The finalists for the 2020 British Farming Awards are announced

The British Farming Awards 2020 has welcomed a record number of registrations this year, a testament to the incredible work being done on farms throughout Britain.

Fifty-six individuals will now battle it out for the 14 categories up for grabs which highlight the innovation and diversity of UK agriculture.

Alongside the core sectors of agriculture including dairy, beef, sheep, arable and contracting, the awards also celebrate new entrants coming into the industry, the wealth of diversification businesses and family farms and recognition to the evolving presence of agri technology within agriculture.

A further two awards – Outstanding Contribution to British Agriculture and Farmers Guardian Farming Hero – will be announced during the awards evening which will be held virtually on Wednesday, October 21.

Organised by AgriBriefing, parent company of Farmers Guardian, Arable Farming and Dairy Farmer, the British Farming Awards is supported by Morrisons.

Innovation

Now entering its eighth year, the British Farming Awards has become a nationally recognised event which has celebrated, showcased and rewarded hundreds of British farmers who have successfully introduced innovation to drive their business forward, despite ever-increasing challenges.

As households around the nation have relied on farmers and local producers to serve the nation during the Covid-19 pandemic, the industry has welcomed a new appreciation from the public and this year’s event is more poignant than ever.

Sophie Throup, Head of Agriculture, Fisheries and Sustainable Sourcing at Morrisons, said the awards was a welcome reminder of the dedication and hard work demonstrated by UK farmers all year round.

She said: "In these unprecedented times, we would like to thank and celebrate the work of British farmers and growers who are helping to feed the nation.

“At Morrisons, we have always valued British farming and being able to buy products directly from farms for our stores and the many food banks who rely on us is now more important than ever.

“The awards provides us with a timely reminder to pause and acknowledge the effort, innovation and skills which go into providing food farmed to high standards that we all enjoy."

For more information on the awards and information on the finalists visit www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk

 

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2020 Agricultural Student finalist - Oliver Chapman, Riseholme College

Oliver Chapman is progressing through his degree while working full-time in his dream job as a sheep auctioneer and trainee agricultural valuer with Masons and Melton Mowbray Market.

He has been instrumental in increasing sheep numbers at Louth Market and through research and discussions with the industry has now changed their selling day to allow for greater numbers of stock to go through the market, which in turn will help secure the long term prospects of the market.

Find out more at https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/oliver-chapman/

 

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2020 Agricultural Student finalist - Hannah McGrath, Rothamsted Research and University of Reading

Hannah is based at Rothamsted Research working with Waitrose and Huntapac to help protect the vegetables from viruses transmitted by greenfly.

Working in fields which grow 13 million carrots destined for the supermarket, she has trialled the creation of special wildflower strips which attract insects that counteract viruses and encourage pollinators.

Her work is currently focussed on linking the effect from field margins onto crop quality and yield and ensuring agricultural systems are sustainable and enhancing environmental contributions where possible.

Find out more at https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/hannah-mcgrath/

 

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2020 Contractor Innovator finalist - Rob Burtonshaw, Farm Services Ltd, Warwickshire

Farm Services is a drainage contracting business, with 78 years of land drains under its belt.

One of three working directors Rob Burtonshaw is the third generation to own and manage the business.

The company specialises in drainage for agricultural, amenity and sports grounds, with heavy investment in recent year in the most modern machinery to complete tasks as efficiently as possible.

Find out more at https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/rob-burtonshaw/

 

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2020 Contractor Innovator finalist - Ashley Luke and Chelsea Steel, Barrowhill Farm, Somerset

Initially started by Ashley Luke as a man and tractor operation in 2005, the business covers a wide range of services.

Having since expanded, he is now operating four tractors, a self-propelled sprayer and two excavators, with seven employees on the books and partner Chelsea heading up office duties.

While in a competitive area, Ashley says the size of the business is an advantage, as the whole team can offer a more flexible and personal service. Most of his staff come from family farms and have a thorough understanding of most operations carried out by the business.

Find out more at https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/ashley-luke-and-chelsea-still/

 

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2020 Contractor Innovator finalist - Angus Newton, Aon services, Norfolk

Following the retirement of a contracting company he worked for, Angus Newton spotted a gap in the area for a specialist spreading contractor.

Established 15 years ago, but specialising in spreading for the last two years, seven employees spread a range of products, including muck, lime, compost and beet spoil.

Three identical units carry out the bulk of the work. These are John Deere 6215Rs coupled to 15-tonne Bunning Lowlander spreaders, loaded by a JCB 419S loading shovel which, by keeping the main machinery the same, simplifies operations and is familiar to all employees, says Angus.

