Six members of the agricultural community have received awards from the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE), in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the agricultural industry through leadership, spearheading of innovation and demonstration of best practice.
The winners were announced at the annual RASE Awards Day on Thursday 12th September, which took place at Courteenhall Estate in Northamptonshire.
David Grint, CEO at RASE, shares that the winners of the 2024 RASE Awards demonstrate the breadth of forms that effective leadership can take.
“From being willing to implement a novel approach on-farm and openly sharing learnings with peers, right through to speaking up for agriculture in policy and supply chain settings, each of the 2024 winners are exemplary leaders in their own right,” he says.
This year, the National Agricultural Award, which is sponsored by Savills, was presented to Minette Batters, in recognition of her leadership as president of the NFU from 2018 to February 2024.
Mr. Grint describes Baroness Batters as a positive force for the agricultural industry. “Her honest, hands-on approach to the leadership of the NFU for the last six years has been commendable and unwavering, despite the challenges of Covid, Brexit and market pressures,” he says.
In addition to the National Agricultural Award, details of the 2024 RASE award winners are as follows:
- The Bledisloe Gold Medal, which is sponsored by Burges Salmon, was awarded to Lord Hertford for his outstanding achievements in the successful land management and development of the Ragley Estate in Warwickshire.
- David Miller, farm manager at Wheatsheaf Farming in Hampshire, received the Excellence in Practical Farming award in recognition of his pioneering approach to improving soil health, which began with trialling cover cropping in 2010. This award is sponsored by Trinity AgTech.
- Dr. Simon Griffiths from the John Innes Centre received the Science & Technology Award, in recognition of his contributions to the advancement of wheat research. This award is sponsored by Future Biogas.
- David Brass of the Lakes Free Range Egg Company won the Farm of the Future Award, in recognition of how he has demonstrated that care for the environment and adoption of new technology can work together to improve both productivity and welfare. This award is sponsored by The Crown Estate.
- Angus Gowthorpe won the Natural Capital Award, in recognition of how he has successfully built a farming operation that is not only environmentally restorative but also economically resilient. This award, which is new for 2024, is supported by the Trinity Natural Capital Pro Council.
“We are most grateful to all the award sponsors and to Dr. Johnny Wake for hosting an incredibly inspiring day at Courteenhall Estate,” concludes Mr. Grint.
