Southland 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 Southland Regional Supreme Winner

Tony & Michelle Roberts and Kate Roberts & Mark Lieshout

Tony & Michelle Roberts and Kate Roberts & Mark Lieshout

Top Deck Trading
  • Hill Labs Agri-Science Award
  • WaterForce Safe Water Recognition Award
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • FMG Risk Management Award
Read their story

2026 Award Recipients

Ivan, Denise and Kelly-Anne Hopper

Dairy Patch
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award
Read their story

Mark & Elspeth Thomson

Lora Glen
  • Ministry for the Environment Biodiversity Award
  • Environment Southland Water Quality and Biodiversity Award
Read their story

Tom, Denise and James Anderson

Awatere Station
  • Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
  • Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
Read their story

2025 Southland Regional Supreme Winner

Cam Nelson and Christina Vaughan

Cam Nelson and Christina Vaughan

Nelson Farming Company
  • Southland Regional Supreme Winner 2025
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
  • NZFET Biodiversity Award
Read their story

2025 Award Recipients

Clarke and Megan Horrell

Huntly Farm 
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
  • Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
Read their story

Jody and Blair Drysdale  

Hopefield
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • Hill Labs Agri-Science Award
  • Environment Southland Water Quality & Biodiversity Award
Read their story

2024 Southland Regional Supreme Winner

The Miller Family

The Miller Family

Roslyn Downs
  • Southland Regional Supreme Winners 2024
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • Hill Labs Agri-Science Award
  • Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
  • NZFET Innovation Award
  • Environment Southland Water Quality & Biodiversity Award
Read their story

2024 Award Recipients

James & Tanya Goodwin

Kelvin Grove
  • Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
Read their story

Mike & Kirsty Bodle

Braintra Farms
  • DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award
  • NZFET Biodiversity Award
  • NZFET Climate Recognition Award
Read their story

Philip & Katherine McCallum and Briar Swanson

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

Tracy and Steve Henderson

Legendairies
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
Read their story

2023 Southland Regional Supreme Winner

Cameron Grant and Robert Grant

Cameron Grant and Robert Grant

Grant Brothers
  • Southland Regional Supreme Winners 2023
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
  • Environment Southland Water Quality & Biodiversity Award
Read their story

2023 Award Recipients

Jason and Sandy Herrick

Murray Creek
  • NZFET Innovation Award
Read their story

Mitchell Smith and Steve Smith

AB Lime Ltd
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award
  • Hill Laboratories Agri-Science Award
  • NZFET Biodiversity Award
Read their story

Nick and Alexis Wadworth

Bare Hill Farming
  • Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
Read their story

2022 Southland Regional Supreme Winner

Kevin Hall

Kevin Hall

Hollyvale Farms
  • Southland Regional Supreme Winner 2022
  • Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
  • Hill Laboratories Agri-Science Award
Read their story

2022 Award Recipients

Ben Worker and Jaime McCrostie

Eastbourne Dairy Farm
  • WaterForce Wise with Water Award
Read their story

Hamish and Chantal McClean

Burwood Station
  • Environment Southland Water Quality and Biodiversity Award
Read their story

John and Liz Chittock

The Salvation Army Jeff Farm
  • Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
Read their story

Leon and Wendy Black

Blackdale Stud
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • Massey University Innovation Award
Read their story

Matt and Kate McLaren

Camp-Hill Farming
  • Norwood Agri-Business Management Award
Read their story

Pourakino Catchment Conservation Trust

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

Stu and Brooke Cameron

Valley View
  • DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award
Read their story

Celebrating stewardship across Southland.

Southland

Waikawa Catchment Group

View their story
Southland

Cameron Grant and Robert Grant

Grant Brothers
View their story
Southland

A better way to winter

Hollyvale Farm
View their story
Southland

The Miller Family

Roslyn Downs
View their story
Southland

Tracy and Steve Henderson

Legendairies
View their story
Our regional partner

Environment Southland

Working together to celebrate leadership in sustainable farming and deliver positive regional outcomes.

Environment Southland first brought the Ballance Farm Environment Awards to the region in 2001 and has been a strong supporter of the BFEA programme since.

With a focus on working together to support and celebrate leadership around good management practices, the council’s partnership with the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust is a valuable way of sharing knowledge and celebrating success.

Environment Southland sponsors the Water Quality and Biodiversity Award, recognising a farmer or grower who demonstrates sustainable farming practices, particularly with regards to water quality and biodiversity.

View website

Southland 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.

Environment Southland Water Quality and Biodiversity Award

This Award recognises the farmer who demonstrates sustainable farming practices, particularly with regards to water quality and biodiversity.

Regional coordinator.

Pip Standish
027 312 4151
southland@bfea.org.nz

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