Southland 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

Current and past BFEA winners.

2025 Southland Regional Supreme Winner

Cam Nelson and Christina Vaughan

Cam Nelson and Christina Vaughan

Nelson Farming Company
  • Southland Regional Supreme Winner 2025
  • Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
  • Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
  • NZFET Biodiversity Award
Read their story

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

Enter now
Our regional partner

Environment Southland

Working together to celebrate leadership in sustainable farming and deliver positive regional outcomes

Environment Southland chairman Ali Timms says the partnership between Environment Southland and the Ballance Farm Environment Awards will produce significant gains for the region.

Working together to support and celebrate leadership in Southland will result in ongoing positive outcomes both on-farm and environmentally.

Ali Timms – Chairman, Environment Southland

View website

Southland 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.

Pip Standish
027 312 4151
southland@bfea.org.nz