NSA Scotsheep is expected to attract thousands of sheep farmers from throughout the country to The Morrisons Farm at Dumfries House, Cumnock, Ayrshire, on Wednesday, June 6.

Mr Lochhead has sportingly agreed to take part in a celebrity cooking challenge with BBC Countryfile presenter and Gloucestershire sheep farmer, Adam Henson, who will be attending NSA Scotsheep as agricultural ambassador with the event’s major sponsor, Bank of Scotland.

Mr Lochhead is always keen to promote Scottish food and is looking forward to the challenge although he says he is a novice cook.

“We are grateful to both Richard Lochhead and Adam Henson for agreeing to taking part in this fun challenge which will highlight the quality, succulence and taste of Scotch lamb,” said Neale McQuistin, chairman of the local committee which is organising NSA Scotsheep on behalf of the Scottish Region of the National Sheep Association.

The cooking challenge will take place at 12.15pm on the Morrisons’ show trailer where chefs from the company will be giving cookery demonstrations throughout the day.

Morrisons, the UK’s fourth largest supermarket, run the Dumfries House farm in a joint venture with the Duke of Rothesay’s Dumfries House Trust. The farm is expected to make a profit as a commercial venture but is also a test bed for practical on-farm research projects to help improve efficiency in beef and sheep production.

END

Issued by Agricultural Communications Ltd. Tel/Fax: 01330 811616. Mob: 07801 186303. E-mail: eddie.gillanders@btopenworld.com

May 21, 2012

The feature will be co-ordinated by the British Wool Marketing Board (BWMB) and the Campaign for Wool (CfW) and the main static display will come straight from the BWMB/CfW stand at the Ideal Homes Exhibition in London.

“A similar promotion at the Royal Highland Show last year created tremendous interest and we are delighted that it is being repeated at NSA Scotsheep,” said Neale McQuistin, vice-chairman of NSA Scotland and chairman of the NSA Scotsheep organising committee.

“The demonstration will tell the story of wool from “fleece to fashion” and will be of interest to both sheep farmers attending the event and the general public.”

NSA Scotsheep, with Bank of Scotland as main sponsor, is being hosted on the 960-acre Home Farm at Dumfries House which is run as a joint venture by the Dumfries House Trust and the UK’s fourth largest retailer, Morrisons.

It is highly appropriate that wool should be a major feature of NSA Scotsheep as Dumfries House was saved for the nation in 2007 by the Prince of Wales (known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland) and His Royal Highness has been the inspiration for the CfW which was launched in the UK two years ago and has now taken off world-wide.

It is encouraging that wool prices have improved considerably from the low ebb which motivated Prince Charles to bring all sectors of the industry together, including the NSA and the BWMB, to instigate plans for the campaign.

Other features will include a demonstration by Jennifer Alexander, Jenny Mackay, Ann Ross and Ann Williams portraying different aspects of the ancient craft of felt making – one of the oldest textiles known to man – using wool from native sheep breeds and highlighting contemporary artistic applications.

They will present both functional and decorative examples of their own work to show sheep breeders what could be done with wool from their own flocks, including rugs, hats and scarves.

The Scottish Storytelling Yurt – a woolly home constructed as a millennium project for storytelling and teaching tactile skills with local wool – will also be featured. The Keeper of the Yurt, Liz Brown, is currently involved in a prestigious project felting the protective covers for the Prince of Wales’ Florilegium, a 175 limited edition which encompasses 120 prints by 72 leading botanical artists portraying plants growing at the Prince’s home at Highgrove.

There will also be demonstrations of scouring, carding and hand spinning into yarn by Marilyn Caddell and Mary Currie using a spindle and spinning wheels. Colourful yarns and a selection of knitted, woven and embroidered articles, made from natural fleece colours and plant dyes, will be on display.

END

Further information available from the co-organisers: Euan Emslie Tel: 01430 441870, Fax: 01430 448432, Mob: 07718 908523, e-mail: euan@AppliedRemedies.co.uk or Julie Sedgewick Tel: 01325 314650, Mob: 07836 773888, e-mail: jas@nationalsheep.org.uk

Issued by Agricultural Communications Ltd. Tel/Fax: 01330 811616. Mob: 07801 186303. E-mail: eddie.gillanders@btopenworld.com

April 11, 2012

Trading stand bookings and exhibits by sheep breed societies are set to hit record levels as confidence returns to the sheep industry on the back of buoyant prices for finished, store and breeding sheep over the past 18 months.

Organised by the Scottish Region of the National Sheep Association, with Bank of Scotland as main sponsor, the venue for NSA Scotsheep 2012 is the home farm at Dumfries House which is run as a joint venture by Dumfries House Trust and the UK’s fourth largest supermarket group, Morrisons.

