Farm Shop Blog

Farmers Weekly Awards Finalists

The 42 finalists in the 2008 Farmers Weekly Awards have been revealed. The judges had a difficult task to select out three finalists from the outstanding number of high quality entries in the 14 different award categories.

On-farm judging of the 42 finalists is now taking place with a panel of judges for each category, comprising an independent judge, last years winner an FW member of staff and sponsor representative. The winners names are revealed at the Awards Night on Monday October 27th in the Great Room at the London Grosvenor House Hotel at a glittering ceremony to applaud all that is great about British farming.

Finalists 2008

Beef Farmer of the Year
Bridget Borlase, Hertford
Philip Heard, Okehampton, Devon
Stuart Hutchings, Hereford

Local Food Farmer of the Year
Richard Stirling, Hampshire
Douglas Wanstall, Ashford, Kent
Jane and Brian Down, Dorset

Sheep Farmer of the Year
Crosby Cleland, Northern Ireland
R J and A C Hawke, Wiltshire
Stuart Davies, Brecon

Farm Manager of the Year
James Thompson, Lincolnshire
Matt Solley, Hertfordshire
Mickey Daly, Lincolnshire

Diversification of the Year
Roger Mercer, Staffordshire
Charlie Davies-Gilbert, East Sussex
Tim Barton, Wiltshire

Livestock Adviser of the Year
Mark Hawe, Northern Ireland
Graeme Surtees, Lancaster
Jonathan Statham, North Yorkshire

Arable Farmer of the Year
Richard Hinchliffe, East Yorkshire
Poul Hovesen, Norfolk
Andrew Ward, Lincolnshire

Contractor of the Year
Jane Targett, Somerset
Duncan Maughan, Cumbria
Gary Short, Berkshire

Countryside Farmer of the Year
Ian Waller, Buckinghamshire
Andrew Brown, Leicestershire
Keith Siddorn, Chester

Farmshop.uk.com are proud to be sponsoring Local Food Farmer of the Year award at this years Farmers Weekly Awards. The judging panel recently visited the three finalists in this category.

Click here to view a detailed report on the 3 finalists for the Local Food Producer of the Year Award.

Link to Farmshop.uk.com

We have added a new feature to the site that allows you to link your site to us. Visit our links page and choose from a selection of colourful banners or text links that can be copied and pasted directly to your own site.

If you'd like a link to your site added on our links section, we will be happy to link back to your site. Please contact us to request a link to be added.

Farmshop.uk.com at the BBC Good Food Show

Farmshop.uk.com enjoyed a very successful week at this years BBC Good Food Show at the NEC in Birmingham. The show was well attended with an incredible amount of interest being shown in the newly launched farm shop web site. The comments received were all very positive and the general view was the site was both informative and easy to navigate around.

The show had something for everybody with the BBC Theatre proving to be very popular with demonstrations from Gordon Ramsay, James Martin, John Torode and the Hairy Bikers to mention just a few.

The interest in locally produced food continues to grow which has increased farmshop.uk.coms determination to make sure people can find the nearest supplier of quality, local produce by typing in their postcode.

A big thank you to everybody to visited us on our stand and if you entered the Free Prize Draw may we wish you luck when it is drawn on the 30th June 2008.

Greedy Pickers a Threat to Strawberry Fields

Pick-your-own strawberry farms are under threat because customers eat much more than they pay for. Farmers say customers spend hours in the fields but ask to pay for just a handful of fruit. Eating had always been part of the fun but growers said over-indulgence was now costing them up to 10,000 per season.

Some owners have planted fruits such as redcurrent and blackcurrant that do not attract the same level of testing.

Mark Spight, who owns Hacker's Fruit Farm in Dry Drayton, Cambs said "One woman came up to the counter covered in juice but handed over a punnet with four strawberries in"

Jane Willmot 51, the owner of Soft Fruit Farm in Hardwick, Northhants, said "It is as if the public read 'something-for-nothing' instead of 'pick-your-own'."

