Best Soil in Show 2016
Time to let your beautiful soil shine, and be in with a chance to win trophies, national acclaim and full soil analysis!
Once again we’re joining the hunt to find the ‘Best Soil in Show’ for the Royal Highland Show, alongside the James Hutton Institute, NFU Scotland and the Scottish Association of Young Farmers’ Clubs. To get in the running, download all the info you need and send in your sample!
For 2016, the competition has been opened to all farmers across Scotland, as well as to the previous categories for Young Farmers and Organic Farmers. We’re all especially keen to see if the overall Best Soil in Show has been managed organically or not, or whether it belongs to a young (or old!) farmer.
Farmers around the country are being asked to enter samples of their own soils which will be judged on their physical and chemical properties to identify the winner. Multiple samples can be entered by individuals and by clubs, and these can cover both organic and non-organic management techniques – that’s the best way to increase the chances of winning, too.
With growing awareness of the role of soils in life as we know it, the competition is a great way to draw attention to the need for active management of the vital resource that soil is: it’s about what you do with what you’ve got. The ‘Best Soil in Show' asks entrants what they’re growing in the soil, the rotations they are operating and what they are adding to the soil.
The competition highlights the importance of maintaining healthy soils and that land managers can do a lot to influence this. Soils deliver many basic agricultural and ecological benefits and farmers use the characteristics and condition of their soil to make informed decisions about its management.
Like last year, as well as the trophies and the glory, the winners will receive full compositional, structural and chemical analyses of their soil. The closing date for entries is 14 April.
