The work of farmers has been recognised at an awards night during the Manx Grassland Society dinner.

Guy Prudom, a judge from Yorkshire, visited eight farms across the island to determine the winners.

He also held a talk about his farming system.

Among the categories Mr Prudom judged were the overall set up, how efficient the farm was, how the livestock were performing and the best quality, preservation and use of the stored forage.

Society chairman Kayleigh Coole said: ’Being on an island it is paramount that farmers maximise their home grown resources as much as possible as importing feed for livestock is extremely costly.’

The main winners were the Collister family of Ballashamrock Farms, who took home the Overall Silage Master trophy and the Duggan family at Ballavell received first place for the main silage clamp competition as well as the best kept clamp and the best silage analysis.

The Cain family, from Glendown Port St Mary, received the award for the best set up.

Best big bale silage competition winners were David and Rob Cooil.

They received the Tythbarn Trophy.

The Bibbys Cup, awarded for the best silage utilisation, was also presented to David and Rob.

Vicky and Neil Masson received the WLE Christian Cup for winning the dairy grassland management competition. They also received the Dow Agro Trophy as overall grassland management winners.

Suzanne and Adie Corlett received the Grassmaster/Independent Feeds Ltd Trophy as winners of the beef/sheep grassland management competition.

The Mr and Mrs AG Matthews cup awarded for the best hay was won by Alan Radcliffe.

The best haylage competition was won by Jack Garrett. He received a voucher presented by McKeown’s Haulage.

Michael and Chris Kneale were awarded the Old Church Farm Trophy for best forage crop.

Richard Crowe was awarded the John Watson Seed Trophy along with some Watson’s Seeds for winning the best reseeds competition.

Billown Farms Ltd won the best whole crop silage competition. They received the Managrakem Volac Trophy presented by Billown Farms Ltd.

The Lloyds Animal Feeds Cup for the best maize silage was again awarded to Richard Fargher.

The J D Faulkner best contractor award is awarded to the contractor, who chopped the silage with the highest analysis and was won by a Bigfoot/Corkish combination.

Kayleigh Coole thanked all the farms that took part, the businesses for their support and everybody who attended the events.