Kate Gooding, of Fosseway Fruits, near Bath, said "It's as though some people don't know how to behave at a pick-your-own farm any more."

Article by Lucy Cockcroft and Andy Bloxham. Provided by The Daily Telegraph

The Grape Way to Live Longer...

The latest health news suggests you really should have your grape and eat it.

Studies show that flavanoids found in the skin and seeds of dark and purple grapes can have serious health benefits in both their grape and wine form.

Red and dark grapes can lower your risk of developing the blood clots that lead to heart attacks, reduce bad cholesterol, prevent damage to blood vessels in the heart and maintain a healthy blood pressure.

But before you start guzzling the merlot guilt-free, remember that grapes are best in their raw form as too much alcohol can damage your liver, pancreas and nerve cells and has been linked with many other serious illnesses like breast cancer.

Grapes are a great snack instead of fatty chocolate bars, and are sweet enough to satisfy a sugar craving says Amanda Ursell, our resident nutritionist.

For the summer, grapes can be freeze-dried and eaten as a snack and they make a lovely accompaniment to a small block of cheese for a treat.

Some grape juices contain lots of sugar, so always choose lighter options - or eat the fruit fresh for full benefits.

Article from The Sun

BBC Good Food Show

Farmshop.uk.com are proud to announce that we are sponsoring the Great British Food Festival at this years BBC Good Food Summer Show at the NEC from Wednesday 11th through to the Sunday 15th of June 2008.

At the Great British Food Festival you’ll discover producers that you probably wouldn’t know about – even if they are right on your doorstep! So if you’re a food lover and keen to support independent producers, make the Great British Food Festival a ‘must see’ feature for your day at the show.

Elsewhere at the show, you can see some of TV’s top celebrity chefs including Gordon Ramsay, James Martin and Simon Rimmer show off their skills in the summer kitchen. Pick up tips, find inspiration or just enjoy the lively entertainment. They’ll work their magic with a selection of summer food in these unmissable shows that are always a sell-out.

Please visit us on our stand F116 to have your chance of winning one of three great prizes! More information on these prizes coming soon.

More Information on the BBC Good Food Show.

Organic milk provides greater health benifits

Drinking organic milk is better for you than drinking normal milk, according to a new study.

Scientists found that it offered far greater health benifits because it contained higher levels of vitamins and antioxidents. They claimed that swapping ordinary milk for the organic version could even protect against cancer and heart disease.

The researchers found that levels of healthy fatty acids and antioxidents in organic milk rose in the summer, when cows ate fresh grass and clover. Organically reared cows get more than 80 per cent of their diet from grazing on grass. Grazing on conventional farms makes up 37 per cent of the diet.

Article by Kate Devlin Medical Correspondent. Provided by The Daily Telegraph

Aubergine is Sprout of Favour

Carrots came out as kids favourites in the poll, which revealed they now prefer traditional greens to modern trendy varieties. Many hate ALL veg and scheme to avoid eating them while millions of parents fib to get them to scoff them.

Food giant Heinz found seven in ten kids hide veg around the house a quarter sneaking it on a siblings plate and many feeding it to a pet. More than a third complain of a tummy-ache to escape veg.

One in three parents lie about whats on a plate while others try to hide veg beneath a thick layer of cheese sauce. A third promise kids treats to eat up.

Heinz marketing manager Dan Winslet said: Getting children to eat vegetables is a daunting task for any parent.

The Heinz poll of 2,300 parents found aubergines are least popular in Reading, Berks. Youngsters in Edinburgh and Bristol least like celeriac. Fourth least popular overall is cabbage (16 per cent) while mangetout is fifth (12 per cent).

Source : The Sun

Farmshop sponsoring the Farmers Weekly Awards

Farmshop are sponsoring the Local Food Producer of the Year Award at this years Farmers Weekly Awards in October. The Farmers Weekly 2008 awards recognise the individual achievements, skill and vision of young farmers to managers and advisers. Categories in this year's farming awards include outstanding young farmers, contractors and local food producers.