Find out more at https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/angus-newton/

 

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2020 Contractor Innovator finalist - Steven Rolfe, Stevie Rolfe Cattle Services, Lanarkshire

Specialising in providing service and products to farms in and around Scotland, Stevie Rolfe’s contracting business started in 2004.

With a focus on a personal and tailored service, the company undertakes a range of cattle husbandry tasks from artificial insemination (AI), freeze branding, pelvic scoring and pregnancy scanning, as well as sourcing and selling semen and associated products and consumables.

With two full-time staff, Stevie says emphasis is placed on maintaining an open dialogue with farmers to understand what they want to achieve with their herds, with a more personal touch than vets can achieve. Ongoing training of staff keeps the level of service customers demand.

Find out more at https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/steven-rolfe/

 

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2020 Machinery Innovator finalist - Gordon Stephen, Gordon Stephen, Wagglehill croft, Aberdeenshire

Gordon Stephen and his wife Amanda raise Highland cattle which they sell direct to customers, alongside the running of an agricultural contracting business.

No stranger to creating equipment to make farming life easier, such as calf catchers, the couple’s recent development sees them focus on the challenges of weatherproofing round bales.

The weatherproofer was borne out of need, explains Gordon. Due to a lack of building space, he wanted to store round bales of hay and straw outside during winter and stack them to further save on space, which meant wrapping techniques such as a tube liner was not suitable.

Find out more at https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/gordon-stephen-2/

 

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2020 Machinery Innovator Finalist-Chris Ecob, C.G.ECOB, Nursery Farm, Oxfordshire

Not content with tr

aditional agricultural trailer designs, engineer Chris Ecob decided to design a new concept silage/grain trailer.

Taking about 10 years to bring to fruition, he recalls the biggest challenge was addressing axles and suspension to make flotation tyres work properly and to steer away from leaf springs.

Chris observed the bigger tyres which are kinder to soil will only work properly when they are kept flat on the ground. He further claims that every farm trailer he has seen will not keep a tyre in constant contact with the ground. In fact, ‘if they are not bouncing, they are leaning under the strain of cornering forces.’

Find out more at https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/chris-ecob/

 

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2020 Machinery Innovator Finalist - Paul Wilson, Scorpion Vision

Aiming to expand the repertoire of his business, Paul Wilson has developed a system to enable automated and accurate cutting and trimming of vegetables.

The system is currently being employed to peel brussels sprouts, top and tail swedes and trim the root end of leeks. The latter system is done with sub-millimetric accuracy.

The request to provide such a system came from a machine building partner, whose customer, the farmer, was heavily reliant on a seasonal workforce which he struggled to maintain during the intensive harvesting period.

When trimmed manually, working conditions are uncomfortable due to the cleaning process that uses lots of water, explains Paul. Additionally, there is a health and safety issue as large blades are used to trim the leeks by hand.


Read more: https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/paul-wilson/

 

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As a semi-retired farmer with a large flock of sheep, Falkiner Small found fencing the fields a major problem.

By his own admission he always found difficulty in hammering in a traditional staple at ground level or in a hollow, where it was especially important to keep the fence down tight to the ground to prevent lambs from escaping.

After making several samples in different shapes and with different materials, he realised it had to be simple and cost effective. So, after trial and error, he came up with the Gaffer Staple and the Gaffer 8 to use on farm and make the job of attaching wire to hedges and fence posts a far easier and safer process.

Find out more at https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/falkiner-small/

 

[British Farming Awards]

As a semi-retired farmer with a large flock of sheep, Falkiner Small found fencing the fields a major problem.

View attachment 912823By his own admission he always found difficulty in hammering in a traditional staple at ground level or in a hollow, where it was especially important to keep the fence down tight to the ground to prevent lambs from escaping.

After making several samples in different shapes and with different materials, he realised it had to be simple and cost effective. So, after trial and error, he came up with the Gaffer Staple and the Gaffer 8 to use on farm and make the job of attaching wire to hedges and fence posts a far easier and safer process.

Find out more : https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/falkiner-small/

 

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Farm manager Jeremy Durrant runs 1,300 hectares (3,212 acres) of arable land owned by the Davies family. After he spotted a need to increase the organic matter content of the soil across most of the arable land, and with black-grass starting to become a serious problem, they decided View attachment 912962to include grass leys with livestock into the rotation.

Having managed a flock of Poll Dorset sheep when he was younger and being impressed with their ability to lamb out of season, they became the perfect choice to run alongside arable operations without compromising busier periods.

