Business Skills Award
AgriScot Business Skills 2023
The AgriScot Business Skills Competition was won by Ian Carlisle and was presented with his prize cheque by Fraser Russell from sponsors, NFU Mutual. Ian and Fraser are pictured with Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affars, Mairi Gougeon.
Ian Carlisle
Ian Carlisle studied at SRUC Barony (HNC) before going to SRUC Edinburgh to complete his bachelor honours degree. He works in the family beef and sheep farm in Dumfries, as well as supporting their abattoir and butchery business at Lockerbie. Away from work, he is a keen rugby player with Dumfries Saints.
The AgriScot Business Skills Competion is sponored by NFU Mutual
Also competing in the final were Alexander Mitchell and Hector Tomlyn.
Alexander Mitchell
Alexander Mitchell is in his third year studying Agriculture BSc (Hons) at SRUC Barony Campus. He has experience in many areas of agriculture including arable, beef, dairy and sheep. He competes in many Young Farmers competitions through his local club including stockjudging and the rally. His ambition is to grow his family farm business as well as becoming an agronomist.
Hector Tomlyn
Hector Tomlyn is from Duns in the Scottish borders and is third-year agriculture student at SRUC, Aberdeen campus. Not from a farming background, Hector has worked on a neighbour's farm during his holidays, to gain as much experience as possible. He has also spent two summers in Yorkshire supporting harvest. He plan is to finish his honours degree and then go travelling to learn different methods of agriculture, as well as continue to be an active member of his local Young Farmers club.
The AgriScot Business Skills Competion is organised by SRUC
AgriScot 2022 Business Skills
Business Skills Winner 2022 – Jack Young
Taking place on 16 November was the live final of the Business Skills Award, with Jack Young crowned the winner and successfully taking home the £1000 cash prize, kindly supported by SRUC and NFU Mutual. The final stage of the competition involved evaluating the recipient of the Product Innovation Award and presenting their findings back to a panel of judges, answering further questions around business skills, topical agricultural issues and how they are developing their CV.
From Carluke, Lanarkshire, Jack studied agriculture at both SRUC Barony and Oatridge campuses. After spending some time travelling New Zealand, Jack returned home to work on the family farm full time. He is also an active member of his local Young Farmers club.
AgriScot 2021 Business Skills Winner Announced
Emily Mosley received a £1000 cheque as his / her prize for winning the AgriScot Business Skills competition on Wednesday 9th February.
Emily, a Harper Adams graduate, originally from Derbyshire but now working as a Farm Administrator in Tain, saw off stiff competition from her fellow finalists: Ben McSporran a 3rd year BSc Agriculture student at SRUC Edinburgh and Stewart Shaw, a partner in his family farming and contracting business in the Scottish Borders and also a keen SAYFC member.
Emily was presented with the prize cheque courtesy of sponsors, NFU Mutual, as part of a special AgriScot awards ceremony. The ceremony was held live at Ingliston and Livestreamed online to a viewing audience.
The final of the competition, which took place immediately before the prize giving, saw the finalists assess and report on an innovative new electrically powered telescopic handler from Merlo. Judges asked each to report on the potential value of the machine to a farm business.
Emily commented on her win:
“I’m really pleased to have won!”
“The competition was hard. We went to the semi-final on a farm at Laurencekirk and had to answer loads of questions. It was tough; but an enjoyable experience.”
“Today was also tough, daunting – a bit like Dragons Den; but I’m so glad to have come through.”
“Overall, it’s been a great experience and I have enhanced my CV. Today at the AgriScot awards has been a great, networking opportunity.”
Heather Kerr, a lecturer at SRUC, who co-ordinates the competition on behalf of the AgriScot team commented:
“Congratulations to Emily.”
“It was great to have such strong finalists for the competition. I am especially thrilled that they came from relatively diverse backgrounds in terms of their education and work experience.”
“I know that the judges were impressed by the performance of all 3 in the final competition and I hope that the experience will stand them all in good stead in their future careers. Well done to Emily for going that extra mile to secure the first prize.”
“I would like to thank everyone involved throughout the various stages of the competition, from the farmer hosts of the regional heats to the judges and in particular to our mentors from RBS who supported the finalists all the way through and also, of course to our sponsors, NFU Mutual.”
Mark McBrearty, NFU Mutual Regional Manager also congratulated Emily:
“The finalists all demonstrated a real flare for both practical farming expertise and business knowledge. It was great to see such a high calibre of entries and congratulations to Emily for taking the top prize.
“As the insurer of three quarters of the UK’s farms, NFU Mutual understands the important role young people have to play in the farming sector. These young people are the future of our industry and, by encouraging and rewarding their efforts, we hope we can help them make a difference not only to themselves but also within our farming and rural communities.”
