Award winners celebrate in London

• Farmers Guardian journalist James Huyton has won the Perkins Power on the Farm Award for a feature detailing a test drive of an all-electric UTV

Judges described the article, ‘Silence is golden with the Polaris Ranger Kinetic‘, which compared the electric model of the Polaris Ranger Kinetic to the conventional vehicle, as ‘an article incredibly well written, informative and a detailed account by someone who really knows what they are talking about’ and ‘a useful article helping to slay some of the myths associated with electric vehicles’.

The award, run by the British Guild of Agricultural Journalists, was presented at a ceremony at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in London’s Knightsbridge on Thursday July 18.

The winner of the Power on the Farm Technology Award was freelance journalist Jane Carley for an article in Profi entitled ‘Shedding new light on weeds’.

The judges said: “This is a detailed report on unique, modern technology developed by a farm for its own needs. The author has not only found the story, but crafted an article to explain it and provide an excellent overview of the problem, the idea and the farm’s own solution. Another added: “It was bright and effortless to read.”

Runner up was Farmers Weekly journalist Emma Gillbard for an article, ‘Grower improves fungicide use with aerial applications’. Judges said: “An interesting perspective on what is different about Candian agriculture, backed up with same good technical detail. And perhaps this is the first helicopter story to feature in Power on the Farm.”

There were three third place prizes. These went to Aly Balsom, for a piece entitled ‘How water treatment tech could cut slurry storage’, published in Farmers Weekly; Geoff Ashcroft, for ‘Using brains for the drains’, published in Farmers Guardian and Peter Hill, for his Farmers Weekly piece, ‘On farm brake test gets trailers set for harvest’.

Winners, along with finalists and judges are treated to a special event which the Perkins team always manage to keep a surprise until the day itself.

This year the team laid on a private garden party at the iconic London hotel, the Mandarin Oriental, which included a five-course lunch by renowned British experimental chef Heston Blumenthal, alongside a personalised ‘liquid nitrogen’ ice cream cart, English sparkling wine and a magician.

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