Episode 13 Landward

Highland Show 2014. Over the weekend, we are going to be bringing

you two programmes. Over 170,000 people are expected to descend on

Ingliston to see over 5,000 horses, cattle and sheep and so much more.

There is so much to see and do over the weekend, so we are going to cram

in as much of the show as possible. I am going to be meeting the

president of the show to find out what is being done to save our

rarest livestock breeds. And I will be finding out more about changes to

the agricultural policy. I will be following the judging of the teddy

bears in as much of the show as possible.

I am going to of the world, and we will be investigating to giant

president of the show to find out what is being done to poles and the

Kirkennan Forest. Let's get to it. In the past, this show was held in

different parts of the country every year. Since a move to the current

permanent base of Ingliston, each of the Scottish regions has been

promoted through the president for that year's show. This year, it is

the turn of the Perth area, and Jamie Ramsay will stop

interestingly, for the show, the Perth area includes fife and Angus.

We are on our way to meet him at his ancestral home, Brechin Castle,

which dates back to the 13th century. The castle sits in a 55,000

acre estate, and I have come to find out what excites him most about the

show and his residing rule. Perth and fife, a huge area to cover, so

what is the key message that you want to get across? The key message

is, we have got some wonderful agricultural land, and this year,

with our message of from grade to the glass, it really provides the

basic foundation for the Scottish whisky industry. What are your

biggest challenges is to mark my biggest challenge is to encourage

and support those who have come already and to make sure that people

have a good experience and come back again, but of course, the show needs

to renew itself every year, and so ideas are being brought forward,

with 175,000 people coming and it quite important to keep that figure

growing and growing. You going to beat the record for people

attending? I hope we will. The president is based in a rather grand

Ingliston house, so he should feel right at home. The sun is shining

and it looks busy. How are things going? The weather forecast is great

for the whole weekend and people are out early. We just worry people will

get too hot. How are you finding your presidential duties?

Fascinating. Children are learning to cook and learning about the

countryside and doing experience -- experiments. You told me you were

hard at work here, but I'd hear there is whisky tasting later on.

There is, you better come and join us. I will. Thank you. One of the

biggest attractions at the Royal Highland Show has to be the

livestock, with the best beasts from all over the UK coming here to

battle it out for the top prize. There is one Brad -- Brede that

always pleases the -- there is one breed of

always pleases the -- there is one sheep that pleases, and we are going

to find out more about them. Eye have come to meet Eddie Henderson

and his flock of Ryeland sheep, one of the oldest established breeds in

the UK. We have got in total about 45. Tell me why you get into this in

the first place. Was probably just to keep the grass down. I'd never

realised it would drag us into showing sheep. The enjoyment from

the Lawn Tennis Association, and meeting -- the Royal Highland Show,

and meeting a diverse group of people. They are the teddy bears of

the sheep world. How thought of her was there wool in the old days? It

was a valuable commodity, so they judged a lot of it against the

Ryeland. And what about... It almost disappeared. After the Second World

War, it was down to less than 800, and now the breed has had a

wonderful revival and has gone from strength to strength across the UK.

Are you going to be showing this year? You have had success in the

past, are you confident going ahead? You are always confident before the

show. Once you see the competition even perhaps have a rethink. It is

the hands -- in the hands of the judges. Eddie and his sheep have

travelled south and are taking part in five of the categories. Looking

very nervous. It is ridiculous. We are showing sheep and I am getting

butterflies. I hope this jacket is all made from Ryeland! Of course it

is. Eddie is up against some stiff competition. It is looking good. The

judge will have one more look and then decide. And after an agonising

wait for Eddie, the judge makes her decision. And, it is first place.

There he is, our champion. You must be very pleased. I am very pleased.

