Invited guests at the presentation of the 2013 Isle of Man Bank Farm Conservation Awards were told that farmers often did not appreciate the good job they were doing to help wildlife. This was the theme taken up by several speakers, including Agriculture Minister Phil Gawne who presented the awards.
Said Mr. Gawne: 'Sometimes I think farmers are irritated by people like me saying it is all about biodiversity and we should be doing more to look after the countryside. What I am effectively trying to say - not to the farming audience but to the broader audience - is that this is what our farmers are doing.
'They are doing a fantastic job for the countryside. They are making this Island what it is and I take my hat off to all farmers, particularly so at the moment bearing in mind the sloppy fields and conditions in which they have to work.'
The Farm Conservation competition is organised by the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), supported by Isle of Man Bank. Group chairman Paul Fletcher and chief judge, agricultural adviser Chris Kneale, both spoke on the same topic. Mr. Kneale told the guests that all the farms on the award shortlist - as with most farms - seriously underestimated the amount of interaction between conservation and wildlife habitat, and modern farming.
He added: 'All three farms had a good mix of wildlife habitats with lots of pockets of habitat integrated with some excellent farming practices, managing the land and stock to the location and conditions available.
'All farms had carried out works to improve habitats and give back to the countryside. Tree planting, hedgerow and stone wall management, managing wetlands, together with the installation of bird and bat boxes were all taking place alongside the mixed farming practices.'
Mr. Kneale went on to say that farmers did not give themselves enough credit when it came to conservation but they had either created, preserved or managed some of the best wildlife habitats the Island had to offer. He had been involved in this competition for five years and it never ceased to amaze him just how much interaction there was between wildlife and modern farming. None of the three farms on the shortlist would have looked out of place as winners of the main prize - the Department of Agriculture's bronze chough award.
Mr. Kneale and his co-judges - last year's winner Mrs Jo Crellin and former agricultural adviser John Bregazzi - selected John and Margaret Kennaugh of Ballaleece Farm, St. John's as winners of the 2013 Farm Conservation Awards. Runners-up prize went to Jim and Karen Caley of Booilshuggel Farms Ltd, East Baldwin while a special, new, award was presented to Adrian and Suzanne Corlett of Baldrine Farms Ltd for the introduction of a special feature on their land at Balladhoo.
Accepting their award, Mr. Kennaugh said a large part of the credit had to go to a former owner of Ballaleece. He and his wife had just preserved in good order what had been created long long ago.
Earlier, introducing the main speakers, Isle of Man Bank managing director Bill Shimmins paid tribute to the work undertaken by FWAG for the benefit of the whole Island. Mr. Shimmins said he had been present at the launch of the Manx Government's Vision 2020 which is designed to grow the Island's economy by between three and four per cent over the next six years.
Mr. Shimmins told guests: 'I was really pleased to see that two of the eight strategic initiatives related to the fabric of our Island and I think the work done by this Group {FWAG} supports that. Also, importantly I thought, it was great to see highlighted the strategic emphasis on the production of high-quality local foodstuffs.
'That was all very positive and certainly we are continuing to be very positive about our involvement with the group and the wider farming and agricultural community. ' Mr. Shimmins added that Isle of Man Bank was delighted to continue its support for this event and other farming initiatives.
Thanking the Bank for its continued support, FWAG chairman Paul Fletcher said the conservation and wildlife initiatives around the Manx countryside had not necessarily been put there by the immediate generation but by former generations and it was for the current occupants to preserve, maintain, and move forward. With that in mind, and with the Bank's help, a new category had been introduced this year - an award to select a particular feature on an individual holding worthy of special note.
Photo - Main prizewinners in the Isle of Man Bank Farm Conservation Awards, John and Margaret Kennaugh, pictured with Agriculture Minister Phil Gawne and Isle of Man Bank managing director Bill Shimmins.
