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The Dairy Farm of the Year Award is open to any farm being nominated 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 well aware that many dairy farms may also have other livestock and arable land.  

• Anything new about your dairy farm that you’ve done in recent times, and you’re proud of? 
• Do you just like the dairy farmer and want to nominate him/her/them?
• Perhaps you show your dairy herd at local agricultural shows and had a great 2023 show season or are having a great 2024 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 or has 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?  

We are delighted to add this new award for 2024. The Rare Breed Farm of the Year Award is open to any size of farm that also specialises in rare breeds. We are aware that some livestock farmers and arable farmers may have rare breeds on their farm, which can be included in nominations along with those that specialise wholly in rare breeds. 

• Anything new about your rare breed farm that you’ve done in recent times and you’re proud of?
• Perhaps you show your livestock at local agricultural shows and had a great 2023 show season or are having a great 2024 season.
• Have you done something different? Have you seen your local rare breed farm set up something from the farm 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?

The Poultry Farm of the Year Award is open to any farm being nominated that operates any size of poultry unit which can include egg laying hens, broilers/chicken rearers, turkeys, ducks and geese. We are well aware that many farms that have poultry may also have arable land, grassland and other livestock. Entries for the Poultry Farm of the Year do not have to be purely a poultry farm.

• Anything new about your poultry farm that you’ve done in recent times, and you’re proud of? 
• Perhaps you have shown your poultry at local agricultural shows in the past? We are aware that Avian Flu regulations will have stymied that in recent times.
• Have you done something different? Have you seen your local 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 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 Cattle Farm of the Year Award is open to any farm being nominated that operates any size of suckler herd, stores herd or those who are purely finishers of cattle. We are well aware 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 well aware that many farms that have cattle may also have arable land and other livestock.   

• Anything new about your cattle farm that you’ve done in recent times, and you’re proud of? 
• Perhaps you show your cattle at local agricultural shows and had a great 2023 show season or are having a great 2024 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 Farm of the Year Award is open to any farm being nominated that operates any size of sow herd or any on-contract pig rearing operation or any other pig farm. We are well aware that pigs may be kept alongside other farming enterprises such as other livestock or arable or grassland enterprises. Entries for the Pig Farm of the Year do not have to be purely a pig farm.

• Anything new about your pig farming enterprise, something you’ve done in recent times, and you’re proud of? 
• Perhaps you show your pigs at local agricultural shows and had a great 2023 show season or are having a great 2024 season?
• Have you done something different? Have you seen your local pig 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 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 being nominated that operates any size of sheep flock. We are well aware that sheep farms can differ wildly from lowland to hill flocks; and can include commercial and pedigree flocks. It does not have to be purely a sheep farm. We are well aware that many farms that have sheep may have other livestock and also arable land.

• Anything new about your sheep farm, that you’ve done in recent times, and you’re proud of? 
• Perhaps you show your sheep at local agricultural shows and had a great 2023 show season or are having a great 2024 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 being nominated that grows any kind of crop. We are well aware that arable farms can differ wildly in size. It is not about the number of acres. It does not have to be purely an arable farm. We are well aware that many arable farms may also have livestock.              

• 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 being nominated that operates any form of mixed farm enterprise. We are well aware that farms often operate two or more livestock species and that often farms operate as both arable and livestock farms.

• Anything new about your mixed farm that you’ve done in recent times and you’re proud of? 
• Perhaps you show your livestock at local agricultural shows and had a great 2023 show season or are having a great 2024 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 Star 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 all nominations for 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 have come up with a great idea – also absolutely anyone who is deserving of this title who is doing something great for rural Yorkshire whether on a farm or not! We are well aware that there are many young men and women who are already making either a big impression or are simply heading in the right direction.  Once again this is not about who is necessarily 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.

• Anything new you have done in recent times, and you’re proud of? 
• Perhaps you have launched your own business or taken on your own farm, you have stepped in to take over at home, maybe your livestock has performed well at pedigree auctions? You have 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 well aware 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 envelope with new ideas, new ways of attracting business and maintaining their success. 

• 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?

We have added several new awards for 2024 and we are delighted to include the Environmental Initiative of the Year Award. This award is specifically targeted at what farms are doing that is having a positive environmental impact including such as improving wildlife habitat, improving soil health, companion cropping, creating wildflower meadows, and any other element of environmental initiative that is providing positive benefits to the land, farming and the public. We welcome nominations from all farms that are adopting regenerative farming systems. 

• Anything specific about your environmental initiative that you’ve done in recent times, and you’re proud of? 
• Have you done something different? 
• Are you watching how this farm may be doing and are respectful of what the farm has achieved?

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 should have started from a farming source. We are well 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.

• Any new product you’ve launched in recent times, and you’re 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 & 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 2023 or 2024 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.              

• Any new event that has been started up in recent times, and you’re proud of?
• Any existing event that has done particularly well in recent times?
• Are you a satisfied visitor to 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.

• 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!

We are delighted to launch yet another new award this year: The Rural Tourism Award - Best Accommodation - is open to any farm or countryside accommodation that is either already established or a new tourist accommodation. There are so many fantastic rural accommodations from High End Glamping to Camping and Caravanning sites; barn conversions; holiday cottages and hotels; and traditional farmhouse bed and breakfasts and this award is about any tourist accommodation that brings revenue and people into the countryside. We want to recognise the spirit of those who are always seeking to make their tourist accommodation either better than ever before or have launched something new. We would love to hear about everything that makes each rural tourism accommodation great.              

• Any new rural accommodation that has been started up in recent times, and you’re proud of?
• Any existing rural accommodation that has done particularly well in recent times?
• Are you a satisfied visitor?

We are delighted to launch another new award this year: The Rural Tourism Award - Best Attraction - is open to any farm or countryside attraction that is either already established or a new tourist attraction. There are so many fantastic rural attractions from Farm Parks; Shows; Festivals; Tearooms; Outward Bound Centres; Quad Bike Drives; Off Road Centres and this award is about any tourist attraction that brings revenue and people into the countryside. We want to recognise the spirit of those who are always seeking to make their tourist attraction either better than ever before or have launched something new. We would love to hear about everything that makes each rural tourism attraction great.              

• Any new rural attraction that has been started up in recent times, and you’re proud of?
• Any existing rural attraction that has done particularly well in recent times?
• Are you a satisfied visitor?