A north Norfolk farmer has received an award for his 'outstanding' contribution towards the promotion of food and farming in the county.

Ross Haddow, estate manager for the MacNicol Family on the Stody Estate near Holt, was presented with the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association's (RNAA) 2012 Timothy Colman Prize at their annual meeting on April 19.

Mr Haddow said: 'I am extremely flattered and overwhelmed and I accept [it] acknowledging the many volunteers I work with.

'I have enjoyed 20 years of very happy and fulfilling employment with Ian and Adel MacNicol and any contribution I've made towards promoting food, farming and the countryside in Norfolk is as a result of their enthusiastic encouragement and support.

'I've worked with a great team at Stody and they too can take much of the credit.'

Mr Haddow, who joined as farm Manager on the Stody Estate in September 1992, works with primary school children and around 900 youngsters who visit the farm each year to see a variety of farm enterprises. He has also led the North Norfolk Food and Farming Forum which produced a Key Stage 2 teaching resource DVD about farming which was provided free to primary schools.

The Timothy Colman Prize is presented annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution towards promoting the interests and understanding of food, farming and the countryside in Norfolk.

For his prize, Mr Haddow chose books about wildlife in Norfolk and in Uganda, where he and his wife Carol will be visiting later this year to try and see mountain gorilla.

The RNAA's annual meeting also saw David Lawrence, principal of Easton College, elected as president for 2012, taking over the role from Richard Jewson.