The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists stages writing and photography competitions for members of its affiliated organisations, including the British Guild. Visit the IFAJ website for details and watch for deadlines in the Guild website's home page Dates & Deadlines listing.
The IFAJ Star Prize Journalism award, sponsored by John Deere, offers €500 and a trophy to the winner, and a trophy to the runner-up. One entry from each member country competes in a ‘World Championship’ of agricultural journalism. Guild officers select what they consider to be the most effective entry from among articles that have won one of the Guild awards during the qualifying period.
The IFAJ Star Prize Photography award, sponsored by DeLaval, offers €500 and trophy to the winner, and a trophy to the runner-up. Members of the Guild can enter images themselves - see the IFAJ website for details.
British Guild winners
2011
Guild member Nancy Nicolson won first place in the online television category of the IFAJ Star Prize Broadcasting award ahead of entries from agricultural journalist Guilds and press clubs around the World.
Her video item on crofting was published on Farmers Weekly's Fwi.co.uk website and explored the precarious economics of this traditional farming life, which some people see as a model for 21st Century sustainable agriculture.
The judges said Nancy’s winning online video entry was a very strong report: “It was informative, sharp, coherently structured, well-written and presented,” they commented. “It held the viewer’s attention from start to finish.”
Nancy’s video can be seen here.
Freelance photographer Guild member John Eveson was awarded a Distinguished Recognition as runner-up in the People category of the IFAJ Star Prize Photography award.
The award, which is sponsored by DeLaval, is organised by the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists to celebrate excellence in photography, attracted individual entries from members of agricultural Guilds and press clubs around the World.
John’s image, titled Drainage and Poetry , was commissioned for the front cover of a poetry book written a man who repairs field drains; it was also published in Lancashire Life.
“He repairs field drains for a living and the tools and clothes in the picture are what he would normally use,” explains John. “He has strong Irish connections, so I tried to get the feeling of an Irish peat bog in the picture – even though it was taken locally to me at Chipping in Lancashire.”
2010
Another win for freelance photographer John Eveson! This time, he carried off the top award again, his all-action image of a young sheepdog trying to impose its will against a flighty ewe having been judged top of the Production category. John was also awarded a Highly Commended certificate as runner-up in the Nature/Landscape category for an atmospheric picture of a storm cloud with a rainbow coming from the centre. To see all the 2010 entries, visit the IFAJ website and click on one of the three categories to start a slide show.
2008
Freelance photographer John Eveson won the Nature category of the Star Prize for Agricultural Photography with a landscape image published in Farmers Guardian showing a large herd of cows making its way along a zig-zag track to the milking parlour from outlying fields. The photograph won the Nature category of the competition ahead of impressive entries from members of Guilds around the World. The judges said of John’s picture: “A landscape picture with high agricultural impact that could not have been done better.” Photographer Jonathan Page received a ‘commended’ award for his flowering oilseed rape image published in Farmers Weekly and Crops.
2006
The British Guild’s entry in the IFAJ Star Prize Journalism award, an article on one farmer’s approach to the single farm payment scheme, won the 2006 writing award. It was written by Andrew Blake (right) when working on Farmers Weekly’s arable desk; he is now freelance.
Freelance lensman John Eveson won the IFAJ’s Star Prize for agricultural photography with a typically atmospheric picture of sheep shearing published in Farmers Guardian.
2005
The Star Prize journalism runner-up award was presented to Claire Powell, whose Press & Journal article covered a new cattle health scheme on the Orkneys.
