Farming Scotland Magazine (May - June 2021 Edition) by Athole Design & Publishing Ltd

Proud to support Scottish farming, and agriculture throughout the five nations

Tuathanachas Alba

magazine

PÖTTINGER’S 150th Anniversary Open Farm Sunday Tagging and Recording Ross Agri Services Agri Showcase World Farming The Netherlands

Made in Scotland Cheese

Our Farm Shop Marshall’s Farm Shop, Kintore Topic ‘Brexit, migration and seasonal workers’ By Anderson Strathern

£3.50

Diversification Getting Fizzy with Summer House Drinks

June 2021

Travel Scotland Discovering rural hideaways Articles Earth Day: Engineering a circular food economy Three brothers Vet Skills Centre for Aberdeen Helping tree planting plus Scottish Country Life s Women in Agriculture Northern Isles News s Beatha an Eilean Book Serial s Baking with Vegetables including our regular news areas and columns

contents

June 2021

FEATURES

DIVERSIFICATION

BOOK SERIAL

26 37 46

106 The Cairngorms (Part 3)

65 88

Ross Agri Services Open Farm Sunday PÖTTINGER’S 150th Anniversary Tagging and Recording Agri Showcase

ARTICLES 23 54 61 62

Earth Day New F.A.S. Three Brothers Vet Skills Centre, Aberdeen 100 Tree Planting

Marshall’s Farm Shop, Kintore

The Netherlands

TOPIC 38

108 Vegetable Lattice Pie

Cheese

NORTHERN ISLES NEWS 56

From Orkney & Shetland

TRAVEL SCOTLAND

Eggs and Milk

WORLD FARMING 24

BAKING WITH VEGETABLES

Rural hideaways

TRAINVIEW TALK

OUR FARM SHOP 20

MADE IN SCOTLAND

FLAVOUR OF SCOTLAND

Getting Fizzy!

Brexit, migration and seasonal workers

All Editorial & PR enquiries EDITOR Athole Murray Fleming Tel. 01738 639747 E-mail: mail@farmingscotlandmagazine.com

A livestock diary

WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE 94

Events and competition

BEATHA AN EILEAN 104 Life on the Islands

SCOTTISH COUNTRY LIFE 105 With Linda Mellor

All Advertising & Editorial enquiries ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Athole Murray Fleming Tel. 01738 639747 E-mail: mail@farmingscotlandmagazine.com

THE BOOK SHELF 130 Two books to read

NEWS AREAS 6 18 22 34 36 40 60 64 68 78 84 87 95 96 100 110 128 129

Arable & Root Crops Food Organics Environment Renewable Energy Technology Young Farmers Beef Livestock Dairy Sheep Pigs Horses Estate Forestry Machinery Finance People on the Move

COLUMNS 6 7

Editor’s Bit In my view

ADVERTISING MANAGER Barry Tweed Tel. 01738 550157 Email: barry@farmingscotlandmagazine.com

94 15 17 19 35 60 64 75 77 86 95 97 99

Scotland the Brand R.S.A.B.I. Hutton Institute Farming for the Climate Next Generation Quality Meat Scotland The Vet NFU Scotland Crofting Southern Belle Conservation Matters Scottish Land & Estates

SUBSCRIPTIONS 109 Order your own copy here.

NEXT ISSUE Out in July. See our website for details. www.farmingscotlandmagazine. com

ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Please call 01738 639747 or email mail@farmingscotlandmagazine.com COVER IMAGE: Agrotechnology

ADVERTISING MANAGER Trevor Knights Tel. 01738 447378 Email: trevor.knights@farmingscotlandmagazine.com

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Christina Fleming Email: christina@atholedesign.com COPYRIGHT This publication has been produced and published by ATHOLE DESIGN & PUBLISHING LTD who are the copyright owners. No reproduction, copying, image scanning, storing or recording of any part of this publication without the permission of ATHOLE DESIGN & PUBLISHING LTD. Contents disclaimer: FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE is not responsible for any factual inaccuracies within press information supplied to us. Any concerns regarding such matters should be directed to the supplier of the materials. FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE is designed, produced and published by Athole Design & Publishing Ltd., Tolastadh, 18 Corsie Drive, Kinnoull, Perth, Scotland PH2 7BU. Tel. 01738 639747 est 1994

ISSN: 2041–918X

©ATHOLE DESIGN 2021

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arable & root crops Growers encouraged to complete the planting and editor's bit variety survey Opportunity knocks for local produce After seeing Canadian Bacon in a local ‘well known’ up market retail outlet recently, it really set me wondering why I wasn’t seeing locally sourced Scottish bacon? I am not going to go into the ‘national lag’ thing, however I do have to ask why this bacon had to travel all the way over from Canada when we have fantastic Oak smoked Puddledub bacon just down the road in Fife? (My personal favourite!) Not quite as bad as the Peruvian Lamb I once saw in Tesco, but at what price to the planet? This concern can be repeated all over the UK of course. Whenever I am anywhere, I want to have the option of sampling the local produce, this is not a singular nationalistic view, but one of wishing to experience other cultures and traditions. Local farmed produce and their uniquely historical recipes are things of wonder and great enjoyment. In Scotland and all the nations of the British Isles we have a fantastic array of great food that the ‘traveller’ should indulge in, and our major food shops should reflect that in the areas where they are based, keeping it local rather than their current lazy approach to the same old, same old! There is an opportunity out there if the industry pushes hard enough. Slàinte, Athole.

The AHDB Planting and Variety Survey is to provide the earliest view of Great Britain’s planted area for the upcoming harvest. The planting survey will estimate the area of cereals and oilseed rape intended for harvest in 2021 in Great Britain. The variety survey also aims to assess the varietal composition of the wheat, barley, oats and oilseed rape crops in Great Britain. By publishing the results, AHDB aims to accurately quantify the harvested area of the UK, which can assist in the marketing decisions made by all levy payers. The information can be used to shape the domestic market and trade. It can also detail regional differences of cropping across GB. It can also help inform crop development and focus the genetic development for future seasons. Simply provide the area harvested in 2020 and your intended harvest area for 2021, together with the variety, for each crop listed. This can be easily and simply completed via our online portal. The results of the Planting Survey will be available online at ahdb.org. uk in July, and more detailed analysis will be available in the AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds market pages.

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Next Issue July 2021 www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

arable & root crops Minimise barley stress to counter ramularia threat Spring barley growers can reduce the yield and qualityrobbing effects of ramularia by shielding crops from the effects of stress. That’s the latest advice from agronomy firm ProCam, with the company’s regional technical manager for Scotland, Alistair Gordon, warning that the physiological effects of drought stress and soil nutrient deficiencies can trigger outbreaks of the disease in infected plants. “The good news for growers of spring barley is that even if a crop has been infected by ramularia the disease can remain dormant without causing too much undue damage to the crop’s yield or quality potential,” Mr Gordon explains. “Unfortunately, if infected crops are subsequently subjected to stress factors such as adverse weather, or a shortage of soil moisture or inadequate trace elements, they can be significantly hampered by outbreaks of the disease.” With the loss of chlorothalonil (CTL) – a key fungicide historically considered to reduce ramularia – growers should take steps to ensure crops remain healthy and stress-free, believes Mr Gordon. “We can’t do much to control the weather, but we can take steps to mitigate other stresses such as soil health and the provision of nutrients and trace elements. The key is to understand exactly how the crop is progressing and to ensure the soil contains adequate nutrients to meet its ongoing needs.”

In my view By John Cameron Balbuthie, Kilconquhar, Fife

The politics of life?

Mr Gordon recommends the use of in-season leaf tissue testing: “Soils can look good, and crops can appear healthy, but it is impossible to tell if a crop is being held back by a lack of nutrients, especially manganese, zinc and copper,” he explains. “A post-harvest grain analysis will provide a good performance review at the end of the season to indicate whether or not the crop had received adequate nutrients and will help to dictate the nutrient strategy for the following year, but by that stage in proceedings it will be too late to affect the crop’s performance in the current season.”

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Subscription details on page 109 www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

By the time these words are printed the election will probably be over and all the hyperbole will be concluded. Some hope! As a lifelong farmer, I still firstly tend to judge the merits of the various parties through the eyes of agriculture and then consider their approach to the many other aspects affecting our day to day lives. I think we are probably fortunate in farming in our present Scottish Minister – Fergus Ewing. He does seem to have a genuine interest in the fortunes of our industry and also – importantly in my view – he seems to appreciate just how much the social fabric of our fragile areas does depend on agriculture. He fought long and hard over the financial convergence agreement and secured a favourable outcome for Scotland. On more practical matters, - he appears to understand the implications of the current proposed amendments on transport legislation and the effect they would have in Scotland and the Islands in particular. He has also demonstrated that he has a sense of humour – for me an absolute necessity – with his well-known remark regarding the release of Lynx – ‘over my dead body’! My problem is whether – in the event of an SNP Government – he will keep the Agricultural portfolio – or be replaced? The other main source of contention in the debate so far

has been this hotly disputed question of possible independence for Scotland and whether it is appropriate for this debate to be taking place at the present moment against the background of the effects of the Covid pandemic. I do think this is a serious point for debate and I do take exception when arguments are made so obviously for political purposes – as opposed to reality. The one thing I think is a reliable and recognised and totally impartial assessment of the financial agreements – both for and against – of the implications of Independence – supported by reliable and respected institutions without political implications. I live in hope! Talking of hope, - I must say that I hope that future rounds of the various National TV debates are more constructive than the first, - where political point scoring – as opposed to reasoned agreement – seemed to prevail. I must say however that some of the new faces – but not all – were inspiring! One final point – on which I feel strongly – no one politician should be a member of two parliaments. It is demeaning in my opinion for any one politician to think he can efficiently do two jobs simultaneously and serve his constituents adequately. The pandemic had definitely brought producers and consumers closer together with a better understanding of our respective roles. Let’s hope our politicians follow suit! 7

arable & root crops New biscuit wheat offers best on farm yield security LG Astronomer is an exciting new biscuit wheat that offers one of the most complete agronomic packages of any winter wheat available on the AHDB Recommend List for 2021/22. Achieving high yields and gaining a premium is always an attractive proposition for growers as they look to maximise their most profitable crop - and now with the added bonus of on-farm security, LG Astronomer makes for a really attractive package for the coming season, says Ron Granger from plant breeder Limagrain UK. LG Astronomer offers consistency in biscuit wheat yields, with a UK wide yield of 101.1% and a very impressive untreated yield of 86%;

significantly better than the untreated yields of KWS Firefly (80%) and KWS Barrel (71%). “Its best performance is in the east (102%) and its characteristics will suit growers in both the west and the north,” he adds. LG Astronomer’s pedigree of ‘(Cougar x Leeds) x Britannia’, has resulted in a variety that is tall and stiff strawed with OWBM resistance, and a similar maturity of ‘+1’, to KWS Firefly. “Its disease resistance profile is pretty impressive, particularly for the rusts - with ratings of 9 for both brown and yellow rust, and this is supported by a very good septoria tritici rating of 7.4, raising the bar above the present commercial biscuit varieties, Elicit (5.1) and KWS Firefly (6.8).

Syngenta Environmental Seed Offers combine agronomy and ecology benefits Syngenta has launched the company’s new 2021 Environmental Seed Offers, with a range of subsidised seed mixes providing important agronomic, economic and environmental benefits.

The options include a Bees’n’Seeds mix that combines both summer flowering pollen and nectar sources for insects, followed by prolific seed production for overwinter bird

food. The mix is suitable quality for some stewardship payments. A colourful Annual Wildflower mix is the backbone of the Syngenta Operation Pollinator initiative that is hugely attractive to pollinating

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insects to boost flowering crops, as well a vibrant habitat for many beneficial predators. Thirdly, the Green Headland mix has pioneered growing a cover crop on uncropped margins

arable & root crops around potato and vegetable fields, to protect and enhance soil structure, retain and build nutrients in the field and create a vibrant increase in biodiversity. The highly successful concept has also proven valuable on arable field headlands and the regeneration of wider areas of uncropped land. Syngenta Sustainability Manager, Belinda Bailey, highlighted the mixes have all been developed to offer agronomic benefits, alongside their environmental value. “Growers and agronomists are increasingly looking at how some of the environmental features can actually enhance the overall farm profitability and sustainability of their systems. That includes aspects such as soil health, grass weed management and pest control. “All of the Syngenta Environmental Seed Offers have valuable attributes to contribute to the farm’s agronomy.”

The different Syngenta mixes are available at a subsidised cost from £35 to £52 per hectare pack, including delivery and

accompanying grower guidelines and advice for establishment and care, subject to availability. More information and details

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are available on the Syngenta website – www.syngenta.co.uk - or from the company’s local Area Managers.

arable & root crops Don’t overlook the importance of calcium for potato quality Are your potatoes getting enough calcium? Natalie Wood, Country Arable Agronomist at Yara, explains that this crucial nutrient plays a vital role in ensuring quality parameters: “Calcium, along with other nutrients, can make the difference between selling the crop pre-pack or as ware. The cost of application is compensated for by the price differential.” Natalie took the time to answer some questions on the importance of calcium and how to most effectively apply it in order to maximise quality.

Q: What role does calcium play? “Calcium has multiple supporting functions. Potatoes need calcium to strengthen their tuber skin, for example. This not only results in a better skin finish but improves resistance against many diseases, including black scurf, silver scurf and both common and powdery scab.” “Deficiency in calcium can also cause internal rust spot, discolouration and hollow tubers, so ensuring availability is crucial.”

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arable & root crops Q: When should calcium be applied? “Applying calcium at tuber initiation is important so that the developing tuber can be flushed with soluble calcium.” Q: Does the source of calcium matter? “Yes, getting the source right is also key. Many incorrectly believe that liming on its own will be able to provide enough calcium for the crop. However, that’s usually not the case; many liming materials contain calcium carbonate. This is not highly water-soluble, meaning the calcium is not freely available to the crop throughout the growing season.” Q: What kind of product should we use? “Choose a product that delivers what you need at high solubility levels. Lime, for example, is calcium carbonate and requires 66,000 litres of water to dissolve

just 1kg. That’s a long time before the calcium becomes plantavailable – it certainly won’t be during the season when it’s required. A product that only needs 1 litre of water to dissolve 1kg,

however, would ensure availability for the plant during those crucial stages.” “Calcium is a very important nutrient when growing potatoes. That said, it’s easy to underestimate

how much of a difference it can make. To get the best results possible in your potato crop, use the right product at the right time to make sure calcium is available to support healthy growth.”

New Product Announcement – ScanStone TriStar Destoner ScanStone has this week announced the release of their new TriStar destoner models. Based on the chassis of their current 4 Webbers, the TriStar is available in a narrow (1540mm) and soon to follow is the wide (1740mm) working width. The TriStar carries on with the award winning open front system with large front discs which are hydraulically controlled. The pressure can be set by the operator depending on ground conditions

and the discs always float to the contour of the ground. The share can be multi blade or full width. The key to the TriStar’s performance is the configuration. After the share it goes onto a front digger web, followed by 3 rows of fixed stars. The stars help break down any clod and help convey material through the rest of the machine over the webs. The main advantage on the ScanStone, and often referred to as the trademark of the ScanStone

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destoner range is the front intake web, this limits the wear on stars down at the front of the machine and drastically reduces running costs. After the stars the soil moves onto a second web followed finally by a rear web. This combination of stars and webs will give operators fantastic performance in varying soil conditions. The TriStar comes as standard with a hydraulically driven scrubber web which rotates over the rear web. The driven

arable & root crops scrubber has varying pressure, speed and direction for heavy clay or light soil with high stone content. The new TriStar is operated using ScanStone’s latest Advanced Control System which has a number of automated functions included a Headland Management System (HMS). This allows seamless row in/row out functionality allowing the operator to focus on other things and letting the machine run its own startup and shut down of functions such as self-centre steering, activation of depth control, changing direction of cross conveyor and switching on the driven scrubber web. The machine can be specified with or with a stone box and can be fitted with hydraulic or air brakes. To find out more about the new TriStar destoner or about the rest of our product range, please contact your local ScanStone depot, located in 4 key sites in the UK; Forfar, Brigg, Lakenheath and Northern Ireland.

A new vision for high quality onion sorting at Elveden A turnkey optical onion sorting line featuring a collaboration between UK vegetable handling equipment manufacturer Tong Engineering, and French machinery manufacturer MAF

Agrobotic, has enabled leading UK vegetable producer Elveden Farms Ltd to minimise labour requirements whilst increasing capacity and yield across its onion processing operations.

Based on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, Elveden Farms markets over 45,000 tonnes of onions each year to the supermarket, wholesale and processing sectors, handling up to 300 tons of onions per day.

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Andrew Francis, Farms Director at Elveden Farms explained; “Our requirements for the new optical sorting line were very specific. We employed an independent, specialist

arable & root crops

consultant to research the market and determine the optical sorting machine that would provide the highest quality results on our onion crop. As the UK distributor of MAF Agrobotic equipment, Tong presented the optical sorting capabilities of MAF, which could be integrated within a complete Tong line. Working closely on the project with Tong and MAF for almost 2 years, performing many tests with Elveden onions, it was clear that the turnkey optical sorting solution they could offer was going to be the best. We were very impressed by the scale of MAF Agrobotic expertise and development resources which provided confidence that the bespoke solution would fulfil our current and future requirements.” The new optical sorting line at Elveden features custom built infeed equipment from Tong, with a focus on effective topping of onions to ensure the best presentation of crop to the MAF sorter, for optimum sizing and defect sorting. For maximum flexibility, the Tong design includes both conventional fan topping alongside scroll topping

equipment with bypass options. Once the onions have been received and topped, MAF’s flagship optical sorting machine, the Pomone, weight-grades crop as well as externally and internally sorting. The 10-lane model of the Pomone is capable of sorting over 30 tons of onions per hour at an average onion weight of 130 grams. The proven MAF Pomone sorter features high-performance optical sorting technology. The G7 is MAF’s exclusive LED external optical sorting system, which uses cutting-edge imagery to detect any blemishes or defects to the onion’s skin finish. Its ability to identify blemishes on both white and red onions is a unique, unrivalled attribute of the MAF Pomone. In addition, highly efficient artificial intelligence algorithms can be used to allow the G7 technology to progressively learn defect specifications for even better categorisation. The G7 camera system rapidly captures multiple images of each onion, enabling extremely accurate and consistent external sorting. This, coupled with accurate size grading ensures near-perfect sizing of crop.

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arable & root crops

Liquid fertiliser offers sustainable choice for potato growers A recent trial in potatoes has shown that using smart liquid fertilisers can significantly reduce the amount of phosphate required to generate one tonne of yield when compared to traditional granular fertilisers. Carl Gibbard, Agro-Vital technical manager, explains this insight could pay dividends as growers plan their crop nutrition programme for the upcoming season and seek more environmentally sustainable products. “The healthy establishment of potatoes has significant effects on the final yield a grower can achieve. Therefore, delivering the right nutrients to the plant at the right time, particularly phosphate, is incredibly important for the success of a potato crop,” says Carl. “Our 2020 trials, carried out in collaboration with Oxford Agricultural Trials (OAT), looked at exactly this – the efficiency of P-Focus, an NPK liquid fertiliser, against a farm-standard triple super phosphate (TSP) measuring yield repone and quality of Maris Piper potatoes.” The trial results showed no significant difference in yields from the plots grown with the farm standard TSP and the liquid fertiliser when applied at

planting, but the total amount of phosphate used to generate each tonne of potatoes was drastically reduced when using the liquid starter fertiliser. “In the farm-standard TSP plots, 3.56 kg/ha of P2O5 was required for each tonne of yield. Whereas the potatoes grown with P-Focus liquid fertiliser only needed 0.28 k/ha of P2O5 per tonne of yield which shows

a significant reduction,” explains Carl. “This difference highlights a reduced need for high volume applications of fertilisers which can help growers to save both time and money. “Choosing effective and more sustainable fertilisers for crop nutrition is going to be a really important consideration for growers over the next few years

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particularly in light of ELMs and rising input prices. “Having options such as P-Focus on the market will be invaluable for growers in order to combat the day-to-day farm pressures they face and will allow farmers to adopt a more sustainable approach to farming while still producing a high yielding, quality crop,” he concludes.

arable & root crops Absolute parity required to resolve seed potato export issues

Scotland The Brand

Flowers of Scotland

NFU Scotland has responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation on exporting Scottish seed potatoes to the Europe Union (EU) and Northern Ireland (NI), calling for UK Governments to focus on and explore all possible avenues to reopen the EU and NI markets to ensure reciprocal arrangements in accordance with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) are in place as soon as possible and that there is equivalence across all imports and exports. The Union also stated that it was fully supportive of Scottish Government’s proposal to work across Great Britain to develop a thriving and self-contained seed potato market. This will help address the ongoing disadvantage being experienced by Scotland’s seed potato businesses following the loss of established markets in NI and the EU post Brexit. With regard to the consultation proposal about examining a ‘Scotland-specific’ agreement with the EU, the Union was categorical in its response that this is not a valuable use of resources across Governments or of benefit to the sector, would be against the UK Internal Market Act 2020, and that the priority activity should be channelled into resolving the current disparity and building a prosperous, sustainable market. Commenting on the Union’s consultation response, Martin Kennedy, NFU Scotland President

said; “We have welcomed the opportunity to respond to the Scottish Government’s consultation on seed potato exports. Our principal response is that securing an agreement under the TCA as soon as possible is essential as time is of the essence. Seed potato growers across the UK are being severely impacted by the continued blocking of the UK’s application for equivalency which is incompatible with the TCA. “There has to be parity for the sector. The current derogation that allows EU seed potatoes to come into the UK until the end of June 2021 has been unhelpful in encouraging an agreement on equivalence and we are calling for this not to be extended. “We are also advocating Government support for identifying and developing a thriving, sustainable market within GB. Scotland’s seed potato producers are seeking such opportunities and security so that they can grow with confidence knowing that there is a identified market for their highquality produce. “NFU Scotland will continue to lobby both governments with urgency to safeguard Scotland’s high-value potato industry. We must focus on what is clearly achievable through the TCA and work towards the right and proper outcome for our significant seed potato sector and its economic importance to Scotland.”

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A new movement is blooming across Scotland – flower growers are organising to create an industry voice and a platform for the sector. Cut flowers are big business but most of the stems we buy are flown in from across the world via auction houses in the Netherlands. As more shoppers turn their focus on sustainability and the carbon footprint behind our choices, one organisation is working to raise the profile of the ‘buy local’ message which is meeting such success in the food and drink sector. ‘Flowers Grown in Scotland’ is an industry-led association made up of microgrowers raising ranunculus and roses on smallholdings, to those harvesting narcissus for spring markets. Claire Dyce is the spokesperson for this new initiative. She is passionate about spreading the word – Scotland’s fields are bursting with colour and are full of potential! “Clear provenance is key. One of the largest flower growers in Scotland is Grampian Growers, a co-operative which comprises 12 farms with 1200 acres of daffodils between them.

Sales have been solely built on Scottish provenance, traceability, and husbandry. Scotland’s climate means we have reduced pressure from pests and plant diseases so chemical and water use is lower than will be found in other nations, such as Kenya and South Africa. People would be astonished if they knew how far the flowers on their table had travelled,” Claire says. Brexit has seen a shortage of skilled pickers heading to Scotland’s flower fields, but some growers are getting around this with ‘pick your own bouquet’ initiatives proving popular. “‘Flowers Grown in Scotland’ have unique characteristics – provenance, variety, artisanal, carbon credentials, good scent, and long vase life. Scotland can grow equally beautiful flowers as the rest of the world,” Claire says. “If you’re a Scottish flower grower, we would love to hear from you!” The potential to develop Scotland’s home-grown market in flowers and foliage is significant. What a beautiful way to #keepScotlandtheBrand!

FLAVOUR OF SCOTLAND

Staying sunny side-up: Farmlay continues to put its eggs in Aldi’s basket Brunch enthusiasts continue to enjoy a full range of 100% Scottish hens eggs at Aldi thanks to cracking success with Aberdeenshire-based supplier, Farmlay. Now one of the largest egg production units in Scotland, the family business started rearing poultry on a farm in 1946. Farmlay then went on to specialise in eggs in the 1970s, and now packs almost 5 million eggs of the highest quality each week. Farmlay’s Robert Chapman says the secret to their eggs is having happy hens. The business is devoted to the highest levels of bird welfare and ensures it provides the best conditions for its almost-one-million hens. Farmlay, run by husbandand-wife team Robert and Ethel Chapman along with their son Iain, has supplied Aldi with its finest quality Scottish eggs since 2010 as part of the supermarket’s ongoing commitment to championing Scottish produce. Farmlay has continued to enjoy success over the years thanks to this strong partnership and is Aldi’s sole supplier of Scottish eggs, currently sending almost 2 million eggs to Aldi stores in Scotland each week. Now in its third generation of family-ownership, Farmlay manages each stage of the production process and even uses its own transport fleet to ensure safe delivery. It works with 23 contract producers and is committed to making sure each egg is enjoyed as fresh as it possibly can be. Robert Chapman, Managing Director of Farmlay, commented: “We are a proud Scottish company and it has always been clear that Aldi echo our beliefs in championing the best produce that Scotland has to offer. It was definitely one of the main attractions to working with Aldi. “Their support has been key for our growth over the years, 16

and I am very proud that we are still their sole egg supplier in Scotland. We are so pleased that our delicious eggs are available for customers across the country to enjoy at a fair price.” Farmlay supplies Aldi with its full everyday range of 100% Scottish eggs, which include Free Range, Golden and

Organic. Together with Aldi, it is now working to refurbish its barns to coincide with Aldi’s commitment to be 100% cagefree across all their shell eggs and egg ingredients in products by 2025, due to this commitment, Aldi was awarded the ‘Good Egg Award’ for Compassion in World Farming in 2020.

Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland, said: “I am extremely proud of our long partnership with Farmlay, which epitomises the kind of companies that Aldi is keen to support – those that produce top quality Scottish produce. I look forward to a long future of working with Robert and his brilliant team.”

New milk vending machines at Connage Highland Dairy Connage Highland Dairy, based at Ardersier near Inverness, have this week opened their brand new ‘Connage Express’ vending machine operation. Selling their own organic milk, both pre-bottled and also for self-service customer refills, is relatively new for the dairy which is better known for its range of multi-award-winning organic cheeses. www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

FLAVOUR OF SCOTLAND

Open from 7 am until 7 pm, 7 days a week, and accepting cash as well as cards, the express machines not only sell Connage produced milk and cheeses but also products from other local businesses such as eggs and bacon as well as chutneys, biscuits, honey, coffee and more. Milk customers can buy a pre-filled bottle of milk or purchase a 1-litre bottle to refill themselves each time they return. Connage bottled milk is also now available to customers of Ardersier based Macleod Organics as part of their box delivery scheme. Connage Highland Dairy Owner, Jill Clark, said: “Whilst many customers still come into The Cheese Room where we stock a vast range of cheeses and other items, and many of our customers from further afield shop online, many people just want to come to a vending machine and take something away quickly. The fact that the Connage Express is open for longer hours than the shop also fits around people’s busy lives. “During our first few days of opening we have seen a fantastic flow of cars coming along and customers seemed to be really enjoying the experience. The range of items is large enough that everybody can find something that they will enjoy and I think that people enjoy getting local, quality products in an easy and efficient way.” Visit www.connage.co.uk to find directions to the farm or for more information about Connage Highland Dairy.

Agricultural charity sees increased demand for helpline services RSABI, the charity supporting people in Scottish agriculture, has seen a significant increase in demand for their helpline services. As well as taking inbound calls, RSABI also have a call out service which sees regular calls made to people who are feeling isolated or struggling with their mental wellbeing. In the last financial year, the team made and received an average of 228 calls a month – an increase of 63% on the previous year. During the pandemic, the charity has seen demand for their call out service grow as many people have been feeling lonely and low. The regular calls provide an opportunity to have a chat with one of RSABI’s friendly team of helpline staff and volunteers – all

Lorraine Cavan

of whom are mental health first aid trained. The charity is currently making calls to around 150 people through the service. Lorraine Caven manages RSABI’s helpline. She said: “Our call out service has really come into its own over the past 12 months. We’ve seen an increase in people who would like regular calls, as well as people wanting

more frequent calls as they’re feeling lonely and fed up. “I’d encourage anyone who is feeling low or isolated to give us a ring. We offer a friendly, confidential listening ear and can arrange to give you a regular call.” As restrictions continue, and most of the usual social gatherings are cancelled again this year, the charity will again be running the #KeepTalking campaign in coming weeks. It will encourage people in the agricultural community to stay connected and call RSABI if they need some support. RSABI provides emotional, practical and financial support to people in the Scottish agricultural industry. Their helpline – 0300 111 4166 – is open every day of the year from 7am to 11pm.

If you, or someone you know, is struggling call the RSABI helpline on 0300 111 4166

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food BBC stoops to new depths in antimeat agenda, accuses National Beef Association (NBA) The BBC has stooped to new depths in attempting to direct children in a way that could be harmful to their health and growth, says the National Beef Association (NBA) in response to the broadcaster’s new ‘one-sided’ Blue Peter initiative. In an open letter to BBC Director General Tim Davie, the NBA raises significant concerns with the new Blue Peter ‘green’badge initiative, encouraging children to be ‘environmentally friendly’ by adhering to three tasks; turn off lights, use less plastic and not to eat meat. “This absolutely implies that eating meat is not an environmentally acceptable thing to do,” says NBA CEO Neil Shand, in the letter sent to Mr Davie on 10th April. “Meat - of all origins, but especially red meat - is a valuable source of protein, vitamins and minerals, and is scientifically established to provide nutrients which are essential to development and growth of children,” he adds. Many of these nutrients that are vital to a healthy food balance cannot be found naturally in any other food source.

The NBA believes the remit appears to be to encourage children not to eat meat, without giving any positive balanced view on the benefits of meat, either to their health, to local industry or to countryside. It also fails to give any negative view on how fruit, vegetables and other plant food, along with their corresponding air miles, might impact the environment. “It is incomprehensible that this type of programme should offer views which are at best unbalanced, and at worst irresponsible,” says Mr Shand. The NBA accepts that the next generation needs to be more environmentally aware, but believes it is wholly unacceptable that only one side of a story is presented in this campaign. “Blue Peter’s attempts to influence the diet of young children away from these valuable food sources is a continuation of personal agendas by some journalists and programme makers within the Beef Bashing Corporation,” claims Mr Shand. The NBA questions Mr Davie’s stated commitment that ‘the BBC would be activists for

impartiality where bias has no place’, claiming that the imbalance in reporting is plain for all to see. In his letter, Mr Shand has requested the opportunity to discuss with Mr Davie in person,

the NBA’s concerns regarding a lack of impartiality within the BBC’s environmental reporting, and offer some ideas as to how these can be addressed in the future.

AHDB Potatoes campaign delivering results Campaign results from AHDB’s ‘New Packed Lunch’ campaign show it has reached millions, as it lands well with consumers. Launched in February, the new wave of promotional activity puts the humble baked potato at the heart of lunchtime. Recipe inspiration videos shown across Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest have been seen over 1 million times, demonstrating the ease, speed and topping variety jacket potatoes bring. 18

Influencer partnerships across social media, Britmums and Tribe has boosted conversation around jacket potatoes, highlighting their versatility and nutritional qualities. Creating 17 million opportunities to see, influencer led live twitter chats using #JacketPotatoHacks trended at number 7 in the UK, alongside AHDB’s consumer brand #LovePotatoes and #AHDBPotatoes.

Jacket potatoes were pinpointed as the ideal candidate for promotion due to the huge number of lunches being consumed at home, as a result of the pandemic. Delivering on, taste, good value and an array of toppings for any appetite, jacket potatoes bring something for everyone, from wholesome foodies, timepressed families, convenience seekers and health conscious folk alike.

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AHDB’s Strategy Director for potatoes Rob Clayton, said: “These initial results are a really positive sign that the campaign is landing well with consumers, bringing real value to growers and their levy. With a few more weeks to go of promotional activity, farmers and industry can still get involved by sharing recipe videos and nutritional information using #TheNewPACKEDLunch, all available on the AHDB website.

food

New mobile app puts soil erosion under the spotlight

We look forward to seeing and sharing the full impact of the

campaign once all the activity has finished.”

Why Traceability and Sustainability go Hand-in-Hand Traceability in our food production has been an initiative that’s been around for some time, but the motivations behind it have changed over time. To deliver true traceability we now need complete transparency across the whole supply chain. It’s not just about where our crops are grown or what beef cattle supply the meat for our burgers anymore, it goes beyond that. Many restaurants have developed strong brands and unique selling points by promoting the locality of their produce. This locality has two appeals to diners. First, that it supports the local economy, and secondly, that their plate of food is more sustainable. But the motivations behind traceability have changed and retailers and the hospitality industry, not to mention the government are applying more and

more pressure to the agriculture industry to deliver whole supply chain transparency. Gareth Flockhart, Business Manager at Yara UK says: “The direction is clear for the industry. We should not see greater traceability in the supply chain as a burden, but a chance to improve sustainability and shrink our carbon footprint.” There are two main reasons why traceability has become so important. Firstly, traceability allows us to track any issues throughout the supply chain making it easier to rectify any issues, and secondly, we can identify the carbon footprint of each product to maximise sustainability. Ultimately, traceability breeds trust and accountability not to mention delivering a key selling point if you can minimise your carbon footprint.

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A new mobile app has been launched to provide farmers, land managers and the public with a quick, easy way to learn about soil erosion in Scotland and contribute their own records and images to improve our current understanding and to share them with other users of the app. Available for iOS and Android devices, the Soil Erosion Scotland app helps users to understand and identify different types of soil erosion and makes it possible to contribute user-generated records and images, which are then added to a shared map of sites of recorded erosion. The iOS app also includes a map of modelled soil erosion risk and the National Soil Map of Scotland. Dr Allan Lilly, soil scientist at the James Hutton Institute and one of the researchers behind the app, said: “Soil erosion occurs when soil particles break off from the soil surface and are moved across the land either by flowing water or by the wind. We find erosion occurring across the country, in both the uplands and the lowlands. Footpath erosion can also occur in localised areas. “The most obvious effect of soil erosion is the loss of soil. You may have seen soil washed out of fields and onto roads or into rivers and streams. This is not just bad for farming through the loss of soil and nutrients but the nutrients

in the eroded soil can pollute our rivers and the soil particles themselves can smother the riverbeds, damaging breeding grounds for fish. Erosion of peat soils can also cause water pollution but also release the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, into the air. “We are keen to hear from land managers, members of the public and other agencies if you think the soil erosion recording app is useful in helping to reduce soil erosion and if you are likely to use it. Please send responses to jhiapps@hutton.ac.uk,“ Dr Lilly added. The Soil Erosion Scotland app is free to download and use. You can get it from the App Store at http://bit.ly/ SoilErosion-iOS or Google Play store http://bit.ly/ SoilErosion-Android. There is also a website with the equivalent tools at soilerosion. hutton.ac.uk.

