2018-10-23 |
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British Farming Awards 2018 Winners Announced
The winners of the 2018 British Farming Awards have been revealed at a fabulous award ceremony, held at the National Conference Centre, Birmingham, and supported by Morrisons.
More than 700 farmers and industry professionals attended the event, which showcased the innovation and achievements of British farmers across the agricultural industry.
Organised by AgriBriefing, parent company of Farmers Guardian, Dairy Farmer and Arable Farming, the 14 awards welcomed entries from across farming’s core sectors including beef, arable, machinery, agricultural students and diversification.
Sophie Throup, Morrisons agriculture manager, says:
“Morrisons
is pleased to once again sponsor the British
Farming Awards and
help celebrate some of the great work British farmers do.
“Our customers tell us year in, year out, buying British and supporting British farmers is as important to them as it is to us.
“As British farming’s biggest supermarket customer, we value the
3,500 farmers and growers we deal with directly and know that by
working together, we can build long-term business sustainability
through strong and enduring relationships.”
Outstanding Contribution to British Agriculture
Kicking off the evening was the presentation for the Outstanding Contribution to British Agriculture Award, given to Mary Mead co-founder of Yeo Valley.
As the biggest organic brand in the UK, nine million homes buy at least one Yeo Valley dairy product including milk, yogurts, crème fraiche and butter.
With a career spanning more than 60 years, Mary Mead moved to Holt Farm in Blagdon, Somerset, with husband Roger in 1961. The farm then had just 35 cows.
Their entrepreneurial spirit launched the award winning brand from scratch and following the passing of Roger, Mary continued to lead the family-run unit alongside her son, Tim.
Today the business runs 450 pedigree cows across two units spanning 1,400 acres and employs more than 1,700 people.
Recognised for their product quality, innovation and sustainable farming practises, the company have been awarded two Queen’s Award for Enterprise for the revolutionary way it works with its farming suppliers, encouraging them to turn organic and giving them long-term ‘fair trade’ contracts.
On receiving her award ahead of the night as she was unable to attend, Mary Mead said:
“Thank you so much for this award, and I’d like to accept it on behalf of all women in farming."
Farmers Guardian Farming Hero
The winner of this year’s Farmers Guardian Farming Hero award is Dr Jude Capper, a leading independent Livestock Sustainability Consultant.
Passionate about the role of animal agriculture in sustainable food production, her current research and knowledge exchange work communicates the global importance of livestock production, while also improving the understanding and knowledge of stakeholders within food production from farmers and retailers to policy-makers and consumers.
Dr Capper also launched a successful social media campaign earlier this year to promote the role of UK dairy farmers and dairy products following a growing backlash from animal activists who present misleading messages to the public.
#Februdairy galvanised British dairy farmers and others within the industry to share their positive and sustainable farming practices with the wider general public to dispel the negative food production myths hitting headlines.
On receiving her award, Dr Capper said:
“I am so excited, humbled
and overwhelmed to be receiving this award.
I would like to accept it on behalf of all the wonderful farmers, industry professionals and supporters who help promote our fabulous industry every single day.
It is an absolute pleasure to share our values and explain what we do to the rest of the world. I hope this award will keep pushing us all to do more to tell the amazing story of British agriculture.”
2018 British Farming Award’s winners:
Agricultural Student of the Year, sponsored by Kubota
Gold: Aimee
Budge, Scotland’s Rural College
Silver: Matthew Rollason, Harper Adams
University
Arable Innovator of the Year, sponsored by Spaldings
Gold: David
Fuller-Shapcott, J.N. Fuller Shapcott & Co, Scottish
Borders
Silver: David Miller, Wheatsheaf Farming Company, Hampshire
Beef Innovator of the Year, sponsored by ABP Food Group
Gold: James
Duerden, Killerwick Grange, Cumbria
Silver: Angelika Von Heimendahl,
Camcattle, Cambridgeshire
Contractor Innovator of the Year, sponsored by FENDT
Gold: Andrew
Howseman, Howseman
Agriculture, Lincolnshire
Silver: Roger Glennie,
Roger A. Glennie, Aberdeenshire
Dairy Innovator of the Year, sponsored by Dairymaster
Gold: Jonny
and Dulcie Crickmore, Fen Farm Dairy Ltd, Suffolk
Silver: Karen
and Tom Halton, Halton Farms Ltd, Cheshire
Digital Innovator of the Year, sponsored by Watson Fuels
Gold: Thomas
Pemberton, Pemberton Dairies, Lancashire
Silver: Laura Hodgkins, Girl
About the Farm, West Sussex
Diversification Innovator of the Year (small
to medium), sponsored
by Jobs in Agriculture
Gold: Steven Holmes, Farmyard Ales, Lancashire
Silver: Leona Kane,
Broighter Gold, Northern Ireland
Diversification Innovator of the Year (large), sponsored by Firma
Foreign Exchange
Gold: Kathryn Mitchell, The Lambing Shed Farm Shop,
Cheshire
Silver: Duncan and Vicki McConchie, Laggan Outdoor & GG’s Yard,
Dumfries & Galloway
Farm Worker of the Year, sponsored by Isuzu UK
Gold: Jack Bedlow,
M.E.S. Dart & Partners & A.G. Hedges
(Farms), Oxfordshire
Silver: Lesley Tait, Stockley Farm Park, Cheshire
Family Farming Business of the Year, sponsored by Morrisons
Gold:
The Kerr family, W.W. Kerr & Sons, South Ayrshire
Silver: The
Webster family, Taylors Farm Ltd, Lancashire
Machinery and Farm Technology of the Year, sponsored by Armatrac
Gold:
Iain & Stephen Birnie, Birnie Bale Trailer, Aberdeenshire
Silver:
Andrew Webster, Potato Planter, Lancashire
New Entrant Award: Against the Odds, sponsored by Massey Ferguson
Gold:
Rhidian Glyn, R.E. & Glyn, Powys
Silver: Dean and Katie Whybrow,
D. & K. Whybrow, Bedfordshire
Sheep Innovator of the Year, sponsored by Shearwell Data
Gold: Sam
Jones, E. Jones & Son, Worcestershire
Silver: Matt and Becky Van
Der Borgh, Top Paddock Sheep Dairy, West Sussex
Farmers Guardian Farming Hero, sponsored by Volac
Dr Jude Capper
Outstanding Contribution to British Agriculture, sponsored by NSF
International
Mary Mead, Yeo Valley
