Meet your regional representative - Edward Adamson

Edward Adamson is a sheep and beef farmer farming in partnership with his son Stewart on their farm at Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland.

Progeny from the commercial ewe flock is finished or sold for breeding with calves from a suckler cow herd sold as stores. Edward has actively been involved in the sheep breeding world in the UK for many years and has judged sheep throughout the UK and in France.

In 1993 Edward exhibited The Interbreed Champion at RUAS, Balmoral Show against 13 other breeds which resulted in their first export sale of embryos to the USA. Since then, Edward has been involved in promoting and selling breeding stock for export to several countries. Recording data Edward feels is important for improvements in the sheep sector and has been recording their own flock of Ile de France sheep with the Signet Sheepbreeder Scheme since 1988 and has now included their flock of Dutch Spotted sheep. Edward said: “Improving performance right across the sheep sector is key and effective data recording is an important tool and not only supports our efforts to increase the export of pedigree stock but will also help the sheep industry on its path towards “Net Zero”.

Edward has always been an active member of the sheep industry in Northern Ireland including being a past NI Chairman for the National Sheep Association (NSA) later being appointed secretary and is now NI Development Officer and Manager. Edward was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Agricultural Societies, (FRAgS) for his work on behalf of the NI Sheep Industry.

In 2023 Edward was elected the Country Representative for Antrim for Ulster Wool. This is a voluntary role which is key in representing members within the county and an important link between the organisation and its members. Edward commented: “I feel very proud to be a County Representative for Ulster Wool. Being so involved in the sheep industry it was only natural that I’d have an interest in wool and how it could be developed into a viable product as was the case in the past. We all ask why is such a useful sustainable product not able to command a better price? Innovative thinking is needed to find a way to utilise wool in a more financially viable way”.