2023 Catchment Group – Taranaki Catchment Communities Inc Since 2021, Taranaki Catchment Communities has used an evidence-based approach to help both rural and urban locals live in harmony with the environment. It was established by a group of farmers and growers who wanted to lead, mobilise and work alongside others towards a more sustainable future […]
Region: Taranaki
Taranaki Catchment Communities Inc
Murray & Kaye Jackson and Cruise & Sarah Hamilton of Te Kupe Station
2023 Finalists: Murray & Kaye Jackson and Cruise & Sarah Hamilton of Te Kupe Station – Sheep, Beef and Forestry The family behind 100-year-old Te Kupe Station is on a mission to transform the business in the hope of creating a long-lasting legacy for generations to come. The families of Murray and Kaye Jackson, and […]
Taranaki Regional Supreme Winners 2023 Jacques and Vanessa Le Prou of Java Farm
Regional Supreme Winners 2023: Jacques and Vanessa Le Prou of Java Farm – Dairy Taking on two rundown dairy farms and combining them into one sustainable unit has been a rewarding challenge for farmers Jacques and Vanessa Le Prou. They bought what is now known as Java Farm 10 years ago. For the first two […]
Tony Gane, Peter & Carol Gane, Charlie & Anna Smith of Gane and Sons
2023 Finalists: Tony Gane, Peter & Carol Gane, Charlie & Anna Smith of Gane and Sons – Sheep, Beef and Dairy Support The Gane family is incredibly proud of their farming history that started with a 60ha block bought in 1919 – growing to today’s 430ha sheep and beef farm. In partnership, Peter, Carole and […]
Richard & Jenni Brewer and William & Lisa Brewer of Brewer Farms
2023 Finalists: Richard & Jenni Brewer and William & Lisa Brewer of Brewer Farms – Sheep, Beef and Dairy Sharing their farming journey with consumers is one of the reasons the team at Brewer Farms is taking part in this year’s Ballance Farm Environment Awards. They’re proud to put their own brand on the food […]
Jono & Amy Ardern of Auroa
2022 Finalist: Jono & Amy Ardern of Auroa – Dairy The motivated couple behind this Taranaki dairy farm are cleverly investing their capital and have made the business more resilient by having a secondary income stream. Auroa is now in its seventh dairy season, while Amy started her own veterinarian practice in 2014. Their hard […]
Kieran and Olivia Clough of Wilaily
2022 Finalist: Kieran and Olivia Clough of Wilaily – Dairy Eltham’s Kieran and Olivia Clough are a small team with big aspirations, with them one day hoping to be able to operate their dairy farm as a carbon neutral system. The Cloughs are fully committed to future-proofing Wilaily for the next generation of farmers. They […]
Kenneth and Rachel Short of Shortland Farm
2022 Finalists: Kenneth and Rachel Short of Shortland Farm – Dairy The Opunake couple behind this self-contained certified organic dairy farm thrive on working with nature to produce a high-quality product. Kenneth and Rachel Short entered the Ballance Farm Environment Awards entrants as a way of reviewing their farming operation and getting constructive feedback. The […]
Taranaki Regional Supreme Winners 2022: David & Samantha Turner of The Grange
Regional Supreme Winners: David & Samantha Turner of The Grange – Sheep, Beef and Dairy Support David’s great grandfather George Turner bought The Grange in 1880, cleared the land and established it as a successful farm that is now being managed by the family’s fourth generation. It’s no wonder that the Eltham property has special […]
Meet the BFEA Entrants from the Taranaki Region
David & Samantha Turner The Grange – Dairy support, Sheep and Beef David’s great grandfather George Turner bought The Grange in 1880, cleared the land and established it as a successful farm that is now being managed by the family’s fourth generation. Half of the business is heifer grazing on a weight-gain payment system, with the balance split between sheep and beef. 300 dairy heifers are grazed for 12 months and leave the property in-calf. 800 Romney ewes are mated to Romney or Polled Dorset rams, with female Romney lambs […]
Mentoring key to rising through the ranks
