SAC Learning

Steven Mitchell graduated with a BSc Agriculture in 2002 and has gone on to set up Scotland's largest water buffalo farm in Fife!

Not only that but he has featured in the BBC Series "This little farmer went to market" and Channel 4's "The F Word" and "Tricky Business". He has received endorsements and recipes from Nick Nairn and Gordon Ramsay for his buffalo meat. His business success was recognised with the NFUS Young Achiever Award in 2006.

Steven joined SAC from school, attracted by its flexible progression. He enjoyed the variety of subjects he studied, particularly the challenges posed by the case studies on real life businesses. It wasn't all study though and as Steven continues:

"My proudest moment was captaining the SAC rugby team to victory in the final of the Edinburgh University Inter Mural Competition. We had a great squad of players and also won an inter college sevens tournament in France.

On graduating I travelled to Australia with SAC friends and worked there for two years in a variety of jobs. On returning to the family farm I wanted to establish a business which complemented the pork and bacon processing of my uncle. Having seen water buffalo in Australia, I purchased a hundred cattle. When the herd arrived in Clentrie, half the village came to look!

My study at SAC gave me the confidence and knowledge to set up the business and I use my degree every day. The herd is now well established and I sell the meat "Puddledub Buffalo" at Farmers' Markets. My longer term aim is now to milk and produce mozzarella cheese."