The need to make sure young people get the best start in agriculture was underlined yesterday by one of the recipients of a Royal Northern Agricultural Society Award.
Retired Aberdeen University lecturer Ian Edwards, who received the Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ prize for outstanding service to the north-east farming community, told the society’s annual lunch that young people deserved to be nurtured and given every chance to succeed as well as get a foothold in farming.
He said he had been lucky as in his early 20s he was given the job of managing Aberdeen University’s then farm at Tillycorthie, Udny, just a year after joining its staff as a lecturer and deputy farm supervisor.
He also highlighted the opportunity his uncle had been given after he was awarded a farm tenancy in Angus aged just 21.
It was through his uncle and his grandfather, who farmed in Berwickshire, that Mr Edwards had his interest in farming sparked. He graduated in agriculture in 1973 from Edinburgh University and then undertook a three-year PhD in intensive bull nutrition at Nottingham University.
He joined the university in 1976 and a year later took charge of Tillycorthie which, at that time, was a thriving agricultural unit, with its own cattle and pig herds and sheep flock as well as an arable operation that included a VTSC seed potato growing enterprise. Mr Edwards ran the unit until 1983 when the then cash-strapped university sold it.
Mr Edwards said that with his then deputy, Martin Birse – who had at that point also just completed his diploma – they ran the unit profitability and were given every opportunity to succeed. Mr Birse is now the farm manager with the Pitgaveny Farms at Elgin and three years ago collected the same prize yesterday conferred on Mr Edwards.
The retired lecturer added: “It would be good if the industry gives young people the opportunities and challenges that we were given. It’s also so important that the next generation get the education they need to succeed.”
Press and Journal agriculture editor Joe Watson similarly said in presenting the newspaper’s annual prize for outstanding public service to NFU Scotland north-east regional board chairman Charlie Adam that those young people honoured in the awards should stay with farming.
“I would encourage them all to stick by agriculture as it will in the coming years be needed ever more to feed the world’s rapidly growing population. You are in an industry that is returning to vogue,” he added.
ANM Group chairman John McIntosh, who presented Mr Edwards with his prize, has a long association with him. He was Mr Edwards’s first honours student.
Mr McIntosh added: “Thousands of students owe you a great debt of gratitude.”
He said Mr Edwards had provided the students with tremendous advice in his role as adviser of studies and as well as in equipping them with extensive knowledge of the sector as their lecturer.
Mr Adam, who farms at Braeside, Leochel Cushnie, near Alford, is in his third and final year as regional NFU chairman.
He is well known for burning the candle at both ends through spending all day in meetings representing the NFU and then going home to farm at night.
He is a tenacious fighter for the north-east farmers both locally and nationally, although much of the work he does is behind the scenes. He is not one to resort to megaphone diplomacy.
The two citations received for him praised his work. One added: “Charlie doesn’t go that extra mile, he goes that extra two miles. His enthusiasm for the correct result in all situations can only be admired.”
Mr Adam said he was accepting the award on behalf of all his predecessors in the post in this the union’s centenary year.
The society’s David Argo Award for unsung hero went to Sauchen-based livestock haulier Harry Thomson who, despite being 74, is still regularly behind the wheel of a float.
He and his brothers, Jack and Eric, became partners in the family’s general haulage business in 1969. It was founded 40 years earlier in Aberdeen by their Keig-born father, Henry.
The family decided to concentrate on livestock haulage from the 1970s. Jack and Eric retired in 1987, leaving Harry and his wife, Sheila, to run it. They built the business up to 22 floats and hauled livestock across the UK. They also won the Scottish Fleet of the Year in 2005.
Royal Northern Agricultural Society president Colin Booth said Harry had put the welfare of his passengers foremost and was a very worthy recipient of the accolade.
Harry said in response: “I can safely say I never thought I would be standing here today receiving an award. I would like to say thank you to the RNAS for this special award, although I thought it was all a wind up when the call came to tell me that I won it.”