2007 Winners

2007 Supreme Award and LIC Dairy Farm Award

2007 Hill Laboratories Harvest Award

2007 Ballance Nutrient Management and Environment Award

David and Hillary Ward

Demonstrating excellence in farming has won David and Hilary Ward not only the Supreme Award, but also the Hill Laboratories Harvest Award, and the Ballance Nutrient Management Award at this year’s Ballance Farm Environment Awards for Canterbury.
For the Wards becoming more sustainable is a continuous learning process on their mixed cropping unit near Ashburton.
David says they are at the fine tuning stage now after many years of direct drilling, and water and nutrient monitoring. “The further you go into it, the more there is to learn.’’
The Wards farm a fully irrigated, 425ha farm on medium light, stony soil. They grow a range of crops and run a flexible livestock policy of finishing weaner deer and trading lambs.
Cropping occurs on 390ha of the farm. The main crops are feed and milling wheat, feed barley, ryegrass, clover, process peas, and carrot and borage seeds. Other crops grown include brassica, sweet corn, red beet, maize, grass silage and spinach.
David says one of the main aims of their farming is to use water in the most efficient way they can by monitoring and using moisture retention techniques. “That’s why we’ve adopted no tillage.’’
They have been using no-till techniques extensively since 1995, and the soils are now in very good condition. “Basically we’ve bought the paddocks back to pasture status where the carbon levels are up.’’
Some farmers experience severe slug problems with no till, but the Wards take it in their stride. “Every system has something. We monitor and treat accordingly.’’
He says they have moved to minimal use of organophosphate insecticides, and use Integrated Pest Management techniques to minimise damage to beneficial insects.
Water monitoring has been carried out for over 10 years. Previously they contracted it out, but now plan to do it themselves, and they will strive to further improve water efficiency.
Broadening the growing season by using early and late sown crops makes better use of the available water.
Nutrient management is based on soil tests and deep soil nitrogen tests.
“We target optimum times in the growing season to put on nitrogen to minimise leachate and over-use.’’
The emphasis is on slow release nitrogen, and a nitrate inhibitor is being trialed on second-year white clover.
David says the search for more sustainable agriculture is very important for New Zealand, “but to be green we’ve got to be making a profit’’.

Ballance Nutrient Farm Award:
What the judges said…
• Annual nitrogen soil testing of all crops determines requirements, application rates and timing.
• Trialing the use of a nitrifi cation inhibitor on second year white clover.
• Regular soil and nutrient testing supports farm management decisions.

Hill Laboratories Harvest Award
What the judges said…
• Sustainable practices allow for intensive and productive farming with high value crops.
• Stock trading balances the risk associated with cropping.
• Community contribution as a focus farm for Sustainable Farming Fund No Till project.
Back to the top

© 2007 Environment Canterbury