FARMERS who conserve wildlife and protect the environment have been rewarded for their work.

The North Yorkshire and Tyne Tees bregional winners of the Tye Trophy will receive their awards at the show tomorrow.

Peter Hutchinson, of Spikers Hill Farm, West Ayton, near Scarborough, and John Walton, from park Farm, Little Newsham, near Barnard Castle, now go forward to the finals, the winner of which is also announced today (Weed).

The awards will be presented by Alison Saville, who gave thr trophy in 1989 in memory of her grandfather, Howard Tye, who founded Tye Trailers, and her father, Kenneth.

Mr Hutchinson took over his 500-acre farm eight years ago, when it was all arable, and has converted it to a mixed unit with an extra 70 acres running down to the river Derwent. He has planted hay meadows, created an oxbow and rebuilt stone walls.

Countryside Stewardship grants were used to improve the appearance of the farm and to create grass margins around arable fields and beetle banks to encourage wildlife. Ten acres of seeds to attract wild birds were also sown.

Trees have been coppiced and established forestry areas managed to remove conifers which shaded out native trees.

Mr Hutchinson converted the farm to organic five years ago and has established an 80-cow suckler herd of pedigree Salers, which are crossed with Aberdeen Angus sires, as well as a flock of 220 Lleyn ewes.

Mr Walton is the third generation of his family to hold the tenancy of the 200-acre Park Farm and this year took on the running of nearby Bell House, bringing his total acreage to 650 acres.

"Our farm is our business but conservation is our hobby; the two go hand in hand," said Mr Walton, who is vice chairman of Barnard castle branch of the National Farmers' Union and will next year be chairman of the Durham Grassland Society.

In ten years of Countryside Stewardship participation, he has planted hedges and more than 100 hedgerow trees, established game bird plots and kept fertiliser spreading away from streams.

Barn owl boxes have been installed on the farm, which grows on between 200 and 400 cattle each year. Eight-month-old weaned continental calves are bought in early spring and sold privately as advanced store cattle at 18 to 20 months.

The main source of feed is 168 acres of grass, grazed or made into silage, and grazing is mixed with 100 ewes. Other crops are wheat, barley and oilseed rape.