On the 18th February 2011 in hotel The Westin Warsaw in Warsaw took place the closing ceremony of the 17th the countrywide FARMER OF THE YEAR Competition.
The winners of the 17th edition of the FARMER OF THE YEAR Competition:
- in the category of family farms up to 50 ha – Danuta and Stanisław Chmielewscy from Podlaskie Voivodeship; Mr. and Mrs. Chmielewscy breed Limousine cows. The foundation stock includes 45 cows and is evaluated in terms of its functional quality. The farm co-operates with an Agricultural School Complex in Sejny. Within the frames of this co-operation the farm houses apprenticeships and research work the results of which are used in diploma theses;
- in the category of family farms up of 50 to 100 ha – Maria and Ryszard Klimczyk from Śląskie Voivodeship; The tradition of cattle breeding on Mr. and Mrs. Klimczyk’s farm has been handed down for five generations and has been evaluated in terms of functional quality for over 90 years. The current record holders are dairy cows which achieved the productivity of 16.000kg in lactation. For the purpose of insemination of the cows, the semen from the best bulls is delivered from many countries around the world;
- in the category of family farms over 100 ha – Barbara and Andrzej Gaik from Łódzkie Voivodeship; Two production lines predominate on the farm: pigs breeding and fodder plants cultivation. The foundation stock consists of 612 sows. Sows are kept in modern buildings;
- in the category of farms with alternative sources of income – Kazimierz Furczoń from Małopolskie Voivodeship; Mr. Furczoń family has been concentrated on Polish mountain sheep breeding since the 19th century. Mr. Furczoń is a leader in establishing of shepherd communities, originator of “Small Shepherd Community of Karpaty” project, founder and president of “Gazdowie” Tatrzańsko – Beskidzka Producers Co-operative (with over 100 members);
- in the category of agricultural production companies – Krystyna and Zbigniew Ziejewscy from Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship; The main production line of the farm is poultry production – broiler, geese and turkeys fatteners. Mr. and Mrs. Ziejewscy are engaged in social and local government activities. They are also founders and members of several connected Producer Groups. The farm organizes courses, demonstrations and research;
- in the category of breeding agricultural companies – Tadeusz Ziółkowski and Jan Szkudlarczyk – managementGARZYN Pedigree Breeding Centre Ltd. from Wielkopolskie Voivodeship; Pedigree specializes in dairy cattle, sheep and pig breeding. All animals are evaluated in terms of their functional quality. The company has been awarded many times for its achievements in the field of animal breeding.
The Competition Committee awarded the following participants who qualified for the finals:
- Ewa and Andrzej Długosz (Mazowieckie Voivodeship) for pig breeding,
- Mirosława and Witold Ruta (Kujawsko – Pomorskie Voivodeship) for dynamic farm development,
- Hanna and Mariusz Grochowieccy (Kujawski – Pomorskie Voivodeship) for pig breeding and for agricultural society activity,
- Kamil Szymańczak (Mazowieckie Voivodeship) for agricultural society activity and introducing new technologies in agriculture,
- Alina and Wojciech Klimkiewicz (Kujawsko–Pomorskie Voivodeship) for intensive horticultural production,
- Włodzimierz Mikulski (Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship) for cattle breeding.
Prizewinners in all the categories were given the FARMER OF THE YEAR title and the “Golden Apple” statuette, the symbol of the Competition. The prizewinners also received congratulating letters from the President of Poland and in kind prizes from firms that co-operate with Farmer of the YearAssociation. By custom, the prizewinners also received paintings with an inscription from the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The ceremony was once again given a stately tone thanks to Orchestra of the Forestry and Agrotechnology Schools in Tuchola, which also acts as the State Forests Orchestra.
Full details information about the 17th Editon of the Competition, the lists of finalists and semi-finalist, characteristics of the awarded Winners and Laureates are presented in the Occasional Publication.