Arable farmer Mike Porter scooped the Renewables Innovator of the Year award at the first Farmers Guardian British Farming Awards this week.
Mr Porter said to Farmers Guardian: "Business efficiency and caring for the environment are what we are really passionate about. The two go side by side for us, because by being green we are more efficient.”
Dairy Innovator of the Year
Tim Gibson, J F Gibson & Son
Beef Innovator of the Year
Paul Westaway, Melview Farming
Sheep Innovator of the Year
Robert Hodgkins, Wairere UK Ltd
Arable Innovator of the Year
Michael Marriage, Dove Farm, Berkshire
Renewable Innovator of the Year
Mike Porter, Porters Farms Ltd
Machinery Innovator of the Year
Tim Gibson, J F Gibson & Son
New Entrant Award: Against the Odds
Jonathan Stanley, J & C Stanley
Farm Retail Innovator of the Year
Essington Fruit Farm
Family Farm of the Year
The Evans Family, Evans Bros & Families
In 2006, he installed a biomass boiler to heat the house and offices which runs off grain screenings and/or woodchip and he also opted for a 450kW rape straw boiler to provide the heat for the wheat drying facility.
“We use £560 worth (60x400kg) of rape straw instead of £5,000 to £6,000 on LPG gas, but the capital cost was £15,000 instead of £1,500 for a gas burner.
“The boiler uses three bales every 24 hours and when it needs re fuelling a message is sent through to my mobile phone,” he said.
The family also generate their own electricity and export the surplus from 252 solar PV panels on the grain store. The government’s Feed-in Tariff (FiT) subsidy should provide and income of nearly £12,000 per year providing an income of nearly £12,000 per year. The installation will pay for itself after six years.
Mr Porter has also submitted plans for a 245kW wind turbine in order to generate electricity for the grid.
Jonathan Scurlock said: “The atmosphere at the Worcester Warriors' Sixways rugby stadium was friendly and informal, with a large turnout in support of a number of the award nominees.
“As a member of the judging panel for Renewables Innovator of the Year, I put in my own brief appearance on stage, opening the sealed envelope with trembling hands and announcing the winner, X-factor style, after an appropriately pregnant pause.”
Farmers Guardian organised the British Farming Awards. They welcomed 250 farmers and key industry figures from across the country to recognise innovation within the farming industry.