SEVERAL local farmers have won awards for their work at the 2022 South West Farmer Awards.

After announcing a shortlist last month, the finalists were invited to a glittering black-tie dinner and awards ceremony at the Woodbury Park Hotel near Exeter last Thursday.

For seven years, the South West Farmer Awards have shone a spotlight on the farming industry across the west country, giving those in the community a chance to be recognised for their expertise, enterprise and excellence.

This year was a particularly special year, as South West Farmer, the newspaper that organises the awards, celebrated its 40th anniversary.

Niall Tewson, founder of South Devon Dairy at Crockers Grange Farm, Ipplepen took the award for Young Farmer of the Year. After returning from working in New Zealand, Niall decided with his family to transition from beef and sheep farming to dairy, producing top-quality Jersey milk. ‘It’s been a massive learning curve and a huge change, but we’re really getting into it’, said Niall, ‘I’m very humbled and excited about the award, I didn’t expect it at all.

‘What the main thing is is that I’m lucky to take the limelight for the award but it is a team effort and I couldn’t do any of that without my team around me. I could never have achieved what we have achieved in a year without everyone around me.

‘Going for these awards you never think you’ll win, it’s always lovely to be recognised but even better to win. I honestly believe that the next five years of farming are going to be pretty exciting times, but it’ll only be exciting if you make it exciting.’

Mary-Grace Mason of Penn Farm, Ashburton, also won big that night, taking home the Apprentice of the Year Award. After working on Penn Farm for the last two years while also studying at Bicton College, Mary was nominated by one of her lecturers. Mary said: ‘I found out a month ago after my teacher told me, although he did say not to get too excited because you might not get it! The event was really good, I wasn’t expecting to win so it was pretty exciting.’

Originally from Sladesdown, a free-range poultry farm near Ashburton, Mary found it was the dairy life for her. ‘I love working at Penn, I do the milking, de-horning, tagging and bedding calves, cleaning everything out, the whole shabam, I really love it, it’s good fun.’

Mary finishes her apprenticeship next month and has one exam to go. After that, she hopes to use her own Jersey cows to set up a milk vending machine in Ashburton.

South West Farmer stated: ‘The judging panel were impressed with the calibre of the nominated farmers and selecting the finalists was no mean feat.

‘Candidates were judged on their business performance, use of technology, environmental considerations, contribution to the agricultural community and their overall vision and ambition. The winners of these awards really are the very best farmers in the South West and deserve every accolade.’