Farming for Nature voting is now open to the public with seven farms selected as finalists from across the country.
The initiative aims to highlight the valuable work farmers do in promoting and nurturing nature on their land and this year the awards received a huge increase in nominations.
People now have until midnight on October 22, to view a short series of farm videos and choose who they feel should win the overall Farming for Nature Public Vote Award.
Farming for Nature ambassadors
Now in its fourth year, Farming For Nature was set up with an aim to source, share and celebrate the stories of farmers across Ireland who manage their land in a way that sustains nature, while providing a livelihood for their family.
Nominations are sought annually from a broad panel of environmental experts and through a system of interviews, farm visits and assessments by a panel of judges.
23 of these farmers were selected as ambassadors in 2021.
This year’s ambassadors come from across Ireland and include beef, sheep, horticulture, dairy and tillage farmers who manage a wide range of valuable habitats including species-rich grasslands and heaths, wetlands, woodlands and hedgerows.
The seven ambassadors, the finalists, will be featured at the annual Burren Winterage Weekend on October 23, when the winner of the public vote will also be announced.
16 additional ambassadors will be announced and profiled over the coming months, joining a network of 43 ambassadors from 2018, 2019 and 2020.