Farming Scotland Magazine (May - June 2015 Edition)

ROYAL HIGHLAND SHOW 2015 - SPECIAL 57 PAGE PREVIEW INSIDE

june 2015

Scotland’s national farming & rural lifestyle magazine

est1994

magazine

Royal Highland Show Open Farm Sunday Scottish Game Fair Highland Sheep Event Profile Lloyd Ltd Flavour of Scotland Orkney Preserves, Fife Food & Drink and Scottish Potato Vodka Knowes Farm Shop In Focus Joskin Whisky Tuathanachas Alba, special readers offer ART Featuring the artwork of Beth Robertson Fiddes Plus Drovers Tales • Beautiful Tractors Country Woman • Horses • Estate • Lifestyle including all our regular news sections and columns £3.00

contents

31

june 2015

33

54

MAIN FEATURES

WORLD FARMING

17

Profile on Lloyds Ltd

40 A look at Uruguay

38

Open Farm Sunday

47

Royal Highland Show

DROVERS TALES

118 Highland Sheep Event

113 Diary of Ken Headspeath

122 Scottish Game Fair

BEAUTIFUL TRACTORS

FLAVOUR of SCOTLAND

123 133 Future Farmer

126 Conservation Matters

134 Science & Technology

127 Scottish Land & Estates

135 Gadgets

131 Equine Angle

138 Finance

137 Online Savvy

141 Machinery

139 The Money Man

153 Country Woman

154 Southern Belle

157 Lifestyle

155 Rural Style

160 @home

158 RSABI

161 Cars

162 People on the move 162 Book Review

150 1953 Field Marshall & 1936 McCormick Deering

26 Orkney Preserves,

Fife Food & Drink and Scottish Vodka

ART 156 The works of Beth Robertson Fiddes

WHISKY 31 Special Readers Offer

OUR FARM SHOP 32 Knowes Farm Shop,

East Linton

TOPIC 33 Blowfly Strike

IN FOCUS

34 Joskin, transport specialists

PUBLISHER/EDITOR Athole Murray Fleming Tel. 01738 639747 E-mail: mail@farmingscotlandmagazine.com

NEWS 6

Arable

153

COLUMNS

SUBSCRIPTION

6

Editor’s bit

9

In my view

15

Crofting

159 Getting your own personal copy posted directly to you is very easy.

27 Whisky 28 Farmers Markets 29 Let’s Cook

NEXT ISSUE Our July - August edition will be on sale from 1st July.

Features will include: Combines, Telehandlers, Forestry, Perth Show, Livestock Haulage, Turriff Show, Eat Drink, Discover Scotland, Renewable Energy etc.

13 Potatoes

44 Farming for the Climate

43 Renewable Energy

45 Scottish Government

104 Environment

105 Farm Watch

107 Livestock

109 Quality Meat Scotland

114 Dairy

111 The Vet

120 Sheep

117 NFU Scotland

124 Estate

121 NSA Scotland

129 Horses

125 On the Peg

If interested in advertising or supplying articles, please call us on 01738 639747.

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Christina Fleming Email: christina@atholedesign.com

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

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

ISSN: 2041–918X

©ATHOLE DESIGN 2015

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arable Spray docks in silage crops now

editor's bit The biggest ever!

I am delighted to welcome you to our biggest ever edition. In fact the biggest farming magazine ever for Scotland!

Once again, our little team here in Perth have been working away to bring you the ‘big read’ about all things rural in Scotland, the UK and indeed the World.

We also welcome another new columnist to our magazine with Linda Mellor specialising in ‘all things’ shooting & fishing etc for our Estate section, as well as contributing to our Country Woman section too.

We have also added a new Environmental news area to this edition, alongside our recently added World Farming section, so our aim of giving our readers the very best in news and views continues to grow with each edition.

Of course, I cannot let this column go without another wee mention of our own branded single malt whisky.

I hope that some of you will give is a try? I am sure that are plenty of whisky lovers out there!!

My final wee thought for this issue is about the season of events coming up again, and none greater than the Royal Highland Show. Of course, we also have the Game Fair here in Perth too coming up, so lots to look forward to…weather permitting as is usual.

And by the time most of you get down to reading this column, the General election will be over!!!

Hoorah for that at least.

Hope you all have a great May and June…. see you around.

Slàinte, Athole.

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The best time to tackle dock infestations in silage crops is before first cut according to Andy Bailey, grassland agronomy specialist for Dow AgroSciences.

“There are three good reasons for spraying docks in grass in early to mid-April,” says Mr. Bailey.

“Firstly killing them now allows the grass time to spread into the gaps they leave which will maximise silage yields at first and subsequent cuts.

“Secondly it improves the quality of the silage. Docks only have 60% the feed value of grass so the fewer of these that make it into the clamp the better.

“Thirdly, when using modern translocated herbicides

like DoxstarPro, leaving three to four weeks between treatment and harvest gives the active ingredients plenty of time to reach right down into the roots for thorough and long-lasting control.”

Mr. Bailey suggests farmers plan a potential spray date now by working back at least three weeks from the expected cutting

date, and noting this in the diary or booking the contractor if spraying is out-sourced.

“Weed growth has been slow so far this spring due to the cold nights and dull days. But recent warm weather may spur them into action, especially in fields that have had fertiliser as they respond very well to nitrogen.”

OSR damage raises Sclerotinia risk Rapid stem extension, after a slow start to spring, is likely to create splits in oilseed rape plant stems that could increase the risk of Sclerotinia infection, warns Syngenta Field Technical Manager, Simon Roberts.

Furthermore, high levels of Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle larvae emergence now being seen will also create an easy entry point for disease.

Some trial plots on the Syngenta Innovation Centre in Hampshire have put on over 60cm of height and more than doubled their green area index (GAI) in less than two weeks, he reported. “Typically such rapid growth results in weak stems with a greater frequency of splits and breakage at the axial leaf joints.

“In many crops we are also seeing large numbers of holes appearing in stems around the leaf axial joints, where Flea Beetle larvae are burrowing out from the stems to complete their life cycle.” In some areas Mr Roberts has found evidence of over 80% of plants affected and up to nine larvae in a single plant.

Any damage to the plant allows Sclerotinia to get in, especially if spore presence coincides with petal fall; the pathogen uses the decaying petals as a food source to develop.

Sclerotinia will exacerbate any weakness in stems, leading to yield loss from extensive canopy collapse and early die back.

Mr Roberts advocates growers ensure crops are protected from infection early this season with Amistar Technology, either with a twospray Amistar programme, or using new Symetra as an initial application.

“The added advantage of using Amistar or Symetra for the flowering spray fungicide programme is the additional physiological greening effects on the plant, leading to higher yields and increased oil content of seed - even in the absence of disease.”

In previous years extremely damaging high levels of Sclerotinia have been recorded in conditions that were considered low risk. Mr Roberts believes this may have been attributed to crops that were weakened and more susceptible to infection.

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arable Tong Peal go upbeat for Sugar Beet!

As farmers and growers throughout the UK and Europe increasingly look for an alternative market for their sugar beet crop, Tong Peal has designed a new range of heavy duty sugar beet handling equipment for efficient washing, de-stoning and loading of the crop prior to its use in Anaerobic Digestion (AD).

With the opportunity for significant electricity savings alongside the potential of a regular income for the crop, more and more sugar beet growers are looking towards the AD industry to help get the most out of their yield.

Edward Tong, Operations Director at Tong Peal says “We

have seen a noticeable rise in orders for sugar beet handling equipment as customers are looking to effectively de-stone and handle the crop for use in on-farm AD plants.”

Simon Gittins of WH Gittins & Sons and Guy Davies of GC Davies & Co, both installed AD plants on their farms and decided that sugar beet would be an important component. Currently, Wykey Farms inputs almost twenty three thousand tonnes of materials for AD each year, of which sugar beet is an increasing part. ”Sugar beet offers both a high yield in the field as well as high methane

John Deere supports Open Farm Sunday 2015

John Deere is pleased to announce its support once again as machinery sponsor for this year’s 10th Open Farm Sunday, which takes place on June 7th, 2015. The organisers LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) are targeting a total of 500 host farms and 250,000 visitors on the day.

In addition, a series of Open Farm School Days throughout June will see over 100 farms hosting 5000 children on specially arranged school visits.

yield and a fast fermentation rate, meaning more of the sugar beet plant can be digested compared to other crops such as maize” said Mr Gittins.

With the shared need to effectively de-stone their sugar beet crop, Mr Gittins and Mr Davies made the decision to make a joint investment in a new

barrel washer that could be used at both of their sites, to wash and remove stones from the crop at high speed whilst increasing their daily throughputs. With sugar beet being a large, hard and bulky crop in comparison to standard root crops, they also needed a washer that would withstand the demands of handling the crop.

Open Farm Sunday has become the single most effective and well supported day in the farming calendar, and is very much the farming industry’s annual open day – a celebration of all that is best about British farming and food, and a great opportunity to get the public out onto farms to discover where their food comes from, meet the farmers who produce it and find out how farmers care for the environment. www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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arable European trade body initiative can benefit farming industry The launch of a new standard for pest control has been hailed as positive news for the farming industry in the UK. The initiative, which is accompanied by a certification scheme, is designed to promote professional standards for pest control companies throughout the EU. It was launched at a conference in Brussels this week organised by the umbrella trade body for urban pest control, the Confederation of European Pest Management Associations (CEPA).

CEPA President Bertrand Montmoreau believes the launch of CEN standard EN16636 and CEPA Certified® will help raise

Maize benefit for grassweed control

the bar for both members and customers such as farmers.

He said: “This is a positive step that can only be good news for everyone involved. It will ensure pest controllers can benchmark themselves against the best in Europe, and will have strong benefits for customers too.

“We know that in many European markets, there are some pest controllers who are untrained and do not stay up-to-date with the latest products, pests and legislation, and that can create big problems for us all.

“But with the new standard and certification scheme, clients can be totally confident that they are getting a professional service.”

Growing maize provides as great opportunity to tackle grassweeds in the rotation, including difficult to control blackgrass.

Pre-emergence herbicides have proven increasingly useful in helping the crop establish and giving greater flexibility to the whole weed control programme, according to Tony Boole of Wiltshire-based agronomists and contractors, Boole Crop Specialists.

For arable farms with a blackgrass burden, maize enables the chance to encourage a flush of pre-dominantly autumn germinating seeds, which can be killed off with glyphosate.

Blackgrass will germinate at soil temperatures as low as 6°C, whereas maize is typically not drilled in the spring until soils reach at least 10°C, which often gives the chance to repeat the process to lower the weed burden whenever opportunities arise.

Into the spring, Mr Boole advocates starting the herbicide programme with a Dual 8

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Gold based pre-emergence application, particularly where grass weeds are a problem. “We do look to get the Dual Gold treatment on as soon as the crop is drilled, no matter how dry the soil conditions,” he advised.

“Inevitably there is sufficient soil moisture for some weeds to germinate, which we are looking to effectively stop.” Typically he advises a tank-mix with pendimethalin to further enhance the residual activity and improve persistence against more of the broad-leaved weed spectrum.

“Without that pre-emergence treatment there is always a huge flush of weed competition as soon as there is any rain,” he added. “And then if it stays wet it is difficult to find the spray windows to effectively tackle weeds before they start to aggressively compete with the maize crop.

“Pre-emergence treatment certainly buys time and flexibility to tailor the follow-up treatment more effectively.”

arable Mole Valley Farmers launch new service to help farmers treat grass as a crop

In my view

Politics and the CAP

By John Cameron Balbuthie, Kilconquhar, Fife

Farmer owned business, Mole Valley Farmers have launched a new Grassland Agronomy Service to help producers maximise grassland efficiencies and productivity.

The Grassland Agronomy Service has been developed to compliment the company’s existing crop nutrition and management services to provide farmers with a whole farm approach to grassland management.

As part of the service, developed in conjunction with Dow AgroSciences and Agrovista, producers will be able to draw on the advice of a network of Mole Valley Farmers BASIS qualified agronomists.

Mole Valley Forage Service’s agronomist, Mark Shaw says the aim as a farmer owned business is to provide the support, service and expertise needed to help farmers get the most from grass by treating it as a crop.

“Grass is by far the biggest single crop grown in the UK, making up 43% of the 17.2m ha of agricultural land, yet only 7% of grassland receives agronomic support each year. Most farmers wouldn’t dream of growing other crops without getting vital support to maximise its potential,” he says.

With farmers facing increasing market pressures, together with challenges associated with CAP reform, improving efficiencies and making the most of the land they have has never been more important.

Mark says one way to help safeguard businesses is to place greater emphasis on home produced forage - something that fits with Mole Valley Farmers’ Forage for Profit initiative.

“Correctly grown grass is the cheapest feed available to farmers so it makes economic sense to maximise what you can grow,” he comments.

With little more than a week to go to the polls it is perhaps a good time for the farming industry to take stock of the current situation so that we can express our concerns to the various political parties. Not that that necessarily means that the politicians will adopt our concerns but at least there is some incentive for them to react to our current problems, although with much of Scottish Agriculture being devolved we must also keep up the pressure on Holyrood and Brussels, particularly the latter as far as the new CAP is concerned.

So let’s do our homework for the election and look firstly at the general problems of the detail of the CAP. Never mind apportioning blame at this stage but we must make our budding MPs aware of our problems and the implications for the industry and the economy.

The first general problem and by far the most important is the delay in finalising the details of many parts of the review – such as the greening detail – the definition of activity – the detail of the coupling schemes, particularly the Hogg Scheme for the sheep sector – the length of the transition period and the

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detail of how we get there.

Perhaps the most important of all aspects of the new regime is the attitude and the actions – of the SEERAD inspectors regarding cross compliance and whether or not they are going to differentiate penalties between genuine mistakes and deliberate false claims.

Because believe me there are going to be genuine mistakes!

But the most critical issue is when we are going to get paid our future BSP payments.

At present Brussels have said we can have a month longer to submit our claims. That of course begs the question does that mean a month’s delay or more in payments?

That would create real problems in terms of ‘cash flow’ for many farmers.

That must not be allowed to happen.

The Cabinet Secretary has rightly been proud of his record of payments ‘on time’ here in Scotland and will undoubtedly do his best to get the new IT system running efficiently.

However what we don’t want – at any price – is to follow England & Wales down the paper application method. This issue is the most critical to our devolved agricultural industry in Scotland.

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arable Toprex time to manage crop architecture

Oilseed rape on the Syngenta Innovation Centre in Hampshire has reached the optimum timing for TOPREX application to manage height and rooting, reports Field Technical Manager, Simon Roberts.

Assessing plants this week (12 March), he identified all have started stem extension, which is a trigger for treatment timing.

“Although most of the plants are still less than 15cm high, cutting through the stem section it is quite clear where growth has started to elongate,” he said. Crops on the freedraining warm soils have been first to move, but growers in other areas should be ready for the kick-start of spring growth.

“We know that TOPREX will give the greatest reduction in height from application at early stem extension - which is most suitable for tall varieties or dense crops that will be more susceptible to lodging,” he advised.

“An alternative application at late stem extension, through 10

to visible green flower bud, will enhance crops where the primary objective is to maximise branching. That will help the plant to intercept more sunlight and could prove especially useful this season for smaller crops that have been held in check over the winter.”

Mr Roberts highlighted that reduced plant height and improved rooting demonstrated in ADAS trials is crucial to reduce losses caused by lodging, which has been reported to affect over a third of the crop area in a bad year – and resulted in over 50% yield loss where plants lodged during early pod fill.

Creating more uniform crops with a TOPREX treatment has also shown to produce a shorter, synchronised, flowering period. This has the effect of reducing sunlight reflectance by flowers and allows more light to be absorbed by the green leaf.

Synchronised flowering assures the more even development of pods and seed ripening.

European trade body initiative can benefit farming industry

Dow AgroSciences is introducing a new, improved formulation of its broadspectrum herbicide Pastor called PastorPro. It will join DoxstarPro and GrazonPro in the company’s portfolio of grassland products.

The upgrades reflect ongoing investment by Dow AgroSciences to bring new and improved products to the market, while abiding by increasingly stringent rules and regulatory requirements.

PastorPro controls the three main perennial weeds that grow in grass – docks, nettles and thistles, as well as many annual weeds such as chickweed, cleavers and mayweed.

“PastorPro contains three active ingredients which give it a much wider scope of action than most other broadspectrum herbicides,” explains Andy Bailey, grassland

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agronomy specialist with Dow AgroSciences.

“Triclopyr gives good long-term control of both broad-leaved and curled docks, while clopyralid adds excellent performance against creeping and spear thistles. It is also very good against common nettle.

Mr. Bailey adds, “It is an excellent tool for extending the life of a ley, by clearing up weedy pastures and allowing the grass to yield to its full potential.

“It can be used on silage crops and on fields used for grazing and stock only has to be removed for seven days. It is very safe to grass and won’t hold back growth after it has been applied.”

PastorPro can be applied between 1 March and 31 October, once at a rate of 4 litres/ha, or twice in the same year at 2 litres/ha.

arable Innovation on-line gives seasonal solutions A new website detailing the pioneering crop research and seasonal agronomy challenges on the nationwide Syngenta Innovation Centres now gives growers early-warning of potential problems, and practical solutions to make better decisions.

Part of a new-look Syngenta website, the dedicated Innovation Centre Updates give growers an insight into what the specialist Trials Team have seen, and topical advice to tackle local agronomy issues.

Furthermore, the intuitive Innovation Centre web page can be individually tailored to display only information from a grower’s regional site, and to show information only on the crops of interest grown on their farm.

However, all the details from all the sites is freely available, if required.

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Syngenta UK Head of Technical, Dave King, highlighted the Innovation Centres are Syngenta’s new approach to trials, demonstrations and knowledge sharing. “Each Centre has a range of arable crops, with a number of trials to demonstrate new and current varieties, crop husbandry and product performance,” he reported.

“They also trial innovative application techniques and demonstrate environmental initiatives, along with other topics which may be affecting growers in the current season.”

The Innovation Centre Update information can be viewed on the Syngenta website (www.syngenta.co.uk), with free option to tailor the site to a grower’s individual requirements.

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potatoes Scanstone at the ready!

As spring is upon us, the service teams at ScanStone are at the ready to keep all their valued customers working over the busy period. Covering the UK from Cornwall to Inverness shire and from Pembrokeshire to Norfolk, Scanstone have service and parts back up.

Demonstrations are well underway and with a difficult year in potatoes across most of the UK, farmers are looking to make investments that will save them money. Being able to supply a machine with low running costs is vital to continue to conduct business in 2015.

The ScanStone de-stoner is ever evolving and with the web system being our bread and butter, they offer the farmer a maintenance easy machine.

Rather than the high costs of replacing stars at the front of the machine, they have a digger web to feed the material into the de-stoner, complete with this web is a new heavy duty joining kits which allow the operator

to simply change rather than buying a whole new web.

The new ScanStone bed tiller is also extremely cost effective when it comes to labour costs.

Minimising down-time is essential in the springtime when weather is changeable and every dry day

counts for getting potatoes into the ground. The quick-change blade allows the bed tiller operator to stay out in front of the de-stoner and planter and change blades in the field, rather than returning to the workshop and using air tools. With rented ground being ever further away

from the home farm, it is easy to take blades with you where you go and change whichever blades as necessary. Blade prices are also extremely competitive and they are at a lower price than anyone else can supply, allowing genuine parts at affordable prices for the farmer.”

New fast pre-pack collator system for potato packers Responding to increasing corner-shop retailer demands for easy to handle multipacks of bulk food items, Pacepacker Services has launched a new Collator System which will quickly collate and place prepacked bags of potatoes into

an outer sack totalling up-to 25kg.

Often corner-shops and smaller outlet chains use large sacks as a way to contain and display bulky items including potatoes, yet the process of packing pre-packed bags into

outer sacks is a labour intensive operation.

The multi award winning packing equipment manufacturer has designed the standalone Collator System to maximize the ability of working with existing sack placing and sealing

equipment. Capable of collating and packing up to 80 pre-packs into outer sacks per minute, the system overcomes common problems typically seen with other systems, as explained by Paul Wilkinson, Pacepacker’s Business Development Manager,

PACKAGED POTATO & VEGETABLE COOLING SYSTEMS

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LT 2QD ON 7 TI ld S 71 A R ffie 99 GE he 236 I FR d, S 14 81 RE oa D 01 686 R Y 3 LE ale FIEL 4 2 D d F 1 y A 1 WITH OPTIONAL BR bbe SHE ax: 0 A l: F 9 ‘AUTO SWIVEL-HEAD AIR DISTRIBUTION e 92 T WILL FIT MOST EXISTING SYSTEMS Patent Application No 9320628.2

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potatoes Consumer needs drive potato innovation strategy

explains: “We saw a gap in the market for a collator which would continuously support the pre-packed bulk goods as they were entering the outer sack. We found that many systems on the market did not control the fall of the product very well, which often results in pre-packs breaking through

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the bottom of the outer sack due to their weight and density.

We have improved this part of the process by incorporating motorised support arms to control the descent of the prepacked polybags into the outer sack, eliminating damage and waste to both product and pack.”

Head of Potato Council R&D, Dr Mike Storey discusses Potato Council’s new Research and Innovation Strategy which is focused on delivering the greatest benefits to levy payers over the next 5 years.

“Looking to 2020, GB will continue to need to produce crops efficiently and economically,” says Mike. “But production must be driven by customer needs and innovation.”

The newly launched strategy addresses priorities identified as important by industry and reflects consultation and discussion with levy payers and stakeholders over the last 18 months.

Key objectives include building GB’s share of the domestic market in seed, meeting consumer requirements for affordable and

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convenient fresh and processed potatoes, and exploiting export markets with a range of potato products and technologies.

“Research and innovation has moved on and consumers’ needs are front and centre of all new project investments,” says Mike.

“Potato Council has a commitment to improve the production of potatoes, to assist the industry in promoting potatoes and to protect the reputation of the sector.”

Potato Council spends £1.2m annually on research topics identified by the industry as being important to the sector. The world class programme levers funding from third parties and partnerships, meaning that we are involved in £15m worth of R&D projects.

A number of these are collaborative projects across

crofting

potatoes

CROFT HOUSING SUPPORT MUST BE TARGETED TO THE YOUNG By Patrick Krause , Chief Executive, Scottish Crofting Federation

AHDB. Examples include work on soils and phosphorus, insecticide resistance and grain aphids, bio-fumigation and the Farm Efficiency Calculator “Going forward there is recognition of a rapidly developing landscape for R&I funding and this

requires flexibility to exploit opportunities,” says Mike.

“Agricultural production and technology now has a far higher visibility around food security and sustainability agendas.”

The 2015-2020 R&I Strategy can be viewed here: www.potato. org.uk/research

Application guidelines for new Nemathorin users

Potato growers moving to NEMATHORIN for the first time this season need to make

Whilst the young crofters gathered in Assynt recently were pragmatically visionary, our government’s response to the widespread calls for action on the Croft House Grant Scheme was disappointingly lacklustre.

Minimal changes to the under-resourced, underperforming and undersubscribed scheme were proposed in the ‘consultation’.

It is clear that the crofting areas face a demographic crisis (settled young folk are a rare breed) and that only a far more radical approach to housing support is needed, rather than this ‘tinkering with the bodywork when the engine has fallen out’.

This scheme was originally intended to get good houses built on crofts by young first-time homeowners. That is the principle we need to reconnect with.

It has been allowed to go completely off-course to where it is now really only available to people with substantial capital, from the sale of another house for example.

With this mind SCF is urging a complete revamp of the scheme, targeting it to young crofters. This would involve re-introducing

some simple, but important, changes to their equipment setup to assure accurate application, www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

the loan element that was so effective with the CHGS’s very successful predecessor the Croft Building Grant and Loan Scheme and capping grant levels so that we don’t waste precious resources on those that don’t need state assistance. We need to get rid of obstructive conditions such as houses having to be 3 bedrooms or more, so that the scheme is appropriate to first-home, self-build and renovation projects.

The scheme has not been reviewed for decades so even the welcome increases proposed now come nowhere near to what is needed. Based on actual building costs it is estimated that it would require an assistance package of at least £75,000 to restore the value of the scheme to its historic level.

It may look at first sight that we are demanding high grant rates but we are not. We want the higher proportion to be a longterm loan with revenue from repayments going back into the scheme. The cost to the public purse is therefore low, and the benefit to remote rural communities high.

Everybody wins.

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potatoes advises Syngenta Field Technical Manager, Stephen Williams.

He pointed out the first step is to change to the product-specific metering cartridge or rotors. Most growers have moved to the onepiece Apcal cartridge system, he noted, with the dedicated NEMATHORIN cartridge identified by the light blue insert.

Operators will then need to calibrate their applicator to the

required application rate, advised Mr Williams; NEMATHORIN is applied at 30 kg/ha for PCN and reduction of spraing or 15 kg/ ha for wireworm. “Even where your machine has been correctly set up and tested to assure it is spreading evenly across the machine, it will still need to be calibrated for the precise application rate for the product,” he added.

“Operators will note that the application rate for NEMATHORIN is significantly lower - up to 50% less than oxamyl, for example. Once the machine has been set-up and calibrated, it is important to consistently check and record the amount of product used tallies with the area treated.” New industry guidelines highlight growers should also keep a record to demonstrate a daily check of applicators and weekly calibration of the equipment.

“As with all nematicides the optimum results are achieved with even spread and thorough incorporation into the target zone of the potato seedbed. For NEMATHORIN we are looking to mix the granules into the top 15 to 20cm of the finished seedbed,” he highlighted. “If the granules are all too shallow then roots could grow into an unprotected area and be damaged by pests; mixing too deep will dilute the effects and may reduce overall efficacy.”

Haith Group NEW SAMPLE WASHER - Unique Design for 2015

The new Haith Sample Washer was designed to provide exceptional wash quality of produce coupled with easy and safe operation. It is supplied with a full pintle rubber lined barrel and adjustable wash cycle time control as standard.

There is an integral tray holding section for the washed sample which allows excess water to drain back into the tank and can be manufactured with an out feed holding basket if required.

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The unit has its own unique design and operating method which allows the drum to rotate in a clockwise direction when washing then automatically rotates in the opposite direction to gently discharge the potatoes into the submerged collection tray on the elevator. The tray can then be lifted onto the draining section for a final inspection of the product.

The washer can be supplied in painted finish or stainless steel.

Lloyd Ltd

Serving agriculture for over 50 years

By Fiona Sloan Founded in Kendal, Cumbria in 1964 as R Lloyd Tractors Ltd, the national group that is now Lloyd Ltd has become synonymous with quality machinery and after-care service and the long-established company has recently celebrated its 50th year in business.

Stuart Dalton, Dealer Principal at Dumfries

Lloyd Ltd is the group name for a diverse machinery sales and servicing business, which farmers would know better as Lloyd Tractors or more commonly as Lloyds, the company which supplies them with many of their agricultural machinery supplies, stocking everything from spark plugs to combine harvesters and offering a service second to

none in the area around North Cumbria, The Borders and Dumfries and Galloway. The group’s strong family history has ensured that farmers stay loyal to the brand and the company’s hands-on approach by the founder Ralph Lloyd and the current generation has also ensured that after its first half century in business it still has a full family involvement

with the founder’s son Barry now managing director of the agricultural side of the company and sibling Bryan in charge of the Lloyd Motor Group car operations, both of which now have branches all over the South of Scotland and the North of England.

Ralph Lloyd was a joiner’s son from Kendal and like so many other Cumbrians before

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him with humble beginnings, including Eddie Stobart owner and founder of the renowned haulage business, Ralph built a hugely successful commercial business over his lifetime, which when he died in 2011 aged 85 years old, had sales of around £240 million and 800 employees at that time.

He ran the business from its early conception and creation 17

The equestrian shop with a vast range of products, clothing and tack

and ultimately, became the Chairman of the Lloyd Group of companies and remained at the head of the company as its Chairman until he passed away after a long illness. He made a point until his illness in later years prevented it, to regularly visit the company’s premises and was very hands on in his involvement with his workforce, with whom he like to keep in touch, something which the current management team have continued. The family’s understanding of agriculture and care for the company and the people who work for it has ensured the success of the Lloyd Group over its fifty year history and the family values with which it began remain to this day under the watchful eyes of Barry and Bryan, Ralph’s two sons.

Born in the village of Gatebeck just outside Kendal, Ralph Lloyd became an engineering apprentice after leaving school at the age of 14 and just six years later, set up in business selling bicycles and then moved on to motor cycles and with a sound interest in agriculture ultimately moved 18

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into tractors, when he began buying and selling secondhand tractors and cars, his other passion on the engineering side.

In 1964 Ralph and his family moved to Carlisle where he took over the Ford franchise from County Garage and he began selling Ford Dexters and Major machinery and the R Lloyd Tractor Company was born, from which an amazing business would grow both logistically and financially to become one of the main agricultural and car businesses not only in North Cumbria but also ultimately in South West Scotland and The Borders.

Throughout the 1960’s the tractor business continued to expand and Ralph soon saw the opportunity to acquire the County Garage Ford Tractor dealership in Penrith in 1966.

Less than half an hour away from the company’s base in Carlisle, it was a chance not to be missed as it helped to expand and establish the already growing business in Carlisle and the main franchise became Ford 2000-3000 and New Holland Harvesters. With the business firmly established in Carlisle, a new “Head Office” was built on a four-acre new premises at Kingstown Broadway, which remains as the main headquarters to this day being easily accessible from the M6 and the rest of the UK. As the old adage says “if you can get to a road you can get to Carlisle!” It was ideal for access to West Cumbria and to the new depot at Penrith but it was to become a central point for future expansion of the business and was followed by one of the most significant moves for the company when, in 1974, R Lloyd Tractors took over from tractor dealership, Landmeck in Dumfries and opened a Dumfries Branch.

The businesses were all renamed and became R. Lloyd Carlisle, R Lloyd Penrith and R. Lloyd Dumfries. These new companies were soon joined

by R. Lloyd, Chirnside in 1979 and R. Lloyd Kelso was added in 1985 and a further branch

opened at Barnard Castle in Co. Durham.

Up to 1991 R Lloyd Tractors in its various branches were concentrating on the important Ford franchise business, buying and selling all types of Ford tractors and machinery, then in that year, a Fiat dealership was also added. The company continued to deal in Ford and Fiat tractors for the next four years and added Jennings of Morpeth in 1994 until New Holland took over Ford in 1995 and became Ford New Holland.

This was a natural progression for R. Lloyd Tractors and they easily slipped into the work with the International New Holland brand.

That year Ralph’s son Barry Lloyd took over as Managing Director of Lloyd Tractors Ltd and Ralph moved to the position of Chairman of the Lloyd Group.

Following a fire at Chirnside, the premises were sold shortly before the Kelso

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The workshop at Dumfries

premises were built and opened in early 1997, when in the same year a parts and service

department opened in Alnwick in North Northumberland.

The company now had sales and service departments which spanned the width of the Borders region and a year later the Morpeth branch was rationalised into the Lloyd Newcastle premises and the Barnard Castle Branch relocated to Bishop Auckland.

The main head office at Carlisle, now the hub of an ever expanding group of companies, was refurbished in 2007 and the constant updating and reinventing of the business has ensured that the customer bases in all of these areas not only remain loyal to the company but can rely on a good and quick service for their equipment when it’s needed most. The company, for its part, has stuck with its original franchise and has remained true to its old Ford and Major routes by continuing with the brand they started with, under its developing guises and franchises over the years and Ralph’s loyalty to any brand, he believed, always stood the company in good stead.

Like his belief in Ford tractors in his first workshop, Ralph Lloyd drove a BMW car and when he saw that the

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Carlisle BMW dealership was for sale for £150,000 in 1976 and despite a lot of interest from across the country no firm offer had been received, he approached the estate agents.

He had however already decided that in the event that the dealership proved to be unsuccessful, he would rent out the building as a carpet warehouse for £5000 a year.

Using money from his existing company, R Lloyd Tractors, he offered £50,000, which the owner, Nigel Garbutt, accepted and the rest as they say is history.

The first car he sold was a red BMW 316 for £3500. At this point, there were only 8 staff employed including Bryan Lloyd (Ralph Lloyd’s younger son). However, the annual car allocation of 35 from BMW wasn’t enough and a chance meeting at Carlisle station between Ralph and a man from Volvo resulted in Lloyd Motors Ltd acquiring a Volvo franchise in Cockermouth in February 1977, thus solving the supply/ demand problem. As a result, there was a dramatic increase in turnover over the next 8 years and this gave Lloyd Motors the confidence to buy another BMW dealership in Carlisle

in 1986 and later a Honda workshop and showroom also in Carlisle in 1988. This was just the start as Lloyd Motors Ltd continued to flourish and still does to this day, with dealerships in Carlisle for BMW, Jaguar, Honda cars and motorcycles, MINI and Volvo, as well as Land Rover in Carlisle and Kelso, and BMW and MINI dealerships in Blackpool, Cockermouth, Colne and Newcastle.

Under the ownership of Fiat, the Case Corporation and New Holland merged in 1999, giving birth to CNH Global the holding company for the Italian public multinational manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment.

In 2005 R.Lloyd Tractors joined the CNH group to become one of the largest dealerships for their products and they continue working with CNH to the present day.

Like Lloyd Ltd, New Holland

Finlay Thomson - Agricultural Sales, with Stuart Dalton

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celebrated their 50th year in 2014 and in the year leading up to their celebrations, Lloyd Ltd followed their 2013 New Holland “Dealer of The Year” award with a further accolade in 2014, and were also awarded the Herbst trailers “Dealer of the Year” in 2014.

As well as the Lloyd Group, the family have also been great supporters of the agricultural industry and own a small 80acre farm near Houghton just outside Carlisle. Ralph was one of the original members of the Texel Sheep Society and was involved with the breed for a very long time, he also enjoyed fishing and shooting in what little spare time he had but his greatest pleasure over many years was his interest in horses and he was a keen race-goer who part-owned a racehorse and the Lloyd Group have been sponsors at Carlisle Racecourse over the years. His efforts in the service to agriculture in

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There is always an extensive range of pre-owned equipment in the compound

his lifetime, saw Ralph Lloyd awarded with the Balmire Medal for services to Cumbrian Agriculture in 2007 showing

his dedication to his local routes. Years of experience have ensured that the Lloyd Group are ideally placed to support their customers right across the Scottish Borders and the North of England with a full understanding of the issues and demands that working in today’s industry sector brings.

The next generation of the Lloyd family is now active in the business so the future looks strong for the Lloyd Group.

The Lloyd family and the senior management team are very customer-facing and have never lost sight of the fact that the most important aspects of the business are their staff and their customers.

The family’s involvement with the agricultural community as a whole and their close working relationship with their staff and managers at the various branches has seen the business grow and diversify into urban agriculture including an equestrian and gardening side which fits nicely alongside the traditional agricultural supplies.

The company’s focus over the past few years has been to add value to their customer service by making their premises a “one stop shop” for farmers. A place where

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customers can come and pick up everything they need in one place. There has been a steady introduction to a more diverse ranch of products which still includes the traditional tractors and farm machinery for which the company originally became famous.

This is seen in all of their branches but none more so that the new branch which has now opened at Heathhall Industrial Estate in Dumfries.

Having spent many years in their original location at Newbridge Industrial Estate on the Thornhill side of the town, like so many agricultural supply businesses, Lloyd Ltd found that the increased size of the business and the machinery itself was making it more and more difficult to fit everything in and the premises were literally becoming too small for the size of the machinery as well as the size of the business.

It was only going to be a matter of time until new premises had to be built or found and following an extensive search and plans for the new premises, the company settled on joining other agricultural suppliers at Heathhall Industrial Estate on the outskirts of Dumfries.

The purpose-built premises are not only much larger than

The Welcome Reception and lawncare display area leading to the Feed Barn

the old Newbridge site but great care was taken in the planning to ensure that the carbon footprint and running costs of this large facility was conducive not only to the environment but also to the financial cost of running such a facility. It is intended to be Carbon-neutral eventually and is heading towards that conclusion with some ease.

The biomass boiler system heats and air conditions the building making for a very comfortable environment for customers and workers alike as well as saving a cost to the environment and the company.

Each mechanic has a dedicated purpose-built working station with a host of modern facilities allowing speedy diagnoses, an assessment of any after-care or adaptions to new vehicles which are almost made to measure for the needs of the customer.

With fifty years’ experience under their belts and a great deal of that time spent developing and supporting the Dumfries Branch the past 12 months have been an exciting time for the business and for no-one more than the Dealer Principal at Dumfries, Stuart Dalton, who has been with Lloyd Ltd for the past 22 years. “It’s been

an exciting time moving to our premises here at Heathhall.

He explains. “It’s been a long and sometimes bumpy road but we are really pleased with the outcome, which enables us to showcase our products better and expand our operations in new directions.”

One of the new directions in which the company has expanded in Dumfries is the dealership for Isuzu pickups, a great product well renowned as a reliable work horse and again part of a natural expansion of the agricultural business to become is a one stop shop for farmers and growers. The company are stocking the new 3-½ tonne towing D-Max models which have the best towing power currently in the UK and an outstanding fuel consumption. The Dumfries branch is leading the way in the sales of these new models although second-hand 4x4 and pickups are also available, all supported by a dedicated technician to service, MOT and repair them as well as add invaluable accessories such as tow bars. “We are particularly pleased with this new dealership,” explained Stuart.”

It’s a natural progression for farmers to be able to look at the

other work horse which they require for their business and has allowed us to expand ours.”

The addition of new products both large and small allows the company the

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potential to nudge closer to the one stop shop which they are trying to achieve for farmers in particular at Dumfries.

To this end a key part of Lloyd Ltd’s business is their domestic lawncare machinery, which provides quality push and ride-on mowers, as well as gardening tools such as strimmers and chainsaws, from leading brands such as Honda, Mountfield and Husqvarna.

Anyone with a passion for gardening or who simply wants to keep their garden neat and tidy will be impressed by the range of quality machinery and will enjoy the expertise and advice the staff at Lloyd Ltd provide.

Walking in the door of the new building at Dumfries it is easy to see that the layout is designed to find what you want easily and with the reception based right at the door and not in the back with the service department, it is also easy to be pointed in the right direction when you are in a hurry to find the part needed for a combine

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which together with your staff is at a standstill until you get back. It goes without saying that the importance to everyone concerned to keep machinery on the move is second to none at busy times of the year, particularly when it seems like every farmer in Dumfriesshire is cutting silage on the same day before the rain comes again.

“The one thing we are well aware of, “says Stuart, “is the importance of immediate and expert service to our customers.

They are the basis of our business and if we let them down we lose an important customer.”

As a result, the mobile servicing team is available around the clock for repairs, seven days a week, as the team are well aware that having a breakdown at silage or harvest time is not a prospect worth considering.

As well as the extensive workshop facilities at the new premises, Lloyd Ltd have made a significant investment in staff training, specialists tools and vehicles to give the best possible on-site service to their customers, supported by the appointment of Dan Haynes as their Group Aftersales Manager who provides this co-ordination between the manufacturers, Lloyd Ltd and their customers. As a company, therefore, they are right at the forefront of technology, keeping up-to-date with the latest technical developments of the machinery they service

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and repair. However, they can also service and supply parts for older machines through New Holland’s Gold Value programme.

The technicians and engineers at Lloyd Ltd are all highly trained, and regularly attend up-to-date courses on all of the new developments as they are introduced. Many are trained in their specialist area, such as lawnmowers and garden equipment and with the popularity of ride-on mowers in particular it was an obvious route for the company to go down to expand their small tools selection and they now have two technicians dedicated to servicing and repairing lawnmowers.

The company’s commitment to New Holland from its beginnings with its predecessor Ford Tractors, has commanded a similar respect from the multi-national and New Holland’s focus on to research and development has always impressed Lloyd Ltd and this long-standing relationship with a manufacturer for whom innovation is so important, has benefited both companies immensely. New Holland is constantly looking for new solutions to improve fuel economy and productivity to help their customers get the most from their investment in their machines and it’s this that keeps farmers loyal to a brand and the company who supplies them with quality products.

The range of farm machinery has increased over the years and Lloyd Ltd’s loyalty to the companies they work with has seen them become a major cog in the wheel of some of the largest agricultural manufacturing companies in the world. They are currently one of the biggest dealers in the Manitou range of products and also represent slurry trailer and system specialist SlurryKat and farm trailer manufacturer Richard Western amongst many others to enable Lloyd Ltd to offer the full breadth of agricultural solutions to their customers.

Another large part of the Dumfries business is the construction side. The oldest company in Korea, Doosan, is their main supplier in the construction machinery, and has a World-renowned reputation for investment in people as well as its products and this sits well with the Lloyd Group, which has a similar ethos at its core. With the likely increase in the construction of new buildings as the country comes out of recession, it is easy to see that this side of the business is hugely important to the company in the supply of machinery for everything from ground preparation to construction.

Construction machines like farm machinery are steadily increasing in size and the large compound, which surrounds the new premises at Dumfries,

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is an ideal place to store the larger items, leaving ample room in the new purposebuilt work-shop for the aftercare which is required by the customers from time to time and that is so important to the company in retaining those customers. The sight of the state-of-the-art workshop from the upper gallery gives some idea of the scale of the place and it is clear that the need for even larger equipment in the future will not be curtailed by the premises at Dumfries. The continually development not only of the machinery but also of the service engineers and staff who provide the aftercare is a package deal with Lloyd Ltd, whether it’s for the most recent New Holland combine harvester or a Honda lawnmower in for its annual service in the spring.

The need for contractors not only in the agricultural industry but also in construction and the landscape industry ensures that there is a good demand for new and well serviced equipment, which is the areas in which Lloyd Ltd have specialised over the years. Offering good service to small landscape businesses is as important to the Lloyd Group as offering top-end large quality machinery to large national contractors. The customer is king and the after-sales service is a large and necessary part of the work that Lloyd Dumfries do.

With nearly 1000 staff in the Lloyd Group as a whole

from its early days of one man selling and buying secondhand tractors in the early 60’s it is clear that without the high standard of service given by the company, the customer support would have dwindled over the years where it is clearly expanding and in a variety of areas.

When you are investing in a tractor it is important that it is fit for purpose and as well as the expertise of the sales team it is now possible to try a GPS simulator cab in the foyer of the Dumfries branch, giving you the opportunity to check in advance if the Precision Land Management (PLM) solution is in fact what you need. PLM is an increasingly popular technology and those Lloyd customers who have adopted it are enjoying the benefits that the improved accuracy and analysis can bring. In addition to this, well-known trusted

brands such as Bobcat, maker of compact loaders and excavators, cultivation machinery specialists Amazone, and Kubota and Honda in their large and small engine departments are equally important.

Since the founder and late Ralph Lloyd spotted the potential for expanding the business on buying and selling tractors into the potential for diversifying into other areas, the company has always been on the lookout for an opportunity to do just that.

The new premises at Dumfries had that potential and to that end stocks the largest selection of equine equipment in the area. With the whole of the top floor of the building dedicated to the Equine business it is able to offer a large comfortable area in which the customer can roam around and look at leisure at the astounding array of quality merchandise on

offer, as well as having spacious fitting rooms to try on their extensive range of clothing from leading manufacturers such as Equiline, Horseware Ireland, John Whitaker and Kingsland.

As the only stockist of Ariat International horse wear in the area together with all of the top brands for the horse and rider, there is no doubt that the ease of access of the shop, car parking and the addition of a café when you are finished shopping will be a big pull for the horse enthusiasts throughout the region. It would be easy to spend a morning picking up the horse food and bits and pieces in a one stop shop with parking and with the added advantage of a café it can’t go wrong.

“We are really happy with the new investment we have made in Dumfries.” says Barry Lloyd, Managing Director “It is a great working environment for our staff and ensures that our

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customers have a high-quality experience when they deal with us, as befits the brands we represent.

The “one stop shop” development over the years, which is now evident in the new premises at Dumfries also offers tailored financial solutions to make funding available for both new and used equipment and this addition has also proved a successful move.

The Lloyd family are still very much hands-on in the running of what has become one of the most well-renowned agricultural and rural supply companies in the region.

Lloyd Ltd has the potential to find ways to further develop the already good relations between customers, staff and management which is so important to the success of any business and has been the foundation and will be the future of Lloyd Ltd.

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FLAVOUR OF SCOTLAND Orkney Isles Preserves Orkney Isles Preserves is a small family run business based on the Orkney island of Shapinsay.

They specialise in producing fine quality jams, marmalades and chutneys using traditional recipes handed down through the generations.

