Deadline for arable farm of year entries approaches

With the deadline for entries for this year’s Scottish Arable Farm of the Year award fast approaching, a last minute call has been put out for anyone wishing to nominate a farm.

Agriscot chairman Robert Neill.

Covid lockdown meant no AgriScot awards in 2020, so the 2019 winner, John Weir of Lacesston, Gateside, Fife has had an extra year of holding the Scottish Arable Farm of the Year title.

“It was a huge honour for us to receive the award at AgriScot 2019,” said Weir. “I would certainly encourage my fellow arable farmers, and for that matter farmers in other sectors, to enter the 2021 AgriScot Farm of the Year Awards.

“I believe the award was welcome recognition for everything that has been done by everyone involved over many years here at Lacesston. An added bonus was meeting with the award sponsors, SoilEssentials, which opened my eyes to the bespoke precision farming possibilities on offer.

“Most of all I would say ‘don’t be shy’, there’s real benefits from showing the world that your farm is well run and doing the right thing, so I would say go for it, enter now.”

June 28 is the closing date for entries to the award which was first set up in 2017 and farms that make the final shortlist will be visited pre-harvest in July. Previously, the Scottish Arable Farm of the Year award has gone to farms in Aberdeenshire, Ross-shire and Fife.

Anyone wishing to nominate a farm should contact the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board which organises the competition.