Farmer Raises £27,000 for ‘Pick-ups for Peace’ with a Brilliant Borderway Online Sale of Top British Beef Genetics

In a remarkable demonstration of inspired cooperation, Aberdeen Angus breeder Daniel Whiteford has tapped into the generosity of the British beef industry to raise an astonishing total of £27,000 to support fellow farmers in war-torn East Ukraine.
[A person standing in a grassy field with cows in the background  Description automatically generated with low confidence]
Following his own journey across Europe to deliver a fully loaded pickup earlier in the year, the Berwick upon Tweed based farmer came up with a brilliant initiative to create a unique ‘Pedigrees for Peace’ online sale of top British beef genetics including his own Angus breed. With support from Josh Dowbiggin of Dowbiggin Marketing, donations from around the UK of Angus, Hereford, Limousin and Charolais genetics, gave Harrison & Hetherington a top quality timed online sale of 51 lots that sold out on May 25th and 26th for a total of almost twice the expected target of £15k.

The money will pay for three or possibly four used pick-up trucks and their full complement of supplies, to be delivered to the 24th Lviv Danylo Separate Mechanized Brigade, as part of the Pickups for Peace campaign.

Daniel Whiteford of Borewell Farm can still hardly believe how successful his fundraising venture has been. “When I went out to Ukraine last month to donate my own truck, I saw for myself what the Ukrainian people were facing, and what a difference these pickups are making to the 24th Brigade. So, working with Josh we started asking other beef farmers if they would donate lots for an online sale, and the response and generosity was incredible. So was the response from Harrison & Hetherington and Mart Eye, who organized and carried out the sale at no charge, and from the buyers who raised this amazing total of over £27k. I can’t thank everybody enough. It’s a brilliant result.”

Scott Donaldson, Managing Director of Harrison & Hetherington, has never organized a sale quite like this and feels truly humbled:  “This whole initiative was a wonderful testimony to the UK farming community and their determination to support the Ukrainian people, and it just shows what can be done in two weeks. Daniel secured some top class lots from the leading beef breeds and buyers from the four corners snapped them up for very generous prices to give us a result far beyond our expectations. Congratulations to Daniel for the idea and the energy to make it happen, and thank you to every single donor and buyer who made this such an unbelievably successful sale in the best possible cause.”

Pickups for Peace Is an initiative aiming to send at least 200 used pickups filled with essential supplies to farmers in Eastern Ukraine. The NFU is hoping to hit the target by the end of the year, and all donations are welcome.

You can support this wonderful cause by donating your old but roadworthy pickup or supplies to fill the trucks, or both. You can also donate funds to pay the costs of transport and return flights for drivers, or volunteer your time to drive a truck yourself.

For more details on what and how to donate visit:  https://www.nfuonline.com/media/lurh3oy4/pick-ups-for-peace-9-mar-23.pdf