FW Awards 2025: Meet the finalists
The 2025 Farmers Weekly Awards finalists have been chosen.
Read on to find out more about the 45 innovative farmers, entrepreneurial contractors, expert consultants and hard-working students who made our shortlist.
The judging starts now, and the category winners – as well as the overall winner of the coveted Farmer of the Year Award – will be named at our ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House hotel on Thursday 2 October.
See also: FW Awards: Nominate for the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award
Ag Student of the Year
Matt Butterfield, Wimborne, Dorset
New entrant Matt is on track for a high-class degree in Agriculture, achieved an excellent employability rating on placement, and has clear plans to pursue a career in dairy farming.
George Elliott, Boylestone, Derbyshire
Graduating with a degree in Agriculture with Mechanisation, aspiring future leader George has harnessed all opportunities available to start his career in the agricultural machinery precision farming sector.
Merryn Philp, Launceston, Cornwall
After the initial challenge of getting farming experience, Merryn has had four successful years at university studying Agriculture with Animal Science, while juggling other commitments and responsibilities in the sector.
Arable Adviser of the Year
John Sarup, Spud Agronomy, Driffield, North Yorkshire
John is an independent potato agronomist with more than 5,000ha across northern England and up to the Scottish Borders under his advice. Founder of Spud Agronomy, he offers expert, hands-on consultancy to major UK growers and processors.
David Stead, Hutchinsons, Ripon, North Yorkshire
David is a Yorkshire-based agronomist and regional director, specialising in potatoes and rhubarb, sustainable crop rotations, client-focused solutions, and mentoring the next generation of agronomists.
Will Vaughan-France, Niab, Bridgwater, Somerset
Niab regional agronomist Will combines strategic agronomy with practical farm consultancy, empowering clients through tailored advice, mentoring, and sustainable arable farming solutions in the South West.
Arable Farmer of the Year
Richard Anthony, Tythegston Farm, Bridgend
Richard manages 1,370ha of cropping which includes winter wheat, maize, oilseed rape, westerwolds ryegrass and forage rye plus lupins. He has improved yields through a focus on improving soil health
Andrew Booth, Savock Farms, Aberdeenshire
Andrew, the sixth generation of the farming family, runs a diverse cropping mix including forage rye, winter oats, spring oats, spring barley oilseed rape and wheat. He is an enthusiastic adopter of new technology.
Charles Quick, Keirles Farm, Somerset
Charles manages the 165ha family farm which has been no-till for 27 years. Crops include wheat, oilseed rape, peas and double cropped grass and maize, all are managed with reduced inputs
Beef Farmer of the Year
Jonathan Chapman, Atlantic Angus, Holsworthy, Cornwall
Jonathan manages 200 pedigree Aberdeen Angus. He breeds moderate cows with strong maternal traits that thrive on forage. Tight calving and robust health are key to herd profitability and efficiency.
Huw Jones, Bryn Farm, Ferwig, Cardigan
Huw has boosted output and cut costs of his 90-cow Saler-cross herd by adopting rotational grazing and outwintering, and taking a zero-tolerance policy towards unproductive cows on his 100ha farm.
Mike Powley, Oak House Farm, Yorkshire
Adopting regenerative practices and running arable-grass rotations is helping improve the self-sufficiency of Mike’s 110 spring-calving South Devon cross Angus herd. Selecting good terminal genetics sees bulls finished by 13 months.
Contractor of the Year
Gary Hogarth Agri Assist, Roxburghshire
In 15 years, Gary has transformed Agri Assist from a one-man band to a 10-tractor, two-digger operation offering planting and harvesting services across Northumberland, the Scottish Borders and East Lothian.
Douglas Stephen, Crop Services, Roxburghshire
Douglas has doubled the size of his spreading- and spraying-focused business over the past decade thanks to calculated investments in technology to improve efficiency and add value for customers.
Hazel and Dan Willis, Rookery Farms, Berkshire
Shrewd investments, fastidious maintenance and pure hard work have been at the heart of the expansion of Rookery Farms’ contracting arm, driven by mother and son team Hazel and Dan.
Dairy Farmer of the Year
Dan Lovatt, New Grange Farm, Seighford, Staffordshire
A joint venture gave new entrant Dan a foothold in dairy farming. He now owns a 50% stake in a 1,000-cow business, favouring a system that requires minimum capital expenditure.
Gary and Jess Yeomans, Pant Farm, Abergavenny
Gary and Jess are proving that farming at scale isn’t necessary to make a good margin from milk production by opting for goats instead of cows and capturing a price premium.
John and Nicola Young, Jenkin Cragg Farm, Cumbria
Dairy farming at 1,000ft is challenging but John and Nicola’s business is in the top 10% of UK milk producers, increasing average yield by 1,113 litres a cow in four years.
Diversification Farmer of the Year
Kenneth Marshall, Marshall’s Farm Shop, Inverurie
Kenneth and the team have built up a largescale farm shop with butchery, restaurant and dog park, selling a number of home reared products directly from the farm’s mixed livestock and arable enterprise.
Mark and Emma Evans, St Davids Old Farmhouse Brewery, Haverfordwest
Mark and Emma run a commercial grass-based beef enterprise across three sites, while also managing a brewery and holiday cottages located on-farm.
Ben and Fiona Cannon, Hyde Hall Partnership, Hertfordshire
Ben and Fiona farm 240ha of arable in-house with a further 560ha contract farmed, and have diversified into property development with office and holiday lets, alongside dog training, and clay pigeon shooting.
Farm Manager of the Year
Tom Forrest, Frederick Hiam Ltd, Brandon Fields, Brandon, Suffolk
Tom has improved profitability by improving timing and attention to detail, managing a large team in a complex farming and fresh produce business. He has also introduced and is further developing robotics.
