Julie Monkman of Produced in Kent at last year's Taste of Kent Awards

by business editor Trevor Sturgess

The search is on for talented and innovative farmers who make the Garden of England so attractive.

There's still time for local farmers to enter the first ever Kent Food, Farming and Landscape Award.

The award, sponsored by the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is the latest addition to the annual Taste of Kent Awards.

It is open to all categories of farmers and food producers from livestock and arable to fruit farmers and juice producers.

Julie Monkman, manager of Produced in Kent, said: "Our farmers are often the unsung heroes of the Garden of England but this award will reverse that."

She added: "Whilst the demands of the job see many farmers working 24/7 throughout the spring, summer and autumn, I hope the relative peace of the upcoming holiday season will encourage lots of farmers back indoors to get their entries in by the January 3 deadline."