David Paterson (26) shares his time between the family farm near Biggar and his role as a Land Agent with Davidson and Robertson (D&R) – a firm of Rural Surveyors and Consultants.
He is a keen member of Biggar YFC and has a passion for tug of war competitions – #pullingfortheteam
Career: It was never a ‘dead cert’ that I wanted to become a Land Agent nor a Farmer. I was always interested in the family farm but never that much to come home from school to work it. The farm doesn’t merit two full time staff, so my Dad always encouraged me to have my own career too.
At SRUC (formerly SAC) I studied for a Bachelor’s degree in Rural Business Management with Agriculture where my interest in farming and rural matters grew.
I saw the Davidson & Robertson (D&R) advert just as I was finishing my third year and started as a Land Agent after a spell travelling.
Work life is now shared between farming and Land Agency. My D&R days vary, with a workload usually consisting of Property Appraisals, Sales, Forestry, Estate Management and Utility claims work for private clients. A knowledge of agriculture is beneficial for my role, but knowledge of the local area is priceless.
YFC Tug-of-War: Being a member of Biggar Young Farmers for 10 years, I’ve held various roles within the club and Lanarkshire District, it allowed me to build an invaluable knowledge base, making many friends and contacts throughout Scotland.
D&R sponsors the SAYFC National Tug of War finals at the Royal Highland Show, it’s a fantastic YFC showcase. I am no stranger to this competition, #pullingfortheteam with Biggar YFC gents for 6 out of 7 of our consecutive winning years.
Tug of War teams train in all weathers, they require commitment, teamwork and a strong will to win – life lessons which can be used in everyday life whether it be farming, land agency or another career.
My daughter Isla was born just before we won the TOW finals last year. I will certainly encourage her to join the YFC when she’s older, though she won’t see me competing – it’s time to retire.
Farming: At home, we run a mixed beef and sheep unit with 80 continental cows and a flock of 500 breeding ewes we’ve built up in the past five years. I’ve also just started my own flock of Texel’s.
What a difference a year makes! This year lambs were born into sunlight and not an inch of snow. With more grass throughout the winter, lambs were also a lot bigger, with large singles proving a harder pull than Carluke Young Farmers in the TOW final last year.
With the good weather, my clients are caught up with spring work and are hopefully looking forward to visiting the ‘Highland’. Good luck to all competing.
David Paterson: 01555 66 66 55
