealand’s primary industries.”
The University has supported the awards since 2009 and sponsors the Innovation Award. This award recognises farmers who develop or embrace new technologies and have a record of advancing farm practices. Among the regional winners last year were Paul and Lisa Charmley, whose continued exploration of farm innovations, including the use of drones, singled them out as worthy winners.
Each of the 11 Massey award winners receives a fees scholarship to further their – or their nominee's – professional development through a short course or period of private study at Massey.
Since the awards began in 1991, numerous Massey graduates have been among the overall regional winners. Last year was no different with Massey University Alumni well represented by Horizons Regional Supreme Winner Shaun Baxter, Northland Regional Supreme Winner Helen and Alan Thompson, and Bay of Plenty Regional Supreme Matthew Sisam, to name a few.
Enter here.
About the awards
The Ballance Farm Environment Awards recognises and celebrates good farm practices which promotes sustainable land management through an annual awards programme which is now run in 11 regions throughout New Zealand, with the recipient of the Gordon Stephenson Trophy selected from the eleven regional Supreme Winners.