To get a read, definitely worth all the hard work. Everyone has put in

the same amount of effort and I am fortunate to come out the winner

today. Thank you very much. Thank you. As well as showing the beasts

and catching up on the gossip, the show gives farmers the chance to

discuss the issues affecting the industry. The one topic on the lips

of everyone was the announcement last week of the changes in the way

the farms are going to be reset so that is the. Since we joined the

European Community, British farmers have received targeted subsidies

from the European taxpayer. Last Wednesday in Parliament, the Cabinet

Secretary explained how the Scottish Government would implement the

latest version of the European common agricultural policy. My

objective is to ensure that these investments supports production, a

rural economy and... How much farmers get will be based on the

size of the farm and hope that the land is. The payments will be

limited to ?400,000 per farm after staff costs. Sporting estates will

not get any cash unless they can route they are generally farming. --

proof. Payments will be made for -- per animal to encourage a healthy

livestock sector, and Islanders will get extra money because of the

additional costs they face. There will be some winners and losers.

Here in the Northeast, farmers are expected to lose ?24 million by

2019, while in the West, farmers are expected to gain some ?4.75 million.

The recent changes are just the latest in the long and controversial

history that began back in 1973, when we joined Europe. The gulf

between Britain and Europe has shrunk. In signing the treaty,

Edward Heath was also at signing us up to a European wide subsidy

scheme, essentially a system where the taxpayers of Europe pay farmers

to produce food in an attempt to keep prices at the tilt down. Over

the years, farm subsidies have also been targeted at making farms more

environmentally friendly. To get any money, a farmer has to meet certain

green credentials. The scheme has always been controversial. Some

people think that it costs too much, and others say that the... So will

the most recent round of changes that make any difference of two

Scottish farmers? By a meeting up with Nigel Miller from the

national... What is your reaction to the changes? These are the biggest

changes we have had in the last 30 years, I guess, and it is a very

divided story, because we have got a reduced legit on the which is quite

tough, but within our own industry, there are winners and losers. Some

of the winners are deserved winners. These are businesses which were

locked out by our old historic system and their new businesses or

entrance or developing businesses. They will get onto a level playing

field from year one in 2015. That is pretty good news. The converse of

that is, with the reduced budget, moving away from historic support

which is linked to restart production, we will see many moving

away from productive farms and we are going to see big cuts. But there

are benefits to this, and that they have changed the way that payments

are targeted, so it is not just the headline thing of farmers being paid

to do nothing. That is one of the real steps forward. A real effort to

make sure that money goes to act as a farming. A step in the right

direction? It is a tough deal, because we are looking at big budget

cuts, so no-one is going to be dancing. There are some clever eggs

and therefore the islands, special payments for beef, I think it is a

really good compromise even the limits of the walls and the limits

of the budget. The policy is complicated and expensive, but the

reality is, many farmers would not survive without the subsidies that

it brings, and the way this payments are targeted changes a very

countryside around us, but it could take decades for the full impact to

be assessed. It is a story we will follow with interest. On the nape of

my programme, I will be looking into -- on the next programme,

hi, how are you doing? Good to see you. You are getting show ready.

Yes. This is Bonnie. She is going to the Landward this year. We went for

Shetland, -- Royal Highland Show this year. We went for this agreed

because there are fewer than 750 females left. Why have they fallen

out of favour? Fashion? They would have been kept to produce milk for

the House, for the have been kept to produce milk for

the family, they would have produced the beef and it would have been

preferred -- superb, and in some cases, they were used as draft

animals. This breed is at category four, at risk, but they're thrifty

and innocent nature is making them a popular choice for smallholders and

numbers are growing. They are not very big, so they are not hugely

intimidating. They are good for consummation reasons. They are

versatile and they are not difficult to keep. She will be great at the

Royal Highland Show show. You need to be firm. I'd need to be firm.

Hello, Bonnie. How are you today? Is she coping with all of this noise?

Just, I think. Time, you are a Chief Executive of the rare breed survival

trust. Tell us about the rear in a multi-you have here today. We have

all species represented here. -- grow the rare animals you have here

today. Do they have a place in the commercial market? Yes, they are

great for grazing orchids and dismiss tree plantations. If we had

not kept them, we would not have been able to plant this Christmas

tree plantations. Farm animal biodiversity is just as important as

plant life diversity because they are all part of the same ecosystem

and we need that biodiversity in there. Fantastic work being done,

and there is no doubt that the rare breeds have a place, but I'd think

most farmers would argue that for them to be attractive to farmers and

smallholders than they have to have a commercial use. If you are coming

to the Landward this weekend,, it's the Bonnie and her companions. --

the Royal Highland Show this weekend, calm sea Bonnie and her

companions. Every year there are displays of

gravity defying pole climbing. The speed at which they ascended the

poles is staggering. I am quite nervous now. I am far from happy!

