Shortlist unveiled for Agriscot dairy farm of the year award

The three finalists in the running for Agriscot’s Scottish Dairy Farm of the Year Award include farms in Aberdeenshire, East Ayrshire and Kirkcudbrightshire.

The final winner will be announced as the centrepiece of Agriscot, along with similar awards for the top arable, beef and lamb farms, at the event which takes place on November 21.

The three contenders are: East Logan, Castle Douglas, where the Yates family and their team milk their renowned 280cow herd of pedigree Holsteins and 17 Jerseys three times per day; Laigh Tarbeg at Cummnock where Alastair Watson farms in partnership with his parents and the help of two staff and five robot milkers; and Middleton of Rora, Peterhead, where Bruce and Jane Mackie and their team have diversified to launch their own yoghurt brand and are in the process of converting to organic milk production from their 220 dairy cows.

Speaking as the finalists were announced, the convenor of the award, and Agriscot director, Gilmour Lawrie, himself an awardwinning dairy farmer, said: “It is absolutely fantastic to have such top-class finalists for this year’s dairy farm of the year award.

“East Logan is hugely respected for the quality of its cattle and dairy performance, evident in the show ring and from success in various herd competitions.”

He added: “Laigh Tarbeg and Middleton of Rora are both utilising the latest technology and kit to make the job as efficient as possible, and all three farms are a real credit to the farmers and were a joy to visit.”