The family pride themselves on using only the finest quality ingredients and, wherever possible, they try to source these in Orkney. The beetroot for the Beetroot Chutney is grown by a brother in law on the island and Rhubarb for the jam is widely available, as it grows naturally there. The tomatoes are grown in Birsay on the Orkney mainland. Some of them are then taken to the Island Smokery, on the outskirts of Stromness, for smoking before coming to Shapinsay to be made into Smoked Tomato Chutney.

(One of their most popular in the range).

The business was launched in 1986 with just three products, all based on old family recipes.

They started by using recycled baby food jars with hand drawn labels. These items were sold in the local craft shop. It quickly

became apparent there was a market for locally produced preserves with attractive labels.

The business outgrew the family kitchen and, since 2001, Orkney Preserves have operated from a specially converted bothy on their 240 acre working farm.

They have 70 breeding cows and 40 ewes.

In 2009 they invested in a 6Kwh Wind Turbine “Tereza” She provides “Green” energy by generating the electricity to make our products. They now produce over three tonnes of jam and chutney a year, with

30 different varieties in the range. Traditional preserves are always in demand;- Rhubarb, Strawberry and Raspberry Jam - also Beetroot Chutney and various Tomato Chutneys, but the more unusual creations – such as Blueberry flavoured with the Orkney Wine Company’s Black Portent and also Chilli Jam – have proved extremely popular.

Orkney Preserves also collaborate with the Island Smokery producing Smoked Tomato Chutney and more recently Smoked Garlic

Chutney. Both products will be available on the Island Smokery Stand in the Food Hall at the Highland Show.

They supply local wholesaler James Wilson Orkney Ltd, who then distribute the products throughout the islands. They also supply Judith Glue’s Kirkwall and Inverness shops, with preserves also featuring in the firm’s range of mail order hampers and online shop.

Jolly's of Orkney also sell their products in their 2 local shops and through their online business.

Kintyre Cheese campaign NFU Scotland has launched its Kintyre Cheese? Yes Please promotional campaign to encourage local people and visitors to buy Mull of Kintyre Cheddar and support local dairy farmers.

The NFU Scotlandled campaign will focus on promotional car stickers and roadside banners to raise awareness of the local produce, and encourage more people to buy local. As well as local supermarkets, smaller local stores are also now stocking the cheddar within Campbeltown.

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FLAVOUR OF SCOTLAND

Scotland’s food standards body gets Union welcome NFU Scotland has welcomed the launch of Scotland’s own food standards body.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS), under the chairmanship of former Scottish Rural Affairs Minister Ross Finnie, has taken over the activity of the Food Standards Agency in Scotland as well as taking control of food labelling from DEFRA and food nutrition from the Department of Health.

It is expected that FSS will continue to work closely with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and a memoranda of understanding exists between the two agencies to recognise their shared remit and common purpose.

As part of its mission statement, FSS has given food traceability, authenticity and labelling greater focus. That has

been welcomed by farmers and food suppliers in Scotland, who have long strived to maintain assurance standards which allow consumers to have the utmost confidence in Scottish produce.

NFU Scotland will also be a permanent member of FSS’s Food Enforcement Liaison Committee, where local authorities and other stakeholders will discuss the enforcement activities of FSS on the ground.

Commenting on the launch of FSS, NFU Scotland President Allan Bowie said: “The best way to underpin the sustainable development of Scotland’s food and drink industry is to ensure that all consumers continue to feel reassured that the food and drink produced in this country is as safe, tasty and nutritious as it can possibly be.

Hopetoun Farm Shop Butchery Expansion

Whisky

Tuathanachas Alba (Gaelic: Farming Scotland)

16 year old

Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Special Limited Edition of 76 bottles (individually hand numbered) Specially selected for Farming Scotland Magazine Distilled in 1993 & matured in ex Jim Beam Bourbon Barrels, this is a 16 year old Highland Single Scotch Malt Whisky.

A truly well rounded Scotch with every indication of an unequivocally well finished and masterfully crafted whisky.

Comes in presentation wooden silk lined box, hand numbered tasting notes included.

COLOUR Pale Gold

NOSE

Grassy & citrus notes on the nose with hints of sweet barley.

FLAVOUR

Hopetoun Farm Shop is proving that shoppers really do believe that ‘butcher is better', by starting its search for another additional skilled butcher to keep up with demand for its fresh meat, game and poultry.

The award winning west Lothian Farm Shop, located on the Hopetoun Estate near South Queensferry, is looking to add to its existing staff of three full-time butchers.

The search takes place just ahead of National Butchers Week

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The taste of barley continues with light honey & apple Flavours.

FINISH

A sweet and well rounded finish.

Price: £75.00* (See page 31). * In support of the RSABI Charity, £5 from every bottle sold will be donated.

magazine Supporting

FARMERS MARKETS IN SCOTLAND Aberdeen Country Fair www.aberdeencountryfair. co.uk Alford Farmers’ Market www.spanglefish.com/ alfordfarmersmarket Argyll Country Markets katie@barbreckfarms.co.uk Ayrshire Farmers’ Market www.ayrshirefarmersmarket. co.uk Balerno Farmers’ Market www.balernovt.org.uk Blairgowrie Community Market www.strathmoreglens.org Cairndow and Loch Fyne Farmers’ Market katie@barbreckfarms.co.uk Campbeltown Farmers’ Market katie@barbreckfarms.co.uk Clarkston Farmers’ Market enquiry@ lanarkshirefarmersmarket. co.uk Cupar Farmers’ Market www.fifefarmersmarket.co.uk Dundee Farmers’ Market lorna.mckenzie@dundeecity. gov.uk Dunfermline Farmers’ Market www.fifefarmersmarket.co.uk Edinburgh Farmers’ Market www.edinburghfarmersmarket. com Edinburgh - Stockbridge Farmers’ Market www.stockbridgemarket.com Falkirk Farmers’ Market howard.wilkinson2@btinternet. com Fencebay Farmers’ Market fencebay@aol.co.uk Forfar Farmers’ Market www.angusfarmersmarket. co.uk Glasgow Farmers’ Market Mansfield Park www.citymarketsglasgow. co.uk Glasgow Farmers’ Market Queen’s Park www.citymarketsglasgow. co.uk

Greenock Farmers’ Market matthewmcs2000@aol.com Haddington Farmers’ Market pjdesign@dunbar.org.uk Hamilton Farmers’ Market www. lanarkshirefarmersmarket. co.uk Hawick Farmers’ Market eg.sangster@btinternet.com Inverurie Farmers’ Market e: ronreid2@aol.com Kelso Farmers’ Market www.kelso.bordernet.co.uk Kirkcaldy Farmers’ Market www.fifefarmersmarket.co.uk Linlithgow Farmers’ Market forumevents@yahoo.co.uk Loch Lomond Shores Farmers’ Market forumevents@yahoo.co.uk Lochwinnoch Farmers’ Market david.oneill@clydemuirshiel. co.uk Lockerbie Farmers’ Market www.lockerbiefarmersmarket. co.uk Milngavie Farmers’ Market matthewmcs2000@aol.com Montrose Farmers’ Market www.angusfarmersmarket.co. uk Oban And Lorn Markets admin@lorn.org Overton Farm Farmers’ Market www. lanarkshirefarmersmarket. co.uk Paisley Farmers’ Market enquiries@ayrshiremeats.co.uk Peebles Farmers’ Market johnbolton1@btconnect.com Perth Farmers’ Market www.perthfarmersmarket. co.uk Portpatrick Farmers’ Market foodstore@auchenree.co.uk St Andrews Farmers’ Market www.fifefarmersmarket.co.uk Stirling Farmers’ Market StirlingFM@aol.com.

Stornoway Farmers’ Market kennylhhp@btopenworld.com

For your market to be listed mail@farmingscotlandmagazine.com

FLAVOUR OF SCOTLAND (23-29 March) during which independent retailers throughout the UK will be reminding shoppers why butchers remain the number one choice for range, service and convenience when it comes to purchasing meat.

Hopetoun Farm Shop's range of pies, including the gold award winning mince and onion bridie at the Scotch Pie Championships, has resulted in an unprecedented rise in shoppers. And with service at the heart of the Farm Shop's offer, the team needs to expand to four full time butchers to keep up with demand.

Rearing the finest extends to its staff, with the team at Hopetoun Farm Shop hoping that the new appointment will have the skills required to support the development of their apprentice butcher, Greg McNiven, 19, who is on track to be a fully qualified butcher within the new two years.

Commenting on his apprenticeship, Greg, said:

"Hopetoun Farm Shop has built a reputation in the industry for the quality of its meat. I am really enjoying being a part of a business where butchers are given the opportunity to not only practice traditional skills but also to innovate by creating new recipes using the best core ingredients".

Hopetoun Farm Shop manager, Marc Cherrie, added: "Skilled butchers are making a resurgence as a result of consumer demand for food literate staff who can guide them in making the right food choices.

Butchery is very much the core of the Hopetoun Farm Shop offer - it is a truly farm to plate offering taking beef, lamb, game and poultry from the nearby Estate fields.

"We are delighted that our customers really appreciate the skills involved in farming and butchery and with customer demand on the increase the proof is very much in the eating!"

Scottish potato vodka wins one the most prestigious spirit competitions in the world Scotland’s first potato vodka producer has won two major awards after only three months on the market.

Ogilvy Vodka was selected out of more than 1,500 entrants at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition winning a double gold medal for packaging and a silver for spirit.

Graeme Jarron, founder of Ogilvy Spirits, said: “I studied Agriculture at the Scottish Agriculture College (SAC) near Aberdeen and I knew when I returned to work on the farm that I wanted to do something a bit different.

“Our farm is a mixed enterprise growing predominantly potatoes and cereals with some cattle too.

I wanted to produce something whereby we could take one of our

crops and bring it right through to a final product. “I did some research and realised producing a vodka from potatoes would not only be unique to Scotland but also a great example of ground to glass ideology. We grow the potatoes for our Ogilvy Vodka on the farm so have one hundred per cent traceability. We wash and cook, ferment and distil on site as well as bottle the product.” The farm has traditionally sold its tatties to a packing house to then reach supermarket shelves. This continues but it is the potatoes of irregular shapes, often rejected by the major retailers, which are used for the now sought after spirit. Mr Jarron continued: “I approached Heriot-Watt University in 2012, as I knew of their International Centre of Brewing and Distilling.

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FLAVOUR OF SCOTLAND

Meringue Roulade with Lemon Curd and Berries

5 egg whites 275g/10oz caster sugar 20g/2oz flaked almonds, optiona1

For the filling 350ml of double cream 2-3 tbsp of lemon curd (more if liked!)

225g/8oz Raspberries, Strawberries icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 200C/390F/Gas 6.

Line a 33cm X 23cm (13in x 10in) Swiss roll tin with greased nonstick baking paper.

Whisk the egg whites in a clean, large bowl with an electric mixer on full speed until very stiff.

Gradually add the sugar, keeping the mixer on a high speed, whisk well between each addition. Whisk until very, very stiff and glossy and all the sugar has been added.

Spread the meringue mixture into the lined tin and sprinkle with the almonds. Place the tin in the oven and bake for about eight minutes until golden.

Lower the temperature to 160C/320F/Gas 3 and bake for a further 15 minutes until crisp and firm to the touch.

Remove the meringue from the oven and turn almond-side down onto a sheet of non-stick baking paper.

Remove the paper from the base of the cooked meringue and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Lightly whip the cream, add the lemon curd to taste. Spread evenly over the meringue.

Scatter over the berries

Roll up the meringue firmly, using the paper to help you, from the long end of the roulade. It is essential to keep the roll very tight.

Wrap in non-stick baking paper and chill before serving.

Serve dusted with icing sugar.

Serves 8-10

A group of students helped me do some research into the possibility of using Scottish potatoes to produce vodka. The results were

positive and after working on a feasibility study and business plan with the SAC we decided to take the plunge.�

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Sarah Mellersh runs One Day, Two and Four Week Cookery Classes, just 10 minutes from Perth.

To find out more :

www.letscookscotland.co.uk Tel : 07932 642605

FLAVOUR OF SCOTLAND As a result of the research project, Ogilvy Spirits recruited a Heriot-Watt University PhD student, Abhishek Banik, as the distiller on the venture. He said: “Graeme’s aim was to create a sipping vodka that, similar to a whisky, would give a multitude of flavours and could be savoured.

“We’ve worked tirelessly on our production techniques to come up with a unique offering. The result is a vodka which can be drunk on its own with a few cubes

of ice and a slice of pear. “A number of factors contribute to the flavour profile of the spirit.

We use Maris Piper potatoes for the fresh and nutty attributes they impart. “We also involve a specific yeast to create further flavours and mouth feel. We take lots of fruity notes like apricots, green grass and vanilla by controlling fermentation conditions. There are also toffee and caramel notes, almost like a milkshake, which are achieved through specific distillation

techniques. The process is long in comparison to other vodkas with the whole process taking three weeks from start to finish. Our raw material has so much flavour and the key was to preserve this throughout the process.”

The Ogilvy team has also been awarded runner up prize for Business Diversification at the Scottish Rural Awards.

“The distillery we have built is fully integrated into our family farm. The water used in our

processes is the same water we are using for the agriculture of our potatoes.

“The aim was to build for future generations, to create something from our farm’s produce starting small and sharing it worldwide. We are delighted with these accolades we have achieved, particularly at such an early stage of our development.

The future is bright for Ogilvy Spirits and our Hatton of Ogilvy Farm.”

New Fife Food and Drink Producers Urged to Test the Market Fife Farmers Market in conjunction with Business Gateway Fife are calling for new food and drink businesses in the region to take advantage of a free opportunity that will allow them to showcase their produce to thousands of consumers across four popular farmers markets.

A partnership established in 2013 between Fife Farmers Markets and Business Gateway Fife allows start-up Fife food businesses free use of a sponsored stand at weekly markets across Fife for a threemonth period.

Tom Mitchell, Chairman of Fife Farmers Market said: “This is an opportunity for local food businesses to promote themselves to a large group of discriminating and enthusiastic shoppers. It’s not just about the chance for businesses to sell their produce but it’s an invaluable opportunity for new companies to gain direct feedback from consumers and profile themselves alongside some of Scotland’s best food producers.

Business relationships developed through this project have also resulted in sales in farm shops, restaurants and hotels too. It’s been heartening to see those involved in last year’s sponsored stall meet with such success and I’d urge new food and drink businesses to get involved.”

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Last year, three start-up food businesses ranging from cake producers to a maker of locally grown chilli products used the stand to showcase their produce and test the market. All three have subsequently gone on to become successful businesses and regular Fife Farmers Market stallholders.

Fife Farmers Markets draw between 600 and 1000 shoppers every week to their markets at St

Andrews, Dunfermline, Cupar and Kirkcaldy.

Shona Morrison of Business Gateway Fife said:“The Business Gateway Fife sponsored stand has given several new businesses the chance to reach a wider audience with their products.

We hope that their success will encourage other businesses to come forward and use this

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great opportunity to promote themselves.”

To find out more about the range of services offered by Business Gateway Fife, including how businesses can be featured at Fife Farmers Markets, visit www. businessgatewayfife.com or call 01592 858 333.

To find out more about Fife Farmers Markets, visit www. fifefarmersmarket.co.uk.

The perfect gift for whisky lovers & collectors We are delighted to announce our very own Special Limited Edition Highland Malt Scotch Whisky.

Tuathanachas Alba (Gaelic: Farming Scotland)

16 year old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Specially selected for

Farming Scotland Magazine. £75.00*

(P+P is included, UK only)

Only 76 bottles available.

Each bottle is individually hand numbered within in its own silk lined presentation box.

Hand numbered tasting notes are included to enhance your whisky experience. *We are delighted to support the RSABI Charity.

We will donate £5 to the RSABI from every bottle sold.

TO ORDER YOUR LIMITED EDITION WHISKY ✂

1) Order by phone on 01738 639747.

(To reserve your order and arrange payment).

2) Or fill in the form below (enclosing your payment)

Please send me

bottles of Tuathanachas Alba.

£ Payment enclosed. (UK ONLY)

Name

(Payable to Athole Design & Publishing Ltd)

Address

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Send to: Farming Scotland Magazine, Tolastadh, 18 Corsie Drive, Perth, PH2 7BU

O U R FA R M SHOP Knowes Farm Shop is located just outside East Linton in East Lothian and has been a thriving farm shop for the last 25 years.

We aim to make the very best local produce affordable and available throughout the seasons and are constantly looking at new ways to achieve this.

On a couple of acres of land adjacent to the shop we grow as much of our own vegetables, salads and herbs as we can. What we can’t grow ourselves, we source from elsewhere, selecting local growers and producers wherever possible.

We produce our own soups, pates, jams, chutneys and jellies in the kitchen using fresh, local produce (Knowes grown where possible) as well as a range of readymade meals, again made out of the best locally available, fresh ingredients.

The deli counter stocks a wide range of cheeses alongside homemade sausage rolls, scotch eggs, quiches and salads; and beef, lamb, pork and even buffalo, all sourced from Scottish farms, are available to buy.

Knowes Farm Shop has recently joined forces with Growing Forth a social enterprise that aims to revive the market gardening heritage of East Lothian and at the same time create workplace opportunities for 32

youngsters and for individuals who suffer from physical and mental disabilities. Key to our ethos is to reconnect people with where their food comes from, to operate in an environmentally sensitive way, and to promote a more sustainable way of living. Growing Forth also operates a food waste collection service turning food waste into green electricity and a natural fertiliser - reinforcing the connection between food production, consumption and waste and the impact on the way we live. The link with Growing Forth is resulting in some exciting new developments for the shop all based on the principle of making locally grown food more accessible and affordable. Key to this is the creation of a hub for local food producers in East Lothian that will provide an outlet for small scale local producers.

To make good quality, fresh local food more accessible we intend to launch a local produce box

scheme this year and to run regular pop up shops in the neighbouring towns and villages for those who are unable to come to the shop. To make locally grown produce more affordable we encourage people to come and help us with the growing in exchange for a box of Knowesgrown produce. Regular Graft for Grub sessions lasting a couple of hours ran through the autumn and in February we had up to 70 people helping us over the space of a couple of weeks harvest the remains of our vegetables before we ploughed up the field for spring sowing. In return they took home a large box of wonderful, freshly grown produce that they had picked themselves and a genuine sense of having enjoyed themselves in the process.

We deliberately hope that shopping at Knowes provides shoppers with a very different experience to the supermarket.

What we lack in terms of convenience we more than make

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up for in selling the best, locally sourced food with information on provenance and individual producers. Customers can see where their food has come from and be reassured that the environmental impact of its production is low. They can feed the hens that produce the eggs sold in the shop and can walk round the fields to see what is growing and where their food comes from. If they wish they can physically go and pick their own or join a Graft for Grub session. And finally they know that by shopping at Knowes they are supporting Growing Forth and the creation of workplace and volunteering opportunities.

To find out more about Knowes Farm Shop and Growing Forth visit us at Knowes Farm Shop, near East Linton, East Lothian EH42 1XJ (opening hours 9.30-5pm every day), email hello@knowesfarmshop.co.uk.

Or visit www.knowesfarmshop. co.uk or our facebook page

TOPIC

Blowfly Strike Appropriate Steps for Prevention & Treatment

By Rachel Mallet, BVM&S M

As warmer weather approaches the problem of Blowfly strike ones again looms. Many will be apprehensive following last year’s particularly warm summer which resulted in a severe fly challenge.

Blowflies are the most common ectoparasite of lambs and surveys suggest that every year 80% of farmers will encounter strike.

Blowfly strike is a devastating disease which impacts welfare as well as costing both time and money to counteract, so it’s important that we anticipate it and protect against it.

Once the soil temperate increases above 10°C and the air temperature is more than 17°C, the flies hatch from their pupae which survive in the soil over winter. This means the first wave of flies emerge around mid-April although it could be earlier in a particularly mild year. One adult fly can lay up to 3000 eggs in its 28 day life time!

Blowfly strike occurs when the female fly is able to land on the sheep or lamb and lay eggs.

The flies are attracted to moist, soiled fleeces and wounds. Once laid, the eggs secrete an odour which attracts other flies and rapidly exacerbates the problem.

These eggs quickly hatch in to maggots and the maggots feed on the dead skin cells and secretions.

As they feed, they ‘burrow’ deeper in to the skin, creating wounds, which ‘kills the skin’, providing the maggots with more food and gradually creating bigger and bigger wounds.

If left to worsen, the wounds will increase in size, become infected and ooze. This will cause the sheep to enter a state of shock and perish. This further complicates the situation as an undetected carcass would be an excellent host for more larvae to develop and exponentially increases the number of flies in the area.

Animals most susceptible: -Sheep/lambs with faecal staining of the wool (parasite induced or dietary) -Sheep/lambs with open wounds (footrot or shearing injuries) -Sheep/lambs with fleece rot.

Treatment Clipping of the affected area is vital to see how far the wounds extend, to clean and to ensure that all debris which the maggots can feed on, have been removed. Treatment with a licensed larvicidal product such as a cypermethrin pour on is

then required. The wounds may be serious and infected, causing the sheep to be systemically ill in which case veterinary intervention is vital to ensure the best outcome.

Prevention Prevention is necessary to reduce the risk- good management and planning is vital, alongside preventative products, to minimise the risk of blowfly strike as far as possible.

Sheep, even after receiving preventative treatment, should be checked regularly and at least daily in periods of high risk where possible. The majority of strikes occur around the breech, where there is faecal or urine contamination of the fleece, with the remainder on the shoulders and the back.

Reduce the incidence of soiling by avoiding nutritional upsets which may cause scouring and have a sound worm control strategy.

Dock lambs tails A UK study (by French et al in 1994) showed that the incidence of blowfly strike was approximately five times greater in undocked lambs. (Tail docking must be carried out only in strict accordance with the following guidelines. It must be performed by a competent, trained operator and with the use of a rubber ring, or other device, to restrict the flow of blood to the tail. It is only permitted without an anaesthetic if the device is applied during the first week of life.)

Dispose of carcases quickly to avoid them acting as a source of Blowflies Reduce the incidence of footrot Footrot acts as a source of blowfly problems as well as causing serious welfare and production problems. Isolate and promptly treat any lame sheep. Consider zinc supplementation if lameness due to zinc deficiency is suspected and talk to your vet about vaccination in problem flocks.

Yearly shearing of ewes: Critical to prevention of strike in ewes Regular dagging of the fleece It’s not enough for farmers to

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ensure that sheep are clean on application of the preventative product- farmers must ensure that lambs are kept clean in the weeks following treatment as faecal contamination will reduce the efficacy of all plunge and spray on products.

Open wounds should be treated and monitored until resolved.

Pour-on/Dip (e.g. cypermethrin pour ons, dicyclanil pour ons, organophosphate dips). Most farms now rely on pharmaceutical products to minimise the strike affected sheep on their farm. It is important to note that products have to be correctly applied as per the pack instructions and that they have to be used in conjunction with the other management practices as outlined here.

Which product is best for my flock?

We all know there is a thin line between profit and loss when rearing lamb so it’s vital we make economical choices when selecting which products we use for protection. Pyrethroid pour-ons (high-cis cypermethrins) can give up to 8 weeks’ blow fly protection.

Insect growth regulators (IGRS) such as dicyclanil are suitable only for blow fly prevention and are not suitable for other ectoparasites or for blowfly treatment.

The withdrawal period and duration of action is very important as lambs may be going for sale in a matter of weeks and this will be a key factor in deciding what treatment is appropriate.

Shorter acting cypermethrins are much more cost effective than longer acting IGRS and have the advantage of treating lice, ticks and blowfly strike in addition to prevention accompanied with a shorter withdrawal. As a result I always recommend Bimeda’s Ectofly 1.25% Cypermethrin Pouron solution which offers protection for up to 8 weeks.

Rachel Mallet, BVM&S MRCVS, is a qualified Veterinary Surgeon, who now works as a Territory Manager for Bimeda, covering accounts in Scotland and the North of England. Rachel is passionate about animal health and about promoting best practice amongst farmers and animal owners.

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IN

the transport specialist Since 1984, JOSKIN manufactures a large programme of vehicles for transport and spreading of agricultural products but also for pasture care.

The JOSKIN company, based in Belgium is producing one of the largest programme of trailers for transport and spreading of agricultural products. The product range of the JOSKIN-group contains many models of slurry tankers, manure spreaders, all kind of tipping trailers and dumpers; animal trailers, water tanks,

silage wagons and material for grassland care such as harrows, mowers and mulchers. Founded in 1968 by Victor Joskin the company has developed to fastly become an international group with distribution in more than 40 countries over the world. However, JOSKIN always kept its familyowned management with the three

children of Victor Joskin managing respectively the production, finances and human resources.

Modern and independent manufacturing The key for the success of the company is the modern and robotised industrial production of trailers and components.

To ensure high quality products, JOSKIN made an important phase of investments over the last 5 years in its production sites of Belgium (Soumagne and Andrimont) but also Poland (Trzcianka) and France (Bourges). This investment programme radically modified the JOSKIN production tool, with among other things, the construction of 45.000m² of halls, the installation of many sometimes spectacular pieces of equipment (very large automated warehouse, lase

cutters for tubes with a large diameter, galvanisation, etc.).

Since the creation of industrial production of the JOSKIN group in 1984 more than 32.000 slurry tankers have been produced.

JOSKIN has built factories with very modern tools in order to produce ever bigger agricultural materials and in this way meet the requirements regarding quality and productivity.

From the very beginning the philosophy of that company was to control every strategic phases of its manufacturing in order to master as much as possible the quality and the reliability of the final products. JOSKIN is now able to control each step of it's production process from the 3D development to the galvanisation/painting including raw material control, chassis tube cutting and welding robots for example.

Aerial view of the JOSKIN factory in Belgium

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IN

Muck spreading with intense splitting of a Ferti-SPACE

A result of this willingness is the individualized parts book delivered with each vehicle since 1996. The parts book of each vehicle is unique and contains the components used for its own fabrication: no more, no less. This is for Victor Joskin the nerve of the service: “The parts book is the warranty of the value of a machine over time and is a the base of our after-sales services. In this way, many mistakes can be avoided when ordering spare parts, even years later”.

This mastered production is especially important for the slurry tanker manufacturing. With over 1.200 options available on catalogue and 13 basis models, each tanker is manufactured independently on the basis of standardized components.

“Therefore every user can make the choice that will meet his expectations and needs” so Didier Joskin, chief of the production.

This process is also the guarantee of high quality and affordable products.

Another important step in the production is the galvanisation process as the best way to guarantee a strong and durable slurry tanker over time. This process is well known by JOSKIN and since 2010, JOSKIN has its own galvanizing unit based in Poland, specially designed for its products. Fully automated and perfectly mastered, it complies with the highest standards and ensures an optimal treatment against aggressive substances causing corrosion.

A wide range of products developed for all needs The JOSKIN programme is divided into 4 sections: slurry tankers and spreading tools, trailers of all kind, muck spreaders and grassland care machines.

Slurry tankers are the main manufactured products by JOSKIN. Last year round 1.500 tankers were produced in the Belgian and Polish factories and since 1984 more than 32.000

tankers were delivered. Actually, the slurry tanker range contains 13 basis models, divided into 75 basic types varying from a simple axle 7.000 litres tankers to a 32.000 litres triple axle with hightechnology equipment.

All those models can be fitted with more than 1.200 options, i.e. tens of thousands of possible combinations. Thanks to this high quantity of options, JOSKIN is able to equip your machine as you wish. But JOSKIN also offers its own WIN PACK solution that is stock material with defined equipment. This concept is based on the standard production of slurry tankers with a pre-determined equipment that was selected by the before-sales team. It combines the different options offered in the slurry tanker range in an efficient and well though way. The WIN PACK has two main advantages: rapidly available vehicles and with a lot of equipment for an interesting price. This solution is not only available for slurry

Mearns Tractors Ltd

David Henderson: 07778161839/01434 601966 valtra@davidhenderson.net Steve Thompson: 07818119619 sales@davidhenderson.net

EAST DRUMHENDRY, LAURENCEKIRK AB30 1RL

Tel: 01561 377762 www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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Euroliner slurry tanker with Terraflex/2 spreading tool

tankers but for the whole range of JOSKIN products.

Over the years, the Belgian manufacturer has developed a large know-how in the production of slurry tankers and made several innovations.

Perhaps the most important one in the development of slurry spreading was the JOSKIN Scalper© in 1988. This patented macerator with cutting and selfsharpening discs that produce a cutting effect on all foreign bodies.

This invention was a main step

forward in the slurry spreading.

In fact, a good maceration and homogeneous distribution of the slurry is essential to make sure an injector works properly and JOSKIN invented this solution that is still used today from a lot of manufacturers.

After this major evolution, the spreading tools range started to grow. With always more law and environmental obligations but also the research of high profitably slurry spreading. In order to meet those expectations but also to

SHIRE AGRI HIRES We are the longest serving Scottish Joskin dealer with a range of tankers, muck spreaders, and injectors sold to local farmers and contractors for a range of applications.

We have sold tankers from 11,000litres to 18,000litres.

master the production, JOSKIN started to build its own spreading tools range.

This range of product includes arable injectors, meadow injectors and spreading booms. With working width going from 2.7 meters for an arable injector to 18 meters for spreading booms, those tools are adapted for the whole range of slurry tankers and for lots of application. One of the last products developed by JOSKIN is the PENDISLIDE spreading boom. From an agronomic point of view, it is very interesting as it makes it possible to lay the slurry at the foot of the growing plants without dirtying them and by avoiding slurry residues in the fodder.

Tipping trailers and other kind of trailers are the second major product range of JOSKIN. In 1994, the first tipping trailers built were construction trailers.

Designed and suitable for the hardest works, those trailers, fully made of HARDOX steel, were

at the basis of the today wellknown monocoque agricultural tipping trailers with more than 7.500 trailers produced. Thanks to the know-how developed for the construction sector, those trailers are totally made of high tensile steel. “This concept of fabrication allows to lower the empty weight of the machines and therefore transport more payload while keeping impeccable strength” as mentioned Didier Joskin. The range of JOSKIN trailers goes from 10 to 27,4 m³ DIN volume for agricultural trailers and 5 to 13,9 m³ for construction trailers.

JOSKIN also developed its own running gears, one with parabolic leaves called Roll-Over Boggie that allows to counterbalance a clearance of round 240mm. The other is a hydraulic running gear Hydro-Tandem/Tridem with four or six hydraulic tram working independently on closed circuit on each side of the chassis.

Therefore the vehicle can always stay horizontal behind the tractor.

W.M. DODDS Ltd Agricultural Engineers Main dealers for

W.M. DODDS Ltd

Shire Agri Hires

Old Bongate Mill, Jedburgh, Roxburghshire, TD8 6DU Telephone: 01835 863381 email: joskin@wmdodds.co.uk

Tel: 01581 300360

www.wmdodds.co.uk

Bridgemill, Glenluce, Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire,Scotland.DG8 0AE

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Silage unloading with the DRAKKAR

Those running gears can also be mounted on other JOSKIN ranges.

The DRAKKAR, a multipurpose trailer, is also part of the innovations that JOSKIN realised. The material (silage, grains, pulp, beets,) can be unloaded without compression by means of its revolutionary system made of a conveyor belt, a mobile front wall and two hydraulic engines. The

engines roll up the conveyor at the back of the trailer and the front wall is to going to bring the matter outside the body. So the DRAKKAR does not push, does not tilt, it transports! This vehicle is available in double or triple axle with volumes ranging from 24 to 41m³ and with several options like rigid or hydraulic extensions and a transfer auger.

Muck spreaders with narrow or wide body models and vertical or horizontal beaters are also part of the range. What makes a JOSKIN spreader special is the large standard equipment like shredding beaters with foiled spirals, moving floor with grade 80 shipping chain (highest grade in tractions chains), transmission protected by elastic coupling, hitching-cross suspension, etc. This equipment among with several options ensures an intense splitting and great working comfort.

JOSKIN also manufactures livestock trailers, a galvanized model with a reclining system and a painted one with a ramp, the Betimax R. The reclining system of the BETIMAX RDS is made of one or two double acting hydraulic trams (single or double axel(s)) that lay the trailer on the ground.

Therefore a loading/unloading height of 14 cm is reached and accident risks are limited during those operations. The standard complete galvanization

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of the whole body ensure a high resistance to the vehicle against the effect of faeces. The BETIMAX RDS range allows to transport up to 14 animals.

JOSKIN is also specialized in pasture care equipment. With 7 meadow aerators and 4 pasture toppers and choppers models, JOSKIN offers solutions for every kind of works. The working width for the aerators goes from 1.2 meter for small areas to 9.6 meters for intensive works with a lot of possible tools combination.

Great service through a good network Since the late 90's JOSKIN vehicles can be found in Scotland.

“With currently 7 dealers across the country and near the borders, our network is able to provide a fast and high quality service. Our dealers were chosen for their motivation, area, technical knowledge and experience” so Caroline Metz, JOSKIN representative for the Scottish and borders market.

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Open Farm Sunday 7th June 2015 Get involved!

Over 75% of Scotland’s land mass is under agricultural production with the country homing over one million beef cattle, around eight million sheep, producing 4,600 tonnes of strawberries and 131,000 tonnes of oilseed rape.

Yet in 2014, LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) found one in five visitors who attended an Open Farm Sunday event had never been on a farm before.

As the campaign celebrates its 10th anniversary this June, the organisers LEAF are calling for more farms to get involved and open their gates so the public can learn about how their food is produced and how farmers care for our countryside.

Open Farm Sunday is firmly established as farming’s national open day. Last year it saw more than 375 farms open across Britain welcoming 207,000 visitors, of which 55,000 visited farms in Scotland. Many of these are people who live in rural areas and drive past the farm gates each day without knowing what farmers do. There is a real desire amongst consumers who want to learn more about farming, find out how their food is produced and directly interact with those at the forefront of the sector.

Taking place on Sunday 7th June 2015, the core aim of Open Farm Sunday is to showcase farming and food production, giving the general public an 38

opportunity to understand better how and why farmers do what they do. Activities may include going on a farm walk, watching the milking, feeling the texture of sheep’s wool, smelling the fields of home grown crops, listening to the birds, hearing the tractors as they prepare the land or tasting fresh fruit straight from the fields.

It is also a fantastic day to learn some amazing facts about

the food we eat. Did you know for example there are approximately four million egg-producing hens in Scotland producing over 853 million eggs annually? As a country, Britain consumes 11.7 billion eggs per year but only 12% of these are purchased direct from the farm, butcher or small independent stores. Therefore a staggering 88% of people are selecting their eggs straight from

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the supermarket shelves with little or no knowledge about how those chickens have been reared.

Open Farm Sunday provides that opportunity to see what the hens eat, where they graze, find out how many eggs they lay per day, where the eggs are sold and maybe pick up some good tips on how to cook this staple ingredient.

What better time to get involved than in this the Year of

Scotland Food and Drink when there is the opportunity to further develop Scotland’s reputation as a land of quality food and drink and bridge that gap between farmer and consumer.

If you are a farmer please get involved and welcome friends, family or the local community to your farm to show them what you do. If you are a consumer please visit a farm, find out what goes on behind the scenes and support Scottish farmers.

Host an event EVERY farm, regardless of size or type, has something to shout about on Open Farm Sunday. Whether you invite 20, 200 or 2000 visitors to your farm, your event can have a high impact building community relations, educating the public, raising the profile of your farm and the whole farming industry.

Events can range from a simple farm walk through to an open day – it is up to you the size and type of event you organise, to suit you and your farm.

As farmers it is sometimes easy to forget that everyday activities are exciting and fascinating to those experiencing it for the first time. Open Farm Sunday does not ask you to put on extra activities,

unless you want to. Work with what is around you. Host a farm walk and talk about what you do on the farm producing food and managing the countryside. Could you arrange to have your sheep shorn on this day and explain the wool process? Will you be cutting grass for silage? If you run a pick-your-own or farm shop you could take the opportunity to talk to your customers about what you do on the farm. You could put your tractors on display or spare an hour for a ‘Famer’s Question Time’. Ask your agronomist, vet or neighbouring farmers to help.

If you did want to bring in extra attractions, ask local groups if they would like to join you to raise awareness of what they do and/or help raise funds.

There is plenty of free support available from both LEAF and other industry bodies who can provide materials to help you, such as blank invitation cards, flyers and gate banners to promote your event, through to posters, leaflets and stickers to display and hand out on the day. And don’t forget Scotland has a Regional Coordinator, Rebecca Dawes who you can phone or email with any questions, no matter how small.

To take part register at www.

farmsunday.org where you can then order all your free resources and download materials .

Visit a farm on 7th June It could be your first time or you are a returning visitor, everyone is encouraged to dig out their wellies and head down to your local farm on Sunday 7th June 2015 and enjoy the fresh air as you take in the sights and sounds of the countryside. Farms from Dumfries to Orkney will be hosting events so visit www.farmsunday.org, enter your postcode and select the farm you want to visit.

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Don’t miss out the opportunity to learn more about farming and food, meet the farmers who produce it, get some great photographs and share a memorable experience with family and friends.

Collaboration The success of Open Farm Sunday has been achieved through collaboration with sponsors, industry organisations and the hundreds of dedicated farmers and their helpers who put on such great events. In Scotland LEAF is delighted to work with a range of organisations including Quality Meat Scotland, NFU Scotland, RHET (The Royal Highland Education Trust) and the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs’.

Sponsors of Open Farm Sunday 2015 include: Aldi, Asda, BASF plc, Defra, Farmcare, Farmers Weekly, Frontier Agriculture, John Deere, Kellogg’s, LEAF Marque, Marks and Spencer, National Farmers Union, Syngenta, The Tesco Eat Happy Project, Waitrose, plus the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (from its BPEX, DairyCo, EBLEX, HGCA and HDC divisions).

Contact details LEAF’s Open Farm Sunday Scotland Co-ordinator: Rebecca Dawes, 0131 333 2445 / 07792 467730 or rebecca@sayfc.org LEAF head office; Abbabel Shackleton, Open Farm Sunday Manager, 024 7641 3911 or openfarmsunday@leafuk.org

39

URUGUAY

WORLD FARMING

A country with a distinguished past and a bright future By Fiona Sloan

Before travelling to Uruguay, the only thing I knew about the country was the sinking of the Graf Spee in the harbour of the capital Montevideo during World War 2 and that they had a good football team.

Uruguay however, is a beautiful country sitting on the South Atlantic Ocean, bordering Argentina across the gigantic River Plate and Brazil to the North. Colonised by the Spanish in the 16th century, it has a rich and diverse culture and its capital city hosts a third of the population at 1.3 million.

This Spanish speaking country’s agriculture is rich and diverse and over the past 25 years has both grown and declined, particularly in its beef industry, which was heavily affected by the import bans imposed by some countries, following a major foot & mouth outbreak in 1999.

Today, beef and sheep farming accounts for nearly 60% of the country’s farming activities with 12 million cattle, making it the largest head of cattle per capita in the world at 3.9.

This figure increases to over 80% if you include mixed farms which have cropping activities as well. The surge of beef farming in the country has steadied over the last ten years, with the number of calves born annually now around 2 ½ million. However, 54% of the 40

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WORLD FARMING total number of cattle is in the hands of 11% of farmers who have a minimum of 500 head and the other extreme, 38% of farmers, farm small lots and have average cattle herds below a hundred head. The harsh natural pampas grass, which grows on the plains, is ideal for the more traditional breeds like Hereford and Angus, with a more recent interest in Limousin. The country has no indigenous trees but is widely stocked by

Eucalyptus trees, which can be cut and regrow making it an ideal cash crop. The trees themselves are also inhabited by the country’s biggest pest, another Antipodean import in the Green Parrot, which with no natural predators, are a pest to crops which include rice, wheat, corn, barley, potatoes, sugar cane and soya.

Vegetables are also a main crop for many mixed farms and are sold at central markets on a daily basis.

The beef farms are still worked by horse and this is reflected in the traditions of the country, where the grass verges at the side of the main road have remained wide enough for the children to travel to school in the same way. The “gauchos”, as the cowboys are known, are as much a traditional part of Uruguay as the cattle themselves.

Children learn to ride before they can talk, accompanying the horsemen as they work. The Criollo

(pronounced Chirosho) horses are the traditional work horse of the gauchos and are directly descended from the best European bloodlines brought by the Spanish. It is said that to talk about of the Criollo horse is to talk about the Gaucho... proud, adventurous, simple and noble. The skills of these magnificent, honest horses and their dedicated handlers is one of the most amazing things to watch, even if you have no interest in horses!

AFBI expert helps EU identify research needs Dr Ziping Wu, a Principal Agricultural Economist in the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), was an invited keynote speaker at a recent EU experts’ workshop in Brussels.

The aim of the workshop entitled ‘Food safety of agrifood products in the context of research and innovation cooperation between the EU and China’, was to define the theme of a proposed major EU-China agricultural research project.

The EU wishes to enhance EU-China co-operation in food safety and a key concern highlighted at the event was the need to promote trade relationships between EU and China, through reducing technical barriers. Dr Wu was able to share his extensive knowledge of China’s agrifood sector, food safety management and trade issues which can inform the socioeconomic component of the proposed research.

Scientific collaboration with China is valuable for building relationships that can help develop trade links and it is recognised that China presents a major potential export market for Northern Ireland food products. AFBI’s Agri-Food Economics Branch has considerable experience and expertise in socioeconomic research relevant to the local industry and economy and international agriculture and the institute has scientific

links with several research organisations in China.

The Brussels workshop marked the first step in developing a joint EU-China

research project on food safety. The project launch will follow a visit to Brussels by a delegation led by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural

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Sciences (CAAS) with which AFBI has a collaboration agreement. The research is likely to focus on the meat and dairy sectors.

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WORLD FARMING

Tong Peal Packs A Punch with Large-Scale Packhouse Contracts in Poland Tong Peal Engineering, the UK’s longest established vegetable handling equipment manufacturer, is further expanding its overseas customer base, with not one, but two orders for large-scale stainless steel washing and processing equipment from Polish firm Polfarm.

The company’s first order with Tong Peal came in 2013, when Polfarm contacted their local Tong Peal dealer HTech with a requirement to wash, grade and process its celeriac and parsley root crops. Tong Peal installed a custom built stainless steel washing facility, ideal for the demanding packhouse environment, comprising of two separate washing lines – one for celeriac and the other for parsley root – each line featuring a 4 metre long Barrel Washer with close-coupled destoner, followed by a Tong Peal Lift Roller Grader to effectively grade crop prior to packing.

Due to the success of their first instalment of equipment in 2013, Polfarm has recently returned to Tong Peal in 2014, to place another order, for a 40 ton capacity carrot processing line, one of the biggest of its kind ever manufactured by Tong Peal. The line includes a large Tong Peal Storemaker hopper cleaner at the in-feed with Tong Peal’s market leading EasyClean separators for the effective removal of soil and haulm from carrots prior to the washing process.

The carrot washing line begins with a 40 ton per hour cyclone

destoner followed by one of the largest pieces of equipment in the new carrot line; a 12.5 metre long, 15000kg capacity wet hopper, offering effective soaking of crop prior to washing. Crop is then transferred to two 5 metre long stainless steel barrel washers and a large Hydro-Cooler which helps to increase longevity and shelf-life of the crop.

Michał Gulczyński of Polfarm commented: “We needed a bespoke line to deal with our large output of celeriac and parsley root, and after speaking with our dealer HTech, it was clear that Tong Peal could offer the best solution for us that utilised the space available in our packhouse in the most efficient way. Since the installation of our first order for celeriac and parsley root handling in 2013 we have been very impressed with the equipment from Tong Peal, as well as the aftersales service we have received

through our local dealer HTech.

The equipment has proved itself to be extremely effective and reliable, and the integration of destoners within the new equipment has meant that no stones get through the processing lines, which is a big cost and time saving.

“When the time came to upgrade our carrot line, Tong Peal equipment was natural choice for us. Our carrot line needed to be very large-scale and handle a large throughput of carrots every hour, and we knew that Tong Peal could offer the right equipment that would cope with our daily processing demands. Once more our requirements were met, and we’re looking forward to the line being installed in January 2015.”

Charlie Rich, export sales manager for Tong Peal continued; “We have been manufacturing quality packhouse handling equipment for many years and our

export markets for this equipment continue to grow as we introduce even more energy efficient and technically advanced grading, washing and polishing machinery “Tong Peal is dedicated to providing the best equipment and best service for our customers, regardless of where they are in the world. With a network of carefully selected dealers, customers like Polfarm can rest assured that our local dealers, like HTech, are always on hand for any service or sales requirements and large-scale overseas installations like this one are also installed and serviced by our own team of expert engineers.

