Best Alternative Land Enterprise (BALE) Award is launched

The hunt is on throughout East Anglia for the region’s best farming diversification initiatives. Whether they be wedding and event venues, holiday accommodation, food or drink enterprises, tourist attractions or, as one of last year’s finalists, a farm producing sawn willow lengths for some of the world’s finest batsmen and women.

There have been many and varied projects since the BALE Award was first launched 22 years ago by the Suffolk Agricultural Association (SAA) and long term sponsors, Ashtons Legal.

Diversification was traditionally seen as an area for the farmer’s wife to establish a secondary business, but perceptions have changed. Diversification enterprises are now an integral part of farm businesses, often representing various different revenue streams that contribute to annual turnover and increasingly offer local employment and a boost to the local economy. They also invariably include other members of the family who are equipped with the skills to drive the enterprise forward.

For last year’s winner, pig farmer Peter Havers of Athelington Hall, near Eye, who turned part of his site into a venue for Log Cabin Holidays and a wedding marquee business, the reason for diversifying was the realisation that the farm would not generate enough income to sustain his family. Now those family members are involved in the business. Speaking about the award, Peter said: “It was a real boost for everyone that works in and around the business; to know we have been acknowledged and awarded for all our hard work is a real privilege. Winning has helped advertise our business, initiated conversations from visitors seeing the award on show and putting us on the map. It has given us confidence to strive further in our already diversified farm.”

The Award recognises the entrepreneurial skills of East Anglia’s farmers and is open to farmers from across Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire. The achievements of the entrants will be recognised at the second annual agricultural awards ceremony, to be held on October 24 at Trinity Park, Ipswich.

As well as prizes for first and second place, there is also a special category for Best Newcomer to the competition, which has to have traded for at least a year, and a special award for the Best Green Practice. The first place winner receives the prestigious Ashtons Legal Challenge Cup and £2,000 worth of legal advice.

This year the judges, who include Peter Havers; Jonathan Long, Partner and Head of Agriculture & Estates at Ashtons Legal and SAA President Stephen Cobbald, will also be looking for integration of green technologies, sustainability, recycling and inclusion of environmental practices.

Jonathan Long said: “Ashtons Legal is delighted to be sponsoring the BALE Award once again this year. We are pleased that BALE will be part of the annual agricultural awards dinner for the second year running, giving the award the profile it deserves.We have seen time and time again how bringing in professionals, such as solicitors, enables farmers and landowners to diversify and set up new and exciting ventures without taking anything away from their farming business. I am always astounded by the high quality and sheer variety of the entries we receive each year and look forward to this year’s judging process.”

Executive Director of the SAA, Christopher Bushby, said: “The BALE Award is now regarded as the region’s premier farming diversification competition and it is an opportunity to publicly applaud the enormous entrepreneurial spirit and success of our region’s farmers.”

The closing date for entries is 16 September and entry forms can be downloaded here.