Members' Blog

We caught up with Rural Affairs Chair Dominic Hampson-Smith to hear all about last years Study Tour to Scotland!

“On Thursday 10th October 2024, 35 Wales YFC members from across the country met at Birmingham Airport for the 8:45am flight to Edinburgh. After landing we jumped on the bus and made our way to the first stop of the trip, Stirling market. After checking the trade and having a bite to eat in the café we headed to our next tour at the Richie factory in Forfar, we looked around the site, seeing how raw steel is transformed into gates and hurdles and many more products outside the agricultural industry. We then headed into Dundee city centre for the night, giving our members a chance to socialise and get to know each other.

Friday morning, we set off from Dundee and headed north to Newhouse, Lodge Glamis, here we saw some quality cattle, including black Limousin, Charolais and Aberdeen cattle. We were all very impressed by the level of detail used to monitor genetics to improve the herd. The afternoon led us to the Arbikie estate for a distillery tour, we got to see behind the scenes of a working distillery and were blown away by the number of barrels of whiskey kept on site enabling them to produce many different flavours of Whiskey. Of course, it wouldn’t be a whiskey tour without a little tasting session too. We then headed north towards Aberdeen where the members would be based for the next two night.

A chilly Saturday morning started with a visit with Craig and Claire Grant winners of the 2023 Farmers Weekly- farmer of the year award. They showed us around their new grain facilities and explained the importance of milling the right feeds for their laying birds. Interestingly the family mixed all of their own poultry food onsite enabling them to be in full control of what the birds ate to produce the best egg possible. We then had the pleasure of visiting their poultry units. We took the chance to look at some of the kit they used on the land and to see their heifer rearing unit. Before we left we were spoiled to a pie lunch on site, they truly were delicious. We all jumped back on the bus to  and headed onto our next farm visit at Birness Farm. We received the warmest of welcomes by the family and we were given a great insight to the rearing of their Charolais cattle where most of their cattle were imported in form Orkney Island. We gained a good understanding of what it takes to produce to quality Suffolk sheep and got to tour around the farm visiting various flock ages. We then headed back into Aberdeen for a social night with local members of YFC.

As the weekend was nearing to an end we found time for one more stop at Forest Farm, an organic dairy herd that has diversified into producing their own ice cream and pizzas. After having a look around both the dairy sheds and the backstage of the diversification enterprise. We took a chance to have a slice of pizza before heading back to the coach and head down south towards the the airport for a quick flight home. On behalf of the Rural Affairs committee, I would like to thank all the farmers that took time to show us around their farms and for the great hospitality. This trip would not have been possible with out the support of the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust. We’d like to thank them for their continued support to Wales YFC and the Rural Affairs Committee.