Financial and environmental stewardship sees the Miller family of Roslyn Downs take out the Regional Supreme Award at
the Southland Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
The Miller family of Roslyn Downs in Glencoe has been named the Regional Supreme Winner at the Southland Ballance Farm
Environment Awards in Invercargill this evening.
The 1,034ha dairy, sheep and beef operation is led by brothers Jason and Quentin Miller, along with Jason’s son Andrew.
The original 149ha farm has been in the Miller family since 1960, with the dairy farm added to the operation when Andrew
and his wife Rachel joined the business in 2019.
Roslyn Downs is predominately sheep farming with a focus on achieving high levels of production efficiency. Along with
running an average of 4,000 ewes, it hosts a stud sheep-breeding programme and provides dairy support for the dairy farm
– Claymore Dairies.
At Claymore, the team is striving toward a five-year target of achieving 500kg of milk solids per cow. The judges were
impressed with the overall health of the cows and how the Millers have increased in-calf rate gains over a short period
of time.
The use of independent consultants is crucial to helping the team achieve strategic outcomes. Since 2020, they’ve
tripled business revenue and doubled their asset base.
Over the years the Millers have significantly increased native species and planting across the property, adding new
areas and connecting and enhancing existing sites. By fencing off large areas for retirement and amenity planting and
creating several wetlands and sediment traps, they have actively contributed to biodiversity preservation.
In awarding the Regional Supreme Award, the judges noted that the Millers have created a thriving ecosystem that
supports native species and reduces erosion through careful consideration of environmental mitigations. They also
commended the Miller’s data-driven approach to farming, observing that it enables them to make informed decisions that
enhance both environmental stewardship and profitability.
“The use of sound science, monitoring and measurement, alongside an in-depth understanding of the physical landscape,
its attributes and limitations has led to careful consideration when implementing and adapting management practices. As
a result, outstanding outcomes in both production and the environment have been achieved across the property.”
The Millers also won the following awards:Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management AwardHill Labs Agri-Science AwardRabobank Agri-Business Management AwardNZFET Innovation AwardEnvironment Southland Water Quality and Biodiversity Award
Other Southland Ballance Farm Environment Award winners include:
Mike and Kirsty Bodle — Braintra Farms, HokonuiDairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship AwardNZFET Biodiversity AwardNZFET Climate Recognition Award
Tracey and Steve Henderson — Legendaries, AwaruaBayleys People in Primary Sector Award
James and Tanya Goodwin — Kelvin Grove, WaimumuNorwood Farming Efficiency Award
Philip and Katherine McCallum — Rockley Farm, BelfourBeef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award
The awards also served to showcase the Greater Dipton Catchment Group. Farmer led and community driven, the Greater
Dipton Catchment Group is spear heading a project that is focused on helping both rural and urban dwellers offset carbon
emissions. Established in 2020, the group initially ran a series of community initiatives to identify the most pressing
environmental issues, ultimately leading to the launch of Carbon Neutral Dipton. Supported by funding from Thriving
Southland, Carbon Neutral Dipton is focused on exploring different ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on farms and
in the wider community.
The Ballance Farm Environment Awards are run by the NZ Farm Environment Trust and champion sustainable farming and
growing. The Supreme Winner from each of the eleven regions involved in the awards will go through to be considered for
the Gordon Stephenson Trophy at the Trust’s National Showcase in Hamilton in June. The recipients of the Gordon
Stephenson Trophy then become 2024’s National Ambassadors for Sustainable Farming and Growing.