Donegal journalist and farmer leads team to win gold at Media Awards

Stephen Robb, Renewables Editor with the Irish Farmers Journal, has led his team to win the top prize for Best Sustainability Initiative at the national Media Awards on Thursday night, May 8, in Dublin.

The gold prize was awarded for the Irish Farmers Journal Renewables Roadshow, which took place in April 2024 in Cork, Kilkenny, Cavan, and Athlone, and saw almost 2,000 people attend one of four events.

Led by Newtowncunningham man Stephen, the expert-led information events offered farmers, businesses and homeowners’ valuable insights into new and marginal opportunities in renewable energy.

Campaign

Throughout the 14-week campaign, he reached over 400,000 readers weekly, extending the message to over 13 million individuals through digital and social media.

The campaign generated significant engagement, with over 300,000 clicks and interactions, showcasing the strong interest and support for sustainability initiatives.

The four evening events, each lasting 2.5 hours, featured expert discussions, presentations, case studies, and question-and-answer sessions.

Events

The roadshow focused on four key areas which represented significant changes – new policies, actions required at the farm and rural home level and the biggest opportunities for rural Ireland.

Getting paid for making renewable heat – Income opportunities through technologies like biomass and heat pumps.

Making sense of solar PV on your farm – Practical advice on using solar PV to reduce energy costs.

Retrofitting your home – Guidance on energy-efficient upgrades for farmhouses.

Anaerobic digestion and farming: how will it work? – Exploring the benefits of anaerobic digestion for farm diversification and renewable energy production.

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Beyond the event, the roadshow empowered attendees to implement renewable energy solutions on their farms and homes.

Stephen took over the new renewable energy brief in the Irish Farmers Journal in 2022, at a time when significant new energy and sustainability policies were set by the government.

He farms in Newtowncunningham where he is involved with several sustainability initiatives, and last year was announced as the new co-presenter of RTÉ’s Ear to the Ground.