The James Hutton Institute is a world-leading scientific research organisation working to resolve global challenges in food, climate, energy and water security. The Institute works in partnership with people, organisations and governments to enhance sustainable environmental, social and economic development to deliver practical solutions for our shared future. www.hutton.ac.uk

O U R FA R M SHOP

Marshall’s Farm Shop is a family business, owned by Kenny and Moira Marshall, and their three daughters. Situated mid-way between Blackburn and Kintore, it is the perfect place to drop in for a delicious taste of the country. The fresh food selection features specialities from our own farms in Aberdeenshire including Meat, Potatoes, Free Range Eggs and Vegetables. Our latest purchase has been 40 Aberdeen Angus heifers which will allow us to breed what is known as some of the best beef in the world.

Prepared in our on-site bakery by our own chefs, we produce all our own home-made pies, cakes and other delicatessen items. We also stock many local, quality goods including venison, fruit, ice cream, preserves and bakery items from many trusted and well-loved suppliers. Our café, as well as take-away service, is a great stopover on your journey further afield with views of Bennachie. Here you can enjoy locally sourced Caber coffee, teas, a breakfast roll or a hearty home cooked meal.

Special offers to suit our client base are updated regularly on our Facebook page; from fruit/veg or meat boxes, Steak Deals, BBQ packs, cheese/wine boards, as well as the overwhelming demand for afternoon teas. Going forward we are looking to provide a wider local retail offering and launch a click/ collect service, attracting a wider customer base. The shop is one part of a wider enterprise, with various subdivisions creating the full family business. It all started over 40 years ago and has majorly diversified

Marshall’s Farm Shop & Kitchen

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since then to also include machinery refurbishment, the conversion of old farm steadings into residential properties as well as commercial buildings for let. We once owned a dairy farm, milking cows twice daily to sell the milk to one customer but over time, accepting less in 2006 than we were in 1994 per litre and working for nothing wasn’t for us anymore. Ever since then, we’ve made it our absolute priority to offer as much locally produced as possible. Diversification started back in the 90s, selling potatoes at the

MARSHALL’S FARM SHOP & KITCHEN side of the A96 from portacabins. Customers were able to help themselves and pay based on trust but as produce offering grew, the honesty box was no longer. The significant business growth over the years has been ‘no mean feat’. As we look forward to the future, our expansion is well underway, bringing increased employment opportunities and enhanced services, providing a state-of-the-art, purpose-built farm shop and kitchen, showcasing quality local produce. With our outside eatery - fireside bothy

(suitable seated area for dog walkers) and a play zone for our younger visitors on the agenda, this supports our ‘there is something for everyone’ strategy. Recently, we have welcomed deer to an adjacent field. Now a local attraction, this builds on that farm gate to dinner plate theory where the venison is then sold in the shop. From day one our aim has been to teach the community about the quality of fresh produce available ‘on their doorstep’ and the importance of supporting local.’

Marshall’s Farm Shop Boghead Farm, Kintore, AB51 0XD info@marshallsfarmshop.co.uk 01224 790493 We have a new website being created at the moment so for now the best information source would be our facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/marshallsfarmshopaberdeenshire Opening Times: Monday - Friday 9am - 5.30pm Saturday 9am - 5pm Sunday 9am- 4pm Bothy

Afternoon tea

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organics Kindling Farm in Greater Manchester looks to raise £650,000 via the Ethex platform to fund the purchase of a community-owned, organic farm From as little as £200, everyday people across the UK can become part-owners of a pioneering sustainable community-owned farm whilst targeting a financial return of 3% Ethex, the leading impact investing platform, has launched a new opportunity to invest in a Community Share Offer to fund the purchase of Kindling Farm, a community-owned agroforestry farm in Greater Manchester that will help shape the future of better food production. The offer aims to raise £650,000 (with a minimum raise of £390,000) by 3rd July 2021 and will fund the purchase of Kindling Farm, an area of 128 acres of farmland near Greater Manchester that the Kindling Trust plans to develop into a community-owned farm producing organic fruit and vegetables. During the COVID pandemic, the importance of healthy, organic and local food was recognised by many, and the desire for the UK to recover from the crisis means there are more opportunities for change within our existing foodproduction system. In recent years, an awareness of the impact of our food system on the climate has risen dramatically, making this a perfect time to invest in developing a fairer and more sustainable food production system. Since 2013, The Kindling Trust has worked to establish and nurture initiatives and enterprises that tackle some of the most pressing issues in food and farming, such as organic veg boxes and sustainable farming training. Their work is helping to tackle the crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and economic inequity by creating a better system for growing and supplying good, local food. Kindling Farm is their response to an unsustainable and unjust food system, by creating a food economy that places fairness, sustainability and health 22

at its heart. One that values the growers and producers of the food we eat, respects and nurtures the land and puts the health and well-being of communities centre stage. The vision for the farm is to support a new generation of farmers, increase access to healthy organic fruit and vegetables using pioneering, sustainable farming methods that respect wildlife and provide a blueprint for the future of ecological food production and build stronger communities. Kindling have begun establishing the agroforestry system for the farm - agroforestry is essentially combining agriculture with productive trees, creating a symbiotic relationship between the two. Thanks, in part, to a grant from the DEFRA Green Recovery Challenge, they were able to grow 12,000 fruit and nut trees, half of which are destined

for the farm itself, the other half of which will be donated to local community orchards. Helen Woodcock, cofounder of Kindling Farm: “In response to an industrialised and unsustainable food system, Kindling Farm will value the growers and producers of our food and create a farming blueprint for the future while looking after the land and the wider environment in the North West. Kindling Farm is about growing food, but it is also about growing hope. It is about creating a food economy rooted in fairness and sustainability; one that values the farmers and producers of our food, respects and nurtures the land and wildlife, and puts the health and well-being of our communities at its heart.“ To buy this farm we are launching this Community Share Offer - to establish a farm owned by you, its community. Kindling

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Farm is about coming together to find practical solutions to the ecological crisis we are in. It is about hope, it is about social change and it is about creating a farming blueprint for our future, right here in the Northwest of England.” Lisa Ashford, CEO, Ethex: “This is an excellent project and we’re delighted to be supporting Kindling Farm. Issues such as air miles and use of pesticides are important, but we’re also seeing more people interested in how food is farmed and how we can support the next generation of local growers.” Already, over £100,000 has been invested and this has been matched pound-for-pound by Co-ops UK thanks to The Community Shares Booster programme, giving them a total of over £200,000 towards their target. Investments start at £200 and target a return of 3%.

ARTICLE: Earth Day

Engineering a circular food economy With Earth Day 2021 having reminded all of us of duty of care to the planet, and manufacturers increasingly held accountable for their carbon footprint, a leading UK engineering firm has its sights set on developing a more circular economy. Presumably, many people’s initial thoughts turn to singleuse plastic, air pollution and renewable energy when asked about sustainability, and whilst those things are crucial, people often forget about the detrimental effects of food waste and its packaging. Here, James Sopwith, Group Strategic Account Director at adi Group, explains how the engineering firm is doing its bit for the planet and how food manufacturers and more can play their part in leading a low-carbon economy. Harnessing heat energy Earth Day is about raising awareness of the ongoing damage being made to our planet through human action, and more importantly, inaction – so it is down to us to put it right and make a difference before it’s too late. Here at adi Group, we want to not only encourage manufacturers across all sectors to make a positive impact on the environment, but also drive forth efficiency and lower their operational costs at the same time. As well as dedicated service divisions that manage aspects of water pollution and waste management, just one of the ways in which we are achieving this is by being innovative in the use of waste heat from gas-fired Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants Taking the immense amount of heat energy from gas-fired CHP power plants, which would usually go to waste, we provide manufacturers with a model to harness this energy and redeploy it within several of their own processes. Our market business partnership also delivers a

fantastic way for us to guide and advise manufacturers across the UK to become more efficient, affording a CAPEX free solution to their upcoming energy needs, whilst also reducing their carbon footprint. We can easily see how this could begin to transform industries that utilise a vast quantity of energy in their production processes, such as the food and beverage sector. But whilst this concept begins to take hold, what other ways can engineering help to produce a truly efficient circular economy? Long-term effects of food waste You may ask why food waste is so damaging. Well, food production is responsible for more than a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and when food decomposes, it gives off a lot of methane, which is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Both of which are astonishing figures. And, if we’re all completely honest, we are all guilty of wasting food here and there, with one third of all food produced globally going to waste. Truth be told, it is much more damaging than you might realise. As somebody in the industry, I firmly believe that manufacturers have a duty and responsibility to lead on such an issue which has serious economic, moral, and environmental impacts. And engineering has its part to play, too. Operating as a vital support mechanism for food manufacturers, it is down to firms like us to help drive change, identifying processes within food factories that can limit and reduce food waste up and down the country. We can do so by making food production cleaner and more efficient whilst also extending the shelf-life of products, not to mention upping the ante on automated processes. Some of this is already in the works, with encouraging signs. The robotic chef for example,

has been designed in such a way to emulate the work of a chef, helping to dictate on matters such as taste, consistency, quality and value, while reducing wasted ingredients in ready meals and other chilled foods. Elsewhere, the Waste Systems division at adi Group is the UK and Ireland distributor of Sotkon, an innovative underground waste container system, offers councils and businesses a truly 21st century approach to waste management through smart data systems. Eliminating unsightly overflows of food waste packaging and more, the smart system notifies responding waste management organisations when containers are full. Usage data can be captured at the point of collection, and logistic systems communicated with to determine optimum routing, so that carbon footprint and emission reduction benefits are realised. Giving food and packaging a second life It isn’t just food waste, though. It’s packaging, too. The life of both food and its packaging doesn’t simply end when it is thrown away. If not repurposed and put to good use, food will simply rot, releasing harmful emissions into the air whilst in landfill. This is why it is important to raise awareness of the additional value and potential of food packaging. Increasingly, we

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are seeing brands manufacture products and packaging that have been recycled or have an intended second purpose. Coca-Cola, for example, announced a circular recycling campaign in 2019, in which they enlisted the help of the public to ensure their plastic bottles and cans continue to be reused, repurposed, and recycled. And it is campaigns such as this, combined with the efforts of manufacturers and the engineering industry, that can make a huge and impactful difference to the world we live in. Interestingly, mushrooms are also becoming more commonly used as a source of packaging, with Styrofoam-like material being made up of fungus roots and residues from farming. After use, the packaging can be broken down within compost at home. By repurposing the inedible parts of foods, they can be utilised for a multitude of different things, which in turn limits the amount of food ending up in landfill and reducing GHG emissions. As things stand, the consequences of food waste are already serious enough, but if we committed to implementing such changes across manufacturing and beyond, just imagine how much of an impact this would have in engineering a brighter and cleaner future for all. A greener future By utilising the tools and technology available to us, combined with increasing awareness within the manufacturing industry, we aim to help engineer a more circular economy. One that sees less food waste, more recycled products and multi-purpose packaging. Engineers and manufacturers must continue to work together in this regard to contribute at both a micro and macro level, improving self-operational processes as well as making headway to the UK Government’s low carbon future initiatives. 23

THE NETHERLANDS WORLD FARMING The Netherlands is a small country that is less than 500 miles from Scotland (although it also has sovereign land in The Caribbean) and just over half the size. However, with 50% of its land mass less than one metre above sea level and 26% reclaimed land below sea level, its agriculture could not be more different than ours. Despite its size, it is the second biggest exporter of agricultural produce in the world, after the United States, reaching nearly 95 billion in 2019 the majority of which went to Germany. The Netherlands, also commonly known as Holland, has been ahead of its time throughout history, in both its political and economic thinking. It was the first country to abolish the death penalty, legalise prostitution, give women the right to vote and recognise same sex marriage. Going by its farming success, it applies the same forward thinking to its agriculture. The Dutch agricultural sector produces mostly cereals (wheat in particular) and feed crops, for its dairy and egg industries. The horticultural sector focuses on vegetables and flower bulbs, and it is the number one exporter of fresh vegetables cut flowers, ornamental plants, flower bulbs, trees and seed potatoes. Its exports amount to two-thirds of 24

world demand in these products. This forward-thinking country has become highly efficient at developing machinery and systems which are able to look toward feeding a growing world population. This has seen the development of robotic seed generation and plant systems, which take up less space and are more efficient in food production. Right from seed production to fruit production, every level is constantly developed. There will be 10 billion people on the planet by 2050 and at the current level of food production efficiency, we would have to clear most of the world’s forests. With many countries only

A small country packing a remarkable punch By Fiona Sloan

capable of subsistence farming, the world is reliant on the likes of The Netherlands, which itself is densely population with 17.5 million people, to recognise the need to develop systems for the planet and not just the country. To this end, it is already a leader in efficient and sustainable agriculture with a biocapacity of less than half the world average. For example, the use of hydroponic systems and geothermal energy to grow tomatoes is proving to limit the impact on the environment, whilst at the same time maximising yield. The agrifood industry in the country, is among the most

World Horti Centre Building, knowledge and innovation center

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advanced in the world and The Netherlands is home to over 5000 food production and food research companies, including Kraft, Heinz, Mars, Danone and Kikkoman. Dutch greenhouse average around four hectares in size and through working with the country’s universities, growers have now developed techniques to grow bananas, using soil composed of coco peat and rock wool (fibre made from organic rock), which prevents fungus harming the crops. With the banana monoculture in the Caribbean resulting in huge losses due to black sikatoga disease, the developments for

WORLD FARMING

Modern greenhouse technology

the fruit in The Netherlands is paramount in production diversity. The ability to produce a tropical fruit in significant amounts in western Europe, rather than transporting it half-way round the world, will also feed in nicely to our carbon footprint. Eggs and dairy products are a huge part of Dutch exports

Patchwork of fields in Snelrewaard

(often causing over production) and over the past 30 years, developments have been made towards producing livestock feed made from 100% waste products, including by-products from the baking industry and by cutting down the use of water and resources to grow livestock food. Innovations in creating

breeding techniques for insects, to “upcycling” food waste and ultimately provide more efficient forms of food for livestock, alongside the use of bees for pollination, shows a willingness to use sustainable natural resources to the best of their ability. The foresight and innovation of this small country, both

politically and commercially, will undoubtedly help to feed the world in the future. The challenge will be to ensure that this innovation is transferable to those countries where a farming year is life or death. Where the worry is not whether or not we are using too much water but whether or not the rains come at all.

How one NZ farmer broke the wheat yield world record a second time Eric Watson, a farmer in Ashburton, New Zealand, broke the world record for the highest wheat yield in 2020. Achieving an amazing 17.39t/ha, the result breaks the previous record of 16.79t/ha from 2017… also held by Eric Watson. With his second consecutive Guinness World Record, many are understandably curious about his methods and approach. On the farm “I always like to improve and see if I can do better,” says Eric. “That’s what drives me. That spins off into my other operations.” Eric is characteristically modest about his achievement and quick to point out the collaborative nature of farming and how circumstances that were on his side. “The weather was very kind to us,” says Eric. “It was never too hot, and we had cold, dewy nights. The wheat varieties also change

and are always getting bigger. It all adds up.” The farm itself grows a wide variety of crops and does not just focus on grain. According to Eric, there is generally a balance: about 1/3 wheat, 1/3 ryegrass, and 1/3 other crops, including spinach, chicory, radish, and more. This balance will shift depending on the rotation and conditions. This last season, for example, saw grass crop account for over 40% of the total. Attention to detail Paul Johnston, Yara’s New Zealand arable specialist who has worked closely with Eric, was asked on a recent podcast what made the difference. “Eric’s attention to detail,” says Paul. “He’s committed to doing what he can for the crop. He keeps an open mind. I have a phrase I use a lot: ‘planning, planning, planning.’ That’s what Eric does, more than many farmers do.”

Part of this planning involves continual monitoring and deploying the right products as necessary. Eric has a long history of soil testing and tissue testing throughout growth. “We continually monitor and make sure everything is

in place,” says Eric. “It’s an ongoing process.” Key to this is a robust nutrient management programme. Eric ensures that micronutrients are closely observed and the macronutrients are applied so that they will be picked up during growth”.

Eric Watson

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ROSS AGRI SERVICES LTD Evelyn Hood took the A92 east coast road to St Cyrus on the AberdeenshireAngus border to visit a company that has its roots, in a manner of speaking, in the sale of fertiliser sackfuls of dung at 12/6d a bag, and today has an annual turnover in excess of £10,000,000.

Ross Agri Services entrance to their St Cyrus depot

Over the years I have been writing for Farming Scotland I have often encountered highly successful businesses serving the agricultural and horticultural communities - businesses that were often started by one man or woman seeing a gap in the market or a need for locallysourced services and setting out to fill one or other or both. There’s a saying that great oaks from little acorns grow and that is what sprang to mind as I drove away from Ross Agri Services Ltd’s headquarters in St Cyrus. I had just spent an informationpacked 90 minutes with the managing director Martin Ross – elder son of the of the firm’s founders Bill and Ethel Ross. 26

From what Martin told me, Bill Ross would appear to have had a love of tractors built into his DNA! Born in 1947 at Brigton Farm, Laurencekirk, where his father was a foreman tractor driver, Bill remembers his father saying he had driven the very first Case tractor in the county of Angus and it is easy to realise how thrilling that story would have been to a young lad with a growing passion for tractors. In 1962 Bill left school and began an apprenticeship as a radio and television engineer. In September 1961 Grampian Television won the Independent Broadcasting Authority franchise for the North of Scotland and the

Outer and Northern Isles, and the consequent rise in sales of TV sets, and their comparative unreliability, meant there was plenty of work for TV engineers. Bill, however, simply didn’t like the job and gave it up after a year and a half to be a storeman at Gaedor Exide Batteries in Brechin in 1964. Still on his self-motivated learning curve Bill, in 1969, took a job with Dundee area GPO as a telephone engineer and consequently got to know well the farms and farmers in his area – knowledge that would serve him well. The St Cyrus sheds As the story unfolded I got the impression that Bill at the time

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was restlessly developing several skills and considerable ambitions to strike out and have a business of this own. At the relatively tender age of 21 he began to look around for a house and business premises and found what he was looking for in St Cyrus. At that time part of the nearby Ecclesgreig estate was being sold, including a cluster of sheds that incorporated a cottage. The award of a grant meant Bill could afford to modernise the dwelling. But the sheds? Initially he rented two of them out to Raymond Harrison, a cattle dealer. And now Bill’s innate business acumen surfaced. He borrowed a tractor and straw

ROSS AGRI SERVICES baler – advertised them for hire and, with the addition of straw made full use of the inevitable dung in the cattle sheds,, turning this into rich gardening manure. He, with the help of his girlfriend Ethel, filled old fertiliser bags with the manure which was sold round Montrose at 12/6d (65p) a bag or £5 a trailer-load delivered! For several reasons 1972 is a pivotal year in the story of Ross Agri Services Ltd since this is the year Bill started the business, known at the time as Ross Agri Hire Services. It is also the year Bill and Ethel married. Bill, who at the time was still working for the GPO, had noticed that the gang that repaired overhead cables had begun to use armoured cable and where possible, was burying these rather than stringing them overhead. The underground cable-laying technique involved using what is well-described as mole ploughing i.e. creating an underground tunnel for the cable to lie in. Each cable gang additionally required the services of a tractor and winch. The Dundee GPO gang had a winch but if additional tractor and winch were needed these were hired from a contractor. Never one to see a potential bit of enterprise pass him by, Bill asked his boss in Dundee if he, Bill, had a tractor and winch would the boss use Bill’s services rather than bring in the contractor. The boss agreed – and Bill then had to set about finding what had until now, been a hypothetical tractor

and winch! The search was now on in earnest for reliable second hand equipment. Martin Ross takes up the story – “Bill also worked part time on a neighbour’s small farm. The farmer accompanied Bill to a farm sale and bought a used Ford Major for £150. The farmer paid for the tractor at the sale and Bill worked for the farmer to pay off the £150. Next on the shopping list was the winch. “Bill put an advert in the local paper but got only one reply, from someone in Fife. This being the only winch on offer Bill bought it but soon found out that it wasn’t strong enough for mole ploughing. Another advert again got only one reply, this time offering a tractor and a Cook’s heavy-duty 2-speed winch. He took a half day off work and went to inspect the goods on offer. The price asked was £250 for the two. Bill didn’t have £250 but he did already have a tractor so persuaded the owner to sell him the winch for £100. The winch was removed from the tractor and Bill hired a Land Rover to collect it. His deal with the GPO was that they would hire his tractor and winch for 4 days at £5 per day – the first invoice was for £20. Soon the Aberdeen area GPO heard about Bill’s tractor and winch and after a year, and the assured expansion of his enterprise, Bill was obliged to look for a second lot of suitable tools and bought a Ford Major 4-wheel drive

Allan Blake on his Fendt 936

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ROSS AGRI SERVICES Roadless and a Cook’s winch from the Crieff area. “As we’ve seen, Bill’s job with the GPO was as a maintenance engineer working on subscribers’ lines etc. so he got to know a lot of farmers and the equipment they needed, preferably to hire, and this is when he thought there could be business to be done in the hire of rotor dung spreaders. He then bought a used John Deere EP25 for£900. “He soon found out that farmers wanted 2-rotor spreaders so he hired one from a neighbouring farmer and the following year bought a new machine to hire out, then the next year another two and then the next another four, then the next another two, then the next another two, then the next another two, then the next another 1 until he had 15 machines in total!” After all that head-spinning flurry of business-building activity it was good to note that one outstanding success of 1975 was the safe arrival on the scene of Ethel and Bill’s eldest son and Ross Agri’s future managing director, Martin! Branching Out In 1976 Bill decided to leave the GPO and concentrate on

his own business. Up to this point Ross Agri Hire Services had concentrated on equipment hire but in 1976 the contracting division was set up. To begin with Bill worked in collaboration with Clarence Murray, the Laurencekirk-based potato merchant, using their machinery and working with a Ford 7000 and then a John Deere 2130. Spring and autumn planting and autumn harvesting times were extremely busy in this part of the country rightly renowned for the quality of its seed and main crop potatoes. In summer there was the silage work using to begin with Fella Forage wagons, and later a John Deere 3960 forager, then a Mengele SH3ON and then a Claas S/P forage harvester. Bill also bought 3 Massey Ferguson 4ft. round balers to bale straw. Sowing in the autumn was done using a 4m Kuhn power harrow with a mounted DL drill. He fitted front linkage to a Ford 8210 calculating that this would allow the use of a heavy duty front press. Sadly he had, this once, miscalculated and in a trial run the tractor broke in half. When he related this to Ford they recommended he try using the Ford TW10 but it proved simply too heavy for the terrain.

There’s barely a day in the arable farm calendar when there isn’t some vital work to be done and for Bill and his embryo company this meant being hired for winter ploughing, lifting neeps for fodder, and tidying up jobs like hedge-cutting. As the company grew so did Ethel and Bill’s family. Their second son Michael was born in 1977 and in the same year Allan Blake became Ross Agri’s first employee. Forty-three years on Allan still works for Ross Agri and, as Martin described him, is “the main man on the contracting division of the company with a reputation for attention to detail, known and appreciated all around Angus and Aberdeenshire.” Allan received his 40-yearsservice award in 2018. Given St Cyrus’s proximity to Laurencekirk with its reputation for seed and main crop potato production, and the arrival of a McCain’s seed potato processing plant in Montrose, was encouragement enough for Bill Ross to add stone and clod separation to his hire service repertoire. The first stone separators he bought were built by Blair Engineering, Blairgowrie. In succeeding years he bought three Reekie 300s, then five Reekie 330s, then five

Martin Ross with ‘DieselRoss’ in the background

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Reekie 400s, then four Reekie 5154s. Another crop that was now playing an important part in rotations was oil seed rape and once again Bill saw the hiring possibilities and purchased two Shelbourne Reynolds swathers, one with a 14ft header and the other a 16ft header. With so much machinery in use at any one time there was great pressure on the business to have spare parts readily available and the solution came with Bill’s acquisition of Allan Esslemont’s spare parts business in 1981. From about this time farmers were beginning to afford their own equipment and yet almost three busy years went by between that acquisition and the next Ross Agri Services development which was selling tractors and concomitant equipment but also continuing for a time to offer them for hire. The first of the franchises It was in 1984 that the company was awarded the Volvo BM Valmet franchise. Valmet, known today as Valtra, was at that time owned by the state of Finland and produced tractors for use on a variety of terrains. Ross Agri Services Ltd could fairly claim to serve both upland and lowland farms and the Valmet range suited them well. However, in 1986 Bill went to London’s Smithfield Show and made his way to the Valmet stand. Finding it unattended he noticed, just opposite, the Fendt stand and was impressed by what he saw there – particularly the Fendt 312 LSA 125hp with front linkage and PTO. The following year he bought his first Fendt tractor and the year after that, 1988, he was awarded the Fendt tractor franchise. (The acorn, well and truly planted in the 1970s was growing into a considerable tree!) The question now arose of housing the merchandise and the contracting division’s machinery. Searching for possible buildings he bought a number of redundant sheds which he and his increasing roster of employees erected. Then he and a farmer

ROSS AGRI SERVICES friend, Blair Colquhoun, saw a sales advert for an ex-jute warehouse in Dundee. They bought the building, frame, roof, doors, etc., and took half each. Bill’s half became the St Cyrus housing for the recently launched parts service department, and service workshops. Bill and Ethel’s older son Martin was now leaving school to serve an apprenticeship in precision engineering with Matrix Engineering in Brechin. Meanwhile Bill purchased, lock stock and barrel, Alistair Symon’s blacksmith’s business based in Laurencekirk. An extension was built on to the existing workshop at St Cyrus to house the new addition to the Ross Agri business and to the original workforce was added three full-time workers in the contracting division, two engineers and one in welding fabrication. When Bill started with the Fendt franchise back in 1988

Front parts department at St Cyrus

the tractors were being imported into the UK by Bill Bennett

Engineering but after a few years Bonhill Engineering took over the importer duties and this continued until 1997 which turned out to be a milestone year in the annals of Fendt. Until then it had been a family-owned and run business but in that year was bought over by AGCO Corporation – a shareholder company which was the sole importer to the UK of Massey Ferguson, a company they bought over as AGCO prospered, as a result of which the price of tractors dropped dramatically. Increased sales naturally led to a need for the ready availability of parts and Ross Agri Services, Ltd. was a major supplier.. Three years later Martin Ross, who, since he’d qualified, had been working for the Aberdeenbased engineering company, Belmar, decided to leave his job with them to join his father at St. Cyrus. The new century was to bring with it a consolidation of the current business, and new business avenues to explore for Ross Agri Services Ltd. On the consolidation side Martin decided to build a further extension to the blacksmith’s building to house a range of precision engineering machines. To begin with these were manual machines, then more modern

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CNC lathes and machining centres were installed, and now parts are precision machined for the agricultural, oil and gas, electrical and shipping industries, and for bomb disposal and other military requirements. It was in 2004 that the Fendt agricultural machinery franchise in Aberdeenshire became available and a decision was made that this was the time for Ross Agri to expand the company’s retail division and find additional premises in Aberdeenshire. A site with two large buildings was found at Station Road, Turriff, and a smiddy and service workshops were set up there to serve the ever-growing customer base. 2008 saw a further opportunity to expand when Raymond Henderson (Caithness) was appointed a Fendt sub-dealer thus enlarging even further the Ross Agri outreach so that the company now covered more than half of Scotland with the Fendt brand, in fact everywhere north of the Tay and its estuary. Trophies and new avenues At the entrance to Ross Agri’s Head Office in St Cyrus there’s a glass case with photographs and magnificent silver trophies.

ROSS AGRI SERVICES These turned out mostly to be championship awards presented to Martin as a Scottish and British Tractor Pulling Champion. I had realised by this time that the family evidently had a hereditary passion for tractors. But for all the years of my connection with the agricultural industry I simply had never heard of tractors being pulled, so I asked Martin to fill what s been appalling ignorance on my part! Putting it simply, I was told, it’s not about pulling tractors, it’s about how far the tractor can pull a heavy weighted sledge up a 100m track. Martin went on, “In 2010 I built my first tractor puller – a DieselRoss 3.5 ton Super Farm built from a Fendt 612LSA 125hp from the contracting division and with 14,600 hours on the clock. Today Diesel Ross is producing in excess of 800hp and over 2000lb/foot torque. To get to this kind of power has taken many years, many steep learning curves climbed and many mistakes

made. But DieselRoss has, in the last few years has been performing well and has been British and Scottish , Champion in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 “ In recent years Martin has built a second tractor puller- DieselDave 600kg Limited compact diesel for his eldest son Callum. This machine is built to look like a Fendt 512c but is, in fact, built from a VWGolf 1.9 TDI car engine, Suzuki jeep gearbox and a Ford Transit rear axle. I can’t but wonder what his grandfather Ross, the tractor driver, would have thought of all this! Martin’s other main sporting interest is rugby union and is much involved in the training and coaching of the Montrose RUC ‘s junior teams. As the father of three teenage sons – Callum, Craig and Connor – he knows what being part of a team can do to instil confidence and a positive outlook in young folk. 2015 marked another leap forward in Ross Agri’s

Welding and fabrication

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ROSS AGRI SERVICES development when Martin decided the time had come to invest in 3D Solidworks Design software and to employ a design engineer. From this time on all manufactured parts are now drawn using this system, offering total quality control to customers. Powerful enough, for instance, to apply stress analysis to a part and show weak areas that require strengthening before any metal is cut, it also can demonstrate air and hydraulic oil flow through parts. This allows engineers to design to the highest standard. The company’s agricultural equipment franchises increased when they were awarded the Alpego franchise in 2016, expanding their sales base with Alpego’s tillage and grass equipment. The following year the original buildings Bill had bought in 1986 were knocked down and replaced by a new commercial workshop for servicing the company’s fleet of service vans and trucks and with storage racks large enough to hold

large spare parts for combines and forage harvesters. Around this time Ross Agri Services became a Limited company with two directors – Bill Ross as company chairman and heading the contracting division, and Martin as managing director. Two years ago yet another franchise was awarded to the company, this time by Vaderstad, manufacturers of a full range of tillage equipment. 2019 saw the Merlo telehandler franchise awarded and also the year the company bought its first HGV lorry – a Scania R440 8-wheeler beavertail complete with winch. Mention of the Scania with winch whisked my mind back to the start of the story of Ross Agri – when company chairman Bill Ross bought a winch to do some work for the GPO. 2020 saw the Shelbourne Reynolds franchise awarded which allowed the company to offer a range of British built livestock, harvesting & groundcare machinery. 2020 also

Precision engineering - CNC machining centre

saw two further investments for the engineering division of the company, a new CNC plasma cutter was installed to increase the accuracy & speed of cutting sheet steel and a new 200 ton CNC pressbreak was installed to for the bending of these components. It has been calculated that since it was awarded the Fendt franchise in 1988 the

company has sold and serviced over 600 Fendt tractors and in recent years sells 40 to 45 per annum. The Fendt franchise has changed over the last 10 years to the point the Fendt factory back in 1988 only manufactured tractors but today in 2021 can offer you- combines, sprayers, hay tools, balers, foragers & telehandlers.

ROSS AGRI SERVICES The company Bill and Ethel Ross founded now has an annual turnover of around £12 million and 32 full time staff of which 22 are based at the St Cyrus headquarters and 10 at Turriff. Many of these employees have been with the firm for over thirty years. How, I wondered as I drove away from St Cyrus, could I

summarise or sum up the story of Ross Agri Services, Ltd? And then I realised it tells its own story in its importance as an employer in the rural towns of St Cyrus and Turriff, and perhaps best of all in the forward-looking skills and expertise in the services it offers to the farming community and indeed the entire agricultural industry.

Ross Agri Services lorry with 940 MT on board

New CNC press break

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environment Green fertiliser is the latest drive-in sustainability from Yara As one of the global leaders in fertiliser products and crop nutrition expertise, Yara have championed the need for greater sustainability and a carbonneutral food chain. In recent years, numerous projects have launched in order to make that a reality. Their latest, a heavy investment in “green ammonia” production that makes use of renewable energy sources, is the latest in a long line of such initiatives.

What is green ammonia? “Fighting climate change is crucial for all of us,” says Anke Kwast, Vice-President of Yara’s Climate Neutrality Roadmap. “For Yara, the ambition is to become climate-neutral by 2050 for our own production, and actively contribute to carbon neutrality for the whole food chain. This is a vital mission for agriculture, and all industry players need to see what they can contribute.”

Unlike “brown” ammonia, which is made using fossil fuels, green ammonia can be obtained via water electrolysis and nitrogen from the air. This process can be powered by renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, and tidal energy. Why does this matter? Because ammonia does not release any carbon emissions if used as fuel. Ammonia also accounts for an annual

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production volume of over 180 million tonnes, mostly for the agriculture sector. “Speaking globally, agriculture accounts for about 25% of all emissions,” says Anke. “Crop production accounts for another quarter of that figure. There is no one big solution to climate change but making significant changes from different angles, including green production of ammonia, will have a tangible impact.”

environment

Foliar Feeds By Zach Reilly, Agricultural Consultant, SAC Consulting

Anke Kwast, Vice-President of Yara’s Climate Neutrality Roadmap

Currently this process is more expensive. However, Anke is keen to stress that prices will balance as the wider value chain gets on board with more sustainable practices. This is also far from Yara’s only initiative – they have recently been heavily involved in developing digital farming tools that improve nitrogen use efficiency and launching Action Africa, a project to supply and support 250,000 farmers across East Africa. “It’s not just the right thing to do,” says Eva Ross, Strategic Marketing Manager for Yara UK & Ireland. “Once we all work together – with full traceability

and transparency – sustainability can be a big opportunity for those in food production. It’s where a lot of business opportunities will exist in the future.” A more sustainable future For their part, Yara has big plans for sustainability within agriculture and want to play a key role in leading the way towards a green future for all. “We want to contribute,” adds Eva. “We mean it when we say that we want to remove hunger and improve food production. There is so much potential in seeking a way forward for everybody.”

