JOHN FRAZIER was always a man of vision.

Born in the village of Rock in Worcestershire in 1925, he attended the local school and was involved in village activity all his days. His war years were shared between driving a tractor – ploughing previously unturned land for the war effort – and soldiering in the Bewdley Home guard.

His was a generation that possibly saw the biggest ever changes in agricultural history and one that he, along with his father, were prepared to embrace. Initially running a large chicken breeding operation, as consumer demands changed, so the farm was laid mainly to fruit-growing through the sixties, supplying blackcurrants, damsons, cherries and gooseberries to national markets. Labour would be sourced from the local towns of Stourport, Bewdley and Kidderminster, often employing up to 100 head during harvest.

An intensive pork production enterprise was introduced, with five units supplying up to 100 high quality pork pigs per week, mainly sold through Kidderminster market. This was complimented with a barley-beef cattle unit, selling up to a dozen top quality beef animals through specialist butchers each week, in an operation that was well ahead of its time.

Steers were also exhibited at local shows, winning numerous championships, including reserve supreme at Birmingham Primestock show in 1981. As an array of new crops arrived into agriculture, so combining-peas, beans, lupins, sugar beet and many others were trialled and grown on the newly acquired Coningswick and Whytehouse farms, with results strictly monitored and analysed.

Latterly, pedigree sheep arrived at the farm, firstly with the new Bleu du Maine breed from central France. Within a few years, John became an expert breeder of these with top priced sheep being sold to the far reaches of UK and Europe, as well as winning prizes and rosettes galore. Perhaps his biggest achievement with these was to win the coveted interbreed prize at the Royal Welsh in 1992 – one of the biggest sheep shows in the world. John also went on to judge sheep throughout the UK, including all three of the Royal Shows – a feat very few have achieved.

With the decline of that breed, John was again one of the first to pick up on a new breed, this time the Beltex from Belgium, again a high quality animal that soon swept the country. Once again, the flock won numerous shows including the English and Welsh Royal's, as well as the Birmingham Primestock show in 2000.

To many in UK, his Coningswick Beltex flock will be remembered as one of the finest in the land, and his legacy still lives on in that breed today, as well as endless great memories of the victories, fun and enjoyment that he shared with so many.

Lovingly supported by his wife Val, John still took an active interest in all things farming, right up until his recent death. As a pioneer in so many ways, it would be fair to say that the influence of John Frazier will live on for a few years to come within the farming industry. His ready smile, sound advice and valid contribution will be sadly missed by many who have shared a dram with him.