Great food starts with great soil

29 May 2013

Great food starts with great soil

Ballance Agri-Nutrients is showcasing the connection between great soil and premium produce, with quality producers of beef, vegetables, apples and wine featuring at their Fieldays site this year.

Ballance General Manager Sales, Andrew Reid, explains that soil is an integral part of the success of our farmers.

“In fact the whole New Zealand economy starts with those three inches of topsoil which support our rural production sector,” says Mr Reid.

Mr Reid says that premium producers have one thing in common – respect for the soil and the ability to work with it.

“Premium producers are those who focus on the quality of their soil first and we’re working alongside them with advice and science-backed nutrients so they consistently get the most from their land.”

Mr Reid says Ballance customers Te Whanga Angus Stud, BEL Group, AS Wilcox and Mr Apple represent some of the best in the business, and consistently achieve great results “from the ground up”. They will be sharing their experience, as well as their produce, during June 12-15 at Mystery Creek.

The Borthwick family’s Te Whanga farm is one of New Zealand’s iconic sheep and beef stations based in the Wairarapa with an associated winery, while BEL Group operates eight dairy farms producing 2.7 million kgMS in Central Hawkes Bay.

AS Wilcox has been growing and packing high quality potatoes, carrots and onions since the 1930s at Pukekohe, Ohakune and the Waikato in the North Island and Rakaia in the South Island. Mr Apple operates 34 orchards and New Zealand’s largest vertically integrated apple grower, packer and exporter, exporting between 3 and 3.5 million cartons per year.

“These are all unique operations, working with different soil types and climatic conditions, but their attention to the complete farm nutrient management cycle is the common denominator in their success. As a co-operative, we’re here to support farmers’ success, providing the right products and advice so they can achieve their farm’s goals,” says Mr Reid.

Ballance also acknowledges that food production must be sustainable, and Mr Reid says that through the co-operative’s seven year Clearview Innovations research and development programme the company is investing in new science that will deliver smart products backed by sound science to increase the productive capacity of New Zealand agriculture and lower the environmental footprint.

With the Ballance Agri-Nutrients site somewhat famous for its good pies, Mr Reid says that this year there is a “purpose to the pies”, with the high quality produce on show at the site being transformed into perfect pies by guest chef Michael Van de Elzen.

The popular presenter of the takeaway transformation show, Food Truck and owner of the new Food Truck Garage will run three cooking demonstrations a day.

ENDS

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