2008 Awards

Whakatane sheep and beef farmers Chris and Antoinette Mountfort have been named Supreme winners of the 2008 Bay of Plenty Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

Their win was announced at a March 5 ceremony, where the Mountforts also picked up the PPCS Livestock Award and the Environment Bay of Plenty Environmental Award.

The Bay Of Plenty is the first of eight regions participating in the 2008 Ballance Farm Environment Awards to announce its winners.

Ian Pirani, who retires from the region’s judging coordinator role this year, says the standard of entry was again very high.

He says farmers and orchardists are clearly very aware of how their activities affect the environment. “But what really shines through is how they are also thinking about the needs of their customers (both locally and overseas) as they come up with innovations to offset these environmental impacts.”

Chris and Antoinette Mountfort, Puriri Farm
- 2008 Supreme Award Winners
- PPCS Livestock Award
- Environment Bay of Plenty Environmental Award.

Few thought the newly weds, in their early 20s with a baby on the way, would make a go of farming on a hilly, scrub covered block of land at Pikowai.

Forty-one years on Chris and Antoinette Mountfort have more than proved their critics wrong and are the proud owners of one of the most attractive, sustainable and productive farms in the Whakatane district.

Back in the late 1960s the Rural Bank wouldn’t lend them money and as ‘townies’ they didn’t qualify for a ballot farm. However, farming was all Chris had ever wanted to do.

In 1966 they bought 126.26 ha (312 acres) in Herepuru Rd near Pikowai just north of Matata.

“There was no house so we lived in the shearer’s cottage on a neighbour’s farm for the first two years.” At the time Antoinette was just 23 and Chris 24.

Chris went shearing to help cover the costs of employing contractors for scrub cutting and fencing.

Two years after buying the first block, they bought a neighbouring 145.68 ha (360 acres) which included a house. They’ve been through the highs and lows of farming but one in particular almost lead to the sale of the property.

“One season, after sending 200 ewes to the works, we received a bill for the stock as they supposedly were not worth enough to cover cartage and slaughter costs.

Forestry companies were buying up land for pines and approached us,” said Chris. When one company said it wouldn’t pay for the areas of native bush the Mountforts had protected and planted, or allow them to keep the house.

Instead we went into partnership with Tasman on a block of 33 hectares of pines which they managed at the northern end of the farm,” said Chris.

The couple have planted vulnerable gullies, re-routed farm tracks and protected 40 ha of native bush through the Queen Elizabeth II Trust. As well as native trees, flaxes and pines, they have also planted 1000 blackwood trees and retired areas around springs and streams which feed the Mimiha Stream which in turn flows into the sea at Pikowai.

The plantings may have reduced grazing land but the Mountforts said the benefits of erosion control and additional shelter for stock, plus the improved appearance of the farm and increased bird life more than compensate.

Chris runs 800 ewes with a lambing rate of 145 to 150 percent. The farm runs 100 breeding cows with heifers sold at auction and steers carried on for local market sales. “We never over-stock the farm but can carry up to 400 head of cattle.”

Judges points

• Commitment to a policy of animal health and performance rather than simply stock units per hectare
• The value and pride you have for a rural lifestyle and community
• The ongoing commitment to a programme of planting, environment enhancement and protection in conjunction with Environment Bay of Plenty
• A potentially fragile soil type that has been well cared for with appropriate pasture cultivators and good stock management

Margaret and David Wright
- LIC Dairy Farm Award

Judges points

• A partnership that exudes passion, enthusiasm, energy and guts
• Decisions are made with due consideration for good business practice
• Good knowledge of fertilisers and animal health products
• Staff promotion and education is well developed

Glen Roberts, Riverside Orchards and Trebilco Orchards
- Hill Laboratories Harvest Award
- ZESPRI Kiwifruit Orchard Award

Judges points

• Your drive to be the very best in the business but not at the expense of environmental sustainability
• The working relationship that you and your employer enjoy
• Your willingness to help others in the industry move forward
• Your desire to keep testing industry boundaries
• How you have been able to integrate a wetlands area into a commercial orchard

Paul and Kathy Furniss, Willow Creek
- Ballance Agri-Nutrient Management Award

Judges points

• Your recognition of the need to develop a supply relationship with purchasers of farm produce
• Your livestock condition given the climatic season to date
• Your commitment to plant/tree selection and cropping
• The ongoing analysis of your orchard and pastoral businesses

Barry and Pam Pethybridge
- PGG Wrightson Habitat Improvement Award

Judges points

• Committed to environmental sustainability in everything you do
• The management of your stock and pastures
• Your interaction with youth and the community at large
• The use of sustainability reasoning within your lifestyle

Shane and June Birchall
- Gallagher Innovation Award

Judges points

• Your construction of a Herd Home for your livestock
• The unity, empathy and consideration within your family group and the harnessing of individual talents to progress the business
• The placement and fencing of native plant
• Your awareness of soil type and its fragility

John and Thelma Williams, Pottsbury Farm
- Bay of Plenty Lifestyle Award

Judges points

• Your philosophy to sustainability and its application to everyday living
• Your standards of orchard management that reach to levels in excess of the requirements for organic certification
• Your widely diversified income stream from the orchard enterprise and holiday accommodation

Merlin and Heather McKenzie, Poyntzfield
- Environment Bay of Plenty Environmental Award

Judges points

• Passionate about their property and what you’ve achieved on it
• Great knowledge about the region
• The planting on the property is impressive
• Your dedication to the property and your community involvement