Media Release
8 March 2013

Farm Environment Award Winners Congratulated

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Chairman Fenton Wilson congratulates the farmers who won in the 2013 East Coast Ballance Farm Environment Awards, presented last night at a ceremony in Napier.

Graeme Williams and Derry Stovell, Mangaroa Station, Tokomaru Bay, Gisborne have won the ‘East Coast Farming For The Future Award’ sponsored by the Hawke's Bay Regional Council and Gisborne District Council. They also have won the Massey University Discovery Award.

“These farmers are setting a great example in what you can achieve on your farm environments – which benefits the health of their families, workers and stock and has benefits for our wider environment,” says Chairman Wilson.

He presented the award at last night’s event, also using his cellphone to relay a congratulatory voicemail message from Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon to the guests.

The Supreme title in the 2013 East Coast Ballance Farm Environment Awards has been won by well-known Smedley Station and Cadet Training Farm.

The sheep, beef and deer farm near Tikokino, northwest of Waipukurau, is managed by Terry and Judy Walters, and is home to 22 cadets who are presented with a wide range of learning opportunities during the two years they live and work on the property.

BFEA judges said the intensely scrutinised station sets and achieves high benchmarks.

Smedley Station and Cadet Training Farm also collected several category awards - the Ballance Nutrient Management Award, Beef+Lamb New Zealand Livestock Award, Hill Laboratories Harvest Award and Donaghys Farm Stewardship Award.

A BFEA field day will be held on Smedley Station on Wednesday March 27.

Award winners in the 2013 East Coast Ballance Farm Environment Awards are:

Supreme award, Ballance Nutrient Management Award, Beef+Lamb New Zealand Livestock Award, Hill Laboratories Harvest Award, Donaghys Farm Stewardship Award: Terry and Judy Walters, Smedley Station and Cadet Training Farm.

East Coast Farming For The Future Award (sponsored by the Gisborne District Council and the Hawke's Bay Regional Council), Massey University Discovery Award: Graeme Williams and Derry Stovell, Mangaroa Station, Tokomaru Bay, Gisborne.

WaterForce Integrated Management Award: Hylton and Wendy McDermott, Kotare Farm, Maraetotara, Hawke’s Bay.

LIC Dairy Encouragement Award: Donald and Karen Fraser, Rawhiti Dairies, Takapau, Hawke’s Bay.

PGG Wrightson Land & Life Award: William and Nancie Barclay, Tahora Station, Te Karaka, Gisborne.

Meridian Energy Excellence Award: David and Ngaire Bryant and Murray and Katrina Hinton, Longview, Kereru, Hawke’s Bay.

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