Just Milk finalist in the MPO NEDBANK STEWARDSHIP AWARDS 2019

Finalist, Gavin Beaumont of Riverside, Dalfreuch, and Leeway Farms.

WATCH VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnOtWtYFnfk

PRESS RELEASE
10 October 2019
For immediate release

KZN DAIRY FARMER, SANDRA BERNING, WINS THE MPO NEDBANK STEWARDSHIP AWARDS 2019

Sandra Berning of Springvale Farm near Rosetta in KwaZulu‐Natal was announced as the winner of
the prestigious annual MPO Nedbank Stewardship Award at the MPO gala dinner on Wednesday, 9
October. The event was held during the AgriExpo Livestock on Sandringham, near Stellenbosch.

Follow #MilkMpo on Twitter, and @MilkProducersSA on Facebook to watch all the best MPO gala
dinner moments of Wednesday, 9 October.

The MPO Nedbank Stewardship Award, supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature, recognises
dairy farmers who are excellent stewards of their product, the people and animals on the farm, and
the environment, whilst farming profitably. The competition was stiff, but Berning walked off with
the accolade in the end.
The judges found that Berning’s cow and milking management, in particular inter‐calving period and
cow longevity, was top notch. With virtually no calf mortalities, and all the environmental
stewardship boxes ticked, she sets a high standard.
James Kean of Mearns Farm near Mooi River, also in KwaZulu‐Natal, was the runner up with
excellent biosecurity, training and well‐being of staff, and driving an initiative to limit water usage on
his and neighboring farms.

The other two finalists were Rohan Herselman of Lancewood Farm near Hoekville in the Western
Cape and Gavin Beaumont of Riverside, Dalfreuch, and Leeway Farms near Cookhouse in the Eastern
Cape. The judges commented on excellent biosecurity measures on both farms and were impressed
by the personal knowledge and hands‐on management of the two finalists.
Berning will be spoiled with a stewardship tour to New Zealand to the value of R40 000 sponsored by
Nedbank and Kean received R20 000 from Nedbank to invest in stewardship improvements on‐farm.

For more information:
Barbara Bieldt
Manager, Stewardship and regulatory services
Milk Producers’ Organisation
barbara@mpo.co.za
www.mpo.co.za
@MilkProducersSA

Insight from Gavin Beaumont:

“My view on successful Stewardship is the holistic approach to the resources on farm and how we manage these resources to sustainable improve the people management, water usage, soil, pastures, cows, farm profit and legally comply to water use regulations and effluent management. Driving the correct management systems will produce a return that will take us through the tough times and turn the farm towards a positive effect on the environment.

It was pleasing to discover that our Just Milk principles towards dairying are in line with what the Judges were looking for and the systems that we have internally developed are progressive towards the environment and are building the soil and pasture ecology as we continue to invest in a long term vision.”