With 85 years of engineering experience, we are able to offer packhouses across the globe with the complete processing solution that improves efficiency and control whilst saving time, reducing costs and minimising maintenance requirements”

Trelleborg Acquires Agricultural Tyre Business in Australia Trelleborg has, through its business area Trelleborg Wheel Systems, signed an agreement to acquire Armstrong Tyres, an Australian service and distribution company of agricultural tyres. The business specialises in tyres and complete wheels for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and tractor 42

dealers, and holds a marketleading position in Australia. The acquisition increases Trelleborg’s presence in the Australian market and strengthens the base for the sale of tyres to the aftermarket.

The acquired operation has its head office in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. Sales in 2014 amounted to approximately SEK

50 M. This bolt-on acquisition is part of Trelleborg’s strategy to strengthen its positions in attractive market segments.

“A local presence and global reach have become key drivers in our business strategy. This acquisition provides us with an excellent opportunity to expand our range of agricultural and complete

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wheels in an attractive and major market. We also see good prospects to position our business for future expansion in the Australian aftermarket,” says Maurizio Vischi, President of the Trelleborg Wheel Systems business area.

The transaction is expected to be finalised in the second quarter of 2015.

RENEWABLEENERGY

Increases in hydro, bioenergy and wind generation Statistics published recently

by DECC show Scotland has almost met its 50 per cent renewable electricity target a year ahead of schedule.

The provisional Renewable Electricity Generation 2014 National Statistics show 49.6 per cent of gross electricity consumption came from renewable sources in Scotland last year – an increase from 44.4 per cent in 2013.

The provisional figures for renewable electricity show that renewables generation increased last year by 11.7 per cent and is now estimated at 18,959 GWh. This is approximately enough electricity to power the equivalent of an additional 430,000 Scottish households for a year, compared to 2013.

This included an increase in hydro, bioenergy and wind generation with hydro generation at a record high level, up 26.0 per cent from 2013 to 5,503 GWh, and another record year for wind output, up 4.0 per cent from 2013 to 11,592 GWh. Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said: “Renewable electricity generation continues to go from strength to strength in Scotland – and I am pleased we have almost met our 50 per cent renewable electricity target a year ahead of schedule.

“Harnessing Scotland’s vast energy wealth has multiple benefits – reducing our carbon emissions, creating jobs and investment and helping keep the lights on across these islands.

A recent publication on the low carbon sector showed in 2013 there were 45, 000 people employed across the low carbon sector and its supply chain in Scotland making a vital contribution to our economy.

“2014 was also another recording breaking year for wind output up 4 per cent and the

Scottish Government remains committed to continuing this upward trend. The recent independent survey by YouGov shows further support for the development of wind power,

with an increase to 71 per cent in public backing.

“The Scottish Government has made its energy policy a top priority and has achieved great progress, despite being

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limited in terms of its devolved responsibilities. We look forward to proposals for more powers encompassing the necessary levers to deliver Scottish priorities.”

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RENEWABLEENERGY

Practical potash use

The Renewable Appetite Continues by Maden Eco

David Michie, Senior Organic Farming Consultant and Agricultural Consultant, SAC Consulting Potash (K) is an important nutrient for crop growth.

Potash removed by an arable or grass crop should be replaced, so that soils do not get run-down. A regular programme of soil analysis will help you to monitor the status of your soils and re-apply nutrients accordingly.

If potash (and/or phosphate) levels are low, crops will not get the full benefit of applied nitrogen.

This can lead to a ‘triple whammy’ effect: 1. Economic loss to the farm - loss of both potential crop yield and purchased nitrogen 2. Potential source of diffuse pollution - nitrates not taken up by crops could enter a watercourse 3. Contributor to greenhouse gas emissions both in terms of direct losses and as the energy used to manufacture, haul, and spread the nitrogen will have been wasted; other inputs (pesticides, etc.) may not have been fully utilised.

Making silage or hay, and lifting straw at harvest will remove a lot of potash – target livestock manure

applications at these fields (with silage and hay fields given first priority).

Livestock manures are an excellent source of potash, particularly farmyard manure (FYM) from well-bedded cattle courts. Green waste compost is another decent source. If your farm is near a compost producer, this source of nutrients and organic matter is worth considering, after taking haulage into account. The table below gives you an idea of the amount of potash there can be from a ‘good mucking’. Nutrient content can be quite variable, with different feeding and bedding regimes at different farms, so it is worth getting an analysis done to see exactly what nutrients you have in muck.

For more information on practical measures to improve efficiency, see www. farmingforabetterclimate. org Find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @ SACfarm4climate.

Farming for a Better Climate is funded by the Scottish Government as part of its Climate Change Advisory Activity.

Potash content of different manures (adapted from SRUC Technical Note TN650: optimising the application of bulky organic fertilisers)

Remember that livestock manures must not be applied within 10 m of a watercourse, or within 50 m of a spring, well, or borehole, or on waterlogged or snow covered ground.

Additional restrictions on manures apply within NVZs. 44

The first quarter of 2015 has been a busy one for Maden Eco, installing all technologies to meet both RHI and FiT digressions for our customers. However the appetite for renewables is still as high as ever, with install costs coming down to meet new tariff rates, ensuring projects are still extremely viable.

The most notable change in the year was the addition of our biomass department and new partnerships formed with companies; Lindner & Sommerauer and Guntamatic, which have proved to be very popular boiler choices with our customers.

The existing construction department team have also been involved in our Biomass venture; the building of the biocabin’s, the laying of heat main as well as the electrical department wiring up the plant rooms, The feedback from customers has been extremely encouraging given the tight schedules to meet digressions.

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The Solid Wind Power is now in the final throws of MCS certification and will be a reliable high yield performance turbine soon to be ready for install.

The turbine is a perfect size in the market to suit the last pockets of grid connection which we see in some tight DNO regions and also stands on a planning friendly 18m tower making hopefully a smoother planning process.

Last but not least, our bread and butter solar department keeps on installing, they have seen no stop in orders and although the grid is getting tighter we are now able to guide you at the earliest opportunity whether or not you have the potential of a grid offer or not. The areas we work in are defined by heat maps from the District Network’s and as such they list in traffic light colours so we can guide you at the earliest stage whether capacity is available or not.

Call Maden Eco now for a free site survey on 01289 333110.

RENEWABLEENERGY

Local Farmers Back Wind Farm Proposal

Putting on a show

By Richard Lochhead Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment

Local Farmers have backed plans for a wind farm saying it’s the kind of project that should be embraced by a rural community that is suffering from a tough period in agriculture.

Farmers on the estates which would house and surround the site of the, 15 turbine Birneyknowe Wind Farm between Hawick and Bonchester Bridge, have backed the plans by wind energy firm Banks Renewables, saying it offers a revenue stream that would otherwise have to be found elsewhere through projects such as forestry.

The proposal, which has been submitted to The Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit and the Scottish Borders Council for their consideration, offers a list of benefits to the local economy and the community.

Now, local famers have publicly back the plans and urged fellow supporters to do the same.

Neil Hamilton’s family have run the estate where the wind farm would be located for 150 years. His land would house around half of the site while the other half would be on the farm owned by his brother Michael.

Neil said: “We are a rural community and farming is extremely important to our economy, but it’s an extremely tough time to be in farming at the moment and we’re all looking at ways to diversify or find another revenue stream.

“Some farms have gone down the forestry route, while others have just sold up entirely so the options are fairly limited.

“This wind farm offers that revenue stream, but also offers a large financial injection to the community, increased employment and contracts to local business - therefore it shouldn’t be turned down.”

Banks Renewables recently announced plans to improve access to jobs in the Hawick area, by providing local people and local firms with a new fund to boost training and workplace learning opportunities.

In addition to the creation of training opportunities the community fund which could generate up to £300,000-a-year for the local area could also deliver direct funding into community groups.

The Royal Highland Show is fast approaching and I am looking forward to seeing what this year’s event will offer.

It is, without a doubt, the UK’s best agricultural show – it’s a booming business hub each year and as such contributes millions of pounds to the Scottish economy.

I am delighted that the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan, has accepted my invitation to attend this year’s show – he will have the chance to meet with farmers first-hand and hear about some of the big issues they are facing around CAP implementation as well as finding out more about their livestock and services.

I’m looking forward to showing the Commissioner around one of the most popular places at the Royal Highland Show – the food hall, which has been renamed this year as Scotland’s Larder Live. Our fantastic natural larder gives us some of the best, freshest and

tastiest produce in the world and I’m confident that Commissioner Hogan will enjoy what we will have on offer, which I’m sure will be spectacular given that we are celebrating the Year of Food and Drink in Scotland.

I’d like to take the opportunity to meet producers at the Show this year and encourage them to consider applying for their products to be protected under the EU’s Protected Food Name (PFN) scheme. Having this distinction will mean that consumers are guaranteed they are buying the genuine, premium products and will protect our world class products from unauthorised imitation throughout the EU. We are also on track to present the latest developments in our Scottish Dairy Brand for use at home, and especially abroad, at the Show.

The Royal Highland Show is a fantastic platform to showcase your business and products – and it’s also a great day out for everyone.

I’m looking forward to seeing you all there.

To find out more about the proposed Birneyknowe Wind Farm visit http://www. banksgroup.co.uk/birneyknowe/.

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RENEWABLEENERGY

Rural Energy’s biomass offering strengthened by Herz’s binder acquisition

Rural Energy, the sole UK distributors of the premier Austrian boiler manufacturer Herz, has welcomed the news that the Herz Group is expanding its portfolio with the acquisition of Binder GmbH. The addition means that it is now one of the few suppliers in the world that offers biomass solutions ranging from 10 kW to 10 MW. Binder GmbH is an established brand in biomass systems, supplying and installing complete solutions from the boiler, to the fuel container, to the buffer tank, to containerised heating centres. It also has extensive research materials and expertise at its disposal, cooperating with universities

worldwide and running a stateof-the-art testing facility to develop the most innovative and efficient biomass technologies.

Dr. Gerhard Glinzerer, owner of the Herz Group, commented: “The Binder brand has an excellent reputation in the industry and will therefore continue to be used in the sale of its own products in close coordination with Herz.”

Following the acquisition the Herz Group turnover is expected to exceed €260 million with sales in biomass boilers and heat pumps expected to reach €60 million. The group is also now active in more than 80 countries and employs 1,700 people worldwide.

£1m of new turbine planning permissions for growing Earthmill

Earthmill is celebrating after its planning team successfully secured consent for three separate farm-scale wind turbine installations worth over £1m across the UK in just one week.

Earthmill, which has grown from a one-man operation that started in managing director Steve Milner’s garage in 2009, now employs 34 people at its head office in Wetherby, has now installed over 200 small scale turbines during the last six years.

The latest trio of turbines to be given the go-ahead are in Keighley in West Yorkshire, St Stephen in Cornwall and Kendal on the edge of the Lake District.

Sam Dewar, senior planner at Earthmill said: “There is

a growing recognition of the important role played by the small-scale wind turbines that are being installed across the country, both in terms of the contribution they make in reducing the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels, but also the opportunity they offer farmers to diversify and gain a valuable – and sustainable – additional income stream.”

He added: “Although relatively small farm-scale turbines are embraced by many people, the journey to successfully gaining planning consent to install a turbine can be a long and arduous one and it’s essential to have an experienced team on your side.”

Ayrshire kennel installs biomass boiler to help drive down costs A holiday home for pets across Ayrshire has taken advantage of the benefits of renewables with the installation of a biomass boiler – helping to drive down business costs and become more energy efficient.

Burnfoot Farm kennels in Cumnock, Ayrshire, partnered with renewable experts Absolute to install a 60kW Pellet Boiler where pet dogs are kept whilst their owners are away on holiday or business.

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The installation, which took place between Christmas and New Year in order to beat a scheduled decrease in the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments that took place on January 1st, is now enough to heat the business; as well as providing a potential revenue stream .

Owner Helen Shedden approached Absolute to explore the possibility of a cost-effective and environmentally friendly

alternative to traditional energy sources for the kennels.

Alastair Cruikshank, head of the Biomass division at Absolute, said: “When Helen approached us about a possible renewable solution for the kennels we visited in order to carry out a feasibility study – an exercise that allows us to better understand the needs of the business and the possible products that would work.

“We identified the pellet

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boiler as it would work from an economic and an environmental perspective; furthermore, we were able to complete the installation in just ten days which meant minimum disruption to the day to day operations of the business.

“We also wanted to ensure that it was in before January 1st so that Helen benefited from the higher RHI tariffs, and have been delighted to hear since that it is really working out well for her.”

Welcome to Farming Scotland’s Royal Highland Show preview for 2015, our 175th Show A great day out…

It’s almost back again!!! The big one…The Royal Highland Show in June.

Just seems like yesterday since the last one, but that is perhaps me just getting that little it older.

Everything these days seems to come around quicker!

In Scotland of course, the biggest show of them all is the spectacular that is the Royal Highland, and once again, we at Farming Scotland Magazine are pleased to give you an early insight into what will be taking place at this years event.

These next 60 pages should hopefully whet your appetite for what is Scotland’s premier farming event, an event that attracts both those from within the business and of course, the general public, families and all.

The RHS is a great social arena for everyone, and if the weather is good, there is no better place to be than Ingliston on a warm June day, fingers crossed!

I will be there along with the ‘team’ here at the magazine, taking in all the attractions, and of course, meeting some clients too.

Truly a great mix of business and pleasure awaits.

Slàinte.

Athole Murray Fleming Publisher/Editor Farming Scotland Magazine

David Jackson Royal Highland Show Manager

If somebody were to ask me to explain what this iconic event is in one sentence, I’d say, quite simply, the Royal Highland Show brings together the best of farming, food and rural life. Even if you have no direct connection to farming, it is part your life. Food is not produced in supermarkets but through the hard work and dedication of a nation of farmers and visiting the show is a super experience, full of interest and I guarantee something that will make you go wow!

Although the Show is primarily agricultural, 42% of our visitors state food and drink as their main reason for attending. 2015 is Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink and at the Show we will have something very exciting planned which will bring together all the food and drink elements at the Show. Food and Drink is a major part of what the Royal Highland has to offer and this exciting new part of the Show will blend the best produce, live cookery skills, tastings and talks, getting visitors closer to the producers and competitions.

For those of our showgoers who are there for the agriculture, we will not disappoint.

All the leading breeders of sheep and beef and dairy cattle use the show as their shop window, showcasing their teams of quality pedigree animals. Plus there will be 22 acres of trade exhibitor space and over 300 of the top agri-machinery manufacturers and dealers from the UK and beyond on site, with around £72million worth of equipment on display.

Finally, for those interested in equestrian there are impressive sections for light horses, with numerous prestigious Horse of the Year Show Qualifiers. Scotland’s native breeds, the Clydesdales, Highlands and Shetlands, epitomize our living heritage and they turn up in considerable numbers to celebrate this as a main event in the showing calendar. With £45,000 of prize money up for grabs, it is the premier event in Scotland’s showjumping calendar.

So sit back and enjoy a taste of what’s in store for this year’s Royal Highland Show – we hope to see you at the Royal Highland Centre from 18 – 21 June.

David Jackson Royal Highland Show Manager www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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The countdown is on for 175th Royal Highland Show The Royal Highland Show, one of Scotland’s most iconic and enduring annual events, has now put the finishing touches to its 175th Show. Billed as the biggest and best celebration of farming, food and rural life, the Royal Highland is one of Europe’s most impressive rural shop windows, showcasing handpicked livestock, the finest food & drink and rural living at its most vibrant.

The Royal Bank of Scotland, partners of the Show since 1981, is again showing its support for the four-day event, which attracted in excess of 178,000 people in 2014.

Scotland’s Larder 2015 is Scotland’s Year of Food & Drink and the Royal Highland Show, Scotland’s largest food & drink event, plans to celebrate by introducing a brand new food offering, ‘Scotland’s Larder Live!’ The Food Hall will be transformed into the ultimate celebration of Scottish produce, featuring over 100 Scottish food and drink exhibitors. There will be live cooking experiences, an opportunity to have taste buds tickled at every step and hundreds of products on sale, from Orkney artisan cheese to botanical gin from Angus.

The 2015 Show will also see the return of the on-site caterers who met the strict criteria of the Royal Highland Show Food Charter in 2014. Caterers worked alongside organisers to develop the food charter in order to ensure, where possible, only ingredients that were locally produced and ethically sourced was used in their food.

Only a small number did not make the grade, showing that there was already a high level of provenance and responsibly sourced ingredients in the food being served to showgoers.

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A focus on the Stirling Area Until moving to its permanent home at Ingliston in 1960, the Royal Highland Show used to move around the country and it was the responsibility of a Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland region to organise that year’s Show. If that approach had continued then the Stirling area would have been on the rota to be this year’s host.

The Stirling area stretches from the Forth Valley across to the Trossachs and the Show was last held there in 1953, when Alloa hosted.

Each year, to commemorate this link with the past, a President’s Initiative is organised by the nominated region and this year the Stirling area’s focus will be on communications. The President’s Initiative will aim to engage with the UK’s largest communications businesses and highlight the plight of rural communities who have poor telecommunications services,

essentially cutting them off from the opportunities associated with high speed broadband.

The Presidential team, made up of The Rt Hon Lord Forsyth, Carol Graham, Ian MacMillan, Robin Tough and Mohsin Altajir, will be working hard to create an influential campaign that will make a sustainable positive impact on rural living.

RHASS president for 2015, Lord Forsyth, is already looking forward to the events: "In the 18th century the Highland Society fought for roads and bridges to revive rural Scotland. Today's communication challenge is digital and access to fast broadband and reliable mobile coverage is vital to the future prosperity of our countryside.

I am immensely proud to have been elected President, in this, the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland's 175th year, and look forward to continuing its tradition of connecting town and country."

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The loveliest of livestock The Royal Highland’s big attraction is without doubt the livestock – with more than 5,000 of the finest cattle, sheep, goats and horses, not to mention poultry, heading for the showground over the fourday event. However, there will be other furry friends entertaining and enticing showgoers over the 4 days of the Show, including The Ben Potter Eagle & Vulture Display Team, the Totally Terriers Event Display Team and Mordor Gun Dogs, who can all be found in the Countryside Area.

Hooved heaven The Royal Highland Show is the largest equestrian show in Scotland with almost 3,000 horses and ponies competing in classes for light and heavy horses, private driving, heavy horse turnouts, harness and grooming plus top class show jumping.

The Highland offers an impressive array of equine sections and classes, 34

Royal Highland Show 2015 categories in total, including nine much sought after Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) qualifiers.

Over 2,200 riders are expected to compete over the four days.

With a challenging International Stairway class, which allows British Show Jumping to monitor up and coming riders and horses, a vibrant top class show jumping section, seven championship Final classes and a total prize fund of £45,000, the Royal Highland is undoubtedly Scotland’s premier equestrian event.

An agricultural shop window With the vast majority of manufacturers, dealers and specialists from across the agricultural sector represented at the Show, the professional farmer has a unique opportunity to review the latest releases and developments.

Over the four days of the Highland, visitors will get to explore the complete range

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of modern farm equipment, machinery and techniques, and get up to the minute and relevant advice and support from over 300 agri-businesses.

The place to do business The Royal Highland, as well as playing a significant role in supporting the Scottish agricultural industry, also has a much wider impact on the Scottish economy generally, generating almost ÂŁ47.1 million in 2014. However, the Show is not only economically important; it plays a key role as a forum to highlight and discuss some of the crucial issues in politics today.

2014 saw top figures involved in the Scottish Referendum using the event as opportunity to market their manifestos and in 2015, the Show will come just over a month after the General Election.

Grass roots learning This year over 30,000 children are expected to visit the Royal

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Royal Highland Show 2015 Highland Show where The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) is providing free interactive activities for school groups and the public at the Discovery Centre.

With the help of RHET coordinators and volunteers, there will be ten interactive sessions a day and on the menu will be cooking, baking, seafood tasting and science experiments.

Retail therapy The Show brings together a

unique ‘High Street’ experience to the showground; a saunter into one of the many shopping arcades will offer everything from luxury fashions, home wares, arts, crafts and gardening. Showgoers will have the chance to pick up the latest country styles or take home a piece of rural life.

The Royal Highland Show, this summer’s most surprising event - takes place at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh from Thursday, June 18 to Sunday, June 21.

The Countryside Area

Anyone with an interest in rural life shouldn’t miss out on a visit to the Show’s Countryside Area.

Nestled in the north west corner of the showground – with its very own loch - it’s a great way for visitors to try their hand at the huge variety of sports and countryside pursuits that can be enjoyed in Scotland, from fly-casting and Gun Dog demonstrations to the famous duck herding team and basket weaving demonstrations.

The Countryside area is the Show’s focal point for celebrating our superb rural heritage.

Visitors to the area can enjoy the area’s associated trade stands.

Why not take the opportunity to get dressed for the countryside or equip yourself for shooting, fishing or walking? For stay at home types, a nice etching or painting will bring the rural scene right into your living room!

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Whether actively involved or just curious, Show visitors will find plenty of action and entertainment in this scenically landscaped area just adjacent to the West Gate of the showground.

Many of the regular Countryside Area favourites, such as the Drakes of Hazard and Elite Falconry, will be returning to demonstrate their skills in the main arena, as will Sealpin Gundogs, who are attending for the first time this year.

On the loch, experts will show how to tempt that elusive trout or salmon to take the fly.

An all-action part of the showground is the Forestry area, which showcases everything from chainsaw carving, horse logging and the hugely popular climbing of the 110ft poles.

Interested in traditional crafts? Then the place to head to is the Handcrafts Pavilion to see the very best of spinning, weaving, dyeing, lace making and many other techniques.

Knitting is back in vogue so hone your skills by speaking to the experts. Also expect to see an amazing selection of shepherds’ crooks and walking sticks as well as demonstrations twice daily from basketry to origami.

The Countryside Area also hosts the Honey Marquee where there’s everything you need to know about bee-keeping.

So set down your tartan rugs and make yourself comfy… we’ll see you by the loch!

Royal Highland Show 2015

Scotland’s Larder “LIVE” This year sees the launch of Scotland’s Larder Live! at the Royal Highland Show.

Showcasing a diverse range of quality Scottish farmed produce it will be a live, experiential food show, promoting and celebrating our Scottish food provenance, regionality and seasonality.

Show Manager, David Jackson, explains: “42% of visitors come to the Royal Highland Show for our food and drink. This year we want to appeal to and attract a new and bigger urban consumer audience by developing and growing our food and drink offering whilst remaining true to our core values.

The Royal Highland is the only food event in Scotland that links together the farmer, the food producer - sometimes one and the same with farm diversification and the consumer - and Scotland’s Larder Live! is the ideal way to highlight this. With over 100 food and drink producers from across Scotland as well as the rest of the UK and Ireland, it certainly will be a showstopper”.

The event will ambitiously reposition and refresh the Food Hall, build interactivity and visitor engagement and align with the main consumer message of

‘farming equals food’, bringing it to life. It will be a lively, stimulating, informative and interactive area full of the smells, sights and tastes of Scotland.

The Cookery Theatre will have a theatrical element, with chefs being challenged to whip up a dish against the clock. Tastings and talks will feature some of our finest producers and plenty of audience

engagement and participation.

Follow the clues around the event and enter the Scotland’s Larder Live! competition to win a selection of goodies from some of Scotland’s top producers. All this and more – Scotland’s Larder Live! is not to be missed.

David concludes: “This year is the perfect year to launch Scotland’s Larder Live! as

2015 is the ‘Year of Food and Drink’, a Scottish Government initiative led by EventScotland and VisitScotland. It spotlights, celebrates and promotes our wonderful natural larder and the quality of our produce, both to the Scottish people and to our visitors; the iconic Royal Highland Show is the ideal event at which to promote this”.

Livestock The Royal Highland Show’s biggest attraction is, without doubt, the livestock. More than 5,000 of the finest cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and poultry, will be heading to the showground for the four-day event in June.

The Highland Hall will cater for almost 1000 beef and dairy cattle and just shy of 1900 sheep will fill the five marquee sections located in the north of the showground.

Exhibitors from the length and breadth of the UK will be arriving from the Monday of show week to settle their animals prior to the four-day event starting Thursday 19th June.

We caught up with two of them 52

to find out how they prepare for the biggest event in the country’s calendar…

Sleigh Family Set for 6th Generation of Highland Livestock Exhibitors The Sleigh family from Fyvie in Aberdeenshire run a mixed farm that includes crops, suckler cows and the finishing and lambing of ewes. They also have a renewables business on the farm comprising of seven wind turbines, with other projects in planning. Their Shetland pony stud, Wells Stud, is at St Johns Wells, also in Fyvie was founded

by John P Sleigh, in 1901.

The current family consists of grandmother Ann (wife of late Harry C Sleigh), her sons Harry S Sleigh and John, Harry’s wife Wendy, their sons Harry Jnr and Stewart and John’s wife Sarah and their sons Jack and Harvey.

The Sleigh family’s association with the Royal Highland Show started with John Sleigh 157 years ago in 1858 and the family has showed continuously since the 1870’s. Great-great-grandfather, John P Sleigh, first won with his Clydesdale mares in 1897 when it was Glasgow’s turn to host the Show.

The family also has had a long association with the Royal

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Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS).

John P Sleigh, greatgrandfather, Harry P Sleigh (a past Sir William Young Award winner), and grandfather, Harry C Sleigh, have all been RHASS Directors and Royal Highland Show judges & champions. Great uncle, Jack Sleigh, was on the RHASS Presidential team.

In total, the family have won eight North Country Cheviot Championships, one half-bred champion, 35 Shetland Pony Championships and many Clydesdale Championships, both male and female.

Royal Highland Show 2015 At the 2014 Highland, the family continued its success in livestock showing when its 5th and current showing generation won the Championship with two-year-old Shetland filly, Wells Vitesse. Harry S Sleigh, said: “This win meant so much to me as our family tradition was carried on into another generation; it was one of the most special days in my life.”

The Sleigh family is a staunch supporter of the Highland and believes it is an important place to achieve a win.

“The Royal Highland Show is the most prestigious Show in the country’s agricultural circuit, if not the world. It is undoubtedly the must win”, Harry explained.

Taking home the trophy is down to a variety of factors, though.

Harry said “Last year our success was as a result of a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck, but the harder we work the luckier we seem to get!”

When asked about how the Sleigh’s prepare to show at the Highland, Harry explained, “We start preparing in August, but after the judges announcement in the New Year we will pick out our final show team. Days of preparation work by all the family goes into the ponies leading up to the Show and we’re lucky to have the sprinkling of stardust we call Emma Jamieson to show our ponies.”

In 2014 the Sleigh’s won the John Miller Perpetual Challenge Trophy, which Harry described as “a tremendous achievement for Team Wells”. He added, “To be recognised by the RHS livestock team, the RHASS directors, stewards and Mr Jimmy Muir, heavy horse convenor…wow… a huge honour! Emma and the boys said they’d never seen me speechless before!”

When asked about the family’s favourite aspect of the Highland, and what sets it apart from other shows, Harry answered, “The camaraderie. That along with

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Show success for the Sleigh family

the atmosphere and meeting old friends we only see once a year. It is an event not replicated anywhere else.”

The 2015 Show might be the year the 6th generation starts their Highland careers, with Harry hoping that his sons, Harry Jnr and Stewart, will step into the RHS show ring for the first time. We think it’s safe to say they have a bright showing career in front of them. After all, the Highland’s in their blood.

MacGregors are in full bloom for this year’s Highland I work at home on our family farm, Allanfauld, in Kilsyth, with my parents Libby and Archie and my wife Bryony, who is a music teacher. I am the only boy in a family of five, with one younger and three older sisters. We are all involved in farming – my sisters’ partners are all farmers or stockmen and my wife is from a farm on Orkney.

We also make stabling for horses.

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Another winner for the MacGregors

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Farming has been in the family for generations and we’ve owned Allanfauld since my greatgrandfather came here in 1926.

I now farm at home along with my Dad and our shepherd, David Kinloch.

I knew from a really young age that I wanted to be a farmer – I was always particularly keen on the pedigree stock. Apparently when I was young, I followed Dad about, asking him an endless amount of questions and the only books I was interested in were Blackface journals!

I’ve attended the Royal Highland Show every year since I was born – Mum always took us with her. Dad first showed there in 1980 and I think I started helping him show Blackface sheep in the mid-1990s, when I was about 12.

In terms of exhibition preparation, we start the ball rolling about November time.

We start by selecting any cattle or sheep that will potentially be

Royal Highland Show 2015 entered for the Show so that we can manage them slightly different from the other stock. Once we’ve finished up with lambing, we start halter training the cattle in early May. We then take them to a few local shows to get them used to the show ring and the public. With the sheep, the main focus is making sure that they are in full bloom for the Highland, so we wouldn’t normally show them beforehand.

We’ve won with the Blackies three times and the Limousins once, and we’ve been placed reserve in the Charolais and Commercial cattle sections.

Winning your section at the Highland is a huge achievement; in fact, winning a ticket in your section is an achievement in itself.

The Highland is a showcase for the best livestock in the country.

To compete successfully, against such strong competition, makes all the hard work worthwhile, and from a marketing point of view, it’s a great advertisement for the stock.

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We attend most of our local shows – Drymen, Campsie, Stirling and Doune & Dunblane – but the Highland is in a league of its own. It has a stronger level of competition; the social side of the event is great and then there is the crowd, all of which give it a brilliant atmosphere.

The social aspect of the Highland is probably my favourite part of the show, aside from exhibiting. It’s a chance to meet up and mingle with friends and fellow exhibitors, some of which you only see each year at Ingliston.

I also look forward to getting a look round the other cattle and sheep in my sections. I’m hugely enthusiastic about the bloodlines of all the different breeds we breed at home. It’s a good chance to get a look at what’s breeding well, and what’s not.

With regards to what’s new for us at this year’s Show, I will be training the Clyde and Central Young Farmers’ stock judging team. Other than that, it’s my first year attending as a married man!

Quality Meat Scotland at RHS

The Royal Highland Show offers a great opportunity for our industry to showcase all the work, skills and dedication which goes into the production of Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork.

The Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) team have developed a packed programme of activities on our stand at the show this year, from cookery and butchery demonstrations to health and education activities to ensure that this opportunity is maximised.

This year is the 25th anniversary of the QMS Quality Assurance schemes. Scottish farmers were global pioneers of quality assurance and there is no doubt about the value to Scottish livestock producers of having strong brands supported by robust quality assurance schemes. Visitors to the QMS stand will be able to view cattle, sheep and pigs housed on the stand and hear directly from stockmen about the high standards involved in their production and about the wide range of career opportunities our industry offers.

With 2015 being the Year of Food and Drink, QMS will be showcasing in its cookery theatre how versatile Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork are to cook with.

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With the theme ‘Quick and Easy Family Food’ Lady Claire Macdonald will hold drop in cookery demonstrations on Thursday and Friday to highlight some healthy and affordable meals that busy parents can quickly rustle up and that the whole family will love. Chef Jacqueline O’Donnell will take over the reins at the weekend and continue the theme in her free cookery demonstrations throughout Saturday and Sunday.

In addition to our demonstration chefs, there will be a Ready Steady Cook style competition on Saturday where well know faces from the farming sector will battle it out against the clock, creating delicious dishes in just 45 minutes. But we are keeping their identities under wraps until nearer the time!

Visitors to the stand will also be able to see a line-up of awardwinning butchers demonstrate their skills with Douglas Scott, chief executive of the Scottish Federation of Meat Traders Associations, providing a lively commentary.

As always, a team of Scotch Beef brand ambassadors will be giving away goodie bags filled with tempting recipes (you’ll find more at www. scotchbeefandlamb.com) and

Royal Highland Show 2015 there will also be the chance to win the much sought after limited edition Royal Highland Show 2015 Scotch Beef t-shirts.

Over in the Discovery Centre, QMS will be working in partnership with the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) to deliver a Scotch Beef Children’s Cookery Theatre. The stand, which will be manned by our education and education staff, will help promote the role of red meat as part of a healthy balanced diet. Over 1000 children will have a chance to cook simple, nutritious dishes with beef, pork and lamb over the four days of the show As well as levy payers, we also welcome numerous officials, and politicians and representatives from the retail sectors to the stand during show week to promote the red meat sector and the iconic Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI and Specially Selected Pork brands.

Equestrian events By any standards the Royal Highland Show is the greatest annual equestrian event in Scotland and can justifiably claim to rate among the best in Britain. Its four-day programme provides a wide variety of classes to suit all tastes and not only does it attract the best competition from North of the Border but it increasingly is attracting major competitors from the South.

It’s hard to believe that the huge expanse of Ingliston has difficulty accommodating its equestrian population however visitors will soon find out that every available ring is busy over the Show’s duration, temporary stabling has to spill out into the lorry park and specialist trade stands huddle together adjacent to the Horse Ring.

First day of ‘The Highland’ is traditionally given over to our own Scottish native breeds of horses and ponies, namely Clydesdale, Highland and Shetland, all of which vie for the championship tickets for their individual breeds, particularly the Clydesdales females who

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battle it out for the coveted Cawdor Cup. They create a wonderful and unique spectacle in the Main Ring, which later in the week hosts the Heavy Horse driving competitions, unquestionably among the best in Britain. What a marvellous sight they make.

Royal Highland Show 2015 If they set hearts racing, so too the show jumping classes which provide exciting Main Ring entertainment at the highest level. With Britain’s top riders fighting it out for top class prize money, home-grown talent such as reigning World Champion, Scott Brash, and local girl, former European Junior Riders Champion, Jemma Kirk, make sure the June date is in their busy diaries of competition abroad. With adults and juniors in abundance, there are many more riders to cheer on in the Scottish Championship classes as well as the Grand Prix.

The breeding of livestock is one of the mainstays of any agricultural show and the ‘Royal Highland’ is no exception.

The extensive range of breeds and types competing provide a showcase for exhibitors from home and further afield. At midday on Friday, the Main Ring brings together the very best

on show for such prestigious awards as the St John Wells, Sanderson and Waxwing Trophies.

Across the Show there is quality as well as quantity, no doubt boosted by qualifying tickets on offer for the prestigious Horse of the Year Show held later in the year at Birmingham. Over the years, the showing classes have benefited including the Ridden and Working Hunters where the soft lilt of the Irish tongue can be picked out among the competitors. Mountain and Moorland ponies, the native breeds developed in Britain over centuries, are to be found in unprecedented numbers in disciplines catering for all ages; they even have their own classes within the extensive driving section.

Children’s riding ponies, staged over the weekend, are also well represented particularly the working hunter

ponies whose winners last year went on to head the line-up at the Horse of the Year Show.

Without doubt there’s much to see and enjoy among the

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many hundreds of horses and ponies at the Royal Highland Show. It’s true what that they, “There’s something for everyone.”

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Royal Highland Show 2015

Machinery at the show With a total economic impact of around £47.1m in 2014, the Royal Highland Show is a hugely important event at which to do business, and what showgoer can resist the lure of “The Big Machines”? The Show’s agribusiness area attracts all the major agricultural machinery manufacturers and has an estimated 72 million pounds worth of machinery on display each year.

Alasdair Straker, Business Development Manager at BAGMA, talks to us about the industry and the part the Royal Highland Show plays in it…

“The British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association, is the trade association body for garden machinery and agricultural machinery dealers and is a division of bira The British Independent Retailers Association.

The UK’s agricultural machinery dealers represent a

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turnover in machinery sales and servicing of around £1.9 billion per annum with a further £2 billion in exports from both manufacturers and dealers.

BAGMA supports its members at shows and in particular is pleased to be associated with the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland and the Royal Highland Show at Ingliston in June each year. The event attracts a large number of machinery exhibitors who are supported by their respective suppliers and machinery takes up around a third of the available show ground space with over 280 machinery and related exhibitors in this section alone.

What this creates is a ‘one stop shopping experience’ for anyone involved in agriculture and provides a great day out for all the family who can enjoy the diverse attractions of the show whilst business is conducted as required.

It is a unique opportunity to view all that is on offer for farmers, horticulturalists, gardeners and retailers in one, great big event.

Walking through the machinery lines to discover what is new and how technology has advanced and how it can improve productivity is a great way to evaluate what a business may need to consider in the future.

The rapid advancement of technology that has created precision farming techniques will be on display incorporated in machinery or stand-alone demonstration units. Just for the sake of a short walk it is easy to

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cover a number of competing brands at a glance and hone in on what may be better for a particular type of business. Manufacturer’s representatives and experts work alongside local dealers on the stands so deals can be discussed over a cup of tea and a bite to eat and revisited during the show to be followed up later while family members enjoy the fun of the rest of the show.

For those seeking careers in agriculture, from the very young upwards, there is the opportunity to talk to the various training organisations at the Show, the colleges and the suppliers who may be running apprenticeship schemes or indeed local dealers who may be looking for new staff members.

It is an opportunity not to be missed and it is unquestionably a Great Day Out for all the family and can be concluded in the evening with a social get together to unwind and discuss the day’s events in one of the many refreshment areas on the show ground.

You can find BAGMA in the machinery section and we will be happy to chat to you about your interests in agricultural or garden machinery. We look forward to seeing you at one of Europe’s largest agricultural shows, celebrating the best of farming, food and rural life”.

Royal Highland Show 2015

President’s Initiative 2015 Stirling Area to lead the way in improving rural connections

Lord Forsyth

Until locating to its permanent home at Ingliston in 1960, the Royal Highland Show moved around Scotland and it was the responsibility of a RHASS region to organise that year’s Show. If this had continued then the Stirling area, which stretches from the Forth Valley across to the Trossachs, would have been this year’s hosts.

The last Show hosted by this region was held in Alloa in 1953.

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Each year, to commemorate this heritage, the “President’s Initiative” is organised by the nominated region and this year the Stirling area has chosen to focus on communications.

Led by this year’s President, The Rt Hon Lord Forsyth, the 2015 President’s Initiative will aim to engage with the UK’s largest communications businesses to highlight the situation of rural communities with poor

telecommunications services that essentially exclude them from the opportunities associated with high speed broadband. The Presidential Team will be working hard to create an influential campaign that will make a sustainable positive impact on rural living.

Lord Forsyth tell us more…

‘Let's get Digital’ is the message from this year’s Presidential team.

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For our members in this 21st century age of revolutionary technological change, getting fast broadband and decent mobile phone coverage is as vital as being hooked up to mains electricity was in the last century.

Government departments, HMRC, banking, financial services and every day retail transactions increasingly assume good access to the Internet. If coverage is unreliable or non existent you are at a huge disadvantage.

Everyone, farmers, vets, tradesmen, doctors, teachers, students and hoteliers face added costs and inefficiency in a communications black spot. The future of our rural communities and the quality of life hangs on being able to participate in this digital revolution.

The Scottish Government and Digital Scotland are on to this and we need to work with them and a host of innovative organisations to get our membership connected.

In doing so we will be following in the footsteps of the folk who had the vision to establish the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland.

Our founders in the 18th Century were focused on

Royal Highland Show 2015 getting roads and bridges built to ensure easy access to markets and establish viable towns and villages throughout rural Scotland. The Highlands had already shown the way forwards thanks to General Wade’s efforts. The improved roads created economic growth and enabled people to get together more easily to share ideas and look beyond local markets.

Today we have the opportunity for a leap forward that dwarfs the impact of the Society's efforts more than 250 years ago as fibre cable and hilltop aerials are the gateways to global markets, education and innovation. Of course all of this will take time but we can make a start by bringing the movers and shakers of the industry and Government together for a seminar with our membership at the Royal Highland Show. The Chairman of BT, Digital Scotland, O2

and the Secretary of State for Media and Culture have already agreed to come. We can identify what needs to done but more importantly how we can get on with it.

The Show will enhance its mobile coverage so that visitors can pay quickly online to exhibitors and find their way round with an app that they can download to their smart phones.

In the Forth Valley we will be getting our membership database up to date to improve our email communications. Headquarters too will be embracing digital.

Just think how much money and trees could be saved with online agendas for meetings and how much easier it would be for membership participation if meetings could be held online instead of in Edinburgh.

There is much to do and RHASS is well placed as so often in its history to give a lead and speak up for rural Scotland.

SAYFC plan another busy show

The Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs’ is not just for 14 to 30 year olds who work in or come from the agricultural sector and therefore it is a credit to the association that they continue to offer a varying programme to suit all interests.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs’ is continuing to see an increase in their membership, recently announcing a growth of 8% over the last twelve months.

This is no more evident than at Royal Highland Show, which this year will see SAYFC focus on highlighting the many opportunities they offer rural youth in Scotland. The four day event will see members turn out in the hundreds to be part of one

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of Scotland’s most prestigious events. Clubs and districts who took part in the art and craft competition the weekend prior will be keen to see who was awarded the top prizes as the doors to the Young Farmers Centre open on Thursday. This year’s theme for the seniors “Young Farmers of Today” asked members to put together an iPad/ tablet cover, National Young Farmers hoodie and a caricature of Scott Wilson, SAYFC’s National Chairman. Whilst for the juniors “At the Races” was all about the accessories you need on the day including a fascinator, clutch bag and floral display incorporating a horseshoe. For those who took part in Catwalk Couture, a fitted Ladies boiler suit will be evaluated for colour,

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Royal Highland Show 2015

material and style. “A Splash of Colour” judged by the team from BBC Landward represents this year’s Photography Competition, looking for shots that capture the essence of the theme and highlights moments memorable to the photographer.

Last year saw the introduction of a Craftsmanship Competition allowing members to use their carpentry and welding skills to produce a final product. Back for 2015, the freestanding bird table entries will occupy some of the centre varying in size, shape and material. And that is all before the live competitions begin...

Outside, the YF Bake Off supported by Scotmid will be taking centre stage as members, supporters and key characters from the agricultural sector don an apron and put their cooking skills to the test to see whose scones rise the best, which individual has a decorative flair and which champion can produce the tastiest muffins. In 64

between these fun competitions, the National Ready Steady Country Cook competition will welcome the finalists from the East, West and North to use some of Scotland’s finest ingredients to produce a final dish that will be judged for flavour and creativity.

Over in the Macrobert Theatre clean cuts and smooth strokes will be required in order to take home the Sheep Shearing Trophy. This is something that has been of importance to the association in recent months with the BWMB providing training courses for in-experienced members so they gain a better understanding of the correct skills required to support them when working with their own stock.

The Farming Challenge supported by RHASS will increase from six to ten activities this year using items and scenarios that could be found on the farm to stretch the imagination of those who take to

the cattle ring to compete. The three teams will be representing each of SAYFC’s regions (East, West and North) so there is sure to be plenty of rivalry.

The Stockmanship Programme sponsored by Harbro continues to be one of the highlights of the show with members of all ages coming together to grade stock after months of practice. In the dairy category breeds will include Jersey and Ayrshire, for the beef Limison and Blonde D’Aquataine and for the sheep Texel and Bluefaced Leicester. Last year SAYFC second youngest winner nineteen year old Ewan Orr of Biggar YFC picked up the trophy for Stockman of the Year – who will follow in his footsteps?

And of course the weekend would not be complete without the atmospheric Tug of War supported by Hoggs of Fife. As spectators cheer and provide encouragement, members dig in their heels and drive as one to bring the opposition over the half way line. Come rain or shine this event draws the crowds and displays the passion of Young Farmers.

As a member-led organisation, SAYFC continues to listen to its members and bring in new competitions and initiatives to meet their demands. This year’s Royal Highland Show will see their National Prime Lamb Dressing take place on the Sunday instead of later in the year, fitting for one of the UK’s highest regarded livestock shows.

There will also be a bigger focus on past members, with

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their alumni Friends of Young Farmers offering a free Young Farmers Cookbook worth £10 to every individual who signs up during the weekend. The opportunity to stay connected with members past and present is something that will continue to be enhanced and a reception on the Friday will provide an ideal platform to share memories.

We shouldn’t forget the Young Farmers Centre itself which transforms into a hive of activity with information and photographs. This year a wall dedicated to National, Regional and District office bearers will allow names to be put to faces, an interactive new members area will highlight where clubs are located and how to join, and the main wall will showcase activity from the last year with future opportunities. This will include training, international travel, agri and rural affairs, competitions and events to name just four topics.

And if the weekend isn’t already exciting enough, the association will use it as a platform to launch some of their new communications tools such as instructional videos and better online accessibility with interactive elements.

Head along to the Young Farmers centre to find out more and become part of SAYFC, one of the largest rural youth movements in Scotland – whether this is as member, supporter, friend or family there will something to interest you all.

Royal Highland Show 2015

RHS Celebrates 175th Anniversary with Heilan Coos The Royal Highland Show first opened its doors in 1822 at Edinburgh’s Canongate, on the site of what is now the Scottish Parliament. Since its humble beginnings, the Show has grown to become the biggest event in the UK’s rural calendar, showcasing the best of farming, food and rural life.

And this year it celebrates its 175th anniversary.

