Farmers and growers considering entering the 2017 Bay of Plenty Ballance Farm Environment Awards are invited to attend an informal information luncheon at Paengaroa next week on Thursday

Bay of Plenty regional coordinator Kirsten Winter says the event at The Hive, which is inside the retail store at Comvita in Paengaroa, will give prospective entrants an insight into the awards process and the benefits to be gained from entering.

Matt Nelson and Leighton Oats of Paengaroa-based kiwifruit operation BayGold which won the supreme title at the 2016 Bay of Plenty Ballance Farm Environment Awards. Supplied Photo.

As an extra incentive, entrants in the 2017 awards who are Federated Farmers members will receive a copy of its Farm Safety Management System resource.

John Mackintosh of the award's organising committee says the resource is worth several hundred dollars and is a generous sponsorship by Federated Farmers.

'We hope the manual will help tempt even more farmers and growers to enter the awards which offer significant benefits to those who do take part.”

Entries for the 2017 awards close on October 21, followed by a round of judging by a team of farmers and rural professionals who. as well as assessing entrants, share their knowledge and advice.

It is this aspect of the awards which entrants find very useful, as it gives them access to expert advice and the chance to share information with like-minded people.

John acknowledges many farmers and growers may be reluctant to put themselves forward for the awards and wants to reassure those considering doing so that it's not a daunting process but one which brings on-going benefits to entrants and showcases economically and environmentally sustainable farming and horticulture.

'We hope receiving the Federated Farmers safety manual may help people decide to enter.”

Federated Farmers and QSI have developed the Farm Safety Management System that enables farm businesses to generate a safe working environment and meet compliance obligations.

The new Safety Management System is in hard copy format and clearly outlines a framework for managing health and safety on-farm and also includes access to safety advisors for further advice on implementation.

Key features of the new farm safety management system include:

• All information and systems to facilitate compliance under the Health and Safety Act
• Guidance notes for implementation on-farm
• Safe work procedures for the arable, dairy, and meat and fibre industry groups
• Access to policy, legal and safety advice hotline
• Presented in a handy binder that can be added to over time.

The awards information event takes place at The Hive (inside the retail store), at Comvita on Wilson Road South in Paengaroa next week on Thursday, September 29, from 12pm-3pm.

To RSVP for the event send an email to : bop@bfea.org.nz by Monday, September 26.