My guest on the programme is Jock Gibson; he is a farmer and butcher from Dallas, Forres in the North East of Scotland. My home town.
Unusually this conversation is not the result of a social media connection. When I arrived here 15 years ago, I became a consultant and did a stint with the local Enterprise company. Jock Gibson was one of my clients. I moved on from that contract, Jock and I kept in touch and have remained social media friends.
Together with his wife, Fiona, they farm beef cattle native to the Scottish Highlands and sell their produce through the family butchers shop Macbeth’s. They supply hotels and restaurants as well as private individuals up and down the country with an online shop. His business is vertical in that they see the process from start to finish.
Jock a man of the land.
However originally he studied engineering at Manchester University and after completing a couple of years sailing, started work for a building services consultancy in Peterborough. That was not the path, so after another university degree and another engineering job in Glasgow, it was clear that was not the path. So Jock returned to Dallas to take on the family butchery business.
That is a story in itself..
My interest in getting Jock on the show has been his dedication and passion for his industry. He says that farming is the most exciting industry to be in at the moment as there is so much opportunity.
That opportunity came in 2015, after the death of his parents. He and Fiona took on the family farm and now live there with their three children.
Jock is active in the industry as a board member for Quality Meat Scotland, a director for the Farmer Jones Academy and on the steering committee for the Highlands & Islands Food and Drink Awards.
Our conversation is very different from previous guests. It is a hands-on hard job with some harsh realities. Agriculture like every business is facing enormous change. However, they are facing it at every level, with environmental concerns, regulations and political upheaval.
I also want Jock on the show as many of the previous guests have been virtual business or service providers. There is a story here of his family and his success and the challenges that he faces in a tight market.
Changing Times
While we managed to steer clear of Brexit sort of, it’s almost impossible because it is such a significant issue in his life. It will affect pretty much everything that he does.
I hope you enjoy the conversation with Jock Gibson.
If you would like to get in touch with Jock Gibson, His social media and web site links are below. M
Website and online shop Macbeth’s Butchers to connect with Jock directly Twitter Linkedin Facebook
Change Your World Every Day
I mentioned this a few weeks back, the change your world project is going global with an online programme. The opportunity is now and Change Your Worlds Every Day has launched.
The founder Suzy Beaumont in pulling in some amazing people to support your journey. The process features daily actions that will take you forward towards goals and life changes. Even if you are like me and struggle with the concept if goals.