To mark this historic occasion, the Royal Highland Show has commissioned one of the Society’s artisan blacksmiths, Kevin Paxton, to reinvent the show’s iconic

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Highland Cow and create 175 limited edition mild steel ‘Heilan Coos’. The first is being presented to the Royal Family as Patrons of the show and the remaining 174 will be available to purchase.

And if a 3ft coo is just a little too large for your living room, several silver gilt versions have been commissioned too, which the Show’s trophy maker, Hamilton & Inches, are creating specially.

If you are interested in purchasing the Heilan Coos please contact us on 0131 335 6200.

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Royal Highland Show 2015

European Commissioner to attend Royal Highland Show Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead confirmed in April that the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan, has accepted his invitation to attend this year’s Royal Highland Show.

He said: “I’m delighted that Commissioner Hogan will be attending the 175th Royal Highland Show in June as a guest of the Scottish Government.

“The Royal Highland Show is the UK’s best agricultural show – it’s a booming business hub each year and as such contributes £47.1 million to the Scottish economy.

Commissioner Hogan will have the chance to meet farmers and producers and find out more about their livestock and services.

“This visit will be a good opportunity for the Commissioner to meet with farmers at first-hand and hear about some of the big issues around CAP implementation, and I look forward to working with the Commissioner Hogan on his simplification agenda in line with Brian Pack's recommendations.

“Not only that but the Commissioner will get to sample some of Scotland’s finest products in The Food Hall – our fantastic natural larder gives us some of the best, freshest and tastiest produce in the world and I’m confident he will enjoy what we will have on offer, which I’m sure will be spectacular given that we are celebrating the Year of Food and Drink in Scotland.”

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead

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Royal Highland Show 2015

A look at some of this years exhibitors Abbey Machinery

Abbey Machinery is one of Ireland’s largest manufacturers of agricultural equipment.

It was established by the Cavanagh family in 1947, a family which has a tradition in agricultural engineering dating back to the 19th Century. Abbey machinery manufacturers a wide range of agricultural machines which include slurry and manure handling equipment, grassland management equipment and a range of animal feeding equipment.

After five years in the planning Abbey Machinery has commenced manufacturing out of its new facility in Toomevara, Co. Tipperary.

Although this is not the first time Abbey machinery has moved operations throughout their 67 year history, this will be the third such site which they have operated out of after outgrowing their previous two sites. The new facility is on a 30acre site to allow capability for further future growth. The site allows greater flexibility with machine testing and evaluation; it also enables Abbey machinery to achieve their target of becoming a Centre of Excellence for machinery manufacturing & engineering, further building on the trust that generations of farmers have placed in Abbey products.

The new site provides enhanced facilities to host both local and international customer visits, enabling them to share in Abbey Machinery’s passion for farming and farm equipment.

It also provides several new production lines and will boast a host of new features and equipment including, enhanced laser and plasma cutting facilities, automated robotic welding and a new state-of-the-art sand blasting and paint plant. The new premises will also provide an extra 35% warehouse capacity for Abbeys Machinery Q Parts business enabling increased levels of service to their growing global customer base.

Although the move did not happen overnight the transition to the new manufacturing plant started back in July 2014 with the move of the diet feeder and side spreader lines.

Agrico

Specialist potato breeder and seed supplier Agrico UK Ltd are exhibiting at the Royal Highland Show again this year. Located on Avenue H, they will be showcasing their latest potato varieties and welcome the chance to discuss your potato needs.

It is a busy time for the business with a series of projects

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Royal Highland Show 2015 currently on the go including the integration of the international guidance document ‘ISO 26000’ on social responsibility. Leading this project is Dr. Adam Chivers, who Agrico recently employed with the specific task of meeting the priciples of this best practice document.

The document provides guidance on how an organisation can operate and develop in a sustainable manner by addressing factors which relate to the environment, the economy, and society. This means that Agrico will identify potential areas for improvement, such as labour practices, its impact on the environment (waste, pollution, and recycling), fair operating practices, and community involvement and development. The aim will be to ensure that all Agrico activities are undertaken in a socially responsible manner and to make sure that social responsibility is an integral part of their activities.

Dr. Chivers explains further…

“The integration of ISO 26000 will be an ongoing process, and

after identifying areas where Agrico can improve, will involve an effective and open dialogue with our growers, customers, and employees to ensure that Agrico continue to operate in a responsible, transparent, accountable and ethical manner in line with international standards for conduct.

Alo UK

With investment in machinery a major decision for many farmers this time of year, Alo are keen to pass on savings to the farmer, and have announced spring offers, including a free customer upgrade worth £500.

“We’re pleased to be passing on some fantastic deals

to the end-user, and hopefully making the decision to invest slightly easier, this spring” says managing director, Neil Forknall.

“Available until the end of June 2015, we’re offering a free LCS EasyDrive control system, worth £500, to purchasers buying a Quicke® or Trima® loader package.”

The LCS EasyDrive is a unique and pioneering control system that enables the front loader to be controlled by an easy to operate thumb joystick, providing attractive advantages, including improved precision, speed and productivity.

Neil adds that costeffective and productive harvest machinery is vital during harvest time. “It’s no secret that the best machinery offers attractive benefits. It’s a reliable way to get more from your tractor.”

Contact Alo UK on: 08081 564 977, or visit quickeandtrimaoffers. com to access details and register for this promotion. Only available while stocks last.

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Amazone

Amazone will take the opportunity at this year’s Highland Show to introduce the new AD-P C Super grain and fertiliser power harrow/ drill combination. Available in rigid execution 3.0 m and 4.0 m working widths and based on the existing well-known AD-P Super, it is designated the C due to its split 2,000 litre hopper which individually meters both fertiliser and seed down to a single entry coulter. The coulter can be either RoTeC or RoTeC+ depending on soil type and forward speed. If necessary, and for where drilling are being used for higher application rates, the fertiliser can be placed down a second entry pipe behind the main

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Royal Highland Show 2015 sowing coulter. The twin tanks are each equipped with an electric metering drive, both of which are calibrated separately at the press of a button from the tractor seat, thus ensuring the accuracy of the seed and fertiliser rates applied.

Individual control of both the fertiliser and seed rate is possible on the move and one tank can be run through a GPS-linked variable rate map for site-specific, precision farming applications.

The twin heads, and so also including the fertiliser side, are both equipped with a tramline system that automatically reduces the seed and fertiliser rates when tramlining to avoid any over-application. And, with the option of GPS-Switch, then utilising the automatic headland shut-off system for seed drills is also possible for both tanks as well. The ability to tramline on both tanks means that for autumn cereals, or crops in the spring where no fertiliser is necessary, then both tanks can be used simultaneously to increase the flexibility and maximise outputs.

You can see the machine in the flesh at the Amazone stand on Avenue T BD Supplies B D Supplies specialise in hoof trimming equipment offering a wide range of goods from knife sharpening stones at £4 up to chutes at £30,000+.

The KVK Hoof Trimming Chutes we supply are manufactured in Denmark. The crate has been designed to offer the optimum working posture for the trimmer and minimum discomfort for the livestock. Livestock with correctly trimmed hooves are healthy and strong.

The Hydraulic lift adjusts the chutes working height. It comes standard with effective light sources at all working sites and hoof support plates to hold the foot rigid to enable safe trimming for both trimmer and cow.

The KVK Hoof trimming crate has been bought into the market to make hoof trimming an easier and more enjoyable experience.

Checking hooves regularly and

trimming as necessary ensures optimum comfort and yield.

The KVK Hoof trimming Chute has been awarded A Silver Award at the 2013 Royal Highland Show for Technical Innovation and was a Finalist in the Livestock, Machinery and Equipment Award at the 2014 Livestock Event.

A major problem on farms is Digital Dermatitis and control is a serious issue. B D Supplies offers Intracare Repiderma Spray, an antibiotic free spray manufactured to tackle dermatitis.

Intra Repiderma is a skin care product where the active ingredients are chelated minerals which can be absorbed easily by the skin.

Because of this, Intra Repiderma is not only active on the skin but also under and within the skin.

B D Supplies has extended its business in recent years to include Biomass Wood Heating pellets offering bagged deliveries in and around the Perthshire/Fife/Angus area. This year they have extended their supply to offer bulk deliveries to the domestic market in upto 9 tonne loads. Purchasing a tanker purposely built to deliver wood pellets at their optimum condition.

Bomford Turner Following the development by BOMFORD of the VARIABLE FORWARD ARM (VFA) concept for arm mowers in 2013, and its initial introduction on the larger FALCON, the range has now been increased with a new VFA version of the HAWK, which will be on display athe Highland Show.

Unlike conventional arm mowers that have a rigid arm design that only allows the arm and head to move at 90 degrees to the tractor, the VFA concept incorporates a unique new parallel linkage system that enables the arm to be moved backward and forward parallel to the tractor.

The HAWK VFA will initially be available in a 6.0m reach version and the design of the parallel linkage system means that in addition to altering the reach of the mowing head, from a position alongside the cab the mowing head can also be moved forward and back over a total traverse of almost 2.3 metres.

The ability to move the mowing head forward and back, gives the operator the flexibility

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to position the mowing head alongside the tractor that suits him best for optimum visibility.

Also, when an obstacle such as a road sign is reached the arm can be easily moved around the obstacle, without needing to shuttle the tractor backwards and forwards.

The HAWK VFA is carried on the tractor’s three-point linkage, which allows the mower to be quickly and easily removed, so that the tractor can be used for other jobs, but is optionally available with axle mounting.

The standard specification also includes an independent hydraulic system for the mowing head, powered by a twin, gear type pump developing 74hp for consistent cutting power.

Following the successful reintroduction after many years of the DYNA DRIVE at LAMMA , BOMFORD will also be displaying for the first time a new 5.0m wide version at this year’s show.

Bryce Post Drivers

As is the norm Bryce will be featuring upgrades to existing machines - plus the introduction of something different.

Over the years Bryce have won countless prestigious Awards for their post drivers, and now with a proven formula for high performance and durability, the focus is on producing post drivers that are as near bombproof as possible. Like everything in agriculture nowadays, performance and output is the key to moving forward with efficiency. Good labour is scarce so getting more done in the shortest time with less man hours available is what it is all about. Jock says “ today we have sprayers with 40mt booms and hill men need livestock handling systems that allow high throughput of animals with speed, safety and efficiency, and that’s what we are doing with Bryce post drivers.”

Bryce have post drivers now that will drive strainers in hard ground

Royal Highland Show 2015 in less than 60 seconds and press stobs in rather than hit them with multiple strokes of the hammer.

Not only are these machines much quicker but they reduce wear and tear, as bigger hammers mean less strokes which of course means less wear.

One-man tracked machines are increasing in popularity amongst the contractor sector and there will come a time when these 2nd hand units will find their way into farmers’ hands. “Everyone is looking for ways of making the job easier - but only if it doesn’t give you grief” Jock adds. It’s easy in today’s hi-tech world to get sucked into electronics and the like. That costs more money and then the big reliability factor kicks in when you may be left high and dry in the middle of nowhere with a dysfunctional machine – going down that route isn’t in the mindset of Bryce.

Caltech Crystalyx

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With so many different feed blocks and mineral buckets on the market, it is often difficult to determine which product offers the best value in terms of product cost and livestock performance.

At Crystalyx we are confident that our product range gives livestock the opportunity to perform at their very best and in turn offer significant financial rewards to livestock farmers.

The confidence in Crystalyx products comes from the extensive research that has been carried out on our products over the last 20 years.

Crystalyx has been trialled at some of the finest agricultural institutes in the world, such as Kansas State University, Newcastle University, University of Hannover and Aberystwyth University to name but a few. It is this independent research that has confirmed the benefits of feeding Crystalyx to all classes of livestock and which allows livestock farmers to put their trust in Crystalyx products.

The success of Crystalyx blocks now means that they are sold in over 20 countries around the world, and give supplementation to the diets of tens of millions of cattle and sheep across the globe. It is the unique patented manufacturing process Crystalyx uses that allows for such a consistent, palatable, high quality product to be produced every batch, every day. Consistent product quality is essential to ensure consistent animal performance on-farm.

Changes in breeding and genetics, means that livestock nutritional requirements are always changing, it is for this reason that many Crystalyx products have been improved. In 2015 the specification of Crystalyx Extra High Energy, Crystalyx Pre Calver, Crystalyx Cattle High-Mag and Crystalyx Easy Breather were altered in line with the latest international research and nutrient intake recommendations.

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Cashels Engineering

Cashels Engineering Ltd is based in the west coast of Ireland. Cashels design and manufacture a broad product range for the Agricultural, Construction and Environmental Sectors. Cashels specialise in the Designing and Manufacturing of Attachments for mounting on the Front / Rear of Agricultural Tractors, Tractor Loaders and Farm Loaders.

Main Products include Single and Double Bale Handlers, Bale Cutters with Film Catcher, Bale Film Carriers, Hydraulic Fork Grabs, Hydraulic Bucket Grabs, Hydraulic Transport Boxes and Carry All’s. Cashels also manufacture High Speed (ADR Certified) Bunded Fuel Bowsers, Mobile Site Bunded Fuel Bowsers, Bunded Shelving Units and Environmental Storage Containers.

Royal Highland Show 2015 Cashels have been in business for 35 years and their Products are Distributed throughout Europe, Australia and New Zealand. While the Cashels brand is relatively new to the UK market, Cashels Products have been sold in the UK under the Major Logo for the past 20 years.

Cashels are now looking to establish their own Dealer Network throughout the United Kingdom. For further information on Cashels Product Range, please visit our Web Site at www.cashels.net C-Dax Systems

ATV City the European Distributor have been distributing C-Dax products for over 15 years.

C-dax pride themselves on providing their customers with innovative, functional and quality products. While they strive to deliver the best possible pricing on a premium product, they never set out to design or build the cheapest product.

They believe that irrespective of where you live in the world, their customers want the best products at the best possible price.

C-dax products are all about point of difference. They have no desire to position their brand in the generic space where everything is built down to a price. The value of a C-dax product is recognised internationally.

C-dax designers are required to spend time in the field in order to understand the operating conditions and the performance standard their products must meet. Their objective is to always exceed the expectations of our customers with their products, service and support. At the end of the day, the last thing they want is to let you the customer down.

C-dax offer not only the safest ATV mounted sprayer in the form of the Sprayrider, which is available in 50 and 80 litre versions, but also offer two different size weedwipers in the form of the Eliminator 2.3m and new 4.3m winged wiper.

If you are looking for a quality product that as the Ronseal quote says “does what it says on the tin” and will last the test of time, then the C-dax Range of Accessories is where you need to spend your hard earned money.

Challenger

This year at the Royal Highland Show, Challenger will showcase its award winning tracked tractor. Challenger’s presence at the show is always a talking point as these gentle giants are renowned for highend power, productivity but

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with low soil compaction economic fuel usage.

At the SIMA show in Paris earlier this year, Challenger’s MT775E was voted as the winner of the Machine of the Year XXL award at the SIMA Show 2015.

One of the most prestigious accolades for tractors incorporating innovative technology and overall performance, the selection was made by 19 independent agricultural journalists representing 17 European countries trade magazines.

Built upon three decades of tracked tractor leadership from Challenger, the MT775E’s 9.8 litre, 7 in-line cylinder Tier 4 Final/ Stage IV engine not only cuts fuel consumption by up to 5%, but also increases the maximum power by 15% to 438hp (56hp more than the MT765D).

Other MT775E highlights include 25% extra engine torque (1921Nm), a 43% increase in hydraulic oil flow (321lit/min), and the 53% larger fuel tank (659-litres) allows operators to spend more time in the field between refills for

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Royal Highland Show 2015 even higher levels of productivity.

The maximum ballasted weight of the tractor has risen 8% from 16,329kg to 17,690kg, and the belt contact area is increased 13% by 4.21m². This all adds up to 157% more for the MT775E when compared to the previous benchmark MT765D tracked tractor.

The presence of this agricultural behemoth at the Royal Highland Show highlights the diverse types of arable farming in the UK and the changing landscape to which Challenger can adapt.

Chief Industries

Chief Industries UK reported a record year for dryer production in 2014, Mark Temple (Global sales) commented that Chief had an exceptional year with

8 dryers being over 250t/h.

Five years of continuous investment, including new CNC machinery, factory expansion and additional personnel have resulted in peak production achieving £1M value of dryers per month in the first quarter of 2014.

With a large quantity of stocked components we can offer reliable, complete deliveries of standard dryers within 5-6 weeks.

The CD range of dryers has been developed to be exceptionally efficient and reliable, offering an extensive list of options to fulfil as many customer and legislative requirements as possible. These include multi-fuel options such as gas & steam, or solid fuel & oil, direct or indirect firing, fire detection & suppression systems, dust suppressions systems, additional silencing, heat recovery, indoor & outdoor, split columns, & stainless steel grain columns.

Our standard range is from

10-300t/h with a specification of fully galvanised bolted construction, pneumatic positive discharger, internal access, externally clad with thermal insulation, Weishaupt digital burners, Schneider PLC and touch screen control panels with remote internet access.

Chief is also delighted to announce their cooperation with Clarke & Sutherland, based in Keith- a very well established manufacturer and contractor to farming & industry- Keith McDonagh (MD) stated, “we are delighted to be representing Chief industries UK in Scotland and looking forward to welcoming future enquiries.”

CHIEF UK will be attending the Royal Highland Show again this year and will be announcing and displaying their new silo, which has been developed to increase the overall silo specification according to euro codes, improve manufacturing efficiency whilst simplifying installation. The silo will be complimented by a full size CD dryer, Marot & Denis cleaners & sweep auger.

mechanism which grips the side walls of each slat and requires no bungs or screws to hold the mat down.

A curved surface on top promotes the animal waste away from the floor creating a dry, clean environment and when the cattle walk on the mats, their weight creates a flat surface to walk upon.

Once the cattle move off the mat it always returns to a curved surface which aids with displacing the waste.

Also, by developing a unique air-cushioned core in the mat, Comfort Slat Mats created “grip” through the cattle’s hoof sinking into the mat.

Since installing Comfort Slat Mats last year, Jim reports his “cattle seem very comfortable” on the mats and has ”a lot less bother with their feet” than previously. He is happy to report that the Comfort Slat Mats have “not moved an inch” since they were installed which was one of Jim’s main concerns with alternative black mats.

Creagh Concrete

Comfort Slat Mats

When Jim Orr, a beef farmer from Berwickshire was researching mats for his new slatted shed, he wanted to get “the best on the market”. A mat that was safe for the animals, long lasting and giving the cattle a soft, dry, clean non-slip floor.

Jim had a look at all the black rubber slat mats on the market, visiting a number of farms, and the one recurring feature he saw was “all the mats come up and/or curl up and expand”. Then a neighbour from Scottish Borders introduced him to COMFORT SLAT MATS. Once he saw the mats in situ, Jim was convinced that Comfort Slat Mats were “the best on the market”.

One unique feature of Comfort Slat Mats, apart from the green colour, is the snap-lock fixing 74

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Creagh Concrete Products Limited, established in 1976, has grown to become one of the largest and most innovative producers of concrete products for a diverse range of market sectors throughout Ireland and the UK. The company operates from its Head Office in Toomebridge, Co Antrim with bases in Hoveringham and Edinburgh. With a number of specialist divisions, one of which is agriculture, the company's core product range is precast and prestressed flooring.

Key agricultural products manufactured by Creagh are pig and sheep slats, cattle gang 6 rib slats along with safety manhole slats and single slats. All concrete slats are designed in accordance with BS 8110 for loads given in BS 5502 and are manufactured to the highest standards improving livestock comfort, standards in animal welfare and ensuring optimum livestock produce results.

Royal Highland Show 2015 Creagh also manufactures cubicles to suit cattle at all stages from young calves to the largest cows. Cubicles are available in various sizes, all of which are portable and suitable for use in existing accommodation or new build houses. Feeders and drinkers are also part of Creagh’s range of agricultural products.

Creagh Concrete’s Prestressed Wall Panels, used as livestock housing, storage bins, grain storage and mushroom houses, are flexible and versatile and suit a wide range of industrial and agricultural buildings. Our teams provide technical and engineering design support to develop the most economic and practical structural solutions for each project.

One of Creagh’s most innovative agricultural products is the Drying Floor used for drying grain, willow or wood chips. The slabs are installed on solid ground an air tunnel is formed and hot air is blown under the slabs and released through mesh strips drying the product above. Another product designed by Creagh Concrete is

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the Scraper Slab flooring system which originated from Holland.

Dal Bo UK

Over the past few years, Dal-Bo, the Danish manufacturer of rolls and seed bed cultivators, has increased its market share of roll sales by some considerable amount.

The range of rolls offered, between 4.5m and 18m is one of the key factors of this success, coupled with the options available that increases its customer appeal.

Two factors play a key part in a customers decision as to his roll purchase: 1) Frame construction and ease of folding, 2) Quality of the ring – the soil engaging part.

It is quite a challenge to achieve a working width of 18m

with a transport width of 3m – Dal-Bo have done it and all from the tractor seat.

When considering the quality of the ring – here Dal-Bo have made big strides with the introduction of the NEW SNOWFLAKE ring – so called because the internal spokes create a snowflake impression as they fully support the outer circumference at every point of soil contact. In areas of high stone content this is a big advantage and as an indication of the confidence Dal-Bo have in this ring, it comes with a 6 year warranty.

While rolls remain the largest part of the turnover in the UK, Dal-Bo are becoming known also for seed bed preparation with their range of mounted and trailed seed bed cultivators. In line with market demands, the range extends up to 12m with the Rollomaximum – this has found favour with large farms where 500hp+ tractors are commonplace and has produced excellent seed beds fort a range of crops from peas and sugar beet to onions and poppies.

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Fendt

Fendt will be showcasing their full range of tractors as well as the stunning Fendt Katana forage harvester at the Royal Highland Show 2015.

Fendt are continuing to grow their market share in the UK despite an overall reduction of tractor registrations. Key to this are the brand’s attributes of performance, reliability and overall lower cost of ownership.

Fendt has traditionally been seen as just a player in the higher horsepower bracket, but farmers in all sectors are now looking at Fendt as cost management is a key driver in any enterprise. In order to enter other sectors of the market, Fendt have adapted their strategy somewhat , and now offer machines in 3 levels of specification – Power, Profi and Profi Plus.

Royal Highland Show 2015 Power level machines offer all the attributes of the Fendt brands, including the legendary Vario transmission but offer a lower level of standard specification for those making their first move to the brand. Profi and Profi plus offer differing levels of specification based on the farmers requirements. All models are available with additional options.

Testament to this strategy is the new Fendt 300 S4, which has recently won Machine of the Year at SIMA 2015. The 300 is ideally suited to mixed and smaller arable farms, retaining the superb features of all larger Fendt tractors, but in a compact and maneuverable package.

All Fendt tractors are available with up to 5 years or 6000 hours of manufacturer’s warranty for complete peace of mind.

The Fendt Katana forager, debuting in the 2013 season, will reach double digit market share in 2015. From a standing start, this machine is now

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setting the standard for forager harvester performance in the field. Boasting many innovative features, the Katana 65 is now joined by a larger Katana 85, with 850 horsepower, but retains Fendt’ s legendary fuel performance and outstanding chopping ability, no matter the crop or conditions.

Fleming Agri Products

Fleming Agri Products have been at the forefront of the agricultural machinery industry for over 150 years. The company has been developing and delivering engineering solutions in the form of quality products to withstand the toughest of farming tasks since 1860 which has resulted in the

company ranking as one of the longest established firms in the agricultural machinery market.

The Northern Irish firm has always taken the approach of developing their product range to meet the demands of their ever evolving markets for both home and abroad. Through customer research and demand Fleming Agri Products have modified, designed, tested and manufactured a variety of new machines for the 2015 season.

New to the Fleming product line-up will be- Front Loader Scraper, Muck forks, Pallet Forks, Heavy Duty 6ft Topper, TR10 Tipping Trailer, and an economy Slurry Pump.

Fleming Agri Products will have these new machines along with many of the existing Fleming product range at the 2015 Royal Highland Show.

Foster Sales Foster Sales Company, a UK based manufacturer, have been at the forefront of development of scrub cutting machines built for the conditions and needs of Scottish

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moorland. Since the first machine was introduced in 1994, the range has been improved and now exists of two ranges with widths from 1.4m to 2.0m.

The popular RS range is aimed at farmers and lighter users with medium density growth. The heavy duty GG range is aimed at contractors and users in heavy duty conditions.

The principles in both ranges are similar with the chains or blades being fitted above a circular rotor to limit damage by boulders and rock heads. Chain cutters tend to be used in stony/rocky areas cutting gorse, bracken and heather whilst blades where stones can be seen and avoided mainly for cutting rushes.

Graintek

Royal Highland Show 2015 In the course of six years business we have sold over sixty dryers in the U.K. and Baltic countries with a further eight units being installed this year so far.

Included in these sales was a 100 tph dryer for Aberdeen Grain to replace an 18 year old LawDenis unit and a 110 tph dryer for Wiltshire Grain replacing a 3 years old Perry dryer. During this period we have collected 2 Royal Highland and 5 LAMMA Show awards including the best new product or innovation award at LAMMA 2012 for our integrated weighing system and the program using a single leg elevator for both filling and discharge of the dryer.

Unlike most dryers ours come as standard with cladding and insulation , variable speed fans , fan silencers access ladders , platforms , roof handrails , Weishaupt digital burners , and the facility to change from continuous to fully automatic batch operation .

At GrainTek our target is to be market leaders in terms of technology and reliability and from the outset we were UK pioneers in

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the use of touch screen plc control panels , which are now being offered in primitive basic formats by our competitors . Unlike other manufacturers are panels are designed and built in house .

Greencrop Irrigation

Controlling an irrigation gun can lead to improved efficiency and savings. Stopping water waste, from irrigating the road or another field, and controlling irrigation in field obstacles or tapered boundaries all helps to save money.

Supplied by Greencrop Irrigation, Irrimec’s “Top Rain” system uses field mapping to

modify and adjust the angle of rotation of an irrigator’s rain gun according to obstacles and the field shape. In work, it electronically measures the position of the rain gun.

Top Rain is intended to change and to adjust the gun rotation angle during watering. It has two reverse latches actuated separately according to the position of the trolley in the field. The unit is powered by a battery charged by a solar panel. An electric device locates the trolley position using a GPS system, or to a sensor fitted to the trolley wheel, automatically setting the desired gun angle and throw. Simple graphical display allows ease of programing, up to 1000 settings can be programmed to be reused indefinitely. For example: Setting the angle of the gun, reversed starting, avoid obstacles and reduced spacing Irregular watered band See the Greencrop Top Rain plus our full range of irrigation and slurry systems at the Royal Highland Show, stand 122 Avenue D.

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JFC Products

JFC is a global organization renowned for manufacturing innovative quality products for the Agricultural and Equine Markets.

The new JFC 1275L Quad Kart comes with a tough polyethylene body mounted onto a galvanised steel frame which ensures a long lifespan. With the options of a galvanised steel ramp for ease of loading or removable plastic back door. Both options come with an aluminium checker plate floor for extra grip. A strong galvanized chassis and 6ply wheels make it an ideal choice for rough terrain.

A ball hitch is fitted as standard but a swivel hitch is available if requested. With its high sides this is an ideal choice for moving calves, lambs, fuel or feed around

Royal Highland Show 2015 the farm. Prices start at £813+ vat for the basic model. A galvanised lamb dividing gate is an optional extra available on both models.

JFC already have their standard range of trailers particularly suited for ATV’s and Quad bikes. There are three sizes in the standard range starting at 250L capacity up to a 500L capacity they are fitted with pneumatic wheels, galvanized chassis and an easy to use tipping mechanism. The tough polyethylene body make them an ideal addition around the farm. The 250L comes complete with clevis hitch and priced at £216+vat the larger 400L and 500L models come complete with ball hitch and are priced at £567 + vat and £613+vat.

Kongskilde UK

Kongskilde Industries A/S, one of the leading manufacturers of agricultural solutions, has

launched an ambitious One Brand Strategy. The strategy is part of a large-scale process, in which factories, sales companies and administrative functions are streamlined in order to form an even more competitive company.

In the future, all agricultural machines and solutions from Kongskilde Industries will carry the Kongskilde name and red brand identity. Previous brand names like Howard, Nordsten, Överum, Becker, and JF will be marketed under one umbrella – Kongskilde.

“The One Brand Strategy is our answer to future challenges.

Kongskilde and its dealer network are here to stay,” says Lars Sørensen, DLG Deputy Group CEO, Group CFO and Chairman of the Board in Kongskilde.

“It shows our commitment to continue Kongskilde as a separate brand, and it puts an end to recent speculations in the press.”

“The new strategy is the beginning of an exciting journey for all of us. It expresses our

move towards a more visible brand creating solutions and products that improve the bottom line for our customers – the farmers and distributors,” says CEO of Kongskilde Industries, Ole Gade.

“The outcome of the ongoing process will be a stronger and profitable Kongskilde. At a later stage, we will consider finding a new owner or partner to fully utilise the potential of Kongskilde without jeopardising the brand or the well-established network” adds Lars Sørensen.

The One Brand Strategy underlines Kongskilde’s longterm dedication to build an independent and strong brand. In the future customers will benefit from a number of initiatives: Efforts in Kongskilde have already created clear results, and Kongskilde has gained market share in Europe for 2014, according to VDMA. More than ever, Kongskilde is aiming to be the most attractive full-line provider of innovative solutions for the modern farming industry.

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Krone

Krone UK Ltd, are a leading supplier of hay and forage harvesting equipment who understand the importance of effective aftersales.

As a leader of innovation Krone UK Ltd will be exhibiting at this year’s Royal Highland Show a range of machines demonstrating their understanding of hay and forage harvesting. On display will be a selection of EasyCut mowers featuring the SmartCut mower bed with SafeCut disc protection.

Displayed for the first time at the show will be the KW 11.22 10 rotor mounted tedder with Octolink drive, the Swadro TC 880 plus twin rotor rake with its new look chassis and lift tine designed to minimize crop contamination and a Comprima V 150 XC Xtreme capable of withstanding the most arduous of baling conditions with its EasyFlow camless pick up and

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Royal Highland Show 2015 unique NovoGrip variable bale chamber design.

Also on display will be a selection of round and square balers and BiG X forage harvester with the VariStream crop flow system, hydrostatic 4 wheel drive and variable length of chop adjustment from the cab.

To find out about Krone’s special show offers or for more information on the full product range please come along and visit the Krone stand.

Kuhn

A mechanical-drive version of Kuhn’s EMC (Electronic Mass Control) system is now available on the Axis twin disc fertiliser spreader range and will feature on the company’s stand at Royal Highland Show. This development makes advanced spreading technology previously only available on hydraulic-drive models more affordable.

The main methodology for EMC is the constant measurement of mass flow (kg/min) at the point of application, independently at each disc, allowing the machine

to then adjust aperture size on the move to maintain a target application rate. This is achieved on mechanical drive machines, by measuring the torsion in the drive shafts for each of the discs, with this measurement being correlated with mass flow to give the machine accurate information about the amount of fertiliser being applied.

Mechanical drive models (Axis M EMC) are typically priced approximately 20 – 30% below the price of the equivalent hydraulic drive (Axis H EMC) models.

Using the EMC system, Axis EMC fertiliser spreaders are constantly monitoring fertiliser flow (every second), enabling almost instantaneous adjustment of actuator/aperture positions to either side of the machine in response to changes in fertiliser flow-ability (as may be caused by a partial blockage for example). Similarly, as application rate is a function of forward speed, disc speed and working width, any changes to these parameters are managed by the machine’s information system to allow almost instantaneous adjustment on the move and the maintenance of the target application rate.

The EMC system avoids the need for conventional static calibration testing, as the machine makes the adjustments automatically from simple preprogrammed data. As such,

100% of settings for the machine are carried out from inside the tractor cab. EMC also offers the significant advantages over conventional weigh cell systems of providing information and control in relation to each side of the machine independently and also maintaining accuracy in hilly conditions.

Landini

A new line-up of small tractors for livestock farmers, fruit growers, commercial horticulture and a host of other applications is among the display of Landini models destined for the Royal Highland Show.

“The Landini range is being transformed by a number of new models with improved performance, equipment levels and driver comfort features,” says Ray Spinks, sales director and general manager at distributor AgriArgo UK. “Landini has a keen following and justified reputation for reliability in the livestock sector, and these new, higher specification models are building on that.”

Three Landini 4 Series tractors launched in 2014 with rated power outputs of 85hp, 94hp and 101hp have been joined by four smaller versions.

Three of them have 2.9-litre Tier 4 Final engines delivering 61hp, 68hp and 76hp but one has a 4.4-litre Tier 3 Perkins engine that will be a lower-priced ‘special’ at 75hp.

The newcomers are shorter (2100mm wheelbase versus 2230mm) and lower than the current 4 Series tractors and come with a choice of 12x12 or 16x16 creep transmissions and either synchro shuttle or power shuttle.

They are available with two-wheel drive for operators who do not need the added traction and weight of a four-wheel drive machine.

The spacious new cab introduced with the 4 Series is the major part of an upgrade package for the larger 88-113hp Landini 5-H Series.

It has a flat floor, great allround visibility thanks to the large glass area, and a slim roof that results from an imaginative air conditioning installation – filters are housed in the rear pillars where they are easily reached for servicing.

The control layout is another positive feature of the cab, with spool valve levers angled comfortably towards the driver, for example. New interior materials provide a durable finish and enhance the ‘light and airy’ feel of the cab.

Lely

Lely will once again be exhibiting their full grassland machinery range at the 2015 Royal Highland show. The new Lely Welger RPC 245 Tornado baler wrapper combination represents the latest in baler wrapper combination technology and will be on display.

This truly revolutionary machine incorporates the market leading Lely Welger RP245 fixed chamber baler and a new wrapping system but with one major 82

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Royal Highland Show 2015 difference. A massive 800mm diameter feed rotor with the Xtracut 25 knife chopping ensure excellent crop flow into the bale chamber.

The 18 Powergrip steel rollers and mechanical tailgate locking system guarantee the highest bale density and optimum bale shape.

When baling is complete the tailgate opens and the bale is positively guided onto the wrapping table via the transfer cradle. The ring rotates up to a maximum speed of 35 rpm and wrapping speeds can be adjusted from the control box.

The Length and width of any combi system are two of the critical points of any design and this unit satisfies both of these criteria excellently. The machine is pitched forward to allow the wrapping system to operate much closer to the baler than other combination units.

When wrapping is complete the ring is raised, and the bale is gently tipped off either manually or automatically. With a single axle on 710/40R22.5 flotation tyres and a transport width of 2.9m and length of only 5.9m, manoeuvrability is greatly enhanced. The smallest roads and laneways can be easily negotiated.

The new Pro link control box uses touch screen technology for all baler and wrapper functions.

The machine is also equipped with 2 cameras as standard which are linked to the control unit and give an excellent view of bale transfer to the wrapper and unloading.

comfortable thanks to ISOBUS control. Above all, substantial amounts of crop protection product can be saved due to precise control of application rates, especially along field edges or where crops grow unevenly.

The core of the new Sirius control system is the job computer, which acts as the control centre for all machine functions. The job computer communicates with the terminal and controls all application parameters such as single-nozzle valve operation, application rates and hydraulic functions. It also controls the electric fourway valve on the suction side, which makes switching between spraying, suction from an external tank, suction from the front tank and clean water as easy as pressing a button – no need for the operator to dismount.

Combined with the Eltec Pro electric single-nozzle control, the single- nozzle valves of the SEH booms can be operated individually or in up to 13 freely definable nozzle groups.

LEMKEN’s new automatic boom control, which is also available with the Megaspray system, keeps both boom sides independently parallel to the ground at the set height.

Additionally the Megaspray computer reads the data from the Tankpilot electronic fill level indicator, which is displayed on both the sprayer operating centre and the tractor terminal.

Major Equipment

Lemken

LEMKEN’s Sirius 10 mounted field sprayer, which has been on the market for two years, features a circulation line and electric single-nozzle valves to ensure precise, individually controllable application. The new Megaspray spraying computer now allows all nozzles to be individually controlled, and operating the sprayer has become even more

The problem of rush infestation is a constant headache for farmers.

They can quickly infest a field if not managed and use up the foods, space, light and moisture which should nourish profitable crops.

They make harvesting difficult and reduce the grazing value of land.

The traditional flail mower has until recently been the machine of choice for the clearance of rushes, scrub and small trees. However the fuel consumption costs and the slow pace of work associated with using a flail for heavy ground

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Royal Highland Show 2015 clearance has encouraged farmers to look to other alternatives. Lynda Brewster from Bedlormie Mains Farm, West Lothian took delivery of a MAJOR 3m Cyclone mower in September last year to replace her flail mower.

Major Equipment Ltd developed the MAJOR Cyclone mower specifically for use in setaside, forestry margin management and scrubland control. “The pace of work is swift,” said Ms Brewster.

“We use our Cyclone mower to clear rushes and small trees around the farm.” The double chop blades leave the cut material completely shredded and evenly dispersed behind the tractor.

The MAJOR Cyclone easily copes with the toughest of conditions including shrub, saplings, gorse and brush as well as the clearance of arable stubble, including maize and rapeseed crops, yet the power requirement is up to 30% less than that required by a flail mower.

“Our 100HP tractor copes very easily, in really heavy cutting,” explained Ms Brewster, “and we

have managed to cut our fuel bill too.”

There are three models currently available; a 2m, 3m and 5.5m model, with a 2.5m model being added to the range and launched at the 2015 Royal Highland Show.

Call to the MAJOR stand at Avenue R, Stand 262.

Marrs of Methlick

Marrs of Methlick in Aberdeenshire are probably best known for being the Zetor and Landini Dealer (we have held these franchises since opening in 1999). In the 16 years we have been trading in Methlick, our customer base has grown and grown and with it, our reputation for excellent sales and service.

Recently, we had the privilege of

being the first UK dealer to take customers to the Zetor Factory in Brno, Czech Republic. Our group of 26 thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Zetor factory and museum and returned home to Scotland delighted to have had a taste of Czech culture.

Our Landini sales have also been steady and their brand continues to go from strength to strength with the launch this year of several new models, all of which will be on display at Landini’s stand.

Around 5 years ago we made the decision to sell Galfre products to complement the brands we already sold.

Our Managing Director, Gerard Cameron, visited the factory in Southern Italy and met with the owners of the family run company and was impressed with the way they ran their business and their range of products. They only produce grass machinery and export their machines globally. We have imported their Rotary Rakes, Tedders and Mowers and found them to be of excellent quality at a reasonable price. We now have

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many happy customers and last year, exhibited their products at the Royal Highland Show for the first time which proved to be very successful. We will once again be showing our Galfre products at the show and hope that we will have a busy 4 days.

Massey Ferguson

Massey Ferguson is set to make a welcome return to the Highland Show this year, and with them they will bring a plentiful array of new kit. The Royal Highland Show is a must in the show calendar for MF as it not only showcases the best of Scottish food, farming and the environment but it also gives manufacturers the chance to promote machinery which is a perfect match for diverse farming sectors in Scotland.

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Royal Highland Show 2015 This year has seen the launch of an exciting new lineup from Massey Ferguson, starting with the MF 1700 Series, a range of compact tractors designed and built specifically for the small scale farming and grounds care sector. Two models in the range from 38 to 46 horsepower offer a choice of mechanical or hydrostatic transmission, powered by either three or four cylinder models.

Massey Ferguson is very pleased to be able to announce that they have a very special guest on the stand this year. In November 2014 a dedicated team took an MF 5610 to Antarctica and back, following in the footsteps and tyre tracks of Sir Edmund Hillary. To commemorate this amazing feat limited edition Antarctica II machines are in production with a host of special features. A competition to win this machine for a season, was won by a family in Dumfries and MF are very pleased to be welcoming them to the stand to except the keys.

As always Massey Ferguson’s policy of straightforward reliability and productivity will at the heart of the show with a new offering of materials handling machinery as well as new high horsepower tractors including the MF 7700 and MF 8700 Series starting from 140 hp up to 400 hp. A focal point at this year’s show will be the importance of harvesting equipment to the Massey Ferguson family; the MF Centora will take the lead.

Above all, Massey Ferguson looks forward to another splendid few days soaking up the atmosphere and hopefully the sunshine, and welcoming our dealers and customers to the stand.

McCormick

The McCormick tractor range displayed at the Royal Highland Show will include the first stepless drive tractors for the famous marque.

Increasingly popular for specialist operations – such as potato bed preparation, planting and harvesting – and for loading and general field work, a 86

continuously variable transmission gives the operator precise ground speed control, easy shuttling and automated features that can be used to optimise power, speed regulation or fuel economy.

The McCormick X7 VT-Drive range comprises four- and sixcylinder tractors starting with the 143hp X7.440 and climbing to the X7.670 with 177hp for draft work and up to 192hp for transport and pto operations.

All five models use the ZF Terramatic transmission, a new design that combines the best features of ZF’s previous CVTs for improved efficiency and simplified maintenance.

The transmission is operated using software and a control mechanism developed by McCormick manufacturer Argo Tractors to provide a full suite of operating modes for different field work and road transport situations.

These prioritise fuel economy, power and torque for maximum draft work performance, a fixed engine speed for consistent operation of pto-driven implements, and easy road driving characteristics.

With forward or reverse selected by the left-hand shuttle lever or right-hand shuttle button, the EasyPilot controller is moved forwards a little to accelerate or backwards a little to slow down gently. Moving it further in either direction gets a faster response and either fully forward or back gets the most rapid reaction from the engine and transmission.

One of four speed ranges from 0.5kph to maximum (40kph or 50kph) can be selected as appropriate for the work being carried out, with 100% infinitely variable speed adjustment in each case.

Working speeds are fine-tuned using +/- buttons on the EasyPilot controller and the operator can flick between two speeds – for working and headland turns, for example – using the ‘cruise control’ function.

McHale Engineering

As with all McHale machines, the V6 variable chamber round baler range has been designed with the demands of today’s farmer and contractor in mind.

This common sense approach to design ensures that the V660 variable chamber round balers operation is kept simple and user friendly.

Features like, the three belt variable bale chamber with double drive and the drop floor unblocking system, when combined with high specification components, ensures long life, reliability and a variable chamber round baler that is rugged enough to handle the toughest of crops and ground conditions.

The V660 variable chamber round baler can make a bale from 0.7m (2’4”) to 1.68m (5’6”). The bale size can be adjusted up from the minimum setting in increments of 20mm (3/4”).

The McHale V6 range of variable chamber balers consists of two models: The V640 - non-chopper variable chamber baler and the V660 - 15 knife chopper variable chamber baler.

Standard features include: 2m pick up, 5 tine bars, drop floor unblocking, 3 belt bale chamber, automatic oiling, centralised grease banks, vario stretch net system, user friendly control console and a double drive- 3 belt bale chamber (v660 only).

The McHale V660 variable chamber round baler is also fitted with an Expert Plus Control Console, which has a large graphic display. From the control console, the operator can adjust the following from the tractor cab: Bale Size, Inner Core Bale Density, Outer Bale Density and Revolutions of net being applied.

The expert plus console, also gives the operator the choice of selecting a soft or hard bale core, depending on the customers feed out requirements.

The control console can also store 10 totals. It also features: Knife Display, Door Position Display, Drop Floor Display, Lube Alarm and Crop Flow Drive Indicators.

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Mecmar

An electric driven, automatic Mecmar mobile grain drier will increase productivity, reduce operating costs and labour requirement.

Combining the control, cleaning power, flexibility and simplicity of a mobile grain drier with the benefits of automatic operation make the Mecmar mobile grain drier an attractive investment.

McArthur Agriculture work with their customers to ensure they get the most from a new Mecmar mobile grain drier installation.There are many variables to consider including, combine outputs, size and location of temporary wet store, location of dry store and availability of operators.Allowing the Mecmar to automatically load and unload is key to getting the best from the drier.

Installing a trench conveyor linking the Mecmar to the temporary wet store eliminates the need to re-handle wet grain before it goes into the drier.The conveyor is controlled automatically allowing the drier to work continuously through hundreds of tonnes of wet grain.A trench conveyor is a fixed piece of equipment and does require some civils work to install, however with our guidance this work can be easily undertaken.

Using a high capacity hopper can place up to 50 tonnes of wet grain behind the drier, allowing three batches to be dried automatically with a Mecmar D 24 T. The hopper is a quick and affordable way to create a flexible continuous batch drying system.

There are also many possible combinations of these two common systems. Each farm has very different requirements and Mecmar can advise on not only the grain drier but all aspects of the grain drying and storage system.

Merlo

Royal Highland Show 2015 Merlo's experience in innovative technology has resulted in market leading Telescopic Handlers which allow you to multi-task on a wide range of different jobs. With over 50 years of experience in engineering and innovative design, Merlo are sure to improve your efficiency and productivity.