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Subscription details on page 109 New Issue out July 2021

The Farming for a Better

Loirston Charitable Trust to

Climate

Regenerative

test the effectiveness of this

Agriculture group have been

Soil

approach in replicated trials.

pushing more on farm trials,

Ian Bingham, who is leading

this time in relation to the

the project, states “the design

foliar application of fertiliser.

of the trials will allow us to

Foliar feeds aim to supply

quantify how much of the N

small amounts of nutrients

supplied through the soil and

in a targeted manner to

leaf is captured by the crop

potentially increase fertiliser

and contributes to yield”.

use efficiency and tailor crop

The trials are at three sites

nutrition to growth within a

across Scotland; one spring

season. It may also have the

barley and two winter wheat.

added benefit of reducing

Six base rates of fertiliser have

a farms carbon footprint by

been applied to the crops

using less fertiliser, but does

to produce a full fertiliser N

it really work? If so, just how

response curve. At two rates

much can we reduce fertiliser

(100kg/ha and 150kg/ha for

use by?

winter wheat, but lower for

Following on from the

barley) will receive up to three

positive trials results from the

applications of foliar N at

group in 2020, where 100kg/

5kg/ha. Fertiliser uptake will

ha nitrogen (N) was applied

be calculated by measuring

to a range of arable crops,

the crops nitrogen content

followed by a number of 5kg/

at harvest. This will allow

ha applications of foliar N,

the efficiency of fertiliser use

SAC Consulting has secured

to be compared between

funding from the Mains of

treatments.

For more farm efficiency ideas and to read about other measures the group are considering, visit www.farmingforabetterclimate.org, find us on Facebook and Twitter @SACFarm4Climate. Farming for a Better Climate is funded by the Scottish Government as part of Scotland’s Farm Advisory Service www.fas.scot

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renewable energy

97.4% of Scotland’s electricity consumption Met by renewables in 2020 - Target was 100% New figures released in March reveal that Scotland has not met its 2020 target of generating the equivalent of 100% of the nation’s gross electricity demand from renewable sources. This target was set in 2011, when renewable technologies generated 37% of Scotland’s electricity demand. Today’s figures show an increase of 8% with respect to 2019, meaning 97.4% of electricity demand is now met by renewable sources. Responding, Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, said:

“Scotland’s ambitious climate change targets have been a tremendous motivator to the industry to increase deployment of renewable energy sources, and in the last 10 years alone we have more than tripled our renewable electricity output - enough to power the equivalent of more than seven million households.” Scotland has some of the most ambitious climate change targets in the world and The Scottish Government’s Climate Change Bill sets out a legally binding target of reaching net-zero emissions by 2045.

Claire Mack continued: “Renewable electricity is only a quarter of the picture. “Domestic and commercial transport accounts for almost 25% of the energy used in Scotland, with heat making up more than half, as well as more than half of its emissions. Currently 6.5% of our non-electrical heat demand is generated from renewable sources. The technologies we need to replace gas in our homes largely exist now but deploying these across the country is an enormous task. “Scotland’s renewable energy projects are displacing tens of millions of tonnes of carbon every year, employing the equivalent of 17,700 people and bringing enormous socio-economic benefits to communities across the country.

Industry and government must continue to work together to address the challenges which exist if we are to fully realise our potential, meet net-zero by 2045 and achieve a just energy transition” Scottish Renewables is working with politicians of all parties to promote its manifesto for the May 6 election. The document, A Brighter Future: Priorities for the next Scottish Government, sets out key recommendations which the organisation believes the next government can capitalise on to improve wellbeing, strengthen the economy, sustain the environment and set Scotland on the path to becoming the renewable powerhouse of the world

Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables

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OPEN FARM SUNDAY

Plan a simple farm walk, and play your part On Sunday 27th June, LEAF Open Farm Sunday will return to celebrate its 15th event since the initiative was launched in 2006. And in a year when food and farming has generated greater interest than ever before, LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming), is calling on farmers to take part and help promote the British food and farming story.

Every farmer that takes part has full autonomy to decide on the type of event they would like to offer, for how long and for how many people. And whilst the promotion will be centred on 27 June, events can take place any Sunday in June and still benefit from LEAF Open Farm Sunday branding and resources. There is no doubt it will be a different LEAF Open Farm Sunday. Events are likely to be smaller, with activities where visitors can manage their own learning, for example selfguided farm walks. There will also be a greater emphasis on using a ticketing system such as Try-booking or Eventbrite, to manage visitor numbers, with both systems offering an easy, automated solution. The pandemic will draw attention to health and safety, and place an even greater emphasis on ensuring both those hosting the event, and visitors attending, feel safe and confident to go ahead. Simple hand-washing solutions and offering space to social distance will help ensure this is possible. However, one thing that won’t be different is the support available for host farmers, and the important role LEAF Open Farm Sunday plays promoting British farming, dispelling myths and helping the general public navigate the unknowns. For example, recently there has been a rise in visitors taking to the countryside and in some cases, there has been damage to grass and cereal fields that look bare and are therefore deemed

acceptable to walk on, but actually bare home to future food. This is an opportunity to explain why keeping to the designated footpath is so important, without causing conflict or negativity. With hundreds of farmers expected to take part across Britain this year, the industry’s annual farm open day continues to build community connections and help raise awareness of all that farmers do to maintain the countryside, look after the environment and rear/grow our food. To take part on LEAF Open Farm Sunday on 27th June 2021, or find out more about the day, visit www.farmsunday.org. A team of regional ambassadors are available to answer your questions or discuss your event. In Scotland, host farmer since 2006, Rebecca Dawes can be contacted on 07792 467730 or ofsrc.scotland@gmail.com Organising a simple farm walk 1. Plan a simple farm walk that lasts an hour. If your route is self-guided, prepare a map that visitors can follow and place some small signs at different locations, so they can learn about farming and the countryside. You can download some examples from the LEAF Open Farm Sunday website. 2. Register your event at www. farmsunday.org and order your free resources. You will receive a host farmer handbook that provides lots of top tips and templates to prepare for your event.

3. Set up a visitor booking system, and set your maximum number. You could offer multiple walks during the day, i.e. one in the morning, one at lunchtime and one in the afternoon. 4. Promote your event on your social media channels, or print a poster for your local area. A template is available and LEAF will share your event on the LOFS website. 5 Invite others to join you on the day. For example local farmers, your agronomist, vet, feed merchant or tractor dealership. They could bring props to show visitors, such as animal feed or wheat seed, which provides further interest when telling the farming story. 6. Setup a handwashing area. A cold running water tap with liquid soap and paper towels is all you need and will ensure your visitors remain safe. Please note hand gels do not kill all bacteria on-farm so these are not suitable. You

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will find some fantastic Shaun the Sheep hand-washing signs available to download. 7. Plan where visitors are going to park, and have a backup plan for wet weather. i.e. could visitors meet in an open barn and go to different “stations” to find out more about what you do on your farm. For example, if you are an arable farm you could have three stations – below ground (soil, roots, seeds and worms), above ground (crop, leaves and grain) and food on the table (bread from wheat, Maltesers from barley) 8. Complete the risk assessment template, supplied by LEAF, and let your insurance company know you are taking part. 9. On-the-day check the route is safe for visitors, and plan a meeting point for their arrival. A warm welcome at the start is always well received and allows you to meet all your visitors. 10. Enjoy the day!

topic

Brexit, immigration and seasonal workers By Paul Brown & Anne Chapman In these trying times of pandemics, you could be forgiven for thinking that the normal course of Government and business had all but ground to a halt, with our collective focus being on statistics of infection, hospitalisation and sadly, mortality. However, the business of Brexit and all that goes with it, did continue and at 11.00pm on 31st December 2020, in the most tumultuous year in living memory, the transition period following the UK’s exit from the EU, came to an end and with it, the free movement of EU citizens within the UK and UK citizens within the EU. With seasonal migrant workers being of critical importance to the agricultural industry in Scotland, all employers in this area should be aware of the major changes that have now come into effect and we summarise the position below. EU settlement scheme Initially, following the Brexit referendum, those EU citizens already in the UK were very concerned about their position

from the EU who lived here before 1st January 2021, are entitled to apply for pre-settled status as there is no minimum threshold for time spent living and working in the UK.

Paul Brown, Head of Immigration

Anne Chapman, Head of Rural

and that of their families. This subsided as the Government introduced the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) to provide a way for them to remain in the UK and to continue to live, work and access all of the benefits that they had previously enjoyed pre-Brexit. The process has been designed to be simple and quick to use and as at the end of February 2021, 4.81 Million EU citizens have applied for and obtained Settled or PreSettled status. However, the hard deadline to apply for either of these is 30th June 2021 - time is of the essence for those that have not yet applied.

Settled status allows any EU citizen who has been here for more than 5 years to remain in the UK and in due course, should they choose, to apply for citizenship shortly thereafter. Any EU citizen with less than 5 years’ residency in the UK prior to 31st December 2021 will be able to apply for Pre–Settled status which will likewise give them the right to remain in the UK. Once they have accumulated 5 years’ residency, they can transfer that to Settled status and thus receive the additional protection available. Importantly, any existing seasonal agricultural workers

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Apply by the end of June Despite the number of EU citizens who have already obtained Settled or Pre-Settled status, a significant number have not or are not aware of the opportunity or need to apply for this status. The Government’s deadline leaves only a few weeks in which to apply and if not, the right will be lost. Employers should be reminding employees of the need to apply for this if they wish to do so. That said, a note of caution: the reminder should be issued to all staff, not only those whom the employer knows or believes may be non UK nationals, to avoid any allegation of discrimination. Skills focused immigration plans While the focus has been on Covid 19 and even on the Brexit deal with the EU, the long trailed “points based” immigration

topic system, finally came into effect on 1st December. From that date, a new skills focussed immigration regime became effective. The primary focus of the new scheme is to allow those with appropriate skills to work in the UK. Put simply, the higher the level of skills and education, as well as the higher level of income, the better your chances of getting a visa. For many seasonal agricultural workers, the above criteria would not be met. To combat this, the UK government extended the Seasonal Workers Pilot which will now see up to 30,000 overseas workers being able to come to the UK this year to work in the soft fruits and vegetable sector. The scheme allows workers, sourced through

one of four designated labour recruitment companies (Pilot Operators), to come to the UK for up to 6 months, although there is frustration in the sector that the extended scheme has not yet been fully implemented and may not be sufficient to meet the industry’s needs. Licences for overseas national workers The Seasonal Workers Pilot sits separately to the points based immigration programme. Whereas, all employers seeking to employ overseas nationals under that points based immigration system require to have a licence from the United Kingdom Visa & Immigration Office (UKVI), to be able to issue Certificates of Sponsorship

(COS) for a prospective employee, under the Seasonal Workers Pilot scheme, individual employers will not be able to recruit workers themselves but instead the Pilot Operators will do so and obtain the necessary visas. Employers will then engage these workers via these Pilot Operators. However, if you have previously employed EU workers and wish them to work for you again, as long as they have obtained settled or pre-settled status, you can do so without the need for a visa or any intermediary arrangement from one of the Pilot Operators. Employers who only employ EU Nationals have not previously required a licence to issue Certificates of Sponsorship but as of 1st January 2021 these

businesses must now obtain them. Now is the time to apply for such a licence if you need to but if you only require seasonal labour under the new pilot scheme, you should not need an individual licence. The combination of Brexit, immigration and seasonal workers is a challenging one but with the right advice, employers in the agricultural sector can be guided through this difficult area. Complementary legal clinics Anderson Strathern has set up a legal clinic to provide support to those with questions on immigration or other rural law matters. We’re available via phone, email or video call and your first 20 minute appointment will be free of charge.

Paul Brown, Head of Immigration Paul.Brown@andersonstrathern.co.uk Mobile. 07979 858025 Anne Chapman, Head of Rural Anne.Chapman@andersonstrathern.co.uk Mobile. 07890 626132 To access our complimentary legal clinic, call Anne or Paul using the details above. We’ll then guide you through your particular situation and what you need to do.

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technology

Light Science Technologies pioneers perfect growing recipe with ‘world first’ in-house laboratory Light Science Technologies (LST), one of the UK’s leading AgriTech firms, has opened its new, state-of-the-art inhouse laboratory as it aims to revolutionise indoor farming by helping growers create the perfect plant recipe. As one of the first in the world designed to allow its scientists to continue working safely even through a pandemic, the purpose-built testing facility at LST’s Derby site will mimic, via a test and replicate process, a grower’s closed indoor environment and test new crops in its controlled environment chambers managing temperature, humidity and CO2. By running up to 12 concurrent trials in 6 chambers, a team including inhouse scientists and top-level industry experts will harness

historical and real-time data to help farmers and growers create the right recipe. Utilising its Conviron A2000 reach-in grow chambers along with its integrated, fully updateable and bespoke lighting solutions, LST’s lab offers multiple benefits to growers while helping them achieve the optimal yield, including lowering CAPEX and OPEX costs. By harnessing advanced lighting technology, LST’s lighting systems can identify the right spectral wave forms and PPFD levels required for any species of plant or microbiology and can validate the performance of a grower’s existing set-up or compare new solutions independently, using its own Quantum PAR Photo-Goniometer testing facility. Built inside a 22-metre bespoke

light tunnel using its 2021 SSL Spectral Photo Goniometer, it can accurately measure PAR (400nm700nm) Quantum PAR (250nm1040nm) and CIE.* The lab’s capabilities also mean it can measure plant health thanks to the LIcor LI-6800,

the only photosynthesis system capable of measuring combined gas exchange and fluorescence from leaves and aquatic samples in just a few seconds with the highest level of accuracy and detail. It also instantly details temperature and humidity.

NFU Scotland survey results confirm the digital divide continues to grow NFU Scotland asked its members to take part in its inaugural connectivity survey to get a clearer idea of mobile and broadband connectivity issues currently affecting Scotland’s farmers and crofters. Between the 19 November 2020 and the 4 January 2021 the Union received 398 responses to questions exploring the key connectivity difficulties being 40

faced by those in the agricultural sector. The findings show that Scottish farmers and crofters feel left behind in the digital era as they continue to face barriers to improved mobile and internet connections, with 77% of respondents describing their connection as ‘not fit for current or future needs’. Union members also consider that poor broadband connection

acts as an obstacle to innovation by limiting the adoption of new ways of working and technology. 78% believe their business is limited by their existing internet connection, and 57% believe their broadband connection is a barrier to diversifying their farm businesses. Considering mobile connections, poor signal remains a challenge with 48% of respondents

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describing the quality of their mobile signal in their home/office as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’. 42% described having to adopt special measures to overcome weak signal, for example, using shortwave radio to keep in contact with staff or family for health and safety reasons. With the added challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic, poor connectivity has limited

technology businesses ability to adapt to the greater reliance on virtual communication, leading to greater feelings of isolation. Poor internet connections were cited as a barrier to attending learning opportunities such as webinars where physical meetings had been prevented. On the results of the survey, NFU Scotland Vice-President

Robin Traquair, said: “The pandemic has placed even more pressure on an inequitable landscape. Our members have reported huge issues with rural broadband and mobile connectivity, and it is vital to address this problem to unlock the potential in our countryside.” “Our members highlight that a better connection would

have hugely positive benefits on their businesses; from significant efficiency gains, to improved market access and growth, alongside reduced emotional burden. The potential for stemming rural depopulation, diversification opportunities, and promoting greater investment into rural enterprises are also well understood.”

“However, the digital divide continues to grow. Many of our members are the hardest to reach and face the greatest financial burdens to becoming connected. This is not a future problem, it is negatively impacting our farming and crofting communities and businesses now, and must be addressed urgently”.

Digital precision with new app With a new site-specific app developed by the German startup company Solorrow, farmers can easily create variable rate application maps for fertilising and other field operations and share them with the John Deere Operations Center. From there, maps can be sent wirelessly to machines in the field to enable more precise applications, so that fertilisers and crop protection chemicals can be used more effectively and the environment protected in a sustainable way. Software and app developments are becoming increasingly important in precision farming. Solorrow offers an affordable and very easy solution, which allows users to quickly identify fields and their boundaries in a map view on their tablet or smartphone.

Based on five years of biomass data, the selected areas can then be divided into different soil zones that act as the basis for fertiliser and spray application maps. These maps can be sent from the app to the John Deere Operations Center and then also sent wirelessly to the appropriate vehicle. The John Deere in-cab display receives the data and then gives the ISOBUS controlled fertiliser spreader or sprayer the site-specific application rate based on its current position in the field. This interaction between the Solorrow app and John Deere’s Precision Ag technology solutions not only has agricultural benefits. The collaboration also demonstrates that a smooth exchange of data between different manufacturers’ software solutions is both possible and practical. In

this way farmers always maintain full control over their data flow and data ownership. With this new app, Solorrow and John Deere are combining their marketing and sales activities. This allows John Deere dealers

to offer farmers and contractors an even wider range of Precision Ag systems, and customers can continue to benefit from the usual services for consultation, commissioning and technical support.

Comprehensive agriculture machinery resource goes live Reesink Agriculture, distributor of Farmtrac in the UK, has launched a comprehensive website providing a wealth of information on all the brands it distributes and a hub where customers can learn about

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Next Issue out July 2021

specialist tractors, tillers, mowers, aerators and debris management products. Reesink Agriculture has been making waves on the agricultural scene since it introduced the head-turning Farmtrac tractors to the UK at the beginning of 2020. Bringing to the UK and, indeed, the market, the first ever allelectric compact tractor certainly caught everyone’s attention! reesinkagriculture.co.uk is now live. www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

farming diversification

Something’s Fizzing near Fraserburgh By Janice Hopper

For a lazy, hazy, crazy taste of summer, Summerhouse Drinks from Claire Rennie’s four hundred acre Manse Farm in Peathill, Aberdeenshire offers up a fizzy taste of the north east of Scotland. Rennie also runs a brother company, Walter Gregor’s, that does a fine line in tonic water, well suited for the nation’s burgeoning gin market. With seven soft drinks and six tonics, stocking Waitrose, Co-op, Aldi and a range of farm shops, cafés and restaurants, bubbly beverages are now a key part of the Rennie family business. “We’re definitely a family farm; my husband Ross works with his father and uncle growing arable barley,’ says Claire. ‘We have a rotation of winter wheat, and provide B&B for a neighbour’s cattle. I’m from a farming background too, growing up in Caputh near Perth, where we grew seed potatoes. I moved up to Peathill around fifteen years ago when I met Ross.” Claire first started her own business in 2006. Manse

750ml bottles of Summer House Drinks

Claire with neep and tonic bottle

farm had five acres of soft fruit so Claire launched Berry Scrumptious, selling chocolatecovered strawberries for gifts,

weddings, and events. She also provided chocolate berry bars to delis and farm shops. “When I visited my stockists to drop off the berry bars, I noticed I couldn’t see a Scottish soft drink on the shelves,’ explains Claire. ‘I also felt that the non-alcoholic options in bars and restaurants for nondrinkers and designated drivers was disappointing. There was a gap in the market. I had planted a small herb garden when I moved up to Peathill, so I had fresh ingredients right on my doorstep. My connections through the strawberry business allowed me to get solid feedback from shop owners regarding my ideas and soft drink samples, so I knew

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what the stockists were looking for. I also knew that sparkling drinks would have a far longer shelf life than strawberries.” The move from berries to bottles wasn’t seamless. Claire started by experimenting with a Soda Stream, herbs and botanicals from the garden, but the transition to a fully functioning drinks business required new kit, more space and new skills. “I already had the health and safety knowledge for food and drink production, and we’re SALSA (Safe and Local Supplier Approval) accredited. But gaining the knowledge to buy the right kit to create fizzy drinks was an interesting

farming diversification challenge. We’re carbonating drinks under pressure, and that takes special equipment. Working with chocolate was quite a kitchen table experience, and I could easily expand as required, but the mechanisation and bottling processes necessary for sparkling drinks took a lot more research and capital outlay. Initially we were flying blind, but that’s part of the excitement, learning new things - every day’s a school day.’ ‘In terms of logistics, we started by renovating an old washhouse, which was transformed into our factory. Going forward, we can expand into farm sheds if the family’s in agreement. Ross and his dad are fantastic at creating great spaces to work in.” From the get go, the company wished to work primarily with homegrown farm produce and Scottish produce, with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Mint and lavender are picked from the walled garden, and Scottish raspberries are bought in, pressed and ready to go. All Summerhouse Drinks’ juices are ‘not from concentrate’ so they must be pasteurised in the bottle to ensure a safe shelf life. “We launched the business in 2014, and the first drinks were on the market that same year. Misty Lemonade and Hint O’ Mint Lemonade were our first drinks, and we were so excited after all the hard work behind the scenes.” When you try Summerhouse drinks they are notably fresh, without the excessive sweetness of many other soft drinks on the market. The raspberry lemonade has a sharp tartness to it, just like real raspberries and lemons. The new Ginger Beer tastes of ginger rather than sugar. The tonics are equally imaginative, with the stand out apple and cinnamon tonic bringing a warmth and spicy depth to any gin, and it’s refreshing to drink

as a standalone beverage in its own right. As the business grows, a team of four keeps operations running smoothly, alongside a part-time export manager and social media manager. The same team runs Walter Gregor’s Tonics, launched in 2015, and established when Claire spotted a gap in the market for a Scottish mixer. Since Summerhouse Drinks is a non-alcoholic brand, Claire decided to launch the tonic waters as a separate company. “The name Walter Gregor was the name of the Victorian minister in our parish. He was apparently quite a character and loved botanicals, so we felt it was a good fit.” For Claire, like so many others, Covid-19 completely changed the business world and markets they were operating in. “In 2020, we lost our hospitality market pretty much overnight. That’s 60% of our business. And if you think that we make 80% of our sales over summer, and summer was effectively wiped out, it was a difficult year. On the plus side, we managed to secure an Innovate UK Grant to launch a website for Walter Gregor’s. It went live in November 2020 offering online sales and subscription boxes. This did well as people stayed in and ordered online, supported small, local companies, and chose Christmas gifts for loved ones.’ ‘We also welcome marketing opportunities. On the ‘Love Your Weekend’ television programme Alan Titchmarsh paired our apple and cinnamon tonic with rum - a fantastic way to showcase our product. We also paired a turnip tonic with Ogilvie’s potato vodka, creating a Neep and Tatties drink in time for Burns Night 2020.” Going forward, Claire’s bubbling empire plans to expand its export business in Sweden, Denmark, the USA, Canada and South Korea, as well as breaking

Hint o’ Mint Lemonade

Summer House Drinks can be used as mixers for your favourite tipple

into new markets. Despite the challenges of last year, Manse

Farm is on sparkling form and embracing new fizzy frontiers.

Summerhouse Drinks - summerhousedrinks.com. Lemonades include Scottish Raspberry, Lavender, Hint o’Mint, St Clement’s Orange and Lemon, and Misty Lemonade. Plus there’s Summerhouse Drinks Ginger Beer. Walter Gregor’s - waltergregors.com. Tonics include Walter Gregor’s Original Tonic Water, Apple & Cinnamon, Mint & Cucumber, Neep Tonic Water, Scottish Raspberry Tonic Water, and Walter Gregor’s Spiced Tonic Water.

Janice Hopper is a freelance writer based in Aberdeen who’s written features, copy and social media text for a range of publications and clients. Her Scottish family travel blog, Scots2Travel.com, covers child-friendly short breaks, attractions and activities. www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

Made in Scotland Scotland is blessed with its fair share of the world’s best produce when it comes to natural heritage foods indigenous to our climate. We benefit, by enlarge, from steady rainfall and reasonable sunshine, the Gulf Stream and maritime breezes. Sure we have midges and haar but who has beef, lamb, shellfish, berries and game like us? Our dairy farmers are diversifying into high quality ice creams, cheeses and yoghurts and we have Scottish heritage grains grown commercially for the first time in over a century! Indeed over fifty Scottish foods have been officially recognised as among the world’s valued heritage foods on Slow Food’s International website. With such fabulous and intrinsically Scottish foods, past, present and future, this regular feature will focus on Scotland’s natural bounty and the folk who have used their ingenuity, passion and business acumen to use the produce in their own imitable ways.

Mapping Scotland’s Cheese By Wendy Barrie Scottish Thistle Award Regional Ambassador (2018/19) for Central, Tayside & Fife Director of Scottish Food Guide

few, we can all enjoy the revival in artisan cheese production and dairy products in Scotland. Back in the day, cattle were dual purpose – although no one bothered to call them that – used for dairy and beef production with the breeds reflecting the regions: Highlanders, Galloways, North Dairy Shorthorn and Ayrshire to name a few. We arranged a milk quality testing of traditional breeds and the results were illuminating. It is possible to see which are best suited for yoghurts and ice cream and others that have a milk composition predisposed to maturing hard cheeses. When researching crème fraiche and soured cream, we came across an unpasteurised product, clabber cream, long since extinct in Scotland yet alive and kicking in the Appalachians where Ulster Scots settled, taking their dairy traditions with them to the New World!

In Norway, we bought a similar product called rømme, labelled Sur og separert som ei filmstjerne. Tulle god på vafla, meaning, Sour and separated like a film star. Awfully good with waffles. I challenge you to find a more original example of food labeling! By the way, it tasted delicious. We have fine yoghurts and ice creams here in Scotland but for now we are concentrating on cheese! Cheese, in particular artisan cheese, plays an important role in our diet. The combination of animal breed and feed, milk quality and cheesemakers’ skills come together to make unique and wonderful products - before we even mention

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the type of rennet or ruminant! No two cheesemakers will ever produce the same product, even if using the same recipe, as there are so many variables in play. From the farmer’s perspective, cheesemaking can be a value added form of diversification, a solution to surplus milk, a new route to market avoiding bulk milk prices. For the customer it brings exciting new cheeses to the table with a renaissance in interest among chefs and cooks, travel writers and tourism. The enthusiasm is apparent in the worldwide interest in Scottish Cheese Trail, a virtual adventure I created to celebrate our artisan cheesemakers. Some readers buy cheese online, others visit and Photograph by Wendy Barrie

We are most certainly dairy devotees in this house! Whether it’s cream on our porridge, béchamel for fish pie, breakfast bowls of yoghurt or platters of cheese, we are a committed pair. I was already a cheese fanatic and my husband Bosse comes from a region of Sweden where the people were once known as the Maasai of the North and to this day have genetic characteristics predisposed to dairy products. Scotland is a nation with a strong dairy heritage. From the sheilings where animals were taken for summer grazing to the lush pastures of Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway, famous for their dairy herds. Scotland’s sheilings are long gone; small-scale cheesemaking decimated by clearances, two World Wars and arguably disproportionate regulations playing a part in their disappearance. Thanks to the dedication and determination of a

there have even been groups from mainland Europe organising roads trips to literally follow the map around Scotland! Food tourism is in fashion yet it is nothing new. In the beginning, leisure time was a luxury only the wealthy could afford: The Grand Tour around the canals of Venice, the sparkling Côte d’Azure and panoramic Swiss Alps, experiencing fritto misto di mare, salade Niçoise and Gruyère along the way. They would return with paintings, textiles, ceramics, recipes and a desire to embrace cultures new. We can see this in Scotland as we meet travellers from Korea and Hawaii, Berlin and Helsingborg, all hungry to experience Scotland’s food culture and meet the people behind the produce. Cheese is a perfect example of food tourism in action! In 2019 we organised an Orkney food travel experience for Members of Slow Food Scania. The route was carefully devised, offering tastes of the islands, including Wilsons of Westray where Jason and Nina make their fine cheese in small batches from their Ayrshire herd. Whether served in a soufflé at the Lynnfield or au naturel on a Westray beremeal cracker, their cheese is always a delight. Over the Pentland Firth on the mainland, the Clark family at Connage Highland Dairy produce a range of flavoursome organic cheese from their herd of cows including Norwegian Red and Jersey. Together their farm shop and café make an ideal visitor attraction, now also with Connage Express, an onsite vending machine complete with

their own organic milk. Southwards, in the heart of Aberdeenshire, is Cambus O’May, producing an array of unpasteurised farmhouse cheese using their traditional recipes, handed down, to make rich, smoked and unsmoked cheese to suit every palate. In Fife, the bracing sea air adds a frisson to the terroir at St Andrews Farmhouse Cheese Co where Jane Stewart creates her unpasteurised matured cheeses from their home-bred Holstein Friesians. With generations of Stewarts at Falside Farm, Jane decided it was time for the Kingdom of Fife to have a cheesemaker! Indeed many of the older inhabitants of Anstruther say her Anster cheese brings back happy memories and Jane’s mature farmhouse has a great depth of flavour. Over the Forth in East Lothian is Yester, another diversifying dairy farm, in this case going for the fresh cheese market with creamy smooth and refreshing cottage varieties, alongside yoghurts, sour cream and mozzarella for great pizza toppings. Cross-country finds us in the heart of dairy country in Dumfries and Galloway with (east to west) Kedar Cheese Co, Loch Arthur, The Ethical Dairy and Galloway Farmhouse Cheese. At Beyond the Burn Farm, Gavin and Jane of Kedar have Brown Swiss dairy cows and produce white silky-satin cushions of fresh organic mozzarella, also selling bottles of their splendid nonhomogenised milk. On the outskirts of Dumfries is Loch Arthur, part of the Camphill Community and one of the first cheese shops I became

aware of. When Barry Graham joined as a volunteer in the 1980’s, there were four cows and Barry started from scratch – a true pioneer of Scotland’s raw milk cheese revival. Loch Arthur is a mixed farm following organic and biodynamic principles with an excellent farm shop brimming with produce, café, bakery, creamery and craft workshops. Gatehouse of Fleet is home to The Ethical Dairy. Already known for their organic ice cream, in 2013 the Finlays decided to return to their roots and produce cheese again after a forty-year gap! Their range of unpasteurised blues, Tomme and farmhouse cheese from their herd including Montbeliarde and Swedish Red cows has proved very successful and their trail-blazing cows-with-calves attract worldwide interest as does their visitor centre and cheesemaking courses. Towards the western edge of Dumfries and Galloway at Sorbie, is Galloway Farmhouse Cheese where Alan and Helen Brown have produced excellent organic unpasteurised cheese for thirty years. Their speciality cheese is made with ewe’s milk however they also use cow and goat milk, selling their range at the delightfully named farm shop, Ewe to You. Circling Scotland on our cheese journey we come to the historic dairy lands of Ayrshire, home of Ayrshire cattle, where Dunlop and Ballochmyle dairies who both use the original breed. Ann Dorward has been making cheese at Clerkland Farm since 1989. Along with her Ayrshires is a herd of goats and her selection of cheese includes top-notch crowdie and mature PGI Dunlop along with many others, selling them at her pretty farm shop and café. The Shaw family has been farming East Montgarswood by Mauchline since the 1920’s, most recently with Robert and Dorothy Shaw making their Ballochmyle Ayrshire Farmhouse Brie from their marvellous milk with a rich, pure and creamy result. Delicious as it comes or devoured warm and melted from a brie baker! Best known for his Lanark Blue is another cheese pioneer, Humphrey Errington. Fascinated by Scotland’s lesser-known history of using ewe’s milk, he started

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making unpasteurised blue from his flock of Lacaune sheep. Now with the next generation aboard, the Erringtons have recently acquired a herd of Yorkshire goats and together the family make a diverse range of white and blue cheese, from the youthful creamy Sir Lancelot to the mature Corra Linn and the very popular goat ash-dusted Elrick Log. Drive west to Ardrossan and hop on a ferry to ‘Scotland in miniature,’ to find the Island Cheese Co and their Cheese Shop in Brodick where the ken-speckled coloured rounds of waxed cheeses are ever popular and multi-flavoured. They also produce soft cheese: blues and camembert, skilfully made and very appealing. For our final port of call we visit Isle of Mull Cheese Co, by Tobermory, where the Reade family landed in 1979 and started their transformation of a derelict farm! They established their dairy herd including Brown Swiss, Norwegian Red and Meuse Rhine Issel cows, spicing their diet of grass with draff from the nearby distillery - adding an indisputable terroir! The combination of experienced cheesemaking, island grazing and the angel’s share results in a powerful mature unpasteurised farmhouse cheese that can enhance a cheeseboard or be a characterful grated garnish. They also produce a tasty Hebridean Blue. The joy in artisan cheese is in tasting the flavours, understanding the product and supporting our dedicated producers. Everyone has favourites. It is for you to judge and enjoy but be sure to try them all! Scotland’s cheese story would be incomplete without a mention of David and Kathy Biss at Achmore. Another innovator from the 1980’s, Kathy has mentored many of our current cheesemakers and produced award-winning cheese at West Highland Dairy for over thirty years. Kathy still offers support and she and I co-host our Cheese Champion Day here in Fife. This journey through Scotland is a taste of terroir, a living landscape of flavours and a celebration of artisan produce. As more cheesemakers join the merry band it will be interesting to follow Scotland’s future contributions to the world cheeseboard. All these cheeses can be found on www.scottishcheesetrail.com 45

150 years of more success with PÖTTINGER 2021 heralds a significant anniversary for PÖTTINGER, the Austrian family-owned agricultural technology company. “Honour the past – be the future” is the headline for celebrating their 150-year success story. What started as a small workshop in Grieskirchen, Austria, developed into an internationally successful agricultural machinery manufacturer. PÖTTINGER in 2021 has a lot in common with the company back in 1871, a family business in which the focus on people and a down-to-earth approach are especially important. How it all began Grieskirchen in Austria was a small town with a population a little over 2,300 when PÖTTINGER was founded. The 150-year history of this agricultural engineering company began with Franz Pöttinger in 1871 when he built a forage cutting machine. Interestingly enough, however, the company started out as a locksmith’s workshop run by

the multi-skilled founder. Franz Pöttinger also made a name for himself as a watchmaker seeing him make the Grieskirchen church tower clock which was operational for over 100 years; today it is now proudly on display in all its former glory in the staff restaurant at the company’s headquarters in Grieskirchen after being lovingly restored by PÖTTINGER apprentices in 2015. From his

Founder Franz Pöttinger with his wife Juliane, who was responsible for accounting

point of view, the precision of a timepiece could also be applied to machines for making farmers’ demanding work easier. Franz Pöttinger also devoted time and effort in developing other significant projects for the town, he built water plants and acetylene gas systems for street lighting which made it possible for the town to switch from petroleum to gas lamps. In 1875 the first patent was granted to the founder for the forage cutting machine, machinery which would save farmers many hours of manual labour. 1909 saw the company pick up speed as it was handed over to his son Alios Pöttinger, the company employed between 8 to 10 people at that time. From 1909 the company displayed its first coat of arms with an ear of grain and the initials A and P for Alios Pöttinger. The metalworking business started to evolve into a true industrial enterprise, mass-producing fruit mills, fruit presses, malt and flour mills, circular saws, grinders as well as silage and forage cutters. In 1920 Alois Pöttinger married and soon their sons Alois, Friedrich (who died at the age of two months), Hans and Heinz followed. During this time, the company built their own hydroelectric power station,

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which made the workshop selfsufficient in terms of energy. Ever the trendsetter, Pöttinger was the proud owner of the third car to be registered for the road in Upper Austria. In addition to the PÖTTINGER products produced in-house, such as “electric motor wagons for threshing purposes from 6 to 15 hp, with and without motor” and the PÖTTINGER fruit mill, he also carried out a significant development for the region. He installed the water pipes in Grieskirchen as a plumbing company. The plumbing company is still one of the companies within the PÖTTINGER Group in the centre of Grieskirchen today. In 1938 son Heinz Pöttinger joined his father’s company, the “First Grieskirchen Mechanical Engineering Institute,” as a mechanical engineering apprentice. His brothers Alois and Hans were already part of the staff and worked as a machine fitter and in electrical equipment sales. In 1939, the father Alois Pöttinger bought an iron foundry from the bankruptcy assets of a machine factory and entered in the company register for the first time as “Alois Pöttinger Machinery Factory and Iron Foundry Grieskirchen”. In the postwar years, the company continued manufacturing relentlessly, albeit with a workforce that had been reduced in numbers and machinery

PÖTTINGER 150 YEARS

Drawing of the forage cutting machine, 1875 the first patent granted

that was partly unusable. Gradually the workforce took shape again, some of them refugees and wardisabled. Many of the staff were also part-time farmers. In 1946, the company owner modernised and expanded the foundry, which was overrun with orders. PÖTTINGER started manufacturing fully automatic hydraulic presses. In 1947, the company owner built the first social room for the staff on the roof of the workshop. They also built a new plant for manufacturing swath rakes, which were launched in 1949. Using newly purchased lathes and machine tools, they started production of hay loader wagons in 1951. In the workshops the assembly lines were producing at full tilt. In the 1950s, the focus of production shifted to agricultural machinery such as hay harvesting equipment, potato harvesters and the new brushwood chipping machines. These machines allowed forestry farmers to process low-grade wood efficiently. The chipping machines were sold through the Bavarian agricultural machinery dealer BayWa - the beginning of a partnership in Southern Germany that has lasted until today. In the 1950s the company did apprentice marketing for the first time: Secondary school pupils from Grieskirchen were regularly invited on tours of the factory. When Alois Pöttinger senior died in 1958, the management of the company passed to Alois junior, Hans and Heinz Pöttinger. The trio on the executive floor benefited from their different talents in sales, figures, and engineering. The

series of innovations was therefore continued seamlessly with a loader wagon for “hay, straw, grass, beet leaves and the like”. The head of finance, Hans Pöttinger, recorded a total turnover of ATS 19 million (equivalent to approx. EUR 1.4 million), seven percent of which came from exports. This ensured that PÖTTINGER was able to face the 1960s with confidence. Grassland farming was and still is PÖTTINGER’s bread and butter core business. The fourth generation of the Pöttinger family was not long in coming: Heinz Pöttinger married in 1956 and sons Heinz and Klaus were born soon after, followed by daughters Ulrike and Karin.

