A FARMER from North Yorkshire has won the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s Yorkshire Grey Partridge trophy.

Tim Coleman, who farms at Church Farm, Speeton, was singled out by the trust as a shining example of a commercial arable farmer who manages to combine a successful farming operation with that of wildlife conservation.

Wild grey partridges have suffered an 86 per cent decline over the past 40 years because of changing land management practices.

Situated on the Yorkshire Wolds coastal belt near Speeton Cliffs, Church Farm extends to just over 200 hectares with the main focus of grey partridge management in the centre of the farm in a single block of about 140 hectares.

The area is a natural environment for wild grey partridges with wide open vistas, minimal woodland and extensive arable farmland.

Henrietta Appleton, an advisor with the GWCT and a judge, said: “When we visited Tim Coleman to do the judging we were left with an overwhelming sense of his dedication to the conservation of grey partridge and other wildlife on his farm.

It was clear that his provision of different habitats, supported by hopper feeding and the control of key predators at nesting and brood rearing time are key to his success and an excellent example of what can be achieved at little or no Farmer wins trust’s conservation trophy Farming panel to discuss wide range of topics Pig producers share expertise AN insight into the challenges and the joys of farming will be debated at Countryside Live at the Great Yorkshire show ground in Harrogate.

A panel of five members of the Future Farmers of Yorkshire group will discuss a wide range of topics and take questions during the 30-minute event in Hall 1 at 12.30pm on Saturday, October 20.

The group was established by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society to bring together younger farmers, professionals and industry supporters.

Topics to be debated include environmental stewardship; local food and food miles; producing healthy, fresh, seasonal food; farm assurance, food safety and traceability; and farming as a career.

The panel members will be Anna Longthorp, pig farmer from Howden; Sarah Graham, land agent from Boroughbridge; Malcolm Fewster, dairy farmer from Cleckheaton; James Hopwood, potato buyer and farmer from York; and Duncan Berkshire, vet from Ripon.

BPEX’s autumn conference will help pig producers capitalise on their biggest opportunity to improve financial returns by focusing on finishing performance.

The finishing enterprise holds the greatest potential to generate the largest financial return frompig production and a lot remains untapped, says BPEX.

Every effort should be made to get the maximum from that potential.

The 2TS Focus on Finishing conference will feature both pig producers and technical experts sharing the latest research and experience in finisher pig management.

There will be an interactive quiz and open question and answer sessions with the speakers.

Producers can attend the conference for free in four different locations including at Wetherby racecourse on October 25 but should register before October 16 by emailing clancy.smith@bpex.ahdb.org.uk or calling 0247 647 8792.

cost to the gross margin within an intensive, commercial farming operation.

He is a worthy winner.”

To restore wild grey partridges successfully, the GWCT recommends a range of targeted conservation measures and Mr Coleman, aided by Kevin Duke, has managed to integrate many of these recommendations in abundance, with beetle banks, wild bird seed mixes, game crops, mustard enhanced stubbles and grass margins, providing ideal year round habitat.