We have nearly 90 Telescopic Handlers in our range with 95% of the machine built in house by Merlo engineers, proving we are a true manufacturer rather than just an assembler.

Our ranges covers an array of solutions from our ultra compact P25.6L, at a height of just 1.77m to our massive ROTO60.24MCSS slewing telescopic handler with a capacity of 6 tonnes What can we do for you?

More versatility with over 100 interchangeable Merlo attachments including aerial work platforms, lifting equipment and bespoke solutions. Unrivalled safety with our multi award winning M CDC (Merlo Dynamic Load Control). Leading innovation with many international patents.

Innovation is in our DNA. . World leading concepts including Side Mounted Engine, Chassis Sideshift and Hydrostatic Transmission.

Improved driver comfort by being the only telescopic handler manufacturer to offer three different types of suspension – Cab, Boom and Axle. Specialised after sales and service support through our network of nearly 60 independently owned dealerships in the UK. Come and see for yourself why Merlo is the only choice for your materials handling solutions.

Murray Machinery Set up in 1979 Murray Machinery operates from its base in Aberdeenshire, manufacturing material handling attachments for Telescopic Handlers, Tractor Loaders and Forklifts. For the last 35 years they have been supplying Dealers throughout Scotland, UK and abroad.

With a product range of 30 different machines with numerous variations, Murray Machinery take pride in the quality and presentation of their products, and with the help of the latest CAD design and CNC machine tools, reliability and durability are also at the forefront.

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The latest machine to be fully designed on CAD and come off the production line at Murray Machinery is the ‘Octa-Quad’ Bale handling system, which will transport 12 big round bales fully mounted on any large tractor, eight bales on the rear transporter and four bales on the front transporter.

The Octa-Quad will also transport six full sized square bales.

In 2014 Murray Machinery Ltd. Will have been exhibiting at the Royal Highland Show for 25 years. At the Royal Highland Show there will be approximately 20 different machines on display on avenue D along with the NEW ‘Octa-Quad’ Bale Handling System.

For Murray Machinery the Royal Highland Show is an important venue to be exhibiting at, ‘not only do we do good business at the show, say’s Peter Murray, it is an excellent opertunity to show new products, to meet new customers and gain an insight to the future needs of customers, and very importantly to get feedback from customers which all goes towards creating new and better products for the future.

Polaris

The Polaris Sportsman is the original Polaris quad, one of the best-selling ATVs of all time and this legacy is handed down to the latest machines. The new Sportsman ETX offers powerful 30hp ATV performance, superb ergonomics and masses of storage, making it ideal for farm and track work. Power comes from the ProStar® engine with Electronic Fuel Injection, dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. It’s specifically designed to start flawlessly and run smoothly in varied temperature and altitude. Storagewise the Sportsman ETX wastes no space with industry exclusive Lock & Ride® technology making it easy to carry and secure gear. In fact, the Sportsman offers the most integrated storage of any ATV with the capacity to stash what you need and still have

access even with items tied to the deck.

What has always been legendary about the Sportsman is the Independent Rear Suspension, with masses of travel to minimize body roll and keep the ride smooth, while high ground clearance lets you tackle the toughest terrain.

Ergonomics on the ETX have been carefully thought through as well, with the front of the seat and side panels narrowed at the thigh, coupled with longer floor boards for easier mounting and dismounting. Fuel capacity has been increased by 10% compared to its predecessor and there’s 560 watts of charging power with the capability of operating more hard working accessories. All in all, the Polaris legend lives on in the Sportsman ETX while throwing down the gauntlet to lesser mortals in the world of ATVs. Pottinger

2.2 mtr opening allowing filling from big bags with ease. A choice of suffolk, single disc or Pottinger Dual Disc coulters with electronic or mechanical metering drive allows purchasers to specify and select options to suit their own requirements.

Unlike any other combination mounted seed drill the new generation Aerosem models can bring together conventional sowing with precision seeding allowing the single seed precision planting of larger seeds through the optional Precision Combi Seeding (PCS) System. These individual units can be specified in a range of configurations to allow a wide range of row widths to be achieved and in addition fertiliser can be sown simultaneously alongside the seed. Alternately the operator can for example under sow the maize crop with grass thanks to the ability to utilise the standard metering outlet and distribution system.

Quattro

The 2015 Royal Highland Show will see the first Scottish display of a completely new generation of mounted pneumatic seed drills from Pottinger.

These new models from Pottinger incorporate features not previously available on any conventional pneumatic seed drill before.

The introduction of the Pottinger Intelligent Distribution (IDS) System allows operators for the first time complete individual row control. Each outlet on the seed distributor head is equipped with its own electronic actuator which can be remotely controlled from the tractor seat. This allows completely bespoke adjustment with the operator able to select varying tramline positioning and widths. Furthermore half width shut off on the left or right can be selected as can wider row spacing’s all from the simple press of a button on the in cab terminal.

These new models feature as standard a large capacity 1,250 litre hopper with a large

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Quattro have supplied silage pit materials for many years. It’s the time of year to check silage pits. Regular maintenance ensures the prevention of extreme damage whilst problems are minor & allow costs to be minimal.

Once washed out look out for cracks, eroded and damp looking areas. Once inspected closely damage is often worse than it appears.

Check for structural failure, particularly subsidence and movement in the floor.

When silage effluent has attacked the cement from the surface of the floor leaving a very rough surface, this can easily be replaced using Q/ Pol SA, a resin that is used in a strong silica sand/granite sand/cement mix & can be applied as an effective thin section replacement that does not shrink & crack. A Q/Pol SA floor also exhibits extra

Royal Highland Show 2015 chemical resistance & will protect against future attack.

Check floor joints. Where cracking is evident cut out with a stone saw to 6mm wide& 12mm depth, fill with a twin pack flexible pourable epoxy urethane that allows movement & is resistant to silage effluent.

Walls should be checked for erosion. Filling & coving can be formed with Q/Pol SA & walls coated with a heavy duty chemical resistant resin coating. Final wall joints should be checked, cleaned out & filled with effluent resistant flexible sealers.

In the case of new structures it is very wise to protect before the ravages of effluent get to work. A range of sealants are available to provide excellent long term protection on both new & existing pits. Small amounts of maintenance work will keep a pit in good order & prevent major problems & dangerous leaks.

Quattro do provide free of charge site visits to inspect &

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advise on all forms of effluent protection.

Rancher Equipment

Rancher team design and manufacture top quality livestock handling systems which are shipped to our customers all over Britain and occasionally abroad.

Based on the company motto "Simple,Safe,Strong" these principles are adhered to always.

Simple designs work best for man and beast, Rancher concept is "Think like an animal, if you want a design to work efficiently".

Safety to day is paramount, If yards are tall enough animals do not think of trying to jump out. Smooth corners improve the flow keeping stock facing the way forward.

Long gates in a cattle yard can be a danger and should only be used for the entry to the pens when a large number of animals are being gathered. Once in the pens smaller numbers of animals are safer and easier to handle.

Sheeted races control stock safer and quieter also preventing animals from trying to turn round.

Races must be tall depending on the size of the breed, stokboard is durable, glare free and provides a quiet environment, less noise equals less stress.

Rancher equipment is Strong, it is built to last for generations.

When a design is right and the quality is right Rancher equipment is a sound investment for many years to come.

These concepts apply equally to all animals, be it cattle, sheep, goats, deer or horses. Although Rancher principally manufacture goods to handle cattle and sheep we have occasionally made deer handling and horse stabling.

Rancher do not shy away from a chalenge, let us sort your problems too.

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RECO

RECO welcomes all customers to their stand at the Highland Show.

Displayed will be machines from their Ground care and Agricultural machinery ranges.

“Although we always deal through a dealer network it gives us an opportunity to meet existing and new end users as well as dealers.

We always have new products and innovations to show” says Patrick Desmond of RECO. RECO (Ruston’s Engineering Co. Ltd.) was established in 1955 the original parent company was formed as long back as 1880.

RECO have the perfect pedigree for supporting their ranges of imported machinery.

“Sales information technical back up and spare parts supply have been

Royal Highland Show 2015 crucial to our success over the years”.

With models suitable for Domestic users with large areas of grass to cut and Contractors looking to cut grass all day every day, a range of Grasshopper Zero turn mowers will be on show. They are easy to use, strong and robust with long service schedules. They leave an excellent finish making them an ideal cost effective choice.

Also shown will be the Kioti range of Compact tractors and Mechron UTV vehicles. Anyone interested in Compact tractors should make the opportunity to look over these models.

To suit Agricultural customers, From Strautmann, RECO will be displaying The new Zelon CFS 2901 loader wagon and Vertix mixer wagons that offer, low horse power, fast and thorough mixing of feed. Built using good quality steels and good manufacturing processes the wagons offer a superb long term investment.

From Sulky the Highlight is the automatic headland shut off Econov fertiliser spreader and a

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drill combination featuring the new XR two row disc drill mate cultivator.

Ovlac ploughs, Fella grassland equipment and Brevi power harrows and flail mowers will also be on show.

RECO complete the display with the debut appearance of the RECO Toppa’s and Flexi toppa’s 4.3 and 6 metre pasture / scrub rotary mowers.

Redrock Machinery Redrock Machinery Ltd is advising farmers that they must strive to make best use of slurry as part of their commitment to driving efficiency levels forward within their businesses during 2015.

“The fundamental fact remains that slurry is a valuable fertiliser source and must be used accordingly.”

“Its proper use will allow farmers defray the ever increasing cost of bagged fertiliser."

The Redrock slurry tanker range is built to the highest quality.

Rolled from 6mm steel, all the tanks are welded both internally

and externally and include 4” x 2” channel rings welded inside the tank for extra strength and a longer service life. The Redrock body, wheel arches, supports and drawbar are designed and manufactured to the most exacting standards to maintain rigidity, reliability and road-worthiness year after year.

Models are available from 1100 gallons to 4500 gallons in capacity.

The Redrock slurry pump has gained a reputation for being strong, reliable and virtually maintenance free across the range.

To improve mixing performance the off- set nozzle allows the slurry to be mixed in almost all directions.

For varying tank depths, the pump can be adjusted by up to 300mm.

The three point linkage “quick attach” allows easy implement connection. No disconnection of the PTO is required when lowering the pump into the tank.

Over and above the specification of the original Redrock slurry pump, the super flow mixes faster, agitates further and increases productivity. This has been achieved by pairing a

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larger capacity gearbox with a unique streamline pipe system, designed to reduce power loss at all stages, therefore increasing overall performance. With a top fill option, an incremental diverter valve enables precise management of the slurry flow, allowing the user to agitate and top fill simultaneously if required.

Again, no disconnection of the PTO is required when lowering the pump into the tank.

Reekie Group The Reekie Group is a premier Agricultural and Material Handling dealer in Central Scotland, offering parts and service back up for the products it supplies.

We have branches at Perth, Cupar, Stirling and Coldstream and more details can be found on our web site www.reekie.co.uk or contact our Perth Branch on 01738 622471.

We can offer you competitive prices on all agricultural machinery purchased at the 2015 Royal Highland Show. During this event

Royal Highland Show 2015 we are based on the Agco Stand which is located on the corner of 7th Avenue.

On the stand will be new products from Massey Ferguson, Fendt and Challenger and many of the other Reekie group suppliers like Amazone, Foster, Gregoire Besson, Honda, Hudson, Keenan, Logic, Major, Merlo, McConnel, NRH, Scanstone and Vicon will also be in attendance at the show.

A franchise which is gaining momentum is Broughan Trailers which provides a quality product. Broughan will also be in attendance at the show.

We are also dealers for the range of Doosan and Komatsu Industrial forklifts which we supply into all industries. There will be a model of forklift to suit all applications and for further information contact Sandy Thomson at Perth on 07803 140350 or Grant Purves at Coldstream on 07803 140360.

We can offer most agricultural products for your business so please contact us to discuss your current and future requirements.

Ritchie Implements

The innovative Ritchie Stock Cube™ handling system substantially benefits farm health and safety for animal and operator.

Self contained and moveable from site to site, the Stock Cube unfolds to provide a freestanding stock pen with a curved sweep area within the cube and a secondary gate for the handler to work safely behind the penned stock.

The 3.2 m x 2.5 m cube unfolds to a size of 3.2 m x 5.5 m and is designed to handle stock of various sizes and weights. The unit has no corner traps allowing curious stock to move freely through the curved sheeted pen.

Fast exit operator side gates enable a single operator to manage the system whilst easily accessing

a secured animal within the penned area.

Twenty x 2.5 m hurdles can be stored and transported within the cube with the whole unit designed to be loaded and handled by forklift to ease site set-up.

Working in conjunction with either a fixed or mobile cattle crush, the Stock Cube provides a safe, adaptable add-on to upgrade existing farm units or as a standalone system.

Same Deutz-Fahr

Same Deutz-Fahr are pleased to confirm the Deutz-Fahr stand for the RHS 2015 has moved to Avenue F; the stand is significantly larger than in previous years which will enable us to provide a larger display of the expanding DeutzFahr product line up. Featuring

the latest offering in the 5 Series, the new 5G from 75 to 109 hp is available in both mechanical and Powershuttle with Stop & Go – an absolute must for loader work.

The 6 Series C-Shift launched in 2014 has gone from strength to strength and has taken the 6 Series up to 209HP with the 6210 C-Shift; both 4 and 6 cylinder models will be on display in this increasingly popular range from 150 to 209 hp.

The 6 Series TTV is becoming a great ‘all rounder’ with models now available from 118 to 193 hp, making the Deutz-Fahr TTV not only a superb arable tractor but can now offer this incredibly versatile transmission in the 100 to 120 hp sector.

Making its debut appearance in the UK will be the New Limited Edition 7250 TTV WARRIOR; the WARRIOR enhances the already popular 263 hp 7250 TTV with a ‘Brilliant Black’ finish, including WARRIOR styling, upgrades to seat, LED light package, Radio and Xenon beacon, and for a limited period the WARRIOR is offered with a 1+5 0% retail

Ideal for: - clearing woodland rides - cutting fire breaks on moorland - contract work cutting heather Made in Britain

Foster's range of heavy duty ROTARY SLASHERS and SUPER SCRUB CUTTERS are the ideal machine for the clearance of gorse, heather, bracken and rushes.

From 40HP to 150HP+ there is a machine to suit your requirements.

- cutting rushes on wetlands

GG2000 Super Scrubcutter fitted with cutting chains and rear deflector

For your nearest dealer contact us: Office Tel: 01482 868800 email: sales@fostersalescompany.co.uk website: www.fostersalescompany.co.uk 94

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Royal Highland Show 2015 finance package and 3 year 3000 hour ‘AgroCare’ Protection Plan.

2014 saw the introduction of the two new combine ranges – C7000 and C9000 ranges, both of which will be working in the UK for the 2015 season; available in both 5 and 6 straw walker formats from 250 to 395 hp. The C9206TS Balance flagship model with 7.5m Varicrop header will be on display at the RHS 2015 – completing the display for the Full Line product offering is the Agrovector 37.7.

Scotmin Nutrition

Scotmin Nutrition manufacture some of the UK’s most wellknown and respected brands, such as MEGALIX molasses mineral tubs and the MEGASTART range of pre-lambing/pre-

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calving supplements. Together with this Scotmin manufacture a comprehensive range of mineral supplements, protein concentrates, forage additives and bespoke products.

Over the last 24 months Scotmin has focused attention on research and development of a number of their products. In 2013 independent research carried out at Myerscough College on MEGASTART Ewe and Lamb showed a 33% increase in daily live weight gain on lambs that are fed at grass. Other scientific trials are ongoing with some exciting findings expected to be published later this year.

Scotmin has built its success on a personal approach to farming, with the team able to give farm specific advice on how to get the best performance from livestock. The team can do everything from analysing silage to developing a tailor-made ration for individual farming systems.

To find out more about Scotmin and to speak to a representative then visit www.

scotmin.com or email info@ scotmin.com to request a product brochure.

Storth Machinery

Storth Machinery’s new umbilical range of slurryspreading equipment will be on display at the Royal Highland Show. Thanks to its wide choice of component parts, both farmers and contractors can create a system to meet their needs, be it a simple and low cost set-up or a high capacity one.

Storth’s range includes a choice of pumps, hose reelers, and in-field applicators – splashplates, trailing shoe injectors and dribble bars.

Storth’s Robert Wilson explains: “There was a gap in the

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market for a robust but simpleto-operate dribble bar system. So we have developed one that will suit both farmers and contractors.

It includes a hydraulic macerator which ensures that slurry can flow evenly through the 40mm diameter hoses, resulting in a uniform application of slurry to the ground.”

The dribble bar system can be combined with one of Storth’s mounted reelers, together with a front linkage bobbin reeler, allowing up to 2000m of umbilical hose to be carried.

Alternatively, the dribble bar can be mounted behind slurry tankers. Working widths range from 6m with 24 outlets to 12m with 48 outlets.

Storth’s trailing shoe injector system also includes the own-design macerator. The distribution hose is 50mm in diameter and the cast iron selfsharpening shoes are spaced 225mm apart. Models range in size from 5.6m wide with 24 outlets to 8.2m with 36 outlets.

Flow meters can be fitted

Royal Highland Show 2015 to all the slurry applicators to record the amount of slurry spread.

For more information on the new umbilical spreading equipment, as well as Storth’s range of scrapers, storage tanks, separators and mixers, farmers and contractors can contact Robert Wilson on 07769 728128 or visit www.storthmachinery. co.uk.

Teagle

In the early 1980s Teagle established themselves in the Feeder Bedder market and over the course of the last 30 years have continuously developed the Tomahawk range, producing over 18,000 machines to date.

Key factors for this British family owned business in maintaining its position as market leader include embracing new technology and developing products to meet the changing needs of farmers. The company employ around 10% of their staff in Research and Development. It is the combination of these factors and a commitment to innovative design that heralds the launch of its latest machine – The Telehawk Straw Bedder.

Designed for owners looking for more ways to utilise their Telehander (minimum 2.8T lift capacity, 60 lit/min @ 160 bar), this hydraulically driven Straw Bedder offers operators the benefits delivered by mechanical bedders; reduced straw consumption, keeping livestock cleaner and overcoming the need to enter the pen. James Johns is one such owner, farming a herd of 260 high performing Holsteins, as well as 180 acres of maize and 100 acres of cereals with his father Andrew.

After years of bedding livestock by hand, when James

saw the Telehawk in September 2013 he ‘pounced on it’.

“We have been able to reduce straw wastage by only putting as much straw in the pens as is required, and the straw that is delivered by the Telehawk is evenly spread which creates a bed that lasts longer - we have reduced the number of bales we use by around 25%-30%. Whilst we do save time compared to bedding by hand, the machine is paying for itself in straw savings alone.”

“The Telehawk can be hitched up in a matter of seconds, it is manoeuvrable around the buildings and because the machine is in front of the handler, visibility is good.”

Terrington Machinery

Terrington Machinery Importers Ltd is a family run business,

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importing and distributing Agricultural & Horticultural machinery for over 25 years and is delivered throughout the U.K by the company’s own vehicles and staff.

In 1991, Terrington Machinery were exhibiting at the Royal Show with their range of organic machinery and were approached by the Austrian company ‘Einbock’, looking for a U.K importer to sell their range of Tined Weeders and Cultivation equipment.

In 1992, the ‘Einbock’ range of Tined Weeders, Sugar Beet Hoes, and Cultivators etc. were shown at the Royal Show, creating great interest and sales. Working demonstrations proved that the Tined Weeders with 7mm tines were ideal for weeding all types of Cereals, Field Beans, Peas, Sugar Beet, Brassicas and grass, soon becoming obvious that the ‘Einbock’ Tined Weeders did an excellent job at weeding grass, removing moss, chickweed etc.

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Royal Highland Show 2015 8mm tines were introduced to be more aggressive to aerate the grassland and were named the ‘Grassland Manager’.

These are equipped with 8mm tines, 4 depth wheels and 60 tines on a 1.5m section as standard.

‘Einbock’ Pneumatic Seeders have been available for over 15 years and have proven very useful to grass and dairy farmers throughout the U.K. Pneumatic Seeders can be used to stitch in small amounts of grass seed into standing grass or used to do a full re-seed. Models include the landwheel driven Pneumaticstar, PneumaticstarPro, P-Box Seeder and the new P-Box Speed Speedtronic Seeder.

This new seeder takes information from the 7 pin socket on the tractor, a landwheel sensor, GPS or Radar sensor.

‘Einbock’ also produce Hoes, with/without camera guidance for Sugar Beet, Maize and Veg, Cultivators for spring/ autumn work including Sugar

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Beet, Seedbed preparation and Cereal land.

Tong Peal

Tong Peal Engineering, the UK’s leading designer and manufacturer of vegetable handling and sorting equipment, will once again be on Avenue Q in the Agricultural Area at the Royal Highland Show 2015, to showcase a number of products from its 2015 range. With a number of technically advanced additions for 2015, including Tong Peal’s new model of its market-leading Caretaker mobile grader, the company is dedicated to providing the vegetable handling industry with the most advanced machines.

One of the key developments in the new Caretaker is a new

second edition EasyClean separator. Like the current model, the EasyClean II features a fully electric inverter direct drive motor on every shaft, ensuring minimal maintenance and refined control.

In addition, the new separator is a cartridge-style module and is built using new uprated heavy duty spiral shafts with a unique helix rib and axial air chamber to ensure the best deformation of the spiral for self-cleaning and exceptional grip on leaf matter.

The EasyClean II will also come with a new auto-eject function to ensure any foreign objects are ejected to prevent machine damage.

Another added feature on the new Caretaker is the company’s new and advanced Pro-Series control interface, which is offered as part of its Auto-Touch HMI touch screen control. With added benefits including a new, larger display and incredibly intelligent machine diagnostics giving a machine health status report, plus precise fault detection and location of any machine faults or E-stop alerts, the

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latest Caretaker is designed to offer the very best control on different crop types and conditions whilst significantly minimising downtime and maintenance. “We look forward to seeing customers from Scotland and beyond at the Royal Highland Show to chat about the latest developments which are significantly improving the grading and handling process” said Nick Woodcock, Sales Manager at Tong Peal Engineering.

Trelleborg Further strengthening its commitment to helping farming professionals to produce more with less, Trelleborg announces the launch of the European Road Show 2015..

With one-day events throughout Europe, the Road Show will provide multiple field demonstrations showcasing how farming professionals can enhance their operations and protect the future of their business.

Trelleborg’s ‘Blue Box’, the interactive, mobile stand will also be on hand to provide visitors with

Royal Highland Show 2015 all they need to know about its range of digital tools.

Taking center stage throughout the Road Show’s field demonstrations will be the TM700 ProgressiveTraction™, a new /70 series of radial tyres designed to meet the renewed focus of tractor manufacturers on the performance of middle range tractors. Engineered according to the company’s BlueTireTM technology, the TM700 optimise the efficiency of farming operations thanks to excellent traction, superior self-cleaning and extra mileage.

Trelleborg will conduct various field demonstrations, from highlighting the excellent floatation performance, unrivalled traction and fuel efficiency of the TM700 ProgressiveTraction™ tyres to showcasing the importance of selecting the optimal tyre inflation pressure for specific farming operations, as recommended using the Trelleborg Load Calculator.

Lorenzo Ciferri, Marketing Director Agricultural and

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Forestry Tyres at Trelleborg Wheel Systems, commented: “At Trelleborg, we hold a longstanding commitment to ensuring farming professionals get the most out of their equipment and therefore produce more, with less. At the Trelleborg Road Show they will experience firsthand the benefits of the latest Trelleborg innovations.”

European Road Show 2015 provides the ideal platform to do exactly that,” added Ciferri.

The UK Leg of the Trelleborg Road Show will take place on 7th October. For further details and to register your attendance, visit www.trelleborg-roadshow.com Valtra

Valtra will be showcasing the new “T”series at the Royal Highland

Show 2015, a range that is spearheading Valtra’s growth, and was rewarded with the “Machine of the Year” at SIMA in Paris in February.

The recently introduced fourth generation Valtra T Series is a new tractor, designed from scratch and tested for tens of thousands of hours in field and laboratory.

Engine powers range from 155hp to 250 hp with up to 1000 Nm of torque – sufficient power for the most demanding tasks.

The new T4 is already available in Direct, Versu and Active variants with HiTech coming on stream later this year.

Active, a new model, features a powershift transmission and mechanically operated loadsensing hydraulics Valtra will also be featuring other tractors from the range, which are designed to be “Your Working Machine”.

Valtra’s proposition to the market place is believed to be unique, with every machine being custom built.

Valtra are keen to promote their “unlimited studio” of

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extra options which can all be factory fitted. Whether specialist forestry equipment, specialist lights, leather interiors or a DVD player, and a plethora of options inbetween, nothing is in the “too difficult” pile when it comes to customization at Valtra.

A full range of Valtra merchandise will be available from the AGCO shop at the RHS, which always proves a popular part of the stand. The shop will be offering a full range of clothing, toys and accessories.

The Valtra team look forward to meeting you at the RHS 2015, and discussing how Valtra can make an individual difference to your farming enterprise.

Walter Watson

Royal Highland Show 2015 Based in Co. Down, N.Ireland, Walter Watsons is a family owned firm with almost 50 years’ experience in manufacturing agricultural equipment. The agricultural machinery has become renowned for its design and construction which is without doubt one of the heaviest on the market.

Best known for Water Ballast Land Rollers, over recent years the product range has been extended both in the feeding and roller equipment.

The product range includes Folding Cambridge rollers, 6.3m and 8.3m versions, with the option of shatter boards and air seeder, water ballast land rollers from 5ft to 21ft with hydraulic wheel kit and folding options.

The most recent addition to the product range is the 3m Spiral Blade Aerator which has brought a machine that combines weight and speed of operation to the user. With soil compaction a constant issue, the aerator gives the farmer of today the opportunity to maximise production from the farm.

With the need for increased production from the land today and the unpredictability of the weather, farms everywhere are experiencing a need for a reliable machine which allows for quick operation and minimal maintenance. With that in mind the machines produced by Walter Watson are robust and suitable for constant hard work even in tough conditions.

The wide range of feeding equipment offered accommodates all farm sizes; from silage feed trailers to meal feeding equipment for both sheep and cattle. All Watson equipment is available through a network of dealers throughout the UK. Zetor

Zetor UK is coming to the Royal Highland Show with some new products and big ambitions this year. Traditional trinity of Zetor tractor ranges will be featured on our stand with the latest addition Zetor Forterra HD. FORTERRA RANGE (Forterra, Forterra HSX and Forterra HD) There’s plenty of innovation going on in the existing ranges, including many developments that can already be seen on models arriving in the UK. All Forterra tractors feature Zetor’s 16-valve, 4.2-litre engine.

The new Forterra HD model is one of those exciting projects where Zetor comes closer to its customers and including more advanced features on tractors. The Royal Highland Show will see high spec Forterra HD 150hp in the central position on the stand.

PROXIMA RANGE Latest Proxima tractors are already arriving in the UK and can be distinguished by a new front bonnet design that takes its design cues from the bonnet produced for the Zetor Major. More angled and purposeful looking than the previous design, it also features additional air vents.

Inside the cab, the roof has been completely redesigned on the Proxima to include a window to aid loader use. The position of the radio and optional airconditioning system has also been changed in the roof panel to fit in with the new design.

Proxima, Proxima Plus and Proxima Power will be shown at the show with a very special show offer including all 3 sub ranges and “tractor and loader” combination.

MAJOR RANGE For the time being, the Zetor Major is only available as an 80hp tractor, but the intention is eventually to have models with 50hp, 60hp and 70hp as well, with the smallest of these likely to appear this year.

Zetor will be showing latest Major tractors with Deutz AG engines.

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Royal Highland Show 2015

Royal Highland Show Visitor Information Showground Opening and Closing Times Thursday 7.00am – 8.00pm Friday 7.00am - 8.00pm Saturday 8.00am - 8.00pm Sunday 8.00am – 6.30pm Outdoor Stands may not be staffed after 6.00pm Conditions of Admittance 1. Persons are admitted to the Royal Highland Centre, its Car Parks and environs at their own risk and while every endeavour will be taken to ensure their safety, the Society will not (save for death or personal injury caused by breach of it’s duty) be held responsible for personal injury (whether fatal or otherwise), loss of or damage to property or any other loss, damage, costs and expenses however caused.

Directors, Stewards, Staff (identifiable by Official Badge) or by the Police. On no account may members of the public remove or climb over or past pedestrian barriers.

2. When moving between trade stands, exhibits, rings or public areas, all persons must use designated roads and avenues and must comply with the instructions of the Society’s

4. The Society reserves the right to remove from any part of the Showground any person whose behaviour is deemed to be unacceptable for any reason.

3. Persons entering livestock areas do so at their own risk.

Please ensure that you wash your hands before eating if you have been touching livestock. Under no circumstances may anyone enter the Showing Rings.

Ticket Prices (Inc Vat) Thursday All Day Adult £25.00 Senior Citizen/Student £20.00 Children (under 16) Free

Saturday All Day Adult £25.00 Senior Citizen/Student £20.00 Children (under 16) Free

4.00 – 7.00pm Adult £8.00 Senior Citizen/Student £8.00 Children (under 16) Free

4.00 – 7.00pm Adult £8.00 Senior Citizen/Student £8.00 Children (under 16) Free

Friday All Day Adult £25.00 Senior Citizen/Student £20.00 Children (under 16) Free 4.00 – 7.00pm Adult £8.00 Senior Citizen/Student £8.00 Children (under 16) Free

Sunday All Day Adult £25.00 Senior Citizen/Student £20.00 Children (under 16) Free The Following Credit Cards will be accepted: Switch, Access, Mastercard, Eurocard

Re-admission to the Showground Re-admission to the showground will be available each day during the hours the show is open to the public and will be by hand-stamp administered by Security Staff.

Membership Enrol as a member at the Membership Office beside the Members’ Pavilion

Next Year avoid the queue and book on-line!

Visit us at www. royalhighlandshow.co.uk

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environment

Ten-year experiment identifies optimum upland farming system

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A study carried out over a 10year period by ecologists at the James Hutton Institute and the universities of Aberdeen and Hull has shown that grazing a mixture of sheep and cattle, at low intensity, is the best approach for maintaining biodiversity in the British uplands.

The British uplands are internationally important for their unique plant and bird communities. Species such as meadow pipits (a common upland songbird), field voles and red foxes live in a delicate balance that can easily be disrupted by changes in farming practices. Although it is known that livestock grazing has a significant impact on the variety of plants and animals that are found in grassland areas, the relationship is complicated, with different species affected in different ways.

For the first time, ecologists have conducted a long-term, landscape-scale experiment looking at the consequences of livestock management on multiple plant and animal groups that consume each other within an upland ‘food-web’. The aim of the research, which took place at the Glen Finglas estate in the

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Trossachs, was not to determine a single approach to livestock grazing that would result in a ‘win-win’ situation for all species, but rather an approach that provided the best possible trade-off between ‘winners’ and losers’.

The researchers established separate blocks of land that were each designed to mimic a range of livestock grazing scenarios. For ten years, between 2002 and 2012, measurements including plant diversity, insect abundance, meadow pipit territories and signs of vole and fox activity were recorded in each experimental plot.

The study published today (30 March) in Ecosphere, concluded that grazing a mixture of sheep and cattle, at low intensity, was the best trade-off between benefiting the meadow pipits, and disadvantaging the voles and foxes; therefore maintaining the balance of biodiversity.

Professor Robin Pakeman, from the James Hutton Institute, said: “Our long-term experiment at the Woodland Trust’s Glen Finglas estate has clearly shown that decisions about grazing management affect plants, insects, voles, foxes and birds in different ways. Both increasing or decreasing the numbers of stock in the uplands will result in winners and losers.

Our collaborative research can provide the basis for future decisions on supporting farming and biodiversity in our uplands.”

Dr Darren Evans, Senior Lecturer in Conservation Biology at the University of Hull, said: “It might be tempting to think that the most beneficial approach would be to stop grazing altogether in these upland areas, but actually that would be incredibly damaging in terms of conservation. These unique habitats have evolved as a result of traditional farming practices, and abandoning such areas would have a huge impact

environment on the international important plants and animals that live there.”

Grazing both cattle and sheep, rather than sheep alone, is particularly important, as the different feeding habits of these two animals means that a whole range of different plants and plant parts are consumed. This prevents just a small number of plant species being grazed very hard, while others are allowed to grow freely.

“This study supports some of our other research that shows that mixed livestock grazing systems also improve livestock

productivity and reduce methane emissions,” Dr Evans said.

“We must remember that global food demands, particularly for meat, are increasing all the time, but commercial grazing must be balanced with conservation in these sensitive ecosystems. Often we hear that we must eat less meat in the future if we are to meet the increasing global food demand. This is probably true, but here we show that livestock-farming is in itself an essential component of British biodiversity, and so certainly it’s important that we don’t abandon meat altogether.”

LEAF reports significant growth in global activity LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) has released its latest global impacts report which reveals continued growth in the area of crops grown on LEAF Marque certified businesses across the globe.

In 2014, it broke through the 250,000 hectare barrier for the first time, standing at 266,324 hectares, representing a year on year increase of 7.8 per cent.

The most significant growth was in Northern Europe, which saw a 29.8 per cent increase in the area of crops grown under the LEAF Marque standard system.

The LEAF Marque is an assurance system recognising more sustainably farmed products. It is based on LEAF’s Integrated Farm Management (IFM), which covers areas such as soil and water management, pollution control, energy efficiency and conservation.

Farm businesses are independently measured and certified against the principles of IFM. The report also highlights the substantial improvements made by LEAF Marque certified businesses across the globe in key aspects of sustainable farming. Measuring energy consumption has increased by 4.1 per cent to

168,481 hectares and there has been a 29.3 per cent increase (to 59,162 hectares) of crop which is benefitting from increasing stored water. Carbon footprint assessments have taken place across 102,164 hectares of crops on LEAF Marque certified businesses, representing a 9 per cent increase and there has been a 17.3 per cent increase in the hectares of crop on LEAF Marque certified businesses where nitrogen efficiency per tonne product is being measured, bringing it up to 125,961 hectares.

In the UK, a quarter of all home-grown fruit and vegetable production – including potatoes – is now grown to LEAF Marque standards. Foods which have seen the biggest uptake of the LEAF Marque include, British lettuce, of which 73 per cent is now LEAF Marque certified, apples (a third of UK apples are LEAF Marque certified) and 16 per cent of potatoes. The area of cereals grown to the standard has increased by 12 per cent to 126, 963 hectares, making it the biggest LEAF Marque crop, ahead of horticulture for the first time. Wheat is the single largest LEAF Marque crop, with 69,673 hectares, but penetration remains at five per

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farmwatch Wildlife Crime Farmers are being called on to help tackle wildlife crime as Police Scotland launches a new awareness raising campaign to tackle wildlife crime in Scottish cities, towns and rural areas.

Nearly 250 wildlife crimes were recorded by Police Scotland between April 2014 and February 2015 including persecuting badgers, poisoning birds of prey, hare coursing and deer poaching.

While there has been a slight increase in recorded wildlife crimes, up ten on the previous year, the detection rate has also increased over the same period by nearly 13 per cent to a 77 per cent detection rate.

Police Scotland works with partners across the country, including the National Farmers Union Scotland, through the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) Scotland.

Farmers have a key role to play in the fight against wildlife crime. Although wildlife crime occurs across all communities, a significant proportion takes place in the countryside and across farmland.

Launching the campaign last month Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: “Scotland’s natural heritage is under threat from criminals preying on the country’s iconic wildlife, either for sport or in many cases for their own gain.

Wildlife crime occurs across all of our communities but farmers

know their land and their local community, they are in a unique position to help us identify and deal with criminality in rural areas.

“Tackling wildlife crime is not just about law enforcement it is about working with partners and the public to raise awareness and to prevent it happening. By the time we are involved it is too late, that creature is lost and our landscape is poorer for the loss.

“We are committed to investigating wildlife crime.

Our detection rate is increasing but investigations into wildlife crime can be difficult and prolonged and the areas covered can be vast and remote.

“Our new campaign calls on the public to help us put an end to wildlife crime, to keep their eyes open and reporting suspicious activity and by working together, protecting Scotland’s wildlife heritage.”

The campaign, featuring birds of prey and other protected species, will run on Police Scotland and partner websites, on posters and in newspaper ads and will be pushed out across social media channels. The campaign will run throughout the year.

If people see anything suspicious then they should report it as soon as possible to Police Scotland on 101 or 999 and ask to speak to a Wildlife Crime Officer if one is available.

FARM WATCH column sponsored by

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environment cent, providing a large market opportunity.

Positive gains were also seen in the livestock sector.

The addition of a number of large pig units during 2014, meant that there was a 400 per cent increase in the number of animals on LEAF Marque certified businesses where a Livestock Health Plan is being actively applied.

LEAF’s ‘A Review of our 2014 Global Impacts’ was formally launched at the International Food and Drink Event (IFE) on Tuesday 24th March.

Launching the report, Caroline Drummond, chief executive of LEAF said: “It is extremely encouraging to see significant growth in LEAF’s global reach during 2014. Through their implementation of Integrated Farm Management, LEAF members and LEAF Marque certified businesses are making significant progress to delivering more sustainable farming. The positive results highlighted in this report, have been achieved through collaboration across the food chain – with our members, LEAF Marque growers, our corporate partners and everyone who shares our vision of a world that is farming, eating and living sustainably.

We will continue to strengthen these partnerships and to increase the positive impact of our work.

“This year we have launched our new LEAF Sustainable Farming Review which enables our farmer members to continually measure and benchmark their performance against sustainability indicators. We look forward to continuing our work with the food and farming industry to ensure that the sector is able to credibly and accurately assess, demonstrate and improve the sustainability of its products and its businesses.”

A copy of the report ‘A Review of our 2014 Global Impacts’ is available online at www.leafuk.org.

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Adapting to climate change will bring new environmental problems

Adapting to climate change could have profound environmental repercussions, according to a new study from the University of East Anglia.

Research in Nature Climate Change reveals that adaptation measures have the potential to generate further pressures and threats for both local and global ecosystems.

Lead researcher Dr Carlo Fezzi, from UEA’s School of Environmental Sciences, said: “Climate change is a just a little bit more complicated than we previously thought. We need to take into account not only the direct impact of climate change, but also how people will respond to such change - the impact of adaptation.

“This is a whole new dimension to the climate change adaptation debate.”

The research team looked at the interaction between agricultural land use and river water quality – both of which will be heavily impacted by climate change.

They studied land use and river quality from more than half a million records covering the whole of the UK and dating back to the early 1970s. They used computer models to predict not only how climate change would lead to agricultural changes, but

how these agricultural changes would impact water quality.

“We found that a moderately warmer climate in the range of between 1oC and 3oC will be mainly beneficial for agriculture in Great Britain. Particularly in the eastern uplands and midlands, warmer temperatures will boots crop yield and allow for more livestock. But some localised losses can be expected particularly in the east of England, where lower rainfall may increase the risk of drought.

“This intensification in agricultural practices in response to climate change, however, will also create new environmental pressures. For example changes in the agricultural sector will have a knock on effect for water quality – because they will cause increased amounts of nitrates and phosphates in streams and rivers.

“This will particularly impact the eastern uplands and midlands where temperature rises will allow significant increases in agricultural production. It will significantly increase the effort necessary to achieve water quality standards required by the EU. “But the problem is not restricted to water quality.

Adaptation may have an impact on water availability, wildlife, biodiversity, carbon policies, and the amount of recreation space.

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“And of course farming is not the only industry that may need to adapt to a warmer climate. Energy demand and production, fisheries, forestry and health services would all need to adapt as well, and each would have its own knock on effects.

“This does not mean that adaptation is bad and that we should develop policies to discourage it. That would be very short-sighted.

“But we should make sure we adapt in an environmentally sustainable way. Climate change is a long-term process and science allows us to anticipate its impact on both the environment and society. This should encourage the development of forward-looking policies.

“Instead of waiting for ecosystems to be in danger and then trying to save them, we can anticipate a potential problem and do something about it before it becomes an actual threat.

“Prevention is better than cure.”

‘The environmental impact of climate change adaptation on land use and water quality’ by Dr Carlo Fezzi, Dr Amii Harwood, Prof Andrew Lovett and Prof Ian Bateman is published in the March edition of Nature Climate Change.

livestock Innovative beef breeding technology to be feature of Scotland’s Beef Event 2015 The latest technology to ensure easy and timeous calving in beef suckler cows, and facilitate the wider use of top breeding bulls, will be demonstrated at Scotland’s Beef Event 2015 at Mains of Mause, Blairgowrie, Perthshire, on Wednesday, May 27.

The on-farm event, adopting the theme, Beef from the Hills, is being organised by the Scottish Beef Association, with Clydesdale Bank as main sponsor, and hosted by farmer,

Peter Alexander, and his son, Murray, who run a suckler herd of 1000 Limousin cross cows on four farms.

AI is being introduced to inseminate 300 cows and heifers with the adoption of new technology being used for the first time in a commercial beef herd in Scotland to determine the optimum time for insemination.

The cows and heifers will be fitted with collars linked to a heat detector from French

Importance of balancing suckler rations highlighted

monitoring company, Medria, which sends signals to a mobile ‘phone, via a base station, to alert the stockman that a female is ready for service.

The same technology is used to predict time of calving using a probe fitted with a thermometer which is inserted into the cow or heifer and triggers a warning text to the stockman’s ‘phone 48 hours before calving is due. A further signal is sent when the probe is expelled with the amniotic sac which alerts the stockman that calving has started.

“We have to embrace new technology and I believe this is the way ahead,” says Mr Alexander. “It will make life easier for the stockman and

will be of tremendous benefit at calving time. It will ensure females are inseminated at the optimum peak of heat and should improve calving percentage in the herd and tighten the calving period.”

Mr Alexander admits he has lacked the confidence to use AI in the past but is hopeful the new technology now available, which is used widely in dairy herds and some pedigree beef herds, will improve the calving performance of the herd.

Further information available from Natalie Cormack, Organiser, Scotland’s Beef Event 2015, on 07712 623669. E-mail: Natalie. cormack@btconnect.com www.scottishbeefassociation. co.uk/scotlands-beef-event/

Harry Kirkwood Power Washer 2000 Solar Powered Water Trough

On-farm research has highlighted key results, including improved colostrum quality, and calving ease, for spring-calving suckler cows fed a balanced ration.

In the farm trial supported

by Rumenco, cows fed a specifically formulated mineral crumb that includes vital vitamins and minerals, had a higher concentration of three key immunoglobulins than those fed a control diet.

Ross Sibbald, Rumenco area business manager for South Scotland and North East England, says it’s crucial to feed a nutritionally dense ration that provides enough energy and protein, as well as vital micro nutrition, to ensure cows and

heifers are in the best condition before calving.

“This research confirmed this fact highlighting significant results.”

On-farm trial A total of 80 spring-calving suckler cows were split into two groups, all of a similar body condition. From four weeks prior to calving, one group were fed Lifeline Pre-Calver mineral crumb, the other a control diet containing a bespoke mineral.

Independent analysis of colostrum samples showed that colostrum from the cows fed the Lifeline Pre-Calver mineral crumb had an 18, 55 and 42% higher concentration of IgA, IgM and IgG respectively

Has your cattle grazing field no mains water available and a river or stream running by.

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The water trough has a pumping system charged by a 12 volt solar panel into a 12 volt battery unit giving 24 hour drinking.

The battery power is then stepped up to give a high flow trough top up rate of up to 120 lpm allowing a number of cattle to drink at the same time.

The system has been designed and supplied fitted on to a Ritchie of Forfar Water trough

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livestock compared to those fed the control diet.

“Immunoglobulins counteract foreign bodies and fight infection,” he says. “IgG, which

makes up 75 to 80% of the total immunoglobulins, is particularly important for passive immunity passed on to the calves via the placenta and in the colostrum.

“For the results of the trial to identify the elevated levels of three key immunoglobulins in the colostrum, it clearly shows the benefit of incorporating a

mineral crumb, such as Lifeline Pre-Calver, into the ration to support the cow’s ability to produce a quality source of colostrum,” adds Mr Sibbald.

New diagnostics confirm continuing leptospirosis threat in Scotland Leptospirosis remains a common threat to dairy and beef herds in Scotland, according to extensive new data collected over the last 18 months from the MSD Animal Health EXPERTIS™ BeefCheck and DairyCheck disease diagnostic schemes.

This latest data set, taken from a total of 1841 nonvaccinating farms1 across Britain, shows that on average 30 – 40% of herds in Scotland were positive for leptospirosis antibodies, highlighting the importance in Scotland of vaccination at turnout.

