Natural England - Lincolnshire farmer named award winner !
Lincolnshire farmer named award winner !
9 October 2009
Lincolnshire farmer, Nicholas Watts, was named winner of the coveted Countryside Farmer of the Year Award, sponsored and presented by Natural England. The winners of the Farmers Weekly Awards 2009 were unveiled at a glittering awards ceremony at London's Grosvenor House hotel on Thursday 8 October.
Natural England Knowledge Advisor, Peter Allen, said: “The high standard of entries made selecting an overall winner enjoyable but extremely difficult. The three finalists are all a credit to British agriculture but the enthusiasm, dedication and expertise shown by Nicholas Watts to farming and the environment, ensure he is a worthy winner.”
Chosen for his profitable farming while promoting wildlife, being a passionate ambassador for agriculture, his MBE for services to farming and conservation and his strong links with the local community, these attributes made Nicholas a clear winner in the judges’ opinions. One judge, Caroline Drummond, commented: “Nicholas Watts has worked hard to create an outstanding family business. He has shown that profitable farming can go hand-in-hand with environmentally responsible practices – his passion shines through in everything he does.”
Nicholas is extremely thrilled to have won the award: “I feel very privileged to be recognised on such a scale. Farming and wildlife has become a way of life for me and I thoroughly enjoy giving talks and providing farming and wildlife advice.”
The winners, selected from 45 businesses that made it to the finals of the Farmers Weekly Awards 2009, were revealed during the ceremony at the awards night, which applauds all that is great about British farming. The Farmers Weekly Awards have become a symbol of the innovation and commitment of British farmers. Now in their fifth year, the Awards have so far recognised nearly 150 finalists and winners for their achievements, innovation and hard work.
Farmers Weekly together with its industry sponsors, which span the whole of the food chain, want British farmers to get the recognition they deserve. These awards aim to showcase the best farmers in the country. And by telling their stories they can spread best practice, inspire others and influence the public about the role that farmers play in today’s society.
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Notes to editors:
For further information or if you would like to arrange for a photograph, please contact Charlene Kumar, Natural England Communications, on 0300 060 2828.
The Countryside Farmer of the Year Award recognises farmers and land managers for their hard work and dedication and asks for businesses to exhibit how they work alongside environmental measures; with local communities or the wider public; and how they are working towards protecting and improving biodiversity, historic heritage, soil, water and environmental value of their farm business.
Further information on the Farmers Weekly Awards can be found at: http://www.farmersweeklyawards.co.uk
More about Nicholas Watts: Nicholas, who was awarded an MBE for services to farming and conservation, grew his land in Deeping St Nicholas, Spalding from just 160 hectares to an impressive 850 hectares over 42 years. Vine House Farm is managed under Natural England’s Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS).
Mr Watts operates a bird seed business from the farm, and with turnover set to soar to over £2 million this year, he is a prime example of a how profit-making and farming can go hand-in-hand.
Every crop, cultivation method and spray used on the farm has been carefully researched by Mr Watts to avoid harming wildlife. His farming techniques aim to enhance wildlife habitats and reduce damaging machinery operations. Mr Watts also incorporates environmental measures in his farm by keeping pesticide use to a minimum and has installed three wind turbines. The three two megawatt turbines produce more energy than the farm consumes. A boiler fed on waste wood heats the house in winter and a swimming pool in summer. "We've not heated the house with any oil since 1980" says Mr Watts.
His wildlife and environmental ambitions do not stop there. Natural England’s CSS scheme is helping to fund the creation of habitat and rebuild the fen landscape through a reedbed extension, aimed at attracting Marsh Harrier and passing Bittern. There are also plans to develop a manmade cliff face, which could provide nesting holes for Kingfisher and Sand Martins.
The farm is a major local business that employs some 14 staff from the local community, including five family members. "We keep as much trading as local as we can and employ local people for our permanent jobs,” explains Mr Watts.
Natural England Farm Advisor, Craig King, works closely with Nicholas: “Mr. Watts’ contribution to English agriculture is a reflection of his forward thinking and pioneering approach to conservation.” He proves that even in a predominantly arable area, economically productive farming can work alongside wildlife conservation.
Environmental Stewardship has ensured that thousands of farmers and land managers have the funding and advice available to help them undertake work to conserve and improve the countryside – delivering environmental benefits through England. The Stewardship is helping the natural environment to adapt to climate change, for example by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, providing and protecting carbon storage, and helping to manage flooding.
Environmental Stewardship is a key part of the Government and EU funded Rural Development Programme for England 2007-2013, with £2.9 billion of funding to support sustainable agriculture throughout the countryside. The scheme is administered by Natural England on behalf of Defra.
Vine House Farm is open to the general public for farm walks and open days, in order to see the farm and observe the wildlife. The farm has appeared in two national geographic texts for use by schools across the country.