The Women in Dairy Steering Committee has chosen the three finalists for the 2022 Women in Dairy Award.
The three chosen, Gaynor Wellwood, Bex Heywood and Lianne Farrow, will undergo an interview round later this month before the winner is announced at the Women in Dairy Conference on September 28.
All three finalists are strong ambassadors for the dairy industry according to Sarah Bolt form Kingshay, who was involved in shortlisting the entries.
“[They are all] beating the drum for the dairying on a national and local level,” she said.
The three finalists
Gaynor Wellwood
Along with milking 320 cows with her husband Kieran on a tenanted farm in Leicestershire, Gaynor is instrumental in helping other farmers succeed through her farm business consultant role, advising dairy farmers on business and technical issues for over 15 years. Within this role, she facilitates discussion groups and runs a herdsperson group.
She also has a role as the East Midlands Regional chair for the Tenant Farmers Association and was appointed non-executive director of Mole Valley Farmers in 2013.
Gaynor also chairs the Audit Committee of Mole Valley Farmers and has previously also been director and chairman of the South Hams Dairy Cooperative discussion and buying group.
Bex Heywood
25-year-old farmer Bex Heywood has been instrumental in adding value to her family’s farming enterprise in North Devon, where they milk 65 organic cows through a Lely Robot.
When she returned from university in 2019, they realised they would have to expand or add value to what we were already doing.
As the Covid-19 lockdowns began, they launched their organic milk vending machine (Milk’s Up!) to sell a small percentage of their milk directly from the farm, with the rest going to Arla.
Three years later, they now have five smaller machines situated around local campsites and shops for the summer season.
They also host school visits to educate students about dairy farming, from grass to glass. Bex also supports a local group called ‘Plastic free North Devon’, which aims to reduce the amount of plastics in the sea.
Lianne Farrow
Lianne Farrow has come from a non-farming background and, after beginning her farming experience in New Zealand 17 years ago, now heads up the calf rearing at the Downes family farm in Shropshire.
Lianne set up the successful Shropshire Women in Dairy Group and with the help of her colleague Sophie Tedesco, the group has gone from strength to strength.
Lianne’s passion lies in educating the public and the next generation about dairy farming. She is responsible for hosting educational farm tours for schools and their local Beaver Cub Scout groups.
The farm has also been put forward for Senior School Development Days, where the farm showcases what it’s like working within the dairy industry. Lianne is also training to become a teaching assistant.
Women in Dairy Award
The Women in Dairy award aims to celebrate the achievements of women in the dairy sector. It will be presented to the individual who has demonstrated the core values of Women in Dairy of connect, share, and inspire.
Last year’s winner was Sophie Gregory, who described the win as “one of the proudest moments of her farming career”. Read more about Sophie here.
