2018-10-12 |
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Newbie Award to Highlight Europe's Best New Farmers
An innovation-focused award for ‘New Entrant Farm Business of the Year’ is opening this autumn to UK farmers, crofters and smallholders, as part of a suite of opportunities being offered across Europe to help new entrants develop successful businesses.
The award is offered by the European Commission-funded NEWBIE project (New Entrant netWork: Business models for Innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience in European agriculture), which is also offering the award in eight European countries. UK winners will get a chance to compare their farming innovations with Europe’s best new farmers.
Applicants will have to demonstrate how they have been able to overcome barriers such as access to land, labour, markets and profitability, and will be judged by a panel of agricultural industry experts. Winners get €500 towards the cost of training or an international visit, as well as an award plaque, farm video, and opportunity to participate in a European new entrant conference with other award winners. They will also be profiled in the national press and at major farming industry events.
Dr Lee-Ann Sutherland, a research leader in the James
Hutton Institute’s
Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences group in Aberdeen and
leader of NEWBIE for the James Hutton Institute said:
“New
entrants are critical to the future of UK farming. This award will help
highlight and support creative new entrants as they develop their
businesses.
“We hope that winners will be inspired by their interactions with other innovative new entrants across Europe and share what they have learned.”
UK steering group member Simon Gadd, Chair of the NFU New Entrant
Forum, added:
“This is an opportunity to highlight the amazing work
done by new entrants in an exciting and innovative industry. This
brings together the chance to share experiences and new concepts
within farming to help make the industry fit for the future. I hope
to see new plans created that can be implemented on how best to
prepare the next generation of farmers to ensure they are ready
for an exciting future in the industry.”
Applicants can be individuals or groups, and businesses should be established for between 2 and 10 years. To enter, prospective applicants need to register on the NEWBIE website. The deadline for applications is 15th November.
NEWBIE aims to build networks between newcomers, farm successors and their advisors across Europe, to increase the ability of farm successors and newcomers to agriculture to develop successful farm businesses.
