Farm environment award winners

Proud moment- Supreme winners of the 2017 Bay of Plenty Ballance Farm Environment Awards, Jared and Sue Watson with Jared’s parents Kent and Cherry. Photo Elaine Fisher.

Farming sustainably, doing the right thing by the environment and their enthusiasm and passion for all aspects of their business are among the reasons Jared and Sue Watson, dairy farmers from Waiotahe, won the supreme award for the 2017 Bay of Plenty Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
The couple, who milk 282 dairy cows on land which is prone to frequent flooding, were named supreme winners at the awards dinner at Mount Maunganui, in February where they and six other entrants were honoured for their environmental-friendly growing and farming practices.

Proud moment- Supreme winners of the 2017 Bay of Plenty Ballance Farm Environment Awards, Jared and Sue Watson with Jared’s parents Kent and Cherry. Photo Elaine Fisher.

The Watsons also won the Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award, LIC Dairy Farm Award and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council Environment Award 2.
Overwhelmed at taking the supreme title, Jared says neither he nor Sue expected to win when they entered. “Taking part in the awards has been a great journey. The judging process was a chance to look at our farm through other people’s eyes and question what we are doing and how we do things.

Beautiful things
“You start to look at the little things and the beautiful things and how you can enhance them. It’s about perception, especially from the front gate, working on beautifying things, to create a beautiful space – we (farmers) have got to change how people perceive us.”
Jared also thanked his parents Kent and Cherry Watson for their support. Sue and Jared are 50:50 sharemilkers on the farm which has been in the Watson family for four generations.
The Watson farm impressed the judges with the extensive and ongoing plantings carried out through the generations, for shade, riparian management, erosion control and beautification. Sue and Jared were also commend for taking an invested and proactive interest in environmental issues, including joining with other landowners in the Waiotahe catchment to learn how best to manage their land.
Judges also commented on the fact that Jared and Sue work well together, using each other’s strengths; “Sue’s analytical abilities and attention to the business aspect; Jared’s ability on farm with livestock, pastures, and stewardship”.

Diverse winners
Other winners announced at the dinner, attended by 160 guests were:
Richard Sisam, Bruce Sisam and Matthew Sisam of Sisam and Sons Ltd Whakatane, who manage the 4,600 ha mixed dairy, sheep, beef and forestry enterprise for the benefit of its shareholders, won the Waterforce Integrated Management Award and Massey University Innovation Award.

Brent Looney, Natasja Boon and farm manager Glen Penny of B A Looney Trust organic dairy farm at Edgecumbe, won the CB Norwood Distributors Ltd Agri-Business Management Award and the Hill Laboratories Harvest Award.

Allen Coaster of Mataiwhetu Farms, a 295 ha sheep and beef property in the Lower Kaimai Ranges, won the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Award and the Pukekauri Farms People in Agriculture Award.

Iain and Leanne Blackwood of Blackwood Orchard, who grow kiwifruit on their 17.74 ha orchard near Whakatane, won the Zespri Kiwifruit Orchard Award.

Brian and Jan Barton, who grow kiwifruit and avocados on their 3.86 ha Katikati orchard, won the Farm Stewardship Award in partnership with the QEII National Trust and the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust.

Suejane Brumby, Jason and Holley Perrin, of the 212 ha Brumby Farmsdairy farm  at Waihi, won the Bay of Plenty Regional Council Environment Award.


A field day, open to the public, will be held at Sue and Jared Watson’s Waiotahe dairy farm on Tuesday April 4 from 9.30am to 2pm.To register to attend acontact Kirsten Winter, Bay of Plenty Regional BFEA Coordinator – email bop@bfea.org.nz


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