Farmer interest strong in environment awards

After last year’s Covid-19 disruption, farmer interest in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA) is greater than ever with organisers fielding enquiry before the entries had even officially opened.

WORDS BY RICHARD RENNIE. IMAGES SUPPLIED

Ruralco committed to the awards last year as a strategic partner with the awards body, the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust. The cooperative remains committed to an event that sits well with its ethos of working to encourage sustainable, profitable farming practices. Last year’s disruption came after two regions, Canterbury and East Coast had managed to have their traditional event ceremonies before Covid forced the subsequent awards in all other areas go online as popular You Tube events. The awards culminated in hill country farmers Evan and Linda Potter from Hawke’s Bay being named national ambassadors for sustainable farming, as recipients of the Gordon Stephenson Memorial Trophy. Joanne van Polanen, awards chair and Ruralco Shareholder, said there is a strong sense of excitement among organisers this year after last year’s disruptions. “We are going out for entries now and have had a lot of enquiries from farmers keen to be in the awards. “If nothing else Covid has highlighted to the rest of New Zealand, and to farmers themselves I think, just how important they are to the economy. They have become more prepared to put their hand up to enter the awards and to show the good work they are doing.” After 16 years of being involved with the awards Joanne has a good perspective on how farmers have responded to environmental challenges, and how they see their own work. “As an industry, we often work in quite a small circle, keeping our heads down and getting on with work. But I do get a feeling there is a sense of more farmers solidifying around their sense of purpose and value, which is great to see.” The rural sector is currently beset by a rush of legislative changes coming around greenhouse gases, water quality and biodiversity, making awards like the BFEA particularly pertinent at present. Joanne says those farmers entering the awards are often the environmental pioneers who set the standards that in years to follow become accepted as industry norms. Her involvement in the awards started back in 2006 as a judging co-ordinator. “If I go right back to the beginning, you would see farmers back then who were considered greenies, who would now be considered extremely normal in terms of their approach and practices on the land. “Their management decisions we see in the competition signal what will be standard in the future.” For farmers entering, the returns lie beyond winning an award. “There is an opportunity for every entrant to tell their story to the visiting judges. And just as importantly it is an opportunity to receive feedback from a panel with a deep level of farming knowledge that always has a farmer upon it.” Joanne says just as health and safety was once an after-thought and is now baked into farm management, so too with environmental practices. “Farmers have always recognised the value of their resources, but now they recognise the value of integrating good environmental stewardship across the entire farm system.” As a Ruralco Shareholder Joanne appreciates the natural fit between the awards and Ruralco’s sponsorship. “We were thrilled when Ruralco put its hand up, and they are committed to supporting good sustainable farming practices.” Ruralco CEO Rob Sharkie says the co-operative remains deeply committed to the awards and what they stand for. “Anything Ruralco as a co-operative can do to help farmers tell their story about sustainability and good practices around New Zealand to their fellow New Zealanders, that is well worth supporting,” he says. Entries are now open for the environment awards: www.featrust.org.nz/enter-awards

BELOW: Joanne van Polanen, Chair of the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust