Pictured: Bruce Allan, Chairman of the Southland Ballance Farm Environment Awards and Ali Timms, Chairman of Environment Southland.
An official partnership between Environment Southland and the Ballance Farm Environment Awards will offer significant benefits for farmers in the region.
Simon Saunders, chair of NZFE Trust – the organisation that administers the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA), says the Trust and Environment Southland have always shared a good relationship and common goals.
“But it’s fantastic that we are now formalising the long-standing partnership between Environment Southland and the Ballance Farm Environment Awards. We look forward to developing this partnership further to benefit the agricultural sector in Southland.”
Environment Southland chairman Ali Timms says the partnership will produce significant gains for the region.
“Working together to support and celebrate leadership in Southland will result in ongoing positive outcomes both on-farm and environmentally.”
Bruce Allan, Southland BFEA committee chair, says Environment Southland continues to take a proactive approach to promoting good management practices on the land.
“By increasing its support of the BFEA, Environment Southland is showing the farming community that it is very interested in the positive things farmers are doing to address environmental issues.”
Mr Allan says BFEA and Environment Southland staff will work closely together to ensure that new ideas and technologies that enhance agricultural sustainability are recognised and shared with the farming community.
“Environment Southland has some very good people on their team and their expertise will be extremely valuable when it comes to training and assisting with judging of the BFEA.”
Mr Allan says Environment Southland staff will now have a more hands-on role in the BFEA.
“The plan is to do more joint activities, such as field days, to help promote best practice in environmental management and business sustainability.”