“We have a really exciting venue for NSA Scotsheep which has captured the imagination of the whole sheep industry in Scotland,” said NSA Scotland executive committee member, Neale McQuistin, who chairs the organising committee.

“More trade stands have been booked than ever before and the number of breed societies participating, and associated exhibits, is also a record.

“This reflects the better times in the sheep industry and the fact that sheep farmers are ready to invest in advances in genetics, technology, health management and husbandry to further improve the performance of their flocks. All the latest developments in the industry will be on show at Scotland’s national sheep event.”

Features of NSA Scotsheep will include a farm tour, practical and technical demonstrations, advisory and educational exhibits, comprehensive seminar programme, sheepdog trial, stockjudging, ATV competition, sheep shearing and farmers’ market. There will also be special feature on wool and the event will host the finals of the Scottish Young Shepherd of the Year competition.

The following sheep breed societies will be participating – Beltex, Blackface, Bluefaced Leicester, Blue Texel, Bleu du Maine, Border Leicester, British Berrichon, British Rouge, Charollais, Cheviot, Dalesbred, Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset, Hampshire Down, Highland Mule, Jacob, Kerry Hill, Lleyn, Meatlinc, NEMSA, North Country Cheviot, Oxford Down, Rough Fell, Roussin, Ryeland, Scotch Mule, Shetland, Suffolk, Swaledale, Texel, Zwartbles.

END

NOTE TO EDITORS

DUMFRIES HOUSE Dumfries House is one of Britain’s most beautiful stately homes with a unique collection of Chippendale furniture. It has been described as an 18th century time-capsule since the principal rooms and their contents have remained virtually unchanged for 250 years. Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, in his capacity as the Great Steward of Scotland, headed a consortium of charities and heritage bodies which purchased the house and adjoining land in 2007 to keep it accessible to the public.

MORRISONS Morrisons is the UK’s fourth largest food retailer with 459 stores. The company’s business is mainly food and grocery – the weekly shop. Uniquely, Morrisons source and process most of the fresh food they sell through their own manufacturing facilities, giving close control over provenance and quality. Morrisons sell only 100% British fresh beef, lamb, pork and poultry and have more people preparing more food in store than any other retailer, including butchers, bakers and fishmongers. Every week, 11.5 million customers pass through the doors of Morrisons supermarkets and more than 132,000 employees across the business work hard each day to deliver great service. With competitive prices and hundreds of special offers, Morrisons are proud to save their customers money every day.

March 28, 2012

Four finalists will be selected at each of three qualifying events to take part in the finals at NSA Scotsheep 2012 to be held at The Morrisons Farm at Dumfries House, Cumnock, Ayrshire, on Wednesday, June 6.

“We want to encourage more youngsters in their ‘teens and early ‘twenties to take part in the competition which is designed to help those seeking to pursue a career in the sheep industry to hone their skills in sheep husbandry and management,” said former Oatridge College head of agriculture, Dave Turner, who is organising the competition as a member of the NSA Scotsheep organising committee.

“The opportunity to participate in a local elimination will allow far more youngsters to take part in the competition. The top four from each regional competition will qualify to compete for the accolade of NSA Scotsheep Shepherd of the Year, with the winner and runner-up qualifying for the national competition at NSA Sheep 2012 at Malvern on July 4.”

The regional qualifying events will take place at Oatridge College, Broxburn, on Thursday, May 17, Barony College, Dumfries, on May 23, and Dunecht Estate, Aberdeen, on Tuesday, May 29.

The competition will encompass a variety of practical tasks including sheep shearing, prime lamb judging (with reason giving) and ATV trailer loading, maintenance and safety. Competitors will be required to demonstrate their skills and knowledge of hoof care, sheep handling, sheep health (vaccination and dozing) and flock management and nutrition.

The competition is open to all young people in the industry (not only shepherds), who must be aged 26 or under on July 4, and entry is free. The support of young farmers’ clubs, sheep breed societies and agricultural colleges is being enlisted to encourage potential competitors to participate.

The final at NSA Scotsheep will be sponsored by United Auctions, Stirling, and the NSA Scotsheep Trophy and cash prize of £300 will be awarded to the winner, with £200 going to the runner-up and £100 for third place. The highest placed competitor under the age of 21 will also receive a prize of £100.

Travelling and overnight expenses will be paid to the winner and runner-up to compete the national finals at NSA Sheep 2012 with a top prize of £1000 and the possibility of taking part in the world finals.

