Suffolk’s Best Farms Announced
Twenty of the finest farms in Suffolk took part in the Suffolk Agricultural Association’s annual Farm Business Awards on 20 and 21 June and the winners were announced at a special presentation luncheon at the winning large farm on 7 July 2011.
This hotly contested competition is divided into three categories - for Small Farms (up to 200 hectares), Medium Farms (between 200 – 399 hectares) and Large Farms (over 400 hectares). Farms are judged from first to third place in each category and there are also special awards in each category for Best Conservation, Best Livestock Enterprise and Best Arable Crop. Despite the difficult conditions farmers have experienced this year with the low rainfall, entries across all categories were strong, with a number of first time competitors to the competition. There were six entries in both the Medium and Large categories and a record eight farms in the Small category.
The Winner of the Large Category this year was John Brown & Sons of Hawstead, Bury St Edmunds, who have now won the competition for two consecutive years. The medium farm category was won by L W Rolph & Son, of Grove Farm, Ufford and the Small Farm victors were H K Merriam & Son, Starhouse Farm, Thornham Magna.
Judging is based on a number of criteria, with the main focus being the whole business and its overall management which includes enterprise management (crops, livestock and other enterprise), marketing, employment and investment strategy. Business sustainability of land occupation including product development, diversification and long-term development is considered as well as the farm’s social and community involvement including its role in the community through activities including local education, public land use or employment and facilities for clubs.
This year’s judges came from the Peterborough area and their collective comments were that they were very impressed with the high standard of the entries in Suffolk, which made judging the competition a very close call.
Jonathan Reading, who judged the large farms along with fellow judge Mike Ashby commented,
‘We felt that John Brown & Sons was a justified winner, if only by the narrowest of margins. Their business, and enterprise management was carried to an exceptionally high standard. This became very evident when talking to Mr R Brown and his father, and looking at the impressive crops they had grown in this very testing season. They pay a great deal of attention to the environment, with land in the Organic entry level Scheme and ELS.
They also have a number of very successful diversification enterprises, including a venue for weddings and parties, a holiday let, fishing, and a soil screening business.’
Mike Fray and Charlie Reynolds judged the Small Farms Category and chose their winner H K Merriam & Son commenting that the enterprise was an excellent example of conservation and innovation running hand in hand. It was a well established business with a definite direction and they were impressed that the investment was commensurate with business scale and objective.
L W Rolph & Son, winners of the Medium Category were highly commented by Judges Ian Clayton Bailey and Richard Ramply for their excellent crop management and complete knowledge of the costs of production, enhanced by bench marking chemical and fertilizer prices. They were also impressed with their investment into irrigation and with the farm’s very good connection with the local community in conjunction with Suffolk Wildlife Trusts.
The competition was once again sponsored by the AMC and Robinson & Hall Estates Agents.