The search begins to find Scotland’s Dairy Farm of the Year, with applications now open for the prestigious AgriScot award.
The window for submitting entries will close on 10 June and three finalists will be selected to take part in an on-farm visit in mid-July.
Last year’s recipient, Alistair Logan of Holehouse Farm will join Jennifer Picken of Milton Farm on the team of assessors, alongside Gilmour Lawrie, who will once again co-ordinate the process on behalf of AgriScot.
Mr Lawrie gave an indication of what he is looking for amongst this year’s contenders:
“This is one of the most prestigious awards in the dairy industry and we would really like to encourage farmers across Scotland to throw their hat in to the ring or to take the opportunity to recognise the efforts of a colleague or neighbour.
“We aren’t looking for the highest yielding farms, but those ‘all-rounders’ who can demonstrate good profitability alongside a neat and tidy unit, which ticks a range of boxes,” he continued.
“At a time when the dairy industry is increasingly under scrutiny, we want to see farms which are prioritising animal welfare and good environmental practice, as well as embracing opportunities to explore diversification or new innovations, to future-proof their units.”
Reflecting on last year’s award recipient, he added: “Holehouse Farm in Kilbirnie was probably one of the best run units I have ever visited. The attention to detail, cow welfare and management was second to none.”
This year’s award will be sponsored by CowAlert, and Head of Global Sales Willie Cuthbertson, commented: “CowAlert is pleased to continue to support the Scottish Dairy Farm of the Year award. It puts a spotlight on the best performing farms in the industry, providing aspiration for others.
“Nowadays, technology has a crucial role to play in helping farms to achieve their best performance, to overcome labour shortages and to become more efficient and sustainable,” he continued.
“If you think you’ve established a farm system that is working well – you’ve a great team of staff, efficient processes, and you’ve selected technologies which help make the business of running a healthy profitable herd much easier – then send in an entry!”
Farms that have received the award of Scottish Dairy Farm of the Year include:
- 2017 Meldrum Farm, Blairdrummond
- 2018 Laigh Tarbeg Farm, Cumnock
- 2019 Ernespie Farm, Castle Douglas
- 2021 Holehouse Farm, Kilbirnie
If you wish to nominate a farm, application forms can be downloaded here with a deadline for submission of 10 June.
