A BARNSLEY farmer has excelled in his field after achieving the silver award in the Beef Innovator of the Year category at the British Farmers’ Awards last week.
Mark Crapper, of New Grange Farm in Billingley, was nominated for the award back in August after a record number of registrations were made highlighting the work done on farms throughout the country during the pandemic.
The awards ceremony, which was broadcast online and hosted by Vernon Kay, showcased the innovation and achievements of British farmers across the agricultural industry.
Mark told the Chronicle: “We are always looking at ways to be better, profitable and have higher welfare standards as well as being more efficient.
“We are always open to listen to advice and look at new ideas to help all of those, and with the challenges of Covid everything is very unpredictable.
“From staffing issues in abattoirs, which slows the rate at which we can sell our cattle to feed that we use as part of the cattle’s diets due to the disruptions to the food and drink trade so it’s difficult.
“All we can do is do everything to be the best we can.
“As a family farm we are all pulling in the same direction but it’s not just down to me, it’s my parents and brother too which I do think stands us in good stead for the future as we are still hungry and have plenty of drive.
“It’s nice that they deemed me worthy to get the silver award against some great competition and farmers all trying to be the best at what they do.”
The Nicholson family of Cannon Hall Farm also received the silver award for Family Farming Business of the Year.
