Congratulations to the winners of the National Women in Agriculture Awards 2024!

 

Scroll down to see who took home a trophy or click here to see the full image gallery from the event. 

Agricultural Advisor of the Year

Winner: Ruth ML Farrell, DJM Consulting

Ruth Farrell is an independent rural business consultant, chartered surveyor, and agricultural valuer. She is also the youngest rural arbitrator in England and Wales and the glowing testimonials from clients showed how her work is highly valued.

Finalists:

Janette Sutherland, SAC Consulting

Sarah Denney-Richards, Denney King 

(L-R): Jo Caulfield, Ruth Farrell, and Barbara Bray - Food Safety Consultant at Harper Adams University

Agricultural Influencer of the Year

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Winner: Abi Reader MBE, Goldsland Farm

Abi Reader’s vlog of her experience of TB helped communicate the devastating effect of the disease to a wide audience and her campaigning spirit has helped amplify farming voices in her native Wales and beyond.

Finalists:

Eleanor Gilbert, Berkshire Farm Girl

Emma Smith, The Youngstock 

(L-R): Jo Caulfield, Abi Reader MBE, Sarah Dean - Noble Foods Chair and Owner

Business of the Year

Winner: Pinstone

Pinstone is a PR and marketing business serving the food, farming and environment sector, lead by women and with a largely female staff. It is excellent at what it does, and helps communicate the work of agricultural businesses to a wider audience.

Finalists:

Clive Soanes Broilers

Noble Foods

(L-R): Jo Caulfield, Catherine Linch - Pinstone, Judith Batchelar - Director at Food Matters International

Employer of the Year

Winner: Poultry Health Services 

Poultry veterinary company Poultry Health Services was created by Sara Perez in 2018, whose passion and determination to develop young women within the business shines through. Sara currently leads a team of 25 vets, of which more than half are female vets from diverse backgrounds and nationalities.

Finalists:

AMC

Corteva Agriscience

(L-R): Jo Caulfield, Sara Perez - Poultry Health Services, Catherine Cooper - Director of People at NFU

Farming Woman of the Year

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Winner: Abi Reader MBE, Goldsland Farm 

Abi Reader is a dairy farmer and is deputy president of the NFU in Wales. She is a passionate advocate for farming, and communicates the joys and challenges of farming effectively in media appearances and in hosting numerous events to local groups and schools. Her work talking about the devastating effects of TB has been particularly important in the past year.

Finalists:

Claire Wright, Clive Soanes Broilers

Sarah Bell, Scott & Scott (Ayston)

(L-R): Jo Caulfield, Abi Reader OBE, Cheryl Allen - Head of Sustainability at Nestlé UK

Innovator of the Year

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Winner: Dr Jenna Ross OBE, Crop Health and Protection

Jenna Ross is the creator of the magnificently named slug-bot. She currently works for the UK Government funded Agri-Tech centres, bringing together leading scientists, farmers, and advisors.

Finalists:

Anne Fleck, Eggbase

Sue Pritchard, Food, Farming and Countryside Commission

(L-R): Jo Caulfield, Dr Jenna Ross OBE, Sarah Haire - Group Head of Agriculture at Dunbia (UK)

Lifetime Achievement

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Winner: Minette Batters

Minette Batters was the first woman to lead the NFU, and she has been an inspiration to countless others in the industry.  A champion of British agriculture, a relentless campaigner, and a leader during a huge period of turbulence politically and globally, over the past few years she made sure she got in the right rooms with the right people at the right time. A worthy winner of the lifetime achievement award!

(L-R): Jo Caulfield, Minette Batters, Cathryn Higgs - Head of Ethics, Sustainability & Policy at Co-op

Rising Star of the Year

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Winner: Eleanor Gilbert, Berkshire Farm Girl 

Eleanor Gilbert’s passion for farming shines through. She combines working on a fifth generation family farm with her studies at Harper Adams university, and also finds time to do innovative crop trials as well as writing for farming magazines and putting in the occasional appearance on Countryfile.

Finalists:

Bridgette Baker, Windmill Agri

Dr Jenna Ross OBE, Crop Health and Protection

(L-R): Jo Caulfield, Eleanor Gilbert, Sophie Throup - Technical and Sustainability Director at Morrisons

Supply Chain Woman of the Year

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Winner: Julie Eccleston, Traditional Norfolk Poultry 

Julie Eccleston has been instrumental in growing the Traditional Norfolk Poultry business over 17 years, winning many new accounts with major supermarkets and gaining a reputation for dedication and attention to detail from both colleagues and customers.

Finalists:

Helen Whittle, The AF Group

Sophie Throup, Morrisons

(L-R): Jo Caulfield, Julie Eccleston, Lindsay Hart - European Tyre Sales Director at Goodyear Farm Tires

Sustainability Champion of the Year

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Winner: Olivia Shave, Ecoewe

As part of her dedication to low impact farming, Olivia Shave of Ecoewe, is a passionate custodian of the land. Her business makes use of every part of the animal including producing rugs and jumpers with zero waste.

Finalists:

Muriel Naughton, West End Farm

Zoe Mee, Mee Farmers

(L-R): Jo Caulfield, Olivia Shave, Martin Hanson - Head of Agriculture at HSBC UK

Trade Organisation Woman of the Year

Winner: Sarah Millar, Quality Meat Scotland 

As chief executive of Quality Meat Scotland, Sarah Millar invited every politician in Scotland on to a farm in the six weeks leading up to COP26 to talk about food and farming, and has also been instrumental in developing a red meat net zero roadmap.

Finalists:

Caroline Millar, Scottish Agritourism

Jill Hewitt, National Association of Agricultural Contractors

(L-R): Jo Caulfield, Sarah Millar, Chloe Ryan - Editor of Poultry Business magazine

Training and Education Woman of the Year

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Winner: Kay Helyar, The DPJ Foundation

The DPJ Foundation is a truly inspiring charity, providing mental health help and support to farming people. Kay Helyar has helped deliver training to over 1,500 people since she joined the charity in 2016.

Finalists:

Caroline Tasker, South Brockwells Farm School

Carrie Barrett, Gressingham Foods

(L-R): Jo Caulfield, Emma O-Sullivan - collecting on behalf of Kay Helyar, Shelagh Hancock - Chief Executive of First Milk

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Recognition

These awards recognise and celebrate female talent in agriculture, from production, stockpersonship, innovation and sustainability. There will be a strong focus on the stars of the future, and those who have made a difference over their whole careers

Networking

A fantastic opportunity to network with women from across the industry, sharing knowledge and building friendships and contacts.

Music, Food and Fun

A celebrity host will make this an evening to remember, as you raise a glass and party with live music!