Organic Farm Conversion Pays Off

"Cairness Home Farm is one of three north-east farms short-listed for the annual Royal Northern Good Farming Practice Award organised by the Royal Northern Agricultural Society and sponsored by Aberdeenshire Council.

The other two finalists have been featured in Farm Journal over the past two weeks and the winner will be announced next week.

John and his father, Willie, and uncle, Sandy, trading as Cairness Ltd, at Fraserburgh, farm a total of 1,600 acres, including 600 acres of seasonal grazing around the Loch of Strathbeg which is rented from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Full advantage has been taken of various environmental schemes to create hedges, beetle banks, water margins, clover-rich grazing, unharvested crops to encourage wildlife, late cutting grass and wetlands for waders. Also, around 190 acres of blown woodland has been replanted.

The two-year conversion to organic farming on 1,100 acres is due to be completed on September 1. Mr Moir has plans to convert more of the farm in due course, particularly in the light of soaring fertiliser prices, and in the longer term he hopes to open a farm shop selling organic produce."

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