Farmers recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours
John Alvis © Mark Fairhurst Somerset dairy farmer and West Country cheesemaker John Alvis has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Mr Alvis, of Lye Cross Farm, Redhill, near Bristol, was given the award in recognition of his services to cheese exports, farming and rural communities.
See also: Somerset farmer John Alvis on bovine TB, farm support and Brexit
The Alvis family have been cheesemakers since 1952. Their award-winning company exports cheese to more than 40 countries – as well as supplying UK retailers.
Mr Alvis followed his father into the business in 1960.
Outstanding service
In 2016, he won the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers Princess Royal Award for his outstanding service to the industry over 50 years.
He also set up FarmLink, a charity bringing children on to farms to understand what goes on in the countryside and how food is produced.
Other recipients in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list included an MBE for Rugby Farmers’ Mart chairman Richard Heckford, for services to agriculture in the Midlands.
Farming community
Jim McCrum was awarded an MBE for services to the Rathfriland Farmer’s Co-op Society and the farming community in South Down, Northern Ireland.
Fiona Highet, senior entomologist at Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture, was awarded an MBE for services to bee health.
Ron Wilson, former secretary of the Border Union Agricultural Society, was awarded an MBE for services to agriculture and the community in the Scottish Borders and north Northumberland.
Anne Pack, personal assistant to the chief executive at the Hutton Institute, received a British Empire Medal for services to agricultural research, Scottish culture and charity.