Stuart Bacon is the winner of this year’s South West Dairy Farm Business of the Year Award.
He received the award from HRH The Countess of Wessex at the Silver Jubilee Dairy Show on Wednesday (October 5th).
Mr Bacon (33) farms 365 acres with his father, Nick, at Honeydown Farm, Seaborough Hill, Crewkerne, Somerset. They have 221 Holstein Friesians. Their aim, he says, is to remain profitable in what is becoming an increasingly depressed industry and he has created two tight calving blocks in the Spring and Autumn which has allowed improved cost control.
He has also taken on in partnership an additional 450 acre dairy unit. “We can demonstrate that dairying is not in a terminal decline,” he assured the judges.
His management techniques were applauded in the spring when he won the Dairy Farmer of the Future Award at the National Holstein Show where he was hailed as a prime example of how dairy farmers can successfully face up to the challenges presented to them.
He said: I work at dairy farming five days a week, then I have two days for my hobby – dairy farming!”
Heather and Richard Gibson who farm 171 acres at Nether Wood Burn Farm, East Anstey, Tiverton, Devon and Will and Jo Jones of Middle Yeo Farm, Down St Mary, Crediton, Devon were runners up in the competition sponsored by Barclays Bank and Milk Link which attracted entries from across the south west.
The competition, sponsored by Barclays Bank and Milk Link, is open to all farm businesses across Devon, Cornwall, Bristol, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Gloucestershire whose income is mainly derived from milk production.
Every farmer who entered received free tickets to The Dairy Show. As well as the trophy Mr Bacon also wins a theatre trip to London for himself and his family.
Rex Ward, Milk Link Vice Chairman said: "Milk Link is proud to be sponsoring the South West Dairy Farm Business of the Year competition for the 3rd consecutive year and our congratulations go to Stuart Bacon.
“Excellence in farming is at the heart of Milk Link's philosophy, and we are delighted that the high quality of entries received again demonstrates that South West farmers are at the forefront of best practice and innovation in dairying."
Euryn Jones, Agricultural Policy Director for Barclays Bank, who was one of the judges of this year's competition, said that Stuart Bacon has developed an outstandingly successful dairy farming business, that should provide an inspiration to the region's dairy farmers.
"An excellent business-minded approach coupled with equally strong technical and managerial abilities makes Stuart a very worthy winner of this year's competition,” said Mr Jones.
"The competition has highlighted that, despite the challenges that face the dairying industry in the south west, the prospects for dairy farms that are as well run as this one are very good indeed."