THE GRASS CAN BE GREENER

WORDS Liam Stretch PHOTOS Supplied

There is often a sentiment that those who make their living in the country are disconnected from the progress of the city – for these farmers and producers, that could not be further from the truth.

Because of a determined effort to be sustainable in practice, several hard-working locals were honoured at the Canterbury Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

With green-tinted glasses on, winners across the Canterbury Plains shone thanks to the implementation of different techniques which aimed to improve the quality of life of the livestock and workers, but also protection of the environment as a whole.

Hailing from Dunsandel, the Canterbury Supreme Regional winners Tony Coltman and Dana Carver (above left) of Canlac Holdings – a dairy herd – received the award thanks to their early adoption of research and method to reduce their carbon footprint.

The pair, who took over the farm in 2013, has managed to reduce the nitrate leaching associated with dairy farming by 50 per cent. Keen to leave the piece of land in tip-top shape for future generations, Tony and Dana have an ongoing planting programme underway that includes shelter and native plants. They’ve also made some technical improvements with the farm’s effluent area significantly increased, while they continually improve the sophisticated irrigation system and maintain the fertility of the soil.

The pair are now eligible for the Gordon Stephenson Award, and they will be profiled alongside other Regional Supreme Winners at the Awards’ National Sustainability Showcase in Wellington on June 4.

In addition to the 2020 Supreme Regional Award, they also received the: Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award; DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award; Synlait Climate Stewardship Award; and the WaterForce Wise with Water Award.

Robin Oakley, pictured above, bottom right, of Oakley’s Premium Fresh Vegetables in Southbridge – the leading supplier of several varieties of vegetables to one of the South Island’s most prominent food chains – won the Balance Agri-nutrients Soil Management Award, the Hill Laboratories Agri-Science Award, and the Massey University Innovation Award. Within their ethos is taking care of the small details with an environmental lens applied – meaning an innovative, agile approach is taken across the business, resulting in consistently high- quality vegetables that meet the changing demands of consumers.

Other winners included beef and deer farmers Mike and Nicky Salvesen from Wakare, Mount Somers (pictured above, top right) who received the Environment Canterbury Water Quality Award and the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award. With a progressive vision for the future, the pair have actively reduced the farm’s environmental footprint. In essence, a substantial planting project has occurred, and the farming activities are carried out with an acute awareness of how action taken on the pasture can affect the surrounding environment. Also from the Mount Somers area, Richard and Chrissie Wright at Tamar Farm (pictured below) came away with the Norwood Agri-Business Award.

The proof is in the parsnip that future of farming is bright – and sustainable – with farmers and producers like this at the helm.