Five things we learned from sponsoring the Ballance Farm Environment Awards
- Konrad Kurta
- Apr 8
- 4 min read
The 2026 Ballance Farm Environment Awards have wound up in regions around the country, with just the national winner to be announced. Congratulations to all the winners from regions around Aotearoa! It has been a wonderful experience speaking with farmers and growers at all the regional events from the far north to the deep south. As the Catchment Group Showcase sponsor, it has also been our privilege to highlight the vital role catchment groups play in connecting communities and fostering on-the-ground action in rural areas around Aotearoa.
We didn’t just attend to celebrate, though! As well as championing the role of catchment groups, we were also there to hear about what’s happening in rural communities across Aotearoa, and understand more about what effective land management will look like in the future.
Here’s five things we learned from attending the awards:
Profitability and environmentalism must work together
You might have heard the adage, ‘you can’t go green if you’re in the red’. It reflects a practical reality for many farmers: fencing off waterways, buying native plants, and retiring marginal land all comes with a financial cost.
The vast majority of farmers and growers are open to doing those things. But not all farmers can afford the upfront cost - especially given many farmers have big loans to pay off.
On the other hand, many farmers and growers expressed how environmentally-friendly farming practices have made their farms more profitable, and more resilient to future costs associated with climate change. To them, it wasn't a cost - it was a sensible investment. To flip the analogy, going green can help you get (and stay) in the black.
It has also been encouraging to hear how options for funding this kind of work are growing: low interest green loans from local banks, increased philanthropic grants for environmental causes, and registering land in the ETS all complement traditional support from volunteers and local businesses.
Our takeaway? Widespread uptake of ‘green’ farming practices relies on farmers being able to afford it. Which is further proof that…
Storytelling is critical
Kiwis aren’t great at tooting our own horn. That’s especially true for our farmers - they’re typically doers, not talkers. That’s great for making things happen on the ground, but not so great for spreading the word.
The New Zealand Farm Environment Trust has been doing a fantastic job of championing sustainable farming and growing practices, but they can’t do it alone. The onus is on everybody involved - charities, government, and farmers themselves - to do a better job in talking about the benefits of sustainable farming in New Zealand. Both from an environmental and ‘smart business’ perspective.
Catchment groups are powerful agents of change
Catchment groups have proved to be incredibly effective at connecting likeminded people with one another. Not only can they get work happening at scale, their remit to engage with iwi, business, and government is an antidote to ‘siloed’ thinking.
By addressing water quality and environmental issues at catchment scale (rather than focusing on individual waterways) communities can come up with integrated solutions.
With the right funding and support, they will be vital to the future health of our waterways - especially in rural areas.
Sustainable farms are resilient farms
The Auckland awards were notable for an absence: the Arapārera Community Catchment Group weren’t there to receive their Showcase award. The awards evening coincided with an Orange Heavy Rain Warning, and the catchment group members (many of whom are emergency responders) chose to stay close to their community for the night.
It shone a spotlight on a sobering reality - heavy rain events are becoming more common in many regions, and climate change is making weather more unpredictable across the country.
It also showed that effectively managing the environment isn’t just good business practice. Things like replanting steep hill country and restoring wetlands help mitigate the impacts of adverse weather events. We might not be able to stop every flood, but a healthier environment is a more resilient one - and that’s good for farmers.
The biggest challenge is scale
There can be no argument: New Zealand has some of the most innovative, environmentally-conscious farmers in the world. We saw that firsthand.
The question isn’t whether the knowledge, skills, and ambition exist for us to farm sustainably. The question is how to apply it at scale and get everyone on board.
We heard from a lot of farmers, growers, agri-business specialists, and politicians during the awards, and there were a raft of suggestions for how to ‘go green’ at scale. They included suggestions for more government funding, more comprehensive private sector incentives, and better engagement between farmers, councils, iwi, and environmental charities.
Through the Wai Connection project, we’ve had a tantalising glimpse at how all of these components can work together with help from well-trained and resourced catchment groups.
In our opinion, there probably isn’t a single lever anyone can pull. What’s right for one region might not work elsewhere. But we’ve seen how the right mix of incentives, training, funding, engagement, and expert support can give rural communities the tools they need to look after their rivers and streams. We don’t need to focus on one solution - but all of the components listed above require adequate funding to work at scale.
It essentially boils down to one question: how do we adequately resource the incentives, training, engagement, and expert support required to help New Zealand farmers and growers become truly sustainable?
In summary…
Where there’s a will, there’s a way…so the saying goes. The Ballance Farm Environment Awards provided ample evidence the will is there, as well as many examples of varied ‘ways’. The way forward just needs funding!
Congratulations to all the winners, and to the Catchment Showcase groups profiled in the videos below. You’re setting an example for rural communities to follow.
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