AS the weekend drew to a close on Sunday, a final panel session chaired by Pat Machray gave delegates the chance to ask some local experts on what drives excellence. 
Pat, who is current chair of SRUC and a past chairman of ANM Group, was joined on the panel by Kirsty Williams, a beef and sheep consultant with SAC Consulting, and Martin Birse, farm manager at Pitgaveny Farms, Elgin. 
The session kicked off with the panel giving their own views on what drives excellence, with all agreeing that profit, efficiency, ideas, performance, market forces, ease of work, research, technology, enjoyment and time to think, all contribute. 
Martin put a strong emphasis on education, adding: “You are never too old to learn and you can learn as much from other people as you can from yourself.”
Questions were then invited from the floor with the first, from Andrew McGregor, asking the panel of any advice on target setting to achieve excellence. 
“Be realistic about what you can achieve, and by when. Measure your outcomes and benchmark so you know where you sit within the industry,” Kirsty responded.
Pat added: “Keep the main ‘big’ goal in mind but set yourself small steps that are achievable to help you reach the main goal. The farming pace is not always a quick one and you won’t reach your goals overnight, so plan ahead.”
Duncan Morrison, vice-chairman of the Agri and Rural Affairs group, then asked how important mentality is, to which Pat replied: “People give in too early. The only thing that is stopping you is you – you have got to believe in your goals, have the right attitude of mind and not be afraid to ask questions.”
The organisation’s National chairman, Stuart Jamieson, asked whether there was one key skill members should develop in order to cultivate excellence, to which the three members of the panel replied that power to think, competitiveness and listening were key. 
As the session closed, Ruari Box asked how the industry could be changed so it has a positive outlook, which brought about a number of great take home messages for the delegates. 
Pat commented: “Get more involved beyond the farm gate – we are an important part of the UK economy but we don’t get enough recognition. Beyond the farm gate is an area we can influence a lot – the public needs to understand more about what goes on at our farms and that it is much more than just rearing a cow.”
Backing up these statements, Martin said: “Go out and tell the good stories, highlight how successful we are and in doing so deliver key messages. 
“We have a good industry within the food and drink sector, we need to now put this positive message out across other industries to show we are an exciting sector linking a wide range of careers, like technology and research.”
And, for Kirsty, it was about forgetting the red tape: “Achievements can be made without the government help, such as subsidies. Be efficient in everything you do and shout about all the positive aspects – there are so many elements to talk about.”