18 June 2013
DOUBLE WIN IN FUTURE FARMING AWARD 2013
After a lengthy search for the best in Scottish agriculture, the Future Farming Award
is today crowning two winners, having witnessed the excellent credentials displayed
by two top candidates and been unable to separate them.
Seeking innovation within Scottish farming and crofting, the Future Farming Award
rewards the individual or partnership which can demonstrate an outstanding
contribution to rural industry. The accolade is an initiative funded by the Elizabeth
Murray Trust, partnered by Quality Scotland and supported by NFU Scotland. Each
year the winning farmer or land manager is given a cash prize of £4,000, and a
package of practical support to help them promote their farming activities and
champion Scottish farming.
The Award showcases ways in which Scotland can produce food, fibre and wood
products from farms and crofts in a commercially viable way while maintaining the
natural capital of the land and minimizing the ecological footprint of farming activities.
The judges are looking for anything which represents new or innovative ideas within
farming which also take into consideration the future of the wider industry.
This year sees two winners:
Robert Neill from near Jedburgh who farms just over 1000 acres, running a suckler
herd of 300 Limousin cross cows along with 10 pedigree Limousin cows and eight
pedigree Limousin bulls, as well as growing 650 acres of cereals.
John Scott from Tain farms 1200 hectares, combining arable and livestock with
renewable energy and concentrating on cutting edge technology.
Robert Neill, of Upper Nisbet Farm, Jedburgh, said:
“We pride ourselves on our self sufficiency in livestock feed, our early adoption of
electronic identification as a way of allowing us to closely monitor and assess the
performance of all our cattle from conception until they are sold as prime stock.
“Looking to the future I hope that we can be instrumental in leading the way in terms
of using electronic traceability and controlling the health and production of our cattle
herd to enable the business to expand its operation for future generations.
John Scott, of Fearn Farm, Tain, the second of the two winners, said:
“Along with my family and employees I farm 1200 hectares on three sites in the
Highlands of Scotland, blending livestock and cropping enterprises with renewable
energy and housing whilst using cutting edge technology to farm in a profitable and
environmentally sensitive manner. As a team we are always looking for ways in
which we can improve what we do and are excited about the future of our industry
and the opportunities and challenges that it will bring.”
Michael Williams, who runs the Future Farming Award, said:
“I have always been proud to be involved in Scottish farming and meeting our two
Future Farming Award winners this year has further cemented in my mind the
importance of farming as the key foundation of our small country.
“Both Robert and John really shone when I met them because they demonstrate how
farming can be successful from both a commercial and an environmental
perspective. They are both forward thinking, passionate and dedicated to the farming
industry both now and in generations to come. Coming from opposite ends of
Scotland, Robert and John truly demonstrate the breadth of farming talent across the
whole of Scotland and I am delighted that we are rewarding them via the Future
Farming Award 2013.”
Dave Bradley, Chief Executive at Quality Scotland, partners to the Award, stated:
“We at Quality Scotland are exceptionally proud to be partners with the Elizabeth
Murray Charitable Trust in promoting Future Farming. At a time when renewables
seem to be top of the Scottish industry agenda I am pleased that we are supporting
this traditional industry in promoting innovation and excellence and showcasing best
practice from our best farmers.
“We congratulate Robert Neill of Upper Nisbet Farm and John Scott at Fearn Farm,
the 2013 Future Farming Award Winners.”
Those
wishing
further
information
www.futurefarmingaward.co.uk
on
the
Award
can
visit
NOTES TO EDITORS

