98 | ON FARM » The Grange Oxford The Grange Oxford humbled by win Karen Phelps First time entrants Alistair and Genna Bird from The Grange farm on the plains of Canterbury have taken out a raft of awards at the 2023 Ballance Farm Environment Awards for the Canterbury region: Bayleys People in Primary Sector Award, NZFET Biodiversity Award, NZFET Innovation Award and the Environment Canterbury Water Quality Award. “We’re very humbled,” says Alistair. “We didn’t expect anything and the awards we won were in the areas we are most passionate about.” The Grange is a 565ha (475ha effective) sheep and beef farm near Ashley Gorge just out of Oxford. The Birds lease the property from Genna’s family trust. It runs a flock of 1500 Perendale Kelso cross ewes and 100 Angus cattle. One key thing that stood out to the judges about the Birds was their passion for bridging the ruralurban divide. They have a YouTube channel called Kiwi Farmer with over 10,000 subscribers. They try to post two videos a week and typically get 60007000 hits within seven days. The channel is so popular that Farm IQ farm management software, which the Birds use in their farming business, and Te Pari, have both become sponsors. The Birds also have students from Oxford Area School and Lincoln University come onto the farm for visits and projects. They have an accommodation unit they rent out and have mapped out horse riding trails on the farm with people buying day or year passes to access. “It’s about trying to get that urban population to have a bit more connection with the land and rural community. We’re in a position to show people the really good stuff farmers are doing and we want to do our bit to bridge the divide,” says Alistair. He says the accommodation will take a few years to build up numbers before it really starts to be a profitable enterprise. “At the moment it’s a wee boost to our cash flow and there is definitely potential to increase that in the future. The Grange is a 565ha (475ha effective) sheep and beef farm near Ashley Gorge. Proudly shearing for The Grange since 1981. MERCER SHEARING CO. LTD Contact Bernie Mercer bernie51@xtra.co.nz 027 624 7075 Celebrating over 100 years in business
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