By Josephine Reader
Efforts to protect the environment have seen a Church-owned farm win the best dairy farm award at the Wellington region’s Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
Sharemilkers Keith and Jo Dennis were awarded the accolade at a function earlier this year.
The couple’s environmental efforts have included planting rows of poplars and alders across the farm in a bid to minimize wind erosion on the 165-hectare property, which can see gales of 100-120 km per hour between September and January. The trees will also provide shade for the cows and reduce moisture evaporation.
Th e Dennises have been on the Wairarapa farm since 2002 and during that time their efforts have seen milk production per hectare increase by almost 50 percent. For the Church as well as the Dennises, this means more income and, in the Church’s case, more money to distribute to mission initiatives.
During the 2005/06 year, around $130,000 was distributed from the Church Property Trustees-administered Clarke Estate (this is the formal name of the farm) to the national Church for mission. The Church uses the money to support initiatives led by the global mission and national mission enablers.
Convener of the Church Property Trustees farm committee Maurice Brown says the couple entered the awards with the Church’s blessing, and he pays tribute to their efforts in bringing about increased dividends for the Church as well as getting the farm up to standard after a period of neglect.
“Ninety-nine percent of the credit goes to Keith and Jo for putting in place good farm management practices.”
Mr Dennis explains that the couple didn’t hesitate to enter the awards when it was suggested to them.
”This farm was in a real state of neglect when we arrived and it had major ragwort problem. We feel all that has been achieved here needs to be celebrated.”
The award judges agreed, saying, “the entire operation at Flaxburn demonstrates an extremely well-planned, considerate, forward-focused outlook, designed to enhance both the productive and innate qualities of the land to ensure it remains sustainable.”