STEWARTRY'S AGRICULTURAL Discussion Society has been disbanded after more than 50 years, with its funds distributed to various charities.

The society was started after a group of farmers met in the local agricultural advisor’s office and drew up a list of 154 farmers who might be interested in exchanging information and ideas, resulting in the society coming together as a formal body over the course of 1961.

Soon it was holding regular meetings in October, November, January and February, with many excellent speakers often travelling considerable distances to address the members.

However this decade saw numbers dwindling, until finally the last meeting of the society, held on February 27 this year, featuring three speakers from the younger farming generation – Tracy Roan, Robert Wallace and Michael Yates – attracted only fifteen members.

Having considered their options, the committee held an Extraordinary General Meeting, and as a consequence of only four members turning up for that, it was decided to disband and donate the remaining funds. The beneficiaries were the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution, Dumfries and Galloway Countryside Initiative, Dumfries and Galloway Bloodbikes, Cancer Research and the D and G Retired Farmers Group. A presentation of the cheques was held at Crochmore Farm, courtesy of the Kerr Family, on November 16.