Swath rake in action during harvesting in 1949, the “tractor” having an output of 1hp

In 1963 PÖTTINGER’s agricultural engineers developed another bestseller - the loader wagon for bringing in the harvest, which has retained its number one

position worldwide to this day. In its first year of manufacture PÖTTINGER sold around 1,000 units of the LW14, named after its load capacity of 14 m3. Research

Entering a new era As the main workshop in the city centre finally became too small, the construction of the new plant began on a greenfield site just outside the city centre of Grieskirchen in 1960. From there the company developed to its present size staying close to its roots. Just in time for the company’s 100th anniversary celebration in 1971 six impressive workshops housing assembly lines equipped with the latest machines were completed. Around 300 people worked in the agricultural machinery factory, those who worked at PÖTTINGER were proud of the high technical standards; this positive working atmosphere contributed to the next successful product being created in 1960 – the legendary hay conveyor rake – a self-propelled machine for working on extremely steep terrain. www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

PÖTTINGER 150 YEARS

1951: The hay harvest has never been so quick and easy as with the hay loader

PÖTTINGER experts at a MEX industry presentation

and development continued and on the MEX maize forager the cutting drum (standard equipment at the time) was replaced with a flywheel. The company’s green product range did not rest on its laurels and continued to develop innovative ideas. In 1972, the enterprising company launched the first short chop loader wagon on the market.

about one third of which was accounted for by exports. By purchasing the Bavarian Plough Factory in Landsberg am Lech (GER) in 1975, PÖTTINGER was not only prepared for the nearby domestic market but also for the development of a major new business segment: tillage. Although the plough factory had only a modest output, it was a

The company showed an increasing international presence, not just with the service centre set up in Augsburg (GER) in 1964, but also with sales dealerships in various countries and exhibits at major agricultural trade fairs. In 1970 PÖTTINGER had over 800 employees and a turnover more than 310 million Schillings (equivalent to EUR 22.5 million),

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decisive first step for PÖTTINGER into an important segment. 1980 may have been a difficult year, with farmers’ incomes stagnated not only in Austria, but PÖTTINGER still pushed ahead with the longplanned modernisation of its product range. The Austrian company is the first agricultural machinery manufacturer to use product names that also work

PÖTTINGER 150 YEARS internationally: CAT, HIT, TOP and MEX. In the difficult decade of the eighties, the fourth generation officially joined the family business. In 1983/1984, Klaus (who studied mechanical engineering) and Heinz (social and economic sciences) Pöttinger’s first task in the company was to get the Bavarian Plough Factory back in shape. The situation in Landsberg improved with the launch of a new and more powerful generation of ploughs. Although built in Bavaria, these heavy-duty tillage implements were marketed under the PÖTTINGER name. The LION power harrow followed in 1991. With the stubble cultivator, the company now had a growing product range for tillage. However, the events at the company were overshadowed by family events: Alois Pöttinger died of heart failure died in 1980. Hans Pöttinger also died of heart

failure during a business trip in 1990. As the last of the three brothers, Heinz Pöttinger senior remained at the helm. Growth and innovations 1991 was a year of celebration: PÖTTINGER agricultural machinery company was 120 years old and the Bavarian Plough Factory in Landsberg is 100. On this festive occasion Heinz Pöttinger Senior handed over the company to Klaus and Heinz Pöttinger, this would be the fourth generation of the family. Heinz became the head of financial and commercial management and Klaus took responsibility for the technical side as head of engineering. During the first few years they faced enormous challenges. The agricultural machinery market collapsed due to international uncertainty and difficulties with the iron foundry were only the tip of the iceberg. The young business owners were forced to close the foundry and even

The SERVO plough in its striking colour combination

lay off employees. This was the toughest test for the two young entrepreneurs. The agricultural machinery market recovered again, and the decisive steps taken by the PÖTTINGER brothers began to take effect: The number of employees in Grieskirchen was quickly increased again. To ensure that the Austrian plant was utilised in full throughout the year, the assembly of ploughs

and harrows was relocated from Landsberg to Grieskirchen. The Bavarian factory was reduced to its core competencies: forging base components. 1993 saw PÖTTINGER venture into the baler market. In beginning they sold machines made by the German manufacturer Welger. Four years later the company switched to the round balers and wrapper made by

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PÖTTINGER 150 YEARS Gallignani in Italy. The 1990s heralded the introduction of Kaizen and the improvement process. In 1996, PÖTTINGER was certified to the ISO 9001 quality management system standard and evolved the existing staff suggestion scheme into the Japanese Kaizen model “Change for the better” in the form of PIP: The PÖTTINGER Improvement Process. Just one year after its introduction, a remarkable 1,000 suggestions for improvement from employees were on the table. With an investment of ATS 100 million (equivalent to approx. 7.3 million Euros) in the construction of the new painting centre, PÖTTINGER was then able to produce automotive paint quality for agricultural machinery. Shortly before the turn of the millennium, PÖTTINGER really took off in terms of internationalisation. The first sales subsidy was opened in Alsace, France. Today, 2021, another 14 sales subsidiaries have followed. Around this time, the course was also set for a completely new product line: the company started by investing in 25 percent of the Rabe seed drill plant. In 2001 the time had come for PÖTTINGER to acquire the factory in its entirety and expanded it to become one of the most modern seed drill technology factories in Europe. The factory featured a completely revised plant layout, laser and powder coating line, additional assembly hall and new manufacturing technologies.

Purpose built tillage manufacturing plant in Vodnany, Czech

The early years of the 21st century also saw a new phase of growth. In 2006, the decision was made to expand Vodnany into a development and competence centre for tillage. Since 1995, components for soil cultivation equipment had already been welded in a rented hall in the small Czech town of Vodnany. Following several phases of construction and investment in a gigantic cathodic dip painting line with powder coating and additional manufacturing and logistics halls, the new plant is another strong pillar for the Austrian agricultural machinery manufacturer. Despite its multi-million Euro investments globally, the company remained true to its roots with numerous investments in the headquarters. In 2008 the new exhibition and customer care centre was opened. This includes the company’s training centre for providing service training to dealerships. Research and development became an increasingly important

department within the company in terms of future projects and testing methods, that is why PÖTTINGER became one of the main shareholders of the TIZ (Technology and Innovation Centre) in Grieskirchen which opened opposite the company in 2004. Sadly, in 2014, Heinz Pöttinger passed away, he was the last representative of the third generation. The investments in the company continued in his style: In 2015, the office building in Grieskirchen was renovated and extended. One year later, further investments were made with the construction of two halls for assembly and logistics, and there was the ground-breaking ceremony for the spare parts logistics centre in neighbouring Taufkirchen (Upper Austria). 2015 also saw the start of manufacturing of the company’s own balers. The IMPRESS round baler featuring the perfect flow was presented to the farming industry for the first time.

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Following on from that, there were several changes at management level. After Klaus Pöttinger stood down from operations management in 2016 and Heinz Pöttinger moved to the supervisory board in 2018, a five-person management team from the company’s own workforce took over. Gregor Dietachmayr (Spokesperson for the management team and responsible for Sales, Marketing, Service), Dr. Markus Baldinger (Research, Development, Digitisation), Jörg Lechner (Production, Materials Management), Herbert Wagner (Human Resources, IT), Wolfgang Moser (Finance, Corporate Quality). At the end of April 2020, the ground-breaking ceremony took place for a new plant in the neighbouring community of St. Georgen for manufacturing round balers and large rakes. Earlier in 2021 the PÖTTINGER supervisory board announced the addition of the

PÖTTINGER 150 YEARS successful crop care products of CFS Cross Farm Solution GmbH to their portfolio from August 2021. This coming at a time where there continues to be an increasing demand on agriculture to grow and produce food in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner, seeing practically every farming business having to face the issue of reducing chemical use for weed control. The new crop care portfolio will include a range of rotary, constant pressure and vario hoes further underlining PÖTTINGER’s competence in supporting modern arable farming. Today PÖTTINGER has 1,901 employees representing 33 different nationalities globally. The adventure of the future We need to address major challenges - climate change, effectively utilising digitisation and artificial intelligence and evolving through a pandemic. The future of agriculture is directly linked to these factors because

everyone needs agriculture. This is the tagline that has accompanied PÖTTINGER’s work for many years in boosting the recognition and appreciation of farming. Digitisation and technical progress have long driven the agricultural sector. If the current trends hold, fewer and fewer farm businesses will have to farm increasingly and larger fields. This is only possible with mainstreaming autonomous agricultural machinery and technology, which by using electrification and sustainable working methods will conserve crops and promote good soil health. In keeping with the PÖTTINGER spirit, work on the future at the company has long since begun. With 150 years of technical and entrepreneurial experience, PÖTTINGER is ideally equipped to take on the many major challenges presented by the future. “Honour the past - be the future” is also the tagline of the fifth generation, they look back on the past with gratitude

PÖTTINGER management board

and is on the start line for a successful future. Closer to home - UK In 1971 the United Kingdom sees the MEX maize harvesters for the first time as they are imported through Broadwater Tools, Suffolk who distribute them to a fledgling dealer network. The flywheel design on the MEX is adapted for grass silage, obtaining

a reputation in the UK and Ireland for high output and reliability. The PÖTTINGER product portfolio is expanded in the UK to include drum mowers, combination tedder/ rake and loader wagons. During the 80s MEX harvesters are marketed under the two brands of SKH/Greenland & Massey Fergusion implements for three years. A new generation of CAT disc mowers are introduced.

Proud to sell Pöttinger Machinery Our main product lines are: Pöttinger, Case IH, Weidemann, NC Engineering, Claydon, Lucas G and Bednar

J. Low Agri Services Kelty Industrial Estate, Cocklaw Street, Kelty, Fife KY4 0DT

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PÖTTINGER 150 YEARS The Land Machinery Group of Companies (Landmec/Westmac) is appointed as sole UK distributor from a single outlet in Ivybridge, Devon. PÖTTINGER products are marketed under the “Landmec Pottinger” brand alongside other franchises held by the group. The 1990s saw a completely new generation of rotor fed PÖTTINGER loader wagons introduced to the UK and PÖTTINGER launches its own disc mower cutterbar manufactured exclusively in house. Also, during this time, a limited range of PÖTTINGER Tillage equipment is offered to the UK market. A couple of years after the millennium saw several changes to the ownership structure resulting in Alios Pottinger Maschinenfabrik GmbH appoint a UK based product specialist to work with Landmec in developing the UK PÖTTINGER business further. In 2005 the full range of PÖTTINGER tillage equipment is available to the UK

PÖTTINGER Headquarters in Grieskirchen, Austria

market including the completely new TERRASEM trailed seed drill range. In 2009 a strengthened dealer network increases PÖTTINGER tillage machinery sales and the business drives further increases in overall sales in the UK. Alios PÖTTINGER UK Ltd commences trading during 2012 from a centrally located premises in Corby, Northamptonshire where it remains today. Significant investment is made

in a two-acre head office site with a 1,800m2 parts warehouse and training facilities. Existing sales and service staff transfer to the new company collectively bringing more than 80 years of PÖTTINGER knowledge with them. Today with a team of 12 employees covering sales, aftermarket, training and product knowledge remains an important subsidiary of the global brand. Importantly there is a strong dealer

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network of 51 dealers, who reliably deliver our brand philosophy based on our partnership, core values and the established personal customer connections. It is an impressive history that the Pöttinger family and the PÖTTINGER company have written over the years and the family-owned business looks forward to the many decades that lie ahead to offer the best solutions for challenges that face our customers.

FARM ADVISORY SERVICE

New FAS TV show for farmers A new agricultural show which recreates traditional on-farm visits has been launched by the Farm Advisory Service (FAS). FAS TV, delivered by SAC Consulting - part of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), is a fortnightly show designed for farmers and crofters to replicate the knowledge sharing that traditionally happens at local on-farm meetings, lost due to Covid-19 restrictions. Each 30-minute programme delivers technical messages in a palatable and enjoyable format, with real farmers demonstrating advice in practice.

Jennifer Struthers, FAS TV Producer and Senior Consultant at SAC Consulting, said: “Lots of rural TV shows are not intended exclusively for farmer audiences. We believe there is a gap in the market for TV made from a farmer’s perspective.” Throughout 2021, 25 episodes of FAS TV will cover a wide range of topics across sectors, as well as regular updates on regulatory and policy changes. Filming will take place across Scotland, giving farmers the opportunity to visit farms from Stranraer to Shetland from the comfort of their own homes.

Cara Campbell, FAS TV producer and Consultant at SAC Consulting, said: “We’ve had some great filming days so far, in a socially distanced manner, and the farmers have all been really enthusiastic, despite the challenges of the winter weather.” As agricultural consultants, we are well used to running farm events to provide groups of farmers across Scotland technical information that can aid their business growth. However, making a TV series has been an exciting and new challenge for us which has been

One of the FAS TV crew, Alex Blott, filming on a blessedly sunny day in Aberfeldy

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a fantastic learning experience of how a show like this is made. Our vocabulary has expanded and now watching any TV show, we are all counting how many shots and cutaways there are made within the first minute. Our first day out filming FAS TV, we went to a farm to discuss woodland as a shelter for sheep and lambs. On the day, the film crew and consultants had to battle the February weather of snow and driving sleet however all involved were enthusiastic and excited about filming our very first segment! For each 30 minute episode, there are several hours of footage recorded with the very best bits making it into the final ‘cut’. They say never to work with children or animals – so predictably we had great fun filming in the calf shed at Auchnotroch in Lanarkshire! A five-episode Spring Special launched on 29th March and is still available for everyone to watch. In the Spring Special, we visited five farms across the central belt of Scotland and discussed a wide range of topics including: • Economic and environmental benefits of calving at twoyears-old • Utilising grazing systems when milking with robots • Protecting your soils: use of high flexion tyres • Fit-to-farm: advice on physical and mental health • Colostrum management at lambing time • Woodland for shelter

FARM ADVISORY SERVICE Over the next few episodes, we will be visiting farms in the four corners of Scotland with a variety of topics including a farm that has diversified into making gin and a farm that has been grazing their sheep on winter cereals. Shortly, we will be visiting two of SRUC farms, the dairy unit at Crichton where viewers will hear about youngstock management and how improving their slurry use has seen a reduction in fertiliser required on farm. The second farm we will visit is Kirton and Auchtertyre, our hill and mountain research farm, to hear how their EID crate has improved sheep handling and what they have done to improve and aid biodiversity. There will also be regular features from SRUC’s Helen Carty, Veterinary Centre Manager at Auchincruive, and Fiona Burnett, Head of Knowledge Exchange and Innovation. Fiona will give updates on how crops are growing over the year and what problems farmers are facing with their crops. Helen will provide information on the livestock diseases that have been seen through the Veterinary Centre. The most recent episode went be live on YouTube and Facebook in April and amongst the topics covered were exploring how the mentoring scheme provided by FAS has helped Cammy Wilson (of The Sheep Game YouTube Channel Fame) increase his flock numbers and develop his business.

New entrant farmer and YouTuber Cameron Wilson tells his story about how he got started

Katrina Kennedy with her sheepdog Belle talking about her experience as a new entrant farmer

Follow the Farm Advisory Service on YouTube and watch FAS TV now via www.youtube. com/fasscot.

Scotland’s Farm Advisory Service is part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) which is co-funded by the EU and Scottish Government, providing information and resources aimed at increasing the profitability and sustainability of farms and crofts.

Kirstie Baird is surrounded by some of Auchnotroch farm’s latest editions as she talks to the FAS TV crew

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NORTHERN ISLES News

Calf relief! A South Mainland crofter has spoken of his relief after three new-born calves survived despite emerging in the midst of the “worst 24 hours of weather this winter”. Allison Duncan said the new arrivals at his Dunrossness holding at Hardbrakes came in “whitewash” conditions. The 74-year-old said all three calves owned by his business partner Magnus Burgess survived the harsh conditions after being brought inside to shelter. It came as drifting snow and harsh winds battered the isles causing disruption. Mr Duncan said, such were the blizzard conditions, that it would not have been safe to have gone out on foot. He had to rely on his four-wheel-drive tractor to help inspect the cattle. Speaking on Monday Mr Duncan – an SIC councillor for Shetland South – said: “This past 24 hours has been quite horrendous – it’s been possibly the worst 24 hours of this winter. “Magnus Burgess and myself work jointly with cattle. We’ve had three in the past 24 hours. We’ve been able to save all three. They are all under one roof at the moment until the weather abates.” The first was born on Sunday lunchtime and a second came a few hours later. The third was at 6am on Monday. Mr Duncan said he and Mr Burgess – together with Mr Burgess’ son John-Robbie Burgess – had shared the calving duties and were there “at the right time at the right place”. “If not, there would have been losses.” Together the men breed a mixture of different cattle, including Simmental cross, Shetland Charolais cross, pure 56

Shetland and shorthorn cross. He added working “as a team” meant the crofters were able to save the calves despite the “extreme weather”. “This is an unusual 24-48 hours for this time of year. This morning I went to look at the cattle and there was no way I was going to set out on foot. “I got the four-wheel-drive tractor. At times, with the driving snow from the northwest, and the wind accompanying it, it was a whitewash. “It wouldn’t have been safe to go out on foot unless you were following a fence, because it was severe conditions. “I’m 74, and this was one of the worst mornings I’ve been out in the morning – but it had to be done to check the cattle.” The issue is a familiar one to farmers and crofters across the isles. In the North Mainland, crofter Fraser Anderson was taking it all in his stride, despite the disruption.

The 32 year-old from North Roe has been battling against the weather to keep his livestock in top condition. Mr Anderson is expecting his cross ewes to begin lambing in the next couple of weeks. But his handful of pure-bred sheep lambed back in January. This week he was busy ensuring his flock had plenty of feed and access to water. “The main problem today [Monday] is frozen water,” he said. “In the shed where the kye are all the taps are all frozen up. “Obviously, they’re not outside so they can’t get to water. “The outside water is not so bad, there are usually holes of water and burns, and you can go and break ice and get water. “It’s the inside animals that is the issue.” Clearly another issue has been snow covering most of the grass. But Mr Anderson has been on hand with loads of silage to “get some kind of bulk in their bellies”.

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He added lambing would be beginning in earnest soon – but hopefully not before conditions have improved significantly. “We’re hardly two weeks away – a week and a half and we should be getting going then. “There were just a few purebreds that we lambed early so when the cross sheep start lambing the pure breeds are hopefully out of the way.” He said he kept a small number of pure-breds mainly as a hobby. Most of the work focuses on some 60 cross ewes and 150 Shetland ewes in-by. Out on the hill just now are some 100 Shetland ewes, while the 11 calving cows are kept under shelter. Mr Anderson said it was his grandparents who always ran a farm at Isbister in North Roe that gave him the passion to get into tending to livestock. And he has certainly not been prepared to let some bad weather curb his enthusiasm in any way. “It’s just head up and get on with it,” he said.

Dairy perseveres through pandemic Lara Hourie, 27, from Sandwick, is the driving force behind Orkney’s new dairy business, promoting local dairy produce in the face of the pandemic. The Orkney Dairy, at Bain Farm, operates out of a purposebuilt facility converted from her great grandparents’ cottage in Sandwick, and Lara hopes to not only join, but add to the renowned status that Orkney’s food and drink has. The Orkney Dairy currently provides a range of very popular hot chocolate bombs, launched at the end of October last year. The release of other products, including milk and yoghurt, have been delayed by the pandemic, but Lara hopes to have these on shelves across the county by spring. Lara said: “I’ve always wanted to make produce from our own milk from a young age, and three years ago, I bit the bullet and decided to make a go of it. “Whilst at university, I did my honours dissertation on the provenance of Orkney food and drink, and it really inspired me to be part of the fabulous brand that Orkney Food and Drink has. “We applied for LEADER funding in 2017, and it’s all grown from there. We converted my dad’s old workshop, which was originally my great grandparents’ cottage on the farm, into a purpose-built dairy.” Lara left her job in June, 2018, and is fully committed to the dairy, on top of helping on her parents’ farm and working odd jobs here and there. “We’re very much a small business at the moment,” she said.

“We have not started to sell our dairy produce yet as we are still in the process of getting full environmental health approval; we should hopefully have this by the spring. “It’s just myself running the dairy at the moment, along with the help of my mum and dad — which couldn’t have happened without them! As many Orkney businesses will know, the arrival of COVID-19 hit hard. “COVID-19 had a huge impact on the dairy”, Lara explained.

“This time last year, we were hoping to have our produce out by the summer, however COVID put a stop to that. “We had a pasteuriser coming home from Italy, which all had to be cancelled as Italy went into lockdown, meaning we had to find kit elsewhere in the UK. Luckily we found a brilliant British company, which helped us out a lot. “It just put a big pause on everything, but it led us to make the hot chocolate bombs, which we have loved doing.”

With her eyes firmly on the future, Lara is gearing up to launch the full range of products this year. She said: “The main goal would be that people love our produce, and support us locally. “I think lockdown has really proven how delicious our Orkney produce is, and how important it is to support our local businesses.” Visit the dairy’s Facebook page for more information, at www. facebook.com/theorkneydairy

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Travel Scotland

Rural Hideaways Off the Beaten Track by Janice Hopper With Scotland’s tourism slowly reopening, many of us are desperate to flee our immediate locality and go, quite frankly, anywhere else in the country. But if we all stampede to Scotland’s top tourist destinations we won’t spread the economic benefits of tourism or share the footfall. So here is a round up of ten rural escapes, in slightly less predictable locations, that will feel a million miles away from the groundhog day that was lockdown.

Treehouse Adventures Treehouses have come a long way since our childhood adventures. Dumfries and Galloway is home to the Brockloch Treehouse on the 190-acre Brockloch Farm. Tucked within a bluebell wood, this is a quirky, romantic escape for two. The property has eco credentials too, including sheep’s wool mattresses and insulation, goose down duvets, earthborn paint and lighting powered by solar panels. Skylights over the bed and above the sunken bath allow for unique stargazing opportunities. -Treehouse for two people from £165 per night, minimum 2-night stay.

canopyandstars.co.uk/britain/ scotland/dumfries-galloway/ brockloch-farm/brocklochtreehouse Kick Back in Kelso Head to Kelso to stay at the sumptuous Coledale Stables. This property has been transformed from an old stable block, joiner’s workshop and store into a four-bedroom retreat. It’s ideal for groups, even offering four showers, two baths, and two heating systems so everyone can get ready simultaneously. The stables are close to the River Tweed, so Coledale incorporates storage for tackle and rods, extra fridges and freezer for any fish caught, and a preparation area. But if fishing isn’t your thing simply curl up next to the ceiling-suspended stove and chill out. -Coledale Stables is from £926.25 for a 3-night short break.

crabtreeandcrabtree.com/ properties/coledale-stables Dairy Dreams in Huntly The Dairy at Den End is one of three properties at Boutique Farm Bothies in Aberdeenshire. Set in Drumblade, the farm grows strawberries, barley for malting whisky, and rears a Highlander breeder flock of ewes, but ‘the Dairy’ is also a sanctuary where milk and imagination collide. Picture a cabin with a 1920s mobile milking system theme, tin ceiling, milk-churn seating, logburning range, copper bathtub and floor-to-ceiling glass to enjoy the country views. Family friendly, this property has two bedrooms, a king-size double for the grownups, and a double bunk for wee ones. Outdoors there’s a decking area, hammock, woodfired BBQ grill and hot tub. Dogs are notably welcome — expect a sleepover kit consisting of a bed, Courtesy- Crabtree & Crabtree

Escape to North Berwick The Barn at Williamstone Farm Steadings started life as a grain and cart store. It’s now a 3-bedroom escape in East Lothian. The lounge area is notably eye-catching with a large vaulted ceiling, exposed beams, stone walls and a mezzanine level leading to a double sofa bed. Other details include oak floors with underfloor heating and a log burning stove. Outside expect rural views and a short walk to the beach. Prices from £190 per night with a 3-night minimum stay. chicscotland.com/listing/thebarn-at-willamstone-farmsteadings.html

Brockloch Treehouse

Coledale Stables

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Travel Scotland

Hobbit Haven Set near Aberlour, along the foothills of Ben Rinnes in Morayshire, Kim and Mark’s fantastical hobbit house provides a real escape from the everyday. Its intricate design and quirky interior definitely has the ‘wow’ factor. Outdoors, make the most of a BBQ, outdoor games, fairy glen, star-gazing telescope, rope-swing, babbling brook, picnic tables and fire pit. Surrounded by farm land, this small homestead keeps chickens and grows its own fruit and veg, winning several green and environmental tourism awards over the years. -The Hobbit House costs from £150 (4 people) to £190 (6 people) for a 3-night minimum stay. No seasonal or weekend price variations. hobbithideaway.co.uk Beachlife A beach escape doesn’t come fresher than these coastal sanctuaries in East Lothian.

Seven spacious cabins, named after Scottish birdlife, are set next to Tyninghame beach with views over the sand dunes and Lochhouse farm. Inside, cosy up in a boxbed, reminiscent of the crofting lifestyle in Orkney and Shetland. Each cabin sleeps up to eight people, and offers three bedroom areas (double bed, box-bed and bunk bed), kitchen, living and dining space, all open plan. Spend hours on the beach, or, for those wishing to reconnect with farming life guests can help out with the hens, ducks and rabbits, or bottle-feed the new lambs in spring. -Rates start from £126 per night, minimum 2-night stay. harvestmoonholidays.com History & Heritage For a slice of history, slip away to the Isle of Lewis and stay at the traditional blackhouse village of Gearrannan. This precious rural location offers 2-star group accommodation sleeping up to sixteen guests, and 4-star cottages named after the families that once lived there. During the day explore the village houses and witness weaving of the famous Harris tweed. By night, fall asleep with the embers of the fire ebbing away as the Atlantic

Ocean crashes in the distance. -Cottages start at £80 a night with a minimum 5-night stay. gearrannan.com Off Grid Chill Out Escape the wifi and get back to basics at Creeside Escape Shepherd Huts in Ayrshire. Located on a working farm, guests can savour views of the River Cree and the Galloway Hills. Fire up the wood burning stove, and pass the time stargazing, listening to the radio, playing board games, reading and cosying up. -A Creeside Escape costs £65 per night, with a minimum two

night stay and no seasonal price variations. creesideescape.com Luxury Romantic Getaway Just a fifteen minute drive from Dundee is a romantic adult-only hideaway on Balkello Farm in Auchterhouse. Four hideaways, complete with hot tub, cocktail bar and hammock, are set beautifully secluded from each other in a rural farmland setting. This is a space for privacy, intimacy and reconnection with excellent country views to set the scene. -Rates start from £540.00 for a minimum 2-night break. -thehideawayexperience.co.uk

Hobbit Hideaway Courtesy of Iain MacArthur

bowl, blanket, lead and gravy bones. -Bothy for two people from £210 per night, minimum 2-night stay. canopyandstars.co.uk/britain/ scotland/aberdeenshire/ boutique-farm-bothies/thedairy-at-denend Island Estates Leaving the Scottish mainland seemed like a pipe dream for so long but Scotland’s islands will slowly open up and they’re as glorious as ever. The Mount Stuart estate on the Isle of Bute offers a mix of self-catering properties, from converted kennels in the grounds of Mount Stuart House, to grand loch-side mansions. The estate includes several working farms, 1,300 hectares of woodland and forestry, plus a sawmill working with local timber. The Kennels property used to house the estate dogs, but now offers two double bedrooms, an open plan kitchen, living and dining area with a wood burning stove. -Rates start at £550 for a weekly let. mountstuart.com/stay/kennels

Gearrannan

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youngfarmers Rural Youth Project celebrates success at The Rural Business Awards

GENERATION This Next Generation column is a collaboration between the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth Next Generation (RASC) and NFU Scotland Next Generation.

For their work in continuing to inspire and develop the next generation of rural leaders, the Rural Youth Project was awarded Runner-Up in the ‘Best Rural Social Enterprise, Charity or Community Project’ category at this year’s Rural Business Awards, in partnership with Amazon. The awards ceremony, which was held virtually, brought together a broad range of businesses, social enterprises and charities operating across the UK to celebrate their successes and the important contribution they make to the nation’s rural economy. Rebecca Dawes, Co-Founder and Director of the Rural Youth Project said that the team was thrilled to be recognised: “This year, there were a record number of entries and we were aware that it was a very competitive process, so we were initially thrilled to be shortlisted alongside the other fantastic organisations in our category. To be awarded runner-up at the Rural Business Awards was not only a fantastic achievement for the team and a massive boost to the continuation of our vision, but a true credit to the inspiring young people we have had the pleasure of engaging with over the past three years.” During the coronavirus pandemic, the Rural Youth Project was conscious of the heightened issues facing young people, such as loneliness and isolation, which resulted in their optimism about the future to halve during lockdown. Despite being unable to continue

with face-to-face events, the Project re-imagined how to support rural youth, hosting an array of virtual drop-in sessions and webinars, and increasing social media activity. Notwithstanding the challenges, Ms Dawes acknowledges that the success of the Project would not have been possible without the support of the founding partners and supporters, including Jane Craigie Marketing, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Rural Network, and the funding received from LEADER (‘Liaison Entre Actions de Développement de l’Économie Rurale’), which ensures that communities have outreach programmes such as the Rural Youth Project. The Rural Youth Project was established in 2018 as a researchbased project aiming to develop feasible strategies to facilitate the involvement of young people in agricultural and rural activity by better understanding their current situation, aspirations, opportunities and challenges. Since its conception, thousands of young people have been involved in event-based activities such as training workshops and ideas cafes; stories have been uncovered and shared via learning journeys and the Tread magazine; and voices have been heard. The Project is centred around collaboration and human-centric creativity, but is fundamentally about learning from young people who can reimagine the future of rural places as attractive and viable places to build a life. For more information, head to https://www.ruralyouthproject.com

Looking on the positive side of life! By Pete Moss

April arrived with a blanket of snow and freezing winds but as I write this it has subsided to a day of blazing sunshine and I must admit to letting a bit of optimism enter my psyche in the hope we can crack on with Spring work. Calving has been steady this year but the better weather is very welcome if it will allow us to turn out stock soon to make much-needed room in the sheds. The better weather also brings out the public looking to stretch their legs in the countryside. Last year members of the Next Generation Committee highlighted some of the issues caused by an increase in numbers of the public walking over farmland, with many farmers taking to social media to moan about the lack of courtesy being shown by a minority of visitors, one of our group members Michelle took the initiative and produced an informative sign to hang on her gate, explaining there are pregnant sheep and to keep dogs on a lead. The signs were a hit and NFUS made template signs

to cover different industries including grain, veg and cattle signs that not only asked for care to be taken when accessing land, but also sharing some positive facts about Scottish agriculture. Many farms put their social media handles on their signs and the feedback was amazing! This year we have released 13 updated signs and rather than look on the increase in visitors as a burden we should use this as an opportunity to engage with the public and promote the fantastic story of the food we produce. Recent opinion polls have shown the public hold farmers in high esteem, and with some of the strongest prices ever seen in many sectors, it’s time we focus on positive measures to create a connection to consumers to ensure they look for Scotch produce when picking up food off the shelf or ordering in a restaurant. To download your own sign that you can customise go to: www.nfus.org.uk/policy/ educational-posters.aspx

Rebeca Dawes is a Director for the Rural Youth Project, Next Generation Trustee for the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth, LEAF Open Farm Sunday Coordinator and Agricultural and Rural Communication for Jane Craigie Marketing.

