Northland farming couple win big at the Northland Ballance Farm Environment Award

Dairy farmers Andrew and Vicky Booth, of Jade Dairies, won the Regional Supreme Award at the Northland Ballance Farm Environment Awards last week

Growing up on the family farm has given Andrew Booth a special affinity for the land which seeded a fervour for environmentally and economically sustainable dairy farming.

His passion, shared by his wife Vicky, and the couple’s outstanding community work through their Titoki farm had them scoop the Regional Supreme Award at the Northland Ballance Farm Environment Award.

NZ Farm Environment Trust runs the awards from which the supreme winners are considered for the Gordon Stephenson Trophy at the trust’s national showcase at Te Papa in May. The recipients of the Gordon Stephenson Trophy then become 2023′s national ambassadors for sustainable farming and growing.

The Booths, of Jade Dairies, were proud of their win and were pleased the judges recognised their work regarding improving farming practices to become more environmentally and economically sustainable. Their farm’s practices were helping to reduce emissions.

Their efforts include creating a new wetland area, active pest management, and preserving natural areas of native bush to encourage the return of endangered native birds.

The couple are 50/50 sharemilkers on the family farm Booth’s grandfather started shortly after World War II, which is now owned by Booth’s parents.

A driving factor behind Booth’s dedication to improved farming was that he wanted his daughters to enjoy the same experience growing up on the farm afforded him - swims in the streams and an idyllic rural lifestyle.

“[...] So it’s important the farm is operated in an environmentally and economically sustainable way. I want to sustain that, and hope we set an example to other farmers on a way forward.”

The couple’s philosophy is to educate and share knowledge with their community while also focusing on creating a dairy farm with long-term resilience.

They bridge the urban-rural divide by working with schools to get 2000 native plants into the ground each year allowing students to learn about caring for the environment.

But in addition to the work with schools, Booth is a DairyNZ climate change ambassador and is involved with the Dairy Environmental Leaders Group and Northland Dairy Development Trust.

Andrew and Vicky Booth, of Jade Dairies, with their Regional Supreme Award at the Northland Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

Looking to the future, the Booths aim to maintain production while further reducing inputs – all while continuing to care for the land with the help of their wider community.

The supreme award wasn’t the couple’s only scoop on the night, they also received the DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award; Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award; NZFET Climate Recognition Award; and the Northland Regional Council Water Quality Enhancement Award.

Other Northland Ballance Farm Environment Award winners:

David and Adrienne Wordsworth — D&A Wordsworth

• Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award
• Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
• Hill Laboratories Agri-Science Award
• Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
• NZFET Innovation Award

Peter Jones, Tim Robinson, Ben and Tereza Byrne — The Landing

• Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
• NZFET Biodiversity Award