CHB farmer named as Arable Awards finalist

Hugh Ritchie pictured in 2014, when he won the Silver Fern Farms Farmer of the Year Award for Hawke’s Bay. Photo / Glenn Taylor

From a couple who first started mixing their hemp hand and body creams in a cake mixer in their kitchen to a Central Hawke’s Bay farming figure with a track record of giving back to the industry, the 2023 Arable Awards finalists have been named.

Pity the judges who have to choose between Arable Farmer of the Year finalists Craig and Anna Whiteside of Gore, David Clark of Ashburton and Hugh Ritchie of Ōtāne, all of whom have demonstrated excellence and an attitude of giving back to the arable industry.

It won’t be easy to pick the Innovation Award winner either.

Finalists are Next Generation Farming project participant and precision farming enthusiast Roscoe Taggart of Oxford; Jody and Blair Drysdale of Hopefield Hemp, who grow, harvest, dry, press and process hemp into range of oils and balms on their Southland farm; Timaru’s Andrew and Amy Darling, committed adopters of a range of sensors, testers and techniques to boost profitability and sustainability; and Te Awamutu contractor and maize grower John Austin, another precision agriculturalist who was quite likely the first in NZ to employ yield mapping.

There’s always a lot of interest in the Food Champion Award - the growers and enterprises finding new ways to use seeds, cereals and other arable crops to drive profitability. Finalists this year are Ethan Flack, who buys product directly from local growers and showcases them on his menu for his exclusive in-home dinners; Farmers Mill, the nation’s only independent, grower-owned and operated flour producer; Southland’s Auld Farm Distillery, which processes nine grains into a range of spirits, including whisky and gin; and Nick and Kath Walters of Pure NZ Buckwheat Ltd, a fast-growing enterprise that has invested in processing equipment which makes it easier for others to diversify into this crop.

“The awards are about celebrating the ‘cream of the crop’ of New Zealand’s arable sector,” says newly elected Federated Farmers arable chairman David Birkett, who was himself named Arable Farmer of the Year in the 2022 awards.

“The August 10 event at the Christchurch Air Force Museum is about coming together to network, tell success stories and spotlight the business and investment opportunities in a sector that generates $800 million in sales a year, $245m of that in exports.”

There were nearly 60 nominations across 12 categories.

“Of note is the abundance of young leaders and food and grower innovators rising through the industry - we had more nominations for the Emerging Talent and Innovation Awards than in the past by quite a margin,” Birkett said.

“Well over 500 tickets to the awards event have already been snapped up,” Birkett said. “It’s going to be a fantastic and fun night honouring arable’s best and brightest.”

The full list of award finalists is:

Agronomist Award: Paul Johnston (Yara Fertilizers NZ), Geoff Mavor (Catalyst Performance Agronomy), Nick Hishon (PGG Wrightson Seeds).

Small Seed Award: Richard and Fiona Maw of Huntersfield Farm, Andy and Jo Innes of Innes Fields Ltd, Michael and Lou Gardyne of M Gardyne Ltd, Ross and Nigel Rathgen of Glen River Seeds.

Innovation Award: Andrew Darling of Adar Farming Ltd, John Austin of John Austin Ltd, Roscoe Taggart of Taggart Farms, Jody and Blair Drysdale of Hopefield Hemp.

Emerging Talent Award: Mark Framptom of Luisetti Seeds, Andrew Darling of Adar Farming Ltd, James Abbiss of Silverton Pastoral.

Food Champion: Rob and Toni Auld of Auld Farm Distillery, Ethan Flack, Phil Jackson of Farmers Mill NZ Flour, Nick and Kath Walters of Pure New Zealand Buckwheat Ltd.

Maize Grower: David and Adrienne Wordsworth of D&A Wordsworth Contracting, Mark Shera of Parkfields Farm Ltd.

Grain Grower: Sam and Hannah Grant of Grant Trading, Craig Muckle of Millisle Farm, Roger and Jude Henderson of Limewood Farm.

Environment and Sustainability: Nigel Greenwood of Willowbrook Farm, Andrew and Amy Darling or Adar Farming, Angus McKenzie of Wairuna Farm Ltd.

Arable Farmer of the Year: Craig and Anna Whiteside of T A Whiteside & Co, David Clark of Valetta Farms, Hugh Ritchie of Drumpeel Farms.

Researcher of the Year: Dr Richard Chynoweth of FAR, Anna Gillum of PGG Wrightson Seeds.

Plant Breeder/Researcher: Stewart Armstrong and Stuart Gowers of Plant and Food Research, Barenburg NZ Plant Breeding Team.

Employer of the Year: Bruce Garrett of RAGT NZ, Ferg MacDonald of Green to Gold Ltd, Graeme Jones of PGG Wrightson Seeds.

Source: Federated Farmers