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Key Facts:

Example Farm Location: McGregor Farms, Coldstream Mains, Coldstream, Berwickshire

Soil Type: Slowly Permeable, acidy loams and clays

Average Annual Rainfall: 400mm – 900mm

Average Annual Temperature Range: 4 – 13 Degrees Celsius

J & I McGregor are a family farming partnership based in Coldstream, Berwickshire.  It is managed by Colin & Jill McGregor.  Colin was given responsibility for the daily running of the business in 1989 when he was 21.  The farmed area was 300ha.   The business had been run by his mother since the death of his father in 1978. 

The business was rationalised from its complicated background of fruit, vegetables, potatoes and cereals to a simple cereal and potato rotation.  The business specialised in pre-pack potato production and this area was built up to 140ha all destined for the supermarkets and stored in 5000 tonnes of cold-storage which had been constructed on the farm.  

In 1999 the business was approached to contract farm 100ha of nearby land.  A neighbouring farm of 300ha was taken on a similar agreement in 2000.  By 2006 another 1300ha had been taken on under four separate contract farming agreements.  In 2008 the business was approached  to contract farm 1000ha in three blocks within a 10 mile radius of Coldstream.  All land managed by the business has been by referral and recommendation.   The farmed area is now 3000ha.

The potato growing is now in collaboration with GVAP Ltd.   Eight full-time employees plus part-time secretarial support are employed.  The business has invested over the years in cold-storage and more recently in 6000 tonnes of new grain storage including a 150 tonne per hour wet grain intake.  There is a considerable fleet of modern machinery.