20 January 2021
Despite the interruptions of COVID-19 to the 2021 Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BEFA) national programme, the Waikato region has received a pleasing volume of entries into their 2020/2021 awards programme. With the remainder of the regional programmes cancelled, the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust worked with the Waikato BFEA committee to secure independent funding and operate and run a Waikato BFEA programme.
Waikato farmers and growers were invited to showcase, benchmark, and improve their operations through the constructive BFEA process where agribusiness professionals provide feedback, recommendations and commendations to entrants.
Finalists for the BFEA Waikato Programme are:
· Levin & Co – Bull beef
· Woodward Farms – Dairy, Angora goats
· Raupuha Stud – Ram and bull stud, native nursery
· Waiorongomai Valley Farms – Dairy
· Mamahi – Sheep breeding and finishing, Dairy heifer grazing
The 2021 Waikato programme includes the launch of a new award that celebrates the achievements of Waikato catchment groups.
“The purpose of the new Catchment Group Award is to celebrate the achievements of catchment groups within the Waikato,” says regional committee chair Matt Holwill. “Profiling the catchment award recipient is a great way to showcase what can be achieved when local communities work together and take ownership of localised catchment issues.”
Finalists in the catchment award are:
· Pūniu River Care
· Lake Kaituna and Lake Komakorau Care Group
· King Country River Care
Final judging will be completed at the end of February, with the Awards event being held on 14 April 2021.
