We’ve hopefully seen the worst of the bad weather last week, so were able to get back to full capacity in the office this week! You can read a weekly update of activity from the Society below, with input from Chief Executive Barrie Turner on a few visits made this week.
YDP
After last week’s senior conference, we touched base with one of the participants in the Youth Development Programme in Jake Sayer. Jake is 21 years old and comes from Somerset and has been involved in the world of farming from day one having been born into a farming family. We spoke with him to get a look into his background, experience of cattle breeding, studies and other interests outside the industry. To hear more about Jake and his thoughts on YDP, head to: http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/breeders-of-the-future-jake-sayer/.
Stock for sale
We’ve posted a selection of stock for sale entries on the section on the website this week. Don’t forget to get in touch with us if you have any stock for sale, and we can share it amongst the membership through the website. For more information, visit: http://aberdeen-angus.co.uk/news/stock-for-sale.
English Premier Show and Sale
We’re looking forward to the English Premier Show and Sale which takes place tomorrow (10th March) at Newark livestock market, and is set to be a great day for all involved with an excellent selection of Aberdeen-Angus bulls present. If you haven’t already accessed it, you can view the full catalogue online at: https://www.aberdeen-angus.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/attachments/2018-English-Premier-Catalogue-WEB.pdf.
Borders Aberdeen Angus Club AGM
Following the postponement due to the weather last week, our Chief Executive Barrie Turner had the pleasure of attending the Borders Aberdeen-Angus Club AGM, when he had the opportunity to meet some more of the members in that area. Speaking of the event, Barrie said:
‘’The drive down from Perth to Kelso demonstrated the extent to which the weather had affected the area, with deep drifts a plenty still in evidence. The warmth of the welcome that was afforded to me was very much appreciated and it was a great pleasure and honour for me to be there.
‘’Following an excellent and welcome meal and the completion of official club business, the competition winners were presented with their awards for 2017. Owing to the postponement of the meeting from last week, the arranged speaker could not meet the rearranged date, so the members had to endure a slightly longer than planned introduction to the CEO as post dinner entertainment!
‘’The meeting was then closed and we had the opportunity to share experiences from the last week in an informal manner and have further discussion on the breed, brand and future plans of the Council and the Society in general over the next few years.’’
Our Chief Exec visits Hardiesmill
Having met Alison Tuke of Hardiesmill Place in Gordon at the Borders club AGM, Barrie took the opportunity of being in the area to visit their enterprise that has a totally different outlook to most normal cattle farming businesses. When telling us about his visit, Barrie said:
‘’During the visit I met the other half of the partnership Robin, who along with their master butcher Brian Grieve gave me a guided tour of the butchery and some insights into the innovation they have developed into turning a carcass into as many added-value cuts as is possible to achieve. Brian and Robin assured me they have not yet finished that project. Jake then joined us who has been on the farm since 1953 and knows it inside out! His comment about the snow was along the lines of: “What snow? It was only a bit of frost!”
‘’The team at Hardiesmill have developed the meat side of the business which supplies many high-end restaurants both here and overseas. They supply the highest quality of meats and have the accolade of being named as one of the best steaks in the world in the film “Steak Revolution”, available on Netflix. The film outlines a global pursuit of the world’s best steak and features interviews with chefs, farmers, butchers and other experts about what affects the quality of meat.
‘’Alison then took me on a tour of the cattle which have grown from a starting point of 4 of her father’s Thornton females in 2001, to a 130-strong herd calving down all year round as it is today. The stock is raised exclusively on their mother’s milk and grass, and are either retained for breeding or sold as beef through their Hardiesmill label. The enterprise is geared fully towards the end product. The management of breeding and grassland on the farm is geared towards that, even down to bespoke grass mixes that includes some “weeds” in the words of Alison, but herbs to Johnny Watson, who’s selling the seeds! This suits the land and cattle to achieve a very unique taste and texture and point of difference to their meat business. For more information on the workings of Hardiesmill a visit to www.hardiesmill.eu is recommended!’’
Irish AGM:
Barrie Turner was also present at the Irish AGM last week where he received a great welcome and was made to feel very at home. Barrie got the chance to continue his travels around the country and meet more of the membership, this time from across the water. As a result of the AGM, there were a couple of additions to Council with Alan Morrison and John McEnroe joining the Council, two very welcome additions.
Northern Irish AGM:
Next week, the Northern Irish AGM will also take place, and we look forward to bringing you an update on any news to emerge from that.
From all at the Society, we wish you a happy weekend!