THERE is still time to nominate someone whose contribution makes a real difference to farming for the region’s premier agricultural awards.

Nominations for the 2020 Northern Farmer Awards close on September 20, so if you know someone whose hard work and progressive approach makes them outstanding in their field, now is the time to speak up.

There are nine categories for you to chose from, with awards for the Farm Manager of the Year, Sheep Farmer of the Year, Beef Farmer of the Year, Dairy Farmer of the Year, Arable Farmer of the Year, Family-Run Farm of the Year, Diversification of the Year, Young Farmer of the Year and for the Outstanding Achievement.

Andrew Hitchon, editor of The Northern Farmer, said: “As our awards enter a new decade, farming faces a great time of uncertainty.

“One thing the experts seem to be agreed on is that those farmers who seek to be the best they can be will be best placed to survive and thrive in this new era.

“What better time then to celebrate the people who are already doing just that, and who exemplify the cream of Northern farming?”

Our big awards night will be held on February 27, 2020, at Pavilions of Harrogate.

The event has grown in both the quanity and quality of entries over the past few years and is now one of the highlights of the Northern farming calendar.

The category winners will be chosen by our judging panel a couple of weeks before the big night, who will then vote in a secret ballot to choose our overall winner, The Northern Farmer of the Year.

The 2019 winner was Henry Knowles, from Cumbria, who also won the Young Farmer of the Year category. The other winners came from across the length and breadth of our region.

Our principal sponsor is Mole Country Stores, which has given crucial backing to this prestigious competition since it began in 2013.

S&A Fabrications has sponsored the Beef Farmer of the Year Award, NFU Mutual has backed the Young Farmer Award and the Yorkshire Agricultural Society has supported the Family-Run Farm Award from the beginning.

We are also welcoming back as returning sponsors East Durham College Houghall Campus (Farm Manager), CF Fertilisers (Outstanding Achievement), Lely Center Longtown (Dairy Farmer), and Pottinger (Arable Farmer), while Agriplus are sponsoring the drinks reception at our awards and Kettlewell Fuels our awards videos.

The new sponsors that we are welcoming to the awards this year are Datamars for Sheep Farmer of the Year and Harrowells Solicitors for Diversification of the Year.

* If you would like to nominate yourself or someone you know for one of our awards, go to the awards section of our website to find category specifications and an online nomination form.