8th October 2009 | Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London
Meet the Farming Award judges
As nominations for the 2009 Farmers Weekly Awards gather pace, meet the independent judges who will select Britain’s farming finest.
Arable Adviser of the Year
Sponsored by Firestone
Robert Law
Robert was the 2006 Farmers Weekly Farmer of the Year and winner of the Arable Farmer of the Year category in that year too.
He had no prior experience of farming when he started his arable business in Hertfordshire 25 years ago with a capital start-up of just £15,000. The Hertfordshire arable operation now spans 1200ha and 500ha in Nottinghamshire.
Every aspect of Thrift Farm is fully costed and he is adding value where possible to the arable business. He has a passion for the countryside and is keen to promote the values of farming to the public. So who better to judge the achievements of advisers in adding value to arable farming businesses?
Arable Farmer of the Year
Sponsored by Growhow
Keith Preston
After an 18-year career in day-to-day farm management with CWS Agriculture, managing farms and estates with a wide range of enterprises and soil types from the west coast of Scotland to the Fens, Keith moved into agricultural consultancy and has been providing advice to a wide range of clients for the last 15 years.
Keith heads the Savills Agribusiness Team within Savills Rural which provides consultancy and strategic advice on over 2 million acres.
He will be looking for top class results, attention to detail and environmentally sound management practices. The finalsts should be demonstrating management plans for all aspects of their business.
Beef Farmer Of The Year
Sponsored by McDonalds
Clive Brown
EBLEX western regional manager
Having been brought up on a farm in Shropshire, Clive has held a number of roles in livestock marketing, including spending time working for Meadow Quality as project and business development manager.
Having worked as a fieldsman previously sourcing livestock from farms across the west midlands Clive has a practical bias and will be looking for a winner who makes the most of the available resources and is using new technologies and industry developments to maximise productivity and profitiability in every aspect of their beef business.
Contractor Of The Year
Sponsored by JCB
Vice-president of the NFU
Paul gained an NDA at the Royal Agricultural College and then studied farm machinery at Bishop Burton Agricultural College.He is a tenant farmer in a family partnership, currently farming 330ha on a mixed farm: Currently Paul holds the position of Non-executive Director of Farmway - the largest Northern Co-operative with retail outlets, feed mill, arable crop trading interests, drying and seed production, selling to farmers and the public.
He is also Chairman of the COPA COGECA Cereals Group for European farming organisations and Vice Chairman of the Oilseeds & Protein Group.
In addition, Paul is one of the founding members of the Farmers Biotech Forum (FBF), drawing European farmers together with a biotech interest. He is also a member of Climate Change Forum, and sits on the BBSRC Sustainable Agriculture Panel.
Countryside Farmer Of The Year
Sponsored by Natural England
Caroline Drummond
Chief executive of Linking Environment And Farming
Caroline Drummond has worked with LEAF since its inception in 1991 after lecturing in agronomy at Shuttleworth College. Ms Drummond works throughout the UK and Europe developing and promoting Integrated Farm Management through demonstration farms, management tools, including the LEAF Audit through to the market place with LEAF Marque produce. She is a fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies, sits on government steering groups and is a governor and on the School of Agriculture for the Royal Agricultural College.
What Ms Drummond will be looking for:
- Farmers who are passionate about their business and their role as stewards of the countryside
- Farmers who are balancing the need for a long term economically viable farming business, showing environmental responsibility while at the same time as giving something back to the local community
Dairy Farmer Of The Year
Sponsored by DairyCo
Gwyn Jones
NFU National Dairy Board Chairman
Gwyn Jones is a dairy farmer in West Sussex and actively involved in the agricultural industry. He is an NFU Council member and sits on the Governance Board.
He is also chairman of the Farmers Forum, sits on the Board of Dairy UK, is a member of the Farm Animal Welfare Council, deputy chairman of COPA (milk) in Brussels and a council member of the DairyCo.
What Mr Jones will be looking for:
- Dairy farmers who are commercial in their approach to the business, maximizing their milk contracts
- Dairy farmers who are in tune with the demands of the 21st century, including animal welfare and the environment.
Diversification Farmer Of The Year
Sponsored by James Miles-Hobbs
Peter Prag
Independent consultant
Peter Prag is a rural practice chartered surveyor whose career spanning Knight Frank and the AMC has gained him a particular expertise in farm diversification.
He has been involved in a host of projects including Britain's first wind farm and the country's largest vineyard as well as some unusual projects such as biodynamic farming and a woodcraft campus.
