Whisky In The Jar At New Zealand’s Arable Awards | Scoop News – Scoop

Friday, 5 August 2022, 5:54 amPress Release: Federated Farmers

04 August

Many would say yes to a warming singlemalt whisky on one of these cold winter evenings - how aboutone made from purple wheat, black oats, or even blackbarley? Thats the offer from Southlands Auld FarmDistillery, awarded the Innovation title at tonights NewZealand Arable Awards sponsored by Rabobank in Christchurch.Rob and Toni Aulds enterprise - the couple also make arange of three gins from a base alcohol of oat, wheat, andbarley - is typical of the diversity, entrepreneurship andcommitment to quality being displayed so often in thenations arable sector. Auld Farm Distillery has achievedseveral world firsts with their products, and thats notuncommon from an arable sector that leads the world inseveral categories of the international seed market and hasset world records in wheat and barley yields. FederatedFarmers arable executive member David Birkett, who farms atLeeston, Canterbury, was named Arable Farmer of the Year.Davids citation noted he was a recognised leader inenvironmental/sustainable farming, with a focus on improvingsoil quality. He is open to trialling any approach to reducesynthetic inputs, such as biological products, cover crops,retaining straw etc, and is always willing to share hisknowledge and resultsgood or bad. The immediate pastnational Vice-President of Federated Farmers Karen Williams,and husband Mick, won the Environment & SustainabilityAward. The 2022 Food Champion is Angela Clifford, apassionate advocate for the arable industry. She formed theorganisation EatNZ, and through this, she promotes NZgrown/produced food. Angela set up the EatNZ grain food hui,where NZ grain growers have been able to talk about thegrain-based food products they produce and showcase them infront of an audience of chefs and food critics. FederatedFarmers twice had to expand plans and venue arrangements forthe awards as ticket demand grew and eventually had to becapped just shy of 400. Feds and other arable groups haveheld awards before, but this was the inaugural combinedevent backed by Federated Farmers, the Foundation for ArableResearch, United Wheatgrowers and the Grain & Seed TradeAssociation. Feds Arable Chair Colin Hurst said he wasabsolutely delighted with the high calibre of the 80nominations, and by the keenness of growers, food processorsand industry players to celebrate the best of their sector.The full list of 2022 Arable Award winners, with awardsponsors in brackets, is: Agronomist of the Year RogerLasham, Ashburton ( TheNew Zealand Grain & Seed Trade Association (NZGSTA)) Grower of the Year - Grain David & Anna Irving fromLanark Downs, South Canterbury. ( Bayer) Grower of theYear - Small Seed Hamish Marr, Methven. ( PGG WrightsonSeeds) Grower of the Year - Maize Chris Pellow PellowProduce, Waikato. ( Pioneer)Emerging Talent Award, Lauren Beattie, Rakaia, SouthCanterbury (BallanceAgri-Nutrients) Environment & Sustainability Karen &Mick Williams Ahiaruhe Farm, Wairarapa. ( MPI, Ministry for PrimaryIndustries) Arable Farmer of the Year David Birkett fromBirkett Farming, Leeston. ( FederatedFarmers ) Innovation Rob and Toni Auld from AuldDistillery, Southland. ( FAR(Foundation of Arable Research)) Arable Food ChampionAngela Clifford Eat New Zealand. ( Countdown) Notes forjournalists Fullmedia release with photographs here The Total productionfrom the arable sector in 2021 was 2.3 million tonnes. Thiswas a 31 per cent increase from 2018 when total arableproduction was 1.8 million tonnes. Total grain and pulseproduction of 2.2 million tonnes was a 30 per cent increasefrom 2018. Meanwhile, seeds for sowing production grew by 40percent from 58,268 tonnes in 2018 to 81,470 tonnes in 2021.In 2021 the arable sector directly produced crops worth $1billion. These sales went upstream of the arable sector andcreated total sales of all goods and services of $2.2billion. These total sales were equivalent to a contributionof $932 million to New Zealands gross domestic product(GDP). This has seen the arable sector increase itscontribution to GDP from 0.3 percent of national GDP to 0.34percent. The contribution to GDP is sufficient to support7,687 full-time equivalent employees(FTEs).

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Whisky In The Jar At New Zealand's Arable Awards | Scoop News - Scoop