The farm’s activities are guided by Caiseal Trust’s environmental plan, supported by regular soil testing and mapping to ensure precise fertiliser and effluent application.
Judges commended Attrill’s comprehensive understanding of nutrient inputs and their impact on soil and pasture quality, which helped to maximise pasture growth while minimising nutrient losses.
Attrill used industry targets to guide the planning and implementation of farm practices and judges observed that the farm’s vision closely aligned with industry initiatives to reduce environmental impacts.
They also commended his exemplary herd management, which focused on nutrition and animal health.
A well-structured cost strategy combined with fixed milk pricing secured profitability and provided the financial stability needed to invest in ongoing environmental improvements.
Attrill and his family were early adopters of environmental practices such as retiring and replanting vulnerable areas.
Those efforts are evident in the farm’s well-established native corridors, including 14km of riparian planting and ongoing wetland development.
Attrill continually explores ways to improve the farm’s environmental performance with planned investments in solar energy and refrigeration efficiency.
Judges said Attrill had developed a highly productive dairy farm, prioritising environmental stewardship.
“End-to-end farm sustainability and environmental practices are at the forefront of all farming operations,” they said.
Judges also praised the farm’s well-planned infrastructure, emphasising that environmental considerations drove Attrill’s decision-making, ensuring a balanced approach to productivity and sustainability.
Attrill will join the supreme winners from 10 other regions involved in the awards in being considered for the Gordon Stephenson Trophy at the NZ Farm Environment Trust’s National Showcase in Wellington in June.
The recipients of the Gordon Stephenson Trophy then become 2025’s National Ambassadors for Sustainable Farming and Growing.
Attrill also won the following awards:
- Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil and Nutrient Management Award
- Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
- DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award
- Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
- Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
- Taranaki Regional Council Sustainability Award
Other Taranaki Ballance Farm Environment Award winners
Craig and Mary Dorn, Stratford
- Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
John and Donna McCarty — McCarty Farms, Eltham
- Hill Labs Agri-Science Award
Mathew and Vanessa Vujcich — Nine Streams Farm, Inglewood
Catchment Group Showcase
The awards also highlighted Patea River Catchment Group as part of the Catchment Group Showcase.
The group was established in 2021 and is making remarkable progress in pest control with the long-term goal of seeing kiwi thrive in the Tarere Conservation area.
Driven by a commitment to inter-generational kaitiakitanga (guardianship), the group has developed an extensive trapping network across 2500ha of farmland, successfully catching more than 950 pests over the past two years and contributing to a noticeable increase in native birdlife and vegetation.
Their success is fuelled by dedicated volunteers who maintain traps, and they are looking to expand the network to create more robust buffer zones.
Recent initiatives include a trap-building day, a pest control information session, and a ten-week Farming and Compliance Confidence Taranaki (FACCT) workshop series to support local farmers in sustainable land and water management.
With continued support from the Taranaki Kiwi Trust, the group exemplifies the power of collective action in environmental conservation.