Photographs of both winners attached

About the winners:
Robert Neill
Robert and Jacqueline Neill took over the tenancy of Upper Nisbet farm, Jedburgh in
May 2000. It is part of the Lothian Estate which is owned by Lord and Lady Lothian.
The farm originally stretched over 830 acres but in November 2000 they took over
another 170 acres on a neighbouring farm. Then in May 2007 another 100 acres
were added when another neighbour retired. Another 200 acres of seasonal grazing
is also rented on a neighbouring farm. The Neills employ two full time members of
staff and a part-time student.
The beef enterprise is based on 300 Limousin cross cows which are put back to a
Limousin bull. All the progeny are finished on the farm using home grown produce.
The steers are sold at any point from 14 month old up to 24 months and the heifers
from 18 to 24 months.
The Neills place primary importance in the health of their herd, operating a closed
herd (with the exception of stock bulls) and screening animals as part of the SAC
Premium Health Scheme. All animals have also been voluntarily electronically
tagged since 2007, enabling data capture and better stock management.
On the arable side, the Neill’s grow about 650 acres of cereals with crops of winter
barley, winter wheat, spring barley and beans and also look after 350 acres of
cereals for a neighbour. In 2011 they also became one of SAC’s Climate Change
Arable Focus Farms. This is a three year study which will involve a number of
meetings being held on farm or locally to discuss the ways in which farmers can
minimise their environmental impact.
With a growing world population, the Neills are confident there is a good future for
the beef industry in Scotland. But improving efficiency and reducing costs will be vital
to maintain profitability. The Neills are keen to ensure that they offer a sustainable
business for their two sons if they decide to become farmers.
Robert is also a director of the Royal Highland Education Trust and is keen to
encourage youngsters to visit farms to understand where and how their food is
produced.
Robert has recently been awarded a Nuffield Scholarship. During the next 12-18
months he will spend time travelling to Canada, Australia and South America to
study Cattle EID (electronic identification).
John Scott
John Scott is a sheep, beef and arable farmer from Easter Ross in the Scottish
Highlands.
He is the fourth generation of his family to farm at Fearn; he farms in partnership with
his parents James and Janet and wife Fiona; and has four young children, James
11, Izzy 9, Lexie 7 and Archie 5.
Fearn is just over 1000 acres, and is a low lying owner occupied farm near Tain in
Easter Ross; they also rent a 300 acre nearby grass hill and have just rented another
700 acre grass block near Helmsdale in Sutherland.
The Scotts employ one full time member of staff out with John and and his father,
two self-employed men and various seasonal workers helping when required - often
from New Zealand.
The Scotts find that the New Zealand approach suits their farming style but are also
keen to encourage local youngsters to follow a career in agriculture and so work
closely with Tain Royal Academy helping with their rural skills course.
The farm produces performance recorded rams for their own on farm ram sale from
a flock of 200 stud Texel and NZ Suffolk ewes.
They have two main aims for the sale and both are equally important, 1. Create an
event where people can come along and enjoy themselves whether they are buying
or not. 2. Sell as many rams as possible at reasonable money.
The other side of the sheep enterprise revolves around prime lamb production from
3500 ewes, producing prime lambs sired by mainly own ram lambs which are
finished on high clover content grasses with minimal supplementary feeding.
Beef Shorthorns and Aberdeen Angus cows are farmed alongside some crossbreds,
producing bulls for sale on farm or at the breed sales in Stirling.
Winter barley is grown as an entry for stubble turnips and to provide feed barley for
and straw for livestock. Spring barley is grown for malting and where possible
stubble turnips are sown afterwards to provide winter feed for sheep. Doing this
helps with fertility for the following crop reducing artificial fertilizer requirements.
Ground is also let out to a local potato grower who has built a cold store on land
adjacent, powered by recently erected wind turbines in an arrangement that benefits
both parties.
The farm is also in the midst of an SRDP environmental scheme which will see
3000m of hedging planted amongst other wildlife enhancing measures which will be
completed this year.
John sits on the board of Quality Meat Scotland where he chairs the lamb marketing
strategy group, this gives me an opportunity to give something back to the industry.
The Scott family see themselves as custodians of the land with a duty to hand it over
in as good if not better heart than they inherited it.

About Quality Scotland
Quality Scotland is a charitable organisation that promotes Business Excellence
across Scotland in the private, public and voluntary sectors. As a member-based
organisation, Quality Scotland was established in 1991 to help organisations
throughout Scotland achieve and be recognised for Excellence, and in doing so, gain
real and sustainable competitive advantage.
Quality Scotland's vision is to make Business Excellence a national characteristic.
We help organisations adopt a holistic approach to understanding their strengths and
areas for improvements. As the National Partner Organisation for EFQM, the most
widely used management framework in Europe, we are the accredited body for using
and applying the Excellence Model in Scotland.
Quality Scotland promotes a series of Europe-wide recognition schemes designed
not only to celebrate success but that give detailed feedback that can then be
incorporated into business improvement plans. This programme is known as Levels
of Excellence and is open to organisations from any sector as well as individual
business units. Levels of Excellence are based on the EFQM Excellence Model, and
recognise organisations at various milestones on their excellence journey.
Ends