Newcastle student scoops national prize for sustainable dairy farm expansion project
A student from Newcastle University who authored a sustainable business development plan to expand a dairy farm and reduce its running costs was won a prestigious annual award for his efforts.
Philip Dunn, won the Farmers Club Pinnacle Award for Excellence in Farm Business Management, co-sponsored by ADAS, following a rigorous judging process held at the club in central London on Friday, April 30th.
Philip, a final year student saw off competition from seven other shortlisted candidates and impressed judges with his exceptionally detailed business plan which he co-authored with fellow student James Hamilton. Philip presented the plan on his own and judges noted his composure under scrutiny from the panel.
Despite the pressures facing UK agriculture, I enjoyed the challenge of formulating a business strategy to ensure a sustainable future for a real-life family farming operation. The skills picked up in this process will no doubt be incredibly useful as I pursue my career in the industry after university.”
The judging panel awarded second place to Fred Rush, of Reading University and third place to Katie Farthing at the Royal Agricultural College.
Member of the judging panel, Tony Turner, senior business management consultant at ADAS was very impressed by the standard of business plans all the shortlisted candidates put forward.
The agricultural sector is facing very serious challenges at the moment, and if all rural business plans showed a grasp of the economics involved and imagination on display in the projects we reviewed, British farming would be in a far stronger position hopefully this bodes well for the future of farming.
All the presentations were excellent and delivered with passion and insight, but Philips displayed slightly more depth and was a worthy winner.
Philip won the Pinnacle Awards Nickerson Cup and a 1,250 cash prize. Newcastle University was also awarded 1,250.
The awards, now in their 13th year, are sponsored by ADAS, the Farmers Club and the Cave Foundation. They are aimed at full time students undertaking an agricultural or rural business plan as part of their regular coursework.
The judging panel was chaired by Prof David Leaver, previously Principle of the Royal Agricultural College and included Tony Turner of ADAS, Nicki Quayle, Chairman of the Farmers Club, Charles Abel, editor of The Farmers Club Journal, and Roy Walker, a Trustee of the Cave Foundation. The Nickerson Cup was presented by Baroness Byford, Conservative Spokesman in the House of Lords for Food, Farming and Rural Affairs between 1997 and 2007.
Award Winners
Gold: Philip Dunn developed a business plan to overhaul and expand an already profitable dairy herd in Cumbria over a five year period. As well as increasing productivity, Philips plan drastically reduced running costs and inputs, meaning an overall net rise in the farms profitability
Silver: Fred Rush, a student at Reading University proposed the expansion of Chisbury Lane dairy farm and the construction of a wind turbine to produce renewable energy for the operation. The key challenges in this report were to produce a viable business plan on a tenanted farm that would meet landlords objectives, the requirements of the sort tenancy yet secure a longer term viable plan.
Bronze: Katie Farthing, of the Royal Agricultural College advocated the diversification of a traditional farm near Avebury, Wiltshire, to include an education centre to capitalise on the large number of people visiting the World Heritage Site and prehistoric stone circles. The diversification would generate additional income to help support a family member returning to the farm.
Prof David Leavers perspective
Prof David Leaver, chairman of the Pinnacle Award judging panel said: A profitable agricultural sector that is sympathetic to the pressures put on the land and the environment is crucial for the future success of sustainable farming in the UK, and the Pinnacle Awards celebrate the young students who will soon be reconciling these tensions.
Were looking for students with a sound grasp of the economic realities facing farming, and a creative flair for developing the solutions that will surpass those challenges. The awards are designed to test candidates on the robustness of their strategies and also on their ability to communicate their ideas effectively.
The 2010 awards were, as usual, filled with high quality entries and there was little to separate the candidates. Farming needs more talented young farmers and land managers like those involved and I hope other youngsters in the sector will show the same passion and commitment to the sector.