AgriScot 2022 Farm of the Year Finalists Announced

After months of deliberation and a host of impressive farms to choose from, the finalists for this year’s AgriScot awards have been announced and once again, the line-up is a fantastic showcase for the breadth of talent that spans across the country.

The 15 finalists across the Dairy, Arable, Sheep, Beef and Diversification categories were announced during a new live awards announcement that took place online on Thursday, October 6, hosted by the Scottish Farmer’s Ken Fletcher and AgriScot ‘s chairman Robert Neill.

Finalists range from the most northern point of the country in Shetland to the south in Dumfries and Galloway and the three finalists from each category will all be invited to AgriScot on the 16th of November, where the winner from each will be announced.

The AgriScot Dairy Farm of the Year award for 2022 has thrown up two finalists from Dumfries and Galloway in the form of Allan Campbell of Cally Mains Farming Ltd and Willie Fleming of Hillhead Farm, and a third contender from Peeblesshire in Colin Laird of Blyth Farm. The award, which is sponsored by Cow Alert, was last year won by Alistair Logan of Holehouse Farm.

Two Berwickshire-based farmers are in the running for AgriScot’s Arable Farm of the Year award in the form of Colin McGregor of McGregor Farms and Neil White of Greenknowe Farm, with Stuart McNicol of Castleton Farm in North Berwick making up the final three. The award is sponsored by SoilEssentials and supported by AHDB, and the current title is held by last year’s winner Bill Gray of Preston Hall farm.

The AgriScot Scottish Sheep and Beef Farm of the Year awards, sponsored by Thorntons Law LLP and supported by QMS, have delivered the furthest spread of contenders, with Aimee and Kirsty Budge of Bigton Farm on Shetland in the running for the Sheep category, joined in the final three by Calum McDiarmid of Mains of Murthly in Aberfeldy and completing the stretch south, Alan Cowen’s of Philiphaugh Farm in the Scottish Borders. Last year’s winner was Saughland Farm, run by previous farm manager Perter Eccles and flock manager Owen Gray.
In the running for AgriScot Beef Farm of the Year for 2022 are Harry Brown of Auchmaliddie Mains in Aberdeenshire, David and Ian Richardson from Upper Samieston Farm in Jedburgh and South-Ayrshire based farmer, James Young at Girvan Mains. The current title is held by Lamont and Daniel Hair of Drumbreddan Farm in Stranraer.

Completing the announcement of finalists are the three contenders for the AgriScot Diversified Farm of the Year 2022 award, which in its inaugural year in 2021, was won by Louise and Graeme Nicoll of Newton Farm Holidays. The award, which is supported by SAC Consulting, will be contested between Lucy and Robert Wilson of Wilson’s Farm Kitchen in the Scottish Borders, The Pollock Family of Ardross Farm in Fife and Ross Neilson of What’s Fresh, in East Kilbride.