Aberdeenshire farming couple Craig and Claire Grant from Kindrought, Strichen, are the winners of the Farmer of the Year and Mixed Farmer of the Year in the 2023 Farmers Weekly Awards.
The husband and wife duo run a large-scale mixed farming enterprise including 160,000 laying hens, 200 hectares of combinable crops, 270 bulling heifers and a flying sheep flock of 1,500 ewes and lambs.
While their hardworking team of 15 staff kept things running smoothly at home, Craig and Claire attended the awards ceremony in London on Thursday evening.
The evening featured finalists from all over the UK who were in the running for no fewer than 20 awards from the various categories.
On winning the two awards, Craig said: “We are immensely proud and privileged to win these two accolades. It’s thanks to all our own team’s hard work and everyone who has given us help and opportunities to make this possible.”
Meanwhile, Lanarkshire farmer William Baillie of Hillhead Farm, was crowned the Farmers Weekly’s 2023 Dairy Farmer of the Year.
Mr Baillie started with just 50 cows in 1997 and is now milking 400 cows fully housed three times per day in a new shed.
He farms 156 hectares of owned ground and 81 hectares of rented land, with milk sold to Yew Tree Dairies on a solids contract.
