No amount of expensive equipment can replace the skills and experience of a dedicated workforce. They are, without doubt, the best investment that farmers and farm managers make on today’s farms.

Here is your opportunity to give them a well-deserved pat on the back by nominating your tractor driver, herdsmen, gamekeeper, sprayer operator, secretary or all-round farmworker for the 2011 Farmers Weekly Farmworker of the Year award, sponsored by Isuzu.

The Farmers Weekly Awards uncovered remarkable human ingenuity, experience and loyalty in the farmworker finalists and entries last year – and there’s everything to suggest that 2011 will unearth the same, and more.

Farmworkers are often the unsung heroes of British farming. From animal husbandry and machinery maintenance to applying new technology and educating the public, they’re at the sharp end of farming. It’s not the tools they’re given, it’s how they use them.

Last year’s winner, John Adams, showed dedication to the welfare of his cows in bucketloads, but also the technical nous to yield a £2000 margin over concentrate. That’s something very few herds are able to achieve. At 63, this record shows the rewards that come from those who treat farming as a passion and a way of life rather than just a job.

Meurig Raymond, judging this year’s Farmworker of the Year award, said: “Last year highlighted the huge number of dedicated, enthusiastic and professional farm workers there are in the industry. This year, we need these qualities more than ever to cope with the increased pressures on food production. I encourage people to put their names or those of their colleagues forward so they can earn the recognition they deserve.”

Nominating someone for the 2011 Farmers Weekly Awards is easy. Just visit www.farmersweeklyawards.co.uk and complete the nomination details, or if you wish to enter yourself, then complete an entry online, download an entry form or call Linda Kimberley on 020 8652 3304. The closing date for entries is 30 April 2011.

If you do one thing this week, give your best investments a pat on the back by nominating them for an award.