ARTICLE

Three Brothers, Three Sheds, One Successful Diversification The Scott Brothers have always been in agriculture, with a strong passion to continue the family’s farm and sustain a viable business. Charlie, Michael and Andrew began with their roots sunk deeply into the arable sector, however, they soon realised that to strengthen the business, they needed to diversify. This led to their latest venture: poultry. Growing up on the family farm in East Lothian, the brothers started young with a hands-on role helping their father on the arable unit, supplying wheat, barley and oilseed rape. Finding their own path, the eldest and youngest- Charlie and Michael- studied Agriculture at Edinburgh SAC where they further developed their skills and knowledge within the industry. Andrew, on the other hand, studied forest management at Inverness. On his return, Charlie decided to make the first move into poultry in 2016. He began by building the first 16,000 bird free range unit, fitted with Vencomatic UK equipment and due to its great success, later doubled the size to 32,000 birds the following flock. Michael Scott states, “As a farming business, we needed to diversify, and strengthen the business without relying on government subsidies”. He continues, “Our farm is 150 hectares and to run this as just an arable enterprise doesn’t stack up financially without looking for contract farming where profit margins have been squeezed for a number of years. This was not an option for our family” and thus, the next step lent itself to the poultry sector. “The first shed we built was a massive challenge and with little experience, there were many learning curves along the way”.

With the first two sheds proving to be rewarding, the middle brother, Andrew, is now involved in the build of a new poultry shed. With three sheds, and a brother for each, their roles entail managing their individual sites. Charlie explains, “We focus on keeping labour to a minimum at all times. Each of us pack eggs and run the sheds day-to-day. All of our eggs are sold to the Lakes Free Range Egg Co. and our feed is bought from Noble Foods”. With reduced labour and reliability at the forefront of the brothers’ decision making, they installed the Veranda Aviary and Veranda Gallery Single to reflect this. Explaining why they stayed with Vencomatic UK for all of their sheds, they state “The support we get from Vencomatic UK is second to none. The

equipment is good quality which also lowers labour requirements on site which is very important to us. The Fortica ventilation system has also worked very well with our biomass boiler and ground source heat pump, this has made a great difference to air quality, litter and humidity levels within the sheds”. To further ensure that their equipment will last for future generations, they found that the Magnelis galvanised steel used on the system was a big benefit. “What you pay for is what you get. Everyone has their own opinion, but I would rather invest in a system that is good value and going to potentially last longer, require reduced labour to run and have less problems along the way”. In addition, to their nest system, they further installed efficient egg packing equipment.

The Scott brothers found the best solutions for them was with Prinzen; they chose the PSCPC 30, PR70 and Prinzen Palletiser (NEW for 2021) for the reliability and support. “We rarely have any problems with our farm packers and if we do, an engineer can be on site within 24 hours”. Looking towards the future, the brothers are responding to the NFU’s 2040 Net Zero target. Michael states, “As a family, we would like to see ourselves become more self-sufficient. We are looking to invest further into renewable energy, in an attempt to become more carbon neutral and lower our electric consumption from the national grid.” Consequently, the brothers have committed to a 200kW roofmounted solar install, with Venco Energy, and are excited for the completion of their new build.

Michael, Charlie and Andrew

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ABERDEEN VET SCHOOL

£850k Veterinary Skills Centre for Aberdeen Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) is investing £850,000 to create a top-of-the-class veterinary clinical skills teaching centre in Aberdeen. Opening in September, the ten-room Veterinary Clinical Skills Centre at SRUC’s Craibstone campus will feature dedicated spaces for hands-on experience with cutting-edge equipment, a clinical skills laboratory and animal disease diagnostics laboratories. It will also feature a mock veterinary practice including a consultation room and pharmacy. Digital technology will connect the Veterinary Clinical Skills Centre through 360-degree cameras, video streaming and touchscreen displays to other SRUC campuses and remote learners. The centre will be fitted out with the latest technology

to support veterinary skills teaching. The Veterinary Clinical Skills Centre will be open for the start of the 2021-2022 Academic Year. This will coincide with the first Craibstone students working towards a degree in Veterinary Nursing, a programme which is also taught at SRUC’s Barony campus near Dumfries. Similar investment in digital technology is planned for Barony to create opportunities for students across SRUC’s campuses to learn together. More than 100 students each year will study and learn at the centre. The centre will also deliver short courses to veterinary professionals and paraprofessionals at weekends, during the evenings and summer breaks to create a hub for veterinary professional

development for the whole region. Caroline Argo, Dean of SRUC’s North Faculty said: “Our new Veterinary Clinical Skills Centre will offer one of the best experiences for students of veterinary nursing and other animal-related programmes across the country. Rural veterinary practices are vital for farming and rural life and they face challenges when it comes to finding veterinary nurses and support teams. By focussing on the development of talented new professionals for rural practices, our graduates will have the skills, knowledge and opportunities for long, successful and fulfilling careers.” The Veterinary Clinical Skills Centre has been designed by Aberdeenshire firm MAC Architects in partnership with SRUC’s staff and students.

Veterinary Clinical Skills Centre - Craibstone

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Located next door to SRUC Veterinary Services laboratories and new animal care handling facilities, the Veterinary Clinical Skills Facility will create a hub for veterinary clinical skills and animal care in the North of Scotland. The centre follows the recent announcement of new equine facilities for Craibstone, also due for completion in September, and recent investment in student welfare facilities at Tulloch Farm. With student numbers growing, SRUC is looking for veterinary practices from across the North of Scotland to provide placements for students. This will help practices find new talent for veterinary assistant roles and support the wider profession. To find out more about courses available at SRUC, visit www.sruc. ac.uk/study

TRAINVIEW TALK

Spring has sprung…or has it? With the time now changed and the days stretching the weather has turned on us again. The icy north wind hasn’t let up for days now and Forfar is under a blanket of stoor being whipped up from the newly sown fields from the Vale of Strathmore. Just in time for the start of lambing and the last load of silage having been delivered. Turnout regardless of the weather may now be inevitable, we’re just glad we have secured all our grazing for the year. It was encouraging to see record prices and averages in a few breeds at the February Bull sales despite the very different programme of events and atmosphere under the Covid regulations. We got our bull Prince Navid away for 4000 gns to a farm in Aberdeenshire on an internet bid. Online bidding like this is sure to stay passed any pandemic now. An interesting thing from the sale was 24 of the top 25 priced Shorthorn bulls were polled, when my father started bringing out bulls in the middle 80s, polled bulls of most breeds were seen as weaker and lacking flesh and bone compared to horned bulls, times have changed and polls are here to stay. As a parting gift Prince Navid has left us 3 great calves… sadly none are heifers but all are polled! The money didn’t say hidden for long, we splashed out on a new breed buying the very last animal in the sale. St Fort Frosty is now settled in with us, a Lincoln red heifer from the Mylius family in Fife. We have long admired the

DIARY

Diary page By James Cameron

breed and her sire St Fort Rolex was a former Reserve Beef Interbreed Champion at the Great Yorkshire, he was some bull. Our new heifer carries his same soft flesh and conformation so was hard to go past. On a high from the sale the rest of that week went to pot, we lost a cow and we got word we would lose our winter accommodation as the sheds are to be developed. Hopefully it’s the sign that something better is to come and we have the summer to look for more sheds. Our ultimate goal however is to end this vicious circle of looking for sheds and grazing from one year to the next and to buy land

or a smallholding. However in Angus the availability of livestock ground is very, very thin on the ground, we can only just hope the right thing won’t go by us. Lambing has started, but slowly, the sheep have wintered well and we very much try to leave them to it as much as possible. Most are carrying singles so no extra feeding is required however we are still seeing foot problems from our cast ewes bought in last backend. I think by the time this lambing is over we will cracking open a conciliatory beer rather than popping the champagne. The best course of action for most of them will be down the road and look for younger

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sheep from hopefully better sources i.e. not a dealer! Its actually not just a Lincoln Red is new we have a new Highland bull calf but his use is very much different. He will be our new teaser bull. With 4 different breeds having 4 different stock bulls would be a nonsense for our numbers so he will cover them all alongside his Moocall Heat collar. We should get text messages when a cow is in heat for AI, the wonders of technology! He’ll get his vasectomy operation soon and will go to work later in the summer. There has been lots happening with Valerie and the flowers at Blooming Bees. I don’t know exactly what’s going on all the time but Valerie seems very busy with it all! A bit like getting the spring crops in, its all go to get seeds sown and growing for the season ahead. On top of this a new polytunnel has gone up. Demand for Scottish grown flowers is rising greatly especially with the complications of importing flowers due to Brexit. Blooming Bees are part of a new group of growers called ‘Flowers Grown in Scotland’ promoting and raising the profile of the industry. By the time we next speak, I should have had my Covid Jag as they are now entering my age group and things are finally opening up again. With no cattle shows however maybe this year we will try to go on a family ‘Stay cation’. Even when there always seems a never ending to-do list getting away might be just the thing we need, though no doubt such a trip would include looking at livestock somewhere! 63

beef

Long-awaited trading certainty for livestock sector

Beef producers can finally plan ahead with confidence, following the launch of the world’s first smart, data-driven beef contract which sets a secure price 24 months ahead. In a development which is set to transform the British beef industry, Breedr has launched the UK’s first ever long-term minimum-priced contract based on lifetime animal data. With price certainty giving producers confidence to invest, and the data used to improve efficiencies throughout the supply chain, this will not only reduce the industry’s environmental footprint but also improve the consistency and quality of the end product. In addition, the team has launched a new risk-free way to buy and sell livestock, based on lifetime animal data and weights. The Breedr live trading platform means producers can buy and sell through the free app with certainty, with a price guarantee in case of any differential in the weight of weaned calves and stores between farms. Sellers are also ensured payment within 72 hours of collection, and trades will be commission free until later this year.

“As beef producers ourselves, we know how tricky it is to plan ahead with confidence – one batch of bad calves can ruin a farm, as can a downturn in the beef market,” says Ian Wheal, founder of Breedr. “But by making better use of data we can buy and sell with transparency, predict growth rates, and know that we’re supplying the processor with what they want – ensuring a secure end market and price.” The contract is worth more than £130m to British beef producers over the next seven years, offering a 24-month minimum price for any cattle with lifetime data, with producers also receiving a proportion of any uplift in price above that. Rearers can opt to be paid on a per kg growth basis, eliminating the need for capital outlay on youngstock, while advanced payments are available to smooth cash flow. “With Brexit, the whole food industry is facing an uncertain time – but British agriculture is innovating to meet UK and global needs,” says Mr Wheal. For more information visit www.breedr.co

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New digital tool helping children connect with Scotland’s red meat industry Quality Meat Scotland’s (QMS) Health & Education team has developed a new digital tool, Farming Foodsteps, to help teachers and parents deliver education about the red meat supply chain, with lessons at every step of the way from farm to fork. As well as introducing the red meat journey and livestock farming, Farming Foodsteps also covers important messages around sustainability, the environment, food safety, careers, and the role of red meat in a healthy diet. The preparation and cooking of red meat is also included. The interactive tool was developed when the first lockdown started in March 2020 by QMS’ H&E team of two - Jennifer Robertson and Alix Ritchie - to replace the education sessions and cookery demonstrations they usually deliver in schools, alongside on-site teacher training workshops and supporting RHET Food and Farming visits. Ms Robertson, who has school-age children herself, says: “Educators as well as the agricultural industry are keen to ensure that food and farming retains a significant place in the curriculum. Not only is it a key player in Scotland’s culture, but it can be easily integrated into subjects across the curriculum from literacy and geography to science, cooking and maths. It is also demonstrating to young people the many skills needed in modern agriculture, including technology, statistical analysis and environmental management in addition to the more traditional practices young people often associate with farming.”

Farming Foodsteps has been developed in line with the national curriculum and focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), a key priority of the Scottish Government and Education Scotland. It sits on an easyto-use interactive platform online, with five main lessons full of colourful presentations, interactive games and tools, editable worksheets, and quizzes ideal for the home learning environment. QMS Chief Executive, Alan Clarke, adds: “At a time when the red meat industry is under increasing scrutiny, this is an opportunity to present the facts of red meat production and sustainability in a creative and engaging way for young people to learn the whole story and allow them to make informed lifestyle decisions.” The nature of Farming Foodsteps is that it can be taught digitally, and it can be intuitively worked through by a pupil who has access to a laptop, tablet or phone, without support from an adult. QMS hope is that Farming Foodsteps becomes the goto place for information on Scottish red meat and the journey it makes from farm to fork and are encouraging industry to view it here: https:// education.qmscotland.co.uk/ FarmingFoodsteps/ and share far and wide.

TAGGING AND RECORDING

First steps: improve herd efficiency with software The message to Scottish beef farmers for the transition to post Common Agricultural Policy farming is clear. Improving efficiency to increase productivity and reduce emissions should be the goal for all. Upgrading from manual records to a specialist digital herd record keeping system will help your business to achieve that goal. Cattledata is a trusted, user friendly software with mobile app that means you can record all animal occurrences, movements, and health books digitally, anywhere on your phone. You can also report on your herd’s performance on your computer. Investing in larger capital items like precision weighing systems, will improve efficiency for businesses with the right set up. For many farmers however, a first step to improving efficiency might be as simple as reducing the number of vehicle trips back to the office to retrieve information on animals. The Cattledata mobile app means this information is always in the palm of your hand. Cattledata user Colin Inglis said: “The mobile app gives me more access to my data when I am out amongst the cattle. It’s easier to move them and update medical records. I don’t have to go back to the office to update the records later.”

Perhaps you are worried that your own computer literacy could be an obstacle to implementing herd record software? Rest assured that we provide full training at a pace to suit you. Remember there are grants available to cover the cost of skills training too – we’ve helped our customers to use funding through the Women in Agriculture scheme this year for example. Farmdata has developed management software for over 40 years. We have experience helping all types of Scottish farm business for more advice on improving your own cattle records, contact us on 01798 877100.

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TAGGING AND RECORDING

Shearwell Data – Working to help the livestock farmer Shearwell Data Ltd (SDL) is an animal identification and software management business, supporting livestock farmers with livestock management packages and equipment including sheep and cattle tags, EID readers and handling systems. As a farmer owned business, Shearwell Data understands farmers’ needs and challenges. All products are trialled on our farms before going into production to ensure quality, reliability and ease of use. SDL tags have industry leading retention levels, with the added benefit of providing free replacement tags for the life of the animal. It is focused on providing excellent customer service, with support from our technical team and Representatives based around the country. A world first - Revolutionary new Metal Cattle EID tag Shearwell is the first company in the world to offer an official metal EID tag for cattle. The development of this revolutionary product has been an ambition of the business for a number of years and is testament to the expertise within the Shearwell business. The Metal Cattle EID Tag has been designed around the very popular Ketchum tag, which is well-liked by livestock farmers because of its retention capabilities and a number of other features: • Designed for excellent retention capabilities • Incorporates RFID capabilities (ISO 11784/11785 compliant RFID tag) • Manufactured from stainless steel • Tag number applied using permanent laser mark process • Tamper resistant • Tamper evident 66

The ShearWeigh Having quick, reliable data at your farming fingertips is key for any business. The ShearWeigh has been designed by people who understand the rigours of farm life and extreme weather conditions. Extensive farm trials have demonstrated: • • • • • • • • • •

Robust design Easy to set up Accurate Quick read Simplicity of function Clear readout Light weight Long life battery Reliable Excellent value for money

For more information call North Scotland Representative Jane Thomson 07788 209438 or South Scotland Representative James Hickson 07714 744686 or go to: Shearwell.co.uk

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livestock Optimising suckler herd performance with strategic supplementation in final stages of pregnancy The final six weeks of pregnancy are key to supporting short and long-term performance of suckler herds, says Dr Alison Bond, nutritionist for Rumenco. “At this point in time, cows should be maintaining a body condition score of 2.5-3 with the nutritional focus shifting towards supplementation for colostrum development and prevention of metabolic issues that can lead to complications such as difficult calvings and milk fever,” explains Dr Bond. Meeting these critical nutritional requirements can be done with a multi-purpose product like LIFELINE Pre-Calver, balanced with vitamins, minerals, trace elements and specialist nutrients in the form of mannanoligosaccharides and beta-glucans. Colostrum is the sole source of antibodies for disease

resistance in newborn calves, with quality and quantity of colostrum being essential for priming the immune system to prevent youngstock illness such as scour and respiratory disease. “Colostrum quality should be at least 50g/l of IgG or a 22% BRIX reading and can be influenced as it starts to develop in the final five to six weeks of pregnancy – with the final two weeks having the greatest impact,” says Dr Bond. In a farm study validated by Harper Adams University College, a high performing spring calving herd in Shropshire was found to have a 9.46% increase in colostrum immunoglobulin over the control group when fed LIFELINE Pre-Calver. Colostrum management is equally critical, says Dr Bond, with a calf’s ability to absorb IgG antibody molecules reducing from

40% at birth to less than 5% after 20 hours.“To ensure the passive transfer of antibodies, calves require three litres of colostrum (or 10 percent of body weight) in the first two hours of life, followed by similar size feed within 12 hours. For a suckling calf, this

Osmonds Launch Double Strength Calf Colostrum Supplement When a consortium of local vets approached Osmonds, requiring a stronger dose of calf colostrum, they used their vast experience and knowledge to develop a premium, double strength calf colostrum supplement, Dual Gold. Specifically formulated to help support calf performance, especially where calves may not receive sufficient, good quality maternal colostrum, to ensure

they get the best possible start in life and an essential boost of energy. Each dose comes in a handy bottle, where you simply add warm water, shake and feed. Due to its low oil content, Osmonds Dual Gold mixes easily and flows freely through feeding tubes and teats, Contains 100% pure dried bovine colostrum, premium

quality milk replacer, egg product (dried) Nucleotides, Dextrose & Vitamin along with Vetoxan, for enhancing early digestive functions alongside a balanced level of fats and proteins. Osmonds Dual Gold is guaranteed EBL, BVD, Johnes & TB Free. Available in 400g bottles or in boxes of 6 (x 400g).

Order Osmonds Dual Gold now, online at osmonds.co.uk or order over the phone 01948 668100 68

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requires around 20 minutes of continuous suckling, which can be difficult to achieve” says Dr Bond. “Emphasising colostrum quality and management will have a significant impact on the longterm health and performance of the herd.”

livestock Border Town’s Regeneration Plans Approved A significant milestone has been reached for the Scottish Borders market town of Newtown St Boswells. The much-anticipated Planning Approval for the development of the Newtown St Boswells Auction Mart has been granted by Scottish Borders Council. Since 1871 Newtown St Boswells has grown around its mart and now, 150 years later, the mart site will continue to be

integral to the ongoing prosperity of the town. The Mart remains at the centre of this development and instead of coming through the town, it is the intention that all mart traffic will access directly from the A68. This approval is the first step on the ladder of this long-term development programme for H&H’s holdings, whose aim is to improve and enhance on the

current facilities in the town and to create a busy town centre, a modern livestock auction mart for the Borders and a rural hub for the surrounding communities. During the consultation process, the plans which use underutilised mart land to create a new town centre, featuring retail and leisure facilities, as well as a much-needed

residential development of mixed and affordable housing and apartments were met with considerable approval from local people. The Newtown St Boswells Auction Mart is both vital and integral to the hub, which will provide rural business meeting suites to capitalise on the location and provide a centrepiece for business in the Borders for the future.

Union welcomes passing protection of livestock bill NFU Scotland has welcomed the Scottish Parliament’s decision to pass the landmark Dogs

(Protection of Livestock) Bill and congratulates Emma Harper MSP for her valuable work over

four years in driving through this hugely important piece of legislation. It will significantly increase the powers of investigation and penalties to tackle the ongoing blight of dog attacks on livestock and dog fouling - two of the biggest issues that farmers, crofters and landowners face through irresponsible access by dog owners. The Bill provides for penalties to extend to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months; to a fine not exceeding £40,000; or both. The Union also praised the cross-party support afforded to the bill by all MSPs which successfully saw it reach Stage Three approval today (24 March 2021) ahead of the Scottish Parliament going into recess for the Scottish elections in May. As lambing and calving season gets going, coinciding with some lockdown restrictions easing, NFU Scotland is running a webinar tonight (24 March 2021) to provide members with some practical steps to support and help them manage the behaviour of dogs and reduce conflict with dog owners on their farmland. NFU Scotland President Martin Kennedy said: “With dog

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attacks on livestock occurring daily, and irresponsible dog ownership persisting, I thank Emma Harper MSP for her tireless efforts in bringing forward this landmark Bill to address this. “As someone who has seen several dog attacks on my sheep in the past, the pain and suffering of animals is dreadful to see. The cost to livestock owners is often high, both financially and emotionally, and such attacks are easily avoidable by dog owners acting responsibly around livestock.

livestock Supplementing to support fertility and milk production on grass

Strategic use of rumen-protected fat supplements help meet energy requirements and support milk quality. As grass growth takes off in the early part of the grazing season, nutrition focus tends to be on completing the transition from the winter TMR to a grassbased diet without succumbing to post-turnout milk fat depression. While this remains important, fertility also needs to be made a priority, says Dr Richard Kirkland, ruminant nutritionist for Volac Wilmar Feed Ingredients. “For spring calvers, there’s a short window to support a cow’s body condition to help secure her getting back in calf. During early lactation, cows cannot eat enough to meet the high energy demands of milk production and enter a state of ‘negative energy balance’, using energy from body fat stores to support the genetic drive for milk production, and lose condition. Research indicates a fall-off in conception rate of around 10% for each 0.5-unit loss in condition through this period,” explains Dr Kirkland. 72

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Early spring grass can support reasonably high levels of production though intakes can vary considerably depending on weather conditions, putting pressure on energy intakes. “Perfect grazing conditions may support 25+ litres of milk per day, but dry matter and energy intakes can be significantly reduced in wet, overcast conditions. We can see similar effects in the peak of summer where grass availability and heat stress will reduce intakes,” says Dr Kirkland. Milk fat is also a challenge to maintain in this period as the low fibre, high sugar, high unsaturated oil levels disrupt rumen activity and lead to conditions where milk fat production is not favoured. “While early grass growth may be akin to rocket fuel, it is more rapidly fermentable which will cause disruptions in rumen pH and pass more quickly through the digestive system. These conditions lead to an increased risk of acidosis and along with the high oil loads a significant milk fat depression,” says Dr Kirkland.

livestock Protecting your Livestock and Progeny The purpose of insurance is to cover financially for the unexpected, however, in the case of livestock, farmers are often not insured for the full value of the animals at risk. For both cattle and sheep farmers, spring is a significant time of year, as lambing is in often in full swing and spring calving has commenced. Livestock is a highly valuable asset on a farm, and current prices for sheep and cattle are reaching values well in excess of most people’s expectations. So, it is important to make sure you have the correct insurance in place, as this will ensure that you are fully

covered in case something should go wrong. H&H Insurance Brokers, who operate across the north of England, Wales and Scotland, recognise that there are many kinds of misfortunes that can hit a farming enterprise at any time, but at this time of year with numbers increasing it is vitally important to ensure you’re your insurance is updated to include Progeny. For more information about the services that H&H Insurance Brokers offer or advice on the right insurance cover for you, please contact info@hhib.co.uk or visit www.hhinsurancebrokers. co.uk.

Livestock farmers face higher risk of injury The study of a small group of farmers in Denmark also found that the risk of injury on cattle farms is three times higher than on pig farms. Noha Mahmoud, a postgraduate researcher from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and Aarhus University in Denmark, developed a method to estimate the risk of injuries during different agricultural operations. This method, which divided the production system into a number of operations and used expert assessment to estimate the risk of injury in each, was applied to two production systems – cattle and pig farms in Denmark.

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The aim of the research was to predict the risk of injuries during future farming practices and identify the impact of multidimensional interventions – including engineering solutions, policy changes and educational programmes - in reducing these. The study, which was published in the Sustainability journal, found that the type of injury varied considerably between different operations on cattle and pig farms. Crushing, falling, cutting and poisoning were considered the most common types of injury on livestock farms, with crushing injuries estimated to be more

livestock

The

VET

Don’t Pooh-Pooh Picking up the Pooh-Poohing Not a miss quote from General Melchett in Blackadder Goes Forth but a genuine request! Crushing, falling, cutting and poisoning are the most common types of injury on livestock farms.

frequent on cattle farms - with the risk greatest during milking, and during the movement and treatment of animals on both types of farms.

The research was carried out as part of Noha’s PhD research project funded by SRUC in partnership with Aarhus University.

Agri Website Livestock Lounge Adds Online Sales Function A website for farmers and crofters has enhanced its offering to them by introducing two new online livestock sales platforms. Livestock Lounge now offers users the opportunity to buy and sell livestock directly from the farmgate, through either live auctions or private off-farm sales. The introduction of the new features broadens the established website’s offering. The site, for which basic membership is free, has undergone a thorough revamp over the past six months to accommodate the latest elements and improve the user experience. Live auctions are weekly timed online livestock sales where buyers can bid on lots, each of which has a fixed reserve. Vendors can upload lots from Saturday until Monday,

before the auction goes live on Tuesday mornings, with bids being accepted until 3pm on Friday afternoons. Commission rates of 5% are charged on livestock sold by live auction. Private sale pens, for which no commission is charged, allow sellers to promote livestock for a fixed price as private direct farmto-farm sales. Listings remain on the site until sold, or for as long as the seller wishes. Vendors can download their private sale pen listings into sales catalogues to share on social media, e-mail to customers or to print. The tailored brochures can also be used as promotional sale cards to accompany livestock to auction marts or shows. The past year has shown how agriculture adapts and evolves to changing situations, as it has done for centuries.

By Andy Cant Northvet Veterinary Group Neospora caninium is a protozoan organism that can cause abortion in cattle but is spread in infected dog faeces. It’s very similar to the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii that can cause abortion in sheep which is spread in Infected cat faeces. Both dogs and cats are the definitive host of their respective protozoan and between them have a lot to answer for in terms of reduced production due to abortion in cattle and sheep. Neosporosis is one of the commonest causes of abortion although I wouldn’t say that’s the case locally, (mouldy silage bugs Listeria and B. Lich take that title), however we have diagnosed it more this year for some reason. Could that be more dogs getting walked in the countryside due to Covid? I remember a farm some years back now who got a new collie pup, it wasn’t long

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after that an abortion “storm” arrived due to neospora which was probably linked to the new pup as young dogs are the main culprits for excreting it. To be fair, unlike toxoplasmosis in sheep which once infected tend to get a good immunity, cattle can become carriers and spread it to their off spring via the placenta so you can potentially buy it in but that would be less likely to produce a storm. So environmental contamination with infected faeces we don’t want. It’s well accepted as the norm to pick up dog faeces in urban areas but less so in open countryside and perhaps especially if the dog owner is the farmer! So as well as informing the public don’t forget to do as you say. Or to miss quote the Bible this time “Pooh unto others and you would have them pooh unto you” - you know what I mean!

livestock Restrictions meant that many farmers began appraising and bidding for livestock online as traditional markets adapted their sales processes, a trend that will likely evolve further as farmers continue digitising their businesses. Selling livestock online from the farmgate through Livestock Lounge gives farmers and crofters an additional option for marketing and trading, placing them in complete control of the sale process. Online selling can also save sellers time and money, particularly those faced with significant roundtrips to reach auction marts. Launched in 2019, Livestock Lounge was founded by

Scottish farmer Sandy Watt, who along with his family runs the Swordale herd of pedigree Aberdeen Angus cattle at Bonar Bridge in Sutherland. In a move that has helped diversify the farm business, Sandy is also a partner in Swordale Farm Butchers, which has a shop in the village of Bonar Bridge. Alongside the new sales functions, Livestock Lounge allows users to create their own promotional profile with dedicated sections to showcase their livestock, promote animal health and register any diversified businesses or services that they operate. It also features forums where users can share knowledge, ask questions and

discuss different agricultural topics with like-minded individuals.

For further information about Livestock Lounge, visit www. livestocklounge.com.

Time to tackle low prevalence diseases Sustained efforts to tackle priority production diseases in ruminants must continue. But the farming and veterinary industry should also focus on tackling low prevalence diseases - which have a high impact on individual herds and flocks, according to Ruminant Health & Welfare (RH&W). Although such diseases are not terribly common, where they

do occur they have a really heavy impact on the herd or flock, explains Nigel Miller, chairman of Ruminant Health & Welfare. “They may fall into the category of endemic diseases, for example Campylobacter fetus, which when it occurs in a naïve herd can have devastating impacts on the calving rate and pattern. “There are regional challenges too, like tick borne

diseases for both sheep and cattle. And there is also a concern with the changing climate and land use; ticks may well become a more common problem and grow into a more significant challenge.” Ruminant Health & Welfare was set up to tackle problem diseases, and recently surveyed farmers and vets on their most pressing issues. In parallel, it

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established an expert group to examine low prevalence, high impact diseases. These include lead poisoning and clostridial diseases like botulism, as well as diseases which may enter the UK in future. “This group has begun to map out intervention strategies to either mitigate the impact on affected animals or, where possible, to avoid their incursion onto new holdings,” explains Mr Miller. The next steps involve collaboration between farmers and vets, adds James Russell, president at the British Veterinary Association. As a practicing vet, Mr Russell has first-hand experience of low prevalence, high impact diseases. “They are the calls which don’t happen very often but when you do turn up, you get that sort of tightening in your stomach because you realise this is going to make a big difference to that particular unit or area. “Scientifically they are ones which have a high impact on animal welfare, productivity, or both.” Prevention can be the best method for reducing the risk of high impact diseases on farm,

says Colin Mason, British Cattle Veterinary Association. “I would tend to view them in the same way we do health and safety risks – obviously some diseases are highly likely but low harm, while others are unlikely but high harm. Because they’re high harm it’s worth doing something about it,” he says. Clostridial diseases like blackleg are soil borne, which means the risk cannot be removed. “We know that the risk is potentially there, but the question is do you do nothing, cross your fingers and hope? Or do you use vaccines to try and prevent the risk,” asks Mr Mason. “Vaccines are relatively cheap and the harms of the disease are so high – it’s worthwhile doing something about that.” Measuring the risk is a good place to start, he adds. “Look at the likelihood of the disease occurring, the damage if it does happen and the cost of mitigation. The good working relationship between the practicing vet and farmer is critical to look at the disease risk, preventative medicine and how you can stop problems occurring. This is at the heart of veterinary health planning.” RH&W has also recently announced the four key areas it will be working on over the next two years to help improve cattle and sheep production across the UK. These are: Priority diseases and syndromes, high impact/ low prevalence diseases, welfare opportunities and future farming systems.

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NFU Scotland

livestock

Scotland’s Less Favoured Areas (LFA) (LFA document review with Chair Robert Macdonald)

Robert Macdonald, Chair of NFU Scotland’s LFA

Significant progress has been achieved in the past six months that will deliver longlasting stability to farming and crofting in Scotland’s Less Favoured Areas (LFA) over the coming years writes Grantown on Spey farmer Robert Macdonald, chair of NFU Scotland’s LFA committee. Just last year, there was real and urgent concern about the threat of payments through the Less Favoured Areas Support Scheme (LFASS) dropping to 40 per cent of 2018 levels. For those farming and crofting in some of our more remote and disadvantaged areas, that would have been disastrous. The steadfast work of union’s LFA Committee has ensured that the significant contribution of LFA farming and crofting has been clearly recognised and acknowledged and funding guarantees provided. In autumn 2020, the committee published ‘Less Favoured Areas – Delivering for Scotland’ in which we outlined the clear need to LFASS to continue until a

new model of agricultural support can be implemented – a model which properly enables active LFA businesses, creating jobs and opportunities in remote communities. Led by the Union’s LFA Committee, the document outlined policy proposals needed to ensure Scottish LFA farms and crofts continue to deliver for the rural economy, local jobs, world-famous landscapes and biodiversity, carbon sequestration and storage, thriving communities and cultural heritage. The full LFA Policy Review document is available here: https://www. nfus.org.uk/policy/supportpayments-and-grants/lessfavoured-areas--deliveringfor-scotland.aspx Many of the threads identified in NFU Scotland’s approach have since been picked up by the farmer-led Hill, Upland and Crofting Group (HUCG) set up by the Scottish Government. The HUCG recommendations, published in March, chime

Next issue out July 2021 www.nfus.org.uk

almost perfectly with the Union’s well documented approach to securing the multiple benefits from more extensive livestock production across Scotland’s more challenging agricultural landscapes. Importantly, the HUCG has backed the Union’s LFA Committee on the need for greater targeting of support, by calling for a rebasing of LFASS as well as restricting eligible ewe hoggs under the SUSS scheme to a proportion of the breeding flock. In particular, we have already seen significant progress in securing stability, with LFASS now likely to continue to 2023, and the equivalent of 100 per cent of support delivered against 2020 claims. We have also welcomed progress in relation to proportionate penalties for the ewe hogg scheme, which is an important aspect of LFA support. The LFA committee will review the output of HUCG and ensure to forge a sustainable and stable future for LFA farming and crofting.

dairy Opportunity for livestock and dairy farmers to collaborate and beef up the value of Scotland’s calf crop With the increased use of both sexed and beef semen in dairy herds, there is an opportunity to create a network of dairy farmers and beef finishers that can grow the value of Scotland’s calf crop, diversify their income and improve their margins. This is according to SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC). With sexed semen improving dairy herds year-on-year and effectively removing the lowervalue black and white bull calf, Robert Ramsay, Senior Beef Consultant with SAC Consulting, said: “Farmers are selectively using sexed semen to breed replacement heifers from their best cows, with the rest being put to beef bulls with very high genetic merit to produce beef calves that when finished, meet processor specification, helping to diversify farm income.

