Press Release

RURAL BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENTS ACKNOWLEDGED AT AWARD CEREMONY

3 December 2004

On the 3 December 2004 innovative rural enterprise was celebrated with The Crown Estate Rural Awards at the Smithfield Show, at London’s Earl’s Court.

There were two different awards presented, both acknowledging the original and diverse ways in which businesses in a rural environment have flourished.

The Crown Estate Farmer of the Year award is made to The Crown Estate farming tenant who best demonstrates overall excellence achieved through balancing the needs of competitive business with environmental responsibility and social contribution to the local community.

This year’s winner is David Lister of Boroughbridge, Yorkshire. The Listers have grown their family business over the years, from 341 acres when the tenancy was first taken out in 1957, to nearly 7,000 today. The farm business includes a large pig operation, over one thousand sheep and Aberdeen Angus cows. The arable production is cereals, potatoes and sugar beet.

The Lister family farm provides a great deal of local employment, and nearly all the workers are housed on the farm. Access to the farm is provided to local schoolchildren and the family are keen to involve themselves in education. The judges were particularly impressed with the family’s commitment to environmental responsibility evident in David’s interest in conservation and the inclusion of tree planting in the farm’s stewardship scheme.

Also presented was the Rural Entrepreneur Award. These awards are designed to complement the Farmer of the Year, recognising outstanding merit in a specific area of business. The award is given to those who have proven entrepreneurial skills and have enhanced their businesses through original and diverse schemes. This year the judges decided to recognise two businesses.

Chris and Janet Badger from Ascott-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire have received the Rural Entrepreneur Award. From the time when farming fortunes turned down in the 1990s, the Badgers have shown a strong entrepreneurial approach to their business. They foresaw, early on, the need to diversify out of traditional farming enterprises and have now built up an equestrian business which contributes to approximately half of their total turnover.

The other beneficiary of a Rural Entrepreneur Award this year is Michael Poultney of Albion Stone Quarries, Portland. Since Michael took over from his father as Managing Director in 1990, he has worked tirelessly to safeguard the future of the quarries and explore new ways to continue the provision of the famous stone for some of the world’s most beautiful buildings. Together with The Crown Estate, Michael has sought and secured planning permission to develop the extraction of the stone by mining rather than the traditional quarrying.

Ian Grant, Chairman of The Crown Estate said of the Awards and their winners, “To be presented with one of our Rural Awards is an achievement of which the winners should be extremely proud. The Lister family as Farmers of the Year have demonstrated considerable business acumen and an acute awareness of the needs of their rural environment. The Award demands evidence of economic success, sound environmental stewardship and a wider role within the local community. I am delighted to say that the Listers delivered above expectation on all fronts.

“The two Rural Entrepreneurs have displayed exemplary energy, enthusiasm and initiative in diversifying their businesses to tackle the challenges facing rural communities in the 21st century.”