April 1st 2014
Former Formula 1 World Champion turned bio-dynamic farmer Jody Scheckter and his wife Clare, of Laverstoke Park Farm, were presented with the inaugural Prince Edward Trophy for Excellence in Horticulture at the Worshipful Company of Gardeners’ Spring Lunch, held at The Butchers’ Hall on Tuesday 1st April 2014.
Royal Master of the Company HRH The Earl of Wessex presented the new award to the Scheckters to mark the couple’s work in developing an extensive range of composts to enrich soil and provide a varied diet for animals (currently 31 different forms of grazing fodder) farmed for meat and other products that are sold through their own farm shops, on-line and through Waitrose and Ocado. The award is also given in recognition of the Scheckters’ work in education, promoting the skills of gardening and careers in horticulture; their charity has, to date, provided free courses in purpose-built classrooms (donated by Hampshire County Council and opened by HRH The Princess Royal in 2012) for more than 15,000 young people and students.
The Company’s Principal Guest and Speaker at the Lunch was Sir Nicholas Bacon Bt OBE DL, the recently appointed President of the Royal Horticultural Society. Also present were Monsieur and Madame Patrice Fustier, the leading lights behind the internationally-based panel of Le Jury des Merites de Courson, the renowned plant show held annually at Domaine de Courson in Courson-Monteloup, France. This year is the 25th anniversary of the plant show and as regular visitors, the Company marked the occasion by presenting Monsieur Fustier, on behalf of the Jury, with the Courson Cup.
The Prince Edward Award for Excellence in Horticulture marks the work of those who are unusually innovative and effective in delivering outstanding results in the field of horticulture, and in motivating and inspiring people to examine and take up horticulture as a career.