Judges for The Scottish Agricultural Award's Diversified Farm of the Year award have been out on the road, with a high standard of entries making it a tough task to whittle down the contenders.
Co-owner of Thorabella Farm in Moray, Nikki Lake said the farms visited so far had been 'very inspirational', demonstrating how businesses can make the best use of the land and opportunities available to them.
“As a judge I am looking for passion and for them to love what they are doing, and making the best of the land,” she said.
Innovation has also stood out to Nikki, with diversification extending well beyond the more traditional routes.
“It’s not always about offering accommodation, instead they are really taking something else to make their farm stand out."
She added that there had been plenty of variety across the entries, with businesses clearly considering whether they wanted to appeal to tourists or local customers and identifying what their particular area needs.
The strength of the category has made judging particularly challenging, with Nikki saying it had been difficult to narrow down the shortlist and even harder to make a final decision after meeting the families behind the businesses.
“They were so lovely and welcoming and it is amazing to see so much enthusiasm, even though right now we all know it is a bit of a struggle,” she said.
Fellow judge Hugh Neilson, who farms at Park Farm, East Kilbride, agreed that the standard had been 'excellent' and 'first class', with a huge variety among the businesses visited.
“It’s difficult to whittle it down to three when the standard’s so high,” he said.
For Hugh, an important consideration is that diversification remains closely linked to the farm itself and adds value to the existing business.
“We want the diversification to add value to the farm, not be like a separate business."
He has also been impressed by the commitment shown by entrants, saying there were 'no half measures' among the businesses visited.
“There’s a lot of very driven people out there with great ideas,” he said.
While the judges are keeping the identities of potential finalists under wraps, Hugh said the judging had provided an encouraging insight into the determination within Scottish agriculture.
He said: “Personally, the fun of it is meeting all these wonderful people.
“These people love agriculture and they want to make it work. They refuse to just lie down and say, ‘That’s not working for us anymore.’ It’s a case of, right, how do we make it work?”
The Diversified Farm of the Year judges are among several judging panels currently getting out and about across the country as this year’s Scottish Agricultural Awards get under way, with the winners set to be revealed at the awards ceremony on October 22.
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