A former chairman of Stewartry Young Farmers has become the first recipient of a prestigious new prize created by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).
John McCulloch was presented with the inaugural Fordyce Maxwell Award for Agricultural Communications by SRUC principal Professor Wayne Powell at the Royal Highland Show last week.
John, 24, a trainee auctioneer at Wallets Mart and the current Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs (SAYFC) agricultural and rural affairs committee chairman, was “overwhelmed and honoured” to receive the accolade.
Speaking from the show, he told the News: “I was not expecting it at all and it’s a good one to get.
“It’s a real privilege to win.
“I don’t know who nominated me – I did ask but they didn’t tell me!”
John, from Kirkcudbright, graduated with an HND in Agriculture at SRUC’s Edinburgh campus in 2021,
He won for his “dedication and focus in promoting Scottish agriculture through written and video communication”, particularly in his work to promote the sustainable credentials of the Scottish beef industry.
John added: “I am overwhelmed and honoured to be the first recipient of the Fordyce Maxwell Award.
“Communicating what we do as an industry has never been more important, especially with the rise of disinformation and the speed at which that disinformation can travel throughout the public domain.
“Fordyce was one of the best communicators that the agricultural industry has ever seen, and I am extremely proud to receive this award.
“I would like to recognise the many great communicators we have within our industry and urge everyone to continue to work together and share the facts about the important work we do as a sector.”
Professor Powell said: “Many congratulations to John on this excellent achievement.
“Fordyce Maxwell spent more than half a century reporting on and promoting the agricultural industry, so it was very fitting that we name our new award in his honour.”
Mr Maxwell, who died in October, spent many years as agricultural and later rural affairs editor at The Scotsman, where he was also diary editor and a columnist.
In between two separate stints at The Scotsman, he returned to full-time farming, when he also had regular columns in The Herald, The Sunday Post and The Journal – among others – and hosted his own segments on BBC radio and television.
The award was open to current students and those who had graduated no earlier than 2018.