It’s all about the people for Taranaki Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA) regional coordinator Jessie Waite who has been appointed to the New Zealand Young Farmers national board. The 28-year old has been with the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust since 2018, helping us organise the annual BFEA season, balancing this work with her part-time role […]
2020 Taranaki Entrants
Here are our wonderful 2020 entrants for the Taranaki Ballance Farm Environment Awards. We congratulate them all for becoming involved in the awards programme – it’s a privilege to have learned more about their food and fibre production businesses. Alan Ancell and Delphine Petrowski, Ancell Farms — Toko Dairy grazing, sheep & beef Born on this Stratford farm, Alan […]
Robert & Verna Bourke and Conna & Nick Smith – Fern Flats
2020 finalists: Robert & Verna Bourke and Conna & Nick Smith of Fern Flats – Dairy. The Bourkes have a strong connection to Fern Flats – a property that has been in the family since 1873 – and the resulting sense of stewardship is obvious. The beautifully kept family farm continually moves with the times to […]
The Stanley’s Ron & Cathy, Noel & Suzy and Karl & Nicola – Stanley Brothers Trust
2020 finalists: The Stanley’s – Ron & Cathy, Noel & Suzy and Karl & Nicola of Stanley Brothers Trust – Pork producer, cropping, fattening cattle. There’s been a big investment in future-proofing at this Opunake property, with the Stanley brothers embracing new technologies to drive productivity and animal welfare. While pork production is the farm’s main business, it is bolstered by two additional income streams – […]
Steve Lepper – Lepper Trust
2020 finalist: Steve Lepper of Lepper Trust – Pork producer. Innovation and efficiency are the cornerstones of this pig farming operation which boasts a pioneering biogas system that converts methane into electricity and heat – significantly reducing emissions. Composting effluent and using waste food for pig feed is further reducing this Lepperton farm’s carbon footprint. Steve Lepper entered the Ballance […]
2020 Taranaki Regional Supreme Winners
The Browns – Robert, Jane, Nick, Sophie, Will, Kate and Sam of Rukumoana Farms – Sheep & beef. This cohesive family unit is successfully driving the three properties that make up Rukumoana Farms. The property has significantly grown in size during the 34 years that Robert and Jane have been involved and planning is now well underway to ensure a smooth succession to their family. The positive stance […]
2019 Taranaki Regional Supreme Winners
MataRata Downs, owned and operated by farming partners, Jarred & Sarah Coogan and Bryan & Helen Hocken (Sarah’s parents), was announced the Regional Supreme Winner at this evening’s 2019 Taranaki Ballance Farm Environment Awards run by the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust. The Ballance Farm Environment Awards champion sustainable farming and growing through an awards […]
Hansen Family – LUNDSDALE FARMS
Lundsdale Farms is in hardworking, loyal hands. This 938ha sheep and beef entity is a family business involving husband and wife Niels and Fiona, and Niels’ parents. Niels and Fiona manage the day-to-day operation of the business while Niels’ parents are 50% shareholders. Niels’ parents sold their previous farm and purchased the first of three […]
Jodi Roebuck and Tanya Mercer – ROEBUCK FARM
Visit Roebuck Farm and it won’t take long to see something extraordinary has been created. This sustainable and profitable small-scale working farm has a pioneering quality, teaching the principles of independence and self-sufficiency through its highly interactive on-farm activities and based around its agrarian and market garden production. Jodi Roebuck is an internationally-renowned biointensive gardening […]
Andy & Lisa Tippett – AJ & LJ TIPPETT
Andy and Lisa Tippett are passionate about their farm and supporting the wider agricultural industry. Their successful journey towards farm ownership is testament to their strong family working relationship with Lisa’s parents. After eight years of working their farm as sharemilkers, then equity partners, the opportunity of farm ownership was made possible through good succession […]