Ballance Farm Environment Awards

Within this topic:

• Nationwide Ballance Farm Environment awards
  
• Why should you enter?
  
• Comments from past entrants
  
• Learning from leaders project
  

The Ballance Farm Environment Awards are conducted annually in the Waikato by the Farm Environment Award Trust-Waikato with support from Environment Waikato and a number of farming industry sponsors. The purpose of the awards is to encourage sustainable agricultural practices.

In the 16 years that the awards have been running in the Waikato, what defines sustainable farming practices has changed and developed. For the 2009 awards, the Trust had a strong focus on developing more quantitative indicators of sustainability. The judges spent time debating this issue. They believe that there are five key areas that need to be considered: soil, water quality, biodiversity, nutrient management and animal welfare/production. The judges have also reassessed the questions that need to be asked when on farm to get all of the information from the entrants to help them understand how these key areas are being managed. The judges have also discussed how to include "the carbon foot print" into the judging process. This is very much a work-in-progress and we will spend time in the future refining our processes to put more objectivity around our understanding of sustainable farming.

In 2004, a new national trust - the New Zealand Farm Environment Award Trust (NZFEA Trust) was established to administer the awards and associated projects.

The key question the trust asks is, "Can what is being done now, still be working successfully in 100 years?"

Nationwide Ballance Farm Environment awards

Eight regions participated in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards this year – Waikato, Southland, Canterbury, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, Horizons, Otago and Northland. To find out more about the regions go to www.bfea.org.nz

Why should you enter?

The benefits of entering the Ballance Farm Environment Awards include:

• linking sustainable farming practices to long-term profitability
• discussing practical farm information and business with judges from a range of fields
• gathering new ideas and different methods from other entrants
• confirming that your current farm management practices are sustainable
• prizes and recognition.

Award categories include:

• Supreme Award
• Ballance nutrient management award
• PCG Wrightson land and life award
• Environment Waikato water protection award
• Gallagher innovation award
• Hill Laboratories harvest award
• Livestock Improvement dairy farm award
• PPCS livestock farm award.

In the Waikato region prizes are also available for the Waikato Forest and Bird native forest restoration award.

Comments from past entrants

"Taking part gave us the opportunity to examine the company's farming and business practises and to receive outsiders comments."

"It gets you thinking about specifics and gives you a great new perspective. It's good to know it's okay to think outside the square!"

"I would definitely encourage others to enter. It helps you refocus and confirm the direction you're going in."

"Entering these awards certainly heightened our environmental awareness. It has given us valuable new connections with some really great people, which has allowed a much clearer pathway to a better approach towards farming sustainably, as opposed to just profitably."

Check out the 2009 and 2008 Farm Environment Awards winners.

Learning from leaders project

In recent years the NZFEA Trust carried out the Learning from Leaders Project, the objective was to spread the knowledge gained from the BFEA to a wider audience via practical, farmer-led learning events.

For more information see the Sustainable Farming Fund page on the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's website.

Contact us

If you wish to receive information about the awards contact us, providing your name, address, telephone number and type of farm.

Farmers in the regions of Environment Waikato, Environment Bay of Plenty, Environment Canterbury, Environment Southland, the Greater Wellington, Horizons (Manawatu/Wanganui), Northland and Otago are eligible to enter.