Scott Ramage, General Farm and Estate Worker

I’ve been in and out of farming all my life. At one point I spent 12 years on a large conventional estate as a digger driver but decided that I wanted to go back to something I was more comfortable with which is why I have moved around a bit.

My brother Ewan came to Balcaskie first so I found out about the job through him, it looked like it would be an attractive job prospect as well as being close to family which was a bonus. Balcaskie seemed like quite a forward-thinking place and thankfully I’ve managed to fit in quite well.

I know it seems like everyone says it but no day is the same, for me it can be that no hour is the same which was part of the attraction as well. My job can change hour to hour which is something that I really enjoy, being able to do so much keeps it interesting.

Recently I have been shearing gimmers, which is a female sheep who’s not had a lamb yet as well as shearing the tups. It’s definitely more difficult now that I am older but I’ve learnt that technique is better than brute force which has helped and I’m definitely not as sore as I use to be.

I also helped Cammy prep for the Fife show, dressing the heifer and getting the bull ready. It was my first-time showing cattle which was daunting because you have half a tonne of cow that your trying to hold onto but it was enjoyable and rewarding – I definitely learnt a lot that day as I have only ever shown sheep before and this was very different.

 

The day after the Fife show I volunteered down at the local beach clean in St Monans with the forklift helping remove the rubbish down there.

 

Now that it’s warmer as well I have set up the sprinklers for the sows to keep them cool, just one of the many odd jobs that I end up doing.

Reccently we have been moving some of our female pigs to the bore so he has another two ladies to keep him out of trouble or get him into trouble depending on how you look at it!

Ewan’s been off as well so I have been covering some of his jobs and doing the sheep rounds as well as helping Andy muck out the sheds ready for the summer and ready to be washed out after we’ve done all the shearing.

 

I’ve also been turning my hand at some workshop jobs, re-modelling an old BBQ for a young farmers group event and revamping a metal feed store. I enjoy getting stuck in and  doing anything really – it might not be perfect, but I’ll always have a go.

My personal insight is that if you have a willingness to work and keep an open mind you’ll get far enough. I got to where I am now without going to college and just by working hard instead, I think a lot of people feel too much pressure within college and Uni settings and often getting straight into work can be a better option for lots of people.

Compared to other places I have worked, communication is key here. We’re given job sheets every Sunday night which helps you think about and prepare for you weeks work. The atmosphere in general is brilliant and I like the way that the place is run openly, and you can see what’s happening. Everybody’s up for a laugh but works hard to which suits me.