Nature-friendly Vine House Farm in Deeping St Nicholas shortlisted for national award
A farm has been shortlisted for a national award due to its nature-friendly approach.
The inaugural Schöffel Countryside Awards will recognise those who are improving the health of the British countryside and delivering for wildlife.
Deeping St Nicholas’ Vine House Farm has been shortlisted in the Nature-Friendly Farm/Estate Award – sponsored by Oakbank, which celebrates farms and estates that have excelled in implementing practices that promote biodiversity and species recovery.
It will be up against Nedging Hall Estate, Suffolk, Courteenhall Farms, Northamptonshire, Cruglas Farm, Ceredigion, Gordon Castle Estate Co Ltd, Moray, J&J Beary Farming Ltd, Cumbria, Ragley Estate, Warwickshire and EJ Barker & Sons, Suffolk.
More than 80 nominations were received earlier this year, from which 24 finalists have been shortlisted across six categories.
The panel of 28 judges have spent the spring and summer visiting each finalist to observe their conservation work in action.
The winner of each category will be announced at an evening awards ceremony on Monday, November 3.
The awards event is the culmination of apartnership between clothing brand Schöffel Country and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT).
Schöffel Country’s executive director Marcus Janssen, who is also a judge, says: “We’re excited to unveil our finalists, chosen from a very strong field of entries across all six award categories.
“These are exactly the sort of people and projects we set out to find when we launched the awards in January. The passion and dedication we have seen during our judging visits has been truly remarkable.
“We now look forward to sharing our finalists’ stories, and highlighting their achievements, with a wider audience.”
Megan Lock, judge and senior farm environment advisor for GWCT, says: “I have been incredibly impressed with the commitment and dedication I have seen on all my judging visits, where individuals and groups have gone above and beyond to deliver benefits for the environment.
“These awards are a great way to showcase and appreciate those making a difference who generally go unrecognised.”