As a relative newcomer to the farming industry, Patrick Harrison is probably more receptive than most to constructive criticism.
That’s why he readily embraced the opportunity to take part in the Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme (PFRP) of workshops and advice in 2018, but he says he’d recommend it to anyone – not just novices.
Patrick bought the Speyside farm of Balliefurth just six years ago after a career in the shipping industry, and says he was all ears during a series of local seminars covering everything from accountancy to succession.
Advisers also came to the farm to go through his accounts and discuss productivity and profitability before creating an action plan of how the business needed to adapt to be successful.
He said: “When you’re farming, you’re so involved in what you’re doing day-to-day you don’t take time to question the decisions you’ve made.
“What was good about the programme was that it made me look at fundamentals – and even question if I should be farming at all.”
The programme has come to an end in Speyside but the support continues.
“I can pick up the phone and ask someone from PFRP a question and they’ll get an answer to any query,” he said. “The local networking was important, and meeting the other 25 participating farmers in Speyside taught me so much.”
Balliefurth runs 80 Shorthorn cross cows and 220 ewes, with around 40% of the beef and 25-30% of sheepmeat sold through the local butcher’s shop Patrick bought in 2015. The remainder are sold direct to Morrisons or through the marts.
He said he draws comparisons between his previous business – running supply vessels and anchor-handling tugs primarily in the North Sea – and agriculture, and has concluded both are very poor at letting the public know about the crucial jobs they do.
He said: “We only hear about shipping when a ship runs aground and spills oil. No one thinks about the three billion tonnes of goods shipped around the world without any issue. And farming is much the same. We need to get better at getting the message across.”
