Farmers through to awards final

Picture: Guy Smith

Two East Anglian farmers are through to the last stage of a national competition to find the best of British agriculture. Cambridgeshire grower Clem Tompsett and Essex farmer Guy Smith are in the final of the NFU's farming excellence awards, which are designed to reward farmers and growers who have made an outstanding and innovative contribution to agriculture and horticulture. They will both attend the NFU's annual lunch in London on 11 March, when the results will be announced, and could each win £1000. Clem is managing director of Tompsett Burgess Growers at Whitehall Farm, Isleham. He encouraged work on developing a purple carrot as a way of getting children to eat more vegetables. He is through to the final two in the innovation in the food chain category, sponsored by Marks & Spencer. Guy, from Wigboro Wick Farm, St Osyth, is in the last two for the farming ambassador of the year category, in recognition of his work promoting agriculture and encouraging other farmers to do the same.

As well as talking and writing about farming issues in the media, he has produced a 'positive facts' booklet for farmers, helped develop a public speaking training tool, and promoted farming to the public at schools days, agricultural shows and other events. Safeway sponsors the farming ambassador category in association with Farmers' Guardian. NFU President Tim Bennett said: "Our judges had a very tough job in choosing this year's finalists from a diverse selection of high calibre regional winners. The finalists demonstrate clearly the contribution made by forward-thinking farmers, both to the countryside and the economy."