Charles Jarvis, a committed farmer with a passion for agronomy, has received the highly prized Barrie Orme Shield - sponsored by Corteva Agriscience - in recognition of his outstanding achievement in undertaking the 2023 BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection.

Hailing from a family farm nestled in South Devon, Charles has a deep-rooted passion for agriculture. He pursued his academic aspirations at Harper Adams University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Agriculture in 2016. During his journey, Charles has gained invaluable experience, including a transformative stint at Velcourt Farm in Kings Lynn and an immersive 15-month placement on a family farm in Leicestershire. These experiences developed a desire to grow the arable enterprises on his own family farm.

Driven by his interest in agronomy and conversations with many, Charles made the decision to gain additional qualifications, including the BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection and the FACTS Certificate under the guidance of Debbie Wedge and her team. These BASIS courses not only provided him with tools to help him engage in meaningful discussions with industry experts, but has further elevated his understanding of crop protection.

In recognition of his outstanding commitment and achievements, Charles had already been nominated for the prestigious Brian Chambers award in 2022 following the completion of the FACTS certificate. His dedication and excellence has seen him recognised again in 2023 while studying for his BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection, this lead him to being awarded the Barrie Orme Shield 2023 – presented by BASIS.

"It is a tremendous honour to receive the Barrie Orme Shield," remarked Charles. "This recognition highlights the importance of continuous learning and collaboration within the agricultural community at all levels. I am really thankful for the opportunities that have shaped my journey thus far and look forward to incorporating my learnings further - via BASIS Education - into the daily role of running my farm and best practices in crop protection."

Alex Nichols, Marketing Manager for this year’s sponsors Corteva, said: “Huge congratulations to Charles and to the runners-up for their outstanding results in the 2023 BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection. We recognise the level of professionalism and dedication required to reach this level of qualification. Today, the highest standards of stewardship are necessary for effective, responsible and sustainable use of crop protection products and individuals like Charles will be able to champion these requirements.”

Andrew Lazenby, BASIS CEO, "Congratulations to Charles for his remarkable achievement in receiving the Barrie Orme Shield. His dedication to advancing agricultural knowledge is exemplary, reflecting the values of continuous learning and excellence that BASIS promotes."

The runners-up for this year’s competition were - Simon Honey who works as a plant pest risk manager within the Risk & Horizon Scanning team at Defra; Thomas Madigan, an arable farmer from Lincolnshire graduated from Harper Adams University; and Marion Albouy a production lead for cereal seeds at Syngenta.

For more information on BASIS training courses, please visit www.basis-reg.co.uk or contact a member of the team on 01335 301200 or help@basis-reg.co.uk.