“We look forward to a large entry of young people from all over Scotland taking part in this very worthwhile competition,” said NSA development officer for Scotland, George Milne.

“It offers a real incentive to encourage the next generation of sheep farmers and shepherds to equip themselves with the range of skills required for a career in the industry.”

Organised by the Scottish Region of the National Sheep Association and sponsored by Bank of Scotland, NSA Scotsheep is held every two years and is Scotland’s national sheep event.

END

Issued by Agricultural Communications Ltd. Tel/Fax: 01330 811616. Mob: 07801 186303. E-mail: eddie.gillanders@btopenworld.com

February 22, 2012

The last NSA Scotsheep held two years ago attracted 150 trade stands and this year’s event is expected to attract even more in view of the highly prestigious venue and the current buoyancy of the sheep sector.

This year’s flagship event for the Scottish sheep industry, organised by the National Sheep Association Scottish Region, will be held at the Morrisons Farm at Dumfries House, Cumnock, Ayrshire, on Wednesday, June 6, and is sure to attract a large attendance of sheep farmers from all over the UK and Ireland and from further afield.

Historic Dumfries House was saved for the nation by Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, in 2007, and the adjoining 960-acre home farm is run as a joint venture by Dumfries House Trust and the UK’s fourth largest supermarket, Morrisons.

The sum of £2 million has been committed to developing the farming enterprise which includes 750 Scotch Mule ewes, a small flock of pedigree Suffolk sheep and 250 beef suckler cows, including pedigree herds of Beef Shorthorn and Aberdeen-Angus.

“Dumfries House is a first-class venue for NSA Scotsheep 2012 and is sure to prove a big draw,” said Sandy Hay, head of agriculture with Bank of Scotland who have been confirmed as main sponsor.

“NSA Scotsheep is well established as the premier sheep event in Scotland and is a “must attend” event for all companies and individuals with an interest in servicing the requirements of Scottish sheep producers. Bank of Scotland is delighted to be the main sponsor.”

Features of the event will include a farm tour, which will include a view of Dumfries House, Scottish Young Shepherd of the Year competition, trade stands, practical and technical demonstrations, seminars, advisory and educational exhibits, sheepdog trial, stockjudging, ATV competition, farmers’ market, sheep shearing and all things wool.

Mr Hay said the sheep industry was currently on a high as a result of the significant rise in prices for all categories of sheep over the past two years and the prospects for 2012 were for the market to remain strong.

“Sheep farmers are at long last getting the returns they need and deserve to operate a viable business and this is good news for the whole industry,” said Mr Hay.

“But increasing costs inevitably mean that margins are tight and only producers at the “top of their game” will be achieving a profit without the Single Farm Payment and support under the Less Favour Area Support Scheme (LFASS) in hill and upland areas.”

Maintaining this level of support would be vital in forthcoming negotiations on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy but it also highlighted the need for producers to maintain and improve efficiency in terms of genetic performance, animal health and livestock husbandry.

“This is where NSA Scotsheep 2012 comes in and provides producers with the opportunity of sourcing all the latest technical and marketing expertise to help them run a sustainable and profitable business,” said Mr Hay.

The continuing decline in the national sheep flock in Scotland was a concern and Mr Hay put some of this down to the high price of cull ewes encouraging more farmers to reduce their flocks, or exit the industry altogether, because of the difficulties of attracting skilled labour, the well-documented difficulties associated with the introduction of the electronic identification (EID) of individual sheep and the heavy penalties which were being imposed for non-compliance.

“Scotch quality lamb is in strong demand both at home and in overseas markets and we need a thriving and expanding industry to meet the requirements of the market,” said Mr Hay. “The industry is facing challenging times and NSA Scotsheep 2012 can lead the way.”

Details of sponsorship opportunities and trade stand information available from the co-organisers, Euan Emslie Tel: 01430 441870, Fax: 01430 448432, Mob: 07718 908523, e-mail: euan@AppliedRemedies.co.uk or Julie Sedgewick Tel: 01325 314650, Mob: 07836 773888, e-mail: jas@nationalsheep.org.uk

Event Website www.scotsheep.org.uk

END

NOTE TO EDITORS

DUMFRIES HOUSE Dumfries House is one of Britain’s most beautiful stately homes with a unique collection of Chippendale furniture. It has been described as an 18th century time-capsule since the principal rooms and their contents have remained virtually unchanged for 250 years. Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, in his capacity as the Great Steward of Scotland, headed a consortium of charities and heritage bodies which purchased the house and adjoining land in 2007 to keep it accessible to the public.

