Silver Lapwing Country winners announced

Picture: England Winner Stuart Russell (left), with

Mark Thomasin-Foster (Chairman of judges).

The winning English, Scottish and Welsh farms in this year's Farmcare FWAG Silver Lapwing Awards have been announced.

The Awards are the UK's most prestigious farm conservation competition, and winners must demonstrate a track record of environmental best practice, integrated into a commercially successful farming business over at least three years. The three country winners (one each from England, Scotland and Wales) will now compete for the overall Silver Lapwing Trophy, to be presented as an awards ceremony in November.

The winners are:

England: Toft Farm, a lowland arable farm near Rugby, Warwickshire

Scotland: Strathmore Farming Company, a mixed farm near Forfar, Angus

Wales: Cefn Cledan, an upland farm in Nebo, Ceredigion.

Mark Thomasin-Foster CBE, Chairman of the Silver Lapwing judges and a farmer himself, said he was delighted with the high standard. "We judge the conservation work in the farms' contexts to achieve an impartial result. We were very impressed with the ways in which our winning farmers have managed the specific natural features of their land to provide environmental benefit within their commercial enterprise."

Sir Don Curry will present the winners with their trophies and prize money at the awards ceremony in London on 21 November. One of these farms will then also be named as the overall winner of the UK Silver Lapwing trophy for 2005.

The Silver Lapwing Awards are sponsored by Farmcare, the UK's leading farm management business. As part of the Co-operative Group, Farmcare has a strong commitment to encouraging environmental best practice.

Christine Tacon, Farmcare's General Manager, said: "We have three very worthy winners, all of whom have shown innovation in their conservation activities, whilst still running successful farms. I hope the new agri-environment schemes operating in the UK will encourage other farmers to follow suit, and that it will be reflected in future entries for the Silver Lapwing Awards."

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The Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG), which manages the awards, provides conservation advice nationally and has worked with many past Silver Lapwing winners. Michael Woodhouse, FWAG Director, said: "I am delighted at the judges' choice of winning farms, which are prime examples of the integration of a successful farming enterprise and the delivery of conservation. The judges had a formidable task in reviewing the applications and judging across the UK."

The winning farms are:

England Winner

Toft Farm, near Rugby, Warwickshire

Toft Farm is a 358 hectare arable farm, owned by W J Russell and Son, which supports a wide range of typical lowland habitats and species, building on existing features including the River Leam. The judges particularly praised the well-managed woodland, which brings diversity to the farm and provides a basis for the family shoot. Good thought has been put into selecting the least productive land for tree planting, and the farm is sensitively managed in keeping with the open landscape. Extensive and diverse wildlife records are made and provided to the local Wildlife Trust, and there are plans to further develop the conservation headlands and wetland areas, which will bring further benefits to wildlife.

Toft Farm contact 01788 816878

Scotland Winner

Strathmore Farming Company, near Forfar, Angus

A mixed farm with 2,000 breeding ewes, 600 breeding pigs and 280 breeding cattle. Farm director David Soutar has geared the farm to minimise environmental impact, while retaining all its existing features. Judges were particularly impressed with the extensive areas of grassland margins and buffer strips, which take the form of water margins, arable margins and hedges. About 5km of new hedges have been planted, adding to the existing 20km, and link up habitats across the farm for greater wildlife benefit. Part of the farm is upland, grazed by cattle and sheep, where a careful and well-controlled moorland strategy is implemented.

A sympathetic approach is taken to listed farm buildings, with some being redeveloped in an appropriate way whilst new modern grain storage is built.

Strathmore Farming Company contact 07836 578957

Wales Winner

Cefn Cledan, Nebo, Ceredigion

Cefn Cledan has been managed by Charles Grisedale since 1976 with the objective of maximising wildlife features and species present within a protected area, and using sheep and cattle for grazing. The extensive woodland planting, wetland and pond creation, as well as the rough grass margins and wild bird seed mixes, have resulted in large numbers of breeding and wintering birds. A demonstration project concentrating on enabling the conservation of the lapwing has been successful in producing significant numbers of young.

The judges were particularly impressed with the outstanding area of floating bog within the farm, which requires careful management. The farm also provides several other interesting habitats, including an area of heather for regeneration and coniferous woodland.

Cefn Cledan contact 01974 272634