Freelance journalist Louise Impey has been honoured with the Netherthorpe Communicator of the Year award.
Louise was presented with the iconic bronze cockerel award at the Guild’s Harvest Lunch event in London on October 10.
The audience heard Louise ‘understands arable farming and the challenges it faces inside out – and has one of the biggest contact books in the sector’.
Mike Abram, who nominated Louise for the award, along with a number of other Guild members, said: “Louise has a brilliant nose for an arable story – and seems to know every arable farmer in the country.”
A former colleague of Mike Evans at Agrifax and a fiercely independent freelance journalist, Louise has written for numerous publications over the years, but her regular preferred outlet has long remained Farmers Weekly – and before that, its sister publication Crops magazine.
A talented writer regularly recognised for her work, she has won many awards over the years.
Notable achievements include becoming the first recipient of the Omnia Precision Farming Award – for an article examining the potential of robotics in arable farming – as far back as 2017.
A keen supporter of all forms of communication, more recently she has become a regular and respected arable pundit on the Farmers Weekly Podcast.
Well-connected and with impeccable sources, Louise has an uncanny knack of unearthing exclusive stories well ahead of the pack.
In fact, in an age when many journalists spend most of their time behind a desk, she is seldom happier than when out in the field talking to farmers.
She continues to successfully unpick the finer details of the Sustainable Farming Incentive – analysing its various iterations and how it will impact farmers.
And she understands nuance – and how things deserve closer scrutiny because they might not be what they first appear.
Her long and distinguished career as a journalist has also seen her give something special back to the sector.
Louise also cares deeply about the future of agricultural journalism – and the importance of the next generation coming into the profession.
A long-standing member of Guild council until standing down in 2017, she was for a while the Guild’s awards secretary – working to ensure other communicators received the recognition they deserve.
Her time on council also encompassed the 2014 IFAJ congress, hosted by the British Guild in Scotland – and showcasing UK agriculture to the wider world.
Over the years, she has played key roles in shaping the future of British Guild – both as an integral member of Guild Council, a director and honorary member giving advice and support to the council.
She is also a trustee of the Joe Watson Legacy Fund, set up following the 2014 congress to improve the understanding of agriculture and provide better education for journalism and communication.
