Aberdeen Angus breeder, Daniel Whiteford, through a novel fundraising initiative, has raised £27,000 to support fellow farmers in war-torn East Ukraine.
‘Pedigrees for Peace’, an online sale of top British beef genetics, including his own Angus breed, is the brainchild of the Berwick-upon-Tweed-based farmer who runs Borewell Farm.
The idea came to light following his own journey across Europe to deliver a fully loaded pick-up earlier in the year.
Pick-ups for Peace is an initiative aiming to send at least 200 used pick-ups filled with essential supplies to farmers in Eastern Ukraine.
The NFU hopes to hit the target by the end of the year.
Daniel Whiteford
With support from Josh Dowbiggin of Dowbiggin Marketing, donations from across the UK of Angus, Hereford, Limousin and Charolais genetics gave Harrison & Hetherington a top-quality timed online sale of 51 lots that sold out on May 25th and 26th for a total of almost twice the expected target of £15k.
According to Whiteford, the money will pay for three or possibly four used pick-up trucks and their full complement of supplies to be delivered to the 24th Lviv Danylo Separate Mechanized Brigade as part of the Pick-ups for Peace campaign.
Daniel Whiteford of Borewell commented:
“When I went out to Ukraine last month to donate my own truck, I saw for myself what the Ukrainian people were facing and what a difference these pick-ups are making to the 24th Brigade.”
“So, working with Josh, we started asking other beef farmers if they would donate lots for an online sale, and the response and generosity were incredible.”
“So was the response from Harrison & Hetherington and Mart Eye, who organised and carried out the sale at no charge, and from the buyers who raised this amazing total of over £27k; I cannot thank everybody enough. It is a brilliant result.”
Donaldson
Scott Donaldson, Managing Director of Harrison & Hetherington, described the whole initiative as “a wonderful” testimony to the UK farming community and their determination to support the Ukrainian people.
“It just shows what can be done in two weeks. Daniel secured some top-class lots from the leading beef breeds, and buyers from the four corners snapped them up for very generous prices to give us a result far beyond our expectations.”
“Congratulations to Daniel for the idea and the energy to make it happen.”
“Thank you to every single donor and buyer who made this such an unbelievably successful sale in the best possible cause,” he added.
Previously, we reported that the DAFM here in Ireland has confirmed that it will support up to 1,000 small family farms in Ukraine.
Minister McConalogue has made €750,000 available for a United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) project in Ukraine.
Farmer fined after public attacked by cows in 2 separate incidents
In other UK farming news, a farmer has been fined £15,000 after members of the public were injured by cattle while walking along footpaths on his estate.
Sir Charles Hobhouse pleaded guilty to health and safety failings at his Monkton Farleigh Estate in Bradford-on-Avon.
It follows two separate incidents in summer 2021 in which people using public footpaths on his land were attacked by cows.
Read more on this news article.
