FOUR foresters and a farmer were honoured for their long-term contributions toward the local community at the Devon County Show.

The awards celebrate the time and commitment given to some of the most important elements of the county's economy.

Tractor driver Simon Tremain, who works for the Forestry Commission and lives in Okehampton, was recognised for his 37 years of service for the organisation.

He first worked with the harvesting and marketing team, mainly at Lydford Forest and Halwill.

He moved on to drive for the Forestry Commission all over the Devon area, but mainly in the forests of Dartmoor, Halwill and Hartland, extracting timber from felling sites for transfer to UK markets.

He currently drives the Forestry Commission tractor, which operates across Devon.

David Powell, also from Okehampton, was presented with a certificate, a tankard and £50 cheque to recognise his 35 years of service.

He joined the commission in 1975 and has worked on forest management, harvesting and marketing operations.

He spent five years as a supervisor, working as part of the agreement between the Highways Agency and the Forestry Commission, looking after roadside vegetation and tree planting throughout Devon and Cornwall.

His current role as forest works supervisor for North and West Devon sees him work over a large area from the edge of Exmoor down to Okehampton and Lydford.

Malcolm Hill from Lydford also received an award for his 35 years of hard work for the commission.

The work supervisor covering Dartmoor and Plym began his forestry career as a chainsaw operator, working for 15 years as part of a felling squad. Malcolm secured his current position in 2002 following many years operating the Timberjack ground skidder and ground preparation machines.

Jimmy Mann, the longest serving of the four, joined the Forestry Commission on the 28 December 1968 in Hartland Forest.

He cut his teeth planting and tending crops before becoming a chainsaw operator. He progressed on to a supervisory role, dealing with timber dispatching until 1995 when he became the Area Forester for North Devon.

Farmer Derek Peard, of Okehampton, received a tankard and certificate for his dedicated 35 years as a farmer in the area.

For more on Devon County Show, see pages 38 and 39.