Otago/Southland Ballance Farm Awards finalists named

Photo / File

The Otago and Southland finalists for the Ballance Farm Environment Awards have been announced.

The annual awards programme recognises and celebrates good farm practices that promote sustainable land management.

All entrants go through a judging process which considers the entire environment the property operates within, with particular consideration given to sustainable profitability, environmental awareness, good business practices and social and community responsibility.

The Otago awards evening will be held on April 5 at the Glenroy Auditorium in Dunedin, and the Southland awards on April 11 at the Ascot Hotel in Invercargill.

The Ballance Farm Environments Awards nominees. Photo / Allied Press

Southland finalists:

• Dean and Sarah Rabbidge farm a sheep and beef (breeding and finishing) and dairy and dairy support operation near Wyndham.

• Travis Leslie and Catriona Cunningham manage Landcorp's Kepler Farm property in the Te Anau Basin.

• Duncan and Kerralie Falconer, who farm at Waitane, near Gore, run a sheep and beef finishing operation.

• Mike Bashford farms Niagara Downs, a 528ha sheep and beef finishing property, located in two blocks near Tokanui.

Otago finalists:

• Stephen and Annabel Crawford run a 730ha dairy farming operation at Clydevale.
Tony and Sarah Homer have a sheep, beef, forestry and tourism operation on an 895ha property at Waitahuna.
• Matthew and Catherine Korteweg have two dairy farms at Kaitangata — the 178ha The Crescent Farm and 149ha Raumati Farm.
• Tim and Kirsten O'Sullivan have a cattle finishing/dairy support and specialist crop operation on 810ha at Alexandra.
• Andrew and Lynnore Templeton farm The Rocks Station, a 2875ha sheep and beef property near Middlemarch.