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Soft fruit innovation earns recognition for Ross
Soft fruits (opens in new window)
The Royal Northern Agricultural Society’s (RNAS) under-35 award, which is sponsored by SAC, went to 29 year-old soft fruit farmer Ross Mitchell of Castletoun farm, Fordoun.
For his fourth year dissertation, SAC Agriculture graduate Ross designed a bespoke field scale polytunnel and tabletop system which has advanced the first picking date by three weeks and helped extend the soft fruit season.
Castletoun’s soft fruit output now occupies 150 acres of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries and is set to double over the next five years. Ross supplies Tesco and Marks & Spencer and he was last year named Soft Fruit Grower of the Year. His latest innovation is Scotland’s first cherry tree plantation.