Southland couple's efforts praised at Ballance Farm Environment Awards

Tuesday, 30 June 2020

Waimumu Downs dairy farmers Desiree and Chris Giles.

Southland farmers Chris and Desiree Giles idea to start a community nursery has been recognised at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.

The Waimumu Downs dairy farmers were one of 10 recipients nationwide whose environmental efforts were recognised with a DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award as part of the Ballance Farm Environment Awards last week.

The couple's 550-cow farm, near Gore, is the hub of the community environmental project.

'As part of the Waimumu Downs Project, we're working with local Enviroschools, our catchment community and local iwi to start a community nursery, which can nurture locally sourced seedlings from our farm and local area,' Chris said.

* Mataura farmers win Southland Ballance Farm Environment Awards

* A decade of changing attitudes towards sustainable farming

The idea involves seeds from the local area being propagated by Eastern Southland Enviroschools in glass houses on the farm.

School kids have carried out stream studies of water on the farm, raising plants, and looking at biodiversity and pest control on the property as well.

The Giles' have also developed four wetlands that farm drains flow into, and planted farm waterways.

'We would like to develop a native plant corridor from the Mataura River to the Hokonui Hills and get other neighbouring farms on board with this project,' Chris said.

The couple have teamed up with Environment Southland to trial using straw bales and Douglas Fir woodchips to help filter sediment and nutrients going into the wetlands.

Testing has shown it has resulted in a 47 per cent average reduction in total nutrients leaving the wetlands.

The Waimumu Downs property has almost doubled in size since Giles' purchased the farm five years ago.

In that time, the couple formed the partnership to get into farm ownership, brought in seven shareholding entities, and converted the property to dairy. During the conversion, the farm retained several shelter belts for protection, even though match fence lines were no longer used.

The judges praised the conversion, that also included the building of a calf shed, that made use of light and solar power.

The couple was awarded the Ballance Agri-Nutrient Soil Management Award, DairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award and the Norwood Agri-Business Management Award.