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Four local farming families picked up a swag of trophies at the recent Auckland Ballance Farm Environment Awards, run by the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust.
Wellsford couple Cameron and Jo Shepherd’s Silver Ridge dairy farm led the charge, winning the Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management, the Dairy NZ Sustainability & Stewardship and Auckland Council Water Quality Enhancement awards. The Shepherds operate a carefully planned, high input closed farm system designed around their property’s challenging pipe clay soils. The system is designed to reuse water and optimise rainfall – their only water source. Judges praised the Shepherds for their lateral thinking, which has led to them achieving not only improved levels of production, but a better work life balance for them and their three children.
The Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award was won by Ian and Jo Trotter, who farm dairy and dairy-beef cattle at Matakana. They are the fourth generation to farm their Wrights Road property and judges were impressed by the inter-generational family knowledge of their land and locality, and willingness to learn and share information.
The Brady family’s Audmore Dairy farm at Ahuroa won the Norwood Agri-Business Management Award. James, Nicola, Judith and Roger Brady impressed judges with their unwavering commitment and determination to be profitable without compromising their environmental aspirations.
The Massey University Innovation Award was won by well-known Wellsford stud sheep and beef farmers Gordon and Trish Levet. Gordon, now 85, has spent a lifetime working to improve the genetics and immune systems of sheep, including becoming the first person in New Zealand to breed for worm resistance. He has also worked to prevent land erosion using new ideas and approaches.
The winners of the Supreme Regional award were Ross and Eleanore Webber, who farm beef cattle overlooking the Kaipara Harbour at South Head.
