The last few finalist for 2024's Scottish Agriculture Awards

Mixed Farm of the Year

John Scott, Fearn Farm

“We are a fourth generation family farm, with our main unit at Fearn spanning 470ha, we also rent 315ha and contract farm 200ha. Our ethos is to produce high quality, high health, performance recorded livestock, from a forage and grass based system. Our team includes four full time employees as well as seasonal staff. On the cattle side we run 100 Beef Shorthorn and 60 Luing cows both spring calving. Our sheep consist of a 1000 stud ewe flock and 1300 cross ewes put to a mix of Aberfield, Texel, New Zealand Suffolk, Romney and Beltex tups. With flocks lambing from mid March to the end of April.

“We farm 180ha of Laureate spring barley which is grown for malting. We also grow oats and our own forage crops such as turnips, forage rape, fodder beet, swedes and kale which are fed with home produced silage and hay.”

“We are chuffed to bits to make the final three amongst so many worthy contenders. It’s nice to get the recognition. Fiona and I had the chance to attend the awards last year as guests and it had such a buzz about it, we are really looking forward to going back this time as finalists.”

The Scott Family, Fearn Farm, Tain

John Thomson, Hilton of Beath Farm

“Hilton of Beath is a family run mixed farm. My grandfather came here in 1948 and we have built up to the 1250 acres we farm now. We currently run 250 Limousin cross suckler cows to produce quality store calves and have 10 pedigree Limousin cows that produce the bulls for the commercial herd. Our daughter Beth enjoys showing some of these through the summer and has now taken over the running of the pedigree herd. Some 150 of the cross cows calve in spring with the rest calving in September and October. This year the spring herd scanned at 98.2% and the Autumn 97.6%.

“On the arable side of the enterprise we have 160 acres sown in winter wheat, 90 acres of winter oats and 35 acres of winter barley that we use to feed the cattle. We plan to sow 260 acres of spring barley that’s a high nitrogen malting variety to supply to Alloa.

“It was a fantastic surprise to be nominated for this award and a real shock to make the final three. There are lots of folk making a fantastic job so to get into the final three is a real honour. We look forward to catching up with everyone at the awards night.

“We also have to thank everyone who supports and helps us throughout the year, from the advisors, machinery dealers and contractors to the vets and foot trimmer and of course the support from the family, we couldn’t do it without you all and your support is very much appreciated.”

John, Natalie, and Beth Thomson, Hilton of Beath Farm, Kelty Ref:RH160524253 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer

Rob Forrest, Robert Forrest Ltd

“Robert Forrest Ltd being Rob and Lucy Forrest and son Bob Forrest, based at Preston farm near Duns in Berwickshire.

“It is a family business involved in farming land that is owned, tenanted and contract-farmed extending to 569 hectares. In terms of staff, we have family members, one full-time employee who has been with us for nearly 30 years and an apprentice through Borders College.

“The mixed farming activity involved cattle and arable with sheep being introduced over the winter for management purposes. We are also members of LEAF, SQC and QMS.

“We run a 380 Beef suckler cow herd with the aim of producing high quality store calves to sell at 12 months of age. Most of the cows are Simmental cross and Aberdeen Angus cross to the Simmental, Aberdeen Angus and latterly the Limousin has also been introduced.

“The cows and calves in groups of 35 to 40, are paddock grazed, moving every ten days to ensure the best quality grass in the early and middle part of the season and enabling some grass to be retained for late season grazing before housing.

“The arable element of the business involves winter wheat, winter barley, spring oats and beans. We are growing malt barley on contract to Simpsons Malt, distilling wheat on contract to Chivas, milling oats on contract to Quaker as part of the Oatco Growing Group. All of the feed barley and most of the beans are grown for the cattle. Malt barley is sold off farm at harvest and the remainder of the grain is all stored on site. Everything on and off the farm goes over the weighbridge.

