Deadline for West Cork Farming Awards extended

THE deadline for nominations for the inaugural Southern Star and Celtic Ross Hotel West Cork Farming Awards has been extended to Friday, August 14^th.

And, there is an added incentive for people to send in nominations, as all who do so will be entered into a special draw and the one chosen will win a carvery lunch for two at the Celtic Ross Hotel in Rosscarbery.

The awards are to honour farmers, their families and the wider agricultural community, including agri business, in West Cork for their endeavour and achievements in helping the area to produce food of the highest calibre for which it is noted internationally. The Southern Star and Celtic Ross Hotel West Cork Farming Awards 2015 will recognise some of these people and we are looking for nominations from people involved in farming, the agri industry and members of the general public of people they feel are worthy of being considered and a person may also nominate his or her self.

In this first year of the awards, there are four categories in which people can make nominations. Each winner will receive a specially-commissioned trophy and a prize to the value of €500.

The categories are:

• Young Farmer award
• Innovation and Vision award
• International award for achievements abroad
• Hall of Fame award

Having chosen the category on the entry form (in this week’s Southern Star) for which you wish to make a nomination, tell us briefly why you think the person is deserving of that award. The final deadline for accepting nominations has been extended to Friday, August 14^th, 2015 and they should be sent to: West Cork Farming Awards, Southern Star, Ilen Street, Skibbereen, Co Cork, or send an email to [email protected]

The judging panel will be chaired by Con Downing, editor of The Southern Star and will comprise Billy Kelleher, regional manager of Teagasc Cork West; JJ Walsh, sales and marketing manager of the Carbery Group, and John Buckley, a former Macra Young Farmer of the Year. Decisions of the judges will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

The winners of the various categories will be announced in September and the awards will be presented during a gala West Cork farming family day in the Celtic Ross Hotel, Rosscarbery, on Sunday, October 11^th next, which will be a big celebration of all that is good on the local agricultural front.

So, get your nominations in now, using the form below, and be in with a chance to win a carvery lunch for two at the Celtic Ross Hotel in Rosscarbery. Extra forms are available by calling The Southern Star on 028-21200, or you may email your nominations to [email protected]

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