2021 Ballance Farm Environment Awards now open for entries and includes new awards initiatives
Entries are now open for the 2021 Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA) programme.
This year the NZ Farm Environment Trust is delighted to announce the addition of two new initiatives for the 2021 BFEA programme including a new Catchment Group Award and partnership with Farmax to provide free Farmax analysis for every awards entrant.
The Catchment Group Award is supported by a new partnership between the NZ Farm Environment Trust and NZ Landcare Trust and is designed to showcase and celebrate the great work being done by catchment groups throughout the country.
“The new Catchment Group Award recognises the efforts of a rural community working together to improve water quality in local rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands,” said NZ Farm Environment Trust Chair Joanne van Polanen. “This new initiative is designed to celebrate the efforts of catchment groups and help inspire other rural communities with examples of good practice.”
The NZ Landcare Trust Catchment Group Award will be open to catchment groups from all 11 regions in which the Ballance Farm Environment Awards operate.
“It’s exciting to be initiating this new award across New Zealand, said NZ Landcare Trust Chief Executive Dr Nick Edgar. “We provide support to a large number of catchment groups doing amazing work to protect biodiversity, clean up waterways and respond to the climate challenge. This award provides an excellent opportunity to showcase what farmers in these groups have been able to achieve by working together”.
BFEA sector experts will meet with catchment group entrants to hear their stories and assess the great work they are doing based on a range of criteria including:
- Their identification of risks and actions addressing water quality issues
- Their involvement of the local community including iwi and youth
- The robustness of their monitoring and evaluation to inform their work
- Their approach to other outcomes such as soil, nutrients, climate and biodiversity
The 2021 programme sees Farmax join the Ballance Farm Environment Awards as a new partner. “Farmax is thrilled to be supporting the awards which showcase some of the country’s most sustainable and profitable farmers,” says Farmax CEO, Gavin McEwen.
“The awards align with the core belief of Farmax, which is that profitable and productive farms are not mutually exclusive from sustainable ones.”
With Farmax’s support this year, all award entrants will know their greenhouse gas emissions numbers and mitigation options thanks to the GHG and sequestration features in FARMAX 8.1.
Farmers, growers and catchment groups are encouraged to visit www.nzfeawards.org.nz to find out more, enter or nominate an entrant into the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
All entrants are provided with feedback from sector experts about their activities and potential areas of focus for the future, something that previous awards entrants site as being of great value and use to them as they continue on their sustainability journey.