Almost as impressive was Euan's attempt to climb the pole in 2006.

But there is something slightly different this year. The poles that

have stood tall for the past seven years have been replaced with new

Douglas fir trees from Kirkennan Forest near Castle Douglas. The

trees were felled last month, then transported to Ingliston on very

large trucks. We were there to see the new poles being installed. It is

at last ten, the poles are on-site, just being lifted onto the

countryside area by this massive crane, time for me to move out of

the way. The man in charge is Graeme Hodgson. Why was it decided to

change the existing poles? The existing ones have had their life

span of five years. The decision was taken last year to renew them. This

is the third set from memory that we have done, so we have been doing it

at least 15 years. It looks like a fairly major engineering operation

just to get them on guys, how did you choose the trees you are going

to use? These ones came courtesy of Scottish Woodlands, and Kirkennan

Estate donated the poles. This is from a harvesting site. We selected

a few. At over 100 feet, they are difficult to get down on one piece.

These are poles four and five at the we selected. Though you actually

took out six to make sure you got to exactly the same? I guess that is

important. The diameters have to be the same for the competition. We

cannot have one poles slightly different from the other. We have to

make sure the goal in the holes. And they are preprepared? They have been

cleaned and everything has been tidied up. The sockets are ready we

just -- and we just have to trim them off. Then hopefully they will

fit. So you have a couple of hours of work to do. So I can have a cup

of tea! I will leave you to it. Several hours and a cup of tea

later, the poles are up and in place. Despite the weather. It has

gone very well, they are doing a good 14 feet, we are pleased. The

weather has slowed things up. It has deteriorated this afternoon. But

that is what we put up with. How long will these be therefore with

Macs iMac hopefully, a good five years. And they are both easy to

climb with Mac we have one that will be very good. I think it will get a

fast time. Join us on Sunday when Sarah and I will be wearing these on

our legs and going head-to-head, to see who can get to the top first.

Looking forward to it? No, actually. Here in the food hall, there is a

wonderful array of fabulous Scottish produce, all proudly boasting its

locality. And a select few stand alongside products like champagne,

Palm and and camembert. -- Parma ham. Patrick is a consultant with

the Scottish rural college, --. Sun it is there to protect the origins

and authenticity of traditional products. It can be protected by

geography but also by recipe. What comfort does it give to producers

together protected status? It protects them from inferior product

labelling themselves. It gives them a seal of approval that you are

trying the genuine thing. Are there many protected food statuses in

Scotland? Sun we have Scotch lamb and Scotch beef, but it goes wider

than that, we now have salmon, Orkney Cheddar, we now have a full

basket of products. At the show this year, it has been alleged that

Ayrshire potatoes had been given a protected food name. So what does

this mean from the growers from that area? What makes these Ayrshire

potatoes so special? They are young and fresh, mostly grown on a coastal

strip, on sandy soil, which gives them an earthy flavour, with the

Gulf Stream close to the sea, just a different special flavour. What is

the season for Ayrshire potatoes? Mostly from May to the end of July.

After that, they become just a standard potato. It is these fresh,

young potato that gives you that taste. It is just the once in the --

once a year treat. What is the protected name application giving

you with Mac security, it gives us a marketplace for a special product

that has been produced for 150 years on the Ayrshire coast. Getting the

protected status means an enhanced profile for the producer and for the

consumer it is a guarantee of an authentic product from a particular

location. Join me on Sunday as I looked at another iconic Scottish

food that is celebrating ten years of protected status.