“Many large retailers are phasing out butcher counters, and the reality is that they’re looking for smaller 350kg carcase beasts, which produce a cut that is consistent for standard packaging, and the dairy bullock that finishes at 320kg to 350kg deadweight fits perfectly into that regime.” In Scotland, losing a lot of beef dairy calves at their lowest value to big finishers in England results in farmers missing out on Scotch Beef PGI premium. “While milk sales will always make up the majority of dairy farm incomes, the sale of beef calves is of increasing importance on most dairy farms and represents a 13th or 14th milk cheque,” said Robert. With retailers such as Morrisons now supporting dairy suppliers to sell Belgian and British Blue cross calves into Buitelaar Production, the

supermarket’s beef-rearing partner, there is a market opportunity for dairy farmers, who specialise in milk production, to collaborate with beef finishers to create a new market. “The elephant in the room is that more than half of the cattle slaughtered in Britain are dairybred. There will always be a place

for the suckler cow in Scotland, however, as an industry, we need to acknowledge the importance of the dairy sector in providing affordable beef to the market.” For more information on how SAC Consulting helps livestock farmers to become more profitable and sustainable, head to: ww1.sruc.ac.uk/livestock

Stock Judging Competition Highlights Gains to using Genomics for Breeding Decisions A nationwide stock judging competition which tasked farmers with ranking six dairy heifers on their potential profitability has highlighted how traditional means of assessing dairy youngstock cannot compete with the accuracy gained from genomic testing. The ‘You be the Judge’ competition run by Zoetis and NMR in December and January asked farmers to rank six dairy heifers based on visual observations from a photo, their parent average and

ancestry data. The heifers had all been genomically tested and competition entries were compared with their genomic ranking. Out of the 450 entries no one was able to rank all six correctly according to their genomic index, with only 14 managing to rank four out of six animals correctly. This highlights the pitfalls of trying to predict a heifer’s potential accurately from a visual assessment and using parent averages when compared to a genomic test.

Zoetis Ruminant Veterinary Consultant Joshua Batterham said: “Using genomics gives farmers a clearer idea of the potential of a heifer from as early as six weeks of life, which is something that cannot be done as accurately using visual observations and parent averages alone, as this competition has shown. “By accurately predicting the genetic potential of each animal in a herd, farmers can manage how they treat individuals, such as deciding which animals to breed replacements from, which

to put to beef, as well as those they may consider selling. It also helps with bull choices by correcting parentage and aiding corrective mating.” NMR’s Genomics Manager Richard Miller who works in partnership with Zoetis to offer the genomic testing service CLARIFIDE® Plus to farmers, and also manages NMR’s inhouse GeneEze genomic service, added: “Traditional means of assessing dairy youngstock cannot compete with accuracy gained from genomic test results. (continued on page 80)

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dairy “There is a significant difference in the reliability of the two predictions, with the parent average prediction offering around 30% reliability for heifers, compared with up to 70% reliability from a genomic test. “Genomic testing can be used to increase the odds of making the best selections and improve the rate of progress in dairy herds,” he said. Two winners were selected to receive prizes totalling more than £1,000. The victors were Robin Orr from Ballymena who won 25 CLARIFIDE Plus tests

and Peter Lawley from Stoke on Trent who won 25 GeneEze genomic tests from NMR. CLARIFIDE Plus incorporates 14 health and wellness traits in addition to the production and fertility traits delivered by standard genomic testing. It also includes the multi-trait selection index called Dairy Wellness Profit (DWP) which is based not only on lifetime productivity but also health and fertility, giving an overall view as to how profitable each heifer could be. Farmers can view a ranking of the top 100 UK Holstein females ranked on DWP at www.clarifide.co.uk.

Impact of heifer protein feeding goes under spotlight Protein feeding strategies to help lower the carbon footprint and financial costs of heifer rearing are the focus of a new trial involving Nottingham University and Mole Valley Farmers. The CIEL-funded project will look at the impact of protein nutrition on pubertal heifers from 12 to 15 months of age. Lowering dietary crude protein using British-sourced feeds and following the impact of pubertal feeding through to milk production makes it a world-first. “The potential impact of protein type on heifer growth

and subsequent milk yield is not widely understood and has not been investigated in the UK with high genetic merit animals,” says Mole Valley Farmers’ Head of Nutrition, Dr Chris Bartram, who instigated the research work. “Recent work has suggested that feeding higher levels of Digestible Undegradable Protein (DUP) may be beneficial, which is an area we want look at in more detail.” With the industry working towards being Net Zero by 2040 and the environment coming into sharp focus as part of the Government’s Path to Sustainable

Farming Transition Plan, there’s never been a more important time

to tackle the environmental impact of heifer rearing.

Maintain new technology or risk disruption The Milking Equipment Association (MEA) is advising dairy farmers to plan carefully when implementing new technology to avoid any disruption caused by poorly fitted or maintained equipment. “Each year Dairy-Tech demonstrates the leaps the industry has made, but we are reminding farmers to support their milking related technology by using Parlour Safe trained 80

technicians to install and maintain equipment,” says MEA Chairman John Baines. The MEA’s Parlour Safe technician accreditation scheme started in 2015. “In just five years over 200 technicians have been assessed and accredited, reaching Parlour Safe Category 2 or 3. This demonstrates that the technician understands the needs of the dairy farm and is capable of fitting and

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maintaining dairy equipment to the highest standards, which is what we believe all dairies should be aspiring to,” explains Mr Baines. Dairy equipment is expected to work longer hours with increasingly complex and automated features. “Automatic milking systems such as robots are expected to work around the clock, and downtime can mean cows aren’t milked, with implications for production and

dairy cow health. These factors make careful and attentive maintenance a crucial part of farm management,” says Mr Baines. “The popularity of automated systems is distancing farmers from the milking process. This offers the opportunity to focus on cow health, fertility, and

milk yields. However, if farmers are going to rely on these systems, it is important that there are no unforeseen faults or failures,” he adds. The ability to maintain high standards of cow health, milk quality and operator safety are

paramount. The MEA wants to emphasise the importance of using Parlour Safe accredited technicians, for both new milking systems and the management of existing parlour equipment. “Parlour Safe accreditation brings assurance that the technician has

been assessed independently to validate their training on all aspects of the milking system. This is why we hope farmers investing in new technology will partner with a Parlour Safe accredited technician to safeguard their herd,” concludes Mr Baines.

National survey Dairy Nexus moves commissioned one step closer to gain insight on dry cow management A national survey on understanding dry cow management practices has been commissioned by MSD Animal Health. Open to all dairy farmers and farm vets, the aim is to develop an understanding into current udder health issues, with a particular focus on selective dry cow therapy procedures. Andrew Biggs BVSc FRCVS, from The Vale Veterinary Group Tiverton, says the survey will provide crucial insight into what farmers and vets think the concerns are when it comes to udder health on farms today. “Adhering to best practice and following clear robust protocols at drying off are essential components in managing udder health on-farm,” he explains. “Mastitis remains one of the major financial and animal health issues facing dairy businesses despite decades of research. “Data shows that intramammary infections (IMIs) present at dry-off or those

acquired during the dry period are associated with increased risk of clinical mastitiswithin the next lactation1. Therefore, farmers and vets need to be proficient in optimising not only the process of drying cows off but also the management of cows during the crucial transition from lactation through the dry period to their next lactation” He says the results from these surveys will provide valuable information on where the sticking points are on-farm and give an insight into whether farmers and vets identify the same issues when it comes to dry cow management. “Once the insights from farmers and vets who are dealing with this on a daily basis have been analysed the available resources and support tools can be re-evaluated to help ensure best-practice protocols are applied across UK dairy farms.” The farmer and vet surveys are available online at: www. msd-animal-health-hub.co.uk

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Subscription details on page 109

A flagship facility which aims to decarbonise the dairy industry has moved a step closer to reality. The proposed state-of-theart Dairy Nexus, near Dumfries, forms part of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, which was formally signed this week. As part of the deal, up to £8 million is set to be invested in Dairy Nexus, which will be based at the Barony campus of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC). With a strong focus on collaborative innovation across the milk supply chain, it will drive down carbon emissions, accelerate productivity growth and develop new products from the dairy sector in Cumbria, Dumfries and Galloway, and right across the Borderlands. Dairy Nexus will boast the latest in technologies to monitor and manage cows, home-grown feeds and soils. The investment includes facilities to develop new products from manure, forages and milk in order to minimise waste and create new income streams. Professor Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive of SRUC, said: “We are delighted

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to see the Borderlands Deal being formally signed and, as such, bring Dairy Nexus a step closer. “The facility will drive innovation to decarbonise the dairy sector, accelerate productivity growth, safeguard animal health and wellbeing, and develop new products from dairy resources. In doing so, it will deliver significant and inclusive regional growth to underpin the rural communities that are so important to the Borderlands economy and its regional identity.” Elaine Murray, Leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council, said: “This is fantastic news for both SRUC and our rural region, where agriculture is one of our main employers. Through this very welcome investment from the Borderlands Deal, SRUC will be able to develop a state-of-theart Dairy innovation Centre for education and innovation, helping our region to lead the way in utilising new dairy technology. This will help move the dairy sector to the forefront of the bio economy and support innovation in one of our most traditional industries.“ To find out more, visit: www. borderlandsgrowth.com

dairy ‘Think Big’ to go grow herd size

According to AHDB figures, the average UK dairy herd almost doubled between 1998 and 2018. In 1998 the average dairy herd was just 77 cows. This increased to 148 in 2018 as farmers grew their herds to seek operational efficiencies and produce more milk. To help meet the demand from dairy farmers looking to expand, DeLaval has launched its ‘Think Big’ initiative. Dairy farmers looking to increase herd size are presented with a plethora of milking systems that are often anchored to their choice of milking equipment.

“For farms looking to grow, the choice of milking equipment can be influenced by a variety of farm pressures. Can the land, buildings, and other farm equipment withstand growth? Is there enough human resource to meet the demands of a growing herd? We have launched Think Big to help advise farmers more holistically when it comes to expansion,” explains DeLaval Think Big lead Wynand Bodenstein. The Think Big approach was offered to a Somerset farm to help it select the right milking system.

“Having Wynand and the DeLaval team help us with the decision to invest in a new E300 rotary was the best decision we made. It was taking us over five hours to milk 500 cows through a rapid exit parlour. We have now grown the herd to 700 and we are looking to increase to 750. Everything is easier and quicker with the new milking system which means we have more time to concentrate on herd health and farm management,” says Ross Edwards, Manor Farm, Somerset. Milking equipment technology has created more options for

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farmers than ever before. Rotary, swing over, rapid exit and the rise of robots has made decision making harder for farmers. “Think Big is all about DeLaval applying our experience of fitting milking equipment on thousands of farms. We take a holistic approach to consider herd planning, feeding facilities, barn layouts, milking parlour or rotary sizing and system planning. Our in-depth analysis provides the roadmap to create the future operations of the farm with the whole process revolving around the farmer,” he concludes.

sheep Don’t be sheepish about scanning for OPA say North East farmers Farmers in Morayshire have come together to gain a better understanding, and ultimately decrease transmission, of the fatal viral lung tumour ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA) to increase the profitability and productivity of their sheep flocks. The project, which started as a Rural Innovation Support Service (RISS) group supported by SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College, examined the true impact of OPA which is predominantly spread via nasal and oral secretions. Laura Henderson, a qualified vet and agricultural consultant with SAC Consulting who coordinated the group, said: “In early 2020, I was asked to go to the Aberlour and District Agricultural Discussion Group to speak on OPA. One of the farmers at the meeting had started scanning his flock and

during the meeting there was lively discussion and interest in the topic. “Unfortunately, many farmers are either not aware of the disease or fail to admit their flock is affected by OPA and, currently, the only diagnostic test available for live sheep is ultrasound scanning of lungs by a vet, but none of the local vets offer this service yet. “The disease has a significant impact on animal health and welfare of affected sheep and can also cause a considerable financial impact on affected farms due to increased cull rates, fallen stock disposal and increased need to purchase replacement stock.” The project, which ran from July to December last year, consisted of monthly meetings with an aim to increase farmers’ understanding of the risk factors for OPA spread, raise awareness

of the disease with other local farmers and work with the vets to start offering this service. “There can be a stigma attached to admitting the presence of OPA in your flock, but the farmers who attended the

meetings saw the importance of sharing their experiences, and those that were already scanning their sheep for the disease presented their results and what control measures they had implemented,” said Laura.

Breeding sheep for climate resilience Pinpointing genes relating to variations in milk production could help breed animals resilient to warming conditions, new research has shown. Scientists from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), the Roslin Institute and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) in Greece, found that some Chios sheep in the Mediterranean - whose milk is used to produce feta and other cheeses are more resilient than others to temperature fluctuations throughout the seasons. Groups of genes may enable some sheep to remain productive in hot and cold conditions and selecting animals with those genes for breeding could help flocks adapt in the region, which is vulnerable to climate change. 84

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Using data relating to almost 40,000 ewes, collected by the Chios Sheep Breeders’ Cooperative ‘Macedonia’ in Greece, the scientists created a mathematical model of resilience to fluctuations in climate, based on records of milk productivity, time of lambing and weather throughout the seasons. Some animals responded better than others to temperature fluctuations in hot or cold conditions, with some hardly being affected by changes, analyses found. Ewes’ resilience to hot or cold temperatures depended on the season in which they had produced lambs, with animals that had lambed in spring generally responding better to hot conditions.

sheep Energy, correct fatty acids and protein levels critical to ewe management in post-lambing period

crofting There is no ‘right to roam’ By Patrick Krause, Chief Executive, Scottish Crofting Federation

With lambing season drawing to a close across most of the country, focus now moves to on-going ewe management, to maintain ewe health, protein and energy levels during the critical post-lambing period. As lactation places the highest nutrient demands on the ewe, it is crucial they are fed to their full energy requirements for up to four weeks after lambing, the point lactating ewes normally reach the peak of milk production. “With the lamb still dependent on milk for its nutrients, getting the correct fatty acids and protein in the ewe diet at peak lactation will be crucial to meet energy requirements, avoiding reduced milk yields and potentially affecting lamb growth rates,” explains Nigel Bateson, national sales manager at nutritional supplement manufacturer UFACUK. Higher producing ewes will also need a source of digestible undegradable protein (DUP), both during the latter stages of pregnancy and during lactation. Trials using Promega, a unique high energy feed supplement formulated with essential Omega-3 fatty acids and DUP, have demonstrated increased milk yield and improved milk protein well into lactation. The Omega-3 long chain fatty acids EPA and DHA from fish oils, providing similar benefits to fishmeal, also help raise the auto86

immune system in both ewes and their lambs, with greater disease resistance. “Promega helps to increase milk production, boost reproductive activity and enhance immunity status, resulting in healthier and more productive sheep,” says Mr Bateson. Formulated with high quality fish oil and sugar (glycerine), blended with vegetable protein meal, Promega can be incorporated into both compounds and on farm mixes. The essential Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are considered as important modulators of immune functions. Harnessing these long-chain fatty acids, UFAC-UK’s Omega-3 Supplement helps to improve ewe and lamb health, while improving ewe longevity and reducing the number of barren ewes. “Soon after lambing, the fatty acids enhance immunity of the ewe and aid in the regeneration of the reproductive tissues, in readiness for rebreeding,” adds Mr Bateson. Special attention needs to be given to ewes to maintain energy and protein levels at the crucial post-lambing period. UFACUK’s ruminant technical team can advise on ewe management, with a portfolio of sheep feeding solutions specifically designed to ensure ewes have the sufficient energy, correct fatty acids and proteins in their diets.

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There has long been a myth that people have the ‘right to roam’ in Scotland. This is not correct – people have the right to ‘responsible access’. Problems caused by visitors taking access on the land are increasing all over Scotland, especially since ‘lockdown’ and within driving distance of centres of population. But it is becoming more of a problem in the remoter crofting areas, places of scenic beauty, exacerbated by the relentless promotion of tourist hot-spots such as the ‘North Coast 500’ and the fairy pools of Skye, and just about anywhere in the crofting areas in fact. There have been a myriad of reports of crofters – many being elderly - being abused for asking campers and walkers to take responsibility for their actions, to take their litter home, to keep their dog on a lead as the sheep are lambing and so on. It is not uncommon now to find human waste of all kinds in parking spaces, on verges and where someone ‘wildcamped’ on croft land. Littering, damage, stockworrying and verbal abuse are all criminal offences so it is a police matter, but the shortage of police cover in crofting areas and the time

taken to respond to calls for help in remote places, or the impossibility of tracing someone who has since left, make it an insurmountable task. What is needed then? Facilities for travellers are desperately short – if there are bins, toilets, loo emptying tanks etc available, most people will use them. A tourist tax has been discussed, the proceeds of which can be used to pay for this. Crofters themselves could earn something from providing facilities for waste disposal, or areas for camping. ‘Honesty boxes’ have found some success, strategically placed on popular trekking routes and the proceeds used to provide better signage, waste bins in parking areas and so on. But this doesn’t address those who break fences, let their dogs worry stock or abuse the crofter asking them to desist. This takes education more than anything. Schools, tourism promoters, more signage, all working together to educate visitors. Visitors are very welcome to come and share the beauty, the nature, the people and the food of these lovely parts of Scotland – but to take ‘responsible access’.

www.crofting.org

pigs New amendments to QMS Pig Assurance Scheme Standards announced to support producers post-Brexit After extensive consultation with industry partners, Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has agreed a number of changes to the Pig Assurance Scheme Standards, to support producers with the unexpected issues arising as a result of Brexit, which will come into effect on the 1 April 2021. Affecting almost 100% of significant pig farming businesses in Scotland which are members of the QMS Pig Assurance Scheme, Kathryn Kerr, Head of Brands Integrity for QMS, said: “With the UK leaving the European Union, the Scottish Government called on QMS to assist with addressing some of the unforeseen issues that arose after Brexit. As an EU Member State, we operated a keeper self-declaration system around Controlled Housing Conditions (CHC) for pigs which meant that these animals were exempt from trichinella testing. “Now that we have left the EU, Official Vets (OVs) will be required to complete an export health certificate (EHC) and part of this includes them signing off that the pigs or pig meat products

come from CHC compliant premises. Given the assurance required to allow an OV to sign this off, it is no longer possible to reply on a self -declaration system.” “Therefore, Scottish Government requested that we review our standards to aim to identify a mechanism that would enable OV’s to be able to sign this off consequently contributing to export sales.” The QMS Pigs Standard Setting Committee considered all proposed changes during the interim review process and the changes have been approved by the Standard’s Setting Body. Philip Sleigh, Chair of QMS Pig Standards Setting Committee commented: “We have remained focussed on ensuring the addendum to the Standards are practical and relevant for scheme members, to underpin our brands, reinforce consumer trust and assist with export.” Members will receive a copy of the addendum by post in the coming days and are also available to view online on the QMS website.

Pigmeat producer margins under pressure despite recent increase in price Global farmgate prices for pig meat have performed strongly over the first quarter of 2021. Although, despite the recent increase, UK and European prices continue to struggle to match last year’s levels according to the latest market commentary by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).

Stuart Ashworth, Director of Economic Services for QMS, said that farmgate prices for the EU and UK remain 13% and 17% lower than a year ago: “Average prices in the EU for example have increased by over 12% since the beginning of February. In the USA and Canada farmgate prices climbed

some 35% over the same period. Recovery in farmgate prices in GB is a more modest 2% although they remain higher than the EU average. Despite recent increase European and UK farmgate prices remain 13% and 17% lower than a year ago. “Equally though, historic price trends would suggest

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modest seasonal increases in farmgate pig prices through the first half of the calendar year,” said Mr Ashworth. While recent rises in farmgate prices are welcome, pig producers are also seeing growth in feed prices; an input that accounts for over three-quarters of the cost of producing pigmeat. 87

AGRI SHOWCASE

Agri Showcase In the absence of agricultural shows again this year, here are a few new products and services from some of our magazine clients

BDC Systems Ltd and Skandia Elevator As Skandia Elevator’s sole UK agent BDC Systems Ltd is the only grain handling solutions provider in the UK with direct access to Skandia’s high-quality elevators and conveyors. Skandia’s elevators and conveyors are manufactured using high-tech robot technology and efficient pre-assembly of machine modules, resulting in unsurpassed fit and delivery quality. Skandia elevators and conveyors are made of galvanised steel and have been designed to with-stand all kinds of weather so can remain outside. Offering capacities from 20tph up to 600tph Skandia conveyors are also able to operate at angles of up to 45°. With three distinct solution ranges Skandia is able to meet every grain handling requirement: L-Line – designed for small and medium sized farms and

smaller grain plants needing concentrated operation during harvest. I-Line – designed for medium and large sized facilities running intensive operations all year round. H-Line – Skandia’s next generation elevators fit into the higher tonnage user category required by large farms, commercial grain stores or mill intakes. “By listening to its customers Skandia H-Line next-generation of elevators meet their grain handling needs by delivering optimised flow, less wear, simpler and easier maintenance plus the ability to increase the overall height up to 70 metres,” explained John Wilson, BDC’s Area Manager Scotland and Northern England. John Wilson: T: 01672 838040 M: 07468 698188 | E: john@bdcsystems.com

The inoculant from Biocell Agri farmers use again and again Geraint Davies, Pencwarre, Pembrokeshire uses First Choice… As a “real test” on a challenging 3rd cut, after advice from independent advisor Alan Jenkins, on a crop ready to harvest, which was subsequently heavily rained on! The crop had below 24% dry matter and had to be the only forage as silage fed via TMR to cows averaging 30 litres on twice a day milking. Geraint noticed that the silage kept perfectly in the trough, with no heating, and in88

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takes were very high, which kept the herd performing very well. “I didn’t expect them to perform on grass silage that had a poor field preparation, but there were no acidity challenges from the low DM forage, and there was absolutely no waste from top to bottom at the clamp face. I’ve used other well known products that failed to keep at the face and in the TMR. Grass silage is their only forage, and a unique additive is the key to achieving 9,800 litres.” “All three cuts were treated with 1st Choice for 2020, as it can tackle all dry matter situations facing Pencwarre and achieve high yields without the need for a second forage.”

AGRI SHOWCASE

DALBO – where originality matters! Since DALBO UK was formed in 2010 the growth has been staggering. It’s very pleasing that, in such a competitive market, DALBO UK’s market share has grown year on year. The most popular product sold in the UK by DALBO is the 12.3m Power Roll, closely followed by the 6.3 and 8.3m Maxiroll. The Maxiroll is commonly known as a ‘system’ roll as many attachments can be mounted to this frame enabling the machine to suit multiple applications. The most popular attachments

are the hydraulically adjustable cracker boards and seeder units. One massive ad-vantage of the Maxiroll is that the brackets necessary to take an attachment are always included in the ‘base’ machine, so it’s simple to add on an attachment. A machine which we have seen great growth in over the last few years is our DALBO Greenline. The Greenline is fitted with ballast drums and comes in 6.3m & 8.3m. The ballast drums have a curved edge to prevent scuffing at the headlands, and

The Fendt Tigo

The Fendt Tigo forage wagon portfolio consists of 24 models from 22m3 to 54m3 DIN across the XR/PR, MS/MT and S/ST ranges. Within these ranges, there is the right loading wagon for every farm. The Tigo PR and XR range features a multifunctional bulkhead with VarioFill which gives an-other 6 m for impressive loading volumes. Whether silage, hay or straw, the automated loading with continuously adjustable precompacting pressure makes the most of every cubic metre and actively supports the unloading process resulting in a clean, emptied trailer and top quality feed. With its TIM ready function (Tractor Implement Management), the Fendt Tigo XR steers according to the output and speed of the Fendt Vario – they are the perfect team.

The Fendt Tigo MS stands out from the crowd, especially when it comes to everyday tasks. The exceptionally gentle swing arm unit is especially suited to use in hay. Bringing in forage or loading silage each day is no problem for this all-rounder with a load capacity of up to 39 m3. The Fendt Tigo boasts many advantages, one being that the compact design of the forage wagon incorporates an innovative bulkhead above the loading unit to carry up to six cubic metres more capacity without adding to the overall length of the wagon. The pick-up and drawbar is automatically controlled by a swing angle sensor. The swath is therefore picked up cleanly, even in undulating fields. This large pickup opening enables and ensures a consistent and constant flow which reduces time consuming, and potentially damaging, block-ages.

like the Maxiroll can be fitted with attachments and seeder

units enabling it to be more than ‘just’ a roller.

Evens Vanodine – looking after your livestock

Evans Vanodine is an independent British family business; we have been sharing our expertise since 1919 and operating within the agricultural industry since 1962. The business believes in manufacturing consistent, efficient, and cost-effective products whilst maintaining optimum quality across all divisions. Evans Vanodine is a BSI registered company which operates to ISO 9001 for quality compliance and ISO 14001 for environmental compliance. The company pro-duces an extensive range of cleaning and disinfection products for multiple applications within the Dairy and wider animal health sectors. An effective hygiene programme is an essential step in modern

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commercial livestock farming, aiding production efficiency and meeting the highest standards of livestock protection and health. At our site in Preston, Lancashire, we produce a broad range of hygiene chemicals, from pre and post teat disinfectants, which combat mastitis pathogens whilst ensuring good teat condition, to parlour circulation and livestock housing disinfection. We also offer a comprehensive range of Poultry and Pig production biosecurity products and cleaning and disinfection programmes. Evans Vanodine’s livestock range meets the criteria of an effective hygiene programme, including DEFRA and Veterinary Medical Directive (VMD) 89

AGRI SHOWCASE regulated products. We have multiple products within our VMD range of teat disinfectants, including Masocare RTU and alternative teat care products based on alternative approved active materials. We also have a number of DEFRA approved disinfectants, including FAM30, the World’s

no 1 iodophor general purpose disinfectant for large animals, and GPC8 for poultry and pigs, both products are stable and active in the presence of organic matter. To find your local Evans Vanodine distributor, contact sales@evansvanodine.co.uk

Harry West trailers provide a multiple of options

Slurry spreading equipment from Greencrop

Greencrop have a full range of slurry spreading equipment, from PTO and engine driven slurry pumps, a range of Tankers, Dribble Bars and Trailing Shoe machines, layflat hose & Reelers, ready for the regulation changes in 2025. Dribble Bars Fully galvanised machines between 6m and 15m with vertical folding wings. TSG self-sharpening distributors, 50mm outlets, Bauer inlet c/w support cage, flow meter ready, 7m and above have boom end brake backs. All tanker DBs have 1 macerator, 9m and above umbilical have 2 macerators. 6m 7m 7.5m 9m tanker DB are quick fit on rear door. Greencrop budget range of dribble bars up to 9m, mount on existing vacuum tanker rear door, without having to weld on any mounting brackets. Machines are very close coupled, available with lights. The 7m wide and upward machines have boom brake-backs. 90

Easy access single horizontal macerator which is selfsharpening and reversable. 50mm outlets and pipes (less blockage) at 250mm spacings. A manual gate valve before the inlet to the macerator, controls the flow rate you require. Trailing Shoe Greencrop trailing shoes, tanker or umbilical are fully galvanised, blue tipped shoes, robust rubber boot, 3pt linkage. Fitted with TSG self-sharpening distributors with 50mm outlets. 225mm spacings. Standard single distributor, twin distributor on 9m plus machine. Available from 6m to 12m tanker mounted, either vertical folding, or rear folding, apart from 12m tanker machine, which folds down the side of the tanker. Tankers Greencrop have extended our new range of vacuum tankers and water bowsers, tank sizes from 600 gallon up to 5000-gallon.

A family-owned engineering company based in North Shropshire, Harry West (Prees) Ltd are probably better known for the production and supply of their award-winning manure spreaders. However, from the same location they produced a very popular range of agricultural trailers. These trailers are robust, well-engineered machines for the more testing duties required for to-day’s modern farming. The trailers are deigned to suit both regular farming and equally the diverse requirements of the medium to large contracting outfits. The Harry West 10 & 12 T trailers are available in a grain/ utility design and with the introduction of side extensions are a very versatile silage / high volume trailer. These are available with basic “rocking beam axles” which suit the rutted tracks and uneven fields and

can also be up-graded to either sprung axles or parabolic spring set commercial axles. With the Harry West “C27” 14 & 16T trailers they are supplied on ADR commercial parabolic spring combinations and hubs. This gives a trailer suited to field work, running longer distances and road work. Aimed at the larger farmers and contractors the C27 models are geared up with hydraulic rear doors as standard, along with mudguards and mud flaps. When fitted with the combined air/ABS braking system on these models the operator also as access to the “ESP” facility. With an in cab monitor the operator is able to record miles/Km driven, weights carried and speed travelled. For the busy contractor this tool is able give an accurate record of work carried out either by load or distance travelled. This can save time, money and make the operator more efficient.

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AGRI SHOWCASE

New Features for McHale Ahead of 2021 Ahead of the 2021 season, McHale have made a number of updates across their wide range of machinery following feedback from customers and extensive testing in the UK and around the world. Baler Range For the 2021 season, McHale have expanded their range of variable chamber balers with the introduction of the McHale V8940 non-chopper baler and the McHale V8950 15-knife chopper baler. These high output machines are designed to produce dense bales from 2’ – 6’ 3” in diameter. This increase in bale size and improved density means the McHale V8 baler can produce bales with up to 30% more crop in a 6’ 3” bale then what is achievable in a 5’ 6” V6 bale. This season saw the McHale Fusion 3 Pro get to work around

the world. This machine expands the Fusion range to provide operators with a number of unique features such as; • iTouch control console with 7” touch screen display • In cab net adjustment • In cab density adjustment • Camera to show bale transfer & start of the wrapping process • Auto Drop Floor Reset • Auto Knife Drop Feature • Bale Tip Speed Adjustment • Roll back wrapping feature to seal the bale after wrapping. The Fusion 3 Pro also has the ability to add a number of optional extras which aren’t available on the standard McHale Fusion 3. As the Fusion 3 Pro is fitted with the iTouch Control Console, for people that want to monitor their baling process more, a moisture reading, bale weighing, and printer unit can be fitted to the machine.

This allows the operator to record bale weight, dry matter content and other machine settings such as chopped or non-chopped, number of layers of wrapping film being applied, time spent baling and number of bales produced. If all 3 options are fitted, the operator can print the final receipt at the end of the field giving bale total, average bale weight and

average bale moisture content to the customer. Across their baler range, McHale have further developed the pick-up with the introduction of a 6-tine bar cam-less pick-up option with double crop roller to choose from. An Adaptive Intake has been specifically designed for all balers to allow the intake area to automatically adjust to changes in material flow.

The new TF65.9TCS 170-HF joins the Merlo range The introduction of the all new TF65.9TCS170-HF telehandler Merlo marks a significant addition to its heavy duty range of Merlo telescopic handlers. This new model is well suited

for those handling a high volume of materials in the large scale agricultural, aggregate, renewable energy, timber & waste sectors. The TF65.9TCS170-HF has been developed specifically with

these demanding applications in mind. Offering a maximum lift capacity of 6.5 ton and a maximum lift height of 8.80 m this new heavy duty handler offers class leading performance.

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The introduction of this new model complements and expands the offering from Merlo in this growing high capacity sector. Fitted with a 4 cylinder, 4.5 litre FPT turbo diesel engine producing a maximum of 170hp opera-tors can be sure of having sufficient power for the most demanding of tasks. The Stage V engine is equipped with both Diesel Particulate Filter technology and a Selective Catalytic Reduction system. The renowned Merlo hydrostatic transmission is fitted as standard along with the innovative EPD TOP (Eco Power Drive) electronic transmission control. This feature allows the operator to select to automatic engine response whilst using the hydraulic functions, giving efficient and the right amount of power for all actions. 91

AGRI SHOWCASE

Look after your farm buildings, and they will look after you!

Oasis property maintenance is a small business with a fastgrowing reputation as trustworthy and a hard-working business with a reliable team. At Oasis we think of ourselves as a friend to the local community, when you need us, we are here for you.

By offering all property maintenance services, we can help you to protect and improve your existing buildings, roofing, guttering exterior painting etc. Our simple yet effective approach has fuelled our growth since opening. and we will continue to do so for years ahead.

We are now looking to helping the farming community by offer services like ASP’ airless spray-painting industrial sheds, containers, pressure Washing, gutter cleaning. And we are also offering services such as house painting, roofing repairs, gutter repair,

slate work UPVC and much more. Browse our site to discover what we’re all about. Protect your buildings and they will protect you! …you know it all makes sense! www.oasisuk.co.uk

Russells adds Degenhart Linkage Systems to their Portfolio New Holland dealer Russells has recently expanded its comprehensive range of external tractor accessories by adding German built Degenhart front linkage systems to its portfolio. The linkage systems can be fitted to both New Holland and Case IH tractors from CNH’s current and previ-ous ranges. Built and designed to the highest possible standards, the Degenhart range of compact front link-age systems offered by Russells are compatible with

most mid-range and high horse power New Holland and Case IH tractors. The linkages feature three position folding link arms matched to a single piece lower casting. The entire range of Degenhart front linkages are fitted with genuine Walterscheid couplings and reinforced cylinder mounting points. Power take-off units available with the linkages feature a silent multiple disc PTO clutch and soft start PTO modulation.

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AGRI SHOWCASE

Keep Smart Farmer in mind, it could save your behind!! Award winning safety app has introduced the latest in a series of new features to improve farm safety. Aberdeenshire farmer Marc Skivington has announced the launch of the new features to the existing Smart Farmer App. The feature allows users to set times for the start and end of their day. Farmers can set a timeframe for checking if the operator is still in the same location (e.g., every 15mins). If the operator is still in the same place after the selected timeframe, an alert will be sent to the admin user, encouraging them to call the operator or drive out to ensure they are safe. Smart Farmer has released a range of other updates this year, including risk assessments and training documents. Another

feature under development is ‘field hazards’ which will allow users to create field names, boundaries and points of hazards – ranging from OHP’s to public foot-paths. Once in the field the operator will be made aware of the hazard through a ping notification. Smart Farmer was created by Marc to help him carry out machinery maintenance checks on his own farm. Since launching at Lamma 20, it has gone on to win a range of awards. It allows farmers and users of machinery to log checks, maintenance and servicing using a simple traffic light system. For the latest Smart Farmer updates, you can visit the new website (www.smartfarmerapp. co.uk), sign up to its monthly newsletter or register for a free 28-day trial of the app.

