Culverden dairy farmer Stuart Neill will park up his tractor and head for the big smoke this June when he attends the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust (NZFET) National Showcase in Wellington.

Neill, who was named the supreme winner of the Canterbury Ballance Farm Environment Awards at a ceremony in Christchurch last month, will now compete against 11 other regional supreme winners for a chance to win the national title and the prestigious Gordon Stephenson Trophy.

The winner will be announced at the showcase on June 18.

Neill, who farms at Pukatea Dairy Farms, said he is normally reluctant to "stick his head up" but felt that entering the awards was giving back to those who had supported his farming journey for the last three decades.

"I've been in partnership with the same people for thirty years; they were investors that I worked for and now work with in an equity partnership., so it was a way of giving back to them."

Despite feeling nervous at the regional awards night, Neill found the NZFET team to be very supportive.

"The judging process was so much fun, and even if you don’t win, you learn so much just by reflecting on what you do and why you do it."

Judges for the Canterbury Awards praised Pukatea Dairy Farms for setting a high standard in balancing productivity with environmental responsibility.

The 221-hectare (200-hectare effective) dairy farm in the Amuri Basin stood out for its holistic approach to sustainability, integrating environmental, financial, and social considerations into every aspect of the business.

Neill’s exceptional wetland management and riparian planting efforts were particularly highlighted as a true investment in the farm’s future.

"I'm very passionate about the environmental aspects of dairy farming, and I think that message is really important."

Neill said that what he enjoys most about farming is working with the topography, land and water, rather than against it.

"How I explain it to people, is that I want to integrate the topography, animals, people and the structure we put on the farm into the farming system.

"I'm really interested in dairy farm systems, how those things interact and what happens if you change things."

While many farmers are resistant to change, Neill embraces it.

"I love change; I drive the guys that work for me mad.

"I love things that work and improve the system."

That has included a one-person dairy shed with automatic drafting, grain feeding, heat detection, auto teat spraying and an auto backing gate.

That drive for innovation has led to a series of changes on the farm, including a one-person dairy shed with automatic drafting, grain feeding, heat detection, auto teat spraying, and an auto backing gate.

One of the most notable transformations has been reducing milkings from 14 per week to 10.

This shift, motivated by a desire to improve animal welfare and enhance work-life balance for the farm team, has yielded positive results for both the herd and the farm’s overall sustainability.

"Flexible milking has been fantastic; it completely changed the dynamic," Neill said. "The more we improve the cows’ experience, the more the people enjoy it.

“The effect on both the cows and the people has been unbelievable."

In awarding Neill the Regional Supreme Award, judges commended Pukatea Dairy Farms as an outstanding operation that consistently chooses the right path over the easy one.

The farm’s long-term environmental initiatives, strategic grazing practices, and unwavering commitment to ethical, sustainable farming serve as an inspiration to others in the industry.

"I feel like we haven’t finished the journey, but we’re in a really good place.

“We’ve created a system where all the different elements support each other, rather than working against one another," Neill said.

Neill also won the DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award, the Environment Canterbury Water Quality Award and the FMG Risk Management Award.

Other Canterbury Ballance Farm Environment Award winners include:

Matt and Heidi Hart — Pye Group: Long Lane Farm, Rakaia

Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award

Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award

Hill Laboratories Agri-Science Award

Norwood Farming Efficiency Award

Rabobank Agri-Business Management Award

Will Wilding — Te Mania Angus, Cheviot

Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award

NZFET Biodiversity Award

NZFET Innovation Award

James and Samara Wright — Forest Creek Station, Rangitata Gorge

NZFET Climate Recognition Award

Hurunui District Landcare Group

Catchment Group Showcase Award

By Claire Inkson