THE success of his sheep milk business led to 24-year-old Sam Williams being named the Young Farmer of the Year in the NFU President's Awards.

It all started for Sam, of Michaelchurch Eskley, when he was given a Blue-faced Leicester tiddler lamb to rear at eleven years old.

After leaving agricultural college, he realised the potential of supplying milk directly to health-conscious consumers unable to buy it locally. So he decided to rent a hundred acres from his father and increase his flock to 400 milking ewes with milk either bottled or sold on for processing.

His flair for marketing and promotion of new ideas to enhance the business, launched in 1998, has included the innovative and award-winning mail order delivery scheme. His website now accounts for nearly half of his bottled milk sales.

On receiving his award of £1,000, Sam said: "I gain pleasure from most aspects of farming, especially looking after the livestock. I also very much enjoy the business side and am constantly looking for new ideas."

Colin Smith, representing the sponsors, Tesco and Farmers Weekly, said that running a successful business at the age of 24 was a brilliant achievement.