Goodyear and Harper Adams celebrate farming throughout the decades
Goodyear has provided high performance farm tyres within the UK for 70 years. In celebration of this they have teamed together with Harper Adams University College, Shropshire to celebrate farming innovations within the UK.
Throughout the decades Goodyear has had innovation at the forefront, they put the first tyre on the moon, and created the first tyre to go over 600mph, making them leaders in the industry for over 70 years. 1938 saw the development of their first 45 degree lug bar farm tyre, the Ultra Torque, and throughout the years they saw the introduction of the famous Traction Sure Grip design as well as the Traction Drive and Bias Implement tyre range. Today Goodyear also produce the market leading Optitrac traction drive radial range.
The Goodyear Farming Innovation award has been created to celebrate the knowledge and development of British farmers. Goodyear is on the search for the UK's most innovative farmer to become the Goodyear Farming Innovator 2008 and win £3,500 worth of Goodyear farm tyres.
The leading tyre innovator will judge all of the entries submitted via mygoodyear.co.uk selecting three finalists, following that, Harper Adams University College will then select a winner to be announced at the British Ploughing Championships in October.
Harper Adams and Goodyear have a long association with each other, dating back to the 1950's. In 1954 Goodyear featured an article in their Agricultural Newsletter showcasing Harper Adams and its already established national reputation. From the beginnings of presenting a blend of both practical and academic teaching, Harper Adams, like Goodyear, has grown from strength to strength over the last five decades. Jim Loynes, Head of Engineering at Harper Adams, said: "I was delighted to be asked to get involved with this award. Our relationship with Goodyear goes back a long way and this is a natural and interesting development in that relationship, which I hope will continue for many years to come."
The university college encourages innovation in a number of different ways. They are the first to pioneer heating to halls of residence through a biomass burner and the UK's only institution for the delivery of Agricultural Engineering and Off Road Vehicle Design courses at degree level, as well as it being the largest centre for Land based teaching in the UK. Harper Adams is also home to the Centre for Rural Innovation, where staff are at the forefront of innovation in the rural economy.
Goodyear approached Harper Adams to help judge the Farming Innovation Award: "In talking to Harper Adams about their progression over the last fifty years it was obvious that a partnership with them would enable us to run the competition and discover true farming innovations in practice. We are so pleased that they have agreed to help us and hope that we can celebrate farming through out the decades with the best in the industry" said Andy Morris, Director of Goodyear OTR Tyres.
To enter your farming innovation to win the Goodyear Farming Innovation Award 2008 go to www.mygoodyear.co.uk
