More than £22,000 has been raised for two local charities after almost 700 people flocked to Auchmaliddie Mains near Maud to remember the Press & Journal’s late farming editor Joe Watson.
Since Mr Watson passed away in 2014, NFU Scotland’s (NFUS) north-east region has organised nine testimonial events at various farms throughout the region’s NFUS branches.
Thousands of pounds has been raised for a number of charities over the years, with last week’s record-breaking amount being donated to a new north-east mental health charity and Fraserburgh Hospital’s Brucklay Ward.
A £2,000 donation will be made to the Brucklay Ward to show gratitude for the support they provided during Harry Brown Snr’s final months in their care, while the balance will be used to fund NFUS’ new north-east mental health peer support group.
This new charity will be open not just to NFUS members but to non-members and anyone involved with agriculture.
Lorna Paterson, NFUS north-east regional manager hopes to launch the new charity at this year’s Turriff Show.
“We want to help bridge the gap between initial conversation and potentially reaching out for formal help from RSABI,” said Ms Paterson.
“This charitable group will be managed by ourselves, championed by long-standing mental health guru Kevin Gilbert, and others. It will be a free service for our farmers as well as anyone else employed within the industry and will provide a safe place to allow discussion about anything for anyone seeking some basic moral support or possibly in helping decide whether they wish to seek and access more formal support from RSABI for example.
“We are finding that the impact of poor mental well-being is a key challenge for numerous people nowadays and we do feel that it could be beneficial to offer a local, confidential and like-minded support mechanism in order to share conversations and help unburden those who are struggling.”
The evening was opened by Drew Wilson, chairman of the New Deer branch, and Iain Taylor, chairman of the Turriff branch, who both welcomed members and non-members to the event.
Mr Wilson highlighted the top class stock on show at Auchmaliddie Mains and recalled on the Brown family being regular sale leaders at the large prime cattle sales held in Maud mart every week.
The evening included a stockjudging of six classes featuring commercial cattle and sheep, along with a raffle and auction which attracted a number of top lots from local businesses.
Sally Glennie, a farmer’s daughter from Keig and a member of Vale of Alford Young Farmers, won the Joe Watson Perpetual Trophy for the overall stockjudging winner.
In the auction – conducted by Scott Chapman of Aberdeen & Northern Marts and James Scott of Untied Auctions – prices peaked at £1,300 for two Manchester United tickets, while a feed bunker provided by A&W Elphinstone realised £1,200.
A cottage break supplied by ANM Group made £1,200 and one week’s hire of a 7 series Fendt tractor Ross Agri was knocked down for £1,000.
Stockjudging
Adult – 1, George Pirie (273); 2, Brian Troup (270); David Hay (269). Young Farmers – 1, Sally Glennie (281); 2, Scott Dey (268); 3, Ellen Glennie (266). Under 12s – 1, Logan Pirie (251); 2, Lucy Anderson (249); 3, Emma Brown (244). Overall – 1, Sally Glennie; 2, George Pirie; 3, Brian Troup. Guess the combined weight of prime bullocks – 1, June Will, Insch; 2, Irene Stephen, Stuartfield; 3, Eddie Hosie, Fyvie.
