Dick Playfair
Dick is a Cambridge University graduate with a career in marketing and PR. After several years with the Whitbread Group, he worked at senior level with a number of marketing, advertising and public relations agents and consultants, before setting up Playfair Walker PR.
For 20 years he was retained as a consultant to the Scottish Landowners’ Federation and its successor organisations, and continues to act for and advise a number of Scotland’s private estates, professional services firms operating within the rural sector, and other rural bodies.
Playfair Walker specialises in rural affairs, and deer issues in particular. Dick has worked for 12 years with the Association of Deer Management Groups and is co-opted to their executive committee with responsibilities for PR and publications, website and new media, and political activity.
He has been secretary to the Scottish Venison Partnership, formerly the Scottish Venison Working Group, for three years, working closely with its private and public sector members in the promotion of Scottish venison, other issues affecting the Scottish venison sector, and specifically the challenge of increasing Scotland’s venison output.
He is secretary of the Lowland Deer Network Scotland, and is also a member of the Scottish Quality Wild Venison technical advisory committee.
Recent news:
Following the success of the Introduction to Deer Farming day at Innerhadden Deer Farm in July, the Venison Advisory Service (VAS) and leading Rural Chartered Surveyors Bell Ingram, have teamed up again to stage a second event on Scottish Venison Day, 4 September, this time at Culligran Estate, near Beauly.
The demonstration day will provide the opportunity to hear at first hand from professionals and experts in deer farming, on subjects including herd management and stocking, deer health, fencing and equipment requirements, finance and land management.
The Venison Advisory Service (VAS) and Chartered Surveyors Bell Ingram, have teamed up to stage two Introduction to Deer Farming days in Scotland, one in Perthshire on Thursday 26 July, and a second in the north in September.
The demonstration days will provide the opportunity to hear from professionals and experts in deer farming, on subjects including herd management and stocking, fencing and equipment requirements, finance and land management.
A BDFPA open day is being held at Cassafuir Farm, Blairhoyle, Port of Menteith FK8 3LF on Saturday 29 April 2017 from 09.30 – 15.30hrs by kind permission of Jamie and Natalie Hammond. The full day event gives a comprehensive picture particularly to aspirational deer farmers about entry to the sector and getting started and includes what is sure to be an inspirational talk by Tom Lewis of Monachyle Mhor on a chef’s view of venison.
“Deer farmers have this week been informed the future is still bright with increased demand for venison outstripping an estimated 5 per cent annual increase in production.”
A joint Lowland Deer Network Scotland – Scottish Land & Estates ‘Walk and Talk’ event will be held at Caddonfoot Hall, Clovenfords TD1 3LG, Yair Hill Forest and Torwoodlee and Buckholm Estates on Wednesday 8 June 2016
The final demonstration day in the 2015 series will take place in Fife on Friday 20 November.
The next deer farm and park demonstration project event takes place at Borgue Village Hall and Gledpark, Borgue, Dumfries and Galloway (courtesy of Rupert Shaw) on Tuesday 15 September 2015.
The Deer Farm and Park Demonstration Project in 2015 will be based at a number of different locations rather than just one. Venues will be Clathic, Crieff, Perthshire, and Gledpark, Borgue, Dumfries & Galloway. There will be two days held at each location and a final day at a third location yet to be decided.
An excellent new report on the health qualities of venison and the requirement and work being done to increase venison production in Scotland has been published by the Food Health Innovation Service in Scotland.
Download the report (PDF, 665 kB).
John Fletcher is a speaker at the Farming Scotland Conference, ‘Progress to Profit’ which takes place in Carnoustie on 5 February 2015. John, a deer farmer, vet, and a director of Venison Advisory Service Ltd, will be speaking on The Background to the Recent Upsurge in Scottish Deer Farms and Venison Production.
Other speakers at the conference, which is sponsored by EQ Accountants, Bell Ingram, Thorntons Law and RBS, include Professor Nick Hanley, Environmental Economist, St Andrews University; Angus Duncan, Head of Procurement, Diageo International Supply, and Jonathan Skinner, Farmers Weekly Young Farmer of the Year 2013.