18 June 2025
Brendan Attrill of Caiseal Belief in
Taranaki has been introduced because the 2025 Nationwide Ambassador
for Sustainable Farming and Rising and recipient of the
Gordon Stephenson Trophy on the Nationwide Sustainability
Showcase at Tākina in Wellington this
night.
Brendan is the third technology on his Huinga
dairy farm, the place he milks 350 cows throughout the 163ha (142.86
efficient) property, taking a holistic method that
balances environmental stewardship with
profitability.
Brendan was named Regional Supreme
Winner on the Taranaki Ballance Farm Atmosphere Awards
(BFEA) in April, with regional judges noting that strategic
planning underpins all Brendan’s on-farm choices, guided
by a powerful give attention to proactive environmental
administration.
The judging course of for the Gordon
Stephenson Trophy considers all eleven BFEA Regional Supreme
Winners from throughout the nation. It contains on-farm judging
in addition to a panel interview, with the trophy recipients
displaying a mix of an exemplar farming operation
– from a monetary, social and environmental perspective
– and the power to articulate knowledgeable responses and
insightful views on a spread of pan-sector
subjects.
It’s greater than only a title; the Nationwide
Ambassador represents their cohort and the broader farming and
rising group in conversations with Authorities ministers
and main agribusinesses. Additionally they characterize New
Zealand’s major sector on a world examine tour,
funded by MPI,
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reporting on their findings and sharing
insights and sensible learnings to help the sector’s
continued development and resilience.
Chair of the Nationwide
Judging Panel, Karen Williams, stated Brendan demonstrated
distinctive communication abilities, is well-informed and may
discuss knowledgeably about completely different sectors.
“Brendan
has in depth expertise, each nationally and
internationally, throughout goat, sheep and beef, and dairy
farming, and recognises the challenges completely different sectors
face.”
“He brings a powerful environmental focus,
contemplating world environmental points alongside
biodiversity administration on his personal farm and inside the wider
group,” stated Williams.
Brendan has undertaken
vital wetland restoration and riparian planting, with
cautious consideration of mahinga kai mirrored in his
planting plans, prioritising weaving flaxes and meals
gathering species. “His farm is open to native hapu to make
use of this useful resource,” stated Williams.
She famous that
Brendan has a radical understanding of carbon emissions, in
explicit the variations between decreasing absolute
emissions and emissions depth. “Brendan actually
is aware of his numbers and may ‘stroll the discuss’ with how this
is built-in into his farming
operation.”
Brendan’s entrepreneurial spirit and
give attention to a low-emissions footprint is mirrored in his
investigation of liquorice as a brand new crop, noting its
suitability to Taranaki’s soils and rising
situations.
The Nationwide Judging Panel was impressed
by Brendan’s sturdy ethos and sense of service to the
group. “Brendan is concerned in a variety of
group teams and organisations, from Federated Farmers
and Forest & Fowl, to the native faculty board and the
rescue helicopter belief,” stated Williams, noting that his
off-farm work is grounded in the identical considerate method he
applies to managing his personal operation.
“Well being and
wellbeing is a transparent precedence for him – he emphasises the
significance of wrapping help round workers and having a
mentor to offer steering, encouragement, and
accountability.”
The calibre and variety of this
12 months’s eleven BFEA Regional Supreme Winners was
distinctive, stated Williams, reflecting the pan-sector attain
of the BFEA programme. From the most important hydroponic farm for
leafy greens in NZ to a deer farmer, kiwifruit grower, dairy
farmers, and sheep and beef farmers, the vary of sectors
represented was broad, with many working extremely diversified
operations integrating arable cropping, carbon forestry and
tourism.
The Nationwide Sustainability Showcase occasion at
Tākina celebrated every of the eleven Ballance Farm
Atmosphere Awards Regional Supreme Winners from throughout the
nation. Hosted by the New Zealand Farm Atmosphere Belief,
the occasion is held yearly as the head of the BFEA
programme, and connects major business representatives
from throughout the
sector.
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