Osprey, Rooster

Geoff and Bill Bruce

The Bruce family have been farming in Perthshire since 1898 and over four generations. Although potatoes are a significant part of what they do, father and son Geoff and Bill also grow premium soft fruit and have their own herd of Pedigree Charolais Bulls. In 1988, one of these was sold for a record price of 33,000gn (about £35,000). Bruce Farm is always looking to improve and build on environmentally responsible production methods, whether it’s trialling new varieties or looking at modern conservation methods. Today, for example, the Bruces are conscientiously cutting back on the use of insecticides on their crops – using biochemicals and introducing natural predators instead. The farm also houses honeybees each year on specially planted areas, to aid pollination naturally and subsequently to improve crop quality. And to help guarantee that the waste from the fields and packing halls is disposed of in an environmentally sensitive manner, they have installed a recycling policy. The Bruces are passionate about what they do, and they realise that to keep British farming alive, younger generations need to be interested and educated about the farming world. Consequently, Bill and Geoff work with The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) to spread the word about the secrets of the countryside – so there will be plenty of cleverly harvested potatoes for years to come. Read more on their website.