Market Gardener in Perthshire and Angus

Having been involved in agriculture for over 30 years as a worker and an advisor. The aim of this business is to bring all of this knowledge and skills to show that the modern industrial agriculture is not necessarily the way forward and the “grow big or get out” is not working and there is a place for small scale specialist farms based on “Grow better not bigger”.

I have run and managed market gardens and farm shops before so have a good understanding of the issues and the complexities of only selling home grown produce.

As a farmer’s son I have been involved in farming all my life and in many different types from glasshouses and top fruit to hill farming.

I worked for several years in Essex on a large mixed farm where I managed the farm shop and its crop production on 100acres.

I then trained as a land agent and joined Savills in Chelmsford before moving back to Scotland to manage Moray Estates, 100,000 acres of arable farms, forestry and hill land.

I joined the National Trust for Scotland as a Land Agent for the Highland and Islands region and later in a national capacity.

I am a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Rural Faculty, hold a Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health. Member of the Royal Agricultural College, Diploma in Rural Estate Management and a Member of the Institute of Agricultural Managers.

I am currently undertaking a college distance learning course in Technology of Commercial and Professional Crop Production.

Restaurants, Farmer’s Markets, Box Scheme, Farm shop

The businesses first sales where to local restaurants as there was insufficient produce for the farmer’s Markets. Since the initial sales we have developed these products and now attend 3 farmers markets, supply box schemes and restaurants with the future development of an on-site farm shop. The First couple of years will always be the most difficult as the perennial crops start to establish and the annual crops grown develop to suit the markets. Most of the high value crops that will make this venture sustainable will not come into full production until the year 2021 – 2022.

Farms production

As part of the farms production it is hoped that over 75% of the waste produced by the farm can be utilised within the wormery to create planting medium and to save costs on commercial waste.

The investment in equipment, training and people will be an important part of this plan to get the best from everyone and everything involved in the production.