Two of the entrants in the Bay of Plenty Ballance Farm Environment Awards are from the Te Puke area.
John and Margaret Scrimgeour and the Bawden family farm are among the five entries from the region that also include a Whakatāne and two Rotorua farms.
Dell, Ross and Roger Bawden own Oceanview Orchard Limited with a property that mixes kiwifruit, beef and lamb.
Since buying it 30 years ago, the family have transformed this uneconomical Te Puke property into a thriving, sustainable and profitable kiwifruit orchard.
About 8ha flat land of the 30ha property is in kiwifruit. Production was stunning in 2020, with irrigation boosting the fruit size and well-managed storage. Unfortunately, the 2021 year was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic with pressure on labour resources.
Several areas of the property have been left in pasture and they're used to run a successful small livestock operation with minimal inputs that includes Wiltshire sheep and trading cattle.
The Bawdens use science to increase their understanding of nutrient management for their kiwifruit and for the benefit of the community, hosting one of the most comprehensive nutrient and fertiliser trials ever seen in the kiwifruit industry.
The development of wetland and native plantings is also a priority, as well as improving the health of the Waihī estuary and its contributing watersheds.
John and Margaret Scrimgeour's farm is also in mixed use combining dairy, avocado, kiwifruit and forestry.
About 60 per cent of their income now comes from dairying and in 2020 their cows produced just over 140,000kg of milk solids. They are focused on maintaining quality, productive pastures that don't need continual replacement.
As they added more gently contoured land to the property, they established kiwifruit orchards with the fruit now grown across about 15ha, producing about 36,000 trays from 2ha.
Avocado production has averaged about 10,000 trays, which supply both local and international markets.
Developing an integrated, diversified business contributes to the property's sustainability, along with careful planning and management.
In the future, further plantings will be completed to enhance the use of the hillsides, and new pest control options tried in the orchards.
"We are thrilled to have received a range of excellent entries from across the country for this year's awards," says New Zealand Farm Environment Trust chairwoman Joanne van Polanen.
"It shows that despite all of the disruptions to business and life in general, farmers and growers across New Zealand are committed to environmentally sustainable practices. We are thrilled to be able to recognise and share their stories."
To ensure the safety of staff, entrants and judges, the regional awards events, due to start this month, have been postponed until June and July.
"We are determined to run in-person functions to celebrate the entrants, but will do this when it can be done more safely," says Joanne.
The entrants from the Bay of Plenty region include farmers across livestock, sheep, beef, horticulture and dairy.
The other three entries are Rotorua dairy farmers Steve and Paula Holdem and Jeff and Glenys Holdem, Whiritoa Organic and Whiritoa Gold, Kiwifruit in Whakatāne under orchard manager Helen Scott and Winston Fleming from Rotorua.
