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Hi <<First Name>>
We recently finished announcing all of the 2020 award winners from the Ballance Farm Environment Awards online. It was great to uncover more examples of good farming practice and meet awesome characters along the way. And now that COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, a number of regions have been able to present their awards in person.
Over the next six to 12 months we’ll hold field days at the properties of BFEA Regional Supreme Winners, kicking off in the Waikato on Friday 3 July. Field days are a great opportunity to see passionate and successful farmers up close and we hope you will join us.
We're delighted to announce that our National Sustainability Showcase will be held in Wellington on Thursday 25 March 2021. At Showcase, we'll award the Gordon Stephenson Trophy to one of our 2020 Regional Supreme Winners, with the recipients becoming national ambassadors for sustainable farming and growing.
Something to watch out for later this year is the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust's election for three Board members. Please drop me a line if you'd like more information.
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James Ryan
General Manager
New Zealand Farm Environment Trust
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Final 2020 awards announced
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During the past two months, we announced the final 2020 Ballance Farm Environment Awards recipients in Taranaki, Auckland, Northland and Greater Wellington. Regional Supreme Winners are pictured, clockwise from top left, with more information below. We livestreamed the announcements via YouTube, netting more than 10,000 views of finalist videos. They're all still available online so be sure to check them out.
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Taranaki: The Brown Family, Rukumoana Farms, sheep & beef – Eltham & Stratford
Keen to leave a positive legacy, this family strives hard to produce quality stock while improving the farm’s environmental footprint.
Auckland: Mathew & Sarah Bolton, Oete Goat Farm – Patumahoe
Over the past six years, the Boltons have established an exemplar goat farming operation that combines profitability with a broadly sustainable approach.
Northland: Helen Linssen & Jeff Martin, Te Karoa Farms, beef – Kaeo
A commitment to quality and waterway management has established Jeff and Helen as industry leaders, while their farming approach is successful in terms of both liveweight gains and sustainability.
Greater Wellington: Aidan Bichan, Neville Fisher and Vern Brasell, Kaiwaiwai Dairies – Featherston
Demonstrating good environmental stewardship is a key focus for the team at Kaiwaiwai Dairies – a dairy farm operated as an equity partnership with six shareholders.
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Changing of the guard in Southland
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After seven years at the helm, Southland Regional BFEA Coordinator Tracie Donelley, pictured here with partner Grant, is stepping down from the role - to spend more time with her beloved horses, amongst other things. Taking over is Becci Lampard who is originally from England and now based on a lifestyle block near Invercargill. Meanwhile, Southland Regional Committee Chair Bruce Allan is handing over to Olivia Ross. A huge thanks to both Tracie and Bruce for their incredible support over the years.
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'World famous' Kiwi farmers and growers
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The Trust’s vision is for New Zealand’s food and fibre producers to be recognised as global leaders in their stewardship of land and water in a changing world.
Earlier this year, our General Manager James Ryan was invited to present at the International Land Conservation Network 2020 conference in Spain. The conference organisers were particularly interested in hearing why Kiwi farmers and growers invest in environmental improvements without receiving subsidies. With the outbreak of COVID-19, the conference was held online and James participated via a webinar which you can watch here.
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Get in touch
We love to talk, so if you'd like to have a chat or ask us a burning question, please email us or get in touch with one of our regional contacts by clicking a link:
Northland • Auckland • Waikato • Bay of Plenty • Taranaki • East Coast • Horizons • Greater Wellington • Canterbury • Otago • Southland
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