Categories

The Dairy Farm of the Year Award is open to any farm that operates any size of herd from the smallest herd of milking cows to the biggest. It does not have to be purely a dairy farm - we are mindful that many dairy farms may also have other livestock and arable land.             

There are no restrictions.           

Suggestions that you might consider when nominating either yourself or if nominating someone. You / they don’t need to have done any of these – they are just some ideas!  

• Is there anything new about your dairy farm that you’ve done in recent times and you’re proud of?
• Do you show your dairy herd at local agricultural shows and had a great 2022 show season or are having a great 2023 season?
• Have you done something different? Have you seen your local dairy farm set up a milk vending or ice cream operation that is creating a great reaction with customers?
• Are you a happy customer?
• Has your dairy farm / your local dairy farm gone into different breeds / improved herd health / changed in any way?
• Has a new generation become involved and helped change things for the better?               

The Cattle Farm of the Year Award is open to any farm that operates any size of suckler herd, stores herd or those who are purely finishers of cattle. We understand that pedigree and commercial cattle farms have quite different roles and we want to encourage all sectors to be nominated.  It does not have to be purely a cattle farm - we are mindful that many farms that have cattle may also have arable land and other livestock.

There are no restrictions.

Suggestions that you might consider when nominating either yourself or if you want to nominate someone. You / they don’t need to have done any of these – they are just some ideas!

• Is there anything new about your cattle farm that you’ve done in recent times and you’re proud of? 
• Do you show your cattle at local agricultural shows and had a great 2022 show season or are having a great 2023 season?
• Have you done something different? Have you seen your local cattle farm set up a beef selling operation from the farm that is creating a great reaction with customers?
• Are you a happy customer?
• Has your cattle farm or has your local cattle farm gone into different breeds / improved herd health / changed in any way?
• Has a new generation become involved and helped change things for the better?               

The Pig & Poultry Farm of the Year Award is open to any farm that operates any size of pig herd or poultry unit. We understand that pigs and poultry are vastly different but they are often banded together as such.  It does not have to be purely a pig farm or poultry farm - we are mindful that many farms that have pigs and poultry may also have arable land and other livestock.

There are no restrictions.

Suggestions that you might consider when nominating either  yourself or if you want to nominate someone.  You / they don’t need to have done any of these – they are just some ideas!

• Is there anything new about your pig or poultry farm that you’ve done in recent times and you’re proud of? 
• Do you show your pigs or poultry at local agricultural shows and had a great 2022 show season or are having a great 2023 season?
• Have you done something different? Have you seen your local pig or poultry farm set up a selling operation from the farm that is creating a great reaction with customers?
• Are you a happy customer?
• Has your pig or poultry farm gone into different breeds / improved herd health / changed in any way?
• Has a new generation become involved and helped change things for the better?

The Sheep Farm of the Year Award is open to any farm that operates any size of sheep flock. We understand that sheep farms can differ wildly from lowland to hill flocks and these can include commercial and pedigree flocks.  It does not have to be purely a sheep farm - we are mindful that many farms that have sheep may have other livestock and also arable land.

There are no restrictions.

Suggestions that you may consider when nominating either yourself or if you want to nominate someone. You / they don't need to have done any of these  - they are just some ideas!

• Is there anything new about your sheep farm that you’ve done in recent times and you’re proud of? 
• Do you show your sheep at local agricultural shows and had a great 2022 show season or are having a great 2023 season?
• Have you done something different? Have you seen your local sheep farm set up a lamb meat selling operation from the farm that is creating a great reaction with customers?
• Are you a happy customer?
• Has your sheep farm gone into different breeds / improved herd health / changed in any way?
• Has a new generation become involved and helped change things for the better?

The Arable Farm of the Year Award is open to any farm that grows any kind of crop.  We understand that arable farms can differ wildly in size so this award is not just about the number of acres.  It does not have to be a purely arable farm - we are mindful that many arable farms may also have livestock.

There are no restrictions

Suggestions that you might consider when nominating either yourself or if you want to nominate someone. You / they don’t  need to have done any of these – they are just some ideas!

• Is there anything new about your arable farm that you’ve done in recent times, and you’re proud of? 
• Have you done something different? Perhaps you have seen your crops milled or simply sold from the farm and that is creating a great reaction with customers?
• Are you a happy customer?
• Has your arable farm operation been improved through technology / changed in any way?
• Has a new generation become involved and helped change things for the better?

The Mixed Farm of the Year Award is open to any farm that operates any form of mixed farm enterprise. We are mindful that farms operate two or more livestock species and that often the farms operate as both arable and livestock farms.

There are no restrictions.

Suggestions that you might consider when nominating either yourself or if you want to nominate someone else. You / they don't need to have done any of these - they are just some ideas!

• Is there anything new about your mixed farm that you’ve done in recent times and you’re proud of? 
• Do you show your livestock at local agricultural shows and had a great 2022 show season or are having a great 2023 season?
• Have you done something different? Have you seen your local mixed farm set up something from the farm that is creating a great reaction with customers?
• Are you a happy customer?
• Has your mixed farm gone into different breeds / improved herd health / taken on new crop varieties /changed in any way?
• Has a new generation become involved and helped change things for the better?

The Rural Rising Sar of the Year Award is to be awarded to anyone under the age of 35. The next generation is vital to the future of rural Yorkshire. We welcome nominations for all those who may already be either running a family farm, working as a farm manager, working in any way in farming, perhaps running their own agricultural contracting business or even have come up with a great idea - also absolutely anyone who is doing something important for rural Yorkshire whether on a farm or not.

