Shortlist

A host of quality entries flooded in for the Farmers Weekly Awards. To see who made the shortlist for each of our 14 categories click on the category links below

Or if you are interested in entering the awards for next year ring Alma Watson or Linda Kimberley on 020 8652 8026 for further information.

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Awards Video

View the highlights from Farmers Weekly Awards '09

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Awards Categories

Young Farmer of the Year

Antony Pearce, Buckinghamshire

The family farm has used 35-year-old Antony's financial experience to develop this mixed arable and sheep 365ha farm, which now has an 800ha arable joint venture, a boxed lamb scheme supplying Budgens and a turkey business.

George Brown, Berkshire

Contracting enabled 29-year-old George to replace the tired and expensive kit on the 280ha arable farm and he now employ this machinery to also contract and manage 200ha and contract combine a further 400ha.

Andrew Rees, Leicestershire

Andrew, who's 31, became a partner in his father's tenanted 150ha dairy farm six years ago. He has contributed to increasing cow numbers, milk yields and changed to a liquid contract.

Farm Manager of the Year

Alastair Brooks, Buckinghamshire

Alastair manages the farming operation on the Waddesdon Estate, cropping 1450ha of arable with 20ha of grassland as well as a further 160ha contract-farmed. He leads a team of six and has conducted a complete reorganisation of the business.

Jake Freestone, Gloucestershire

Jake oversees a diverse farming estate, farming 1500ha of arable land with 1000 ewes and a team of seven staff. He is passionate about engaging with the local community and blogs at www.farmerjakef.blogspot.com

Andrew Hughes, Hampshire
Andrew Hughes manages a large estate near Finkley in Hampshire on behalf of a family trust. He has led a restructuring of the business which has seen profits rise and has an enviable attention to detail.

Beef Farmer of the Year

William Ritch, Aberdeenshire

The Ritch Family share a passion for producing good-quality beef through breeding and finishing cattle on 290ha. They also grow malting barley and finish store lambs in a range of integrated businesses.

Paul and Kirsty Westaway, Gloucestershire

Tenant farmers Paul and Kirsty Westaway run a partnership called Melview Farming, which involves breeding pedigree Aberdeen Angus cattle and finishing Angus and Holstein heifers for Tesco's finest range.

John Hoskin, Dorchester, Dorset

John runs two farms as part of the Duchy Estate with his sons. He stopped milk production five years ago to focus on finishing and has managed to more than double profits despite investing in new buildings.

Poultry Farmer of the Year

Adrian Potter, North Yorkshire

Adrian produces eggs from 162,000 free-range layers, selling Hoads Farm and James Potter branded product to around 700 supermarkets. Another 390,000 hens supply eggs to the family's three packing stations on contract.

Elwyn and Gareth Griffiths, Shropshire

Elwyn and Gareth run Oaklands Farm Eggs from a unit near Telford, producing about 500m eggs a year. The brothers have been at the forefront of converting to enriched cages and are helping contracted suppliers change too.

Judy Goodman, Worcestershire

Judy has been a driving force in the goose sector, developing her Goodman's Geese brand, rearing 4200 free-range geese, plus another 4200 bronze turkeys. Proactive marketing has been central to creating a thriving business.

Livestock Advisor of the Year

Neil Howie, Cheshire
Neil is a partner in Nantwich Veterinary Group, responsible for 12 vets dedicated to the care of farm animals. Neil dedicates much of his time to progressive health management plans alongside a team offering first and second opinion consultancy.

Mark Burnell, Dorset
Mark is a director of Synergy Farm Health, an amalgamation of two practices with 19 dedicated farm animal vets. Mark believes the vet’s role is to safeguard the welfare of animals by empowering farmers with the right information.

Christine Lees, Wiltshire
Christine is the brains behind Homeopathy at Wellie Level, which teaches farmers about the philosophy of homeopathy through a course with unique teaching and reference material designed to help clients apply the learning to their own stock.

Diversification Farmer of the Year

Andy Fussell, Somerset
Andy runs a 140ha arable holding growing a wheat, barley and oilseed rape rotation. His main diversification is the production of extra-virgin rapeseed oil and other projects include haulage, feed mixing and grain storage.

David and Jayne Newman, Cambridgeshire
The Newmans’ 62ha farm has a number of successful diversifications including an upmarket caravan park, a fine-dining restaurant serving farm-reared beef and lamb, as well as a paintball site and fishing lake.

Robert Borrill, North Lincolnshire
Robert has set up a suite of diversifications on and around his 500ha arable farm near Brigg. Duck rearing is the largest enterprise, accompanied by a quality stone quarry, a caravan storage facility and a popular local pub.

Dairy Farmer of the Year

Neil Baker, Somerset
Neil has 900 cows at his farm at Haselbury. A third of the milk is processed on-farm into vintage cheese and sold in Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Waitrose. Creating a healthy environment for cows is high on the agenda.

Angus Wielkopolski, York
20 Angus runs a herd of 4400 milking goats. The farm produces milk, butter, cream and yoghurts and Cheddar-style goat’s cheese. He places a firm emphasis on integration and reducing the UK’s reliance on imported goat’s milk.

