Carbon Farmer of the Year
The Carbon Farmer of the Year competition is now closed for entries. The deadline was 4 July 2023. Judging is now taking place, with winners to be announced at the FCT Annual Field Day on 21st September.
Background
Carbon determines our global climate system. This is having increasing effects on how we live our lives and is shaping how we should conduct ourselves. There are the means to adapt to climate change whilst remaining productive and profitable, but sometimes we need pioneers to guide the way.
In February 2023, we launched our Carbon Farmer of the Year Competition aimed at helping to find, promote and champion UK farmers, sector organisations and businesses who are leading the way in adopting farming practices and developing new technologies which reduce farm emissions whilst optimising output and our adaption to climate change.
Like our Soil Farmer of the Year Competition, which has been running since 2015, it is expected this competition will become widely recognised by organisations working to reduce carbon and other greenhouse emissions within agriculture. Similarly, in the same way building soil health increases farms’ resilience, adapting practices to reduce emissions on farms has a plethora of benefits.
Rewarding farmers
This competition is the only one of its kind which seeks to identify and reward those who are working hard to manage emissions and carbon storage.
We will be looking to reward those who are:
- implementing effective mitigation practices
- adopting new technologies which are appropriate and beneficial
- providing inspiration for others to successfully emulate
For more than a decade FCT has been working to facilitate discussion and information sharing between farmers and other actors on climate change and emissions within agriculture. This work has ultimately helped lead to changes in on-farm practice, but there will always be others paving the way forward. We believe it is now time to celebrate some of the achievements within the agricultural sector that are otherwise going unrecognised and inspire others on how to make appropriate, accomplishable and positive changes.
Creating a network of farming excellence for carbon
Network creation is of paramount importance and this competition aims to build levels of carbon knowledge amongst farmers and land managers, while also raising the profile of the many effective ways in which on-farm emissions can be reduced and increased carbon storage can be achieved.
This new competition will allow for discussions on carbon emissions and sinks on farms to be framed in a very practical way to allow for maximum engagement with the issue. FCT plans to achieve this through on-farm events and workshops, discussions on new innovations in machinery and techniques, and by learning more about new research and linking into other projects.
The long term objective of this competition is to create a network of alumni who are changing their management practices to better manage emissions and carbon storage on farmland who will inspire others through activity, practical demonstrations and advocacy for changing management practices.
When and where?
The competition opened on the 8th February, and entries closed on the 4th July 2023.
Shortlisted candidates were notified in July with judge visits taking place in July and August.
The winners will be announced at the Farm Carbon Toolkit Annual Autumn Conference on Thursday 21st September, this year to be held at the Hendred Estate, Oxfordshire.
How to apply (now closed!)
To apply or nominate a farmer or organisation you know, please fill in our application form here: https://forms.gle/fnXqq9EZZKWZZdTJ7
