THIS ARTICLE FROM Pride in Promoting the Guernsey Breed by Tom Edwards

Family firm Meadow Court Farm won the Natwest Small Business and the Commerce and Employment Best Guernsey Business of the Year Award at the 22nd Awards For Achievement last night at Beau Sejour.    An 800-strong crowd gathered at Beau Sejour to witness businesses which had excelled. The Watts family spoke of their pride in promoting the Guernsey breed of cow and how playing a pivotal part in the community was top of the agenda for Meadow Court Farm.  Owner Ray Watts said it was an honour even to have been short-listed. "Every morning all the staff have breakfast together and one day I brought up the possibility of entering the competition," he said. "There were mixed feelings, but my view was that it would be good practise for another year. "We never expected to win. "The business is in a stage of development and we have been flabbergasted about that uptake of our various meat products.  People are beginning to realise that local produce is as high quality as anywhere else in the world." Meadow Court Farm was established in 1970, utilising 700 vergees of land and answerable to 42 landlords.  Mr Watts' son, James, came into the business in 1999, reflecting the family's commitment to its cause. The farm's core activities involve milk, beef and "rose" veal production, feed, forage and bedding and the rearing of dairy followers. In addition, the Farm provides horse livery, meat butchering and retailing. Its customers include the dairy, restaurants, private meat customers, horse owners and the general public.   The Watts family, Ray, left, Joc and James, at their Meadow Court Farm in St Andrew's. The family-run firm are proud winners of the NatWest Small Business and the Commerce and Employment Best Guernsey Business of the Year Award. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0531265)  While the Farmers' Market has been the farm's biggest shop window for promotion and fostering community involvement, the farm also offers access and visits to schools, charities, international groups and sporting clubs. "We always encourage people to come and have a look round. We are, after all, only custodians of the countryside," said Mr Watts. "The industry has to have a spokesman and we are happy to do that job.  Years ago, everyone used to know a farmer, but that's not the case any more." The farm is the proud owner of a 130-strong herd of the world-renowned Guernsey, with one of the highest genetic merits in the country and has reared two of the top four globally-ranked breed of bulls.  The Guernsey Breed is Guernsey's living heritage and developing it is the farm's raison d'etre. " We are very lucky to have such a prestigious and wonderful breed and we see it as our responsibility to promote it around the world," said Mr Watts.  "I think it's fair to say we're putting Guernsey on the map, the potential for the future is phenomenal.  We're just scraping the surface at the moment."