Farmer of the Year: West Yorkshire dairy man wins title

Inspiring farmers who go beyond the call of duty to reconnect the public with food production have been celebrated at a special awards ceremony at the Great Yorkshire Show.
The Yorkshire Post's Farmer of the Year Award ceremony: The winner Jeremy Holmes (centre) receives the award from Julia  Rangecroft of award sponsor Millls & Reeve with (L-R) Will Terry, Nick Lane Fox from the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, Ben Barnett, The Yorkshire Post's Agricultural Correspondent,  Denys Fell and Rebecca Burniston.The Yorkshire Post's Farmer of the Year Award ceremony: The winner Jeremy Holmes (centre) receives the award from Julia  Rangecroft of award sponsor Millls & Reeve with (L-R) Will Terry, Nick Lane Fox from the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, Ben Barnett, The Yorkshire Post's Agricultural Correspondent,  Denys Fell and Rebecca Burniston.
The Yorkshire Post's Farmer of the Year Award ceremony: The winner Jeremy Holmes (centre) receives the award from Julia Rangecroft of award sponsor Millls & Reeve with (L-R) Will Terry, Nick Lane Fox from the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, Ben Barnett, The Yorkshire Post's Agricultural Correspondent, Denys Fell and Rebecca Burniston.

The Yorkshire Post’s Farmer of the Year Award 2016, in association with law firm Mills & Reeve, culminated yesterday in a presentation on the President’s Lawn at the Harrogate showground.

Four finalists were selected for their dedication to not only producing quality Yorkshire produce but for dedicating their time to educating the public about the process from field to fork.

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It was West Yorkshire’s Jeremy Holmes who was named Farmer of the Year for his impressive engagement with vast numbers of visitors to Delph House Farm in Denby Dale.

The winner of The Yorkshire Post's Farmer of the Year Award 2016, Jeremy Holmes from Delph House Farm, Denby Dale, being presented with the trophy by Julia Rangecroft of Mills & Reeve.The winner of The Yorkshire Post's Farmer of the Year Award 2016, Jeremy Holmes from Delph House Farm, Denby Dale, being presented with the trophy by Julia Rangecroft of Mills & Reeve.
The winner of The Yorkshire Post's Farmer of the Year Award 2016, Jeremy Holmes from Delph House Farm, Denby Dale, being presented with the trophy by Julia Rangecroft of Mills & Reeve.

Mr Holmes is a third generation dairy farmer who runs his herd in the foothills of the Pennines, and he has coped admirably with the downturn that has left the dairy sector in a sustained crisis.

Adversity has bred great opportunity through his own good judgement, and in 2007, he and his wife Louise diversified to create artisan ice cream brand, Yummy Yorkshire - a bold move that exposed the couple to the public at large.

Since then, more than 40,000 visitors have flocked to the farm where the ice cream is made, attracted by its ice cream parlour and coffee shop, and a second annual Tractor Fest is set to attract hundreds more this weekend.

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Speaking after the ceremony, Mr Holmes said: “I’m overwhelmed, and pleased to win because all the farmers in the running work very hard within the industry. It’s always nice to get recognised when every day is a challenge on the farm, particularly at this time of the year in dairy farming. There is so much gloom and doom and I know The Yorkshire Post is trying to find good news stories to keep the industry on a happier footing.”

The winner of The Yorkshire Post's Farmer of the Year Award 2016, Jeremy Holmes from Delph House Farm, Denby Dale, being presented with the trophy by Julia Rangecroft of Mills & Reeve.The winner of The Yorkshire Post's Farmer of the Year Award 2016, Jeremy Holmes from Delph House Farm, Denby Dale, being presented with the trophy by Julia Rangecroft of Mills & Reeve.
The winner of The Yorkshire Post's Farmer of the Year Award 2016, Jeremy Holmes from Delph House Farm, Denby Dale, being presented with the trophy by Julia Rangecroft of Mills & Reeve.

Three other farmers received finalist rosettes for their high quality entries: Will Terry of Stoupe Brow Cottage Farm, Ravenscar near Scarborough, Rebecca Burniston of Skelton on Ure, Ripon, and Denys Fell of Densholme Farm in Great Hatfield, Hull.