IT is a sure sign that the year is flying by when the time has already arrived for us to seek nominations for the 4th annual West Cork Farming Awards, run by The Southern Star in conjunction with the Celtic Ross Hotel.
IT is a sure sign that the year is flying by when the time has already arrived for us to seek nominations for the 4th annual West Cork Farming Awards, run by The Southern Star in conjunction with the Celtic Ross Hotel.
Being a predominantly rural area, it is appropriate to honour farmers, their families, workers and agri businesses in West Cork for their endeavour and achievements.
Last year, once again, produced a very high calibre of winner, including John Sexton, Gurteen Farm, Bandon (Young Farmer of the Year), Stuart Kingston, Farnanes (Sustainability & Diversification), Robert & Shirley Shannon, Ballinascarthy (Dairy Farmers of the Year), Gerard Dineen, Kilnamartyra (Drystock Farmer of the Year) and John Sexton, Courtmacsherry (Hall of Fame).
This year there are five categories, as follows:
· Young Farmer award, sponsored by Drimoleague Concrete.
· Sustainability & Diversification, sponsored by Scally’s SuperValu, Clonakilty.
· Dairy Farmer of the Year, sponsored by Allied Irish Bank.
· Drystock Farmer of the Year, sponsored by Eurogene AI Services.
· Hall of Fame award, sponsored by Denis McSweeney & Sons Ltd, Enniskeane.
This year, there will be an extra Judges’ Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Farming Community, sponsored by Hodnett Forde, Auctioneers, Clonakilty.
We are now 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 for these awards. Each winner will receive a specially-commissioned trophy and a prize to the value of €500.
Having chosen the category on the entry form for which you wish to make a nomination, tell us briefly why you think the person is deserving of this award, but make sure you tell the person you are nominating in case they do not wish to let their name go forward for consideration. People may also nominate themselves.
If you have any enquiries, call us on 028-21200.
Please enter your nomination by clicking here.
Nominations are being accepted as of now and we would encourage people to get them in to us early as we will be profiling the shortlisted three nominees in each of the five categories in these West Cork Farming & Fisheries pages in August and September.
The judging panel will again be chaired by Con Downing, editor of The Southern Star, and includes Michael Connolly, acting 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.