Spread-a-Bale introduces new spreader head option - the HR Spread-a-Bale has introduced a new spreader head option to its current portfolio which extends the spread distance and enables livestock farmers to make further reductions in straw spreading time and labour. Equally

important, they will be able to make straw savings of between 30% to 50%. Called the Horizontal Rotor (HR), the head features a single horizontal rotor which enables straw to be delivered in a linear

spread pattern, one metre wide and thrown up to 12 metres with mini-mal dust generation. Only one materials handler is required to operate. The HR head can be fitted to any of Spread-a-Bale’s M range

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and is available on both front end and side mounted models. Spread-a-Bale’s Michael Hughes explains: “The new spreader head’s single horizontal rotor is an alternative new option to Spread-a-Bale’s two contra rotating rotors, enabling straw to be thrown longer distances in a linear, one meter wide fashion, and it is particularly suitable for side mounted materials handlers.” He adds: “The HR is of particular interest for pig producers providing them with a first-time opportunity to more precisely bed up their pig arcs.” The new option is available from Spread-a-Bale’s dealer network; see www.strawspreading-machines.com Further information from Spread-a-Bale’s Michael Hughes on 07917 303535 93

Events and Competition

Lindy Nelson

The sun is shining, Spring is officially here, and the Women in Agriculture Scotland (WiAS) Committee are continuing to brighten the industry by bringing people together through updated social media platforms, competitions and online events. Instagram Takeovers: The group have launched their own Instagram Takeovers. Each week, different women will share their daily life using the WiAS Instagram story feature- a tool to view videos and images consecutively. The “Takeover Tuesday” has been a huge success, with many farmers keen to support the initiative and help inspire others to become more involved with the industry! Eilidh Robertson, member of the committee, states “we want WiAS to be an inclusive group that encourages all walks of life to engage with agriculture and share their passion. By using platforms like Instagram, we can continue to keep connected and learn from one another” 94

As a result, a variety of females showcase their different lifestylesbeginning with Megan Thomson, a fourth-generation farmer. She states, “I’ve recently been enjoying working freelance in a variety of farming platforms, gaining valued experience in modern farming and rural practices and recently started my own blog ‘The Rural Lass’ to showcase these experiences. I’ve also developed a ‘thru the Gate’ campaign to help give everyone a voice regarding farm and rural affairs.” Other guest speakers have included, Lindsay Robertson, a 6th generation farmer, Alix Ritchie, a Health and Education Manager for Quality Meat Scotland, and Viki Johnston, an agricultural student. Viki introduces herself, “I am currently living and working alongside my family on our mixed farm in Angus. I’ve just started my first of two lambings and definitely prefer 4 legs rather than 4 wheels!! I am a 4th year student at SRUC Edinburgh studying agriculture and currently writing my dissertation on Challenges Faced by Women in Agriculture and Possible Solutions”

In addition to the Instagram takeovers, the team are also working hard with their monthly photography competition. The initial months began with the themes of love and Spring, strengthening the inclusivity and spreading the sunshine. This month incorporates the comedy aspect of April Fool’s Day and therefore, the committee is asking their followers to send blooper reels of their daily farming life. They want to see funny photos, images that make you smile and the behind-thescenes footage! Events for the year: Similar to their social media work, the organisation has also been bringing those together through online events. Their first webinar was hosted by Vencomatic UK and took place on the 9th March. Opened by Lizzie McLaughlin and followed by special guests Heather Wildman, Milly Fyfe and Sarah Louise Fairburn, the event was a success with its wide range of diverse topics. The new series will focus on the main aims of the committee-

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to develop, inspire and supportWiAS are very excited to announce their guest speaker, Lindy Nelson, New Zealand based farm advocate, founder of Agri-Women’s Development Trust and 2013’s Next Business Woman of the Year. With her extensive experience she will delve into issues surrounding leadership, business growth and support opportunities within the industry – this facebook event will be at 7.30pm on Thursday 13 May 2021. June Geyer, Chair of the committee expresses her excitement, “We are so pleased to be working with Lindy and hope that her story and advice will be an inspiration to all” To keep up to date, enter the competition or sign up for the event, WiAS contact details are below. Contact: womeninagriculture@ gmail.com Website: www.womeninagriculture. scot Instagram: @ WomeninAgricultureScotland Twitter: @WiAScot Facebook: Women in Agriculture Scotland

horses A great thing has just got better with the launch of FormaHoof Flex Mesh!

Launched globally in early 2020, FormaHoof is already transforming the lives of countless horses around the world that suffer from hoof disease, hoof injuries and hoof and limb imbalances. In an exciting new development for the growing team of FormaHoof certified Applicators and the horses they care for, FormaHoof R&D labs have created Flex Mesh, a new innovation designed to take the durability and ease of use of FormaHoof to a whole new level. Designed as a performance enhancement to the existing FormaHoof AP polymer material, the 3D structure of Flex Mesh allows for enhanced mixing of the FormaHoof AP material and more contact points on the hoof wall. The innovative 3D lattice structure of Flex Mesh is achievable only using an advanced 3D printing manufacturing process and uniquely designed materials, which together generate fluid turbulence during the polymer injection process. This encourages even better mixing of the 2 polymer parts of FormaHoof AP as it enters the FormaHoof mould. Real-world testing of Flex Mesh versus a traditional mesh product by experienced applicators report an increase in overall

strength of the FormaHoof application of up to 30%, while Flex Mesh also reduces application times by 5-10 minutes per foot. The manufacturing process, design and material that make Flex Mesh a reality have never been used before in the equine world, making its launch another global first from FormaHoof R&D labs. Drawing on years of experience in the aerospace markets, the design team approached the creation of Flex Mesh from the ground up, leveraging the benefits of the advanced design tools and 3D printing capabilities within the group to ensure that Flex Mesh fits the horse and the FormaHoof Application perfectly. For horses that would benefit from additional therapeutic support, Flex Mesh can be infused with medication or dental impression material as needed, providing a support structure to keep it in place and the correct area medicated. Designed to be used exclusively with FormaHoof AP polymer, Flex Mesh will be sold as a bundle with FormaHoof AP, to ensure the quality of the result. See Flex Mesh in action in the online FormaHoof Academy and FCA (FormaHoof certified Applicator) program at www.FormaHoof.com.

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Southern Belle R-E-S-P-E-C-T what it really means to me The daily Amazon deliveries have felt like every day is someone’s birthday during lockdown. The ring of the doorbell during the day, has the same meerkat-like reaction, to the popping of a Prosecco cork at night. By Wednesday, the bin is full of bottles and cardboard, ready for pick up on Thursday morning. We have, however, just been advised that new bins will be arriving soon and we have to do our own recycling. Shocker! We will, however, recycle and carry on and doubtless feel like we are doing our bit for the planet. In the meantime, I have ordered a litter picker thingy, to start clearing up the mess the vans have left around the village … Cans, bottles, food wrappers, just thrown from the windows. When did the current generation start to think it was OK to dump their crap at their backsides and leave it for someone else to clear up; so they can come back to a lovely clean spot for a picnic, which someone else has had to tidy and do it again! Plastic of every size,

shape and colour, including six five-litre Ad Blue drums in the ditch next to the nesting mallards, less than half a mile from a threepiece suite. All of which had to pass a waste recycling area to get there! This is a generation that is telling us that we are the ones who are killing the planet, with our reliance on fossil fuels and meat eating, while they fly all over the world and demand forest clearance to grow their soya, almond and coconut oil. No argument on the fossil fuels but the numbers of cattle remain constant and the plant is healthier than it was a year ago?! Every generation blames the one before but we country types are still feeding left-overs to our dogs, making soup out of all that’s left in the fridge at the end of the week, drinking water from a tap and eating seasonal root vegetables because, we could make a meal out of anything in the cupboard. And the difference is…. we were taught to respect everything and everybody.

estate Anxieties remain over future of deer management Acknowledgment by government of the substantial recent progress in deer management has been welcomed by estates - but concerns remain over the future regulation of the species. Scottish Land & Estates, the rural business organisation, made the comments following the Scottish Government’s response to the recommendations of the

Deer Working Group. Proposals include changes to the close season to loosen restrictions around deer culling as well as the normalisation of night shooting subject to trials. Karen Ramoo, Policy Adviser (Forestry, Conservation & Wildlife Management) at Scottish Land & Estates, said: “The Deer Working Group

issued 99 recommendations in February 2020, many of which conflicted sharply with a report issued by NatureScot two months prior to that which detailed the considerable progress that had been made on deer management in recent years. “The Scottish Government has taken time to consider those 99 recommendations and we are assured that they have listened to many of the genuinely held concerns of those who manage deer professionally. We would, however, have liked to have seen far greater acknowledgment of the numerous benefits of deer to Scotland including employment, food, tourism and economic for our rural communities. “The government has said that the close season for female deer will remain in place for the moment and whilst we welcome that, it is an issue which will continue to be reviewed. The

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prospect of culling pregnant deer, or those with young calves, is deeply troubling to all within the deer management sector and it presents significant animal welfare concerns. Whilst we understand the need to control deer numbers, there is a very real anxiety that measures to do so become unnecessarily severe. “We also have concerns about the removal of a close season for males which has been accepted by government. This will allow male deer to be culled all year round, exposing them to culling disturbance at particularly sensitive times of the year – namely later winter months when post rut male deer are likely to be depleted in condition with little reserves. “It is correctly acknowledged that a blanket limit on deer density in Scotland is not the right approach but the government’s response does accept the Deer Working Group

estate figure of 10/sq km as a general upper limit. In recent years, the red deer population had already dropped considerably below this level with around 22% of the population culled annually. Our view, which has been shared by NatureScot, is that grazing impacts should be the key consideration of the need to manage local populations and that this must be considered with the grazing impacts of other herbivores present.”

Clock ticking to have your say about the future of agrienvironment schemes in Scotland

Access to finance a boost for rural businesses Rural businesses have faced huge challenges over the past 12 months, but AMC finance can provide a crucial lifeline. Alistair Christie, a partner and AMC Agent Galbraith commented: “This is usually a cash-hungry time of year for rural businesses and AMC finance has proved invaluable in these difficult times. “With the Bank of England base rate remaining at 0.1%, the prospect of considering long term fixed rate borrowing is highly attractive.’’ “AMC provides loan terms of up to 30 years, with interest only, variable and fixed rate options offered, subject to lending criteria. Despite the uncertainty, it could be the right time for rural businesses to assess their business borrowing requirements, be that existing or new borrowings, while these low rates apply.” Galbraith has made numerous loan applications for a variety of reasons in recent months including land and farm purchases, re-structuring of existing debt, payments to

Agri-environment schemes (AES) have been around now since the early 1990s. These reward land managers for following guidelines on how to make their land more suitable for wildlife. The schemes are funded with public money and can be expensive. The Scottish Agri-Environment Climate Scheme cost taxpayers approx £50 million a year during 2014 - 2020. Right now there is an opportunity for those who farm and manage the land to have their say on what they think of the schemes. Do they deliver for farmland wildlife? Are they workable? Agri-environment schemes may cost the taxpayer a lot, but consensus from research to date has largely been that they don’t make a huge difference. For example, a study in Scotland in the early 2000s showed that farms in AES had more wildlife than those that weren’t, but actually this was the case before they entered the scheme anyway. Once in the scheme, there were no

improvements in biodiversity over the course of their management agreements. There have been some successes, like the corncrake – a rare bird now restricted almost exclusively to the islands of north-west Scotland, which increased 2.3-fold when more than 70% of its core area was devoted to measures designed specifically to help this species and paid for by AES, but for many of the more common, widespread species, which are still in decline, there is little evidence of large-scale changes in fortune. So why have the schemes not had a greater impact on biodiversity? There have been lots of suggestions. For example, some of the options available in the schemes don’t always work – when rush-cutting to benefit waders leads to an increase in potential nest predation rates, you know there’s something wrong. It is also likely that the measures available are too rigid in how they must be implemented,

which won’t suit all situations. The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust-led Interreg NSR PARTRIDGE project is seeking views from land managers across its six partner countries on AES through a multi-nation survey. The survey explores motivations for joining (or not joining) AES, how advice and advisors fit into this, how the options available could be improved, and what else the sector would like to see offered in the future. The survey is particularly timely as the results will be fed directly to policy makers to influence discussions on the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme and the broader development of Scottish AES in the future. You don’t need experience of a scheme to take part, so please do the survey if you can. The survey closes at the end of May. Here’s the link: https:// northsearegion.eu/partridge/ Further information from: dparish@gwct.org.uk

estate business partners, working capital for infrastructure projects and construction of farmhouses as well as funding the purchase of tenant purchases. In addition a number of successful closing dates have been held for whole farm and land sales since the beginning of the crisis, which demonstrates the continuing demand for agricultural and rural properties. Galbraith agents are also able to assist with valuations for all purposes, BPS / IACS submissions, woodland grant applications and Woodland Carbon Code registration, along with Voluntary Registration of titles.

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Savills launches natural capital service in Scotland Savills has launched a new service line to assist rural businesses identify, asses and enhance the natural assets over which they have stewardship whilst reducing and mitigating the impact of their operations on the environment. Savills Natural Capital Team combines Scotland-wide expertise in strategic planning, forestry, farming, valuation, habitat restoration, policy and research. William Hawes has been appointed Head of Natural Capital in Scotland. He said: “Natural capital is a term with which the sector is becoming increasingly familiar, but it’s a fast-evolving and therefore potentially daunting subject.

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estate “Natural capital refers to the world’s stocks of natural assets including geology, soil, air, water and all living things. Both society and business are placing a higher value than ever on the sources of the services that nature provides. As rural businesses redouble their commitments as stewards of their environment, land managers seek clear guidance on incorporating natural capital into their decision-making to ensure that the associated risks and opportunities are identified and assessed. Yet determining where to begin can be challenging and finding practical and deliverable solutions has been a key barrier to entry.” With experience in identifying, measuring and restoring a range of natural assets – from woodland and peatland, to soil and biodiverse habitats Savills is already working with a number of rural businesses to develop practical natural capital strategies, helping them maximise opportunities presented by new environmental frameworks, emerging policies and markets. The team’s recent projects include whole business carbon

audits to map out emission reduction strategies and the route to net zero; landscapescale habitat creation and carbon sequestration projects accredited under the Woodland and Peatland Carbon Codes, and conversion to regenerative farming practices. William commented: “For strategies to be deliverable they have to be proportionate to the scale of the business and aligned with its wider objectives. There is no one-size fits all solution, but understanding each business, its objectives and its relationship to the environment is key to building resilience in the face of changing societal, economic and political agendas. “The climate crisis will rightly be a critical driver in decision making at all levels now and into the future. Scottish rural businesses have a unique opportunity to contribute to the solution through their extensive natural capital resources. As such this is a really exciting time for the Scottish rural sector as it plays a central and expanding role in enhancing the environment through land management.”

STOP PRESS! Wanted A small farmhouse cottage in rural Scotland. Anything considered. Please phone

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Let rural Scotland thrive By Stephen Young, Head of Policy, Scottish Land & Estates Spring brings a feeling of expectation: lambs are here, crops and grass are growing, we have had good news on potential lifting of Covid restrictions – and there is an election result here. SLE published its manifesto in April and we laid out what we believe are major issues for rural businesses. The key element is looking to reinvigorate rural Scotland for people, jobs and nature and we can only be successful if each element is delivered. Economic, environmental and social capital in rural areas are interconnected so it is vital that all are considered together. In terms of our specific asks for the new parliament ahead, some are very clear. We need long-term vision and principles around agricultural support to enable planning and where needed, system changes must be started. The various sector groups will help with this, but we still need to see the overarching vision beyond this and how we are going to forge production and environmental benefit together. Backing this up, we need to promote the quality of Scottish produce, it is the only way we can have full confidence that what we put in our mouths is of the highest environmental and production standards.

While we all want people to enjoy what rural Scotland has to offer, both as tourists and as locals, we also need to protect our environment from irresponsible behaviour. Long term investment is required to provide countryside rangers to guide visitors and ensure they do no harm, similarly we need clear public messages outlining what responsible behaviour looks like. Allied to this we need to review how flytipping is tackled. Other issues we would like to see addressed are “rural proofing” of policies to ensure there are no unintended consequences of attempts to “fix” urban issues. We saw this with the short-term lets regulations which have now been withdrawn after heavy lobbying from SLE and others. The need to put rural areas first when considering enhanced connectivity is crucial to ensure we don’t get left behind. Our businesses, livelihoods and education depend on it. These are a lot of asks. But it is imperative that politicians work with the rural sector over the next five years to re-build our economy and strengthen job security. This really is central to rural Scotland thriving.

For more information www.scottishlandandestates.co.uk Telephone : 0131 653 5400

forestry

Free help to branch out into tree planting Farmers and land managers in the central belt, who are thinking of planting trees but don’t know where to begin, can get free help from Scottish Forestry. As part of ongoing work to promote the benefits of tree planting to farmers in the region, a limited number of FREE Farm Woodland Assessments are up for grabs. What are Farm Woodland Assessments? The free assessments identify how woodland creation could help boost the business. As well as detailing available grant options, the assessments explore predicted expenditure and cash flow through the Forestry Grants Scheme until woodland is established. The assessments will also advise on future management and other potential sources of funding.

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Matthew Imrie, of Hillhead Farm, who’s family received a Farm Woodland Assessment in 2017 said: “We are always looking to maximise the farms potential for both current and future generations. The area being planted with trees is poor land we have struggled to graze and make productive for about 20 years. Wind turbines and solar panels were previously considered but neither were suitable for this site.

We hadn’t considered forestry as we weren’t aware of its benefits. The farm woodland assessment provided us with all the information we required to make an informed decision on whether to invest in forestry. The report included an indicative budget and summary of the works required – allowing us to determine whether the returns were worth the input. With the grants available, it was clear that this was a sound investment for now and for the future.

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Succession planning was a key factor when deciding how to diversify. Tax benefits of forestry, as well as the harvestable crop, will ensure that the family are looked after while the farm remains in one piece. Once harvested, the site will be replanted to benefit future generations of the family”. The funding available The Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS), offers attractive funding opportunities to plant new or

forestry manage existing woodlands. Farmers can receive grants of up to £6,210 per hectare towards the costs of new woodland planting, with additional monies available for fencing and tree protection. Landowners located within the Central Scotland Green Network area may also be eligible for a special contribution of up to £2,500 per hectare, dependent upon location. Under current rules, land planted under the FGS remains eligible for the Basic Payment Scheme. Virginia Harden Scott, Woodland Creation Officer at Scottish Forestry’s Central Scotland Conservancy, said: “Well-designed woodlands can provide livestock shelter, reduce soil erosion and business carbon footprint, increase crop

productivity, improve biodiversity and can help establish boundary lines. By planting new woodland,

you are also growing a future timber resource - potentially producing a new long-term, tax

free income stream and helping to secure the farm business for future generation.”

To express your interest in a free assessment by 5 pm Friday 28th May 2021 or for further information contact Virginia Harden Scott at Virginia.HardenScott@forestry.gov.scot www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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forestry

New £2m fund launched to boost Scottish native woodlands Land managers in Scotland can now apply to a £2m fund to help create and restore native woodlands across the country. The Future Woodlands Fund (FWF), managed by the charity Future Woodlands Scotland (FWS) is aiming to plant one million trees across Scotland during an initial three-year pilot phase starting in 2021 and sequester an estimated 235,000 tonnes of carbon by 2080. In addition to supporting natural climate solutions, the charity also aims to enhance biodiversity, boost the rural economy and provide wider access to woodlands for communities.

Tim Hall, chair of Future Woodlands Scotland, said: “This new fund will pilot an incentivebased approach to encourage landowners to establish new native woodland and restore ‘ghost’ or degraded former native woodlands that have high ecological potential. “The Future Woodlands Fund is intended to help land managers overcome financial and cultural barriers to deliver nature-based solutions to climate change and social benefits across Scotland.” Any land manager in Scotland may apply to the fund provided their proposed project has a minimum size of 3 hectares

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GG2000 Super Scrubcutter fitted with cutting chains and rear deflector

For a leaflet or more info and advice contact: Sales Tel : 07901 338473 email: sales@fostersalescompany.co.uk website: www.fostersalescompany.co.uk 102

and a maximum of 100 hectares. Working alongside the established Scottish Government’s Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS), the FWF will cover the costs of an application to the FGS, offer landowners area payments of £100/ha per annum for 20 years, and will provide advice on potential bridging loans for project implementation. All the projects will be registered and validated in the UK Woodland Carbon Code by FWS at no cost to the land manager. The fund has been made possible thanks to the backing of bp, who have supported the regeneration of native woodlands in Scotland for more than 20 years. Tim Hall added: “We would encourage anyone who might be interested in this scheme to look on our website where they will find more information and application forms. We are keen to assist in any way we can and to make the process of establishing native woodland as straight forward as possible. “We’re extremely grateful for bp’s support for native woodland projects in Scotland. We will review and assess the impact of this new pilot with a view to developing an ongoing

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programme with increased financial investment from existing and new corporate partners. This could create even greater incentives for landowners to play their part in delivering nature-based solutions to climate change across Scotland.” Giles Mackey, HSE and carbon manager at bp North Sea said: “bp is proud of our longestablished partnership with this charity and look forward to seeing how this new approach with landowners can help create even more valuable native woodlands in Scotland. “bp is aiming to be a net zero company by 2050 or sooner and is in action to deliver this ambition across our business. While natural climate solutions can help as part of the response to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, bp’s policy is to reduce our operational emissions at source and not to rely on carbon offsets. All carbon credits generated by this scheme will therefore belong to Future Woodlands Scotland to re-invest in future projects and help Scotland reach its net zero goals.” For more information and to complete an application please visit www.futurewoodlands.org. uk or email: fionachalmers@ futurewoodlands.org.uk

Beatha an eilean

Trèanadh do Chomataidhean Ionaltraidh An Sgioba Ionaltraidh, Coimisean na Croitearachd Mus tàinig an suidheachadh slàinte a th’ againn andràsta, bhiodh Coimisean na Croitearachd le cuideachadh bho Sheirbheis Comhairleachaidh Tuathanais (FAS), a’ siubhal gus bùithtean-obrach a lìbhrigeadh ann am mòran diofar àiteachan air feadh nan sgìrean croitearachd. Bha na bùithtean-obrach sin a’ cuimseachadh air stiùireadh ceart air Fearann Ionaltraidh, tro Chomataidhean Ionaltraidh air an cur nan àite san dòigh cheart, riaghailtean èifeachdach is làithreach agus stiùireadh air deagh chleachdadh. Ach bha na cuibhreachaidhean a thug COVID an làthair, a’ ciallachadh gun robh e do-dhèante cumail a’ dol a’ coinneachadh le croitearan agus a’ lìbhrigeadh thachartasan trèanaidh aghaidhri-aghaidh ann an tallachan baile. Ach gun a bhith air ar casg, bha an Coimisean airson

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nam feumalachdan trèanaidh aig Comataidhean Ionaltraidh agus an ùidh a thaobh trèanadh tro mhodhan-obrach air-loidhne, a thomhais. Chuir sinn suirbhidh an gnìomh de na Clàrcan Ionaltraidh sin mun robh fiosrachadh puist-d againn, agus fhuair sinn 127 freagairt a nochd grunn chùisean. B’ e a’ phrìomh chùis a chaidh a nochdadh anns an t-suirbhidh, an duilgheadas a bha aig Comataidhean Ionaltraidh agus luchd-earrannan coinneachadh aghaidh-ri-aghaidh gus stiùireadh leantainneach an Fhearainn Ionaltraidh a dheasbad agus aontachadh, leis na cuibhreachaidhean làithreach nan àite. B’ e an duilgheadas eile a chaidh a thogail, a bhith a’ dèiligeadh ri eas-aontaidhean taobh a-staigh choimhearsnachdan croitearachd.

Mar fhreagairt don seo, thàinig an Coimisean agus FAS còmhla mar sgioba aon uair eile gus beagan sheiseanan trèanaidh air-loidhne a lìbhrigeadh, a’ cuimseachadh an toiseach air àrd-ùrlar Zoom a chleachdadh. B’ e amas nan seiseanan sin stèidheachadh agus aoigheachd choinneamhan air-loidhne a thaisbeanadh, gus roghainn a thoirt do chomataidhean coinneachadh fhad ’s a tha na cuibhreachaidhean nan àite. Ma tha ùidh aig neach sam bith, chaidh an tachartas trèanaidh seo a chlàradh agus tha e ri fhaotainn tro fhios a chur gu an roinn Ionaltraidh taobh a-staigh Coimisean na Croitearachd. grazings@crofting.gov.scot Gus cuideachadh le cùis stiùiridh eas-aontaidhean, fhuair an Coimisean agus FAS seirbheisean a’ Chom-pàirteachais Eadraiginn, a tha na speisealaichean sa chuspair

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agus stèidhichte ann an Obar Dheathain. Tha e san amharc 4 bùithtean-obrach air-loidhne a lìbhrigeadh tro mhìos a’ Mhàirt, a choimheadas ri connspaidean agus eas-aontaidhean, mar a tha iad a’ meudachadh agus na sgilean is modhan a chleachdar gus na suidheachaidhean sin a làimhseachadh agus fhuasgladh gu h-èifeachdach, do gach neach a tha nan lùib. Bidh na tachartasan sin air a dhol seachad ron àm a thèid an t-artaigil seo an clò, ach ma tha sibh a’ faireachdainn gum faigheadh sibh buannachd bho phàirt sam bith den trèanadh, feuch gun innis sibh dhuinn agus ma bhios ùidh gu leòr ann feuchaidh sinn ri tuilleadh chùrsaichean a ruith nas fhaide air adhart sa bhliadhna. Tha sinn an dòchas nach bi e ro fhada gus an urrainn dhuinn coinneachadh aghaidh-ri-aghaidh a-rithist airson an lìbhrigeadh.

Since March 2020 we’ve all had to embrace change, and the only way to have made any sense of it, was to go with it. Most people stayed at home, and forgot about their clay shooting practice and competitions, their days out shooting and gathering by the river with their pals to fish. It was consigned to memories and flicking through old social media photo albums. The Scottish countryside was no longer the rural playground with a busy calendar of events stretched out over the year. However, we are much more optimistic! As I write (April), there is a whiff of hope in the air as we make progress towards the unconfined life we were all familiar with prepandemic. Many have had their vaccine: at 56, I had mine at the end of March and applaud the organisation and professionalism of all staff. It was a highly straightforward process, and you felt supported and informed from the moment you stepped into the vaccine centre to the minute you left. We were kept updated by news online, on TV, radio and in the newspapers but behind the scenes, hundreds of people suffered from loneliness, many of them in our remote countryside. Within rural communities, there are many remote homes, farms and crofts, and each outing into town is often the only social interaction that week or even month. Every journey is often steered by a general ‘to-do list’ involving dropping-in to see people, and/or running errands for them, and stopping to chat in supermarkets and local shops. Game fairs, farm and country shows are often the backbone of the rural social calendar where people can catch up with their friends and relatives. Lockdown stopped it all and created a pandemic of loneliness. Thankfully, some organisations kept their doors open and worked away quietly supporting those

by Linda Mellor

SCOTTISH COUNTRY LIFE in need. The Gamekeepers Welfare Trust (GWT), formed in 1992, provides support for gamekeepers, stalkers and ghillies, and their families. Many of our rural workers found themselves in stressful, and in some cases, lifechanging, situations: furloughed, pressurized by bosses to work when government guidelines told them to stay at home, threatened with eviction from their tied homes, suffering from Covid 19 and the aftereffects, isolation and loneliness, money demands, and so on, sadly, the list is very long. With daily lives wrapped up by lockdown restrictions, it can be difficult to reach out and ask for help. I asked Helen Benson, GWT Chief Executive about the pandemic and how it affected rural workers, she said: “The pandemic has affected everyone, but for gamekeepers it has exacerbated the isolation of the job in remote locations

and very often no social interaction for months. The GWT has received calls across the spectrum but during the lockdown periods, there was an increased concern over stress and poor mental health in the rural workplace and in homelife.” How do you help and support those in need? “We work with many other organisations to ensure a seamless service is offered. The GWT provides a safety net in times of difficulty. Our work has included keeping in touch, and ensuring those who live on their own, vulnerable or suffering ill health, and as well as those working in isolated conditions, to feel cared for. We are available 24/7. Providing support for those suffering from poor mental health has always been at the forefront of the services we offer but we know we can always do more. Working together with other rural organisations and not

least the Rural Mental Health Forum run by Jim Hume is important for us all and never more so during lockdown periods and the aftermath in this period of Covid 19.” Have there been any changes in the support needed during 2021? “The first few months of 2021 were tough for many. The lack of response and almost total lack of understanding from policy makers has made the rural community feel discriminated against and indeed ignored to a large degree. There is also stress from redundancy and loss of homes, and a volume of unpleasant incidents both online and elsewhere from those who choose not to understand the countryside and the roles of rural workers and the immense work they undertake to keep our wildlife thriving and our countryside beautiful. It is all deeply worrying,” said Helen. Jamie’s Helpline exists as part of the services offered by the Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust to support gamekeepers, stalkers, ghillies, their families, students and in later life. Jamie’s Helpline: 0300 1233088 Being there for gamekeepers, stalkers and ghillies Email: help@ thegamekeeperswelfaretrust. com Website: www. thegamekeeperswelfaretrust. com

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BOOK SERIALISATION

The Cairngorms Landseer’s bothy All but lost in the forests of Glen Feshie is a Highland Arcadia which Britain’s richest woman built to escape the pressures of life ¬– and be with her artist lover. In the third of our series, Patrick Baker uncovers another secret from the Cairngorms’ past

Rothiemurchus. The house was not only was it close to her mother’s home of Kinrara, the place of some of her happiest childhood memories, but was also a world away from her stifling, stately existence in England. In the forested upper reaches of Glen Feshie, the Duchess ordered the construction of a set of secluded hideaways: faux rustic refuges hidden amongst the ancient pines,where she would stay for weeks on end living out a contrived but simple lifestyle, far removed from the privileges that her aristocratic position granted her, yet mercifully free from its

public scrutiny. It was here, during her stays at the Glen Feshie huts, that she conducted a love affair: a scandalous tryst with a young artist over twenty years her junior. The artist was Edwin Landseer, the possessor of a phenomenal but mercurial talent: one of the most celebrated painters of the day, whose work would eventually include the iconic image of the ‘Monarch of the Glen’ and the lions of Trafalgar Square, but a man racked by his own personal demons of depression and mental ill-heath. The couple had first met when Landseer was only eighteen

and already fêted as a promising young artist. The Duke of Bedford became Landseer’s first major patron. In his time spent in the Bedford household a mutual but concealed attraction developed between Landseer and the Duchess. By the time he first commissioned Landseer to paint his wife’s portrait, it was probable they were already lovers. I had heard of a bothy deep within the most wooded section of the glen that I would head to: a basic shelter with access to the Munros of Sgor Gaoith and Mullach Clach a’ Bhlair, as well as some of the best shooting areas Picture: Munro1986

In the early 1830s, Georgina Russell, the sixth Duchess of Bedford and one of the wealthiest women in the country, was seeking sanctuary. The preceding decade had been fraught. The health of her elderly husband had deteriorated significantly, her large extended family had been engaged in series of acrimonious quarrels and rumours abounded in polite society about her extra-marital activities. The Duchess turned to the Highlands to provide her with an emotional and physical safe haven. She leased Doune House, a stately home situated in the heart of the millennia-old woodland of

Glen Feshie, where the Duchess of Bedford built a series of faux-rustic refuges during her affair with the painter Edwin Landseer.

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BOOK SERIALISATION on the Feshie Estate. The Ruighaiteachain bothy’s connection to the Duchess and her lover appeared intriguingly tangible. It was referred to by many, not by its Gaelic name, but by a telling historical soubriquet: Landseer’s Bothy. Little is now known of the Glen Feshie huts. Their one-time presence in the glen is consigned largely to local history or the occasional, fleeting reference in guide-books. The most illuminating account of the huts comes from the letters of one of the Duchess’s many society guests. The celebrated comic actor Charles James Mathews visited Glen Feshie in 1833 at the invitation of Landseer. He describes his stay with an obvious sense of wonderment: ‘The buildings themselves looked like the poorest peasant’s cottages. The walls made of turf and overgrown with foxglove, and the roof of untrimmed spars of birch. Fires of peat and clearburning fir blazed away upon the ground, in short, everything bespeaking the habitation of some tasteful wood-cutter.’ While staying at the huts, visitors were also expected to participate in the fantasy of a pastoral Highland existence, donning traditional Highland garb; hunting; fishing and feasting on wild game. It was a perfectly pleasant, but entirely bogus interpretation of the actual realities of Highland life at the time. By the early 1860s, however, the huts had fallen into ruin. The final noteworthy descriptions of the buildings are to be found in extracts from Queen Victoria’s Highland Journals. The Queen first encountered the huts on a trip made in September 1860. The description provides not only an indication as to the huts’ position in the glen but also conjures up a lamentable end to their brief existence. We came upon a most lovely spot – the scene of all Landseer’s glory – and where there is a little encampment of wooden and turf huts, built by the late Duchess of Bedford; now no longer belonging to the family, and, alas! All falling into decay – among splendid fir-

trees, the mountains rising abruptly from the sides of the valley. The Duchess had died nine years previously and Landseer was by this stage, largely debilitated by mental instability. Shortly after his death in 1873, a large and hitherto unknown collection of his paintings was discovered. The collected works were all landscapes, from the time of his first visits to Scotland. Unlike his later, more formal compositions, these landscape paintings appear vibrant, realistic and spontaneous and there are numerous images of Glen Feshie. In one, a black storm-cloud that consumes most of the sky, sending slanting diagonals of rain into the glen. The Ruigh-aiteachain bothy came into view unexpectedly. The oblique line of a gable end was suddenly obvious through the pine trees. I had anticipated something less substantial, more tumbledown in appearance, but the building was long and squat and looked decidedly robust. There were no windows on the side I approached, just a single door painted in a glossy version of British Racing Green. Outside, a large pile of fallen timber had been stacked against the wall and an axe left cleaved into an upturned log.