We are mindful that there are may young men and women who are already making either a big impression or are simply heading in the right direction. This is not about who is doing the most or involved with the biggest farm or size of enterprise - it is about recognising the good work being done throughout the county by the next generation.

Suggestions that you might consider when nominating either yourself or if you want to nominate someone else. You / they don't need to have done any of these - they are just some ideas!

• Is there anything new you have done in recent times and you’re proud of? 
• Have you launched your own business or taken on your own farm, have you stepped in to take over at home, maybe your livestock has performed well at pedigree auctions? Have you created farm/business relationships through your crops?
• Have you done something different? Have you set up something that is creating a great reaction with customers?
• Are you a happy customer of the young farmer?

The Farm Shop of the Year Award is open to any farm shop. We are mindful that many farm shops are run alongside existing farm businesses and that these have, in some cases, become incredibly successful. We welcome those farm shops that are continually pushing the boundaries with new ideas, new ways of attracting business and maintaining their success.

There are no restrictions.

Suggestions that you might consider when nominating either yourself or if you want to nominate someone else. You / they don't need to have done any of these - they are just some ideas!

• Is there anything new about your farm shop that you’ve done in recent times and you’re proud of? 
• Have you done something different? Have you seen your farm shop set up something that is creating a great reaction with customers?
• Are you a happy customer?
• Has a new generation become involved and helped change things for the better?

Environment is high on the agenda and this category is designed to reward those making a difference, whether through creating new woodlands and hedgerows, farming alongside nature, safeguarding wildlife, looking at new green and sustainable processes or providing improved access for leisure use by walkers, cyclists or horse riders. We are looking for someone who has shown vision and drive to improve the environment for those around them and future generations, creating safe havens for wildlife, better access for more people to enjoy the countryside and helping the planet’s sustainability.
We understand that farmers have always been enhancers of nature and there are always new initiatives. We want this award to recognise the ingenuity and the work that goes on throughout Yorkshire in enhancing nature and farming.

There are no restrictions.

Suggestions that you might consider when nominating either yourself or if you want to nominate someone else. You / they don't need to have done any of these - they are just some ideas!

• Is there anything new that you’ve done in recent times and you’re proud of?
• Have you initiated a new process that means that your farm or business has improved green credentials?
• Have you done something different? Have you seen something that is creating greater wildlife and enhanced the insect population in your soil?
• Have you seen a farm or individual who has changed their farming operation with regeneration or sustainability in mind?

The Rural Product of the Year Award is open to anyone in farming or the countryside who has launched a new product in recent times. It can be anything! It could be a food product from any form of animal or crop; a drink product alcoholic or non-alcoholic; a clothing product. It doesn’t have to have been produced by a farm, but must have started from a farming source.  We are aware that businesses, whether based on farm or not, are always expanding or altering their range of produce.  The product of the year could come from alpaca socks, new varieties of milkshake, woolly jumpers, new sausages varieties, granolas, porridges, a new beer, a new wine … the list is long and we would love to hear from anyone who has launched a new product of any kind in the recent past.

There are no restrictions.

Suggestions that you might consider when nominating either yourself or if you want to nominate someone else. You / they don't need to have done any of these - they are just some ideas!

• Is there any new product you’ve launched in recent times that you are proud of? 
• Your own branded milk / beef / lamb / chicken / duck / turkey / flour / eggs / butter / wool / woolly item / granola / wine / beer / cordial / sausage / pork pie / beef pie / biscuits / carvings / sculptures
• Have you bought and been satisfied with a farm or individual’s new product?

The Rural Event of the Year Award is open to any event that has taken place in the countryside any time in 2022 or 2023 up until the closing date for nominations. There are so many fantastic agricultural shows through the Summer; Point to Point race meetings during winter; Charity Tractor Runs; Scarecrow Festivals, Ploughing Matches, Machinery Shows, Open Farm Days, Village Galas, Food Festivals and Family Music Festivals … and there are great one-off events.  We want to recognise the spirit of those who are always seeking to make their events either better than ever before or have launched something new, we would love to hear about everything that makes each event great.

There are no restrictions.

Suggestions that you might consider when nominating either yourself or if you want to nominate someone else. You / they don't need to have done any of these - they are just some ideas!

• Is there any new event that has been started up in recent times that you are proud of?
• Is there an existing event that has done particularly well in recent times?
• Are you a satisfied visitor of this event?

The Rural Business of the Year Award is open to anyone who operates any type of business in the countryside, whether based in a rural village or somewhere quite remote.  It can be on a farm or not on a farm. The idea is we want to encourage all forms of business whatever it is. Greater numbers of businesses being developed in the countryside enhances opportunity for greater employment.

There are no restrictions.

Suggestions that you might consider when nominating either yourself or if you want to nominate someone else. You / they don't need to have done any of these - they are just some ideas!

• Do you have a new business that has been started up in recent times that you are proud of? 
• Are you a satisfied customer of this business?
• There are thousands of businesses based in the countryside from traditional tea shops, B&Bs, camp sites, caravan sites, tourist venues, online shops, village stores, pubs, food processors, manufacturers, wedding venues, training centres, education sites, every kind of business!

The Lifetime Achievement Award is chosen by the judges. This will be an individual who has dedicated decades of service to agriculture in Yorkshire and deserves extra special recognition for their outstanding achievements. This is one category where nominations are not necessary.

The Farm of the Year Award will be chosen by the judges from the award winners in the categories 1 to 6, the individual farm sector awards.