MORRISONS Morrisons is the UK’s fourth largest food retailer with 459 stores. The company’s business is mainly food and grocery – the weekly shop. Uniquely, Morrisons source and process most of the fresh food they sell through their own manufacturing facilities, giving close control over provenance and quality. Morrisons sell only 100% British fresh beef, lamb, pork and poultry and have more people preparing more food in store than any other retailer, including butchers, bakers and fishmongers. Every week, 11.5 million customers pass through the doors of Morrisons supermarkets and more than 132,000 employees across the business work hard each day to deliver great service. With competitive prices and hundreds of special offers, Morrisons are proud to save their customers money every day.

Issued by Agricultural Communications Ltd. Tel/Fax: 01330 811616. Mob: 07801 186303. E-mail: eddie.gillanders@btopenworld.com

January 30, 2012

NSA Scotsheep is held every two years and is the National Sheep Association Scottish Region’s flagship event, attracting a large attendance of sheep farmers from all over the country.

A local committee, under the chairmanship of NSA Scotland executive committee member, Neale McQuistin, Airyolland, New Luce, Newton Stewart, has been appointed to arrange next year’s event.

Historic Dumfries House was saved for the nation by Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, in 2007 and the adjoining 960-acre home farm is run as a joint venture by The Prince’s Charities and the UK’s fourth largest supermarket group, Morrisons.

The sum of £2 million has been committed to developing the farming enterprise which includes 750 Scotch Mule ewes, a small flock of pedigree Suffolk sheep and 210 suckler cows, including pedigree Beef Shorthorn cattle and a commercial Aberdeen-Angus herd. Cropping comprises 40 acres of cereals.

The farm is run on strictly commercial lines but is also used as a demonstration farm and test bed for new ideas. It is currently one of three farms in Scotland carrying out trials on behalf of Quality Meat Scotland comparing the progeny of high performance rams and rams selected solely on visual appraisal.

“We are delighted to have such a prestigious venue for Scotland’s national sheep event and grateful to The Prince’s Charities and Morrisons for giving us the opportunity of staging the event at Dumfries House,” said Mr McQuistin. “The venue has all the ingredients to provide an outstanding showcase for the Scottish sheep industry.”

Morrisons Group corporate services director, Martyn Jones, said: “NSA Scotsheep is a major event in the British agricultural calendar attracting sheep farmers the length and breadth of the country. It is an honour for the Morrisons Farm at Dumfries House to be selected as a venue for 2012. We are looking forward to opening the farm to the British sheep industry for what is an excellent opportunity to share knowledge and develop best practice.”

Co-organisers of NSA Scotsheep 2012 will again be Yorkshire-based, Euan Emslie, and Julie Sedgewick, who helps run the family farm in Durham and is also secretary of the NSA’s northern region.

NSA Scotsheep is held in different parts of Scotland every two years and regularly attracts more than 5000 sheep farmers and industry professionals from throughout the UK and Ireland. Last year’s event was held on the farm of Douglas and Lynda Graham, Burnbank, Blairdrummond, Stirling, and the extensive trade stand area included 140 trade stands and 35 sheep breed society exhibits.

Details of sponsorship opportunities and trade stand information available from the co-organisers, Euan Emslie Tel: 01430 441870, Fax: 01430 448432, Mob: 07718 908523, e-mail: euan@AppliedRemedies.co.uk or Julie Sedgewick Tel: 01325 314650, Mob: 07836 773888, e-mail: jas@nationalsheep.org.uk
Event Website – www.scotsheep.org.uk

END

NOTE TO EDITORS

DUMFRIES HOUSE Dumfries House is one of Britain’s most beautiful stately homes with a unique collection of Chippendale furniture. It has been described as an 18th century time-capsule since the principal rooms and their contents have remained virtually unchanged for 250 years. Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, in his capacity as the Great Steward of Scotland, headed a consortium of charities and heritage bodies which purchased the house and adjoining land in 2007 to keep it accessible to the public.

MORRISONS Morrisons is the UK’s fourth largest food retailer with 459 stores. The company’s business is mainly food and grocery – the weekly shop. Uniquely, Morrisons source and process most of the fresh food they sell through their own manufacturing facilities, giving close control over provenance and quality. Morrisons sell only 100% British fresh beef, lamb, pork and poultry and have more people preparing more food in store than any other retailer, including butchers, bakers and fishmongers. Every week, 11.5 million customers pass through the doors of Morrisons supermarkets and more than 132,000 employees across the business work hard each day to deliver great service. With competitive prices and hundreds of special offers, Morrisons are proud to save their customers money every day.

Issued by Agricultural Communications Ltd. Tel/Fax: 01330 811616. Mob: 07801 186303. E-mail: eddie.gillanders@btopenworld.com

October 4, 2011