Macra na Feirme and FBD Insurance Recognise Work of Young Farmers
The FBD Young Farmer of the Year Final was held for its first time ever as a virtual presentation live on the Macra na Feirme Facebook page.
The awards, now in their 22nd year, are sponsored by FBD Insurance and supported by the IFA and the National Rural Network. The evening introduced us to the four finalists and gave us an overview of the farming enterprises they are running.
Macra na Feirme National President Thomas Duffy thanked all that applied and participated in the competition, “We were blown away by the volume of applications this year. This is a testament to the quality of our finalists. We would like to thank FBD Insurance, IFA and the NRN for their continued support throughout this competition”.
The evening saw a number of awards recognising young farmers:
- Dara Killeen of Galway won the Dairy category and took away the award for the Most Climate Change Conscious Young Farmer
- Maighread Barron of Waterford won the Land Mobility category
- Christopher Scally of Roscommon won the Dry Stock Category
- Nicola Clarke of Cavan won the Other Enterprises category
- James Kiernan of Cavan won the Best Emerging Young Farmer Award
- David Fogarty of Kilkenny won the Best Young Farm Manager Award
- Joe Melody of Clare was awarded the NRN Biodiversity Young Farmer of the Year Award, sponsored by the National Rural Network.
The end of the presentation left us in anticipation with the overall Young Farmer of the Year to be announced on Saturday morning on RTE Radio1’s Countrywide with Damien O Reilly at 8.10am.
“The ambition and passion of the finalists is a joy to behold and I wish to congratulate each of you on being selected as a finalist” said John Cahalan Chief Commercial Officer FBD. “These awards are instrumental as they provide a platform to showcase and highlight Irish agriculture and the fantastic work being done by young farmers”.
IFA President Tim Cullinan congratulated all those who took part in this year’s competition. “The aim of the competition is to recognise and reward the top young farmers in the country, who are the future of our sector. They are focused on building up their farm enterprises, innovating and participating in climate action. I am confident they will have a major contribution to make in the years to come.”
Congratulating the Biodiversity winner, Philip Farrelly of the National Rural Network said, "Throughout the semi-final and final rounds of this competition, the National Rural Network has been engaging with enthusiastic young farmers who have exhibited a passion for farming in a manner that protects and enhances the environment. Joe was awarded the 2020 National Rural Network Biodiversity Farmer of the Year due to his passion, commitment, and enthusiasm for sustainable farming. He is farming in a manner which respects nature, ensuring the land is properly cared for and that the habitats within it are protected and maintained."