EXCELLENCE in farming and commitment to integrating conservation with commercial agriculture is celebrated with the announcement of the regional winners of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s 2014 Tye Trophy Awards.

The awards are a practical way of highlighting the importance of combining the two elements and encouraging other farmers to adopt similar practices.

Open to farms across the North of England, the five regional winners will receive their awards at the Great Yorkshire Show on Wednesday, July 9, when the overall champion will also be announced.

One of the judges, Charles Mills, who farms near York, said: “It is vital that conservation in agriculture is not regarded as something only to be considered by environmental enthusiasts, but incorporated into practical, commercial farming.

“Over the years, we have seen some excellent examples of how this can be done, all of which helps encourage others and is vital to the future of British farming.”

The regional winners are: East Yorkshire: Tim Sellers, of Carr House Farm, Foston on the Wolds, Driffield. A fifth generation 480-acre farm at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds.

Organic since 1999, the farm supplies an on-farm enterprise, Side Oven Bakery.

Spelt wheat is grown and processed for bread-making, and organic apples, elderflowers and soft fruit are grown. Environmental stewardship has encouraged a wide range of animals and birds to thrive alongside agricultural activity.

Northumberland: Tom Comber, of Elwick Farm, Belford, near Berwick-upon- Tweed. A traditional 550- acre mixed farm and 300 acres of foreshore land, with 450 sheep and 250 beef cattle.

Encouraging birdlife has resulted in 115 species being recorded. The farm has 70 acres given over to encourage light-bellied brent geese, with a further 40 acres as habitat for breeding waders North Yorkshire: Richard Bramley, of Manor Farm, Kelfield, near York. A 550- acre arable farm, with milling wheat, malting barley, potatoes, sugar beet and oil seed rape.

His approach is to achieve the best from the land and crops with minimum input, and with conservation as an integral factor of his farming.

Conservation activity includes habitats for birds such as skylarks and yellow wagtails.

Tyne Tees: Chris, Liz and Harry Hodgson, of Piercebridge Farm, near Darlington. A tenanted organic grassland farm belonging to Raby Estates, which has been run by the Hodgson family since 1964.

Their lamb, beef and outdoor pork unit supplies their farm shop, which now employs 14 people.

Much of the land has been reclaimed from former gravel quarries and the Country Stewardship Scheme has helped with a programme of hedge planting.

West and South Yorkshire: John Key, of Garfield House Farm, Midhopestones, Stocksbridge. John has a 240- acre grassland farm, of which a good proportion is classified less favoured and severely disadvantaged.

He has pedigree Suffolk sheep, which he shows, and also suckler cows.

Conservation work includes specific grazing areas used to encourage nesting lapwings and waders and small ponds to encourage insect life.