The winners of the Women & Agriculture Awards, sponsored by FBD Insurance, were announced this evening at a virtual award ceremony on www.ifj.ie/awards.
Catherine O’Grady Powers of Glen Keen Farm & Visitor Centre, Co Mayo, took home the top spot in the Innovation on Farm Category, with Norma Dinneen of Bó Rua Farm, Co Cork, the runner-up.
Anne Marie Feighery of Feighrey’s Farm Beetroot Juice, Co Offaly was victorious in the Innovation in Agriculture & Food Category, while Mary Fogarty of the Cottage Loughmore, Co Tipperary was the runner-up.
The finalists in Innovation on Farm were: Kylie Magner, Magners Farm; Ailbhe Gerrard, Brookfield Farm and Caitriona Considine, Moher Cottage.
The finalists in Innovation in Agriculture & Food were: Eva Milka, Gaelic Escargot; Teresa Roche, Kylemore Farmhouse Cheese; Caroline Whelan, Galway Pumpkin Patch and Marita Collier, Drummond House Garlic.
Judging
The judging panel was comprised of; Maureen O’ Meara, head of sales at FBD Insurance, Munster; Eddie O’ Neill, artisan food specialist with Teagasc and Mairead Lavery, journalist at Irish Country Living in the Irish Farmers Journal.
Although the bi-annual awards were announced virtually this year. The judging panel, however, was able to pay each of the finalists a socially distanced visit in recent months when restrictions had eased.
The awards were hosted by editor of Irish Country Living, Amii McKeever.
The guest speaker on the night was Caroline Murphy of West Cork Eggs.
Prizes
The prize fund for the 2020 Women & Agriculture Awards was kindly sponsored by FBD Insurance and is to the value of over €8,000.
Both winners will receive a cash prize of €2,500, a commemorative plaque and a front cover feature in Irish Country Living, which they will receive a framed copy of.
The runners-up will receive a cash prize of €1,000, a commemorative plaque and a feature in Irish Country Living.
Each finalist will receive a commemorative certificate of achievement and a hamper of Irish Farmers Journal and Irish Country Living goodies.
Keep an eye out in future editions of Irish Country Living for features on the winners and runners-up.
Galway-Mayo focus: The newest agri-tourism venture on the Wild Atlantic way
'It was ACORNS that gave me the confidence to recruit and manage my staff'
Loughmore: hope for the future
A tradition of family farm development in Galway
From Czestochowa city to the Carlow countryside
Meet the woman who hatched her egg business, starting with just 10 hens
Farming on the shores of Lough Derg
From a cowshed to a café, meet Caitriona Considine of Moher Cottage