Otago 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

8 May

Current and past BFEA winners.

2026 Otago Regional Supreme Winner

Luke and Nicole Kane

Luke and Nicole Kane

Westholm Dairies
  • Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
  • Otago Regional Council Water Enhancement Award
  • DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
  • Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
Read their story

2026 Award Recipients

Ben & Rebecca Trotter

Black Peak Farming, Alpine Fresh and Red Bridge Berries
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • NZFET Innovation Award
  • Hill Labs Agri-Science Award
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • FMG Risk Management Award
Read their story

Morgan France, Ruby Herron and Kerry France

Longview Farm
  • Ministry for the Environment Biodiversity Award
Read their story

2025 Otago Regional Supreme Winner

Tracy and Andrew Paterson

Tracy and Andrew Paterson

Matakanui Station
  • Otago Regional Supreme Winners 2025
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
  • Hill Labs Agri-Science Award
  • Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
  • Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
  • NZFET Innovation Award
Read their story

2025 Award Recipients

Francois and Shelley Tillard

Clydesdale Dairy 
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award
  • Otago Regional Council Water Enhancement Award
Read their story

Matt Lawlor and Teresa O’Riordan

Caldervan 
  • NZFET Biodiversity Award
Read their story

2024 Otago Regional Supreme Winner

Angus Barr and Tara Dwyer

Angus Barr and Tara Dwyer

The Wandle – Lone Star Farms
  • Otago Regional Supreme Winners 2024
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
  • NZFET Climate Recognition Award
  • Otago Regional Council Quality Water Enhancement Award
Read their story

2024 Award Recipients

Dave Sutton, Nick Hunter and Mark Naismith

Te Kano – Northburn Vineyard
  • Hill Labs Agri-Science Award
Read their story

Justin Pigou, Neill Casey and Matt Hamilton

Waitepeka, Pāmu Farms
  • DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award
Read their story

Lyndon and Jade McNab

Lochindorb Run
  • NZFET Biodiversity Award
Read their story

Mike Casey and Euan White

Forest Lodge Orchard
  • Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
  • NZFET Innovation Award
Read their story

Tim Paulin

3 Kings Cherries
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
Read their story

2023 Otago Regional Supreme Winner

Steven and Kellie Nichol

Steven and Kellie Nichol

Auldamor
  • National Ambassadors and recipients of the Gordon Stephenson Trophy 2023
  • Otago Regional Supreme Winners 2023
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • NZFET Biodiversity Award
  • Otago Regional Council Quality Water Enhancement Award
Read their story

2023 Award Recipients

James Edgar and Ethan Wilson

Wilden View
  • Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
Read their story

Justin Pigou and Matt Hamilton

Landsdown Dairy Unit – Pāmu
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
  • DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award
  • Hill Laboratories Agri-Science Award
  • Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
Read their story

2022 Otago Regional Supreme Winner

Byron Vollweiler and Amanda Snow

Byron Vollweiler and Amanda Snow

Berriedale Farm
  • Otago Regional Supreme Winners 2022
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • Hill Laboratories Agri-Science Award
  • Otago Regional Council Quality Water Enhancement Award
  • NZFFA Otago Farm Forestry Award
Read their story

2022 Award Recipients

Amanda Currie and Jason Sutherland

Tinwald Farm
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
Read their story

Tim & Anna and Brent & Bridget Craig

Bowalley Free Range
  • Massey University Innovation Award
  • WaterForce Wise with Water Award
Read their story

Victor and Amy Blaikie

Ben Annand
  • Norwood Agri-Business Management Award
Read their story

WAI Wānaka

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

Celebrating stewardship across Otago.

Otago

East Otago Catchment Group

View their story
Otago

Thomsons Catchment Project

Catchment Group
View their story
Otago

Angus Barr and Tara Dwyer

The Wandle – Lone Star Farms
View their story
Otago

Dave Sutton, Nick Hunter and Mark Naismith

Te Kano – Northburn Vineyard
View their story
Otago

Otago Catchment Community

Catchment Group
View their story
Otago

Steven and Kellie Nichol

Auldamor
View their story
Our regional partner

Otago Regional Council

Working with farmers to balance complexity, profitability and sustainability across Otago’s land and water.

The Otago Regional Council has supported the Ballance Farm Environment Awards since bringing the Awards to the region in 2003.

Life on any type of farm is complex and busy, and balancing environmental, economic and social issues in this working environment is both an art and a science. The Ballance Farm Environment Awards directly assist this creative process, and in doing so supports resource management policies that Otago Regional Council has developed that call for land managers to manage their water and land resources in a sustainable way.

The council credits the Ballance Farm Environment Awards with helping farmers develop and share their knowledge of the latest leading farm management practices, which plays a part in maintaining New Zealand’s position as one of the world’s most innovative agricultural producers.

The Otago Regional Council sponsors the Water Enhancement Awards, which recognises on-farm developments and management practices that sustain and support healthy ground and surface water.

View website

Otago 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.

Otago Regional Council Water Enhancement Award

This Award recognises on-farm developments and management practices that sustain and support healthy ground and surface water. It looks at the range of environmentally sound water management measures taken on the property to protect, sustain and enhance water quality.

Regional coordinator.

Camille McAtamney
03 418 3972
027 418 3414
otago@bfea.org.nz

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