THE North Devon show is a key date in the calendar for local farmers.

With a sense of anticipation in the air, many are hoping to scoop one of the major livestock classes.

Although the vast majority of awards are judged on the pedigree quality of the various entrants, a new award at this year's show had a much broader perspective.

The North Devon Biosphere Reserve covers almost all of our local farming communities.

Funded by a combination of local councils and Natural England, its focus is on sustainable development and conservation.

Over the last 12 months the organisation has been on the lookout for local farmers who have made an outstanding contribution to the biosphere.

At the North Devon Show last Wednesday the inaugural Sustainable Farming Award was won by sheep farmer Hefyn Llwyd of Taw Barton farm.

The honour is in recognition of the valuable contribution that Mr Llwyd has made to the environment at his working farm.

Mr Llwyd, a tenant farmer, manages a total of 420 acres near Okehampton.

He has a 340-ewe pedigree flock of Lleyn, plus an additional 700-strong commercial flock of mainly Mules and Romneys.

In every way it is a conventional farm, but he focuses strongly on good grazing.

He has spent considerable time maintaining his river bank, making additional lake excavations and planting numerous trees.

All this means he has been able to keep nitrogen inputs to a minimum.

Unfortunately, due to a prior business appointment, Mr Llwyd could not attend the show to accept the prize personally. His father-in-law, Chris Thomas, stood in, accepting the award on his behalf from Mike Moser, chairman of the Biosphere Reserve.

"I'm delighted to be able to accept this," said Mr Thomas. "Hefyn is proud to be recognised in this way and has always tried to balance profitable farming practice with care for the environment."

Mike Moser said: "The award has gone to a very deserving winner. This demonstrates exactly what we are all about. The rain that falls on Mr Llwyd's farm, at South Tawton on the edge of Dartmoor, filters through his soil and eventually into the River Taw.

"It then enters the estuary at Barnstaple, mixing with seawater in Barnstaple Bay. Mr Llwyd's careful land stewardship helps to ensure that our bathing beaches retain their Blue Flag status and that our Biosphere Reserve remains world class."

The judges were clearly impressed with the way that Mr Llwyd cultivates good grass on relatively poor soil, and in a high rainfall area.

Balancing farming, conservation and sustainability, at a crucial time when budgets for all farmers are under pressure, is something the North Devon Biosphere want to continue to encourage.

They hope to motivate farmers to continue their support of wildlife health, local ecosystems and special landscapes.

With farming so often focussing on economic concerns, what thoughtful farming practice can contribute to the wider public good is sometimes overlooked.

Farmland remains the major land use in North Devon and continues to shape the landscape today, just as it has for more than 2,000 years.

How farming responds to the economic, cultural and environmental challenges of the 21st century is something the North Devon Biosphere is keen to keep an eye on.

Matt Edworthy, Biosphere Reserve Outreach Co-ordinator, commented on the award scheme saying: "We hope this will demonstrate to other farmers that it is possible, even despite today's economic pressures, to be environmentally responsible and still make money."

With many richly deserved awards being handed out at the show, it was good to see one particular award putting everyone's future at the heart of what North Devon farmers do.

A Biosphere Sustainable Business award was also given to Martin Wickham of Marsden's Holiday Cottages in recognition of their own outstanding contribution to the environment.

Biosphere Reserves are designated by the United Nations (through UNESCO) as areas with internationally important environments.

North Devon's Biosphere Reserve is centred on Braunton Burrows and includes the North Devon Coast Areas of Outstanding National Beauty (AONB), the Taw and Torridge Estuary, Lundy and communities in towns and villages from the coast to the edge of Exmoor in the east, Hartland in the West and the foot of Dartmoor in the South.

There are 531 Biosphere Reserves world-wide, spread across 105 countries including iconic places such as Ayers Rock, the Hawaiian Islands and Yellowstone National Park.