A MIDDLEWICH farmer has been named as a finalist in the regional round of an excellence award.

Adrian Smith, from Brook House Farm, was one of two put forward in this year’s northern round in the Forage Manager of the Year Award.

He was nominated for his maintained focus on forage quality as a building block to profitability.

Nick Johns, ForFarmers commercial director, said: “Adrian’s attention to detail when it comes to forage management is second-to-none.

“Silage clamps are mapped field by field so poorer feed can be identified and re-seeded the next year.

“He analyses forage and soils regularly and always tries to improve on the past year’s performance. His target is to be top of national league tables in terms of ‘milk from forage’.”

Both will go head to head with against two more farmers from the south of the country in the final round of the ForFarmers Excellence in Farming award.

A winner will be crowned in London in November.