“Leptospirosis is caused by a bacterial infection, and there are two strains which are known to affect UK herds, L. hardjo prajitno and L. hardjo bovis,” explains MSD technical manager John Atkinson. “In some cases, the effects of an infection can be dramatic.

For example, in a recent leptospirosis outbreak in Ayr reported in March this year2, 12 cows from a herd of 160 experienced a sudden onset drop in milk production.”

In many cases, however, the disease doesn’t cause these

dramatic effects, but it can significantly lower fertility and cause poor calf health3.

Leptospirosis also infects people, for example through contact with cattle urine. The latest data from Public Health England4 shows that farmers are at particular risk of contracting this infection, which may cause

severe flu-like symptoms that can last for weeks or months.

Vaccination can be carried out with the proven and effective vaccine Leptavoid®-H. This is the only leptospirosis vaccine that is developed from a UK isolate, is licensed to protect against both UK strains, and is licensed to improve fertility,

where leptospirosis is the cause.

For added convenience and time-saving, Leptavoid®-H can also be given at the same time as Bovilis® BVD, the UK and Europe’s leading BVD vaccine5.

Farmers are recommended to contact their veterinary surgeon for advice on how to protect against leptospirosis.

UK launch for new generation forage additive range It has been many years since any new forage additive products have been launched onto the market, let alone a complete range, but that is just what will be happening at this year’s Grassland UK. Exhibiting for the first time at Grassland UK on May 7th will be Perstorp, who are introducing to the UK their range of ProMyr™ acid 108

derived silage and crimping additives and ProSid™ mould inhibitors for grain and feed preservation.

Founded in Sweden in 1881, while comparatively unknown in the UK, Perstorp is one of the largest multinational producers of speciality chemicals in the world, and employs around 1,600 people in 22 countries. The company

has over 50 years experience of developing and manufacturing additives and preservatives for the agricultural market. The earliest formic acid based silage additives were introduced in the 1960s, which were later blended with propionic acid to enhance performance. More recently, salts of these organic products have been used to act as a buffer, making handling

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and transport far safer.

By combining these well proven products with modern chemical technology, Perstorp offers a range of highly effective additives that can be used in a wide range of conditions.

Such is their effectiveness, Perstorp additives account for approximately 80% of silage additives sold in Sweden, where climatic conditions are very

livestock Dykes Family Share Lambing Experience via QMSLambCam

similar to the UK and where inoculants have struggled to make any noticeable impact.

Perstorp’s message is ‘Back to basics…Forget knowing your Lactococcus from your Lactobacillus. Forget about worrying if you need a low DM or high DM product a

month before you need to use it, make it simple and welcome the revival of acid derived products from Perstorp’.

As well as Grassland UK you can meet Perstorp at Beef Expo Yorkshire 21st May, The Royal Highland Show 18th -21st June or Dairy Day 16th Sept.

NBA Beef Expo 2015 Spring Spectacular Seminars A snapshot of technology and the benefits which can be derived from it, will be highlighted in a series of seminars taking place at the National Beef Association (NBA) Beef Expo on Thursday 21st May 2015. Presenters will also be looking into their hitech crystal balls and predicting how new technology will bring about future developments within the beef industry.

Taking place at the York Auction Centre, this, the beef industry’s flagship spring event, will host three seminars designed to attract beef farmers and processors looking to

create a sustainable enterprise for the future. Sharing their knowledge and the most up to date information, the speakers are all experts from a range of sectors within the Beef industry. The aim is to help farmers and processors understand what technology is currently available, what will be available in the very near future, what will become available in the longer term and how this technology can work for farmers.

Anyone wishing to attend this event can obtain further details by visiting the website www.beefexpo.co.uk.

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The farming family which hosted BBC Lambing Live last year welcomed over 100,000 people into their lambing shed last week as a result of their involvement in a QMS LambCam project which saw a camera installed in the roof space of their lambing shed.

Hamish and Susie Dykes and family, who run South Slipperfield Farm, West Linton, worked with QMS to share the highs and lows of lambing their 950 ewes via a “LambCam” and daily lambing video diaries. The ground-breaking initiative allowed people to experience lambing during one of the busiest times of year for sheep farmers around the country.

The aim of the QMS LambCam project was to encourage members of the public to learn more about the hard work, dedication and care which goes into rearing top quality livestock.

The camera, installed

by Dundee-based Farmer’s Eye, streamed live action and sound from the lambing shed via a dedicated page on the QMS website www. qmscotland.co.uk/lambcam between 24-27 March.

“Lambing Live last year was an incredible

experience to be part of which our whole family enjoyed. It was also a really self-reflective process and made us really appreciate what we have,” said Hamish Dykes. “We were delighted to get involved with the QMSlambcam project this year, and have been amazed just how popular the video diaries and live streams have been.”

Carol McLaren, Head of Communication with Quality Meat Scotland said: “We are very much indebted to Hamish and Susie and team for their being willing to get involved in the project at such a busy time of year.

They were brilliant hosts and explained the work that livestock farmers undertake and the importance of good welfare and quality assurance in a way that everyone could understand and enjoy hearing about.

“The feedback we have had from the public has been brilliant and made the logistical challenge of getting a widely accessible live stream from a lambing shed for the first time in Scotland all very much worthwhile.”

You can view the five daily lambing diaries at www. qmscotland.co.uk/lambcam

livestock Cattle Feed Trial Highlights the Benefits of Good Quality Feed and Feed Conversion Efficiency

When buying cattle feed there is more to consider than just price, according to Dumfries monitor farmers, the Paterson family of Hartbush Farm, just north of Dumfries.

The Dumfries monitor farm, run by John and Amanda Paterson

and their children Louise and Steven, is the only one of the network of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) monitor farms throughout Scotland, focussing primarily on cattle finishing.

At the recent monitor farm meeting, the Patersons shared the figures from a two month trial comparing two cattle feed blends from two different companies at the end of December.

Hartbush has dealt with one feed firm for over 20 years. “We had no complaints about the feed we were buying in,” explained Mr Paterson. “However, chatting to other farmers, it was clear that some were buying what sounded like similar feeds and blends, for less money. As the feed bill is one of our greatest farming expenses, we needed to find out more.”

A different feed company was invited to participate in the trial, to compare their blend on cost and finishing bull performance, with the blend that was traditionally purchased, to determine which blend was best value. Both rations were balanced to be similar levels of energy and protein.

Updated model EPR templates available from BPEX The revised Environmental Permitting Regulations model templates, designed to help producers with applications for a permit, are now available to all producers through the BPEX website.

The Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) came into force in 2008, when they replaced Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations (PPC).

“Up until recently, pig producers have had to complete a generic form to obtain the environmental permit. However, the Environment Agency (EA) has streamlined the process, and brought back a specific application form for pig farming,” says Sue Rabbich, 110

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BPEX environment and buildings research co-ordinator.

“This is good news for producers and, while it doesn’t change the technical content required, it should make the application process more straightforward than it has been previously,” adds Sue. However, Sue acknowledges that some producers are still likely to find the application process daunting. For this reason, BPEX has completely revised and updated model templates in line with the updated application process.

The forms are now available to download from the BPEX website: http://www.bpex.org.uk/ environment-buildings/permittedagriculture-eprippc/

livestock Pig Market Stabilises After Period of Declining Prices Producers of prime pigs have found some degree of stability recently after a period of declining prices, according to the latest analysis by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).

Despite producer prices steading over the past three weeks at around 132.5p/kg, prices are around 18% lower than this time last year. Pig producers will be hoping that this stability is followed by some price improvement in line with historic price behaviour which regularly shows growth in pig prices between February and June.

“It is not just Scottish producers who have been working in a declining market, so too has been the European pig farmer,” observed Stuart Ashworth, QMS Head of Economics Services.

“European pig producers saw a particularly steep decline in

producer prices in autumn 2014.

The principle reason for this was a combination of exclusion from the Russian market, which began a year ago, and a growth in pigmeat production of over 2.5% in the second half of 2014 compared to the year before.”

Over 2014 European pigmeat exports fell by 5% while annual production increased by 1.4%. Not surprisingly, said Mr Ashworth, this change in supply and demand balance led to pressure on producer prices.

This pressure continued into spring 2015 and resulted in the European Commission introducing private storage aid in early March. This aid involves the Commission paying the storage cost for pig meat put into cold store for a minimum of 90 days.

Bovela – a new and innovative BVD vaccine

A new bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) vaccine called Bovela® was launched by pharmaceutical company, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica to farmers during April. After years of research, development and extensive trial work, Bovela looks set to radically change the way BVD is controlled on-farms throughout Europe by offering unrivalled flexibility and improved control of this costly and endemic disease.

“BVD remains the most common viral disease affecting

cattle throughout Europe, despite vaccines being available for over 15 years,” comments Allan Henderson of Boehringer.

“We asked farmers why this was the case and, without exception, they remarked that current vaccine protocols are unwieldy, requiring precise timings making them hard to follow.

“Bovela is a unique oneshot vaccine that can be used in cattle from three months of age and also whether pregnant or not.

the vet

By Andy Cant Northvet Veterinary Group

Taking in the New, Taking Care of the Old Our springtime, along with our farming clients, is spent almost exclusively bringing new calves and lambs into the world and then sorting out the various neonatal problems that come along. The next generation has arrived and the circle of life continues. So the newborn are one of our main areas of work.

The other mainstay of our work relates to the problems of old age, which mostly involves our small animal and equine patients. Keeping them in working order, for example sorting out circulatory or dental problems, and pain free, when osteoarthritis comes along in later life, is an important part of their care and welfare. So the older, taken for granted friends, also need looked after.

Responsibilities for looking after the old, and the new, don’t stop at animals. One of the privileges we have is the range of medicines we can prescribe and dispense, that are safe, useful and do their job. New products exclusive to the veterinary marketplace don’t come along too often.

The timescale of researching, developing and bringing a new product to market takes on average about 10years and the cost is in the tens of millions.

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So in a relatively small market place, which the veterinary world is, there are not many companies wanting to take on that risk. The new BVD vaccine, recently launched, is a good example of a cutting edge product that will no doubt play its part in controlling and eradicating BVD and is a welcome addition.

But if new products don’t come along too often we have to look after the old ones and keep them working. This means using them responsibly and only when required. The development of resistance in worms, fluke and bacteria to some products can be encouraged by inappropriate use.

Worm and fluke egg counts to tell us if treatment is needed, weighing animals and using the correct dosage, all help to keep products working.

Antibiotics also need to be used with respect, using the appropriate drug at the correct dose and for the full course. This limits the development of resistant bacteria. I’m reminded of the old joke “What do you give the girl that’s got everything?” ……”Penicillin” - now we don’t want to ruin the punchline!

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livestock Farmer Green Auctions launches digital solution to buying and selling livestock Farmer Green Auctions has today launched its online livestock market enabling farmers selling stock to find a wider audience without paying any fees or commission. The site enables buyers to optimise their chances of finding the right livestock from a laptop, smart phone or tablet.

Founder and namesake Ed Green is a fifth generation beef and arable farmer, running the family farm in Somerset.

His inspiration for Farmer Green came from his own frustrations with traditional livestock markets and his travels in the USA as part of a Nuffield Farming Scholarship.

He comments, “I got fed up with having to travel miles to a market, stand around a cold ring for hours on end to find ultimately too few stock to choose from with little or no information about them. Add to this the cost of transport and commission and the gamble of what price will be paid on the

day and I decided that I had to do something about it.”

Buyers looking for quality livestock can use Farmer Green Auctions to find breeding replacements for their herd or

flock, pedigree certified bulls and rams, store cattle and sheep, PGI qualified livestock, and TB restricted stock for Approved Finishing Units. Farmer Green Auctions will also be providing

a marketplace for embryos to encourage genetic gain in herds and flocks Farmers can register to buy or sell cattle at: www. farmergreenauctions.com.

Obtain dual benefits with Ceva’s new fertility product Fertipig® Ceva Animal Health has introduced Fertipig® to its Swine reproduction range. Fertipig® is a more flexible way to induce and synchronise oestrus in sows.

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Due to its unique formula it can be used for up to 28 days after reconstitution, thereby providing optimum usage and minimal waste.

Weaned sows failing to return to oestrus within seven days after weaning contribute to missed breeding targets and result in increased non-productive day (NPD) costs. The breeding target is ideally a minimum of 95% of sows in heat within five days and inseminated within seven days after weaning.

Fertipig® can be used either in a preventative way for all weaned sows in the batch at the day of weaning, or selectively to sows which are not in heat within seven days after weaning.

It combines the use of eCG and hCG to mimic the action of FSH and LH when administered early after weaning. The result should be a high quality oestrus and a reduction in the average weaning

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to oestrus interval (WOI). This in turn should deliver a higher insemination rate and higher piglet index.

The unique advantage of Fertipig® is its officially approved stability for up to 28 days after reconstitution, when stored in a refrigerator.

Fiona Wright, Product Manager, Swine at Ceva Animal Health said: “Thanks to its long stability-in-use Fertipig® provides a higher degree of control, easier planning and ultimate product convenience.

This provides pig producers with greater efficiency and improved reproductive cost management.”

Speak you your vet and visit the site at www.ceva.co.uk to find out more.

DROVERS TALES

The trials and tribulations of rural life!

By Ken Headspeath Highland Drovers & Borland Farm I am fortunate that I do enjoy my job; I would still do it even if I didn’t need the money. I have a friend who earns more than 4 times what I do working in the oil service industry and he hates his job. He has 2 houses and lots of processions but a significant part of his life is dreary and not enjoyable.

Of course my life is not always a bed of roses either, sometimes it goes wrong and we have had our fair share recently and I will recite some of it below It started at scanning time, the morning of the scanning day I found my best dog lame with an infected foot. The tractor had 3 flat tyres in close succession, each time in a muddy hole which required wrestling heavy wheels through mud and gutters; always at a really inconvenient time along with rain, sleet or snow. Young Tom has caused his fair share of issues too, he threw the drawbar for the tractor into the cab and it bounced and went through the window!

He was late for his Valentines date and managed to crash the Land Rover over a wall and roll it twice down a bank; writing it off in the process and what hassle that has caused.

To be fair not all machinery problems and troubles have been completely Tom’s fault.

I managed to tip the tractor over in a fairly flat field in the snow, it was so slow in going over and with the softness of the snow the only damage was to the screws that hold the number plate on, they were sheared off. I am still blaming Tom for this though; if he hadn’t left the radio tuned to the racket on Radio 1 then I would have been watching where I was going instead of trying to find Radio 2. And the problems continued; I arrived 30 seconds too late to save a calf that had fallen into a burn, it was completely submerged and thrashing

about, I dragged her out of the icy water still alive but despite my best CPR efforts it only lived for a few moments more, 30 seconds earlier and it would have been fine. I have been feeding a group of ewe’s homemade haylage all winter, recently it ran out and I replaced it with another batch from a different field. A few days later I was checking them and I saw a blind sheep, then another over there and that one over there is blind also. Out of 217 ewes we treated 105 for what I thought was “silage eye” It developed and spread so quickly. The vet gave us some long acting antibiotics and Tom and I spent the afternoon sneaking up on these poor blind ewes and

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injecting them, those blind in 1 eye or only slightly affect needed to be brought in and treated. The following morning I found one of the ewes we treated and scanned for twins dead in a bog, aggahh!!

As I write I am still waiting for more advice from the vet, it is not silage eye as ewes on the other farm which have not had any silage all winter are coming down with the blindness. We are less than 10 days from the official start of lambing and I am really not looking forward to lambing blind sheep.

However the particular run of problems is only just a bunch of problems that we are dealing with and these sort of things do go hand in hand with everyday farming.

We will learn and make changes and tomorrow will be different. I am just about to head out to the hill and help with heather burning on this glorious day. I will have the sun on my back, stunning views across Highland Perthshire and it will all seem much better. My friend will be stuck in his office in Aberdeen dealing with the same stuff he did yesterday and will do tomorrow. Keep your money I am happy with my lot – most of the time anyway!

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dairy Cogent strengthens its reputation for high conformation sires Cogent’s reputation as a source of the highest calibre sires has been enhanced as the genetic indexes were recently published by both DairyCo and Holstein UK. The company has excelled in the quality of dairy bulls in its portfolio, and has played a particularly strong card when it comes to conformation.

In fact, the stud leads the way with a remarkable six of the top seven bulls – of both UK and international breeding – when ranked on Type Merit (TM).

The bulls – which come from Cogent via their international partners, World Wide Sires Ltd – are as follows: McCutchen – the number one bull with a TM based on daughter performance at 3.64, and a bull who makes his debut as a proven sire, having been introduced as a young sire on the strength of his genomic figures; Mincio – a long-standing type leader whose TM of 3.4 reflects the extreme quality of his daughters which – despite their striking appearance – are of moderate size and easy to work with; Bradnick – another former genomic sire who has met every early expectation now he has daughters milking, weighing in with a TM of 3.37;

Brokaw – an Atwood son whose upstanding, eye-catching daughters are everything that was hoped from his exceptional pedigree and earn him a TM of 3.32; Heavenly Golden Dreams – a UK-bred full brother to Atwood whose daughters have earned him an international reputation and a TM of 3.29; Mogul – another high-flying genomic introduction to the UK, who has lived up to every

expectation as his first daughters come into milk, with a TM of 3.19.

Added to these bulls who have earned their place on the strength of their international performance are those which now have UK indexes based on UK daughter performance Cogent have also excelled here, with two of the top five bulls in the shape of Atwood (TM 2.75) and Gold Chip (TM 2.39), who have gone from strength to strength.

But Cogent’s success with this proof-run extends far beyond the top of the Type Merit lists, seen in bulls like Grafeeti, Milo and Twist.

“The Freddie son, Grafeeti, is proving to be a truly exceptional all-rounder, who is still in the top 10 ranked on Profitable Lifetime Index (PLI) at £504, yet is light-years ahead of his top 10 counterparts when it comes to conformation,” says Andrew Holliday from Cogent.

Kintyre dairy farmers committed to working with First Milk to secure creamery future Dairy farmers in Kintyre have committed to work with their milk buyer First Milk to secure the long term future for the creamery and milk production in the area.

At a meeting of NFU Scotland’s Kintyre branch, held in April, around 40 members turned out to discuss the difficult situation within the sector at the 114

moment and to look at what can be done to drive positive change.

NFU Scotland President Allan Bowie, who chaired the meeting, listened to producer concerns and ideas, and agreed to relay those back in person to First Milk officials.

Milk production and the creamery at Campbeltown are hugely important to the

economy of the area. The future of the creamery has received a boost with £450,000 funding recently secured from Scottish Government to install badlyneeded new boilers within the plant.

Backing their product, the new ‘Kintyre Cheese? Yes Please!’ campaign was launched by local farmers on Tuesday to

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encourage the region to keep supporting dairy farmers and buy local cheese.

With recent appointment of Mike Gallacher as the new Chief Executive of First Milk; there is a desire from the local dairy farmers to continue to work with First Milk. However, producers seek significant improvements in their relationship with the

dairy company and want a more open and transparent dialogue with First Milk going forward.

NFU Scotland representatives were joined by First Milk director Jim Baird, and Fergus Younger of Argyll Agricultural Forum for the meeting, held in Campbeltown.

At the meeting, Mr Younger presented a scenario planning

report, which had been requested by local dairy farmers at a meeting earlier this year. The report looked at the long-term options for the future of the creamery. While it scoped out several potential scenarios for the future of the Campbeltown plant, it was agreed that the short-term focus remain on keeping the creamery open

and working with First Milk to build the Mull of Kintyre brand.

That was regarded as the best approach to ensure dairy farming continues to be sustainable and thrive in Kintyre.

David Bolt, NFU Scotland’s Kintyre Branch chairman commented: “There are lots of positives that have come out of the meeting. There was

a strong representation from all the farmers in Kintyre, expressing disappointment at the current turmoil within the milk industry. However, a lot of good suggestions were brought to the floor. We want to work with First Milk, get more clarity on the current situation and look for it to improve its communication with its members

Monitor udder health via the Lely Astronaut milking robot Udder health is important for cow health and good milk production.

The use of Somatic Cell Count (SCC) has proven to be a highly useful insight to predict a case of mastitis. However, cows naturally tend to fluctuate on SCC which makes it hard to monitor and treat. To avoid use of medicines it is critical to treat cows at the right time. Lely now introduces SMART sampling on the MQC-C, an optional device on the milking robot which measures the somatic cell count of the milk, to ensure continuously smart monitoring with a saving on reagent and milk.

During robotic milking, all milk is continuously monitored.

This provides the dairy farmer with vital information on mastitis, fat and protein and lactose for managing milk quality and cow health, allowing him to respond quickly and achieve optimal milk quality.

Preventing mastitis can save farmers a lot of income through reduced milk‑production, medical and labour costs. The optional MQC‑C somatic cell count measurement is of great importance in monitoring udder health. The integrated system monitors the SCC in a highly efficient manner.

The new sampling method is developed to minimize the number of samples which reduces costs, while maintaining enough information to monitor cows properly.

With SMART sampling every third milking per cow will be sampled. For those cows with increased SCC the sampling frequency will automatically

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apply to each milking for as long as necessary. By showing the development of SCC values the farmer can decide how to treat the specific cow. This is also highly beneficial for cows in late lactation. A fact based decision makes effective dry cow treatment easier. In return this will lead to getting the next lactation off to a great start.

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dairy RVC and DairyCo unite to help producers support calf health Working in partnership, the Royal Veterinary College, University of London (RVC) and DairyCo have produced a series of online films looking at aspects of dairy calf management and health.

Previous research at the RVC has shown that the average mortality rates of liveborn dairy heifers in their first month of life on GB farms ranged from 0-12%. Some farms achieve mortality rates as low as zero per cent suggesting losses can be avoided when good management practices are in place.

Further work by the College, sponsored by DairyCo, reviewed the scientific evidence to identify best practice in colostrum management and

promoting health of young dairy calves. It is this work which has culminated in the development of a series of six films for farmers and their staff working together with their veterinary surgeons and advisors to help implement procedures to minimise calf mortality.

Filmed on the farm and presented in a clear and practical way to help farmers implement best practice in calf rearing, the six films and associated resources cover: colostrum management, colostrum hygiene, tube feeding colostrum, testing colostrum, monitoring growth and hygiene in the calf shed.

Dr Jenny Gibbons, R&D Manager at DairyCo said: " Dairy calves are the future of the dairy

herd and deserve to have the best management. Back in 2013, as part of the DairyCo Research Partnership an industry wide workshop brought together key individuals and organisations involved in calf health, welfare and management to discuss areas for improvement. These

films are the output of this workshop and incorporate the latest research and management advice to ensure farmers keep up to date on calf management best practice."

The films are available to view at www.dairyco.org.uk/ calves

Dairy calf performance boosted when worm pressures reduced Planning ahead to manage worm burden challenges will help to ensure farmers reap the economic benefit of targeting heifers to calve at 24 months.

“Parasitic infection can significantly hinder the performance, and ultimately the productivity, of dairy replacement calves,” warns Dr Andy Forbes, COWS technical representative and Honorary Professor at the University of Glasgow’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

“Challenges from parasites such as gut worm, lung worm and liver fluke can all play a significant role in hindering calf health.”

Dr Forbes says that ensuring a strategic worm control plan, in line with the COWS guidelines, is tailored to address the challenges of the farm environment with a specific system in place is therefore crucial to avoid such setbacks.

“Losses to daily live weight gain in heifer calves can have a significant knock-on effect to the 116

overall long-term performance of the dairy herd, and effect at what age they will realistically calve down,” says Dr Forbes. “It can seriously affect the replacement plans for a dairy herd, affecting when a heifer will join the main herd.”

Pastures all pose a potential risk for grazing animals in terms of parasites, and especially gut worms.

Therefore, it’s important to identify what risk each pasture falls into, so this can be incorporated into the control plan, and cattle parasite burdens managed accordingly.

“A worm control plan should be assessed regularly by farmers, and their vet and SQP advisor, to tailor the strategy for the season and the pasture risk,” he says.

“The treatment recommendations can vary tremendously according to time of turnout, and whether it’s cattle’s first, or second, grazing season.

“It’s definitely not a ‘one size fits all’ approach.”

It’s also worth considering the risk of lungworm, although this parasite is much less predictable.

Cattle should be closely monitored for signs of husk from lungworm infection, regardless of the pasture risk.

Then, for farms with a history of liver fluke infection, or where

land lies wet or muddy, and is likely to have a heavy population of snails, the control plan must also take liver fluke into consideration.

“Maintaining a record of historical parasite infections will be beneficial when planning measures to deal with liver fluke in the future,” says Dr Forbes.

AFBI research compares concentrate allocation strategies for early lactation dairy cows Genetic selection for milk production in dairy cows over the last few decades has resulted in higher milk yields. As a result, within days of calving it is common for dairy cows to produce ten times more milk than the calf needs. However, increasing milk yields have not

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been mirrored by a corresponding increase in intake potential, especially in early lactation. In fact, peak intake lags behind peak milk production by two to three weeks, and when cows are unable to consume enough energy to meet their requirements, they enter a period of negative energy

balance. This places cows in a ‘break-down’ mode whereby their energy supply comes from fat stores – commonly termed milking ‘off her back.’ Negative energy balance is known to have a detrimental effect on fertility.

In addition, there is evidence that cows that experience excessive negative energy are more likely to have a lower immune status (immune suppression), so it is unsurprising that 75% of production diseases occur during early lactation.

While most high yielding dairy cows will experience some degree of negative energy balance in early lactation, it is important that the severity and duration is minimised. This is best achieved by offering an energy dense diet comprising high quality forages

and an appropriate concentrate supplement. Indeed, concentrate feed levels have increased in response to the increasing milk production potential of dairy cows on Northern Ireland farms.

However, due to the high costs of concentrates, it is important that the correct quantity of concentrates is offered, and that concentrates are offered in the most efficient manner. Indeed, a number of concentrate feeding systems and allocation strategies are adopted on Northern Ireland dairy farms, and it is unclear if all of these are equally effective. This study, which was co-funded by DARD and Agrisearch, was designed to examine the impact of two contrasting concentrate allocation strategies for high yielding dairy cows in early lactation.

Supershot continues to exceed expectations

Cogent Supershot has been in the limelight since he topped worldwide charts and now, with his first progeny hitting the ground across the globe, the excitement has reached a new high.

His impact on the breed will undoubtedly be significant, with daughters starting to appear at the top of many different leader boards, on a number of different genetic bases.

In Canada, currently five of the top eleven highest heifers on GLPI in the world are sired

by Supershot across three different countries and four of the top twenty-five highest GTPI

females in the US are Supershot daughters.

In the UK, his calves are developing exceptionally. Initial genomic tests from Germany show that Supershot will have some of the highest RZG females in the breed.

Additionally, after each genetic index run, Supershot’s GTPI rises.

In December, he climbed to 2,675 GTPI, which ranks him at number six on the available sires list and the number one bull available that is not sired by Mogul. In the UK, Supershot is one of a few bulls actually available over the 600 GPLI mark and offers 2.55 on UK Type Merit.

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NFUScotland

dairy

This time of the year is one of the best in the farming cycle.

By Allan Bowie, President NFU Scotland

Late spring shifting into summer brings the benefits of longer days and a busy period on the farm that shakes off the shackles of winter. Nature has awoken and the sights, sounds and smells in the countryside tell us this.

Lambing, calving, sowing and planting draw to a close and the expectations for many businesses will be partly delivered. I say partly because of the time line in farming.

These expectations will not be banked until well after harvest or market and, in many businesses, it could even be a number of years before they get a market return.

Spring pushed my energies away from NFU Scotland and into working land and looking forward with confidence but what I really need is for markets and consumers to do this pushing. The strong message I and NFUS has to send out to the supply chain and consumers is the importance of the part we play in the food they buy and the need for confidence within the farming industry.

Many businesses are also in the throes of submitting their Single Application Forms to the Department. We have a new IT system in place that needs to work, on-line application has to be the way forward but that meant having to allocate more time this year for the application process.

I would have liked the IT system to have been more user friendly and Department staff have worked very hard behind the scenes to make the system

fit for purpose. Progress is being made but the jury is still out.

Confidence is also the watchword in the tenanted sector.

The uptake of the Agriculture Holdings Legislation Review Group recommendations can make a difference but we need to ensure that it is adequately scrutinised by Parliament and has buy in from all. Mutual trust, respect and confidence within the tenanted sector has to be paramount in any future structure. I know from personal experience that once this is achieved, investment and opportunities start happening.

Only a few months into the Presidential job, I have tried to take every opportunity to get out and about and meet members. Taking calls, writing emails or composing articles are all well and good but it is most rewarding if you can get away from the office and listen first hand to issues.

This is the part of the job I like and when I meet politicians, other stakeholders or retailers it means that I can accurately voice these concerns.

In one of those meetings, I sat down with officeholders from the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs and I have strong hopes that together we can harness our energies and enthusiasm to reinforce our industry’s message to consumers.

In farming, you don’t just work for the current generation - you really are working for the next one. Too many times in policy work, short-termism creeps in and we forget this.

Although still in my honeymoon period of this presidency, I strongly believe in working for the next generation and ensuring that policies can deliver this.

So here’s to summer – and I hope to continue to meet many more members as Scotland’s show season gets under way.

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HIGHLAND SHEEP 2015

NSA Scotland’s Highland Sheep Event 2015 Current UK Sheep Farmer of the Year in the annual Farmers Weekly awards, John Scott, will host NSA Scotland’s Highland Sheep 2015 event on his farm at Fearn, Tain, Ross-shire, on Tuesday, June 9.

Mr Scott, who farms with his wife, Fiona, and parents, James and Janet, runs 4200 commercial and pedigree ewes at Fearn and a hill farm in Sutherland and is widely recognised as one of the most progressive and innovative sheep farmers in Scotland.

He lays a great deal of emphasis on genetics, husbandry and grassland management to improve the productivity and profitability of his sheep and reduce the farm’s dependence on subsidy.

“We have become a generation of farmers whose aim has been to maximise subsidy,” he says.

“We must now focus on lifting profitability by improving the factors we can control, such as raising scanning percentages and reducing lamb losses or winter feed bills.”

This will be the main focus of Highland Sheep which is a new event in Scotland which was held for the first time two years ago at Dingwall Mart and is likely to alternate in future with Scotland’s biennial national sheep event, NSA Scotsheep.

“Staging the event on a well-known sheep farm will be a major additional attraction for sheep farmers and we are greatly indebted to Mr Scott for kindly agreeing to host this important event for the sheep industry in Scotland,” said NSA Scotland chair, Sybil Macpherson.

The upbeat themes running through the event will include improving performance, profit 118

from grass and the encouragement of new entrants with a view to helping reverse the decline in Scotland’s national sheep flock over the past decade.

Features will include a farm tour, trade stands, practical demonstrations, educational exhibits, seminars on practical themes, sheepdog trials and shearing and stockjudging competitions.

The event will also host Scotland’s Young Shepherd of the Year competition and a major feature at the end of the day will be a show and sale of ewe hoggs of various breeds which was such a success when held for the first time two years ago at Dingwall and again last year at NSA Scotsheep.

But the opportunity to view the UK’s top sheep flock is likely to prove the main attraction for

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many farmers and is likely to draw a large attendance of sheep farmers from all over the country to the north of Scotland.

Visitors will be inspired by Mr Scott’s commitment to the sheep industry and his positive approach to managing his sheep flock.

Expansion over the past two years has seen a doubling of the acreage farmed and the flock has expended three-fold.

Fearn Farm itself extends to just over 1000 acres and a further 300 acres of grazing is rented five miles away. The opportunity was taken in 2012 to rent 2600 acres of rough grazing in Sutherland which supports 900 Cheviot and Cheviot cross ewes and hoggs and 60 Luing suckler cows.

There are 3300 Cheviot ewes and hoggs on the home farm along with 150 pure Texels, 50 New Zealand Suffolk and 80 Aberfield and 130 suckler cows, including a pedigree herd of 65 Beef Shorthorn.

Mr Scott has searched far and wide for the best genetics to improve his sheep. The best of the Cheviot ewes are bred pure and the rest put to Aberfield rams while cross-bred ewes go to the Suffolk.

The only flock of Aberfield in Scotland can be found at Fearn and Mr Scott has been impressed with the breed so far. They are a hybrid of Texel and Bluefaced Leicester which has been developed by genetics company, Innovis. The Fearn flock is derived from an extensive ET programme.

HIGHLAND SHEEP 2015

“We are looking for a different type of Cheviot mule which is prolific and hardy but produces a superior carcase,” he explains. The New Zealand Suffolk is a breed which has been heavily selected for ease of lambing and vigour.”

“They can cover more ewes and produce more live lambs

than some of the traditional breeds,” says Mr Scott. They are also lighter boned which enables hoggs to be tupped successfully.

“Grades may not be as good as using a Texel or traditional Suffolk but I get more lambs to grade R3L faster, producing more kilos per hectare which is what I’m after,” he says.

Attention to detail includes the recording of all the sheep flocks.

It is a lot of work but EID helps and is an important tool to weed out any under-performing ewes or rams.

Around 90% of the shearling rams sold each year from the Texel flock are in the top 5% of the breed and an innovation over the past two years has been a move away from selling rams at auction centre to selling at a sale on the farm.

“We used to spend a lot of money on feed, fuel and dressing

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sheep to take them to auction sales,” says Mr Scott. “The focus now is on fit-for-purpose rams which we produce from forage and sell unfed and undressed under the “Great From Grass” title.”

As a board member of QMS and chairman of the Scottish Sheep Industry Group, Mr Scott is committed to encouraging the development of a sustainable sheep sector.

NSA Highland Sheep 2015 will show the way.

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sheep Combi Clamp - A Single Handed Success

with ease. An experienced sheep farmer and family friend, who has helped Don, was quick to comment he wished he had one when he was younger as it would have made his life and health much better.

“The Combi Clamp, like all Ritchie equipment we have had,” Don comments, “is really well made as Ritchie build equipment to last.

The eventful day could have changed both Don and Cara’s lifestyle completely, but being

able to carry on the croft on his own has meant Cara has been able to continue her work as well as developing her croft training in the local area.

Don says with pride that he would recommend the Combi Clamp to anyone, “In the early days everything was a challenge, I’m not someone who easily asks for help so being able to manage and clip my flock by myself has been amazing and has meant we can look forward with some plans of expansion in the future.”

Farmers warned not to hang on to last year’s lambs

25th of September 2012 could have changed crofting family Don and Cara Camerons’ lifestyle completely when Don lost his arm whilst cleaning a baler. In a moment of absent-mindedness Don got his arm caught between one of the baler’s rotating belts and a dimpled roller. Luckily he was not pulled into the baling chamber, but was stuck fast with the machine ticking over and the roller grinding away.

The result was an on-site amputation of his left arm by the emergency medical team, with more treatment required at the hospital where he was flown.

Waking up in hospital, Don’s initial thoughts were how was he going to continue working on the croft, shear his sheep and keep his off-shore work with Transocean.

Two years on, Don and Cara are going from strength to strength with thanks to friends and family 120

as well as support from the team at Transocean. Don is delighted that he is able to work his sheep thanks to the use of an easy to use Combi Clamp from Ritchie with its easy operation. With 30 ewes, 10 hoggs and just over 45 lambs, the Ritchie Combi Clamp is an invaluable asset to the croft.

Set-up in a long race, Don is able to “single handedly” check feet, dag and dose whilst all animals remained calm.

“It’s simple to use,” explains Don. “The Combi Clamp operates by me placing my body weight onto a foot plate which in turn operates a spring tensioned side panel which holds the sheep in place within the race. I can then access the front and rear of the sheep with ease.” Don has both Texal cross and Cheviot sheep and with the simple width adjustment on the Combi Clamp, Don can handle the whole flock

Farmers are encouraged to get their old season lambs away quickly to avoid losing out financially, says the National Sheep Association (NSA), suggesting the practice of carcase splitting regularly leads to reports of animals being devalued by £25 per head.

The reminder comes as many of last season’s lambs reach the age when their first permanent teeth come up, which is the current interpretation of 12 months of age when TSE regulations at a European level state that carcases must be split and the animal’s spinal cord removed.

Phil Stocker, NSA Chief Executive, says farmers should make sure they are getting their old season lambs to market specifications quickly and selling

them, or risk seeing the animals devalued.

He explains: “There are many farmers out there who are still finishing hogg lambs, and at this time of the year its crucial they are watching body condition closely so lambs don’t go overweight or out of spec, or to make sure they are being fed adequately to finish well in advance of teeth coming up and risking having to be split.”

“If lambs are too big the price per kilo is reduced or kilos are given away free, and the processors regularly end up with efficiency problems due to this.

It requires good management to finish old season lambs at target weights and condition; getting it wrong will lead to wastage in the abattoir and increased costs which will get passed down the chain.”

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sheep New Moredun Sheep Scab Test now available at APHA Scientists at Moredun have developed a novel diagnostic blood test for sheep scab infestation, which is now being carried out at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

Sheep scab, caused by the mite Psoroptes ovis, is one of the most important parasitic diseases of sheep in the UK and is a notifiable disease in Scotland. During the early stages of sheep scab, infestations are not obvious and animals often appear clinically normal. This subclinical stage can last for several weeks during which animals can act as a source of infection for other sheep.

For control or eradication programs to be successful, it is crucial that all infested animals are identified as quickly as possible, including sub-clinical cases and this is now possible using the new Moredun blood test.

The test detects host antibodies to a specific protein found only in the sheep scab mite, which means that the test can accurately detect that an infestation is due to the scab mite and not another ectoparasite. The test can detect infested animals at an early stage and before the onset of clinical symptoms, which will be important in the effective control of the parasite.

APHA currently offers veterinary surgeons ectoparasitic examinations of skin scrapings taken from sheep. It is hoped

that integrating the results of the skin scrapings with this new blood test will provide a more powerful and reliable diagnostic service for sheep scab. The blood test will be offered free of charge for an initial period.

For this enhanced diagnosis, veterinary surgeons are asked to submit clotted blood samples (Vacutainer®, red top) along with skin scraping samples from the same sheep to APHA’s Centre in Shrewsbury. APHA will then report the results of the diagnostic tests to the veterinary surgeon.

Dr Stewart Burgess who leads the sheep scab research group at Moredun commented: “The development of a sensitive and specific blood test provides an important tool to aid control strategies for sheep scab and crucially, by using this new test it is now possible to detect the infection much earlier, at the sub-clinical stage. We are very pleased to collaborate with APHA to make the test available to support farmers and vets in the control of the disease.”

Amanda Carson, Veterinary Lead Small Ruminant Expert Group at APHA said: “We support the efforts of the sheep industry to control sheep scab through effective diagnosis of the disease. We welcome new diagnostic developments such as the Moredun test which will provide a vital tool to improve our diagnostic efforts.”

Dog owners – be aware By Mamie Paterson No matter the time of year there’s nothing worse than finding that your flock has been subjected to the trauma of dog-worrying.

The sight of terrified sheep, some with flesh hanging off exposed bone, or eyes dangling from the socket, is sickening, as is the inevitable need to put down badly injured animals to end their suffering. It has always been a problem and it seems to be getting worse. Greater numbers of urban-dwellers are moving to the sticks in search of a better lifestyle, and the countryside has never been more popular for leisure activities and holidays, which bring increasing numbers of dogs, most of which, it has to be said, are well-behaved and well-controlled .

At the same time, quad bikes have replaced sheep dogs on many farms where the sheep are no longer accustomed to the sight of a dog. It is often the

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case that a flock of sheep may be panicked just by the sudden appearance of a dog in their field. While this might not be sheepworrying of the worst kind, if it’s close to lambing, it can lead to ewes aborting their lambs.

As ever, the only hope lies in educating the public, not just about responsible dog ownership, but also about the nature of the farm animals. Sheep are easily frightened and disturbing them at lambing time is to be avoided at all costs. Cows with young calves at foot take a very dim view indeed of any dog and will attempt to kill it. Unfortunately it is often the owner who becomes the target while the dog escapes unscathed.

The National Sheep Association is campaigning to raise awareness of the damage that dogs can cause to farm animals, but as ever, much more remains to be done.

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The Scottish Game Fair 2015 The Scottish Game Fair is Scotland’s biggest and best outdoor event, which focuses on all that’s great about rural Scotland. Whether you are a first time visitor or a regular at the Fair, this is the ‘must visit’ event of the summer where you’ll receive a very warm welcome warm relaxed atmosphere, with a distinct Scottish identity. I strongly recommend that anyone interested in rural pursuits and something a little different considers a visit to the Fair in 2015”

The Fair is organised by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) and takes place from 3 – 5 of July within the stunning grounds of Scone Palace on the banks of the River Tay, Perthshire. The programme is packed with things to see and do; a fantastic range of ‘have-a- go’ activities and competitions for an actionpacked and fun-filled day out.

There’s so much to whet the appetite especially as this is Scotland’s Year of Food and 122

Drink and with activities and trade stands for all interests and ages, it’s time to set the satnav for Scone Palace. The ancestral home of Scottish Kings is the perfect setting for the Fair and provides a fitting backdrop to the three-day event.

Where else would you see a mountain bike stunt team performing alongside horn blowing French huntsmen?

Falcons, gun dogs, ducks, terriers, hill ponies, pipe bands and hunting hounds will also

be taking their turn in the main ring and there’s plenty to see elsewhere in the showground.

Vintage vehicles, gnat shooting, clay shooting, 4x4 agility course, fishing tuition and competitions, scurry and gun dog tests, children’s activity area and the celebrated Food Hall are all easily encompassed in one fantastic day out.

As one first-time visitor described the Fair in 2014: “The show has a wonderful,

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The Food Hall The Food Hall will be making the most of 2015 Scotland's Year of Food and Drink, with over 50 producers providing a true taste of Scotland. New Scottish traders will be found amongst our favourite food stalls selling tablet, smoked salmon, lobsters, fresh salads and dressings and providing the contents for the ultimate picnic!

To help promote awareness of Scottish producers, the Cookery Theatre will be focussing on those found in the Food Hall. We are pleased that Christopher Trotter will be our 'foodie in residence' throughout the fair, preparing dishes based on what you can find in the Hall and working with other invited guest chefs to inspire you. Christopher will be making full use of the theatre area with cookery demonstrations and food tastings over the three days including whisky/wine pairings, a baking competition and 'game on' taste tests. Please check the website before you visit for timings.

Gnat Shooting The ever-popular gnat shooting returns for 2015 and we’ve developed a fun ‘have-a-go’ package suitable to first timers and groups wanting a bit of friendly competition. The gnats are radio-controlled drones perfect for targeting with a shotgun. The aim is to try to shoot it out of the sky, but it’s trickier than it looks and it’s a great test of speed, accuracy and luck! The Gnat Shoot package is available at a cost of £120 for four people including entry to the Fair and two Gold Parking Passes. (Includes 5 passes of the drone and 10 shots). Guns, ammunition safety advice and supervisors are all provided on the day.

Fishing for All The mighty River Tay is internationally renowned for its salmon fishing and is regarded as one of the best salmon rivers in the United Kingdom, indeed in Europe. Anglers come to her banks from all over the world, perhaps to try their luck and breaking the record for the largest ever rod caught salmon in the UK? Miss Georgina Ballantine caught the giant fish in 1922, weighing 64lbs, and this remains the British record.

In celebrating this rich history, the Scottish Game Fair provides all an angler could dream of in terms of equipment, advice, tuition and opportunities.

There will be fishing competitions and instruction on the Tay, fly tying advice and workshops on the river bank, clothing and equipment, boats, books, fishing breaks, have-ago activities and advice, river maintenance and related fishing organisations.

The Fair is also delighted to host Get Hooked on Fishing this year – an angling charity which helps provide positive opportunities for young people and their families. GHoF will be providing free have-a-go sessions for beginners, top tips sessions for more experience Rods and fishing fun fair games for all to enjoy. The aim of GHoF is simply to get more

people fishing more often and what better venue that the Fair to encourage uptake in this sport?

GWCT Scotland The Fair provides GWCT Scotland with an ideal platform from which to educate people about Scotland’s rich natural heritage and presents an excellent opportunity for all to engage with the countryside. The event allows visitors to discover more about the importance of conservation, Scotland’s game and wildlife management and sports not least via the main GWCT exhibit which will be delivered with partner organisation the World Pheasant Association. Many breeds of pheasant, partridge, grouse, black game, ptarmigan and the majestic and endangered capercaillie will form a live exhibit. It’s a chance to see, up close, some of these fabulous and rare birds and learn more about their ecology. Our practical, detailed and colourful game and wildlife conservation crop display should stimulate lively discussion on shoot management and CAP greening issues.

