Latest news with #AndrewGreen
Business News Wales
2 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
M&S Celebrates 'Exceptional' Farmers and Growers at the Royal Welsh Show 2025
M&S has honoured 'outstanding' farmers and growers from across the UK at this year's M&S Select Farm Awards, presented at the Royal Welsh Show. The annual awards celebrate the very best of British agriculture, recognising excellence in innovation, sustainability, animal welfare and emerging talent. The retailer said that this year's Royal Welsh Show winners reflect the diversity and dedication of the M&S supply base, spanning fresh produce, beef, lamb, poultry, and dairy farms. Produce Excellence Award: Andrew Green – Herefordshire Andrew Green, a third-generation grower from Herefordshire, has been awarded the Produce Excellence Award for his pioneering work with Flamingo Produce to extend the British Tenderstem Broccoli season. By using careful land selection and smart growing techniques, Andrew delivers the UK's earliest Tenderstem Broccoli three to four weeks ahead of the usual season, and extends availability right through to November, reducing imports and cutting food miles. Andrew said: 'I've always believed the best crops come from knowing your land and trying new ideas. It's great to see British Tenderstem Broccoli in M&S stores earlier and for longer.' Environmental Champion Award: Richard Heady – Buckinghamshire Richard Heady, from Buckinghamshire, has won the Environmental Champion Award for transforming his mixed beef and arable farm through regenerative practices. Supplying M&S through Dunbia, Richard has put soil health, biodiversity and carbon reduction at the heart of daily operations, from zero-till planting and diverse cover crops to wildflower margins and protecting watercourses. Richard said: 'We're proud of our beef, and we want to leave the farm better for the next generation too. It's not about doing one big thing, it's lots of small changes that add up, season after season.' Emerging Talent Award: Robbie Goetz – Devon At just 19, Robbie Goetz from Devon has been awarded the Emerging Talent Award for his work at Tollgate Farm, where he raises higher-welfare Oakham Gold chickens exclusively for M&S through Hook2Sisters. After leaving school at 15, Robbie's practical skills and dedication have seen him progress to Trainee Assistant Farm Manager, helping lead a small team caring for over 210,000 RSPCA Assured birds. Robbie said: 'I didn't know what I wanted to do when I left school, but I found something I care about. I love working at the farm, learning new things and seeing what we can achieve together.' Innovation Award: Don Ford – North Somerset Don Ford, from North Somerset, has scooped the Innovation Award for pioneering lower-carbon, free-range chicken production. His family-run farm supplies M&S through Capestone and has invested in renewable energy, with biomass boilers and solar power, while planting 11,000 hardwood trees and a cider apple orchard for natural bird cover and richer biodiversity. Poultry litter is reused by local farms, creating a closed-loop system and the farm now has the lowest net emissions in Capestone's supply chain. Don said: 'We've always believed a good farm should put back more than it takes out. The trees, the renewables, the way the birds roam, it's all part of showing that proper free-range farming can tread lightly on the planet and still deliver exceptional-quality food.' Royal Countryside Fund Family Farm Award: The Roderick Family – Brecon, Wales The Roderick Family, from Brecon, have received the Royal Countryside Fund Family Farm Award for their commitment to animal welfare, sustainability and succession at Newton Farm. Richard Roderick and his family run two sheep flocks and a 100-head Stabiliser suckler herd supplying beef and lamb to M&S through Dunbia. The farm stands out for its calm, well-handled livestock, thoughtful breeding and careful succession planning, with Richard's son Tudor now fully involved in flock management. Richard said: 'For us, it's simple, if you look after your animals and your land properly, they look after you in return. We're proud to keep that approach alive as a family and it means a lot to have it recognised by M&S and the Royal Countryside Fund.' Welfare Excellence Award: Max Frampton & Toby Wonnacott – Dorset A dedicated Dorset dairy team led by owner Max Frampton and herd manager Toby Wonnacott has won the Welfare Excellence Award for delivering some of the highest cow health and comfort standards in the UK. The herd produces 14,000 litres per cow annually, while keeping mastitis rates at just 2%, compared to a 24% national average, thanks to excellent cubicle design, feed access and healthy youngstock, all cared for by a small, dedicated team. Max said: 'For us, good welfare is just about doing the right thing every day. The cows always come first, this award means a lot to the whole team.' Steve McLean, Head of Agriculture and Fisheries at M&S, said: 'From emerging talent to seasoned innovators, our winners prove that when you care for animals, people and the planet, you can deliver the best food for our customers and a thriving countryside for everyone.' The M&S Select Farm Awards are presented annually at key agricultural shows and honour the network of M&S Select Farmers across the UK.
