A Devon farmer has been named Farmers Weekly Farming Champion of the Year for her campaign to get fresh milk displayed in more prominent spots in supermarkets.

Sylvia Crocker has been working with supermarkets since 2016 to encourage shoppers to choose fresh milk rather than fizzy and sugary drinks.

She began by asking her local Tesco in Launceston to display fresh milk in the ‘food to go’ area at the front of the store. After a positive response from customers, both Tesco and Waitrose decided to sell milk outside of the dairy aisle in 60 of their stores across the country.

Sponsored by the NFU, the Farming Champion award looks for someone who has been selfless in their efforts to strengthen British farming in the past 12 months.

NFU President Minette Batters said: “Sylvia Crocker is a fantastic example of what farmers can achieve when they put their minds to something.

“Sylvia is a beef and sheep farmer but after growing up on a dairy farm, seized the opportunity to support dairy farming in a practical way. Her determination and efforts have made a huge difference to the milk sector and its producers.

“She is truly a credit to our industry and a very deserving winner of this prestigious award.”