LeaderBrand South Island has been awarded four category awards at Canterbury’s Farm Environment Awards 2026.
The category wins included Soil Management, People Sector, Agri-Science and Farming Efficiency Award.
The environmental awards celebrate excellence in sustainable farming and highlights the hardworking farmers growing in the Canterbury area.
Mike Arnold, General Manager of our South Island farm, says he’s delighted to have the teams hard work awarded across four categories.
“We try to adopt the best practices that supports the environment across our farm. Being awarded and recognised alongside our peers is a huge achievement.
“We are proud to be able to demonstrate how intensive horticulture can be successfully balanced with leading sustainable practices. These practices allow us to supply fresh produce to supermarkets across New Zealand in the most sustainable way we can,” says Mike Arnold.
The judges were impressed by the team’s proactive approach to soil health, including the sophisticated use of grid sampling and variable-rate applications for precision nutrient management. They also commented that the farm showed the wider community a strong example of a sustainable, forward-looking practice that others can learn from and be inspired by.
“I’m most proud to have our techniques around farming efficiency and soil management rewarded. We have a great cover crop and crop stacking programme which are actively mitigating erosion, stimulating biological activity, and building crucial organic matter.
“Our riparian plantings and ecological corridors are flourishing, supported by an active insect monitoring programme that encourages beneficial species.
“The recent installation of 100kW of solar panels, including a battery back-up, has been a fantastic addition to the farm. This allows us to maximise the sunshine hours on the Canterbury Plains for powering our site, as well as growing our crops.
“We also pride ourselves on providing a safe, secure, and supportive environment, successfully attracting and retaining talent who embrace our sustainable practices out of pride – not obligation. Being awarded in the People Sector category means our practice of cultivating a genuinely people-focused culture is actually working,” says Mike Arnold.