Cast modesty aside and put your name forward for the 2009 Farmers Weekly Awards, which are launched today.

This is an opportunity for your hard work, innovation and commitment to be recognised by the industry and your peers.

Positive PR for farming is critical. Farmers are riding a positive wave of consumer feeling, fuelled by much greater interest in provenance, food production and fears about global food and fuel security. But as this industry knows to its cost, the general public are fickle and the tide can turn quickly.

Farmers Weekly and its industry partners want to hear your story of how your business has evolved to meet the challenging demands of today’s consumers and countryside.

Trumpeting the enormous talent and innovation that exists in British farming is crucial to reminding a critical, and often cynical, public that you are central to their needs.

Winning an award has repercussions beyond your own self-worth – it opens new doors, boosts the confidence and morale of everyone in your business and promotes the value of farming to the wider public.

Five reasons to enter the awards

• Recognition for you, your family and your staff
• Doors open to new industry contacts, clients and supplier deals
• Valuable PR and marketing for your business – and British farming
• Greater business confidence for you and your team
• The chance to experience the best night out in farming for you and your partner

Farmers Weekly Awards 2009

Mark Hawe

2008 Livestock Adviser of the Year

Northern Ireland

Taking part in the Awards was an absolutely fantastic experience from start to finish. The biggest buzz was to be nominated in the first place. To think that the farmers I advise thought I was worthy of nomination was fantastic. It has opened up new opportunities for my business.

Matt Solley

2008 Farm Manager of the Year

Castle Cary, Somerset

Winning the award meant a hell of a lot. It’s helped me feel more positive about the industry, as well as broadening my horizons and growing my confidence. We are finding machinery suppliers are keen to be associated with the Farm Manager of the Year. There is nothing quite like a group of judges to focus your mind on what you are doing – and why!

Philip Heard

2008 Beef Farmer of the Year

Okehampton, Devon

I would encourage all farmers to enter. It’s a tremendous honour and carries a lot of prestige for the area as well as for your business. You get to meet people from other parts of the country. And when it comes to buying vaccines or minerals, I can certainly get a very good deal.

Bryce Rham

2008 Arable Adviser of the Year

Oswestry, Shropshire

Entering the awards and being short-listed is a huge boost to your self-esteem. I hadn’t appreciated how big an award it is. All my clients are chuffed to bits. And the Awards Night is one hell of a night out for British farming and a great ego trip.

Adrian Ivory

2008 Farmer of the Year and Young Farmer of the Year

Perthshire

It’s a great honour to win one of these awards, let alone two. Winning has significantly enhanced my profile within the livestock and arable sectors. It’s opened new doors – my name is now known and used by both the English and Scottish ministers for agriculture. It has also provided me with the chance of learning more about other sides of the food chain.

Ian Waller

2008 Countryside Farmer of the Year

Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire

I have had letters, calls and comments from people congratulating me. The grain co-op I belong to is cock-a-hoop that one of its members won the award and buyers and suppliers are pleased to be associated with a winner. Don’t be put off by the questions on the entry form. Make sure you get one thing into your entry that attracts the judges to want to come and have a look.

Crosby Cleland

2008 Sheep Farmer of the Year

Northern Ireland

I am still on a high. It has certainly helped me with my dealings with suppliers and my product is accepted into the meat plant a lot quicker now than it was before. And I’ve been asked to join a study trip to New Zealand.

Andrew Freemantle

2008 Pig Farmer of the Year

Exeter, Devon

If you’re going to win any award, this is the one. It’s helped us approach new customers and immediately gives them confidence in our business. The overall value of all the PR and marketing is literally tens of thousands of pounds.