CRV partners with the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust
CRV Ambreed has become a strategic partner of the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust(NZFET).
The NZFET’s vision is for New Zealand’s farmers and growers to be recognised as global leaders in the stewardship of land and water. This stewardship involves balancing the environment, animals, plants, and people.
The Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA) is the Trust’s flagship event. It is held annually to showcase the nation's environmentally responsible and profitable farmers, while providing all entrants with information on best-practice management of their natural resources.
CRV sales and marketing manager Jon Lee says the partnership with NZFET is a natural fit for CRV.
“Our new relationship with the Trust makes sense as we are both driven to support farmers who are striving for environmental excellence on farm.
“More and more, our industry is finding itself in unchartered territory around its ‘licence to farm’. For some time, CRV has been working with farmers and our industry partners to create solutions that protect and enhance the environment of which we are stewards.
“Our job is to help New Zealand farmers breed an animal that stays in the herd, is productive, healthy, and continually improves its environmental footprint.”
As an industry leader, Mr Lee believes CRV has an important role to play in recognising farmers who are making a difference and giving them a voice to influence future generations.
“In our role as a strategic partner of the NZFET, we are looking forward to working with others to strengthen the New Zealand success story as global leaders in sustainable and profitable farming,” he says.
“We are excited to get involved at a grass roots level supporting the regional committees, as well as at an industry level to grow best practise.”
NZFET general manager James Ryan says the BFEA programme helps promote leadership across the primary sector and gives farmers a platform to share their stories with their peers and a wider audience.
“As we look to the future, we’re exploring ways to grow our relationships with our partners across a wider range of programmes.
“CRV is a good-fit for the Trust because it is committed to supporting sustainable farming, socially, economically and with regard to the environment. We are impressed by CRV’s commitment to breeding that can help to reduce the environmental footprint of farming.
“We want to work with organisations that ideally have a network of staff across the country that will support the objectives of the Trust at the grassroots. CRV ticks all those boxes.”
Te Awamutu dairy farmers John Hayward and Susan O’Regan were the BFEA 2016 Waikato Supreme Award winners. In congratulating CRV on its new partnership, Mr Hayward says genetics has played a key role in helping them establish a more resilient and productive farming operation.
“Our philosophy is to look ahead 5 years and build a great producing herd over time with a low nitrogen footprint. CRV is helping us achieve that with its LowN sires.
“Selecting the right genetics is no longer just about improving the economic value of your herd. Farming today requires an investment in genetics that gives farmers options to farm sustainably for profit, the environment, and animal welfare.”
CRV joins the Ministry for Primary industries (MPI), Federated Farmers, Rabobank and Horticulture NZ as a strategic partner. The role involves sharing the positive stories of sustainable farming that are uncovered by the BFEA, while supporting customers to get involved in the BFEA programme and other Trust initiatives to promote sustainable farming.
CRV will also be involved at the grassroots with other NZFET partners and volunteers, including farmers, to help run the BFEA regionally. They will help provide independent expertise, alongside other rural professionals, to support entrants to the BFEA to improve the sustainability of their business.