“We are passionate about sustainable farming, and plant cover crop/ or stubble turnips on anything not drilled in the Autumn, to retain the soil activity and sequestrate carbon. Sheep are introduced in the winter to eat off stubble turnips and cover crops along with grazing the winter wheat. This we have found increases tillers, lessens the weed burden, and cuts out a fungicide application in the spring.

“In terms of renewables, we have a 40kw ground mounted PV, a 4kw roof mounted PV and a 40kw roof mounted PV which all significantly lower electricity costs.

“We are always trying to improve efficiency in all aspects of the business.”

Rob and Bob Forrest, Robert Forrest Ltd, Duns

Scotch Beef Farm of the Year

Douglas Frame, James Frame and Co, Birks Farm

“The business is farmed in partnership with myself and my dad Jim, we also have help from my wife Rachel and two kids Lewis and Eilidh. We run 155 Angus cross suckler cows, finishing everything on farm at 22-24 months with an average carcase weight of 385kg. Everything is homebred and we keep our own replacements. This means we only need to buy in bulls so our herd has a high health status. We have 220ha at Birks Farm, and we grow around 35ac of spring barley for our own use. We try to be as low input as possible whilst being as high output as we can be. We calve everything in the spring, with 65% in the first three weeks and 95% within 6 weeks and we have a calving interval of 367 days.

“It’s amazing to be shortlisted as it’s something I have had in my head for a little while. I think the farm has improved a lot in a short time, so we felt like it was the right time to do something like this. We can still push the business further but we have come a long way. We are just proud that our hard work has been recognised.”

Douglas Frame with wife Rachel, kids Eilidh and Lewis with Douglas' father Jim, Birks Farm, Carluke

Iain Green, Corskie Farm

“We are a family based partnership with a team made up of three pig-men, three stock workers, six general workers, one foreman, two mechanics, 38 lorry drivers and five office staff. We farm across 5819 acres and operate a UK-wide bulk haulage business from Corskie.

“On the cattle side we have a suckler herd of 539 cows and 92 in-calf heifers which comprises of 180 pedigree Simmental cows and 38 in-calf pedigree Simmental heifers kept at Corskie. The remaining 359 Simmental cross cows and 54 in-calf heifers are kept at Pluscarden. The bulk of the herd calve in Autumn and Spring time with pedigrees also calving in January.

“We also have 680 mule ewes kept at Pluscarden that are crossed with Texel tups and they lamb in April. We have a small pedigree flock of Texels kept at Corskie with around 120 MV-accredited cross Suffolk ewes used for recipients which is run by my middle daughter Jemma.

“For pigs, we have a 360 sow indoor breeding herd, producing pigs for the commercial market, with the finished pigs sold through a marketing co-operative to an abattoir.

“We are really surprised to be shortlisted and it’s all down to hard work and dedication of the team we have here. I look forward to heading down to Glasgow with my daughters Laura, Jemma, and Hannah for what should be a good night celebrating the industry.”

The Green family at Corskie Farm, Morayshire

Duncan Morrison, Meikle Maldron Farm

“At Meikle Maldron Farm, we run a 240 suckler herd where the cows are split fifty-fifty between Aberdeen Angus and Stabiliser, we run pedigree herds of both plus we also have a commercial herd. We calve in the spring and focus on running a low input, forage based herd. We aim to be a low-cost business and hopefully a profitable one. We sell store cattle, finish bull calves, we also sell breeding heifers and bulls.

“We have also recently added a small ewe flock which we are looking to expand into. The full team is made up of myself and my wife Claire and we also have a full time stockman Alec who manages the Stabiliser herd. All cows are outwintered and it’s very much a low-cost business model.

“It’s nice to nominated, we certainly didn’t expect it. We are looking forward to the night and catching up and seeing everyone. It’s sure to be stiff competition and we are looking forward to having fun and see what happens.”

