It’s no secret that I love farming and I love the agricultural industry, so to have the pleasure of judging the Farmers Weekly Awards for a second year in a row was an opportunity not to be missed.
As one of three judges tasked with whittling down an exceptionally high quality of nominees in the Mixed Farmer of the Year category, alongside Farmers Weekly arable reporter Emma Gilbard and last year’s winner Jamie Leslie from Shetland, we struggled to select our three finalists.
What stood out for many of these farmers was their attention to detail, positivity and how they have tried to develop their business with a firm understanding that the Basic Payment Scheme is being phased out. They were all looking at ways to replace that lost income, grow their business or restructure to survive without it. There was a real acceptance and focus on what they could control and influence, rather than hoping the Government would change its mind.
The three finalists were all looking in a number of different ways to get a higher value for their produce and engage with their markets.
We visited three quality farms that all had good things going for them:
1. Winners: Craig and Claire Grant, of Kindrought, Aberdeenshire – Beef, sheep arable, poultry egg enterprise
This year’s winners were just exceptional and hence why they not only won the Mixed Farming category, but they also went on to win the Farmer of the Year Award too.
Claire and Craig Grant have created a sustainable business in the sense that each enterprise complements another. They have also created a pioneering poultry split feeding method, of a high-protein soya diet for the hens in the morning, followed by a bean diet later in the day. This cut their soya usage in half, and they are now working with other farmers to grow beans to meet demand. They’ve also introduced the likes of VF flotation tyres which has cut fuel usage by 15%.
The result of their passion, enthusiasm and their attention to detail in every aspect of their business, is a credit to their success and has seen them quadruple the land they farm over the last four years.
2. Runners up: Dani and Matthew Blair Thrimby Farm, Cumbria – Beef, sheep, arable
Matt and Dani Blair are a young farming couple, who are a real go-ahead with absolute passion. They are first-generation farmers who aim to be as self-sufficient as possible and featured on the BBC’s This Farming Life. They have engaged with Halal butchers and meat suppliers to get a better understanding of this growing market and have hosted an open day for the Muslim community. They're also building a classroom on the farm so they can work with Kendal College and offer practical farm visits to students.
Matt and Dani are changing their business in more ways than one to reduce input costs, get better use of their grass, and tap into new markets and income streams.
3. Runners up: Annabel and Will Hamilton of Bee Edge, Berwickshire – beef, arable and pumpkins
Father and daughter Annabel and Will Hamilton have a successful succession plan firmly in place and demonstrate that the sooner the management of this begins, it allows the business to move forward and diversify for the future. They run a pick-your-own-pumpkin patch alongside finishing high-quality beef cattle and growing award-winning cereal products. Their high-quality malting barley is sold to Simpsons Malt which is then shipped all over the world.
They’ve got their grain into niche, high-value markets to increase the return on more marginal land. This is a testament to their meticulous planning in terms of both costs and land management.
Change is a good thing
What our winners, finalists and nominees demonstrated is an acceptance to change and do something different to survive with reduced financial support. For others, that might be to look into the new Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme and see if that produces more income and margin than farming the land. You may want to see if you can increase the value of the product you produce, collaborate with neighbours or get to know your customer better. I think every farmer's solution will be different, but there will have to be a solution. There will have to be change and that’s not a bad thing.
We all know farming is a very, very tough industry and it is facing a lot of challenges at the moment, but the Farmers Weekly Awards is a positive celebration of UK agriculture. It is a hard job judging but one of the best experiences of the year. The evening was brilliant, but to be invited to visit and judge the three farms was a pleasure and an honour.
Seeing the industry and a lot of farming businesses in one room celebrating success is a reminder that our farmers are resilient, innovative and ready to face these challenges, and will continue to produce food to some of the highest environmental and animal welfare standards in the world.
If you would like advice and support about ways to diversify or restructure your farm business please get in touch. Call 0808 1445575 or email help@armstrongwatson.co.uk to speak to a member of our agricultural team.
