Farmers Weekly News and Opinion Editor Philip Clarke has been named the 2025 Netherthorpe Communicator of the Year – the Guild’s most prestigious honour recognising an outstanding and sustained contribution to agricultural communications.
The award was presented at this year’s harvest lunch (9 October), where Guild chairman Ben Pike highlighted his exceptional career and influence across the industry.
Phil, who is now in his 37th year as an agricultural journalist, has spent 32 of those with Farmers Weekly, where he is widely regarded as one of the sector’s most respected and trusted voices.
His work has guided generations of readers through the complexities of agricultural policy, market trends and legislation – from the finer points of the Sustainable Farming Incentive to the nuances of inheritance tax and currency movements.
In his award citation, Ben described Phil as “one of the industry’s finest journalists”, noting his combination of “forensic analytical ability” and “instinctive, fluent writing”.
These qualities have allowed Phil to tackle even the most daunting topics with clarity and precision, ensuring farmers can make sense of issues that might otherwise seem impenetrable, he said.
Over his long career, Phil has been recognised repeatedly by the Guild, having previously won the Arable and Livestock Award and Business Writer of the Year on several occasions.
He has also embraced new forms of communication, combining traditional reporting skills with a strong grasp of multimedia and social media, helping to grow online audiences by as much as 40% in one of his editorial roles.
Before joining Farmers Weekly, Clarke worked at The Grocer, Big Farm Weekly and the NFU, establishing a foundation that reflected both his passion for agriculture and commitment to clear, authoritative journalism.
His current editor, Andrew Meredith, described him as “exceptionally calm under pressure, a great interrogator of reports and people alike, and a generous mentor to colleagues at every stage of their careers.”
Collecting the award, Phil said everything from farm policy, technology, and the way journalists research stories has changed beyond recognition since he started his career, but one thing that hadn’t altered was his interest in the subject he writes about.
“It’s as fascinating as it always has been,” he said. “The other thing that hasn’t changed is the sense that we do an important job. We deliver something our readers actually need for running their business and it’s that [feeling] that has kept me at Farmers Weekly for over 30 years.”
Joking that print media might be archaic, Phil said he still gets a buzz each week when Farmers Weekly arrives through he letterbox. That “buzz” meant he planned to carry on writing for years to come, he added.
- The Netherthorpe Communicator of the Year Award is named in honour of Guild founder Sir Basil Netherthorpe, a leading agricultural journalist and NFU president. It recognises individuals who have made an exceptional and enduring contribution to communicating agriculture’s stories with accuracy, insight and integrity.