The sheep are run as Hydes Farming, a separate business from E.W. Davies Farms, and the flock now extends to 400 ewes which are all lambed inside in November with 95 per cent lambing within a three-week period.

Read more https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/jeremy-durrant/

 

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2020 Sheep Innovator Finalist - John Howie, Messrs John Howie, Girtridge Farm, Ayrshire

Since becoming one of Quality Meat Scotland’s monitor farms, John’s business has employed a rotational grazing system on his 170-hectare (420-acre) farm, while upping sheep numbers from 140 to 500 ewes and dispersing the suckler herd to focus on the beef finishing enterprise.

A focus in management has seen the sheep flock shift towards breeds more suited to a grass-based system. Aberfield gimmers, although but John plans to produce his own replacements in the future.

Find out more at https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/john-howie/

 

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2020 Sheep Innovator Finalist - John Minary, TecTracer, Operation Bo Peep!, Yorkshire

John Minary, an ex-senior police detective, has developed a novel new approach to tackle sheep thefts, which is said to cost the sector £3 million annually.

As an expert in forensics and crime prevention, he has a special interest in providing intelligent systems into areas which have been historically difficult to improve.

Stolen and illegal meat is entering the food chain every day, putting not only consumer health at risk buting costs the UK sheep industry £3 million annually, says John, who predicts there are about 25 million sheep in the UK with some farmers face losing between 10 and 15 per cent of their crop each year as a result of rustling.

Find out more at https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/john-minary/

 

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2020 Digital Innovator Finalist - Anna Jones, Just Farmers, Bristol

Anna Jones, a farmer’s daughter from the Welsh borders, has been a journalist and broadcaster for more than 12 years, covering rural affairs at the BBC, working with shows such as Countryfile, Radio 4’s Farming Today, On Your Farm and Costing the Earth.

In 2016/17, Anna completed a Nuffield Farming Scholarship, looking at how mainstream media covered agriculture news. To no surprise, Anna discovered a complete detachment between farmers and urban news and broadcasting teams. Identifying issues such as lack of trust, knowledge and transparency, she knew there had to be a way of making the two industries come together.

Find out more at https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/anna-jones/

 

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2020 Digital Innovator Finalist - David Hill, The Greatest Online Agricultural Show, Berkshire

It is safe to say no-one expected the 2020 show season to be non-existent on our agricultural calendars, but with the coronavirus pandemic shattering plans, David Hill knew many would be missing their local agricultural show. What began as a fundraising idea in March to bring local farmers together during a lonely time, became a hugely successful event, raising thousands of pounds and uniting the agricultural industry and the general public.

Find out more at https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/david-hill/

 

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2020 Digital Innovator Finalist - Jo Martin, Rural Business Network, Manor Farm, County Durham

Farmer’s wife Jo Martin has lived and breathed agriculture from a young age, growing up on her family farm in Cheshire. Now in Co Durham, alongside her husband, children and in-laws, she continues to grow the farm in both the arable and beef sectors. Having grown-up children and a new-found confidence, Jo decided it was time to have her own passion.

Find out more at https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/jo-martin/

 

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2020 Digital Innovator Finalist - Chris Franklin, Caenhill Countryside Centre, Marsh Farm, Wiltshire

The main aim of Caenhill Countryside Centre, a not-for-profit organisation, is to educate. Helping children learn in a farming environment, Chris Franklin and his team work with schools, colleges, children with disabilities, organisations and many more. Before the Covid-19 restrictions came into play, the farm would have had 20-50 young visitors each week.

Find out more at https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/chris-franklin/

 

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2020 Diversification (large) Innovator Finalist - Edward Dee, West Lodge Rural Centre Ltd, West Lodge Farm, Northamptonshire

Edward Dee opened his farm to the public in 1994 and says his passion has always been to offer visitors an experience of an environmentally friendly farming system.

This has developed from providing guided tours to now including virtual tours via the website and social media channels.

The farm park was started by targeting visits from local schools and Edward was driven by his desire to close the gap between the perception of farming portrayed in the media and its reality.

Find out more at https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/edward-dee/

 

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2020 Diversification (large) Innovator Finalist - Patrick Deeley, Flower Farm, Surrey

The Deeley family has farmed at Flower Farm since the 1970s, when they introduced pick-your-own into the local community before progressing onto a thriving farm shop, butchery, deli and tea room.

Diversifying his income has always been a big part of the business model, as Patrick says he could not make a living from just the farm, but rather by safeguarding its future.

In 2017 he teamed up with local micro- brewery, The Godstone Brewers, which had moved into one of the farm’s 15 industrial units.

Find out more at https://www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk/patrick-deeley/