Nothing to beef about: Family farm steaks its reputation on its staff and still getting a thrill out of breeding top-class cattle.
WHEN Iain Green stepped onto the winners’ stage at the Scottish Agriculture Awards 2024 he was flanked by his three daughters.
There is emotion in his voice as he describes how much it meant to him for Laura, Jemma, and Hannah to be by his side as he collected the title of Scotch Beef Farm of the Year, sponsored by ABP.
All three are actively involved in Corskie Farm on the northeast coast of Scotland near Moray, along with Iain’s parents Jimmy and Nan, who bought the holding in 1964.
Since those early days, the then very traditional mixed farm has grown beyond all recognition but, says Iain, it still has the family at its heart.
“I farm in partnership with my parents; my father has recently had his 89th birthday,” says Iain.
The team is made up of three pig-men, three stock workers, six general workers, one foreman, two mechanics, 38 lorry drivers and five office staff. The family farms across 5819 acres and also operates a UK-wide bulk haulage business from Corskie.
“We have been very lucky with opportunities from neighbours to contract farm their land,” says Iain.
Iain’s father, Jimmy, started out with an interest in pigs, with the first Simmental cow arriving on the farm in 1987.
“My father had used a Simmental bull in the early 80s on cross-bred cows and was very impressed,” explains Iain.
The family had bred their breeding cows up from an enterprise run by Iain’s grandfather and father, bringing up Hereford cross Friesian calves from England to hand rear.
The best were kept on for cows, with Charolais and Angus bulls used over them.
“As Holsteins came into the dairy industry the calves coming through tended to be more Hereford cross Holstein and we started to introduce the Simmental bull on the calves we kept for cows to get that bit more quality.”
The success of the commercial suckler herd led to the establishment of what was originally going to be a small pedigree herd to breed bulls for the farm’s own use, which quickly expanded beyond their own requirements. The Corskie Simmental herd was founded in 1987.
Iain, a past President of both the British Simmental Cattle Society Council and the Royal Northern Agricultural Society who has judged around the world, remains incredibly loyal to the breed.
“They have it all,” he enthuses. “Tremendous mothers, docile and milky. But they are not just a maternal breed, they offer a lot as a terminal sire with such good growth rates.”
Over the years the Green family have used Angus and Charolais bulls but gradually, over recent years, they have settled on the Beef Shorthorn as being the perfect cross.
“There is a big demand for these Simmental cross Shorthorn heifers,” says Iain. “Their hybrid vigour is absolutely tremendous.”
Although he is a Simmental man through and through, one pearl of wisdom Iain offers to young farmers is to “not be afraid of change.”
“One cross might have been brilliant for the beef market in say the 80s or 90s, but it’s important to stay aware of changing demands,” he advises.
“I still get great satisfaction from breeding cattle. There is nothing better than seeing your cows have calves that you are proud of. Our aim is to simply continue striving to improve the herd. Every sale is exciting, looking at new blood lines and it’s so important not to rest on your laurels when it comes to cattle breeding – or any livestock for that matter.
“Every day with cattle is a learning day and through judging and the pedigree bull sales I have met such a lot of really interesting and knowledgeable people. Monitoring is another area that I find fascinating. All good farmers can look at an animal and have an opinion, but actually having the weights and the figures to compare and learn from is invaluable.”
Corskie’s suckler herd runs to 539 cows and 92 in-calf heifers, comprising 180 pedigree Simmental cows and 38 in-calf pedigree Simmental heifers. The remaining 359 Simmental cross cows and 54 in-calf heifers are kept at nearby Pluscarden. The bulk of the herd calve in autumn and springtime with pedigrees also calving in January.
“We also have 680 mule ewes kept at Pluscarden that are crossed with Texel tups and they lamb in April. We have a small pedigree flock of Texels kept at Corskie with around 120 MV-accredited cross Suffolk ewes used for recipients which is run by my middle daughter Jemma,” explains Iain.
“For pigs, we have a 360-sow indoor breeding herd, producing pigs for the commercial market, with the finished pigs sold through a marketing co-operative to an abattoir.”
But back to the cattle. Pedigree bulls are sold at Stirling, with heifers finding their new herds privately from Corskie. Any heifers not suitable for breeding are sold fat direct into the abattoir, along with non-pedigree bulls. The livestock mart at Huntly is also used for selling on stores.
Looking back on his involvement with beef cattle, one of Iain’s most pivotal moments was the 2004 Perth Bull Sales, with George Clark as stockman. The first three sons off Popes Laird, who Iain and his father had bought two years earlier costing 12000gns, averaged £10,333gns.
Another highlight was his homebred cow Corskie Disco, who won the Royal Highland Show in 2019 as a seven-year-old with twin calves at foot.
Spring calvers are kept outside all winter and, of course, the straw from the arable side of the business is invaluable for those inside.
“We make our own silage and are fortunate that the climate where we are makes it possible to combine the winter barley early, giving us the opportunity to grow stubble turnips and kale, which we strip graze.
“We’re fortunate that we don’t get too much snow and they seem healthy living outside; keeping an eye on them is, of course, key so we can supplement any that don’t seem to be thriving as well.”
To conclude, Iain says the win has been a big boost to the staff at Corskie.
“I am very proud of us winning the Beef Farm of the Year award, but it has got to be said that much of it is down to our excellent staff. We simply couldn’t run the size of the operation without them and are fortunate to have them. As a family, we are very thankful to them all.”
