Simon and Lou White of Ludlow Farms are the East Coast Ballance Farm Environment Awards supreme winners. Photo / NZ Farm Environment Trust, Duncan Brown Photography
Simon and Lou White of Ludlow Farms are the East Coast Ballance Farm Environment Awards supreme winners. Photo / NZ Farm Environment Trust, Duncan Brown Photography
Business success built on diversification and innovation has helped Simon and Lou White of Ludlow Farms win the regional supreme title at the East Coast Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
They grow vegetables, vegetable seeds, stockfeed and malting barley, along with hemp, which is processed at their co-founded hempery.
In addition, they finish prime lamb and beef and have just built a seed-drying complex.
Judges said the Whites were early adopters of innovation and technology that introduced efficiencies and sustainable outcomes, such as precision agriculture systems and sustainable water harvesting and storage.
Judges also commended their approach to diversification and specialty product development, underpinned by first-hand market knowledge and strong business networks.
A key to the Whites’ success is a commitment to continuous improvement.
They have invested in innovative technology, with Simon spearheading the development of a cutting-edge seed drying facility on Ludlow Farm, a co-funded initiative designed to support small seed processing in Hawke’s Bay, serving both their needs and those of other growers in the region.
Productivity is boosted by “precision agriculture” and practices such as strip-tilling, using liquid fertilisers and bio-stimulants and advanced crop management software.
Soil health is a priority, with a focus on optimising nutrient management, ultimately leading to impressive lamb and bull weights.
The farm also prioritises water conservation, with a large on-farm dam ensuring water security and variable rate irrigation calibrated to crop demand and soil type to ensure maximum water use efficiency.
To limit the level of contaminants leaving the property, the Whites fenced and planted waterways, installed sediment traps and carefully managed the use of chemical inputs.
Lou and Simon White of Ludlow Farms. Photo / NZ Farm Environment Trust
Judges said Ludlow Farms was a strong family business highly regarded in the community and consistently outperformed in all areas.
“Ludlow Farms is an outstanding example of a resilient business demonstrating sustainable business practices across all areas.”
The Whites 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.
The Whites also won the following awards:
Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil and Nutrient Management Award
Hill Laboratories Agri-Science Award
Norwood Farming Efficiency Award
Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award
NZFET Innovation Award
Other East Coast Ballance Farm Environment Award winners
Tom and Anna Tennent — T & A Tennent Trust, Takapau
Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
NZFET Biodiversity Award
Leith and Tracy Ashworth — Ash Ridge Wines, Maraekakaho
Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award
East Coast Farming for the Future Award
Catchment Group Showcase
The awards also highlighted the two local catchment groups as part of the Catchment Group Showcase – the Ahuriri Tributaries Catchment Group Trust and the Makara Catchment Group.
The Ahuriri Tributaries Catchment Group Trust was established in 2022 to restore the health of the Ahuriri Estuary and address declining water quality and biodiversity loss.
With funding from the Ministry for Primary Industries in 2023, the group’s efforts have already yielded positive results, with landowners implementing erosion control measures, restoring wetlands and planting riparian buffers.
Ongoing monitoring of water quality and biodiversity will continue to inform their restoration efforts.
Similarly, the Makara Catchment Group, formed in 2022 as part of the Tukituki Land Care Catchment Collective, leveraged grant opportunities to develop a State of the Catchment Report.
This report, based on extensive analysis of the 12,500ha catchment, farmer interviews, and Farm Environmental Management Plans, provides valuable insights for future conservation efforts.
