The Royal Northern Agricultural Society

(Patron HRH The Princess Royal)

The Society was founded in 1843 by progressive farmers and landowners in North East Scotland, an area which was to become renowned throughout the world for the quality of its livestock and the stockmanship of its farmers.  Royal Patronage has honoured the organisation for over 150 years. The present patron has participated in important events run by the Society.

Aims of the Society are to “improve Agricultural Production and the rural economy in all its branches”. Over the changing decades these have been fulfilled in many ways.

Today the Society is best known for its range of activities including the acclaimed annual Spring Show, Competitions for Growing Cereals and Turnips, Awards for Outstanding Service to Agriculture, Major Specialist Events and Encouragement of Good Farming Practice. The Society has also been able to give assistance to some very worthwhile causes, particularly Countryside Education for Young People.

The Royal Northern Spring Show.  – Wednesday 25th February, 2009

Farmers from all over Scotland and beyond compete in the classes for Show Cattle, Carcase Cattle, and Sheep. There are high quality entries. Horse and Pony enthusiasts exhibit from near and far. Other well supported classes include Cereals, Root Crops, Silage and Hay and there are popular Competitions for Young Farmers and for SWRI members.

The Show, held by the Society on the last Wednesday in February or the first Wednesday in March, is Scotland’s first major event in the new farming year. The Spring Show is regarded as an outstanding business day by agricultural suppliers, major sponsors of the event. Well over 100 organisations promote their latest products and services in the extensive modern venue at Thainstone Centre, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire.  The Society co-operates closely with venue owner, ANM Group, the farmer-owned co-operative which holds an important bull sale on the same day.

The Show was first held in 1847, in Aberdeen. In 1999 the Society was honoured by Royal approval for the name which was used from the following February, “The Royal Northern Spring Show”.

Countryside Education

Today’s schoolchildren are tomorrow’s citizens, consumers and custodians of the countryside. The Royal Northern Countryside Initiative, founded and partially funded by the Society, is at the forefront of increasing countryside awareness through education and by bringing together farmers, teachers and education authorities towards a greater understanding in the future. The Initiative harnesses vital support from a range of enthusiastic North-East agricultural firms, farmers and trusts and from RHASS which, through their educational trust RHET, has assisted programmes to develop in other parts.

Special Events for Farming and The Countryside.

A series of comprehensive and very well supported special days at selected farms has concentrated on Beef Cattle, Pigs, Sheep, Crops, Grassland Management and other topics. A large specialist event is held every two years or so. Free Seminars, by acknowledged authorities, address a wide range of topical issues. Trade exhibitors value these events to meet farmers with special interests and focus attention on advances in their own products and services. The Society organized Scotland’s main event for the beef sector in 2007, BEEF TECH, held on Thursday, 31st May at Savoch Farm, Lonmay, Fraserburgh. Consideration for the environment features strongly in all activities of the Royal Northern Agricultural Society. In 2004 the Society organized “Family Day in The Countryside”. Over four thousand people visited the event at SAC Craibstone Estate, close to Aberdeen. Through a wide range of activities and displays the day succeeded in giving them a better understanding of quality food, how it is produced and how today’s countryside is being cared for.

The Society is planning a major Arable Event to be held in 2009.

Promoting Excellence through Competition in the Field.

The North East has a significant proportion of Scotland’s arable cropping land. In recent years the Society has given further encouragement to good crop husbandry through two new annual competitions; for growing cereals and for growing turnips and swedes. Sponsors have provided valuable assistance. Everyone who enters is given the fullest possible confidential information about the opinion of the judges and the scoring for each crop so that they may compare their crops with all the others entered and further improve their own techniques. The projects have attracted wide support and healthy rivalry for the trophies, prize money and the special awards for young farmers and for crops in Less Favoured Areas.

Encouraging Good Farming Practice.

In early 2005 the Society, with sponsorship from Aberdeenshire Council, invited nominations for new Good Farming Practice Awards to stimulate further improvements in the North-east. Selection for the Award and Commendations, was followed by extensive publicity for those farms and their practices and achievements. This had involved visits to the nominated farms by an independent judge, well-known and widely respected. Balanced attention was given to a variety of aspects including the unit’s stock, crops, equipment, environment, general impression and enterprise. The project has been repeated each year to considerable acclaim and an Open Evening held at the farm of the most recent recipients attracted 100 farming visitors.

Recognizing Achievement.

Every year the Society brings together a panel from a range of leading organizations in the North East to help it to honour individuals who have been nominated for Outstanding Service to Agriculture. Anyone at all may put forward nominations. Three people, from those nominated, are selected annually. The presentations, made in association with key sponsors, are highlights of a very popular social event in the farming year, the Royal Northern Awards Lunch in early November. On this distinguished occasion the Society also recognizes appropriately a trio of the most promising agricultural students and apprentices. Anyone may attend the lunch by advance booking. Attendances in recent years have been well over 200.

Supporting Good Causes in The Industry.

Cash surpluses from some of its activities and investments enable the Society to periodically assist other initiatives and individuals. Substantial help has been provided for Easter Anguston Farm for mentally handicapped people, also to the agricultural charity R.S.A.B.I.. Assistance has been given towards study tours and career development. The Society has also committed funding for an annual bursary for FBOM students at SAC.

Inside the Society

Membership is open to everyone eager to encourage the aims of the Society. Individuals may join on an annual basis for £10 or for life. (Life Membership is £130). Inquiries should be made to the Secretary.

The Society also welcomes donations and legacies.

From the membership some new Directors are elected each year to join a large Board, representative of many sectors of agriculture in Aberdeenshire, Banffshire and Kincardineshire. A new President is elected annually and the Board meets regularly.

It is the voluntary commitment of the Directors and Members, strongly supported by many companies and other organizations involved to some extent in agriculture, which enables the Society to successfully carry forward its range of activities throughout the year.

The Society is a not-for-profit organisation and traditionally operates without burdensome overheads or full-time employees. It retains the services of a Secretary/Treasurer, currently Mr Scott Raeburn, and the Secretary can be contacted for information about all aspects of the Society and its work at any time.

The Royal Northern Agricultural Society

Knappyround, Lumphanan
Aberdeenshire AB31 4QL

Tel/Fax 013398 83632     secretary@rnas.org.uk

3.09.07