A Fettercairn farm has been crowned cream of the crop in this year’s Royal Northern Agricultural Society (RNAS) growing cereals competition.
The annual contest attracted 67 entries from 27 competitors across the north and north-east.
After a shortlist was drawn up by local agronomists, the final judging was carried out by Robert Drysdale from Monymusk Estate.
He awarded the overall champion prize to the winner from the spring malting barley section.
This was a 40-acre block of Laureate from the Middleton family at Balbegno Farm, near Fettercairn.
The 580-acre arable farm is run by Fraser, alongside his father, James, and his son, Scott. Cropping comprises winter wheat, spring barley for malting, seed potatoes, vining peas, and winter barley which is grown for seed for Simpsons Malt at Berwick.
Fraser said the winning crop, which is being grown for DM Carnegie, was in a good field, following peas two years ago, and it had got off to a good start in the spring.
All eyes are now on the weather with the Middletons hoping to get the winning crop harvested in a fortnight.
“There’s no way you could go near the fields with a combine at the moment,” said Fraser.
“The winter barley is all cut. It yielded well and was good quality. We managed to get it before the weather.”
The reserve overall prize was awarded to a block of Propino spring barley, for feed, from Alan Grant at Skillymarno, Strichen.
The other winners were: best winter barley to Alexander Norrie, Woodside of Wrae, Turriff, with Kingsbarn; best winter wheat to Green Growers, Cushnie Farm, Auchterless, with Kerrin; best spring oats to Ednie Farms, Ednie House, St Fergus, Peterhead, with Canyon; best LFA crop to C&E McCombie, Auchincrieve, Knock, with Diablo spring barley for feed; and best under 30-crop to Stuart Norrie, Cairnhill, Turriff, with Diablo for malting.