Two wildlife-friendly farms have been honoured for putting nature conservation at the heart of Norfolk food production.
Annual awards run by Norfolk FWAG (Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group) were presented at this week's Norfolk Landscapes Conference at the Norfolk Showground.
They included the Ian MacNicol Memorial Trophy, for an outstanding commitment to nature conservation within a commercial farming system.
This year's top prize was awarded to GS Shropshire & Sons, a 1,400ha salad and vegetable grower at Wissington in west Norfolk, managed by Martin Hammond.
The arable farm includes 70 miles of interconnecting hedgerows and about 80 miles of watercourses, providing habitats for beneficial insects and a "wonderful array" of bird life - including 32 pairs of nightingales.
Judges said the farm is "a real showcase of what can be achieved for nature in the fens".
"Even though the farm is a significant grower of salad crops for the UK market, the judges were pleased to see attention to detail in the management of the farm business, coupled with the recognition that they are farming on precious peat soils," they said.
"By using an innovative method of keeping the groundwater level high in the ditches, this allows the salad crops to be kept watered from beneath. The farm has limited need for surface irrigation, and even in a year of drought, the farm has managed to grow all their crops and have water to spare in their own farm reservoirs."
Meanwhile, Rhona Bulwer-Long of the Heydon Estate, located between Norwich and Holt, received the Richard Waddingham Pond Award, presented in partnership with the Norfolk Ponds Project for excellence in farm pond conservation.
More than 30 ponds have been restored on the estate since 2014 in what judges described as a "sustained commitment to the conservation of Norfolk’s historic pond landscapes."
Judges said: "The ecological response to this work is notable, with several rare plant species recorded within the restored ponds, including species known in only two other locations in Norfolk.
"The scale and success of the restoration at Heydon have also established the estate as an important demonstration site for pond conservation in the UK."
The estate’s wider commitment to biodiversity, including wide floristic margins, pond buffers and new hedgerows, was hailed as a "shining example of how to achieve productive agriculture, alongside strengthening ecological connectivity in the wider landscape."
After the awards ceremony Jordan Sharman, general manager for Norfolk FWAG, said: "It is fantastic to be able to celebrate Norfolk farmers who are all doing their bit to support nature and environmental preservation, amongst conventional farming systems.
"We look forward to welcoming the Norfolk FWAG membership, and guests, to visit the farms in the spring next year, further recognising and celebrating their fine work."
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