Duncan and Claire Morrison, Meikle Maldron, Aberdeenshire

Sheep Farm of the Year

John Carson, Dornells Farm

“I have been the farm manager at Dornells Farm now for the last five years. When I came to the farm it had previously been a dairy and the initial changes we had to consider were looking at the infrastructure and converting the buildings into indoor lambing sheds. Starting from scratch and with a blank canvas proved to have its advantages and we were able to design the internal layout to ensure we had maximum number of pens for the minimum amount of man handling. However, indoor lambing still proves to be labour intensive no matter how good the set up is. Until recently there was only me and casual labour, I now have one full time member of staff working alongside.

“At the time I started there were 800 scotch mules with lambs at foot. The main objectives have been to become a closed flock and breeding our own replacements. We have since introduced Cheviots to the farm which are lambed outside and are suited to make use of the hill ground. We have 1440 ewes going to the tup over the next few weeks. The flock is made up now with 800 Texel cross ewes, 500 Cheviot ewes and 140 scotch mules all lambing from March through to May. Trying to ensure we can fatten as many of the lambs off the farm as possible has meant we are reseeding around 30 acres ever year and growing 30 acres of kale and turnip mix yearly. As well as the sheep we run a pedigree Belted Galloway herd with 120 cattle.

“It was a real surprise to me when I found out I had been nominated. It is nice to be recognised for doing a good job in the industry that I love to be part of.”

John Carson, Dornells Farm, Dumfries and Galloway

Stewart Shaw, Smailholm Mains Farm

“We farm 600 acres near Kelso, where we run a mixed arable, sheep and beef unit and also work as a stubble to harvest arable contractor. Everything on farm is suckled to finish with 85 Limousin cross suckler cows and 550 sheep comprising of 80 pedigree Suffolks with the rest a commercial flock of Scotch Half Bred and Cheviots. Our Suffolk flock are ran commercially with own replacements retained to breed shearlings for Kelso with all tups are used as ram lambs over the commercial Half Bred flock. The Half Bred flock predominantly breed fat lambs for the butchers market with March born ewe lambs sold for breeding. We performance record all the Suffolk lambs ourselves in house which we use to determine the best performers in the flock and also the lambs that don’t make the cut.

“We are excited to be nominated, we have worked hard these last few years to reduce our flock inputs but optimise performance. We are grateful this hard work has been recognised and we look forward to a good evening on awards night.”

The Shaw Family: Ron, Stewart Snr, Stewart Jr, and Alan, Kelso Ref:RH310820033 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer

Supplier of the Year

East of Scotland Farmers

"East of Scotland Farmers Ltd is a farmer owned co-operative based in Coupar Angus and serving its members who farm in Perthshire, Angus and Fife. Our core business is drying, storing and marketing grain, most of which is destined to make Scotch Whisky. We also supply seed fertiliser, sprays and agronomy advice and we operate a small transport fleet. We also operate a Country Store that stocks thousands of product lines from animal health to pet foods, clothing to tools, and crop packing to equestrian goods. The business was established in 1959 and now has a turnover of over £30m and a staff of 25. As a co-operative, it is fully focussed on serving the local farming community and all investment decisions are made with that in mind.

"We are delighted to have been shortlisted for this award. It’s particularly pleasing for our staff to be recognised for their commitment and service. We’re looking forward to the event and meeting all the other finalists."

The East of Scotland Farmers team, Coupar Angus

Fasque Timber Products

"Fasque Timber Products is a family-run business based in Aberdeenshire specialising in the production of sustainably sourced timber and pallet wood.

"We have grown from a small timber processing unit for our own forestry company to process local windblow from the storms, to a small scale sawmill for locals to purchase fencing and other timber products and then onto two sawmills offering a wide variety of bespoke timber products and pallet wood.

"We always have and always will pride ourselves on our small business ethics and our customers are always put first. We have a great relationship with our customers and always strive to have locally sourced, sustainable and great quality timber available to them at a fair price.

"We are absolutely thrilled to be nominated for this award. Our staff always do their utmost to help our customers and being shortlisted for this award just proves how much their dedication and effort is recognised."

