Bryan Tucker
Farm Environment Award Feedback Inspires More Tree Planting
Glowing feedback from Ballance Farm Environment Award judges six years ago encouraged Bryan Tucker to continue a shelterbelt planting programme that provides major benefits for his Morrisons Bush dairy and pig farm.
Bryan, who owns a 1000-cow dairy unit and a 250-sow piggery, southeast of Greytown, started planting trees about ten years ago.
The piggery is managed by his son-in-law Gary Healy and produces about 5500 baconers a year. Bryan says the first plantings were designed to screen this piggery from neighbours in a new subdivision.
The planting programme, which was devised with help from the Greater Wellington Regional Council, was then extended to the 388ha milking platform.
Bryan says the trees offer significant benefits in the form of stock shelter and aesthetic appeal. They are also providing a habitat for birdlife.
In 2002, during the early stages of the planting process, Bryan was encouraged to enter the 2003 Greater Wellington/Wairarapa Farm Environment Awards.
Much to his surprise, he was named winner of the LIC Dairy Farm Award.
"It was very pleasing to win. I enjoyed the judging process and the judges made some very positive comments about how well we were doing."
Brian says the feedback "gave us the satisfaction that we were on the right track" and encouraged him to continue the planting programme.
The judges were also impressed with the farm's effluent disposal system and over the last few years Bryan has been developing a system that will enable piggery and farm dairy effluent to be applied via a pivot irrigator.
This innovative system will enable nutrients to be applied to the pasture without ponding or leaching. "It will certainly make the grass grow."
Bryan says the Ballance Farm Environment Awards are an excellent source of information for dairy farmers. "You learn a lot from the judges and from attending field days on the Supreme-winning farms."
He says the awards are also good for the dairy industry in general because they show that dairy farmers are working hard on environmental management.
"I think all dairy farmers should support the awards and I'd definitely encourage other farmers to enter."
Entries for the 2010 Greater Wellington/Wairarapa Ballance Farm Environment Awards close on October 23, 2009.
For more information on the Greater Wellington/Wairarapa awards, contact BFEA regional coordinator Angeline Colquhoun, phone (06) 379 9313 / 0275263513 or email wellington@bfea.org.nz
For more information on the Ballance Farm Environment Awards, contact David Natzke, General Manager, New Zealand Farm Environment Award Trust, phone 07 834 0400, email david.natzke@nzfeatrust.org.nz or visit www.bfea.org.nz
