Otago 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

1 July 2025

Entries Close

31 October 2025

Finalists announced

2 February 2026

Awards Event

25 March 2026

2026 Open Day

21 April 2027

Entries are now open for the 2026 Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

Enter now
Our regional partner

Otago Regional Council

Working with farmers to balance complexity, profitability and sustainability across Otago’s land and water.

The Otago Regional Council has supported the Ballance Farm Environment Awards for several years.  Otago Regional Council congratulates all land managers, from across Otago’s primary production sector, who have entered the awards and demonstrated that they have achieved high standards of sustainable land management.

Life on any type of farm is complex and busy, and balancing environmental, economic and social issues in this working environment is an art and a science.  The Ballance Farm Environment Awards directly assist this creative process, and in doing so supports resource management policies that Otago Regional Council has developed that call for land managers to manage their water and land resources in a sustainable way.  We value our association with them.

The Ballance Farm Environment Awards also help farmers develop and share their knowledge of the latest quality farm management practices which play a part in maintaining New Zealand’s position as one of the world’s most innovative agricultural producers.

Stephen Woodhead – Chairman

View website

Otago Regional Awards.

Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award

This Award focuses on the management of soil and nutrients.

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.

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.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award

This Award recognises the livestock farmer who demonstrates a commitment to long-term land and animal stewardship. Considerations are made around the sustainable use of land, labour and capital resources. Livestock will be well cared for, with 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.

DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award

This Award recognises dairy farmers who demonstrate a strong commitment to managing, protecting and enhancing their environment. The award focuses on positive, long term, environmentally sustainable on-farm actions. Entrants will demonstrate high standards of environmental care and sustainable use of the land, stock, labour and capital resources.

Hill Labs Agri-Science Award

This Award recognises excellence in the use of science and monitoring to optimise productivity and minimise environmental impacts.

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.

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.

Northland Regional Council Water Quality Enhancement Award

This Award recognises initiatives taken to protect and enhance water quality and biodiversity values within the water that flows through and from the property.

Northland Regional Council Water Quality Enhancement Award

This Award recognises initiatives taken to protect and enhance water quality and biodiversity values within the water that flows through and from the property. This includes initiatives limiting pollutant inputs into the water through good land management practices. For example, soil conservation, wetland protection and enhancement as well as implementing riparian management practices.

Norwood Farming Efficiency Award

This Award recognises the farmer or grower who is actively focused on resource use efficiency.

Norwood Farming Efficiency Award

This Award recognises the farmer or grower who is actively focused on resource use efficiency. It takes into account those who may be focusing on different types of efficiency (e.g. equipment efficiency, fuel efficiency), those using precision agriculture and/or those who are actively making data driven decisions to determine how much resource to use.

Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award

This Award recognises the approach that farmers and growers take to accomplish the important management practices of operating a successful farm and growing business.

Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award

This Award recognises the approach that farmers and growers take to accomplish the important management practices of operating a successful farm and growing business. This includes the development and use of a business plan, benchmarking and succession planning. It may also involve the use of industry professionals and networks to support the sustainability of the business.

Regional coordinator.

Camille McAtamney
03 418 3972
027 418 3414
otago@bfea.org.nz