Date: 19th January 2011

It’s awards season for the movie industry and also - but possibly a little less glamorous - the agricultural diversification sector. On Wednesday 19th January the Suffolk Agricultural Association (SAA) and Ashton Graham Solicitors held their version of the Hollywood Oscars as it awarded farmers for their outstanding enterprise and innovation at the Best Alternative Land Enterprise (BALE) awards.

Changes within the agricultural industry over the past decade have forced farmers to diversify in order to support their core businesses and many have achieved notable success.

The BALE awards are held to find the best farming diversification enterprise run from buildings or land on entrants’ farms. Open to farmers from Suffolk, and adjoining counties – Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire – including previous winners, the entries are judged for their commercial, creative and practical merits as well as their contribution to the regional economy.

The entrants were judged by Jonathan Long, agricultural partner at sponsors Ashton Graham Solicitors, Robert Paul, Suffolk food Hall and winner of the 2009 award and Lord Iveagh, Board member of EEDA and SAA Council. They  visited the enterprises during autumn 2010.

This year’s winner was last year’s runner-up, Norfolk-based John Carrick for Castle Farm, Swanton Morley, near Dereham. His conversion of a derelict Victorian barn and outbuildings to wedding, conference, banqueting and events venue, supported by eleven four star rated bed and breakfast rooms as well as the conversion of two derelict farm cottages to a Freehouse and restaurant, caught the eyes of the judges.

Mr Carrick was presented with the Ashton Graham Challenge Cup, and cheque for £1000, by Jonathan Long who told the Trinity Park Ipswich audience:” John Carrick has won the Award because of his ability to provide what his customers want, an attractive conversion of otherwise redundant buildings providing not just a venue for weddings and other events but also accommodation and other facilities. He has done this in a cost-effective way and employs a significant number of local people, which is very important in helping to keep the rural economy thriving in these challenging times. “

Thanking the judges and sponsors Mr Carrick said he was ‘over the moon’ with the award.” It is a great honour to win and wonderful thing to do to showcase the farming community and what’s happening in the countryside in diversification.” Mr Carrick, who started the diversification 11 years ago, said it was “something I always wanted to do, my only regret is not starting it earlier.”

The judges described the venue as very impressive and fulfilling all the criteria, with a stunning use of the farm buildings and an asset in helping the farm as well as being good for local employment. It ticked most of the boxes, and did it with energy and dynamism.

Second prize went to Mark Black for Portable Space Limited, at Bacton, near Stowmarket, who was presented with a cheque for £250. Last year’s winner and judge Robert Paul said;” This is a totally different business but is a worthy runner-up.”

David Black & Son Limited is a fourth generation family business involved in pig and arable farming.  Portable Space was set up as a subsidiary in 2002 and is involved in the hire, sale and transport of portable cabins and shipping containers for accommodation and storage use.  The company has grown year on year to achieve turnover of £1.7million last year. Portable Space clients include the Ministry of Defence, Babcock Dyncorp, Spie Matthew Hall and The British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association.

The Best Newcomer Award for £250 was presented to Melanie Chapman for the Cheeky Monkeys Playbarn established on her farm in Fulbourn, Cambridgeshire. Robert Paul described it as “lovely and clean and welcoming, not warehousy. When we walked in I thought wow, this is the place I’d bring my children to. The owner has put a lot of care into it, and on a limited budget.” The site has both indoor and an outdoor play sites that have a kidibine harvester, trekenning playhouse, sputnik, tractor area, football pitch and sandpit area, all fenced in for safety as well as a golf driving range and PYO fruit farm.

The Best Green Practice award for £100 was presented to husband and wife team Jason and Katherine Salisbury of Creeting St Mary for Suffolk Farmhouse Cheeses. The judges were impressed with the couple’s endeavours to grow most of the cattle feed themselves, limiting growth of soya, as well as feeding the surplus whey to the pigs. “It is a very holistic approach with a specific eye on green credentials and impact on the environment,” they said.

Certificates of Merit were presented by George Paul and Jonathan Long to James Blyth for the development of Ore Valley Holiday Cottages; John Reader for Norfolk Games and Frames, retailers of children’s play equipment and surfacing to local authorities and hospitality businesses from Manor Farm Gressenhall; Clive and Sally Last for Rickinghall Business Centre, now occupied by 20 businesses and employing 60 people; PT and JP Havers for Athelington Hall self catering logs cabins and wedding and party business, near Eye and David and Sarah Robertson for Valley Farm Equestrian Centre in Wickham Market.

Hosting the 19th BALE awards Christopher Bushby, executive director of the SAA stressed the importance of diversification to sustaining agricultural and rural communities.

The annual Best Alternative Land Enterprise (BALE) awards for diversification are held annually by the Suffolk Agricultural Association and in partnership with Ashton Graham Solicitors since they began in1992.

Jonathan Long went on to add, “The partnership with Ashton Graham Solicitors for the awards is now in its 19th year and acknowledges the strong links that the firm has throughout the agricultural industry. Having established our agricultural department more than 100 years ago we are continually adapting and changing to anticipate the issues faced by today’s farmers and landowners. The current CAP reform will mean diversification becomes even more important to farming incomes.”

Other previous entries have included thatching straw production, rare meat suppliers, events venues, Suffolk horse breeding, and training centres as well as herb growers.

For further information on BALE or Agricultural Legal issues contact Jonathan Long or Jeanette Dennis