Northern Ireland farmer and former aerospace engineer wins BBC Farming for the Future Award
Bronagh O’Kane was recognised for her regenerative farming work at Drumard Farm near Cookstown, as the awards came to Northern Ireland for the first time
Tyrone farmer Bronagh O’Kane, who has an extensive background in aerospace engineering, has won a major award for enterprise at the prestigious BBC Food and Farming Awards 2026.
Bronagh won the Archers and Farming Today Farming for the Future Award at the ceremony, which was held in Belfast for the first time last week.
She was the only Northern Ireland winner among seven finalists in the category.
The judges praised her “confidence to innovate and embrace regenerative principles” and said they were inspired by “the change that one person can make”.
Bronagh returned to the family farm in Co Tyrone after an engineering career in Britain. Driven by a desire to improve the farm’s resilience and future legacy, and concerned by the decline in Northern Ireland’s biodiversity, she set out to find practical, nature-based solutions to degraded, sticky and compacted soil.
A former jet aircraft engineer, Bronagh runs Drumard Farm near Cookstown, where she keeps mainly native-breed cattle alongside Charollais sheep and KuneKune pigs.
She took over the family farm in 2020 with a mission to restore soil health and function. She is also passionate about helping other farmers understand soil health and supporting a more sustainable food system.
Commenting on the award, Bronagh said: “I was thrilled to receive this very encouraging recognition for work in developing our family farm. It’s a tremendous boost for our focus on farming sustainably.”
Innovation and sustainability are key pillars of Northern Ireland’s new Food Strategy and Action Plan, with food and drink producers increasingly recognised for their potential to benefit local communities, health and the environment.
Bringing the BBC Food and Farming Awards to Belfast was a major achievement for Food NI, the region’s independent food promotion body, working with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
Thousands of nominations were received from across the UK, including a record number from Northern Ireland. Finalists were selected by an expert panel led by local chef and broadcaster Paula McIntyre.
The awards celebrate the UK’s leading cooks and food producers, recognising individuals and businesses making a positive impact on communities and the environment.
Event host Holly Hamilton said: “I was absolutely delighted to be hosting the BBC Food and Farming Awards in Belfast, particularly in a year when the awards came to Northern Ireland for the very first time.
“Food and farming are such an important part of who we are here and, coming from a farming family myself, the people behind our food are particularly close to my heart.”
Chief judge Paula McIntyre said the awards celebrated the people involved in bringing food and produce to the table, adding that selecting the finalists from across the UK had been a difficult task.
The BBC Food and Farming Awards were launched in 2000 to mark the 20th anniversary of BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme. Their aim remains to honour those who have done most to promote good food and a more sustainable, innovative and inclusive food system.
Food NI chief executive Michele Shirlow said the organisation had been working with the BBC for many years to bring the ceremony to Belfast, with support from DAERA helping make it possible.
Other Northern Ireland businesses shortlisted included Mourne Craft Brewery, Rademon Estate Distillery in Crossgar, Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil in Limavady, Ballyboley Dexters in Greyabbey and Crawford’s Rock Seaweed in Kilkeel.
The Food Producer Award went to Dun Flashadder Cottage Croft on Skye, with judges recognising its knowledge of and commitment to crofting, a distinctive form of food production in the Scottish Highlands.