Rooster

Philip Benzie

Philip Benzie has been committed to quality arable farming in Scotland for most of his life. He now proudly supplies potatoes to us, which thrive in the fertile soils of Northern Scotland, with its wealth of nutrients and consistently cooler temperatures. Making the most of the soil across the seasons, Philip utilises the nutritious earth of Aberdeenshire in the late season, and then switches to north Morayshire in the early season; this way, his produce always benefits from the best conditions. He also grows malting barley, feed barley, feed wheat and carrots.

In a huge move to reduce his carbon footprint, Philip’s farm is now run on renewable power generated by its very own wind turbine.

The forward–thinking farmer has also recently acquired new ponds, to encourage varied ecosystems to prosper within the farmed land, and is developing an area of crops in preparation for ‘Operation Bumblebee’. This project helps to restore the habitat of the endangered bumblebee, while simultaneously encouraging better pollination of the crops themselves.

Philip understands how the environment is integral to his business. Quite simply, he relies on the wind to power the turbine, the rain to make the ground moist for growing and the sun’s rays for the potatoes to flourish. As a result, he is always open to new ways of improving his production methods.

Philip promotes environmentally friendly farming at local schools, helping to educate kids about the importance of sustainable farming. He has been a committee member of the local Turriff Show for many years and was elected Junior Vice President.