'We miss him greatly' - Farmers honour late dairy sector advocate with special award

David Brookes, of Lower Loxley, was always set to be given the Burton Trophy by Staffordshire farmers this month for his services to the industry but sadly died in November.

The Burton Trophy is awarded annually in memory of RA Burton, ‘Dick’ Burton, who was an instrumental figure in Staffordshire farming and the NFU.

The award recognises achievements and work for Staffordshire farming and the NFU in the county and is an engraved crystal claret jug and stand.

NFU group secretary Alex Broome received the award on the Brookes family’s behalf and it will be returned at the end of 2025.

She represents the Uttoxeter, Abbots Bromley and Burton-upon-Trent NFU branch with colleague Claire Ecclestone.

Alex said: “I’m proud to accept this award in memory of David but the moment is tinged with sadness. In conversations he never anticipated he would ever be the recipient of the Burton Trophy given the prominent names that have received it before.

“But he was a staunch supporter of the NFU all of his life and always worked hard to promote British farming locally and nationally.”

She said he was of huge support to the group secretaries and farmers within the branch and made sure their voices were heard at a national level.

“These past few weeks with work to stop the family farm tax and with the mass lobby in London, we could have done with his voice and his passion. 

"He would have been front and centre of the NFU MP meetings, mass lobby and the separate farmer rally,” she added.

“His death has left a massive hole in the farming community and we will all miss him greatly.”

David died at the age of 65 and was a branch, county and regional officeholder over many years, a dairy sector champion and helped drive the NFU’s SOS Dairy campaign back in 2012.

A husband, father, and grandfather, he was also NFU Staffordshire Council delegate finishing in post in 2024 and was active within Staffordshire & Birmingham Agricultural Society.

He also served as NFU Uttoxeter, Abbots Bromley and Burton-upon-Trent branch chairman in 1996 and 2012, was NFU Staffordshire chair for a two-year term and elected as NFU West Midlands regional board chair in 2022.

Following his death tributes poured in from across the country including from fellow dairy farmer Abi Reader, NFU Cymru deputy president, who said David really cared about farming people and there was always a warm welcome when he was around.

She said: “He was a good friend and will be deeply missed.”

An Arla supplier, David built up his 250-strong herd of Holstein-Friesian cows and improved on farm infrastructure seeing benefits for both cow health and increased milk yield.

He also had a high-profile role on his local authority but stepped down to spend more time on the family dairy farm, although he was the serving chairman of Uttoxeter Rural Parish Council at the time of his death.

David’s funeral was held at St Mary’s Church, in Uttoxeter, at the start of December and farmers from across the country, including NFU President Tom Bradshaw, attended to pay their respects and remember him.