SOME of the region’s farmers are celebrating after being recognised at the annual Farmers Weekly Awards last night (October 1).

Tom and Kay Hutchinson, a farming couple from Bail Hill near Mickleton, in Teesdale, along with filmmaker Magali Pettier were awarded Farming Champion of the Year after creating a unique film that is changing the general public’s perception of agriculture.

Addicted to Sheep is an 85-minute documentary that charts the lives of Mr and Mrs Hutchinson, tenants on a small hill farm.

Launched in August, it is the brainchild of filmmaker Magali Pettier, a film director and farmer’s daughter, who teamed up with the County Durham couple to depict life on the Bail Hill beef and sheep farm on the Raby Estate.

It involved 45 days of filming spanning 18 months, with the result portraying farming families and communities in an honest, positive way and debunking many of the myths about agriculture.

The awards, sponsored by NFU, were held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, in London and hosted by Hugh Dennis, comedian, actor, writer and impressionist from BBC’s Outnumbered and the Now Show.

Meurig Raymond, NFU President said: “They have brought farming to the big screen and to a whole new audience. British food and farming relies on the support of shoppers and the more we can do to create understanding of all of the hard work and care that goes into producing food, the better.”

Meanwhile, David, Brian and Philip Metcalfe of Metcalfe Farms in Leyburn, North Yorkshire were crowned Farm Employer of the Year, sponsored by Safety Revolution.

There’s a waiting list of people wanting to work at Metcalfe Farms, who are now the largest employer in the area.