Fifth generation reaping the rewards

The Nichol family have been farming at Clark's Junction, Central Otago, since 1871. With a strong connection to the land, Steven and Kellie consider guardianship a priority. Together, with farm manager Grant Bezett, this award-winning team has the drive to move their business forward through the highs and lows.

With climate change and global consumer demand for more choice, we’re seeing food producers look for ways to innovate and diversify their offering. This creates exciting opportunities for farmers and growers  – and plenty of questions too!  Is lab-grown meat ever going to replace a well-aged steak? Can alternative crops be added to your rotation? Is oat milk really milk?!  In this episode of the BallanceEx Future Farming podcast, Southland dairy farmer Tangaroa Walker chats to  two leading food tech experts - Ballance’s Suzanne Young and Dr. Jocelyn Eason from Plant and Food Research - to find out what Kiwi farmers and growers can do to take advantage of these opportunities.

Healthy animals are productive animals. As science and technology allows us further insight into what is an optimal healthy animal – physically and behaviourly – what does this mean for how we farm?   Animal welfare experts Cheryl O’Connor and Paul Sharp join host Tangaroa Walker to discuss best practice, benefits, technology, and how best to tell New Zealand’s animal wellbeing story to the world.   With practical insights and useable tips, this conversation is perfect for farmers young and old looking to understand what advancements are being made to help farmers optimise animal care. For more information on this topic and more visit www.ballance.co.nz

Between climate change, social licence shifts, and urban housing sprawl, how can New Zealand farmers maintain their global leadership in sustainable food production? And how does that affect day-to-day life on the farm? In this episode of Balance Ex Future Farming, we unpack what’s unique about the way we produce food in New Zealand and give you the tools to maximise production now and into the future. Managing productive land, waterways, pests and diseases, how to tell our stories to the world… we break down these big issues into smart, actionable points that you can use on your land.  

Farmers and growers are increasingly looking to change the way they use their land in order to improve both profitability and their impact on the environment. But how do they find the best opportunities, and where can they learn how to use their land in different ways? In this episode of Ballance Ex’s Future Farming podcast, host Tangaroa Walker is joined by Ballance Science Strategy Manager Warwick Catto and AgResearch sustainable production expert Dr. Robyn Dynes to break down what you need to know about land use diversification. Interesting, enlightening and helpful, this is an engaging conversation that will give food producers the tools to start their diversification journey - whatever that might look like.

What even are greenhouse gases? What exactly is the issue with them, and what can farmers and growers do to reduce them? In this episode of BallanceEx Future Farming, we break down exactly what you need to know when it comes to greenhouse gases. Where and how they’re formed, where they go...and most importantly, effective steps you can take to reduce your on-farm emissions. Climate Change Commissioner Harry Clarke and Ballance science strategy expert Warwick Catto join host Tangaroa Walker to make greenhouse gases understandable.  No science speak, no mumbo jumbo...just an easy conversation about a complicated topic.  For more information on this topic and more visit www.ballance.co.nz   

BallanceEx Future Farming will take a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities Kiwi farmers are experiencing today and into the future. Joined by world leading experts from diverse backgrounds, we aim to offer thought provoking and inspiring conversations that will arm you with practical ideas you can consider integrating into your farming practices. We hope these talks will reassure you that your current approach is setting you up for success, or inspire you to move forward with an idea you already have in the hopper.    It’s all part of Ballance’s commitment to helping you farm productively and sustainably, and to empower Kiwis to keep pace as global leaders in farming.