The Ashburton couple of Phillip and Jocelyn Everest, with son Paul Everest and partner Sarah Hayman, are the regional supreme winners in the Canterbury Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
Over the past 30 years they have developed Flemington Farm into a sustainable beef and dairy business.
In 2010 they put in a dairy farm, using top technology for their labour and environmental needs, and today milk 750 cows on a mainly pasture-based system.
Their goal back then was to have one person in the shed each milking, to minimise water use and treat effluent as a fertiliser.
On top of taking out the main prize, Flemington Farm also won the soil management, sustainability and stewardship, agri-science, agri-business management, water quality and climate stewardship categories.
After running the rule over the property, judges applauded them for putting environmental sustainability at the core of their business to balance the needs of people, animals, economics and the environment.
They have reduced greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen loss and have established more than 20km of shelter and riparian plantings.
They were also praised for using their skills to produce monitoring areas on the farm, along with the extensive planting that has taken place.
"It’s evident that there’s a long-term commitment to environmental stewardship. They have a strong, evidence-based understanding of how the farm business impacts the environment. There’s good implementation of their succession plan."
The finalist trio of Caberfeidh managers Matt and Claire Smith and Lone Star Farms manager Boyd Macdonald won the livestock farm, innovation and wise-with-water categories.
Caberfeidh is part of the Lone Star Farms stable, with the breeding and finishing property wintering about 30,000 stock units, comprising 65% sheep and 35% cattle.
Judges described the 5300ha property in Hakataramea Valley as a highly productive sheep and beef farm guided by an environmental compass.
Improving pasture quality is a key focus, with the Smiths fencing off waterways and removing some paddocks from cattle grazing. They are also investigating different crop mixes to help soil biology and conservation.
The property relies heavily on irrigation, and water quality is monitored through four water testing sites.
Rochelle and Geoff Sparks from North Canterbury’s Torlesse Farm were the other finalists. They won the people in primary sector award
Torlesse Farm runs about 1700 dairy cows across 450ha, with a further 400ha split between dairy support and beef. About 80 prime cattle are sold each year and the Sparks have diversified the business to include grazing and grass sales, and they operate a commercial weighbridge.
Production is back up to normal levels after they sustained a hit from Mycoplasma bovis in 2017.
The Smiths take pride in the strong family connection to the land, continuously working to improve the farm into a sustainable and profitable business. They have encouraged native bush to regenerate by trapping possums and fencing off feral deer on their hill country beef farm.
A 5.5ha irrigation storage lake is being surrounded with native plants and is the centrepiece when they host hundreds of people for community events such as triathlons and charity functions.
They manage their farm around these events, and use the lake as a venue to connect urban and rural communities.
The competition is run by the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust.
