A Shropshire fresh produce growing couple has beaten off competition from farmers across the West Midlands to win one of two prestigious awards from Natural England for making the greatest contribution to conserving wildlife and the countryside.
Mark and Liz Lea, of Greenacres Farm, Kemberton, Shifnal, won the regional Future of Farming Award for their achievements in educating children about where their food comes from and managing the natural environment sustainably.
Earlier this year, the couple built a green oak-framed educational building in the heart of their organic mixed farm. A nearby pond fed by rainwater provides a rich habitat for wildlife.
Mark says: “My aim is to excite and educate children about the food they are eating, where it comes from and how it is produced. This summer, we’ve hosted 16 school visits, and had tremendous feedback from the schools as well as huge interest from the local authorities. The nomination proves that by finding a niche and forging partnerships with the environment and education in mind, it is possible for small, family farms like ours to look forward to a viable and sustainable future.”
On November 15, Mark and Liz will find out whether they have won Natural England’s national Future of Farming Awards at Burghley House, Stamford, where the national winner will be announced.
Caroline Bedell, regional director of awards sponsor CLA says: “The award is extremely important in providing best practice examples of how the environment can become a real asset for a farming business and deliver profit alongside environment.
“The environment needs to be sustainable in the future and not to be at the mercy of market and political whims; there needs to be an ability for it to deliver real value to a farming business."
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