CUMBRIA farmer, Martin Baird, has won the NFU north west Farming Excellence Award in the English Nature Farming for Wildlife category.
The NFU Farming Excellence Awards, now in its sixth year, reward excellence in agriculture and horticulture and include several categories.
The English Nature Farming for Wildlife Award recognises achievements in nature conservation on the farm and provides the funds for a new wildlife project.
Mr Baird farms a 157 acre intensive dairy unit with 97 cows at Red Hall Farm in Wigton. The farm was purchased in 1997 and was put into the Countryside Stewardship Scheme that year. Since then, approximately seven kilometres of hedgerows have been laid and one kilometre of new hedge created.
One of Mr Baird's environmental successes has been his four acres of hodder beet. This crop provides excellent cover and feed for birds. Approximately ten per cent of the hodder beet is left in the soil all winter to provide a base for the grey partridge, then in mid March, the wintering sheep are put in the field to eat the hodder beet. This means nothing goes to waste and everyone benefits.
Mr Baird said: "I am delighted to have won an NFU Farming Excellence Award especially the English Nature Farming for Wildlife Award."
NFU North West Regional Director, Terry Abbott, added: "The awards make us all realise just how much talent, creativity and sheer hard work is going on out there in the region's farming communities. I never cease to be amazed at just how dedicated our farmers are to food and the countryside and Mr Baird is a proud example of this."
