A husband and wife farming team from an Ellesmere estate have been nominated for a national award. Clare and Ian Mainwaring at a private event at OteleyClare and Ian Mainwaring from the Oteley Estate have been named as Community Farming Heroes by members of the local community. The Oteley Estate is a 2,000-acre mixed livestock and arable enterprise that encompasses Beef Shorthorn and Highland cattle, sheep and pigs, and 900 acres of combinable crops. An NFU spokesperson said, “British farmers and growers are the backbone of rural communities and this year we asked the public to nominate their local ‘Community Farming Hero’. That’s why we open the farm gates to our community, with events like Open Farm Sunday, and provide a farm shop and café to reduce food miles.