Shorthorn World Conference

President of the Beef Shorthorn Cattle Society during the last two World Conferences – in Australia and Canada – Major John Gibb, Glen Isla Estate, Blairgowrie, Perthshire is one of the host farmers in Scotland this year.

Superb Young Farmers Contest

Taking the overall championship at the ANM, Ledingham Chalmers sponsored Young Farmers’ Overwintering Contest, and beating a large and strong entry, was Balfour Baillie of Sebay Cottage, Tankerness, Orkney.

Herefords, Highlanders & Blondes

With debate and chat about The Pack Report, presently not far from every farmer’s lips, Bruce Dixon, who farms 1300 acres just north of Lochgilphead, feels that the Single Farm Payment should be rebased on 2009.

Grassland Turnout

A report from the Grassland meeting at South Mains, Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire, run by Rhidian Jones, SAC.

Galloways and Garden Centres at Shancastle

Shancastle purchased the 30 head pedigree herd of Galloway cattle from Marbrack a decade ago this week. Ten years on they have almost trebled numbers of pure breds and are successfully crossing commercially.

Blonde Promotes Blonde

Scottish Blonde Secretary and a member of the Publicity and Promotion sub committee – Sheena Kennedy – who farms with her husband and two sons in Ayrshire, hopes to raise the profile and marketing of British Blonde Cattle in Scotland as well as attaining a ‘clean club’ high health status.

Kiwi Highlanders

Expat – Christiane Schmidt – who now farms Highland Cattle on 404ha
near Whanganui in the North Island, New Zealand, may be a relative newcomer to the farming industry but
she has brought an innovative approach to marketing her hairy product.

SAC Beef Health Open Day

With reduced labour on farms, farmers are making an effort to

attend events that add value to their businesses – this was proof positive at the recent SAC Beef Open Day at Castle

Douglas, where farmers were out in force.
Four beef industry icons and two local vets – Graeme Bell and John

Stroat – led the talks and discussions at the SAC Beef Animal Health and Welfare Open Day at Donald Biggar’s

Corbieton Farm, Castle Douglas recently.

Pedigree Production on Hill Property

Historically, a Blue Grey cattle stronghold,

Alastair MacArthur, the third generation to farm Nunnerie, Elvanfoot, South Lanarkshire, since 1901, introduced

Luing cattle in 1989.

The Beckhams of the Beef Industry

Every young farmer aspires to be like the Beckhams of the Scottish Beef Industry – Hugh and Lynne Dunlop, Holehill Farm, Ochiltree, Ayrshire.
Having won Smithfield on three occasions and sold Dancing Queen for £16 000 there and consistently taking out fatstock events, agricultural shows and topping the calf sales at the Caledonian Market, Stirling, this young couple,eat,sleep and breathe beef farming. Apparently every Young Farmer wants to buy one of their calves so they have a chance of winning one of the YF Fatstock competitions.