Nancy Nicolson

It’s no surprise that the Kirk has chosen Ayrshire as the base for its first farming ministry.

I’ve been on many of the family dairy farms down there and have met producers who are some of the poorest and most downtrodden in the country.

And while they’re the most extreme example of the industry’s plight, they’re clearly not alone.

Most farmers are hurting right now from falling commodity prices and the worry of delayed EU support.

Farming can be a hard, lonely job and it doesn’t help that being seen as stoical and strong is part of the culture.

Will farmers visit a church office in the mart to share their woes with the minister? It’s unlikely I suspect. Pride will prevent them from walking through that door. But a dedicated church man on the farming beat could help if he’s prepared to climb aboard a tractor or get his feet dirty by walking into dairy parlours and lambing sheds.

The church says they’ll replicate the role elsewhere if it proves successful.

In the meantime there’s nothing to stop ministers in every rural parish from looking in on farmers. They’re already part of their flock, after all.