BBC News
12-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Thriving nature reserve near Stretham all began with a lake
A farmer and conservationist who transformed 300 acres into a thriving wildlife reserve 30 years ago said it all began when he dug out a Green created Kingfishers Bridge wetland habitat out of an intensively farmed sugar beet and potato farm between Wicken and Stretham, lake resulted in animals and birds using it every day, he said, so he founded the reserve which is marking its 30th anniversary on Saturday and Sunday. "Now we have more than 420 plant species, 215 different birds, 740 different moths and many more [species]," he said. Kingfishers Bridge was "almost exclusively a birder reserve" until the Covid-19 pandemic, with visitor numbers rising from about 2,000 in 2019 to 21,000 in now has a car park, a cafe, a visitor centre and a shop, as well as offering regular visitor tours of its rare Green said: "About 50 years ago, I realised that [to make] a wetland conservancy, it had to be with plenty of water to make it work, and so I made a lake – this followed with animals and birds using it every day."He praised manager James Moss for expanding and developing the habitats after the farm officially became a nature reserve."[He] gradually found the right places on land and water, leading to a wonderful nature reserve for which he had an extraordinary ability for managing," Mr Green said. "a massive increase" in its breeding population of lapwings, a farmland wading bird which is on a list of endangered has also seen a vast increase in the vulnerable water germander, from 12 plants in 1996 to seven million today, and it was the first place in Cambridgeshire to successfully breed bitterns since the 1930s. The data comes from RSPB, BTO & Environment Agency surveys, said Mr Bridge also has herds of water buffalo and konik ponies, which help manage the has organised an open weekend of events to mark its 30-year milestone, including guided tours, talks, performances by local musicians and food from local vendors. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
CBS News
24-06-2025
- CBS News
Hemet man arrested for selling fentanyl, weapons violations after traffic stop
A Hemet man was arrested over the weekend for allegedly selling fentanyl and for multiple weapons violations, according to Riverside County deputies. Sometime on Saturday, personnel with the Hemet Special Enforcement Team conducted a traffic stop on a car in the 41000 block of Beachwood Avenue, said a press release from the department. The passenger of the car, 24-year-old Andrew Green, was recognized by the deputies as having two felony warrants for his arrested for narcotics sales, the release said. "He was detained and found to have multiple plastic bags of fentanyl in his possession," said RSO's release. "The investigation at the traffic stop revealed that Green was engaged in the sale of fentanyl, prompting the team to obtain a search warrant for his residence." Upon serving the warrant, deputies say that they not only found several more bags of fentanyl, but also 14 firearms, including antique shotguns and black-powder rifles. Two of those weapons were AR-15 rifles, one of which was stolen and the other unregistered, deputies said. "Green, a convicted felon, was prohibited from accessing firearms," said the release. "Green was arrested and booked into jail at the Cois Byrd Detention Center for fentanyl sales and multiple weapons violations." They did not note Green's prior convictions. Anyone who knows more was asked to contact RSO at (951) 791-3400, as they work to determine if some of the firearms were stolen during unreported thefts.
BBC News
14-06-2025
- BBC News
Stretham nature reserve marks 30 years with lapwing number boost
A wetland habitat which was "almost exclusively a birder reserve" until the Covid-19 pandemic is marking its 30th Bridge, a 300-acre (121-hectare) reserve between Wicken and Stretham, Cambridgeshire, went from having 2,000 visitors a year to 21,000 in dog-friendly reserve now has a car park, cafe, visitor centre and shop, as well as offering regular visitor tours of its rare James Moss said a recent success had been "a massive increase in our breeding population of lapwings. The farmland wading birds - which are on a list of endangered species - are well camouflaged, so the reserve has used a pioneering recording technique to chart Moss said: "This is a hand-held thermal camera and the technology allows us to find the nest and count the eggs, monitoring the breeding birds through until their chicks fledge." Farmer and conservationist Andrew Green created the reserve in 1995 on the intensively farmed sugar beet and potato land. Using the River Cam as a wildlife corridor to draw new species in, he began recreating lost fenland habitat from the former farm. Kingfishers Bridge now attracts 210 different bird species, more than 90 of which have bred there, including the first bittern to successfully breed in Cambridgeshire since the has also seen a vast increase in the vulnerable water germander, from 12 plants in 1996 to seven million today. The data comes from RSPB, BTO & Environment Agency surveys, said Mr Moss. Large mammals are used to transform and manage the landscape, including a herd of water buffalo and two herds of Konik ponies."We've also introduced Old English Longhorn cattle from neighbouring farm Spinney Abbey to help manage the Cam Washes and they're doing fantastic job," said Mr Moss. Volunteer numbers are up, helping out at big events, and a regular team of 10 volunteers "make a massive difference", he other tasks, they help with hide and nest box creation, maintaining the infrastructure and with wildlife monitoring. Mr Moss added climate change - with extremes of weather and the lack of cold winters to kill off parasites - is of concern."While we're seeing biodiversity increase, we're also seeing invasive species - we have had our first Chinese water deer regularly on site," he said. "Visitor numbers have stabilised and are now more manageable than it was at its peak in the pandemic, but we're at a level where the reserve could be self-sustaining now," he added. Kingfishers Bridge plans to mark the anniversary during a weekend of events on 12 and 13 July. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Verge
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Verge
Switch 2 size comparison: Nintendo's latest up next to a whole lot of consoles
We've talked many times on The Vergecast about the dream of the perfect charger. We call it The God Cable, and imagine it would charge everything, at full optimized speed, no matter what you plug in. Well, one company tried to make it – sort of. TwelveSouth founder Andrew Green joins the show to talk about how his company developed its newest product, the PowerCord, and why actually the God Cable might be both impossible and a bad idea. After that, The Verge's Tina Nguyen joins the show to talk about her experience at Bitcoin 2025 in Las Vegas, the rise of $TRUMP, and how crypto and the government became so intertwined. Finally, we answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline about AI agents, and the tasks we should (and shouldn't) offload to our chatbots.