Fasque Timber Products, Fourdon, Aberdeenshire

Thorburn Group

"Thorburn Group is a fourth-generation business, specialising in steel fabrication for the agricultural and industrial industries. Our experienced team provide a variety of services including steel frame construction, bespoke livestock handling systems and the installation and maintenance of grain dryers and handling systems. As well as this, we have an agricultural store where we sell a range of everyday consumables such as spare parts, tools and livestock equipment. This has created a one stop shop for farmers to get everything they need to keep their farm running smoothly and efficiently.

"We have undergone a huge amount of innovation in the last three years, to ensure that we can create the highest quality product for our customers. This has included investing in state-of-the-art machinery and purpose built premises.

"Everyone on the team work extremely hard for the benefit of the customer, especially so during this transformative time, so we are very proud that all their hard work is being recognised through this amazing nomination. We are looking forward to celebrating with all the other incredible businesses."

Euan and Alistair Thorburn, Thorburn Group, The Scottish Borders

Sustainable Farm of the Year

Brendan Reade, Sgriob-Ruadh Farm, Isle of Mull Cheese

“We have three generations of family, working on Sgriob-ruadh. We are a small dairy farm, on the West Coast of Scotland with help from 120 cows we produce milk to make cheese and spirits. The cheese is made from raw milk and then matured for more than a year in our cellars. This produces a cheese with great flavour, fruity and spicy.

“We generate our electricity from wind and water with heat from the local forests, not wasting anything and being sustainable. True to our principles of no waste, we are now distilling the whey from the cheese making. This produces a clear Isle of Mull Spirit: Sgriob-ruadh Spirit, Coo J’N and Cheesemakers Strength 60%ABV.

“On our beautiful island, the grass the cows eat and the water they drink, give a special taste to both cheese and spirits that can be found nowhere else. We love people to visit us. To take guided tours around the farm and get a real feel of what are we do. Possibly eat our cheese and taste our spirits in the Glass Barn Café.

“Being nominated for the sustainability award is really nice for us. It’s something we always aim for here on the farm.”

Brendan and Garth Reade, Sgriob Ruadh Farm, Isle of Mull

Alec Brewster, Rotmell Farm

“We are primarily and historically an upland beef and sheep farming business at Rotmell Farm, Ballinluig, Perthshire. We also farm free range hens and bees, these enterprises work in synergy and are vertically stacked on top of the red meat business, allowing us to retail multiple offerings into the local community. We are also working hard to understand and increase the nutrient capacity of our pastures, through increasing our soil’s biological capacity and this is making the farm more environmentally and economically resilient within an adaptive grazing program.

“With our livestock systems based fully outside 24/7 we very quickly became in need of robust and tough outdoor clothing that could cope with the UK climate. A few years ago we set up our clothing brand TorraMór with the purpose of creating a British made outdoor clothing, completely waterproof and windproof.

“Everything at TorraMór is manufactured in the UK and designed by us, part of working in farming and the countryside is you need to stay warm, dry and safe and we wanted to provide something locally produced as opposed to a product manufactured on the other side of the world. Our sustainable journey is ever evolving, however at are core of what we do is about delivering quality.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be nominated; our ethos has always been about trying to produce nutrient dense foods within a fully sustainable framework all the while promoting the very best the Scottish countryside and people have to offer.”

Alex Brewster, Rotmell Farm, Perthshire

Gordon Whiteford, Lower Mill of Tynet Farm

“We’re an organic farm near Buckie, Aberdeenshire mainly producing eggs and milk but also lamb and beef. We have a 24-hour vending shop through which we retail our farm produce including flavoured milks and homemade ice cream as well as a variety of locally sourced seasonal produce.

“It’s a great honour to be shortlisted in the Sustainability category as sustainability was the very first building block on which our business was built and hopefully continues to grow.”

Gordon Whiteford and family, Lower Mill of Tynet Farm, Banffshire