Peelham Farm in Berwickshire has been crowned winner of the Innovation in Farming Award at the national Helping it Happen Awards.
Now in its fourth year, the Helping It Happen Awards have become firmly established in recognising the role of farms, estates and individuals who are helping rural Scotland thrive.
The awards are organised by Scottish Land & Estates and judged by an independent judging panel.
The independent judging panel felt Peelham was a great example of a farm that is constantly innovating, with a strong commitment to sustainable self-reliance and biodiversity.
Stiff competition
Peelham beat off stiff competition from Seawater Solutions based in South Ayrshire which turns coastal farmland into wetland ecosystems.
Peelham is a family-run organic farming and food production enterprise based on 670ac in the Scottish Borders.
In its organic on-farm butchery, smoker and charcuterie facility, it produces grass-fed organic beef, grass-fed organic veal, grass-fed organic lamb, grass-fed organic mutton and free-range organic pork alongside salamis, sausages, burgers, bacon and hams which is supplied direct to the consumer.
No pesticides, herbicides or petro-chemical fertilisers are used and biodiversity on the farm is encouraged.
Sarah-Jane Laing, chief executive of Scottish Land & Estates, said:
“I want to offer my congratulations to Peelham Farm. The judges had a really tough time deciding who should be crowned winner but Peelham’s continuous innovation shone through.
“All the Helping it Happen Award winners have made a considerable contribution in their own way to rural Scotland.
With everything that has happened in 2020, the Helping It Happen Awards quite rightly celebrate those individuals, farms, and estates going the extra mile to make a positive contribution to society, whether that’s by helping their local community, producing high-quality food and drink or helping Scotland meet its environmental goals.
“This contribution is crucial to ensure that Scotland has a successful recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.”
