The Scottish Farmer is 130 years old this year and what better way to mark this significant milestone than to work with other leading organisations and launch the Scottish Agriculture Awards?

It’s been a year of celebration for what is thought to be the oldest continuously named farming newspaper in the UK and probably across Europe.

READ MORE: RHASS highlights the importance of the sector and the awards

The awards are set to be a prestigious celebration of the best in Scottish agriculture, recognizing excellence and innovation across a range of categories. The awards aim to showcase the outstanding work of farmers, agricultural individuals, and businesses who are driving the industry forward and ensuring the sustainability and success of Scottish agriculture.

The event is attracting significant interest from across the broad spectrum of the agri sector and nominations have now closed.

Our judges, all well-regarded and senior industry figures, are now undertaking the process to short-list the nominees – no easy feat given the high calibre of entrants!

The judging process involves farm visits for our farm of the year categories. The other categories will be put to a panel of independent experts who will decide on the shortlist and winners for 2023.

The process culminates in a glittering black-tie event to be held in the Crown Plaza Hotel near the SECC in Glasgow on October 26 and shortlisted nominees will receive two complimentary tickets.

The Scottish Farmer’s new Editor John Sleigh said: “I am delighted to be launching the Scottish Agriculture Awards with the great organisations RHASS and AgriScot.

“Putting food on the table and looking after the countryside is a hard job and we have been through some tough times of late, but these awards are a fantastic opportunity to showcase the incredible individuals and businesses that are leading the way in our industry.”

The Scottish Farmer continues to be a steady presence in the sector against a backdrop of continuous change and challenge.

When it was founded, the leading papers of the time were Farmers World and the North British Agriculturalist and it was thought that Scotland should have its own paper, with a distinct identity and that the farming business north of the Border should not be labelled as ‘North British’.

The newspaper’s charter was to be set in stone by several prominent agriculturalists of their day. They included Charles Howatson, of Glenbuck – the first farmer to pay more than £100 for a Blackface tup – the Rev Dr John Gillespie, a staunch supporter of the Galloway breed who became its first breed secretary; John Martin, of Auchendennan, near Glasgow, who called the meeting in 1878 which led to the formation of the Clydesdale Horse Society; and Patrick Hunter, of Waterybutts, Errol, who as well as being a prominent farmer, was also chairman of the General Accident Assurance Corporation.

READ MORE: AgriScot: A key player in Scottish Agriculture Awards

Pre-eminent among them all – not least because of his regal bearing – was Campbell MacPherson Grant, Drumduan, an enthusiast of Shetland ponies and Aberdeen-Angus cattle (his brother, Sir George, was a highly successful breeder at Ballindalloch).

These leading men of agriculture produced a charter for the workings of this newspaper and they chose Archibald MacNeilage, then and co-incidentally for many years after, the secretary of the Clydesdale Horse Society, as the instrument by which they applied their strict code. But, as ever with newspaper owners then and now, there was a finely walked line by what the owners wanted said and what should be said.

Today, the Scottish Farmer is proud to be the authoritative voice for the agri sector – holding government to account and reporting on the issues – good and bad – that affect our industry.