Alistair Cliff, 40, beat Rhys Williams, 38, from Gwynedd and dairy farming duo Oli and Ed Partridge, 28 and 24, from Monmouthshire, to take the title in the final of the annual search for farming visionaries aged 45 and under.

The competition is run by Farmers Guardian, agriculture's national newspaper. The shortlist had been whittled down to three after readers voted online for their favourite among six nominees.

Alistair and Gillian have been kept busy in the run-up to the final as they welcomed a team of judges onto the farm before the final decision was announced at Livestock 2012 at Birmingham's NEC yesterday.

Alistair and Gillian, who started on a Cheshire County Council farm with 32 cows 14 years ago, secured the tenancy of Bankhead Farm in 2010 and now look after 420 cows on the farm which boasts inventive use of new technology. Special software allows the couple to calculate grass growth and allocations for the cows, and plans for the future include a new milking parlour.

Alistair says: "Just being nominated for the award has been a great experience and we couldn't be happier to have won. The farm team works every day to make sure our cows are given the best care possible, and that means staying up-to-date with the latest research, tools and technology. We have some great plans for the future of the farm and after winning we couldn't be more excited to continue developing the business."

The competition is supported by DairyCo, the levy-funded organisation working on behalf of Britain's dairy farmers.

Amanda Ball, Head of Communications at DairyCo says: "Great food comes from great farming and Alistair is an inspiring example of someone at the forefront of our progressive industry. By embracing new technology, sustainable practices and world class health and welfare standards these farmers lead the way for the future of dairy farming."