2005 Winners

2005 Gallagher Innovation Awards

There were three Innovation Awards presented:

Nick and Michelle Ward - Temuka
Seizing the opportunity to purchase and relocate a Garlic factory has provided the Ward’s with the opportunity to create and market a niche component within their farm business.

Ross and Helen Ivey - Glentanner Station

David and Karen Ellis - Orari and Waimate
Using surplus carrots, potatoes, peas means the Ellis’ turn someone else’s rubbish into gold. These low cost supplements provide the cows with a balanced diet at all times.

2005 Comment from the Bench

Jim Cotman - National judging coordinator

Welcome to the 2005 Awards. Once again across New Zealand, teams of
volunteer judges have been visiting farms of all types, to meet, enjoy the
company of, and appraise the contribution that each of the entrants are making toward sustainability.

This has been in many different ways, as you will read in this publication, with each decision being made to suit the individuality of the people involved and the type of enterprise they are involved in. We do see though, the ‘sustainability bar’ being continually raised, mostly by farmers themselves.


Why?
Some common threads emerge. We see in the top farmers a sense of pride, satisfaction, confidence and motivation to improve the place they live and work in. They see themselves as part of the community and have long-term conservation values.

As part of the sustainability package, financial success is recognised as
integral to their business and absolutely linked to sustainability. Thus as they strive for financial success as part of their business ethics, continual
improvement, both financial and environmental, is achieved.


How?
We see these people backing themselves by planning the way forward. This is often aligned to planning for the next generation. Those who best understand their business strengths and weaknesses then go on to make good management choices.

They have thought about and made appropriate choices on development,
or how best to match the farming system to the farmland. The effect they have on the water, the natural resource they have and the community around them has been considered.

Thank you, to all who enjoyed the challenge of peer review and the challenge of peer reviewing!

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© 2009 Environment Canterbury