Rural
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
‘Strong couple’ wins environment award
spade so soil can be checked on a regular basis. The couple focus on planting native trees along boundaries, and around the main springs. They are flexible with their crop selection, basing their decisions on the market, contracts available and climatic conditions. However, core crops in recent years have been ryegrass and red clover for seed, barley and peas. Around 35ha is cut for silage each year and turnips are an autumn feed crop for lambs. Each winter they graze hoggets until late spring, and purchase between 3000 and 6000 lambs to be finished throughout autumn, winter and spring annually. In addition, they buy between 180 and 240 weaner cattle each autumn.
BY BECKIE WILSON
A Masterton farming family has taken out a supreme farming award, and a handful of other awards for good measure. Nathan and Kate Williams of Otahuao farm, just east of Masterton, were named this year’s supreme champions in the Greater Wellington Ballance Farm Environment Award on Tuesday. The Williams also won the Hill Laboratories Harvest Award, Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award and the CB Norwood Distributors AgriBusiness Management Award for their work towards good management practice on their farm. They run a 335ha arable, sheep and beef finishing farm, and said the farms soil structure was the basis of their farming. “Everything revolves around the soil, it is the essence of our lives,” Mr Williams said. The judges said the farm was run by a strong couple with a combined skill-set and good knowledge of the industry. This, combined with good soil conservation practices that result in more productive cropping cycles was another notch in their belt. The couple live on the property with their four children Toby, 11, Sophie, 9, Hugo, 7, and Monty, 3, and Mr William’s parents, Jim and Jill. Jim and Jill Williams bought the land in 1968 when it was 100ha of “several large paddocks containing stumps and rushes”. Nathan and Kate Williams now lease this, and own an additional 235ha that they run as a one whole unit.
Nathan and Kate Williams of Otahuao farm were the 2017 supreme champions of the Greater Wellington Ballance Farm Environment Award. PHOTO/SUPPLIED
Mr Williams went into partnership with his father and brother in 1998. Then in 2009, he and Kate took over. There has been no cultivation on the property for about 20 years as the Williams are constantly aware of their carbon levels, natural drainage, the quality of the soil structure.They always carry a
MASTERTON WINNERS: • Mike and Liz McCreary of Kumenga Farm, near Lake Wairarapa won the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award, Massey University Innovation Award, WaterForce Integrated Management Award and the Farm Stewardship Award in partnership with QEII National Trust and New Zealand Farm Environment Trust. • Kevin and Alison Hull and Johnny and Aimee Peck from Awakare Farm, near Carterton, won the LIC Dairy Farm Award • Julian Bateson and Sue Shore, who farm close to Tararua Forest Park, won the Greater Wellington Regional Council Akura Conservation Centre LifestyleSmall Block Award.
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