Four leading figures in north-east farming and three youngsters making their way in the industry are to be honoured by the Royal Northern Agricultural Society.
The awards will be presented at the society’s annual awards lunch at the Thistle Aberdeen Airport Hotel on Friday, October 31.
The prestigious Royal Northern Award and Press and Journal Shield for outstanding service goes to grain merchant, well-known after-dinner speaker and Highland games enthusiast Jim Brown, of Holmfield, Fettercairn, who has just retired as site manager at W N Lindsay’s Northesk Granaries at Stracathro.
Recipient of the Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ Award for his outstanding contribution on a more local basis is Bruce Ferguson, of Ardmiddle Mains, Turriff, the current president of Turriff Show during its 150th anniversary year after 18 years as secretary, and the David Argo Award for an unsung hero goes to Ian Hamilton, who is due to retire next month after 33 years as farm manager at Haddo Estate, Tarves.
The fourth recipient is Janelle Anderson, of Easterton, Old Rayne, office manager at farmers’ co-op Aberdeen Grain, at Whiterashes, and a stalwart of the Young Farmers’ movement, who will receive the SRUC under-35 award.
Apprenticeship awards, sponsored by the Clydesdale Bank, will be presented to two SRUC rural business management students, Rebecca Rainnie, of Loanhead, Logie Coldstone, and Matthew Jamieson, of Newtonbrae, Newmill, Keith, and the agricultural engineering award, sponsored by Turriff Agri-Parts, to Jack Beedie, of 18 Witchhill Road, Fraserburgh, who is an apprentice with A M Philip, Fraserburgh.
RNAS president John Sim, of Rorandle, Monymusk, said the quality of the nominations had been outstanding and the selection panel had found it very difficult to choose the winners. “The awards have once again highlighted the wealth of talent we are fortunate to have in the farming industry in the north-east,” said Mr Sim. “The seven winners are worthy recipients of their awards and a credit to the industry.”
Mr Brown, a former teacher and land agent, has worked at the Northesk Granaries for almost 40 years for a succession of owners and has won the respect of farmers for his role as seed and grain manager and latterly site manager as well.
He is perhaps best known as an accomplished after-dinner speaker and popular participant in the wag’s dinner circuit where he has raised thousands of pounds for charity.
A keen heavy athlete in his younger days, he served as chairman of the Scottish Highland Games Association for many years and is now honorary life president. He was made an MBE in 2008 for his services to the Highland Games and charity.
Mr Brown said he was flattered and delighted to receive the RNAS and P&J award. “It is most unexpected but it is always an honour to receive the recognition of your peers,” he said.
An architect by profession – he won the medal for best student at Strathclyde University – Mr Ferguson worked as an adviser and lecturer in the buildings department of SAC at Craibstone before coming home to take over the family farm. He was appointed secretary of Turriff Show in 1994 and has steered the show through one of the most successful periods in its history.
An honours graduate in agriculture, Mr Hamilton was appointed farm manager at Haddo in November, 1981, by consultant, the late Ronnie Allathan, after working on farms in East Lothian, Northumberland and Sutherland. Working closely with the laird, Lord Aberdeen, and estate factor, Mark Andrew, he is responsible for the 1,500-acre in-hand farming enterprise with 150 suckler cows and progeny and has become the “public face” of farming at Haddo through school and student visits, estate days and other on-farm events.
He is past chairman of the McIntosh Donald Producer Group and has served many other organisations in various capacities, including the RNAS, Udny Discussion Group and the North of Scotland Farm Management Association.
Ms Anderson is a former chairwoman of the north region of the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs and has represented Scotland at the biennial conference of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth in Canada, New Zealand and Zambia as well as chairing the Next Generation group when the conference came to Scotland in 2010.
She also takes an active part in the running of the family farm and has recently become secretary of both the North East Aberdeen-Angus Club and the North of Scotland Farm Management Association. She is also junior vice-chairwoman of the RNAS and is set to become the society’s first woman president in 2016.
Rebecca, a member of Mid Deeside Young Farmers’ Club, hopes to go travelling after graduating and Matthew is also planning a trip to the US with the long-term aim of coming home to farm.
Jack helps his dad restore vintage tractors and hopes to eventually reach a management position after completing his apprenticeship as an agricultural engineer.
The RNAS awards lunch will be held in the Thistle Aberdeen Airport Hotel on Friday, October 31, at 12.30pm. For tickets please contact RNAS secretary Alison Argo on 01561340353 or secretary@rnas.info