Peter is Head of Rural Research at Humberts and a Senior Visiting Fellow at the University of Reading. He has written a number of books on countryside matters, including Rural Diversification which is published by Estates Gazette in conjunction with Farmers Weekly.
Farm Manager Of The Year
Sponsored by CLAAS
Adrian Cannon
Farm business consultant, Strutt & Parker
Adrian Cannon is a farm business consultant at Strutt & Parker in Salisbury.
Previously he was farms manager on a major Oxfordshire estate and his background lies in practical farm business management.
Adrian has held senior positions in farm businesses from Norfolk to the Cotswolds and was Farmers Weekly’s Farm Manager of the Year in 2006. He is a John Edgar Trust Farm Management Scholar and holds a postgraduate degree in rural estate management.
He now gives practical and strategic advice to a range of farming clients across the south of England. Mr Cannon will be looking for:
- Someone who has made a significant impact on the business through restructuring, collaboration, adding value or cutting costs
- Evidence of strong business and staff management
- Evidence of leadership skills.
Livestock Adviser Of The Year
Sponsored by BPI Silotite
Lyndon Edwards
Chairman RABDF
Lyndon Edwards is chairman of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers and runs his own 560-acre organic dairy farm at Severndale Farm, Chepstow in Monmouthshire. Lyndon was a 2007 Dairy Farmer of the Year finalist in the Farmers Weekly Awards. He is keen to employ technical innovations resulting in 210 cows that are producing about 8000 litres of milk a year.
Lyndon will be looking for an adviser that is giving farmers practical and economic value; someone who is can take advantage of technical, political and environmental opportunities on behalf of their clients.
Local Food Farmer Of The Year
Sponsored by Asda
Lee Woodger
Head of food chain unit, NFU
He has worked in operational and communication roles within the private and public sector and became the NFU’s Head of Food Chain in April of 2008. He is responsible for a small team that has a varied cross-sector portfolio which includes liaison with all the major grocery retailers, developing links with food service and food manufacturing companies, organic food and farming and responsibilities in the field of public procurement which includes the Olympics.
Lee is looking forward to seeing how farmers are identifying and exploiting local market opportunities. Entrepreneurial skills, enthusiasm and a sustainable business model will be doubly important in the current economic climate.
Pig Farmer of the Year
Sponsored by Waitrose
Ian Campbell MBE
NPA regional manager and winner of the David Black Award 2008
Ian Campbell has been involved in the pig industry for 38 years. He began his career in the animal feed sectors before gaining national recognition with the British Pig Industry Support Group and subsequent involvement with the NPA.
He worked with United Pig Breeders for 17 years and then left to set up his own AI equipment and consultancy firm, Unitron. Ian also worked with a local landowner with a nucleus breeding unit, which he ran until 1999. He has made a significant contribution to the pig sector not only with producers, but also with partners in the supply chain, welfare groups and government officials. He received an MBE for services to the pig sector and voluntary sector as well as the David Black Award in 2008.
Ian will be looking for a winner that combines production efficiency with a product that has a clear market identity.
Poultry Producer Of The Year
Sponsored by EB Equipment
John Newton
Senior poultry consultant ADAS
After 22 years at the NFU, joining as group secretary and leaving as national poultry specialist, John Newton moved to ADAS in 2004. Mr Newton is looking for:
- Someone who is farsighted enough to be doing something different from their competitors. They will have identified and exploited new market opportunities.
- Someone who is making the most of modern technologies to maximise flock performance while maintaining high welfare standards.
- Someone who has also contributed to the poultry industry as a whole.
Sheep Farmer Of The Year
Kate Phillips
ADAS livestock consultant
She is currently based in Shropshire, has her own small flock of Lleyn ewes and specialises in sheep husbandry, nutrition and health advice.
What is she looking for in the Sheep Farmer of the Year? Somebody who has a clear business plan, pays attention to detail and manages their grassland well. They need to be technically aware and constantly finding ways to improve their business.
Young Farmer Of The Year
Sponsored by Massey Ferguson
Paul Davies
Professor of Agriculture and vice-principal at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester
Paul Davies has taught both at Writtle and Harper Adams colleges as well as at the RAC during his 30 year plus career in agricultural education. He also takes on advisory roles in the agrochemical industry, food business and the animal feed sectors.
What Prof Davies will be looking for:
- Someone who stands out from the crowd
- Someone who, through his or her commitment and determination, together with their willingness to take business risks alongside a lot of hard work, is realising their goals
- Someone who is a bit visionary and can see and exploit current opportunities and make the most of new market opportunities.