Finalists revealed for Scottish Arable Farm of the Year

The award, which will be presented at AgriScot on 9 February 2022, is sponsored by SoilEssentials and supported by the Agriculture and Development Board (AHDB). It recognises farmers who focus on soil health and make best use of innovation and technology. This year’s shortlist consists of two farmers from Aberdeenshire and one from Midlothian.

Jim Reid runs his family farm, Milton of Mathers at St Cyrus near Montrose, with his brother Ron. The farm spans 80 hectares of seed potatoes, with the rest of the arable land dedicated to barley and oilseed rape. Jim has been farming all his life and is constantly looking for new ways to trial different agricultural methods to address the key challenges he is faced with. His goal is to improve the way he farms and improve the health and quality of his crops. He is currently the host of AHDB’s Strategic Potato Farm in Scotland focusing on desiccation, crop and soil health trials.

Iain Wilson is the farm manager at Tulloch Farms near Laurencekirk. He manages around 2,000 acres of land, the majority of which is used for arable cropping. In a bid to improve yields, Iain embarked on a trial project in 2020 which saw 450 blackface ewe lambs graze on 25 acres of oats, 25 acres of wheat and 37 acres of oilseed rape. The trial proved so successful that it has been expanded this year. The judges found Iain to be full of innovative ideas and a willingness to share these with other farmers. He is also very aware of the importance of maintaining good financial records so he can understand at any time what financial position his farm is in.

Bill Gray has managed the farm at Preston Hall in Midlothian since 1996. The farm successfully balances the competing demands of crop production and financial stability whilst protecting the environment and enhancing wildlife. With a highly capable team, modern machinery and a forward-thinking approach, Preston Hall strives to be at the forefront of modern farming practices. In 2017 the farm took up the challenge of being one of Scotland’s nine Monitor Farms and was involved in the project until 2019.

The leading Scottish arable farm of the year will be revealed at AgriScot on 9 February and will be rewarded with a bespoke precision farming package from SoilEssentials. The package will be tailor-made for the business following a site visit to the farm to assess the technology being used and the business requirements. This year the candidates are being assessed by the 2019 title holder, John Weir from Lacceston farm in Fife, and AgriScot Director and arable award convenor, John Kinnaird. together with AHDB as facilitators of the award.

John Kinnaird said: “Once again we have three exceptional finalists who are all innovative in different ways. Forward-thinking, open minded farmers such as our finalists are what the arable sector in Scotland needs now to face the undoubted challenges ahead.”

John Weir commented: “Having been the recipient of the award in 2019 it was challenging being the one to do the assessing. I was very impressed with the entrants and their willingness to embrace new ideas and adopt innovative approaches to further their knowledge of how to deal with the challenges they each face on farm.”

Jim Wilson, Managing Director of SoilEssentials comments: “The three finalists are very diverse, dynamic, and devoted to their farming businesses and it will not be an easy task for the assessors to whittle down to the ultimate award recipient. As the sponsors of the Scottish Arable Farm of the Year award, SoilEssentials thank all the nominated farmers for entering and congratulates the three shortlisted farms on reaching the final stages. We are very keen to be getting back to AgriScot in February and will be delighted to meet these advocates of agriculture and find out more about them all. Good Luck!”

AHDB’s Director of Cereals, Martin Grantley-Smith said: “Awards such as the AgriScot Scottish Arable Farm of the Year highlight best practice and encourage businesses to future-proof themselves, supporting the drive towards a more resilient arable sector. We are delighted to be supporting the award again and look forward to recognising the recipient in February.”