The Awards Night brings together the whole farming industry to celebrate all that is good about British farming. The theme of the night and entertainment, which includes a champagne reception, four-course meal with wine, various artistes and a BBC presenter, will leave you feeling proud to be British – and proud to be a farmer.

Farmshop.uk.com are proud to sponsor the Local Local Food Farmer of the Year award at the Awards - a category that captures the very essence of what we believe in. We will soon be judging this years 3 local food finalists, and wish these producers the best of luck at the awards. We hope to see you all there.

Read more...

Visit your local Farmer's Market

Visit a farmers' market and you'll be treated to some of the freshest, tastiest food around - and all of it grown or produced virtually on the doorstep. Top quality meat, succulent sausages, free range eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables, delicious local honey, jams, and chutneys, and freshly-baked bread, pastries and cakes are just some of the items you're likely to discover as you browse around a farmers' market.And with the farmer, producer or grower manning the stall, it's the chance to find out exactly where your food comes from and the ingredients it contains!

The popularity of farmers' markets has soared in recent years as more and more customers opt to choose food with provenance. It's also given farmers and other producers a welcome chance to sell direct to the public.

And with what's on offer varying depending on the season, you can be sure of an ever-changing spread at your local farmers' market. If you want to get to the heart of rural life, there's no better place than a county show with its exciting mix of displays, stands and competitions.

From countryside crafts and rural pursuits to delicious food and magnificent animal displays, county shows offer something for everyone…..even the very youngest of visitors.

A window on rural life, county shows bring together those who work in the agricultural and rural community - giving them the chance to share their experiences and what they produce.

Many shows are steeped in tradition, having been a highlight of the annual agricultural calendar for decades.

And even today they're a great recipe for a fabulous day out!

Find a Farmer's Market near you..

John Geldard wins Local Food Farmer of the Year

John Geldard holds up his gold trophy, flanked by Simon Whitton representing farmshop.uk.com the sponsor of 'Local Food Farmer' and awards presenter Jon Culshaw (right) and Jane King, Editor of Farmers Weekly. The farmer and creator of the Plumgarth’s brand, John Geldard, has been crowned the 2007 Farmers Weekly Farmer of the Year.

Mr Geldard, who farms at Low Foulshaw near Kendal, received a standing ovation from the 950 guests at the London Grosvenor House Hotel. In 2001 Mr Geldard set up the Plumgarths hub to market his own beef, sheep and free-range eggs along with that of other local producers. The net result is that he and his Cumbrian farmer neighbours are capturing and sharing added value by pooling their products and supplying local customers and retailers direct.

Sheila Dillon, the BBC radio 4s Food programme presenter says: “John is an inspiration. He is putting farmers back into the driving seat of the food system, showing how they can deal with supermarkets as equals.”

The Plumgarth group now supply more than local 100 hotels and restaurants, 18 Asda stores and Penrith Center Parc with high quality locally reared, and branded, beef and sheep. He was the winner of the Local Food Farmer of the Year sponsored by Farmshop.uk.com, and along with 11 other category winners, went through in the shortlist for the coveted title of Farmer of the Year. His vision and leadership has had such a powerful impact on his own business, and that of so many others that he was clear the winner. Farm Facts210ha grassland 1,000 pure Lleyn ewes 120 pedigree Charolais ewes 130 suckler cows 39,000 free-range hens.

Plumgarth hub set up in 2001 with England Rural Development Grants Plumgarth Farm Shop launched for consumers to experience `real meat’ hung to ensure maximum taste and texture Plumgarths Asda local sourcing marketing 80 different local brands in 12 stores Plumgarths Center Parcs providing the Penrith site with 30 different branded products from 12 local producers.

Plumgarths Food Service supplies 100 local hotels and restaurants Lakelands Food Park offers local farmers food processing, marketing and technical support Westmorland Pudding Company produces traditional recipes using local ingredients.

Visit Plumgarths Farm Shop Microsite