The GWCT ‘village’ will also include our own shop, Artists in Action marquee, the Heather Trust and our Wee Beasties education area which is always bustling with activity.

Shopping at the Fair In addition to the fantastic food hall, the Fair hosts a superb range of craft makers in the Craft Fair, where hundreds of talented designers and makers come together to showcase and sell their work, a fantastic place to pick out a unique piece of homeware or clothing or an extra special gift. There is also a huge array of traders exhibiting at the Fair, providing a range of services and products relating to the outdoors and countryside.

The GWCT Scottish Game Fair takes place Friday 3, Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July 2015 at Scone Parklands, Perthshire.

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Go to www.scottishfair.com for more information and for ticket offers.

Save 10% on the gate price by booking in advance online £19 – adult gate price; £17 advance online (until 18 June) £5 – children (under-5’s free); £4.50 advance £40 - family (2 adults, 2 children); £36 advance Car parking £4.00 on the day or gold forward parking £12 in advance Fair and Scone Palace combined tickets also available

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estate Provanston Farmhouse for sale

Call for landowners to dial in damage

Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution (SSEPD) is calling on farmers, land owners and land managers to store its number on their phones in case they find damage to the electricity network on their land.

Operating in the north of Scotland and central southern England, SSEPD is aware that some of its poles, pylons and wires run through private land and want to make it as easy as possible for information on damage, potential damage and power cuts to be passed on.

By storing a Freephone number for landlines and a low cost number in their mobile phones, it’s hoped that any areas of concern such as wires down, leaning or broken poles or damaged pylons can be spotted and reported quickly, allowing the network operator to act quickly and hopefully 124

allow for repairs to be made that would otherwise escalate if left unattended.

SSEPD’s Director of Engineering, Alan Broadbent explains why early intervention is vital: "We really appreciate the job that people who work on the land do in helping us keep our network safe and secure. By reporting to us things that don't look right, you could prevent a power cut, or even prevent someone being hurt. “If you spot anything to do with our network that gives you cause for concern, please call us as quickly as possible. We may need to gain access to land or property in an emergency but the sooner we are aware, the sooner we can act and hopefully limit any further damage and allay any potential power cuts.”

For anyone who is unsure who their transmission or distribution

Provanston is a period farmhouse thought to be over two hundred and fifty years old. Extended over the years, it retains a number of period features including exposed beams and the flag stone floor.

Provanston’s equestrian credentials are obvious: a stable block of with approximately thirty-three loose boxes (so not far off being able to house an entire Grand National field!); an amazing indoor arena and around 15.4 acres of land including a variety of paddocks.

Additionally there are various outbuildings as well as annex accommodation which could provide staff accommodation or be run as a self-catering holiday let.

In a prominent position above the village of Fintry, Provanston is surrounded by beautiful countryside and hills but is easily accessed by road and convenient for both Glasgow and Stirling.

Provanston is for sale through CKD Galbraith at a fixed price of £700,000.

New offices for Longthorne Guns After a long drawn out process Longthorne Gunmakers are delighted to have at last completed their purchase of the former Falcon Press Building in Northampton. The company who had originally planned on moving to Brackley 20 minutes away decided on the current property after the first option fell through due to the Seller having family problems but every cloud has a silver lining and their current

property allows better potential for growth and with 4000 sq ft of office space and 10,000 sq ft of workshop space is better suited to their manufacturing operations. The company are still planning to maintain a small base in the village of Hesketh Bank, Lancashire, the original home of Longthorne. The move will take place in a few months time to allow time to perform some internal renovations.

network operator is, SSEPD has a postcode searcher on their website - www.ssepd.co.uk/ Whoismynetworkoperator/ and those who fall within SSEPD’s area are asked to store the following location appropriate numbers in their phone:

Central Southern England: (Landline) 0800 072 7282 Central Southern England: (Mobile friendly) 0345 072 1905 North of Scotland: (Landline) 0800 300 999 North of Scotland: (Mobile friendly) 0345 072 1901

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estate On the Peg

A desirable Thorntonhall farm for sale

As the demand for smaller amenity farms has begun to show significant sings of a recovery since the property crash of 2008 property consultants, CKD Galbraith expect high volumes of interest in North Hill of Dripps Farm. Located about a mile from the leafy hamlet of Thorntonhall, to the south of Glasgow, the attractive dairy farm sits in a prime rural location.

North Hill Dripps Farm extends to some 91.87 acres (37.18 hectares) in total and is currently run as a dairy farm, having been in same family ownership for over 30 years. This is a productive amenity farm in a picturesque yet easily accessible location of central Scotland.

The sale includes an extensive range of traditional buildings and a modern steading which surrounds the farmhouse and presents the opportunity for a variety of uses. The majority of the land has been classified by the James Hutton Institute for Land Use and Soil Research as mainly Grade 3.2, with a small area adjacent to the farm steading being classified as Grade 4.1.

The traditional farmhouse is centrally located within the holding. It comprises of two spacious reception rooms and four well proportion bedrooms with the potential for refurbishment to suit the new owners taste. The sale also

includes planning permission for the extension of the farmhouse and conversion of the adjoining U-shaped steading into two further dwelling properties, plus two stable buildings.

There are a range of useful outbuildings already in situ including several livestock sheds of varying dimension, Dutch barn, and numerous further large modern farm buildings.

Duncan Barrie, handling the sale for CKD Galbraith, said: “North Hill Dripps Farm presents an excellent opportunity for prospective buyers to acquire the unit as whole or in lots with a excellent range of outbuildings and land blocks available which could be used for a variety of purposes.

“The farm benefits from its prime location and peaceful setting. Thorntonhall is regarded as one of Central Scotland’s premier addresses with a regular rail service and excellent motorway networks to all major routes throughout Scotland.

“The sale in a number of lots offers a range of buying options, ideal for those looking to expand their current portfolio in the region, or for amenity / lifestyle use.”

For further information or to arrange a viewing please contact CKD Galbraith’s Stirling office on tel: 01786 434600.

by Linda Mellor

Gamekeepers are responsible for the husbandry of both reared and wild game inhabiting the land. They require good people skills to build relationships with other land users and be adept in man management to train under-keepers and to put together beating and picking-up teams. Keepers also need be the epitome of customer service to ensure their paying guests are fed, watered and enjoy a successful day’s shooting.

No two days are ever the same for Gamekeeper Mike Hardy as he and his Father, Dick, are the shooting tenants on the 3,000 acre Kinblethmont Estate and 10,000 acre Glen Clova Estate in the Angus Glens. They rear their own pheasant, partridge and duck. Before the day old chicks arrive in late May or early June there are many months of preparation to ensure the young birds have the best possible start and kept safe from predators.

Mike said: “There is a lot of work to be done, at the moment I am fixing old release pens and building new ones. I have made some new pheasant rearing sheds and pen sections and

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I have been out checking all the deer fences on the tree plantations and repairing them where needed.”

In addition to building and maintenance work, pest control demands much of a keeper’s time.

Predators, like foxes, and the non-indigenous mink, can have a devastating impact on ducks and other bird life.

“We spend a lot of our time on pest control, this involves shooting and catching crows, checking Fenn traps, catching stoats, weasels and rats.” said Mike. “Fox control is a constant and that never changes. The local deer population can be problematic. If there are too many roe deer on certain drives they can flush the birds. They also knock the bird feeders over and take the wheat meant for the birds. The red deer are a nuisance especially the stags as they just break the feeders.”

The shooting season starts on 12th August to 1st February. From dawn to dusk a gamekeeper’s role is steady and diverse outside the shooting season and is still one of the most soughtafter outdoors jobs.

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estate Wipe Out for Weeds Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust

By Katrina Candy

Carrion crow numbers have increased steadily across the UK since the 1960s with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) estimating 987,500 pairs in 2000. Crows are doing very well in our modern landscape and are excellent predators of nests whilst also impacting on lambs and ewes.

Reducing crow numbers is an important part of predator control on our moors and in the lowlands Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) research shows that corvid predation can reduce the numbers of successful lapwing nests. Where there’s enough breeding habitat and food supply we and other bodies believe reducing the number of crows during the breeding season will help conserve vulnerable bird species.

It is important then that crows can be trapped under an annual General Licence, issued by Scottish Natural Heritage. The next step is to rely on individuals to do this work and do it well.

Fortunately there is an incentive for landowners, farmers, gamekeepers and other people authorised to trap. Crows are controlled to reduce impacts on sheep flocks and to help ground nesting game birds such as partridges or ducks breed better. This in turn benefits our species of concern. For example, crow control on a farmland shoot has been shown to increase thrush and blackbird nesting success.

GWCT along with Science & Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) is currently conducting a study to investigate how corvid traps are used under the current General Licence system in Scotland.

The study got underway last year and we are now asking volunteers to keep simple records of their trap catches through this year and to allow SASA staff to remotely monitor trap activity. It is critical to the success of this work that as many trap users as possible participate in collecting trap records and other evidence.

GWCT works to improve rational, achievable, proportionate, focused and humane predator control in suitable habitat where effective control can raise rarer species’ local abundance to levels higher than in the absence of predator control, resulting in improved conservation status.

More simply, we are motivated to ensure we don’t lose the management tools that can control predators effectively because without them numbers of species which define our countryside might well continue their decline.

GWCT Scotland runs a number of corvid control courses throughout the year.

For more information on these, or other training opportunities, please email advisory@gwct.org.uk

Consider the alternative to spraying weeds and you could be looking at a fast and far more cost-effective method of wiping them out. The concept of weedwiping was developed in New Zealand in the 1970’s and it offers a controlled method of targeting weeds. A weedkiller chemical is coated onto a carpet roller which is wiped across the weeds, applying chemical to the underside of the leaf. It’s an ideal method for paddock, pasture and turfcare, using much less chemical than spraying and, as it targets the vulnerable undersidepart of the weed leaf, it hits it where it hurts without killing grass or clover. The Wessex Weedwiper attaches to a standard ball hitch on an ATV, UTV or 4 x 4 and comprises a unique roller carpet mounted on a sturdy mainframe. There’s a large wheel at each end, one of which drives the roller rotation and the roller runs in the opposite

direction to the travel of the Rotowiper to allow thorough coating of the underside of the leaf. The machine is height adjustable to ensure all weed types and growth stages are catered for. A reliable pump transfers chemical from the tank to the carpet, coating it evenly and thoroughly to ensure the weed receives the right amount of lethal chemical. To see the flow of chemical being applied to the carpet roller Wessex recommend adding a small amount of foam, such as Deva foam, to the chemical tank, allowing the operator a visual aid to regulate the amount of chemical being applied. More chemical is added by a simple switch controlled by the operator from the seat of the towing vehicle. The Wessex Rotowiper is available in a 2.4m width and can be used on any vehicle with a tow hitch. Wessex International 01264 345870 www.wessexintl.com

Quality lanarkshire farmland comes to the market The Land at Jerviswood, situated to the north east of the historic market town of Lanark, represents an excellent opportunity to purchase a well located block of productive arable land from leading rural consultants, CKD Galbraith.

The land is available as a whole, totalling around 39.34 acres, or in two separate lots. Lot

1, about 16.28 acres (6.59 Ha) is located to the south of Jerviswood Mains Farm and can be easily accessed directly from the A706 public road. The majority of the land has predominantly been cropped for spring barley with a small area to the west of the enclosure currently being down to pasture.

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estate Supporting tenant farming

By David Johnstone Chairman of Scottish Land & Estates Lot 2 comprises of around 23.06 acres (9.33 Ha) of good arable land. The land is bound to the south by Stanmore Road and benefits from access onto the A706 as well. The land is currently in stubble but has been cropped for spring barley for a number of years.

Both Lots are scheduled as being principally Grade 3(2) by the James Hutton Institute for Soil Research.

Duncan Barrie, handling the sale for CKD Galbraith, said: “The Land at Jerviswood offers an excellent prospect for local farmers hoping to increase the size of their holding and benefit from economies of scale, but also from some non-farming interests as some investors may seek alternative investments

given the financial markets still remain cautious.

“The sale of the land in two lots provides flexibility for investors seeking smaller blocks of land with good access and close to amenities. The Land at Jerviswood is within easy commuting distance of both Edinburgh and Glasgow.”

The Land at Jerviswood is available as a whole or in two lots as follows: For the Whole: Offers Over £155,000 Lot 1:Offers Over £65,000 Lot 2:Offers Over £90,000 For further information please contact CKD Galbraith’s Stirling office on: Tel 01786 434600.

Scottish farm land attracts buyers from across the UK

Demand for Scottish farm land remains strong and continues to be better value per acre than in other parts of the UK according to

the latest RICS/RAU Rural Land Market Survey. The average UK price per acre during the final six months of 2014 was £10,067, a

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The announcement by the Scottish Government that it is to press ahead with the appointment of an independent advisor on tenant farming prior to creating a permanent tenant farming commissioner is a clear signal of the real desire to see change in the sector.

It’s a move that landowners support and I genuinely hope that, as the recommendations of the Agricultural Holdings Legislation Review Group report go through the parliamentary process there are more measures brought forward that the industry can agree upon and take forward.

Over the last couple of weeks the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee has been giving some of the thorny issues that have emerged in the Review Group’s report detailed and vigorous scrutiny.

Evidence of the progress that can be made when people work together can be seen in the common ground that Scottish Land & Estates, NFUS and The Scottish Tenant Farmers’

Association found over the absence of letting vehicles between 1 and 10 years and on an amnesty on the registration of improvements.

There are other areas such as the significant widening of succession rights and proposals for converting 1991 Act tenancies to 35-year-long tenancies which are more problematic and our views have been interpreted, by some, as being obstructive or even threatening.

Hand on heart, I can say that is not what we are about. Our prime objective is to find solutions to these issues that respect tenants’ and landlords’ rights and interests and will serve tenant farming well.

Landowners do want tenant farmers and their families to do well, not least because a thriving farming community delivers essential public benefits, including high quality nutritious food.

Landowners will spare no effort in seeking common ground where all of us can embrace outcomes that are good for the sector as a whole and can use them as a platform for future farming success.

For more information www.scottishlandandestates.co.uk Telephone : 0131 653 5400 127

estate record high for 11 months in a row.

Although Scottish land prices have grown steadily over recent years, it remains significantly cheaper to purchase farm land here at an average of just £4,375 per acre. This figure also reflects the fact that a broader range of land types have been offered for sale in Scotland.

According to rural experts despite the uncertainty cause by the Referendum and CAP reform, English buyers are now turning their attention to north of the border where good quality pasture land is at least 40% cheaper than the rest of the UK. Simon Brown of CKD Galbraith explains: “Demand will continue to hold prices up in Scotland and we remain optimistic and expect competitive bidding to continue.

The firm have managed a number of successful sales resulting in English buyers sealing the deal.

Farmers and those looking to invest from the South are aware what excellent value Scottish

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farm land represents, especially good arable land.

“CKD Galbraith have been instructed and sold some 55 agricultural properties over the past year, totalling 11,950 acres of land.

During the final quarter of 2014 the firm sold around 2500 acres of prime farmland to English buyers.

“We are finding purchasers coming from south of the border more frequently due to the short supply of agricultural land on the open market and the high price of land in both England and Wales.

“English farmers are now taking a keen interest in Scottish units and are principally focussed on farms which can operate as stand-alone units with good infrastructure and fixed equipment.

“Confidence in the Scottish farm market was not dented by the Referendum in 2014 and we don’t envisage the implementation of CAP review or land reform will affect the stability of land prices over the next 12 months.”

Equestrian property in Ayrshire for sale

Merkland House stands in a very private location with unspoilt views over open countryside.

Another outstanding equestrian property, facilities include stabling for seven horses with tack room and feed room; an all-weather floodlit riding arena and a well fenced paddock of around 3.21 acres.

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Completed to a high standard throughout with features including a beautiful oak staircase; an impressive kitchen with granite worktops and an Elan Rangemaster as well as a conservatory overlooking the garden.

Merkland House is for sale with CKD Galbraith’s Ayr office at offers over £475,000.

horses BEF Futurity 2015 dates and venues The dates and venues for the 2015 Baileys Horse Feeds/ British Breeding/BEF Futurity evaluation series have been announced.

The Futurity evaluations aim to identify British bred young potential sport horses and ponies destined for top level careers in dressage, eventing, showjumping or endurance. The Futurity is fast becoming recognised as an important first step in the careers of many potential top level horses and provides a valuable marketing took for breeders.

The 2015 Futurity evaluations will run from the 1st to the 18th August, covering 11 venues nationwide with a total of 12 days of evaluations.

Entries are taken online and will open on the 1st July 2015.

The Futurity is open to British bred horses and ponies, from foals through to three year olds. Each horse or pony is entered into the discipline it is bred to perform in and the four main disciplines of dressage, showjumping, eventing and endurance are covered. Each

horse or pony undergoes a vet’s assessment and is then evaluated in hand and loose in an indoor school. Three year olds entered into either the showjumping or eventing sections will be required to loose jump.

The BEF’s Head of Equine Development Jan Rogers said.

“We are increasingly finding that breeders, buyers and riders of British bred horses are finding that a Futurity premium is a very useful aid in helping assess these horses.

We are also seeing a marked improvement in the standard of youngsters entered in the futurity, which is very good news for the future of British breeding”.

For more information, visit www.britishbreeding.org.

More for exmoor!

Verdo Horse Bedding, the premium wood pellet equine bedding is delighted to be supporting the Moorland Exmoor Foal Project, Holt Ball Exmoor Pony Stud and Exmoor Pony Club for 2015.

The Moorland Exmoor Foal Project was established

by Nick and Dawn Westcott in 2013 to help purebred Moorland Exmoor ponies make the transition from living wild and free on Exmoor to domestic life. Exmoors are an endangered breed (with less than 500 breeding mares worldwide) Dawn and her team use positive, trust-based methods of horsemanship to win the trust and confidence of the ponies. Some ponies remain in the project to help educate and promote the breed www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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horses whilst others are found good homes.

Commenting on the association, Michele Griffiths Sales Executive says: “Dawn campaigns tirelessly for the benefit of the breed and to be able to support her worthy work gives us great pleasure.

With Verdo Horse Bedding’s low dust benefits and 100% virgin wood content, we are able to offer these ponies a natural and healthy approach to their first experience of bedding”

Dawn Westcott echo’s this sentiment: “It is especially important for Exmoor ponies to have bedding that doesn’t cause skin or breathing problems and we have found Verdo Horse Bedding extremely good in all respects. It is easy to use, with minimal wastage, and very comfortable for the ponies in all areas – from large barns to field shelters.”

Jock & Childeric make the perfect fit!

For further information: www. verdohorsebedding.co.uk www.exmoorponyclub.co.uk

Let Summer 'Fly' Bye

If your equine friend suffers from sweet itch or allergic reactions to fly bites, don’t let pesky insects ruin your horses’ fun this summer…

Aloeride® is a pure organic aloe vera supplement for horses, which when used in conjunction with fly protection, can help with the horses allergic reaction to biting insects, as well as helping to promote healthy skin and accelerated healing in cuts and sores caused by the horses’ scratching.

Aloe vera is renown for having anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, which alongside additional antiinflammatory qualities and a range of B vitamins (which again are known to help with allergic skin reactions) it can quickly help tackle the problem inside out.

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Aloeride® is an easy to administer alternative to feeding fresh aloe vera and is available in one-a-day sachets.

Aloeride® is taste-free, has a long shelf life, requires no refrigeration and with 30 sachets (1 month’s worth) containing a whopping 12 litres of aloe vera juice – you can be reassured that your horse or pony is getting the best each and every day.

Aloeride® aloe vera has also been tested by an accredited Newmarket laboratory and does not contain any synthetic compounds and if you need topical aloe vera to soothe cuts and sores –simply mix with water to create a cream!

Aloeride®. RRP: £55.20 (1 x month supply) www.aloeride.co.uk 01858 464550

What do you get when you have a long legged event rider and a bespoke saddle brand? The perfect fit, that’s what!

Childéric Saddles UK have worked with top eventer Jock Paget for the past 5 years and continue to develop their saddle design to embrace Jock’s evolving needs and requirements and of course his anatomically long legs!

Tricia Bracegirdle, Senior Saddle Technician for the brand took the demo version of ‘CFAP Event Saddle’ and adapted it to offer Jock a totally balanced experience in the saddle and allow for his longer leg length, as she explains: “In the ‘standard’ demo model, you can clearly see the way Jock’s leg naturally lays, it falls over the knee roll

which can encourage gripping and a sore knee, however after adapting the model, you can see that his position has changed and his knee is placed perfectly and free. Jock’s balance isn’t compromised and he is able to retain the perfect position easily and comfortably” Jock explains: “As a rider you need to feel secure without restriction and this saddle gives me the freedom to adopt different positions without upsetting the horse’s rhythm or balance and the confidence to concentrate on the job without distraction” Childéric Saddles – Revolutionising your ride!

RRP: £3,600 (‘Lite’ weight version also available £4,000.00) www.childericsaddles.co.uk

Scotland’s Horse Industry Needs Greater Coordination and Support The equine industry in Scotland is growing, and according to Horse Scotland, it contributes £228 million to the Scottish economy per year (excluding racing); however there is a need for greater regulation and

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coordination in order to reduce risks which include horse health and welfare.

Developing an accurate database of the number and location of horses in Scotland would allow for better monitoring

horses of disease, traceability of horse movement, more effective breeding programmes and would address the welfare concerns associated with increased horse numbers.

A recent study published

by Scotland's Rural College's (SRUC) Rural Policy Centre, in conjunction with the British Horse Society (BHS) Scotland, provides a ‘snapshot’ of the industry and makes recommendations to the equestrian industry, local authorities and the Scottish Government on how to further develop and strengthen the sector.

EQUINE ANGLE One of the report’s authors Gillian McKnight, from the SAC Consulting Division of SRUC commented: “The equine industry makes a big contribution to the rural economy, and has significant potential, with adequate support and guidance, to deliver integrated business and environmental benefits.

“A thriving horse industry means more people, including a high proportion of women, participating in sport, recreation and access to the countryside, which is good for our physical and mental health.”

Summer wound care

When it comes to keeping leg wound dressings clean, dry and protected from insects this summer, Golly Galoshes are ingenious waterproof, breathable and versatile leg gaiters, which can help you manage first aid issues with ease!

Golly Galoshes dispel the need for additional protective bandaging and also help prevent the horse interfering with the dressing and help eliminate direct contact with bedding or droppings.

Originally designed for ridden exercise, Golly Galoshes have also rapidly found a home in many yard’s first aid kits, due

to their clever design. Quick and easy to put on and take off, Golly Galoshes also help prevent dirt or sand getting underneath your horses’ dressing, so they can also be used on horses during convalesce turn-out or exercise.

Golly Galoshes are also machine washable, again making them a hygienic and practical first aid essential and feature secure hook and loop fastenings, full length zip with protective fleece lapel for security and comfort.

Prices start from £25.99 per pair Miniature Pony through to £34.99 for horse sizing.

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Equine welfare – be vigilant

By Melanie Scott THE news that last month a horse in the Scottish Borders has been diagnosed with equine influenza has highlighted that horse owners need to be vigilant in preventing transmissible diseases in their horses.

The Animal Health Trust (AHT) said it was only the second time socalled ‘horse flu’ has been detected in the UK this year. It was identified in a six-year-old horse which had not been vaccinated against the disease.

The AHT explained the horse had a nasal discharge and a frequent cough for four days before diagnosis. The horse was then put into immediate isolation and all the other horses in the yard had been vaccinated against the disease.

Horses usually recover from influenza after a few weeks' rest.

A spokeswoman for the AHT said horse owners need to be vigilant and to keep up to date with vaccinations.

She said: "The Animal Health Trust would like to encourage horse owners to be alert for the classic

influenza signs, including a harsh dry cough, nasal discharge, pyrexia and inappetance.

"Signs may be mild in vaccinated horses. It is particularly important to be on the look out in affected areas or for signs in horses that have recently been transported or in contact with those that have."

Unlike strangles and some other infections the flu virus does not linger nor survive for long outside the horse. It affects the nose, throat and windpipe of horses but the disease cannot be transmitted to humans.

At the opposite end of the country horse owners in Aberdeenshire are dealing with the outbreak of strangles that has resulted in shows in the region being cancelled.

Strangles is one of the most common equine diseases. It’s a highly contagious infection of the upper respiratory tract and the bacteria are usually transferred through direct contact or via a third party through clothing or sharing tack and equipment.

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horses Equestrian Tried & Tested

By Melanie Scott

Champion Ventair Riding Helmet What they say: Certified to PAS 015 2011, the Ventair system features a uniquely tailored harness for complete stability and security and, as with all Champion hats and helmets, offers further safety reassurance by carrying the BSI Kitemark, guaranteeing you that it will comfortably outperform the four main areas of testing: penetration, shock absorption, harness strength and stability.

Sizes: 6 ¼ to 7 ¾

Colour: black, navy, pink or silver Price from: £89.50 to 107.50 depending on size Review: This is an excellent example of a modern, lightweight, streamlined riding hat that It is certified to PAS 015 2011. The hat is chosen by many of the world’s top event riders including Pippa Funnell, Piggy French and Kitty King. The Ventair Deluxe Skull cap is extremely lightweight and comfortable, whilst offering outstanding protection to your head.

It features a ventilated airflow system that is styled to increase airflow to help keep your head cool, and minimising ‘hat-hair’!

The hat was worn for a variety of situations, from hunting, showjumping and dressage to hacking and I was reassured by its stability.

Once you fastened the chinstrap the hat stayed in place and didn’t move about or tip forward. The harness is made from a soft, comfortable material that didn’t chaff the skin; sometimes it was worn for up to five hours and didn’t mark the skin of the wearer.

The Ventair riding hat is also available with a peak for showjumping use. I liked bright colours of the helmet, it was eye catching and worked well to match my cross country colours. However I could add a hat silk cover on top and it would stay in place well too. A very versatile hat, and I feel has offered my head excellent protection. www.championhats.co.uk; email info@fbi-ltd.co.uk or Tel: 0113 270 7000.

Mark Todd fleece mesh cooler

What they say: innovative cooler designed to combine the airflow qualities of mesh with the warm and wicking properties of fleece.

Sizes: 5’5-7.

Colour: navy or black/white.

Price: £38.99.

Review: A stylish, comfortable and practical rug for use all year round. It’s cleverly designed with a fleece section at the top of the rug that covers the horse’s back and loin’s area. The side panels are made from a mesh fabric that’s shaped to allow air access to the ‘hot spots’ the girth, shoulder and stifle area.

I found the fleece covering the back worked well to wick away moisture and stop chills, especially during warmer spells of weather when traditional wicking rugs can be too warm for the horse.

It has a discreet surcingle at the girth to prevent it flying up or slipping. It also washed well and dried really quickly. I really liked this rug; It’s a very good price and very useful rug for this time of year and is now a valuable item in my horse’s wardrobe. www.wefi.com.uk, or Tel 01303 872277

Talolo boots

What they say: The original cowboy welly, made from high quality rubber with a traditional cowboy heel and are fully lined with cotton. Can be dressed up or down worn as a stylish boot or a ladies waterproof boot.

Sizes: EU 37-41.

Colour: urban snakeskin, floral bliss, paisley vibe and pop graphic spirit Price: From £34 Review: Wow, these are seriously eye catching boots! Who needs traditional wellies now these boots are on the market.

Totally unlike any other pair of wellies these boots are designed like a traditional pair of cowboy boots – albeit made from rubber! They are a fitted design and have the slight Cuban heel, plus the pointed toe means they are so are very stylish to wear and not at all like wearing wellies!

They are ideal for dressing up or down, they’ve been worn into town and also whilst walking local cross country courses. They are easy to slip your foot into and are very comfortable to wear.

I’m looking forward to wearing them this summer, I think they’ll be a bit different for wearing at country fairs and the price is inexpensive. With four sets of funky colours these just might make plain coloured wellies are a thing of the past now! www.taloloboots.com or Tel 07894 346951

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futurefarmer Student Farmer Craig relishing the Loirston Trust Challenge to Grow a Top Crop of Winter Wheat The annual competition is sponsored by the Mains of Loirston Trust which was established in 2007 by NE farmer, the late Alexander W Allan. He was committed to advancing education in the practice and science of agriculture in Scotland.

The Challenge is designed to encourage the next generation of farmers and agronomists by giving them their own plots of winter wheat to manage. The

teams are entered from four SRUC Campuses, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Barony and Oatridge.

Each team makes its own decisions about its “crops” and what inputs to use, from variety and seed rate to fertiliser and pest protection. Each crop and treatment is replicated on three sites, in Aberdeenshire, Fife and Midlothian. They are managed by the SRUC team which normally looks after official crop trials.

One of those taking part this year is Craig Mackenzie from Drumballoch, Beauly. He is in the 4th year of his Honours degree in Agriculture at the SRUC Craibstone (Aberdeen). He admits that in his first “Challenge” year when he was with some older students he did not really understand what was gong on.

But in the last two years, as a team leader, he is very much more engaged and enjoying it.

Scotland’s talented trainees celebrated at Lantra Scotland’s Land-based and Aquaculture Learner of the Year Awards 2015 During Scotland’s ‘Year of Food and Drink’ it is fitting that Lantra Scotland’s 12th annual Land-based and Aquaculture Learner of the Year Awards has broken all the records.

The ceremony was attended by 220 employers, trainees and industry representatives who

came together to celebrate the achievements of 29 talented winners and runners up across 15 award categories - the highest numbers since the awards began in 2003.

The glittering event and gala dinner, sponsored by The Scottish Salmon Company and

hosted by celebrity chef Nick Nairn, took place on Thursday 5th March at the Doubletree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro Hotel near Stirling.

One of the high points of the evening was a key-note speech

by Nick Nairn, who reminded the audience of the importance

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of fostering young talent and investing in skills to ensure a lasting future for Scotland’s food and drink sector. Nick also presented the awards to the worthy winners and runners up.

Nick commented: “I'm delighted to be giving out the awards at the Lantra event in this Year of Food and Drink. Celebrating the achievements of learners is key in any industry. Good training is crucial to developing a wellrun agricultural and food and drink sector across the country.

And here in Scotland we have so much to be proud of right across the industry, from farmers to restaurant owners, and land managers to fishmongers. I’m particularly delighted to see that secondary schools and higher education students are being recognised in these awards.

I’ve long been a campaigner for better food education in schools, and this is part of that.

Learning to grow food and look after land well and responsibly is an essential factor in making Scotland a great food and drink nation.”

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Another of our sections where we explore the very latest advances in farming related learning and technology. All news for this section should be emailed to our usual address.

Moredun Scientists awarded new grants to help improve the health and welfare of livestock Moredun scientists are involved in three out of the eight new grants recently awarded through the BBSRC’s Animal Health Research Club (ARC) initiative which aims to understand and combat endemic disease in farmed cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry and fish. The ARC initiative is a consortium between the BBSRC, the Scottish Government and leading companies from the animal health, breeding and farming sectors to encourage research approaches that are relevant to industry needs.

The Moredun projects are focusing on: resistance to cryptosporidiosis in cattle; diversity in immune responses to a worm vaccine in sheep; and improving our understanding of inflammatory responses in sheep footrot.

The three projects are being conducted in collaboration with the Roslin Institute, Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland, The University of Glasgow and the University of Nottingham. These endemic diseases are of significant economic and welfare concern to the livestock industry.

Scientists transfer pathogensensing ‘antenna’ gene to wheat A team of scientists from the John Innes Centre (JIC), the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) and The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL) have successfully transferred a receptor that recognises bacteria from the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana - a dicot, to wheat – a monocot.

They showed that the receptor can trigger a defensive response and confers increased resistance to bacterial disease. The research findings demonstrate that the signalling pathways or circuitry downstream of the receptor are conserved between evolutionary distant monocots and dicots.

Drs Henk-jan Schoonbeek and Christopher Ridout, the lead

and corresponding authors of a paper published in The New Phytologist today, first developed diagnostic tools which tests wheat for responses to pathogenassociated molecular patterns (PAMPs). These PAMPs are often essential parts of fungi or bacteria - they would find it difficult to mutate or lose them without affecting their fitness or survival.

Pattern recognition receptors recognise and confer a response to such PAMPs and could contribute to durable resistance. The authors have demonstrated that wheat has the circuitry to respond to these pathogens but not all the antennae required to perceive pathogens most effectively.

R-Biopharm Rhône allergen test helps food businesses meet strict new EU labelling rules R-Biopharm Rhône, one of Scotland's most successful scientific exporters, has responded to new EU food information rules with a test which will efficiently help restaurants, food producers and institutions comply with the law .

The Glasgow-based company is gearing up its sales force to roll out rapid and sensitive swab tests for allergens to help the food industry stay on the right side of the EU Food Information for Consumers Regulations, which came into effect in December last year.

The new rules require food businesses to provide allergy information on food sold unpackaged, in for example catering outlets, deli counters, bakeries and sandwich bars. As an example, a cafe making up rolls from loose food and wrapping them in cling film would have to provide information about the contents.

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The R-Biopharm swab tests allow them to check if their food preparation areas have been suitably decontaminated of food allergens, such as gluten, nuts, dairy and eggs, which could trigger allergic reactions.

Joanna Wilkie, Product Specialist at R-Biopharm Rhône, said: "If food is being sold in a restaurant as gluten-free, it has to be prepared in a separate part of the kitchen in order to avoid cross contamination. These simple tests will ensure that the cleaned prep area is free of any gluten traces."

Ms Wilkie said that the swab tests had been immediately attractive to major food producers and companies with large and complex processing lines. One large milk producer in the UK is already using the tests as a matter of course.

The swabs mean that when the processing lines are taken apart for

a regular clean-down, all the parts even previously difficult to access ones - can be thoroughly checked and decontaminated.This prevents having to close the line for several

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days while waiting for results to be returned from external lab facilities. The swab tests provide a definitive analysis of any potential issues within 10 minutes.

AGRI GADGETS John Deere FarmSight at Precision Farming Leading the way in innovative precision farming technologies and dealer services, John Deere FarmSight now features Wireless Data Transfer (WDT) and Remote Display Access (RDA).

Both of these new developments are being demonstrated alongside the MyJohnDeere.com web resource on the company’s stand at Precision Farming 2015.

The Operations Centre in MyJohnDeere.com allows farmers and contractors to manage their land and their machinery fleet from a central location. After logging onto their own secure site, they are able to allocate their equipment to specific tasks, track the work progress of the machines and adjust work orders to match actual weather conditions.

In addition to machine information, the Operations Centre provides field information, with both

displayed on a map. With these enhancements, customers can view the documentation data coming from the John Deere GreenStar 2630 display in the vehicle cab. For example, users can then analyse and compare yields to decide which varieties should be planted next season, or they can print out reports for invoicing purposes.

As a result the Operations Centre enables users to get a quick overview of ongoing operations to make sure the right equipment is in the right place at the right time, as well as to make sound business decisions based on accurate agronomic information. MyJohnDeere.com users can also securely share data with trusted third parties, such as crop consultants, contractors and dealers, at any time and from any location.

To support a seamless data flow between the GreenStar

2630 display and MyJohnDeere. com, as well as facilitate the documentation, John Deere has introduced the new Wireless Data Transfer (WDT) system. During the harvesting season, yield data can be sent wirelessly to the web portal and is available as soon

as the combine operator finishes the field. WDT also allows the user to transmit information to the GreenStar cab display and prepare the equipment for the next job. This includes set-up data or prescription maps for sprayers, spreaders and drills, for example.

In cab automation aids Nematicide accuracy Improved automation of granular nematicide applicators will help growers improve accuracy and could help to far exceed the new Nematicide Stewardship Programme code of good practice.

There is a definite move among growers to become more accurate with granules and rate

control, reported Tim Neat of Techneat Engineering.

The company’s nematicide applicator range all now feature in-cab controllers that enable the operator to comply with the new guidelines to put the applicator into ‘out of work’ mode 3m before the headland.

This can be instigated on the move, without any interruption in the cultivation or planting operation.

Furthermore, electronic drives for the metering mechanism, developed by Techneat, ensure there is no chance that the metering unit can rotate or leak granules when the machine is out of work.

Tim Neat warned that with traditional land wheel driven machines, even when the land wheel has been raised it could continue to rotate and release granules onto the headland.

“By far the best option is to replace the land wheel with a Microdrive electric motor,” he advised. “This can be fully controlled by the Techneat incab system, with all the benefits of improved accuracy and simple rate adjustment, with no further need to calculate drive sprocket ratios.”

Coupling the controller to GPS capability provides

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operators with continuous information on the area covered, which can be simply crosschecked with the amount of product used to assure correct rates had been used. Calibration of the extremely reliable electronic drives is also far simpler. “Both these elements are key to the NSP guidelines for operators, which can be quickly and effectively complied with,” he added.

Tim pointed out that sophisticated controllers and variable-rate technology that had previously been prohibitively expensive and the preserve of large growers, were now becoming increasingly affordable.

“Our Intelli-Rate field mapping interface, for example, was designed primarily for variable rate seed sowing, but we are now seeing interest in the technology for enhancing the precision and improved agronomy for fertiliser and 135

chemical applications,” he said. The system is available on all new machines, as well as available to easily retro-fit to all Techneat applicators with a green box controller.

“The technology is now available to help all potato

AGRI GADGETS

growers to fully comply with the Nematicide Stewardship Programme guidelines,” said Tim. “And it will ensure they apply granules effectively and accurately, to get the best possible results from every nematicide application."

Finning goes mobile with new parts website

mySilent Herdsman Health Alert

Silent Herdsman, the developers of a market leading heat detection and animal behaviour monitoring system for the dairy and beef farming sectors, today announces the launch of mySilent Herdsman Health Alert.

The mySilent Herdsman Health Alert software-service has been developed to provide early identification of animal illness before being observed or identified as so by a farmer, staff member or vet, and builds on research carried out during a three year programme supported by Innovate UK1. It has been proven to accurately and reliably alert farms to the signs of illness, most commonly to the early onset of acidosis, ketosis, mastitis/E coli mastitis and lameness.

The 24 x 7 software-service continually monitors eating and rumination via a single collarbased sensor. (The sensor also identifies heats (oestrus)). The graphs display the average time spent by the cow eating and ruminating. Alerts are received when eating or 136

ruminating declines, with users able to adjust the sensitivity setting for the health alert via the Silent Herdsman system.

As with heat detection, alerts can be received via any Smartphone, tablet, laptop or PC and through accessing the Silent Herdsman and mySilent Herdsman software.

Drew Sloan, Silent Herdsman’s CEO, commented, “With farms increasing in size and skilled labour in short supply, it is becoming much more difficult to effectively monitor the health and productivity of every cow.

With mySilent Herdsman Health Alert, farmers receive early indications of health problems of individual cows, enabling them to focus on these few cows and take preventative action before a productive cow becomes a cull cow. The system will only need to save one cow per year to pay for itself.”

The software-based-service is an optional add-on to the mySilent Herdsman system, with a 12-month farm license.

Finning customers can now access the company’s new parts website on a mobile device. The UK & Ireland Caterpillar dealer’s website www.finning.co.uk/parts also enables its users to browse service options and ‘Ask The Expert’ from a mobile phone or tablet.

The website has been designed to give customers a fully integrated online solution, offering the ability to learn more about Finning Product Support by featuring information from the company’s parts, service and technology divisions. The full version of the website also offers users to order parts online through its PartStore.

Once signed up to PartStore, users also become members of Finning’s ‘Online Parts Club’, giving them access to added value services, and

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promotions specifically for online customers.

Jayne Gibbons, E-Commerce Manager at Finning, stated: “Our goal is to provide an accessible, engaging parts, service and technology experience online through the new website, supported by practical ordering solutions. By allowing access to a wealth of information and support via mobile devices, we are giving customers a way to engage with us on the go.”

“The ‘Ask The Expert’ function has already proven its worth, as members of our Product Support Team have been able to share their expertise, advice and support by directly interacting with PartStore users.”

For more information on the website and all available promotions, please visit www. finning.co.uk/parts.

AGRI GADGETS New hitching device improves safety

online savvy THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING UP TO SPEED

by Allan Bewley & Fiona Sloan Pedigree Farmer Web Design

A new device for helping tractor operators’ hook up to implements using the three point linkage system has been developed by a Monaghan company.

Safehitch is a must have tool that has great potential to improve safety on farms and removes the risk when attaching implements.

It consists of a zinc plated steel bar that connects onto the swinging lower hydraulic arms of the tractor via a set of brackets.

The Safehitch bar has preset increments identified by numbers which correspond to the spacing on the linkbox, topper or other machine.

Widths of various implements can be measured and allocated a number which matches up with that on the Safehitch.

This means the operator can set the Safehitch before climbing into the cab. He then can reverse into the implement and connect first time.

Tractor operators no longer need to exit the cab to move the arms when trying to hook up to a link box or mower.

With Safehitch, implements can be hooked up faster but primarily much more safely.

Operators, nor anyone else, need to be between the

tractor and the implement when connecting therefore increasing safety on the farm.

Safehitch is patented and was developed by engineer Jim Cassidy and businessman and part-time farmer, Pat McKenna.

Pat said: “Farmers are all too aware of how difficult it is to connect a topper or any other piece of farm machinery to their tractor using the now standard three point linkage system.

“The swinging lower arms are extremely difficult to align and it is almost impossible for one person to hitch the equipment on to the tractor.

“While Safehitch is a labour saving device, we view it primarily as a safety feature.

“Many older farmers are physically uncomfortable mounting and dismounting in order to set the lower arms so many farmers tend to resort to dragging implements into place opening up the risk of physical injury.

Safehitch is on the market for around £70 including UK delivery.

For more information on this new device contact Jim on 00353 87 7461351 or Pat on 00353 86 6372798.

Or alternatively visit the website www.gethitched.ie.

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Google, the most powerful search engine on earth, has recently announced that on 21st April, it will be implementing algorithm updates that will have a “significant impact” on mobile search results worldwide for mobile searchers. While this will only effect searches from mobile devises such as tablets and mobile phones and not laptops or desktop computers, it means that if your current website is not “responsive” its effectiveness with the new algorithm update will be reduced as your website will be judged on a page by page basis as to whether each page is mobile friendly and assessed accordingly.

A responsive website is one which, while carrying the same information as viewed on a laptop or desktop, automatically changes it’s layout to fit the size of the screen of the searcher. This allows the user to scroll through

the site much more effectively and to be able to read the detail without trying to make the screen bigger as they go along.

Google’s intention. is to make the mobile search a friendlier experience.

Anyone who has tried to look at a non-responsive website on their mobile phone will have viewed a site which has effectively been scaled down to the size of the mobile phone screen from the original desk top layout size and is so small that it is almost impossible to read.

You can check if your site is responsive by bringing it up on your laptop, minimising it and when you drag the arrow from the right to left to make the screen smaller, it should change layout keeping the content to scale and visible.

Anyone who relies on their website should be seriously considering looking at an update to ensure future reliability.

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finance ANM Group profitability delivers trading bonus for members

Farming co-operative, the ANM Group, is reporting another year of profitability, with a trading profit of

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£682,000, and is announcing the allocation of a discretionary member’s trading bonus for the first time in many years.

Pat Machray OBE, ANM Group Chief Executive, said: “As a result of our stronger financial position, I was

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delighted to announce the trading bonus. The bonus is a unique benefit for this year and is an acknowledgement of our

finance appreciation for our members’ ongoing support.”

The CEO stated that the Group’s financial performance has strengthened in its trading and the work on the land asset base to increase shareholder value. He stressed that the Group cannot promise a bonus like this every year but is a thank you for the continued support received from its members. The bonus cheque, to be distributed to members in June, is payable to shareholders who have paid commissions in excess of £200.

For members with less than £200 share- holding, the bonus will be allocated as shares - bringing them up to the minimum shareholding level.

Mr Machray announced that the Group has managed to maintain its profitability despite a challenging year for the auction side of the business with a reduction in cattle numbers; additional costs for muchneeded repairs to its agri-hub at Thainstone Centre; uncertainty surrounding the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP reform) and volatile pricing. The ANM Group also worked to reduce its ‘carbon footprint’ in 2014 through the installation of a biomass boiler, solar panels and new LED lights at Thainstone Centre.

The CEO stressed that the Group has worked tirelessly to maximise its property portfolio throughout 2014.

With a significant amount of work undertaken by the Group, the trading profit for 2014 is £682,000 compared to a profit of £755,000 in 2013 (2012 loss of £785,000, 2011 loss of £2.517m).

The Group’s overall profit, after exceptional items and before tax for 2014 is £1,358,000 compared to £722,000 in 2013 (2012 loss of £7.089m, 2011 loss £4.066m).

