A passion for doing it right
NUKUMARU dairy farm owners David and Adrienne Hopkins and sharemilkers Ben and Belinda Price have won the 2016 Horizons Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
The Prices are in their second season 50:50 sharemilking 680 cows on the Hopkin’s 248ha dairy farm between Whanganui and Waverley. They will host a winner’s field day on Thursday, June 30.
It has been a great season for the business with the Prices winning the Share Farmer of the Year in the Taranaki Dairy Industry Awards. Because of catchments and boundary lines, the farm is within the Horizons Regional Council boundary for the Horizons Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA), which they have also won.
The BFEA awards judges said the winning couples had an excellent working relationship and their shared enthusiasm for the environment and the farm made it ‘‘an outstanding place to live and work’’.
‘‘The appearance of the farm and high level of maintenance reflects the hard work and passion of David and Adrienne over the long term and is demonstrated also by Ben and Belinda currently.’’
The Hopkins purchased the farm in 1993 and converted the block to dairying.
From the start of their operation they had very clear ideas about their environmental responsibilities, planting both shelter belts and native areas that now make a significant contribution to the farm’s outstanding biodiversity.
More recently, a new wetland area has been created to absorb and filter nitrates and phosphates and eliminate sediment run-off. Students from Waverley School have been involved in planting the wetland, which was planned to cover about half a hectare.
Last season the 235ha (effective) property produced 242,362kgMS. It is managed using a low-input System 2 feeding regime, which suits the farm and the partners perfectly. Cows and weaners are all wintered at home, with replacements grazed off for a year.
Nutrient use is carefully considered. Contour spreading of fertiliser helps to improve nutrient utilisation and no urea is applied to the 65ha area covered by the effluent disposal system. A 6ha maize crop planted within the effluent block this year is being closely monitored to ensure optimum nutrient management.
Sunflowers grown around the fringes of the maize crop were sold to a Whanganui florist with the proceeds going to Waverley School.
At the BFEA awards dinner the Hopkins and the Prices also collected several category awards including the PGG Wrightson People in Agriculture Award, LIC Dairy Farm Award and Farm Stewardship Award in partnership with QEII National Trust and the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust.
The Massey University Innovation Award and Waterforce Integrated Management Award went to Grant and Sandra McMillan, McMillan Partnership, Ongarue, while the Horizons Regional Council Integration of Trees Award went to Don Hastings and Logan Hastings, Hastings Group Limited, Ohakea.
Tim and Nic Hewitt, Balfour Farm, Pahiatua, won the Margaret Matthews Commitment to Sustainability Award and the CB Norwood Distributors Ltd Agri Business Management Award.
John and Marina Poulton and Rod and Bev Poulton, Kapiti Farm, Dannevirke, won the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Award.
The Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award went to Tony Meads and William Meads, Meads Farming Limited, Westbrook, Waituna West, and the Hill Laboratories Harvest Award went to Woodhaven Gardens, Levin.