Ryan McCormack, Dennington Hall Farms, Woodbridge, Suffolk
A regenerative approach using a 12-year rotation and early adoption of SFI has improved efficiency and reduced downtime under Ryan’s management. He has also begun retailing beef from the farm’s Red Poll herd.
Neil Ridgway, Stowell Farms, Marlborough, Wiltshire
With sustainability as a watchword, Neil’s integration of the arable, dairy and sheep enterprises has improved long-term viability, including introducing robots in the dairy with a resulting large milk yield increase.
Grassland Manager of the Year
Chris Berry, Higher Thornton Farm, Devon
Coping with challenging weather patterns, dry soils and fluctuating costs on his 180ha led Chris to set up a simple 60-cow suckler herd, plus 900 low-input ewes, on rotational grazing.
Jock Gibson, Edinvale Farm, Morayshire
Highlands and Shorthorns thriving on unimproved grassland produce 100% pasture-fed beef from 80 cows on Jock’s 185ha upland farm. Despite diverse swards, he grows 10t/ha of dry matter a year.
Graham Parks, Overbank Farm, Cheshire
Rotational grazing creates a simple low-cost beef system, rearing 300 crossbred calves a year, to finishing, on Graham’s 126ha all-grass unit. He is now incorporating herbal leys to improve resilience.
Livestock Adviser of the Year
Andrew Crutchley, Yan Farm Health, Cumbria
Andrew helped set up this vet practice four years ago which now covers 150 farms with a focus on preventative health, offering many training courses and bespoke advice for farmers.
Molly McKay, Norfolk Farm, Lincolnshire
In this small independent vet practice, headed by Molly, the majority of clients have their own stock. The aim is to empower them to improve herd health.
Peter O’Malley, Synergy Farm Health, Somerset
Peter is a leading vet in a 5,600-client business with a focus on integrating education and training into health management, which is particularly key for large progressive dairy clients.
Mixed Farmer of the Year
Ollie Blackburn Dillington Estate, Somerset
On the Dillington Estate, running 350 robotic milking cows, Ollie and his team take all dairy beef through to finishing. They are passionate about home-grown protein, with a pea and barley bicrop reducing purchased concentrate feed by 0.8kg a head a day.
Ashley Jones, Smeaton Farm, Cornwall
Cornish Farmer Ashley runs a mixed beef sheep and arable farm, finishing 140 cattle per year. He does all the farm’s agronomy as well as managing a maize maze and “slip and slide” diversification on the farm.
Charlie Whitehouse, Bradley Farm, Gloucestershire
Charlie and his father Philip run a mixed sheep, beef, arable and goat milking enterprise. Crops are sold to the premium seed market, with the niche crop poppies grown for the first time this year.
Pig Farmer of the Year
Chris Fogden, Bridge Cottage, Suffolk
Contract breeder Chris manages 1,200 sows. High herd health status and rigorous biosecurity are among the reasons the business is achieving enviable results.
Mike Durrant, Bunns Farm, Norfolk
Mike operates a 927-head outdoor sow unit in Norfolk. Strategic use of technology and trailing new techniques to minimise environmental impact are ensuring long-term sustainability for the business.
Stephen Thompson, Povey Farm, Derbyshire
Stephen manages a herd of 2,000 finishing pigs. The animals stay on farm from birth to slaughter and are sold through the on-farm butchery, Moss Valley Fine Meats.
Poultry Farmer of the Year
Hugh Carter, East House Farm, County Durham
Combining regenerative farming with free-range egg production creates a virtuous circle for Hugh, whose 124,000 layers achieve high margins with a low-carbon footprint.
Ryan Dakin, Manor House Farm, Cheshire
As a relatively new entrant, with 32,000 hens, Ryan has embraced the poultry sector, running a highly efficient operation while also taking the farming message to a wider audience.
Ben Edkins, Coed, Cilcennin, Lampeter
Selling eggs direct, as well as to an established packer, Ben is focused on delivering customer satisfaction from his 32,000 free-range hens.
Sheep Farmer of the Year
Tom Bird, Ferry Lane Farms, Derbyshire
Tom runs 2,300 breeding ewes on a mixed lowland farm that includes marginal flood land. His high-input, high-output system uses high-index terminal sires, and he buys in flock replacements annually.
James Horn, J Horn Agricultural Services, Clipston, Northamptonshire
First-generation farmer James focuses on preventative healthcare for his 845 New Zealand Romney ewes and ewe lambs, which run on rented land and lamb outdoors, with lambs finished off forage.
Dan Pritchard, JR & DJ Pritchard, Llanrhidian, Gower Peninsula
Dan’s flock of 1,000 Easycare ewes graze mainly salt marshes, moving onto higher ground for lambing and at high tide. Finished lambs supply sister company Gower Salt Marsh Lamb.
Young Farmer of the Year
Lewis Witcomb, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
Running an engineering business supporting local farmers, Lewis, 27, handles everything from emergency harvest repairs to machinery maintenance and safety compliance. He also manages a smallholding, rearing calves through to store weight.
Matt Hancocks, Stockbridge, Hampshire
Matt, 21, owns and manages his farming business, which he started just before leaving school. He looks after a breeding flock of 85 ewes, ensuring their welfare through regular health treatments.
Mike Wilkins, CP Farming, Yatesbury, Wiltshire
Thirty-year-old Mike is the Farm Manager of CP Farming, a rapidly expanding Wiltshire-based holding that has grown from 450ha to over 1,000ha using regenerative practices and Countryside Stewardship to enhance sustainability and production.