Grassland competition success for Malvern farmer

Lucky farmer Alex Burgess has won a year's use of a New Holland Compact Tractor for free, after entering the Dow AgroSciences and New Holland competition at this year's Grassland and Muck event.

Mr Burgess made a trip to Ravenhill Ltd, the New Holland distributor near Hereford, earlier this week to try out his prize before it is delivered to his farm.

Mr Burgess is tenant farmer on Wood Farm Estate at Welland, on the edge of the Malvern Hills. It's a mixed farm of 860 acres, with 60 suckler cows and 200 ewes, but Mr Burgess actually entered the competition with his wife's work in mind: "My wife is starting to grow vegetables to sell, and we're putting up polytunnels, so this is the perfect vehicle to have to get things started," he said.

Andrew Barbour of New Holland was delighted to see the prize go to someone who knew exactly how it would be used. "It's great to see a prize winner who already has plans for putting the tractor to work for the purpose it's been designed for," he said.

Mr Burgess saw the New Holland Compact Tractor on display whilst visiting the Dow AgroSciences stand at Grassland 2008. "I was enjoying looking around Dow's stand so I thought I'd have a go at the competition," he explains. "I really liked the New Holland TS110 that I used to drive, and we currently have a New Holland combine, so the prize will fit in well and will be very useful in the smaller paddocks."