Sometimes it’s good to break away from the flock

As often happens during longoverdue clearing out of junk from the furthest reaches of the loft, random newspaper cuttings, old photos and other distractions get in the way of progress.

At the bottom of one box were pages taken from farming publications, one dated April 1969 and others from December 1972, just days before the UK joined the European Economic Community (EEC).

The headline above a December 1972 article on the results of a survey of a cross-section of farmers and farm managers proclaimed ‘Farmers are ill-informed on EEC issues’.

In addition, 62% of those surveyed thought that EEC membership would slightly increase prosperity, 18% thought it would have little or no effect, 9% thought it would greatly increase prosperity and 9% thought it would greatly decrease prosperity.

There didn’t seem to be much excitement or interest in the EEC, in contrast to the present day when the same survey might elicit a very different response.

An article from April 1969 featured the late Sir William Young’s High Bowhill farm in Ayrshire where he had started in-wintering the Blackface ewe flock, and had reduced ewe and lamb mortality rates significantly.

A December 1972 double-page spread featured the late Jim Findlay, of Hatton of Newtyle and latterly Aucharroch, Kingoldrum, breeder of Border Leicesters and Blackfaces, whose unique approach to genetic selection enabled the survival of the Border Leicester breed which had been heading for extinction.

Two weeks later, another double-page spread featured Ian McNaughton’s Blackface flock at Braes of Balquhidder where he had taken the decision to use Swaledale tups to introduce hybrid vigour into a couple of hefts.

Back then, Swaledale tups and the in-wintering of Blackface ewes were new and controversial concepts which were regarded as an insult to the reputation of the hardy Blackface breed.

Tradition dies hard and all three were widely criticised by fellow breeders – but they were trying something different and they didn’t care what anybody else thought.

The UK was about to join the EEC yet none of these farmers were asked about what they thought about the future of UK farming in the Common Market. Was it because, like those in the survey, they just didn’t know enough about it?

Back then there was no social media, no 24-hour news coverage, and none of the never-ending information and commentary that forces everyone to have an opinion on the EU and Brexit whether or not they understand the basic issues.

UK farming indeed prospered in the EU, although much of the prosperity has come about as a result of dependence on subsidy which also stifled the drive for innovation.

Meanwhile, farmers in New Zealand and the USA harnessed science and technology to transform their beef, sheep and dairy industries and we now look to them for innovation and rely on experts to explain how it works and how to adapt it.

All well and good but we still need the home-grown mavericks, trying out their own ideas who don’t give a damn about what anybody else thinks.

Blackface sheep have benefited from innovation by single-minded farmers.