Spotlight on sustainable CHB station

Pan Pac Hawke's Bay Farm Forester of the Year Award winners, Mangarara Station owners Greg and Rachel Hart.

Mangarara Station owners Greg and Rachel Hart have come in for yet more recognition - this time at the 2017 Napier Port Hawke's Bay Primary Sector Awards.

The owners of the 610ha sheep and cattle station near Elsthorpe in CHB - home to The Family Farm and Mangarara Eco Lodge - won the Pan Pac Hawke's Bay Farm Forester of the Year Award, with the judges commenting on their extensive plantings of native tree species.

"They are fully committed to creating a regenerative agricultural farming system and have an innovative approach to stock management and marketing," the judges said.

Since 2008 the couple have planted 105,000 native trees on their property - some with the assistance of the Air NZ Environment Trust.

The couple made their farm operations more environmentally responsible and sustainable 15 years ago. All the meat at The Family Farm on the station is produced employing regenerative farming principles, such as a holistic grazing.

Their pursuit of sustainabilitysaw them featured in an episode of Country Calendar at the end of March, which followed their win in February in the Good Food Boost competition, a national competition for the very best in fledgling 'good' food businesses.

That competition is part of a NZ-Wide campaign, Good Food Nation and is organised by the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) and Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (Ateed).

The Harts were chosen as one of four national winners for their Meat Box business, with the couple's export-quality free-range Berkshire pork, Angus beef and texel lamb delivered to customers by courier to educate them on the value of the regenerative farming techniques at the station.

More than 400 people celebrated Primary Sector Awards hosted at the Hawke's Bay A & P showground in Hastings on April 6.

Hastings farmers Paul and Marie Renton, Glenmore won the ultimate Hawke's Bay farming trophy, the Silver Fern Farms Hawke's Bay Farmer of the Year.

Pioneer, visionary, innovator and entrepreneur John Paynter of Johnny Appleseed Group won the the Hastings District Council Primary Sector Leader Award.

Fourth year Massey University student Amy Hoogenboom was awarded the Lawson Robinson Hawke's Bay A&P Scholarship.

In a departure from tradition this year's winner of the Laurie Dowling Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to Agriculture went to a group - the Hawke's Bay Rescue Helicopter Trust. Bayley's Primary Sector Professional of the Year award to consultant, farmer and vet Ian Walker.

Peter Tod, Chairman of the Napier Port HB Primary Sector Awards committee, said it was pleasing to see such a high calibre and depth of entries.

"It shows the strength of the primary sector in Hawke's Bay, and future leadership and innovation will continue to drive our economy."