Stephen and Linda Houlford, Devon

The Houlford family run 500 cows at Church Farm, Bittadon. Milk is sold to MilkLink and clotted cream is made on-farm and sold locally. The farm keeps a strong handle on costs and prioritises creating a business for future generations.

Green Energy Farmer of the Year

John Strawson, Nottinghamshire
John farms 3300ha of combinable crops and 457ha of short-rotation coppiced willow, the latter turned into 5000t of Koolfuel to supply the local power station, school, business park and homes.

Adam Twine, Wiltshire
Adam has an organic dairy herd plus beef and arable enterprises. Renewable energy sources include five 1.3MW wind turbines, photo-voltaic panels to power a pump for his dirty water reed-bed system and short-rotation coppiced willow.

Stephen Temple, Norfolk
24 Stephen has a 230ha arable and dairy unit plus a cheese-making business. As well as designing a grainstore fan system that cuts energy use, he dries grain using a straw-powered boiler and now has an anaerobic digester.

Pig Farmer of the Year

Richard Smith, Bedford
Richard manages 1100 sows producing 22,000 pigs a year for Bedfordia Pigs. The farm breeds its own replacements from a multiplication herd of 100 sows. The vision is to produce quality bacon pigs as efficiently as possible.

Andrew McCrea, County Tyrone
26 Andrew runs an efficient 750 sow unit along with 500 beef cattle with pig slurry integrating well within the enterprise. Standards of production and costs are constantly monitored and emphasis placed on staff management.

Roderic Bruce, Aberdeenshire
Roderic operates a profitable 350 sow indoor breeding and finishing herd, with most feed home grown and mixed on farm. Roderic’s key focus is to improve the profitability and sustainability of his pig business.

Arable Farmer of the Year

David Miller, Hampshire
David manages 1525ha of cropping across four sites in Hampshire growing wheat, barley, oilseed rape, beans, linseed and oats.

John Goodchild, Cambridge
In three blocks of land totalling 617ha on the Bartlow Estate in Cambridgeshire, John grows wheat, barley and oilseed rape, as well as running a sugar beet contract harvesting operation.

Chris Baylis, Lincolnshire
On the Revesby Estate in Lincolnshire, Chris manages 698ha of cereals with 58ha in agri-environment schemes, 255ha of roots,
as well as being part of a potato joint venture.

Contractor of the Year

Harry and Lynn Wilson, Lancashire
This family-run business was established in 1970 by husband and wife team Harry and Lynn. Today, assisted by sons Keith and Ian, they run Europe’s largest fleet of forage harvesters, carry out extensive contracting services and operate their own workshops.

Adam Metcalfe, North Yorkshire
Adam started rearing calves on 40 acres at the age of 16 and purchased his first sprayer at 18. Now he runs a large-scale, cost-conscious operation specialising in applying both liquid and solid fertiliser using precision farming equipment, slurry injection, baling and waste collection.

Tim Bloye, Gunnislake, Cornwall
Offering everything from drilling to harvesting as well as agronomy and recycling, Tim has built up B&B Contractors from a one-man band to a business offering complete farming services to livestock and arable clients alike.

Countryside Farmer of the Year

Graham Warburton, Cheshire
Graham’s innovative and entrepreneurial approach to managing biodiversity, landscape and access has helped him boost revenue at 320ha Depmore Farm.

Jonathan Birchall, Hertfordshire
Jon has transformed 911ha Pilkington Farms from an intensive arable unit into an extensive mixed farm at the heart of the local community.

Brian & Patrick Barker, Suffolk
Cousins Brian and Patrick brought new ideas and environmental expertise to E J Barker & Sons – a fourth-generation, 513ha, family partnership.

Sheep Farmer of the Year

William and Carol Ingram, Aberdeenshire
William and Carol farm 87ha at Inverurie. The couple run 1500 ewes, comprising pedigree flocks of Charollais and Texels, as well as a flock of commercial ewes. Rams are sold annually at their own on-farm sale.

David Rossiter, Devon
David Rossiter farms 406ha at Kingsbridge, Devon. Progressive breeding is central to the flock’s management with performance recorded flocks of Poll Dorset and Suffolks the mainstay of the business.

David and Sally Dixon, Cumbria
David and Sally Dixon, run 1100 ewes on 250ha of in-bye land and 350ha of moorland. The flock is largely based on Swaledale genetics, with the flock managed on a stratified basis to maximise marketing opportunities.

Local Food Farmer of the Year

Jan McCourt and Sons, Leicestershire
Jan lost his job as a City banker and bought Northfield Farm, later opening a farm shop. The farm business has expanded to 100ha with award-winning meat sold at London markets, music festivals and top restaurants.

Andrew Davies, Bedfordshire
Andrew established Woburn Country Foods in 2002 to sell meat reared on farm to the retail and catering trade. His business now supplies 10 local Waitrose stores, eight local schools and over 40 local eating establishments.

Peter and Hilary Cochran, East Lothian
Knowes Farm Shop is the commercial heart of a modern, mainstream working farm. In a rural, coastal location, Knowes is a 160ha arable tenancy producing cereals, eggs, potatoes and vegetables.