Second place for Rakaia farmers

November 8 2011

Rakaia farmers Bill and Lynda Davey were runners-up in this year's South Island Farmer of the Year contest.

Winners of the prestigious contest, run by the Lincoln University Foundation, were Ray and Adrianne Bowan, potato growers and potato chip makers, of Orari.
The Bowans farm 1214 hectares at Orari and 197 at Coldstream.
With 95 per cent of their farm irrigated, they grow potatoes, cereals, barley, maize and grass seeds.
Increasingly they are wintering dairy cows and last winter 2500 cows wintered on their property.
"We are incredibly humbled and overwhelmed by the win, especially as all the finalists were of high calibre. It is quite a surprise," Mr Bowan said.
The Daveys an intensive cropping operation supplying barley for Monteith's Brewery and lease land to a Dutch company that grows bulbs.
Lincoln University Foundation chairman Neil Taylor said all the finalists were successful farmers and businesspeople.
He said the Bowans' commitment to innovation was ongoing.
"They are exceptional managers and are environmentally aware, as are all of the finalists."
The first round of judging involved an on-farm inspection.
The second round involved application analysis at Lincoln University, and from there four finalists were selected.
A second on-farm inspection was held and last Friday night the finalists each gave a 15-minute public presentation at Lincoln University attended by 90 members of the South Island rural community.
Mr Bowan is also a director of both Grainstor and Seedlands and is an original member of the Rangitata South Irrigation Scheme. In 2009 when a potato chip factory in Washdyke closed down the Bowans bought the factory and established Heartland Potato Chips, which employs 15 people.
The Bowans bought their first farm over 40 years ago.
It is now a family affair with their son working on the farm, one daughter working in the office and another daughter, who lives in Christchurch, helping out with the marketing.
They received a $15,000 travel award to be used to explore overseas farming systems.
The Daveys received a $7500 travel award.
The farmers who best illustrated the use of cutting edge implementation of innovation on their farm were David and Pam Gardner from Waimate. They farm Kelso sheep and shorthorn cross cows using an extensive four-wire electric fence system.
They also won the people's choice public presentation award.
A field day will be held on the Bowans' farm next year.

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