The McGregor family took the tenancy of Coldstream Mains. James McGregor moved from Park Mains near Paisley with his parents. They brought with them their herd of Ayrshire dairy cows and started a milk round in Coldstream. There were also sheep, pigs, cereals and potatoes.
The family can trace their farming roots back to 1709 as dairy farmers in Ayrshire.
Ian McGregor joins his father in the family partnership trading as J & I McGregor. The decision was made in the next few years to move out of livestock farming.
The last of the dairy herd was sold. Coldstream Mains was now totally arable. Cereals, seed potatoes and sugar beet were grown. Many thought “it would never do” being a solely arable unit!
The sugar beet processing factory in Cupar, Fife was closed causing a cropping appraisal. Ian McGregor was a founding member of ELBA a farmer’s co-operative formed to grow vining peas. This lead to the building of a freezing factory at Eyemouth (Scotfresh) and the growing of field vegetables to utilise the factory (cauliflowers, sprouts etc) The factory is still in existence today run by Eyemouth Freezers (Farmer shareholders) and it processes peas grown by Scottish Borders Produce (Farmers co-operative).
Strawberries were grown initially for the fresh market then as a Pick Your Own enterprise. This expanded to growing a range of other soft-fruits on 12ha.
Ian McGregor died aged 37.
Margo McGregor ran the family partnership with the help of a Farm Manager. The business continued to grow cereals, potatoes, vegetables & soft-fruit.
Colin McGregor was given responsibility for the daily running of the business when he was 21. The Business was rationalised from it’s complicated background of fruit, vegetables, potatoes and cereals to a simple cereal and potato rotation. The business specialised in pre-pack potato production and this area was built up to 140ha all destined for the supermarkets and stored in 5000 tonnes of cold storage which had been constructed on the farm.
The Business was approached to contract farm 100 ha of nearby land.
A similar Agreement on a neighbouring farm of 300 ha was established.
Colin and Jill were married. Jill joined the Farming Partnership. Jill is a Northumberland farmer’s daughter with a background in Rural Business Administration.
The Business was approached by four other Businesses to enter into Contract Farming Agreements. 6000 tonnes of grain storage was constructed at Coldstream Mains.
As a result of a strategic review of the overall business potato production is currently a collaboration with Greenvale AP.
The Grain Plant was upgraded to a 150 t/hr intake with 600 tonnes of pre-grain drier storage.
David Fuller joined the Management Team of the Business as Arable Technical Manager in June 2008.
The business was approached by three other Businesses to enter Contract Farming Agreements.
Winner of the “Arable Farmer of the Year 2011” in the Farmers Weekly Awards.
The Bunkhouse, Staff Room, Wash Bay & Chemical Store were constructed/renovated.
Coldstream Mains hosted the Scottish Ploughing Championships on the 27th & 28th October 2012.
Progressive Agri Ltd (Buying Co-operative) was formed.
The business was approached by five other Businesses to enter Contract Farming Agreements.
In June it participated in the Guiness World Record of the “The most Case IH Quadtracs cultivating in one field”
100 kW PV panels installed on the a grain store roof.