Inside was a large, low room, filled with a blue-grey light that filtered in from a small rectangular window. The place smelt strongly of pine resin and wood-smoke. By the window, on a table covered with food remains and mouse droppings, I found a visitors’ book. I had naively hoped to find some sign of Landseer or the Duchess within the bothy, a mural concealed beneath cracked plaster-work or some evidence of previous habitation. Instead the bothy felt more functional than homely. It was a well-frequented estate building, maintained for its usefulness rather than any sense of preservation for posterity. The name ‘Landseer’s Bothy’ began to seem like a dubious affectation. I headed outside to find wood to burn in the hearth. As I turned the corner of the bothy, I saw what I had been looking for – remnant of one of the Glen Feshie huts. I had practically stumbled across it in the evening’s half-light: a solitary chimney stack about a metre wide and five metres high. It appeared fully intact, constructed from neatly shaped blocks of masonry with cleanly finished edges and well-preserved mortar.

I decided to find an elevated view. From height, I reasoned, I would be able to see more clearly any outline the building had marked on the land: its archaeological ghost-print. On the steep hillside behind the bothy I found a faint path that led quickly upwards through a briar of small pines and ragged, oversized juniper bushes. Soon I was above the tree-line, in a scrub of thick heather and snow patches. The evening sky was two-tone: dark gold, behind plum-coloured clouds. I sat and watched a storm approaching from the north: diagonal blades of rain careering south, carving through the concave opening of the glen. It reminded me of Landseer’s stormscape. This is an edited extract from The Cairngorms: A Secret History by Patrick Baker (Birlinn, £9.99pbk). Readers can buy it and/or Unremembered Places: Exploring Scotland’s Wild Histories, also by Patrick Baker (Birlinn, £14.99 hbk), with 15% off while stocks last. Both free p&p in the UK. To order, phone 0845 370 0067 or log on to www.birlinn.co.uk . Quote code CAIRNFS2020. Offer ends 31 December 2021.

The interior of the Ruigh-aiteachain bothy – usually known as Landseer’s bothy

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COOKING with VENISON

Vegetable Lattice Pie Ingredients: 1 batch of cheese pastry 2 medium courgettes, diced Half a red onion, peeled & sliced 4 brown mushrooms, sliced Scottish Sea salt & freshly milled black pepper to season 50g garlic butter & a drizzle of rapeseed oil 1 small cooked beetroot Beaten egg to glaze

By Wendy Barrie

Method: s 7HEN PASTRY IS PREPARED DIVIDE EVENLY INTO PARTS /NE WILL form the base of the pie, one the lid and the other third is perfect for a dozen or so cheese straws. s "UTTER A CM mAN DISH AND LINE WITH THE lRST THIRD OF PASTRY Pierce well with a fork and bake in a pre-heated oven at 190°C for approx. 20 minutes until cooked through but not brown. s -EANWHILE DRIZZLE A LITTLE OIL IN A PAN AND SAUTÏ ONIONS ADDING MUSHROOMS THEN COURGETTES AS EACH VEGETABLE STARTS TO COOK Add the garlic butter during cooking. Season. Continue cooking over a medium heat to reduce juices – the filling should be moist but not wet in the pastry case. s 7HEN THE PASTRY IS READY REMOVE DISH FROM OVEN AND lLL WITH VEGETABLES 3TUD THE lLLING WITH CUBES OF BEETROOT AND SET ASIDE Turn oven up to 220°C. s 2OLL OUT THE SECOND PASTRY DOUGH AND PLACE ON TOP OF VEGETABLES IN A LATTICE n OR AS YOU WISH 'LAZE WITH BEATEN EGG s 2EPLACE IN OVEN AND BAKE FOR MINUTES UNTIL THE PASTRY LID IS COOKED THROUGH AND A RICH GOLDEN COLOUR Serve with cream cheese and chives.

Farmhouse Cheese Pastry Ingredients: 100g mature farmhouse cheese, grated e.g. St Andrews A pinch of Scottish Sea Salt 225g plain flour 150g cold butter 2tsps lemon juice Approx. 6tbsps cold water Method: s !DD SALT TO mOUR AND RUB IN G OF THE MEASURED BUTTER s #UT REMAINING COLD BUTTER INTO SMALL CUBES AND DROP INTO mOUR ALONG WITH GRATED CHEESE $ISTRIBUTE EVENLY THROUGH THE mOUR s !DD LEMON JUICE AND MOST OF THE WATER -IX GENTLY TOGETHER WITH A PALETTE KNIFE ADDING REMAINING WATER AS NECESSARY s 4IP THIS ROUGH MASS ONTO A mOURED SURFACE AND SHAPE INTO A BRICK USING THE PALETTE KNIFE OR A ROLLING PIN s 0RESS GENTLY ROLL INTO A ROUGH RECTANGLE AND FOLD OVER IN THIRDS 2OLL AND FOLD THREE TIMES MORE MAKING ROLLINGS IN ALL

Scottish Thistle Award Regional Ambassador (2018/19) for Central, Tayside & Fife, Wendy Barrie www.wendybarrie.co.uk is a highly respected campaigner for local sustainable food, popular cookery show presenter and food writer. Founder & Director of award-winning www.scottishfoodguide.scot & www.scottishcheesetrail.com Wendy is Leader in Scotland for Slow Food Ark of Taste & Member of Slow Food Cooks Alliance. 108

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machinery Kuhn updates improve baler performance and bale quality Technological updates announced by KUHN Farm Machinery in relation to its forage and straw baling equipment are all designed to improve control of product quality and/or operational efficiency. KUHN’s VB variable chamber balers and VBP BalePack variable chamber baler-wrapper combinations are now available with the option of a humidity sensor. This device can measure forage composition up to a level of 40% moisture, providing a useful way to monitor a crop’s suitability to hit a target dry matter. The humidity sensor is available on all models in the VB and VBP ranges from 2021 and

will be retrofittable onto 2021 machines and beyond. VB balers and VBP Balepack baler-wrapper combinations are equipped with KUHN’s progressive density baling chambers and are suitable for handling a range of wet and dry crops: from hay and straw (5-20% moisture), to haylage (1835% moisture) and silage (35-80% moisture). From 2020, the VBP BalePack has been available with KUHN’s award-winning film binding system as an alternative to net binding. This system has been successfully deployed over several years on the FBP BalePack and the compact i-BIO baler-wrapper combination.

The Air Compressor and Pressure Washer Specialists

Manufacturers and suppliers, W Bateman & Co has an enviable reputation for manufacturing and supplying both domestic and industrial pressure washers and air compressors. Nationwide DELIVERY on all orders

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01772 862948 email: sales@bateman-sellarc.co.uk www.bateman-sellarc.co.uk

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machinery Trelleborg celebrates Valtra’s 70th anniversary with YourTire Trelleborg Wheel Systems celebrates Valtra’s 70th anniversary with its tire personalization service, YourTire. Among the initiatives to honor Valtra’s milestone anniversary, Trelleborg has created bespoke TM1060 tires with Valtra’s anniversary logo using YourTire, the personalization service that gives customers the opportunity to customize a new set of Trelleborg radial tractor tires with their name and logo. These will be used on a limited edition Valtra T Series released to celebrate the occasion, in the company’s signature deep metallic red: a

color that symbolizes a journey that spans generations. Elio Bartoli, President EMEA & Global OEM at Trelleborg Wheel Systems, says: “Trelleborg is delighted to celebrate Valtra’s 70th anniversary. We believe that our long-term partnership with Valtra is a perfect fit, as the company has been a pioneer of innovation and customization within the tractor industry. Together we take agriculture to the next level, providing customers with a unique solution.” For more information on YourTire, visit: https://www. trelleborg-yourtire.com/

machinery McLaren Tractors extends support for Highland farmers with appointment to McCormick tractor network McLaren Tractors has chosen McCormick to be its premium tractor partner among the company’s farm machinery offering for Highland farmers, with the business recently signing an agreement to sell, service and support the marque across the region. The company has served farmers, crofters and sporting estates in the Highlands since its foundation in 2003 by George and Fiona McLaren. Since then it has expanded its franchise offering to encompass a number of high-quality machinery makes suited to the region’s harsh

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environment, and this is where McCormick fits in well, believes George McLaren, who has over thirty years’ experience in the industry. “We have a well-established tractor sales business, and are looking forward to building on this with McCormick,” says George. “We know McCormick has a reputation for producing quality, long-lasting machinery suitable for the demands of Highland farm life. We are excited to be bringing such a highly regarded brand to McLaren Tractors”. “We’ve already added a trio of stock tractors to our

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fleet, which are all available for demonstration. They comprise a 120hp X6.420, a 115hp X5.55 and a 70hp X4.30, representing three ranges and model sizes which are well-suited to the needs of local farmers and contractors.” The business has a staff of eleven, with George running the sales department and James White as territory manager. Sam Cowan manages the service department, supported by four time-served engineers. The office is managed by Fiona McLaren, who won the prestigious Highland Business Woman of the Year Award 2009, and is also the business’s company secretary. McLaren Tractors was founded in small rented premises in Dingwall, before buying a nearby site in 2013. The building here was extensively remodelled to suit the needs of a modern machinery dealership, with wifi throughout and a new showroom area for ATVs, tools, toys and clothing.

machinery Camacuma To Offer New Rental Fleet of 130 Bobcat Telehandlers In France, Bobcat and Camacuma have reached an agreement for the purchase of 130 TL38.70HF telescopic handlers. This is the largest ever single telehandler deal in Doosan Bobcat EMEA’s history. A Cuma is a cooperative of French farmers, the purpose of which is to make agricultural equipment and workers available to their farm members. There are 11,740 Cuma in France with 202,000 members. Under the authority of the local federations of the Cuma network and the fncuma, Camacuma is the internal national Cuma Agricultural Equipment

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machinery Purchasing Centre, formed to carry out group purchasing in France and offer long-term rental packages to reduce machinery costs on farms in France. The first delivery of 10 machines as part of the BobcatCamacuma deal was made in February 2021 and is already available for hire to Cuma members. The remaining telehandlers will be delivered gradually in a number of batches by the end of June 2021.

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Subscription details on page 109 Next issue out July 2021

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BDC Systems to represent Gibbons Agricultural in Scotland BDC Systems Ltd and Gibbons Agricultural have extended their longstanding partnership. BDC will now act as Gibbons’ Scottish agent as well as continuing to represent the company across the south of England. “BDC, a complete grain handling solutions provider, has been successfully selling our highperformance grain cooling fans across the south of England for over 20 years,” said Matthew Gibbons, MD of Gibbons Agricultural, a division of Gibbons Engineering Group and a specialist grain storage equipment manufacturer. “Under the able stewardship of its Scottish Sales Manager, John Wilson, BDC already has a strong and established presence across

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machinery Scotland, so it made absolute sense to ask BDC to represent us across this region,” continued Matthew. Gibbons’ simple plug and play products have been designed to make grain conditioning easier for farmers. Its Airspear works alongside the Plug&Cool Pedestal to help cool hotspots in grain piles. The Plug&Cool wireless differential temperature control panel range supports grain store fans. “Gibbons has always provided a wide range of high quality, robust and reliable low volume ventilation fans but the Plug&Cool solution which includes pedestals, ventilation towers and automatic fan controls now delivers a complete grain cooling package for farmers,” explained John Wilson. A valued BDC partner, Gibbons is one of the market leading manufacturers the company represents. The Gibbons’ Plug&Cool system is another grain handling solution which BDC is able to deliver for its customers. Not

being limited to offering products from a single manufacturer means that BDC is able to give farmers the grain handling solutions that exactly meet their requirements.

“Farmers across the south of England are already benefiting and will continue to benefit from deploying Gibbons’ Plug&Cool system. BDC is confident that Scottish

farmers will quickly understand just how Plug&Cool can cool their grain the easy way, saving them time, energy and most important of all, money!” concluded John.

21YM Honda UTV Pioneer 520 Honda’s new Pioneer 520 combines the benefits of side by sides and ATVs; marrying up the safety and space found in sideby-sides with the nimble handling and small, narrow footprint of an ATV. The new model slots under the Pioneer 700 and stands to introduce a whole new market to the benefits of a compact yet highly capable UTV. Introduction In 2015 Honda America launched the Pioneer 500, promising a true all-rounder that was as versatile as it was compact. A powerful workhorse, engineers behind the two-seater designed it to stand-

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machinery up to tough off-roading and a wide variety of testing work environments where Honda’s legendary reputation for durability, quality, and reliability is demanded. The flexible and highly useful model range has undergone six years of evolution and development, resulting in the Pioneer 520, which hits UK shores as an all-new, exciting expansion of Honda’s UTV offerings. It goes on sale from April 12th across the Honda

network of approved dealers priced at £9,200 excluding VAT. Packaged within its small, four-square form, is a sophisticated suspension setup that sees it tackle tough ground and heavy cargo, while also helping operators thread it precisely through narrow farm gates and into spaces that traditional, large UTV’s simply can’t get. Aiding this go-anywhere ability is a 518cc engine that drives two or four wheels, at the

operator’s discretion, via a fivespeed transmission that can be manually controlled to tap into the considerable low-to-mid range torque on hand. Matching this wide range of performance is the broad functionality that lends the Pioneer 520 to a variety of work applications. Riding two up, loads up to 658kg in total can be hauled between towing and the gasassisted tilting rear bed.

Electronic rear lift control available for M5001 tractors Kubota (UK) Ltd has developed an electronic rear lift control (ELC) system for the M5 series tractor range spanning 90-115hp. The ELC option can be retrofitted to existing M5001 tractors through the Kubota dealer network. It gives operators the choice of retaining the tractor’s standard lever controlled rear lift, or choosing to upgrade to a push-button system with added operator convenience. “This is a great innovation for the M5001 tractor series, for those operators seeking extra sophistication with linkage mounted equipment,” explains M-series tractor product manager Henry Myatt. “Simple to control and comfortable to use, ELC adds greater convenience to M5001 models.” Installation sees the original levers replaced by electronic controls, which avoids the need to modify or trim any of the cab interior or panels. ELC uses a rocker switch for raise/lower the rear three-point linkage. A rotary controller lets the operator choose the depth control, while three additional dials are used to control a mix of draft/position; rate of drop; and set a maximum lift height limit. In addition, a linkage lock/ release button is also included, with an LED light to confirm the lock is active. As part of the ELC kit, external controls are integrated into the nearside rear wing, allowing the operator to safely control the linkage from alongside the rear

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machinery New pricing structure launched for Merlo genuine spare parts

wheel when attaching or removing implements. Kubota’s M5001 electronic rear lift control option is priced

at £1,643.88 for existing owners looking to upgrade through the Kubota dealer network with the dealer-installed retro-fit kit.

Merlo UK have recently introduced for the first time in the UK a Recommended Retail Price (RRP) list for its complete range of Merlo Genuine spare parts. Listening to customer feedback it was apparent that from time to time inconsistencies could occur with the re-sale pricing of Merlo spare parts. As a result Merlo UK launched a year-long project headed by National Parts Manager, Robin Cooch to analyse and develop a structured and competitive RRP spare parts system. Manufacturing around 95% of all Merlo machine components in house at our factory in Cuneo,

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Italy, we are able to retain control of the quality, supply & pricing of all Merlo Genuine spare parts. After analysing all possible competitive sources of Merlo spare parts Robin and his team developed a RRP list structure that is designed to offer competitive prices with genuine quality assured. This approach offers all Merlo users great value for money and excellent availability thanks to the UK based parts warehouse further enhancing the #betterbeinggreen Merlo ethos. “Standardising the re-sale price of our genuine spare parts ensures consistency in pricing

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machinery Tractors and forage harvesters take the lead

and service for Merlo user’s right across the UK. We are determined to offer the very best

in aftersales support, enhancing our customers’ experience” states Robin.

John Deere Machine Sync enables machines to exchange data on the move and allows combine operators to guide a tractor and trailer alongside the harvester. This unique system is now also available for forage harvesters and tractors to take control during other crop unloading operations. Machine Sync was introduced in 2012 and John Deere remains the only supplier of an integrated system. The technology is especially useful during nighttime operations and long working days. The global navigation satellite system (GNNS) based synchronisation allows combines to automatically control the speed and travel direction of tractors and trailers relative to the combine. Machine Sync therefore makes harvesting safer and reduces stress for the operators. It also eliminates waste during unloading and avoids damage to both machines and crops, even at higher driving speeds. 118

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The technology is not just applicable to combine harvesters but also to all harvesting processes where crops are continuously loaded into trailers. As a result, John Deere is now offering Machine Sync for use on self-propelled forage harvesters and tractors. In particular, customers working with trailed elevator machinery harvesting potatoes, carrots and vegetables will benefit from this advanced technology. The system also delivers significant assistance and productivity gains to vegetable growers during planting applications. For operation, Machine Sync requires JDLink telematics, a StarFire satellite receiver and a Gen4 Premium display with automation activation. Most customers would select all these components ex-factory when ordering a new tractor and/or self-propelled machine, although retrofitting is also possible.

machinery New Bunning Models 120C + 150C New for 2021 is an extended range of Lowlander Mk4 ‘Compact’ spreaders to accompany the long established and well proven 105C (Compact) TVA. The two new models are a 12 tonne, 14.6m3 120C TVA and a 15 tonne, 16m3 150C TVA, which add increased capacity to the range whilst retaining the ‘Compact’ concept. The new models offer higher capacity, higher weight carrying, increased output, better manoeuvrability for those hard to access locations with no compromise on build quality and strength. Incremental increases of 0.5m starting with 105C body length of 4.2m, 120 C at 4.7m and range topping 150C at 5.2m offer opportunities to increase output without having to purchase a longer spreader. Each model mirrors the standard range of Lowlander

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machinery Mk4 spreaders in strength, reliability, longevity, and specification. The 120C is standard with 150mm square axle with 406 x 120 brakes and 150C standard with 150mm

square axle with 406 x 140 brakes and upgraded floor drive gearbox to suit the demands of higher users. On all the ‘Compact’ range a 580/70 R38 is fitted as standard with an overall width of 2,820mm with the

option of increasing flotation by fitting 650/65 R38 with overall width below 3m. Three years warranty as standard. (Terms and conditions apply)

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Next issue out July 2021

Separator helps to manage slurry Legislation relating to slurry storage coupled with high rainfall is forcing some farmers to make significant investments to manage ever increasing volumes of slurry. To help manage slurry, Stallkamp now offers a range of new slurry separators that reduce contaminants, remove solids, and offer farmers a way to reduce the volume of stored slurry. The Stallkamp PSS 2.2 4/4.5, larger 550 stainless steel, and the cast iron 4/5-750 press screw separators are now available in the UK through slurry specialists Tramspread. Commenting on the product, Mike Kitching from Tramspread says: “Storing slurry has been hard for many farmers this winter because rainfall has been so high. Separating is a cost-effective way to reduce the overall volume of slurry. It also creates a more manageable solid manure and a better-quality liquid slurry that is easier to apply using dribble bars or a trailing shoe.” The PSS 2.2 uses a screw pump to suck slurry through a contaminant filter that filters foreign objects such as stones and rubber mat residues. The filtered slurry is then transferred to a separator with either a 0.5mm or 1mm screen that extracts the dry matter leaving nutrient rich liquid. The larger 4-550 stainless models benefit from a hydraulic ball head which increases the separated dry matter content. The cast iron models have a two-way stainless-steel press www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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machinery screw which is better for high throughput installations. For some farmers, the dry matter offers another source of income because it can be sold for arable use. However, most dairy farmers can utilise it as bedding material because it has an estimated 30 percent dry matter and offers a significant saving. “The liquid only loses approximately 10 percent of its N, P and K value so is still a valuable input for grassland. It also benefits from the filtration process which removes potentially harmful impurities and helps grass to absorb the nutrients more efficiently,” says Mr Kitching.

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Subscription details on page 109

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machinery Two-year interest-free finance for Farmtrac Each year Reesink Agriculture, UK distributor of Farmtrac tractors, offers customers the chance to buy the reliable and economic multi-tasking tractors from Farmtrac with competitive finance. This year’s spring deal sees customers able to take advantage of zero percent finance for two years on eight tractors from 1 April to 31 May. Reesink understands that for most annual forecasts, plans and budgets have been hugely affected by the effect of COVID-19 and it’s essential that as a distributor we support our customers in delivering against their objectives. Having dependable tractors in the shed is vital, now more than ever, considering the unprecedented circumstances the agricultural community finds itself in, hence this finance deal from Reesink now.

It’s a deal that allows smallholdings, vineyards, orchard farms, smaller farms or hobby farms, and those in industries like equine or plantation management, to identify the specialist tractor they need to help their business and then get it quickly, without the wait. Reesink tractor sales manager Steven Haynes says: “We’ve kept things simple for 2021. It’s one scheme offering zero percent finance on all diesel tractors. We find this option suits the majority of customers – with repayments over a two year period it allows the customer to budget effectively and get the tractor they need whilst interest rates are so low.” The deal comes from Reesink Agriculture and its finance partner DLL Group, who have financed over 50,000

tractors in the UK. It’s based on a 1+23 payment profile, which is monthly payments over a two

AM Phillip Agritech appointed new dealer for eastern Scotland

Diet feeder specialist BvL has announced the appointment of AM Phillip Agritech as its new dealer for northern and eastern Scotland. All six AM Phillip Agritech depots from Glenrothes in Fife to Bridge of Ord near Inverness 124

year period and financing up to 60 percent of the tractors’ RRP value.

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have taken on the sales and service for the complete BvL range of diet feeders and silage handling attachments. A long established family company founded in 1860, BvL was the first to introduce a vertical mixer wagon to the

machinery market over 40 years ago, and has grown to become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of diet mixers. This year BvL also celebrates 21 years of sales and service in the UK. Following their appointment, the AM Phillip Agritech sales team have received training for the complete V-Mix diet feeder range, from the smallest 5m3 single auger up to the largest 46m3 triple axle machines, in addition to BvL’s range of Maximus self-propelled mixers. AM Phillip Agritech has also recently taken delivery of a sizeable parts order to ensure that each depot will be able to provide a high level of service and support for the BvL range, with parts support from BvL UK. AM Phillip Agritech has been selling agricultural machinery for over 40 years and in 2018 joined The Scot JCB Group. They also own Kelso & Lothian Harvesters, who are the BvL dealers for the Borders and Lothian region, so this new appointment further

strengthens the association between the two companies. For further information contact BvL’s UK specialist for

Scotland and northern England, Paul McUrich, on 07810 040100 / paulmcurich@gmail.com, or John Molton who covers the

south of England on 07947 719985 / john.molton@bvlgroup.de or visit www.bvl-group. de.

Vaderstad produces 1000th Tempo L

Väderstad has passed the milestone of producing 1000 of its high precision planter, Tempo L. Launched in 2017 the Tempo L has a significant impact on world farming. The Tempo L hit the world farming headlines when it set a planting world record in Hungary the same year, planting 502ha of maize in 24 hours at a speed of over 20km/h. Väderstad’s patented PowerShoot technology enabled Tempo to deliver unparalleled precision, both in terms of the distance between every seed but also regarding the planting depth. “The Tempo L has definitely pushed the limits regarding planting, capacity

and precision,” says Väderstad senior vice president global sales and marketing, Mattias Hovnert. “Two months after the world record, Gödöllő University helped us analyse and measure 6808 plants on the world record fields. The results were clear, there were minimal deviations in planting depth precision, doubles and skips.” Väderstad produces around 5500 machines in total annually. The Tempo L is currently available with 8-24 row units, and from June 2021 the new Tempo L 32 goes into production. It will be the biggest Tempo planter yet with 32 row units and an operating width of 12m.

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE Subscription details on page 109 Next issue out July 2021

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finance

Harbro Looks Forward to the Future

Despite a year of Covid restrictions and Brexit challenges, Aberdeenshire-based Harbro has weathered the challenges and reports positive results for the financial year ending 30th June 2020. Turnover fell by £3.4m to £115.2m, largely a result of lower raw material costs. Despite this, the pre-tax profit increased to £2.989m, which is a result of improved market share, new product offerings and overhead cost savings. The business has seen huge efficiencies across the operational side of the business, following capital investment and implementing new operational systems to drive efficiency. Managing Director, Chris Baxter comments, “2020 was a difficult and challenging year for everyone and this has been no different for agriculture, with Covid and Brexit putting pressure on and adding challenges to both operations and service levels. However, we 128

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can at least now look forward to Covid restrictions easing and I would like to thank our staff and customers for their support through this challenging period We continue to see growth in the business and are very encouraged with current year results, driven by increased market share and product development. Our retail stores are performing well in a tough space and we are delighted that product sectors such as pet, garden and horse along with agri continue to grow. Our retail store offering has been a great success and the recent expansion of central Scotland shops is going very well. In the next couple of months our Lochgilphead store will be moving to a new site, which will allow us to extend our offering in this area Following a fire in 2019, our reinstated Birkhill Mill in Lanarkshire is now the most modern feed mill in Scotland, delivering improved quality and efficiency. We have invested in an automated mineral bucket line to meet increasing demand for our Energyze range of products, which has grown significantly in the last 18 months. Our commitment to continuous improvement is flowing throughout the business as we strive to improve efficiencies and lower operational costs.” The company announced that EBITDA had increased by £1.2m to £6.9m in the year to June 2020. Capital expenditure investment was £1m lower at £2.3m. During the period, employee numbers dropped from 523 to 483.

Sarah Cowie NFU Scotland has welcomed Sarah Cowie to its policy team. Sarah joins the Union’s Edinburgh based Head Office team to lead on the already highly regarded lobbying work being done on key environmental issues including water and air quality, pesticides, biodiversity, farm plastics and flooding. Sarah graduated from University of Edinburgh with a MA(Hons) in International Relations. She joins NFU Scotland from Newsdirect, an independent political monitoring company, where she was Deputy Head of Monitoring. Sarah has extensive experience of producing bespoke policy briefings for a diverse portfolio of environmental and agricultural organisations as well as interpreting complex, and highly technical government and parliamentary publications. Commenting on Sarah’s appointment Gemma Cooper, Head of Policy, said; “Sarah is an exciting addition our well respected NFU Scotland team as she comes to us with a wealth of knowledge in the political and policy sphere. Matthew Ashton OPICO has appointed Matthew Ashton as Maschio Territory Manager to cover Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire, adding strength to the Maschio Gaspardo sales team. A farmer’s son, Matthew joins OPICO with a strong agricultural background having studied agricultural engineering at Reaseheath College in Cheshire, before working for a series of agricultural dealers as both a demonstrator and salesman. Matthew is also a keen sportsman having only recently retired from club rugby. Commenting, Charles Bedforth, OPICO UK Sales Director said, ‘Matthew’s background in farming and his enthusiasm for the role make an exciting combination. We’re pleased to have him on board.’ On his new appointment Matthew said, ‘I’ve followed the OPICO brands for a while and I’ve sold the Maschio brand with my dealer hat on. This opportunity was too good to ignore. It felt the right time for me to move from a dealer to a machinery distributor and I am looking forward to my new role.’ Professor Sir Pete Downes The former principal of the University of Dundee has joined the Board of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC). Professor Sir Pete Downes, one of the UK’s top biochemists, takes up his role at the end of this month. Sir Pete, who is also chair of Dynamic Earth and President of the UK Biochemical Society, joined the University of Dundee in 1989 and served as principal from 2009 until his retirement in 2018. He is also a past convenor of Universities Scotland and a former Vice-President of Universities UK. He said: “I’m excited to be joining the SRUC Board at a time of great challenge when only the most resilient and enterprising organisations will thrive. My appointment fulfils a lifetime of interest in the countryside, its natural resources and the people who live and work there.”

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Professor Mike Smith A professor with more than 40 years’ experience in research and innovation will be an “invaluable” new member of the SAC Commercial Board. After a career in medicine, with a particular focus on non-invasive diagnostic and investigative techniques, Professor Mike Smith now provides expert advice and support in research, innovation, entrepreneurialism and commercialisation. As an Emeritus Professor and a managing partner of Harper Keeley LLP, Prof Smith works with SMEs, micro companies, universities, hospitals and charities in the UK and abroad. SAC Commercial Ltd is a private limited company which undertakes the commercial activities of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC). Prof Smith said: “I’ve been aware of the high reputation that SAC Commercial has with companies and organisations working in the rural and natural environment, and so I’m delighted to be appointed as a non-executive director on the board. “I particularly look forward to working with the range of expertise that exists within SAC Commercial and sharing my commercial experience from other sectors. The opportunity to contribute to the development and commercialisation of innovations associated with the natural environment is particularly exciting at the present time.”

Katherine Bliss OPICO has appointed Katherine Bliss as Assistant Marketing Manager. Having grown up on a farm, and a graduate of Harper Adams, Katherine joins OPICO with a strong agricultural background and understanding of the farming climate. Since Harper Adams, Katherine worked as a trainee land agent for a large estate in Scotland and more recently in event management. Helen Selkin, Marketing Manager at OPICO commented, “I’m delighted that Katherine has decided to return to her agricultural roots and join us. As well as her commercial and event experience, she brings with her practical farming knowledge and an understanding of different farming systems which will stand her in good stead for working across all the OPICO brands.” Katherine responded, ‘I am thrilled to be joining the OPICO marketing team and I am looking forward to developing my marketing communications skills and being part of a company which has strengthened and progressed in the most testing of times.’ Katherine will be based in Bourne at OPICO’s headquarters.

Claire Hodge Agri-EPI Centre is pleased to announce the appointment of Claire Hodge in the newly created role of Head of Crops. Claire, who joins Agri-EPI from her position as Arable Knowledge Exchange Manager with AHDB, will develop and lead the implementation of the organisation’s strategy for crops (especially high value crops), fruit and vegetables. Claire brings to the role her in-depth knowledge and experience of the crop sector, and wide network connections.Based at Agri-EPI’s Southern Hub in Cranfield, she will work both nationally and internationally and will play an especially important role in expanding the activities of Agri-EPI’s satellite farm network.

Fiona Forrest-Anderson NFU Scotland has appointed Fiona ForrestAnderson as the new independent chair of its remuneration committee. The remuneration committee provides guidance and advice to the Union’s top team on the principal issues affecting its staff body. Primarily, how best to recruit, retain and reward its high-quality staff to ensure that NFU Scotland remains the leading agricultural lobbying and policy organisation in Scotland. Fiona is currently Head of Employer Engagement at Napier University and has been recognised for her specialist skills in inclusion, organisational change, diversity and gender equality. Commenting on the appointment, NFU Scotland Treasurer Rupert Shaw said: “This is a welcome and significant appointment for us. I am thrilled that Fiona has agreed to take on this important role: bringing her perceptive and capable talents to help us professionalise this important aspect of the Union’s internal management. “Continuing to make improvements around recruitment, retention and reward of staff will, in turn, benefit all our farming, crofting and family members by strengthening our team as we face an ever-increasing workload.’’ On taking up the position, Fiona added: “I’m delighted to take up this role as chair and join Chief Executive Scott Walker and his team at NFU Scotland. “The Union has been part of our family’s way of life for some time and I look forward to bringing my experience to the committee to make decisions that continue to be in the best interests of NFU Scotland’s people’’.

THE BOOK SHELF Milly cow gives milk By Deborah Chancellor & Julia Groves Published by Scallywag Press First in a topical collection of four titles to show children where their food comes from and how precious it is. A child follows a day in the life of Milly the cow, as she munches grass with her friends, drinks gallons of water, makes cow pats in the field, and visits the milking parlour with her farmer. Milly’s milk is made into butter, cheese and yoghurt. Shows animals with respect, having their own personalities and lives. Encourages children to be environmentally aware, and

understand the hard work involved in producing food. Full of information that has been fact checked, yet presented in a simple and stylish way to spark the interest of both young children and adults. Simple quiz and fun facts at the end explain more about dairy farming and produce. Endorsed by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers Deborah Chancellor has written over a hundred books for children, and has been shortlisted for the Little Rebels Award. She

lives with her family in Saffron Walden, Essex. Julia Groves has designed and illustrated a range of baby

books and picture books, and been nominated for the Progressive PreSchool Awards. She lives with her family in Norfolk. Scallywag Press was founded in 2018, aiming to bring entertaining and memorable books to a worldwide audience. We love distinctive, amusing and quirky art, and publish talented newcomers, established book creators, and re-issues of classics. We have twice been listed for The Bookseller Small Press of the Year Award. Hardback, £10.99, For ages 3+

Regeneration: The Rescue of a Wild Land By Andrew Painting There are many different cycles of time at work in the landscape at any given moment. There’s the daily grind, seasons of renewal, animal lifespans and the accumulation of human years and generations. Beyond (or perhaps beneath) that, there are deeper movements at work – the lifecycles of trees, the patterns of whole ecosystems, the slow flowing of deep geological time. It’s against this backdrop that Andrew Painting’s book Regeneration: The Rescue of a Wild Land unfurls a story of the different species living in the glens and on the moors and mountains of Mar Lodge Estate in the Cairngorms. It’s a fantastic and fascinating look at the cycles of decline and revival in this landscape. Those of us who are sufficiently long in the tooth to remember the purchase of Mar Lodge Estate by the National Trust for Scotland in 1995 may take solace in learning 130

what can be achieved within a quarter of a century. In the 90s the hillsides were bare, the result of centuries of timber felling and overpopulation by red deer. While the early years of ownership were dogged by controversies, in recent years the Trust’s ownership has begun to trend towards success. The deal that allowed the purchase to go ahead brought together the Trust, Nature.Scot (then Scottish Natural Heritage) and a private trust, The Easter Charitable Trust, whose gift stipulated that the Estate should continue to be run as a Highland Sporting Estate. Painting doesn’t duck discussion of how these interests intersect, recognizing that field sports will remain part of country life, while the work of pinewood regeneration continues apace on the estate. The narrative follows Painting’s daily rounds, for he is employed on the estate as an assistant ecologist. There are

woodland chapters about the Scots Pine, green shield-moss, the roe deer, and the woodland grouse; on the moors he follows the fortunes of curlew, hen harrier, and salmon; and in the mountains, the alpine sow-thistle, the dotterel, the downy willow, and the hill-walker. Throughout, the tone is genial, buoyant, passionate, and always clear and engaging. The Trust implemented a 200year plan in 1995. Regeneration covers the work of only one eighth of this timeframe and it shows how relatively quickly seemingly irreversible trends or insoluble problems may be ameliorated. What will the next 200 years bring? Painting’s gift is to allow us think about these questions and offer

some evidence-based suggestions to feed our imaginations.

Regeneration: The Rescue of a Wild Land by Andrew Painting is published by Birlinn (£20, hardback) www.birlinn.co.uk