The awards finalists tell us about their businesses

In the countdown to Awards night, The Scottish Farmer caught up with the finalists in the Adviser and Animal Health categories for this year to find out a bit about their businesses.

Adviser of the Year

Craig Bothwell, SAC Consulting

“I’ve worked with SAC Consulting for ten years covering The Lothians and Peeblesshire. I am the office manager in SAC’s Edinburgh office where I manage a team of four.

“Day to day I specialise in beef and sheep systems, livestock nutrition, financial budgeting and subsidy applications. At home we run a suckler beef enterprise on the family farm in Lanarkshire producing Charolais cross calves for the store market.

“It’s an honour to have been nominated and shortlisted for this award. I am thoroughly looking forward to the awards night. I am lucky that I have a tremendous base of clients on our books and I aim to do as much as I possibly can for them.

“I have always prioritised delivering and providing the same levels of quality service for all of my clients and I find it so rewarding assisting them in what they need.”

Craig Bothwell

David Owen, Owen Farm Services

“I started Owen Farm Services by myself back in 2013. I was aiming to do consultancy differently and ensure the advice was always practical for the farmer whilst making the best use of existing on farm data to maximise the benefits to the farm.

“Over the last decade we’ve grown to a team of eight, which has allowed us to service a range of clients and diversify into other services, whilst not losing sight of those initial aims. Being nominated has been a very proud moment for me but more importantly, it is a recognition of the team around me and the range of clients we’ve had the privilege to help over the years.

“At the end of the day this is a team nomination and we very much look forward to celebrating alongside the other nominees on awards night.”

David Owen

Rhidian Jones, RJ Livestock Systems

“I started out as a farm manager on an upland hill farm and then moved to working for SAC Consulting as a beef and sheep specialist.

“In 2016 I set up my own business RJ Livestock Systems covering predominantly Scotland and northern England. My work involves assisting with beef and sheep systems as well as the more technical side and grassland management.

“I was also a monitor farm facilitator in Scotland between 2017 and 2020 and I do a lot of work with QMS. I am also involved with AHDB in England and I have been a monitor farm facilitator in Northumberland.

“My other passion is running discussion groups, both in Scotland and the north of England which I always learn a lot from. Occasionally I have also been involved with authoring official reports and publications.

“I wrote a booklet for QMS covering grassland and soils, and also one for Meat Promotion Wales on beef finishing systems.

“I enjoy my work as it is varied and gives me the freedom of being my own boss.

“I find if you are doing the same thing all the time it isn’t nearly as interesting and I absolutely love going out and about on farms. It’s just as much about learning from my clients as they learn from me and I like to hear things from different perspectives.

“This isn’t something I would put myself forward for usually but I am really honoured to be nominated. It makes you feel valued and I have been working away doing this type of thing for 17 years so it’s really nice to be recognised for that.”

Rhidian Jones of RJ Livestock Services

Animal Health Provider of the Year

Te Pari

Te Pari, a family business, has been innovating livestock handling equipment for over 40 years. Focused on animal welfare and farmer safety, they design products that simplify tasks and reduce stress for both animals and farmers.

Te Pari’s commitment to advancing medicine administration through collaboration with veterinarians ensures their equipment is suited to modern farming. Operating from a state-of-the-art facility, Te Pari exports its agri-tech solutions globally, continuing to prioritise efficiency and safety in farming practices

Eric and Giles from TePari

Graeme Parker, The Hoof GP Ltd

“I grew up as a farmer’s son, but sadly, my father passed away when I was young. My path to where I am now has been far from straightforward, but eventually, I found my calling as a cattle hoof trimmer.

“I’ve been in business for around 14 years now, based in Wigtownshire, and over that time, I’ve trimmed close to 200,000 cows’ feet. What started as a small local operation has grown to include a team of five employees, (Kevin, Craig, Graeme, Ashley and myself) all dedicated to improving hoof health for farmers and their cattle.

“In addition to my daily work, I also run an online channel called ‘The Hoof GP’, which highlights the care farmers give to their cows’ feet. It’s grown beyond anything I could have imagined, now reaching an audience of around 120 million views a month worldwide.

“Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to win several national awards and speak at conferences across the globe, sharing my passion for cattle hoof health.

“I’ve also worked with universities, schools, and industry professionals to deliver educational experiences aimed at improving standards in the field.

“At the heart of my business is my commitment to working closely with vets and the farmers I serve. But my bigger goal is to raise awareness about the importance of hoof health, not only to ensure the comfort of the animals but to improve the profitability and productivity of farms.

“It’s my mission to help educate as many people, both in and out with our industry, as possible on the benefits of proper hoof care for cattle, and I’m proud to have played a role in developing new products to make cows more comfortable in their day-to-day lives.

“Being nominated for this award means a great deal to me because it recognises the work I’m so passionate about and what myself and the team have achieved.

“I truly believe that improving hoof health improves the lives of the cows and the farmers who care for them, and it’s an honour to be considered for such a prestigious recognition.”

Graeme Parker and the rest of the Hoof GP team

Thrums Veterinary Group

Thrums Vets are an independent, mixed practice who have been providing farm animal veterinary services across Angus and Perthshire for over 75 years.

“We have a great team of vets with a variety of clinical interests and experience who collaborate well to ensure the best possible outcome for our clients and their businesses.

“We offer a full range of services to all of our farming clients, keeping up to speed with advancements in modern equipment and technologies, whilst retaining our core values of integrity, community, excellence, happiness and friendliness.

“We have put in place a number of measures in recent years to try and ensure that we have a steady stream of young, keen, mixed vets coming into the profession.

“This includes our Vet School Preparation programme for young people interested in applying to vet school and our Foundations of Mixed Practice programme for newly qualified vets which aims to smooth the transition from veterinary student to independent, confident, clinical vets.

“They are the future for delivering continued excellence in animal health provision and by supporting them hopefully we can retain them in the industry for years to come.

“Thrums are delighted to be nominated as finalists in the animal health provider of the year category.

“It is great to be part of these awards which highlight and recognise the brilliant efforts of so many different businesses across the incredible Scottish farming sector.”

Some of the vets from Thrums Veterinary group, Robbie Henderson, Jennifer Jones, Emily Freeman, Cameron Richardson, Jordan Littlejohn, Emily Rainbow and Andrew Littlejohn Ref: RH160924016 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer...