Environmental Leadership in Farming Award

Dylan and Sheree Ditchfield have farmed in Murihiku Southland since 1997. The couple has progressed from sharemilking, to equity partnerships, to sole farm ownership and now regard themselves as being guardians of the whenua they are responsible for, which includes their 176ha farm they call ‘Freedom Acres’.

Freedom Acres is currently involved in a wintering trial around bale grazing, which is seeing a great reduction in nitrogen leaching, improved soil health and pasture regeneration. The process takes about five years and the paddocks effectively regenerate themselves, which is playing a part in their overall focus of lowering the farm’s environmental footprint. The farm team very much operate as a collective with son Blake, Tika Ram Rai and Jack and Megan Bennett all invested in the farm’s purpose and goals.

The Ditchfields also founded and run a farming to freedom course, which is a business, life and leadership course. The judges said the Ditchfields were inspirational and real leaders in the farming sector, with their whole philosophy and approach of people being at the core of their operation. “If you want a definition of sustainability in farming this is about as close as you could get – it’s good for the cows, good for the soil, good for the water and good for the people.”