Young Organic Farmer/Grower of the Year Award (YOFGY 2024)
The Award
The winner of this Award will be someone who has demonstrated an exceptional awareness and application of the principles of organic farming, in some manner, either at a micro level or at a broader level, or both.
Applications for the Award
Applications may be made by an individual or by a team of 2 or 3 people,
or
Applications may be made by anyone who wishes to nominate an individual or team that meets the qualifications for this Award – with the consent and inputs of the nominee(s).
Complete applications meeting the below criteria must be supplied by 10th May 2024 via email to YOFY@organicresearchcentre.com
The winner of the Award
- may be working on an exceptional activity or piece of business;
- may be designing a working system for their business or for a project; or
- may be an unsung hero of the community.
The Applicant(s)/Nominee(s)
The following information must be supplied for you/or the nominee (and, if applicable, for team members ):
- A brief curriculum vitae of your/your nominee’s working life, describing your/their current role and any relevant training you/they had in the past (or might need in the future) which is relevant;
- If nominating yourself the name and address of one or more relevant person who has known you/your team for some time and can support your application (please seek that person’s consent first);
- Your photograph in a jpeg file*
Part 1
Describe here why you feel that you/your nominee should be named Young Organic Farmer/Grower of the Year 2024, expressing, for example:
- your/your nominee’s commitment to the IFOAM organic principles (see below)
- your/your nominee’s ability to innovate and drive change
- your/your nominee’s leadership skills and ability to inspire others – for example by advocating adherence to organic principles more widely among your/your nominee’s peers.
(Max 500 words)
Part 2
Describe the organic farm or market garden which you/your nominee are currently engaged in, and in which you think you/they are playing a pivotal role, to include:
- the start date of the project (or when you/your nominee first engaged in it, if not from the start) (NB – this need not be a physical project)?
- who are your/their partners in directly implementing the project on the ground (not funders or service providers)?
(Max 500 words)
Part 3
What are your/your nominee’s current short- to medium-term priorities for the project as regards enhancing the organic system it involves, and what key challenges will have to be overcome to carry out further implementation of it?
(Max 500 words)
Terms and Conditions for Applicants
- Age limit: you should be less than 40 years old on 31st December 2024;
- You/the Nominee must be able to demonstrate clearly that you/they are producing or working according to the four IFOAM organic principles (ie Health, Ecology, Fairness, and Care – see https://www.ifoam.bio/why-organic/shaping-agriculture/four-principles-organic ), but there is no requirement for the business/production to be organically certified in order for you to enter.
- The prize will be awarded based on the decision of our panel of judges.
- It is the responsibility of the Nominator to ensure that the Nominee agrees /complies with the Terms and Conditions
- Entries or nominations can come from anywhere in the United Kingdom.
- The judges’ decision is final, no correspondence will be entered into and no reasons given for decisions
- Any information and images provided to Organic Research Centre and the judges in the application process may be used in association with this Award publiced by the Organic Research Centre and associated websites and organisations.
- The Organic Research Centre may use the Award to generate press and PR activity in which the winner and shortlisted Nominees agree to participate.
- Shorlisted Nominees must be willing to take part in interviews and visits by the judging panel as part of the judging process.
- The finalists will be able to attend the awards ceremony at the National Organic Conference on 2nd July 2024
- *All information and images provided to Organic Research Centre and the judges is done so with full permission of the copyright owner(s) to use images as part of the press and PR activities for as long as required.
The Organic Research Centre will always treat your personal details with the utmost care and will never sell or swap with other organisations for marketing purposes. We will keep your data safe, holding the information you provide for communication, marketing, analysis and administrative purposes. For more information of what information we hold and how we process your data, please visit our privacy policy www.organicresearchcentre.com/privacy-policy/
