Interview: Ellie Louise Sinclair

Getting to know the WiAS… an interview

Your name, and a little background about yourself (e.g where you live/grew-up, what you do for work/a little about the company/farm) Ellie Louise Sinclair, I live and work on our family farm, Sinclair Agricultural & Recycling Services in Aberdeenshire. We are agricultural contractors and we also have a large haulage business. Originally we were dairy farmers, but in 2007 we sold all the cows and focused on agricultural contracting. We are now heavily involved in renewable energy. On the farm where the dairy was based, we have now made use of those buildings and surrounds by building our own Anaerobic Digester. Our farm land now solely supplies our own AD Plant with all the feedstock it requires, all coming from a 1 mile radius of the plant.

Within the family business, I am the Digestate Manager. We currently have a contract with Aberdeen City Council to supply feedstock, haulage and waste removal and disposal for their own Anaerobic Digester that they have built next to their brand new event complex (TECA)! My role is to organise and coordinate the removal and spreading of the liquid and fibre digestate from the TECA site.

How are you involved in agriculture? I live and work on our family farm. I was once a keen member of Inverurie Young Farmers Club, I was very much into the social aspect of SAYFC. Throughout my time at young farmers, I won a couple of rosettes for the odd lemon drizzle and the odd batch of fudge, however I was more likely to be found prancing around a dancefloor with a drink in hand!

In your opinion, what are the biggest issue/s (and possible solutions – if any!) facing agriculture? Attracting people into the industry is a nightmare. Agriculture is hard work and long hours, and there aren’t a lot of people who are willing to do that anymore. I completely stand by the fact that there should be a work / life balance, but there are times in agriculture where that has to take a step to the side. There are times throughout the year within agriculture that are unavoidably busy.

Another issue that agriculture is facing, like every other industry, is the rising costs. Fuel, fertiliser and retaining staff are a constant drain on the industry!

What advice would you give to your younger self when starting out in the industry? Be CONFIDENT. There is very much an underlying gender issue, I don’t want to use the word ‘discrimination’, within agriculture. Women really do have to push hard to be heard and a lot of the time. I found, and