Finalists contributing to sector

Carlos Bagrie and Nadia Lim are among three finalists in contention for the rural Champion category at the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Awards. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Royalburn Station’s Nadia Lim and Carlos Bagrie are in the running with two other finalists for an award category at the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Awards (B+LNZ).

The couple’s regenerative alpine operation at Crown Terrace between Arrowtown and Wānaka is vying with Otautau’s Harriet Bremner-Pinckney and the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust for the Rural Champion Award.

Winners of the eight category awards will be named at a dinner function at Hamilton on October 10.

The 485ha station is home base for the couple who have their own TV3 show, Nadia’s Farm, depicting the joys and grittiness of running a station with minimal use of fossil fuels or other synthetic inputs.

They have a reputation for experimenting with farming operations that reduce or use any waste.

Mrs Lim is a Masterchef winner, dietitian and author of bestselling cookbooks and the face of My Food Bag, which the couple formed with three other founders, while Mr Bagrie is a fifth generation farmer with a marketing background.

Their team’s diverse operation includes a large ewe flock, pasture-ranging chickens, organic market garden and seed and cereal growing such as sunflowers, wheat, barley, peas and other crops as well as a farm shop in Arrowtown.

A collaboration beer was released made from their barley, and on the station is an abattoir and butchery, and new wedding and events venue.

Ms Bremner, who farms with her husband Ed Pinckney at Jericho Station, a 1400ha sheep, beef and grazing property at Manapouri, also has an on and off-farm profile .

The former teacher became a widow at 28-years-old after losing a partner in a farming accident.

She is a health, safety and wellbeing advocate for agriculture — particularly for keeping children safe on farms — and has written children’s books, including Wool’s the Word.

The Think Safe Brain founder has her sausage dog Poppy as a campaign mascot which is a character in the books.

In 2021 she received the Rural Women New Zealand: Rural Champion award.

Rounding out the Rural Champion finalists is the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust.

The trust promotes environmental farm management as an independent charity championing the country’s best farmers.

It hosts the Ballance Farm Environment Awards and runs Fieldays sharing ideas and information among farmers and growers.

Other B+LNZ award categories are emerging achiever, people development, significant contribution, science and research, technology, innovative farming and market leader.

The awards celebrate the red meat industry’s people, innovation, technologies and farming systems.

B+LNZ insights general manager Rowena Hume said the finalists highlighted the sector’s depth of talent and innovation.

They were making positive contributions to their sectors, she said.

Finalists

Emerging Achiever Award:

Lana Chrystal (Taihape)

Mitchel Hoare (Te Kūiti)

Martin Reisima (Masterton)

People Development Award:

Growing Future Farmers (National)

Southland farmer and award winning author Harriet Bremner Pinckney, with her miniature dachshund Pops, campaigns for farm safety. PHOTO: ALLIED PRESS FILES

Hereheretau Station (Wairoa)

Lone Star Farms (Nelson)

Rural Champion Award:

Harriet Bremner-Pinckney (Otautau)

New Zealand Farm Environment Trust (National)

Royalburn Station (Arrowtown)

Significant Contribution Award:

Bryan Hocken (Tarata)

Ian McIvor (Palmerston North)

Rod Slater (Auckland)

Science and Research Award:

Andy Dumbleton (Lincoln)