It is a great showcase for Scotland's food producers but too

often, the food consumed by showgoers and stallholders is not

always reflected the best of Scotland's bridge larder. In fact,

it often has C difficile it is all about to change. -- in fact, it

often has.... There is now a code for the catering on the Shogun, the

idea being the food they sell is responsibly sourced, of high quality

and all the beef and lamb is produced in Scotland. The aim is

that the Royal Highland Show is setting the catering standards in

Scotland for years to come. We are buying lay -- we are buying in

minute Lanark... They have been catering for over 30 years and

Gilbert Thomson has embraced the ideas behind the food charter. I am

joining him to find out about how he sources his food. How are you

doing? Just seeing how it is all going. What impact as this food

charter had on your business? Obviously, the Royal Highland Show

decided they want to charter. On each unit for each operation,

whether it is a market here or mobile catering, it is stated where

the beef was weird, when it was purchased, and that will be

advertised to give the public the chance to see that it is local

produce and it is Scottish produce. This year, most of the meat has been

reared in Stirlingshire or Lanarkshire. In previous years, it

has been Scottish will stop but it does not always be the case that we

knew where exactly it was from. If a villain complies with this, I am

sure the opportunity to Purchase locally produced produce will be

great for the whole industry. Show organisers have worked with all 37

food traders to make sure the food charter is working. The charter was

a response to increasing demand for high-quality local food, and was

partly the brainchild of Laura Stuart, who works for the soil

Association Scotland. First of all, wide eg initiate this charter? I

just completed a scholarship for Nuffield, thanks to the Royal hound

society, and one of my recommendations was, I have looked

at mainstream food around the world and I felt they needed to look in

their backyard and the opportunities they had here. So, the food

previously at the Royal Highland Show was not up to scratch? It has

not been consistently good in terms of quality or provenance or

sustainability. It has a lot of headroom to improve. We are all here

because we are proud of Scottish farming. What struck me about the

charter was that it was raising the standard, there was beef, lamb, but

there was no pork. Where is the port? There is port, there are hog

roasts. They all Scottish. This is the first year the charter has been

there, the caterers have had it for a few months. It is difficult to

find the supplies they need. In subsequent years, pork will be

available in a Scottish supply chain. I hope people coming to the

premier agricultural show in Scotland will be able to connect

excellence in farming with excellence in food. It is a shift in

culture we are looking for and I think the Show are tried to do their

bit. -- are trying. These are one of the

great spectacles of the great -- of the Show and the classes are

dominated by the Clydesdales. Scotland's very own native breed of

heavy horse. Enter Ron and Tim, horses who have travelled up from

Kim Butcher to compete under harness was originally from France, they

have been bred for their strength, intelligence and willingness to

work. But will they be able to beat -- we be able to beat the

Clydesdales on their own turf? David, hello. This is Tim? He is a

seven-year-old gelding. Lovely black-and-white. What is special?

They are a very clever horse. They have a high intelligence level, but

they have a lot of action and presence. If we are going to compete

with forces like the Clydesdale and the Shire, we need a big, upstanding

horse. It is difficult from Scotland and win against such good horses.

Are you just here to make up the numbers?, no I am here to win. The

first class is the heavy horse turnout. This is it, Tim is in

harness and looking absolutely fantastic. I am going to go to the

main arena to see if we can this horse can defeat one of the

Clydesdales. It is David's turn and Tim is in the

ring, stepping beautifully, look at that action. Magnificent beast.

Difficult task facing David, some of the Clydesdales are looking

fantastic. Well, the dream scenario, David has

been pulled out first. I did not think he was going to do it. Well

done, sir. Are you a happy man? Unbelievable. It is the best thing

to win in your life. I am emotional!

After a hard day trip sing around the Show and filming, a little like

freshman is always in order. If you enjoy a quality pint of ale, it is

worth making your way to the back of the Shogun, because here, nestling

beside the dual carriageway, is the real ale tent.

All the ills served here are from small-scale producers who make their

beers in a sustainable way. Light, refreshing, after days of...

Elderflower? If you don't fancy beer, the also serve gin. Do you

fancy some? I would love some. You know I don't like beer, where is

mine? That is yours. We have a show to finish! We will be working hard

to bring you a second helping of Landward. We will be back on Sunday

night with all the highlights from a busy weekend. If you can, come down

to Ingliston because there is lots to do. So, for the moment, cheers!