Mr Machray added: “In addition to this profitability, our member’s benefits of dividends and this year’s bonus, as well as stocking agreement interest savings, commission cap savings and our member’s loan scheme’s enhanced interest rates amounted to the staggering value of £625,000 this year.”

Mr Machray added: “We have received a huge amount of support from our members with an overall increase in share capital. Investment in the Group is important to our own growth and success and I would encourage members to continue to support us and to consider increasing their shareholding given the turnaround in the business in recent years.”

“As a co-operative, we act to meet the common needs and aspirations of our members and reward our shareholders for their participation and support. The Group offers much more than just a dividend, opportunities exist through our member’s loan schemes; new entrant’s schemes; stocking agreements and access to the ANM Group Charitable Trust – all of which support the industry and encourage the next generation.”

John McIntosh, Chairman of the ANM Group, said: “I am very optimistic about the future of the Group and with the potential we have in all divisions, there is no reason why ANM should not continue to make progress in the future.”

Visit

FARMING SCOTLAND MAGAZINE website www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com Farming News – Commodity Prices – Weather Outlook Agri Pages Online Directory – Magazine Archives And so much more… www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

THEMONEYMAN The Annual Investment Allowance - Beware the Pitfalls By Andrew Turnbull By the time you read this the Election will be over and we will know the colour of the next government.

In his March Budget, George Osborne announced that the Annual Investment Allowance ("AIA") on expenditure on machinery costing up to £500,000 in any accounting year would revert to only £25,000 from January 2016, although he did say this figure might be reviewed upwards in the Autumn. Presumably he should have added the words "if re-elected".

George can't speak for all parties and we do not know their plans for the AIA rates to apply after this year. The cynical might postulate that politicians of all hues will need to pay for the promises made during their electioneering to end austerity measures and increase public spending.

Tinkering with capital

allowances is one way that is unlikely to antagonise the general populace.

Farmers need to be aware that if their accounting year ends before 31 December 2015 and they postpone the purchase of new machinery until into their new financial year they will not be able to claim the full 100% allowance on expenditure up to £500k.

Another point to be wary of is that any value attributed to a trade-in may become a "balancing charge" if that asset qualified for the 100% AIA when it was originally bought.

In summary, the calculations need to be done by a tax advisor to avoid disappointment - and an unexpected tax bill.

And a crystal ball would be useful to second guess the intentions of our political leaders.

Andrew Turnbull CA is an Area Director, based in Perth, with First Independent Finance where he specialises in agricultural and industrial loans and finance.

His contact details are: Mobile: 07720 886272, Phone 01738 624671 email aturnbull@fIf.co.uk 139

finance Croft House Grant Scheme rates must rise to stimulate necessary investment NFU Scotland has called for grant rates available to build or renovate croft houses to be raised to a realistic economic level.

In responding to the Scottish Government’s review of the Croft House Grant Scheme, the Union recognised the valuable support that it gives in ensuring crofters continue to live and work on or near their crofts.

However, the Union points out that in the current economic climate, the existing grant rates failed to stimulate or incentivise investment in croft housing.

The Union has also urged the Scottish Government to retain three geographical

priority regions rather than its proposal of moving to two.

The proposal to base rates on whether a croft is located on an island or on the mainland is too basic and would fail to address the costs that can be associated with building in the more remote areas of the mainland.

This is recognised in current grant scheme rules.

Commenting on the Union’s submission, Caithness crofter Sandy Murray, who chairs NFU Scotland’s Crofting, Highlands & Islands Working Group said: “Affordable housing for crofters and their families is fundamental in terms of ensuring that croft land is actively managed and utilised

and that crofting is sustained into the future.

“The Croft House Grant Scheme has a vital role in ensuring that crofters can live and work on or near their crofts but given its importance, we need the scheme to be fit for purpose and reflect the current costs associated with building work.

“We have had concerns for some time that the existing rates of grant have been insufficient in the current economic climate to significantly incentivise crofters to undertake new builds or renovations.

“We also have worries that the Scottish Government proposal of moving to two geographical areas for

Commercial vehicles, ie: pickups, vans, lorries from £175.00 on full fleet policies.

Private motor vehicles can also be added to such policies.

Inverness farmer reduced premiums from £2850 to £2123 Aberdeenshire farmer reduced premiums from £4208 to £3986

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eligibility would fail to recognise that there are remote areas of mainland Scotland that can be as disadvantaged in terms of high transport costs and lack of suppliers and contractors as some of the island communities.

“For this reason we believe that the current three Geographical Priority Areas should be maintained, recognising the additional costs of building on the islands or in remote areas. Crucially, whether the croft house is located on an island, a remote part of the mainland or other mainland areas, all grant rates in each priority area must be significantly higher in order to encourage and assist crofters to invest.”

machinery Amazone’s Certos heavy compact disc harrow Changing rotations, with cover and catch crops now becoming more prevalent as well as maize stubbles leftover from AD plants, means that there is an increasing demand to incorporate higher levels of organic matter at a relatively shallow depth. The need still exists to minimise any deepdown disturbance that may end up promoting grass weed problems and the new Certos heavy compact disc harrow, available in working widths of 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 and 7.0 metres, comes into the range alongside the existing Catros and the Catros+ compact disc harrows which are designed with shallower work in mind. The Certos, with its 660 mm diameter scalloped discs, staggered with an offset of 350mm, offers an angle of attack of 22° in the first row and 17° in the second to ensure a very aggressive operation, an intensive mixing and a good penetration force into the

soil. In this way, even on soils with plenty of surface organic matter, an intensive mixing operation is possible.

The proven-Catros system of maintenance-free disc bearings, oil filled with integrated slide seals is also used on the Certos but here,

however, the dimensions of the bearings, with an outer diameter 130 mm, are almost twice as big as those on the Catros.

WILKS BROTHERS Main dealers in Perthshire for DEUTZ FAHR Tractors

The new 5, 6 and 7 Series Tractors

Sales • Service • Parts Repairs for a wide range of Agricultural Machinery Murthly, Perthshire, PH1 4HG Tel: 01738 710381 Fax: 01738 710581 www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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machinery New John Deere trailed sprayer A new high specification 4400-litre capacity trailed sprayer from John Deere will be making its UK show debut at Cereals 2015 in June.

The R944i model on display, together with its new M Series mid specification equivalent the M944(i), mean that John Deere now offers a wider range of specifications and configurations than ever before in a machine of this size, with a choice of manual, semiautomatic or fully automated sprayers.

The latest models offer the same basic features as the larger M & R Series sprayers up to 6200 litres, but with a smaller tank size. Both new versions have the same low profile tank design and low centre of gravity for maximum stability under all spraying conditions, while the established axle steering system

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provides accurate tracking on the headlands to reduce wheeling damage.

High-capacity twin piston diaphragm sprayer pumps supply liquid at 560 litres/min for fast

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automatic filling and spraying. An optional centrifugal pump boosts filling capacity to 700 litres/min.

machinery Krone’s flexible package wins contractor over The ability of the Krone Comprima V 210 XC to make bales from 1m (3ft 3in) to 2.05m (7ft) diameter gives farmer and contractor Roger Glennie an interesting niche service to offer his customers in Aberdeenshire.

As well as offering a full range of contract services, Mr Glennie farms 240ha, growing malting barley and raising 300 ewes, so machinery has to be productive and reliable.

“We make 10,000 bales a year of silage, hay and straw, and I chose the Krone Comprima over my previous brand of baler because of its ability to make the larger bales. It’s also good to have a different machine to the competition, and I already had a good relationship with dealer Ross Agri as they supplied my Fendt tractor,” he explains.

He adds that the baler, which was delivered in June, caught his

eye with its strong build quality and high output. Hard wearing Easy-Flow 2.15m wide camless pick-up.

“The tandem axle is another big plus – four wheels really improve the ride quality and are also better on soft ground,” says Mr Glennie.

With a couple of customers already signed up for the larger bales, he has made a number of them on his own farm to promote the service and allow comparison with the standard 1.2m bale.

“The 2.05m bale packs in as much material as three

1.2m bales,” he explains, “and this market is expanding as our customers recognise the advantages. It provides an alternative to a square bale, making a weather-proof package that is cheaper to bale yet just as easy to transport as a square.”

D-K-R

AGRICULTURAL SERVICES LTD. Main Dealers for JOHN DEERE Foragers

D-K-R AGRICULTURAL SERVICES LTD. Westfield, Coulter, Biggar, Lanarkshire ML12 6HN Tel. 01899 220897 • FAX. 01899 221413 E-Mail: dkrcoulter@hotmail-com 144

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machinery New Horsch Leeb PT 280 sprayer Following its success at the LAMMA show, at which the BoomControl Pro system took top honours, Horsch will be displaying its new PT 280 selfpropelled sprayer at Cereals 2015 for the first time. In addition, the recently launched Joker RT with levelling board and new TurboDisc coulter will also be on display.

Horsch has updated its selfpropelled sprayer with new features to keep it ahead of the competition and meet strict new emissions standards. A 285hp/210 KW Mercedes engine now powers the new Leeb PT 280 sprayer providing a 15hp power increase over the PT 270, which it replaces.

The new 7.7 litre 6-cylinder turbo engine uses Mercedes’ latest AdBlue technology to meet the Tier 4 requirements.

The radiator is now mounted

horizontally and the radiator fan is now hydraulically driven and not dependent directly on engine speed. Due to customers’ requests, the road speed has also been increased to 50kph.

The PT 280 continues with a proven hydrostatically stepless-hydroshift gear unit and mechanical axis drive, instead of hydraulics motors, for better traction in hilly

terrain. The award-winning BoomControl Pro system, close nozzle spacing, pneumatic nozzle control and an advanced cleaning system complete an impressive package.

D LT

ll OS Ca BR K 595 C 1 5 O RI on 0 476 R 69 GA

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machinery Woldgrain Storage initiate phase 3 of Project Valiant with Perry of Oakley Woldgrain Storage based at Hemswell Airfield, Lincolnshire was established in 1980 to store grain on behalf of its founding members. The original scheme had 20,000 tonne storage and one dryer accompanied by 60tph handling equipment. The main products that Woldgrain handle are oilseed rape, barley, wheat and oats. Their expected throughput each year is between 85,000 tonnes and 100,000 tonnes.

With the success and an increase in membership in recent years the capacity has been increased in stages to 57,000 tonnes of ventilated storage with a total of 2 driers and 2 off 250tph intake systems.

Further increases in membership required extra facilities hence Project Valiant Phase 3 has taken place.

Project Valiant Phase 3 comprised of a further 26,000 tonnes of silo storage, carefully arranged with varying size silo’s to fill in several unused plots on the limited size site. By initiating Project Valiant this represents a further important step along the road to achieving Woldgrain’s ultimate goal of a fully developed store of 85,000 tonnes.

Over a number of years Perry of Oakley Ltd have installed several machines at Woldgrain, including conveyors that were used for filling the original silos in 2012.

Linkage innovation from from Rolland The ROLL-LINK innovation from ROLLAND helps to facilitate and secure the coupling of the rams to the tractor for a 2 or 3 autopilot steering axle machine.

When the trailer is hitched onto the tractor and the hydraulics are connected, the operator can unlock the ROLL-LINK in order to let the ram bracket on the drawbar to rotate for an easier

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connection of the ram onto the tractor’s hitch point.

The 3 main advantages of the ROLL-LINK are that the operator returns to the tractor, and makes a left turn and a right turn to automatically lock the system. With the ROLL-LINK, the operator can hitch quickly, safely and alone, Comfort and safety for the operator when coupling and

machinery Manitou Group’s 500,000th machine

uncoupling, but also at work because the axles are autosteer and are moving forwards and backwards, at 25 or 40 km/h, Technical and economical advantages : the ROLL- LINK and autopilot axles allow to limit mechanical constraints and scrub on the tyres. The system can be mounted on 2 or 3 axles machines and of strong

construction to resisit the force imposed when products are loaded... This system is less expensive than an electrical autopilot system.

Ecological point : the power needed to tract trailers equiped with this system is reduced, so the fuel consumption is also reduced, this means a lower impact on the atmosphere.

This year marks the launch of the 500,000th machine manufactured by the MANITOU Group. With its MANITOU, GEHL & MUSTANG brands and more than 400 models sold through the world, the Group celebrates the event, expression of

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its leadership on the rough-terrain material-handling market.

An idea which went round the world - "Why not turn round the shape of a farm tractor and add to it a lifting mast and hydraulic steering?"

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machinery The rough-terrain forklift truck was born in 1958, hybrid between the existing forklift truck and the farm tractor. The brand name for this new truck was imagined during a family brainstorm: it will be called a MANITOU.

MANITOU is indeed the fruit of family work since the creation of the Braud-Faucheux company more than 60 years ago.

Surrounded by his family, Marcel BRAUD has built MANITOU Group around his pioneering

spirit, drawing his ideas in-house as well as from outside, with an all-encompassing view of the markets.

This family spirit is anchored within the Group and shared by the employees whose attachment

to the brand remains the core of their commitment. The GEHL and MUSTANG brands have developed a similarly strong link with the employees, as well as the customers, since their creation.

Scottish machinery dealers welcome new mid-range McCormick X6 tractors New mid-range tractors now arriving at the region’s McCormick dealers have replaced two of the famous marque’s best-selling ranges – the MC and X60 series.

With increased power and torque from new engines, and a broader range of features to give added performance, fuel economy and driver comfort, the McCormick X6 Series is seen as quite an advance over the previous designs.

It has certainly had an enthusiastic welcome from McCormick dealers in Scotland Thomas Murray Agricultural Engineers, Dundonald, Ayrshire; J A Waugh & Son, Stranraer and TH Engineering, Banksfoot near Dalswinton, Dumfries & Galloway; Fraser C Robb, Drymen near Glasgow; John Drysdale, Kinneswood, Perthshire; Hamilton Tractors, Carnwath, Lanarkshire; Brian Smith Engineers, Cornhill; Mark Wood Agri-Sales, Insch and Mearns Tractors, Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire; and J T Cormack,

John O’Groats.

There are three models, each available as ‘standard’ and

higher-spec ‘LS’ versions, with main differences being in the hydraulics, wheel equipment,

transmission speeds and suspension for the driver’s cab and front axle.

Yamaha Viking 700 ‘Durability and all-terrain ability’

Yamaha Grizzly 300 ‘The no fuss workhorse’

The professional’s choice: functionality, flexibility, and practicality on demand. Available at: Eden Valley Business Park, Cupar, Fife KY15 4RB

Tel: 01334 652561 www.meldrums.co.uk 148

MELDRUMS Ltd

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machinery Polaris 0% finance extended for a limited period

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Polaris has extended the 0% finance offer on new Polaris Sportsman models and the Polaris ACE for a limited period. The world leader and European No.1 in ATVs offers the widest choice of proven All-Terrain options and accessories. Business users can arrange interest-free finance on new Polaris utility ATVs through Polaris finance partners Rural Finance. The scheme offers payments over 22 months at 0% up to a maximum 80% of the Recommended Retail Price and can include genuine Polaris accessories up to ÂŁ1000. Polaris recommends contacting your nearest Polaris dealer as soon as possible for full details and any special deals available. There are new models of Polaris Sportsman ATVs introduced for 2015 with a whole range of new features.

The availability of the 0% finance is subject to status and terms and conditions. Polaris Britain 0800 915 6720 www.polaris-britain.com

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machinery Blowing blocked drains away The Hurricane drain cleaner has been part of the Homburg product range since early in 2013, points out UK importer Fentons of Bourne, which offers a range of drain cleaners that includes Junior, Delta and the Senior models.

The main difference with the Hurricane, compared with other models, is its entirely hydraulic operation, says the dealership.

The operation of the drain cleaner is via a control box (standard) or a remote control (optional). Hydraulic functions were previously controlled via three joysticks however these have now been replaced with programmable touch buttons.

The main functions on the Hurricane are carried out automatically. For instance, the machine has an electronic counter and the operator can enter the endpoint which will stop the hose automatically, prior to starting its way back along the drain.

The HDD system (Homburg Dynamic Drive) is a sensor which

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detects the oil pressure on the manifold block. Pressure over 60bar could indicate a blockage and therefore, after a short delay, the machine will retract the hose and make a new attempt to progress along the length of the drain.

The Hurricane repeats this cycle three times and, if the problem remains unresolved, the machine will automatically turn off and give an audible alarm, adds the Lincolnshire based firm.

Another “smart� feature of the Hurricane is slip

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detection, says Fentons.

Two sensors detect the speed of the drive wheel and the measuring wheel. If the percentage of slippage becomes too high, the machine will automatically turn off.

machinery New JCB Agri shovels scoop up loads more grain A bigger range of JCB AGRI attachments resulting from a more refined design process and use of new materials will help operators get the best performance from their JCB loading and handling machines.

The JCB AGRI range caters for every machine in the extensive JCB materials handling line-up – from the smallest skid-steer and wheeled loaders to the largest Loadall telescopic handlers and Farm Master loading shovels.

“A key advantage of ordering a JCB AGRI attachment with a new handling machine is that it is guaranteed ‘ready to go’,” explains Edward Roach, JCB Agriculture Sales and Marketing Manager.

“Ordering a shovel, fork or any other attachment with either a new JCB or for a machine already in service ensures

it will be delivered with the correct geometry and hydraulic coupling configuration.

“It will also be fully

approved for use with JCB machines and with the correct CE certification,” he adds.

“On top of that, there is the

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reassurance that comes from having replacement parts available 24/7 through the JCB World Parts operation.”

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BEAUTIFUL TRACTORS Specially for all our tractor enthusiasts FIELD MARSHALL, MODEL SERIES 3A UK, 1953

McCORMICK DEERING, MODEL 10-20 GEAR DRIVE USA, 1936

Marshall Sons & Co. was another of the great old steam builders that tried its hand at internal combustion tractors. However, it hit hard times in the Depression and was taken over by Thomas W. Ward Ltd, and later teamed up with Fowler as Fowler-Marshall Ltd. Post-war tractors such as the Series 3A were marketed under the Field Marshall banner.

American inventor Cyrus McCormick was credited with perfecting the reaper, a machine that helped move farming into the mechanical age. In the modern age his name became associated with the International Harvester Company, which brought together the famous McCormick and Deering trade names. The 10-20 GEAR DRIVE gave IHC a modern tractor to compete with Ford.

Features The Series 3A was the final model using the two-cycle, single cylinder diesel motor, and had six forward speeds in two ranges, electric start and hydraulic lift. A touch of modern sheet metal could not hide the heavy flywheel and the bulbous stack needed to quiet the thumping single-cylinder power plant. The Series 3A tractor was painted in Fowler’s Chrome Orange.

Features The successful 10-20 Gear Drive used a four-cylinder IHC motor featuring ball-type main bearings and could burn petrol or kerosene. It had a three-speed transmission and sported a neat, louvred enclosure around the motor. It normally came in dark grey with red wheels, although there was a solid red variation with international badging. The International Junior name was used on early British imports.

Uses The single-cylinder motor was no slouch when it came to power, and the Series 3A was advertised as a modern ploughing tractor with plenty of stamina. Its distinctive sound sets it apart from other tractors and still catches people’s attention at shows today.

Related Models The Lanz Bulldog D-4016 was of similar capacity to the Series 3A. Crawler conversions of the Field Marshalls were produced at Fowler’s Leeds works. Marshalls went from one cylinder to six in their final series of tractors in the late 1950s.

Power & Size 40 hp; weight: 2722kg (6000lb) length: 305cm (120in) width: 193cm (76in) height: 155cm (61in) Manufacturing & Distribution Over 2100 were produced at Marshall’s Britannia Works in Gainsborough from 1952 to 1957. The Series 3A was also sold in Canada, South America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Uses From threshing to ploughing, the 10-20 was an all-purpose tractor. It was advertised as the 'Triple Power Tractor' – for belt, power take-off and drawbar power.

Related Models The 10-20 was preceded by the more powerful, but superficially similar, 15-30 hp Gear Drive tractor.

Power & Size 10-20 hp: weight: 1678kg (3700lb) length: 312cm (123in) width: 152cm (60in) height: 157cm (62in) Manufacturing & Distribution Over 200,000 were built in Chicago, Illinois from 1923 until 1939.

Canadian models were often tagged for IHC's Hamilton, Ontario, works. IHC had offices in the UK, and the 10-20 was also sold in mainland Europe, Australia, New Zealand and southern Africa.

Images from “Beautiful Tractors – Iconic Models” by Rick Mannen A beautifully illustrated record of 40 of the world’s most magnificent, classic agricultural machines, dating from 1917 to 1976.

Photography by Clive Streeter. Published by Frances Lincoln Limited.

Available in paperback: £12.99. For further information : www.franceslincoln.com 152

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country woman Lady of The Tay Claire Mercer Nairne who, with her husband Sam owns the Meiklour Estate in Perthshire, talks to Linda Mellor about life on the river

In 1922, Miss Georgina Ballantine was fishing at Caputh on the Tay with her father, a ghillie, when she hooked a 64lb Salmon. She landed the largest Salmon ever caught with a rod and her record still stands to this day. Fishing was once viewed as a male dominated pastime however, over the years women have embraced the sport and put their stamp on it.

One of them is lady angler Claire Mercer Nairne who is a mother of 3 young children, a farmer’s wife and runs Meikleour Fishings in Perthshire. Claire and her husband, Sam, own the Meikleour estate. It was first established as a family business in 1362. Nowadays, the estate is around 4000 acres, 2000 of which are farmed directly and the remaining being forestry and tenancies. Carrots, potatoes and cereals are their main crops. In 2014, they took ownership of the

Upper Islamouth and Meikleour stretch of the Tay. Claire said: “I have a particular love for the river Tay, this is the first thing I see in the morning when I open my window, and a fascination for its iconic salmon.”

No stranger to fishing, Claire spent her teenage years on family holidays in a fishing village on the Atlantic coast in France enjoying sea angling. She moved to Meikleour in 2006 and fell in love with salmon fishing. However, she found it difficult setting aside time to practice her fishing as she and Sam had three children very close together so most of her time was devoted to bringing them up.

The female influence on the Tay at Meikleour is widely acknowledged in the river’s archives. Sam’s great grandmother, Lady Violet Astor of Meikleour, was a recognised sportswoman and passionate angler and in the 1950s she was

first to introduce motors on the Tay boats.

Claire shares Violet’s passion for the river and feels strongly about it and the conservation of the fish, she said: “Those of us involved with the river can make a difference, it is our future and we must protect the salmon for our children or they will not be able to enjoy the sport we have now.

We have a duty to give back to the river.”

“Managing the fishery with a team of ghillies and seeing the business growing as well as the river habitat improving is very rewarding. The wild salmon fisheries are about to go under a lot of changes, their management is being reviewed by the Scottish Government. There are good things for the river Tay but there are some uncertainties as well. This is one of the reasons that motivated me to put my name down for the election on the Tay District

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Salmon Fisheries Board As the wild fisheries board, established in the 19th century, is being forced to evolve, I thought that having the voice of a woman was already showing that they are changing.” It is thought Claire is the first woman appointed to the board since the 1880s.

Claire and her team have worked hard to pull together elements of the estate. “We bought the hotel, the Meikleour Arms, in 2013 and few months later, in 2014, the Meikleour and Upper Islamouth fishery and reunited both of them with Meikleour Estate. We wanted to make the salmon fishing more accessible, more flexible, and wanted to attract novices as well as experts. We have made extensive improvements to the beat and can offer anglers a wide choice of boat and bank fishing and accommodation.”

Being hands-on is very important to Claire. “To improve 153

Southern Belle WANTED… …Honest man must have GSOH and like red wine It’s now about a year since my Facebook status changed to “single” and armed with the support of my best friend and my daughter, we decided that a dating site for Over 50’s was the first step to meeting someone I could spend some quality time with. Having seen David Essex on TV recently I was secure in the knowledge anyone that good looking in his twenties might now have grey hair, if he did indeed have hair and a few wrinkles and like rehoming an old dog I would have to learn to love and train it all over again. Imagine my surprise when Antonio, a fifty something, drop dead gorgeous Italian American, contacted me and over the next six weeks of emails, we seemed to have loads in common, even that he had grown up on a beef farm. How could I be so lucky!! This man was perfect for me and not bad eye candy either. It’s amazing how much you reveal about yourself (not

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pictorially) to someone you’ve never met and how close you can become when texting and emailing snippets. Anyway….long story short he turned out to be a scammer praying on vulnerable women in their fifties on dating sites and I may be many things but with a good support network vulnerable I am not and despite this happening TWICE on the same site, I continue on my quest (elsewhere) for a “good egg” to walk on a moonlit beach with!

I share this with you to reassure all single women at any age that you are not “desperate” you are just like the rest of we singles who don’t really have any other means to meet people. Trust your friends to help you and you’ll have fun with a bottle of wine checking out the potentials but be careful some people are not what they seem… maybe that’s why we are single.

Good luck girls!

country woman our newly acquired business I needed to understand it. I love to get out fishing as often as possible and want to improve my angling skills so I have been working with a casting instructor.” She has also hosted a number of ladies fishing events including a charity day to raise funds for ‘Casting for Recovery’. The UK charity provides an opportunity for women whose lives have been profoundly affected by breast cancer to gather on a retreat in a natural setting and learn the sport of fly fishing. Claire is keen to introduce more women to fishing, she says: “It is a very gentle, relaxing sport so ladies of all ages with little or no experience can take part and enjoy. We are very well set up to welcome ladies to Meikleour with our two wellappointed fishing huts complete with all the mod cons. We also have a choice of accommodation

available in the East wing of the historic Meikleour house, the Meikleour Arms hotel or in the estate’s holiday cottages.”

Claire’s feminine touch runs through the estate, she continues: “As a mother I inevitably have this need to nurture the place and from the pillow cases in the bedrooms to the wild flower border next to the fishing hut, this is obvious, there is an obsessed woman behind that!”

In the spring and summer months ospreys take up residence on the estate and are often seen hunting and nesting in the tall trees.

Roe deer can be seen on the bank.

The estate is a haven for wildlife and has one of the most beautiful river settings on the Tay. Next time you drive over the ancient Kinclaven Bridge look out for an elegant, well dressed French lady casting her rod out across the river to catch a gleaming bar of silver.

First Female Warden for Chillingham's Wild White Cattle Ellie Crossley has just taken on what is most probably one of the UK’s potentially most hazardous jobs – Warden of the Chillingham Wild Cattle. She will also become a key to the survival of the legendary breed of cattle that is an unusual part of the evolutionary story of one of the world’s rarest and unusual breed of cattle Ellie, who is 24, has been appointed as Warden by the Chillingham Wild Cattle Association (CWCA). The CWCA is the current owner and custodian of the herd that has existed for hundreds of years in its present location – an enclosed 300 acre Park next to Chillingham Castle, in Northumberland.

The cattle are recognised as wild animals, and are considered to be dangerous at all times.

The 100-strong herd is a mix of males and females of all ages.

They “manage” their own lives – humans do not intervene – their breeding and organisation is down to nature and instinct – and they calve all the year round.

Public interest in the cattle is vital for their survival, and Ellie will be taking the tours that ensure the 5,000 visitors each year are

both safe, have a good view of the herd, and know about their history and unique genetics. Tours commence at Easter and are held Sunday to Friday each week until the end of October.

Ellie is very aware that this is a risky occupation: “In your day to day work you have to be very conscious of them as they are so unpredictable. They are amazing, and it is wonderful to see the new calves born, and take their place in the structure of the herd. Theirs is a completely natural environment, and they fend for themselves. We give the cattle hay in the winter when the grazing runs out but that is all the intervention there is.”

Ellie is delighted to take up her new role: “When I heard about this job I knew about the Chillingham Wild Cattle but never thought I would be working with them.”

The warden’s job is a full time position, which involves both the care and management of the herd and its environment. “I will be keeping an eye on them, and I will be helping with the upkeep of the park, checking fences and walls for example, which is vital for biosecurity.

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country woman

RS rural

STYLE

By Helen Burness

Irresistible tweed Timothy!

Tweed has made more comebacks within the fashion world than any other material. It exudes quality and nowadays is used by designers in so many wonderful ways.

Within the rural communities of course, tweed has never gone away. In fact is almost a ‘must wear’ material for many, not only in Scotland, but throughout rural life in the UK too.

So, here is a little ‘tempter’ for our lady readers.

I have my chainsaw certificate so when time allows I will be able to do some forestry work as well as ragwort control and any other jobs that I have time for.

The CWCA is a charity, set up to preserve the herd and it depends on public interest and support.

Ellie’s aim is to attract a younger generation and to increase revenue through the sales of additional merchandise wherever possible.

On announcing the appointment Chris Leyland Park Manager said: “This is an interesting and potentially risky job, and one which I know Ellie has the necessary skills, experience and knowledge to deal with. At certain times of the year it is a solitary role, however during the summer months a large amount of time will be spent taking tours and private parties around the park to see the cattle.”

Ellie, who is the first female Warden of the Cattle, grew up in Wareham in Dorset. At first glance she might be thought to have more in common with the coast than with cattle, as her mother comes from a fishing family and her father was a lifeboatman on the south coast.

She went to College at Kingston Maurward College, in Dorchester, and gained a Diploma in Countryside Management.

There followed a contract with the National Trust at Studland in Dorset where she looked after

their Ruby Red Cattle and British White Cattle. She also worked for over a year with the Hedge Project, at Wimbourne in Dorset – a trust dedicated to rare breeds and grazing enhancement.

The history of the cattle before they were enclosed in what is now Chillingham park is shrouded in mystery and there are many theories about their origins. Suffice to say that they were not kept for meat and milk but for what counted for sport in those days. Before the days of guns and gunpowder men would hunt them with bow and arrow and spears. No doubt a few reckless souls found themselves at the sharp end of an enraged bull to their considerable discomfort.

Records go back to the 17th century, but there is evidence that the herd was enclosed in its park in at least the 1300s. They are distantly related to the British White Park Cattle, in the sense that they contribute to their genetics, not the other way round. Recent studies indicate that the inbreeding of the herd has produced animals that are almost genetically identical, they receive the same genes from the mother as they do from the father – a situation that is extremely rare. In case of disaster, the CWCA maintains a reserve herd of 20 in NE Scotland – certainly more than the 13 animals the herd was reduced to after the hard winter of 1946-47.

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ISLA LOVE THIS! For jackets that cross over from country to city, look no further than the Timothy Foxx Summer collection. Here is one sampler.

This Timothy Foxx Isla Jacket in newly introduced Foxglove gives a delicious twist to this season’s ‘Cool Blue’ story.

This gorgeous single-breasted jacket breathes new life into a wardrobe classic, featuring oversized turn-back cuffs and matching elegant high collar in a stunning Tan corduroy set on backdrop of Foxglove Blue, Mustard & Tan plaid tweed.

Sizes: 8 -16 RRP: £335.00 www.timothyfoxx.co.uk 155

ART with Carole Ingram

Looking at the work of artists inspired by Scotland's rural surroundings and culture Co-author Hilary Gauci

By Beth Robertson Fiddes

Beth Robertson Fiddes

Pool with Arch, Glenbrittle

We are delighted to present Beth Robertson Fiddes as our featured artist this month. A graduate of Edinburgh School of Art and recipient of the prestigious Second Award Jolomo Bank of Scotland Award, Beth has painted for as long as she can remember.

Having grown up in Tiree, Beth then lived and worked in Edinburgh until three years ago when she moved to Ullapool.

Working on a large scale, sometimes up to 4' x 5', Beth works on board or aluminium panel, creating a collage base, then adding vibrant splashes of acrylic on top of which she often uses oil paints.

Beth uses sketches and photographs as reference for her mixed media work but finds herself relying more on sketches and memories and less on technology! In her own words "my aim is to return to a different way of seeing my surroundings, to a time before I had any knowledge of science or history and the world seemed full of possibilities". Her paintings open doors in our imaginations and invite us to enjoy the mystery and beauty of her island heritage.

Beth's original work is available in galleries across Scotland - details available on her website at www.bethrobertsonfiddes.com Carole Ingram, an artist in oils. Children and animal portraiture a speciality. www.caroleingram.co.uk 156

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Tiree Wave

lifestyle Time to get out and about Hay good looking!

Whilst the sun shines, farmers make hay and for equestrian fashion inspired brand Freddie Parker sunshine is just the ingredient needed to bring out the best in their gorgeous collection of shirts.

Styled in cool cotton, both the Freddie Parker Ladies Cheltenham Shirt in Candy Pink and Men’s Epsom Shirt in Lilac feature the brand’s signature ‘galloping horse and rider’ logo on their contrast placket and fold back cuffs.

Finished with a slim line cut to the ladies shirt and embroidered logo on the chest for both, these shirts are bound to raise temperatures this season with their sizzling good looks!

Sizes S -XXL Available in Dark Blue, Light Blue and Lilac. Freddie Parker Men’s Epsom Shirt RRP: £79.00 Sizes 10 – 18 Available in Candy Pink Stripe, Pure White, and Candy Turquoise Stripe. Ladies Cheltenham Shirt RRP: £65.00 www.freddieparker.com

Hampers to dine for!

With summer in the air and warmer dayson the horizon, it’s time to inspire our readers in dining al fresco in style. And our superb range of hampers are just the thing.

Perfect to use for picnics, at festivals, on the beach or during myriad outdoor social gatherings, our contemporary and traditional basket hampers are seasonal bestsellers at Cotswold Trading.

Supplied by Willow Direct and crafted from buff and unpeeled willow, they offer everything one needs. Choose from a simple leather handle and strap basket and stock with your favourite food or outdoor diningware, or plump for a ready-to-go vessel complete with tableware, cutlery and wine glasses - standard or deluxe.

Available in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit two or four diners, whichever your readers choose they will become a summer necessity.

For your wine-loving readers, our two- and four-bottle willow carriers are great for transporting favourite tipples. And outdoor cooks will sizzle with delight at our quirky BBQ in form of a handy, portable briefcase. Bring on the warm weather!

Two Person Chiller Hamper £49.00 www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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lifestyle Tweed That Talks Volumes!

“Do you know someone who needs help?”

RSABI’s slogan has become familiar on leaflets and charity communications. It led the charity to being put in contact with individuals/ families who would otherwise not have been helped. RSABI has assisted families with additional costs due to a seriously ill child, farmworkers whose employment has been terminated owing to illness, working farmers whose livelihood has been threatened by bereavement, ill health and accident as well as those suffering significant stress due to agricultural challenges.

Those qualifying are helped in a variety ways: from travel costs for hospital visits to help with unexpected heating costs. Since January over £7,500 of grants have been made to working farming families towards household expenses and for professional advice through the Whole Farm Review Scheme.

Life is now a little easier for Sandy, a retired farmworker Sandy worked as a general farmworker since school until he was forced to retire in his early 60s owing to ill health. He moved from

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his tied cottage to a rented flat in town, where he has lived for 20 years. Problems with his electricity account led Sandy to visit his local Citizens Advice office, who identified that he may qualify for RSABI assistance. Sandy has now received a £300 Help for Heating Fund grant and has been taken on as an Annual Beneficiary by RSABI – this will provide around £800 annually to make life easier.

The new Equetech Tweed Showing Collection brings together a selection of garments, which combine classic tailoring with contemporary styling and offers a fresh take on competition tweed clothing.

The leading equestrian brand has incorporated two stunning tweeds within their collection for this season: ‘Wheatley’ and ‘Kenton’ have been translated into a variety of garments which could easily cross over from the show-ring to the high street.

The Wheatley Tweed takes Burgundy and Canary plaid on a gorgeous Wheat colour backdrop, whilst the Kenton version combines Moss Green with Navy and Canary plaid.

Choose from bags, hats, caps, lead rein and show jackets and waistcoats for a truly co-ordinated look for the show ring or life away from horses.

Prices start at RRP: £85.95 www.equetech.com

Help RSABI - become a Supporter Raising regular income to fund new people coming forward like Sandy is an important goal for RSABI. Please make a donation by joining the RSABI Supporter Scheme.

• Individual (minimum annual donation £25) • Business aimed at working farms (minimum annual donation £150) • Corporate for larger organisations/companies (minimum annual donation £500) Call Development at RSABI on 0131 472 4166 or visit www.rsabi.org.uk

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lifestyle Kaiwaka Weathershield waterproof The Weathershield collection from the Kaiwaka Clothing Co. – New Zealand’s best-selling premium brand of wet weather gear for the agricultural sector – is a high-performance range of weatherproof fleeces designed to keep farmers warm, dry and comfortable in the shed or out in the fields.

Kaiwaka Weathershield is a triple layer, anti-pill fabric featuring a DuPont Hytrel membrane which minimizes body heat loss and outperforms other leading waterproof and breathable fabrics. It is designed as outer clothing for outdoor and shed work yet works as a layer under, for example, parlour wear. The Hytrel membrane is bonded between two layers of micro-fleece resulting in warm and supremely comfortable garments that are also windproof, as well as waterproof and breathable.

The Kaiwaka Weathershield range currently comprises a Bush Shirt, Bomber Jacket, long and short sleeves Hoodies; and long and short sleeve polo shirts. The Bush Shirt and Bomber Jacket are lined with Faran Ice – a breathable lining which absorbs moisture and perspiration from the body and wicks it evenly throughout the fabric, thus enabling it to evaporate away through the outer shell.

For further information and stockist details, visit www. kaiwakaclothing.co.nz.

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@home A touch of tartan Use tartan as an accent within a room for that Scottish baronial feel

Foxwood Occasional Armchair

Why not a Red Pheasant Cushion to begin with?

This exquisite Foxwood armchair will bring a touch of heritage chic to your living room. Hand-made in the UK, and buttoned and upholstered in 100 per cent wool Chatsworth Opal tartan wool, the Foxwood elegantly marries tradition with modern comfort. The frame is made from sturdy non tropical hardwood whilst the chair has a super comfortable foam fibre filling to both cushion and support.

Wooden legs finished with solid brass casters complete the look. The Foxwood measures W80 X D85 X H88cm.

Price: £795.00 www.alisonathome.com

The new ‘Lochs & Lagoons’ collection from Arthouse interprets the trend for conversational design and puts a twist on the traditional. The result is an eclectic vibe that can be co-ordinated or personalised to bring a mix of subtle or humorous design statements to the home. Be as understated or as dramatic as you like!

Price: £24.99 www.arthouse.com

Luxourious Arran Sofa The Arran range is available as a stool chair & sofa, providing a truly unique combination of the luxury of leather & the renowned quality and comfort of Harris tweed. Features are inclusive of hand polished solid wood turned legs & individually hand studded facings.

Price: £1725.00 www.darlingsofchelsea.co.uk

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cars Motoring technology and innovations BMW i8 presented with the World Green Car Award For the second time in succession BMW i clinched victory at the World Car Awards in the category World Green Car. Following the success of the purely electrically driven BMW i3 the previous year, the BMW i8 was awarded this prestigious award at the New York International Auto Show.

The sports car's combination of groundbreaking plug-in hybrid drive technology and innovative lightweight construction together with its avant-garde design was honoured by the

international jury at the World Car Awards. The BMW i8 was also one of the finalists in the category World Luxury Car at the World Car Awards 2015, thereby underlining its special position.

“I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of the team in Munich”, says Dr. Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsi- ble for Sales and Marketing BMW, speaking at the Award Ceremony in New

York. “The BMW i8 represents the future with its unique lightweight construction and unrivalled connectivity. To win

this award for the second year in a row shows that our BMW i products are truly leading the world.”

programme offers a wide number of further choices.

It is available with a choice of a 1.6 litre Euro 6 petrol or diesel engine (from August) with manual transmission. Finished in a smart

grey cloth trim, it includes 16” alloy wheels, cruise control, a stop/ go system (petrol), Smart steering (normal, comfort and sport modes), an RDS/Bluetooth radio and seven airbags.

The Ssangyong Tivoli, strong on style The contemporary SsangYong Tivoli B-segment SUV arrives in the UK this summer with prices starting from just £12,950.

“This is a car that will really put SsangYong on the map and change brand perceptions,” says Paul Williams, CEO of SsangYong Motor UK. “By any criteria but especially style, interior finish and value for money, Tivoli stands close scrutiny. The verdict from those who have already seen and driven the car is that we’re on to a winner.

But ultimately it’s the customer who wins: this is a modern, safe, well-built and comprehensively equipped car, and with a price and warranty no one else can match.

Anyone considering a small SUV will have to put it on their list.”

The Tivoli is extremely well equipped - see specification list attached, and for simplicity the range comprises three main model options - SE, EX and ELX, while for those who want further individualisation, the My Tivoli

Citroën Aircross concept The Citroën Aircross boasts a unique presence among SUVs. Its balanced and flowing design gives this protective and welcoming concept car a strong identity and a resolutely optimistic spirit.

The cabin brings a new approach to travel with a

modern, bright, fresh and functional design for the occupants’ physical and mental well-being.

Dialogue and sharing are key themes in this connected SUV. Citroën Aircross features innovative graphic interfaces and plug-in hybrid technology. www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com

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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Neil Miller Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) is delighted to have appointed respected farming industry figure Nigel Miller to the Boards of SRUC and SAC Commercial Ltd. Nigel joins the SRUC and SAC Commercial Boards at an exciting time and with his knowledge, experience and undoubted commitment to the Scottish farming community will be invaluable.

Phil Britton Farmcare has appointed Phil Britton as senior potato agronomist and technical manager. A key addition to the team, Phil’s expertise and potato farming strategies are set to exert considerable influence over the quality and variety of potatoes stocked on supermarket shelves across the country, as far ahead as the next decade.

Alan Callaghan Mole Valley Farmers have appointed Alan Callaghan as Head of Feeds North to help farmers in the north of England and Scotland benefit from the services and support available from the farmer owned business.

Alan’s appointment follows Mole Valley Farmers’ joint investment with John C Fergusson in a state-of-theart compound feed mill in Coylton, Ayrshire.

Sheridan Jenkins Sheridan Jenkins has been appointed as Head of Operations at Perth based renewable energy specialist, RM Energy Ltd. Highly experienced in delivery of medium wind projects, his appointment underlines RM Energy’s success to date and future ambition. John Maslen, Director of RM Energy, comments, “With his extensive experience in the delivery of wind turbine and solar PV projects, Sheridan will provide a key management role to facilitate current and future customer projects in our expanding operation”.

Mark Ormond Same Deutz-Fahr has announced the appointment of a new managing director to oversee its UK and Ireland operation.

Mark Ormond, who took up his new position on March 1, joins SDF from Lemken, where as general manager he was in charge of the German cultivation, sowing and spraying equipment maker’s UK operation.

Mike Wijnberg The Board of SAC Consulting (part of Scotland’s Rural College) is pleased to confirm the appointment of Mike Wijnberg as the business’ new Managing Director.

Mike joins SAC Consulting from his current East Anglian-based, senior management role with the UK’s largest pig production and processing business, Tulip Ltd. He will take up his new post on 1 June 2015.

Page Turner’s

BOOK REVIEW Always a Little Further

A Classic Tale of Camping, Hiking and Climbing

By Alastair Borthwick

Scotland’s great outdoors has been a panoramic playground for hikers and climbers for as long as walking boots have existed. Adventurers and explorers travel hundreds of miles to take on the challenges presented by majestic Munroes, traverse great glens and take a hearty battering from the good old Caledonian weather.

But not everyone who takes on this testing landscape is out to prove their worth. In the book, Always a Little Further, Alastair Borthwick proves that there is cheer and camaraderie to be had in hiking for fun.

First published in 1939, this colourful account of a group of rank-and-file climbers from Glasgow became an instant hit. Now heralded as a Scottish climbing classic, this new edition brings Borthwick’s detailed account of the freedom found in the mountains to a new audience.

From humble hikes in Arrochar, building up on the Isle of Skye and graduating to the magnificent peaks and troughs of Glencoe and Ben Nevis, the group gradually delve further and further into Scotland. What makes this book really wonderful is the deeply personal narrative about the bonds created from the group’s shared

experiences interspersed with the stunning descriptions of the challenges of climbing.

Borthwick’s account of the group’s travels is full of colour, detailing life on the road, in the campsite and in the bothy. It’s a humerous and sometimes bizarre tale that is filled with a genuine love of the Scottish hills and the stunning scenery that the group find themselves surrounded by.

These are aspects of mountaineering life hardly touched in other accounts; the hitchhikers, motorcyclists, berry-pickers and bird-watchers that populate the Scottish landscape also people Borthwick’s stories.

A journalist and broadcaster, Alastair Borthwick was born in Rutherglen in 1913. After serving in the Second World War, he worked mainly as a radio and TV producer and died in 2003.

Light and engaging, Always a Little Further presents an alternative view of mountaineering and is sure to accrue a new legion of admirers.

Always a Little Further: A Classic Tale of Camping, Hiking and Climbing by Alastair Borthwick is published by Birlinn from 14th May.

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