Agri-Hub journalists Danusia Osiowy and Olivia Cooper, along with freelancer Andrew Watts, have been chosen as the winners of the 2025 BGAJ Agriculture Journalism Awards, sponsored by ABP.
In total, 59 articles or broadcasts were entered by journalists writing or broadcasting across 20 different publications.
Entries in the three categories were judges by a panel of farmers, independent experts and last year’s winner or a Guild Council member, with the Awards presented at the Guild’s showcase Harvest Lunch event.
The standard of entries didn’t disappoint this year, when quality, informative and creative journalism has never been more important for our industry, says Phil Hambling, ABP’s Director of Agriculture and Sustainable Sourcing, who was on of the judging panels for all three categories.
“Judging was challenging and enjoyable in equal measure as the talent was often hard to separate. However, I think there will be strong recognition for the quality of the worthy winners and runners up alike.”
Arable category
The Arable category was won by freelancer Andrew Watts for his article “Forcing a fungicide re-think” in CPM magazine.
The judges – Worcestershire farmer Jake Freestone, AICC agronomist Patrick Stephenson and last year’s winner Janine Adamson, along with Phil Hambling – agreed that the article about a new strain of yellow rust provided an excellent break-down of plant pathology into farmer/agronomist-relevant insight, highlighting practical take-homes for crop management.
It pitched the problem with a level of pragmatism to avoid scare-mongering during a difficult season, utilising commentary from relevant experts to tackle the nuances of this highly topical subject. Clear, concise and technically robust, the article demonstrates the high level of skill required to operate in our trade, the judges said.
Runner-up was a difficult decision with several articles in the running, but ultimately the judges’ decision was to award the prize to Farmers Weekly’s Richard Allison for his article titled “Perennial ‘cup plant’ offers a biogas alternative”.
Judges commended this article for presenting something new and engaging to its readership. Centred around a farmer case study, it offers a compelling argument for the crop and its sustainability credentials. A thoroughly enjoyable read, written by an experienced individual.
Environmental & Rural Affairs category
This year’s Environmental & Rural Affairs category was won by Agri-Hub’s Danusia Osiowy for her “Guide to Neurodiversity-friendly communication” in Farmers Weekly.
The award was judged by GWCT’s Joe Stanley, Oakbank’s Ian Gould and Guild Awards director Mike Abram, alongside Phil Hambling from ABP.
After a Farmers Weekly survey highlighted widespread barriers and misconceptions, the guide aims to provide a practical and engaging resource for both employers and neurodiverse individuals, and offers clear, implementable steps to create more neurodiverse-friendly communication and workplace practices.
Judges found this to be a comprehensive piece of work containing lots of practical advice for farm businesses on a very fresh topic. “It clearly has taken a lot of research to compile,” one judge commented.
Runner up in a hard-fought category was Farmers Guardian’s Rachael Brown. Based on independent FG research and original investigative reporting her article “Investment plans on tenant farms ‘stifled’” was commended as an excellent example of journalism within the sector by the judges.
Livestock & Grassland category
In the Livestock & Grassland category, Agri-Hub’s Olivia Cooper was announced as the winner for her article “Trial looks at value of grazing sheep on herbal leys” published in Farmers Guardian.
The judges for this category were Hefin Richards, an independent livestock consultant from Rumenation, livestock farmer Charlotte West and last year’s winner Aly Balsom.
Olivia’s piece highlighted results from farm trials looking at the impact of herbal leys on lamb growth rates and worm burdens. The judges said the article provided valuable and ‘real-world’ insights into management of these leys, which are playing an increasingly vital role on livestock systems.
Runner-up was Farmers Weekly’s Charlie Reeve for his article explaining what to expect from an Environment Agency inspection. The article, using a case study of a dairy farmer, gives practical tips and guidance about the types of areas an inspector will be looking at and actions that might be required to fix issues.
The winners received a cash prize courtesy of ABP of £500, while the runners up took home £150. In addition, all winners and runners ups will be invited to a celebratory lunch at ABP’s Demonstration Farm.
