Ballance Farm Environment Awards open
Organisers are urging farmers to prepare their entries for the 2012 Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
Operating in nine regions, the annual contest promotes sustainable land management and is facilitated by the New Zealand Farm Environment Awards (NZFEA) Trust.
Entries for the Northland, Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Horizons and Canterbury Ballance Farm Environment Awards open on September 1, 2011. Wellington entries open on September 5 and Waikato entries on September 12. Entries for the Southland region open on October 3 and Otago on Sept 30.
The 2011 awards drew an excellent standard of entries from around the country and NZFEA chairman Jim Cotman anticipates strong interest in the 2012 competition.
He encourages farmers and horticulturists to put themselves forward for the awards or to nominate others that might benefit from being involved.
He says past-entrants have described their participation as a highly rewarding experience.
Most people enter because they want feedback on how their farming or horticultural operation stacks up in terms of environmental sustainability. Entrants also seek ideas from competition judges and other participants on how to improve the sustainability of their businesses.
“The awards highlight the fact that good environmental and good business management go hand in hand. Many of our previous winners are top of their field as far as farm performance goes, and they are always happy to share their philosophies and innovations with the wider farming community.”
Entering the competition is easy and the judging process is conducted in a relaxed and friendly manner.
And Mr Cotman says farmers don’t have to have the prettiest farm in the district to enter. The awards cover a wide range of categories, so farmers who are performing well in one specific area have a chance of picking up one of these awards.
The nine Supreme-award winners from around the country will be honoured at a Sustainability Showcase to be held at Banquet Hall, Parliament Building, on June 23, 2012. The winner of the National Award, the Gordon Stephenson Trophy, will be named at that event.
Information on the awards and an entry form can be obtained from www.bfea.org.nz or participating regional councils.
The 2012 competition is supported by a strong line-up of sponsors that includes Ballance Agri-nutrients, LIC, PGG Wrightson, Hill Laboratories, Massey University, WaterForce and Beef + Lamb New Zealand. NZFEA also has strategic partnerships with a number of industry organisations, including Federated Farmers, Fonterra, DairyNZ, QEII National Trust and MAF.
The awards are also backed by Waikato Regional Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Horizons Regional Council, Environment Canterbury, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Gisborne District Council, Otago Regional Council and the Northland Regional Council.
