Nominate your candidates for two top FW Awards

Farmers Weekly is giving readers the chance to share their nominations for two special awards recognising unique contributions to farming.

We’re on the hunt for contenders in the ‘Farming Champion of the Year’ and the ‘Lifetime Achievement’ categories of our 2019 awards which, once again, are celebrating the very best of British agriculture.

We’re looking for two amazing individuals – but don’t be discouraged from nominating by assuming it is only famous people who can win. Often these prestigious titles have been scooped by normal people doing extraordinary things. 

See also: Meet the 2019 Farmers Weekly Awards finalists

So maybe a relative, neighbour, friend or colleague or yours could have the right credentials? It might even be you. Or perhaps it’s someone you’ve never met, but whose achievements and efforts on behalf of farming, the countryside, food and the ancillary sectors you admire?

People from many different backgrounds, doing many different things, have won both categories during the 15 years that the Farmers Weekly Awards have been running.

The farming community is full of modest people who do amazing work, often behind the scenes and without recognition. These awards will highlight two such inspirational people and give them a huge thank you from their peers.

Farming Champion Award 2019

This will be given to someone who has gone over and above the call of duty in the past 12 months to support farming and farmers.

Together with the NFU, which is sponsoring this award, we are looking for an individual who has worked hard to promote or represent our industry.

They might be doing it on their own or as part of a bigger group or organisation, and it might be happening on their own farm or elsewhere.

They might, for example, be running a campaign, doing educational work, raising public awareness or even developing business models, technology or practices that will benefit many producers and growers. Whatever they’re doing, they will be going the extra mile.

Previous winners include Sylvia Crocker who went on a mission to get supermarkets to display milk in more prominent in-store spots; headteacher Neil Satoor who collaborated with a local farmer to educate children about agriculture; and farmer Michael Sly who worked tirelessly to spread the word about the great work farmers do, including through Open Farm Sunday events.

Lifetime Achievement Award 2019

This is given to someone who has made a prolonged, effective contribution to agriculture or the countryside over many years.

It’s typically awarded to an individual who has supported and served the industry for decades, although it can be in any capacity.

Previous winners include Gordon Gatward, a Methodist minister who works selflessly to help farmers and their families; Lord Curry of Kirkharle who has been a lifelong champion of agriculture; and the late Professor John Alliston from the Royal Agricultural University who “shaped the shapers” of British agriculture through the courses he founded and ran.

How to make a nomination in either category:

Just send an email, telling us the name of your nominee and the category you’d like to put them forward for. If you want to include any information about them, please do, but this is not obligatory. We’ll even keep your nomination confidential if you ask us to.

The closing date for nominations is July 26. Email: emma.northam@proagrica.com