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The winners were: Animal Welfare Award – Ian Loughrin; Low Carbon Farming Pioneer – Patrick Black; Farming with Nature Award – Maurice and William Kells; and Farming Innovation Award – Richard Murphy.

Steve McLean, Head of Agriculture and Fisheries at M&S, said: “Every day, our Select Farmers and suppliers go to extraordinary lengths to deliver great quality M&S food, whilst demonstrating best-in-class innovation, animal welfare, sustainability and biodiversity. These awards celebrate just some of our farmers who are leading in these fields.”

Ian Loughrin, a beef farmer from Cookstown, won the Animal Welfare Award for his commitment to building a system which puts animal welfare and husbandry at the forefront. Ian has set up two state-of-the art calf rearing units for rearing young calves sourced from Linden Foods Procurement.

Steve McLean said: “M&S Select Farmers are well known as leaders in promoting the highest standards of animal welfare. Ian expertly demonstrates this through both careful investment in purpose-built housing and a commitment to always delivering best practice when it comes to calf rearing.”

Patrick Black, a poultry farmer from Ballycastle, was awarded the Low Carbon Farming Pioneer Award for his commitment to reducing his carbon footprint using renewables and participating in higher-level environmental farming schemes.

Alongside his wife and son, Patrick runs an 11,000 bird rearing unit, as well as keeping cattle, sheep and pig on their extensive hill farm. Over the past ten years to farm has invested in a hydro powered generator, solar panels, and an air source heat pump.

Patrick supplies Skea Eggs, with Dale Shaw from Skea Eggs commenting: “Patrick has been a Rearing Farmer with Skea Eggs for several years now and over this time he has made significant steps to reduce the farm’s carbon footprint. The multiple renewable energy systems on farm and large areas of land dedicated to environmental work demonstrate Patrick’s success in this endeavour.”

William and Maurice Kells, beef and sheep farmers from Portadown, have been awarded the Farming with Nature Award for their commitment to improving biodiversity on their farm. The father and son team have been rearing high-quality beef and lamb for Linden Foods for the last 40 years and are now an M&S Indicator farm, trialing new environmental work and sharing their learnings. Over the last six years Maurice and William have planted a range of broadleaf native hedges to provide wildlife habitats and shelter for the cattle and also carefully manage an ancient species-rich site on the farm.

Richard Murphy, a poultry farmer from Whitecross, scooped the Farming Innovation Award for his commitment to investing in an innovative system centred on animal welfare. Just eight months ago Richard Murphy and his wife Nicola set up a state-of-the-art 24,000 bird free range laying unit, after extensive research and planning.

Richard supplies Skea Eggs, with Dale Shaw from Skea Eggs commenting: “When setting up his new unit, Richard went above and beyond to select a system which allows him to manage bird welfare and production in the most effective way. In short time-frame Richard has already achieved a substantial amount and has already shown real stockmanship when caring for his hens.”

As well as the M&S Select Farm Awards, M&S were also pleased to announce the winners of a supply chain project run by Linden Foods and M&S for Greenmount College students where teams of four are asked to design and present a suitable food related product to sit in M&S Food. This year’s winning team were Emma Ross, Ryan Pickering, Amber Rogers and Michelle Rea, who will now visit M&S HQ in London as part of their prize.

The post M&S champions its suppliers at Balmoral Show first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Peter Kennedy, M&S Agriculture Manager says: “M&S has always led the field in its support for local agriculture and farming sustainability and the Balmoral Show is the perfect platform for us to stamp our authority as a leading retailer, to maintain and build on close relationships with our farmers and producers and to communicate our partnership approach to sustainable agriculture.”

Northern Ireland is a major supply region for the M&S food business with beef, pork, venison, turkey, potatoes, bread and eggs produced not only for Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland stores, but also for many stores across the UK.

Perfect platform

Peter continues: “Missed by sponsors, exhibitors and visitors alike, we’re delighted to be back at Balmoral Show, the most important event in the rural calendar. The show provides us with a fantastic opportunity to say a huge thank you to our customers, colleagues, farmers and producers here and to celebrate the marvellous relationships we have with them.

“Over the four days of the show, M&S will showcase the suppliers who bring the very best of regional food to our stores here.  We firmly believe that great food comes from great ingredients, produced by the best farmers and growers and this year our regional focus at Balmoral will include recognition of our local producers.  They include Graeme Boden who supplies M&S with free range eggs through Skea Egg Farms from his farm in Co. Tyrone, Iain Wilson who supplies lamb through Linden Foods from his farm in Co. Antrim and David Morrow and Stephen Christie from Co. Down who supply potatoes through Glens of Antrim Potatoes.

Best of M&S

“Our show stand will bring the very best of M&S to life for our customers, farmers and growers and demonstrate our commitment to farming initiatives through a selection of exterior interactive consumer experiences.

“Customers will also be able to meet four Wagyu calves provided by Keith Williamson of Linden Foods, our meat processing partner in Northern Ireland. As the only major retailer who can trace all our beef back to every farm and animal, we will explain our DNA testing process.  We trace every animal, we know what it has been fed and where it came from – we trace it, so you can trust it.”

Visitors will also be able to see live chef demonstrations at the outdoor kitchen, where Chris Baber, M&S celebrity chef and demo chef Adam Palmer will cook regional and seasonal dishes showcasing the very best of M&S products. There will also be an opportunity to sample a selection of the retailer’s delicious products, witness their passion for quality and innovation and discover the extraordinary lengths M&S go to, to bring their customers such fantastic food.

Platinum Sponsor

Peter continues: “In this our eighteenth year as Platinum Sponsor, M&S will continue to sponsor a selection of the beef livestock classes.  These will take place at the cattle lawns on 22^nd September and include the Aberdeen Angus, Beef Interbreed Championships, as well as Beef Young Handler classes.

“The Media Centre is a new sponsorship for us this year and will see M&S providing lunch for all journalists attending the show.

“Visitors will also have the opportunity to visit the retail shop selling lunchtime snacks from the M&S ‘Food to Go’ range and our ‘Coffee To Go’ area.”

The post M&S showcases support for local agriculture and food at Balmoral Show first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Linden Foods processes and manufactures beef, lamb, pork and chicken for branded and own label products.

NR extends condolences to the family and staff at Linden Foods.

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