I’m the chairman of this region and there are 10 other regions around the country, which, like us, have completed their judging process, held their award evenings and now a progression of fieldays on the various regional winners’ properties is being held.
The Ballance Farm Environment Awards recognise and celebrate good farm practices that promote sustainable land management. They also must be financially sustainable and contribute to their communities.
We had three great finalists this year. Pete Swinburn and Suzanne Hoyt from Watergreen partnership in Central Hawke’s Bay are not far from here as the crow flies. The partnership is a combination of their property joined up with the neighbouring farm of a non-farming family who live elsewhere, for the benefit of both parties given the scale they have achieved.
They have planted 130ha of forestry and have 16ha in a QEII National Trust covenant. The family have been planting poplar poles for 60 years for erosion control. They have already fenced 15km of stream edge and have their nitrogen nutrient losses well within the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council limits that those of us in this area are dealing with.
Dave Read and Judy Bogaard farm steep east coast hill country near Frasertown. They have a 20ha QEII National Trust covenant, 38ha of fenced bush, 20ha of regenerating manuka and 15ha of woodlots.
They have planted 4000 poplars and willows for shade, shelter and erosion control.
The field day was at the other finalists, who came out as supreme winners.
It was on the property of Nick and Nicky Dawson who are dairy farmers. We are probably the region with the fewest dairy farmers, about 85 in total, but the Dawsons are our second dairy winners in a row.
And after going to their property I can see why. It is a well-managed and greatly loved farm.
A fifth of it is fully retired from grazing and stock have been excluded from all waterways. Quite a lot of planting has been going on in those areas.
Five years ago they were milking 500 cows on the milking platform of 150ha. Then they dropped that to 360 cows and moved to once a day around Christmas. Production is still 514kg of milksolids a cow and 1230kg a hectare – more from less.
They use only 27 litres of water a cow in the shed. The industry average is 70 litres. Their nitrogen leaching rate is a low 24kg a hectare.
Nick is fixated on pest control with traps everywhere and his appetency for an increase in biodiversity in both flora and fauna is showing dividends.
They included their current and past staff in the day and are obviously very good at attracting and retaining good staff.
They began on this property 20 years ago as 50:50 sharemilkers when it was converted from sheep and beef.
Then in 2004 when the property was sold they went into an equity partnership which grew to 50:50 and recently they bought the other partners out and own the property outright, which is a great story in itself.
The Dawsons are excellent examples that you can be good environmentalists but at the same time run a profitable and sustainable business.
These are the stories our city friends need to hear.
