East Coast Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

Celebrate the people and places behind the Ballance Farm Environment Awards, from past winners and regional contacts to the farms and sponsors shaping your region.

Key dates.

Entries Open

Now for 2027

Entries Close

31 October 2026

Finalists announced

February 2027

Awards Event

TBC

2026 Open Day

28 April 2026

Current and past BFEA winners.

2026 East Coast Regional Supreme Winner

Jamie & Nicky Gaddum

Jamie & Nicky Gaddum

Matangi Station
  • Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
  • Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
  • East Coast Farming for the Future Award
  • AFFCO Innovation Award
Read their story

2026 Award Recipients

Rob & Coral Buddo, Marie Taylor

Plant Hawke’s Bay
  • Hill Labs Agri-Science Award
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
  • FMG Risk Management Award
Read their story

Tim & Lucy Mouat

Springvale Station
  • Ministry for the Environment Biodiversity Award
  • WaterForce Safe Water Recognition Award
Read their story

Wayne & Nicky Breeze

Hauiti Farm
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
Read their story

2025 East Coast Regional Supreme Winner

Simon and Lou White

Simon and Lou White

Ludlow Farms
  • East Coast Regional Supreme Winner 2025
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • Hill Labs Agri-Science Award
  • Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
  • Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
  • NZFET Innovation Award
Read their story

2025 Award Recipients

Leith and Tracy Ashworth

Ash Ridge Wines 
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
  • East Coast Farming for the Future Award
Read their story

Tom and Anna Tennent

  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • NZFET Biodiversity Award
Read their story

2024 East Coast Regional Supreme Winner

Simon & Josi Beamish and Hugo & Pip Beamish

Simon & Josi Beamish and Hugo & Pip Beamish

Awapai
  • East Coast Regional Supreme Winners 2024
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • Hill Labs Agri-Science AwardNZFET Innovation Award
Read their story

2024 Award Recipients

Ben and Libby Tosswill

Birch Hill Station
  • Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
  • NZFET Climate Recognition Award
  • East Coast Farming for the Future Award
Read their story

Bruce & Sally McGregor

Pakaututu
  • Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
Read their story

Jeremy and Laura Watson

Monowai Station
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
  • NZFET Biodiversity Award
Read their story

2023 East Coast Regional Supreme Winner

Greg and Gail Mitchell

Greg and Gail Mitchell

Mitchell Dairy Farms
  • East Coast Regional Supreme Winners 2023
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
  • DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award
  • Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
  • Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
Read their story

2023 Award Recipients

Paul and Sarah Williams

Turihaua Station
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • East Coast Farming for the Future Award
Read their story

Shane Janssen

Punawai Farm
  • NZFET Biodiversity Award
Read their story

Stuart & Beatrice Spall and Jim & Christine Spall

Poporangi Farm
  • Hill Laboratories Agri-Science Award
  • NZFET Climate Recognition Award
Read their story

Tim and Lucie Gilbertson

Waitukai Farm
  • NZFET Innovation Award
Read their story

2022 East Coast Regional Supreme Winner

Mark and Jane Johnson

Mark and Jane Johnson

Alcuin Station
  • East Coast Regional Supreme Winners 2022
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • Hill Laboratories Agri-Science Award
  • Norwood Agri-Business Management Award
  • East Coast Farming for the Future Award
Read their story

2022 Award Recipients

Kim & Annemarie Goodwin

Kawera
  • East Coast Biodiversity Award
Read their story

Tim and Cathie Ford

Forde Ltd
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
  • Massey University Innovation Award
Read their story

Tukipo Catchment Care Group

Catchment Group
  • NZ Landcare Trust Catchment Group Award
Read their story

Willie Lyons and Timothy Fairweather

Glenalvon
  • WaterForce Wise with Water Award
Read their story

Celebrating stewardship across East Coast.

East Coast

Pōrangahau — Taurekaitai ki Te Paerahi

View their story
East Coast

Jamie & Nicky Gaddum

Matangi Station
View their story
East Coast

Rob & Coral Buddo, Marie Taylor

Plant Hawke’s Bay
View their story
East Coast

Tim & Lucy Mouat

Springvale Station
View their story
East Coast

Wayne & Nicky Breeze

Hauiti Farm
View their story
Our regional partners

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and Gisborne District Council

Collaborating to promote sustainable land management across the East Coast.

In 2010, the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust formed a partnership with the Gisborne District Council and the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to bring the Ballance Farm Environment Awards programme to the East Coast region.

The Awards corroborate the work the councils are doing to bring together planning processes, cross-sector collaboration and community engagement to support a transition toward more sustainable land use across the East Coast region.

Reflecting this focus, the councils co-sponsor the East Coast Farming for the Future Award, recognising profitable, advanced, environmentally sustainable farming.

 

East Coast region awards.

Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award

This Award focuses on the management of soil and nutrients. A strong understanding of nutrients and nutrient budgeting is demonstrated. The impacts of nutrients and management practices on both soil fertility as well as surface and ground water are understood and well managed.

Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award

This Award is focused on the all-important people side of the farming and growing business. It recognises the importance of staff management, succession, community involvement, health and safety and other practices associated with people management and wellbeing.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award

This Award recognises the livestock farmer who demonstrates a commitment to long-term land and animal stewardship. It considers sustainable use of land, labour and capital resources, with livestock well cared for and stock class and type managed appropriately to the land contour and soil type.

DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award

This Award recognises dairy farmers who demonstrate a strong commitment to managing, protecting and enhancing their environment. It focuses on sustainable on-farm actions that show high standards of environmental care and sustainable use of the land, stock, labour and capital resources.

FMG Risk Management Award

This award recognises those who have identified and proactively managed any risks that could negatively impact their business to minimise the likelihood or severity of those risks. This covers all aspects of people management and farm planning, including business and financial risk management.

Hill Labs Agri-Science Award

This Award recognises excellence in the use of science and monitoring to optimise productivity and minimise environmental impacts. A good understanding of soil, water, plant and crop protection should be demonstrated, with supporting measurement and monitoring in evidence.

Ministry for the Environment Biodiversity Award

This award recognises the biological diversity of the farming and growing business. It acknowledges the mahi of both the present and past guardians (Kaitiaki) of the land that have created an environment that encourages and allows biodiversity to thrive.

Norwood Farming Efficiency Award

This Award recognises the farmer or grower who is actively focused on resource use efficiency. It takes into account different types of efficiency such as equipment or fuel efficiency or precision agriculture and recognises those who are making data driven decisions to determine resource use.

Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award

This award recognises how farmers and growers manage a successful, sustainable farm business, including the use of business plans, benchmarking and succession planning. It also acknowledges engagement with industry professionals and networks that support long-term business sustainability.

WaterForce Safe Water Recognition Award

The Safe Water Recognition Award celebrates farmers who demonstrate leadership in providing safe, clean drinking water on-farm. It recognises efforts to protect human health and uphold water quality standards through thoughtful system design, proactive testing, and responsible water management.

East Coast Farming for the Future Award

This Award is co-sponsored by the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and the Gisborne District Council and recognises profitable, environmentally sustainable farming. It focuses on innovation in land management, soil conservation, provision for climate change and engagement with local government.

Regional coordinator.

Kahlia Fryer
027 342 6071
eastcoast@bfea.org.nz

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