Pea pioneer’s lasting legacy

The convoy of giant pea viners often seen trundling from farm-to-farm across Per thshire, Angus and Kincardineshire in late summer will be a visual legacy of Graham Forbes’ impact on agriculture in Courier country.

Although this pioneering giant of Scottish farming, who died this month, had many farming interests, he will be best remembered and respected by hundreds of growers for the establishment and success of East Coast Viners. Every year around 10,000 acres of land are rented for growing peas and beans from more than 200 farmers stretching from Stonehaven to Auchterarder.

The Mo n t r o s e - b a s e d company has been instrumental in the development of today’s massive vining operation in eastern Scotland, and the opportunity it gives growers to introduce a break crop into their rotations.

Graham’s farming base was Omach ie , near Broughty Ferry, but his entrepreneurial spirit and successful partnership with his brothers John and the late Mi k e led to the establishment of major agricultural businesses such as East Coast Viners Nutrition at Drumlithie, which produces and distributes animal feed and fertilisers for many farmers north of the Tay.

However his brother John, who farms at Slains P a r k , K i n n e f f , a c k n o w l e d ge s the pea business was Graham’s overr id ing bus iness passion.

“We set it up in 1969 and he was immensely proud of it. He enjoyed meeting d i ff e r e n t farmers and buyers and being at the very heart of it,” he said.

Those who worked with him , including Fr e d Richardson, his manager at East Coast Viners, were inspired by G r a h a m’s enthusiasm, particularly during the intricate planning of the annual sowing regime or the harvesting operation which needs to be completed against the clock.

“In springtime he carried around a copy of the sowing programme and once harvest started he was totally hands-on, making decisions every evening about where the viners were going for the next 24 hours,” he said. “And he was always focused on the marke t , even tua l ly producing more petits pois than anywhere else in the UK.”

Graham Forbes may have been a businessman as much as a farmer, but his influence on land use in Scotland will live on.

RESPECTED: Farming businessman Graham Forbes was an industry trailblazer.