The 2020 Meurig Raymond Award – named after the NFU’s former President – was presented to Mr Stanley at the NFU Conference dinner held at the ICC, Birmingham on 25 February.
Mr Stanley has become a high-profile advocate for the food and farming sector via the mainstream media and on social media. He’s a regular contributor and columnist in national newspapers and farming trade magazines, and last summer hosted BBC Breakfast for a week on his farm near Ashby-de-la-Zouch. He has just become the NFU’s Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland county vice chairman.
Receiving the award, he said:
“It’s a huge honour to have been given this award and many congratulations to all the other nominees. All I’ve done is talk about what all the NFU members have been doing for our environment and producing quality food. If all of us just put some attention to promoting what we do as an industry that will be such a positive message.”
NFU Director General Terry Jones said:
“I’m absolutely delighted for Joe who is a worthy winner of this year’s Meurig Raymond Award. He is the embodiment of what the NFU is all about. As well as running his own farming business, he’s an engaged grassroots NFU member and his local branch is enjoying a revival of activity due to his efforts to make the NFU more open and accessible to the younger generation. His dedication, hard work and positivity has made him a progressive voice for our industry and helped raise the profile of British farmers and what they do.”
The nominees
Joe Stanley, representing the NFU East Midlands region, was selected from eight nominees drawn from each of the NFU’s seven English regions and NFU Cymru.
The other nominees were:
- Judith Jacobs (East Anglia)
- David Martin (North East)
- Kit Hopley (North West)
- Hugh Passmore (South East)
- Mark Weekes (South West)
- Bal Padda (West Midlands)
- Clare Morgan (Wales)
See more of our coverage from NFU Conference 2020:
- NFU elects officeholder team
- NFU20: British farm standards must be the benchmark in future trade deals
- NFU20: Defra Secretary George Eustice talks flooding, ELMs and food standards
- NFU20: Business backs British standards
- NFU20: How we are inspiring our nation's schoolchildren
- NFU20: Leicestershire farmer honoured for grassroots commitment
- NFU20: Safeguarding our food and farming standards
- NFU20: Climate change is the challenge of our time
- NFU20: Putting IPM at the top of the agenda
- NFU20: Beyond the CAP - the future of farm support
- NFU20: Animal health and welfare - protecting and improving our reputation
- NFU20: Psychological impacts highlight the importance of combating rural crime
- NFU20: How can technology break through the barriers facing the arable sector?
- NFU20: An ambition for growth in horticulture
- NFU20: Learning lessons for the UK's sugar beet production
- NFU20: Livestock session busts myths on meat
- NFU20: Poultry's positive position to farm without barriers
- NFU20: Promoting, growing and protecting British dairy
In case you missed it, here are some easy ways to catch up with the highlights from both days at the ICC, Birmingham: