Nineteen months have passed by in a flash as farming editor of The Press & Journal and so too has the countdown to maternity leave.
I’m sitting writing this on Thursday in preparation for my last farming supplement before I finish up for one year and enter another chapter in my life.
There’s some rare sunshine in the sky and the air generally feels like we’re in July, not October – what a welcome boost for all, including those with four legs.
I’m delighted to be leaving you in the capable hands of Keith Findlay who will cover my position while I’m on maternity leave.
Keith hails from Ellon and has been on the business desk at the Press and Journal in Aberdeen since early 2003, including a long spell in a deputy role.
He knows the north and north-east region’s firms inside out and has a broad understanding of most agricultural organisations.
But as we all know, farming is a tight-knit community and it can be a bit daunting becoming part of something new, so please help Keith transition into his new role by keeping him up to date with farming events and news.
He can be contacted at farming@pressandjournal.co.uk
We are also grateful to Kirsten Johnston who is working part-time at Courier Farming and the team of freelancers who will step in to ensure the paper provides good coverage from local and national agricultural events including pedigree shows and sales throughout the year.
Don’t forget, we have farming news in the paper six days of the week, not just on a Saturday, so this usually means we are first to share the story.
Summer show season is now well underway across the country and we carry all reports from the weekend shows on a Monday, with any weekly shows in the paper the following day, likewise with many other events.
Our quarterly Farm Focus magazine is another staple part of the agricultural section, with the next edition featuring all things arable on August 19.
While I’m sure I’ll catch up with many of you out and about over the next year, it’s farewell from me for a while and time to swap the laptop for a baby.
Hopefully I will manage to get my sleeves rolled up again properly on the farm and make up for part of my absence this spring!
Wishing you all the very best.
Katrina Macarthur
