Some of Britain’s most progressive young farmers and agribusiness people, including three from north-east and central Scotland, are being funded to attend January’s Oxford Farming Conference (OFC).
Aberdeenshire farmer Louise Urquhart is one of the 17 people to be selected for the OFC Emerging Leader programme which was established in 2017 to give young people a platform at the conference to debate, discuss and challenge the future of UK agriculture with peers, businesses and politicians.
Louise has been farming since 2013 and has built up a flock of commercial ewes, a small herd of pedigree Simmental cattle and runs some rare-breed pigs.
She has also hosted the QMS grazing groups project with her husband, Ahren, and the couple also run a farm-based retail meat and catering business called Louise’s Farm Kitchen.
Another delegate to be chosen is Anna Black from Braeside of Lindores at Newburgh in Fife. She took over management of Lindores Cross Country, which was nominated Equestrian business of the year in 2017, and is launching a sporting retreat with luxury accommodation.
The crop production manager of East of Scotland Farmers, Colin Dargie, is another successful candidate.
He is also deputy general manager of the co-operative which provides 300 farmer members with drying, storage, marketing and technical advice on crops.
The delegates come from all areas of agri-business, and will be fully hosted at the three-day conference from January 3-5, 2018, as well as at a pre-event on-farm tour and policy discussion later this month.
