Award winners open their gates for farm walks

The 2013 Farmers Weekly Awards Dairy, Beef, and Sheep Farmer of the Year title winners are opening their doors to the public so everyone can get a glimpse of what made them champions.

The series of three events, organised by RABDF Events, will see the first farm walk kicking off in May with an open day at the 2013 Farmers Weekly Awards Dairy Farmer of the Year’s farm.

Dairy Farmer of the Year

Hugh McClymont, research manager at Crichton Royal Farm, Dumfries, runs two dairy units housing 510 cows and 310 youngstock at a research centre owned by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).

He will talk through the farming practices at the Dumfries unit, including calves and youngstock, systems and breeding and grassland management. DairyCo’s Marco Winter, will also talk through breeding developments. Experts on soil management, lucerne and animal behaviour from SRUC will also be on hand to answer questions.

See also: 2014 Farmers Weekly Awards

Dairy Pro chairman David Cotton described Mr McClymont as an “exceptional dairy farmer”.

“Hugh manages to get the best out of his business and seems to thrive on the challenges set by being part of SRUC,” says Mr Cotton.

Beef Farmer of the Year

Be An award winner

Do you run an exceptional livestock business that is profitable, forward thinking, and positive for the future? If so, then why not enter this year’s Farmers Weekly Awards? You can also nominate people you think will fit the bill. Details of all the different categories are available online at 
awards.fwi.co.uk. The deadline for entries is 30 April.

Beef Farmer of the Year 2013 Phil Jones, from Carmarthen, will also be opening his gate to the farming community. He runs a 172ha organic upland farm with 110-head block-calving suckler herd consisting of Welsh Black cross Limousin cows put to high-index Charolais bulls.

Mr Jones, who has a clear focus on profit and uses technology such as automated heat detection, will talk about how his efficient family farm is key to success.

There will be presentations on cattle breeding using EBV’s by Ian Pritchard, health planning, nutrition advice and grassland management.

Independent beef judge Simon Marsh from Harper Adams says: “Phil clearly identified the targets for efficient and profitable suckled calf production and has exceeded them by adopting the science of beef production with his focus on genetics, health and nutrition.”

Sheep Farmer of the Year

You may fancy visiting our award-winning sheep farmer Keith Williams, who runs a commercial flock of 1,000 Welsh, Welsh Mules and Texel crosses, but is making a move towards Lleyns. He sells lambs into Waitrose’s Welsh lamb scheme and has designed a profitable system that will cope in challenging years.

Joanne Worthington from MSD Animal Health says: “This year’s Farmers Weekly Awards Sheep Farmer of the Year winner exemplifies a forward-thinking producer who is striving for the highest level of animal health and performance.”