Top Female Farmer Awards celebrate 18th birthday

Maureen Hedley
Maureen Hedley

To celebrate 18 years of the Welsh Woman Farmer Award's, a cake cutting ceremony will take place at the Royal Welsh Show, in the NFU Cymru Pavilion, on Thursday, 24 July 2014 from 11.30am, to which NFU Cymru has invited all previous winners to attend. The first winner of the Award, Jane James, from Pembrokeshire, will cut the cake alongside this year’s winner.

NFU Cymru will announce this year’s winner of the Award at 11.30am. The three finalists are: Eleri Lloyd, Ffynonlwyd Farm, Llangynin, St Clears, Carmarthenshire; Maureen Hedley, who is an assistant herdswoman at Little Hoaten Farm, Dale, Pembrokeshire and Meinir Evans, Cwmfran Fawr, Cil-y-cwm, Llandovery, Carmarthenshire.

Reflecting on 18 years of incredible Award memories NFU Cymru Communications Adviser, Sarah Jones said, “The Award turning 18 is a huge achievement and a special time for us. Starting an award such as this has changed the industry, helped represent a diverse range of women in agriculture and given a platform to emerging women farmers is something to be proud of and we will continue to build this positive legacy.”

Pat Ashman, Sponsorship and Events Manager for the Principality Building Society, the competition’s sponsor, said, “It’s such an honor to be celebrating 18 years of the Wales Women Farmer Award’s success. Previous winners have raised the profile of women in agriculture and used their success to reach out and encourage other women. We are really looking forward to this year’s anniversary event at the Royal Welsh Show.”

The winner of the NFU Cymru /Principality Building Society Wales Woman Farmer of the Year 2014/15 competition will receive a Welsh cut glass engraved fruit bowl as well as £500 and the two runners up will receive £100 each.